Matthew Scanlan, JD, will join Vanderbilt University Medical Center on July 1 as the Medical Center’s first senior director of Government and Community Relations.
Scanlan, in collaboration with Alex Currie, VUMC’s director of Federal Relations, will provide institutional guidance across the legislative continuum.In this role, Scanlan will serve as adviser to the Medical Center’s leaders on matters related to city, county and state government relations, and will assist with maintaining effective communications with local, county and state elected officials, community groups and state organizations focused on research and health care.
While serving as one of the managing attorneys with the law firm of Gullet, Sanford, Robinson and Martin, Scanlan represented clients on matters involving some of the most high-profile issues before the Tennessee General Assembly.
“We value opportunities to partner with legislative leaders and community groups to help create and refine policies that best meet needs of the patients we serve. Productive, collaborative relationships with these constituencies will always be an important aspect of the Medical Center’s success,” said C. Wright Pinson, MBA, MD, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Health System Officer for VUMC.
“Matt brings a wealth of experience to this new role and I look forward to working closely with him as we pursue effective legislation and opportunities to broaden community partnerships that will advance our initiatives.”
For the past nine years, Scanlan served as counsel to numerous individuals, organizations and business coalitions regarding business and regulatory matters, working with clients to create and coordinate advocacy strategies when interacting with local, state and federal decision makers. His experience spans a variety of highly specialized industries, including health care and pharmaceuticals.
“In recent years the health care industry has experienced a rapidly evolving legislative landscape where effective advocacy is imperative. Maintaining collaborative relationships, not only in our community but across Tennessee, is essential to our continued progress,” said John F. Manning Jr., PhD, MBA, Chief Operating Officer and Corporate Chief of Staff for VUMC.
“One of our most important responsibilities is to provide local, state and federal officials relevant information to help guide decisions that can impact health care services, as well as funding for research and training. We are excited to have Matt join us in this new role and look forward to his contributions.”
Prior to joining Gullet, Sanford, Robinson and Martin, Scanlan served as deputy general counsel for the Tennessee Department of Health, where he managed a team of five attorneys and oversaw all litigation before the state’s Board of Medical Examiners, Board of Dentistry, Board of Chiropractic Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Examination.
This new role marks Scanlan’s second tenure at VUMC. From 1996-2000 he served as national news coordinator in the Office of News & Communications, where he wrote for the Medical Center’s publications and worked with national news organizations to obtain positive news coverage about clinical and basic science research advancements.
“It is an honor to rejoin the VUMC community in this new role. VUMC is known throughout the state as one of the finest medical centers in the world, and I look forward to learning about all the work and people that make this such a fine institution,” Scanlan said.
A native of Nashville, Scanlan earned his bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and his juris doctor from the University of Dayton School of Law.
He is past chair of the Tennessee Lobbyists Association and the Tennessee Bar Association Government Relations Committee.
He and his wife, Libby, have two children, Amelia, 8, and Hawken, 17.
