Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Parinda Khatri, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of River Valley Health
Feb 20, 2026
Parinda Khatri, PhD, CEO of River Valley Health, leads an East Tennessee community health network serving patients regardless of ability to pay. She talks about expanding access to care, replacing a 20-year EHR to create a unified tech ecosystem, redesigning patient navigation for first-contact resolution, and prioritizing growth while strengthening organizational foundations.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Volatility Requires Mission Focus
- The current payer and funding environment is the most volatile Parinda Khatri has seen in 25 years.
- She frames it as VUCA and emphasizes staying mission-focused to emerge stronger.
Rebrand Catalyzed Rapid Service Growth
- River Valley Health rebranded and celebrated 65 years while expanding services across dozens of sites.
- They opened multiple walk-in urgent cares and expanded dental, optometry and employment support services.
Prioritize Alignment Over Autonomy
- Prioritize alignment across executive, mid-level and frontline teams to avoid drift during growth.
- Communicate intentionally so all departments move toward shared strategic drivers.