6 Hours of Face-to-face continuing education!!!!

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Registration at 7:30am – 8:00am, First Session begins at 8:00am

Panel 1: Sustaining a Financially Vibrant Healthcare Organization

Moderator – Erich Koch, FACHE
Panelist #1 – Paula Brandon
Panelist #2 – Matt Nelson
Panelist #3 – Glen Boles

Panel 2: Leading a Successful Multigenerational Organization

Moderator – Ed Fry
Panelist #1 – Lauri Thomas
Panelist #2 – Debbie Splinter, FACHE
Panelist #3 – Mike Watson

Panel 3: Interdependence of Public, Private and Federal Healthcare Delivery

Moderator – Dr. Gerald Ledlow, FACHE
Panelist #1 – Dr. Paul McGaha
Panelist #2 – Demetress Harrell
Panelist #3 – William Bellenfant, LFACHE

Panel 4: Green Hospitals and Healthcare

Moderator – Ekta Pathare, FACHE
Panelist #1 – Shelly Miland
Panelist #2 – Joseph Woelkers
Panelist #3 – Ellen Mitchell Kozack

Speaker Bios:

William L. Bellenfant, FACHE, FHFMA, MBA
Chief Business Coach
Bellenfant Consulting

Mr. Bellenfant founded Bellenfant Consulting in April, 2011 to provide business coaching to healthcare and other businesses. With 40 years of varied financial experience, he previously served as Chief Financial Officer of the Trinity Mother Frances Health System (five hospitals, 300 physicians, $650 million annual revenues) in Tyler, Texas with primary responsibility for its financial operations. Further, Mr. Bellenfant served as Vice President and Group Financial Officer at Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas. In addition, he served as Financial Officer for three other health systems(General Health- Baton Rouge ; Hermann Hospital – Houston & Hospital Affiliates – Nashville) and was in auditing and consulting with both Deloitte and KPMG. Mr. Bellenfant received his Bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University, and a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Houston. Mr. Bellenfant is a Certified Public Accountant, a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a Fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. He has been a visiting lecturer in healthcare and finance at various universities and professional societies. Recently named adjunct instructor in the Executive Health Administration program at the University of Texas – Tyler. Mr. Bellenfant is active in professional and community organizations and is past Council President and Foundation Board member of the East Texas Council of the Boy Scouts of America and Captain in the Texas State Guard / Texas Medical Rangers.

Glen Boles
Regional Chief Financial Officer
CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System

Glen Boles is the Regional Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System, which is comprised of a tertiary 311 bed acute care medical center, 50 bed Rehabilitation hospital and OP Imaging Center in Texarkana, USA; and its 43 bed hospital in Atlanta, TX. Glen plays a key leadership role in providing financial oversight and support for the fiscal operations for this Region.

Previously, Boles was the Vice President of Finance at Valley Baptist Health System comprised of a 520-bed medical center in Harlingen, Texas, a 280-bed medical center in Brownsville, Texas, as well as an ambulatory surgery center, two imaging centers, and a multi-specialty physician network. His experience includes roles as CFO with Brownsville Medical Center, CFO with Medical Park Hospital (Hope, Arkansas) and as Director in the CFO Development Program at Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation, Nashville, Tenn. In addition to his strong skills in finance and accounting, Glen is very successful in building strong partnerships with operational and nursing leadership to foster a team atmosphere for performance improvement.

Paula Brandon, RN, MSN, FACHE
Program Director
Center for Rural Community Health
UT Health Northeast

Paula Brandon continues her career journey of improving healthcare delivery in her current role as a Program Director for the Northeast Texas Center for Rural Community Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center, UT Health Northeast.   Educated as a nurse, with an MSN in Nursing Administration from the University of Tennessee, Paula’s background includes over 20 years as a Chief Nurse in several organizations across the mid-south and south, beginning as an Associate Chief Nurse at the VA in Memphis, Tennessee, then as a Chief Nurse for an HMA Hospital in Van Buren, Arkansas for six years and Good Shepherd Medical Center, Marshall for sixteen years.  In 2012 Paula transitioned to become the Senior Vice President of Organizational Excellence, Good Shepherd Health System, where she was responsible for quality across multiple organizations within the system.

Currently Paula is responsible for six (6) Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) projects as a part of the 1115 Healthcare Transformation Waiver, with a focus on redesigning fragmented, episodic care.  Through collaboration with geographically diverse partners, Paula applies a systems theory conceptual framework to lead multiple teams in creating and designing quality, comprehensive, patient-centered, preventative focused care.   The care model promotes access with an emphasis on excellence in service, quality, efficiency and care coordination.

Ed Fry
President/CEO and Founder
FaithSearch Partners, Inc.

Ed Fry serves as the President/CEO and Founder of FaithSearch Partners, Inc., one of the ten largest healthcare executive search firms in the U.S. Since 1990, Ed has successfully assisted hospitals and health system boards and executive teams in securing mission-minded leaders. He has served as a Vice President/Partner of Witt/Kieffer, the largest healthcare executive search firm, and launched the faith-based practice at Russell Reynolds Associates, one of the “big four” international executive search firms.

Previously, Ed directed marketing and public relations at faith-based hospitals in Illinois and Texas. In addition, he managed the public relations function at the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the premier healthcare quality review agency in the U.S.

Ed holds an MBA from Dallas Baptist University and a B.S., Communications degree from Southwestern Adventist University, where he is a member of the institution’s board of trustees. He is a former board chair and current board member of the Ardmore Institute of Health, a $70 million national foundation promoting wellness and healthy living. He currently resides in Tyler, Texas, and Durango, Colorado.

Demetress Harrell, MA, LBSW
Chief Executive Officer
Hospice in the Pines

Demetress is a native East Texas, born with a burning desire to improve relationships and enhance the lives of others for the greater good of humanity. She believes that the act of embracing an individual beings with a simple touch and active listening, both of which make an incredible impact. A quote from Pele best describes the characteristics that have contributed to Demstress’s accomplishments: “Success is no accident; it is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all love of what you’re doing.” Since 1993, she has enjoyed employment with Hospice in the Pines in Lufkin, Texas, where the opportunity to enhance the lives of others facing end-of-life care decisions has been her mission, her passion, and most of all, her ministry.

Erich Koch, FACHE
Chief Financial Officer
Tyler Family Circle of Care

Erich Koch is the Chief Financial Officer of Tyler Family Circle of Care located in Tyler, TX. Prior to assuming this role, Erich served for almost 3 years as Chief Financial Officer of Robeson Health Care Corporation located in Pembroke, NC, during which time he helped lead the organization through a turnaround. Before Erich got there, the company lost $900K, and after Erich left, the company had a profit of over $800K.

Erich has more than 18 years of combined healthcare financial management and general accounting experience. Prior to joining Family Circle of Care in Tyler, Erich also served as a Chief Financial Officer or Controller for a Critical Access Hospital, Psychiatric Hospital, Acute Care Hospital, FQHC, and FQHC look-a-like. Erich specializes in FQHC’s and FQHC look-a-likes.

Erich is actively involved with the Health Financial Management Association (HFMA), the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), and The Texas Association for Healthcare Financial Administration (TAHFA). Erich is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

Erich is a graduate of Heriot-Watt University (MBA, November 2005), and Lakehead University (BA Administration, May 1998).

Ellen Mitchell Kozack, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Vice President
HKS

Inspired by the Book “Design Like you Give a Damn,” Ellen knew that her life’s work would include promoting the power of architecture in improving lives. As director of the DesignGreen department, Ellen leads a team of passionate individuals whose focus is to reduce the environmental impact associated with the built environment. As a member of the DesignGreen department, Ellen has personally managed over 40 LEED projects, both nationally and internationally, totaling over $2.8 billion in construction. In addition, Ellen is the Founder and Director of Citizen HKS, HKS’ public interest design initiative based on the 1% Solution program in which the firm has pledged 1% of its billable hours annually to providing design services to improve the lives of people in need.

Gerald (Jerry) R. Ledlow, Ph.D., MHA, FACHE
Professor and Chair, Healthcare Policy, Economics and Management
School of Community and Rural Health
University of Texas Health Science Center Northeast

Dr. Ledlow is a board certified healthcare administrator with 30 years of successful practical and academic experience in leadership and management positions; his experience includes over eleven years in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps, nearly three years in corporate healthcare and sixteen years in academia. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. He has successfully led multiple teams of diverse professionals, from as many as seventy-five to smaller teams of seven people, in military, corporate, educational and academic programs. He has co-authored nine volumes of texts/books to include a nationally recognized textbook on healthcare leadership, in 3d edition, with a tenth volume/textbook in development/writing. Dr. Ledlow is the developer of the Dynamic Culture Leadership Model, the Inter-professional Team Model called PAARP, the Strategic Relationship Assessment Model called CAAVE with an assessment instrument called the CaT used by the Vested Outsourcing Group, and the Emergency Preparedness Assessment System called the GREaT System. He is a member of the MD Anderson Cancer Center – UTHEALTH Northeast Quality and Metrics Group. He is married, for 24 years to his wonderful wife Silke, and is the father to three daughters.

Paul McGaha, D.O., M.P.H.
Chair
Department of Community Health for the School
Of Community and Rural Health

Paul McGaha, D.O., M.P.H., is currently the Chair of the Department of Community Health for the School of Community and Rural Health and the Deputy Director of the Northeast Texas Center for Rural Community Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Tyler, Texas. Prior to assuming this role, for over 19 years he was the Regional Medical Director for Health Service Regions 4 and 5 (North) of the Texas Department of State Health Services in Tyler.

He received his medical degree from the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Oklahoma State University. He is certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine in Public Health and General Preventive Medicine. In addition, he holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. He is also a registered pharmacist.

Since the East Texas area contains a large, diverse, rural population with multiple disparities, Dr. McGaha is particularly interested in efforts to improve rural population health in the area.

Shelly Miland
Group Finance Officer
Texas Health Fort Worth, Cleburne, Azle, and Specialty Hospital

Shelly Miland began her employment with Texas Health Resources in 1998 at Texas Health Dallas, then progressed from Manager to Director at Texas Health Fort Worth in 2001. She became Vice President of Texas Health HEB hospital in 2005, assuming responsibility for finance, accounting, and oversight of Springwood Psychiatric hospital, a separately licensed 50 bed hospital on the HEB campus. In 2007, she advanced to Vice President of Finance at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital and assisted as the hospital converted all hospital systems to THR standard systems and opened Texas Health Heart & Vascular Hospital a 48 bed hospital within a hospital on the THAM campus. In 2014, Shelly returned to Texas Health Fort Worth as Vice President and Group Finance Officer. In her current role as Group Finance Officer, she is responsible for Texas Health Fort Worth, Cleburne, Azle, and Specialty Hospital.

Shelly has a BA in Accounting from The University of Central Oklahoma, a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from The University of Texas Arlington. She is a CPA and is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and a Fellow in Healthcare Financial Managers Association.

Matt J. Nelson, CPA*, FHFMA, CGMA
Partner
Financial Resource Group, LLC

Matt Nelson has over forty years of experience in the healthcare industry, including owning his own healthcare consulting firm, three years as Director for a healthcare consulting firm, and over twenty years as a financial officer in both proprietary and non‐profit healthcare systems. His areas of expertise include capital planning, long‐range strategic financial planning, financial feasibility studies, due diligence assessments, business process redesign planning, rate structure analysis, productivity analysis, and financial information systems.

Mr. Nelson has been a Partner with Financial Resource Group, LLC since January 2000. Consulting engagements have included interim chief financial officer positions, operational and financial assessments of hospitals, and working with hospitals in implementing budgeting and financial reporting systems. Prior to opening his own consulting firm, Mr. Nelson was a Director of a regional healthcare consulting firm. He has lead consulting engagements including being a financial advisor for a $100 million bond issue for a hospital in East Texas, interim chief financial officer for a 300+ bed hospital (five months), interim chief financial officer for a 500+ bed public teaching hospital (thirteen months), physician practice acquisition studies, physician practice operational improvement studies, corporate compliance plans for hospitals, developed strategic financial planning models for hospitals and new services within hospitals, development of hospital within a hospital model, analysis of senior health centers, analysis of new equipment technology for physician practices, market analysis, and development of comparative hospital data. Mr. Nelson also recently performed a due diligence assessment for a client looking to acquire a percent interest in another healthcare organization.

Mr. Nelson served as a financial officer for over twenty years for both non‐profit and proprietary health systems. Mr. Nelson was a financial officer for Baylor Health Care System for fourteen years. His responsibilities included directing financial decision support systems, managed care financial analysis, capital operations budgeting, cost accounting, productivity studies, financial feasibility studies, design and implementation of financial systems, third party reimbursement, financial support for bond issuances, business process redesign facilitation and financial

support, and support of treasury functions.

Ekta Pathare FACHE, MBA, OTR, CHT
President
CGAIT GLOBAL

A nationally and internationally renowned Healthcare Executive speaker with over 15 years of management and leadership experience. During her career, Ekta has proven experience in business startups, turnarounds, business development, business analysis, program development, collaboration, change management, navigating complex regulatory environments, people development & coaching, resource management, patient centered care strategies, budgetary & regulatory compliance, employee engagement, ensuring patient satisfaction, setting and achieving objectives in alignment with organizational objectives, developing and managing projects.

Ekta received her MBA from the University of Dallas (2002) and her Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Bombay (1995). Ekta is also a Nationally Certified Hand Therapist and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE). Ekta is also active with ACHENTX, ACHE, AOTA, and ASHT.

Debbie Splinter, FACHE, CHHR, SHRM-SCP, SPHR
CHRO/Human Resource Director
Texas Spine and Joint Hospital

Debbie serves as the CHRO/Human Resource Director for Texas Spine and Joint Hospital in Tyler, Texas. She has over 27 years of HR experience in Healthcare. Debbie is responsible for the administration of recruitment/retention strategies, benefits, compensation, payroll, training, legal and regulatory compliance. Her primary focus is to provide support and guidance to management in employee relations and leadership development.

Debbie is currently a 2017 Texas Hospital Association (THA) Leadership Fellow, serves as a Board Member/Membership Chair for the Texas Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration and Education (TSHHRAE), and is Chairman for the Health Science Advisory Committee for TISD. She is also involved in several community organizations.

Lauri Osburn Thomas MSLS, MSN, RN
Executive Director of Services Line
University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler

Lauri Thomas is Executive Director of Services Lines at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. She has a B.S. degree in Education, a M.S. in Library Science, B.S. in Nursing and M.S. in Nursing Administration. She is a Registered Nurse. She has worked at UTHSCT for 16 years with the greatest concentration in the Surgical/Procedural realm. She has participated in Lean training with M.D. Anderson and at Belmont University. She participated in published abstracts, presented in-services for nursing continuing education credits, given poster presentations at TexMed conferences and the UT Systems CS&E conferences. In her current role, she works with all levels of faculty and staff to improve patient care and operations.

Mike Watson
Practice Administrator
Heaton Eye Associates – Longview

Mike Watson has worked in healthcare management since 2002 and currently serves as a practice administrator for Heaton Eye Associates. Heaton Eye Associates is a general ophthalmology, refractive and sub-specialty practice that serves the East Texas region with four office locations and an ambulatory surgical center. Mike earned a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Communication and a Masters of Business Administration.

Joseph F. Woelkers, MA
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Business Officer
UT Health Northeast, (University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler)

Reporting to the President as Executive Vice President, responsible for all institutional operations. He serves on behalf of the president in his absence and chairs the executive cabinet of the institution whose membership includes the executive leadership team.

His broad experience includes 32 plus years in academic medicine as a senior administrator at three of the largest and complex medical intuitions in the US/world including the University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Florida. In addition, he has served as the Vice President for Outreach for the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa and worked in the private sector as CEO/President of HealthCare Operations International a company dedicated to building healthcare facilities throughout the world. His previous position prior to joining UT Health Northeast was CEO of the National Childhood Cancer Foundation which was dedicated to supporting 8,000 researchers throughout the world conducting pediatric cancer research.

His educational background consists of a bachelor and master’s degree (Higher education Administration) from Central Michigan University. He has completed the fellowship program from the Americas Essential Hospital Association, and he has completed certificate programs from the University of Michigan and Harvard University.

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