Today’s CEOs are facing more challenges than ever, as demonstrated by the two-decade high in turnover for healthcare CEOs, instability in the global (and national) economy, and an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing post-pandemic health and human service. Despite these pressing challenges, there are key directional trends in the field that are known— such as integrated care models, payviders, retail health care and consumerism, reimbursement tied to performance, price sensitivity, and the end of the public health emergency.
For executives, envisioning the opportunities and future market positioning in the ever-evolving landscape will be a key leadership competency and a critical piece of organizational success. The OPEN MINDS Chief Executive Officer Learning Path was created to equip today’s CEOs with the critical skills and competencies needed to embrace current challenges, make informed decisions, and lead their organizations into the future with confidence.
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Getting To The Right Scale: The 2025 OPEN MINDS Executive Seminar On Growth Through Mergers, Acquisitions & Affiliations
How big is big enough for your organization to sustain talent, market reach, and financial resources? In deciding the right path for staying competitive in the constantly shifting health and human services marketplace, many executives from specialty provider organizations are pursuing merger, acquisition, and affiliation (MA&A) strategies. In the last few years, the field has experienced a record number of MA&A among specialty provider organizations serving consumers with complex conditions. Join us for this information-packed seminar examining growth strategies and successful implementation plans from previous combinations and collaborations occurring in the health and human services field. Learn how to position your organization for sustainability and growth as we move forward into the “post-pandemic” world.
This seminar will focus on:
- Designing an effective strategy for growth and scale
- Assessing the options for growth – from investors to mergers
- Identifying prospective organizational partners
- Overcoming the challenges to create successful collaborations
Rick Rowley
Rick Rowley brings over 10 years of experience driving improved performance, quality, and costs of the health care system to OPEN MINDS as a Senior Associate. Mr. Rowley is focused on bringing together health care physicians, provider organizations, health care payers, and data-driven strategies.
Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Rowley was the Chief Data & Analytics Officer at the State of Colorado, Behavioral Health Administration. In this role, he designed and implemented the Colorado behavioral health performance monitoring system, which focused on the impact of care across privately and publicly funded services including health care, criminal justice, and social services. Mr. Rowley served as the state’s subject matter expert on quality and performance measures for behavioral/mental health services, grants, and contracts worth over $200 million annually. He brokered data-sharing agreements with both public and private organizations and advised senior executives and state leaders on data trends utilizing data visualizations and formal presentations. He spoke at national and state-level conferences focused on improving mental health care.
Previously, Mr. Rowley was the Vice President of Healthcare Strategy and Operations at Redwood Family Care Network, a private equity-backed provider of services for those with severe mental illness disabilities within California, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona. He developed strategies and implemented the use of operational guidelines for physicians, psychiatrists, behavioralists, and social workers caring for residents within our 124 facilities located across the four states. He also served as a merger and acquisition (M&A) consultant on the business development team providing subject matter expert insights on revenue cycle management, quality of services, and the strategic synergies of potential healthcare acquisitions.
Mr. Rowley was also the project manager for the development of a specialty mental health/primary care medical group contracted with Medicare Innovations Value-Based “Primary Care First” program that performed services through a hybrid telehealth and satellite facility environment. He designed and engineered a data warehouse (BigQuery) for the integration and coordination of care between insurance payers and state services.
Prior to that role, Mr. Rowley served as the Vice President of Corporate Wellness at OC Wellness Physicians Group. In this role, Mr. Rowley drove B2B sales for corporate wellness contracts that generated $18 million worth of new business. He provided operational and strategic leadership creating and maximizing payer agreements with Medicare, Anthem Blue Cross, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare.
Previously, Mr. Rowley served as the Executive Director for Regenerative Orthopedic Clinic, where he turned the company around from a negative EBITDA to $2.5 million. He was responsible for $10.1 million annual P&L grown from $750k in 2011. While working with the CEO, Mr. Rowley oversaw the operations and strategies for the company’s three southern California facilities and 45 employees with support from eight direct reports.
Mr. Rowley earned his Doctorate of Chiropractic degree at Southern California University of Health Sciences. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree at Brigham Young University, majoring in Microbiology with a minor in business management.
Kimberly Bond, MS
Kimberly Bond, MS, LMFT, brings more than 30 years of experience providing behavioral health treatment in the public and community settings to the OPEN MINDS team. She currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Business Development. In this role, Ms. Bond focuses on growing the OPEN MINDS client portfolio across all nine verticals of OPEN MINDS business.
Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Ms. Bond served concurrently as a Program Coordinator III and Clinical Manager of Adult Services and a Program Coordinator II and Clinical Manager of Recovery Services for the Ozark Guidance Center. In these roles, Ms. Bond was responsible for the administrative and clinical oversight of the adult outpatient and adult intensive mental health services on the Springdale Campus as well as the adult recovery/co-occurring services, including domestic violence and anger management treatment.
Prior to joining the Ozark Guidance Center, Ms. Bond served as the Executive Vice President of Center Point, Inc, a large substance abuse provider agency in California. In this role, Ms. Bond was responsible for the clinical and administrative supervision of all community-based programs as well as the women and children residential programs. In addition, Ms. Bond also managed budgets, interacted with funding agencies, and built positive relationships with all stakeholders. Ms. Bond was also in charge of proposal and grant writing, staff management, and training, facilities’ licensing and certifications renewals. Additionally, she prepared and submitted monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports to various funders.
Previously, Ms. Bond served as the President and CEO of Mental Health Systems, Inc. Ms. Bond was very instrumental in growing the agency from $12 million in annual revenue to more than $100 million and becoming one of the largest providers of behavioral health services in California. In this role, Ms. Bond was responsible for the strategic, clinical, financial, and administrative health of the agency, including direct supervision of Senior Executive Staff. In addition, Bond ensured contract compliance of the agency’s 125 different contracts across federal and state agencies and eight counties.
Ms. Bond received her bachelor’s degree in psychology, with honors, and her master’s degree in counseling education from San Diego State University. She is licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in both California and Arkansas.
Paul M. Duck
Paul M. Duck brings more than 40 years of experience in leadership and management focusing on managed care, health information technology organizations, strategy, business development, and market expansion, and customer experience optimization to the OPEN MINDS team.
Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Duck served as the Vice President, Strategy & Development at Beacon Health Options. In this role, Mr. Duck led the organization’s strategy and business development efforts, which led to a 30% increase in net revenue and initiated more than $1 billion in revenue generation. Mr. Duck was active in national behavioral health initiatives as an executive of Beacon Health Options, including participating as a speaker at national and state association meetings.
Before joining Beacon Health Options, Mr. Duck was the Vice President of Business Development at Netsmart Technologies. During his tenure, Mr. Duck was responsible for business planning including the oversight of strategic activities including acquisitions, development, and execution of strategic initiatives, and positioning, and sales of large strategic customers. He also led the rollout of the company’s benchmarking and data analytics product suite.
Prior to Netsmart, Mr. Duck served as the Chief Executive Officer for Coastal Orthopedics and Pain Management, a large group practice with five clinic locations and two ambulatory surgical centers. As the organization’s chief executive officer, Mr. Duck was responsible for significant positive changes in leadership and corporate culture, financial and operational performance, compliance, and governance. Mr. Duck improved net collections by over $1 million per month and grew the practice through negotiating better contract rates with payers. He also implemented an organizational rebranding initiative and launched a new marketing campaign.
Prior to Coastal Orthopedics and Pain Management, Mr. Duck served as the President and Chief Executive Officer for Florida Radiology Imaging, one of the largest outpatient diagnostic imaging service companies serving the greater Orlando market. During his tenure, Mr. Duck led the construction of three new, full modality, diagnostic imaging locations. Mr. Duck revolutionized the company’s culture by creating a highly attractive and functional work environment.
Mr. Duck earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Case Western Reserve University. He earned his Associate of Arts in Electronic Engineering Technology from the Electronic Technology Institute. Mr. Duck received an award by Inc magazine for leading Florida Radiology Imaging as one of America’s fastest-growing companies. Mr. Duck recently served as a contributing author to the book The New Health Age: The Future of Health Care in America.
Paying For Health-Related Social Needs: Emerging Models Of Funding Every Executive Should Know About
With increased attention to value-based care, improved outcomes, and the metrics that define them, it is key that providers build services around their community’s unique array of health-related social needs (HRSN). These may include housing instability, food insecurity, employment, personal safety, lack of transportation, etc.
Equally as important is for provider executives to have a thorough understanding of what kind of payment models can be leveraged to support those services. In this plenary session, hear from a diverse group of payers on innovative models for payment and contracting that providers can leverage to support unconventional lines of service delivery to address HRSN and community health outcomes on a broad scale.
Yvonne Copeland, MBA
Yvonne Copeland is the inaugural Director for the newly established Division of Child and Family Well-Being (DCFW) at the NC Department of Health and Human Services, which brings together health, behavioral health, early childhood development, and nutrition programs that support children and families using a whole-person approach to care. Yvonne provides strategic direction and oversight for 1000+ employees in the operation of federal and state programs within DCFW’s portfolio including Whole Child Health, Early Intervention, Community Nutrition Services (WIC and CACFP), and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). She is driven to ensure all children have the opportunity to thrive in safe, stable, and nurturing families, schools, and communities.
Yvonne’s 30 years of executive leadership, health policy, system design and implementation, change management, and operations in public sector health and human services have given her a unique understanding of the complexity of systems and the impact of practical solutions. Yvonne served as Senior Vice President of Operations for a multi-state Quality Improvement Organization, where she led all federal and state service lines (population health, external quality review, utilization management, and program integrity). As the former Vice President of Community Operations for a behavioral health managed care organization Yvonne increased provider capacity using innovative payment models, increased access to timely care, and amplified the member voice. Yvonne holds an MBA from Meredith College and a BA from Rutgers University and has two amazing adult children, a loving daughter and son-in-law, and a grand-dog that bring her joy.
Cindy Ehlers, MS, LCMHC
Cindy Ehlers, MS, LCMHC, serves as the Chief Operations Officer for Trillium Health Resources. She is focused on improving access to health and affordability through emerging analytics and innovative solutions. She leads several major components of Trillium, overseeing the strategy and innovation for Trillium along with member services, care management, network operations, and innovative development. Trillium Health Resources is a leader in innovation for behavioral health and IDD and the life-long support needed by these populations in NC.
Cindy is a champion for the implementation of evidence based practices. Cindy has developed a robust department within Trillium focused on approaches that address opportunities for health and health disparity throughout eastern NC. She has worked as a public servant for the past 32 years. Cindy has developed many programs and services in behavioral health and intellectual and developmental disabilities across more than half of North Carolina, overcoming rural barriers and many health disparities to meet the service needs of the BH-IDD population.
Cindy offers a unique perspective in her role as an Executive in the NC system, as she is both a parent and professional. Cindy has six children- several who have special needs; she was a therapeutic foster parent and is an adoptive parent. Cindy understands the system from the perspective of the MCO, from the inside out, and as a parent of children with special healthcare needs from the outside in. Her lived experience is unique to find in healthcare at this level in an organization. Trillium is the only health plan in the state with a parent who has been a foster parent and adoptive parent and is the parent of children with IDD on the Executive team of the organization.
Stephanie Franklin, MPS
Stephanie Franklin, MPS, is the Director of Insights & Business Intelligence for Humana, Inc., a leading, national health care company that offers a wide range of insurance products and health and wellness services that incorporate an integrated approach to lifelong well-being. Humana has a vision of influencing and enabling an equitable healthcare ecosystem so that every person has a fair, just and dignified opportunity to reach their full health potential. Stephanie leads the Insights and Business Intelligence team within Humana’s Health Equity and Social Impact organization, whose objectives are to leverage data analytics and visualization to bring to light those social risk factors and non-medical needs that prevent members and patients from achieving their best health and to build enterprise capacity for disparities-focused reporting, analytics and strategy development.
Stephanie is a published researcher and speaker on the topics of social determinants of health and health equity. She is passionate about helping teams and organizations translate research and analytics into policy and practice to create a healthier, more equitable society. She has worked across sectors – public, private, and non-profit – where she has developed an understanding of barriers and facilitators to implementation of evidence-based practices.
Stephanie joined Humana in 2014. Previous roles included leading clinical programs aimed at preventing and delaying progression of chronic disease. Prior to joining Humana, Stephanie was the Senior Legislative Aide for a Member of Congress. Stephanie has a Master of Professional Studies in Political Management from The George Washington University and a B.A. from Centre College. She lives in Louisville, KY with her husband and two sons.
Dismantling Silos: An I/DD Non-Profits Journey In Fostering A Person-Centered Approach For Achieving Integrated Care
In this presentation, we will explore the transformative journey of a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing comprehensive services, including integrated primary care, dental, mental health services, psychiatry, autism services, speech therapy, and programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The nonprofit successfully dismantled the silos that once separated these vital services and created a collaborative environment where each department works together to enhance consumer outcomes. These efforts showcase not only improved quality of care but also fostered a more cohesive and consumer-centered approach, ultimately leading to better outcomes for the communities served. Learn how, through this process, they improved the efficiency of care delivery and empowered consumers by offering more integrated and personalized care options.
The presentation will guide the audience through three key learning objectives:
- Understanding the importance of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in measuring the success of integrated care,
- Recognizing the value of consumer choice in shaping personalized care plans, and
- Exploring the benefits of collaborative care models that bring together diverse disciplines under one roof.
Jennifer Riha
Jennifer Riha is the Chief Strategy Officer of I Am Boundless, based in Worthington, Ohio. Jennifer is a long-time health and human services executive with experience leading clinical treatment and recovery services, intellectual and developmental disability and autism support services, technology and innovation, and business operations. As a mother of a neurodiverse son and experienced leader in the field, Jennifer is passionate about leading organizations to implement sound business practices, evidence-based care and treatment, and demonstrate the value of the services provided. Jennifer has built her career leading teams toward growth, improvement, and innovation including roles as the VP of Operations, VP of Strategic Business Development, Chief Administrative Officer, and VP of Performance Improvement and Service Delivery in organizations across Ohio.
Jennifer is a frequent speaker across the country on key issues in the health and human services sector and is a strong advocate for parity, recognition, and elevation of the importance of the work provided by the IDD and behavioral health sectors. In addition to her role with I Am Boundless, she also serves as a Technical Assistance provider and Behavioral Health Consultant for providers and peer-led organizations across the country. She serves on many state and national taskforces and workgroups as part of her advocacy, including the Alternative Payment Models workgroup led by ANCOR focused on innovation in the provision of care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Katie Babcock, MHA
Katie Babcock is the Director of Healthcare Operations at I Am Boundless – Ohio’s largest not-for-profit provider of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and/or behavioral health challenges. She oversees primary care, dental, psychiatry, and speech services in outpatient settings– as well as nursing services in 22 Intermediate Care Facilities across the state. She has spearheaded the development of a dental program, integrated behavioral health into primary care, optimized psychiatry services, and is focused on building an innovative and collaborative culture across teams. Prior to this, she served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at an FQHC, overseeing strategic planning and the Project Management Office. Katie holds a Master’s Degree in Health Administration from the University of South Carolina and a B.A. in Psychology from Ohio State University. She holds a PMP certification, bringing a strong background in project management and strategic growth. She is passionate about enhancing integrated services and fostering data-driven improvements in healthcare.
The Art Of Change—An Informed Approach To Building Your Change Management Strategy: The Gaudenzia & Grafton Integrated Health Network Case Study
Change management is no longer a static, structured process—because the need to change is no longer driven by a singular event. Instead, market changes are overlapping—simultaneous and synergistic. The key to change management is clearly communicating future vision, developing and monitoring the metrics of strategy success, and creating an iterative process that shifts with the market metrics.
Hear from Grafton Integrated Health Network, a 66-year-old non-profit service provider specializing in services for high acuity children and adults with I/DD and Autism. They will share their transformative journey of redefining their company culture and the strategic path they’ve taken to ensure the new way of working is embraced, adopted, and sustained over time.
Subsequently, learn from Gaudenzia, one of the largest non-profit substance use and co-occurring disorders treatment providers in the northeast United States. They have gone through extensive organizational change over the last five years and are embracing performance management through organizational change and co-creating a vision for the future that provides treatment to diverse communities.
Attendees will explore strategies for:
- A guide to the planning and implementation of change management
- Understanding common implementation challenges and solutions
- Using data to manage change and develop approaches to finance integration
Patricia McKernan, DSW, LSW
Dr. McKernan started working at Gaudenzia in 2019 and is responsible for overseeing all program operations of Gaudenzia as well as compliance and quality improvement.
Prior to joining Gaudenzia, she was Chief Operating Officer at a nationwide human services agency, where she spent 23 years providing services to disadvantaged individuals, including the homeless population, people with developmental disabilities, veterans dealing with substance use disorders or mental illness, and individuals transitioning from the criminal justice system to community life.
Dr. McKernan has worked as a social worker since 1990. She was president of the New Jersey Reentry Coalition where she served in leadership positions for over 15 years. In 2014, she was appointed to the New Jersey Board of Social Work Examiners.
Dr. McKernan received her B.A. from Trenton State College. In addition, she earned her Master of Social Work and Doctor of Social Work from Rutgers University.
Stephanie Dixon, SPHR
Stephanie joined Grafton in September 2022 as Chief Human Resources Officer, where she leads the HR function across the organization, shaping strategy and driving impactful change.
Before joining Grafton, she served as HR Director at Bon Secours Mercy Health, where she spearheaded HR strategic partnerships, workforce planning, organizational design, and employee experience initiatives across multiple locations. Stephanie’s expertise spans across various HR disciplines, including, total rewards, change management, HR analytics, and HRIS, with a focus on creating innovative, results-driven solutions.
Stephanie holds a B.S. in Business Management and International Business from Old Dominion University, where her academic journey took her abroad as a foreign exchange student in South Korea and China. She also earned an M.S. in Human Resources from the University of Richmond.
Based in Richmond, VA, Stephanie is passionate about travel, DIY home projects, and reading, and she thrives on learning new things in both her professional and personal life.
Mitigating Threats To Patient Safety: Tools & Strategies From Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health & The Arc Of The Ozarks
Patient safety is a top priority for health care providers, and advances in technology are making it easier to assess and monitor safety risks every day.
Join us to hear from Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, one of the nation’s largest specialty mental health and I/DD providers, for the story of how they took a technology solution that was first created for the corrections environment and modified it for children and adolescents in their care to minimize and prevent incidents that occur overnight.
Then, hear from The Arc of the Ozarks, a leader in service delivery for people with disabilities in Missouri, and how their own staff use remote monitoring technology to improve patient safety, contact emergency medical teams, respond to patient requests and even thwart potential crimes.
Attendees will leave with:
- An understanding of how to evaluate treatment risks and develop safety management plans
- Key considerations when using technology solutions for patient safety management
- Tools for mitigating organizational and consumer risk in integrated care settings
Tom Shurer, MA, MS
As vice president of information resources, Tom Shurer, M.A., M.S., is responsible for Devereux’s information technology (IT) function, including maintaining the organization’s IT infrastructure and applications and implementing future strategies to enable innovation.
Shurer joined Devereux in 1984 as a speech language pathologist at Devereux Pennsylvania’s Leo Kanner Center and health services units. During his tenure at Devereux, Shurer has held various management and administrative positions, including residential program supervisor, director of quality improvement/regulatory affairs, program director – information resources, director of clinical technologies, and national director of information resources. He has served in his current role since 2013.
Before joining Devereux, Shurer was a speech language pathologist at Elwyn, a human services organization serving individuals with disabilities.
Shurer has earned the following degrees: a Bachelor of Science in communications disorders from Pennsylvania State University; a Master of Arts in speech language pathology from George Washington University; and a Master of Science in information science from Pennsylvania State University. He has presented on a variety of topics, including clinical technology best practices, business continuity, technology planning, data analysis and reporting, and system implementation strategies during national/regional conferences.
He is a former board member of the Arc of Chester County.
Philip Putnam, MS, J.D., CPPS
As vice president of risk and safety, Philip A. Putnam, M.S, J.D, CPPShas over 26 years of risk and safety leadership expertise in the behavioral healthcare field. Philip has provided risk and safety expertise to all levels of staff including frontline direct care staff, clinical, medical/nursing as well as executive leadership.
Philip has experience with both creating new risk and safety programs where one did not previously exist as well as experience with revising and modifying existing programs to meet the changing risk and safety environment. This includes the development of risk and incident reporting systems, systems to ensure regulatory and accreditation compliance as well as system to reduce overall operational risk to an organization.
Philip has earned the following degrees: Bachelor of Science in speech pathology and a Master of Science in healthcare administration from the University of Central Florida; and a Juris Doctor (cum laude) from the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University College of Law. He holds a certificate in Quality and Safety as well as a Certificate in Patient Safety from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. In addition, for over 20 years, Philip was an adjunct professor at the University of Central Florida’s School of Global Health Management and Informatics.
Carla Carigga, CSPO, CSM
Carla is a National Operations Systems Manager at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, where she leads technological initiatives to enhance operational efficiency that aligns with strategic goals. With over seven years of experience in healthcare, she has successfully managed projects that drive organizational change, including a national IT implementation across six operational programs.
A Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), Carla holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health Care Management from Towson University. She combines her healthcare expertise with a passion for creating systems that empower teams and improve outcomes.
Before her current role at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, Carla served as a National Project Management Specialist and an Executive Assistant. Earlier in her career, she supported multiple healthcare initiatives at MedStar Health in Marketing and Communications.
With a passion for innovation and a commitment to excellence, Carla strives to drive impactful change in her professional role and is dedicated to sharing insights and fostering collaboration that will contribute to the future of operational and program risk management technology within the behavioral healthcare industry.
Clay McGranahan, MPA
Clay is currently the Vice President of Program Services for The Arc of the Ozarks, a nonprofit agency that provides support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through Medicaid, insurance, and government contracts. The Arc’s main program buildings are located in Springfield and Kansas City, Missouri, with multiple divisions across the state. The organization serves over 350 individuals in residential support and another 3000 individuals in community-based support, counseling, therapies, and employment services. The Arc employs 1800 staff members across its program services, including Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), therapists and a medical service line.
Before joining The Arc of the Ozarks, Clay served as an Executive Director for a Senate Bill 40 Board, a local government entity providing services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He has also held various leadership positions in state and county agencies and boards, demonstrating a long-standing commitment to this field.
In addition to his professional roles, Clay is a parent of two children, one of whom has a developmental disability, giving him a personal connection to his work. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Columbia College and a master’s degree in Public Affairs from the University of Missouri.
Clay is also actively involved in the community, serving as an officer on the Board of Directors for the Missouri Mental Health Foundation.
On a personal note, Clay has been married for many years to his wife Jamie and enjoys spending time with their French bulldog, Trudy. He is also a seasoned musician and singer, playing guitar in a band, showcasing his passion for music alongside his dedication to his professional and personal commitments.
Data-Driven Approaches To Access—How Trillium Health Resources Is Improving Continuity Of Care
With increased attention to value-based and integrated care, many organizations are striving to embrace a “No Wrong Door” approach, designed to bridge the gap between behavioral health, physical health, and health-related social needs. This approach ensures seamless access to care, allowing individuals to seek assistance through multiple entry points without encountering barriers or delays. It emphasizes continuity of care, addressing fragmentation and gaps commonly seen in traditional health care systems.
Hear how Trillium Health Resources’s new model, the Healing Place of New Hanover County, helps restore consumers with substance use disorders to a healthy lifestyle through a variety of services, such as non-medical detoxification, residential alcohol and drug services, and transitional living.
During this session, attendees will:
- Understand key metrics and considerations to address opportunities for improved access throughout your organization
- Examine the link between improved access and improved revenue, plus strategies for ensuring one supports the other
- Learn from real world case studies on how other providers have leveraged community partnerships and innovative solutions to improve access to care for their consumers
Christie Edwards, MS, LCMHC, LCAS
Christie earned two master’s degrees from East Carolina University, one in Rehabilitation Counseling and one in Substance Abuse and Clinical Counseling. She has worked in the private sector and Managed Care setting during her 18 years in the field as a direct support professional, licensed clinician, educator and project manager and as a senior leader. Christie has managed projects related to Assistive Technology and implementation of Evidence Based Practices. Christie currently oversees member and provider teams in operations at Trillium Health Resources.
Reinvention & Relevance—The Our House, Inc. & Connections Health Solutions Approach To Refining The Role & Mission Of Your Organization
This session is designed to empower behavioral health and health care professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to refine the role and mission of their organizations to stay competitive in the ever-evolving landscape of health care. By embracing the principles of ‘reinvention and relevance’, participants will explore strategies to adapt to changing market trends, meet the evolving needs of their communities, and drive positive outcomes for individuals seeking care.
Attendees will:
- Understand the importance of refining the role and mission of specialty provider organizations in response to dynamic industry shifts and emerging trends
- Learn practical strategies for reinventing organizational best practices and processes to stay relevant in a rapidly changing health care landscape, with a focus on compliance, efficiency, and quality of care
- Develop actionable plans to create a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning within the organization, fostering adaptability and resilience in the face of uncertainty.
Michele DelCorsano
Michele joined Our House in 2005 after spending 5 years at Morgan Stanley. Over her 20-year career at Our House, she has held a number of positions including Recruiter, HR Director, COO and CEO. Michele has been instrumental in leading the organization, which provides services to individuals with developmental and other disabilities. Under her leadership, Our House has expanded its programs and services, enhancing the quality of life for many individuals and their families. She sits on the ABCD Board of Trustees, as well as a number of other boards. Michele holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology from Kean University and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Susquehanna University. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family, traveling, skiing, and rooting on the NY Mets.
Natalie Tortorello
Since 2015, Natalie has served as Chief Operating Officer at Our House, Inc., a not-for-profit social services agency serving adults with developmental disabilities. Her focus as COO is in the behind the scenes operations of the $20MM agency including HR and QA. Prior to that, Natalie spent 15 years working on curriculum and assessment development and policy development in private education. She holds a Master’s in Organizational Psychology from Kean and a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Rutgers. Having served on numerous Boards, including the American Lung Association, Natalie recently completed four years as an elected member of her local Board of Education. She is heavily involved in her children’s’ school PTAs and serves on several committees for ABCD-NJ. Through these affiliations, Natalie participates in local and statewide advocacy for children and adults with developmental disabilities. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family at beach and traveling.
Tory Kania
Tory started at Our House in 2008 in the Employment Services field and operated as a job coach for individuals with developmental disabilities after graduating from Towson University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Criminology. After two years of entry level experience, Tory moved into the Residential Department where she held various roles. During her time in the residential department, she operated as a Site Manager, Area Director, Assistant Director and eventually Sr. Director of Residential Services. Tory was promoted to the Vice President of Programs and Services in 2024, following 16 years of experience with Our House and in the field of social services. Tory has a passion for working with individuals with disabilities and is creative and innovative in her approach to her role as VP. Tory chaired the ABCD Residential Committee in 2023 and has shown to be a true advocate on many levels. Her different levels of experience have given her a vast understanding of the innerworkings of many departments and operations. In her free time, she loves to bake, read and go to the beach.
Chris Santarsiero, MBA
Chris Santarsiero is a seasoned professional with over 26 years of experience in government relations, contract procurement, and strategic consulting. As the Vice President of Government Affairs at Connections Health Solutions, Chris focuses on developing and executing policy outcomes that drive market access, innovative value-based care models, thought leadership, and new business opportunities with the Growth and Development Team. He is a passionate advocate for behavioral health crisis care, providing alternatives to emergency departments and jails for individuals experiencing behavioral health emergencies.
Chris’s expertise spans federal and state government affairs, Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement, legislative relations, public policy, political campaigns, and public relations. His career includes significant roles such as Government Markets Director at National Strategies (NSI) in Washington, DC, where he served as a healthcare policy expert and led strategic sales teams in the state, local and education (SLED) market. At VITAS Healthcare, Chris was instrumental in negotiating regulatory structures and securing approvals for high-quality hospice care, generating substantial annual revenues, and protecting the Medicare Hospice Benefit.
As a co-founder and senior partner at DNB Lobby, Chris efficiently managed the firm’s operations and led successful grassroots campaigns, setting national fire safety code policies and advocating for diverse clients, including major corporations and public entities. His tenure as Executive Director of the Connecticut Republicans saw unprecedented electoral successes and record-breaking fundraising achievements.
Chris holds a Bachelor’s degree in English with a communications emphasis from La Salle University and an MBA in Finance from the Malcolm Baldrige School of Business. He is also certified in Mental Health First Aid by the National Council of Mental Wellbeing.
Chris Santarsiero’s career is marked by his strategic leadership, dedication to public service, and commitment to improving healthcare and public policy.
Convenient Care, Behavioral Health & Chronic Disease Management: Challenges & Opportunities In The Changing Market
The number of retail health, also known as “convenient care” locations in the U.S. has grown substantially in the last few years. But it is not just the numbers that have changed. Convenient care clinics are offering more services, including treatment for behavioral health conditions and management of chronic diseases. In this session, learn the retail clinic perspectives on serving these consumer groups – where they plan to go in the future and what they see as opportunities for collaboration.
George Barakat
George Barakat is the Co-founder of Jack Nathan Health®. Named after his son Jack Nathan Barakat. George served as CEO of Jack Nathan Health® for the past 15 years. He is also Past President and CEO of Laila’s Inc. (art publishing and manufacturing), and a proud partner of Walmart® for more than 28 years.
A longtime believer in empowering customers, patients and associates. George created strategic partnerships taking Jack Nathan Health from a lean start-up, to a national leader in healthcare, servicing over 2 million patients across Canada and expansion into Mexico. With a clear “Patient First” vision. He has helped redefined the face of healthcare by improving access to quality healthcare for all communities utilizing retail and digital environments.
George excels at working with business leaders in different organizations to facilitate change and acceptance of new approaches.
Today, he possesses a comprehensive knowledge and understanding for retail healthcare and manufacturing, with a clear vision on how to implement related business strategies. He has travelled extensively nationally and internationally building and sustaining important global relationships and partnerships. George maximizes business growth by creating effective operational strategies, while delivering an unparalleled customer experience.
Mary Kathryn Fallon
Connie Palakodeti
Roy Leitstein
Tine Hansen-Turton, MGA, J.D., FCPP, FAAN
Tine Hansen-Turton, MGA, JD, FCPP, FAAN, serves as President and CEO of Woods System of Care and Woods Resources. Woods System of Care is a population health management organization that, through its network of providers and partners in PA and NJ and 8,000 staff, provides life-cycle care to meet the lifelong needs of children and adults with intellectual disabilities and autism (ID/A), acquired brain injuries, and /or mental health challenges who may also have complex medical and genetic conditions.
She is a seasoned and successful Healthcare and Human Services Executive with 30 years of experience in C-suite executive leadership, serving in CEO, CSO, and COO roles throughout her career in Nonprofit, Private and Government Organizations. She has founded and led several nationally recognized health, human services, and related trade associations and has secured multi-billion dollars in new business. She is a founder, publisher/facilitator of a social impact/innovation journal and incubator lab.
Tine Hansen-Turton has tremendous content expertise in primary and behavioral health care, Health and Human Services Administration, Disabilities and Behavioral Health, Public and Population Health and Education. She has developed many innovative healthcare programs and business models (i.e. integrated primary and behavioral healthcare specialty clinics, convenient care and retail clinics, nurse-led care centers, specialized population health organizations, and life-cycle care management organizations) throughout her career, including starting dozens of non-profits and private businesses and organizations, such as the popular retail clinic industry association. Hansen-Turton served as CEO of the National Nurse-led Care Consortium, a non-profit organization supporting the growth and development of over 500 nurse-managed and school health clinics, serving more than 5 million vulnerable people across the country in urban and rural locations. For the past two decades, she has also been instrumental in positioning Nurse Practitioners as primary health care providers globally. Hansen-Turton still serves as the founding Executive Director for the Convenient Care Association (CCA), the national trade association of over 3000 private-sector retail clinic industry, serving 50 million people with basic health care services nationwide.
Hansen-Turton also teaches public and social innovations, leading nonprofits, health policy, and the social innovations lab at the University of Pennsylvania Fels Institute of Government and School of Nursing. She is co-founder and publisher of a social impact/innovation journal and has co-published ten books.
Hansen-Turton received her Juris Doctor from Temple University Beasley School of Law, a Master of Government/Public Administration from University of Pennsylvania Fels Institute of Government and a BA from Slippery Rock University. She also studied at the University of Copenhagen Law School.
Driving Innovation In Medicaid—The CareSource Approach To Serving Complex Health Populations
Medicaid programs serving individuals with complex needs have largely remained as fee-for-service arrangements, accounting for nearly 50% of spending. As a result, the coordination of care has been significantly fragmented, placing these individuals at increased risk of experiencing a crisis or institutionalization. (CareSource, 2021)
In this session, hear from Dr. Tracey Green, Vice President of Clinical Innovation and Product at CareSource, as she shares an inside look into CareSource’s innovative complex managed care model, which is focused on four key foundational elements – member voice and choice, medical and non-medical services, caregiver support, and quality improvement.
Tracey Green, M.D.
Dr. Tracey Green joined CareSource in April of 2023 as Vice President, Clinical Innovation and Product. Dr. Green works closely with subject matter experts across the enterprise to help us design and deliver on product development solutions and industry best practices. Dr. Green came from Molina, serving as a Chief Medicaid Officer (CMO) and has held other nationwide Medicaid managed care leadership roles in population health, trauma transformation and health equity. Dr. Green also served as the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services CMO and Division of Public and Behavioral Health State Health Officer in addition to working as a Family Practice Physician.
How Citrus Health Assesses & Improves Margin Issues For The Organization & Its Service Lines
Health and Human Service providers are expected to provide more care to consumers, increase reporting, and coordinate across more organizations than ever before. At the same time, transitioning to funding models with decreasing margins leads to fiscal instability for a frighteningly large number of organizations across the country. Mr. Garcia, Chief Financial Officer of Citrus Health, shares how they evaluate service line margins and diagnose financial issues across mental health, primary care, and foster care services. He will share how Citrus Health weighs the value of service line synergies and contracting opportunities against poorly performing services and strategies to increase margins while maintaining its mission.
During this session, attendees will:
- Identify three key metrics utilized to diagnose margin issues across service lines
- Learn how Citrus Health weighs the benefits of service line synergies against poor performance
- Discover service line improvement strategies and how Citrus Health determines when a service line is no longer in the best interest of its mission
Jose Garcia, MBA, CHCQM
Jose F. Garcia, MBA, CHCQM, brings over 30 years of experience in Health and Human services. A unique background as a former medical doctor (D. Med.), with an MBA, he has held a variety of supervisory and management positions at Citrus Health Network Inc., culminating in his current role of Chief Financial Officer.
In his role as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Garcia has played a pivotal role alongside the CEO and COO in guiding the organization through the ever-evolving healthcare landscape. His knowledge of programs and services leads to thorough analysis of the financial position of each line of service which brings about recommendations and strategies which are instrumental in successfully navigating the challenges and opportunities for the company.
Prior to being the Chief Financial Officer Mr. Garcia served as Contract and Grants Administrator for Citrus Health Network Inc. In this role Mr. Garcia was responsible for overseeing the entire process of grants management, budget preparation and financial reporting on a large scale. This experience has equipped him with a deep understanding of the intricacies involved in financial planning and compliance.
Due to Mr. Garcias work experience providing direct services, he has been invited to present at national conferences, including The Innovation Forum in Atlanta, where he presented on Citrus Health Network’s initiatives on “Working to End Homelessness and Hunger” as well as Flexible Resources Data Driving Solutions conference in Atlanta.
Mr. Garcia is a Certified Health Care Quality Manager by the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians (ABQAURP). This certification underscores his commitment to ensuring the highest standard of quality and efficiency in healthcare delivery. Mr. Garcia has also completed the Leadership Institute with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) gaining the necessary skills and knowledge to lead the organization in delivering high quality healthcare services and financial management.
Ivonne Ruiz, Psy.D.
Ivonne Ruiz, Psy.D., is a licensed Psychologist with over 25 years of clinical experience working clinically with severe mental illness. She completed her doctoral degree at Nova Southeastern University’s Center for Psychological Studies where she obtained extensive experience in working with children and adolescents. Afterwards, she completed her pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral residency at Citrus Health Network (1999-2001) as a supervisor in the assessment and emergency services department. Following completion of her residency, she became a clinical coordinator for the School Based Clinical Services Program (2001-2007) where she oversaw the provision of intensive therapeutic on- site clinical services. Her work in this community setting focused on providing intensive wrap around services in order to preserve the in-home placement. Additionally, she worked closely with the training program, directly supervising both pre-doctoral interns as well as post doctoral residents in Outpatient Psychotherapy (2001-2007), as well as in the Child Crisis Stabilization Unit (CCSU) (2001-2014). Dr. Ruiz then served as clinical coordinator in the Residential Inpatient Treatment Services Program (RITS), (2007-2014) a Statewide Inpatient Psychiatric Program (SIPP), which provides behaviorally based services to children and adolescents with significant behavioral and emotional difficulties. Additionally, the program focuses on the treatment of juvenile sexual offenders, as such, she has worked closely with the Juvenile Division of the Miami Dade County Courts. As clinical supervisor for the Foster Care Program, (2014-2015) Dr. Ruiz also worked to develop a manualized group treatment protocol for survivors of human trafficking. Since 2015, Dr. Ruiz has served as clinical coordinator to the Utilization Management program working closely with Medicaid Managed Care companies as well as providers to ensure positive clinical outcomes. In 2021, care coordination teams were integrated with utilization management in order to improve clinical outcomes and decrease recidivism rates in our more intensive programs, including crisis stabilization and SIPP. Additionally, Dr. Ruiz implemented and supervises the chronic care management program focusing on the provision of care coordination to Medicare patients who have chronic conditions, and as of 2025 will be supervising the Accountable Care Organization (ACO).
Health Plan Roundtable: The 2025 Landscape
Explore the landscape of 2025’s health care trends in innovation with executives from leading organizations. During this roundtable discussion, health plans will be presenting innovative programs they are working on in 2025, while giving providers an inside look at what’s new and on the horizon for payers. Join this interactive discussion session to gain insights into exciting advancements in the complex health care field.
Stuart Buttlaire, Ph.D., MBA
Stuart Buttlaire has over 35 years of clinical, management, and leadership experience. His career includes diverse experience in both the public and private sectors of healthcare providing leadership and direction in healthcare delivery.
Dr. Buttlaire currently serves as the Regional Director of Behavioral Health and Addiction Medicine for Kaiser Permanente. In this role, Dr. Buttlaire designs and oversees a broad continuum of services and programs for both inpatient, ambulatory, and emergency settings for mental health and addiction medicine. Dr. Buttlaire previously served as the Regional Director of Inpatient Psychiatry and Continuing Care at Kaiser Permanente and the lead Mental Health Representative within Kaiser Permanente’s State Program Initiatives including Medicaid and Medicare.
Additionally, Dr. Buttlaire served as a regional leader in the development of best practices at Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Buttlaire developed and led major program redesigns including Integrated Urgent Services for adults and youth with mental health and substance use disorders, Kaiser Permanente Post-Acute Center (SNF) Behavioral Health Program, mental health and emergency room consultation and suicide prevention, multi-family groups for adults and teens in treatment of severe psychiatric conditions, and intensive outpatient treatment programs for adults and youths. Recently, Dr. Buttlaire implemented a mobile application for eating-disordered patients that won Kaiser’s Innovation Award. Dr. Buttlaire also developed and implemented two psychiatric inpatient units at Kaiser Permanente, one of them was a medical/psychiatric unit to treat those members with both medical and psychiatric co-morbidities and the other, was a free-standing psychiatric health facility.
Additionally, Dr. Buttlaire often provides expertise and consultation on state and federal legislation and its impact on behavioral health within Kaiser Permanente, the State of California, and nationally. Dr. Buttlaire is currently the Board President of the Institute for Behavioral Health Improvement. He was selected to the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board for Western Section after serving as AHA’s Chair of Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse section. He is currently on the Board of Directors of NAMI California, and the California Hospital Association’s Advisory Board of Behavioral Health.
Dr. Buttlaire is a graduate from the University of California, Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business with a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Health Care Management, Finance, and Marketing. Dr. Buttlaire also graduated from the California Institute of Integral Studies with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Additionally, Dr. Buttlaire holds a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from California State University, Humboldt, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political Science from the University of Colorado.
Briana Duffy, MBA, LSW
Briana Duffy, Market President for Carelon Behavioral Health, has over 25 years of experience in behavioral health and developmental disability services. Her mission is to partner with stakeholders across the social and healthcare continuum to ensure that needed care is within reach. Through strategically focused continuous quality improvement and a bias for action, she is a proven collaborator and innovator. Briana has extensive leadership experience within the provider and payer behavioral health and developmental disability service sectors. Accomplishments include designing a model of care for one of the country’s first dual-eligible (Medicare and Medicaid) programs, helping governments and payers diversify product and service portfolios, and implementing Medicaid managed care reform across multiple states. She is a licensed social worker and holds an MBA from Cambridge College.
James Henderson
James Henderson, VP of Innovation, is a proficient management professional with over 15 years of experience in health care data management and business operations. He has successfully managed all aspects of enterprise-wide health care solution development including analysis, design, and deployment of stand-alone, and n-tiered Web-based and Client/Server software applications. His skills include needs planning, team building, project management, resource allocation, and staff management. His relevant experience includes Medicaid Management Information Systems (MMIS), managed care information systems, data warehouses, electronic health records and other large- scale data management projects.
Prior to joining ILS, James was the Physician Service Manager for PCA Humana Health Plans in Miami, Florida. He was responsible for a wide range of data management activities related to physician networks including the development of systems to integrate utilization, quality improvement and financial data into provider report cards. Later in 1996, he served as Chief Technology Officer for eHDL in Miramar, Florida where James directed a team of software engineers, database administrators, network technicians and operations staff to plan, architect, and develop enterprise software solutions for the health care marketplace.
James earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Edinburgh and a degree in Project Management from the Project Management Institute.
Knocking Down Tech Silos To Build A Financially Sustainable Future
Leveraging the right data is critical for financial leaders to be able to extract actionable insights, drive innovation, and revolutionize revenue operations. Join ContinuumCloud for an exploration of key metrics and data points every CFO needs to support long-term financial sustainability in their organizations.
Key areas of focus include:
- Managing Human Capital Margins by Role or Position: Understand how to track and optimize labor costs at the granular level to improve margins.
- Productivity Tracking with EHR and HCM Data: Learn how integrating data from EHR and HCM systems can streamline operations and enhance productivity.
- Performance Trends by Program: Leverage performance data to identify opportunities for program optimization and long-term financial growth.
Led by General Managers of Welligent and DATIS, Heather Prather and MJ Craig, this session will highlight how to unify data from multiple systems to increase productivity, improve outcomes, and secure your organization’s financial future in an increasingly competitive industry.
Gwen Koenig
Gwen Koenig brings 30 years of social work clinical and administrative experience as the Chief Of Strategic Growth for the Omni Family of Services, a national leader of child and family services in behavioral health, child welfare, and juvenile justice. Throughout her career, Gwen has led foster care, family preservation, and community mental health organizations. In 2016, Gwen transitioned from operations to business development and innovation in the human services space. She has represented companies throughout fifteen states and has been responsible for business procurement, strategic planning, grants management, staff development, and technology innovation in this role. Since 2016, Gwen has been an adjunct faculty at the Colorado State University School of Social Work, teaching courses in macro social work and nonprofit management. From 2021 to 2023, Gwen co-founded SigBee, a technology platform to improve workforce retention in human services.
Gwen holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Cincinnati. Gwen has presented at numerous national and international conferences, including a key presentation at the National Association of Child Care Workers in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. She has served on various boards and committees with the Family Focused Treatment Association and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities, among other trade organizations. Gwen resides in Fort Collins, CO where she enjoys the beautiful outdoors with her three sons, volunteers in her community, and keeps active with her rescue animals.
Denny Morrison, Ph.D.
Dr. Dennis Morrison is the owner of Morrison Consulting which has provided consulting services to the behavioral health information technology field since 2017. In that role, he serves as Chief Clinical Officer for Eleos Health and Chief Scientist for ContinuumCloud, providers of the Welligent EHR. Prior to that, he served as the Chief Clinical Officer for Netsmart Technologies from 2012 through 2017. From 2008-2012, he served as CEO of Centerstone Research Institute (CRI). CRI was recognized in IBM’s Smarter Planet Series and won the Best Practices Award from TDWI (Transforming Data With Intelligence) for Leading Innovations in Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing. From 1995-2008, Dr. Morrison was the CEO of one of the merger partners that created Centerstone – Center for Behavioral Health (CBH). Under his leadership, CBH won the Joint Commission of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) Ernest A. Codman Award for excellence in the use of outcomes measurement and the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Nicholas E. Davies Award for Excellence in the implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHR). CBH is still the only organization in the world to have won both awards.
Academically, Dr. Morrison holds two master’s degrees in Psychology and Exercise Physiology from Ball State University. His doctorate is in Counseling Psychology also from Ball State University. In 2022, Ball State awarded him the Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest award given to an alum. He is a prolific author, frequent presenter (including a TEDx talk), podcast host and co-inventor on a patent for a behavioral healthcare outcomes software product. He has served on numerous academic and non-profit boards and was a founder and board member for the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership (IIMHL) now Global Leadership Exchange. He was an officer in the United States Navy and received his Aerospace Physiologist wings training, among others, members of TOPGUN in the physiological hazards of flight and land and water survival. He is a licensed, instrument-rated private pilot and triathlete completing 19 triathlons since turning 70.
MJ Craig
MJ Craig serves as the General Manager of DATIS e3, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the platform. With her deep understanding of product dynamics and a keen ability to translate complex customer needs into actionable strategies, MJ is dedicated to positioning DATIS e3 as the premier HCM & Payroll solution specifically designed for behavioral health organizations.
With over a decade of experience at DATIS and ContinuumCloud, MJ has been instrumental in the platform’s growth and success. Her innovative approach and forward-thinking vision have played an essential part in driving product enhancements that evolve the platform and support behavioral health leaders in achieving their mission. Under her leadership, DATIS e3 is not only advancing as a top-tier solution but also setting new standards for excellence in the industry.
Heather Prather
Chief Executive Officer Networking Lunch
If you’re the Chief Executive Officer or Executive Director of an OPEN MINDS member organization, join us for this private networking luncheon. This is an opportunity to share leadership experiences and solutions with your peers from across the nation. Our host for the luncheon is Monica E. Oss, Chief Executive Officer and Kim Bond, Executive Vice President at OPEN MINDS. (To register, contact Erin Deppen, Education Events Manager, at 717-334-1329 or edeppen@openminds.com.)
Monica E. Oss
Monica E. Oss, M.S. is the founder of OPEN MINDS and serves as its chief executive officer, executive editor of its publications and websites, and executive lead of its consulting engagements. For the past three decades, Ms. Oss has led the OPEN MINDS team and its research on health and human service market trends and its national consulting practice. She is well known for her numerous books and articles focused on the strategic and marketing implications of the evolving health and human service field – and its focus on the verticals of the field serving consumers with chronic conditions and complex support needs.
Ms. Oss has extensive experience in developing and implementing growth strategies for a wide array of organizations in the field. She has expertise in industry trend analysis, reimbursement, rate setting, and creating actionable plans for market success. In her role, she has led numerous engagements with state Medicaid plans, county governments, private insurers, and health plans, service provider organizations, technology vendors, neurotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations, and investment banking firms – with a focus on the implications of financing changes on delivery system design.
Prior to founding OPEN MINDS, Ms. Oss served as an executive with a nationally managed behavioral health organization, responsible for market development, actuarial analysis, and capitation-based rate setting. She also held a position as vice president of the U.S. risk management and underwriting division of an international insurance company.
Ms. Oss has been the keynote speaker at the conferences of dozens of national associations and has been published in a wide range of professional journals and trade publications. She has provided Congressional and state legislative testimony on issues as diverse as the financial impact of parity and payer medication access policies.
Ms. Oss has led a range of industry research and consultation initiatives, serving as principal investigator on research projects that include the examination of national managed care enrollment and service patterns, development of provider rate structures for government entities, creation of return-on-investment models for technology investments; design of performance-based compensation models within public and private health plans; and analysis of the economic impact of changes in benefit design, adoption of evidence-based practices, and new technologies.
Kimberly Bond, MS
Kimberly Bond, MS, LMFT, brings more than 30 years of experience providing behavioral health treatment in the public and community settings to the OPEN MINDS team. She currently serves as the Executive Vice President of Business Development. In this role, Ms. Bond focuses on growing the OPEN MINDS client portfolio across all nine verticals of OPEN MINDS business.
Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Ms. Bond served concurrently as a Program Coordinator III and Clinical Manager of Adult Services and a Program Coordinator II and Clinical Manager of Recovery Services for the Ozark Guidance Center. In these roles, Ms. Bond was responsible for the administrative and clinical oversight of the adult outpatient and adult intensive mental health services on the Springdale Campus as well as the adult recovery/co-occurring services, including domestic violence and anger management treatment.
Prior to joining the Ozark Guidance Center, Ms. Bond served as the Executive Vice President of Center Point, Inc, a large substance abuse provider agency in California. In this role, Ms. Bond was responsible for the clinical and administrative supervision of all community-based programs as well as the women and children residential programs. In addition, Ms. Bond also managed budgets, interacted with funding agencies, and built positive relationships with all stakeholders. Ms. Bond was also in charge of proposal and grant writing, staff management, and training, facilities’ licensing and certifications renewals. Additionally, she prepared and submitted monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reports to various funders.
Previously, Ms. Bond served as the President and CEO of Mental Health Systems, Inc. Ms. Bond was very instrumental in growing the agency from $12 million in annual revenue to more than $100 million and becoming one of the largest providers of behavioral health services in California. In this role, Ms. Bond was responsible for the strategic, clinical, financial, and administrative health of the agency, including direct supervision of Senior Executive Staff. In addition, Bond ensured contract compliance of the agency’s 125 different contracts across federal and state agencies and eight counties.
Ms. Bond received her bachelor’s degree in psychology, with honors, and her master’s degree in counseling education from San Diego State University. She is licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist in both California and Arkansas.
Evaluating Your Leadership Structure For Enhanced Performance Optimization
As organizations build capacity for and embrace growth, a key challenge that arises is how to structure leadership and which management styles best support the changing business models.
This session will also touch on the topics of reconfiguring how people report in the organization, how they view leadership, and how they fulfill their roles. Being able to change staffing, reporting, and accountability will make any strategic plan go higher, farther, and faster with a more reliable and consistent outcome
In this engaging session learn from industry leaders who have had to reevaluate, restructure, and embrace new management styles to support organizational capacity for growth.
In this session, attendees will explore:
- Key strategies for assessing your leadership structure
- Approaches for structuring leadership across early, middle, and late-stage maturity
- Real-world examples of how leading organizations have restructured and realigned leadership teams and management styles to support organizational growth
Joel Conger, MBA
Joel Conger is a highly experienced professional with a distinguished career spanning over 30 years in the behavioral health community in Arizona. Currently, he holds the esteemed position of Arizona Market President for Connections Health Solutions, a leading organization dedicated to serving the behavioral health needs of individuals in the state. Under his leadership, Connections Health Solutions successfully serves approximately 30,000 Arizonans each year who are facing behavioral health crises.
Before joining Connections Health Solutions, Joel served as the Associate Vice President of Behavioral Health for Molina Healthcare. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in the procurement of integrated healthcare contracts across multiple states, including Iowa, Nebraska, Indiana, and California. His strategic contributions were instrumental in expanding the reach of behavioral health services and ensuring the seamless integration of care for diverse populations.
Joel’s expertise lies in the domain of public sector behavioral health service delivery, where he possesses acute knowledge from both the health plan perspective and as a network provider. This comprehensive understanding allows him to navigate the complexities of braided funding mechanisms, encompassing state, federal, and grant funding. His ability to navigate and optimize these funding streams has resulted in enhanced access to vital behavioral health services for countless individuals in need.
Throughout his career, Joel has demonstrated exceptional leadership and accountability, consistently driving positive change and improving the lives of those with behavioral health challenges. His extensive experience and in-depth understanding of the field make him a trusted authority in the behavioral health community in Arizona and beyond.
Joel Conger is committed to making a difference in the lives of individuals facing behavioral health crises, and his contributions continue to shape the landscape of behavioral healthcare delivery in Arizona.
Surprise! Sustainability & Survival In A Time Of Market Chaos
To go the distance and stay competitive amidst changing market trends executive teams performance is key, but improving performance begins with an internal examination of programs and services, finances, technology systems, staffing, operations….and the list goes on. Balance and growth come from monitoring and managing these internal processes and identifying the need to make strategic adjustments along the way. In her closing keynote, Monica E. Oss will discuss planning not only for success and sustainability, but for performance excellence and the necessary characteristics for becoming a performance-based organization.
Monica E. Oss
Monica E. Oss, M.S. is the founder of OPEN MINDS and serves as its chief executive officer, executive editor of its publications and websites, and executive lead of its consulting engagements. For the past three decades, Ms. Oss has led the OPEN MINDS team and its research on health and human service market trends and its national consulting practice. She is well known for her numerous books and articles focused on the strategic and marketing implications of the evolving health and human service field – and its focus on the verticals of the field serving consumers with chronic conditions and complex support needs.
Ms. Oss has extensive experience in developing and implementing growth strategies for a wide array of organizations in the field. She has expertise in industry trend analysis, reimbursement, rate setting, and creating actionable plans for market success. In her role, she has led numerous engagements with state Medicaid plans, county governments, private insurers, and health plans, service provider organizations, technology vendors, neurotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations, and investment banking firms – with a focus on the implications of financing changes on delivery system design.
Prior to founding OPEN MINDS, Ms. Oss served as an executive with a nationally managed behavioral health organization, responsible for market development, actuarial analysis, and capitation-based rate setting. She also held a position as vice president of the U.S. risk management and underwriting division of an international insurance company.
Ms. Oss has been the keynote speaker at the conferences of dozens of national associations and has been published in a wide range of professional journals and trade publications. She has provided Congressional and state legislative testimony on issues as diverse as the financial impact of parity and payer medication access policies.
Ms. Oss has led a range of industry research and consultation initiatives, serving as principal investigator on research projects that include the examination of national managed care enrollment and service patterns, development of provider rate structures for government entities, creation of return-on-investment models for technology investments; design of performance-based compensation models within public and private health plans; and analysis of the economic impact of changes in benefit design, adoption of evidence-based practices, and new technologies.