Ruth W. Brinkley (Carondelet Health Network, Tucson, Ariz.). Ms. Brinkley is the president and CEO of Carondelet Health Network in Tucson, Ariz., which operates four hospitals in Southern Arizona. As president and CEO, 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.
Katherine Bunting (Fairfield Memorial Hospital, Fairfield, Ill.). Ms. Bunting is CEO of Fairfield (Ill.) Memorial Hospital. Under her leadership, the hospital provides patients with a friendly and family-like atmosphere. Ms. Bunting encourages her physicians and staff to deliver exceptional customer service, and it has received the Customer Service Award from Alliant Management Services, company that manages the hospital, for the last four years.
Georgia Fojtasek (Allegiance Health, Jackson, Mich.). Ms. Fojtasek is president and CEO of Allegiance Health in Jackson, Mich., a regional healthcare provider that operates 40 facilities — including hospitals, diagnostic centers and rehabilitation centers — across six counties in Michigan. Prior to accepting her current position, she was senior vice president and COO of Allegiance. Ms. Fojtasek is a delegate to the American Health Association Regional Policy Board and serves on the boards of the Enterprise Group of Jackson and the Michigan Health & Hospital Association and is a chairperson of Voluntary Hospitals of America Central Region. She serves on the governance and trustee emeritus committees of the Jackson Community Foundation.
Pauline Grant (North Broward Medical Center, Deerfield Beach, Fla.). Ms. Grant is the CEO of North Broward Medical Center, a 409-bed community hospital in Deerfield Beach, Fla., the second-largest hospital in the 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. She serves on the board of several community organizations, including the American Lung Association Broward County, Urban League of Broward County, John Knox Village and Jack & Jill Children’s Center. Ms. Grant was recently named as one of Modern Healthcare’s 2008 Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare and was the recipient of the March of Dimes 2006 Women of Distinction award. She says her proudest achievement is her two beautiful and accomplished daughters.
Barbara Greene (Franciscan Physicians Hospital, Munster, Ind.). Ms. Greene is the CEO of Franciscan Physicians Hospital in Munster, Ind., which is a joint venture between hospital physicians and the not-for-profit Sisters of St. Francis Health Services. Previously, she served as executive vice president and COO at Saint Margaret Mercy Healthcare Centers in Hammond, Ind., and was vice president of finance and planning for Provena’s St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee, Ill. Ms. Greene is a CPA and a member of the board of the American Heart Association.
Debbie Hay (Texas Institute for Surgery, Dallas). Ms. Hay is president of the Texas Institute for Surgery, a specialty surgery hospital located in Dallas. She has 30 years of nursing experience, which helps her oversee day-to-day operations at the hospital. Ms. Hay has created several initiatives to cut down on waste and to “go green” at her facility, including an extensive recycling program. She was recently named a runner-up for The Hospital Review’s CEO of the Year award.
Cathryn Hibbs (Deaconess Hospital, Oklahoma City). Ms. Hibbs is CEO of Deaconess Hospital in Oklahoma City. Prior to her appointment at Deaconess, she was a division vice president of operations for Community Health Systems. Ms. Hibbs has held many hospital leadership roles, including serving as the CEO for several hospitals in several states with both CHS and HCA. She also served as COO for St. Mary’s Hospital in Euclid, Okla. Ms. Hibbs is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
M. Michelle Hood (Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, Brewer, Maine). Ms. Hood is president and CEO of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, a seven-hospital health system located in Brewer, Maine. She is the former CEO of St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings, Mont., and was 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. Ms. Hood is married with two adult children.
Constance A. Howes (Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, R.I.). Ms. Howes is president and CEO of Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island in Providence, R.I., 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. Ms. Howes was an attorney with Tillinghast, Collins & Graham for 17 years where she practiced primarily in the area of business law and served as chairman of the firm’s corporate department. She is a past chair of the American Hospital Association Maternal Child Health Governing Council, past president of the Sexual Assault & Trauma Resource Center of Rhode Island, past vice chair of the National Conference for Community and Justice, member of the Board of Directors of the Chamber Foundation and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Textron Chamber of Commerce Academy. She is active with the Council of Women and Infants Specialty Hospitals.
Deborah Carey Johnson, RN (Eastern Maine Medical Center, Bangor, Maine). Ms. Johnson is president and CEO of Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine. She worked her way up the ladder at EMMC, starting as a staff nurse in the Critical Care Unit, then department head nurse in Critical Care, the assistant administrator of Nursing, the administrator for Specialty Centers and the executive vice president and COO before assuming her current role as president and CEO. Ms. Johnson was president of the Organization of Maine Nurse Executives from 1990-1992 and has served on the boards of the Maine Hospital Association, the American Heart Association Penobscot Division, the Bangor Noon Rotary and the United Way of Eastern Maine. Ms. Johnson is also an executive vice president of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems.
Donna Katen-Bahensky (University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, Wis.). Ms. Katen-Bahensky is president and CEO of the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, Wis. Before coming to the University of Wisconsin, she 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, Iowa, Virginia Commonwealth University and the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Va., and the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Neb. Ms. Katen-Bahensky served on the board of directors of the University Health System Consortium, was an alternate delegate for the regional policy board of the American Hospital Association and is currently a member of the administrative board of the Council of Teaching Hospitals of the Association of American Medical Colleges. She was instrumental in establishing the first Iowa Women’s Leadership Conference and was named one of 10 “2005 Women of Influence” by the Corridor Business Journal.
Sister Mary Norberta (St. Joseph Healthcare/St. Joseph Hospital, Bangor, Maine). Sister Mary Norberta is president and CEO of St. Joseph Healthcare and St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor, Maine. She began her career as one of the first-ever pediatric nurses at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She has held a number of positions including a faculty appointment at Harvard Medical School and Boston College Graduate School of Nursing. Sister Mary Norberta was appointed associate executive director of St. Joseph Hospital in 1980 and became CEO in 1982. In 1995, she helped establish the Maine Health Alliance, a group of eight small and midsized hospitals that have banded together to work through issues and challenges while remaining independent.
Karen Poole (Boca Raton Community Hospital, Boca Raton, Fla.). Ms. Poole is currently serving as vice president and COO of the Boca Raton (Fla.) Community Hospital and has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare operations. She has held numerous hospital CEO and division president positions and has served as a healthcare advisor and led various facility improvement initiatives. Her expertise includes general hospital operations, managed care, team building, mentoring, strategic planning, clinical operations improvement, service line development, labor productivity, market share growth, profit improvement and physician, medical staff and board development. Ms. Poole is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Linda B. Russell (The Women’s Hospital, Houston). Ms. Russell is the CEO of The Women’s Hospital of Texas, located in Houston, and has seen the hospital grow in both size and prestige since she started in 1994. She was recently appointed to the Judicial Compensation Commission and currently serves on 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. Ms. Russell is married with four grown daughters and three grandchildren and enjoys skiing.
Christina M. Ryan (The Women’s Hospital, Evansville, Ind.). Ms. Ryan is CEO of The Women’s Hospital in Evansville, Ind., a specialty hospital that cares for women of all ages. She was recently appointed to the Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality, a national committee of the Health Resources and Services Administration. Ms. Ryan has received many other awards including the Spirit of Women, Next Generation of Women’s Health Leaders Award, the March of Dimes Nurse Recognition Award the Gold Award for United Way, the Indiana State Chapter of Multiple Sclerosis Society Recognition Award and the Health and Social Services Individual Leadership Award from Leadership Evansville.
Sister Mary Jean Ryan (SSM Health Care, St. Louis, Mo.). Sister Mary Jean is the president and CEO of SSM Health Care in St. Louis, Mo., a healthcare system sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Mary which owns, manages and is affiliated with 20 acute-care hospitals and two nursing homes in Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma. Prior to 1986, when Sister Mary Jean was appointed to current position, she held a variety of executive posts at her congregation’s hospitals. She serves on the National Commission for Quality Long Term Care, chaired by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former U.S. Senator Bob Kerry. She also serves and has served on a variety of boards of directors at the state and national levels.
Nancy Schlichting (Henry Ford Health System, Detroit). Ms. Schlichting is president and CEO of the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, which operates seven hospitals in the Detroit area. Prior to becoming CEO, she was executive vice president and COO for the system and president and CEO of Henry Ford Hospital. Ms. Schlichting serves on numerous community, professional and corporate boards including the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, Greater Detroit Area Health Council, City Year, C.A.T.C.H., Fifth Third Bank of Eastern Michigan, Mayor’s Time and Gilda’s Club.
Sandra A. Van Trease (BJC Healthcare, St. Louis, Mo.). Ms. Van Trease is a group president for eight community and rural hospitals operated by BJC Healthcare located in the St. Louis, Mo. region. 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 Peabody Energy, Enterprise Financial Services Corporation, St. Louis Regional Business Council, Saint Louis Symphony, Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation and the St. Louis Police Foundation.
Anita S. Vaughn (Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women, Memphis, Tenn.). Ms. Vaughn is administrator and CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women in Memphis, Tenn., and has been with the hospital since its planning stages in 1998. Starting her career as a registered nurse, she is experienced in most areas of the healthcare business, from the patient’s bedside to management, and has become a champion for raising the level of women’s health and making quality healthcare more accessible and convenient for women and their families. Ms. Vaughn previously served as assistant vice president for Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, overseeing all of the hospital’s clinical areas.
