Speakers

Robert Biggio

SVP, Chief Sustainability & Real Estate Officer, Boston Medical Center

Bob Biggio oversees sustainability initiatives and major capital projects, with the goal of furthering BMCHS’ leadership in green healthcare.

Prior to joining in 2011, Biggio served in executive roles for Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary and Hallmark Health System. He received his Bachelor of Science in marine engineering from Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Biggio currently serves on the board of directors at Oakwell, a sustainability management and real estate optimization firm.

 

 

 

Joseph DeLeon, MPA

President and Chief Executive Officer, Roper St. Francis Healthcare

Joseph DeLeon serves as president and chief executive officer of Roper St. Francis Healthcare, a leading South Carolina-based health system and joint venture partnership between Bon Secours Mercy Health and the Medical Society of South Carolina. With more than 30 years of senior leadership experience, DeLeon brings a strong record of operational excellence, financial stewardship, and strategic expansion of healthcare access.
The Charleston, South Carolina area has experienced steady population growth, with the region surpassing 870,000 residents, driven by strong in-migration and a high quality of life. The region's population is expanding three times faster than the national average, attracting over 40 new residents daily. The market demographics skew slightly younger, with a growing number of professionals and families relocating from other parts of the U.S.

Key industries in the Charleston region include aerospace (anchored by Boeing), advanced manufacturing, tech, healthcare, logistics, tourism and Charleston’s deepwater port plays a vital role in regional trade and economic development. Charleston's combination of population growth, strong healthcare infrastructure, and economic vitality positions it as a strategic market for healthcare investment and expansion.
Since joining Roper St. Francis Healthcare in 2024, DeLeon has led initiatives to broaden clinical services, elevate trauma care capabilities, and introduce pediatric services to better serve the Charleston region. He is actively involved in the community as a member of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance and the Charleston Chamber of Commerce executive committees.

DeLeon is presently responsible for managing facility expansion initiatives totaling over $1.7 billion, including the development of a new flagship campus to replace the existing Roper Hospital. The major expansion efforts will bring significant job growth to the Charleston area. As one of the Lowcountry’s largest employers, Roper St. Francis Healthcare currently employs 6800 teammates; this significant growth will add 580-585 jobs in the next few years.

The construction of the new Roper Hospital is projected to generate approximately 3,600 new construction and development related jobs, with an estimated total economic impact of $2.5 billion in GDP. Roper St. Francis’s landmark 2023 strategic plan is grounded in a commitment to strengthening the community it serves by fostering economic development, advancing workforce opportunities, and enhancing community resilience. The initiative also prioritizes improved access to high-quality care and the promotion of equitable health outcomes.
In addition, DeLeon provides executive oversight for a 350-provider medical group serving the tri-county area within the Charleston region—also known as the Lowcountry of South Carolina. This role includes leadership of a highly effective Accountable Care Organization.

 

Ryan Donohue

CEO, Golden Advisory

Ryan Donohue is a nationally recognized expert in brand strategy and healthcare consumerism. He is the newly minted CEO of Golden Advisory, a new branding firm focused on uncovering and activating hidden competitive advantages. Ryan also serves as Strategic Advisor to NRC Health, the largest surveyor of healthcare consumers in the United States, and as an Advisor and Faculty Member to The Governance Institute, the leading educator of healthcare executives and trustees.

Ryan has authored numerous publications on brand and consumer experience, including Brand Equity in Healthcare and The Curious Case of the Healthcare Consumer. His latest research culminated in the book Patient No Longer, now in its second edition and available through ACHE Learn and major booksellers. Ryan lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, with his wife Andrea and their four wonder, strong-willed children.

 

Cathi Durham, MBA, MHA

Director, Network Optimization, Mission Health

Cathi Durham is the Director of Network Optimization at Mission Health in Asheville, NC where she leads initiatives to improve patient access to care, drive expansion and identify new market opportunities. With over 25 years of experience in healthcare strategy, Cathi plays a key role in connecting patients to providers to improve timely access to care and enhance overall system performance. Cathi is an alum of the SESHMD board and is thrilled to be on this panel and among old friends and colleagues.

 

 

 

 

Nicole Hagerty

Director of Government Relations, HCA Healthcare

Nicole Hagerty serves as Director of Government Affairs for HCA Healthcare, representing the company’s hospitals in Georgia and South Carolina. Since joining HCA in 2019, she has led advocacy efforts and coordinated with a team of lobbyists to advance policies that strengthen access to care and support the needs of more than 10 hospitals and 150 other sites of care across both states.

Before joining HCA, Nicole built extensive experience in political fundraising and strategy through leadership roles in support of statewide legislative campaigns for the Florida Senate. Over multiple election cycles, she played key roles in fundraising operations, culminating in her service as Finance Director for the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, where she oversaw one of the most successful fundraising cycles in the Senate’s history.

Nicole lives in Tallahassee Florida with her golden-doodle, Hamilton. She enjoys traveling, finding the best burger joint in any town, and is actively involved in serving on local charitable organizations.

 

Heather Hayes, MHA

Associate & Senior Advisor, McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture

 Heather joined the Advisory Services team of McMillan Pazdan Smith in Fall 2023, where she consults with clients in pre-design to ensure their facilities are right-sized, right-placed, and offer the right mix of services to align with community need and market opportunity. She brings to MPS 20 years of experience in strategic planning, market analytics, project management, facilities planning and development, operational integration and standardization, process improvement, and change management.

Heather spent the first decade of her career at Wake Forest Baptist Health, where she supported the development of their service line structure and was responsible for building and opening Davie Medical Center. Heather then served as Vice President of Strategic Services for Prisma Health’s Upstate market, where she was responsible for crafting and executing ambulatory growth strategies and leading the merger and operational integration of the 12 campuses that formed Prisma Health.

Prior to joining MPS, Heather led clinic implementations nationwide for Proactive MD, an advanced primary care solution for employers and served as the Vice President of Service Line Strategy for Ambulatory Healthcare Innovations, a boutique consulting firm based in Boulder, Colorado. Heather earned a Master of Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from the University of South Carolina.

Heather enjoys teaching and mentoring the next generation of healthcare administrators and has recently served as adjunct faculty and Section Leader for Wake Forest University’s Master of Healthcare Leadership program.

 

Kristin Jimenez

CSO, Advent Health

 

Kristin Jimenez is the Chief Strategy Officer for AdventHealth Florida. In this role she leads division-wide strategy and growth across all Florida markets, including strategic transactions, enterprise and market planning, partnerships and affiliations, physician alignment and integration, value-based care and population health initiatives, and service line and capital planning. Kristin partners with market and system leaders to translate system strategy into market plans, prioritize investments and partnerships that advance clinical delivery and financial sustainability, and drive alignment across clinical, operational and growth priorities while providing strategic counsel to executive leadership.

Kristin has served in a variety of leadership roles across the AdventHealth system over the past fifteen years, including her previous roles as Chief Strategy Officer of Central Florida Division, Chief Operating Officer for AdventHealth Central Florida Institutes, Florida Hospital Central Florida Division Planning and Business Development Senior Director, and Business Development Director for Florida Hospital East Orlando. She began her healthcare career in organ procurement and transplant, spending ten years helping families and clinical teams experience the Gift of Life through organ transplant. Kristin is a proud graduate of the University of Florida, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees with a specialization in Health and Science Communication and Planning. Kristin serves, and has served, on multiple community and health care boards and mentors emerging leaders as an executive coach. Kristin is married with two daughters and resides in Orlando, Florida.

 

Reenu John, MDes

Lead, Experience Design and Strategy, Geisinger

Reenu John leads Experience Design & Strategy for the Digital Transformation Office (DTO) at Geisinger's Steele Institute for Health Innovation. With over a decade of experience spanning innovation consulting, education and healthcare- including insurance, medical device, and hospital systems, Reenu brings deep expertise in systems thinking, strategic human-centered design, and product development.

In her role, Reenu ensures all initiatives are grounded in a customer-centric approach, driving the creation of intuitive, engaging and effective solutions that enhance patient experience and improve health outcomes.

She holds a Master of Design from the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, a Graduate Degree in Design and Product Development from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, India and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Madras, India.

 

Molly Luton

Chief Strategic Communications Officer, Ballad Health

Molly Luton is a seasoned healthcare marketing and communications executive with nearly 20 years of leadership in academic medicine, children’s healthcare, and integrated health systems. She has deep expertise in brand development, crisis and corporate communications, digital and traditional marketing, and national media relations.

She has successfully led teams through two major health system mergers, four hospital builds, and the launch of a $30M children’s hospital renovation, while developing brand identity for one of America’s leading rural integrated health systems—a $2.3B, 20-hospital enterprise with the nation’s largest Certificate of Public Advantage (COPA).

A trusted strategic advisor to CEOs and boards, Molly has directed communications during national crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Helene, managing high-profile national media coverage and ensuring safe continuity of care for pediatric and adult patients alike. She is recognized for building and mentoring high-performing teams, advancing physician and consumer engagement, and positioning organizations as national leaders in healthcare innovation and community trust.

She holds a master’s degree in Integrated Marketing and Communications from Georgetown University and dual undergraduate degrees in Mass Communications and Graphic Design from Emory & Henry University, where she serves on the Board of Trustees. A national speaker, she has redefined “insights-first” integrated marketing strategies that consistently elevate brand strength, patient experience, and stakeholder alignment.

 

Andrew McFeely

Executive Director Strategy, Cleveland Clinic

Andrew McFeely is the Executive Director Strategy & Business Development supporting the FL Region of Cleveland Clinic. In this role, Andrew collaborates with CC Florida and enterprise Executive Leadership to develop, execute, and monitor strategy and business development initiatives for the Florida region.

Andrew has over 17 years of service with Cleveland Clinic, most recently as Senior Director. In this role he was responsible for supporting enterprise strategic growth priorities as well as building and maintaining external strategic intelligence capabilities.

Andrew earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master Business Administration from John Carroll University.

 

Chriss Papayannis

Vice President Advisory, Realty Trust Group

Chriss Papayannis is a healthcare real estate strategist and thought leader with years of experience leading complex portfolios for some of the nation’s most respected health systems. He has managed real estate footprints ranging from 3 million to 38 million square feet, guiding enterprise strategies in ambulatory growth, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, and portfolio optimization. He earned his MBA from York College of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Economics from Penn State University. Chriss combines financial acumen with hands-on execution, helping organizations align their real estate decisions with long-term strategic goals.

Currently Vice President of Advisory Services at Realty Trust Group, Chriss partners with health systems, physician groups, and investors to transform real estate from a cost center into a growth engine. A frequent contributor to industry forums and associations including ULI, AMFP, BOMA and SHSMD, he is passionate about creating innovative, scalable real estate strategies that improve patient access, enhance physician alignment, and strengthen financial performance.

 

Nivi Pillai

Director, RWJ Barnabas Health

Nivi Pillai is Director, System Strategy at RWJBarnabas Health, a 12-hospital comprehensive health system affiliated with Rutgers University. Nivi has nearly 20 years of experience in business development and strategic planning driving growth of acute care hospitals, ambulatory facilities, and physician practices. Her experience over the years includes several physical therapy practice acquisitions, physician practice acquisitions, strategic plan development for health systems, hospitals, service lines, and ambulatory care centers. In her current role, Nivi oversees strategic planning for RWJBH’s Women’s Health, Children’s Health, Behavioral Health, and Digestive Health service lines.

Nivi received her MBA in Healthcare Management and an MS in MIS from Temple University and her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Mumbai. Before joining RWJBarnabas Health in 2016 she was at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and Health Strategies & Solutions, both located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is past-president of the Healthcare Planning and Marketing Society of New Jersey (now part of MASHSMD).

 

Joshua Pollard

CEO, Omicelo

Joshua is the founder and CEO of Omicelo, a private investment group making strategic investments that directly increase access to quality healthcare, viable housing, wealth creation opportunities, and a thriving environment. Prior to founding Omicelo, Joshua led Goldman Sachs’ housing research team through the Great Recession and was a critical member of their universal research team covering real estate, engineering & construction, alternative energy, and other global sectors. During his time at Goldman Sachs, Joshua led the research efforts of a $1 billion IPO and received numerous awards including being named to Forbes Magazine’s inaugural 30 under 30 list. Joshua is a board member of Omicelo’s portfolio companies including Oakwell and Havenside as well as a $1 billion mutual bank in Pittsburgh, PA.

 

 

Cindy Roberts, MBA

Strategy Director, Mayo Clinic

Cindy Roberts is Strategy Consulting Director at Mayo Clinic, where she leads initiatives that translate data, insights, and intelligence into strategies aligned with the organization’s Bold. Forward. vision. With over 20 years of experience in strategy, research, and analytics, she is recognized for pioneering intelligence methodologies, advancing AI adoption, and strengthening decision-making through innovative insights.

Her background spans strategic and competitive intelligence, market research, and Lean management, with a focus on turning complex information into actionable strategies for leadership.

She holds an MBA from Viterbo University and a BS in Marketing & International Business from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. A frequent conference speaker and mentor, Cindy is passionate about strategic innovation, collaboration, and empowering teams to achieve excellence.

 

 

Michael Rovinsky

Vice President of Strategic Planning, Array Advisors

Michael has previously worked with several national healthcare firms on projects ranging in size and complexity, from the development and planning of ambulatory surgery centers to providing key strategic market perspectives on industry and volume trends. As Vice President of Strategic Planning, Michael will leverage his 35 years of experience in strategic, business, and regulatory (CON) planning as a senior leader of our Advisory team.

 

 

 

 

 

Shannon Sale

Chief Strategy Officer, Grady Health

Shannon Sale came to Grady in 2012. She works to identify areas of opportunity and execute growth strategies while also focusing on acute, ambulatory, and non-acute functions and facilities. Before joining the health system, she was a senior manager at Kurt Salmon Associates.

Sale graduated from Wake Forest and earned her Master’s of Health Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

 

 

 

 

Lee Ann Schuette

VP, Global Solutions, BAXTER

Lee Ann Schuette is vice president of Baxter’s global IV solutions, clinical nutrition and pharmacy tools businesses and has more than 30 years of experience across pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Schuette began her career at Baxter as a top-producing sales executive and proceeded to hold several key commercial leadership positions at industry stalwarts Shire, Baxalta, Cardinal Health and Allegiance before returning to Baxter in 2017. Schuette holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. A lifelong learner, she is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and is dedicated to continuous improvement. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two children and enjoys traveling, fitness, and adventures.

 

 

Sherry Smith

Vice President, Insights and Advisory, AVIA Health Innovation

Sherry brings over 20 years of hospital strategy, operations, process improvement, and digital transformation experience and is passionate about improving patient experience. With her 16 years at Moffitt Cancer Center, she founded the Human - Centered Service Design, Innovation and Automation Teams with three main focuses - bridging the gap between digital, operational, and new space solutions; spearheading their flagship Intelligent Automation program; and partnering as a key design thought leader for all major strategy initiatives.

Sherry is a Lean Sensei and Greenbelt, Certified Scrum Master and Product Owner with an advanced-level Design Thinking certification. Sherry loves to weave Design Thinking, Lean, and Product mindsets together driving new strategic and digital experiences - putting the patient at the forefront. She is a skilled experience designer - creating frameworks for decision-making to drive complex experiences across leading health systems from strategy to scaled implementation.

Sherry has a B.S in Business Management from Johnson & Wales University and many advanced certifications including a Masters’ Certificate in Product Management from Stanford University and an Advanced Design Thinking certification from IDEO.

 

Michael Spake

SVP of External Affair, Lakeland Regional Health

Michael is an attorney and has worked in healthcare since 2001. Michael has worked for health systems in Richmond, VA, Augusta, GA, and is now the SVP of External Affairs at Lakeland Regional Health in Lakeland, GA. Michael is also a novelist and recently published his debut novel Life Close to the Bone, in which the protagonist is a Chief Ethics Officer at a major pharmaceutical company dealing with a major fraud investigation that causes him also to confront his adolescence and familial history in the South Carolina textile mills.

 

 

 

 

Judit Tejada

Strategic Insights Director, Moffitt Cancer Center

Judit Tejada is a Strategic Insights Consultant in the Strategy Office at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. Her work focuses on identifying disruptors, innovation and trends in healthcare and articulating their impact on Moffitt Cancer Center’s overall strategy to the Chief of Strategy Officer and leadership team. She also consults with leadership to identify strategic issues and translate data into meaningful insights.

Since joining Moffitt Cancer Center in 2007, Judit has worked in various roles within the Strategy Office including serving as the Director of Planning.

 

 

 

 

Brett Waress

Vice President, Tampa General Hospital

Brett Waress is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 25 years of leadership experience across academic, nonprofit, for-profit, and hospital-owned medical groups. He currently serves as Vice President of Tampa General Provider Network (TGPN), comprised of 150 providers and 350 staff statewide, with growth projected to exceed 275 providers by FY26.

Previously, Brett led multiple institutes at Cleveland Clinic-FL, including Heart & Vascular, Neurosciences, and Digestive Disease—managing inpatient/outpatient operations, financial and capital planning, recruitment, and strategy. His career also includes leading hospital-based physician services in a 1,200-bed health system and GME operations at UNC Chapel Hill, where he managed academic practices, training programs, and revenue cycle services.

He holds a Master of Healthcare Administration from UNC Chapel Hill and is a Fellow of the American College of Medical Practice Executives. Brett has published on topics such as healthcare quality costs, community-based medical education, and managed care partnerships, and has taught practice management and finance to medical residents for over 15 years.

 

Ali Wishnick

VP, Data & Digital Account Management, Vizient

Ali leads the Account Management team for Vizient’s Data & Digital business unit, focusing on Academic Health Systems, Children’s Hospitals, Safety Net Providers, and Specialty Providers. The Account Management team brings together Vizient’s clinical and strategic insights and helps identify the right analytic, intelligence, and service solution for thousands of hospitals and health systems allowing them to make more informed executive decisions. Ali regularly visits members, spending time with executive teams to understand their priorities and how Vizient can assist them with achieving their goals. Prior to this position, she held other roles within Vizient and Sg2 in both Client Relations and Strategic Analytics, where she specialized in large academic health systems and integrated delivery systems, and partnered directly with executives to apply Sg2 resources. Before joining Sg2, Ali held positions in strategic planning at both Virtua Health and Kurt Salmon Associates. Ali earned an MBA with a concentration in healthcare management from the Fox School of Business at Temple University. She graduated with a BA in anthropology from Tufts University.

 

Thomas Worthy

Chief Public Policy Officer, Piedmont Healthcare

Thomas Worthy is Chief Public Policy Officer at Piedmont Healthcare. He joined Piedmont as Vice President of Government and External Affairs in May 2016. Worthy previously served as Director of Government Affairs for the State Bar of Georgia and as Deputy Executive Counsel in the Office of Governor Nathan Deal, where he helped spearhead Georgia’s nationally-acclaimed justice reform and reinvestment efforts as Co-Chair of the Georgia Criminal Justice Reform Council.

In his role at Piedmont, Worthy oversees all health policy, public policy, government relations and regulatory relief litigation strategy for the 25 hospitals, 1,800+ locations, 6,200+ physicians, and 44,000+ employees that comprise the Piedmont Healthcare system—Georgia’s largest health system and largest private employer. In addition to demonstrating a history of successfully solving complex regulatory, administrative law, and government issues, he also manages Piedmont’s $680 million community benefit program, advancing Piedmont’s patient-centered mission to no just make people healthier but to also keep people healthy.

Thomas is a graduate of Washington & Lee University and the University of Virginia School of Law. Immediately following law school, he practiced as a healthcare litigator with Bradley LLP. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the American Health Lawyers Association, and the American College of Healthcare Executives. In 2014, The Fulton Daily Report named him to its annual On The Rise list—a compilation of the forty most dynamic attorneys under forty in Georgia. In addition, he has been named as one of Georgia’s most politically-connected attorneys by James magazine for six consecutive years.

Among his community involvements, Worthy serves on the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), the Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission, the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Police Foundation, the Board of Directors for the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, and the Board of Directors of Odyssey Family Counseling Service. He has previously served on the Georgia Appellate Jurisdiction Review Commission. A 2018 graduate of Leadership Georgia, Worthy resides in Atlanta with his wife, Karen, and their three young children.