Council convenes top industry leaders in the nation’s health care capital, charges group with tackling challenges and carrying the industry forward through unprecedented change
The Nashville Health Care Council and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., announced today the 2015 class of the Nashville Health Care Council Fellows. Thirty-six senior health care leaders were selected for this renowned program, which is focused on influencing and transforming the nation’s health care system.
“The 2015 Fellows include some of the industry’s best and brightest leaders with experience and industry focus spanning all sectors of health care,” said Frist, who co-directs the initiative with Larry Van Horn, a leading expert in health care management and economics, and professor at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. “These individuals have a challenging task ahead, and I look forward to the meaningful discussion and debate on our nation’s health care that will come from our rigorous curriculum.”
Now in its third year, the Council Fellows initiative engages industry leaders in clearly defining health care’s greatest challenges and exploring business strategies to navigate these difficult issues facing the U.S. health care system in an era of unprecedented change.
“In today’s environment, health care executives must bring a multi-faceted approach and new thinking to leading their organizations,” said William F. Carpenter III, chairman and chief executive officer of LifePoint Hospitals and chairman of the Council board. “The Fellows program is an important guide for industry leaders because it arms them with the tools and resources needed to develop innovative solutions to complex issues through collaboration.”
The members of the 2015 Fellows class are:
- Oran Aaronson, M.D. – Medical Director, Vanderbilt Spine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Gregg Allen, M.D. – Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, MedSolutions
- Greg Allen – General Manager, Cigna-HealthSpring
- Bill Baucom, M.D. – Summit Medical Associates
- Bill Brown – Chief Executive Officer, Entrada
- Dave Caluori – Principal, Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe
- Nick Coussoule – Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
- Mike Cuffe, M.D. – President and Chief Executive Officer, Physician Services, HCA
- Michael Dal Bello – Partner, Pritzker Group
- Rebecca Dexter – Vice President, Market Performance and Account Management, Healthways
- Lisa Doyle – Vice President, Human Resources, HCA
- Joel Galanter – Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel, Aegis Sciences Corporation
- Rachel Haithcoat – Director – Mergers & Acquisitions, DaVita HealthCare Partners, Inc.
- Mark Harris, Ph.D. – Founder and Chief Executive Officer, NextGxDx
- Darren Hodgon – Vice President, Strategy and Innovation, United Healthcare
- Rusty Holman – Chief Medical Officer, LifePoint Hospitals
- Debbie James – President and Chief Executive Officer, Vivere Health
- Phil Johnston – Dean, College of Pharmacy, Belmont University
- Ed Jones – President and Chief Executive Officer, HealthTrust
- Kris Joshi, Ph.D. – Executive Vice President, Emdeon
- Neil Kunkel – Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer, Capella Healthcare Inc.
- Mark Lamp – Chief Executive Officer, American HomePatient
- Julie Lampley – Attorney, Butler Snow LLP
- Helen Lane – Executive Vice President & Partner, c3/consulting
- Darren Lehrich – Managing Director, Deutsche Bank
- Wendy Long, M.D. – Deputy Director, Health Care Finance and Administration, State of Tennessee
- David Massaro, M.D. – Deputy Chief Medical Officer, VA MidSouth Healthcare Network
- Ken Misch – Chief Financial Officer, MEDHOST
- Anna-Gene O’Neal – President and Chief Executive Officer, Alive Hospice
- Bill Paul, M.D. – Director, Metro Public Health Department
- Beth Ratliff – Senior Vice President, Premise Health / CHS Health Services
- Saurabh Sinha – Chief Executive Officer, emids
- Lloyd Smith – Partner, PwC
- Paul Smith – Vice President, Division VI Operations, Community Health Systems
- Harsh Trivedi, M.D. – Executive Director and Chief Medical Officer, Vanderbilt Behavioral Health, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Erin Wilkins – President, Southeast Region, Press Ganey
The Council Fellows Initiative
The Fellows initiative is the next step in continuing Nashville’s health care legacy of leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship. The initiative engages key professionals to better implement business strategies, create value, drive industry growth and effect change on local, national and international levels.
“Fellows is a nationally-unique initiative that leverages the experience of the industry’s founding leaders alongside respected experts and academic institutions,” said Caroline Young, Council president. “As the health care system continues to transform, this initiative is a chance to showcase Nashville’s knowledge and innovation to national experts, while also training our future leaders for success in this new era.”
The eight day-long sessions, held between January and May, will utilize the expertise of industry experts in Nashville, as well as nationally-known figures and leading academic institutions. The integrated curriculum will include topics such as health care policy reform, shifts in reimbursement systems, disruptive innovation in technology, advancements in personalized medicine, consumerism, integrated delivery networks, population health management and globalization.
Executive skills development and a unique immersion component are also hallmarks of the specially-designed curriculum. The sessions will be hosted at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management.
The Fellows initiative has a lasting impact on its graduates, offering consistent alumni engagement and collaboration opportunities for both current and former Fellows. “Nashville is uniquely positioned to offer this one-of-a-kind curriculum,” said Van Horn. “In just a short time, Fellows alumni are excelling within their own organizations and creating new opportunities for Nashville.
The Council Fellows program is presented in partnership with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Community Health Systems, HCA, Healthways, LifePoint Hospitals and Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management.
More information, including class member biographies, will be posted at www.healthcarecouncilfellows.com as it becomes available.
About the Nashville Health Care Council
The Nashville Health Care Council, founded in 1995 as an initiative of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, is an association of health care industry leaders working together to further establish Nashville’s position as the nation’s health care industry capital. Nashville’s health care industry generates more than $70 billion in revenue and 400,000 jobs worldwide, and is Nashville’s largest and fastest growing employer. For more information on the Council, visit www.healthcarecouncil.com.
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Contact: Valerie Somerville
615-743-3144
vsomerville@healthcarecouncil.com