THOMAS J. CURRY LEADERSHIP KEYNOTE SPEAKER
RON FRIEDMAN, PhD, is a social psychologist who specializes in human motivation. His book, "The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace," has been praised by best-selling authors Daniel Pink, David Allen, Marshall Goldsmith, Susan Cain, and Adam Grant. Friedman has served on the faculty of the University of Rochester, Nazareth College, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and has consulted for Fortune 500 companies, political leaders, and the world's leading nonprofits. Popular accounts of his research have appeared on NPR and in major newspapers and magazines. He is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review, CNN, Forbes, Fast Company, and Psychology Today.
VALERIE BLACK, MBA, is an author, speaker, coach, and award-winning business leader. In 2008 she co-founded Vera Whole Health, a national on-site clinic provider, and was chief visionary officer until 2015. Co-creator of The Coach Approach CME for leaders and physicians, she loves supporting the cultivation of emotional intelligence in health care settings. In 2014, the Puget Sound Business Journal awarded her the Woman of Influence Award for her impact on the health care industry. Today, as a consultant and coach, Black supports leaders and organizations in healing burnout and increasing connection. Recent health care clients include Seattle Children's Hospital, Physicians Insurance, Sound Medicine, and Seattle OB/GYN.
PAUL DECHANT, MD, MBA, FAAFP, is a deputy chief health officer with IBM Watson Health. He has more than 25 years of clinical and management experience in medical group leadership, as well as expertise in Lean management and preventing physician burnout. As CEO of the Sutter Gould Medical Foundation, the 300-physician medical group achieved the highest overall rating of 170 medical groups in California two years in a row, and provider satisfaction improved from the 45th to the 87th percentile in the AMGA Provider Satisfaction Survey. In his current role he coaches C-level executives on transforming their management system and culture reducing clinician burnout, and improving clinical outcomes. He coauthored a book on the subject "Preventing Physician Burnout: Curing the Chaos and Returning Joy to the Practice of Medicine" and blogs regularly at www.pauldechantmd.com.
ANTHONY DORSCH, MBA, MHA, is the executive director for UW Physicians (UWP), the practice group for more than 2,200 physicians and health care providers who are active faculty in the UW School of Medicine. Dorsch is also a clinical instructor in the UW Executive MHA program, where he teaches health care finance. In this course, he teaches health care leaders how to create their own financial planning toolkit and how to apply it to case studies. Prior to joining UWP, Dorsch served as vice president of operational finance for CHI Franciscan Medical Group in Tacoma, WA. He also served in finance leadership positions at Providence Health & Services, including chief financial officer for the Providence Alaska Region.
GAIL GAZELLE, MD, FACP, is a hospice physician, a master executive coach for physicians, and an inspiring and dynamic speaker. An assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, her passion is helping physicians learn the resilience skills they need to thrive. Featured in such venues as O, The Oprah Magazine, CNN, and the Physician Leadership Journal, she brings practical skills and hope to clinicians. Dr. Gazelle is the author of "Building Your Resilient Self: 52 Tips to Move from Physician Burnout to Balance," and the 2013 Harvard Health Guide "Mindfulness Support for Alzheimer's Caregivers."
KATHERINE SANDERS, PhD, consults with leaders seeking healthier and sustainably productive working lives for themselves and their employees. She has a BS, MS, and PhD in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her specialties are human factors engineering— the design of work to promote health and productivity—and occupational stress. Sanders' health-promoting leadership programs, BeEffectiveSeries, help leaders see how their daily decisions about how work gets done affect their own health and the health of those they lead. She works with university, health care and corporate leaders to plan and implement human-centered change initiatives.
JEFF THOMPSON, MD, is an author, pediatrician, and CEO emeritus of the Gundersen Health System. In his 14 years as CEO, he nearly tripled the size and assets while winning awards for quality and service, and lowering cost. He is internationally recognized for building successful advance care planning, environmental, and community-building programs. Dr. Thompson was awarded the White House Champions of Change award in 2013, and in 2015 he received the Practice Green Health Visionary Leader Award.