2022 Regent’s Advisory Council
Chair, Regent’s Advisory Council. ACHE Regent, District 5 – Northern and Central California
Philip Chuang PhD, FACHE
Senior Vice President, Clinical Services, Northern California, Kaiser Permanente
Bio
Philip Chuang is Senior Vice President, Clinical Services for the Northern California region of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals. He works across the delivery system to ensure access to healthcare services by 4.5 million Kaiser Permanente members across all care settings, including care delivery strategy for Medicare and Medicaid, development of new models of care for complex needs and vulnerable populations, and operations oversight of pharmacy, continuum (including SNF, home health and hospice, dialysis, DME, and transport), specialty care services, resource stewardship, PACE, mental health, and perioperative services.
Co-Chair, Regent’s Advisory Council
Rachael McKinney, MHA, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer, Sutter Davis Hospital and (Interim) Sutter Amador Hospital
Bio
Born and raised in Northern Minnesota, Rachael’s healthcare career started at a Minneapolis-based health plan in 2001 where she helped lead community health education efforts. Upon completion of her master’s program, she began her career in Northern California in 2004 as an administrative fellow for Sutter Health. She quickly distinguished herself as a mission-driven, patient-centered and relationship-focused leader in her leadership roles at Sutter Solano Medical Center in Vallejo. She spent seven years leading ancillary services and cancer center operations, where she grew local oncology programs, improved operational efficiency and expanded access to care. She was also selected as one of 25 high-potential leaders to complete Sutter Health’s Leadership Academy.
In 2011, Rachael joined the Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region (now Sutter Health Valley Area) leadership team as the regional executive for neurosciences and was instrumental in the growth and development of the service line and improving quality across the nine-county Sacramento region. She is credited with obtaining and maintaining Joint Commission stroke certification at six hospitals, designing and implementing large-scale construction projects and raising significant philanthropic donations to support patient care.
Prior to returning to Sutter Health in 2017 as the CEO of Sutter Davis Hospital, Rachael served as the chief operating officer for VEP Healthcare, Inc. in Concord, California. During her time there, she helped grow the 1,000-provider organization, built operational infrastructure and improved provider satisfaction significantly across the eight states it serves.
As a leader, Rachael is a dedicated champion of expanding access to care, diversity, inclusion and health equity, high-reliability and safety, engagement and clinical collaboration at the highest level. She is results-driven and dedicated to operating efficient organizations while leading them towards the future with a growth mindset. During her time at Sutter Davis, Rachael has led the vision for the expansion of the emergency department, birthing center and medical surgical unit which will be completed in 2024 while mobilizing and leading the hospital’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital has been awarded Modern Healthcare’s Best Places to Work and achieved top decile performance in quality and patient experience under her leadership. Additionally, Rachael enjoys mentoring early careerists and is passionate about various community partnerships and the broad impact working together has on the community.
Rachael holds a bachelor’s degree in health fitness with a minor in economics from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves as a Board Member of the Child Abuse Prevention Center, the California Association of Healthcare Leaders (CAHL) and the University of Minnesota MHA Alumni Association. In 2019, she was awarded the Patriotic Employer Award by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and was selected as a participant of World 50 Next Leader, an exclusive executive development program for top leaders from around the world. In 2021, Rachael was an honoree of the Sacramento Business Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business” She currently resides in Sacramento with her family and in her free time enjoys being active, listening to live music, reading and traveling.
Sutter Davis Hospital is part of the Sutter Health network, a not-for-profit, integrated health system located in Northern California. The 48-bed hospital was the recipient of the 2013 Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award in 2013 and is dedicated to serving the residents of Yolo County and surrounding communities. For more information on Sutter Davis Hospital and the Sutter Health system, visit www.sutterhealth.org/davis.
Member, Regent’s Advisory Council
Bio
Abraham Cicchetti is an accomplished executive leader with extensive experience in strategic operations, business development, and financial management. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a keen ability to drive growth and profitability by implementing effective business strategies and forging strong partnerships with stakeholders.
Mr. Cicchetti’s expertise in financial acumen and strategic planning has been honed through years of experience in executive-level positions in a variety of industries. He has held leadership roles in both large corporations and small businesses, consistently delivering results through his innovative and collaborative approach.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Mr. Cicchetti is deeply committed to giving back to his community. He is a dedicated mentor to youth with disadvantaged backgrounds and works tirelessly
with several organizations geared towards making a positive impact in the Greater Sacramento communities. His passion for serving others is reflected in his role as Treasurer and Executive Board Member for the California Association for Healthcare Leaders (CAHL), where he has served with distinction and helped drive meaningful change. Additionally, he serves as a member of the Regent’s Advisory Council for the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), assisting in helping his chapter execute ACHE’s core strategies. Furthermore, he is a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA).
Mr. Cicchetti currently serves as Campus Director of Gurnick Academy in Sacramento, CA. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration- Accountancy and an M.S. in Healthcare Administration Interprofessional Leadership from the University of California, San Francisco. Mr. Cicchetti is a Certified Higher Education Professional (CHEP) with over 15 years of experience in Higher Education, concentrating on healthcare disciplines.
Member, Regent’s Advisory Council
Sheila Baxter MPH
Principal of Business Development, & Chief of Staff, Kaiser Permanente Digital
Bio
Sheila Baxter is responsible for leading resource coordination, strategic partnerships, advancing thought leadership and supporting talent strategy within Kaiser Permanente’s (KP) Digital division.
Prior to joining KP, she held the position of VP of Business Development and Marketing at Healthy Communities Institute, playing an instrumental role in growing the business to acquisition by Xerox (now Conduent). Sheila also worked for the United Nations (WHO) and Ministry of Health in Western Samoa via the Council of Women World Leaders implementing and revising national policies and working closely with the US Navy.
Sheila completed her Master’s in Public Health in Health Policy and Management at UC Berkeley where she received the Henrik L. Blum Award for Distinguished Social Action and held the position as former President of UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health’s Alumni Association. She currently serves on KP Digital’s Transformation Advisory Council, is an Advisor for a startup called ConnectWell, and previously served as a board member of the Women Health Care Executives of NorCal. In 2017, she completed a 2-year Marketing Management Certificate program via Harvard Extension and last year acquired an executive education certificate focused on “Leading Digital Transformation in Health Care” via Harvard Medical School. Sheila can be reached at sheila.s.baxter@gmail.com
Member, Regent’s Advisory Council
Brad Simmons MHA, FACHE
Chief Administrator,
UC Davis Medical Center and Chief Operating Officer, Hospital Division.
Bio
BRAD SIMMONS is the Interim Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Operating Officer of
the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. Simmons joined the UC Davis Medical Center in
2016 as COO, and was named Interim CEO in 2018.
Prior to joining UC Davis Medical Center, Simmons served as chief operating officer of Saint
Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, a nationally recognized Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award
recipient. He previously served as senior vice president of Medicine, Surgical & Emergency
Trauma Services at Parkland Health and Hospital System in Dallas. He also has earned board
certification in health care management as a fellow of the American College of Healthcare
Executives (FACHE), which signifies expertise, experience and commitment to continuing
education and professional development.
His responsibilities at UC Davis Medical Center, which also includes UC Davis Children’s
Hospital, involve operational, logistical and patient-support services, and include nursing and
medical staff clinical operations. He has oversight of level 1 trauma and emergency services,
surgery and post-operative care services, as well as facility operations and supply chain
management.
In addition, Simmons is a key leader in managed care and regulatory oversight of hospital based
clinics, as well as leading the medical center’s engagement with Hospital Council for
emergency medical services.
Simmons’ varied responsibilities also extend to UC Davis’ 140-acre Sacramento campus, home
to more than 3 million square feet of buildings, a number of mandated seismic safety upgrades,
and multiple major expansion projects, including the recently announced UC Davis
Rehabilitation Hospital and other hospital affiliations.
Simmons is active in the community and involved in various Sacramento community
organizations. He currently sits on the boards of directors for PBS/KVIE, the Saint John’s
Program for Real Change and the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the
American College of Healthcare Executives Northern and Central California Regents Advisory
Council, and a Senior Fellow in the American Leadership Forum – Sacramento
Member, Regent’s Advisory Council
Kelly Flannery MHA, FACHE
Chief Planning Officer at US Department of Veterans Affairs/Sierra Pacific Network (VISN 21)
Bio
Mr. Kelly Brian Flannery is the Chief Planning Officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Sierra Pacific Network, serving veterans in Northern California, Nevada, and the Pacific Islands. Kelly’s VA career spans 20 years and began as an anesthesia technician at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and continued in progressive leadership positions in health administration prior to him joining the VA Sierra Pacific Network office in March 2012. In 2019 Kelly was appointed to the VA Regent’s Advisory Council (RAC) and currently serves on the RAC Strategic Goals Taskforce. Kelly is a board-certified Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and 2019 Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program Scholar. He is also a member of the California Association of Healthcare Leaders (CAHL) and standing member of the CAHL Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Member, Regent’s Advisory Council
Aemal Aminy MHSA
System Director, Alameda Health System
Bio
Aemal Aminy, MHA is the System Director of Security, Parking, and Transportation at Alameda Health System. Alameda Health System is Alameda County’s integrated safety net public hospital system. He has a diverse professional background leading regional operations in the financial industry. Most recently, providing analytics support for operational excellence, process improvement and industry benchmarking at UCSF Children’s Hospital.
Mr. Aminy holds a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from California State University, East Bay. He received his undergraduate degree in Health Sciences with a concentration in Administration from San Jose State University. He is a member of the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). He currently serves as the co-chair of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) committee for the California Association of Healthcare Leaders (CAHL)
Member, Regent’s Advisory Council
Kiren Rizvi Jafry
Area Operations Executive – Sutter Bay Medical Foundation, San Francisco & Marin
Bio
Kiren Rizvi Jafry has been the Area Operations Executive at Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation in San Francisco, an affiliate of the northern California integrated health system, Sutter Health, since 2017. She began her career at Sutter over a decade ago as an Administrative Fellow. She later worked in M&A, organizational development, and integration of medical groups and medical foundations. Over the past 7 years her focus has been multispecialty ambulatory clinical operations.
Prior to her time Sutter Health, Rizvi Jafry worked in the field of health policy, advocacy, and community organizing at the California state and national levels. She focused on expanding health coverage for children, California healthcare reform and diversity in the healthcare workforce.
Rizvi Jafry holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Health from UC Berkeley and an MPA from the University of Southern California with an emphasis in Health Administration. Her interests are in community health partnerships, global health and innovation.
Member, Regent’s Advisory Council
Bryanna Gallaway MPA-HSA, CPXP
Senior XM Scientist – Healthcare Products, Qualtrics
Bio
Bryanna’s professional passion is improving the human experience through partnership building, problem solving, celebration, and continuous culture change – essentially operationalizing compassion.
Bryanna graduated with a Masters in Public Administration and Health Services Administration from the University of San Francisco. She has been a healthcare professional for over seventeen years, in a variety of roles. She began her career as a training program manager and consultant for electronic health record initiatives within community health organizations across the Unites States. Always eager to learn about the continually changing healthcare landscape, she joined the Stanford Health Care team in May 2012 as Stanford’s first Administrative Fellow. At the close of her Administrative Fellowship she joined the Stanford management team, overseeing the patient experience programs at the hospital, clinics, and network medical foundation. Her role included the strategic development and deployment of patient satisfaction data collection and performance improvement initiatives related to that experience data, from complaint and grievance management to recognitions and celebrations. She also held responsibility for the Volunteer Resources and Patient & Family Partners team, engaging over 1000 volunteers in meaningful opportunities across Stanford Health Care.
Bryanna’s role within the Sutter Health Clinical Leadership Team includes accountabilities for Sutter’s Service and Patient Experience Standards, Patient and Family Advisor Program, Patient Experience Measurement and Reporting, Health Literacy and Patient Education Strategy, and Patient Experience Improvement Communities.
Aside from professional activities, she very much enjoys time with family and friends in wine country, attending music festivals, crafting with hot glue and pretty fabrics, and hosting themed parties and dinner events (pre-COVID). Bryanna, along with her husband, three year old Ryder, and puppy Jenner currently live a full and fun life in San Mateo, CA.
In addition to her work at Sutter Health, she remains active in many local and national healthcare organizations. Bryanna is an active member of The Beryl Institute, currently serving as the co-chair of the Patient Experience Advisory Board, as a “The New Existence” steering committee member, the Co-Chair of the Patient Experience Ambassador Workgroup, and is among the earliest cohort of leaders to achieve the credential of Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP) from the Patient Experience Institute. She also served as a Board Chair for the Diversity Committee, Communications Committee, and the Higher Education Network Committee for the California Association of Healthcare Leaders (CAHL), and was awarded the 2016 CAHL Volunteer of the Year Award and 2017 American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Early Careerist Regent Award. She was formerly the President of the Women Health Care Executives (WHCE), one of seven ACHE Women Health Executive Networks in the country.
More about Bryanna’s Professional Contributions:
- Speaker Series (NYGH 2021): Elevating PFA Partnerships at Sutter Health
- The Beryl Institute Community Connection (DATE):
- SHC People Magazine (Summer 2017): Likelihood to Recommend: Celebrating Achievements in C-I-CARE
- SHC People Magazine (Spring 2016): Five Years of C-I-CARE
- SHC People Magazine (Fall 2015): Patient Partners
- SHC People Magazine (Summer 2014): The Patient Experience
- The Beryl Institute Blog (May 2016): PX Body of Knowledge
- USF (Alumni Spotlight): Improving the Human Experience
- Stanford Medicine (Medical Staff Update): SHC Training Grounds Helps Create Future Leaders
Member, Regent’s Advisory Council
Daryn Kumar MBA, FACHE
President/Chief Executive Officer at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Center
Bio
Daryn J. Kumar has been with Dignity Health since 2019 and became the President of Dignity Health’s two San Francisco campuses, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Center in January of 2021. From 2004 until 2018, Daryn served in a number of executive leadership roles within Sutter Health, including serving as the Chief Executive Officer at Memorial Medical Center in Modesto for 6 years, the Chief Operating Officer at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, Chief Operating Officer at Sutter Roseville Medical Center and Assistant Administrator at Sutter Delta Medical Center, in Antioch, California. Prior to working for Sutter Health, he served in a variety of leadership positions with Tenet Healthcare Corporation at Doctor’s Medical Center, San Pablo/Pinole in the East Bay Area from 1998 to 2004. Daryn started his career in healthcare in the United States Air Force as a Radiological Technologist and served on active duty from 1989 to 1998 and on active reserve duty from 2000 to 2006. “
Member, Regent’s Advisory Council
Sheila Antrum RN, MHSA
Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President – University of California, San Francisco Health
President, University of California San Francisco Medical Center
Bio
Sheila Antrum is Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, UCSF Health, and President, UCSF Medical Center.
In her role, Sheila serves as an integral member of the UCSF Health System executive leadership team, including as a member of the Executive Leadership Council, which reviews and shapes health system policies, aligns strategic priorities with health system goals and objectives, and adjudicates complex and large-scale issues the health system faces. She is responsible for the administrative and operational functions of the health system which include operational strategies and infrastructure to support the continuum of patient care services, patient experience, quality and safety, financial strength, and strategic growth.
Sheila received her Master of Health Services Administration at the University of Michigan, School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Hampton Institute in Virginia.