Luke Gregory
Gregory on board to helm business venture activities
Health care executive Luke Gregory recently joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center as assistant vice chancellor for Health Affairs, senior vice president, and chief business development officer.
Gregory's position combines components of those formerly held by Norman Urmy and Jeff Kaplan. Urmy, who recently retired after 25 years at Vanderbilt, stepped down last year from leadership of the clinical enterprise to focus on strategic business issues. Kaplan, an associate vice chancellor, left Vanderbilt this year to become chief advancement officer and senior vice president for an Ohio hospital network.
“This new role of organizing the business development activities of the Medical Center constitutes a key position within our leadership team,” said Harry Jacobson, M.D., vice chancellor for Health Affairs.
“I'm very pleased to welcome Luke into the role. He comes amply recommended by his strong track record as a health care executive and business strategist,” Jacobson said.
A longtime Nashvillian, Gregory was formerly CEO for Blakeford, Inc., a senior housing and health care company. His other jobs have included senior vice president at Baptist Hospital and Northeast Georgia Health System; vice president for business development at LifeTrust America, an assisted living company; and consultant with Clayton Associates, a health care venture capital company.
“I'm thrilled to be at Vanderbilt,” Gregory said. “I'll be working with senior leadership to identify new business ventures. Broadly speaking, the opportunities include regional and national outreach, mergers and acquisitions of existing providers, and introduction of new technology in the marketplace,” Gregory said.
Gregory said he's currently developing a new internal structure and procedures for coordination of services across the region, while also working on prospective ventures in cardiology, radiation oncology, pediatrics and medical imaging.