Diana Carmichael is the founder and principal of AMC Strategies. With over 22 years of experience in the field, she has earned a national reputation for developing solid strategic planning solutions for her clients. Chief Executive Officers, Executive Vice Chancellors, Provosts, Deans, and other institutional leaders and decision-makers have sought her expertise and have benefited from her unique strategic planning approach on a broad array of projects. These projects range from large-scale academic health center-wide strategic planning, to school-wide, departmental and institute strategic planning, to clinical service line planning. Ms. Carmichael has surrounded herself with a dedicated team of professionals, each of whom bring to the table their specific expertise and experience in the fields of strategic planning, health services research, finance and space planning. The AMC strategies team works collaboratively with clients from their home base in Southern California, skillfully applying strategic planning and problem-solving approaches that will succeed within the complexities and organizational intricacies of the contemporary academic setting.

The AMC Strategies Team

Diana Carmichael, Principal and Founder
In this consulting capacity, Diana provides expertise in the areas of strategic and business planning for academic clients, including academic health sciences campuses, schools of medicine, and other academic departments. Prior to establishing AMC Strategies, Diana was the executive leading strategic planning for Cedars-Sinai Health System in Los Angeles, the Executive Director and founder of the Joint Office of Strategic Planning, a unique “joint” planning office between Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and as the Assistant Dean for Strategic Planning at Washington University School of Medicine. Before focusing on academically-based strategic planning, Diana was a management consultant with both the national healthcare strategy practice of PriceWaterhouse and the healthcare strategy practice of Ernst & Young. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from UCLA and her Master of Hospital and Health Care Administration degree from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Diana is a Past National Chair of the Group on Institutional Planning of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and past President of the St. Louis Society for Healthcare Planning and Marketing. In 2007, Diana received the prestigious Distinguished Services Award, from the AAMC’s Group on Institutional Planning for “outstanding service and commitment to the mission of the GIP and to the advancement of the practice of planning in academic medicine.” She often serves as an invited speaker for national strategic planning workshops offered by the AAMC.

Rebecka Levan, Senior Manager
Rebecka Levan brings a unique combination of experience in health care finance and health services research. As the Director of Health Economics and Outcomes Research at Zynx Health, Rebecka provided evidence-based medicine consultation to the pharmaceutical industry. While at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research she managed population-based studies on access to health services as well as working on the California Hospital Outcomes Project. As the Director of Finance for Daniel Freeman Hospitals, she was responsible for reimbursement, budgeting, financial and market analysis. In addition to holding these positions, Ms. Levan has provided independent consultation in financial and statistical analysis, program design and evaluation, policy analysis, and grant writing for clients including UCLA Center for the Health of Children and Families, Cedars-Sinai Primary Care Pediatrics, RAND, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Tenet Corporation, Charles Drew University, and the Healthcare Association of Southern California. She received her MPH from UCLA and has a degree in economics from UC Berkeley. Coming from a hospital setting and having worked as a consultant to many public and private organizations, she brings an approach to the field of strategic planning that is grounded in real-life applications and experience.

Laura Fidler, Senior Manager
Laura Fidler brings 23 years of experience in academic health care strategic planning and facilities master planning to the AMC Strategies team. As Senior Vice President and Assistant Dean for Strategic Planning at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, she lead the strategic planning activities that resulted in doubling of research funding, creation of satellite campus, mergers and acquisitions, and the establishment of a new health professional college and programs. She has managed medical center and university economic impact studies, and developed and implemented a 10-year facility master plan leading to the construction and occupancy of three new research buildings and the renovation of over 1 million square feet of medical center space. She has extensive management and technical experience in research, education and clinical space allocation and utilization. As senior vice president she was also responsible for the public relations, government relations and crisis protocol for the medical center. She has the ability to work effectively with a diverse group of people at all organizational levels. Laura is a past Program Chair of the Group on Institutional Planning of the AAMC and received her MPH from the University of Michigan. The University of Cincinnati CARE/Crawley Building was awarded the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design American Awards 2009 which was overseen by Laura. Laura joined AMC Strategies in 2010.

Jennifer P. Heenan, Manager
Jennifer P. Heenan is a Senior Consultant with AMC Strategies. She provides expertise in the areas of strategic and business planning for academic medical center clients, including academic health systems, hospitals, schools of medicine and academic departments. Jennifer brings years of experience in market research, departmental strategic planning, service line planning and health system strategic planning. Ms. Heenan also brings a background of working collaboratively with executive teams, boards of directors and faculty towards strategy development and effective execution of those strategies. Prior to joining AMC Strategies, Ms. Heenan managed in-house business development and marketing activities for Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, California, and conducted strategic planning for Cedars-Sinai Health System in Los Angeles. She received her B.A. from the University of California at San Diego and her M.P.H. from UCLA Department of Health Services.

Kendall Bassford, Staff Associate and Production Manager
Kendall Bassford began her working relationship with Ms. Carmichael at Cedars-Sinai Health System, and she brings a variety of assets to AMC Strategies. At Cedars-Sinai she was responsible for the design and branding of all deliverables of the Strategic Planning Office, as well as for presentations given by the CEO and Board of Directors. Prior to that, Mrs. Bassford worked with the Vice President of Education at the Milken Family Foundation where she was responsible for research project coordination and data analysis, as well as proofing and editing in-house publications, skills she also brings to AMC Strategies.

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