Healthcare Executive | Strategic Market Expansion Leader | Contracting & Network Development Expert Dr. Shantel M. (Dames) Cox is a results-driven healthcare executive with over 16 years of experience leading managed care contracting, market expansion, and provider network development across diverse sectors including Medicare, Medicaid, ACOs, and MSOs. As the current Director of Market Expansion at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, she architects and executes strategic sales initiatives, risk-based program implementations, and value-based care partnerships that drive scalable growth and optimized patient care delivery. Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Cox has held key leadership roles at My Care Medical, Radiant Medical Group, MEDNAX, and Humana, where she consistently delivered market share growth, regulatory excellence, and strong provider relations. Her expertise spans strategic negotiations, cost-effective network optimization, and the development of comprehensive pull-through and performance-based managed care strategies. Shantel’s leadership style is marked by her ability to align cross-functional teams with enterprise goals, foster stakeholder engagement, and implement systems that enhance operational outcomes. She is also highly skilled in contract performance analysis, OKR-based planning, and multi-state network operations, having successfully led initiatives across Florida, the Southeast, and beyond. Academically, she holds a Doctor of Health Sciences with a concentration in Public Health from Nova Southeastern University, an MBA in Healthcare Management, and a PhD in Christian Education and Divinity. This fusion of business, public health, and spiritual insight uniquely positions her to lead with both strategic acumen and compassionate purpose. Dr. Cox is passionate about healthcare transformation, health equity, and mentoring the next generation of healthcare leaders. She is also an advocate for integrating faith and leadership into professional excellence.