Julie Idoine Named Vice Chair as WellLink Welcomes New Director and Committee Member
WellLink is pleased to announce the appointment of a new vice chair to its Board of Directors, welcome a new director, and name a current director to its Investment Committee. Drawn from hospital and community organizations in Northeast Ohio, these individuals will support the organization’s mission of bringing together partners through innovation to positively impact the communities it serves.
WellLink’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the recommendation of the Governance Committee to appoint Julie Idoine, FACHE, regional vice president at Select Medical, to serve as vice chair of the WellLink Board of Directors. Idoine will serve alongside Chair Jill Dietrich Mellon, executive director & CEO, VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System.
“I’m honored to serve as vice chair and collaborate with such a dedicated group of directors whose knowledge, vision and commitment are instrumental to advancing WellLink’s mission,” said Idoine. “Together, we aim to foster meaningful collaboration, launch innovative solutions and create a lasting impact for the well-being of our community.”
WellLink is also pleased to welcome Leonard Stepp Jr., MBA, president and CEO of the Ashtabula Regional Medical Center (ARMC) Healthcare System, as a new director on its board.
Sandeep Palakodeti, MD, MPH, president and founder of DSP Health, co-founder and chief medical officer of Rebel Health Alliance, and currently serving on WellLink’s HealthComp, Inc. board, has been named to the WellLink Board of Directors’ Investment Committee.
“Each of these leaders brings exceptional experience and dedication that strengthens WellLink and drives our shared commitment to advancing collaborative, community-focused healthcare solutions, said Brian Lane, president & CEO of WellLink. “Their service is a powerful reflection of our mission and the impact we strive to make every day.”
WellLink’s Board of Directors helps support the Northeast Ohio hospital advocacy initiatives by focusing efforts on areas that benefit the healthcare community from a regional approach.
These elected directors also help guide its subsidiaries, WellLink Group Purchasing, and WellLink Health Alliance, as well as member programming, including Emergency Preparedness, Finance & Reimbursement, Opioid and Polysubstance Use, Policy & Advocacy, SDoH Innovation Hub, and Data & Volume Statistics.
About the appointees:
Julie Idoine, FACHE, regional vice president at Select Medical, oversees more than 500 post-acute beds and 2,000 team members. She brings deep experience in healthcare operations and has held leadership roles at JPS Health Network and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. A Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Idoine also serves in a leadership role with ACHE of Northern Ohio. She has been an active WellLink Board member and currently serves on the Planning and Innovation Committee.
Leonard Stepp Jr., MBA, president and CEO of the ARMC Healthcare System, has more than 25 years of experience in healthcare operations, leadership, business development, and strategic planning. His previous roles include serving as vice president of health system advancement and senior vice president of administration at Ashtabula County Medical Center as well as chief operating officer at Cleveland Clinic Euclid Hospital.
Sandeep Palakodeti, MD, MPH, is the founder, CEO, and practicing precision-medicine physician at Velocity Health, the premier destination for individuals and families seeking proactive health optimization, rooted in personalized, concierge-level care. He is also founder and CEO of DSP Health, a strategic healthcare consulting firm that works with early-stage startups to bring innovative care models and technologies to market.
