The UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office (LDO) recently welcomed 19 individuals in its 13th cohort of Institute for Leadership for fall 2026.
The UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership, a program of the Leadership Development Office, is designed for senior and mid-level leaders across UAB and the UAB Health System. The program empowers leaders to leverage impactful strategies presented by LDO facilitators from across UAB Medicine, including senior executive guest speakers and Institute alumni.
“It is my pleasure to welcome and congratulate the 13th Cohort of the UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership,” said Jean Ann Larson, Ed.D., UAB Medicine Chief Leadership Development Officer and Heersink School of Medicine Senior Associate Dean for Leadership Development. “Their selection to this prestigious program reflects their commitment to growth, excellence, and service. We look forward to seeing the impact that these individuals will make as they strengthen their leadership capabilities and help shape the future of UAB Medicine.”
Learn more about the 13th cohort of the UAB Medicine Institute for Leadership.
Erica Arnold, DNP, R.N., CNL, ACM-RN, Senior Director, Care Transitions
Dr. Erica Arnold is the Senior Director of Care Transitions with a strong background in care coordination, quality improvement, and interprofessional collaboration. In this role, Arnold leads teams focused on improving patient outcomes across the care continuum with an emphasis on seamless transitions, operational excellence, and team development. Arnold is a servant leader committed to mentoring emerging leaders, fostering a culture of accountability and growth, and driving initiatives that enhance both patient experience and organizational performance.
Thomas “Tommy” Burt, MSHA, LSSGB, Manager of Group Practice, Specialty Clinic, Cooper Green Mercy Health
Tommy Burt is a healthcare leader with a passion for improving access, quality, and operational performance across healthcare organizations. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, he earned a Bachelor of Health Science from the University of Florida and later completed a Master of Science in Health Administration at UAB. Burt currently serves as Group Practice Manager for Specialty Clinics at Cooper Green Mercy Health, where he oversees patient experience, community outreach, medical interpretation services, and the administrative fellowship program. In this role, he partners closely with provider and nursing leadership to drive operational efficiencies across three specialty clinic areas encompassing more than 15 medical and surgical specialties. Prior to joining Cooper Green, Burt served as a Business Manager in Nursing at the University of Florida Health in Jacksonville. He also completed an administrative fellowship at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, where he gained experience in healthcare operations, finance, service line development, and performance improvement.
Britney L. Corey, M.D., MACM, FACS, Associate Professor, Department of Surgery
Dr. Britney Corey is a board-certified, fellowship-trained minimally invasive gastrointestinal (GI) surgeon. She completed both her general surgery residency and minimally invasive GI Surgery fellowship at UAB. A Texas native, she earned her medical degree from Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Corey’s academic work focuses on advancing surgical education and improving holistic review in graduate medical education. She is deeply committed to supporting learners across the continuum of undergraduate and graduate medical training. To further these efforts, she earned a Master of Academic Medicine from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. She has served as Program Director of the General Surgery Residency at UAB since July 2020. Clinically, Corey specializes in complex abdominal wall hernias, including flank and hiatal hernias, as well as anti-reflux surgery, including magnetic sphincter augmentation. Corey has been recognized for her dedication to education and humanistic care, including the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award in 2021 and the Dean’s Excellence Award in Teaching for senior faculty in 2025.
Morgan Gaghen, MSHA, MBA, COTA/L, Senior Director of Operations, Inpatient Imaging and UAB Hospital-Highlands
As Senior Director of Operations for Inpatient Imaging and UAB Hospital-Highlands at UAB Medicine, Morgan Gaghen provides strategic and operational leadership for inpatient imaging services across UAB Medicine's Main Campus and Highlands, while overseeing campus operations for UAB Hospital-Highlands, a 134-bed acute care teaching hospital. Her responsibilities include operational strategy, workforce planning, capital and space planning, service line growth, and multidisciplinary collaboration to improve access, quality, patient experience, and operational performance. Since joining UAB Medicine in 2013, Gaghen has held progressive leadership roles spanning rehabilitation services, supply chain, hospital operations, emergency management, imaging, and executive administration. She has led numerous enterprise initiatives, including workforce stabilization efforts that significantly reduced vacancy rates and contract labor utilization, implementation of new inpatient care models, expansion of imaging services, Age-Friendly Health System initiatives, and major capital and operational planning projects. She also serves as faculty advisor for UAB Medicine's Administrative Fellowship Program, helping develop the organization's next generation of healthcare leaders. Originally from Gadsden, Alabama, Gaghen began her healthcare career while working in an outpatient gastroenterology practice before joining UAB as an occupational therapy assistant. She earned both a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Health Administration from UAB and completed UAB Hospital's two-year Administrative Fellowship in 2021.
Ashlea Herrero, MSHQS, LSSBB, Senior Director, Center for Patient Flow
Ashlea Herrero began her career in healthcare over 18 years ago in Regulatory & Quality and Nursing Quality before transitioning to Patient Flow. In her role as Senior Director of Patient Flow, Herrero developed a system-wide Operational Command Center supporting UAB Medicine and the UAB/St Vincent’s strategic alliance. She provides operational and strategic oversight of patient flow operations for over 1,500 beds with 63 operating rooms, more than 65,000 admissions, and 20,000 transfer requests per year. Herrero led strategic initiatives for patient flow activities in partnership with senior leaders in the UAB Health System office. She champions patient flow improvements throughout UAB Medicine, co-chairs Patient Flow Improvement Council and the Affiliate Transfer Advisory Council, and is a member of Emergency Management, OR Executive, Code Stroke & Code MI committees. Herrero earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Healthcare Quality & Safety from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
Farah Dominique Lubin, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, Department of Neurobiology
Dr. Farah D. Lubin is a Distinguished and Triton Endowed Professor of Neurobiology at UAB. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry, summa cum laude, from Alabama State University, followed by a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from Binghamton University in New York. She completed two postdoctoral fellowships at Baylor College of Medicine. Lubin serves as the director of the NIH/NINDS Neuroscience Roadmap Scholars Program and director of the T32 Cognition and Cognitive Disorders pre-doctoral training program at UAB, which is dedicated to improving the engagement and retention of graduate trainees in the neurosciences. Her research focuses on the epigenetic regulation of gene transcription in both healthy and diseased brains. She and her colleagues have discovered epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, posttranslational histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs that orchestrate gene expression changes in mature, non-dividing neurons and glial cells during memory formation. Lubin employs a multidisciplinary approach, integrating molecular neuroscience with advanced technologies, like CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, to explore how the epigenome governs transcriptional programs in brain cells. Her work has revealed how epigenetic processes affect memory functions, aiming to identify causes of cognitive deficits in neurodegenerative disorders, like Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease, and develop therapeutic strategies. Her research is supported by the NIH, the Epilepsy Foundation, the McKnight Brain Institute, and the American Federation for Aging Research.
CaNeechia “Shay” Mack, DHA, MBA, B.A., BSN, Nurse Manager, UAB Medicine Head, Neck, Plastics, and Urology Unit
Dr. CaNeechia Mack was born and raised in Moss Point, Mississippi, and spent the last eight years in Houston, Texas, before recently relocating to Birmingham. She is a Nurse Manager who is passionate about supporting and caring for those who dedicate their lives to caring for others. Mack earned her bachelor's degree from Tougaloo College, where she had the honor of serving as Miss Tougaloo College for the 2013–2014 academic year. She values opportunities to connect with others, learn from different perspectives, and build meaningful relationships. As Mack begin this new chapter in Birmingham, she looks forward to becoming more engaged in the community and continuing to develop as a leader in healthcare.
Laine McDonald, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor & Director, Department of Emergency Medicine
Dr. Laine McDonald is an Associate Clinical Professor and the University Emergency Department Medical Director at UAB. As a board-certified emergency physician with more than 21 years of experience, McDonald has dedicated her career to advancing emergency care through clinical excellence, operational leadership, and physician engagement. Prior to joining UAB, McDonald spent 19 years practicing community emergency medicine at UAB Medical West before transitioning to academic medicine, where she has served for the past two years. In her current leadership role, she oversees operations in the University Emergency Department and contributes to initiatives that enhance patient care, quality, safety, and departmental performance. McDonald is actively engaged in institutional leadership and serves on numerous departmental committees, including the Executive Committee, Compensation Committee, and Emergency Department Operations Committee. She also contributes to several hospital-wide committees, including the Patient Safety Committee, the Transfer Advisory Council, and the Executive Committee for the Care of the Boarded Patient, among others. Beyond her institution, McDonald is committed to advancing emergency medicine and improving healthcare across Alabama. She serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and is a member of the Alabama Department of Public Health Maternal Mortality Review Committee and the Alabama Perinatal Readiness and Emergency Program Steering Committee. Through these leadership roles, she works to improve emergency care systems, maternal health, patient safety, and statewide collaboration.
William “Stan” McDuffie, MPH, Director of Operations, Office of Patient Experience & Engagement
William “Stan” McDuffie is the Director of Operations for the Office of Patient Experience & Engagement for UAB Health System. He brings more than 20 years of experience in customer experience, professional services, and sales across early-stage startups and Fortune 20 healthcare technology and customer experience organizations. McDuffie provides leadership for project and program management, contracting and pricing, delivery strategy, and innovation. His areas of focus and expertise include process improvement, clinical and financial value propositions, and data innovation.
Angel Pendleton, MSN, R.N., Nurse Manager, Medical Nursing-GMID
Angel Pendleton is an experienced medical-surgical nurse with a decade of clinical expertise in delivering high-quality patient care. She is dedicated to creating a supportive healing environment, collaborating closely with interdisciplinary teams, and advocating for patients and their families. Her warm bedside manner and strong clinical judgment allow her to guide patients through complex conditions with confidence and compassion. She is grounded in compassion, collaboration, and high-quality patient care. She excels in teamwork and problem-solving, consistently supporting colleagues and patients through complex clinical situations. With a strong commitment to cultivating a culture of patient-centered care, she strives to ensure every patient and family feels valued, informed, and empowered throughout their healthcare journey.
Napoleon Player, DNP, MBA, R.N., CNOR, NEA-BC, Associate Vice President, Perioperative Services
Dr. Napoleon Player brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in complex healthcare environments, with a strong background in perioperative operations, quality improvement, and team development. Most recently, he served as Associate Vice President of Perioperative and Procedural Services at UF Health Jacksonville, where he provided strategic and operational leadership for perioperative services across multiple sites, including operating rooms, ambulatory surgery centers, PACU, sterile processing, and interventional suites. In this role, he focused on advancing operational performance, strengthening patient safety and quality outcomes, and building strong partnerships with physicians, anesthesia teams, and clinical leaders. Prior to joining UF Health Jacksonville, Player held several senior leadership roles at Memorial Hermann – TMC and Texas Health Dallas, where he oversaw large, multidisciplinary teams across perioperative services, trauma, bariatrics, and GI programs. Throughout his career, he has been recognized as a collaborative and results-oriented leader who is deeply committed to patient advocacy, staff engagement, and developing strong leadership teams. His work has included leading major initiatives such as trauma center designation efforts, expansion of the robotic surgery program, and operational improvements that enhanced surgical throughput, patient experience, and quality metrics. Player holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nurse Executive Leadership from the Cizik School of Nursing at UT Health Houston, a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grambling State University, and an Associate of Surgical Technology from Southern University. He is also board-certified in operating nursing (CNOR) and as a Nurse Executive Advanced (NEA-BC).
Amy A. Roberson, R.N., MSM, NE-BC, Senior Nursing Director, Neuroscience and Rehab Nursing
Amy A. Roberson graduated from UAB School of Nursing in 2000 and began her career in nursing in the Trauma Burn ICU. She became an ANM in 2012 and received her master’s degree in management from Walden University in 2014. In 2018, Roberson transitioned into the role of NPDS in TBICU, and in March 2020, she took the position of Nurse Manager in the Acute Trauma Care Unit. In 2021, Roberson received a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Quality and Safety from UAB, and in 2024, accomplished a Nurse Executive certification (NE-BC). In April 2025, Roberson accepted the position of Senior Director of the Neuroscience Division and Rehab Nursing. Roberson said she is grateful for her career opportunities thus far and looks forward to continued development and growth.
Will Rutland, M.D., J.D., MPH, Associate Professor & Vice Chair of Education, Montgomery Regional Medical Campus
Dr. Will Rutland is the Regional Chair of Psychiatry and Psychiatry Residency Director for the UAB Heersink School of Medicine’s Montgomery Campus. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Rutland attended medical school at UAB and then completed residency and fellowships in Addiction Psychiatry and Public Psychiatry at Yale. In his current roles, Rutland is humbled to also serve as the medical director for Alabama’s first “Street Psychiatry” clinic, providing mental health and addiction care to Montgomery’s homeless population on the streets and in the shelters where they live.
Christopher “Chris” Sale, BBA, MBA, MSHA, Chief Operating Officer & Vice President, UAB St. Vincent’s East
Christopher “Chris” Sale is originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, and currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of UAB St. Vincent’s East. Over the past 16 years, he has worked in healthcare leadership, focusing on creating meaningful improvements in patient care and operational efficiency. Sale is passionate about building collaborative teams and finding innovative ways to support the communities he serves. Sale said his educational journey has been a key part of shaping who he is. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, followed by a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge, and a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from UAB. Each step along the way has deepened his commitment to making a difference in healthcare. Sale is excited about the future and looks forward to continuing to make a positive impact both within UAB St. Vincent’s and in the broader community.
Rachel Schwartz, MBA, CCP, Senior Director, Cardiovascular Perfusion-CVI
Rachel Schwartz is originally from Mobile, Alabama, where she grew up on Mobile Bay and attended Catholic grade school and high school. Schwartz went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences from the University of South Alabama. After graduation, she began her career as a Lab Technician at Springhill Medical Center, where she discovered her passion for cardiac surgery and Perfusion Technology. Motivated to pursue this path, Schwartz strengthened her academic credentials and was accepted into the Texas Heart Institute School of Perfusion Technology. Given the highly specialized nature of the perfusion field, she was thrilled to accept a position at UAB Medicine upon completing her training. UAB has been Schwartz’s professional home for the past 16 years. During that time, she has been proud to contribute to the significant growth and development of both the Cardiovascular Perfusion and ECMO programs. Schwartz has participated in, and often led, numerous quality improvement initiatives, and she is grateful for the supportive leadership that has invested in her personal and professional development. In 2017, Schwartz was honored to receive the UAB Medicine Excellence Award. She has also taken part in a variety of professional development programs that have helped her better understand her leadership strengths and opportunities for growth. One of her greatest professional accomplishments has been recruiting and retaining resilient, high-performing clinical perfusionists who provide exceptional patient care across Alabama. Schwartz considers herself a strategic thinker who enjoys driving operational improvements, a strength that was further refined during her MBA studies at UAB, which she completed in 2024.
Brandy Tanner, DNP, CRNP, WHNP-BC, Director, Advanced Practice Providers
Dr. Brandy Tanner is a dedicated healthcare leader with more than 20 years of experience as an Advanced Practice Provider (APP). She earned her Master of Science in Nursing in 2003 and Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2020, both from UAB. In December 2024, she transitioned into her current role as Director of Advanced Practice Providers at UAB Medicine, where she leads strategic direction and operational oversight of initiatives aimed at optimizing APP practice across the organization. Previously, she served as APP Manager and APP Supervisor within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, where she supported departmental operations and the continued development of APP practice. Brandy also contributes to UAB’s academic mission as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the UAB School of Nursing. She is committed to empowering APPs, fostering collaboration, and promoting initiatives that improve clinical practice, professional development, and patient care.
Debbie Trammell, sHRBP, SWP, Vice President, HR Business Partnerships
Debbie Trammell serves as Vice President of Human Resources Business Partnerships for UAB Medicine, where she provides executive leadership for the HR Business Partnership function across the health system and has Vice President, HR responsibilities for UAB St. Vincent’s. With more than 30 years of progressive Human Resources leadership experience, Trammell has built a career partnering with executive leaders to align people strategies with organizational goals. Her expertise includes organizational effectiveness, workforce transformation, executive coaching, succession planning, employee relations, change management, and strategic HR leadership. Prior to joining UAB Medicine, Trammell served as Vice President of HR Business Partnerships at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health in Richmond, Virginia, and held executive HR leadership roles at Aspire Indiana, SouthTrust Bank, and Cannon Memorial Hospital, where she led large-scale organizational initiatives, including major integrations and mergers. Trammell has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and holds certifications in both Strategic Workforce Planning and Strategic Human Resources Business Partnerships.
M. Reid Warren, DPT, MSHA, Director of Therapy Operations, Inpatient Rehab Therapy, Spain Inpatient Rehabilitation
Dr. M. Reid Warren is from Greenwood, Mississippi, and has lived in Birmingham since 2002. After a brief career in finance, Warren returned to school to become a physical therapist. He began working at UAB Spain Inpatient Rehabilitation in 2012 and became Manager of Therapy Operations in 2018. Warren was promoted to Director of Therapy Operations in 2023 and recently helped lead the transition to the Rehab Pavilion.
Christopher “Chris” Williams, DNP, MSHQS, R.N., NE-BC, Senior Director, Department of Emergency Medicine
Dr. Chris Williams is Senior Director of the Emergency Services Division at UAB, a Level I trauma and burn center. With more than 20 years of nursing and healthcare leadership experience, Williams has held a variety of clinical and leadership positions, including roles within the emergency department and as Nurse Manager of the Gastrointestinal Surgical Oncology Unit.
Chris earned an Associate of Science in Nursing from Wallace State Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Jacksonville State University, and both a Master of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Healthcare Quality and Safety from UAB. He recently completed the Executive Doctor of Nursing Practice program at UAB and is a graduate of the Healthcare Leadership Academy. Board-certified as a Nurse Executive by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Williams is also an active member of the Emergency Nurses Association. An Army veteran, he is passionate about fostering a positive culture, developing future healthcare leaders, and advancing excellence in patient care.