2018 Health Care Conference

Disruption | Innovation | Transformation

Our 23rd annual conference took place at the Red Rock Casino & Spa in Las Vegas on November 15 and 16, 2018. Thank you to our attendees, participants and sponsors for making 2018’s conference one of the best!  We had over 300 attendees and 23 presenters.

During our popular keynote sessions, speakers provided insight into the value of collaboration, integration, and innovation in an ever-changing market.

Session videos are now available from this event.

Agenda


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Thursday, November 15, 2018

Check-in and breakfast: 7:00 a.m.–8:00 a.m.
Conference: 8:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Reception and dinner: 6:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m.

Friday, November 16, 2018

Breakfast: 8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.
Conference: 9:00 a.m.–12.15 p.m.

Keynotes


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Dr. Tom Price

Dr. Tom Price, an orthopedic surgeon, is a fierce advocate for a patient-centered health care system that adheres to six key principles: affordability, accessibility, quality, choices, innovation, and responsiveness. Most recently, Dr. Price served as the 23rd secretary of health and human services under the Trump administration. He has devoted his career to advancing the quality of health care in America—both as a physician and policymaker.

A third-generation physician, Dr. Price began a solo medical practice in Atlanta, Georgia, that grew to be one of the largest nonacademic orthopedic practices in the country. He also led as chairman of its board. Along with serving as medical director of the Orthopedic Clinic at Grady Memorial Hospital, Dr. Price was an assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine.

Dr. Price served four terms in the Georgia State senate, where he was senate minority whip and later the first Republican senate majority leader in Georgia. He was also the US representative for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District from northern suburban Atlanta from 2005 to 2017. In Congress, he was chairman of the House Budget Committee, the House Republican Policy Committee, and the Republican Study Committee.


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Patrick Kennedy

The Honorable Patrick Kennedy served 16 years in the US House of Representatives. A thought leader in the field of mental health, he was the lead sponsor of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008—legislation that provides mental health treatment to tens-of-millions of Americans.

Representative Kennedy is the cofounder of One Mind for Research, a national coalition seeking new treatments for neurologic and psychiatric brain diseases. He’s also the founder of the Kennedy Forum on Community Mental Health and author or cosponsor of several bills to advance treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including the National Neurotechnology Initiative Act, the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act, and the COMBAT PTSD Act.

Kennedy founded Advocates for Opioid Recovery with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Van Jones, a CNN commentator and former domestic policy advisor to President Barack Obama. He also founded the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus and the 21st Century Healthcare Caucus, is an honorary advisor to SAM-Smart Approaches to Marijuana, and has received numerous awards for his work.


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Dr. BJ Miller

Dr. BJ Miller is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). A pioneer in palliative care, Dr. Miller has been featured on TED talks, spoken at medical schools and conferences around the country, and appeared on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday. He focuses his practice on redesigning health care to treat end-of-life care and mortality as a human experience rather than a medical experience.

Dr. Miller is also an attending specialist for the Syndrome Management Service of the UCSF Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of the country’s first outpatient palliative care clinics. He’s received several awards for leadership and accomplishment in the field, including the William Osler Distinguished Teaching Award and the AAHPM/Project on Death in America Palliative Medicine Community Leadership Award. Dr. Miller is also the honorary medical chair for the Dream Foundation, which is the only nation dream-granting organization for terminally-ill adults.


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Susan Dentzer

MODERATOR


Susan Dentzer is the president and CEO of the Network for Excellence in Health Innovation, or NEHI, a nonprofit organization focused on advancing innovations that improve health care. The nonprofit is composed of more than 100 stakeholder organizations from across key sectors of health care.

One of the nation's most respected health-policy thought leaders and journalists, Dentzer previously served as senior policy advisor for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest health care philanthropy. She’s also a frequent commentator on PBS and NPR, and she’s the former editor in chief of Health Affairs, the nation’s leading journal of health policy.

Dentzer’s an elected member of the Institute of Medicine and the Council on Foreign Relations and a public trustee of the American Board of Medical Specialties, which oversees board certification standards for the nation’s physicians. She’s also a board member of Research!America, which advocates for increased US investment in biomedical research.

Dentzer’s on the board of humanitarian organizations such as Overseers of the International Rescue Committee, which provides relief to refugees and displaced persons around the world. She’s served on IRC commissions examining domestic violence against women in West Africa and the conflict surrounding Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan.


Speakers and Panelists

Heather Bell, MD

Dr. Heather Bell is a family physician at CHI St. Gabriel’s Health. She began her family medicine practice in rural Minnesota in 2012. With her visionary leadership, Dr. Bell has been influential in redesigning the primary care delivery model across the clinic by adopting whole-person centered care, leading the clinic in earning recognition by the state of Minnesota as a medical home. Her leadership and perseverance are transforming the clinic practice, demonstrating success in both cost savings and patient care outcomes.

Dr. Bell, in partnership with her colleague Dr. Kurt Devine and the MN Department of Human Services, have launched the first MN ECHO program, which is a videoconferencing education platform. Through this program they have been able to educate and mentor others on appropriate opioid prescribing and encouraging rural buprenorphine treatment.

Patricia Blum, PhD

As the executive vice president at Crestwood Behavioral Health Inc., Patricia Blum, PhD, CPRP, has executive oversight of all Crestwood facilities, clinical services, educational services, accreditation, communications, development, and dietary services. She’s also responsible for developing new mental health programs and transforming existing programs throughout the Crestwood network.

Bloom has more than 38 years of experience in mental health services and has been a Crestwood employee since 1980. She’s also one of the leaders in the California Mental Health and Spirituality Initiative.

Rhonda Buckallew

Rhonda Buckallew joined the leadership team at CHI St. Gabriel’s Health in 2011. She has more than 17 years of medical group practice experience and has been a member of the Morrison County Prescription Drug Task Force since 2012. Buckallew has been instrumental in the development of the Rural Opioid Use and Abuse Reduction Task Force and Controlled Substance Care Team at CHI St. Gabriel’s Family Medical Center. As a visionary leader, Buckallew is involved with many patient-centric initiatives that have fostered growth and change in clinic practice norms.

Buckallew has been certified to implement Patient-Centered Medical Homes, launched strategic new primary care markets, and lead clinic-construction design projects to foster efficient, patient-centered care.

Kevin Cable

Kevin Cable is cofounder and managing director of Cascadia Capital. He spearheaded the firm’s Healthcare & Digital Health practice, drawing from a deep history in software, analytics, big data, and consumer applications. Cable’s experience is focused on a broad spectrum of transactions that include equity private placements, M&A mandates, recapitalizations, and buyouts and transactions—split between M&A sell-side mandates and equity private placements.

Cable has deep operational experience as an entrepreneur and software CEO, and has served on the boards of several technology companies and industry organizations. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Washington Research Foundation and has formerly served as a director of the Washington Software Alliance, the Washington State Technology Alliance, the Alliance of Angels, Innovate Washington Foundation, and several private technology companies.

Patrick Connell, RN

Patrick Connell serves as Boys Town National Research Hospital’s vice president of behavioral health, research administration, health care compliance, and government relations. Prior to Boys Town, he worked over 20 years in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors in hospitals and health systems as CFO, COO, and in other various leadership positions in government relations.

Connell serves on the National Association of Behavioral Health and chairs the board committee on children’s services. He is a past board member on the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare’s national board and is the past chair for the National Association of Behavioral Healthcare Management. Connell has also served for more than a decade as a public reviewer for the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Health. He chairs the Nebraska Behavioral Health Coalition, is cochair of Nebraska Child Health and Education Alliance, and was re-elected as president of the Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organization (NABHO).

For over a decade, Connell has served as an adjunct faculty for Creighton University School of Nursing, teaching courses in health care policy and health care finance and economics in the graduate program. He teaches health care finance for University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Public Administration program and serves on the board of Nebraska Total Care. Connell is a nursing graduate from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, received his BA and MBA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and is ABD in doctoral studies in public administration, specializing in Health Care Administration, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Shawn Coughlin

Shawn Coughlin is the executive vice president for government relations and public policy at NABH. He serves as the association’s principal lobbyist, oversees the association’s advocacy work on Capitol Hill, and helps to set and implement strategic policy goals that support high-quality evidence-based behavioral health care for Americans who live with mental and substance-use disorders.

Coughlin brings more than 30 years of advocacy experience to his role. Prior to joining NABH, he served as advocacy consultant to the association on behavioral health policy during his almost 16 years with Capitol Health Group as principal and COO. He is a leading health care advocate and policy expert who works with diverse external stakeholder organizations, including patient and provider groups, regulators, public and private payers, and trade associations. Coughlin has extensive experience in Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance policy, as well as broad experience with many sectors of the health care industry.

Kurt Devine, MD

Dr. Kurt Devine is a full-spectrum family physician at CHI St. Gabriel’s Health. As a practicing physician in rural Minnesota, he has faced many unique challenges caring for patients in the primary care setting amid evolving care delivery models that demand forward-thinking and creative strategies for change. Dr. Devine’s leadership has enabled grant funding to be put to practical use, demonstrating positive outcomes both financially and from a patient care perspective. Through legislative funding and grant procurement, Dr. Devine and his colleague Dr. Heather Bell initiated Minnesota’s first ECHO educational program and a pilot project to replicate their system to reduce and monitor opioid prescribing in a rural clinic setting.

Molly Forrest

Molly Forrest has served as CEO and president of the Los Angeles Jewish Home since 1996. She has led the home through the most ambitious expansion in its history, developing a broad diversified health care system of programs and services for today’s seniors. Under her direction and leadership, Los Angeles Jewish Home has grown to serve 4,500 seniors with care and services on its four campuses.

Forrest is responsible for a $135 million annual budget, leadership of 1,450 staff, a $19 million annual fundraising campaign, public advocacy, and community relations. She was recently selected to serve a two-year term as the new chair of LeadingAge California, a Sacramento-based chapter of the national seniors housing advocacy group.

A graduate of Oregon State University, Forrest is active in a variety of community organizations including immediate past chair of the Association of Jewish Aging Services, the California State University Northridge (CSUN) Professional Health Care Administration Committee, the CSUN Alzheimer's Association Center Advisory Committee, the Geriatric Education and Research Organization, and the council of Agency and Federation Executives. She’s a recipient of the Jewish Communal Professionals of Southern California Allan J. Kassin Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement and the San Fernando Valley Business Journal Health Care Leadership Award.

Michael Geldart, JD

Michael Geldart is a partner with Excellere Partners, a private equity investment firm specializing in health care; energy, power, and infrastructure; and business services; among other industries. Geldart has more than 20 years of experience in executive leadership, operations, health law, regulatory compliance, and corporate development. He’s the former chief operating officer of BioTelemetry (Nasdaq:BEAT), the leading provider of cardiac monitoring, device manufacturing, and centralized cardiac core laboratory services.

Geldart also served as the chief operating officer of MedExpress, a leading multistate urgent care provider and former portfolio company of Excellere Partners. Additionally, he was the former chief operating officer and EVP of Corporate Development of CCS Medical, a national provider of Medical and Pharmacy supplies for patients suffering from diabetes, respiratory, and other chronic conditions.

Geldart began his career practicing healthcare law at Holland & Knight, a global law firm, was promoted to partner, and served as the co-chair of the firm’s National Health Care Practice Group. He received a JD degree from Stetson University College of Law, and is a member of the Florida Bar. Geldart received a BA in chemistry from the University of South Florida.

Ronald Geraty

Dr. Ronald Geraty is an operating partner with Varsity Healthcare Partners and is chairman of the board at Aduro in Redmond, WA. He serves as an advisor to myStrength in Denver, CO. Dr. Geraty is an entrepreneur with expertise in the technology-enabled health care services industry. He’s known for founding, developing, and transforming multiple health care companies over his professional career.

In his various companies, Dr. Geraty has been responsible for transactions valued, in aggregate, of over $2 billion. His companies have helped to change the delivery of care. Currently, he serves on the boards of all Varsity-owned companies.

In his ventures, Dr. Geraty has utilized market-leading technology to support traditional services infrastructure and customer-patient-centered approaches to differentiate the quality of the service delivery. Dr. Geraty builds cultures of health and employee-client satisfaction through diligence and innovation integrated with a spirit of fun, creating successful work environments. He’s known for participating in a culture of innovation and is currently focused on AI-machine learning and deep learning; new methods of engagement, including conversational engagement; and mobile engagement using ChatBots, automated texting, and voice-to-text tools.

Warren Gouk

Warren Gouk is chief financial officer of LifeStance and has more than 25 years of experience leading finance teams. Founded in 2017, LifeStance Health is one of the fastest growing companies in Washington State and is the largest independent behavioral health care provider company in North America.

LifeStance has the first mover advantage and has become the market leader in a short period of time through a significant level of corporate acquisitions and opening new provider offices. The company has attracted a veteran team of health care experts who have successfully grown several companies from $0 to multiple hundreds of millions in revenue per year—and who have created long-term value for employees, customers, and shareholders.

Gouk was previously the COO of Limeade, where he focused on building and leading teams to help scale operations, enhance customer delivery and implementation, drive the customer success organization, and manage all aspects of financial reporting and planning. Gouk served as the general manager and senior vice president of LexisNexis Healthcare, where he was responsible for managing a strategy to build a large, high-growth health care business through acquisitions and organic growth. He is both a chartered financial analysist and a chartered professional accountant.

Paul Holden, FHFMA

Paul Holden is a partner with Moss Adams Health Care Consulting Practice, where he oversees the reimbursement group. Paul has been in public accounting since 2003. He provides reimbursement consulting and business assurance services to health care providers in acute and post-acute settings throughout the western United States.

Holden is well-versed in preparing Medicare and Medicaid cost reports, assisting clients during third-party audits, formulating appeals of audit issues in connection with cost reports, and assisting hospitals, sole community hospitals, critical access hospitals, rural health clinics, and federally qualified health centers with billing and reimbursement issues. He explores the role of the Medicare cost report and claims data in the DRG and APC rate setting processes; wage index cost finding and labor market definitions with a focus on wage index reform; and Medicare cost report datamining and benchmarking.

Alyssa Keefe

Alyssa Keefe is vice president of federal regulatory affairs for the California Hospital Association (CHA), where she is responsible for policy development and analysis of federal regulation impacting California hospitals and health systems. She serves as a liaison between CHA and federal agencies, including the CMS. 

Prior to joining CHA, Keefe was managing director of the Hospital Quality Alliance, a national public-private collaboration committed to making meaningful, relevant, and easily understood information about hospital performance accessible to the public, and to informing and encouraging efforts to improve quality. Keefe has also served as senior associate director for policy at the American Hospital Association, and held senior policy positions at the Catholic Health Association of the United States and the National Coalition on Health Care.

Lori Laubach

Lori Laubach is a partner in Moss Adams Health Care Consulting group, where she oversees the health care compliance group, focusing on regulatory compliance, internal audit, coding validation, and EHR controls, among other things.

Laubach has been in health care consulting and public accounting since 1991. She has experience consulting for the private sector and not-for-profit organizations, including regulatory compliance program development and monitoring for integrated hospitals, multispecialty clinics, single specialty clinics, mental health centers, and community health centers. She also has experience performing forensic reviews, operational and revenue bench-marking projects, revenue cycle assessments, operational reviews, and risk assessments of physician groups and integrated systems.

Laubach is a frequent speaker on compliance issues for the HCCA, AHIA, the American Health Lawyers Association, and more.

Ken Leonczyk

Ken Leonczyk is a senior director for The Advisory Board Company. In this role, he advises health systems and health care industry companies on the strategic implications of health care reform, financing, and performance management. Leonczyk is a regularly featured legal and policy expert on national radio and television shows. He’s also published on a variety of legal and ethical issues.

Previously a regulatory and investigations attorney at Covington & Burling LLP,  Leonczyk provided strategic and legal advice on matters that required substantial political, reputational, or government relations considerations. He has significant experience defending Fortune 100 pharmaceutical companies against congressional, FDA, criminal, and civil investigations.

Leonczyk has handled negotiations on behalf of Fortune 50 pharmaceutical companies with 45 of the 50 state attorneys general and has prepared Fortune 500 executives for testimony in front of congressional investigative committees. Leonczyk also served as senior staff in the US House of Representatives. He holds a JD from Yale Law School, an MAR from Yale Divinity School, and a Graduate Certificate in Anglican studies from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale.

Melanie Matthews

Melanie Matthews is CEO of Physicians of Southwest Washington (PSW), bringing more than 20 years of operations, financial, human resources, and product-marketing experience in health care services for specialty populations. Matthews focuses on integrating health care reform into the lives of patients and physician practices, and has expanded PSW’s business lines to include MSO services—including credentialing, coding, and compliance—and the implementation of Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation models, such as the Next Generation ACO.

Matthews’s extensive knowledge in post-acute care provides strategic focus in reducing overall cost of care as well as provider and beneficiary engagement. Prior to PSW, Matthews served for three years as vice president of operations for Prestige Care, Inc., where she was responsible for regulatory and financial operations and outcomes for 38 skilled nursing facilities and two Medicare home health agencies in a four-state northwest region. Matthews serves as the chair of the Washington Health Care Association, was selected by the American Health Care Association as a National Political Ambassador in 2013, and was named a national Future Leader in 2012.

Kathryne McGowan

Kathryne McGowan is the CEO of Tenet Healthcare’s nonhospital business units in Southern California. She leads Golden State Medicare Health Plan, Premier Health Plan, five IPAs, a MSSP ACO, and Coast Healthcare Management MSO. McGowan is a health care and insurance leader with extensive experience and success in all aspects of health insurance product management including Commercial (HMO, PPO, ASO), Governmental (Medicare, Medicaid), and Federal Health Reform (ERRP, ACO).

McGowan is skilled at leading organizations to the next level of growth and profitability while delivering on customer promises. Prior to joining Tenet Healthcare, McGowan spent 17 years in Wisconsin working with health plans that were part of Integrated Delivery Systems. These plans were forerunners in value-based care, particularly the pursuit of and measurement of quality.

Nitin Nanda, MD

Nitin Nanda is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Aligned Telehealth, a national behavioral health solutions provider of on-site telemedicine services, including patient care, consultation, revenue cycle management, and adjunct behavioral health support in hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient clinics, and correctional programs.

Dr. Nanda is a recognized clinical leader with expertise in geriatric and adult psychiatry spanning more than two decades in a variety of clinical, academic, and research settings. In addition to leading Aligned Telehealth and its physician organization, Asana Integrated Medical Group, Dr. Nanda is an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, chief of psychiatry and behavioral health at the Los Angeles Jewish Home, and medical director of the Lisa and Ernest Auerbach Geriatric Psychiatry Unit at the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Arup Roy-Burman, MD

Arup Roy-Burman is CEO and cofounder of Elemeno Health and former Medical Director of Pediatric Intensive Care, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco. Dr. Roy-Burman has over 20 years of experience in critical care medicine, with former roles as ICU medical director and director of transport and access at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital.

Having experienced firsthand the impact of the rapidly growing gap between institutional knowledge and frontline practice, Dr. Roy-Burman teamed with Ed Nanale, a veteran game developer from Electronic Arts, to develop UCSF-backed Elemeno Health. Elemeno Health is a cloud-based solution, accessible on any device, that drives frontline adoption of the client's best practices through just-in-time support at the point of need to deliver reliability, quality, and safety at a lower cost. Elemeno Health received the 2018 MedTech Breakthrough Award for Overall Digital Health Innovation. Dr. Roy-Berman is past chair and current board member of Global Healing, a 501(c)3 organization based in Berkeley.

Brandon Staglin

Brandon Staglin is president of One Mind. He served as director of marketing and communications for One Mind Institute from 2005 to 2017 and as board director for One Mind Institute and One Mind from 2015 to 2017.

Staglin serves on advisory councils for the National Institute of Mental Health, Mindstrong Health, and Stanford University’s Prodrome and Early Psychosis Program Network. He’s a board director of The Stability Network and has received numerous awards for his brain health advocacy, including the Lifetime Achievement VOICE Award from the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Clifford W. Beers Award from Mental Health America, the Shattering Stigma—Realizing Recovery Award from the Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America, and the Clifford W. Beers Centennial Service Award from the Clifford W. Beers Clinic.

Staglin earned a BA in engineering sciences and anthropology from Dartmouth College in 1993, and a master’s degree at UCSF in health care administration and interprofessional leadership in September 2018. Staglin’s lived experience with recovery from schizophrenia makes him grateful to be living in health and happy he can contribute to the health of others.

Indu Subaiya, MD

Dr. Indu Subaiya is the executive vice president and cofounder of Health 2.0, a leading conference and media platform that promotes and catalyzes new technologies in health care, which was acquired by HIMSS in 2017.

A recognized thought leader in health and innovation, Dr. Subaiya has served as a moderator, interviewer, and cohost of health care and technology panels, events, and showcases worldwide, including the Clinton Foundation Health Matters Initiative, the President’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit, Mayo Clinic Transform Symposium, SXSW Interactive, and the Cleveland Clinic Patient Experience Summit.

Dr. Subaiya has worked with the Robert Wood Johnson, World Bank/International Finance Corporation, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and the California Health Care Foundation to design innovative health technology programs, including health care specific hack-a-thons, developer competitions, and pilot programs.

In 2013, FierceHealthIT named Dr. Subaiya one of Health Information Technology’s Most Influential Women. In 2018, she was selected as a fellow of the Aspen Institute's fourth class of Health Innovators Fellows. She has served as vice president of the society for Participatory Medicine and on advisory committees for the Department of Health and Human Services and National Health Data Consortium. Dr. Subaiya received a BS in science and technology studies from Cornell University and an MD from Stony Brook University.

Calvin Swartley

Calvin Swartley is a director in Valuations Consulting Services at Moss Adams and has provided valuation services since 1998. Swartley provides valuation consulting for business succession, purchase or sale, allocation of purchase consideration, option issuance pricing, buy-sell agreement requirements, shareholder disputes. He also provides testing for Goodwill Impairment for fair value reporting, corporate planning, joint ventures, marital dissolution, and estate and gift reporting. Swartley analyzes and values operating companies, limited liability companies, intangible assets, options and warrants, notes receivable, contracts of sale, preferred stock, and family limited partnerships for a variety of purposes.

Swartley is an active member of the firm’s health care, technology, and wealth services groups, which provide accounting and consulting services to clients and professional advisors. He has testified as an expert witness before the Maryland Insurance Administration, the State of Montana Office of the Commissioner of Securities and the Insurance and Attorney General, the State of Washington, the State of Oregon, and the State of Arizona. Swartley has also participated in settlement negotiations with the IRS.

Craig Vercruysse

Craig Vercruysse is a partner with Moss Adams Lean Health Care Consulting. He has over two decades of health care leadership experience, and he works with large health systems and medical groups to develop and implement lean management practices.

Vercruysse served as a principal and chief executive officer at Rona Consulting Group (RCG) from 2015 until it combined with Moss Adams in 2017. RCG’s founders were early adopters of the Toyota Management System in the health care setting. Prior to joining RCG, Vercruysse served as COO at Sutter Health West Bay Region’s California Pacific Medical Center, where he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the four-campus, tertiary, and quaternary care medical center.

Vercruysse was also chief process officer for Sutter Health West Bay Region, where he served as a regional executive accountable for deployment of the Toyota Management System. During this time, CPMC won the Sutter Top Hospital in Quality Award; the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Meritorious Award; the AARP Safest Hospitals in America Award; and the Leapfrog Top Hospital.

In addition, Vercruysse has held leadership roles in information technology as a health care CIO. Prior to health care, Craig held leadership roles in financial services IT and marketing as well as serving as an executive at two high-tech ventures.

Lawrence Vernaglia

Lawrence Vernaglia is a partner and health care lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP, where he serves as chair of the firm’s Health Care Practice and Health Care Industry Team. Vernaglia represents hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers, and a variety of other health care providers.

His practice involves regulatory and transactional matters, including Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement compliance advice and appeals; mergers, acquisitions, and financings; state regulatory issues including licensing, change of ownership, and CoN and DoN; survey and certification appeals; fraud and abuse and Stark law analyses; managed-care contracting; and general corporate and business planning in health care.

Vernaglia is the past cochair of the Boston Bar Association's Health Law. He serves on the editorial boards of JONA's Journal of Healthcare Law, Ethics, & Regulation; and Medicine & Health in Rhode Island. He’s one of nine members of the Medical Economics' Board of Legal Editorial Consultants and has been chair of MCLE's comprehensive Health Law Basics program and the advanced Health Law Conference for several years. In addition, he’s been cochair of the Health Care Compliance Association’s northeast regional annual meeting for the past decade.

Derek Weiss, MBA, RN

Derek Weiss is vice president of strategy and partnerships as well as deputy chief information officer of Cambia Health Solutions. He oversees the development of technology, analytics, and business solutions, driving the creation of capabilities to deliver differentiated consumer experiences for Cambia’s portfolio of companies.

Prior to joining Cambia in 2015, Weiss spent 17 years with Cigna Corporation in a variety of technology, business, and strategy roles; including provider operations, clinical strategy, product development and digital solutions. Early in his career, Weiss worked as a cardiothoracic surgical services registered nurse and adjunct professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the Lally School of Management. Weiss earned an MBA from the Center of Health Care and Insurance Studies, and he continues to hold a current RN license.

Sponsors


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Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. is an international insurance brokerage and risk management services firm headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. It has operations in 20 countries and offers client services in 140 countries worldwide through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. Health care is among 21 industries it serves through separate practice groups. Through its health care practice, it offers risk management solutions for hospitals, physicians, and other organizations and helps them create rewards programs that enable the attraction and retention of top talent.


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Cascadia Capital LLC

Cascadia Capital LLC is an independent investment bank providing middle-market entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses with merger and acquisition advice, capital raising expertise, and strategic advisory services. The firm’s Healthcare & Digital Health team has more than 40 years of collective experience, performing over $1 billion in mergers and acquisitions and finance transactions in the health care sector. For nearly two decades, Cascadia has delivered positive outcomes for its clients through its extensive transaction experience, deep domain expertise, and commitment to building long-term relationships.


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Lancaster Pollard

Lancaster Pollard helps health care, senior living, and housing providers expand and improve their services by delivering a full range of investment banking, mortgage banking, private equity, balance sheet financing, M&A and investment advisory services.


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Bank of America Merrill Lynch

With more than 30 years of industry experience, Bank of America Merrill Lynch is a leading provider of financial services to health care organizations. They currently serve 11,600 health care institutions—including 93% of America’s Best Hospitals and 90% of the top health systems.

Health care clients of Bank of America Merrill Lynch receive the financial strength of a global bank combined with the personal service they expect from a local relationship. Bank of America Merrill Lynch provides each client with a dedicated institutional consultant and a team of health care banking and investment specialists. Together, these specialists provide industry-smart financial services that help each client achieve its organization’s mission.


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Foley & Lardner

Foley & Lardner is a national law firm with a deep understanding of the business and legal challenges facing the health care industry. Its HealthCare Industry Team was named Law Firm of the Year—Health Care Law for three of the last four years on the “Best Law Firms” list by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers®. The practice was recognized for its ability to provide value-added, pragmatic legal advice in an efficient and cost-effective manner to a broad range of participants in the healthcare industry. The firm provides counsel on a wide range of legal issues, including health care compliance and fraud and abuse matters; physician self-referral and anti-kickback laws; business transactions such as hospital-physician alignment, affiliations, private equity-capital formation transactions, and joint ventures; Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement; and health care finance.


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Union Bank

MUFG Union Bank, N.A., is a full-service bank with offices across the United States that provides a wide spectrum of corporate, commercial, and retail banking and wealth management solutions to meet the needs of its customers. Union Bank also offers an extensive portfolio of value-added solutions, including personal and corporate trust, global custody, transaction banking, and capital markets.