As president and chief administrative officer of Covenant Health Fort Sanders Regional, Ms. Culbertson provides executive leadership for one of East Tennessee’s busiest and most complex acute care hospitals, a regional referral center with 468 acute care beds recognized for excellence in stroke care, neurosciences, gastroenterology, obstetrics, orthopedics, oncology, surgery and rehabilitation medicine. She oversees strategic direction, operational performance, financial stewardship and quality outcomes, partnering with medical staff leadership to advance clinical excellence and expand access to care. Her 27-year career began at the bedside as a licensed practical nurse, a foundation that has shaped her leadership philosophy and her focus on quality, safety and frontline caregivers. Before joining Covenant Health, Ms. Culbertson served as market president for Centra Health’s Lynchburg (Va.) region, where she led Lynchburg General Hospital, a 410-bed level 2 trauma center, and Virginia Baptist Hospital, a 161-bed community hospital, elevating both hospitals’ Leapfrog grades from “D” to “B,” improving CMS ratings from 3- to 5-stars and achieving a 58% reduction in healthcare-associated infections, including a 66% reduction in central line-associated bloodstream infections and 47% reduction in catheter-associated urinary tract infection. Earlier, at Falls Church, Va.-based Inova Health System, she supported the opening of a $300 million hospital tower and led emergency management operations during Covid-19, and at West Holt Medical Services in Atkinson, Neb. she served as COO and chief compliance officer, expanding outpatient revenue by more than 10%. A fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, she also spent 17 years with Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Healthcare, leading imaging and ambulatory services across multiple hospitals.
