Kristie Hammonds, president & CEO of Frontier Health, the region’s leading provider of behavioral health services, will serve as the keynote speaker for the University of Tennessee College of Social Work’s (UTCSW) 2026 conference eVOLve: The Future of Behavioral Health. Her talk, titled Innovation and Impact: Balancing Heart, Innovation, and Quality, will explore the critical skills needed to uphold quality care while managing limited resources—a space where compassion meets pragmatism.
Hammonds began her career in the adolescent residential setting, working with emotionally disturbed children and adolescents, and then expanded her experience to include case management and utilization management. She has held several key positions in the managed care sector as a provider relations specialist, network manager, and then the regional VP of network management for Integrated Solutions Health Network, a provider network, and also Northeast Tennessee’s first accountable care organization. After her tenure in managed care, Hammonds was then led back “home,” to Frontier Health, to serve as the senior vice president of operations in 2014. Hammonds’ personal passion is to see that anyone struggling with addiction or a mental health issue feels safe reaching out for help and having quick access to the services needed.
Centering her talk on the balance of heart, innovation, and quality, Hammonds plans to share lessons she has learned throughout her career. “We’ll discuss practical strategies for innovating on a tight budget, emphasizing how creative thinking and strategic planning can lead to meaningful change without financial overreach,” she explained. “Special focus will be given to leveraging technology—not only to enhance the quality of client care but also to improve the work experience for providers. We will also tackle the question that looms in challenging times: how do we keep moving forward? Sharing real-world examples and actionable insights, and hopefully a few tools and inspiration for continuing to innovate, adapt, and lead with both heart and resilience—even when times are tough.”
Helping social workers in their day-to-day careers is an important aspect that Hammonds wants to address. “Being able to think through steps for continuing to move forward and move the needle, even in the most challenging times, is a skill that everyone needs these days,” she said. “It would be nice to have an ‘easy button,’ but in today’s world, I’m not sure that exists. But what does exist is the passion, the innovation, and the tenacity to continue to persevere, bringing true impact into the communities we serve.”
Her advice to social workers in the behavioral health field? “Don’t let anything steal your joy and passion to serve,” she noted. “Find meaning and how to ‘fill your cup’ through sometimes the smallest successes.’
Hammonds serves as chair and/or member on a variety of community, regional, and statewide boards and committees. She is currently a member of the Northeast Regional Health Council, and a member of the Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organization’s Board of Directors as Legislative Chair. Further, she serves on the Executive Council of the Strong Accountable Care Community as Chair and Co-Chairs the Strong ACC’s Bright Start TN Northeast Region Steering Committee. Hammonds is also a Board member for the Johnson City Chamber, Eastman Credit Union, and the Regional DEI Council. Hammonds holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from East Tennessee State University and a master’s in business administration from Milligan College.