The following members have received the premier credential in healthcare management. We extend our congratulations to them for their achievement as ACHE Fellow.
Kenneth D. Bailey, FACHE
Chief Nursing Officer
UCLA – Santa Monica
Manuel R. Banderas, FACHE
Dir of Respiratory Care Services
Methodist Hospital
Osahon Ekhaese, FACHE
Karen A. Faulis, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
Hi-Desert Medical Center
Shalinda I. Wijayawickrama, FACHE
Principal
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Donald W. Larsen, MD, MBA, MHA, FACHE
Chief Medical Officer
Providence Saint John’s Health Center
Dr. Don Larsen serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Providence Saint John’s Health Center as well as the Interim Executive Director, of the John Wayne Cancer Institute in Santa Monica. Dr. Larsen is directly responsible for oversight of quality management, infection prevention, medical staff professional services, medical education and research services. He manages over 20 medical directors and provides strategic planning and business development advice at the local, regional and health system levels for Providence St. Joseph Health.
Previously, he was the Chief Medical Officer of Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Cancer Hospital, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and USC Care Medical Group.
He also volunteers as the Chair of the Los Angeles Leadership Board of the American Lung Association.
Dr. Larsen is honored to be awarded the FACHE designation as he is now included among the esteemed professionals who have mastered the requirements necessary to become a Fellow and who can distinguish themselves as prominent leaders in healthcare administration.
Payam Mohadjeri, MBA, FACHE
Manager
St. Joseph Hospital of Orange
Payam Mohadjeri is a healthcare leader with more than 10 years of experience in various leadership roles in both academic and community based hospitals and healthcare systems. His experience encompasses healthcare operations, revenue cycle, quality management; IT development and implementation; strategic planning and business development.
Payam is a graduate from the Healthcare Executive Masters in Business Administration program at the University of California Irvine and Bachelors in Science from Temple University. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has served in various roles for Health Care Executives of Southern California, advisory boards for universities and colleges, and other local and state associations.
As a Fellow and board certified in healthcare management, Payam believes it further validates healthcare competence and also plans to continue his commitment to lifelong learning and mentoring other professionals to enhance healthcare delivery.
Sheila Porter, MBA, FACHE
Executive Director
Hoag Neurosciences Institute
Sheila Porter, MBA, FACHE is the Executive Director of the Hoag Neurosciences Institute in Newport Beach, California. In this role, she helps steer the strategic planning, budgeting, quality, performance improvement, staff development and daily operations of the Institute. Prior to joining Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in 2013, Ms. Porter worked for St. Joseph Health System (now KentuckyOne Health) in Lexington, Kentucky. During her 15 year tenure there, Sheila served in various operational leadership roles which enabled her to learn the inner workings of a hospital environment.
Sheila received her Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration from Baker College in 2010, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Disorders/ Speech Pathology from Marshall University in 1995.
Earning the FACHE credential is a validation of Ms. Porter’s commitment to Healthcare Leadership excellence and serves as a reminder of the important role Healthcare leaders have in driving and shaping industry change.
Lee Thomassen, MBA, MPH, FACHE
Senior Director, Health Administration
Holland America Group
Lee Thomassen, MBA, MPH, FACHE is currently Senior Director, Health Administration for five Carnival Corporation cruise brands including Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America, P&O Australia, Princess Cruises, and Seabourn. He oversees medical operations for 65 ship medical centers, fleet-wide EHR implementation, case management for 80,000 shipboard employees, professional development of staff in Los Angeles, Miami, and Seattle, and alignment of operational and financial plans. Lee has been a primary architect of the integration of previously independent and geographically separated medical and public health departments into one unified health services entity.
Lee also teaches Healthcare Finance at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health.
Previously, Lee was President of a healthcare pre-employment screening organization in Northern California, and Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of a consumer marketing company in Des Moines, Iowa.
Lee received an MBA from Georgia State University, and an MPH in Healthcare Management and Policy from UCLA.
The FACHE credential reflects Lee’s commitment to improving care for all types of patient communities through best-in-class healthcare administration.
Ashley Vertuno, MHA, FACHE
Associate Administrator
Desert Regional Medical Center
Ms. Vertuno is the Associate Administrator at Desert Regional Medical Center, a for-profit Tenet facility in Palm Springs, CA. Her primary responsibilities include oversight of the orthopedic and neuroscience service lines, robotics service line, surgical clinical excellence- investor owned surgical panel (21 surgeons), facilities management, capital construction oversight, food and nutrition and environmental services. Prior to her advancement to Associate Administrator, Ashley served as Service Line Administrator for Orthopedics and Neurosciences at Desert Regional, where she oversaw business development, strategic planning and operations.
Ms. Vertuno holds a Master’s degree in Health Administration from the University of South Carolina; and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Ashley’s commitment to improving the healthcare industry and her community across the Coachella Valley is evident in obtaining the prestigious FACHE designation. “The tools at my disposal from FACHE provide me with a deeper level of abundant resources to support my organization and charitable involvement. I am proud to be associated with an organization focused on healthcare excellence.”
Daniel Virnich, MD, MBA
Senior Vice President – Operations
DaVita Healthcare Partners
Daniel Virnich, MD, MBA, joined DaVita Healthcare Partners in July of 2015 as Senior Vice President of Operations for the HCP California market. In his current role, Dan oversees medical group and IPA operations for the San Gabriel Valley region. Prior to his current role, Dr. Virnich served as the National Chief Medical Officer of TeamHealth, Inc.’s Acute Care Service Line, which employs more than 1,800 physicians at over 160 acute care facilities in 28 states. Dr. Virnich received his M.D. from the University of Chicago, graduating Alpha Omega Alpha, and went on to complete his M.B.A. with a concentration in finance at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He hopes to contribute to HCE as an active member and continue to grow his professional network in Southern California through HCE meetings and events.
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