Committee on Clinical Leadership

Brooke Buckley, MD, FACS, Chair-elect, serves as chief medical officer of Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital. She is responsible for the leadership of the hospital’s physicians. Before serving in her current role, Dr. Buckley served as vice president and chief medical officer of Meritus Health, a regional health system in Washington County, Maryland.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Buckley brings with her years of administrative experience with a focus on clinical integration, process improvement and quality care with a special concentration in professional development. She earned her undergraduate degree in biology at The Johns Hopkins University and her medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health.

Robert V. Rose, RN, MS, NEA-BC, Chair, serves as the chief nurse executive, Central Market for Atrium Health where he is responsible for over 3500 nurses within 3 (>1000 beds) Magnet Hospitals and a large ambulatory platform. Previously he served as senior vice president, Patient Care Services and chief nurse executive at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics in Tyler, TX, where he was accountable for nursing practice, clinical education, and clinical risk/accreditation for twelve hospitals and 60 clinics across the northeast Texas region. 

Mr. Rose has more than fifteen years’ senior leadership experience and eight years diverse clinical experience. He has held senior leadership positions at multiple organizations including Briston Hospital and Healthcare Group in Briston, CT, St. Peters Health Care Services in Albany, NY, and South Coast Hospital Group in Fall River, MA. Mr. Rose holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from State University of New York Utica-Rome and a Master of Science in Health Care Administration from the California College for Health Sciences. He is board certified in Nursing Administration and Critical Care Nursing.

Daniel A. Handel, MD, MBA, MPH, MAS, FACEP, Past-chair, is the chief medical officer, Central Market at Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC. Prior to joining Atrium, Dr. Handel served as president and chief medical officer of the south central region for Indiana University Health. In addition to serving as CMO, Dr. Handel is a practicing clinician emergency physician. Prior to joining IU Health, Dr. Handel served as the chief medical officer and executive medical director of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Medical Center and an associate professor in the division of Emergency Medicine where he was responsible for overseeing patient flow, case management, process improvement and the medical directors throughout the hospital. Dr. Handel has also served as the vice chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon where he held various hospital leadership roles overseeing safety and patient flow.

Dr. Handel received his doctor of medicine degree from Northwestern University along with a Masters in Public Health. He completed his Healthcare MBA from OHSU, where he also served on the faculty of the Division of Management teaching process improvement and value streams. He is board certified in Emergency Medicine. 

Heidi Duncan, MD, FAAP, board liaison, is the physician director of Heatlh Policy at Billings Clinic in Billings, Mon. Dr. Duncan is board certified in Family Medicine and has been with Billings Clinic since 1994. In her role, Dr. Duncan works with legislators at the state and national level to develop and implement an advocacy strategy to fulfill the needs of health care professionals.

Dr. Duncan earned her undergraduate degree in human biology from Stanford University and her medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine, where she also conducted her family medicine residency. Dr. Duncan is also a fellow with the American Academy of Family Physicians and has served in several leadership roles with the Montana Academy of Family Physicians.
 

Gaurava Agarwal, MD is the chief wellness executive at Northwestern Medicine and the Director of Faculty Wellness at Northwestern University. White at Northwestern, he created an initiative called the “Scholars of Wellness” (SOW) to address the organizational drivers of burnout and build physician leaders which won the 2019 Illinois Psychiatric Society’s Innovation in Physician Wellness Award. Dr. Agarwal also serves as the director of Medical Student Education in Psychiatry at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine. He is a nationally recognized educator and specializes in occupational and organizational psychiatry with an emphasis on workplace mental health. Dr. Agarwal earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine and completed his residency in psychiatry at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University. He is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.  

Richard Bottner, DHA, PA-C, CPHQ, is the vice president of Clinical Excellence at the Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) and exceptionally passionate about effective, efficient, and interprofessional acute care in hospitals nationwide. In his current role, Dr. Bottner supports strategy and implementation related to a statewide value-based payment pilot. The program, associated with over $1 billion in Medicaid disbursements, is designed specifically around optimization of hospital-based care across Colorado. In addition to health system redesign work, Dr. Bottner focuses on statewide quality and process improvement programs surrounding several critical areas including substance use disorders, maternal health, rural and critical access hospitals, and social determinants of health. 

Prior to his role with CHA, Dr. Bottner was an assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and was the director of the Buprenorphine Team, a full-service consultation team that provides hospitalized patients who have opioid use disorder with access to treatment and linkage to appropriate outpatient care.  Dr. Bottner has a Doctor of Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina with a focus on interprofessional care delivery, Master of Physician Assistant Studies from Quinnipiac University, and Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship and Business Administration from Babson College. He holds a Certificate of Additional Qualifications in Hospital Medicine from the National Commission on the Certification of PAs and holds a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality credential from the National Association for Healthcare Quality.

Hoyt Burdick, MD, MMM, CPE, FACP, FCCP, FAAPL, FACHE, CPHQ, CPPS, is the chief medical officer for Mountain Health Network, where he serves a fulltime CMO for two hospitals in Huntington, WV (Cabell Huntington Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Center. He oversees performance improvement and patient safety, infection prevention, regulatory compliance, medical staff, peer review, credentialing, and supervision of physician medical directors. He also serves as the healthcare system Graduate Medical Education representative for both Marshall University School of Medicine and its residencies/fellowships and the Marshall Community Health Consortium’s programs.

Prior to his current role, Dr. Burdick practiced for ten years as an intensivist and pulmonologist in private practice, with a volunteer faculty position in the Marshall University School of Medicine. Dr. Burdick received his medical degree in 1980 from the University Of Mississippi School Of Medicine, where he also completed training and became board-certified in internal medicine, pulmonology and critical care.

Benjamin R. Carter, CPA, FHFMA is Trinity Health's chief operating officer responsible for leading all Health Ministries and other operational areas. Trinity Health regional CEOs, the executive vice presidents for continuing care and administrative services, Trinity Health's system chief information/innovation officer, and the vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, all report to Carter. Previously he served as the system's executive vice president and chief financial officer. Additional duties under this role included accountability for several regions operationally as well as leading merger and acquisition integrations. Prior to joining Trinity Health, Carter was executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Detroit Medical Center (DMC), where he was responsible for the operations of the regional system’s eight hospitals and related outpatient facilities. During his tenure there, Carter was instrumental in the DMC’s financial turnaround, which resulted in six consecutive years of profitability. He led key growth, cost reduction and profit initiatives in multiple service lines. Prior to leading DMC operations, Carter spent nearly 17 years in executive-level positions at Oakwood Healthcare in Dearborn, Michigan. He started his career at Plante Moran in Southfield, Michigan, where he worked for eight years.

Throughout his career, Carter has served on many internal and external boards including Care Tech Solutions, Inc., DMC Care Express, the Invest Michigan Advisory Board, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Detroit and also led as co-chair, Governor Rick Snyder's task force on Responsible Retirement Reform for Local Government. He has been appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer as a commissioner on the Michigan Aeronautics Commission, overseeing all aviation related activities for the State of Michigan. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. Carter is an alumnus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he graduated magna cum laude with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration.

Loretta Christensen, MD, MBA, MSJ, FACS, an enrolled member of the Navajo Tribe, serves as the chief medical officer of the Indian Health Service. The IHS, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the principal federal health care provider for American Indians and Alaska Natives. As the chief medical officer, Dr. Christensen is IHS’ lead expert on medical and public health topics, giving technical consultation and guidance to the IHS Office of the Director and IHS staff throughout the country on American Indian and Alaska Native health care policies and issues. She provides national leadership for clinical and community-based health programs of the agency, and serves as the primary liaison and advocate for IHS health professionals.

Dr. Christensen began her career with the IHS as a general surgeon. She most recently served as the chief medical officer of the Navajo Area Indian Health Service from 2017-2021. Dr. Christensen received her undergraduate degree in biological anthropology from Harvard University and her medical degree from Hahnemann University Medical School, now the Drexel University College of Medicine. Dr. Christensen also holds a master of business administration from Georgian Court University and a master of jurisprudence with a specialty in healthcare law from Seton Hall Law School.

Steven Diaz, MD, FAAFP, FACEP, chief medical officer for MaineGeneral Health, has been active at MaineGeneral since 1993. He completed his family medicine at the Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency in 1996, and then joined the department of emergency medicine upon graduation. While at MaineGeneral, he became the assistant medical director of emergency medicine in 2002 and left that position in July 2007 on his way to vice president of Medical Administration, and now the system CMO.  

Dr. Diaz is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.  He has published two handbooks on Emergency Medicine that have been translated to become part of an international distribution. Dr. Diaz is also chairman of the Maine Hospital Association Board of Directors, and a past member of the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board as its physician member.
 

Joy Drass, MD is executive vice president and chief operating officer for MedStar Health with executive oversight of 10 hospitals, Integrated Operations, Nursing, and Operational Support. She also has executive responsibility for MedStar Ambulatory Services, MedStar Health Home Care, MedStar National Rehabilitation Network, and MedStar Medical Group, the system’s physician enterprise activities. Previously, Dr. Drass served as executive vice president of Operations for the Washington region with responsibility for system wide Human Resources and Nursing functions and focused on regional program development and operational synergy among the D.C. market-based entities for MedStar Health. She provided strategic oversight and management for MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, and MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

An alumna of Georgetown University Medical School, Dr. Drass received her medical degree and remained in the Washington, D.C., area to complete her residency and critical care fellowship programs. Dr. Drass worked for 13 years as an intensivist in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, and the MedSTAR Trauma Unit at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, as well as held a variety of clinical leadership roles at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. In addition to her medical credentials, Dr. Drass received a master's in business administration from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business. Dr. Drass has served as chair of the District of Columbia Hospital Association Board of Directors and numerous other Washington, D.C., based task forces and committees. She speaks and writes on healthcare topics and regularly participates in conferences.

Samuel Hammerman, MD, MMM, FCCP, CPE, is chief medical officer, LTAC Hospital Division, and Chief Quality Officer, for Select Medical. He also currently serves as Assistant Professor of Medicine at Penn State Hershey Medical Center. He has an extensive background in pulmonology and critical care medicine and recently served as director of pulmonary and critical care medicine for Geisinger Health System. At Geisinger Wyoming Valley Hospital, he led innovation initiatives focusing on patient centered clinical care, operations, quality and safety, and education. He was also previously employed by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and its Magee Women’s Hospital.

Dr. Hammerman is a graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Boston University Medical Center. He earned his master’s degree in medical management (MMM) from Carnegie Mellon University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland. He recently completed requirements to become a Certified Physician Executive.

Sanjeeb Khatua, MD, MPH, MBA-HCM, FAAFP, serves as the chief physician executive for Northshore - Edward-Elmhurst Health. Prior to this role, he served as president and chief executive officer of UnityPoint Clinic in Des Moines, IA. At Edward Elmhurst Health, a $1.5B integrated health delivery system located in the western suburbs of Chicago, Dr. Khatua has held multiple leadership roles. These included executive vice president, chief physician executive and president of Edward Health Ventures (Physician and Ambulatory Network). In his current role, Dr. Khatua works closely with leadership to guide strategic priorities with a strong focus on advancing physician and provider leadership and development and ongoing clinical transformation. 

A board-certified physician, Dr. Khatua earned his MD from Medical University of Silesia in Poland and completed his family medicine residency in Hinsdale, IL. He received his Master of Public Health degree from Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, CA in 2012 and his MBA in Health Care Management from Loyola University in Chicago, IL.  

Elizabeth Mort, MD, MPH is a practicing general internist and also serves as the senior vice president of Quality and Safety and chief quality officer at the MGH and the MGPO. Dr. Mort has extensive experience in health care quality measurement, quality and safety improvement, managed care medical management strategies, pay for performance contracting and hospital operations. At MGH she oversees the Lawrence Center for Quality & Safety and is responsible for high stakes quality and safety measurement and improvement work across a broad range of initiatives. At Mass General Brigham, system-level, she chairs the Chief Quality Officers Council.

Dr. Mort is nationally recognized as an expert in Quality and Safety. Mort has been a member of the NQF Steering Committee for Additional Priorities for Acute Hospital Quality Measures among others. She currently serves on the CMS Hospital Quality Stars Leadership Work Group. Dr. Mort completed her residency in primary care internal medicine at MGH followed by a fellowship at the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School (MHS). She received a Master in Public Health from the University of Michigan in Health Planning and Administration and Population Planning. Dr. Mort is an Associate Professor in both the Department of Medicine and Health Care Policy at HMS and she is the course Director Applied Quality and Safety in the new HMS Master in Health Care Quality and Safety Program.

Dr. Peterson is actively involved with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and has served in numerous roles at the ASA, most recently as ASA first vice president. Dr. Peterson also serves on the Executive Committees of the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists and Nueces County Medical Society. She has been an active member of the American Medical Association and the Texas Medical Association since 1984.

Dr. Peterson received her Bachelor of Science from Texas A&M University. She completed her Doctor of Medicine and anesthesiology residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, where she was elected chief resident. Dr. Peterson also completed a Master of Science in Health Care Administration at Trinity University in San Antonio. She is board-certified in anesthesiology and critical care medicine.

James Porter, MD, FACHE, FACP, FAAP, serves as president of Deaconess Health System Inc., Evansville, Ind. In this role he has initiated Deaconess Care Integration and led its growth and development into one of the most successful Next Generation ACOs in the country. Under Dr. Porter's leadership, Deaconess also launched the OneCare Collaborative, a clinically integrated network recognized as a national leader for innovation and success in value and risk-based arrangements.

Prior to his current role as President, Dr. Porter served as executive vice president and chief physician executive at Deaconess Health System. Dr. Porter is board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics. He received his bachelor of arts from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and his Doctor of Medicine from Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

Christine M. Stabler, MD (ACCME liaison) became the first vice president for Academic Affairs at Lancaster General (LG) Health in February 2011. In this role, she oversees and coordinates LG Health’s medical education programs that include the family medicine residency; fellowships in geriatrics and palliative medicine; pharmacy residency; dental residency and an expanded medical student program. She also oversees the Institutional Review Committee and the LG Health Research Institute. She continues to see patients two sessions a week at Family & Maternity Care and participates in after-hours obstetrics calls on a part-time basis. She holds faculty appointments at Temple University, University of Pennsylvania and Penn State Colleges of Medicine. Dr. Stabler is a past President of the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians and Chair of the American Academy of Physicians Commission on Membership and Member Services. A graduate of Pennsylvania State University/Jefferson Medical College BS/MD program, she completed her family medicine residency at LG Health and a one-year teaching fellowship in family medicine at Temple University.

Ena Williams, Ph.D., MBA, MSM, BSN, CENP serves as chief nursing officer at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH). Williams began her nursing career in Jamaica where she served in numerous staff and leadership roles. After migrating to the US, she joined the team at YNHH as a staff nurse and has progressively advanced to her current role. She has served as a coordinator, educator, manager, and ultimately the nursing director of Perioperative Services. She was promoted to VP and associated chief nurse in 2012 and assumed the current role of senior vice president and chief nursing officer at YNHH. Williams earned her diploma in nursing from the University Hospital of the West Indies, her BSN from Western Governors University and her MSM/MBA from Albertus Magnus College, and a Ph.D. from Walden University. Williams is a graduate of the GE Health Management Nurse Executive Fellowship and is board-certified in executive nursing practice by the Association of Nurse Executives. She has published several journal and book chapters and is a frequent speaker at local/national nursing conferences.

Williams also currently serves on the board of the Connecticut Hospital Association, Gateway Community College Foundation, American Nurses Association Foundation, and the Joint Commission. She is a member of the AONL, ANA, and a lifetime member of the National Black Nurses Association. Williams has been recognized with numerous awards: the Trailblazer Award from the National Black Nurses Association (2017), and the Cornell Scott Health Leadership Award from the NAACP of Greater New Haven (2015). In 2012 she was recognized by the West Indian Social Club of Hartford as an outstanding Jamaican in the field of healthcare (2010) and in 2012 as an outstanding Jamaican in America in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Jamaican independence. 
 

Baligh Yehia, MD, MPP, FACP currently serves as the president of Jefferson Health. Prior to this role, he was the senior vice president, Ascension, and president, Ascension Medical Group. In this role, he leads Ascension Medical Group (AMG), Ascension Rx Pharmacy, and virtual care services at Ascension, working to drive clinical transformation to promote high-value care. As leader of AMG, Dr. Yehia provides strategic direction to the physician-led organization, which includes more than 10,000 clinicians who serve more than 2.3 million individuals nationwide. He also works to ensure patients receive the right medication at the right time, and at an affordable cost, by guiding Ascension’s pharmacy strategy including retail, mail order and infusion services, supported by more than 4,000 pharmacy team members across all care settings. Dr. Yehia joined Ascension in July 2018 to serve as Chief Medical Officer. In that role, Dr. Yehia championed clinician engagement, well-being, and development. He worked to develop the medical group’s care model portfolio and virtual care strategy, which enhances the delivery of personalized care and expands practice opportunities for clinicians.

A nationally recognized expert in health disparities and HIV medicine, Dr. Yehia has published over 150 articles, abstracts and chapters in leading journals. He has made important contributions to the understanding of patient engagement in healthcare. Dr. Yehia has served in top leadership positions in government and on numerous boards, and is the former Deputy Under Secretary for Health for the Department of Veterans Affairs. He currently serves on the American Hospital Association Committee on Clinical Leadership and is on the Board of Directors of the Primary Care Collaborative.

Dr. Yehia received his bachelor and medical degrees from the University of Florida, completed internal medicine residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and infectious diseases fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a Masters in Public Policy from Princeton University and Masters of Science in Health Policy Research from the University of Pennsylvania.