149 Black healthcare leaders to know | 2023 - Becker's Hospital Review

Diversity in healthcare, especially at the executive level, provides organizations with insight into the lived experiences of clients and employees. This leads to more informed, personalized care and improved care outcomes. 

Becker's is excited to honor these 149 Black healthcare leaders. The individuals highlighted on this list are fostering positive patient experiences, paving the way for the next generation of leaders, and promoting health equity.

Note: This list was developed to highlight Black healthcare leaders at healthcare delivery organizations. This list is not an endorsement of included leaders, hospitals, health systems, companies or associated healthcare providers, and organizations cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Leaders are presented in alphabetical order.

Contact Anna Falvey at afalvey@beckershealthcare.com with questions or comments. 

Pamela Abner. Vice President and Chief Diversity Operations Officer, Mount Sinai Hospital Group of Mount Sinai Health System (New York City). Ms. Abner has more than 14 years of experience working with industry leaders to establish strategic and innovative programs for diversity, inclusion and equity. By using research methodologies, creating education curricula and applying best practices, she continuously seeks to help organizations identify discriminatory practices and disparities. She focuses on eliminating barriers to care, employment and education for underserved and underrepresented groups as well as fostering relationships with community partners to improve overall care.

Greg Adams. Chair and CEO of Kaiser Permanente (Oakland, Calif.). Mr. Adams leads a network of 39 hospitals, 730 medical offices and more than 216,000 employees. His work is focused on growing the organization's membership, improving affordability and expanding healthcare access. He holds leadership positions at several organizations, including being a member of the board of directors for America's Health Insurance Plans.

Paul Alexander, MD. Executive Vice President and Chief Health Equity and Transformation Officer at RWJBarnabas Health (Orange, N.J.). Dr. Alexander plays a critical role in building and streamlining RWJBarnabas Health's infrastructure and advancing its transition to value-based care. Dr. Alexander also oversees RWJBarnabas Health's Social Impact and Community Investment Practice, leading the system to identify and address social determinants of health impacting patients, surrounding communities, and employees. Dr. Alexander also plays a key role in RWJBarnabas Health's population health activities and the expansion of the system's use of analytics and data tracking to address population health.

Chris Allen. Interim CFO of Keck Medicine of USC (Los Angeles). After serving as CFO for Keck Medical Center, Mr. Allen was recently promoted to interim CFO for Keck Medicine of USC, which consists of four hospitals and more than 100 unique clinics across Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. In his new role, Mr. Allen is now responsible for leading financial operations for the entire health system and USC Care Medical Group. This includes board and finance committee reporting, revenue cycle management and governmental reimbursement, management of system cash flow and strategic investments. He has also been tasked with leading a revenue cycle operation initiative to increase collections and reduce payer denials for the health system. His work has been instrumental in leading the health system through the financial challenges of the pandemic, ensuring the hospitals received their reimbursement for revenue losses caused by reduced healthcare utilization and making sure that hospitals had the financial resources necessary to care for patients. 

Machelle Allen, MD. Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City). Dr. Allen became deputy chief medical officer of NYC Health + Hospitals in 2013 and stepped into the interim CMO role three years later before being promoted to the role permanently. She was the associate medical director of the health system's Bellevue hospital before taking on more administrative responsibilities at the system level.

Natassia Allen. Director of Business Development at Beaufort (S.C.) Jasper Hampton Comprehensive Health Services. Ms. Allen is responsible for increasing overall revenue through the development and generation of revenue for each service line. She leads cross-functional teams and aligns them to the executive committee's strategic plans. Ms. Allen has been awarded the Emerging Leader Award for George Washington University's Geiger Gibson Program and the National Association of Community Health Centers. 

Dianne Aroh, RN. Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health (Tacoma, Wash.). Ms. Aroh's responsibilities at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health include nursing, care management and pharmacy. She is also the division's liaison for food and nutrition services, as well as environmental services. Ms. Aroh is passionate about mentoring and empowering nurses and ensures they are included in the decision-making process.

Marcie A. Atchison, JD. Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of Stanford Medicine Children's Health (Palo Alto, Calif.).  Ms. Marcie is responsible for leading human resources operations and strategy at one of the leading pediatric and obstetric healthcare networks in the country. She oversees a growing bench of executive directors and human resources partners that direct, lead and develop a diverse group of people and operations at Stanford Medicine Children's Health. This includes the communication of policies and procedures, organization development, integrated talent management, and developing the labor strategy, in addition to rewards and recognition programs. 

Tommye Austin, PhD, MSN. Chief Nursing Executive and Senior Vice President at University Health (San Antonio). Dr. Austin oversees about 2,800 nurses throughout the University Health system. Her leadership during COVID-19 was exemplary as she created a plan to shift nurses to the patient care areas where they were most needed. In her three years leading the nursing program, Dr. Austin strengthened staffing and preparation for emergencies by recruiting nurses.

Francine Baker-Witt, DNP, RN. President and CEO of Effingham Health System (Springfield, Ga.). Dr. Baker-Witt joined Effingham Health System in 2015 and became CEO in 2017. She is responsible for operations of a 25-bed critical access hospital, the 105-bed Effingham Care & Rehabilitation Center, five family medicine locations, two imaging centers and the hospital's foundation. Dr. Baker-Witt was executive director of women and infant services at Grady Health System in Atlanta before joining Effingham Health System. She is a member of the American Hospital Association Rural Health Committee.

Evelyn Balogun, MD. Chief Medical Officer of Inspira Medical Group (Mullica Hill, N.J.). Dr. Balogun first joined Inspira Health in 2014 as the medical director of occupational health, employee health and urgent care. Now, she acts as the clinical leader for 175 providers, who serve five counties in southern New Jersey. She oversees all aspects of patient care services within the areas of primary care, specialty care, urgent care and occupational health. She is also the clinical lead for the organization's telemedicine programs, as well as the leader of its population health initiatives. Her ultimate goal is to treat each patient as an individual, taking into account their unique life situation, experiences, background and culture. 

Christopher Blackerby. CEO and Co-Founder of Incisive Consultants (Overland Park, Kan.). Since co-founding Incisive Consultants in 2019, Mr. Blackerby has led the company to double its revenue and employee base year over year. He has positioned the company for continued growth by fostering a strong company culture, hiring strategically, creating a niche in an oversaturated market, delivering high-quality services, focusing on innovation and maintaining financial stability. Mr. Blackerby's main duties as CEO and co-founder include setting the overall vision and strategy for the company, managing daily operations, providing the team of consultants and operations staff with direction, building and maintaining relationships with clients and stakeholders, and pursuing new business opportunities. 

Marlon Brewer, MD. Associate Director, Department of Ambulatory Care Mount Sinai Services Elmhurst Hospital (New York City). Dr. Brewer is the Associate Director, the Department of Ambulatory Care Mount Sinai Services Elmhurst Hospital. He advocates for improving health in underserved and minority communities. He also champions the recruitment of more people of color to work in the field of medicine. Dr. Brewer was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg as a member of the Board of Health of the City of New York in 2006 and served for nine years.

Sandra E. Brooks, MD. Executive Vice President and Chief Community Health Equity Officer of Thomas Jefferson University and Chief Medical Officer of Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals (Philadelphia). Dr. Brooks spent time as the director of the division of gynecology and oncology at the University of Maryland in College Park and chief medical officer of St. Joseph's Women's and Children's Hospital in Tampa, Fla., before joining Jefferson Health just before the pandemic. Over the last two years, Dr. Brooks became engaged in quality and safety initiatives at Jefferson and the health system's COVID-19 promotional campaign.

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. Administrator of CMS (Baltimore). Ms. Brooks-LaSure oversees several CMS programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program and the healthcare.gov marketplace. She was a key player in the development of the Affordable Care Act in her roles at the CMS Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight and within HHS. She also assisted with the passing of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 as part of the staff for the U.S. House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee.

Bryan Buckley. Director of Health Equity Initiatives at the National Committee for Quality Assurance (Washington, D.C.). Dr. Buckley's overarching duties are promoting and building an inclusive healthcare ecosystem, processes and infrastructure that address inequities in health and healthcare. To achieve these goals, he aims to grow a portfolio of equity initiatives like collaborations, contracts, grants, research and policies meant to create equitable access to care services, reduce disparities in outcomes and improve overall health of marginalized or underrepresented communities. Dr. Buckley holds a number of additional leadership positions, including serving as a board member of the American Public Health Association and the American Heart Association Greater Washington, D.C. region. 

Amanda Buirge. CFO of Prime Healthcare's Roxborough Memorial Hospital & School of Nursing (Philadelphia). Ms. Buirge is responsible for the admissions, billing, accounts payable, health information management, information technology, material management, project management, urgent care, medical group and finance departments. In her dual role as CFO of both the hospital and the school of nursing, she has mastered the ability to see issues holistically and address issues at the root. Prior to her current position, she served as the director of financial services at Philadelphia-based Temple Health.

Ahnyel Burkes, DNP, RN. Executive Director of Louisiana State Nurses Association (New Orleans). Dr. Burkes oversees Ascension's national residency program for new graduate nurses and transition-to-practice programs. She is a dynamic leader and collaborator. Dr. Burkes has been an advocate for mitigating healthcare workplace violence in Louisiana since 2018.

Kevin M. Bush Jr., EdD. Enterprise Director of Shared Surgical Services at Emory Healthcare (Atlanta). Dr. Bush brings over 20 years of healthcare experience to his role, with a diverse background that provides him with insight into revenue cycle management, ambulatory management, human resource, perioperative operations and higher education. He leads perioperative support processing services across Emory Healthcare, providing strategic planning for operating rooms, acute care sites, ambulatory surgery sites, and all aspects of endoscopy and ancillary support services across the system. He provides leadership using process redesign and improvement, workflow and logistics analysis, revenue enhancement, cost reduction and control, capital budgeting and operations budgeting. In addition, he works with other departments to oversee patient safety programs, provide operational accountability for the quality improvement program, implement standards and evaluate outcomes for surveys and regulatory agencies. 

Gary Butts, MD. Executive Vice President, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System and Dean for Diversity Programs, Policy and Community Affairs for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai of Mount Sinai Health System and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York City). Dr. Butts is responsible for the oversight, management, and integration of all diversity programs and policies for the Mount Sinai Health System. He ensures diversity and inclusion are an integral core institutional value and aligns resource across the health system, including the medical and graduate schools, graduate medical education and the Mount Sinai Hospitals Group. He chaired The Task Force to Address Racism which led to the Road Map For Action with recommendations for six principles and 11 key initiatives to reaffirm and advance Mount Sinai's mission as an anti-racist institution. 

Gina Calder. President of Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital and Progress West Hospital (St. Charles County, Mo.). In her role, Ms. Calder has led the revitalization of clinical service lines and has built a diverse team of leaders. Under Ms. Calder's guidance, both hospitals have grown net patient revenue 25% from 2020 performance and have been recognized multiple times for patient quality, safety, and experience. She has been named a "Champion for Diversity and Inclusion" by the St. Louis Business Journal and received the 2022 PRC Healthcare Leadership Impact award. She also serves on the board of directors for both St. Charles Community College Foundation and Missouri Hospital Association Management Services Corporation.

Al Campbell, RN, MBA, FACHE. President of Beth Israel Lahey Health- Winchester Hospital (Cambridge, Mass.). Mr. Campbell is responsible for the overall quality of care, strategic growth and financial sustainability of the 229-bed Winchester Hospital and its affiliates. He leads a workforce of more than 2,000 associates committed to providing exceptional care. Mr. Campbell, has extensive expertise successfully leading in academic medical centers, community hospitals, and for-profit and public hospital systems. With more than 20 years of industry expertise he has successfully led acute care quality transformation, and executed clinical integration and strategic priorities.

D'Andre Carpenter, DNP. Chief Nursing Officer, Senior Vice President of UnityPoint Health (West Des Moines, Iowa). Dr. Carpenter manages system nursing priorities and leads initiatives to ensure safety, quality and patient experience that align with UnityPoint Health's strategic direction. As a leader in retention and recruitment for the system, he focuses on meeting future needs, adopting best practices and driving staffing efforts. He has established various innovative models for developing talent, mapping career paths and identifying opportunities for nurse practice advancement. Previously, Dr. Carpenter served as senior vice president and associate chief nurse executive at Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health, Thomas Jefferson University.

William Carroll, PharmD. Chief Pharmacy Officer, Vice President of Network Pharmacy Services at Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.). Dr. Carroll's role at Hackensack Meridian Health involves leading strategy and policy development for networkwide pharmacy services and initiatives to promote cohesiveness, standardization and consistency. His responsibilities extend to the expansion of network pharmacy services into ambulatory clinical practices and the population health space. His work helps to build a pharmacy-related corporate infrastructure, harmonize policies and procedures, standardize clinical practice models, and ensure that pharmacies take an active role in patient satisfaction and readmission reduction. Prior to his current role, Dr. Carroll served as the system vice president, pharmacy services for Rochester Regional Health in New York. 

Mary Chatman, RN, PhD. Executive Vice President at Wellstar Health System (Marietta, Ga.). Dr. Chatman's leadership and collaborative work ethic can be seen throughout the health system. She manages a team of more than 10,000 staff members. Dr. Chatman is a seasoned leader with 32 years of healthcare experience.

André Churchwell, MD. Vice Chancellor of Equity, Diversity, Institutional Belonging, Community Outreach and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer of Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tenn.). Dr. Churchwell was the first African American chief medical resident at Atlanta-based Grady Memorial Hospital in 1984 while completing his medical training. A few years later, he was among the team of experts from Emory and Georgia Tech in Atlanta that formed a bioengineering center. He has earned several awards for his achievements in cardiology and health equity and dedicated his career to improving diversity in medical trainees and academic medicine.

Keith Churchwell, MD. President of Yale New Haven (Conn.) Hospital and Executive Vice President of Yale New Haven Health System. Dr. Churchwell became president of Yale New Haven Hospital in October 2020 after serving as executive vice president and COO of Yale New Haven Health. Before joining the system in 2015, Dr. Churchwell was executive director and chief medical officer of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute in Nashville, Tenn. Dr. Churchwell is a member of the national board of directors for the American Heart Association.

Kevin Churchwell, MD. President and CEO of Boston Children's Hospital. Dr. Churchwell oversees the strategic vision of Boston Children's Hospital to advance child health with clinical care, research and innovation, medical education and community engagement. He joined the hospital in 2013 as executive vice president of health affairs and COO, and has since earned several promotions. He established three of the 11 offices of health equity and inclusion at hospitals across the U.S. and Canada, including the Boston Children's office, and he is a board member of the Boston Chamber of Commerce.

Natalia Cineas, DNP, RN. Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive and Co-Chair of the Equity and Access Council at NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City). Dr. Cineas is responsible for more than 9,600 nurses and 970 social workers. She plans, oversees and evaluates all aspects of clinical operations, services and nurse education. She also serves as adjunct faculty at Columbia University School of Nursing in New York City.

Anthony Coleman, MD. President and CEO of Broadlawns Medical Center (Des Moines, Iowa). Dr. Coleman is the first Black CEO of Broadlawns Medical Center, and he uses his platform to lead discussions about health disparities. He oversees a 200-bed acute care hospital and four outlying clinics that provide emergency, inpatient, outpatient, lab, radiology and mental health services, along with specialty clinics, dentistry and a 24-hour crisis team. Over the course of just one year, he has also developed and implemented a four-pillar, five-year strategy to address workforce, patient outcomes, affordable care and upstream community health. 

Chad Collins. Administrative Director of Operations of University of South Alabama Health (Mobile, Ala.). In his role, Mr. Collins oversees the operations for gastroenterology and neurology, as well as inpatient physical therapy and lab operations. He's helped grow the gastroenterology division, reduce costs, improve patient and employee satisfaction, and decrease staff turnover. He has received numerous recognitions, including the 2020 American Heart Association Gold Plus rating for heart failure and the 2021 AHA Gold Plus rating for strokes.

Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD. Urgent Care Medical Director and Physician at Saint Mary's Medical Group (Reno, Nev.). In addition to her position, Dr. Curry-Winchell volunteers as the assistant medical examiner with the Washoe County CARES program, where she examines victims of child abuse. She was also appointed the public relations chair for the Washoe County Medical Society. Dr. Curry-Winchell was named one of the Sierra Nevada Top 20 Most Powerful Women.

Onyinye Enyia Daniel, PhD. Vice President of Data and Analytics Strategy and Partnerships at Highmark Health (Pittsburgh). Ms. Daniel created the end-to-end enterprise data and analytics strategy for the system and aligned data and analytic priorities with business priorities. Her expertise is in data and analytics, health policy, and data and AI ethics. She also teaches at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health and is on the board at Chicago-based Sinai Health System.

Lisa Davis. Senior Vice President of Strategic Finance Analytics at Ascension (St. Louis). Ms. Davis began her role in the fall of 2022, taking responsibility for the oversight of dynamic financial planning processes, capital planning, improved analytics and reporting, and mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. She completed the Ascension Executive Ministry Leadership formation program in 2011 and she has been a member of the Ascension Leadership Academy since 2020. Ms. Davis has served on several boards, including the finance board and credit committee of the Nashville Diocese. She previously served as CFO at Ascension Saint Thomas. 

Michellene Davis. President and CEO of National Medical Fellowships. Ms. Davis began her role in May 2021. Previously, she was the first woman and person of color to serve as executive vice president at West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health when she joined in 2009. She worked with community partners and government representatives to address social determinants of health. She also led the system's effort to help provide 1,100 individuals with safer and more affordable housing in 2019.

Nichola Davis, MD. Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City). Dr. Davis oversees population health efforts at the largest public health system in the U.S., NYC Health + Hospitals, and co-chairs the system's equity and access council. She leads innovative care models, health analytics, chronic disease prevention and management, and social determinants of health at the system. Dr. Davis is board-certified in internal medicine and obesity medicine and spent time as the director of ambulatory medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx before taking on her current role.

William Davis. CEO of Crossroads Community Hospital (Mount Vernon, Ill.). Mr. Davis provides administrative and executive direction of the overall operations of the hospital consistent with the policies and priorities of the hospital and its board. In addition to his role, he works with civic organizations to help the local community. He was named to the 2021 Southern Illinois Business Journal's "20 under 40" and has been awarded State of Illinois Volunteer of the Week.

Lloyd Dean. Chief Executive Emeritus of CommonSpirit (Chicago). Mr. Dean heads up CommonSpirit health, leading the team of over 150,000 employees across more than 1,000 care sites, including 137 hospitals. He centers his vision for the health system on innovative partnerships, modern technology and human kindness with the goal of helping Americans live healthier lives. Before the creation of CommonSpirit Health through a merger in 2019, Mr. Dean was CEO of Dignity Health for 19 years. He plans to retire in 2022.

Kevin Dedner. Founder and CEO of Hurdle Health (Washington, D.C.). Mr. Dedner created and leads digital mental health services company Hurdle Health, which focuses on people of color. Under his leadership, Hurdle expanded into California, Texas and Massachusetts, and is licensed in six states. He is an award-winning public speaker and has public health experience in childhood obesity, HIV/AIDS, tobacco control and other areas.

Arianne Dowdell. Vice President, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Houston Methodist. Ms. Dowdell supports Houston Methodist's vision for unparalleled safety, quality service and innovation through diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. She drives this mission by stewarding systemwide DEI strategy implementation and development using key partnerships. She also focuses on employee engagement and health equity efforts. With a focus on increasing underrepresented group diversity via early pipeline engagement, Ms. Dowdell created a career development program that attracts, retains, and empowers employees and has launched a DEI summer scholarship program for college students from underrepresented backgrounds. Additionally, she has founded 10 employee resource groups, formed a DEI training program, spearheaded the development of the Health Equity Committee and more. 

Bianca Duff. Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations at CareMax (Miami). Ms. Duff is responsible for CareMax's utilization of Medicare Part A, as well as the strategy and development of a comprehensive, regional specialty provider network for CareMax that aims to reduce cost and wait times and improve outcomes. In this leadership role, she and her team are able to make sweeping decisions that impact CareMax's network of 60 wholly-owned clinics, which deliver care to 200,000 patients. Ms. Duff is constantly looking at initiatives instituted, celebrating wins and investigating losses, and brainstorming new ways to improve healthcare for every patient. She also serves as a mentor for women, especially women of color, guiding them towards achieving their goals. Ms. Duff serves on CareMax's compliance committee, policies and procedures committee, and the ACO programs compliance committee. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at Boston-based Northeastern University and has taught over 30 graduate level courses. 

Jim Dunn, PhD. Executive Vice President, Chief People and Culture Officer at Advocate Health (Charlotte, N.C.). Mr. Dunn is a preeminent voice leading diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for 150,000 teammates. He leads teams that primarily focus on the engagement and experience of teammates throughout their employment lifecycle, from recruitment through retirement. Mr. Dunn also acts as an executive sponsor for both Atrium Health's Men's Diversity Leadership Network and ASPIRE Women of Color Leadership development academy, and helped create African American Women Exemplifying Commitment to Equity and Leadership. 

Ohme Entin. VP, Orlando (Fla.) Health and Chief Operating Officer, Orlando Health Orlando Regional Medical Center. Ms. Entin oversees the daily operations of the 84-bed hospital. She took on the role in 2020, shortly after Orlando Health acquired the hospital. To support her goal of ensuring all patients receive the same quality of care throughout the system, she brought on the hospital's first dedicated chief quality officer. She also led a reduction in monthly nurse turnover from 10.4 percent to 1.6 percent.

Olaoluwa Fayanju, MD. Chief Medical Officer of RubiconMD (New York City). Dr. Fayanju is responsible for leading the clinical vision that will help RubiconMD build its suite of virtual care solutions. A staunch advocate for health equity, his career has been devoted to aiding the underserved. Ahead of the 2020 election, he led an initiative to help register patients and colleagues to vote. In 2021, he was invited by the White House to participate in its Health Equity Leaders Roundtable Series.

Bridgett Feagin. Executive Vice President and CFO of Connecticut Children's Medical Center (Hartford). Ms. Feagin provides financial leadership and strategic guidance for the system. She has a collaborative leadership style and provides financial data coaching to the clinical and operational leaders. She is also the executive leader of the Children's Health Consortium, the only revenue cycle management company focused on pediatrics.

Claudia Fegan, MD. Chief Medical Officer at Cook County Health (Chicago). Dr. Fegan serves as the lead clinical executive for Cook County Health, a $4 billion safety net health system with various treatment centers, a large network of primary care physicians, specialists and subspecialists, and the healthcare at the Cook County Jail. Dr. Fegan provides executive leadership for all of the system's clinical activities while also practicing internal medicine as a physician, caring for patients directly. In addition, she is the national coordinator for the Physicians for a National Health Program. As an expert in national healthcare policy, she regularly contributes to the media, speaking on the intersection of social justice and healthcare.

Donald Ferrell. Regional Facilities Vice President, Northern Region, Capital Construction and Campus Development at Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.). As regional facilities vice president, Mr. Ferrell is responsible for Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Palisades Medical Center. Most recently, he played a key role in the creation of the Helena Theurer Pavilion, a 530,000-square foot facility that incorporates the latest technology to provide an enhanced patient, team and physician experience. Mr. Ferrell also collaborates with plant operations leadership at Palisades Medical Center and the Hackensack School of Medicine, helping with real estate transactions and executing large and small scale projects. Additionally, he serves as co-chair and advisor to the Hackensack Meridian Health Facilities Committee. 

Delvecchio Finley. President of Atrium Health Navicent (Macon, Ga.). Mr. Finley is responsible for the strategic direction and growth of Atrium Health Navicent. He is currently guiding the system through its implementation of new technology platforms and its integration into the new Advocate Health enterprise. He was a key developer of the system's Impact 2025 Strategic Plan priorities, one cornerstone of which is doubling minority supplier spending. He also champions programs that combat health inequity, such as a patient education program focused on reducing readmissions for ailments that disproportionately impact Black individuals. 

Montez Fitzpatrick. Chief Information Security Officer at Navvis (St. Louis). Mr. Fitzpatrick leads the day-to-day security and risk management efforts across all aspects of Navvis' technology operations and infrastructure. He also utilizes top-of-line cybersecurity and intelligence to ensure the protection of patient and client data and assets. As the creator of the organization's current information security program, Mr. Fitzpatrick has also developed a dynamic five-year plan to support its growth. In addition, he is at the helm of Navvis' diversity, equity and inclusion committee. 

Kimberly Foxworth. Chief Nursing Officer of UHS Desert Springs Hospital. (Las Vegas). Ms. Foxworth is responsible for the complete oversight of a 400-bed acute care teaching hospital and a freestanding emergency department in Las Vegas. As a board-certified nurse executive, Ms. Foxworth is responsible for setting the vision and strategic direction for the nursing body of the hospital system under her purview. Under her hands-on leadership, UHS Desert Springs has acquired and maintained a Leapfrog quality score of "A" which shows that her team's hard work to improve quality metrics has paid off. 

Christopher Flowers, MD. Interim Division Head of Cancer Medicine and Chair of the Lymphoma/Myeloma Department of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston).Dr. Flowers manages and mentors 60 faculty members, department chairs and administrative managers. His research focuses on clinical, translational and epidemiological treatments for lymphoma and developing new cures. He has also contributed to revealing racial disparities in lymphoid cancers.

Mary "ToniP Flowers, PhD. Chief Diversity and Social Responsibility Officer at LCMC Health (New Orleans). Ms. Flowers is LCMC Health's inaugural chief diversity and social responsibility officer, tasked with leading a comprehensive diversity, equity and inclusion strategy for the system. She brings over 20 years of experience in the field, and is a subject matter expert on the topics of diversity, strategy and action planning, healthcare equity, health and healthcare disparities, community health, cultural competency, executive coaching, patient experience and social marketing. She has been nationally recognized for her work in program development and the reduction in health disparities by CMS. Prior to her current role, Ms. Flowers served as the first vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer for Charleston, S.C.-based Roper St. Francis Healthcare system. 

Fritz François, MD. Executive Vice President and Vice Dean, Chief of Hospital Operations NYU Langone Health for NYU Langone Health (New York City). Dr. François oversees all patient care activity in four inpatient locations and all hospital-based outpatient facilities on the Manhattan campus, guaranteeing the highest levels of quality and safety. He shapes key operational initiatives to standardize quality patient care, proactively develop patient safety risk reduction strategies, improve throughput, eliminate waste, optimize available technological tools, improve patient satisfaction, and systematically address health inequities. In the past year, his leadership contributed to NYU Langone receiving top rankings for quality and safety, including being named the No. 1 hospital for quality and safety by Vizient. 

Stacy Garrett-Ray, MD. Senior Vice President and Chief Community Impact Officer at Ascension (St. Louis). Since joining Ascension in 2021, Dr. Garrett-Ray has taken responsibility for the health system's strategy to advance health equity at the intersection of clinical services and community partnerships. She also works closely with the Ascension Foundation team to help guide the organization's community investments and ensure funding provides value at every stage. The throughline of her work is an earned trust with community stakeholders, built by actively listening, creating customized programs and continuously evaluating performance measures. An example of her work is the health system's partnership with Marian Middle School in St. Louis, where Ascension provides resources like medications and scholarships to students from lower-income backgrounds. Prior to her work at Ascension, she acted as president of Baltimore-based Transform Health MD. 

Anne Goodwill Pritchett. Executive Vice President of Network Revenue Operations at Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J). With the goal of aligning revenue operations across the Hackensack Meridian Health to create a centralized approach, Ms. Goodwill Pritchett collaborates with leaders in IT, clinical operational leaders and various others in leadership positions throughout the health system. Ultimately, her work ensures that the network is positioned to deliver on its mission to transform healthcare and lead positive change. Ms. Goodwill Pritchett was promoted to her current role in early 2022 after successfully leading advances in clinical documentation, coding, centralized billing, third party follow up, cash posting and reconciliation processes. Her work improved cash collections, denial reductions and overall performance throughout the network. 

Darrell M. Gray, II, MD. Chief Health Equity Officer at Elevance Health (Indianapolis). Dr. Gray leads the execution of an enterprisewide strategy to advance health equity through a whole-health approach that addresses the physical, behavioral, social and pharmacy needs of the system's over 119 million consumers. He guides cross-functional teams across all lines of business in implementing an intentional health equity focus into their processes, data analyses, policies and programs. Among his chief accomplishments is the development of the health system's Whole Health index, created to measure health holistically with a single score that takes various health drivers into account. Dr. Gray has been able to share his insights with the nation at over 25 speaking engagements in the past year alone. 

George Greene. President and CEO of the Hospital Association of Southern California (Los Angeles). Mr. Greene leads an association that serves over 175 hospitals from over 30 health systems, in addition to numerous related associations. His overarching goal is to improve the operating environment for hospitals and the health status of the communities they serve. During the pandemic, he developed a forum through which hospital executives could dialogue with emergency services, other leaders and departments of public health. Under Greene's leadership, a charitable affiliate of the hospital called the National Health Foundation has provided 9.8 million in savings to hospitals for recuperative care and medical respite sites, which helps with post-hospital care and housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. 

Audrey Gregory, PhD. President and CEO of Central Florida-North Region at AdventHealth (Altamonte Springs, Fla.). Dr. Gregory took her current positions in October 2021. She is responsible for the strategic direction of the region and executing on the system's plans to support a total network of care and build influential relationships with key constituents, community partners and healthcare consumers. She previously served as CEO for Detroit Medical Center, part of Tenet Health, overseeing operations of eight hospitals.

Timothy Groover, MD. Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Baptist Health (Jacksonville, Fla.). During his 25 years as a physician leader with Baptist Health, Dr. Groover has served in many roles, including chief of staff of Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville and executive committee chair. He became the first African American physician elected to the board of directors of the system in 2014. He was voted the 2015 Physician of the Year at Baptist Jacksonville.

Antoinette Hardy-Waller, BSN, RN. CEO of The Leverage Network (Chicago). Before building The Leverage Network, Ms. Waller founded Strategic Healthcare Transformations and was founder of two skilled home health companies. Ms. Waller is also a member of the board of stewardship trustees for CommonSpirit Health, where she serves as chair of the board quality and safety committee. Ms. Waller serves on boards for organizations including the American Hospital Association, National Association for Health Services Executives and Alegent Creighton Health.

Everett Hay. Senior Computer Scientist, Applications of MEDITECH (Canton, Mass.). Mr. Hay is tasked with setting the technical direction of the E-Prescribing products by developing and leading new and creative software, connections and interfaces for the product. He was the original architect behind the E-prescribing functionality from MEDITECH in 2005 and his design decisions are still in use today. His work helped to increase efficiency and help MEDITECH to earn the 2022 North America Enabling Technology Leadership Award from Frost & Sullivan.

Michelle D. Hereford, MSHA, RN, FACHE. Senior Vice President, System Chief Nurse Executive; Ethel Morikis Endowed Chair in Nursing Leadership at University Hospitals (Cleveland). Ms. Hereford is an accomplished and dedicated senior healthcare executive with over 20 years of expertise developing and leading operational improvements in nonprofit, investor-owned, academic and faith-based healthcare organizations. In April 2021, Ms. Hereford assumed the role of senior vice president and system chief nurse executive for University Hospitals,  a comprehensive health system with annual revenues of $5.3 billion, over 30,000 employees, more than 20 hospitals, more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices located throughout 16 counties. 

Robert Higgins, MD. President of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Executive Vice President of Mass General Brigham (Boston). Dr. Higgins is responsible for clinical, academic and educational mission success at Brigham and Women's Hospital and holds an active leadership role in setting and guiding strategy for Mass General Brigham. Dr. Higgins joined the health system in 2021 from Johns Hopkins, where he was director of the department of surgery and surgeon-in-chief. He has a passion for managing complex, multidisciplinary services and training the next generation of healthcare leaders.

James Hildreth Sr., PhD, MD. President and CEO of Meharry Medical College (Nashville, Tenn.). Dr. Hildreth is a world-renowned infectious disease and HIV expert currently serving as Meharry Medical College's 12th president and CEO. Among his many contributions in this role, one of his most notable was spearheading a campaign with the White House and Congress to request funding for the Consortium of Black Medical Colleges. He secured $68 million in philanthropic gifts for the college between 2020 and 2021.

Ed Hodge. Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Trinity Health (Livonia, Mich.). Mr. Hodge leads Trinity Health's strategy to engage 123,000 colleagues nationally. He joined the health system in 2017 from Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based AdventHealth, where he was senior executive officer and chief people officer for the system's Central Florida division. He also was executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Rockville, Md.-based Adventist HealthCare.

Teal Holden. Senior Vice President, Ambulatory Services and Post-Acute Care at Memorial Hermann Health System (Houston). Ms. Holden exercises executive and strategic oversight over more than 100 outpatient locations throughout Greater Houston. She acts as the executive lead for the Memorial Hermann Health System's relationships with United Surgical Partners International and UTHealth. She serves as the chair of the system's diversity, equity and inclusion leadership council. Ms. Holden co-founded and acts as co-chair of the steering committee for Women Leaders of Memorial Hermann, an 800-member group that supports the inspiration, engagement and development of female employees. 

Isaias Irgau, MD. Co-Founder of the American Surgery Center and President and Co-Founder of the Christiana Institute of Advanced Surgery (Bear, Del.). Dr. Irgau is an innovative leader and staunch patient advocate. He has pioneered the performance of various bariatric procedures across Delaware and surrounding states. He was even the first to perform the LAP-BAND procedure and the first to firmly establish the laparoscopic approach to Roux-n-Y gastric bypass in the state. Under his leadership, the American Surgery Center became a designated bariatric center of excellence and is the only surgery center on the East Coast with a Blue Distinction. Dr. Irgau also serves as the president of the Delaware State Chapter at American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. 

Anthony Jackson. COO and Senior Vice President of Roper St. Francis Healthcare (Charleston, S.C.). Mr. Jackson works in partnership with Roper St. Francis Healthcare's CEO to lead all aspects of the system, where he also oversees the hospital's executive council. Outside of the hospital, Mr. Jackson mentors young and aspiring professionals at churches around the area. He was given the key to the city in Fairfield, Ala., for his community service and work in healthcare, and he received the President's Award from the Columbia (S.C.) Urban League, among other awards.

Cindy Jackson. Market CEO of Kindred Hospitals of South Florida-Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) and The Palm Beaches. Ms. Jackson was promoted to market CEO for both long-term acute care hospitals and their acute rehabilitation units in 2022. She oversees all quality, strategic and financial operations for these hospitals, sets growth targets, and manages recruitment and retention efforts. Thanks to the health disparities she witnessed throughout the pandemic, Ms. Jackson has made diversity, equity and inclusion a priority in all levels of hiring. Prior to her promotion, she briefly served as hospital CEO for Kindred Hospital South Florida-Fort Lauderdale and oversaw a 95 percent improvement in earnings year-over-year.

Everette Jackson, DNP, RN. Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Reeves County Hospital District (Pecos, Texas). Dr. Jackson was appointed to his current role at Reeves County Hospital District in January, where he previously served as director of nursing for two years. He has spearheaded the development of suicide prevention practices, and while he was a doctorate student he implemented a unified approach to mental health and suicide prevention in his community. In his current role, his focus includes expanding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts within rural communities.

Ryane Jackson. Vice President of Community Benefits at Houston Methodist. Ms. Jackson's responsibilities include leading Houston Methodist's efforts to increase access to health and social services for underserved and underrepresented communities. To do so, she helps cultivate community nonprofit partnerships, guides charitable strategic investments and supports overall health equity. Ms. Jackson helmed the development of an employee volunteer program that has seen over 11,000 employees contribute more than 35,000 volunteer hours to upwards of 40 nonprofits in the area. During the pandemic, she was a key contributor in getting vaccines to minority communities. Ms. Jackson also serves as the Health Equity Steering Committee Executive sponsor and leads the system initiatives on identifying social determinants of health within the patient population. 

Thea James, MD. Vice President of Mission and Associate Chief Medical Officer of Boston Medical Center. In addition to leadership positions at Boston Medical Center, Dr. James serves as an associate professor of emergency medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. James is the executive director of the Health Equity Accelerator, an initiative to eliminate the race-based health equity gap that exists throughout the healthcare industry in the nation. She is also the founder and director of the system's Massachusetts Violence Intervention Advocacy Program branch, which assists victims of violence in their trauma recovery.

Amanda Johnson, MD. Assistant Vice President of Care Models in the Office of Ambulatory Care and Population Health of NYC Health + Hospitals (New York City). In her role with NYC Health + Hospitals, Dr. Johnson leads a team to deliver innovative programs that serve people exposed to the criminal justice system, experiencing homelessness or facing other barriers that can impede access to healthcare. When the system was tasked with leading the city's clinical response ...