Governor Lee Appoints Nashville General's Josh Baxter to Tennessee Board of Nursing

Josh Baxter, DNP, MBA, CRNA — Clinical Director of Perioperative Services at Nashville General Hospital — has been appointed by Governor Bill Lee to the Tennessee Board of Nursing, the state's leading nursing regulatory body.

Baxter is one of three certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) named to the Board, alongside Maria Ledbetter and Hope Ferguson. Together, the appointees bring decades of experience to a role that helps shape nursing education standards, licensure pathways, and scope-of-practice policy across Tennessee.

A CRNA with more than 19 years of experience, Baxter holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and an MBA. At Nashville General, he has led initiatives expanding access to advanced surgical care for underserved populations, including the launch of the hospital's robotic surgery program. In 2023, he was named one of Whitman Partners' 40 Fast & Future Leaders of Surgical Services.

About the Appointments

Governor Lee announced the appointment of Maria Ledbetter, Hope Ferguson, and Josh Baxter to the Tennessee Board of Nursing, signaling a strong commitment to building a more resilient nursing workforce capable of meeting the healthcare needs of every Tennessean.

Maria Ledbetter, DNAP, CRNA, CNE, is an Associate Professor of Nurse Anesthesia at Samford University's Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing. A CRNA since 1997 with a specialty in obstetric and neuraxial anesthesia, she holds a DNAP from Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia and is dually licensed as an APRN in Alabama and Tennessee. She has practiced at Saint Thomas Midtown as an OB CRNA since 1998 and is a Certified Nurse Educator and co-founder of the Thrive Wellness Initiative, a program supporting graduate nursing student well-being.

Hope Ferguson, DNP, MBA, APN, CRNA, is a CRNA at the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers VA Medical Center in Memphis and a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves, where she serves in senior nursing executive roles across two commands. She earned her DNP from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and her MBA from the University of North Alabama. Ferguson made history as the first African American president of the Tennessee Association of Nurse Anesthetists and founded the Distinct Alliance of Nurse Anesthetists, a mentorship program for aspiring CRNAs in the Memphis area. She was recognized with the 2025 UTHSC Most Outstanding Alumna Award.

A Pivotal Moment for Tennessee Nursing

These appointments come at a pivotal moment for Tennessee's nursing profession. The state, like much of the nation, faces a deepening nursing shortage driven by an aging workforce, increased patient demand, and sustained burnout following years of strain. The Board of Nursing holds significant authority over nursing education standards, licensure pathways, and scope-of-practice policy — giving these appointees a direct hand in shaping the strategies that will determine whether Tennessee can recruit, train, and retain the nurses it needs in the years ahead.

Particularly urgent is the challenge facing Tennessee's rural and underserved communities, where nursing shortages are most acutely felt and where access to basic care remains fragile. The Board's decisions on licensure reciprocity, advanced practice nurse oversight, and nursing program accreditation will have real consequences for families in communities that too often fall through the cracks in the healthcare system.