Leadership team

The following individuals represent the key executive roles in Laurel Ridge Health. Their names are fictional; their titles and responsibilities reflect common positions within nonprofit health systems. When you engage with the case, assume these characters are available for consultation, presentations or board meetings.

Role	Name (Fictional)	Responsibilities
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)	Dr. Jamie Weller	Provides overall leadership, sets strategic direction and ensures mission alignment across the system. Oversees relationships with the board, medical staff and community.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)	Alex Chen, CPA	Manages financial planning, budgeting and reporting. Leads capital strategy, debt financing, treasury operations and payer contracting. Supports audit and compliance activities.
Chief Operating Officer (COO)	Maria Gomez, MHA	Oversees day‑to‑day operations of the hospital and clinics, including throughput, quality improvement and service line execution. Coordinates integration of acquired practices.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO)	Dr. Samuel Johnson	Provides clinical leadership, champions patient safety and quality initiatives, and aligns medical staff with strategic priorities. Advises on service line expansion and resource allocation.
Board Chair	Patricia Brown, JD	Presides over the board of directors, sets agendas and facilitates effective governance. Works with the CEO to set goals, evaluate performance and ensure fiduciary oversight.

Governance framework

Laurel Ridge Health is governed by a volunteer board of directors tasked with upholding the mission, ensuring regulatory compliance and safeguarding financial sustainability. Board members bring diverse expertise from medicine, finance, law and the community. Together with management, they approve strategic plans, capital projects and budgets.

Within this educational case, the board is a vehicle for learners to explore how complex decisions are made. By reading board packets, hearing leadership presentations and discussing trade‑offs, participants can practice:

• Financial stewardship

  Evaluate capital budgets, debt capacity and liquidity. Assess the impact of payer mix, reimbursement trends and investment performance on long‑term viability.

• Strategic alignment

  Balance growth opportunities—such as new clinics or service lines—against mission objectives. Examine partnerships, affiliations and joint ventures.

• Risk oversight

  Identify operational and financial risks, from workforce shortages to covenant compliance. Discuss mitigation strategies and scenario planning.

Using characters in your exercises

To make case discussions more engaging, instructors may assign participants to portray these fictional executives and board leaders. Doing so encourages empathy and communication across different perspectives. For example, a learner playing the CFO might push back on a proposed capital project, while the COO champions the operational benefits and the board chair weighs community impact.

Feel free to adapt names and backgrounds to fit your educational setting. The key is to simulate real‑world dynamics without referencing actual individuals or organizations.