Sandra Gonzalez, MBA, JM, who has served as corporate director of Claims and Insurance Responsibilities at Baptist Health South Florida since 2011, has been named Vice President, Risk and Insurance Management for Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
She replaces Sandy Bledsoe, RN, BSN, ARM, MA, who stepped down from the vice president role in January 2024 but is remaining in a part-time capacity.
The Office of Risk and Insurance Management supports the Medical Center’s missions through risk financing, risk prevention and risk control activities by taking responsibility for finding solutions to problems or complaints for all those seeking services at VUMC and continuously evaluating and improving the Medical Center’s performance.
“We are very happy to have Sandy join VUMC to lead our substantial programs in risk prevention and response into the future. She will inherit a strong program and lead a strong team,” said Douglas Mefford, General Counsel and Secretary for VUMC. “We were fortunate to find someone with Sandy’s background and experience and are excited to see how she will continue to develop our risk management function. I also want to note it is bittersweet that Sandy Bledsoe is stepping back from her leadership role, and we cannot thank her enough for her years of dedicated service and for expertly navigating VUMC through many challenging circumstances.”
At Baptist Health South Florida, Gonzalez, with more than 25 years of insurance and risk-related experience, has overseen the end-to-end claims management process, including claims intake, investigation, evaluation, settlement negotiations and resolution. She has developed and implemented strategic plans and initiatives to optimize claims processes, insurance operations and risk assessment strategies for the system as well as the risk retention group.
Prior to joining Baptist Health South Florida, Gonzalez led the insurance department at Medley Block Industries, a family-owned business. In 2011, when she joined Baptist Health South Florida as an analyst, she had no health care background, and she progressed through many roles. She completed both a master’s and a Juris Master in Law degree while working in Florida.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve as the new Vice President of Risk and Insurance at Vanderbilt University Medical Center,” Gonzalez said. “I look forward to meeting everyone and continuing the great work that Sandy and the team have accomplished. I understand the significance of this role and am committed to stepping into these big shoes with dedication and enthusiasm.”