Our Team

James Brown - Principal, MHSA

Jim is a trusted healthcare advisor with more than thirty years of experience supporting preeminent academic and health system clients in strategy, operations, revenue cycle, and academic program expansion. Prior to co-founding Academic Consulting Advisors, he was a healthcare consulting Partner at Deloitte, where he had leadership roles in academic health, revenue cycle, and relationship management. He also was President at Germane Solutions, where he oversaw a significant increase in net company income over his five-year tenure. Over the course of his career, he led relationships with healthcare organizations such as; the Cleveland Clinic, Universal Health Services, and UPenn. Jim’s clients have realized significant improvement in financial performance, GME expansion of over 500 new resident slots, cap management relief, and enhanced clinical capacity in underserved communities. Service offerings have evolved with the needs of the complex healthcare market, including academic strategic planning, revenue improvement, teaching program expansion/development, ambulatory operations improvement, and community health integration. ​

Mike Beck - Principal

Mike is a senior healthcare executive with more than thirty years of experience supporting academic health systems, medical schools, community hospitals, and FQHCs. Mike has multi-disciplinary healthcare finance and operations experiences in academic hospitals and systems, directing/managing financial planning, implementing operations improvement, and directing system integration within hospitals/physician practices. Prior to co-founding Academic Consulting Advisors, he was the VP of Financial Planning and Decision Support Services at Northwell Health, where he designed, implemented, and managed the development of a system-wide clinical cost accounting system with BI applications. As a Senior Manager at Deloitte, Mike managed numerous GME, strategy, and financial planning engagements in the US and abroad. His GME expertise includes new program development, strategic/financial planning, development and implementation of operational infrastructure, and DGME/IME resident reporting, and developing strategic visions for new medical schools.  ​

Joann Pavel - Senior Director, MBA

Joann is a graduate medical education leader with more than fifteen years of hospital management experience in academic medical centers from New Jersey to Ohio, and most recently as Director for Graduate Medical Education for Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. She has been instrumental in developing, operating, and managing ACGME residency and fellowship programs at the Sponsoring Institution and Program level, focusing on new program development and implementation, at-risk accreditation, and clinical training models. Joann has been a transformational leader starting graduate medical education programming in small community hospitals and migrating osteopathic residency programs to allopathic programs during our industry's single accreditation period. While working in the industry, Joann valued and encouraged all program coordinators to obtain their C-TAGME certification. Professional development for coordinators is vital in helping them to acquire new skills, knowledge, and expertise to fill this significant role in program management. Joann received her Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Seton Hall University and her Master's in Economics from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Sharon B. Zimmerman - Senior Director, MPA

Sharon is an experienced medical education leader with nearly forty years of experience in healthcare administration and consulting, including more than fifteen years of successfully assisting universities and colleges of osteopathic medicine through the expansion and accreditation. Sharon’s influence in the medical education field is evident in her key senior leadership roles for more than three decades at Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. She was instrumental in the development of two additional locations of the college and secured historical funding in support of medical education, capital, and research, leaving a lasting impact. Sharon's collaborative spirit is a cornerstone of her success. She has worked closely with numerous state board of regent’s offices, regional institutional accreditors, and state medical boards, building relationships and garnering approval and support requirements in the accreditation process for new medical schools. Throughout her career, Sharon has developed and enhanced relationships with large hospital organizations, including the Cleveland Clinic, OhioHealth, and Baptist Health, to expand and create new educational opportunities in medical education. Sharon holds a Master's in Political Science and a Bachelor's in Health Administration from Ohio University.