Diversity in healthcare, especially at the executive level, provides organizations with insight into the lived experiences of clients and employees. This leads to more informed, personalized care and improved care outcomes.
Becker's is excited to honor these 149+ Black healthcare leaders. The individuals highlighted on this list are fostering positive patient experiences, paving the way for the next generation of leaders, and promoting health equity.
Note: This list was developed to highlight Black healthcare leaders at healthcare delivery organizations. This list is not an endorsement of included leaders, hospitals, health systems, companies or associated healthcare providers, and organizations cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Leaders are presented in alphabetical order.
Contact Anna Falvey at afalvey@beckershealthcare.com with questions or comments.
Pamela Abner. Vice President and Chief Diversity Operations Officer, Mount Sinai Hospital Group of Mount Sinai Health System (New York City). Ms. Abner has more than 14 years of experience working with industry leaders to establish strategic and innovative programs for diversity, inclusion and equity. By using research methodologies, creating education curricula and applying best practices, she continuously seeks to help organizations identify discriminatory practices and disparities. She focuses on eliminating barriers to care, employment and education for underserved and underrepresented groups as well as fostering relationships with community partners to improve overall care.
Greg Adams. Chair and CEO of Kaiser Permanente (Oakland, Calif.). Mr. Adams leads a network of 39 hospitals, 730 medical offices and more than 216,000 employees. His work is focused on growing the organization's membership, improving affordability and expanding healthcare access. He holds leadership positions at several organizations, including being a member of the board of directors for America's Health Insurance Plans.
Paul Alexander, MD. Executive Vice President and Chief Health Equity and Transformation Officer at RWJBarnabas Health (Orange, N.J.). Dr. Alexander plays a critical role in building and streamlining RWJBarnabas Health's infrastructure and advancing its transition to value-based care. Dr. Alexander also oversees RWJBarnabas Health's Social Impact and Community Investment Practice, leading the system to identify and address social determinants of health impacting patients, surrounding communities, and employees. Dr. Alexander also plays a key role in RWJBarnabas Health's population health activities and the expansion of the system's use of analytics and data tracking to address population health.
Chris Allen. Interim CFO of Keck Medicine of USC (Los Angeles). After serving as CFO for Keck Medical Center, Mr. Allen was recently promoted to interim CFO for Keck Medicine of USC, which consists of four hospitals and more than 100 unique clinics across Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. In his new role, Mr. Allen is now responsible for leading financial operations for the entire health system and USC Care Medical Group. This includes board and finance committee reporting, revenue cycle management and governmental reimbursement, management of system cash flow and strategic investments. He has also been tasked with leading a revenue cycle operation initiative to increase collections and reduce payer denials for the health system. His work has been instrumental in leading the health system through the financial challenges of the pandemic, ensuring the hospitals received their reimbursement for revenue losses caused by reduced healthcare utilization and making sure that hospitals had the financial resources necessary to care for patients.
Machelle Allen, MD. Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City). Dr. Allen became deputy chief medical officer of NYC Health + Hospitals in 2013 and stepped into the interim CMO role three years later before being promoted to the role permanently. She was the associate medical director of the health system's Bellevue hospital before taking on more administrative responsibilities at the system level.
Natassia Allen. Director of Business Development at Beaufort (S.C.) Jasper Hampton Comprehensive Health Services. Ms. Allen is responsible for increasing overall revenue through the development and generation of revenue for each service line. She leads cross-functional teams and aligns them to the executive committee's strategic plans. Ms. Allen has been awarded the Emerging Leader Award for George Washington University's Geiger Gibson Program and the National Association of Community Health Centers.
Dianne Aroh, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (Tacoma, Wash.). Ms. Aroh's responsibilities at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health include nursing, care management and pharmacy. She is also the division's liaison for food and nutrition services, as well as environmental services. Ms. Aroh is passionate about mentoring and empowering nurses and ensures they are included in the decision-making process.
Marcie A. Atchison, JD. Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Stanford Medicine Children's Health (Palo Alto, Calif.). Ms. Marcie is responsible for leading human resources operations and strategy at one of the leading pediatric and obstetric healthcare networks in the country. She oversees a growing bench of executive directors and human resources partners that direct, lead and develop a diverse group of people and operations at Stanford Medicine Children's Health. This includes the communication of policies and procedures, organization development, integrated talent management, and developing the labor strategy, in addition to rewards and recognition programs.
Tommye Austin, PhD, MSN. Senior Vice President and System Chief Nurse Executive at BJC HealthCare (St. Louis). Dr. Austin oversees about 2,800 nurses throughout the BJC HealthCare system. Her leadership during COVID-19 was exemplary as she created a plan to shift nurses to the patient care areas where they were most needed. In her three years leading the nursing program, Dr. Austin strengthened staffing and preparation for emergencies by recruiting nurses.
Francine Baker-Witt, DNP, RN. President and CEO of Effingham Health System (Springfield, Ga.). Dr. Baker-Witt joined Effingham Health System in 2015 and became CEO in 2017. She is responsible for operations of a 25-bed critical access hospital, the 105-bed Effingham Care & Rehabilitation Center, five family medicine locations, two imaging centers and the hospital's foundation. Dr. Baker-Witt was executive director of women and infant services at Grady Health System in Atlanta before joining Effingham Health System. She is a member of the American Hospital Association Rural Health Committee.
Evelyn Balogun, MD. Chief Medical Officer of Inspira Medical Group (Mullica Hill, N.J.). Dr. Balogun first joined Inspira Health in 2014 as the medical director of occupational health, employee health and urgent care. Now, she acts as the clinical leader for 175 providers, who serve five counties in southern New Jersey. She oversees all aspects of patient care services within the areas of primary care, specialty care, urgent care and occupational health. She is also the clinical lead for the organization's telemedicine programs, as well as the leader of its population health initiatives. Her ultimate goal is to treat each patient as an individual, taking into account their unique life situation, experiences, background and culture.
Christopher Blackerby. CEO and Co-Founder of Incisive Consultants (Overland Park, Kan.). Since co-founding Incisive Consultants in 2019, Mr. Blackerby has led the company to double its revenue and employee base year over year. He has positioned the company for continued growth by fostering a strong company culture, hiring strategically, creating a niche in an oversaturated market, delivering high-quality services, focusing on innovation and maintaining financial stability. Mr. Blackerby's main duties as CEO and co-founder include setting the overall vision and strategy for the company, managing daily operations, providing the team of consultants and operations staff with direction, building and maintaining relationships with clients and stakeholders, and pursuing new business opportunities.
Jacqueline Bowens. President and CEO of District of Columbia Hospital Association. Ms. Bowens serves as the president and CEO of DC Hospital Association. In her role, she is responsible for overseeing the budget, staff and programs. She also takes ownership of the organization’s legislative advocacy. Her team is tasked with handling fiscal business, operations, patient quality and safety, communications, community engagement, grants and legislative relations.
Marlon Brewer, MD. Associate Director, Department of Ambulatory Care at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst (New York City). Dr. Brewer is the associate director of the Department of Ambulatory Care at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst. He advocates for improving health in underserved and minority communities. He also champions the recruitment of more people of color to work in the field of medicine. Dr. Brewer was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg as a member of the Board of Health of the City of New York in 2006 and served for nine years.
Sandra E. Brooks, MD. Executive Vice President and Chief Community Health Equity Officer of Thomas Jefferson University and Chief Medical Officer of Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals (Philadelphia). Dr. Brooks spent time as the director of the division of gynecology and oncology at the University of Maryland in College Park and chief medical officer of St. Joseph's Women's and Children's Hospital in Tampa, Fla., before joining Jefferson Health just before the pandemic. Over the last two years, Dr. Brooks became engaged in quality and safety initiatives at Jefferson and the health system's COVID-19 promotional campaign.
Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. Administrator of CMS (Baltimore). Ms. Brooks-LaSure oversees several CMS programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program and the healthcare.gov marketplace. She was a key player in the development of the Affordable Care Act in her roles at the CMS Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight and within HHS. She also assisted with the passing of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 as part of the staff for the U.S. House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee.
Bryan Buckley. Director of Health Equity Initiatives at the National Committee for Quality Assurance (Washington, D.C.). Dr. Buckley's overarching duties are promoting and building an inclusive healthcare ecosystem, processes and infrastructure that address inequities in health and healthcare. To achieve these goals, he aims to grow a portfolio of equity initiatives like collaborations, contracts, grants, research and policies meant to create equitable access to care services, reduce disparities in outcomes and improve overall health of marginalized or underrepresented communities. Dr. Buckley holds a number of additional leadership positions, including serving as a board member of the American Public Health Association and the American Heart Association Greater Washington, D.C. region.
Amanda Buirge. CFO of Prime Healthcare's Roxborough Memorial Hospital & School of Nursing (Philadelphia). Ms. Buirge is responsible for the admissions, billing, accounts payable, health information management, information technology, material management, project management, urgent care, medical group and finance departments. In her dual role as CFO of both the hospital and the school of nursing, she has mastered the ability to see issues holistically and address issues at the root. Prior to her current position, she served as the director of financial services at Philadelphia-based Temple Health.
Ahnyel Burkes, DNP, RN. Executive Director of Louisiana State Nurses Association (New Orleans). Dr. Burkes oversees Ascension's national residency program for new graduate nurses and transition-to-practice programs. She is a dynamic leader and collaborator. Dr. Burkes has been an advocate for mitigating healthcare workplace violence in Louisiana since 2018.
Kevin M. Bush Jr., EdD. Enterprise Director of Shared Surgical Services at Emory Healthcare (Atlanta). Dr. Bush brings over 20 years of healthcare experience to his role, with a diverse background that provides him with insight into revenue cycle management, ambulatory management, human resource, perioperative operations and higher education. He leads perioperative support processing services across Emory Healthcare, providing strategic planning for operating rooms, acute care sites, ambulatory surgery sites, and all aspects of endoscopy and ancillary support services across the system. He provides leadership using process redesign and improvement, workflow and logistics analysis, revenue enhancement, cost reduction and control, capital budgeting and operations budgeting. In addition, he works with other departments to oversee patient safety programs, provide operational accountability for the quality improvement program, implement standards and evaluate outcomes for surveys and regulatory agencies.
Gary Butts, MD. Executive Vice President, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System and Dean for Diversity Programs, Policy and Community Affairs for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai of Mount Sinai Health System and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York City). Dr. Butts is responsible for the oversight, management, and integration of all diversity programs and policies for the Mount Sinai Health System. He ensures diversity and inclusion are an integral core institutional value and aligns resource across the health system, including the medical and graduate schools, graduate medical education and the Mount Sinai Hospitals Group. He chaired The Task Force to Address Racism which led to the Road Map For Action with recommendations for six principles and 11 key initiatives to reaffirm and advance Mount Sinai's mission as an anti-racist institution.
Gina Calder. President of Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital and Progress West Hospital (St. Charles County, Mo.). In her role, Ms. Calder has led the revitalization of clinical service lines and has built a diverse team of leaders. Under Ms. Calder’s guidance, both hospitals have grown net patient revenue 25% from 2020 performance and have been recognized multiple times for patient quality, safety, and experience. She has been named a "Champion for Diversity and Inclusion" by the St. Louis Business Journal and received the 2022 PRC Healthcare Leadership Impact award. She also serves on the board of directors for both St. Charles Community College Foundation and Missouri Hospital Association Management Services Corporation.
Al Campbell, RN, MBA, FACHE. President of Beth Israel Lahey Health- Winchester Hospital (Cambridge, Mass.). Mr. Campbell is responsible for the overall quality of care, strategic growth and financial sustainability of the 229-bed Winchester Hospital and its affiliates. He leads a workforce of more than 2,000 associates committed to providing exceptional care. Mr. Campbell, has extensive expertise successfully leading in academic medical centers, community hospitals, and for-profit and public hospital systems. With more than 20 years of industry expertise he has successfully led acute care quality transformation, and executed clinical integration and strategic priorities.
D'Andre Carpenter, DNP. Chief Nursing Officer, Senior Vice President of UnityPoint Health (West Des Moines, Iowa). Dr. Carpenter manages system nursing priorities and leads initiatives to ensure safety, quality and patient experience that align with UnityPoint Health's strategic direction. As a leader in retention and recruitment for the system, he focuses on meeting future needs, adopting best practices and driving staffing efforts. He has established various innovative models for developing talent, mapping career paths and identifying opportunities for nurse practice advancement. Previously, Dr. Carpenter served as senior vice president and associate chief nurse executive at Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health, Thomas Jefferson University.
William Carroll, PharmD. Chief Pharmacy Officer, Vice President of Network Pharmacy Services at Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.). Dr. Carroll's role at Hackensack Meridian Health involves leading strategy and policy development for networkwide pharmacy services and initiatives to promote cohesiveness, standardization and consistency. His responsibilities extend to the expansion of network pharmacy services into ambulatory clinical practices and the population health space. His work helps to build a pharmacy-related corporate infrastructure, harmonize policies and procedures, standardize clinical practice models, and ensure that pharmacies take an active role in patient satisfaction and readmission reduction. Prior to his current role, Dr. Carroll served as the system vice president, pharmacy services for Rochester Regional Health in New York.
Kofi Cash. Chief Operating Officer at UofL Health-Jewish Hospital (Louisville, Ky.). Mr. Cash oversees the daily operations of the downtown Jewish Hospital Campus, approximately 1M square feet. He was appointed to the role in August 2022. He is currently guiding the campus in transformational work involving security, parking operations, environmental services, food and nutrition services, patient safety, guest services, and a facility master plan, to name a few. Mr. Cash has also successfully established an Administrative Fellowship Program which is designed to augment the pipeline for talented and diverse leadership. UofL Health recently nominated him for the Leadership Louisville Class of 2024. Mr. Cash serves on the board for the Heuser Hearing Institute and is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Mary Chatman, RN, PhD. Executive Vice President at Wellstar Health System (Marietta, Ga.). Dr. Chatman's leadership and collaborative work ethic can be seen throughout the health system. She manages a team of more than 10,000 staff members. Dr. Chatman is a seasoned leader with 32 years of healthcare experience.
André Churchwell, MD. Vice Chancellor of Equity, Diversity, Institutional Belonging, Community Outreach and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer of Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tenn.). Dr. Churchwell was the first African American chief medical resident at Atlanta-based Grady Memorial Hospital in 1984 while completing his medical training. A few years later, he was among the team of experts from Emory and Georgia Tech in Atlanta that formed a bioengineering center. He has earned several awards for his achievements in cardiology and health equity and dedicated his career to improving diversity in medical trainees and academic medicine.
Keith Churchwell, MD. President of Yale New Haven (Conn.) Hospital and Executive Vice President of Yale New Haven Health System. Dr. Churchwell became president of Yale New Haven Hospital in October 2020 after serving as executive vice president and COO of Yale New Haven Health. Before joining the system in 2015, Dr. Churchwell was executive director and chief medical officer of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute in Nashville, Tenn. Dr. Churchwell is a member of the national board of directors for the American Heart Association.
Kevin Churchwell, MD. President and CEO of Boston Children's Hospital. Dr. Churchwell oversees the strategic vision of Boston Children's Hospital to advance child health with clinical care, research and innovation, medical education and community engagement. He joined the hospital in 2013 as executive vice president of health affairs and COO, and has since earned several promotions. He established three of the 11 offices of health equity and inclusion at hospitals across the U.S. and Canada, including the Boston Children's office, and he is a board member of the Boston Chamber of Commerce.
Natalia Cineas, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive and Co-Chair of the Equity and Access Council at NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City). Dr. Cineas is responsible for more than 9,600 nurses and 970 social workers. She plans, oversees and evaluates all aspects of clinical operations, services and nurse education. She also serves as adjunct faculty at Columbia University School of Nursing in New York City.
Anthony Coleman, MD. President and CEO of Broadlawns Medical Center (Des Moines, Iowa). Dr. Coleman is the first Black CEO of Broadlawns Medical Center, and he uses his platform to lead discussions about health disparities. He oversees a 200-bed acute care hospital and four outlying clinics that provide emergency, inpatient, outpatient, lab, radiology and mental health services, along with specialty clinics, dentistry and a 24-hour crisis team. Over the course of just one year, he has also developed and implemented a four-pillar, five-year strategy to address workforce, patient outcomes, affordable care and upstream community health.
Chad Collins. Administrative Director of Operations of University of South Alabama Health (Mobile, Ala.). In his role, Mr. Collins oversees the operations for gastroenterology and neurology, as well as inpatient physical therapy and lab operations. He's helped grow the gastroenterology division, reduce costs, improve patient and employee satisfaction, and decrease staff turnover. He has received numerous recognitions, including the 2020 American Heart Association Gold Plus rating for heart failure and the 2021 AHA Gold Plus rating for strokes.
Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD. Urgent Care Medical Director and Physician at Saint Mary's Medical Group (Reno, Nev.). In addition to her position, Dr. Curry-Winchell volunteers as the assistant medical examiner with the Washoe County CARES program, where she examines victims of child abuse. She was also appointed the public relations chair for the Washoe County Medical Society. Dr. Curry-Winchell was named one of the Sierra Nevada Top 20 Most Powerful Women.
Onyinye Enyia Daniel, PhD. Vice President of Data and Analytics Strategy and Partnerships at Highmark Health (Pittsburgh). Ms. Daniel created the end-to-end enterprise data and analytics strategy for the system and aligned data and analytic priorities with business priorities. Her expertise is in data and analytics, health policy, and data and AI ethics. She also teaches at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health and is on the board at Chicago-based Sinai Health System.
Lisa Davis. Senior Vice President of Strategic Finance Analytics at Ascension (St. Louis). Ms. Davis began her role in the fall of 2022, taking responsibility for the oversight of dynamic financial planning processes, capital planning, improved analytics and reporting, and mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. She completed the Ascension Executive Ministry Leadership formation program in 2011 and she has been a member of the Ascension Leadership Academy since 2020. Ms. Davis has served on several boards, including the finance board and credit committee of the Nashville Diocese. She previously served as CFO at Ascension Saint Thomas.
Michellene Davis. President and CEO of National Medical Fellowships. An experienced health system administrator, Ms. Davis began her role in May 2021, pulling down a $12 million investment from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, initiating the organization’s global expansion, and more than doubling scholarship dollars for medical students of color. She was the first woman and person of color to serve as executive vice president at RWJBarnabas Health in New Jersey, where she founded the system's ongoing Social Impact and Community Investment practice to address social/political determinants in the communities served by the system.
Nichola Davis, MD. Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City). Dr. Davis oversees population health efforts at the largest public health system in the U.S., NYC Health + Hospitals, and co-chairs the system's equity and access council. She leads innovative care models, health analytics, chronic disease prevention and management, and social determinants of health at the system. Dr. Davis is board-certified in internal medicine and obesity medicine and spent time as the director of ambulatory medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx before taking on her current role.
William Davis. CEO of Crossroads Community Hospital (Mount Vernon, Ill.). Mr. Davis provides administrative and executive direction of the overall operations of the hospital consistent with the policies and priorities of the hospital and its board. In addition to his role, he works with civic organizations to help the local community. He was named to the 2021 Southern Illinois Business Journal's "20 under 40" and has been awarded State of Illinois Volunteer of the Week.
Lloyd Dean. Chief Executive Emeritus of CommonSpirit (Chicago). Mr. Dean heads up CommonSpirit health, leading the team of over 150,000 employees across more than 1,000 care sites, including 137 hospitals. He centers his vision for the health system on innovative partnerships, modern technology and human kindness with the goal of helping Americans live healthier lives. Before the creation of CommonSpirit Health through a merger in 2019, Mr. Dean was CEO of Dignity Health for 19 years. He plans to retire in 2022.
Kevin Dedner. Founder and CEO of Hurdle Health (Washington, D.C.). Mr. Dedner created and leads digital mental health services company Hurdle Health, which focuses on people of color. Under his leadership, Hurdle expanded into California, Texas and Massachusetts, and is licensed in six states. He is an award-winning public speaker and has public health experience in childhood obesity, HIV/AIDS, tobacco control and other areas.
Arianne Dowdell. Vice President, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Houston Methodist. Ms. Dowdell supports Houston Methodist's vision for unparalleled safety, quality service and innovation through diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. She drives this mission by stewarding systemwide DEI strategy implementation and development using key partnerships. She also focuses on employee engagement and health equity efforts. With a focus on increasing underrepresented group diversity via early pipeline engagement, Ms. Dowdell created a career development program that attracts, retains, and empowers employees and has launched a DEI summer scholarship program for college students from underrepresented backgrounds. Additionally, she has founded 10 employee resource groups, formed a DEI training program, spearheaded the development of the Health Equity Committee and more.
Bianca Duff. Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations at CareMax (Miami). Ms. Duff is responsible for CareMax's utilization of Medicare Part A, as well as the strategy and development of a comprehensive, regional specialty provider network for CareMax that aims to reduce cost and wait times and improve outcomes. In this leadership role, she and her team are able to make sweeping decisions that impact CareMax's network of 60 wholly-owned clinics, which deliver care to 200,000 patients. Ms. Duff is constantly looking at initiatives instituted, celebrating wins and investigating losses, and brainstorming new ways to improve healthcare for every patient. She also serves as a mentor for women, especially women of color, guiding them towards achieving their goals. Ms. Duff serves on CareMax's compliance committee, policies and procedures committee, and the ACO programs compliance committee. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at Boston-based Northeastern University and has taught over 30 graduate level courses.
Jim Dunn, PhD. Executive Vice President, Chief People and Culture Officer at Advocate Health (Charlotte, N.C.). Mr. Dunn is a preeminent voice leading diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for 150,000 teammates. He leads teams that primarily focus on the engagement and experience of teammates throughout their employment lifecycle, from recruitment through retirement. Mr. Dunn also acts as an executive sponsor for both Atrium Health's Men's Diversity Leadership Network and ASPIRE Women of Color Leadership development academy, and helped create African American Women Exemplifying Commitment to Equity and Leadership.
Ohme Entin. VP, Orlando (Fla.) Health and Chief Operating Officer, Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center. Ms. Entin oversees the daily operations of the 84-bed hospital. She took on the role in 2020, shortly after Orlando Health acquired the hospital. To support her goal of ensuring all patients receive the same quality of care throughout the system, she brought on the hospital's first dedicated chief quality officer. She also led a reduction in monthly nurse turnover from 10.4 percent to 1.6 percent.
Olaoluwa Fayanju, MD. Chief Medical Officer of RubiconMD (New York City). Dr. Fayanju is responsible for leading the clinical vision that will help RubiconMD build its suite of virtual care solutions. A staunch advocate for health equity, his career has been devoted to aiding the underserved. Ahead of the 2020 election, he led an initiative to help register patients and colleagues to vote. In 2021, he was invited by the White House to participate in its Health Equity Leaders Roundtable Series.
Bridgett Feagin. Executive Vice President and CFO of Connecticut Children's Medical Center (Hartford). Ms. Feagin provides financial leadership and strategic guidance for the system. She has a collaborative leadership style and provides financial data coaching to the clinical and operational leaders. She is also the executive leader of the Children's Health Consortium, the only revenue cycle management company focused on pediatrics.
Claudia Fegan, MD. Chief Medical Officer at Cook County Health (Chicago). Dr. Fegan serves as the lead clinical executive for Cook County Health, a $4 billion safety net health system with various treatment centers, a large network of primary care physicians, specialists and subspecialists, and the healthcare at the Cook County Jail. Dr. Fegan provides executive leadership for all of the system's clinical activities while also practicing internal medicine as a physician, caring for patients directly. In addition, she is the national coordinator for the Physicians for a National Health Program. As an expert in national healthcare policy, she regularly contributes to the media, speaking on the intersection of social justice and healthcare.
Donald Ferrell. Regional Facilities Vice President, Northern Region, Capital Construction and Campus Development at Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.). As regional facilities vice president, Mr. Ferrell is responsible for Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Palisades Medical Center. Most recently, he played a key role in the creation of the Helena Theurer Pavilion, a 530,000-square foot facility that incorporates the latest technology to provide an enhanced patient, team and physician experience. Mr. Ferrell also collaborates with plant operations leadership at Palisades Medical Center and the Hackensack School of Medicine, helping with real estate transactions and executing large and small scale projects. Additionally, he serves as co-chair and advisor to the Hackensack Meridian Health Facilities Committee.
Delvecchio Finley. President of Atrium Health Navicent (Macon, Ga.). Mr. Finley is responsible for the strategic direction and growth of Atrium Health Navicent. He is currently guiding the system through its implementation of new technology platforms and its integration into the new Advocate Health enterprise. He was a key developer of the system's Impact 2025 Strategic Plan priorities, one cornerstone of which is doubling minority supplier spending. He also champions programs that combat health inequity, such as a patient education program focused on reducing readmissions for ailments that disproportionately impact Black individuals.
Montez Fitzpatrick. Chief Information Security Officer at Navvis (St. Louis). Mr. Fitzpatrick leads the day-to-day security and risk management efforts across all aspects of Navvis' technology operations and infrastructure. He also utilizes top-of-line cybersecurity and intelligence to ensure the protection of patient and client data and assets. As the creator of the organization's current information security program, Mr. Fitzpatrick has also developed a dynamic five-year plan to support its growth. In addition, he is at the helm of Navvis' diversity, equity and inclusion committee.
Kimberly Foxworth, DNP. Chief Nursing Officer of UHS Desert Springs Hospital. (Las Vegas). Dr. Foxworth is responsible for the complete oversight of a 400-bed acute care teaching hospital and a freestanding emergency department in Las Vegas. As a board-certified nurse executive, Dr. Foxworth is responsible for setting the vision and strategic direction for the nursing body of the hospital system under her purview. Under her hands-on leadership, UHS Desert Springs has acquired and maintained a Leapfrog quality score of “A” which shows that her team's hard work to improve quality metrics has paid off.
Christopher Flowers, MD. Interim Division Head of Cancer Medicine and Chair of the Lymphoma/Myeloma Department of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston). Dr. Flowers manages and mentors 60 faculty members, department chairs and administrative managers. His research focuses on clinical, translational and epidemiological treatments for lymphoma and developing new cures. He has also contributed to revealing racial disparities in lymphoid cancers.
Mary "Toni" Flowers, PhD. Chief Diversity and Social Responsibility Officer at LCMC Health (New Orleans). Ms. Flowers is LCMC Health's inaugural chief diversity and social responsibility officer, tasked with leading a comprehensive diversity, equity and inclusion strategy for the system. She brings over 20 years of experience in the field, and is a subject matter expert on the topics of diversity, strategy and action planning, healthcare equity, health and healthcare disparities, community health, cultural competency, executive coaching, patient experience and social marketing. She has been nationally recognized for her work in program development and the reduction in health disparities by CMS. Prior to her current role, Ms. Flowers served as the first vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer for Charleston, S.C.-based Roper St. Francis Healthcare system.
Fritz François, MD. Executive Vice President and Vice Dean, Chief of Hospital Operations NYU Langone Health for NYU Langone Health (New York City). Dr. François oversees all patient care activity in four inpatient locations and all hospital-based outpatient facilities on the Manhattan campus, guaranteeing the highest levels of quality and safety. He shapes key operational initiatives to standardize quality patient care, proactively develop patient safety risk reduction strategies, improve throughput, eliminate waste, optimize available technological tools, improve patient satisfaction, and systematically address health inequities. In the past year, his leadership contributed to NYU Langone receiving top rankings for quality and safety, including being named the No. 1 hospital for quality and safety by Vizient.
Stacy Garrett-Ray, MD. Senior Vice President and Chief Community Impact Officer at Ascension (St. Louis). Since joining Ascension in 2021, Dr. Garrett-Ray has taken responsibility for the health system's strategy to advance health equity at the intersection of clinical services and community partnerships. She also works closely with the Ascension Foundation team to help guide the organization's community investments and ensure funding provides value at every stage. The throughline of her work is an earned trust with community stakeholders, built by actively listening, creating customized programs and continuously evaluating performance measures. An example of her work is the health system's partnership with Marian Middle School in St. Louis, where Ascension provides resources like medications and scholarships to students from lower-income backgrounds. Prior to her work at Ascension, she acted as president of Baltimore-based Transform Health MD.
Monique Gary, DO. Breast Surgical Oncologist and Medical Director, Cancer Program and Director, Breast Program at Grand View Health (Sellersville, Pa.). Dr. Gary currently serves as the medical director of the Grand View Health/Penn Cancer Network cancer program, where she also serves as director of the breast program. She is passionate about addressing the disparities in health outcomes for marginalized people and aims to make physical, mental and emotional wellness accessible to all. Beyond her surgical work, she is CEO of Upper Bucks County, Pa.-based Still Rise Farms, a 40- acre farm that was founded as a “wellness incubator” for cancer patients and under-resourced, marginalized communities.
Louis Gilbert, DO. Senior Medical Director at Village Medical (Chicago). Dr. Gilbert is a senior medical director at Village Medical, a national leader in value-based care. As senior medical director he leads over 360 clinicians in 55+ clinics in the Houston metroplex. Additionally, he serves as Village Medical’s lead physician in their efforts toward addressing health equity and employee wellness. His practice philosophy is rooted in providing the highest quality healthcare that is safe, accessible, cost-effective and based on the best evidence in medicine.
Anne Goodwill Pritchett. Executive Vice President of Network Revenue Operations at Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J). With the goal of aligning revenue operations across the Hackensack Meridian Health to create a centralized approach, Ms. Goodwill Pritchett collaborates with leaders in IT, clinical operational leaders and various others in leadership positions throughout the health system. Ultimately, her work ensures that the network is positioned to deliver on its mission to transform healthcare and lead positive change. Ms. Goodwill Pritchett was promoted to her current role in early 2022 after successfully leading advances in clinical documentation, coding, centralized billing, third party follow up, cash posting and reconciliation processes. Her work improved cash collections, denial reductions and overall performance throughout the network.
Darrell M. Gray, II, MD. Chief Health Equity Officer at Elevance Health (Indianapolis). Dr. Gray leads the execution of an enterprisewide strategy to advance health equity through a whole-health approach that addresses the physical, behavioral, social and pharmacy needs of the system's over 119 million consumers. He guides cross-functional teams across all lines of business in implementing an intentional health equity focus into their processes, data analyses, policies and programs. He supported the development of Elevance Health's Whole Health index, which was created to measure health holistically with a single score that takes various health drivers into account. Dr. Gray has been able to share his insights with the nation at over 25 speaking engagements in the past year alone.
George Greene. President and CEO of the Hospital Association of Southern California (Los Angeles). Mr. Greene leads an association that serves over 175 hospitals from over 30 health systems, in addition to numerous related associations. His overarching goal is to improve the operating environment for hospitals and the health status of the communities they serve. During the pandemic, he developed a forum through which hospital executives could dialogue with emergency services, other leaders and departments of public health. Under Greene's leadership, a charitable affiliate of the hospital called the National Health Foundation has provided 9.8 million in savings to hospitals for recuperative care and medical respite sites, which helps with post-hospital care and housing for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Audrey Gregory, PhD. President and CEO of Central Florida-North Region at AdventHealth (Altamonte Springs, Fla.). Dr. Gregory took her current positions in October 2021. She is responsible for the strategic direction of the region and executing on the system's plans to support a total network of care and build influential relationships with key constituents, community partners and healthcare consumers. She previously served as CEO for Detroit Medical Center, part of Tenet Health, overseeing operations of eight hospitals.
Timothy Groover, MD. Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Baptist Health (Jacksonville, Fla.). During his 25 years as a physician leader with Baptist Health, Dr. Groover has served in many roles, including chief of staff of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville and executive committee chair. He became the first African American physician elected to the board of directors of the system in 2014. He was voted the 2015 Physician of the Year at Baptist Jacksonville.
Antoinette Hardy-Waller, BSN, RN. CEO of The Leverage Network (Chicago). Before building The Leverage Network, Ms. Waller founded Strategic Healthcare Transformations and was founder of two skilled home health companies. Ms. Waller is also a member of the board of stewardship trustees for CommonSpirit Health, where she serves as chair of the board quality and safety committee. Ms. Waller serves on boards for organizations including the American Hospital Association, National Association for Health Services Executives and Alegent Creighton Health.
Everett Hay. Senior Computer Scientist, Applications of MEDITECH (Canton, Mass.). Mr. Hay is tasked with setting the technical direction of the E-Prescribing products by developing and leading new and creative software, connections and interfaces for the product. He was the original architect behind the E-prescribing functionality from MEDITECH in 2005 and his design decisions are still in use today. His work helped to increase efficiency and help MEDITECH to earn the 2022 North America Enabling Technology Leadership Award from Frost & Sullivan.
Michelle D. Hereford, MSHA, RN, FACHE. Senior Vice President, System Chief Nurse Executive; Ethel Morikis Endowed Chair in Nursing Leadership at University Hospitals (Cleveland). Ms. Hereford is an accomplished and dedicated senior healthcare executive with over 20 years of expertise developing and leading operational improvements in nonprofit, investor-owned, academic and faith-based healthcare organizations. In April 2021, Ms. Hereford assumed the role of senior vice president and system chief nurse executive for University Hospitals, a comprehensive health system with annual revenues of $5.3 billion, over 30,000 employees, more than 20 hospitals, more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices located throughout 16 counties.
Robert Higgins, MD. President of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Executive Vice President of Mass General Brigham (Boston). Dr. Higgins is responsible for clinical, academic and educational mission success at Brigham and Women's Hospital and holds an active leadership role in setting and guiding strategy for Mass General Brigham. Dr. Higgins joined the health system in 2021 from Johns Hopkins, where he was director of the department of surgery and surgeon-in-chief. He has a passion for managing complex, multidisciplinary services and training the next generation of healthcare leaders.
James Hildreth Sr., PhD, MD. President and CEO of Meharry Medical College (Nashville, Tenn.). Dr. Hildreth is a world-renowned infectious disease and HIV expert currently serving as Meharry Medical College's 12th president and CEO. Among his many contributions in this role, one of his most notable was spearheading a campaign with the White House and Congress to request funding for the Consortium of Black Medical Colleges. He secured $68 million in philanthropic gifts for the college between 2020 and 2021.
Ed Hodge. Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Trinity Health (Livonia, Mich.). Mr. Hodge leads Trinity Health's strategy to engage 123,000 colleagues nationally. He joined the health system in 2017 from Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth, where he was senior executive officer and chief people officer for the system's Central Florida division. He also was executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Rockville, Md.-based Adventist HealthCare.
Teal Holden. Senior Vice President, Ambulatory Services and Post-Acute Care at Memorial Hermann Health System (Houston). Ms. Holden exercises executive and strategic oversight over more than 100 outpatient locations throughout Greater Houston. She acts as the executive lead for the Memorial Hermann Health System's relationships with United Surgical Partners International and UTHealth. She serves as the chair of the system's diversity, equity and inclusion leadership council. Ms. Holden co-founded and acts as co-chair of the steering committee for Women Leaders of Memorial Hermann, an 800-member group that supports the inspiration, engagement and development of female employees.
Isaias Irgau, MD. Co-Founder of the American Surgery Center and President and Co-Founder of the Christiana Institute of Advanced Surgery (Bear, Del.). Dr. Irgau is an innovative leader and staunch patient advocate. He has pioneered the performance of various bariatric procedures across Delaware and surrounding states. He was even the first to perform the LAP-BAND procedure and the first to firmly establish the laparoscopic approach to Roux-n-Y gastric bypass in the state. Under his leadership, the American Surgery Center became a designated bariatric center of excellence and is the only surgery center on the East Coast with a Blue Distinction. Dr. Irgau also serves as the president of the Delaware State Chapter at American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
Anthony Jackson. CEO of Prisma Health Baptist and Baptist Parkridge Hospitals (Columbia, S.C.). Mr. Jackson was named CEO of Prisma Health's Baptist and Baptist Parkridge Hospitals in October 2022. He brings 30 years of healthcare leadership experience to the position. Prior to taking on this role, Mr. Jackson served as senior vice president and COO of Charleston, S.C.-based Roper St. Francis Healthcare.
Cindy Jackson. Market CEO of Kindred Hospitals of South Florida-Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) and The Palm Beaches. Ms. Jackson was promoted to market CEO for both long-term acute care hospitals and their acute rehabilitation units in 2022. She oversees all quality, strategic and financial operations for these hospitals, sets growth targets, and manages recruitment and retention efforts. Thanks to the health disparities she witnessed throughout the pandemic, Ms. Jackson has made diversity, equity and inclusion a priority in all levels of hiring. Prior to her promotion, she briefly served as hospital CEO for Kindred Hospital South Florida-Fort Lauderdale and oversaw a 95 percent improvement in earnings year-over-year.
Everette Jackson, DNP, RN. Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Reeves County Hospital District (Pecos, Texas). Dr. Jackson was appointed to his current role at Reeves County Hospital District in January, where he previously served as director of nursing for two years. He has spearheaded the development of suicide prevention practices, and while he was a doctorate student he implemented a unified approach to mental health and suicide prevention in his community. In his current role, his focus includes expanding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts within rural communities.
Ryane Jackson. Vice President of Community Benefits at Houston Methodist. Ms. Jackson's responsibilities include leading Houston Methodist's efforts to increase access to health and social services for underserved and underrepresented communities. To do so, she helps cultivate community nonprofit partnerships, guides charitable strategic investments and supports overall health equity. Ms. Jackson helmed the development of an employee volunteer program that has seen over 11,000 employees contribute more than 35,000 volunteer hours to upwards of 40 nonprofits in the area. During the pandemic, she was a key contributor in getting vaccines to minority communities. Ms. Jackson also serves as the executive sponsor of the social determinants of health sub-committee, a part of the Health Equity Steering Committee, and leads system initiatives on identifying social determinants of health within the patient population.
Vincent Jackson. Chief Pharmacy Officer at Advocate Health (Downers Grove, Ill.). Mr. Jackson brings over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry to his role. He was promoted in 2023 to lead pharmacy services for the newly formed Advocate Health, a 67-hospital health system with 5,000 employees across several service lines. He also oversees collaborative optimization of a more than three billion dollar enterprise drug budget with medical staff, supply chain and finance.
Thea James, MD. Vice President of Mission and Associate Chief Medical Officer of Boston Medical Center. In addition to leadership positions at Boston Medical Center, Dr. James serves as an associate professor of emergency medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. James is the executive director of the Health Equity Accelerator, an initiative to eliminate the race-based health equity gap that exists throughout the healthcare industry in the nation. She is also the founder and director of the system's Massachusetts Violence Intervention Advocacy Program branch, which assists victims of violence in their trauma recovery.
Anita Jenkins. CEO of Howard University Hospital (Washington, D.C.). Ms. Jenkins assumed the role of CEO at Howard University Hospital in February 2020. She brings over 20 years of healthcare experience to the position. She also serves as a member of the American Hospital Association’s Regional Policy Board 3 and volunteers for the American Heart Association and the March of Dimes.
Amanda Johnson, MD. Assistant Vice President of Care Models in the Office of Ambulatory Care and Population Health of NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City). In her role with NYC Health + Hospitals, Dr. Johnson leads a team to deliver innovative programs that serve people exposed to the criminal justice system, experiencing homelessness or facing other barriers that can impede access to healthcare. When the system was tasked with leading the city's clinical response at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Johnson was chosen as director of the Take Care pillar of the Test & Trace Corps, where she led a team that provided New Yorkers with resources to isolate or quarantine.
DeLancey Johnson, DBA. Senior Vice President, Associate Chief Talent Officer at Parkland Health (Dallas). Dr. Johnson provides strategic leadership in the planning and implementation of quality-based, integrated human resources programs. He has been instrumental in the development of a community health needs assessment project, which helps address the community's equity and health management issues. He has also created a year-long learning and experience apprenticeship program to align Dallas youth with Parkland Health's needs in order to promote career pathway education. Currently, Dr. Johnson is focusing on employee health benefits: health plan spending, the system's Certified Leader program, and employee recognition and reward programs.
Gregory Johnson, MD. CEO, Hospital Medicine and Chief Diversity Officer at Sound Physicians (Tacoma, Wash.). Dr. Gregory Johnson leads Sound’s hospital medicine specialty with an eye on clinical excellence and is focused on incorporating diversity, inclusion and belonging into all aspects of the organization. Trained in internal medicine and family practice, Dr. Johnson has authored articles on healthcare disparities and medical leadership. A leader in Sound since 2009, Dr. Johnson is a graduate of Dartmouth College and maintains a clinical associate professorship at his medical school alma mater, the McGovern School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.
Jarrod Johnson, President of UPMC Carlisle (Pittsburgh). Mr. Johnson is responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of UPMC Carlisle. He leads the 169-bed hospital and 29 ambulatory and specialty sites, an ambulatory surgery center and an outpatient cancer center. He collaborates and coordinates with service leaders to ensure a high-quality continuum of care services are delivered to the system's communities. Among his many accomplishments are the development and execution of physician acquisitions, the opening of NICU to augment women's service line growth, the acquisition of a new MRI, the reduction of length of stay by 1.2 days, and the improvement of employee engagement and satisfaction by 8 percent.
David A. Jones. Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at WellStar Health System. (Marietta, Ga.). Mr. Jones became the first African-American EVP at WellStar in 2019. He creates and preserves positive relationships between employees and management throughout WellStar. Previously, he served as Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente's senior vice president of national human resources.
Dawndra Jones, DNP, RN. Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital (Pittsburgh). Dr. Jones serves as vice president, patient care services and chief nursing officer for UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. She is tasked with guiding, upholding and modeling a service-focused culture of employee engagement, quality, patient safety, service excellence, fiscal responsibility and the patient journey. Previously, she served as the chief nursing officer at UPMC East and UPMC McKeesport.
Shannon Brown Joseph. National Director of Nursing Workforce Pipeline at Ascension (St. Louis). In Ms. Joseph's role, she is responsible for finding solutions to workforce needs through collaboration. She developed a strategic workforce development plan for a systemwide rollout to educate, train and place more than 1,000 new hires to date. Ms. Joseph also plans national efforts to increase skills in nursing and the nursing support workforce across 22 states and the entire organization.
Antoine Keller, MD. Co-Founder of HeartSense (Lafayette, La.). Dr. Keller is a cardiovascular, endovascular and thoracic surgeon at Ochsner Lafayette (La.) General Hospital and the co-founder of nonprofit HeartSense. Dr. Keller and the team at HeartSense work on developing models to reduce the distrust in the medical establishment that people of color harbor and decrease cardiac health disparities through education and pop-up screenings.
Lisa Kelly-Croswell. Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Office of Boston Medical Center Health System (Boston). Ms. Kelly-Croswell leads a team of more than 100 employees in a human resources department that serves a healthcare system of over 10,000 employees, including doctors, nursing, administrators, support services and more. The HR team includes a wide variety of functions, such as occupational health, HR information systems, volunteer services and talent acquisition. She drives organization growth strategies for the system and has been instrumental in an industry hit hard by staffing shortages. Her role is essential to the well-being and retention of her organization's workforce.
Vincent Key, MD. Orthopedic Surgeon at the University of Kansas Health System (Kansas City). Dr. Key joined the health system in 2003 after working in private practice. His clinical focus is in sports medicine. He has also served as the medical director and head physician for the Kansas City Royals for the past 10 years. As president of the Major League Baseball Team Physicians Association since 2021, Dr. Key works with the MLB commissioner and other team physicians on matters of player safety.
Paul King. President and CEO of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford and Stanford Medicine Children's Health (Palo Alto, Calif.). Mr. King is in charge of leading the Bay Area's largest healthcare system. Under his guidance, Stanford Medicine Children's Health is investing in a digital health program that will give patients more access to care using the hospital's telehealth and virtual technology. Under his leadership, Stanford Medicine Children's Health was named one of the Top 10 Children's Hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, a distinction that it has maintained for three consecutive years. This included being named the top-ranked children's hospital in California, and holding top 10 positions nationwide for four specialties, including nephrology and pulmonology.
Armond Kinsey. Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer of Atlantic Health System (Morristown, N.J.). Mr. Kinsey leads Atlantic Health System's approximately 18,000 team members towards a more inclusive and equitable healthcare environment. He is tasked with the creation of powerful resources that allow team members and patients to feel supported and celebrated. For team members, Mr. Kinsey has spearheaded the creation of microlearning sessions that outline actionable steps towards understanding diversity and inclusion. Business resource groups also work to develop talent, support community partnerships, and recruit and retain a diverse team. For patients, Mr. Kinsey's creates initiatives that reduce healthcare disparities impacting the communities the system serves. For instance, he helped lead an effort to increase access to care for non-English speaking patients, including a phase one translation of the system's website and the launch of an interpreter program. Thanks to his efforts, he has been named a Top 50 Health Care Professional by the National Diversity and Leadership Conference for 2021 and a Top 100 Diversity Officer by the National Diversity Awards.
Ruby Kirby, RN. CEO of West Tennessee Healthcare Bolivar (Tenn.) General Hospital and Camden (Tenn.) Hospital. Ms. Kirby has been the CEO of 21-bed West Tennessee Healthcare Bolivar General Hospital since 2003 and took on the CEO role at eight-bed Camden Hospital in July 2021. She joined West Tennessee Healthcare in 1979 and spent 20 years at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Memphis serving in various roles, including director of general surgery, before taking on her current role. Ms. Kirby is a member of the American Hospital Association Rural Health Services Committee and served on the board of the Tennessee Technology Center and Hardeman County Health Committee.
David Kountz, MD. Professor of Medicine and Founding Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Co-chief Academic Officer and Vice President for Academic Diversity of Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.). Dr. Kountz aligns diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives between Hackensack Meridian Health and the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine. His work aims to drive meaningful and effective policy changes to enhance diversity and, as a result, increase excellence and innovation. Dr. Kountz advances the health system's academic mission through residencies, fellowships, publications and grants. He was instrumental to the establishment of nine new fellowships at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. He balances research and educational responsibilities with a focus on areas of interest, like pipeline programs for underrepresented students. In addition, he serves in numerous statewide and national leadership positions, including co-chair of the National Minority Health Alliance, a nonprofit addressing health disparities in underserved populations.
Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, MD. Senior Vice President, Chief Clinical Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Allegheny Health Network (Pittsburgh). Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew advances diversity and inclusion among clinical and caregiving staff members while also advocating for equitable health outcomes. She has dedicated her career to building programs that focus on promoting equity for vulnerable patients and mitigating sociopolitical barriers to care. Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew lectures frequently, regionally and internationally, on health issues relating to the wellness of women and strategies that advance diversity, equity and inclusion in healthcare. She is also the author of “The Colors of My Heart: Embracing My Blackness with History, Family, Fear and Faith,” a recently published autobiography.
Wright Lassiter III. CEO of CommonSpirit Health (Chicago). Mr. Lassiter oversees Henry Ford Health System, a $6.6 billion organization with five acute care hospitals, behavioral health facilities and a regional health plan. He joined the health system as president in 2014 and added CEO to his title in 2016. Since then, Henry Ford has undergone two mergers, opened hospitals in Saudi Arabia and India and added $1 billion in revenue. Mr. Lassiter is the chair of the American Hospital Association and serves on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve of Chicago.
Donna Lawson, RN. Vice President, Quality and Patient Safety at Atlantic Health System (Morristown, N.J.). Ms. Lawson's role is crucial in delivering high-quality care to Atlantic Health System patients. Under her leadership, Atlantic began implementing comprehensive team member and physician training, and introduced safety coaches and a reward and recognition program that emphasized safety behaviors. All have resulted in a reduction of safety events. She is a key partner in the leadership structure that supports Atlantic Health System's dedication to high-quality patient care and safety through data analysis and safety program oversight.
Georges Leconte. CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem (New York City). Mr. Leconte has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare leadership. He was senior associate executive director for the ancillary services division of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst and regional director of the system's Elmhurst and Queens Hospitals' respiratory care services before taking the helm at the Harlem hospital in January 2022. He led the development of an elective cardiac angioplasty program at the Elmhurst hospital and secured funding for a CT/biplane for neurointervention there. Mr. Leconte is past president of the New York regional chapter of the National Association of Health Services Executives.
Marlow Levy. Vice President of Operations for Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville (Fla.). Mr. Levy brings over 30 years of healthcare leadership experience to his role, in which he oversees the cardiovascular service line, imaging, laboratory, security, and food and nutrition services for the 523-bed hospital. He joined Baptist Health in June 2022 after holding high-level positions at various health systems, where he completed impactful projects focused on improving hospital safety, patient care delivery, surgical throughput, operational efficiency and patient experience. Mr. Levy is also a member of Baptist Health's Veterans Assistance and Support Team, as well as Black Organization for Leadership and Diversity.
Valerae Lewis, MD. Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Oncology, Division of Surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston). Dr. Lewis was named the inaugural chair of orthopedic oncology in 2014, after an extensive national search. Since then, she has built a diverse and inclusive team of orthopedic oncologists, advanced practice providers, physical therapists and occupational therapists, all of whom aim to improve outcomes for adults and children with musculoskeletal tumors. Dr. Lewis and her team complete over 900 cases each year. A pioneer in her field, she is the first Black woman to chair an orthopedic department at a freestanding cancer center in The University of Texas System, and the first and only Black woman orthopedic chair in the nation.
Floyd Long. CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter (New York City). Mr. Long leads a team of senior administrators in the operation of NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter. Under his leadership, he has achieved financial viability for the facility, improved quality outcomes and transitioned the hospital to Epic's EHR system, which has resulted in improved communication with healthcare providers in the New York City area.
Marque Macon. Vice President and Administrator, Ambulatory Operations and Provider Services at Inova Health System (Falls Church, Va.). Mr. Macon provides vision and leadership for Inova’s rapidly growing ambulatory network and provider services division. He is accountable for operations, administrative and reporting procedures, team members, and systems for 200+ physician offices, 10 service lines, over 1,100 providers and over 2.7 million annual patient encounters.
C.J. Marbley, RN. COO and Chief Nursing Officer at New Orleans East Hospital. Mr. Marbley’s role entails providing direction, leadership and management for nursing and patient care services. Prior to joining the hospital, he held a number of administrative and clinical roles across the LCMC health systems and the Heart Hospital in New Orleans. Before joining the hospital, he had accrued 23 years of healthcare experience in the Washington, D.C. area.
Abner Mason. Founder and CEO of SameSky Health (North Hollywood, Calif.). For decades, Mr. Mason has worked tirelessly to reduce barriers to care faced by underserved populations both nationally and internationally, at the federal and local levels. In 2017, he founded SameSky Health with the mission to provide tools, resources and care for Americans who don't typically have access to resources. The underlying goal of the company is to challenge the healthcare industry's one-size-fits-all approach. He is also a founder and chair of nonprofit HealthTech 4 Medicaid. Previously, Mr. Mason has served as chair of former President Bush's advisory council on HIV/AIDS, as chief policy advisor to the governor of Massachusetts and as part of the Biden-Harris campaign policy committee. In 2022, he was a recipient of the Joseph R. Biden Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award.
Novlet Mattis. Senior Vice President and Chief Digital and Information Officer at Orlando (Fla.) Health. Ms. Mattis provides leadership in information technology, clinical engineering and digital innovation. She oversees a budget of more than $300 million and a team of nearly 740 staff members. She also led the implementation of Epic's EHR platform at Orlando Health.
Peter McCauley, MD. Corporate Medical Officer of Cigna (Bloomfield, Conn.). Dr. McCauley joined Cigna in 2010 as a market medical executive for the Midwest and was promoted to regional medical executive overseeing 25 states in 2013. Dr. McCauley then became corporate medical officer of Cigna, responsible for the organization's more than 700 value-based relationships and 250 ACO arrangements. He has a particular interest in promoting health equity and value-based care. Dr. McCauley was medical director of Gottlieb/West Towns PHO in Melrose Park, Ill., prior to joining Cigna.
Lisa McFarlane, PhD. Executive Director of Laboratory Services at Atlantic Health System (Morristown, N.J.). In her role as director of laboratory services, Dr. McFarlane provides testing and analysis that drives the spectrum of care for Atlantic Health System's seven hospitals, multiple ancillary sites and physician network of almost 1,000 providers. She oversees 588 employees across the organization. Dr. McFarlane is currently preparing for several enhancements to laboratory services, including a 2024 move to a new facility, a partnership with a reference lab for medical device trials, genomics screening for population health, and the establishment of on-site biobanking.
Michelle McGuire. Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Children's National Hospital (Washington, D.C.). As executive vice president and chief strategy officer, Ms. McGuire offers strategic oversight and guarantees alignment of organizational goals. She manages external-facing operations that uphold strategy, new initiatives and market development in the marketing and communications, community engagement, and advocacy and government arenas. Ms. McGuire has been with Children’s National since 2011.
Doug Melton, PhD. Global Analytics and Actuarial Leader, Health Solutions at Aon (London, United Kingdom). Dr. Melton develops and executes Aon's health solutions analytics strategy using insight-led, data-driven decision making. He has long-standing expertise in behavioral economics, predictive modeling, quality and outcomes measurement, and the evaluation of programs and services via experimental design. He has used his skill set to address employee turnover, care affordability and more pertinent topics within the healthcare field.
Tonisha Melvin, DNP. Chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Taskforce at the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (Chicago). Dr. Melvin is a nurse practitioner in the Washington, D.C., area, where she serves as program faculty for the Veterans Affairs Nursing Academy. She has previously served as a board member for the American Nurses Association.
Clement Miller. COO of Salinas (Calif.) Valley Health. Mr. Miller manages the overall operations of 20 clinical and non-clinical departments at Salinas Valley Health Medical Center. He oversees 81 percent of its staff and 70 percent of its operating expenses. In addition to his role at the health system, he serves on the board of directors for Rancho Cielo, a center for underserved youth, and Black Leaders and Allies Collaborative. Prior to his current role as COO, Mr. Miller joined Salinas Valley Health as the director of surgical services and rose through the ranks.
Ikenna Mmeje. President and CEO of USC Arcadia Hospital. Mr. Mmeje held leadership roles at Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health and Tenet Health hospitals in California before joining MemorialCare as COO of Long Beach Medical Center in 2017. He took on the role of COO at the Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach as well in 2019. Under Mr. Mmeje's leadership, Long Beach Medical Center has been recognized among the top 100 hospitals for cardiovascular care by Thomson Reuters and a best hospital for orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report.
Tiyi “Ty” Moori. Associate Director of Health Operations at Community of Hope (Washington, D.C.). Mr. Moori monitors the operational and financial performance of multiple medical practices, while managing office leaders to ensure quality care delivery. He is also responsible for patient access and providing patients with the resources to turn barriers into opportunities. His day-to-day responsibilities include the supervision of billing and reimbursement, making administrative decisions, and the planning, outreach and evaluation of activities.
Leonora Muhammad, DNP, BSN. Senior Vice President, Chief Nurse at YesCare (Brentwood, Tenn.). Dr. Muhammad has served in healthcare for more than 27 years, first as a volunteer assistant. She served in correctional healthcare for 15 years and currently, in addition to her position at Corizon Health, she serves as president of the Black Nurses Association of Greater St. Louis and a board member of the National Black Nurses Association.
Le Joyce Naylor. Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Wellstar Health System (Marietta, Ga.). Ms. Naylor offers systemwide thought leadership, strategic thinking and program direction for Wellstar Health System's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Her responsibilities include the design and implementation of programs to advance diversity efforts, achieving measurable outcomes and leading the health system's diversity and inclusion advisory council. Among her many accomplishments are the formation of 11 business resource groups, the recalibration of 11 diversity and inclusion councils, and the engagement of team members in inclusive virtual and in-person conversations about everyday topics.
Meika Tylese Neblett, MD, MS. Chief Medical Officer, Chief Quality Officer, Chief Academic Officer, Ending Racism: Equity in Clinical Care Goal Lead at RWJBarnabas Health's Community Medical Center; Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School for RWJBarnabas Health (Tom's River, N.J.). Dr. Neblett has strategic, operational and clinical oversight of the largest and most active healthcare facility in Ocean County, N.J. She takes a hands-on approach to managing the hospital's departments, protocols and policies while ensuring that staff adhere to safety standards to deliver the highest quality of medical care. A seasoned physician administrator, Dr. Neblett also works within patient care teams, alongside the facility's specialty clinicians and other members of the emergency department staff, to ensure the delivery of medical treatment to patients requiring acute and life-saving care. Under her leadership, Community Medical Center was awarded all three Women's Care Excellence Awards from Healthgrades.
Liza Pugh Nicholson. Founding Owner and CEO of Avail Management Services (Tuscaloosa, Ala.). In addition to Avail, Ms. Nicholson has founded multiple organizations, including All Rize, a not-for-profit and digital platform for promoting positive news and experiences through empowering resources on health, travel and education. She is also a member of the founding board of directors and a youth mentor for the Younger Women's Task Force of Tuscaloosa (one of only 12 chapters in the United States), a not-for-profit affiliate organization focused on empowering women and girls, advocating for social justice and promoting gender equality.
Olubunmi K Ojikutu, MD. Chair, Department of Pediatrics of Reading Hospital - Tower Health (West Reading, Pa.). As chair of the department of pediatrics at Reading Hospital, Dr. Ojikutu is responsible for the leadership and administration required to assure high-quality care delivery to patients from birth to 18 years old. She contributes to developing strategic plans for the growth and expansion of services, mentoring providers and residents, and collaborating with other clinical departments to ensure consistency of high-quality practice throughout Tower Health. She also continues to see patients 50 percent of the time.
Marvin O'Quinn. President and COO of CommonSpirit Health (Chicago). Mr. O'Quinn is responsible for CommonSpirit's system operations, physician enterprise, performance improvement and supply chain. He joined Dignity Health in 2009 as senior executive vice president and COO, and after Dignity merged with Catholic Health Initiatives in 2019, he became an executive at the combined CommonSpirit. Mr. O'Quinn is the former president of Jackson Health System in Miami.
Pam Oliver, MD. Executive Vice President and President of Novant Health Physician Network of Novant Health (Winston-Salem, N.C.). Dr. Oliver is the executive vice president and president of Novant Health Physician Network. She is responsible for medical group operations, which encompass nearly 700 locations. She oversees the organization's population health arm, Care Connections. As the leader of the Novant Health Clinically Integrated Network she directs provider education, enrollment and engagement efforts. Dr. Oliver also provides leadership and strategic direction for health equity efforts and the work of Novant Health institutes or services lines, across the enterprise.
Elmore Patterson. CEO of Ochsner Health St. Mary (Morgan City, La.). Mr. Patterson became administrator of Allen County Regional Hospital in 2020 and took on administrator duties at Anderson County Hospital the next year, both of which are part of Kansas City, Mo.-based St. Luke's Health System. Mr. Patterson spent time as administrator and CEO of Greene County Health System in Eutaw, Ala., before taking on his current role. In addition to overseeing operations at both community hospitals, Mr. Patterson is an associate professor of healthcare administration with the University of Phoenix, a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and past member of the American Hospital Association Rural Health Services Committee.
Elizabeth Paskas, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Patient Experience Officer at Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.). Dr. Paskas provides strategic direction to Hackensack Meridian Health, promoting human-centric care, outstanding services and compassion. She is responsible for researching, designing and accelerating best practices and innovation. Knowing that the need for patient experience advocacy is at an all-time high, she is leading a project that includes assessing current standards of practice and processes that impact how patients experience care, ultimately transforming the patient journey from admission through care transition and beyond. She also led the inception and design of the Experience Innovation Café, a venue for decision makers to participate in designing and accelerating improved solutions. Additionally, she created and now leads an annual national patient experience summit, with more than 14 states participating in the inaugural event.
James Poullard. Senior Vice President of Support Services, Health Equity and Experience at ScionHealth (Louisville, Ky.). Mr. Poullard's duties at ScionHealth include oversight and operational, quality, and financial strategy execution of all enterprise ancillary clinical support services for the organization's 76 acute care hospitals and 18 community hospitals across 28 states. Additionally, he leads the organization's health equity and patient experience strategies. Mr. Poullard is a leadership member of the employee resource group for Black employees and allies.
Tiffany Pratt. Assistant Vice President, Team Member Experience and Engagement, Human Resources at Orlando (Fla.) Health. Ms. Pratt leads Orlando Health's Be Your Best Place to Work strategic initiative, with the goal of increasing team member engagement, satisfaction and retention. She strives to create a work environment that embraces both individual accountability and cross-departmental collaboration. Her efforts to implement innovative workplace programs directly impact the health system's existing 25,000 team members and 4,000 physicians, while also attracting new talent.
Dennis Pullin. President and CEO of Virtua Health (Marlton, N.J.). Mr. Pullin has executive oversight of Virtua's five hospitals, two satellite emergency departments, 30 ambulatory surgery centers and more than 300 other locations. Mr. Pullin provides steady, focused leadership and a willingness to adapt to the needs of the moment, which has been a great benefit to Virtua's 14,000-person workforce and the wider community and resulted in Virtua becoming an academic health system through its affiliation with Rowan University. He also serves as host of the "Here for Good" podcast, where he engages in conversations with leaders about how they create a positive impact on the world around them.
Mary Alice Ragsdale, MSN, RN. EVP & Chief Operating Officer at Dignity Health (San Francisco). Ms. Ragsdale joined the hospital in 2003 as director of patient care services. Since 2015, she has overseen operations of the hospital as COO. Under her leadership, St. Anthony has earned the top-scoring "A" safety grades from the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade report for four years in a row beginning in 2018.
Avonia Richardson-Miller, EdD. Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.). Dr. Richardson-Miller has networkwide oversight of the diversity, equity and inclusion department's strategic initiatives and daily operations. She has conducted the health system's first benchmark diversity assessment, reviewing efforts across workforce, recruitment, talent management programs, supplier diversity, philanthropy and leadership accountability. In addition, she spearheaded processes and project improvements for the Human Equality Index survey, launched new team member resource groups and created a blueprint for advancing diversity initiatives across the network.
Edmondo Robinson, MD. Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer of Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa, Fla.). In his role, Dr. Robinson leads the center for digital health, which creates and tests new services, programs, partnerships and technologies that leverage digital innovations. He is also an associate professor at University of South Florida's Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa and an adjunct senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Prior to his role at Moffitt, Dr. Robinson was the chief transformation officer and senior vice president of consumerism at ChristianaCare.
Jerome Robinson, MD. Internal Medicine and Cardiology Physician at Paradise Valley Hospital (National City, Calif.). Dr. Robinson has practiced medicine in the San Diego area for 37 years. He helped found Paradise Valley Hospital's Club Walk in 1987 and serves as chair of health of the San Diego branch of the NAACP.
Sharon Robinson, MD. Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion of NorthShore University HealthSystem (Evanston, Ill.). Dr. Robinson oversees patient care, clinical compliance and general physician education. As part of her role, she also drives recruitment, retention and well-being support for underrepresented physicians. She is the first to serve in her role for NorthShore. She chartered NorthShore's first Women in Medicine Physician Initiative group to support and retain women physicians. Through the group, Dr. Robinson established NorthShore's first physician mentorship program in 2022. To date, the program has supported 24 physicians and is projected to support even more in the coming year.
Christopher Roker. Lincoln CEO and System Chief Growth Officer of NYC Hospital + Health System (New York City). In addition to his roles with NYC Hospital + Health System and the system's Lincoln location, Mr. Roker serves on the board of directors for Jamaica YMCA, Metroplus and Public Health Solutions.
Beverly Sanders. Director of Clinical Applications of St. Joseph's/Candler (Savannah, Ga.). Ms. Sanders has a vast team of professionals that surround her as she leads monumental tasks with excellence on a daily basis. During her time on the IT team, she has led an enormous amount of projects and Saint Joseph's/Candler has met the rigors of Meaningful Use for 10 straight years under her watchful eye. In her current role, she maintains and supports the facility's hospital electronic medical records, an essential service to the smooth operation of the facility.
Jinel Scott. Chief Quality Officer and Associate CMO for NYC Health + Hospitals/ Kings County (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Dr. Scott is responsible for coordinating and managing NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County's strategy and activities around health equity, quality management, performance improvement, infection prevention, and regulatory affairs. She has published articles highlighting pathways to reduce and eliminate disparities, underrepresentation and barriers to access, sits on the board of directors of the Radiological Society of North America., and is a member of the Radiological Society of North America's Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Chaudron Carter Short. Executive Vice President of Patient Care Services | Chief Nurse Executive for Temple Health (Philadelphia). Ms. Short has had a distinguished career as a nurse leader, but her most recent appointment provides her with the opportunity to shine. In July 2022, Chaudron was simultaneously named Chair of the Department of Nursing in Temple University's College of Public Health and Senior VP/Associate Chief Nursing Officer for Temple Health. This dual role as a health system employee and chair of an academic department is extremely rare and is a testament to her abilities. Under her leadership, Temple University Hospital achieved an American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet designation for nursing for the first time.
Jyric Sims. President and CEO at Medical City Plano and Medical City Frisco (Plano, Texas). Mr. Sims was appointed to his current roles in May 2021. Before that, he served as CEO of Medical City Fort Worth starting in June 2017. His dynamic leadership there is credited with remarkable improvements in providing a high-quality experience for patients and recruiting top talent to care for those patients.
S. Monica Soni, MD. Associate Chief Medical Officer at New Century Health (Brea, Calif.). Dr. Soni oversees New Century's Medicaid network with 6.2 million patients in 13 states. She works with chief medical officers across the country to ensure optimized care for the nation's most vulnerable patients. She is credited with playing a critical role in the company's acquisition of the Vital Decisions patient engagement platform in 2021.
Airica Steed, RN, EdD. President and Chief Executive Officer of The MetroHealth System (Cleveland). Dr. Steed began leading Cleveland’s $1.6 billion safety net in December 2022, overseeing all operations for a public health system that encompasses four hospitals, four emergency departments, a level 1 trauma center, an academic medical center, more than 20 health centers and 40 additional sites. She is the first Black, female nurse to oversee the health system in its 186-year history, fighting passionately to reverse racial disparities and make sure every person has an equal chance at a long, healthy life. The proud fourth-generation nurse previously served as executive vice president and system chief operating officer of Sinai Chicago Health System and president of Mount Sinai and Sinai Children’s Hospital, where she is credited with spearheading that system's $75 million operational, financial and clinical transformation. At MetroHealth, she manages a staff of 8,200 caregivers including more than 650 physicians and 1,600 nurses.
John H. Stewart IV, MD. Center Director of Louisiana State University Health-Louisiana Children's Medical Center Cancer Center (New Orleans). As the founding director at LSU Health-LCMC Health Cancer Center, Dr. Stewart sets the overall mission, vision and direction for multidisciplinary cancer care and cancer clinical research programs. He and his team are working to develop a robust cancer clinical trials program, build an innovative targeted cancer research enterprise, and create a comprehensive community outreach and engagement program to reduce cancer risk behaviors and cancer incidence. Dr. Stewart also serves as a professor of surgery at the LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine. His clinical interests are in general surgical oncology, centering mainly on melanoma, tumor immunotherapy and peritoneal surface malignancies.
Michael Stewart. CEO of Saline Memorial Hospital (Benton, Ark.). Mr. Stewart became CEO of the 177-bed Saline Memorial Hospital in November 2018 after spending more than four years as CEO of Navarro Regional Hospital in Corsicana, Texas. He also has executive leadership experience at health systems in Arkansas, California and Florida. Early in his career, Mr. Stewart spent four years in the United States Air Force and rose to the rank of captain.
Nikki Sumpter. Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Atlantic Health System (Morristown, N.J.). Ms. Sumpter supports the network's 18,000 team members who provide care to around 1 million patients each year. She is leading diversity within the organization, including providing access to leadership and training opportunities for historically underrepresented groups and establishing a more diverse and inclusive senior leadership team. Ms. Sumpter is also responsible for Atlantic Health System's philanthropy efforts, marketing and communication. Atlantic Health System has won several awards and recognitions under her leadership, including making Fortune's 100's Best Companies to Work For list for the 14th year in a row.
Adriene Thornton. Manager of Health Equity at Children's Minnesota (St. Paul). Ms. Thornton develops, leads and supports health equity initiatives across Children's Minnesota to ensure vulnerable, marginalized, underrepresented and underserved populations receive equitable patient experiences and outcomes. She also educates and coaches people to recognize and reverse the impact of structural racism in medicine. Additionally, she hosts health equity actions episodes of Children's Minnesota's clinical podcast, Talking Pediatrics. As part of the Twin Cities Black Nurses Rock chapter, Ms. Thornton was honored with a DAISY Award, an international program to celebrate the compassionate care nurses provide to patients, for advancing health equity.
Imamu Tomilson, MD. CEO at Vituity (Emeryville, Calif.). Mr. Tomilson brings more than 16 years of clinical, practice management and executive experience to his leadership of Vituity's more than 400 practice sites nationwide. He has worked to establish a team focused on care transformation for the organization and led diversity and inclusion initiatives. He is credited with being a strong proponent of healthcare equity, helping to bring awareness to healthcare disparities in underrepresented populations and establishing the board of Vituity Cares, a charitable foundation dedicated to improving the health of underserved communities and addressing inequality.
Joi Torrence-Hill. Chief of Operations at Keck Medicine of USC Norris Cancer Hospital (Los Angeles). Ms. Torrence-Hill is responsible for the coordination of USC Norris Cancer Hospital's strategic, fiscal, operational and technical initiatives. She also partners with administrative and clinical leaders to develop tumor-based clinical programs, support integration of clinical trials and cell therapy, and establish new precision therapies for patients. Her goal is to ensure the delivery of high-value, high-quality cancer-related services. In the two years since joining the hospital, she has helped expand access to CAR-T cell therapy, exponentially grown the bone marrow transplant program, launched multidisciplinary tumor programs, actively increased activities for Black history month, and more.
Ralph Turner. Senior Vice President of Wellstar Health System and President of Wellstar Paulding Medical Center (Marietta, Ga.). Mr. Turner serves as the operating and strategic leader of a 112-bed inpatient facility, 49-bed emergency department, level II trauma center, comprehensive cardiology services, oncology care, general surgery, neuro care, orthopedics, robotics and urology. He also leads inpatient rehabilitation and comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programs and oversees a team of 1,330 members. Mr. Turner brings over 36 years of industry experience to his role.
Michael Ugwueke, DHA. President and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (Memphis, Tenn.). Leading more than 12,000 associates and 2,500 medical staff across a continuum of six hospitals and more than 65 physician practices and affiliated services, Dr. Ugwueke leads the strategic direction of the $2 billion Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. He leverages his business acumen to design innovative initiatives that deliver on revenue, growth and quality targets. In his six years as president and CEO, Dr. Ugwueke has instilled a culture of excellence, enabling the health system to achieve top decile performance and the highest quality and safety scores of any health system in the region.
Herb Vallier. Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer at Ascension (St. Louis). Mr. Vallier has worked with Ascension since 2006 and was appointed to his current position in 2013. His more than 30 years of experience has helped the health system overcome financial challenges, personnel shortages and reorganization. He also helped the system develop a talent recruitment plan to bring diverse leaders to the organization.
Selwyn M. Vickers, MD. President and CEO of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York City). Dr. Vickers is an internationally recognized pancreatic cancer surgeon, pancreatic cancer researcher, and pioneer in health disparities research. He is committed to addressing health inequalities that prevent all people from experiencing the greatest benefits from the healthcare system. Dr. Vickers joined Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in September 2022 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he served as CEO of both the health system and the UAB/Ascension St. Vincent’s Alliance.
Dr. Tiffany Victor. Vice President of Population Health and Care Management of Atrium Health/Greater Charlotte Market of Atrium Heath (Charlotte, N.C.). Dr. Victor is responsible for the strategic vision, achievement of goals and execution of tactics related to the successful mission of Atrium Health/Greater Charlotte Market as it concerns the implementation of population health initiatives and care management processes that allow for excellent services. She joined the system in June 2022 and led initiatives such as developing, aligning and executing clinical care management and related services across the market as well as integration harmonization strategies with the Navicent, Floyd and Wake markets.
Patrice Walker, MD. Chief Medical Officer at Atrium Health Navicent (Macon, Ga.). Dr. Walker was appointed as the organization's first African American, female chief medical officer in 2019. In addition to ensuring the best care for patients, she aims to improve communication between medical staff and administration. Formerly a practicing OB GYN, Dr. Walker serves today as the chief medical officer and a senior vice president at Atrium Health Navicent where she continues to advocate for diversity and inclusion and contributes to the education and professional development of staff, medical students and residents.
Ginell Walker-Way, RN, BSN. Chief Nursing Officer at Atlantic Health System's Chilton Medical Center (Pompton Plains, N.J.). Ms. Walker-Way joined Atlantic Health System in 1995 as a staff nurse at Overlook Medical Center and has transitioned through various leadership roles, providing her with a unique perspective and fostering relationships across the system. In her current role, Ms. Walker-Way is responsible for Chilton Medical Center's daily operations, including nursing, case management, emergency services, patient experience and more. She advocates for patient care and nursing excellence, and also places a strong emphasis on recruitment and retention. In addition to her position as chief nursing officer, she is a member of the American Nurses Association, the Organization of Nurse Leaders N.J., and the American College of Healthcare Executives. She serves on the board of directors for the northern New Jersey chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.
Tonya Washington, MSN, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Offier at Medstar Washington (D.C.) Hospital Center. Ms. Washington first joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center over 20 years ago as a clinical manager. She has since worked her way up to her current role as senior vice president and chief nursing officer. Her leadership has resulted in the hospital earning the Pathway to Excellence designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2017.
Tashma Watson. Assistant Vice President of Surgical Services at SUNY Downstate Medical Center (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Ms. Watson is responsible for the oversight of all daily operations for 12 operating rooms and 5 ambulatory rooms. She takes ownership of quality, safety and regulatory responsibilities for procedural locations. She also provides oversight for pre-, peri- and postsurgical care and has administrative responsibility for the system's transplant program.. As a subject matter expert and published author, Ms. Watson acts as an educator and mentor, providing leadership and knowledge to others.
Jomel Whittington, MHA. President of the AVALA Physician Network of AVALA (Covington, La.). Mr. Whittington is the first black president of the AVALA Physician Network. He has personally overseen the addition of three specialty offerings within the network and has expanded AVALA's reach to orthopedics, hand surgery and spine surgery. He has also overseen the expansion of AVALA Pain's clinic by 50 percent. Under his leadership, AVALA earned multiple awards such as the 2022 US News High Performing in Back Surgery – Spinal Fusion, 2022 Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award.
April J. Williams. Director of Respiratory Care Services at West Jefferson Medical Center (Marrero, La.). Bringing over 20 years of experience in respiratory care to her role, Ms. Williams oversees the daily operations of West Jefferson Medical Center's respiratory care department, sleep lab and breath hydrogen department. She initially joined the center in 2009 as a neonatal respiratory therapist before branching into management. Besides implementing best care practices, she is determined to break down biases and build communication between medical staff and administration. She is a staunch advocate for health equity and is a member of the LCMC health diversity, equity and inclusion team.
Damita J. Williams, EdD, MSN, RN, CPN, CENP. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Medical City Plano (Plano, Texas) for Medical City Healthcare | North Texas (Dallas). As senior vice president and chief nursing officer for a 603-bed Level I Trauma Center, Ms. Williams leads a team of more than 1,000 nurses. In this role, she partners with other members of the hospital's executive team to lead nurses in providing exceptional clinical quality, patient outcomes and care experience. She and her team of nurse leaders promote colleague engagement and professional acumen while working to ensure high-quality patient care, as well as establishing and implementing policies and procedures that support the organization's success. Medical City Plano offers nearly 70 medical and surgical specialties and is the largest hospital in Collin County, Texas, offering a verified Burn and Reconstruction Center, chest pain accreditation and a Comprehensive (Level I) Stroke Center.
Ena Williams, PhD, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Yale New Haven (Conn.) Hospital. In her role as senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Yale New Haven Hospital, Dr. Williams leads over 5,000 nurses and clinical staff. She first joined the hospital as a nurse in 1992, and was appointed to chief nursing officer in 2018. In 2022, she was named to the board of directors of the Joint Commission.
Rod Williams. CEO of The Williams Center for Wellness and Recovery (Leesburg, Va.). Mr. Williams is the primary collaborator and community thought leader that engages in every aspect of the health and wellness landscape in the Loudoun region. His primary responsibilities include behavioral health program development, bridged with substance use disorders. In addition, Williams is the primary driver of the partnership with Loudoun Medical Group, a large, physician-owned, multispecialty group. Programming includes intensive outpatient centers, medication assisted treatment programs and non-pharmacological programs to address substance use disorders and mental illnesses.
Ruth Williams-Brinkley. President of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States (Rockville, Md.). Ms. Williams-Brinkley has over 40 years of executive healthcare experience. She joined Kaiser Permanente in November 2017 as president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals of the Northwest. She currently serves on the boards of Travere Therapeutics, Chicago-based DePaul University, University of Phoenix, and the Clinical Center Research Hospital Board of the National Institutes of Health.
Nichole Wilson. Vice President of Community Health Operations at Indiana University Health (Indianapolis). Ms. Wilson oversees care and patient outcomes at the state's largest healthcare system with a focus on behavioral health and substance use disorder, social determinants of health, infant and maternal fetal health, hypertension and smoking and nicotine cessation. She joined the health system in November 2021 from Community Health Network, where she successfully implemented several initiatives, including publicized wait times and reservations for urgent care clinics, a virtual care platform and 12 medical retail clinics.
Eugene Woods. CEO at Advocate Health (Charlotte, N.C.). Mr. Woods led the strategic combination between Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health to create Advocate Health, the fifth-largest nonprofit integrated health system in the nation. In his role, he leads 150,000 team members across 67 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations. His initiatives have helped expand the health system's network with strategic partnerships, provide equitable care to patients and increase the number of diverse suppliers and investments in minority-owned businesses. He was vital to the health system's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading the system to establish a virtual care platform for COVID-19 patients to receive care from home.
Geralda Xavier, MD. Chief Medical Officer of Atlantic Health System's Hackettstown and Newton Medical Centers for Atlantic Health System (Hackettstown and Newton, N.J.). At Hackettstown and Newton Medical Centers, Dr. Xavier plays a pivotal role in supporting and advancing physician engagement, integration and alignment with both hospitals and within Atlantic Health System. She also works to strengthen relationships between the organizations and their medical staff, which encompasses both employed and private community physicians. Working closely with hospital leadership across Atlantic Health, Dr. Xavier is responsible for overseeing the quality and patient safety initiatives.. Under her leadership, Newton was designated a high performing hospital in COPD, heart failure, kidney failure, maternity and stroke by U.S. News & World Report.
Dwinelva Zackery. Director of Integrative Oncology at St. Elizabeth's Healthcare (Edgewood, Ky.). Ms. Zackery spent 20 years as a practicing psychotherapist before joining St. Elizabeth's Cancer Center in 2019. She was integral in the creation of the system's integrative oncology program. Now, as director of integrative oncology, she has administrative and operational oversight of lung cancer screening, patient navigation and integrative medicine. She directs the managerial and operational functions of support programs to provide psychosocial services to the oncology program. She also develops and coordinates community outreach and education needs related to cancer wellness, prevention and screening. In addition, she strategically grows the integrated medicine services within the oncology program and oversees the cancer patient family advisory council. Under her guidance, patients are treated to a calming space with holistic care options.