Women We Admire is pleased to announce the Top 50 Women Leaders in Healthcare of 2022. This year’s awardees have demonstrated their deep commitment to the field. Their dedication and determination have led to top performing organizations and teams who are signficiatently changing our communities and world around us. Their work provides hope and healing across various areas including health services, medical devices, biotechnologies, health insurance & coverage, and more. Together, their focus is on improving health care quality and ensuring all individuals get the services they need.
Among this year’s awardees is Sangeeta Bhorade, Chief Medical Officer in Organ Health for Natera, who oversees a leading team of healthcare experts in promoting genomic diagnostic testing to improve patient care in organ transplantation. Awardee Soumi Saha, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for Premier, is responsible for developing and implementing the company’s strategy to lead the transformation to high-quality, cost-effective healthcare and resilient supply chains. Also awarded is Amy Hay, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for Advanced Oncology Solutions of Varian, who during her first year with the company, closed a partnership with Ayala Health in the Philippines to develop the first stand-alone cancer center and a network partnership with CHRISTUS Health in the U.S.
Please join us in recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of Top 50 Women Leaders in Healthcare of 2022.
1. Sophia Morris
EVP, Client Fulfillment & Strategy Teams, Aya Healthcare
Sophia Morris, Executive Vice President of the Client Fulfillment & Strategy Teams, brings 17 years of healthcare staffing experience, with an extensive background in recruitment and account management across all areas of the business including nursing & allied, locums tenens, non-clinical, education and therapy, and per diem staffing. Starting out as a recruiter and account manager herself, Sophia understands firsthand what is needed to create a successful team and has dedicated her time and energy to growing Aya’s clinician base while ensuring Aya’s clients are supported efficiently, and fulfillment is optimized.
Aya is a company that values continuous improvement and believes in providing an exceptional experience for their clients. Sophia epitomizes this philosophy and, in her role, identifies areas for improvement while defining a path to get there by problem solving through a collaborative approach. Throughout her tenure, she has had a hand in a variety of initiatives that contributed to both the growth of the company and the satisfaction of employees, including developing new roles and defined promotion paths for her team, mentorship programs, the development of comprehensive training programs, as well as mergers and acquisitions. Sophia was recognized on the 2018 Becker’s Hospital Review Healthcare Leaders 40 under 40 list. Sophia holds an undergraduate degree in environmental biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
2. Amy C. Hay
VP of Strategic Initiatives for Advanced Oncology Solutions, Varian
Amy Hay is an experienced leader in setting strategy, negotiating transactions and implementing global oncology programs. Her expertise lies within identifying synergistic relationships that provide value and her portfolio ranges from working with health systems, governments, corporations, providers and industry leaders worldwide. She is not just a leader in the innovation of healthcare, but in its transformation globally. In 2021, Siemens Healthineers acquired Varian to add both radiation oncology and multidisciplinary operational expertise to their broader portfolio ($16.4 billion cash buy out). Amy led the integration of the oncology workstream to identify synergies and develop targets for commercial acceleration and platform expansion.
She joined Varian through the acquisition of her consulting company, Evolve International, in 2020. Evolve added key supportive elements to Cancer Treatment Services International (acquired in 1999 for $283M by Varian), a successful owner and operator of comprehensive cancer programs.
Today, Amy is responsible for the strategic initiatives and the deployment of “Oncology as a Service” (OaaS); which aggregates medical technology, clinical solutions and technology enabled services globally. Set by her strategy, CTSI has built out technology enabled solutions that span virtual tumor boards and molecular analytics with current work underway on the monetization of patient engagement tools. Within her first year at Varian, she closed a partnership with Ayala Health in the Philippines to develop the first stand-alone cancer center and a network partnership with CHRISTUS Health in the US; providing cumulative revenues of more than $75M. She currently is leading strategic initiatives and digital transformation. Prior to 2016, Amy Hay held the position of SVP of network development, at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She was a member of the COO’s senior leadership team and was instrumental in setting the institutional strategy for local, national, and international expansion. Amy earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Southwestern University and her master’s degree in healthcare administration from Houston Baptist University.
3. Soumi Saha
SVP of Government Affairs, Premier
Soumi Saha is the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at Premier – a leading healthcare improvement company uniting an alliance of more than 4,400 U.S. hospitals and 250,000 continuum of care providers to transform healthcare. Both a pharmacist and lawyer, Saha’s career has been dedicated to driving innovations in high-quality, cost-effective healthcare and resilient supply chains.
Under her leadership, Premier has become a national authority in ensuring the perspective of the nation’s healthcare providers is represented in Washington, DC – and in advancing policies that both address vulnerabilities and modernize the U.S. healthcare system. Since COVID-19’s onset, Premier has achieved more than 50 critical legislative and regulatory changes to help the nation respond to COVID-19 and future public health emergencies. Saha’s work directly resulted in the introduction and passage of the Mitigating Emergency Drug Shortages (MEDS) Act, which was signed into law as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March 2020. Before joining Premier, Saha held positions with the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, Kaiser Permanente and CVS/Caremark. She holds a PharmD and a JD with a concentration in health law from the University of Maryland.
6. Sangeeta Bhorade
Chief Medical Officer in Organ Health, Natera
Sangeeta Bhorade is the Chief Medical Officer in Organ Health of Natera. Natera™ is a global leader in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing, dedicated to oncology, women’s health, and organ health. Their aim is to make personalized genetic testing and diagnostics part of the standard of care to protect health and enable earlier and more targeted interventions that lead to longer, healthier lives. Where some set out to build a test, they set out to achieve the mission of changing the management of disease worldwide by using DNA testing to proactively inform treatment. Through a cfDNA technology platform approach, they've pioneered noninvasive testing in unlimited applications, each with their own potential to revolutionize care for patients.
Dr. Bhorade is a graduate of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, where she also completed her residency and fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care and ultimately developed a passion for caring for patients who have undergone lung transplantation. She served as a Medical Director at the University of Chicago in their inaugural lung transplant program. She later joined Northwestern University as Professor of Medicine to initiate their lung transplant program where she was able to develop the program into a premium Lung Transplant Program in the region. She has published extensively in optimizing immunosuppression and chronic rejection in lung transplantation to improve transplant patient outcomes during her 27 years as an academic physician.
Dr Bhorade is very well regarded in the transplantation field across all organs with over 80 papers published to date. She was past Chair of the Thoracic and Critical Care Community at the American Society of Transplantation and program committee member for the American Transplant Congress for all solid organ transplantation. She was also a program organizer for the Cutting Edge of Transplant (CEoT) that is intended for all primary stakeholders in transplantation as well as UNOS/OPTN Region 7 Thoracic Committee Councilor (meetings included all solid organ transplant). Before joining Natera, Sangeeta was most recently the Medical Director at Veracyte, focusing on ILD, Lung Cancer, and Lung Nodule Management. In her role, she was able to promote the Envisia diagnostic test as the premium genomics test for ILD. She was instrumental in building a novel lung cancer diagnostic test and furthered the management of lung nodules.
7. Denise Juliano
Group VP of Life Sciences, Premier
Denise Juliano currently serves as Group Vice President, Life Sciences, leading Premier’s PINC AI Applied Sciences team which is the research and analytics division of Premier. She is responsible for developing strategic business relationships with life sciences companies and health systems and expanding the utilization of PINC AI Applied Sciences’ solutions.
Prior to coming to Premier, Juliano retired from Merck after a successful 30-year career. During her time, she worked for MSD, an innovative, global healthcare leader that is committed to improving health and well-being around the world. She spent the last 5 years of her career at MSD as part of a division focused on managing all enterprise efforts with Merck's top customers, as part of an executive leadership initiative to transform the company from product and geographically focused into a leading customer centric organization. In previous roles, Juliano worked in various areas within the commercial organization including global and U.S. marketing, U.S. sales including leading a large team of business managers, medical group account executives and customer team representatives in the Greater NYC/CT Region. She has extensive experience in account management, leading both national account executives and customer managers in managed markets for over 10 years. Juliano graduated magna cum laude, with a degree in health science from Seton Hall University. She also obtained her master’s degree from East Stroudsburg University in exercise physiology/cardiac rehabilitation. Juliano participated in Executive Education at the Harvard Business School of Harvard University and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She has been involved in community service for the last 20 years. She has served on the board of SAMA for the last six years and achieved her SAMA certification in 2016 and she previously served on the board of directors for the North Penn Senior Center for 5 years. Juliano joined the Board of Trustees of CancerCare in April 2022.
10. Kimberly Fulcher
SVP & Chief Human Resources Officer, Halifax Health
Kimberly Fulcher is a Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Halifax Health. She first joined the organization in 2005. She has 29 years of experience as an HR practitioner and oversees all human resources responsibilities including talent acquisition, team member relations and engagement, work/life benefits, team member health, compensation and performance management, organizational development and the auxiliary. Fulcher is also the Executive Director for Volusia Health Network, (VHN).
Prior to joining Halifax Health, Fulcher worked for companies such as General Signal and Westinghouse. Before moving into healthcare, she worked for Bertelsmann, a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world, and the entertainment group RTL Group. She also spent time with the trade book publisher Penguin Random House and the music company BMG, as well as the service provider Arvato. Fulcher has an undergraduate degree in public relations and an MBA from the University of Central Florida. She is the former national chair and currently an active committee member for the national American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration.
11. Sandra Ogunremi
VP of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, Monument Health
Dr. Sandra Ogunremi, DHA is the Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging for Monument Health. She has been with Monument Health since 2008, most recently as director of diversity, inclusion and spiritual care services. She has made it a priority to increase cultural knowledge and awareness, and to tear down the barriers that keep us from learning about each other. She is a national and international conference speaker.
Ogunremi earned a doctorate degree in health administration from Central Michigan University (CMU) in 2009. She has a master’s degree in administration from CMU and an undergraduate degree in pharmacy from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. She is certified in Diversity Management with the American Hospital Association’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity. She is a Cornell Certified Diversity Practitioner and holds several other certifications that enable her to deliver her best. She is an Assemblies of God ordained minister and is the published author of the book Casting Down Disruptive Imaginations.
View the complete list of awardees.
13. Monika Valentine
VP of Business Operations, Discovery Behavioral Health
Monika Valentine is a results-oriented senior executive with a proven track record of providing operations solutions for a number of corporations. She has successfully helped turn around and leveraged her experience to promote efficiency across business and healthcare operations. Monika is highly effective at conceptualizing and implementing processes and improvements to programs from the ground up to position firms for market growth. Before becoming president of Discovery Medical Services, Monika was director of regional and workers’ compensation consulting at The Redwoods Group/A Crum Forster Company in North Carolina; executive director/CEO of OccMed Colorado; executive director/CEO at OCCOLV, LLC, in Colorado; and director of occupational medicine and specialty practices at HealthOne Clinic Services, LLC, also in Colorado. Monika is a student of learning; she earned her undergraduate degree in business administration, MBA and post-graduate certification in HR at Villanova, and is currently attending the Vanderbilt University Leadership Excellence Certificate program. Her pursuit is a PhD in human capital.
When she isn't working, Monika and her husband Jeff have a private nonprofit, The Valentine Foundation, Inc. Their philanthropy work supports various organizations like Mile High-RETAC, which provide placement of AEDs in underserved communities and making CPR training available in places where resources are limited.
15. Jolie Limon
VP of Academic Affairs, Valley Children's Healthcare
As Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Jolie Limon oversees a variety of educational and research programs for Valley Children’s Healthcare. As the founder of the Valley Children’s pediatric residency program and Interprofessional Education Simulation Program, she strives to improve patient safety and clinical outcomes through collaborative, interprofessional education by using a diverse and dynamic environment. Her passion is in training and fostering the education and development of the next generation of healthcare providers and leaders. She shares her expertise through academic appointments at UCSF-Fresno and Stanford University. She is committed to mentorship, especially for women in medicine, and advocates for continually evolving graduate medical education programming that responds to resident wellbeing, work-life integration, and inclusion.
Limon is also dedicated to community advocacy. Some of her community work includes serving on the board of directors for the Children’s Movement, a non-profit to promote health policy in children, acting as medical director of the Fresno Office of Education (FCOE), where she oversees and guides medical resources for the FCOE Mobile Health Unit which serves rural underserved areas in the central valley of California. She is currently also working on a Master’s in Public Health from UC Berkeley. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband of 23 years, 2 college age sons, hot yoga, travel and reading.
16. Missy Miller
Senior Vice President of Marketing, Waystar
Missy Miller is the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Waystar, where she leads all aspects of marketing, including amplifying brand equity, delivering go-to-market strategies, and increasing customer acquisition and engagement. Waystar provides market-leading technology that simplifies and unifies healthcare payments. Their cloud-based platform streamlines workflows and improves financials for healthcare providers of all kinds, and brings more transparency to the patient financial experience. The Waystar platform is used by more than 450k providers, 750 health systems and hospitals, and 5k health plans—and integrates with all major HIS and practice management systems.
Prior to joining Waystar, Missy held commercial, marketing, and corporate strategy leadership roles at organizations ranging from high-growth to Fortune 10 companies. Most recently, Missy served as chief growth officer at a private investment firm, where she successfully led strategic initiatives across portfolio companies to drive transformational growth. Prior to her time there, Missy served in other high-impact, cross-functional roles at ZirMed (acquired by Bain Capital in 2017) and McKesson Provider Technologies. Missy holds an undergraduate degree in management from Purdue University, has received the distinguished revenue cycle certification from HFMA, and completed executive education courses at Cornell University and Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business.
17. Amy Milunas
Vice President of Operations, Sonrava Health
Amy Milunas is the Vice President of Operations and Integration of Sonrava Health, the parent company of Western Dental & Orthodontics. She first joined the company in 2015 as senior director of operations. This year, Sonrava has grown from 5 states to 20 and now has 550 locations with more under LOI and APA coast to coast. They have expanded their footprint substantially and the services they are supporting, and now have over 10 brands and organizations under their umbrella. Milunas’ and her team are responsible for the growth of the general base business as well as the stable integration and growth of their acquired locations and De Novo builds throughout the country.
Milunas’ education and career have provided her the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills and expertise that allows her to contribute to organizations in the areas of operations, finance, marketing, team development,integration and compliance. She is known for her empowering approach and taking on projects, developing, and managing teams, and creating processes and procedures to improve or enhance. Previously, Milunas was a director of process integration and compliance at Smile Brands Inc. and before that a district manager at Coast Dental. Earlier in her career she worked with SmileCare as a director of field services and marketing. Milunas earned an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of California, Irvine.
19. Laura Tomaino
Senior Vice President of People & Culture, HealthEdge
Laura Tomaino is the Senior Vice President of People & Culture of HealthEdge. She first joined the company in 2013 as senior human resources generalist. HealthEdge is on a mission to drive a digital revolution in healthcare. They’re connecting health plans, providers, and patients with end-to-end digital technology solutions to support new business models, reduce administrative costs and improve health outcomes. Their growing portfolio of products provides talented and passionate professionals with opportunities to lead change and make a lasting, global impact in healthcare. When Tomaino began her career with HealthEdge there were 150 employees and today they have grown to over 1500. Since 2020 alone, they have grown from 500 to 1500 employees all while dealing with the challenges of the pandemic and the many other obstacles.
Previously, Tomaino was a human resources coordinator at Harvard University Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology. She earned a master's in sustainability and environmental management from Harvard Extension School and an undergraduate degree in business administration and human resources from Saint Anselm College.
21. Keisha Greene
Vice President of Clinical Services & Regulatory Affairs, American Renal Associates
Keisha Greene has 26 years of experience as a Registered Nurse and in healthcare management with over 17 years specifically in nephrology nursing and dialysis management. Keisha has considerable experience in the development of policies & procedures, quality management tools, and training programs for caregivers and clinic operations managers. She has significant experience in the large-scale multi-site implementation of policies, procedures, and electronic medical records systems.
Keisha holds an MBA with a concentration in healthcare administration. This combination of experience and education positioned her well to provide the corporate level clinical services program development and clinical regulatory leadership for one of the largest dialysis services providers in the United States. She is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality, a Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist, and a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management. Keisha is a systems thinking and process driven leader who strives to consistently operate in excellence. She lives by the quote “The time is always right to do what is right!” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
22. Nichole Wiley-Marks
VP & Head of Go-to Market Operations, Included Health
Nichole Wiley-Marks is Vice President & Head of Go-to-Market Operations at Included Health. In her current role, Wiley-Marks leads sales, marketing, and revenue operations, along with responsibility for overall GTM strategy and effectiveness. Included Health is a healthcare company, delivering integrated virtual care and navigation. Their mission is to raise the standard of healthcare for everyone, breaking down barriers to provide high-quality care for every person in every community.
Prior to joining Included Health, she led sales operations for the enterprise computing solutions segment of Arrow Electronics, Inc., leading the operations and customer experience organizations for the Americas & ANZ lines of business. With over twenty years of IT, sales, and business operations experience, Wiley-Marks has successfully led business transformation, data integration, and governance programs, implementing continuous process improvement, and directing supply chain and operations for fortune 100 enterprises.
View the complete list of awardees.
24. Kimberly O’Connor-Soule
Senior Vice President, Camber Children’s Mental Health
Kimberly O’Connor-Soule serves as Senior Vice President for Camber Children’s Mental Health where she leads strategic planning across the organization and collaborates with leadership team members to prioritize business strategies, with a strong focus on initiatives that work to improve communication, teamwork, employee engagement and project management. With over 20 years of experience in children’s behavioral health, Kimberly has held many leadership positions in a range of settings, including residential treatment centers, outpatient services, social services and schools. Throughout her career, she has gained experience leading compassionate, trauma-informed treatment teams ensuring effective treatment and clinical best practices. Kimberly has extensive knowledge about children’s mental health and wellness, substance use disorder treatment, family therapy, staff training and development, and clinical and quality supervision. Prior to her return to Camber, Kimberly was VP of clinical services for Daytop Village of New Jersey, Inc. where she oversaw clinical services and quality outcomes for eight programs providing drug and alcohol treatment for adolescents and adults.
Kimberly is a certified Trauma Systems Therapy trainer and received advanced clinical training in Structural Family Therapy from the Minuchin Center for the Family in New York City. She earned a post-master’s certification in executive leadership in the nonprofit sector from New York University. Kimberly has been trained as a Gallup Engagement Champion. She has also participated in the National Child Traumatic Stress Network committee, an initiative led by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), where she and other experts created a fact sheet and resource on childhood trauma and opiate use. Kimberly earned a master’s degree in social work from New York University and an undergraduate degree in psychology from West Virginia University. She is a licensed specialist clinical social worker in Kansas.
25. Nicole Vorkapic
VP of U.S. & Canada B2B Business, Inogen
Nicole Vorkapic is the Vice President of U.S. and Canada B2B Business for Inogen. She first joined the company in 2022. Inogen’s compact, lightweight and travel-approved portable oxygen concentrators are designed to free patients from heavy tanks, managing tank refills or being tethered to stationary systems. Vorkapic is a sales, marketing, and strategy leader, with over 20 years of experience in the medical device space from sales rep to VP, currently leading sales teams and building the strategy through cross-functional collaborations to grow revenue.
During her career, Vorkapic has driven multiple cultural change initiatives including the reduction of company turnovers by hiring for cultural fit. She has led initiatives that grew revenue through the development and implementation of strategies and by shortening sales cycles through the training on sales best practices company wide. She is a customer-centric business development healthcare leader with an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Vorkapic’s senior operations and marketing roles accompany her sales experience and have allowed her to refine skills in strategy, process, and team development. Throughout her career, she has enabled and drove growth in mature and high growth B2B companies including Baxter and Applied Medical. As a lifelong learner with an insatiable curiosity, she naturally gravitates to processes and teams that need revitalizing or pioneer ideas that need developing. After all of her years of experience, she returned to school in 2018 and graduated from the Executive MBA program at Kellogg.
27. Maureen Donnellan Habel
Chief Human Resources Officer, Talbert House
Maureen Donnellan Habel is Vice President of Talent and Engagement for Talbert House, a health and human services agency headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, serving southwest Ohio.
Together with CEO Neil Tilow and the rest of the executive team, her current priorities at Talbert House include workforce development; workplace culture; equity, inclusion and diversity; leadership development and succession; and employee engagement and retention.
Starting her professional career with Business Information Solutions in Cincinnati, Maureen spent ten years progressing through positions of greater responsibility in sales, marketing and customer support, ending her tenure there as VP of development under the leadership of CEO Frank Albi. Maureen left BIS in 2002 to work in the nonprofit industry for the Diocese of Covington as director of development, where she established a long record of success in recruitment, fundraising, community engagement, alumni relations, and diversity and inclusion under the leadership of David Otte, principal of St. Henry District High School. In 2012, she joined Management Performance International, and together with president and CEO John Hawkins, helped lead MPI’s leadership development and employee engagement capability area as VP of consulting, serving client companies in healthcare, manufacturing, consumer goods and public service. Maureen is a graduate of East Carolina University where she studied community ecology and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in biological sciences. She has been recognized for her leadership contributions by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, the NAACP, and the Kentucky League for Educational Alternatives. As a public speaker, she has led workshops for SHRM, the American Marketing Association, the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, several Chambers of Commerce, the Ohio Society for Association Executives, the Institute for Medical Leadership and others. Maureen has served her community as a volunteer for the Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center and coached USA Jr. Olympic Volleyball for ten years in Greater Cincinnati.
29. Megan Zimmerman
VP of Employee Health & Benefits, Marsh & McLennan Agency
As Vice President with Marsh & McLennan Agency (MMA), Megan Zimmerman provides advice on health and benefits plans, mergers, acquisitions and more to a diverse base of corporate
clients with locations throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. She is dedicated to helping corporate leaders understand the full scope, risk and costs of various employee benefits strategies and plan designs. Along with her team, Zimmerman solves complex health challenges by utilizing innovative healthcare cost containment strategies to create better health care consumers and keep clients current on all regulatory issues
Zimmerman was selected nationally as a Health Rosetta Certified Adviser due to her industry-
leading standard of transparency and fiduciary responsibility to her clients and their employees. In 2020, she was awarded the Rising Star Award by Employee Benefit Advisor magazine. In 2021, she was selected nationally as a finalist for BenefitsPRO Broker of the Year. Zimmerman speaks throughout the United States on health care innovation and educating health plan sponsors on fiduciary responsibilities. She graduated with an undergraduate degree in dietetics with emphasis on workplace wellness from Mount Mary University in Wisconsin.
30. Debbie Kirschman
Senior Counsel, Taft Law
Debbie Kirschman joined Taft, Stettinius and Hollister in 2022, one of the Midwest’s largest regional law firms, recently recognized as “One of The Best Law Firms for Women.” Kirschman’s work continues in the healthcare and life sciences industry with an emphasis in corporate and regulatory matters.
Prior to joining Taft, Kirschman was a corporate counsel to Alternate Solutions Health Network (ASHN), an organization which partners with health systems to create post-acute home health and hospice care solutions. Kirschman continues in her role at ASHN as its external corporate counsel. Prior to her work at ASHN, Kirschman held corporate counsel and compliance officer roles at leading and innovative medical device and biologics companies in the Midwest. She is currently the compliance officer for Aerobiotix, LLC, a company which specializes in the development and manufacture of proprietary environmental management devices for use in institutional healthcare, home health, and commercial settings. Kirschman was recently appointed to the advisory board of Jewish Family Services of Greater Dayton, and she is working towards obtaining her Guardian Ad Litem certification. Kirschman earned a JD from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law and an undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
33. Laurie Dewan
Vice President, RVO Health
Laurie Dewan began her professional career over 25 years ago. Today, she is the Vice President of Insights and Communications at RVO Health, a partnership of Red Ventures and UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Health. RVO Health includes Healthline Media, the leading digital health and wellness property in the U.S., reaching the most people on their road to well-being. The company delivers expert insights with a clear, human voice through its content, communities, and services. Healthline Media connects its partners with more than 85 million people each month (ComScore, January 2022) across its brand portfolio (which includes Healthline.com, MedicalNewsToday.com, Greatist.com, and PsychCentral.com), and connects its audiences with solutions to help them live fuller, richer lives. Throughout its history, Healthline Media’s mission and vision have stayed constant: to create a stronger, healthier world.
Dewan got her start in early online communities at Fujitsu Systems Business of America, and has years of experience leading research-driven content strategies for major entertainment, healthcare and technology companies including BabyCenter, Electronic Arts, Netflix, Rdio and Warner Bros. Dewan graduated from Stanford University Graduate School of Business with an MBA focused on marketing and entertainment and from Amherst College with an undergraduate degree in psychology.
34. Kimberly Olson
Chief Compliance Officer, St. Croix Hospice
Kimberly Olson is the Chief Compliance Officer of St. Croix Hospice, the largest hospice agency in the Midwest, headquartered in Oakdale, Minnesota. With more than 20 years nursing experience, Olson began her career in labor and delivery before bringing her talents to hospice care where she is now certified in Healthcare Compliance and as a Hospice & Palliative Care Nurse.
In addition to her roles with St. Croix Hospice, Olson also serves on the NHPCO Legislative Affairs Committee, Co-Chairs Minnesota Hospice and Palliative Care Policy Committee, and volunteers for the Hospice Action Network as an advocate of hospice and palliative care utilization. In 2021, Olson co-authored the Post-Acute Care: Hospices chapter of the HCCA Complete Healthcare Compliance Manual. She graduated from The College of St. Scholastica as a registered nurse.
View the complete list of awardees.
35. Arianne Roy
Chief Operating Officer of Family Services, Rise Services
Arianne Roy began her professional career 16 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Operating Officer of Family Services of Rise Services. Their mission at Rise is to create opportunities for and with people. This mission statement encompasses not only the individuals and families for whom they provide services and supports to, but also employees and stakeholders. Roy is an experienced integrated healthcare leader who is passionate about helping people live healthy lives. She is highly skilled in value-based healthcare, program development, strategic planning, U.S. healthcare policy, leadership, and data analytics.
Roy has completed graduate coursework at the top two universities in the U.S. for innovation refining skills of design thinking, program development, leadership, business development, innovation, and strategy. She believes that integrated whole health programs save lives and improve communities. Roy first got her start in 2006 as a head instructor and addiction counselor at SageWalk of The Wilderness School. From there, she went on to Central City Concern, before eventually rising to become a director of clinical strategy and analytics at Terros Health, her most recent position prior to joining Rise Services. Roy graduated from ASU College of Health Solutions with a DBH in management, from the University of Phoenix with an MS in clinical mental health counseling, and from Marylhurst University with an undergraduate degree in psychology.
37. Christine Muldoon, MBA
SVP of Marketing & Strategy, WebMD Health Services
Christine Muldoon is the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Strategy at WebMD Health Services. WebMD Health Services, part of the WebMD family, is a leading well-being program and service provider helping employers and health plans to empower well-being in everyone. Christine has been with WebMD for over 15 years, working her way up by demonstrating and being recognized for her leadership talent.
Christine has over 25 years in the healthcare industry. She is a thought leader, speaker and recognized by Medical Marketing & Media as their Hall of Femme Women to Watch. She graduated from the University of Connecticut with an MBA, specializing in health care management and from Providence College with an undergraduate degree in business. She also received a certificate for Strategies that Build Winning Brands from Northwestern Kellogg School of Management.
39. Cynde King
SVP of Physician & Employee Solutions, PRC
Dr. Cynde King is dedicated to uncovering the underlining and evolving fundamental needs that drive employee and physician engagement. Her research has found that employees’ perceptions and well-being improve when they are provided interpersonal and workplace support. Cynthia’s research background along with her dedication to improving overall employee and physician experience make her a strong asset at PRC.
As Senior Vice President of Physician and Employee Solutions for PRC, she leads the Physician and Employee Engagement division and is responsible for the development of the Engagement Index used to help healthcare organizations find effective and meaningful ways to engage employees, physicians and caregivers in their overall culture. Considered an expert in Action Planning for Excellence, she is an accomplished speaker and published author. She received a PhD in educational psychology with a specialization in learning cognition, motivation and instruction and an MA in program evaluation from the University of Texas at Austin.
40. Laura Gwyn
Principal & Managing Director, Perkins&Will
Laura Gwyn is a Principal and Managing Director of the North Carolina practice of global architecture and design firm Perkins&Will. An architect, strategist, and mentor, she is known for her 360-degree perspective—gained from her experience in roles as architect, construction manager, and owner representative. Grounded by expertise in health and wellbeing, she leads teams to apply equitable design to all project environments with a high level of care toward social, physical, and emotional well-being. Laura is also a member of the Perkins&Will Internal Project Delivery Board through which she advises on firmwide project execution and delivery. She is an active AIA speaker on career development, women in leadership, and sustainability and also chairs the Raleigh Women in Healthcare mentoring program.
Prior to her roles with Perkins&Will, Laura served with BBH Design, WakeMed, and Holt Brothers Inc. She graduated from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School with an MBA, from North Carolina State University with a master’s degree in architecture, and from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with an undergraduate degree in architecture.
42. Vanessa Haydon
VP of Account Management, Revecore
Vanessa Haydon is the Vice President of Account Management for Revecore, a leading provider of revenue integrity solutions for underpayments and denial prevention and complex claims reimbursements solutions for motor vehicle accident, workers’ compensation, and Veterans Affairs claims. Revecore combines efficient technology platforms with the most talented and experienced experts to capture the best reimbursement for our partners, resulting in being named Best In KLAS for Complex Claims two years in a row!
Vanessa has over 15 years in the healthcare industry and has been actively involved with the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM) for 8 years and is currently serving a second term as President for the Illinois Chapter. Vanessa received her undergraduate degree from Eastern Kentucky University.
43. Carrie VanZant
SVP of Operations, Vivent Health
Carrie VanZant is a nationally respected healthcare executive, innovator, and patient advocate that currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Operations at a Medicaid certified HIV medical home. She is accomplished at developing strategies and tactics that advance the mission of the organizations. She is an open-minded leader, excellent communicator, and cultivator of action. She has completed a dual bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology, an MBA and doctorate degree in public health with a specialty in community health. Her extensive healthcare leadership experience includes for-profit, nonprofit, hospital, ambulatory, and community health practice transformation.
Prior to her current role, VanZant served as a senior director at the nation's largest ($1.8B) pediatrics medical group where her efforts resulted in doubling EBITDA goals. Before this, she served in an AVP position for a national $25B hospital healthcare system where her focus was improving optimization and aligning best practices across five states. Her deep appreciation for diversity stems from her years with a global health technology organization where she traveled Europe designing and implementing electronic medical record software. VanZant has a passion for improving the health in her community and believes a significant success includes increasing healthcare access to the marginalized members. Her tenure as a VP of operations at Washington's largest Federal Quality Health Center afforded her the opportunity to establish meaningful access and growth through the development of new services, new footprints, and improved multiservice utilization outcomes. These actions resulted in tripling the size of the FQHC, providing healthcare services to over 100,000 people of color annually. Characterized as a decisive leader who can envision and deliver results, VanZant continues to transform organizations and improve the quality and delivery of healthcare. She looks for challenges and new opportunities to influence health equities, developing a collaborative team that together celebrates shared achievement as they create positive social change in the lives and communities served.
44. Elisa Gil-Pires
SVP of Medical Affairs & Chief Medical Officer, Charles E. Smith Life Communities
As Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Elisa Gil-Pires oversees the health services (including palliative and hospice care) provided to the 1,000 residents living on the Charles E. Smith Life Communities (CESLC) campus in Rockville, Maryland. These health care services include the Hirsh Health Center, an on-site medical center, the Warren R. Slavin Post-Acute Care Center and the long-term care residents at Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, the largest skilled nursing center in Maryland. She also provides geriatric primary care as well as palliative care to her patients on campus.
Dr. Gil-Pires manages a full-time medical staff of six physicians and two nurse practitioners. She also monitors many consultants and specialists that attend to their patients who live on the CESLC campus. As medical director, she is very involved with community hospital partners in planning for the future of healthcare delivery to older adults, in the context of population health.
Dr. Gil-Pires is a certified medical director, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and an active member of the Mid-Atlantic Medical Directors Association. She is triple boarded by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Geriatrics, Hospice and Palliative Medicine and Internal Medicine. She also serves as a site director for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program at the National Institutes of Health. And most recently has been appointed as the site director for the Conway School of Nursing at the Catholic University of America. She is passionate about serving older adults and ensuring they receive the best specialized medical care and are treated with dignity and empathy and regularly presents at many medical symposiums held throughout the state of Maryland.
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45. Raji Kumar
Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Hill Regional Hospital
Raji Kumar is a Healthcare Entrepreneur focusing on building relationships and meeting the healthcare needs in the communities where her businesses are located. In 2020, during the pandemic, she and her business partner acquired Hill Regional Hospital in Hillsboro, TX, a 25-bed critical access hospital. She serves as the CEO of that hospital, as well as Crescent Regional Hospital in Lancaster, TX. Kumar previously served as the regional CEO of Dallas Medical Center and Dallas Regional Medical Center, both part of Prime Healthcare.
Some of her accolades have included being named by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of “The Top Women Hospital and Health System Leaders to Know”. Raji also was named “Business Woman of the Year for 2013” for The City of Farmers Branch, Becker’s Top 25 Under 40 and made the list of Top 500 Hospital and Health System Leaders to Know. She served as the keynote speaker at the Annual BAPS Charities Women’s Conference three years in a row. Raji received the prestigious Roshni Media award in May 2015 in Manhattan, NY and was published in the Roshni coffee table book of Global Emerging Leaders. Raji delivered the keynote address at the Air Force Annual Ball on ‘Innovation’, August 2015, at the Air Force Base in Shreveport, LA. Raji has been interviewed for and quoted in numerous articles across various publications including Becker’s Hospital Review, Modern Healthcare, Healthcare Executive Exchange, Addison Magazine, Inside Healthcare, India Abroad and others. Raji received her certification in Managing Health Care Delivery from Harvard Business School and an MBA from University of Michigan. She received an undergraduate degree from Oakland University in Michigan and an undergraduate degree in physical therapy from India.
47. Stephanie Reem
AVP & Senior Interior Designer, HGA Architects and Engineers
Stephanie Reem began her professional career over 24 years ago. Today, she is an Associate Vice President and Senior Interior Designer of HGA Architects and Engineers. HGA Architects and Engineers is a national multidisciplinary design firm rooted in architecture and engineering. HGA believes that the best design results from deep insight into the people and passions that animate each unique environment. Over 900 people in 12 offices from coast-to-coast work to make a positive, lasting impact for clients in healthcare, arts and culture, community, corporate, education, government, science and technology, and energy markets.
Reem first got her start in 1998 as an interior designer at GMG Design, Inc. From there, she went on to Smart Associates, Inc, before eventually rising to become a senior healthcare interior designer at BWBR, her most recent position prior to joining HGA Architects and Engineers. Reem graduated from the University of Minnesota with an undergraduate degree in interior design.
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