56 Women Hospital and Healthcare Leaders to Know

Becker's Hospital Review has named the following female leaders to its annual list, "56 Women Hospital and Healthcare Leaders to Know." These 56 women demonstrate outstanding leadership within the hospital and healthcare industry and were chosen based on a wide range of critical management and leadership skills, including oversight of hospital or health system operations, financial turnarounds and quality improvement initiatives.

Note: Individuals cannot pay for inclusion on the list. Names are presented in alphabetical order.

Marna P. Borgstrom. President and CEO, Yale-New Haven (Conn.) Hospital. Ms. Borgstrom, president and CEO of Yale-New Haven Hospital, also heads Yale-New Haven Health System, the hospital's parent. In office since 2005, she is the first woman to run the organization. She has held numerous executive positions from 1985 up to her appointment to president and CEO. Ms. Borgstrom joined Yale-New Haven Hospital in 1979 as an administrative fellow.

Ruth W. Brinkley. President and CEO, Carondelet Health Network (Tucson, Ariz.). Ms. Brinkley is president and CEO of Carondelet Health Network, which operates four hospitals in Southern Arizona. She also serves as west ministry market leader for Ascension Health, supervising the faith-based missions of hospitals in several western states. Ms. Brinkley previously served as CEO of Memorial Health Care System in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Noel Brown Williams. Senior Vice President and CIO, HCA Information Technology and Services (Nashville, Tenn.). As president of HCA IT, Ms. Brown Williams is responsible for HCA's IT strategy and overall operation of the system's IT services. Ms. Brown Williams assumed her post in Sept. 1997 after serving as CIO for America Service Group in Brentwood, Tenn. She has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare IT.

Janice Burger. CEO, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center (Portland, Ore.). As the CEO of Providence St. Vincent Medical Center since 2005, Ms. Burger is responsible for the oversight of approximately 3,500 staff members working in hospitals in Oregon and Washington. She has been working for Providence Health System, also based in Portland, Ore., since 1986.

Diane Corrigan. CFO, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). Ms. Corrigan has been CFO of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, since 2000. When Ms. Corrigan came on board, the hospital had experienced three straight years of losses. In her first year, HUP achieved an operating margin of 5.7 percent and has maintained a margin of more than 10 percent for the past four years.

Susan Croushore. President and CEO, The Christ Hospital (Cincinnati). As president and CEO of The Christ Hospital, Ms. Croushore has focused on workforce retention and quality improvement. The 555-bed hospital includes more than 1,000 physicians and has been serving patients for more than 120 years. Ms. Croushore previously served as CEO of Jeanes Hospital-Temple University Health System in Pennsylvania and was trained as a microbiologist.

Jacque Daniels. Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Novant Health (Winston-Salem, N.C.). As executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Novant Health, Ms. Daniels oversees several departments, including information technology, marketing and public relations and government relations. Ms. Daniels joined Novant in 1982 as a medical technologist and clinical educator in the pathology department for Forsyth Medical Center, also in Winston-Salem.

Laurie Eberst, RN. President and CEO, Catholic Healthcare West Ventura County Market Service Area and St. John's Regional Medical Center (Oxnard, Calif.). Ms. Eberst is the president and CEO of Catholic Healthcare West Ventura County Market Service Area and St. John's Regional Medical Center. She previously served as president of Mercy Gilbert (Ariz.) Medical Center and senior vice president of clinical services and chief nurse executive at CHW's St. Bernardine Medical Center in San Bernadino, Calif.

Linda Efferen, MD. Senior Vice President and CMO, South Nassau Communities Hospital (Oceanside, N.Y.). Dr. Efferen serves as senior vice president and CMO of South Nassau Communities Hospital, where she holds responsibility for facilitating medical staff interactions with hospital administration and overseeing strategic planning and execution, among other duties. Prior to her appointment at South Nassau, Dr. Efferen was associate chair in the department of medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center for more than eight years.

Melinda Estes, MD. CEO, Saint Luke's Health System (Kansas City, Mo.). Dr. Estes has been the CEO of Saint Luke's Health System since June 2011. Prior to joining Saint Luke's, Dr. Estes served at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vt., for nearly eight years, eventually becoming president and CEO. She also previously served in a leadership position at the Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston and Naples, Fla.

Georgia Fojtasek. President and CEO, Allegiance Health (Jackson, Mich.). Ms. Fojtasek is president and CEO of Allegiance Health, a regional healthcare provider that operates 40 facilities across six counties in Michigan. Previously, she was senior vice president and COO of Allegiance. Ms. Fojtasek was also a delegate to the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board. She is also chair of Voluntary Hospitals of America Central Region.

Suzanne H. Freeman, RN. President, Carolinas Medical Center (Charlotte, N.C.). Ms. Freeman is the president of Carolinas Medical Center, which is part of Carolinas HealthCare System. Ms. Freeman is responsible for planning and directing all operations of Carolinas Medical Center, including Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, Levine Cancer Institute and Levine Children's Hospital. Ms. Freeman joined CHS in 1975 as a staff nurse.

Mary Freyer. COO, Little Company of Mary Hospital (Evergreen Park, Ill.). Ms. Freyer has served as COO of Little Company of Mary Hospital since 2003. Prior to being named COO, she served the hospital as vice president and director of quality resource management, manager of laboratory services, supervisor of the microbiology department and several other roles. She has been a key leader throughout the hospital's current $150 million replacement patient tower construction project.

Patricia Gabow, MD. CEO, Denver Health. Dr. Gabow, a nephrologist, is CEO of Denver Health, which consists of a 477-bed hospital and a teaching institute affiliated with the University of Colorado. The system also includes a network of clinics in schools and neighborhoods, the public health department and the 911 response system for the city and county of Denver. Dr. Gabow joined Denver Health in 1973 as chief of the renal division.

Deborah L. Gorbach. Vice President of Accounting, Akron (Ohio) General Medical Center. Ms. Gorbach was appointed as vice president of accounting at Akron General Medical Center in March 2006. Ms. Gorbach also served as interim CFO from 2007-2011 until Stephen M. Gary was named senior vice president and CFO.

Pauline Grant. CEO, North Broward Medical Center (Pompano Beach, Fla.). Ms. Grant is the CEO of North Broward Medical Center, the second-largest hospital in Broward Health System. Under her leadership, NBMC was first in the nation to attain Joint Commission Certification for its Alzheimer's disease program, first in Florida to attain Joint Commission Certification for stroke rehabilitation and the first hospital in Broward County to attain Joint Commission Certification for hip and knee replacement.

Barbara Greene. President, Franciscan Physicians Hospital (Munster, Ind.). Ms. Greene is the president of Franciscan Physicians Hospital, which is a joint venture between hospital physicians and the non-profit Franciscan Alliance, based in Mishawaka, Ind. She has served in executive positions at other facilities, including Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers in Hammond, Ind., and Provena's St. Mary's Hospital in Kankakee, Ill.

Diana Hendel. President and CEO, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Miller Children's Hospital Long Beach and Community Hospital Long Beach (Long Beach, Calif.). Ms. Hendel is responsible for overseeing ongoing operations, more than 7,000 employees and 1,500 physicians. She began her career at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center as a clinical pharmacy resident before climbing through the leadership ranks and coming full circle to lead the helm of all three hospitals.

M. Michelle Hood. President and CEO, Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (Brewer, Maine). Ms. Hood is president and CEO of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, a seven-hospital health system. Ms. Hood's previous leadership experience includes time as CEO of St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings, Mont., associate hospital director at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Ga., executive vice president and COO of St. Vincent's Hospital (of Ascension Health) in Birmingham, Ala., and chief administrative officer of Norton Hospital in Louisville, Ky.

Constance A. Howes. President and CEO, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island (Providence, R.I.). Ms. Howes is president and CEO of Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, which specializes in the care of women and newborns. Previously, she served as executive vice president and COO of Women & Infants and was formerly vice president and general counsel for Care New England Health System, also in Providence.

Karen Ignagni. President and CEO, America's Health Insurance Plans (Washington, D.C.). Ms. Ignagni is the president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, the trade association representing the country's insurance providers. She was the leader of the American Association of Health Plans before it merged with the Health Insurance Association of America to form AHIP. Ms. Ignagni also directed the AFL-CIO's Department of Employee Benefits and served as a professional staff member of the U.S. Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee.

Deborah Carey Johnson, RN. President and CEO, Eastern Maine Medical Center (Bangor, Maine). Before becoming president and CEO of Eastern Maine Medical Center, Ms. Johnson began her time with Eastern Maine as a staff nurse in the Critical Care Unit. Ms. Johnson was president of the Organization of Maine Nurse Executives from 1990-1992 and has served on several boards, including the Maine Hospital Association. Ms. Johnson is also an executive vice president of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems.

Jan Jones. Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Providence Health & Services (Renton, Wash.). Ms. Jones, who has been with Providence since 1998, works closely with regional leadership to ensure the ongoing development of effective system processes. Previously, she worked with Providence as a senior consultant, regional director for strategic implementation and interim CEO for the region.

Laura Kaiser. President and CEO, Sacred Heart Health System (Pensacola, Fla.). Ms. Kaiser is president and CEO of Sacred Heart Health System, which is a member of Ascension Health and parent-company to the 466-bed campus of Sacred Heart Hospital, Sacred Heart Children's Hospital and Sacred Heart Women's Hospital. The system has more than 700 primary care and specialty physicians. Ms. Kaiser moved into this position in 2009 after serving as Sacred Heart's COO since she joined the system in 2008.

Donna Katen-Bahensky. President and CEO, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (Madison, Wis.). Before joining University of Wisconsin, Ms. Katen-Bahensky held numerous executive positions at health systems across the country, including the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and Iowa Health Care in Iowa City. She is also currently a member of the administrative board of the Council of Teaching Hospitals of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Jane Keller, RN. CEO, Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital (Indianapolis). Ms. Keller is the CEO of physician-owned Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital, a position she has held since 2006. Prior to her appointment to CEO, Ms. Keller served as the hospital's chief nursing officer and OrthoIndy's executive director/nursing director of the surgery centers. In addition, Ms. Keller is a member of the Association of Operating Room Nurses, National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses and National Association of Professional Women.

Christy Kindler. Vice President/CIO, University Community Health (Tampa, Fla.). Ms. Kindler is the vice president/CIO for University Community Health, comprised of four hospitals in Florida. Ms. Kindler is currently spearheading a project to implement advanced clinical systems across the healthcare system, with the first go-live date scheduled for Dec. 2011. UCH, Ms. Kindler also grew the clinical informatics department from seven staff members to 20.

Margaret Lewis, RN. President, HCA Capital Division (Richmond, Va.). As president of HCA's Capital Division, Ms. Lewis is responsible for overseeing facilities in northern, central and southwestern Virginia, New Hampshire, Indiana and Kentucky. Ms. Lewis first joined HCA as a student nurse at Chippenham Medical Center in Richmond, Va., eventually serving in executive roles at several HCA facilities.


Mary Jo Lewis. CEO, HighPoint Health System (Gallatin, Tenn.). Prior to becoming CEO at HighPoint Health System, Ms. Lewis served as CEO of Jackson Purchase Medical Center in Mayfield, Ky., for 11 years. During Ms. Lewis' tenure at Jackson Purchase, the 107-bed hospital received exemplary scores in patient satisfaction. Prior to serving at Jackson Purchase, Ms. Lewis served as administrator at Parkway Regional Hospital in Fulton, Ky.

Barbara J. Martin.
President and CEO, Vista Health System (Waukegan, Ill.). Ms. Martin is president and CEO of Vista Health System, which includes 407 beds on two campuses, a surgery center, MRI institute and imaging center, among other services. Ms. Martin has held her position since 2006. Vista Health recently opened a new freestanding emergency center in Lindenhurst, Ill.

Patricia Maryland. President and CEO, St. John Providence Health System (Detroit). Ms. Maryland is president and CEO of St. John Providence Health System, which includes 365-bed Providence Hospital and Medical Center in Southfield, Mich. She has served as the leader since Jan. 2008. Previously, Ms. Maryland served as executive vice president and COO of St. Vincent Health and president of St. Vincent Hospital and Health Services in Indianapolis.

Sally A. Mason Boemer. Senior Vice President for Finance, Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston). As senior vice president for finance, Ms. Boemer has improved collections, shepherded payor contracts and organized cost-cutting teams at Massachusetts General Hospital. She started at Massachusetts General in 1993 in an administrative fellowship, an educational program that allowed her to rotate through the hospital's operational and finance departments. Ms. Boemer is also senior vice president of the hospital's cancer center.

Kristen Murtos. President, Skokie (Ill.) Hospital. Ms. Murtos serves as president of Skokie Hospital, which is part of NorthShore University HealthSystem. She has been with the system since 1998, at which time she joined the organization as vice president of the medical group. As president of Skokie Hospital, Ms. Murtos is charged with overseeing operations at Skokie Hospital, as well as management and strategic planning, among other responsibilities.

Pamela G. McNutt.
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Methodist Health System (Dallas). Ms. McNutt is a senior vice president and the chief information officer at Methodist Health System. She has served in the CIO role at Methodist for nearly 20 years. In 2001, she led a five-year technology replacement plan focused on standardizing clinical and billing information practices across the health system. She has also served as director of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society national board.

Elizabeth G. Nabel, MD. President, Brigham and Women's/Faulkner Hospitals (Boston). Dr. Nabel, a cardiologist, became president of Brigham and Women's and Faulkner Hospitals in Jan. 2010. The 750-bed hospital is one of two non-university recipients of research funding from the National Institutes of Health for the past 10 years. She was previously director of the NIH's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and is a nationally recognized scholar, having authored approximately 250 publications.

Peggy Naleppa, MD. President and CEO, Peninsula Regional Health System (Salisbury, Md.). Dr. Naleppa has served as the president and CEO of Peninsula Regional Medical Center as well as the Peninsula Regional Health System since Jan. 2010. Prior to that appointment, Dr. Naleppa served as executive vice president and COO for five years, during which time she oversaw $100 million expansion project, patient safety initiatives and more.

Judith Persichilli. President and CEO, Catholic Healthcare East (Newtown Square, Pa.). Ms. Persichilli has served as president and CEO of Catholic Healthcare East since Dec. 2009. She came to the system in 2003 as executive vice president of Catholic Health East's Mid-Atlantic Division. Prior to that, she worked in various leadership roles at hospitals, including St. Peter's Medical Center in New Brunswick, N.J.

Andrea Price. President and CEO, Mercy (Toledo, Ohio). Ms. Price joined Mercy in the fall of 2009 as COO, at which time she assumed responsibility for the operations and performance of Mercy's seven hospitals. With more than 25 years of executive healthcare experience, Ms. Price's previous leadership roles include stints at Sparrow Health System in Lansing, Mich., Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Mich., and Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Deborah Proctor. President and CEO, St. Joseph Health System (Orange, Calif.). Ms. Proctor is the president and CEO of St. Joseph Health System, a 14-hospital system serving California, Texas and New Mexico. She has also held leadership roles at other hospitals and health systems, including Ascension Health, based in St. Louis. Ms. Proctor also serves on the board of directors for Catholic Healthcare Alliance.

Mary Prybylo. President and CEO, St. Joseph Hospital (Bangor, Maine). Ms. Prybylo is president and CEO of St. Joseph Hospital. Ms. Prybylo came to St. Joseph from Waterbury (Conn.) Hospital Health Center where she was the COO responsible for operations, physician partnerships and strategic initiatives. She previously held several executive and management positions within the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Connecticut system, as well as St. Mary's Hospital in Waterbury, Conn.

Paula Register. Senior Vice President of Physician, Ambulatory and Continuum Services, Carondelet Health Network (Tucson, Ariz.). Ms. Register is the senior vice president of physician, ambulatory and continuum services for Carondelet Health Network. She has previously served as vice president of physician services at Memorial Health Care System in Chattanooga, Tenn.; CEO of Memorial Health System's Mountain Management Services; CEO of Memorial Health Partners physicians group; and CFO of Piedmont HealthCare, based in Statesville, N.D.

Tracy Rogers. Vice President of Operations, Alexian Brothers Health System (Arlington Heights, Ill.). Ms. Rogers is the vice president of operations at Alexian Brothers Health System. With more than 20 years of healthcare experience, Ms. Rogers has served at the helm of several hospitals, including Lakeland Medical Center in New Orleans; Columbia Suburban Hospital in Louisville, Ky., and Weiss Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

Dawn Rudolph. President and CEO, Saint Thomas Hospital (Nashville, Tenn.). Ms. Rudolph has been president and CEO of Saint Thomas Hospital since Nov. 2010. She previously served as CEO of St. Joseph Hospital in Fort Wayne, Ind., where she began her career in healthcare administration in 1990. For the following 20 years, Ms. Rudolph served at St. Joseph in multiple capacities, starting as project manager.

Linda B. Russell. CEO, The Women's Hospital of Texas (Houston). Ms. Russell is the CEO of The Women's Hospital of Texas and has seen the hospital grow in both size and prestige since she started in 1994. She serves on the Judicial Compensation Commission, the March of Dimes board of directors, executive board and Texas state executive committee. She also serves on the board of directors for the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center.

Valinda Rutledge. Director of the Patient Care Models Group, CMS' Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Washington, D.C.). Ms. Rutledge recently stepped down from her roles as CEO of Gastonia, N.C.-based CaroMont Health to serve as director of the Patient Care Models Group at CMS' new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Ms. Rutledge has been appointed to help craft innovative methods to improve national healthcare quality for Medicare, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program beneficiaries.

Nancy Schlichting. President and CEO, Henry Ford Health System (Detroit). Ms. Schlichting is president and CEO of the Henry Ford Health System, where she previously served as executive vice president and COO. Prior to joining Henry Ford in 1998, Ms. Schlichting was executive vice president and COO of Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio. She has also served as president of the Eastern region of Catholic Health Initiatives, president and CEO of Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and executive vice president and COO of Akron City Hospital.

Rachel Seifert, JD. Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel, Community Health Systems (Brentwood, Tenn.). Ms. Seifert is executive vice president, secretary and general counsel of Community Health Systems and has held this post since she first joined the health system in Jan. 1998. Previously, she served as an associate general counsel of Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation from 1992 to 1997, while acting as vice president of legal operations starting in 1994.

Brigitte Shaw. CEO, Pepin Heart Hospital and Dr. Kiran C. Patel Research Institute (Tampa, Fla.). Ms. Shaw is the CEO of Pepin Heart Hospital and Dr. Kiran C. Patel Research Institute, a role she has filled since Jan. 2005. In this role, Ms. Shaw has led the development Pepin Heart Hospital's academic affiliation with the University of South Florida and oversees the information systems department of University Community Health, the health system of which Pepin Heart Hospital is a part. Ms. Shaw previously served as COO of UCH.

Deb Staples. COO, Pennsylvania Hospital (Philadelphia). Ms. Staples has served at Pennsylvania Hospital for more than 17 years, during which time she has led numerous projects, including the successful transition and integration of the inpatient psychiatric unit from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania to Pennsylvania Hospital. She also played a key role in the introduction of the laborist model for obstetrical care and the development of the Pennsylvania Hospital outpatient radiology site at the Tuttleman Center on the campus of Penn Medicine Rittenhouse.  

Pamela J. Stoyanoff. Executive Vice President and COO, Methodist Health System (Dallas). Ms. Stoyanoff, executive vice president and COO of Methodist Health, took her first step into healthcare as controller/compliance officer of Provena Health in Waukegan, Ill., from 1985-2000. Since then, Ms. Stoyanoff has also served in executive healthcare positions at Vista Health, also in Waukegan, and St. Vincent Health System based in Little Rock, Ark.

Peggy Troy. CEO of Children's Hospital and Health System (Milwaukee). Prior to her CEO appointment at Children's Hospital and Health System, Ms. Troy served as the COO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis, Tenn., where she helped oversee two academic medical centers, four community hospitals, a long-term care facility and more than 1,600 licensed beds. Ms. Troy also served as CEO of Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center and filled leadership positions at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

Anita S. Vaughn, RN. Administrator and CEO, Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women (Memphis, Tenn.). Ms. Vaughn is administrator and CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women and has been with the hospital since its planning stages in 1998. Apart from her strong clinical background, Ms. Vaughn also served as director of practice management for Baptist Memorial Health Care from 1997-1998, which included planning and operations for 11 Baptist Minor Medical Centers and six physician practices, and administrator of managed health and wellness from 1994-1997.

Margaret Van Bree. CEO, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital (Houston). Ms. Van Bree currently serves as CEO of St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, the flagship hospital of St. Luke's Episcopal Health System. She also serves as a senior vice president for the health system. Before joining St. Luke's in Oct. 2009, Ms. Van Bree served as the senior vice president and COO at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, Wis.

Sandra A. Van Trease. Group President, BJC Healthcare (St. Louis). Ms. Van Trease is a group president for eight community and rural hospitals operated by BJC Healthcare. She is responsible for overall business and growth strategies for these hospitals and BJC Medical Group to ensure outstanding clinical quality, operating efficiencies and financial stability. Ms. Van Trease is an active member of the St. Louis community and serves on many corporate boards, including Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation.

Jamie Welch. Chief Information Officer, Louisiana Rural Hospital Coalition and the Louisiana Rural Health Information Exchange. Ms. Welch is the chief information officer of the Louisiana Rural Hospital Coalition and the Louisiana Rural Health Information Exchange. In this role, she is responsible for all health IT decisions for a network of 24 rural hospitals in north Louisiana and provides health IT strategic direction the LRHC member hospitals.

Phyllis Wingate-Jones. President, Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast (Concord, N.C.). As president of Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast, Ms. Wingate-Jones oversees and directs operations at both CMC-University in Charlotte and CMC-Huntersville. Prior to her appointment as president of CMC-NorthEast in April 2010, Ms. Wingate-Jones served as president of CMC-Mercy for three years.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars