Theresa Trivette, established nursing leader and healthcare executive, joins Ballad Health as chief nursing officer in Kingsport

Ballad Health has named Theresa Trivette, an experienced nursing leader and hospital executive, as the new chief nursing officer for its Kingsport hospitals.

Trivette began her new role Monday, Feb. 3, and is now responsible for all nursing practices at Holston Valley Medical Center and Indian Path Community Hospital. She will lead the hospitals’ patient care services, including care coordination, quality and safety management, nurse staffing and patient transfers.

“I am honored with this appointment and am committed to fulfilling the responsibilities set forth before me as the chief nursing officer,” said Trivette, who holds a doctorate in nursing practice from the Medical University of South Carolina.

“Ballad Health is an important healthcare provider for this community, and I look forward to working with the nursing and medical staffs to ensure we work as team to deliver excellent clinical care.”

Before coming to Ballad Health, Trivette served as the vice president and chief nursing officer for AdventHealth Tampa, a 536-bed acute tertiary hospital in Tampa, Florida. She also has more than 13 years of experience as a registered nurse in cardiovascular services, surgical and medical critical care and emergency and trauma services for leading academic health systems such as Medstar Health, Trinity Health and Wake Forest Baptist Health.

Trivette also has 15 years of management experience in large tertiary and community health systems, including Wake Forest Baptist Health, Tidelands Health and, most recently, AdventHealth. Her areas of focus have included patient care, process redesign and performance improvement, financial management, operations improvement and regulatory and accreditation compliance.

“I originally got into nursing because I had a passion and call to help people,” Trivette said. “But I refocused my career on leadership and quality improvement after my father passed away from a preventable medical error – I became just as passionate about improving healthcare processes and levels of care.”

In addition to her hospital roles, Trivette serves on the board of examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest recognition awarded to organizations for performance excellence, and she is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and American Organization of Nurse Leaders. Additionally, she continues to hold an appointment as an assistant professor for the University of South Florida, where she has served as a member of the Chief Nursing Officer Advisory Council, which is focused on reshaping the nursing education to better prepare the current nursing workforce to meet the increasing challenges and complexity of the future.

“Theresa’s extensive experience, collaborative leadership style and passion for safe and reliable patient care made her the right person to lead our nursing staff,” said Lindy White, president of Holston Valley and Indian Path and CEO of Ballad Health’s Northwest Market. “Her proven ability to work collaboratively and drive clinical excellence will enhance our services, and everyone – from our team members and physicians to people throughout our communities – will benefit from her skills and insights.”

Trivette was selected for her role following a rigorous regional and national selection process. A team of physicians, nursing leaders and executives from both Holston Valley and Indian Path conducted interviews and provided input, and the final hiring decision was largely based on their feedback.

“When we looked to fill this position, we knew the new chief nursing officer for our Kingsport hospitals would be a guiding force for the future,” said Dr. Beth Jackson, MD, a surgeon with Surgical Associates of Kingsport who serves as the chief of staff for Holston Valley’s medical staff.

“Theresa impressed us all right away – her leadership strength, management experience and dedication to quality will be instrumental to our operations in Kingsport.”

Trivette earned her master’s degree in nursing from Gardner-Webb University, and she holds a bachelor’s degree in in management from the University of Maryland. She is also a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

“I’m thrilled to be in Kingsport, and I’m excited to begin my new role,” Trivette said. “First and foremost, I am committed to ensuring our nurses have a practice environment where they can give their best, are able to hone their skills and have the opportunity to learn and grow in their career.

“I’m looking forward to learning from our community about what their needs are and ensuring we work hard to meet them.”