Teresa Hicks

Vice President, National Health Systems Practice Lead

Teresa Hicks is an experienced, hands-on healthcare communications professional with extensive background navigating major organizational transformation in high-stakes environments. She helps clients in our National Practice protect and build their reputations during times of crisis or large-scale growth and change.

Prior to joining Jarrard, Hicks led communications strategy for Ballad Health, taking the organization through a groundbreaking health system merger and subsequent integration, helping achieve regulatory approval in two states and marshalling community support through sustained engagement campaigns. Throughout her healthcare career, Hicks has managed a myriad of strategic communications issues, including service line changes, compensation redesign, patient safety issues, regulatory investigations, certificates of need, payer negotiations, disaster management and more. She has enjoyed connecting with a wide spectrum of audiences including media, business leaders, community workgroups, lawmakers, celebrity influencers and Congressional committees.

Previously, Hicks spent a decade in print journalism, covering healthcare business and editing a monthly consumer-facing health magazine.

Hicks holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Maryville College and an MBA from East Tennessee State University. She has been recognized by the Tri-Cities Business Journal as both a 40 Under 40 recipient and a Healthcare Heroes honoree and has served on regional boards and committees for Remote Area Medical and the American Cancer Society.

Worth Knowing:

1. Loves Yosemite National Park and once summited Half Dome in a day
2. Replaced the roof on her own house with her husband (everyone – including the marriage – survived!)
3. Lover of Star Trek TNG, Avengers and just about anything else nerdy