Please join us for the next in our popular Cocktails with the Chiefs event series, this time we’re back in Fort Worth at The PalmWood.

A huge thanks to our hosts for this event, RCG Global Services!

Our panel for this discussion will include:

Daniel L. Beckles MD, PhD, FACS, FACC, FCCP
Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Baylor Scott & White Health
Adjunct Clinical Professor, Texas A&M University’s Department of Education/School of Medicine
Clinical Professor, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s Mayborn College of Health Sciences

Dr. Noreen Butte
Pediatrician
Trailblazer in the fields of Healthcare Informatics and Biopharmaceuticals

Stephanie Copeland, MD, MBA, CPHQ, FAAP, CPXP
Regional Medical Director for Quality and Risk Adjustment
OptumCare North/West Texas Region, WellMed/USMD
National Medical Director – Quality Performance Management/Optum Clinical performance

Dr. John Marcucci
SVP Chief Medical Officer – DFW East Region
Baylor Scott & White Health

Dr. Rob Nelson (Moderator)
VP & Head, Healthcare Transformation & Innovation
RCG Global Services

Mark S. Schnitzer, MD, FACHE
Surgeon, Educator, Physician Advisor, Medical Director,
Consultant, and Executive Coach

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Speaker’s Bios:

Dr. Daniel L. Beckles is a cardiothoracic surgeon at Baylor Scott & White Health, an adjunct clinical Professor at Texas A&M University, Department of Education/School of Medicine, and a Clinical Professor at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Mayborn College of Health Sciences. He specializes in the comprehensive care of advanced heart diseases, lung diseases, atrial fibrillation, heart transplantation, ventricular assist devices, and ECMO.

He is an academic surgeon with accolades in clinical excellence, teaching, innovation, and community involvement. He obtained his BSc and MSc in biochemistry and chemistry from Stony Brook University in New York. He received his MD from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn, New York, and stayed there for his general surgery residency. He also completed a Ph.D. degree in Cardiovascular Molecular Biology. He was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) medical honor society, received the medical school Golden Apple Teaching Award and the Outstanding Performance award as a surgical resident in Graduate Medical Education for the Department of Surgery.

He completed his cardiothoracic surgery residency at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center/Parkland Medical Center in Dallas, and a Minimally Invasive Surgery fellowship at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Boston.

He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery (DABS) and a Diplomate of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), a fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC), and a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians (FCCP).

In 2008, he was an Assistant Professor of cardiothoracic surgery and Surgical Director of Lung Transplantation at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. He moved to Texas after Hurricane IKE devastated Galveston. He was the Director of Minimally Invasive Cardiac and thoracic surgery and co-director of transplantation at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. In 2015, he was recruited as Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and inaugural Herman and Olive Pascarella Endowed Professorship in Cardiovascular Surgery Research at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences Center, Brooklyn, New York City.

He is a member of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation, the International Society of Minimally Invasive Cardiothoracic Surgery, the American Society of Transplantation, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the Heart Failure Society of America, the Association of Academic Surgeons, and the European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgeons. He has over 30 peer-reviewed publications, co-authored three textbook chapters, and is a co-inventor on 2 United States Patents.

He is an American College of Healthcare Executives member and a subject matter expert for Enhanced Recovery after Cardiac Surgery. He serves on the medical advisory board for Nuwellis Inc. and Noigel Inc. and is a consultant for Edwards Life Sciences, Inc. He is past President of the Board of Managers for SUNY Downstate Medical School Alumni Association and current Chief Medical Officer for the Trinbago Progressive Association and its international medical mission trips.

He was a Caribbean American Healthcare Awards Honoree in 2017 (Caribbean Life New York). He has been nominated over the last decade for New York Top Doctor and Texas Top Doctor awards. He continues mentoring the next generation of students and doctors nationally and internationally.

Dr. Noreen Butte, a distinguished pediatrician, has etched her name as a trailblazer in the fields of Healthcare Informatics and Biopharmaceuticals. With an unyielding commitment to innovation and excellence, she has adeptly navigated multifaceted roles, transforming mere insights into revolutionary strategies and propelling brand initiatives to unparalleled success. Recognized for her formidable prowess in Healthcare Informatics, she seamlessly bridges the worlds of medicine and technology, leading breakthrough product launches, and forging transformative alliances amongst consumers, providers, and payers. This expertise is further augmented by her profound grasp of Population Health and her avant-garde approach to integra􀆟ng Artificial Intelligence in healthcare.

Dr. Butte’s therapeutic expertise is vast and unparalleled, encompassing areas such as Vaccines, Chronic Care Diseases, and Oncology. Her leadership transcends conventional boundaries; she is both a catalyst for change and a beacon of mentorship and visionary direction. Under her guidance, teams have not only soared to unprecedented heights but have also redefined excellence in healthcare. Her exceptional communication skills amplify brand narratives, ensuring they resonate deeply and meaningfully within the healthcare community.

Treading uncharted territories in Digital Healthcare, Precision Medicine, and Pharma, Dr. Bu􀆩e’s collaborations are as expansive as they are impactful. From influential ties with IDNs and elite acute care institutions to strategic alliances with governmental healthcare entities, her network is both enviable and influential. With an unwavering passion and dedication to pioneering transformative advancements, Dr. Bu􀆩e remains a visionary leader, reshaping the contours of the dynamic landscape of global healthcare.

Dr. Stephanie Copeland serves concurrently as both a National Medical Director for the Optum Clinical Performance team (since May of 2023) and as the Regional Medical Director for Quality and Risk Adjustment for the OptumCare North Texas Region (including WellMed and USMD), a role she has held since March of 2022. She has been the medical director for the WellMed regional quality team since 2018 and has worked for the company for 20 years through an acquisition of the USMD Health System. She is also involved in various committees and projects throughout the organization.

Prior to that, she served as Chief Quality Officer at USMD Health System from 2013 to 2018 and served in various leadership roles at USMD/MCNT.

Dr. Copeland attended Abilene Christian University and graduated medical school at UT Southwestern in Dallas. She completed her residency at UT Southwestern in Dallas where she also served as chief resident. She completed a Master’s in Business Administration at the University of Texas at Dallas. She has also previously served as a volunteer private practice clinical assistant professor at UT Southwestern Medical School and previously served as the Chair of the AMGA Quality Improvement Council. She is also a member of the AMGA Board of Directors and the AMGA Foundation Board, where she serves as Chair. She is also the AMGA Quality Liaison for USMD/WellMed DFW. She also serves at her local church and coordinates volunteers from her church for Many Helping Hands, a non-profit that ministers to the homeless in Irving, Texas.

She enjoys spending time with her husband, Benjamin, and her daughter, Isabella and their dog, Luna. She also likes hiking, reading, writing, artistic endeavors, and traveling.

Dr. John Marcucci graduated from UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas and completed residency in Emergency Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center / Parkland Hospital.  He has been with Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Plano since 2004.  First, serving as the Emergency Department Medical Director, and then in 2010 became the hospital’s Chief Medical Officer. 

Dr. Marcucci took on an expanded role with Baylor Scott & White in 2019 as the Regional Chief Medical Officer of the DFW – East Region overseeing four full-service community hospitals and two specialty heart hospitals.

Dr. Rob Nelson is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of global experience in roles ranging from marketing and business development to operations. With a background spanning Fortune 30 tech companies, startups, and nonprofits, Rob specializes in organizational transformation and strategy execution. He has led multiple consulting practices, including a consulting practice for General Electric focused on performance transformation.

His leadership experience includes roles at IBM, GE, Motorola, and Amazon.com (Pre-IPO), Quorum Health Resources/Community Health System among others. He also served in various capacities in the U.S. Navy for over a decade. Academically, Rob is an active Professor of Marketing, Strategy and Innovation at the Stuart School of Management at Illinois Tech and the Jack Welch Management Institute, focusing on strategic marketing and business innovation for more than a decade. He has was named Assoc. Professor of the Year 2022 and the Faculty Team Award in 2023. Dr. Rob’s research work has recently been published on the topic of market orientation and organizational transformation in healthcare in the Journal of Business Research in November 2023.

Rob holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Grenoble Ecole de Management, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, and multiple executive certificates in areas like AI, digital marketing, and negotiation. Outside of work, he is passionate about mixed martial arts and outdoor activities.

Dr. Mark Schnitzer is an experienced Surgeon, Educator, Physician Advisor, Medical Director, Consultant, and Executive Coach.

An interest in processes and mathematics led him to pursue an unlikely course of pre-medical study: electrical engineering. It was during his Ph.D. studies that he applied to medical school and completed his MSEE and MD concurrently. He completed his clinical training in neurological surgery and a fellowship in neurosciences critical care at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. His final year at Johns Hopkins was in the role of Assistant Chief of Service.

After fifteen years in solo, private neurosurgical practice and medical staff governance roles, he was recruited to Hawaii as the sole, full-time neurosurgeon for Kaiser Permanente with the mandate to set the groundwork for a completely internalized program. That experience led to his invitation to serve as the inaugural medical director of neurosciences and an ambitious project to unify the neurosciences programs across the government hospitals in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Once this unification was well underway, the program was handed off to the Cleveland Clinic. Subsequently, he served as the inaugural CMO for a start-up telemedicine company in Dubai and as an adjunct associate professor in a graduate program for healthcare administration.

He returned to the USA after four years in the Middle East and took on the role of physician advisor for SSM Health. Initially accountable for one hospital, he was elevated to a regional, multi-hospital role where he was accountable for insurance denial management including education of clinicians in evidence-based medicine and responsible stewardship as well as holding numerous roles in quality improvement projects. Subsequently, he took on the role of medical director for a large accountable care organization based in Dallas, TX for 3 years before embarking as an executive coach as a means to help other healthcare leaders as they pursue their journey.

Dr. Schnitzer is a Fellow of the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians and is board certified in healthcare quality and management with added qualification as a Physician Advisor. He is a certified professional in healthcare quality by the National Association for Healthcare Quality and is certified by the American Society for Quality as a Six Sigma Black Belt. Additionally, he is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Dr. Schnitzer has provided a number of invited publications and presentations in the areas of healthcare informatics, patient safety, and responsible stewardship and he serves as a senior examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Dr. Schnitzer considers himself an interface professional, like most clinicians who have transitioned into healthcare leadership roles. He maintains a state of constant inquiry and curiosity with the ever-present thought, “There is something I do not know, the knowing of which could change everything.”

Thanks again to RCG Global Services for hosting this event!

Register Here