Ballad Health selects John Goetz as vice president of community and government relations

Ballad Health has named John Goetz, an experienced healthcare policy leader, to serve as its vice president of community and government relations.

Goetz brings more than 15 years of experience in healthcare policy to his new role, and he replaces Andy Hall, who retired last year. He will represent Ballad Health before elected officials at the federal, state and local levels to advocate for patients’ and communities’ health and well-being in the Appalachian Highlands.

“The experience and relationships John brings to the table will strengthen Ballad Health’s presence in the community,” said Anthony Keck, Ballad Health’s executive vice president for system innovation and chief population health officer. “He is well respected by legislators and staff on both sides of the aisle and has developed strong relationships at all levels of government. He is actively involved in community organizations and is a passionate advocate for the region.”

A Chattanooga native, Goetz is very familiar with the healthcare landscape in Tennessee. He has an extensive background in the healthcare sector and the regulatory details associated with federal and state health programming.

“For me, this is an exciting opportunity to help Ballad Health grow as a community health improvement organization,” Goetz said. “We are cultivating a stronger voice and presence for our patients in the Appalachian Highlands and throughout the country, and I am proud to be a part of it.”

Prior to joining Ballad Health, Goetz was senior vice president at Bridge Public Affairs, where he focused on the firm’s growing healthcare practice. Before that, he served for nearly three years as director of government affairs for Permobil, a Swedish manufacturer of sophisticated power wheelchairs.

In this role, he routinely collaborated with the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) officials, and he maintains these relationships to this day. Goetz worked collaboratively with senior officials at CMS to ensure permanent and stable funding for patient care.

Before joining Permobil, Goetz served as legislative liaison to Tennessee’s Medicaid agency, TennCare, serving as the liaison between the agency and the General Assembly. There, he advocated on behalf of the governor’s agenda and provided policy counsel for the Long-Term Services and Supports division within TennCare. He also served as acting public information officer, explaining detailed health policy issues to the media and other audiences.

Prior to his role with TennCare, Goetz served as United States Sen. Bob Corker’s legislative aide for healthcare policy. In addition to serving as a senior staff member for the Senate Special Committee on Aging, where Sen. Corker served as ranking member, Goetz worked on several provider and insurance issues to help assist Tennessee businesses navigate federal health policy amid the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Goetz earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Goetz and his wife, Whitney Calhoun Goetz, have two sons and reside in Johnson City. He starts his role with Ballad Health on Monday, June 27.