women to watch 2014

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Providers, researchers, educators, administrators, entrepreneurs, lawyers and consultants … although the talented women who make up the Class of 2014 fill different roles in our healthcare system, a common characteristic among all of the honorees is a true passion for what they do and who they serve. The Class of 2014 represents the village required to deliver safe, effective, efficient care in today’s highly complex, highly regulated healthcare environment. As the industry continues to navigate a sea change in how we approach and deliver care in this country … and even in how we define health and wellness … it will require dedicated problem- solvers to rethink traditional approaches. Luckily for Nashville, and for the nation, our city is filled with talented, innovative professionals who aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo if it means improving the system. The Class of 2014 clearly epitomizes the original vision we had when Women to Watch was first launched in 2006 to honor those who make a difference in the healthcare industry … and more importantly … to the patients the industry serves. — CINDY SANDERS, NASHVILLE MEDICAL NEWS EDITOR SPONSORED BY: ANNE SUMPTER ARNEY, JD Partner | Bone McAllester Norton, PLLC Arney credits her parents with instill- ing in her a deep appreciation of the law and thanks circumstances for leading her to the healthcare industry she loves. Although her family roots were in Tennessee — her father was from Livings- ton and mother from Nashville — Arney grew up in and around Washington, D.C. Her father was a lawyer and an officer in the U.S. Air Force stationed at the Pen- tagon, and her mother was a pioneering female attorney who served as Arney’s chief role model. “I believe she was one of the young- est women to pass the bar in Tennessee. It was 1939, and she was 20 at the time,” Arney said of her mother. “She loved lawyers … theoretically and liter- ally,” Arney continued with a laugh, referencing her father and grandfather, who also were attorneys. When it came time for college, Arney selected Vanderbilt, her father’s alma mater, followed by law school at Washington & Lee. “When I came to Vanderbilt, I had no intention of staying in Nashville. Now, I cannot imagine a better place for me.” Returning to the city after law school set the course for Arney’s healthcare career. “My first job as a lawyer was as an associate with a law firm whose principal client was HCA,” she said. “At that time, healthcare law was not its own practice area,” she explained, but added the experience taught her a lot about the laws impacting the business of healthcare. After a stint as in-house counsel for a managed care company, Arney returned to private practice with even deeper industry insight. Her focus became helping physicians and other providers navigate the complex regulatory environment, ne- gotiate and structure contracts, and forge the best path to build and grow prac- tices from joint ventures to mergers and acquisitions. “There are two parts to my field that I love,” she said. “First, I love working with people in the profession of caring for patients. Second, I love finding the an- swers in the puzzle that is healthcare and business regulation.” She readily admits the legal maze can be trying for providers … and attorneys. “The constant changes in healthcare laws and regulations make it very challenging to stay on top of … and ahead of … the rules, and how they affect my clients,” she noted. “Everybody pushes back on regulations, and certainly some of them are diffi- cult,” Arney continued. “But sometimes if you look back at the policy behind them, it’s more palatable. Most healthcare rules are there to protect the patient or the payment system.” She knows firsthand that you miss a lot if you simply scratch the surface. Some might be surprised to learn Arney is chairman of Nashville’s beer board. What might seem incongruous at first glance, however, makes perfect sense when dig- ging a little deeper. She is passionate about her adopted hometown and loves being able to serve while seeing another business side to the city. Being open to new possibilities also led to husband Steve Gilpatrick, a painting and dry wall contractor, who she met when both were in their late 40s. Opposite in many ways, it’s their similarities that matter. Arney said, “What we share that is important is our values … and we both love to have fun.” Arney has set a goal to carve out more time for fun. “My husband and I have a long list of destinations we would like to visit, and I would like to start marking some off the list,” she said wryly. Despite long workdays, Arney is grateful for the personal and professional choices that have brought her contentment. “Law can include more stress than satisfaction. I was lucky that my professional path took me to healthcare law,” she said. “Knowing that I am helping the professionals in our community that keep us healthy and care for the sick is very satisfying.”

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Women to Watch 2014

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Page 1: Women to Watch 2014

Providers, researchers,

educators,

administrators,

entrepreneurs, lawyers

and consultants …

although the talented

women who make up the Class of 2014 fill different roles

in our healthcare system, a common characteristic among

all of the honorees is a true passion for what they do and

who they serve.

The Class of 2014 represents the village required

to deliver safe, effective, efficient care in today’s highly

complex, highly regulated healthcare environment. As

the industry continues to navigate a sea change in how

we approach and deliver care in this country … and even

in how we define health and wellness … it will require

dedicated problem-

solvers to rethink

traditional approaches.

Luckily for Nashville,

and for the nation,

our city is filled with

talented, innovative professionals who aren’t afraid

to challenge the status quo if it means improving the

system.

The Class of 2014 clearly epitomizes the original

vision we had when Women to Watch was first launched

in 2006 to honor those who make a difference in the

healthcare industry … and more importantly … to the

patients the industry serves.

— CINDY SANDERS,

NASHVILLE MEDICAL NEWS EDITOR

SPONSORED BY:

ANNE SUMPTER ARNEY, JDPartner | Bone McAllester Norton, PLLC

Arney credits her parents with instill-ing in her a deep appreciation of the law and thanks circumstances for leading her to the healthcare industry she loves.

Although her family roots were in Tennessee — her father was from Livings-ton and mother from Nashville — Arney grew up in and around Washington, D.C. Her father was a lawyer and an officer in the U.S. Air Force stationed at the Pen-tagon, and her mother was a pioneering female attorney who served as Arney’s chief role model.

“I believe she was one of the young-est women to pass the bar in Tennessee. It was 1939, and she was 20 at the time,”

Arney said of her mother. “She loved lawyers … theoretically and liter-ally,” Arney continued with a laugh, referencing her father and grandfather, who also were attorneys.

When it came time for college, Arney selected Vanderbilt, her father’s alma mater, followed by law school at Washington & Lee. “When I came to Vanderbilt, I had no intention of staying in Nashville. Now, I cannot imagine a better place for me.”

Returning to the city after law school set the course for Arney’s healthcare career. “My first job as a lawyer was as an associate with a law firm whose principal client was HCA,” she said. “At that time, healthcare law was not its own practice area,” she explained, but added the experience taught her a lot about the laws impacting the business of healthcare.

After a stint as in-house counsel for a managed care company, Arney returned to private practice with even deeper industry insight. Her focus became helping physicians and other providers navigate the complex regulatory environment, ne-gotiate and structure contracts, and forge the best path to build and grow prac-tices from joint ventures to mergers and acquisitions.

“There are two parts to my field that I love,” she said. “First, I love working with people in the profession of caring for patients. Second, I love finding the an-swers in the puzzle that is healthcare and business regulation.”

She readily admits the legal maze can be trying for providers … and attorneys. “The constant changes in healthcare laws and regulations make it very challenging to stay on top of … and ahead of … the rules, and how they affect my clients,” she noted.

“Everybody pushes back on regulations, and certainly some of them are diffi-cult,” Arney continued. “But sometimes if you look back at the policy behind them, it’s more palatable. Most healthcare rules are there to protect the patient or the payment system.”

She knows firsthand that you miss a lot if you simply scratch the surface. Some might be surprised to learn Arney is chairman of Nashville’s beer board. What might seem incongruous at first glance, however, makes perfect sense when dig-ging a little deeper. She is passionate about her adopted hometown and loves being able to serve while seeing another business side to the city.

Being open to new possibilities also led to husband Steve Gilpatrick, a painting and dry wall contractor, who she met when both were in their late 40s. Opposite in many ways, it’s their similarities that matter. Arney said, “What we share that is important is our values … and we both love to have fun.”

Arney has set a goal to carve out more time for fun. “My husband and I have a long list of destinations we would like to visit, and I would like to start marking some off the list,” she said wryly.

Despite long workdays, Arney is grateful for the personal and professional choices that have brought her contentment. “Law can include more stress than satisfaction. I was lucky that my professional path took me to healthcare law,” she said. “Knowing that I am helping the professionals in our community that keep us healthy and care for the sick is very satisfying.”

Page 2: Women to Watch 2014

2 > APRIL 2014 Women to Watch n a s h v i l l e m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Inc., an Independent Licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association

CONGRATULATES

Dr. Andrea D. WillisVice President, Chief Medical O� cer

ON HER SELECTION TO

Nashville Medical NewsWomen to Watch Class of 2014

Dr. Willis has made it her life’s work to improve the health of her fellow Tennesseans by advancing public health statewide. At BlueCross, she champions our “Every member, every day. Quality care counts” initiative to positively impact the health of our 3 million members and the entire state.

Congratulations to our own Anne Sumpter Arney,

CLASS OF 2014 WOMEN TO WATCH

NashvilleNashvilleNashvilleNashvilleNashvilleNashvilleNashvilleNashville615.238.6300615.238.6300615.238.6300615.238.6300615.238.6300615.238.6300615.238.6300615.238.6300615.238.6300615.238.6300615.238.6300615.238.6300

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JENNIFER ELLIOTT, RNVice President of Clinical Operations & Chief Nursing OfficerSaint Thomas West HospitalSaint Thomas Midtown Hospital

Jennifer Elliott never met a challenge that didn’t intrigue her.

“Every door that opens, I love to walk through,” she said. “An opportunity is an opportunity … if you don’t take them when you get them, who knows if they will ever come your way again.”

Perhaps destined for her current role, the Nashville native was born at Saint Thomas Midtown. However, she didn’t really consider a nursing career until high school. Students at Davidson Academy were expected to research a profession as a senior project. Elliott opted to shad-ow a friend who was a nurse in Vander-bilt’s pediatric ICU.

“As a 17-year-old, I had profound re-spect for what those nurses did that night,” Elliott recalled.

Before that evening, she leaned toward a career in law enforcement. “All the men in my family are Metro police officers,” Elliott noted. In nursing school, a clini-cal rotation in the Emergency Department felt like she had found her niche. She said the ED had the same kind of ‘you never know what’s next’ atmosphere that police officers face.

Elliott began work as a nurse tech at the previously named Baptist Hospital in 2001 while finishing her undergraduate degree. “I have worked my way up every single bedside position from tech all the way to nurse executive,” she explained,

adding the varied experiences have given her perspective regarding what her nurses face each day.

While she relished the organized chaos of working in emergency and critical care situations, it’s the quieter moments of nursing she has come to appreciate the most.

Advocates, mentors, clinicians, caregivers … Elliott said nurses are at the fore-front of a patient’s experience. “Nursing is an incredibly meaningful career, allowing the opportunity to be a part of someone’s life when they need someone to care the most.”

In the course of going about their duties, Elliott said it is easy for nurses to for-get just how much they matter. She has made it her mission to change that.

“I think it is important that we take the time to say ‘thank you’ and to make people feel valued for the work that they do,” Elliott said. Each month, she sends a hand-written note to every unit at both hospitals thanking an individual or the department for an act of kindness, great idea, catching an error, or delivering ex-ceptional care.

She is passionate about the patient experience and about empowering nurses to be leaders on the floor and in the field. Balancing finances, managing quality and safety, and advocating on behalf of her nurses in today’s rapidly changing health-care environment have provided new challenges. “Nurses just want to have what they need to take care of their patients. It’s my job to ensure their needs are met so that they can provide the highest quality and safest care possible to every single patient they encounter.”

One of her biggest challenges is balancing a rich professional and personal life. With her husband Steve, a partner at Chappell Smith & Associates, the couple is raising their 11-year-old son, Dylan, and 17-month-old daughter, Parker. Elliott read-ily admits Parker was a surprise … to everyone.

The opportunity to adopt their daughter came up just a few weeks before her birth and only two weeks before Elliott began the CNO role at Saint Thomas Midtown. By October last year, she had added CNO duties at Saint Thomas West, as well. “So,” she laughed, “I completely turned my life upside down at work and at home.”

For the woman who loves a challenge, though, she wouldn’t have it any other way. As for what the future holds, Elliott said, “I am open to the opportunities that present themselves to me and look forward to what is around the next corner.”

It’s a philosophy that has served her well so far.

Page 3: Women to Watch 2014

n a s h v i l l e m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m Women to Watch APRIL 2014 > 3

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CHERAE FARMER-DIXON, DDS, MSPHDean and Professor | School of DentistryMeharry Medical College

As a high school junior in the Missis-sippi Delta, Cherae Farmer-Dixon attend-ed a health careers summer program at Tougaloo College and immediately be-came intrigued with dentistry.

After finishing her undergraduate de-gree at Mississippi Valley State University close to home, she headed to Nashville and Meharry’s School of Dentistry to turn her dream into a reality. Thoughts of full-time practice changed once she realized how passionate she was about academic dentistry, public health and research.

She credits her mentor, Rueben War-ren, DDS, PhD, who was dean of the School of Dentistry when Farmer-Dixon was a student, with igniting her interests. “I worked for him as a research assistant

and became interested in public health dentistry and access to care in rural areas,” she said, adding the subject hit close to home. “I learned from him that dentistry is not just about teeth but encompasses overall health, accessibility, availability and acceptability.”

As a result, she went on to earn a master’s degree in public health, pursue an academic dental career, become widely published on a number of research topics and provide dental services in underserved areas. Really, she noted, she has the best of all worlds. Not only does she have the satisfaction of practicing in a field she loves, she said, “but more importantly, I have the joy of training … every year … approximately 230 students.”

Like many academic leaders, Farmer-Dixon thrives on that interaction with

students. She relishes sharing what she has learned over two decades of teaching and practicing dentistry … and she is equally excited to see what the students will teach her. “Each class brings new dynamics that allow me to continue to learn and to appreciate them and the opportunity that we have to impact each other’s lives,” she noted.

Paying it forward, Farmer-Dixon is happy to mentor students striving for ex-cellence and young faculty carving out career paths and focusing on professional development. She has also taken a leadership role in the larger dental community. Farmer-Dixon currently serves as national vice president of the American Associa-tion of Women Dentists and founded the student chapter of the organization at Meharry.

As a female dentist, dean, professor, lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Re-serves, and working mother, Farmer-Dixon said she hopes she is also a living ex-ample of the rewards of hard work and dedication. It’s an example she tries to set not only for her students … but for her own children, as well.

Son Gardner Dixon is a junior at Father Ryan High School and a basketball player on the varsity team. Daughter Tyler Dixon, 19, is a freshman at MTSU major-ing in English/pre-law. “I’m hoping to convince her to cross over,” Farmer-Dixon said teasingly of trying to get Tyler to consider the health sciences.

“As with most mothers, my life revolves around my family so every available moment I have is spent with them … even moments I don’t ‘have,’” she said of her children.

Bringing all her roles together — mother, dentist, teacher, public health cham-pion — has served as an impetus for Farmer-Dixon to lead research on oral health disparities, caries in low-income children, and community outreach and interven-tions. She has championed Meharry’s mission to take the oral health message into the community. Faculty and students spearhead a number of outreach programs, as well as provide screenings at Meharry 12 South Community Clinic and compre-hensive care for children and targeted adult populations in partnership with the Montgomery County Health Department.

Named dean last July, Farmer-Dixon has been on faculty at Meharry Medical College for almost 24 years. Previously, she served as associate dean for Academic & Student Affairs and is a past chair of the admissions committee, which has pro-vided her the opportunity to see each class blossom over the course of four years. Watching new students transform into passionate, highly competent, caring pro-fessionals during their time at Meharry never ceases to thrill Farmer-Dixon and give her a reason to smile.

Page 4: Women to Watch 2014

4 > APRIL 2014 Women to Watch n a s h v i l l e m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m

BETH CONNOR GUEST, JDChief Counsel | Cigna-HealthSpring

Ask Beth Connor Guest what she does for a living, and she just might tell you she’s in the relationship business.

A veteran Nashville healthcare attor-ney, Guest had been with Waller for 25 years when she made the move to Cigna-HealthSpring last April. When initially ap-proached by the managed care company, Guest said her first reaction was to po-litely decline. Although nice to be asked, she wasn’t looking for a change and loved working in her area of expertise helping providers across the spectrum create ef-fective alignment strategies.

“Healthcare deals involve a lot of col-laboration,” said Guest. “For most of my career, I have worked on crafting arrange-

ments that work for all stakeholders and are intended to endure over time.” She continued, “I love the relationship side of the business. Ultimately, all of these com-plicated healthcare joint ventures are about a relationship built on similar values.”

In the end, collaboration and relationships helped sway Guest’s decision to embark on a new venture as chief counsel overseeing the legal function for Cigna-HealthSpring’s Senior Segment. “Cigna-HealthSpring really is a different kind of company,” she said. “It’s a very collaborative, engaged physician model.”

But professional relationships weren’t the only ones on her mind when she ac-cepted the position. Personal experience has made Guest passionate about offer-ing seniors more effective care options. In 2004, her father-in-law died after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. A year later, she lost her father to lymphoma. “All those encounters with healthcare helped shape my view of the ideal care model for seniors,” she explained.

“It’s very personal for me. My mother, who died in March 2014 after a long de-cline from a rare form of ALS, was my role model, and I see how coordinated care greatly improved the quality of her life.”

Madge Connor, Guest’s mother, was a working psychologist raising four chil-dren at a time when many women didn’t seek professional careers. Guest recalled, “Her mantra was, ‘You should learn to do everything you can do. No job is too small, and it’s important to someone.’”

Guest also credited Reggie Hill, a longtime partner at Waller who is now chief compliance officer for LifePoint Hospitals, with helping shape her professional worldview. “Reggie took the time to train me early in my career to learn the busi-ness and to provide the top level of service. There’s no substitute for that,” Guest noted.

In this era of health reform and changing regulatory environment, bringing a lifetime of skills to the table has never been more important. Sometimes, Guest said, health law is counterintuitive or has unintended consequences, which can make it particularly tough to navigate.

On the other hand, she said that also is what makes her field so intellectually stimulating. In hindsight, she continued, difficult situations and challenges tend to be great teaching moments and spark innovation.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime, seismic change in healthcare delivery, and there are some really creative solutions out there,” she said with excitement. For her part, Guest said she wants to keep working on collaborative relationships to bring pro-viders and payers together to implement the move from volume to value.

From experience, she knows the restorative value friends, family and nature bring to her life. Whenever possible, the family — husband David and three chil-dren, college students Emily and Connor and fourth-grader Natalie — loves to head east to their small cabin in the Smoky Mountains. “There is something peaceful and grounding about spending time in the mountains,” Guest said.

Recognizing that prevention is the best medicine, Guest has also become pas-sionate about fitness and laughingly noted she has pulled her good friends along. “We hike Radnor, run a race, do a spin class … anything to keep moving.”

It isn’t likely Guest is going to slow down anytime soon with a busy family, close-knit group of friends, and challenging career, but she only has to look to the example of her own mother to know grace, hard work and good humor will carry you a long way.

HEATHER GREENE, MBA, RHIA, CPC, CPMAVice President, Compliance ServicesKraft Healthcare Consulting, LLC

Mother knows best.It’s a lesson many people learn again

and again, and Heather Greene readily admits to being one of them. Growing up in Kentucky, she had a deep respect for her mother’s clinical skills as a registered nurse.

“I was always enthralled at her abil-ity to help others and the self-satisfaction she gained from her healthcare profes-sion,” Greene recalled. Yet, she contin-ued, “I quickly found that nursing would not be my calling.”

Recognizing her daughter’s techni-cal acumen and interest in healthcare, Greene’s mother suggested she look into health information management. Greene

said, “No.” A couple of rounds later, Greene finally gave in and took some HIM courses at Eastern Kentucky University. “Of course,” she said with a laugh, “I tried it and fell in love with it.”

Coming to recognize healthcare encompasses much more than just clinical providers, Greene has put her specialized skillset to work around the complex compliance issues surrounding billing, coding, auditing, and documentation. With the ICD-10 conversion looming, Greene’s services are in constant demand as she prepares clinical and operational staff for the intricacies of the new system.

“It’s a good feeling when our clients can confidently say they are prepared for the ICD-10 conversion …. whenever it finally happens,” she said.

While coding has taken center stage of late, it is but one of many regulatory and operational edicts facing the healthcare industry. “I truly love my job because I actually like change,” Greene said. “The health information management profes-sion is challenging because it is a constant work in progress. It requires continual learning to stay abreast of the changing regulations and to keep our clients in-formed and in compliance.”

She added, “A challenge is just an opportunity.”Greene has found that a positive outlook helps people shed some of their

resistance to change and begin to look at what can be accomplished through new processes and systems. On a more pragmatic note, she added, “Healthcare is go-ing to change. You can lead, follow, or get out of the way.”

However, she continued, when people are open to learning, they are often surprised by their own capabilities. “I especially enjoy seeing when our clients discover a new way to solve an issue. It brings a lot of personal and professional pride.”

The longer she has been in the field, the more she has connected the dots be-tween robust HIM systems and efficient, high quality healthcare delivery. “Compli-ance is the foundation for excellent patient care,” Greene stated. “As we improve, we take better care of our patients … and that’s the bottom line.”

While her mother has long been her personal role model — “I want to be her when I grow up,” Greene said with a laugh — she named Scott Mertie, president of Kraft Healthcare, as her professional mentor. “He has helped me realize my po-tential and grow into a leader in the HIM field,” she said.

Greene noted that just as she does with clients, Mertie has challenged her and allowed her to sharpen her skills and grow her confidence by putting her in new situations on both a local and national stage. “It’s truly been amazing to see the transformation I’ve gone through,” she marveled.

Married to Todd, a facility technician with AT&T, and with four teenage boys ranging from 15 to 19 years old, technology abounds in the Greene household. Yet, she said, the best times are when the family unplugs. “We like to go hiking to-gether. We like fishing and canoeing.” A goal over the next decade is for the entire family to tour Europe. “I think experiencing other cultures helps you put our own life in perspective,” she explained.

International travel will have to wait awhile, however. First, there’s the issue of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, to manage.

Page 5: Women to Watch 2014

n a s h v i l l e m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m Women to Watch APRIL 2014 > 5

BETH HAIL, LCSWDirector, School-Based Services and Child & Adolescent Services | Centerstone

Everyone deserves a ‘do-over.’For Beth Hail, it was a change of heart

regarding her profession. For the young clients and families with whom she works, it’s a second chance to find the support and balance they desperately need.

Enrolling at Western Kentucky Uni-versity with an intention of focusing on technology, Hail soon realized something was missing. “After one year in computer science, I knew I couldn’t do it,” she re-called. “I know people who work in jobs they’re not passionate about, and it’s mis-erable.”

But what was her passion? That sum-mer after her freshman year, she had a bit of an epiphany. “I realized my heart be-

longed to the social work field,” she said. Looking back, Hail said her path was clear all along … she just didn’t immediately recognize it at age 18.

Part of a boisterous, happy household of four girls in Hopkinsville, Ky., Hail loved to accompany her mother to the retirement home she managed. Working there weekends and summers, Hail was fascinated by the relationships and family dynamics. Both her parents, she noted, played a major role in her ultimate choice of profession.

Watching her mother’s compassion and interaction with the residents and fami-lies at the retirement home left a big impression on Hail. “Many of my professional ethics are modeled after her,” she said.

Hail continued, “My father also had much to do with my work ethic. He raised

four daughters and always encouraged … and insisted … that we be independent, hard workers.” Hail added she watched the veterinarian accept garden vegetables as payment when farmers couldn’t afford the bill. “I loved this about him … he was the social worker for the animals and their owners,” she said with a smile.

Unfortunately, she noted, families are too often faced with similar dilemmas. Do they take their children to the therapist this week or put food on the table? “It is frustrating when a child or family needs a service that they can’t access due to lack of funding or inability to pay,” she said.

Happily, Centerstone’s school-based services take some of the oft-cited bar-riers to care … like transportation issues … out of the equation. Not long after completing her master’s degree, Hail began working as coordinator at the Murrell School at the Dede Wallace Center, now Centerstone. “That’s when I fell in love with the partnership between education and behavioral health,” she recalled.

Within a couple of years, Hail became program manager for school-based ser-vices. At that time, she had oversight of five schools and 10 staff members. Today, the programs cover 15 counties with more than 140 school-based therapists work-ing with students and their families.

When she and her colleagues encounter adolescents, they are often experi-encing some of the biggest challenges of their young lives. Helping them discover strengths and talents to navigate tough situations is a thrill, Hail noted. A problem-solver by nature, she also enjoys exploring solutions and choices. “My ultimate goal and desire is for families to have the tools and coping strategies to lead healthy, productive lives,” she said. Hail, added she is excited about the promise technology holds in the behavioral health field, particularly as a tool for a younger population that embraces the digital world.

Whether online or in the next room, everyone needs strong support systems. Hail counts colleagues who share her passion, friends, family … and Luna, her Giant Schnauzer, among her supports. Although she has no biological children, Hail has helped co-parent her nephew Dylan since her sister died when he was just six years old. Today, she proudly noted, he is a freshman at the University of Tennessee.

Hail wants for her clients the same things she wants for herself, Dylan, and her friends. “I want people to enjoy life, have healthy relationships, and be positive community members,” she stated simply.

After all, everyone deserves a do-over when it comes to finding happiness.

Page 6: Women to Watch 2014

6 > APRIL 2014 Women to Watch n a s h v i l l e m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m

LINDA NORMAN, DSN, RN, FAANValere Potter Menefee Professor of Nursing Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Nursing

It isn’t surprising to hear Linda Nor-man’s life has been filled with teaching moments. After all, she is internationally known for innovations in nursing educa-tion. Yet, she would be the first to say her life has really been about the learning moments.

“I grew up knowing the value of ask-ing questions,” she said of her childhood in Lynchburg, Va. From the time she was very young, she also knew she wanted to be a nurse.

Norman began her nursing career at the University of Virginia, earning a BSN and MSN in Adult Health Nursing. “I’ve always liked the idea of teaching,” Nor-man noted. “When I was in my BSN pro-gram, I thought it would be really nice to

be able to do clinical teaching. Be careful what you wish for,” she smiled.At UVA, nursing students were required to attend a summer session before

beginning upper division courses. “The day after I graduated with my BSN, I start-ed teaching in that fundamentals program,” Norman said, adding she also did clinical work at night. “I learned two things. One, I loved teaching. And two … oh, I needed more experience before I did it!”

She quickly gained both academic and clinical experience and went on to re-ceive her doctorate from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Norman has been involved in nursing education for 35 years now, serving in faculty and admin-istrative positions.

A highly respected educator and researcher, she initially was recruited to Vanderbilt University School of Nursing to spearhead curricular innovations. She then expanded her work to develop interprofessional education programming for the healthcare professions, first with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and now through programs at Vanderbilt.

“Every situation is a chance for me to observe and to learn something new,” Norman said. “I’m more excited about the impact that nursing and nursing educa-tion can make to high quality healthcare than ever, something I learned from my mentor Colleen Conway-Welch.”

Named the eighth dean of VUSN in 2013, Norman’s commitment to educa-tion, research and practice continues to grow. Many know VUSN is one of the top-ranked nursing schools in the nation and are aware of its 106-year history, yet don’t realize it is also the largest professional school at Vanderbilt, and one of the largest graduate nursing schools in the country with nearly 900 students.

Norman said she wants to make sure master’s and doctorally prepared nurses are learning in the most impactful ways, dedicated to patient- and family-centered care and prepared to offer solutions to improve healthcare delivery.

One example is work being done with Vanderbilt School of Medicine’s Bonnie Miller, MD, on interprofessional education. Norman and Miller have led the charge for students being engaged in collaborative practice to enhance coordination or care and patient outcomes.

“It’s a team approach to care that needs to involve multiple disciplines work-ing together — nursing, medicine, pharmacy and social work,” Norman explained, adding transformations in the American health system are changing concepts about how, when and where care should be delivered.

“How do we get ahead of the game to engage the patient and healthcare provid-ers to improve their health status?” is a question Norman said providers must address together. However, she continued, traditional healthcare education silos aren’t neces-sarily conducive to this type of collaborative effort, which is a key reason why she and Miller co-lead the Vanderbilt Program of Interprofessional Learning.

Despite busy days, Norman is quick to say she thinks one of the biggest pro-fessional myths is that women can’t effectively balance work and family. Norman is married to husband, Don, and is the mother of two adult children and grandmother to two. “Having an executive role has strengthened my family responsibilities, be-cause I know the value of relationships and using my time wisely to invest in the people who matter most to me,” she stated.

SUZAN LOGANPresident & Chief Executive Officer | GBA

Sometimes all it takes is a little vision … and a leap of faith.

A senior tax consultant in a large ac-counting firm, Suzan Logan was ready for a change after the birth of her second child in 1991. Four years earlier, Gene Burton had launched a consulting compa-ny providing niche services to the health-care industry, and he was now in need of a controller.

Relying on Burton’s expertise, Lo-gan said, “I sensed an opportunity to participate in what he hoped to build … a new consulting service that would fill an unmet need in healthcare design and construction. I am proud to have been a part of pioneering the field of healthcare

technology consulting; but more importantly, I am thankful that our business con-tributes to building facilities that focus on healing patients and caring for their families.”

Just as Logan saw possibilities in an untested business model, Burton also must have sensed leadership potential in the young mother with a solid financial background but no experience in healthcare equipment and technology planning. Both were wise to trust their instincts.

Within five years, Burton made Logan CFO, then named her president, and ultimately transitioned her to the top position in advance of his 2006 retirement. “Mr. Burton not only provided me with the opportunity to help shape GBA, he also modeled integrity and excellence as a leader,” Logan said. One of his many les-sons, she continued, “is to always let your ‘yes’ mean yes and your ‘no’ mean no.”

Logan said having specialists to plan equipment and IT needs wasn’t even

recognized as a ‘real role’ in the design and construction process when they start-ed. Now, it has become an important part of the healthcare project team. Today, GBA has grown to 40 employees from both clinical and design disciplines, bringing unique perspectives to healthcare facility planning.

“Although we are not on the frontlines of patient care, our work can influence how the clinicians are able to provide care,” Logan noted. “If some of their tools — medical equipment and IT systems — are not selected, placed or configured ap-propriately, it can mean years of less-than-optimal workflow, ultimately impacting patients.”

With facilities built to last decades, GBA’s experts must consider the best ways to meet current technology requirements while factoring in the flexibility to recon-figure as future needs dictate. Logan said one of the toughest aspects of the job is helping clients divine the future of healthcare in order to develop their technology strategy. Internally, the challenge is forecasting workloads to have staff with the right expertise on hand to provide the personalized attention that is a hallmark of GBA.

“I want our employees to enjoy work and life and have confidence their jobs will be here,” she said. “To me, they are not commodities.”

Logan’s strong faith influences her management style and vision for how GBA conducts itself as a corporate citizen. “As a company, we try to work at least two service projects a year,” she said of giving back to the community.

She and her family have also taken a servant’s heart further afield with work in Haiti. Husband Don, a structural engineer by training, entered the ministry full time in 2009 and is the senior pastor at St. Paul Community Church. His educational background has been put to work in the wake of the Haiti earthquake. Both he and Suzan have worked in the communities of Carrefour and Cavaillon, where their church is building an orphanage and primary school.

The couple has two children at Belmont planning to enter the healthcare field. Emily, 24, is pursuing her doctorate of physical therapy. Son Alex, 22, is finishing his undergraduate degree in nursing.

Logan looks to continue growing the profession of medical technology plan-ning and to applying her knowledge and skills to mission work in Haiti and Africa. Although she might not know exactly how she’ll accomplish all her goals, she’s willing to take a leap of faith.

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n a s h v i l l e m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m Women to Watch APRIL 2014 > 7

on being named a Nashville Medical News

Woman to Watch

Heather Greene

555 Great Circle Road • Nashville, TN 37228615-782-4292 • www.krafthealthcare.com

congratulations

from your colleagues atKraftCPAs and

affiliates

Heather Greene, MBA, RHIA, CPC, CPMAVice President, Compliance Services

www.healthcarecouncil.com

CONGRATULATIONS

WomenomenomenomenomenomenomenWomenW

TO WATO WATO WATO WATCHTCHTCH2014

We are proud to have these outstanding women as part

of Nashville’s thriving health care community.

Thank you for making a difference.

2014 Honorees:

Anne Sumpter Arney - Leader of Health Law Group, Bone McAllester Norton, PLLC Beth Connor Guest - Chief Counsel, Cigna-HealthSpring

Jennifer Elliott, RN - Chief Nursing Offi cer, Saint Thomas Midtown & West Cherae Farmer - Dixon, DDS - Dean, Meharry Dental School

Heather Greene - Vice President of Compliance Services, Kraft Healthcare ConsultingBeth Hail - Dir. of School-Based Services, Centerstone

Suzan Logan - President & CEO, GBA (Healthcare Technology & Consulting Services)Linda Norman - Dean, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing

Susan Wente, PhD - Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Senior Associate Dean for Biomedical Sciences, Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt

Andrea Willis, MD - CMO, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

SUSAN WENTE, PHDAssociate Vice Chancellor for Research Senior Associate Dean for Biomedical SciencesProfessor, Department of Cell & Developmental Biology Vanderbilt University Medical Center

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

For Susan Wente, Aristotle’s obser-vation is a hypothesis that has proven true. Wearing many hats — researcher, educator, administrator, mentor, wife and mother — each role adds to the richness of her busy, happy life.

Wente said along the way, her par-ents, professors and mentors encour-aged her to be open to possibilities. “I think that’s when you take leaps forward in your own development … when you take risks,” she noted.

Growing up in a small Iowa town, Wente didn’t set out to become a bio-medical researcher. Having won a schol-arship to the University of Iowa, wise ad-

visors recognized Wente’s potential and guided her to a home in biochemistry. A problem-solver by nature, her undergraduate laboratory experience seeded her passion for research.

Leaving the familiar Midwest for graduate school at Berkeley, Wente found not all the best discoveries happen in the lab. California is where she met fellow grad student, Chris Hardy, a geneticist who would become her husband.

Following fellowships at Memorial Sloan Kettering and at Rockefeller in the lab of Nobel Prize laureate Günter Blobel, she launched her independent research career at Washington University in St. Louis. Nine years later, Vanderbilt came calling.

“My administrative leadership in biomedical sciences started with very early opportunities to lead graduate and physician scientist training programs,” Wente

noted. “My recent career path has been most greatly influenced by Vanderbilt leaders, particularly Lee Limbird and Jeff Balser,” she continued.

“Lee played a major role in recruiting me as a department chair and persuaded me that Vanderbilt was the right place at the right time for this career step,” she said of Limbird, now a dean at Fisk. “Jeff gave me the opportunity to move into my current position and has entrusted me with many opportunities to launch new initiatives and grow further as a leader,” she added of Balser, dean of Vanderbilt’s School of Medicine.

In her various roles, Wente oversees the basic biomedical graduate and post-doctoral education for more than 1,000 trainees. She also is responsible for Vanderbilt’s strategic vision and infrastructure to support basic science research, working with Vanderbilt’s chairs and center directors to recruit and retain the best and brightest faculty.

“There are so many innovative ideas and bright minds addressing mysteries in biomedical sciences. Basic discovery research is the foundation for future cures and disease prevention — from cancer to diabetes to Alzheimer’s,” she said.

“I am passionate about ensuring we continue to make discoveries while train-ing the next generation of scientists and physicians. My biggest challenge is find-ing the resources to support this tremendous creativity.” She added funding has become increasingly constrained at a time when technology and knowledge have positioned researchers to make major breakthroughs.

In her own lab, the research is focused on understanding communication path-ways within cells between the nucleus and cytoplasm. While thrilled when her team makes discoveries revealing insights into biology and medicine, Wente said this is only one small piece of the puzzle.

“I truly love the even greater impact that results from my helping all those engaged in research and teaching,” she said. “Every day I’m living vicariously from others succeeding and discovering the unknown.”

That thrill extends to her personal life where Wente and Hardy cheer on their daughters, both skilled volleyball players — Allison, a freshman at Smith College, and Lindsay, a freshman at the University School of Nashville.

The entire family enjoys experimenting with cooking and new recipes. “When you’re a scientist cooking, it’s a lot like working in a lab … but you can eat your failures instead of not publishing them,” Wente said with a laugh. She added the family’s passion for travel dovetails neatly with the four foodies always eager to try out new tastes in any part of the world.

A love of discovery is a common theme in all facets of Wente’s life. “I always look for new challenges, and I like to attack problems by building partnerships,” she concluded.

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8 > APRIL 2014 Women to Watch n a s h v i l l e m e d i c a l n e w s . c o m

SAI NT TH O M A S H E A LTH CONGRATULATES

JENNIFER ELLIOTTVICE PRESIDENT OF CLINICAL OPERATIONS

AND CHIEF NURSING OFFICER

As a leader in women’s care, Saint Thomas Health would like to congratulate

Jennifer Elliott for being recognized as Nashville Medical News’ Woman to Watch.

Her dedication and commitment is inspirational to all of us.

ST5245_Mab_WTW_JennElliott.indd 1 3/24/14 2:23 PM

ANDREA WILLIS, MD, MPH, FAAPVice President | Chief Medical OfficerBlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

Andrea Willis doesn’t remember ever wanting to be anything other than a doctor. Growing up in Athens, Ala., her parents and grandparents not only sup-ported her dreams but also instilled in her a desire to help others.

“My grandparents taught me by the way they lived that genuine caring has no boundaries,” she explained. “They were kind to everyone they came across even when people weren’t always kind to them. My grandmother is 103, and I still look to her for inspiration.”

After undergrad at the University of Alabama – Birmingham, Willis enrolled in Georgetown University School of Medi-cine. “Early in my career, I chose pediat-

rics because that is where I felt I could make the most difference,” she said. “I wanted to help children develop good habits that would lead to better health throughout life.”

During an internship with the American Academy of Pediatrics, Willis saw more clearly the need to improve health on a population basis. Watching pediatricians testify on health issues before Congress inspired her to apply her one-on-one pa-tient experience to larger population health needs.

With a master’s degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins, Willis used her combined skills to again reach out to the youngest members of society. “Children often don’t have a voice in what happens to them,” she noted. Willis served as

deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health upon moving to Nashville in 2003. From there, she implemented and served as director of CoverKids — Tennessee’s State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

In October 2009, she made the move to BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee where she again served as a voice for those who often go unheard — children with special needs and adults with intellectual challenges. During her tenure, she has taken on increasing leadership roles and was named the organization’s chief medi-cal officer last year.

“The call to action for my team is ‘Every member. Every day. Quality Care Counts,’” she said of her mantra. “This means finding ways to provide better access to care, creating awareness of the preventive care that leads to better health out-comes and working with our provider partners to meet our members’ health needs.”

Although her focus is on impacting the health and quality of life for 3 million members, she said it is critical to remember that care is delivered to one person at a time. “You must always carry compassion with you and demonstrate that you genuinely care,” she said.

Willis works to inspire in her son that sense of empathy her parents and grand-parents instilled in her. “I want him to see life from the perspective that we are here to serve others,” Willis said. A runner, she and Cameron, who turns 15 next month, like to participate in races that support a cause. “I want him to understand that we run for others who can’t run for themselves.”

Willis said they also like to travel and explore the world around them. Some-times, she noted, it takes a little different perspective to actually see your surround-ings. On a trip to Italy, the two climbed to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. At some point, Willis said, it hits you that you are on the outside of the building … and it’s really leaning. Momentarily frozen in their tracks, the duo noticed a blind man making the climb. “Here he was enjoying it more than we were. We quickly got over ourselves,” Willis laughed. “I think my favorite picture of all time is my son’s face when we finally got to the top.”

Whether scaling buildings or overcoming obstacles to optimal health, Willis hopes she sets the tone by word, thought and deed. With a soft, soprano voice, Willis said she used to think she might not be heard. “I have learned over the years that the power of your voice is not in the sound. It is in what is said. My voice comes from my conviction. That compels me to champion the cause of health. For that cause, I have to make the world around me listen.”

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