TMF installs new board officers

TMF Health Quality Institute named new officers for its board of trustees at this month’s meeting in Austin, Texas. The changes put new leadership in place for the nonprofit healthcare consulting organization as it continues its federal, state and local work.

Why it matters: - TMF Health Quality Institute’s board leadership changes shape oversight for a nonprofit that works with federal, state and local governments on healthcare quality. - The new officer slate includes physicians, healthcare leaders and consumer Medicare beneficiary representatives, which keeps the board’s mix of clinical, operational and patient perspectives in place.

What happened: - TMF Health Quality Institute elected Eddie L. Patton Jr., MD, MS, MBA, FAAN, as chair at the TMF Board of Trustees meeting this month. - TMF also installed Glenn Robinson, MS, FACHE, as vice chair, Tim Lowry, CFP®, ChFC®, as secretary/treasurer, Janet Marie Lieto, DO, FACOFP, CMD, CPPS, as officer at large and Betty Wharton, MS, CEN, APRN-CNS, as non-physician officer at large. - Gayle Semtner, MEd, was re-elected to chair the Operations Committee. - TMF president and CEO Tom Manley said the organization looks forward to continued success under the new officers. - The announcement says a full listing of board members and biographies is available online via the organization’s board page.

The details: - Patton is a clinical assistant professor in the department of neurosurgery at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. - Patton earned medical, business and biology degrees from Wayne State University, Rice University and Alabama State University. - Patton practiced as a neurologist in Houston for 10 years before launching his own consultancy in 2019. - Patton sits on the boards of Ucardia and the Houston Community College Foundation, serves on the Texas Neurological Society board and is the current president of the society. - Patton joined the TMF board in August 2022. - Robinson has more than 30 years of hospital and healthcare management experience and is board certified in healthcare management. - Robinson led the Waco, Texas, region of Baylor Scott & White Health from 2007 to 2020. - After retiring from that role, Robinson launched Pacer Consultants, LLC, which focuses on leadership coaching and consulting for healthcare organizations nationwide. - Robinson teaches in Baylor University’s MBA program, serves as an adjunct lecturer at Trinity University in San Antonio and consults for Baker Tilly. - Lowry is co-owner, partner and vice president/chief operating officer of Dean, Jacobson Financial Services, LLC. - Lowry focuses on investment management, financial planning and wealth management and leads the firm’s investment research and allocation work. - Lowry oversees the firm’s Investment Allocations and Portfolio Models Committee and sets target allocations for model portfolios. - Lieto is director of Health Systems Science, Leadership and Innovation at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. - Lieto helped develop a patient safety course at TCOM that prepares students for the Certified Professional in Patient Safety exam. - TMF described the course as the only one of its kind in the country. - Lieto has been a Master Trainer for TEAMSTEPPS Interprofessional Education since 2014 and is a scholar in the American Medical Association’s Health Systems Science Academy Scholars Program. - Lieto joined the TMF board in August 2022. - Wharton directs Choctaw Nation’s Healthy Aging program and teaches in Eastern Oklahoma State College’s Nursing Department. - Wharton also works as a National Council Licensure Examination specialist for registered nurse and licensed practical nurse reviews nationwide. - Wharton serves with Network 13, PARTNERS and the Eastern Oklahoma State College Nursing Department advisory council. - Wharton has served on numerous boards and state task forces in Oklahoma focused on healthcare and health promotion. - Wharton has served on the TMF board since 2021. - Semtner represents Medicare beneficiaries on the TMF Board of Trustees. - Semtner previously served as community development specialist for the Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. - Semtner also worked as program manager for the Aging and Disabilities Resource Consortium at the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

Between the lines: - The officer lineup combines clinical, academic, financial and community aging expertise, signaling a board built to cover both healthcare operations and beneficiary interests. - Re-electing Semtner and Wharton suggests continuity in committee and beneficiary representation while TMF refreshes its top officer roles. - TMF’s long-running mission centers on improving healthcare quality through contracts with government and private organizations, so board leadership can influence how that work is prioritized.

What's next: - The new officers will guide board governance and committee work as TMF continues its healthcare quality contracts and provider improvement efforts. - TMF says it has spent more than 50 years helping providers and practitioners improve patient care across multiple settings. - The organization points readers to its board page for more information on members and bios.

The bottom line: - TMF kept experienced hands in key roles while rotating in new board leadership, setting up continuity with a fresh officer slate.