About Us

Sechel Ventures Partners LLC owns and operates MHAOnline.com, which offers informative program guides, articles, and other rich resources to assist people in advancing their careers through higher education that can be achieved remotely.

Overall, MHAOnline.com provides a comprehensive look at distance-based master’s degrees in healthcare administration and related subject areas. It aims to show people how to join high-growth careers in healthcare leadership through detailed program and professor profiles, career guides, FAQs, and informative blog features.

Please contact us with any ideas for content you’d like to see. Thank you.

Experts Interviewed on MHAOnline.com

Angela Loder, PhD
Angela Loder, PhD

Dr. Angela Loder is the current vice president of research for the International WELL Building Institute and a member of the WELL faculty. In addition to her work at WELL, Dr. Loder is the director of Greening the City, a Denver-based organization focused on issues related to health, nature, and the urban-built environment. She is also an adjunct faculty member of the University of Denver, where she teaches globalization and geography, environmental management, and sustainable transportation at the graduate level.

A core member of the NIH Health in Buildings Roundtable (HiRB), Dr. Loder is leading health and building policy research. She highlighted the three main areas of study in the field (materials and ventilation, daylighting, and access to nature) in “Healthy buildings: why workers are demanding sustainable offices,” which appeared in The Guardian.

Anne Markus, JD, PhD
Anne Markus, JD, PhD

Dr. Anne Markus is a professor and chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. She earned her JD from the University of Lausanne, her MHS from Johns Hopkins University, and her PhD from George Washington University.

Social justice weaves through Dr. Markus's work. An expert on the financing and organization of healthcare and access to care, she is particularly interested in how the health system addresses—or fails to address —the needs of women, trans and nonbinary persons, minorities, and children, including those of low-income and with special needs.

Dr. Markus’s interdisciplinary training in law, public policy, and health policy, along with 30 years of local, state, federal, and international experience, have allowed her to study maternal and child health services, private and public insurance (Medicaid and CHIP, in particular), community health centers, and health reform in the US and abroad.

Anthony Stanowski, DHA
Anthony Stanowski, DHA

Dr. Anthony Stanowski was appointed as the president and CEO of CAHME on June 20, 2016. His initial involvement with CAHME was when he graduated from a CAHME-accredited program in 1984; in 2011, he was appointed as a board member.

Dr. Stanowski has extensive leadership experience in healthcare organizations, including the Aramark Corporation, Thompson Reuters, and several academic and community-based health systems. He has served on the boards of health systems and in governance with the American Hospital Association. Notably, he is a frequent presenter at healthcare conferences and the co-author of “We Have A Match: My Journey through America’s Transplant System,” which details the challenges of providing a positive patient experience in the transplant system.

Bill McGinley, MBA
Bill McGinley, MBA

Bill McGinley serves as the president and CEO of the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA). He has 35 years of experience as a nursing home administrator, including positions with Greenery Rehabilitation Group, Inc., SALMON Health and Retirement, and New Pond Village.

McGinley earned his MBA from Boston College with a healthcare management specialization. Notably, he’s a Fellow of the America College of Health Care Administrators (FACHCA), a Certified Nursing Home Administrator (CNHA), a Certified Administrator of Sub-Acute Care (CAS), and a Certified Assisted Living Administrator (CALA).

Chad Larson, MBA
Chad Larson, MBA

Chad Larson is the executive director of the Hospital Accreditation Program at The Joint Commission. Larson holds an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Business (Chicago, IL) with an emphasis in health services administration, and a bachelor of science in kinesiology from Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, IL) with an emphasis in preventative and rehabilitative exercise science.

Larson is a 15-year veteran of The Joint Commission, having previously served as director of business operations. He also served as a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award examiner, which offers the highest level of recognition for performance excellence that a US organization can achieve. Larson is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

Chelsea Tersavich
Chelsea Tersavich

Chelsea Tersavich, PA-C, is a psychiatric clinician with extensive mental health and primary care experience from her military career. During her 11 years of service, Ms. Tersavich treated thousands of soldiers as a battalion physician assistant and specialty clinic medical director. She was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Aviation Provider of the Year awards, among many other accolades.

In her role at Mindbloom, Chelsea Tersavich conducts psychiatric evaluations and has facilitated ketamine therapy sessions for over 250 clients. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from American University and a master’s from the interservice physician assistant program. Ms. Tersavich was also a recipient of the PA Foundation’s 2020 Nutrition Outreach Fellowship.

Christina Gardiner, PhD
Christina Gardiner, PhD

Dr. Christina Gardiner is a highly respected collegiate faculty and professor in the Department of Global Health Management and Administration at the University of Maryland Global Campus, School of Business. Renowned for her expertise in healthcare data analytics, she brings extensive executive healthcare experience spanning two decades.

As the president of Summit Healthcare Advisors, Dr. Gardiner specializes in leveraging data analytics to drive informed decision-making and improve healthcare outcomes. Her research and consulting work focus on enhancing healthcare quality, safety, and cost-efficiency through meaningful insights from healthcare information technology programming.

Dr. Gardiner actively supports public health initiatives, collaborating with nonprofit organizations and post-secondary institutions to empower evidence-based decision-making through data analysis. Her exceptional expertise in healthcare data analytics positions her as a key influencer for positive change in improving healthcare systems and outcomes.

Courtney Gray Haupt
Courtney Gray Haupt

Courtney Gray Haupt is the U.S. health sector chair of international communications firm Edelman. Gray Haupt helps educate policymakers, healthcare providers, and advocacy groups on drug pricing, mental health, cardiovascular disease, and patient access.

Prior to joining Edelman, Gray Haupt served as vice president of government affairs and communications for Washington Health Advocates, where she focused on coalition building and federal appropriations strategies for NIH, CDC, and FDA. Edelman recently released its 2023 report, which surveyed 13,000+ people across 13 countries about their trust in healthcare.

Darrell Gaskin, PhD
Darrell Gaskin, PhD

Dr. Darrell J. Gaskin is the William C. and Nancy F. Richardson Professor in Health Policy and Director of the Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is an internationally recognized expert in health and healthcare disparities. His research strives to develop and promulgate policies and practices that address the social determinants of health and promote equity in health and well-being.

Dr. Gaskin is an international leader in health policy and health economics. He was elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine. He serves on the Congressional Budget Office Panel of Health Advisors and the Maryland Commission on Health Equity. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Health Economists. Notably, in 2019 he received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. In April 2021, he was appointed as a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Dulce Gonzalez
Dulce Gonzalez

Dulce Gonzalez is a research associate at the Health Policy Center at the Urban Institute. She forms part of a team working on the Urban Institute’s Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey. Gonzalez conducts quantitative and qualitative research focused primarily on the social safety net, immigration, and barriers to healthcare access. Her work has also focused on the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on nonelderly adults and their families.

Before joining the Urban Institute, Gonzalez worked at the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families and at the nonprofit organization Maternal and Child Health Access. Gonzalez holds a BA in economics from California State University, Long Beach, and a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University.

Emily R. Smith, ScD
Emily R. Smith, ScD

Dr. Emily Smith is an epidemiologist and an assistant professor at The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health in Washington, DC. She is a graduate of the population and reproductive health doctoral program in the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. She completed her MPH at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.

Dr. Smith’s research focuses on infection and nutrition across the life course, to generate, analyze, and translate epidemiological data to improve maternal, newborn, and child health in low- and middle-income countries. She worked closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) to synthesize and translate evidence for use in global policy contexts on topics, including the risk of SARS-CoV-2 in pregnancy; mother-to-child transmission of SARS-CoV-2; efficacy and safety of neonatal vitamin A supplementation, and interventions for care and feeding of low birthweight infants.

Eric S. Swirsky, JD
Eric S. Swirsky, JD

Eric S. Swirsky, JD is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), where he also serves as director of graduate studies and PhD program director. Using his unique blend of experience and knowledge, Swirsky teaches courses in communication skills, professionalism, and ethics and legal issues in health sciences. His scholarly interests revolve around the ethical conundra attendant to human interaction with computers and data.

As an ethicist-attorney, Swirsky serves on UI Health’s Ethics Committee, the Research Ethics Consultation Service, the editorial board of the American Journal of Bioethics, and the Board of Directors for the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

Faina Linkov, PhD
Faina Linkov, PhD

Dr. Faina Linkov is the department chair and associate professor for the John G. Rangos Sr. School of Health Sciences at Duquesne University. She earned her MPH in behavioral and community health science and her PhD in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

Dr. Linkov is a multidisciplinary researcher interested in molecular epidemiology, cancer, prevention, health systems research, global health, scientific communications, and research productivity. She has over 100 original research publications and reviews. She has received grants and awards from the American Cancer Society, Phi Beta Psi Sorority Foundation, the Department of Defense, Scaife Foundation, CDC, Hillman Foundation, USAID, the Government of Kazakhstan, and NATO.

Greg F. Burke, MD, FACP
Greg F. Burke, MD, FACP

Dr. Greg Burke is Chief Patient Experience Officer for Geisinger Health System, a role he’s held since 2014. He’s also practiced internal medicine at Geisinger since 1992. He is a graduate of Jefferson Medical College. He completed his internal medicine residency and his chief residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Dr. Burke actively lectures and publishes articles in the fields of medical ethics, patient experience, and spirituality in medicine. His awards include the Clinical Excellence Award for HealthSouth (2009), Best Doctors in America (2007-8, 2011-12, 2017-18, and 2019-20), the Victor Marks Service Excellence Award (2007 and 2013), and the Papal Medal Benemerenti Award (2007).

Helen Crunk, RN
Helen Crunk, RN

Helen Crunk is Chair of the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) Board of Directors, where she has served since 2011. She is also the Executive Director of Pemberly Place Management and Archer Place Medical Clinic, both in Lincoln, Nebraska. Prior to this role, she owned her own consulting firm and assisted living community.

With more than 25 years of experience in long-term care, Crunk specializes in facility management in assisted living and direct care staff education. Notably, she is the only two-time winner of the NCAL Administrator of the Year Award.

Holly Harmon, MBA
Holly Harmon, MBA

Holly Harmon is senior vice president of quality, regulatory & clinical services at the American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). In this role, she led the association's quality initiative that identified national priority goals and developed tools and resources for providers to achieve these goals.

Harmon designed and launched AHCA/NCAL’s infection preventionist certificate program, which has trained over 4,000 individuals nationally. In addition, she coordinates the development of staff training modules in AHCA/NCAL’s online learning management system, which includes training of over 200,000 individuals as temporary nurse assistants during the pandemic. Harmon also led AHCA/NCAL’s advocacy and feedback to CMS and CDC on how clinical guidance needs to pay attention to the resident’s quality of life.

Janice Sabin, PhD
Janice Sabin, PhD

Dr. Janice Sabin is a leading researcher and educator on the science of implicit bias and its effect on medical care, health equity, and social determinants of health. With an MSW in health/mental health and a PhD in social welfare, she has long been at the forefront of applying this science to healthcare disparities research.

Dr. Sabin’s expertise ranges from pediatricians' racial bias to discrimination against lesbian women and gay men, as well as designing and evaluating health disparities education for faculty members, graduate medical students, and nursing trainees. Currently, she is a research associate professor in biomedical informatics and medical education at the University of Washington.

John Richey, MBA
John Richey, MBA

John Richey has served in a number of roles at the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), most recently as the 2015 chair of the VLab Strategic Advisory Committee, member of the Council for Excellence in Education’s Faculty Development Workgroup, and member of the Global Health Workforce Council’s AHIMA Workgroup.

Richey is also the past president and distinguished member of the Ohio Health Information Management Association (OHIMA).

Joy D. Calloway, MBA
Joy D. Calloway, MBA

Joy D. Calloway is the Interim Executive Director of the National Association of Health Services Executives. She earned both her MBA and her MHSA from the University of Michigan. Drawing on her 25-plus year career in professional leadership, she’s now an in-demand speaker, trainer, and facilitator with a client list that includes the Michigan Primary Care Association, Healthy Start, and the American Heart Association.

She is currently finalizing a workplace training curriculum that identifies and arrests unconscious bias throughout the HR lifecycle.

Kathleen Wilber, PhD
Kathleen Wilber, PhD

Dr. Kathleen Wilber is a professor of gerontology and the Mary Pickford Foundation chair in gerontology at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. She earned her MSW, her MPA, and her PhD from USC.

Dr. Wilber focuses on improving health outcomes and quality of life for vulnerable elders, including those with chronic illness, disability, cognitive impairment, and/or economic insecurity by improving the design and delivery of long-term services and supports (LTSS).

Dr. Wilber’s past research projects have evaluated wellness interventions among frail older adults, models of integrated healthcare, and interventions to prevent elder abuse.

Lakelyn Eichenberger, PhD
Lakelyn Eichenberger, PhD

In addition to her work at Home Instead, Dr. Lakelyn Eichenberger serves as chair of the board of directors at the Dreamweaver Foundation, member of the board of directors at the National Alliance for Caregiving, vice chair at the Alzheimer's Association Dementia Care Provider Roundtable and the American Heart Association Sweethearts Program.

She earned her doctorate in gerontology from the University of Nebraska - Omaha, with a research focus on dementia family caregivers and in-home respite care. Dr. Eichenberger is an outspoken advocate for older adults and has made major media appearances, including on Dr. Phil in 2020.

Leighton Ku, PhD
Leighton Ku, PhD

Dr. Leighton Ku is a professor and director of the Center for Health Policy Research at the George Washington University School of Public Health. As a health policy researcher, public policy analyst, and advocate, his career has been built around understanding and improving access to affordable healthcare for vulnerable populations.

Among his areas of expertise are national and state health reforms, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), immigrant health, and healthcare financing and budgets, emphasizing strengthening the healthcare safety net.

Dr. Ku has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and 200 other policy and translational health policy research reports. As a member of the community, he has helped develop and guide the District of Columbia's health insurance marketplace since 2012 as a member of its Executive Board. He has also served as a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which focuses on improving policies for low- and moderate-income Americans; as a principal researcher at the Urban Institute; and as a policy and budget analyst for the federal Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program.

Lisa P. Shock, DrPH
Lisa P. Shock, DrPH

Dr. Lisa P. Shock is a member of the clinical leadership team at Evolent Health. As vice president of clinical strategy and operations of value-based services, she is responsible for working with Evolent’s accountable care organization partners to realize clinical and economic outcomes.

As a certified physician assistant with subspecialties in geriatrics and rural health, Dr. Shock currently practices outpatient medicine in a skilled nursing facility in rural North Carolina. She also serves as part-time medical director for WakeMed Key Community Care (WKCC), where she works directly with health system leaders and an interdisciplinary team and oversees the delivery of tailored programs that improve quality and outcomes while simultaneously lowering costs. She serves on several boards and committees, including the North Carolina Institute of Medicine Board of Directors and the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation, and is a guest lecturer at Campbell University’s physician assistant program.

Dr. Shock earned her doctoral degree in public health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She has a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Colgate University and a master’s and physician assistant certificate from Duke University.

Matthew Pietro
Matthew Pietro

Matthew Pietro, sustainability strategy manager at Practice Greenhealth, has years of experience in healthcare sustainability program development and green building advocacy. Pietro’s specialty is building system-wide sustainability programs within large organizations, which include communication strategies, green building, energy management, waste reduction, climate action, healthier food sourcing, and other procurement efforts centered on improving efficiencies and supporting human and environmental health.

Practice Greenhealth is the only organization collecting comprehensive sustainability data for the healthcare sector. It helps healthcare organizations like hospitals, manufacturers, and engineering firms take responsibility for their role in preventing climate change.

Melvin Seale DHSc
Melvin Seale DHSc

Dr. Melvin Seale is an assistant clinical professor and the director of graduate studies in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. He earned a doctor of health science from A.T. Still University. His dissertation focused on identifying barriers to the interoperability and implementation of electronic health record systems within ambulatory care facilities.

Dr. Seale also holds a master of arts in teaching (MAT) from Marygrove College and a bachelor of science in health information management. He is a registered health information administrator (RHIA) and is certified in clinical coding classification systems (e.g., ICD-10, CPT, HCPCS).

Michael Schiller, CMRP
Michael Schiller, CMRP

Michael Schiller is the Senior Director of Supply Chain for the Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM), a professional membership group of the American Hospital Association (AHA).

Schiller is a leading healthcare professional who models successful engagement with executives and leaders from across the healthcare field, including those from the provider and supplier communities, regulatory agencies, standards organizations, industry associations, analyst firms, health IT, and academic institutions.

As AHRMM’s subject matter expert, Schiller brings more than 30 years of healthcare supply chain experience to his role. In this capacity, he provides vision and direction for the association's educational content and collaborates with industry leaders across the healthcare ecosystem on various healthcare, supply chain, and advocacy initiatives. Schiller was awarded the George R. Gossett Leadership Award in 2021.

Michal Tzuchman Katz, MD
Michal Tzuchman Katz, MD

Dr. Michal Tzuchman Katz is the co-founder and chief medical officer of Tel Aviv-based medtech company Kahun. She began her career as a software engineer, but later decided to go back to school to pursue her dream of studying medicine.

In 2018, she partnered up with peers from her tech days to start Kahun, merging her two vocations. The company’s clinical reasoning software aims to optimize physicians’ time, focusing on the U.S. market. Dr. Katz continues to practice as a pediatrician in primary care and emergency settings.

Monica O'Reilly-Jacob, PhD
Monica O'Reilly-Jacob, PhD

Dr. Monica O’Reilly-Jacob is an assistant professor at Boston College Connell School of Nursing and a nursing health services researcher with a focus in primary care. Her research themes include nurse practitioner (NP) policy and practice, as well as low-value care. Through Medicare claims analysis and survey research, Dr. O’Reilly-Jacob examines NP scope of practice, the cost and quality of NP care, and (re)emerging delivery system innovations such as NP-owned practices and NP home-based primary care.

In addition, Dr. O’Reilly-Jacob participates in interdisciplinary research teams to identify and examine questions related to reducing low-value care in the primary care setting. The overarching goal of her research is to capitalize on the cost-effective practice style of nurse practitioners to improve the appropriate utilization of primary care.

Negin Fouladi, PhD
Negin Fouladi, PhD

Dr. Negin Fouladi is an associate clinical professor and the director of hpm online programs in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on health systems, public health research methods, healthcare strategic planning and marketing, global health, and health policy.

Dr. Fouladi has expertise in translational science, and her research focuses on comparative health systems, value-based care, and knowledge translation and exchange (KTE). She earned her MPH in health services organizations and her PhD in health policy from the University of Texas School of Public Health - Health Science Center at Houston.

Nick Fabrizio, PhD
Nick Fabrizio, PhD

Dr. Nick Fabrizio is a senior lecturer at the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University and the capstone director for the MHA and eMHA programs. He is a highly respected advisor with broad expertise in the public and private sectors. Throughout his career, he has guided numerous companies, government agencies, and top-tier healthcare institutions on various issues, including strategic decision-making, public policy, mergers and acquisitions, crisis management, and technology integration.

He holds an undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Cortland, a master’s of arts from Binghamton University, and a PhD from Walden University.

Omolola E. Adepoju, PhD
Omolola E. Adepoju, PhD

Dr. Omolola E. Adepoju is an accomplished academic and public health professional specializing in epidemiology and global health. Currently, she is a health services researcher and clinical associate professor at the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine.

Dr. Adepoju's expertise lies in infectious diseases, focusing on prevention, control, and surveillance. She actively contributes to international collaborations and initiatives, conducting fieldwork and implementing evidence-based interventions. Alongside her research, Dr. Adepoju is passionate about mentoring future public health professionals and has received recognition for her outstanding contributions to the field. She holds a master’s degree in public health from Emory University and a doctorate in health services research from Texas A&M University.

Richard L. Gundling
Richard L. Gundling

Richard Gundling is the senior vice president of professional practice for the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). He is responsible for overseeing HFMA’s technical and content direction, leading the organization’s Washington, DC activities, and managing the association’s thought leadership efforts.

Gundling also serves as staff liaison to the HFMA Principles and Practices Board and has written many published articles on broad topics within healthcare finance and the healthcare industry. He is a fellow of HFMA, a certified management accountant, and a member of the Institute of Management Accountants.

Rita A. Jablonski, PhD
Rita A. Jablonski, PhD

Dr. Rita A. Jablonski is a tenured professor at one of the top nursing programs in the country, the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, and a nurse practitioner in UAB’s Memory Disorders Clinic. She received her BSN from Holy Family College, her MSN from LaSalle University, her post-master’s NP certificate from the University of Pennsylvania, and a PhD from the University of Virginia.

Dr. Jablonski is particularly passionate about helping individuals with dementia who reside in nursing homes and aims to create a pipeline of future nurse researchers interested in dementia care and the needs of family caregivers.

Robert Lane, MA
Robert Lane, MA

Robert Lane is president and CEO of the American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA). He earned his BS in allied health administration from the University of Kansas, and holds a graduate certificate in gerontology and an MA in health and human services administration from the University of Oklahoma. Lane is a Fellow of the American College of Health Care Administrators and a certified nursing home administrator.

A seasoned healthcare executive with 39 years of experience, Lane has worked in the skilled nursing, assisted living, and long-term acute care space. He has also served as faculty for the health administration program at St. Joseph’s College in Maine. Lane is the past board chair of ACHCA and has been a board member since 2013.

Robert Malte, MBA
Robert Malte, MBA

Robert (Bob) Malte is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Health Services and practitioner-in-residence for the MHA program at the University of Washington. His academic interests include strategy, leadership organizational systems, and governance. He retired in 2018 as the CEO of EvergreenHealth, a top-ranked healthcare system, capping a 40-year management career to help teach the next generation of healthcare leaders.

Malte previously served as president and CEO of Exempla Lutheran Medical Center in Denver and also held senior leadership positions with ThedaCare, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Loyola University Medical Center, and Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Bob served on multiple boards, including the Washington State Hospital Association, where he is a past chair. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland. Malte holds an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Sarah Maytum, MBA
Sarah Maytum, MBA

Sarah Maytum is the vice president of human resources at Texas Children’s Hospital—the largest children’s hospital in the U.S. and one of the most consistently top-rated, according to the U.S. News & World Report. Her responsibilities include talent acquisition, community human resources, employee relations, compensation and employee records, organizational development, and performance management.

Maytum holds a master’s in education and administration from the University of Houston and a master’s in business administration from the University of Texas at Tyler. She took on the position of vice president of HR at the hospital in January 2019, prior to which, she held a variety of leadership and staff roles in operations. In total, Maytum has been with the Texas Children’s Hospital for 22 years.

Sheila Guston, CHDS
Sheila Guston, CHDS

Sheila Guston is the interim CEO of the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI), where she has served on the Board of Directors since 2014.

Over a nearly two-decade career at Spectrum Health, Guston has worked as a healthcare documentation specialist, and most recently a leader of their HIM Document Integrity program. She is a fellow of AHDI and a Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (CHDS).

Susan Hedlund, MSW
Susan Hedlund, MSW

Susan Hedlund has been a leader in patient/family support services at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Knight Cancer Institute for eight years, but her experience in the field of social work in oncology goes back 30 years. She began her career by earning a bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Davis, and continued on to the MSW at Portland State University.

Hedlund now specializes in the development and provision of psychosocial support services for people with cancer and their loved ones at hospitals at OHSU. She’s taken on leadership roles such as director of the cancer counseling program at Cancer Care Resources and director of the Palliative Care Program in Hospice and Palliative Care of Washington County.

Suzanne Wood, PhD
Suzanne Wood, PhD

Dr. Suzanne Wood is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Services at the University of Washington. A lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, she has 25 years of healthcare experience, with expertise in international business strategy and healthcare management. Dr. Wood has served as a consultant for numerous strategic planning initiatives for the military health system, public and nonprofit service organizations, and foreign governments.

At the University of Washington, she teaches courses on applied research and healthcare strategy and conducts translational research on healthcare strategy, business operations, and service delivery. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Dr. Wood has a PhD in business administration from Old Dominion University.

Tara Sklar, JD
Tara Sklar, JD

Tara Sklar is a professor of health law and the director of the health law & policy program at the University of Arizona. Her research examines the role of laws, regulations, and policies in influencing the health and well-being of older adults.

Professor Sklar holds a master’s in public health law from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center and her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. Sklar’s research has appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, and Jurimetrics, among others.

Wylecia Wiggs Harris, PhD
Wylecia Wiggs Harris, PhD

Dr. Wylecia Wiggs Harris serves as the CEO of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). She previously was the COO at the American Nurses Association, the executive director of the Center for American Nurses, executive director of the Sister to Sister Foundation, and senior VP and executive director of the American Heart Association.

Dr. Harris earned a PhD in organizational development; an honorary doctorate of humane letters; and a master of management. She also is a certified executive director through the American Society of Association Executives, as well as a certified facilitator for leadership assessments through the Center for Creative Leadership.

Yossi Pollack, MBA
Yossi Pollack, MBA

Sight Diagnostics CEO and co-founder Yossi Pollak began his career as an algorithm developer and project leader for an Intel subsidiary, Mobileye, a leader in the emerging, autonomous MaaS (mobility as a service) industry.

Pollack has a bachelor’s of science degree in mathematics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleau, Île-de-France. His first-place win at the school’s Business Venture Competition laid the groundwork for the launching of Sight Diagnostics, which now has offices in London, New York City, and Tel Aviv.

Meet the Team

Seth Restaino
Seth Restaino

Co-Founder

Seth Restaino has devoted the past 20 years of his professional career to software consulting and educational web publishing, and runs production and engineering for Sechel Ventures, which he co-owns with Barry.

Barry Franklin
Barry Franklin

Co-Founder

Before co-founding Sechel Ventures Partners LLC, Barry Franklin was a VP at a Silicon Valley software company. He is an investor and advisor for Data Simply and Impellia. Barry believes that education and lifelong learning are paramount. Barry met his wife at Carnegie Mellon University and they have two beautiful daughters. He also volunteers for various committees at his kids’ high school.

Jocelyn Blore
Jocelyn Blore

Chief Content Strategist

Jocelyn is the chief content officer of Sechel Ventures. She graduated summa cum laude from UC Berkeley and traveled the world for five years as a teacher and freelance writer. She speaks Spanish and Portuguese, and has lived in England (six months), Japan (2.5 years), Brazil (six months), Argentina (ten months), and Southeast Asia (nine months). Paying thought to her international experience, she’s interested in how culture shapes the idea of human progress within societies—one of the many themes she writes about in her blog, Blore’s Razor (Instagram: @bloresrazor).

Ashley Oates, MHA, CPH
Ashley Oates, MHA, CPH

Ashley Oates is a regional operations leader for the Oncology Service Line of Sutter Health, responsible for cancer data services and select supportive care programs across nine hospitals. She leads tumor site-specific governance groups to drive quality, access, and financial performance.

Ashley received a master of health administration (MHA) degree from the University of Pittsburgh and is Certified in Public Health (CPH). Ms. Oates serves as a board member for Keaton’s Childhood Cancer Alliance and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

Becca Brewer, MEd
Becca Brewer, MEd

Writer

Becca Brewer is building a better future on a thriving earth by healing herself into wholeness, divesting from separation, and walking the path of the loving heart. Previously to her journey as an adventurer for a just, meaningful, and regenerative world, Becca was a formally trained sexuality educator with a master of education.

Bernd Geels
Bernd Geels

Writer

Bernd Geels is a Berlin, Germany-based freelance writer and artist. He holds an undergraduate degree in atmospheric science and two graduate degrees. He completed his most recent graduate degree in international environmental studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in 2011. He is interested in healthcare, climate change, marine conservation, indigenous science and refugee issues. You can reach him directly at [email protected].

Bree Nicolello
Bree Nicolello

Writer

Bree is an urban planner and freelance writer based in Seattle, WA. She has worked on land use and housing policy issues throughout the Pacific Northwest. She previously led Run Oregon Run, a nonprofit dedicated to helping Oregonians run for office and apply to boards and commissions. When not writing, she is lovingly tending to her cast iron pans.

Cevia Yellin
Cevia Yellin

Writer

Cevia Yellin is a freelance writer based in Eugene, Oregon. She studied English and French literature as an undergraduate. After serving two years as an AmeriCorps volunteer, she earned her master of arts in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Cevia's travels and experiences working with students of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds have contributed to her interest in the forces that shape identity. She grew up on the edge of Philadelphia, where her mom still lives in her childhood home.

Douglas Mark
Douglas Mark

Writer

While a partner in a San Francisco marketing and design firm, for over 20 years Douglas Mark wrote online and print content for the world’s biggest brands, including United Airlines, Union Bank, Ziff Davis, Sebastiani and AT&T.

Since his first magazine article appeared in MacUser in 1995, he’s also written on finance and graduate business education in addition to mobile online devices, apps, and technology. He graduated in the top 1 percent of his class with a business administration degree from the University of Illinois and studied computer science at Stanford University.

Elizabeth Bradford Kneeland, MBA
Elizabeth Bradford Kneeland, MBA

Writer

Elizabeth Kneeland is a writer and entrepreneur living in Philadelphia. As a small business owner, she spends much of her time creating content, researching markets, and refining financial models. Her career has straddled novel operational and financial modeling, and traditional academic research within the healthcare sector, providing her with a unique perspective on programmatic development. She built the first for-profit telemedicine program for the University of Pennsylvania Health System in 2015. She also has helped build and scale sleep medicine startups in the U.S., China, and Taiwan.

Kneeland has co-authored publications in peer-reviewed journals on topics ranging from device validation to clinician-level educational interventions and has been an invited speaker at medical conferences throughout the U.S., China, and Taiwan. She has most recently contributed to discussions on healthcare technology as a research analyst focused on analytics, real-world data, and patient privacy legislation.

Farheen Gani
Farheen Gani

Writer

Farheen Gani has written many how-to career, online program, and scholarship guides related to master of healthcare administration degrees since 2018. Some guides she has written include online healthcare management programs, master's in regulatory science programs, and health administration scholarships. She writes about healthcare, technology, education, and marketing. Her work has appeared on websites such as Tech in Asia and Foundr, as well as top SaaS blogs such as Zapier and InVision. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter (@FarheenGani).

Jay Bhatt, DO, MPH, MPA
Jay Bhatt, DO, MPH, MPA

Dr. Jay Bhatt, DO, MPH, MPA (pronounced “bot”) is Founder and Principal of JDB Strategies, a health equity and innovation consulting firm. He also is a faculty member at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health, a physician executive, an internist, a geriatrician, a public health innovator, and a widely quoted expert on the most pressing challenges and exciting opportunities in healthcare. These include cross-sector initiatives; the application of predictive analytics and informatics; using Medicare and Medicaid as opportunities to redesign the healthcare system; addressing the social determinants of health to lower costs, improve outcomes and eliminate inequities; technology innovation; and emergency preparedness.

Johannes Stitz
Johannes Stitz

Johannes Stitz is a freelance writer and researcher based in the Southwest. He's written about various topics in medical technology careers. Before turning to freelance writing, he spent nearly a decade in the arts as a booker and event manager.

Kenneth Parker
Kenneth Parker

Writer

A graduate of the University of Oregon, Kenneth Parker is sometimes a musician and rarely a poet. His work spans copy editing, feature writing, and dissertation development.

Kimmy Gustafson
Kimmy Gustafson

Writer

With a unique knack for simplifying complex health concepts, Kimmy Gustafson has become a trusted voice in the healthcare realm, especially on MHAOnline.com, where she has contributed insightful and informative content for prospective and current MHA students since 2019. She frequently interviews experts to provide insights on topics such as collaborative skills for healthcare administrators and sexism and gender-related prejudice in healthcare.

Kimmy has been a freelance writer for more than a decade, writing hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics such as startups, nonprofits, healthcare, kiteboarding, the outdoors, and higher education. She is passionate about seeing the world and has traveled to over 27 countries. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. When not working, she can be found outdoors, parenting, kiteboarding, or cooking.

Laura Childs
Laura Childs

Writer

Laura Childs is a versatile writer and media specialist living in London. She's a California native and has written about arts, culture, and tech in San Francisco. A self-proclaimed data nerd, she loves telling people's stories supported by research. When not writing, Laura teaches and practices yoga.

Matt Zbrog
Matt Zbrog

Writer

Matt Zbrog is a writer and researcher from Southern California. Since 2018, he’s written extensively about emerging issues in healthcare administration and public health, with a particular focus on progressive policies that empower communities and reduce health disparities. His work centers around detailed interviews with researchers, professors, and practitioners, as well as with subject matter experts from professional associations such as the American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) and the American College of Health Care Executives (ACHCA).

Nina Chamlou
Nina Chamlou

Writer

Nina Chamlou is an avid writer and multimedia content creator from Portland, OR. She writes about aviation, travel, business, technology, healthcare, and education. You can find her floating around the Pacific Northwest in diners and coffee shops, studying the locale from behind her MacBook.

Rachel Becker
Rachel Becker

Writer

Rachel Becker is a freelance writer who enjoys life in the PNW. She holds a master's degree in education and taught in elementary classrooms for twelve years. When she is not running around after two toddlers, she makes time for daily movement, running two blogs, and reading.

Rachel Drummond, MEd
Rachel Drummond, MEd

Writer

As a contributor on MHAOnline, Rachel Drummond has brought her expertise in education and mindfulness to the healthcare management field since 2019. She writes about integrating innovation into healthcare administration, emphasizing the importance of mental and physical well-being for effective leadership and decision-making in the fast-paced world of healthcare management.

Rachel is a writer, educator, and coach from Oregon. She has a master’s degree in education (MEd) and has over 15 years of experience teaching English, public speaking, and mindfulness to international audiences in the United States, Japan, and Spain. She writes about the mind-body benefits of contemplative movement practices like yoga on her blog, inviting people to prioritize their unique version of well-being and empowering everyone to live healthier and more balanced lives.

Sara Navratil
Sara Navratil

Writer

Sara Navratil is a freelance writer and a Certified Canfield Success Principles Trainer. She's the owner of Sara Liza Life, a company dedicated to helping people rewrite their lives. She enjoys researching and writing about healthcare-related topics, including information on online MHA programs. When not working she likes to read, bake, and spend time with her family.

Vanessa Salvia
Vanessa Salvia

Writer

Vanessa Salvia is an Oregon-based freelance writer and editor with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. As fun as rigorous studies in math and science were, Vanessa took an independent path and developed a prolific career covering lifestyle topics for magazines and newspapers, important industries such as concrete construction and building waterproofing, and even hard science. You can get in touch at www.sagemediaandmarketing.com.