Hospital and Health System Executives responsible for Strategy, Business Development, Physician Relations, Performance Improvement, Clinic and Physician Practice Managers, Chief Patient Care Officers and Compliance Officers

Catherine Ballard is a partner in the Bricker and Eckler health care department with a practice focusing on the day to day operations of a variety of healthcare facilities as well as those facilities’ dealings with administrative agencies and court proceedings. She works with clients in the areas of medical staff credentialing, quality assessment/improvement, peer review, physician recruitment and contract negotiations. Her clients include hospitals, managed care organizations, group practices, and health care related professional associations. Ms. Ballard is involved on a day to day basis with Bricker and Eckler's affiliated health care consulting company, The Quality Management Consulting Group, Ltd., which among other services, offers a full range of consulting services to medical staffs including a variety of accreditation compliance and external peer review, proctoring and observation services.

Barbara Harbor Evert, MD, CHQ is Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Upper Valley Medical Center in Troy, Ohio. She is responsible for oversight of Quality Improvement, Utilization/Case Management, Credentialing and Medical Staff Services, and Continuing Medical Education. Dr. Evert received her B.S. from the University of Dayton, M.D. from Medical University of Ohio, Toledo, and completed a Family Practice Residency at Riverside Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She is a member of AMA, OSMA, AAFP, OAFP, ACPE and ABMQ. She is certified by ABQAURP with sub-specialization in Risk Management. Dr. Evert is a member of Anthem’s Regional Quality Committee and the CME Committee of the American College of Medical Quality. She is a Director on the Board of the Ohio Hospital Insurance Company. She is also a Director on the Board of VHA Central Region.

Allen Killworth is a partner of the Bricker & Eckler health care group, with a practice focusing on the dayto-day operations of a variety of health care facilities as well as those facilities' dealings with administrative agencies and court proceedings. Allen’s practice focuses on health care regulatory issues, medical staff and credentialing matters, quality assessment/improvement and peer review issues, patient care matters, and tax issues affecting health care entities. Allen previously served as an attorney in the general counsel’s office of a fully integrated health system in southwest Ohio.