The Medical Center of the Americas Foundation is excited to announce the featured speaker for the upcoming Border Health Innovation Summit: Colonel Jarrod A. McGee (Retd.), Chief Financial Officer of the Defense Health Network – Atlantic. This extensive network encompasses 13 military hospitals and clinics across New England, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Florida, Illinois, and the Naval Hospital in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In his role as Network CFO, Colonel McGee leads financial operations and strategic budget planning for a system serving thousands of service members and their families.
Prior to this role, Colonel McGee served as Chief Operating Officer at William Beaumont Army Medical Center and held executive leadership positions including Chief Executive Officer at PAM Health and Board Member at Kumulus Technologies. His leadership has consistently driven operational excellence and improved outcomes across both military and civilian healthcare systems.
Recognized for his commitment to advancing healthcare leadership, Colonel McGee serves as the Regent for District 6 with the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), where he champions professional development, policy advocacy, and industry-wide best practices.
With deep roots in the military healthcare system, a strong understanding of the El Paso region, and broad expertise in hospital operations, finance, and innovation, Colonel McGee will share insights on enhancing financial efficiency, achieving operational excellence, and fostering patient-centered innovation. He will also explore opportunities for the region to engage with the Defense Health Agency to drive growth, collaboration, and transformative care solutions.
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Mark Francis is Chief Product Officer, a leading digital health technology and services company HQ in New Mexico. Prior to joining ECG, Mark held leadership positions with Amazon Web Services, Intel, Health Hero Network, and Age Wave. He began his career as a geriatric care manager and policy manager with the Boston Area Agency on Aging. Mark was educated at Pitt and Harvard. He has been awarded 18 patents and is a member of the Forbes Technology Council.
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Daniel J. Jones, an NMSU Graduate, has over 20 years of experience as an early and growth-stage software entrepreneur and operator, and has built and scaled several VC backed technology ventures, leading to multiple exits. Daniel is currently leading multiple health-tech ventures including Deadbolt Cyber, a healthcare focused cybersecurity software, and serves as CEO for Patient Signs, a healthcare data platform built in collaboration with Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Daniel’s work also includes serving as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Arrowhead Center, a strategic consultant for several healthcare technology initiatives at Arizona State University and is an advisor to Audaz Capital in El Paso. Previously, Daniel served as CEO of Aural Analytics and led innovation and venture efforts at Carneros Bay Capital, a San Francisco based VC, incubator/accelerator and technology development group.
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Christina Paz, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, joined the Centro San Vicente team in October 2009 as a Family Nurse Practitioner and in December 2018, Dr. Paz accepted the position as Chief Executive Officer becoming the first female CEO of Centro San Vicente in over 27 years. Dr. Paz obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from NMSU. She has a Masters of Science of Nursing/Family Nurse Practitioner from Texas Tech University Health Science Center, and holds a Doctorate of Nurse Practice at the University of Texas at El Paso. Dr. Paz sits on other organizational Board of Directors to include Community en Accion, Candelighters of El Paso, and the Texas Association for Community Health Care Centers. She is also the only Nurse Practitioner to serve on the Medical Care Advisory Committee for Texas Department of Health and Human Services and was appointed by County Judge Richard Samaniego to the first Women’s Commission for El Paso County. Dr. Paz is a University of Texas at El Paso 2018 Gold Nugget recipient, received a 2022 Community Impact award from Texas Nurse Practitioner, in 2023 was recognized as a Woman of Impact, and recipient of 2025 Pioneers 21 Innovation Award.
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Mayra Maldonado serves as the Executive Director of the Hunt Institute for Global Competitiveness, a research organization based at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), focusing on the U.S.-Mexico border region. Under her leadership, the Institute's research portfolio has expanded with new projects ranging from market analyses of El Paso’s broadband infrastructure, education, and regional competitiveness to economic impact studies of border matters on regional and national economies. Prior to her tenure at the Hunt Institute, Mayra honed her expertise as an economist at the Central Bank of Mexico and Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI). Mayra holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and a Master’s degree in Economics from New York University, earned through CONACYT and Fulbright scholarships. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Data Science at UTEP.
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Frantz M. Berthaud, MPH, FACHE is the Market Director of Oncology for the Hospitals of Providence. He has oversight of the system's operations and strategic vision for oncology. He has over 15 years of experience in the healthcare sector ranging from clinical research to management, education, operations, and strategy. Prior to Frantz joining THOP, he served in several leadership roles at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. Frantz serves on several boards including United Way of El Paso County, Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), and Boston College, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Philosophy. He holds a Master of Public Health from BUSPH and was an adjunct faculty there. Frantz is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. When he is not pursuing his passion at the intersection of oncology and equity, he is enjoying time with family.
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Ms. Diane Francis is currently Senior Vice President of Global Health Economics and Reimbursement for the Transcatheter Mitral and Tricuspid Therapies at Edwards Lifesciences. There she leads a team committed to enabling patient access to life changing structural heart therapies around the world. Prior to Edwards, Diane has held a variety of leadership roles in the areas of community health, economic development, and managed care including more than two decades focused on health economics and market access at Johnson & Johnson MedTech. Diane has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University and received her master’s in public health from Columbia University. Diane is a passionate advocate for equitable and timely access to medical innovation. During her diverse career, she has cultivated expertise in global health economics, policy, and reimbursement for innovations in MedTech.
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Dr. Ginger Raya is the Center Leader of the George McMillan Fleming Center for Healthcare Management and an Associate Professor at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. With over 20 years of experience in healthcare administration, education, and career coaching, she has led initiatives in leadership development and operational management. Previously, she directed physician services at HCA Healthcare, overseeing a $68 million portfolio. Dr. Raya holds multiple advanced degrees in public administration, healthcare administration, and organizational leadership. She serves in key leadership roles, including Chair of the El Paso Chamber Healthcare Coalition and President of ACHE of the Southwest, and co-founded the Women’s Educational Resource Entity to promote financial literacy. Recognized with the TAMACC Women of Distinction Award, she remains dedicated to advancing healthcare leadership and community development.
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Jameson MacDonnell is Co-Founder of Second Hub Collaborative, bringing nearly 20 years of successful experience advancing revenue-generating, awareness-building, and commercialization strategies for top-tier brands, healthcare systems, and startups. A specialist in competitive intelligence and market research who advises health tech and life science startup founders, investors, and university innovation teams, including securing non-dilutive capital, crafting investor pitches, and implementing KPIs. He previously launched the corporate strategies program at Massachusetts General Hospital, the largest hospital-based research enterprise in the United States, supporting its $1.5 billion campaign through strategic partnerships with industry and philanthropy. Jameson holds a double major in Political Science and Public Administration from Elon University and an MBA from Suffolk University. He is also an Enterprise Advisor at NMSU’s Arrowhead Center, a Mentor with Tulane’s Green Wave Innovation Network, and a guest lecturer on healthcare innovation and university-industry partnerships.
