MEMBER NEWS

WBL is proud to support a network of driven, successful women. Each month we feature an interview with one or more of our members in our Member Spotlight series. We also welcome new additions to the WBL family, recognize member accomplishments in Here’s To Us, and showcase our sponsors’ white papers.

Member Spotlights | New Members | Here’s To Us | Sponsor White Papers

WBL Takes the Big Easy! Recapping the 2025 WBL Summit in New Orleans

We had an incredible time at the WBL Summit in New Orleans!  The Summit is such a special experience — not just for learning and growth, but, as one attendee put it, “the depth of connection to other leaders is genuine and unparalleled.” Our members leave the Summit with lifelong relationships and the drive to continue inspiring change in our industry. Check out a recap of our time together below! Sunday, Mar 16 The Summit kicked off with a relaxing afternoon at the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans, featuring spa sessions and one-on-one meetings. That evening, our welcome reception in the hotel’s courtyard

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[Inspiring Women Podcast x WBL] Speak Louder or Shut Up? Rita Johnson-Mills on What Happens When DEI Becomes Too Controversial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QScVCzvLCE Healthcare equity isn’t theoretical. It’s about who lives, who dies, and who gets a chance. For Rita Johnson-Mills, this isn’t abstract. It’s the work of a lifetime. As a former Medicaid executive, CEO, and now board leader, she has spent decades fighting to ensure Black and Brown communities receive the care, dignity, and leadership they deserve. Rita’s not just breaking glass ceilings. She’s questioning who built the ceiling in the first place. Her leadership spans public health, corporate boardrooms, and the lives of the women she’s mentored into executive roles. Her impact is structural. Her mission is urgent. In

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[Inspiring Women Podcast x WBL] Tia Newcomer On Turning Caregiver Overwhelm Into Community Action

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dMrz4xdlnI When a diagnosis is shared, the questions come fast: What happened? How can I help? For families in crisis, support is critical—but often chaotic. Without a structure to manage communication or coordinate care, caregivers are left to navigate emotional overwhelm and logistical complexity at the same time. That’s where CaringBridge steps in. In this episode of Inspiring Women, CEO Tia Newcomer joins Laurie McGraw to talk about what it takes to bring real support into the healthcare experience—not as a nice-to-have, but as essential infrastructure. Under her leadership, CaringBridge is expanding its reach, embedding into points of diagnosis and discharge,

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[Inspiring Women Podcast x WBL] Remembering Your Why: Dr. Rice’s Guide to Purposeful Leadership

https://youtu.be/VFxTRcMcOow?feature=shared Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, the sixth president of Morehouse School of Medicine and first woman to lead as president and CEO, cuts through the noise with her refreshingly direct approach to diversifying healthcare. “If Morehouse School of Medicine is not part of the DEI story, I don’t know what the DEI story is,” Dr. Rice says, refusing to back down from her mission despite today’s challenging climate. She brings receipts too—showing exactly how diversity in medicine delivers measurable benefits in economic impact, patient satisfaction, and health outcomes. Dr. Rice shares her practical wisdom for staying focused when leadership gets

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Member Spotlight: Sherie Hickman’s Career Journey Across the Care Continuum

Sherie Hickman currently serves as an independent board director for ADEii Health, an organization committed to providing mental health care services before crisis. Before this board appointment, Ms. Hickman served as the CEO of Sutter Delta Medical Center, part of the Sutter Health system and located in Antioch, California. She started her career with Kaiser Permanente in Southern California where she served in a number of medical center leadership positions in inpatient acute care, ambulatory care, and post-acute care services and worked for Kaiser Permanente in North Carolina as the Area Administrator for the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan in Charlotte.  How did you

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Here’s To Us – March 2025

Here’s To Us recognizes the great work and accomplishments of all WBL members. To submit your news, click here.   Deanna Angello was appointed Chief Commercial Officer of Cognito Therapeutics. Tabatha Erck was appointed CEO at ArcherReview. Melissa Hulke, Chief Strategy and Business Operations Officer, West Region at Aetna, joined the board of directors of Integrated Healthcare Association. Karen Walker Johnson was named CEO of Clever Care Health Plan. Kelsey Mayo, CEO of Armor Medical, Inc., spoke at the Women in Healthcare World Congress on transformative innovations in women’s health. Sarah McLeod, CEO of Activate Health, was named one of the top 50 Women Chief Executive Officers of 2025. Tesha Montgomery, Senior

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