Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/790284
15 Jayne Pope, MBA, RN. CEO of Hill Country Memorial Hospital (Freder- icksburg, Texas). Ms. Pope has led Hill Country Memorial Hospital, which is about 100 miles west of Austin, Texas, since 2013. Ms. Pope was previ- ously CEO of clinic systems at a large network of clinics in central Texas. As CEO of Hill Country, the hospital won the 2014 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the highest honor given annually by the White House for performance excellence through innovation, improvement and leadership. MaryEllen Pratt. CEO of St. James Parish Hospital (Lutcher, La.). St. James Parish Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital about 45 miles south of Baton Rouge, La., and 45 miles northwest of New Orleans. Ms. Pratt has served as CEO of St. James Parish Hospital since 2007. During her tenure, Ms. Pratt received the QHR CEO Award for Most Increased Admissions in 2009 and the QHR CEO Award for Best Performing Critical Access Hospital in 2010. Ms. Pratt is the chair of the American Health Association's small and rural hospital governing council, a board member for the Louisiana Rural Health Association and a member of the Office of Rural Health Policy's Rural Health Issues Group. Denise Ray, BSN, RN, MBA. CEO of Piedmont Mountainside Hos- pital (Jasper, Ga.). Ms. Ray's medical training and 28-year career in healthcare made her well qualified to lead Mountainside. She joined the Piedmont Healthcare system in 2008 and has been Piedmont Mountain- side Hospital's CEO since 2012. In addition to her role at PMH, Ms. Ray is the chief nursing executive of Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare, where she collaborates with the system's front-line nursing teams to re- design the system's patient care model. Piedmont Mountainside Hospi- tal is about 60 miles north of Atlanta. Steven Rose, RN. President and CEO of Nanticoke Health Services (Seaford, Del.). Nanticoke Health Services is approximately 40 miles from Dover, Del. A Pennsylvania native, Mr. Rose joined the system in July 2008. Mr. Rose has more than 37 years of healthcare experience with previous roles in nursing and hospital administration. e American Hos- pital Association, in partnership with the Delaware Healthcare Associa- tion, awarded Mr. Rose the AHA Grassroots Champion Award in 2013 in recognition of exceptional leadership in community outreach. Ed Rush. President and CEO of Iredell Health System (Statesville, N.C.). Aer serving as CFO and then COO at Frye Regional Medical Center in Hickory, N.C., Mr. Rush took the helm at Iredell Health System in Octo- ber 2004. e health system, employing 260 physicians, includes a 247- bed hospital about 40 miles north of Charlotte, N.C. Equipped with more than four decades of experience in the healthcare field, Mr. Rush earned his master's degree in accounting from Columbia-based University of Missou- ri. Mr. Rush serves on the North Carolina Hospital Association's board of directors and the association's policy and development committee. Maria Ryan, PhD, MSN, CEO of Cottage Hospital (Woodsville, N.H.). Dr. Ryan is the CEO of Cottage Hospital, a rural hospital that serves 26 towns between New Hampshire and Vermont. Cottage Hospital has been recognized nationally for high quality, low cost and high efficiency. It was one of the first hospitals in the nation to attest to meaningful use stage 2. Dr. Ryan earned a doctor of philosophy degree in healthcare administration and is a board-certified nurse practitioner. She has ex- perience in for-profit, nonprofit and tertiary settings. Dr. Ryan's talents include developing business strategy and high-functioning work teams. Robert Schmitt, MBA. CEO of Gibson Area Hospital & Health Ser- vices (Gibson City, Ill.). Mr. Schmitt joined GAHHS as CFO in 2002 and was promoted to CEO in 2007. He has more than 25 years of healthcare leadership experience. GAHHS includes medical clinics in nine communities and a critical access hospital about 30 miles north of Champaign, Ill. Mr. Schmitt is a fellow for the American College of Healthcare Executives as well as the Healthcare Financial Management Association. He serves on the Illinois Hospital Association's board of di- rectors. He earned his master of business administration degree from Webster University in Fayetteville, Ark. Rachelle H. Schultz. President and CEO of Winona (Minn.) Health. Ms. Schultz has been in healthcare management for more than two de- cades. In her current role, she heads a 99-bed acute care hospital, clin- ics and a 134-bed nursing home, among other services. She previously worked at Lutheran Health Systems' Anne Carlsen Children's Center in North Dakota. Ms. Schultz serves as board director for the Minnesota Hospital Association and is a member of the Rural Health Issues Group. She earned a master's degree in healthcare administration from the Uni- versity of Minnesota Twin Cities. Emmett C. Schuster. President and CEO of Gibson General Hospital (Princeton, Ind.). Mr. Schuster has 15 years of healthcare leadership ex- perience. He served as interim CEO at Weiser (Idaho) Memorial Hospital before joining Gibson General, a critical access hospital about 150 miles southwest of Indianapolis, in 2007. Mr. Schuster is an American College of Healthcare Executives CEO circle member. He earned his master's de- gree in health services administration from University of Kansas in Law- rence and retired as a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves in 2009. Dennis Shelby. CEO of Wilson Medical Center (Neodesha, Kan.). Mr. Shelby has led Wilson Medical Center, a hospital about 150 miles south- west of Kansas City, Mo., since July 2011. As CEO, Mr. Shelby oversaw the systemwide implementation of an EHR and added spine, orthopedics, OB/GYN and psychology specialty clinics to the hospital. Under his lead- ership, the hospital opened a rural health clinic in Independence, Kan. Before his tenure at Wilson Medical, Mr. Shelby served as CEO at four other hospitals for various periods of time throughout his career. Michael Stewart, MBA. CEO of Navarro Regional Hospital (Cor- sicana, Texas). Mr. Stewart became CEO of the 162-bed acute care hospital, located 60 miles outside of Dallas, in April 2014. Under his leadership, the hospital opened a vein clinic as well as partnered with UT Southwestern Medical Center's Moncrief Cancer Institute in Fort Worth, Texas. Equipped with more than a decade of health system and hospital management experience, Mr. Stewart was previously adminis-