William C. "Kip" Schumacher, M.D.
2024 Lafayette Civic Cup Recipient

The Lafayette Civic Cup will honor business and civic leader Dr. William C. “Kip” Schumacher as the 92nd recipient of the prestigious award at the organization’s annual banquet slated for Tuesday, November 12 at 5:30 pm at the City Club at River Ranch.

Upon learning of the honor, Schumacher modestly said, “To be recognized as a member of such a prestigious group of individuals who have made Acadiana a better place to live is truly an honor. But truth be told, the people I have been privileged to work with are the true heroes and also worthy of this recognition. Acadiana is an amazing place to live and a community I am proud to be part of.”

If you’ve ever thrown a stone into a lake, you know that once it hits the water, it forms a ripple that grows larger and larger, wider and wider, until soon its reach is much greater than the original impact. If the world is a lake, then Kip Schumacher is the stone, spreading goodwill and making waves wherever he goes. The modern-day Renaissance man has many talents. From making jewelry in his apartment to pay for medical school— to working in the high-stakes environment of a hospital Emergency Department—to launching one of the country’s largest healthcare practice management companies—to donating millions of dollars to worthy causes—Kip pours all his energy into every endeavor. He’s traveled and worked with people worldwide yet remains grounded in his childhood home of Lafayette, Louisiana, a close-knit community in the heart of Cajun Country.

While Kip was attending the University of Southwestern Louisiana—now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette—he started making jewelry from brass, silver, and gold wire. His work not only helped fund his LSU New Orleans medical school tuition, but it also gained the attention of his hometown’s largest apparel store, which encouraged him to grow. He recruited five employees, including his father, to work for him and travel around the Southeast to art and jewelry shows.

After medical school, Kip began a 17-year career in the Emergency Department of Opelousas Medical Center near his hometown. As a physician, Kip not only saw ways to improve the clinical side of patient care but recognized opportunities to make the business and management better.

With trusted friend and hospital administrator Gary Keller, Kip launched Schumacher Group in 1994 in two empty exam rooms in the back of a doctor’s office, working in the Emergency Department on nights and weekends for a steady income. Kip’s idea was to go into hospitals and streamline their Emergency Department operations, helping with anything from staffing and scheduling to billing, insurance, electronic records, and quality management.

With an unwavering vision and the right people beside him, Kip grew Schumacher Group from managing the emergency services at 10 facilities in one year to 50 in five years. In 1999, they were named among Inc. magazine’s 500 Fastest Growing Companies.