What can we expect from the healthcare delivery system to increase the quality of care and the cost efficiencies in the system?
Glenn Pearson, Executive Vice President Georgia Hospial Association
Glenn Pearson is Executive Vice President at Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) in Marietta, Georgia. He is board certified in healthcare administration and is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. He provides leadership to the following areas at GHA: Financial Services (Medicare, Medicaid, commercial payers, etc.), Data Services, Georgia Hospital Health Systems, Inc. (For-profit shared services subsidiary), Public Relations, Computer Services and Information Technology. His major activities and accomplishments include: Spearheaded GHA’s efforts to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of recommending a provider tax to replace possible loss of Intergovernmental Transfers for the Disproportionate Share Hospital program, Led the design, marketing and implementation of GHA’s MV Managed Care Project, an innovative effort to obtain better information to help participating hospitals to individually understand their position in the managed care marketplace and to independently develop long-term strategies for achieving financial goals within the parameters allowed under antitrust laws. Greatly raised GHA’s profile in the electronic communications arena by: Being appointed founding president of Georgia Health Information Exchange, Georgia’s statewide effort to develop a Regional Health Information Organization in Georgia; Serving on the State of Georgia Health Information Technology and Transparency Board Ad Hoc Advisory Group; Leading GHA’s efforts to help members prepare for HIPAA, including serving as a primary organizer of a local cross-industry coalition, serving as co-chair of a 13-state consortium developed by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Healthcare Resources Services Administration, and developing a number of shared services offerings for members.
Prior to moving to GHA, he was Vice President of Data and Shared Services for the Hospital Council of Western Michigan in Grand Rapids. His acute care hospital experience includes positions at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan, the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, and Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus. He earned a Masters of Health Administration degree from Ohio State University and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the Syracuse University Honors Program.
Donna Sidney, Vice President Operations Accelero Health Partners
Donna Sidney graduated from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Health Related Professions in 1982 and received a Master’s Degree in Public Management from Carnegie Mellon University’s H. J. Heinz, III School of Public Policy and Management in 1991. Ms. Sidney has worked in the healthcare industry for over 28 years, gaining significant experience in both health care delivery models and financing systems. Earlier in her career, Ms. Sidney worked both in a clinical capacity as well as an administrative capacity for a regional rehabilitation hospital for children and adults. Ms. Sidney comes to Accelero from one of Pennsylvania’s largest Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations where she developed and managed the fifth largest, government-contracted, Medicare HMO risk product in the nation. Ensuring the financial viability of existing and new product plans while maintaining the highest levels of customer satisfaction and government compliance was key to the success and growth of the product. In addition to her experience with the Blue Cross/Shield Association and a managed care insurance company, Ms. Sidney has a considerable amount of experience consulting with physician practices, both primary care as well as specialty medical practices. A sample of Ms. Sidney’s career accomplishments include: Under her leadership, increased division’s product revenues from $900M to $1.3 billion, market share from 74% to 79%, and market penetration from 21.3% to 24% – all within a highly competitive marketplace; Helped to win government concessions that eliminated burdensome and costly regulations by acting as key spokesperson to legislators, regulators and community leaders; Developed $16.7 – $49 million budgets and achievement of financial targets by analyzing and modifying capital and operating expenditures for a savings of over $1.5 million; Directed and managed implementation of all new business initiatives for staff-model HMO delivery system, including development of integrated delivery system risk-sharing relationships, and ancillary service outsourcing and contracting for a savings of over $3.2 million; Provided medical practice management services that included reengineering of operations, organizational restructuring/charting, employee/physician recruitment, planning and compensation design, workflow analysis, training and development, and office policy design. Results included increases in productivity, decreases in overhead, accounts receivables over 90 days, and patient complaints; Served as Public Relations Chairperson for Pittsburgh Affiliate of a national professional organization; Published over two-dozen professional and free-lance articles for regional newspapers and magazines.
Richard W. Cohen, M.D., Assistant Medical Director Wellstar H/S and Chairman WellStar Kennestone
Dr. Cohen is the Founder of the Wellstar Health System Total Join Center of Excellence and Founder & Chairman of Wellstar Ethics Committees, which includes 5 hospitals with a total of 1250 beds. Dr. Cohen was previously the Vice Chairman of the Medical Association of Georgia and part of the Delegation to the American Medical Association. Dr. Cohen’s past positions also include being Chief of Staff at Wellstar’s Cobb Hospital, President of the Cobb County Medical Society, Chairman of he Department of Orthopaedic Surgery for Cobb Hospital, among others.
Dr. Cohen currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Georgia Health Decisions and Vice-Chairman of the Board for the United Sates Anti-doping Agency and Chairman of the Washington & Lee University Institute of Honor. Dr. Cohen received his Bachelor of Science degree at Washington & Lee University and his M.D. degree and the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA with his orthopaedic residency at the University of Pennsylvannia. He is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.
