Becker's Hospital Review has named the following female leaders to its annual list, "130 women hospital and health system leaders to know."
These 130 women, who are current executives at hospitals and health systems across the nation, demonstrate outstanding leadership within the hospital and healthcare industry and were chosen based on a wide range of management and leadership skills, including oversight of hospital or health system operations, financial turnarounds and quality improvement initiatives.
Note: Individuals cannot pay for inclusion on the list. Names are presented in alphabetical order.
Carmen Acker. CFO of Morton Hospital (Taunton, Mass.). Ms. Acker has served as CFO since July 2012. She has more than 29 years of healthcare leadership experience in various administrative roles. Prior to joining Morton Hospital, Ms. Acker served as CFO of St. Cloud (Fla.) Regional Medical Center and St. Cloud Physician Management Group. Before assuming those roles, Ms. Acker served as CFO of Fisherman's Hospital and Keys Medical Group in Marathon, Fla.
Nancy Howell Agee. President and CEO of Carilion Clinic (Roanoke, Va.). Ms. Agee has served in various management roles over the past 20 years since beginning her career in healthcare as a nurse for Carilion Clinic, including vice president of medical education, vice president of the organization and then executive vice president and COO until becoming president and CEO in July 2011. As head of Carilion Clinic, an integrated health system, Ms. Agee oversees a multi-specialty physician group, eight hospitals, the Jefferson College of Health Sciences and a joint-ventured medical school with Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. In August, she was selected to serve on the American Hospital Association's board of trustees for a three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2015.
Abha Agrawal, MD. COO and CMO at Norwegian American Hospital (Chicago). Dr. Agrawal assumed the role of COO and CMO of Norwegian American Hospital in 2012. Previously, she served as the CMO of Kings County Hospital Center in New York City. In 2011, she was invited to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Barack Obama's health and economic policy advisor, as well as provide testimony before the Senate. Ms. Agrawal's earlier roles include CMIO and associate medical director of Kings Country Hospital and informatics coordinator at the VISN1 network of the VA in New England.
Carolyn Allen, MHA, MBA. Vice President and CFO of Southcoast Health System (Fall River, Mass.). Ms. Allen assumed the role of vice president and CFO of Southcoast Hospitals Group and Southcoast Health System in February 2012. Previously, she was CFO at Sharon (Conn.) Hospital and held similar roles at Clark Regional Medical Center in Winchester, Ky., and St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, Kan.
June Altaras, RN. COO of Swedish Seattle and CNO of Swedish Health Services (Seattle). As COO of Swedish Seattle, Ms. Altaras oversees operations of the health system's two largest campuses at Cherry Hill and First Hall, a role she has filled since February. She joined Swedish in 1986 and is credited with helping implement a culture of safety program throughout the system. In November, Ms. Altaras was appointed as CEO of Swedish Seattle, a role she will assume Jan. 1, 2015.
Rhonda Anderson, MBA. Senior Vice President and CFO of Ascension Health (St. Louis). Ms. Anderson was named senior vice president and CFO of Ascension Health in October. Previously, Ms. Anderson was president of the business development division and CFO of a health ministry of Ascension — Columbia St. Mary's in Milwaukee. She joined Columbia St. Mary's as executive vice president and CFO in 2009, before which she held financial management roles at Saint Agnes Healthcare in Baltimore, including senior vice resident and CFO.
Sandra Austin, BSN, MPH, JD. CEO of Howard University Hospital (Washington, D.C.). Ms. Austin was named CEO of Howard University Hospital in November. She is part of a new senior leadership team at Howard, one of several steps Howard has taken to advance operational efficiency, finances, access and the institution's academic goals. She brings more than 35 years of healthcare management experience to the position. She previously led Chicago-based Alvarez & Marsal Healthcare Industry Group as managing director and led New Orleans-based Louisiana State University Interim Public Hospital as chief management officer.
Sandra Badinger, MBA. CFO of Slidell (La.) Memorial Hospital. Ms. Badinger joined Slidell Memorial Hospital in 2012 as CFO. She has more than 17 years of healthcare accounting and finance leadership experience, most recently serving as CFO at Cypress Pointe Surgical Hospital in Hammond, La. Prior to that, Ms. Badinger served as the CFO at Fairway Medical Center in Covington, La., from 2008 to 2011. Before Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and for one year afterward, Ms. Badinger worked for King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services in the eastern region of New Orleans. She began her 11-year career at UHS as a staff accountant. After a series of progressive promotions to assistant controller, controller and New Orleans market controller, Ms. Badinger was promoted to CFO of UHS.
Cathy Barr, MBA, RN. Senior Vice President of Community Services for HealthEast Care System and President of Bethesda Hospital (St. Paul, Minn.). Since July 2012, Ms. Barr has served as the senior vice president of community services of St. Paul, Minn.-based HealthEast Care System and president of the system's Bethesda Hospital, also in St. Paul. Additionally, Ms. Barr is a member of the Community Health Charities Board and the American Hospital Association Governing Council. She is also a past president of the Women's Health Leadership Trust.
Elaine Batchlor, MD, MPH. CEO of Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital (Los Angeles). Dr. Batchlor is the CEO of Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital in Lost Angeles, which is scheduled to open in 2015. As the hospital's leader, she is the chief force behind the development of the new, community-oriented, safety-net hospital. Dr. Batchlor has more than 20 years of healthcare experience. Prior to joining Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital in October 2012, she served as CMO of L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation's largest public health plan. Prior to that role, Dr. Batchlor served as vice president of healthcare finance, organization and operations at the California HealthCare Foundation, headquartered in Oakland, Calif.
Sydney Bersante, RN. President of St. Joseph Medical Center (Tacoma, Wash.). Ms. Bersante joined St. Joseph Medical Center, part of Tacoma, Wash.-based CHI Franciscan Health, in November 2007. A registered nurse, Ms. Bersante joined the Franciscan system in 1990 and served in executive roles at St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way, Wash., and St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood, Wash., before being appointed to her current role. In addition to her responsibilities as St. Joseph Medical Center's president, Ms. Bersante also provides regional executive oversight for CHI Franciscan Health women's care, cardiovascular, diagnostic imaging and pharmacy service lines.
Tanya Blackmon, MBA, MSW. President of Huntersville (N.C.) Medical Center. Ms. Blackmon was named president of Huntersville (N.C.) Medical Center in July 2009. The hospital, previously known as Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville, is a part of Charlotte, N.C.-based Novant Health. Ms. Blackmon joined the system in 1992 as the director of inpatient discharge planning. She began as director of clinical improvement and community care services at Novant Health and has held numerous leadership roles since then.
Marna Borgstrom, MPH. President and CEO of Yale-New Haven (Conn.) Health System and CEO of Yale-New Haven Hospital. Ms. Borgstrom has served as president and CEO of Yale-New Haven Health System and CEO of Yale-New Haven Hospital since 2005. She joined Yale-New Haven in 1979 as an administrative fellow, holding numerous executive appointments up to her current role. She is also chair of the Connecticut Hospital Association board of trustees and is a member of the board of the University HealthSystem Consortium.
Linda Bradley, RN, JD. CEO of Centinela Hospital Medical Center (Inglewood, Calif.). Since May 2010, Ms. Bradley has served as CEO of Centinela Hospital Medical Center. In this capacity, she is responsible for 1,500 employees and a medical staff of more than 500 at the 369-bed Centinela Hospital Medical Center. An original board member of the California Hospital Patient Safety Organization, Ms. Bradley has demonstrated a strong commitment to quality care and patient safety. She has educated thousands of healthcare providers throughout California as faculty for the California Hospital Association. Additionally, Ms. Bradley spearheaded a much-needed emergency room expansion at the hospital, as well as several patient satisfaction improvement projects.
Tammie Brailsford, RN. COO of MemorialCare Health System (Fountain Valley, Calif.). Ms. Brailsford has been the COO of MemorialCare Health System in Southern California since 2003. She oversees the clinical, quality, financial and operational activities and has an impressive track record of improving operating systems, financial performance and organizational culture. Ms. Brailsford also oversaw the system's early adoption of an EMR system and the implementation of wellness initiatives and lean management techniques. Ms. Brailsford previously served as administrator and COO of St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, and CEO of Long Beach Memorial and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach.
Ruth Brinkley, MSN. CEO of KentuckyOne Health (Louisville). Ms. Brinkley is credited for the successful formation of the KentuckyOne Health system following the 2012 merger of Louisville-based Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's Healthcare and Lexington, Ky.-based Saint Joseph's Health System. Ms. Brinkley has also served in an advocacy role with St. Louis-based Ascension Health, the parent company of Kansas City, Mo.-based Carondelet Health Network, and as president and CEO of Carondelet Health.
Denise Brooks-Williams. President and CEO of Henry Ford Wyandotte (Mich.) Hospital. Ms. Brooks-Williams was named president and CEO of Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, consisting of approximately 2,400 employees and 600 medical staff members, in 2013. She has more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience at Michigan hospitals, including Bronson Battle Creek (Mich.) Medical Center, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, Mich., and Detroit Medical Center.
Sandra Bruce, MHA. President and CEO of Presence Health (Chicago). Ms. Bruce has served as president and CEO of Presence Health, the result of a merger between Provena Health in Mokena, Ill., and Resurrection Health Care in Chicago, since November 2011. Previously, she served as president and CEO of Resurrection. Ms. Bruce has more than 35 years of healthcare executive experience. Before serving as CEO of Resurrection, she served as CEO of Trinity Health's Saint Alphonsus Health System in Boise, Idaho, where she spent 11 years. She also fulfilled president and CEO duties for Mercy General Health Partners in Muskegon, Mich., and began her career at Berrien General Hospital, where she eventually was promoted to CEO.
Maureen Bryant, MBA. President of Delnor Hospital and Executive Vice President of Cadence Health (Winfield, Ill.). Cadence Health named Ms. Bryant president of Delnor Hospital in Geneva, Ill., and executive vice president of Cadence Health in Winfield, Ill., in April. She has more than 25 years of executive healthcare leadership and management experience, most recently serving as president and CEO of Provena Mercy Medical Center. Prior to that appointment, Ms. Bryant served two years as president and CEO and 10 years as executive vice president and COO of Morton Hospital and Medical Center in Taunton, Mass.
Cindy Buck. CEO of Rutherford Regional Health System (Rutherfordton, N.C.). Ms. Buck became CEO in September 2012, having served as CFO of the 143-bed hospital since 2011. In June, RRHS and Brentwood, Tenn.-based Duke LifePoint Healthcare finalized a transaction to jointly own and operate RRHS. Under the terms of the joint venture, Duke LifePoint owns 80 percent and RRHS has 20 percent ownership stake. Prior to joining RRHS, Ms. Buck was CFO of Nevada (Mo.) Regional Medical Center for eight years. In 2008, she received the "CFO of the Year" award from Quorum Health Resources in Brentwood, Tenn., the hospital management company that operates Nevada Regional.
Janice Burger, MHA. CEO of Providence St. Vincent Medical Center (Portland, Ore.). Ms. Burger has served as CEO of Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, a 523-bed hospital with a staff of nearly 3,500, since 2005. Ms. Burger has been with Providence Health Systems since 1986, serving in a variety of roles. She was associate administrator in at Providence St. Vincent in 2000, and prior to that, she was operations administrator at Providence Milwaukee Hospital from 1995 to 1999.
Peg Burnette. CFO of Denver Health. Ms. Burnette has served as CFO of Denver Health since 1996. Throughout her tenure, Ms. Burnette is credited with keeping the health system viable in the face of a challenging payer mix, as the system serves as the primary safety-net organization for both Denver and the entire state of Colorado. Before joining Denver Health, Ms. Burnette served in various financial executive roles at Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente and National Jewish Health in Denver. Since 2004, Ms. Burnette has also served as CFO for Denver Health and Hospital Authority.
Carolyn Caldwell, MHA. CEO of Desert Regional Medical Center (Palm Springs, Calif.). Ms. Caldwell joined Desert Regional Medical Center in 2012. Previously, she served for five years as CEO of Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Mo., where she created a multispecialty group of more than 60 employed physicians in 11 locations and a new hospitalist group. Prior to that role, she served as CEO of Lee's Summit Medical Center in Belton, Mo. Ms. Caldwell is credited with turning Lee's Summit Medical Center around, increasing patient satisfaction scores and upgrading the facility. She is also currently serving a three-year term on the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees, which started in January 2013.
Terry Capuano, MBA, MHA, MSN. COO of Lehigh Valley Health Network (Allentown, Pa.). Ms. Capuano has been an employee of Lehigh Valley Health Network for more than 25 years. She stepped into her current role as COO in 2010. Prior roles with Lehigh Valley Health Network include senior vice president of clinical services, a position she fulfilled from 1999 to 2010. Her accomplishments include leading the organization to Magnet designation in 2002 and 2006 and collaboratively leading two major expansion projects.
Christina Campos. CEO of Guadalupe County Hospital (Santa Rosa, N.M.). Since July 2004, Ms. Campo has served as the head of Guadalupe County Hospital, a 10-bed community hospital. As CEO, she also acts as director of marketing and has assumed other duties outside a CEO's traditional realm. Under Ms. Campos' leadership, the hospital has become one of the smallest in the country to achieve HIMSS Analytics Stage 6 in March 2013. Guadalupe County Hospital was also awarded the 2013 Press Ganey Guardians of Excellence Award for Inpatient Satisfaction in the top 5 percentile.
Barbara Carveth, MBA. Vice President and CFO of University of Colorado Hospital (Aurora). Ms. Carveth became vice president and CFO of University of Colorado Hospital in January 2013. Prior to joining UCH, Ms. Carveth spent the last 13 years with Englewood, Colo.-based Centura Health, the largest hospital network in Colorado, most recently as CFO for St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center in Pueblo, Colo., and St. Thomas More Hospital in Cañon City, Colo. From 2004 to 2011, Ms. Carveth served as CFO for St. Anthony North Hospital in Westminster, Colo.
Kimberly Chavalas Cripe, MPA. CEO of the Children's Hospital of Orange County (Orange, Calif.). Ms. Cripe has been an employee of the Children's Hospital of Orange County since 1991, and currently serves as the hospital's CEO. Before stepping into her current role in 1997, Ms. Cripe served as executive vice president and COO. Prior to joining CHOC, she held several positions with Humana, where she oversaw strategic planning, business development, physician relations, marketing and public affairs.
Joan Coffman. President and CEO of St. Joseph's Hospital (Chippewa Falls, Wis.). Ms. Coffman joined St. Joseph's Hospital in 2008 as COO and was promoted to CEO in March 2010. Before joining St. Joseph's, Ms. Coffman served in various administrative roles, including administrator of the business office and ancillary services at East Tennessee Heart Consultants in Knoxville, assistant administrator of Lindy Boggs Medical Center in New Orleans, assistant administrator and director of outpatient services of St. Charles General Hospital in New Orleans and CEO of Orleans Orthopaedic Associates, also in New Orleans.
Diane Corrigan. CFO of Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). Since 2000, Ms. Corrigan has served as CFO of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. When she accepted the CFO post, the hospital had experienced three straight years of losses. Ms. Corrigan's leadership helped HUP achieved an operating margin of 5.7 percent during her first year as CFO, and the hospital has maintained a margin of more than 10 percent for the past four years.
Elaine Couture, RN, BSN, MBA. CEO of Eastern Washington Region, Providence Health & Services (Spokane, Wash.). Included in Ms. Couture's responsibilities as CEO of Providence's Eastern Washington Region are Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center and Children's Hospital, Providence Holy Family Hospital, two rural hospitals in Stevens Count, urgent care centers and Providence Medical Group, the region's fastest growing multispecialty physician group with more than 500 providers. In April, she opened the region's first multi-use ambulatory care facility. She serves on a variety of national, state and local boards and is an adjunct faculty member at Washington State University College of Nursing.
Sara Criger. Senior Vice President of Allina Health, President of Mercy Hospital (Coon Rapids, Minn.). Ms. Criger has more than 28 years of experience managing large hospitals and clinics. She has served in her current role as senior vice president of Minneapolis-based Allina Health and president of Mercy Hospital since 2012. Previously, she served as vice president of HealthEast Care System in St. Paul, Minn., and CEO of its St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul. Ms. Criger has more than 28 years of experience managing large hospitals and clinics.
Pamela Davis. System CEO, Edward Hospital (Naperville, Ill.)/Elmhurst (Ill.) Memorial Healthcare. Ms. Davis has been president and CEO of Edward Hospital since 1988. In those 26 years, she transformed Edward from a relatively small community hospital into a regional medical center with care that rivals what is provided by Chicago's top teaching hospitals. Following the 2013 merger with Elmhurst Memorial, Ms. Davis is CEO for one of the larger integrated health systems in Illinois, with revenues of about $1 billion and more than 50 locations across a service area of 1.7 million residents in Chicago’s western and southwestern suburbs.
Faye Deich, RN, MSN. COO of Sacred Heart Hospital (Eau Claire, Wis.). Ms. Deich currently serves as the COO of Sacred Heart Hospital, the ninth largest employer in the Eau Claire region with 1,300 employees and more than 250 partnered physicians. Under her leadership, the hospital won the Wisconsin Forward Award, which is awarded to organizations that demonstrate excellent business practices by the Wisconsin Center for Performance Excellence. Prior to becoming COO, Ms. Deich was CNO at Sacred Heart Hospital. She served as a member of the Wisconsin Hospital Association board of directors and as president of the Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Executives.
Marcy Doderer, MHA. President and CEO of Arkansas Children's Hospital (Little Rock). Ms. Doderer became president and CEO of Arkansas Children's Hospital in July 2013. She has more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience, most recently serving as vice president and administrator of Children's Hospital of San Antonio, part of the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System. There, Ms. Doderer led the transformation from a multi-use downtown hospital campus into the freestanding, separately licensed children's hospital. From 2002 to 2008, Ms. Doderer held the position of vice president and associate administrator for CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children's Hospital in San Antonio, before which she served in various other leadership roles in hospitals throughout Texas.
Gail Donovan. Executive Vice President and COO of Continuum Health Partners (New York City). Ms. Donovan joined Continuum Health Partners in New York City as executive vice president and COO in 2001. Prior to this position, she served as executive vice president and COO of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City from 1994 to 2003. For one year in 2000, she also served as executive vice president and COO of St. Luke's Hospital Center in New York City.
Marie Droege, MHA. President and COO of Guthrie Healthcare System and President of Robert Packer Hospital (Sayre, Pa.). Since July 2010, Ms. Droege has served as COO of Guthrie Healthcare System. She has administrative oversight of Guthrie's three hospitals, including Robert Packer Hospital, Corning (N.Y.) Hospital and Troy (Pa.) Community Hospital, as well as Guthrie Home Care, Guthrie Same Day Surgery in Horseheads, N.Y., and Guthrie Hospice in Towanda, Pa. Prior to joining Guthrie, Ms. Droege was COO of Kaiser Oakland (Calif.) Medical Center. She also has 14 years of experience in senior level executive management roles with Bon Secours Maryland Health System in Marriottsville.
Stephanie Doughty. CFO of Poudre Valley Health System (Fort Collins, Colo.). Since joining Poudre Valley in 1998, Ms. Doughty has been responsible for keeping the private, nonprofit health system financially viable. Previously, she served as CFO of St. Anthony's Hospital, part of the BayCare Health System, in St. Petersburg, Fla. She also served as the controller and vice president of finance for 10 years at Bayfront Medical Center, also in St. Petersburg, and at Englewood (Fla.) Community Hospital as the controller.
Laurie Harting, RN. Senior Vice President of Dignity Health, Sacramento Region (Calif.). Ms. Harting joined Dignity Health as senior vice president of operations for the Sacramento region in July. In this role, she is responsible for six California hospitals, including Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento, Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael, Methodist Hospital in Sacramento, Mercy Hospital of Folsom, Woodland Memorial Hospital and Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital in Grass Valley. Ms. Harting has worked for Dignity Health in Southern California since 2010. She previously served as hospital president and CEO for Dignity Health's Mercy Gilbert (Ariz.) Medical Center for six years, and before that served as senior vice president of clinical services at St. Bernadine Medical Center in San Bernadino for five years.
Sue Ehinger, PhD, MBA. Chief Experience Officer for Parkview Health (Fort Wayne, Ind.). Dr. Ehinger became chief experience officer for Parkview Health in 2014 after serving as president of Parkview Hospital & Affiliates since 2012. As chief experience officer, Dr. Ehinger focuses on building a culture of caring, health and well-being within Parkview Health and the community. She also oversees Parkview initiatives and departments including community health improvement, community benefit and service excellence, among others. Dr. Ehinger also served as COO of Parkview Hospital from 2006 to 2012, as chief quality officer in 2006 and CIO in 2005. Before becoming CIO, Dr. Ehinger was senior vice president of support services and quality for Parkview Hospital. She joined Parkview in 1993.
Linda Efferen, MD. Senior Vice President and CMO of South Nassau Communities Hospital (Oceanside, N.Y.). Dr. Efferen, who is board-certifed in internal medicine, pulmonary disease, critical care medicine and hospice and palliative medicine, serves as senior vice president and CMO of South Nassau Communities Hospital. In this role, she is responsible for facilitating medical staff interactions with hospital administration and overseeing strategic planning and execution, among other duties. Before joining SNCH, Dr. Efferen was associate chair in the department of medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y., for more than eight years.
Desiree Einsweiler, MHA. CEO of Palo Alto County Health System (Emmetsburg, Iowa). Ms. Einsweiler has served as CEO of the 25-bed Palo Alto County Health System, a critical access hospital and member of the Mercy Health Network, since May 2012. In this capacity, she is responsible for the quality, strategic and operational performance of the hospital. She previously served as interim CEO of Mitchell County Regional Health Center in Osage, Iowa, and as regional clinic director at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa in Mason City.
Melinda Estes, MD, MBA. CEO of Saint Luke's Health System (Kansas City, Mo.). Dr. Estes has served as CEO of Saint Luke's Health system since June 2011. Prior to that appointment, Dr. Estes served at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vt., for nearly eight years, eventually becoming president and CEO. She also served as CEO of Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston and Naples for two years. In addition, she was formerly senior vice president of medical affairs and executive vice president of MetroHealth System in Cleveland.
Paulette Evans, RN. President and CEO of Hospital Sisters Health System St. Joseph Hospital (Breese, Ill.). Ms. Evans became president and CEO of HSHS St. Joseph Hospital in October. Previously, she served as the hospital's interim president and CEO since June. Ms. Evans has served in a variety of clinical and leadership roles with HSHS St. Joseph Hospital for 40 years, starting as a nursing assistant in 1974. She previously served as the hospital's CNO for the past 15 years.
Teri Fontenot. CEO of Woman's Hospital (Baton Rouge, La.). Ms. Fontenot began her career at the Woman's Hospital — the only freestanding, non-profit women and infants' hospital in the U.S. as CFO in 1992. Woman's Hospital is a 350-bed level III regional referral hospital for newborn, obstetrics and women's cancer care. After four years, Ms. Fontenot became CEO of the hospital, and has served in that role for the past 18 years. She was also the 2012 chair of the American Hospital Association's board of trustees, and served two terms as a member of the board of directors of the Sixth District Federal Reserve Bank's.
Georgia Fojtasek, RN. President and CEO of Allegiance Health (Jackson, Mich.). Ms. Fojtasek joined Allegiance Health in 1989 as senior vice president and COO until 1994, when she became president and CEO. Ms. Fojtasek is a member of the American Hospital Association Committee on Performance Improvement, the Michigan Hospital Association Foundation Board and the Alliance for Advancing Nonprofit Health Care Board. Her professional passion is providing quality healthcare, especially to underserved communities.
Mary Ann Freas. Senior Vice President and CFO of Southwest General Health Center (Middleburg Heights, Ohio). Ms. Freas joined Southwest General as CFO in 2008 and has been an integral player in developing a program to provide financial assistance to the hospital's uninsured and underinsured patients. She is credited with leading the hospital's revenue cycle, billing and collections and capital operating expenditures. Additionally, during her tenure she helped the hospital refinance bonds and loans to lower interest rates, advised hospital leadership on plans for a new geriatric psychiatry unit and a new emergency department and managed the purchases of major health IT and medical equipment plans. Ms. Freas has more than 25 years of hospital financial experience.
Mary Freyer. COO of Little Company of Mary Hospital (Evergreen Park, Ill.). Ms. Freyer has been a leader at Little Company of Mary Hospital in a myriad of ways — as the hospital's vice president and director of quality resource management, manager of laboratory services and supervisor of the microbiology department, and for the last 11 years, as COO. She was a key leader in one of LCMH's biggest construction projects to replace the patient tower on the hospital's main campus, which began in 2007 and was finished in September.
Wendy Z. Goldstein, MBA. President and CEO of Lutheran HealthCare (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Ms. Goldstein has been a driving force of change since she stepped up to CEO of Lutheran HealthCare in 2001. Under her leadership, medical staff positions have increased 125 percent and hospital discharges have increased by more than 30 percent. She helped make Lutheran's Level I trauma center the busiest in Brooklyn, established a comprehensive neuroscience center, added 29 school-based clinics, launched a designated STEMI and interventional cardiology center and oversaw the creation of a comprehensive stroke center. She is working to help the system fully adopt EMRs and go paperless.
Rachel Gonzales, DM, RN. CEO of Madison Memorial Hospital (Rexburg, Idaho). Ms. Gonzales served as the hospital's interim CEO for 10 months before she was officially named CEO Madison Memorial Hospital in 2012. She worked as CNO and COO before assuming her current role. Ms. Gonzales has also ventured into private healthcare consulting and working as an online professor for graduate and doctoral institutions.
Kathleen Chavanu Gorman MSN, RN. Executive Vice President and COO of Patient Care Services of Children's National Medical Center (Washington, D.C.). Ms. Chavanu Gorman is a UNMC College of Nursing graduate and a 2011 Johnson & Johnson Wharton Nurse Executive Fellow. She served as vice president of quality and support services at Children's National until 2009, when she went on to be senior vice president of patient care services and CNO of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. In August 2012, she rejoined Children's National in her current role.
Pauline Grant, MS, MBA. CEO of Broward Health North (Pompano Beach, Fla.). Ms. Grant spent her early career working with the World Health Organization on malnutrition and under nutrition in Jamaica. She spent 11 years serving the Seminole Tribe as a health planner and clinic director for four Native American reservations. Now she leads the second-largest hospital in Broward Health System, the 409-bed Broward Health North based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., as CEO.
Audrey Gregory, RN, BSN, MSN, MHA, PhD. CEO of Placentia-Linda Hospital (Placentia, Calif.). Dr. Gregory has several years of leadership experience and more than 20 years of nursing experience. Most recently, she served three years as COO of St. Francis Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and served as the interim and permanent CNO at Delray Medical Center in Beach, Fla., where she previously served as as director of emergency services and director of nursing. She was named CEO of Placentia-Linda Hospital in October.
Gail Hanson, CFA. Senior Vice President and CFO of Aurora Health Care (Milwaukee). Ms. Hanson oversees accounting, affiliation due diligence, the business office, finance and treasury services as senior vice president and CFO of Aurora Health. She officially joined Aurora in 2011, but has served on the system's board of directors since 2009. She brings both public and private sector experience to the job at Aurora, previously working as deputy executive director for the State of Wisconsin Investment Board for six years and Blue Cross Blue Shield United of Wisconsin for 20 years.
Diana Hendel, PharmD. President and CEO of Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Community Hospital Long Beach and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach (Calif.). Throughout her career with the nonprofit MemorialCare Health System, Dr. Hendel has held positions on all of the MemorialCare campuses and at the system's central shared services office. As CEO of the three Long Beach hospitals, which together total 1,044 acute care beds — the largest campus run by a woman in the West. Ms. Hendel leads 6,000 employees and 1,500 physicians. She was named 2010 "Amazing Woman of the Year" by Press-Telegram and a "Women Making a Difference CEO of the Year" by the Los Angeles Business Journal in 2011 and was a NAACP Trailblazer Awardee in 2014.
Marcia Hendricks, RN, MHA. CEO of Madison County Health Care System (Winterset, Iowa). Ms. Hendricks brings an extensive nursing background to her current role as CEO of Madison County Health Care System, which operates a 25-bed critical access hospital about 30 miles southwest of Des Moines. She maintains a high level of involvement in the local healthcare community as an active member and past president of the Winterset Rotary Club, an Iowa Rural Health Association Board member, a Servi Share Board member, a member of American College of Health Care Executives and member of the Iowa Hospital Association Representation and Advocacy Committee.
Pamela Hess, CPA. CFO of St. Thomas West Hospital and St. Thomas Midtown Hospital (Nashville, Tenn). In June, Ms. Hess took on an additional CFO role at St. Thomas Midtown Hospital and retained her position as CFO at St. Thomas West Hospital. Ms. Hess brings executive experience to her current roles from her time as CFO of Middle Tennessee Medical Center, now Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, and as CFO for Community Health System's St. Joseph Hospital in Fort Wayne, Ind., where she was awarded the 2009 CFO Leadership in Excellence award.
Beth Hughes, MHA. President and CEO of Presence Health South Suburban Region (Joliet, Ill.). Ms. Hughes is the regional president and CEO for Presence Health's South Suburban Region, which includes Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Presence St. Mary's Hospital in Kankakee, Ill., and Iroquois Memorial Hospital, a managed facility in Watseka, Ill. She was previously president and CEO of Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center, a position she took in 2007. She was the first lay woman to be appointed to that position. Before moving to Saint Joseph, Ms. Hughes served as executive vice president and COO of Elliot Health System in Manchester, N.H., and held a variety of executive roles at Illinois hospitals. She started her career in Buffalo, N.Y., as administrative resident and then administrator for cardiac programs at Millard Fillmore Hospital.
Linda Hoff, CPA. Senior Vice President and CFO at Legacy Health System (Portland, Ore.). Ms. Hoff made the move west to Legacy Health System at the beginning of this year. She spent almost 19 years of her career at Meriter Health Services in Madison, Wis., where she got her start as director of internal audit and worked her way up to CFO. She also served as president and CEO of Physicians Plus. As a certified public accountant, Ms. Hoff previously served as a manager at a major accounting firm.
Michelle Hood. President and CEO of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (Brewer, Maine). Ms. Hood has worked to avoid duplication, become more efficient and create a healthcare delivery system tailored to the community served by Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems. The system has been under her leadership since 2006. She previously served as president and CEO of Sisters of Charity Leavenworth Health System's Montana region and president and CEO of the system's flagship facility in Denver, St. Vincent Healthcare.
Constance A. Howes, JD. Executive Vice President of Women's Health at Care New England (Providence, R.I.). In addition to her role at Care New England, Ms. Howes is on the Women’s Choice Award Healthcare Advisory Board for her expertise in health care issues and patient experience. She served as president and CEO of Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island in Providence until 2013. She also held positions as executive vice president and COO Women & Infants, and vice president and general counsel for Care New England and Women & Infants. Before her hospital career, she was a practicing attorney with Tillinghast, Collins & Graham for 17 years.
Charlotte Ipsan, RNC, MSN. President of Norton Women's & Kosair Children's Hospital – St. Matthews (Louisville, Ky.). In her role Ms. Ipsan oversees the daily operations of a full-service acute-care facility and leads the creation of the region's first hospital focusing on the unique needs of women. Ms. Ipsan assumed leadership in 2012 when Norton Suburban began to reconfigure the Norton Women's and Kosair Children's Hospital to provide comprehensive women's care and expanded pediatric services. With more than 26 years of experience in maternal and pediatric healthcare, she was appointed by the American Hospital Association to serve as its representative to the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Hospital Care for the 2012 to 2014 term.
Laura Irvine. Executive Vice President for Integration and Alignment of Methodist Health System (Dallas). Ms. Irvine was promoted in January to her current role and leads healthcare reform initiatives throughout the system, including physician integration and alignment, accountable care organizations, expansion of care delivery centers and population health management. Ms. Irvine most recently served as president of the system's flagship hospital, Methodist Dallas Medical Center, and guided a $124 million expansion of the hospital's emergency and critical care services, including the Charles A. Sammons Trauma and Critical Care Tower, which opened this summer.
Catherine Jacobson. President and CEO of Froedtert Health (Milwaukee). Ms. Jacobson has been president of the $1.5 billion regional healthcare system since June 2011 and CEO since 2012. She was promoted from executive vice president of finance and strategy, a role she assumed in 2010. She previously spent 22 years with Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. In January, Ms. Jacobson began a three year term on the American Hospital Association's Section for Metropolitan Hospitals Governing Council.
Sally Jeffcoat. Executive Vice President Trinity Health West/Midwest Group (Livonia, Mich.). In July this year, Ms. Jeffcoat left her role as president and CEO of the four-hospital Saint Alphonsus Health System in Boise, Idaho, to take her current position at parent system Trinity Health. In her current role, she has executive oversight of hospitals and health systems in California, Idaho, Oregon and throughout the Midwest. In 2010, she spearheaded the integration of three hospitals in southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon to create the Saint Alphonsus Health System, part of Trinity Health. She earned her master's degree in nursing from the University of Texas at Austin.
Jani Johnson, RN, BSN, MSN. President and CEO of Saint Luke's South Hospital (Overland Park, Kan.). Ms. Johnson has led of nonprofit community hospital Saint Luke's South Hospital as president and CEO since September 2012. She got her start with Saint Luke's in 1985 as a registered nurse at St. Luke's Mid America Heart Institute. She has also served as vice president of the hospital's cardiovascular service line and helped integrate the Cardiovascular Consultants physician practice into the system.
Lynn Nicholas. President and CEO of Massachusetts Hospital Association (Burlington, Mass.). When Ms. Nicholas joined Massachusetts Hospital Association in 2007 as president and CEO, she had more than 35 years of hospital and association experience. Ms. Nicholas previously led the American Diabetes Association, the Louisiana Hospital Association and the New Jersey Hospital Association in various senior leadership positions. Ms. Nicholas currently serves the Health Policy Commission Advisory Council. She has an MA in health management from Central Michigan University.
Laura Kaiser. Executive Vice President and COO of Intermountain Healthcare (Salt Lake City). Serving as executive vice president and COO for the past two years, Ms. Kaiser manages healthcare delivery and operations at the Intermountain facilities, medical group, clinical programs and services and the Institute for Healthcare Delivery Research. The system includes 22 hospitals, more than 185 clinics and a health plans division. Ms. Kaiser previously led Pensacola, Fla.-based Sacred Heart Health System and was the ministry market leader for the Gulf Coast and Florida region of Ascension Health, based in St. Louis.
Jane Keller, RN, BSN, MBA. CEO of Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital and OrthoIndy (Indianapolis). Ms. Keller has led the physician-owned Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital since 2006. She was named permanent CEO of OrthoIndy, an orthopedic hospital, in January 2013 for her restructuring efforts as interim CEO of OrthoIndy the year before. She is active in a number of organizations including the Indiana Charter of the Arthritis Foundation, the Healthcare Advisory Board for Women’s Choice and the Indiana Hospital Association.
Vanessa Kochevar. CFO of St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center (Pueblo, Colo.). Ms. Kochevar came to St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center in August 2013 with more than 12 years of experience working in acute-care hospital settings. Before accepting the position in Colorado, Ms. Kochevar served as CFO of multiple hospitals, including Deaconess Hospital in Oklahoma City, Okla., St. Mary's Regional Medical Center in Enid, Okla., Summerlin Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nev., and Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center in Las Vegas.
Raji Kumar, MBA. CEO of Dallas Medical Center. When Ms. Kumar stepped into position as CEO of Dallas Medical Center in April 2010, the hospital was losing almost $2 million a month. Bringing more than 13 years of healthcare and hospital management experience, she led a successful hospital turnaround. Ms. Kumar was also instrumental in physician leadership recruitment in her previous role as director of business development and marketing for Select Specialty Hospital in Macomb and Pontiac, Mich.
Phyllis Lantos. Executive Vice President, Treasurer and CFO of NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System (New York City). Ms. Lantos heads the finances of one of the most influential U.S. hospitals as CFO, treasurer and executive vice president. Since she joined NewYork-Presbyterian in 2000, Ms. Lantos has greatly improved revenue cycle processes, risk management and expense control at the $4.3 billion hospital. She previously served as deputy COO at the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn., and as vice president of financial management services at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.
Helen Lidholm, BSN, MBA. CEO of Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center and Medical Group (Reno, Nev.). Ms. Lidholm served as Saint Mary's COO before she stepped into her current role as CEO of the hospital. Under her leadership, the hospital achieved financial stability through the development of new physician partnerships and the adjustment of hospital processes. Her work led to a $10 million reinvestment in the hospital and medical group. Ms. Lidholm served as executive vice president and COO at Los Angeles-based California Hospital Medical Center before coming to Saint Mary's.
Lee Ann Liska, MBA. President and CEO of University of Cincinnati Medical Center (Cincinnati, Ohio). Ms. Liska returned to University of Cincinnati Medical Center in June 2013 after serving as COO of Mercy Health in Cincinnati. She previously served at University of Cincinnati Medical Center as COO. Ms. Liska also has executive leadership experience from her tenure as COO of the Cleveland Clinic Florida Health System and in executive roles for both MetroHealth and the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland.
Gwen M. MacKenzie, RN, MSN, MHA. Senior Vice President and Michigan market leader of Ascension Health (St. Louis). Ms. MacKenzie came to Ascension from Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Health Care System, where she served as CEO since 2005. She reversed the system's financial losses and opened six outpatient centers, including a freestanding emergency room and health care center. Ms. MacKenzie gained 25 years of experience at the nine-hospital Detroit Medical Center, where she got her start as an advanced nurse practitioner and worked her way to executive vice president and COO of DMC before moving to Sarasota Memorial.
Joan Magruder, MBA. President of St. Louis Children's Hospital (St. Louis). BJC HealthCare's children's hospital welcomed Ms. Magruder as president in 2013, after she served for seven years as president of one of the system's largest community hospitals, Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis. She previously directed strategic planning, physician services and market research efforts for St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare and its affiliated hospitals. Ms. Magruder came to BJC from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where she served as administrator of the Department of Surgery.
Michelle Mahan, CPA. Senior Vice President of Finance and CFO of Frederick (Md.) Memorial Healthcare Systems. Ms. Mahan got her start as manager of the Washington, D.C., Ernst & Young practice. She went on to work at Scripps Health in La Jolla, Calif., and served as CFO of St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, Md., and CFO of Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., before coming to Frederick Memorial Hospital in 2008. Ms. Mahan now has about 35 years of healthcare experience.
Julie Manas, MHA. President and CEO of Sacred Heart Hospital (Eau Claire, Wis.) and Division President and CEO of the Western Wisconsin Division of Hospital Sisters Health System (Springfield, Ill.). Ms. Manas assumed president and CEO roles of both Sacred Heart Hospital and the HSHS Western Wisconsin Division in March 2012. Before joining HSHS, she served as president of Genesis Medical Center and senior vice president of Genesis Health System in Davenport, Iowa, where her patient safety work earned national awards from J.D. Power, Truven Health Analytics and Healthgrades. Ms. Manas also previously served as vice president of Loyola University Health System in Maywood, Ill., vice president at Chicago-based Resurrection Health Care, and COO/interim CEO at VA Hines (Ill.) Hospital.
Patricia Maryland, DrPH. COO and President of Healthcare Operations of Ascension Health (St. Louis). Dr. Maryland became COO of Ascension Health in 2013 after serving as CEO of St. John Providence Health System in Warren, Mich., for five years. Dr. Maryland previously served as the president of St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital, and as executive vice president and CEO for St. Vincent Health in Indianapolis. The Healthcare Businesswoman's Association named her one of three women of the year for 2014.
Barbara Martin, RN, BSN, MBA. President and CEO of Vista Health System (Waukegan, Ill.). In her role, Ms. Martin oversees two hospitals in Waukegan — Vista Medical Center East and Vista Medical Center West — in addition to a large outpatient campus, diagnostic imaging facilities and numerous physician practice offices. In her eight years as president and CEO of Vista, Ms. Martin has led the system through several expansions and hospital renovations. Ms. Martin joined Vista as COO in 2003, after serving in various leadership roles in several systems, including as system vice president of clinical operations and system improvement for Provena Health.
Susan Melvin, DO. CMO of Long Beach (Calif.) Memorial Medical Center. Dr. Melvin has a history of leadership within the MemorialCare Health System based in Southern California. She was promoted to her current role as CMO of Long Beach Memorial, part of MemorialCare, in 2012 after serving for one year as associate CMO — one of a small number of women CMOs at large teaching hospitals. Dr. Melvin led Memorial Family Medicine in Long Beach, Calif., for 13 years as president, CEO and director of the family residency program. She served two years on MemorialCare Health System's board of directors and chair of its physician society, until 2011.
Winjie Tang Miao, MHA. President of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance (Fort Worth). Ms. Miao got her start 14 years ago as the administrative resident at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, where she led the planning and implementation of a $207 million renovation project. Ms. Miao subsequently led Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle (Texas) as president. She currently serves as president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance, part of Arlington-based Texas Health Resources. She has a background in biomedical engineering and healthcare administration.
Kristen Murtos, MA, MBA. President of NorthShore Skokie (Ill.) Hospital. Ms. Murtos began her career with Evanston, Ill.-based NorthShore University Health System in 1998 as vice president of its medical group. She also served as the system's senior vice president of strategy and business development. Skokie Hospital became part of NorthShore in 2009, the same year Ms. Murtos assumed her current role as president of the hospital. Since she began as president, Ms. Murtos has led an ongoing expansion project focusing on improving core clinical services, patient care and technology. As part of the project, a new ambulatory care center opened last year.
Elizabeth Nabel, MD. President of Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston). As a cardiologist and biomedical researcher, Dr. Nabel was the former director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health from 2005 to 2009. In this role, she led the Red Dress Heart Truth campaign, to raise women's heart health awareness and established scientific research programs in genomics, stem cells and translational research. She also led the establishment of centers designed to help fight cardiovascular and lung diseases in developing countries. Dr. Nabel is a nationally recognized scholar and author of 250 publications about the molecular genetics of cardiovascular diseases. This is Dr. Nabel's fourth year as president of Brigham and Women's Hospital. She is also a professor at Harvard Medical School.
Peggy Naleppa, RN, MS, MBA, PhD. President and CEO of Peninsula Regional Health System and Peninsula Regional Medical Center (Salisbury, Md.). Dr. Naleppa has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare leadership, focused in Maryland. In January 2010, Dr. Naleppa was appointed president and CEO of Peninsula Regional Health System and Peninsula Regional Medical Center. She previously served for five years as executive vice president and COO, overseeing a $100 million expansion project and patient safety initiatives. Dr. Naleppa is also a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Janice Newell. Senior Vice President and CIO of Providence Health & Services (Renton, Wash.). In her role, Ms. Newell has led one of the largest implementations of an EMR system across Providence in Alaska, California, Montana, Oregon and Washington in 27 hospitals and more than 400 clinics. By implementing an EMR system on such a grand scale, Ms. Newell completes a full-circle connection of care teams and the nearly 2.5 million unique patients Providence serves annually. She has more than 20 years of experience in health care information technology. Prior to joining Providence in 2012, Ms. Newell held CIO positions at Swedish Health Services and Group Health Cooperative. She began her career as an officer in the U.S. States Air Force.
Robin Norman, MBA, CPA. CFO of Virginia Hospital Center (Arlington). Ms. Norman has been involved in Virginia Hospital Center's finances since 1979, when she first joined the hospital as an accounting manager. For the last 16 years, Ms. Norman has served as CFO of the 342-bed hospital, greatly improving operating margins, market share and the hospital's bond rating. Her leadership has helped secure Virginia Hospital Center as a financially stable independent hospital.
Sharon O'Keefe, RN, MSN. President of the University of Chicago Medical Center. Ms. O'Keefe was named president of the University of Chicago Medical Center in February 2011. In 2013, Ms. O'Keefe led the opening of an advanced clinical and surgical center, with a focus on specialty care for cancer, gastrointestinal disease, neuroscience, advanced surgery and medical imaging. Ms. O'Keefe came to the University of Chicago Medical Center after serving two years as president of Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill. She has also served as executive vice president and COO of Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and COO of Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.
Barbara R. Paul, MD. Senior Vice President and CMO of Community Health Systems (Franklin, Tenn.). Dr. Paul practiced as a full-time internist in northern California for 12 years. She then directed the Physicians' Regulatory Issues Team at CMS, where she helped adjust policies for practicing physicians and helped develop Medicare's first "pay-for-quality" demonstrations. Dr. Paul also served as senior vice president and CMO of Fort Smith, Ark.-based Beverly Enterprises, a skilled nursing organization, before she was appointed to her current position in 2006 as senior vice president and CMO of Community Health Systems.
Megan Perry. Corporate Vice President of Mergers & Acquisitions of Sentara Healthcare (Norfolk, Va.). Ms. Perry joined Sentara Healthcare in 1990 when she completed an administrative residency. Since then, she held positions including director for women's services, vice president working with emergency services and ambulatory clinics and senior vice president for business development. Ms. Perry most recently served as president of Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center, formerly known as Potomac Hospital. She assumed her current position in January.
Bonnie Phipps, CPA. President and CEO of Saint Agnes HealthCare (Baltimore). In addition to serving as president and CEO of Saint Agnes HealthCare, Ms. Phipps also is Ascension Health's ministry market leader for Baltimore/DC, Kansas City, Mo., Pasco, Wash., and Lewiston, Idaho. Ms. Phipps joined Saint Agnes in January 2006, before which she was president and CEO of Saint Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta. She also served as president and CEO of the now defunct PROMINA Health System and CFO of DeKalb Medical Center and Egleston Children's Hospital, both in Atlanta. Ms. Phipps is a certified managed care professional and a fellow in the Healthcare Financing Management Association, of which she served as national chairman from 1992 to 1993.
Alice Pope, MBA. Executive Vice President and CFO of Wellmont Health System (Kingsport, Tenn.). Prior to being named CFO of Wellmont Health System in 2012, Ms. Pope served as senior vice president of finance, managed care and revenue cycle for three years. She also served as CFO of Holston Valley Medical Center, Wellmont's largest hospital, for five years. Before her tenure with Wellmont Health, Ms. Pope was system director of finance and CFO of Mississippi Market Hospitals for Memphis, Tenn.-based Baptist Memorial Health Care.
Marsha Powers. CEO of the Florida Region for Tenet Healthcare (Dallas). Before being named CEO of Tenet Healthcare's Florida Region, Ms. Powers served as the region's senior vice president of operations. She oversees nine acute-care hospitals under Tenet's umbrella. Ms. Powers previously served as division president of Plano, Texas-based Triad Hospitals (now acquired by Community Health Systems). She also was CEO of Fort Bend Hospital in Missouri City, Texas, and CEO of Healdsburg (Calif.) General Hospital.
Deborah Proctor, RN, MSN. President and CEO of St. Joseph Health System (Irvine, Calif.). Ms. Proctor has led St. Joseph Health since 2004, overseeing the $6 billion nonprofit health system of 16 hospitals, physician offices, home health agencies, hospice care, outpatient services and community outreach services in California, Texas and New Mexico. As president and CEO, Ms. Proctor transformed St. Joseph Health into a unified health delivery system and, in 2013, developed an alliance with Hoag Health in Orange County. Before joining St. Joseph Health, she was chief administrative officer of Ascension Health. She has also been board chair of Catholic Health Association.
Mary Prybylo, RN, MSN. President and CEO of St. Joseph Healthcare and St. Joseph Hospital (Bangor, Maine). Before joining St. Joseph Healthcare in September 2011, Ms. Prybylo served as COO of Waterbury (Conn.) Hospital for 11 years. She also was vice president of operations for National Care Management partnership-Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut. Under her leadership, St. Joseph Hospital was recognized as one of the 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson Reuters, now Truven Health Analytics, in 2012.
Dorothy Puhy, MBA. Executive Vice President and COO of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston). Ms. Puhy was named Dana-Farber's first COO in 2012. She previously served as the Institute's CFO and director for fiscal services since 1994. She has been an executive vice president since 2004. Additionally, Ms. Puhy is chief administrative officer of Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare, the adult oncology collaboration between Dana-Farber, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. Before joining Dana-Farber, Ms. Puhy was CFO at New England Medical Center (now known as Tufts Medical Center) in Boston and a senior manager at Ernst and Whinney before it became Ernst & Young.
Ann Pumpian, MBA, CPA. CFO of Sharp HealthCare (San Diego, Calif.). Since 1993, Ms. Pumpian has served as senior vice president of finance and CFO of Sharp Healthcare, overseeing corporate financial matters for the entire system. Ms. Pumpian also serves on the board of directors of Sharp Health Plan. In 1987, she received the YWCA Tribute to Women in Industry Award.
Ann Madden Rice. CEO of University of California Davis Medical Center (Sacramento). As CEO of University of California Davis Medical Center, Ms. Rice oversees more than 8,000 employees at the 619-bed acute-care teaching hospital. Ms. Rice also serves on the executive committee of the University Health System Consortium, where she chairs the audit and corporate operations committee and is the California Senate appointee to the California Health Facilities Financing Authority. Before joining UC Davis, Ms. Rice was CFO and COO of University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. Her first CFO position was with Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin.
Judy Rich, RN. President and CEO of Tucson (Ariz.) Medical Center. From 2003 to 2005, Ms. Rich served as COO of TMC. She briefly left to do consulting work with Boston-based Bard Group and then returned in 2007 as executive vice president and administrator. Ms. Rich assumed her current position in 2009. That year, she also served on the board of directors of the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association.
Joan K. Richards. President and CEO of Crozer-Keystone Health System (Springfield, Pa.). As president and CEO of Crozer-Keystone Health System, Ms. Richards oversees five hospitals, a physician network and approximately 7,100 employees. Before her current position, Ms. Richards served as COO of the health system and president of Crozer-Keystone Hospitals. She has worked with the health system since 1982.
Dawn Rudolph, MBA. Chief Experience Officer for Saint Thomas Health (Nashville, Tenn.). Ms. Rudolph joined St. Thomas Health in November 2010 as president and CEO of Saint Thomas West Hospital. She assumed her current duties in July 2013. Prior to joining Saint Thomas Health, Ms. Rudolph worked with Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Lutheran Health Network, holding a number of administrative roles, including project coordinator and administrator of Dupont Surgery Center; support services team leader, vice president of operations and COO of Dupont Hospital and CEO of St. Joseph Hospital.
Kathryn Ruscitto. President and CEO of St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center (Syracuse, N.Y.). Ms. Ruscitto is St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center's 13th president and CEO, a position she assumed in January 2011. Ms. Ruscitto joined the hospital in 2001 as senior vice president for strategic, development and governmental affairs, and in 2009 she was named executive vice president. She previously served as senior vice president of Loretto Geriatric Center, also in Syracuse, N.Y., and county administrator for human services of Onondaga County.
Linda Russell. CEO of The Woman's Hospital of Texas (Houston). Ms. Russell has led The Woman's Hospital of Texas since 1994. She also serves on the board of the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center and was appointed to the Judicial Compensation Committee by Gov. Rick Perry. Additionally, Ms. Russell is on the March of Dimes board of directors. In 2007, she was named an Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser for the March of Dimes' Texas Chapter.
Christina Ryan. CEO of The Women's Hospital (Newburgh, Ind.). Ms. Ryan's involvement with The Women's Hospital dates back to 1999 when she served as an administrator with Deaconess — The Women's Hospital parent company — to help with the planning and opening of the hospital. She previously served as director of women and children services at St. Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers in Northwest Indiana. Ms. Ryan serves on the boards of a number of local organizations, including the Secretary Advisory Council for Infant Mortality and the American Hospital Association Governing Council for Maternal Child Health.
Margaret Sabin. President and CEO of Penrose-St. Francis Health Services (Colorado Springs, Colo.). In addition to leading 522-bed Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, Ms. Sabin is also president of the South State Operating Group of Centura Health — Penrose-St. Francis' parent company — overseeing all the Centura hospitals in southern Colorado and chair of Centura Health's Trauma Council. Before joining Centura Health, Ms. Sabin was CEO of Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health Partners and vice president of new product development for Sutter Health. She has also held the chief executive position of Sutter-affiliated Marin Community Health, Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs, Colo., and Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, Colo.
Ninfa Saunders, DHA, MBA. President and CEO of Navicent Health (Macon, Ga.). Dr. Saunders oversees the 830 beds of Navicent Health dedicated for medical, surgical, rehabilitation and hospice purposes. She is also an executive co-founder of Stratus Healthcare, a collaborative partnership between 29 hospitals and 14 health systems in Georgia enhancing care coordination throughout the state. Dr. Saunders earned her doctorate in healthcare administration from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and is certified as a Black Belt in Six Sigma.
Rachel A. Seifert, JD. Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel of Community Health Systems (Franklin, Tenn.). As executive vice president, secretary and general counsel of Community Health Systems, Ms. Seifert oversees all legal aspects of the organization. She joined CHS in 1998, prior to which she was vice president and associate general counsel for Nashville, Tenn.-based Columbia/HCA Healthcare (now known as HCA Healthcare) since 1992. Ms. Seifert previously practiced private law in Dallas.
Nancy Schlichting, MBA. President and CEO of Henry Ford Health System (Detroit). Ms. Schlichting joined Henry Ford Health System in 1998 as senior vice president and chief administrative officer. Since then, she has served as executive vice president, COO, president and CEO of Henry Ford Hospital. In 2003 she assumed her current position leading the health system. Before joining Henry Ford, Ms. Schlichting held executive positions at Akron (Ohio) City Hospital, Akron, Ohio-based Summa Health System, Columbus, Ohio-based Riverside Methodist Hospital and Philadelphia-based Catholic Health Initiatives. Ms. Schlichting announced plans to retire in late 2016.
Christine Schuster, RN, MBA. President and CEO of Emerson Hospital (Concord, Mass.). Ms. Schuster joined Emerson Hospital in 2005, prior to which she served as president and CEO of Quincy (Mass.) Medical Center and Athol (Mass.) Memorial Hospital. Additionally, Ms. Schuster also was COO of the extended care division of Worcester, Mass.-based Tenet Saint Vincent Healthcare System and director of critical care at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston, now known as Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In 1984, Ms. Schuster also worked as a nurse at Beth Israel Hospital for three years.
Debbie Simon. President and CEO of UnityPoint Health-Methodist | Proctor (Peoria, Ill.). Ms. Simon began her career with Methodist in 1976. In 1978, she was named head nurse in the cardiac surgical unit. She has also served as senior director of nursing, assistant vice president of patient care services, CNO and COO. Ms. Simon was named president and CEO of Methodist Medical Center in December 2011.
Kerri Ruppert Schiller. CFO of Children's Hospital of Orange County (Orange, Calif.). Ms. Schiller joined Children's Hospital of Orange County in 1998 as senior vice president and CFO. During the first 10 years under her leadership, the hospital increased revenues by approximately 215 percent. Before her tenure with CHOC, Ms. Schiller was senior vice president and CFO of Comprehensive Care Corp., a for-profit company involved in management of freestanding healthcare facilities and in-hospital programs.
Diana Smalley, RN. Regional President of Mercy's West Communities (Chesterfield, Mo.). In 2007, Ms. Smalley was named president and CEO of Mercy in Oklahoma. Before joining Mercy, Ms. Smalley held several executive leadership roles at Omaha-based Alegent Health, including COO, vice president of operations and senior executive. She also was a co-founder, president and managing representative of Avantas, a company providing best-practice work strategies for the healthcare industry. Ms. Smalley is the immediate past chairman of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Bernadette Spong, MBA, CPA. CFO of Rex Healthcare (Raleigh, N.C.). Ms. Spong was named CFO of Rex Healthcare in 2005. She also serves as senior vice president of finance. Under her leadership, Rex Healthcare posted two of the highest levels of cash flow margins the health system has ever reached. Ms. Spong is also active on the boards of many local organizations, including the Elon University Love School of Business and the North Carolina Community Care Networks.
Deb Staples. COO of Pennsylvania Hospital (Philadelphia). Ms. Staples assumed her COO duties at Pennsylvania Hospital in February 2012, though her tenure at the hospital extends 17 years prior. She assisted with many projects, including developing the Pennsylvania Hospital outpatient radiology site and the integration of an inpatient psychiatric unit. She previously served as associate vice president of professional services and executive director of the Benjamin Franklin Clinic, a former affiliate of the hospital. Before being named COO, Ms. Staples was vice president of allied health and professional services.
Susan Starling. President and CEO of Marcum & Wallace Memorial Hospital (Irvine, Ky.). Before being named president and CEO of Marcum & Wallace Memorial Hospital in 2001, Ms. Starling served as the hospital's COO since 1991. She also held an administrative position at Pattie A. Clay Hospital in Richmond, Ky., which has since been acquired by Baptist Health Richmond. In 2013, the American Hospital Association awarded Ms. Starling the Shirley Ann Munroe Leadership Award recognizing her as a leader of a small or rural hospital who has improved healthcare delivery in the community.
Patricia Steingall, RN. CNO of Hunterdon Healthcare (Flemington, N.J.). Ms. Steingall joined Hunterdon Medical Center in 1980 as a staff nurse. She has since been named director of maternal child health and administrative director of patient care services before being appointed vice president of patient care services and CNO in 2009. Before her tenure at Hunterdon Healthcare, Ms. Steingall was a staff nurse in the maternity unit at Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield, N.J.
Pamela Stoyanoff, MBA, CPA. Executive Vice President and COO of Methodist Health System (Dallas). As executive vice president and COO of Methodist Health System, Ms. Stoyanoff's operational responsibilities include IT, materials management, quality and graduate medical education programs, among others. Ms. Stoyanoff joined Methodist Health System in April 2008, prior to which she was senior vice president and CFO of Little Rock, Ark.-based St. Vincent Health System.
Debra Sukin. CEO of Houston Methodist – The Woodlands (Texas). In June, Ms. Sukin was chosen as a regional senior vice president and CEO of Houston Methodist's new The Woodlands hospital. Ms. Sukin oversees construction of the new hospital, which is expected to open in early 2015. She will also lead Houston Methodist's Willowbrook and San Jacinto hospitals. Ms. Sukin most recently served as CEO of St. Luke's The Woodlands (Texas) Hospital. She also previously led Houston Methodist Debakey Heart and Vascular Center before joining St. Luke's.
Nancy Susick, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President of Beaumont Health System and President of Beaumont Hospital Troy (Mich.). In addition to serving as senior vice president of Beaumont Health System — now part of the newly created Beaumont Health that brought together Beaumont Health System, Botsford Health Care and Oakwood Healthcare to form Michigan's largest health system — since 2012 Ms. Susick has overseen operations of the 418-bed Beaumont Troy Hospital and its ambulatory, diagnostic and surgery centers. Previously she was its vice president, COO and CNO. Under her leadership, Beaumont Troy achieved Magnet designation for nursing excellence. She recently retired from the U.S. Navy Reserves, holding the rank of captain after 24 years of service.
Elaine Thompson, PhD. President and CEO of Lakeland (Fla.) Regional Health Systems. As president and CEO of Lakeland Regional Health Systems, Dr. Thompson oversees the fifth-largest hospital in Florida. She assumed her position in September 2010. Dr. Thompson previously served as president of Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pa., and St. Luke's Hospital in Allentown, Pa., as well as executive vice president and COO of Bethlehem, Pa.-based St. Luke's Hospital and Health Network. Dr. Thompson also served as director of the department of physical and occupational therapy and on the senior management team at Philadelphia-based University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Peggy Troy, RN, MSN. CEO of Children's Hospital and Health System (Milwaukee). Ms. Troy first worked at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in 1973 as a nurse on her rotations during nursing school. In 2009, she was named president and CEO of Children's Hospital. Before returning to Children's Hospital and Health System, Ms. Troy was executive vice president and COO of Memphis, Tenn.-based Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare and CEO of Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center.
Sandra A. Van Trease, MBA, CPA. Group President of BJC HealthCare (St. Louis). As BJC HealthCare group president, Ms. Van Trease oversees the BJC Collaborative, which includes BJC HealthCare and several independent nonprofit health systems that share best practices to improve quality, lower costs and create additional efficiencies. Ms. Van Trease also serves as president of BJC HealthCare's accountable care organization, a position she assumed in 2012. Before joining BJC HealthCare in 2004, Ms. Van Trease was president and CEO of UNICARE, a managed healthcare company operating under what is now known as WellPoint. She is a certified public accountant and has a master's degree in business administration. Ms. Van Trease received an honorary doctoral degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis for achieving distinction in her field.
Anita S. Vaughn, RN. Administrator and CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women (Memphis, Tenn.). In 1973, Ms. Vaughn graduated from the Baptist Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, and has since spent more than 30 years with Baptist Memorial Health Care. Her previous positions include clinical director for Baptist Memorial Hospital-East and Baptist Medical Center, assistant vice president for Baptist East, administrator of managed health and wellness and director of practice management. Ms. Vaughn was also chosen to lead the planning and development team for Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women.
Nancy Vish, RN, PhD. President and CNO of Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital (Dallas). Dr. Vish joined Baylor Health Care System in 1996 as program manager/director of a number of cardiology units at Baylor University Medical Center. Since then she was the first vice president of clinical operations and CNO of the Baylor Heart and Vascular Center when it opened in 2002. Dr. Vish assumed her current position as president and CNO of the Baylor Jack and Jane Hamilton Heart and Vascular Hospital in 2005.
Kelly Wallace, MBA. Senior Vice President and CFO of Seattle Children's Hospital. Ms. Wallace joined Seattle Children's Hospital in 1987 and was named CFO in 1995. As CFO, Ms. Wallace oversees the financial processes and operations of the only freestanding children's hospital in Washington state. She has helped the hospital expand its research facilities, implement an EHR system and design plans for a newly opened inpatient tower. Before joining the hospital, Ms. Wallace was an audit manager specializing in healthcare at Arthur Anderson in Seattle.
Kate Walsh. President and CEO of Boston Medical Center. As president and CEO of Boston Medical Center, Ms. Walsh oversees the 496-bed hospital, nearly 4,500 employees, 1,200 physicians and a $1 billion operating budget. She assumed her current duties in March 2010. Before joining BMC, Ms. Walsh was executive vice president and COO of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and COO of Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research.
Karen Westervelt. COO of NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare (New York City). Before becoming senior vice president and COO of NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare in October, Ms. Westervelt was president and CEO of the William F. Ryan Community Health Network in New York City. She previously served the New York State Department of Health as deputy commissioner of the office of primary care and health system management, overseeing the implementation of federal and state health reform. Ms. Westervelt also was executive director of the Ryan/Chelsea-Clinton Community Health Center.
Penny Wheeler, MD. President and Chief Clinical Officer of Allina Health (Minneapolis). Dr. Wheeler joined the executive leadership team of Allina Health in 2006 as chief clinical officer. She previously was on the Allina Health board of directors, where she led the Quality Committee. She was named president in 2013. Dr. Wheeler is a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist. At the end of the year, Dr. Wheeler will become CEO following the current chief executive's retirement. She will be the system's first female CEO as well as the first physician CEO.
Carolyn Wilson, RN, MBA. Executive Vice President and COO of Fairview Health Services (Minneapolis). Ms. Wilson joined Fairview Health Services in 2011, prior to which she was COO and associate dean at University of Chicago Medical Center. She also spent a year as a staff nurse with the National Institutes of Health. In addition to her executive duties at Fairview, Ms. Wilson a is a co-president of University of Minnesota Health with direct oversight of University of Minnesota Medical Center, University of Minnesota Children's Hospital and the system's clinical service lines.
Phyllis Wingate. Division President of Carolinas Medical Center Northern Group (Charlotte, N.C.). In addition to her duties as division president of the Northern Group, Ms. Wingate is also president of Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast in Concord. Prior to her current position, Ms. Wingate was president of Carolinas Medical Center-Mercy in Charlotte, where she established its first intensivist program. Ms. Wingate is also active in the American Hospital Association, the North Carolina Hospital Association and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Physical Therapy Advisory Board, among other civic and professional engagements.
Beth Zachary. President and CEO of White Memorial Medical Center (Los Angeles). As president and CEO, Ms. Zachary oversees 383-bed, nonprofit White Memorial Medical Center. She recently provided leadership for a 10-year campus rebuilding project that provides state-of-the-art technology and meets California's new seismic safety standards. Ms. Zachary also serves as senior vice president of Adventist Health, White Memorial's parent company, and president of Adventist Health's Southern California Network.
Correction: An earlier version of this list incorrectly listed Beth Hughes as president and CEO of Provena Saint Joseph. Her actual current title is president and CEO of Presence Health South Suburban Region. The list was updated at 8:20 a.m. CST to reflect the correct information, and we regret this error.