Please tell us a little about your background and what inspired you to pursue a career in healthcare:

 I originally had my sights set on becoming a police officer and, ultimately, a homicide detective, a modern-day Sherlock Holmes solving the toughest cases.  I was two years into a criminal justice degree while working the registration desk at a hospital. I had recently graduated from the police academy when I got noticed at the hospital doing the right things at the right time by the right people and was subsequently asked to advance to a managed care division in the hospital.  The hospital administrator, Phil Marler, took me under his wing an served as a mentor from that point forward, which resulted in my 180-degree turn from law enforcement to healthcare administration.  I am blessed to have served in multiple roles as a hospital patient registration clerk, managed care coordinator, program director, director of patient financial services, health system AVP, hospital CEO, Physician Specialty Group CEO, , and now Associate Professor.   

What activities do you like to do in your free time?

 I ‘retired’ from ice hockey 3 years ago (a life long passion) and now focus on golf, pickleball, and as many family adventures as possible! 

What is your favorite ACHE memory or activity?

As a young careerist, I remember seeing the ACHE diplomas on the walls of the executives I worked under and thought it was an unsurmountable achievement.  Earning Fellow status with the College is one of my most cherished professional achievements.

How do you envision healthcare in the next 10 years?

This is a question of culture vs technology. Technology continues to advance at quantum speed. As technology and corresponding cost-efficiency drivers modify cultural experiences and expectations, there may be greater societal acceptance and embracement of AI over the next 10 years to replace specific professional workforces such as software engineers, pilots, and physicians. One only needs to look at driverless cars, AI-piloted aircraft, or current convolutional neural networks as applied to radiographic imaging, which already demonstrates similar accuracy interpretation equivalency to professional radiology services. Today’s culture may not adopt autonomous AI, but tomorrow’s needs may demand it.