Vyvyan Derouen named heart institute's executive director; three others picked for leadership posts
KINGSPORT – Vyvyan Derouen, who has enhanced patient care as a clinician and administrator during a decade in health care, has been promoted to executive director of the Wellmont CVA Heart Institute.
Derouen most recently was director of invasive cardiovascular services at Holston Valley Medical Center. Earlier, she was based in the heart institute’s Johnson City office while serving as a regional director of operations and development.
Now, Derouen will direct the heart institute’s 15 offices in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia as well as the cardiovascular services at Holston Valley and Bristol Regional Medical Center. She succeeds Tim Attebery, who was recently named Holston Valley’s interim president.
“Vyvyan is a tremendous leader who will build on our regional strength and national standing and take our cardiovascular program to the next level of excellence,” said Dr. Jerry Blackwell, a medical doctor and the heart institute’s president. “We are proud to have developed a world-class organization and are confident Vyvyan will develop innovative strategies that will ensure our patients receive the highest quality of care.”
As president, Dr. Blackwell has administrative responsibilities to oversee the heart institute’s regional operations. Dr. Herb Ladley, a medical doctor and one of the heart institute’s interventional cardiologists, serves as Wellmont Health System’s vice president of cardiovascular services, in which he leads several strategic planning activities.
Derouen joined the Wellmont family when the former Tri-State Cardiology practice was integrated into the heart institute in 2011. She had served as the practice’s clinical and operations director. Her medical career also includes six years as a registered nurse providing cardiac, cardiothoracic and vascular care.
“The legacy of delivering superior cardiovascular care has long been a hallmark of the heart institute, and I’m grateful to be entrusted to continue this tradition,” Derouen said. “This is a tremendous professional opportunity for me, but I am fortunate to work with some of the most talented physicians in the country along with other remarkable caregivers and dedicated staff who prove every day to the residents of our region that the finest care is close to home.”
Derouen has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La.
In addition to selecting Derouen, the heart institute has also named Elaine Arnold, Doreen Heppert and Lori Jackson as regional directors of operations and development.
Arnold will be responsible for offices in Kingsport; Rogersville; Norton, Va.; and Pennington Gap, Va. Heppert will be responsible for offices in Johnson City, Greeneville, Erwin and Elizabethton. Jackson will be responsible for the offices in Bristol; Abingdon, Va.; Marion, Va.; Richlands, Va.; Lebanon, Va.; and Wytheville, Va.
In their roles, Arnold, Heppert and Jackson will provide overall management and oversight of the day-to-day operations of the offices and their staff.
Arnold has worked for the heart institute since 1997 and has extensive experience as a registered nurse in the stress lab, medical-surgical unit, cardiac care unit and cardiac testing. She has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from East Tennessee State University and a master’s degree in business administration from King University.
Jackson, whose medical career spans more than 20 years in East Tennessee, has served as Bristol Regional’s administrative director of diagnostic imaging since 2001. She has a bachelor’s in applied organization management and a master’s in organizational management, both from Tusculum College.
Heppert has been part of the medical field for 34 years in varied positions, most recently operations director for Highlands Physicians. She has a bachelor’s in pharmacy from State University of New York at Buffalo and a master’s in the same field from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. She also has a master’s in business administration from King University. Heppert is a licensed pharmacist.
The heart institute, which has earned numerous state and national awards, includes 47 physicians and more than 200 other caregivers and staff spread throughout the region. For more information about the heart institute, please visit www.wellmont.org.
Download photo of Vyvyan Derouen.
Download photo of Elaine Arnold.
Download photo of Doreen Heppert.
Download photo of Lori Jackson.
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