2004 Speakers' Biographies
Henry J. Aaron, Ph.D. is
currently Bruce and Virginia MacLaury Senior Fellow in the Economic
Studies Program at the Brookings Institution. From 1990 through 1996
he was the Director of the Economic Studies Program. He is a member
of the Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
His publications include: Coping With Methusaleh: The Impact of Molecular
Biology on Medicine and Society.
haaron@brookings.edu
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Jeremy J. Alberga, M.A. is a
Senior Manager at AcademyHealth and primarily works on The Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation's State Coverage Initiatives (SCI) program. His responsibilities
include providing technical assistance to state policymakers on health
policy reform, specifically expanding and maintaining health insurance
coverage through public programs and public/private partnerships; disseminating
state models of expansion through the program's written products; convening
workshops and small group consultations for policymakers; and assisting
in the development of technical assistance documents.
Jeremy.Alberga@academyhealth.org
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Barbara P. Bailey, CEBS, CLU is
a principal and practice leader for the health care and group benefits
practice in Mercer’s Richmond office. Barb advises major Virginia-based
clients on all aspects of health and welfare plans. Primarily she focuses
on benefit strategy and plan design in addition to her expertise in
the areas of managed care plan assessment and selection, flex plan design,
managed time loss, prescription drug management and health management.
She has more than 30 years of experience in the benefits industry including
seven years with Mercer in Richmond. Prior to joining Mercer, she was
vice president with Aetna US Healthcare in Atlanta, Georgia. She received
a Bachelor of Science degree from Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
She holds the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) designation
from the International Employee Benefits Foundation and Chartered Life
Underwriter (CLU) from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Eric Baumgartner, M.D., MPH is
a career public health physician committed to the mission of creating
population health and access to care. He currently serves as Program
Planning and Policy Specialist for the Louisiana Public Health Institute,
a Technical Assistance Team Leader for the Georgia Health Policy Center’s
Rural Health Network Technical Assistance Program and a national coach
for communities in action around health and health care. He works directly
with both urban and rural community health collaborative and serves
on the Leadership Council of Communities Joined in Action (CJA), a member
association for leaders in community health initiatives. Dr. Baumgartner
formerly served in a variety of public health posts at the local and
state levels, including as local health director in rural Mississippi
and State Health Officer of Louisiana. In addition, he served as the
Chief of the Texas Department of Health’s Bureau of Managed Care,
where he helped manage the conversion of the Texas TANF Medicaid program
to managed care. More recently, he served as the Director of Community
Access and State-based Programs for the federal Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA) where he managed grant-making to communities
(CAP Grant) and states (State Planning Grants) committed to expanding
access to care.
etbaumgartner@bellsouth.net
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David Bloom, Ph.D. is an economist
and demographer and the Clarence James Gamble Professor at the Harvard
School of Public Health. In January 2003 he was appointed Chairman of
the School’s Department of Population and International Health.
Bloom received a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell
University in 1976, an M.A. in Economics from Princeton University in
1978, and a Ph.D. in Economics and Demography from Princeton in 1981.
Prior to joining the public health school faculty in 1996, Bloom served
on the public policy faculty at Carnegie-Mellon University, and on the
economics faculties at Harvard University and Columbia University. From
1996 to 1999 Bloom served as Deputy Director of the Harvard Institute
for International Development. From 1987 to 1996 he was Professor of
Economics at Columbia University where he served as Chairman of the
Department of Economics from 1990 to 1993. Bloom has worked extensively
in the areas of labor, population, and health and has been retained
as a consultant to various public and private organizations, both within
the United States and abroad.
dbloom@hsph.harvard.edu
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Rene S. Cabral-Daniels, JD, MPH, currently
is the Director of the Virginia Department of Health Office of Health
Policy and Planning. She coordinated the Virginia State Planning Grant
(SPG) application process and is responsible for providing overall guidance
to the Virginia State Planning Grant. Ms. Daniels graduated from the
University of Virginia School of Law in 1993 and received her Masters
of Public Health from Yale School of Medicine.
Rene.CabralDaniels@vdh.virginia.gov
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Karen L. Cameron, MHA, CHE is
the Executive Director of the Central Virginia Health Planning Agency,
a non-profit regional health planning agency serving 27 cities/counties.
Karen has more than 18 years experience in health care planning, community
development, and management. She has a BA from the University of Virginia
in biology and psychology, an MHA from the Medical College of Virginia
of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and a post-graduate certificate
in Non-Profit Management from VCU, as well as board certified in health
care administration by the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Her background includes six years as a health care management consultant
for two national firms and hospital-based experience as Vice-President
for planning and marketing. Among Karen’s extensive experience
in community based planning and development are: comprehensive health
needs assessments (for special populations and geographic areas), mental
health planning/restructuring, Certificate of Need review, grant development
and project management assistant, and data utilization training.
KCameron@cvhpa.org
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Judith Cash is the President and
Chief Executive Officer of CHIP of Virginia, a statewide network of
local programs, committed to improving child health by increasing access
to comprehensive healthcare for young children in low-income families.
Ms. Cash has been with CHIP since January of 2000. She brought to the
position over 18 years of experience in direct service and administration
of programs for children and families, as well as several years as a
child policy specialist with the Virginia General Assembly.
Vacash1@aol.com
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Deborah Chollet, Ph.D. is a
Senior Fellow at Mathematica Policy Research in Washington, DC. Dr.
Chollet conducts and manages research on private health insurance coverage,
markets, and regulation—including employer-sponsored health plans
for workers and retirees, individual health insurance, and Medicare
supplement plans. She regularly provides technical assistance to States
regarding private health insurance and health care reform. Her research
includes estimation of the impacts of regulation on health insurance
markets and coverage, and state-level modeling of the costs and coverage
impacts of major health care reform. She serves as a senior consultant
to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Coverage Initiatives
program, on the editorial boards of Benefits Quarterly and the Journal
of Insurance Issues. Dr. Chollet’s previous positions include
Vice President of Alpha Center (now AcademyHealth); Director of the
Center for Risk Management and Insurance Research and Associate Professor
of Risk Management and Insurance at Georgia State University; Senior
Researcher at the Employee Benefit Research Institute; and Assistant
Professor of Economics at Temple University.
dchollet@mathematica-mpr.com
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Aneesh P. Chopra, MPP is currently
a Principal with the Advisory Board Company, a for-profit think tank
providing strategic research to over 2,400 hospitals and health systems.
In this capacity, he leads research endeavors, coordinates member relations,
and supports business development activities as a member of the firm’s
Policy Committee. During his seven-year tenure with the Advisory Board,
Aneesh has led four national research studies, including Enfranchising
Nursing in Cost Reform, Stopping the Bleed: Reversing Losses in Owned
Practices, Healthsystem.com, and Holding the Center. In addition to
his research duties, Aneesh has served as a National Speaker during
the inaugural Nursing Executive Center Meetings, presenting at 15 national
conferences and onsite at over 40 member hospitals. Outside of the Advisory
Board, Aneesh serves on the Board of Virginia’s Department of
Medical Assistance Services. In 2001, Governor Mark Warner (D-VA) appointed
him to Co-Chair the Southern Technology Council, a regional economic
development organization committed to the sharing of technology-related
best practices at the state level. Aneesh graduated with a Masters in
Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School
of Government in 1997. He graduated with a B.A. from The Johns Hopkins
University in 1994.
ChopraA@advisory.com
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Gary Claxton is a Vice President
and the Director of the Health Care Marketplace Project at the Henry
J. Kaiser Family Foundation. The Project provides information, research,
and analysis about trends in the health care market and about policy
proposals that relate to health insurance reform and our changing health
care system. Prior to joining the Foundation, Mr. Claxton worked as
a senior researcher at the Institute for Health Care Research and Policy
at Georgetown University, where his research focused on health insurance
and health care financing. From March 1997 until January 2001, Mr. Claxton
as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Policy at the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, where he advised the Secretary on health
policy issues including: improving access to health insurance, Medicare
reform, administration of Medicaid, financing of prescription drugs,
expanding patient rights, and health care privacy. Other previous positions
include serving as a consultant for the Lewin Group, a special deputy
in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation,
an insurance analyst for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners,
and a health policy analyst for the American Association of Retired
Persons.
gclaxton@kff.org
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Randy Collins is the President/CEO
of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce. The US Census recently ranked
Loudoun County, Virginia in 2004 as the fastest growing county in the
USA and with 1300+ members; the Loudoun Chamber is the largest Chamber
in Northern Virginia. Prior to his current position, Randy served with
the Chambers of Commerce in Lynchburg, VA, Front Royal, VA and Fairfax
County, VA. Prior to his Chamber work, Randy was employed with the Boy
Scouts of America as a District Executive with the National Capital
Area Council in Bethesda, Maryland.
president@loudounchamber.org
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Denise C. Daly, M.S. is the Executive
Director of Richmond Enhancing Access to Community Healthcare (REACH),
a Richmond, Virginia-based organization that promotes collaboration
to increase access to a comprehensive continuum of quality healthcare
services and to strengthen the healthcare delivery system in the Richmond
metro area, using data to support its efforts. Denise has been with
REACH, coordinating its initiatives, since its inception in 2000. REACH
has become known for its neutrality in bringing together disparate groups
to address common concerns regarding access to affordable healthcare
for uninsured and underinsured persons. Denise holds a BS in Psychology
from The College of William and Mary and an MS in Health Evaluation
Sciences from the University of Virginia.
ddaly@vcu.edu
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Brydon M. DeWitt, J.D. is a partner
in the Employee Benefits Section at Williams Mullen. His practice focuses
on all areas of employee benefits law, including qualified pension plans,
welfare plans, HIPAA compliance, stock-based compensation, and benefits
issues arising in mergers and acquisitions. Mr. DeWitt is a member of
the Virginia State Bar, the Virginia Bar Association, and the Central
Virginia Employee Benefits Council and a frequent speaker on employee
benefits matters.
bdewitt@williamsmullen.com
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Carol Winsett Dill, Ed.D. is Executive
Director of Boydton Community Health Facility, Inc. She has many years
experience in management and program planning. A native of Memphis,
Dr. Dill has a B.S. degree in Chemistry, an M.A. degree in Special Education,
both from Austin Peay State University and an Ed.D. in Curriculum Design
from Tennessee State University. In 1986 she developed a residential
school program for Harriet Cohn Community Mental Health Center and served
as its principal. During that time she served on the Governor’s
Task Force for Special Education whose work resulted in an unprecedented
multi-agency collaborative to improved services to students statewide.
She came to Boydton Community Health Facility, Inc. in 2000. With her
background in program remediation and management, she has led the organization
to four successive years of increased productivity and program growth.
With an emphasis on customer service, resource development and continuous
quality assurance the programs currently serve approximately 3000 people
and provide a sliding fee determined by income. In 2004, HealthCare
on the Square will finish a $5 Million historic preservation project
that will provide space for expanded health care services, additional
jobs and training programs. Dr. Dill is on the Board of Directors of
the Virginia Primary Care Association and currently serves on the Board
of Directors of Boydton’s Historic Renaissance.
cdill@boydtonmedical.org
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Harvey V. Fineberg, M.D., Ph.D. is
President of the Institute of Medicine. He served as Provost of Harvard
University from 1997 to 2001, following thirteen years as Dean of the
Harvard School of Public Health. He has devoted most of his academic
career to the fields of health policy and medical decision making. Dr.
Fineberg helped found and served as president of the Society for Medical
Decision Making and also served as adviser and consultant to the US
Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. At the
Institute of Medicine, he has chaired and served on a number of panels
dealing with health policy issues, ranging from AIDS to vaccine safety.
He is the author, co-author, and co-editor of numerous books and articles
on such diverse topics as AIDS prevention, tuberculosis control, assessment
of new medical technology, clinical and public health decision making,
and understanding risk in society.
fineberg@nas.edu
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Linda B. Ford, M.A. works for the
Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) of the Virginia
General Assembly. JLARC is the "watchdog agency" of Virginia
state government and is somewhat comparable to the federal government's
General Accounting Office. While at JLARC, Linda has worked on numerous
policy and program evaluations covering such topics as: state/local
government relations, small business development centers, state conservation
programs, and transportation. Most recently Linda was the project leader
on a JLARC study that examined options to help acclimate foreign-born
residents into Virginia. Her educational background includes bachelor's
and master's degrees in Sociology from the University of Virginia, with
concentrations in the study of organizations and statistical analysis.
lford@leg.state.va.us
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Arthur “Tim” Garson, Jr.,
M.D., MPH was appointed Dean of the School of Medicine and
Vice President of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville in June
2002. He graduated from Princeton University in 1970; received his M.D.
from Duke University in 1974; served his Pediatric Residency at Duke
in 1976; his Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine,
1979; and earned his M.P.H. at University of Texas Houston in 1992.
Prior to his appointment at UVA, he was Senior Vice President and Dean
for Academic Operations at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston (1995-2002)
Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs at Duke (1992-1995), and
Chief, Pediatric Cardiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston (1988-1992).
Dr. Garson was the President of the American College of Cardiology in
1999-2000, has recently served on the Institute of Medicine’s
Task Force on Rapid Improvements in the Healthcare System and the Commonwealth
Fund’s Task Force on Health Insurance and the Uninsured; he is
currently the Chair of the National Advisory Committee of the U.S. Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality.
atg2n@virginia.edu
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Edwina Davis Gary, M.S. is a native
of Thomasville, GA. She received her BS degree in biology from Bennett
College, Greensboro, NC and her Master's degree in community health
education with certification in gerontology (health emphasis and death
and dying emphasis) from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA. Mrs.
Gary has served as CEO of the Peninsula Institute from Community Health
(PICH) for 21 years. PICH provides comprehensive medical care to individuals
based on ability to pay. Eligibility is based on annual poverty guidelines
for family size and income. In 2001, PICH served approximately 17,000
patients and employed 11 full-time board certified physicians, and 1-physician's
assistant. PICH's physicians provide care in pediatrics, family practice,
internal medicine, and obstetrics/gynecology. Podiatry services are
provided, on a contract basis, to meet the needs of PICH's diabetic
patients.
egary@pich.org
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Claire Guthrie Gastañaga, J.D. is
the principal of CG2 Consulting - a training and consulting firm that
offers training, organizational development, conflict resolution and
strategic public advocacy services primarily to not-for-profit organizations
and trade associations and their leaders. She currently serves as the
President of the Richmond Chapter of National Association of Women Business
Owners (NAWBO), and as the Atlantic Regional Coordinator for the national
NAWBO Public Policy Council. From 1986-1994, Ms. Gastanaga was Chief
Deputy Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General of the Human and
Natural Resources Division in the Virginia Attorney General's Office.
She is the first woman ever to serve as Virginia's Chief Deputy. As
Chief Deputy, Ms. Gastanaga supervised all of the legal work, oversaw
personnel and day-to-day operations and guided the legislative activities
of the Office of the Attorney General -- a public law firm with an annual
budget exceeding $15 million and over 250 employees.
cgg@cg2consulting.com
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Tanya Gonzalez is the Immigrant
Community Liaison for Refugee and Immigration Services of the Catholic
Diocese of Richmond. Originally from Texas, Ms. Gonzalez holds a B.A.
in Latin American Studies from Brown University. She is also an alumni
of Leadership Metro Richmond and the Connecting Communities Fellowship
Program. Ms. Gonzalez currently serves on the Governor's Virginia Latino
Advisory Commission, on the Health Issues and Language Access Subcommittees.
Ms. Gonzalez is also part of the Association of Hispanic Americans of
Richmond, a grassroots organization that serves Richmond's growing Hispanic
community with social, cultural, and educational programs.
tgonzalez@richmonddiocese.org
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Richardson Grinnan, M.D. joined
Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield as vice president, Medical affairs in
1982. He subsequently served as the vice president and chief medical
officer for Trigon until 1998. Currently, in the role as senior medical
director, Dr. Grinnan provides quality support services for the Southeast
region of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, which merged with Trigon
in 2002. Dr. Grinnan received a B.A. in Psychology from the University
of Virginia and received his Doctorate of Medicine from the Medical
College of Virginia. Dr. Grinnan is board certified in Internal Medicine
and Pulmonary Disease. He currently serves on the following boards:
The Virginia Board of Health, the Medical Society of Virginia Foundation,
The Virginia Health Quality Center, and Virginia Health Information.
Dick.Grinnan@anthem.com
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Alfred W. Gross, Ph.D. was appointed
Commissioner of Insurance effective August 1, 1996, having being appointed
Acting Commissioner in May of 1996. Commissioner Gross joined the Bureau
of Insurance in March of 1981, holding various positions including Deputy
Commissioner in the Bureau’s Financial Regulation Division. Since
1989, he has served as Deputy Receiver for Virginia domiciled insurers
in receivership. Commissioner Gross holds a MBA degree from University
of Richmond in finance and accounting, an MA and Ph.D. from the University
of Kansas in German Language and Literature and a BA degree from Loyola
University in humanities. He was an Assistant Professor at Virginia
Commonwealth University from 1976 until he came to the Bureau of Insurance.
Other professional activities include serving on the editorial staff
of the Journal of Insurance Regulation, being a Certified Insurance
Examiner (CIE), as well as a fellow of the Life Office Management Institute.
agross@scc.state.va.us
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Lyn Hainge has 20 years’
experience in not-for-profit management, and has been the Executive
Director of the Northern Virginia Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
since it opened in 1996. This AHEC is nationally recognized for providing
interpreter services, interpreter training, translation services and
consultation, all of which are designed to support the local healthcare
workforce as it grapples with the challenges of serving a population
who come from hundreds of different countries and cultural backgrounds.
lhainge@nvahec.org
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John Holahan, Ph.D. is Director
of the Health Policy Research Center at The Urban Institute. His recent
work has focused on the Medicaid program, as well as state health policy
more broadly, and issues of federalism and health. These include analyses
of the recent growth in Medicaid expenditures, variations across states
in Medicaid expenditures, and the implications of block grants, and
expenditure caps and changes in matching formulas on states. He has
also published research on the reasons for the growth in the uninsured
over the past decade and on the effects of proposals to expand health
insurance coverage on the number of uninsured and the cost to federal
and state governments.
jholahan@ui.urban.org
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Stephen A. Horan, Ph.D., is the
Executive Director of Community Health Resource Center, Inc., a not
for profit corporation providing research and education for community
health improvement. Steve has more than 15 years of experience in health-related
policy, research, planning, and evaluation. He has trained more than
300 staff of community-based organizations in health planning and evaluation
techniques, and provided research and consulting support to dozens of
organizations in the public and private sector. Steve previously worked
as a senior consultant with an international consulting firm; a senior
legislative analyst with the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review
Commission and Joint Commission on Health Care; a health care administrator,
and teacher.
shoran@communityhealthinfo.com
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Lori Kaczmarek, Vice President
of Managed Care for Bon Secours Health System in Virginia, provides
leadership for managed care contracting and strategies for the seven
(7) hospitals, numerous outpatient facilities and services and more
than twenty (20) physician practices affiliated with Bon Secours Health
System in Richmond, Hampton Roads and Norton, Virginia. Lori's responsibilities
range from negotiating contract terms with insurers to identifying opportunities
to improve financial performance under managed care contracts. Lori
joined Bon Secours in 1995, following eight (8) years with CIGNA HealthCare
where she held positions in underwriting, finance, network development
and hospital contracting.
Lori_Kaczmarek@bshsi.com
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Sandra Stiner Lowe has extensive
experience in public policy, human services, personnel administration,
and organizational management. Sandra Stiner Lowe focused her career
on improving the quality of life for Fairfax County’s low-income
population. Her proven capabilities as an administrator and motivator
have been instrumental in the development of successful local and nationally
replicated partnerships, including the Fairfax County Computer Learning
Centers Partnership (CLCP) as well as the nationally renowned Medical
Care for Children Partnership (MCCP). Currently, Ms. Lowe serves as
a key player and principal liaison in the development of the Fairfax
County Government’s Public/Private Partnership Initiatives in
the areas of Health, Education and Technology.
Sandra.lowe@fairfaxcounty.gov
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Chris A. Lumsden, MHSA has served
as Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of Halifax Regional Health
System (HRHS) since 1988. HRHS operates a hospital, two nursing homes,
an assisted living facility and a home health/hospice agency. Mr. Lumsden,
a native of Roanoke, Virginia, was graduated with honors form Bridgewater
College with a double major in business administration and economics
and received his Master’s Degree in Health Services Administration
from George Washington University in 1983. Mr. Lumsden is a licensed
Nursing Home Administrator and a Diplomat in the American College of
Healthcare Executives. He is past chairman of the Virginia Hospital
and Healthcare Association (VHHA) Board of Directors and currently serves
on the Board for the Virginia Community College System.
Chris.lumsden@halifaxregional.com
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P.J. Maddox, Ed.D, RN is the
Director of the Office of Research in the Center for Health Policy at
George Mason University. She is a recognized health services researcher
and health policy expert who is studying the problem of uninsurance
in Virginia and what can be done about it. A nurse and former hospital
administrator she knows first hand about the challenges of providing
quality healthcare in a system where financial resources are decreasing
and the demand for health services continues to rise. She is known for
her ability to explain complex problems in a way that makes them human
and understandable. She has been asked to bring the nameless, faceless
problem of uninsurance in Virginia to life for all conference participants.
pmaddox@gmu.edu
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Alan T. McKenzie serves as
President and CEO of the American Project Access Network (APAN), a national
non-profit service organization dedicated to assisting communities in
reorganizing health system assets to enhance access to care and the
health status of the low-income uninsured. Mr. McKenzie also serves
as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Buncombe County
Medical Society (BCMS) – the 800+ member voluntary professional
association of physicians in the Buncombe County area. As CEO of the
Medical Society, Mr. McKenzie also directs the BCMS Project Access charity
care system that provides over $3.5 million of free physician care and
$2 million in free hospital care each year to low-income uninsured patients.
APAN uses the BCMS Project Access heath care access model developed
in Asheville, NC - and others that have been replicated from it - to
help guide communities through their own transformational processes.
Twenty-five communities, with populations ranging in size from under
20,000 to over one million have successfully adopted the Project Access
model to their unique circumstances. An additional twenty communities
are actively working to implement the coordinated charity care system.
ceo@apanonline.org
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The Honorable William C. Mims is
resident of Loudoun County and is a Senator for District 33 (parts of
Loudoun and Fairfax Counties). He currently serves on the Courts of
Justice, Education and Health, Local Government, Transportation, and
Rules Committees. He has served in the Senate since 1998 and prior to
that, served as a member of the House of Delegates from 1992-98. Senator
Mims was born in Harrisonburg, VA and received his A.B. in history from
the College of William and Mary, J.D. from George Washington University,
and an LL.M. from Georgetown University. Senator Mims is active in the
community where he is serving/has served as an attorney at Mims, Atwill
& Leigh P.C.; a distinguished adjunct professor of law at George
Mason University; a member of the Board of Governors for the Virginia
Bar Association; director of the Salvation Army, Loudoun Chapter; member
of the advisory board for George Washington University Virginia campus;
director of the William and Mary Washington Council; and director of
the George Marshall Home Preservation Fund.
Ashton D. Mitchell, III is
a native Richmonder. “Danny” Mitchell grew up in Powhatan
County and graduated in 1975 from Hampden-Sydney College with a Bachelor
of Arts degree in Religion/Philosophy. After sixteen years in the property/casualty
insurance business, Mr. Mitchell entered the association management
business with the Virginia Restaurant Association. He has since served
as Executive Director of the Virginia Association of Life Underwriters,
the Richmond Association of Life Underwriters, Executive Vice President
of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association, Chapter of the Virginias,
and the Washington, DC Chapter. In May 2000, Mitchell launched Mitchell
Management and Marketing, Inc. and serves as president. Clients in this
association management firm presently include the Virginia Hospitality
and Travel Association (comprised of Hotel & Motel Association of
Virginia, Campground Association of Virginia, Restaurant Association
of Virginia, and the Hospitality Suppliers Association of Virginia);
Hospitality Business Alliance; and Virginia Golf Club. Consulting work
has also been provided for the Property Inspectors Council of America,
the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Travelers Protective
Association. In the past, Mitchell has served as a registered lobbyist
in Virginia for the Independent Insurance Agents Association of Virginia,
the Virginia Association of Life Underwriters, the Virginia Court Reporters
Association, and the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association.
Dmitchell@vhta.org
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William “Bill” L. Murray,
Ph.D., Deputy Director of Policy, Office of the Governor, State
of Virginia, 2002-Present. Served as the Governor’s health policy
advisor. Functioned as principal contact in the Governor’s Office
for the Secretary of Health and Human Resources. Coordinated regulatory
review in the Governor’s Office. Also served as one of three legislative
liaisons with the Virginia General Assembly. Led advocacy and policy
efforts in achieving mental health reform during 2003 General Assembly
Session. Assisted in achieving landmark comprehensive tax reform during
the 2004 General Assembly Session. He was Vice-President of the Virginia
Hospital and Healthcare Association prior to joining the Office of the
Governor. His previous experience in government includes working as
a management analyst at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a project
leader at the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission and a senior
health policy analyst at the Joint Commission on Health Care. He has
a Ph.D. in public administration from Virginia Tech.
Bill.Murray@governor.virginia.gov
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Kenn Penn Is the Executive Vice
President and Chief Operating Officer of ChamberSolutions, one of Virginia’s
largest healthcare association programs. Prior to joining ChamberSolutions
in 2000, Kenn spent nearly ten years with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue
Shield in various sales, marketing, and management positions. After
leaving Anthem, Kenn spent three years as a Senior Consultant at Palmer
& Cay Consulting Group in Norfolk, VA. In addition to his responsibilities
at ChamberSolutions he is the current President of the Hampton Roads
Virginia Association of Health Underwriters and serves on the Board
of Directors for the Hampton Roads Health Coalition, Virginia’s
only health coalition. Kenn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health
Science from James Madison University. He is a certified life and health
instructor in Virginia and is also a licensed Life and Health agent
and Property and Casualty agent here in the Commonwealth.
kpenn@chambersolutions.com
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William D. Perun, J.D. is a partner
with the Employee Benefits Section at Williams Mullen, where he concentrates
his practice in ERISA, employee benefits, and tax. Mr. Perun is a graduate
of the State University of New York at Buffalo, Ohio State University
College of Law and Georgetown University Law Center where he received
his Master of Laws in Taxation and Employee Benefits Law Certificate.
He is a member of the Virginia, New York and American Bar Associations,
and is admitted to the Virginia, New York, and Pennsylvania Bars.
bperun@williamsmullen.com
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Gary Powers, CEBS is a Vice President
for Aon Consulting’s Richmond office. Gary is a managing consultant
specializing in the design, communications, and administration of health
and welfare benefit plans. Mr. Powers has over 25 years of experience
in assisting clients. Since joining Aon in 1998 from the acquisition
of Williams Thacher and Rand, he has worked with employers of all sizes
to assist with health care plan design, cost containment and communications.
Mr. Powers holds a Business Management degree from the College of William
and Mary. He has also earned the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist
(CEBS) professional designation. Gary has previously served on the board
of directors for the Richmond Area Business Group on Health. He currently
serves on the Insurance Committee of the Virginia Home for Boys and
on the foundation board for Saint Michael’s School.
Gary_S_Powers@aoncons.com
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Roy Ramthun, MPH is the Senior
Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury for health initiatives. In
this role, Mr. Ramthun advises the Secretary and coordinates Treasury's
development of specific policies and strategies to expand availability
and access to affordable health insurance for the uninsured, reduce
health care costs, improve health care quality, and other related initiatives.
Prior to joining the Treasury Department in November 2003, Mr. Ramthun
held a variety of positions during his eight-year tenure at Humana Inc.,
one of the nation's largest health insurance companies, headquartered
in Louisville, Kentucky. From 1990-1995, Mr. Ramthun was a health care
analyst with the Republican Staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance.
Mr. Ramthun began his career in Federal service in 1987 as a legislative
analyst for the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA).
Roy.ramthun@do.treas.gov
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Barbara Scheil, FSA, MAAA is
the President of and Consulting Actuary in Barbara V. Scheil and Associates,
Ltd. She began her actuarial career in 1967 and her consulting career
in 1986. Her previous positions include Senior Vice President and General
Manager of the group and insurance pension operations of The Life Insurance
Company of Virginia (now GE Life & Annuity Company), Vice President
and chief actuary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia (now Anthem/Trigon
BlueCross BlueShield), Consulting Actuary in the Atlanta health practice
of Milliman & Robertson, Inc., (now Milliman USA, a prominent national
actuarial consulting firm), and Vice President of and Consulting Actuary
in Aon Consulting, Inc., a national benefits consulting company. She
has consulted with life insurance companies, Blue Cross and Blue Shield
plans, and managed care organizations. Her clients also include self-funded
health plans, health care providers, public programs, and actuarial,
benefit and health care consulting firms.
bscheil@earthlink.net
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Ronald Simmons is now working
as Senior Vice president in charge of business development for Cello
Development Corp., a national information technology company specializing
in developing decision support and document solution applications for
the financial service industry. Under his Business Development direction,
Cello has flourished and was noted in 2002 as one of INC magazines’
fastest growing companies in the US. Ron has completed executive education
course work at Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and The Kellogg
School of Business at Northwestern. He serves on the Governor’s
commission for Supplier Diversity.
rsimmons@cellodev.com
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Joel Slackman, M.S. is the
Executive Director for Private Health Care Policy for the American Association
of Health Plans—Health Insurance Association of America. He represents
a wide variety of health insurance companies and health plans on issues
ranging from medical malpractice reform, health care costs and access,
to improving health care quality for all Americans. Before AAHP-HIAA,
Joel spent 6 years as Director of Managed Care for the national Blue
Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), where he was responsible for
helping formulate and advocate legislative positions on behalf of BCBS
plans. Prior to BCBSA, Mr. Slackman was consultant to the Special Analysis
Staff at HCFA (now CMS). Earlier, he served for several years as the
Executive Director, Program Evaluation, Office of the Assistant Secretary
of Defense for Health Affairs, where he led the team that analyzed managed
care and health care delivery issues in the military health care system.
During the Presidential Task Force on Health Care Reform, Joel served
as the Secretary of Defense’s personal representative. He has
also served for more than 10 years as Principal Analyst at the Congressional
Budget Office, and on the professional staff of the House Armed Services
Committee. Joel has a Master of Science in Public Policy Analysis, with
a concentration in health care studies, from the University of Rochester.
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Dede Spitznagel is Executive
Vice President of the Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC), a coalition
of chief executives of the nation’s leading health care companies
and organizations. She began her tenure with HLC in September of 1999.
HLC, the only health policy advocacy group representing all sectors
of the health care industry, advocates consumer centered health care
reform, emphasizing the value of private sector innovation. In her position
at HLC, Ms. Spitznagel helps lead HLC’s policy and legislative
agenda which includes improving access to health care for the uninsured,
preserving Medicare and expanding the program to include prescription
drugs, supporting adequate payments for the nation’s Medicare
providers, increasing the safety of the nation’s health care system,
and ensuring the successful implementation of the HIPAA medical records
privacy law.
dspitznagel@hlc.org
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Rome Walker, M.D., is currently
the Medical Director for the Western Region for Anthem Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Virginia. Prior to coming to Anthem, he was the Chief Medical
Officer for Carilion Health Plans, a managed care company in Roanoke
Virginia. Dr. Walker received his undergraduate training at Ohio Wesleyan
University and his medical degree at West Virginia University School
of Medicine. He completed a residency program in General Surgery through
Roanoke Memorial Hospital and the University of Virginia. Dr. Walker
is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and practiced general
surgery in Roanoke, Virginia for 24 years. His interests include pharmacy,
information technology and health care management.
Rome.Walker@anthem.com
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Leslie A. Weatherly, SPHR
joined the Society for Human Resource Management in September of 2002.
In her role as HR Content Expert, she is responsible for identifying
topics and focus areas in need of additional human resource management
research and creating HR products of strategic and practical value for
HR target audiences. She is employed in the Research Department, Knowledge
Development Division of SHRM. Leslie has more than twenty-five years
of business experience and, prior to joining SHRM, served as the Vice
President of Human Resources and Administrative Services for American
Medical Laboratories, Inc., Chantilly, Virginia. She was a member of
the executive management team of the company and was a senior staff
participant in numerous strategic initiatives, which involved complex
human resource and administrative issues.
lweatherly@shrm.org
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Elliot K. Wicks, Ph.D., is an
economist and policy researcher with nearly 30 years experience analyzing
health policy issues. He is a Senior Fellow at the Economic and Social
Research Institute in Washington, D.C., a non-profit research group
that specializes in health and social policy research, and a Senior
Consultant with Health Management Associates, a Michigan-based consulting
firm. Dr. Wicks specializes in analysis of policy reforms to help bring
affordable health coverage to more Americans, especially workers in
small firms. He served as editor and project manager for a just-completed
major project sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to develop
comprehensive reform strategies to move toward universal health coverage.
Dr. Wicks is the author of numerous articles and monographs on subjects
related to health care financing and delivery and health reform.
ewicks@esresearch.org
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Vondie M. Woodbury, MPA is
a native of Muskegon, Michigan. She has been Director of the Muskegon
Community Health Project since October 1995. Under her direction, the
Health Project has initiated a health coverage program for 400 uninsured
small businesses (Access Health), undertaken local management of health
care for over 2,000 indigent community members (Muskegon Care) and has
implemented a variety of community-based health improvement programs.
These programs include a dental initiative to increase access for low-income
children; a countywide diabetes screening effort that encompassed 8,000
community members; a mentoring program for African American youth; and,
a new CDC supported initiative aimed at reducing the inappropriate use
of antibiotics in treating viral infections. A core mission of the Health
Project is the utilization of Community Health Assessment and Behavioral
Risk Factor data in health improvement strategies.
vwoodbury@mchp.org
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The Honorable Jane H. Woods began
her career in public service as a school teacher in Fairfax, Virginia,
continuing to teach until she was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates
in 1987 where she represented northern Virginia. Following two terms
in the House of Delegates, Secretary Woods was elected to the Virginia
Senate where she served from 1992 to 2000. During a brief retirement
from public service, she served as the Senior Policy Counselor and Board
member for the Vectre Corporation. In 2002, Governor Warner appointed
her as his Secretary of Health and Human Resources. In this position,
Secretary Woods oversees the operation of some of Virginia’s largest
state agencies, including the Departments of Health, Medical Assistance
Services, Social Services, and Mental Health, Mental Retardation and
Substance Abuse Services.
Jane.Woods@governor.virginia.gov
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Mara Youdelman, J.D. has worked
at the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) since August 2000 on issues
including Medicaid, racial and ethnic disparities, data collection,
reproductive health and immigrants’ issues. Mara is co-author
of The Language Services Action Kit (with The Access Project) and NHeLP’s
Ensuring Linguistic Access in Health Care Settings: Legal Rights and
Responsibilities. Mara participates on a number of expert advisory panels
examining language access issues including ones convened by the Office
of Minority Health, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health
Care Organizations, and the American Medical Association’s Ethical
Force Program. Prior to joining NHeLP, Mara completed a teaching fellowship
at Georgetown University Law Center’s Federal Legislation Clinic
and two years litigating for the Administration for Children’s
Services in New York City on child abuse and neglect cases. Mara earned
her J.D. from Boston University School of Law and her LL.M. in Advocacy
from Georgetown University Law Center.
Youdelman@healthlaw.org
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Michel Zajur is the founder and
President/CEO of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He was born
in Mexico City, Mexico. Michel attended Virginia Commonwealth University.
Michel has been the owner of his family’s restaurant La Siesta
Mexican Restaurant in Richmond for over 30 years. In 1992, Michel and
his wife Lisa began offering cultural shows to the community so that
children could learn about the Hispanic culture and motivate them to
learn Spanish. This program, known as Siesta Town, has served over 45,000
school children. Today Siesta Town is known as the Spanish Academy &
Cultural Institute, which helps businesses meet their needs in learning
Spanish and consulting companies on understanding the Hispanic culture.
Michel has helped Hispanics establish themselves on an informal basis
for many years. Three years ago, he decided to establish the Virginia
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to help Hispanic businesses succeed by
connecting them with business opportunities within the state of Virginia.
info@vahcc.com
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Last Updated: August 25, 2004
