April 2017 marks 40 years in business for Hollis Cobb Associates. The last four decades have brought unprecedented changes in both the healthcare and collection industries, but Hollis Cobb has weathered all the storms and come out stronger than ever. The company started as the vision of founder Hollis L. Cobb who had an established career as a successful businessman and a sterling reputation as a mover and shaker in Metro Atlanta.
Construction of Northside Hospital
Hollis L. Cobb was instrumental in the construction of Northside Hospital in Atlanta back in the 1960s. After several doctors met and identified the need for a hospital on the north side of Atlanta, a board of trustees was formed and challenged with the task of getting the hospital built. In 1963 Hollis Cobb was chosen to chair the site selection committee. Those in the medical community who knew Cobb in the sixties described him as “part salesman, part politician and all big heart.” Dr. Marvin Silverstein, one of the original physicians involved in the decision to pursue construction of a North Atlanta hospital, said of Cobb, “Once planning for the hospital began, many local business leaders offered to get involved, but almost no one wanted to do the groundwork. Hollis did the groundwork.” Dr. Silverstein also said that raising money for the construction of the hospital was a job that no one wanted, “but Hollis did it,” he said, “and he did it in good humor.”
Cobb was a master at engaging support for the hospital’s construction from business leaders in Atlanta. As the chair of the site selection committee, Cobb chose the 35-acre spot where Northside Hospital sits today. His son, Alan Cobb, said he recalls driving out to the site every Sunday after church to check the progress. Cobb was eventually named the chairman of the Hospital Authority of Fulton County. Alan recalled that he was 15-years-old when Northside Hospital opened, and it was at the opening ceremony that he really came to understand the impact his father had on the community. Eventually, the street circling Northside Hospital was named Hollis Cobb Drive, and today serves as a reminder of the man who helped make the dream of the North Atlanta hospital a reality.
Pioneer in Healthcare Collections
In 1977, Hollis Cobb had the vision to create the first collection agency in Atlanta that exclusively served the healthcare community. He recognized the need for maintaining a true sense of caring for the patient population even after services were provided and patients were discharged. He believed that while patients should expect to be responsible for the cost of healthcare services delivered, their debt was different from other consumer debt, and commanded a more caring approach from collectors. This was the beginning of Hollis Cobb Associates.
A year later Hollis Cobb became one of the first collection agencies to offer an Early Out, or Extended Business Office, service to clients. In 1984 Hollis Cobb became one of the first agencies to place staff onsite in hospital business offices to support both the client and the agency staff.
Passing of the Torch
In 1988, Hollis L. Cobb lost his 14-month battle with cancer and the company was passed on to his sons, Alan and Michael. The next year the younger Cobbs implemented full computerization at the company with the Ontario Flexible Account Collection System (FACS), and the Guaranteed Contacts automated dialer. Committed to keeping up with technological advancements, integrated call recording was the next move, and Voice Trak call recording was added to the dialer, enabling Hollis Cobb to record and store incoming and outbound calls.
Greg Hocutt joined Hollis Cobb in 2008 as COO and later was promoted to CEO. Bringing a strong technical background and a dedication to effective revenue cycle management, Greg further advanced the technology at Hollis Cobb as well as the service offerings for clients.
Mergers and Acquisitions
In 2011, Hollis Cobb leadership developed a Mergers and Acquisitions Strategy to supplement growth and expansion from organic sales. The first acquisition came in 2012 with the Bonded Collection Corporation in Chicago. This allowed Hollis Cobb to diversify into the commercial collection arena and also brought CFO, Ken Rubin, onboard.
The next year, Hollis Cobb acquired two Georgia collection agencies, Diversified Account Systems in Morrow, and Bibb Collection Service in Macon. The year 2014 brought another acquisition when Hollis Cobb purchased MedCore Collections from the SSI Group. Located in Mobile, Alabama, the purchase of MedCore expanded Hollis Cobb’s client base into Alabama, Florida, Virginia, Louisiana, Iowa and Pennsylvania. The latest acquisition in 
2016 was Healthcare Financial Services in Jackson, Mississippi. This deal was unique in that it brought the largest addition, measured by revenue, as well as a state-of-the-art building and dozens of new healthcare clients in Mississippi. In 2017 the company moved to a new building, triple the size, to accommodate new clients and staff.
Expanded Services
New technologies and diversification of staff qualifications has enabled Hollis Cobb to expand its service offerings to include front end solutions like pre-certification, benefits verification, primary care referrals, presumptive charity, customer service and scheduling. The company continues to offer Early Out and Bad Debt Collection services, and has added insurance follow up, denials resolution, underpayment recoupment, accounts receivable conversions and other clean-up projects.
Ongoing Commitment to Clients and Employees
Through all of the changes in healthcare in the U.S. and the many advancements in technology, security and compliance at Hollis Cobb, the company still remains family-oriented and loyal to its longtime clients. Hollis Cobb’s grandsons, Chris and Austin, have joined the team in the Marketing and Information Technology Departments. The very first employee hired, Leonard Bailey, still works at Hollis Cobb in a management position and the very first client, Northside Hospital, is still a valued client today.
Hollis Cobb Chairman, Alan Cobb, said he would like to “thank all of our clients for their continued confidence, trust and partnerships.” He went on to say that he would also like to “thank all of our staff for their hard work, expertise, and dedication that allows Hollis Cobb Associates to provide a service to our clients second to none. My dad, Hollis Cobb, used to say ‘the only thing you have to offer your clients is your people,’ and we have a great team!”
