Nashville Cluster 2025 Faculty

Joe Babarsky

Speaker

Joe Babarsky brings curiosity, enthusiasm and a deep belief in the power of technology and storytelling to every project and relationship. His career in innovation began in the start-up space, where he pioneered the earliest social media strategies for studios, celebrities, causes, digital creators, political campaigns and major brands. For a decade, he worked on the forefront of social media marketing, influence marketing and content strategy. At Maker Studios and The Walt Disney Company, he spearheaded data and insights-informed storytelling, executing campaigns and developing creative strategy incubators for clients, creators and Disney properties. As head of Partnerships at Not Impossible Labs, Babarsky drove strategic approaches to human-impact innovation through corporate programs, acceleration projects and incubation efforts. He facilitated partnerships that united innovators, technologies and companies to create purpose-built solutions. Currently, as director of the Not Impossible Institute, Babarsky empowers changemakers to shape the future through workshops, programming and custom programs. The Institute's multidisciplinary approach equips participants to reframe possibilities, innovate creatively and use storytelling to drive action. Babarsky holds a film and media studies degree from Yale University.

Mick Ebeling

Speaker

Named by Fortune Magazine as a Top 50 World’s Greatest Leaders, a recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award and listed as one of the world’s most influential creative people by The Creativity 50’s, Mick Ebeling has sparked a movement of pragmatic, inspirational innovation. As a career producer and filmmaker and now Founder and CEO of Not Impossible, Ebeling has dedicated his life to tapping into the power of innovation, technology and story to change the world. Ebeling’s mantra of “commit, then figure it out” allows for a unique problem-solving approach, bringing together a community of passionate and talented engineers, doers, makers, idea generators and storytellers to create solutions that better the world. Partnering with a wide array of companies and organizations, Ebeling not only pushes the bar on innovation, he also shares the emotionally resonating story of doing so. Ebeling’s book, Not Impossible: Do What Can't Be Done, recounts his life experiences that led to the founding of Not Impossible. Published in several languages, the book was hailed as “a true testament to the power of determination [...] Bursting with optimism and new ideas,” by Deepak Chopra. Not Impossible is one of a very select few to win Time Magazine’s Top Invention of the Year three times as well as being named winner of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas twice. Named one of WIRED Magazine’s Agents of Change, a two-time SXSW Innovation of the Year award winner, a three-time Tribeca Disruptor Awards recipient, a fellow with The Nantucket Project and recipient of every major creative and advertising award, Ebeling is on a mission to provide “Technology for the Sake of Humanity.”

Michael Gitman, MD

Speaker

Since 2021, Michael Gitman has served as president of Long Island Jewish Medical Center, a Northwell Health company, where he is responsible for the medical center’s strategic, operational and financial activities. Prior to this role, Dr. Gitman served as chief medical officer of North Shore University Hospital (also a Northwell Health company) where he oversaw the hospital’s medical affairs, quality management and patient safety efforts.Dr. Gitman is an associate professor of medicine at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Over the past two decades, Dr. Gitman has been extensively involved in physician education, has received multiple teaching awards and has published manuscripts furthering the knowledge of clinical nephrology.Dr. Gitman received a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a medical degree from SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse where he was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He completed an internal medicine residency, as well as fellowship in nephrology at Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Maya Grigorovich-Barsky

Speaker

Maya Grigorovich-Barsky brings that passion to all of her work and is passionate about equitable access to resources and opportunities, particularly for those living with disabilities and for those who have been historically underserved and marginalized. Grigorovich-Barsky’s over 17 years of versatile professional expertise focus on justice for individuals with disabilities and equitable access to education. She currently serves as the chief of staff with Not Impossible Labs, acting as a strategic partner to the founder and CEO. Grigorovich-Barsky previously held senior leadership positions at America’s Promise Alliance, General Colin and Alma Powell’s youth-supporting and youth-serving organization and The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, a collaborative effort that ensures more children in low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career and active citizenship. Grigorovich-Barsky has a master’s degree in special education from American University.

Attila J. Hertelendy, PhD

Speaker

Attila Hertelendy, PhD, has over 28 years of leadership experience as a hospital administrator and executive in the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Canada. He has an extensive background in emergency and disaster management and digital health. He is a frequent international keynote speaker on crisis leadership, disaster and emergency management, global health security, climate change, disaster informatics and digital health. At Florida International University, Hertelendy is an associate professor in the College of Business and has a secondary appointment at the Wertheim College of Medicine. He teaches leadership, organizational behavior and management of healthcare. He is also an adjunct associate professor at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. He is the director of the Middle East hub for the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education. Hertelendy is the co-research director for the Disaster Medicine Fellowship and faculty at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital. His research interests explore healthcare resiliency and the intersection between climate change, health and disaster medicine. He studies the health implications of climate change and how technology can be used to improve both the delivery and sustainability of healthcare during disasters. He is the author of more than 100 published articles and numerous book chapters. He also serves as the deputy editor for Disaster Medicine and Public Health and associate editor for the Journal of Emergency Management. He ison the editorial board for the Journal of Climate Change and Health.

About Attila J. Hertelendy, PhD
Assistant Professor
Florida International University

Michael A. Mayo, DHA, FACHE

Speaker

Michael A. Mayo, DHA, FACHE, is president and CEO of Baptist Health. Mayo has more than 32 years of health executive experience, including his previous role as Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville hospital president. As CEO, he oversees five hospitals: Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, Baptist Medical Center South, Baptist Medical Center Beaches, Baptist Medical Center Nassau and Wolfson Children's Hospital, along with four satellite emergency centers, 55 primary care offices, more than 13,000 team members and 1,762 physicians. During his career, Mayo has served as CEO of Orange Park Medical Center, Frankfort Regional Medical Center and Memorial Hospital Jacksonville as well as president of Methodist Dallas Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center and the flagship facility of the Methodist Health System. From 1989 to 1999, Mayo held progressive leadership positions with Baptist Health System of Birmingham, Ala., where he first joined as an administrative fellow. Mayo earned his Doctor of Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina, his Master of Science in health care administration from Texas Woman’s University and his Bachelor of Science in human resource management from the University of Alabama. He is board certified in healthcare management as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. From 2019 to 2022, he served on ACHE’s Board of Governors. Mayo has also served ACHE as the Regent for Florida—Northern and Western, and as a member of the Healthcare Executive Editorial Board and Regents Advisory Council. Mayo serves in various community leadership positions, including chairman of the University of North Florida Healthcare Administration Advisory Board and adjunct professor, Master of Health Administration program at UNF Brooks College of Health.

About Michael A. Mayo, DHA, FACHE
President and Chief Executive Officer
Baptist Health System

Katherine A. Meese, PhD

Author

<div id="pastingspan1">Katherine A. Meese, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Services Administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also serves as the director of wellness research in the UAB Medicine Office of Wellness, director for the Center for Healthcare Management and Leadership, and program director for the Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Leadership. She earned her PhD in health services administration with a specialization in strategic management from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and joined the faculty in 2020.</div><div> </div><div id="pastingspan1"></div><div id="pastingspan1">Meese has several years of industry experience that encompassed work in 10 countries on four continents, including management within a large academic medical center. She is a co-author of two textbooks on organizational behavior in healthcare that are used in healthcare management programs across the country. Her research has been published in Anesthesia & Analgesia, Health Services Management Research, Journal of Health Administration Education, Health Care Management Review and various other journals. Her research interests are in organizational behavior, leadership, well-being, and delivery models that enhance organizational learning.</div><div></div>

Charmaine S. Rochester, CPA, FACHE, DHA

Speaker

Charmaine Spence Rochester joined the University of Cincinnati Health System as the chief financial officer in October 2024, bringing over 32 years of fiscal expertise including more than 20 years in financial healthcare leadership. Prior to her transition to UC Health, she served as the CFO of Cleveland Clinic's Florida region, overseeing the financial operations of five hospitals and multiple outpatient sites, as well as partnering with regional executive leadership to integrate, grow and drive sustainable performance. She actively engages in strategic planning and leads financial forecasting for key initiatives across the five-county service area. In addition, she develops and implements strategies for effective enterprise and regional partnership across core shared services, including revenue cycle and supply chain. Before joining the Cleveland Clinic in 2022, Dr. Rochester held key executive roles in the University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine), serving as SVP/CFO for Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital & Health System in 2017 and later transitioning to Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health as SVP/CFO in 2020. Prior to her time at Penn Medicine, she served as the regional finance executive VP/CFO for the Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System in Hampton Roads, Virginia. In this role, she led financial operations and provided strategic financial counsel for the multi-hospital Southeast Virginia region. She also served as the CFO for the enterprise-wide Home Health services. Dr. Rochester is board-certified in healthcare management and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE®) and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (FHFMA). She holds a Doctor of Health Administration (DHA) from Central Michigan University, an MBA from Florida Atlantic University, an undergraduate degree in accounting from Howard University and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

About Charmaine S. Rochester, CPA, FACHE, DHA
Chief Financial Officer
University of Cincinnati Health System

Jonathan A. Sendach, FACHE

Speaker

Jonathan A. Sendach, FACHE, is the executive director at North Shore University Hospital where he oversees the overall executive management for the 800-bed quaternary care hospital. His responsibilities include strategy, financial stewardship and leadership of a facility that serves as one of the cornerstones of Northwell Health, as well as an academic campus for the Zucker Hofstra/Northwell School of Medicine. Prior to being named executive director, he served as deputy executive director and associate executive director for hospital operations. Previously, Sendach was the associate executive director for finance at Glen Cove Hospital, a 265-bed acute care community hospital. There, he managed financial operations, patient financial services and health information management, as well as directed the annual budget process. In addition to business plan development and financial planning, he was also responsible for the oversight of the hospital’s faculty practice, comprised of 40 physicians and allied health professionals covering a range of specialties. He began his career in healthcare at Northwell as a staff emergency medical technician, working in both the 911 and critical care interfacility transport divisions. Prior to joining Northwell Health, Sendach worked as a senior account executive in the New York health and medical practice at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, an international public relations firm serving a range of clients. He worked on publicity campaigns for products from Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co. and AstraZeneca. Sendach began his career in public relations at the New York City offices of The Rowland Company, where he worked with the healthcare team and served as a co-director of the summer intern training program. Board certified in healthcare management as an ACHE Fellow, Sendach holds a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and a Master of Public Administration from the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University, where he holds an appointment as adjunct associate professor of health policy and management. He completed a residency in healthcare administration at the corporate offices of Northwell Health, then known as the North Shore–Long Island Jewish Health System in Great Neck, N.Y.

About Jonathan A. Sendach, FACHE
President
North Shore University Hospital

Rick van Pelt, MD

Speaker

Dr. Rick van Pelt is the chief clinical transformation officer (CCTO) and leader of Clinical Practice Transformation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Medicine. Dr. van Pelt is a board-certified anesthesiologist with more than 30 years of experience in clinical practice, performance and quality improvement; patient safety and change management within health systems. His areas of thought leadership and expertise include system-based performance improvement, frontline-driven interprofessional practice redesign and implementation of high reliability clinical operating systems; implementation science, clinical variation management and peer support and mitigation of systems-induced stress and burnout.

2025 Nashville Cluster