Top 100 Leaders
Susan Cooper
BSN 1979, MSN 1994 - Distinguished Alumna and Faculty
Recognized for making Tennessee history when she became the first nurse to serve as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health in 2007. In 2005, she began her state service as a special policy and health advisor to Governor Bredesen, charged with developing Tennessee’s Health Care Safety Net. Cooper is a faculty member and former Assistant Dean of Practice where she led the development of the Center for Advanced Practice Nursing and Allied Health for Vanderbilt University Medical Center.