Jean Marie Abraham is currently the Wegmiller Professor of Healthcare Administration in the Division of Health Policy and Management located within the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining the University of Minnesota faculty, Dr. Abraham completed her Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University in 2001.

Dr. Abraham’s area of expertise is health economics and policy. She has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles investigating issues including access to and cost of employer-based health insurance, the effectiveness of employer wellness programs, competition in insurance and hospital markets, and the impact of federal health reform on individuals, insurers, employers, and providers. During academic year 2008-2009, Jean served as the senior economist on health issues for the President’s Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) in Washington, D.C. In this non-partisan role, Jean provided technical expertise to White House senior leadership and participated on the Obama Administration’s inter-agency work group to develop policy positions later adopted in the Affordable Care Act.

Beginning February 2016, Dr. Abraham assumed the role of Director of the Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) Program, which is currently ranked third nationally by U.S. News and World Report. The Minnesota MHA program has graduated more than 2,500 individuals, many of whom have pursued leadership roles in healthcare delivery and financing organizations. In her position, Jean has responsibility for all aspects of the full-time and executive cohorts (approximately 130 students total), including curriculum, instructional quality, and student performance. 

Leading an unprecedented turnaround story, Mike Abrashoff took command of the worst performing ship in the fleet and made it #1 by changing the culture – not the crew. Publications from Fast Company to the Harvard Business Review have heralded the remarkable turnaround of the USS Benfold and business schools have made it a case study in organizational success. Mike’s book, It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, is a best seller with over 340,000 copies in print. His follow up, Get Your Ship Together, has leaders telling how their organizations have put his grassroots leadership principles to work, and his latest, It’s Our Ship: The No-Nonsense Guide to Leadership, highlights the leadership, motivational, and management insights and tips that Mike has learned from his last six years of addressing business and corporate audiences.

Michael J. Alkire is the President of Premier. As President, Alkire leads the continued integration of Premier’s clinical, financial, supply chain and operational performance improvement offerings helping member hospitals and health systems provide higher quality care at a better cost. He oversees Premier’s quality, safety, labor and supply chain technology apps and data-driven collaboratives allowing alliance members to make decisions based on a combination of healthcare information. These performance improvement offerings access Premier’s comparative database, one of the nation’s largest outcomes databases. Alkire also led Premier’s efforts to address public health and safety issues from the nationwide drug shortage problem, testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives regarding Premier research on shortages and gray market price gouging. This work contributed to the president and Congress taking action to investigate and correct the problem, resulting in two pieces of bipartisan legislation. Prior to serving as President, Alkire was president of Premier Purchasing Partners, which offers group purchasing, supply chain and resource utilization services to hospitals and health systems. Premier remains among the top group purchasing organizations in the industry as the value of supplies purchased through its contracts has increased to more than $56 billion. Upon joining Premier in late 2003, Alkire worked closely with the Purchasing Partners team to develop and implement a three-year transformation plan designed to dramatically increase returns to the alliance’s shareholders while building stronger relationships with members and suppliers. Alkire is a past board member of GHX and the Healthcare Supply Chain Association. He recently was named one of the Top 25 COOs in Healthcare for 2018 by Modern Healthcare. In 2015, Alkire won the Gold Stevie Award for Executive of the Year and in 2014 he was recognized as a Gold Award Winner for COO of the Year by the Golden Bridge Awards. He has more than 20 years of experience in running business operations and business development organizations at Deloitte & Touche and Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. Before joining Premier, he served in a number of leadership roles at Cap Gemini, including North American responsibilities for supply chain and high-tech manufacturing.

Jun B. Amora is Vice President, Enterprise Supply Chain Services for Geisinger Health. In this role, Jun is responsible for the overall strategy development, administrative oversight, and leadership for Geisinger Health System’s $1.4B supply chain. His strategic priorities at Geisinger include the automation of procurement functions, centralization of materials management and operationalizing a centralized service center, creation of a non-clinical purchased services contracting department, development of integrated partnerships with key suppliers, transformation of clinical value-analysis, development of novel distribution channels for medical supplies to patient homes, enhanced revenue capture for billable supplies and an overall reduction in supply chain spend via the adoption of strategic sourcing, automation, JIT distribution and other cost-containment strategies.

Prior to joining Geisinger, Jun was Assistant Vice President of Supply Chain Services driving NYC Health + Hospitals’ supply chain. Jun has spoken at numerous industry conferences on several topics including: The Adoption of GS1 Data Standards in Supply Chain, Supply Chain disaster preparedness during the 2014 Ebola Crisis, and Fast-tracking supply chain business transformation. He also serves as an advisory board member to several industry partners including Medline Industries and Stryker Sustainability Solutions. Prior to joining NYC Health + Hospitals, Jun worked for Cardinal Health to lead logistics and transportation optimization projects for the Cleveland Clinic. Jun started his career at Seattle Children’s Hospital as a research scientist studying DNA-binding proteins that regulate cancer proliferation. Subsequently, Jun became an improvement consultant supporting patient flow optimization projects in Seattle Children’s emergency room. Soon after, Jun helped lead the design and implementation of “Demand Flow” (two-bin kanban system) at Seattle Children’s Hospital which was launched in 2009 - a landmark supply distribution model that was later featured in the New York Times.

Jun earned his Bachelor’s degree in Neurobiology from the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. He also holds a graduate certification in project management from the UW and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt.

Larry B. Anderson is the CEO of Tri-City Medical Center. As CEO, Anderson is responsible for a budget that generates net revenues of approximately $400 million annually and a facility that employs nearly 2,300 employees and has a staff of more than 500 physicians who practice over 60 specialties and sub-specialties. Since becoming CEO in January 2009, Anderson’s major achievements have included arranging re-financing of Tri-City’s high interest rate auction rate securities, reducing interest rate costs from 17.5% to approximately an aggregate 5%, obtaining seismic clearance of the entire campus until 2030, and obtaining national certifications as a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center and Chest Pain Center, and certification from the American Stroke Association and American Heart Association as a Gold-Plus Primary Stroke Center for the past two years. Recently, TCMC was awarded a 3 year re-accreditation from the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer, with Commendation.

For over 30 years, Ann Ashley has watched Biltmore Estate grow from a small, family-owned business to a major attraction with 2,400+ employees that welcomes 1.5 million visitors annually. With a background in education and a proven track record building interpersonal relationships, Ashley rose through the ranks from restaurant server to Visitor Center Manager of the Biltmore Estate Winery to Guest Relations Manager of the Estate to become a Vice President with The Biltmore Company.

Ashley’s commitment to Biltmore has been an integral part of a success story that continues today. Ashley’s leadership in business units and human resources has helped create positive results in team building and internal/external customer service. She encourages personal and professional employee development, monitors employee morale, and focuses on improving guest satisfaction and increasing profit. 

As the US moves toward the 2016 presidential election, we find ourselves in the midst of significant societal changes and extreme political divide. According to Gallup, the percentage of US citizens who feel dissatisfied with the direction of the country has increased nearly 150% since 2000. Will this dissatisfaction continue? What can we do about it? Can an election of a US President make a difference? How does it impact me and my organization? 

Perhaps no one can provide context to historical trends and tie them to current situations like Michael Beschloss. As an award-winning historian, Beschloss provides gripping tales and brilliant inside analysis, revealing the leadership secrets of great Presidents and other towering figures in history. Trained at the Harvard Business School in leadership studies, Beschloss unravels the mysteries of powerful and effective leadership in areas from business to politics to sports.

Gen. Vincent Boles is a career Army officer with over 35 years of experience. Highlights include managing the nation’s $27 billion ammunition account, assuming command of the Army’s War Reserve equipment six weeks before the attacks of 9-11, and flexing into operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and other locations, as well as deployment to Kuwait in preparation for the invasion of Iraq with 142 personnel, growing to a force of 8,000 soldiers, civilians and contractors in 90 days.

From Kuwait, the General was forward deployed into Iraq where he assumed command of the 16,000 personnel responsible for providing all logistical support and services to the 150,000 members of the coalition. Following redeployment from combat operations, Gen. Boles led the training of 120,000 soldiers before his final Army assignment, serving as the Army’s Chief Operating Officer for Logistics Operations, overseeing the logistics strategy for the 1.1 million soldier Army. Today, Gen. Boles is president of Vincent E. Boles Inc., a leadership and logistics consulting service. 

LeAnn Born serves as vice president of supply chain for Fairview Health Services.  In this role, she has responsibility for the centralized administration of the sourcing, contracting, value analysis, logistics, procure-to-pay, instrument sterilization, vendor management and business enterprise system (PeopleSoft) support teams. 

Born joined Fairview in 2010 with more than 16 years of experience in health care operations and supply chain leadership roles.  Most recently, Born served as vice president of custom contracting services for Novation, the contracting services company of University HealthSystem Consortium, VHA and Provista.

Prior to joining Novation, Born held several leadership positions during her 12 years of service at Allina Hospitals & Clinics in Minneapolis, including interim vice president of supply chain. 

Born holds a master of healthcare administration degree from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and a bachelor of business administration degree in marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Laura Bozell brings over a decade of legislative and health care policy experience in the U. S. House of Representatives to her position at Cornerstone Government Affairs.  For the last five and a half years, Laura served as Professional Staff on the Ways and Means Committee’s Health Subcommittee. In this capacity, Laura was responsible for the Medicare Part A portfolio, providing policy direction for the Committee and advising Chairman Dave Camp and other Committee Members on issues affecting the nation’s 6,000 hospitals, home health providers, skilled nursing facilities and all other post-acute care providers.

Additionally, her legislative portfolio included health information technology, high deductible health plans and health savings accounts, flexible spending arrangements, Medicare secondary payer issues, and the health coverage tax credit given to unemployed workers through the Trade Adjustment Assistance program.

Dr. Randy V. Bradley is an Associate Professor of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management in the Haslam College of Business at The University of Tennessee. He is also EVP, Digital Transformation in Life Sciences for Bio Supply Management Alliance (BSMA) and Principal Owner of RV Bradley, LLC.

He holds a Ph.D. in Management of Information Technology and Innovation, an M.S. in Management Information Systems, and a B.S. in Computer Engineering, all from Auburn University. Dr. Bradley is a preeminent thought leader and highly sought-after speaker for professional and corporate conferences and events.

Dr. Bradley has 20+ years of industry experience as a consultant and healthcare supply chain and IT strategist and researcher. His expertise includes digital business transformation, supply chain digitalization, and the strategic application of business analytics and IT in the supply chain, with an emphasis on the healthcare sector.

Sue G. Brody is President and CEO of Bayfront Health System Inc., a conglomerate of health services,  distinguished by its hallmark hospital, Bayfront Medical Center - a private, not-for-profit 480-bed teaching hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Over the last two decades Brody’s leadership and vision have significantly increased the system’s market share, transformed its facilities and enhanced its programs. The Florida Medical Business newspaper called Brody Florida’s “Best Hospital CEO.” Bayfront has been named one of Thompson’s Top 100 Hospitals and one of Working Mother magazine’s 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers nine times, thanks to its family-friendly culture and benefits.

Defined by more than a century of service, Bayfront operates Pinellas County’s only trauma center and a wide range of award-winning services that span obstetrics to rehab. Brody’s vision cements the hospital’s special role as a mission-driven community asset that answers the call-to-care with a tremendous response, as underscored by an annual community benefit commitment of more than $30 million, including nearly $27 million in charity care.

Before joining Bayfront, Brody worked as a VP at Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital in North Carolina and a consultant with Arthur Young & Company. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, past chair of the Florida Hospital Association and served as a gubernatorial appointee on Jeb Bush’s Health Insurance Task Force and Lawton Chiles’ Workforce Development Initiative.

Brody, who also earned a Master’s in Health Administration from Duke University, is the proud mother of two daughters, Nora and Emma.

Dave Brooks joined St. John Providence Health System in 2013 as the president of St. John Hospital and Medical Center and senior vice president of the System’s East Region. St. John Hospital is a faith based 772-bed major teaching facility serving Detroit and the eastern suburbs. It is a major trauma center and includes tertiary services from transplantation, major cardiac services and multiple intensive care units. It also includes a designated Children’s Hospital with multiple pediatric specialty programs. St. John is part of Ascension Health, a national catholic healthcare ministry. Dave was recently the chief executive officer for Providence Health and Service’s Northwest Washington Service Area. He joined Providence in 2004. Dave has served in executive roles at Central DuPage Heath in Chicago, CHRISTUS Health in Texas, Lovelace Health System in Albuquerque and for 10 years at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

James F. Burke, MD, has held a variety of medical positions at Scottsdale Healthcare since 1991. Most recently, he served as senior vice president and chief medical officer before being named senior vice president of medical affairs in 2008. Dr. Burke was in the private practice of family medicine from 1982-1991. He earned his Medical Healthcare Family Medicine Residency Program, and is board-certified in family practice. He holds an MBA from Arizona State University and is a member of the American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Physicians and American College of Physician Executives. Dr. Burke serves on the board of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, as well as the American Hospital Association's Committee on  Health Professions. 

Barbara Campbell is clinical cost improvement director at Banner Health.  Banner is one of the largest nonprofit systems in the country, operating  in seven states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming.   Banner has 23 hospitals and health care facilities. Banner Health has been named as a Top 5 Health System (Large) in the nation based on clinical excellence by Thomson Reuters in its annual hospital system ratings published by Modern Healthcare magazine and has received the 2011 “Top Leadership Teams in Healthcare” Award by the national trade publication, HealthLeaders. Ms. Campbell provides effective leadership, education and communication to the facility management staff, executive suite and especially the medical staff throughout the system to promote Supply Chain Management activities for supply cost reduction. Barbara is a Registered Nurse; CNOR and has her masters of health services administration from University of St Francis, Jolliet, IL.

Alan H. Channing is the President and CEO of the Sinai Health System (SHS) in Chicago, Ill., which is made up of
Mount Sinai Hospital, the Schwab Rehabilitation Institute, the Sinai Medical Group, the Sinai Urban Health Institute, and
the Sinai Community Institute. Mr. Channing attended undergraduate school at the University of Cincinnati and graduate school at The Ohio State University where he retains an assistant professorship in healthcare management. Alan has been the CEO of several large teaching hospitals, including Wishard Memorial in Indianapolis, Elmhurst Hospital Center
in Queens, New York, and the renowned Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan. He was recruited to lead St. Vincent
Charity Hospital and Saint Luke’s Medical Center. He positioned St. Vincent to be the key healthcare provider for the
revitalized downtown. Under his leadership, St. Vincent Charity Hospital achieved the best JCAHO score in their history.
He successfully recruited new physicians to the staff and developed successful niche products that improved financial
condition of the hospital.

Jean Chenoweth is nationally and internationally known for her efforts to improve hospital management and clinical outcomes through measurement of performance. Ms. Chenoweth is responsible for development of the first national benchmarks for health systems to assess adherence to mission and relative value delivered to communities they serve. She leads research, in collaboration with academic and research institutions, to identify best practices in leadership, clinical quality and business practices in top performing hospitals. In conjunction with the King's Fund, she led research on national measurement of hospital performance in the United Kingdom and served on the Board of Trustees of CHKS, Ltd., a company founded to provide hospitals with business and clinical information for improvement of performance. She has served as president of the American Association of Healthcare Data Systems and on a variety of AHA, HHS, CMS and NCVHS advisory committees during her career.

Aneesh Chopra is the former (and first) U.S. Chief Technology Officer with a major emphasis on transforming healthcare with technology. In 2011, Chopra was named to Modern Healthcare's list of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare.” Prior to serving in government, Chopra was the managing director for The Advisory Board, a think tank for hospitals and health systems. During his tenure there, Chopra led the firm’s Financial Leadership Council.

With U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Burwell’s recent “Better, Smarter, Healthier” call to action setting a goal to move 50 percent of Medicare payments from fee-for-service toward value-based alternatives by 2018, we are all faced with challenging the status quo. Understanding enhanced uses of technology to improve all aspects of care delivery will be paramount to meet these lofty goals. During this keynote presentation, Aneesh Chopra will assist us in navigating the new environment we all are facing.

Jodie Curtis has more than 25 years of experience in government, congressional affairs, and representing the legislative and regulatory interests of for-profit, nonprofit and global organizations. She works across a broad range of policy, appropriations and regulatory issues, including health and life sciences, digital health, global health, agriculture, manufacturing, trade, transportation, insurance and environmental issues. Jodie helps clients foster meaningful relationships with officials and their staffs and is deeply involved in the federal appropriations and authorization processes.

Highly attuned to the changing regulatory and legislative landscape, she has earned recognition as one of The Hill’s Top Lobbyists 2017-2019. Prior to joining the District Policy Group, Jodie served as an assistant director with Planned Parenthood Federation of America, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Representative Thomas M. Barrett (D-WI), executive assistant for U.S. Representatives Lynn Rivers (D-MI) and Peter Barca (D-WI), and district director/legislative assistant for Wisconsin State Senator Barbara Ulichny.

Jodie credits her interest in politics to her high school civics teacher and an internship for a state representative of Wisconsin. Jodie lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her Chicago−sports fan husband, Greg, where you might find her biking or cheering for her favorite Wisconsin or Chicago sports teams.

Cutler was named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of USHEALTH Group, Inc. on September 1, 2004. He was previously Chairman of Assurant Health and Executive Vice President of Assurant, Inc. from September of 2002 through August 2004. Cutler originally joined Assurant (previously
named Fortis) in 1985 as Chief Financial Officer of the holding company. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of three different Fortis business units, Fortis Life (1991-1994), Fortis Sales (1995-1996), and Fortis Health (1997-2002). Cutler has over 35 years of experience in the insurance
industry and has served as a President and Chief Executive Officer in three different insurance organizations. Before joining Fortis, Cutler held key Executive positions at Sun Life Group of America and USLIFE Corporation. Cutler has been very active in the health insurance industry serving as a Director, Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA). Cutler was instrumental in the merger of HIAA and AAHP (American Association of Health Plans) to form
American’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) in 2003, and served as a co-chair of AHIP in its inaugural year.

He currently serves on AHIP’s Executive Committee, serves on AHIP’s Board and is also the Chairman of AHIP’s Membership Committee. He also is a Director of the Marshall Funds, the
investment advisory affiliate of Marshall and Isley Trust Company, as well as, a Director of MIB. Cutler is committed to caring for the health of both customers and employees, as evidenced by his dedication to the company’s wellness program, his seat on the board of the Wellness Councils of
America (WELCOA) and his personal dedication to a rigorous fitness regimen. He holds a B.S. from Kansas University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Margaret “Denny” DeNarvaez, the president and CEO of Wellmont Health System, has set a standard for innovative healthcare leadership. Caring for patients throughout the Tri-Cities region of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, Wellmont has more than 1,250 beds and employs more than 7,000 caregivers and other staff. Since joining the organization, DeNarvaez has led Wellmont in developing a focused strategic direction for the system at all levels. Among other achievements, she created the vision and leadership model for a new physician organization that empowers physicians to set the direction for patient care, restructured the oncology service line into a unified program providing comprehensive, coordinated care across the region and led the system’s largest
hospital to recognition as the best in the nation for interventional carotid care and one of Thomson Reuters’ 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals. She also launched Wellmont’s Healing Environment initiative to enhance the hospital
experience for patients and visitors alike.

Mark Dozier is the Director of Sourcing & Contracting for Mayo Clinic, based in Rochester, Minnesota.  His contracting office consists of the following five teams: Med/Surg Contracting, Physician Preference Contracting, Capital/Lab Contracting, Purchased Services Contracting, and Supplier Diversity Contracting.  The Mayo Clinic enterprise consists of 23 hospitals based in the states of MN, IA, WI, AZ, and FL.  The Mayo Clinic Sourcing & Contracting team is also responsible for the contracting services of the Upper Midwest Consolidated Services Center (UMCSC) alliance, based in Edina, Minnesota.  The UMCSC consists of 34 member IDNs in ten states; the alliance members currently are comprised of 112 hospitals with an annual product spend of $3.5B. Prior to Mayo Clinic, Mark worked in SCM for healthcare networks in North Carolina and Indiana.  Mark has a Masters degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro and has also passed the certified public accountancy exam.

One of today’s most influential voices in workplace trends, Chester Elton has spent two decades helping
clients engage their employees to execute on strategy, vision, and values. In his provocative, inspiring and always entertaining talks, #1 bestselling leadership author Chester Elton provides real solutions to leaders looking to manage change, drive innovation, and lead a multi-generational workforce. Elton’s work is supported by research with more than 850,000 working adults, revealing the proven secrets behind high-performance cultures and teams.

He has been called the “apostle of appreciation” by Canada’s Globe and Mail, “creative and refreshing‚” by the New York Times, and a “must read for modern managers” by CNN. Elton is co-author of the multiple award-winning New York Times and #1 USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling leadership book, All In, The Carrot Principle, and The Best Team Wins. His books have been translated in more than 30 languages and have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.

Elton is often quoted in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Fast Company and the New York Times. He has appeared on NBC’s Today, CNN, ABC, MSNBC, National Public Radio and CBS’s 60 Minutes. In 2018 Global Gurus research organization ranked him as #13 in the world’s top leadership experts and #5 in the world’s top organizational culture experts; and he is a member of Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches pay it forward project. Elton is the co-founder of The Culture Works, a global training company and a board member of Camp Corral, a non-profit for the children of wounded and fallen military heroes.

Jim Eppel is Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at HealthPartners. In this role, he has responsibility for the organization’s provider, market-facing and operational functions. Before joining HealthPartners in July 2017, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer at Minneapolis-based UCare. Previously, he was Senior Vice President of OptumInsight, a division of UnitedHealth Group; Chief Operating Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota; and Vice President of Business Development at Allina Health. His extensive health care experience also includes senior positions with Medica and MedCenters Healthcare. He began his career with KPMG Peat Marwick. 

Eppel has been a board member of several community organizations, including 360 Communities, Memorial Blood Centers, the University of St. Thomas Alumni Association and CaringBridge. He was named to Minnesota Physician magazine’s 2012 and 2016 lists of “100 Influential Health Care Leaders.” Eppel frequently lectures and serves locally and nationally as a panelist at health care issue forums. 

Eppel is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

Jeffrey M. Feit, MD, is Valley Health Vice President of Population Health and Chief Operating Officer of Valley Physician Enterprise. He joined the System administrative team in 2012 after six years as Vice President of Medical Affairs at Page Memorial Hospital (PMH), where he championed initiatives in performance improvement, Lean engineering and the electronic medical record.  

He previously practiced family medicine in Luray and Fairfax, Va., and has held appointments on the faculty of VCU and UVA departments of Family Medicine.  

Dr. Feit earned his medical degree and completed a residency in Family Medicine at the UVA School of Medicine. He has a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs and Public Policy from Princeton University and a Master’s of Science in Health Care Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Teri G. Fontenot, FACHE, is CEO emeritus, Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La. She joined the health system in 1992, and held the roles of senior vice president/CFO, COO, executive vice president and president/CEO until her retirement in 2019. Previously, she was CFO at Opelousas (La.) General Hospital, Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center, Fort Myers, Fla., and St. Francis Medical Center, Monroe, La.

Ms. Fontenot serves on the ACHE Board of Governors and has been chairman of ACHE’s Chief Executive Officer Committee. She has also served on the Board and Officer Nominating Committee, as well as on the Regents Advisory Council for Louisiana. Beyond ACHE, she has chaired a number of other boards including the American Hospital Association, and is currently an independent director on the Amerisafe and LHC Group Boards. Included among the many awards and honors she has received are the ACHE Service and Spirit Awards. She is also an inductee in the Louisiana State University E.J. Ourso College of Business Hall of Fame.

A physician trained in internal medicine, infectious diseases, public health, and epidemiology, Frieden has published cutting-edge, widely cited research on a broad range of topics.  He has transformed the organizations he has led, creating global models of increased employee morale, engaged communities, rigorous accountability, and impact.

As New York City Health Commissioner from 2002-2009, Dr. Frieden helped reduce smoking, eliminate artificial trans fats from restaurants, eliminate colon cancer screening disparities, and initiate the country’s largest community-based electronic health records project.

From 1992-1996, he led New York City’s tuberculosis control program that reduced multidrug-resistant cases by 80 percent. Dr. Frieden then worked in India helping build a tuberculosis control program that has saved more than three million lives.

Dr. Frieden received medical and public health degrees from Columbia University, infectious diseases training at Yale University, and was an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at CDC.  He has written more than 200 scientific publications. 

Elizabeth Gibula is the Director of Purchasing at The Johns Hopkins Health System.  Her healthcare career spans 40 years initially at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and in 1989, Johns Hopkins Health System. She began her Supply Chain career in the Central Storeroom as a Supervisor and managed several areas.  She was promoted to Director of Materials at one of Johns Hopkins Health Systems’ smaller hospitals.  Elizabeth began her Purchasing experience in 1992 as a Capital Buyer and was promoted to her current position as Director of Purchasing in 1994.  At this time, Johns Hopkins Health System is comprised of a number of affiliates, including but not limited to The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins Homecare Group, Johns Hopkins Community Physicians, Howard County General, Suburban Hospital Center, Sibley Memorial Hospital and All Childrens Hospital in Florida.  Ms. Gibula is a Certified Material Resource Professional through the American Hospital Association. 

Chuck Gijanto is President of Baystate Health's Regional Markets and has been with Baystate for 6 years. Baystate health is an integrated delivery system with about $1.9 billion in revenues, three hospitals, including an academic teaching tertiary center, an employed physician group of about 600 members, a health plan with 130,000 members, and is half owner in a 1,200 member PHO Chuck's role includes the oversight of the two community hospitals in the System the 93 bed Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, MA, and the 31 bed Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in Ware, MA. He is also responsible for the Baystate employed physician practices in both of those regions He sits on the executive committee of the Massachusetts Hospital Association as its Secretary. Prior to this role, Chuck served as the Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Medical Center in Plattsburgh New York, a 400 bed regional referral center in Upstate New York. He also served in prior roles there including, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President for Strategic Business Development. Chuck holds a Bachelors of Business Administration degree from Siena College in Loudonville, New York and a Masters in Health Systems Administration from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Artificial intelligence is transforming industries. Health care is no exception. As artificial intelligence plays a larger role in the healthcare environment, medical professionals are tasked with understanding the benefits and potential pitfalls. They also must learn strategies for using the technology ethically, and hopefully, to minimize harm. As AI stands to jolt the industry, there is potential to do both good and harm. From analysis of medical imaging to social media data, AI is supporting earlier and more accurate diagnoses. It also creates incentive for companies to probe deeply into people's private spaces, often without their consent, and to share that information for profit rather than for care. As Director of the Social Intelligence Lab at the University of Maryland, College Park, Dr. Jennifer Golbeck not only studies the most cutting edge developments in Artificial Intelligence up close, but she and her team create the types of algorithms that are making those types of advancements possible in the first place. Join Dr. Golbeck as she illustrates the power of artificial intelligence to gain deep insights about people from seemingly irrelevant traces of data.

Mr. Goldstein is Vice President for the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), President and Chief Executive
Officer for Strong Memorial Hospital and Highland Hospital in Rochester, New York, President for Long Term Care for
the University of Rochester Medical Center and President, Strong Partners Health System. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the chair of AHA Regional Policy Board 2 where he previously
served as a delegate. He is a past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Healthcare Association of New York
State (HANYS). He has served on numerous boards of directors and committees. He also holds a joint appointment as
Professor in Community and Preventive Medicine for the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Prior
to assuming his position at Strong Memorial and Highland Hospitals, Mr. Goldstein served as President of Rochester
General Hospital, Rochester, New York; Acting President of The Children’s Medical Center, Dayton, Ohio; Assistant
Administrator of the University of Nebraska Hospitals and Clinics and Administrator of the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute,
Omaha, Nebraska. Mr. Goldstein is a Diplomate of the American College of Healthcare Executives and received
his Master’s degree from the St. Louis University Graduate School of Hospital and Health Care Administration and his
Bachelor’s Degree from Utica College of Syracuse University.

A seemingly "ordinary guy," Ruben Gonzalez wasn't a gifted athlete. He didn't take up the sport of luge until he was 21. Against all odds, four years later he was competing in the Winter Olympics. At the age of 47 he was racing against 20-year-olds in the Vancouver Winter Olympics! Gonzalez speaks from Olympic experience. He teaches the personal effectiveness system he used to achieve success again and again in both the Olympics and in business. He is proof that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things if they will follow a few simple steps. From Dubai to Toronto, from Hanoi to Cancun, from Singapore to Africa, Gonzalez has inspired and motivated audiences around the world.
His client list reads like a who’s who of Corporate America: Dell, Coca-Cola, Farmers Insurance, Ortho McNeal, the Million Dollar Round Table, Oracle, Wells Fargo, Century21 and even the U.S. Treasury Department! Gonzalez has shared the stage with speaking legends Zig Ziglar, Denis Waitley, and Tom Hopkins. They have hailed him as a leader of a new generation of personal development speakers. As a four-time Olympian and internationally recognized expert on developing mental toughness, Gonzalez knows how to achieve success again and again. A master storyteller, Gonzalez uses his Olympic experiences to inspire audiences to think differently, live life with passion and have the courage to take the necessary steps toward their goals—to push beyond self-imposed limitations and to produce better results! Gonzalez has appeared nationally on ABC, CBS and NBC. He has been featured in TIME magazine, The New York Times, as well as publications around the world. His articles on peak-performance are read on every continent. His book, The Courage to Succeed, has been endorsed by Lou Holtz, Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard, Brian Tracy and Dr. Robert Schuller.

Trish is a professor, consultant and author with a uniquely informed perspective on management and a passion for translating cutting edge strategy concepts to real world applications.  Dr. Gorman is the Academic Dean of the Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University. She has developed and delivered courses and programs for Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, Duke Executive Education, London Business School, Wharton Executive Education, and other academic and corporate universities. She has published in the McKinsey Quarterly and the Harvard Business Review and co-authored What I Didn’t Learn in Business School with Jay Barney (2010, Harvard Business Press).  Trish earned her Ph.D. in Strategy and Economics from Case Western Reserve University, an M.B.A. focused on Strategy and Operations from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA, and a B.A. in the Honors Program in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences and Economics (MMSS) from Northwestern University.

Erin Gruwell is a teacher, an education activist, and the founder of the Freedom Writers Foundation. Inspired by Anne Frank, Gruwell and her students captured their collective journey in The Freedom Writers Diary. Through poignant student entries and Gruwell’s narrative text, the book records their “eye-opening, spirit-raising odyssey against intolerance and misunderstanding.” Gruwell and her students have appeared on numerous television shows, including Oprah, Barbara Walters’ The View and Good Morning America, to name a few. Gruwell and the Freedom Writers have earned dozens of awards, including the prestigious Spirit of Anne Frank Award.

Gruwell is a graduate of the University of California Irvine, where she received the Lauds and Laurels Distinguished Alumni Award. She earned her Master’s Degree and teaching credentials from California State University Long Beach, where she was honored as Distinguished Alumna by the School of Education.

Dr. Nancy Hanrahan assumed the position of Executive Director and Associate Dean of Innovation & Entrepreneurship for Bouvé College of Health Sciences effective March 2018. She is the former dean of Northeastern University School of Nursing and known for her research documenting innovative models of care.

Dr. Hanrahan leads the Innovation, Entrepreneurship Program at Northeastern University Bouve’ College of Health Sciences. This program empowers nurses and other health providers to lead innovation that transforms health systems using big data, device inventions, robotics, and innovation of the experience of healthcare by patients and families.

She’s received national and international awards for development of innovative inventions.

Sara Henderson is the Vice President of Supply Chain at Avera Health, located in Sioux Falls, SD. She has over 15 years of experience in finance, supply chain and healthcare. Her healthcare leadership career began at the University of Utah Medical Group and led to increasing responsibilities and leadership roles within Avera Health. She is best known for ability to oversee and lead large scope initiatives such as item master standardization, integration of revenue cycle with supply chain operations, and the restructure of the supply value analysis process into clinical integration.

Sara has her Economics B.S. degree and MBA from University of South Dakota.

Ed Hisscock is a Healthcare Supply Chain Practitioner. Ed has spent over 25 years serving in the supply chain and IT disciplines with fortune 50 companies, healthcare supplier and healthcare provider organizations. Ed has founded two healthcare companies and personally served over 100 healthcare provider organizations in the US and Europe. Ed is the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at Trinity Health, a leading catholic healthcare ministry.

Ed holds an Engineering degree in Electronics, a Bachelors degree in Behavioral Science, and a Master's degree in Supply Chain from Michigan State University.

Perhaps no one in America can offer such a unique, real-world perspective on leadership, knowledgeable commentary on the recent BP oil spill, future energy solutions and thoughts on improving healthcare delivery that John Hofmeister. During his career he has held executive leadership positions in General Electric, Nortel, AlliedSignal and Finally at Shell Oil as President. These Corporate positions as well as his service on leading organization’s boards have given him insights on crucial impacting healthcare delivery.

Michael D. Israel is president and CEO of Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY. Mr. Israel and his team have
been credited with a significant financial turnaround of the region’s lifeline to advanced care, providing highquality
specialty care to more than 120,000 children and adults annually. Michael previously served as the COO
of the North Shore Long Island Jewish Health system based in Great Neck, NY, where he was responsible for the
operational performance of the 18 system hospitals. From 1993 – 2002, he was with Duke University, where he served
as the CEO of Duke University Hospital, the University’s Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, and as vice president of the
Duke University Health System. Prior to Duke, he served as executive vice president at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital /
Texas Heart Institute in Houston, TX, and in operational and financial leadership positions at hospitals and healthcare
organizations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Byron Jobe is president and chief executive officer of Vizient. He has a long history of leadership roles within Vizient and in the health care industry, specifically in the areas of strategy, operations and finance. Prior to becoming CEO, Jobe was Vizient chief administrative and financial officer, leading several functional areas including finance, accounting; information technology; marketing; product management; corporate development; and sales operations. During this time, Jobe assisted the company in growing the business through the merger and acquisitions of legacy companies VHA, University HealthSystem Consortium, MedAssets, Sg2 and Novation, resulting in revenue and membership growth of 176 percent and 190 percent, respectively. Additionally, during his tenure with Vizient, Jobe served in other roles, including executive vice president, service delivery and chief financial officer. Prior to Vizient, Jobe worked for Healthvision, an EMR-based clinical services company focused on connecting regional health information organizations, physicians and hospitals nationwide. While serving as the chief financial and operating officer at Healthvision, he was responsible for the company's business delivery and administrative operations, including product development and implementation. He also led the company on two acquisitions and one divestiture. Finally, he helped the company complete several rounds of debt- and equity-based financing, which ultimately positioned the company for its merger with Quovadx Inc. in 2007. Prior to joining Healthvision in 1999, Jobe worked served in different roles at VHA, Baylor Scott & White Health and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Brent Johnson has been one of the most successful and recognized supply chain leaders in healthcare in the last 13 years.   He has over 30 years of experience developing supply chain strategies for major companies in three industries.  

Brent has a passion for supply chain best practices and wants to help the healthcare industry recognize the value of managing supply chain more strategically. He has spoken over 100 times at major conferences, written many articles, received key industry awards and served on the board of directors of some of the leading industry organizations.  From 2005 to 2015 Brent was Vice-President of Supply Chain at Intermountain Healthcare, creating an industry “Top 25 Gartner” Supply Chain Organization (#1 in 2016 & 2015) that achieved over $500 million in savings over ten years. In 2012, Intermountain Healthcare opened a new $40M, 325,000 sq. ft. Supply Chain Center considered one of the best in the industry.  

In 2014 Brent was inducted into the Bellweather League, which is a Hall of Fame for Healthcare Supply Chain Leadership. In August, 2015 AHRMM named Brent the recipient of the 2015 George R. Gossett Leadership Award.  He has served on the boards of the Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM) 2012-2015 and Strategic Marketplace Initiative (SMI) 2011-2015).  Before retiring Brent served one year as the President and CEO of Intalere when Intermountain Healthcare completed the purchase of Amerinet. 

Upon retiring in July, 2016, Brent and his wife spent 18 months in Oaxaca, Mexico as service missionaries for the Mormon (LDS) church.  He has an MBA from the University of Utah.  He resides in Centerville, UT and has four children and eighteen grandchildren. 

Ed Jones, the President and CEO of HealthTrust/ SVP of HCA, is responsible for the strategic direction and leadership of a comprehensive spend management business that is majority-owned and managed by HCA. Jones oversees all dimensions of a $45B portfolio; as well as, directs all consulting, managed services and outsource relationships, including accountability for HCA supply-chain, contract labor staffing performance, and clinical education. Ed’s leadership encompasses several HealthTrust/ HCA business ventures that strengthen provider performance and competitive advantage, including: • HealthTrust Workforce Solutions- Clinical labor staffing and consulting company including a proprietary program called StaRN (training program for all new nurses) • HCA Healthcare Center for Clinical Advancement-Responsible for providing continual education for over 90,000 nurses at HCA through a team of approximately 650 clinical educators and several simulation labs • HealthTrust Europe, which provides sourcing and supply chain services to 39 Provider trusts in the U.K. • HealthTrust Global Sourcing Office in Shanghai, China • CoreTrust – the leading commercial market souring and sourcing company for indirect spend He has more than 38 years of experience within HCA, serving previously as Chief Operating Officer for HealthTrust for three years, with responsibility for strategic sourcing, clinical operations, custom contracting, supplier diversity, and regional operations. Prior to that, Jones served in several leadership roles within HCA for 20 years and prior to that served in front line roles at a hospital for seven years. Jones is a founding board member of the Health Sector Supply Chain Research Consortium. He is also a member and subcommittee member of the Federation of American Hospitals, serves as the past board chair on the Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA) board. He also serves on the board of Galen College of Nursing and is the Chairman of the finance committee. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Dr. Richard E. Karulf is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, and President and CEO of Colon and Rectal Associates, based in St. Paul, MN. Rick was born in Wichita, KS, and received his undergraduate degree from the United States Air Force Academy. After 2 years serving as a missile launch officer, he earned his medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. He completed a general surgery residency at Wright State University in Dayton, OH, and fellowship training in colon and rectal surgery at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA. Following his fellowship, Dr. Karulf served in the Air Force at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, San Antonio, TX. He advanced to become Chairman and Program Director of the Department of General Surgery. He left the active duty USAF in 1997 and retired from the Air Force Reserve with the rank of colonel. Rick returned to Minnesota and joined the large colorectal surgery group in Minneapolis-St. Paul. He was elected to his first term as President and CEO of Colon and Rectal Surgery Associates in 2002.

Dr. Karulf has authored or coauthored over 25 book chapters and peer review publications. He is a member of several medical societies and serves as the webmaster of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. Dr. Karulf is an active researcher but still maintains a busy clinical practice in which the management of diverticular disease plays a major role. He also makes time to educate fellows, residents, and medical students.

Rick, his wife Deb, and his son Erik, live in Eden Prairie, MN. When not working, Rick enjoys reading mysteries, playing golf, and spending time with his family.

Considered one of the elite quarterbacks in the history of the National Football League, Jim Kelly led the Buffalo Bills to the playoffs eight times and to four consecutive Super Bowls from 1991-1994. Jim shared his story of perseverance and overcoming obstacles including his insights on teamwork, leadership, having a special needs child, and fighting cancer.

Mark King was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. He joined TaylorMade Golf, then a start-up company, in 1980 and spent 20 years in sales before he was elevated to president in 1999 and CEO in 2002. King immediately implemented a strategy of developing innovative, technologically superior equipment for better players at a fast rate, and success quickly followed. TaylorMade became the No. 1 driver brand on world’s major professional tours, and sales rose steadily from $300 million in 1999 to $1.7 billion in 2012, although the industry was flat and the world economy was challenging. King oversaw the acquisition of the Ashworth and Adams Golf brands, and instigated growth every product category: clubs, balls, footwear, apparel and  accessories.  Today, TaylorMade metal woods and irons each rank No. 1 in U.S. market share and adidas Golf apparel ranks No. 1 and footwear No. 2. King has been the focus of feature articles in numerous publications including Fortune, Brandweek and Harvard Business Review, and participated in the television show Undercover Boss. A member of the Washington Speakers Bureau, King has given scores of speeches throughout the country based on his experiences as a leader in his industry and a lifelong sales professional. Despite the many demands on his time he remains a scratch golfer and was inducted into the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.

Gene Kirtser joined Affordable Care in 2017. He previously spent 10 years as the President and CEO of ROi, a leading healthcare supply chain company. Gene has over 25 years of diverse business experience in the healthcare industry, having served on both the provider and supplier sides. Prior to ROi, Gene worked at Baxter/Allegiance/Cardinal, ChoicePoint Health Systems, Maxxim Medical, and SRI Surgical. Gene holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Miami of Ohio University.

Kreg Koford is the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Sustaining Care Services at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). He has significant experience in strategic sourcing, category management, asset management, supplier collaboration, and supply chain operations. His commitment to transforming the healthcare supply chain industry has resulted in enhancing effectiveness and efficiencies across a wide array of activities and initiatives.

Prior to MSKCC, Kreg was responsible for managing more than $2.2 billion of nonlabor spending at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, where he served as Assistant Vice President, Strategic Sourcing and Solutions. In that role, he helped lead the Intermountain supply chain organization to the number-one spot on the Gartner Healthcare Supply Chain Top 25 ranking in both 2016 and 2017. He also managed Intermountain’s key customer and supplier relationships, with a focus on identifying new sources of value that went beyond traditional price decreases and margin-shifting activities.

Kreg earned his bachelor’s degree and his master’s in business administration from Brigham Young University. Most recently, he received certifications from Intermountain Healthcare’s Advanced Leadership Program and Michigan State University’s Executive Program, in addition to becoming a Certified Professional in Supply Management. He previously earned certifications from the Association for Health Care Resource and Materials Management’s Supply Chain Leadership Institute and IPS Project Management Advanced Training.

Raji Kumar is the current CEO of Dallas Medical Center and most recently, Dallas Regional Medical Center, both part of Prime Healthcare and recognized as a Top 15 Healthcare System in the nation by Truven Health Analytics. Under Raji’s leadership, the hospital has gone from performing about 60 surgeries a month to over 400 surgeries a month, monthly revenue collections have more than tripled, average daily census has more than doubled and she has recruited over 150 new physicians on staff.

Raji has been named by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the “Top 500 Hospital and Health System Leaders to Know: for 2014. Raji won “Business Woman of the Year in 2013” for The City of Farmers Branch. Raji has just been named one of Becker’s “Top 25 Under 40”

Dr. George kung, MD has practiced Obstetrics and Gynecology at Pomerado Hospital for more than 34 years. He is the Former Chief of Staff at Pomerado Hospital as well as the Former President of the San Diego County Gynecologic Society. Dr. Kung is also a board member of the Palomar Health Foundation. 

Gary Langer is an internationally recognized public opinion researcher with expertise in analysis of political, policy, economic and social attitudes, questionnaire design and survey methodology and management. With more than 25 years in the field, Langer, a longtime director of polling at ABC News, has overseen and analyzed more than 750 surveys on a broad range of topics. Langer has won two Emmy awards and received nine Emmy nominations – including the first and only to cite public opinion polls – and was honored with the 2010 Policy Impact Award of the American Association for Public Opinion Research for a series of surveys in Afghanistan and Iraq, described in AAPOR’s citation as “a stellar example of high-impact public opinion polling at its finest.” He’s a two-time winner of the University of Iowa-Gallup Award for Excellent Journalism Using Polls, produced a pair of ABC News polls recognized by the Excellence in Media Coverage of Polls Award from the National Council on Public Polls and shared a DuPont-Columbia Award for ABC’s 9/11 coverage. Most recently, Langer and his colleagues shared a David R. Ogilvy Award for Excellence in Advertising Research with ESPN and its partner research firms for their work on fan interest in the College Football Playoffs. Langer created ABC’s industry-leading poll standards and vetting procedures and has promoted disclosure initiatives through various professional organizations. He’s authored or co-authored nearly 30 scholarly papers and given scores of invited presentations on the meaning and measurement of public attitudes. Langer is a member of the Board of Directors of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, a trustee of the National Council on Public Polls and past president of the New York chapter of the American Association for Public Opinion Research. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he lives in New York with his wife and two daughters.

Chuck Lauer was the publisher of Modern Healthcare for more than 25 years, taking it from a monthly money-losing proposition when Crain Communications purchased the magazine in 1976 to the nation’s leading healthcare new weekly.

Additionally, he was corporate vice president of Crain Communications, editorial and publishing director of Modern Healthcare. Known throughout the healthcare industry and beyond as a leader, Chuck Lauer was an author, public speaker, career coach and award-winning businessman who delivered motivational messages to top companies nationwide.

Nattie Leger is Vice President of Supply Chain Value and Clinical Performance at Ochsner Health in New Orleans, Louisiana. Responsible for supply chain's strategic vision, long term planning, direction, and overall accountability for clinical integration operations driving the quadruple aim of cost, satisfaction, quality, and outcomes. Nattie joined Ochsner in April 1987. Nattie is a member of Louisiana Organization of Nurse Executives and Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals. She is recognized as an experienced Nurse Leader and has received the American Hospital Association Most Wired Award for innovation and LA Great 100 Nurses Award for outstanding Nursing Services to the state. Past experiences include: Vice President of Nursing, Assistant Vice President of Emergency Services, and various Nursing Leadership roles. Nattie has a Master of Science in Nursing with a Nurse Executive focus from the University of South Alabama. She earned her LEAN Six Sigma Black Belt Certification from Kent State.
 

JoAnne Levy is vice president of integrated sourcing solutions for ROi. JoAnne’s responsibilities include overseeing ROi’s Group Purchasing Organization (GPO), the nation’s 7th largest non-government GPO. JoAnne also leads the quality/regulatory function for Mercy and ROi’s commercial customers, and serves as ROi’s legal liaison. JoAnne and her team work with channel partners, GPO members and ROi’s other operating divisions to harvest maximum clinical, operational and financial value from the supply chain. Her team manages the industry’s first providerowned private label brand, Regard™, with more than 1,000 SKUs in the portfolio. Prior to joining ROi, JoAnne served as vice president of global logistics with Covidien/Mallinckrodt in St. Louis. She managed the customer service, distribution, transportation, compliance, and planning functions for Covidien/Mallinckrodt’s $1.2 billion global pharmaceuticals business. Prior to that position, JoAnne was vice president of pharmaceutical logistics, senior director of international and market development, and director of Sales and Marketing Support — all for Covidien/ Mallinckrodt.

Captain Jerry Linenger is a retired United States Navy flight surgeon and NASA astronaut. A Naval Academy graduate, he holds doctorates in both medicine and research methodology, as well as dual master's degrees in Policy and Systems Management. He has also been awarded three honorary doctorate degrees in science.

Linenger was awarded the 2013 “Trailblazer Award” from WSU School of Medicine for his lifelong contributions to medical research and to the advancement of medicine. During what has been reported to be one of the most dangerous and dramatic missions in space history, Linenger spent nearly five months aboard the Russian space station Mir. He faced numerous life-threatening events, including repeated failure of critical life-support systems, a near-collision between the space station and an incoming re-supply spacecraft and computer failures that sent the space station tumbling uncontrollably through space. As if these problems were not enough, he narrowly survived a raging out-of-control fire that was later described as the most severe fire ever aboard an orbiting spacecraft.

In spite of these challenges, Linenger and his two Russian crewmates accomplished all mission goals: shuttle docking, space walking, a Soyuz fly around and all 120 of the science experiments. In completing the mission, he logged 50 million miles, the equivalent distance of over 110 round trips to the moon, traveling at a speed of nearly 18,000 miles per hour. He was the first American ever to undock from a space station in a Russian Soyuz capsule and the first American to do a spacewalk in a Russian spacesuit. At mission completion, Linenger held the endurance record for the longest time in space for an American man. In 2008, NASA awarded Linenger the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award conferred by NASA, citing his courage and outstanding service to our country.

Linenger is author of the books Off the Planet, which chronicles his time in space; and Letters from Mir: An Astronaut's Letters to His Son. He collaborated with National Geographic Explorer on The Angel Effect, a documentary revealing how he was able to endure the solitary conditions of his mission and the science behind the "Third Man Factor." He is a founding board member of the global freshwater think tank Circle of Blue and has been awarded the 2012 Royal Canadian Geographical Society's Gold Medal in recognition of his remarkable achievements in space. He has appeared in numerous documentaries seen on Discovery, Nova, History Channel, PBS and National Geographic Television.

As a space analyst, Linenger is seen frequently on NBC's Today, Nightly News, as well as on various CBS, CNN, PBS and FOX news shows. He has also worked behind the scenes as scientific advisor to various futuristic voyages to Mars films. In 2016, Linenger was prominently featured in Discovery’s eight-part series, Secret Space Escapes, and is presently narrating a National Geographic program focusing on Planet Earth. A full-feature movie based on his book and his life is also currently being filmed. In his free time, Linenger enjoys bicycling, ice hockey, swimming, and stand-up paddle-boarding. He now lives back on the planet in northern Michigan with his wife, Kathryn, and their four children.

Ed currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, flagship hospital of Piedmont Healthcare, an 11-hospital integrated healthcare system with more than 20,000 employees and annual net revenues of $3.1 billion. Piedmont Atlanta is a 643-bed tertiary hospital in a competitive urban market with annual net revenues of $1 billion.

Prior to his time at Piedmont, Ed was the Washington, D.C., Bureau Chief for Modern Healthcare magazine. Earlier in his career, he served in several leadership positions at Ascension Borgess in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Ed earned a Master of Health Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business/Economics from Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Virginia. He has served on the boards of several community and non-for-profit organizations, including as Board Chair for Odyssey Family Counseling Center in College Park, Georgia, and Board member for Jewish Home Life in Atlanta and Rotary Club of Buckhead in the Atlanta metro.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s there were between ten and twenty thousand “Thalidomide Babies” born after their mother’s took the drug tot combat morning sickness. Butch Lumpkin is one of the approximately 5,00 survivor’s world-wide. Born with what he calls “short arms,” he really has what amounts to no functional arms at all. Three fingers extend from his left side in a flipper like manner, and his right arm ends before the elbow with three fingers that point backward toward his body. If you ask Butch, he’ll tell you he is blessed and after his inspiring opening session you’ll understand why.

New York Times best-selling author and gastrointestinal surgeon, researcher and associate professor of health policy & management at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Marty Makary is leading healthcare expert. Join him as he discusses common-sense reforms for healthcare and transparency of medical information, as well as his book Unaccountable.

Former diplomat, author, and advisor on emerging markets, Anja Manuel is Co-Founder and
Principal along with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former National Security Advisor
Stephen Hadley and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, in Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC, a
strategic consulting firm that helps US companies navigate international markets. She is the author of the critically acclaimed This Brave New World: India, China and the United States,
published by Simon and Schuster in 2016. From 2005-2007, she served as an official at the U.S.
Department of State, responsible for South Asia Policy. Earlier in her career, Ms. Manuel was an attorney at WilmerHale working on corporate governance, international and Supreme Court cases, and represented special committees of major corporate boards before the US Congress, Department of Justice and the SEC. She was also an investment banker at Salomon Brothers in London.

A graduate of Harvard Law School and Stanford University, Manuel now also lectures and is a Research
Affiliate at Stanford University. She currently serves on two corporate boards: Overseas Shipping Group, Inc., a NYSE listed energy transportation company (risk committee chair, and audit comm. member), and Ripple Labs Inc., a leading blockchain payments company (governance committee). Manuel also serves on advisory boards of Flexport Inc., Synapse Inc., Center for a New American Security, and the boards of CARE, the American Ditchley Foundation, Natl. Comm. on US-China Relations, and Former Governor Brown’s California Export Council. She is a frequent commentator on foreign policy and technology policy, for tv and radio (NBC/MSNBC, Fox Business, BBC, Bloomberg, Charlie Rose, NPR, etc.) and writes for publications ranging from the New York Times, to the Financial Times, Fortune, the Atlantic, and Newsweek, among others. She is the Director of the Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum -- the premier bi-partisan forum on foreign policy in the U.S. -- and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Ms. Manuel lives in San Francisco with her husband and two children.

Barbara J. Martin has served as President & CEO of Vista Health System since 2006 and has led its revitalization into a leading healthcare provider in Lake County, IL Martin began her career as a registered nurse at Ingalls Memorial Hospital of Chicago where she rose to become Director of Nursing. She served as Vice President, Patient Services/Chief Nursing Officer at Saint Margaret and Mercy Health Centers in Hammond, IN, before joining Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, IL as Vice President of Hospital Operations and Ambulatory Services, a position she held for eight years. She moved into a corporate role with Provena Health as System Vice President of Clinical Operations and System Improvement. In 2003, Martin joined Vista Health Services - the predecessor to Vista Health System-serving as Chief Operating Officer for two years before she was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer, Martin holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Lewis University near Chicago, where she also earned a Master of Business Administration. She is a Fellow of the American College. of Healthcare Executives and is serving her second term on the Illinois Hospital Association Board of Directors. She has been recognized with many achievement awards, has testified before U.S. Congressional Hearings in Washington, DC, and most recently was selected as one of the nation's top 56 women hospital and healthcare leaders to know in an annual list created by Becker's Hospital Review.

Charlie is the Founder and Chairman of Martin Ventures, a Nashville-based investment company founded in 2009. Charlie has more than 50 years of experience operating large, complex healthcare systems.

Early in Charlie’s career, he helped launch General Care Corp. a nursing home firm which changed to an acute hospital company that Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) acquired for $78 million in 1980.

After General Care Corp. was acquired; Charlie joined HCA serving as Executive Vice President and Board Director for ten years. During his tenure, he was responsible for Mergers & Acquisitions, including taking HCA from 140 owned or managed hospitals to over 200 hospitals and held contracts to manage 200 more.

While serving at EVP and Board Director of HCA, Charlie and a number of colleagues agreed to spin out 104 poorly performing hospitals from HCA. This ultimately turned into a healthcare company called, HealthTrust Inc. Charlie served as President, Chief Operating Officer, and Board Director of HealthTrust Inc. He had oversight over the 104 hospitals operations, including increasing the hospital operating margins from low teens to over 20% in one year. After the operating margins were north of 20%, HealthTrust Inc. went public in 1991 and was ultimately acquired by Columbia/HCA.

After HealthTrust Inc., rejoined HCA, Charlie bought the hospital chain Republic Health, ultimately founding a new healthcare system called, OrNda Healthcare Corp. Under Charlie’s leadership, OrNda grew from revenues of $450 million to $3 billion in four years. OrNda became the nation’s third-largest investor-owned hospital chain with 53 hospitals and eventually sold to Tenet Healthcare Corp. in 1997 for $1.7 billion.

After selling OrNda HealthCorp.to Tenet Healthcare Corp., Charlie founded another healthcare system called Vanguard Health Systems. Charlie served as Vanguard’s Founder, Chairman, and CEO for sixteen years. Under his leadership, the hospital chain grew from 0 to 28 hospitals, with $6.5 billion in revenue. Vanguard IPOed in 2011 and in 2013, was acquired by Tenet Healthcare for $4.3 billion.

Additionally, Charlie has also served on numerous Boards of Directors including the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Law and RAND Health, one of the largest independent health research groups in the world.

Chris is the Senior Director of Talent & Organizational Development for The Biltmore Company in Asheville, NC, and also serves as the Director of the Biltmore Center for Professional Development. His work includes oversight of recruitment, hiring, training, talent management, and strategic planning.

Additionally, he provides overall direction and guidance for the professional development of Biltmore’s 2,400 employees, with the objective of maximizing growth and profitability as well as day-to-day leadership and management. Chris is well suited to successfully position any company in these fast-paced, highly competitive times. Over the past 15+ years, he has created and implemented modern training programs for a variety of age groups and learning styles. Chris excels in both leadership development and strategic/long-term planning.

He also provides informative and entertaining facilitation in both individual and group settings with an audience that ranges from front-line staff to CEOs. Chris brings a fresh perspective to each group with whom he works, customizing programs to suit specific outcomes, helping clients drive results. Using a combination of e-learning and traditional methods, he has streamlined Biltmore’s internal education programs as well as its talent management and employee engagement strategies. Chris has delivered programs to numerous Fortune 500 companies, providing actionable take-aways for cultural transformation.

Chris holds BS and MBA degrees with Beta Gamma Sigma distinction. He also holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification from the HR Certification Institute. Chris is a member of the Association for Talent Development and The Society for Human Resource Management. He has served on the North Carolina Travel Industry Association Education Task Force and was recognized as one of Asheville’s “40 Under 40” emerging business leaders by Mountaineer Publishing. He currently serves on the North Carolina Chamber HR/Employment Committee, Chief Learning Officer Business Intelligence Board, the Western Carolina University Hospitality & Tourism Advisory Board, as well as a number of non-profit boards in the Asheville area.

Kyle Maynard suffers from a congenital defect that robbed him of arms, from below the elbows, and his legs, from below the knees. But this hasn’t stopped him from becoming a winning high school wrestler, weightlifter, gifted student—and example to everyone who meets him. In this inspirational keynote, Kyle outlines how his “No Excuses!” philosophy helps him meet the numerous challenges that confront him daily, showing audiences how they too can overcome the great challenges in their own lives—and succeed.

Michael Means, President/CEO, Health First. Michael D. Means has served as president and chief executive officer and member of the board of directors for Health First, a regional not-for-profit, integrated health care organization since its inception in August 1995. Health First’s current configuration includes Holmes Regional Medical Center, a 528-bed tertiary medical center; Cape Canaveral hospital, a 150-bed community hospital; Palm Bay Hospital, a 152-bed hospital, the 100-bed Viera Hospital, which opened April, 2011; and more than 20 off-site facilities. He has an extensive background in health care administration in central Florida. Mr. Means served as president and chief executive officer of Holmes Regional Medical Center from September 1988 through July 1995. Prior to joining Holmes Regional Medical he served as executive vice president and chief operating officer at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Meena is the Vice President of Supply Chain at UPMC, a $23 billion, world-renowned health care provider and insurer based in Pittsburgh, PA. Meena brings over 25 years of healthcare experience, including roles in research, clinical practice, operations, quality, performance improvement and supply chain. Meena oversees the Sourcing, Contracting, Value Analysis, Procurement, Accounts Payable and Demand Planning organizations within UPMC Supply Chain Management.
Prior to joining UPMC, Meena was the Vice President of Strategic Supplier Engagement at Premier, Inc. She was responsible for providing leadership and strategy to supply chain services, including leading strategic engagements, and developing business plans for suppliers of the nursing and cardiac service lines. Additionally, she had oversight of the value based contracting program for all service lines; engaging strategic suppliers to expand portfolio offerings.
Meena also was previously the Corporate Director of Strategic Sourcing and Value Analysis for Supply Chain across the Northwestern Medicine network. She played a key role in managing medical/surgical supplies, pharmacy and purchased services, as well as ensuring all product introductions adhere to organizational standards and safety, clinical efficacy, and cost. She also developed and launched the Northwestern Medicine corporate Value Analysis Program, which cultivates physician, clinical and operational end user engagement to drive a collaborative approach to value analysis and the supply portfolio evaluation process.
Meena began her healthcare career as a cardiology physician assistant and has extensive clinical, operational, and programmatic experience. She served as Manager at the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital with operational responsibility of Cath & EP Labs, Non-invasive Cardiology, Cardiac Recovery Observation Unit. She had programmatic and operational oversight for A. Fib Institute, CHF Program, Transcatheter Valve Program, Ventricular Assist Device Program, Heart Transplant Program, and Bicuspid Aortic Valve Research Program.
 

Stephanie Meier is the Administrative Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Winthrop-University Hospital. Winthrop is a 591-bed academic medical center serving Long Island and Queens. Stephanie provides leadership for the 140-member department’s overall strategic direction, oversees a $20 million dollar budget and daily operations to support nearly 5,000 deliveries annually. In addition to faculty practice development and strategic planning, she leads various initiatives to build and enhance women’s health service for both physicians and the local community. Stephanie is responsible for OBGYN generalist, maternal-fetal medicine, and urogynecology faculty practices, Women’s Wellness clinic, and hospitalist service.

Throughout her experience in the healthcare field, Stephanie has demonstrated a professional an personal commitment to helping others. She serves on the board of directors as President-Elect for HLNY. Mrs. Meier was one of the recipients of the Long Island Business News’ Top 40 Under 40 and Becker’s Hospital Review’s 25 Rising Stars under 40 in 2014.

Miller joined the West Jersey Health System in 1986 as Vice President of Finance. During his tenure at West Jersey, he served as Executive Director of the Berlin Hospital, Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer, and Senior Vice President of Hospital Affairs before being named President and CEO in 1996.

Miller played a key role in the formation of Virtua in 1998 at which time he was named President and CEO for the new health system. At the time, he committed to evolving the health system from average to award winning, the results which have been demonstrated by awards for quality and patient safety by US News & Health Report, Leapfrog Group, and countless other organizations as well as considerable growth in market share, making Virtua the largest health system in southern New Jersey.

During his tenure, he oversaw the transition of a Camden inpatient facility into a vibrant outpatient center providing much needed primary and specialty healthcare and social services to Camden residents. In 2011, he opened one of the region’s first new hospitals in 20 years despite a declining economy. At a time when many hospitals in the state are struggling, Virtua earned an AA- credit rating from Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor’s, making it the first health system in New Jersey to receive such a high credit rating.

In addition to ensuring high quality and financial stability, Miller was also the moving force behind a culture that focused on creating an outstanding customer experience, achieved by investing in employees and hiring for values. As a result, Virtua has been named a Best Place to Work by the Philadelphia Business Journal for the last 10 years.

Miller has been recognized nationally with appointments to the Leadership Advisory Council of the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare (CTH) and to the Governing Council of Healthcare Executives for the American Hospital Association. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and served as a trustee of the National Quality Forum.

Miller serves on the Operating Committee of the Board of Select Greater Philadelphia. He has served on the Board of the University of the Sciences of Philadelphia, was chairman of the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Hospital Association, a member of the Governor's Committee on Benchmarking for Quality and Efficiency, and the NJ Healthcare Access Study Commission. He is a past chairman of the board for the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey. 

Among his many honors, Miller was named Human Resources CEO of the Year by HR Department of the Year Awards. He received the CEO IT Achievement Award from Modern Healthcare magazine, was named Healthcare CEO of the Year by the Philadelphia Business Journal, Lean Six Sigma National CEO of the Year, Distinguished Citizen of the Year by Boy Scouts of America, and received the New Jersey Business Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award from New Jersey Junior Achievement. Goodwill honored him with the Helms Award for spreading goodwill through leadership and philanthropic involvement. He has been named among The 100 Most Powerful People in New Jersey Business by NJBIZ magazine, one of the 50 Most Powerful People in Health Care by NJBIZ, a "Person to Watch" by Philadelphia Magazine, and recognized nationally on the list of “291 Hospital and Health System Leaders to Know” by Becker’s Hospital Review.

A graduate of Mount St. Mary's College, Miller earned his MBA from Southern Illinois University. 

Tracey Moffatt, MHA, BSN is the System Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) and Vice President for Quality at Ochsner Health System (OHS) headquartered in New Orleans, LA. As the System CNO, Tracey provides guidance to nursing leaders across the system to advance quality, nursing professional practice, safety and initiatives to make care affordable. She collaborates with OHS leaders in designing, providing and evaluating patient care and services; develops and manages the nursing and clinical operations’ portion of the budget; and exercises final approval and authority over all system nursing policies, procedures and standards of care. As the System Vice President for Quality, in partnership with the Chief Quality Officer, Tracey leads the quality initiatives including setting the vision and strategy for clinical care services and system-wide quality outcomes, performance improvement and accreditation functions.

Tracey has more than 25 years of progressive healthcare leadership experience in nursing, operations and quality. Most recently, she has served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Wellmont Health System in Tennessee.

Tracey holds a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Louisiana State University Medical Center. Tracey currently serves as the New Orleans District representative on the Louisiana Organization of Nurse Executives Board of Directors and is a member of the Women’s Healthcare Executive Network, Inc. In January of 2018 Tracey was appointed by the Governor of Louisiana to the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. 

Bill Mosser is vice president materials management at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, in Baton Rouge, LA. FMOLHS is comprised of five hospitals and many non-acute care entities with $250 million in annual supply spend.

Bill is also president and lead consultant for KTM Consulting, LLC, a supply chain and information systems project management consulting firm. KTM's clients have included a multi-billion dollar international manufacturing company and a ‘dotcom’ company developing a web portal designed to provide multi-hospital healthcare clients with comprehensive procurement solutions for medical/surgical supplies & equipment and pharmaceuticals.

Prior to founding KTM Consulting, LLC, William spent more than 30 years in various supply chain management and information systems leadership roles in the healthcare and automotive industries. Most recently he served as the senior executive for supply chain services at a major university-based urban health system.

Mark Newton has served as president and chief executive officer of Swedish Covenant Hospital since 2000. Under Newton's leadership, Swedish Covenant Hospital has become the largest and most successful independent community hospital on Chicago's north side. The hospital has developed a reputation of technological, teaching excellence, compassion and growth. Newton's previous positions include a progression of positions in hospitals, international business and transportation operations. In addition to his responsibilities at Swedish Covenant Hospital, Newton is chair of the Chicago Hospital Risk Pooling Program, and chair of the Association of Community Safety Net Hospitals. Newton received a Master's Degree in Management with a concentration in finance and marketing from Northwestern University. He completed his bachelor's degree in economics and business administration at North Park University, where he later taught courses in marketing, international business and healthcare entrepreneurship.

Eric O’Daffer is Research Vice President for the Gartner Healthcare Supply Chain Group. He brings over 20 years of experience in medical product manufacturing, sourcing, distribution, contracting, strategic marketing and sales channel development to his role. Eric works with executives across the healthcare value chain, advising them on business strategy and supply chain best practices.

Prior to joining Gartner, Eric led the focus on early-stage healthcare businesses for OneAccord Partners. He was also CEO of Esurg Corporation, a supply chain start-up leveraging technology to combine the best of distribution, manufacturing and group purchasing contracts into an integrated program for the clinic and physician market.

He has an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Business and an undergraduate degree in English Literature from the University of Illinois.

Laura Okmin has covered the biggest names in sports on the biggest stages for over 25 years as a FOX Sports Broadcaster. She is also the founder of GALVANIZE; an organization dedicated to training and mentoring young women entering the sports world. Learn about Laura’s rise to success through hard work, perseverance, and ability to build relationships.

Her inspirational story empowers listeners to make bold choices and reach for their own dreams. Laura will share how she defies industry standards and continues to thrive in a television career after 40 and create a life that gets more wonderful each day.

Ryan P. Parker is the Chief Diversity Officer for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJ). Ryan is responsible for building a strategy that enhances RWJ’s vision to be a nationally distinguished academic medical center and benchmark hospital for diversity and inclusion – while aligning this critical business component with RWJ’s strategic business objectives. In this position, he reports directly to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson Health System. Ryan is a member of the RWJ Community Relations Board Committee.

Ryan joined RWJ in 2013 as Director of Diversity and Inclusion and was appointed to Chief Diversity Officer in 2014. In 2014, Ryan was acknowledged by The Network Journal and Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the nation’s leading healthcare leaders under age of forty. Ryan received a BS degree in Psychology from Jacksonville State University and is currently pursuing graduate studies in hospital administration.

Debi Pasley is the System Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for CHRISTUS Health. She is a visionary healthcare leader with 20+ years of experience improving quality of care, reducing costs, and improving revenue potential for nationally and internationally recognized organizations. Deb has demonstrated clinical and administrative accomplishments in community and academic medical systems leading multiple clinical disciplines. Her successes include the recovery of struggling hospitals and services, and achievement of regulatory and professional accreditation.

Debi Pasley is a certified nurse executive (NEA-BC) and healthcare executive (FACHE). She has a strong background in creation of new services and reorganization of existing services. She has led a successful Magnet® journey and served in multiple Magnet® hospitals. Her leadership of multiple clinical disciplines has resulted in team successes which support employee engagement and improved operations.

Ilisa  Halpern  Paul  is  President  of  the  District  Policy  Group,  a  bipartisan  public  policy  and  government  relations practice at international law firm Faegre Drinker. Ilisa has nearly 30 years of experience and success in influencing the  outcomes of federal  health  policy,  with  a  focus  on  legislative  and  regulatory issues,  including health  care financing  and delivery  system  reform,  the Medicare and  Medicaid  programs,  public  health,  federal  budget  and appropriations, the Affordable Care Act, and other health care funding, coverage and payment matters.

Her work has earned her recognition as one of The Hill's Top Lobbyists 2015-2019. Prior to becoming a consultant in 2001, Ilisa served as director of federal government relations for the American Cancer Society and as director of federal affairs with the American Public Health Association. She began her public policy  career in Washington, D.C. working  on the legislative  staff  for U.S.  Senator Dianne Feinstein  (D-CA).

Ilisa holds a B.A.degree in English from UCLA and a master of public policy degree from Georgetown University. Ilisa lives with her husband, Scott, and their twin boys in Maryland, where their active lives include weekend hikes and regular walks with their dog, Coco.

With many incredible twists and turns Christie Pearce Rampone's life story exemplifies how humility, perseverance, and hard work can be the perfect formula for success, on and off the field. One of the most legendary players in the history of international soccer, Pearce Rampone retired as a professional player in 2017 and has transitioned to being an author, prominent sports broadcaster, keynote speaker and soccer coach. A native of Point Pleasant, N.J., Pearce Rampone attended Monmouth University on a basketball scholarship and was their starting point guard, walking on to the school’s soccer team. During her senior year, then U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Tony DiCicco called her into the USWNT camp in January of 1997, just months after the USA had won its first Olympic gold medal. A high-scoring forward for Monmouth, tallying 79 goals in her college career, DiCicco brought her into camp for a run at playing defender, transitioning her from an attacking player in college. After playing well in her first training camp in San Diego, she made the roster for a trip to Australia. Aside from injuries and the birth of her two daughters (Rylie, born in September of 2005, and Reece, born in March of 2010), she was rarely out of the starting lineup for the next 19 years, starting in 272 of her 311 caps. Her 311 caps are the second highest in the history of international soccer, for both men or women. Known for her lead by example approach to the game, Pearce Rampone eventually saw USWNT head coach Pia Sundhage put the captain’s band on her in 2008. Affectionately referred to as Captain America, she eventually captained the US for nearly nine years. Pearce Rampone was the captain of the USWNT during two gold medal runs and one FIFA Women’s World Cup title. She played in 19 total Women’s World Cup matches, tied for sixth best all-time, and played in 22 Olympic matches, more than any US player. Pearce Rampone finishes as the USWNT’s only four-time Olympian, a three-time Olympic gold medalist (2004, 2008, 2012) and an Olympic silver medalist (2000). She also finishes as a two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, winning in 1999 and 2015, playing in five FIFA Women’s World Cups (1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015), making her one of the most decorated players in US history. Pearce Rampone, who began her professional career in 2001, played in all three iterations of the US professional leagues (WPS, WUSA, NWSL). She played for the New York Power in the Women’s United Soccer Association from 2001-03, played for Sky Blue FC and MagicJack SC in Women’s Professional Soccer, and finished her career in her home state of NJ with Sky Blue FC in the National Women’s Soccer League from 2013-17. She also served as the head coach of Sky Blue FC in 2009 (while still playing as the captain), leading the team to an improbable Women’s Professional Soccer championship. Oh yeah, and she did it all while she was pregnant with her second daughter, Reece. Since hanging up her boots, Pearce Rampone has begun doing broadcast work for FOX Sports, including its coverage of the US Women’s National Soccer Team, covering the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and other matches. Pearce Rampone, has teamed up with clinical and sports neuropsychologist, and fellow sports mom, Dr. Kristine Keane, to co-author Be All In: Raising Kids for Success in Sports and Life, sharing practical, real world advice on how to handle the pressures felt by youth athletes, parents, and coaches today, and provide kids with their best shot at reaching their goals and dreams.

Chad Pennington is the only player to win the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award twice, doing so in 2006 and 2008. The New York Jets invested their first-round draft selection and picked Chad as the as the 18th overall pick of the 2000 NFL Draft, making him the first quarterback taken in that draft.  Chad played 11 seasons in the NFL with the Jets and Dolphins. In 2003, Chad became the 47th quarterback in NFL history to achieve a perfect passer rating. Chad also twice earned the NFL passer completion percentage leader and in 2002 was named the Most Improved Player by the Professional Football Writers Association. At the time of his retirement, Pennington was the NFL's all-time leader in career completion percentage at 66.0% among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 pass attempts. Chad graduated from Marshall University where he excelled academically, graduating with a degree in journalism, and becoming a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship. Chad, along with his wife Robin, now run the 1st and 10 Foundation, with the mission to build stronger communities by funding programs and institutions that seek to improve quality of life for kids throughout West Virginia, Tennessee, and the New York metropolitan area. He is also active coaching elementary and middle school football for The Lexington School and was recently tabbed as the new coach to revive high school football for Sayre School in Lexington, KY. Chad continues to be active with the NFL serving as Co-executive Director of the NFL Legends, assisting former players in dealing with life after football and offering guidance to new talent with the transition from college.

Frank Perez is CEO of Kettering Health Network in Dayton, Ohio, and also Chairman/CEO of the Network’s four
healthcare systems. During his more than 41 years in health care, Frank has served as chief executive officer at
numerous organizations in the US and overseas ranging from 600-bed hospitals to systems with up to 2,000 beds.
Frank has extensive experience in leading performance improvement initiatives in progressive health care institutions and has demonstrated the ability to promote integrated strategic alliances with medical staffs, as well as establish MSOs, IPAs, and Foundations. Some ten years ago he led in the merger of Kettering Medical Center and Grandview Medical
Center in the Dayton Ohio area, expanding the system to include five hospitals. Then in 2008, Greene Memorial
Hospital/Greene Health Partners joined KHN, and this year the Network was extremely pleased to add Fort Hamilton
Hospital. The expanded organization now includes six hospitals and a seventh under construction, a college, retirement
center, multiple affiliated programs and some 10,000 employees under one corporate umbrella—Kettering Health
Network. Frank received a Bachelor’s Degree in business administration with a minor in economics from Columbia
Union College. Frank also holds a masters degree in Healthcare Administration from The George Washington University
in Washington, DC, and is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

General Session: Disney’s Approach to Leadership Excellence & Disney’s Approach to Inspiring Creativity Sharon Pleggenkuhle joined the Walt Disney World Cast as a member of the Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios) Operations team. Since being cast in her first role, Sharon has held a variety of positions in Theme Park Operations, Guest Talent and Education Programs, and Disney Institute Business and Leisure Programs. Sharon transitioned to Disney Institute Business Programs following a multi-faceted leadership role recruiting, training, and mentoring 100+ Cast Members who provided educational experiences throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. A three-time Partners in Excellence nominee, Sharon is consistently recognized for her excellence in program design, delivery and Cast development. Sharon received her Bachelor of Science degree in journalism with an emphasis in
advertising from Kent State University.

Share Moving Media (SMM) is the publisher of Repertoire Magazine and The Journal of Healthcare Contracting and National Accounts Weekly.

The Journal of Healthcare Contracting is the only publication solely focused on the healthcare-contracting arena. Collaboration amongst stakeholders in the contracting arena is vital for efficiency, profitability and sometimes even the survival of members in this arena. The Journal of Healthcare Contracting facilitates open, meaningful communication for its community. No other publication reaches all the people responsible for the success of contracting initiatives for their organizations.

The Journal of Healthcare Contracting reaches the executives involved in the healthcare contracting business. Readers include 5,000 Hospital CEOs, 7,500 IDN Executives and 1,300 GPO Executives.

National Accounts Weekly is the only publication dedicated to National Accounts Executives calling on GPOs, IDNs, RPCs and national and regional distribution. This weekly newsletter is read weekly by over 7,000 National Accounts Executives. 

Muddy Waters explains in full detail the healthcare supply chain. Insights from experts across the supply chain from physicians to GPO leaders are a powerful part of this intuitive manual. Organizations that contributed include Mayo Clinic, Geisinger Health System and WNC Health Network (WNCHN). Other contributors include GPOs Premier and MedAssets, and other first rate organizations like the Council of Accountable Physician Practices. This book is an asset to any member of the healthcare supply chain who wants to understand the complexities in today’s fluctuating marketplace.

John lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife Sarah, son Charlie, and daughters Mary, Molly and Margo. John is an avid photographer and dog trainer, and enjoys golfing, skiing and watching his children play sports.

With more than 15 years of experience in hospital operations and leadership, Reid most recently served as Assistant Vice President of Financial and Operational Positions at St. Joseph Health: Covenant Health System (CHS) in Lubbock, Texas. Reid also previously served as Vice President of Managed Care and Strategic Planning at University Medical Center (UMC) Health System in Lubbock, Texas. Before that she served as the Clinic Administrator and Assistant Director of Clinic Administration of the Ophthalmology and Specialty Group at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) in Lubbock, Texas.

Reid has many professional affiliations and has received numerous honors over the years. She holds an MBA from Texas Tech University and is licensed as a Certified Public Accountant.

James R. Ramsey is the 17th president of the University of Louisville. Prior, he served as professor of economics and public administration in the College of Business and Public Administration. Before joining the University of Louisville, he was Governor Patton's senior policy advisor and state budget director. Dr. Ramsey has held professional positions at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Western Kentucky University, Middle Tennessee State University, and Loyola University. He is an accomplished scholar and teacher, with more than 60 publications in the fields of economics and management. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Kentucky and his undergraduate degree from Western Kentucky University.

Peggy Reiley is senior vice president and chief clinical officer for Scottsdale Healthcare. She has been with Scottsdale Healthcare for over 14 years. She spearheaded the initiative and paved the way for the hospital to receive the prestigious recognition of magnet status for excellence in nursing care. Prior to her position at Scottsdale Healthcare, Ms. Reiley was vice president for nursing at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, MA. Ms. Reiley holds a Bachelor's Degree in nursing from Northeastern University in Boston, a Master's Degree in nursing from Boston College, a Master's Degree in policy and management from the Harvard school of public health, and a Doctor of Philosophy in social policy from Brandeis University. Ms. Reiley has written numerous articles on clinical issues, quality of care and nursing management. Her clinical interests are in the elderly and functional status. Her management interests are in building excellence in nursing practice.

Ann Rhoades is a dynamic and visionary corporate executive with over 25 years of experience in a variety of service-based industries and is president of People Ink, her consulting company that helps organizations create unique workplace cultures based on values and performance. She held the position of vice president of the people department for Southwest Airlines, executive vice president of team services for Promus Hotel Corporation and most recently, the executive vice president of people for JetBlue Airways. Rhoades has a respected reputation in the industry for her creative approach to creating customer centric cultures and is a popular speaker on the subject of customer service and how to build a strong high-performing culture.  She has great passion for certain industries such as healthcare where she is making a great contribution to revitalizing the workforce and culture of our nation’s hospitals. She served on patient safety and quality task forces with the Texas Medical Institute of Technology involved in setting metrics used in pay-for-performance programs across the country. Rhoades currently serves on the board at the Regis Corporation, NexPhase Capital, the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, president of the University of New Mexico Alumni Association Board, chairman for Safer New Mexico Now, and board member of New Mexico Appleseed. Rhoades’ former boards include JetBlue Airways, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, HireVue, Inc., Restoration Hardware, Executive Council, Brigham & Women’s Hospital Harvard Medical School Board the University of New Mexico-Robert O Anderson School of Business National Advisory Board, Accion New Mexico and Albuquerque Community Foundation. Rhoades has a Master of Business Administration degree in Management from the University of New Mexico and her book Built on Values was released in January 2011.

Robert L. Rice M.D., Ph.D. is the Medical Director of the Oncology Service Line at WellSpan Health. Dr. Rice has responsibilities specific to developing and implementing service line strategic plans. His role is to utilize knowledge of current and future policies, practices, trends, competitive threats and other information affecting the business and organization to advance the service line.

He also aids in the development of strategies to implement new services and emerging treatment options and that current standards of care are maintained throughout the organization.

Dr. Rice received his medical degree and Ph.D. as a combined program at University of Pittsburgh Medical School. His Ph. D. is in Pharmacology. He completed his fellowship in Oncology and Hematology from Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Edmondo J. Robinson, M.D., M.B.A., FACP, is the chief transformation officer and senior vice president, consumerism for Christiana Care Health System. He has responsibility for transformation of healthcare delivery to advance population health initiatives and move from volume-based to value-based care with a special focus on developing and managing Christiana Care’s consumerism strategy including development of consumer digital and virtual health service offerings.

Dr. Robinson is an associate professor of medicine at Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College, an adjunct senior fellow in the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, a fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a senior fellow of the Society of Hospital Medicine.

He received his medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, his master’s degrees in health policy research and in business administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

From the outside, flying an F-16 jet looks like a very independent act, as its one pilot maneuvers one plane. But when you go into combat, fighter pilots in a squadron must form one unit that has a common mission working toward a common objective. As a pilot who served three tours of combat in Iraq, Major Dan Rooney knows the importance of working as a team when the stakes could not be higher. Rooney highlights the importance of personal accountability, working together and ultimately having the backs of your team when you are on the line.

Rooney speaks with authority as someone who lives his life in service of those who have served. Speaking with conviction and as a man who has also found success in the military, philanthropy and professional golf, Rooney’s life experiences demonstrate lessons of faith, teamwork, trust, compassion, and triumph.

Claudia R. Rosales is an Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management at University of Arkansas. Her research interests include healthcare operations, risk management, inventory management, cross docking/logistics, optimization, simulation modeling, and analytics. Prior to her academic career she worked in manufacturing holding several engineering positions such as productivity, process, and packaging engineer at Colgate Palmolive, C.A. She obtained a Master of Science in Quantitative Analysis and a PhD in Operations Management from University of Cincinnati. Her research publications have appeared in journals such as Journal of Operations Management, Decision Sciences, European Journal of Operational Research, International Journal of Production Research, Transportation Journal, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, and Interfaces. Claudia received two best paper of the year awards for publications at Decision Sciences and Transportation Journal. She is currently a member of the Editorial Review Board of IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management and an Associate Editor for Decision Sciences Journal.

Tom Sadvary retired as CEO of HonorHealth in April, 2017. Tom was instrumental in leading the creation of the $2 billion not-for-profit health system through the merger of Scottsdale Healthcare and the John C. Lincoln Health Network in 2013. This system serves over one million residents of the north Phoenix and Scottsdale communities, and includes 5 hospitals, a medical group, research institute, and several outpatient centers.

Tom was appointed as President and CEO of Scottsdale Healthcare in 2005 following progressive executive roles. He joined the organization in 1986 as the administrator of the Shea Medical Center.

He began his career at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Barberton Citizens Hospital. Tom earned his bachelor’s degree from Allegheny College and his Master’s Degree from the School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh. He also worked as a paramedic prior to attending graduate school.

Tom is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. His community leadership roles have included the American Hospital Association, the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce, Scottsdale / Paradise Valley YMCA, Scottsdale Rotary Club, and the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

Tom has received many awards during his career, which include the Scottsdale Leadership Herb Drinkwater Community service Award, the Scottsdale Chamber Hall of Fame, the Allegheny College Gold Citation Award, and the   American Cancer Society honoree in 2017.

Tom currently serves as a member of the LabCorp advisory board, and as a board member of Allegheny College, Scottsdale Institute, Epsilon, and the Western Spirit Museum. He has also received adjunct faculty member appointments at the University of Pittsburgh and Arizona State University.

Tom and his wife Mary, a registered nurse, have been married for 41 years. They have two children, Christopher and Rachel, and a grandson Jack. Tom enjoys hiking, playing golf, and traveling with his family.

Born in Kansas City in 1936, Dr. Salyer received his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 1962 and performed a general surgery residency at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. He completed a surgical Fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) School of Medicine and began his plastic surgery residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

In 1969, Dr. Salyer became UTSW Medical School's first chief of the division of plastic surgery. He entered private practice in 1979 and established the International Craniofacial Institute in Dallas in 1986. To date, the institute has served more than 17,000 patients from more than 75 countries. He also organized the World Craniofacial Foundation in 1989 to help provide life-changing surgery to children who had craniofacial deformities.

Linton Whitaker, MD, who co-founded the International Craniofacial Club (which would become the International Society of Craniofacial Surgery) with Dr. Salyer, recalled first meeting his colleague in 1972 when the two were invited to France to observe the work of Paul Tessier, the pioneer of modern craniofacial surgery.

Eugene Schneller earned his Ph.D. at New York University (Sociology). He was awarded an honorary Physician Associate (PA) degree from Duke University and an honorary Doctor of Learned Letters from the A.T. Still University. He has held faculty and research scholar positions at Duke University, Union College (New York) and Columbia University. His consulting and research focuses on health care policy, best practice adoption, supply chain purchasing strategy design and governance, human resource development and supply chain integration. He is a former director at Vomaris and the Barrow Neurological Institute and has served on advisory boards for both device manufacturers and information technology companies. He is a frequent speaker at academic and corporate conferences and has facilitated retreats and focus groups. He was Principal Investigator for the Department of Defense efforts to integrate the medical supply chains for the three services. His recent research has focused on the design of stockpiles and pooled resources for resilience, regulatory change, impact of investment and Biden administration impact on the health sector. He is co-founder of Healthcare Supply Chain eXcellence.

Tali Sharot is a leading expert on human decision-making, optimism and emotion. A neuroscientist by trade, Sharot combines research in psychology, behavioral economics and neuroscience to reveal the forces that shape our decisions, beliefs and inaccurate expectations of the future and how those can be altered (or sustained). Why do people discount bad news (a tendency that contributed to the 2008 financial downfall, enhances ill-preparedness in the face of disaster and reduced medical screenings)? Why do we have unrealistic expectations of the future (underestimating our chances of divorce and expecting our kids to be uniquely talented)? Why is it so difficult to change a decision after it is made? Sharot, a visiting professor at MIT, is also an associated professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London where she directs the Affective Brain Lab. Her team is dedicated to answering such questions with an aim at identifying ways to encourage behavioral change that enhance well-being. Sharot is the author of The Optimism Bias: A Tour of the Irrationally Positive Brain (Pantheon/ Random House, 2011); The Science of Optimism (TED, e-book, 2012) and the upcoming - The Influential Mind: The Power to change other's opinions and desires (Henry Holt, 2017). She has been featured on CNN, MSNBC, The Science Channel, the Today show, the BBC and many publications around the world. Sharot also co-presented BBC’s Science Club (BBC 2). She wrote TIME magazine’s cover story The Science of Optimism (May, 2011) as well as cover stories for The Observer Review, The Guardian, The Washington Post Health Section and a New York Times Op-Ed (Major Delusions, 2017)

Mark Slater, Ph.D. has served as Vice President for Research at HonorHealth and Chief Executive for the HonorHealth Research Institute since 2007, when the organization was known as Scottsdale Healthcare.  In this capacity, Dr. Slater has developed a collaborative institute without walls to bring tomorrow’s cures to our community today through accelerating translational and clinical research in precision medicine.  Collaborative relationships with TGen, ASU, UA and many other top local, national and international organizations have resulted in international recognition for breakthrough innovations in medical care, attracting patients from 49 states and two dozen countries to our community for trials.

With over 100 scientific publications, 30 years of continuous grant funding, and his doctoral students now in leadership positions in major academic institutions, Dr. Slater is a recognized leader in fields of pain, behavioral medicine and clinical research.

Dr. Anthony Slonim is an innovator and proven healthcare leader at both regional and national levels. His expertise spans across areas of patient safety, accountable care, healthcare quality, and innovative care delivery models, which focus on improving health in the community. As tenured professor, he has authored more than 100 publications, 15 textbooks, and has received more than $2 million in National Institutes of Health funding. Since joining Renown Health in July 2014, Dr. Slonim has completely reoriented northern Nevada’s largest locally governed, not-for-profit healthcare network, by focusing on overall community health and embracing the national triple aim initiatives. As an advocate of healthcare partnerships, Dr. Slonim has also initiated national collaborations to establish a medical training campus at Renown, expand the region’s quaternary care services in collaboration with Stanford Medicine, and launch the nation’s first-ever community-based, population health study with Desert Research Institute and personal genetics company 23andMe. 

Scotty Smiley is from Pasco, a small city in Washington state. After high school he attended the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. After four great years, he graduated and moved to Fort Benning, Georgia and attended Infantry Officer Basic Course and Ranger School. Soon after he moved to Fort Lewis, Washington where he led a 45 man Platoon.

In 2005 while leading his Platoon in Mosul, Iraq, Scotty found himself in front of a suicide car bomb. After the man blew himself up, shrapnel blew through Scotty’s eyes leaving him blinded and temporarily paralyzed; he woke up in Walter Reed Army Medical Center a week later. Though questioning his faith, Scotty made a decision to forgive and rebuild his life and continue to serve in the Army, becoming the first blind active-duty officer in military history. The Army Times named Scotty “Soldier of the Year” in 2007 and in 2008 he won an ESPY as the world’s Best Outdoor Athlete. After receiving a Master of Business Administration from Duke University, Scotty taught the core course in leadership at West Point and then commanded the Warrior Transition Unit at West Point’s Keller Army Medical Center. Scotty is a recipient of the Army’s prestigious MacArthur Leadership Award and holds an honorary PhD from Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY. In 2010, Scotty received a Father of the Year award in New York and in 2011 received the Christopher Award for all he has given and continues to give.

Since then, Scotty attended the Maneuver Captain Career Course in Fort Benning, Georgia, and then moved to Spokane, Washington where he held a position with the Gonzaga University ROTC Department, teaching and mentoring America’s future leaders. After many years of service, Scotty retired from the military in 2015. Over his military career, Major (Retired) Smiley received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart; Combat Infantry Badge, Ranger Tab, Airborne Wings and Combat Diver Qualification Badge. He currently works with the capital markets department at Drexel Hamilton out of New York as an investment banker for corporations and banks around the world.

With a passion for using his story to build hope in this world, Scotty authored Hope Unseen in 2010 and now travels all over the country speaking and sharing his message of perseverance, courage and hope. He is an avid adventurer and has completed the Coeur d’Alene Iron Man, climbed Mt. Rainer, gone skydiving, surfing and is always looking for his next chance to try something new. Scotty is married to his high school sweetheart, Tiffany and the couple lives in Pasco and are the proud parents of Grady Douglas, Graham Elliott, and Baylor Scott.

As a strong leading man, Kevin Sorbo brings a refreshing cadence to Hollywood. Growing up in Mound, Minnesota, a western suburb of Minneapolis, the “Sorbs” excelled at football, basketball, baseball and golf, but his true passion was always to be an actor. After studying marketing and advertising at Moorhead State University and the University of Minnesota, Sorbo moved to Dallas where he joined an actors’ theater group and began modeling and doing television commercials. After 18 months, he headed for Europe where a three-month travel plan turned into three and a half years of work in Milan, Paris, Munich, London and Zurich. When he finally made his way to Los Angeles, he booked his first commercial audition, which shot in Sydney, Australia. That 10-day trip turned into a six-month stay where he shot seven commercials and joined an acting class. Moving back to Los Angeles, he studied acting with Bill Traylor at the famed Loft Studio. He also studied with Janet Alhanti, Richard Brander, Cameron Thor and Roy London. To make ends meet, he appeared in over 150 commercials and made prime-time appearances as a guest star on shows such as Dallas, Cheers, The Commish and Murder, She Wrote. Sorbo received international stardom when he booked the lead role in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1993–1999). Originally designed as a five-movie miniseries, the innovative action show received a tremendous response and proved that he was just what Hollywood was looking for. The movies were transformed into a weekly show and exploded onto the mainstream, passing up ratings topper Baywatch as the most-watched TV show in the world, airing in 176 countries. Sorbo also directed and wrote on the series. The worldwide success of Hercules spun off two other series: Xena: Warrior Princess and Young Hercules.  Following the success of a seven-year run on Hercules, Sorbo went straight into tackling another iconic leading role as Captain Dylan Hunt in Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda, which debuted as the #1 hour-long show in first-run syndication and remained there for its entire run from 2000 to 2005. While on hiatus from Hercules in 1996, Sorbo starred in the Universal Studios feature film Kull the Conqueror, the prequel to Conan the Barbarian. That was followed by Walking Tall: The Payback and Walking Tall: Lone Justice, both for Sony/MGM. Other popular credits are Lifetime Channel’s Last Chance Cafe and Hallmark’s third-highest-rated western film, Avenging Angel. Sorbo also had starring roles in The Santa Suit, Meet the Spartans, Prairie Fever and Never Cry Werewolf. He played opposite Kristy Swanson and John Ratzenberger in the independent film What If…, which premiered in August 2011. It remained in theaters for five months on strong word of mouth and was nominated for “Best Family Movie of the Year 2011” by the Movieguide Awards. Sorbo was nominated and received the Movieguide Award for “Most Inspirational Performance of the Year” for his portrayal of Ben Walker. In 2013, Sorbo was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Riverside International Film Festival.  Sorbo has guest starred on a number of sitcoms, including Just Shoot Me!, Cybill, Two and a Half Men, Dharma & Greg, According to Jim, Gary Unmarried, Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, Hope & Faith, Psych, Hawaii Five-0, and a recurring role in the final season of The O.C.  He also starred alongside Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt in Soul Surfer, the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her left arm in a shark attack while surfing. Sorbo’s other movies include Julia X, Christmas Angel, Abel’s Field, Shadow on the Mesa, Avarice, Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury and FDR: American Badass! His 2014 movie God’s Not Dead hit a chord with audiences and became the most successful faith-based movie ever with over $65 million U.S. box office and another $20 million overseas. Sorbo played an atheist philosophy professor who challenges one of his students to a series of debates when that student says God does exist.  Sorbo recently filmed the first of three movies called Caged, which deals with human trafficking. He is playing two roles—twin brothers representing good and evil. In 2012, Sorbo released his memoir True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life. The book chronicles his near-death experience at the end of season five on Hercules, when he suffered three strokes and battled back to regain his life. It is an honest account of celebrity, personal tragedy and the power of letting go. In 2013, Sorbo received the Public Leadership in Neurology Award from the American Brain Foundation and American Academy of Neurology for his work in bringing stroke awareness to an international level. He also received the 2013 Inspiration Honors Award from the Invisible Disabilities Association, a nonprofit organization encouraging, educating and connecting people and organizations touched by illness, pain and disability around the globe. Sorbo co-authored Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive for Kids: 101 Stories about Good Decisions, Self-Esteem, and Positive Thinking. Sorbo is a national spokesperson for A World Fit for Kids!, a successful mentoring model that trains inner-city teens to use Connecting You with the World's Greatest Minds school, fitness, sports and positive role models for themselves, and then become coaches and mentors for younger children. In 2004, the program was awarded the Governor’s Gold Star for the most successful after-school program in the state of California. He was also named national spokesperson, successor to Arnold Schwarzenegger, for the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit organization working to ensure that all children have access to safe, enriching after-school programs.  Sorbo currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Sam and three children.

Admiral James Stavridis is the longest-serving global combatant commander in recent American military history and current leader of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Based on his unique career he advocates a leadership model of ‘leader as servant.’ He believes in the power of people and will share with you specific ways to unlock you and your team’s strength through positive reinforcement and innovative incentive systems. During his Keynote he will assist you in leveraging lessons learned from your experiences, understand how to identify role models and gain insight into leadership strategies from other cultures – both positive and negative lessons.

Additionally, he will provide strategic insights on global issues including cyber security and risks involved with other threats and opportunities you need to understand to be an effective leader in today’s ever-shrinking world.

Are you challenged by life’s setbacks? Then meet Bonnie St. John, whose enthusiasm and personal story will drive you to confront challenges head-on to live a more meaningful life. Her gripping story of how a five-year-old girl who found herself dealing with a ‘Pinocchio-style wooden leg’ somehow discovered an inner resilience fascinated the IDN Summit audience.

This drive led her to become the first African-American ever to win medals in the Winter Olympics, a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Harvard and Rhodes Scholar, a bestselling author, Director of the White House National Economic Council and being honored at the White House by president George W. Bush. 

Economic policies drive much of the healthcare supply chain. Dr. Michael Strain is a leading researcher and renowned author in the field of economic policy studies. Join Dr. Strain as he kicks-off the Fall IDN Summit General Session and discusses how issues such as global economics, public finance, and social policy will impact the healthcare supply chain over the next two years. His latest book, The American Dream is Not Dead; (But Populism Could Kill It) was published in February of 2020.

Morgan Swink is the Eunice and James L. West Chaired Professor of Supply Chain Management in the Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University. He also serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Supply Chain Innovation at the Neeley School. He teaches in areas of supply chain management, project management, innovation management, and operations strategy. Dr. Swink’s current research projects address digital transformation and cutting-edge competencies in supply chain management, financial impacts of supply chain management, collaborative integration, supply chain organizational structures, innovation initiatives and project success factors. He was recently ranked among the top ten innovation management scholars in the world, and among the top 75 most productive operations management scholars.

Dr. Swink is the former Co-Editor in Chief for the Journal of Operations Management, a top academic supply chain management journal. He serves as associate editor for several other journals. He has served as president of the Decision Sciences Institute, as well as chair of the Research Strategies Committee and a member of the board of directors for CSCMP. He has co-authored two supply chain operations text-books, one managerial book on supply chain excellence, and more than 75 articles in a variety of academic and managerial journals.

He has won several research and teaching awards, including the 2016 Research and Creativity Award at TCU. Dr. Swink consults and leads executive workshops and seminars in supply chain management best practices, cross-organizational integration, project management, operational flexibility, and breakthrough thinking for innovation and productivity.

Danny Szpiro is an award-winning teacher and expert on financial management, including the areas of management accounting, capital budgeting, post-investment review, and the Balanced Scorecard. From 2004 to 2012, Dr. Szpiro was a faculty member and administrator at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. He joined Johnson as the founding director of the Cornell-Queen’s Executive MBA Program and ultimately advanced to the position of associate dean for executive education. From 1999 to 2004, he was an associate professor with Queen’s School of Business at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, and for most of that period, the director of Queen’s National Executive MBA program. Prior to joining Queen’s, he was a faculty member with the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University. Before pursuing an academic career, he spent many years in various international activities in the consumer electronics industry.

Dr. David Tam, MD, MBA, FACHE is the Chief Administrative Officer for Pomerado Hospital in Poway, California, Dr. Tam is responsible for facilities development and management, and oversaw the construction of the $956 million Palomar Medical Center, which opened as the “hospital of the future." He has system responsibilities for Supply Chain Services. Pharmaceutical Services, Security, Housekeeping, Environmental Services, and Food and Nutritional Services, and oversees brand development, marketing strategy, and governmental relations. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, serves on the boards of Regents Advisory Council, American Hospital Association's Institute for Diversity, two peer reviewed journals, is an alternate delegate to Region 9 Policy Board of the AHA, and the appointed trustee to the Poway Regional Oversight Board. Dr. Tam received his Medical Degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, completed a Pediatric Residency in Oakland, CA, and a Child Neurology residency at the Medical College of Virginia.

Dr. Hassan A. Tetteh is an Associate Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, adjunct faculty at Howard University College of Medicine, and served as Division Lead for Futures and Innovation at Navy Medicine’s Headquarters, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. He was a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow from 2012-13, assigned to the U.S. Congress, Congressional Budget Office, (CBO), and served as Assistant Deputy Commander for Healthcare Operations and Strategic Planning at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center during its integration.

His clinical work includes cardiovascular disease management, heart failure surgery, and heart and lung transplantation. He led Thoracic Transplantation Procurement and Research for the INOVA Health System Heart and Lung Transplant Program in Virginia and currently serves as a staff Thoracic Surgeon for the MedStar Health System. Tetteh is an Alley Sheridan Award recipient from the Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education. Tetteh served as Ship’s Surgeon and Director of Surgical Services for the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) battle group in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM in 2005. In 2011, he deployed as a trauma surgeon to Afghanistan’s Helmand and Nimroz provinces in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM with 2nd Marine Expeditionary Forces, and has supported special joint forces missions to South America, the Middle East, the South Pacific, Australia, and Africa.

He earned both the Surface Warfare Medical Department Officer and Fleet Marine Force Qualified Officer designations, and his military honors include two Meritorious Service Medals. Tetteh is author of the novel Gifts of the Heart and has published articles on surgical innovation, health information technology, ethics, wounded warriors, and process improvement.

Deb leads the Relationship Management West team for Walmart’s U.S. Health & Wellness business. Her team focuses on
delivering payer solutions that drive down the cost of health care by leveraging Walmart’s broad assortment of health and
wellness products and services. Prior to her current role Deb was Director of Managed Care, coordinating the efforts of the
specialty pharmacy, mail order pharmacy, WMS and the Health Living Compliance and Adherence Programs. Deb brings over
30 years of experience in the prescription medication management arena including: product development, marketing and
administration. Prior to joining Walmart, Deb held senior management positions at Express Scripts, PharMerica, Cardinal
Health and Dispensing Solutions.

Dick Traum, an above the knee amputee began running in the mid-seventies. A business entrepreneur, with a successful computer applications company,  Dick realized that he needed to do something about his sedentary lifestyle. He joined the West Side YMCA and found his passion. From a mile, he progressed to a five-mile race in central park. Buoyed by his success, five months later, he ran his first marathon, and became the first amputee to run 26.2 miles. There was no looking back. In 1983, he founded the Achilles Track Club, currently known as Achilles International. Dick has a BS, MBA, and PH.D. from New York University and lives in Manhattan.

Eric Tritch, MBA is the Vice President of Supply Chain for the UChicago Medicine. In this role, Eric has oversight of all supply chain operations, contracting, value analysis and supplier management activity for the health system. Eric has extensive experience and a proven track record in Supply Chain and Strategic Sourcing processes.

Eric's career started in the industrial manufacturing sector, then went into supply chain consulting, and now has been in healthcare for the last 8 years.

Marianne Udow-Phillips is Director of the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation (CHRT) at the University of
Michigan. CHRT is a non-profit partnership of the University of Michigan (U-M) and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to
promote evidence-based care delivery, improve population health, and expand access to care. From 2004 through 2007,
Marianne was director of the Michigan Department of Human Services, appointed by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm.
Marianne came to state service from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, where she served in leadership roles for over 20
years, most recently as senior vice president of Health Care Products and Provider Services. She holds a Master’s degree in
Health Services Administration from the U-M School of Public Health; she is a lecturer at the U-M School of Public Health.
She serves on numerous boards and commissions.

Dr. Ugwueke is executive vice president/COO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. His responsibilities include strategic management of the operations of six major hospitals within the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare System. Prior to his current position, Dr. Ugwueke served as the senior vice president and chief executive officer of Methodist North and South Hospitals. He is an accomplished healthcare executive with over 26 years’ experience and track record of developing partnership with physicians, associates and community leaders to address healthcare needs in the community while achieving higher levels of organizational performance. Dr. Ugwueke completely transformed Methodist South Hospital and achieved clinical excellence, market share growth, financial and cultural turnaround that has now made Methodist South the system’s market share leader and best clinical performer. Given his accomplishments at South, in June 2009, Dr. Ugwueke was asked to assume the leadership responsibilities of Methodist North Hospital in addition to Methodist South.

Régine Villain is the Chief Supply Chain Officer at Ochsner Health System.  Previously she served as the Vice President of Supply Chain Operations at NYU Langone Health System in New York City, where she was responsible for the continuum of the supply chain operation for the Health System. Régine began her career in healthcare at New York Presbyterian Hospital where she spent 10 years mastering her skills with increased responsibilities along the continuum of supply chain.

After a yearlong intro to general studies at the Interamerican University of San Germán in Puerto-Rico, Régine earned her Bachelor's Degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Florida. She then pursued her Master's in Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy Management at Columbia University in New York before obtaining a certificate in Business Studies at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

As you will witness, no one can inspire an audience like Dickie V, but his inspiration goes deeper than a short talk with everyone cheering.  His inspiration comes from how he gives back to the people he holds dear, such as his friend Jim Valvano and the V Foundation.  Learn even more about that relationship and his keys on Getting a W in the Game of Life: Using my T.E.A.M. Model to Motivate, Elevate, and Be Great, from his best-selling book.

Just two months prior to her 19th birthday, Mallory Weggemann went in to receive her third and final epidual injection to treat back pain caused by postherpetic neuralgia. The epidural injections left Weggermann a paraplegic with complete loss of movement from her abdomen down. Four years later Weggemann set 15 world records and 33 American records as well as proceeding to win gold and bronze at the 2012 London Paralympics. Weggemann's story has inspired audiences worldwide that whatever circumstances we face, we choose daily whether we will allow those limitations to power over us or whether we will face down our challenges in a journey towards our own new mobility. Simply put, Mallory's story is incredible. 

Dr. Allen Weiss was appointed President and CEO of the NCH Healthcare System in September, 2006. Previously, he was President for over six years. He is responsible for a 681 bed, two-hospital integrated health care system in Naples, Florida. After graduating from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons and subsequently completing his training at both the New York Presbyterian Hospital and Hospital for Special Surgery of Cornell University, he had a
solo practice in Rheumatology, Internal Medicine, and Geriatrics for twenty-three years. He is board certified in all three specialties and is recognized both as a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology. Dr. Weiss also has led a very successful physician hospital organization that has recently developed expertise in utilization and case management while working with physicians to measure and demonstrate quality.

Dr. Whyte is a board-certified practicing physician who has been communicating to the public as well as private sectors on health and health policy issues for nearly 25 years. As someone who has been a regulator, researcher, educator, and media executive, Dr. Whyte brings a unique perspective – having spent time in government, academia, and the private sector. He is passionate about changing how we think about health.

He is currently the Chief Medical Officer, WebMD. In this role, Dr. Whyte leads efforts to develop and expand strategic partnerships that create meaningful change around important and timely health issues. He is particularly interested in evaluating consumer trends in digital health, and how innovations – especially in technology – change the way health care is delivered.

While at FDA, Dr. Whyte served as the Director of Professional Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement at  the Center for Drugs Evaluation and Research. Dr. Whyte worked with health care professionals, patients, and patient advocates, providing them with a focal point for advocacy, enhanced two-way communication, and collaboration. He helped them navigate the regulatory process in a way they could comprehend. In addition, he launched the Drug Trials Snapshot program that details the participation in clinical trials for all new drug approvals – the first in a series of efforts by the FDA to help improve diverse representation and streamline the clinical trial process.

Prior to FDA, Dr. Whyte worked for nearly a decade as the Chief Medical Expert and Vice President, Health and Medical Education at Discovery Channel, the leading non-fiction television network. In this role, Dr. Whyte developed, designed, and delivered educational programming that appealed to both a medical and lay audience. This included television shows as well as online content that won over 50 awards, including numerous Tellys, CINE Golden Eagle, and Freddies.

Dr. Whyte is a frequent commenter on healthcare topics and has written extensively in the medical and lay press, including two best-selling books, Is This Normal: The Essential Guide to Middle Age and Beyond and AARP New American Diet: Lose Weight, Live Longer. He has also edited a book on medical device regulation, and authored numerous articles on drug development/regulation and personalized medicine.

He writes a monthly column for WebMD magazine, and hosts a podcast that often talks about the latest trends in medical innovation.

Daron Whisman is the director of finance at Memorial Hermann Healthcare. Daron has 15 years of experience in
the health-care industry, including financial oversight for regional supply chains, acute-care facilities, physician
practices, and other support services for profit and not-for-profit organizations. He specializes in performance
management, highlighted by a consistent theme of harnessing divergent information systems and platforms to
create process improvements while lowering incremental costs. Mr. Whisman is one of the pioneers of P2P (procureto-
payment) in the health-care industry. The P2P program has earned national awards and created process and
governance awareness by reducing more than 200,000 touch points across $1 billion in organizational spend.
Mr. Whisman earned an MBA from Tulane University and holds a CPSM from the Institute for Supply Management.
Recently, and was named to the Supply & Demand Chain Executive Pro’s to Know for 2012.

Dr. Whyte is a board-certified practicing physician who has been communicating to the public as well as private sectors on health and health policy issues for nearly 25 years. As someone who has been a regulator, researcher, educator, and media executive, Dr. Whyte brings a unique perspective – having spent time in government, academia, and the private sector. He is passionate about changing how we think about health. 
 
He is currently the Chief Medical Officer, WebMD. In this role, Dr. Whyte leads efforts to develop and expand strategic partnerships that create meaningful change around important and timely health issues. He is particularly interested in evaluating consumer trends in digital health, and how innovations – especially in technology – change the way health care is delivered. 
 
While at FDA, Dr. Whyte served as the Director of Professional Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement at  the Center for Drugs Evaluation and Research. Dr. Whyte worked with health care professionals, patients, and patient advocates, providing them with a focal point for advocacy, enhanced two-way communication, and collaboration. He helped them navigate the regulatory process in a way they could comprehend. In addition, he launched the Drug Trials Snapshot program that details the participation in clinical trials for all new drug approvals – the first in a series of efforts by the FDA to help improve diverse representation and streamline the clinical trial process. 
 
Prior to FDA, Dr. Whyte worked for nearly a decade as the Chief Medical Expert and Vice President, Health and Medical Education at Discovery Channel, the leading non-fiction television network. In this role, Dr. Whyte developed, designed, and delivered educational programming that appealed to both a medical and lay audience. This included television shows as well as online content that won over 50 awards, including numerous Tellys, CINE Golden Eagle, and Freddies. 
 
Dr. Whyte is a frequent commenter on healthcare topics and has written extensively in the medical and lay press, including two best-selling books, Is This Normal: The Essential Guide to Middle Age and Beyond and AARP New American Diet: Lose Weight, Live Longer. He has also edited a book on medical device regulation, and authored numerous articles on drug development/regulation and personalized medicine. 
 
He writes a monthly column for WebMD magazine, and hosts a podcast that often talks about the latest trends in medical innovation. 

Luke Williams is a globally recognized authority on innovation leadership. He works with
organizations on challenges ranging from creating new products and services, to transforming organizational processes and behaviors.
 
He is professor of Innovation and executive director of the W.R. Berkley Innovation Labs at New York University's Stern School of Business and a fellow at frog, one of the world's most influential innovation companies.
 
Williams is a sought-after commentator on disruptive innovation, entrepreneurship and cultural change. He is invited to speak worldwide, and his views are regularly featured in Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Fast Company, GQ, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, NPR and MSNBC.
 
He is the inventor of over fifty United States patents and the best-selling author of Disrupt: Think the Unthinkable to Spark Transformation in Your Business.

Mr. Willmore joined St. Anthony’s in April 2007.  He oversees Purchasing, Contracting, Central Supply, Linen, Print Shop, Mailroom, Clinical Engineering, and the Value Analysis Committee. Prior to his position with St. Anthony’s, Perry was the Executive Director of Clinical Supply Chain contracting for MedAssets.  Mr. Willmore also has work experience in the GPO world with Novation and MedAssets.  Positions he has held have included Unit Manager Surgical Services, Director of Surgical Services (non-nurse) for two large facilities in the BJC Health System, Assistant Administrator and then VP of Hospital Operations for a large facility in Texas, and Account Executive for Novation.  Perry started his career by serving 8-1/2 years as an OR Technician in the United Stated Army during the Vietnam era. He holds an Associate of Arts degree in Management and Supervision, a Bachelor’s degree in Management, and a Master’s degree in Health Services Management. 

Patricia Witzel received a BS degree in nursing from the University of Rochester, an MS in nursing from Syracuse University and an MBA from the Simon School at the University of Rochester. Since joining the University, Ms. Witzel has held several roles, including staff nurse, clinical nurse specialist, clinical chief for surgical nursing, clinical chief for medical nursing, and assistant director of information systems. She is currently associate vice president and chief nursing officer for Strong Memorial Hospital, a position she has held for the past 15 years. Ms. Witzel has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses at the School of Nursing and is the author of several articles related to nursing administration. Ms. Witzel serves as an appraiser for the ANCC Magnet program and is actively involved in other aspects of the Magnet program.

Cairo Wasfy, MBA, is the Chief Resource Officer with Ardent Health. Prior to Ardent Health, he was the COO of supply chain and pharmacy for HPG/HCA East Florida division. Prior to HCA, he was with the Resource Group Ascension for 8 years in various positions. He has over 12 years of health care experience. Cairo has a strong operational background; his experience includes supply chain and pharmacy logistics, strategic sourcing, purchased services, and procurement. Cairo earned his Accounting/Finance Bachelor and masters in Business degrees from the University of West Florida. 

With over 30 years of healthcare experience, Lamont’s initial career began in open heart critical care as a nurse and evolved into progressive leadership roles as an executive in three large nationally known healthcare systems. His passion for talent development led his own career through executive roles in six hospitals across both non-profit and for profit integrated healthcare delivery systems to his most recent role as the CEO over four facilities in Banner Health. Lamont is responsible for the partnership and relationship with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and for the fastest growing campus in Banner Health. Currently Lamont leads the acute care participation in Banner Health’s new “Winning the Consumer” journey to reinvent healthcare known as the Imagine journey. The Imagine journey is an effort to move boldly and quickly to rewrite the rules in creating models of providing care when, where and how consumers want it, with convenience, affordability and exceptional quality.

Lamont’s undergraduate degree is in nursing, and his graduate degrees are in Nursing Science and Administration, Managing Information Systems and Business Administration. Lamont will graduate in 2019 from the Healthcare Management Academy’s GE Fellowship for executive administration. He serves in numerous civic and professional organizations and Boards, including the Mesa Chamber of Commerce Board, the American Cancer Society Regional Board and as the current nationally elected Board member of the American Organization of Nurse Executives and on the American Hospital Association Board Operations Committee.

Lamont and his wife Charlene reside in Scottsdale, Arizona with their 11 year old son, Ryan and 9 year old daughter, Julia. They have a passion for travel and are actively involved in the sport of purebred dogs having bred over 50 champion Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and shown dogs in eight countries. Lamont is also an AKC dog show judge, and recently judged his first dog show in Australia.