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Patient Activation Clinical Advisory Board

Nationally Respected Leaders
in Clinical, Operational,
and Health System Excellence

Clinical Advisory Board
for Patient Activation

Guideway Care’s activation-based Clinical Advisory Board brings together an exceptional group of healthcare leaders whose combined experience spans academic medicine, health system leadership, specialty care, oncology, radiology, nursing leadership, quality, and clinical operations. Collectively, they represent decades of executive, clinical, and strategic leadership across some of the most respected organizations in healthcare.
Their backgrounds include leadership roles associated with nationally recognized institutions and organizations such as Mayo Clinic, Fox Chase Cancer Center, UAB Health System, Dignity Health/CommonSpirit, the American Board of Ophthalmology, and leading hospital, cancer, and radiology organizations. Together, they bring a rare combination of frontline clinical perspective, enterprise leadership experience, scholarly contribution, and operational insight to Guideway Care’s mission.
The strength of Guideway Care’s patient activation-centric clinical advisory board team reflects the strength of the mission we are building. This board brings the kind of experience, judgment, and institutional perspective that elevates both strategy and execution.
Edward E. Partridge, M.D., CMO, Guideway Care

Edward E. Partridge, MD

Clinical Advisory Board Chair, CMO, Guideway Care
Edward E. Partridge, M.D., serves as Patient Activation Clinical Advisory Board Chair and Chief Medical Officer of Guideway Care. A nationally respected gynecologic oncologist and cancer care leader, he is Director Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. His career has been defined by a rare combination of clinical excellence, academic leadership, cancer prevention research, and a longstanding commitment to improving access to care for underserved populations..
Over the course of his distinguished career at UAB, Dr. Partridge served in major leadership roles including chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and director of the cancer center, helping expand its research, clinical care, and community outreach efforts. He is widely recognized for translating cancer research into practical models that improve access, navigation, and outcomes, particularly for underserved patients.
Dr. Partridge helped establish the UAB Cancer Community Network, pioneered lay navigation approaches in cancer care, and has been a leading voice in reducing cancer disparities. His national leadership includes service as President of the National Board of the American Cancer Society and Chairman of the Commission on Cancer for the American College of Surgeons. He brings to Guideway Care exceptional clinical, academic, and strategic insight shaped by decades of leadership in oncology, health equity, and patient-centered care.
James Backstrom, MD

James Backstrom, MD

Chief Medical Officer, Foundation Radiology Group, Division of RAYUS Radiology
James Backstrom, MD, is a board-certified diagnostic radiologist and physician executive with fellowship training in pediatric radiology and pediatric neuroradiology. His medical education includes the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, postgraduate training in internal medicine at National Naval Medical Center, diagnostic radiology residency at Duke University Hospital, and subspecialty fellowships in Buffalo and at the Hospital for Sick Children.
In addition to clinical expertise, Dr. Backstrom has held senior leadership roles focused on quality, operational performance, and care delivery in community and multi-site environments. Dr. Backstrom is linked to chief medical officer leadership at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital (ACMH) and to advisory work with SpinTech MRI, reflecting an interest in the intersection of imaging operations and technology-enabled improvement.
George Bartley, MD

George Bartley, MD

Chief Executive Officer, American Board of Ophthalmology
George Bartley, MD, is CEO of the American Board of Ophthalmology and an oculoplastic and orbital surgeon affiliated with Mayo Clinics in Rochester, Minnesota and Jacksonville, Florida. He has held prominent leadership roles including Chair of Mayo Clinic’s Department of Ophthalmology (1992–2001), the Mayo Clinic Board of Governors (2001–2008), and CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida (2002–2008).
Dr. Bartley has served as Editor-in-Chief of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and more recently as Editor-in-Chief of Ophthalmology. His peer-reviewed publications have been cited more than 11,000 times. Dr. Bartley has been recognized through multiple honors, including the Laureate Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the AOS Medal from the American Ophthalmological Society.
Martin Heslin, MD, MSHA

Martin Heslin, MD, MSHA

UAB Health System Chief Medical and Quality Officer; Co-Director of the Professional Liability Trust Fund
Martin Heslin, MD, MSHA, serves as Health System Chief Medical and Quality Officer at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is a professor in UAB’s Division of Surgical Oncology. He joined the UAB faculty in 1996 following completion of a surgical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering and has established a clinical and academic focus in gastrointestinal oncology, including pancreatic, stomach, liver, and colorectal malignancies.
Dr. Heslin has held major cancer center leadership responsibilities, including being named director of the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute (beginning Feb. 15, 2021) and contributing to interdisciplinary cancer program development at UAB, including the establishment of the UAB Interdisciplinary Gastrointestinal Oncology Center (2001). His research interests include outcomes and translational models in GI cancers, and his scholarly record includes peer‑reviewed work such as publications on extracellular vesicle biomarkers in pancreatic cancer.
Yagnesh B. Patel, MD

Yagnesh B. Patel, MD

Chief Medical Officer, AZ Market, CommonSpirit Health
Yagnesh Patel, MD, is Chief Medical Officer for Dignity Health East Valley hospitals and the Arizona market, supporting physician and clinical operations spanning Chandler Regional Medical Center and Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. He joined the executive leadership team in 2015 as Vice President of Medical Affairs, where he was responsible for operational domains including quality, risk, patient safety, and medical management, before assuming the CMO role.
Dr. Patel earned his medical degree from the University of Nairobi and completed residency training in internal medicine at Catholic Medical Centers of Brooklyn and Queens. His clinical background includes internal medicine and hospital medicine, with a focused practice in hospice and palliative medicine, and he has held multiple medical staff leadership roles within the East Valley system.
Anna Liza Rodriguez, MSN, MHA, RN, OCN, NEA-BC

Anna Liza Rodriguez, MSN, MHA, RN, OCN, NEA-BC

Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Nursing and Patient Services, Fox Chase Cancer Center
Anna Liza Rodriguez, MSN, MHA, RN, OCN, NEA‑BC, is a healthcare executive with system-level accountability for cancer patient care delivery, clinical integration, access expansion, and workforce sustainability. She serves as Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Nursing and Patient Services at Fox Chase Cancer Center, leading nursing and patient care operations across inpatient and ambulatory settings.
Her leadership background includes oncology operations and nursing leadership roles at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and earlier work in Chicago-based health systems, aligned with her focus on interdisciplinary care integration, navigation, and sustainable operating performance. She has been named on Becker’s Hospital Review lists of notable chief nursing officers across three consecutive years (2023–2025).
Rodriguez has also contributed to the oncology nursing literature, including co-authorship on a peer‑reviewed article addressing oncology nursing practice in the context of COVID‑19.

Close the Gap with Evidence-Based Patient Activation

It’s time to close the engagement gap in your organization.
Don’t settle for costly programs that maintain the status quo. Download our Guide to Evidence-Based Patient Activation to learn how Guideway Care can drive better outcomes and financial performance for you. See the data, case studies, and model behind this proven solution – and discover how to finally achieve the patient engagement breakthrough your team has been looking for. Get the guide now and start your journey to real patient activation and real results.
Evidence-Based Patient Activation Guide
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