Halima Ahmadi-Montecalvo Epidemiologist, Social and Behavioral Scientist Adjunct Professor, Milken Institute School of Public Health
George Washington University
Dr. Ahmadi-Montecalvo is an epidemiologist and social and behavioral scientist with nearly 20 years of experience in the field of public health. Her research focuses on the social drivers of health and health inequities, with a particular interest in issues explaining factors within the social and built environment that affect the lives of vulnerable population groups. Dr. Ahmadi-Montecalvo is a dynamic equity-centered leader with expertise in developing and leading high functioning teams, developing partnerships, and using a data driven approach for system transformation with a focus on value-based care and improving health outcomes for underserved populations. At Unite Us, Dr. Ahmadi-Montecalvo leads research and evaluation efforts to measure the value and effectiveness of social care investments.
She has extensive experience in program evaluation, and social and behavioral health research working with local, state, and federal government clients, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); the National Institutes of Health (NIH); the Department of Labor (DoL); the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD); and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
Dr. Ahmadi-Montecalvo is an adjunct faculty at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health where she teaches public health and population health courses. She holds a Master’s of Public Health with a focus in Epidemiology and Community Health from Brown University, and a PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences from West Virginia University, School of Public Health.
Meet our Chief Executive Officer, Diana Allen. As a healthcare finance leader with more than 20 years of experience in healthcare revenue cycle management, she currently serves as The SSI Group’s CEO. Diana is focused on growing and enhancing the company’s services and solutions, drawing on her extensive experience in business development, quality improvement, and strategic direction. Prior to joining SSI, Diana honed her revenue cycle skills with companies such as GE Healthcare, McKesson Corporation, Meridian, and Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians. Diana holds a doctorate in Healthcare Administration from Colorado Technical University and a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Cambridge College. She is also a contributing author to industry publications and a national conference speaker on healthcare process improvement strategy.
Dr. Tina Atherall is a social innovation strategist with a concentration in nonprofit and education leadership. She is the CEO of PsychArmor leading a public health EdTech nonprofits educating and advocating for critical support for those who have served and their families. She has embedded her career in the field of social work leadership and obtained her Doctor of Social Work (DSW) from the University of Southern California. Her recent work focuses on the 13 Grand Challenges for Social Work to eradicate the public health crisis of social isolation. Dr. Atherall is a George W. Bush Institute Stand-To Veteran Leadership Scholar. She serves in an appointed role on the SAMHSA National Advisory Council and is a committee lead for the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Military Social Work Specialized Practice review committee.
Dr. Atherall has advanced certificates in nonprofit leadership, military social work, and is a Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator. She is an Associate Adjunct Professor at Columbia University School of Social Work, and Doctor of Social Work adjunct at Simmons University and the University of Kentucky online programs. Board leadership roles include Board of Director participation at Mission Edge (San Diego) and Project Healing Waters (National).
Ryan is a proficient Star Ratings expert with over five years of dedicated experience in the Medicare field. As a consultant with Rex Wallace Consulting, LLC, his expertise covers data analysis, program management, and strategic planning, ensuring that clients achieve substantial improvements. Before joining RWC, Ryan was the Program Director for Medicare Star Ratings at a regional health plan in the Pacific Northwest, where he led initiatives to improve quality of care, health outcomes, and member experience for the Medicare Advantage population across multiple states. Ryan is deeply committed to leveraging data to inform decision-making processes and enhance outcomes for vulnerable populations, consistently driving operational efficiencies and performance improvements.
Liz Carr VP of Product Delivery & Customer Experience
Ingenia
As VP of Product Delivery and Customer Experience at Ingenia Health, Liz directs the account management, operations and support teams for new client implementations and production clients. Liz is a trusted advisor to health plan leaders on all things related to Quality organization and analytics. She enjoys taking creative yet pragmatic approaches to problem solving in order to deliver the most value to clients.
Liz began her career at MedVentive, a startup acquired by McKesson, and was on the product team for a Quality & Med Econ tool. She was a Certified Scaled Agile scrum master for the product development team and supported new client implementations. Liz made the transition to consulting, joining a boutique firm that focused on Quality and Risk Adjustment optimization for health plans. She led client accounts ranging from small Duals payers to national multi-state managed care organizations and worked with vendor partners to design new specialized software. Her projects ranged from new Quality tool implementations and multi-year HEDIS and STARS projects to organizational strategy consulting.
Liz has a BA in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University.
Evelyn Chojnacki brings an extensive health plan background to Sword Health with over 19 years’ experience serving clients and members. This includes client management, health care program development, vendor assessment and integrations, market deployment and strategy.
Evelyn joined Sword in early 2021 and remains focused on advocating for the needs of health plan partners while supporting the advancement of virtual care across the industry. This means promoting solutions positioned to deliver impactful clinical results and equitable member access to convenient care - all while tackling escalating healthcare costs.
Outside of work, Evelyn is an active outdoor and travel enthusiast.
Donna Clark is the HEDIS Nurse Manager for Simpra Advantage, a managed health care plan primarily serving members residing in over 100 Alabama nursing facilities.
As an RN for over 19 years, Donna has worked in a myriad of health care settings, from inpatient critical care to in-home hospice care. Her career in quality was set into motion as an RN Care Pathways Coach for the CMS Initiative to Reduce Potentially Avoidable Hospitalizations among Nursing Facility Residents while employed by the Alabama Quality Assurance Foundation. There she worked hand in hand with long term care nursing facilities to accomplish the aim of reducing potentially avoidable hospitalizations, improving quality of care, and decreasing health care spending.
The culmination of her various roles enabled Donna to seamlessly step into a position as Quality Nurse for AllyAlign Health, where she developed a keen interest in HEDIS and Stars programs. Her current role at Simpra Advantage consists of managing the annual HEDIS audit process, clinical oversight of HEDIS gap closure, HEDIS education and training, and first line communication with providers to facilitate successful metric compliance.
Donna resides in north Alabama and enjoys spending her free time with her husband, daughter, and their countless animals on their mini farm.
Kailey is the Director of Quality Performance for Kern Health Systems (KHS). She has been employed with KHS for more than eight years with responsibility for MCAS/HEDIS, Grievances, Potential Quality Issues, and Site Reviews. Her prior clinical experience includes critical care nursing in the Emergency Department (ED), Case Management, Utilization Management, and more than ten years of Quality experience in the managed care setting for multiple lines of business. This is where she realized her passion for serving her local community. As the Director of Quality for a managed Medi-Cal health plan, she supports the overall quality of care to members primarily who are poverty stricken, homeless, or gravely disabled. Kailey’s personal and professional mission is to support access to high quality and equitable care to the community she was born and raised in the Central Valley of California. Kailey holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nursing and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration. She enjoys reading, baking, and spending time with her husband and two daughters.
Phil Collins is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in the managed care industry. As the Senior Director of Quality at FarmboxRx, he plays a pivotal role in overseeing performance analytics and collaborating with health plans to develop and implement quality improvement strategies in programmatic design.
With a career spanning over 12 years, Phil has honed his expertise within MCO’s, including prominent names like Molina Healthcare and Atrio Health plan. During his tenure, he specialized in HEDIS measures, bringing in-depth knowledge and understanding of these essential quality metrics. He has actively participated in the chart review and data collection processes for Hybrid measures, ensuring accurate and comprehensive data analysis to support decision-making and performance evaluation.
A skilled analyst, Phil excels in producing reports that highlight current and projected HEDIS and CMS rates. These reports provide invaluable insights into the performance of health plans, enabling strategic decision-making to achieve higher HEDIS scores and Star Ratings.
Carmela Costiniuk
B.Sc. OT, MHA, D. EdD(C), VP Population Health and Clinical Transformation
Carmela Costiniuk B.Sc. OT, MHA, D. EdD(C), VP Population Health and Clinical Transformation
Catholic Medical Partners
Carmela Costiniuk is Vice President of Population Health and Clinical Transformation at Catholic Medical Partners, the largest network of independent practice physicians in Buffalo, NY, with nearly 900 physician members. She develops and implements population health and operational strategies and oversees the operations team, which provides direct support to physician practices to improve quality performance and care coordination across the health continuum.
A native of Canada, Carmela earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Toronto and her Masters in Health Services Administration from D’Youville University where she is currently completing her Doctoral Degree in Health Administration.
Carmela has held various administrative positions in home and community based care, acute care, long-term care, and the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) Ontario Ministry of Health.
Dr. Shannon Decker is principal at VBC One, a consulting firm assisting physician groups, health plans and vendors maximize the performance of their value based contracts and offerings. Dr. Decker has more than 20 years experience in health care and most recently led teams in risk, quality, data and analytics, telehealth, COVID response and delegation compliance. Of her more than 20 years of experience in healthcare--15 include working with risk adjustment, quality and Medicare. Dr. Decker has a PhD. in Interdisciplinary Studies, dual MBA degrees--in Finance and in Marketing, as well as an M.Ed. in Secondary Education and a M.Ed. in Administration and Leadership. Dr. Decker is on the faculty at Arizona State University and is also an associate professor of Higher Education & Adult Learning (HEAL) and chief methodologist for Walden and Capella Universities where she chairs and oversees the dissertations of doctoral students. An author of two books and several peer-reviewed articles, and a prolific national public speaker, her interests include the study of human behavior and how theories on motivation and learning may be brought to bear on population health management.
Tina Dueringer, BSN, RN, CCM, PCC, is the CEO and Principal Advisor at Dueringer Advisors Inc., a distinguished consulting firm dedicated to supporting health plans, vendors, and leaders in the health insurance and provider sectors. With a robust background spanning Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, Duals, ACA, and commercial markets, Tina brings extensive expertise in care management, utilization management, clinical quality, Model of Care development, Stars ratings, HEDIS measures, and accreditation standards such as NCQA and URAC.
Tina's career is marked by strategic insights into health plan operations, including strategic planning, joint ventures, partnerships, delegated relationships, and the advancement of value-based care models. She is deeply committed to advancing Health Equity, Population Health, and integrated care initiatives across the industry.
Previously, Tina served as Vice President of Clinical Quality and Stars at Rebellis Group, specializing in Medicare Advantage and government consulting. Her leadership journey includes pivotal roles at Cityblock, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Medicaid Policy Division.
Tina earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and holds a post-graduate certification in Population Care Coordination from Duke University. She is also a Board-Certified Case Manager (CCM), underscoring her dedication to enhancing healthcare delivery and outcomes through comprehensive care coordination strategies.
Rhonda Farrar, RN, BSN, CHCA, is Healthy People's Clinical HEDIS Supervisor, as well as a Lead HEDIS Auditor. Prior to joining Healthy People, Rhonda was Advantmed’s HEDIS and Quality Principal Program Manager and served as the Senior Manager of HEDIS Data Analytics. Prior to working at Advantmed, Rhonda led HEDIS and NCQA Accreditation programs at a health plan. Across her seven years of HEDIS work at the health plan, Rhonda developed a provider-based incentive program including quality and pharmacy measures. Rhonda also created health care integrated delivery network (IDN) system-wide initiatives and education to support HEDIS population health improvements. She is currently based in Marion County, FL and spends her free time with her husband, family, and their precious dogs, Creek and River.
Patti Grice Smith is the Director of Stars Improvement, leading the HEDIS Performance Improvement and Engagement team at Humana. Patti has been with Humana for over 12 years, and has been directly responsible for driving continuous HEDIS improvement for Stars since 2021. Patti has led her team to achieve notable impact by implementing advanced analytics and predictive modeling and growing Humana's portfolio of strategic member interventions, which have contributed significantly to Humana's industry leading results. With a background in consumer marketing, Patti has applied her experience to HEDIS improvement strategies, focusing on member health outcomes and solving engagement problems to drive HEDIS performance. Leading the HEDIS work has enabled her to remain close to what she's passionate about - member experience and health outcomes.
Katie Gries is the Manager, Quality Management at Blue Cross of Idaho. Katie has been with BCI for over 4 years where her team is responsible for HEDIS for all lines of business. Katie led the efforts at BCI which moved the organization from a 3.5 Star Rating in Star Year 2023 to 4.5 Stars in SY2024. Prior to her work at BCI, she spent 7 years at a Clinically Integrated Network where she was tasked with developing a program for quality and risk adjustment improvement. This work is where she discovered a passion for quality, risk adjustment and working collaboratively with Primary Care Providers (PCP). Katie holds a bachelor’s degree in Management and Organizational Leadership and a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration. She is also Certified Medical Practice Executive through the Medical Group Management Association.
Bryan Hall has been involved with HEDIS as part of a major benefits consulting firm, a health plan underwriting and data manager, a HEDIS programmer, an auditor, a troubleshooter for a HEDIS vendor, a project manager, and as a consultant.
As a HEDIS programmer, he twice helped a small, non-profit health plan make the U.S. News & World Report list of America's Best Health Plans.
Ana Handshuh, Principal at CAT5 Strategies, is a government programs executive with expertise in creating and implementing corporate programs for the healthcare industry. Her background includes Quality, Core Measures, Care Management, Benefit Design and Bid Submission, Accreditation, Regulatory Compliance, Revenue Management, Communications, Community-based Care Management Programs and Technology Integration. Ms. Handshuh currently serves on the Board of the Resource Initiative and Society for Education (RISE), the preeminent national professional association dedicated to managed and accountable care financing and delivery. She is a sought after speaker on the national healthcare circuit in the areas of Quality, Star Ratings, Care Management, Member and Provider Engagement, and Revenue Management. Her recent consultancy roles have included assisting organizations create programs to address the unmet care management needs in the highest risk strata of membership, document their processes and procedures, achieve accreditation status, design and submit government program bids, institute corporate-wide programs and create communications strategies and materials. She possesses sophisticated business acumen with the ability to build consensus with cross-functional groups to accomplish corporate goals. Ms. Handshuh served as the Vice President of Managed Care Services at Central Florida Inpatient Medicine (CFIM). In this role, she provided leadership and strategy on CFIM projects and collaborations with physicians, risk entities, hospital health care systems, and health plans. CFIM is the largest Hospitalist group in Central Florida, with 70 providers discharging over 50,000 patients annually from multiple hospitals across two health care delivery systems and 24 skilled nursing facilities. At CFIM Ms. Handshuh previously served as the Vice President of Operations. Prior to those assignments, she worked with Precision Healthcare Systems as their Vice President of Quality Improvement. In that capacity, she led the IPA’s Quality efforts and collaborated with payers on implementing programs to move the needle on Quality and Star Rating initiatives. Ms. Handshuh also served as the Director of Corporate Program Development at Physicians United Plan. In this role, she led the Quality Management and Corporate Communications departments and spearheaded the development of innovative integrated technology solutions to drive business excellence and Star Rating achievement initiatives. For the past fifteen years Ms. Handshuh has taken an active role in redefining and implementing changes that have led to improvements and greater efficiency within Government programs and healthcare delivery. Prior to joining Physicians United Plan Ms. Handshuh was the founder of I-Six Creative. Under Ms. Handshuh’s vision and leadership, I-Six Creative provided expertise in the areas of managed Medicare benefit design, MSO/IPA operations, provider network strategy, new market launches, technology integration, corporate communications and quality improvement.
Nikki is an accomplished professional with over 17 years of experience in the healthcare industry, specializing in Medicare and Medicaid product strategy. With extensive knowledge and expertise in the field, Nikki is a trusted leader who has consistently contributed to the growth and success of various organizations.
Nikki holds a Master's degree in Health Administration. Additionally, she has pursued a Doctorate in Executive Leadership.
As a passionate advocate for accessible and affordable healthcare, Nikki remains dedicated to driving innovation in the Medicare and Medicaid sectors.
Paul Ingram is the Chief Technology Officer at Hyperlift. With a strong foundation in machine learning and statistics, Paul has a proven track record of building robust data platforms. His previous roles as Chief Transformation Officer at NationsBenefits and VP of Engineering at RealPage focused on delivering cutting-edge data products and digital applications. Paul is passionate about democratizing technology and enabling healthcare organizations turn data into actionable insights.
Katharine Iskrant MPH, CHCA, CPHQ, Practice Leader
Healthy People, Inc.
Katharine is the President of Healthy People, an NCQA-licensed HEDIS audit firm and CMS Data Validation firm. She is a member of the NCQA Audit Methodology Panel, NCQA’s HEDIS Data Collection Advisory Panel, and NCQA’s Digital Quality Measures Panel. She is also featured on a 2020 NCQA ECDS podcast. Katharine has been a Certified HEDIS® Compliance Auditor since 1998 and has directed more than two thousand HEDIS audits.
Previously, as CEO of the company Acumetrics, Katharine provided consultancy services to NCQA which helped their initial development and eventual launch of the NCQA Measure Certification Program.
Katharine is a frequent speaker at HEDIS conferences, including NCQA’s most recent Healthcare Quality Congress. She received her BA from Columbia University and her MPH from UC Berkeley School of Public Health. She is a member of the National Association for Healthcare Quality and is published in the fields of healthcare and public health.
She has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry, starting as Certified Medical Assistant for a family medicine residency program in Boise, Idaho.
She is currently the Quality Manager of Hometown Health since 2022.
Hometown Health is a non-profit health plan serving Nevada since 1994 and a branch of the Renown Health system which has been serving the community of Reno, Nevada since 1862 when it was established as Washoe Health System.
Jacie has been a Registered nurse for 12 years and has a background in NCQA, HEDIS, Stars, ACO, MIPS (QPP), Risk Adjustment, Clinical Informatics, Epic Training, Acute Care, and Primary Care.
She received her BSN from Western Governor’s University in 2016 while working full time as an RN.
Past Chair of Renown Health’s Shared Governance Committee.
Past Volunteer Coordinator of the American Heart and Stroke Association Northern Nevada Chapter.
Jenn brings their deep understanding of the complexities and nuances within the Medicare Advantage & Value Based Care landscape to their work at DUOS, where they lead business development, go-to-market strategy, and marketing. By leveraging data-driven insights and market intelligence, they spearhead the development of tailored products and services that cater to the unique needs of Medicare Advantage plans and deliver unparalleled value to clients and beneficiaries alike; previous leadership roles include FarmboxRx, Excelera Health and NationsBenefits. Beyond their role at DUOS, Jenn actively contributes to the industry's progress as a thought leader leveraging expertise and advocacy for innovative healthcare practices to enhance healthcare accessibility and quality.
Wendy Kim is the Quality and Accreditation Manager at International Community Health Services (ICHS) and the Principal of Dynamiq Health Consulting. She is a dedicated healthcare professional with a passion for improving quality of care and access to services for underserved communities.
With a background in Accountable Care Organization (ACO) working with over 100+ provider groups strategizing to optimize their quality payment. And most recently overseeing a team of 50+ Care Coordinators at Sea Mar Community Health Centers who took care of Medicaid and Medicare populations addressing their chronic conditions. With this background she has made positive change within her current position, particularly in the areas of Quality Improvement (QI) and Population Health which she is currently deeply involved with, where she led efforts to revamp the Quality Program. This initiative has not only improved collaboration across the organization departments but has also resulted in increased leadership buy-in and improved performance across Managed Care Contracts.
As a quality professional with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and certifications in Lean Six Sigma Methodology and Root Cause Analysis, I bring a wealth of experience in developing and implementing effective quality strategies. My passion for root cause analysis and user-centric approaches drives me to build lasting change and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement.
My specialties include critical thinking, policy and procedure development and implementation, data gathering and analysis, HEDIS and NCQA training and education, quality, compliance, and regulatory issues, relationship building and management, and calm flexibility in difficult situations.
When I'm not working, I enjoy cooking, playing Jeopardy, and mountaineering. My motto is "Every day is a new day and the possibilities are limitless, you just have to show up."
Greg LeGrow leads payer product strategy at athenahealth. He is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry with demonstrated success in strategy development, program leadership, operations and technology deployment.
He is passionate about enabling innovation and supporting the collaboration and data exchange among payers and providers required for successful value-based care.
Kelly Lippold RN, MSN, Director of Health Informatics
NMC Health
Kelly Lippold, MSN, RN is the Director of Health Informatics at NMC Health, a position she has held for the past nine years. With a robust background as a Registered Nurse spanning 25 years, Kelly brings a wealth of clinical experience to her role.
For the past 18 years, Kelly has specialized in clinical informatics, focusing on the support of nursing and provider applications within Electronic Health Records (EHR). Her expertise lies in overseeing all EHR applications, facilitating workflow design, resolving issues, and addressing reporting needs. Under her leadership, NMC Health has seen significant improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of its health informatics systems.
In addition to her role at NMC Health, Kelly currently serves on the Board of Directors for MUSE International (Medical Users Software Exchange), the leading source of networking and education for professionals using Meditech EHR. Her involvement with MUSE International highlights her commitment to advancing the field of health informatics through collaboration and education.
Kelly’s dedication to enhancing healthcare delivery through innovative informatics solutions makes her a respected leader in her field. Her work not only supports clinical staff but also ensures that patient care is optimized through seamless integration of technology and clinical practice.
Outside of her professional life, Kelly enjoys spending her free time with her three teenagers, two dogs, one cat, and her husband.
Karen Lumpkin
MS, JD, CPHQ, Director of Quality and Health Equity Officer
Karen Lumpkin MS, JD, CPHQ, Director of Quality and Health Equity Officer
Simpra Advantage
Karen Lumpkin serves as Director of Quality and Health Equity Officer at Simpra Advantage. Her healthcare experience and legal background reflects her commitment to improving healthcare quality and equity.
Karen's career spans several decades, during which time she has held various key positions in major health plans and New York City hospitals. She’s worked on quality management and implementation for WellCare, UnitedHealthcare, Healthfirst and Anthem. She’s also worked in acute care settings, advocating for patient rights at The Brooklyn Hospital Center and Montefiore Medical Center. She worked with IPRO, educating providers on quality improvement, cultural competency requirements and reducing disparities. Karen has also contributed to healthcare legal advocacy. She has served as the Vice Chair of the New York County Lawyers Association Health Law Committee and the secretary of the New York City Bar Association Bioethics Committee. Her dedication was recognized with the pro bono service award from the New York County Lawyers Association.
Karen earned her bachelor's degree in biology from Tuskegee University, followed by a master's degree in health administration from Long Island University. She later obtained her law degree from Touro Law Center. She has also earned and maintains her CPHQ certification (Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality), granted by the National Association of Healthcare Quality.
Outside of her professional life, Karen is an avid traveler, an animal lover, and enjoys spending quality time with her family.
Laura McCrary EdD, Executive Director, KHIN, President
Konza
Laura McCrary, Ed.D. is a seasoned healthcare executive with 25 years of experience in the industry. With a commitment to improving healthcare outcomes through innovative solutions, Dr. McCrary has successfully led KONZA National Network through tremendous change and growth over the years. KONZA was recognized in December 2023 as a Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) under TEFCA. Dr. McCrary is leading KONZA in the development of new products that focus on improving health access, evaluating healthcare quality and transforming health data into formats necessary to support value-based payment models, medical research and clinical trials.
Dr. McCrary attended Kansas State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in education with a focus on history and political science, two master's degrees in learning disabilities and severe emotional disturbance and a doctorate in education administration. She completed post-doctoral work in administration from the University of Kansas. In addition, Dr. McCrary has served as an adjunct professor at Kansas State University and Rockhurst University-Helzberg School of Management, teaching courses in health information technology and quality.
Misty is an experienced Registered Nurse, licensed in all 50 states plus DC, with a robust background in nurse management, clinical operations, clinical strategy, telehealth, and clinical business development. As the Vice President of Clinical Business Development, she leads clinical service expansion for health plans and employers, working closely with cross-functional teams to translate client needs into measurable outcomes.
In this role, Misty is a key driver in strategic initiatives, overseeing new and expanded services, improving processes, and providing critical support for clinical activities and audits. Passionate about patient care and access to healthcare, Misty is dedicated to developing innovative solutions that empower individuals to achieve positive health outcomes and drive meaningful change in the healthcare industry.
Stephanie Muckey
Population Health Strategy Lead, Veteran Population
Stephanie Muckey Population Health Strategy Lead, Veteran Population
Humana
Stephanie Muckey spearheads Humana’s national health equity and social impact strategy, focusing on integrating community and business initiatives to enhance the clinical and social health outcomes of Veterans and their families. She drives collaborative efforts to reduce and prevent Veteran suicide, improve access to care and quality of care, and address social determinants of health affecting Veterans such as food insecurity, housing insecurity, loneliness, and social isolation. Her career is rooted in over two decades of experience as a military spouse and caregiver, fueling her passion to serve and invest in the military communities she has called home. Her journey has been shared by a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by service members, veterans, and their families. Her work particularly emphasizes reaching underserved and diverse communities, recognizing the importance of inclusive support systems. Through her professional endeavors and personal experiences, Stephanie continues to bridge gaps in care and advocates for comprehensive support for all those who have served our nation and their loved ones. Her approach reflects a commitment to equity, accessibility, and the recognition of the diverse needs within the veteran community.
Dr. Paroski is the is the President & CEO and Chief Medical Officer of Catholic Medical Partners, an independent practice association with 900 physician members. A board certified neurologist, Dr. Paroski has held various administrative positions including Medical Director at Erie County Medical Center; Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs & Admissions and Interim Vice President of Health Affairs and Interim Dean at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo; and Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Kaleida Health.
She began her medical career at the Buffalo VA Medical Center and held hospital appointments at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Kaleida Health, and Erie County Medical Center. In addition to her clinical and leadership roles, Dr. Paroski has been a faculty member in the Neurology department at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences for the past 37 years.
As President & CEO and Chief Medical Officer of Catholic Medical Partners, Dr. Paroski leads clinical integration and standardization efforts and physician relations among the organization’s medical and specialty practices. She is also responsible for engaging physician members in population health initiatives and value based payment model adaptation.
Tory Robinson
Director, Clinical Quality and Provider Performance
Tory Robinson Director, Clinical Quality and Provider Performance
Blue Shield of California
Tory Robinson is Director of Clinical Quality at Blue Shield of California. In her role, she spearheads the development Quality strategy for all commercial lines of business, as well as for state and national customers, accreditors and regulators. She oversees preventive care outcomes for statewide managed care and preferred provider networks. In close partnership with medical groups, independent providers and community-based care teams in California, Tory works to align rapid improvement and long-term development with the goals of an innovative healthplan that serves 4.8 million members. Her responsibilities encompass NCQA STAR performance, quality incentives, member engagement, value-based contracting and Accountable Care.
Tory is driven by the conviction that improving the system in service of the physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other care team members that inhabit it is a vital ingredient in the achievement of high-quality, affordable healthcare. Under her leadership, the Clinical Quality team at Blue Shield of California aims to exceed industry standards through large scale, collaborative improvement. Her commitment to excellence is reflected in the measurable improvements in preventive care outcomes and operational efficiency that Blue Shield of California continues to achieve for its Commercial populations.
Tory is a seasoned Improvement Advisor with 20 years of experience. Prior to joining Blue Shield of California, she held roles in performance and quality improvement with Kaiser Foundation Health Plan in Northern California, where she led developments in Maternity Care, Behavioral Health, Home Health, Hospice, and Palliative Care services. Tory graduated Cum Laude from Yale University and trained in interest-based negotiations at the United Nations University for Peace in Costa Rica.
Adam Simmen is the Vice President of Strategic Accounts at Everly Health Solutions, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of healthcare quality. At Everly Health, Adam is responsible for the comprehensive management of client relationships, strategic planning, and ensuring customer success for the company's payer clientele. His leadership and vision are instrumental in driving innovation and delivering value-added solutions, tailored to meet the unique needs of each client.
With over 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry, Adam has consistently demonstrated his commitment to enhancing patient experiences and outcomes. He has successfully led teams to achieve significant growth and scalability, always prioritizing patients and his client's best interest. Adam's expertise and dedication make him a key contributor to advancing healthcare quality and fostering partnerships that benefit both clients and patients alike.
For more than a decade, Melissa Smith has been at the forefront of leading Medicare Advantage and Star Ratings teams. As the founder of Newton Smith Group and a Senior Advisor to Oliver Wyman, Melissa is a widely recognized thought leader and healthcare strategist. Her proven track record of success lies in developing comprehensive enterprise-wide solutions that enhance Star Ratings, quality performance, health outcomes, and the overall member experience.
Melissa excels in crafting strategic and tactical solutions to meet client needs, forging productive partnerships across internal teams and external vendors, and improving performance on various quality measures. Her unique background in business, finance, regulatory compliance, and healthcare quality provides clients unparalleled access to healthcare strategy, quality performance, and revenue optimization.
As the former Chief Consulting Officer at Healthmine and Senior Vice President at Gorman Health Group, Melissa's leadership spans across prestigious organizations like Cigna-HealthSpring and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Graduating from Purdue University, Melissa began her career at KPMG, LLP and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Barry Stelmach is the Chief Financial Officer for Catholic Medical Partners, the largest network of independent practice physicians in Buffalo, NY, with nearly 900 physician members. He is responsible for the overall financial operations and leads payor negotiations for the organization. Barry also oversees the development and evaluation of risk contracts between payors and providers for all lines of business. He has played a significant role in preparing practices for the shift from fee-for-service to value-based care and risk-based contracts.
A native of Buffalo, NY Barry earned his undergraduate degrees in Accounting and Economics and a Master of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Mick Twomey is the founding Chief Operating Officer (COO) and current Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) of Hyperlift Logic, Inc. Coming from a management consulting background, Mick set his vision on redefining how plans approach Stars optimization. Out of that was born Stars Monitor, Hyperlift's SaaS technology platform.
Crafted by Stars professionals for their peers, Stars Monitor is the industry's leading Stars analytics solution that gives Stars teams time back while redefining how plans approach Stars optimization. Mick's dedication to creating a scalable and universally applicable model has helped establish Hyperlift's innovation-driven approach into a trusted partner in the healthcare sector.
Through a combination of leading-edge technology, Stars experts, and a year-round engagement framework, Hyperlift propels healthcare plans of all magnitudes to elevate their Stars performance management. Mick's leadership catalyzes these solutions, enabling healthcare plans to embark on a transformative Stars management journey that outperforms conventional performance management.
Kyra Valdez-Shipp RN, MSN, CCM, Founder & Principal
Peak Performance Solutions Group
Kyra Valdez-Shipp stands out as an esteemed healthcare executive and is the Founder & Principal of Peak Performance Solutions Group. Her mission is straightforward: to Inspire, Motivate, and Elevate individuals and organizations to infinite potential. Boasting two decades of experience in healthcare across various products, Kyra assists health plans, providers, and healthcare technology vendors in achieving peak performance with a focus on member-centric strategies. Her deep passion lies in pioneering healthcare solutions that cater to the dynamic and varied needs of populations managed by healthcare professionals daily.
Rex Wallace is the founder and principal of Rex Wallace Consulting, LLC, a firm that specializes in improving Star Ratings for Medicare Advantage health plans. Rex assesses plans and guides them in the development and implementation of leading strategies to drive material Quality Improvement. Since its inception in 2017, RWC has helped multiple Medicare Advantage contracts achieve significant improvements in Star Ratings, including single-year full-Star improvements. Prior to launching RWC, Rex spent twenty-three years in strategic healthcare roles, with a strong focus on Medicare Advantage. Most recently, he led Stars for a large, multi-state plan that consistently achieved 4 and 4.5 Stars across its multiple contracts.
Shannon Wilson Vice President of Population Health
Priority Health
Shannon Wilson is the first-ever vice president of population health and health equity for Priority Health, a Michigan-based health plan. In her role, she is responsible for the growth and development of Priority Health’s population health strategy, inclusive of health plan quality. Wilson also has oversight for health equity efforts, ensuring that achieving health equity is foundational to all health plan functions. To complement this work, Wilson serves as the executive director of the Total Health Care Foundation, a charitable organization committed to addressing social needs and determinants in southeast Michigan.
Wilson is a public health leader who has devoted her career to studying the intersection between health and race. She is focused on improving health care experiences for vulnerable populations and improving health and well-being for all residents across the state of Michigan.
