Archives: Fellows

Chief Medical Officer, Johns Hopkins Clinical Alliance; Sr. Medical Director, Physician Alignment & Integration; Assistant Professor of Medicine
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Dr. Sarah Johnson Conway is an assistant professor of Medicine and practicing internal medicine physician. She is the Chief Medical Officer of the Johns Hopkins Clinical Alliance, a clinically integrated network driving value-based care and quality efforts.  She is also the Senior Medical Director of Physician Alignment and Integration for the Office of Johns Hopkins Physicians.  In this role, Dr. Conway develops, fosters, and manages the aligned physician relationships and stewards Federally Qualified Health Center relationships with Johns Hopkins Medicine.  Additionally, she serves as the Program Director for the Johns Hopkins Health Systems Management Fellowship.  Dr. Conway graduated from Harvard University and worked as an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs before transitioning to medicine. She earned her M.D. from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and subsequently completed a Health Systems Management Fellowship.

Executive Director – Ambulatory Operations Community Health and Hospital Division
UChicago Medicine

Poonam Desai is the Executive Director of Ambulatory Operations for the Community Health and Hospital Division of UChicago Medicine. She started this role in 2020 and oversees clinic operations for the UChicago Medicine Medical Group and ambulatory programs for the community based hospital. Prior to joining UChicago Medicine, Desai held progressive leadership roles as Loyola University Health System and Northwestern Medicine. Her experiences at these academic medical centers include running day-to-day operations, leading service line integrations, overseeing patient access and front end revenue cycle initiatives, as well as board governance. Desai holds both a Master of Health Services Administration degree and Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Studies from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.

Associate Professor, Division of Thoracic Surgery and Division of Health Equities
City of Hope

Loretta Erhunmwunsee joined City of Hope in 2015 and is an associate professor in both the division of thoracic surgery and the division of health equity. Dr. Erhunmwunsee graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Emory University in Atlanta, GA and received her MD from Harvard Medical School, graduating magna cum laude.  She continued her post-graduate training at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, completing a general and cardiothoracic surgery residency. Board-certified in both general and thoracic surgery, she became a fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 2018. Dr. Erhunmwunsee is also a funded health disparities researcher who focuses on the impact of social determinants and structural inequities on lung cancer risk, biology and screening. She is the recipient of the 2021 Lung Cancer Research Foundation William C. Rippe Award for Distinguished Research in Lung Cancer. She was also awarded the City of Hope Songs of Hope Beverly and Ben Horowitz Legacy Award in 2021. In 2022, she was invited to join the National Lung Cancer Roundtable. She has written numerous publications and given several local and national presentations that bring awareness to the impact of structural inequities on disparate health outcomes.

Chief Nursing Executive
Marshfield Clinic Health System

Jacquelyn Frombach DNP, RN, is the Chief Nursing Executive for the Marshfield Clinic Health System. Since joining the Health System in 2019, Dr. Frombach played a key role in the development and operations of new facilities, system wide strategies, COVID-19 response practices and addressing workforce challenges. Jacquelyn received her bachelor’s in nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, before going on to achieve her master’s in nursing from Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, Utah. She also attained her doctorate of nursing practice, through Capella University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

(Foundation sponsored Fellow)
Chief Strategy Officer
Cook County Health

Andrea Gibson is currently serving as Chief Strategy Officer at Cook County Health, where she has been in several roles since 2015.  She has been responsible for developing and implementing the past 3 strategic plans, managing the proposals and implementation of over $160 million in American Rescue Plan Act funded projects, and development of new service line proposals.  Prior to that she was the budget director for Cook County Government and 1st Deputy Budget Director for the City of Chicago.  She has a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Harris School of Public Policy at University of Chicago.

Vice President of Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer
Sibley Memorial Hospital/Johns Hopkins Health System

Dr. Laura Hendricks-Jackson has over twenty years of health care knowledge and experience in an array of areas to include the acute care setting, academic setting and the community/public health setting. Before joining Sibley Memorial Hospital/Johns Hopkins Health System, where she is currently employed, Dr. Hendricks-Jackson spent over a decade at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland and held numerous progressive nursing roles. Dr. Hendricks-Jackson has a joint appointment at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and is a Nurse Residency Program on site evaluator for the Commission on Collegiate Nursing (CCNE). Dr. Hendricks-Jackson received her doctorate degree (Doctor of the Nursing Practice) with a concentration in Executive Leadership from Drexel University and she holds a Master’s Degree in Nursing Education. She is an inductee of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society for Nursing and is a graduate of the Baldrige Executive Fellowship Program.

Chief Operating Officer – Charleston
MUSC Health

Jessica M. Johnson, MHA joined MUSC in 2022 and is the Chief Operating Officer for the Charleston Division, supporting the operations of University Medical Center, consisting of four hospitals, level 1 adult and pediatric trauma programs, and three EDs. She is a New York native, but a Tar Heel at heart, earning both her BA and Master of Healthcare Administration from The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.  She began her career in healthcare consulting before transitioning into AMC revenue cycle operations at NYU Langone Medical Center in 2014. She later joined Duke Health in 2016 as an operational leader where she supported the finance, quality, and performance improvement efforts. She continued this work with Denver Health in 2021, supporting the operations and strategy for clinical services lines and the faculty group. In addition to operations, professional interests include health equity and addressing barriers to health and wellness for all.

Chief Operating Officer, Penn Medicine at Home
Penn Medicine

Sarah Johnson is the Chief Operating Officer of Penn Medicine at Home (PMAH), an entity of Penn Medicine which is comprised of home infusion, home health, hospice, palliative care, and community health workers with a combined census over 7,000 patients. Johnson has spent most of her career in health care working first in operations in the Mental Health field in Minnesota. Johnson moved to Penn Medicine where she was the CHRO for Penn Homecare and Hospice Services and subsequently Pennsylvania Hospital before returning to PMAH as their COO. Her responsibilities include strategy, business development, and program integration as well as oversight of Home Infusion. Currently, she is developing programs to expand and diversify the services provided by PMAH. Johnson received her BA from Kenyon College and MBA from The Wharton School. She is an active volunteer serving as the Chair of the Board for VisionLink Philadelphia.

Senior Vice President Spend Management Delivery
Vizient, Inc.

Fran Maddox is responsible for the national Spend Management Delivery Team which ensures alignment and optimization of Vizient Spend Management Services with member needs, strategic goals and priorities. She leads the team to purposefully advance collaboration and consistency in spend management delivery, enabling Vizient’s differentiation through boldly reinforcing Vizient’s core tenets and category approach to spend management. Maddox has worked in the health care group purchasing and performance improvement industry with the Vizient family of companies since 2003. Prior to her role as Senior Vice President, Spend Management Delivery, she was a Vice President in the central part of the country with responsibility for the member value and performance team supporting Vizient members in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri. She led the team in partnering with members in their performance improvement journey in cost, quality and market performance. Maddox holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern Methodist University.

Chief of Staff of the SVP & CHRO
Duke University Health System

Katie McKittrick has served as Chief of Staff for Duke University Health System’s Senior Vice President and CHRO since 2016, delivering on the strategic human capital priorities that drive the mission of the clinical enterprise. Her passion is creating and sustaining inclusive work cultures where everyone feels seen, heard and valued, and is empowered to give their very best. Prior to her time in the human capital practice, McKittrick directed the communications and outreach strategy for Duke Health’s Office of Government Relations. She spent the early years of her career in Washington, DC as a lobbyist focused on trade policy both at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and IDFA. She holds an M.A. in International Economics from American University and a B.A. in International Relations from Lynchburg College. 

Regional Director of Operations
Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Sutter Health

Robin Menefee has worked for Sutter Health since 2012.  She started at Mills Peninsula Hospital as the Director of Surgery and transferred to PAMF Fremont in December of 2014.  In 2019 she was promoted to her current position as Area Director of Operations for PAMF ASCs.  She currently oversees the operations of 6 (soon to be 7) ASCs in the Bay Area. Since starting in her current role several of her centers have won awards such as center for excellence at CASA and Best in America by Newsweek.

Vice President, Ambulatory Pharmacy Services
Tufts Medicine

Melissa Ortega, PharmD, MS, FASHP, serves as Vice-President of Ambulatory Pharmacy Services at Tufts Medicine. She has focused her career on championing pharmacy practice advancement across the care continuum at Tufts Medicine since 2012. As Vice President, she leads Tufts Medicine community/retail pharmacies, specialty pharmacy services, in-clinic pharmacist services, medication access services, transitions of care, population health initiatives, home infusion, and payer contracting. Recently, she spearheaded efforts to open the system specialty and home infusion pharmacy programs. She has also contributed to several key initiatives within acute care operations, including implementing new technology throughout various phases of the medication use process. External to Tufts Medicine, Ortega served as President of the Massachusetts Society of Health-System Pharmacists in 2018 and Legislative Committee Chair in 2020. Nationally, Ortega received the honor of participating in the Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce, and most recently served as the inaugural Executive Committee Chair of the ASHP Section of Community Pharmacy Practitioners 2021-2023.

Vice President, Operations Integration
Sutter Health

Kiren Rizvi Jafry is the VP of Operations Integration at Sutter Health. From 2008-2021, Rizvi Jafry was VP of Operations at Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation in San Francisco and Marin counties. She has also worked in the areas of strategy, business development, M&A, and clinical operations. From 2005-2008 Rizvi Jafry focused on health policy, advocacy, and community organizing at the California state and national levels. She participated in initiatives that expanded health coverage for children, California healthcare reform and increased diversity in the healthcare workforce. Rizvi Jafry holds an undergraduate degree in Public Health from UC Berkeley and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. Her interests are in community health partnerships, global health and innovation.

Chief Medical Officer
Duke Regional Hospital

Dr. Adia K. Ross MD, MHA is currently the Chief Medical Officer at Duke Regional Hospital, a 388 bed acute care hospital in Durham, NC. She began her medical career as a hospitalist in 2013 at Duke University Hospital. She has had several leadership positions within Duke Health including serving as a Medical Director of Hospital Medicine at Duke Raleigh Hospital and as a Medical Director of the Duke Health Transfer Center. She currently oversees several areas at Duke Regional including medical staff services, pharmacy, nutrition services, advanced practice providers, ED providers, patient safety and quality improvement/lean management. She also works clinically and teaches residents, PA students and medical students. She was recognized by the Raleigh, NC business community for her contributions and was named as one of the Triangle Business Journal’s 2019 “40 Under 40” winners.

Associate Administrator
Mayo Clinic in Florida

Caroline S. Russell is the Associate Administrator for Surgical Services at Mayo Clinic in Florida, responsible for providing strategic and operational oversight and direction for 14 surgical departments and divisions, including anesthesia and transplant. Russel joined Mayo Clinic in 2016 and served as the Operations Administrator for several specialties including Hematology and Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Internal Medicine, Executive Health, Concierge Medicine, and Ophthalmology. Prior to Mayo Clinic, Russel was the Administrative Director for the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center and the Thoracic Oncology Program at Duke University Medical Center. Russell earned her B.S. from The University of Alabama and her MSHA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She completed an Administrative Fellowship at Duke University Hospital in 2013. Russell serves on the American College of Healthcare Executives North Florida Chapter Board and is President-Elect for UAB’s School of Health Professions Women in Healthcare Leadership Board.

Chief Medical Officer
Covered California

S. Monica Soni, MD works at the nexus of population health, social justice, and health system affordability. She is the chief medical officer of Covered California. Prior, she was the associate chief medical officer at New Century Health. She has also served as director of specialty care for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, the second largest municipal health system in the nation, and director of continuity care for Martin Luther King, Jr. Outpatient Center. She is an assistant clinical professor within the UCLA and Charles R. Drew University Departments of Medicine. Soni graduated cum laude from Harvard College, attended Harvard Medical School, and completed her internal medicine residency at UCSF. She is currently a board member for Mercy Housing California as well as a commissioner for the County of Los Angeles.

Senior Vice President, John Muir Health Foundation Practice Operations
John Muir Health

Maureen Stevenson, MD presently serves as the SVP of John Muir Foundation Practice Operations since 2021.  From 2013 to 2021 she was the SVP and Chair of Ambulatory Services and Population Health for John Muir Medical Group, an organization with 300 plus providers. Before coming to John Muir in 2006, Dr. Stevenson practiced Internal Medicine at Virginia Mason and served as Section Head of one of Virginia Mason’s satellite Adult Medicine practices from 2002-2005. Dr. Stevenson has an extensive executive level background and has chaired and sat on various committees for John Muir Medical Group, John Muir Physicians Network, and Board of Directors for John Muir Medical Group. More recently, Dr. Stevenson is serving on the John Muir Health Value-Based Care Council. Dr. Stevenson received her medical degree from SUNY, Health Science Center at Brooklyn, New York and her bachelor’s in biology from St. John’s University, Queens, New York. She is an alumnus of the California Healthcare Foundation’s Leadership Fellowship 2010-2012.

Chair, Surgery Institute and Department of General Surgery
Geisinger

Dr. Denise Torres became Chair of the Surgery Institute and the Department of Surgery for Geisinger in 2022.  Previously she had served as the Trauma Medical Director for Geisinger Medical Center.  She is the current Chair of the Pennsylvania Committee on Trauma and has been the Co-Director of the Pennsylvania TQIP Collaborative.  Dr. Torres obtained her Doctor of Medicine from Drexel University School of Medicine.  She completed her General Surgery residency at Temple University Hospital and her fellowship in Surgical Critical Care from University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center.  She is an associate professor of Surgery for the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.  Her clinical interests include all aspects of acute care surgery.

(Foundation sponsored Fellow)
CEO
CommunityHealth

Steph Willding became the Chief Executive Officer in November 2019 of CommunityHealth, the nation’s largest volunteer-based free health center. Steph is a skilled health care leader, adept at developing and implementing transformative initiatives across organizations. Willding has committed her career to building and leading organizations that invest in communities and empower those communities to break the cycle of broken systems and lead healthy, fulfilling lives. Prior to CommunityHeath, Willding served as Chief Officer of Strategy, Planning and Development at Chicago Family Health Center. She holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a B.A. in International Studies from DePaul University. Outside of her passion for health care access for all, Willding volunteers for animal rescue and youth running organizations, watching Formula 1, cycling or running through her favorite city in the world, Chicago, and caring for her two rescue dogs.

Senior Vice President, Payer Strategy and Innovation
Yale New Haven Health

Deremius Y. Williams is a member of the senior leadership team of Yale New Haven Health System in CT, serving as Senior Vice President of Payer Strategy and Innovation. In this capacity she is responsible for leading the development, communication and realization of system-wide strategies for contracting strategy, payer relations, employer engagement, account management and product development for both fee for service and value based care models, including opportunity development and market expansion. She works closely with colleagues to develop and implement payer contracting and service strategies that ensure competitiveness and improved access, and enhances collaboration across the system through high value consulting.  Williams is motivated to develop and execute on strategies that position the health system positively with its constituents through partnerships and mechanisms that enhance value with respect to access, quality and the total cost of care experience for employers and consumers. 

(Foundation sponsored Fellow)
Vice President & Chief Technology Officer
Alameda Health System

Christine Yang is a business-minded Healthcare IT executive who specializes in strategy, people development, governance, process and operations. Since March 2022 Yang has been the VP & CTO for Alameda Health System. In addition to the technology areas, she is also responsible for Cybersecurity, Clinical Technology and Biomedical Engineering for Alameda Health System. Christine partners with the C-Suite to establish governance and processes to ensure integrated oversight and support to operations from technologies perspective. Prior to Alameda Health System, Yang had a 24-year tenure at Stanford Children’s Health and Stanford Health Care where she had various IT leadership roles. Yang was a leading contributor in keeping Stanford Children’s Health on the leading edge of Healthcare IT industry. 

Vice President, Operations
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Jennifer Blaha has been a part of the Cedars-Sinai team for over 14 years. In her current role as Vice President of Operations, she works in close partnership with the Chairpersons and Institute Leaders overseeing the clinical and academic missions of the Departments of Surgery, Orthopedics, Neurosurgery, Neurology, Psychiatry, OBGYN, Pediatrics, Comprehensive Transplant, Pain, and our Respiratory and Pulmonary Services. Her responsibilities encompass directing and supporting the quality, financial, performance improvement and service activities in all areas of these departments as well as across the Medical Center. During her tenure at Cedars-Sinai, Jennifer has served in positions in Surgery, Orthopedics, Performance Improvement, Research and Interventional Services. She has developed and maintained an impressive track record for improving clinical quality, patient satisfaction and operational efficiency throughout the hospital. Prior to joining Cedars-Sinai, Jennifer was a Senior Consultant and Six Sigma Master Black Belt for General Electric and consulted in hospitals across the country.

(Foundation Sponsored Fellow)
Director, Office of Managed Care
San Francisco Department of Public Health

Stella Cao is a healthcare administrator with over 20 years of experience in serving the underserved including Medicaid, uninsured, and other vulnerable populations. Her expertise focuses on payor negotiation and contracting, program management and leading teams to improve the patient experience, and operations and financial sustainability of public programs. Her passion to serve the underserved was rooted in her upbringing and experience as an immigrant.

Associate Chief Nursing Officer/Executive Director – Adult Inpatient Hospitals
University of Chicago Medicine

Alesia Coe has over thirty years of professional nursing experience. She is currently the Associate Chief Nursing Officer & Executive Director for Adult Inpatient Hospitals at The University of Chicago Medicine in Illinois. She also serves as an adjunct nursing professor at Saint Xavier University. She received her bachelor’s and master’s of science in nursing from Saint Xavier University and her doctorate of nursing practice from The University of Alabama. She holds a Nurse Executive Advanced certification and is a member of the following professional organizations: American College of Healthcare Executives, Chicago Health Executive Forum, Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Incorporated: Alpha Eta Chapter, Sigma Theta Tau International: Alpha Lambda Chapter, Illinois Organization of Nurse Leaders and American Organization of Nurse Leaders.

Associate Clinical Professor
City of Hope

Stacy W. Gray, M.D., is an associate clinical professor with a primary appointment in the Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics within the Department of Population Sciences and a secondary appointment in the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research. She completed her internal medicine residency and hematology/oncology fellowship at University of Chicago Hospitals. During her clinical training, she was awarded an Irving B. Harris Fellowship. Subsequently, she completed a research fellowship at the National Cancer Institute-funded Center of Excellence in Cancer Communication Research at University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication. She continued her research training through a second postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital, simultaneously joining Dana-Farber as a medical oncologist and cancer outcomes researcher in the Division of Population Sciences and the Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology. Through her research, Dr. Gray is working to understand the factors that drive the use of novel and established cancer genomic tests and therapies, identify gaps in lung cancer prevention, research and care, and design interventions to improve the delivery of precision cancer medicine. Dr. Gray serves on the ASCO Cancer Research Committee, holds multiple leadership roles in an National Institutes of Health research consortium, and has presented her research both nationally and internationally.

Assistant Professor
University of Oklahoma

Dr. Juell Homco is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Informatics at the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine (OUSCM). Dr.Homco leads the OUSCM’s community analytics efforts. This team is responsible for providing advanced data analytics, performance dashboards, and quality improvement support to the OU Physicians-Tulsa clinics, the Oklahoma Primary Healthcare Improvement Cooperative (OPHIC), the Sooner Health Access Network, and numerous multidisciplinary researchers across Oklahoma. As Associate Director of OPHIC, she helps lead a consortium of researchers and practitioners transforming health care delivery through statewide dissemination and implementation projects. Her research interests involve using epidemiologic and applied informatics methods to understand the impact of advanced health information technology on healthcare utilization, clinician behavior, and population health. Dr. Homco completed her PhD in Epidemiology at the University of Oklahoma and received her MPH from Saint Louis University with a concentration in epidemiology and biostatistics.

Vice Chair, Clinical Operations and Quality, Department of Medicine
Tufts Medical Center

Dr. Sucharita Kher is the Vice-Chair for Clinical Operations and Quality in the Department of Medicine and a Pulmonologist and Critical Care Physician at Tufts Medical Center. She is a highly regarded clinician in the intensive care unit and the ambulatory practice, with clinical interests in asthma, COPD, and tobacco dependence. Before embarking on the Vice-Chair role in April 2021, as the Director of Inpatient Services, Dr. Kher led several initiatives to improve inpatient clinical operations, including expanding physician coverage for the COVID surge and enhancing patient and physician satisfaction and length of stay. As the Medical Director for the Pulmonary Clinic, she developed the first Asian Lung Clinic providing culturally sensitive, efficient and accessible care for language minorities. She is an avid advocate for lung health. Dr. Kher earned her medical degree at University of Mumbai (India), residency at Cook County Hospital (Internal Medicine), and fellowship at Tufts Medical Center (Pulmonary & Critical Care). She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.

(Foundation Sponsored Fellow)
Principal
Health Management Associates

Caprice Knapp is a principal at Health Management Associates. From 2019 to 2022, she was the North Dakota Medicaid Director. She has more than 20 years’ experience working on Medicaid and CHIP in the private sector, state and federal policymaking, and academics. In the private sector she was the federal policy director for Molina Healthcare, Inc. In academics, she was an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Outcomes and Policy at the University of Florida (UF) conducting external quality review activities for Texas and Florida Medicaid and CHIP programs and maternal and child health research. In the policymaking arena, she worked in the Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting in Colorado as well as the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee as a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow. Knapp’s career has been focused on vulnerable populations, delivery system reform, and global health. At the University of Florida, Knapp earned a PhD in economics and completed postdoctoral training in health services research. She has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications, 60 government reports, and two books.

Vice President, Strategy & Market Advancement
Geisinger

Rachel Manotti, MHA is Vice President, Strategy & Market Advancement at Geisinger Health System where she leads strategic planning, strategic insights, and business development. Manotti joined Geisinger in 2007 as an Administrative Fellow in hospital operations. Since that time, she has worked in public relations and marketing, and progressive roles within strategy, planning and business development. She was appointed to her current role in 2020. Her professional interests center around strategic problem solving, complex planning activities and the application of data and analytics to drive meaningful insights and decision making in an integrated healthcare delivery and financing environment. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY, and her Master of Healthcare Administration degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.

Vice President Continuous Improvement, Duke University Hospital
Duke University Health System

Heather Marstiller is the Vice President of Continuous Improvement for Duke University Hospital (DUH) in Durham, North Carolina. She is responsible for leading the development and implementation of a lean management and improvement system within Duke Hospital and across the Duke Health enterprise. Prior to starting her role at DUH in 2019, she served the Duke Primary and Urgent Care network for 14 years fulfilling various roles including operational and improvement leadership positions. While with Duke Primary Care she led the development of the continuous improvement system which facilitated team engagement in achieving improvements in quality, safety and experience outcomes for the organization. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Masters of Business in Operational Excellence from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.

Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Interim Dean of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Marissa McKeever, Esq. is the Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Interim Dean of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine. Previously she was the Director of Government and Community Affairs for Sibley Memorial Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine. She joined the organization in May 2015 and is responsible for representing local legislative and regulatory interests and driving community health improvement priorities for Johns Hopkins Medicine in DC, with a particular focus on underserved neighborhoods. She is passionate about advancing health equity and creating strategic partnerships that address the social determinants of health, build community capacity, and utilize place-based solutions. McKeever previously served as a senior legislative assistant for the Council of the District of Columbia, engaging in policy and legislative research and analysis. She also practiced health law, advising on federal and state statutory and regulatory matters. She earned her JD from Harvard Law School and bachelor’s degree in Communication from Messiah College. She is a member of the bar in Maryland and DC.

Chief Human Resources Officer
Marshfield Clinic Health System

Terri Newmier is the chief human resources officer for Marshfield Clinic Health System. She leads the Health System’s human resources team responsible for talent acquisition, benefits, and compensation. Her work critically supports the Health System’s mission and values by driving strategic initiatives that position the organization as a top employer in the state. She joined Marshfield Clinic Health System in 2001 and served in roles of progressive responsibility since. She holds certifications through the Society for Human Resource Management and HR Certification Institute, and received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources from University of Wisconsin-Madison.

VP Patient Care Services and CNO
Henry Ford Health System

As Vice President of patient care services and Chief Nursing Officer, Stefanie Roberts Newman led Henry Ford West Bloomfield’s Nursing Department through the Covid pandemic on her arrival in 2020. She continues those efforts and is leading the journey to Magnet designation for Henry Ford West Bloomfield. She previously served as VP and CNO at Bethesda North Hospital from 2010 until 2019. She successfully led Bethesda North’s Magnet designation and redesignation efforts, which have only been achieved by 8 percent of hospitals in the nation. From 2007 to 2010, Roberts Newman was the Assistant VP for patient Care services at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where she led the Critical Care Division through a successful Magnet designation.

Vice President, Care Continuum Services
Yale New Haven Health

After serving as the Executive Director for Safety and Quality for YNHHS since 2012, Katie O’Leary began work on the YNHHS Post-Acute Care Services strategy in October 2018 to develop home based services including home hospital, home infusion nursing, hospice and other post-acute services. She received an undergraduate Nursing degree from Sacred Heart University and Masters in Public Health from Southern Connecticut State University, respectively. O’Leary maintains certifications in Health Education and Healthcare Quality. She is an adjunct professor at Southern in the school of Public Health teaching wellness and population health change management. She is also an annual guest Lecturer on quality measurement and process improvement in Public Health at Yale School of Medicine. Her interest and publications are in the areas of patient safety culture and healthcare improvement for populations.

Chief Medical Information Officer
John Muir Health

Dr. Priti Patel is the Chief Medical Information Officer at John Muir Health, a not-for-profit health care organization in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has been practicing family medicine since 2002 and began her career in clinical informatics in 2012 during the implementation of John Muir Health’s first enterprise-wide, electronic health record. In the years following, she obtained board certification in Clinical Informatics and served as the Associate Chief Medical Information Officer. She advocates for the needs of clinicians and is passionate about developing and implementing innovative digital tools to deliver safe, high-quality, and efficient patient care. Clinically, she enjoys teaching family medicine residents while volunteering with the John Muir Mobile Health Clinic, a community service program committed to providing culturally sensitive quality care to vulnerable patients. Dr. Patel earned her B.S. in Bioengineering at Columbia University, and her M.D. from Albany Medical College, and completed her residency at the University of New Mexico.

Chief Division of General Obstetrics & Gynecology
Penn Medicine

Dr. Florencia Greer Polite is a Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology who serves as Chief of the Division of General OBGYN at Penn Medicine and Vice Chair of Clinical Operations. She is a native of Philadelphia and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at NYU and Bellevue hospitals and joined the faculty at NYU upon graduation. In 2010, Dr. Polite joined the faculty at LSU in New Orleans, her husband’s hometown, where she served as the Residency Director, Division Chief for General OBGYN and the Director of Faculty Development during her tenure. In September 2018, Dr. Polite was recruited back to PENN Medicine to serve as the Chief of the Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology, the largest division in the department of OBGYN.

Chief Operating Officer / Chief Nursing Officer
Rush University Medical Center

Dr. Angelique Richard is the Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer – RUMC, Chief Nursing Executive – Rush University Medical Center and Health System; and the Associate Dean for Practice Rush University College of Nursing. She provides administrative oversight & have accountability for hospital operations and professional nursing practice. Dr. Richard has extensive executive level experience in the field of nursing, leadership & hospital operations. Her focus and many contributions have been on improving quality and patient safety, advancing nursing practice, education and research and improving equity and access of healthcare to the underserved and underrepresented. These efforts have lead her organizations to achieving top rankings nationally in quality, safety, patient care and nursing. Dr. Richard started her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Lake Forest College, completing her BSN and MSN at Rush University. She also received a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Illinois.

(Foundation Sponsored Fellow)
Chief Medical Officer
Burrell Behavioral Health

Dr. Garima Singh is a Chief Medical Officer at Burrell Behavioral Health and is triple board certified in American board of Child and adolescent psychiatry, General psychiatry and Addiction medicine. She also serves as an adjunct faculty in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Missouri and participates as an expert panel for ECHO Child and adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Singh has been actively involved in teaching, multiple committees and research projects related to mental illness and Autism. In her current role she also focuses on novel methods of healthcare delivery including telehealth, integrated and collaborative care models especially for rural and underserved areas. She has several publications and has presented in state, national and international level. She specializes in child psychiatry and especially cares of those with special needs, Autism, developmental delays. She is passionate about bullying prevention and expansion of mental health services.

Vice President of Data Analytics
Dartmouth Health

Elizabeth Stedina joined Dartmouth Health in 2002 as a financial analyst and later assumed the role of the Director of financial planning overseeing the budgeting, analysis, cost accounting and decision support areas. In 2015, she moved out of finance into analytics and is currently the Vice President of Data Analytics at DH overseeing the Analytics Institute (AI), a centralized reporting and analytics team that provides support for the clinical, research and education missions of the organization. This division includes data warehousing, cost analysis and quality measurement and reporting. Stedina received an MBA from the University of Vermont and a Masters in Science in Health Services Research at The Dartmouth Institute.

Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer
National Council on Aging

Dr. Brenda Sulick is the chief advocacy and engagement officer at the National Council on Aging. Prior to NCOA, Dr. Sulick was the vice president of public, government, and community affairs at SCAN Group/Health Plan and responsible for developing and executing government relations strategies at the state and federal levels. She has held positions in Washington, D.C. as Health and Long-Term Services and Supports Policy Integration Director at AARP; senior policy advisor at the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare; vice president of Congressional Affairs at the National PACE Association; and director of Federal Health Policy at the Alzheimer’s Association. In 2006-2007, Dr. Sulick was the national recipient of the John Heinz Senate Fellowship in Aging, and worked for U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln, a member of the Senate Finance Committee and Special Committee on Aging.

Chief Equity Officer
Providence Health Plan

Timshel Tarbet, MBA is the chief equity officer for Providence Health Plan. Prior to starting at Providence in mid 2023, she was the VP of business excellence & diversity strategy at SCAN Health Plan. At SCAN, Tarbet was focused on leading initiatives expanding inclusivity both as from a human resources standpoint and as a means for SCAN to differentiate itself by serving new and existing populations in ways that are linguistically and culturally competent. Prior to SCAN Timshel worked at Portland based Cambia Health Solutions, which is part of the BCBS association of plans. During her tenure at Cambia, Timshel led the ethics department where she succeeded in transforming the program into a nationally recognized, award willing program. She also spent time at Cambia leading the enterprise risk management and corporate accountability areas and in HR as an HR business partner, manager compensation, diversity, equity and inclusion, and HRIS.

(Foundation Sponsored Fellow)
Chair, Neurology
Cook County Health

Dr. Lakshmi Warrior is the Chair of Neurology and the Medical Director of the Stroke Program at Cook County Health. Her passion is providing equitable, high quality health care for patients regardless of their ability to pay and has led several efforts to improve workflow and quality of care across the organization. In addition to her clinical and administrative responsibilities, she serves as co-chair of the Racial and Health Equity Initiative at Cook County Health with the mission of integrating antiracism and health equity values into all areas of the organization.

Associate Professor of Medicine
Mayo Clinic

Dr. Rahma Warsame is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Oncology. She is a hematologist who specializes in treatment of blood cancers specifically Multiple myeloma and Amyloidosis. She is the Associate chair of Equity, Inclusion, & Diversity for the Department of Medicine with a role to develop the strategy to improve patient equity within the Department of Medicine. Dr. Warsame is also an Associate Program Director for the Internal medicine residency at Mayo Clinic. Her research focuses on patient reported outcomes such as quality of life, as well as financial toxicities in cancer. In addition, she studies and publishes on issues with respect to equity, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare. Dr. Rahma Warsame completed her residency and hematology/oncology fellowship, and advanced dysproteinemia fellowship at Mayo Clinic, Rochester and joined faculty at Mayo Clinic in 2017.

CA Department of Health Care Services
Chief Quality Officer and Deputy Director of Quality and Population Health Management
Foundation-Sponsored Fellow

Dr. Palav Babaria was appointed Chief Quality Officer and Deputy Director of Quality and Population Health Management of the California Department of Health Care Services beginning in March 2021. She was formerly the Chief Administrative Officer of Ambulatory Services at Alameda Health System. In that capacity, she operationally and clinically oversaw 26 specialty clinics, four large primary care FQHCs, specialty and integrated behavioral health, and is responsible for all outpatient value-based payment programs. Prior to that role, she served as Medical Director of K6 Adult Medicine Clinic. She also has over a decade of global health experience and her work has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Academic Medicine, Social Science & Medicine, L.A. Times, and New York Times. Her areas of interest include ambulatory transformation in resource-limited settings, shifting to value-based care, and issues of gender in medicine. Babaria received her bachelor’s from Harvard College, as well as her MD and Masters in Health Science from Yale University. She completed her residency training in internal medicine and global health fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco.

(Fellowship sponsored by Palo Alto Medical Foundation)
El Camino Health
Chief Quality Officer

In November of 2021, Dr. Holly Beeman was named the Inaugural Chief Quality Officer at El Camino Health in Mountain View, CA. Formerly the Chief Surgical Officer of Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group, one of the largest multispecialty medical groups in the country, she led and managed 1600 physicians to ensure they were able to provide exceptional, consistent, and efficient health care to 1 million patients in the San Francisco Bay Area. Beeman’s ability to successfully lead and navigate complex and high intensity situations in the operating room as an OBGYN surgeon translates seamlessly to her abilities and effectiveness as a healthcare executive. She thrives when inspiring leaders to be their best and imbues multifunctional teams with a sense of optimism for what can be achieved to transform healthcare. To enrich the morale, engagement, and work product of the 1600 physicians she supported, Beeman recruited and mentored more than 100 physician leaders since becoming the Chief Surgical Officer, a role she created in 2015. During this time the physician confidence in physician leadership increased from 23% in 2015 before she began her role, to 70% in 2020 mid-COVID pandemic, as evidenced in the annual American Medical Group Association physician satisfaction survey.

SCAN Health Plan
Vice President Digital Strategy

Jennifer Brooks-Mason is the Vice President of Digital Strategy at SCAN Health Plan, a Medicare Advantage plan in California. In this role, Jennifer leads SCAN’s digital efforts including defining the vision, strategy, and piloting the execution of SCAN’s digital roadmap. Her leadership has helped drive significant growth in digital adoption with the health plan’s constituents (e.g. members, providers, brokers), elevate SCAN’s ability to service its membership and create efficiencies with SCAN’s business partners, as well as being recognized for national awards such as the Webby and Stevie Award for Innovation. She has held various roles within the Information Technology domain throughout her healthcare career and has strong expertise in project management, process improvements, and technology implementations. Prior to her current role, Brooks-Mason served as Senior Director of SCAN’s Project Management Office, delivering on critical strategic initiatives. She was awarded the Project Management Professional “PMP” distinction and obtained her Bachelor of Arts from The George Washington University.

Keystone Rural Health
Medical Director, Keystone Women’s Care
Foundation-Sponsored Fellow

Dr. Yvette Brown received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Meredith College and her Medical Degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania. She is a Board Certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist and the Medical Director for Keystone Women’s Care in Pennsylvania. Brown has held positions as a Board member of the Cumberland Valley Network, Board Chair of the Cumberland Valley Physicians, and Chair of the Depart of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is an Associate Professor at The Penn State Hershey Medical College. Brown is a recipient of the Meredith Distinguished Alumna award, Teacher of the Year Award for Penn State Hershey Medical College, and Best of the Best Obstetrician/Gynecologist in South Central Pennsylvania.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Executive Director, Departments of Orthopaedics and Surgery

Carolyn Tung-Conti is the Executive Director of the Departments of Surgery and Orthopaedics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California since March 2017. In this role, she oversees the Department’s administrative, research, and ambulatory clinic operations. She joined Cedars-Sinai in 2015 as a Manager in Strategic Planning and Business Development. From 2003-2015, she was a consultant with The Camden Group, a boutique healthcare firm providing strategy and business planning consulting to healthcare providers, hospitals, and health systems. As a vice president with the firm, she led projects developing and implementing clinically integrated networks to prepare organizations for value-based care. Having grown up in Charleston, South Carolina, she has lived in West Los Angeles since 2003.

Duke University Health System
Associate Vice President

Kenyatta Elliott joined Duke Primary Care in May 2018 where she serves as an Associate Vice President, overseeing the administration, coordination, performance, and monitoring of operational and business activities. This spans across a growing primary care network of over 45 Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatric, and Urgent Care practices sites across central NC. Prior to joining Duke, she served as an Assistant Administrator of Ambulatory for Johns Hopkins Hospital. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Maternal Child Health, and a post graduate certificate in Health Education. She also holds Master’s degrees in Health care Administration and Business Administration. She is a wife and mother who is passionate about her family and the community she serves.

MaineHealth
Department Chair-Obstetrics and Gynecology
Chief-Women’s Health Service Line

Dr. Elisabeth Erekson became the chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology and the chief of the women’s health service line at Maine Medical Center within the MaineHealth System in early 2020. Prior to arriving in Maine, she served as the interim chair of obstetrics and gynecology and vice-president of the women’s health service line at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health from 2017 to 2019 where she led an operating margin turn-around of $2 million in FY2018 and successfully recruited 9 physicians and 7 Advanced Practice Providers. As a practicing clinician-scientist who is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and the sub-specialty of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (also known as Urogynecology), her research has focused on outcomes in gynecology, the epidemiology of female pelvic floor disorders, health services research in women’s health, and quality improvement. Erekson also has a strong focus on quality improvement and outcomes in surgery. She has served a voting member of the National Quality Forum’s (NQF) Standing Surgical Committee for the endorsement of quality metrics in surgical care since 2013.

One Brooklyn Health
Senior Vice President Finance
Foundation-Sponsored Fellow

Michelle N. Figueroa is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s College, she has over 20 years of progressive financial and leadership experience in various HR settings. She began her career at the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services in 1998. From 1999 to 2008, she worked for the City Of New York Human Resources Administration, ending her tenure as an Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Budget Administration. She joined NYC Health & Hospitals in 2008 as Budget Director and worked collaboratively with all stakeholders to develop positive outcomes. Over the years, she held various positions including budget director, patient accounting director, service line administrator for ambulatory care, network accounts receivable director and deputy CFO. She joined NYC Health & Hospitals in 2017 as CFO and was promoted to chief financial/operating officer in 2019 and to COO in 2022. In 2023, she was hired by One Brooklyn Health as the senior VP Finance.

SCAN Group and Health Plan
Corporate Vice President, Chief Risk Executive

Ginette Hawkins is currently Corporate Vice President, Chief Risk Executive for SCAN Group and Health Plan. She formerly served as Vice President of Compliance and Compliance Officer for SCAN Health Plan. She is responsible for leading both the organization’s Compliance Program and Special Investigations Unit, which investigates potential fraud, waste, and abuse. Hawkins regularly presents to the plan’s board of directors and leads staff education efforts around the importance of ethical conduct and compliant performance. Previously, she served as the Director of Regulatory Affairs and was a manager in SCAN’s Home and Community Based Services unit where she led a team of social workers that performed in-home assessments of at-risk individuals. Prior to joining SCAN in 2006, she was the program director of an adult day health care center that served the senior and disabled communities. Hawkins earned a Master of Social Work Program degree from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor’s degree in social work from California State University, Long Beach. She is a regular guest lecturer and speaker at social work events, and mentors students and young professionals in this field.

Dartmouth Health
Chief Pharmacy Officer

Staci A. Hermann, PharmD, MS was named Dartmouth Health’s Chief Pharmacy Officer in 2018. She earned her PharmD degree from The University of Rhode Island and her master’s in Hospital Pharmacy Administration from The University of Wisconsin-Madison. During that time, she completed a two-year health system administration residency at The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. Hermann was the pharmacy operations and informatics manager at The University of Kansas Hospital from 2007 to 2012. She managed the pharmacy portion of Mass General Brigham’s Epic project in 2013. She returned to pharmacy in 2014 as the Assistant Director of Pharmacy for Tufts Medical Center, and for Lahey Hospital and Clinics in 2015. Hermann became the System Director of Pharmacy for the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health system in 2016. She has been actively engaged in professional organizations throughout her career (Vizient and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) and also serves on the board of her condo association.

Marshfield Clinic Health System
Security Health Plan Chief Executive Officer

Krista Hoglund is the Chief Executive Officer for Security Health Plan. Prior to this promotion in December 2021, she served as the Chief Actuary & Financial Officer for Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, part of the Marshfield Clinic Health System and one of Wisconsin’s largest regional health plans serving more than 208,000 members. She has long been a champion for Security Health Plan’s strategic imperative calling for stewardship of financial and human resources. One of her main areas of focus is reducing total cost of care for Security Health Plan customers, and across the healthcare industry.

Hoglund joined Marshfield Clinic Health System in 2008, serving in progressively more responsible roles since that time. She earned her Associateship in the Society of Actuaries in 2010 and has served as Security’s Appointed Actuary since 2016. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Yale New Haven Health
Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations

Lorraine “Lori” Lee is the Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations and formerly held the position of Vice President, Corporate Pharmacy and Corporate Supply Chain Services for Yale New Haven Health. She previously filled the role of Chief Pharmacy Officer from 2014-2019 and added Corporate Supply Chain in 2018. Lee is a pharmacist by training starting at Yale New Haven Health in 1986. She has held various leadership roles within pharmacy services and supply chain. She is responsible for the strategic oversight for pharmacy services and supply chain throughout the system; including financial, clinical integration, operational and medication/device safety objectives. She serves on many state and national executive forums within pharmacy and supply chain professional organizations. Lee holds a Masters of Health Administration from Simmons College in Boston where she was a member of the Upsilon Phi Delta Honor Society and a Bachelors of Pharmacy from University of Rhode Island.

Johns Hopkins Health System
Vice President Provider/Payer Transformation

Nicole “Nicki” Sandusky McCann started her career in health care policy as committee counsel to the Maryland House of Delegates Appropriations Committee where she provided policy and legal advice related to healthcare to members of the Maryland General Assembly. She began her career at Johns Hopkins in 2010 as the Director of Health Policy for Government Affairs. In this role, her responsibilities included advising Johns Hopkins Health System (JHHS) senior leadership regarding health policy issues and advocating on behalf of JHHS to advance industry priorities under Maryland’s rate-setting system. In April 2018, she transitioned to a new role at Johns Hopkins serving as Chief of Staff for The Johns Hopkins Hospital, leading efforts on the development and advancement of strategic objectives; fostering strong community partnerships; and collaborating with hospital leadership, providers, and staff to build and launch programs that align with Maryland’s Total Cost of Care Model and improve patient satisfaction and experience. McCann was promoted to the position of Vice President for Provider/Payer Transformation for JHHS in November of 2019. In this role, she is responsible for collaborating with health system leadership and the provider community to facilitate strategic responses to matters related to the payer market.

Henry Ford Jackson Hospital
President

Emily S. Moorhead is a healthcare executive with rapidly advancing leadership experience that spans diverse for-profit and non-profit networks as well as healthcare consulting services. Her roles have included Chief Operating Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, Director of Transforming Operations, Senior Consultant of Hospital Operations and Operational Excellence, and Regional Director of the Healthcare Division at GE. Her passions include providing the kind of healthcare services that bring a smile to the faces of even the sickest patients and facilitating the integration of health and wellness into everyday life. Moorhead earned an MBA from the University of Michigan, Dearborn, MI, graduating With Distinction. She also attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, from Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.

Tufts Medical Center
Vice President of Education at Wellforce, Associate Professor of Medicine

Dr. Kari Roberts was selected in 2021 as Wellforce’s first Vice President of Education. A highly regarded clinician educator, Kari serves as the Associate Chief Medical Officer for GME at Tufts Medical Center.  Clinically, her practice includes pulmonary hypertension, critical care and general pulmonary medicine. Kari shares her clinical experience in these settings with trainees from the Pulmonary Critical care fellowship and Internal Medicine residency, as well as TUSM students.  Dr. Roberts earned her BA at Dartmouth College and MD at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her clinical training was completed at Johns Hopkins Hospital (Internal Medicine) and New York Presbyterian (Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine). A member of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at Tufts Medical Center since 2004, she was an NIH-funded physician scientist (translational genetics) prior to transitioning to a career focused on graduate medical education. She has been regularly been named a Top Doctor in Pulmonary Medicine by Boston Magazine since 2015.

City of Hope
Vice-Chair Surgery, Professor of Gynecologic Oncology, City of Hope National Medical Center-Department of Surgery

Dr. Lorna Rodriguez has worked at Albert Einstein College of Medicine as an Assistant Professor of Gynecologic Oncology and worked in the laboratories of Dr. Mathew Scharff and Susan Horowitz, she then moved to University of Rochester where she received a PhD in Biochemistry in 1996, and then became an associate professor and Director of the Gynecologic Oncology Division and then spent the next 18 years as Professor at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, first as Division Chief and then as Director of the Precision Medicine Initiative of the Center. In 2019 she became Vice Chair in the department of Surgery at City of Hope and is part of the Enterprise Leadership Team. Her laboratory research has contributed to the knowledge of the role of the CD44 receptor in multidrug resistance. She currently is part of the Governance Committee at COH for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This role is a new path in her leadership trajectory.

Near North Health (sponsored by UChicago)
Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Tristé Smith is the Chief Executive Officer at Near North Health. Prior to her role at Near North, Dr. Smith was the Executive Director of the Urban Health Initiative Strategy and Innovation at the University of Chicago from 2014 – 2021. She was responsible for developing strategies that leveraged UChicago Medicine’s community engagement and health equity capabilities across campus- wide health, research, clinical, and educational portfolios. Prior to joining the University of Chicago, Smith served in the roles of Chief Integrity Executive, Director of Government Relations, and Associate General Counsel at Northwestern Memorial Hospital where she oversaw the hospital’s compliance program, developed and managed strategies to inform and influence public policy at the county, state, and federal levels, and coordinated its enterprise-wide efforts related to tax-exemption and community benefit. She received an M.D. from Harvard University Medical School and holds a J.D. from the University of Chicago.

John Muir Health
Vice President, Finance and Optum Performance

Mika Taylor began her career at John Muir Health in 2005. She has grown within the organization in various accounting, financial planning, and analytics roles. Taylor previously served as Executive Finance Director and is now serving as the Vice President, Finance and Optum Performance. Taylor is responsible for managing the financial planning function, which includes management reporting, productivity, operating, capital, and long range planning.

Valley Children’s Healthcare
Executive Director Inpatient Operations & Assistant CNO

Vicky Tilton is currently the Executive Director of Inpatient Operations and the ACNO at Valley Children’s Healthcare, a 260 non-for-profit pediatric facility in Central California. In her current role, she is responsible for inpatient operational oversight along with championing strategic initiatives associated with patient care delivery. She has been a registered nurse for over 20 years and has held several leadership roles with many outstanding pediatric organizations. Tilton is proud to be an active board member for the Ronald McDonald Charity House. She earned her Master in Executive Nursing Leadership and is currently preparing for her Doctorate in Executive Nursing Leadership through Purdue University Global. She is quite passionate about her teams as well as the patients and families she has the opportunity to serve. Her goals include completion of her DNP, and she aspires to become a Chief Nursing Officer, as well as a future author focusing on transformational leadership.

University of Pennsylvania Health System
William Maul Measey-Truman G. Schnabel, Jr., MD Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, and Chief of the Division of Geriatric Medicine

Dr. Lisa M. Walke is Chief of the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine since 2018. She determines and advances the strategic direction of the clinical, research, and education programs of the division. She earned an undergraduate degree in Sociology from Harvard University, a medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of New Haven. She was an Internal Medicine resident at Montefiore Medical Center and a Geriatric Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology fellow at Yale before serving on the Yale faculty from 2003-2018. She became an American Geriatrics Society (AGS) fellow in 2014 and was named AGS Outstanding Mid-Career Clinician Educator of the Year in 2017. She serves on the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs Board since 2019 and the American Board of Internal Medicine Geriatric Medicine Board since 2020.

Priority Health (sponsored by Geisinger Health Plan)
Senior VP, Advanced Analytics & Chief Actuary

Karena Weikel is the Senior Vice President of Advanced Analytics and Chief Actuary at Priority Health.  Previously, she served at Geisinger Health Plan from 2009-2021 in a variety of roles, including Chief Actuary. She is a risk professional who began her career in healthcare experience in 2001. Weikel has experience in managing overall cost of care (expense, vendor), trend mitigation, vendor relations, underwriting, provider and medical economics, risk adjustment, operational and regulatory reporting, pricing and rate filing, trend analysis, reserve and organization-wide financial analytics for all lines of business.

Rush University Medical Center
Vice President, Corporate Compliance-Rush University Medical Center, Associate Professor of Medicine, and Assistant Dean, Admissions and Recruitment-Rush Medical College

Dr. Cynthia Boyd is vice president for corporate compliance and chief compliance officer at Rush University Medical Center. She is responsible for the oversight of the compliance program and in providing awareness, education, direction and support to the board of trustees, the audit committee of the board, senior management and Rush staff regarding the resolution and prevention of compliance issues. In addition to many speaking engagements, Boyd has published in peer-reviewed journals on compliance related topics. She is distinguished nationally on various issues in medical education including the admissions process, diversity and inclusion, and professional development. She is a longstanding member of the faculty at Rush Medical College of Rush University and currently serves as the dean for admissions and recruitment. Boyd received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder and her medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business with certification in health administration and policy. She is an associate professor in the department of medicine and a fellow of the American College of Physicians.

BJC HealthCare
President,  St. Charles County Hospitals

Gina Calder was named president of BJC HealthCare hospitals in St. Charles County, Mo. in February 2021. Formerly, Calder served as the Administrator at Milford Campus of Bridgeport Hospital and served previously as vice president of ambulatory services at Bridgeport Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health System. She has had operational, strategic planning, and business development responsibility for 13 inpatient, outpatient, and ambulatory areas totaling $40 million in revenue and 80,000 patient visits annually. She also successfully planned and implemented Park Avenue Medical Center, which opened in spring 2016 and is the first outpatient center for Bridgeport Hospital and the largest for Yale New Haven Health. Calder works to influence policy and healthcare delivery to eliminate disparities in access to quality care and improve health outcomes. She serves on the boards of Optimus Health Care and FitHaven and is the immediate past president and founding member of the Connecticut chapter of the National Association of Health Services Executives. Calder was recognized in 2015 as one of the Connecticut NAACP’s 100 Most Influential Blacks in the state. In 2016, she received Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Fairfield County Alumnae Chapter’s Dorothy I. Height Community Service Award and the Connecticut Association of Healthcare Executives Leadership Award. She earned her MPH and undergraduate psychology degrees from Yale University and is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Johns Hopkins Health System
President, Johns Hopkins National Capital Region

Carolyn Carpenter is currently president of the president of  Johns Hopkins National Capital Region. Previously, she served as vice president of Sentara Healthcare and chief operating officer of Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. As vice president, she served as the system executive for the Sentara Cancer Network spanning 12 hospitals in Virginia and North Carolina. In her more than twenty years of progressive responsibility in academic health center, Carpenter has distinguished herself by building high performing teams, developing novel organizational models to create value, and planning and executing program growth. Prior to arriving at Sentara, Carpenter held multiple roles at Duke Health including chief operating officer of Duke University Hospital, associate dean of the Duke School of Medicine and associate vice president of Duke Health System as the senior administrator for the Duke Cancer Institute. Carpenter received her B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania and her MHA from Medical College of Virginia. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and an adjunct assistant at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health.

Carilion Clinic
Associate Professor of Psychiatry-Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine; Vice President of Medical Staff Affairs, Carilion Medical Center; Associate Dean for Clinical Science Years 3 and 4-Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

Dr. Tracey Criss has been practicing psychiatry at Carilion Clinic for 25 years. She serves as vice president of medical staff affairs and credentialing at Carilion Medical Center. She is the associate dean for clinical science years 3 and 4 at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and an associate professor in the department of psychiatry. Criss has significant interest in severe major depression and the prevention of suicide, practices in outpatient psychiatry, and delivers electroconvulsive therapy at Carilion Medical Center. Throughout her time at Carilion Clinic, Criss has been engaged in teaching residents, medical students, and physician assistant students. Criss is a graduate of the West Virginia University School of Medicine, completed residency at Akron General Medical Center, and completed a mini-fellowship in electroconvulsive therapy at Long Island Jewish Medical Center-Zucker Hillside Hospital. Research interests include curricular development and stress in medical students. She, her husband Glenn, and daughter Jordan are all sports fans and enjoy playing golf together as a family.

(Fellowship sponsored by BDC Advisors/University of Miami)
Jackson Health System 
Vice President, Managed Care and Population Health

Barbara Fonte, MHSA, is the vice president of managed care and population health, for Jackson Health System, one of the largest academic and public health systems in the United States. Fonte manages the $1.5 billion dollar payer contracting strategy that helps subsidize Jackson’s charitable mission to care for the unfunded and most vulnerable populations of the County. Prior to rejoining Jackson in 2018, Fonte expanded her scope with an extensive career in South Florida based healthcare administration, serving a chief administrative officer for the University of Miami Health System, and held leadership positions in physician relations, patient access and multispecialty physician group practice at Miami Children’s Hospital.

John Muir Health
Vice President of Patient Care Services

Girlynda Gonzales started her journey at John Muir Health in Walnut Creek over 22 years ago as a unit secretary/cardiac monitor technician. She continued to work full time while pursuing her nursing degrees. She has had the opportunity to serve in multiple, progressive leadership roles. This past year as the executive director of adult inpatient services, she has come to realize that despite differences across the specialties in patient care and nursing practice, nursing leadership is the foundation for success. She is ready to face a new challenge for a goal that she firmly believes in. She is proud and blessed to be part of an organization whose core values and mission statement are aligned with her own philosophies and guiding principles. She is excited to take the opportunity to continue her pursuit of continuity of care and a seamless and exceptional patient experience. She looks forward to enhancing her skills as a nurse leader and becoming part of a dynamic and innovative group of female executives.

Incyte Corporation
Senior Medical Director for Global Risk Management and Safety Surveillance

Dr. Thomasine Gorry is the senior medical director for Global Risk Management and Safety Surveillance at Incyte Corporation. Previously, she served as an associate professor of clinical ophthalmology in the department of ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. She also served as the medical director for quality and safety for Scheie Eye Institute and the department of ophthalmology. Dr. Gorry serves on many health system-wide committees. Through committee work, she leads efforts to improve medical quality, medical communications, electronic medical records, risk reduction, and safety management throughout the health system. She has received numerous honors, including an award for leadership in research and election to the Leadership Academy of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, she was the recipient of the Penn Medicine Quality and Safety Award.

Rush University Medical Center
Chief Operating Officer, Rush University Medical Group

Richa Gupta started her healthcare experience in medical school in India. After deciding to switch from the clinical track to administration, she got her masterʼs in health systems administration at University of Michigan. She completed an administrative fellowship and UNC Chapel Hill, and moved to Chicago to be part of the newly created internal consulting team at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. After four years in performance improvement, she spent another four years in surgical services as director. She started at Rush in 2011, to start the performance improvement program. In this time, she has moved into the chief quality officer role and has been excited to lead the improvement arm of the organization, including performance improvement, safety, infection prevention, patient experience, and clinical resource management. She has focused her attention on advancing Rushʼs High Reliability journey through adoption of a Lean management system. She was promoted to COO of the Rush University Medical Group in May 2019.

Elimu Informatics
Vice President and Chief Clinical Innovation Officer 

Dr. Tonya Hongsermeier is the VP and Chief Clinical Innovation Officer at Elimu Informatics. She formerly served as chief medical informatics officer at Lahey Health, an integrated healthcare system serving New England. Formerly, she was a principal informatician in clinical informatics research and development at Partners Healthcare System and has served as a team lead on both the Agency for Healthcare Research and quality-funded Clinical Decision Support consortium project and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology-funded Advancing Clinical Decision Support project. Prior to this, she served for five years as senior corporate manager for clinical knowledge management and decision support. In this capacity she built a knowledge management team and led implementation of a collaboration, CDS authoring, and content management platform for enterprise Clinical Decision Support. She also served as a co-chair for the Semantic Web Healthcare-Life sciences Special Interest Group for the World Wide Web Consortium. She received her MD from Boston University and completed her residency in medicine and fellowship in clinical nutrition at the Deaconess Hospital. She received an MBA in healthcare management from BU School of Management in 1995, and has held several positions in industry leading a variety of informatics efforts. Prior to joining Partners Healthcare System, she was vice president for knowledge management solutions and patient safety at Cerner Corporation.

Bay Area Medical Foundation—Sutter Health
Pediatrics and Women’s Health Service Line Executive

Chantel Johnson is the Pediatric Service Line director at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) in the San Francisco Bay Area. She oversees operations at all pediatric primary care across 24 clinics. Johnson also works closely with pediatric urgent care and specialty services. She is known for her ability to foster collaboration, lead complex projects, and provide clinical insight into healthcare operations. Experienced in both ambulatory and acute care, Johnson served in several leadership positions in neonatal intensive care units in the Seattle area prior to joining PAMF. She holds her R.N. degree and Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Washington. Johnson is the committee chair in the Association of California Nurse Leaders (ACNL). She is passionate about improving the health of children in her community.

Marshfield Clinic Health System
CIO, Marshfield Clinic Health System, Inc.

Jeri Koester assumed the role of Interim CIO and then CIO of Marshfield Clinic Health System in early 2019. She previously was vice president of IT business management at Marshfield Clinic Information Services (MCIS Inc.) since October 2016. Prior to that role, Koester was the vice president of operations, the IT division and was instrumental in leading Marshfield Clinic’s transition of their IT department into a for-profit subsidiary of the health system. Her experience also includes senior project management for one of the nation’s largest window and door manufacturers completing a restructure of the manufacturing footprint. She also brings business startup experience from one of the leading software companies in the fenestration industry where she managed sales and sales projections, client accounts, project implementations, and development teams. Koester earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and is a certified project manager professional from the Project Management Institute.

Lauderdale and Associates
President

Martha Lauderdale holds a Master of Public Administration and has over 25 years experience in organizational development and operational leadership. Prior to her current role, she served as the administrative director of the UCSF Medical Center.  Before that, she was the vice president of the anesthesia, diagnostic, and pharmacy service line for Sutter Health-Palo Alto Medical Foundation.  At Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Lauderdale facilitated the implementation of annual strategy development, deployment, and goal deployment cycles throughout the organization. In addition, she partnered with physician leaders to drive patient centered process improvement in GI, ambulatory surgery centers, primary care, medical specialties, and clinical lab. Before transitioning to healthcare, Lauderdale specialized in implementing lean operating systems and creating centers of excellence in manufacturing and service organizations.

Duke University Health System
Associate Vice President, Neurosciences and Behavioral Health

Carey Unger currently serves as the associate vice president for neurosciences and behavioral health for Duke University Health System. She has been in her current role for a year and a half, and has been at Duke for over 12 years serving in a variety of positions. Previous responsibilities included managing the outpatient neuroscience portfolio, as well as serving as the vice president for medicine, surgery, and behavioral health for Duke Hospital. Unger received her B.S. in mathematics from Vanderbilt University in 2002 and her Master in Health Administration from University of Missouri in 2004. In her free time, Unger is an international volunteer for her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, and enjoys traveling with her family.

Henry Ford Health System
Chief Operating Office, HFHS Behavioral Health Services

As vice president of Henry Ford Hospital operations, Wellington is responsible for coordinating, integrating, and implementing all aspects of the continuum of care from admission to discharge including budgeting, regulatory compliance, process design, and staffing oversight in this role. She leads the admission transfer management office, case management, housekeeping, spiritual care, denials/appeals, and utilization review for Henry Ford Hospital. Additionally, Wellington has been serving as the interim senior administrative leader for Henry Ford Health System’s behavioral health services for nearly two years. Wellington has served in a diverse range of positions throughout the Henry Ford Health System since 1996, in both inpatient and outpatient services. Past positions include administrator for internal medicine, pediatrics and urology for the Henry Ford Medical Group; senior site administrator for one of the system’s urban satellites, while also serving as senior administrator for genetics, women’s health and dermatology. Wellington holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing as well as a Master of Business Administration from the University of Windsor. She has participated in numerous nursing and leadership committees throughout her tenure and currently serves on various Henry Ford Health System committees and as faculty for the Physician Leadership Academy.

(Fellowship sponsored by Dartmouth Health)
Medical University of South Carolina
Chief Pharmacy Officer

Marva Williams-Lowe, Pharm.D, MHA, is the chief pharmacy officer for MUSC. She was previously regional pharmacy director at Dartmouth Health System and responsible for hospital pharmacy practice and operations, providing oversight for pharmacy operations at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital in Lebanon, New Hampshire; Mount Ascutney Hospital and Health Center in Windsor, Vermont; the National Cancer Institute designated Norris Cotton Cancer Center sites in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and St. Johnsbury, Vermont. She led the development of pharmacy practice models at Dartmouth Health while serving in clinical and administrative positions on various health system committees. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Boston and completed a Management Certificate program at Boston University and a Master of Health Administration at the University of Ohio.

Marshfield Clinic Health System
Chief of Staff

Melissa Breen joined Marshfield Clinic Health System as chief of staff in May 2016. She works to advance the organization’s mission, vision, and core values, ensuring the strategic direction is evident and communicated clearly across the enterprise. Breen advises executive leadership and works closely with the Marshfield Clinic Health System Clinic Board of Directors. As a representative for the CEO, Breen works with representatives from numerous communities, organizations, and local governments to build and strengthen key relationships that promote Marshfield Clinic Health System brand awareness and goodwill, while meeting community expectations and business needs. Breen has over 20 years of experience in the health care industry. Prior to joining Marshfield Clinic Health System, she was vice president of membership and certification with Medical Group Management Association Colorado and spent many years with the Wisconsin Medical Society.

(Fellowship sponsored by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health)
Bold Industries Group, Inc. 
Chief Executive Officer

Leigh Burgess is formerly the vice president of research operations for Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health. In this role, she and her colleagues worked to advance the missions of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health and the Dartmouth College research community, by developing and implementing strategic initiatives within basic, translational, and clinical research. Burgess supported a team of clinical research operations and administration staff and directed the administrative and operational functions of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health system-wide Clinical Trials Office, Human Rights Protection Program, Office of Sponsored Projects, Research Nursing, Office of Technology Transfer, Central Research Lab, and Research Finance. Her past leadership experience includes graduate medical education, oncology quality, patient centered care, patient education, and research operations. Burgess is currently a doctoral student completing coursework towards her Doctorate in Business Administration.

UnidosUS
Vice President, Health
Foundation-Sponsored Fellow

Rita Carreón is the vice president for health at UnidosUS, a national civil rights and advocacy organization. In this role, Carreón leads efforts to improve Latinos’ well-being and access to quality, equitable health care by addressing the social determinants of health and cultivating leaders in health. She works in partnership with UnidosUS Affiliates, government, and private partners to advance access to quality and equitable health care. Previously Carreón was vice president of clinical strategies and health care equity at America’s Health Insurance Plans and led health programming at the National Association of Community Health Centers. She sits on the American Cancer Society’s and American Heart Associations’ Health Equity Councils and is a member of Pfizer’s Multicultural Advisory Council and the Women of Impact for Health Care. Carreón is a certified health insurance executive and holds a post graduate certificate in Health Care Administration and Bachelor of Science degree in Community and School Health from California State University, Long Beach.

Duke University Health System
Vice President, Strategic Planning & Business Development

Morgan Jones is responsible for leading Duke Health’s Strategic Planning team where she oversees enterprise wide planning and business development for clinical strategy and implementation. Prior to joining Duke, she served as the interim assistant director (Assistant Chief Operating Officer) and strategic planner at the Durham VA Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. She has worked with the Joint Commission in accreditation standards and cultural competencies. Jones holds a Master of Science in Public Health in Hospital Administration and Health Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a mom to three beautiful girls and enjoys playing tennis with her husband and trips to the beach in her free time.

Rush University Medical Center
Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer

Courtney Kammer is senior vice president, chief human resources officer at Rush University Medical Center. Kammer is a healthcare professional with over 21 years of experience. She has been at Rush since 2006 serving in roles focused on the faculty recruitment, onboarding, and retention programs. In 2019, she was appointed interim vice president of talent management in the human resources department. She completed the Executive Master’s of Healthcare Administration program at University of Minnesota and currently serves on the executive board as the treasurer of AAPPR (Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment). Kammer held several executive leadership roles in the state recruitment association and has participated in numerous committees. She looks forward to enhancing her leadership skills among this progressive group of female executives.

Cook County Health
Associate Chief Strategy Officer
Foundation-Sponsored Fellow

Ratna Kanumury is the associate chief strategy officer for Cook County Health. Prior to that, she was the director of ambulatory specialty care operations. She is a strong supporter of optimizing team practice to improve a patient- centered approach to care. She leads credentialing for all non-physician providers within Cook County Health to assure patient safety and the delivery of high quality care. Kanumury developed a clinical training program with 11 advanced practice Programs across Chicagoland and a pipeline for recruitment of well qualified health care professionals. She has led several efforts to improve billing, coding and clinical documentation for clinicians. She builds strong partnerships across the organization to improve health care outcomes. Kanumury continues to practice primary care internal medicine and delivers care on the southside of Chicago.

John Muir Health
Vice President of Practice Operations, John Muir Health Physician Network

Laura Kazaglis began her career in Akron, Ohio as a nurse and respiratory therapist initially focused on operations. From the beginning of her career, Kazaglis gravitated toward newly created and uncharted roles and responsibilities, many times becoming the first to hold the positions she took. She has always welcomed the challenges that come with new opportunities and the lifelong learning she has enjoyed throughout her journey. After moving to California in 2002, she began her career at John Muir Health as an operational project manager and physician liaison, implementing the first electronic health record system (Cerner) for the John Muir Physician Network. In 2006, Kazaglis was promoted to executive director of clinical operations, where her accomplishments included the redesign of all clinical policies and procedures, and the creation and development of the first clinical training program for all ambulatory staff members. In 2015, she was a promoted to her current role as vice president of practice operations. Kazaglis has always been and remains a passionate patient advocate, committed to the mission of providing quality healthcare for the communities and patients they serve.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Associate Professor of Surgery; Director Comprehensive Transplant Program; Surgical Director Kidney Transplant Program

Dr. Irene Kim is a liver and kidney transplant surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, where she is also an associate professor in surgery. Kim was named the director of the Comprehensive Transplant Center in 2021 (having been a co-director since 2019) and the surgical director of the kidney transplant program in 2018. Kim obtained her undergraduate degree from MIT, medical degree from UCSF, and residency and fellowship training at Tufts and Stanford, respectively. Her research focuses on the immunology and treatment of patients with high HLA-antibody sensitization. She is the current chair of the Minority Affairs Committee at UNOS/OPTN, chairs the Transplant Committee at Cedars-Sinai, and has served on several committees for the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS). Kim is an avid Francophile and loves to travel with her husband and two young children, Sylvie and Max.

(Fellowship sponsored by BDC Advisors)
Northwell Health
Senior Director, Ambulatory Strategy and Business Development

Ewa Kisilewicz is the Senior Director of Ambulatory Strategy and Business Development for Northwell Health. Prior to joining Northwell in 2021, Ewa was a principal at BDC Advisors, LLC, a national strategy consulting firm that serves health delivery systems and provider organizations. Prior to joining BDC, Ewa worked at Accenture Management Consulting, where she was focused on process improvement and IT system implementation support. Ewa holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Ottawa.

Sutter Health
Chief Executive Officer, Sutter Health CPMC

Hamila Kownacki is the CEO at Sutter Health CPMC, a multi-campus healthcare system in San Francisco and part of Sutter Health, an integrated health care system in Northern California. She was formally the COO and prior to that she was the CAO at CPMC’s largest campus and hospital. Before joining Sutter Health, Kownacki served as managing director of strategy and planning at Kaiser Permanente, Northern California; COO at Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation; vice president of facilities and planning, director of strategy and business development at Sutter Health CPMC. She has also held positions with Prudential Health and St. John’s Hospital. Kownacki has a Master’s in Health Care Administration from St. Mary’s College, a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, and is a licensed Registered Nurse in California.

Orlando Health 
Vice President, Orlando Health & President of Women’s Services for Orlando Health Medical Group

Dr. Monica Lee-Griffith has been appointed vice president, Orlando Health & President of Women’s Services for Orlando Health Medical Group. She was previously a physician in the Henry Ford Health System since 1999, holding progressive leadership positions within the Department of Women’s Health. She served as vice chairperson in the department of women’s health for the Henry Ford Medical Group, as well as medical director of obstetrics for Henry Ford Hospital. Lee-Griffith received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University, Medical Degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine, and completed her OB/GYN residency at Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center, where she served as chief resident. She recently obtained her Executive Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, graduating with distinction. Lee-Griffith is an experienced, innovative leader with expertise in healthcare strategy, process improvement, and service excellence. As an obstetric hospitalist, she has particular interests in quality, safety, and value-based obstetrical care initiatives for culturally diverse, health vulnerable populations.

Yale New Haven Health
Chief of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital; Associate Professor in Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine

Dr. Jaspreet Loyal is a pediatric hospitalist and an associate professor in the department of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine. From 2012 to 2017, she served as the medical director for the Well Newborn Unit at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. In 2017, she became the medical director for the inpatient pediatric units where she provides clinical oversight, and leads development, implementation and monitoring of programmatic initiatives including quality and safety, the safe flow of patients, and patient experience. In 2016, Loyal joined the Yale pediatric residency leadership team as an associate program director. Loyal received an undergraduate degree from St. Catherine’s University in Minnesota, a graduate degree in Epidemiology at Stanford University in California, and a medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin. Prior to joining Yale, she was a resident and chief resident in pediatrics at Weill Cornell-New York Presbyterian.

Geisinger Health System
Chief Scientific Officer, Geisinger; Professor and Director, Geisinger Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute

Christa Lese Martin is the chief scientific officer at Geisinger and a professor and founding Director of Geisinger’s Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute. She is board-certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics in Clinical Cytogenetics. At Geisinger, Martin is part of the leadership team for the MyCode Community Health Initiative – a groundbreaking precision health program bringing genomic medicine into everyday healthcare. Martin received her Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University and completed her PhD in Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh. She did her postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago in the Department of Human Genetics and remained on faculty as an Assistant Professor and Director of the Clinical Cytogenetics Laboratory. Before joining Geisinger, Martin was an associate professor in the department of human genetics at Emory University and operations director of Emory Genetics Laboratory.

Tufts Medical Center
Vice President, Perioperative Services, Surgery, and Anesthesia 

Sarah McKay, MHA is the Vice President of Perioperative and Anesthesia Services for MelroseWakefield Hospital and Tufts Medical Center, the academic medical center for the Wellforce healthcare system in Massachusetts. She oversees operations for the Operating Room at a level one trauma center, in addition to leading all aspects of the Surgery, Orthopedics, and Anesthesia product lines. McKay was promoted to her current role following the transformation of the operational performance of the Operating Rooms at Tufts Medical Center during her tenure as Executive Director. During her time in this role, she built a high-performing leadership team that has improved safety, quality, efficiency and the patient experience.  Known locally as an agent of change, she has a passion for improving systems and processes within hospitals to create the optimal experience for clinicians and patients. McKay holds a Master’s degree in healthcare administration from Simmons College.

Valley Children’s Healthcare
Assistant Chief Strategy Officer/Director, Innovation and Organizational Renewal

Ratan Milevoj has been serving as the assistant chief strategy officer/director of innovation and organizational renewal for Valley Children’s Healthcare since May 2019. In her current role, she is responsible for bringing best practices to the organization including implementing and managing new ideas and innovations. Ratan joined Valley Children’s in 2004 and has held several leadership roles, including serving as director of physician network development, where she was responsible for acquisitions, start-ups, primary care strategic plan, and operations. She has also served as the director of health information management, patient access, payer contracting, and revenue integrity at Valley Children’s Hospital. Ratan earned her Master of Business Administration with emphasis in Finance and Marketing and Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fresno.

(Fellowship sponsored by University of Chicago)
Boston Children’s Hospital 
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Heather Nelson is currently serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Boston Children’s Hospital. Her responsibilities include: supporting all information management systems (clinical, business, and administrative), clinical engineering, IT support services, the IT project management office, reporting, and analytics capabilities and technologies. Prior to joining Boston Children’s, she was senior VP and Chief Information Officer at the University of Chicago Medicine. Nelson’s team is comprised of talented IT professionals that are dedicated to supporting patient care, care teams, and business processes throughout the health system and in the communities.

Johns Hopkins Health System
President of Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center

Jennifer Nickoles is the President of Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Prior, she serves as vice president of operations and system integration and was accountable for the implementation of strategic, governance, and integration initiatives. She formerly served as chief of staff for Johns Hopkins Medicine, developing and ensuring the coordination and execution of JHM strategic initiatives. Nickoles began her career in academic medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1996. Over the next two decades she took on increasing levels of responsibility, serving in a variety of operational, finance, and management roles in the department of medicine before working in the Office of the Dean focusing on faculty resources and research infrastructure. Nickoles earned her Bachelor of Science in Business and Management from Johns Hopkins University, as well as a Master of Science in Real Estate. She resides in Maryland with her husband and four sons.

Pacific Health Group
Healthcare Consultant
Chief Medical Officer for Tiburcio Vásquez Health Center
Foundation-Sponsored Fellow

Dr. Ellen Piernot is a healthcare consultant and chief medical officer for Tiburcio Vásquez Health Center. Prior to joining TVHC, she was the interim chief medical officer for San Francisco Health Plan. She was formerly the vice president, chief medical officer, and chief operating officer of Golden Valley Health Centers. She is board-certified in both family medicine and clinical informatics. Piernot was with Golden Valley Health Centers in the Central Valley of California since 2015, where she had oversight of all the medical and behavioral health providers as well as provider recruiting, nursing, health education, and quality. During her tenure, she worked to develop a strong presence of clinical leadership through her four regional medical directors, and to expand the teaching opportunities offered at the health centers. Prior to arriving at Golden Valley Health Centers, she worked for both large and small Federally Qualified Health Centers in Arizona and New Mexico. Piernot completed medical school at the Medical College of Wisconsin and residency at Waukesha Family Medicine Residency in Wisconsin. She earned her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of New Mexico-Albuquerque. Piernot was a National Health Scholarship Corp scholar and completed her service in New Mexico.

University of Pennsylvania Health System
Chief Financial Officer, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Julia Puchtler serves as the chief financial officer of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), an 805-bed acute care hospital that is part of Penn Medicine. Puchtler initially joined Penn Medicine as the vice president of finance, operations, and budget in March of 2015. From 2009-2015 Puchtler worked at Trinity Health—and its predecessor organization, Catholic Health East–in various roles within corporate finance, ultimately serving as the vice president of strategic finance and decision support. Puchtler spent 2001- 2009 at Ernst and Young working in the firm’s health care assurance and advisory services. Puchtler received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Penn State University and a Master of Science in Accountancy from the University of Virginia. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and has been a Fellow of Healthcare Financial Management Association since 2011.

John Muir Health
Medical Executive for Population Health

Dr. Christine Thorburn is the Medical Executive for Population Health at John Muir Health. She formerly served as the medical director of Mills Peninsula Network of Sutter Health. She was a member of the board of the Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group (PAFMG), which is affiliated with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, a Sutter Health affiliate. She was also been a rheumatologist with the group since 2005 after completing Medical School, Internal Medicine Residency and Rheumatology Fellowship at Stanford University and a post-doctoral Research Fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. Prior to that, she held several different leadership positions within the medical group. Throughout her medical training, she maintained a dual “career” as a professional road cyclist, representing the United States of America in the Olympic Games in Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008), after which she “retired” from professional athletics.