Ole J. Thienhaus, MD, Head of Psychiatry, Appointed to University of Arizona Health Network Board

May 7, 2012 - Ole J. Thienhaus, MD, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, has been appointed to a two-year term to the Board of Directors of The University of Arizona Health Network. The new Board of Directors were approved today by the Arizona Board of Regents. The Health Network's new, 17-member board is part of a planned downsizing of the original 27-member Board of Directors, which was made up of representatives of the boards of University Medical Center and University Physicians Healthcare when the two organizations merged two years ago into The University of Arizona Health Network.

The new board size and structure follows recommendations by the Arizona Medical Education Oversight Task Force, which was directed by Gov. Jan Brewer to develop a board governance to ensure Arizona has a world-class academic medical center that also serves as a strong clinical health system. A consulting firm and a search committee of the previous Health Network Board of Directors developed the slate of new board members, which was approved in a special meeting of the Arizona Board of Regents today.

The following members of the new board will help direct the organization to meet its full potential:

Leo Brennan worked in business for nearly 30 years after graduating from the University of Tulsa with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. He served as manager of IT operations at Baylor University Medical Center before moving into the securities industry and serving as a vice president of the Dean Witter Reynolds stock brokerage and securities firm. (One-year appointment.)

Michael Covert, FACHE, serves as president and chief executive officer of Palomar Pomerado Health in northern San Diego. He has more than 40 years of experience in health-care administration. Some of his previous positions include president and CEO of the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System; chief operating officer at St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Wichita; and executive director of Ohio State University Hospitals.  (Two-year appointment.)

Mindy Fain, MD, co-director of the Arizona Center on Aging, is chief of the Section of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the UA Department of Medicine. She also is the executive director of practice innovation at the Arizona Health Sciences Center. (Three-year appointment.)

Martha Gilliland, PhD, is vice president of the Research Corporation for Science Advancement in Tucson and serves on the board of directors for the Black & Veatch Corporation. She received her doctorate in environmental engineering and systems ecology from the University of Florida. (One-year appointment.)

Herma Hightower, PhD, has 30 years of experience in organizational and educational leadership, strategic planning, human and financial resource management, tax administration and communications. She most recently served as director of national programs for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. (Two-year appointment.)

Len Jessup, PhD, is dean of the University of Arizona's Eller College of Management. He completed his doctoral studies in management and organizational behavior and management information systems at the Eller College and served in a variety of leadership positions at Washington State University before returning to Tucson. (Three-year appointment.)

Kevin P. Larson, CFA, is a senior vice president and chief financial officer for UniSource Energy. He has more than 20 years' experience leading and shaping the financial strategy of the utility company. (Three-year appointment.)

Nancy C. Loftin is an attorney and former senior vice president and general counsel with Pinnacle West Capital Corp. and Arizona Public Service. She earned her law degree from the University of Arizona and has served on the University of Arizona National Leadership Council. (Three-year appointment.)

Steve Lynn is a consultant in the areas of strategic planning, marketing, customer relations, communications and corporate governance for Tucson Electric Power, UniSource Energy and other clients. He has more than 25 years consulting experience and has a master's degree in business and professional speech communication from the University of Arizona. (One-year appointment.

Diego Martin, MD, PHD, is professor and head of the UA Department of Medical Imaging. Before joining the UA last year, he was director of MRI and professor of radiology at Emory University. (Two-year appointment.)

Dennis R. Minano, an adviser on energy, environmental and transportation issues, served as General Motors vice president of environment and energy, overseeing environmental and energy policies worldwide. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Nature Conservancy in Michigan and of the Sonoran Institute. He holds a law degree from the University of Detroit Law School where he was an adjunct professor of environmental law. (Three-year appointment.)

Santiago Mu
ñoz is the chief strategy officer for UC Health, which includes the five University of California academic medical centers. He previously served as associate vice president for clinical services development and executive director of clinical services development for Health Sciences and Services at the University of California. (Two-year appointment.)

Ole J. Thienhaus, MD is professor and head of the University of Arizona Department of Psychiatry. He previously served as professor and chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Las Vegas and Reno, where he also was dean of the School of Medicine from 2008 to 2010. (Two-year appointment.)

The final four members of the board are the dean of the UA College of Medicine- Tucson (Steve Goldschmid, MD), the chief executive officer of the Heath Network, the University of Arizona president or designee and a designee from the Arizona Board of Regents (Regent Anne Mariucci). They will serve as ex-officio members of the Board.

Release Date: 
05/07/2012 - 4:53pm