First impressions say a good deal about a person. For KJ Gulson—young, enthusiastic, dedicated—are just some of the attributes that stand out upon meeting her. As the administrator for primary care and internal medicine with Blue Ridge Medical, such qualities make her shine in her management role of nine clinics throughout East Tennessee, including Blue Ridge Primary Care, Sycamore Shoals Primary Care, Indian Path Primary Care, Elizabethton Internal Medicine Associates, Internal Medicine of Kingsport, Blue Ridge Internal Medicine, Resolve Bariatric/Weight Management Solutions, Appalachian OB/GYN, and East Tennessee OB/GYN.

 

As Catherine Heath, marketing and community relations manager for Blue Ridge, described her, "One of the key things about KJ is her leadership with integrity; when she leads, she leads well.

 

"She isn't just good in one component of her position, but she is good in all of them," added Heath.

 

Gulson was born and grew up in Johnson City, and she completed her undergraduate degree in Healthcare Administration at East Tennessee State University. She is currently working on her MBA through Milligan College and will finish the program in September. While work and school keeps her very busy, she believed that continuing her education was very important. "I felt the need to further fine tune the skills I had learned as an undergrad and take it to another level," she explained. "I'm learning more about the field I am in, and I can be a more effective leader down the road."

 

And the 'field that she is in' is certainly a passion for her. Early in her education, she knew she wanted to work in healthcare, as did members of her family. So she began college as a pre-med student. "I grew up around medicine, and I felt it was something I wanted to go into, but I didn't know where . . ., but I quickly realized that [pre-med] was not the path I wanted to go down," Gulson recalled. "I really enjoyed business, as well as helping people, and the two came together in healthcare administration."

 

Gulson started at Blue Ridge as an intern in college and was hired quickly after graduation. Since that time she has served in many capacities and has gained more responsibilities.

 

While juggling so many practices may seem difficult, Gulson has learned how to do so effectively. "It is a challenge to be able to figure out how to devote equal time to all the locations and being there when they need you, but time management is huge," stated Gulson. "I also wouldn't be able to do it without the support of all the site supervisors at each of the locations. I really appreciate their help."

 

An additional challenge in the management of such a large group of practices is team organization. "A challenge is attempting to get individuals from all walks of life, from all levels of education, on the same team to serve the same purpose, which is to care for our patients," shared Gulson. "When you can get them to come together as a team and put customer service first, it really improves patient care."

 

And how does she do it? She "meets people where they're at."

 

Added Gulson, "You have to strengthen them to do their jobs and provide them with the tools they need."

 

She attributes her success in part to her parents, who worked hard to instill a strong work ethic. "They pushed me to be the best, not just mediocre. They were always pushing me to set goals and reach them before the deadline," she noted.

 

Perhaps the most pleasurable part of her job appeals to Gulson's energetic spirit—the multi-dimensional aspect of the position. "It's not just one thing; it's learning all of the dimensions of healthcare. Not just human resources or not just accounting. I get to work with marketing and various other teams—they all come together to make the whole picture," Gulson enthused. 

 

"It's easy when you are doing something you love," added Gulson. "To strive and to improve, to grow the business, or to grow as a leader—if you love what you are doing, it comes naturally."

 

Apart from her work in healthcare, Gulson enjoys working with her husband Cory in their family-owned business Camp Ruff-n-More, a dog daycare and boarding facility in Johnson City. "Cory always wanted to do something with dogs and went from Knoxville to Winston-Salem, looking at similar businesses. He wanted more of a daycare, where the dogs are out playing and socializing, rather than being crated up all day."

 

The couple has been married for almost four years and met at a Young Life Camp in Minnesota, while he was interning and she was volunteering for a month. "We started out dating long distance, he moved here, and a few years later we got married." While they do not have "traditional" children, they do have three dogs, whom Gulson describes as their "four-legged" children.

 

Whether it's going for a walk with her dogs or playing on the lake, spending time with family and friends are ways that Gulson finds balance. She and her husband are also very active in their church, Grace Fellowship in Johnson City.