The Tennessee Primary Care Association’s board of directors has named Terri Sabella, RN, JD, as its new chief executive officer. She will assume her role on May 21, 2018. Kathy Wood-Dobbins will retire as CEO in June after 27 years of leading the Association.

“The Board considered a number of qualified candidates, and Ms. Sabella impressed us with her knowledge of the healthcare landscape and her commitment to care for those patients our health centers serve,” said Phillip Tatum, chief executive officer of Three Rivers Community Health Group and president of the TPCA board of directors. “We look forward to working with her as she brings her unique background to TPCA.”

Sabella is an experienced registered nurse, attorney, and healthcare executive. She began her healthcare career as an ER/ICU and trauma nurse serving the safety net population, where she became interested in expanding her role as an advocate. As an attorney, she has represented health systems, hospitals, physicians, and other practitioners. She most recently served as chief operating officer of CommUnityCare, a Federally Qualified Health Center with 19 locations in Austin, Texas. She is currently in the dissertation phase of a doctoral program in healthcare management and health policy at the University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, School of Public Health.

“I am excited to have been selected to lead such an outstanding organization,” said Sabella. “My experience provides me with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by our health centers and strategies necessary to not only survive, but thrive, in the current health care climate. I look forward to working with the TPCA board and staff to provide our member health centers with leadership, advocacy, and support as they develop and implement local strategies to provide Tennesseans with access to comprehensive, high quality health care.”

The Tennessee Primary Care Association is a membership organization of more than 30 non-profit primary care clinic organizations operating nearly 200 clinic sites that provide high-quality, comprehensive care to individuals and families throughout the state. Our members served 396,877 Tennesseans in 2016.

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