James Linder, MD, Chief Executive Officer
James (Jim) Linder, MD, is the chief executive officer for Nebraska Medicine and professor of pathology for the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).
After earning his medical degree from UNMC in Omaha, Nebraska, and subsequent training in pathology at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, he joined the UNMC faculty in 1983. Dr. Linder has authored more than 150 publications and five textbooks while filling diverse roles in academic medicine and business. He has led professional organizations including being president of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, Council of the American Society of Cytopathology, and the American Medical Association’s Residency Review Committee for Pathology.
Dr. Linder served as interim dean of the College of Medicine and associate vice chancellor for research, both for UNMC; and interim president of the University of Nebraska system. From 2010, until joining Nebraska Medicine, he served as president of the University Technology Development Corporation where he led technology transfer, public-private partnerships and specialized research.
In the commercial sector, his research as chief medical officer for Cytyc Corporation led to new cancer screening technologies that reduced the incidence of cervical cancer. As co-founder of Constitution Medical, a new hematology instrument was developed to enable the rapid diagnosis of blood disorders. His research led to induction into the National Academy of Inventors.
His business experience led to the founding of Linseed Capital with his wife, Karen. The Linders have received awards for supporting entrepreneurship and founded the Linder Learning Center in partnership with the United States/Canadian Division of the International Academy of Pathology, which supports internet-based pathology education worldwide.
Michael Ash, MD, President-Chief Operating Officer
Michael Ash, MD, serves as president and chief operating officer for Nebraska Medicine. He also serves as vice chancellor of Information and Technology for the University of Nebraska Medical Center. In his dual role, Dr. Ash oversees information technology, information security, and operations of inpatient, ambulatory and procedural areas.
Dr. Ash has more than 20 years of experience in health information technology. His experience includes several positions with Cerner Corporation, including chief medical officer and vice president for physician strategy and innovation. Before Cerner, Dr. Ash practiced as an internal medicine physician. Dr. Ash graduated with a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy and went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He completed his internal medicine residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
During his career, Dr. Ash has been granted a dozen technology patents ranging from health forecasting to the management of complex order sets.
Jennifer Bartholomew, Vice President, Facilities Management
Jennifer Bartholomew serves as vice president of Facilities Management for Nebraska Medicine. She has worked for Nebraska Medicine since 2013 and previously served as executive director of Facilities Management. Bartholomew leads Nebraska Medicine facilities operations, planning and construction. She also manages the relationship with Sodexo and Environmental Services and leads facilities planning for University of Nebraska Medical Center and University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Katie Beach, Vice President, People Operations
In 2015, Beach joined Nebraska Medicine where she has successfully developed a new approach to recruiting and hiring, which contributed to significant improvements in hiring efficiency and nurse recruiting. Prior to joining Nebraska Medicine, Beach started her career in recruitment and leadership consulting and then transitioned to human resources leadership in the manufacturing industry for nine years, with two of those years developing international talent strategies.
Beach received her bachelor’s degree in mass communications with a concentration in public relations and advertising from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. She also holds the following certifications: a Society of Human Resources Management SHRM - SCP certification and a Human Capital Institute Strategic Workforce Planning Certification. .
Micah Beachy, DO, Vice President, Chief Clinical Quality Officer
Micah Beachy, DO, FACP, SFHM, serves as the vice president and chief quality officer for Nebraska Medicine and is an associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Hospital Medicine for the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).
In his role, he has accountability over quality, patient safety, clinical effectiveness, population health, medical informatics and experience for patients and providers.
Dr. Beachy completed his medical education at Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Iowa and his internal medicine training at UNMC. After residency, he took a position as an academic hospitalist, becoming part of the core faculty. Over his tenure with Nebraska Medicine, he’s had several leadership positions including unit based medical director and medical director for the Clinical Effectiveness program.
In addition, Dr. Beachy is a member of professional organizations including the American College of Physicians (ACP), Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM), American Medical Association (AMA), Nebraska Medical Association (NMA) and the Metro Omaha Medical Society (MOMS). He recently was selected to be the governor for the Nebraska chapter of the ACP and will sit on its board of governors.
Bryce Brackle, Vice President, Finance
Bryce Brackle serves as vice president of finance for Nebraska Medicine. He began the role in January 2021 and leads the financial analysis and planning, accounting, treasury, decision support and procurement teams.
Prior to Nebraska Medicine, Brackle worked 16 years for TD Ameritrade, most recently as its director of retail finance where he led the finance team that supported its retail division. He also held chief of staff roles for the organization’s chief financial officer and president of retail.
Brackle grew up in Fairbury, Nebraska, and went on to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Creighton University.
Kelly Caverzagie, MD, Vice President, Education
Kelly Caverzagie, MD, FACP, FHM, serves as vice president of education and a practicing academic hospitalist for Nebraska Medicine. In this role, he has primary accountability for all aspects of education related to the health network for health professions learners, faculty and staff. To accomplish this goal, Dr. Caverzagie established the Office of Health Professions Education, a department dedicated to aligning and integrating the clinical and educational missions of Nebraska Medicine and its academic partner, the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).
For UNMC, he serves as associate dean for Educational Strategy where he is responsible for having led the implementation of the Training the Physicians of Tomorrow curriculum. Dr. Caverzagie also serves as primary investigator for the UNMC participation in the American Medical Association (AMA) Accelerating Change in Medical Education (ACE) consortium.
Dr. Caverzagie has expertise in the assessment and evaluation of learners, with a particular focus on assessing resident competence and competency-based medical education. He has been a leader in the development and implementation of the Internal Medicine Milestones and served for many national and state organizations including the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM), American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and American Medical Association (AMA). He has also served as co-chair of the International Conference on Residency Education (ICRE) and is a member of AMA House of Delegates.
Anna Cramer, JD, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, Chief People Officer
Anna Cramer, JD, serves as the chief legal and compliance officer and chief people officer for Nebraska Medicine. In her role, Cramer has responsibility for departments including legal, government affairs, risk management and privacy.
Prior to her appointment as chief legal and compliance officer and general counsel in June 2018, Cramer served as interim general counsel and deputy general counsel for Nebraska Medicine.
Before entering health care, Cramer served as legal and regulatory counsel in industries that included pharmacy, health insurance, real estate and franchising.
Cramer earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska College of Law, in Lincoln, Nebraska. She received her Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
Cramer is a board member for Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue and a member of professional organizations that include the American Health Lawyers Association, Nebraska Bar Association, Association of Corporate Counsel and the Rotary Club of Omaha.
Jana Danielson, Vice President, Revenue Cycle
Jana Danielson serves as the vice president of revenue cycle for Nebraska Medicine. Danielson previously held the executive director role in Revenue Cycle. She has been with Nebraska Medicine since February of 2004, serving in various leadership roles within Revenue Cycle throughout her career.
Stephanie Daubert, Chief Financial Officer
Stephanie Daubert serves as chief financial officer for Nebraska Medicine, with additional responsibilities of the Facilities Management and Planning department. In her three decades with Nebraska Medicine, Daubert has worked in a variety of roles. She began her career as a unit secretary while in college, working her way up into more progressive leadership roles in accounting and finance. Prior to being appointed chief financial officer (CFO) for the organization, she was CFO at Bellevue Medical Center and served as controller for Nebraska Medical Center for 12 years.
Daubert earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting, management information systems from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She later received a Master’s in Business Administration and Management Degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
In addition to her current role, Daubert serves on the board of directors for NeHII, Building Healthy Futures, Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital, and the Nebraska Health Network.
Harris Frankel, MD, Chief Medical and External Affairs Officer
Harris Frankel, MD, serves as chief medical and external affairs officer for Nebraska Medicine and is an associate professor in the Department of Neurological Sciences for the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). He also has responsibilities for the departments of Marketing and Communications, Community Engagement and Philanthropy.
A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Dr. Frankel obtained his bachelor’s degree in animal physiology from the University of California at San Diego. Thereafter, he received his medical degree from UNMC, completed an internship in general internal medicine at Creighton University Medical Center, and then completed his neurology residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, serving as chief resident for Parkland Hospital and the Dallas VA his final year.
After nearly 21 years of private practice, Dr. Frankel joined the Department of Neurological Sciences at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He served as medical director for the UNMC Physicians Clinical Neurosciences Center from 2011 to 2015. He joined the executive leadership team at Nebraska Medicine in 2014. He is board certified in the specialty of Neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Dr. Frankel is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and a number of professional organizations including the American Academy of Neurology, American Medical Association, Nebraska Medical Association (NMA) and Metropolitan Omaha Medical Society (MOMS). He is past president of both the NMA and MOMS. Prior to joining the faculty of UNMC, he was a trustee of the University of Nebraska Foundation and served as a member of its Development Committee, chairing the subcommittee on Alumni Relations. He currently serves as a board member for the Visiting Nurses Association and Ronald McDonald House Charities-Omaha.
Tiffany Joekel, Vice President, Government Affairs
Tiffany Joekel serves as the vice president of government affairs for Nebraska Medicine. In this role, she supports the mission and strategic goals of the organization through engagement, education, and advocacy at local, state, and federal levels of government.
Joekel has more than 15 years of experience in local, state, and federal legislative and regulatory affairs in both the public and nonprofit sectors. She has undergraduate degrees in political science and justice and peace studies and a master’s degree in international relations from Creighton University.
Julie Lazure, Vice President, Nurse Executive
Julie Lazure serves as vice president, nurse executive, for Nebraska Medicine. In her role, she has administrative leadership of Bellevue Medical Center and other hospital-based nursing departments. Additionally, she leads nursing practice and provides operational leadership to the Innovation Design Unit at Nebraska Medical Center.
Lazure began at Nebraska Medicine as a phlebotomist during nursing school. She earned her nursing degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing in Omaha and earned her master’s degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln.
After graduating from nursing school, she was as a staff nurse in the Adult Intensive Care Unit. Lazure would go on to serve in several management roles for inpatient nursing units including, 5 West, Cardiac Progressive Care Unit, and the Intermediate Care Unit. In her time with the organization, Lazure also served as director of the Heart and Vascular service line and executive director of Acute Care Services.
Steven J. Lisco, MD, Chief Academic Officer
Steven J. Lisco, MD, serves as chief academic officer for Nebraska Medicine and is the Myrna Newland Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology for the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).
Dr. Lisco completed his undergraduate degree in biology at Grinnell College and his medical degree at Loyola University-Stritch School of Medicine. Residency and fellowship training followed at the University of Michigan Medical Center (residency-internal medicine), Brigham and Women’s Hospital (residency-anesthesiology), and Massachusetts General Hospital (fellowship-critical care medicine).
Dr. Lisco joined the UNMC faculty as professor and chair of Anesthesiology in 2012. His primary areas of clinical focus are on critical care medicine and thoracic and vascular anesthesia. As a clinician scientist, he has published more than 100 publications, abstracts and book chapters. During his career with Nebraska Medicine and UNMC, he has served as founding chair of the Perioperative Executive Committee, vice-chair of the Medical Group Executive Committee, and chair of the College of Medicine Promotion and Tenure Committee prior to taking on his current role as chief academic officer and UNMC senior associate dean for clinical affairs.
Dr. Lisco’s prior service included faculty appointments at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, and Harvard Medical School. He is a fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine, the American College of Chest Physicians, and the American College of Physicians.
Frank Lococo, Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Frank Lococo serves as the vice president of Marketing and Communications for Nebraska Medicine. In this role, Lococo is responsible for driving strategy in advertising, creative services, digital communications, internal communications, marketing and public relations in support of organizational goals and objectives.
Prior to coming to Omaha, Lococo, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, was with another nationally-recognized academic health network for more than 14 years in progressively responsible roles. Before that, he spent more than eight years in a variety of roles with an award-winning airline and also has experience in sports marketing.
Lococo is a graduate of Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and received his Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.
Tom Macy, Vice President, Operations
Tom Macy serves as the vice president of operations for Nebraska Medicine. In his role, he provides overall executive and operational leadership for the health system’s medical group consisting of the academic physicians affiliated with the University of Nebraska Medical Center and community-based physicians.
Macy has more than 25 years of experience in health care administration and has extensive experience in operations management, finance, governance, physician recruitment, ancillary services development, marketing and information technology. For the last 20, he worked in the areas of hospital administration and medical group management, including academic and private practice physician groups, management services organizations and integrated delivery systems.
Prior to joining Nebraska Medicine, Macy was chief executive officer for Nebraska Orthopaedic Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. He also was chief executive officer for Internal Medicine Associates in Omaha, Nebraska, chief operating officer for Abilene Diagnostic Clinic in Abilene, Texas, and various roles for Tenet Healthcare Corporation.
Macy is a fellow of American College of Healthcare Executives, the American College of Medical Practice Executives and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. He is involved in a number of community-based organizations, including the board of directors and executive committee of Community Health Charities of Nebraska. He currently serves as chair of the National Safety Council-Nebraska Board of Directors.
Rod Markin, MD, PhD, Vice President, Business Development
Rod Markin, MD, PhD, serves as vice president of business development where he is responsible for developing relationships in the Nebraska Medicine clinical network, and is also an anatomic and clinical pathologist. Dr. Markin is also a professor of pathology, director of UNeTech Institute, associate vice chancellor for business development, and chief technology officer, all for University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).
Dr. Markin earned his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and then his medical doctorate from UNMC. He has been with the Nebraska Medicine and UNMC organizations for multiple decades, providing leadership and expertise.
His professional and academic research interests have focused on solid organ transplantation, informatics and clinical laboratory automation, which include but are not limited to: robotics, information systems, medical utilization managment and outcomes optimization. Dr. Markin is a member of multiple national organizations and his work has been published extensively in professional publications.
Russell McCulloh, MD, Vice President, Research
Russell McCulloh, MD, serves as the vice president for research for Nebraska Medicine and the associate vice chancellor for clinical research for the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), leading man of the clinical research initiatives for the academic health system.
Dr. McCulloh also serves in a research operation director’s role at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center. He previously served as assistant dean for clinical research for the College of Medicine and director for clinical and translational research operations for Children’s Hospital & Medical Center.
Dr. McCulloh joined UNMC in 2018, in part to direct the NIH-funded Nebraska Pediatric Clinical Trials Unit, which focuses on conducting high-quality clinical trials engaging children and families and increasing the capacity to conduct clinical research across Nebraska.
Sue Nuss, PhD, Clinical Workforce Development Officer
Sue Nuss, PhD, serves as the clinical workforce development officer for Nebraska Medicine, and an assistant vice chancellor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
In these roles, Dr. Nuss will formulate solutions to the ongoing workforce shortage by building our pipeline between UNMC, Clarkson College, and other regional nursing and allied health schools.
Dr. Nuss has more than 40 years of nursing experience, including 25 years in pediatric oncology and 15 years in nursing administration. She earned an Associate of Nursing Degree and Doctor of Philosophy from UNMC; a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York; a Master of Science Degree in Nursing from Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey; and a Master of Business Administration Degree from the University of Colorado in Denver.
Matt Pospisil, Vice President, Operations
Matt Pospisil serves as the vice president of operations for Nebraska Medicine. In this role, he leads the perioperative and procedural services teams, including Cardiac Catheterization, Endoscopy, Pathology, Radiology and operating rooms. Additionally, Pospisil supports physician leaders for the Heart and Vascular, Neurosciences, Orthopaedic and Transplant/Gastrointestinal clinical programs in developing strategies for growth, development and performance.
Pospisil joined Nebraska Medicine in 1989, experiencing multiple operational roles throughout the health system. He obtained his undergraduate degree from University of Nebraska at Omaha; a Master of Science degree from Clarkson College in Omaha, Nebraska; and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Colorado in Denver, Colorado.
Pospisil is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of the board of directors for the Midlands Community Foundation.
Scott Raymond, Vice President-Chief Information and Innovation Officer
Scott Raymond serves as the vice president and chief information and innovation officer for Nebraska Medicine. In his dual role, he oversees information technology and innovation.
With 27 years of health care experience ranging from hands-on critical care to strategic operations, Raymond possesses the ability to understand how health care impacts patient care and how culture enables greatness.
Raymond has expertise in enterprise change management, digital, cyber security, clinical informatics, and contract negotiations that generate significant operational savings. Having implemented Epic, an electronic medical record system, at six hospitals and multiple ambulatory clinics, he has also consulted on a variety of health care start-ups.
To stay close to the business, and remain focused to provide quality patient care, Raymond maintains an active nursing license. He holds a master’s degree in health care administration and informatics and a bachelor’s degree in nursing. He is ITIL, Lean Leader and Facilitative Leadership Certified.
Geri Schmid, Vice President, Payer Strategy
Geri Schmid serves as vice president for payer strategy for Nebraska Medicine. Previously, she had served as executive director for payer relations/managed care contracting. Schmid started with Nebraska Medicine in March of 2004, first serving as the Director of Revenue Cycle for UNMC Physicians.
Kyle Skiermont, PharmD, Senior Vice President, Operations
Kyle Skiermont, PharmD, serves as senior vice president of Operations for Nebraska Medicine, as well as assistant dean for clinical affairs in the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy. Dr. Skiermont also serves as the administrative leader of Nebraska Medicine oncology services, which include work with cancer network services and regional outreach. He also has leadership responsibilities for ambulatory, diagnostic and procedural services.
Before Nebraska Medicine, Dr. Skiermont worked for nearly 20 years at Fairview Pharmacy Services/M Health Fairview in Minneapolis, beginning as a staff pharmacist and rising to serve as its chief operating officer. During his time there, he also led infusion operations. He then went on to serve as senior vice president of specialty and home delivery services for Prime Therapeutics.
Dr. Skiermont grew up in Nebraska during his teen years and earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the UNMC College of Pharmacy. He did his undergraduate work in pre-pharmacy at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota.
Kelly Vaughn, Chief Nursing Officer
Kelly Vaughn serves as the chief nursing officer for Nebraska Medicine. As part of this role, Vaughn is a member of the Nebraska Medicine Board of Directors.
She began her career as a certified nursing assistant in 1998; moving on to staff nurse positions at Nebraska Medical Center. In 2009, Vaughn moved into leadership as an associate nurse manager for the Adult Progressive Care Unit. She went on to manage the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, and later Endoscopy Services before assuming the role of Surgical Services director in 2015. She most recently served as vice president of operations, leading Bellevue Medical Center.
Vaughn earned both her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing from UNMC.
Amy Volk, Chief Development Officer
Amy Volk serves as chief development officer for Nebraska Medicine and senior vice president for University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) development at the University of Nebraska Foundation. Volk began her role with Nebraska Medicine in 2017, when Nebraska Medicine and the University of Nebraska Foundation announced an affiliation agreement that formed a strategic partnership to increase the efficiency of fundraising activities and expand private financial support for both Nebraska Medicine and UNMC.
Volk joined the foundation in 1993 and worked as the UNMC College of Medicine constituent development officer. In 2003, she was the UNMC campus director of development, followed by being promoted to vice president and senior vice president.
In collaboration with Nebraska Medicine and UNMC, she is responsible for implementing the new advancement strategy.
She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, and a Master of Arts degree from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Ada Walker, JD, Vice President, People Development and Culture, Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer
Ada Walker, JD, serves as the vice president of people development and culture, and as the chief inclusion and diversity officer for Nebraska Medicine. Walker joined the health system in June 2021.
In her role, Walker works with employee resource groups and serves as a partner to many areas within the organization including Human Relations, Patient Experience, Provider Experience, Quality and Marketing and Communications.
Previously, Walker worked for Auburn University, where she was assistant vice president for access and inclusive excellence. She has also served as the director of inclusive student excellence and program coordinator at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and a law degree. Prior to UNC, Walker was an associate at the law firm of Williams Mullen in Raleigh, North Carolina, and a legal consultant with Huron Consulting.
Tammy Winterboer, PharmD, Vice President, Quality, Effectiveness and Experience
Tammy Winterboer, PharmD, BCPS, CPHQ, serves as the vice president of Quality, Effectiveness and Experience for Nebraska Medicine. In this role, she oversees quality, patient safety, informatics, clinical effectiveness and patient experience.
Dr. Winterboer is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist as designated by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy and a certified professional in healthcare quality by the National Association for Healthcare Quality. Dr. Winterboer graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Siena College and went on to earn her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. She completed her general post graduate PGY1 residency at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, followed by experience as a critical care pharmacist at Yale New Haven Health System.
Since joining Nebraska Medicine in 2007, Dr. Winterboer has served in a number of roles. After completing a postgraduate PGY2 pharmacy residency in critical care, she became part of the pharmacy leadership team as a critical care pharmacy manager. Shortly after the organizational-wide implementation of a new electronic medical record (Epic), she transitioned to the role of director of Enterprise Practice Support within the enterprise applications division, taking on responsibilities for clinical informatics, clinical decision support and applications training. Her role further expanded a couple of years later when she began serving as the co-director of the Clinical Effectiveness program, which aims to decrease variability, standardize processes and improve patient outcomes.