Medical group governance for better organisational integration

Author's Biography

Kara Witalis , MHA, has over 20 years of experience in hospital/health system strategic planning and implementation, organisational process and change management facilitation and clinical product-line planning and implementation. She has led multiple successful engagements for academic medical centres, community-based health systems and large-scale medical groups from across the country. Her recent clients are Providence Health, UCSF Medical Center, Northwest Hospital Alliance, Marshall Medical Center and St. Lawrence Health System. Witalis has national experience with helping healthcare organisations build new and reimagine existing governance structures in order to bring about the right thinking, the right discussions and the right governance design to best fulfil the mission within the new era of healthcare. Recent examples include redesigning the governance structure for a three-hospital healthcare system in upstate New York and building a medical group governance structure for a multi-state healthcare system with approximately 10,000 providers. She served as principal for Via Healthcare Consulting, where she focused on healthcare governance effectiveness and organisational strategy. Before joining, Witalis served as a senior consultant for HealthWorks Group LLC, where she provided strategic and business planning, compensation valuation and out-of-network dispute litigation services to provider organisations across the nation. Witalis has national experience in trauma and emergency services regional planning and system design and trauma centre development. Witalis holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Trinity University, San Antonio. She has advanced training in leadership and change management from Boston College.

Tamara Brown is the CEO for Providence Clinical Network and Providence Health & Services, Alaska. As leader of the region’s physician enterprise and outpatient services, she oversees operations and strategic development of Providence Medical Group Alaska, including Providence Alaska Family Residency. Tamara joined Providence during a time of major change; she worked towards providing stability and support during the pandemic and, as Providence expands, to bring new clinical outpatient services to Alaska. Tamara places a high priority on transparent communication and building individual relationships with the caregivers and providers in the medical group and in the community. In the fall of 2021, the inaugural PMG Alaska Provider Governing Board was established; the 10-member board serves to represent the PMG physicians, clinicians, faculty and clinics in the leadership decisions for the medical group. Before moving into her current role as CEO, she served as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Providence, Tamara worked at Southcentral Foundation, part of the Alaska Native healthcare system, for over 15 years. Tamara has a bachelor’s degree from Hope International University, Fullerton, CA, and a master’s degree in business administration from Alaska Pacific University. She also completed the Alaska Native Executive Leadership Program through Alaska Pacific University. Tamara spends much of her free time volunteering and serving as chair of the board of the Special Olympics of Alaska.