System Leadership
Jose A. Echavarria, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (ACEO) for Northwest Health
Jose A. Echavarria is the assistant chief executive officer (ACEO) for Northwest Health. Jose began his career in San Antonio, TX, as an administrative intern at Christus Santa Rosa Health System. He moved up to administrative resident at Southwest General Hospital, and then into an associate administrator position at St. Joseph Medical Center, a 790-bed facility with a Level III trauma center located in downtown Houston. Jose was then promoted to administrator of St. Joseph Medical Center in The Heights in Houston where he provided daily oversight of hospital operations, facilitated business development opportunities and strengthened community, staff and physician relations. He held this position until joining Northwest Health.
Jose earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Texas A&M University in College Station, TX, and his master’s in health care administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, where he also earned a black belt in Lean Six Sigma.
He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Association of Hispanic Healthcare Executives.
His civic club involvement has included serving as a board member for the South San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and the Houston Heights Chamber of Commerce as well as a member of Central Houston Inc. Millennial Enterprise Group, which focused on promoting and revitalizing the Downtown Houston community.
Adam Bracks, PT, MBA, CEO of Northwest Health Physicians' Specialty Hospital and Siloam Springs Regional Hospital
Adam Bracks, PT, MBA, is the CEO of Northwest Health Physicians’ Specialty Hospital and Siloam Springs Regional Hospital. Adam moved to Siloam Springs Seminole, OK, where he was CEO of AllianceHealth Seminole. He has nearly two decades of healthcare leadership experience. Prior to joining AllianceHealth, he served as CEO of SoutheastHEALTH Center of Stoddard County in Dexter, MO. He also has significant clinical experience, serving as director of rehabilitation services as well as occupational medicine and primary care at SkyRidge Medical Center in Cleveland, TN.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in physiotherapy from Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia, and a senior executive master’s degree in business administration from University of Tennessee.
Patrick Kerrwood, CEO for Northwest Medical Center – Bentonville
Patrick Kerrwood is CEO for Northwest Medical Center – Bentonville, coming from Upland, PA, where he was president of Delaware County Memorial Hospital and Springfield Hospital before taking the role of president of Crozer Chester Medical Center.
Patrick previously served as CEO at Siloam Springs Regional Hospital from 2015-2018. Before relocating to Northwest Arkansas, he was vice president of human resources at Brandon Regional Hospital in Brandon, Fla., and then served as assistant chief executive officer for Northern Louisiana Medical Center in Ruston, La.
Patrick earned a Bachelor of Science in management from the University of Phoenix and his Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University at Shreveport, LA.
During his tenure at SSRH, the hospital earned the Arkansas Governor’s Quality Award “Challenge Award” in 2017 and Patrick was recognized as the 2016-2017 Arkansas Hospital Auxiliary Association’s Administrator of the Year for hospitals under 100 beds.
He is active in the community and supporting local organizations. Patrick and his wife have two children.
Juli McWhorter, R.N., MSN, Chief Administrative Officer - Willow Creek Women's Hospital
Juli is the chief administrative officer of Willow Creek Women’s Hospital, having previously served as chief operating officer and chief nursing officer. She has worked with Northwest Health for nearly 30 years.
Having begun her career as a charge nurse in the surgical intensive care unit, she also has experience in cardiac rehabilitation, cardiac stepdown, patient education and flight nursing. She has served in a number of leadership positions for Northwest Health, including as chief quality officer and director of critical care services for Northwest Medical Center-Bentonville.
She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Western Governor’s University.
Juli is active in the community, supporting organizations including the March of Dimes and Jackson Graves Foundation. She and her husband have a son who is in college. Learn more about Juli in this article in AIM magazine, published by the Springdale Chamber of Commerce in February 2020, and in this 5News feature during National Nurses Week 2020. .
Shanda Guenther, Market Chief Quality Officer
Shanda Guenther is chief quality officer for Northwest Health, coming from a large physician practice where she was chief operating officer. Previously, Shanda had served Northwest Health as assistant CNO, chief quality officer and director of quality management and regulatory compliance.
Shanda holds a Bachelor of Science in nursing as well as a Master of Science in leadership and ethics. She is a certified professional in healthcare quality as well as a certified professional in patient safety. She also holds a Simpler Bronze certification. Shanda was the 2009 Employee of the Year at Willow Creek Women’s Hospital and the 2012 Non-Clinical Director of the Year for Northwest Health Springdale.
Amy Forrest, R.N., CCP, Market Vice President, Compliance/HIPAA
Amy is vice president of compliance and privacy for Northwest Health and is a certified compliance professional. Graduating magna cum laude from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in nursing, Amy has 40 years hospital experience, 30 in management positions. She has received state and national awards for her contributions to healthcare education, has been published by the National League of Nursing and the American Hospital Association and is named as Who’s Who in Professional Nursing. Amy joined Northwest Health in 1991 and has served as VP with administrative duties over various departments.
Prior to coming to Northwest Health, Amy was employed in various areas including as chief nursing Officer (CNO) for a psychiatric facility, as community leadership consultant/trainer, as certified nurse epidemiologist/consultant and cardiac intensive care and emergency nursing. Amy served as a field compliance consultant for Triad Hospitals, Inc. from 2003-2007. She has been compliance officer for Northwest Health since 1997 and privacy/security officer since 2003. Amy lives in Rogers with her husband Michael and has four children.
Michael S. Griffin, Market Practice Administrator, Northwest Physicians
As market practice administrator for Northwest Physicians, a part of Northwest Health, Michael oversees the primary care and specialty care clinics in approximately 50 locations throughout northwest Arkansas. An experienced executive with significant health care work, Michael has more than 30 years of leadership experience.
Before joining Northwest Physicians in 2019, Michael served as director of practice management for Ottumwa Regional Healthcare, where he directed operations of a large multi-specialty physician practice affiliated with the Ottumwa, Iowa hospital. Prior to that, he was director of practice management for Southeast Health Regional System, where he oversaw operations for approximately 50 physicians and other providers in Cape Girardeau, MO. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business and administration from University of Phoenix and a master’s degree in business administration, with a focus on healthcare administration, from Western Governors University.
A member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Medical Group Management Association, Michael has also been highly involved in the communities he has served. He has been a member of Lions’ Club since 2004. For more information, visit NW-Physicians.com.
Bruce Shepard, Executive Director, Community Quality Alliance
Bruce Shepard is executive director of the Community Quality Alliance, a clinically integrated network (CIN) affiliated with Northwest Health. Founded in 2016, the Community Quality Alliance was one of Arkansas’ first clinically integrated networks. In 2018, the organization launched a Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organization (ACO), Community Health Alliance of the Ozarks. Bruce oversees both organizations.
Prior to joining Northwest Health in 2016, Bruce was vice president of product strategy and implementation for Savvysherpa, Inc., where he built innovative solutions to lowering health care costs. Before that he was director of health and wellness innovations for Walmart. His experiences also include serving as a hospital CEO in Georgia, where he was CEO for Dorminy Medical Center in Fitzgerald and Clinch Memorial Hospital in Homerville.
Bruce earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Georgia Southern University and a master’s degree in business administration from Georgia College & State University. He has also earned national certification as a Healthcare Consumerism Specialist.