Our Leadership

Our executive management team and board lead us in our mission to improve the quality of your health at every stage of life. Our board committees ensure that Premier Health and our member hospitals are governed and managed with the highest standards of responsibility, ethics, and integrity.

If you are a member of the media with further questions about any member of our Premier Health executive management team and/or board, we welcome you to view our media contacts.

Executive Management

Our executive management team helps us provide you with comprehensive health services and inspires us to find new ways to improve, innovate, and grow.

• Michael Riordan
• Chad Whelan, MD
• Keith Bricking, MD
• Mikki Clancy
• Roberto Colón, MD
• Lainie Dean
• Craig Ganger
• Lisa Gossett, MSN, RN, CENP
• Kevin Harlan
• Kathy Harper
• Stacey Lawson
• K. Duane Martin
• Diane Pleiman, FACHE, MBA
• Cara W. Powers
• Joann Ringer

Michael Riordan

President and Chief Executive Officer, Premier Health

Michael Riordan joined Premier Health as president and CEO in January 2022. A seasoned and successful health care leader with extensive experience with community partnerships, Mike is the first external candidate to lead Premier Health since its formation in 1995.

Mike brings progressive hospital and health care experience, including nearly 20 years in CEO leadership positions for prominent health systems across the United States, including the University of Chicago Medical Center and Greenville Health System/Prisma Health in Greenville, South Carolina. Immediately prior to joining Premier Health, Mike served as an Independent Director with Owens & Minor, as well as on the global health care solutions company’s Audit and Governance & Nominating Committees. In addition, he was tapped to be an adjunct senior advisor for McKinsey and Company’s Healthcare Systems and Services Practice.

Through his experience, Riordan developed systems that positively impacted the teams with which he has worked. He also brings knowledge of creating and leading organizational vision and direction.

Riordan earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts/English and a master’s degree in education/psychology from Columbia University in New York, as well as a master’s degree in health systems from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Additionally, he served three years as a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Chad Whelan, MD

Chief Operating Officer, Premier Health and President, Miami Valley Hospital

Chad Whelan, MD, is the system chief operating officer and president of Miami Valley Hospital. Dr. Whelan joined Premier Health in August 2023. Dr. Whelan is an accomplished physician executive and visionary leader in the health care industry.

With a distinguished career spanning several decades, Dr. Whelan brings a wealth of health care leadership experience to Premier Health. He has held key positions in academic medical centers and health systems across the United States, including Banner Health, Loyola University Health, and the University of Chicago Medicine.

Prior to joining Premier Health, Dr. Whelan was a strategic advisor to the University of Arizona Health Sciences. During this time, he was pivotal in fostering strong partnerships between academia and health care delivery systems in Arizona. As chief executive officer of Banner-University Medicine Tucson, Dr. Whelan led efforts to integrate health care delivery systems. Before his tenure in Arizona, Dr. Whelan served as President of Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois.

Dr. Whelan earned a medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed residency in internal medicine at the University of Minnesota. He holds a master's in health services administration from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. He is a medical author and treasurer for the Society of Hospital Medicine Board of Directors. 

Keith Bricking, MD

Chief Clinical Officer, Premier Health

Keith Bricking, MD, serves as Premier Health's first chief clinical officer. Previously, Dr. Bricking was the president of Atrium Medical Center in Middletown, Ohio, and the first physician to lead a Premier Health hospital.         

Dr. Bricking is a proven physician leader with more than 20 years of clinical experience, the vast majority of which he has spent at Premier Health. In addition to his medical training and experience as an emergency medicine physician, Dr. Bricking has served in many leadership roles, including as president of the Miami Valley Hospital medical staff and medical director of the Miami Valley Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine. He has an unwavering commitment to quality and compassionate care and values teamwork and collaboration. 

Dr. Bricking holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Kentucky University and earned his medical degree from the University of Kentucky. He also holds a Master in Business Administration (health care concentration) from Wright State University’s Raj Soin College of Business. He is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Dr. Bricking currently serves as a board member for the Warren County Port Authority and Great Miami Valley YMCA. Additionally, Dr. Bricking serves as chair of the Butler and Warren County Heart Walk; and enjoys teaching and mentoring students and residents as a clinical associate professor at Wright State University.

Mikki Clancy

Chief Digital Officer, Premier Health

Mikki Clancy serves as the chief digital officer of Premier Health. Her career with the health system began in 1994, and has included various leadership positions, including chief operating officer of Miami Valley Hospital and chief information officer of Premier Health.

During her tenure, Mikki has led multiple strategic information technology initiatives, including implementing the information security program and the early adoption of the Epic Electronic Health Record. Most recently, Mikki served as the incident commander during the COVID-19 pandemic for the health system.

As a captain in the United States Marine Corps, Mikki was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal for superior performance of duties.

She earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science from Vanderbilt University. She is a member of numerous professional health care and community organizations, including the national board chair of Pink Ribbon Girls, the American Cancer Society Real Men Wear Pink chair and the Ohio Health Information Partnership. Additionally, Mikki co-authored two books: “Inside the Minds: Implementing a Successful Technology Strategy,” and “When Disaster Strikes: Essential Solutions for Keeping the Lines of Communication Open.”

Roberto Colón, MD

Chief Medical Officer, Premier Health

Roberto Colón, MD, is the system chief medical officer at Premier Health. He is board certified in internal medicine and received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Penn State University College of Medicine. Dr. Colón became the system chief medical officer at Premier Health in 2023.

Dr. Colón most recently served as the chief medical officer at Miami Valley Hospital and vice president of quality and patient safety for Premier Health. Dr. Colón serves as associate professor of medicine at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. Before joining Premier Health, Dr. Colón started his career as an internal medicine doctor and Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force 88^th ABW, Medical Group.

From 2014 to 2018, he served as a committee member for Miami Valley Hospital, Medical Staff Executive Committee, and as a medical representative for the Boonshoft School of Medicine. Dr. Colón is a board member of Life Connection of Ohio and the Rehab Institute of Ohio. In 2020, Dr. Colón was named a Healthcare Hero by the Dayton Business Journal. In 2021, the Public Relations Society of America, Dayton Area Chapter awarded him the News Maker of the Year award for being a trusted medical voice in the Dayton community during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Lainie Dean

Chief of Strategy and Business Development, Premier Health

Lainie Dean is the chief strategy and business development officer for Premier Health. She re-joined the health system in 2019. In this role, Lainie’s responsibilities include system strategy, joint ventures, partnerships and collaborations, real estate strategy, provider alignment strategies, service lines, value strategy, and strategic market development.

Lainie has more than 25 years of health care experience in hospital and medical group strategy, operations, financial management, strategic planning, physician recruitment, and physician practice development. Lainie began her career at Good Samaritan Hospital as an administrative resident.

Lainie serves as a Board of Director and Board Secretary for OneFifteen Recovery and at Chaminade Julienne High School as a Board Trustee. She is also an Advisory Board member to PQ Systems in Dayton and Aquabiliti in Nashville.

Lainie holds a master's degree in hospital and health administration from Xavier University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Cincinnati.

Craig Ganger

Executive Vice President; Chief Financial Officer, Premier Health

Craig Ganger is the chief financial officer for Premier Health, a position he assumed in January 2021. Craig joined Premier Health in 2004 and has advanced with increasing responsibility as director of patient financial services, director of managed care and decision support/managed care, and the chief financial officer for Premier Physician Network. 

Craig received his master’s in business administration from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University and his undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Dayton. Craig is a fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HMFA) and is a past president of the Southwestern Ohio chapter of HFMA. 

Lisa Gossett, MSN, RN, CENP

Chief Nursing and Experience Officer, Premier Health

Lisa Gossett, MSN, RN, CENP, serves as system vice president, system chief nursing officer, and chief experience officer at Premier Health. Lisa recently rejoined the health system where she began her nursing career 27 years ago and served in various nursing leadership roles, including chief nursing officer at Atrium Medical Center.

In addition to extensive executive nursing leadership experience in Ohio, Lisa has operated her own coaching and consulting business, Gossett Consulting & Insights. Gossett is a trained leadership coach with a passion for supporting leaders in providing the best patient care possible. She authored a book called R.E.A.D.I. to Lead: A Pathway to a Successful First Year as Nurse Manager. 

Lisa is a member of the American Organization of Nurse Leaders (AONL), the Ohio Organization of Nurse Executives, the International Coaching Federation. She earned a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix, and a Bachelor of Science from Wright State University. She also holds a coaching certificate from the Hudson Institute of Coaching. 

Kevin Harlan

President, Atrium Medical Center and Upper Valley Medical Center

Kevin Harlan serves as the president of Atrium Medical Center and Upper Valley Medical Center. His health care career spans more than four decades.

Kevin has led numerous growth and improvement initiatives throughout his career to provide high-quality health care, improve the patient experience, and enhance outreach and education programs. Most recently, at UVMC, such growth initiatives include Level III trauma center and Level II cardiac cath, certified Primary Stroke Center, and “A” grades from Leapfrog.  

Harlan earned his Associate’s Degree in Radiology from Sinclair College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Natural Sciences from Wright State University, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University. He is a member of numerous professional health care and community organizations, including the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association board and executive committee.

Kathy Harper

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Premier Health

A results-driven leader with more than 25 years of experience in marketing and communications, product management, and development and strategic planning, Kathy currently serves as system vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for Premier Health, a position that she has held since November 2018.

Immediately prior to this role, Kathy was vice president of operations at Good Samaritan North Health Center (now Miami Valley Hospital North) for two and a half years. She joined Good Samaritan Hospital in 2011 and has held various leadership roles within Premier Health, including director of marketing and communications for Good Samaritan Hospital and system director of service line marketing.

Before joining Premier Health, Kathy spent 17 years in leadership for Standard Register and Union Bank in the Los Angeles area, where she held positions of increasing responsibility, including vice president and senior product manager. She is a member of the Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development and the American College of Healthcare Executives. Kathy currently serves on the board of directors for Wayne HealthCare, as a member of the Dayton Daily News Community Advisory Board, and as an active volunteer with the Alzheimer's Association Miami Valley Chapter. Kathy is a graduate of the University of Dayton.

Stacey Lawson

Chief Human Resources Officer, Premier Health

Stacey Lawson joined Premier Health in 1998 as manager of diversity and has held progressively responsible roles in her tenure with the health system. Her human resources experience includes previous leadership positions at Miami Valley Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital, and most recently served as a system vice president. Stacey is known for her abilities as an innovator in strategic thinking and achieving measurable outcomes. Stacey serves on various community boards and has been recognized as a Woman of Influence by the Dayton YWCA, a Dayton Business Journal 40 Under 40 Lifetime inductee, and a Top 25 Woman of Impact by Women in Business.

K. Duane Martin

Chief Corporate Compliance and Enterprise Risk Officer, Premier Health

Duane Martin joined Premier Health in 2004 as a staff attorney for Good Samaritan Hospital (closed in 2018). He went on to serve as assistant general counsel for Premier Health and then director of legal services for Upper Valley Medical Center. In 2012, Duane transitioned into the role of corporate compliance officer for Premier Health.

Duane earned his bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College, his Juris Doctorate from the University of Dayton School of Law, and his Master of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. He is also certified in health care compliance and research compliance.

Diane Pleiman, FACHE, MBA

President, Premier Physician Network

Diane Pleiman, FACHE, MBA, is the president and chief executive officer of Premier Physician Network. Diane has been a leader within Premier Health for over two decades and is known for her operational and strategic expertise. Prior to her current position, Diane was the vice president and chief operating officer of Upper Valley Medical Center. Diane’s extensive health care leadership roles include, system vice president of neurosciences and oncology service line and vice president of operations of Miami Valley Hospital.

Diane has been named among Dayton Business Journal's Power 50 Women Leaders and Wright State University's Outstanding Alumni. Diane has served on numerous volunteer boards and is the chair of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce executive committee. She is also a DaytonLive board trustee.

Diane received a Master of Business Administration from Wright State University and a Bachelor of Arts in nuclear medicine from the University of Findlay. She is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Cara W. Powers

Chief Legal Officer, Premier Health

Cara Powers is the chief legal officer for Premier Health and is the first woman to lead Premier Health’s legal department. Cara has over 25 years of corporate legal experience. She has served in roles including associate general counsel and corporate counsel, most recently as vice president and deputy chief legal officer.

Cara has served on community boards, including chair of the board of trustees for Catholic Social Services of Miami Valley and secretary of the board of trustees for the Dayton Bar Association. Additionally, Cara has served as a guest lecturer at the University of Dayton School of Law.   

Cara earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Kentucky and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Louisville. She holds licensure as an attorney in Ohio and Kentucky.

Joann Ringer

Chief Administrative Officer, Premier Health

Joann Ringer became the chief administrative officer at Premier Health in January 2021. Joann’s health care career spans nearly three decades. She has been with the Premier Health system since 1998, where Joann has served in the roles of Miami Valley Hospital South’s administrator, vice president, chief operating officer, and most recently, president.

Joann has been named among Dayton Daily News’ Top Ten Women, Dayton Business Journal’s Bizwomen Power 50 and Healthcare Executive of the Year, and United Way of Dayton’s Leadership Circle.

Joann is a member of the South Dayton Metro Chamber of Commerce, The Junior League of Dayton, The Ohio State University Alumni Association, and Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Alumnae. She received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from The Ohio State University and a Master of Science in management from Indiana Wesleyan University.