UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office welcomes 10th cohort of Institute for Leadership – Heersink School of Medicine News


UAB Medicine’s Leadership Development Office welcomed 16 individuals in its 10th cohort of Institute for Leadership in January 2025.
UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership is a flagship program of the Leadership Development Office, aimed at empowering leaders across UAB and the UAB Health System. It features an initial DISC assessment and a robust agenda of guest speakers from executive-level leadership positions at UAB, including Institute alumni, throughout the program.
“We are excited to welcome our 10th cohort of the UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership,” said Jean Ann Larson, Ed.D., Chief Leadership Development Officer. “In order to sustain UAB Medicine’s success, it is vital that we invest in leaders such as these. Their talents and commitment to continuously growing their leadership capacity will serve us during this time of unprecedented change and beyond. We wish them kudos for their willingness to engage in this intensive leadership program.”
Learn more about the 10th cohort of UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership.
Adam Baumgarten, M.D., MBA, Assistant Professor, DVO, Associate Program Director, Director of Medical Students and Clerkship, Department of Urology
Dr. Adam Baumgarten specializes in genitourinary reconstruction, urologic trauma, and prosthetic urology. He joined the UAB Department of Urology in 2020 after completing training at the University of South Florida followed by a fellowship in urologic trauma, reconstruction, and prosthetics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He underwent advanced training in the treatment of urethral stricture disease, erectile dysfunction, male stress urinary incontinence, Peyronie’s disease, ureteral stricture disease, genitourinary trauma, and genitourinary fistulas. Dr. Baumgarten specializes in complex urethroplasty surgery, penile prosthesis placement, artificial urinary sphincter and male transobturator sling placement, and both robotic and open urinary tract reconstruction. Dr. Baumgarten also received his MBA from the University of Florida and has a passion for healthcare innovation. He serves as the Departmental Value Officer for the Department of Urology, as well as the Associate Program Director for the Urology residency program and Director of Medical Students and Urology clerkship.
Brian Berthiaume, MHA, Senior Director, Administrative Operations, UAB Comprehensive Transplant Institute
Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Brian Berthiaume went south to Mississippi to attend Millsaps College. Millsaps provided a wonderful environment to savor Cajun food, ride the bench on its D3 soccer team, and obtain a bachelor’s in business administration and a minor in philosophy. After graduating in 2000, Brian spent the next five years in administrative roles of increasing responsibility at Habitat for Humanity of Lexington, Kentucky. The Bluegrass State trained him in nonprofit management, bourbon, and fiddle music. After marrying his high school sweetheart, who was, at this point, a psychologist, he followed her to start a career in health care. He spent two short, but meaningful years at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). UNC provided him with a master’s in healthcare administration and more importantly, the birthplace of his first-born daughter. Continuing the circle around the Southeast, Brian and his family moved for a post-graduate fellowship at UAB. UAB Medicine has afforded him tremendous opportunities to learn about care for the uninsured, outpatient healthcare, financial management, regulatory compliance, and more. Since 2009, he has been fortunate to serve in leadership roles with UAB’s solid organ transplant programs. Brian, Kristen, their now three children, and various pets live three short miles from UAB Hospital.
Rockell Burks, R.N., BSN, MSHA, CCTN, Nurse Manager, Abdominal Transplant Unit
Rockell Burks is the nurse manager of the abdominal transplant unit with more than 20 years of nursing experience. Other leadership roles she has had include charge nurse of the transplant dialysis unit and the team lead for the kidney and pancreas transplant program. She has had the privilege of serving on various process improvement teams and is the nursing leader for both the liver transplant and kidney transplant accountable care teams.
Carlie Dobbins, MHA, Senior Director, Clinical Transformation Office
Carlie Dobbins is the Senior Director of Clinical Transformation Office and enjoys working with teams and leaders throughout the hospital to improve the care delivery experience for patients and frontline staff. Carlie began working at UAB in 2020 for her administrative fellowship after completing her master’s degree in health administration at the University of Southern California. She also completed her bachelor’s degree in biology from Pepperdine University in 2016.
Kelsey Gilley, MSN, R.N., Director, Physician Services
Kelsey Gilley is the Director of Physician Services at UAB. She previously held the role of Physician Liaison within the same department for seven years and came to UAB after eight years at Children’s of Alabama’s emergency department. She completed her BSN at Troy University in 2010 and a Master of Nursing Education at Samford University in 2017. If she’s not working, you’ll find her traveling to the beach to visit with her parents, hanging out with her husband, Josh, or snuggling on the couch with her dog watching Gilmore Girls.
Joseph R. Harper-Hooper, DNP, R.N., CNOR, Director, Perioperative Services
Joseph Harper-Hooper is a seasoned health care professional with a distinguished career spanning clinical practice, management, and education. Holding a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree and multiple certifications, including CNOR, Healthcare Quality and Safety, and Teaching in Nursing, he serves as Director of Perioperative Support Services at UAB Hospital. With extensive expertise in perioperative nursing, health care leadership, and process improvement, Joseph has excelled in roles such as Charge RN, Assistant Nurse Manager, and Director. His background also includes corporate operations management in the healthcare sector, highlighting his versatility and dedication to enhancing patient care and organizational efficiency. Joseph is also married and a father of twins, Ellis and Finley.
Leslie W. Hayes, M.D., Chief Quality Officer, UAB Medicine Pediatrics
Dr. Leslie Hayes is a professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Critical Care Medicine at UAB. She attended medical school at The Ohio State University and completed her internal medicine and pediatrics residency at UAB. She is currently the Chief Quality Officer for UAB Medicine. She has a wealth of experience in quality improvement and patient safety, leading impactful initiatives across the care continuum. Dr. Hayes is also an educator with a dual appointment at the UAB School of Health Professions, in the Department of Health Services Administration. She is the Associate Medical Director of UAB Healthcare Quality and Safety Programs and teaches in the MSHQS, Executive MSHA, and Executive Doctoral Program in Administration-Health Services.
Joe Jacobs, MSHA, SHRM-CP, Associate Vice President, Human Resources
Joe Jacobs serves as Associate Vice President of Human Resources-Compensation and Benefits for UAB Medicine. He has been with the organization for 16 years. Prior to assuming his current role, he was the Vice President of Human Resources for UAB Medical West, an affiliate of the UAB Health System. Before joining UAB Medicine, he held several positions with East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Alabama.
Joe received a Master of Science in Health Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Auburn University.
Mike James, PharmD, MBA, Associate Chief Pharmacy Officer, Pharmacy
Mike James is an Associate Chief Pharmacy Officer at UAB Hospital where he has worked for more than nine years. He currently provides leadership for ambulatory pharmacy operations, which include retail and specialty pharmacy, infusion pharmacy, home infusion, medication services for outpatient clinics, and pharmacy informatics. Mike has worked in a variety of ambulatory areas within the UAB Department of Pharmacy before assuming his current role. Prior to UAB, he spent five years as a pharmacist in a large retail chain. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from The University of Alabama, his PharmD from LECOM School of Pharmacy, and his MBA from UAB’s Collat School of Business.
Tim McElroy, MSHA, CMPE, (MGMA), Operations Administrator, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Tim McElroy is the Operations Administrator for the UAB Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN), directing the business operations and processes related to the department’s clinical practice. In his role, he serves as a key member of the chair’s leadership team and is involved in the strategic planning and decision-making for all aspects of the department. Upon completion of his undergraduate degree in financial management, he started his career with UAB OB/GYN in 1992. After gaining valuable experience in his first job, he was recruited to VIVA Health (Triton Health Systems) in 1995 during the start-up phase of UAB’s managed care organization (HMO). After a few years, he was offered the opportunity to work for the UAB practice plan which had decided to centralize its billing and collections efforts and implement a new patient financial system. This was a great opportunity to be in a central leadership role with high visibility and provided exposure to many clinical departments and sub-specialties. In 2000, Tim was recruited to the University of South Alabama to be the lead administrator for several clinical departments including Medicine and Neurology. In 2004, he was recruited back to UAB OB/GYN and, since that time, has continued to develop and progressively assume more leadership experience and responsibilities. Outside of work, he is married to Heather McElroy, who also works for UAB Medicine, with whom he has a 15-year-old daughter.
Christa Nevin, M.D., MSPH, Director, 1917 Clinic, Assistant Professor, UAB Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases
Christa Nevin is an assistant professor in the UAB Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases. As an internal medicine-pediatrics physician, her clinical and advocacy interests focus on improving the lives of children, adolescents, and adults living with HIV. As director of the UAB 1917 Clinic, she leads Alabama’s largest and one of the nation’s most respected HIV clinics, which serves approximately 4,000 patients and 130 staff. She serves on several advisory councils related to this work, including the Alabama Department of Public Health HIV Advisory Council and the HIVMA National Ryan White Medical Providers Coalition Steering Committee. Dr. Nevin also enjoys teaching and serves as faculty for the Gorgas Course in Tropical Medicine.
Derek Adam Robinett, M.D., FACEP, FAEMS, Associate Professor, Associate Vice Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine
Dr. Adam Robinett is an associate professor and associate vice chair of Emergency Medicine at UAB, where he also serves as the medical director for the City of Hoover Fire Department. He earned his medical degree from the Heersink School of Medicine and holds a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences from Auburn University. Dr. Robinett completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Boston Medical Center and is board certified in both Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). With more than a decade of experience in clinical practice, education, and EMS leadership, Dr. Robinett is a respected authority in prehospital care. He has served as program director for UAB’s EMS Fellowship and was the medical advisor for the 2022 World Games. His research focuses on post-cardiac arrest care, EMS protocol development, and innovative approaches to prehospital medicine, with numerous peer-reviewed publications to his credit. Dr. Robinett is a fellow of both the American College of Emergency Physicians and the National Association of EMS Physicians, recognizing his significant contributions to emergency medicine and EMS.
Jennifer Schneider, CPA, M.S., CFO, UAB Hospital
In October 2023, Jennifer was appointed Chief Financial Officer of UAB Hospital, the eighth-largest hospital in the U.S. In this role, she provides executive oversight for financial planning and budgeting, financial reporting, and reimbursement. Jennifer works collaboratively with both hospital and Health System senior leaders on opportunities to improve financial performance and initiatives that continue to drive the organization forward. Jennifer previously served as Regional Chief Financial Officer of Trinity Health of New England, overseeing all financial operations including accounting and financial reporting, operating and capital budgeting, strategic financial planning, and revenue cycle functions across the New England region. Prior to assuming this role in 2019, Jennifer held other positions at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, including Vice President of Finance, Chief Compliance Office, VP of Lean and Process Improvement, Director of Internal Audit, Director of Revenue Cycle, and Controller at Easter Seals Greater Hartford Rehabilitation Center. Prior to joining Saint Francis in 2001, Jennifer was a senior manager at Ernst & Young, Hartford, where she served Saint Francis as an external auditor for nine years with a primary practice area in healthcare and manufacturing organizations. Jennifer received her Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Bentley College and her Master of Science in Quality Systems Management from the National Graduate School. Jennifer is a certified public accountant and is certified in health care compliance.
Shelby Smith, CPA, Assistant CFO, UAB Callahan Eye Hospital Authority
Shelby came to UAB Callahan Eye Hospital Authority in January of 2016 following a 15-year career in public accounting at Ernst & Young. While at Ernst & Young, she earned her CPA license and was exposed to all industries with a focus on health care and insurance in the last few years of her tenure there. Shelby performed her undergraduate and graduate studies at The University of Alabama, earning a Master of Accountancy degree. Upon her arrival at UAB Callahan Eye, Shelby served as the Assistant CFO and the EA for the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Currently, she manages several departments, including Finance, Patient Accounting, and Patient Access. Her other full-time job is being a wife and mom to two middle schoolers and a 3-year-old goldendoodle.
Corey Spraberry, Ph.D., MBA, Executive Administrator, Department of Dermatology
Corey, a Birmingham native, has also lived in Louisiana and Mississippi. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University, his master’s from Samford University, and his Ph.D. from UAB. Corey began his career in the UAB Health System at Callahan Eye Hospital and now serves as the executive administrator for the Department of Dermatology. In his free time, he enjoys cooking Italian and Cajun cuisine, spending quality time with his wife and daughter, and exploring new interests.
Megan Yeatts, MBA, Executive Director, Strategic Planning, Heersink School of Medicine Dean’s Office
A North Carolina native, Megan received a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining UAB, she worked in magazine and book publishing at various divisions of Time Inc., primarily Southern Living. Her initial roles at UAB were related to her experience in communications and marketing (Department of Ophthalmology 2013 – 2015; Department of Surgery 2016-2018). Megan completed her MBA from UAB in 2015. In 2018, she transitioned to a broader role serving as the administrative director for Surgery. She then served as executive administrator for the Department of Ophthalmology from 2019-2024. In May 2024, she joined the Heersink School of Medicine Dean’s Office as Executive Director, Strategic Planning. She enjoys spending her free time with her daughters, Lucille (8) and Edith (4).
Learn more about the Leadership Development Office and its programs at Leadership Development Office – Heersink School of Medicine | UAB.
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