2021 Speakers:

As Chief Health Officer, Dr. Agrawal oversees Anthem’s enterprise health strategy, including medical policy and clinical quality, as well as the company’s industry-leading work to address the social drivers of health. He also leads Anthem’s community health strategy and the Anthem Foundation.

Prior to joining Anthem, Dr. Agrawal served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Quality Forum (NQF), a non-profit organization dedicated to working with members of the healthcare community to drive measurable health improvements. He is also the former Deputy Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where he led an effort to improve the physician experience with Medicare and also was one of the main architects of CMS’s strategy to address the national opioid epidemic. Dr. Agrawal served as Director of the Center for Program Integrity (CPI), where he was instrumental in launching new initiatives in data transparency and analytics, utilization management, and payment models.

Dr. Agrawal serves on the board of the Grameen Foundation and the editorial boards of New England Journal of Medicine: Catalyst and Population Health Management.. He is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania and Clinical Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine.

Dr. Agrawal completed his undergraduate education at Brown University, medical education at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and clinical training in Emergency Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his master’s degree in Social and Political Sciences from Cambridge University.

Dr. A. Wesley Burks is Dean of the UNC School of Medicine, Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs, and CEO of UNC Health.

Dr. Burks has spent more than 30 years taking care of patients, conducting research, helping to educate trainees, and leading institutions. He joined UNC-Chapel Hill in 2011 as physician-in-chief of the North Carolina Children’s Hospital and was named chair of the department of pediatrics in 2012, as well as the Curnen Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics. In 2015, he was named executive dean of the UNC School of Medicine, during which he oversaw the school’s focus on rural health initiatives, diversity in admissions, and primary care education, which is now ranked first in the country.

Dr. Burks also leads a research team focusing on identifying the molecular signatures of allergens in specific foods, such as peanuts, to gain a better understanding of why some people have adverse reactions. Dr. Burks and colleagues lead several immunotherapy clinical studies, and his initial work on peanut allergies is cited as the basis for potential peanut allergy treatment regimens currently under FDA review.

Dr. Burks is a past chair and member of the NIH Hypersensitivity, Autoimmune, and Immune-mediated Diseases study section and is Past President of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

He graduated from the University of Central Arkansas and then the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He completed a pediatric residency at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital and a fellowship in allergy and immunology at Duke University Medical Center. He served on the faculty at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Duke University Medical Center before joining the UNC School of Medicine.

Ceci Connolly, a nationally-recognized health care leader, is president and CEO of the Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP). She spent 25 years in journalism and is a well-respected author and commentator. As the?Washington Post's former chief health correspondent, she chronicled President Obama's drive for sweeping health care reform and the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Connolly is co-author of LANDMARK: The Inside Story of America's New Health Care Law and What It Means for Us All and has been published in numerous publications, including The New England Journal of Medicine. Following her career in journalism, Connolly served as a leader of PwC’s Health Research Institute and as a senior adviser at the McKinsey Center for Health Reform.

In her current role as president and CEO, she works with some of the most innovative executives in the health sector to provide high-quality, affordable coverage and care to all. She is a leading thinker in the disruptive forces reshaping our health system and has been a trusted adviser to c-suite executives.

Connolly is a founding member of?Women of Impact (WOI) for Healthcare. She is a former board member for the non-profit Whitman Walker Health and was the first non-physician to receive the Mayo Clinic's prestigious Plummer Society Award for promoting deeper understanding of science and medicine. She also serves on the advisory board to the Fannie Mae Sustainable Communities Initiative and was the recipient of a fellowship at?Harvard's?Kennedy School?of Government. In addition, Connolly was included on Business Insider’s inaugural list of “DC Health Care Power Players”.

As President and Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Permanente, P.C. Imelda Dacones, MD, leads more than 1,700 physicians, clinicians and administrators at the largest independent, physician-led, multi-specialty professional corporation in Oregon and southwest Washington. Together, these physicians deliver Permanente Medicine— evidence- and value-based health care with humanity— to more than 600,000 Kaiser Permanente members. Dr. Dacones is a passionate advocate for addressing the social and environmental determinants of health, and is working to transform the culture, practice, and business of medicine. Under her leadership, Northwest Permanente became the world’s first physician group certified as a B Corp – a status that underscores a strong corporate commitment to use business as a force for good.

Recently-elected as chair of The Permanente Federation's National Permanente Executive Committee, Dr. Dacones has responsibility for the people of The Permanente Federation. As a member of the Board of Directors of the new Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, she looks to influence the medical education of future generations of physicians in this country, inspiring them to spread the mission of providing high-quality, affordable health care and improving the health of people and our communities.

Stephanie Davis is a Senior Research Analyst at SVB Leerink covering Healthcare Technology and Distribution. She has over a decade of experience covering the Healthcare IT and IT Services sectors and leads the firm’s digital health research efforts.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Davis worked at Citibank where she led coverage for the Healthcare IT sector, including the electronic health record companies, payer-facing and provider-facing IT players. Before Citi, Ms. Davis was an Equity Research Analyst at J.P. Morgan and, earlier in her career, was an Investment Banking Analyst at Sonenshine Partners.

In 2019, Ms. Davis was recognized as a Runner-Up for Health Care Technology and Distribution on Institutional Investor’s All America Research Team and was included in Business Insider’s “Rising Stars of Equity Research” in 2017.

Ms. Davis earned a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Columbia University and is a CFA charterholder.

Dr. Gary Disbrow is the Director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a component of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. BARDA invests in the innovation, advanced research and development, acquisition, and manufacturing of medical countermeasures – vaccines, drugs, therapeutics, diagnostic tools, and non-pharmaceutical products needed to combat health security threats. BARDA has established hundreds of public-private sector partnerships and as of November 2020 BARDA now has a portfolio of 56 products that have earned FDA regulatory approvals, licensures or clearances.

Dr. Disbrow joined BARDA in January of 2007 and has held a variety of positions related to the advanced development and procurement of medical countermeasures against an array of threats to national security and public health. Prior to becoming the BARDA Director, Dr. Disbrow served as acting BARDA Director, Deputy Assistant Secretary of ASPR and Medical Countermeasures Program Director.

In October 2013, Dr. Disbrow was named Acting Director of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Division and was subsequently named the Director of the Division in December of 2014. During that time, the CBRN Division built a robust pipeline of candidate products under advanced research and development. In 2014 and 2015, Dr. Disbrow was identified as the Ebola Incident Coordinator for BARDA and worked closely with the BARDA Director on funding needs, development of candidate products, and was the primary liaison for BARDA across the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE). These efforts led to the first licensed Ebola vaccine, ERBEVO licensed in December 2019.

October 2008, Dr. Disbrow began serving as the Deputy Director of the CBRN Division of Countermeasures and oversaw the budget and programs for both advanced research and development and Project BioShield efforts.

Upon joining BARDA in January 2007, Dr. Disbrow began working on the smallpox vaccine program. Dr. Disbrow played a key role in awarding the first contract under Project BioShield using the authorities for advanced payment and milestone payments provided under the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (2006). JYNNEOS was licensed in September 2019.

Prior to joining BARDA, Dr. Disbrow was an Assistant Professor of Oncology and Pathology at Georgetown Medical Center where he worked on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines and therapeutics. Dr. Disbrow has previously worked at W.R. Grace, Kodak, and Genecor.

Dr. Disbrow attended the University of Rochester and Georgetown University for his undergraduate and Ph.D. respectively.

A Principal in Deloitte’s Healthcare practice, Kulleni Gebreyes is a physician leader with over 20 years of experience in the health care industry across the commercial and public sector. She drives care delivery transformation for health care organizations pursuing financially sustainable strategies for performance improvement, clinical services optimization and asset rationalization. She has also developed strategies for population health management and value-based care that address payment reform, physician engagement, and patient activation. In partnership with providers, payers, and employers, Kulleni has successfully developed and implemented clinical analytics tools and applications that reduce operating costs and promote appropriate utilization of resources.

Trained at Johns Hopkins Hospital System, Dr. Gebreyes is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and a Six Sigma Green Belt. She holds an MD from Harvard Medical School, a BA in Biology from Princeton University and an MBA from Carey Business School of Johns Hopkins. She has served as a faculty member engaged in medical education and residency training at Georgetown University Medical Center and George Washington University Hospital. Kulleni has also been an active advocate for vulnerable and underserved communities through her work with State of Maryland and District of Columbia. She is a recognized speaker at regional and national conference including Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), National Association of Health Care Executives (NAHSE) and Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).

Mr. Neil Goldfarb is President and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health (GPBCH, www.gpbch.org), which brings together employers in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Southern New Jersey who are committed to improving the health of their employees and the safety, quality and value delivered by the healthcare system. GPBCH represents over 1.5 million covered lives nationally. Before founding GPBCH in 2012, Mr. Goldfarb spent over 30 years in healthcare research, quality improvement, and management positions. As Associate Dean for Research in the Jefferson College of Population Health, he was responsible for leading the school’s research agenda, while concurrently serving as Director of Ambulatory Care Performance Improvement for Thomas Jefferson University’s faculty practice plan. His previous positions include Executive Director of a quality improvement consulting firm, and Vice President of Health Services for the Philadelphia region’s first Medicaid managed care plan. Mr. Goldfarb has authored over 60 articles in the peer-reviewed literature. Mr. Goldfarb is active in the governance of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, and founding co-Director of the College for Value-based Purchasing of Health Benefits.

Mary Grealy is president of the Healthcare Leadership Council, a coalition of chief executives of the nation’s leading healthcare companies and organizations. The HLC advocates consumer-centered health care reform, emphasizing the value of private sector innovation. It is the only health policy advocacy group that represents all sectors of the healthcare industry. She was appointed to the position in August 1999. She previously served as Washington Counsel for the American Hospital Association and was Chief Operating Officer and Executive Counsel for the Federation of American Hospitals.

Ms. Grealy has an extensive background in healthcare policy. She has led important initiatives on the uninsured, improving patient safety and quality, protecting the privacy of patient medical information and reforming the medical liability laws. She testifies frequently before Congress and federal regulatory agencies.

Ms. Grealy has a bachelor degree from Michigan State University and a law degree from Duquesne University. She served on the Board of Directors of TEAMHealth, one of the largest providers of outsourced physician staffing solutions for hospitals in the United States, and the Board of Directors of Duquesne University. She is Chair of the David A. Winston Health Policy Fellowship and serves on the board of the Women Business Leaders, the March of Dimes Public Policy Council and the Susan G. Komen Public Policy Advisory Board. She is also a member of the American Health Lawyers Association. She is a frequent public speaker on health issues and has been ranked many times by Modern Healthcare as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare and has been named to Modern Healthcare’s list of the Top 25 Women in Healthcare.

Richard S. Isaacs, MD, FACS, is CEO and executive director of The Permanente Medical Group and president and CEO of the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, two of the largest and most distinguished medical groups in the nation. Together, TPMG and MAPMG have more than 10,000 physicians and over 40,000 nurses and staff delivering high-quality health care to more than 5 million Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

Dr. Isaacs, who was named to Modern Healthcare’s list of the 50 Most Influential Physician Executives and Leaders in 2018, also serves as co-CEO of The Permanente Federation, a consortium of all the Permanente Medical Groups that supports the work of more than 22,000 Permanente physicians and 80,000 employees. In this role, Dr. Isaacs provides strategic leadership and direction to all the Permanente Medical Groups, and to the national Kaiser Permanente Program.

Previously, Dr. Isaacs served as physician-in-chief for the Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center, where he was responsible for all clinical operations. While physician-in-chief, Dr. Isaacs played a critical leadership role in helping his medical staff pioneer several initiatives that were adopted by Kaiser Permanente nationwide.

Dr. Isaacs serves on the board of directors for the Alliance of Community Health Plans and for the American Medical Group Association. He is also actively involved in medical education and has served as a clinical professor of Otolaryngology at University California, Davis School of Medicine; Drexel University School of Medicine; and California Northstate University School of Medicine.

Sarah Krevans is President and CEO of Sutter Health, a Northern California based not-for-profit health system that cares for 3 million patients—or 1 in every 100 Americans, in one of the most diverse and innovative regions in the nation. Sarah oversees Sutter’s integrated network of 14,000 clinicians, 24 hospitals, outpatient services, research facilities, and home health and hospice care.

Sarah has dedicated her healthcare career to finding ways to make healthcare more safe, personal, affordable and accessible. In the beginning of her career, Sarah was a caregiver for the elderly and people with severe mental illness, where she saw firsthand the impact of our broken system on patients.

Sarah was named Sutter Health’s President and CEO in January 2016. Prior to this role, she served as Sutter’s chief operating officer, regional executive officer and president of the Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region, and senior vice president of managed care. Previously, Sarah held executive roles at Kaiser Permanente and served as deputy director of Maine’s Bureau of Medical Services and acting director of Medicaid health planning and licensure programs.

Sutter Health has been recognized by independent organizations as a national leader in healthcare quality and advancing health equity. True to its not-for-profit mission, Sutter also provides compassionate care for more low income Medi-Cal patients in than any other health system in its Northern California footprint.

Sarah serves on the Bay Area Council Executive Committee, American Hospital Association Health Care Systems Council, California Hospital Association Board of Directors, United States of Care Founders Council, and Sutter Health Board of Directors.

She has been named as one of the “Top 25 Women Leaders” by Modern Healthcare, included on Modern Healthcare’s list of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare,” nominated as a “Visionary of the Year” by the San Francisco Chronicle, and named one of the “Most Influential Women in Business” by the San Francisco Business Times.

Sarah earned master’s degrees in business administration and in public health from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree from Boston University.

With deep roots in managing Safety programs, Dan Ludwig, Director of Benefits & Safety, brings over 20 years of experience in loss reduction. Under Dan’s watch, Brakebush Brothers, Inc. has seen a 75% decrease in occupational incident rates. Dan’s interest in connecting occupational and non-occupational losses evolved as he took on Benefits and the Wellness program in 2014 and shifted his focus to reducing health insurance losses. Brakebush has since opened an onsite clinic offering primary and acute care as well as a robust musculoskeletal injury prevention program, a centers of excellence program, and strategies to reduce prescription costs. Brakebush member premiums have not increased for four of the last five years and per member costs were lower in 2018 than in 2014.

As a result of Dan’s direction, Brakebush was awarded The Alliance (Wisconsin) Healthcare Transformation Award in 2018, and the 2019 Employer/Purchaser Excellence Award by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions.

Neil Meltzer is president and CEO of LifeBridge Health, a position he has held since 2013. Mr. Meltzer joined Sinai Hospital of Baltimore as vice president of operations in 1988, and a decade later became Sinai’s president and chief operating officer.

As CEO of LifeBridge Health, Mr. Meltzer has led the system through a period of strategic growth with a mission to transform the organization into an integrated health care delivery system, offering a full spectrum of care. Along with the acquisition of Carroll Hospital in 2015, Mr. Meltzer has expanded the system through key partnerships, including alliances with organizations that provide medical transportation, retail pharmacy, urgent care, health insurance, assisted living and more.

Mr. Meltzer has a background in public health and brings a community-focused approach to every health care decision. He serves on the boards of the Greater Baltimore Committee, Notre Dame of Maryland University, the Maryland Hospital Association, the Hippodrome Foundation and Everyman Theatre. Additionally, Mr. Meltzer serves on the advisory board of the University of Maryland School of Public Health. On the national level, he continues to work with the American Heart Association after serving as national chairman. He was also one of 15 national workforce health care champions appointed by former president, Barack Obama.

Mr. Meltzer earned his Master of Public Health and Health Administration from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in Louisiana, and his undergraduate degree in public health from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Among many honors, the Maryland Daily Record has recognized Mr. Meltzer as an Influential Marylander and a Most Admired CEO and has awarded him its ICON Honor. The Baltimore Business Journal has named Mr. Meltzer as one of its Power 10 CEOs, and, in 2019, the Baltimore Museum of Industry named him “Industrialist of the Year.”

Stephen Parodi, MD, is the chairman of the Council of Accountable Physician Practices, www.accountablecaredoctors.org, a coalition of the nation’s most progressive and integrated medical groups and health systems, encompassing more than 30 groups like the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Permanente Medical Groups, Geisinger, Intermountain and two dozen others, and involving more than 80,000 physicians. Dr. Parodi is also a practicing physician and physician leader at The Permanente Medical Group.

CAPP members are physician-led, multi-specialty medical groups or systems — places where doctors from all disciplines practice together and learn from one another, backed by integrated services, systems, data and technology. CAPP groups include more than 30 innovative organizations such as the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Geisinger, Intermountain and the Permanente Medical Groups, and represent the voice of 80,000 physicians.

Dr. Parodi is also the executive vice president of External Affairs, Communications and Brand at The Permanente Federation where he has oversight over the Federation’s external affairs functions, which include government relations, public policy, communications and brand strategy.

As an associate director for The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG), Dr. Parodi’s areas of responsibility include patient safety, the care of complex patients, laboratory medicine, risk management, transgender health, nephrology, renal transplant services and infectious disease. His work in hospital operations has included programs such as enhanced recovery after surgery, patient blood management, observation medicine and bedside multidisciplinary rounding. He also serves as a liaison for Kaiser Permanente’s engagement in local and international health care delivery initiatives.

Dr. Parodi practices as an infectious disease physician providing inpatient and outpatient consultation, HIV care and travel medicine services.

He received his medical degree from Georgetown University, completed his internal medicine residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and completed an infectious disease fellowship at the UCLA Affiliated Program in Infectious Disease.

Dr. Robert Pearl is the former CEO of The Permanente Medical Group (1999-2017), the nation’s largest medical group, and former president of The Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group (2009-2017). In these roles he led 10,000 physicians, 38,000 staff and was responsible for the nationally recognized medical care of 5 million Kaiser Permanente members on the west and east coasts.

Named one of Modern Healthcare’s 50 most influential physician leaders, Pearl is an advocate for the power of integrated, prepaid, technologically advanced and physician-led healthcare delivery.

He serves as a clinical professor of plastic surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine and is on the faculty of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he teaches courses on strategy and leadership, and lectures on information technology and health care policy. He is the author of “Mistreated: Why We think We’re Getting Good Healthcare—And Why We’re Usually Wrong,” a Washington Post bestseller that offers a roadmap for transforming American healthcare. All proceeds from the book go to Doctors Without Borders. His next book, “Uncaring: How the Culture of Medicine Kills Doctors & Patients” will be published spring 2021.

Board certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery, Pearl received his medical degree from the Yale University School of Medicine, followed by a residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Stanford University. 

From 2012 to 2017, Pearl served as chairman of the Council of Accountable Physician Practices (CAPP), which includes the nation’s largest and best multispecialty medical groups, and participated in the Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Delivery System Reform and Health IT in Washington, D.C.

Brian D. Pieninck is President and Chief Executive Officer of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, a leading multiline not-for-profit insurer.

Brian joined CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in April 2015 as Executive Vice President of the Large Group Strategic Business Unit (SBU). He assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer in May 2017 with responsibility for the organization’s four Strategic Business Units as well as Technology & Operational Support Services.

In May of 2018, Brian was unanimously selected by the CareFirst Boards to become the President and CEO, beginning his leadership of the company on July 1, 2018.

Prior to joining CareFirst, Brian was a member of Aetna Inc.’s executive team where he held key leadership positions during a 19-year tenure, including Director of Professional Employer Organizations, President of Southeast National Accounts, and President of the Americas for Aetna International.

Brian serves on the Boards of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Blue Health Intelligence, Federal Employee Program Board of Managers (FEP BOM), Sharecare, Inc., the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore (EAGB) and Greater Baltimore Committee (GBC). Additionally, Brian serves on the Board of the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare (CAQH) and the Maryland Special Olympics.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Studies Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University and is a graduate of Leadership Maryland’s Class of 2016. A native of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Brian and his family currently reside in Baltimore County, Maryland.

Dave Richard is the Deputy Secretary, NC Medicaid, where he leads North Carolina’s $14 billion Medicaid and NC Health Choice programs for the state’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

Richard’s vision for Medicaid is to ensure a sustainable, personcentered and innovative Medicaid program for more than two million North Carolinians who use Medicaid. As the programs undergo transformation to even better fit the needs of state and its residents, he is committed to the fundamental goal of improving the health and well-being of all residents. Richard believes the right way to achieve success is to work closely with stakeholders in all aspects of Medicaid.

Prior to leading Medicaid, Richard was the Deputy Secretary for DHHS Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Services and the State Operated Healthcare Facilities divisions. He joined DHHS in May 2013 as the Director of the Division of Mental Health, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services. Richard joined DHHS after leading The Arc of North Carolina, an advocacy and service organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as its Executive Director for 24 years.

Richard has a bachelor’s degree in education from Louisiana State University.

As Global Head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS, Melinda Richter fosters the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies external R&D engine and supports the innovation community by creating capital-efficient commercialization models that aim to give early-stage companies a big company advantage. By providing infrastructure, services, educational programs and networks in global innovation hotspots, Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS is the best place to start a company working in healthcare, with a specific emphasis on the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies’ sectors: consumer and health tech, medical device and pharmaceuticals.

Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS, Melinda was Founder and CEO of Prescience International, an award-winning firm dedicated to accelerating research to the patient. Melinda founded Prescience after she had a medical emergency that left her questioning the efficiency and efficacy of the healthcare system. With the tenacity and resolve of a patient looking for a better solution, she set out to create a better model, which now forms the basis for Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS’ operational infrastructure. Prior to starting Prescience, Melinda held posts across a variety of functional areas with a global corporation, Nortel Networks, in locations such as Research Triangle Park, New York, Toronto, London, Hong Kong and Beijing before arriving in San Francisco. She also initiated, raised capital and secured large corporate deals for several companies in both the life science and technology space. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada and an MBA from INSEAD in France.

Melinda is Chair of the California Life Sciences Association (CLSA), a board member of BIO’s Technology Transfer Committee, the Texas Health Catalyst Advisory Panel (The Dell Medical School and the Provost office of the University of Texas at Austin), the University of Toronto & Janssen Neuroscience Catalyst, A*STAR ETPL's Strategic Advisory Panel.

In his role as president and chief executive officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and its parent company Stella, Dr. Craig E. Samitt is responsible for overseeing the strategy and operations of the state’s first and largest health plan.

Dr. Samitt came to Blue Cross in July 2018 from Anthem, Inc., where he served as executive vice president and president of their Diversified Business Group. He built partnerships within and outside of Anthem to provide new sources of growth for the enterprise and deepened Anthem’s relationships and impact across the healthcare ecosystem. Concurrently, he led and executed a nationwide clinical vision and strategy as Anthem’s chief clinical officer. Dr. Samitt’s numerous accomplishments at Anthem include advancing the company’s portfolio of provider partnerships and payment innovation models, leading quality improvements in patient outcomes and increasing the delivery of value-based care.

An internal medicine physician by training, Dr. Samitt has worked across multiple sectors within the health care industry. His career includes a number of senior executive positions, including partner and global provider practice leader at Oliver Wyman; president and CEO of HealthCare Partners, a subsidiary of DaVita HealthCare; and president and CEO of Dean Health System Inc., one of the largest integrated health systems in the Midwest.

Dr. Samitt is a nationally recognized expert and thought leader on health care delivery and policy. His record of collaborating across the health care system to deliver higher quality care at a lower cost led to him being named one of “50 Most Influential Physician Executives and Leaders” by Modern Healthcare in 2018 and one of “100 Most Influential Health Care Leaders” by Minnesota Physician in 2020. Dr. Samitt also received the Alumni Achievement Award from the Wharton Health Care Management Alumni Association in 2020 for his contributions to health care management. He currently serves on the Editorial Advisory Council at FierceHealthcare, offering feedback on publications and content and providing insights into emerging industry trends.

Dr. Samitt currently serves on multiple boards, including the National Committee for Quality Assurance; the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association; the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation; Minnesota Business Partnership; the Minnesota Council of Health Plans; Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity; Hennepin Healthcare Foundation; the GREATER MSP Partnership and board chair for Blaze Health, a joint venture with North Memorial Health. From 2012 to 2018, Dr. Samitt was a commissioner of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), an independent agency that advises Congress on Medicare payment policy.

Dr. Samitt holds an undergraduate degree from Tufts University, a medical degree from Columbia University and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. He completed a medical residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota’s first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. A nonprofit, taxable organization, Blue Cross is the largest health plan based in Minnesota, covering 2.9 million members in Minnesota and nationally through its health plans or plans administered by its affiliated companies. Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® of Minnesota and Blue Plus® are nonprofit independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. Go to bluecrossmn.com to learn more about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

Roy Smythe, M.D., joined SomaLogic in November 2018 as Chief Executive Officer. During the course of his career, Dr. Smythe has been an internationally recognized surgeon, biomedical scientist, academician, health system administrator and healthcare business entrepreneur. While in medical school at Texas A&M, he was a Charles A. Dana Foundation Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Wharton School of Business. Following medical school, he trained in general surgery, surgical oncology and thoracic surgery and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in molecular therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania. His medical and translational research career then began at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he was the recipient of NIH and numerous other funding awards. He subsequently chaired the Department of Surgery at Baylor Scott & White Health System and the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, where he was the Roney Endowed Chair, and later became the Medical Director of Innovation and Executive Vice President for Institute Development before moving into expanded roles in corporate healthcare.

Dr. Smythe came to SomaLogic from Royal Philips, where he served as Global Chief Medical Officer for Strategy and Partnerships. Before joining Philips, he served as Chief Medical Officer at Valence Health, a Chicago-based healthcare company. He held the same title previously at AVIA, a healthcare technology accelerator.

A highly sought-after lecturer and the author of more than 300 papers, abstracts and essays in academic, literary and humanities publications, Dr. Smythe is also currently a member of more than 20 U.S. national learned societies.

Michelle Stansbury has been with Houston Methodist since July 1993. Her current position is Vice President of Corporate Business / Revenue Cycle Systems and Innovations in the Information Technology Division. During her 28 years at Methodist, she has had many accomplishments. In 2016, Houston Methodist deployed Epic to its main academic medical center and all of its physician practices.

Houston Methodist received the highest adoption score of Epic functionality of any new Epic client and the hospital saw higher operating activity and greater revenue after the deployment of Epic. Her strength is in developing strategy and leading teams to drive those strategic initiatives.

Before joining Houston Methodist, Michelle held leadership roles at Compaq Computer Corporation and Amoco Oil. Her most recent passion is in Digital Health Innovation and has been part of the team leading innovation initiatives at Houston Methodist. Michelle was instrumental in the establishment of the Center for Innovation and works closely with the Chief Innovation Officer and the Chief Information Officer. Within her innovation role, Michelle has responsibilities for day-to-day management of the Innovation Department and has strategic responsibilities for Intelligent Automation and digital transformation. Notable innovation accomplishments in the past two years have been the launch of the Center for Innovation Technology Hub, Intelligent Automation, Call Center and Telephony Automation, and most recently the development of Clinical Voice Technologies.

Michelle speaks regularly on innovation, digital transformation and building innovative cultures in conferences and panels. She was named as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Healthcare IT for 2019 – CIO and IT Executives by Health Data Management Magazine. She was also named as one of the 2020 Women to Watch in Health IT by Becker’s, and most recently named as one of the finalists for the 2021 HIMSS Changemaker in Health Awards.

Michelle earned her Bachelor degree in Business Administration from Phoenix University. She is a member of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, Healthcare Financial Management Association and the Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society.

Outside the office, Michelle enjoys motorsports and track racing.

Courtney Stevens is the Director of Virtual Care for Henry Ford Health System. As a Michigan based not-for-profit corporation, Henry Ford Health System is one of the nation’s leading comprehensive, integrated health systems, providing health insurance and health care delivery, including acute, specialty, primary and preventive care services backed by excellence in research and education. Founded in 1915 by auto pioneer Henry Ford, Henry Ford Health System is committed to improving the health and well-being of a diverse community.

Courtney has been with the Henry Ford for over 13 years. She started with Henry Ford in Process Improvement as a management engineer, where she has applied her industrial engineering and project management skills to various projects to aid in health system integration and alignment. She transitioned to Customer Engagement/Care Experience where she helped to improve the customer experience through project management, data/root cause analysis, training, and process improvement initiatives. As of 2016 Courtney accepted a leadership role in Virtual Care, developing the strategy and standards for telehealth expansion throughout Henry Ford Health System’s continuum of care. These applications, including real time video and secure online messaging, produced over 17,000 virtual visits/consults in 2019, saving patients over 144,000 miles or 200 days of travel and providers over 2,500 miles or over 10 clinic days of travel.

Courtney has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Western Michigan University and Masters of Science in Engineering Management from Wayne State University. She also has 4 years of experience as a Senior Product Engineer at TRW Automotive Occupant Safety Systems in their driver side airbag and steering wheel division.

Jeff Terry built and leads the Command Center business for GE Healthcare. His team helps top-tier health systems achieve and sustain next-level performance through actionable information, targeted process improvement, and culture change. Using the Command Center toolkit, GE Healthcare customers have consistently realized a 4-to-1 ROI within three years.

Jeff’s expertise in turning data into insight and action for caregivers is at the heart of the command center toolkit, which is fueled by artificial intelligence. For example, actionable intuitive information is delivered through Tiles—similar to smartphone apps—on users’ mobile phones, tablets, PCs, and on large display walls in command centers. Tiles bring extreme situational awareness, spot risk, predict issues, and prescribe action…all in real-time—a truly revolutionary capability.

Jeff and his team are energized by serving caregivers. To date, Jeff’s team has helped caregivers deliver exceptional care globally—including the US, Canada, UK, Mexico, France, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.

Jeff joined GE Healthcare in 2001. Prior to his time with GE, Jeff served as a combat engineer Lieutenant and then Captain in the US Army's 1st Armored Division, with whom he deployed to Kuwait. Jeff brings his military training to his role at GE with an emphasis on teamwork to succeed in critical missions.

Jeff holds a BE in electrical engineering from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Marquette University. He is a Six Sigma Black Belt and Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. His insights have been published in Forbes, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Modern Healthcare, Becker’s Hospital Review, Healthcare Executive, Healthcare Financial Management, HealthLeaders, Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare, and on National Public Radio.

Michael Thompson is the President and CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (National Alliance). The National Alliance is the only nonprofit, purchaser-led organization with a national and regional structure dedicated to driving health, equity and healthcare value across the country. Collectively, the organization represents over 45 million Americans, spending over $300 billion annually on healthcare including a broad cross-section of private sector and public sector employers as well as union organizations. Thompson is a nationally recognized thought leader for business health strategies and health system reform.

Prior to joining the National Alliance, Mike was a Principal at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for 20 years where he worked as an advisor to employers, health plans, providers, and other healthcare stakeholders. He was also an executive with diverse roles with Prudential Healthcare for over 17 years. Mike is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, serving on the Health Practice Council, and chairs the Medicare Sub-Committee of the American Academy of Actuaries (AAA). He is widely recognized as a leading national advocate for mental health and wellbeing and a Past President of the New York City chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI).

Ian G. Worden is the chief operating officer of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. Worden is responsible for directing the operations of acute care services along with coordinating, integrating and growing these services in our communities while ensuring the delivery of cost-effective care.

Most recently, Worden led St. Vincent Health System, a 23 hospital system in Indiana, as its executive vice president/chief operations officer. As the COO of the largest health care system in Indiana, he drove the system from a financially struggling operation to the most profitable regional system in Ascension Health, the largest nonprofit health system in the US. Worden joined St. Vincent in 2000 as its senior vice president-Finance/chief operating officer. From 1995 to 2000, he was chief financial officer at PeaceHealth in Eugene, Oregon.

Worden received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Florida State University. He has a master’s in neuroscience and anatomy, a master’s in business and finance and a master’s in health services administration from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.