Giving Hope
Published on June 20th, 2011 by Christina Echegaray.
Gregory named CEO of Children’s Hospital
As the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt begins a journey of expansion, better treatments and great discoveries, it has a new leader ushering the hospital on its way.
Luke Gregory, an alumnus of Vanderbilt University, was named Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Hospital in January. Previously, he was tabbed as chief business development officer for Children’s Hospital.
Gregory, who has an extensive background in health care administration, will help steer Children’s Hospital through a multi-year, multi-phase expansion, which began in March. He joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2007 as senior vice president and chief business development officer in the Office of Business and Development.
“Luke has a wealth of knowledge in the management of hospitals and he will be an outstanding asset to the Children’s Hospital enterprise,” said John W. Brock III, M.D., surgeon-in-chief for Children’s Hospital and
Monroe Carell Jr. Chair. “We are very fortunate to have someone of his character and leadership skills to take this position.”
Gregory earned his undergraduate degree from Emory University and holds multiple master’s degrees including a Master in Religion from Vanderbilt and a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Health Administration from Georgia State University. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
– by Christina Echegaray
Children’s Hospital expansion under way
After seven years as a freestanding hospital, a 33-bed expansion is under way at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt to help ease growing demand.
Vanderbilt leaders and community members gathered April 7 to celebrate the next phase in the hospital’s mission to offer the best, high-quality care for children in the region and across the nation. To recognize the kickoff of construction, the guests signed a 14-foot yellow beam that will be installed as a permanent fixture of history in the expansion infrastructure.
The new five-story facility will increase capacity to accommodate premature babies who are transferred to Children’s Hospital from outlying hospitals and also will add more acute care beds. The expansion will be adjacent to and an extension of the existing building’s fourth through eighth floors. Construction also has begun to develop a vacant 20,000- square-foot area on the 10th floor of the Doctors’ Office Tower (DOT) to create more space for clinical services.
Award-winning country music group Rascal Flatts, which has been among the many supporters of Children’s Hospital, appeared in a video of congratulations to the hospital at the event. The group’s members — Jay DeMarcus, Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney — have performed for patients and families at Children’s Hospital on multiple occasions. In the past few years, the group has raised more than $3 million for the hospital, which supported the $30 million capital project.
To honor Rascal Flatts’ contributions, the hospital named the pediatric surgical suite in October as the “Rascal Flatts Surgery Center.”
– by Christina Echegaray
Holiday Project 2010
The Friends of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital saw record sales of $80,000 from its Holiday Project 2010. Each year, Friends collects holiday artwork from patients, former patients and their friends and siblings. The artwork is used on holiday cards and gift items that are sold to raise money to support patients and families at Children’s Hospital. Watch for Holiday Project 2011 at www.childrenshospital.vanderbilt.org
