It’s important that we all get to know who our leaders are at Ballad Health. To help out, we’ll do an ongoing series that introduces our senior leaders and tells you a little about them as people.
1. What’s your name?
Lisa Smithgall
2. What’s your role within Ballad Health?
Senior VP and chief nursing officer
3. Where are you from?
I grew up in south central Pennsylvania but have lived in Northeast Tennessee for more than 20 years and it is home!
4. Education and professional background:
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BSN from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
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MSN from University of Tennessee
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PhD from East Tennessee State University
I’ve worked at Harrisburg Hospital in Pennsylvania; for Mountain States Health Alliance; at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania; and at Holston Valley Medical Center.
5. Tell us about your family:
Husband Kent; daughter Erin and son-in-law Michael (and grandsons Nicholas, Noah, Liam); and son Sean and daughter-in-law Ashley (and granddaughters Rosalie and Adelaide)
6. What’s your favorite food?
Cake and icing (especially the corner!)
7. What’s your favorite movie or TV show?
“Mama Mia,” and on TV I enjoy “The Voice.”
8. What’s your favorite book?
“Gone with the Wind”
9. What do you usually do on the weekend?
I sew, and I enjoy reading.
10. What’s one thing most people at work might not know about you?
I have recently successfully traced my ancestry to a revolutionary war patriot in Pennsylvania and have become an official member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
11. What inspires you to work in healthcare?
Helping others to achieve improved health and milestones they might not be able to achieve alone. Supporting patients and their families as they deal with and wade through health situations.
12. What’s the most moving moment you’ve ever witnessed while working in healthcare?
Multiple situations of parents dealing with acutely ill newborns and sharing their joy with health improvement and the ability at times for them to let them go.
