To select Modern Healthcare's fourth biennial listing of the Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare, co-sponsored by Furst Group, Modern Healthcare issued a call for nominations on Dec. 12, 2011. The nomination deadline was Jan. 27. Readers submitted 144 nominations, compared with 177 nominations in 2010. There were 89 nominations in 2008 and 104 in 2006.
For the purposes of this recognition program, Modern Healthcare used the U.S. Census Bureau's definition of a minority. The agency considers people with the following ethnic backgrounds to be minorities: African-American or black; Alaskan Native; American Indian; Asian; Hispanic or Latino; Native Hawaiian; other Pacific Islander; and multiracial.
An editorial review board consisting of senior editors at Modern Healthcare reviewed the nominations and judged the candidates on the following five criteria. Whether the nominee:
- Successfully served as a leader or managed an organization or company.
- Showed the ability or power to effect change in the healthcare industry.
- Demonstrated a willingness to share expertise with others in the field.
- Served as a role model or mentor to other minority healthcare executives.
- Assumed a leadership position in the industry outside of the candidate's own organization or company.
