Nashville General names Veronica Elders CEO amid deficit, 2027 lease end

New CEO, continued pressure

Nashville General Hospital has a permanent leader again. The Nashville General Hospital Authority Board unanimously named Dr. Veronica Elders chief executive officer on June 25, 2026, after a national search led by AMN Healthcare.

The appointment matters because Nashville General is the city’s only public hospital and its safety-net hospital. The new CEO takes over while the hospital is still running a year-to-date deficit of $4,584,746 through May 31, 2026, according to budget materials presented to the board.

Finances and facilities remain the main issues

WPLN reported that the hospital’s lease ends in 2027 and that leaders are still weighing whether to renovate the aging Meharry campus or build a new facility. The budget presentation shows why that decision is so important: the hospital still relies on Metro subsidy and is operating with tight cash and liability levels.

For patients, workers, taxpayers, and Metro leaders, the key question now is whether Elders can stabilize day-to-day operations while the hospital’s long-term campus plan remains unresolved. Watch the next Hospital Authority meetings for updates on finances, staffing, and facilities planning.

Sources

• Nashville General Hospital announcement: Dr. Veronica Elders named chief executive officer
• Metro Nashville Hospital Authority Board meetings page
• Nashville General Hospital budget presentation for the June 2026 Hospital Authority Board meeting