Regent Advisory Council
2023 – 2024
Tricia Kassab, Ed.D., MSN, RN, FACHE, CPHQ, CPHRM, HACP
ACHE Regent, SoCal & SOHL
Victor Peña, MBA
Andrew Goldfrach, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer,
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
Connie Wong, FACHE
Vice President, Managed Care and Payer Relations
Stanford Health
Cohort # 2 Program Timeframe: May 2025 – November 2025
ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND PURPOSE
To reach members at all levels of their professional journey, the ACHE of Southern California Regent Advisory Council established a flagship program that will engage mid-to-senior careerist members in hopes of providing a unique programmatic experience to support them on their journey to a C-suite role. The Executive Edge program will be the premier program curated for rising healthcare executive leaders across Southern California. The program’s exclusive model will help prepare its participants with the latest trends in healthcare management and will incorporate personal, and professional development in its curriculum. Executive coaching and experiential sessions will also be a key element of the program.
EXECUTIVE EDGE: JOURNEY TO THE C-SUITE (AT A GLANCE)
The proposed framework is as follows
Program Framework at a Glance
o Program Timeframe: May 2025 – November 2025
o Participants: 14 mid-to-senior healthcare leaders from Southern California.
o Sessions: 5 exclusive sessions and discussions, along with 2 experiential on-site learning sessions.
o Executive Coaching: 2 complimentary coaching sessions with two different executive coaches is included. Complimentary leadership assessments will be provided to program participants.
o Faculty: Program faculty will be sitting C-suite executives from Southern California.
o Program Costs: $400 per participant
o Selection: Application to program is required. Participants will be selected by the Regent Advisory Council.
Who can apply?
Active ACHE members who are mid-to-senior-level leaders in pursuit of C-Suite career paths. Managers, Directors, Executive Directors, Administrators, and other mid-level leaders are welcomed to apply.
SESSIONS
5 exclusive sessions and discussions, along with 2 experiential on-site learning sessions. All sessions are mandatory and will be held in person.
EXECUTIVE COACHING
2 complimentary coaching sessions with two different executive coaches is included. Complimentary leadership assessments will be provided to program participants.
FACULTY
Program faculty will be sitting C-suite executives from Southern California.
SELECTION
Application to the program is required. Participants will be selected by the Regent Advisory Council of ACHE Southern California.
COST
The cost is $400 for selected participants.
Cohort 2 Programming SNapshot
Session 1 – "ACHE’s Future Scan on Leadership and Healthcare Management"
Session Date: Saturday, June 21, 2025 ; 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: TBD
Executive Speaker: Alina Moran, FACHE (Former President and CEO, California Hospital Medical Center)
Learning Objectives:
o Learn about the latest trends and issues in healthcare. management according to ACHE.
o Discuss what executive leaders are focusing on from a leadership perspective.
o Identify areas of opportunities for mid-careerists to grow and impact industry issues.
Session 2 – “What Got you Here, Won’t Get You There - The Executive Skills to Develop”
Session Date: Saturday, July 19, 2025 ; 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Arrowhead Regional Medical Center
Executive Speaker: Kevin Nourse, Ph.D (Principal and Founder, Nourse Leadership Strategies)
Learning Objectives:
o Learn how to develop a strategic career path to a C-suite role.
o Learn how to execute a personalized leadership assessment to focus on personal strengths.
o Discuss how to shift your focus from the technical to the EQ skillset.
Experiential Learning Session 1
Session Date: Saturday, August 16, 2025 ; 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Port of Los Angeles
Executive Speakers: Dr. Sharifa Batts
Learning Objectives
o Learn how global ports like the Port of LA impact global supply chains and healthcare.
o Find operational and leadership commonalities from a healthcare and Port of LA perspective.
o Identify any best practices that the Port of LA has implemented that can be shared in a healthcare landscape.
Session 3 – "The Sustainable Executive Career: The Unspoken Rules of Healthcare Executives"
Session Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025 ; 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: TBD
Executive Speaker: TBD
Learning Objectives:
o Learn about the “do’s and don’t’s” of executive presence, decorum, and decision making.
o Discuss effective communication tactics for rising executives.
o Discuss how to lead through others and manage through different verticals.
Session 4 – “Negotiations and the Imposter Syndrome”
Session Date: Saturday, October 4, 2025 ; 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Los Angeles General Medical Center
Executive Speaker: Angelica Gutierrez, PhD (Loyola Marymount University, School of Business)
Learning Objectives:
o Develop a stronger understanding of negotiations and leveraging individual power dynamics.
o Identify drivers of imposterization in healthcare leadership for mid-career professionals.
o Discuss tools that mid-career executives can use to overcome stale negotiations and imposter syndrome.
Experiential Learning Session 2
Session Date: Saturday, October 25, 2025 ; 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: TBD
Executive Speakers: TBD
Session 5- "Program Close, Presentations, Open Discussion"
Session Date: Saturday, November 8, 2025 ; 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: TBD
Executive Speaker: Tricia Kassab, FACHE (Regent, ACHE Southern California)
Learning Objectives:
o Group discussion on program take-aways.
o Ongoing professional development through ACHE.
o Group Brunch and Closing Reception.
Executive Edge Cohort 1
In September 2024, we celebrated 12 of our program graduates as they completed their 6-month journey in the inaugural Executive Edge program. This exclusive program for mid-to-senior careerists featured numerous executive speakers and 2 experiential sessions, 1:1 executive coaching, and 1:1 executive mentoring.
Testimonial
” The Executive Edge Program has been pivotal in preparing me for a future C-suite role. The curriculum was thoughtfully designed to deepen my strategic thinking, broaden my understanding of executive-level decision-making, and sharpen my leadership skills. The program’s focus on real-world challenges and mentorship from seasoned executives provided insights that are directly applicable to navigating complex organizational dynamics. I now feel equipped not only with the tools but also the confidence to lead at the highest levels and drive impactful change within my organization.”
– Jennie Sierra, DNP, MBA, RN (Chief Nursing Officer, Children’s Hospital of Orange County at Mission)
Cohort 1 Graduates
Susan Vicol, MBA (Director, Neuroscience Institute – Children’s Hospital of Orange County)
Ilin Ohanessians, MBA, FACHE (Executive Director, Specialty Programs, Clinical Operations and Strategic Partnerships – Huntington Health)
Zabby Electricwala, FACHE (Director, National Hospital System Operations)
Jennie Sierra, DNP, MBA, RN (Chief Nursing Officer, Children’s Hospital of Orange County at Mission)
Jeremy Dinnel, MBA (Director, Business Development – Loma Linda University Health)
Stephanie Margolin, MPH, FACHE (Director, Palliative Care Operations – UCLA Health)
Michelle Sullivan, DPT, MBA, FACHE (Associate Administrator, Ancillary Services – USC Verdugo Hills Hospital)
Jeremy Velasquez, MPH, FACHE (Regional Sr. Program Manager, Kaiser Permanent Care at Home)
Danielle Brown, MSHA, FACHE (Division Administrator, Endocrinology and Medical Genetics – Children’s Hospital Los Angeles)
Nora Bota, MPH (Program Manager, Office of Performance and Improvement Management – County of San Diego Public Health Services)
Lauren Elkins, MBA, RD (Executive Director of Support Services, Administration – Cedars Sinai Medical Center)
Dj Premvaree, MBA (Director of Product Development – Providence St. Joseph Health Network)
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Testimonial
“There’s not many things I like to give up my Saturday for, but this journey with the Executive Edge has been completely worth it. It has been a professional development program different from anything else I’ve been a part of, and I gained so much from the program, the mentors, the cohort. It has been an enriching experiencing. The topics delved deep into practical leadership lessons. The access to the Executive Coaches and the Experiential sessions truly helped to expand my thinking. The size of the group was perfect too. It made for an easier forum for discussions and conversations. So grateful to be selected for this opportunity.” – Zabby Electricwala, FACHE (Director, National Hospital System Operations)
Cohort 1 Programming SNapshot
Session 1 – "ACHE’s Future Scan on Leadership and Healthcare Management"
Session Date: Saturday, April 6, 2024
Location: St. Mary Medical Center (Long Beach)
Executive Speaker: Carolyn Caldwell, FACHE (President and CEO, St. Mary Medical Center)
Learning Objectives:
o Learn about the latest trends and issues in healthcare. management according to ACHE.
o Discuss what executive leaders are focusing on from a leadership perspective.
o Identify areas of opportunities for mid-careerists to grow and impact industry issues.
Session 2 – “What Got you Here, Won’t Get You There - The Executive Skills to Develop”
Session Date: Saturday, May 11, 2024
Location: California University of Science and Medicine (Room 255)
Executive Speaker: Kevin Nourse, Ph.D (Principal and Founder, Nourse Leadership Strategies)
Learning Objectives:
o Learn how to develop a strategic career path to a C-suite role.
o Learn how to execute a personalized leadership assessment to focus on personal strengths.
o Discuss how to shift your focus from the technical to the EQ skillset.
Experiential Learning Session 1
Session Date: Saturday, June 8, 2024
Location: Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center
Executive Speakers: Bonnie Khang-Keating (Director, Advisory Group for SmithGroup & Ben Ovando, FACHE (Chief Operations Officer, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilation Center)
Learning Objectives
o Learn how design thinking impacts healthcare operations, patient safety, patient satisfaction and other elements of patient care.
o Learn how design thinking is operationalized in a unique healthcare setting.
o Discuss how executive leaders can embrace design thinking in their respective organizations and roles.
Supporting Our Members Through the Continuum of Professional Development
Address
466 Foothill Boulevard, # 252
La Canada, CA 91011
Phone
(805) 650-1243
