Witham AuD., CCC-A

guiding principles of fairness, appreciation, ownership, commitment, and an insistence on excellence. I surround myself with people who are smarter and more skilled than I am, and try to learn as much as I can from them.”

Skills that make you an effective leader? “No one is more surprised than I am that I have found myself in a leadership position. I have no secret sauce for effectiveness. What I do is try to live according to my guiding principles daily and try to learn something each day that will make me a better leader tomorrow. To be honest, I pretty much fall off my pony every day, and I get right back on it the next.”

How can the healthcare industry in the region be improved? “COVID-19 has reminded me daily of the strength and commitment of the professionals in our healthcare community. Dedicated individuals from every healthcare discipline have partnered during the pandemic to expand home-based care and telemedicine, to deliver front line care to patients with COVID-19 and other illnesses, to develop new therapies and tests, and to help keep communities safe through expanded testing. I would like to see the healthcare industry build on this momentum with the goals to improve access, convenience, cost, and equity.”

What do you do for fun? “Outside of work, I enjoy my two children, my grandson, and my friends. I like exploring the rich and diverse outdoor attractions in beautiful Central New York; experiencing the historical and diverse cultural offerings in Syracuse, including the Syracuse Stage, Rosamond Gifford Lecture series, the Friends of Chamber Music concerts; and sampling the regional cuisine of Central New York.”

Duane F. Tull

Executive vice president of medicine and chief medical officer, Oswego Health.

With organization since: December 2018.

In current position since: January 2023.

Education: Physician executive master of business administration from Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; general surgery residency from Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Delaware; medical doctorate from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia; B.S.

chemistry from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.

Career Highlights: Has been a surgeon for 23 years and was instrumental in the local fight against COVID-19 at Oswego Health.

Current affiliations: Clinical assistant professor of surgery, SUNY Upstate Medical University Clinical; assistant professor of surgery, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine.

How do you describe your managerial philosophy or approach: “Lead by example.”

Skills that make you an effective leader: “Listening, observation, real world experience from all of the facilities I have worked at and the different regions of the country.”

How can the healthcare industry in the region be improved? “Better collaboration between systems. “

What do you do for fun? “I am a car enthusiast. I enjoy restoration and maintenance. I am an avid fisherman and enjoy a good fight. My goal is to land a marlin or sailfish one day.”

Deb Turner

Owner, Seniors Helping Seniors

With organization since: 2011

In current position since: 2011

Education: Associates Degree in Business degree.

Career Highlights: Joined SHS in 2011, serving Cayuga and Oswego counties. In 2015 she expanded services to Oneida County and in 2021 to Onondaga County.

How do you describe your managerial philosophy or approach? “My managers and care providers are a team, with a capital “T.” We are a close group who support each other in every way.”

Skills that make you an effective leader? “Sense of humor, dedication to my team and our fellow seniors.

How can the healthcare industry in the region be improved? More money to the senior population for in-home care. So many seniors need just a little help to remain their homes.”

What do you do for fun? “I love spending time with my grandchildren and family. I like to cook, garden, and riding my four-wheeler.”

Kansas Underwood

Chief nursing officer and vice president of nursing, Guthrie Cortland Medical Center.

With organization since: February 2022.

In current position since: February 2022.

Education: Associate Degree in Nursing from Tompkins Cortland Community College, bachelor’s in nursing from SUNY Upstate University, and a master’s in management from Keuka College.

Career Highlights: “I am most proud of becoming a critical care nurse and directly changing an individual’s health care experience; mission work in Central America; lead project manager for full deployment and integration of 53 health care professionals for a COVID-19 mission to NYC (April 2020- June 2020).

Current affiliations: Member of Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL), New York Organization for Nursing Leadership (NYONL).

How do you describe your managerial philosophy or approach? “I would like to call myself a transformational leader who focuses on our people. I am a change agent who recognizes that people make change because they want to and see the value in it, rather than because they are told to. I try to lead by example and with humility.”

Skills that make you an effective leader: “Humility, vulnerability and the willingness to learn. I believe my purpose as a leader is to be an advocate for our teams and listen to what our teams are telling us. I have a favorite saying by Ezra Taft Benson that is visible to me at all times in my office. ‘Pride is concerned with who is right, Humility is concerned with what is right.’”

How can the healthcare industry in the region be improved? “The state of health care is different than it has ever been, and good or bad, I focus on never letting a crisis go by without gaining knowledge from it. The best way to improve is to learn from our mistakes, showing our teams and community that we care and continue to try to do what is right.”

What do you do for fun? “Oh, I love fun! I am always eager to spend time with my family and friends. I love to travel, ski, and try new things. I am a certified scuba diver and enjoy anything related to the ocean.”

Eve Van de Wal

Regional president, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Utica region.

With organization since: 1998.

In current position since:2008.

Education: MBA, SUNY Institute of Technology; master’s in health service management, SUNY Institute of Technology; bachelor’s degree in nursing, SUNY Brockport.

Career Highlights: Prior to becoming regional president, served the company in a number of management roles. Prior to joining Excellus BCBS, enjoyed a successful career in nursing, specializing in critical care and cardiac care.

Current affiliations: Board member of Mohawk Valley Economic Development Growth Enterprises Corporation (EDGE); Health Workforce New York (HWNY); Adirondack Bank; and Utica First Insurance Company. Serves on Masonic Care Community advisory committee and Oneida County opioid taskforce.

How do you describe your managerial philosophy or approach? “Strive to lead by example as I truly believe that management is only as strong as its employees. Supporter of the mentor/mentee model. Try to offer employees every avenue to succeed. It is important to gain their trust, respect and loyalty, as they are the backbone of the company.”

Skills that make you an effective leader: “I pride myself on being honest, transparent and ethical in every aspect. I believe communicating with employees is essential to showing them that you are sincerely interested in them as individuals, as well as being an active listener.”

How can the healthcare industry in the region be improved? “As a region, we are working in collaboration with select local healthcare systems to promote a new vision for healthcare. With its focus on enhanced patient experience, improved quality and reduced costs, we believe our accountable cost and quality agreements (ACQA) will change the dynamic toward providing better value in healthcare.”

What do you do for fun? “Spend time with family and friends; cook, shop, kayak and snowshoe.”

AnneMarie Walker-Czyz

President and chief executive officer, Rome Health

With torganization since: March 1, 2021

In current position since: March 1, 2021

Education: Nursing degree from the St. Joseph’s College of Nursing, Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the Upstate Medical University. Holds a Master of Science and Clinical Nurse Specialist degree from Upstate Medical University. In 2015, graduated from St. John Fisher College earning an education doctorate degree in executive leadership. She is also certified as a Nurse Executive from the ANCC.

Career Highlights: Employed at St. Joseph’s Health Hospital since 1997 through 2021, where she served as the chief nursing officer, vice president of clinical and educational services and chief operating officer.

Skills that make you an effective leader: Her passions lie in the promotion of shared governance and promoting nursing leadership at the point of care delivery, transforming acute care services to be consistent with the overall strategy for health care reform and developing multidisciplinary teams to achieve higher quality, safety, and patient engagement at a lower cost.

Michael Walsh of Health Sciences; Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from University of Health Sciences.

Career Highlights: Rank of Major (0-4) US Army Medical Corps.

Current affiliations: Community Memorial Hospital.

How do you describe your managerial philosophy or approach? “Listen to learn.”

Skills that make you an effective leader: “I try to listen, lead by example and learn from others.”

How can the healthcare industry in the region be improved? “Greater coordination of services, electronic medical records and access to specialty care.”

What do you do for fun? “I play guitar and travel.”

Henry Weil

Senior vice president, chief clinical & academic officer, Bassett Healthcare Network; chief operating officer, Bassett Medical Center.

Education : Received Doctorate in Medicine from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York and a Bachelor of Science from Hamilton College.

Chief medical officer, Community Memorial Hospital.

With organization since: 2016.

In current position since: 2019.

Education: University of Michigan, bachelor’s degree; master’s degree from Arizona School

Career highlights: Also works as senior associate dean for the Columbia-Bassett Program at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. Oversees efforts to support quality and safety, the Bassett Medical Group, talent acquisition, medical staff recruitment, research, and graduate medical education. Has previously held leadership positions in hospital revenue cycle operations, health care informatics, patient experience, management of inpatient building, and development of hospitalist and intensive care programs at Bassett Healthcare Network.

Current affiliations: Board-certified in internal medicine, with a subspecialty in Geriatric Medicine, from American Board of Internal Medicine.

What do you do for fun? “Spending time with my wife, Rebecca, and our three sons. I also enjoy working on our hay farm with our two dogs, cat, 10 chickens, horse, and donkey.”

Jennifer Yartym

Senior vice president, president and chief operating officer, Guthrie Cortland Medical Center.

With organization since: 2000.

In current position since: 2019.

Education: Bachelor of Science, physical therapy from Ithaca College; Master of Science, physical therapy from Ithaca College; Master of Business Administration from Alfred University.

Career Highlights: “During my tenure at Guthrie, I have enjoyed playing an integral role in the growth and development of the organization. I assisted with the planning, development, and construction of a multitude of facilities, including the 250,000 square-foot. Corning Hospital, a medical office building, HealthWorks Wellness & Fitness Center, and the Renzi Cancer Center at Guthrie Cortland Medical Center.

Current affiliations: Board member, Iroquois Healthcare Association; member of Seven Valleys Health Coalition; Board member of the Cortland Chamber of Commerce; Board member, Bath Central School District.

How do you describe your managerial philosophy or approach? “I believe in leading with integrity and building trust through an environment of mutual respect and accountability. My approach is one in which I lead by example. If you are fair, transparent, honest, consistent and approachable, you will build relationships and a successful team.”

Skills that make you an effective leader: “I believe that being open, honest and transparent has contributed to my effectiveness as a leader. Communication and collaboration are essential elements to building relationships and a successful team.”

How can the healthcare industry in the region be improved? “We need to continue to focus on the triple aim: providing high quality care to our entire population in an efficient, cost-effective manner while at the same time providing our patients with an exceptional experience.”

What do you do for fun? I enjoy running, golfing, watching my children’s sporting events and spending time with my family.

Mark K. Zeman

Chief information officer, Upstate University Hospital.

With organization since: 1995. In current position since: 2017.

Education: Clarkson University, Bachelor of Science, civil and structural engineering.

Career Highlights: Served as unit manager at General Electric Company (Aerospace) before joining Upstate in 1995; built the first enterprise network at Upstate, enabling the rollout of an EHR, PACS, email and other enterprise systems, and providing universal connectivity, high reliability and throughput; 2004 President’s Employee Recognition Award, Outstanding Contribution of the Year (non clinical/ support); 2009 President’s Employee Recognition Award, Campus Leader of the Year; associate administrator over network services, operations, telecommunications, customer support, biomedical engineering (all IT departments) and the hospital’s supply chain and materials-related services; appointed chief information officer of Upstate Medical University, comprised of four colleges, two hospitals using the Epic EHR and over 10,000 faculty, staff and volunteers; formed the IMT staff development office to focus on succession planning, career development, recruitment and retention, and community engagement for the purposes of generating interest in IT as a career and as a way to recruit younger, more diverse employees; created the Moonshot Team, which collaborates using data analytics and complex visualization tools to bring new perspectives to problems, resulting in sustainable solutions that positively impact stakeholders, our community and New York state. Their projects have improved clinical workflows, realized a return on investment of over $8.6 million, broadly impacted the health of New York state residents and helped SUNY schools make decisions about bringing students back to campuses during the COVID-19 pandemic; designed ELUCIDATE, an app that enables users to establish a newsfeed to follow the progress and status of Upstate projects of interest to them.

Current affiliations: SUNY Council of Chief Information Officers; Healthcare Association of New York State, College of Healthcare Information Management Executives.

How do you describe your managerial philosophy or approach? “My job is to provide an environment that allows the incredibly talented folks in the organization to flourish and produce amazing work. This means encouraging them to take risks, recognizing their accomplishments, providing opportunities to grow and giving them the tools and flexibility to do their jobs effectively, such that they are able to maintain a positive work and personal life balance. Additionally, as the leader of the information management and technology division, I promote an innovative vision for the organization to meet the needs of the Upstate community we serve.”

Skills that make you an effective leader? “I believe open and routine communications are essential for a healthy, vibrant and productive organization. Accordingly, I greatly value relationships and work hard to build and maintain them. I listen and try to be very responsive to the needs of others, and I work to earn the respect of those I lead and serve. I like to think I inspire through my actions and my communications.”

How can the healthcare industry in the region be improved? “Further development of telehealth capabilities is essential to providing improved access to care, along with the required support by both payers and providers.”

What do you do for fun? “I like to ski, both water and snow, but I have a passion for woodworking. In my rare spare time, I build non traditional furniture, every piece being unique and, if possible, incorporating something from the industrial era.”