Lisa M. Smithgall, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CPNP, RNC-NIC

Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive

Dr. Lisa M. Smithgall serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive for Ballad Health, where she provides strategic and executive leadership for nursing services across the health system. Reporting to the Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer, she is responsible for advancing nursing excellence, workforce development, quality outcomes, care delivery innovation, and professional practice across the organization.

With more than four decades of healthcare experience, Dr. Smithgall has dedicated her career to advancing patient care, developing nursing leaders, and strengthening healthcare delivery across the Appalachian Highlands. Since joining Ballad Health's executive leadership team in 2018, she has led system-wide nursing strategy and championed initiatives focused on workforce sustainability, clinical quality, patient safety, and caregiver well-being. Previously, she served as Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Holston Valley Medical Center and held executive leadership roles at Geisinger Medical Center and Mountain States Health Alliance. Throughout her career, she has overseen nursing operations and strategic service lines spanning acute care, critical care, women's and children's services, respiratory care, trauma services, and infection prevention.

A recognized leader in nursing and healthcare workforce innovation, Dr. Smithgall has contributed to numerous regional and national initiatives focused on nursing leadership development, workforce advancement, patient safety, and quality improvement. She serves on multiple professional, academic, and workforce advisory boards and is an active member of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership's System Chief Nurse Executive Task Force.

Dr. Smithgall earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing from East Tennessee State University, a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Parent Child Nursing from the University of Tennessee, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. She maintains board certification as a Nurse Executive Advanced (NEA-BC) and holds national certifications as both a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (CPNP) and Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse (RNC-NIC).

Throughout her career, Dr. Smithgall has received numerous honors recognizing her contributions to healthcare leadership, including the Tennessee Hospital Association Meritorious Service Award, the Business Journal Health Care Hero Award, and the Northeast Tennessee Organization of Nurse Executives Nightingale Leadership Award. She remains deeply committed to mentoring future nurse leaders, supporting academic partnerships, and strengthening access to high-quality healthcare throughout the region.