¡Aviso!News from the Trinity University Health Care Administration Alumni Association | June 2014

Well, it was another successfultrip to Chicago with a full attendancelist of every on-campus student. eWindy City shocked us all with tem-peratures in the teens and some freshsnowfall just as San Antonio was seeingbluebonnets and sunshine.

We added a new element to the tripthis time: mock interviews. About65% of the class took part in this of-fering, pairing current students withAlumni Board members for some pre-Preceptors’ Conference prepara-tion. ere was a great response fromboth sides and the candid feedback appeared well-appreciated!

e Alumni Board hosted a happyhour at Fado Irish Pub on Monday

a heads up that we are approaching a huge milestone for our program.Please mark your calendars for Octo-ber 2015 for the 50th Anniversary of the Health Care AdministrationDepartment. A sizeable celebration is certainly in the works! We hope tosee many of you there.

Ashley S. Hixon ’00, FACHEPresident, Trinity University Health CareAdministration Alumni AssociationDivision Operations Officer, Methodist Healthcare SystemSan Antonio

night for any alumnus/a who was intown. And, for the second year in arow, we held our Dean Duce AwardDinner—honoring Jon M. Foster ’86—at the delicious Gibson’s Steakhouse.A room full of about 100 attendeesproved the support for Trinity evenoutside the Texas border is still strong!

We are incredibly grateful for thepresence and support of Trinity Uni-versity President Dennis Ahlburg andVice President Mike Fischer and hiswife, Kim, as well as other staff. Neverbefore has the Health Care Administra-tion Department and our illustriousgraduates had better backing from the University leadership.

In closing, I’d like to give everybody

HCADAA President’sR E P O R T

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Mark your calendar:HCAD will celebrate 50 years

in October 2015

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On Tuesday, March 25, TrinityUniversity President Dennis A. Ahlburgjoined the HCAD alumni community at Gibson’s Bar & Steakhouse in Chicagoduring the ACHE Congress to honorJon M. Foster ’86, FACHE, with theLeonard Duce Award. Ninety-six HCADalumni, faculty, students, and guests attended the special event. In her intro-duction of Foster, Ashley Hixon ’00,president of the HCAD Alumni Associa-tion, noted that Art Linkletter’s approach

to life describes Foster perfectly: “Do alittle more than you’re paid to. Try a littleharder than you want to. Aim a littlehigher than you think possible, and givea lot of thanks to God for health, familyand friends.”

Foster is president of American Group, one of two operating groups for Hospital Corporation of America, the largest hos-pital system in the world. His responsi-bilities include oversight of 80 hospitalsacross Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Ken-

tucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma,Tennessee, and Texas. He also serves aspresident of Hospital Corporation ofAmerica-Texas, the largest hospital sys-tem in Texas. e Hospital Corporationof America’s American Group underFoster’s purview has annual net revenuesof over $17 billion and employs over80,000 staff members.

Prior to receiving his master of sciencein health care administration fromTrinity, Foster earned a BBA from Baylor

Jon M. Foster ’86 Receives Dean Duce Award

Trinity University President Dennis A. Ahlburg and HCADAA President Ashley S. Hixon ’00 congratulate 2013 Leonard A.Duce Award recipient Jon M. Foster ’86 during the ACHE Congress in Chicago on March 25, 2014.

University. His career trajectory beganat Methodist Healthcare System inHouston. From there he became exec-utive vice president for operations at theBaptist Health System of East Tennessee.Next came Austin-based St. David’sHealthCare, a $1.2 billion, seven-hospitalhealth-care system with 60 locationsthroughout the central Texas region.ere Foster served as president andCEO before assuming his current posi-tion in Nashville.

Active in professional organizations,Foster is a past-chair of the Texas Hos-pital Association Board of Trustees andhas served on the American HospitalAssociation Regional Policy Board, theAustin Economic Development Corpo-ration, the Texas Quality Coalition, theUniversity of Texas College of PharmacyAdvisory Board, the Trinity UniversityHCAD Advisory Board, and the YoungPresidents’ Organization (YPO)-AustinChapter, among others. Additionally, he continues to serve as vice chairmanof St. David’s HealthCare.

Widely respected among health careorganizations, Foster was recognized in 2000 by the American College ofHealthcare Executives, which presentedhim with the Robert S. Hudgens Awardas the Young Healthcare Executive ofthe Year for the United States andCanada. In 2012, Baylor Universityhonored Foster with the President’sMedal for Meritorious Service andContributions to Healthcare.

Foster is also highly regarded by the HCAD department, where heserved on the Department of HealthCare Administration Advisory Councilfrom 2009 until spring this year, when

he stepped down as chair due to hisbusy schedule. He has also been a preceptor to seven HCAD studentsand has worked with countless others.Students who have benefitted from hismentorship have high praise for hisleadership, integrity, “laser like focuson results,” and “relentless passion for excellence.”

Foster and his wife, the former LauraChapman, have two teenage daughtersand make their home in Nashville.

e Leonard Duce Award was cre-ated in honor of the first dean of theGraduate School at Trinity University.Beginning in 1962, Duce played a keyrole in establishing the Health CareAdministration department, and his

tireless dedication contributed signifi-cantly to the program becoming one of the best in the nation. e awardrecognizes leadership and success inthe field of health care administrationand has been given annually since 1976.

Congratulations to Jon Foster onthis award and a lifetime of achieve-ment. An honor very well-deserved!

Jon M. Foster ’86 addresses a full room of nearly 100 Trinity University HealthCare Administration alumni, faculty, staff, and students aer he received the 2013 Duce Award.

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Dean Duce Award Dinner

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Ashley S. Hixon ’00, FACHEPresidentDivision Operations OfficerMethodist Healthcare SystemSan Antonio

James C. Bohnsack B.S. ’97, M.S.-HCAD ’99Finance ChairVice President - Acquisition StrategyConifer Health SolutionsFrisco, Texas

Brett S. McClung ’92, FACHEImmediate Past President and Nominating ChairExecutive Vice President, Chief OperationsLeader North ZoneTexas Health ResourcesFort Worth

R. Brent Hardaway ’85Strategic Planning ChairVice PresidentPremier Healthcare AllianceAustin

Heidi J. Pandya B.S. ’00, M.S.-HCAD ’05Events/Fundraising ChairDirector, Health Industries AdvisoryPricewaterhouseCoopersDallas

Vanessa Saenz Smith B.S. ’94, M.S.-HCAD ’99Membership/Communications ChairRegional Vice PresidentUnited Surgical Partners InternationalHouston

John Hyde Ph.D. ’81, FACHEBylaws ChairProfessor of Clinical Health SystemsUniversity of Mississippi Medical CenterJackson, Mississippi

Dorothy A. Benavidez ’89Membership ChairSenior Vice PresidentCRAssociates, Inc.Newington, Virginia

Sally Hurt-Deitch ’03, FACHECEOSierra Providence East Medical Center Tenet HealthcareEl Paso

Kevin M. Ormand ’98, FACHEDirectorAspen AdvisorsAustin

Patrick Halinski ’11Director, Strategic Development and Operational ImprovementBaptist Health SystemSan Antonio

Chuck Spicer ’95, FACHEPresident and CEOOU Medical CenterOklahoma City

2014-2015HCADAA Board Members

Save the dates for these events…

Alumni WeekendOctober 10-12, 2014San Antonio

HCAD Alumni, Faculty, and Student Happy Hourursday, October 9, 20145:30-7:30 p.m.StoneWerks–Lincoln Heights999 East Basse #130

All Alumni Golf TournamentFriday, October 10, 2014Sponsored by the HCAD Alumni AssociationHill Country Golf ClubHyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa9800 Hyatt Resort Drive11 a.m.–Box lunch at Luckenbach Pavilion12:30 p.m.–Shotgun start 5 p.m.–Award reception at Luckenbach Pavilion$100 (HCAD alumni and HCAD students)$120 (non-HCAD alumni and

non-HCAD students)Register online at trinity.edu/alumniweekend

Congress on Healthcare LeadershipMarch 16-19, 2015Chicago

HCAD Program 50th Anniversary GalaOctober 2015

Mark yourC A L E n D A R

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e Alumni Association thanks the following new Lifetime Members for their support! (November 1, 2013-April 30, 2014)

Doug Ashby ’83Bob Grimes B.A. ’77, M.S.-HCAD ’80Reza Kaleel B.A. ’96, M.S.-HCAD ’98Abigail L. Ulrich B.S. ’03, M.S.-HCAD ’05

Please consider joining the 73 esteemed HCADAA alumni whohave become Lifetime Members. Your investment in the future ofhealth care will certainly be rewarded!

AnnUAL Membership1st year post-graduation, FREE2nd year post-graduation, $353rd year post-graduation and beyond, $60

LiFETiME MembershipLifetime membership dues are based on number of previous years you have been an active member in the Association.

5 years or fewer as active member, $750More than 5 years as active member, $500

e HCAD Alumni Association recently added a membership category. e Retired Lifetime Member category is now available for a reduced rate of $100. Retired status allows for the continuationof rights and priveleges of HCADAA Lifetime Membership.

HCADAA Welcomes New Lifetime Members

For more information, and toprocess your membership, contactAna Vazquez, Alumni Office Manager, at 210-999-8404 oravazquez@trinity.edu

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The 2014 Annual Trinity University Health Care Administra-tion Alumni Association Golf Tournament will be held on Friday, October 10 at the Hill Country Golf Club at Hyatt RegencyHill Country Resort and Spa located at 9800 Hyatt Resort Drivein San Antonio. The day promises to be one to remember withamazing networking opportunities, scenic views, and beautifulSan Antonio weather. The schedule for the day is as follows:

11 am Box lunch at Luckenbach Pavilion12:30 pm Shotgun start5 pm Award reception at Luckenbach Pavilion

Cost: $100 for HCAD alumni and HCAD students$120 for non-HCAD alumni and non-HCAD students $20 for lunch only

To register, please go to trinity.edu/alumniweekend

HCADAA Golf Tournament 2014

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Golfers of all skill levels are invited to take part in the golf outing. We encourage you to join as a golfer and also considerassisting the event as a sponsor. The sponsorship opportunitiesinclude Tournament Sponsor, Lunch Sponsor, ReceptionSponsor, Hole Sponsor, and Challenge Hole (to include longestdrives and closest-to-pin contests).

For more information, please contact Elizabeth Ford B.A. ’93, M.S.-HCAD ’96 at 210-999-8435 or nford1@trinity.edu

Interested alumni may also contact HCAD first year student Don Murray ’15, who is serving as intramural chair, at 469-774-4011 ordmurray@trinity.edu

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Three of the current HCADAA board members are celebrating reunionslater this fall. If anyone from the classes at right (or additional classesmarking HCAD reunions) is interested in planning a get together duringAlumni Weekend on October 9 or otherwise, please contact them directly.If you are a member of another class reunion, please contact ElizabethFord B.A. ’93, M.S.-HCAD ’96 at nford1@trinity.edu

Networking in DFWAlumni from Trinity University’s Health Care Administration Program in the DFW area met on May 15 at Olenjack’s for a chance to network and catch up with one another. Brett McClung ’92, executive vice presi-dent, chief operations leader North Zone for THR, spoke at the event about the health care market in theDFW metroplex. Trinity Health Care Administration Department Chair, Ed Schumacher, Ph.D., gave an up-date on the HCAD program. Over 40 alumni were present with class years spanning several decades.

Calling alumni celebrating HCADC L A S S R E U n i O n S

Dorothy Benavidez ’8925 Year dab@crassoc.com

Jim Bohnsack B.S. ’97, M.S.-HCAD ’9915 Year On-Campus Class jim.bohnsack@coniferhealth.com

Vanessa Saenz Smith B.S. ’94, M.S.-HCAD ’9915 Year Executive Class vasmith@uspi.com

Since 1997, you have successfully led one ofthe largest health care providers in North Texasas CEO after the decision to consolidate Pres-byterian Healthcare Resources, Harris MethodistHealth System and Arlington Memorial Hos-pital. What has been the greatest joy and thegreatest challenge for you during this time?

The greatest joy leading THR has been the opportunity to work closely with such remark-able people. The relationships I have been able to develop with the greater North Texascommunity, our employees, board members, volunteers, physicians, and others have sus-tained me and provided me motivation on adaily basis. The greatest challenge I have en-countered continues to be how to provide thehighest level of quality care and service to thewide variety of populations that live in NorthTexas. How to deliver sustainable and personal-ized care to each patient has remained one ofmy top priorities as CEO.

You have an amazing legacy with many accomplishments; name one that you are very proud of, and why.

The strong relationships that THR has builtwith physicians who practice in our facilities are something I’m very proud of. We embracedoctors as partners in our daily work and viewthem as a key part of the solution as we moveforward in our strategic planning for the future.In addition, I am grateful that THR continuesto be acknowledged as a “best place to work”organization evaluated by organizations outside THR. Finally, I’m proud that we are focused on our Mission first.

You have had an incredible and meaningfulcareer at THR that has improved the lives ofmany. What will you miss the most?

The interaction with the people with whom Ihave been privileged to work. I will miss thedaily opportunity to be side-by-side with such a capable team.

In January, Doug Hawthorne B.S. ’69, M.S.-HCAD ’72 made an announcementthat caught many by surprise. The longtime chief executive officer of Texas HealthResources shared the news of his decision to step down as leader of the North Texashealth care organization by the end of this year. Hawthorne’s connection with Trinity University started when his parents,

Katherine and Derwood Hawthorne, moved from New Jersey to San Antonio in1957 when his father accepted a job as finance officer on campus under UniversityPresident James Laurie. At age 10, Hawthorne and his siblings (Linda HawthorneRuhmann B.S. ’66, M.E.D. ’81 and Gordon Hawthorne B.S. ’71, M.S.-HCAD ’74)literally grew up on the Trinity campus and lived in the Murchison Dorm beforemoving to a home in nearby Terrell Hills. They explored “every niche of the campusand the library” during those early years. Throughout their childhood and beyond,their parents instilled a strong sense of the “culture of Trinity” and the importance ofcivic engagement and philanthropy. While Doug was in high school, the Hawthornesmoved into a University-owned home on Oakmont Court. Once he graduated fromhigh school, Doug attended Trinity for his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and livedon campus to fully experience and embrace college life. Given his lifetime of connec-tion and contributions to his alma mater, it is understandable that Doug has a deepaffinity for Trinity and a commitment that is second-to-none toward its future. InMay, Hawthorne was elected chair of the Trinity University Board of Trustees. The following conversation reveals positive and lasting lessons for all generations

of health care administrators. Hawthorne’s work and life philosophy is inspiringand compelling and is a model for other HCAD graduates to follow in the challengingyet rewarding field of health care administration.

A C On v E R S AT iOnwith Doug Hawthorne

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Doug Hawthorne B.S. ’69, M.S.-HCAD ’72 (front row, far left) and other Triniteers celebrated friendship and community in March 2014—for the 39th

consecutive year—with a fishing expedition off the coast of Louisiana.

by Elizabeth Ford B.A. ’93, M.S.-HCAD ’96

What has been the biggest surprise toyou in your career?

The biggest surprise in my career hasbeen how truly complicated and complexhealth care has become. It is constantly influx and has ever-changing dimensions.No longer is there one answer appropri-ate to respond to the myriad of issues thatarise each day in the health care industry.It is a healthy challenge I have grown anaffinity toward and it helps to keep memotivated.

This can be a very stressful profession attimes. How have you stayed focused andpositive during the toughest times of yourcareer?

I stay focused through my strong Christianfaith and THR’s Mission, Vision, Values,and Promise. My loving and understand-ing wife and family have been tremendoussupports throughout my career. THR’sfoundational statements, including theMission, Vision, Values, and Promise, helpus to stay focused when times get rough.We know tough times will not last butour people will.

How has the health care industrychanged from when you first entered thehealth care administration field until now?

Without a doubt, I have been struck withthe diversity of my work. The industry ismultifaceted and complex. Although Icompleted my graduate school residencyat Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas in 1971and have remained here throughout my44-year career, I can say that each year hasoffered its unique and rewarding challengesand opportunities. Issues regarding accessto care, multiple entry points for service,reimbursement and coverage for care,and being able to deliver quality care toall people, especially the underserved, areall ongoing challenges. The advancementand sophistication of technology has also been remarkable over these 40-plusyears. Health care is not a cottage indus-try any longer.

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You’ve taken residents consistently formany, many years. What do you believe,if anything, sets Trinity residents apartfrom residents at other programs?

Sixty residents as a matter of fact! Otherthan the fact that the majority of studentsARE from Trinity, I have been impressedwith the strong willingness of Trinity residents to learn and to gain experiencethroughout the residency year. They aretrue “sponges” soaking up all of the oppor-tunities before them. I have found thatTrinity residents are flexible, confident,and willing to put in the effort to obtainthe information they seek. They growwhile learning. Consistently, Trinity resi-dents have been well prepared, which reflects positively on the rigor of theHCAD curriculum and faculty.

As an alumnus, what has the alumni network meant to you over the years and what would you advise that each ofus do individually to help keep the net-work strong?

Trinity’s HCAD alumni network has pro-vided many access points and openeddoors throughout my career. The strengthand the capacity of the alumni networkcannot be overstated. The HCAD Advi-sory Council and Alumni Board haveprovided alumni avenues to grow and develop. I enjoy knowing that alumni can share information with one anotherand provide mentoring and networkingopportunities. I was pleased to know thatmore than 95 alumni and guests wereable to gather to honor Jon Foster at theDuce Award Dinner in Chicago. I wouldencourage additional events to bringHCAD alumni and students together.

Reflecting upon the projected transfor-mation across the health care industry,what one skill set would you adviseearly careerists to develop?

One skill set of great value that is oftenoverlooked and underutilized is the art ofnegotiation. Effective decision-makingand relationship-building with profes-sionals and nonprofessionals will remain

extremely important for health care lead-ers. Another characteristic I advise younghealth care administrators to hone is pa-tience in their career development. Thereis time to grow and time to develop one’stalents and skill set and a shortcut doesnot exist. There must be an eagerness andan experiential learning opportunity forcareer development. I am proud to say thata total of 20 HCAD graduates (from boththe On-Campus and Executive Programs)are employed with THR today.

What is the funniest situation that you everhad a resident find himself/herself in?

I recall a very aggressive administrativeresident who wanted to be involved in allpatient situations during his year of resi-dency. He was always eager to interactwith our patients, which we, of course,encouraged. One day, we as a team decidedto play a little joke on him. We called himup on a patient care floor and sent him into talk with a disgruntled patient about a food service issue. He was surprised tofind after talking to her and getting no response that the patient was deceased.

Tell us briefly what your plans are andwhat you are most looking forward to asyou begin your new chapter.

Many people think of my decision as re-tirement but I look forward to “refiring”—being able to take time to enjoy the thingsI have not had time to do. I look forwardto refocusing my time and energies on myseven grandchildren—all under the age ofsix. I look forward to serving as chair ofthe Trinity University Board of Trustees.Most of all, I look forward to being themaster of my own schedule and givingback to Martha so much of the time shehas given to me.

Would you do it all over again if you hadthe chance?

Except for a very few situations, this hasbeen a remarkable journey and I wouldbe privileged to take the journey again.

We have been talking a lot this semes-ter about innovation. In my economics class,we talked about Clayton Christensen’s modelof disruptive innovation and the innovator’sdilemma. To motivate the topic, we first dis-cussed how the integrated steel mills werepushed out of the market by the mini-millsin the 1970s and 1980s. e mini-mills wereable to do this not by going aer the inte-grated mills’ best customers but by startingfrom the bottom and working their way up.at is, they took on the integrated mills inrebar where the margins were the lowest.e integrated mills were happy to have themini-mills take these markets since theycould make much higher margins in thehigher quality steel markets. But slowly themini-mills moved into bars and rods, theninto structured steel, then finally into thehighest margin sheet-steel market. Eachtime the integrated mills thought they werebetter off to flee the low margin market andconcentrate on the higher margin steel. Inthe end, however, the mini-mills put all butone of the integrated mills out of business.We next talked about how this applies to thehealth care industry. Does our health caresystem need this type of disruption? Will itcome from inside or outside the current system? What is “the bottom” in the healthcare system? It was a really interesting discussion, which included CVS, Walmart,and other new entrants, direct primary care, public health care, home care, and other

threats to the traditional health care system.

Department Chair’sM E S S AG E

We also did a case study on hospital systems in India that are able to provide low cost,high quality care, to scale: treating both the affluent and the indigent.

Daron Acemaglu, an economist at MIT, has studied the determinants of creative,ground-breaking innovations in organizations. He and his colleagues find strong evidencethat organizations that are open to disruption tend to be the most successful innovators.Firms that have young CEOs or top management are much more likely to produce impor-tant patents. Ironically, firms who have been most successful in the past are oen the leastopen to disruption and tend to produce fewer innovations. It is not sufficient to have agood strategy, but an organization also needs a culture that is open to innovation. I thinkthese ideas have tremendous application as we think about the future of the health care in-dustry, but they also apply directly to our program. Trinity’s HCAD program is one of themost successful programs in the country, and we are very proud of the great contributionsour alumni have made to the health care industry. Yet we face many threats and cannot besatisfied with the status quo. We do not want to become like the integrated steel mills, whoallowed the mini-mills to push them out of the market by continuing to do what they weregood at doing. In order to keep this from happening, our program needs to remain opento disruption. Our connection to you, our alumni, is one important way we do this. Yoursupport of our program is highly valued. Many of you have offered to provide guest lectures,have mentored our students, have hosted Friday morning visits, have provided career adviceto young alumni, and have enriched our program in many other ways. ese types of con-tributions keep our program fresh and make sure that we keep our content relevant andour culture open to what our students need.

is summer the faculty will engage in a retreat to develop an update to our strategicplan. In preparation for this, we engaged our Advisory Council in a brainstorming exerciseto begin to develop strategic goals. One of the main themes that came out of this was theintersection of leadership and innovation. ey really challenged us to think about howwe train innovative leaders. I look forward to reporting back to you soon on what this planwill look like.

If you have any thoughts on these issues, I would love the chance to speak with you asour program moves forward. My e-mail address is eschumac@trinity.edu. ank you foryour support of the program: our alumni are a key component of what makes Trinity special.

Edward J. Schumacher, Ph.D.Professor/ChairTrinity University Health Care Administration

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An initial conversationwith Patrick Shay B.S. ’03,M.S.-HCAD ’05, the newestmember of the HCAD facultyin the role of assistant pro-fessor, helps one appreciatethe special connection Trinitygraduates can have with their alma mater.

Returning to Trinity in December 2013was quite natural for Shay, who receivedboth his bachelor’s degree in business administration (marketing and manage-ment) in 2003 and his master’s in healthcare administration in 2005 from Trinity.Although Shay and his family are originallyfrom Pennsylvania, and more recently,Plano, Texas, they have solid and mean-ingful roots in San Antonio and on theTrinity Skyline campus. Shay’s twin brother,Michael, and their older sister, Sarah ShayPickard, also earned degrees from Trinity,and Shay met his wife, Aubree Lewis,when they were both students here. It isnot surprising that Shay would find Trin-ity an ideal place to jump start a reward-ing career teaching HCAD students.Shay began his career as an HCAD

resident at Warm Springs RehabilitationSystem in San Antonio under the guidanceand mentorship of preceptor Rick Marek.

During his residency, he completed rota-tions in the system’s corporate departmentsas well as its facilities in San Antonio, Luling, Victoria, and Corpus Christi. Aftergraduating with a master’s, he accepted a position as an analyst in the corporate office at Warm Springs, which affordedadditional opportunities for him to growas an effective leader and hone his market-able skill set. He was promoted to directorof quality and standards and, subsequently,accepted the more expansive position ofdirector of operations at Warm Springs.In 2009 Shay and his wife moved to Rich-mond, Virginia, where they enrolled atVirginia Commonwealth University (VCU)and Patrick began his studies for a doctoratein health services organization and research.Aubree completed her doctorate in socialand behavior health in December 2013,and Patrick completed his coursework in2011 and recently received his doctoratein hospital-based clusters in May 2014. According to his current research, clusters

are defined as local hospital organizationsin targeted markets. He is focusing on the different forms and categories clusterstake in terms of services, locations andtypes of locations. He is most interestedin the wide spectrum of the integrationand differentiation of clusters and how theycan be measured and evaluated to improvethe hospital operations for these markets. Shay always valued the quality of his

Trinity education and appreciates Trin-ity’s balance between teaching and re-search. As a new member of the HCAD

HCAD welcomes one of its own

Patrick Shay JoinsHCAD Faculty

faculty, he is grateful for the warm welcomehe received and the amazing opportunitiesthat have been offered to him. HCAD faculty and staff members have been agreat source of encouragement, and theircommitment and passion to continual im-provement is an inspiration to him. Hehopes his unique knowledge and energywill enhance the existing stellar program.He says the transition from student to faculty has been “fun” and he enjoys theopportunity to apply what he has learnedthrough his research. Shay teaches Healthcare Organization

Theory and Management to the Executivestudents and Health Services Organizationand Policy II to the On-Campus students.In the latter course, students learn abouthealth policy, population health, and man-agerial epidemiology, which details howmanagers lead organizations to treat diseasewithin their health care structures. Although spare time is limited these

days, Shay enjoys reading, writing, hikingin national parks, and watching moviesand sports—he roots for the PittsburghPirates and the San Antonio Spurs. A tal-ented musician who played trumpet withseveral Trinity ensembles throughout hisundergraduate years, he now enjoys play-ing with local musicians or assisting withthe music at his church. He and his wife areproud parents of a 2 1/2 year old son, Elliot.If you would like to contact Shay, he’d

love to hear from you. His e-mail addressis pshay@trinity.edu.Welcome back to Trinity, Dr. Shay!

by Elizabeth Ford B.A. ’93, M.S.-HCAD ’96

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Dr. Amer KaissiAmer Kaissi published “Enhancing Physician Engagement: An International Perspec-

tive” in the International Journal of Health Services. Kaissi presented “Dealing with

the Challenges of Healthcare Reform: American Hospital Systems Strive to Improve

Access & Value through Retail Clinics” at the Organizational Behavior in Health Care

conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. Additionally, he is finishing Flipping Health

Care: Retail Clinics and other Convenient Care Models, which will be published in the

Fall 2014 by IGI Publishers. Kaissi was recently promoted to full professor and will be

on academic leave in Fall 2014.

Dr. Jody RogersVisiting professor Jody Rogers was an invited speaker at the 2014 ACHE Congress

on Healthcare Leadership, where he presented “The Courage to Lead: Do You Have

What It Takes?” Rogers also spoke in January on the topic of health care leadership

to the North Texas Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association

annual meeting. He also was an invited speaker at the annual meeting of Resource

Managers of the Community Hospital Corporation in Plano, Texas.

Faculty F O C U S

Associate Professor Bill McCaughrin announced his retirement from the HCAD Office in early 2014. During his 23-yeartenure at Trinity, McCaughrin taught undergraduate and graduatecourses on global health, health care policy, and managerial epidemi-ology. He was influential in growing the HCAD program and wasknown for his dedication to the well-being of his students. Heoften served as a HCAD recruiter, encouraging undergrads to lookinto the graduate program. Many students honed their writingskills under his guidance and direction. We thank him for sharing his expertise and wish him well in his

future endeavors. If you would like to contact McCaughrin, please e-mail him at

wmccaugh@trinity.edu. In the meantime, he plans to spend his timein Austin and Michigan.

Dr. Bill McCaughrin to retire aer 23-year tenure

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As another semesterconcludes, Trinity University’sHealth Care AdministrationProgram continues to instilltheoretical knowledge and un-derstanding of health care intothe minds of intelligent andeager students. The spring semester allowed students tobetter understand the field of health care, either throughtime in a residency program or through in-depth conversa-tions and interactions with the program’s knowledgeableprofessors. Trinity is helpingthe classes of 2014 and 2015contribute to developing solu-tions for tomorrow’s changinghealth care industry. The class of 2014 has reported

many positive experiences withtheir residency programs. Theiradaptive learning experiencehas encompassed attendingstrategic planning meetings,participating in steering com-mittees, and observing boardmeetings. Other students arenot only learning from indi-viduals in different health facility departments, but alsofrom participating on system-

wide projects. Although thereis much to learn while in theirresidency, the class of 2014 hasreported feeling well preparedand fully able to take advantageof the many opportunities andchallenges placed before them.A number of students of theclass of 2014 were able to par-ticipate in this year’s AmericanCollege of Healthcare Execu-tive’s Congress and share theirresidency stories with the classof 2015. ACHE was a great oppor-

tunity for students to becomebetter educated and aware ofthe latest health care issuesand trending possible solutions.Aside from classes, studentshad the great privilege to inter-act with Trinity HCAD alumniand receive advice on how tosucceed in the field of healthcare administration. The com-mitment to assisting future gen-erations of health care leaderswas apparent during Congressas some alumni participated inmock interviews in order tohelp the class of 2015 betterprepare for the Preceptors’Conference. Students of bothclasses claimed that their time inChicago was a positive and im-pactful educational experience. While successfully complet-

ing the rigorous course load,

several students within theclass of 2015 vigorously tookpart in both internships andvolunteer opportunities withseveral prestigious health sys-tems within the San Antonioarea. These projects includedcost containment studies and“meaningful use” implementa-tion of electronic medicalrecords. After numerous dis-cussions with the class of 2014regarding the positive impactof their residencies, the class of 2015 is eagerly anticipatingfinding organizations thatallow for both the student andthe organization to grow andbenefit. Given the high caliberof students, we anticipate allstudents having a residencyplacement within the comingmonths. As the president of the class

of 2015, I want to thank youon behalf of my classmates forall the support and encourage-ment we have received fromyou, including allowing us toexperience this year’s ACHE’sCongress. Given your sterlingexample, we look forward toone day being able to supportthe future Trinity HCAD stu-dents as you have done for us.

Art Herrera III

Class Officers 2015

PresidentArt Herrera III

vice PresidentBrandon Goertz

SecretaryMegan Powe

ACHE ChairBeth Schleif

Preceptors’ ChairsPreston ClarkTyson Traveller

Service ChairsBlake BarnesLauren Moreno

Social ChairsColin DmochowskiAmber Wilson

intramurals ChairDon Murray

STUDEnT Report

Art Herrera III

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Congratulationsto the following individuals who were

inducted into the Upsilon Phi Delta

Honor Society during the Duce Award

Dinner in March.

Founded in 1965, Upsilon Phi Delta

is the national academic honor society

for students in health care administration

within the United States. Administered

by the Association of University Programs

in Health Administration, Upsilon Phi

Delta was formed to further the profes-

sion of health care administration and

the professional competence and dedi-

cation of its members. The Trinity

University chapter began in 2010.

Criteria for induction into Upsilon

Phi Delta for students in the On-Campus

Program include being a full-time,

on-campus student, having a graduating

GPA of 3.9 or higher, and completing

at least 20 hours of community service.

Executive students must be full-time

students in the Executive program,

have a graduating GPA of 3.9 or higher

(measured at the end of the summer

semester of the second year) and have

served on the board of a not-for-

profit/community organization.

On-Campus Students

Claire CobbVanessa Duran

Rendell GazzinganKelsey GoodellLindsey HermanKyle LandryTripp Lyles

Grant MagnessAshley NelsonNathan Worley

Executive Students

Aimee ArzoumanianJason Culp

Salah JamaleddineDanna Taylor

Upsilon Phi Delta inducts 14

17

Mock interviews Conducted at ACHE Congress

During the ACHE Congress in

Chicago in March, optional mock

interviews for first year HCAD stu-

dents were held for the first time.

Several HCADAA board members

gave generously of their time, review-

ing resumes and helping students

hone their interview skills in prepara-

tion for the Preceptors’ Conference

held on May 2-3. The 17 mock

interviews were conducted in close

proximity to the ACHE Congress so

students could take advantage of the

mock interviews as well as attend

Congress sessions.

Board members and students gave

the mock interview process high marks

and plans are underway to continue

the mock interviews next year during

Congress. Board members commented

that such mentoring activities are in-

tegral to the strength of the HCADAA

and its growing network. Art Herrera ’15

said the confidence-boosting interviews

were especially successful “because of

our ability to interview with such great,

insightful individuals. Their critiques

were genuine and constructive.”

Special thanks to the five HCADAA

board members who participated in

the 2014 mock interview sessions:

Dorothy Benavidez ’89, Jim Bohnsack

B.S. ’97, M.S.-HCAD ’99, Ashley

Hixon ’00, Kevin Ormand ’98, and

Heidi Pandya B.S. ’00, M.S.-HCAD ’05.

Updated as of April 30

Paul Ramey ’71 sold a businesshe purchased in January 1995and currently operates a con-sulting company whose pri-mary client is the buyer of thatbusiness. Paul is also a partnerin a business that sells alcohol-free hand sanitizer to commer-cial users like hospitals, cruiselines, etc.

Ben Richardson ’73 is officiallyretired as principal and seniorconsultant of RMS. He is stillvery active and may continuesome work including a post/discharge niche project usingEMR & part-time providerswith AMAJII Corporation,and some limited office prac-tice. He remains fascinated bythe response to the 2010 Afford-able Care Act and he wishes it had happened 20 years ago,noting that “the next generationof health care managementwill have some great challengesand even more opportunitiesto get it right.”

Bob Spurck ’73 was appointedto senior partner of Spurck Branson Healthcare Solutions in Austin.

Markettea Johnson BenekeB.A. ’73, M.S.-HCAD ’77 wasappointed vice president ofoperations at Legacy Commu-nity Health Services MontroseCampus in Houston.

Steve Sanders ’78 will retire in July after 32 years with Memorial Hermann HealthSystem and 20 years as theCEO of Memorial HermannThe Woodlands Hospital. Heplans on being involved inhealth care in other capacities.

Bill Garrett ’79 is executivevice president at Edenwald Retirement Community inTowson, Md.

Bill Gracey ’80 was promotedto president and CEO of Blue-Cross BlueShield of Tennesseein Chattanooga.

Douglas Ashby ’83 retired fromthe Army Reserve (Colonel,Medical Service Corps) in 2007.In 2010, he retired after nearly33 years in the field of healthcare administration. Sincethen, he completed an AASdegree in emergency manage-ment administration andhomeland security and attainedcertification as an emergencymanagement specialist (SEM).Currently, he is an independenthealth care administration and

love. He is executive directorof Light of the Village in BayMinette, Ala. In 2007, he trav-eled to East Los Angeles tolearn about gang interventionand resigned from health care.Today, they operate six days aweek inside Alabama’s mostdangerous city. Please feel freeto contact him by e-mail atjohn@lightofthevillage.org orcell phone at 251-680-4613.

Carol Rogers Durham ’98 issenior manager of health ana-lytics at Accenture in Austin.

Kevin Ormand ’98 is director of the senior team at AspenAdvisors in Austin. He willfocus on delivery oversight ofrevenue cycle services and sup-porting methodologies. AspenAdvisors is a professional services firm with a rich mixof respected industry veteransand rising stars who are unitedby a commitment to excellenceand ongoing dedication tohealth care.

Rebecca Cranford McCain ’99is COO of Electra HospitalDistrict in Electra, Texas.

ALUMni Updates emergency preparedness pro-fessional with security clearanceand a part-time medical courier.He also serves as a part-timescorer for NCS Pearson, aLearning Company, scoringstudent responses to promptsin the subjects of science, math,reading and writing. He main-tains board certification (LifeFellow) in health care admin-istration through the Ameri-can College of HealthcareExecutives (ACHE).

Karmon Bjella ’85was promotedto CEO of Alpena RegionalMedical Center in Alpena, Mich.

Timothy Gibbons ’85 is directorof GreenCarePlus+ in Frank-furt, Germany and in Sydney,Australia. He invites those in-terested to contact him onSkype at Timothyoz, Skype: GreenCarePlus and e-mail tfgibbons@gmail.com.

John Eads ’97 served as hospi-tal CEO for ten years with theInfirmary Health System inMobile, Ala. In 2001, he andhis wife founded a Christianministry, Light of the Village,and converted a "crack house"into a place of faith, hope, and

Markettea Johnson Beneke ’73, ’77

18

Jaques Pettway, John Eads ’97, and Carlos Davis. Jaques andCarlos have grown up in the Alabama Village and are membersof the ministry family.

Brian Craft ’01 is vice presidentof finance and CFO of TexasHealth Dallas & Kaufman inthe Dallas area.

group of Sg2’s growth and per-formance analytics customers,helping understand Sg2’s datareports, uncover meaningfuldata trends within those reports,and access additional resourcesto drive improvement.

Cliff Gallagher B.S. ’00, M.S.-HCAD ’02 is director of JHDGroup in Addison, Texas.

Heidi Pandya B.S. ’00, M.S.-HCAD ’05 was promoted to director, Health Industries Advisory at Pricewaterhouse-Coopers in Dallas. She and her husband, Bobby, joyfullywelcomed twins, Aiden Cole

Let us know of any career updates or job changes so we can include them in our next newsletter! Contact the HCAD Officeat 210-999-8107 or mspector@trinity.edu

19

Vijay Patel ’10 is a senior con-sultant–Healthcare Advisoryin the Dallas area.

Traci Dodderer Bentley B.S. ’00,M.S.-HCAD ’02 was promotedto director of client relationsand Analytics at Sg2 in Phila-delphia. As part of the servicedelivery team, Traci is respon-sible for overseeing the ongoingpartnership between Sg2 andmember health systems andhospitals. She works directlywith administrative and clinicalleadership clients by proactivelyaligning Sg2 intelligence, ana-lytics and consulting servicesto each client’s specific growthand performance goals. Shealso is responsible for a select

Brian Cra ’01

Traci Dodderer Bentley ’00, ’02

Jeff Patterson ’04

Jeff Patterson ’04 was pro-moted to COO of Desert Re-gional Medical Center in PalmSprings, Calif.

Ian Cooper ’05 was promotedto CEO at Hillside Rehabilita-tion Hospital in Warren, Ohio.This hospital is a CommunityHealth Systems (CHS) facility.

Ian Cooper ’05

Pandya Narramore and AvianaVivien Pandya Narramore, onJuly 26, 2013.

Nicole Banister ’06 joined theTMF Health Quality Instituteas a senior health services consultant. She is guiding thetransformation of primarycare in the U.S. through theComprehensive Primary Care(CPC) initiative funded by theCenter for Medicare and Med-icaid Innovations. The CPCproject aligns payers and pri-mary care practices in sevenregions to test a new model ofcomprehensive and accountableprimary care combined with a blended payment model.

Karla Krueger Strawn ’06 isadministrative officer of Med-ical Service South Texas Vet-erans Health Care System inSan Antonio.

Scott Froehlich ’08 is vicepresident at Physician PracticeManagement for QRx MedicalManagement and QuestcarePartners in Dallas. Previously,he served in multiple physicianpractice management positionsat Dartmouth-Hitchcock Med-ical Center in Lebanon, N.H.

Jared Shelton ’10 serves asheart and vascular service linedirector at Texas Health Pres-byterian Hospital Dallas, inaddition to his role as seniordirector professional and sup-port services.

Dan Iliff ’11 is director ofphysician compensation forCHRISTUS Physician Groupin Irving, Texas.

Elizabeth Wellborn ’11 waspromoted to experienced associate at Pricewaterhouse-Coopers LLP in Dallas.

Marco Alanis ’12moved toChicago to join the Universityof Chicago Hospital as a clinicalnurse leader for the inpatientbone marrow transplant unit.

Kelsey Schwarz MarkovichB.S. ’10, M.S.-HCAD ’12 isstrategic planning analyst withSeton Healthcare Family inAustin. She married in Feb-ruary 2014.

Jared Shelton ’10

¡Aviso!News from the Trinity University Health Care Administration Alumni Association

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