2023 Speakers

Frank Angotti, M.D.

Frank T. Angotti, III, M.D. is the Senior Behavioral Health Medical Director for Aetna Medicaid. Dr. Angotti is an experienced double boarded Psychiatrist (General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Management professional with 15 years of health care industry experience and 9 years of managed Medicaid experience. His expertise includes leadership roles in the child and adolescent psychiatry, behavioral health, substance use, and trauma arenas, He also has extensive experience managing children with complex behavioral health needs under the Medicaid system and within the state of West Virginia. Prior to joining Aetna, Dr. Angotti served as the Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist for United Summit Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia, where the majority of the population received the Medicaid benefit. His educational background includes à Doctor of Medicine (M.D) and a Bachelor of Science in Biology both from West Virginia University, He completed his residency and fellowship at the University of North Carolina Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Angotti is licensed to practice medicine in West Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina

Adimika Arthur

Adimika Arthur is an experienced clinical epidemiologist and hospital/health system executive. She uniquely brings her population health, public hospital expertise and focus on improving health equity and access to advancing quality care for vulnerable populations to her daily advocacy. She serves as the founding Executive Director for HealthTech for Medicaid (HT4M). HT4M is a collaborative convening of payers, providers, policymakers and innovative entrepreneurs rapidly advancing health equity and improvement of the Medicaid program on a national scale. Seen as a market-enabler, HT4M believes that a strategic injection of technology and innovation into the Medicaid ecosystem is essential. This bold, action-oriented, and inclusive network is working to ensure critical novel technologies reach Medicaid enrollees and other traditionally vulnerable and disadvantaged populations.

Mrs. Arthur has worked at many hospital systems including Alameda County Medical Center, University of California at San Francisco and Sutter Health. In her role as a hospital executive, her specialties included acute and children’s hospital and ambulatory care operations. She is skilled in turn-around environments including healthcare cost containment and revenue cycle enhancement engaging clinicians and staff without compromising patient care or quality. She is passionate about leadership development and is motivated to create successful pathways to further women’s advancement into C-suite roles in the healthcare delivery system and on hospital boards. She consistently mentors and inspires women to make meaningful changes in leadership while promoting health equity and making conditions better for vulnerable populations.

She is an ardent champion for providing leadership on planning, development, and implementation of strategies and initiatives to better understanding and improve the US Medicaid program. She was one of the authors of the 2005 California 1115 waiver Medicaid expansion grants for Alameda County Medi-Cal program, an investment of over $50 Million dollars into safety-net care improvements. This paved the way for Medicaid expansion in California (before the ACA) and is the largest healthcare award to date in Alameda County Adimika is a public health leader, hospital executive and humanitarian who holds numerous certificates and awards.

She combines her love of mentoring, servant leadership and service by maintaining non-profit board roles for many organizations including CALHIPSO and many others focusing on the promoting the pipeline of underrepresented youth getting into the full spectrum of health careers. She received her Bachelors in Science (BS) in Biochemistry from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia, her Master’s Degree in Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology and Health Systems from the University of Washington and was educated at Boston University School of Medicine.

Andrew Bledsoe

Mr. Bledsoe has 17 years’ experience in healthcare with the past 10 focused on Health Information Technology. He began his career at St. Claire Regional Medical Center, obtaining insight into rural medicine for both hospitals and ambulatory providers. Leveraging his rural experience, Andrew moved to the Northeast Kentucky Regional Health Information Organization (NeKY RHIO), serving as the Network Director initially, later moving into the role of Executive Director. Andrew’s current position is the Deputy Executive Director for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Office of Health Data and Analytics where he oversees the strategic planning and daily operations for the Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHIE). Andrew is a graduate of Morehead State University with a MBA in Business Management and in his spare time is an apprentice baker.

Chris Barrott

Chris is the Program Manager for the Bureau of Long Term Care with the Idaho Division of Medicaid. She is managing the Duals programs for Idaho as well as the Quality Assurance program for the Bureau of Long Term Care. She has specialized in operational and systems development and contract management for over 25 years and loves the opportunity to find operational efficiencies that result in better outcomes for participants on Medicaid.

Edith Calamia, DO, MPH, CMD, CHCQM

As the chief medical officer for Aetna Medicaid, Dr. Edith (Edie) Calamia develops, implements and promotes population health and health equity strategies, policies and programs that drive the delivery of high-value health care for Aetna’s Medicaid business. Dr. Calamia has over 20 years of health care experience with a commitment to public health and serving our most vulnerable populations. Her areas of expertise include state and government programs, Federally Qualified Health Centers, nursing and adult home medical direction and large medical practice management with both IPA and ACO integration. Dr. Calamia served as the CMO of Magellan Complete Care, which recently merged with Molina Healthcare. Before that she spent nine years with UnitedHealth Group leading local teams in New Jersey and as national medical director of the community and state book of business. She has worked tirelessly with large hospital systems to establish emergency room divergence and progressive disease management programs. She has additionally been a well-respected mentor to students, residents and colleagues during a diverse career in a variety of medical models. She received a Bachelor of Arts degrees in business administration and biology from Florida Atlantic University, a Master of Science degree in public health and microbiology from the University of South Florida and her Doctor of Medicine degree from Nova Southeastern University.

Lindsay Cogan, PhD, MS

Dr. Cogan is the Deputy Director of the Office of Quality and Patient Safety. In her role she oversees the cross agency planning, communication, and implementation of systems such as SPARCS, vital statistics, All Payer Claims Database, and quality measurement programs that are used by the Department in health care programs and research. Dr. Cogan oversees analysis and evaluation activities around the health care delivery system in NYS using HEDIS, CAHPS, Health Home Core Set, Medicaid Adult and Child Core Quality Measures. Dr. Cogan is responsible for evaluating quality initiatives specific to Medicaid, such as Medicaid Redesign, NYS Medicaid 1115 Waiver, Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Program (DSRIP), Medicaid Value Based Payment design, patient centered medical homes, health homes, and behavioral health programs. Dr. Cogan has extensive experience and subject matter expertise on quality measurement. Dr. Cogan has her PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Albany School of Public Health.

Sharon Colaizzi, RN BSN/BS, MPPM, CPHM

Sharon is the Senior Leader Clinical Strategy and Integration. In this role, she is responsible for oversight of the development and execution of strategies for clinical and operational teams for the organization.

Sharon is an accomplished population health management executive with comprehensive healthcare experience across acute, ambulatory and community settings addressing physical, mental and social health and well-being. Her impact has been in leading interdisciplinary teams strategically and tactically in clinical operations focused on patient engagement, provider engagement and cost of care. She’s held previous leadership roles at United Health Care, Molina and UPMC

Katrina Cope

Ms. Cope is the Monogram Health SVP, Strategic Initiatives & Implementations. Ms. Cope leads enterprise strategic initiatives and client implementations for Monogram Health, a leading value- based provider of in-home nephrology, primary care, and benefit management services for individuals with chronic kidney and end-stage renal disease. Ms. Cope has 15 years of experience across health plans, risk-bearing provider organizations, and government agencies. She is an industry leader in value based care and improving outcomes for individuals with across the care continuum of physical health, behavioral health, and social health.

Tim Conroy

In his role as National Vice President, Government and Healthcare Partnerships for Mom’s Meals, Tim Conroy has responsibility for overseeing Long Term Services & Support (LTSS) waiver benefit programs, helping customers and clients access state benefit programs for home-delivered meals. He partners with executive management teams at state government, managed care and local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and Community Based Organizations (CBO) organizations to ensure continuation of partnerships to support member services.

Before joining Mom’s Meals, Conroy gained nearly 20 years of healthcare executive experience in acute and post-acute care delivery, in healthcare sales and operations overseeing national field sales teams supporting Medicare and Medicaid, in clinical operations and program development.

He earned his MBA in Health Services Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, his MS from East Tennessee State University, and his BS from the University of Kentucky – both in Health Sciences. Currently, Tim is working toward his PhD in Public and Community Health

Mikayla Davidson

Mikayla Davidson is the Program Manager at Reema Health, a health tech company transforming how people navigate the gaps between health care and social care through technology and Guides from the communities they serve. She is responsible for bridging Reema’s technology with Community Guide knowledge in order to optimize member experiences. She drives health plan initiatives in the communities Reema serves in an effort to ensure overall health for members. Prior to becoming the Program Manager at Reema, Mikayla led Reema’s Care Teams and built relationships with members of the community as a Community Guide.This gave her unique insight into community-based work and these experiences helped develop the future of Reema’s programming. In addition to this field work, Mikayla has worked with Child Protective Services, where she met families at their most vulnerable and built relationships with those on the cusp of crisis. As a licensed Social Worker with direct practice experience, Mikayla has found that the key to every relationship is human connection, vulnerability, and empathy. She joined Reema to have a tangible impact on the people Reema serves and with her experience, she’s uniquely positioned to make this goal a reality.

Jessica Diaz

Jessica joined the Health Care Authority in 2016 to work on integration efforts, combining behavioral health and physical health benefits within a managed care framework. Prior to her experience with the Health Care Authority, she worked in the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, at the Department of Social and Health Services for over 9 years. She held a number of roles related to compliance and children’s behavioral health. Beginning in 2019, Jessica became responsible for the oversight of Managed Care Programs. She is now responsible for leading system design efforts for the Medicaid population, particularly in areas related to ongoing behavioral health integration efforts. This includes implementation of system design changes, obtaining appropriate federal authority, oversight of network adequacy and the crisis delivery system. Jessica received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington State University with a focus on Human Development and Sociology.

For nearly 20 years, Jessica has dedicated herself to state service, working in the realm of special education, behavioral health, and healthcare policy. She is particularly devoted to serving and improving the lives of our youth and families in Washington State, in a holistic manner. She has dedicated her career in state service and looks forward to continuing her pursuit of better care for all Washingtonians by way of system design and policy reform.

Alyssa Dietz, PhD

Alyssa Dietz, Ph.D. is Head of Thought Leadership at Twill (formerly Happify Health). She is a licensed clinical psychologist who made her way to the digital health industry after working as a professor and practicing psychologist. She provided Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing for the treatment of substance use disorders and health-related behavior change more broadly. Her research lab studied digital intervention and prevention programs and the use of digital tools to increase access to evidence-based care. She was an assistant professor first at Penn State and later Austin College where she trained future psychological scientists and therapists, directed a research lab, and first learned to translate complex topics to digestible information. Later, she joined Pear Therapeutics where she worked as a Medical Science Liaison, and served as a scientific and clinical resource to a range of stakeholders, including physicians, payers, advocacy groups, and others. At Twill, Alyssa has worked in digital therapeutics commercialization, corporate strategy, and marketing departments. She is passionate about revolutionizing access to evidence-based care.

Amy Dobbins

Amy joined the Health Care Authority in November 2013, just prior to the operational implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Prior to her experience with the Health Care Authority, she was a Program Manager for the partner agency, Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) administering cash and medical assistance programs for aged individuals and individuals with disabilities. Currently, she is managing a team of 16 Medicaid eligibility policy experts. Amy received her Bachelor of Arts degree from The Evergreen State College at both Olympia and Tacoma campuses. Her degree awarded her a focus in public policy and the creative arts.

Why she works for HCA My experience serving Washingtonians since 2006, inspires me to support the development of programs to serve the state’s most vulnerable citizens. In particular, I am dedicated to using creative methods to bridge coverage gaps and bring comprehensive coverage to those with low income and in need of access to health coverage and care. I am extremely lucky to work with a caring and very knowledgeable team who have a shared passion to improve health care accessibility in Washington.

Alexandra Fernandez

Alexandra (Ali) Fernández is the Bureau Chief for the Bureau of Long Term Care under the Division of Medicaid. She has spent her career working for programs that support individuals with disabilities and the aging population, from direct service to policy analysis and program implementation.

Steven Girardeau, Psy.D.

Steven Girardeau, Psy.D., is the director of clinical services for Mental Health Systems (MHS), one of the largest DBT-specialized practices in the Midwest. He has overseen the care of thousands of clients including clients with co-morbid major mental health and personality disorders. Dr. Girardeau has worked in non-profit community mental health clinics, private practice and multi-clinic settings. He has been a therapist for over two decades, specializing in clinical services for clients with serious and persistent mental health diagnoses as well as personality and chemical use disorders. Dr. Girardeau served as the president of the Minnesota Psychological Association in 2017 and is the current co-chair of the legislative committee. He is also a member of a number of advocacy/policy committees and advisory groups in Minnesota. Dr. Girardeau is also politically active in the service of psychology and the needs of clients as the head of the MPA PAC, a political action committee for the state of Minnesota.

Dr. Girardeau has worked as a clinician, clinical director, training director, program supervisor and a clinical team consultant. He has provided trainings at regional conferences, local seminars and created training programs in the areas of DBT, abuse, crisis management and safety planning, clinical work with clients with personality disorders, and treatment of clients with dual disorders. He has helped develop and implement new programming for many of the above populations.

Doug Golub

Doug Golub serves as President of MediSked, LLC focusing his expertise and passion on delivering innovative technology solutions to the healthcare and human services industry. Prior to joining MediSked, Golub served as Platform Services Manager for Microsoft’s Health Solutions Group. An original member of Microsoft’s healthcare venture, Golub is an expert in health care IT security, implementations, and customer needs assessments. Golub has served on the ANCOR Foundation Board since 2019. As a technology expert in the human services field, he presents at state and national conferences across the country each year. Golub holds a Masters of Information Systems from Rochester Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science from State University of New York College at Geneseo. Golub has received awards in leadership and innovation, most recently as a Tech in Motion Award winner.

Chris Esguerra, MD

An experienced healthcare leader, Chris Esguerra, MD, MBA, FAPA, CHCQM has led systems transformation, program evolution, and public/private partnerships leading to outcomes meeting the quadruple aim of improving health, cost effectiveness, enhancing patient experience, and supporting provider well-being. He serves as Chief Medical Officer for Health Plan of San Mateo, a local community plan serving Medicaid and dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. He also advises nonprofits partnering in healthcare delivery, healthcare startups, and provider groups.

His experience encompasses health care provider and systems leadership, managed care operations, novel payment models, public-private partnerships, and health care transformation. He has led significant efforts around integration of care and services for a variety of populations, holistically addressing social determinants of health in healthcare delivery, and helping people remain and age in the community with appropriate long-term services and supports. He most recently served on a National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine committee that published Integrating Social Needs Care into the Delivery of Health Care to Improve the Nation's Health.

Dr. Esguerra is board certified in both Psychiatry and Health Care and Quality Management and is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians. He received his BS in Chemistry and Medical Degree from the University of Southern California. He completed his residency training in Psychiatry at San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Psychiatry Residency Training Program. He also received his MBA in business management from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Clay Farris

Clay has advised CMS administrators, state Medicaid Directors, health plan CEOs, technology COOs and a wide range of other clients in the healthcare industry. His unique blend of management consulting, project management, policy making and analytics help deliver on-time, actionable results for a wide array of business challenges. His Weekly Medicaid Roundup is read and loved by more than 10,000 professionals in the Medicaid industry.

His experience includes policy making at both the federal (CMS) and state levels (State of Georgia), management consulting for large organizational change initiatives, big data solution sales and implementation and cutting-edge analytics.

He currently leads key project components related to consultation design, Medicaid subject matter expertise and project management. He has a master’s in Health Policy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg of School of Public Health and is a Certified Internal Auditor.

Nikki Hungate, MS, MHA

Nikki Hungate, a long-time resident of the Western New York region, currently serves as the Senior Leader of Medicare & Government Programs Product Strategy at MVP Health Care. Utilizing the 17 years of experience in the health plan industry she is accountable for leading a team of product innovators that create and deliver a suite of high-quality government products that address the needs of the community in a customer-centric fashion, placing emphasis on those populations that are most vulnerable and underserved.

Nikki holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Health Administration from Roberts Wesleyan College. She is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Charleston in the Executive Leadership program. Nikki has a passion for sharing knowledge, and also serves as an adjunct professor in the health sciences degree programs at Monroe Community College and Roberts Wesleyan College. In her free time, she volunteers as fundraising coordinator for the local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter in Rochester, NY.

Jenn Kerfoot

As Chief Experience Officer at FarmboxRx, Jenn Kerfoot is the head of Client and Member Experience Operations. In this role, Jenn leads the strategic planning, design, and implementation of initiatives that drive Member Satisfaction & Retention. Additionally, Jenn spearheads the Member Insights function using qualitative and advanced analytic approaches to understand the gaps in care and unmet needs of populations.

Jenn has helped companies articulate and achieve success across several aspects of the healthcare space. As a military veteran, Jenn brings leadership and vision to diverse audiences, and offers a unique perspective within start-ups and high-growth stage companies. With a passion for organizational mission and values, as well as the unique competitive advantage of establishing a strong culture, Jenn works with all departments to streamline processes and programs that integrate the member experience into every aspect of the business.

Mindi Knebel

Mindi Knebel is the Founder & CEO of Kaizen Health, as well as Chair of the company’s Board of Directors. A startup junkie who is passionate about social entrepreneurship, Mindi has worked across several industries and has seen companies from inception through successful exit.

Mindi was on the founding team at MATTER, a healthcare technology incubator formed through a public-private partnership in the city of Chicago. Prior to her time at MATTER, she led sales operations, accounting/finance, human resources and corporate development initiatives for growth stage companies in service, veterinary, and technology industries.

Mindi holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa and a master’s in business from Colorado Technical University. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, running, yoga, reading and is an avid Packers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Cubs, Bulls and Blackhawks fan.

Cynthia Knorr-Mulder MSN, APNBC, PMGT-BC

Cynthia is the Administrative Director of Pain Management & Palliative Medicine at Englewood Health where she has successfully implemented innovative program initiatives that have enhanced the quality of care for patients while reducing cost of care, length of stay and preventing avoidable readmissions. Recognized as a key opinion leader in pain and integrative medicine Cynthia has lectured nationally on various strategies to improve the quality of life for patients with acute and chronic pain. She has been at the forefront in the development of strategies to address the opioid crisis through her work on policy development and implementation within the Opioid Stewardship at Englewood Health and local communities.

Affiliated with various colleges and universities, she received the annual excellence award given by New York University for her contributions as a faculty member, and the first National Nurse Practitioner Award for Clinical Excellence given by the National Conference in Chicago. She believes that healthcare providers must first recognize that the therapeutic relationship they provide for the patient is the primary foundation for optimal health and healing. Educating and engaging patients to become active participants in their healthcare can improve a patient’s behavioral health and remains a key strategy to address the opioid crisis.

Cynthia’s goal is to continue to implement innovative initiatives to address the opioid crisis while improving outcomes for patients with acute and chronic pain. She strives to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and implement measures to assure cancer patients receive appropriate prescriptions for opioids to manage cancer pain.

She believes the future success of healthcare will be achieved by integrating research-based medicine within a caring humanistic model.

As a healthcare provider and lecturer her philosophy and style is humanistic and supportive. She believes that at any given moment we are all teachers, learners and doers. At any given moment we all have the ability to influence the health and healing of another soul.

Cathy Kuhn, PharmD, BCACP, FAPhA

Cathy Kuhn is Vice President of Clinical Offerings at Custom Health. Her career is dedicated to designing and implementing innovative clinical services to optimize patient health outcomes and lower total cost of care. Her experience includes serving in clinical leadership roles in health information technology, at a Medicaid accountable care organization, and as a part of regional and national community pharmacy chains. She has an extensive record as industry presenter, researcher, and author. She is Past President of the American Pharmacist’s Association’s (APhA) Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management, former Board member for APhA, and former Board member and Past President of the Ohio Pharmacists Association. She remains an active member of both associations, continuing to serve on committees and as a Board member for the Ohio Pharmacists Foundation.

James Lamb

James is a proven leader in provider network management. For almost a decade, he has been a strategic partner for America’s healthcare organizations, including the eight largest in the nation, helping them to optimize their network’s performance, maintain regulatory compliance and improve access to care for their members — across all lines of business. James also extends his passion for providing equal access to care by serving on several Boards for non-profit organizations that work to enhance the lives of individuals with special needs.

Savanna Lyles

Savanna is a dedicated nursing professional with 14 years of bedside experience, with a specialty in intensive care. Goal-driven healthcare administrator well-versed in patient and staff education, research, evidence-based practice, and managing employees to provide exceptional services. Savanna is a member of the Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse Society and is Lean Six Sigma certified. Possessing a Master’s in Nursing Education as well as an MBA in Healthcare Administration. Savanna joined Home Care Delivered in 2022 and serves as a clinical project specialist focused on enhancing clinical training for patients and staff including initiatives in value-based care. Savanna’s focus is to improve patient care and outcomes in the DME space.

Angela Lynn, RN, MSN, BSN, CCM

Angela Lynn serves as Director of Care Management for Blue Cross NC where she oversees the development and execution of the medical management programs. Angela’s team of clinical staff include Certified Case Managers, Social Workers, Dietitians, Registered Nurses, and Episodic Care Managers who provide targeted support and focused intervention for members. Angela has been with Blue Cross NC for 14 years serving in a number of roles. Angela also has a diversified clinical background. Her nursing experience includes acute care settings, community health, home health and behavioral health. Angela is a Certified Case Manager and is a strong advocate for increasing awareness and improving access so that people with behavioral health conditions receive appropriate care. Angela received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing at University North Carolina Chapel Hill and Master’s Degree in Nursing with a focus on Leadership & Management at Western Governor’s University.

Kelsey McNamara, MPH

Kelsey McNamara is a public health professional with experience in digital health, behavioral interventions, and obesity-related chronic diseases. As the Director of Research at Papa, she evaluates the clinical and economic value that Papa provides to members and clients. Prior to joining Papa, McNamara held research and strategy positions at Omada Health, Google, and the Harvard Center for Work, Health and Wellbeing. McNamara received her BS from Cornell University and MPH with a focus in Social & Behavioral Sciences from Harvard University.

Wendy Milligan

As Vice President of Strategic Sales and Enablement at ProgenyHealth, Wendy is responsible to help drive strategic and tactical growth. Wendy brings 25+ years of experience with a strong background in business development, account management, stakeholder and strategy development, operations, and product innovation in diverse areas of healthcare such as population health, behavioral health, telehealth, and maternal and infant health as her foundation to drive growth. She has helped to launch several successful strategic partnerships in the payor and commercial space across her career.

Jim Milanowski

Jim Milanowski has over 22 years experience in the management of mental health, substance abuse, behavioral health managed care and medical care coverage programs. Mr. Milanowski currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Genesee Health Plan (GHP), administering a community based indigent health care plan. The health plan has covered over 70,000 Genesee County residents since 2001. Since the start of enrollment into Affordable Care Act in 2013, GHP has conducted outreach and enrollment sessions with over 15,000 Genesee County residents. The health plan received the 2015 Pinnacle Award from the Michigan Association of Health Plans for this effort. As a strong advocate, his expertise includes working to reduce racial disparities, uncompensated care, and the impact of chronic disease. During his leadership, Genesee Health Plan has received the national quality award from URAC for Best Practices in Patient Empowerment and Protection, the Greater Flint Labor Council's Community Partnership Award and the Robert M. Pestronk Excellence in Public Health Award. He is a founding member of the Health Net Collaborative, and a member of the Greater Flint Health Coalition Access, Dental and Medical Group Visit Committees. He is the Treasurer of the Michigan Association of County Health Plans and is on the Board of Directors for the Genesee Community Health Center. Mr. Milanowski received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Spring Arbor University and his Master's of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from Eastern Michigan University. He is a limited-licensed psychologist in the state of Michigan, and has extensive counseling experience with adult, child, and adolescent populations.

Pamela Morrison

Pamela Morrison works for the North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services as a coordinator with the State Opioid Treatment Authority. Pamela has over 30 years of experience in human services and has dedicated the past 25 years to working in the field of opioid and substance use disorder treatment. She has worked as a psychologist and substance use disorder therapist, clinical supervisor, program director, and quality improvement manager for an outpatient behavioral health treatment center and opioid treatment program. Prior to that, she spent several years providing in-home family preservation services in the inner city of St. Louis and working in conjunction with police departments to provide crisis intervention with youth and families in crisis. She has been a disaster mental health responder and trainer and has presented at statewide and national conferences on opioid treatment, substance use disorder treatment, and disaster mental health response. She is licensed as a Psychological Associate, Clinical Addictions Specialist, and Clinical Supervisor.

Chantel Neece DNP, MBA, APRN, FNP-BC, GERO-BC, CPHQ, SSBBP

As a board certified and licensed Family Nurse Practitioner with over 20 years of healthcare experience, Chantel Neece currently serves as the Director for Member Outreach, Social Determinants of Health, & Community Development at Virginia Premier. From a Nurses’ Aide to Doctor in Nursing Practice, her current role focuses on eliminating healthcare disparities, enhancing member engagement, improving health literacy, optimizing healthcare satisfaction, opening access to care, and heightening care outcomes for all. Chantel has volunteered with the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Standard Setting Committee, and the National Association for Healthcare Quality as a change agent redefining nursing practice and healthcare fundamentals. She also serves on the Board for Nurses Supporting Reproductive Health via their Strategic Planning Committee. In her spare time, Chantel enjoys gardening, traveling, and sampling international cuisine with her family.

Kevin O’Donnell

Kevin O’Donnell is the Director of the Division of Program Integrity for the D.C. Department of Health Care Finance, the District’s Medicaid agency. He has served in that role since November 2021. In that capacity, he oversees the Medicaid agency’s Fraud, Waste, and Abuse activities, coordinating and supervising audits and investigations of Medicaid enrolled providers. To ensure the Medicaid program is effectively rooting out FWA, Mr. O’Donnell collaborates with public and private partners, including law enforcement agencies, regulatory agencies, Managed Care Organizations, and others.

Prior to becoming the Director of the DPI, Mr. O’Donnell spent 7 years as an Attorney-Advisor in DHCF’s Office of the General Counsel, where he defended the agency in administrative appeals before the D.C. Office of Administrative Hearings. Mr. O’Donnell is a graduate of the George Washington University School of Law and a native Washingtonian.

Kirit Pandit

Kirit Pandit is VP, Data and Analytics at Sandata. Sandata provides software for Medicaid Payers, MCOs and Providers - Specialized for Home Care, I/DD, State Payers. We are the leaders in Electronic Visit Verification (EVV), with a market presence in 25 states and over 20,000 agencies. The Data and Analytics team is responsible for providing BI and Analytics across the various product lines.

Kirit is a two-time entrepreneur who has spent his last 20 years in using Analytics and Business Intelligence to provide critical business insights. Most recently, he was VP, Predictive Analytics at HMS where he was responsible for leading the Analytics capability for the Population Health Management Solution (now part of Cotiviti). His last company, Vitreos Health, which he co-founded, was acquired by HMS Holdings. At Vitreos Health, Kirit applied Machine Learning and Data Science to predict Healthcare events and outcomes. He believes that in the new Value Based Care world, being able to provide both a retrospective (what has happened) and prospective (what will happen) view is important for designing Whole Person Patient Care programs, thus optimizing cost and quality of care at the same time.

Errol Pierre

Errol Pierre is the Senior Vice President of State Programs at Healthfirst, Inc, the largest non-profit health plan in New York State, serving 1.6 million members. In this role, he is accountable for growth, profit/loss, sales and retention for the Medicaid, Long-Term Care, and Commercial product portfolios. Additionally, he provides strategic and operational direction for Community Affairs and the company’s newly launched Health Equity Foundation. As a result of many efforts in 2020, Errol Pierre was appointed to the Yonkers Health Equity Taskforce by Mayor Mike Spano.

Prior to Healthfirst, Errol spent over 10 years at Empire BlueCross BlueShield, which is the largest for-profit health plan in New York State serving close to 5 million members. Errol’s career in health care started at Empire as an intern in 2003. Throughout his tenure, he held various leadership roles in Sales and Strategy, leaving the company as the Chief Operating Officer in 2019.

A Bronx, New York resident, Errol graduated from Fordham University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. He later obtained a master’s degree in Health Policy and Financial Management from New York University. He will complete his doctoral degree, focused in Health Equity, by November 2021. Lastly, he is an adjunct professor at New York University; teaching various courses in Healthcare and Business. In his spare time, Errol volunteers for numerous non-profit organizations. He serves as a board member of the Arthur Ashe Institute of Urban Health. He is a member of the national 100 Black Men’s Health & Wellness Committee.

Lastly, he mentors both high school students and Fordham undergraduates in the Bronx. In 2020, he was acknowledged as one of the Caribbean-American “Power 100” by Carib News and was awarded for “Outstanding Community Service” by the Aesclepius Medical Society.

Jacki Porter

Jacki is an Associate Director on the Clinical Capabilities Team for United Healthcare (UHC) Community and State (C&S) line of business supporting vendor partners for Child & Adolescents and Specialty Programs. She began her career with UHC C&S over 15 years ago at the Pennsylvania Health Plan and has been integral part of the National Clinical Capabilities Team for almost 3 years. Jacki is charged with managing the relationships between the Local C&S Medicaid Health Plans and the various internal and external partners that are working together to help our members live better lives, her work emphasizes digital health, child and adolescent health, and identifying innovative solutions for underserved populations with the goal to make the health system work better and seamlessly for UHC’s members.

Vince Pozinski

Vince has been an executive leader in the healthcare and fitness industry for the past 15 years which includes building out and oversight of Optum’s Medicare fitness products that provides access to over 11 million members through Renew Active by UnitedHealthcare as well as Optum's Medicare Fitness Benefit program called One Pass. In addition, Vince has been instrumental in the design and contracting of over 24,000 fitness providers nationally making the Renew Active and One Pass Medicare fitness network the largest in the Medicare industry.

Kodi Reel, PharmD

Kodi serves as Director of Health Connect 360 within Care Solutions at Evernorth. In this role, Kodi oversees all aspects of Health Connect 360 to meet the diverse needs of health plans, employers and government organizations – and the people they serve. Her responsibilities include strategy, product innovation and development, network growth, clinical performance, and oversight of clinical operations for new and existing Health Connect 360 clients. With nearly 10 years of PBM experience, Kodi’s expertise spans customer service, clinical counseling, operations and risk management, clinical product development and solution strategy. Prior to her role within Evernorth Care Solutions, Kodi managed a team of pharmacists that served patients enrolled in a specialty program with Accredo, where she took part in launching it’s largest comprehensive REMS program. She also served for a time as a clinical pharmacist, counseling patients on specialty medication therapies.

Mike Rhoades

Mike is a leader in strategic planning and execution of high performance, clinically-integrated health networks. He has served in a variety of executive and advisory roles, including 10 years as COO of a $300M, multi-state BHSU and Primary Care IDN, CEO of an ambulatory integrated care network, and senior executive for a 2M life ACO where he designed and commercialized cross-platform care management, analytics, and health information exchange tools for 23K physicians and 120 hospitals. He had led 15+ M&A transactions, organized clinically integrated networks, and assisted organizations with turnaround planning and performance improvement. Mike regularly applies his experience in public policy development, rate setting, and investigative support in matters relative to OIG, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and blends operational, technology, and finance experience to create practical, affordable, and high-value solutions. Mike has his BA from Augustana University and MBA from University of NC – Wilmington.

Anne Santifer

Anne Santifer is Director of the Office of Health Information Technology. Anne has nearly 13 years of experience in the operations, development, and policy supporting Medicaid quality improvement programs. She is experienced in program management, value-based programs and data and information technologies supporting health care and social service programs.

Joann Sciandra, MHA, BSN, RN, CCM

Joann Sciandra MHA, BSN, RN, CCM is the Vice President of Care Coordination and Integration at Geisinger, one of the nation’s largest health care organizations. In her role, Joann is accountable for the oversight of outpatient Care Management services, Proven Health Navigator® (PHN) (Medical Home), Special Needs Unit.

Joann is charged with managing medical trends, designing, implementing and administering best practice disease and case management programs, collaborating with Geisinger’s Community Medicine and other provider groups in the clinical transformation. Joann also responsible for the oversight and implementation of ProvenHealth Navigator®, leveraging continuous quality improvement, driving and promoting services that are patient-centric. Prior to her promotion to Vice President, Joann held the role of Associate Vice President of Population Health with a focus on outpatient community services. In this role, she was integral in the start-up, maintenance and providing direction to the nurse case managers within the ProvenHealth Navigator ® program at Geisinger Health Plan.

Joann earned her Master of Health Care Administration Degree from Grand Canyon University, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from Wilkes University. She is also a Certified Case Manager. Joann has been a co-author for several publications and has presented nationally in Singapore regarding Medical Home and Case Management.

Kalin Scott

As a Senior Advisor at HSG, Kalin provides consulting and advisory services to providers, payers, non- profit organizations, investment firms and government agencies. Kalin joined HSG after a decade in New York State government, bringing her extensive background in public policy, specializing in areas including strategic planning, project management, Medicaid redesign, cross-sector initiatives, delivery system reform, and value-based payment.

In her work, Kalin focuses on the strategic alignment of value-based models that lead to profitable and sustainable long-term success for clients and better outcomes for the individuals they serve. She builds on her professional experience in designing and implementing government payer policy and creating value based payment approaches to design innovative solutions and strategies for clients. Kalin is a frequent speaker at conferences, events, and trainings both nationally and internationally.

Kalin’s previous experience includes more than ten years in senior health policy roles with New York State. Most recently, Kalin served in a dual role as Director of New York’s Medicaid Redesign Project Management Office and Assistant Director for Medical, Dental and Pharmacy policy. Prior to those roles, Kalin designed and implemented stakeholder engagement and project management strategies for New York’s Medicaid Redesign Team. The Medicaid Redesign Team was recognized as a finalist in the Harvard Kennedy School’s Innovations in American Government, and the Public Service Innovation Award from the Citizen’s Budget Commission.

Over her eight years with New York’s Medicaid program, Kalin served on the senior leadership team, responsible for nationally-recognized policy development and implementation strategies to ensure alignment and execution of the Medicaid program’s key priorities. In this role, Kalin worked with other state and national organizations to provide advice and guidance on similar efforts, and was a frequent speaker and panelist at health care and Medicaid conferences events in New York and across the country.

Kalin served as a principal negotiator on New York's Medicaid Redesign Team 1115 Waiver amendment, which resulted in an $8 billion federal investment, commonly known as New York’s Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program, to transform New York's health care delivery system. Upon approval of the award, she served as the state’s liaison with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) staff, and managed the DSRIP implementation process. Kalin developed, supported, and managed New York Medicaid’s Value Based Payment workgroup, subcommittees, and clinical advisory groups, was an author of the state’s original VBP Roadmap, and oversaw annual updates to the VBP Roadmap.

Kalin developed the workgroup and stakeholder engagement process for New York’s First 1,000 Days on Medicaid initiative, focused on improving access to care and improved outcomes for children in the first 1,000 days of life and their caregivers. Upon the state’s receipt of the workgroup’s final recommendations, Kalin led the management and implementation effort across the state’s Medicaid program and sister agencies.

As Assistant Director for Medical, Dental and Pharmacy policy, Kalin oversaw the policy team responsible for New York’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit, and participated in national collaboratives to improve access to services and improved outcomes for children and their caregivers.

Prior to joining NYS DOH, Kalin worked in New York State’s Governor’s Office as the Assistant Director for the Office of Taxpayer Accountability. In this role, she supported a major policy directive led by the Secretary to the Governor and Director of State Operations and implemented a statewide effort across all state agencies to reduce fraud, waste and abuse in state spending. Prior to that work, Kalin was a program and policy analyst with the Governor’s Health and Human Services team, coordinating multi-agency initiatives across New York’s health and human services agencies.

Julie Hayes Seibert, Ph.D, M.P.H., M.A.

Julie Hayes Seibert, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.A. Dr. Seibert is a Senior Policy Advisor for the North Carolina Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services. She has over 30 years of experience in behavioral health care, including research, program and policy development, and clinical care. Her work has focused on the evaluation of health and behavioral health services, including the development of quality systems to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations. She has extensive experience with quality improvement, including evaluating care and developing performance measures, monitoring tools and data collection processes for addiction treatment programs, home and community-based services and post-acute care facilities. Dr. Seibert has a Ph.D. in Health Policy Management and an M.P.H. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.A, in mental health counseling from Gallaudet University, and a B.A. from Duke University.

Sebastian Seiguer, JD, MBA

Sebastian is the CEO and co-founder of Scene (previously emocha), a medication engagement company that provides personalized, breakthrough medication support by combining video technology, clinical coaching, and validated interventions to radically improve medication adherence rates. In 2014, Sebastian spun Scene out of Johns Hopkins with Dr. Bob Bollinger and other medication adherence experts to help communities served by public health departments, health plans including Medicaid and Medicare, and health systems. Scene is now the standard of care for infectious disease adherence monitoring and is scaling quickly. Sebastian started his career as an attorney with Allen & Overy in London before launching his first company in Munich, Germany, in 2000. He earned his law degree from Columbia Law School and his MBA in Health Care from Johns Hopkins University.

Reva Sheehan

Sheehan is an experienced government programs subject matter expert with more than 15 years of industry experience ranging from long-term care and compound pharmacy management to health plan quality and operations, most recently leading Medicare 5-Star Quality initiatives at Priority Health. She is tasked with enhancing mPulse’s support of government plans through technology, relationships, and subject matter expertise.

Frank Song, Ph.D.

Tiffany Stone

Tiffany Stone is the Deputy Director, Medicaid Policy for the Michigan Association of Health Plans (MAHP), a Lansing based organization that represents 10 health plans in Michigan.

Prior to joining, MAHP, Tiffany worked in the Medicaid Health Plan space focusing on operations and program implementation. She also served as staff within the Michigan Department of Community Health, as a Quality Analyst focused on auditing of Medicaid Health Plans.

Currently, Tiffany volunteers her time by serving on the Board for the Michigan Community Health Worker Alliance.

Tiffany earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Michigan-Flint and her Master’s Degree in General Administration from Central Michigan University.

John J. Sweeney

John has provided thought leadership and innovation for more than 20 years across government health and social programs, financial management, artificial intelligence (AI) and consumer-directed healthcare account solutions. At WEX Inc, John focuses his time engaging with innovative leaders in health and human services and fintech solutions for government across the United States.

During his 10-year career with IBM, John was responsible for leading product offering efforts in the area of Medicaid systems, integrated eligibility solutions and state-based marketplaces. John was the key contact with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services for a dozen US State implementations. In his time at IBM Watson Health, John would engage with the market to analyze and identify new market opportunities and potential business partners. John was a primary SME for government health insurance exchange solutions and Artificial Intelligence (AI) applied to health and social programs.

Prior to joining IBM, John worked as VP of Marketing for HealthEquity, Inc. building a consumer- directed healthcare financial administration solution around Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), FSAs and HRAs. He helped to implement one of the first state-based insurance marketplaces in the State of Utah prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

Pamela Tropiano

Joined the Molina Healthcare of Ohio team in October 2019 and have been focused on leading and working alongside the clinical teams ensuring individual members receive necessary care and services.

Senior Executive Health Services Leader with over 38 years of experience in nursing, 20+ in health care and health plan administration. Direct clinical experience in palliative care, hospice care, home care, pain management, and case management practice. Current nursing license in three states: Ohio, Florida, and Arizona. In-depth understanding of the challenges facing complex and underserved populations/Medicaid and Medicare recipients both from the direct clinical practice and payer side. Experience includes executive leadership of health plan clinical service areas including case management, disease management /population health, utilization management, quality management/improvement, and 24-hour nurse triage; as well as designing innovative programs to help better serve the needs of Medicaid / Medicare members while driving financial efficiency. Experience in clinical program design and implementation for new and existing public sector health plan programs. These programs include behavioral and physical health specialty integration and long-term services and supports. Prior experience includes senior-level positions on both the provider and payer side.

Sammi Turner M.B.A., D.H.A

Sammi Turner earned her Doctorate degree in Health Administration in 2016. Her dissertation concentrated on a 6-year study of Diabetic Member Engagement outreach strategies. She is currently the Quality HEDIS manager for Maryland Physicians Care, which is the third largest Managed Care Organization (MCO) in the state of Maryland.

Sammi has over 25 years of health care experience. Her experience includes settings in hospital, medical office, grassroot organizations and Maryland MCO’s. Her expertise is member and provider engagement to achieve HEDIS and Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) benchmarks. Sammi works to develop member outreach strategies to include direct contact, telephonic outreach, member mailings, text platforms, and member incentives. Her provider engagement includes work with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), high volume providers, and specialists. Provider collaboration includes memorandum of understanding (MOU), pay for performance (P4P), gaps in care management, and provider partnerships such as electronic medical record (EMR) access, remote scheduling capabilities, and supplemental data extractions.
In addition to the member and provider focused activities, she collaborates with multiple vendor management organizations and community alliance/events to address socioeconomic barriers to improve Member Health.

Sammi has also functioned as a lead in Regulatory and National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) activities as well as HEDIS projects to include Performance Monitoring, Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPTSD), and Performance Improvement Projects.

Kris Vilamaa

Kris Vilamaa is a Partner and Chief Growth Officer for Mostly Medicaid. Mostly Medicaid is one of the premier Medicaid consulting and marketing entities in the country, using best-in-class HHS expertise to help state and county government agencies, health plans and solution providers to navigate a wide variety of challenges. Kris was recently named one of the Top 50 Healthcare Consultants and Leaders of 2022 by The Consulting Report. Kris has led consulting engagements in twenty-three different states with hundreds of clients in his career. His experience includes improving existing solutions, bringing new solutions to market, driving innovation, growth strategy development, change management, policy assessments and operational assessments.

Kris is a national thought leader on information technology in behavioral health and the use of data in integrated care models to improve care. As a consultant, he has also served as the CEO of HealthCare Perspective and Director of Behavioral Health for Germane Solutions. Prior to entering consulting in 2015, Kris served in state government for fifteen years, the last three as the Chief Information Officer for the Alabama Department of Mental Health.

Gabriel Uribe

Dr. Gabriel Uribe serves as the Director of Community Health at the Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) and as a Professor of Social Work Policy at La Sierra University. IEHP is a not- for-profit public entity, rapidly growing Medi-Cal and Medicare health plan in California. With a network of more than 6,000 Providers and 2,400 employees, IEHP serves over 1.3 million residents of California’s Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medi-Cal, and Cal MediConnect (Medicare-Medicaid Plan). Dr. Uribe oversees operations of IEHP’s Community Resource Centers, Community Health Worker program and diversity services.

In addition to his formal occupations, Dr. Uribe serves as the President of the Inland Empire Disabilities Collaborative (IEDC). The IEDC provides networking and educational resources to over 2,500 disability service professionals employed at over 400 regional organizations that serve nearly half a million seniors and persons with disabilities in Southern California. Dr. Uribe earned a Doctor of Social Work at the University of Southern California and holds a Masters of Public Administration from Cal Poly Pomona. He is an experienced social service professional committed to the delivery of accessible health care for low income and underrepresented communities.

Justin Villines

Justin Villines is an Arkansas native and currently serves as the Health Information Technology (HIT) Policy Director for the Office of Health Information Technology that oversees the State Health Alliance for Records Exchange (SHARE), Arkansas’ only statewide Health Information Exchange (HIE). He has 17+ years combined experience in Health Information Exchange, EMR/EHR systems, Public Health and Community Education, practice transformation, healthcare consulting, project management, teaching, and federal/state service. He has extensive knowledge in practice transformation health initiatives and has led the implementation of Health Information Exchange (HIE) efforts throughout Arkansas to support Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH), Practice Transformation efforts in Arkansas and nationwide, Clinically Integrated Networks (CIN) and Arkansas Medicaid PCMH program. He also teaches the Masters of Health Administration and Masters in Management and Leadership as an Adjunct Professor at Webster University- Little Rock Metro Campus and as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Park University at the Little Rock Air Force Base.

In his previous roles with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) he has worked on PCMH transformation, published 7 Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) teaching modules for the UAMS Family Medicine Residency programs and as a quality assurance coordinator he evaluated performance improvement requirements for The Joint Commission and The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Serving in the US Army for 8 years with two combat tours in Iraq, he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management (BSM) and a Master Degree in Business Administration (MBA) with emphasis in Healthcare Management. He is presently working on his DrPH in Public Health – Community Health Promotion and Education

Dr. Gloria Winters

Dr. Gloria Winters is the Chief Medical Officer of the YMCA Managed Service Organization, consultant to the YMCA of the USA, and YMCA Alliances. She has over 22 years of healthcare experience. As Chief Medical Officer, Winters supports the innovation of the YMCA in communities around the country as they improve the continuum of healthcare by linking the clinic to the community to affect the health of the whole person. In this role at the YMCA, she is responsible for the development, advancement and implementation of industry-leading models that will standardize how communities can improve health equity, health outcomes and provide interventions to connect individuals to community and social services through local and national strategic partnerships. Winters received her doctorate of physical therapy from the University of Southern California. She is certified in manual therapy, orthopedics, dry needling, exercise and sports medicine and nutrition.

Dorthy K. Young, Ph.D., MHSA

Before joining the Mississippi State Department of Health, Dr. Young served as the Deputy of Health Services, the Director of Innovation Initiatives, and the Medical Services Director in the Mississippi Division of Medicaid. She has also been a Director in University of Mississippi Medical Center Hospital Administration and for UMMC's University Heart Center.

Dr. Young is a graduate of Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and holds a Master of Health Services Administration degree from Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Health Sciences from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. In addition to her role with MSDH, Dr. Young is an adjunct faculty member for the School of Health Related Professions at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and at Xavier University of Louisiana. She has experience in hospital administration, health information and informatics, life sciences research, healthcare reimbursement, analytics and policy development.