Title: Vice President of Research and Access
Company: Willis Knighton Health
Location: Pearland, Texas, United States
Kristina Gray, PhD(c), MBA/HCM, CRA, CPCS, vice president of research and access at Willis Knighton Health, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in health care management.
Alongside a continuing education, Ms. Gray has devoted over 20 years to an impressive career in the health care field. Since 2022, she has been associated with Willis Knighton Health, first as the vice president of decision support and analytics and currently as the vice president of research and access. Ms. Gray specializes in developing financial and operational strategies for health care organizations, ensuring their long-term success and sustainability. During her time at Willis Knighton Health, she has demonstrated her skill in this industry as she has spearheaded new services and exceeded numerous benchmarks.
Prior to joining Willis Knighton Health, Ms. Gray worked for several years as the senior associate vice president of ambulatory care at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. She previously held the role of executive consultant for B.E. Smith and AMN Healthcare. Ms. Gray contributed as the director of physician relations and medical affairs at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center and as the executive director of the Acclaim Physician Group. She gained experience as the director of medical staff services at Conroe Regional Medical Center and lead faculty at the University of Phoenix’s College of Natural Sciences. Ms. Gray established herself early in her professional life across more than five years as director of medical staff services at St. Francis Hospital. Her career started in 2004 as a residency coordinator for general and orthopedic surgery at Michigan State University’s Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies.
Ms. Gray’s performance in the health care world was born of her academic journey. She earned a master’s degree in business and health care management from the University of Phoenix in 2007. Subsequently, Ms. Gray obtained a certificate in contract law from Harvard University in 2019. She has completed PhD candidacy at Louisiana Baptist University and is working toward finishing her dissertation. Additionally, Ms. Gray has pursued many certifications to back up her education. Among others, she is certified in incident command systems (ICS) for health care and hospitals, national incident management systems, applying ICS to health care organizations, continuity of operations, and active shooter training through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Showcasing further commitment to her field, Ms. Gray has been active with several industry-related organizations. She maintains membership in Women in Healthcare, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the International Society of Female Professionals, the Medical Group Management Association, the Greater Houston Society for Medical Staff Services, and National Association Medical Staff Services. Beginning in 2023, Ms. Gray has served as the chair of mentorship for the Louisiana chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She is also a board member of Professional Women in Healthcare.
Noted for her achievements, Ms. Gray has garnered consistent praise in her field. She was presented with a Leadership Award by the Louisiana chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives in 2023. In 2024, Ms. Gray was listed as a 34th Annual ATHENA Leadership Award Honoree by the Greater Shreveport Business Development Connection. She was previously named a top-rated presenter at the MUSE IT Conference. Ms. Gray credits her success to her determination to make a better world for women in her field. When she began her PhD dissertation, she discovered that there were fewer than 200 women in leadership roles within the health care industry and set out to offer women support and mentorship to help increase that number.
Outside of her professional life, Ms. Gray is a dedicated mother to three children. In her free time, she enjoys painting, fostering animals, and volunteering with local food banks, veterinarians, and organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. Though focused on her role as vice president of research and access at Willis Knighton Health, Ms. Gray also looks forward to defending her dissertation and completing her PhD in the near future.
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