Speakers
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Allison Hess
Vice President Health Innovations
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Adrienne Mundorf, MPH,
Health Equity Director
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Amber Smits
Quality Revenue and Health Equity Supervisor
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Cesar Armendariz
EML, Senior Director, Community Health, Community Health Administration
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Craig W. Fisher
Director, Product Development & Growth Initiatives
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Deanna Grabill, RN, BSN, MA
Director Ambulatory Care Management and Population Health
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Dennis Hsieh, MD, JD
Chief Medical Officer
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DeLorean Ruffin
DrPH, MPH, Director of Population Health Management
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Ericka King-Betts, PhD
Director of Health Equity
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Erin Brigham-Gray
MPH, CPHQ, Senior Director, Quality & Population Health
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Jill Alessi
RN, BSN, MHA, Chief Executive Officer
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John Gorman
Founder and Chairman
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Kanita Bourne, LCSW, MPA,
Manager, Social & Community Services,
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Kate Tullio
MPH, MS, Director, Health Equity
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Kelly Nielsen
Director
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Keslie Crichton
Chief Sales Officer
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Lauryn M. Davin
MPH, Health Equity Specialist
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Lora Council, M.D., MPH, MCHM
Chief Medical Officer
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Mindi S. Knebel
Chief Executive Officer
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Mohamed Jalloh
Pharm D, BCPS, Health Equity Director
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Nancy Wongvipat Kalev
MPH, Senior Director, Systems of Care
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Nicki Venem
CPC, MSML, Director, Network Innovation
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Patricia Lyons Ph.D., LISW-S
Market Health Equity Program Director
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Pleasant A. Radford Jr
Health Equity Officer
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Robert Mundy
Money Follows the Person Demonstration - MAP Specialist Division of Long-Term Care Services
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Rosemond Sarpong Owens
MPH/CDM, Director- Racial & Health Equity,
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Salma Sparklin
MPH, Business Strategy and Transformation Manager, Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder
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Sierra McGaha,
Program Manager
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Stina Redford
Director, Payment Innovation
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Tanikka C. Price
JD, EdD, Chief Education and Equity Officer
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Tara M. Davis
SVP/Chief Programs Officer
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Todd Graham
President
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Wendy Milligan
Vice President, Strategic Sales and Enablement
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Winnie Grim
Supplemental Benefits Manager
Speaker Details
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Aditya Tyagi
Founder
Connect2Health
Scholars Researcher
HonorHealth
Aditya Tyagi is a passionate advocate for health equity and a relentless
innovator in
addressing the social determinants of health. As the founder of Connect2Health,
Aditya
has led impactful initiatives to bridge gaps in healthcare access for homeless,
uninsured, and diverse underserved communities, including those from low-income
and
socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Connect2Health goes beyond providing access to essential medical, dental, and
vision
care. Through a holistic approach, the organization distributes life-saving
products like
hygiene kits, wound care supplies, and naloxone kits, helps conduct free
preventative
healthcare screenings, and offers educational webinars and seminars to empower
communities with knowledge and resources. Since its inception, Connect2Health
has
served over 8,300 individuals across five countries, distributed 5,000 masks,
and
delivered 1,550 harm reduction kits, among many other efforts.
Under Aditya’s leadership, Connect2Health’s grassroots initiative, EquiPulse, in
collaboration with Maricopa County Public Health, has been instrumental in
advancing
health equity. EquiPulse focuses on diabetes prevention within underserved
Hispanic
and Latino communities, addressing critical barriers to wellness through
culturally
tailored outreach and education.
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Allison Hess
Vice President Health Innovations
Geisinger
Allison Hess is the Vice President of Health Innovations for Geisinger. She has been over 20 years of experience in healthcare and is responsible for the oversight and implementation of health services programming for Geisinger patients, GHP insured members and community members. She started her career in community health education/corporate wellness and has continued to expand to include innovative community-based population health initiatives driven by data analysis and clinical outcome measurements. Most recently her work has been in the social determinants of health with a focus on SDOH screenings, resources and innovative programs to address the social needs of Geisinger patients and members targeting food insecurity, health equity and quality/prevention initiatives. Ms. Hess has earned a Bachelor of science in Health Education and her MBA from Bloomsburg University. She has been the recipient of several awards focused in various areas of health including health equity, worksite wellness and innovative supply chain. She has also been recognized nationally for her work with the Fresh Food Farmacy program.
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Adrienne Mundorf, MPH
Health Equity Director
UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio
Adrienne Mundorf is Health Equity Director for the UnitedHealthcare Community
Plan of Ohio. In this
role, she leads the health equity strategy, including clinical and population
health interventions to
reduce health disparities and expand culturally and linguistically appropriate
services, programs and
partnerships that address social drivers of health, and community engagement to
foster collaboration to
improve community health.
Prior to joining UnitedHealthcare, Adrienne served as Vice President, Programs
and Strategy at the
Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland where she was instrumental in
establishing a health equity
grantmaking focus area and an integrated approach to advance a place-based
two-generation initiative.
Adrienne also worked at Tulane University, where she served in a dual role as
senior program manager
of the Global Community Health & Behavioral Sciences Department and as
policy and advocacy manager
at the Tulane Prevention Research Center. There, she published research on
evidence-based strategies
to improve health; led a local food policy council to improve equitable access
to healthy food; and
supported grant-funded projects related to domestic and international healthy
food access.
She holds a Master of Public Health from the School of Public Health and
Tropical Medicine at Tulane
University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Kalamazoo College.
She is a Returned Peace
Corps Volunteer (Malawi 2002-2005) where she began her career promoting social
justice and
addressing the social determinants of health. Adrienne is a cancer survivor and
her personal experience
navigating the healthcare system has fueled her passion for health equity.
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Amber Smits
Quality Revenue and Health Equity Supervisor
Network Health
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Cesar Armendariz
EML, Senior Director, Community Health, Community Health Administration
Inland Empire Health Plan
Cesar Armendariz serves as the Senior Director of Community Health at
Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP). Armendariz’s innovative programs and
community partnerships are addressing the Social Determinants of Health of
the region, including food insecurity by organizing the largest fresh produce
distribution network throughout Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. He
is leveraging existing and new partnerships with community partners, civic
leaders, universities, and faith-based organizations, to build capacity and
infrastructure to improve health outcomes and enhance the lives of members
and the community-at-large. Understanding that the physical built
environment is key to community wellbeing, a strategic initiative he devised is
transforming the existing Community Resource Centers into large scale Community
Wellness
Centers that will anchor future collaborative, multi-sector Wellness Villages.
Concurrently,
Armendariz also serves on the boards of various community organizations, such as
Community
Action Partnership of San Bernardino County, as well as being a founding board
member of End
Homelessness California, which operates Shower of Hope, California’s largest
mobile shower
provider for the homeless, and Hope Housing for Students, serving the housing
needs of
homeless college students.
Prior to joining IEHP, Armendariz was the Community Relations Executive at
Adventist Health
White Memorial (2019 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Recipient) in Los
Angeles,
California. In this role, he led the hospital’s Community Health Integration
initiatives, oversaw its
Community Wellbeing Council, Community Information Center, Community Garden,
fostered
strategic collaborations with key community stakeholders/partners, and launched
numerous,
innovative, health and educational initiatives. Previously, he served as the
Associate Vice
President for Marketing & Communications and Community & Public
Relations, where he
oversaw the marketing and promotional efforts of the hospital and served as its
public
spokesperson.
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Craig W. Fisher
Director, Product Development & Growth Initiatives
Jefferson Health Plans
Craig Fisher is an enterprise product leader and current director at Jefferson Health Plans who oversees Medicare Advantage and Individual & Family plans as it relates to product strategy & design, implementation and management. Also, Craig manages and ushers strategic direction and execution to achieve the enterprises overarching targets and goals. Upon alignment and execution, provides leadership across both portfolios for all implementation and go to market efforts. Prior to joining Jefferson Health Plans, Craig managed the Cross Segment Product Strategy Team while also leading enterprise roadmap efforts at Highmark Health. These programs and products aligned care journeys, member experiences with digital and non-digital solutions which created synergies to drive member satisfaction, better care outcomes, and an ROI on key benefits. These roadmap workstreams spanned commercial fully insured, ASO, Federal ACA, and MA plans. During Craig’s time at Highmark, he held several leadership roles in Medicare product development and strategy in order to design and build market competitive products to achieve enterprise enrollment targets and support all aspects of CMS bid development and new contract filing. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Craig stays busy with his wife and two young children attending sporting events, golfing, and hosting cook outs with friends and family.
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DeLorean Ruffin
DrPH, MPH, Director of Population Health Management
Partnership HealthPlan of California
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Deanna Grabill, RN, BSN, MA
Director Ambulatory Care Management and Population Health
Valleywise Health
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Dennis Hsieh, MD, JD
Chief Medical Officer
Central California Alliance for Health
Dennis Hsieh is the Chief Medical Officer at the Central California Alliance for
Health (CCAH). CCAH is
the single payor Medicaid Insurance Company for Santa Cruz, Monterey, Merced,
Mariposa and San
Benito Counties. He was Chief Medical Officer at Contra Costa Health Plan (CCHP)
prior to coming to
CCAH where he worked on many things including leading CCHP’s implementation of
both Enhanced
Care Management and Community Supports. Previous to his work in managed care,
Dennis was an
assistant professor of emergency medicine and the Director for Social Medicine
and Community Health
for Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, which is part of the Los Angeles County
Department of Health Services.
He focused on access to care and the social determinants of health (SDOH),
including SDOH screening
and interventions across clinical settings, hospital-based violence intervention
programs, medical-legal
community partnerships (MLCPs) and re-entry from jail. He is the former medical
director the Whole
Person Care Jail re-entry program.
Dennis has a special interest in addressing SDOH such as violence, food,
housing, and financial strain to
improve health. He co-founded the hospital-based violence intervention program
at Harbor-UCLA and co-
led the development of a trauma recovery center at Harbor-UCLA. Dennis is a
founding member of the
UCLA Department of Emergency Medicine’s Section on International and Domestic
Health Equity
(IdHEAL, www.idheal.org); ACEP’s Social Emergency Medicine Section and is the
section’s immediate
past chair; and SAEM’s Social Emergency Medicine and Population Health Interest
Group. Dennis
earned his A.B. in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard, J.D. from Yale and M.D.
from UC San Francisco.
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Ericka King-Betts, PhD
Director of Health Equity
Humana Healthy Horizons in Ohio
Dr. Ericka King-Betts joined Humana in 2021 as the Director of Health Equity
Strategy for
Humana Healthy Horizons in Ohio, with over 20 years of experience leading
organizational
efforts, working across health care, academia, non-profit, and government
sectors. Ericka has
experience in strategic planning, business process improvement, cultural
humility and implicit
bias training, performance management, organizational development, research and
analysis,
leading health equity and DEI initiatives, quality improvement, public and media
relations, and
community outreach / engagement / investments. Ericka also served as a board
member and
former president of the Ohio Commission on Minority Health, a governor-appointed
commission
serving all Ohioans.
At Humana, Ericka serves as a trusted thought partner with plan leadership,
local communities,
state agencies, and hundreds of internal and external partners to have an impact
on health
disparities at a population level by:
- Overseeing the strategic design, implementation, and evaluation of health equity efforts in the context of the population health initiatives;
- Leading, at the Market level, health equity efforts focused on improving on each of the goals established utilizing standards as defined by the National Standards for Culturally Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health Care;
- Informing decision-making around best payer practices related to disparity reductions;
- Leading, developing & implementing strategic initiatives to support an organizational workforce / culture that is inclusive & respectful of the various backgrounds / cultures that are reflected in our members & communities we serve;
- Ensuring that community reinvestment efforts addressed at improving health equity, reducing disparities, and improving cultural competence are designed collaboratively with other Ohio Department of Medicaid-contracted managed care entities to have a collective impact for the population and that lessons learned are incorporated into future decision-making.
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Erin Brigham-Gray
MPH, CPHQ, Senior Director, Quality & Population Health
CareSource
Erin Brigham-Gray is a seasoned leader in the health care industry with more
than 20 years of extensive
knowledge. For the past twelve years, her efforts have focused on managed care
with exposure in both
government and commercial products. Her expertise includes quality improvement,
population health,
and data analytics. She has been with CareSource over 13 years and currently
serves as the Sr. Director
of Population Health & Quality Improvement for the CareSource Ohio Market
managing improvement
strategies for over 1.4 million Medicaid lives and 50k Marketplace lives. She is
recognized statewide for
her work in designing measures of improvement to help eliminate health
disparities. She has a passion
to improve maternal, infant and child health outcome in the most vulnerable
populations.
Erin is currently responsible for Accreditation (NCQA), Population Health,
Quality Improvement and
outreach for gaps in care. She collaborates with multiple stakeholders, both
internal and external, to
develop and monitor of value-based reimbursement contract and state-wide
improvement activities.
Erin also has experience in coordinating research design, implementation and
evaluation both internal
to CareSource and with Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine where she
earned her Masters in
Public Health. She is currently finishing her Doctor of Healthcare
Administration at Franklin University
while also serving as an Executive Board member of Health Impact Ohio, Ohio
Partners for Cancer
Control, and the Central Ohio Chapter of the National Association of Health
Service Executives.
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Jill Alessi
RN, BSN, MHA, Chief Executive Officer
Mountain-Pacific Quality Health
Jill Alessi, RN, BSN, MHA, is CEO for Mountain Pacific, a nonprofit organization that strives to innovate solutions for better health and health care in communities across its region of service. Jill has an extensive background in health care and health care operations, including care coordination, utilization management, health service operations, chronic condition support and improving health outcomes and prioritizing quality health care. She is an accomplished leader with experience managing health service organizations across geographic regions and building effective teams by leveraging her clinical, business and compliance experience and expertise. Jill is a registered nurse who has worked as a clinical intensive care unit nurse, case manager, case reviewer and compliance specialist.
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John Gorman
Founder and Chairman
Nightingale Partners
John is the Founder and Chairman of Nightingale Partners, the first venture
fund to invest in early-
stage companies in the social determinants of health (SDOH) ecosystem, and
which structures
tailored interventions with health insurers, local government, and provider
organizations. His work
focuses on Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and Accountable Care Act strategy,
governance, and
health equity.
John serves on the Board of Directors of Henry Ford Health System’s Health
Alliance Plan in his
birthplace of Detroit; on the Board of Edenbridge Health, a groundbreaking
company in the Program
of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE); and on the Board of RoundTrip,
an innovative Non-
Emergent Medical Transport company. He serves on the Advisory Board for
NationsBenefits, the
nation's leading supplemental benefits provider, and on the Medicaid
Advisory Board for Icario
Health, a leading member engagement and communications firm.
John is the Founder and Former Chairman at Gorman Health Group (GHG). For 22
years he led the
development of the industry's leading consulting practice and several
entrepreneurial ventures in
government health programs.
John speak at two dozen industry conferences each year, and am regularly
quoted in the trade
press and national media. I serve on the editorial advisory boards of
several industry publications.
Prior to founding Gorman Health Group in 1996, I was appointed by President
Clinton as the first
Assistant to the Director of Health Care Financing Administration’s (HCFA,
now CMS) Office of
Managed Care, where I provided day-to-day management, and served as the
external liaison for the
Medicare and Medicaid managed care programs. During the 1993 debate on
national health care
reform, I was chief lobbyist on health care financing issues for the
National Association of
Community Health Centers, an organization of Federally-funded primary care
clinics for the
medically underserved. My career in Washington began as Press Secretary and
Staff Director for
U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), then-Chairman of the
Government Operations
Committee.
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Kanita Bourne, LCSW, MPA,
Manager, Social & Community Services,
Inland Empire Health Plan
Kanita Bourne, LCSW is an accomplished health equity leader and Licensed
Clinical Social
Worker with over a decade of experience in developing and managing
culturally competent
community health programs. As Manager of Social and Community Services at
Inland Empire
Health Plan (IEHP), Kanita spearheads innovative initiatives aimed at
reducing health
disparities, improving healthcare access, and addressing the social
determinants of health in
underserved populations. She has been instrumental in driving compliance
efforts to ensure
access, engagement, and equity in rural areas while fostering
cross-functional collaborations that
enhance community impact.
Kanita’s expertise lies in building and executing strategic health equity
plans, managing complex
projects, and driving compliance with industry standards to promote
equitable care across
diverse populations. She has successfully pioneered several community-based
programs,
including the establishment of maternal mental health services for
underserved communities in
Los Angeles County. Additionally, Kanita’s leadership extends to workforce
development,
training future social workers as an adjunct professor and leading clinical
supervision for teams
delivering behavioral health services.
A thought leader and speaker, Kanita is passionate about health equity,
behavioral change, and
community wellness. She holds a Master of Social Work from Loma Linda
University, a Master
of Public Administration from California State University Northridge, and
multiple certifications
in evidence-based therapeutic practices. Kanita is committed to advancing
the mission of health
equity through innovative, data-driven solutions that uplift vulnerable
communities.
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Kate Tullio
MPH, MS, 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 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.
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Kelly Nielsen
Director
Omaha Pathways Community HUB
Kelly Nielsen is the Director of the Omaha Pathways Community HUB, an initiative of the Omaha Community Foundation, driving innovative cross sector collaboration to build the first Pathways HUB in Omaha with the goal of improved community access to social, medical and behavioral resources and positive impact on health disparities. Ms. Nielsen earned a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology at Emory University in Atlanta, GA; a Master’s of applied behavior analysis at George State University; and a Master’s of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. Ms. Nielsen is currently pursuing a Doctor of Public Health degree at the University of Nebraska College of Public Health with a concentration in Advocacy and Policy. Prior to her current role, Ms. Nielsen was the Division Vice President of Strategy and Healthy Communities for the Midwest Division of CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest not-profit healthcare systems in the country with over 1,000 care sites across 21 states. The Midwest division, covered over 24 communities across Nebraska, Southwest Iowa, N. Dakota and Minnesota. In that role she applied her background in public health and strategic planning to align and drive the organization’s effort to solve for patient, community and business need in order to meet the mission of addressing social justice and creating healthier communities. Across her career, Ms. Nielsen has worked to translate research and evidence-based programs into practice as well as contribute to the broader field of clinical and public health interventions. A specific focus of her work over the years has been to build, align, and grow programs and services to address the health-related social needs of patients and community members - touching areas of violence prevention, food insecurity, housing stability and maternal health equity. She also helped launch the first Community Health Worker program within CHI Health which is operating and expanding today. In her role at the Omaha Pathways HUB, she leads a network of partners to implement a holistic, sustainable model of community-based care coordination and create alignment between health care, health plans and community-based organizations to more effectively and efficiently address community needs. The HUB aims to address disparities in birth outcomes and demonstrate a sustainable model for future growth and impact.
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Keslie Crichton
Chief Sales Officer
Benelynk
Keslie brings a long history of strong execution and delivery for integrated solutions across risk adjustment, quality performance and eligibility and enrollment solutions in both Medicare and Medicaid. At BeneLynk, Keslie is responsible for driving enterprise growth and innovative partnerships to improve outreach strategies and health outcomes for our client’s members. Keslie works closely with BeneLynk’s product team to offer differentiated services and capabilities to maintain its market leader position. Keslie has worked in managed care for over 25 years with a focus on SDoH solutions that improve members lives but also provide a return on investment for our clients. Keslie's passion lies in working on strategies that put members at the center while ensuring we deliver accurate risk-adjusted revenue, quality performance, and member retention. Prior to joining BeneLynk, Keslie served as Vice President, Sales, and Account Management at Change Healthcare (formerly Altegra Health/Social Service Coordinators). Keslie holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Regis University and worked toward her MBA and Masters in Healthcare Administration at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT.
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Lauryn M. Davin
MPH, Health Equity Specialist
UCare
Lauryn Davin is an experienced public health professional with a demonstrated history in healthcare, education, and research. She is currently a Health Equity Specialist at UCare, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With expertise in collaboration, innovative thinking, community engagement, and qualitative research, Lauryn is dedicated to advancing health equity and engaging communities and health plan members in meaningful ways - including actively promoting health access and well-being through initiatives that empower underserved populations and foster inclusive dialogue. Lauryn holds a Master's Degree in Public Health from St. Catherine University. When not at work, she enjoys time spent with family and friends, live music, distance running, hiking, and reading.
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Lora Council, M.D., MPH, MCHM
Chief Medical Officer
Fallon Health
Lora Council, M.D., MPH, MHCM, is Fallon Health’s Chief Medical Officer. In
this role, she is
responsible for ensuring the quality and cost-effectiveness of Fallon
Health’s care services,
overseeing activities and operations within the Care Services Department,
and fostering strong
relationships with provider partners.
Dr. Council joined Fallon Health in November 2023 as Vice President and
Senior Medical
Director for Quality and Population Health. With nearly 15 years of
experience in strategic
leadership roles in primary care, quality, and population health, she serves
as a critical bridge
between the organization’s quality initiatives and clinical work, giving
special attention to efforts
focused on closing the gaps in health care disparities.
Prior to joining Fallon Health, Dr. Council worked at Yuvo Health, service
FQHCs in value-based
care, as its Chief Population Health Officer and Chief Medical Officer, and
at Cambridge Health
Alliance, where she held several leadership roles, including Vice President
of Primary Care and
Senior Medical Director. She is a faculty affiliate with the Harvard Medical
School Center for
Primary Care.
Board certified in Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine. She earned her
medical degree
from UMass Chan Medical School, her master’s degree in public health from
The Dartmouth
Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice at the Dartmouth Geisel
School of Medicine, and
her master’s degree in Health Care Management from the Harvard T.H. Chan
School of Public
Health.
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Mindi S. Knebel
Chief Executive Officer
KaizenHealth
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.
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Mohamed Jalloh
Pharm D, BCPS, Health Equity Director
Partnership HealthPlan of California
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Nancy Wongvipat Kalev
MPH, Senior Director, Systems of Care
Health Net, LLC
Nancy Wongvipat Kalev is the Senior Director of Systems of Care at Health Net responsible for organizational strategy and program design for adult and children’s systems of care, addressing social drivers of health (SDOH) and health equity, and workforce development. She was formerly the Director of Health Education and Cultural and Linguistic Services at Health Net responsible for programs focused on community health, language services, health literacy, cultural competency, SDOH and health equity, including addressing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Nancy holds a Master of Public Health degree in community health sciences and a bachelor's degree in psychobiology from UCLA. She has over 20 years of experience in health care management, program development, implementation and evaluation. Prior to Health Net, Nancy was manager for prevention programs at AIDS Project Los Angeles; evaluation consultant for the Long Beach health department’s Housing and Urban Development-funded Healthy Homes Initiative; research associate with UCLA Fielding School of Public Health focused on community research projects in women’s health; and research associate with UCLA School of Medicine in breast and ovarian cancer research. Nancy was previously a board member with ETR, a behavioral health non-profit devoted to providing science-based programs and services, driven by its mission toward health equity for youth and families. She was born in Thailand, moved to Los Angeles at the age of six, and lives with her partner, three children, and dog Zoe.
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Navid Amini
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Navid Amini resides in Minnesota and has been in healthcare for 15+ years. He has served patients from the bedside as well as operations roles within payer and provider organizations. Navid has led a $100M+portfolio of clinical programs/projects impacting growth and strategy within AI, SDOH, claims, data, innovation & provider/patient engagement. Additionally, Navid spent over a decade serving with the Mayo Clinic Medical Examiner's Office. Having managed thousands of medicolegal death investigations, he has gained unique insights into the relationship between SDOH and mortality/quality of life.
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Nicki Venem
CPC, MSML, Director, Network Innovation
Independent Doctors of Idaho
Nicki Venem has worked in the Healthcare Industry for over 25 years. Nicki holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in management and leadership from Western Governors University. She also holds a Professional Coding Certification with the American Academy of Professional Coders. Nicki spent her first 20 years in healthcare with the Saint Alphonsus Medical Group working as a biller/coder, Clinic Manager and then Director of Urgent Care Services in Boise, Idaho. She then transitioned into the payer side of healthcare working for Blue Cros of Idaho for six years in the Value Based Care space helping providers find opportunities to lower the cost of high-quality care across the State of Idaho. She is currently serving as the Director of Innovation for the largest Independent Physician Association (IPA) in Idaho, continuing her work in the Value Based Care space, while also helping providers who are currently employed by the large healthcare systems, transition to Independent Practice successfully.
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Patricia Lyons Ph.D., LISW-S
Market Health Equity Program Director
AmeriHealth Caritas of Ohio
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Pleasant A. Radford Jr
Health Equity Officer
UCare
Pleasant Radford, Jr. joined UCare in 2020 in the inaugural role of Health
Equity Officer. In his
role, he develops, oversees and implements an organization-wide health
equity program that
promotes and advances health equity for all members and communities.
Radford has more than 15 years driving systemic transformation through
health equity
innovation in the healthcare, nonprofit, and academic sectors. He has
proven leadership
spanning evaluation, training, programming, policy and advocacy realms - all
grounded in trust-
based community relationships - to identify and reduce inequities in
healthcare. Prior to UCare,
he led the evaluation of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Center for
Prevention's multi-
million dollar portfolio of healthy eating, physical activity and commercial
tobacco prevention. At
UnitedHealth Group, Radford spent four years as a consultant to streamline
medical insurance
products, increase customer retention and strengthen brand recognition among
Medicaid and
Medicare members. Previously, he conducted community engagement research at
the
University of Chicago, advocated for Chicago Public School pregnant and
parenting youth
students at the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health and served as a Peace
Corps Volunteer in
Nicaragua.
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Robert Mundy
Money Follows the Person Demonstration - MAP Specialist Division of Long-Term Care Services
Maryland Department of Health (MDH)
Rob Mundy is a Health Policy Analyst with the Maryland Department of Health. Previously, he was a case manager and trauma therapist for community health programs. He has served refugees, children in foster care, people leaving radicalized hate movements, and trafficking survivors. At his current role with Maryland's Money Follows the Person program Rob addresses structural obstacles to Medicaid care access. He also supports caregivers and helpers of all kinds to be sustainable in their work.
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Rosemond Sarpong Owens
MPH/CDM, Director- Racial & Health Equity
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
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Salma Sparklin
MPH, Business Strategy and Transformation Manager, Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Salma Sparklin is a public health professional who is passionate about improving access to quality care for behavioral health and substance use disorder. She currently leads business strategy and transformation in this specialty at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. Her career has spanned value-based care, population health analytics, and change management. Salma holds a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
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Seiji Hayashi, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Officer
CareFirst Community Health Plan - Maryland
Lead Medical Director, Government Programs
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
Dr. Hayashi is Interim Chief Medical Officer for the Community Health Plan of DC and the Lead Medical Director for Government Programs at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield that serves 3.5 million individuals and groups in Maryland and the Washington metropolitan area. Dr. Hayashi was a member of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s committee that published the seminal report, “Transforming Health Care to Create Whole Health: Strategies to Assess, Scale, and Spread the Whole Person Approach to Health.” Dr. Hayashi is board certified family physician and is an experienced leader in primary care, quality improvement, and health policy at the local and national levels. Prior to CareFirst, he spearheaded health services integration and transformation at two area federally qualified health centers. Hayashi's national health policy experience comes from his role as Chief Medical Officer for the Bureau of Primary Health Care at the Health Resources and Services Administration. He started his career at Georgetown University and at George Washington University teaching public health and conducting health policy research. Hayashi has received a number of awards and honors, including the Samuel U. Rodgers, MD Achievement Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers. Dr. Hayashi graduated with honors in Studio Art from Vassar College, received his M.D. with Alpha Omega Alpha distinction from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed his family medicine residency training at the University of California San Francisco. He received his M.P.H. from the Harvard School of Public Health while a fellow with the Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellowship
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Sierra McGaha
Program Manager
African American Male Wellness Agency National Center for Urban Solutions
My name is Sierra McGaha, and I serve as the Program Manager for U Got This (Diabetes
Awareness) at the African American Male Wellness Agency. My passion lies in community
health and advocacy, and I am deeply committed to ensuring that individuals have access to the
education, resources, and support they need to take control of their health.
Growing up in Youngstown, I’ve always been drawn to service and giving back to my
community. Over the years, I’ve witnessed firsthand how diabetes disproportionately impacts
Black and Brown communities, and that reality has fueled my mission to change the narrative. I
believe that access to healthcare should never be a privilege—it should be a right. That’s why I
pour my heart into this work, making sure U Got This is not just a program but a movement
rooted in love, accountability, and empowerment.
In my role, I focus on meeting people where they are, breaking down barriers to care, and
ensuring that no one feels alone on their health journey. Whether it’s organizing outreach
events, building relationships with community partners, or simply being a listening ear, I find
purpose in every moment.
Outside of work, I enjoy being a mother/best friend to my two daughters, shopping and self-
care, and I’m always looking for new ways to connect with and uplift those around me. My goal
is simple: to leave a lasting impact on the lives I touch and to continue the fight for better health
outcomes in our community.
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Stina Redford,
Director, Payment Innovation
Blue Cross of Idaho
Stina Redford, Director- Payment Innovation- Blue Cross of Idaho Stina has been with Blue Cross of Idaho since 2006, where she has served in various roles working with providers on fee-for-service contracts, alternative payment models, and new value-based program designs. She currently leads Blue Cross’ provider value-based payment team, and their efforts to shift from a fee-for-service provider payment model to value-based payments. He and her team work with provider partners to ensure members have easy access to top-quality care at an affordable price.
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Tammy Hendricks
MBA, Director of Health Equity & Outreach
Access Health CT
Founder
Hendricks Consulting and Company
Tammy Hendricks is an accomplished leader in health equity, outreach, and
business
development with a passion for improving access to care for underserved
populations. As the
Director of Health Equity and Outreach at Access Health CT, Tammy has led
impactful initiatives
that have contributed to one of the nation’s lowest uninsured rates, earning
her the prestigious
Community Legacy Leader Award.
In addition to her work in health equity, Tammy is the founder and CEO of
Hendricks Consulting,
a marketing firm dedicated to empowering organizations to create meaningful
community
outreach programs. She is launching a training program designed to enhance
the skills of
Outreach and Community Health Workers, helping them drive greater impact in
addressing
social determinants of health.
Tammy’s expertise in building partnerships and developing innovative
solutions has made her a
recognized thought leader in advancing health equity and empowering
community-based
organizations to improve care outcomes. Her work combines strategic vision,
community
engagement, and data-driven approaches to create sustainable change.
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Tanikka C. Price
JD, EdD, Chief Education and Equity Officer
Health Impact Ohio
Dr. Tanikka Price uses her training as a lawyer, her passion as a motivational speaker and the knowledge she gained during her doctoral training at Northcentral University to develop curriculum to educate and train others in caring for and taking responsibility for their own health and healing. She is currently the Chief Education and Equity Officer at the Health Impact Ohio. For over a decade, in addition to being a Family Law Attorney, she has developed and taught learning topics for pregnant women and Community Health Workers in At-risk communities in Columbus, Ohio. She was inspired to educate following the birth of her premature twins. She uses narrative and trauma-informed care to meet people where they are and empower them to change. She engages through several interactive workshops including “Love Letters,” “Writing to Heal” and “Narrative Repair.” Dr. Price is a mother of six and “Mimi” to three grandchildren. She earned a Doctorate in Education in May of 2021, researching the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on African American women’s educational attainment at Northcentral University. She also has an American Culture degree from Vassar College and a law degree from Capital University Law School. She is a member of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, The Columbus Bar Association and The Ohio Bar.
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Tara M. Davis
SVP/Chief Programs Officer
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank
Tara Davis joined the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (CPFB) in 2007. Before
her current role as Senior
Vice President, Chief Programs Officer, Tara began her Food Bank career
planning and executing special
events. She was instrumental in several website redesigns and laying the
foundation for digital
engagement. Tara then managed the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program) Outreach
Program and was responsible for promoting the SNAP Helpline and building and
maintaining community
and agency relationships.
As the Senior Vice President, Chief Programs Officer, Tara directs a staff
of 40 employees and oversees
11 primary Food Bank functions: Agency Services, SNAP Outreach, Youth
Programs, Senior Programs,
Health Innovations, Nutrition Education, Fresh Express, MilitaryShare,
Retail Donations, Customer
Service, and Northern Dauphin Food Pantry. She assures that the team is
providing exemplary support
services to a network of more than 1,100 member agencies and other program
partners of CPFB. Tara is
responsible for implementation, ongoing management, and strategic growth for
CPFB Programs which
includes development, implementation, review and assessment of all
programmatic outreach initiatives,
and collaboration throughout a 27-county service territory. She also
oversees agency membership
policies, procedures, and guidelines relative to the distribution of
donated, purchased, and government
food products as promulgated by federal and state authorities.
Tara has more than 25 years of experience in non-profit program development,
marketing, and
communications. She is a graduate of Central Penn College. Tara currently
serves as the Board President
of Tri-County Community Action and is a member of Tri-County Community
Action’s Governance
Committee, Fund Development Committee, and Planning and Evaluation
Committee. She also serves on
her local Winslett HOA Architectural Review Committee, Pennsylvania Hunger
Action Coalition, United
Way of the Capital Region Basic Needs Focused Care Council, and Dasher
Employe Assistant Fund
Committee. She resides in Harrisburg, PA with her husband, Chris, and two
children, Evan, and
Gianna. Tara enjoys being an active volunteer in her community through her
children’s schools and their
sports.
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Todd Graham
President
Highmark Health Options Delaware
Todd Graham is a highly accomplished and results-oriented healthcare executive with more than 25 years’ experience driving profitability and implementing impactful change within the healthcare insurance industry. Todd’s expertise spans commercial insurance, Medicaid and Medicare, with a proven track record of success in leadership, financial management, and strategic planning. As plan President and CEO of Highmark Health Options in Wilmington, Del., Todd manages a $1.5 billion Medicaid plan, overseeing operations and leading a team of senior executives. His accomplishments in this role include successfully transitioning services in-house, redesigning the C-suite and implementing a new Total Cost of Care agreement resulting in reduced costs and improved quality. Prior to his current role, Todd served as Vice President of Finance at Health Partners Plans, where he developed key performance indicators that significantly improved organizational focus and saved millions. Throughout his career, Todd has consistently demonstrated an ability to build high-performing teams, navigate complex regulatory environments and deliver significant cost savings. He's a strategic thinker with a knack for clear communication across the enterprise who’s skilled at developing and implementing innovative financial models. His commitment to the healthcare community extends beyond his professional roles. Todd currently serves as Treasurer of the Delaware Center for Health Innovation and holds memberships in several key industry organizations. Todd graduated from Thomas Edison State College with a degree in Accounting
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Wendy Milligan
Vice President, Strategic Sales and Enablement
ProgenyHealth, LLC
As Vice President of Strategic Sales and Enablement at ProgenyHealth, Wendy is responsible for driving strategic and tactical growth and partnerships. She brings nearly 30 years of experience in growth, 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 strategic partnerships in the payor and employer space across her career. She has worked for national and regional health plans as well as various point solution organizations.
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Winnie Grim
Supplemental Benefits Manager
Zing Health
Winnie Grim is a seasoned Healthcare Professional with a knack for achieving tangible results. With more than 20 years of experience in the industry, Winnie has mastered the art of driving revenue growth, optimizing operations to cut costs, and flawlessly implementing change management strategies. Winnie excels in leading diverse teams and delivering outstanding outcomes and is well-versed in healthcare, CMS, and business savvy. Her expertise spans utilization, population health, clinical operations, care management, value-based care, and analytics. With a focus on relationship management and strategic support, Winnie is a valued leader at Zing Health, where she manages the supplemental benefits. Her collaboration with the Product and Growth teams is paving the way for a promising future for the Medicare Advantage Supplemental program at Zing Health. Winnie currently resides in Virginia. She received her bachelor's degree in kinesiology from James Madison University and her master’s in healthcare administration from The University of Maryland.