Michael Blaszyk — Mr. Blaszyk is executive vice president and CFO for Catholic Healthcare West. Mr. Blaszyk, who has 30 years of healthcare experience, provides financial oversight for more than $10.6 billion in annual spending. Prior to joining the system, he was senior vice president and CFO at University Hospitals Health System in Cleveland and before that he served as managing partner of the Northeast region healthcare consulting practice for William Mercer and as executive vice president of Boston Medical Center. He earlier worked as director of health economics and finance for the Michigan Hospital Association. Mr. Blaszyk earned a master’s degree in health administration from the University of Colorado at Denver School of Business.
Jack Bovender, Jr. — Mr. Bovender currently serves as chairman of Hospital Corporation of America and previously served as HCA’s CEO, president and COO. Before being named president and COO in 1992, Mr. Bovender held several senior level positions with HCA. He began his hospital administrative career as a lieutenant in the United States Navy stationed at the Naval Reserve Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va. Mr. Bovender holds a master’s degree in hospital administration from Duke University.
Richard Bracken — Mr. Bracken currently serves as president and CEO of Hospital Corporation of America. He began his career with HCA in 1981 and has held various executive positions with the company, including CEO of the Green Hospital of Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in San Diego, Calif., and CEO of Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. Mr. Bracken also served as president of HCA’s Pacific division. Mr. Bracken received his master’s degree in hospital and healthcare administration from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.
Larry Cash — Mr. Cash is CFO and executive vice president for Brentwood, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems. He has more than 30 years of healthcare financial experience and joined CHS in 1997. He previously spent 23 years at Humana and held senior level positions with HCA and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Dexanne Clohan, MD — Dr. Clohan is senior vice president and chief medical officer for HealthSouth Corp. She is a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician and has served as HealthSouth’s CMO since 2006. Prior to joining HealthSouth, Dr. Clohan acted as a medical director for several organizations including Aetna, Meridian Health Care Management and Memorial Independent Practice Association. In addition, she practiced medicine with Rehabilitation Associates Medical Group and served as director of Congressional affairs for the American Medical Association. Dr. Clohan received a master’s degree in administration from The George Washington University and her medical degree from The George Washington University School of Medicine.
Delos “Toby” Cosgrove, MD — Dr. Cosgrove is president and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, which is comprised of the Cleveland Clinic, nine community hospitals, 14 family health centers and ASCs, Cleveland Clinic Florida, Cleveland Clinic Toronto and the developing Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Dr. Cosgrove previously served as chairman of the Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Dr. Cosgrove has filed 30 patents for developing medical and clinical products used in surgical environments. He is a member of 16 scientific societies including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, the American Heart Association and the American Association of Thoracic Surgery, for which he served as president in 2000. He has published nearly 450 journal articles, book chapters, one book and 17 training and CME films.
Lloyd Dean — Mr. Dean is president and CEO of Catholic Healthcare West, one of the leading non-profit healthcare systems in the United States. In this role, Mr. Dean is responsible for $11 billion in assets and the overall management, strategy and direction of CHW’s integrated healthcare system comprising 41 acute care hospitals, as well as medical clinics, home health organizations, two health plans, five medical practice groups and an estimated 53,000 employees and 10,000 physicians in California, Arizona and Nevada. Mr. Dean was previously executive vice president and COO of Advocate Health Care in Oak Brook, Ill. Mr. Dean currently serves as chair of the board of trustees of the Catholic Health Association of the United States where he oversees advocacy efforts for Catholic healthcare in the United States. He is also a member of the CHA board’s executive committee and recently served as the board’s secretary/treasurer.
John Dietz, MD — Dr. Dietz is chairman of the board at Indiana Orthopaedic Hospital in Indianapolis and an orthopedic and spine surgeon with OrthoIndy. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a concentration in civil engineering in 1979 and received his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine in 1984. He then completed an internship in general surgery at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash., and a residency in orthopedic surgery at Madigan. Dr. Dietz has been awarded patents on surgical instruments used in endoscopic spine surgery. He has also authored many articles published in medical journals and has presented at numerous national meetings of orthopedic surgeons. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the North American Spine Society and is a fellow of the Scoliosis Research Society.
Michael Dowling — Mr. Dowling is president and CEO of North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New York, the largest healthcare network in New York State. Mr. Dowling previously served as the health system’s executive vice president and COO. Prior to that, he was a senior vice president at Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Mr. Dowling also served in New York state government for 12 years, including seven years as state director of Health, Education and Human Services and deputy secretary to the governor. He was also commissioner of the New York State Department of Social Services. Before his public service career, Mr. Dowling was a professor of social policy and assistant dean at the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Services and director of the Fordham campus. Mr. Dowling is past chairman of the Greater New York Hospital Association and is currently chairman of the Healthcare Association of New York State and the National Center for Healthcare Leadership. He received a master’s degree from Fordham University and an honorary doctorate from Hofstra University.
Trevor Fetter — Mr. Fetter has served as president and CEO of Tenet Healthcare Corp. since Sept. 2003 and also serves as a member of the company’s board of directors. During Mr. Fetter’s tenure, he has helped achieve a peace accord with organized labor and resolved all major litigation facing the company. Mr. Fetter previously served as the chairman and CEO of Broadlane, a leading provider of cost-management services to both investor-owned and non-profit hospitals. He also currently serves as the chair of the board for the Federation of American Hospitals.
Georgia Fojtasek — 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 also serves on the governance and trustee emeritus committees of the Jackson Community Foundation.
Lawrence Foust — Mr. Foust serves as senior vice president and general counsel at the Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles. He has provided legal services for the healthcare industry for more than 29 years, including service with the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Jenkens & Gilchrist and Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of Houston, now known as CHRISTUS Health. Mr. Foust is the author of numerous publications including book chapters and articles, covering various topics including negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, Medicare and Medicaid and managed care. Mr. Foust received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.
David Fox — Mr. Fox is president of Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Ill., and has been a healthcare executive his entire career. He earned a graduate degree from the University of Chicago in healthcare management and became the president of Central DuPage Hospital, located in Winfield, Ill., in 1997. He joined Advocate Good Samaritan in 2003 and was recently named as Becker’s Hospital Review’s hospital CEO of the year.
Joe Freudenberger — Mr. Freudenberger is CEO of OakBend Medical Center in Richmond, Texas. He has held several positions in hospital administration, serving as COO for OakBend and as CFO for Memorial Health System of East Texas in Lufkin, Texas. Under Mr. Freudenberger’s leadership, OakBend Medical Center received the American Stroke Association’s Get With the Guidelines Silver Performance Achievement Award in July 2008. Mr. Freudenberger received his MBA from Tulane University. He was recently named as a runner-up for Becker’s Hospital Review’s hospital CEO of the year.
Alyson Pitman Giles — Ms. Giles is president and CEO of CMC Healthcare System and Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, N.H. She has been president and CEO of CMC Healthcare System since 2002 and president and CEO of Catholic Medical Center since 1999. She also serves as the 2008-2009 immediate past chairman of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Before her current position, Ms. Giles served as executive vice president and COO of Optima Healthcare, president and CEO of New London (N.H.) Hospital and president and CEO of Lake Shore Hospital in Manchester, N.H.
Edward Goldberg — Mr. Goldberg is president and CEO of St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, Ill., and has been a hospital administrator for more than 32 years. Under Mr. Goldberg’s leadership, St. Alexius has seen dramatic increases in admissions and outpatient visits. Mr. Goldberg previously served as a vice president for Columbia/HCA, administrator at Hartgrove Hospital in Chicago, administrator at Charter Barclay Hospital in Chicago, regional director with Charter Medical Corporation and administrator at Coral Gables (Fla.) Hospital. He holds a master’s degree in hospital and health service administration from The Ohio State University.
Gary Gottlieb, MD — Dr. Gottlieb is president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. In 2010, he will succeed James Mongan as president and CEO of Partners Health System in Boston. He also serves a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Prior to his position at Brigham and Women’s, Dr. Gottlieb served as a clinical scholar for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and helped to establish the University of Pennsylvania’s geriatric psychiatry program. He also served as the executive vice chair and interim chair for University of Pennsylvania’s department of psychiatry and associate dean for managed care for the University’s health system. In 1994, he became director and CEO of Friends Hospital in Philadelphia, the nation’s oldest, independent, freestanding psychiatric hospital. Dr. Gottlieb received his medical degree from Albany Medical College of Union University and received an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Graduate School of Business Administration.
Jay Grinney — Mr. Grinney has served as president and CEO of HealthSouth Corp. since 2004. Prior to joining HealthSouth, Mr. Grinney served as president of Hospital Corporation of America’s Eastern group, which employs more than 65,000 people and consists of 91 hospitals located in 10 states. He also served as president and CEO of HCA’s greater Houston division and as COO of the Houston region. Before joining HCA, Mr. Grinney held several executive positions during his nine-year career at the Methodist Hospital System in Houston. Mr. Grinney holds an MBA and a master’s in health administration from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.
John Harvey, MD — Dr. Harvey serves as medical director and CEO at Oklahoma Heart Hospital and Oklahoma Cardiovascular Associates. He is a board-certified physician specializing in cardiac electrophysiology and pacing and has been with Oklahoma Cardiovascular Associates since 1998. Dr. Harvey attended medical school at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City and completed post-graduate training in general surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City and in cardiovascular disease at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Debbie Hay — Ms. Hay is the president of the Texas Institute for Surgery in Dallas. She previously served as administrator for a surgery center and as an emergency room nurse and manager. She has initiated a number of green policies while serving as president of the Texas Institute for Surgery, including converting paper patient files to electronic. She has a psychology degree from William Woods University in Fulton, Mo., and a nursing degree from Baylor University in Dallas. She was recently named as a runner-up for Becker’s Hospital Review’s hospital CEO of the year.
Cathryn Hibbs — 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.
Jeffrey Hillebrand — Mr. Hillebrand is COO of NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Ill., and has been with the organization since 1979. He previously served as executive vice president and president of NorthShore University HealthSystem Medical Group as well as senior vice president and president of Glenbrook (Ill.) Hospital. He is a fellow of, and has served as a regent in, the American College of Healthcare Executives, and is a member of the society of hospital planning of the American Hospital Association. Mr. Hillebrand received a master’s in health services administration from the University of Michigan.
Rebecca Hurley — Ms. Hurley serves as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary for Legacy Hospital Partners. Ms. Hurley previously served as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for Triad Hospitals. Prior to her appointment as general counsel, she served in the capacities of associate general counsel and chief compliance officer for Triad. Ms. Hurley was an attorney in private practice in Dallas for nearly 20 years before joining Triad. Prior to entering private practice, she served as law clerk to the late Honorable Warren E. Burger, chief justice of the United States (1983-1984) and to the late Honorable Irving L. Goldberg, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1982-1983). She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University School of Law.
Deborah Carey Johnson — Ms. Johnson is president and CEO of Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. She started at EMMC as a staff nurse in the critical care unit, then moved on to department head nurse in critical care, assistant administrator of nursing, administrator for specialty centers and finally 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 and the American Heart Association Penobscot Division. Ms. Johnson is also an executive vice president of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems.
Charles “Chip” Kahn — Mr. Kahn is president of the Federation of American Hospitals and one of the most notable experts on health policy and financing. He was appointed to the governing board of the National Quality Forum in 2007 and serves as a principal in the Hospital Quality Alliance. Before FAH, Mr. Kahn served as president of the Health Insurance Association of America and as staff director for the Health Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee. Mr. Kahn has taught health policy at John Hopkins University, George Washington University and Tulane University and has written numerous articles on healthcare financing. Mr. Kahn holds a master’s degree in public health from Tulane University.
Gary Kaplan, MD — Dr. Kaplan is chairman and CEO of Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. He joined Virginia Mason in 1981 and has served the hospital in numerous roles including deputy chief of medicine and medical director. Dr. Kaplan is board certified in internal medicine and received his medical degree from the University of Michigan.
Chris Karam — Mr. Karam is a regional leader in CHRISTUS Health, one of the top 10 Catholic health systems in the United States, where he serves as president and CEO of the CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System in Texarkana, Texas, one of the most dynamic regions in the CHRISTUS Health system. Mr. Karam also serves on the board of trustees of the Texas Hospital Association and is an officer for the Ark-La-Tex Health Network.
Donna Katen-Bahensky — Ms. Katen-Bahensky is president and CEO of the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison. 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, Virginia Commonwealth University and the Medical College of Virginia 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.
Bill Keaton — Mr. Keaton was appointed as CEO of Baylor Medical Center in Frisco, Texas, in 2001. Under his leadership, the hospital saw a $65 million expansion in 2007. Prior to his appointment at Baylor, Mr. Keaton served as COO of River Region HealthCare System in Vicksburg, Miss., and as CEO of Columbia Panhandle Surgical Hospital in Amarillo, Texas. He currently serves as a board member for Frisco Family Services and Care View Communications and is actively involved with the Frisco Industrial Council and the Sherman (Calif.) Chamber of Commerce.
Jane Keller — Ms. Keller is the CEO and chief nursing officer for the Indiana Orthopedic Hospital in Indianapolis. She started at OrthoIndy, the group that owns IOH, as the executive director/nursing director of surgery centers. She also currently serves as the development chair for Indiana’s Arthritis Foundation and is an active member of its board of directors.
John Koster, MD — Dr. Koster is president and CEO of Providence Health & Services and has been with the health system since 1997. Prior to that, Dr. Koster served as vice president for targeted member services at VHA in Irving, Texas. Dr. Koster also previously served as vice president of Presbyterian Healthcare Services in Albuquerque, N.M., and as senior vice president of Rocky Mountain Healthcare Corp., which manages the Blue Cross Blue Shield plans of Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada. Board certified in internal medicine, Dr. Koster worked in private practice with a multi-specialty group of physicians from 1979-1988. He received his medical degree from the University of New Mexico and he completed his internship at Providence Portland Medical Center.
Paul Levy — Mr. Levy has served as the president and CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital, since 2002. He is the executive dean of administration at Harvard Medical School and previously was an adjunct professor of environmental policy at MIT. He also publishes a blog called “Running a Hospital” in which he shares his thoughts about healthcare. He has published hundreds of articles and been involved with many training and continuing medical education films covering such topics as blood conservation in cardiac surgery and aortic valve repair.
Kevin E. Lofton — Mr. Lofton has served as president and CEO of Catholic Health Initiatives since 2003. Prior to his current role, he served as executive vice president and COO of the health system as well as president of the southeast region. Prior to joining Catholic Health Initiatives, Mr. Lofton was the executive director and CEO of the University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham, CEO of Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., and COO at the University Medical Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Mr. Lofton received a master’s degree in health administration from Georgia State University in Atlanta.
Pamala Maher — Ms. Maher is CEO of Arizona Regional Medical Center, which opened in Oct. 2008. Prior to serving as CEO at ARMC, Ms. Maher served as CEO for a number of hospitals in Wyoming, Texas and Arizona and as senior administrator at Advanced Cardiac Specialists, an internal medicine and cardiology practice in Arizona. Ms. Maher served as regional executive for the American Hospital Association from 1995-1999 and has served on the Governing Council for Aging and Long-Term Care of the American Hospital Association. Ms. Maher holds an MBA from the University of Idaho.
Tom Mallon — Mr. Mallon is a co-founder and CEO of Regent Surgical Health, which specializes in working with physician and hospital partners in the development, management and turnaround of specialty hospitals and surgery centers. Before founding Regent, he served as a founding member and remains a general partner with Gryffindor Capital Partners, a Chicago-based venture-capital fund. Mr. Mallon holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Thomas A. Michaud, CPA — Mr. Michaud is the CEO and chairman of the board of Foundation Surgery Affiliates. Before founding FSA, he held the positions of COO and CFO of a regional surgery center management company. Mr. Michaud previously served as a staff accountant for Ernst & Young and is a certified public accountant.
Thomas Miller — Mr. Miller is president of Division V operations for Community Health Systems. Before joining CHS in 2007, he was regional president of the Lutheran Health Network and CEO of Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, Ind. He also previously spent nine years with Columbia/HCA as the president of the Tri-Cities Region in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia and as CEO of Reston (Va.) Hospital. Mr. Miller received his master’s degree in hospital and health administration from the University of Alabama.
Daniel Moen — Mr. Moen is CEO of Plano, Texas-based Legacy Hospital Partners. He previously served as executive vice president for development at Triad Hospitals. Mr. Moen began his healthcare career with Humana in 1977 and worked there in positions of increasing responsibility for 14 years. At Humana, he managed hospitals in Virginia, West Virginia, Florida and Mexico and was responsible for Humana’s Florida managed care division. He then worked for Columbia Hospital Corporation (now HCA) from 1991-1998, first as president of the South Florida division. In 1994, he was named president of the Florida Group, and in 1996, he assumed the role of president of the Columbia Sponsored Network Group, responsible for the company’s managed care subsidiaries.
Mark Neaman — Mr. Neaman has served as president and CEO of NorthShore University HealthSystem since 1992. Mr. Neaman has spent his entire career with NorthShore, joining the hospital in 1974 after earning his master’s in science, business and healthcare from Ohio State University. Mr. Neaman is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and was chairman and served on the board of governors for the College. In 2009, Mr. Neaman was the recipient of ACHE’s highest recognition, the Gold Medal Award. He is also a member of the American Hospital Association and served on the regional advisory board of AHA and the board of directors of the Illinois Hospital Association.
Gary Newsome — Mr. Newsome is president and CEO of Health Management Associates. Mr. Newsome previously served as division president of hospital operations and president of group operations for Community Health Systems. Prior to joining CHS, he was with HMA from 1993-1998 where he served as a divisional vice president of group operations, assistant vice president of group operations and hospital CEO. Mr. Newsome received an MBA from Butler University in Indianapolis and completed advanced studies at the University of Michigan School of Business.
Herbert Pardes, MD — Dr. Pardes is president and CEO of the New York Presbyterian Health Care System in New York City. He previously served as U.S. Assistant Surgeon General and was director of the National Institutes of Mental Health during the Carter and Reagan administrations. He has also served as vice president for health sciences at Columbia University and dean of the faculty of medicine of Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, positions he held while he was chairman of Columbia’s Department of Psychiatry. He was the director of the psychiatry service at the Presbyterian Hospital and director of the New York State Psychiatric Institute. He served as chairman of the Association of American Medical Colleges and the AAMC’s Council of Deans, and served two terms as chairman of the New York Association of Medical Schools. In 1997, he was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.
Thomas Priselac — Mr. Priselac is president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Health System and currently serves as chairman of the American Hospital Association. Mr. Priselac has been with Cedars-Sinai since 1979, serving as CEO since 1994. He previously served as chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges and is an adjunct professor at the UCLA School of Public Health. He holds a master’s in public health, health services administration and planning from the University of Pittsburgh.
John Rex-Waller — Mr. Rex-Waller is the chairman, president and CEO of National Surgical Hospitals. He has also served as the CFO of Hawk Medical Supply and previously was the CFO and a co-founder of National Surgery Centers, which was one the largest independent owners and operators of ASCs in the country. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and is a Rhodes Scholar.
Britt Reynolds — Mr. Reynolds is a senior vice president and a division president for Health Management Associates. Previously, he served as vice president of operations for Community Health Systems, managing hospitals in Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He has also served as vice president of operations for Ephraim McDowell Health System, overseeing operations for multiple hospitals, and jointly served as president and CEO of Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center in Danville, Ky. Mr. Reynolds has held hospital CEO and senior leadership positions and has previously worked for Humana, Galen Healthcare and Columbia/HCA.
Thomas Royer, MD — Dr. Royer is president and CEO of CHRISTUS Health system, leading the day-to-day operations for CHRISTUS Health. He lends extensive expertise in developing physician partnerships and community health programs within CHRISTUS. In his nearly seven years with the organization, Dr. Royer has led CHRISTUS Health through a remarkable period of growth, making it one of the 10 largest Catholic health systems in the country. Prior to joining CHRISTUS, Dr. Royer served as chairman of the board of governors for the Henry Ford Medical Group and senior vice president of medical affairs for the Henry Ford Health System. In addition to his experience with Henry Ford, Dr. Royer also served for two years at Johns Hopkins Medical Services Corp. and Wyman Park Medical Associates in Baltimore in a variety of positions, including CEO, president and COO as well as vice president of clinical operations. He also spent 18 years with the Geisinger Medical Center and Clinic in Danville, Pa. He received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his postdoctoral training at Geisinger Medical Center and Clinic.
Sister Mary Jean Ryan — Sister Ryan 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 Ryan was appointed to her 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.
Molly Sandvig — Ms. Sandvig is the executive director for the Physician Hospitals of America. In this role she leads the organization’s day-to-day business and operational functions and directs PHA’s membership recruitment, public relations and political advocacy efforts. She also serves as the president of the South Dakota Association of Specialty Care Providers, representing physician-owned hospitals and ASCs in South Dakota. She is currently serving a third term as a governor appointee to the South Dakota Healthcare Commission and has served as co-chair of the governor-appointed subcommittee on Universal Healthcare Access in South Dakota. Ms. Sandvig holds a law degree from the University of South Dakota School of Law.
Nancy Schlichting — Ms. Schlichting is president and CEO of the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, 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 Hospitals and executive vice president and COO of Akron City Hospital. She serves on numerous community, professional and corporate boards including the Michigan Health and Hospital Association and the Greater Detroit Area Health Council. Ms. Schlichting has an MBA in hospital administration and accounting from Cornell University.
Ron Shafer — Mr. Shafer is vice president of Division V operations for Community Health Systems. In this position, he manages hospitals in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. Mr. Schafer joined CHS in 1998 as the CEO of Eastern New Mexico Medical Center in Roswell. He was promoted to vice president of operations in 2001. Mr. Shafer has 30 years of hospital management experience, including working with HCA and Brim Healthcare.
David Shulkin, MD — Dr. Shulkin is president and CEO of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. He previously served in numerous physician leadership roles including the chief medical officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University Hospital and the Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital and was the chairman of medicine and vice dean at Drexel University School of Medicine. Dr. Shulkin founded and served as the chairman and CEO of DoctorQuality, one of the first consumer-orientated sources of information for quality and safety in healthcare. He has served on the editorial boards of numerous journals including the Journal of the American Medical Association. Dr. Shulkin also recently published a book, Questions Patients Need to Ask, to better educate and empower patients.
Wayne Smith — Mr. Smith serves as chairman of the board, president and CEO of Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems. Prior to joining CHS, Mr. Smith was with Humana for 23 years where he held a variety of senior management positions including president and COO. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Nashville Healthcare Council and the Federation of American Hospitals. Mr. Smith began his career as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Services Corps. He holds a master’s degree in science from Auburn University and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Trinity University.
Paul Summerside, MD — Dr. Summerside is the chief medical officer and president of the board at BayCare Clinic in Green Bay, Wisc. He also serves as president of Aurora BayCare Medical Center, director of wellness for Aurora BayCare Sports Medicine and chairman of medical education for the University of Wisconsin-affiliated medical school program in Green Bay. Dr. Summerside is board certified in emergency medicine and has practiced emergency medicine in the Green Bay area since 1988. He attended the University of Iowa College of Medicine and holds a master’s in medical management from the University of Southern California. He is also an active member of the American College of Physician Executives.
Nick Turkal, MD — Dr. Turkal serves as president and CEO of Milwaukee, Wisc.-based Aurora Health Care. Dr. Turkal previously served as a senior vice president and president of Aurora’s metro region, where he oversaw the operations of Aurora’s facilities and services in the Milwaukee area, including Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center, Aurora Sinai Medical Center, St. Luke’s South Shore and West Allis Memorial Hospital. Dr. Turkal is a family practice physician and has been with Aurora since 1987.
Richard Umbdenstock — Mr. Umbdenstock is president and CEO of the American Hospital Association and past chair of the AHA board of trustees. He previously served as executive vice president of Providence Health & Services, an integrated healthcare system formed through the merger of Providence Services and Providence Health System. He served as president and CEO of the former Providence Services before its merger. Mr. Umbdenstock holds a master’s degree in health services administration from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and an honorary law degree from Gonzaga University.
Chris Van Gorder — Mr. Van Gorder has served as the president and CEO of Scripps Health since 2000. Scripps operates five acute care hospital campuses, 13 outpatient clinics and regional home health care services with more than 2,600 affiliated physicians and 11,000 employees. Under his stewardship, Scripps has become a stronger, more recognized institution. Mr. Van Goder earned a master’s degree in public administration and health services administration at the University of Southern California and completed the Wharton System CEO Program at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves as its governor for District 5, which encompasses the 12 Western states. In March 2006, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Mr. Van Gorder to the California Commission on Emergency Medical Services. In Jan. 2007, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reappointed Mr. Van Gorder to the U.S. Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Harold Varmus, MD — Dr. Varmus is president and CEO of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He was the former director of the National Institutes of Health and co-recipient (along with Dr. J. Michael Bishop) of a Nobel Prize for studies of the genetic basis of cancer. While at MSKCC, he aimed to harness recent advances in the biological sciences to improve the care of patients with cancer. In addition, the scientific programs have been reorganized and enlarged, and he has overseen the construction of several new facilities. While at the NIH, Dr. Varmus initiated many changes in the conduct of intramural and extramural research programs, recruited new leaders for most of the important positions at the NIH, planned three major buildings on the NIH campus and helped to initiate the five-year doubling of the NIH budget. He has authored more than 300 scientific papers and four books, including an introduction to the genetic basis of cancer for a general audience, and he has been an advisor to the federal government, pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms and many academic institutions.
Andrew Ziskind, MD — Dr. Ziskind has served as president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis since 2005. Dr. Ziskind previously served as associate vice president for clinical programs and vice dean for clinical affairs for the University of Washington in Seattle. There he was responsible for coordinating clinical services across UW Medicine, an academic health system that includes the University of Washington Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, UW School of Medicine, UW Neighborhood Clinics and affiliated faculty practice plans. Dr. Ziskind earned his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and completed his internship and residency in internal medicine, and his clinical and research fellowship training in cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He also holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Sellinger School of Business and Management, Loyola College of Maryland.
