Executive Team

Leadership Team

José Domingos

President & CEO

José Domingos joined ACHC in November 2011 as the Vice President of Marketing and Business Development. As of December 1, 2012 he assumed the role of ACHC’s CEO.

Previously, José served as the Market Segment Director for Becton Dickinson Diagnostics where he led a Global Marketing team and worked with Key Opinion Leaders to advance the clinical treatment and access to Liquid Based Cytology. José aligned and coordinated BD’s comprehensive approach to eradicate cervical cancer worldwide through health economics and outcomes research, influencing public policy, and development and implementation of advocacy programs.

José has also served as the Director of Marketing for the Surgical Division of Teleflex Medical. In this role he led the development, branding, promotion, product and marketing management strategy for minimally invasive and open surgery products. He has over 20 years of international medical marketing and product management experience, as well as sales and sales management. José holds an Associate of Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Pennsylvania State University.

Patrick Horine, MHA

Vice President, Acute Care Services

As Vice President of Acute Care Services, Patrick Horine is the executive leader of CMS-approved ACHC Accreditation programs for Acute Care Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Clinical Laboratories, and Critical Access Hospitals.

He also oversees the Office-Based Surgery Accreditation program and certification programs for Joint Replacement, Lithotripsy, Stroke Care, and Wound Care.

With a passionate commitment to quality, Patrick is dedicated to driving innovative approaches that improve delivery of care and patient outcomes while guiding operational excellence for individual organizations and across affiliated systems.

He previously held leadership roles at several healthcare organizations and brings over 30 years of healthcare management experience to ACHC.

Before joining ACHC in 2022, Patrick served for 10 years as President and CEO of DNV Healthcare USA Inc., where he successfully steered the development and launch of a nationally acclaimed hospital accreditation program and expanded the company’s portfolio of accreditation and certification services.

A staunch advocate for providers and patients, he has also worked closely with officials at local, state, and federal levels to influence healthcare policy initiatives.

Patrick holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville and a master’s degree in Hospital and Health Administration from Xavier University.

Matt Hughes

Vice President, Corporate Strategy

Matt Hughes joined ACHC in April of 2007 as the Accreditation Supervisor responsible for the oversight of the Accreditation Department and its processes. Matt transitioned to Marketing & Business Development as the Business Development Manager before he was promoted to the Vice President of Corporate Strategy. His primary functions are working with current corporate customers along with identifying new opportunities to help grow ACHC. He works closely with state associations and other member organizations throughout the country.

Matt’s experience prior to ACHC was in management at a large DMEPOS, Home Health, and Pharmacy provider where he gained the knowledge necessary for the demanding health care industry. Matt received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Western Carolina University. Matt enjoys spending time with his wife, two boys, family, and friends. When Matt is not working or with his family, you can probably find him at a nearby golf course.

David Leete

Vice President, Finance & Operations

David Leete oversees ACHC’s finance and operations, ensuring ACHC has the resources to meet corporate strategic and operating goals. As Vice President of Finance and Operations, he is responsible for sound financial management of U.S. and international operations and advancing improvements in company resources and technology.

David also provides executive leadership of departmental teams for Accounting, IT, Human Resources, and Facilities. He is an integral member of the senior leadership team, and leads the company on financial planning, budgeting, cash flow, investments, and policy matters.

David joined ACHC in 2021 and brings more than 25 years of experience helping healthcare providers achieve organizational goals and build enterprise value. He is committed to cultivating positive, collaborative customer relationships that foster successful outcomes.

In addition, David leads corporate efforts to develop, implement, and maintain technological advancements to support future growth. He promotes strategic technology solutions that bolster security measures, improve operational efficiencies, and keep ACHC and its customers at the forefront of industry changes.

David previously served in leadership roles in finance and operations at multiple healthcare organizations. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Business Administration degree from Clemson University.

Barbara Sylvester, RN, BBA, MSOLQ

Director, Regulatory Affairs & Quality

As Director of Regulatory Affairs and Quality, Barb Sylvester ensures ACHC delivers accreditation and certification programs that continuously elevate healthcare practices and business operations.

Barb is committed to keeping quality at the heart of ACHC programs. With extensive experience in health care, she is passionate about improving patient outcomes and brings an exceptional level of expertise and insight to her role.

She oversees ACHC Standards for all company programs, guaranteeing adherence to the highest standards of care, safety protocols, and applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Barb leads quality, risk mitigation, and customer satisfaction initiatives for ACHC and provides executive leadership for the Regulatory, Quality, and Project Management Office departments.

Barb joined ACHC in 2010 with over 30 years of nursing experience, including 19 years working in home health and hospice settings. She previously worked at agency and corporate levels, and taught at Marquette University. She also has written a book and authored several articles for professional journals. In addition, she has served as a consultant for strategic planning and participates in national healthcare initiatives.

A Registered Nurse, Barb holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Quality from Marian University in Fond du Lac, WI.

Program Leadership

Teresa Hoosier, RN, CDN

Associate Program Director

Teresa Hoosier joined ACHC in 2018 as a Clinical Compliance Educator for the Renal Dialysis program. She later advanced to Program Manager and was promoted to Associate Clinical Director in 2021. In her current role, Teresa manages the Renal Dialysis program and serves as a Clinical Review Specialist.

Teresa brings 30 years of experience in the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) industry to ACHC. Her areas of expertise include clinical compliance, quality assurance, policy and procedure development, and clinical training and education.

Teresa began her career in dialysis as a Patient Care Technician. After earning her nursing degree, she worked as a staff nurse and charge nurse and also served as a nephrology research coordinator. Before joining ACHC, Teresa was the Clinical Development Coordinator for 13 years at an independent dialysis provider.

Teresa is a Registered Nurse and became a Certified Dialysis Nurse in 2007. She previously served ESRD Network 6 as a member of the Medical Review Board and ESRD Divisional Board. She also was a speaker with the National Nurses Speakers Bureau for Amgen.

Rommie Johnson, MPH

Associate Program Director

As Associate Program Director, Rommie Johnson manages the strategic and programmatic direction for Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASC) and Office-Based Surgery (OBS) Centers seeking accreditation and certification through ACHC.

Before joining ACHC in late 2022, Rommie served as the Associate Director of Business Development for the Ambulatory Care Accreditation Program at The Joint Commission. In this role, he managed business development and strategic direction for the corporate segments within Ambulatory Care Services. His focus was on development of large Ambulatory Health Care practices, surgery management firms, and government-supported organizations.

He has also served as Manager of Accreditation Services at the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), where he was a resource for standards interpretation and accreditation processes to surgery centers, primary care organizations, employer-based clinics, student health centers, community health centers, and military clinics.

Rommie earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees — Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Master of Public Health (Epidemiology) — from Loyola University Chicago.

James E. Liggins, MBA

Program Director

James E. Liggins joined ACHC in January 2022 as Program Director for the Clinical Laboratory Accreditation program. James has worked in the healthcare arena for over 23 years and has deep experience in accreditation, regulatory compliance, and marketing management.

Prior to joining ACHC, he was the CEO of LabUniversity, formerly COLA Resources Inc. (CRI). LabUniversity is now a part of ACHC’s education division, ACHCU, and is rebranded as LabU.

Under his leadership, LabU became known as the premier education resource for clinical laboratory professionals. As the leader of ACHC Clinical Laboratory Accreditation, he will continue to support laboratories by building positive, collaborative relationships and improving the quality they deliver for patients.

James received a Bachelor of Science from Tuskegee University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland.

Susan Mills

Senior Program Director

Susan Mills joined ACHC in May 2012 as a Surveyor. She later served as a Clinical Review Specialist and then as Clinical Manager. In her current role as Senior Program Director, Susan oversees ACHC’s Ambulatory Care, Assisted Living, Behavioral Health, Home Health, Home Infusion Therapy, Hospice, Palliative Care, Private Duty, and Renal Dialysis programs. She is a Registered Nurse with over three decades of experience in the home health and hospice fields. Her areas of expertise are accreditation and clinical compliance.

Susan previously was a member of the Western North Carolina Health Department Alliance for Home Health Agencies. She currently is pursuing a master’s degree in Health Administration.

Richard Parker

Associate Director, Life Safety and Physical Environment

For all aspects of facilities safety, Richard Parker supplies invaluable expertise. After five years serving as a Life Safety Surveyor for ACHC acute care hospitals and critical access hospitals, Richard transitioned in August 2022 to the role of Associate Director for Life Safety and Physical Environment. He has oversight responsibility for these areas and for Emergency Management requirements for all ACHC Accreditation programs.

Before joining ACHC, Richard had worked in hospitals since 1997 and held department responsibilities in engineering, construction, security, environmental services, food and nutrition services, patient transport, laundry and linen services, and communications. His range of experience makes him ideally suited to provide standards interpretation, post-survey support, and client education.

Richard received American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) Healthcare Facility Manager Certification (CHFM) in 2001. In 2017, he earned National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Certified Life Safety Specialist for Health Care Certification (CLSS-HC). Richard is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and a Fellow of the American Society for Health Care Engineering (FASHE), for which he is an active participant in the Arizona chapter.

Richard earned an MBA from Belhaven University.

Tim Safley

Program Director

Tim Safley joined ACHC in 1997 as a Surveyor and was promoted to the management team in 2006. With over 35 years of healthcare experience, he currently serves as Program Director for the DMEPOS, Sleep and Mobile Dentistry programs.

Tim is a recognized expert in the respiratory care, home/durable medical equipment, and sleep industries. He oversaw development of the ACHC DMEPOS and Sleep Accreditation programs and previously also served as director of the Pharmacy program.

Prior to joining ACHC, he was the Regional Vice President for a national home care provider for over 12 years, overseeing operations and marketing.

Tim has served on several state boards and has worked as a consultant for the North Carolina Division of Medical Assistance.

He received his registry in respiratory therapy in 1982 and a Master of Business Administration in 1995 from Elon University.

Deanna Scatena, RN, BSN

Associate Program Director, Acute Care Hospital & Critical Access Hospital

Since joining ACHC, Deanna Scatena has helped the Acute Care Hospital and Critical Access Hospital programs in facilitating program growth, broadening program offerings, and increasing educational support, ultimately leading to a better survey experience that enhances patient safety and care quality. A leader by example, Deanna shares knowledge as an educator, too, working with the ACHC team at trade shows and serving as a presenter for webinars and workshops.

Deanna joined ACHC from the HFAP team, where she began in April 2018 as a member of the Standards Interpretation Team. She was promoted to Assistant Director, Accreditation and Certification Services, Standards Interpretation, in January 2019.

Before joining HFAP, Deanna guided product development for specialty care certification with another accreditation organization and provided oversight of clinical operations for government programs within Blue Cross Blue Shield. She has led teams of nurses and social workers in projects designed to improve outcomes and quality measurements.

Deanna has extensive patient care experience that encompasses Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), Critical Care, and Cardiac and Thoracic nursing. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Lewis University.

Senior Management

Suzanne Pritchard

Associate Director, Human Resources

Suzanne joined ACHC in August 2017 as Senior Manager of Human Resources. In this role, she oversees and manages all of ACHC’s recruitment and retention services, organizational development, coaching/mentoring, total rewards, staff development, and employee compensation, contributing to ACHC’s high-level strategic planning process.

Suzanne comes to ACHC with almost 20 years of Human Resources experience and possesses lessons learned from multiple industries both in HR Management and Consultant roles. She is seasoned in Change Management and in helping organizations define and preserve positive and engaged cultures.

Suzanne earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Behavior from UNC-Chapel Hill, and later completed an HR Management Continuing Education program at Duke University. Additionally, she has her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification and is a Certified Training Facilitator (CTF).

Mary Lou Seufert-Fleming

Associate Director, Regulatory Affairs

Mary Lou began her career with ACHC as a DME Surveyor and joined ACHC fulltime in 2009 as the Regulatory and Governmental Affairs liaison. Since that time ACHC and the regulatory department has grown, she has over 25 years’ experience in the HME industry working for a variety of companies and over the last ten years has expanded her knowledge to include home health, hospice and all of the ACHC programs.

Mary Lou earned her BA from St. Joseph’s College in New York, served 3 years as North Carolina Associations of Medical Equipment Services (NCAMES) President and served 6 years as Secretary/Treasurer for the North Carolina Respiratory Care Board.

Greg Stowell

Associate Director, Education & Training

Greg has been with ACHC since 2007 and serves as Associate Director, Education & Training for ACHCU, ACHC’s educational division. Prior to his current role, Greg served for 6 years as the Clinical Compliance Educator with responsibilities over HME, Fitter, Complex Rehab, Clinical Respiratory, Sleep and Pharmacy programs. Greg also served for many years as an ACHC Corporate Surveyor, providing corporate surveys and post-survey reviews and guidance for ACHC staff and customer organizations. Greg has over 35 years of healthcare experience, including, owning and managing local and regional HME, Pharmacy, and Rehabilitation organizations. He has worked as an Orthotist and holds his Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) certification.