Business Leader of the Year

Ronald R. Peterson, president of the Johns Hopkins Health System, and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine and recently retired former president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, has been named Business Leader of the Year for 2016 by Loyola University’s Sellinger School of Business and Management. The award honors business executives who embody Loyola’s Jesuit commitment to community and service in the leadership of their organization. 

New Suburban Hospital President

Jacqueline “Jacky” Schultz, R.N., M.S.N., C.N.A.A., has been appointed president of Suburban Hospital. A 30-year veteran of the health care industry, Schultz was chosen by the hospital’s board of trustees to assume its top post after having served as interim president since last October. Schultz came to Suburban in 2005 and has held a wide variety of key administrative positions, including chief nursing officer, senior vice president for patient care, senior vice president for clinical operations, executive vice president and chief operating officer.

New Strategic Communications Director

Cynthia Gutierrez-White has been appointed director of strategic communications for Johns Hopkins Medicine. Previously, she was the American Red Cross’ senior official spokesperson for Spanish-language media. Prior to that, she was the senior public and media relations specialist for Miami Children’s Hospital.

Berman Institute of Bioethics

Jeffrey Kahn, Ph.D., M.P.H., has been named the Andreas C. Dracopoulos Director of the Berman Institute of Bioethics. Since 2011, Kahn has been the Robert Henry Levi and Ryda Hecht Levi Professor of Bioethics and deputy director of policy and administration at the institute. He succeeds Ruth Faden, Ph.D., M.P.H., founder of the institute and its director since 1995. An acclaimed leader in the field, Kahn has focused on the intersection of ethics and health and science policies.

Trailblazers

Tina Cheng, M.D., M.P.H., director of the Department of Pediatrics, and Lillie Shockney, R.N., M.A.S., University Distinguished Service Professor of Breast Cancer and administrative director of the Johns Hopkins Breast Center, each received a Women in Business Trailblazers in Healthcare Award from Baltimore’s Center Club. Cheng has developed award-winning models of primary care to address the needs of vulnerable children, adolescents and families. Shockney, a two-time breast cancer survivor, has worked tirelessly to improve the care of breast cancer patients around the world.

Blumenthal Awards

The seventh annual Stanley L. Blumenthal M.D. Cardiology Research Awards for postdoctoral fellows; graduate, medical, nursing and public health students; and house staff awarded the following: First prize for Basic Science Oral Presentation went to Shira Ziegler, who is in the M.D./Ph.D. program; second-place prizes went to Stephen Chelko, Ph.D., and Mark Ranek, Ph.D. First place in Clinical/Translational Research Oral Presentation was given to Seamus Whelton, M.D., M.P.H. First place for Basic Science Poster Presentation went to Guobao Chen, Ph.D.; second place went to William Schmidt, Ph.D.; third prize went to Olurotimi Mesubi, M.B.B.S. Winners of the Clinical/Translational Research Poster Competition were Taylor Purvis, a first-year medical student; second prize, Renato Quispe, M.D., M.P.H.; and third prize went to Tom Metkus, M.D.

EAST BALTIMORE

Pablo Celnik, M.D., professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, has been named the Lawrence Cardinal Shehan Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and director of that department after having served as interim director for 18 months. Celnik will also serve as physiatrist-in-chief for The Johns Hopkins Hospital. 

Jennifer Nickoles has been appointed chief of staff for the school of medicine. She succeeds Christine White, who retired at the end of June. Previously the director of the Office of Faculty Research Resources, Nickoles will work closely with Dean/CEO Paul Rothman, M.D., and other school of medicine leaders to coordinate administrative and strategic functions, as well as oversee a broad range of activities within the dean’s office.

Suzanne Topalian, M.D., professor of surgery and oncology, director of the Melanoma Program, and associate director of the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, will share the 2016 Taubman Prize for Excellence in Translational Medical Science in recognition of her  immunotherapy research. Topalian will split the $100,000 award with Jedd Wolchok, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the Immunotherapeutics Service at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

David Valle, M.D., professor and director of the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, has received the American Society of Human Genetics’ 2016 Arno Motulsky-Barton Childs Award for Excellence in Human Genetics Education. The award recognizes Valle’s exceptional contributions to human genetics education internationally. Valle holds joint appointments in the departments of Pediatrics, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Ophthalmology, and Biology.  

JOHNS HOPKINS BAYVIEW MEDICAL CENTER

Michelle D’Alessandro, R.N., D.N.P., N.E.A.-B.C., has been appointed director of nursing for medicine. She has 19 years of experience in nursing and 11 years of holding leadership positions in nursing at Johns Hopkins Bayview.

Elizabeth Ferrugia, M.C.S.W., has been named director of performance improvement and training for support services. Her duties will include implementing initiatives to enhance data collection and analysis, as well as overseeing support services’ education and training programs. Previously, she served as manager of clinical services for the Johns Hopkins Bayview Care Center and was manager of performance improvement for support services.

Morning Gutierrez, R.N., B.S.N., has been named assistant patient care manager for surgery and orthopaedics. Gutierrez is a 19-year nursing veteran at Johns Hopkins Bayview.

JoRon “Joe” Johnson, M.B.A., has been appointed director of supply chain management. Having come to Johns Hopkins Bayview from The Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he led the surgical supply chain for two years, Johnson will oversee supply services, the central store room, receiving, materials distribution, linen distribution and mail services. 

HOWARD COUNTY GENERAL HOSPITAL

Mohammed Shafeeq Ahmed, M.D., M.B.A., has been named vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer. Serving as the hospital’s designated medical safety and quality officer, he will oversee the integration of services and quality care standards with those of Johns Hopkins Medicine. An obstetrician and gynecologist, Ahmed most recently served as chief operating officer/chief medical officer at Baystate Health’s Eastern Region, located in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Mary Ann Davis has been appointed senior marketing and communications manager at Howard County General. Most recently, she spent nine years as digital marketing administrator and copywriter for Carroll Community College. 

JOHNS HOPKINS COMMUNITY PHYSICIANS

Jennifer Bailey, R.N., M.S., has been promoted to vice president for quality and transformation, and Christopher Herzog has been promoted to chief financial officer. Bailey will maintain her positions as senior director for ambulatory quality with the Office of Johns Hopkins Physicians and the Armstrong Institute for Quality and Patient Safety, and Herzog will retain his position as vice president of finance.

JOHNS HOPKINS ALL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Sylvia Ameen has been appointed the new vice president for marketing and communications. Previously, she was interim chief marketing officer and vice president of the All Children’s Hospital Foundation, which she joined in 1989. 

JOHNS HOPKINS MEDICINE INTERNATIONAL

Dinesh Ganesan, M.B.A., has been named vice president and chief financial officer. Previously, he was CFO for the U.S. employer segments and provider network at Cigna, a global health services company.