Join us for the first of our two annual yearly forums – this spring, our forum will feature dinner, networking, and an informative, interactive panel discussion.

Moderator: Claudine Swartz, Strategic Policy Solutions

Panelists:

• Sonia Millsom – Senior Vice President, Iora Health
• Lauren Peters – Undersecretary for Health Policy, Executive Office of Health & Human Services
• Christina Severin – President and CEO, Community Care Cooperative
• Beth Roberts – Senior Vice President, Regional Markets, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Sonia Millsom – Senior Vice President, Iora Health

Ms. Millsom leads Business Development for Iora Health with a mission to restore humanity to healthcare.  Her passion for healthcare delivery reform started 25 years ago as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco.  She is a mentor through Menttium & Council for Women at Boston College and is a Board Member at HealthSourceRI, Social Enterprise Greenhouse and the Amy Gallagher Foundation.  Following a BA from Boston College, she graduated from Columbia University with her MPH and has led growth at a national health plan, population health management organization and second opinion company.  She is an avid runner, yogi, traveler & non-fiction geek and has been married 18 years with the text handle “Tiger Mom” to two daughters 15 & 12.

Lauren Peters – Undersecretary for Health Policy at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS)

THe EOHHS is the largest secretariat in the Commonwealth. Peters’ responsibilities include working closely on health-related operations and policy for the MassHealth (Medicaid) program that provides health coverage to 1.9 million low income or disabled residents; the Department of Mental Health; and the Department of Public Health. Peters also works closely with EOHHS boards and commissions such as the Massachusetts Health Connector and the Center for Health Information and Analysis Oversight Council. Prior to joining EOHHS, Peters served as Associate General Counsel, Health Care Policy Director, and Legislative Director at the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (A&F) where she served as an advisor on healthcare finance and policy matters. In that role, Peters also served as the A&F Secretary’s designees on several boards and commissions including the Health Policy Commission, Group Insurance Commission and the Health Information Technology Council. She has a law degree from Suffolk University Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Christina Severin – President and CEO, Community Care Cooperative

Christina Severin is an accomplished health care executive with more than 20 years of experience in managed care, delivery systems, health insurance, Accountable Care Organizations, quality, public policy, and public health.  Christina is the President and CEO of Community Care Cooperative (C3), a newly formed Accountable Care Organization comprised of 15 community health centers.

Christina’s prior leadership experience includes having served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization and as President of Network Health, a nonprofit Massachusetts health plan.

She is widely recognized, including by the Boston Globe as a Top 100 Women-Led Business, October, 2015. The Boston Business Journal has recognized Christina as a “40 Under 40” honoree, profiled her in its “Women Up” feature, and named her to its list of top health care executives to change roles in 2013.

Christina has taught classes in health care administration and management at Boston University, Harvard University, and Northeastern University. Christina earned a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Health Services from Boston University School of Public Health, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Economy from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Beth-Ann Roberts – Senior Vice President, Commercial Business, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Beth-Ann Roberts takes a vision and makes it a reality through sound market-based strategy, with a focus on profitable growth. Respected as a passionate, no-nonsense leader with a credible voice in decision making, she sees opportunities and works cross-functionally within the organization to develop and implement strategies that drive business advantage. She has a reputation for building a teamwork approach, breaking down barriers and eliminating silos.

As Senior Vice President of Commercial Business at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care — a $3.0 billion, non-profit health insurance company serving over a million members — Ms. Roberts oversees the four commercial markets where Harvard Pilgrim offers insurance. With more than 30 years’ experience in the health care market, she specializes in identifying synergies, establishing internal partnerships, leveraging talent and leading a team of over 200 staff to identify the most promising opportunities within Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Maine. The careful balance of understanding the external market—including the products and services that drive successful business growth—and, optimizing Harvard Pilgrim’s strengths delivers winning solutions to the market.

Previously, as Senior Vice President for Regional Markets, Ms. Roberts led market-based strategy for New England, with direct responsibility for growing New Hampshire. Under her leadership, Harvard Pilgrim became the second-largest health plan in that state by entering new lines of business, forming unique partnerships and implementing a strategic approach to business development.

Ms. Roberts serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the RiverWoods Group and is a Board member of Benevera. In addition, the New Hampshire Business Review recognized her as an Outstanding Woman in Business in 2008, and in 2015 Business New Hampshire named her one of the top intriguing women of NH.

Ms. Roberts holds a Masters of Business Administration from Boston University.

Ms. Roberts and her husband Michael have two children, Branden and Bryanna. She raised her family in Londonderry, New Hampshire, and now resides in Waltham, Massachusetts, where she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, and an active lifestyle that includes cycling, running, hiking and boating.

Join us for dinner, networking, and what promises to be an educational and interesting panel discussion.
More

Nationally and locally, healthcare is becoming more competitive, innovative and ever- changing. This means new opportunities and newer ways to connect oneself to these opportunities. To give our WHCM community the tools to succeed at it, this Fall Forum will provide 2 skill-building workshops:

1. Leveraging Linked In– Advanced Strategies for Building your personal brand, presented by Katherine Kent

2. Sharpening your Salary Negotiation Skills, presented by Myranne Janoff and Julie DeSorgher

Members and Non Members are invited to join us for dinner, networking and engaging workshops conducted by our distinguished presenters. Both sessions include dinner, please choose one when completing your registration.

Bios:
Julie DeSorgher, Vice President at ZurickDavis
Early in her career, Julie worked in nursing and nursing administration at several academic medical centers. Building on that experience, she became a management consultant and also worked in hospital finance at Beth Israel Hospital. She has also held senior positions in managed care, both on the payor and provider side, at several premier Boston area companies, including Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, Steward Health Care, and Neighborhood Health Plan. In addition to Julie’s broad healthcare experience, she worked for Auerbach Associates, an executive search firm specializing in higher education and cultural institutions, where she led academic and administrative searches for leadership positions at top-tier colleges and universities. Julie earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Winona State University in Minnesota and her Master of Public Administration degree from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University.

Myranne Janoff, Managing Partner at ZurickDavis
Before joining ZurickDavis in 2000, Myranne was the Associate Administrator of the Brigham Surgical Group in Boston. With more than 20 years of experience as a health care executive and entrepreneur, she founded a clinical laboratory, was a Partner in an e-health care business venture, and has been a consultant to several start-up health care ventures. Myranne has abroad range of responsibilities, including the leadership of major searches, business strategy, new business development and the oversight of operational improvements and efficiency. Myranne holds her undergraduate degree from Elizabethtown College and an MBA from Northeastern University. She began her career as a medical technologist.

Katherine Kent, Social Media Coach
A native Rhode Islander, Katherine traveled to the foothills of the mountains of Western Maine to earn a B.A. in Psychology at the University of Maine at Farmington. She has previously worked as a Residential Caseworker, a Case Manager, and is an experienced Workshop Facilitator. Currently, Katherine works as a Career Navigator & Communications Associate with JVS CareerSolution in downtown Boston. In this role, she leads workshops and works one-on-one with individuals to create and strengthen their social media presence to aid in job searching, networking, and personal branding. Outside of work, Katherine enjoys serving as an Alumni Volunteer for Alpha Phi Omega (National Co-Ed Service Fraternity), practicing yoga, reading great books, and cooking all kinds of delicious food!

Click for a map of the event venue.

Join us for dinner, networking and a lively, rich discussion as moderator Patricia Noga, PhD, RN, VP, Clinical Affairs, Massachusetts Hospital Association leads our esteemed panel in answering:
(1) What does ‘value-based’ care mean to you and your organization and what are you doing to deliver it?
(2) What are new career paths you see in the quest for value, and the skills women in healthcare need to pursue those paths?

Panel:
• Emily Brower, Vice President, Population Health, Atrius Health
• Patty Blake, President, Senior Products, Tufts Health Plan
• Kelly Fanning, Senior Director, Population Health Management, Brigham and Women’s Physician Organization
• Katharine London, Principal, Center for Health Law and Economics, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Please see panelist bios below.

Patricia Noga, PhD, RN, MBA, NEA-BC, VP Clinical Affairs, Massachusetts Hospital
Patricia M. Noga, Vice President, Clinical Affairs of the Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA), leads a variety of clinical and health system-related programs which support Massachusetts hospitals in continually improving patient safety and quality of care, the healthcare workforce, and emergency preparedness. Currently, she is the leader in implementing the MHA’s Statewide Performance Improvement Agenda focusing on statewide initiatives to improve quality, improve efficiency, and improve safety. She leads the state in the continued implementation of the national quality improvement collaborative in Massachusetts hospitals, Hospital Engagement Network; in conjunction with the American Hospital Association’s Health Research and Educational Trust. Pat also co-chairs MHA’s Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment Task Force which issued Guidelines for Emergency Department Opioid Management.

Pat received her Associate in Liberal Arts degree from Elmira College and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Skidmore College. She received her Master of Business Administration degree from Suffolk University and her doctoral degree in health policy from the University of Massachusetts.

Emily Brower, Vice President, Population Health, Atrius Health
Emily DuHamel Brower is Vice President of Population Health for Atrius Health, an alliance of three medical groups and a home health care and hospice agency in Massachusetts.
Emily has developed opportunities to support transformational work that measurably improves healthcare for Atrius Health patients, including leading Atrius Health’s implementation of the Pioneer ACO model, an initiative of CMS’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. In her position, Brower leads cross-Atrius Health, cross-discipline teams of over 50 people involved in redesigning care, moving from a payer-based to population-based approach for high risk patients.

Patty Blake, President, Senior Products, Tufts Health Plan
Patty joined Tufts Health Plan in 1993 to develop and launch the company’s Medicare business. Under her leadership, Tufts Health Plan established itself as a market leader and became the number one Medicare Advantage plan in Massachusetts. Patty is responsible for all aspects of Tufts Health Plan’s senior business including strategy, product development, network management, care management, marketing and sales. Tufts Health Plan Medicare Preferred is consistently ranked among the top Medicare Advantage plans in the country by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO and Senior Care Options earned 5 stars out of a possible 5 from the CMS for 2016, one of only 12 Medicare Advantage plans in the country to receive this rating for 2016.
Prior to joining Tufts Health Plan, Patty spent seven years with PacifiCare Health Systems in California. She was executive director for Secure Horizons USA and was regional director of health services; responsible for provider network performance, network contracting and development and utilization management. Patty began her career in managed care in sales and provider contracting.
Patty serves on the board of directors of the Tufts Health Plan Foundation and is actively involved in the Massachusetts/New Hampshire chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Patty received an M.B.A. from the U.C.L.A. Anderson School of Management, an M.A. in health care management from the U.C.L.A. School of Public Health and a B.S. in public health from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Kelly Fanning, Senior Director, Population Health Management, Brigham and Women’s Physician Organization
Kelly Fanning is the Senior Director of Population Health Management at Brigham and Women’s Physician Organization. In this role, Kelly partners with the Chief Medical Officer to develop the BWPO’s strategy to deliver efficient and high quality care to all of their patients. Specifically, Kelly works within Brigham and Women’s and across the Partners network to redesign care and position BWH as an accountable care organization and a center of excellence.
Prior, Kelly held multiple leadership roles at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, where she worked collaboratively to align the needs of members, accounts, and providers. Kelly holds a bachelor of arts from Colby College and an MBA from Simmons.

Katharine London, Principal, Center for Health Law and Economics, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Katharine London, MS, Principal, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Center for Health Law and Economics. Ms. London has over 25 years’ experience developing policy in the areas of health care financing, payment reform, cost containment, and quality improvement. Previously, she served as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council, Director of Health Policy at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, Director of Special Policy Initiatives at the Massachusetts Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, and Pricing Policy Manager at the Massachusetts Rate Setting Commission. Ms. London holds a master’s degree in health policy and management from the Harvard School of Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics with biology from Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges.