UAB Medicine's Leadership Development Office celebrated the graduation of 18 healthcare leaders from its 12th cohort of the Institute for Leadership during a ceremony held June 24 at the Heersink Conference Center Lobby.
Christy Nation, chief nursing officer at UAB St. Vincent's Birmingham, delivered the keynote address. Nation previously shared her own experience in the Institute in a recent Alumni in Action feature, making her a well-suited and well-respected speaker for the graduation.
“Be open,” Nation said. “Be curious. Share your experiences, both successes and failures. Our experiences shape who we are as leaders, and when we share those lessons, we elevate everyone around us.”
The six-month program is designed to deepen personal leadership and management competencies while connecting participants with executive-level voices from across UAB Medicine, including former program graduates. The 12th cohort brought together leaders spanning clinical operations, nursing, surgery, pharmacy, finance, and human resources, from Whitfield Regional Hospital in the UAB Rural Health Network to Children's of Alabama, Cooper Green Mercy Health, and departments throughout the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.
Please join us in congratulating the graduates of the 12th cohort of the UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership:
- Oyedele Adeyi, M.D., professor and anatomic pathology division director, Department of Pathology
- Katie Brooks, MSN, R.N., CPAN, LSSGB, nurse manager, Highlands Perioperative Services
- Jacqueline Garonzik Wang, M.D., Ph.D., professor and division chief, Department of Surgery, Transplant Surgery
- Kimberly Hendrix-Price, R.N., BSN, administrative director, CV Service Line Administration
- Kim Kirk, R.N., MSN, BC-MS, director of nursing, Nursing Administration
- Lori Mehaffey, DNP, RN-BC, senior director, Ambulatory Services, UAB Hospital
- Robert Mendoza, MBA, chief financial officer, Rural Hospital Network
- Samuel Pollock, MHA, director of clinical operations, HSF Executive/Oral Surgery
- Robert Reed, CCP, MSHA, MHS, associate vice president, Perioperative/Perfusion, Cardiovascular Institute
- Chrystal Rutledge, M.D., associate professor and vice chair of access and engagement, Department of Pediatrics
- Angela Saia, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-CP, director of employee relations, Human Resources
- Earl Salser Jr., M.D., associate professor and vice chair of education, Department of Family and Community Medicine
- Diana Scalici, MSHA, MBA, vice president of operations, Callahan Administration
- Boopathy Sivaraman, PharmD, MSc, MBA, manager of pharmacy services, Cooper Green Mercy Health
- Dean Stovall, MHA, CPAR, executive administrator, Department of Otolaryngology
- Kesha Thurston, CRNA, DNP, MSHA, MSHQS, CRNA manager, Department of Anesthesia
- Frankie Wallis, DNP, MSN, associate vice president of clinical operations, Department of Emergency Services
- Tracey S. Wilson, M.D., FACS, professor and chair, Department of Urology
About the program
The goal of the UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership is to enhance existing personal, leadership, and management competencies while leveraging current leadership strategies and trends. Guest speakers from executive-level leadership positions at UAB, including former Institute for Leadership graduates, complete the dynamic curriculum by demonstrating skills-to-practice experiences. This program is offered in the fall and spring.