First Class of East Tennessee Children’s Hospital Physician Leadership Program Graduates Through Haslam

The first cohort of the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital (ETCH) Physician Leadership program, launched in spring 2024, celebrated its graduation in March 2025. Developed by Graduate and Executive Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business, the leadership program empowers its students with a practical set of broadly applicable leadership skills. It also equips ETCH’s healthcare leaders to respond to the hospital’s particular business challenges, given its status as a non-profit, free-standing independent children’s hospital, one of only 31 in the U.S. These tasks include leading other expert physicians, attracting and retaining top-level pediatric physicians and understanding healthcare finance for a children’s hospital.

A Unique Experience

The ETCH Physician Leadership program immerses medical staff in its shared leadership model, where administrative and physician leaders work in tandem, and it is built around small-group, highly participatory discussions that allow physician leaders to explore the challenges most important to them, while accommodating their demanding schedules. The program was made possible by the support of David Stevens, ETCH board chair, who made the gift to fund this five-year investment in physician leadership at ETCH. Members of the first cohort found the program’s offerings pertinent and applicable to many areas of their work.

Ryan Redman, M.D., ETCH pediatric emergency medicine, called it a high-value experience for departmental and hospital leaders. “The topics were very practical and targeted to the ‘need-to-know’ information that one would get from a more advanced course of study,” Redman said. “Having industry experts that are removed from the hospital environment and can help us understand where we fit in the broader healthcare landscape was very helpful.”

For Karie Mclevain-Wells, M.D., ETCH pediatrician at West Knoxville Pediatrics, the chance to learn with other members of her cohort was the most valuable component of the program.

“I would not have had enough opportunities to spend extended periods of time with these colleagues,” Mclevain-Wells explained. “Learning about their experiences in their different ETCH service lines demonstrated that we share many of the same challenges in our professional lives. I have discovered that each is highly motivated to further the mission of ETCH and help it grow into a more formidable provider of pediatric care. I feel that my professional network is significantly more robust than it was at the start of the experience.”

Diana Quintero, M.D., ETCH pulmonologist, added, “The program deepened my understanding of the importance of developing various skills related to leadership. The ability to collaborate, communicate effectively and share the hospital’s mission may seem abstract, but it can be broken down into key topics for better comprehension.”

Promising Outcomes

ETCH leaders believe program alumni will emerge with a strong grasp of the curriculum’s core competencies as well as deeper working relationships with one another. The goal is to build a more cohesive, supportive network within the organization. Their experiences should promote conversations using shared language and frameworks as they apply what they learned in the program to approach problems from new perspectives and articulate solutions more effectively.

Jim Rosenberg, GEE’s director of corporate engagement, said the physician leaders showed outstanding commitment to the program’s curriculum to meet these expectations.

“I’m excited to see how these alumni will use the skills they gained to strengthen ETCH’s leadership team and advance its mission,” Rosenberg said. “We are thrilled to graduate the initial cohort of ETCH’s Physician Leadership Program and look forward to welcoming the next cohort this spring.”

Matt Schaefer, president and CEO at ETCH, hailed the graduation of the first class as another step in the hospital’s commitment to improve the health of children through exceptional, comprehensive and family-centered care, wellness and education.

“The inaugural class of the ETCH Physician Leadership program will bring energized and informed leadership to our organization,” Schaefer said. “This collaboration with the Haslam College of Business is enabling ETCH to explore news ways to lead in delivering the best possible pediatric care in the region.”

About the Haslam College of Business Graduate and Executive Education Programs

At the master’s level, these programs include the Haslam Full-Time MBA, Online MBA, Professional MBA, Executive MBA, Healthcare Leadership and Strategic Leadership), Aerospace and Defense MBA, Physician Executive MBA, Master of Accountancy, M.A. in Economics, M.S. in Business Analytics, M.S. in Management and Human Resources, M.S. in Marketing, MS Supply Chain Management Global, M.S. in Supply Chain Management Online and M.S. in Business Cybersecurity Online. Doctoral program areas include accounting, business analytics and statistics, economics, finance, marketing, strategy, entrepreneurship and organizations and supply chain management. Haslam’s graduate supply chain programs continue to be ranked No. 1 in North America by industry leader, Gartner.

Haslam’s graduate programs address real-world challenges through an interdisciplinary approach that develops both analytical and leadership skills. Its faculty are industry thought leaders, seasoned practitioners and accomplished researchers who work tirelessly to create dynamic, relevant and impactful learning experiences.

About East Tennessee Children’s Hospital

East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is a free-standing, independent, not-for-profit pediatric health care system that serves the East Tennessee region. Children’s Hospital is certified by the state of Tennessee as a Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center. Their vision is taking care of the future, one child at a time.

Main image, from T-R: Suzanne Rybczynski, MD, Jay Crawford, MD, Diana Quintero, MD, Frankie Crain, MD, Karie McLevain-Wells, MD, Ryan Redman, MD, Julia Ariana, MD, W. Glaze Vaughan, MD.

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CONTACT:

Scott McNutt, business writer/publicist, rmcnutt4@utk.edu

Contact

Scott McNutt

Business Writer/Publicist

rmcnutt4@utk.edu

Haslam College of Business - First Class of East Tennessee Children’s Hospital Physician Leadership Program Graduates Through Haslam