NALHEIN

NALHE Indiana Chapter

“Transforming the Latinx Experience in Indiana’s Healthcare Sphere!”

Indiana is nestled in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th largest state by area and the 17th most populous state in the United States. It is bordered by Illinois, Michigan (including Lake Michigan), Ohio, and Kentucky. It has a diverse economy with a gross state product of $377 billion in 2019. Indiana produces more than 20% of the United States’ popcorn supply and is also home to the nation’s second-largest automotive industry, housing many workers in advanced manufacturing. Indiana is host to the Indianapolis 500 race every Memorial Day weekend. The state is also known to host many other large events and conferences every year, bringing in visitors from around the nation.

Indiana is home to 6.8 million residents, known as “Hoosiers”. The state’s residents live among 92 counties, including 16 metropolitan and 25 micropolitan areas. Its capital city, Indianapolis (Marion County), is located in the center of the state and is home to nearly 900,000 people. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2019, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area is among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the US, with significant growth centering in the counties in and around Marion County. By race and ethnicity, the population is 77.5% non-Hispanic white, 10.2% non-Hispanic Black, 2.7% Asian, 2.3% two or more races, and 7.7% Hispanic.

Like the rest of the United States, Indiana is growing more culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse.

The goal of the NALHE Indiana Chapter is to partner with Indiana non-profits which target the health and well-being of the Latino population in the state to ensure proper leadership representation is at the table to effectively advance health equity for diverse communities and ultimately improve health outcomes of Latino and other minority groups within the state.

 

Get to Know the Indiana Chapter Leadership Board

Click on each individual for more detailed information

Juan M. Guzman

Founding President

Vacant

President-Elect

Elena M. Smith

Founding Treasurer

Melissa Mayorga

Secretary

Alycia K. Felix

Marketing and Communications Committee Chair

Staisy Cardenas

Membership Chair

Alex Bonilla Canales

Committee Co-Chair (Programming and Education)

Name: 

Juan M. Guzman, MHA

Board Role:

Founding President

Professional Title:

Vice-President & Chief Operations Officer

Organization:

Indiana University Health (IU Health West)

Bio: Juan M. Guzman, MHA serves as Chief Operating Officer at Indiana University Health (IU Health) West Hospital where he is responsible for leading, coordinating and executing the facility’s strategic plan & operations and oversees the development of IU Health’s strategy in emerging suburban markets. Prior to this role, he served as Regional Service Line Director – Musculoskeletal & Oncology services for the IU Health Indianapolis Suburban Region and Administrative Director for the IU Health Joe & Shelly Schwarz Cancer Center. Juan has held various other roles across IU Health, including Director of Planning at IU Health West Hospital, where he led the strategic planning process for the facility, culminating in an $85 million expansion completed in 2021. Originally, from Fort Wayne (Ind.), he received his Master of Health Administration (MHA) and B.S. in Health Services Management from IUPUI. Juan enjoys traveling, spending time with family & friends, and volunteering with organizations such as Starfish Initiative. He serves on various boards across central Indiana, including the Indy Chamber – Hispanic Business Council and La Plaza.
Name: 

Vacant

Board Role:

President-Elect

Professional Title:   Organization:   Bio:  
Name: 

Elena M. Smith, MBA

Board Role:

Founding Treasurer

Professional Title: Performance Improvement Manage Organization: Ascension Medical Group - Indiana Bio: Elena M. Smith, MBA serves as the Performance Improvement Manager at Ascension Medical Group - Indiana where she is responsible for training over 3,000 primary care providers and staff on metrics, tools, and workflows for quality improvement. Prior to this role, she received the American Hospital Association Summit Scholar from The Institute for Diversity and Health Equity where she completed the Summer Enrichment Program in the Oncology Service Line at Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus, Ohio. Upon completion, she served as the Clinical Quality Specialist for the system while obtaining her Master of Business Administration - Healthcare Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. Elena received her B.S in Health Services Management from Indiana University Indianapolis and is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Elena enjoys spending summers at the lake with family and friends, taking her dogs on walks, and cycling at Cyclebar. She has been a member of American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) since 2018 and currently serves as Chair of the Early Careerist Committee for Indiana Healthcare Executive Network (IHEN), local ACHE chapter.
Name: 

Melissa Mayorga, MHA

Board Role:

Secretary

Professional Title: Service Line Administrator for the Hospitalist Division Organization: Indiana University Health Physicians Bio: Melissa Mayorga, MHA serves as Service Line Administrator for the Hospitalist Division at Indiana University Health Physicians where she has operational and strategic oversight of the clinical, research and academic initiatives for the 160+ physicians and 60+ Advance Practice Providers within the division, spanning six (6) IU Health Hospitals including telemedicine services. Melissa has been a part of the IU Health team since 2013 where she has served in administrative roles both inpatient and outpatient where she has successfully managed teams responsible for improving access, quality, and financial metrics. Melissa received her Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) from the IUPUI Fairbanks School of Public Health and holds a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Healthcare Administration from the IU School of Medicine. Melissa enjoys cooking, the great outdoors, and spending quality time her husband and pets. In addition to her professional role, she is also an active mentor with the Fairbanks School of Public Health, member of Indiana Healthcare Executives Network and active community member with the Windsor Park Neighborhood Association. She also holds a board position with The PATH Charter School.
Name: 

Alycia K. Felix

Board Role:

Marketing and Communications Committee Chair

Professional Title: Administrative Fellow Organization: Franciscan Health Bio: Alycia K. Felix is a current master's in healthcare administration (MHA) student at Indiana University Indianapolis. She received her B.S in Health Services Management in May 2022 as a 4+1 accelerated student. Alycia is set to start her Administrative Fellowship with Franciscan Health in June 2023, post-graduation from the MHA program. She has worked in various clinical settings as a certified nursing assistant, patient care technician, and currently as a certified clinical medical assistant. She is a member of the Indiana Latino Expo 2023 Axis Program Cohort, a member of ACHE's iHEN membership committee, and serves as the social engagement chair for the IU Fairbanks School of Public Health MHA student association. Alycia is originally from Indianapolis, IN where she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, baking, and traveling.
Name: 

Staisy Cardenas, MSHM

Board Role:

Membership Chair

Professional Title: Practice Manager Organization: Beacon Health System Bio: Staisy Cardenas, MSHM is a Practice Manager at Beacon Health System in northwestern Indiana. As a fellow, she rotates within the system working on various projects at the system and department levels. She has worked on projects including the establishment of a maternal care coordination program, operationalizing a nursing scholarship program between Beacon and a local community college, and standardizing workflows for primary care practices. Staisy attended DePauw University where she earned her B.S. in Kinesiology and then moved home to Fort Wayne, Indiana to work at a physical therapy company where she began as a technician but later began working with the administration team handling insurance claims and denials. It was through this experience that she realized healthcare administration was what she wanted to pursue and later completed her Masters of Science in Healthcare Management degree at Indiana University. Staisy enjoys visiting back home with her family and her puppy, trying new restaurants, and visiting the beach when it’s warm outside.
Name: 

Alex Bonilla Canales, MBA

Board Role:

Committee Co-Chair (Programming and Education)

Professional Title: Equity and Inclusion Recruitment Specialist Organization: Parkview Health Bio: Alex Bonilla Canales Serves as the Equity and Inclusion Recruitment Specialist for Parkview Health system in diversity recruiting efforts for the clinical, non-clinical and collaborating with the Physician Recruitment group. In addition to recruitment, Alex’s focuses on providing educational opportunities at Parkview Health for non-profit organizations that serve neurodiverse clients. Also, Alex works with student services in the system to provide opportunities to high school students within a demographic region and FWCS. Alex started in this position on June of 2022 and prior to this role, he was a Project Manager at PNC and was on PNC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. Also was a Multicultural and International recruiter for many years within Higher Education. Received his B.A in International Studies from Defiance College as well as his MBA. Alex serves on the Greater Fort Wayne Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and other boards throughout the city of Fort Wayne. He loves to travel with his friends and family. Is originally from El Salvador. Moved to the Cleveland, Ohio in 1995. Also, loves to cook and thinks he can cook a better asparagus and mushroom risotto than Chef Gordon Ramsay.

Chapter Advisory Council

Importance and necessity of an advisory council is recognized by the NALHE Indiana Chapter executive board. The purpose of the advisory council is to represent the voice of Latinos from across the state and receive input from seasoned healthcare administrators to ensure the chapter is serving at the highest capacity for all Latinos in the state of Indiana. The advisory council is neither above and/or a part of the executive board, rather a group of individuals intended to provide feedback, guidance, and recommendations for the NALHE Indiana Chapter.

Purpose
To promote health equity for Latino communities, by increasing Latino representation within healthcare systems and supporting awareness, education, and professional growth that seeks to improve the health of diverse communities in the state of Indiana.

Vision
To be a professional association that transforms the Latinx experience in the Indiana healthcare leadership space.

Objectives

  • Support Latino/Latina and multicultural individuals who are in healthcare to grow and advance professionally and demonstrate to each other and to the local/regional industry the increasing contributions made by Latino/Latina and multicultural individuals within the healthcare management profession.
  • Encourage and provide tools for members to advance professionally and academically in the healthcare management profession.
  • Advocate for continued research, education, and dissemination of information about Latino/Latina and multicultural community health issues at the local.
  • Support members’ full participation in the healthcare management profession and its organizations and use the Chapter for the limited objectives stated above.

Contact the Chapter: Nalheindyinfo@gmail.com