News Releases

The Center for Health Affairs Appoints Healthcare Leaders to Boards of Directors

The Center, its membership, and in turn the greater community, will benefit from the dedication and engagement of these individuals.

The Center for Health Affairs and its affiliates welcome new leaders to their Boards of Directors. Drawn from hospital and community organizations in the Northeast Ohio region, these individuals will support the organization’s mission of bringing together partners through innovation to positively impact the communities it serves.

Dan Simon, M.D., president of academic & external affairs and chief scientific officer for University Hospitals Health System, has been named to The Center for Health Affairs’ Board of Directors. The Center’s board aims to serve communities as a catalyst by aligning and collaborating with members and constituents to incubate, pilot, and launch programs and services that benefit the healthcare community.

William E. Finn, MBA, president & CEO, Hospice of the Western Reserve, and Julie Idoine, FACHE, CEO of Select Specialty Hospital Cleveland Fairhill, are serving on the Community Health Affairs Board of Directors. In addition, Joy Johnson, executive director at Burten, Bell, Carr Development Inc., has been named vice chair of this board. Comprised of hospital, academic and community leaders in Northeast Ohio, the board supports the organization in addressing healthcare needs and issues to improve health and wellness throughout the community.

Julie Jacono, MBA, executive director & chief strategy and innovation officer, The MetroHealth System, is serving on the Board of Directors of HealthComp, Inc., DBA CHAMPS Healthcare. The HealthComp Board of Directors oversees CHAMPS Group Purchasing and The Essentials Group, two of The Center’s subsidiaries.

The Center also welcomes Justin Gallo, vice president of supply chain for The MetroHealth System, in his return to the HealthComp, Inc. Board of Directors. Gallo is resuming his role with the board after a leave of absence due to military service.

“The addition of these talented leaders carries forth our momentum into the months ahead as we continue our work to serve our members and the community. On behalf of the entire team at The Center for Health Affairs and CHAMPS Healthcare, I would like to thank our new directors for graciously volunteering their time in support of the organization. And I warmly welcome back Justin. We are so pleased for him to resume his role and are deeply grateful for his military service,” said Brian Lane, president & CEO of The Center for Health Affairs and CHAMPS Healthcare.

About The Center for Health Affairs:

As the nation's first regional hospital association, The Center for Health Affairs has served as the collective voice of Northeast Ohio hospitals for more than 100 years. Together with its subsidiaries, CHAMPS Group Purchasing and The Essentials Group, The Center continues the legacy of its founders, working collaboratively to increase the efficiency of healthcare delivery, providing insightful healthcare information to the public, and undertaking initiatives aimed at improving the health of the community.

About the Directors:

William E. Finn, MBA, serving as president & CEO of Hospice of the Western Reserve since 2011, brings nearly 30 years of experience working in hospice and palliative care. Finn has twice been the chair of the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of New York State and served on the Board of Trustees for 21 years. A member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, he has presented at the state and national levels on hospice and healthcare issues and holds a Master of business administration degree from the State University of New York.

Justin Gallo brings more than 20 years of experience as an engineer and executive consultant to his role as vice president of Supply Chain Management for The MetroHealth System. Mr. Gallo came to MetroHealth from the Cleveland Clinic Health System, where he was responsible for Middle Eastern programs and directives, supply chain management, international medical services, clinical readiness, and government and security relations. In addition to his civilian career, Mr. Gallo actively serves in the United States Navy Reserve Force.  

Julie Idoine, FACHE, is the Cleveland, Ohio Select Medical Specialty Hospital Market CEO. In this role, she has operational and business development responsibilities for three critical illness recovery hospitals (CIRH) and business development operations for three acute rehab (AR) in the market, which combined is representative of over 335 beds. Idoine is also the CEO of Select Specialty Hospital-Cleveland Fairhill. Prior to her tenure with Select, Idoine developed the Geriatric Service Line at JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas.

Julie Jacono, MBA, currently serves as the executive director & chief strategy and innovation officer for The MetroHealth System where she previously held numerous leadership roles, including: vice president, strategic operations; executive director of ambulatory operations; and director of strategy & business development. Jacono, a graduate of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program, holds a bachelor’s degree from the School of Engineering at Case Western Reserve University (CWRUS) and an MBA from CWRU’s Weatherhead School of Management.

Joy Johnson is executive director at Burten, Bell, Carr Development Inc., a non-profit neighborhood development organization. She acts as a liaison between program staff members, executive staff members and other collaborative partners. Johnson also manages tax and accounting details on behalf the organization as well as the planning, coordinating, and overseeing organizational events as well as supporting the agency’s grant writing and fund development efforts.

Dan Simon, MD, is president of academic & external affairs and chief scientific officer for the University Hospitals Health System. In this role, he leads the system’s strategy and performance across the spectrum of research including basic, translational, clinical and health services/outcomes. A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Simon is a practicing cardiologist and continues to play a leading role in national and international clinical trials investigating new devices and anti-thrombotic drugs.