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58 58 CEO/STRATEGY 32 Nurses Who Transitioned to Hospital CEOs By Mary Rechtoris H ospital executives may come from many walks of life, with many CEOs also having experience in nursing. Here are 32 nurses who are CEOs of hospitals and health systems. Nancy Agee, RN, MN, has served as the pres- ident and CEO of Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Va., since July 2011. From 2001 to 2011, Ms. Agee was Carilion Clinic's executive vice pres- ident and COO, and played an integral role in transforming Carilion into a patient-centered, physician-led clinic. e American Hospital Association appointed Ms. Agee to its board of trustees, a role she assumed on Jan. 1, 2016. Jean Anthony, RN, is CEO of Cass City, Mich.-based Hills and Dales General Hospi- tal, and has been with the hospital for more than 40 years. During her time at Hills and Dales General Hospital, Ms. Anthony served as COO for 14 years until her appointment as CEO in 2014. She began her career at the hospital as a licensed practical nurse before becoming a registered nurse and receiving a bachelor's degree in nursing and a master's in organizational management. Linda Bradley, RN, JD, is the CEO and chair of the governing board for Centinela Hospi- tal Medical Center in Los Angeles. She has served as the hospital's CEO since May 2010. She completed her nursing degree in San Ber- nardino, Calif., and earned her juris doctor degree from omas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego. Ruth Brinkley, RN, MSN, is the president and CEO of Louisville-based KentuckyOne Health. Ms. Brinkley has held these positions since KentuckyOne's inception in January 2012. She holds a master's of nursing degree from DePaulUniversity in Chicago. Katherine Bunting, PhD, RN, MSN, is CEO of Fairfield (Ill.) Memorial Hospital and has been with the hospital since 1998. Prior to joining Memorial Hospital, she worked at Richland Memorial Hospital in Olney, Ill., for nearly 20 years. She is a past president of the Illinois Hospital Association Region 5. Christine Candio, RN, FACHE, is the presi- dent and CEO of St. Luke's Hospital in Ches- terfield, Mo. She has held these roles since January 2015. Ms. Candio is the immediate past chairman of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She was the CEO of Inova Alexandria Hospital in Alexandria, Va., for nearly six years. Mary Ellen Clyne, PhD, RN, is the CEO and president of Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, N.J. Dr. Clyne has held these roles since 2010. Dr. Clyne earned her master's of science in nursing administration and doctor of philosophy from Seton Hall University in Orange, N.J. Karen Collins, RN, serves as CEO of Lady of the Sea General Hospital in Cut Off, La. At the hospital, Ms. Collins has had numerous roles including nurse manager. As CEO, she played a crucial role in helping Lady of the Sea General Hospital open a rural health medical clinic and two community pharmacies. Vickie Diamond, RN, is the president and CEO of Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, a role she has held since February 2008. Ms. Diamond was the hospital's interim CEO, COO, CNO and se- nior vice president of patient care services. Until 2015, Ms. Diamond was on the American Hospi- tal Association's board of trustees. Amy Freeman, RN, is vice president of St. Louis-based Ascension Health and is pres- ident and CEO of Community Health. She was the president and CEO of Ascension's Providence Health System in Washington, D.C., from 2010 to 2015. Ms. Freeman started her nursing career at Ascension's Providence Health System nearly three decades ago. Marian Furlong, RN, is the president and CEO of Hudson (Wis.) Hospital & Clinics. With more than 30 years of healthcare man- agement experience, Ms. Furlong joined Hud- son Hospital in 1999 as president and CEO. Ms. Furlong played a key role in the planning and construction of a new Hudson Hospital health campus and transitioned Hudson Hospital to become owned by Bloomington, Minn.-based HealthPartners. Before joining the hospital, she worked in health systems in Iowa, Minnesota and California. Rachel Gonzales, RN, serves as CEO of Madi- son Memorial Hospital in Rexburg, Idaho. She became the hospital's CEO in April 2012. She earned her master's in nursing and doctorate of management from University of Phoenix. Audrey Gregory, PhD, RN, MSN, serves as market CEO of Saint Francis Healthcare in Memphis, Tenn. Dr. Gregory earned her mas- ter's degrees in nursing and healthcare admin- istration from Armstrong Atlantic State Uni- versity in Savannah, Ga. Nancy G. Hesse, MSN, RN, is the CEO of Cancer Treatment Centers of America at East- ern Regional Medical Center in Philadelphia. She also serves as the hospital's interim presi- dent. She earned her master's in nursing leader- ship degree from University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and a bachelor of science in nurs- ing from Widener University in Chester, Pa. Fred Hunter, RN, is the CEO of Desert Valley Hospital in Victorville, Calif. Mr. Hunter was the administrator and chief nursing officer for Centinela Freeman Health System - Ma- rina Campus from June 2006 to May 2007. He earned his nursing degree from California State University-Dominguez Hills. In an interview with Becker's Hospital Re- view, Mr. Hunter said his nursing background largely shaped his leadership style, adding, "I think the most important thing is that it ac- tually helped me be more process-oriented and outcomes driven, as well as understand that nothing can be achieved without a team. [is perspective] works well for the vision for a hospital as a whole." Sally Hurt-Deitch, RN, has been the Mar- ket CEO of e Hospitals of Providence in El Paso, Texas, since April 2015. Ms. Hurt-De- itch earned her master's of science and nurs- ing administration from e University of Texas at El Paso. Jani L. Johnson, RN, was named the CEO of Saint Luke's Hospital of Kansas City in July 2015. In 1985, Ms. Johnson began her nurs- ing career at Saint Luke's Health System as a staff nurse. Saint Luke's then promoted Ms. Johnson to leadership positions including vice president of the cardiovascular service line for Saint Luke's Health System and the Heart Institute in 2002. She earned her nursing de- gree from Omaha-based Methodist School of Nursing and a master's in nursing from Uni- versity of Missouri-Kansas City. Maureen Kahn, RN, MSN, is the CEO and president of Quincy, Ill.-based Blessing Hospi- tal, a position she had held for nearly 11 years. In 2007, she earned her master's of nursing degree from University of Phoenix. As CEO, Ms. Kahn has helped the hospital become a Magnet Hospital for nursing excellence, as well as a national chest pain center, a primary stroke center and an Institute for Healthcare Improvement Mentor Hospital. Kathleen Kinslow, CRNA, EdD, is the CEO and president of Philadelphia-based Aria Health. Equipped with more than 35 years of healthcare experience, she joined Aria Health in 2010 as president and CEO. She earned her master's in education and master's in business from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia, a master's degree in nursing from Temple Uni- versity in Philadelphia and a doctorate in edu- cation from Widener University in Chester, Pa.