Metro Philadelphia Health Care Power Players 2023

Michael Magro, DO, MBA, FACOI, serves as president of Nazareth Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia and St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, PA. A trained hospitalist whose clinical background is in internal medicine, Dr. Magro has served in health care operational leadership roles in the Philadelphia region for 12 years. As president of two regional hospitals, they are focused on cultivating patient-centered care delivery, strengthening community engagement, and supporting the needs of the LGBTQ+ community.

What’s your favorite thing about working in health care?
My favorite thing about working in this field is having the ability to directly enhance access to care. I originally became a physician to take care of people, especially the most vulnerable. Now, as a health care administrator, I am dedicated to working alongside my colleagues on new and creative ways to advance and improve our care delivery services, to ensure that every member of our community has access to high-quality treatment.

What are the biggest issues facing the health care system in Philadelphia?
We continue to face abundant staffing challenges related to burnout, personnel shortages, and a candidate pipeline that cannot meet the demands of today. Workforce violence has also been on the rise as our clinicians encounter volatility and hostility from some who seek care. Finally, the rise in hospital expenses has far outpaced increases in insurance reimbursements, forcing many hospitals to make difficult decisions to reduce or eliminate non-critical programs and services that have become unaffordable.

What does the future of health care in Philadelphia look like to you?
If the many challenges facing our region’s health care industry — especially the widening imbalance between rising operational costs and stagnant insurance reimbursements — are not addressed, my fear is that we will see more acute care hospital consolidations and an acceleration towards the ambulatory space. My biggest concern is that many of the upcoming changes in the Philadelphia health care landscape will be focused on creating a more sustainable health care system rather than improving clinical excellence.

Kevin B. Mahoney is CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, a pillar of Penn Medicine. He leads health system operations, spanning six hospitals, 11 multispecialty centers, and hundreds of outpatient facilities in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. During his nearly 30-year career with Penn Medicine, Mahoney has led transformational initiatives to improve patient experience and care delivery. He oversaw the creation of the Pavilion, a 1.5-million-square-foot, future-forward hospital, which opened in late 2021.

What’s your favorite thing about working in health care?
Helping others is at the heart of a career in health care. At our academic medical center, we see the results of our work realized each day — from a revelation in the laboratory to a patient being discharged or an employee making an impact on our institution’s mission. It’s an honor to work in a field that extends hope and support and makes a difference in the lives of others.

What are the biggest issues facing the health care system in Philadelphia?
In Philadelphia and beyond, the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped health care, creating new patient care dynamics and economic realities. Health care organizations are still adapting to this seismic shift. Labor shortages and rising supply costs also continue to hamper the field. Improving access to quality care and enhancing supportive resources to reduce health inequities remain top priorities citywide. At Penn Medicine, we are also focused on strengthening mental health resources in West and Southwest Philadelphia.

What does the future of health care in Philadelphia look like to you?
From the founding of the nation’s first chartered hospital to the recent emergence of “Cellicon Valley,” a gene and cell therapy hub, Philadelphia has been home to innovation for centuries. This pioneering spirit, coupled with a passion for making a difference, exists across Penn Medicine and our partner and peer organizations. With its abundance of talent and expertise, Philadelphia will continue to lead the way, advancing knowledge and treatments in our communities and far beyond.

Alecia Manley is the executive operating officer at Mazzoni Center, Philadelphia’s LGBTQIA+ health and wellness organization. Manley has been with Mazzoni Center for more than two decades and has focused their work on implementing innovative HIV prevention and care strategies and designing programming for LGBTQIA+ youth and trans communities. Manley holds a B.A. in Psychology from Bucknell University and a M.S. in Nonprofit Leadership from La Salle University.

What’s your favorite thing about working in health care?
I feel incredibly grateful to work for a health care organization that is committed to providing compassionate and quality care to queer and trans communities — communities I am a part of.  

What are the biggest issues facing the health care system in Philadelphia?
Across the country, legislation seeking to block trans people from receiving basic health care is a significant issue. While the City of Philadelphia offers protections and is committed to protecting from discrimination in health care spaces, the increase in political anti-trans rhetoric and legislation has an impact on the mental health and wellbeing of queer and trans individuals — especially youth. 

What does the future of health care in Philadelphia look like to you?
I hope to see a health care system that focuses on health equity and is committed to understanding the ways in which bias, stigma, and minority stress impacts health and health care experiences. I want Philadelphia to be a city where LGBTQIA+ individuals feel safe and affirmed at every doctor’s office.

A transformational executive leader with a long standing track record of launching and scaling award-winning diversity, equity, and inclusion organizations, Lisette Martinez has served as a thought leader to champion the power of inclusion and the employee experience, elevating company performance and driving a positive community impact. Martinez’s early career was spent in procurement and supply chain operations, which helped her segue into building relationships with minority and women-owned national organizations to promote supplier diversity.

What’s your favorite thing about working in health care?
Making a difference in the lives of our community, our employees, and our students. I wake up everyday to see change in how inclusive, welcoming, and respectful our community is.

What are the biggest issues facing the health care system in Philadelphia?
The biggest challenge in health systems across the country is the ability to mirror our staff with our population. One of our countries’ concerns is our clinical pipeline of Black and Latinx clinicians. We continue to struggle in building a strong pipeline which makes mirroring our population incredibly difficult. We strive to fill roles and better our diversity, yet we continue to see alarming low numbers in all clinical specialities. 

What does the future of health care in Philadelphia look like to you?
For me the future looks like building a pipeline of Black and Latino clinicians, building trust and loyalty in our community, and improving employee and student engagement as we continue to build inclusive initiatives. We have work to do and we can’t stop until we see change. Diversity, equity, and inclusion belongs to us all. Let’s go! 

Maureen May has worked as a direct care RN for thirty-seven years, practicing with a deep compassion for patients and an ongoing commitment to prioritizing safe patient care. Early in her career, she realized organized labor was the only protected way to advocate for patients and fair working conditions. Presently working at Temple Hospital, her ultimate goal is to see Pennsylvania become the third state in the nation to enact nurse-to-patient ratios.  

What’s your favorite thing about working in health care?
The humanitarian aspect of my work as a nurse is my favorite thing. Nursing is a time-honored profession where I have a unique opportunity to connect with a diverse population of patients at a time in their lives when they are most vulnerable. My greatest reward is making a positive difference by providing comfort, support, and care to patients and families as they journey through the hardships and complexities of the healthcare system.

What are the biggest issues facing the health care system in Philadelphia?
The most significant issues facing the health care system in Philadelphia include access to quality health care, social inequality, mental health crises, the rise of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, substance abuse disorders, environmental pollution, infectious diseases, gun violence, and a lack of resources needed to heal this broken system.

What does the future of health care in Philadelphia look like to you?
It’s my hope that the Philadelphia health care system’s future looks like one that focuses on wellness and prevention, emphasizing individual, personalized care that provides the resources and education needed to support this concept. Also, the future looks like public, community-based care that eliminates the for-profit healthcare model that has closed hospitals and injured many health care workers and patients. 

Peter Mecouch is a seasoned nursing leader with 30 years of nursing experience. He practiced clinically in both nephrology and critical care nursing. Peter attended Roxborough Memorial School of Nursing and holds a master’s degree in business and nursing. In his role at GHR Healthcare, he provides clinical and professional leadership to all business lines and aligns select divisions with Joint Commission standards to maintain certification. 

What’s your favorite thing about working in health care?
I have long enjoyed the flexibility to try different areas of health care. In medicine and nursing, for instance, you can be an expert in different areas of care. Health care team members can pursue advanced clinical and practice roles, leadership and administrative roles, and research, technological, and entrepreneurial roles. Ultimately it is the care and safety of our patients that make the work fulfilling. That is the first reason I went into nursing.

What are the biggest issues facing the health care system in Philadelphia?
Access to care. Systems continue to focus on meeting patients when and where they need health care. Long delays to schedule routine studies (like MRIs and colonoscopies). Overcrowded emergency departments and limited access to behavioral health services can diminish patient outcomes and stress health care facility staffing. Adequate staffing for both the current system and the new models of care is going to be relevant.  

What does the future of health care in Philadelphia look like to you?
Improved access through improved care delivery models. These models might include AI, increased virtual care, outpatient care, and ultimately care being provided in the patient’s home. Health care systems, providers, researchers, and entrepreneurs continue to evaluate models that will be accessed away from the acute care hospital, ER, and long-term care settings.  

Dr. Meller is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who’s been practicing for over 33 years. He received his medical degree from Rush Medical College. He specializes in orthopedic medicine and is experienced in trauma and acute injuries, adult reconstruction joint replacement surgery, sports medicine, and arthroscopic surgery as well as injuries and illness which may have a medical or metabolic basis.

What’s your favorite thing about working in health care?
I wanted to help people. This is life’s greatest calling. I started my career as an engineer developing synthetic fuels; we were told that we would run out of oil by 1990. This sounded rather urgent, so I decided to help people stay warm and fed on a much larger scale. When this projection did not turn out to be accurate, I changed directions to be helpful on a more intimate scale.

What are the biggest issues facing the health care system in Philadelphia?
Access to healthcare requires, in most cases, having health care insurance. Individuals at the top and the bottom of the socioeconomic scale are adequately insured. The middle strata are often placed in an unenviable position where purchasing a health care policy must be balanced against other life’s necessities. Policymakers can adjust Medicaid guidelines to include inflation levels and cost of living adjustments to make health care more affordable.

What does the future of health care in Philadelphia look like to you?
Health care must evolve by returning to basics and delivering true patient-centered care. The current transition to electronic medical records and medical record data banks provides the opportunity to define good medicine and quality care. There will need to be more transparency in billing and charges to standardize value and provide a basis for rational healthcare choices. Hospitals and health systems will be scored by how well they integrate medical science into the business model. 

As executive director of the Garces Foundation, Robin Morris built a fundraising program from the ground up and assembled a talented team to provide healthcare, food, and education to immigrant families in need. Under her leadership, the foundation created a food pantry to support families through the pandemic and partnered with LiveWell to launch a mental health program for immigrants. Known for her loyalty and commitment to her team, Morris has fostered a strong, supportive work culture. She has a B.A. from Skidmore College and an M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

What’s your favorite thing about working in health care?
My favorite thing about working in health care is that it gives me the chance to bring potentially life-saving testing and treatment to some of those most in need. Even when the work is challenging, forming bonds with those we serve and getting to be a part of improving their health and wellbeing makes it worthwhile. I feel privileged to serve the immigrant community, our newest neighbors, who are too often overlooked in Philadelphia.

What are the biggest issues facing the health care system in Philadelphia?
The biggest issues facing Philadelphia’s health care system are lack of access and affordability stemming from high rates of poverty and uninsurance/underinsurance. Too many residents have unmet needs and face barriers to quality care. We must advocate to expand government programs, support clinics providing free and low-cost care, and address social determinants like food insecurity and housing instability. Only with a concerted and coordinated effort can we ensure care for all.

What does the future of health care in Philadelphia look like to you?
The future of health care looks brighter as we work toward closing persistent coverage gaps. Through the work of nonprofits such as the Garces Foundation, along with strong community partnerships, innovation, and an unyielding commitment to equity, I believe we can build a system where everyone has access to affordable, high-quality care. There is much work to be done, but I am optimistic that working together we can create a healthier city for everyone.

Dr. Kristin Motley is walking in her purpose. A graduate of Florida A&M University and the University of the Sciences, she founded Health Educated, Inc., a non profit focused on health equity, health disparities, and health literacy. She is the host of ‘Keeping It 100,’ a podcast created to educate the Black community on health topics. Dr. Motley also serves as a compliance coordinator and field supervisor at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy at SJU.

What’s your favorite thing about working in health care?
My favorite aspect of health care is providing vulnerable communities with the tools and information they need to make informed health decisions. Most of my work over the last two years has involved addressing COVID vaccine hesitancy in the Black community. The greatest reward is seeing someone change their mind about vaccination due to my team’s outreach and engagement efforts. I’m honored to make a meaningful impact where it’s needed most.

What are the biggest issues facing the health care system in Philadelphia?
The region is racial and ethnically diverse. However, there is a lack of representative diversity in health care providers. This often results in unconscious bias, cultural insensitivity, and lack of empathy. Diversifying the healthcare workforce and providing professional development training will go a long way toward building trust and fostering a more inclusive health care environment. This, in turn, will positively impact everything from reducing health disparities and enhancing health outcomes to improving patient satisfaction scores.

What does the future of health care in Philadelphia look like to you?
The future of health care in the Philadelphia region lies in a diversified, culturally sensitive workforce equipped to provide equitable care regardless of one’s race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, ZIP code, etc. Providers will actively listen to their patients and offer personalized care that truly resonates with individual needs. This shift will build stronger patient-provider relationships and ultimately turn health care settings into places of trust, compassion, and well-being for all. We can do this Philly!

Emily Nichols’ career has focused on Philadelphia-based, federally qualified health centers in a variety of roles centering on patient care, operations, health outcomes, quality improvement, patient-centered medical home recognition, vision, and strategy. In July 2019, Nichols assumed the role of executive director for FPCN where she strives to uphold the mission and principles of FPCN while working to continuously improve both the FPCN client and staff experience through antiracist and trauma-informed leadership.

What’s your favorite thing about working in health care?
Collaborating with my team and the communities we serve to build innovative models of care that truly support the people we serve. 

What are the biggest issues facing the health care system in Philadelphia?
Burnout of our staff, people losing vital benefits, like medical assistance, the atrocious maternal mortality rate, and the lack of behavioral health access.

What does the future of health care in Philadelphia look like to you?
Hopefully it is more coordinated, integrated, and collaborative, where we are all focusing on our staff as our most precious resource and centering the patients and communities we serve in all we do.