histories and their associations through educational institutions and the military . The characters reappear at frequent intervals , all woven into the tapestry . Humana became known locally for its fleet of airplanes , all maintained in perfect condition by the beloved Mr . Kenny Machtolff , father of our local anesthesiologist , Dr . Sharon Merker . He was the chief mechanic , facilities manager and occasional copilot for Humana ’ s aircraft . David Jones Jr . said of him , “ That man can fix anything !” The pilots of those planes feature prominently from 1968 on . Their stories are compelling in themselves .
The period from 1968 to 1972 saw the transition out of the nursing home business – then known as Extendicare – into the hospital business . The first purchase was in Huntsville , Alabama , a newly built but unfinished hospital whose physician owners had found ongoing financing to be difficult . By 1972 , all Extendicare nursing homes had been sold . A new name was needed for the hospital business and that , of course , was Humana . Years later when the combination of health care delivery and health insurance became too complicated for one company to handle , David took charge of the insurance company , which kept the Humana name , and the hospital business , renamed Galen Health Care , was sold . That sale also included half of the assets of the Humana Foundation . It became effective Mar . 1 , 1993 .
of Floyds Fork ; the Presbyterian Headquarters in the space of the old Belknap Buildings along the riverfront ; the revival of Simmons College in Louisville ’ s West End . Many of David ’ s philanthropic activities go beyond Louisville and Kentucky .
David Jones passed away on Sep . 18 , 2019 . His wife , Betty Ashbury Jones , had passed away just 33 days earlier , on August 16 . They had celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on July 24 , of that same year .
As with all successful individuals , the stories can take on a life of their own . As with all high achievers , controversy may be part of the picture . As with all larger-than-life personalities we each may know only a small part of the real person . For those who want to know more about David Allen Jones , this book will provide all the missing parts .
Dr . Amin is a retired diagnostic radiologist .
Wendell Cherry died July 16 , 1991 . This was a great personal loss for David . The legendary business partnership was no more . Nevertheless , David had already plunged into a new venture in conjunction with Boone Powell Jr ., CEO of Baylor Medical Center . This became known as the Romania Assistance Program , part of a plan initiated by President H . W . Bush to resuscitate the medical services in Eastern European countries after the fall of the Berlin Wall . Many Louisville physicians , particularly those involved with pediatric care , Humana nurses and other employees made multiple trips to Romania . They took much needed equipment , some of it very basic , and knowledge . Romanian physicians made many trips to Louisville where they received specialty instruction . The Humana planes and their pilots featured significantly in this endeavor . Another significant player was Virginia Kelly Judd . On only her second day as an employee of the Humana Foundation , Virginia was asked to communicate , in her fluent French , with Romanian officials . She accepted the challenge and became an inherent part of the action . The project came to an end in 2006 when Romanians proudly took professional ownership of their health care system .
David retired as CEO of Humana on Jan . 1 , 2000 . He remained as non-executive chairman until 2005 . He continued to pursue his myriad other interests for the rest of his life . So many things around town bear the Cherry / Jones stamp , but not their names . Just a few of these are ; The Center for Performing Arts downtown ; Riverfront Park ; the Humana Building and the Humana Festival of New Plays ; Thurman-Hutchins Park on River Rd ; the Parklands
March 2024 21