East Texas ACHE Forums

Outcomes of the 87th Legislative Session
2022-03-16 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | Virtual
Please join us for our next East Texas ACHE Forum Lunch & Learn event with John Hawkins – President & CEO, Texas Hospital Association

John M. Hawkins took the helm as president and chief executive officer of the Texas Hospital Association on Jan. 1, 2022. He is the organization’s sixth CEO since its inception in 1930. A longtime advocacy veteran, Hawkins has more than 35 years of experience in legislative, leadership and policy circles and has deep knowledge of health care and hospital funding issues. As CEO, he represents the Texas hospital industry locally and nationally and helps ensure hospitals have the resources they need to deliver the highest quality health care to all Texans.
Over the years, Hawkins has fostered critical relationships among business, consumer and medical communities and continues to position THA as a thought leader and single, powerful voice for Texas hospitals.
Prior to being named CEO, Hawkins served as THA’s senior vice president of advocacy and public policy since 2004. With a long tenure at the association, his team consistently secured important resources for Texas health care, including hospital Medicaid rates, funding for trauma and behavioral health services, funding for workforce training and protections for the state’s critical safety net Medicaid supplemental payment programs. Hawkins’ team also was an integral force during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to secure staffing, supplies, vaccines and flexibilities for hospitals to keep patients safe.
Before to joining THA, Hawkins had a key role in streamlining state agencies at the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, where he managed teams of analysts and testified on issues for the Commission. He also gained early experience as a legislative staffer in the Texas House of Representatives and as a legislative liaison at the Texas Department of Information Resources.
In 2020, Hawkins completed a six-month immersive hospital residency program at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest where he gained hands-on hospital operations experience, shadowing leadership, interacting with staff and participating in governing board activities.
Hawkins graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in government. He is married to Cami Hawkins, CEO of Marathon Kids, and they have two children, Madi and Jack.

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New School of Medicine at the Health Science Center at UT Tyler
2022-04-20 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Please join us for this special East Texas ACHE Forum Lunch & Learn!

Register now to hear more about the projects in the works and the future plans for UT-Tyler’s new school of medicine.
Our guest presenters for this Lunch & Learn session will be:
Julie V. Philley, MD
Executive Vice President, Health Affairs, Vice Provost
Health Science Center at the University of Texas at Tyler
Brigham C. Willis, MD
Founding Dean, School of Medicine
Health Science Center at the University of Texas at Tyler
Speakers’ Bios:

Julie V. Philley, MD, is a professor of medicine and Executive Vice President of Health Affairs at the Health Science Center at the University of Texas at Tyler in Tyler, TX. She is board certified in internal medicine, critical care medicine, and pulmonary disease. She moved to Tyler in 2012 to continue her research efforts in nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease and also received a $2 million National Institutes of Health grant for convalescent plasma research. A native East Texan, Dr. Philley now leads UT Tyler health related endeavors, including the formation of a new medical school.

Brigham Willis, MD, is the newly appointed founding dean of the school of medicine at the Health Science Center at UT Tyler. A longtime educator, scholar, and leader in academic medicine, “Brig” earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and then completed his residency at Children’s Hospital and Research Center, Oakland. Dr. Willis finished his training in a fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, later serving as the Associate Fellowship Director for Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern. Prior to his recent move to Tyler, Dr. Willis served as a professor of pediatrics and the senior associate dean of medical education at the University of California, Riverside School of Medicine.

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Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification Course
2022-05-07 09:00 - 18:00 | Virtual
The East Texas ACHE Forum Education Committee is excited to announce its partnership with Leaning Towards Change, LLC to offer a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification course!

The Yellow is healthcare specific, providing examples of real healthcare experiences. You will learn about lean six sigma, value vs. non-value added processes, and how to eliminate wastes, errors, and inefficiencies in healthcare environments, such as clinics or hospitals.
There will be a one-day, eight-hour Yellow Belt course on May 7th, 2022, from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (including breaks).
(Be sure to watch future announcements for a Green Belt Certification Course as well. Note: You will need your Yellow belt first to be able to register for the Green Belt session.)
What’s included:

Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Course e-book
Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification Exam
Simulated Project

Course Instructor: Tanya Stinson
Virtual Platform: Zoom

Register Here

Hi there! My name is Tanya Stinson, and I would like to tell you a little about myself. I have a Master’s degree in Healthcare Quality and Safety, a Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma, and 14 years’ experience in leading, coaching, and mentoring professionals in completing Lean Six Sigma, Quality, Compliance, Risk and Safety projects. I have a well-rounded and knowledgeable skill set, as I have worked in various industries, such as mining, utilities, manufacturing, technology, and healthcare. I am passionate about helping others by sharing with them what I have learned and creating positive changes within any organization.
I have been working for Texas Health Resources since June 2017. Currently, I am a Supervisor of Data Governance Support for THR and before my recent promotion, I was a Performance Improvement Engineer/Coach for 4 years. Since working with them, I have received several awards and accolades.
Here are just a few of the recognitions I have received:
• 2020 ACHE of North Texas Mentor of the Year
• Trailblazer Award – Texas Health Arlington Memorial, 2018 for Blood Culture Contamination Reduction Project
• Quality Award (2) – Texas Health Fort Worth, 2019 for Neonatal Extubation Process Improvement Project and “Let’s Get Moving” Patient Ambulation Improvement Project
• Discoverer Award – Texas Health Resources, 2019 for ED Discharge Scheduling Improvement Project
• Transformer Award – Texas Health Resources, 2020 for Interventional Radiology Throughput Improvement Project
Outside of work, I am a wife and mother of 4 handsome young men, and I love fishing, camping, and racing just to name a few!
Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you are as excited about the upcoming classes as I am! I look forward to meeting every one of you and growing the passion for PI!
Many blessings,
Tanya Stinson

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Multi-Chapter Education Event
2022-06-24 08:30 - 16:30 | Baylor Scott & White Heart Hospital-Plano, 1100 Allied Drive, Plano, TX, 75093
Approved for up to 6.0 ACHE Face-to-Face Credits

Once again ACHE of North Texas, the East Texas ACHE Forum and the Texas Midwest Healthcare Executives are joining forces to offer our members great educational content and a tremendous cross-chapter networking opportunity.
Special thanks to Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital for hosting their venue and Aramark for hosting the food & beverages for this event!
Date: Thursday, June 24
Time: 8:30am-4:30pm
Location: Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospital – Plano
1100 Allied Drive
Plano, TX 75093
Register Here
8:30-9am: Registration & Networking
9-10:30am: Panel 1: Improving the Health Status of Your Community
Panelists:
Vidya Ayyr, CHW; Director, Community Social Impact; Parkland Health & Hospital System
Kris Bolom, JD; Director of Behavioral Health Initiatives; My Health My Resources of Tarrant County
Danelle Parker, RN, BSN; Director of Community Health Improvement for Collin and Denton/Wise Counties; Texas Health Resources
Timothy Wilson; Senior Vice President, Population Health Management at P3 Health Partners
10:30-10:45am: Break
10:45am-12:15pm: Panel 2: Gender Equity and Intersectionality
Panelists:
Guy Cayo, FACHE; Chief Executive Officer; UT Health Pittsburg Chief
Bailey Farris RN, BSN, CEN; ER nurse; Texas Heath HEB
Suzanne Beauvoir Jackson, FACHE (Moderator); Vice President of Urgent Care Services; HCA Healthcare
Dawn Johnston, MBA, MSN, CFRN, LP; Administrative Director of Nursing and Clinical Services; CHRISTUS Flight For Life, Northeast Texas
Ajith Pai, Pharm.D., FACHE, President; Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne
12:15-1:15pm: Lunch
1:15-2:45pm: Panel 3: The Value of Developing and Implementing Alternate Care Models
Panelists:
Dawn Johnston, MBA, MSN, CFRN, LP (Moderator); Administrative Director of Nursing and Clinical Services; CHRISTUS Flight For Life, Northeast Texas
Mark S. Schnitzer, MD, CPHQ, CHCQM-PHYADV, FACS, FACHE; Surgeon, Educator, Physician Advisor, Medical Director, and Consultant
Juan Soto, FACHE; VP of Alternate Delivery; SCP Health
Michael Talley, FACHE; VP Clinical Ops; CHRISTUS Health
2:45-3pm: Break
3-4:30pm: Panel 4: Medical Staff Relations
Panelists:
Donna Bowers (Moderator); Regional Director for the Cardiovascular and Oncology Services Lines; UT Health East Texas Health System
Vicki L. Briggs, FACHE; Chief Executive Officer; UT Health Tyler, UT Health North Campus-Tyler, UT Health East Texas Rehabilitation Hospital & Services, UT Health East Texas LTAC
Madhura Chandak Bajaj, FACHE, MSPT, RHIA, CLSSBB; Vice President, Provider Documentation & Education; Envision Health
Dr. Suman Sinha; Physician; CHRISTUS Health
Speakers Bios
Panel 1: Improving the Health Status of Your Community
Vidya Ayyr leads high-impact interventions to address the social determinants of health, with a commitment to health equity and improving the lives and livelihoods of disadvantaged, marginalized, and vulnerable populations.
As the Director of Social Impact, she provides strategic oversight to Parkland’s community outreach investments, promotes innovation in data analytics, and mobilizes a team of Community Health Workers to drive an integrated approach to population health management. Prior to this role, Vidya was a part of External Affairs at Parkland where she developed public-private sector partnerships to support diverse, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
Ms. Ayyr holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from University of Texas at Dallas and earned her Master of Public Health degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, in 2011.
Vidya serves on the national EPIC (EMR) Brain Trust, the Community Leadership Forum with the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, DC and is a Presidential Scholar with the George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson Foundations. Her work on social impact collaboration has been recognized by the National Root Cause Coalition, by the Institute for Patient and Family-Centered Care (IPFCC), and by American Essential Hospitals (AEH) for its merit as an innovative design framework.

Kris Bolom, J.D. is Director of Behavioral Health Initiatives at My Health My Resources of Tarrant County and has 8 years of public healthcare experience for behavioral and physical health organizations in Tarrant County. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Psychology from the University of Tulsa and his Juris Doctorate from Marquette University.

Danelle Parker is an RN, BSN and got her start at Parkland Health Systems in the Neonatal ICU. She moved to Texas Health Resources and started at the Plano Hospital in 2000 as a Community Education Manager and has been with the THR system for over 21 years, and is currently a Director of Community Health Improvement over the Collin, and Denton/Wise regions. In 2019, Texas Health began a new initiative called Texas Health Community Impact. This is where THR gets outside and upstream of the hospital walls to study why and what is sending people to our hospitals. “Your zip code should not make a bigger impact on your health than your genetic code.”

As Senior Vice President, Population Health Management at P3 Health Partners (P3), Timothy Wilson leads the continuous improvement efforts to help providers deliver the correct care our patients deserve, while maintaining affordability and driving down administrative costs. He believes that early intervention is key to delivering quality care to every patient, no matter the age.
Timothy, a 15-year health care veteran, has a proven record of analyzing and solving quality problems and strategically improving processes, including claims operations; systems configuration; provider services; vendor delegations; medical claims reviews; and audit and recovery.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Image Management and a master’s degree in Mass Communication and Media Studies, both from the University of Texas at Arlington. Timothy is a member of American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) of North Texas, and sits on the P3 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. While with UnitedHealth Group, he earned a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification.
In his spare time, Timothy enjoys spending time with his family and friends, as well as reading and exploring new cuisines.

Panel 2: Embracing a Dialogue about Gender Equity and Intersectionality
Guy B. Cayo has 15 years of healthcare experience with expertise in hospital operations, strategic planning & execution, contract management, business development & physician relations, and human capital management. He has served his community by leading improvement in health, quality of life, and through volunteerism and philanthropy.
In 2021, Guy joined the UT Health East Texas region of hospitals as UT Health Pittsburg Chief Executive Officer. UT Health Pittsburg is a 25 beds critical access hospital (5 star CMS, level four trauma, level three stroke support) located in Pittsburg, TX. The campus is also home to a rural health/specialty clinic.
Guy is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He previously served as Chair of ACHE Community & Philanthropy Committee and Co-Chair of Network & Relations for ACHE South East Texas Chapter. He has one son, Cayden A. Scott. Guy has several hobbies including scuba diving, archery, swimming, and hiking. In addition, he believes he is nothing without God’s grace and favor on his life.

Bailey Farris is a Certified Emergency Nurse with 10 years of patient care experience from both nursing and paramedicine. With a diverse background in emergency care, patient advocacy and lived experience, Bailey is now working from both bedside and academic perspectives to expand equitable emergency care access for LGBTQIA+ patients. As a vocal member of the Diversity Action Committee within the hospital environment, as a growing researcher within Emergency Nursing and as an MSN-Ed. candidate, Bailey is a rising voice in both patient care and nursing practice.

Suzanne Beauvoir Jackson, FACHE, is motivated by developing and executing strategies, leading and transforming organizations as well as scaling and managing enterprise wide operations, Suzanne is a seasoned multi service line healthcare executive with a proven track record of creating collaborative and integrated work systems.
As a result of her authentic action oriented leadership approach, Suzanne has successfully held progressive leadership roles including Chief Executive Officer of both specialty and general acute care hospitals, Chief Operating Officer, Associate Administrator, and Healthcare Consultant. Currently she is HCA Healthcare’s Vice President of Urgent Care Services; the leading hospital owned urgent care operator with over 200 urgent care clinics across 19 markets and 12 states.
Suzanne played a pivotal role in the organization’s national growth agenda increasing from 71 urgent care clinics to over 200 clinics, in addition to leading the organization in earning national quality and patient safety accreditation through the Urgent Care Association.
Additional accolades consist of past Gubernatorial Appointment to the Commonwealth of Virginia Governor’s Council for Women, ACHE District 2’s Regent At Large, Board Member for the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Institute for Diversity & Health Equity and a member of the AHA’s Equity of Care Awards Committee. Currently, Suzanne is the Chair of ACHE’s Programs, Products, and Services Committee, a Board Member of the North Texas Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, a Board Member of the Urgent Care Association Foundation and is serving on/establishing the inaugural Urgent Care Association Commission on Diversity.
Suzanne earned a certificate in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida – Muma College of Business, is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), and holds a Master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Michigan and Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois. – Champaign.

Dawn Johnston has been in her Director role for CHRISTUS Flight For Life since October of 2018. With helicopter outposts at Mt. Pleasant, Wills Point, Palestine and Longview, Dawn provides clinical leadership for an amazing team of nurses and paramedics that provide critical care to the most seriously ill and injured patients in Northeast Texas while rapidly transporting them to definitive care. Dawn’s focus on organizational excellence enabled the well-respected agency to attain industry accreditation for the first time in 2021. Dawn served as Education Chair for the East Texas Chapter of ACHE in 2021 and became a Board member in 2022. She received her BSN from Western Michigan University and MSN in Nursing Leadership and Administration from Capella University. She also obtained her BA in Communications/Journalism from Truman State University, and MBA from California Coast University.
Previously, Dawn was Project Coordinator for Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, Michigan managing hospital-wide nursing communications, completing Magnet projects, and contributing to a number of Quality Improvement projects on multi-disciplinary teams. As a member of the Trauma Research Committee, Dawn also contributed to the requirements for meeting the hospital’s Level I Trauma designation. Dawn has a broad inpatient critical care background and was also a full-time flight nurse for West Michigan Air Care for over a decade. During this time, Dawn also became Air Care’s Marketing Coordinator, managing most aspects of the organization’s public relations in Southwest Michigan, in addition to providing education for the flight crew. She has been teaching since she became a nurse, first American Heart Association courses and then many critical care subjects. Dawn has provided public education through the media on community health initiatives and was instrumental in garnering support for the introduction of a legislative bill to curb dangerous methamphetamine labs in Michigan.
Dawn’s background includes firefighting, National Ski Patrol and community health education as a Crisis Pregnancy Coordinator for the Salvation Army. Serving as a “Big Sister” for many years, Dawn was also honored as Mentor of the Year for Big Brothers/Big Sisters in Battle Creek, Michigan in 2008. Dawn’s hobbies include writing and she has several publishing credits, including Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America and the International Medical Corps Training Manual, a resource for war-torn areas of the world, in which she was the Associate Editor. In addition, she has written and edited the company newsletter almost everywhere she has worked.
Dawn has been married to her husband Neal for 29 years, and they have one adult son – Harrison. She and her husband are members of Marvin United Methodist Church. Dawn resides in the Tyler area and enjoys running, traveling, writing and spending time with family, friends and neighbors. She is involved in Tyler’s Sunrise Rotary Club and Women in Tyler, which hosts an annual luncheon honoring influential women from the Tyler area.

Ajith Pai, Pharm.D., FACHE, became president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne in September 2018. Before joining Texas Health Cleburne, he was the professional and support services officer at Texas Health Kaufman.
Pai was born at Texas Health HEB and later began his career there in 1999 as a certified pharmacy technician. In 2011, he became the director of pharmacy at Texas Health Kaufman, where he oversaw the day-to-day operations and championed safe, quality-driven patient care through the implementation of best practices and improved clinical monitoring.
He received his Doctorate of Pharmacy from Texas Tech School of Pharmacy and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. He is also a graduate of Texas Health’s Talent Acceleration Program.
Pai is involved in his community through memberships on various committees including the Chamber of Commerce, Leadership North Texas, ACHE North Texas, and the ACHE Asian Healthcare Leaders Forum.
In his free time, Pai enjoys spending time and traveling with his wife Myriam, and their daughter, Elyse. He’s also an avid runner and has participated in more than 15 marathons across the country.

Panel 3: The Value of Developing and Implementing Alternate Care Models

Dawn Johnston has been in her Director role for CHRISTUS Flight For Life since October of 2018. With helicopter outposts at Mt. Pleasant, Wills Point, Palestine and Longview, Dawn provides clinical leadership for an amazing team of nurses and paramedics that provide critical care to the most seriously ill and injured patients in Northeast Texas while rapidly transporting them to definitive care. Dawn’s focus on organizational excellence enabled the well-respected agency to attain industry accreditation for the first time in 2021. Dawn served as Education Chair for the East Texas Chapter of ACHE in 2021 and became a Board member in 2022. She received her BSN from Western Michigan University and MSN in Nursing Leadership and Administration from Capella University. She also obtained her BA in Communications/Journalism from Truman State University, and MBA from California Coast University.
Previously, Dawn was Project Coordinator for Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo, Michigan managing hospital-wide nursing communications, completing Magnet projects, and contributing to a number of Quality Improvement projects on multi-disciplinary teams. As a member of the Trauma Research Committee, Dawn also contributed to the requirements for meeting the hospital’s Level I Trauma designation. Dawn has a broad inpatient critical care background and was also a full-time flight nurse for West Michigan Air Care for over a decade. During this time, Dawn also became Air Care’s Marketing Coordinator, managing most aspects of the organization’s public relations in Southwest Michigan, in addition to providing education for the flight crew. She has been teaching since she became a nurse, first American Heart Association courses and then many critical care subjects. Dawn has provided public education through the media on community health initiatives and was instrumental in garnering support for the introduction of a legislative bill to curb dangerous methamphetamine labs in Michigan.
Dawn’s background includes firefighting, National Ski Patrol and community health education as a Crisis Pregnancy Coordinator for the Salvation Army. Serving as a “Big Sister” for many years, Dawn was also honored as Mentor of the Year for Big Brothers/Big Sisters in Battle Creek, Michigan in 2008. Dawn’s hobbies include writing and she has several publishing credits, including Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America and the International Medical Corps Training Manual, a resource for war-torn areas of the world, in which she was the Associate Editor. In addition, she has written and edited the company newsletter almost everywhere she has worked.
Dawn has been married to her husband Neal for 29 years, and they have one adult son – Harrison. She and her husband are members of Marvin United Methodist Church. Dawn resides in the Tyler area and enjoys running, traveling, writing and spending time with family, friends and neighbors. She is involved in Tyler’s Sunrise Rotary Club and Women in Tyler, which hosts an annual luncheon honoring influential women from the Tyler area.

Dr. Mark Schnitzer is an experienced Surgeon, Educator, Physician Advisor, Medical Director, and Consultant.
An interest in processes and mathematics led him to pursue an unlikely course of pre-medical study: electrical engineering. It was during his Ph.D. studies that he applied to medical school and completed his MSEE and MD concurrently. He completed his clinical training in neurological surgery and a fellowship in neurosciences critical care at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. His final year at Johns Hopkins was in the role of Assistant Chief of Service.
After fifteen years in solo, private neurosurgical practice and medical staff governance roles, he was recruited to Hawaii as the sole, full-time neurosurgeon for Kaiser Permanente with the mandate to set the groundwork for a completely internalized program. That experience led to his invitation to serve as the inaugural medical director of neurosciences and an ambitious project to unify the neurosciences programs across the government hospitals in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Once this unification was well underway, the program was handed off to the Cleveland Clinic. Subsequently, he served as the inaugural CMO for a start-up telemedicine company in Dubai and as an adjunct associate professor in a graduate program for healthcare administration.
He returned to the USA after four years in the Middle East and took on the role of physician advisor for SSM Health. Initially accountable for one hospital, he was elevated to a regional, multi-hospital role where he was accountable for insurance denial management including education of clinicians in evidence-based medicine and responsible stewardship as well as holding numerous roles in quality improvement projects.
Most recently, he has taken on the role of medical director for a large accountable care organization based in Dallas, TX.
Dr. Schnitzer is board certified in healthcare quality and management by the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians with added qualification as a Physician Advisor. He is a certified professional in healthcare quality by the National Association for Healthcare Quality and is certified by the American Society for Quality as a Six Sigma Black Belt. Additionally, he is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Dr. Schnitzer has provided a number of invited presentations in the areas of healthcare informatics, patient safety, and responsible stewardship and he serves as an examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
Dr. Schnitzer considers himself an interface professional, like most clinicians who have transitioned into healthcare leadership roles. He maintains a state of constant inquiry and curiosity with the ever-present thought, “There is something I do not know, the knowing of which could change everything.”

Juan Soto currently serves as Vice President of Alternative Delivery for SCP Health, a physician-led company of clinical and operational experts. Juan has over fifteen years of healthcare consulting experience and has been a valued team member at SCP Health since July 2021.
In his current role, Mr. Soto oversees SCP Health’s Clinical Staffing and Advancement Solutions for partners that deliver care outside of the four walls of the hospital. Having consulted on several thousand projects across the healthcare spectrum, Mr. Soto uses his expertise to work with clients across a broad range of issues, from provider compensation to medical staff planning and process improvement. Mr. Soto has consulted with multiple healthcare organizations throughout the country regarding provider needs assessments, search strategies, demographic and healthcare market trends, compensation, contracts, retention, physician-hospital relations, compliance, and numerous other related issues.
Mr. Soto applies his healthcare experience to effectively assist his clients in achieving their strategic initiatives, without compromising the overall mission of the organization. He also keeps his clients apprised of the most recent industry trends.
Mr. Soto resides in Atlanta, GA with his wife Sarah and two children. He attended the State University of New York at Albany and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Michael Talley is the Vice President for Clinical Operations & Virtual Care for the CHRISTUS Health enterprise, an international health system headquartered in Irving, Texas. Mr. Talley started his career in healthcare as an intensive care Respiratory Therapist at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, his hometown. His administrative career got its inception at Mayo Clinic where he spent 10 years leading hospital operations, provider relations, and business development. During Mr. Talley’s time in executive leadership he’s built a reputation for driving clinical innovation, strategic operations, and system integration.

Panel 4: Medical Staff Relations

Donna Bowers is the Regional Director for the Cardiovascular and Oncology Services Lines at UT Health East Texas Health System. She joined UT Health East Texas in June of 2020 as the executive responsible for both services lines. With a focus on person-centered care and quality improvement, she provides strategic direction to the health care system and establishes a cohesive organizational and governance structure that supports the UT Health East Texas care continuum. In addition, she provides oversight for clinical activities and programs; ensures the ﬁnancial viability of oncology and cardiovascular initiatives; and works to establish collaborative relationships among departments, physicians, medical groups, business partners and the community.
In her previous role with SCL Health System, she served for over five years as Vice President of Oncology and Cardiovascular Services in Colorado and Montana. Before joining SCL Health, she served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Service Lines with McKesson Specialty Health, where she greatly expanded hospital business, developed the oncology service line and strategy, and built a Proton Therapy Center, among a list of accomplishments. While at Baylor Health Care System for over 30 years, she held several leadership positions, leaving as the Chief Operating Oﬃcer of Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center and Vice President of Oncology.
Donna holds a Juris Doctorate from Texas A&M Law School, and a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management from Texas Woman’s University. She is a Licensed Attorney in the State of Texas, and a Registered Health Information Administrator. In addition, she is certified in Healthcare Privacy by the American Health Information Management Association, and is a Certified Mediator through the Dallas Dispute Mediation Services and Texas A&M Law School.

Vicki Briggs, MBA, FACHE, is an experienced healthcare executive with over 30 years of
C-Suite experience in hospital and healthcare system administration in the not-for-profit and for-profit healthcare sectors. Currently she is serving as the Chief Executive Officer of UT Health Tyler, UT Health North Campus Tyler, UT Heath East Texas Rehabilitation Hospital and Services and UT Health East Texas LTAC.
Throughout her career, Ms. Briggs has had responsibility for 26 hospitals ranging from small rural, critical access, community, and specialty to large tertiary with teaching programs. She has held the positions of Division CEO, Market CEO, System COO, Hospital CEO, and Hospital CFO. She has worked with national healthcare systems including HCA, Ascension Health and currently Ardent Health Services.
While Ms. Briggs has broad experience in healthcare her most notable areas of expertise and results include organizational culture, employee engagement, physician alignment, women’s healthcare, compliance, clinically integrated systems of care, and operational excellence including LEAN.
Briggs, an American College of Healthcare Executives Fellow (FACHE), earned her B.S in Accounting from Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, Louisiana, where she was recognized as a top 50 graduate during the 50th anniversary celebration. She completed her MBA at Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama. She was named the Brock School of Business alumni of the year in 2013.
She has a demonstrated her commitment to the communities where she has worked and lived through her involvement with a number of not-for-profit organizations including the American Heart Association, United Way, Salvation Army, Girl Scouts, March of Dimes, Red Cross, and Rotary. Nationally she served on and chaired the Board of the National Perinatal Information Center was a member of the Regional Policy Board of the American Hospital Association and the Maternal Child Section. She is currently serves on the Boards of the Southwest Affiliate of the American Heart Association North East Texas Girl Scouts.
Ms. Briggs has recently to East Texas in March of 2018 when the joint venture between University of Texas and Ardent was formed to create UT Health East Texas. Her previous experience in Texas was as CEO of Longview Regional Medical Center from 1998 to 2005. While in Texas she served on the Board and Executive Committee of the Texas Hospital Association and received the American Hospital Most Valuable Political Action Player Award.

Madhura Chandak Bajaj’s life motto is “The grass is greener where you water it.” At Envision Healthcare, she leads strategy development and execution for the provider documentation and education function of the Medical Group.
Madhura is a data and results-driven professional with extensive clinical and business operations experience. She is passionate about service excellence, continuous quality improvement, clinical and technology integration. Prior to joining Envision she held various leadership roles in health systems, most recently serving as the Executive Director of Clinical Integration with JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas.
Madhura’s graduate degrees are in Physical Therapy and Health Services Administration. She is a Fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Madhura actively participates in the community by volunteering and serving in advisory roles. Born and raised in India, she pursues world travel and soulful music. She lives in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex with her spouse and eight-year-old twin boys.
A fun fact about her – “Will travel for good food!”

Born in Lansing, Michigan, Dr. Suman Sinha earned a bachelor’s in biochemistry from the University of California – San Diego, a master’s in business from the University of Phoenix, a master’s in molecular biology from San Diego State University and his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine. Dr. Sinha is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine and critical care medicine.
Dr. Sinha is married with two daughters. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, reading and music.

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Lunch & Learn: Career Coaching and Branding
2022-07-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us for our next virtual lunch & learn session – offered during the lunch hour for your convenience.

Most of us are developing our own brand within our careers. Have you thought about what your brand is – and if so, are you satisfied with how you are perceived within your job and where you are headed with your career? Join us for our next East Texas ACHE Forum Lunch & Learn event, this time with career coach, Ed Fry, MBA, Founding Partner of HealthSearch Partners – and hear ways you can best take control over the future direction of your career.

Ed Fry is a founding partner of HealthSearch Partners and serves on its board of directors.

Ed has successfully assisted healthcare systems, hospital boards and executive teams in securing visionary leaders for 30 years. Prior to founding FaithSearch Partners in 2007, he held senior/partner positions with two large, national healthcare and international executive search firms.

To date, he has managed more than 500 searches, including nearly 100 CEO-level searches. His clients have included more than half of the 20 largest healthcare systems in the country.

Ed holds an MBA from Dallas Baptist University and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Southwestern Adventist University, where he is a member of the institution’s board of trustees. He also serves on the board of the Ardmore Institute of Health, a $70 million, faith-based national foundation promoting wellness and healthy living, recently completing a four-year stint as board chair.

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Leadership: Revisiting Important Realities-Applications - Dr. Jerry Ledlow
2022-08-31 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us for another of our successful virtual lunch & learn sessions – offered during the lunch hour for your convenience.

Dr. Ledlow is a board-certified healthcare administrator with over 35 years of successful practical and academic experience in leadership and management positions; his experience includes over eleven years in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps, nearly three years in corporate healthcare and over twenty years in academia. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and has led initiatives in healthcare supply chain, managed care, and population health integration with value-based care systems. He has successfully led multiple teams of diverse professionals, from over one hundred professionals to smaller teams, in military, corporate, education and academic programs. Dr. Ledlow has been a founding ‘architect’ or significant contributor to the development and launch of four (4) doctor level and seven (7) master level graduate programs in multiple delivery formats at three research universities in three states. He has co-authored nine volumes of texts/books to include a nationally recognized textbook on healthcare leadership, in 3d edition (earned a Doody’s Review Service 5 Star and 100 out of 100 score) with 4th edition in development and a national level textbook on the healthcare supply chain. Dr. Ledlow is the developer of the Dynamic Culture Leadership Model, the Inter-professional Team Model called PAARP, the Strategic Relationship Assessment Model called CAAVE with an assessment instrument called the CaT(c) used by the Vested Outsourcing Group(tm), and the Emergency Preparedness Assessment System called the GREaT(c) System. He was Dean of the School of Community and Rural Health, Health Science Center at the University of Texas at Tyler. Currently he is a Professor in the Healthcare Policy, Economics and Management Department, the International Chair of the Healthcare Supply Chain Standards Board (ISCEA), inducted in the Kenneth I. Shine, MD Academy for Health Science Education and was the former chair and member of the MD Anderson Cancer Center – UT Health East Texas System Quality and Metrics Group. He is married for 28 years to his wonderful wife Silke and is the father to three wonderful, intelligent, and caring daughters.

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Healthcare Executive Leadership Networking Event
2022-09-22 18:00 - 20:00 | The Grove Kitchen & Gardens, 3500 Old Jacksonville Highway, Tyler, TX, 75701
The East Texas ACHE Forum invites you to share an evening with fellow healthcare colleagues renewing old and making new acquaintances from throughout the East Texas area.

Date: Thursday, September 22, 2022
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location: The Grove Kitchen and Gardens
3500 Old Jacksonville Hwy
Tyler, TX 75701
Note: The event will be held in “The Greenhouse” building

The event is come and go with brief comments at 6:45 p.m. Food and two drinks are complimentary. We ask that masks be worn when not eating or drinking.

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We would like to thank our host for this event:

Leadership Models and Applications to Build Your Organizational Culture
2022-11-02 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Please join us for our next East Texas ACHE Forum Lunch & Learn!
His presentation to us during our August Lunch & Learn was so successful, we wanted to once again tap into the expertise of Dr. Jerry Ledlow – this time to hear his perspective on leadership and building the culture within your organization that you desire.
Gerald (Jerry) Ledlow, Ph.D., MHA, FACHE
Professor, Healthcare Policy, Economics and Management
University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center
Dr. Ledlow is a board-certified healthcare administrator with over 35 years of successful practical and academic experience in leadership and management positions; his experience includes over eleven years in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps, nearly three years in corporate healthcare and over twenty years in academia. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and has led initiatives in healthcare supply chain, managed care, and population health integration with value-based care systems. He has successfully led multiple teams of diverse professionals, from over one hundred professionals to smaller teams, in military, corporate, education and academic programs. Dr. Ledlow has been a founding ‘architect’ or significant contributor to the development and launch of four (4) doctor level and seven (7) master level graduate programs in multiple delivery formats at three research universities in three states. He has co-authored nine volumes of texts/books to include a nationally recognized textbook on healthcare leadership, in 3d edition (earned a Doody’s Review Service 5 Star and 100 out of 100 score) with 4th edition in development and a national level textbook on the healthcare supply chain. Dr. Ledlow is the developer of the Dynamic Culture Leadership Model, the Inter-professional Team Model called PAARP, the Strategic Relationship Assessment Model called CAAVE with an assessment instrument called the CaT(c) used by the Vested Outsourcing Group(tm), and the Emergency Preparedness Assessment System called the GREaT(c) System. He was Dean of the School of Community and Rural Health, Health Science Center at the University of Texas at Tyler. Currently he is a Professor in the Healthcare Policy, Economics and Management Department, the International Chair of the Healthcare Supply Chain Standards Board (ISCEA), inducted in the Kenneth I. Shine, MD Academy for Health Science Education and was the former chair and member of the MD Anderson Cancer Center – UT Health East Texas System Quality and Metrics Group. He is married for 28 years to his wonderful wife Silke and is the father to three wonderful, intelligent, and caring daughters.

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Multi-Chapter Virtual Panel: Equity of Care
2022-11-17 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtual
This virtual event has been approved for 1.5 ACHE Face-to-Face Credits!

Quality of care should not vary on the basis of the patients’ socioeconomic, ethnic, gender, or geographic background. It is known however, that there is a healthcare divide in the U.S. especially in vulnerable populations including: those lacking health insurance (or are underfunded), low-income families, racial and ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ populations. The Affordable Care Act aimed to address access and equity of care issues by expanding health insurance coverage. Deficits in access to care changes the way healthcare is delivered and financed.
To embrace diversity is a core principle of the healthcare management profession and is also an ethical and business imperative. Healthcare organizations must ensure their staff is educated on disparities to appropriately address the needs of patients from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds to provide equitable high-quality care to all. It has been shown that patient-centered care improves clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction while reducing medical errors and costs. Eliminating healthcare disparities provides a strategic component to ensure organizational excellence and long-term financial viability.

Our panel for this virtual event will include the following guest speakers:

Chara Stewart Abrams, MPH (Moderator)
System Director of Community Health and Health Equity
CHRISTUS Health

Terika Richardson, MPH, FACHE
Chief Operating Officer
Ardent Health Services

Denzil K. Ross, MBA
Chief Executive Officer
Northwest Medical Center Houghton

Vesta Sandoval, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Lovelace Medical Center

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Speakers Bios:

Chara Steward Abrams is the System Director of Community Health and Health Equity at CHRISTUS Health, where she is responsible for advancing their mission and vision by building the strategy for and operationalizing community health and health equity in Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and international hospitals. She has over 18 years of experience in healthcare and public health administration. Chara is passionate about working with communities and healthcare organizations to foster strategic partnerships and align evidence-based initiatives to improve community health investment, ensure accountability, and dismantle systemic barriers to quality healthcare. Before joining CHRISTUS Health, she was the Administrative Director for the Department of Psychology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She led clinical and research administration operations, including leading an electronic health records committee to successfully plan and implement the conversion of over 3,800 electronic mental health records, resulting in workflow and efficiency by 35%. Before joining St. Jude, she was the Director of Outreach at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). She led statewide programs to address cancer health disparities and provided a new direction based on Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) principles, patient navigation, and advancing health policy. Chara currently serves as the National Board Secretary of the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE). Chara holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a Master of Public Health from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health.

As chief operating officer of Ardent Health Services, Terika Richardson, MPH, FACHE, oversees the operations and strategic growth of 30 hospitals and more than 200 sites of care across six states. She leads the company’s efforts to build consumer-focused regional health networks and scale clinical and operational best practices across the Ardent system.
Richardson previously served as president of Advocate Aurora Health’s Central Chicagoland Patient Service Area where she oversaw the operations of hospitals, clinics and ambulatory operations. Under her leadership, the organization built out key service lines and developed innovative programs to address community health needs. Prior to joining Advocate Aurora in 2016, she was chief executive officer of Retreat Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, and served in various leadership roles for HCA and Northwell Health.
Richardson earned both an undergraduate degree in biopsychology and cognitive science and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Michigan. A fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, she serves on the board of directors for the American Hospital Association’s Innovation Committee and Institute for Diversity and Health Equity. She has been recognized as one of Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Minority Executives, among the Top 100 Women Leaders in Medicine of 2021 and Crain’s Chicago Business magazine’s 40 Under 40.

Denzil Ross, MBA is an accomplished healthcare executive who has successfully led both for-profit and nonprofit healthcare organizations. With his focus on cultivating relationships, building diverse teams, and delivering high quality patient care, Denzil is a proven and compelling leader in the healthcare systems and services industry.
Denzil is Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Medical Center Houghton, a new 150 bed hospital of the Northwest Health System in Tucson, AZ, which is part of Community Health System (CHS). Denzil was tapped to lead the opening of this hospital that will provide innovative care to patients on the east side of Tucson, a historically underserved community.
Healthcare Leadership Experience

Prior to joining CHS, Denzil served as the Chief Operating Officer of Lovelace Medical Center and the Lead Administrator of the Heart Hospital in Albuquerque, NM. In this role, he led the organization to be named to the Top 50 Cardiac Hospitals list in the US, as determined by the US World News and World Report as well as back-to-back Top Teaching Hospital recognition by the LeapFrog Group, amongst other accolades.
Prior to that, Denzil served as the Chief Operating Officer and Ethics and Compliance Officer of Metropolitan Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, TX, part of HCA Healthcare. Denzil led the organization to the top 10th percentile ranking for 5 consecutive quarters for patient satisfaction and the top 5% in the company.
Previously, Denzil served as the Associate Chief Operating Officer and Ethics and Compliance Officer at Overland Park Regional Medical Center in Overland Park, KS, another HCA Healthcare hospital, where he installed a Pediatric service line to the campus and achieved designation as a Level I, ACS verified Trauma Center.

Denzil received a Bachelor of Science, cum laude, in Computer Science and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration from Park University, Kansas City, MO. Denzil has served on the boards of Make A Wish of South/Central Texas and New Mexico, American Heart Association NM, APS Advisory Group, and Western Governors University Advisory Board.

Vesta Sandoval, M.D., is Chief Medical Officer of Lovelace Medical Center.
As an integral part of the Lovelace family, Dr. Sandoval has served as past Chief of Staff at Lovelace Medical Center, Chair of the Ethics Committee, and served as chair or member of Critical Care, Stroke, Peer Review and Credentials Committees. She also served as the Director of the intensive care unit (ICU) and Director of Respiratory services for Lovelace Westside Hospital, Lovelace Women’s Hospital and Lovelace Medical Center. She is on the Lovelace Medical Center hospital board of directors and serves as President of the Board of the Greater Albuquerque Medical Association. Dr Sandoval has served on the Medical Advisory Board to the Governor during the covid crisis to aid in vaccinations, treatment and patient transport as well as equipment and PPE distribution for the state of New Mexico. Dr. Sandoval has been a Fellow of American Chest Physicians since 2001. She was named a Top Doc by ABQ the Magazine in 2012.
Dr Sandoval was born and raised in New Mexico. Graduated from Los Lunas High School and attended collage on a basketball scholarship.
Dr. Sandoval received a bachelor of science degree from University of Texas at Arlington in Arlington, TX and a master of science degree from University of Houston at Clear Lake in Houston, TX. She earned her degree in medicine from Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock, TX. Dr. Sandoval completed her internal medicine residency at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, as well as her fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care medicine.

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Multi-Chapter Event: Population Health Management
2022-11-17 13:30 - 15:00 | Virtual
This event has been approved for 1.5 ACHE Face-to-Face Credits!

As reimbursements shift from volume based to value based, healthcare organizations are becoming more responsible for providing the resources necessary to meet the needs of a given population. Aligning quality of care with the appropriate level of care and services becomes pertinent to healthcare organizations’ bottom line. It is imperative for healthcare leaders to develop programs that offer underserved communities an opportunity for a healthier tomorrow.

Several pioneer organizations have developed population health improvement models such as Accountable Care Organizations that force them to take responsibility for the beneficiaries they are serving. As the acuity of care increases, healthcare leaders must coordinate equitable care and properly address social determinants of health. The focus is no longer treating patients, but proactively keeping patients out of the acute healthcare setting and providing care in the community.

Developing population health management into a tangible measure continues to be a challenge for all healthcare organizations across the country. How to properly reduce costs while improving the quality and access of care in communities that lack the resources and education to care for themselves and prevent acute health issues and substantive chronic disease continues to be a major hurdle in population health adoption.

Our panel for this virtual event will include the following guest speakers:

Jordan Holzbog
Director of Population Health & Partnership Services
Wise Health System

Byron W. Hunter, PhD, MPH, FACHE (Moderator)
Community/Population Health Strategist

Faith M Jones, MSN, RN, NEA-BC
Director of Care Coordination and Lean Consulting
HealthTech

Frances A. Monroe, MHA
Director, Population Health & Wellness Strategy
Memorial Hermann Health System

Dr. Trevor Rohm
Chief Medical Officer
Hereford Regional Medial Center, Hereford, Texas

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Jordan Holzbog is the Director of Population Health and Partnership Services at Wise Health System in Decatur, TX, where she oversees population health programs, including ACO and Social Determinants of Health and their community health initiative, Healthy Wise County as well as several outpatient clinic locations in the metroplex. She obtained a Masters in Healthcare Administration from Texas Tech Health Sciences Center and her undergrad from Southern Illinois University. Jordan is passionate about population health and improving outcomes while steering patients toward healthy living and resources to improve their overall health status. Jordan and her team lead the Healthy Wise County initiative, which unites healthcare providers and non-profit agencies to work together and impact patient outcomes outside the hospital and clinic settings within Wise County. She created Wise Gives Charitable Fair in partnership with Wise Health System and Acts4Others, serving 10,000+ people at the annual event in December, providing free services including food, social service assistance, haircuts, eye and physical exams, vaccines, lab work, coats and blankets, household goods and more – she even convinces Santa to make an appearance. Jordan is the chair of the Decatur ISD School Health Advisory Council, and President-elect for the Decatur Chamber of Commerce, and a founding member of Leadership Decatur. She and her husband have two sons and enjoy cooking together and spending time outdoors with their dog, Pepper!

Byron W. Hunter, PhD, MPH, FACHE is a public-health trained, hospital administrator with experience across multiple healthcare settings. Byron earned a BS in Public Health from Dillard University, which is one of the nation’s oldest HBCUs located in New Orleans, LA; a MPH from Yale University School of Public Health; and a PhD in Health Studies from Texas Woman’s University. He began his career as an Administrative Fellow and has risen through the ranks of inpatient and ambulatory leadership.
Byron currently works as a community/population health strategist and leads large-scale innovation projects to reduce cost, improve quality, enhance provider experience, and promote health equity among low-income and vulnerable patients. His research focuses on chronic disease prevention (overweight, obesity, and diabetes) among African American men. He is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and is committed to community and public service.

Faith Jones is the Director of Care Coordination and Lean Consulting for HealthTech. She currently implements care coordination programs focusing on the Medicare population and teaches concepts related to care coordination and team-based approach to care nationally. Ms. Jones began her healthcare career in the Navy over 40 years ago. She has worked in a variety of roles in clinical practice, education, administration, and consulting. In her leadership roles she has been responsible for the operational leadership for all clinical functions across the healthcare system including ambulatory care and community networking. She has held a variety of leadership positions in the profession of nursing having completed 7 years of service on the American Nurses Association Board of Directors as a Director at Large and the Vice President. She holds a certification from the ANCC as a Nurse Executive Advanced, is a fellow of the American Nurses Advocacy Institute and the ANA-PAC Leadership Society and is certified in Advance Care Planning and Lean for Healthcare.
Frances Monroe is a system director of population health and wellness strategy for Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston, Texas. She has over twelve years of experience in public health and hospital/clinic operations, with the last seven focused on population health strategy and operations. Frances is passionate about creating innovative strategies to expand Value-Based Care initiatives, address Social Determinants of Health, advance well-being offerings, and leverage technology and meaningful systems to expand access to healthcare services equitably. She holds a Masters in Healthcare Administration from Trinity University and a Bachelors of Science in Community Public Health from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
Dr. Trevor Rohm currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer of Hereford Regional Medial Center in Hereford, West Texas. He is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Clinical Informatics. He serves as Medical Director for various organizations, including Medical Director and Board Chairman for the Texas Panhandle Clinical Partners Accountable Care Organization (tpcpaco.com). He is also the current CEO of the International Information Management Association (IIMA.org). He has various publications and was an integral part of helping Hardeman County Memorial Hospital successfully navigate Chapter 9 Federal Bankruptcy. His focus is value-based healthcare and using data analytics to push forward modern healthcare. He continues to see patients at the Hereford Health Clinic.

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Leading a Culture of Safety: A Blueprint for Success
2022-12-08 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtual
This virtual panel is approved for 1.5 ACHE Face-to-Face credits.
Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States at 220,000 to 440,000 people dying each year from preventable errors according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Clinicians and hospital staff face a devastating impact as a result of being involved with a medical error especially in organizations without a support system in place. Moreover, only 64% of staff who responded to the 2016 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture’s hospital comparative database felt that reported mistakes led to positive changes. To help healthcare leaders achieve total system safety across the continuum, ACHE, and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement/National Patient Safety Foundation Lucian Leape Institute developed a guide “Leading a Culture of Safety: A Blueprint for Success”. This Blueprint is designed to help leaders shape, create and sustain the type of organizational culture needed to ensure patient and workforce safety and inspire healthcare leaders on the journey to zero harm.

Our Panelists:

Kenneth Rates (Moderator)
Director of Operations
McLaren Medical Group
Jonathan Baktari, M.D.
CEO
e7 Health and US Drug Test Centers
Catie Beasley
Coordinator of Quality & Safety Culture
Cook Children’s Health Care System
Richard Greenhill, DHA CPHQ, PMP, FISQua, FACHE
Assistant Professor
TTUHSC
Tracy O’Daniel
VP of Clinical Outcomes and High Reliability
Ardent

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Speakers’ Bios:

Dr. Jonathan Baktari, MD is the CEO at both e7 Health and US Drug Test Centers and the host of Baktari MD. e7 health is a preventative health and wellness company that has been called the “the Uber of preventive medicine” and was named the Best Technology Company in the Healthcare Space in 2019. US Drug Test Centers is a nationwide network of over 20,000 testing centers in the US and is revolutionizing drug and alcohol testing across the nation. Both of these groundbreaking technology companies were born out of a combination of Dr. Baktari’s expertise as a doctor, medical director and educator and his over 20 years of clinical, administrative and entrepreneurial experience. A former triple board-certified physician with specialties in internal medicine, pulmonary and critical care medicine, being a healthcare CEO is only the latest chapter in Dr. Baktari’s life mission to help others by making integrative preventative medicine available to everyone.

Catie Beasley serves as the Coordinator of Quality & Safety Culture for Cook Children’s Health System and has over 14 years of organizational culture development experience. Her background is in public health and focuses on large scale interventions that shift behaviors and habits over time. She began her quality & safety journey in 2009 as the lead trainer for the implementation of Just Culture at Cook Children’s. When Cook joined with Solutions for Patient Safety in 2012 to continue developing their formal Safety Culture work Catie lead the roll-out and training courses that guide employees and leaders to understand the impact of culture, systems and behaviors on outcomes. Throughout her years of leading safety culture work at Cook Children’s she has created countless opportunities for individuals to deepen their understanding of safety science, the interaction of people and process, human factors integration, transformational leadership, the power of peer coaching and mobilizing learning opportunities. Catie holds an M.A. in Health Education from the University of Texas in Austin and a B.A. in Sports and Exercise Science from West Texas A&M University. She loves assisting other hospitals on their journey and has served as a regional subject matter expert for the state of Texas through Solutions for Patient Safety over the last 4 years.

Richard G. Greenhill, DHA CPHQ, PMP, FISQua, FACHE is internationally recognized for his expertise in healthcare quality. He draws from 30+ years of experience working in all facets of the care delivery continuum. Greenhill holds several industry and board certifications in quality, six sigma, and project management that highlight his commitment to excellence and life-long learning. His educational accolades include a Doctorate Health Administration from Central Michigan University, Master of Science in Data Science, Texas Tech University, Master of Science in Health Administration, Master of Business Administration, University of Maryland Global Campus and Bachelor of Science Health Care Management, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
Greenhill is ACHE Faculty for quality strategy and improvement; board certified in healthcare management and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE). He is Deputy Editor of the International Journal for Quality in Healthcare (IJCOMS), Communications and was named to the roster of International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua) Experts in patient safety and quality improvement methodologies. In addition, he serves as a subject matter expert for hospital resilience and disaster preparedness for the World Health Organization (WHO).
He currently serves as Assistant Director for Graduate Certificates and Assistant Professor in the Department of Healthcare Management and Leadership – School of Health Professions – Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
He is a heavily sought-after speaker, moderator, & presenter for national and international conferences. When not traveling, he spends time hiking, painting, and enjoying community events with friends in the Dallas Fort-Worth Metroplex.

As vice president for clinical outcomes high reliability, Tracy O’Daniel leads the clinical outcomes and patient safety initiatives for Ardent’s Amarillo/Harker Heights and UT Health East Texas markets. She oversees the development of a quality strategy for each organization and works closely with the quality team and hospital senior leaders to achieve their strategic plan goals and objectives. In addition, Ms. O’Daniel is also leading the rollout of the “Mission Zero: Our Culture of Safety” high reliability organization (HRO) program which she was instrumental in developing for the UT Health East Texas market.

Most recently, Ms. O’Daniel led quality, risk, patient safety and performance improvement at UT Health East Texas in Tyler, Texas, first as director then as vice president. In addition to her work on “Mission Zero,” she achieved a significant improvement in quality outcomes through her focus on achieving the best possible outcome and experience for both patient and caregiver. Before moving to East Texas, she worked in quality and clinical operations for Intermountain Healthcare in Utah.

Ms. O’Daniel received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Tyler, a Master of Science degree from Drexel University and a Master of Health Care Administration degree from Walden University. She is certified in Lean and Six Sigma, Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety.

Kenneth Rates is the Host of the podcast So You Want To Be A Healthcare Executive? His mission is to share the stories of highly successful executives in the hopes of striving you to achieve more in your career. He works in Ambulatory Care, currently holding positions at both Michigan Medicine and the University of Detroit Mercy. He is the current President-Elect for the Michigan Medical Group Management Association. Ken is a recipient of the American College of Healthcare Executives Early Careerist’s Regent Award in 2019.

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Sustainability of Healthcare Organizations: A Plan of Action
2022-12-08 13:30 - 15:00 | Virtual
The panel has been approved for 1.5 ACHE Face-to-Face Credits.

Issues surrounding sustainability for healthcare institutions into the 21stcentury in the U.S., with regards to the era of healthcare reform, are very complex. Within the scope of priorities, this discussion will emphasize the necessity of understanding the key potential and existing operational and cost problem areas for healthcare system growth and sustainability as healthcare providers continue to face future operational, reimbursement, and environmental challenges. The primary goal of this discussion is to provide an overview of the models of current successes and solutions with a focus on a realistic plan of action.

Our Panelists:

Donna Bowers (Moderator)
Regional Director for the Cardiovascular and Oncology Services Lines
UT Health East Texas Health System

Dr. Yele Aluko CMO, EY
Chief Medical Officer
EY Americas Health Advisory

Guy Cayo, FACHE, CEO, UT
Chief Executive Officer
UT Health Pittsburg (Ardent Health Services)

Dr. Suman Sinha
Chief, Pulmonary Medicine
CHRISTUS Health

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Speakers’ Bios:
Yele Aluko MD, MBA is Chief Medical Officer in EY Americas Health Advisory practice. He advises health system C-suite and senior executives on strategy and business operations and provides insight on megatrends confronting the health industry. He is a proven physician executive and corporate leader with astute understanding of strategy that develops competitive advantage for healthcare organizations. As Director of the EY Center for Health Equity he leads EY teams in the design of customized strategy, solutions and competency building for health sector value chain participants seeking to achieve Health Equity.

Prior to joining EY in October 2016, he practiced cardiovascular medicine for 25 years at Novant Health, a southeast regional integrated healthcare system where he led enterprise clinical integration strategy, operations management, and care delivery within the heart and vascular service line across the fifteen-hospital health system footprint.

He obtained his MBA from Wake Forest University School of Business, Interventional Cardiology Fellowship from University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Invasive Cardiology Fellowship from Cornell University Medical Center, General Cardiology Fellowship and an Internal Medicine Residency from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine from the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

He is certified by the American and Canadian Boards of Internal Medicine, and the American Boards of Cardiovascular Medicine and Interventional Cardiology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC), and the Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions (FSCAI).

He is an Advisory Board member at Harvard Business Review, Honeywell Healthcare Solutions, Children’s National Hospital and is co-chair of the Health Equity Advisory Board at the International Well Building Institute.

Donna Bowers is the Regional Director for the Cardiovascular and Oncology Services Lines at UT Health East Texas Health System. She joined UT Health East Texas in June of 2020 as the executive responsible for both services lines. With a focus on person-centered care and quality improvement, she provides strategic direction to the health care system and establishes a cohesive organizational and governance structure that supports the UT Health East Texas care continuum. In addition, she provides oversight for clinical activities and programs; ensures the ﬁnancial viability of oncology and cardiovascular initiatives; and works to establish collaborative relationships among departments, physicians, medical groups, business partners and the community.

In her previous role with SCL Health System, she served for over five years as Vice President of Oncology and Cardiovascular Services in Colorado and Montana. Before joining SCL Health, she served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Service Lines with McKesson Specialty Health, where she greatly expanded hospital business, developed the oncology service line and strategy, and built a Proton Therapy Center, among a list of accomplishments. While at Baylor Health Care System for over 30 years, she held several leadership positions, leaving as the Chief Operating Oﬃcer of Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center and Vice President of Oncology.

Donna holds a Juris Doctorate from Texas A&M Law School, and a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management from Texas Woman’s University. She is a Licensed Attorney in the State of Texas, and a Registered Health Information Administrator. In addition, she is certified in Healthcare Privacy by the American Health Information Management Association, and is a Certified Mediator through the Dallas Dispute Mediation Services and Texas A&M Law School.

Guy Cayo, MHSA, CLSSGB, FACHE is the Chief Executive Officer at UT Health Pittsburg (Ardent Health Services).
Guy has 15 years of healthcare experience with expertise in hospital operations, strategic planning & execution, contract management, business development & physician relations, and human capital management. He has served his community by leading improvement in health, quality of life, and through volunteerism and philanthropy.

In 2021, Guy joined the UT Health East Texas region of hospitals as UT Health Pittsburg Chief Executive Officer. UT Health Pittsburg is a 25 beds critical access hospital (5 star CMS, level four trauma, level three stroke support) located in Pittsburg, TX. The campus is also home to a rural health/specialty clinic.

Guy is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He previously served as Chair of ACHE Community & Philanthropy Committee and Co-Chair of Network & Relations for ACHE South East Texas Chapter. He has one son, Cayden A. Scott. Guy has several hobbies including scuba diving, archery, swimming, and hiking. In addition, he believes he is nothing without God’s grace and favor on his life.

Born in Lansing, Michigan, Dr. Suman Sinha earned a bachelor’s in biochemistry from the University of California – San Diego, a master’s in business from the University of Phoenix, a master’s in molecular biology from San Diego State University and his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine. Dr. Sinha is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine and critical care medicine.
Dr. Sinha is married with two daughters. He enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, reading and music.

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An Overview of Health System Priorities for the 88th Texas Legislative Session
2022-12-15 18:00 - 19:00
Please join the East Texas ACHE Forum for this special (virtual) year-end event, where John M. Hawkins, President & CEO of the Texas Hospital Association will be providing us An Overview of Health System Priorities for the 88th Texas Legislative Session.

This is a complimentary event for all ACHE members and students!
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John M. Hawkins took the helm as president and chief executive officer of the Texas Hospital Association on Jan. 1, 2022. He is the organization’s sixth CEO since its inception in 1930. A longtime advocacy veteran, Hawkins has more than 35 years of experience in legislative, leadership and policy circles and has deep knowledge of health care and hospital funding issues. As CEO, he represents the Texas hospital industry locally and nationally and helps ensure hospitals have the resources they need to deliver the highest quality health care to all Texans.
Over the years, Hawkins has fostered critical relationships among business, consumer and medical communities and continues to position THA as a thought leader and single, powerful voice for Texas hospitals.
Prior to being named CEO, Hawkins served as THA’s senior vice president of advocacy and public policy since 2004. With a long tenure at the association, his team consistently secured important resources for Texas health care, including hospital Medicaid rates, funding for trauma and behavioral health services, funding for workforce training and protections for the state’s critical safety net Medicaid supplemental payment programs. Hawkins’ team also was an integral force during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to secure staffing, supplies, vaccines and flexibilities for hospitals to keep patients safe.
Before to joining THA, Hawkins had a key role in streamlining state agencies at the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, where he managed teams of analysts and testified on issues for the Commission. He also gained early experience as a legislative staffer in the Texas House of Representatives and as a legislative liaison at the Texas Department of Information Resources.
In 2020, Hawkins completed a six-month immersive hospital residency program at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest where he gained hands-on hospital operations experience, shadowing leadership, interacting with staff and participating in governing board activities.
Hawkins graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in government. He is married to Cami Hawkins, CEO of Marathon Kids, and they have two children, Madi and Jack.

Immediately following the presentation, there will also be a brief East Texas ACHE Forum annual meeting of the membership, to formally elect the 2023 chapter officers and new board members.

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Leadership Leverage: The Principles Smart Leaders Leverage to Improve Team Performance
2023-03-01 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
It is common for healthcare leaders to feel they have to choose between an engaged team or a productive one. The work environment can either be peaceful and healthy or full of conflict and dysfunction. Smart leaders know there is a third way. In this session, we will examine the principles that foster both progress and peace within a team; principles that simultaneously deliver organizational growth and health.

Join us for our next East Texas ACHE Forum Lunch & Learn!

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Kevin Johnson is the founder of LeadTandem Consulting and Express Pros Training and is a distributor of the OAD Personality Assessment. He has decades of experience in Management, Business Development, Business Strategy, Consulting, Training, Speaking and Teaching. He’s worked on projects with companies like Northwestern Mutual, Clayton Homes, TechServ and BioMerics. He is a professional speaker for Vistage – the world’s largest executive coaching and peer advisory organization.

Kevin also teaches business courses as an adjunct professor at his local college and serves on its Business Management Advisory Committee. Kevin holds an MBA from The University of Texas at Tyler and a Graduate Certificate in Systems Thinking from Cornell University.

A voracious reader and an aspiring runner, Kevin shares his life and home in Tyler, Texas with his wife, two daughters, and three dogs.

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Explore ways you can take your leadership to the next level:
www.leadtandem.com
www.expressprostraining.com
www.oadllc.com

Six More Rules for Career Life
2023-04-05 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us for our next East Texas ACHE Forum Lunch & Learn event!

In the Summer of 2022, Ed Fry, MBA, healthcare executive search consultant, Founder/CEO of FaithSearch Partners and Co-founder of HealthSearch Partners—brought us valuable insight on career coaching with a presentation entitled “The 12 Rules for Career Life.” These 12 principles were relevant reminders on how to leverage our personal brands for success. As a follow up to these 12 guidelines, Ed is adding an additional six principles to build off the foundation. Don’t worry if you missed last year’s discussion, this presentation will recap the original 12 guidelines and take a deeper dive into the new ones. The audience is sure to leave with valuable advice on career coaching, personal brand development, positioning for interview success, and more.

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Ed Fry, MBA, is a founding partner of HealthSearch Partners and serves on its board of directors.

Ed has successfully assisted healthcare systems, hospital boards and executive teams in securing visionary leaders for 30 years. Prior to founding FaithSearch Partners in 2007, he held senior/partner positions with two large, national healthcare and international executive search firms.

To date, he has managed more than 500 searches, including nearly 100 CEO-level searches. His clients have included more than half of the 20 largest healthcare systems in the country.

Ed holds an MBA from Dallas Baptist University and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Southwestern Adventist University, where he is a member of the institution’s board of trustees. He also serves on the board of the Ardmore Institute of Health, a $70 million, faith-based national foundation promoting wellness and healthy living, recently completing a four-year stint as board chair.

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Healthcare Executive Leadership Networking Event
2023-04-18 17:30 - 19:30 | The Grove Kitchen & Gardens, 3500 Old Jacksonville Highway, Tyler, TX, 75701
The East Texas ACHE Forum invites you to join fellow healthcare colleagues and making new acquaintances from throughout the East Texas area. Please feel free to bring a guest.
Hors d’oeuvres and two drinks will be complimentary.
Note: The event will be held in “The Greenhouse” building
Schedule of evening:
• Mix & Mingle: 5:30pm-6:30
• Brief Remarks: 6:30-7:00pm

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Sustainability of Healthcare Organizations: A Plan of Action
2023-05-03 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtual
This panel has been approved for 1.5 Virtual ACHE Face-to-Face credits!

Issues surrounding sustainability for healthcare institutions into the 21stcentury in the U.S., with regards to the era of healthcare reform, are very complex. Within the scope of priorities, this discussion will emphasize the necessity of understanding the key potential and existing operational and cost problem areas for healthcare system growth and sustainability as healthcare providers continue to face future operational, reimbursement, and environmental challenges. The primary goal of this discussion is to provide an overview of the models of current successes and solutions with a focus on a realistic plan of action.

Moderator:
Kerri Camp, Professor of Marketing, University of Texas at Tyler

Panelists:
Vicki Briggs, LFACHE, Retired CEO, UT Health Tyler
Dr. Roger Fowler, Chief Medical Director of Quality, Performance & Innovation, CHRISTUS Health
Jason Reinhardt, FACHE, Regional Vice President of Operations, Concentra

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Speakers Bios:

Vicki Briggs, MBA, and Lifetime Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives is an experienced healthcare executive with over 35 years of C-Suite experience in hospital and healthcare system administration in the not-for-profit and for-profit healthcare sectors. She retired as CEO of UT Health Tyler in October 2022 after joining UTHET in March 2018 when the joint venture was formed by UT and Ardent Health Services to acquire the ETMC Regional Health System.

Throughout her career, Ms. Briggs has had responsibility for 25 hospitals ranging from small rural, critical access, community, and specialty to large tertiary with teaching programs. She has held the positions of Division CEO, Market CEO, System COO, Hospital CEO, and Hospital CFO. She has worked with national healthcare systems including HCA, Ascension Health and Ardent Health Services.

While Ms. Briggs has broad experience in healthcare her most notable areas of expertise and results include organizational culture, employee engagement, physician alignment, women’s healthcare, compliance, clinically integrated systems of care, and operational excellence including LEAN. Her commitment to recognizing the importance of supporting employees at the bedside was acknowledged in 2022 and 2021 when she was recognized as Best Boss by the Tyler Telegraph Best in Town program.

Briggs earned her B.S. in Accounting from Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, Louisiana, where she was recognized as a top 50 graduate during the 50th anniversary celebration. She completed her MBA at Samford University, Birmingham, Alabama. She was named the Brock School of Business alumni of the year in 2013.

She has demonstrated her commitment to the communities where she has worked and lived through her involvement with not-for-profit organizations including the American Heart Association, United Way, March of Dimes, Red Cross, Salvation Army and Rotary. Nationally she served on and chaired the Board of the National Perinatal Information Center, was a member of the Regional Policy Board of the American Hospital Association and the Maternal Child Section. She has served as Chair of the Board of the Southeast Affiliate of the American Heart Association and served on the Audit and Quality Committees. She co-founded the Council of Women’s and Children’s Hospitals. She has been a speaker for the American Hospital Association, HFMA and ACHE.

Ms. Briggs’ experience in East Texas includes serving as CEO of Longview Regional Medical Center from 1998 to 2005 in addition of being CEO of UT Health Tyler. She has served on the Board and Executive Committee of the Texas Hospital Association and received the American Hospital Association Most Valuable Political Action Player Award.

Currently, Ms. Briggs serves on the Boards of Hospice of East Texas, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas and the Southwest Affiliate of the American Heart Association where she is chairing the Rural Health Summit being planned for later this year, which will focus on improving cardiovascular outcomes by engaging the broader community.

Dr. Kerri M. Camp is a Professor of Marketing and former associate dean at the University of Texas at Tyler. She has taught several courses at the undergraduate and graduate level, including healthcare marketing, healthcare management, and special topics in healthcare in UT Tyler’s online MBA in healthcare management and executive MBA in healthcare management programs. She holds a PhD from Texas Tech University, MBA in management from Golden Gate University, and BBA in marketing from Texas A&M University.

Dr. Camp has over seven years of industry experience in healthcare administration and marketing consulting for healthcare organizations and has served on multiple boards and advisory committees. She has been invited as a columnist for The Daily Sentinel, a media consultant for local ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC news, and a guest speaker for numerous state and local organizations.

Her primary research focus is healthcare management issues including the role of patient satisfaction and value in healthcare. Her research has been published in the Journal of Consumer Behaviour, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Journal of Retail and Consumer Services, Family Business Review, and the Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, among others. Dr. Camp is a co-author of the book Healthcare Marketing –Strategies for Creating Value in the Patient Experience and has a new book that will be released in 2024 on patient satisfaction. She has received numerous teaching awards including the 2017 Provost Excellence in Teaching Award.

Roger Fowler, MD, began solo Family Medicine Practice in Kilgore, Texas, from October 1981 until November 1996. He provided full spectrum Family Medicine care, including ambulatory, inpatient, emergency department, obstetrics including deliveries and c-sections, minor surgery, nursing homes, and home visits. In 1996, he joined the newly formed Trinity Clinic, an employed physician group that had incorporated 1 year earlier and was part of the integrated Trinity Mother Frances Health System.
In November 2005, he moved his practice to Lindale, Texas, to assist in opening a new concept “health park” for TMF and the Trinity Clinic, practicing only ambulatory care in Family Medicine as well as Urgent Care. He transitioned over the next 12 years away from urgent care to primary care, only. Then in 2010 began a new part-time administrative role. That role grew to 80% administrative time as Population Health and leading value based performance became more important within the Trinity Clinic. He ceased with direct patient care January 31, 2017, as he assumed a fulltime administrative role with CHRISTUS Health.
While with the Trinity Clinic, he served many governance and clinical leadership roles including Trinity Clinic Board member for 9 years, serving the last 5 years as Chairman. He served on various committees including Finance, Customer Service and Quality. He provided medical leadership for the PCMH recognition for all of primary care in 2011. The Clinic achieved Level III PCMH recognition for all 120 primary care providers.
He served as Chief of Primary Care for 2 years from 2012-2014, until assuming full responsibility for Population Health for the Trinity Clinic.
He envisioned, launched and provided leadership for the department of Population Health for the Trinity Clinic in January 2015 until joining CHRISTUS Health in February 2017 as Chief Medical Director of Population Health and Health Plans, CMO for the CHRISTUS Health Quality Care Alliance (ACO) and CHRISTUS Quality Network (CIN).
Beginning in November of 2019, Roger also became involved with the CHRISTUS Health Plan (CHP) and assumed leadership for the Pharmacy and Quality Improvement departments for the CHP. Subsequently, his role expanded in May of 2021 when the Medical Management Department also came under his leadership.
Finally, as of 12/31/2023, Roger has retired from full-time employment and is attempting to navigate “retirement.”
Roger is married to Patty Fowler for 35 years. Patty is now a “crafter” after a career as a Physical Therapist Assistant. We have a blended family of 3 boys and 1 girl with 3 grandchildren. We love spending time with family. For recreation, Roger spends time in pursuit of fitness, especially running for the past 43 years, and golf.
We have been Blessed and acknowledge our Christian beliefs. We worship in the Episcopal Church at Church of the Apostles in Coppell, Texas.

As an accomplished healthcare executive, Jason Reinhardt has more than 16 years of experience in healthcare administration. Jason currently serves as the Regional Vice President of Operations for Concentra, a division of Select Medical and the nation’s leading provider of occupational medicine. In his current role, Jason oversees the operation of over 100 medical centers and onsite clinics across Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico, and California. Prior to joining Concentra in 2019, Jason held a number of leadership roles with Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals & Clinics – now the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System – in Tyler, Texas and Baylor Scott & White Health in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Over the years, Jason has served on the boards of numerous non-profit organizations. Jason served as board chairman for Junior Achievement of Tyler 2015-2016. In late 2016, Jason received the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Service Award for contributions made to the East Texas ACHE chapter. Jason currently lives in the Rockwall area with his wife of 16 years, Amber, and their two boys, Wade and Ben. He serves as a volunteer at his church in the youth ministry and coaches his sons’ sports teams in his free time.

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Behavioral Healthcare: Approaches to Increase Value for the Organization and Meet Community Needs
2023-05-03 13:30 - 15:00
This panel has been approved for 1.5 Virtual ACHE Face-to-Face credits!

Historically, hospitals and health systems have not always embraced a role in meeting behavioral health needs in communities because managing behavioral healthcare and mental health is very complex. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S.—43.8 million, or 18.5%—experiences mental illness in a given year. The rate of youth with severe depression increased from 5.9% in 2012 to 8.2% in 2015. Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder also meet criteria related to having a physical illness or substance abuse. Physical health and mental health issues occur together. For example, people with diabetes or cardiac conditions often develop depression as well. Being able to receive treatment for both conditions through an integrated behavioral health and primary care setting can be especially helpful since how we live our lives (behave) and our physical and mental health all interact with each other in complex ways.

Ultimately, the goals of behavioral health interventions are similar to those of other primary care treatment: helping people function so they can lead healthier, fuller lives. Receiving both behavioral health and primary care treatment in one integrated setting can help people continue to work or attend school, to engage with their families, to participate in their communities, and to be able to thrive. Managing co-morbidities can lead to an increase in cost and potentially a decrease in reimbursement. Mental Health America has reported that while most Americans have access to mental healthcare services through the affordable care act about 56% of individuals with a mental health disorder do not receive treatment. It is noted that in states with low workforce, there is a shortage of mental healthcare providers (psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, and psychiatric nurses). As hospitals and healthcare systems begin to make the movement away from volume toward value-based care healthcare executives need to implement best practices to align and coordinate high quality care, reduce utilization in the emergency room, address workforce composition, control costs and meet the ethnic and racial disparities of the community.

Moderator:
George Roberts, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer, Northeast Public Health District

Panelists:
Carol Henson, MS, MPA/HCA, BSN, BSW-IPR, CCM, CHWI, Behavioral Health Administrator, University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler
Dr. Antionette Lenton, Behavioral Health Physician, Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System
Loretta Swan, Independent Consultant for various healthcare & legal organizations
Christopher Taylor, Executive Director, Mosaic Counseling Centers of East Texas

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Speakers Bios:

Carol Henson, MS, MPA/HCA, BSN, BSW-IPR, CCM, CHWI, is a registered nurse, social worker, certified case manager, community health worker instructor, and youth mentor. As the Behavioral Health Administrator for the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, she provides oversight for planning, coordinating, and administrative activities related to the clinical operations of the behavioral health service line. She also works collaboratively with the behavioral health educational programs in psychiatry and psychology, recruitment of staff and faculty, and external funding initiatives. As a mental health professional, she promotes accessible, available, and affordable mental health care in all communities, mainly rural communities. She thrives on challenges, particularly those that expand the boundaries and invokes change in the status quo regarding minority populations accessing health care timely.

Mrs. Henson attended college in Tyler, Texas, at Texas College and later the University of Texas at Tyler. She is a fellow of America’s Essential Hospital’s Adaptive Leadership Program and was recognized by the University of Texas at Tyler’s College of Nursing as the 2018 Outstanding Alumni. In 2022, she received the UT Health East Texas North Campus Leader of the Year award.

Community service plays an integral part in Mrs. Henson’s life. She participates in missionary activities like homeless outreach, serving meals at the Salvation Army, and providing toiletries to college students. In addition, she is a member of the Smith County Behavioral Health Leadership Team and the Smith County Jail In-reach project.

Antoinette Lenton, MD attended the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. During medical school, she commissioned into the United States Army as an Officer through the Health Professions Scholars Program. During her time in the military, she completed her Psychiatry residency program at Tripler Army Medical Center, promoted to the rank of Major and served in several leadership positions to include Substance Use Disorder Clinical Care Consultant, Medical Director of Behavioral Health Clinical Services, Chief Resident of Wellness, and Chief of Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit. She joined the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System in 2022 where she supervises a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner while also seeing her own panel of patients full time at Behavioral Health Clinic located at the Douglas Clinic.

George T. Roberts, Jr., has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Northeast Texas Public Health District (NET Health) since November 2006. Services provided by NET Health include Community Outreach, Disease Surveillance, Environmental Health, Immunization, Tuberculosis Control, Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Regional Laboratory, Vital Statistics, and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Program. The Health District primarily serves Tyler and Smith County but also provides some services in 21 counties in East Texas. The WIC Program serves a 20 county area and Public Health Preparedness serves a 7 county region.

Mr. Roberts has over 40 years of health care experience, the majority of which was spent in hospital administration, having previously served at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, and Henderson Memorial Hospital in Henderson, Texas. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from SMU in Dallas and a Master’s Degree in Health Administration from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a Fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives (ACHE), and he currently serves as President of the East Texas ACHE Chapter. He is a member of the Board of the American Board of Preventive Medicine, the Texas Health Institute, Carter BloodCare, the Piney Woods Regional Advisory Council, and the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce. He is Past President of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and the Texas Association of City and County Health Officials (TACCHO), and the Past Chairman of the Texas Health Institute. Mr. Roberts is active in a number of church, community, and statewide efforts. Mr. Roberts has been married to his wife Leslie for 35 years, and they have 2 children – Claire (30) and Travis (26).

Loretta Swan has over twenty years of healthcare administration experience, including:
o Coordinating the creation of an FQHC clinic.
o Working as practice administrator for various healthcare facilities, including serving as the VP for healthcare operations for a system with over 350+ physicians and ~1000 employees and provided administrative supervision of operational activity for multiple clinics and strategic planning.
o Recruiting physicians.
o Collaborating with a team at various healthcare clinics to implement EMRs, including EPIC.
o Directing and implementing a billing service for out-of-state physicians.
o Spearheading multi-specialty physician group mergers and developing the central business office operations.
o Implementing medical coding auditing and training teams to ensure organizational compliance.
o Providing healthcare consulting services.
• Most recently, served as the Dean over the Professional and Technical Programs at TJC, training ~5000 students. The programs consisted of 42 degrees and certificates and had 14 Dept. Chairs.
• Currently and in the past, she has also served on various boards (healthcare, academic, religious and other community) and volunteer for CASA and at small healthcare clinics assisting with their revenue cycle.

Chris Taylor is a native Tylerite who currently serves as the Executive Director of Mosaic Counseling Centers of East Texas – a nonprofit organization that delivers therapeutic mental healthcare to East Texans across more than 35 counties. Mosaic focuses on improving affordability and accessibility of care by offering discounted fees based on household income as well as supervised care provided by qualified graduate interns. Mosaic also accepts most insurance and community partnerships, offering care in person and by secure video. Prior to this role, Chris served as the Executive Director of the Cherokee County Department of Public Health, and represented rural public health in Austin and Washington D.C. Chris was a founding member and first Secretary of the Texas Association of City and County Health Officials, and member of the National Association of City and County Health Officials, where he was chosen to complete a senior fellowship in public health leadership. Chris is currently the Chair of the Tyler Chamber of Commerce Medical Committee. Chris has a Master’s in Public Administration from UT Arlington and a Bachelor’s in Political Science form UT Tyler, and is also a credentialed mediator/arbitrator in the State of Texas. Chris and his wife Stephanie (Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County) have four children ages 13-22.

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Healthcare Executive Leadership Networking Event - Texarkana
2023-06-21 17:30 - 19:30 | Northridge Country Club, 120 Bill Rogers Drive, Texarkana, TX, 75503
The East Texas ACHE Forum invites you to join fellow healthcare colleagues and making new acquaintances from throughout the East Texas area. Members and prospective members alike are welcome to register.

Hors d’oeuvres and two drinks will be complimentary.

Note: We will be meeting in the Northridge Country Club’s Formal Dining room.

Schedule of evening:
• Mix & Mingle: 5:30pm-6:30
• Brief Remarks: 6:30-7:00pm

A special thanks to CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System for hosting this event!

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Lunch & Learn: High-Yield Conversations
2023-06-28 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
In our leadership roles, our words matter. How do we lead conversations that yield great results? We’ll look at coaching, managing meetings, and strategic discussions that will produce great value for our departments, clinics and systems.

Brian Brandt is President of Core Insights, a Tyler-based company providing training and facilitation for hundreds of businesses and non-profits throughout the country. With three decades of leadership experience, he has devoted his life to developing stronger organizations and leaders. He frequently speaks at conferences on human resources issues, leadership, change management, board development and engagement, and strategic planning. He recently co-authored a book entitled, The Ambassador’s Journey: A parable about nonprofit board leadership. They have previously published Blind Spots: What you don’t know CAN hurt you. Brian holds a Master’s Degree in Global Leadership as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting.

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Lunch & Learn: Lean Six Sigma for Healthcare
2023-08-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Another great East Texas ACHE Forum Lunch & Learn!
Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a combination of Lean and Six Sigma that has been alive and active in Healthcare for nearly 25 years. Six Sigma reduces variation and Lean removes waste. Both provide process improvement affecting patients and achieves business process improvements. When combining these two practices, a powerful Continuous Improvement methodology delivers great results.
Key take aways:

Obtain basic knowledge of the LSS tools and methods (DMAIC)
See examples of LSS in Healthcare
Learn how LSS can impact overall business performance
Receive useful tools to apply and see results now

Ric Van Der Linden is the Principal Consultant for ProgressivEdge (www.ProgressivEdge.com), a consulting business based East Texas area focused on the applications of Continuous Improvement techniques to any business type but with a heavy focus on Healthcare. For the past 18 years has had a full-time dedication to Continuous Improvement through the application of Lean Six Sigma and other improvement approaches He has a BS in Manufacturing Engineering, a Masters in Organizational Management, is a certified Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma. He has held board positions with the American Society for Quality, Institute of Industrial Engineers and other non-profit organizations. He has spent many years running programs at Universities to bring Lean Six Sigma to 1000’s of working professionals.

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Lunch & Learn: The Current Barriers Preventing Providers from Focusing on Self-Care for Themselves
2023-09-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
The concept of work-life balance has been around since the late 1800’s when manufacturing laws were passed to restrict how long women and children could work. Over the years, the laws continued to change to limit the hours employees could work during the day and week, but the number of hours a provider is expected to work hasn’t changed due to being “on call” or available after hours. Even with all the innovations in technology, the lines have become more blurred than ever trying to balance work and personal life when someone can be available 24/7 via text, phone, and email. The concept of work-life balance is even more challenging for providers due to the demands placed on them and the barriers created by organizational, social, and personal roles.
This presentation will provide the audience with current barriers preventing providers from focusing on themselves and the three pillars of how to promote provider self-care. The audience will walk away with a greater understanding and appreciation of what challenges providers are facing and practical tools that can be implemented into any organization to promote provider self-care.

Presenter:
Teri Chilcoat MS, PHR, SHRM-CP is the founder of Lean In Life Coaching and is a recognized expert on redefining work-life balance.
Prior to starting her own coaching business, Teri spent over fifteen years in human resources with an emphasis on employee relations. Teri spent six years of her career in the health care sector providing valuable insight and coaching to managers, executives, and physician leadership.
In her last role with Texas Oncology, Teri was responsible for the human resources functions for over fifteen hundred employees and four hundred providers while managing three HR Business Partners.
Teri holds a Master of Science in Strategic Human Resources from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of La Verne. Teri has been a member of the Dallas HR professional association since 2015 and has been certified with Human Resource Certification Institution since 2013 and a certification with Society of Human Resource Professional since 2015. Teri also volunteers her time with Dallas HR and the non-profit, Catchafire.

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Multi-Chapter Education Event
2023-09-22 08:00 - 16:00 | Methodist Dallas Medical Center Hitt Auditorium, 221 W Colorado Blvd, Dallas, TX, 75203
Approved for up to 6.0 ACHE Face-to-Face Credits

Once again the East Texas ACHE Forum, ACHE of North Texas and the Texas Midwest Healthcare Executives are joining forces to offer our members great educational content and a tremendous cross-chapter networking opportunity.
Each panel has been approved for 1.5 ACHE Face-to-Face Credits (6.0 credits if you attend all four).

Special thanks to Methodist Dallas Medical Center for hosting their venue and Aramark for hosting the food & beverages for this event!
8-8:30am: Registration & Networking
8:30-10am: Panel 1: The Promise and Perils of Precision Medicine
Panelists:
Mark Kruzel, MD, MBA, Associate Medical Director in Oncology, Quest Advanced Diagnostics
Susan McClure, Chief Executive Officer, Genome Creative
Dr. Mark Schnitzer (Moderator), Surgeon, Educator, Physician Advisor, Medical Director, Consultant, and Executive Coach
David Winter, President & Chairman of the Board, HealthTexas Provider Network
10-10:15am: Break
10:15am-11:45pm: Panel 2: Utilization of PA/NP Workforce in the Current Healthcare Environment
Panelists:
Steven Hunter, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, Director of Advanced Practice Professionals (APPs), Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospitals
J. Clayton Lawrence, (Moderator), Regional President, Sound Physicians
Christopher McLarty, DNP, Associate Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer, Ambulatory Services
Amy Quinn DNP, APRN, FNP-C, Advanced Practice Clinician/CTC APC Leader, Beaumont Adult Medicine , Christus Trinity Clinic
11:45-12:45pm: Lunch
12:45-2:15pm: Panel 3: Legalized Possession and Use of Cannabis: A Legal and Ethical Dilemma for Healthcare Organizations
Panelists:
Richard Cheng, Healthcare & Cannabis Regulatory Transactional Attorney, Weaver Johnson & Nelson, PLLC
Dr. Darina A. Douchi, CEO & Founder, Curativo Enterprises, LLC
Eric S. Gaines (Moderator), North Texas Regional Director of Outpatient & Retail Pharmacy, Baylor Scott & White Health Enterprise, Inc.
Robert Head, Co-Founder, Hemp for Victory
W. Stephen Love, President & Chief Executive Officer, Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council
2:15-2:30pm: Break
2:30-4pm: Panel 4: Human Trafficking and the Impact on Healthcare
Panelists:
Sheyla Camacho, Public Health Educator, Victim Intervention Program (VIP)/Rape Crisis Center, Parkland Health
Kiara Rodriguez, Outreach Specialist, Unbound Now
Carrie Shiratom RN,MSN,FNP-C,ACNP-C, Co-Founder, Reclaim611
Andrew Smith, FACHE, (Moderator) Strategy Leader for the Scheduling Customer Journey, Baylor Scott & White Health

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Speakers Bios:

Sheyla Camacho has an extensive background working and volunteering within the domestic violence field since 2009. She is a Public Health Educator for the Victim Intervention Program/ Rape Crisis Center at Parkland Health since 2020. She is dedicated and passionate about bringing the hard conversation of domestic abuse and other topics to various groups and agencies throughout our community, in both English and Spanish. Her bright personality and extensive knowledge allow Sheyla to connect with students, partners, families, and survivors alike. Sheyla received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. She is also Mental Health First Aid USA and Youth Mental Health First Aid USA certified and recently received her CHW experience license. She is excited to continue raising awareness about trauma informed care, various traumas, its widespread impact, and accessibility to resources to all members of our community.

Richard Cheng focuses on corporate transactions and advises clients on regulatory matters in the healthcare and cannabis industries. Richard represents a variety of cannabis-related clients and was an equity partner and chair of the hemp/hemp cannabinoid products practice at a global AmLaw100 law firm. Richard has been named a Top 200 Cannabis Lawyer by Cannabis Law Journal and has been named a Top 250 Cannabis Legal Expert by Databird Research Journal. Lastly, Richard teaches cannabis law as an adjunct faculty at UNT Dallas College of Law.

Dr. Darina A. Douchi, is a retired Major from U.S. Army and a Nebraska licensed pharmacist with over 2 decades with wide varieties of expertise in the field of Pharmacy and Healthcare policies. She is a wealth of knowledge in the field of Clinical Pharmacy – Pain and Psychiatric medicine focusing on the Army Worrier Transition Unit (WTU) Soldiers and alternative medicine.
Since retiring from the US Army, Dr. Douchi has dedicated her focus on Federal Defense Contracting and Health IT; lobbying and working closely with industry disruptors to place the best and latest emerging Health Care Technologies in the hands of patients.

Eric S. Gaines, PharmD, MSc, FACHE is a proven pharmacy leader who specializes in operational efficiency and cost-effective health resources utilization. He currently serves as the North Texas Region Director of Outpatient and Retail Pharmacy for Baylor Scott & White Health Enterprise, Inc. He is responsible for multi-site operations, maintaining financial efficiency in drug delivery, and improving patient satisfaction through innovative medication delivery services.
Prior to his current role, Eric has served as Director of Pharmacy Services for Baylor Medical Medical Center at Garland and has worked in various roles throughout his career including, pharmacy manager, clinical pharmacist, and area supervisor for a national drug chain. He has also served as chairperson and adjunct faculty for the ASHP accredited Pharmacy Technology program at Richland College.
Dr. Gaines, a Tallahassee, Florida native, earned a masters in Pharmacoeconomics from The University of Florida as well as completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Florida A&M University. He is an active member of the Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research.
Outside of work, he enjoys traveling with his wife, Nakia, and two children Gavin, and Gabrielle.

Robert Head is a distinguished US Army veteran who served in Iraq from 2002 to 2007. A Texas A&M University graduate, he ventured into the cannabis industry in 2015, managing a successful farm in Maine before focusing on activism. Recognized as a top activist by Texas Norml, Robert co-founded “Hemp for Victory” during the pandemic—a 501C3 organization dedicated to raising awareness and engaging with VA, military, and healthcare leaders. Today, he spearheads discussions on cannabis and its impact on the veteran population, leaving an indelible mark on both industries.

Dr. Steven Hunter is the Director of Advanced Practice Professionals (APPs) for Baylor Scott & White The Heart Hospitals. In his role, he provides regional oversight of APPs in various cardiovascular surgical specialties and service lines inclusive of ambulatory, inpatient, and intraoperative functions. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated dedication to the field to develop and promote APPs with system-wide service line strategic planning, change management, budgeting, program accreditation, and operational achievements.
Steven has achieved multiple academic milestones. He earned his Bachelor of Health Science (BHS) in 2010, minoring in Biology, and fulfilled the requirements for Master of Physician Assistant Science (MPAS) in 2011, at Gannon University. Additionally, he holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Business Administration (MBA), and Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) degrees, with Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification in Healthcare.
Steven enjoys being active outside his role involving the profession, and volunteering within the community. Being an avid member for other PA organizations, he currently serves on the Program Advisory Committee for a local PA Program and assists on the House of Delegates B-05 taskforce for core PA leadership skills and competency development with the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA). Furthermore, he was recently elected Director-at-Large for the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants Board of Directors and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Living for Zachary non-profit organization in north Texas.
Steven also continues to maintain numerous professional memberships and affiliations among many organizations, in addition to AAPA, including the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants (TAPA), Advanced Practice Provider Executives (APPex), American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).

Mark Kruzel, MD, MBA; serves as Associate Medical Director in Oncology at Quest Advanced Diagnostics. Dr. Kruzel’s role bridges the gap from assay development, validation to clinical utility and he provides guidance on the appropriate utilization of testing. Recently, Dr. Kruzel has developed clinical care pathways for oncology focusing on providing access to testing in an efficacious and guideline driven manner.

Dr. Kruzel has extensive research and industry experience ranging from managing an FDA trial site to commercializing a pharmaceutical compound for a start-up company. He has published numerous peer reviewed journal articles as well as presented abstracts at both local and national conferences. Through his role at Quest, Dr. Kruzel has developed key opinion leader strategies which help Quest advance in the field of precision medicine.

Dr. Kruzel received his medical degree from The University of Texas at Houston – McGovern School of Medicine; he received his Master of Business Administration from Cox Business School at Southern Methodist University. He is an active member of American Society of Clinical Oncology, Association for Molecular Pathology and American College of Healthcare Executives

J. Clayton Lawrence currently serves as Sound Physicians’ Region President of Operations. In this role, Clayton is responsible for leading a team of clinical and business professionals serving a territory spanning 11 states and nearly 100 hospital partnerships. Clayton aligns with hospital stakeholders and other partners to drive critical strategic and operational effectiveness. Along with ensuring highly reliable hospital medicine and emergency medicine programs, under his leadership, Clayton’s teams produce unmatched performance and outcomes while providing a measurable ROI for hospital partners. Clayton has been a key operations executive with Sound Physicians for over 8 years.

Clayton brings over 22 years of both hospital management and physician practice leadership experience. Clayton has served various operational roles including hospital operations and physician practice operations. Prior to joining Sound Physicians in January 2015, Clayton served as Regional Vice President of Operations for Vein Clinics of America, where he was accountable for expanding the organization’s footprint in Atlanta, DFW and Houston. In addition, Clayton has served in various administrative roles for several hospitals including both CEO and COO roles. Clayton began his healthcare career as a paramedic, where he received valuable exposure to the care-delivery side of healthcare.

A graduate of Tulane University, Clayton earned his Masters of Healthcare Administration, and received his undergraduate degree from Arkansas State University. He is an active member of ACHE North Texas Chapter and has achieved FACHE designation.

Stephen Love is currently President and Chief Executive Officer of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council which promotes collaboration, cooperation, and advocacy on behalf of its 90 member hospitals. The Hospital Council also has approximately 100 Associate Members (business and industry), including prominent accounting, legal and consulting firms. The primary mission is to drive evidence-based improvement in patient care and health equity in North Texas. He was the United Nations Association Award Winner in 2018 for Global Goals. He served as 2015 Chair for the Conference of Metropolitan and Regional Hospitals Association in the United States. He received the 2020 D CEO’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He also received the Dallas Medical Society’s Millard J. and Robert L. Health Award for a non-physician providing outstanding leadership to the community. He also previously served on the Children at Risk Board for North Texas and Mothers Against Drunk Driving Dallas. He serves on the Southwest Region Board for the American Heart Association; Southwest Transplant Alliance; Cure Glaucoma Foundation Advisory Board; North Texas Eye Research Institute; the Metropolitan YMCA Board of Directors; the Board of Directors of Prism Health North Texas and the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Mr. Love has worked in healthcare management for over 45 years. He has demonstrated leadership in tax exempt, investor-owned, specialty and private hospitals in operations, finance, and corporate governance. Prior to joining the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council, Mr. Love was Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of a Fortune 500 healthcare company that owned over 50 hospitals and managed approximately 200 facilities in the United States.

Susan McClure is on a mission to help people understand how their lives are changing thanks to our increased understanding of our own DNA. Her life’s work is centered around helping people make informed decisions about their health by improving their health literacy.
Susan is the founder and CEO of Genome Creative — a media consulting company committed to that mission. She was also the founder and publisher of Genome magazine (published from 2014-2018) — a first-in-class consumer magazine covering all aspects of the movement toward precision medicine and the genomic revolution making it possible.
Prior to its launch, she spent 10 years as the publisher of CURE — a magazine for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. During her tenure at CURE, she served as vice president of patient engagement for McKesson Specialty Health. Under Susan’s direction, she and her team were honored for outstanding journalism by many professional media organizations, including Folio, the American Society of Magazine Editors, the American Cancer Society, Magazine Publishers of America, and Media Industry News.
In 2016, Susan was honored by Folio as one of the “Top Women in Media” and was invited by the Personalized Medicine Coalition to its board of directors — the first journalist to receive such an honor. She also serves as a founding board member of FT3 (From Testing to Targeted Treatments) — a global, open, and collaborative multi-stakeholder program intended to build synergies and accelerate pragmatic efforts to make personalized medicine an accessible reality for all patients who could benefit from it. She co-leads the program’s education and awareness working group.
Dr. Christopher McLarty serves as Associate Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Ambulatory Services. He is also responsible for leading the Office of Advanced Practice Providers, representing nearly 900 Physician Assistants and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses across the Health System. Dr. McLarty completed undergraduate studies at the City Colleges of Chicago before completing a master’s degree in nursing with concentration as an Acute Care and Emergency Nurse Practitioner at Loyola University Chicago. He later earned the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Arizona State University. During his career, Dr. McLarty has taken on roles in emergency services, multi-site clinical operations, and academic health system leadership. He is an active member of several professional organizations, and currently serves as a Board Member for Texas Nurse Practitioners (TNP).

Amy Quinn, DNP, APRN, FNP-C
With over 15 years in nursing, I began my journey as a critical care nurse with the pursuit to lead the way to improve patient outcomes, and healthcare delivery, and develop my skills in nursing leadership. My passion for primary and preventive healthcare led me to advance my education and become a family nurse practitioner. I have been practicing in internal medicine for the past 10 years and now serve as the advanced practice clinician leader for CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic (CTC) and chair of the CTC advanced practice clinician’s council. I am also a member of the CTC credentialing and quality committee. As the dynamics of healthcare continue to evolve, I am passionate about the advocacy and utilization of advanced practice providers to meet the demands of patient needs and access.

Kiara Rodriguez is a Fort Worth native with over 4 years of experience working with survivors with trauma. She has focused on the issue of human trafficking since graduating with her bachelor’s degree in 2015. Kiara is excited to be a part of Unbound Now’s team as their outreach specialist raising awareness for human trafficking in her own community.

Carrie Schirato lives in Plano, Texas. She is a wife, a mother of five, and a nurse practitioner. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Baylor University and her Masters and Post-masters certificate from the University of Texas at Arlington. She has worked in the Emergency Department since 2005 and has spent the last decade working in a level 1 trauma center in Dallas Texas.
In 2017, she co-founded an anti-human trafficking non-profit organization called Reclaim611, with two of her long-time friends and colleagues. As medical professionals they are passionate about helping their own profession learn how to recognize, respond, report and reclaim the lives of victims of human trafficking. They understand the utmost importance of a multidisciplinary community approach and are dedicated to providing streamline responses to these very complex and traumatized victims, as they deserve the best care possible! Reclaim611 unites and equips front-line providers to step into the fight to end human trafficking!

Dr. Mark Schnitzer is an experienced Surgeon, Educator, Physician Advisor, Medical Director,
Consultant, and Executive Coach. An interest in processes and mathematics led him to pursue an unlikely course of pre-medical study: electrical engineering. It was during his Ph.D. studies that he applied to medical school and completed his MSEE and MD concurrently. He completed his clinical training in neurological surgery and a fellowship in neurosciences critical care at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. His final year at Johns Hopkins was in the role of Assistant Chief of Service.
After fifteen years in solo, private neurosurgical practice and medical staff governance roles, he was recruited to Hawaii as the sole, full-time neurosurgeon for Kaiser Permanente with the mandate to set the groundwork for a completely internalized program. That experience led to his invitation to serve as the inaugural medical director of neurosciences and an ambitious project to unify the neurosciences programs across the government hospitals in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Once this unification was well underway, the program was handed off to the Cleveland Clinic. Subsequently, he served as the inaugural CMO for a start-up telemedicine company in Dubai and as an adjunct associate professor in a graduate program for healthcare administration.
He returned to the USA after four years in the Middle East and took on the role of physician advisor for SSM Health. Initially accountable for one hospital, he was elevated to a regional, multi-hospital role where he was accountable for insurance denial management including education of clinicians in evidence-based medicine and responsible stewardship as well as holding numerous roles in quality improvement projects. Subsequently, he took on the role of medical director for a large accountable care organization based in Dallas, TX for 3 years before embarking as an executive coach as a means to help other healthcare leaders as they pursue their journey.
Dr. Schnitzer is a Fellow of the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians and is board certified in healthcare quality and management with added qualification as a Physician Advisor. He is a certified professional in healthcare quality by the National Association for Healthcare Quality and is certified by the American Society for Quality as a Six Sigma Black Belt. Additionally, he is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Dr. Schnitzer has provided a number of invited publications and presentations in the areas of healthcare informatics, patient safety, and responsible stewardship and he serves as a senior examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
Dr. Schnitzer considers himself an interface professional, like most clinicians who have transitioned into healthcare leadership roles. He maintains a state of constant inquiry and curiosity with the ever-present thought, “There is something I do not know, the knowing of which could change everything.”

Andrew Smith, FACHE, currently serves as the strategy leader for the scheduling customer journey at Baylor Scott & White Health; however, he starts a new position with Sutter Health in California next week as system Vice President for Patient Access. Andrew has held various roles at Baylor Scott & White over the past 12 years, ranging from clinic operations to enterprise strategy development. Andrew is a Fellow of ACHE and attended Saint Louis University for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees.

David Winter serves HealthTexas Provider Network, a 1000 + physician organization in partnership with Baylor Scott & White Health, as President and Chairman of the Board. He also is in the private practice of internal medicine at the Tom Landry Center on the campus of Baylor University Medical Center.

He received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, completed an internship and residency at Baylor University Medical Center, and has been awarded a Masters of Science in Medical Management from the University of Texas at Dallas. He has been honored with a Mastership in the American College of Physicians and has served that organization as Governor of the Northern District of Texas and Board member of the national PAC. He has been recognized with the Significant Sig Award of Sigma Chi fraternity and is listed in The Most Powerful Dallas 500 Business Leaders by D CEO Magazine in 2016-2019.

Dr. Winter enjoys teaching as an attending physician in the Internal Medicine Department at Baylor University Medical Center, is on the Clinical Faculty of Southwestern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center and is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas.

He serves on the Board of the Baylor Scott & White Health Care System, the Board of the Heart Hospital at Baylor Plano, the Board of the Heart Hospital at Baylor Denton, the Board of Managers of BSWH Quality Alliance, a Member of the BSWH Clinical Leadership Council, a Member of the System Professional Oversight Committee of BSWH, Member of the BSWH System Corporate Compliance Committee, Co-Chair of the BSWH Clinical Strategic Advisory Council, and Past Co-Chair and Member of the Board of Governors of the Baylor Scott & White Medical Group.

He is the President of the Discovery Foundation, a health care philanthropy organization. Dr. Winter is also founder of Baylor Scott & White’s concierge medicine program. He is the founder and past President of MedProvider and a founding member of HealthTexas Provider Network, a division of BSWH. In addition, he was the originator of MedBuilding, a health care real estate investment trust.

As a medical writer he has published a book, numerous scientific articles and papers and serves on the Editorial Staff of the Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings.

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Healthcare Executive Leadership Networking Event
2023-09-26 18:00 - 20:00 | The Grove Kitchen & Gardens, 3500 Old Jacksonville Highway, Tyler, TX, 75701
The East Texas ACHE Forum invites you to join fellow healthcare colleagues and making new acquaintances from throughout the East Texas area. Please feel free to bring a guest.
Hors d’oeuvres and two drinks will be complimentary.
Note: The event will be held in “The Greenhouse” building
Schedule of evening:
• Mix & Mingle: 6-7pm
• Brief Remarks: 7-7:30pm

Light Appetizers/light Hors d’Oeuvres and 2 complementary drink tickets provided to guests

A huge thanks to the Executive MBA Healthcare Management Program, Health-Related Business Programs – Soules College of Business at The University of Texas at Tyler for hosting this event!

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East Texas ACHE Forum Annual Meeting
2023-11-14 18:00 - 20:00 | CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Wisenbaker Conference Center, 800 E Dawson Street, Tyler, TX, 75701
Join us for this special annual event with our guest speaker, James Springfield, President, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

James Springfield is the 14th president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX), the state’s oldest and largest health insurer.
James provides accountability and strategic leadership for the teams managing sales and marketing, network development, health care delivery, health care management, government and public relations and market strategy. In a company which processes over $38 billion in claims with a network of nearly 130,000 physicians and 547 hospitals serving over 6.7 million members, he is responsible for the affordability of care in all market segments, including group, government and retail/family product portfolio in all 254 Texas counties.
James has garnered a depth of senior leadership experience from a variety of prominent health care organizations. This includes 13 years at Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Houston where he served as CEO of Hermann Children’s Hospital and COO of Hermann. He also led Valley Baptist Health System in south Texas as president and CEO, founded three successful health care startup companies, and has served as an advisory to private equity and venture funds. James also served as the senior vice president of provider market growth and business development at Optum, a division of United Health.
Prior to joining BCBSTX as president in 2021, James served as National Chief Operating Officer for Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
In addition to his corporate accomplishments, James is passionate about service. He has held positions on numerous community and professional boards and committees, including the American Hospital Association, Texas Hospital Association, Houston SEARCH for Homeless, Greater Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce, Rio Grande Valley Partnership, and Baylor University. James has also served on the board of the Touchdown Club of Houston and as a committee member with the Houston Rodeo Livestock Show and Rodeo. He is currently chairman of the Caring Foundation of Texas and member of the Dallas Regional Chamber’s board of directors.
James is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and earned a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University as well as a master’s degree in public health from University of Houston – Clear Lake. James and his wife Teri currently reside in McKinney and are proud parents to their four children Jordan, Tanner, Cydney, and Ashley as well as two granddaughters Dorothy and Lucy.

We would like to thank CHRISTUS Health for hosting this event!

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Ensuring Your Community’s Emergency Preparedness
2023-11-16 10:30 - 12:00 | Virtual
Another joint great event offered by the East, North and Midwest Texas ACHE chapters. . . .the first of four panels offered this November.
This panel has been approved for 1.5 ACHE Virtual Face-to-Face credits.

In the best of circumstances, healthcare organizations operate in a complex environment. This can be exacerbated when a community faces a local or national emergency, either natural, human-caused, or technological, that thrusts the healthcare system to the forefront of response and makes it the focus of recovery efforts. It is critical that the local healthcare community be actively engaged in the development of comprehensive emergency preparedness plans, training, and exercises to ensure that local organizations communicate and coordinate their mutual support in service to the community.

Moderator: Matt Richardson, FACHE, DrPH, MPH
Director of Public Health
Denton County
Panelists:
David Abernathy
Mayor
City of Pittsburg, Texas
Walter Cassity
Senior Vice President of Real Estate, Public Safety, Environment of Care & Emergency Management
Baylor Scott & White Health
Dr. Rohith Saravanan
CEO
Curbside Consult, LLC

Speakers’ Bios:

Mr. David Abernathy is a fifth-generation resident of Pittsburg, is the son of the late D. H. Abernathy, who was mayor of Pittsburg for 52 years. He has a son, David H. E Abernathy.
He has served the citizens of Pittsburg and Camp County for most of his life. David has been a volunteer firefighter for over 47 years and was co-founder and 13-year president of Camp County Emergency Medical Service (EMS). He developed the first city/county emergency management plan and served as emergency management coordinator and as county fire marshal for over 30 years, without pay, and is a reserve deputy sheriff. David initiated our citizen emergency alerting system. He and his father built eight fire trucks for the city and county, donating their labor, and he has helped design four others.
David is a trustee for the First United Methodist Church and for the Northeast Texas Rural Heritage Museum. He retired as an Assistant Chief with the Texas Forest Service, where he helped manage major disasters and events throughout the nation, including two Super Bowls, and provided training and assistance to a multitude of agencies including the Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Texas Department of Public Safety. He was appointed by two Texas governors to the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. David is the owner of Abernathy Training and Consulting and sits on state and national public safety committees.

Walter Cassity is senior vice president of real estate, public safety, environment of care and emergency management at Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest not-for-profit health system in Texas. The system’s integrated delivery network includes Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform, MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,100 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care, as well as an array of virtual and in-home services. In his role, Cassity implements the System’s real estate strategy and oversees programs that mitigate, prepare and respond to workplace hazards and emergencies in accordance with federal, state and local standards. He previously served as vice president of environment of care & emergency management, police, public safety and security. Earlier in his career, he was corporate director of environmental safety & emergency management at Baylor Health Care System and safety manager and safety technician at Baylor University Medical Center. Cassity holds a master’s degree in public administration— executive health care administration and a bachelor’s degree in industrial safety from the University of Texas at Tyler. He previously earned an associate degree in environmental health & safety from Texas State Technical College.

Dr. Matt Richardson was appointed as the Director of Public Health for Denton County in the summer of 2014. Dr. Richardson previously served as Director with the City of Amarillo and Potter/Randall Counties for 9 years. Dr. Richardson has authored peer-reviewed publications, testified to the Texas Legislature regarding public health issues and continues to advocate for public health practice and resources for Denton County and the state of Texas. He has a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Abilene Christian University and both Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Public Health from the University of North Texas. He is currently board certified and Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Dr. Richardson also serves as an accreditation site reviewer for public health programs in universities across the US. Matt lives in Argyle with his wife of 24 years and their two daughters.

Dr. Rohith Saravanan is a physician executive with over 15 years of broad experience across the healthcare industry, including clinical care, quality, regulatory compliance, business development, operations, community partnerships, and strategic growth. He started his career in clinical medicine as a family physician providing care for the underserved population, and quickly grew into leadership roles in operations and strategy, in progressively larger settings. He has led physician groups, urgent care & occupational medicine networks, ACOs, and acute care hospitals.

Dr. Saravanan is a dynamic physician executive adept at assessing needs, developing solutions, and implementing positive changes to achieve sustainability and growth in challenging market conditions. He is exceptional at building teams and strengthening strategic business relationships. He has a history of streamlining clinical operations, increasing revenue, and reducing costs to maximize value. People describe him as an inspirational leader with a humanitarian spirit. With his proven track record of success, his broad educational background and his diverse management and clinical experience, he is the type of a well-rounded healthcare leader that boards, investors, and other executives can depend on.

As a business leader he has the knowledge, creativity and imagination that allows him to be innovative, and his endurance and hard work help him see projects through. He is confident and enthusiastic, yet self-aware; fair and patient, yet decisive; and he operates with the utmost integrity and possesses steadfast virtue. His unique style combines inspirational leadership with humility, a commanding presence, and a calming demeanor. He cares deeply about people, develops leaders in all those he touches and has a strong heart for community service.

Dr. Saravanan’s passion in life is to a make positive impact in the communities he serves on a progressively larger scale. Having previously held multiple executive positions within the healthcare corporate setting, he has deep industry experience in direct care delivery, outpatient/inpatient operations, strategic planning & business development in the for-profit and non-profit sectors. He has recently embarked on an entrepreneurial journey to acquire and operate his own medical practice group.

He is also the Co-Owner and Executive Chairman of ameriCARE Texas, a non-medical personal care franchise currently based in the DFW area. Additionally, he has invested in and serves as a medical advisor to mobriseHealth, an AI powered digital health startup in the remote patient monitoring and chronic care management space.

Fun fact: Dr. Saravanan grew up in 5 different countries throughout his life and can speak 5 languages. He loves to travel, cook, and spend time with his wife (also a physician) and 2 kids.

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Crisis Management: Strategies to Effectively Manage a Healthcare Organization
2023-11-16 12:30 - 14:00 | Virtual
Another joint great event offered by the East, North and Midwest Texas ACHE chapters. . . .the second of four panels offered this November.

This panel has been approved for 1.5 ACHE Virtual Face-to-Face credits.

Preparing for an unplanned or unexpected event, such as a natural disaster, pandemic, civil disturbances, medical error or labor disputes (e.g., union labor) causes physical, psychological and emotional stresses that can overwhelm employees, medical staff, patients and communities. In the event of a crisis, the quality and efficiency of care delivery may be challenged and typically takes a toll on every part of the organization. Lack of the unknown or uncertainty is also a challenge that healthcare leaders face in the time of crisis. Healthcare leaders need to understand ways to prepare their organization for unforeseen circumstances, which includes developing a communication plan, managing organizational resources, such as medical supplies, levels of patient care and leveraging local and state resources and funding.

Moderator: Jonathan Sell
Founder and CEO
Innovative Solutions Management
Panelists:
Serena Bumpus DNP, RN, NEA-BC
Chief Executive Officer
Texas Nurses Association
Dr. William Hooks, MD, MBA
Chief of Anesthesiology/Medical Director, Perioperative & Procedural Services
Titus Regional Medical Center
Kenneth Hutchenrider, Jr., FACHE
President
Methodist Richardson Medical Center

Speakers’ Bios:

Dr. Serena Bumpus currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Nurses Association where she is responsible for providing oversight of related entities and programs including the Texas Nurses Foundation and the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses and other programs as identified. She is responsible for executing the ongoing vision for the association as it relates to the changing healthcare landscape and the nursing profession. As the CEO of the largest professional nursing organization in Texas, Serena has the unique opportunity to build strategic relationships with constituent and partner organizations to elevate and advocate for nursing governance and practice based on evolving issues affecting nursing practice and policy in Texas and nationally. She is well positioned to influence and lead meaningful change for the profession of nursing and healthcare.
Dr. Bumpus’s nursing career spans over 21 years where she has held various positions from staff nurse to Nurse Executive. She has demonstrated a strong career trajectory with involvement in leadership, governance, and advancing the nursing profession. She has made significant strides in improving outcomes and advancing nursing practice throughout her career.
Serena received her Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2019 from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock. She is also an active and engaged member of numerous professional nursing organizations. It was her involvement in these professional organizations early on in her career that triggered a passion for health policy impacting both patients and nurses. She firmly believes empowered nurses can drive meaningful change at the local, state, and national level when they use their collective voices together.

A native of Mt. Pleasant, Dr. William Hooks is the Chief of Anesthesiology and the Medical Director for Perioperative & Procedural Services at Titus Regional Medical Center. Additionally, he performs minor pain management procedures such as epidural steroid injections, trigger point injections and joint injections. Dr. Hooks joined the medical staff of TRMC in 2016 after serving for 13 years in the United States Navy where he completed residency and served as an Anesthesiologist and Flight Surgeon.

Ken Hutchenrider joined Methodist Richardson Medical Center as President in July, 2010.
He has more than 30 years of executive experience with a result oriented record of substantially increasing financial stability and strengthening team management to build a tradition of providing the best care possible to the communities served.

During his tenure, Ken administered the assimilation of the hospital into the Methodist Health System, as well as the development of a $120M replacement hospital and its subsequent and ongoing expansions. Under his direction, Methodist Richardson has received accreditations as a Chest Pain Center, a Comprehensive Stroke Center, and Level 3 Trauma Certification and Nursing Magnet Certification.

Prior to July 2010, Ken served as the Chief Executive Officer of Galesburg Cottage Hospital, in Galesburg, Illinois. Previously in his career, Ken served in executive roles including Chief Executive Officer of the Terre Haute Regional Hospital in Terre Haute, Indiana and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, Kansas. Ken started his career in a clinical position as a Paramedic and Supervisor in Pasadena, Texas.

He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University and a Masters of Healthcare Administration from the University of Houston, Clear Lake.

Ken has received many accolades, including the American Heart Association SOAR Award, the Community Health System Outstanding Achievement Award, and Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is actively involved in the community and is past Chairman of the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. Ken is past Regent, Texas Northern for the American College of Healthcare Executives. Finally, Ken is the current Richardson City Councilperson for Place 5.

On a personal note, Ken and his wife Melinda have two teenage daughters. When he’s not spending time with his family, you are most likely to find Ken on the golf course. He is also a private pilot.

Jonathan Sell is the Founder and CEO of Innovative Solutions Management, a staffing and consulting firm, and the Executive Director of Booker EMS. He is a recent graduate of Yale University School of Medicine’s Online Physician Assistant Program (MMSc) and has agreed to begin working with a focus on rural Emergency Medicine at Ochiltree General Hospital in Perryton Texas once he obtains his Texas License.
Additionally, Jonathan also holds his Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from TTUHSC and multiple undergraduate degrees. Sell has two decades of experience in Emergency and Disaster Medicine and has been deployed as a Task Force Leader by the Texas Emergency Medical Task Force (EMTF) to disasters including hurricanes, wildfires, tornados, mass casualty events, and more. Sell has a passion for both direct patient care, as well as for creating sustainable healthcare systems to serve as the framework for individual patient care. His focus continually is on compassionate individual care, clinical excellence, and system efficiency. This has carried over to his various deployments where the normal “systems” are overwhelmed or out of service.
Outside of work, Jonathan is married to his wife Caitlin and the father of two boys. Together they raise a variety of animals on their family farm, and enjoy sports, games, and time with extended family. In the rare moments that Jonathan finds silence, you would likely find him reading a good book, likely about history.

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Reinventing Customer Service in Healthcare: Lessons Learned from the Best
2023-11-30 10:30 - 12:00 | Virtual
Another joint great event offered by the East, North and Midwest Texas ACHE chapters. . . .the third of four panels offered this November.

This panel has been approved for 1.5 ACHE Virtual Face-to-Face credits.

Consumer-driven services in business and the need for efficiency are accelerating changes in the way organizations operate and compete. Many consumers today are taking greater control of their purchasing power and healthcare decisions and are demanding excellence in service. The challenge is how to give them the best service in a meaningful and economic way.
Organizational survival relies on healthcare leaders with the vision, determination and courage to test various methods of enhancing the patient experience. Patient expectations are being set by other industries; for example, the airline industry, in which Southwest Airlines is the only airline that has turned in profitable years for 33 consecutive years, consistently achieved the best on-time performance, received the fewest customer complaints and fewest mishandled bags, is consistently cited for the best customer service, the smartest management and as the most fun place to work. Can the principles from a culture like Southwest Airlines help healthcare win the hearts and minds of their employees?

Moderator: Paula Turicchi, FACHE
Chief Strategy Officer
Parkland Community Health Plan
Panelists:
Monica Anderson, MS, CPXP
Valued Base Consultant, Customer Experience Leader
Baylor Scott and White Health Texas -East Region
Aaron Davis, MSHA, FACHE, CPXP
Vice President & Chief Experience Officer
UMC Health System
Brandi Jaco
Director of Patient Experience
CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic

Speakers’ Bios:

Monica Anderson, MS, CPXP is currently a Valued Base Consultant, Customer Experience Leader for Baylor Scott and White Health Texas -East Region. She is an experienced, passionate and outcome -oriented healthcare leader that leverages foundation is Psychology, Valued Based Consulting, and Executive Transformational Healthcare Leadership.
Monica Anderson has been a champion for cultivating and maintaining high performing teams by developing relationships of trust and respect, as well as building unity amongst peers, team members and organization leaders to effectively align with and support key hospital initiatives. She is qualified in both outpatient and inpatient customer experience operations, with a proven track record of HCAHPS performance improvement. She focuses on transforming teams through awareness and engagement in action plans using Relationship Center Communication and celebrating success.
Her clinical psychology background and experiences have assisted in her ability to lead and build effective teams, create framework for growth, engage team members to achieve results and adapt to the ever-changing healthcare environment to meet patient and business needs. Monica has been instrumental in forming and coaching staff on vision, strategy, and tactical plans for successful execution of system-wide result improvements.

Aaron Davis, MSHA, FACHE, CPXP has been with UMC Health System for 16 years.
Beginning as a Patient Service Assistant, Aaron progressed throughout the Health System, first as a Health Unit Coordinator, second a Staff Supervisor, third a Department Director, and now currently serves as the systems first Vice President & Chief Experience Officer.
Aaron currently oversees Patient Experience, Corporate Marketing, Sponsorships, Regional Outreach, Employee Wellness & Resilience, Pastoral Care, and Volunteers & Guest Services.
Aaron holds a bachelor’s in business administration from Texas Tech University, a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from Texas Tech Health Science Center and received his Green Belt in Lean/Six Sigma from Villanova University. Aaron is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Over the past six years, Aaron has organized efforts to maintain high patient experience results – achieving national rankings/awards, from four separate comparison database organizations. Furthermore, he has led efforts to strengthen partnerships with UMC’s surrounding regional hospitals, visiting all 50 referring facilities annually, ultimately leading to increased referrals and market share.
Aaron is actively involved in the community; he serves as a Board Member for Community Health Center of Lubbock and The Salvation Army. He is an active member of the Lubbock ISD Partners in Education Committee and has served for several years on the Program Review Board for the Lubbock United Way. Lastly, but most importantly, Aaron is passionate about his faith, family, and serving others.
Brandi Jaco is a Director of Patient Experience with almost 20 years of working to help and heal the vulnerable while listening to their voices to improve processes. Brandi currently specializes in Patient Experience and leads a successful team with CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic, that has seen marked improvement in patient loyalty, and has led the industry by implementing a strong large-scaled service recovery program. Developing authentic relationships is the foundation of what she does both professionally and personally. Brandi spends all of her free time attending practices, games and school events with her 3 sons and husband and serving how she can in the Children’s ministry of her church.

Paula Turicchi, FACHE, is Chief Strategy Officer, at Parkland Community Health Plan in Dallas, Texas. The health plan serves more than 185,000 members in Medicaid’s STAR, CHIP, and CHIP Perinatal programs through a network of more than 6,000 providers and 40 facilities located in 7 counties in the Dallas service delivery area.

Previously, Paula served as the Vice President of Hospital Operations and Administrator of Women and Infant’s Specialty Health (WISH) at Parkland Health & Hospital System. She was instrumental in the design and construction of the New Parkland Hospital facility and the Moody Center for Breast Health. Paula played a key role in completing the System Improvement Agreement (SIA) and Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) from 2013 to 2018. In addition, she chaired the Women’s Health Advisory Committee of Texas which was created by Texas’ 84th Legislature to advise the Health & Human Services Commission on consolidation of women’s health programs.

Paula was a 2018 Texas Hospital Association Leadership Fellow. She is board certified in Healthcare Administration and holds a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Trinity University and Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

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Disruptive Innovation in Healthcare Delivery
2023-11-30 12:30 - 14:00 | Virtual
Another joint great event offered by the East, North and Midwest Texas ACHE chapters. . . .the last of four panels offered this November.
This panel has been approved for 1.5 ACHE Virtual Face-to-Face credits.

Disruptive innovation, a term coined by Harvard professor Clayton M. Christensen, is a transformative business model that leverages technology to help focus on making products and services more accessible and affordable. In healthcare delivery, disruptive innovations have the potential to decrease costs while improving both the quality and accessibility of care. Disruptive innovations enable new applications and changes in behaviors. The current thinking with many innovators is a belief that a host of disruptive innovations would have wide implications for payers by shifting payment models to reward precision diagnostic tests and abilities of providers. Several current disruptive innovations like retail clinics, telemedicine, medical tourism, and point-of-care medical payments are making a major difference in how health care is delivered. This panel will focus on the role of innovation in the medical marketplace and examples of disruptive innovations that will change lives in healthcare.

Moderator: Aaron Bujnowski, FACHE
Director and Integrated Delivery Network Segment Lead
Alvarez & Marsal
Panelists:
Brad Prugh
Chief Executive Officer
Care Continuity
Dr. Leslie Wainwright
Chief Funding and Innovation Officer
Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation
Dr. Stormee Williams
Vice President & Chief Health Equity Officer
Children’s Health System

Speakers’ Bios:

Aaron Bujnowski just recently joined Alvarez & Marsal to be their Director and Integrated Delivery Network Segment Lead. Prior to that, he was a Director with The Chartis Group and leader of the Integrated Delivery Network (IDN) practice area. Mr. Bujnowski’s healthcare career spans over 14 years. He focuses on developing innovative enterprise strategies that enable integrated delivery networks and their leaders to create lasting competitive advantage.

Prior to joining The Chartis Group, Mr. Bujnowski was the system Chief Strategy Officer at Texas Health Resources, where he spent nearly nine years. He was responsible for developing and implementing strategies across the entire enterprise, including acute, post-acute, ambulatory, physician, consumer, and value-based approaches. His experience also includes more than four years with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he served as a core member of BCG’s strategy and health care practices. Mr. Bujnowski previously held various leadership positions in new venture development and innovation at The Dow Chemical Company for more than nine years.
Fluent in Spanish, Mr. Bujnowski is co-inventor of six U.S. patents, certified as a Six Sigma Black Belt and has volunteered his services through many national organizations. To name a few, he was a Red Cross volunteer for Katrina Relief in New Orleans, a full-time missionary and humanitarian volunteer in Chile, South America, and served as an executive board member for the Boy Scouts of America. He was featured in the award-winning book, Intangibles: The Unexpected Traits of High-Performing Healthcare Leaders by Amer Kaissi, PhD.
Mr. Bujnowski holds a master’s degree in business administration from The University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated with the highest honors. He also holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in chemical engineering with a biomedical emphasis from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where he graduated with honors. In 2015, Mr. Bujnowski became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE).

Brad Prugh joined Care Continuity in 2020 with over two decades of experience in healthcare technology, operations, and business development. Prior to assuming the CEO role, Brad served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of the company. Before joining Care Continuity, Brad held senior leadership positions at Conifer Health Solutions, MedeAnalytics Inc, and Perot Systems.

Brad is an accomplished leader who is passionate about using technology to help healthcare organizations improve the lives of patients. He is a strong advocate for innovation and collaboration, and he is committed to building a culture of excellence at Care Continuity. He has a proven track record of driving revenue growth, optimizing operations, and delivering results for healthcare clients.

Prior to his career in healthcare technology, Brad served as an officer in the United States Army for 5+ years, where he honed his leadership and teamwork skills. Brad is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and holds a Master of Health Administration from Ohio University.

Dr. Leslie Wainwright joined the Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation [PCCI], as their Chief Funding and Innovation Officer in March 2019. Prior to this role, she oversaw RTI International’s Innovation Advisors health practice where she worked with health systems and technology developers to guide the development and adoption of impactful healthcare innovations. She has also served in executive roles at Sg2, AVIA and Business Models Inc., a Dutch-based innovation consultancy.
She is passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation, and has experience that spans academic research, pharma/biotechnology and healthcare delivery. Leslie has worked with executive teams from multi-national organizations and startups alike to design growth strategies, create alternative business models and evaluate emerging clinical and care delivery technologies. Additionally, she has spent several years addressing innovation and how healthcare organizations build their own sustainable innovation competencies. Leslie is a frequent speaker and facilitator on the future of healthcare, enabling technologies, disruptive innovation and emerging business models, both domestically and abroad.
Leslie received her PhD in microbiology at Northwestern University, completed postdoctoral research training at the University of Maryland’s Center for Vaccine Development and received a B.A. in Biology from DePauw University. She serves as a clinical advisor on the Board of Start-up tech companies and has served as faculty teaching strategy and innovation at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Additionally, Leslie is passionate about STEM education and is in the Women’s Board of the Field Museum in Chicago, working with the museum to expand opportunities for girls in science.

Dr. Stormee Williams is the Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer at Children’s Health System in Dallas, Texas. She is a board-certified pediatrician who began her career in federally qualified health centers and community health clinics having a strong desire to work with underserved populations. Over the last decade, she worked to transform the way children receive medical care through innovation and telemedicine. She helped develop the fastest-growing school-based telemedicine program and continues to work with national organizations to improve telemedicine access and quality. Dr. Williams’ work promotes health equity and strives to diminish the many disparities evident within health care. She is responsible for providing the organizational strategy around health equity, including identifying social determinants of health and creating pathways to improve health outcomes for marginalized groups. Dr. Williams enjoys serving the community and hopes to continue her work to expand quality healthcare access to those who need it most.

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Virtual Lunch and Learn on Physician Engagement
2024-01-31 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join us for our East Texas ACHE Forum virtual Lunch & Learn with Stephen Rydzak, MD, FACP, CWSP; Medical Director; UT Health East Texas!

As an experienced physician leader, Dr. Stephen Rydzak brings a unique perspective on a multitude of relevant issues impacting today’s healthcare climate. One of the critical pressures facing healthcare organizations is maintaining physician engagement, especially through seasons of change. This subject becomes even more evident when transitioning to a Value-Based Healthcare model. There are several fundamental strategies that can help develop physician engagement as well as improve administrative relationships with physicians. This session will highlight several strategies to accomplish those goals, as well as the pitfalls that can occur along the way.

Dr. Rydzak grew up in East Texas and is enthusiastic about returning to his roots to serve this community. He is board-certified in both internal and hyperbaric medicine and is the medical director of the UT Health East Texas Physicians Group.

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