Sheridan Memorial Hospital proudly welcomes retired healthcare executive Carol Gregory to its Board of Trustees. Gregory began her five-year term in July 2026 and will serve through July 2031, bringing decades of hospital leadership experience and a passion for fostering cultures of excellence, collaboration and compassion within healthcare organizations.
Raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, by her father, a general surgeon, and her mother, a registered nurse, Gregory developed an early appreciation for the healthcare profession.
“Our household’s value system was built on a strong work ethic and a desire to care for others,” she said. “I knew from a very young age that I wanted to become a nurse.”
After earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Michigan, Gregory built a diverse career in pediatrics, medical-surgical nursing and critical care before transitioning into leadership roles. She later earned master’s degrees in nursing and business administration and went on to serve as chief nursing officer for hospitals in Colorado and Texas, helping lead two organizations to Magnet® designation — a national recognition for nursing excellence.
She credits those achievements not to individual leadership, but to the collaborative cultures she helped cultivate.
“We were successful because we worked together,” Gregory said. “That’s always been an interest of mine: sharing knowledge with one another, all for the betterment of patient care.”
Her success in these roles ultimately led to a promotion as divisional chief nursing executive, which included working across 16 hospitals and leading a team of over 6,000 nurses.
After retiring in 2020, Gregory and her husband decided to return to his family’s Wyoming roots. His family homesteaded near Buffalo several generations ago, giving the couple plenty of opportunities to visit northeastern Wyoming throughout their careers.
“When it came time to retire, we ended up in Sheridan,” Gregory said. “And we’ve never looked back.”
When a position on Sheridan Memorial Hospital’s Board of Trustees became available, Gregory saw it as an opportunity to give back to her new community.
“I knew that if I wanted to contribute to this community, there would be no better way than by serving at the hospital,” Gregory said. “SMH’s values and commitment to excellent, patient-centered care align closely with my own, so I feel deeply connected to the work happening here.”
Gregory views her role on Sheridan Memorial Hospital’s Board of Trustees as one of partnership, oversight and accountability.
“The trustees have a responsibility to help ensure the hospital’s operations remain aligned with its strategic plan,” she said. “We want to stay informed about what’s happening within the hospital and understand the evolving needs of our community. That allows us to support the hospital’s mission and continue growing the services available in our community, while always keeping the patient at the center of every decision we make.”
Gregory believes expanding access to behavioral health and addiction treatment represents one of Sheridan’s greatest healthcare opportunities. She praised Sheridan Memorial Hospital’s recent investments in meeting the community’s mental health and addiction treatment needs.
“I was excited to hear about the hospital’s new behavioral healthcare center, as well as the partnership with the Sheriff’s Office to provide treatment in the Sheridan County Detention Center,” she said. “To me, that’s all very cutting-edge and significant steps toward helping our community address its mental health and substance use treatment needs.”
Outside of her role on the hospital’s Board of Trustees, Gregory enjoys spending time with her husband, their yellow Labrador retriever and their combined family of five children and seven grandchildren. She also enjoys riding her horse and volunteering with At Ease Horsemanship, a local nonprofit that uses equine-assisted programs to support military veterans, first responders and individuals living with post-traumatic stress disorder.