Speaker Alumni

John Adams Director, Innovation and Voice of the Customer

Gray Matter Analytics

John Adams is an expert data scientist with over 10 years of experience leveraging machine learning, advanced analytics and data visualization to help healthcare providers implement effective population health strategies.

As Director, Innovation and Voice of the Customer at Gray Matter Analytics, Mr. Adams is responsible for engaging with our customers as they are onboarded and/or innovation on features that are either not on our roadmap or are adjacent to our core value-based care solutions. He works on new innovations to add to our solution portfolio, and will also be responsible for rapidly prototyping innovative solutions to assess value prior to product development.

Prior to Gray Matter Analytics, Mr. Adams created and implemented a risk segmentation engine to guide clinicians in targeting individuals for health interventions across 14 state Medicaid markets, developed machine learning algorithms to enable an application to understand medical texts and patient interviews, providing likely diagnoses, assessing acuity and recommending dispositions and established sophisticated ad hoc reporting infrastructure to derive actionable insights for external clients using large amounts of data. He previously worked at the American Hospital Association, Centene Corporation and Baylor Health System.

Mr. Adams has an MPH in Epidemiology from the University of North Texas Health Science Center and a BS in Microbiology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Cyrus Batheja National VP, Enterprise Transformation and Strategic Solutions

United Health Group

Dr. Cyrus Batheja is the National Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Health Equity and Enterprise Transformation within UnitedHealthcare. UnitedHealthcare is a division of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) which is a diversified health and well-being company with a mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. UnitedHealthcare serves approximately 70 million members including 20 million Medicaid and Medicare members.

As part of the leadership team, Dr. Batheja has a direct focus on building strategies and programs aimed at supporting people with physical, behavioral, social, and safety complexities. His work is focused on achieving system improvement and equity through the design, execution, and measurement of person-centered wellness strategies at scale. He supports the development, execution, and measurement of programs aimed at helping individuals and families access essential social services that are the gateway to better health. His work has demonstrated that relationship-based health care results in cost reduction, population health improvement, and meaningful system-based experiences. Dr. Batheja has twenty plus years of experience in managed care and Medicaid/Medicare Home and Community Based Services. The application of his research and experience has been particularly focused on developing fully integrated, biopsychosocial models to support historically marginalized populations.

Dr. Batheja earned his ADN from Normandale College, his BSN and MBA from Augsburg University, and his Doctorate from the University of St. Thomas. As a community leader, in 2016, he was inducted into the University of Minnesota's, Sigma, Zeta Chapter. He currently serves on several academic and healthcare boards, including: the University of Minnesota's School of Nursing, Dean's Board of Visitors; Normandale College’s Foundation Board; the Augsburg University’s Board of Regents; Hennepin Healthcare’s Public Research Advisory Board (PRAB); and the board of the Creative Nursing Journal, an international peer-reviewed publication. He has received the 2019 UnitedHealth Group Sage of Clinical Service Award, Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine 2013 award in Administrative Nursing Leadership, and he is a 2012 March of Dimes Nurse of the Year. In addition, Dr. Batheja is a 2021 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

Christine Bracamonte Wiggs Staff Vice President, Community & Health Advancement

BCBS Arizona

Dr. Wiggs leads corporate social responsibility, philanthropic investment, and public health initiatives for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Foundation for Community & Health Advancement. Leveraging over two decades of experience in healthcare and public health, Dr. Wiggs spearheads multifaceted strategies that support and elevate the health of customers, members, community organizations, and Arizonans statewide.

She launched and provides strategic guidance for Mobilize AZ, BCBSAZ’s public health initiative, which tackles substance use disorder, mental health conditions, diabetes, and the social determinants of health. The work and impact begun with Mobilize AZ continues through the Foundation under Dr. Wiggs’ leadership as president.

Prior to joining BCBSAZ in June 2018, Dr. Wiggs held senior leadership roles with Aetna Medicaid, at both the health plan and national level. During her tenure she led the organization’s national health equity and social determinants of health strategy. Dr. Wiggs built her public health-focused career at the University of Arizona where she led community-based applied research and evaluation initiatives, serving vulnerable populations including substance using, HIV/AIDS, as well as youth and adults experiencing homelessness.

Dr. Wiggs serves on several boards including being a community advisory board member for the College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. A member of Valley Leadership’s Class 41, Dr. Wiggs represented BCBSAZ as a strategic partner on the Opioid Health Impact Maker team.

Dr. Wiggs received her Bachelor of Science from Gonzaga University, and holds a Master of Public Health, Master of Science, and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. A native Arizonian, Dr. Wiggs is passionate about working closely with communities to build the resources and capacity needed to improve the health of all.

Jarrod Bullard Senior Research Data Scientist

RTI Health Advance

He has 5+ years of experience in health services research and big data analytics. Jarrod’s passion includes leveraging complex, fragmented healthcare data to gain insight for opportunities to improve care delivery processes and subsequent patient outcomes and quality of life. Jarrod has extensive experience in experimental and observational research study design and employing various rigorous statistical methodologies best suited for analytic and evaluative purposes as well as developing and validating predictive, risk stratified models. Jarrod’s additional expertise involves building interactive dashboards and data visualizations and utilizing spatial analysis methodologies to identify geographical gaps and opportunities in healthcare.

Prior to joining RTI Health Advance in 2022, Jarrod worked as a Data Scientist with the Atrium Health healthcare system based in Charlotte, North Carolina. There he supported quality improvement related research across the continuing care service areas and readmissions at the enterprise level. His work assisted clients in identifying patients who might benefit from end-of-life care interventions early on, identifying high utilizers across the enterprise and prevention of subsequent acute care utilization and readmission outcomes, and developing quality improvement related metrics and assistance with annual goal calculations and tracking performance.

Jarrod holds a PhD in Health Services Policy and Management with a concentration in Epidemiology from the University of South Carolina and a BS in Biology with a Biomedical emphasis and MPA with a Health Administration concentration both from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Jarrod also has an adjunct faculty position in the MPH@UNC program with the Gilling’s School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Lesa Curry Community Engagement & Health Planning Coordinator Community Health Region 9

Oklahoma State Department of Health

Lesa Curry grew up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas and moved to rural Southeast Oklahoma in 2003 and began working for the Oklahoma State Department of Health in June of 2004. She currently resides in Durant, Oklahoma, and serves in a leadership role as the Community Engagement & Health Planning Coordinator for District 9 of the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Her team consists of health equity specialists, community health workers, a public information officer, and an Opioid prevention coordinator, all serving Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw, Coal, Latimer, Leflore, McCurtain, Pittsburg, and Pushmataha counties. Lesa is also currently serving as the Interim Community Health Worker Program Manager for the Oklahoma State Department of Health, providing training and technical assistance to the 47 Community Health Workers serving in 75 county health departments across the state of Oklahoma.

In the midst of covid response, Lesa wrote the framework for the Rural Health Initiative to pilot in McCurtain County, Oklahoma. The county-specific model was initiated in December of 2020 to leverage community resources and achieve coordinated and holistic health and healthcare services throughout McCurtain County. The efforts embedded community health workers within the rural health systems to connect patients with providers, services, and programs.

As the community engagement and health planning coordinator, Lesa ensures collaboration with community stakeholders and partners to coordinate efforts of addressing health disparities throughout district 9, primarily focusing on inequity hotspots throughout the region. Lesa has a heart for public health and a passion for serving all Oklahomans.

Tiffany Davis Executive Director of Quality Improvement and Health Equity

Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Tiffany Davis currently serves as the Executive Director of Quality Improvement and Health Equity for Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. She has worked as an executive health plan leader, attorney and servant leader focused on improving outcomes for high-risk populations and underserved communities.

Tiffany has led Government Program teams at HCSC for 6 years working for the Illinois Medicaid and Enterprise Medicaid programs supporting more than one million members. She is responsible for the development and implementation of enterprise-wide Medicare and Medicaid Health Equity initiatives, supplier diversity, including Medicaid program business development, policies and procedures, which focus on equity of care and performance analysis across the enterprise. Prior to HCSC she worked as a as a Medicaid attorney and ombudsman for the elderly in long-term care facilities and a program coordinator for first time youth offenders in the Washington DC area.

Tiffany is a graduate of Bennett College for Women, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, before attending the Howard University School of Law with a focus in criminal justice. She is admitted to practice law in the state of Maryland. In her free time, Tiffany enjoys volunteering for Butterfly Dreamz, a non-profit focused on developing girls into leaders founded in honor of her late sister, who was a victim of gun violence. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and two children in her hometown of Gary, Indiana. Tiffany is passionate about her work with areas of focus in SDoH and Health Equity (with a special emphasis on violence prevention and intervention), supplier diversity, community investment and economic development and Re-Entry.

Jean Drummond President and Founder

HealthCare Dynamics International

Passionate, driven, and tenacious are words that describe this successful entrepreneur’s award-winning professional service nationally and to the state of Maryland. Jean Crowder Drummond is the President and Founder of HealthCare Dynamics International (HCDI), a national quality improvement and population health firm recognized by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for its innovative achievements as a prime contractor.

She began HCDI in 1991 after a successful career as a practicing clinician serving vulnerable communities. She has worked extensively on critical projects addressing federal health policy, health equity, and access to quality healthcare for the underserved. Many of the national, state, and local initiatives identified community-based interventions to mitigate the social determinants of health.

As a lifelong Marylander, she has an extensive history of working in diverse and marginalized communities. She has lived in Prince George’s County for over 25 years, where she raised her family and grew her business. Under her leadership, HCDI has provided professional services for over 31 years for numerous federal, state, local and commercial organizations. Currently employing more than 200 full-time staff from 20 different countries, HCDI’s vision is to improve the quality of health for all, especially vulnerable populations.

HCDI is committed to innovative strategies to drive healthcare transformation on a local level that can scale and spread nationally. HCDI applies data-driven decisions to guide their work integrating current research, best practices, and evidence-based approaches. The multidisciplinary, multicultural team Jean leads is focused on provider, patient, community, payor, and policy engagement that embraces value-based care delivery and payment reform. Their goal is to improve health outcomes at lower costs.

Whether designing a health promotional campaign to reduce cardiovascular disease, conducting outreach to close HEDIS gaps, or analyzing population health data to address social determinants, HCDI is committed to service excellence. Leveraging her clinical experience coupled with her business acumen, Jean values partnerships across the healthcare landscape. Her goal is to foster collaboration that creates win-win-win solutions: a win for patients, a win for the payor, and a win for HCDI.

Georgina Dukes Senior Director of Social Care Advocacy

Unite Us

Georgina Dukes-Harris is a social justice advocate leading in a career that inspires social innovation through healthcare and technology. Georgina began her career in healthcare administration as a student at Clemson University where she managed student clinics and emergency department patient access in low-income, rural areas. She has a master's degree in health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina, where she continued to build her experience in healthcare through academic medical center operations.

After graduation, she continued her work at Duke Health where she executed strategies bridging the gap between hospitals and community health initiatives. With over 13 years of experience in health equity, technology, population health, and strategic operations across the health industry, Georgina has the proven ability to use innovation design, implementation, and communication tactics to support organizations' impact on the communities they serve, patient outcomes, and social determinants of health. Georgina Dukes is now the Senior Director of Social Care Advocacy for Unite Us – a tech company created to address Social Determinants of Health by connecting social and health care. In this role, she is leading a national effort to increase awareness of social care, challenge systemic causes of poverty and health inequities, and strengthen community voices and experiences in partnership with Unite Us.

In recent years, Georgina has been a White House Administration PREVENTS speaker, received the Leaders in Diversity award, helped to launch the first statewide coordinated care network (NCCARE360), won the 2020 Women in Business, Community Outreach award, and was nominated for Forbes 30 under 30 in healthcare. Georgina also spoke on an expert panel for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on Population Specific Data Gaps in 2021.

When Georgina is not advocating for health equity, innovation, and justice, you can find her with her husband and son, watching a Marvel superhero movie, blogging about a life experience, or on Instagram!

Ellen Fink-Samnick Chair

RISE SDoH Community

Dr. Ellen Fink-Samnick is an award-winning industry entrepreneur who empowers healthcare's interprofessional workforce. She is a subject matter expert on Ethics, Health Equity and Quality, Integrated Care, Interprofessional Teams, Professional Case Management, and Trauma-informed Leadership. Her books include The Essential Guide to Interprofessional Ethics for Healthcare Case Management, The Social Determinants of Health: Case Management's Next Frontier, End of Life Care for Case Management. 2023 will bring two new offerings: The Ethical Case Manager: Tools and Tactics, 1^st Ed. and The Social Determinants of Mental Health: Advancing Wholistic Practice Excellence.

Dr. Fink-Samnick has a Doctorate in Behavioral Health with specialization in Health Equity, Integrated Care, Quality, Leadership, and Trauma-Informed Practice, She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Board-certified Case Manager, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, as well as a member of the academic honor society, Delta Epsilon Tau.

Dr. Fink-Samnick serves the industry through a variety of roles with academic appointments at Cummings Graduate Institute of Behavioral Health Studies, George Mason University’s College of Public Health, and the University of Buffalo School of Social Work. She is a clinical supervision trainer and instructor for the National Association of Social Workers of Virginia and Metro DC, lead for Rise Association’s Social Determinants of Health Community, moderator of Ellen’s Ethical Lens^TM on LinkedIn, and author of the blog, Ellen’s Interprofessional Insights. She is also a consultant for the Case Management Institute and moderator of their Case Managers Community.

Dr. Fink-Samnick is known for her fierce professional voice. Along with leadership and committee roles across credentialing entities and professional associations, she has served on the Gravity Project and the National Coalition for Social Work and Health. She is a board consultant to the American Association of Doctors of Behavioral Health, and editorial board member for the Professional Case Management Journal, and Case Management Monthly. Further information is available on her LinkedIn Profile.

Evelyn Gallego Co-Founder & Senior Advisor

Gravity Project

Evelyn Gallego, MBA, MPH, CPHIMS, is the CEO and Founder of EMI Advisors LLC,
an 8(a) certified Economically and Socially Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small
Business. EMI was started to further Evelyn’s mission of delivering value-driven health data management advisory services to her government and commercial clients. Evelyn is a trusted advisor in helping her clients bridge the gap between health information technology policy and standards and business requirements. She has a strong ability to work across and build consensus with diverse stakeholder groups, including multidisciplinary providers, policymakers, healthcare payers, researchers, system vendors and implementers, and standard development organizations.

Ms. Gallego provides specialized expertise in digital health interoperability and health policy with a focus on the alignment of regulatory, technical, and process improvement requirements to enable the effective adoption and use of technology. She is a thought leader in the areas of care coordination, social determinants of health (SDOH), health IT policy analysis and development, health information exchange and interoperability, and health IT standards development.

Ms. Gallego is the co-founder of the Gravity Project, which develops nationally recognized consensus-based data standards for social care integration, and currently serves as the Program Director for leading interoperability and workforce development projects, including the Administration for Community Living (ACL) Innovative Technology Solutions for Social Care Referrals Challenge, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Multiple Chronic Care (MCC) electronic Care Plan Project, the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) Community SDOH Information Exchange Toolkit Project and Public Health Informatics & Technology (PHIT) Workforce Development Program, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Social Determinants of Health Public Health Business Care and Use Case Development Project.

Karen Hacker Director

CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)

Dr. Karen Hacker, MD, MPH, is the Director of CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), a position she assumed in August 2019. NCCDPHP has an annual budget of more than $1.3 billion and more than 1,000 staff members dedicated to preventing chronic diseases and promoting health across the life span.

Dr. Hacker leads an executive team that sets the strategic direction for the center’s portfolio, which focuses on:

Surveillance and epidemiology to move data into action.
Policy and environmental improvements to support health and healthy behaviors.
Health care system collaboration to strengthen delivery of preventive services.
Links between community and clinical services to improve self-management of chronic conditions and enhance quality of life.

From 2013 to 2019, Dr. Hacker served as Director of the Allegheny County Health Department in Pennsylvania, where she was responsible for 1.2 million residents in 130 municipalities, including Pittsburgh. Under her leadership, the Department achieved national public health accreditation in 2017. Dr. Hacker also launched the Live Well Allegheny initiative, aimed at reducing cigarette smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.

Previously, Dr. Hacker was the Senior Medical Director for Public and Community Health at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts. Between 2002 and 2013, she held a variety of leadership roles at the Cambridge Public Health Department and the Institute for Community Health (both part of the Cambridge Health Alliance).

Dr. Hacker served as Interim Chief Public Health Officer (2006 to 2007) and Medical Director for the Cambridge Public Health Department (2004 to 2013) and as Executive Director of the Institute for Community Health (2002 to 2013). She also spent several years working for the Boston Public Health Commission, with a focus on adolescent health, serving as Division Director for Child and Adolescent Health (1999 to 2002), Director of Adolescent and School Services (1992 to 1999), and Director of Adolescent Services (1989 to 1992).

As an expert in community-based participatory research (CBPR), Dr. Hacker served as the Director of the CBPR program of the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Award Initiative (Harvard Catalyst). She wrote Community-Based Participatory Action Research, a widely used academic text, and taught a course on the topic at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. As the Executive Director of the Institute for Community Health, she designed, led, and published on numerous community participatory health projects. She has published 67 peer-reviewed articles on a wide variety of topics, including adolescent health and school-based health centers, obesity, substance use, and health policy.

Dr. Hacker received her BA from Yale University, her MD from Northwestern University School of Medicine, and her MPH with Honors from Boston University School of Public Health. She completed her internship and residency training in primary care internal medicine at Boston City Hospital, followed by an adolescent medicine fellowship at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. She is board-certified in internal medicine and has served as an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School (2010 to 2015) and at Harvard School of Public Health (2012 to 2015), and a Visiting Professor in the Graduate School of Public Health and Clinical Professor in the School of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. She is currently an Adjunct Professor at the Emory School of Medicine.

Ana Handshuh Principal

CAT5 Strategies

Ana Handshuh, Principal at CAT5 Strategies, is a government programs executive with expertise in creating and implementing corporate programs for the healthcare industry. Her background includes Quality, Core Measures, Care Management, Benefit Design and Bid Submission, Accreditation, Regulatory Compliance, Revenue Management, Communications, Community-based Care Management Programs and Technology Integration. Ms. Handshuh currently serves on the Board of the Resource Initiative and Society for Education (RISE), the preeminent national professional association dedicated to managed and accountable care financing and delivery. She is a sought after speaker on the national healthcare circuit in the areas of Quality, Star Ratings, Care Management, Member and Provider Engagement, and Revenue Management. Her recent consultancy roles have included assisting organizations create programs to address the unmet care management needs in the highest risk strata of membership, document their processes and procedures, achieve accreditation status, design and submit government program bids, institute corporate-wide programs and create communications strategies and materials. She possesses sophisticated business acumen with the ability to build consensus with cross-functional groups to accomplish corporate goals. Ms. Handshuh served as the Vice President of Managed Care Services at Central Florida Inpatient Medicine (CFIM). In this role, she provided leadership and strategy on CFIM projects and collaborations with physicians, risk entities, hospital health care systems, and health plans. CFIM is the largest Hospitalist group in Central Florida, with 70 providers discharging over 50,000 patients annually from multiple hospitals across two health care delivery systems and 24 skilled nursing facilities. At CFIM Ms. Handshuh previously served as the Vice President of Operations. Prior to those assignments, she worked with Precision Healthcare Systems as their Vice President of Quality Improvement. In that capacity, she led the IPA’s Quality efforts and collaborated with payers on implementing programs to move the needle on Quality and Star Rating initiatives. Ms. Handshuh also served as the Director of Corporate Program Development at Physicians United Plan. In this role, she led the Quality Management and Corporate Communications departments and spearheaded the development of innovative integrated technology solutions to drive business excellence and Star Rating achievement initiatives. For the past fifteen years Ms. Handshuh has taken an active role in redefining and implementing changes that have led to improvements and greater efficiency within Government programs and healthcare delivery. Prior to joining Physicians United Plan Ms. Handshuh was the founder of I-Six Creative. Under Ms. Handshuh’s vision and leadership, I-Six Creative provided expertise in the areas of managed Medicare benefit design, MSO/IPA operations, provider network strategy, new market launches, technology integration, corporate communications and quality improvement.

Haile Hernandez

Point32 Health

Haile Hernandez is a first-generation immigrant from the Dominican Republic. He is a MSW by training, with over 15 years of lived and professional experiences

in the health care industry. He has a strong background in developing and restructuring Social Determinant of Health (SDOH) & Clinical Innovative programs for vulnerable populations with Complex Medical, Social, and Behavioral health needs. As the Head of Social Determinants of Health Strategy-Health Equity, he is responsible for building national solutions to address social determinants and social health disparities for members, patients, and employees, across our entire footprint, while also creating localized community-based solutions for specific communities, markets, and populations as part of our mission and commitment to improve Health Equity for all in our communities. Haile specializes in community health innovation. He builds strong partnerships with the community and develops programming to support both our operations mission and vision. He is skilled in identifying gaps and services and structural inequities and building both individual care plans and programming to empower the population we serve to overcome barriers to care and reach their goals.

Prior to joining Point32Health, Haile spent more than seven years working as manager of Acute Care Services & Clinical Innovation at Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA), where he gained leadership and operational experience through running highly visible community/clinical initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the commonwealth of Massachusetts responses to the global pandemic between 2020-2022. He was responsible for the leadership and oversight of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s Isolation and Recovery sites for positive Covid-19 patients without a place to stay, and the temporary transitional housing program for homeless individuals as part of the response to the humanitarian crisis centered around the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard in the city of Boston; to support the commonwealth’s most vulnerable residents struggling with housing insecurity, substance use disorder and behavior health needs. In addition, Haile ran a hospital to home program at CCA, whose structure allowed for clinicians embedded in high volume ED’s to divert patients to home using Mobile Integrated Health, thus avoiding ED visits and subsequent acute admissions.

Chanda Hinton Executive Director

Chanda Center for Health Chanda Plan Foundation

When you look into the face of Chanda Hinton, you see vitality and radiant health; you see a young woman with passion and determination; you see a person of strength and purpose. If you glance down from her face, you will see her wheelchair, and you realize that the goals of the nonprofit organization she founded 17 years ago. You will see that her role is rooted in her own personal story.

Chanda is the Executive Director of the Chanda Center for Health and Chanda Plan Foundation, which provides access to holistic, collaborative, access and disability competent healthcare programs to individuals with physical disabilities. In 2009, she led the movement to pass Colorado House Bill 1047, which created the Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Waiver, offering acupuncture, massage, and chiropractic care through Medicaid to evaluate cost-effectiveness and improve quality of life for persons with spinal cord injuries in the Denver metro area. In 2021, she expanded these services legislatively to other diagnosis and to be a statewide benefit.

In addition to her work (passion), Chanda presents extensively to diverse audiences about wellness and disability. Her previous honors include the 2008 Unsung Hero Award from Mayor Hickenlooper in honor of Denver’s 150^th anniversary, 2010 Health & Wellness Award from the Commission for People with Disabilities, 2015 Kathy Vincent award from the Colorado Cross Disability Coalition, 2015 Diversity Award from Mayor Hancock, 2017 Denver Business Journal 2017 40 under 40 honoree, 2019 Linda Andre Lifetime Trailblazer Award from the Colorado Fund for People with Disabilities and 2019 AMTA National Government Relations Activist Award, Colorado Women's Chamber 2020 Top 25 Powerful Women

Chanda is from Nebraska and has a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Denver and recently earned a Masters in Non-Profit Management from Regis University. In her spare time (wait, what spare time?), she enjoys cheesy ‘80s chick flicks, intense conversations with people in community and spending time with loved ones.

Chanda Center for Health: Deliver and advocate for integrative therapy, primary care, and other complementary services to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs for persons with physical disabilities. https://chandacenter.org/

Chanda Plan Foundation: To support the mission of the Chanda Center for Health by providing sustainable financial impact. https://chandacenter.org/chanda-plan-foundation/

Social Media Handles:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/chandaplanfoundation/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chandaplan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chandaplan
Instagram: https://Instagram.com/ChandaPlanFoundation

Olivia Jefferson Vice President for Social Responsibility

United Healthcare

Olivia Jefferson is the Vice President for Social Responsibility at United Healthcare which includes the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation and the Empowering Health intiative. In this role, Olivia is responsible for leading the strategic oversight and execution of expanding access to care and addressing the social determinants of health for families and local communities in key UHC markets. She also leads UHC’s employee volunteerism efforts, participates in Global Diversity Equity & Inclusion’s Leadership Advisory Council for the African American Employee Resource Group and works closely with leaders at United Health Group and Optum to align social impact initiatives across the enterprise.
Olivia comes to UnitedHealthcare with vast sectoral experience ranging from small non-profit management, state and local government to corporate population health and wellness, and philanthropy. Prior to joining UnitedHealthcare, she was one of the leaders in Community Impact at Greater Twin Cities United Way (GTCUW) focusing on the grant stewardship of their impact areas: Household Stability, Educational Success, and Economic Opportunity. Likewise, Olivia was responsible for leading the organization’s internal equity steering committee, which sought to ensure GTCUW was a best in class workplace for all by fostering an inclusive environment for its employees, regardless of race, gender, nationality, ability, age or sexual orientation.

Prior to joining the United Way, Olivia served as Program Evaluator at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation. While at Blue Cross, Olivia developed metrics that captured quantity and quality, numbers and nuance, and shifted the narrative from mere transactions to transformative evaluation outcomes and processes. Olivia works hard to keep equity and humility at the core of her work. She ultimately became an evaluator to disrupt a system that often “took from” instead of “partnered with.”

When not working, Olivia is setting roots in the Twin Cities community. Olivia is a current board member for the nonprofit organization, Hope Community, the Opus Foundation, the Minnesota Council on Foundations and is the co-chair of the Philanthropy Pillar as part of the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity (MBCRE). More recently, Olivia was named one of the 2022 40 under 40 honorees by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. She was selected and completed the American Express and Independent Sector NGen 2020 Fellowship and the 2021 Mission Investors Exchange – Impact Experience focused on approaches to best steward capital, rebuild impact investing portfolios, and make decisions that are more equitable and just in philanthropy. Olivia loves art and also served as the Volunteer Coordinator for the historic Rondo neighborhood, Penumbra Theatre for over two years.

Kim Johnson Executive Director

Center for Racial Health Equity

Dr. Kim M. Johnson is the founder and President of the Center for Racial Health Equity, a nonprofit organization committed to eliminating health inequities and improving health outcomes for persons of color. Dr. Johnson works to advance health equity using innovative strategies that leverage emerging and best practices in public health, healthcare, and social justice. She has more than 20 years of experience leading national health equity programs to improve the capacity of healthcare providers and public health organizations to provide culturally competent prevention and treatment services.

Throughout her career, Dr. Johnson has demonstrated expertise in integrating health equity and social determinants of health, developing health equity strategy, designing and implementing evidence-based interventions, community investment and engagement, and systems change approaches that decrease health disparities. A skilled strategist, trainer, and speaker, Dr. Johnson is committed to increasing community investment for better health outcomes, improving access and quality of care, and driving equitable development within communities of color to improve systems and cross-sector collaboration among stakeholders who share responsibility for achieving health equity.

Most recently, Dr. Johnson served as the Senior Director of the African American Health Equity Initiative at Susan G Komen where she led the health equity portfolio to reduce breast cancer disparities in African Americans. Prior to joining Komen, Dr. Johnson served as the Principal Investigator and Director at the National Minority AIDS Council where she led initiatives to improve HIV health equity within communities of color nationwide.

Since earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and doctorate degree from the Medical College of VA School of Medicine, Dr. Johnson completed a Family Medicine residency at the Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, NC where she specialized in minority health and women’s health. She has served as a consultant to several healthcare and public health organizations as well as agencies within the US Department of Health and Human Services where she is recognized for developing high quality, public health programs targeting communities of color and resource constrained populations.

Dr. Johnson is a member of the National Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Public Health Association. She and her family live in northern VA and enjoy volunteering at charitable organizations and family outings.

John Lumpkin VP, Drivers of Health Strategy and President

Blue Cross NC Foundation

John R. Lumpkin, MD, MPH has been President of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation since April 2019. He leads the organization in pursuit of its stated mission to improve the health and well-being everyone in North Carolina through a focus on: improving access to oral health, expanding access to healthy food, supporting a healthy start in life for children, improving the conditions where people live by strengthening the ability of communities to improve health.

In addition to his role as Foundation President, John also serves as Executive Strategic Counselor, Corporate Social Responsibility and Drivers of Health for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. He also currently serves on the board of directors of the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and as chair of Digital Bridge, a multi-sector forum to collaborate on solutions for a nationally consistent and sustainable approach to using electronic health data to improve public health.

Most recently, John served as Senior Vice President, Programs for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) where he was responsible for the organization’s efforts to transform health, broaden access to stable and affordable health care coverage, build leadership, and engage business toward building a Culture of Health in the United States. Before joining RWJF in 2003, he served as director of the Illinois Department of Public Health for 12 years.

John is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, American College of Emergency Physicians, and the American College of Medical Informatics. Among his previous leadership positions, he is past chairman of the board of the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, as well as past chairman of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics. He has also served on, and advised, several federal-level committees and commissions to advance and improve health in the United States.

John is the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters. In addition, his many distinctions and honors include the Arthur McCormack Excellence and Dedication in Public Health Award from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, as well as the Jonas Salk Health Leadership Award.

He earned his MD and BMS degrees from Northwestern University Medical School and his MPH from the University of Illinois School of Public Health. He was also the first African-American trained in emergency medicine in the country after completing his residency at the University of Chicago, and he has served on the faculty of the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and University of Illinois at Chicago.

John and his wife Mary S. Blanks, MD, a health care mediator, reside in the Chapel Hill area. They have two adult children.

Beck Moore CEO

Community Action Association of Pennsylvania (CAAP)

Beck Moore serves as CEO at Community Action Association of Pennsylvania (CAAP), working with the 43 Community Action Agencies across the Commonwealth. Having a deep-rooted appreciation stemming from personal experiences, Beck is devoted to examining intersectionality of the social determinants of health and identity to the correlation of poverty in Pennsylvania.

Beck has served in nonprofit leadership roles over the past 20 years and has a passion for values-based leadership. Beck’s experience shines in member-based organizations, with expertise in membership growth and program development. He served in various roles across multiple Girl Scout councils, leaving an impact of membership stabilization and growth through creating valuable programs, gaining national recognition. In addition, Beck also saw success in growing volunteer bases by providing exceptional support to volunteers through data driven strategies. Even through the COVID-19 pandemic, while many youth serving organizations struggled, Beck’s leadership helped stabilize Girl Scout membership and continued to provide virtual and hybrid experiences to reinvigorate membership value and engagement. Beck is currently authoring his first book about his journey of authenticity, a story about coming out in midlife, transitioning from female to male, and becoming a father through nontraditional means. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Penn State and a master’s degree in Human Resources from the University of Scranton. Beck serves on the Board of Directors and board committees, at the Keystone Business Alliance, United Way of PA, County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations.

Warren Moore, PharmD. Vice President, Social Determinants of Health

Walmart

Warren J. Moore, was born and raised in Memphis, TN and attended Purdue University on a full athletic scholarship (1996 to 2002) where he received his Doctor of Pharmacy Degree. Upon graduating, Warren went to work for Walmart Stores, Inc. in Indianapolis, IN as a practicing pharmacist. His career progression took him from Staff Pharmacist to Assistant Pharmacy Manager then eventually Pharmacy Manager. After 4 years of practicing as a pharmacist, Warren’s career then ventured into management. He has held various Field and Home Office roles which include:

• District Pharmacy Manager
• H&W Market Manager
• Regional H&W Director
• Divisional H&W Senior Director II
• Sr. Director Operations Coordinator & Support
• Divisional Senior Director II, Clinical Services and Specialty Pharmacy
• Vice President Health and Wellness Central Operations
• Vice President of Neighborhood Market Pharmacy Operations

In his last role as Vice President of Neighborhood Pharmacy Operations, Warren has responsibility for overseeing day to day operations for 690 pharmacies across the US.

In June of 2020, Warren was asked by Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon to lead the company’s Health Shared Value Network, with the goal of creating better health outcomes for the Black and African American Community in ways that are embedded in how they conduct everyday business. Based off Warren’s history of high performance with the company and his success in leading the SVN, Warren was recently promoted to a newly created role as Vice President of Social Determinants of Health Actions where he is creating a new line of business focused on achieving health equity in the areas of Food and Nutrition Security, Maternal and Infant Health, and Prevention & Treatment of Cardiometabolic Diseases.

Over his 20-year career, honors include being selected as Regional/Divisional Community Pharmacist of the Year, Regional/Divisional Pharmacy District Manager of the Year, Health and Wellness Leadership Award Recipient, and Purdue University College of Pharmacy Distinguished Alumni Inductee.

Warren currently serves on the Walmart Political Action Committee Advisory Board, and has previously served as an Officer Sponsor for the Walmart Associate Resource Group inAble which focuses on including people of all abilities.

Outside of work, Warren serves on the Purdue University College of Pharmacy Dean’s Council, and sits on the Board of Directors for Sunshine School and Development center in Rogers, AR.

Warren’s career has afforded him the opportunity to live in Indiana, Louisiana, Arizona and now Arkansas. He is married to Aneasha (Walmart Pharmacist) and has 4 daughters Aerial Charece, Aubree LeeAnn, and twins Addison Janae and Arren Jenel. His hobbies included watching sports, hacking up the golf course, binge-watching shows, grilling, and spending time with his family on their RV adventures. His long-term goal is to retire at 55 years of age because he believes life is full, and there is so much to experience.

Suellen Narducci Chief Operating Officer

Trillium Community Health Plan

Suellen Narducci is Plan Chief Operating Officer of Trillium Community Health Plan and Health Net Health Plan of Oregon, Inc., subsidiaries of Centene Corporation, which offer Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial insurance throughout the state of Oregon. Suellen joined Trillium/Health Net in 2019, where she provides strategic leadership and direction on building quality assurance and accountability, cultivating a process excellence and data-driven culture, and implementing a robust health equity program.

Suellen has more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience in operations and technology. Throughout her career she has demonstrated proven results by centering the member and provider experience, as well as correlating operational and IT investments to achieve growth in existing businesses and new markets. At Trillium/Health Net, Suellen is responsible for Claims, Enrollment and Eligibility, Call Center, Provider Data Management, Training, Marketing and Communications, Health Equity, Community Engagement, Medicaid Product, Business Analytics and the Project Management Office.

Suellen is particularly passionate about advancing health equity within the organizations and communities she serves. She has developed the operational and staffing model for the Trillium/Health Net health equity program, which includes applying advanced analytics to inform process and program investments, implementing targeted community engagement activities, and devising and communicating a long-term strategy that ensures sustainability and continuous growth.

Prior to her role at Trillium/Health Net, Suellen served as Staff Vice President, Enterprise Quality for Anthem. Previously, she served as Service Operations and Strategy Support Lead at The Hartford, Assistant Vice President for Membership Information Initiative and Eligibility and Enrollment Operations and Client Services at CIGNA, and Assistant Vice President, Producer Services at Lincoln National. Suellen holds a Master of Business Administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Central Connecticut State University.

Ruth Ann Norton President & CEO

Green & Healthy Homes Initiative

Ruth Ann Norton, President & CEO of the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, joined the organization in 1993 and has led its development into one of the nation’s most effective and foremost authorities on healthy housing and its impact on the social determinants of health and racial equity. An expert on lead poisoning prevention, healthy homes and the intersection of climate, energy and health, Ruth Ann directs GHHI’s national strategy, policy framework and services to integrate climate, healthcare and healthy housing as a platform for improved health, economic, educational and social outcomes for low-income communities.

She broadened the organization’s mission by designing the GHHI comprehensive model in 2009 in partnership with HUD and CDC that is built on a framework of cross-sector collaboration. GHHI works in over 75 partner jurisdictions to implement its model that effectively integrates resources to comprehensively deliver lead hazard reduction, healthy homes, energy efficiency and housing rehabilitation interventions. She has been at the forefront in building the business case for healthcare investments in housing to address the social determinants of health and racial equity.

Ms. Norton serves as a member of: the EPA Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee, the National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health, the National Council of State Housing Agencies’ National Advisory Group, the Ohio Asthma Council, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center For Population Health Information Technology Advisory Board. She is Chair of the Maryland Lead Poisoning Prevention Commission and is also a federally appointed Liaison Member to the CDC’s Lead Exposure and Prevention Advisory Committee.

Seun Ross Executive Director, Health Equity

Independence Blue Cross

Seun Ross is the Executive Director Health Equity at Independence Blue Cross. In her most recent past role, she was the Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President of Master Service Provider Operations at InGenesis. She also worked in health policy with the previous Presidential administrations (Obama & Trump) as the Director of Nursing Practice & Work Environment at the American Nurses Association. In her most recent clinical role, Dr. Ross was the Vice President of Clinical Operations for AL Health in Washington D.C. Prior to this role, she was the Director of Patient Care Services at MedStar Harbor Hospital.

Dr. Ross is a published author, most recently as a committee member of the National Academies of Medicine-Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Saves Lives; the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-Advance Practice Nursing Leadership: a Global Perspective; and the American Nurse Credentialing Center- The Doctor of Nursing Practice and the Executive Role. She has lectured on many topics within her research interests, which include health equity, SDOH, healthcare policy, evidence based practice, workforce management, and developing/mentoring the novice RN. She received The Healthcare Award from the Helene Fuld School of Nursing in 2014, in recognition of her efforts in advancing the profession of nursing.

Dr. Ross earned her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s Degree from Coppin State University and her Doctoral Degree from Chatham University. She is currently the President of IMBUEfoundation, Vice President of the National Organization for Women (NOW)-Baltimore, immediate past President of Chi Zeta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society, a member of the Academy of Healthcare Executives and holds certifications as a family nurse practitioner.

Steve Selinsky HAP

Vice President of Government Programs, Product, & Community Outreach

As the vice president of product, marketing and community outreach, Steve Selinsky is responsible for coordinating all sales and enrollment activities for HAP’s individual and Medicare customers, as well as the development of HAP’s government and commercial products. He is also responsible for all of HAP’s marketing and communications activities, as well as the company’s community engagement, which includes sponsorships and community partnerships in the geographic areas in which HAP does business.

Steve joined HAP in 2013, having held sales leadership positions at several major health insurers throughout his 25-year career. He served as the president of the National Association of Health Underwriters from 2010 to 2011 and was a board member and chair for NAHU’s education foundation. In 2017, Steve received the Harold R. Gordon Memorial Award from NAHU. The award is NAHU’s highest honor and recognizes him as the Health Insurance Person of the Year.

Steve is a board member and past president of the Metro Detroit Association of Health Underwriters, as well as a board member and chair of the Health Underwriters Political Action Committee (HUPAC). He also serves on the board of the Hannan Center, which is dedicated to serving the senior population, as well as RISE, an association that provides quality resources for health care professionals. He previously served on the boards of Oakland Literacy Council and the Village School for Autistic Children.

Steve holds a bachelor's degree from Albion College in Albion, Mich. He is also a graduate of Leadership Oakland and Leadership Detroit.

Kate Sommerfeld President, Social Determinants of Health Institute Corporate Vice President, Community Relations and Social Investments

ProMedica

Kate Sommerfeld is the president of the Social Determinants of Health Institute for ProMedica, a mission-driven, not-for-profit, health care system based in Toledo, Ohio. ProMedica is the 15^th largest hospital system in the country, serving communities in 28 states.

Kate is responsible for shaping and leading ProMedica’s work in the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), including clinical integration, medical education and training, and strategic community initiatives. Under Kate’s leadership, the work of the SDOH Institute has grown in ways that have impacted thousands of lives in ProMedica’s service area, while also positioning ProMedica as a clear industry-leader in SDOH.

ProMedica has also put a big stake in the ground around the $50 million place-based Ebeid Neighborhood Promise, an initiative serving local residents through financial coaching, job training, and access to a (ProMedica-run nonprofit) grocery store in an identified food desert. Even more broadly, ProMedica is leading in its commitment to Anchor Strategies – that is, using its resources to serve as an anchor and catalyst in the community. Under Kate’s leadership, ProMedica launched the Health Impact Fund with LISC in 2018, a $25M loan pool to drive economic development in low-income neighborhoods. The Institute is also driving housing development, engaging in local and inclusive hiring and purchasing, and catalyzing new growth for downtown Toledo.

Kate and the SDOH Institute is increasingly being recognized nationally for their innovative work. In 2018, ProMedica’s Food as Medicine intervention was featured in the Wall Street Journal. In 2019, ProMedica won the Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service. In June of 2020 it was announced that ProMedica was the recipient of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary's Opportunity & Empowerment Award. Just recently, ProMedica was honored by Healthcare Innovations as the No.1 Innovator in 2023 for its work in addressing social determinants of health within clinical care and its commitment to community partnerships. ProMedica also leads among its peers, cofounding the Root Cause Coalition as well as the Healthcare Anchor Network.

Prior to joining ProMedica, Kate worked for various community-based and nonprofit organizations including in the United Way system leading both rural and urban change. Kate has Bachelor of Arts degrees in political science and child psychology from Purdue University and a Master of Public Administration degree from Bowling Green State University.

Mikal Sutton BCBSA

Managing Director, Medicaid Policy

Mikal Sutton is Managing Director of Medicaid policy for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), a national federation of thirty-four independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies. BCBSA covers 114 million lives across all lines of business in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Twenty-four of the BCBSA Plans operate a Medicaid program in twenty-nine states and Puerto Rico with more that twelve million Medicaid members.

With almost 15 years of experience Sutton has collaborated with state and local agencies, organizations, and external stakeholders to build substantive policy solutions. Sutton oversees detailed Medicaid policy analysis and strategies to support BCBS companies, in collaboration with BCBSA’s legislative, regulatory, research and modeling teams. Since joining the Association in 2020, Sutton has worked on regulatory and policy development on a wide variety of program issue areas including maternal health, social determinants of health, long-term services and supports, expansion of Medicaid and the Public Health Emergency unwinding.

Sutton has worked on Medicaid policy in Illinois, policy initiatives with the Illinois Department on Aging and as a director of grant operations for a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant focused on growing the nursing pipeline in Illinois. Sutton has a master’s degree in political studies and a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

An Illinois native, Sutton earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and master’s degree in political studies from the University of Illinois, Springfield. She enjoys outdoor activities, listening to music and traveling with her family.

Rachel Thornton Vice President, Chief Health Equity Officer

Nemours Children's Health

Rachel J. Thornton, MD, PhD is Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer at Nemours Children’s Health where she leads work on health equity strategy to support the organization’s vision to create the healthiest generations of children. With hospitals in the Delaware Valley and Central Florida, Nemours Children’s Health is one of the largest integrated pediatric health systems in the United States. Dr. Thornton has committed her career to health equity research and practice, including organizational transformation.

Prior to joining Nemours Children’s, Dr. Thornton was Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the Inaugural Executive Director for Clinical Services in the Johns Hopkins Medicine Office of Population Health where she led population health management services and community health. A practicing primary care pediatrician, Dr. Thornton served as a Health Policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 2011-2013. As a nationally recognized innovator in health equity research and practice, she served as a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine study committee on Shaping Summertime Experiences, Opportunities to Promote Healthy Development and Well-Being for Children and Youth and as a member of the Strategy Group on COVID and Rental Evictions.

Dr. Thornton received a B.A. from New York University, an M.D. from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and a PhD in Health Policy and Management from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. After residency, she completed fellowship training in general academic pediatrics.

Kate Tullio Director, Health Equity

CareSource

Kate has dedicated her career to improving the health of populations in Ohio. She is currently the Director of Health Equity for the Ohio market at CareSource, Ohio’s largest Medicaid Managed Care company. In her role, Kate oversees the strategic design, implementation, and evaluation of health equity efforts into quality, clinical, and population health initiatives. She also partners to inform population health strategy and target quality improvement areas, including the design of clinical programs that improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities. She helps inform decision-making around best payer practices related to disparity reductions, including the provision of health equity and social determinant of health resources and research to leadership and programmatic areas. In her role she supports the CareSource mission by helping the most people possible.

Kate joined CareSource in June 2021. Prior to joining CareSource, She also has held positions at Cleveland Clinic, The James Cancer Center at Ohio State University, and Ohio Department of Health investigating health disparities in cancer, diabetes, depression, and infectious disease. Kate also serves as the Co-Chair for the Ohio Partners for Cancer Control (OPCC), where she also helped initiate the OPCC Health Equity subgroup. An author of more than 50 scientific publications and frequent speaker at conferences and events, Kate earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from John Carroll University and master’s degrees in public health (epidemiology) and health information management from The Ohio State University.

Kate resides in Cleveland with her husband, daughter, and dog. In her free time, she enjoys running, teaching fitness classes, traveling, and cooking.

Karen Wilding VP, Chief Value Officer

Nemours Children's Health

Karen Marie Wilding is the enterprise Chief Value Officer (CVO) for Nemours Children’s Health.

Nemours is one of the nation’s leading pediatric health systems, with two free-standing children's hospitals, collaborations with 19 community hospitals, and a network of nearly 72 primary, specialty, and urgent care practices across four states.

Working “well beyond medicine”, Karen’s areas of focus include the growth of strategic partnerships that support the value journey, clinical practice transformation, and emerging payment models. Through community engagement, an emphasis on care across the continuum, and promoting overall health and well-being, she is positioning Nemours as a national thought leader in this area. The Nemours value portfolio includes over 15 active value-based contracts, over 200k children, and over 280M of expense under management, with contracts in both upside and downside risk. In realizing the quadruple aim, she brings commitment and vast experience to accelerate clinical and business transformation at Nemours. She has extensive knowledge of commercial and government payer models, facilitating workstreams and process improvement efforts on accountable care for our acute facilities and practice locations across all regions. Moving care upstream is an essential commitment as the organization advances health equity and work around SDoH.

Karen also serves as President of the Delaware Children’s Health Network (DCHN), the Nemours-owned clinically integrated network. The DCHN partners with practices, payers, and care providers to ensure the most efficient, effective, equitable, and high-quality care; the foremost goal is improved population health outcomes and create the “healthiest generations”.

A former first responder, she has over twenty years of experience in healthcare, with over ten years in senior leadership for accountable care, analytics, and quality. Karen brings a robust value-based care background, with start-up, contracting, and innovation work that has paved transformation for both clinical and business operations. She holds a master’s degree in Health Administration, several professional certifications, and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOs). She resides in Delaware with her family and children.

Dr. David Williams Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer

CareSource

As Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. David Williams leads and executes CareSource’s clinical vision and strategy to ensure member needs are met across the full continuum of care. Using a comprehensive physical, behavioral, social and pharmaceutical framework, he positions the organization to enhance the care and support of members with a focus on complex populations.

With more than 20 years of experience in putting patients and consumers first, Dr. Williams has ensured quality adherence and compliance for managed care organizations.

Prior to joining CareSource, Dr. Williams held the role of Chief Medical Officer for Optum’s Enterprise Clinical Services where he built market-level partnerships to advance high quality and affordable health care to consumers. He also held several roles at UnitedHealthcare including Chief Medical Officer for UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Mississippi where he provided clinical oversight for Medicaid, CHIP, and DSNP programs and the carve-in approach for inpatient care.

With his extensive medical background and expertise in value-based care, he is a highly decorated clinician who is often sought after as a guest lecturer at national conferences. During his career, he has been a proactive contributor on several task forces in Mississippi including maternal and infant health and clinical competency to positively impact outcomes in an area with historically low results.

A Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Dr. Williams earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Tougaloo College, master’s degree in chemistry from Jackson State University and doctor of medicine from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is a member of many professional societies including the American College of Physicians, the American Medical Association and the National Medical Association.

Aviva Woog Director of Engagement & Impact

Wellcare of NJ

Aviva Woog is the Director of Community Engagement and Impact at WellCare of NJ. In her role she is responsible for the execution of the Community Connections program focusing on connecting the community to sustainable social services and supporting community-based organizations to participate in healthcare delivery for government sponsored beneficiaries. Her work also focuses on community engagement and innovation, developing and implementing collaborative partnerships with external stakeholders to support the social drivers of health that impact health outcomes of communities. She also championed, created and chairs WellCare NJ’s internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council leading internal committees focused on Cultural Competency in Healthcare Delivery, Provider Diversity, Stakeholder Engagement, and Employee Inclusion. She chairs Centene corporation’s Employee Inclusion Group ABILITY, for persons with disabilities, caregivers, and allies. She continues to demonstrate her commitment to the needs of the community. Before joining WellCare, Ms. Woog has held community relations positions at Healthfirst NJ and Amerigroup.

Prior to her fifteen years in Healthcare, Ms. Woog worked in community programs supporting initiatives for youth as Program Officer for Supplemental Education Services after school programs throughout New York City through the White House “No Child Left Behind” initiative and at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark, as the Director of Prevention Programs where she was integral in creating gang awareness, prevention, and intervention programs for Newark families and the Boys and Girls Clubs movement.

Ms. Woog has received recognitions and awards for her dedication to the communities she serves. Aviva is a graduate of Loyola University, holds a certificate for DEI Practices from Cornell University continuing education, and completed the McKinsey Accelerated Management Program. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Raritan Bay Area YMCA.

Rise

John Adams

Michelle Adyniec

Suyanna Barker PhD

Dr. Cyrus Batheja

John Boerstler

Christine Bracamonte Wiggs

Matthew Broad

Ezekiel Brooks

Jarrod Bullard

Louis Cabanilla

Jennifer Callahan

Caroline Carney

Charlene Collier

Carmela Costiniuk

Alyssa Craigie

Keslie Crichton

Lesa Curry

Tiffany Davis

Lorena de Leon

Shannon Decker, MBA, MBA, MEd., MEd, PhD

Ryan Dodson

Sarah Downer

Natasha Dravid

Jean Drummond

Georgina Dukes

Dr. Michael Dulin

Jeffrey Erdman

Emma Ericksen

Kimberly Evans

Ellen Fink-Samnick

Bill Friedman

Veatrice Futch

Evelyn Gallego

Kenya Garrett-Burnett

Stacy Garrett-Ray

James Gillespie

Krissie Guerard