School of Public Health Administrative Grand Rounds: Healthcare leadership in the digital age
West Virginia University School of Public Health Master of Health Administration program and the WVU Graduate Chapter of Upsilon Phi Delta will host a virtual Administrative Grand Rounds titled “Healthcare Leadership in the 4th Industrial Revolution” on Friday, November 21, 2025, from noon to 1:30 p.m. ET.
Ever-evolving technology creates both challenges and opportunities for healthcare leaders. Strategic and operational implications are driving changes throughout organizations.
This session, moderated by Erik L. Carlton, DrPH, MS, CPH, FACHE, associate professor at WVU School of Public Health and ACHE regent for West Virginia and Western Virginia, will provide participants with an opportunity to discuss adaptation in leadership and organization structure and culture. The expert panel featuring Alfredo Morales, director of virtual care and telehealth, Marshall Health Network; Ilo Romero, vice president of IT and assistant chief information officer, West Virginia University Health System; and Daniel Stross, vice president and chief information officer, Vandalia Health, will offer insight into the alignment of strategy, leadership development, and organizational changes to optimize the integration of new technology and relationships to improve the delivery of healthcare.
The event is free and registration is required. Not an ACHE member? Create a new account at no cost to register for the event.
This educational event is held in conjunction with WV ACHE. As an independent chartered chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives, West Virginia ACHE, is authorized to award a total of 1.5 hours of ACHE Virtual Interactive Education credits toward advancement or recertification in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
About the Panelists
Alfredo Morales | Director of Virtual Care and Telehealth, Marshall Health Network
Dr. Alfredo Morales, MD, MHA, MSML, FACHDM, serves as the director of virtual care and telehealth for Marshall Health Network, where he provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all virtual care programs across the system. His responsibilities include the direction and management of operational, financial, programmatic, personnel, and growth initiatives within MHN’s Virtual Care Department.
A leading force in digital healthcare strategy and operations, Morales has spearheaded virtual care initiatives across the U.S. for over a decade. He joined MHN in 2025 from North Mississippi Health Services in Tupelo, Mississippi, where he served as the executive director of virtual care. Prior to that, he held leadership and digital innovation roles at Grady Health, Banner Health, and Philips Healthcare.
Morales earned his medical degree from Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña, a master’s in healthcare administration from Grand Canyon University, and a master’s in management and leadership from Western Governors University. He is currently pursuing a master’s in artificial intelligence in healthcare at Universidad de Alcalá in Madrid, Spain.
He is a fellow of the American College of Health Data Management, a fellow of the American College of Artificial Intelligence, a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and a member of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. Additionally, he holds a certificate in quality and safety from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, along with certifications in Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.
Ilo Romero | Vice President of IT and Assistant Chief Information Officer, West Virginia University Health System
Ilo Romero is vice president of IT and assistant chief information officer at West Virginia University Health System, overseeing IT operations for J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, a 730-bed academic medical center and largest hospital in West Virginia; WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s, a 150-bed hospital providing the greatest range of pediatric specialty and high-risk maternal care in West Virginia; and Uniontown Hospital, a 145-bed acute and specialty care community hospital in Pennsylvania. He also leads analytics, AI, digital experience, interoperability, and software development initiatives across the 25-hospital health system.
Romero is a high-energy leader with over 20 years of diverse experience in healthcare IT who thrives in building trusted relationships and collaborations. Before joining WVU Medicine, he served as vice president of enterprise provider solutions at UPMC and chief information officer of ISMETT, one of Europe’s premier organ transplant centers.
Deeply passionate about innovation, Romero is co-author of two patents and has an extensive portfolio of peer-reviewed publications. He holds a master’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Palermo, Italy, and an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology. He is also a CHIME Certified Healthcare CIO.
Daniel Stross | Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Vandalia Health
Daniel Stross serves as the vice president and chief information officer at Vandalia Health. Previously, he held the position of chief information officer at Charleston Area Medical Center Health System. Stross’s extensive experience includes roles, such as Cerner EHR product line leader, Ascension Mid-Michigan chief information officer, regional technology director at Ascension and director of technology services at Trinity Health.
Stross holds a Master of Business Administration from Oakland University and a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Eastern Michigan University.
Erik L. Carlton (Moderator) | Associate Professor, WVU School of Public Health
Erik L. Carlton, DrPH, MS, CPH, FACHE, is a tenured associate professor of health policy, management and leadership at the WVU School of Public Health and director of the Appalachian Health Workforce Institute. An innovative and accomplished academic leader, Carlton is board-certified in both public health and healthcare administration. He has nearly two decades of leadership experience in both the private and public sectors; and he has consulted numerous hospital systems, health departments and healthcare organizations, as well as several universities and other large businesses.
His current research focuses on psychological safety with an emphasis in both healthcare and higher education. His previous scholarship focused heavily on the integration of healthcare and public health systems and on university-community relations. Carlton is the author of four books and dozens of peer-reviewed papers and presentations. He has a strong presence in global healthcare leadership development, having lived in both France and China and having trained clinical and administrative leaders from over 70 countries.
Carlton holds a Doctor of Public Health in health services management and a Master of Science in family studies with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, both from the University of Kentucky, as well as an executive certificate in public leadership from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
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CONTACT: Lindsay Wiles
Director of Marketing and Communications
WVU School of Public Health
304.293.1699; lindsay.wiles@hsc.wvu.edu