Leading Change in Healthcare: How Kempton Presley is Transforming Patient Outcomes with Data
Kempton, Presley
Chief Executive Officer of Adhere Health
Website: www.adherehealth.com
This blog series is inspired by a powerful episode of the Leaders in Tech podcast, hosted by David Mansilla, featuring special guest Kempton Presley. The conversation offers a rare window into the mind and heart of a purpose-driven leader shaping the future of healthcare through data, innovation, and faith-rooted values.
Kempton Presley is not your ordinary CEO. With a career spanning over two decades in healthcare payor leadership, he’s served as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Analytics Officer—guiding multidisciplinary teams in analytics, product, client success, and strategy. His leadership has impacted health plans like Elevance, where he earned the New York Presidents’ Award and joined the Emerging Leader Program.
Kempton is also an Adjunct Professor at Vanderbilt University, former Lecturer at Columbia University, and a published co-author in the Journal of Biomedical Informatics. He holds degrees from Washington & Lee University, Columbia University, and Northwestern University.
Deeply committed to service, Kempton chairs multiple nonprofit boards, including the Center for Living and Learning and Woodmont Christian Church. And when he’s not teaching or leading at Adhere Health, you might find him on stage in Nashville with his band, the GreenHillsbillies, playing the dobro.
This 5-part Christ-centered, motivational blog will explore Kempton’s leadership insights, his passion for technology innovation, and his deeply rooted belief in the power of time, stewardship, and team empowerment.
From Economics to Impact—The Unconventional Journey of a Purpose-Driven Leader
Kempton’s story is a testimony to God’s divine orchestration. Starting in economics, he unexpectedly found himself managing healthcare benefits for clergy. That detour led him to pursue a Master's in Public Health—and later, deeper studies in informatics and analytics. Through every step, he was saying “yes” to God’s plan, not fully knowing the destination but trusting the process.
Key lesson: Sometimes, the calling doesn’t make sense until you look back. Your path may feel scattered now, but in God’s hands, it’s perfectly ordered. Like Kempton, embrace every step with courage, faith, and a teachable spirit.
Technology that Heals—How Data Can Be a Force for Good
At Adhere Health, Kempton leads a tech-enabled service that uses AI and data analytics to improve medication adherence. By integrating claims, demographic, and psychographic data, they create dynamic patient profiles and flag health risks before they escalate.
His philosophy is simple yet profound: “Technology should serve people, not the other way around.”
Faith lens: Jesus used parables to teach and technology can serve as modern parables—tools that bring healing, wisdom, and action. When led by ethical leaders, innovation becomes redemptive. Kempton’s work reminds us that God can use algorithms to extend lives and love.
Motivation and Momentum—Mastering the Mind to Move Mountains
Kempton shares a deeply human truth: we know what’s good for us, but we still resist. Whether it’s taking medication or going to the gym, behavioral inertia is real. So how does he overcome it? Game theory. Motivation hacks. Micro wins.
In his words: “If humans were perfectly rational, we’d all do the right things. But we’re not. That’s why systems—and grace—matter.”
Spiritual takeaway: The Apostle Paul said, “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:19). Kempton echoes this Biblical truth. Our call is to understand our minds, renew them daily, and set up systems that point us back to Christlike discipline.
Building Teams with Ownership, Not Just Obedience
One of Kempton’s most compelling leadership insights is this: people perform best when they co-own the vision. It’s not enough to give orders—you must invite collaboration, encourage creativity, and allow room for failure.
He’s hired behavioral scientists to study decision-making, created frameworks for feedback, and built a culture of continuous learning. In Kempton’s view, true motivation happens when people feel seen, heard, and respected.
Biblical connection: Jesus empowered His disciples by calling them “friends” not “servants.” Leadership rooted in trust breeds loyalty, innovation, and transformation. As leaders, we’re called to do the same.
Stewarding Time, the Most Valuable Resource
The podcast closed with a question: If you had a billboard on the busiest highway in the world, what would it say?
Kempton’s answer: “Enjoy every moment and use your time wisely.”
This theme of time stewardship resonates deeply. Both Kempton and David Mansilla shared how managing their time—through decades of discipline, schooling, and sacrifice—brought them freedom. That freedom wasn’t handed to them. It was earned through relentless consistency.
Spiritual takeaway: Ephesians 5:16 urges us to “redeem the time, because the days are evil.” Your time is your life. Use it with intention. Lead with excellence. And never forget: each moment is a gift from God.
Written by Jovilyn A. Dela Cruz
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“If humans were perfectly rational, we’d all take our medication, do our screenings, exercise. But we’re not. That’s why we need systems—and grace—to help us make the right choices.”
