Last month, the Nashville Health Care Council Board of Directors announced staff member Hayley Hovious would become the next president of the organization effective June 1. She was tapped as successor to Caroline Young, who announced her intention to step down as Council president in March after seven years in the lead role and 11 years with the organization.
Hovious previously served as executive director of the Council Fellows initiative. “This nationally unique program to engage and educate top executives allowed me to interact with current and future C-suite healthcare leaders and explore the issues facing healthcare companies today,” she said. “I am excited to expand on these relationships and ideas in this new role.”
Prior to joining the Council in 2014, Hovious was trade director for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. As part of her mission to promote economic prosperity for the state, she had the opportunity to interact with numerous organizations including the Council. While still at ECD, Hovious was a participant in the Council’s international healthcare mission to France in 2013.
“I also have a background in the consumer products industry, which interestingly is coming full circle for me as healthcare moves to a more consumer-focused model,” Hovious noted. Earlier in her career, she served as a brand manager at E.J. Gallo Winery in Modesto, Calif.
The Nashville native is active in the local community and was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to serve on the Tennessee District Export Council. Hovious graduated with honors from Smith College and earned her MBA from Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management.
“Hayley has proven herself to be a valuable asset to the Council. Her experience, character and management abilities make her the outstanding choice for this position,” said Council Chair Bill Carpenter, chairman and CEO of LifePoint Hospitals, in announcing Hovious as president.
“I am honored to lead an organization with such a strong legacy,” Hovious said. “The Council is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year so it’s a great time to celebrate what this organization and our members have accomplished in that time and look ahead to what we want to accomplish in the next two decades.”
With 268 member companies, the Council is well versed in promoting and supporting the city’s $70 billion healthcare industry. Hovious said programming ranges from large ballroom events to small gatherings that provide executives with unparalleled access to national policymakers, industry innovators and thought leaders. Unique networking opportunities, international and domestic delegations, and innovative programming to help mentor and educate emerging healthcare leaders are also central to the Council’s core mission.
“Council programs focus on the pillars of finance, policy, and the latest industry trends, providing members with the vital information necessary to make well-informed decisions that promote continued business growth and high-quality patient care,” said Hovious. “With healthcare changing at such a rapid pace, there is much to address, and I look forward to working with our team and partners to lay out plans for the coming year.”
With great change comes great opportunity, she noted. Hovious added she believes Nashville to be in a unique position to meet those challenges. “The Council’s greatest strengths, without a doubt, are our members,” she stated. “Nashville’s healthcare community is like no other. We are truly lucky to have this active, diverse network of the smartest leaders in healthcare who support the Council’s mission and want to see this community grow and thrive.
“The future for Nashville healthcare is bright,” Hovious concluded.