The Pennsylvania Healthcare Power 100: 11-50

11. Richard Anderson

President and CEO, St. Luke’s University Health Network

Richard Anderson has spent 35 years at the helm of St. Luke’s University Health Network and watched it grow from a single hospital into a regional health care powerhouse. Last year, Anderson was honored for his three decades of services at St. Luke’s, which now has 12 hospitals and more than 16,000 employees across the state. Under his leadership, St. Luke’s School of Nursing was established, and is currently the longest-operating nursing school in the nation.

12. Elizabeth Balderston

Chair, Main Line Health

As chair of the Main Line Health Board of Governors, Elizabeth “Betsy” Balderston is charged with overseeing a board made up of health care professionals, business leaders, legal experts and academics. Prior to serving as a trustee for Main Line Health, a nonprofit health system serving portions of Philadelphia and its suburbs, she worked at Jefferson Health System and raised money for The Shipley School, a private, coeducational institution in Bryn Mawr. 

13. John Lynch

President and CEO, Main Line Health

With nearly two decades as the head of Main Line Health, John Lynch has overseen the addition of one hospital and six health centers. Lynch currently has a total of four acute care hospitals under his purview, all of which have been ranked among the top 10 in Philadelphia and in the top 20 of all acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania, according to U.S. News & World Report.

14. Alison Beam

Acting Secretary of Health

Alison Beam joined the Pennsylvania Department of Health at a critical time. Her predecessor had just left for a new appointment in Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania was just beginning to roll out its COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Despite experiencing setbacks, under Beam’s leadership, the state has now vaccinated more than 60% of residents and ranks among the top 10 states in the nation in terms of COVID-19 vaccines administered by the percentage of the state’s population.

15. Meg Snead

Acting Secretary of Human Services

A former Secretary of Policy and Planning to Gov. Tom Wolf, Meg Snead was nominated to lead the state Department of Human Services in March 2021 and comes to the department with a wealth of experience. She previously worked in the department as an executive policy specialist focused on Medicaid and other health-related policy areas, experience that will serve her well leading an agency that provides crucial services to vulnerable populations.

16. Denise Johnson

Acting Physician General

Dr. Denise Johnson took over as the state’s acting physician general in 2021, succeeding Dr. Wendy Braund, who also served in an acting capacity. Johnson most recently worked as the Chief Medical Officer at the Meadville Medical Center. Johnson worked in private practice for more than a decade and is certified in obstetrics and gynecology. She is a fellow at the American College of Healthcare Executives and also serves on Gov. Tom Wolf’s Commission for Women.

17. Jennifer Smith

Secretary of Drug and Alcohol Programs

Jennifer Smith has been laser-focused on combating the opioid epidemic in Pennsylvania since taking over at the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs in 2018. Smith has been a vocal advocate for the use of medication-assisted treatment for those suffering from addiction, and has worked to increase drug take-back initiatives, as well as expand access to naloxone. She has also worked with the department of health on connecting overdose survivors with addiction treatment.

18. Rachel Levine

Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Over the span of a year and a half, Dr. Rachel Levine has went from a little-known figure running the Pennsylvania Department of Health to the first transgender official confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Levine oversaw Pennsylvania’s initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and did so amid attacks against her gender identity. She was later tapped by President Joe Biden to serve in his administration and her nomination was approved with a 52-48 vote.

19. David Baiada

CEO, BAYADA Home Health Care

David Baiada succeeded his father, Mark Baiada, as CEO of BAYADA Home Health Care in 2017, taking charge of a home health care company that currently provides pediatric and adult care to more than 35,000 people per week. BAYADA operates in 22 states and has more than 26,000 employees, and provides at-home health care and support services for children and adults. 

20. Zach Shamberg

President and CEO, Pennsylvania Health Care Association

Zach Shamberg emerged as one of Pennsylvania’s most vocal advocates for the long-term care community in 2020, as he fought for resources for nursing homes as they were battered by COVID-19 cases. Prior to ascending to president and CEO, Shamberg served as PHCA’s director of advocacy and legislative affairs, a position he held since 2014, when he left his position as state Rep. Todd Stephens’ chief of staff.

21. Andy Carter

President and CEO, The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania

Since 2012, Andy Carter has served as president and CEO of HAP, where he oversees an association that represents more than 240 hospitals and health care systems in the Commonwealth. Under his leadership, HAP and its members have stood on the front lines against COVID-19 and encouraged the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations. Prior to joining HAP, Carter was president and CEO of the Visiting Nurse Associations of America, and formerly was president of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association. 

22. Matt Yarnell

President, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania

Elected president of the Pennsylvania chapter of SEIU Healthcare in 2016, Matt Yarnell heads the state’s largest union of health care workers and nurses, made up of more than 45,000 people in the health care space. At the time he was elected president, Yarnell was the youngest president of a major union in Pennsylvania and highest-ranking union leader in the state. He also served as SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania’s executive vice president for long term care before his current role.

23. Katalin Karikó

Senior Vice President, BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals

Katalin Karikó spent her entire career immersed in the possibilities of using messenger RNA – or mRNA – technology to instruct the body to create its own defenses against disease and illness. And her greatest success couldn’t have come at a more pivotal moment. Karikó’s mRNA research was crucial to the development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which has helped saved countless lives already. 

24. Deborah Rice-Johnson & Michael Warfel

President; Vice President, Government Affairs, Highmark, Inc. 

Responsible for Highmark’s leadership and strategic direction, Deborah Rice-Johnson oversees the Pittsburgh-based health insurer, which has more than $18 billion in revenue and serves more than 6 million patients. Michael Warfel is the company’s leader when it comes to public policy. Last year, Highmark had more than $750,000 in lobbying expenditures, with contributions going to lawmakers from both parties in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C. 

25. Steven Collis

Chair, President and CEO, AmerisourceBergen

As AmerisourceBergen’s chair, president and CEO, Steven Collis is instrumental in charting the course for the behemoth drug wholesale company, which has worldwide reach. AmerisourceBergen is currently ranked eighth on the Fortune 500 list, and under Collis’ watch, the company saw a recent 5.7% year-over-year revenue increase, as well as 80% growth in revenue since Collis took command.

26. Michael Young

President and CEO, Temple University Health System

In his current role, Michael Young currently oversees both Temple University Hospital and Temple University Health System, which includes four hospitals, seven multispecialty centers and a collection of community offices and urgent care locations. Young came to Temple with an extensive background in hospital administration, spending time at Pinnacle Health System in Harrisburg, Lancaster General Hospital & Health System, as well as hospitals in Georgia and New York. 

27. Cynthia Hundorfean & Sri Chalikonda

CEO and President; Chief Medical Operations Officer, Allegheny Health Network

Cynthia Hundorfean has been nationally recognized for her leadership of Allegheny Health Network, the $3.6 billion Pittsburgh-based health system made up of 12 hospitals and more than 21,000 employees. Hundorfean was named one of the country’s “Top 25 Women Leaders” in 2019 by Modern Healthcare magazine. Dr. Sri Chalikonda is the chief medical operations officer for Allegheny Health Network, overseeing the health system’s physician organization. He has been nationally recognized for his use of advanced surgical procedures to treat stomach cancers. 

28. Steve Massini

CEO, Penn State Health

Steve Massini is charged with managing the operations and direction of the health system, which includes Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Health Children’s Hospital and a host of other locations that provide care to patients in 29 counties. Massini previously worked as executive vice president, chief financial officer and chief administrative officer for Penn State Health and spent time at Geisinger Health System in administrative and financial roles.

29. Deborah Berini

President, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Deborah Berini leads Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, a 628-bed hospital that is the largest in the Penn State health system. It is an academic and research facility and is the only in Pennsylvania that is an accredited Level 1 trauma center for adults and children. Before joining Penn State Health, Berini spent time at the University of Texas Medical Branch Health System, where she was the chief operating officer. 

30. Cheryl Bettigole

Acting Health Commissioner, Philadelphia Department of Public Health

Cheryl Bettigole took over operations at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health earlier this year and is currently leading citywide efforts to transition out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to becoming acting health commissioner, Bettigole was the Department of Public Health’s director of chronic disease and injury prevention for six years. Bettigole is a certified family physician and previously was president of the National Physicians Alliance.

31. Robert Torres

Secretary of Aging

The secretary of aging has a big job ahead of him post-pandemic: figure out how to make nursing homes safer and provide caregivers to those homes more support. Last month, Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation that expands eligibility for the state’s Caregiver Support Program, which supplies caregivers of seniors with extra resources they need. Robert Torres has emphasized the importance of enhancing network capacity and breaking down silos between agencies to improve care holistically. 

32. Kathy Rapp

State Representative

As majority chair of the state House Health Committee, State Rep. Kathy Rapp holds a considerable amount of power over what health-related legislation sees movement in Harrisburg. As a pro-life lawmaker, she has routinely prioritized bills that would restrict abortion. Rapp has supported legislation that allows designated caregivers to visit family members in nursing homes, as well as that which would require health insurance providers to cover prescribed treatments for Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses. 

33. Michele Brooks

State Senator

State Sen. Michele Brooks is chair of the state Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee, automatically making her key gatekeeper for all relevant legislation in those two fields. Brooks has sponsored bills to keep many of the state’s COVID-19-related waivers in place, as well as taken action to utilize local pharmacies for COVID-19 vaccinations. Brooks is integral in shepherding health-related measures through the Senate and has focused much of her own legislation on health care.

34. Dan Frankel

State Representative

As minority chair of the House Health Committee, State Rep. Dan Frankel has established himself as the leading voice for abortion access, as well as a major defender of LGBTQ rights. Frankel is sponsoring legislation to prohibit surprise hospital fees, along with a bill to allow Pennsylvanians over the age of 14 to consent to vaccinations. Frankel is supportive of legislation that bars government entities from requiring health care professionals to provide information to patients that isn’t medically accurate.

35. Art Haywood

State Senator

State Sen. Art Haywood has held significant clout in the health care space over the course of the last year as both the minority chair of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee and a member of the governor’s COVID-19 Vaccine Joint Task Force. Haywood, alongside other members of the task force, has worked to improve vaccine distribution throughout the state and has been a strong advocate for measures aimed at reducing gun violence across the Commonwealth.

36 . Ryan Aument, State Senator, Art Haywood, State Senator, Tim O'Neal, State Representative, Bridget Malloy Kosierowski, State Representative

Members of the COVID-19 Vaccine Joint Task Force

In an effort to distribute vaccines quickly across the Commonwealth and build trust among Pennsylvanians, Gov. Tom Wolf put together his COVID-19 Vaccine Joint Task Force, made up members of his administration and State Sens. Art Haywood and Ryan Aument and state Reps. Tim O’Neal and Bridget Malloy Kosierowski. These legislators have reached across the aisle to work together, and the state’s vaccine rollout has been moving in a positive direction ever since, with more than 61% of Pennsylvanians now vaccinated against COVID-19. 

37. Debra Bogen

Director, Allegheny County Health Department

Dr. Debra Bogen took over Allegheny County’s health department two months early after the first COVID-19 cases were confirmed in March 2020. She has led the county’s response to the pandemic ever since. While director, she has maintained her positions as a professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh and as a faculty provider with the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Primary Care Center in Oakland. 

38. Scott Baker

Vice President and Chief Government Relations Officer, UPMC

Scott Baker’s been involved with Pennsylvania politics for more than two decades. Previously a part of Gov. Tom Ridge’s cabinet and Gov. Tom Corbett’s transition team, Baker went on to work at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. UPMC then hired him in 2012 to be its chief voice in government lobbying. He continues to use his experience in health care, energy, technology and housing in leading the UPMC team in Harrisburg. 

39. Anantha Shekhar

Dean, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Dr. Anantha Shekhar serves as both dean of the school of medicine and senior vice chancellor for the health sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. He oversees more than 6,000 faculty and staff, and roughly 5,000 students at one of the country’s top research universities. Shekhar has vast research experience on the effects of stress, and his lab has developed several translational models for panic and related anxiety disorders. 

40. Larry Jameson & Patrick Norton

Executive Vice President and Dean; Vice President of Public Affairs, Perelman School of Medicine; Penn Medicine

Dr. J. Larry Jameson is both executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and the dean of the Perelman School of Medicine. As a Penn Medicine executive, he oversees a $8 billion leader in medical education, biomedical research and patient care. Patrick Norton is Penn Medicine’s leader in government and community relations for the University of Pennsylvania Health System and School of Medicine. He previously served in policy-related roles in the public and private sectors.

41. Kevin Black & Sheilah Borne

Interim Dean; Associate Vice President, Government Health Relations, Penn State College of Medicine

As interim dean, Dr. Kevin Black has been leading the College of Medicine and Penn State Health for two years. He comes from an athletics background, having founded the sports medicine program at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Sheilah Borne is involved in government affairs on two fronts, working as the associate vice president of government health relations for Penn State and as the newest mayor of Paxtang Borough in Dauphin County. She represents Penn State’s health care interests at the local, state and federal levels.

42. Amy Goldberg & Katherine Levins

Interim Dean; Vice President, Public Policy & Government Affairs, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine; Temple University Health System

A recognized trauma surgeon and gun violence prevention advocate, Dr. Amy Goldberg was named interim dean of Temple’s School of Medicine earlier this year. She joined the surgical faculty at Temple in 1993, working her way up to surgeon-in-chief and chair of the Department of Surgery. Katherine Levins is the director of government affairs with the Temple University Health System. As part of the government affairs team, she represents the school and system’s legislative and regulatory health care interests.

43. Charles Cairns

Dean, Drexel University College of Medicine

Dr. Charles Cairns is a leader in emergency medicine and critical care research. He came to Drexel from the University of Arizona, where he oversaw the college’s massive growth. He’s also director of the U.S. Critical Illness and Injury Trials Group, and the founding principal investigator of the National Collaborative for Biopreparedness. With interests in acute infections, asthma and trauma, his research has led to numerous publications and awards. 

44. Leslie Davis

Executive Vice President, UPMC

With more than 30 years of health care experience, Leslie Davis specializes in operations and developing businesses and services. She serves as the executive vice president of UPMC and president of the Health Services Division, as well as director of the Magee-Womens Hospital. Coming out of the pandemic, Davis has said UPMC Health Services will continue to invest in telemedicine and delivering services directly to communities. 

45. Mark Sevco & Diane Holder

President; President and CEO, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, UPMC Health Plan

UPMC’s children’s hospital and health plans are in the hands of Mark Sevco and Diane Holder. Sevco, who’s been with the health system for nearly three decades, leads UPMC’s integration and international development efforts. Holder, who oversees insurance and benefit management, is responsible for more than 4 million Pennsylvanians’ coverage. Both are also teaching the next generation of health care leaders at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. 

46. Eva Gladstein

Deputy Managing Director, Health and Human Services, City of Philadelphia

Leading Philadelphia’s Health and Human Services’ programs, Eva Gladstein is in charge of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services, the Department of Public Health, the Office of Homeless Services and the Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity. Her “Shared Prosperity Philadelphia” plan to address poverty has received national attention and sparked the creation of the West Philadelphia Promise Zone. Gladstein has a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Temple University and has been working in city government since 1998. 

47. Jill Bowen

Commissioner, Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services (DBHIDS), City of Philadelphia

Jill Bowen’s tenure with DBHIDS has been highlighted by enhanced collaboration between agencies and efforts to address behavioral health issues. She is trained as a clinical psychologist and spent time in behavioral health in New York for both the city and Kings County Hospital. Her expertise in staff development and training, organizational management and strategic planning helps Bowen oversee all seven of DBHIDS’ divisions. 

48. Sue Perrotty

President and CEO, Tower Health

A retired bank executive and community leader, Sue Perrotty took over the role of president and CEO of Tower Health in February. She comes from a banking and finance background, and following retirement, she spent time as the chief of staff to former Pennsylvania First Lady Judge Marjorie Rendell. Now, she uses her experience with corporate integration and mergers to continue to improve the health of the Reading and Greater Philadelphia communities. 

49. Bill Johnston-Walsh

State Director, AARP Pennsylvania

Responsible for nearly 2 million members in Pennsylvania, Bill Johnston-Walsh has been leading AARP in the Commonwealth for eight years. He oversees the advocacy, community outreach and education work for the nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization. Johnston-Walsh gets his policy background from having spent time in both the Massachusetts and Pennsylvania AARPs, as well as six years as a deputy secretary in the Pennsylvania Department of Aging under Gov. Ed Rendell. 

50. Melissa Reed

President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Keystone 

Melissa Reed has been working with organizations advocating for women’s rights for her entire career. She began her time with Planned Parenthood in North Carolina in 2008, handling public affairs and electoral work before moving to Pennsylvania to run Planned Parenthood Keystone. As abortion-related bills are once again considered in Harrisburg and Washintgon, D.C., Reed continues to fight for a woman’s right to choose.

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