Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | May 27, 2019 | Worcester Business Journal 9 H E A L T H C A R E P O W E R 5 0 Angela Bovill PRESIDENT & CEO ASCENTRIA CARE ALLIANCE, WORCESTER Richard P. Burke PRESIDENT & CEO FALLON HEALTH, WORCESTER Eric W. Dickson, MD PRESIDENT & CEO UMASS MEMORIAL HEALTH CARE, WORCESTER Residence: Stratham, N.H. Colleges: University of Southern Maine, Boston University Ascentria has come a long way since Bovill joined the formerly named Lutheran Social Services nonprofit more than a decade ago, including the last six as its leader. Ascentria has changed its name, streamlined operations and created new programs and partnerships throughout New England. Its latest successes under Bovill were the January acquisition of the Presentation Rehabilitation and Skilled Care Center in Brighton with a $23-million state government grant in January, and then being selected among 13 nationwide to receive special consulting from the Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School. Ascentria focuses on helping refugees, the disabled, seniors, those with mental health challenges, and others who sometimes need extra help in staying healthy. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? Unlike Boston or other more fragmented cities, Central Mass. has a real desire to come together here to create something to lead the way for New England. Green thumb: I am turning into an avid gardener and landscaper. Unlike my day job, I can see the results immediately, and it is a great reward! Residence: Worcester Colleges: Assumption College, Boston College, Cornell University Fallon insures more people than ever, 22% more than it did when Burke became its leader in 2016. While the insurer has achieved this record through a variety of efforts, the membership spike in 2018 was largely the result of the company becoming a central part of the MassHealth accountable care organization system, pairing insurers with health providers with an aim for better cost controls and quality. Fallon employs more people than ever, with a large majority at its downtown Worcester offices, which bring hundreds of people to the neighborhood each weekday as the city works to build more vitality into the neighborhood. Fallon is building a new state-of-the-art healthcare facility for seniors called Summit ElderCare facility on Grove Street in Worcester, joining another new senior care center opened last year in Webster. Outside of Fallon, Burke serves on the boards of Assumption College and the Worcester Business Development Corp. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? Our population is aging and needs innovative health care at an affordable cost. Better count his teeth: I'm a hockey fan and played on Assumption's team when I was an undergraduate. Residence: Princeton Colleges: Merrimack College, Harvard University, UMass Medical School As the head of the largest employer in Central Massachusetts, Dickson has an ability to affect the livelihoods of thousands of people, to say nothing of all those who are treated at UMass Memorial Health Care hospitals in Worcester, Clinton, Leominster and Marlborough. In 2017, UMass contributed $168 million in community benefit to the region. Dickson, UMass Memorial's leader since 2013, first put UMass back on track financially, which required hundreds of layoffs and tough union negotiations, and then worked to overhaul its record-keeping to go fully electronic in a $700-million project. Outside of UMass, the initiative nearest to Dickson's heart is supporting the United Way Summer Strong program, which helps families send their kids to summer camps. Where is Central Mass. headed? From an economic and cultural/social perspective, Central Massachusetts has tremendous momentum right now. We have to guard against some communities being le behind. Sticky: I process and bottle my own maple syrup. Tarek Elsawy, MD, FACP OPTUMCARE REGIONAL PRESIDENT & RELIANT MEDICAL GROUP PRESIDENT & CEO, WORCESTER Kate McEvoy VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE RELATIONS UMASS MEMORIAL HEALTH CARE, WORCESTER Milka Njoroge, PharmD OWNER & CEO CENTURY HOMECARE, LLC, WORCESTER Residence: Aurora, Ohio Colleges: Case Western Reserve University, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University of Virginia If it seems like Reliant Medical Group has added new facilities across Central Massachusetts every few months, that's because it practically has. Under Elsawy, its leader since 2016, Reliant has jumped onto the trend of bringing outpatient healthcare services closer to patients and leveraged the clout and resources the $100-billion Optum brought since acquiring Reliant in 2018. Reliant has opened new facilities in places like the Auburn Mall, Bay State Commons in Westborough and the Greendale Mall in Worcester. Elsawy oversees a network with 2,500 employees, including 300 physicians, who care for 317,000 patients annually. Under Elsawy, Reliant is still working to bring better care closer to patients, opening e Surgery Center in Shrewsbury last year in a partnership with Shields Health Care Group and UMass Memorial Health Care. Where is Central Mass. headed? We will continue to be a center of medical excellence and innovation. He's a Cavalier: As a long suffering fan and alumni of the University of Virginia, seeing UVA win the NCAA National Basketball Championship this year was one of the most memorable sporting experiences for me, particularly aer a disappointing loss last year. Residence: Worcester College: Worcester State University McEvoy has an innate ability to develop an idea and bring people together to execute that idea to excellence. For the last two years, she has been the volunteer head of fundraising for the UMass Memorial Winter Ball – the premier fundraising event in Central Massachusetts – and each of those two years have set records for the amount of money raised, including crossing the $2-million milestone this past year thanks to McEvoy's dogged pursuit of pre-event corporate donations and sponsorships. McEvoy became the Central Massachusetts business community's most coveted free agent in January, aer insurer Harvard Pilgrim Health Care – where she was the head of business development for the region – closed its Worcester office. She landed at UMass Memorial, which created the position of vice president of corporate relations just for her. In that role, she is tasked with ensuring the region's largest employer – with 14,000 employees – remains financially strong even as the healthcare industry evolves. Where is the Central Mass. community headed? Our wildest dreams are coming true. If you need to know the weather, just check her Facebook account: I am obsessed with meteorology. Residence: Holden College: Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences As healthcare patients – and their insurers – want to age at home, agencies like Century Homecare have become an increasingly important part of the healthcare landscape. Aer co-founding the company, Njoroge in 2015 le her job as a pharmacist to become Century CFO before taking over as CEO. e company is now the second-largest minority- owned business in Central Mass., with 180 employees. Over the last five years, the company has completed more than 1 million home visits. Njoroge is working to create a diverse workplace, as 70% of her senior management are women. In the last three years, the company has spent more than $200,000 helping its home health aids become licensed practical nurses. Where is Central Mass. headed? Central Mass is well positioned to benefit from two fast growing industries – healthcare and information technology. With the second highest concentration of healthcare facilities in New England and a host of top tier colleges, the region stands to gain from the nexus of these two sectors. Early start: I was born on a rainy day on the side of a dirt road in Kenya as my mother waited for a bus to get to the hospital an hour away. In a way, I hit the ground running…

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