Leadership

Bernie Sherry
President and Chief Executive Officer
Bernie Sherry joined Baptist Hospital as president and CEO in June 2003. He is responsible for leading the largest not-for-profit community hospital in Middle Tennessee with 683 licensed beds and nearly 2,000 associates. During his tenure at Baptist Hospital he has been focused on furthering the hospital’s reputation for high quality and compassionate care and growing its diverse offering of health care services and technological advancements to the Middle Tennessee community.

Prior to joining Baptist Hospital and Saint Thomas Health Services, Sherry worked at the Greenville University Hospital System, a 1,100 bed multi-hospital system, in Greenville, S.C.

He earned his bachelor's degree from Gannon University in Erie, PA, and his master's degree in health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C. He is a diplomat of the American College of Health Care Executives and a participant in Ascension Health's Leadership Formation for Healthcare Ministry, a two-year program focusing on ministry within a healthcare setting.

Sherry is active in the Nashville community and currently serves as the chair of the March of Dimes 2010 Nashville March for Babies, a board member for the March of Dimes Tennessee chapter, tournament chair for the American Junior Golf Association Franklin Junior Classic and is a Nashville Sports Council board member. He received the March of Dimes’ LaVerne Hubley Award in 2009 for his outstanding service to the Nashville March for Babies event. He will be honored in June 2010 as a Father of the Year by the American Diabetes Association/Father’s Day Council.

Sherry and his wife, Lori, have three children and live in Franklin, Tenn.

Renee Kessler
Chief Operations Officer
Renee Kessler, who has more than 20 years of experience in hospital administration, joined Baptist Hospital in February 2007. She most recently served as chief operating officer and administrator of Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, N.J., a 350-bed suburban community teaching hospital with more than 1,300 employees and 600 physicians.

Prior to Mountainside Hospital, Kessler held various management roles, including executive vice president and chief operating officer, interim president and vice president of operations, during an eight-year tenure at St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, Md. Previously, Kessler was vice president of operations at Detroit Medical Center's Grace Hospital in Detroit. She has also worked at Harper-Grace Hospitals in Detroit and University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics in Chicago. Kessler earned her bachelor's degree in English from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in health care administration from Ohio State University. She is a participant in Ascension Health’s Leadership Formation for Healthcare Ministry, a two-year program focusing on ministry within a health care setting.

William C. Thompson, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. William (Bill) Thompson, a member of the Baptist Hospital medical staff since 1988, joined Baptist Hospital as chief medical officer in August 2007. He leads decisions affecting the hospital's medical staff, clinical programs and clinical practices and facilitates medical staff interactions with the hospital's leadership team and clinical staff to assure effective and efficient delivery of quality medical care. Most recently, Dr. Thompson was physician director of clinical transformation for Ascension Health, the nation's largest Catholic and nonprofit health system. Prior to his work with Ascension Health, he was a consultant for Baptist Hospital serving as a representative on the Saint Thomas Health Services Cerner project.

From 1996 to 2005, he served as CEO and partner for Nashville Inpatient Management Services and was instrumental in the development of Nashville's first hospitalist program, which launched at Baptist Hospital. Previously, he was a partner for Mid State Pulmonary Associates. He entered private practice as a pulmonologist at Hattiesburg Clinic in Hattiesburg, Miss. Dr. Thompson earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from Vanderbilt University and a medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and fellowship at Cornell Medical Center.

Kathleen Hirsch
Chief Nursing Officer
Kathie Hirsch was named chief nursing officer for Baptist Hospital in December 2008, after serving in an interim capacity beginning February 2008. She works in collaboration with the chief operating officer, implementing strategic plans and objectives, while also developing and maintaining patient centered care initiatives in collaboration with the medical staff and associates.

Hirsch, who has more than 10 years of experience in hospital leadership and nearly 30 years of nursing experience, has served as consultant, interim chief nursing officer and in other nursing executive roles throughout her career. Before joining Baptist Hospital, she was a consultant for a sister Ascension Health affiliated hospital and Hospital of South Beach in South Beach, Fla. Prior to her consultant roles, Hirsch was interim chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services for Provena Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, Ill. She has also held positions as assistant chief nursing officer and interim chief nursing officer for Memorial Hospital of Salem County, in Salem, N.J. Hirsch, a certified emergency nurse, has several years of experience in emergency services. She has a master’s degree in nursing and business administration from Wilmington College in Newark, Del, and earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of the State of New York in Albany, N.Y. She is a member of the Emergency Nurses Association and Forensic Nurses Association.

Julie O'Connor
Vice President, Mission and Leadership Formation
Julie O'Connor is responsible for overseeing the hospital's focus on its mission and vision as established by Saint Thomas Health Services. The hospital's vision is: "To be the premier, spiritually-based healthcare ministry as seen through the eyes of the patient." She directs formation for management and also oversees all pastoral care services provided to patients and their families at the hospital.

O'Connor joined Baptist Hospital in 2002, but began her career nearly 30 years ago at Saint Thomas Hospital. At Saint Thomas, she served in several positions, including assistant director of public affairs, director of mission and quality leadership, director of mission, ethics and pastoral care and director of transformational leadership. O'Connor earned a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Alabama and master's in pastoral theology from Saint Mary of the Woods College.

Carrie Teaford
Vice President, Finance
Carrie Teaford, who is responsible for the hospital's financial strategy, planning and accounting practices, has been employed in various capacities within the Saint Thomas Health Services hospital system, which includes Baptist Hospital, Saint Thomas Hospital, Middle Tennessee Medical Center and Hickman Community Hospital. She most recently served as division director of business operations at Baptist Hospital. Prior to that, she held various roles at Baptist Hospital, including director, manager and analyst in the hospital's decision support department from 2000 to 2006, managed care manager and director of risk contracting. At Saint Thomas Hospital, Teaford served as a managed care specialist, where she developed a 250-member physician hospital organization. She began her career as a provider relations representative for Metropolitan Life. Teaford is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association, Middle Tennessee Healthcare Executives Association and the Nashville Health Care Council's Leadership Health Care Council.

Martha Underwood
Human Resources Director
Martha Underwood serves as human resources director for Baptist Hospital. Underwood, who has significant experience in human resources operations, benefits, training and development, is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the human resources department and working with hospital leadership in employee relations, daily operational staffing activities, salary administration, performance appraisals, regulatory compliance and human resources policies. She also coordinates with Saint Thomas Health Services, serving as the human resources liaison between the hospital and health system. Underwood has served in various capacities at Baptist Hospital since 1999, including human resources manager, human resources generalist and human resources analyst. She earned her bachelor's degree in management and human relations from Trevecca Narazene University. Prior to joining Baptist Hospital, she was director of human resources for Baptist Healthcare Group. Previously, she was personnel director for PhyCor, Miller Medical Group Division.