After Hours Networking Event - Texas Rangers vs Boston Red Sox
2024-08-02 19:00 - 22:00 (America/Denver) | Globe Life Field, Globe Life Field 734 Stadium Drive, Arlington, TX, 76011
Join us for a casual evening at the ballpark and enjoy a fantastic view of the game from the suite of our host, SBL Architecture, Inc., while the Rangers take on the Boston Red Sox.
Complimentary foods and beverages will be provided by SBL.
The suite will be open to guests at 6:30 PM, and first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
SPACE IS VERY LIMITED AND AVAILABLE ON A FIRST COME/FIRST SERVED BASIS, SO REGISTER TODAY!!!
A big thanks to SBL Architecture for their ongoing support of ACHENTX and for hosting this event for us!
SBL Architecture, Inc. is a healthcare architectural, interior design and planning/consulting firm located in Arlington, Texas. Since 1994, SBL has worked on thousands of projects — with extensive experience in new construction, expansion, master planning and rehabilitation of older healthcare facilities. Healthcare design is their focus and their passion.

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After Hours Networking Event - ACHENTX & HLA
2024-08-08 17:00 - 19:00 | The Constellation Club, 5215 North O'Connor Boulevard, Suite 2600, 26th Floor, Irving, TX, 75039
Join us for an after-hours networking event at the Constellation Club in Las Colinas! Located on the 26th floor of the Towers at Williams Square, enjoy breathtaking views of the Dallas skyline while indulging in drinks and appetizers, and meeting other DFW healthcare professionals. This event is a fantastic networking opportunity and is being co-hosted by the Healthcare Leaders Association of North Texas (HLA).

Please note, onsite parking will be user pay at $12 per car.

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Navigating Key Legislative Issues Facing Healthcare Leaders
2024-08-22 10:30 - 12:00 | Virtual
This panel has been approved for 1.5 ACHE Virtual Interactive Education Credits.
Numerous public policy and legislative issues around healthcare delivery and public health affect healthcare organizations and demand involvement of their leaders to respond and adjust organizational policies and procedures. These issues often relate to improving population health, access and coverage through Medicaid and other programs, improving value, addressing consumer issues and workforce shortages, and more. Learning these issues and being involved in policy and organizational responses is important for healthcare leaders, regardless of how directly they may be involved.

Moderator:
Becky Tucker
SVP Channel Integration
Texas Health Resources
Panelists:
Aaron Bujnowski, FACHE
Managing Director & Transformative Strategy Lead
Health Industry Group | Health Systems Practice
Alvarez & Marsal Holdings, LLC
Dr. Randy Pilgrim
Enterprise CMO
SCP Health

Katherine Yoder, MBA
Vice President of Government Relations
Parkland Health & Hospital System

Register Here
Speakers’ Bios:

Aaron Bujnowski is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal’s Healthcare Industry Group. With nearly two decades of dedicated experience in the healthcare industry, he is known as a transformative healthcare strategist, empowering health systems and their leaders to attain sustainable competitive advantage.
Mr. Bujnowski executes innovative approaches to enterprise strategy, value-based care (VBC), service lines, partnerships, corporate development and M&A.
Prior to joining A&M, Mr. Bujnowski spent more than four years as a Director and Integrated Delivery Network (IDN) Lead at Chartis, a U.S. healthcare consulting firm. He collaborated with integrated delivery networks to conceive and implement critical strategies and played a pivotal role in launching Chartis’ Private Equity (PE) practice, which assists PE firms to make informed buy- or sell-side decisions and optimize value within their portfolio companies. Previously, Mr. Bujnowski served as the System Chief Strategy Officer of Texas Health Resources, a ~$5 billion integrated health system in Dallas-Fort Worth, developing and executing enterprise-wide strategies. His purview included acute, post-acute, ambulatory, physician, consumer and value-based approaches. Mr. Bujnowski began his career with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), as a core member of its strategy and healthcare practices. He also played a pivotal role in founding BCG’s private equity practice.
Mr. Bujnowski earned a bachelor’s degree (honors) and a master’s degree in chemical engineering with a biomedical emphasis from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He earned an MBA (highest honors) from The University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Bujnowski is currently a candidate to receive a Doctor of Science in Healthcare Leadership from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is President of the North Texas Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and was honored as Fellow.

Dr. Randy Pilgrim provides executive oversight for SCP Health’s clinical practices, including systems that deliver clinical excellence, minimize risk, and provide key results for patients and clinicians. He leads SCP’s efforts in health care policy, industry relations and advocacy, working to foster an effective, sustainable system of acute, unscheduled care. Dr. Pilgrim completed medical school and residency at the University of Minnesota. He has served in emergency medicine practice and leadership roles for over 30 years, and is regularly involved with health policy issues at state and national levels. His actuarial background, analytical skills, and practical experiences combine with clinical expertise to balance patient care demands, clinician’s needs, and key business concerns. During four terms as Chair of the Board for the ED Practice Management Association (EDPMA), he represented members that impact over half of the ED visits in the nation, addressing legislative and regulatory measures that affect quality emergency care. He chairs EDPMA’s Federal Health Policy Committee, and co-chaired ACEP’s Task Force on Alternative Payment Models. He serves as a faculty member for ACEP’s ED Director Academy, and has lectured with the IOM’s workshop series, “Hospital-Based Emergency Care, At the Breaking Point”. As faculty for ACEP’s Scientific Assembly and ED Director Academy, Dr. Pilgrim has been honored twice as a Speaker of the Year.

Becky Tucker currently serves as the system senior vice president of Channel Integration for Texas Health Resources (THR). In her current role she oversees key strategic and operational initiatives for the health system including business growth, business continuity, patient family experience, transformational management, design and deployment, joint venture partnerships, the THR call center, patient navigation, the central staffing office, patient logistics center, police, security, and system emergency management.
Becky most recently served as the president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth and Clearfork. As president, Becky led the overall management and strategic programming of Texas Health Southwest and Clearfork hospital operations which consists of 263 combined critical, medical, surgical, and emergency beds, 1,400 employees, 650 active medical professionals and almost 100 volunteers.
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 included 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.
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 23 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 board member for the Fort Worth Leukemia and Lymphoma Society where she also serves on the executive leadership committee for the Visionary of the Year campaign. Becky was the 2023 Tarrant County American Heart Association Go Red co-chair. She is a past board member of the United Way of Tarrant County, former chair of United Way of Tarrant County Young Leaders Society, past board member and vice chair for the Alzheimer’s Association of North Central Texas. Plus, Becky served as the president of her local early childhood PTA for three years.
In addition, Becky is a Fellow with the Texas Hospital Association (THA) and the past 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. Lastly, in 2019 Tucker was awarded the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Fort Worth Woman of the Year and was recognized as a Fort Worth Business Press Healthcare Hero in 2020.
Becky is enjoying parenthood with her husband, Toby. Her son Tavin is 11 and daughter Landon is 6. Becky, Toby, Tavin, and Landon spend as much time as possible outside with their dog Whiskey.

Katherine Yoder has served as Vice President of Government Relations for Parkland Health & Hospital System since October 2012. In her role, she oversees the development and implementation of local, state and federal public policy efforts for the health system. Prior to joining Parkland, Katherine spent more than 15 years working at the Texas Capitol in both the legislative and executive branches. She served as an advisor on health policy to former Governor Rick Perry for four years and provided budget and policy recommendations to the Governor on health and human services-related issues including Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), child welfare and long-term care.
Prior to working for the Governor’s Office, she was a senior policy analyst for the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services and a Chief of Staff for a House member.
Katherine holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Jindal School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas and has an undergraduate degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin.

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Ethical Challenges in Healthcare Leadership
2024-08-22 12:30 - 14:00 | Virtual
This panel has been approved for 1.5 ACHE Virtual Interactive Education Credits.

Ethical challenges arise in all aspects of healthcare and service, from the bedside to the boardroom. Hospital leaders and boards set the ethical compass of the organization by making decisions about priorities, policies, and resource allocation as they determine the best ways to meet the needs of their communities, while respecting their staff and the populations they serve. Understanding the expanding paradigm of planning, creating, and maintaining an ethical healthcare organization is crucial to help identify strategies for implementing ethics initiatives within your own organization. Healthcare leaders must “walk the talk” and demonstrate their commitment to ethics throughout their organization.
Moderator:
Matt Richardson, FACHE
Director of Public Health
Denton County
Panelists:
Jennifer Schroeder
SVP Deputy General Council
Texas Health Resources
Katie Beta Heeter
Experienced Healthcare Executive

Speakers’ Bios:

Katie Heeter, FACHE, has over 20 years of experience in health care human resources executive leadership. She has a passion and ability to deliver outstanding results by accelerating organizational outcomes through people. Katie most recently served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources Strategic Business Services for Baylor Scott and White Health leading the system’s human resources strategies for nearly 50,000 employees across over 1,000 sites of care, including 51 hospitals. Prior to her relocation to Texas, Katie most recently served in key human resources executive roles in the Chicago market at Advocate Aurora Health.
She has served as a workforce development board leader at state and regional levels, cultivating the local workforce by connecting community constituents with business partners. Katie’s participation on boards serving children and young adults further fulfills her passion for improving the lives of others within the community.
Katie received her master’s degree in business management from Northern Illinois University and bachelor’s degree in business from Eastern Illinois University. Credentialed as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, she is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and an alumna of WTW’s CHRO Cornerstone Program.

Dr. Matt Richardson was appointed as the Director of Public Health for Denton County in the summer of 2014. Dr. Richardson previously served as Director with the City of Amarillo and Potter/Randall Counties for 9 years. Dr. Richardson has authored peer-reviewed publications, testified to the Texas Legislature regarding public health issues and continues to advocate for public health practice and resources for Denton County and the state of Texas. He has a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Abilene Christian University and both Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Public Health from the University of North Texas. He is currently board certified and Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Dr. Richardson also serves as an accreditation site reviewer for public health programs in universities across the US. Matt lives in Argyle with his wife of 24 years and their two daughters.

Jennifer Schroeder is Vice President of Legal Services with Texas Health Resources. She is a board certified health care attorney and focuses primarily on health care operational and regulatory issues and transactions. She manages the team of attorneys that supports health care and business operations across the enterprise. She has practiced law for 26 years.

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Cocktails with the Chiefs
2024-09-10 18:00 - 20:30 | Health Wildcatters, 3000 Pegasus Park Drive #Suite 1330, Dallas, TX, 75247
Please join us for our always popular Cocktails with the Chiefs event where we will hear from some of our prominent healthcare leaders from across the DFW Metroplex. We are excited to learn about upcoming initiatives, innovations and what the future of healthcare delivery looks like for our healthcare institutions and communities across North Texas. You won’t want to miss this one.
Moderator:
Will Maddox
Senior Writer for D CEO Magazine
Editor of D CEO Healthcare
Panelists:
Carmen Bowling, DNP, RN
Senior Vice President, Women & Infant Specialty Health Division
Parkland Health
Jason Cave
Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer
VA North Texas
Winjie Miao
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Texas Health Resources
John Phillips
President
Methodist Dallas Medical Center

Register Here

Speakers’ Bios:
Dr. Carmen Bowling has more than 32 years of nursing experience in women’s and children’s services. She has progressive executive leadership experience and has served as a legal nurse consultant. Additionally, she has developed and mentored young adults from immigrant families to become future leaders in the workforce. Dr Bowling is a visionary leader who has a passion for improving health outcomes for all women.
Dr. Bowling received her BSN and MSN from Wright State University in Ohio. She completed her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Oh. She is an active member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, National Association of Hispanic Nurses and sits on the Nursing Advisory Board for Duquesne University School of Nursing in Pittsburg, Pa.
In her current role, Dr. Bowling works to support improving access to care for pregnant and non-pregnant women, including expanding that care beyond the walls of Parkland. She and her team have several initiatives to support the WISH patients including the implementation of Respectful Maternal Care, building a doula program, and addressing mental health needs for pregnant and non-pregnant women.
Dr. Bowling considers herself incredibly honored to be at Parkland and lucky to be able to represent the Division of Women & Infants. She believes it is important to be present and accountable for everything that we do, and to help who we can with what we can. She reminds all of us that Connection is what makes our time here together better. She is the mom of three wonderful young adult children, and she is excited about her first grandbaby boy on the way.
As the executive medical center director of the nation’s second-largest VA health care system, Mr. Jason Cave oversees health care services for almost 206,000 enrolled Veterans in 38 Texas counties and two southern Oklahoma counties, with an operating budget of $1.8 billion and 6,600 employees.
Mr. Cave has held key leadership positions within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) since he joined in 2011 as a Presidential Management Fellow. He has served VA Medical Centers of all complexity levels across three different VISNs and VA Central Office. Additionally, he has performed in various capacities, including health systems specialist, financial manager, general attorney, public affairs officer, and emergency manager. Before his appointment, Mr. Cave detailed as the interim medical center director for VA South Texas Health Care System, VISN 17, San Antonio, Texas, from June 2022 to January 2023.
Mr. Cave graduated from VISN 4’s Leadership Development Institute Class in 2013, VA’s Leadership VA Class in 2016, and VHA’s Health Care Leadership Development Program class in 2019. He holds an undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of New Mexico and a Juris Doctor from the University of Akron School of Law in Akron, Ohio, including certificates in trial advocacy and dispute resolution.

Will Maddox is the senior writer for D CEO magazine and the editor of D CEO Healthcare. He’s written about healthcare fraud, Texas healthcare policy innovation, leadership, and the future of healthcare in North Texas.
Will was just recently recognized by the Texas Hospital Association for his story about Dale Okorodudu, MD and his work around diversifying the medical profession.

Winjie Tang Miao serves as senior executive vice president and chief operating officer of Texas Health Resources. In her role, Miao is charged with fostering the evolution of the system’s core services and developing an integrated, high-performance delivery network that is consumer focused. She oversees Texas Health’s Hospital Channel, physicians’ group and ambulatory and virtual care services, along with clinical excellence and network navigation functions.
Prior to assuming the chief operating officer position, Miao served as Texas Health’s chief experience officer, leading the organization in elevating the needs and preferences of consumers. With a focus on moving beyond episodic sick care to provide consumers a lifetime of health and well-being, Miao expanded access to services by opening new channels of care delivery when, where and how patients prefer. She led the organization’s Connected Health strategy and implementation and was integral in developing capabilities around data and insights, virtual patient experiences and customer relationship management competencies.
Miao joined Texas Health in 2000 as an administrative resident at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and served in a progression of leadership roles, including opening Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance as its inaugural president. She joined the system leadership team in 2015 as senior vice president of system integration and innovation and was instrumental in creating Reliable Care Blueprinting™, Texas Health’s approach to care design to deliver a safe, reliable and quality experience in every consumer encounter.
A biomedical engineering graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Miao also earned a master’s degree in healthcare administration, with a concentration in financial management and quality management, from the University of North Carolina.
John Phillips, FACHE, serves as president of Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
Since stepping into the role in 2018, Phillips has guided the hospital through accomplishments including recruitment of additional medical staff members to meet the growing needs of the hospitals service area, further development of the Da Vinci minimally invasive surgical program, established the MHS Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Program and numerous hospital expansion and renovation projects providing the hospital’s patients access to high-quality healthcare services. Under his direction, Methodist Dallas has received accreditations as an American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Facility, ENA ED Lantern Award, Level I Trauma re-designation and Level III maternal and neonatal intensive care designation.
Phillips has been a member of the Methodist Health System family since 2011. Philips served seven years as president of Methodist Mansfield Medical Center, a 254-bed non-profit acute care hospital. Under his leadership in Mansfield, the hospital achieved Magnet designation for excellence in nursing and opened the $118-million Amon G. Carter Foundation Heart and Vascular Center as well as a new patient tower and $11.8-million professional office building.
Prior to joining Methodist, Phillips served as Chief Operating Officer at CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System in Texarkana and Chief Operating Officer at Davis Regional Medical Center in North Carolina.
Phillips earned a Bachelors in Physical Therapy from UT Southwestern, an MBA from Hardin-Simmons University and a Master of Health Care Administration from Trinity University. Outside of his role at Methodist Dallas, Phillips and his wife enjoy family vacations, hiking and traveling.

ACHENTX-NTAHQ/ACHENTX Mentorship Program Networking & Educational Event
2024-09-12 18:00 - 20:00 | Moody Outpatient Center at Parkland Hospital, 5151 Maple Avenue, Dallas, TX, 75235, United States
For this special networking and educational event, we are bringing together the members of ACHE of North Texas (ACHENTX), the members of North Texas Association for Healthcare Quality (NTAHQ) – with a special invite going to the mentors and mentees of ACHENTX’s 2024 Mentorship Program. All are welcome!
Panel Moderator:
Jason McClaren (Veteran, US Air Force)
Executive Director
Go Heroes Inc.
Panelists:
Crystal Brown
Vice President Operations/COO
Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
Tanya Stinson, HQS, CLSSMBB, MCBA, CRP
Founder/CEO/Master Consultant of Leaning Towards Change, LLC
Supervisor of Data Governance at Texas Health Resources
Mike Vogel
Manager of Corporate Talent Acquisition
Baylor Scott & White Health

Register Here

Speakers’ Bios:
Crystal V. Brown, MBA, a native of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, serves as the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center in Mansfield, TX. In this capacity, she spearheads service line growth & development, operational efficiency, and enhances patient experience. Committed to fostering the growth and development of women within Methodist Health System, Crystal is an active member of the W.O.M.E.N Women of Methodist Enrichment Network.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Crystal is deeply engaged in the Mansfield community, serving on the Mansfield ISD Education Foundation Board. With over two decades of experience in Human Resources, Supply Chain, and Hospital Operations, Crystal is a seasoned healthcare executive. She earned her Master’s in Business Administration from Texas Woman’s University and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, where she serves on various committees and boards.
Recognized for her transformational leadership style, Crystal has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Dr. Marion J. Brooks “Legend in the Making” award in June 2023 and the ACHENTX Executive Servant Leader Regent’s Award in October 2023. Committed to the growth and development of girls, women, and healthcare leaders, Crystal frequently volunteers her time and expertise at local events, conferences, and colleges. Outside of work, she enjoys savoring life’s pleasures with her family and friends, indulging in food, wine, and travel.

Jason McClaren is a seasoned professional in healthcare facilities management and emergency preparedness, dedicated to ensuring the safety and resilience of organizations across various sectors. With a background in leadership development and a passion for preparing future leaders and first responders, Jason combines expertise in emergency management with a commitment to excellence. Known for his strategic insights and proactive approach, he has successfully navigated complex challenges to optimize operational efficiency and enhance safety protocols. Jason’s career is defined by a relentless pursuit of excellence in healthcare safety, emergency preparedness, and leadership development.

Tanya Stinson has worked in various Quality and PI settings inside and outside healthcare, however, regardless of where she works, she is very passionate about helping people. Tanya has a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Quality and Safety and is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and is a Certified Change Management Practitioner via Prosci. She has 15 years of experience in leading large Lean Six Sigma transformational initiatives, training, coaching, and certifying others (clinical and non-clinical) in leading performance, process, and quality improvement projects. She is highly passionate about making positive changes that will improve outcomes for the consumer, employees, and leadership, as well as empowering project leaders through coaching and mentoring that will help others to become successful and growing the PI culture, eliminating issues, and improving healthcare quality for all.
Tanya is an active member of several volunteer organizations. As President of the North Texas Association for Healthcare Quality, she is very passionate about improving healthcare processes, quality, and safety for the communities that we serve. Tanya is also a very active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives of North Texas (ACHENTX) and is the 2024 Chair of the Women’s Health Executive Network (WHEN) for ACHENTX. She is also a member of the National American Latino Healthcare Executives group (NALHE) and teaches LSS courses for the Sisters in Public Health (SIPH), NAHSE Greater Boston, NAHSE Houston, and NAHSE Atlanta. Tanya was awarded the 2023 ACHENTX Regent of the Year for “Chapter Connector” and the 2020 ACHENTX Mentor of the Year award. She has been a guest on the Jeff Crilley TV Show, a guest of several podcasts such as “Becker’s Healthcare Podcast”, “The Cutting-Edge Podcast”, “The Healthcare Quality Cast” just to name a few. She was awarded as one of the 2023 Womelle Magazine “She’s Possible” Top 25 Female Influencers.
Tanya is a Supervisor of Data Governance Support at Texas Health Resources in Arlington, Texas, and owns a small business, Leaning Towards Change, which she started in 2020. She trains, coaches, and mentors students and leaders in getting their Lean Six Sigma White Belt, Yellow Belt, and Green Belt certifications. She also leads large organizations in completing successful initiatives that help reduce defects, wastes, inefficiencies, and costs, saving millions of dollars and improving quality, efficiency, safety, and productivity.
Tanya loves sharing her passion, knowledge, and experience with others. Her goals are to improve patient experience and care while also improving processes, quality, and safety for everyone, especially the people doing the work. If you would like to hear more about process or quality improvement or change management, kindly reach out to Tanya on her LinkedIn page at linkedin.com/in/tanya-stinson, email tanya.stinson@leaningtowardschange.com, or call her at 1-888-DFW-LEAN.
Tanya’s certifications include Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, ROI Methodology Certified, Certified Master Business Analysis, Certified Lean Champion, Certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner, Certified IHI Healthcare and Safety, and Certified 8D/PPS Leader. In the past, as part of her tenure as PI Engineer for Texas Health Resources, Tanya has helped several Texas Health Resource hospital employees in winning quality and operational excellence awards as well as has helped several hospitals to become Magnet designated. She has helped several healthcare organizations complete improvement initiatives successfully and pass surveys to remain/become Joint Commission compliant/accredited.

Mike Vogel has exclusively served the evolving needs of healthcare sector. With 16 years of healthcare recruitment on national and local levels, he’s familiar with the unique challenges and a toolkit to identify solutions. He’s overseen several teams and departments that have hired over 6,000 non-clinical healthcare professionals and over a thousand Physicians, Advanced Providers, and Nurses.
Currently serving as a TA Manager for Baylor Scott & White Health, the focus is not on volume. The aim is to add top talent that pushes our organization forward, while providing a great experience for all stakeholders involved. Our process goes beyond Placement to focus on Engagement, Retainment and Advancement. If we take care of our 52,000 team members, then we take better care of our 3.5 million patients. These efforts have been noticed in the industry (Comparably awards include: Work-Life Balance, Compensation, Leadership, Career Growth, Happiness). We also have been recognized for initiatives in DEIB (Best Places to work for Disability Inclusion; Black EoE Journal Best of the Best). There is also lauded success with target partnerships (Military Friendly Employer Gold Recipient and Texas Workforce Commission Large Employer of the Year).
Healthcare has a few critical obligations. The first is obvious – help people live their best lives thru better health. The second is we are a large, vital employer for passionate professionals, their families, and communities. I want to be a productive conduit for those professionals to mutually help the organizations and patients they serve.

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Sip, Savor, and Socialize While Admiring Skyline Views
2024-09-19 18:00 - 20:30 | Saint Rocco’s New York Italian, 3011 Gulden Lane #100, Dallas, TX, 75212
Come out and and enjoy a night with the ACHENTX Membership Committee at our upcoming membership/networking event! We are going to Sip, Savor, and Socialize while admiring the downtown Dallas skyline views at St. Rocco’s at Trinity Groves!
Bring a prospective member, get a huge discount, and learn more about ACHENTX while enjoying awesome food! Fellowship with current members as they share why they love ACHENTX and what it’s like to be a member!
We look forward to seeing you there!
Featured Speaker : Jared Shelton, FACHE, President of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford
Cost: $40 per person, unless you are bringing a prospective member, it would be $30 total for both people.
Food/Drinks: St. Rocco’s Pizza Party will be served, plus one drink ticket, and access to a Cash Bar.

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Women's Breakfast: Women Leading with Courage and Bravery
2024-09-27 07:30 - 09:30 | AMN Healthcare, 2999 Olympus Blvd, Suite 500, Coppell, TX, 75019
Please join us for our 2024 ACHE of North Texas annual Women’s Breakfast, with this year’s theme: Women Leading with Courage and Bravery.
Pamela Bryant
Senior Vice President & Chief Supply Chain Officer
Parkland Health
Lauren Fisher
Sales for Labcorp
Trainer & Author
VR Small
Founder/CEO
Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center
Leora Westbrook
President of Workforce Strategy & Optimization
AMN Healthcare

A big thanks to AMN Healthcare for hosting us for this event!

Speakers’ Bios:
Pamela Bryant is the Senior Vice President & Chief Supply Chain Officer for Parkland Health. Parkland is one of the largest public hospitals in the country with more than 1 million patient visits annually. Pamela has over 25 years of supply chain experience and leads a team of over 200 personnel and is responsible for all aspects of the supply chain, including procurement, strategic sourcing, informatics, logistics, distribution, vendor management, and equipment/asset management. She has a proven track record in driving cost reductions, supporting dynamic growth, implementing new initiatives, improving operational efficiencies, and driving supplier diversity.
Pamela earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, and her Master of Business Administration degree from Averett University in Danville, Virginia. She is an advisory board member of The Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM) and previously served as president of the local North Texas chapter. She also serves as the Board Vice Chair for the Dallas Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council (DFWMSDC) is the Board Finance Chair of the Women’s Business Council Southwest (WBCS) and is a founding member of the Global Health Exchange’s (GHX) Customer Advisory Board.
Lauren Fisher: From Welfare Mom to Empowering Leader
Lauren’s incredible journey from being a welfare mom to amassing 30 years of experience in training and development as well as achieving a successful career in sales with the Fortune 500 company LabCorp, is nothing short of inspiring. At LabCorp, a global life sciences company with over 60,000 employees, Lauren has trained hundreds in both corporate and personal settings.
As a certified Jack Canfield Success Principles Trainer, Lauren Fisher empowers others to embrace their greatness with proven, easy-to-implement strategies through speaking engagements and experiential workshops through her company, Easy Success Strategies, LLC. She brings passion, heart, and determination to every engagement, making a lasting impact on everyone she meets.
Outside of her professional life, Lauren enjoys feeding her curiosity and passion for learning with books and utilizing various social media platforms. She has a deep passion championing others, connecting others with like-minded people and helpful resources. Lauren also found an interest in kayaking and even participated in the 2014 Guinness World Record event for the largest raft of canoes and kayaks, with an astounding 3,150 boats!
In 2017, Lauren added “published author” to her list of accomplishments with her writing contribution in the anthology “Women Who Inspire,” which became an Amazon #1 Best Seller.
Lauren Fisher’s story is a testament to the power of resilience, dedication, and the belief that anyone can achieve greatness.
Make it a great day.
VR Small knows how to turn vision into reality; as the Founder/CEO for the Veteran Women’s Enterprise Center (VWEC), she is driving social, and economic change across our nation. Committed to living her personal slogan “Changing the way we see the world and do business,” VR is a motivational speaker, moderator, educator, and resolute advocate for long-lasting impactful change. Recognized nationally by the Department of Veteran Affairs, Center for Women Veterans, as a Trailblazer “Women Veterans Leading the Way,” VR strives daily to empower her sisters-in-arms to pave their own path to success, by providing access to the resources they need to succeed.

Leora Westbrook is the President of Workforce Strategy & Optimization at AMN Healthcare, developing and executing the business plan. Leora oversees strategy, operations, technology, education, analytics, and consulting solutions.
With more than 20 years of healthcare and professional services experience, Leora has a record of leading complex organizations, driving growth, and delivering transformational outcomes. Known for her servant leadership and collaborative style, Leora has worked for Fortune 50 companies and launched her consulting practice.
Leora earned an MBA from Nova Southeastern University and a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Miami.

Register Here

ACHENTX Virtual New Member Orientation
2024-10-03 12:00 - 12:30, 2025-04-23 14:00 - 14:30 | Virtual
All new (and new-ish) members of ACHE of North Texas are encouraged to attend this session to hear about how the chapter works, how we’re organized, opportunities for you to be involved and ways you can maximize your ACHE membership.
All are welcome!

Register Here

The State of ACHE
2024-10-08 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
We are thrilled the Chair of the ACHE national Board of Governors, William “Bill” Santulli, FACHE, has accepted our invitation to speak with our local ACHE of North Texas audience.
Our agenda for this virtual event:

Opening comments by our ACHENTX chapter President, Aaron Bujnowski, FACHE
The State of ACHE – Bill Santulli, FACHE
Q&A – Wrap Up

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BIOGRAPHY
William P. Santulli, FACHE, is president, Advocate Health–Midwest Region, Downers Grove, Ill.
He also serves as Chair of the American College of Healthcare Executives, an international professional society of more than 49,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems and other healthcare organizations. With comprehensive programs in credentialing, education, career counseling, publications and research, ACHE works toward its goal of being the preeminent professional society for leaders dedicated to advancing health.
Board certified in healthcare management as an ACHE Fellow, Mr. Santulli served as an ACHE Governor from 2020 to 2023 and has served, and continues to serve on, several ACHE committees.
A leader with an Advocate Health predecessor organization for 21 years, Mr. Santulli previously served as COO of Advocate Aurora Health, Downers Grove, Ill., from 2018 to 2022; executive vice president and COO, Advocate Health Care, Oak Brook, Ill., from 2003 to 2018; and CEO, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, Downers Grove, Ill., from 2001 to 2003. Prior to joining Advocate Health, he was COO of the New England Medical Center’s Academic Medical Center, Boston, from 1999 to 2001; COO (1996 to 1999) and senior vice president (1992 to 1996), Central Iowa Health System, Des Moines; vice president, Valley Hospital Medical Center (UniHealth America), Van Nuys, Calif., from 1989 to 1992; and assistant vice president, Good Samaritan Community Healthcare, Puyallup, Wash., from 1985 to 1988. Earlier in his career he was an administrative fellow, Healthwest Foundation, Chatsworth, Calif., from 1984 to 1985; and an administrative resident, Metropolitan Medical Center, Minneapolis, from 1983 to 1984.
In addition to his service to ACHE, Mr. Santulli serves on the boards of Moving Analytics and Renovo Solutions. Previously, he served as chair of the Illinois Hospital Association and on the boards of Chicago United, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the Des Moines and Los Angeles chapters of the American Red Cross and the YMCA of Boston, Des Moines and Los Angeles. In 2022, Mr. Santulli received the Service Award through ACHE’s Recognition Program.
Mr. Santulli received a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in sociology and health services research from the University of Florida. He also received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Notre Dame.

ACHE of North Texas Board of Governors Exam Preparation Course
2024-10-11 08:00 - 17:00 | Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford (HEB), 1600 Hospital Parkway, Bedford, TX, 76022
Why become an ACHE Fellow?

Distinguish yourself as a healthcare leader
Differentiate yourself from your peers
Shows mastery of a core body of knowledge in healthcare knowledge

This valuable professional recognition can be achieved now with the help of the ACHENTX advancement committee’s Board of Governor’s exam preparation program.

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Tentative Itinerary (topic times are subject to change)
8:00 – 8:30: Arrival/Breakfast/Introductions/ACHE Background
8:30 – 9:30: Human Resources – Phaedra Johnson, RACR, CCMP
Entity Human Resources Officer
Texas Health Resources
9:30 – 10:15: Laws & Regulations – Toya White, , JD, MBA, MSN, APRN, FACHE
President/Chief Nursing Officer
Texas Health Resources
10:15 – 10:30: Break
10:30 – 11:15: Governance – John Lampert, , FACHE
System Director – Strategy and Planning
Texas Health Resources
11:15 – 12:00: Professionalism & Ethics – Javier Montemayor
Division Ethics and Compliance Officer
HCA / North Texas Division
12:00 – 12:30: Lunch
12:30 – 1:30: Finance – Day-Vene Gilliam, MHA, FACHE
Staff Vice President – National Network Optimization & Business Development
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
1:30 – 2:15: Health Information & Technology – Nick Kagal
2:15 – 3:00: Quality – Brandon Goertz, PhD, FACHE
Vice President Professional and Support Services
Texas Health Resources
3:00 – 4:00: Healthcare – Lee Ann Benson, FACHE
Senior Vice President, Maternal-Child Program Development
Children’s Health
4:00 – 5:00: Management, Leadership & Business – Matt Richardson, DrPH, MPH, FACHE
Health Director
Denton County Public Health
Breakfast & Lunch Included.

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2024 ACHE of North Texas Summit
2024-10-14 18:00 - 20:00 | City of Hurst Conference Center, 1601 Campus Drive, Hurst, TX, 76054
This year we’re building upon the successes of our past Summits (formerly called Convocations) to offer an exciting and dynamic format. We are also encouraging attendees to bring your significant others as the format and program are designed for a wider audience.
When you arrive, you’ll be given your nametag and ushered into a spacious area where all attendees can gather, socialize, and network. We will have a cash bar and complimentary food for you to get the beverages and foods of your choice. We will have plenty of seating and tables for everyone, but we don’t think you’re going to want to stay seated much of the time. We encourage everyone to socialize as broadly as possible to take advantage of this more relaxed and inviting set-up.
Parking is complementary.
Instead of an extended educational program, we will have a series of brief TED-talk-like presentations. The three confirmed speakers thus far are:

Amer Kaissi
Professor of Healthcare Administration, Trinity University
Author of award-winning books such as, Intangibles: The Unexpected Traits of High-Performing Healthcare Leaders and Humbitious: the power of low-ego, high-drive leadership
Frances Dare
Senior Consulting Director
Cognizant Health Sciences
Edward W. Marx
Chief Operating Officer, Marx Advisory
Author of healthcare bestsellers including Voices of Innovation and Healthcare Digital Transformation
Krista D. Stepney, MHA
Keynote Speaker, KD Speaks, LLC
Partner & VP, Operations, Chartis

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Speakers’ Bios:
Amer Kaissi is an-award winning Professor of Healthcare Administration at Trinity University in Texas. He teaches Leadership and Public Speaking. He is also an executive coach and author. His first book “Intangibles: The Unexpected Traits of High-Performing Healthcare Leaders” won the 2019 Healthcare book of the year award. His most recent book is “Humbitious: the power of low-ego, high-drive leadership”, which was listed on the 2022 Book Award by the Association of University Programs in Healthcare Administration. He has been featured on the Harvard Business Review podcast and numerous other podcasts and media outlets. He has spoken on leadership topics at more than 250 organizations and professional conferences.
He lives in San Antonio with his wife and two teenagers.

Krista Stepney is a captivating and impactful speaker, renowned for her ability to blend her lived experiences with her extensive background as a corporate executive and successful entrepreneur. With a passion for empowering others, she specializes in motivating audiences to unlock their fullest potential, and embark upon a bold transformative journey of purposeful action.

With nearly two decades of experience, she excels as a Partner at Chartis, where she serves as the VP, Operations for the Chartis Center for Health Equity and Belonging. Known for designing and implementing equity-focused strategies, Krista guides organizations through organizational transformation with an emphasis on workforce dynamics, equitable patient outcomes, and community health optimization.

Prior to Chartis, her impressive career path includes leadership roles at Russell Reynolds Associates, Optum (UnitedHealth Group), the Advisory Board Company, Emory Healthcare, and Atrium Health. Each role underscoring her talent for leading multi-disciplinary teams and setting new standards of excellence.

Krista’s approach is unique and captivating. Through her speaking engagements, Krista inspires transformation. She motivates her audience to embrace boldness, leverage the power of innovation, and venture beyond their comfort zones. She promotes a message of trust in one’s divine purpose, leading to a journey of self-discovery and professional fulfillment. Krista Stepney is more than just a speaker or an executive – she’s a change-maker, empowering individuals to see beyond traditional limitations and embrace the vast possibilities of a life driven by bold action.

Krista holds a Master of Health Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She currently resides in Dallas, TX.

The youngest child of Holocaust survivors, Ed Marx moved to the United States at age 10. At 16, he served as a medical clinic janitor where he discovered his healthcare calling. Ed took successive positions as combat medic, anesthesia tech, strategic planner and technology manager. He quickly learned how the convergence of clinical, business and digital saved lives. His passion ignited, he jumped feet first into technology and operations in the C-Suite of Cleveland Clinic, NYC Health & Hospitals, Texas Health Resources and University Hospitals.
Intermixed, Ed served the supplier side as well. He was CEO for consulting firm Divurgent, global CDO for Tech Mahindra Health & Life Sciences and CIO of the Advisory Board. Concurrently, he served 15 years as an Army combat engineer officer and combat medic. Today, Ed is focused on his own advisory practice.
Ed does a fair amount of speaking, writing and podcasting. He authored healthcare bestsellers including “Voices of Innovation” and “Healthcare Digital Transformation”. He is currently writing a book for Mayo Clinic on “Patient Experience” and “Voices of Innovation – Payers”. His podcast “DGTL Voices” is “Top 3%” globally. His Blog, CEO Unplugged, surpassed 1M views. Ed recently started a YouTube channel to expand his audience.
Most importantly, Ed is husband to Simran who holds a Doctor of Nursing (DNP). They love to dance and climb mountains. They have 5 grown children and 4 grandchildren. To stay fit, he is captain of TeamUSA Triathlon.

Frances Dare, Senior Consulting Director for Cognizant Health Sciences, helps leading healthcare organizations discover and leverage new technologies and innovative strategies that lead to transformational success. She is an experienced healthcare executive, published author in leading industry publications including Harvard Business Review, and speaker focusing on topics including Virtual Health, Labor/Nursing Shortages, and Consumer Experience and Engagement. She often works at the intersections of providers, payers and life sciences to enable higher quality care, support seamless consumer experiences, and accelerate new therapeutic solutions. Much of her current work focuses on healthcare organizations strategically navigating the opportunities and disruptions unfolding with GenAI and other automation technologies. Frances is a member of the North Texas ACHE chapter and resides in Dallas, TX and Washington, DC.

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A special thanks to our Platinum and 2024 Summit Presenting Sponsors:

Breakfast with the Chief - Vanessa Walls, Chief Market Executive, Children’s Health and Sneak Preview of New Children's Health Plano Expansion
2024-10-15 07:30 - 09:30 | Children’s Medical Center Plano, 7601 Preston Road, Plano, TX, 75024
Join us for this special Breakfast with Vanessa Walls, Chief Market Executive, Children’s Health and a Sneak Preview of New Children’s Health Plano Expansion immediately following her presentation. We will start off the morning with breakfast and some networking, followed by Vanessa’s presentation and then tours of the new Children’s Health building.

Vanessa Walls serves as Chief Market Executive for Children’s Health. In her role, she is responsible for driving market strategy in communities north of Dallas along with the operations and performance of Children’s Medical Center Plano.
Prior to joining Children’s Health in 2011, Vanessa was the Vice President of Ambulatory Services for Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha. Her career has spanned more than 35 years as a leader in health administration, including positions in physician practice management, large health systems, as well as in urban and rural hospitals, ranging in size from 39 beds to more than 900 beds.
Vanessa received her Bachelor of Science in Political Science (Health Administration) from Auburn University and earned her Master of Science in Health Administration from the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

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Fourth Quarter Education Event
2024-10-24 15:00 - 19:00 | Baylor Scott & White Health, 301 N. Washington, Dallas, TX, 75246
These panels have been approved for 1.5 ACHE In Person Education Credits Each (3.0 if you attend both).
3-3:30pm – Check-In/Networking
3:30-5pm – Panel 1: Proactively Managing Your Professional Development as a Healthcare Leader
This panel will focus on the nuts and bolts of career planning in the healthcare sector. It will explore steps an individual should take within their organization and in the surrounding community to reach the next level in healthcare leadership. Topics covered will include competencies and skills required for the future of healthcare, the importance of interprofessional education, and mentorship, coaching, and sponsorship.
Moderator:
Dr. Trinette K. Pierre, DHA, BSN, RN, CCC, CEC, CHLC, FACHE, NEA-BC
President/Founder/Executive Coach
TRImani Consuting, LLC
Panelists:
Dr. Patti DeFrehn
VP of Patient Care Services
Baylor University Medical Center
Dr. Julie Holland
Sr. Director, Nursing Professional Practice and Clinical Learning
Texas Health Resources
5:30-7pm – Panel 2: Leading a Culture of Safety: A Blueprint for Success
To help healthcare leaders achieve total system safety across the continuum, ACHE, and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement/National Patient Safety Foundation Lucian Leape Institute developed a guide “Leading a Culture of Safety: A Blueprint for Success”. This Blueprint is designed to help leaders shape, create and sustain the type of organizational culture needed to ensure patient and workforce safety and inspire healthcare leaders on the journey to zero harm. This discussion will focus on the six critical domains to develop and sustain a culture of safety.
Moderator:
Dr. Lisa Mason DNP, MBA, MHA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE
VP and Medication Safety Officer
Children’s Medical Center
Panelists:
Dr. Shivani Patel
Chief of Patient Safety
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Doreen Donohue, DNP, RN, NEA‐BC, CPHQ
Director, Office of Quality and Patient Safety
The Joint Commission
Kristin Duncan, RN, BSN, MBA, CPPS
Sr. Director, Patient Safety-Risk Management
Texas Health Resources

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Speakers’ Bios:
Patricia DeFrehn serves as Vice President, at Baylor University Medical Center, a 914 bed, Magnet designated, Level I trauma center in Dallas, Texas. Baylor University Medical Center is the flagship hospital of Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in Texas, and one of the largest in the United States. She has been with Baylor University Medical Center since 2012 as Executive Director, and Vice President since July 2014. During her career, she has held executive leadership roles in emergency services, trauma, neuroscience, procedural areas, surgery, and women and children’s. In 2021, she led BSWH’s statewide COVID-19 vaccine initiative.
Patricia received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain School of Nursing, a bachelor’s degree of Business Management and Economics and Master of Business Administration from St. Francis University in Pennsylvania, and a Master of Liberal Studies from Southern University Methodist, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Patricia is also on the faculty of the Baylor Louise Herrington School of Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Executive Leadership program teaching Strategic Economics and Finance.
Patricia is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), Texas Organization for Nursing Leadership (TONL), American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) and the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN). She is certified as a Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma, leading several programs that demonstrate reduced cost savings and increased physician compliance and satisfaction through process improvement strategies.
Patricia is an innovative leader dedicated to driving quality, safety and efficacy for the patients that she serves. Her belief that best practices in finance, economics, management, and strategy are vital for organizational success is evident in her partnership with Southern Methodist University to develop a Master of Liberal Studies curriculum dedicated to clinical leaders. Patricia is committed to a culture of transparency and excellence through collaborative relationships with the entire healthcare team.

Doreen Donohue, DNP, RN, NEA‐BC, CPHQ is the Director of the Office of Quality and Patient Safety at The Joint Commission. In this role, she leads the team of Patient Safety Specialists to evaluate submitted safety and sentinel events.
Dr. Donohue is licensed in South Carolina as a Registered Nurse and maintains board certification as a Nurse Executive‐Advanced from the American Nurse Credentialing Center. She is also a Certified Professional in Health Care Quality.
Dr. Donohue received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the College of Mount St. Vincent in Riverdale, NY, and her Master of Science in Nursing Administration from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Kristin Duncan is a Registered Nurse and serves in the role of Sr. Director Patient Safety and Risk at System Services at Texas Health Resources. She is responsible for facilitating the patient safety program at THR with a focus on high reliability initiatives and a culture of safety that supports zero preventable harm. She has 25 years of experience in healthcare as a registered nurse with 20 of those years dedicated to an emphasis and passion for patient safety. Kristin has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Masters Business Administration and is a Certified Professional in Patient Safety.

Julie Holland, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Sr. System Director of Nursing Professional Practice and Clinical Learning has been in nursing for 28 years and began her nursing career at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital as an Oncology nurse. Julie’s clinical background includes Oncology, Medical/Surgical and Critical Care. Additionally, Julie has experience in nursing education and program development and management, and leadership experience as an Administrative Supervisor, Manager and Director. As a Magnet Program Director, Julie led Texas Health Arlington Memorial to its initial Magnet Designation in 2014 and redesignation in 2019, and in 2022 led Texas Health HEB to its initial Magnet Designation as well. As Sr. System Director for Nursing Professional Practice and Clinical Learning, Julie leads the system program team and entity teams in all strategic initiatives that support transformational change for THR wholly owned organizations to pursue ANCC Magnet or Pathway to Excellence (PTE) designation and excellence in clinical education. The work includes leading and development of action plans that includes a standardized approach to advance nursing practice and implement nursing operations that achieve continual readiness and implementation of system Magnet-level nursing leadership, professional practice and identified clinical learning needs.
For nearly three decades, Dr. Lisa Mason DNP, MBA, MHA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE has worked in the field of nursing, education, and leadership. After several years as a neonatal intensive care nurse and educator under her belt, she moved into leadership to inspire, grow, and mentor nurses in practice at the bedside. Dr. Mason provided clinical, quality, and operational direction in the pediatric inpatient and ambulatory arena for over 20 years, and currently serves as the Vice President and Medication Safety Officer for Nursing at Children’s Health System of Texas. Notably, Dr. Mason was named as one of the DFW Great 100 Nurses in January 2021, and became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives in 2022. Dr. Mason received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas in 1997. In 2004, she completed a dual Master of Healthcare Administration/Master of Business Administration from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. In 2018, Dr. Mason received a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas. Her doctoral research in education, as it relates to nursing discipline and remediation, was in response to the growing need for supportive solutions that promote the growth of nursing practice and stabilization of the nursing workforce. Lisa remains actively engaged in women’s and children’s advocacy and nurse leadership by serving as an Executive Advisory Board Member for Synova (Advancing Nurse Leadership) since 2022.
Dr. Shivani Patel grew up here in the Dallas Ft. Worth area and received her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin. She went on to receive her medical degree from the University of Texas McGovern School of Medicine in Houston. She then completed her residency in OBGYN and fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Southern California Los Angeles County Hospital. She returned to Texas in 2014 joining UT Southwestern as an assistant professor in the division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. She served as the Medical Director for Obstetrics at Clements University Hospital from 2020 through 2024 and during that time, led a team that developed an Obstetrics Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement Program. That group earned UT Southwestern’s highest clinical honor, the Leaders in Clinical Excellence Program Development award for their work in improving maternal outcomes at Clements Hospital.
Dr. Patel is a Certified Professional in Patient Safety and joined the Health System Patient Safety Department in 2023 as the Medical Director for Patient Safety. She now serves as the institution’s Patient Safety Officer. In this role, she has developed the institution’s Safety Rounds, known as PeopleRounds, to engage the voice of the frontline and created multidisciplinary teams around Patient Safety to help drive a Culture of Safety.
Dr. Trinette Pierre is President and Owner of TRImani Consulting, LLC – A Leadership Development and Executives’ Coaching and Consulting Firm. Dr. Pierre’s serves the leadership needs of healthcare executives and providers, education-sector professionals, IT firms, and government sector professionals. Dr. Pierre has over 33 years’ of service in healthcare in frontline and leadership roles within various organizations. Dr. Pierre has also served as an adjunct professor of graduate studies for health administration, nursing, and public health programs for over 10 years – an assignment which she continues to love. Dr. Pierre served as Regent for the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Texas Northern Division and served on the Board of Directors for ACHE North Texas Chapter from 2021-2024. She is also a proud member of the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) DFW Chapter and is an advocate of progressing the development and advancement of our Black and Minority leaders within healthcare and other business sectors. One element has remained the same throughout her career: Dr. Pierre loves teaching, guiding, and mentoring health professionals. It is her passion and this passion is at the heart of what she does.
Dr. Pierre received her Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree in 2000; her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 2006; her Master of Health Administration (MHA) in 2010; and her Doctor of Health Administration (DHA) degree in 2015. In addition to her Registered Nurse’s (RN) license, her certifications include Certified Career Coach, Certified Executive Coach, Certified Healthcare Leaders’ Coach, Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), and Nurse Executive Advanced – Board Certified (NEA-BC).
Dr. Pierre published her first book (Leadership Legacy: Using Insights from Your Past to Build a Legacy of Success) in 2022 and introduced Thrive At Leadership – Her Leadership Success Academy for Healthcare Nurse Managers & Business Professionals in early 2024. Dr. Pierre enjoys spending time with her family, hosting movie/game nights at her home in DFW, engaging in Biblical research, cooking/baking, spa days, exercising, singing, and traveling.

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ACHENTX Networking Blitz
2024-11-13 17:30 - 20:00 | Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, Fort Worth, TX, 76104
A tremendous networking opportunity for new and more seasoned members alike!

This event is for all ACHE of North Texas members who want to become more involved and/or become more connected/networked with their fellow ACHENTX members.
The ACHE North Texas Membership Committee cordially invites you to the ACHE of North Texas chapter’s next Networking Blitz. This fun event will allow members to get to know one another in meaningful ways. There will be special fun activities, where personal connections will be made. The intent of this program is to bring members together to get a real in depth view of ACHENTX, to enable you to meet some of the chapter’s leadership and other fellow ACHE members, and to help you map out how to best take advantage of the plethora of local and national benefits and opportunities available to you through ACHE. It’s a way to “let us get to know you” as well and become a part of your professional network.
We will start with informal networking between 5:30-6pm, and at 6pm, we will dive into the more structured portion of the evening.

Our special guest presenter for this program is:
Corey Wilson, FACHE, chief operating officer at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, is responsible for the day to day ancillary and support operations of the hospital. Prior to returning to the Texas Health family he served as vice president of Ancillary and Support Services at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in Oakland, California. While there he implemented a 340B drug discount program resulting in $5 million in annual savings and restructured the Support Services division to improve regulatory compliance and fiscal stability.

He began his career at Texas Health in 2007 as an administrative resident at Texas Health Fort Worth and then went on to serve as both the director of Planning and Business Development and support services officer at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital. Together with his team, he managed key components of the Texas Health Heart & Vascular Hospital Arlington including construction, licensure, accreditation and operations, and improving patient satisfaction scores.

In 2015, Corey returned to Texas Health Fort Worth as vice president and professional services officer. He served as project lead for the System Integration and Innovation Office where he was responsible for aligning Texas Health Physicians Group operations and improving cost. In addition, he led the coordination of a comprehensive neuroscience strategy, enhanced inpatient imaging procedures and chaired the team responsible for the development and implementation of tele-stroke services.

Corey received a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Oklahoma and a master’s degree in health administration from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and also serves on the boards of United Way of Tarrant County, North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council, and Texas Health Park Hill Surgery Center.

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ACHENTX Holiday After Hours Networking Event: Supporting Annie’s Place
2024-12-03 17:30 - 20:30 | Chicken N Pickle, 4600 Merlot Avenue, Grapevine, TX, 76051
Come and network with friends and make some new connections at our popular Holiday after hours networking event.

Ugly Christmas sweaters are highly encouraged (but not mandatory).
Appetizers and beverages will be provided, along with Shuffleboard, a Jenga Tower, and Corn Hole.
Alcohol will be available for purchase and pickleball courts will be available to rent for those interested.
We are collaborating with Annie’s Place for this event. Annie’s Place is a nonprofit organization supporting the families in need in our community by providing safe, reliable care for children, so no parent will ever have to choose between their own well-being and the care of their child. Click here to learn more about Annie’s Place.
If you’d like to support Annie’s Place, there are a couple of options:

Support online: Annie’s Place has an Amazon Wishlist full of ideas for gifts for the children they care for to make their Holiday extra special. Click here for the Amazon Wishlist
Annie’s Place will also be on-site at the event to gather donations and gifts

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ACHENTX Foundation & SuitSupply Dallas Exclusive Event
2025-01-23 18:00 - 20:00 | SuitSupply Dallas, 3700 McKinney Avenue #100, TX, 75204, United States
Please join us for this exclusive event just for our ACHENTX members, friends and colleagues.
Complimentary food & cocktails will be available.
Check out SuitSupply’s special fall/winter collection and/or have your own suits custom made. (Custom tailoring is available for all.)
SuitSupply Dallas will be donating ten percent (10%) of all this evening’s proceeds to the ACHE of North Texas Foundation.

AHLC Pop-Up Lunch at Thailicious
2025-01-24 12:00 - 14:00 | Thailicious Cuisine and Bar, 2704 East Southlake Boulevard #104, Southlake, TX, 76092
Join our ACHE of North Texas Asian Healthcare Leaders Community for their next pop-up lunch. This will be a casual opportunity for some fun conversation and networking.
Lunch will be user pay, but event registration is free.

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Breakfast with the President & CEO - Eulanie Lashley & Expansion Sneak Peek
2025-01-28 07:30 - 09:30 | Texas Health Hospital Mansfield, 2300 Lone Star Road, Mansfield, TX, 76063
Another great event in our Breakfast with the CEO series – with a Sneak Peek of their upcoming expansion.

7:30-8am – Breakfast & Networking
8-9am – Eulanie’s Presentation
9-9:30am — Optional Expansion Tour

Eulanie Lashley is the newly appointed president and chief executive officer of Texas Health Hospital Mansfield. She is dedicated to fostering growth in the facility while enhancing community connections. With a wealth of experience in healthcare, Eulanie has a proven track record of developing impactful programs and overseeing significant expansions.
Before her role in Mansfield, Eulanie was the vice president and chief operating officer at AdventHealth Apopka in Florida. She helped develop new heart attack treatment and cancer programs during her tenure and led a major $26 million expansion project. Her leadership also extended to AdventHealth Winter Garden, where she oversaw the construction of a $219 million inpatient tower, showcasing her commitment to advancing healthcare infrastructure.
Born on the Caribbean Island of St. Vincent and later moving to Antigua, Eulanie’s journey in education began with a scholarship that allowed her to attend Atlantic Union College in Massachusetts. She furthered her studies at Andrews University in Michigan, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting, followed by a Master of Business Administration from Southern Illinois University. Eulanie’s career in healthcare began in 2007 as a finance intern with AdventHealth, where she steadily progressed through various finance and leadership roles.
Outside of her professional life, Eulanie enjoys spending quality time with her husband, Rossyl, and their two children, Nathan and Natalie. They are eager to explore their new surroundings in Mansfield.
Eulanie is excited about partnering with the Mansfield community to continue Texas Health Mansfield’s legacy of growth and innovation in healthcare services. She expresses enthusiasm for working alongside talented providers and team members who are deeply committed to delivering exceptional care and achieving outstanding patient outcomes.

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Utilization of PA/NP Workforce in the Current Healthcare Environment
2025-02-27 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual
This panel has been approved for 1.5 ACHE Virtual Interactive Education Credits.
Evolution and transformational change is inevitable in the current healthcare environment. Physician Assistants (PAs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are the fastest growing healthcare professionals. Medical practices and hospital systems recognize the need to ensure optimal utilization of their PA and NP workforce. National data show employers experience greater profit and productivity when they effectively utilize PAs and NPs. During the panel, participants will learn more about national trends, as well as how the PA/NP workforce can have a significant impact on patient access, outcomes and satisfaction and the positive impact PAs and NPs can have on an organization’s financial bottom line. The panel will discuss techniques to measure and document utilization, using metrics such as productivity, quality, provider work satisfaction and resource utilization. This panel will discuss best practices for building sustainable leadership models and career pathways for PAs and NPs in a healthcare organization or medical practice.

Moderator: Dr. Jim Allard, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE
Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer HCA Healthcare
Medical City Arlington
Panelists:
Karen Holmes
Physician Assistant, Orthopedic Surgery
Baylor Scott & White
Charlene Kesee, DBA, FACHE, FACMPE
Clinical Department Administrator
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Diana Mendoza, MPAS, PA-C
Director, APPs Pediatric Specialties
UT Southwestern Medical Center

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The Role Vision Plays in Your Strategic Planning Process
2025-02-27 17:30 - 19:00 | Virtual
This panel has been approved for 1.5 ACHE Virtual Interactive Education Credits.

Prior to the advent of the Affordable Care Act, the majority of healthcare leaders had the luxury of a virtually unchanging vision for their organization (where they were going and what they wanted to become). Their visions were typically hospitalbased, simple and clearly understood by all in the organization. For many, each cycle of strategic planning was simply one of refreshing the plan for the upcoming cycle against the backdrop of that static vision for the future – as straightforward as, “What are we going to do this coming year?”
Over the past several years, those clear, unchanging, hospital-based visions have become less relevant to the changing marketplace, driving a need to examine and in most cases completely refresh and redefine the future. Many haven’t addressed this need. Many that have attempted it have struggled.
Participants will leave this session with an appreciation for the effort necessary to develop and articulate a new, meaningful, useful, communicable, and most importantly achievable vision for their organizations.

Moderator: Mark Schnitzer
Strategic Planning Advisor
Innovation Med Institute
Panelists:
Saúl Cordero, PE, FACHE
Senior Vice President and Chief Governance & Strategy Officer
Parkland
Kathi Cox
COO of Ambulatory/Virtual Channel
Texas Health Resources
Donald Taylor
Director, Alliance for Physician Leadership and Professor of Practice
UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management

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Methodist Celina Medical Center Sneak Peek
2025-03-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Methodist Celina Medical Center, Farm-to-Market Road 428 at the corner of Dallas Parkway and FM 428, Celina, TX, 75009
Join us for this special Methodist Celina Medical Center Sneak Peek event to see inside this grand new hospital before it is fully opened to the public. This will be Celina’s first hospital.
We will be honored with a special welcome from Methodist Celina Medical Center President and fellow ACHENTX Member, Cody Hunter, FACHE. We will also be hearing from representatives from both the architectural firm, Perkins & Will, and contractor, Skiles Group – to hear all the special details they have taken into consideration with building out this incredible new facility. Celina was recently named the fastest-growing city in North Texas and this $237+ million will immediately begin providing emergency and critical care services with plans to offer additional women’s health options in August. Methodist Celina Medical Cetner is roughly three miles from Celina’s downtown square at the corner of Dallas Parkway and FM 428. (It’s so new, some gps’s don’t yet recognize the location.)
The evening will include walk and talk tours for our attendees – with ALL Methodist Celina department heads (25+) being on hand to answer questions during the tours and throughout the evening.
A special thanks to Cody Hunter, FACHE, and Methodist Celina Medical Center for hosting this event — and for Aramark for providing our food & beverages.

Register Here

2025 ACHE Congress on Healthcare Leadership
2025-03-23 08:00 - 2025-03-27 14:30 | George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas, Houston, TX, 77010
Don’t miss out on this year’s ACHE Congress on Healthcare Leadership!
This year is super special in that for the first time, Congress will be held in the great state of Texas! Many from the ACHE of North Texas chapter are planning to attend.

Be sure to also register for the All-Texas Chapters’ Members Reception. (A separate registration is required for this reception.) This reception is being held in conjunction with the 2025 ACHE Congress, but you do not have to be a Congress registrant to attend.
Hosted by ALL SEVEN ACHE Chapters in Texas; ACHE-SETC, ACHE of North Texas, Central Texas Chapter – ACHE, East Texas ACHE Forum, South Texas Chapter of the ACHE, Texas Midwest Healthcare Executives, and Southwest Healthcare Executives Association.
Date: Sunday, March 23
Time: 6-8p
NOTE NEW Location: Marriott Marquis – Houston Ballroom 4
1777 Walker Street
Houston, TX 77010
Register Here for the All Texas Chapters’ Reception: https://ache-setc.org/event1/all-texas-reception/

ACHENTX's Women's Conference: Boldly You. Empowered. Inspired. Unstoppable.
2025-04-04 08:00 - 14:00 | Texas Woman’s University – Dallas Campus, 5500 Southwestern Medical Avenue, Dallas, TX, 75235
This event is being offered by the ACHE of North Texas Foundation and ACHENTX’s Women’s Healthcare Executives Network.
9-9:15am – Introductions
9:30-10:15am – Breakout Sessions 1
Topic Option A: Stop Doing So Much
Speaker: Therese Gopaul-Robinson
Keynote Speaker & Consultant
Therese Gopaul-Robinson Company

Topic Option B: Rest Assured: A Chat about Harmony Between Work and Personal Life
Speaker: Kimberly King Webb
Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer
CHRISTUS Health

Topic Option C: Strategies to Simplify to Impact
Speaker: Dr. Megan Carter
President & Founder
MC Health Care Consulting LLC

Topic Option D: Building a Powerful Community
Speaker: Judy Hoberman
President
Judy Hoberman and Associates Executive Leadership Coach & Mastermind Facilitator

10:15-10:30am – Break
10:30-11:15am – Breakout Sessions 2
(Repeating the four options listed above)
11:15am-12:15pm – Lunch / Networking
12:15-1:15pm – Keynote Session Topic: Bold From Within: Unlock the Power That’s Already Yours
Speaker: Krista Stepney
Chief Executive Officer
KD Speaks, LLC

PLEASE NOTE: BY REGISTERING FOR THIS EVENT YOU ARE CONSENTING TO THE VIDEOTAPING BEING ARRANGED BY ONE OF OUR PRESENTERS.
Register Here
Speakers Bios:
Dr. Megan Carter is a highly experienced Nurse Executive and the Founder of MC Health Care Consulting LLC. She has 18 years of healthcare experience where she has led large, multi-disciplinary teams across the country. She is a proud graduate of Duke University where she received her DNP in Executive Leadership and is board certified as an advanced Nurse Executive. She recently completed the Nurse Executive Fellowship through the AONL. Dr. Carter is passionate about helping healthcare and nurse leaders address burnout, overwhelming workloads and meeting overload through her patented frameworks and programs. She is an engaging speaker and podcast guest who shares the nursing perspective with the world on different platforms.
Therese Gopaul-Robinson works with organizations that want to stay ahead of the competition by developing confident, impactful leaders who fuel better performance, stronger engagement, and lasting success!!
With 20+ years in healthcare, Therese recognized a critical challenge facing leaders—a pervasive lack of self-confidence that led to hesitation in decision-making, avoidance of difficult conversations, and reluctance to share ideas. This held back teams, stalled productivity, and impacted overall business performance. Now she shares her blueprint too help others overcome these struggles.
Her areas of focus include: Self-Confidence in Leadership, Culture Shifts, Security Stacking™, Healthcare Leadership, Women in Leadership.
Therese is based in Dallas, Texas. She is married with two daughters, four dogs, a hamster and is obsessed with true crime podcasts.
Judy Hoberman is President of Judy Hoberman and Associates, a company focused on empowering professional women. She is an award-winning international speaker, best-selling author, trainer, and leading authority on women in leadership and sales. She is also a Certified High Performance CoachTM where changing your habits can change your life. Her focus is on Executive Coaching and Trailblazer Masterminds for women in Healthcare and Financial Services. Judy’s 30 years in business along with her experience in sales and leadership has helped her clients realize the importance of building relationships, standing out and being the authority in their market. She is often described as “transformational.” Judy’s mission…to help one woman a day by following an important philosophy- “Women Want To Be Treated Equally…Not Identically”®
Kimberly King Webb is Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer at CHRISTUS Health. Kimberly is responsible for HR strategy for more than 45,000 Associates in the U.S., Mexico, Chile, and Colombia. Kimberly previously served as Deputy General Counsel in CHRISTUS Health’s Legal Department, managing commercial litigation and labor and employment law.
Kimberly graduated summa cum laude from Florida A&M University with a B.S. in Agricultural Business. She earned her J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, where she served on the SMU Law Review.
Kimberly enjoys community service and philanthropy. She serves on the board of the CHRISTUS Health Foundation and the Catholic Health Association of the United States. She previously served on the board of the Dallas Women Lawyers Association, where she co-led initiatives to support vulnerable women and children. Kimberly is also a member of Texas Women’s Foundation’s Village Giving Circle, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Concord Baptist Church where she and her husband are leaders in the marriage ministry. Kimberly has received numerous awards and recognitions including: the Texas Diversity Council’s Dallas Top 50 Women in Law, Texarkana NAACP Trailblazer Award, and Lawyers of Color Nation’s Best.
Krista Stepney is an accomplished keynote speaker and transformative leader with over two decades of corporate and executive experience. Her career spans strategy, innovation, start-up, and equity-focused initiatives. Drawing on her expertise in leadership development, business strategy, workplace culture, and systems transformation, she empowers audiences to rethink what’s possible and take bold action to achieve meaningful impact.
As the founder of The BOLDprint Method, Krista challenges individuals to unlock their inner courage, amplify their strengths, and embrace boldness as a way of life. Her three signature keynotes—Bold From Within, The Power to Move, and The Power of ‘What If’—provide a roadmap for personal and professional growth, helping audiences break free from limitations, spark their imagination, and lead with confidence.
With a captivating blend of storytelling, strategy, and authenticity, Krista has inspired audiences ranging from Fortune 500 executives to grassroots community leaders. She is driven by a mission to create a more just and equitable world, leveraging her insights to help others move from idea to impact. When not on stage, she supports organizations as a trusted executive, strategic advisor and coach, helping them unlock potential and drive transformative change.

Register Here

ACHENTX Community Event: Irving Cares
2025-04-11 09:00 - 12:00 | Irving Cares, 440 South Nursery Road ##101, Irving, TX, 75060
Our volunteers will be spending their time at Irving Cares sorting, packing or stacking food which can make an enormous difference for the families they serve. Each volunteer experience is critical in helping provide healthy meals to families facing hunger. Volunteers should be 18 years of age.
Please wear comfortable clothing and closed toe shoes.
Thank you for making a difference in the Irving community!

Register Here

2025 ACHENTX Cocktails with the Chiefs - Rangers v. Angels
2025-04-16 17:30 - 22:00 | Globe Life Field, Globe Life Field 734 Stadium Drive, Arlington, TX, 76011
2025 ACHENTX Cocktails with the Chiefs
Topic: The never-ending price escalation of healthcare benefits.
Who’s to blame? The payors, the brokers, the employees, the employers. Sadly, it’s all of us.
For the first time, our popular Cocktails with the Chiefs event is being held in conjunction with a Rangers game (as the Rangers will be playing the Los Angeles Angels), in a private suite at Globe Life Field. Our program will begin with networking and check-ins at 5:30pm, with the educational panel starting promptly at 6pm. The networking and fun will then continue as the game gets started at 7:05pm.
Panel Moderator:
W. Scott Hurst, MBA, FACHE
President & CEO
Patient Physician Network
Panelists:
Larry Childress, CEBS
Senior Vice President
Lockton
Chris Gay
CEO and Cofounder
Evry Health
Angela A. Ripper
Assistant Vice President and Managing Counsel
Unum Group
Dr. Dominic Vu, PharmD
Senior Vice President
USI Southwest
A special thanks to our event hosts for this event!
Evry Health
USI
Unum
Lockton

Register Here

Speakers Bios:
As a Senior Vice President, Larry Childress is a lead consultant for Lockton’s healthcare industry vertical and supports a variety of clients across the healthcare spectrum. He is well versed with the Corporate Practice of Medicine (CPOM) and its impact on benefit plan compliance and configurations.
With more than 28 years in the employee benefits industry, Larry has assisted health systems with promoting the utilization of their proprietary assets through benefit program customization and alignment with third-party partners.
His career began as a group underwriter at Prudential Healthcare, and after four years, he transitioned to employee benefits consulting with Mercer. Larry joined Lockton as a Senior Account Executive and was promoted to Consultant Lead before progressing to a Senior Vice President position, where he serves as the senior lead consultant and executive sponsor to many client relationships.
During his time at Lockton, Larry implemented and led the employee benefits Transaction Advisory/M&A practice for the Lockton-Dunning Series. In this role, he managed the due diligence process for a variety of financial sponsors, including private equity and corporate strategic buyers.
Larry has also served as the Head of Benefits, North America for Ericsson, Inc., where he oversaw the strategy development and execution of all health and welfare, defined benefit, and defined contribution retirement plans for 10,000+ employees in the U.S. and Canada.
He earned his Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation in 2008 from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds the FINRA Series 7 and NASAA Series 66 securities licenses.

Chris Gay is the CEO and cofounder of Evry Health, A Globe Life Company. Launched by Y Combinator in 2018 and acquired by Globe Life in 2024, Evry Health is a commercial health insurer. Chris started his career at Goldman Sachs, escaped to be a mediocre software programmer, and eventually became a serial entrepreneur. Chris attended UT Austin and has lived in East Dallas with his family for 28 years.

William Scott Hurst, MBA, FACHE is currently the President & CEO of Patient Physician Network (PPN), one of the largest Independent Physician Association’s (IPA) in North Texas with over 650 members encompassing multi-specialty physicians and advanced practice providers. In this role, he works with teams of dedicated physicians, staff, and caregivers to advance independent medicine and to prepare the market for changes that have to take place to ensure the future of independence.
Scott is known as an accomplished leader with over 24 years of experience in Physician Alignment, Payor Contracting, Quality Improvement, Operations, Provider Recruitment, Patient Experience and Value-Based Care Operations. At the end of 2024, Scott was honored to be nominated by D CEO and D Healthcare as one of five “Innovators of the Year” for his work around Libertatem.
Before being recruited to PPN in April 2020, Scott served as an Executive Director overseeing operations in Texas and Louisiana for naviHealth, an industry leader in value-based care operations for health systems and health plans servicing Medicare patients.
Over his career, Scott has been blessed to serve as a Project Leader at Methodist Health System; the Senior Director of Physician Networks at Children’s Health in Dallas; a Director of Physician Alignment at CHRISTUS Spohn Health System in Corpus Christi, TX and as a consultant for over 10 years to hospitals in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest and Alaska. In addition, Scott had the honor of serving as the President of the North Texas chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives in 2020.
Scott completed his Bachelor of Arts and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Drury University (1995 / 1997) in Springfield, MO while working in the Athletic Department in Sports Information & Event Management. When he is not at work, Scott can be found hanging out with his wife Erica who is a research nurse at Texas Oncology and her daughters, getting updates from his soon to be graduating 21-year-old daughter who is finishing her degree in painting at the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), assuming the role of “Grand Dude” for his new grandson, listening to live music around the Metroplex or refereeing high school basketball for the North Texas Basketball Officials Association.

Ms. Angela Ripper advises HR daily on decisions ranging from initial hires to disciplinary actions to termination. She works with HR on Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, Immigration, OSHA as well as strategic matters. She also advises on Reductions in Force, reviews contracts, and advises the Absence Management Center on the FMLA and the ADA.
Ms. Ripper received her BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1986 and her JD from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1989. She is a member of the Tennessee Bar Association, the Chattanooga Bar Association and the Association of Threat Management Professionals. Ms. Ripper served on the National Advisory Board of In-house Counsel for M. Lee Smith Publishers. Ms. Ripper served on the Finance Board for St. Jude Catholic Church. She is the past Chairperson of the school board for St. Jude Catholic School and served on the school board for Notre Dame High School. Ms. Ripper serves on the Executive Committee and the Board of the Northside Neighborhood House and serves of the Executive Committee and the Board for Chambliss Center for Children.

Dr. Dominic Vu joined USI Southwest in 2019 as Senior Vice President of Pharmaceutical Strategies in the Employee Benefits Division. Dr. Vu has extensive clinical and administrative leadership experience in medication adherence, population health initiatives, and PBM pharmacy operations from his previous role as Director of Pharmacy for Memorial Hermann Health Plan. His work has focused on leveraging population health data to design clinical programs to reduce healthcare cost through pharmacy and medical benefit design, formulary management, and negotiating with PBMs for lowest unit cost price. Dr. Vu’s formal education includes completing an AMCP managed care pharmacy residency with Kelsey-Seybold Clinics, Doctor of Pharmacy from University of Houston (2011), and Bachelor of Computer Science from Midwestern State University (2002).

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2025 ACHE of North Texas' DFW Healthcare Student Summit
2025-04-19 08:30 - 15:00 | UNT Health Science Center – Medical Education & Training Building, 1000 Montgomery Street, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, United States
AGENDA
8:30am – 8:50am: Check-in and Registration
8:50am – 9:00am: Welcome and Introductions
9:00am – 10:00am: Keynote Session 1: Crisis Management & Prevention
Jared Shelton, FACHE, President, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth
10:00am – 10:10am: Break
10:10am – 11:30am: Panel Discussion 1: Crisis Management and Prevention
1) Christi Nguyen, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, FACHE, FAAN, Associate Chief Nursing Officer of Nursing Excellence at UT Southwestern Medical Center
2) Lance Lynch, MBA, CHEP, CBCP, Healthcare Emergency Management & Business Continuity SME
3) Crystal Brown, MBA, LSSYB, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
4) Timothy Wilson, MA, Senior Vice President, Population Health Management at P3 Health Partners
Moderator: Brianna Garza, BSN, RN, Chair of ACHENTX Student Council
11:30am – 12:20pm: Lunch and Networking
12:20pm – 1:20pm: Keynote Session 2: Policy and Reform in U.S. Healthcare
Patricia T. Driscoll, BSN, MSN, JD, Professor of Health Service Management, Texas Woman’s University
1:20pm – 1:30pm: Break
1:30pm – 2:50pm: Panel Discussion 2: Policy and Reform in U.S. Healthcare
1) Felixia Colon, MBA, FACHE, Senior VP at SCP Health, eHealth Solutions, Former ACHENTX Chapter President
2) Richard Greenhill, DHA, FACHE, Chief Transformation Officer at Quality Insights
3) Serena Bumpus, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Executive Officer at Texas Nurses Association
4) Kristin Tesmer, JD, MBA, FACHE, Assistant Professor of Practice, Interim Director, Business of Health Programs, Texas Christian University
Moderator: Tricia Whaley, MHA, CAPM, LSSYB, NRCMA, Secretary of ACHENTX Student Council
2:50pm – 3:00pm: Optional Networking After/Event Ends
Thanks for UNT Health Science Center for hosting us for this event!

Register Here

SPEAKERS BIO’S
Crystal Brown, a native of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, serves as the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center in Mansfield, TX. In this capacity, she spearheads service line growth & development, operational efficiency, and enhances patient experience. Committed to fostering the growth and development of women within Methodist Health System, Crystal is an active member of the W.O.M.E.N Women of Methodist Enrichment Network.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Crystal is deeply engaged in the Mansfield community, serving on the Mansfield ISD Education Foundation Board. With over two decades of experience in Human Resources, Supply Chain, and Hospital Operations, Crystal is a seasoned healthcare executive. She earned her Master’s in Business Administration from Texas Woman’s University and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, where she serves on various committees and boards.
Recognized for her transformational leadership style, Crystal has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Dr. Marion J. Brooks “Legend in the Making” award in June 2023 and the ACHENTX Executive Servant Leader Regent’s Award in October 2023. Committed to the growth and development of girls, women, and healthcare leaders, Crystal frequently volunteers her time and expertise at local events, conferences, and colleges. Outside of work, she enjoys savoring life’s pleasures with her family and friends, indulging in food, travel, and energizing sporting events.
Dr. Serena Bumpus currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Nurses Association where she is responsible for providing oversight of related entities and programs including the Texas Nurses Foundation and the Texas Peer Assistance Program for Nurses and other programs as identified. She is responsible for executing the ongoing vision for the association as it relates to the changing healthcare landscape and the nursing profession. As the CEO of the largest professional nursing organization in Texas, Serena has the unique opportunity to build strategic relationships with constituent and partner organizations to elevate and advocate for nursing governance and practice based on evolving issues affecting the nursing profession and health policy in Texas and nationally.
Dr. Bumpus’s nursing career spans over 23 years where she has held various positions from staff nurse to Nurse Executive. She has demonstrated a strong career trajectory with involvement in leadership, governance, and advancing the nursing profession. She has made significant strides in improving outcomes and advancing nursing practice throughout her career. She has been successful in leading and advocating for legislative support toward increased funding for nursing education, workplace violence protections, as well as state level funding for nursing scholarships and nursing loan repayment programs.
Serena is a three-time graduate of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing where she received her BSN, MSN and Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership. She is an active and engaged member of numerous professional organizations and serves as an advisor to a Health Tech AI company. She has presented nationally and internationally on the power of the nurse’s voice in health policy development and published several articles on the topic.
Felixia Colón, a native of Jacksonville, FL, brings over 25 years of healthcare experience to her role as a Senior Vice President with SCP Health. Ms. Colón leads SCP Health’s robust Telehealth Core Solutions for Emergency Medicine, Hospital Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine Practices. She maintains oversight and overall accountability for her clients’ clinical performance, quality care, operational excellence, and financial stability.
Ms. Colón has served in various roles in the healthcare field. Her background includes development of a physician outreach program with a major health insurance carrier, managing multi-specialty and multisite physician practices in emergency medicine, academic hospital medicine programs, private hospital medicine programs, transitional care medicine, eHealth/TeleNocturnist programs, and post-acute practices (SNFs/LTACs).
Ms. Colón formerly served as Senior Vice President for one of the largest independent physician practices in Texas. While there, she was responsible for the oversight of the company’s operations, contracting, business development, marketing, recruiting, and healthcare payment reform programs, which included CMS’ Bundled Payment Care Initiative (BPCI) Program.
A graduate of Nova Southeastern University, Ms. Colón holds a Master of Business Administration, with a concentration in Management. She earned a Bachelor of Health Administration from the University of North Florida. She is also a Fellow and active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). Currently, she serves as Immediate President of for the North Texas Chapter of ACHE. She has also served as an elected Board position with ACHENTX and as ACHENTX’s Vice-Chair for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
An accomplished educator and senior healthcare leader; Pat Driscoll is the former President and CEO of Home Health Services of Texas, Inc., the only independent community based, not-for-profit home health organization in the DFW metroplex. Prior to stepping into the CEO role, she served on the board of directors. She has more than 40 years of health care experience, including work in her private legal practice and roles in a variety of clinical, executive, consultant, and educational settings. Pat currently serves as Professor of Health Service Management at Texas Woman’s University. She was previously Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for St. Paul Medical Center, a 600 bed tertiary teaching hospital. She served in managerial roles at Parkland Health and Hospital System and RHD Memorial Medical Center. In her role as a consultant, she advised Fortune 500 companies on health care strategy.
Pat has extensive expertise in acute and post -acute care, as well as community engagement. She serves as the Chair of the board of directors of CHAP (Community Health Accreditation Partner) in Washington DC. She chaired the Texas Alliance for Transitional Care (a consortium of acute and post-acute providers), the North Texas Intra-professional Task Force, and currently serves on the Methodist Health System ACO Care Coordination Committee.
Pat chaired the THR Community Leadership Council for Dallas and Rockwall and served on the Board of Health First, an integrated health delivery system with four hospitals, a health plan, home health and hospice. She also served as the Chair of the Board of the North Texas Health Industry Council
Pat holds a JD from Southern Methodist University, a Certificate in Governance from Stanford University as well as a BSN and MSN.
Richard G. Greenhill, DHA FACHE serves as the Chief Transformation Officer (CTO) at Quality Insights. As CTO, he spearheads strategic initiatives focused on innovation, efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness. He is a sought-after international and national speaker on topics related to AI use in healthcare delivery, hospital resilience, quality and patient safety. He is the Editor-In-Chief of the International Journal for Quality in Healthcare, Communications (IJCOMS), an Oxford University Press and International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua) peer-review publication.
Rich’s career is extensive with deep experience across the continuum of care, quality, and performance improvement. He was elected by his international peers to the prestigious International Academy for Quality and Safety (IAQS), joining luminaries in the universe of quality improvement and patient safety. Membership in the Academy is lifelong and one of the highest honors that someone in healthcare quality can achieve.
He has participated in numerous policy fora and expert panels with the World Health Organization on hospital resilience and sustainability. Rich is a well published researcher and author of various textbooks, editorials, and peer-reviewed publications.
He serves in several ACHE National Faculty roles including author, executive mentor, and coach for various ACHE offerings including:
– ACHE Choice
– Career Accelerator Program
– Executive Program
– Thomas C. Dolan Diversity in Executive Leadership Program
Lance Lynch is a healthcare emergency preparedness and business continuity subject matter expert with over 20 years’ worth of experience in emergency management, response, and preparedness. In addition to directing and managing multiple hospital emergency management and business continuity programs, he has either chaired or been heavily involved with his local healthcare coalitions. Most recently, Lance has worked in JPS and Parkland’s Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs. Additionally, he chaired the Regional Emergency Preparedness Committee with the North Central Texas Trauma and Regional Advisory Council. Lance is also a member of the North Texas Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives, is a member of the Northern Texas and Greater Houston Chapters of the Association of Continuity Professionals, and also serves as the Director of the Association of Continuity Professional’s Healthcare Special Interest Group. Lance is currently lending value to healthcare organizations’ resilience initiatives as the Director of Healthcare for Veoci, Inc. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Spring Arbor University, a Certified Healthcare Emergency Professional credential from IBFCSM, a Certified Business Continuity Professional credential from Disaster Recovery Institute International, and lives in Fort Worth.
Dr. Christi Nguyen is the Associate Chief Nursing Officer of Nursing Excellence at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She oversees Clinical Education and Professional Development, Practice Transition Program, Magnet, Nursing Research and Professional Practice. She also is a Clinical Assistant Professor with the University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation’s MSN Nursing Administration and DNP program. She serves as the American Organization for Nursing Leadership Region 7 Board Director, North Central Organization for Nursing Leadership Board Director and DFW Great 100 Board President-Elect. She is on the Education Committee with the American College of Healthcare Executives North Texas Chapter.
She is an experienced nurse leader holding prior leadership positions in community, safety net and academic medical centers. Dr. Nguyen has worked in multiple areas of nursing, including oncology, home health, hospice, case management, wound and ostomy nurse and risk management.
Dr. Nguyen holds a DNP from Texas Christian University and MSN, MHA and BSN from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Jared Shelton
Jared Shelton, FACHE, serves as president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, assuming the role in September 2024 after a two-year stint as president at Texas Health HEB.
Shelton’s previous roles included six years as president of Texas Health Allen, and a term as vice president of Professional & Support Services for Texas Health Dallas.
He completed his undergraduate studies at Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business and a minor in religion. He also earned a Master of Science in health care administration from Trinity University. Shelton was named the 2024 Trinity University Health Care Administration Alumni Association “Momentum Award” winner, which recognizes early careerists age 40 and under for outstanding achievements in the field of health care management.
Shelton currently serves as a trustee on the Board of Directors for the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council. He is also serving a three-year term as Regent for the American College of Healthcare Executives in District 4, Texas-Northern. He is a past president for the North Texas chapter of ACHE. He has served two terms on the Texas Hospital Association’s “Council on Policy Development” and is also a member of the Wake Forest Athletic Advisory Council.
Outside of work, Shelton and his wife, Kathryn, enjoy parenthood with their young children — daughters, Mackenzie and Caroline, and son, Jack.

Kristin Tesmer currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Practice for Texas Christian University. Her role includes supporting the development and expansion of the Neeley School of Business’ health and health care business offerings in partnership with the university’s school of medicine and school of nursing. Her immediate prior role was as the Program Director for Healthcare Management in the Jindal School of Business at UT Dallas.
Kristin’s industry work includes service as an attorney, health system executive, and CEO/President of several health-related non-profit organizations.
As CEO of Dallas Medical Resource Kristin led a group of Dallas’ non-health business executives and the CEOs of Dallas’ health systems in their mission to promote a healthy healthcare safety net and inform and educate the community with candor, integrity and transparency on issues impacting medical and health care services in Dallas.
As President of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Education and Research Foundation she provided leadership for regional health system and community organization collaborations focused on improving the health and healthcare of the residents of North Texas. Under Kristin’s 10-year tenure, more than 10 million dollars in non-local grant funding was awarded to the Foundation to enhance investments made in health and health care initiatives led by our local health systems, physicians, foundations, and community partners.
Kristin also served 10 years as Chief Compliance Officer, SVP of Quality, Network Liaison to Physician Leadership and various other executive roles with JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas.
Her entry to the healthcare sector was as a private healthcare attorney in Fort Worth, Texas representing physicians and health systems.
Kristin earned her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, a degree in Finance from the M.J. Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University and an M.B.A. from the Jindal School of Business at the University of Texas Dallas. She is married to David Tesmer and has two daughters and one son, Georgia and Sarah Jenkins and Austin Tesmer.

Timothy Wilson serves as the Senior Vice President of Population Health Management at P3 Health Partners, where he leads operational teams focused on optimizing healthcare delivery. His efforts enable providers to deliver the right care at the right time, balancing affordability while minimizing administrative costs. A strong advocate for early intervention, Timothy believes in ensuring that quality care is accessible to every patient.
With over 16 years of experience in healthcare, Timothy has demonstrated a proven track record of addressing complex challenges and driving operational excellence across claims operations, systems configuration, provider services, and audit and recovery. His leadership has been instrumental in improving efficiencies and fostering innovation within the healthcare landscape.
Timothy holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations and Image Management and a master’s degree in mass communication and media studies from the University of Texas at Arlington. He is an active Board Member of the National Association of Health Services Executives (N.A.H.S.E.) Dallas-Fort Worth chapter and the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) North Texas chapter. Additionally, he is a dedicated mentor to professionals at all stages of their careers, helping to shape the next generation of healthcare leaders.
Timothy’s professional certifications include a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, earned during his tenure at UnitedHealth Group, and the prestigious Strengthening the Pipeline certification from the Executive Leadership Council (ELC).
Outside of his professional commitments, Timothy enjoys quality time with family and friends and is an avid reader and culinary explorer.

Register Here

ACHENTX Second Quarter Education Event
2025-04-24 15:00 - 19:00 | Medical City Plano, 3901 West 15th Street, Plano, TX, 75075
These two panels have been approved for 1.5 ACHE In Person Education Credits each (3.0 if you attend both).

Agenda:
3-3:30pm – Networking & Check In
3:30-5pm – Panel 1 – Ethical Challenges in Healthcare Leadership
Ethical challenges arise in all aspects of healthcare and service, from the bedside to the boardroom. Hospital leaders and boards set the ethical compass of the organization by making decisions about priorities, policies, and resource allocation as they determine the best ways to meet the needs of their communities, while respecting their staff and the populations they serve. Understanding the expanding paradigm of planning, creating, and maintaining an ethical healthcare organization is crucial to help identify strategies for implementing ethics initiatives within your own organization. Healthcare leaders must “walk the talk” and demonstrate their commitment to ethics throughout their organization.
Panel 1 Moderator:
R. Bryan Day, FACHE
Director of Operational Design and Deployment
Texas Health Resources
Panel 1 Panelists:
Sondra Davis, PharmD, FACHE
Vice President Operations
Medical City
Dr. Michael Rubin
Director of Clinical Ethics
UT Southwestern

Ashley Thompson Smith
Ethics and Compliance Officer
Medical City Plano/Frisco/ Sachse
5-5:30pm – Networking Break (including snacks & beverages)

5:30-7pm – Panel 2 – Employing Social Media to Build Customer Satisfaction and Community Outreach
Social media, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter) and blogs, have opened new channels of communication between individuals in a meaningful and highly interactive way. Online communities allow organizations to hear directly from customers and vice versa. Healthcare organizations benefit from the use of social media platforms to reach beyond the physical setting in growing their communities. Social media tools enhance the customer experience by building communities of care, engendering patient support and education that extend beyond treatment within a facility. They also create new forums for staff to connect beyond face-to-face interaction, increasing satisfaction and belonging and providing new avenues for recruitment. In addition, social media offers new means with which to deliver news and events, new product roll outs and other initiatives that benefit the community at large. Discover the advantage of incorporating social media into your strategic plan to enhance patient satisfaction, grow your customer base and increase the visibility of your organization.
Panel 2 Moderator:
Bert Witherspoon
Chief Operating Officer
Texas Vision and Laser
Panel 2 Panelists:
Makala Pollard
Director of Brand Management
Texas Health Resources
Melissa Weston
Senior VP Marketing
US Radiology

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Speakers Bios:
Sondra Davis joined Medical City Plano as the Vice President of Operations in January 2025.
Prior to January 2025, Sondra served as the Director of Pharmacy and co-Ethics & Compliance Officer at Medical City Arlington. She began her career with Medical City Healthcare in 2007 and progressed in her clinical and operational leadership roles during her tenure.
She earned her Doctor of Pharmacy from Midwestern University College of Pharmacy, her MBA in Health Services Management from UNT College of Business and her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at Arlington.

R. Bryan Day, FACHE serves in the role of Director of Operational Design & Deployment at Texas Health Resources. He leads system-wide design and deployment of strategic clinical and operational initiatives within Texas Health. This includes managing a team and leading large initiatives to evaluate, design, and implement solutions to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve. He has 13 years of experience in various healthcare administration roles. Bryan has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance from Abilene Christian University, a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from Trinity University, and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Makala Pollard is a healthcare executive with over 25 years of experience in healthcare marketing and brand strategy. As the Director of Brand Management for Texas Health, she ensures brand compliance, enhances customer experience, and leads branding efforts for physician practices, joint ventures, and new services. Makala also oversees social media and digital assets, and directs new market launch plans and positioning strategies.

Michael Rubin, MD, MA is a critical care neurologist and neuroethicist. He has a scholarly interest in death determination, coma, shared decision-making, and the ethics of invasive brain research. After completing neurology residency at UT Southwestern and critical care training at Washington University in St Louis, he completed a master’s in bioethics and health policy from Loyola Chicago. He serves as the Director of Clinical Ethics at UT Southwestern, co-director and creator of NOMAD and is a UTSW Certified Professional Coach. He is a national leader in neuroethics, including authoring multiple position papers with the American Academy of Neurology’s Ethics, Law, and Humanities Committee.

During the last 3.5 years at Medical City Plano/Frisco and now Sachse, Ashley Thompson Smith has made multiple contributions to our Cardiovascular and Neuroscience programs. Some highlights have been developing the nationally know ECMO/ECPR program, leading the implementation of a true neurocritical care ICU, and driving growth and improvement in our overall outcomes in the CV Surgery, Cath Lab, and ECMO spaces. Ashley has 16 years of experience leading cardiovascular programs. Additionally, she has served as our Ethics and Compliance officer for Medical City Plano, Frisco, and Sachse for the last two years and works with many other service lines in the development space.

Melissa Weston is an award winning global commercial executive with over 20 years of expertise spanning consumer packaged goods, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals. She’s renowned for her ability to transform businesses, Melissa excels at accelerating performance through synergizing complex strategies across the US or international markets. Her strategic vision has consistently driven brand evolution, leveraging insights, segmentation, and positioning with omnichannel effectiveness to boost profitability.
Currently, Melissa serves as Senior Vice President of Marketing at US Radiology, one of the largest radiology companies in the nation. Her approach to leadership is characterized by a principle-centered style that fosters high-performing, collaborative cultures. Outside of her professional endeavors, Melissa is an avid drummer and enjoys capturing architectural beauty through photography. She lives with her husband, Dan, and their black lab Maggie. She and Dan have two financially independent adult sons. She’s very proud they even have their own Netflix accounts.

Bert Witherspoon is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 20 years of leadership experience, beginning with a distinguished career as a firefighter and paramedic with the Denton Fire Department. Over nearly two decades in emergency services, he honed his expertise in crisis response, operational leadership, and patient care. His passion for healthcare administration led him to serve as President and COO of Sacred Cross EMS, where he spent nine years leading business development, financial management, and strategic growth for a private transfer and contracted Emergency ambulance service.
Building on this foundation, Bert transitioned into broader healthcare management, holding executive roles in business development, physician relations, and operations across multi-site health systems. As the Chief Operating Officer of Texas Vision & Laser Center, he oversees all financial, operational, and strategic management functions, driving growth, efficiency, and profitability. A Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), he is dedicated to leveraging innovation, business development, and provider relations to enhance patient care and organizational success.
In addition to his leadership role, Bert serves as the 2025 Chair of the Communications Committee for ACHE of North Texas, where he focuses on advancing strategic communication efforts. With deep expertise in business development, social media engagement, and digital strategy, he is committed to enhancing healthcare outreach and community engagement.

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Combined Networking Blitz - Mentorship Program Orientation
2025-05-01 18:00 - 20:30 | Texas Scottish Rite Hospital For Children – Dallas, 2222 Welborn Street, Dallas, TX, 75219
We’re excited to once again be combining two events into one gathering, enabling our Networking Blitz participants to also connect with our 2025 ACHE of North Texas Mentorship Program mentor and mentee participants.
We will start the evening with everyone gathered together for some fun networking activities, a brief showcasing of the ACHE of North Texas chapter and an exploration of how to maximize your ACHE membership experience. Then, as the night progresses, the two groups will separate with 1) the 2025 ACHENTX Mentors and Mentees having an orientation of this year’s Mentorship Program and 2) the Networking Blitz attendees continuing with some additional organized networking opportunities.
It’s going to be an evening filled with a lot of fun and TONS of networking! We look forward to seeing you there!

Our guest speakers for this event will be:
Angie Buckmeier, MHA, BSN, RN, CONQS
Chief Nursing Officer
Scottish Rite for Children
Angie Buckmeier is an experienced Chief Nursing Officer with over 35 years of healthcare experience. Currently, Angie serves as the Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Scottish Rite for Children, where she is responsible for the overall coordination of nursing care, ancillary support, and other clinical functions. She joined as a member of the executive team in May 2022 and participates in the formulation, review, and revision of standards, policies, procedures, and programs for patient care needs. Angie also oversees the development of nurse staffing plans, budget planning, hospital-wide quality assessment and improvement, and the integration of healthcare technology and information systems.
Prior to her current role, Angie held various progressive leadership positions at Medical City Plano/Frisco, Medical City Children’s Hospital Dallas, and Parkland Health and Hospital System Dallas. She has experience in managing within large healthcare facilities, achieving high standards of care, and improving patient outcomes. Angie has also been actively involved in professional affiliations, advisory boards, and community involvement, including serving as a board member for North Texas Make-A-Wish and Richardson Symphony League.
Angie holds a Master of Healthcare Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Northeast Louisiana University, as well as a certification in Obstetrics and Neonatal Quality and Safety (CONQS) by NCC. Angie recently participated in the Texas Hospital Association Fellowship Program, where her team presented their white paper on “Prior Authorizations and Retrospective Denials” to the THA Board of Trustees.

Cardell Velez MBA, R.T.(R)(N)(CT)(CNMT)
AVP
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Cardell Velez MBA, ARRT (R)(CT)(N), NMTCB(CNMT) is the AVP overseeing Imaging Services, Heart and Vascular Services, Apheresis, First Floor Prep and Recovery and Vascular Access Teams for all UT Southwestern Hospitals and Clinics. He came to UT Southwestern from Highmark Health/Allegheny Health Network (AHN) in Pennsylvania where he served as the System Vice President. At AHN, he had oversite for 42 hospitals and clinics, and 21 Breast locations across Pennsylvania and New York. Prior to his time at AHN, he worked at Texas Health Resources serving in multiple leadership roles. Cardell brings over 25 years of experience in healthcare leadership and has a deep understanding of the operational, financial, and strategic needs for a large, growing healthcare organization.
Cardell is an Air Force veteran who was raised abroad in a military family with his father who also served in the Air Force. While deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Cardell was the Director of Radiology for Baghdad International Airport Hospital. There, he was responsible for all Radiologic support to Task Force 21 and 3,500 wounded prisoners of war during the movement from Abu Ghraib prison to Camp Cropper. For his efforts, he was awarded the United States Air Force Achievement Medal among others.
Cardell completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Southern Methodist University (SMU) Cox School of Business and holds a Bachelor of Science from Wayland Baptist University. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for North Texas American College of Healthcare Executives.

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