Amer Kaissi is an-award winning Professor of Leadership. He is an executive coach that has worked with hundreds of leaders and teams all over the world. Amer is the author of five books, including “Humbitious: the power of low-ego, high-drive leadership.” His upcoming book “The Positive Intent Mindset: Exceptional Leadership Through Trust & Accountability” will be published in November of 2025. He has been featured on the Harvard Business Review podcast and numerous other media outlets. He has spoken on leadership topics at more than 300 organizations and professional conferences. He lives in San Antonio with his wife and has two grown children in college.
AHA/THA Policy Update
9:45–11:00 AM
Megan Cundari has been a member of the Federal Relations department at the AHA since 2001 and has been lobbying Congress for the last eighteen years.
Prior to joining the THA in 2018, Mr. Wohleb spent his entire legal career primarily representing hospitals and other health care providers in a wide range of legal, regulatory, and transactional issues.
PANEL | Meeting the Needs of the Healthcare Consumer
11:00 AM–12:30 PM
Dominic Dominguez serves as CEO of CHRISTUS Spohn Health System and is a Senior Vice President of CHRISTUS Health. He is responsible for managing the market portfolio in this region which covers Corpus Christi and the surrounding communities.
Emma Montes-Ewing became CEO of STHS McAllen in January 2024. Prior to joining STHS McAllen, Montes-Ewing served as CEO of Doctors Hospital of Laredo (DHL) in Laredo, TX, a UHS facility, since 2020. During her tenure, she was able to drive improved financial metrics, reduce turnover and grow service lines.
Jake Reyna-Casanova is currently the Grants and Patient Advocacy Manager at CommuniCare in San Antonio, TX. He has worked in federally qualified health centers (FQHC) for over 8 years focusing on development, grant writing, and strategic planning for these crucial organizations in our communities.
Ryan Simpson has been in hospital leadership roles for 25 years and is currently Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, TX. In his role as CEO, he has responsibility for Methodist Hospital, Methodist Children’s Hospital, and Methodist Hospital Landmark.
William P. Santulli, FACHE, is operating partner, Water Street Healthcare Partners, Chicago. He also serves as Chair of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
PANEL | The Role of Data and Advanced Analytics in Transforming Healthcare
2:15–3:45 PM
Halima Ahmadi-Montecalvo, PhD, MPH, is an epidemiologist and social and behavioral scientist with experience in the application and use of quantitative and qualitative methodology in behavioral health, maternal and child health, and social science broadly.
Tripp Lyles is the Group Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) for Baptist Health System in San Antonio, TX, where he is responsible for developing and executing both short- and long-term business strategies for the system.
Nanette Patton is a senior capture manager in the Health Solutions Business Area of Leidos’ Health and Civil Sector. A retired Army Medical Service Corps and Acquisition Corps officer, she dedicated 24 years to delivering innovative capabilities for the warfighter.
Chris Armijo, M.Ed., MHA, MBA, MPH, FACHE, LSSBB is a Board Certified Executive Healthcare Administrator with proven cross-functional leadership in developing, implementing, and executing strategic growth initiatives.
PANEL | Partnerships for Success: Public Health and Health System Collaboration
4:00–5:30 PM
Carol Huber, DrPH, MBA, is the Deputy Chief Public Health and Equity Officer for University Health. She leads the organization’s Institute for Public Health and champions University Health’s commitment to promoting health, preventing disease, and prolonging life in Bexar County through programs, services, and partnerships.
Mary Garr is an experienced leader with three decades of diverse roles in several industries, including healthcare, city management, and the military, both as a CEO and COO.
Alan Jones, PhD, FACHE, is a distinguished healthcare executive and educator with extensive experience in healthcare leadership and education. A board-certified Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), Dr. Jones is a 22-year veteran of the United States Army.
Not long after becoming an interpreter, Jace Norton felt compelled to do more for indigenous language access and founded Maya Bridge in 2021. Since then, he and his team have worked towards filling the need for language services in indigenous and other lower-diffusion languages across all fields.
