Management
Verneda Robinson
President
Verneda is responsible for the daily operation of all primary health, behavioral health, dental care and community outreach services. She was previously Chief Operating Officer/Chief Human Resources Officer at Swope Community Enterprise Services and has also served as Senior Vice President at SCE.
She joined the company in 2001 after serving as president of V. Robinson & Co., Inc., a management consulting firm specializing in business consulting, human resources management, professional development training and coaching, and executive placement.
Previously she moved through a progression of positions at Western Resources and Missouri Gas Energy, including Vice President of Customer Service and Accounting. Her accomplishments include developing and implementing customer service policy, facilities management, and centralization of all customer service functions including Customer billing, accounts receivable collections, customer call centers and training.
Verneda is a member of the Board of Directors of YouthNet, Kansas City. Previously she served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Gem Theater, the YWCA Advisory Board, KCPT, The National Association of Women Business Owners, and Junior Achievement of Middle America. She is a graduate of the Kansas City Tomorrow program.
She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Washburn University, an MBA and a Master of Arts in Management, both from Webster University of St. Louis.
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Dr. William A. Pankey
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. William A. Pankey oversees all ambulatory health as well as behavioral health care services delivered to patients throughout the Swope system.
From 2006-2009, Dr. Pankey served as Vice President of Managed Care Services and was responsible for the development, implementation and management of multiple managed care organization contracts with which Swope Health Services is affiliated representing health, behavioral health, dental, vision, and pharmacy services.
Dr. Pankey also was the Medical Director for FirstGuard Health Plan from 1996-2006 and was responsible for the oversight, development, monitoring and reporting of the HMO quality management and utilization management programs. Dr. Pankey has represented managed care organizations and network providers in the State of Missouri Medicaid Managed Care program Quality Assurance and Improvement Advisory Committee as well as community-sponsored clinical collaborative groups. He is currently chairperson of the MC+ QA & I Advisory Committee and a QI Council representative for the Missouri Medicaid Chronic Care Improvement Program.
Dr. Pankey was previously certified as a physician surveyor for the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and a lead physician surveyor for NCQA. He served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Medical Director for a health plan in Washington, D.C. for six years. Dr. Pankey completed his Pediatric Internship and Residency at the University of Maryland Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland; attended medical school at the Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia; and received his B.S. Zoology at Howard University, Washington, D. C. Dr. Pankey has served on numerous community committees throughout his career. He is a deacon and church school teacher at Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church in Kansas City, where he serves as advisor to the MMBC Health Awareness Ministry.
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Otis S. Latimer
Medical Director
Otis S. Latimer, M.D., received a Medical Doctorate with honors from Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.
He has been Medical Director of Swope Health Services in Kansas City since 1998, and was previously a Physician and Chairman of Adult Medicine, at Samuel U. Rodgers Community Health Center in Kansas City.
Dr. Latimer has served as a physician at Correctional Medical Services in Cameron, Missouri, Medical Director of CareStaf Home Care Specialists in Leawood, Kansas, Attending Staff Physician/Hospitalist, Sinai Hospital, Staff Physician at Sinai Hospital Emergency Room, Detroit, Michigan, and a Physician at Self Help Addiction Rehabilitation Center (S.H.A.R. House) in Detroit.
He was a former member of the Board of Admissions at Michigan State University School of Medicine. He is currently a member of the American Medical Association, the Missouri State Medical Association, the Missouri Public Health Association, American Public Health Association, the National Association for Community Health Centers, Community Health Council of Wyandotte County, Kansas, the Safety Net Clinics of Wyandotte County, Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved, Associate Professor University of Kansas, School of Medicine, former Associate Professor Truman Medical Center Staff Member, member of FirstGuard Credentialing Committee, and previous Chairman of Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, Samuel U Rodgers Community Health Center.
Dr. Latimer has served as an NAACP Panelist and NIH Panelist on Health Care Disparities, and a Missouri Legislative Black Caucus Panelist on Health Disparities and Obesity. He was recently presented with the National Association of Community Health Center’s 2005 Samuel U. Rodgers Achievement Award for outstanding target population representation at city, state and federal levels.
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Gloria Joseph
Vice President, Behavioral Health
Ms. Joseph leads the clinical and operational management of an $8.7 million behavioral health continuum of care for adults, adolescents, children and families. Her responsibilities include fiscal management, program development, clinical outcomes, accreditation and certification activities, managed care and government liaison activities.
She previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Western Missouri Mental Health Center, where she was responsible for all inpatient facility operations, group homes and a semi–independent living apartment complex, physical care and clinical services provided to clients, facility administration and support services.
She had administrative responsibility for psychiatric training programs, including, but not limited to, UMKC Psychiatrist Residency Program, Psychopharmacist Residency Program, and on-going training and consultation with area hospitals regarding Psychiatric Nurses training.
Ms. Joseph has served in various capacities with the Missouri Department of Mental Health, including Regional Director–Supportive Community Living Services, Community Placement Specialist, and Clinical Social Worker. She is currently an instructor for Behavioral Sciences at Park University, Parkville, Missouri and the University of Missouri, Kansas City.
Ms. Joseph holds a Master of Social Welfare from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Psychology/Sociology from Park College.
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Norma Wright
Vice President, Clinical Operations
Norma Wright serves as Vice President of Clinical Operations. In this role, Ms. Wright is responsible for managing the clinics at Swope Health Central as well as all satellite clinic sites. In addition, she will oversee clinical support services including patient registration, pharmacy, lab, radiology, optical and medical records.
Ms. Wright most recently served as Senior Associate Executive Director of Bellevue Hospital Center in New York, NY. Prior to her appointment at Bellevue, Norma was Senior Associate Executive Director of North Brooklyn Health Care Network. Both Bellevue and North Brooklyn are part of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), the largest municipal hospital and health care system in the country, serving 1.3 million New Yorkers and nearly 450,000 who are uninsured.
Norma‘s extensive background in health care management has earned her respect as a leader in the health care field. Norma holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences and an MBA in Health Care Management.
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J. Cornelius Brown
Vice President, Corporate Services and Community Affairs
Mr. Brown is responsible for providing leadership and direction of support and administrative functions for Swope Health Services including facilities management, compliance and risk management, business development and expansion, resource development, government affairs, training development, grants management and communications. He joined Swope Health Services after 26 years of senior management experience in health care administration, analysis, recruiting, financial management and health care delivery compliance.
Previously, Mr. Brown was President and CEO of Dallas Southwest Medical Center from 2000 to 2003 following its acquisition. Prior to assuming leadership of Dallas Southwest, he was senior vice president for Medical Operations/Corporate Administration at Continuum Healthcare Systems, Inc. in Houston and was instrumental in growing the company. He also served as assistant administrator and chief operating officer of Hadley Memorial Hospital in Washington DC where he helped stabilize and turn around a financially troubled hospital by identifying and managing key financial and workload issues.
Mr. Brown retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Air Force in 1992 after a twenty-year career in health and hospital administration. He has a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Health Care management from the University of North Dakota and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from North Texas State University.
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Naimish Patel
Vice President, Finance
Naimish Patel is responsible for overall financial management of Swope Health Services. Patel oversees all budgeting, planning and business decision support analysis. In addition, Patel provides financial analysis in support of strategic planning for the organization.
Patel’s expertise includes a diversity of experiences including serving as Chief Financial Officer of a highly successful managed care plan in Kansas City. Patel earned his bachelor of Business Administration from the SP University in Nagar, India. He is a graduate of University of Missouri-Kansas City earning a Master of Business Administration degree. He is a Certified Public Accountant. Patel is a member of the Health Care Financial Management association and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
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