Children's Minnesota competitors

Kate Walsh is president and CEO of the Boston Medical Center (BMC) health system, with annual operating revenue of $4 billion. BMC is a private, not-for-profit, 514-bed, academic medical center with a community-based focus. The primary teaching affiliate of Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center has approximately 5,700 employees and 760 physicians. The BMC health system also includes the BMC HealthNet Plan, a Medicaid Managed Care Organization with more than 450,000 members and Boston HealthNet, a network affiliation of 14 community health centers throughout Boston. Prior to her appointment at Boston Medical Center, Ms. Walsh served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Brigham and Women's Hospital. She served previously as the chief operating officer for Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research and at Massachusetts General Hospital in positions including senior vice president of medical services and the MGH Cancer Center. Prior to her tenure at Mass General, she held positions in a number of New York City hospitals including Montefiore, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, Saint Luke’s – Roosevelt Hospital Center and the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation. Ms. Walsh received her bachelor’s of arts degree and a master’s degree in public health from Yale University. She is a member of the Boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, the Boston Public Health Commission, the Massachusetts Hospital Association, the AAMC Council of Teaching Hospitals, Pine Street Inn, Dean’s Council of the Yale University School of Medicine, and the Greater Boston YMCA Board of Overseers.

John Nickens is a CEO & President at Children's Hospital and is based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has worked as Chief Operating Officer - Clinical Affairs at Baylor College of Medicine, Vice President - Revenue Cycle at TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, and Executive Vice President at TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. John studied at LeTourneau University, Texas Tech University - Rawls College of Business, and Rice.

James E. Shmerling was named President and Chief Executive Officer at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center on October 1, 2015. For over three decades, Dr. Shmerling has served in management roles in children’s hospitals and is nationally recognized as a leader in issues concerning children’s health and wellness. Prior to joining Connecticut Children’s, Dr. Shmerling spent the last eight years as the Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Hospital Colorado, one of the top ranked children’s hospitals in the nation. Before that, he was the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt from 2002 to 2007. He was the Senior Vice President of Methodist Healthcare and President of Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center from 1995 to 2002, and was Le Bonheur’s Chief Operating Officer from 1991 to 1995. He served as the Associate Director of Hospitals at Indiana University Hospitals and Administrator of the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children from 1987 to 1991. Dr. Shmerling’s career in children’s hospitals began in the Children’s Hospital of Alabama where he progressed in administrative responsibilities from 1979 to1987, the last of which was as its Associate Administrator. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Education from the University of Tennessee in 1976. In 1980, he was awarded a Master of Science Degree in Hospital and Health Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Samford University in 1984 and his Doctorate of Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1999. Dr. Shmerling is a Fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives (ACHE). He is an adjunct faculty member in the Hospital Administration programs, University of Alabama at Birmingham. Additionally, Dr. Shmerling is active in several national healthcare organizations.

Deborah Feldman is the fourth president and chief executive officer of Dayton Children’s Hospital. The only pediatric hospital in the region, Dayton Children’s is comprised of over 3,000 employees, a professional staff of over 400 physicians and residents, and 900 volunteers who provide compassionate, expert care for more than 300,000 children every year across 20 Ohio counties and eastern Indiana in a network of care facilities. Upon joining the organization in 2012, she led the creation of a new strategic roadmap to guide the hospital into the rapidly changing future of health care. This plan, called Destination 2020, outlines a framework for ensuring that Dayton Children’s continues to grow and thrive while remaining true to the original mission of its founders - to provide the highest quality pediatric care to all children regardless of a family’s ability to pay. It involves a campus-wide revitalization, services expansion in key areas, recruitment of highly specialized pediatric experts, and the integration of advanced technology; all in a uniquely family-centered setting. Prior to leading Dayton Children’s, Ms. Feldman served Montgomery County for 30 years, where she held successive leadership positions including Director of Human Resources, Assistant County Administrator and the last 15 years as County Administrator. Her commitment to effective and efficient public services, community and economic development, as well as her support for those in need guided her tenure. Her thoughtful and targeted leadership helped guide the Homeless Solutions Ten-Year Plan, a community-wide initiative to end chronic homelessness; the Out-of-School Youth Taskforce focusing on reconnecting high school dropouts with educational opportunities; economic development projects including the Downtown Dayton’s Riverscape Park and the Austin Road interchange. She led critical community health successes, including the Montgomery County Healthcare Safety Net Task Force and the establishment of the Community Health Centers of Greater Dayton. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Ms. Feldman has a strong record of community service. In 2019, she is a member of the Children’s Hospital Association, Ohio Children’s Hospital Association and Ohio Hospital Association Board of Trustees. She serves as the Chair of the Preschool Promise Board, created in 2017 to increase access to high-quality preschool for 4 year olds in the City of Dayton, as well as the Montgomery County Family and Children’s First Council, the DaVinci Neighborhood Redevelopment Collaborative. Further, she is a member of the Board of Directors of the Dayton Development Coalition, Citywide Development and the Advisory Board of the Dayton Power and Light and JJR. She is a past board member of the Community Health Centers of Greater Dayton, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland- Cincinnati Branch, Central State University, the Dayton Art Institute, Dayton Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Dayton Partnership, Hillel Academy, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton. Her contributions have been recognized by the YWCA Women of Influence Award, Dayton Daily News Top Ten Women Award, Dayton Daily News 2006 Person of the Year, the Dayton Business Journal’s Ten Most Influential People (2011) and the National Conference of Community Justice’s Humanitarian Award. Additionally, she has been honored by the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, Leadership Dayton and the United Way of Greater Dayton and was recognized at the 2018 League of Women Voters event as one of their Dangerous Dames. Ms. Feldman holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Miami University, a master’s of public administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Wright State University. She is married to Bruce Feldman, is the mother of two children, Amy Knopf (Gary Knopf) and Jason Feldman (Rachel Feldman) and grandmother to Ava and Blake Knopf.

Barbara Joers is a Chief Executive Officer at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare. She has experience at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

Paul Kempinski is a Chief Executive Officer at Children's Mercy Hospital and Board Member at Children's Mercy Hospital.