José E. Rodríguez, MD, FAAFP

Associate Vice President for Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

Moderator

José E. Rodríguez, MD, FAAFP, serves as associate vice president for Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, is a professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, and associate medical director at the Redwood Health Center.

As AVP, Dr. Rodríguez has worked with teams across health sciences to increase the actions taken in the areas of equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout University of Utah Health. Scholarship has taken a central role in his office, and multiple manuscripts have been published highlighting the excellent work in health equity, diversity, and inclusion that has been happening across the campus. He has served on the diversity committee as well as recruitment committees supporting focused recruitment of underrepresented faculty and residents in medicine. He has presented at national conferences on our work and his research on diversity initiatives.

Michael L. Good, MD

Chief Executive Officer, University of Utah Health
A. Lorris Betz Senior Vice President for Health Sciences

Panelist

Michael Good joined the University of Utah as CEO, Executive Dean, and Senior Vice President of the health system in 2018. He served as interim president of University of Utah in 2021.

In his roles leading the health system, Good works to assure the professional and educational success of more than 23,000 talented faculty, staff, and students who make University of Utah Health (U of U Health) one of the nation’s premier centers of academic health sciences. His leadership has enhanced U of U Health’s reputation as an academic health system that provides world-class health care, research, education, and service to the state, region, and nation. He leads the organization through a period of remarkable growth, evidenced by the construction of a half-dozen major new facilities on the health campus and in the community, the implementation of transformational educational and research initiatives, and the recruitment of dozens of new leaders and faculty.

Linda S. Edelman, RN, PhD

Director, Hartford Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence
Director, Utah Geriatric Education Consortium
Professor, College of Nursing

Panelist

Linda S. Edelman PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN is a professor in the College of Nursing. She is passionate about preparing the workforce to meet the needs of our communities and providing older adults, especially those living in rural areas, access to age-friendly care. Dr. Edelman leads the Utah Geriatric Education Consortium (UGEC), a Health Resources and Services Agency (HRSA) funded Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program. The UGEC aims to provide education and training to health professions students and the primary care, geriatrics, and long-term services and supports workforce, and to support communities and families in caring for older adults. The UGEC has formed academic-clinic-community partnerships to develop innovative online age-friendly training programs that aim to improve the care older adults receive.

Gina Hawley, DrPH, MHA

Chief Operating Officer, University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics

Panelist

Dr. Hawley (she/her) is currently the Chief Operating Officer for University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics where she provides leadership for the operations and execution of key strategies across U of U Health Hospitals and Clinics and its related entities. She has robust academic health system experience from her previous roles at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), Johns Hopkins Medicine, and other institutions. She started her career in health care as a nursing assistant, increasing her passion and dedication as she took on more responsibility and leadership. Her most recent position with OHSU was serving as Vice President of Professional & Support Services. In that role, she oversaw 14 allied health, clinical program, and service lines, central services, and support services departments. Dr. Hawley holds a B.S. degree in Health Administration and Policy from Creighton University, a Master of Healthcare Administration degree from University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, and a Doctor of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health. As an educator, she serves as adjunct faculty in the School of Medicine – Division of Management at OHSU and as assistant adjunct faculty for the Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Mary Ann Villarreal, PhD

Vice President for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion

Panelist

Mary Ann Villarreal, PhD, is the inaugural vice president for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at the University of Utah, where she provides leadership and strategic oversight across campus. Villarreal serves the broader higher education community as the current Chair of the Board of Directors for the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U), a member of the executive committee for the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities’ Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and serves as part of the TIAA Inclusion Council. In all her work, Villarreal strives to strengthen the dignity of all individuals through organizational transformation in practice, policy, and processes.