Executive News

ACHE Member Update

Interim Regents Appointed 
Mona E. Miliner, FACHE, vice president, operations, Penn State Health, Hershey, Pa., has been appointed Interim Regent for Pennsylvania. 

Nicole L. Schell, FACHE, senior human resources director, UCHealth, Colorado Springs, Colo., has been appointed Interim Regent for Colorado. 

ACHE Announces Nominating Committee 2023 Slate
The ACHE Nominating Committee has selected a slate of leaders to be presented for approval at the Council of Regents Meeting, March 18. All nominees have been notified and have agreed to serve if elected. All terms begin at the close of the Council meeting in March. The nominees for the 2023 slate are as follows:

Nominating Committee Member, District 2 (two-year term ending in 2025)
Ashley R. Vertuno, FACHE
CEO
HCA Florida JFK North Hospital
West Palm Beach, Fla.

Nominating Committee Member, District 3 (two-year term ending in 2025)
Mark Schulte, FACHE
Vice President, Operations
Monument Health Rapid City Hospital
Rapid City, S.D.

Nominating Committee Member, District 6 (two-year term ending in 2025)
CAPT Robert T. McMahon III, FACHE
Director, Navy Casualty
Navy Personnel Command

Governor (three-year term ending in 2026)
Thomas B. Lanni Jr., FACHE
President
Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Pointe and Troy
Troy, Mich.

Governor (three-year term ending in 2026)
Karin Larson-Pollock, MD, FACHE
Chief Quality Officer
Providence–Puget Sound Region
Everett, Wash. 

Governor (three-year term ending in 2026)
Frances C. Roesch, FACHE
Director, Administration/Obstetrics & Gynecology Department
McMaster University/Faculty of Health Sciences
Hamilton, Ontario

Governor (three-year term ending in 2026)
Solomon A. Torres, FACHE
Deputy Executive Director/COO
Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center
New York City

Chair-Elect
William P. Santulli, FACHE
COO
Advocate Aurora Health
Downers Grove, Ill.

Additional nominations for members of the Nominating Committee may be made from the floor at the annual Council of Regents Meeting.

Additional nominations for the offices of Chair-Elect and Governor may be made in the following manner: Any Fellow may be nominated by written petition of at least 15 members of the Council of Regents. Petitions must be received in the ACHE headquarters office (American College of Healthcare Executives, 300 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste. 1900, Chicago, IL 60606-6698) at least 60 days prior to the annual meeting of the Council of Regents. Regents shall be notified in writing of nominations at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting of the Council of Regents.

Thanks to the members of the Nominating Committee for their contributions to this important assignment:

Michael J. Fosina, FACHE
Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE
Jennifer D. Alderfer, FACHE
Todd A. Caliva, FACHE
Col Stephanie S. Ku, FACHE
John M. Snyder, FACHE
Jhaymee Tynan, FACHE
Christine C. Winn, FACHE

ACHE Call for Nominations for the 2024 Slate
ACHE’s 2023–2024 Nominating Committee is calling for applications for service beginning in 2024. ACHE Fellows are eligible for the Chair-Elect and Governor vacancies and are eligible for the Nominating Committee vacancies within their districts. Those interested in pursuing applications should review the candidate guidelines for the competencies and qualifications required for these important roles. Open positions on the slate include:

• Nominating Committee Member, District 1 (two-year term ending in 2026).
• Nominating Committee Member, District 4 (two-year term ending in 2026).
• Nominating Committee Member, District 5 (two-year term ending in 2026).
• Four Governors (three-year terms ending in 2027).
• Chair-Elect.

Please refer to the following district designations for the open positions:

• District 1: Canada, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont.
• District 4: Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas.
• District 5: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Candidates for Chair-Elect and Governor should submit an application to serve that includes a copy of their resume and up to 10 letters of support. For details, please review the Candidate Guidelines, including guidance from the Board of Governors to the Nominating Committee regarding the personal competencies of Chair-Elect and Governor candidates and the composition of the Board of Governors.

Candidates for the Nominating Committee should only submit a letter of self-nomination and a copy of their resume.

Applications to serve and self-nominations must be submitted electronically to krock@ache.org and must be received by July 28. All correspondence should be addressed to Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE, chair, Nominating Committee, c/o Kim Rock, American College of Healthcare Executives, 300 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste. 1900, Chicago, IL 60606-6698.

The first meeting of ACHE’s 2023–2024 Nominating Committee will be held March 21 during the 2023 Congress on Healthcare Leadership in Chicago. The committee will be in open session at 2:45 p.m. Central time. During the meeting, an orientation session will be conducted for potential candidates, giving them the opportunity to ask questions regarding the nominating process. Immediately following the orientation, an open forum will be provided for ACHE members to present and discuss their views of ACHE leadership needs. 

Following the July 28 submission deadline, the committee may meet to determine which candidates for Chair-Elect and Governor will be interviewed. All candidates will 
be notified of the committee’s decision no later than Sept. 29, and candidates for Chair-Elect and Governor will be interviewed in person Oct. 19.

To review the Candidate Guidelines, visit ache.org/CandidateGuidelines. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Rock at (312) 424-9375 or krock@ache.org.

Call for Proposals: Management Innovations Poster Session
ACHE invites authors to submit narratives of their posters to be considered for the 38th annual Management Innovations Poster Session scheduled to take place at ACHE’s 2023 Congress on Healthcare Leadership, March 20–23. This is a unique opportunity for authors to share their organizations’ innovative work with other healthcare leaders. We are interested in innovations addressing issues that might be helpful to others, including improving quality or efficiency, improving patient or physician satisfaction, implementation of EHRs, uses of new technology, and similar topics. 

Please visit ache.org/CongressPosterSession for the full selection criteria. Narratives should be submitted as an email attachment and sent to PosterSessions@ache.org by Jan. 17. 

Registration Open for Diversity Internships Through the AHA Institute’s Summer Enrichment Program
ACHE and the American Hospital Association’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity are pleased to announce that registration is open for the Institute’s 2023 Summer Enrichment Program at ifdhe.aha.org/summer-enrichment-program-overview.

The Summer Enrichment Program grows and strengthens the pipeline of healthcare leaders from underrepresented groups and places diverse graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in healthcare administration or a related field in 10-week, paid internships across the country. Starting in October 2022, registration opened for host sites and students interested in participating in these experiences. 

ACHE and the Institute are co-promoting the SEP to increase the number of students who participate in the program each year and, accordingly, increase the number of host sites. Just as students benefit from experiential learning, host sites gain the experience of mentoring, educating and collaborating with new and upcoming leaders. 

For more information about the SEP or on becoming a host site, visit ifdhe.aha.org/summer-enrichment-program-overview or contact either the Institute at ifd-sep@aha.org or (312) 422-2690 or Anita Halvorsen, FACHE, senior vice president, Executive Engagement, ACHE, at ahalvorsen@ache.org or (312) 424-9370.

People

ACHE Chapters Recognized for Their Commitment to Diversity
Five chapters received the 2022 Regent-at-Large Award for their accomplishments in diversity. To be eligible to receive an award, a chapter must actively demonstrate commitment to and successful execution of significant diversity and inclusion initiatives within the chapter, community and healthcare management field. The following chapters received the award during the annual Chapter Leaders Conference, which took place Sept. 19–20, 2022, in Chicago. For more on the winners, see Chapter News.

• District 1: Healthcare Leaders of New York. 
• District 2: ACHE—North Florida Chapter. 
• District 3: ACHE—MN Chapter. 
• District 4: South Texas Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
• District 5: Washington Chapter of ACHE. 

2022 Executive Program: Helping Leaders Advance 
In November, nearly 60 healthcare leaders completed ACHE’s 2022 Executive Program, composed of Executive, Senior Executive and Physician Executive cohorts. This virtual three-module series was held over five months, with the first module beginning in July of last year, and the two subsequent modules held in September and November. 

ACHE’s 2022 Executive Program featured sessions led and facilitated by leading healthcare experts, individualized career coaching, professional leadership assessments and health system site visits that delivered unique insights on topics relevant to the specific challenges that healthcare leaders are facing. The Executive Program supports professional growth and enhances organizational advancement. The participants also benefit from the lasting relationships and shared knowledge that this unique learning experience offers. 

The Executive Program will be held in both virtual and in-person formats in 2023. More information will be available soon. 

2022 Dolan Scholars Share Their Experiences 
The 37 scholars selected for the 2022 Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity and Career Accelerator programs completed their work in December. Both programs, each six months in duration, provided this diverse group of healthcare leaders with education, mentoring and networking experiences to prepare them for higher-level positions in hospitals, health systems and other healthcare organizations. The Executive Diversity Program, which had 12 scholars, consisted of e-learning, including live and recorded webinars, self-study materials, and three in-person sessions, while the Career Accelerator Program, with 25 scholars, was exclusively virtual and consisted of 14 virtual live sessions. 

The Dolan scholars are empowered through a structured curriculum and activities that cultivate strong leadership presence; sharpen expertise in diversity, equity and inclusion; build critical thinking skills; and expand one’s capacity to navigate career opportunities and challenges. Two of the Executive Diversity Program scholars, Kristan M. Murray, FACHE, and Sonney Sapra, shared their experiences and how the program helped win their leadership development. 

Kristan M. Murray, FACHE, associate director/COO, VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, North Las Vegas. 

When starting new leadership roles in the past, Kristan M. Murray, FACHE, often faced the incorrect assumption by others that she was hired to increase the diversity of a workplace rather than hired based on her expertise and vast experience in healthcare leadership.

Murray has worked tirelessly to ensure that diversity is valued and exists at all levels of an organization under her purview. At the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System in North Las Vegas, Murray provides executive oversight of the facility’s operations and direction for the administrative and support services that ensure continuity of care for the patients served. She also oversees the Organizational and Veteran Health Council and several facility committees within the council’s jurisdiction. Those committees focus on organizational culture with special emphases on employee, patient and community engagement. 

Murray also champions causes, the creation of local committees, initiatives and opportunities that promote diversity, equity and inclusion to highlight the importance of appreciating our differences. Equity of voice, while honoring individuals’ experiences, allows for the consideration of varying perspectives in the decision-making process.

When Murray learned of her acceptance into the Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program, she said it was “the most welcomed surprise.” Murray also soon learned she was the only scholar selected from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and she feared the other members of her cohort would not relate to her experiences in healthcare. However, she quickly learned during the cohort’s first meeting that many of the other scholars faced similar challenges, interpersonally and organizationally, as they worked to improve the patient care their organizations provided.

ACHE’s Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program embraces differences and affords leaders from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to hear from world-class experts, authors and thought leaders, all of whom have helped to reshape her perspective. 

The program’s teambuilding activities, dinner conversations, opportunities for reflection and educational sessions forged true friendships and collegiality among the cohort members. Not only did the scholars truly enjoy spending time together, they gave Murray grace, i.e., time to share and reflect candidly while providing her with compassionate, affirming feedback. They allowed for frank conversations, pushed her to be a better version of herself and provided her with a circle of peers to lean on that many executives lack once they reach a certain leadership level. Having access to a group of like-minded individuals with whom you can share and who will provide candid feedback is an integral component of continued development and sustainability. 

When Murray applied for the Executive Diversity Program, she hoped to gain tools to help her manage personalities from diverse backgrounds, foster an inclusive environment throughout the organization, and help her identify opportunities for greater diversity in her workplace. As she completed the program, Murray knew wholeheartedly that she could be the change she wants to see.

Sonney Sapra, senior vice president/CIO, information systems, Samaritan Health Services, Corvallis, Ore. 

For Sonney Sapra, it was an honor to be selected as a 2022 Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program scholar. It was very clear to Sapra during the first session of the program that ACHE had selected a diverse, highly regarded group of leaders, and that they were going to become close and grow from each other’s experiences.

“There is so much value in this program because not only are we learning from leading-edge organizations in healthcare, but we are learning from each other,” Sapra says. During the six-month program, he and other members of the cohort expressed a profound sense of having found their community—an experience that was incredibly powerful for Sapra. Learning about others’ experiences and how they were participating in and driving diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at their own organizations was also very insightful. 

Sapra’s ultimate career goal is to become a CEO. However, as a CIO, he is taking a more unconventional path to get there since most boards expect CEO candidates to have operational experience, which is typically obtained from being a COO. 

In his role as CIO, Sapra is involved in projects and decisions that directly affect many of the clinical departments. Understanding the people and processes of various departments and how technology may impact them and their success has given him a deep understanding of operational workflows. He uses that knowledge to guide those departments with the best solutions. Although he manages many operational issues that touch all parts of the organization, Sapra acknowledges that to become a CEO, he must first hone the operational skills expected of a COO. 

The Dolan Executive Diversity Program has given Sapra the opportunity to learn how others in his cohort are dealing with similar issues in the field, such as staffing and high costs. Open discussions and collaboration with the other scholars has helped him to approach these challenges differently and to think about how he can apply some of that knowledge to his own organization. 
“I am extremely grateful for ACHE and the opportunity to be part of the 2022 Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program,” he says. “Spending time with this distinguished group of leaders during the last six months has clearly shown me that the future of healthcare is in good hands. Now, it’s time for us to take the healthcare field to new heights.”

The Executive Diversity Program has offered specialized leadership development for diverse leaders since it was established in 2014 by the Foundation of ACHE’s Fund for Healthcare Leadership to honor Thomas C. Dolan, who served as president and CEO of ACHE from 1991 to 2013. The program honors his long-standing service to the profession of healthcare leadership and furthers his strong commitment to achieving greater diversity among senior healthcare leaders. In 2021, the program was expanded with the addition of the Career Accelerator Program, designed for diverse mid-careerists to support their career advancement. For more information about the Executive Diversity and Career Accelerator programs, visit ache.org/ExecutiveDiversity.

Fellow Named to AHA Board 
The American Hospital Association elected Marc L. Boom, MD, FACHE, president/CEO, Houston Methodist, to a three-year term on its board of trustees beginning Jan. 1. 

IHF Announces 2022 Award Winners 
ACHE congratulates the recipients of the 2022 International Hospital Federation Awards. These awards, which include the American College of Healthcare Executives Excellence Award for Leadership and Management, are recognized around the world as the premier awards program to honor hospitals and healthcare organizations. IHF announced the 2022 winners Nov. 10 and presented the awards during a special ceremony at the 45th World Hospital Congress in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 9–11, 2022.

The ACHE Excellence Award for Leadership and Management recognizes hospitals or health service providers that demonstrate excellence or outstanding achievements in leadership and management in leading a hospital or healthcare organization. The 2022 winners of this award are: 

Gold: 

• Emirates Health Services, United Arab Emirates, for its Mental Health of Older Adults Clinical Academic Group project. 

Silver: 

• Emirates Health Services, United Arab Emirates, for its transformation of AMI (acute myocardial infarction), advanced AV (atrioventricular) block and bariatric surgery management through digitalized clinical pathways.
• Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, for its “Hospitals Without Walls” digital transformation strategy. 

Bronze: 

• Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, Northern Mariana Islands, for its Cancer and Associated Risks Early Screening project. 
• Pathology and Genetics Department–Dubai Academic Health Corporation, United Arab Emirates, for leading an innovative and sustainable approach in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic for better patient outcomes. 
• Emirates Health Services, United Arab Emirates, for its Healthcare Innovation Framework.
• Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Philippines, for its “TATAG PCMC,” the PCMC hemodialysis unit’s COVID-19 pandemic response.

This year, IHF received 400 entries from 35 countries and territories—the highest number of submissions since the awards were established in 2015. To learn more about all of the award winners and finalists.

Leaders in Action

To promote the many benefits of ACHE membership, the following ACHE leaders spoke recently at the following in-person events: 

Anthony A. Armada, FACHE
Chair
Chicago Health Executives Forum
2022 CHEF October Face-to-Face Education Program and ACHE Update
Chicago
(October 2022)

ACHE of Southern California 
2022 Annual Conference
Long Beach, Calif.
(December 2022)

Delvecchio S. Finley, FACHE
Chair-Elect
The Connecticut Association of Healthcare Executives 
Healthcare Beyond the Horizon
Uncasville, Conn.
(November 2022)

Carrie Owen Plietz, FACHE
Immediate Past Chair 
Nevada Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives
Nevada Healthcare Forum
Las Vegas
(October 2022)

William P. Santulli, FACHE
Governor
Northern New England Association of Healthcare Executives
2022 Annual Meeting
Portland, Maine
(November 2022)

Michele K. Sutton, FACHE
Governor 
West Virginia Hospital Association and the West Virginia State Medical Association 
Health Care Leadership Summit 
White Sulfur Springs, W.Va.
(November 2022)

ACHE Staff News

ACHE Staff Members Receive Service Awards
The following ACHE staff members recently received awards for service anniversaries. 

20-Year Service Award 
Sheila T. Brown, chapter relations specialist, Chapter Relations, Department of Executive Engagement.  

15-Year Service Award 
John M. Buell, managing editor, Healthcare Executive, Department of Communications and Marketing. 

Caitlin E. Stine, content marketing specialist, Department of Communications and Marketing. 

10-Year Service Award
Sonia S. Hernandez, governance coordinator, Executive Office. 

Five-Year Service Award
Cristina Cuevas, senior customer service representative, Customer Service Center, Department of Executive Engagement. 

Shannon E. Heflin, coordinator, Development, Executive Office. 

Ericka P. Taylor, lead trainer, Customer Service Center, Department of Executive Engagement. 

ACHE Announces New Hires, a Promotion and a Title Change
Following are new hire, promotion and title change announcements.

Patty M. Adducci welcomed as executive assistant to the president/CEO, Executive Office. 

Stephanie M. Del Toro welcomed as partnerships specialist, Department of Learning. 

Tom Halkar welcomed as web developer, Department of Information Technology. 

Mary F. Howorth promoted to education specialist, Professional Development, Department of Learning, from events coordinator. 

Sandra McGarry’s title was changed to chapter education specialist, Professional Development, Department of Learning, from learning specialist.