Dr. Jacqueline A. Watson, DO, MBA

Founder, President and Chief Strategy Officer

Dr. Jacqueline (Jacqui) Watson is a highly respected, strategic, and innovative senior healthcare executive with over 25 years of clinical medicine, healthcare management, and public health experience leading senior teams, managing organizational change, and successfully cultivating relationships with diverse stakeholders to achieve desired results, locally and internationally. Dr. Watson, a family medicine physician by clinical training, with an MBA in Health Management and Policy, is a transformational leader, with a deep understanding of the private and public healthcare delivery system, the inner workings of government programs, health care regulation and compliance, the role of the social determinants of health (SDOH) and the effective strategies to apply to promote health and well-being and improve health outcomes and population health. A long-time health and wellness promoter, health equity proponent, health tourism champion, and advocate of utilizing technology as a tool to improve access to healthcare and eliminate disparities, Dr. Watson has been defending the adoption of telehealth for over the past two decades. (Read the 1999 article) .

As HCI president and CSO, Dr. Watson provides strategic and tactical oversight for all HCI activities across four programmatic areas. Dr. Watson is a graduate of Howard University (BSc.), New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), Georgetown University College of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program, and The George Washington University School of Business and Public Management (MBA). She also holds certificates from Cornell University in Hospitality Management, Harvard Kennedy School, Executive Education Program in Strategic Management of Regulatory and Enforcement Agencies, and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification. Dr. Watson serves on numerous boards and advisory committees in her community. email: jacqui.watson@healthconceptsintl.com

Sshune Rhodes, MHA

Vice President/Virtual Health Officer

Mrs. Rhodes is a highly experienced health care leader with over 25 years of healthcare management expertise in various disciplines successfully leading and managing cross-functional teams. Earning her Bachelors degree in Microbiology from Howard University, Mrs. Rhodes’ passion for healthcare led her to start a career as a Microbiologist for the Government of the District of Columbia. Thereafter, she received a Master of Health Administration & Policy degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. Her administrative experience began by implementing administrative, business, and strategic plans for one of the leading not-for-profit hospitals in South Carolina, where she managed multiple women’s and children’s health service lines.

Mrs. Rhodes then leveraged her expertise, transitioning to an inter-professional role that focused on innovating and implementing strategic service initiatives, telehealth, and virtual health programs. As HCI’s Virtual Health Officer, Mrs. Rhodes is responsible for the growth, development, and coordination of HCI’s virtual health consulting practice services. Mrs. Rhodes holds certifications in healthcare management as a board-certified Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), IT Service Management – ITIL, and Lean Six Sigma. email: sshune.rhodes@healthconceptsintl.com

Amha Selassie, MS, CPM

Vice President/Chief Regulatory and Compliance Officer

Mr. Amha W. Selassie is a veteran public health professional with extensive knowledge and experience and a proven track record working with the public and private health sectors and leading health systems transformation efforts. With more than 30 years of government experience, Mr. Selassie understands how the private health care delivery system operates and how the public sector makes decisions. Prior to retiring from government, Mr. Selassie led the District of Columbia State Health Planning and Development Agency (SHPDA) where he had management oversight of the Certificate of Need (CON) Program. In his role, Mr. Selassie was responsible for the collection and analysis of health data used to make decisions on health care facility CON applications, guiding the development of the District of Columbia Health Systems Plan, and ensuring health care facilities provide equitable and uncompensated care to needy patients. Mr. Selassie has a clear understanding of regulatory and health planning activities and in depth knowledge of what it takes to establish and develop health care facilities and services that are accessible, affordable, and of high quality. As HCI’s Chief Regulatory and Compliance Officer, Mr. Selassie is responsible for leading and managing all HCI health care facility assessments and healthcare workforce policy and development activities.

Mr. Selassie earned his Master’s of Science degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, a post-graduate degree and a master’s in public administration from The Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands, and a bachelor’s degree from Haile Selassie I University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He has also been designated as a Certified Public Manager by The George Washington University and the Government of the District of Columbia. email: amha.selassie@healthconceptsintl.com

Kim W. Salandy-DeFour, MA, MBA

Vice President/Talent Acquisition and Client Relations

Kim W. Salandy-DeFour is a highly respected corporate executive and public relations professional with over 30 years of experience in customer service, government relations, and stakeholder development and engagement. Ms. Salandy-DeFour, an accomplished strategic leader with an established portfolio of success driving corporate philanthropy, legislative & regulatory affairs, and external & customer relations, is the former Vice President for Corporate Philanthropy and Partnerships for a Fortune 500 electrical utility company in Washington, DC, where she led and managed the strategic development of the corporation’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities. During her esteemed career, Ms. Salandy-DeFour was credited with forging and cultivating a comprehensive network of governmental power brokers and community stakeholders, boosting customer satisfaction through effective customer engagement, expertly mediating and negotiating resolutions of customer disputes, and building strategic alliances to benefit local underserved and emerging international communities. As VP of Talent Acquisition and Client Relations, Ms. Salandy-Defour will drive the strategic development of the HCI consulting team, oversee the growth and development of the internship program and all HCI philanthropic activities and ensure the firm remains true to its core values and delivers outstanding customer service.

Ms. Salandy-Defour received her MBA, with a concentration in International Business, from Georgetown University, a Master’s degree, with concentrations in public administration and international relations, from Howard University, and her Bachelor’s degree in political science from McMaster University in Canada. Ms. Salandy-Defour also completed the Harvard Business School Certificate Program on Corporate Social Responsibility and is Board Emeritus of Leadership Greater Washington and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship of Greater Washington (NFTE). email: kim.w.defour@healthconceptsintl.com

Lydia Carr, BSc.

Program Manager, Research and Data Analysis

Ms. Carr is a skilled healthcare professional with a passion for global health, research, and data analysis and demonstrated success working in multidisciplinary teams on complex projects.

Ms. Carr’s health care experience has been acquired from a range of diverse health settings, to include serving as Grants Administrator Coordinator to the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, where she successfully managed numerous grants and cooperative research and development agreements and cultivated strong relationships with sponsors. Ms. Carr has also held positions at the USAID Global Health Fellows Program II, District of Columbia Department of Health, and the Jamaica Ministry of Health and Wellness where she worked as a data analyst managing the National Cancer Registry in the Southern Regional Health Authority. As HCI’s Program Manager, Ms. Carr has oversight of HCI’s health education programs and serves as key support to the HCI team by coordinating and managing HCI project activities and ensuring that high-quality, data-informed services are provided to all clients.

Ms. Carr is a summa cum laude graduate of Howard University, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science. Ms. Carr serves on the scholarship committee of Jamaica Howard University Network (JHUAN). lydia.carr@healthconceptsintl.com