Date:  Tuesday, September 25
Time:  5:30pm-8pm
Location:  Reata Restaurant
310 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102

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Our popular Cocktails with the Chiefs event is back in Fort Worth – once again at the trendy Reata restaurant.

Come listen as local industry leaders share their experiences, gaining insights on how to build leadership skills and leveraging them for professional growth. Learn from their successes and challenges and be inspired to further pursue your own professional and personal development goals.

The event will include some great networking opportunities as well.

Moderator:

Anna Brewer, CVA
Partner, JTaylor

Panelists:

Laura Burnside
SVP, Chief Experience Officer / Strategy, JPS Health Network

Rick Merrill
President and CEO, Cook Children’s Health Care System

Rebecca Tucker
President, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth / Clearfork

Janice Whitmire
Chief Operating Officer, Baylor Scott and White All Saints Medical Center

Speakers Bios:

Anna K. Brewer, CVA
Partner – Consulting Services
JTaylor

Anna has significant experience in the healthcare industry providing a number of services to healthcare providers.

She leverages strong analytical and financial analysis skills in the areas of managed care analysis, negotiation support, revenue cycle analytics, valuations, due diligence, physician compensation, joint venture development, and strategic business plans. Her list of clients includes physician-owned hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, community hospitals, multi-hospital systems, academic medical centers, and physician practices. Anna has also assisted clients in areas involving claims dispute resolution and litigation support.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Texas Christian University, Anna joined Arthur Andersen as a Consultant in the Finance and Economics group. Prior to joining JTaylor, she spent three years in the Health Sciences Advisory Services group at Ernst & Young.

Anna is contributing author in the field of healthcare for the Fort Worth Business Press. She is a member of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts and is a Certified Valuation Analyst.

Lara Burnside
SVP, Chief Experience Officer / Strategy
JPS Health Network

Burnside has been a healthcare professional for more than twenty years. She works with all levels of hospital leadership implementing strategies, processes and systems to create a great experience for patients, physicians, and employees. From 2008 to 2015, she worked with Children’s Health in Dallas, as a consultant and also as the Senior Director of Service Excellence.

Burnside spent 10 years working for a large healthcare consulting firm focused on service and operational excellence. As a consultant, Burnside worked with thousands of hospital leaders and physicians at over 150 health care organizations. Her concentration on employee engagement, patient experience, and creating a culture of service has led to organizations achieving their highest outcomes in service, quality, finance, human resources, and growth. Burnside has experience with large for-profit and not-for-profit health care systems, academic medical centers, and small rural hospitals.

Burnside has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications/Public Relations and a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration.

Rick W. Merrill
President and CEO
Cook Children’s Health Care System

As president and CEO of Cook Children’s Health Care System since 2007, Mr. Merrill has led the Fort Worth-based organization at a time of unprecedented growth, including the historic expansion of Cook Children’s Medical Center, which nearly doubled the size of its campus in response to the growing need for its services. Under Merrill’s leadership, Cook Children’s began a new era by streamlining its mission and vision into a Promise to improve the health of every child in the region through the prevention and treatment of illness, disease and injury.

As a not-for-profit, internationally-recognized pediatric integrated healthcare organization, Cook Children’s is comprised of eight entities – a Medical Center, Physician Network, Home Health company, Northeast Hospital, Pediatric Surgery Center, Health Plan, Health Services, Inc., and Health Foundation. With more than 1.3 million patient encounters per year, Cook Children’s growing reputation draws patients from near and far. Patients travel across Texas and come to us from around the United States, as well as internationally, to receive life-saving pediatric care at Cook Children’s.

A graduate of Texas Tech University, Mr. Merrill received his Master of Science degree in Health Care Administration in 1984 from Trinity University in San Antonio. For more than thirty years, Merrill has served in leadership roles in large academic/university-based health care systems, including both for-profit and not-for profit health care facilities.

Mr. Merrill actively serves on numerous national, state and community advisory boards, including the Children’s Hospital Association (Chair), Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety (a collaborative of 110 children’s hospitals), the Children’s Hospital Association of Texas (past Chair), Texas Hospital Association, Texas Association of Voluntary Hospitals (past Chair), the Dallas/Fort Worth Hospital Council (past Chair), Children’s Hospital International Executive Forum and All Saints Episcopal School (past Chair).

Mr. Merrill and his wife, Dr. Evelyn Merrill have two daughters.

Rebecca Tucker
President
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth / Clearfork

Becky Tucker currently serves as president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth (THSW). THSW opened in 1987 and serves the communities of Fort Worth, Benbrook, Crowley, Aledo and Granbury with advanced medical treatments and an experienced staff that provides compassionate care.

Becky served as vice president of Integrated Health Campuses (IHCs) at Texas Health Resources. As vice president of IHCs, Becky led the overall management of Texas Health Resources’ Integrated Health Campuses (IHC) operations, and oversaw the alignment and evolution of all IHC care integration across the continuum. Centers may include site-specific combinations of ambulatory surgical services, outpatient diagnostic imaging, emergency care and/or urgent care, rehabilitation/therapy services including cardiac rehabilitation, outpatient behavioral care services, chronic disease management, health behavior education and well-being services. In February 2017, Becky opened Texas Health’s third IHC outpatient campus, Texas Health Neighborhood Care & Wellness Prosper.

Becky served as administrator of Texas Health Neighborhood Care & Wellness Burleson, oversaw Texas Health Harris Methodist physician timeshares in Saginaw, Keller and Burleson and managed the development of Texas Health’s second IHC, Texas Health Neighborhood Care & Wellness Willow Park in Parker County, which opened in January of 2015.

Becky has been a part of the Texas Health family for 17 years. She first worked as an administrative assistant in the Medical Staff Affairs office of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano. While working at Texas Health Plano full-time, Becky completed graduate work in business and healthcare administration. She transitioned into a healthcare administrative residency position at Texas Health Fort Worth where she continued her fellowship.

In 2006, Becky transitioned to director of ambulatory clinics and physician services where she was responsible for the Assisted Reproductive Technology Service, Executive Health program and physician referral development.

In 2007, Becky began development of Texas Health Burleson. As administrator of Texas Health Burleson, she and her team signed more than 2,000 members to its fitness center, achieved patient satisfaction scores for Likelihood to Recommend in the top 5 percent of the nation, and secured Joint Commission accreditation for all new services, College of American Pathologists Commission on Laboratory accreditation, American College of Radiologists accreditation for MRI and CT, and chest pain accreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care.

Becky earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a minor in biological science from The University of Texas at Austin. She also holds master’s degrees in health care administration and business administration from Texas Woman’s University.

Becky is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, a past board member of the United Way of Tarrant County, former chair of United Way of Tarrant County Young Leaders Society, board member for the Alzheimer’s Association of North Central Texas, and a board member for CareFlite. In addition Becky is a Fellow with the Texas Hospital Association (THA) and the vice chair for THA’s Leadership Development Council. In 2012, Modern Healthcare named Becky as one of it’s Up and Comers in Healthcare. In 2014 she was selected as one of Fort Worth Business Press’ 40 Under 40 and was awarded the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council’s Young Healthcare Executive of the Year award.

Becky is enjoying parenthood with her husband, Toby. She says their son, Tavin, who was born on Christmas Day in 2012, and was conceived with the assistance of the same Assisted Reproductive Technology Laboratory she developed, is the best Christmas present she has ever received. Becky, Toby and Tavin welcomed Landon, a baby girl, to their family in May. This family of four spend as much time as possible outside with their rescue dog, Stella.

Janice Whitmire
Chief Operating Officer
Baylor Scott and White All Saints Medical Center

Janice Whitmire, MBA, HCM, currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Baylor Scott and White All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth. She oversees ancillary, support services and strategic service line growth.

Previously, Janice served as corporate vice president of the Baylor Annette C. & Harold C. Simmons Transplant Institute. She successfully led this team in becoming the 2nd largest heart transplant program in the world. Janice has held a variety of leadership roles during her tenure, including her extensive, dedicated service to Baylor All Saints from 1989 to 2012.

Among her many accomplishments, Whitmire led the planning team for the construction and 2008 opening of the 110-bed Paul and Judy Andrew’s Women’s Hospital where she served as the Administrator and system leader for the women’s service lines.

Janice’s education includes a master’s degree in business administration and a certification in health science management from the University of Dallas. She is also a graduate of the SMU Cox School of Business Executive Leadership program. Whitmire was honored by the YWCA as an Outstanding Woman in Business, as well as being recognized as a Health Care Hero by the Fort Worth Business Press.

Ms. Whitmire is married with 2 children.

Thanks to our co-hosts for this event:

e4h Architecture
Texas Christian University

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