ACHENTX Executive Connection - Fall 2023

THE EXECUTIVE

CONNECTION

OF NORTH TEXAS

HELPING YOUTH IN CRISIS

A PARENT’S INSIGHTS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS THE EXECUTIVE

CONNECTION

OF NORTH TEXAS

EDITORS

Amanda Brummitt, FACHE

Tom Peck, FACHE

Kean Villarta

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Mike Belkin, FACHE

Vanessa Lee

Dr. Barry Lewis-Harris II

Mark A. Riordan

Melinda Schmidt

Audrianne Schneider, FACHE

Shahid Shafi

Kean Villarta

Bert Witherspoon

ADVERTISING / SUBSCRIPTIONS

info@achentx.org

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS:

ACHE of North Texas

Editorial Office, c/o Executive Connection

300 Decker Drive, Suite 300

Irving, TX 75062

p: 972.413.8144

e: info@achentx.org

w: achentx.org

OFFICERS

President

Felixia Colón, FACHE, Sr. Vice President & Group Operations Officer, SCP Health

Immediate Past President

Dustin Anthamatten, FACHE, VP Operations, Corporate Methodist Health System

President-Elect

Aaron Bujnowski, FACHE

Treasurer

Benton Sprayberry, FACHE, Market President – TX/OK, Main Street Health

Secretary

Patrick Brown, FACHE, Senior Vice President-Operations, National Group Surgery Partners

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer

Ajith Pai, FACHE, President, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital

Southwest Fort Worth

The ACHE of North Texas e-magazine, The Executive Connection, is published triannually and includes information on the latest regulatory and legislative developments, as well as the quality improvement and leadership trends that are shaping and influencing the healthcare industry. Readers get indepth reporting on the issues and challenges facing hospital and health system leaders today. We make it our job to tell you about the great things the organization and Chapter are doing every day to ensure the health of our community. If you have any news and updates that you want to share with other members, please e-mail your items to info@northtexas.ache.org. Microsoft Word or compatible format is preferable. If you have a graphic or picture that you'd like to include, please send it as a separate file. The following are the types of information that our members shared in past ACHE of North Texas magazines, Advocacy Issues, Legislative Issues, Educational Opportunities, Awards / Achievements, Promotions (Members On the Move), Committee Updates, journal submissions, conference submissions, and workshop participations, sharing

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dr. Jim Allard, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE

ACHE Regent-at-Large, District 4 Chief Nursing Officer, Medical City Arlington

Noreen Butte, MD

Pediatrician

Fraser Hay, FACHE

President, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano

Jared Lange

Director, Business Sustainability & Development, Parkland Health

Joseph Clayton Lawrence, FACHE

Regional President, Sound Physicians

Christina Mathis, MHA

Chief Operating Officer/Ethics & Compliance Officer, Medical City Plano

Trinette K. Pierre, DHA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE, ACHE Texas – North Regent

Executive Consultant/Advisor, Career Consultant, Professor, TRImani Consulting, LLC

Kris Sanders, FACHE

SVP Northern Market Growth & Development, Children’s Health

Keith Thurgood, PhD Clinical Professor & Program Director, MS Healthcare Leadership and Management, University of Texas at Dallas

Michael Talley, RRT, FACHE

VP of Clinical Operations & Virtual Care, CHRISTUS Health

Toya White, FACHE

Chief Operating Officer & Chief Nursing Officer, Texas Health Resources

Corey Wilson, FACHE

Chief Operating Office, Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth

Timothy Wilson

SVP, Population Health Management, P3 Health Partners

Mary R. Wylie, DHA, MBA, MHA, FACHE

Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Baylor Scott and White Medical Center Plano

MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT Felixia Colón, FACHE

Dear ACHE Colleagues:

Wow! Can you believe fall is here already? Although temperatures in North Texas do not reflect fall, the start of school, college football games, State Fair of Texas, and the beginning of NFL and NHL seasons confirm this for us. One thing I like to do in the fall is to assess what I have completed from my “New Year’s Resolution” list. As a chapter, I am happy to state that we’ve accomplished a lot from our November 2022 strategy session.

We have continued to grow and provide value for our chapter members. We have diversified our board to represent physicians and companies that are a part of the patient care continuum while ensuring we have representation from Population Health, Physician Support Services and Staffing Solutions. We have also had a lot of diversification with our sponsors that interacts and impacts our healthcare industry like: Technology, Biotech, Architecture, Law Firms, Real Estate Firms, Construction, and Banking.

This concerted effort has allowed us to host more than 50 events throughout the DFW metroplex, grow our chapter base, and interact with other professional healthcare organizations. I am happy to announce that our chapter won ACHE’s District IV, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion award at ACHE’s National Chapter Leaders Conference on September 11, 2023! This award is a testament of all our chapter members who continue to attend our events, volunteer their time on our committees, pursue their Fellowship status, and develop professionally by attending our education sessions.

As we come to the end of 2023, I am reminded of a quote by Winston Churchill, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” I encourage all of you to continue your personal investment with American College of Healthcare Executives and the North Texas chapter!

Our ACHE of North Texas President, Felixia Colón, FACHE, was asked to represent our chapter at the 2023 ACHE Chapter Leaders Conference. Her presentation title was: Inclusivity, Globalization and Evolution: How to Grow Your Chapter Member Base.

MESSAGE FROM OUR ACHENTX

NORTH REGENT

Trinette K. Pierre, DHA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE

Beloved ACHE Leaders,

So, here we go again. It seems as though I just wrote a message regarding summer ending and the busyness of fall being on the horizon. How did we get back to the end of summer fun and the beginning of the fall rush again? Doesn’t it seem like calendar months and years are rushing by without much concern for those who are struggling to keep up?

I know for me, it seems as if I pay household bills on Tuesday, and they are due again by Friday. What’s going on? Life is happening. Time keeps moving. The world keeps turning. We keep rushing. It’s hard to keep track of it all.

Growing up, I remember the elders of my family constantly telling me and my young cousins that things would change as we got older. “You think you have a lot of time now, but you will realize that you don’t when you grow up” was a constant saying in my family. When I look back on my 32 years in healthcare, I wonder where the time went! Years have quickly passed by. With those years, there have been good memories, bad experiences, great accomplishments, and heartbreaking lessons. All of it has moved swiftly as if time was truly fleeting.

As I continue on my leadership journey, I often take time to do self-reflection as a part of my selfleadership process. I often find myself wondering, “Did I make a difference in someone’s life throughout mine?” “What has all I have experienced done to uplift others and support those who needed me?” “What have I really accomplished?” “What lessons have I learned along the way?” “What can I use from yesterday to grow myself tomorrow?” These questions frequently cross my mind as I interact with clients, healthcare professionals, and those in my community.

If we are honest, many of us would love to forget some of the decisions we made along the way. Some would love to retract statements we made in haste, or the responses we gave that would taint our reputations in business and personal realms. Others would love to broadcast the interactions that positively affected the trajectory of our careers, marriages, education, and financial standing. There are pivotal moments in our lives that cause us to either fight to win or succumb to defeat. There are times when we have positive, life-changing epiphanies and moments where we wish we would have done an opposite action from the one we displayed. Each of these events has impacted who we are today. Not alone, but together and collaboratively have these moments underpinned our persons and ultimately worked to form us into who we are.

A few weeks ago, I was honored to attend a seminar that one of my esteemed mentors was holding. She spoke about the importance of reflecting on yesterday to promote better outcomes tomorrow.

The idea of a Legacy Map was introduced to our group. Many of you may know what a Legacy Map is, and you may have something similar in your arsenal. For those who may not have heard of a Legacy Map, it is a means of documenting your journey (whether digital, written, mounted on a chalkboard, etc.). This is more than a vision board. This entails more than a look back at the positives and what we want to accomplish or attain in the upcoming years. This also gives us the opportunity to make personal and professional strategic plans to assist with reaching those goals.

The Legacy Map incorporates the good, the bad, the lessons learned, the triumphs celebrated, the goals achieved, the wrong turns taken, and the moments of deep despair. One thing I’ve noticed about the social mediadriven world today is that very few will showcase what has not worked well for them. The best of 10 takes or recordings complete with multiple filters is posted as “I woke up this way” in the social media realm. In this culture of microwave success, overnight international fame, and spotlights, very few influential people will tell the sorrow and the struggle behind their successes. I believe sharing all of our stories can assist those coming after us who may be experiencing the same. This includes our family members, children, teams we lead, and others we may influence.

In this culture that tells us that we have failed if we do not own businesses by 30, we must ensure we share our “how I got over” stories with those who need to hear them. It also reminds us of how strong and capable we are and how we evolve when show-stoppers are present, thus reminding us that nothing we face can stop us if we wish to succeed.

CONT. FROM PG. 9

MESSAGE FROM OUR ACHENTX NORTH REGENT

The Legacy Map is a tool that tracks how you overcame physical and mental illness barriers to get your degree against all odds; how you cried all night at the loss of loved ones, relationships, and potential contracts then woke up to start over the next day; how you leapt over your lowest moments to keep moving upward in the face of adversity; how you breezed by those who thought less of you because you didn’t believe like they did, look like they did, identify as they did, or move as they did; how you crushed your childhood (and adulthood) fears to trust others who were assigned as your mentors; how you raced past your fear of public speaking to become a skilled orator; how you fought against the voice that told you that you would never grow up to be anything – yet you are everything; how you scoffed at that teacher who said “You won’t pass this course let along graduate from high school” (which you remembered as you walked across the stage - diploma in hand); and how you jeered at the moments when you did not know how you would pay the light bill and feed your family.

A Legacy Map is, in essence, a map of your strength. This map is a journal that shows that you may have had issues on your journey, but you kept moving. You did not allow roadblocks to become periods in your sentences. Still, instead, you used those roadblocks as semicolons that gave you grace for the needed “recalculating” instances that put you back on track with stronger focus and determination. You used those obstacles to refine, rethink, realign, and remove what would have taken another out! You kept moving! Battles, struggles, warfare, enemies, and foes presented, yet you pushed through.

This practice of starting and keeping a Legacy Map is integral to my want to continue moving

forward. I keep a journey map for my personal and professional stories. Each time I feel I cannot overcome something in my present, I look back on what I’ve been blessed to overcome in my past. This is a tool that I use to show my plethora of mentees, younger family members, and those I am entrusted to serve that they can be successful even if they come from unfavorable circumstances. Against many odds, leaders can reinvent when needed to ensure goals are met.

I implore you to tell the whole story of your journey. Tell those you encounter that there may be a struggle to get to success, yet the road has been traveled before. Be open, transparent, and honest with your story. There are no better words of encouragement than “I was there too, yet I did it! So can you!”

Please consider documenting your journey, update it frequently, and share it regularly with those you lead.

Be blessed. Be safe. Stay cool.

- Trin

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MESSAGE FROM OUR ACHE DISTRICT 4 REGENT-AT-LARGE

Jim Allard, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE

Colleagues,

As your District 4, Regent-At-Large, I trust you have had a fabulous summer with family and friends, and you have stayed hydrated! I am sure many of us are looking forward to fall weather. From a National ACHE standpoint, I am excited to welcome Dr. Jackie Hunter, our new Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion. Previously, Dr. Hunter served as the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at The University of Vermont Health Network. We look forward to her experience, guidance and vision for the ACHE Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) journey into the future.

I would like to share the opportunity with the Executive Diversity Career Navigator (EDCN). EDCN is a resource for diverse healthcare leaders and their allies to access information, tools, and inspiration for navigating their career paths to senior level positions. You can access it at www.edcnavigator.org. It is powered by partnerships of ACHE, National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives, National Association of Health Services Executives and Institute for Diversity and Health Equity /AHA (American Hospital Association).

Finally, in mid-September at the ACHE Chapter Leaders Meeting in Chicago, we reviewed the 2024 Strategy and participated in thinktank work to provide feedback and future direction. At this event, I had the honor to award the District 4, “Regent- At- Large Award for Chapter Accomplishments in Diversity.” This award was presented to the ACHE of North Texas Chapter this year!

As always, if I can be of assistance, please feel free to connect. In this role, I am actively assisting Regents, DEI Committees and local leaders around the DEI Agenda of ACHE. With that said, I am also available to assist with local ideas, programming and support as well.

Best,

Jim Allard, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE Regent-At-Large, District 4 (2023-2026)

Congratulations to all in ACHENTX who have played a pivotal role in greatly expanding the chapter’s outreach and focus on improving diversity, equity and inclusion within our chapter and community!

Our chapter won the 2023 Regent-at-Large Award for Accomplishments in Diversity at the ACHE Chapter Leaders Conference in Chicago in September. ACHE of North Texas President, Felixia Colón, FACHE, accepted on behalf of the chapter.

Clinical Excellence Through Telemedicine

Access TeleCare partners with hospitals of all sizes to build and sustain specialty telemedicine programs of excellence.

Built and led by physicians, our team designs Access TeleCare programs to deliver superior patient care.

We deliver consultative telemedicine to on-site health care professionals to allow more patients to be cared for locally –avoiding transfer and fragmented care.

From working in the client hospital’s EMR to working as part of the hospital’s medical staff, our goal is superior operational integration and clinical excellence for your patients.

We provide dedicated specialists for each hospital to promote an ongoing, collaborative, team-based relationship among patients, physicians, nurses and staff.

Features Include:

Minimizing length of stay

Maximizing CMI

Increasing census

Optimizing throughput

Increasing DRG reimbursement

What telemedicine programs can Access TeleCare build for your organization?

ANTIBIOTIC STEWARDSHIP

CARDIOLOGY

CARDIAC ARREST (CODE BLUE)

ENDOCRINOLOGY

GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE

GENERAL NEUROLOGY & ACUTE STROKE

HOSPITALIST

INFECTIOUS DISEASE

MATERNAL-FETAL MEDICINE

NEPHROLOGY

NOCTURNIST

PSYCHIATRY

PULMONOLOGY & CRITICAL CARE

RHEUMATOLOGY

Jared Lange, MBA

What are you doing now?

I made my way to Texas after growing up in Indiana and then working in Colorado, Arkansas, and Florida. I am currently the Director of Business Development and Sustainability at Parkland Health. I run two teams here. One team consists of hospital administrators who identify complex organizational initiatives and work to provide support for them. These initiatives include improving access to care, reducing the cost of care, and enhancing patient satisfaction. The other team is composed of business development professionals, project managers, and data analysts. Together, we gather information and provide intelligence to drive the decisions of our organization. I’ve been fortunate to be a part of Parkland Health for about 5 years now.

In your opinion, what is the most important issue facing Healthcare today?

In my view, the biggest challenge for healthcare lies in its increasing complexity. The healthcare landscape is an intricate web of delivery models, each with its own set of challenges. Staffing, reimbursement, and regulatory issues pose significant hurdles. The sheer size and complexity of the healthcare field make it incredibly difficult to manage, ultimately affecting patient care.

How long have you been a member of ACHE?

I’ve been an ACHE member for a decade now. My journey with ACHE started when I was working at Dallas Presbyterian, and my involvement has grown over time.

Why is being a member important to you? Has ACHE membership been a benefit to you in your career?

I find immense value in ACHE through the connections I’ve made with fellow leaders from different organizations. These leaders have faced or are currently dealing with similar challenges, and the ACHE platform has been invaluable for building relationships with them. Through my ACHE associations, I have a network of colleagues I can reach out to when I need valuable insights, perspectives, or information. Moreover, ACHE provides valuable educational resources that prove helpful during various challenges and crises.

What advice would you give early careerists or those considering membership?

If I were to offer advice to early careerists, I’d strongly encourage them to engage with ACHE. Attending events and making connections with at least one new person at each event can be incredibly beneficial for their professional growth.

Tell us one thing that people don’t know about you.

Recently, I’ve embarked on a journey of meditation, deep breathing, and mindfulness. This pursuit has been both rewarding and challenging. I’ve developed a habit of meditating for up to 20 minutes every morning, which brings me a sense of peace and clarity of thought.

Melinda Schmidt, MBA, BSN, RN, SSGBC

What are you doing now?

I am the Clinical Technology Leader at Kyndryl, the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider, where we serve the nation’s leading provider, payer, and life sciences organizations. I work with many hospitals across the nation, utilizing my skills to help clinicians improve the patient experience. My position enables me the opportunity to apply my skills as a registered nurse and business acumen to bridge the gap between clinical and technological needs while also giving patients a voice throughout the healthcare process.

In your opinion, what is the most important issue facing Healthcare today?

Burnout is at an all-time high and leading to high rates of attrition across hospital staff. While this is a multifaceted issue, I think there are several steps health and hospital systems can take to support their staff. The first is offering multiple shift opportunities as it provides employees more flexibility in their schedule which can prevent staff from leaving. The second is ensuring caregivers are adequately supported with the proper tools and technologies in their role. Far too often, I see a health system deploy a next-gen tool such as an A.I. chatbot and assume it will save the day, when in fact, it may be contributing to the problem. That’s part of my motivation in stepping into this role at Kyndryl, as I can help hospitals address these pressing issues, while ensuring caregivers and patients are at the heart of every IT decision.

How long have you been a member of ACHE?

I joined ACHE in 2017, shortly after receiving my MBA from Baylor University. My goal this year is to obtain the Fellow (FACHE) credential.

Why is being a member important to you? Has ACHE membership been a benefit to you in your career?

Being a member of ACHE is important to me as the networking and knowledge I have received from other members has been significant. I enjoy having the ability to network throughout the United States and have developed many relationships through ACHE.

What advice would you give early careerists or those considering membership?

I would suggest early careerists be active in ACHE and serve on a committee. I have served on the Communications Committee and made great connections with this team. Remember, you are investing in your career and starting early is always best.

Tell us one thing that people don’t know about you.

I enjoy pickleball, tennis and golf. I am an avid tennis player and have attended many U.S. Open events in New York. I have also served on the USTA Texas team, promoting tennis in Texas.

How did you get into health care? What’s your “why?

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a nurse, and because of this, for my Junior League of Dallas placement for four years, I volunteered at Parkland Hospital in the Emergency Department. So many of the nurses told me I needed to be a nurse that I decided to quit working full-time in sales and went back to college for my nursing degree. It was the best decision in my life as I am very passionate about health care. During my 4thyear placement, I served on the Parkland Foundation Board as the Junior League Liaison with Dr. Ron Anderson, Dr. William Cooper and Barbara Lord Watkins. Our goal that year was to secure funding for the new hospital, and we were successful!

MEMBER UPDATES

To submit your update, milestone, award or accomplishment, CLICK HERE.

CHRISTINA MATHIS from Medical City Healthcare has joined the ACHENTX Board.

SARAH WALTERS was promoted to Executive Director for HOSA—Future Health Professionals.

PARISS JACKSON completed an MBA in Healthcare Management from Western Governors University.

CRISTAL RETANA LULE has been accepted to the 2023-24 cohort of Leadership North Texas.

STEPHEN PAGE of Heart Health Community (HHC) recently published Apple and Google mobile app versions of HHC’s heart health enterprise platform.

LESLIE BARDEN was named CEO of the Southern Atlantic Healthcare Alliance, Raleigh, NC.

NIKA HARRISON has been promoted to Director of Operations for Texas Health Breeze Urgent Care.

Community-minded, mul�-specialty medicine

Mihir Patel, MD Regional Chief Medical Officer

Helping Youth In Crisis

A PARENT’S INSIGHTS

Our youth are experiencing a mental health crisis. They and their parents are turning more and more to the healthcare providers for help, interventions, and therapies.

MARK A. RIORDAN

Often the informal health navigators for friends and family, healthcare executives may find themselves at a loss when asked whether inpatient or outpatient care is the better choice for a parent in search of answers.

One parent, a long-time healthcare executive, reached out recently to share their yearslong experience seeking care and treatment for their child. Their insights are shared below and make clear there are no simple answers. There are steps and actions providers, parents and patients can take to improve the care provided and the outcomes expected. Here’s their story:

I almost lost my child several times (and probably more that I don’t know about). We had a lot of rough years that I didn’t know if we would survive. I’m now the parent of a thriving young adult that battles multiple mental health diagnoses daily.

• Their world is today, what’s right in front of them, their friend group, school, extracurriculars, and their social circle. Seeking treatment that maintains their confidentiality and doesn’t disrupt their life may be more acceptable to them.

• Seek treatment early and establish a relationship with a primary care doctor and a psychologist or counselor. You don’t want to be establishing these relationships once a crisis hits.

• If possible, let the youth have some control and say in their treatment. I didn’t always do that. It may have kept them alive. It may have also harmed them further.

• If possible, avoid inpatient visits. And if you must, keep it as short as possible.

• Intensive outpatient programs may offer similar benefits with less risks if you have the means to do that. It may also allow the child to disrupt their life less.

• Trust your gut. If you think something is “off” with your child, it probably is.

• But also, sometimes they seem just fine until they aren’t. Sometimes, they’ve hit rock bottom and are smiling to the outside world. Suffering in silence is common as they may not want to burden or worry others.

• They are likely just as scared as you are, but probably aren’t saying it. Minimizing it may make it less real to them.

• In a crisis, you must advocate for them. There is a shortage of beds, mental health professionals, and resources. This is especially important in discharge planning. You need to have a plan – what the outpatient care is, when the next appointment is, and what to do if symptoms worsen. Simply returning to the Emergency Department isn’t a viable plan.

• If you have the luxury of removing insurance as a barrier, do it. While there is still a shortage of resources even with the ability to pay cash, it does open some doors, reduce timelines, and remove some barriers.

CONTINUED ON PG 22

When it comes to navigating the complex web of services available to youth needing acute or long-term behavioral health care, it’s easy even for experienced healthcare executives to get lost.

I wish I had known these things when navigating the mental health system while they were a minor:

• In this same vein, don’t limit treatment to your town. The right health care professional for your child may be hours away. Telemedicine makes this much easier now.

• Recreational drug and alcohol use may be just teenager behavior. It might also be selfmedicating. Get to the root cause.

• Speaking of illegal drugs, the research on marijuana use is mixed including both exacerbating and improving some mental health disorders. With physician oversight, it may be part of an effective treatment plan and may be safer than some prescription options. Keep your options open.

• Talk to your child’s doctor about complementary treatments and things you can do at home to support your child. Functional Medicine may be very helpful in determining root causes, nutritional deficiencies, genetic markers and more. It can also be very helpful in ruling out certain medications. Acupuncture, exercise, nutrition, and meditation may work hand in hand with traditional remedies.

• It’s your burden to keep them healthy and alive – not their Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Counselor, Social Worker, or Pediatrician. It’s a hard job. And, it’s not always within your control. My own Psychologist of 15 years who knew me all too well gave me this advice, “You must do everything you possibly can to keep them alive – every tool in your toolbox, every resource at your disposal. Because if you don’t, and they die by suicide, you won’t survive it.”

• Learn to talk to them in a way that supports. I learned that many things I did and said with good intent and caring, made my child feel like I didn’t trust them and invalidated all the hard work they had done.

• Take care of yourself. My psychologist often reminded me to keep my emotional bank full so that when my vulnerable child needed to take withdrawals, they could. If my emotional bank was empty, I couldn’t help them. For me, this meant sleep, yoga, good nutrition, acupuncture, and of course therapy. It felt selfish to do those things when my child was in a state of crisis that lasted years. But, I couldn’t help them if I didn’t take care of myself.

• And, this will sound cold, but must be said. You are a caretaker, a resource, and an important part of ensuring they have access to care and feel loved. But, ultimately, they decide. They decide whether they partake in therapy, medications, and other treatments. You can force them, but likely won’t be successful long term. Good luck getting a 16-year-old to take a pill every day or share their deepest thoughts in therapy if they don’t want to do it. You can only do what you can do. And, at some point, accepting that will make the journey a tiny bit less hard.

My journey is still ongoing because we never stop worrying about our kids, right? But I’m to a point where I think I can say it’s a happy-ish ending. They are now a young adult and are doing well in life. I helped fill their toolbox with tools, but they are the one who chooses to use them to persevere, survive, and slay their diagnoses head on. 

Please send your comments or stories to Info@ACHENTX.org. Your privacy is very important to us and will be protected. We will only publish information you expressly approve.

Additional insights from another parent, and healthcare executive.

• Insurance coverage is uneven. And where it is accepted, it is often very limited.

• Wait times are long.

• There’s often an unwillingness among primary care physicians and pediatricians to make psychiatric diagnoses or prescribe psychiatric medications.

• Unless you’re willing to access care virtually, you may find yourself in a behavioral health care desert.

• There’s a lack of resources for complex psychiatric cases.

• There is limited residential care throughout the country.

Some tips:

• Be your own advocate. Build your own care network. Leverage social media groups.

• Look at genetic testing for psych meds to know which will be most/least effective. genesight.com or genomind.com

• Be prepared for Child Protective Services visits. Many people don’t understand all of the impacts mental health can have on a family.

• Document all treatments, medications, intensive outpatient visits, partial housing program visits, and inpatient admissions.

• Mental health is just as important as physical health.

• Remove the stigma. They aren’t different or weird or broken.

• Look for the signs and get ahead of things before they become serious.

CORRECTIONAL HEALTH A VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY

BARRY-LEWIS HARRIS, II, MD, CCHP

Correctional medicine was not an area of healthcare that was broadly publicized nor highlighted as a rewarding career choice or experience for those completing medical school.

Entering into correctional medicine was an “add-on” duty while being a chief medical officer at a federally qualified healthcare center. This addition to my full plate of healthcare activities has been life-changing and rewarding.

I only really knew the impact of providing health care in jail once I became a part of the Correctional Health community. I hope to share its value to the community with a broader audience.

As a snapshot of the individuals we impact, here are some statistics about incarcerated individuals:

• A review of the Federal Bureau of Investigations under the Department of Justice of the United States showed that 10,085,207 arrests occurred in 2019.

• Of those 10 million arrests, the top three offenses were drug abuse violations, property crime, and assaults.

• Coming in at a close number four was driving under the influence.

• If we look at imprisonment from a global perspective, one out of five prisoners in the world is incarcerated in the United States.

It is a constitutional right to receive health care while incarcerated in jail and even post-sentencing in prison. Healthcare is mandated because of the 1976 United States Supreme Court case of Estelle v. Gamble and the 2011 US Supreme Court case of Plata v. Brown.

Even if health care wasn’t mandated, it is the right thing to do! Medical problems with those who are incarcerated are substantially higher than that of the general population. For almost every disease process, the incidence of prevalence is double or more than the those who are not incarcerated. For example:

• 13.9% of the general population has hypertension, compared to 26.3% of those in jail.

• The incidence of stroke in the general population is 0.5%. However, the amount of stroke-related issues for people in jail is 2.3%.

• Heart-related conditions in the general population have a prevalence of 1.9%, whereas the incidence is substantially higher at 10.4% for people in jail.

These are just some of the medical conditions that are higher and warrant health care while incarcerated.

As the Medical Director and Chief of Correctional Health, I have learned that up to 88% of everyone who enters the Dallas County jail exits the jail back to the metroplex community. The Dallas County Jail has become a safety net healthcare institution for Dallas County and beyond. The work being done in the jail is of significant value to the community. This work has an impact on the greater population.

Jails are confined environments, and the risk of contagious diseases could spread easily without health care. Addressing these communicable diseases helps not only those incarcerated but also the broader community once individuals are released. Addressing healthcare in jails ensures that those incarcerated have an opportunity to improve their health status and be better

at reintegrating themselves and positively contributing to society upon their release.

Many individuals who are incarcerated receive the majority of their healthcare while incarcerated. A large percentage of those who are arrested are uninsured and do not have access to healthcare, and after being arrested, insurance benefits cease. If the time incarcerated is extended, many individuals lose their connection to gainful employment, which also then changes the trajectory of having access to insurance for healthcare purposes.

In 2021, the average length of stay in the Dallas County jail was 34 days. Being out of work for greater than a month definitely has an impact on one’s ability to work and continue the health care needed.

Incarceration often provides access to critical preventative testing as well as medications to curb and prevent significant negative outcomes for health. Many times, diseases are first discovered during incarceration, which would have been left unknown without the health care provided. Oftentimes, women first learn of pregnancy during incarceration and, with proper treatment, are able to carry the pregnancy to full term with minimal complications.

I am also reminded of a 40-something-year-old individual who was diagnosed with cancer for the very first time because they were incarcerated. Without the discovery of the diagnosis, this individual’s life would have been substantially limited. Having this diagnosis identified during the incarceration allowed for treatment as well as providing this individual with a chance to change the trajectory of their life!

CONTINUED ON PG 26

Testing and treating sexually transmitted diseases, as well as providing connection to postincarceration care for continued preexposure prophylaxis, decreases the chances of the spread of other sexually communicable diseases, including HIV. Of significant note, providing health care to our juvenile detention population is quite rewarding by having the capacity to mentor the individuals through the health care process but also providing much-needed preventative dental and healthcare to give each of those in the detention a chance at a brighter future.

Each and every day, I am convinced that quality healthcare in jails and prisons is a basic human right. Providing healthcare in jails truly aligns with ethical and legal principles for human dignity and the support of the greater community. When you see a correctional healthcare professional, thank them for their commitment to providing quality care in a unique environment. The care in jails not only supports those who are incarcerated but continuously impacts the community with positive outcomes.

How Influencers are Influencing Medicine

Misinformation, opinion, anecdotal information, and questionable medical advice all come up quickly when looking into how influencers are influencing medicine. And, yet, there is also some great education from medical professionals, as well as social and emotional support from a wide community. So, how can consumers get through the noise to know what is and isn’t useful online? And, how can organizations combat misinformation and be part of a positive educational experience online?

Influencers are Harming Consumers

Kim Kardashian is pushing full body MRIs from a specific company. A former contestant on The Bachelor is promoting a breast reconstruction procedure that she hasn’t even had, although she has had breast reconstruction.

Some consumers feel like they know these people because they’ve followed them on television and seen inside their life on social media. A certain level of trust is there, even though consumers don’t know these people.

Not to mention that these people aren’t qualified to give medical advice. Kardashian says in her post that “it was like getting an MRI for an hour with no radiation.” Yes, Kim, that’s how MRI works. She may be the person for advice on fashion, but healthcare isn’t it.

Can we trust information from people that are being paid to promote a product or a procedure? Do all consumers know these are paid promotions? The downsides of a full-body MRI in a person with no symptoms are many (cost, false positives, taking slot from a patient that needs it).

If this were a medical professional, they would need to share the risks and benefits of the procedure, but influencers aren’t held to this standard and, in the case where the influencer hasn’t even had said procedure, lends a question of ethics and honesty. Apparently, patient selection is very specific for the surgery being promoted and of course none of that or the risks and outcomes are shared in the social media post.

AMANDA BRUMMITT, FACHE VANESSA LEE, MHA KEAN VILLARTA, MHSA

Clearly, neither of these women meant any ill intent, but both h ave the potential to give people unrealistic expectations about costly medical procedures.

Influencers offering their opinions on medical topics like adolescent vaccines and home remedies can be dangerous territory.

A study looking at Tik Tok and public health found that “TikTok influencers or users are offering medical-related advice or discuss health-related topics that receive significant engagement.” They offer many potentially harmful examples of this including another study on Tik Tok where “the top 100 videos with the #acne hashtag had ‘information with serious to potentially important shortcomings.’”

Again, consumers have a certain level of trust with influencers and may be led to believe experiences that are anecdotal or opinions that have no evidence at all behind them. It’s gotten so bad that even YouTube has created a plan for determining if content has high potential for spreading medical misinformation and removing that material.

In addition to product-pushing, misinformation, and opinions, self-diagnosis is a common theme that comes up from this topic. If people are fed enough information about a condition, they may eventually believe that they have it. They may even regurgitate a symptom list to a doctor that is believable enough that they are placed on medications.

This can absolutely be a positive influence if it allows the consumer to suddenly become aware of a symptomatic condition that has been a mystery to their medical professionals. But, when it puts a teenager on mood stabilizer for bipolar disorder that doesn’t have the condition,

that’s dangerous. Diagnosing medical conditions, especially mental health disorders, needs the expertise of a medical professional.

Influencers Are Also Helping Consumers

For every piece of misinformation or poor advice that’s given online, there is also a plethora of education, positivity, and support to be found online. There are incredible medical professionals delivering high-quality and timely medical information through every social media channel. Additionally, there are support groups where people find a safe place to discuss their health concerns.

Education

There are a ton of amazing clinicians pumping out evidence-based education on every platform of social media. Here’s a few that our authors follow or our LinkedIn community recommended (yep, we used social media to gather information).

Aaron Bergman, MS, MPH is an Epidemiologist at Maryland Department of Health that shares on all things infectious diseases, public health, and medical research.

Alok Kanojia, MD, MPH aka Dr. K is a Psychiatrist in private practice and Harvard Medical School determined to see the internet generation succeed. Dr. K shares an integrative and practical approach to all things mental health.

Wendy Goodall McDonald, MD aka DrEveryWoman is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist in private practice in Chicago on a mission to enlighten the world on all topics women’s health, what isn’t other people’s business about your health, and making the world comfortable with the word vagina.

Zach Murphy, PA-C aka NinjaNerd provides free medicine and science lectures that thoroughly explain medical conditions and treatment to supplement learning for people pursuing clinical studies.

Anthony Yuon, MD aka America’s Holistic Plastic Surgeon is a Plastic Surgeon in private practice that discusses how women should not be pressured to believe their bodies need surgery to be beautiful.

Our last one isn’t clinical, but is helping explain navigating Medicare.

Stephanie Abt serves as a guide to the complex journey through Medicare.

Emotional and Social Support

One of our authors unashamedly admits that they follow disease-specific and crunchy wellness lifestyle groups. They listen. They ask questions. And, they often cringe at the medical advice that shouldn’t be given. But they get some food for thought. And, if something is applicable to them or a loved one, they ask their

doctor about it. Sometimes it’s gold. Sometimes it’s garbage. But they have found valuable anecdotal information that is worth further investigation.

Connecting with people with shared experiences can be a positive force as well. Knowing someone else is going through a similar process can be comforting. Having someone to talk to that understands the nuance can be a relief.

Influencers are Challenging the Healthcare Industry

Zubin Damania, MD aka ZDogg is a Hospitalist with UNLV School of Medicine that uses satire, singing, and alter-egos to address critical issues in healthcare like physician burnout, assault on healthcare workers, and clinician frustrations with hospital administration and the healthcare system.

John Dela Cruz, RN, BSN aka Nurse John is an Emergency Department nurse in Quebec that uses humor (sometimes raunchy) to talk about life as a nurse, nurse burnout and the intersectionality of being an immigrant and a nurse.

Will Flanary, MD aka Dr. Glaucomflecken is an Ophthalmologist with EyeHealth Northwest that moonlights as a comedian offering insurance company roasts, the injustices of becoming a doctor, and challenges administrators. His videos are both funny and bring light to serious issues.

Danielle Jones, MD aka Mama Doctor Jones is an Obstetrician and Gynecologist that educates on all things vaginas, but also addresses how women’s health is affected by state and federal polices and laws.

I doubt the next three physicians would consider themselves influencers, but they certainly challenge the healthcare industry to do better through educating on vital topics like health equity while battling misinformation.

Gregory R. Johnson, MD, SFHM is a local Hospitalist with Sound Physicians that is breaking the status quo on improving patient outcomes, addressing health disparities, being better leaders, and increasing diversity in medicine. He also happens to be an active member of our ACHE of North Texas Chapter!

Angela Moemeka, MD is a local Pediatrician with Blue Cross Blue Shield that continually

offers great information on health equity, maternal mortality, immunizations and more through education and data. She shares down to earth and easy to understand education on topics like “why mucus color doesn’t mean bacterial infection.”

Dale Okorodudu, MD is local Pulmonologist and Critical Care Physician with the Dallas VA that is changing the narrative on careers for black men by mentoring young men through Black Men in White Coats with the intent to increase the number of black men in medicine. He shares great information on diversity in medicine and fills social media with success stories.

Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH is an Internist and Pediatrician focusing on obesity medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She’s changing the narrative on how we think about and treat obesity with thought provoking data, evidence, and heart.

Being a Smart Consumer

To be a smart consumer and avoid harm, people must be able to discern misinformation from evidence-based medical facts. They must also be able to differentiate fact from opinion.

If a headline is sensational or inflammatory, that’s likely a good indicator that evidencebased medicine isn’t about to follow. If an article differentiates from the norm in the medical community, that’s okay, but it warrants additional discovery.

If it’s paid content, be suspicious. Can paid content be sound? Sure. But the radar should go up that there is bias in the message and may need extra homework to determine if it’s accurate.

Consumers should check sources before believing something and use multiple sources, as even credible-looking sources may be biased. If the source study is from JAMA or NEJM, it’s likely valid, although even the best peer-reviewed journals retract content sometimes. Checking multiple sources is useful too.

Consumers should also look at the credentials of the author. If their credentials are being a model, they probably aren’t a good source for public health information. Look for MDs, DOs, PhDs, and other licensed healthcare professionals. Look also at their specialties. There are exceptions, but in general their specialties should match the areas in which they are educating.

One of the most important things for consumers is to not spread medical information without verifying it. If I layperson says “I did the research,” ask if they have a lab and how many patients were in their study? Oh wait, they did a literature review. Great. That’s quite useful. Find out their sources and go read the studies.

Who can consumers ask about health information they see online? Ask friends that are professionals in the area – doctors, nurses, public health folks. Talk to their healthcare providers. Ask what they think, what they are doing for their own families, and what they would recommend to a loved one. And, when both the Internist and the Acupuncturist recommend the

same thing, it’s probably good! Go directly to the organizations that might have strong knowledge such as American Academy of Pediatrics or Institute for Functional Medicine.

There are a lot of healthcare professionals battling misinformation that are great resources including:

Jeremy Faust, MD is an Emergency Medicine Physician with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School that writes extensively on deep dives into evidence-based medical research combined with what he sees in the Emergency Department, particularly geared towards clinicians.

Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, MPH aka Your Local Epidemiologist is an Epidemiologist that translates difficult public health concepts like COVID, mental health, and violence into understandable and evidence-based content.

George Niles Mekeel, RN is a retired nurse sharing thought-provoking content around public health, COVID-19, and a broad range of health equity topics.

Kristen Panthagani, MD, PhD is an Emergency Medicine Resident at Yale New Haven Hospital that created You Can Know Things, a “blog about science in a world of untrue facts.”

Eric Topol, MD is a Cardiologist with Scripps Health that uses facts, data, and analytics about both medicine and technology to help consumers and clinicians sift through the noise.

Mikhail Varshavski, DO aka Doctor Mike is a Family Medicine Attending Physician at Overlook Medical Center. Doctor Mike reacts to pop culture plays on medicine by sharing what’s evidencebased, what’s just entertaining but harmless, and what’s garbage.

Katrine Wallace, PhD aka Dr. Kat, is an Epidemiologist at University of Illinois at Chicago.

Dr. Kat combines facts, snark, humor, and research to set the story straight on healthcare exaggerations and misinformation.

What Role do Healthcare Organizations Play?

You only get a voice if you get on the podium. Healthcare organizations have a great opportunity to be a positive influence offering education through social media. Be careful not to give medical advice; it is a vital part of a marketing plan to have a presence online and making that an educational resource is an excellent engagement strategy. It might as well be one that leaves the community in a better place. Content on their websites must also be updated and monitored to ensure it remains relevant.

Healthcare organizations are great candidates to facilitate support groups, push out educational content, and simply be supportive of clinicians that want to do it. They should work with their legal and social media teams to find the right balance of protection for the organization and getting relevant content out in a timely manner.

The next time you scroll through social media and you see an advertisement for a full body MRI, cosmetic procedures, or even Ozempic, don’t get easily influenced. 

POST-LEGISLATIVE SESSION UPDATE & HEALTHCARE IMPACT TO NORTH TEXAS

Michael Belkin, JD, MSHA, FACHE, CMPE

On June 20, 2023, members and guests of the North Texas chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives met at Parkland Moody Outpatient Center to learn about the 88th Texas legislative session and discuss the impact and implications to healthcare delivery in Texas. The panel session included four distinguished speakers with various backgrounds and was moderated by Dustin Anthamatten-Dominguez, Vice President of Operations, Corporate at Methodist Health System.

Legislative Update

The meeting began with a legislative update provided by John Hawkins, President and CEO of the Texas Hospital Association (THA). Mr. Hawkins has spent the last 18 years in government relations. Hawkins shared that there has been a transition in the perception of the healthcare delivery system due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of the pandemic, hospitals were viewed as saviors helping to save lives and respond to a global healthcare crisis. Unfortunately, the current mood of the legislature is that hospitals are driving up the cost of healthcare and making circumstances difficult for American society.

The Texas legislature discussed several topics that will be a challenge to hospitals. Topics included: limiting hospital contracting ability. reducing tax relief distributions, dismantling the 340B program and implementing site-neutral payments. Hawkins shared that these initiatives have the potential to hurt hospitals and make

providing healthcare services to the Texas patient population more difficult.

Hawkins also shared his perspective regarding the current legislative priorities. At the top of the list is the workforce shortages, which include physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals. Legislative and consumer perception is that federal funding helped hospitals make a profit over the past several years and thus rejected measures to provide hospitals financial relief. Hawkins shared that in his opinion federal funding only provided some relief to hospitals during the past several years, but did not erase the financial losses realized during the pandemic.

Hawkins also explained the initiatives that he believes are critical to helping hospitals provide triple-aim patient care.

Given the workforce staffing shortages, he discussed several items that would make a positive impact. Increasing faculty funding to hire more teachers to train nursing candidates will be critical to overcome the significant nursing shortage. Currently, nursing candidates are turned away due to a lack of teachers.

Recruitment incentives would provide a competitive advantage to hospitals looking to hire key talent. Incentives such as educational loan forgiveness would help Texas hospitals compete for critical physician talent.

There is a shortage of various healthcare specialties, however, the shortage in behavioral

health providers is a dire situation. In addition to behavioral health providers, the State needs to open more inpatient psychiatric beds to reduce the number of hospital beds currently occupied by mental health patients. The topic of Medicaid expansion continues to be discussed but still rejected by Texas legislators.

Hawkins shared that advocacy groups have been pushing the narrative that hospitals are monopolies and thus responsible for the high cost of healthcare services. These advocacy groups are well-funded and organized and therefore continue to make an impact on the Texas legislature

Hawkins discussed that these advocacy groups fail to recognize the reality that hospitals face many complex issues including the requirement to provide charity care, the need to operate 24 hours a day and 365 days per year, and the underpayment of most reimbursement vehicles.

These factors are important and not considered by advocacy groups who are pushing initiatives such as the site-neutral payment model. Siteneutral is not a reality when one factors the cost of care variance between a tertiary care hospital and a community-based hospital. The cost of care is much higher at a tertiary care facility due to the multiple operations and services provided. These services are often not available at community hospitals, so the cost of care is lower.

Panel Discussion

In addition to Hawkins, the panel included: Dan Blizzard, Vice President of Strategic Priorities, at Methodist Health System; Edna Z. Ruano, Public Policy Advisor, Parkland Health & Hospital System; and Richard K. Scotch, Professor of Sociology and Public Policy & Political Economy, University of Texas at Dallas. The panel session moderator, Anthamatten-Dominguez, proposed various questions to the panel for discussion:

What can hospitals do to push back on the negative perception of their role in driving up the cost of care?

The panel members shared several suggestions including educating local business leaders on topics such as charity care, unreimbursed care, insurance complexity, pharma cost, medical device cost, and other factors that are not controlled by hospitals.

Advocacy groups driving the narrative that hospitals are the cause of high costs and hospital executives need to share the counter-narrative to educate the population regarding the reality and complexity of this topic. Additionally, the value of public health must be advocated.

What has been the response to the recent hospital violence, specifically the 2022 shooting at the Methodist Dallas Medical Center labor and delivery unit?

The THA and Methodist drafted three bills and two were passed during this recent legislative meeting. The first bill passed increased the penalty of anyone found guilty of an assault on a hospital worker from a minor misdemeanor to a 3rd-degree felony. The second bill passed increased the penalty for tampering with an ankle monitoring device. Anyone tampering with an ankle monitor will serve jail time in addition to the original sentence.

The third bill was not passed primarily because the legislature ran out of time this session to seriously consider it. The third bill would make it mandatory for a hospital to be notified if a thirddegree felon requests to visit the facility. This bill will make it possible for hospital security staff to be prepared for such a visit. There is confidence that this third bill will be ratified during the next legislative session.

CONTINUED ON PG 34

Will Texas expand Medicaid and what are the consequences for not expanding?

Ruano highlighted the recent expansion of Medicaid coverage provided to Parkland with the HB12 bill. This bill provides eligible mothers with 12 months of postpartum care. Parkland provided sufficient evidence to legislators regarding the benefits of such services to reduce infant mortality. Parkland was able to provide data from their maternity services that showed significant improvements in outcomes if such care is provided. Parkland averages 12,000 deliveries per year and provided roughly 1,000 participant outcomes. Ruano shared that this was an “incremental win” towards the potential expansion of Medicaid services to all Texans.

Current consequences in Texas for nonexpansion have resulted in Texas leading the U.S. with 18% of its population uninsured, with Oklahoma coming in second with 13.5% of its population uninsured. This results in cost shifting to taxpayers in Texas. Even though 41 states have expanded Medicaid and 75% of Texans favor expansion, the legislators do not want to expand entitlements. This is a challenge that can be overcome with more evidencebased information that shows a majority of uninsured are working Texans who cannot afford healthcare or work for employers who cannot afford healthcare. The panelists believe that eventually Medicaid will be expanded in Texas after information is shared showing that it makes financial sense.

What is happening with the State budget?

The legislatures agreed to increase funding for mental health and this is a positive development that will lead to an increase in the number of inpatient beds and an expansion of substance abuse programs. Expanding mental health services will help hospitals open up emergency and inpatient beds, currently used to stabilize

psychiatric and chemical dependency patients, for patients who are using hospital services.

What are potential healthcare issues for the upcoming presidential election?

The cost of healthcare seems to consistently be a topic of discussion during a presidential race. Medicare sustainability and any potential reform is a sensitive topic and politicians have recently stated that they are not willing to modify the beneficiary rules for Medicare. The rising cost of pharmaceuticals is a current hot topic. There has been a recent trend of private equity penetrating the healthcare system in various services and there are concerns whether this trend is healthy.

We appreciate Parkland, our speakers, our sponsors, and attendees for making this legislative update a great event. 

Creating

To learn more, visit MethodistHealthSystem.org

Texas law prohibits hospitals from practicing medicine. The physicians on the Methodist Health System medical staff are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Methodist Health System. Methodist Health System complies with applicable federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.

FEED THE CITY / ROCKWALL

ACHENTX volunteers joined others in the city of Rockwall to make over 5,000 sandwiches for those in need.

BETTER TOGETHER: DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION MIXER

Audrianne Schneider, FACHE

Talking and laughter emanated from the large meeting room at CHRISTUS Health, where more than 125 participants gathered for the Better Together: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Mixer on July 20. The positive energy was palpable as Felixia Colón, FACHE, president, ACHENTX, and SVP, SCP Health, welcomed everyone to a dynamic evening, which included a keynote presentation followed by several TED-style talks, featuring several organizations, including HFMA, HIMSS, NALHE, NAHSE, AHLC, WHEN & NTAHQ*. The evening began with networking, a nice selection of refreshments, and an opportunity for attendees to visit different booths to meet the speakers and learn more about their respective organizations.

Marcos Pesquera, System VP for Community Health and Chief Diversity Officer for CHRISTUS Health, and Ajith Pai, FACHE, president, Texas Health Southwest Fort Worth and ACHENTX Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, kicked off the TED Talk segment of the event, which began with a keynote presentation by Richard G. Greenhill, DHA, CPHQ, HACP-CMS, PMP, FACHE. An internationally recognized healthcare quality leader and Director of the Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management Program in the School of Health Professions at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, his career spans more than 30 years. Richard spoke to the meaning of equity (fairness and justice) and health equity (the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health). He also shared a recent personal

story about an experience with diagnosis and treatment.

Several quick TED-like talks followed, spanning the topics of equity, health equity and the cost of health inequity. Colon closed the session by thanking Cassandra Self, FACHE, for her work to organize the event and the speakers. Some amazing door prizes, donated by the speakers, provided a lively finish to a most enjoyable evening. Donations were made in honor of the speakers to the ACHE North Texas Leadership Legacy Fund. 

*The National Association for Latino Healthcare Executives (NALHE), the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE), Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS), North Texas Association for Healthcare Quality (NTAHQ), and Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), Asian Healthcare Leaders Community of North Texas (AHLC) and Women’s Healthcare Executives’ Network (WHEN).

BREAKFAST WITH THE EVP-COO

EDMUNDO CASTAÑEDA, FACHE

ASIAN HEALTHCARE LEADERS COMMUNITY (AHLC) POP-UP LUNCHES

Kean Villarta, MHSA and Shahid Shafi, MD, MBA, MPH

MODERATORS

• Neha Kunte

CEO, MNK Infotech, Inc.

• Vanessa Lee Clinical Program Consultant UnitedHealthcare

• Archana Mahimkar Senior Director Clinical Quality Improvement & Safety Walgreens Health

• Angela Vincent Michael, FACHE Director, Performance Improvement Methodist Health System

• Aditi Mulgaonkar Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

• Sejal Patel Director of Operations US Anesthesia Partners

This was the first of a series of events by ACHENTX to engage with Asian healthcare leaders across the DFW metroplex.

Dallas

Conversation leaders and attendees bonded over similar experiences, shared hopes for the future, and stories of successes and hardships. Topics revolved around professional advice

for early careerists, tips for those who are new to the DFW area, and personal stories on career trajectories. Attendees also discussed the importance of having a supportive group like AHLC and representation in healthcare leadership.

Southlake

Attendees represented various healthcare systems, independent physician practices, and entrepreneurs. There were many high points in the conversation. Neha Kunte shared her story of starting her health IT business, the highs of getting her first client, the lows of the great recession of 2008 and surviving it, and subsequently growing it through government contracts. Angela Vincent Michael talked about the lack of role models for Asians in leadership roles in healthcare, especially for women.

The importance of mentoring and helping each other grow in their careers, regardless of one’s rank or title was a common theme in the conversation. Lack of role models is a significant hindrance to professional growth. However, groups like Asian Healthcare Leaders Community (AHLC) are working to improve this and emerging leaders can help each other out.

Watch the calendar at ACHE.org for the next AHLC event! 

THIRD

QUARTER EDUCATION EVENT: PANEL ONE WOMEN LEADERS AND GENDER PARITY IN HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP

Sarah Sentmore

MODERATOR

PANELISTS

• Lorie Thibodeaux President and Owner Lorie Thibodeaux LLC

Women face obstacles for advancement in the workplace for various reasons. Felixia Colón, FACHE, moderated the first panel and asked the panelists to share “pearls of wisdom” on personal obstacles they have faced on their journey to leadership roles and lessons learned along the way. Crystal Brown stated that “you can have it all, but you can’t do it all” because it can impact

growth. It is okay to outsource things and ask for help from a supportive partner or others so that trying to do it all won’t halter one’s growth.

Why is it that highly educated women with certifications and experience sometimes fail to make it to the top? Lenetra King, FACHE, emphasized the importance of relationship capital. Sponsors are essential in helping career advancement, especially for executive level positions. Additionally, knowing how to navigate the politics in an organization is crucial to having a successful career. While not everyone will be a champion for one’s career, having a strong village of supporters and knowing the nuances of the organization’s culture will assist one on their journey to leadership opportunities.

Diversity in the workplace was prioritized with the hiring of specific roles to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in recent years. Gender and race are some of the main diversity metrics that companies track. However, as the panelists discussed, diversity should not only be viewed as an external factor that one can see, but diversity is also an internal factor that makes a person unique. These factors are not visible but in learning what makes a person who they are, we can learn to accept each other for our differences.

CONTINUED ON PG 42

• Felixia Colón, FACHE Senior Vice President, SCP Health ACHENTX President

• Crystal Brown Vice President of Operations Methodist Mansfield Medical Center

• Lenetra King Chief Executive Officer Watch Me EXCEL®

• Cassandra Self Program Director, Clinical Supply Services Texas Health Resources

With the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action in 2023, our country has seen a ripple effect with the elimination of DEI roles and initiatives in organizations. While there was a surge in Chief Diversity Roles in 2020, these roles and positions in companies are being removed. However, even with the elimination of DEI offices and/or roles, there are still ways for companies to use key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor the diversity of the workforce as a strategic priority. As Colón mentioned, KPIs can also be viewed as a way to keep people informed, involved, interested, and inspired. Ultimately, the panelists stated, and all agreed that diversity should be a business imperative as organizations should reflect the diversity of their community.

To emphasize the importance of diversity in the workplace with actionable steps, recommendations from our panelists included the following:

• Monitor diversity metrics and make them strategic initiatives and priorities. If the metrics are not increasing, take the initiative to improve them.

• Engage the board and senior executives. For example, tie diversity progress to their compensation bonuses.

• Ask questions and have conversations to meet KPIs for diversity.

• Prioritize initiatives that address inclusion of women in leadership roles.

» Have programs (like employee resource groups) dedicated to helping women build a framework necessary for leadership roles and give them tools (certifications, tuition reimbursement, etc.) to advance.

» Be a mentor and make yourself available to help navigate growth.

» Be allies for women.

» Nominate women for leadership awards in the community.

» Acknowledge their skills and contributions.

» Know the laws such as Title VII and the Equal Pay Act that protect against discrimination.

The panelists touched on several great points on the advancement of women in leadership roles and the importance of diversity within an organization. While some may see women as a diversity hire to meet a quota, knowing and defining one’s value will speak for itself. Regardless of the micro aggressions faced in the workplace, while necessary to confront, no one can take away the value one brings to an organization. In closing, Colón pointed out that some studies have shown that profit margins seem to be higher with more women leaders in an organization. There is value in women leaders. 

“Understand people and where they’re coming from. Stop the mentality of us versus them. Learn to sit at a table and discuss gaps currently at the table.”

- Lorie Thibodeaux

THIRD QUARTER EDUCATION EVENT: PANEL TWO

THE ROLE OF DATA AND ADVANCED ANALYTICS IN TRANSFORMING HEALTHCARE

Melinda Schmidt

MODERATOR

• Nayan Patel, Manging Director, IT Strategy, Avis Advisors

PANELISTS

• Vikram Bollu, AVP Planning & Data Mgmt, Strategic Planning, Medical City Healthcare

• Kelly Faulkner, System Dir, Health Outcomes & Analytics, Christus Health

• John Vo, System Dir, Clinical Data Management, Methodist Health System

Nayan Patel kicked off the discussion by asking the panel how data is associated with the business. John Vo and Kelly Faulkner addressed knowing what the data means and who will be utilizing this information. Start with a vision and understand how your customers are using the data to drive business. Communication is a constant challenge, as perception can be different from what was originally stated. Faulkner suggested constant follow-up is essential when addressing data analytics.

Vikram Bollu addressed the different types of data and analytics fact-finding and the need for a strong foundation in data governance. An area of challenges would be privacy and security,

Intellectual Property, and trust and oversight. All the panelists agreed with the need to start with clean data and identify the owner. My favorite quote from the team was by Kelly Faulkner, “Lies, damn lies, and then there is statistics!,” which translates to data and analytics matter! 

BOBA WITH THE AHLC TEA-M

MANAGING FOR MORALE: EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES TO RETAIN YOUR

STAFF

MODERATOR

• Will Turner, FACHE. President, Baylor Scott & White Health Waxahachie

PANELISTS

• Dr. DeLancey Johnson, FACHE Senior Vice President and Associate Chief Talent Officer, Parkland Health

• Rachel Parscale, Director for HR Operations, Tenet Health

• Kevin Stevenson, DHA, MBA, FACHE, Director of Strategic Operations, Ascension Providence

AFTER HOURS

RANGERS VS. ANGELS

AFTER HOURS

RANGERS VS. TWINS

NEW ACHENTX MEMBERS

JUNE

Mollie Ahn, MD, MBA

Tomas Armendariz, Jr.

Marisol Arroyo, BS

Benzy Babykutty, RN

Rendi Black

Chris Cannizzo, MBA

Shelby L. Cannon, MHA, BSN, RN

Norma Carrillo, BS

Elisabeth Darrouzet

Erin Dickerman

Daniel Garrett, BS

Bradford Harrold

Dennis Harvey

Bryce Hershenow, MBA-HM

Don Hoggatt

Thomas W. Kopp

Mark Kruzel, MD

Cheryl C. Murray

Justin Newman

Chasity Sennette

Manjeet Singh, BSN

Eliot F. Stockard

Twilla Thomas

JULY

Robyn Bellrichard

Mike J. Carlozzi, MBA

Ali Dadpay

Trenton Davis

Paul Day

Gregory M. Duck

Datiya Ibarra

Summer Jaber, MHA

Pariss Jackson

Gabrielle Lopez

Sharlotte K. Morgan, CRNA

Parker Mountain

Raquenel Paulino

Jillian Renken

Jean-Mark Shababi, MBA, BA

Shawna Tatum

Kathy Tbaba

NEW ACHE FELLOWS

Katherine K. Tillman, DNP, RN, APRN

Joseph Toeniskoetter

Colin P. Werenka

AUGUST

Cierra N. Adams, BS

George Avila

Sweta Bhamidipaty

Dylan L. Bodie

Abigail K. Brannon

Ashley Briseno

TSgt Shawn Castagneto

Jaelyn Cooper

Laura Cordell

Thomas B. Dillard

Richard Dixon

Steven Dralle, MBA, EMT-P

Melissa Glass

Lauren M. Johnson, BS

Lauren Laurent

Sidney Mason

Susan Merritt

Ryan Miller

Kara Morrison

Yash Patel

Ian Peterson, MHA

Kristin A. Raggio, MSN, RN

Jennifer L. Robertson

Margaret Steele

Lashanda Sullivan, RDN

Raymond A. Vigil

Sterling Warren

Regina Williams, DNP, RN, NEA-BC

Chelsea Wilson

JUNE

Julie R. Casillas, FACHE

Michael Dufour, FACHE

Brian K. Lauer, FACHE

Deborah Runnels, FACHE

Angela N. Stevenson, FACHE

JULY

Blake Windham, FACHE

AUGUST

Sean M. Gilmore, FACHE

RECERTIFIED ACHE FELLOWS

JUNE

David T. Berry, LFACHE

Jacqueline Dixon, FACHE

William R. Fox, LFACHE

James D. Hawkins, MBA, BSN, RN, FACHE

Michael J. Reiswig, FACHE

JULY

Brett D. Lee, PhD, FACHE

Ron Norris, DHA, FACHE

Tom Siegrist, Jr., FACHE

Melanie Viquez, FACHE

AUGUST

Jennifer J. Alexander, DHA, FACHE

Kyle E. Armstrong, FACHE

David W. Benner, FACHE

Vikram Bollu, FACHE

Benson P. Chacko, FACHE

Tammy S. Cohen, PharmD, FACHE

Sheleza Mohamed, MBA, MHA, FACHE

Robin Moreno, FACHE

Victoria O. Sanders, FACHE

Mark S. Schnitzer, MD, FACHE

Curtis L. Stipe, FACHE

WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF OUR ACHENTX PLATINUM SPONSORS

WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF OUR ACHENTX GOLD SPONSORS