Board of Directors

William J. Colgan

Chair and Treasurer

Bill Colgan is a recognized industry leader with over 30 years of extensive background in healthcare, real estate, and finance matters. As Managing Partner of CHA Partners, LLC, Bill is responsible for business development, strategic planning and financial operations. Bill has directly overseen the expansion of CHA Partners’ portfolio, which currently includes more than three million square feet of properties owned and/or under development, the majority of which are healthcare focused. Among Bill’s many achievements are the acquisition and repurposing of five (5) acute-care hospitals,the development and construction of numerous ambulatory care centers, ambulatory surgical centers, and assisted living and long-term care facilities. Bill was selected by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to serve as part of his Healthcare Transition Team, as well as his COVID-19 Task Force to Reopen New Jersey. Bill is President of Metro Real Estate Development Corp., an affiliate of CHA Partners, which handles all of CHA’s construction related activities. In addition to his role as Board Chair, Bill serves as WAUSM’s Managing Director, where he oversees finance matters, government affairs, and strategic partnerships for the Medical School.

Margaret R. Peterson, PhD

Vice-Chair

Dr. Margaret Peterson is a result-oriented executive with extensive leadership experience in strategic planning, fiscal management, physician relations, clinical program development, graduate medical education, physician recruitment, systems redesign, quality performance initiatives, construction & remodel, regulatory compliance, population health, government relations, fund raising, community relations, community benefits, medical group management and academics. Through her many years working in the healthcare field, Dr. Peterson has achieved several significant accomplishments due to her initiative, decisiveness, innovation, perseverance, creative problem solving and relationship building. These accomplishments include several well-known and respected awards and recognitions in healthcare as well as serving as a board member for numerous professional and community service associations.

Joseph P. Baumann, Jr.

Joseph Baumann is a recognized finance, redevelopment, and development attorney within the State of New Jersey. With over 35 years of experience in all aspects of infrastructure, development, and public sector law, Joe’s expertise includes, but is not limited to, public-private partnerships and complex development projects including finance, government incentives, land use, real estate, and procurement. Joe has developed a reputation in New Jersey for guiding clients through the challenges associated with the undertaking of transformative projects complicated by the presence of unaligned stakeholders, deficient infrastructure, environmental difficulties, and multi-layered capital stacks. Joe is currently Chairman of McManimon, Scotland & Baumann, LLC.

Marcus C. Bethel, MD

Marcus Bethel, MD, is a Bahamian citizen who has dedicated his professional and civic career towards healthcare development and improving educational opportunities in the Bahamas. Currently, Dr Bethel is a Consultant Internist and Administrator at the Lucayan Medical Centre In Freeport, Bahamas. Previously, Dr. Bethel served as Minister of Health and Environment and Senator in the Parliament of the Bahamas. He was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow Award from Rotary International (2010) and has served as President of the Pan American Health Organization (2004) and is a Founding Member of the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Charles W. Diggiss, MBBS, FRCS, MMM, FCiArb, CDir, OBE

Dr. Charles W. Diggiss is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Doctors Hospital Health System (DHHS) and Chairman of The MedNet Group of Companies. With a distinguished career spanning over four decades, Dr. Diggiss is a renowned surgeon, healthcare executive, and philanthropist. His leadership has significantly shaped the healthcare landscape in The Bahamas, with contributions extending into business, education, and community development.

Born on July 11, 1955, in Nassau, Bahamas, Dr. Diggiss was raised on Cambridge Street, “Over-the-Hill,” and educated at Queen’s College before earning his medical degree from the University of the West Indies. He completed advanced surgical training in Glasgow, Scotland, where he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (FRCS).

Dr. Diggiss began his career as a surgeon and Director of the Accident & Emergency Department at Princess Margaret Hospital, moving to private practice and Doctors Hospital in 1989. He later advanced laparoscopic surgery in The Bahamas, introducing the Lapband and Sleeve Gastrectomy procedures. After decades of surgical practice, he retired from surgery in 2020.

Throughout his tenure at Doctors Hospital, Dr. Diggiss has held numerous leadership roles, including Vice President of Medical Affairs, Chief Medical Officer, and currently, President & CEO. He is currently the largest single shareholder in Doctors Hospital Health System. Under his guidance, Doctors Hospital achieved Joint Commission International Accreditation and implemented its Electronic Health Record system.

In addition to his healthcare leadership, Dr. Diggiss is Chairman of The MedNet Group, which holds significant real estate and equity interests. His philanthropic efforts focus on education and professional development for Bahamian youth and healthcare professionals. He is the founder of several impactful initiatives, including the GLOW (Grow. Learn. Outreach. Wow!) Initiative, GLOW STEP Program, and GLOW Bridge to the Future Program.
Dr. Diggiss holds a Master’s Degree in Medical Management from the University of Southern California and is a Certified International Arbitrator and Certified Director. His service and humanitarian contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and two Paul Harris Fellowships.

In his personal life, Dr. Diggiss enjoys reading non-fiction and spending quality time with his wife, Ciara, their children, and close friends. His personal motto reflects his dynamic leadership: “Pursue all that is possible: execute relentlessly.” and “Opportunity advantages those who are best prepared, best planned, best positioned.”

Daniel Nathan, MSW

Dan Nathan is a respected organizational specialist and executive coach, with more than 25 years of experience in leadership roles in both the public and private sectors, nationally and internationally. He consults with healthcare institutions; schools; and small, mid-sized, and Fortune 500 companies for their organizational needs, executive coaching, team building, communication techniques, and conflict resolution. He has expertise in organizational management processes, including development of corporate and departmental strategic plans, restructuring and consolidation/streamlining of services, and improved coordination of programs for healthcare systems and major corporate settings. Dan oversaw the healthcare system at a major university medical center, where he developed processes and strategies to create an effective and coordinated health care system, facilitated open communication with the Medical Center, College of Medicine, and other health science colleges. Additionally, Dan served as Director of Human Resources for two major organizations and is a trained mediator for union and management/staff-level negotiations.

Vishwajeet Rana, PhD, MBA, MS

Dr. Vishwajeet Rana completed an MBA from Ohio University and gained an MS and PhD from Stevens Institute of Technology. Dr. Rana has executed a number of complex cross-border equity/debt-structured investments and financing transactions in the UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Hong Kong while working at HSBC’s New York office. He enjoys evaluating different global education models and applying them to unlock the potential of students towards access to Education. He is group CEO of London based Global Education Holdings Ltd (GEDU).

Thomas C. Shepherd, DHA, LFACHE

Dr. Thomas Shepherd has served as the CEO of five hospitals in the United States and is a past president of several universities, including Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) and Bastyr University, a Kenmore, Washington-based university with multiple offerings in healthcare education. In these roles, he led important initiatives including the recruitment of highly qualified faculty, installing cutting-edge technology, advancing accreditation, and making significant quality enhancements to improve student outcomes. Thomas has also served in senior management roles of a variety of hospitals and healthcare facilities.