Masters of Health Care Leadership

[ HEALTH CARE LEADERSHIP ]

Our Faculty

Robert W. Harvey
Dr. Tony Lybarger
Dr. Jim Maddox
Daniel L. Whitney
Dr. Jim Knight
Don Morris

Robert W. Harvey
Robert Harvey is senior vice president for Via Christi Health System in Wichita, Kan. Via Christi is a health system comprised of acute care, senior care, and specialty care facilities, as well as a health insurance company. Currently, Via Christi maintains assets of $1.3 billion.

Via Christi is the largest health system in Kansas. The Acute Care division operates hospitals in Manhattan, Kan., Pittsburg, Kan., Wichita, Kan., Ponca City, Okla., and Hayward , Calif. The Senior Care division is the eighth largest health system sponsored, senior care operation in the nation.

Harvey joined Via Christi in April of 1992. His career includes 20 years in the health care field. Harvey provides financial and management consultation services to entities within the health system. He is responsible for all programming to the 65+ population system-wide.

Harvey currently serves on nine governing boards, including two regional and national boards: The National PACE (Program for all-inclusive care of the elderly) Assoc. in Washington D.C., and The Central States Alzheimer's Assoc. in Lincoln, Neb. Harvey is a past board member of the Kansas Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, and the Kansas delegate to the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. In 2005, Harvey was nominated to serve on the President's Council on Aging.

Harvey received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Masters of Management Science from Friends University in Wichita, Kan.

Dr. Tony Lybarger
I was an active manager of health and human services for 34 years. Most of my work has been in state organizations that provided services to persons with mental health, mental retardation, and/or developmental disabilities. From 1987 to 1994, I was the CEO of Winfield State Hospital and Training Center in Winfield, Kan. The Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded was the largest residential facility for persons with mental retardation in Kansas. The facility budget was $35,000,000 of which $20,000,000 was allocated for payroll for 1500 employees. From 1994 to 2003 I provided administrative consultation services to a Critical Access Hospital and Nursing Center in Cedar Vale, Kan. Additionally, I provide expert witness services nationally to attorneys related to Standard of Care issues in health and human.

As a professor of management at Friends University, I have a particular interest in creating preferred work behaviors and performance management. This interest may coincide with my Ph.D. in Behavior Disorders from St. Louis University, in St. Louis Missouri. At present, I am infatuated with the development of reality-based compressed texts and Scenario Based Learning Activities. Finally, I am a member of the American Management Association, Society of Human Resource Managers and the American Association for Mental Retardation.

Dr. Jim Maddox
For more than 10 years, Jim Maddox has helped students and organizations develop and succeed. He brings a special blend of experience, academic background and training to the services he provides.

The services and expertise provided include customized training, delivery of off-the-shelf training, leading, facilitating and developing teams, and increasing organizations' effectiveness and productivity through planned interventions. These interventions include such areas as management development, TQM, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement, team facilitation and team building, performance assessment and appraisal, time and project management, strategic planning sessions, communication skills, and problem solving tools and skills. The results of these efforts have been teams that are high achieving and individuals and organizations that are productive and effective. Customer organizations have ranged from organizations with more than 10,000 employees to organizations with less than 10 employees. Customers served have included manufacturing, financial, service, public non-profit, and church affiliated.

Jim has held positions of responsibility ranging from Director of TQM, Program Director, Training Analyst, Compensation Specialist, and Instructor with such organizations as Cessna Aircraft, Mutual of Omaha, Singer Corporation, and the University of Nebraska. He is currently on the faculty of Friends University as an Associate Professor of Management and serves as Director of the Organization Development Masters Program. Jim has been at Friends University since 1994. To all of these, Jim has brought a results-oriented approach that is focused on the customer and the continuous success of the organization.

Jim earned his Bachelor's Degree from Benedictine College, a Master's Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a Ph.D. in Human Resource Development from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Jim is a Certified Management Trainer with Zenger-Miller/Achieve Global and is a Registered Organization Development Consultant (RODC). Jim was also the recipient of the W.A. Young Award for Teaching Excellence at Friends University in 2000.

Daniel L. Whitney, CMPE
President & CEO
Medova Healthcare Financial Group, LLC.
Daniel Whitney currently serves as the President and CEO of Medova Healthcare Financial Group, a healthcare financial services organization with its corporate office in Wichita, Kansas. Medova Healthcare Financial Group specializes in financial, consulting and support services to physicians, physician groups, hospitals, integrated delivery systems, employers and professional organizations that need assistance in the development and management of their financial, human resources, employee benefits, or physician strategies. In addition, Medova provides employee benefits and third party reimbursement management services to other client organizations that seek solutions to the healthcare related challenges of their respective businesses.

Mr. Whitney founded the organization as a result of the many years of experience in healthcare management, managed care and other healthcare strategies with the intention of providing alternative solutions to physicians, healthcare organizations, and businesses seeking assistance in the financial and other management support areas of their healthcare practice, managing the complexities of the Òbusiness of medicineÓ, and with the challenges of managing a cost effective healthcare benefit program for employees.

Medova Healthcare Financial Group currently has office locations in Wichita and Overland Park, Kansas. Through these offices, Medova Healthcare Financial Group currently provides management support services to physicians, hospitals, and other businesses throughout the region. In addition, Medova Healthcare Financial Group, through its operating divisions provides financial management, managed care, and human resource services to employers, physician groups and other professional organizations throughout the midwest. In this role, Mr. Whitney has developed a working relationship with many businesses outside of healthcare, including transit, travel, and other small to mid size businesses in various industries.

Mr. Whitney was formerly Senior Vice President / COO of Physician Services for Via Christi Health System, an integrated delivery system serving Kansas, Northern Oklahoma, and the Haywood, California area. In his role with Via Christi, Mr. Whitney was responsible for all physician integration activity, physician practice management services, and physician managed care relationships for the Via Christi Health System. He was also responsible for the development and operation of a management service organization with over 300 physicians clients in 60 locations. In addition, he was responsible for the management of numerous health plan risk arrangements for the health system. During his tenure with Via Christi, Mr. Whitney also served on the Board of Directors of Preferred Health Systems, an insurance company owned and operated by Via Christi.

Mr. Whitney attended the University of Kansas, and received his Bachelor's Degree in Health Care Administration as well as his MBA training from Wichita State University. Mr. Whitney is active in many professional organizations including the Medical Group Management Association. He is a member of the American College of Medical Practice Executives in which he holds status as a Certified Medical Practice Executive. He is also a member of the National Association of Health Underwriters and a licensed insurance agent in Property and Casualty, as well as Life & Health. Mr. Whitney is involved in healthcare management services and consulting activities throughout the country and is a frequent speaker at both regional and national seminars.

Dr. Jim Knight
Dr. Jim Knight has worked at Friends University since 1984, serving in the capacities of adjunct instructor, program representative, and primary instructor for degree completion program cohort groups. Dr. Knight currently serves as the Director of Business Management Programs in the College of Adult and Professional Studies.

Dr. Knight holds a B.S. degree from Friends University, an MBA from Oklahoma Central University, and an Ed.D. from Nova Southeastern University earned in 2004.

Dr. Knight began his first business in 1974 after being laid off during the oil crunch of 1973. It was a sole proprietorship company located in a small town in central Kansas. After six years, he expanded the business to include ice distribution services to local merchants and had begun buying residential and commercial property. By 1982, Jim had sold two of the ventures and moved to Oklahoma to pursue his MBA in Health Administration through OCU in cooperation with the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. Dr. Knight worked in health care for six years serving in the capacities of assistant administrator, administrator, and regional director.

Don Morris
Don is Vice President of Human Resources at Wesley Medical Center. Don has served in various healthcare management roles since 1992. In his current role, Don is responsible for talent selection, employee performance management, compensation and benefit plans and staffing to meet patient care needs. He is a certified facilitator of Developmental Dimensions International (DDI) and educates healthcare leaders making the transition from clinician to management. Don received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Affairs Administration in 1992 from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Arts in Human Resources Development and Management in 2000 from Webster University, graduating with honors.

Don is a Member of the Board of the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas. The mission of the Workforce Alliance is to Develop and lead a flexible, integrated workforce system that identifies and responds to our future community needs. He has previously served as Chairman of the Board of the American Red Cross and as United Way Allocation Chair in Lawton, Oklahoma.

Don's personal hobbies include golf and playing guitar and banjo.