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LGBT Forum Chair
Dan Gentry, PhD
ACHE LGBT Forum Chairman
Clinical Professor and MHA Program Director
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Greetings Fellow ACHE LGBT Forum Members.
It is my pleasure to serve as chairman of ACHE’s LGBT Leadership Committee and, along with the committee, serve our ACHE LGBT Forum members for 2019-20. I want to acknowledge the tremendous leadership and contributions of my two predecessors in this role, Ken White and Bob Chaloner. We owe them both a huge debt of gratitude. Ken has been a champion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues within ACHE for decades, and Bob, working closely with the amazing Cie Armstead of ACHE’s staff, has nurtured and grown our forum during the past year. On behalf of our membership, I also want to recognize our Leadership Committee members whose service ended in March, and our new committee members who have just recently been appointed by the ACHE Board of Governors. Thank you to Tari Hanneman and Vivek Khanna for your service to the committee and the LGBT Forum. And a very warm welcome to Timothy Carrigan, Amir Farooqi, LTC Charlotte Hildebrand and Amanda Tufano. I look forward to collaborating with you on the important work of the committee on behalf of our forum members, ACHE, and our field of healthcare managers and leaders.
As we approach Pride Month, and all of the celebrations and festivities that June and the summer hold for our community, I am reminded of both how far we have come and how much important work there is still to do. This work requires passion, intentionality, stick-to-itiveness and resilience. A guest speaker in the professional development seminar I lead for the University of Iowa MHA Program recently reminded me of these traits and characteristics. We were treated to a visit by Oscar Zambrano, who leads business development and health equity for Advocate Aurora Health’s Chicago region, and serves as the organization’s LGBTQ ombudsperson. Oscar’s passion for his work on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community in Chicago is palpable, and the structure and processes he and others have put into place to do their work is extensive and impressive. What I was most struck by, however, was how Oscar described the work of the task force he leads, and how that label—versus "committee" or "group"—is intentional. It denotes the importance of the work and that it is a priority for AAH, while still communicating the hopeful nature of the task force not having to exist in perpetuity. It also indicates that someday the values, goals, strategies and tactics currently led by Oscar and the task force will be institutionalized and taken for granted. How grand would that be for both AAH and the Chicago community it serves, and also for all of our communities and healthcare organizations in which we work and lead? I think Pride Month is a great time to reflect on our progress, celebrate our past and current victories on behalf of our communities, and look toward the future with renewed aspirations at creating a healthcare system that is inclusive, equal and equitable.
Warmest regards,
Dan Gentry, PhD
ACHE LGBT Forum Executive Profile
Kelly Brian Flannery, FACHE
Chief Planning Officer
Veterans Affairs, Sierra Pacific Network – VISN 21
Mare Island, Calif.
2019 Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program Scholar
Q. What inspired you to pursue a career in healthcare administration?
A. I began my career in healthcare about 30 years ago as a laboratory assistant at our local hospital. I was also attending community college as I considered my professional career goals. After transferring to the University of San Francisco to complete my undergraduate degree, I continued working in healthcare as an anesthesia technologist at the San Francisco General Hospital, and later at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. During my career at the San Francisco VA Medical Center, I completed the VA Leadership Development Institute and was introduced to many healthcare administration professionals. I gained an awareness and an appreciation of these executives and the responsibilities required to ensure that healthcare organizations operate and thrive in a complex and competitive industry. With a newfound interest in healthcare administration, I modified my career path and earned a master of healthcare administration degree to complement the VA positions I attained after leaving the clinical support setting. My current appointment in the VA is as chief planning officer for the VA Sierra Pacific Network.
Q. What have been the hallmarks of your career in healthcare leadership?
A. The first occurred during my term at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. I was selected as the lead subject matter expert in anesthesia technology for the VA’s national initiative to reclassify several ancillary clinical occupations from Title 5 to Hybrid Title 38. As the work group lead, I was the principal author for the anesthesia chapter of the qualification standard used for boarding staff. Secondly, as the rural consultant for the VA Sierra Pacific Network, I promoted and managed a multimillion-dollar rural health projects portfolio that brought healthcare closer to home for our rural veterans. Finally, my third hallmark was attaining board certification in healthcare management as a Fellow of ACHE. It was a goal I chose in pursuit of advancing both the healthcare administration profession and my personal role in that journey.
Q. Do you believe that being a member of the LGBT community or an LGBT champion has an impact on career advancement for healthcare leaders?
A. I believe that identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender does have degrees of impact on one’s advancement into healthcare leadership roles. Factors that influence the impact could be as basic as where one lives, or as complex as generational and era influences, of which the latter applies to me. I graduated from high school in 1984, and during that time, the LGBT community was coming to grips with HIV/AIDS and the epidemic’s impact on our community. I was terrified to come out of the closet at work for fear of discrimination and a presumption that being gay automatically equated to HIV infection. It took another 15 years to be comfortably open at work and without a doubt, this delayed my pursuit of leadership positions in healthcare. Fortunately, for younger LGBT generations the acceptance and inclusion climate within healthcare has improved significantly over the years and opportunities abound for openly LGBT upcoming leaders.
Q. What would be your advice to LGBT individuals pursuing careers in healthcare management?
A. Finding an LGBT mentor, preferably who works in healthcare, is a valuable resource. Although we have yet to achieve full equality nationwide, so much has changed over time and the LGBT community enjoys acceptance and inclusion at unprecedented levels in the United States. ACHE and numerous healthcare leaders have acknowledged the benefits of diversity and inclusion within their organizations and embraced the LGBT presence in our communities and healthcare systems. Based on my own personal experiences, I believe leading a double life is exhausting, disingenuous and compromises the qualities of an effective leader. My advice is to be confident and true to yourself and others about your LGBT identity. Our honesty should be embraced by our peers and yield better relationships with all stakeholders, resulting in our becoming better leaders.
Q. Why did you decide to join ACHE LGBT Forum and what do you feel is the value added by this group?
A. Over the years my comfort level has grown with sharing my LGBT identity at work with colleagues throughout the VA. The LGBT Forum offers a unique space for LGBT professionals to share experiences and gain insight into the challenges and accomplishments of other members. The forum also provides a platform to illustrate that LGBT individuals are a presence in healthcare administration and management; adding value to the pursuit of a diverse and inclusive workforce, leadership team, and safe environment for patients, staff, and visitors. Simply stated, becoming a member of the LGBT Forum was the right thing to do.
LGBT Forum Organizational Profile
The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center
LGBT veteran care coordinators Hiram Rivera-Mercado, PsyD, and Elizabeth Steen, LCSW, with The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston
A. The Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Houston VAMC) and its leadership have made it a priority to create a welcoming environment for veterans with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and related identities. Efforts to make our LGBT veterans feel accepted and welcomed include outreach campaigns, LGBT health awareness literature and promotional materials (e.g., posters displayed in the facility) and clearly labeled gender-neutral restrooms. During National LGBT Health Awareness Week in March and Minority Health Care Month in April, we hosted outreach events in the lobby of the facility to provide education to veterans and staff on the variety of services that the VA offers, and the health disparities experienced by LGBT veterans. The LGBT veteran care coordinators’ goal is to create a culture of continuing education regarding best practices for LGBT patient care.
Q. How has the organization engaged LGBT patients and/or the local LGBT community?
A. The Houston VAMC recognizes LGBT Pride Month by presenting educational and outreach events throughout the month, culminating in a pride celebration that is hosted in the hospital to engage our LGBT veterans and community organizations. The LGBT veteran care coordinators maintain close communication with local LGBT community organizations and consult and provide training to our community organizations regarding LGBT veteran healthcare. The LGBT veteran care coordinators have also held town hall meetings to include veterans’ voices in quality improvement projects that aim to improve the services provided in the facility. A page on the facility website informs both LGBT veterans and the public that local services are available, and who to contact for more information. In addition to general health services, the facility offers gender counseling, hormone therapies and LGBT support groups to foster the development of a positive LGBT identity.
Q. How has the organization advanced inclusion for healthcare professionals and leaders?
A. One of the major ways the Houston VAMC has advanced inclusion is by participating in the annual Healthcare Equality Index survey. The criteria for achieving Leadership status promotes staff education and engagement in creating an inclusive and welcoming clinical environment. In 2018, the Houston VAMC was recognized by the HEI as a leader among health organizations. In addition, the LGBT veteran care coordinators at the Houston VAMC employ several strategies to engage providers in continuing education on LGBT healthcare. One strategy is to foster relationships with providers so they feel comfortable reaching out to the LGBT veteran care coordinators and consulting on the needs of their patients. There are also numerous training opportunities, including several online courses from the VA that the LGBT veteran care coordinators regularly promote through hospital wide emails and other employee communication mechanisms. The LGBT veteran care coordinators also hold journal clubs with providers to inform them about best practices in LGBT healthcare. The LGBT veteran care coordinators continue their own education through national VA trainings. For example, recently Dr. Hiram Rivera-Mercado, one of the LGBT veteran care coordinators, was selected to participate in an LGBT Champion training in Columbus, Ohio, to learn techniques to engage our facility staff, and staff from other nearby facilities in providing affirming LGBT healthcare.
Q. How has the organization worked to advance health and clinical outcomes for the LGBT population?
A. In collaboration with the national LGBT Health Program, the Houston VAMC LGBT veteran care coordinators create a yearly strategic plan to establish goals that address the health and clinical needs of LGBT veterans in the areas of creating a welcoming environment, engaging key stakeholders (including community organizations), educating providers in providing affirming LGBT healthcare and on national VA directives, and facilitating quality improvement projects, such as needs assessments, that engage veterans in providing feedback regarding their experiences. Progress on the plan is evaluated throughout the year and updates are provided to leadership on a quarterly basis. In addition, the Houston VAMC has an LGBT advisory committee that includes hospital leadership and other key stakeholders that advise and support the implementation of the strategic plan.
Feature Article
ACHE LGBT Forum Celebrates Three Members Becoming Fellows
Three of our LGBT Forum members became Fellows in 2018 and were celebrated at convocation during Congress in March.
Timothy O’Brien, FACHE
COO, Hackensack Meridian Health – Mountainside Medical Center
Montclair, N.J.
Tim O’Brien has over 20 years of hospital operations experience. He joined HMH – MMC as the COO in 2017. Tim’s previous experience includes over 10 years in various leadership roles with HCA Healthcare and seven years in healthcare consulting management. He earned an MBA from Vanderbilt University and a BSPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Tim Perlick, PharmD, FACHE
Director of Pharmacy and Pulmonary Services
Desert Regional Medical Center
Springs, Calif.
Tim Perlick graduated from the University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy in 1995, followed by a post graduate year one residency at DRMC from 1995–1996. He has maintained a level of cross-pharmacy practice for several years, including areas such as oncology, hospital practice and skilled nursing consulting, while continuing advancements management and leadership. In March 2012, Tim became the director of pharmacy at DRMC, obtaining board certification in geriatric pharmacy. He also completed Lean Six Sigma certification and in May 2018, FACHE designation.
Germán Rueda, FACHE
Advisor to the Minister of Health
Bogotá, Colombia
Germán Rueda has over 12 years of experience in the healthcare sector and currently serves as an advisor to the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Government of Colombia, leading the digital transformation agenda. He also serves as a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank and works with startups focused in the digital healthcare space. Germán is also an industrial engineer. He obtained an Executive MBA in health sector management and policy from the University of Miami, where he graduated at the top of his class, and also holds Six Sigma Black Belt, Project Management Professional, and Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality certifications,among others.
ACHE News
Apply for Prestigious Executive Diversity Leadership Program
Applications for the 2020 Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program are now being accepted. This exclusive program is designed to prepare mid- and senior-level careerists from underrepresented groups to ascend to C-suite roles in healthcare management.
This once-in-a-career experience will help you formulate a strategy for your future in healthcare management and provide you with an invaluable network of colleagues to support you at every stage of your leadership career. By becoming a Dolan Scholar, you’ll join a prestigious group of healthcare leaders, including LGBT Forum Member Kelly Brian Flannery, FACHE, featured in this issue’s profile.
Visit the Dolan EDP website for full details and to apply online. For additional information, please contact Cie Armstead, director of Diversity and Inclusion, at carmstead@ache.org.
Consider Running for ACHE Regent-at-Large
Are you an ACHE Fellow in Districts 1, 5 or 6, and interested in helping to promote diversity in ACHE governance? If so, a Regent-at-Large position may be just for you! The ACHE Board of Governors is calling for applications to serve as Regent-at-Large in Districts 1, 5 and 6, with terms beginning in March 2020. The primary purpose of the Regents-at-Large position is to promote a more diverse representation relative to race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation in ACHE governance. ACHE Fellows are eligible for Regent-at-Large vacancies within their district.
- District 1 consists of Canada, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
- District 5 consists of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
- District 6 consists of the Uniformed Services/Veterans Affairs.
Complete details on the position description and how to apply are available here. The application period closes on August 23, 2019. The Board of Governors will appoint the new Regents-at-Large in November 2019. For more information, contact Caitlin E. Stine, communications specialist, Division of Regional Services, at cstine@ache.org.
Special LGBT Forum Member Exclusives
LGBT Forum Mentoring Connection: Thank you to all who registered to participate in the new Mentoring Connection, a complimentary member service to facilitate professional connections between LGBT Forum members. It builds upon the ACHE Leadership Mentoring Network, with a 1-to-1 virtual mentoring experience. The LGBT Forum Mentoring Connection will add social identity mentoring features to enhance the mentor-mentee connection. The LGBT Forum pilot will run from June to November 2019.
Free Webinar: As an LGBT Forum member, you have ongoing access to the webinar, “LGBTQ Healthcare: Current State of Legal and Regulatory Standards,” recorded on Dec. 6, 2018. In this 90-minute online session, two healthcare lawyers address the complex issues related to adapting and maintaining appropriate and accurate EHRs that meet the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer patients, and employment-specific issues relevant to LGBTQ individuals. Access this MP4 recording from the LGBT Forum Benefits website.
Upcoming ACHE Chapter Educational Events on Diversity and Inclusion
Equity of Care
ACHE of Greater Ohio
June 5, 2019
Columbus, Ohio
Fostering Inclusion of LGBT Patients and Employees
ACHE of Iowa
June 21, 2019
Des Moines, Iowa
2019-2020 Committee Members
Chair
Daniel Gentry, PhD
The University of Iowa College of Public Health
Professor and MHA Program Director
Iowa City, Iowa
Leslie E. Burnside, FACHE
System VP of Network Affiliations & Development
UNC Health Care
Chapel Hill, N.C.
*Timothy M. Carrigan, PhD, RN, FACHE
Rush University Medical Center
Chief Administrative Officer
Chicago
Robert S. Chaloner, FACHE
(Immediate Past Chairman)
Chief Administrative Officer
Stony Brook Southampton Hospital
Southampton, N.Y.
Stephan Davis, DNP, FACHE
Founder/Principal
Illuminant
Atlanta
*Amir Farooqi, FACHE
Associate Director (Chief Operations Officer)
Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center (VISN 7)
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
*LTC Charlotte L. Hildebrand, PhD, FACHE
Army-Baylor University
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army
San Antonio
Jake P. Reyna-Casanova
Senior Development Associate
CommuniCare Health Centers
San Antonio
*Amanda S. Tufano
CEO
Genevive
Minneapolis, Minn.
*New committee members.
STAFF CONTACT
Cie Armstead
Director of Diversity and Inclusion
American College of Healthcare Executives
300 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1900
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 424-9306
carmstead@ache.org
NETWORKING
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Career Management Network
Tell a Colleague About the LGBT Forum
As one of the nearly 200 members of ACHE’s LGBT Forum, you have helped to create a vibrant community of LGBT healthcare leaders and allies exchanging ideas to further your career and advance the forum’s mission. Now continue the growth of the forum and expand its diversity by encouraging your fellow ACHE colleagues to join the LGBT Forum. Invite them to join today at ache.org/LGBT.
Please note that any views or opinions presented in this online newsletter are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of ACHE.