Vicky Gregg’s Journey from Emergency Room Nurse to Healthcare Board Leader
Vicky Gregg’s career trajectory from emergency room nurse to CEO and board member demonstrates sustained commitment to improving healthcare delivery. Her clinical foundation informs her approach to Acadia Healthcare governance and healthcare industry leadership.
Gregg began her career as a nurse technician at Erlanger Regional Medical Center in Chattanooga, where she later worked in the dialysis unit. She became a Staff Nurse in Emergency Medicine and a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Erlanger’s End Stage Renal Disease Program, gaining direct patient care experience that shaped her perspective on healthcare administration.
Transition to Healthcare Administration
After earning her nursing degree from Vanderbilt University, Vicky Gregg transitioned from clinical care to quality assurance and administrative roles. She worked as a quality assurance director at East Ridge Hospital and as marketing director for Life Care Centers of America, the nation’s largest privately owned nursing home chain.
Her experience at Life Care proved significant for the company’s approach to female leadership. When Gregg left in 1985, company founder and CEO Forrest Preston credited her with convincing him of the merits of female executives, leading the company to open more regional leadership positions to women.
Humana Leadership
Vicky Gregg joined Humana Health Plans in the mid-1980s, eventually becoming CEO for Kentucky, Ohio, and Southern Indiana. She became the first female major market manager for Humana in Louisville, breaking barriers for women in health insurance leadership.
At Humana, Gregg worked to develop managed care networks and oversaw the development of Health Maintenance Organizations in Georgia and Virginia. She also served as Director of Marketing for Retirement Centers of America during her time in the healthcare industry.
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee recruited Gregg in 1995 to lead its TennCare program. She joined as senior vice president and became CEO-elect in 2001 before assuming the chief executive role in 2003. Since joining Acadia Healthcare’s board in 2016, Vicky Gregg has brought this comprehensive healthcare experience to behavioral health governance.
Vicky Gregg’s career trajectory from emergency room nurse to CEO and board member demonstrates sustained commitment to improving healthcare delivery. Her clinical foundation informs her approach to Acadia Healthcare governance and healthcare industry leadership. Gregg began her career as a nurse technician at Erlanger Regional Medical Center in Chattanooga, where she later worked in the…