Lauren Hackett, MPA, executive director of Administration at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) and chief business officer for Oncology, Imaging and Quantitative Sciences Administration, has been chosen as one of the 2015 Women to Watch by Nashville Medical News.
Hackett is among nine Middle Tennessee professionals being honored by the publication for making a difference in the health care landscape of the community, state or nation.
“I am so deeply humbled to be recognized for this award and to be in the company of the other health care leaders selected for this honor,” said Hackett.
The nine Women to Watch were feted at a special breakfast event and are being profiled in this month’s edition of Nashville Medical News.
Hackett earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of New Haven, Connecticut.
She has nearly 20 years of experience in administration, much of it in health care. She joined Vanderbilt in 2011 and has played a critical role administering the clinical and research enterprises of VICC and the Oncology, Imaging, and Quantitative Sciences administrative group.
“The opportunity to work in business, administration and operations at the intersection of science and medicine is inspiring,” explained Hackett.
Hackett came to Vanderbilt from New York University Langone Medical Center, where she served as executive director of Administration at the New York University Cancer Institute. Prior to that, she served as clinical administrator in the Department of Pathology at Yale University School of Medicine, and deputy director of the Yale Cancer Center.
She said the move to Nashville and Vanderbilt represented the perfect “trifecta.”
“What helped us to decide to make the change were the people at Vanderbilt who are just extraordinary, the community — a great place to bring up a family — and the impact that could be made given the Southeast region has the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates in the country.”
Working with VICC Director Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D., and the executive leadership team, Hackett has helped expand the clinical programs and portfolio of clinical research trials and developed affiliations with oncology programs in several regional health systems.
Hackett sits on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Board of Directors, has served on review panels and program committees for the American Association of Cancer Institutes, sits on six scientific advisory boards of other National Cancer Institute Cancer Centers and participates in NCI Cancer Center site visits.
