Faculty – BS in Healthcare Management

Biography

Kristin Tesmer has been in the healthcare field since leaving her private law practice in 1997. She currently serves as the Dallas Medical Resource CEO and was the president of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation and senior vice president of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council. She has served as a Tarrant County assistant district attorney and as a senior vice president of JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas. Tesmer earned her BBA in finance from Texas Christian University – M.J. Neeley School of Business. She then went on to The University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her JD in law. During her extensive career, she also found time to complete her MBA with a focus in healthcare management at The University of Texas at Dallas, Naveen Jindal School of Management. She is past president of the North Texas Healthcare Compliance Association and the Tarrant County Young Lawyers Association. She also served on the Texas Hospital Association’s Leadership Development Council and is a recipient of Modern Healthcare’s “Up & Comer” Award.

Courses Taught:

• HMGT 3310 – Healthcare Regulatory Environment

Biography

For the past 12 years, Aubrey has directed the Student Health Center at the University of Texas at Dallas. Aubrey received a doctorate in Health Administration from Central Michigan University. She has lectured courses for the School of Interdisciplinary Studies Healthcare for the past 9 years and Healthcare Management program for the year. Aubrey’s passion for advocacy and collaboration has established deep internal and external relationships which tap into needed resources to provide access to services, extending services and the implementation of new student and patient services.

Courses Taught:

• ISIS 4310 – Health Strategy for Multicultural Populations
• HGMT 3301 – Healthcare Management

Biography

Dr. Mehmet Ayvaci is an Associate Professor of Information Systems at the University of Texas Dallas. His research broadly explores the economics of information and information technology in healthcare, with a specific focus on algorithmic decision-making, artificial intelligence, and human behavior. His interdisciplinary research combines decision theory, game theory, econometrics, and machine learning. He has published in premier journals both in management sciences and other disciplines such as medicine and informatics and has been invited to speak at more than a dozen conferences. Among his many honors are the Conference of Health IT and Analytics (CHITA) “Best Young Researcher” Award, the “Best Published Paper” Award given by the Information Systems Research Journal, and “Best Paper” Award given by the POMS College of Healthcare Operations Management. His works have received publicity through a variety of channels including coverage in media, news stories in practitioner magazines, and editorials in academic journals. He serves as an Associate Editor at Healthcare Management Science Journal and INFORMS Journal on Data Science. Prof. Ayvaci earned a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University, an M.S. degree in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Research Focus

Economics of Health Information and Technology, Decision Theory, Healthcare Analytics/Machine Learning, AI in Healthcare

Courses Taught:

• HMGT 6323/MIS 6317 – Healthcare Informatics
• HMGT 6334 – Healthcare Analytics

Biography

Director of the Healthcare Management honors program, Professional Program in Healthcare Management

Prior to joining the University of Texas at Dallas, Mr. Karnuta served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Conifer Health Solutions, a healthcare revenue cycle management and consulting company serving over 800 healthcare provider organizations throughout the US. Previously, he spent nearly 20 years at Perot Systems Corporation, a worldwide provider of information technology services, where he held several senior-level positions including Vice President of Finance, Healthcare Industry Group Chief Financial Officer and Global Tax Director. He began his career in public accounting where he served as a Tax Manager with Price Waterhouse.

With over 30 years of professional experience, Mr. Karnuta has led finance and accounting organizations focusing on: financial reporting, operational delivery, taxation, pricing, strategy and decision support. He spent several years working in Europe where he led a finance team that spanned 6 countries on three continents. Earlier in his career, Mr. Karnuta served as an adjunct lecturer at George Mason University and The American University in Washington, DC. He was more recently an adjunct lecturer at the University of Texas at Dallas before retiring from his corporate duties in order to devote his efforts full-time to educating the next generation of business leaders.

Courses Taught:

• ACCT 2301 – Introductory Financial Accounting
• ACCT 3332 – Intermediate Financial Accounting I
• ACCT 6301 – Financial Accounting
• ACCT 6332 – Intermediate Financial Accounting II
• ACCT 6373 – Advanced External Auditing
• ACCT 6344 – Financial Statement Analysis
• HMGT 3080 – Healthcare Management Honors Program Seminar
• HMGT 3311 – Healthcare Financial Analysis
• HMGT 3320 – Complex and Dynamic Healthcare Environment
• HMGT 6311 – Healthcare Financial Operations Accounting

Biography

Luba Ketsler earned her BS in economics and finance from The University of Texas at Dallas. She then earned her MS in economics from Hunter College in New York City. Ketsler teaches full time in the UT Dallas School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS). Considering the dynamics of the industry, she believes that healthcare and economics go hand in hand.Students in Ketsler’s classes engage in relevant discussion topics, such as “Health is a function not just of medical care but of socioeconomic status and choices. It is important to take a very close look at the economic intricacies that define ‘what is healthcare?’ in today’s world.”

Courses Taught:

• ECON 2301 – Principles of Macroeconomics
• ECON 3330 – Economics of Health

Biography

Joseph is the Senior Director of Revenue Cycle Optimization and Operations with the Mayo Clinic. He holds a Masters of Science in Healthcare Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington along with degrees in Health Information Management and Organizational Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has also achieved his Registered Health Information Administrator certification from AHIMA and holds dozens of EPIC certifications.

Joseph is an active member of the Dallas/Fort Worth Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (DFWHIMSS) and the Texas Health Information Management Association (TxHIMA).

Courses Taught:

• HMGT 4321.001 Introduction to Healthcare Information Systems

Biography

With a 30+ year career in HealthCare Administration, and much of that at senior level management positions, he has a broad background that includes finance and accounting, revenue cycle management, EHR systems support, operations, business development, mergers and acquisitions, recruiting, physician compensation, clinic design and construction.

He has worked for non-profits, for-profits and Academic practices. Single specialty, multi specialty and integrated systems. And has a specialized MBA in Health Organization Management.

Courses Taught:

• HLTH 3305 – The U.S. Healthcare System
• HMGT 3301 – Introduction to Healthcare Management

Biography

Keith Thurgood is a Clinical Professor of Healthcare Leadership and Management at the Jindal School of Management of the University of Texas at Dallas where he also leads the graduate program in Healthcare Leadership and Management. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Marketing and Entrepreneurship at UTD. In addition to his responsibilities at UT Dallas, Dr. Thurgood is a faculty member and senior advisor for the Thayer Leader Development Group (West Point, New York).

Dr. Thurgood brings a unique perspective on healthcare, operations management and leadership having served at senior-level leadership positions in for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Most recently Dr. Thurgood has returned to UTD following a 14-month sabbatical following an appointed by the Secretary of Defense Chief Management Officer to lead the largest global community services reform effort in a generation. He was also President, Spend and Clinical Management, MedAssets, a healthcare performance improvement company. He also served as President and CEO of Overseas Military Sales Corporation and as the Senior Vice President of Operations for Sam’s Club. He also served as the CEO of The Exchange (formerly the Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES), the United States Department of Defense’s $10 billion global for-profit retail enterprise and he has also held executive positions with Frito-Lay and PepsiCo. In addition to his civilian job, he has over 28 years of Army service, both active and reserve. Major General Thurgood served as the Deputy Commanding General and Chief of Staff, United States Army Reserve in Washington, D.C. His last assignment prior to his retirement was the Deputy, Business Transformation, Office of the Secretary of the Army.

Dr. Thurgood serves on numerous not-for profit boards.

Dr. Thurgood holds a BA in Political Science from Brigham Young University, a MS in Strategic Studies from the Army War College, a MS in Business Administration from Boston University and a PhD in Organizational Development and Leadership from Capella University. He is a frequent nationally recognized speaker on leadership and operations management.

Courses Taught:

• HMGT 3301 – Introduction to Healthcare Management
• HMGT 3311 – Healthcare Financial Analysis
• HMGT 3320 – Complex and Dynamic Healthcare Environment
• HMGT 6320 – American Healthcare System

Biography

Dr. Jim Walton joined Genesis Physician Group in March 2013 as its president and chief executive officer. Prior to that, he served as vice president of network performance for Baylor Quality Alliance (BQA). Walton joined Baylor in 1996 as medical director of the Office of Community Health Improvement. From 2006 to 2011 he served as Baylor’s chief health equity officer, developing quality improvement strategies to eliminate health disparities in Baylor’s inpatient and ambulatory care settings. Additionally, since 2000, he has served as the Dallas County Medical Society’s medical director for Project Access Dallas. Walton earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas and his doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center. He earned his MBA at the University of Michigan. He is board-certified in internal medicine.

Courses Taught:

• HMGT 3301 – Introduction to Healthcare Management
• HMGT 6320 – American Healthcare System