ACHENTX Second Quarter Education Event

Agenda:

3-3:30pm - Networking & Check In

3:30-5pm - Panel 1 - Ethical Challenges in Healthcare Leadership

Ethical challenges arise in all aspects of healthcare and service, from the bedside to the boardroom. Hospital leaders and boards set the ethical compass of the organization by making decisions about priorities, policies, and resource allocation as they determine the best ways to meet the needs of their communities, while respecting their staff and the populations they serve. Understanding the expanding paradigm of planning, creating, and maintaining an ethical healthcare organization is crucial to help identify strategies for implementing ethics initiatives within your own organization. Healthcare leaders must “walk the talk” and demonstrate their commitment to ethics throughout their organization.

Panel 1 Moderator:

R. Bryan Day, FACHE

Director of Operational Design and Deployment

Texas Health Resources

Panel 1 Panelists:

Sondra Davis, PharmD, FACHE

Vice President Operations

Medical City

Dr. Michael Rubin

Director of Clinical Ethics

UT Southwestern

Ashley Thompson Smith

Ethics and Compliance Officer

Medical City Plano/Frisco/ Sachse

5-5:30pm - Networking Break (including snacks & beverages)

5:30-7pm - Panel 2 - Employing Social Media to Build Customer Satisfaction and Community Outreach

Social media, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter) and blogs, have opened new channels of communication between individuals in a meaningful and highly interactive way. Online communities allow organizations to hear directly from customers and vice versa. Healthcare organizations benefit from the use of social media platforms to reach beyond the physical setting in growing their communities. Social media tools enhance the customer experience by building communities of care, engendering patient support and education that extend beyond treatment within a facility. They also create new forums for staff to connect beyond face-to-face interaction, increasing satisfaction and belonging and providing new avenues for recruitment. In addition, social media offers new means with which to deliver news and events, new product roll outs and other initiatives that benefit the community at large. Discover the advantage of incorporating social media into your strategic plan to enhance patient satisfaction, grow your customer base and increase the visibility of your organization.

Panel 2 Moderator:

Bert Witherspoon

Chief Operating Officer

Texas Vision and Laser

Panel 2 Panelists:

Makala Pollard

Director of Brand Management

Texas Health Resources

Melissa Weston

Senior VP Marketing

US Radiology

Speakers Bios:

Sondra Davis joined Medical City Plano as the Vice President of Operations in January 2025.

Prior to January 2025, Sondra served as the Director of Ph*rm*cy and co-Ethics & Compliance Officer at Medical City Arlington. She began her career with Medical City Healthcare in 2007 and progressed in her clinical and operational leadership roles during her tenure.

She earned her Doctor of Ph*rm*cy from Midwestern University College of Ph*rm*cy, her MBA in Health Services Management from UNT College of Business and her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at Arlington.

R. Bryan Day, FACHE serves in the role of Director of Operational Design & Deployment at Texas Health Resources. He leads system-wide design and deployment of strategic clinical and operational initiatives within Texas Health. This includes managing a team and leading large initiatives to evaluate, design, and implement solutions to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve. He has 13 years of experience in various healthcare administration roles. Bryan has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Finance from Abilene Christian University, a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from Trinity University, and is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Makala Pollard is a healthcare executive with over 25 years of experience in healthcare marketing and brand strategy. As the Director of Brand Management for Texas Health, she ensures brand compliance, enhances customer experience, and leads branding efforts for physician practices, joint ventures, and new services. Makala also oversees social media and digital assets, and directs new market launch plans and positioning strategies.

Michael Rubin, MD, MA is a critical care neurologist and neuroethicist. He has a scholarly interest in death determination, coma, shared decision-making, and the ethics of invasive brain research. After completing neurology residency at UT Southwestern and critical care training at Washington University in St Louis, he completed a master's in bioethics and health policy from Loyola Chicago. He serves as the Director of Clinical Ethics at UT Southwestern, co-director and creator of NOMAD and is a UTSW Certified Professional Coach. He is a national leader in neuroethics, including authoring multiple position papers with the American Academy of Neurology’s Ethics, Law, and Humanities Committee.

During the last 3.5 years at Medical City Plano/Frisco and now Sachse, Ashley Thompson Smith has made multiple contributions to our Cardiovascular and Neuroscience programs. Some highlights have been developing the nationally know ECMO/ECPR program, leading the implementation of a true neurocritical care ICU, and driving growth and improvement in our overall outcomes in the CV Surgery, Cath Lab, and ECMO spaces. Ashley has 16 years of experience leading cardiovascular programs. Additionally, she has served as our Ethics and Compliance officer for Medical City Plano, Frisco, and Sachse for the last two years and works with many other service lines in the development space.

Melissa Weston is an award winning global commercial executive with over 20 years of expertise spanning consumer packaged goods, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals. She’s renowned for her ability to transform businesses, Melissa excels at accelerating performance through synergizing complex strategies across the US or international markets. Her strategic vision has consistently driven brand evolution, leveraging insights, segmentation, and positioning with omnichannel effectiveness to boost profitability.

Currently, Melissa serves as Senior Vice President of Marketing at US Radiology, one of the largest radiology companies in the nation. Her approach to leadership is characterized by a principle-centered style that fosters high-performing, collaborative cultures. Outside of her professional endeavors, Melissa is an avid drummer and enjoys capturing architectural beauty through photography. She lives with her husband, Dan, and their black lab Maggie. She and Dan have two financially independent adult sons. She’s very proud they even have their own Netflix accounts.

Bert Witherspoon is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 20 years of leadership experience, beginning with a distinguished career as a firefighter and paramedic with the Denton Fire Department. Over nearly two decades in emergency services, he honed his expertise in crisis response, operational leadership, and patient care. His passion for healthcare administration led him to serve as President and COO of Sacred Cross EMS, where he spent nine years leading business development, financial management, and strategic growth for a private transfer and contracted Emergency ambulance service.

Building on this foundation, Bert transitioned into broader healthcare management, holding executive roles in business development, physician relations, and operations across multi-site health systems. As the Chief Operating Officer of Texas Vision & Laser Center, he oversees all financial, operational, and strategic management functions, driving growth, efficiency, and profitability. A Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), he is dedicated to leveraging innovation, business development, and provider relations to enhance patient care and organizational success.

In addition to his leadership role, Bert serves as the 2025 Chair of the Communications Committee for ACHE of North Texas, where he focuses on advancing strategic communication efforts. With deep expertise in business development, social media engagement, and digital strategy, he is committed to enhancing healthcare outreach and community engagement.

Host or Publisher ACHE of North Texas