2026 IHA Leadership Summit: Oct. 1-2

Scott D. Anthony, Clinical Professor of Strategy, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
Scott Anthony is an award-winning, globally renowned expert, author and speaker on navigating disruptive change. His cutting-edge courses at Dartmouth blend academic research and practical business insights. Anthony’s research and teaching builds on more than two decades of field work guiding global leaders through transformative change and mentorship under disruptive innovation pioneer Clayton Christensen. He spent more than two decades at Innosight, a consulting company Christensen co-founded, including six years as Innosight’s global managing partner. 

A global thought leader, Anthony has lived in the United States, United Kingdom, and Singapore, served on public and private boards, advised companies in nearly 30 countries, and has been named one of the world’s most influential management thinkers multiple times by Thinkers50. He is a prolific author of best-selling business books, including the recent Epic Disruptions: 11 Innovations That Shaped Our Modern World, which decodes how genuine disruption actually happens. 

Damond Boatwright, MHA, MHS, FACHE, President and CEO, Hospital Sisters Health System, Springfield, Illinois, and Chair, IHA Board of Trustees
Damond Boatwright began his service with Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) as president and chief executive officer in June 2021. HSHS is a nonprofit health system headquartered in Springfield, Illinois, and operates a network of 13 hospitals and other healthcare facilities throughout Illinois and Wisconsin.   

Prior to HSHS, Boatwright served as regional president of SSM Health in Wisconsin, beginning in 2014. He also served in various leadership roles at Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) from 2001 to 2013. Boatwright’s career at HCA took him to hospitals in Virginia, Florida, Missouri and Kansas, serving in a variety of executive leadership roles. 

Boatwright is IHA’s current board chair, a past board chair at the Catholic Health Association and past board chair of the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA). He received Modern Healthcare’s Up and Comer Award in 2009, and was featured in Becker’s Hospital Review’s Hospital and Health System Leaders to Know in 2010. Boatwright was named a WHA Distinguished Leader in 2020, was In Business magazine’s Executive of the Year in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2021. He was featured in Becker’s Hospital Review’s Healthcare Leaders to Know in 2024.

Kathy Chan
Director of Policy, Cook County Health
Chan provides leadership on policy issues that impact CCH and its patients. Prior to Cook County Health, Kathy served as Associate Director and Director of Policy for EverThrive Illinois and worked at the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. She serves on the boards of Repro TLC (formerly the Midwest Access Project), an organization that improves access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare by filling gaps in provider education and clinical training, and KAN-WIN, an nonprofit that works to eradicate gender-based violence in the Asian American community and beyond. Chan began her career as an organizer with Green Corps, a field school for environmental organizing. 

Brandon Childs, Senior Director, Advisory Services, Optum 
Brandon Childs leads Optum’s go-to-market strategy for front-end revenue cycle management solutions. Most recently, he spearheaded product management and implementation for Optum Real Pre-Care, an innovation that has driven meaningful reductions in claim denials while improving the accuracy of patient estimates. Prior to Optum, Brandon served as Vice President at Recondo Technology (now Waystar), where he oversaw client services and product development for key revenue cycle solutions, including patient estimation, eligibility, authorizations, and claim status. Earlier in his career, he spent 14 years at Accenture delivering technology and process solutions for both payer and provider organizations.

Craig Deao, Managing Director, Huron, Pensacola, Florida
Craig Deao has provided consulting services to healthcare organizations for two decades. He is a trusted advisor to boards and executive teams, focusing on governance, strategic planning, growth, engagement and patient experience. His expertise extends to board education, governance restructuring, and the facilitation of strategic and leadership development initiatives. Deao is a frequent speaker at national and international healthcare leadership conferences, including events hosted by the American College of Healthcare Executives, American Hospital Association, and more than 20 state hospital associations. He has delivered more than 400 presentations across the United States, Canada, and Australia, consistently earning top ratings from participants.

Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Gretchen Evans
One of the most decorated female veterans in U.S. history, Command Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans was a successful senior military intelligence analyst and paratrooper. She operated in several high-tempo and dangerous missions around the world, including Grenada, Kosovo, Bosnia, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In 2006, while working as a sergeant major in Afghanistan, a mortar blast threw her into a concrete bunker wall. She suffered a traumatic brain injury and lost 95% of her hearing, ending her career in military service. Command Sergeant Major Evans received the Bronze Star for valor and heroism in combat.

In sharing her compelling and riveting stories and experiences, Command Sergeant Major Evans goes from being the highest enlisted rank in the Army to traversing through life after a serious combat injury. Her insightful and poignant perspective offers a window into today’s warriors along with nuggets of wisdom and impactful takeaways. 

Deborah Graves, President and CEO, Memorial Hospital Belleville | Shiloh, Illinois
Deborah Graves serves as president and CEO of Memorial Hospital Belleville | Shiloh in Illinois. Memorial Hospital is part of BJC Health System’s East Region, serving the St. Louis area and Southern Illinois. Graves joined BJC in 2024, bringing over 20 years of experience. She was previously president of SSM St. Joseph Hospital - Lake Saint Louis, where she provided executive leadership for a level III Trauma/level II STEMI regional medical center. 

Graves spent six years at LifeBridge Health in Baltimore, serving as SVP of LifeBridge Health and president of Levindale Hospital since 2017. She began her career as an emergency department nurse in New Orleans, followed by roles of increasing scope and responsibility across the healthcare spectrum, including as CEO at Regency Hospital in Minneapolis. 

Fran Hakim, Vice President of Revenue Cycle Management, Allina Health
In her revenue cycle executive role, Fran Hakim leads strategic and operational initiatives across Allina Health, one of the Midwest's largest integrated revenue cycle organizations. She partners with executive leaders across Allina Health and Optum to advance revenue cycle strategy, improve financial outcomes and drive innovation across front-, middle-, and back-office operations.

Hakim has built a career focused on improving patient access, financial performance, operational efficiency, and the overall patient experience in her more than 23 years of healthcare leadership experience. Her expertise spans hospital and physician revenue cycle operations, patient access, financial clearance, utilization management, denials prevention, centralized business operations, globalization, and large-scale organizational transformation. 

Throughout her career, Hakim has successfully led enterprise-wide initiatives involving operational centralization, workflow redesign, technology modernization, automation, and performance improvement. She has been instrumental in transforming financial clearance and patient access services, helping health systems navigate increasing regulatory complexity, evolving payer requirements, workforce challenges, and digital transformation. 

Hakim is passionate about developing high-performing teams, fostering collaborative organizational cultures, and leveraging technology to create sustainable healthcare solutions. 

Daniel Haslett, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Director, Emergency and Trauma & Critical Care Administration: Nursing, Advocate Health Care
Haslett is a nursing leader with extensive experience in emergency and critical care services. He began his career as an emergency department nurse in 2007 and has progressed through a variety of clinical and leadership roles. For the past three years, he has served as Director of Nursing for Emergency and Critical Care Services, supporting operations across both Level I and Level II trauma centers.

Throughout his career, Haslett has been recognized for his commitment to clinical excellence and compassionate patient care, including receiving the DAISY Award. As a leader, he was honored as Nurse Leader of the Year within Advocate Health System, reflecting his dedication to team development, quality improvement, and patient-centered care.

Michael Hildebrand, Senior Vice President, Regional Health System Practice Lead, Jarrard Inc., Nashville, Tennessee
Michael Hildebrand helps clients build and protect their reputations by successfully navigating operational, strategic, and crisis situations. With 20 years of communications and operational experience, Hildebrand brings a methodical and thoughtful approach to the most complicated situations in a way that stakeholders can understand the impacts of key decisions.

Hildebrand previously served as chief of staff for Prisma Health, helping guide the organization through a health system merger of equals and subsequent integration. Additionally, he served as president of a legacy subsidiary board responsible for lease oversight and community health. Hildebrand spent 15 years in law enforcement, with responsibilities for communications, public information and community engagement. He also led a nonprofit organization focused on transportation and mobility issues.

Throughout his career, Hildebrand has led teams through strategic communication challenges, sensitive political issues and evolving crisis situations. He is skilled at creating connections among diverse audiences including elected and government officials, executives, community and business leaders, and the media.

Thomas Jackiewicz, President, UChicago Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 
Tom Jackiewicz is president of the University of Chicago Health System (UCHS), the $5.6 billion,
seven-hospital clinical enterprise that integrates the patient care mission of UCHS with the education and research missions of the University of Chicago. Jackiewicz is highly regarded for his ability to reimagine how the traditional academic health system framework can better support the clinical, educational, and research needs of the future and accelerate delivery of research-driven practices to inpatient, outpatient, and home settings.

Jackiewicz is a strategic visionary who has ushered in eras of substantial growth and  improvement at academic health systems where the best and brightest work together for the common good. At UCHS, he is championing the construction of a new $815 million cancer center, which will be Chicago’s first freestanding cancer center. Other key initiatives under his leadership include adding four AdventHealth hospitals and a physician network, opening a Northwest Indiana campus and leading a major collaborative of providers focusing on health challenges on Chicago’s South Side.

Prior to joining UChicago Medicine, Jackiewicz served as CEO of Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles, where he grew the medical enterprise from a $450 million to $2.2 billion regional academic health system and achieved a top 20 ranking on the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals Honor Roll. Jackiewicz is a fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago and a frequent speaker at national gatherings including the American College of Healthcare Executives, Becker’s, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. He serves as a member of the IHA Board of Trustees, Strategic Planning Committee of America’s Essential
Hospitals, Infinx Advisory Board and Wall Street Journal CEO Council.

Ashley Kuhl Piwowarski, PsyD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Executive Director of Outpatient Services, Hartgrove Behavioral Health System, Chicago
Dr. Kuhl Piwowarski joined Hartgrove Behavioral Health System as Executive Director of Outpatient Services in 2012  Her clinical training and work history includes hospital, school, and community-based settings. She has experience in program development, supervision and training of graduate students, and administrative functions of psychologists in a large healthcare setting.

Kim M. Miiller, PsyD, Director, Advocate Trauma Recovery Centers, Advocate Health Care
Dr. Miiller is a licensed clinical psychologist who leads eight hospital-based violence intervention programs for Advocate Health, with five of them in Illinois, as well as two Trauma Recovery Centers in Illinois. She joined Advocate Health Care in 2014, providing care to patients with behavioral health concerns in the emergency department and inpatient settings. In 2018, she launched Advocate’s first Trauma Recovery Center and has been a member of the Steering Committee for the National Alliance of Trauma Recovery Centers since 2019.

Erik Mikaitis, MD, MBA
Chief Executive Officer, Cook County Health 
Dr. Mikaitis was appointed Cook County Health’s CEO in October 2024, after serving in the Interim CEO role since November 2023. Cook County Health is one of the largest public health systems in the nation, serving as the safety-net for healthcare in Chicago and suburban Cook County. CCH is comprised of John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, Provident Hospital, and a robust network of more than a dozen community health centers. It provides healthcare to individuals at the Cook County Jail and Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and includes the Cook County Department of Public Health and CountyCare, a Medicaid managed care health plan. The health system serves more than 600,000 individuals each year and has a $5 billion budget.

Under Dr. Mikaitis’ leadership, Cook County Health is embracing value-based care and other alternative payment structures, recentering the healthcare business model by aligning patient outcomes with provider reimbursement. Dr. Mikaitis is focused on expanding access to care. His achievements include the opening of the Bronzeville Health Center, launch of a robotic surgery program, and increased utilization of virtual care platforms. He has prioritized accelerating the rate of hiring, increasing the number of new staff by 33% and reducing the use of agency staff by 40% in his first year.

Dr. Mikaitis joined Cook County Health as Chief Quality Officer in 2022. He previously served as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Franciscan Health Crown Point and as Medical Director of the Franciscan Health Accountable Care Organization in northern Indiana and south suburban Chicago. Dr. Mikaitis serves on the Illinois Health and Hospitals Association Board of Trustees, America’s Essential Hospitals strategic planning committee, and Wellvana’s Leadership Action Board.

Alexandra Normington, MPH
Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, Cook County Health
Normington drives the health system’s reputation and branding by developing and leading marketing, communications, and community relations strategies to support CCH’s mission, vision and strategic imperatives. She previously held Associate Chief Communications & Marketing Officer and Director of Media roles at CCH. Prior to joining CCH, Normington worked as a communications advisor, supporting hospitals in mergers and acquisitions, crisis management, reputation building, and other high stakes situations. She has also held communications positions with the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council, State of Minnesota, and WCCO-TV.

Kelly Parker, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Director of Mobile Health Services, Carle Health
Parker is a nurse with more than 22 years of experience and has led Mobile Health Services for the past seven years as director. She has expanded mobile medical, social, and food access services across three counties through innovative programs, including the Mobile Market. Parker has built strong community partnerships that have resulted in large-scale health events serving hundreds of individuals. An active National Mobile Healthcare Association mentor, she is passionate about identifying community needs and developing services that improve access to care.

Rick Pollack, President and CEO, American Hospital Association, Washington, D.C.
Rick Pollack is president and CEO of the American Hospital Association (AHA), the nation’s largest hospital and health system membership organization with nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems, networks, and other care providers. Serving as the AHA’s top leader since 2015, Pollack is widely recognized for his strong, effective advocacy and leadership on behalf of our nation's hospitals, the patients and communities they serve, and the healthcare professionals those organizations support. Pollack has been an influential leader in securing the field’s financial stability, as well as redefining the “H” to care for patients in more efficient and convenient ways. Under his leadership, AHA launched a comprehensive effort to address historic workforce challenges.

Pollack has shaped and grown what is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most respected and effective advocacy organizations. AHA’s has a sophisticated political and grassroots network in every congressional district in the country and one of the largest healthcare political action committees, AHAPAC. Pollack has also guided AHA’s efforts to improve quality and patient safety. As an early leader committed to addressing the growing and evolving cybercrime threats, Pollack launched a partnership with the FBI and other government agencies to provide hospitals greater support and resources in this area.

Among his many roles, Pollack serves the AHA Board of Trustees; Board of Directors of the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare; steering committees of the National Academy of Medicine Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience and the Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector; U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100.

Pollack began his career in Washington, D.C., as a legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, then as a legislative representative for the American Nurses Association. He joined AHA in 1982, a tenure which has included more than 20 years as its executive vice president for advocacy and public policy before becoming president and CEO. 

José R. Sánchez, President and CEO, Humboldt Park Health, Chicago, Illinois
José R. Sánchez, president and CEO of Humboldt Park Health (HPH), is a senior healthcare executive with over 40 years of experience in operational, strategic, and fiscal management of multifaceted health systems. He is currently Chicago’s only Latino hospital CEO. Under his leadership, HPH has maintained financial stability and growth throughout his tenure, and consistently exceeded benchmarks in quality, safety, and patient satisfaction. In April 2024, HPH became the first Midwestern hospital and 13th in the nation to successfully achieve Health Equity Certification from The Joint Commission.

In January 2025, HPH opened a 45,500 square-foot Wellness Center one block from the hospital. This represents the first phase of Sánchez’s vision for a community health campus that focuses on wellness, accessibility and empowerment. The Wellness Center houses the hospital’s rehabilitation services, two swimming pools, state-of-the-art fitness equipment, an indoor track, and specialty classes, such as cycling and yoga. Its third-floor conference rooms provide space for local community groups. In January 2021, Sánchez led the hospital in a major rebranding initiative, during which the hospital was renamed from Norwegian American Hospital to Humboldt Park Health, honoring the diversity of the community it serves. 

Sánchez is chair of the Association of Safety-Net Community Hospitals and board chair of Wellness West, a Healthcare Transformation Collaborative of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. He is a member of the American Hospital Association’s Division of Health Outcomes and Care Transformation and the Advisory Board of America’s Essential Hospitals.

Karin Selfors, Chief Client Officer, Medical Solutions
Karin Selfors leads Medical Solutions’ Client Experience and Client success teams and is responsible for driving innovation and strengthening client partnerships. Before joining Medical Solutions, Selfors made significant contributions in roles across investment banking, The Adecco Group and Pontoon Solutions. Throughout her career, she has developed a reputation for creating customized solutions that meet the evolving needs of clients across diverse industries. Selfors is known for driving business growth and transformation through her leadership.

Tony Sherlock, Director, Security and Public Safety, Advocate Health Care 
Sherlock is a public safety leader with almost 25 years’ experience between municipal law enforcement and healthcare public safety. He transitioned Advocate Health Care’s Illinois division to a fully armed healthcare public safety team and brought metal detection to all acute care emergency departments in the Illinois division.

Justin Stevens, MHA, PMP, Executive Director, Revenue Cycle Advisory, Kodiak Solutions, Indianapolis, IN
With a focus on revenue cycle, Justin Stevens has more than 25 years of diverse experience in the healthcare industry, from health industry provider side to third party IT and consulting organizations. In his consulting roles, Stevens has provided input on a multitude of projects both internal and external related to the hospital revenue cycle. Prior to management consulting, Stevens worked as a Project Manager for McKesson Provider Technologies and for a multi-facility health system in the areas of patient access, revenue cycle and managed care. 

Matt Szaflarski, Vice President, Revenue Cycle Intelligence, Kodiak Solutions, Chicago
Matt Szaflarski leads Kodiak’s Revenue Cycle Intelligence team, which focuses on building analytic solutions to help customers target, quantify, and solve their most challenging issues. He oversees Kodiak’s benchmarking service offerings, which measure revenue cycle performance across more than $2 trillion in annual gross revenue. Szaflarski has more than 15 years of revenue cycle experience focused on supporting customer performance improvement efforts.

Jonathan Woods, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Executive Director, Community Health Initiative, Carle Health
Woods has been a nurse for 26 years, with more than 19 years of leadership experience. He has led inpatient children’s services and a Level III NICU. Woods  currently serves as Executive Director of Community Health Initiatives for Carle Health. In this role, he advances programs that bring healthcare beyond health system walls to support the health, education, and economic prosperity of underserved populations. He is a certified nurse executive through the American Nurses Credentialing Center and a former recipient of the University of Illinois-Chicago Power of Nursing Leadership Sage Award.

Rae Woods, Vice President, National Spokesperson, Host, Radio Advisory, Advisory Board 
As the national spokesperson, Rae Woods helps C-suite executives, leadership teams, and boards take action on their top priorities and make better decisions with Advisory Board’s insights and analysis. Known for her energetic style, Woods is a passionate teacher and frequent speaker at healthcare industry events. She has led business-style research studies at Advisory Board since 2014, and brings deep healthcare knowledge, strategic insight, and operational expertise to her hands-on work with executives. Sharing insights from the across the industry, Woods is the host and executive producer of Advisory Board’s award-winning podcast, Radio Advisory, and an adjunct faculty member for Advisory Board Fellowship. 

Kevin Zachary, Chief Executive Officer, JCH HealthCare, Jerseyville, Illinois
Kevin Zachary joined JCH HealthCare as CEO in June 2025 and has more than two decades of leadership experience in healthcare operations, patient-centered care, and strategic growth. Originally from Texas and most recently residing in Colorado, Zachary has held key executive roles at LifePoint Health, Health Management Associates, Tenet Healthcare, and Halifax Regional Medical Center. His experience includes multisite leadership, physician recruitment, operational optimization, and fostering a culture of safety and excellence in care.