2023 Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program Scholars
Phong T. Bui, FACHE, CFO, Department of Medicine, Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, is an accomplished financial executive with over two decades of experience. He has demonstrated exceptional expertise in financial management and strategic planning, and his contributions to the department’s financial stability and growth have been invaluable.
Currently residing in West Chester, Pa., he enjoys spending quality time with his family and cherishes the balance between his personal and professional life. His commitment to excellence extends beyond the workplace, as he strives to create a nurturing and supportive environment for his loved ones.
Patti Cuartas, PA-C, FACHE, executive director and associate chief medical information officer, Mount Sinai Health System, New York, is responsible for leading the development and implementation of clinical- and business-aligned IT services to support population health and ED activities. She also cares for patients at Mount Sinai in the ED, urgent care and virtual care spaces.
Before joining Mount Sinai in 2015, Cuartas was director, clinical informatics, at Montefiore, where she was responsible for facilitating clinical technology solutions for complex healthcare challenges. Clinically, she has been a physician assistant for over 23 years, managing patients in a variety of clinical settings.
Cuartas teaches in Mount Sinai’s MHA program, is an adjunct professor at CUNY School of Medicine and a clinical assistant professor at Stony Brook University. She also plays a crucial role in championing a diverse and inclusive workforce at Mount Sinai as the co-chair of the Corporate Diversity Council.
She is certified in project management, holds an MBA in healthcare management from Baruch College and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. She graduated from Stony Brook University with a physician assistant degree, as well as degrees in biochemistry and psychology. Cuartas is also president of the New York State Society of PAs and is a board member of the national eHealth Exchange Network.
James K. Daniel, MD, FACHE, associate chief, primary care, Gulf Coast Veterans Healthcare System, Biloxi, Miss., served 14 years in the U.S. Navy Active and Reserve as a hospital corpsman, pharmacy technician and emergency medical technician. After completion of his active-duty tour, he earned biology and physical science degrees at Auburn University Montgomery before obtaining his Doctor of Medicine from Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tenn., and completing his family practice residency at Louisiana State University, Kenner, La. He also obtained an MBA from Auburn University in 2014, and he is a graduate from the VA Primary Care Leadership Development and Healthcare Leadership Development Programs.
Daniel initially was a part of a private practice in Rockingham, N.C., prior to beginning his VA career in 2008 at Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare System, Montgomery, Ala. In 2016, he transferred to the Gulf Coast Veterans Healthcare System, where he has served as the CMO, deputy associate chief of staff and the associate chief of staff for primary care. He also served as the chief of staff for the Saginaw, Mich., VA health facility.
Brandon C. Fowler, FACHE, vice president, strategy, Surgery Partners, Charlotte, N.C., is responsible for leading strategic planning and ensuring enterprise alignment of the organization’s mission to enhance patient quality of life through partnership. He is also the chair of his organization’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion & Community Impact Council.
Fowler’s previous work experience includes conducting analytics, hospital operations, business development and strategic planning for Atrium Health and Tenet Health. He is actively involved in community service and has served on various community boards, including the South San Antonio Chamber Board of Directors and a local Young Men’s Christian Association board. He currently acts as a consultant for The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Master of Health Administration capstone course and completed McKinsey’s Black Executive Leadership Program.
Fowler, a native of Birmingham, Ala., earned a Bachelor of Science in biomedical sciences from Auburn University and a Master of Health Administration from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Webster Francois, DHA, chief service and core line officer, Marshfield (Wis.) Clinic Health System, has diverse operational and strategic healthcare executive experience in both academic and not-for-profit organizations across the nation. In his current role, Francois has financial, strategic, operational and clinical oversight of all service and core lines across the system. He works closely in a dyad relationship with the CMO, providing oversight to teams of senior leaders in each respective service and core line, and is comfortable and effective working in highly complex, matrix systems. His role involves cultivating the patient-centered framework by enhancing care coordination, access to care, optimizing models of care delivery and patient outcomes.
Francois has more than 15 years of experience in healthcare, and has served in the capacities of hospital president, senior executive administrator for multiple service lines, and director of strategy. During his career, he has developed a reputation as a strong leader with high integrity, top-flight communication skills and a passion for healthcare.
He is a member of ACHE and a celebrated veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. In addition to his professional endeavors, Francois serves on a wide range of boards and committees for both public and private organizations.
Girish G. Kaimal, PharmD, FACHE, vice president, operations, Sagebrush Health, Henderson, Nev., is an accomplished healthcare executive who has consistently delivered exceptional results. Over the course of a decade, he has achieved impressive financial growth and high client retention rates, all while skillfully managing a substantial pharmacy drug budget. Kaimal’s experience also includes overseeing more than 3,000 beds and prioritizing operational excellence and regulatory compliance.
His approach to healthcare is marked by a dual focus on both patient care and business operations, and he prioritizes both clinical and financial aspects of healthcare with a strong dedication to health equity. Kaimal is actively involved in tackling disparities in healthcare delivery and improving outcomes for underserved populations. Throughout his career, he has maintained a steadfast commitment to community-focused, patient-centric care, ensuring that the well-being and needs of patients remain at the forefront of all decision-making processes.
Vernita L. Kelley, RN, FACHE, CPHQ, is executive director, clinical operations, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Richardson, Texas. She has a long-tenured career in healthcare, including leadership roles within hospital systems, health plan medical management and accountable care organizations, and in overseeing statewide quality improvement initiatives for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Kelley has a bachelor’s degree in nursing, a master’s degree in health services management and an MBA. She is certified in healthcare quality, has a Green Belt Six Sigma and holds a fellowship in Comprehensive Patient Safety Leadership through the American Hospital Association in partnership with the National Patient Safety Foundation.
Nicole Leonard, JD, is vice president/vice dean, academic affairs, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. As the medical center expands from a single hospital to a multihospital healthcare system and graduate school, Leonard is leading the development and implementation of innovative strategic and operational plans for the $500 million academic enterprise, for which she is responsible. Her leadership role focuses on strategic and administrative planning with faculty, vice deans, department chairs and directors to develop and implement new initiatives and provide the infrastructure, compliance and support systems for success. A few highlights of her achievements include leading a team to develop the strategic, business and implementation plan for the Chuck Lorre School of Allied Health and conceiving a new business unit, Precision Biomarker Laboratories. Leonard is also leading the business planning and implementation of the new unit, which is shortening the development time associated with the transfer of biomarkers from the lab through validation and into a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-certified clinical lab.
Leonard is a veteran administrator who ensures investigators have a work environment that allows them to concentrate on innovation and exploration, with less time spent on bureaucracy. Creating space for research administration professionals to grow their careers will be one of her lasting impacts on the field.
She earned a Juris Doctorate from the North Carolina Central School of Law and an MBA from the Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business.
Michael Montoya, FACHE, vice president, primary and urgent care, Presbyterian Medical Group, Albuquerque, N.M., has a loyalty to New Mexico that is rooted in optimism, love of family and heritage. But optimism doesn’t negate the harsh reality that New Mexico ranks last in significant social determinants of health and payer reimbursements. Montoya understands many in his community experience preventable suffering and strife, while missing opportunities for improved access and quality of healthcare. He views these challenges as crucial opportunities to better serve the Land of Enchantment, to address healthcare shortcomings and to lead through adversity.
Montoya holds a Master of Health Administration from the University of New Mexico.
Tina M. Seery, RN, CPHQ, senior director, Washington State Hospital Association, Seattle, has clinical and operational leadership experience in emergency, clinical care and quality management, spanning multiple service areas over the last 28 years.
Seery is an active and engaged clinical partner supporting hospitals with patient safety initiatives and serves as a trusted liaison for Lean/Six Sigma, Team STEPPs and healthcare clinical quality expertise, including health policy-related and legislative initiatives.
She actively participates in the Washington State Chapter of ACHE as a board member, as chair of the Membership Committee and the Women in Healthcare Executive Network, and as a member of the DEI Committee. She also serves on the chapter’s Regional Advisory Council. In 2022, she received the ACHE Regent Award.
As a first-generation Latina college graduate, Seery advocates for educational advancement by supporting emerging healthcare professionals as a mentor with the eMHA and MHA programs at her alma mater, the University of Washington, and as a supporter of the Washington State Opportunity Scholar Program. She remains an active Washington state emergency volunteer professional and supported several COVID-19 mass vaccination clinics from 2021 to 2022. This year, she is working toward becoming board certified in healthcare management as a Fellow of ACHE.
CDR Eugene Smith Jr., DHA, FACHE, military executive officer to the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, Office of Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C., is a native of Fort Pierce, Fla. He holds a Bachelor of Science in management, Master of Healthcare Administration, Master of Military Operational Art and Science and Doctor of Healthcare Administration.
Smith enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a petty officer first class through the Health Services Collegiate Scholarship Program, where he was meritoriously promoted to chief petty officer before being commissioned in December 2006. Upon completion of Officer Indoctrination School, he reported to Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Va., where he served as division officer of the Plans Operations and Medical Intelligence, Patient Administration, Emergency Preparedness, Operations Management, and Security Departments.
In 2009, he deployed as an individual augmentee in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, where he served as the mentor for the Afghanistan National Army’s director for administration and heads of the Patient Administration, Logistics, Facilities, and Information Management Departments. In 2010, Smith reported to the USS George Washington (CVN 73) where he served as the medical administration officer and assistant medical department head, completing two eight-month deployments. In 2013, he reported to the Naval Hospital Jacksonville where he served as head of operations management and assistant head of facilities management. In 2016, he reported to the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery where he served as deputy director of Primary Care and Mental Health, and branch head of the Medical Home Port Program Management Office. In 2019, he reported to the U.S. Naval Hospital Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he served as interim executive officer, director for administration, and director for platform support. In 2020, he reported to U.S. Naval Hospital, Sigonella, Italy, where he served as director for administration, director for platform support, and director for expeditionary medicine. In 2022, he reported to his current position.
Smith served as the ACHE Regent for Navy from 2020 to 2023. He is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt, JPME Phase 1-qualified and is authorized to wear the Surface Warfare Medical Department Officer warfare device.
In addition to numerous unit and service awards, Smith’s personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, ACHE Governor’s Award, ACHE Early Career Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for Navy, and the 2021 Navy Senior Healthcare Administrator of the Year Award.
Maija Williams, COO, Rockefeller University Hospital/administrative director, Rockefeller University Center for Clinical and Translational Science, New York, is a healthcare and community service leader committed to cost-effective management of resources and quality performance. She has more than 20 years’ experience in healthcare management as a professional nonprofit healthcare administrator.
In her current role, Williams is responsible for planning and executing the preparation of competing and noncompeting grant applications, and compiling operational, financial and clinical research data for the center’s annual report to the institution and funding agencies. She reviews budgetary requirements to appropriately reflect program needs and provides oversight monitoring and analysis of university budget funding and National Institute of Health grant funding.
Williams is an active member of the ACHE chapter Healthcare Leaders of New York, where she serves as chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee; the National Association of Health Services Executives; the American Public Health Association, where she serves as governing councilor for the Health Administration section and as a member of the National Nominations Committee; and the North Manhattan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She is the former parliamentarian for the NAHSE New York Regional Chapter.
She is the recipient of the 2023 Businesswoman of the Year in Healthcare Management & Administration Young, Gifted & Black Entrepreneurial Award. She also received the 2021 ACHE Volunteer Healthcare Executive Regent’s Award, the 2020 Excellence in Health Administration Award from the American Public Health Association and the 2013 ACHE Early Career Healthcare Executive Award from the Regent for New York—Metropolitan New York.
Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the State University of New York at Binghamton, a master’s degree in public health from New York University and certification in healthcare executive management from the University of California, Los Angeles.