Ballad Health’s Dr. Lauren Py honored with Excellence in Leadership Award

Lauren Py, MD, emergency medicine medical director at Holston Valley Medical Center and Indian Path Community Hospital, was recently honored with the Excellence in Leadership Award at SCP Health’s annual Medical Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, which recognizes clinicians for excellence in their fields.

The winners of the Excellence in Leadership award were nominated by key leaders within their divisions of SCP. They were chosen for their consistent demonstration of superior leadership and proven results at their hospital facilities and within their broader organizations and have achieved the highest level of leadership and performance in their roles.

“Dr. Py is such a great asset to Ballad Health and to the community,” said Beth Jackson, MD, Ballad Health’s chief medical officer for its Kingsport, Tennessee, hospitals, which include Holston Valley and Indian Path. “She is a skilled leader who has a knack for bringing people together to get things done. She does a tremendous job leading our emergency room teams at Holston Valley and Indian Path, and she’s very deserving of this recognition.”

“Honors like this one are a good indication of the kind of high-quality care our patients are receiving,” said Rebecca Beck, chief executive officer for Holston Valley and Indian Path. “Dr. Py certainly deserves this award because she is so passionate about providing the best care possible – and ultimately it is the community who benefits.”

Dr. Py was presented the Excellence in Leadership award by Dan Smith, MD, an emergency room physician at the two Kingsport hospitals and the regional medical officer with SCP Health. “Dr. Py has a gift for unifying, exhibits a presence of inclusivity and equips and empowers her team to be the best they can be,” Dr. Smith said. “The two hospitals she represents were competing hospitals just a few years ago, and she has bridged those two teams to create a sister-hospital approach that has really benefited our community.”

Dr. Smith also praised Dr. Py for her work combating sepsis. She has served as system chair for Ballad Health’s sepsis committee for the last five years, collaborating with various teams and departments across the health system.

“Another great example of her collaborative nature is her engagement with the new pediatric emergency department now open at Indian Path Community Hospital,” Dr. Smith said. “She’s worked on this since the very beginning of the project. She leads by example, by her work ethic and her diligence.” SCP Health Enterprise Chief Medical Officer Randy Pilgrim, MD, FACEP, FAAFP, said, “SCP Health has a long history of recognizing outstanding excellence in medical leadership, and Dr. Py is a remarkable example of what it means to be an exceptional medical leader.”

For more information about SCP Health’s Medical Leadership Conference and Excellence in Leadership Award, please visit: www.scp-health.com/news/scp-health-honors-outstanding-leaders-at-annual-conference.