Saeed founded Decision Point with the mission of improving health plan clinical, financial and operational performance through informed, data-driven predictions on strategic decisions. He has more than 25 years of health information technology experience, with a track record of developing innovative approaches to solve complex business problems. Saeed has held key senior management positions at Eliza Corporation, Ingenix (currently Optum), IHCIS and ProVentive, where he led high-performing teams focused on creative uses of technology for practical problem-solving.
Saeed is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University with a BA in Economics. He brings his wealth of healthcare engagement expertise to his current role as Chief Product Officer for mPulse - a full-service healthcare engagement firm, leveraging predictive analytics, advanced health portals, and personalized omnichannel outreach, transforming the healthcare experience for 100+ million individuals.
Luis is Star Ratings Consultant for Rex Wallace Consulting, where he focuses on developing strategies to improve Part D performance, increase provider engagement, and dive into analytics. He has 10+ years of experience leading Star Ratings strategies. He previously worked for MCS, one of the main health plans in Puerto Rico, and later moved to Florida where he worked with Cigna leading strategies for all east coast markets. Luis has a master’s degree in economics from the University of Puerto Rico and enjoys cycling in his free time.
Rafi Cices is the Head of Risk Adjustment, Coding and Billing function at CityBlock Health, a tech-driven healthcare provider for those in underserved communities. Prior to joining Cityblock, Rafi led the Risk Adjustment strategy and analytics at Oscar Health for Medicare and ACA lines of business.
Rafi has experience managing an organization's performance in value based contracts where he successfully implemented contracts with insurers and CMS when he worked at Caremount Medical. He has an undergraduate degree in finance from Rutgers University and an EMBA from the Johnson Business School at Cornell University.
Dr. Shannon Decker is principal at VBC One, a consulting firm assisting physician groups, health plans and vendors maximize the performance of their value based contracts and offerings. Dr. Decker has more than 20 years experience in health care and most recently led teams in risk, quality, data and analytics, telehealth, COVID response and delegation compliance. Of her more than 20 years of experience in healthcare--15 include working with risk adjustment, quality and Medicare. Dr. Decker has a PhD. in Interdisciplinary Studies, dual MBA degrees--in Finance and in Marketing, as well as an M.Ed. in Secondary Education and a M.Ed. in Administration and Leadership. Dr. Decker is on the faculty at Arizona State University and is also an associate professor of Higher Education & Adult Learning (HEAL) and chief methodologist for Walden and Capella Universities where she chairs and oversees the dissertations of doctoral students. An author of two books and several peer-reviewed articles, and a prolific national public speaker, her interests include the study of human behavior and how theories on motivation and learning may be brought to bear on population health management.
His background is in management and operational processes for 15 years, and began working in the Risk Adjustment arena 12 years ago. Ryan has proven himself by helping Medical Groups raise their RAF scores to their proper levels. He directed the movement of a 10,000 member group up 43% over a two year period, and an 1800 member group up 53% in the first year. Ryan achieves these results through chart documentation audits, provider and staff documentation training, and provider relationship building. In his most current role Ryan works with multiple groups to optimize their RAF score, while at the same time achieving CMS 5 Star quality. Ryan explains to these groups that getting their RAF score to the correct level will not only drive revenue, but it will also lead to better patient care with improved documentation habits. Ryan is a Certified Risk Adjustment Coder (CRC) credential through the AAPC.
Tina Dueringer Vice President Clinical and Quality
Rebellis Group
Tina is the Vice President of Clinical and Quality at Rebellis Group, a consulting firm that specializes in health plan operations, pharmacy benefit management, government consulting and technology. Tina has extensive experience in Medicare, Medicaid, SNP, Marketplace and commercial business. Her expertise includes case management, medical management, utilization management, clinical quality, Stars, HEDIS and accreditation including NCQA and URAC. She has health plan experience in strategic planning, joint ventures, partnerships, delegated relationships, value-based care including development and implementation. Tina previously served as the Head of Health Plan Operations for Cityblock Health, a value-based care, risk-based startup serving underprivileged populations. She was also the Director of Clinical Quality, Accreditation, Appeals and Grievances at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona. Previously she held leadership positions with both the payer and provider. She holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a post graduate certification from Duke University in Population Care Coordination and is a
Ana Handshuh, Principal at CAT5 Strategies, is a government programs executive with expertise in creating and implementing corporate programs for the healthcare industry. Her background includes Quality, Core Measures, Care Management, Benefit Design and Bid Submission, Accreditation, Regulatory Compliance, Revenue Management, Communications, Community-based Care Management Programs and Technology Integration. Ms. Handshuh currently serves on the Board of the Resource Initiative and Society for Education (RISE), the preeminent national professional association dedicated to managed and accountable care financing and delivery. She is a sought after speaker on the national healthcare circuit in the areas of Quality, Star Ratings, Care Management, Member and Provider Engagement, and Revenue Management. Her recent consultancy roles have included assisting organizations create programs to address the unmet care management needs in the highest risk strata of membership, document their processes and procedures, achieve accreditation status, design and submit government program bids, institute corporate-wide programs and create communications strategies and materials. She possesses sophisticated business acumen with the ability to build consensus with cross-functional groups to accomplish corporate goals. Ms. Handshuh served as the Vice President of Managed Care Services at Central Florida Inpatient Medicine (CFIM). In this role, she provided leadership and strategy on CFIM projects and collaborations with physicians, risk entities, hospital health care systems, and health plans. CFIM is the largest Hospitalist group in Central Florida, with 70 providers discharging over 50,000 patients annually from multiple hospitals across two health care delivery systems and 24 skilled nursing facilities. At CFIM Ms. Handshuh previously served as the Vice President of Operations. Prior to those assignments, she worked with Precision Healthcare Systems as their Vice President of Quality Improvement. In that capacity, she led the IPA’s Quality efforts and collaborated with payers on implementing programs to move the needle on Quality and Star Rating initiatives. Ms. Handshuh also served as the Director of Corporate Program Development at Physicians United Plan. In this role, she led the Quality Management and Corporate Communications departments and spearheaded the development of innovative integrated technology solutions to drive business excellence and Star Rating achievement initiatives. For the past fifteen years Ms. Handshuh has taken an active role in redefining and implementing changes that have led to improvements and greater efficiency within Government programs and healthcare delivery. Prior to joining Physicians United Plan Ms. Handshuh was the founder of I-Six Creative. Under Ms. Handshuh’s vision and leadership, I-Six Creative provided expertise in the areas of managed Medicare benefit design, MSO/IPA operations, provider network strategy, new market launches, technology integration, corporate communications and quality improvement.
Kent Holdcroft is the Chief Growth Officer at HealthMine, bringing over 15 years of operational, consulting, and business development experience with healthcare technology vendors to our team. Prior to HealthMine, Kent was Executive Vice President at AdhereHealth where he installed the teams and processes that led to record growth and innovation in product strategy. Before that, Kent had multiple successes with AIM Healthcare (now a part of Optum, a United Health Group, Inc. company), rising to National Director as it expanded into new markets. Kent received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Miami University and Master’s in Counseling from the University of Toledo. In his free time, Kent serves on the Board of Directors at BrightStone, Inc., as well as with the Tennessee Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
Nikki is an accomplished professional with over 17 years of experience in the healthcare industry, specializing in Medicare and Medicaid product strategy. With extensive knowledge and expertise in the field, Nikki is a trusted leader who has consistently contributed to the growth and success of various organizations.
Nikki holds a Master's degree in Health Administration. Additionally, she has pursued a Doctorate in Executive Leadership.
As a passionate advocate for accessible and affordable healthcare, Nikki remains dedicated to driving innovation in the Medicare and Medicaid sectors.
Migdalia de Jesús is the Medicare Stars Program Manager at Medical Card System (MCS), a 5-star Medicare Advantage Plan in Puerto Rico. She holds an MBA in Marketing and has 16 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Throughout her career, she has led successful strategies in member marketing, communications, outreach, and enrollment, for both Medicare and Medicaid lines of business. Currently, she focuses on enhancing member experiences and healthcare outcomes by improving CAHPS and HOS results.
Jaye Johnston is a transformative and accomplished healthcare executive currently serving as the Vice President of Stars Operations at Clover Health, a physician enablement company focused on seniors who have historically lacked access to affordable, high-quality healthcare.
With a healthcare career spanning over two decades, she has leveraged her early experience at the frontlines of patient care and transitioned to roles driving systemic change. Over the years, she has developed deep expertise in elevating the quality of care through initiatives that make a meaningful impact and continue to reshape the healthcare landscape, leaving an indelible mark on the industry and improving lives.
Windi Julias is the Executive Director of Customer Success at Redpoint Global, a leading customer data platform (CDP) provider. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Windi has dedicated her career to helping customers achieve their goals and advocating for their success.
Windi holds an MBA from the University of Maryland, where she honed her skills in business administration and strategic management. Her deep understanding of customer needs and her commitment to fostering strong relationships have been instrumental in driving success for both her clients and her team.
Windi's philosophy centers around the belief that true success is achieved through collaboration, empathy, and a relentless focus on the customer's needs. She is passionate about creating environments where customers feel valued and supported, and she continually seeks innovative ways to enhance the customer experience.
April Kennedy
Program Manager Consultant, CAHPS Member Experience
April Kennedy Program Manager Consultant, CAHPS Member Experience
Blue Shield of California
April Kennedy is a seasoned Program Manager with a robust background in project management, holding 8 years of experience in leading complex, multi-disciplinary projects. She is highly adept at collaborating with stakeholders and managing project schedules, ensuring effective communication standards, and driving impactful decision-making.
April’s educational background includes a PMP certification from the Project Management Institute (2022), an MA in Organizational Management from the University of Arizona (2021), and a BA in Sociology from California Baptist University (2016). Her career highlights include her current role as a Program Manager Consultant at Blue Shield of California, where she has significantly improved member engagement and usage of digital portals, and her previous roles at Kaiser Permanente, where she led enterprise architecture initiatives and innovative technology projects.
April excels in data-driven decision-making, stakeholder management, and working in agile environments. She prioritizes organizational structure and collaboration and has a proven track record of applying structured thinking to overcome challenges and implement change management strategies.
Katie has been working to improve Blue Shield of California’s Medicare Star Rating for over five years, and she is now the Manager of the Stars Strategy team. In this role she leads the team through the annual and monthly Stars process to ensure the performance engine is running smoothly. On a day-to-day basis, she works with enterprise leaders to evaluate their measures’ performance, review workplans, and implement mitigation strategies. Katie holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan.
Nate Lucena is the Chief Strategy & Analytics Officer for Rex Wallace Consulting, where he specializes in helping health plans achieve their Quality Improvement performance goals through data-driven and equity-focused strategies. He began his career spending over a decade in academic research, specializing in the neural bases of schizophrenia, brain aging, Alzheimer’s Disease and human cognition. Nate has been published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology and Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, and regularly presented research findings at industry conferences.
Nate shifted into a managed care career at Centene Corporation, where he built and led an Enterprise Quality Analytics and Data Science team specializing in data strategy, QI initiative outcomes studies, member-level predictive modeling of experience and clinical outcomes, and performance forecasting. Additionally, he was the key analytics lead in the development of an award-winning QI Health Equity Analysis Model, incorporating stratified reporting and advanced statistical modeling to help health plans identify health disparities and drivers in HEDIS and CAHPS. He went on to lead Ratings Improvement Strategy, National Vendor Management, and Quality RFP/Business Development for Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace lines of business.
Core to Nate’s work across the academic and corporate sectors is a deep commitment to creating diverse workplaces rooted in equity and inclusion through measurable action. His commitment is evidenced by leadership roles in the Washington University LGBT Advisory Board, co-creator and leader of the SafeZones training program for faculty and staff departments, co-Presidency of Centene’s cPRIDE employee inclusion group, and participation in numerous equity-focused community groups. This equity focus is the primary lens through which he helps managed care organizations bring disparity reduction to the forefront of their QI strategic focus.
Nate has Master’s degrees in Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience/Aging from the College of William & Mary and Washington University in St. Louis.
Katie Martin (she/her) received her Masters of Healthcare Informatics from the University of San Diego. She is currently Vice President, Quality and Clinical Analytics with Baylor Scott & White Health Plan. Katie is passionate about developing integrated quality programs; collaborating with population health, wellness, care management, member engagement and analytics to drive improvement. Some of her achievements involve leading plans to achieving CMS 5 Stars, improved overall quality ratings, and focused programs to guide member engagement and satisfaction.
Christine McKinney VP Marketing and Member Experience
Blue Shield of California
Christine McKinney is the Vice President, Marketing and Member Experience at Blue Shield of California, a nonprofit health plan with more than 4.8 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $24 billion in annual revenue. In her role, she is accountable for marketing and the strategy and governance of the company’s member experience performance. McKinney leverages Blue Shield’s member data analytics to drive the company’s understanding of how it is serving and how it can improve and re-think the way it is serving our members. She successfully champions omnichannel member engagement strategies and innovations for delivering the right connected experiences during the moments that matter most during a member’s healthcare journey. Her team is also responsible for the strategic planning for Blue Shield’s marketing organization.
McKinney brings over 20 years of experience in marketing, product, and operation roles. Prior to joining Blue Shield of California, she led the Channel Product Marketing and Strategy team at McKesson Corporation. Her teams created and brought to market innovative new products delivered by pharmacists to improve patient medication adherence in partnership with pharmaceutical manufacturers. She also created the first of its kind turn-key network of trained and engaged independent and chain pharmacies through which patient support programs were launched.
McKinney has spent her career improving efficiency and outcomes across the healthcare industry, including payors, pharmacies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and patients. She earned her Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University.
Gary is a clinical pharmacist at Network Health, a local health insurance provider in Northeast and Southeast Wisconsin. He is currently one of three pharmacists involved making MTM calls in-house. His responsibilities also involve NCQA, pharmacy appeals, P&T Committee, as well as member and provider relations.
Gary also has experience as pharmacy manager for a national long term care company, as pharmacy manager for a retail pharmacy chain, and as pharmacy director for a national health care provider. In addition, he has been a pharmacy instructor at a local medical college family practice clinic.
Dwight has led consulting engagements for the past 10 years and serves as an Executive Advisor to Healthmine’s Consulting and Professional Services. Dwight has over 20 years of direct Health Plan experience in Quality Improvement, Population Health, Case Management, HEDIS® and plan performance ratings for Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Fueled by a strong background in Medicare and Medicaid reporting and regulatory compliance, Dwight has directly led MCOs in achieving significant performance improvement results across numerous markets and product lines. He has consulted dozens of plans to improve their HEDIS® and Star Ratings programs. He also served as the National Director of HEDIS® for a leading organization where he was responsible for HEDIS® and CAHPS performance reporting and analytics and supporting 18 health plans’ Medicaid and special needs plans quality reporting requirements.
Prior to his role as a Consultant, Dwight held numerous positions as a Director of Quality Improvement for multiple markets in the managed care industry. In these roles, he implemented member and provider outreach programs focused on targeting vulnerable populations and providing member engagement tools.
Dwight provides strategic guidance on process improvements for managed care organizations, provider groups, ancillary services organizations. He continually uses his expertise in reporting, data capture and analytics to evaluate programs, develop teams, and improve performance in Star Ratings, HEDIS®, CAHPS and HOS surveys, and NCQA accreditations. Dwight also routinely performs mock readiness audits of Special Needs Plan Model of Care (SNP-MOC) and Coordinated Care Quality Improvement Program Effectiveness (CCQIPE).
Bill Phillips Chief Strategy & Performance Officer
Linkwell Health
Bill Phillips is the Chief Strategy & Performance Officer at Linkwell Health, the consumer engagement company that drives action in healthcare.
Prior to joining Linkwell, Phillips spent 13 years at Men’s Health, the world’s largest and most successful men’s magazine brand. In his role as Vice President & Global Editor-in-Chief, he oversaw every aspect of the brand, domestically and internationally.
Phillips has won numerous print and digital awards, including the National Magazine Award for General Excellence, the industry’s highest honor, and The Content Council’s Pearl Award, the Oscar of content marketing.
Phillips is also the author of the bestselling book The Better Man Project.
LeAnna Pierson Director of Member Engagement & Communications
Blue Cross Minnesota
LeAnna is the Director of Member Engagement at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. In her role, she is responsible for member engagement and communications across the Medicare & Medicaid business. She also oversees the development of member experience programs needed for the Medicare Stars program.
Prior to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, she spent most of her career in retail marketing, leading large national campaigns and developing long-term brand marketing strategies. Her expertise is centered on building best-in-class consumer experiences and insights-driven marketing communications.
LeAnna holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, and a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Nutrition from the University of Minnesota.
Vanessa Robson Account Executive, Healthcare Practice
Relay Network
Vanessa is an Account Executive in the Healthcare Practice at Relay Network. She is an accomplished professional with unique experience designing and executing impactful member engagement programs for national health plans. She brings a wealth of experience in customer service and strategic planning, with a focus on solutions that improve member experiences, satisfaction and outcomes.
Heidi has deep expertise in helping health plans improve their Member Experience. Prior to joining RWC, she led the CAHPS and HOS national strategy for Cigna.
Joseph Schneier has been at the forefront of innovations in global and domestic education, government, healthcare, and insurance technology for over 20 years. He has built companies and products related to behavioral change with complex populations, co-founded and exited two companies, and is a Fellow at Columbia University’s MBA Entrepreneurial Program.
Since 2012, Mr. Schneier’s primary focus has been on the older adult population. Joseph founded three companies in this space — Cognotion (now operating as Cinematic Health Education): a growth stage company that trains CNAs, Home Health Aides, and Personal Care Assistants; Bellage (with James Firman, the former CEO of the National Council on Aging): a company working with Area Agencies on Aging on longevity initiatives; and Circle (formerly Trusty.care): an AI data management and customer relationship SaaS platform that makes it easier for health plans, value-based care providers, and brokers to get rewarded for better serving their members. Circle bridges the gap by empowering partners with the right technology and insights and facilitating a more inclusive and accessible healthcare environment.
Mr. Schneier has spoken at TedMed, Lake Nona, and JP Morgan Healthcare. He is a mentor at New York University, Wharton, Cornell, Techstars, and is a Columbia University Fellow. Mr. Schneier sits on the board of The Sam and Devorah Foundation for Transgender youth, Superbia Credit Union (an LGBTQ credit union), Stonewall Community Development Corporation (a non-profit focused on LGBTQ senior housing), and is a member of the LGBTQ+ Biden Council and the LGBTQ+ Queens District Attorney Council.
Laura Sheriff is a highly experienced and skilled professional in the healthcare industry, with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in risk adjustment, quality improvement, and population health analytics. With her background in Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace Managed Care, as well as her leadership abilities and certifications as a professional coder and risk coder, Laura brings a unique set of skills to her consulting work with physician groups and health plans.
For more than a decade, Melissa Smith has been at the forefront of leading Medicare Advantage and Star Ratings teams. As the founder of Newton Smith Group and a Senior Advisor to Oliver Wyman, Melissa is a widely recognized thought leader and healthcare strategist. Her proven track record of success lies in developing comprehensive enterprise-wide solutions that enhance Star Ratings, quality performance, health outcomes, and the overall member experience.
Melissa excels in crafting strategic and tactical solutions to meet client needs, forging productive partnerships across internal teams and external vendors, and improving performance on various quality measures. Her unique background in business, finance, regulatory compliance, and healthcare quality provides clients unparalleled access to healthcare strategy, quality performance, and revenue optimization.
As the former Chief Consulting Officer at Healthmine and Senior Vice President at Gorman Health Group, Melissa's leadership spans across prestigious organizations like Cigna-HealthSpring and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Graduating from Purdue University, Melissa began her career at KPMG, LLP and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Ryan Stalvey Director of Member Engagement Strategies
Prospect Medical Systems
Ryan Stalvey is the Director of Member Engagement Strategies at Prospect Medical Systems, where he has been a key leader in shaping patient experience initiatives and driving service excellence for nearly a decade. With a robust background in healthcare management, Ryan leads a talented team dedicated to implementing transformative patient experience initiatives and optimizing service delivery through strategic partnerships with contracted physicians and internal teams.
In his current role, Ryan is at the forefront of developing and executing innovative strategies that enhance patient satisfaction and improve service quality across the organization. His leadership has been instrumental in crafting effective interventions that help improve overall experience in the patient journey.
Before joining Prospect Medical Systems, Ryan earned his undergraduate degree in Health Science with a concentration in Healthcare Management from California State University San Bernardino. His academic foundation, coupled with his hands-on experience, has equipped him with a deep understanding of healthcare dynamics and a passion for fostering excellence in patient experience & service excellence.
Galen Swint Managing Partner, Analytics and Technology
Limetree
Galen earned his PhD from Georgia Tech in Computer Science for distributed data systems. He brings hands-on experience from leading data-driven organizations, including McKinsey & Co and retail banking pioneer Capital One. At McKinsey, Galen’s experience included both strategy and operations for clients across industries as diverse as government, agricultural science, and telecom. His Capital One experiences included strategy, digital marketing, and data analytics for home and auto lending. Galen has been a driving force in developing Limetree’s technology capabilities, patented testing methods, and data systems. Limetree’s proprietary data technologies leverage algorithmic analysis to deeply explore and extract insights from data that identify growth and performance improvement opportunities for marketing while preserving data quality and security.
Jessica has a proven track record of taking skills that she mastered in one area and applying that mastery to new areas. She holds certifications in Health Care Compliance from the Health Care Compliance Association, Strategic Decision and Risk Management from Stanford University and Gerontology from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. She holds a current Wisconsin license as an Advance Practice Social Worker and is also a Six Sigma Green Belt. She has close to two decades of experience in healthcare and business and organizational leadership.
Jessica is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh and holds a Masters of Social Work from University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and a Masters in Organizational Business and Business Leadership from Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, WI.
Rex Wallace is the founder and principal of Rex Wallace Consulting, LLC, a firm that specializes in improving Star Ratings for Medicare Advantage health plans. Rex assesses plans and guides them in the development and implementation of-leading strategies to drive material Quality Improvement. Since its inception in 2017, RWC has helped multiple Medicare Advantage contracts achieve significant improvements in Star Ratings, including single-year full-Star improvements. Prior to launching RWC, Rex spent twenty-three years in strategic healthcare roles, with a strong focus on Medicare Advantage. Most recently, he led Stars for a large, multi-state plan that consistently achieved 4 and 4.5 Stars across its multiple contracts.
Darren Wethers is a board-certified internal medicine physician and certified physician executive.
He graduated from Morehouse College, Northwestern University Medical School and completed internal medicine training at Emory University School of Medicine before establishing himself in internal medicine practice in the St. Louis, Missouri area, becoming a “Top Doctor” honoree several years running.
In 2011, Dr. Wethers began a career in administrative medicine, servings as a medical director with Coventry Health Care and Aetna, vice president of clinical operations at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and now at Atrio Health Plans, where he serves as chief medical officer.
Dr. Wethers is a member of the American Association for Physician Leadership, Fellow of the American College of Physicians, member of Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities; he is the past chairman for Gamma Mu Educational Services (GMES) board of directors and is a board member of Northwestern University Medical School Alumni Association, for which he serves as co-chair of the Inclusion and Allyship committee and president-elect.
With 10+ years working as an applied behavioral scientist, Lisa applies data and academic findings from behavioral economics, social psychology, and consumer behavior to help solve practical business challenges. Her research has been widely cited and published in leading academic journals, including Psychological Science and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the New York Times. Lisa earned a doctorate degree in judgment and decision-making psychology from Columbia University and has completed post-doctoral training at the Center for Decision Sciences at Columbia Business School.
