Who’s Who in Health Care and Benefits

Every business sector has influential players, whether they are in the public eye or wield their influence behind the scenes. In a monthly feature that runs in the first issue of the month through October, IBJ is identifying those people in eight industry categories.

This month, IBJ zeroes in on Health Care and Benefits. No sector of the economy has a greater impact on the fate of our personal lives and our business futures than health care and its attendant benefits. And in an era when some segments of the economy are shrinking, this segment continues to pop off its buttons, with the individuals below molding the shape of our health care future. They include health care administrators, benefits experts, insurance executives, doctors doing groundbreaking work, attorneys, CPAs and policymakers.

Edmund R. Abel, 55
Director of Health Care Services,
Blue & Co. LLC

Ed Abel joined Blue & Co. in 1985 and was named to his current position in 1988. Blue & Co. is ranked as the 56th-largest CPA firm in the United States and has the largest dedicated health care staff in the Indiana-Kentucky-Ohio market. Abel helps direct more than 125 employees in the Indianapolis, Louisville and Columbus, Ohio, offices.

Following his graduation from Indiana University, Abel joined an Indianapolis accounting firm and found himself doing auditing and reimbursement consulting for health care entities. In 1982, he joined Methodist Hospital as director of finance, where he was responsible for accounts payable, Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement and reporting, federal and state tax reporting, budgeting, strategic planning, cash management services, preparing the hospital’s financial statements, and compliance with external agencies.

Since joining Blue, Abel has obtained his MBA from Indiana University and assisted in growing the company’s practice. He was instrumental in opening the offices in Louisville and Columbus, Ohio. Previously, Abel served on Blue’s executive committee for eight years, including six as chairman.

Abel is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Indiana Association of Certified Public Accountants. He was previously a member of the National Principles and Practices Board of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and is a prior president of the Indiana chapter of that group. He served as chairman of the board of MDWise (Indiana’s largest HMO in terms of number of enrollees) and served as finance committee chairman of Fairbanks Hospital and as a member of the Health Finance Advisory Committee of the State Health Finance Commission.

Sheri Alexander, 52
Senior Vice President,
Gregory & Appel Insurance

Sheri Alexander serves as the senior vice president and employee benefits department manager for Gregory & Appel. Founded in 1884, the insurance company offers employee-benefits, commercial, risk-management and personal insurance and prides itself on being the oldest and largest independently owned insurance agency in the state.

Alexander has 31 years of experience in the employee benefits consulting and brokerage field. She has been involved in mergers and acquisitions in both health care and manufacturing markets and has represented Taft-Hartley employers at the bargaining table. Before joining Gregory & Appel in 2005, she spent 15 years with Marsh & McLennan, a national brokerage firm, where she held a variety of positions, culminating as regional senior vice president for health care. Before that, she was with Gardner & White, a national brokerage firm specializing in hospital employee benefits programs.

Alexander is active on the boards of the Little Red Door Cancer Agency, the Cancer Support Community Central Indiana, United Healthcare Children’s Foundation and Gregory & Appel. She is also on the advisory boards of Anthem and United Healthcare. She is a long-standing member of the local and national Certified Employee Benefits Specialist chapters as well as of the state and national associations of health underwriters.

In 2011, Alexander celebrates her eighth year as a breast-cancer survivor. She is a regular on the Indianapolis Komen Foundation Race for the Cure Pink Honor Role (top 100) fundraisers. Alexander and her husband, Mike, live in Fishers near their daughter and her husband.

Lee Ann Blue, 55
Executive Vice President for Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer,
Wishard Health Services

Lee Ann Blue is gearing up for the transition to the new Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Hospital, scheduled to open in December 2013, while still managing all her current duties at Wishard Health Services. Blue is preparing to apply best practices and innovations to the new hospital to ensure that it is a wonderful place for patients, families and the future work force of the new facility.

Before joining Wishard, Blue was in a nursing leadership role at Deaconess Health System in Evansville. Before that, she served as vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer for Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She started as a staff nurse in the cardiac intensive-care unit and progressed to a senior executive at the 1,000-bed academic medical center.

Blue received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from McKendree College in Illinois and her master’s degree in nursing from Southern Illinois University. In addition to working in health care, Blue has served as an adjunct faculty member at several schools, including the University of Southern Indiana and the Indiana University School of Nursing.

Blue is an active member of several organizations, including Central Indiana Organization of Nurse Executives, Indiana Organization of Nurse Executives, Indiana Nursing Workforce Development Center and Nursing 2000. Blue and her husband, Ron, have four sons and three grandchildren.

Angela F. Braly, 50
Chairwoman President and CEO,
WellPoint Inc.

Listed as one of the most powerful women in America by Fortune magazine, Angela Braly has led WellPoint since being named president and CEO in June 2007 and chairwoman in 2010. WellPoint, the nation’s largest health benefits company in terms of medical membership, covers about 34 million—or one in nine—Americans through its affiliated plans. In 2010, WellPoint generated operating revenue in excess of $57.8 billion and employed about 37,500.

Under Braly’s leadership, WellPoint has diversified its business portfolio to offer more innovative and comprehensive health solutions. The company has expanded its integrated care management programs and tools, divested its prescription benefits management business to Express Scripts Inc., increased transparency through the Anthem Care Comparison tool, and measured progress in improved quality of care through its Member Health Index.

Before taking her current position, Braly served as executive vice president, general counsel and chief public affairs officer for WellPoint. In this role, she was responsible for public policy development, government relations, legal affairs, corporate communications, and marketing and social responsibility initiatives. She also managed WellPoint’s National Government Services subsidiary.

Earlier, Braly was president and CEO of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri. She joined Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in January 1999 as general counsel. Before joining the company, she practiced law with the firm of Lewis Rice & Fingersh in St. Louis.

Braly serves on the boards of Procter & Gamble Co., the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and the National Institute for Health Care Management. She is a member of Business Roundtable and the Business Council.

Born and raised in Texas, Braly earned her undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University and her law degree from Southern Methodist University Schoolof Law.
This month, we recognize the individuals who mold the shape of our health care future. They include health care administrators, benefits experts, insurance executives, doctors doing groundbreaking work, attorneys, CPAs and policymakers.

Dr. Craig Brater, 65
Dean,
Indiana University School of Medicine;
Vice President of University Clinical Affairs,
Indiana University

Dr. Craig Brater became dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine in 2000 and vice president of University Clinical Affairs in 2010. During his time as dean, the IU School of Medicine has increased the number of students it serves, its level of research funding and the number of faculty who teach, see patients and conduct research. Further, more than 600,000 square feet of space has been added to the school, ranging from multipurpose facilities in Fort Wayne and South Bend to the largest research building constructed at IU on the Indianapolis campus. Brater led the team that created the $155 million Indiana Genomic Initiative, funded by grants from Lilly Endowment, which supported the recruitment of new scientists and other research initiatives. In 2009, he led a team to create the Physician Scientist Initiative, which was funded by a $50 million grant from Lilly Endowment.

A native of Oak Ridge, Tenn., Brater attended undergraduate and medical school at Duke University, then completed his internship at Duke and his residency at the University of California at San Francisco. Following a fellowship and a year as a junior faculty member at UCSF, Brater spent nine years on the faculty at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He joined the faculty at the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1986, where he began the Division of Clinical Pharmacology in the Department of Medicine. Four years later, he was selected to chair the Department of Medicine, the largest department in the school. In 2000, he was named the ninth dean of the IU School of Medicine.

Brater is president of the board of BioCrossroads. He either is or has been president of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, the Association of Professors of Medicine, the Central Society for Clinical Research, the U.S. Pharmacopoeia and the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine. He also serves on the boards of IU Health and Riley Children’s Foundation. In 2000, his alma mater conferred upon him the Duke Medical Alumni Award in recognition of his contributions to academic medicine.

Brater and his wife, Stephanie, have one daughter, who lives in Florida. The Braters are actively involved in the Indiana University-Moi University Faculty of Health Sciences exchange program in Kenya. Through this program, they met their Kenyan son, Michael, who has completed undergraduate and public health training at IUPUI and now works in public health in Malawi.

Bryan Brenner, 38
Founder and CEO,
First Person

In 1997, Bryan Brenner founded Benefit Associates Inc. In 2009, the company merged with Benefit Consultants, and the company rebranded as First Person in 2010. Raised in a farming community, Brenner was surrounded by individuals he viewed as independent hard workers. Because of their example, he encourages education and an entrepreneurial attitude in the workplace. Many of the firm’s clients are family-owned, local enterprises.

Brenner started his career as a consultant for self-funded plans, working for a national third-party administrator, CoreSource, in its Indiana office.

In the community, Brenner dedicates time to charitable work by serving on the board of the Oaks Academy, an inter-city school dedicated to preparing children of all backgrounds for secondary education. He also serves on the board for Aspire Indiana (previously Behavior Corp.) and on the advisory board of United Healthcare of Indiana and on the national advisory board of NFP Benefits, an NYSE corporate benefit aggregator, of which FirstPerson is a member firm. He has earned the designation of Registered Employee Benefits Consultant from American College in Pennsylvania.

A cum laude graduate of Butler University with degrees in public/corporate communication and journalism, Brenner is a dedicated Bulldogs fan. He serves on the board of visitors for Butler’s College of Business.

Robert J. Brody, 58
CEO and President,
Franciscan St. Francis Health

Robert Brody assumed his current position at Franciscan St. Francis Health in November 1996, following four years as the hospital’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. As CEO, Brody says, “My major accomplishment and privilege is to have had the opportunity to have served the Sisters of St. Francis and a truly mission-driven organization and to have established a strong and stable leadership team.”

Brody has been committed to health care since he was in high school, when he worked at his local hospital. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston College, where he says that the Jesuit education emphasized pursuing careers in service to others. He says, “Administration presented the opportunity for me to enter the business world but in a field that was somewhat altruistic in nature.”

After a year working in a hospital emergency room, he went to Duke University, where he earned a master’s degree in health administration, after which he completed an administrative residency at Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans.

Before joining Franciscan St. Francis Health, Brody was vice president of professional and clinical services at CentraState Medical Center in New Jersey, president and COO of Senior Care Centers of America in New Jersey, executive director of Maxicare—North Carolina, director of the managed care division of VHA Consulting Services in Texas, vice president for Ambulatory Programs of Madison Health Associates in New Jersey, and an assistant administrator at Ochsner Clinic.

Brody is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of the Lay Board of Advisors of Sisters of St. Benedict—Beech Grove. He serves on the boards of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis—Catholic Community Foundation Inc., the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation, Indiana Health Information Exchange, St. Francis Healthcare Foundation, St. Francis Health Network and Sycamore School. He is a former board member of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Indiana and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

In his spare time, Brody likes to bike and play mixed-doubles tennis with his wife, Helen. He enjoys exploring bookstores and reading both fiction and nonfiction. He’s an avid Boston Red Sox fan and the involved father of three children, ranging in age from 12 to 24.

Vincent C. Caponi, 61
CEO,
St. Vincent Health

During his 12 years at St. Vincent Health, Vince Caponi has led the hospital system through tremendous growth, including integrating into the organization six critical-access hospitals, along with Saint John’s Health System in Anderson, the St. Vincent Heart Center of Indiana, St. Vincent’s Women’s Hospital and a primary-care network. Plus, he has overseen the addition of Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, St. Vincent Seton Specialty Hospital, St. Vincent Medical Center Northeast in Fishers and multiple joint ventures, program developments, hospital expansions and more. Last year, Caponi led the creation of St. Vincent Medical Group, a multi-specialty physician group of primary care and specialty health providers.

Raised in Michigan, Caponi holds a master’s degree in health care administration from Central Michigan University and a bachelor’s from Xavier University. He serves on the boards of Xavier University, Choice Trust, Little Sisters of the Poor, Indiana Health Information Exchange, Indiana Hospital Association and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. Caponi is a past board member for the Boy Scouts of America and former chairman of Brebeuf Preparatory School and the United Way of Central Indiana.

In addition to his position as CEO, Caponi is Indiana and Wisconsin Ministry Market Leader for Ascension Health, the nation’s largest Catholic health system. Before joining St. Vincent Health, he served as president and CEO at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, Ala. Earlier in his career, he was president and CEO of St. Joseph Hospital in Augusta, Ga., and CEO of United Memorial Hospital in Greenville, Mich. He was also assistant administrator of the Memorial Hospital in Owosso, Mich.
This month, we recognize the individuals who mold the shape of our health care future. They include health care administrators, benefits experts, insurance executives, doctors doing groundbreaking work, attorneys, CPAs and policymakers.

Mitchell E. Daniels Jr., 62
Governor,
state of Indiana

The Healthy Indiana Plan, which provides coverage to uninsured workers, is touted as one of the top accomplishments of Mitch Daniels’ first term as governor. His decision to sign a bill pulling funding from Planned Parenthood has been one of the more controversial of his second term. In both cases, he is shaping the health care landscape in the state.

Daniels was elected as the 49th governor of the state of Indiana in 2004, in his first bid for any elected office; he was re-elected in 2008 with more votes than any candidate for public office in the state’s history. Before running for governor, he was president of Eli Lilly and Co.’s North American Operations and CEO of the Hudson Institute. His roles in government include chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, senior adviser to President Ronald Reagan and director of the Office of Management and Budget to President George W. Bush.

Upon taking office as governor, Daniels created Indiana’s first OMB to look for efficiencies and cost savings, leading Indiana to its first balanced budget in eight years without a tax increase. Daniels also created the public-private Indiana Economic Development Corp. to help attract jobs to the state. He leased the Indiana Toll Road, generating $4 billion for reinvestment in the state’s transportation and infrastructure program.

Daniels was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Indiana as a youngster. He earned his undergraduate degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and his law degree from Georgetown University. He and his wife, Cheri, have four daughters.

Daniel J. Elsener, 58
President,
Marian University

In January 2010, Daniel Elsener announced plans for Marian University to build a college of osteopathic medicine, endorsed by the Indiana Osteopathic Association and jump-started with a $48 million pledge from Michael Evans of AIT Laboratories. The first students will walk through the doors in the fall of 2013.

Elsener, who became the eighth president of Marian University in August 2001, has effected other dramatic changes. In 2009, the school announced it would change its name from Marian College to Marian University; the school’s enrollment has more than doubled; and average SAT scores of incoming freshmen have climbed 90 points.

Additionally, Elsener has launched an adult education program, an entrepreneurial group within the School of Business, the Marian University Academy for Teaching and Learning Leadership, an online accelerated nursing partnership with St. Vincent, and the school’s first football program.

Before joining Marian University, Elsener served as a teacher; high school principal; superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Wichita in Kansas; secretary/executive director for stewardship and development and secretary/executive director, Office of Catholic Education for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis; and most recently as executive director of the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation and Project E Indiana.

Elsener earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in education administration from the University of Nebraska. He has completed a variety of additional graduate-level studies.

In addition to serving on the Marian University board of trustees, Elsener serves on the boards or executives committees of the Indiana State Board of Education, Gov. Mitch Daniels’ Education Roundtable, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities, the Indiana Academy, Council of Presidents for the Mid-Central College Conference and others. He is committed to raising funds for disadvantaged students and to programs that advance literacy and academic achievement through better teacher and principal preparedness.

Daniel F. Evans Jr., 63
President and CEO,
Indiana University Health

Dan Evans was appointed president and CEO of Indiana University Health (then Clarian Health) in November 2002. Founded in 1997 by the consolidation of Methodist Hospital of Indiana, Indiana University Hospital and Riley Hospital for Children, IU Health is now a statewide system with more than 20 partner hospitals and health centers throughout Indiana.

From 1985 until assuming his current role, Evans was an attorney and partner with Baker & Daniels. Evans, an Indianapolis native who received his law degree from the Indiana University School of Law—Indianapolis, represented large corporations and financial institutions before state and federal regulatory agencies, as well as handling general corporate work. Evans also served as chairman of Sagamore Associates, a governmental relations firm and a subsidiary of Baker & Daniels, headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Before joining Baker & Daniels, Evans held a variety of positions, including chairman of both the Federal Housing Finance Board and the Federal Home Loan Bank Board in Indianapolis. He also served as the White House transition team director for the vice president-elect in 1988-1989.

Evans serves on numerous community, academic and health-care-related boards and advisory committees. He serves on the boards of the American Hospital Association, Indiana Hospital Association, Indiana Health Industry Forum, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Indianapolis and Indiana Chambers of Commerce, IUPUI Board of Advisors, and as chairman of the Indiana Legal Foundation and Indy Partnership. Evans is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and is a member of the bars of Indiana, the Seventh Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Evans and his wife, Marilyn, live in Indianapolis and have four children.

Dr. Paul Evans, 61
Vice President and Dean,
Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Dr. Paul Evans came to Indiana a year ago as founding dean of the state’s newest medical school. The school’s creation, and its partial funding by a $48 million pledge from Michael Evans, CEO of AIT Laboratories, were announced by Marian President Daniel Elsener in January 2010. (Paul and Michael Evans are not related.) Classes are scheduled to begin in the 2013-2014 academic year. In addition to his other duties at the school, Evans will be a professor of family medicine.

Evans comes to this position with experience, having previously been the founding dean of the Georgia Campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Evans earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami in Florida and his doctor of osteopathy degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed an internship at Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco and graduated from a residency in family practice at Womack Army Community Hospital in Fort Bragg, N.C.

Evans also completed a faculty development fellowship in family medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the Teaching Scholars post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle.

His career experience includes positions as chief resident, medical school faculty member, residency program director, department chairman and director of a large multispecialty managed-care group. He retired from the U.S. Army after serving 26 years in military medicine. His areas of research are in low back pain, faculty development and medical education issues.

Beyond work, Evans is interested in finch breeding, golf, nature art collecting, birding, bicycling, scuba diving and marine aquariums.
This month, we recognize the individuals who mold the shape of our health care future. They include health care administrators, benefits experts, insurance executives, doctors doing groundbreaking work, attorneys, CPAs and policymakers.

Dr. John F. Fitzgerald, 56
President and CEO,
Indiana University Health Physicians

IU Health Physicians was created in 2009 through a partnership between Indiana University Health and Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. John Fitzgerald became the first president and CEO of the multi-specialty group, which today has 570 board-certified physicians, 170 advance providers and more than 1,000 staff in more than 70 locations statewide.

In addition to leading IU Health Physicians, Fitzgerald is the executive associate dean for clinical affairs of the Indiana University School of Medicine. Previously, he served as president and CEO of IU Medical Group—Specialty Care and Primary Care, as well as in other senior leadership positions in IU-affiliated delivery systems and health plans.

Fitzgerald received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, his medical degree from Loyola University in Chicago, and his MBA at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He completed an internal medicine residency and fellowship at Indiana University Medical Center. Immediately following his residency, he served in the U.S. Navy for three years and did a clinical fellowship in clinical epidemiology and health-services research, after which he joined the IU faculty.

Originally from Beverly, Mass., Fitzgerald now lives in Indianapolis. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing and skiing.

Dr. Gregory P. Gramelspacher, 58
Professor,
IU School of Medicine;
Director Palliative Care Program,
Wishard Health Services

Dr. Greg Gramelspacher received his undergraduate degree in government and international relations from the University of Notre Dame and his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine. Following an internal medicine residency at the University of Michigan, Gramelspacher served for two years with the National Health Service Corps in Appalachia. He completed a fellowship in medical ethics at the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago.

In 1989, Gramelspacher joined the Department of Medicine at Indiana University. Besides founding the program in medical ethics at IUSOM, Gramelspacher is active in teaching, service and research. His interests include medical professionalism and the doctor-patient relationship, hospice and palliative care, and health care for the underserved.

From 1996 to 1997, he served as team leader of the IU-Kenya program in Eldoret, Kenya. In 1999, he established the Palliative Care Program at Wishard Health Services and, in 2005, the Palliative Medicine Fellowship at IUSM. He has been a medical director for the Visiting Nurse Service Hospice of Central Indiana since 1998.

In the fall of 2009, Gramelspacher rode his bicycle from Santa Barbara to Charles, S.C., to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Wishard’s Palliative Care Program. He rode a mile in memory of each one of the 3,280 patients who have been cared for by Wishard’s Palliative Care Program and raised more than $180,000 for that program.

Matthew R. Gutwein, 48
President and CEO,
Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County

Matt Gutwein received his law degree from Indiana University School of Law—Bloomington, in 1988, where he graduated first in his class. Upon graduation, he served as a law clerk to Judge J. Clifford Wallace, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

From 1993 to 1994, he was special counsel to the Indiana attorney general. In that capacity, Gutwein presented oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in Heck v. Humphrey, which the State of Indiana won 9-0. Gutwein also represented Indiana before the Indiana Court of Appeals, Indiana Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court in Michael G. Tyson v. State of Indiana, a case involving boxer Mike Tyson’s appeals of his rape conviction.

From 1995 until 1997, Gutwein served as chief counsel to the governor, and from 1997 until 2002, he was a partner with Baker & Daniels, where he concentrated on appellate litigation. He was named to his current position in 2003. Among other things, Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County owns Wishard Health Services, the third-largest safety-net hospital system in the country.

Gutwein is a four-time recipient of the Best Brief Award, which is given for the best brief filed in the U.S. Supreme Court by a state. He sits on the boards of Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Indiana University Medical Group, Wishard Memorial Foundation, Indiana Health Information Exchange, Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, Council on Government Relations, and Indiana Hospital and Health Association.

Jeffery C. Hadden, 47
President and Principal Partner,
LoCascio Hadden & Dennis

In 1999, after having worked for larger companies, Jeff Hadden and his partners founded LoCascio Hadden & Dennis, an employee-benefits advising firm. Hadden and his partners believed they could “blend the flexibility of a local entrepreneurial firm with the experience and expertise of benefits professionals who had worked for large, respected national firms.”

In 2001, LHD founded United Benefit Advisors, which is today a nationwide partnership of 150 benefits firms. The firms pool their expertise and financial strength to leverage their ability to offer superior employee benefits programs.

Hadden’s career in the employee benefits field began in 1986 when he went to work for The Travelers Insurance Co. in the sales department. While working at that company, he was transferred to Indianapolis in 1988. He also worked as director of marketing for Prudential Health Plans in Indiana and southwest Ohio.

Immediately before founding his own company, Hadden served as head of employee benefits practice at William M. Mercer Inc., in Indianapolis.

Hadden works with large and midsize employers on benefits plan strategy development, insurance carrier and plan administrator evaluation, vendor and managed-care plan renewal negotiations, managed-care network evaluation, health plan use analysis and wellness plan design. He is a past board member of United Benefit Advisors and a member of both International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists and National Association of Health Underwriters.

Hadden earned his bachelor’s in management from Iowa State University and his MBA at Butler University. He grew up in Des Moines, Iowa.

Outside of work, Hadden enjoys spending time with his wife, Tracy, and their three sons (and one daughter-in-law) as well as with other extended family that have moved to the Indianapolis area. Hadden’s primary community services are youth athletic organizations as a board member, coach or sponsor.
This month, we recognize the individuals who mold the shape of our health care future. They include health care administrators, benefits experts, insurance executives, doctors doing groundbreaking work, attorneys, CPAs and policymakers.

Dr. Lisa Harris, 54
CEO and Medical Director,
Wishard Health Services

Long before national health care reform took shape, Dr. Lisa Harris concentrated Wishard’s resources on primary care and prevention, believing that keeping people healthy in the first place was the best opportunity to have an effect on the overall health of the community. Since taking the reins of Wishard in 2004, Harris has been intensely focused on improving access to patient-centered, comprehensive, coordinated, community-based primary care and chronic disease management.

Harris joined Wishard nearly 30 years ago and has held the roles of clinician, teacher and investigator. She has conducted numerous scientific studies using patients’ perspectives to evaluate and drive improvements in the quality of medical care. She has published dozens of articles and abstracts on measuring patient satisfaction for quality improvement, chronic disease management and primary care in the academic setting. She also has continued to advance the important Wishard-Regenstrief Partnership for Healthcare Quality, which has conducted groundbreaking work that provides the foundation for electronic medical-record systems in use around the globe.

Now leading the way to a new Wishard, which will be known as the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Hospital, Harris has worked to replace its aging complex of 17 buildings that house the hospital’s main campus. When Eskenazi Hospital opens at the end of 2013, it will rank among the most advanced in energy-efficiency and environmental design. Before the 2009 special election calling upon voters to approve the construction, Harris helped build a coalition of community and business leaders and participated in some 200 meetings to share information about the project.

Harris is married to Greg Kelleher.

Robert W. Hillman, 53
President,
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Indiana

Rob Hillman is a 28-year veteran of the health insurance and managed-care industry in Indiana. In 2007, he was named to his current position at Anthem, the largest health benefits company in the state, with 4,500 associates serving more than 3 million members.

Before assuming the presidency, Hillman held various sales and operations management positions, including vice president of sales for Acordia Financial Industry Benefits, vice president and chief operating officer for Acordia of Northeast Indiana, regional sales director for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana, and regional vice president of Anthem’s Large Group Sales.

Hillman serves on the board of Special Olympics of Indiana, United Way of Central Indiana, the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Develop Indy and the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership.

Hillman, who grew up in Shelby County, is a graduate of Purdue University with a bachelor’s in science from the Krannert School of Management. He has also earned the Chartered Life Underwriter and Certified Health Consultant professional designations.

Hillman enjoys sports, reading and spending time with his wife, Melissa, their three daughters and four grandchildren.

Dr. Tim Hobbs, 60
Chief Physician Executive,
Community Health Network

Dr. Tim Hobbs was named to his current position with Community Health Network in 2010 and provides medical leadership for the network’s five-hospital clinical enterprise, integration services and an evolving integrated physician group with more than 500 physicians.

Before joining Community, Hobbs served as CEO at Community Physicians of Indiana, the state’s largest primary-care medical group, with more than 200 physicians, nurse practitioners and physicians assistants in more than 70 practice sites in central Indiana. CPI’s physicians work in partnership with Community Health Network and operate as a group practice.

Hobbs earned his undergraduate degree from Anderson University in 1974 and his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie. Hobbs began his career as a family practice physician in Elwin in 1981, and maintained practices in Anderson from 1983 until 1992. He was a family practitioner with Anderson Family Health Specialists from 1992 until 2001.

Before joining CPI, Hobbs served as chief of family practice, medical staff president and then chief of staff for Community Hospital of Anderson, as well as medical director of MedPrime Anderson LLC, a physician organization designed to improve care for HMO patients. He also served on the board of trustees of Community Hospital of Anderson from 1989 until 1998. Community in Anderson is an affiliate of Community Health Network.

In 2004, Hobbs earned an MBA from Anderson University. He is board-certified with the American Academy of Family Practice as well as a member of the American College of Physician Executives, American Academy of Family Physicians, Indiana State Medical Association and Indianapolis Medical Society. He was recently named to the board of the Foundation for Complex Health Solutions.

A father of six and grandfather of five, Hobbs spends most of his free time with family. He especially enjoys hiking and is a drummer hobbyist.

David L. Johnson, 59
President and CEO,
BioCrossroads

David Johnson is one of the four founders and the leader of BioCrossroads, a privately funded, regional market-development and investment group focused on innovation in life sciences and biotechnology. Additionally, he is manager of the Indiana Seed Funds I and II, which are pre-venture funds raised and run by BioCrossroads, and the Indiana Enterprise Fund, an early-stage investment fund raised and run by BioCrossroads. He is actively involved in the $73 million Indiana Future Fund I, an early-stage sciences venture capital fund managed by Credit Suisse, and in INext Fund, a follow-up fund, also managed by Credit Suisse.

As a result of BioCrossroads’ initiatives and investments, Johnson currently serves on two seed-fund startup portfolio company boards, seven not-for-profit or foundation boards, six not-for-profit or foundation board executive committees, and three university advisory boards. The boards include the Indiana Health Information Exchange Inc., the Purdue Research Foundation, Indiana University Research and Technology Corp., and Bioscience Vaccines, a biotechnology and vaccine startup.

Before joining BioCrossroads full time, Johnson was an equity partner at Baker and Daniels LLP, a firm he joined in 1983. Before that, he was legal counsel and a professional staff member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

In 2000, he was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate. Johnson graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University, where he was named a Rhodes Scholar and tapped for Phi Beta Kappa. He received an additional degree from New College, Oxford University, and his law degree, cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1979.

Johnson has published numerous articles on a variety of subjects, including education, foreign affairs and economic growth. He is married to Anne Nobles, senior vice president, enterprise risk management, and chief ethics and compliance office for Eli Lilly and Co. They have a daughter in college.
This month, we recognize the individuals who mold the shape of our health care future. They include health care administrators, benefits experts, insurance executives, doctors doing groundbreaking work, attorneys, CPAs and policymakers.

David E. Kelleher, 63
President,
Health Care Options

David Kelleher came to Indiana for college and earned his undergraduate degree in 1970 from Indiana University. After graduation, he found himself in the U.S. Army, where he served in the 23rd Infantry Division and then the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. After he got out of the army, Kelleher launched his career in managed health care. He was one of the founders of the first prepaid group practice in Indiana and served as its executive vice president from 1973 until 1986.

In 1986, Kelleher founded HealthCare Options, a health care consulting and management company. HOI has developed, restructured and managed health plans and other health care organizations throughout the United States. Kelleher is also executive director of Employers Forum of Indiana, formed in 2001, an employer-led health care coalition. The forum is one of the founders of Quality Health First, a community-wide, multi-payer, quality-reporting and pay-for-performance program developed and managed by the Indiana Health Information Exchange.

Kelleher, who comes from Greenfield, Mass., holds a master’s in economics. He has been a member of the board of the Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis. He enjoys biking, running and reading, especially in the areas of economics and mathematics.

Dan Krajnovich, 48
CEO,
UnitedHealthcare of Indiana and Kentucky

As CEO of UnitedHealthcare of Indiana and Kentucky, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, Dan Krajnovich is responsible for business operations and strategic initiatives, including sales, marketing, clinical programs, community relations, product management and finance for UnitedHealthcare’s operations in both states.

Krajnovich, a veteran of more than 25 years in the health care industry, was chosen to lead UnitedHealthcare’s Indiana Health Plan in 2005. He assumed responsibility for the Kentucky Health Plan in 2007. Immediately before assuming his current role, he was the company’s regional vice president of account management, working out of the Chicago office. He moved to Indiana in 2005, but made the weekly commute between Indianapolis and Chicago until he moved his family here in 2006.

Krajnovich has served on the board of the American Heart Association in Indianapolis the past three years and is the newly appointed chairman of the executive committee. He is also a board member of the Indiana Comprehensive Health Insurance Association and the Indiana Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association. He stays engaged in a variety of health care committees and not-for-profit organizations across the state.

Passionate about improving the status of Hoosiers’ health, Krajnovich says, “People need to know their numbers when it comes to their health and take appropriate actions to stay or get healthy.” He feels that doing so could have an extraordinary impact on the cost of health care in the state.

Krajnovich earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Western Illinois University in 1985 and his MBA in finance from DePaul University in Chicago in 1993. He and his wife, Jill, and their three children have enjoyed the transition from the metropolitan Chicago area to the small-town community of Zionsville.

Dr. E. Henry Lamkin Jr., 76
President,
Indiana Employers Quality Healthcare Alliance

Dr. Ned Lamkin, a fellow in the American College of Physicians, is board-certified in internal medicine, with a subspecialty in endocrinology and diabetes. In the 30 years he practiced, he also served 16 years in the Indiana House of Representatives, four years of which he was majority leader. While there, he authored or sponsored more than 100 bills that became law, including the Indiana Medical Malpractice Act and the Indiana Plan for Medical Education.

Lamkin is in his 17th year as president of IEQHA, an employer health care coalition representing 80,000 employees. He served eight years on the board of the National Business Coalition on Health, of which IEQHA is a member. He was the founding president of ICareConnect, which became the Indiana Health Information Exchange, on whose board and executive committee he continues to serve.

Among other positions, he was previously president and principal editor at a medical publishing firm for 27 years; founding president of the Aegis Medical Group, now a part of the Methodist Medical Group; vice president and president of the Methodist Hospital medical staff; a founding board member of MetLife Managed Care, which later became M-Plan and Healthsource; and president of a 1,600-physician and 42-hospital preferred-provider network known as the Physicians and Hospitals Alliance.

Lamkin has been active in other organizations, including the Indianapolis and Indiana Medical Associations and Heartland Truly Moving Pictures. He and his wife, Martha—retiring founding CEO of Lumina Foundation for Education—have two children and four grandchildren. When not enjoying family, home and garden, Lamkin is pleased to find that he can get better at golf, even at an advanced age. A trained singer, he enjoys being in amateur theater productions and singing any chance he gets.

Dr. Gregory Larkin, 62
Indiana State Health Commissioner

Gov. Mitch Daniels appointed Dr. Greg Larkin Indiana state health commissioner in March 2010. Before his appointment, Larkin served as chief medical officer for the Indiana Health Information Exchange, which promotes health information technology for the advancement of quality patient and community care. IHIE is the largest health information exchange in the nation.

Before joining IHIE in 2007, Larkin spent 22 years as director of Corporate Health Services at Eli Lilly and Co. During his tenure at Lilly, he managed the company’s on-site domestic clinics and Lilly’s domestic health plan for employees. He also served as the global resource for occupational medical programs at Lilly’s international facilities.

Before joining Lilly, Larkin practiced family medicine in Greencastle from 1975 until 1986, where he was also an adjunct professor at DePauw University. He is a graduate of Indiana University and the Indiana University School of Medicine and has been board-certified in family medicine and is a fellow in both the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. He has authored and co-authored many articles for peer-reviewed publications, including the New England Journal of Medicine. 

Larkin is a recipient of the C. Everett Koop National Award for Health Promotion, the 2002 National Award for Corporate Health Achievement, Profile in Progress Award from the National Breast Cancer Council, Health Care Hero Award from IBJ, Excellence in Public Health Award from the Indiana State Department of Health, and Preventive Medicine Award from the Hulman Public Health Foundation.

Larkin and his wife, Lisa, live in Indianapolis and have one son, who is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.
This month, we recognize the individuals who mold the shape of our health care future. They include health care administrators, benefits experts, insurance executives, doctors doing groundbreaking work, attorneys, CPAs and policymakers.

John C. Lechleiter, 57
Chairman President and CEO,
Eli Lilly and Co.

In 2005, when John Lechleiter was tapped as Lilly’s president and chief operating officer and joined the board, market watchers tracking Lilly predicted that the chemist would succeed Sidney Taurel in leading the company one day. That day came sooner than some expected, when Taurel announced his plan to retire in 2008. Lechleiter became president and CEO in April 2008 and chairman of the board that December.

A chemist and levelheaded businessman, Lechleiter was well matched for the company, which he joined in 1979 as senior organic chemist in process research and development. His promotions came rapidly: He headed that department in 1982 and, in 1984, moved to England to serve as director of pharmaceutical product development for the Lilly Research Centre Ltd. He returned to the states in 1986 as manager of research and development projects for Europe. He continued to ascend the corporate ladder, moving up to director of development projects management, then adding pharmaceutical regulatory affairs to his palette. In 1991, he was named executive director of pharmaceutical product development and vice president in 1993. He became senior vice president of pharmaceutical products in 1998 and executive vice president in 2001.

Lechleiter holds a bachelor’s in chemistry from Xavier University. He later studied organic chemistry as a National Science Foundation Fellow at Harvard University, where he received both his master’s and doctoral degrees. In 2006, he received an honorary doctorate of business administration from Marian University.

He is a member of the American Chemical Society, Business Roundtable and Business Council. He serves on the boards of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, United Way Worldwide, Xavier University, the Life Sciences Foundation, Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and the 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee. He is also on the board of Nike Inc. Lechleiter and his wife, Sarah, have three children: Daniel, Andrew and Elizabeth.

Dr. David T. Lee, 54
Vice President of Provider Engagement and Contracting,
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Dr. David Lee joined Anthem in 2001, initially serving as associate medical director. In his current role, he is responsible for physician and hospital contracting, network development, and optimization of cost of care trends for Indiana. About six years ago, with Lee in a leadership position, Anthem launched multiple pay-for-performance pilots in central Indiana with large physician groups. The pilots and the information gleaned from them have led to launching a statewide payment-for-value program.

Lee graduated magna cum laude from the University of Cincinnati, with a bachelor’s in chemical engineering, and continued his education at Ohio State University, where he earned his medical degree in 1984. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Indiana University, where he was named Resident of the Year in 1987.

Before joining Anthem, Lee served as medical director for MedPrime, a primary care group of about 125 physicians. Lee also practiced internal medicine with Community Hospitals of Indianapolis.

In 1999, Lee was selected one of America’s top doctors in a survey among doctors of the American Medical Association, which was published nationally. Indianapolis Monthly also chose him as one of Indianapolis’ top doctors in 1998.

Lee is married and has two sons, Christopher and Evan. He enjoys attending his children’s athletic events, and he and his family are active at Wheeler Mission, an Indianapolis homeless shelter. Lee serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Indiana University School of Informatics. He has also served on the boards of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Wishard Hospital Foundation. His hobbies include running, bicycling and gardening.

Douglas J. Leonard, 59
President,
Indiana Hospital Association

Doug Leonard has more than 30 years of experience in health care, much of it amassed at Columbus Regional Hospital, where he held several increasingly responsible positions, culminating in being named president and CEO, a position he held for 10 years. While at Columbus Regional, he and his staff earned numerous accolades.

In his current position, Leonard leads the IHA, which represents the interests of about 170 Indiana hospitals. The association is the chief advocate of the hospitals, representing their interests with the state of Indiana, the federal government, the business community, regulatory agencies, accrediting bodies and others.

A native of South Bend, Leonard earned his bachelor’s in business administration and his master’s in health administration from Indiana University. He currently serves on the Regional Policy Board of the American Hospital Association and on the board of the Indiana Health Information Exchange. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is also on the board of the Columbus Regional Hospital Foundation

Leonard and his wife, Candy, who is now retired from teaching, have two grown children, one in New York and one in Indianapolis. The couple has two dogs and they enjoy cooking, museums, music, theater and travel. Leonard’s hobby revolves around his two BMW motorcycles, one vintage with a sidecar.

Patricia Miller, 75
Senator and Chairwoman of the Health and Provider Services Committee,
Indiana General Assembly

Sen. Pat Miller has served in the Indiana General Assembly since 1982, when she was elected to the House; she has been in the Senate since 1983. She became chairwoman of the Health and Provider Services Committee in 1999 but had been chairwoman of the Health and Environmental Affairs Committee from 1993 to 1998. Additionally, she serves on the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Elections.

In 2007, Miller authored and led the drive for passage of the Healthy Indiana Plan, which she believes to be one of the most comprehensive bills for better health the state has seen. The bill provides health insurance for those who have none.

Miller graduated from Indiana University and the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing and is a registered nurse. She practiced as a nurse from 1958 until 1961. In addition to raising her children, from 1974 until 1982 Miller was member of the MSD of Warren Township Board of Education.

Miller has received several awards over the years. She is a recipient of the George H. Rawls Indiana Public Health Award and was named Guardian of Small Business by the National Federation of Independent Business. In 2002, the American Medical Association presented her with its Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service; she holds an honorary doctorate of human letters from Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky.

Miller is a member of Old Bethel United Methodist Church. She and her husband, Kenneth, have two children and four grandchildren.
This month, we recognize the individuals who mold the shape of our health care future. They include health care administrators, benefits experts, insurance executives, doctors doing groundbreaking work, attorneys, CPAs and policymakers.

Bryan A. Mills, 50
President and CEO,
Community Health Network

Bryan Mills was appointed president and CEO of Community Health Network in May 2009. He had served as CEO of Visionary Enterprises Inc., a for-profit affiliate within Community, from 1992 to 2009; he was also founder and CEO of Indianapolis Medical Management, a company within VEI. Mills began his career with Community in 1985 as controller for Community Hospital North.

Mills, who is a certified public accountant, got into medical administration after working on an audit at Gary Methodist Hospital. He says, “I witnessed an organization that was committed to helping others. It was inspiring—a calling of sorts.”

Beyond his role with Community, Mills serves on the boards of the Walther Cancer Foundation, Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, United Way of Central Indiana, Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, Indiana Hospital Association and Indiana Health Information Exchange. He serves as well on the Butler University board of trustees.

He is a member of the First United Methodist Church in Noblesville, where he is a Sunday school teacher. He serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Noblesville and the advisory board of the Lilly Boys and Girls Club. Mills is the 2011 honorary chairman of the American Heart Association’s Start! Heart Walk.

Mills holds a bachelor’s from Ball State University. He recently became a grandfather.

Samuel L. Odle, 62
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer,
Indiana University Health

In addition to his overarching responsibilities with IU Health, responsibilities he has held since 2006, Sam Odle is president and CEO of IU Health Methodist and University Hospitals, which provide care to more than a million people annually, as well as serving as primary teaching hospitals for the Indiana University School of Medicine. IU Health is the largest health care employer in the state and an integral component of the Indiana Life Sciences initiative.

Odle is past chairman of the American College of Healthcare Executives, an international professional society of 30,000 health care executives. Board-certified in health care management and an ACHE Fellow, he works with the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellowship program in developing future health care leaders.

Odle started his medical career as a registered radiologic technologist at Winona Memorial Hospital and worked his way up. He joined Methodist in 1981 as vice president of operations. He earned his bachelor’s in allied health education and his master’s in hospital administration from Indiana University.

Odle serves as a member of the board for ITT Educational Services Inc., Jordan Foundation, Crossroads of America Boy Scouts Council and the Methodist Health Foundation. He was proud to have served as the 2008 campaign chairman for the United Way of Central Indiana. He was inducted into the Indiana Business Hall of Fame in 2007. He is also a recipient of Indiana’s Jefferson Award.

Odle and his wife, Alexis, have three daughters: Tiffany, Olivia and Montgomery.

Dr. J. Marc Overhage, 53
Chief Medical Informatics Officer,
Siemens Healthcare

Before joining Siemens earlier this year, Dr. Marc Overhage was founding CEO of the Indiana Health Information Exchange and director of medical informatics at the Regenstrief Institute Inc., and a Sam Regenstrief professor of medical informatics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He held his positions as CEO and director of medical informatics concurrently.

Overhage spent more than 25 years developing and implementing scientific and clinical systems and evaluating their value. With his colleagues from the Regenstrief Institute, he created a communitywide electronic medical record, called the Indiana Network for Patient Care, containing data from many sources, including laboratories, pharmacies and hospitals. The system currently connects a majority of acute-care hospitals in central Indiana.

In addition, Overhage has developed and evaluated clinical decision support, including inpatient and outpatient computerized physician order entry and the underlying knowledge bases to support them. He practiced general internal medicine for more than 20 years.

Over the last decade, Overhage has played a significant regional and national role in advancing the policy, standards, financing and implementation of health information exchange. He serves on the National Committee for Vital and Health Statistics and the Health Information Technology Standards Committee, as well as on the board of the National Quality Forum.

Overhage is a member of the Institute of Medicine, and a fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics and the American College of Physicians. He received the Davies Recognition Award for Excellence in Computer-Based Patient Recognition for the Regenstrief Medical Record System.

Overhage received his bachelor’s, with high honors, in physics, from Wabash College and his doctorate in biophysics and medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine. He and his wife, Dr. Mary Brunner, have three children and live in Zionsville. He enjoys bicycling and dabbling in technology in his spare time.

Dr. Ben H. Park, 59     
President,
American Health Network

A family physician from Lebanon, Dr. Ben Park began his practice delivering babies, working in emergency rooms and seeing patients in the office. During his first year in practice, he developed an electronic health-records system and started a company to market the product. Park has been a tireless advocate of the health care quality benefits made possible by modern data systems.

In 1994, Park went to work for Anthem, where he helped create American Health Network. Five years later, he worked with physicians in American Health Network to purchase the practice from Anthem. Since that time, the organization has doubled in size and today is the largest physician-owned medical group in Indiana.

Park is most proud of the recognition American Health Network physicians received from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association for the care of diabetes, heart disease and vascular disease.

Park, a graduate of Wabash College and the Indiana University School of Medicine, is past chief of staff of Witham Hospital and a former board member of Dance Kaleidoscope.

He says, “I am one of those fortunate people for whom work is also pleasure. When not at work, I enjoy entertaining with my wife, Joan, who is a marvelous cook and host. She is also gracious enough to not complain about the mornings I spend on the water working on my hydro-foiling skills, where progress is painful and too slow, similar to progress on the U.S. health care system.”

Jack J. Phillips, 46
President and CEO,
Roche Diagnostics Corp.

Jack Phillips moved to Indianapolis in 2010 to head the commercial operation in the North American region for the Diagnostics Division of Roche. Phillips also serves as a member of the diagnostics leadership team of the Switzerland-based company. Roche has 80,000 employees worldwide; Indianapolis is the headquarters for North American diagnostics and about 4,200 people are employed here. The Diagnostics Division develops and produces medical tests that provide information to help health care professionals find the right treatment for patients and deliver optimum patient care.

Although new to Indianapolis, Phillips is a Roche veteran, having joined the company in 1999, working for Ventana Medical Systems in Tucson, Ariz., which is a cancer-diagnostic company and part of Roche Group. He held a variety of leadership roles, most recently as senior vice president of commercial operations for North America and Japan. Before joining Ventana, Phillips worked for Bayer Diagnostics and Motorola.

From an early age, Phillips had a strong interest in science and technology. When he saw the opportunity to enter that field, he seized it. Phillips’ professional passion for health care seeps into his private life. He serves as corporate recruitment chairman for the American Diabetes Association Indiana Tour De Cure. He is a member of the Council of Ambassadors of the Indianapolis American Cancer Society and leads Roche support of the American Heart Association.

A native of Kentucky, Phillips holds a bachelor’s in marketing from Northern Kentucky University. He is married with three children and is an endurance athlete and avid cyclist.
This month, we recognize the individuals who mold the shape of our health care future. They include health care administrators, benefits experts, insurance executives, doctors doing groundbreaking work, attorneys, CPAs and policymakers.

John Render, 68
Partner,
Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman PC

John Render has focused his practice in health and hospital law since 1971. His firm is the second-largest health care law firm in the United States and has offices in four states. In addition to his law practice, Render has been an adjunct faculty member of the Indiana University Graduate Program in Health Care Administration for more than 30 years and was named the program’s outstanding professor four times. He is general counsel to the Indiana Hospital Association.

A native Hoosier and graduate of Butler University and the Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis, Render received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the latter school in 2007. In 2006, he received the Award of Merit from the Indiana Hospital Association and, in 2001, the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs Award for Outstanding Graduate Teaching. He has also received the Distinguished Fellow Award from the Indianapolis Bar Foundation, the President’s Award from the Indiana Association of Homes for the Aging and has been named a Sagamore of the Wabash.

Render is licensed to practice in the Supreme Court of Indiana, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana, District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the state of Michigan. Beyond his bar association memberships, he is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association, Indiana Health Finance Advisory Committee, Governmental Affairs Society of Indiana and the Indiana Health Policy Advisory Committee. He sits on the board of Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis.

Render has authored and co-authored a variety of law review articles on health law issues. He has contributed papers and articles and presented on medical-legal subjects in an array of forums, including to the American Medical Association, the U.S. Veterans Administration and the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Render is married and has two adult daughters and two grandsons. He supports and is involved in St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Indiana University, Butler and ICAN (service dogs for the disabled). He enjoys golf, travel and reading.

Dr. Douglas J. Schwartzentruber, 54
Medical Director,
IU Health Cancer Services;
Associate Director for Clinical Affairs,
IU Simon Cancer Center

Time magazine named Dr. Doug Schwartzentruber to its list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2010. The publication cited Schwartzentruber for his groundbreaking work presenting clinical trial data that shows potential for a vaccine to treat cancer. Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center recruited this oncological rock star in 2011. He is also system medical director of IU Health’s statewide cancer services.

The accolades are not surprising for a doctor who sees health care as more of a mission than a job. As a child, Schwartzentruber lived in Costa Rica and Argentina and, as a student, in Poland. In 1982, he participated in a Third World medicine/public health project in Dhmtari, India; in 1996, he took part in a medical mission working at a hospital in Senegal; and in 2009, he was part of a medical mission team in Paraguay.

From 2003 until his move to Indianapolis, Schwartzentruber served as medical director for IU Health Goshen Center for Cancer Care. Schwartzentruber is a native of Goshen and a graduate of Goshen College and the Indiana University School of Medicine. He completed an immunotherapy fellowship in 1988 and a surgical oncology fellowship in 1990 at the National Cancer Institute and served as a senior investigator in the surgery branch of NCI for 13 years.

Schwartzentruber has been active in a diverse array of professional organizations, including the Mennonite Medical Association, the American College of Clinical Oncology, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the American College of Surgeons. Many of his affiliations—such as being a corresponding foreign member of the Paraguay Society of Surgical Oncology—reflect his values and commitment to serve others.

Schwartzentruber has published 11 book chapters and more than 75 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Translational Medicine. He and his wife have two children.

Christopher S. Sears, 43
Partner,
Ice Miller LLP

Chris Sears concentrates his practice in the field of health care and employee benefits, working with public and private employers, including hospitals, tax-exempt organizations and government entities. He helps organizations design and maintain employer-sponsored health plans, cafeteria plans, disability plans, health reimbursement accounts and health savings accounts, as well as pension and retirement plans. He also helps organizations comply with myriad laws that regulate these plans.

Sears also focuses on laws regulating the privacy of health information. In particular, he works closely with both health plans and health care providers in their efforts to comply with complex HIPAA rules, as well as state privacy laws.

Sears assisted in the creation and legal maintenance of the Indiana Network for Patient Care, the most developed regional health-information-sharing network in the nation. He advises other cross-institutional health-data sharing projects and has participated in creation of the first national health information data-sharing agreement for the Nationwide Health Information Network.

A frequent speaker on health and benefits topics, Sears has most recently found himself addressing the effects of health reform on employee benefits plans. He was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for Employee Benefits Law in both 2009 and 2010 and chairs the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Interest Group of the American Bar Association’s Health Law Section. He also serves as chairman of the Indiana Perinatal Network, an organization that convenes diverse constituencies to improve the health of mothers and babies.

Sears earned both his bachelor’s and law degrees from Indiana University Bloomington. He began work with Ice Miller right out of law school and was named a partner in 2001.

Sears and his wife, Nicole, live in Indianapolis with their two children, Alex and Kate. They enjoy traveling. Sears is an active volunteer with the American Bar Association’s Breast Cancer Legal Advocacy Task Force, where he trains lawyers to help individuals with cancer deal with legal issues with their insurers and employers.
This month, we recognize the individuals who mold the shape of our health care future. They include health care administrators, benefits experts, insurance executives, doctors doing groundbreaking work, attorneys, CPAs and policymakers.

Richard E. Sutton, 50
Vice President,
Brown & Brown of Indiana

As an independent broker and consultant, Richard Sutton works with a variety of small and large employers and specializes in working with school systems, libraries and other public employers. Sutton founded his own company, R.E. Sutton & Associates, in 2001, and that company merged with Brown & Brown of Indiana in 2008, forming the largest Indianapolis-area independent insurance agency.

Before founding his own company, Sutton was a partner with D.B. Englehart & Associates and, before that, he worked 10 years at Blue Cross/Blue Shield and the Acordia Cos.

Sutton contributed a chapter, “A Transparent Effort for Servicing Clients in the Employee Benefits Industry,” to the book “Employee Benefit Best Practices: Leading Executives on Cost-Effective Results, Educating Employees, and Creating Successful Client Solutions.” The book, published in 2007, is part of a series, “Inside the Minds,” in which experts are called upon to write each chapter.

Sutton is a graduate of Leadership Hendricks County, an organization that seeks to involve leaders in improving the community. Through that program, he was instrumental in instituting the Summer Lunch Bunch for Kids in Brownsburg. The Lunch Bunch brings lunch, activities and entertainment to children and is part of a countywide program. He serves on the board for the Brownsburg Community School Corp. and the Brownsburg Education Foundation. He also serves on an advisory board for several insurance and health-related corporations.

Sutton is a graduate of Ball State University, where he majored in public relations and political science. While at Ball State, he was president of his fraternity and of the Student Center Governing Board. When not at work or on the golf course, Sutton is busy at home as the proud father of triplets.

William H. Thompson, 54
President and Managing Partner,
Hall Render Killian & Lyman PC

Bill Thompson started his career at Wishard Hospital, where he served in several administrative capacities while pursuing his master’s in health administration at the Indiana University School of Medicine. In 1983, he took an administrative position at Indiana University Hospitals and, at the same time, started law school in the evening program at Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis. After graduating from law school in 1987, Thompson joined Hall Render as its 11th lawyer.

He was named to his current position in 2002 and, starting next year, will serve as chairman of the firm’s board. Thompson concentrates his practice on complex relationships among health care providers, including hospitals, physicians and health systems. He provides counsel on a national basis regarding mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, governance matters, reimbursement issues and network integration. He counsels on state and federal health care regulatory matters, including health care reform, fraud and abuse.

Hall Render is nationally recognized as a health law firm, with more than 170 lawyers and offices in four states. Thompson has been named to the “Best Lawyers in America” under the health care section for 10 years running. In 2008, he was named by Nightingale’s Healthcare News as one of the top 10 physician lawyers in the country. He frequently speaks on topics dealing with health care and has authored a variety of articles on health law.

Thompson grew up in Indianapolis and earned his undergraduate degree in public health from Indiana University in Bloomington. He is an avid polo player and a member of the Hickory Hall Polo Club. He lives in Zionsville with his six horses and one dog.

Dr. William Tierney, 60
President and CEO,
Regenstrief Institute Inc.

The Regenstrief Institute, founded in 1969, named Dr. William Tierney its president and CEO in 2010. Established in 1969, the institute is supported by the Regenstrief Foundation and is closely affiliated with the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County. The institute was created to help apply the techniques of biomedical science, computer science and industrial engineering to medical care.

At the same time he was named CEO, he was named associate dean for health care effectiveness research at the Indiana University School of Medicine. The responsibilities don’t stop there: He is a chancellor’s professor and Sam Regenstrief Professor for Health Services Research at the IU School of Medicine, as well as chief of medicine at Wishard Health Services.

Tierney teamed up with the Regenstrief Institute early on, in 1980, when his stethoscope was still shiny and new. From 1980 through 1982, he did a fellowship at the institute in biomedical informatics and health-services research. He earned his undergraduate degree from IU Bloomington and his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine, where he did his residency in internal medicine.

Tierney’s research focuses on implementing electronic health-record systems in both hospitals and outpatient clinics in Indiana and Kenya, where the IU School of Medicine has a partnership with Moi University School of Medicine. In Kenya, the system has grown to support a network of more than 50 primary-care clinics with records from more than 3 million visits for more than 300,000 patients and has been expanded to become Open MRS, the most widely implemented open-source electronic health records in the developing world.

Tierney was elected to membership in the National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine in 2006; only 65 individuals are inducted from the United States each year.•