Congratulations to our 10 healthcare allstars!
Renee S. Frazier, MHSA, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
Common Table Health Alliance
Reneé S. Frazier is an experienced leader in the health care management arena with expertise in hospital operations, managed care, volunteer and community service, health promotion, strategic planning, and organizational excellence.
She is known for her advocacy towards greater transparency of health care quality indicators and patient experience report cards. She is also a strong leader in the Memphis and Shelby County community addressing issues of Consumer Activation, Health Policy, Environmental Barriers, Health Equity and Neighborhood Engagement. Frazier is often asked to give expert opinion regarding a variety of health, leadership and lifestyle topics. She has been featured locally, nationally and internationally in media outlets such as CNN.com, Dutch television news outlet, Nieuwsuur, The Commercial Appeal, The Daily News, Memphis Flyer, Memphis Business Journal, The Tennessean and more. She has also written a number of health care related articles and conducted workshops for the medical and general community.
Frazier serves on numerous national and regional committees including the National Quality Forum (NQF) Population Health Framework Project Committee, NQF Health and Well Being Steering Committee, NQF Steering Committee Member Advisory Group, ACHE Journal of Healthcare Management Editorial Board, HHS Region 4 Health Equity Council, BCBST Disparities Council and the American Heart Association Tennessee Advocacy Subcommittee.
She is a reviewer for the International Hospital Federation’s 39th World Hospital Congress and a previous faculty member for the National Forum on Hospitals, Health Systems and Population Health. Frazier is a frequent keynote speaker, moderator and panelist addressing health, healthcare, equity and disparities.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in business and sociology from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in health services administration from George Washington University. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and has been a member of the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) since 1983.
Edith Peterson Mitchell, MD, FACP
President
National Medical Association
Edith Peterson Mitchell, M.D. is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology and is Clinical Professor, Department of Medicine and Medical Oncology, Program Leader, Gastrointestinal Oncology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Associate Director for Diversity Programs for the Kimmel Cancer Center(KCC) at Jefferson, and Director of the KCC Center to Eliminate Cancer Disparities.
Dr. Mitchell has spent her medical career helping individuals in medically underserved areas to realize that simple changes in lifestyle can have a dramatic impact on cancer care. Through her work, Dr. Mitchell has demonstrated the importance of community service and outreach especially to those individuals who may not have the means to seek out more conventional medical advice.
Dr. Mitchell received a bachelor of science in Biochemistry “With distinction” from Tennessee State University and her medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. In 1973, while attending medical school, Dr. Mitchell entered the Air Force and received a commission through the Health Professions Scholarship Program. She entered active duty after completion of her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Meharry Medical College and a fellowship in Medical Oncology at Georgetown University.
Dr. Mitchell’s research in breast, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers and other GI malignancies involves new drug evaluation and chemotherapy, development of new therapeutic regimens, chemoradiation strategies for combined modality therapy, patient selection criteria and supportive care for patients with gastrointestinal cancer. She travels nationally and internationally teaching and lecturing on the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies. Dr. Mitchell has authored and co-authored more than 100 articles, book chapters, and abstracts on cancer treatment, prevention, and cancer control. As a distinguished researcher, she has received many Cancer Research and Principal Investigator Awards including a recent Promise Grant from the Susan G. Komen Foundation. She serves on the National Cancer Institute Review Panel and the Cancer Investigations Review Committee.
Dr. Mitchell holds leadership positions in the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the National Medical Association, and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the National Medical Association.
In addition to her medical achievements, Dr. Mitchell is a retired Brigadier General, having served as the Air National Guard Assistant to the Command Surgeon for US Transportation command and headquarters Air Mobility Command (AMC) based at the Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, and was the first female physician promoted to this rank in the history of the U.S. Air Force. In this capacity she served as the senior medical Air National Guard advisor to the command surgeon and was the medical liaison between the active Air Force and the Air National Guard. Her responsibilities in this role included ensuring maximum wartime readiness and combat support capability of the worldwide patient movement and aero medical evacuation system, the Global Patient Movement Requirements Center and AMC’s 52 Air National Guard medical squadrons.
Among her many honors, Dr. Mitchell has received The ‘Tree of Life’ Award which recognizes health professionals who are committed to making a difference in community health. Recipients of this coveted award have made extraordinary contributions to health management in both the local and global community. Dr. Mitchell was awarded the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Control Award for her significant commitment to research, education, and diversity and Research Award by the Council of Women Physicians of The National Medical Association. In 2010 she was selected for the National Cancer Care Physician of the Year Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution of time and talent. Other awards for Dr. Mitchell include the 2009 Looking Glass Award presented by the Living With Cancer Foundation and the Women in Medicine Research Award from the National Medical Association. She was selected as the 2011 Practitioner of the Year Award by the Philadelphia County Medical Society and was recently selected for The American Society of Clinical Oncology Humanitarian Award for 2012 .
General Mitchell has been awarded over 15 military service medals and ribbons including the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Achievement and Commendation Medals, National Defense Service Medal, and Humanitarian Service Medal. Dr. Mitchell was selected for inclusion in America’s Top Oncologists. Dr. Mitchell is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians; member of our Society; also the American Medical Association, the National Medical Association, Aerospace Medical Association, Association of Military Surgeons, the Medical Society of Eastern Pennsylvania, the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, and the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project.
On a personal note, Dr. Mitchell enjoys gardening, quilting, and listening to jazz and rock music while spending time with her family. She and husband Delmar, have been married forty-two years and have two daughters, Dale and DeAnna, and a granddaughter Gabriella.
Rhonda Nesmith Crichlow
Vice President & Head, U.S Diversity & Inclusion
Novartis AG
Rhonda Crichlow serves as the Vice President and Head, US Diversity & Inclusion, for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NPC). Appointed to this role in November 2011, Rhonda is responsible for implementing NPC’s Diversity & Inclusion strategy, focused on fostering an inclusive environment and ensuring alignment with NPC’s key business objectives. Previously, Rhonda served as the Executive Director, Alliance Development & Philanthropy, and was responsible for overseeing strategic efforts to build sustainable relationships with patient advocacy organizations and professional societies, and driving the US strategy and implementation of NPC’s philanthropic initiatives, volunteer programs, and workplace giving campaigns. Rhonda also serves as a member of the Pharmaceutical Executive Committee and Secretary of the Novartis Patient Assistance Foundation. She joined NPC as the Executive Director of Philanthropy and Community Development in March 2006.
Prior to joining NPC, Mrs. Crichlow was a legal consultant for the Office of the Monitor, which was established pursuant to the Consent Decree entered in the Pigford v. Glickman and Brewington v. Glickman lawsuits. The Pigford and Brewington litigations involve nationwide class actions brought by African-American farmers alleging racial discrimination in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s farm credit and non-credit benefit programs. Her primary responsibility involved deciding the merits of Petitions for Monitor Review and drafting decisions evaluating whether an Adjudicator should be mandated to reexamine class members’ claims. Prior to this engagement, she worked at two law firms as a tax attorney representing corporate clients with respect to federal tax controversy, litigation, and business planning matters. Ms. Crichlow also served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Ronald L. Buckwalter in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
In April 2013, Mrs. Crichlow received the Cornerstone of the Community Award, which recognized her long-standing support as a volunteer and board member of Family Service of Morris County, one of the oldest non-profit organizations in Morris County. Mrs. Crichlow is also a 2010 Helping People Move Forward Award recipient, in recognition of her efforts to improve the quality of life of New Jersey residents, and a 2008 YMCA Tribute to Women and Industry Award recipient. She is a past Chair of the Board for the Association of Corporate Contributions Professionals, and formerly served on the Board of Trustees for the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers.
She received her undergraduate degree from The George Washington University, a Master of Public Policy from Duke University, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia Law School. She lives in Upper Montclair, New Jersey with her husband, David, and two children, Andrew and Joelle.
Wayne S. Rawlins, M.D., M.B.A.
Vice President & National Medical Director
Aetna
Dr. Wayne Rawlins is Vice President and National Medical Director for Racial and Ethnic Equality Initiatives at Aetna, reporting to Aetna’s Chief Medical Officer. In this role, Dr. Rawlins serves as the lead clinician focused on identifying activities to address racial and ethnic disparities in health care for Aetna’s 22 million members. In 2009, he was appointed to the Institute of Medicine’s Subcommittee on Standardized Collection of Race/Ethnicity Data for Healthcare Quality Improvement. Dr. Rawlins also has served as a member of National Quality Forum’s Cultural Competency Expert Panel and the National Business Group on Health’s Racial/ Ethnic Health Disparities Advisory Board. Currently he serves on the Institute for Diversity in Health Management’s board of directors and has been appointed to the Regional Health Equity Council (Region 1), Office of Minority Health, HHS. He has also been a faculty participant in Massachusetts General Hospital’s Disparities Leadership Program.
Until the first quarter of 2015, Dr. Rawlins had assumed the additional role of Chief Medical Officer, Aetna Student Health. Aetna Student Health provides high quality, innovative and competitively priced health insurance programs for over 500,000 students and dependents in 200 colleges and universities nationwide.
Prior to his current role, Rawlins was National Medical Director and vice president of medical management for Aetna Government Health Plans, Aetna’s business unit responsible for Department of Defense uniformed services and VA customers. Preceding this he was head of Aetna Condition Analysis, leading enterprise-wide medical cost management activities. Dr. Rawlins is a member of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee, working with HHS to advise and make recommendations on national immunization policy. In this capacity, he has been deeply involved in vaccine financing and adult immunization issues.
While at Aetna, Dr. Rawlins has served in several senior clinical operational roles prior to assuming his current role. Dr. Rawlins also led the design, development and implementation of Aetna’s industry-leading end-of-life care program.
Dr. Rawlins received his medical degree from the University of Connecticut in 1980, then completed an internal medicine residency and chief residency at the University of Rochester in New York. He is board certified in internal medicine. Dr. Rawlins received his M.B.A. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2001. Prior to joining Aetna in, he was a physician manager with the Northeast Permanente Medical Group for many years, treating a wide variety of patients in a busy primary care practice.
He is a member of the National Medical Association, American College of Physicians and the American College of Physician Executives. Rawlins also supports his community by participating on the boards of the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, the University of Connecticut Health Center and the Connecticut Science Center.
Carnell Cooper, MD, FACS
Sr. Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
Dimensions Healthcare System
Dr. Carnell Cooper is Sr. Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Dimensions Healthcare System as well as the Designated Institutional Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs of Prince George’s Hospital Center in the Maryland/D.C. metropolitan area. He is also Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and an Attending Physician at the University of Maryland R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
Dr. Cooper was born in Dillon, South Carolina (population 5,000) in 1955. As the recipient of a scholarship from “A Better Chance” (the ABC Program), Dr. Cooper attended the Andover High School in Andover, Massachusetts. After graduating high school, Dr. Cooper attended Yale University, earning his Bachelors of Science in Biology. He then attended medical school at Duke University where he earned his Doctor of Medicine.
Dr. Cooper spent his residency at both the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and the Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut. He also spent two years as a Research Fellow at the Sloane-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
In 1990, Dr. Cooper came to Baltimore and the Shock Trauma Center to complete his fellowship in Trauma/Critical Care. He then spent two years as a Research Fellow at the University of Maryland, Baltimore before joining the faculty in 1993.
As Division Chief of Traumatology and Medical Director of Trauma Services at Prince George’s Hospital Center, Dr. Cooper was responsible for delivery of service at the second busiest trauma center in the State of Maryland which consisted of 9 General Trauma Surgeons and 20 sub-specialists. In 2012, Dr. Cooper was appointed as Sr. VP and CMO of Dimensions Healthcare System. In this role, he is responsible for the overall Medical Affairs at Prince George’s Hospital Center, Laurel Regional Hospital and Dimensions Surgery Center. As DIO he is responsible for oversight of the Graduate Medical Education and residency programs. As VPMA, he is a member of the leadership team of Prince George’s Hospital Center that governs the Medical Affairs of the institution.
Dr. Cooper’s research interests have focused on issues related to trauma attributable to violence, the mechanism of brain injury, and the diagnoses of blunt bowel injury. He is the member of many trauma, critical care, and surgical societies. He has authored many peer-reviewed publications on a variety of subjects, as well as book chapters.
In addition, Dr. Cooper is very involved in the Baltimore community, frequently giving talks throughout the area. He is also a member of the Board of Managers of the Druid Hill YMCA.
Dr. Cooper currently resides in Owings Mills, Maryland. In October 2002, he married Danielle Brown, a Baltimore native and they welcomed a daughter in 2005 and twin daughters in 2006.
With over 20 years of experience and a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, Suzanne is a passionate healthcare executive with a continuous focus on strategic execution, operational excellence, and building relationships. Suzanne joined John Randolph Medical Center in July 2013 as the Chief Executive Officer. John Randolph Medical Center, a HCA hospital, is a 147 bed medical surgical facility located in the City of Hopewell, Virginia.
A native of Skokie, Illinois, Suzanne has been with HCA since 2002. Prior to her current role, Suzanne was the Chief Executive Officer of Dominion Hospital, Chief Operating Officer at West Palm Hospital, and held other key roles as a healthcare administrator in Florida. Suzanne started her career as a healthcare consultant in the Chicago office of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young after receiving a master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois – Champaign.
Suzanne possesses a strong commitment to community service and professional development. She has been recognized as Success South Florida’s Top 25 Influential Black Women, recognized by Who’s Who is Black South Florida, featured on Executive Leaders Radio Program and interviewed for Volume Five of Profile in Success. In 2014 she was recognized by the National Association of Health Services Executives – Washington Metropolitan Area chapter with the Distinguished Female Healthcare Leader Award and in 2015 she was appointed as ACHE District 2’s Regent At Large.
Over her career she has worked many organizations including: United Way, Fairfax Partnership for Youth, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., CrisisLink, Northern Virginia Area Health Education Center, Virginia State University Industry Council and AHA’s Institute for Diversity in Healthcare Management Board of Directors. Additionally, Suzanne has participated with local and statewide leadership/advocacy programs such as Leadership Arlington and Lead Virginia.
Walter L. Faggett, II, MD
Speaker of the House of Delegates
National Medical Association
Dr. Walter L. Faggett is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School. He completed internships and a pediatric residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Adolescent Medicine Fellowship DC Children’s Hospital (CNMC), and was a Psychiatric Liaison at DC General Hospital in Washington, DC. Dr. Faggett is Past President of the D.C. Medico-Chirurgical Society (an affiliate of the National Medical Association). He also holds a faculty appointment as Assistant Professor of Community and Family Medicine the Howard University College of Medicine. Dr. Faggett is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Medicine and certified in Buprenorphine Addiction Medicine.
Dr. Faggett is CEO, Doctors On Call, LLC; and, currently serving as Chair, Ward 8 Health Council; Chair, Leadership Council for Health Communities (LCHC) – Health Information Technology Committee (HIT).
Dr. Faggett is President of the Board of Directors of the ARC of Washington, DC 2011-2012, Medical Director Chief Health Services Administration, Department of Youth and Rehabilitation Services, Washington, DC; and holds memberships in Peoples Congregational Church – United Church of Christ, Washington, DC; and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Dr. Faggett retired from the District of Columbia Department of Health (DCDOH) in July 2008, where he served as Chief Medical Officer and second-in-command of the entire health department and its city-wide divisional networks; and concurrently served as Medical Director of DC Medical Assistance Administration.
Neil J. Moore
President & CEO
Dimensions Healthcare System
Mr. Neil J. Moore serves as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Dimensions Health Corporation. Mr. Moore joined Dimensions Healthcare System in October 2005. His experience in an executive leadership health care role spans more than two decades.
Prior to joining Dimensions, Mr. Moore served as the Chief Financial Officer at Harlem Hospital Center, a division of Generations Plus Network. He has worked at other health care facilities in the New York City area
Charmaine Ruddock, MS
Director, Bronx Health REACH
The Institute for Family Health
Ms. Ruddock joined the Institute for Family Health, a network of federally qualified health centers in New York, in 2000 to direct Bronx Health REACH, a coalition of 70 community and faith-based organizations addressing racial and ethnic health disparities in the Bronx. As Project Director, Ms. Ruddock has overseen a multi-sectorial effort to understand and address the underlying causes of, and solutions to racial and ethnic health disparities in the community. Her key responsibilities include developing a community coalition linking health care providers, community and elected leaders, social service agencies, government agencies, local small businesses, and community based organizations engaged in a community based approach to eliminating health disparity.
As part of Bronx Health REACH, Ms. Ruddock also directs a New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) funded School Wellness initiative in several Bronx public schools; as well as the efforts of the Partnership for a Healthier Bronx which is part of New York City’s Partnership for a Healthier New York.
In the Spring of 2014, Ms. Ruddock co-founded the campaign, Not62! in response to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/University of Wisconsin’s County Health Rankings Report that has the Bronx ranked 62 out of the 62 counties in New York State in health outcomes and health factors.
As Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the National REACH Coalition (the NRC) and a member of the Steering Committee of the National Health Equity Coalition (NHEC), Ms. Ruddock is involved in national efforts to engage policy makers at the federal level on solutions to racial and ethnic health disparities.
Ms. Ruddock is a Senior Fellow with the Center for Health, Media and Policy at Hunter College and sits on the Advisory Board for the MPH program at the City University of New York’s (CUNY) Lehman College.
She holds a BA. in Literature and Social Sciences from the University of the West Indies and a Masters of Science in Management and Policy Analysis from the Graduate School of Management at The New School for Social Research in New York.
Ophelia Garmon-Brown, MD, M. Div
Senior VP for Community Partnerships
Novant Health
Ophelia Garmon-Brown, MD, M. Div., is a woman with many gifts and talents. A physician, a minister, a volunteer, a leader — these are just a few of the hats that she wears in her daily work. But most of all, Dr. Garmon-Brown is a caregiver and advocate for the health and well-being of Charlotte community members and beyond.
Dr. Garmon-Brown was born in Detroit, Michigan. She has two children, LaShawn and Spenser, and she is a very proud grandmother.
Dr. Garmon-Brown has spent decades caring for others around the world. As a board-certified family practitioner and Vice President of Business & Community Partnerships with Novant Health (Presbyterian Hospital), she has touched the lives of thousands of patients from Charlotte, her home since 1980, to distant countries around the world in her work as a medical missionary.
Education and Professional Development
Dr. Garmon-Brown began her higher education at North Carolina Central University where she received a bachelor’s degree in biology. After encouragement from one of her favorite professors and mentors, she decided to pursue a medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Garmon-Brown graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1980 and she began her internship and residency in family medicine at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. In doing so, she became the first African-American female resident in Family Medicine.
After completing her residency, Dr. Garmon-Brown became a physician and partner of Metrolina Family Practice for the next six years. She then joined the prestigious Nalle Clinic, a multi-specialty group of 137 physicians. In 1996, Dr. Garmon-Brown moved into a leadership role by taking the position of Medical Director of Nalle Clinic Urgent Care.
As she continued to excel in her career, she became the Medical Director of all Presbyterian Urgent Care Centers in 2000 and Medical Director of Presbyterian Company Care in 2001. In 2007, she was promoted to Vice President of Business & Community Partnerships as well as Novant’s Community Benefit Department. In 2012, she was promoted to Senior Vice President of Physician Services. Dr. Garmon-Brown also served as team physician for the Charlotte Sting. She currently is chair of the Presbyterian Hospital Ethics Committee and a member of the Executive Committee of Presbyterian Hospital as well as Novant Medical Group.
In 2003, Dr. Garmon-Brown returned to school to obtain a master’s in divinity. She graduated from the Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education in fall 2007. Currently she is an active member of Myers Park Baptist Church.
Community Involvement
Armed with an insatiable appetite to help others, Dr. Garmon-Brown also is a leader in the community serving as Medical Director of the Charlotte Community Health Clinic, a free clinic for the poor and uninsured; formerly Medical Director of the health clinic at the Salvation Army’s Women’s and Children’s Shelter; and in her spare time, she also volunteers at the Charlotte Pregnancy Care Center.
Beyond helping those across the Charlotte region, Dr. Garmon-Brown travels the globe as a missionary delivering free care to those in need. Through her leadership in Kenya, where she has traveled numerous times over the past 11 years, she set up a mini-health clinic. Dr. Garmon-Brown also has done medical mission work in Uganda, South Africa, Guyana, Jamaica and other locales in the United States.
Awards
Dr. Garmon-Brown has received numerous awards for her dedication and commitment to serving the community. Among these honors are:
- My Hero Gala Award, Bobcats Foundation
- 2007 Charlotte Neighborhood Excellence Initiative Award- Local Hero, Bank of America
- The National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc. National Sojourner Truth and Meritorious Service Award
- Brisbane Academy Golden Apple Award
- The Black Women’s Caucus Trailblazer Award
- Featured as one of Charlotte Magazine’s Top Docs
- 100 Black Men Greater Charlotte Chapter Excellence In Health and Wellness Award
- Zetas of Charlotte Heritage Award
- Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Citizen’s Award
- National Women of Achievement Outstanding Humanitarian Award
- Nevins Center Nevinsway Award
- 2009 Women in Business Award, Charlotte Business Journal
- 2010 Charlotte Woman of the Year
- 2011 Thurgood Marshall Award of the Year
- 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award from Wells Fargo and Charlotte Business Journal.
- 2012 Charlotte Catalyst, Uptown Magazine
- 2012 Family Physician of the Year, North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians
Organizations
In addition to her various professional and philanthropic positions, she also has a role with each of the following organizations:
- Board of Directors of Mecklenburg County Medical Society
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Investment Study Group
- 2010 President of Mecklenburg County Medical Society
- Member of Charlotte Medical Society
- Member of North Carolina Medical Society
- Member of American Academy of Family Physicians
- Member of National Registry of Who’s Who
- Queens University Board of Trustees
- Project Lift Governance Board
- Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation Board Member
- Charlotte Chamber Board Member
- NC Medical Society Foundation Board Member