The Healthcare environment is constantly changing and provider organizations must adapt in order to survive and thrive. Organizations are frequently asked to respond to legislative changes, market fluctuations, safety concerns, and patient or staff demands. The success of major change implementation hinges on how it communicated and how it impacts individuals and processes in the organization. Stakeholders frequently resist change for many reasons, including not having enough information, fear of how the change will affect them, comfort with the status quo, and not understanding the benefits of the change. For change to truly be effective, a leader must know how to effectively communicate the benefits, minimize the barriers, and describe the processes. Learn from your peers as they share approaches that were successful and those that impeded the change process.

Deborah Spielman- SVP/ CEO - Women's Services & Children's Hospital at Erlanger

Deborah Spielman is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 33 years of transformative leadership In various roles across the continuum of care and across both adult and pediatric services and hospitals. In November 2024, she made history as the first female CEO of the Children's Hospital at Erlanger, ushering a new era of innovation and compassionate care for the region's youngest patients. In February 2026, she was promoted to Senior Vice President/ CEO and added Erlanger Women's Services across the system to her portfolio.

She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Healthcare Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government, a foundation that has fueled her strategic vision and policy acumen throughout her career. 

Prior to her current role, Deborah served as Chief Operating Officer at AdventHealth Porter in Denver, Colorado, and previously led operations for AdventHealth for Children and Women in Orlando, Florida. Her expertise spans strategic planning, financial performance, physician collaboration, and multidisciplinary team leadership. She has spearheaded specialized program development in behavioral health, neurosciences, cardiology, and pediatric transplant services, including solid organ and bone marrow.

At Children's Hospital, Deborah oversees a 134-bed tertiary care hospital and a robust pediatric network with more than 125 pediatric specialists. Her leadership is defined by a commitment to building a culture of joy, launching innovative academic partnerships, and expanding access to high-quality care for children and families across the region.

Originally from Bartow, Florida, Deborah now resides on Signal Mountain with her husband, Scott. Their six children and five grandchildren are spread across central Florida and Denver.

James Williams - CHI Memorial Market Chief Operating Officer 

Phone: (513) 284-4475 (mobile)

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/james-williams-b91179b

James Williams joined CHI Memorial in May 2024 as the Market COO. With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare leadership, James brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the health system. Prior to joining CHI Memorial, Mr. Williams served as Chief Administrative Officer at Rochester Regional Health in Rochester, New York. In this role, he led key service lines including oncology, palliative medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, and gastroenterology. He collaborated closely with medical and nursing leaders to manage operations across numerous ambulatory sites and six cancer center locations, overseeing operational and capital budgets exceeding $180 million. His strategic planning efforts focused on service line growth and physician recruitment and retention initiatives. Additionally, Mr. Williams championed performance improvement and lean projects to enhance operational efficiency and ambulatory access, while also developing and implementing quality improvement plans, including

accreditation programs. Earlier in his career, Mr. Williams held leadership positions at Presence Health and Deloitte Consulting, where he led performance improvement initiatives and collaborated with clients to identify and implement cost-saving opportunities. Mr. Williams holds a Master of Health Service Administration degree from Xavier University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. At CHI Memorial, Mr. Williams applies his extensive experience to enhance operational efficiency and improve patient care.

Andrea White- Chief Executive Officer - Kindred Hospital

Andrea White is the Chief Executive Officer of Kindred Hospital in Chattanooga, a role she has held since 2018. She is an experienced healthcare leader with a background in hospital administration, strategic planning, and operations. Prior to joining Kindred, she served as CEO of Select Specialty Hospital in Birmingham and held leadership roles at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. White is known for her focus on patient outcomes, operational excellence, and advancing high-quality care in the community.

Moderator: Danny Fell -Health Systems Practice Lead at Unlock Health

 Danny is a healthcare leader, entrepreneur, digital and brand strategist with extensive experience working with global brands, Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits. Management, finance, and operations experience running and growing startups and mid-sized companies. Expertise in healthcare market research and insights, facilitation and thought leadership, digital marketing, consumerism, and technology trends. Published author and frequent speaker at leading health industry events.

This program has been developed and is presented locally by ACHE of East Tennessee. The American College of Healthcare Executives has awarded 1.5 ACHE In-Person Education hours to this program. To receive credit for this program, your name MUST appear on the sign-in sheet.

For questions regarding this event, please reach out to Amanda Sutton at [email protected].