International Health Scholar Faculty

Margaret R. Peterson, PhD, MSN, RN is a Principal & Executive Vice President with COPE Health Solutions. She has extensive experience as a hospital CEO and a CNO and spent numerous years in academia as professor and chairman of a baccalaureate nursing program. Her eclectic background includes experience in managing a medical group, managing a population health program, working with medical residency programs, managing hospital building projects, managing the implementation of health care technology, and leading a Baccalaureate Nursing Program. Her priority within a health care entity is to create a safe patient care environment and a safe work environment while providing care at the highest level of quality.  She has also worked in several different States, which gives her a national perspective of health care. In addition, she has worked in not-for-profit, for-profit, system and independent hospitals. Her strengths include creating a strategic vision for the hospital/providers to further stability and growth for the benefit of the citizens within the community it serves.

Dr. Peterson is on the Board of Western Atlantic University School of Medicine, an international medical school in the Grand Bahamas. She was the 2019 Chair of the Hospital Association of Southern California Board of Directors, a member of the California Hospital Association Board of Trustees and a Trustee of Olympia Medical Center in downtown LA. She was also an appointee to the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Commission. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated her commitment to excellence in patient care through strategic partnerships with many notable community and health care organizations. Thus, she has held leadership positions in the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, county-level health commissions, and hospital association boards and councils.

Arthur Gianelli is the Chief Transformation Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System. He has served in this role since 2019. Previously, Mr. Gianelli was the President of Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, which he ran from 2014 through 2023. He has worked for the Mount Sinai Health System since 2014. Throughout his tenure, Mr. Gianelli has been part of the leadership team at Mount Sinai charged with developing and implementing Health System strategy; integrating and building “systemness” across Mount Sinai’s corporate, inpatient, and outpatient platforms; and building Mount Sinai’s brand and reputation in the regional market, nationally, and internationally.

Mr. Gianelli earned a Bachelor’s Degree in History from St. John’s University, a Master of Arts Degree in Political Science from Brown University, a Master in Business Administration Degree from Dowling College, and a Master in Public Health Degree from Columbia University. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Mr. Gianelli teaches “Issues in Hospital Management”, “Strategy”, and “Managed Care and Healthcare Reform” to graduate students at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Thomas Meixner is an accomplished financial executive with extensive experience in the healthcare industry. Currently serving as Vice President of Financial Analysis at Healthfirst since 2009, Mr. Meixner has held various leadership roles, including VP of Network Management and Risk Model Analysis and VP of Finance Analysis. Prior to Healthfirst, Thomas worked at UnitedHealth Group from 2006 to 2009 as CFO of AmeriChoice NJ and Regional Director of Medical Economics.

Mr. Meixner career began at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, where multiple positions were held from 1990 to 2006, with the most recent roles being Director of Interplan Finance and Director of Actuarial Services. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics and Actuarial Science from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, earned from 1986 to 1990.