Fellows: Class of 2021

CA Department of Health Care Services
Chief Quality Officer and Deputy Director of Quality and Population Health Management
Foundation-Sponsored Fellow

Dr. Palav Babaria was appointed Chief Quality Officer and Deputy Director of Quality and Population Health Management of the California Department of Health Care Services beginning in March 2021. She was formerly the Chief Administrative Officer of Ambulatory Services at Alameda Health System. In that capacity, she operationally and clinically oversaw 26 specialty clinics, four large primary care FQHCs, specialty and integrated behavioral health, and is responsible for all outpatient value-based payment programs. Prior to that role, she served as Medical Director of K6 Adult Medicine Clinic. She also has over a decade of global health experience and her work has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Academic Medicine, Social Science & Medicine, L.A. Times, and New York Times. Her areas of interest include ambulatory transformation in resource-limited settings, shifting to value-based care, and issues of gender in medicine. Babaria received her bachelor’s from Harvard College, as well as her MD and Masters in Health Science from Yale University. She completed her residency training in internal medicine and global health fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco.

(Fellowship sponsored by Palo Alto Medical Foundation)
El Camino Health
Chief Quality Officer

In November of 2021, Dr. Holly Beeman was named the Inaugural Chief Quality Officer at El Camino Health in Mountain View, CA. Formerly the Chief Surgical Officer of Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group, one of the largest multispecialty medical groups in the country, she led and managed 1600 physicians to ensure they were able to provide exceptional, consistent, and efficient health care to 1 million patients in the San Francisco Bay Area. Beeman’s ability to successfully lead and navigate complex and high intensity situations in the operating room as an OBGYN surgeon translates seamlessly to her abilities and effectiveness as a healthcare executive. She thrives when inspiring leaders to be their best and imbues multifunctional teams with a sense of optimism for what can be achieved to transform healthcare. To enrich the morale, engagement, and work product of the 1600 physicians she supported, Beeman recruited and mentored more than 100 physician leaders since becoming the Chief Surgical Officer, a role she created in 2015. During this time the physician confidence in physician leadership increased from 23% in 2015 before she began her role, to 70% in 2020 mid-COVID pandemic, as evidenced in the annual American Medical Group Association physician satisfaction survey.

SCAN Health Plan
Vice President Digital Strategy

Jennifer Brooks-Mason is the Vice President of Digital Strategy at SCAN Health Plan, a Medicare Advantage plan in California. In this role, Jennifer leads SCAN’s digital efforts including defining the vision, strategy, and piloting the execution of SCAN’s digital roadmap. Her leadership has helped drive significant growth in digital adoption with the health plan’s constituents (e.g. members, providers, brokers), elevate SCAN’s ability to service its membership and create efficiencies with SCAN’s business partners, as well as being recognized for national awards such as the Webby and Stevie Award for Innovation. She has held various roles within the Information Technology domain throughout her healthcare career and has strong expertise in project management, process improvements, and technology implementations. Prior to her current role, Brooks-Mason served as Senior Director of SCAN’s Project Management Office, delivering on critical strategic initiatives. She was awarded the Project Management Professional “PMP” distinction and obtained her Bachelor of Arts from The George Washington University.

Keystone Rural Health
Medical Director, Keystone Women’s Care
Foundation-Sponsored Fellow

Dr. Yvette Brown received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Meredith College and her Medical Degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania. She is a Board Certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist and the Medical Director for Keystone Women’s Care in Pennsylvania. Brown has held positions as a Board member of the Cumberland Valley Network, Board Chair of the Cumberland Valley Physicians, and Chair of the Depart of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is an Associate Professor at The Penn State Hershey Medical College. Brown is a recipient of the Meredith Distinguished Alumna award, Teacher of the Year Award for Penn State Hershey Medical College, and Best of the Best Obstetrician/Gynecologist in South Central Pennsylvania.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Executive Director, Departments of Orthopaedics and Surgery

Carolyn Tung-Conti is the Executive Director of the Departments of Surgery and Orthopaedics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California since March 2017. In this role, she oversees the Department’s administrative, research, and ambulatory clinic operations. She joined Cedars-Sinai in 2015 as a Manager in Strategic Planning and Business Development. From 2003-2015, she was a consultant with The Camden Group, a boutique healthcare firm providing strategy and business planning consulting to healthcare providers, hospitals, and health systems. As a vice president with the firm, she led projects developing and implementing clinically integrated networks to prepare organizations for value-based care. Having grown up in Charleston, South Carolina, she has lived in West Los Angeles since 2003.

Duke University Health System
Associate Vice President

Kenyatta Elliott joined Duke Primary Care in May 2018 where she serves as an Associate Vice President, overseeing the administration, coordination, performance, and monitoring of operational and business activities. This spans across a growing primary care network of over 45 Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatric, and Urgent Care practices sites across central NC. Prior to joining Duke, she served as an Assistant Administrator of Ambulatory for Johns Hopkins Hospital. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Maternal Child Health, and a post graduate certificate in Health Education. She also holds Master’s degrees in Health care Administration and Business Administration. She is a wife and mother who is passionate about her family and the community she serves.

MaineHealth
Department Chair-Obstetrics and Gynecology
Chief-Women’s Health Service Line

Dr. Elisabeth Erekson became the chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology and the chief of the women’s health service line at Maine Medical Center within the MaineHealth System in early 2020. Prior to arriving in Maine, she served as the interim chair of obstetrics and gynecology and vice-president of the women’s health service line at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health from 2017 to 2019 where she led an operating margin turn-around of $2 million in FY2018 and successfully recruited 9 physicians and 7 Advanced Practice Providers. As a practicing clinician-scientist who is board-certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and the sub-specialty of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (also known as Urogynecology), her research has focused on outcomes in gynecology, the epidemiology of female pelvic floor disorders, health services research in women’s health, and quality improvement. Erekson also has a strong focus on quality improvement and outcomes in surgery. She has served a voting member of the National Quality Forum’s (NQF) Standing Surgical Committee for the endorsement of quality metrics in surgical care since 2013.

NYC Health & Hospitals/Metropolitan
Chief Operating Officer
Foundation-Sponsored Fellow

Michelle N. Figueroa is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s College, she has over 20 years of progressive financial and leadership experience in various human services settings. She began her career at the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services in 1998. From 1999 to 2008, she worked for the City Of New York Human Resources Administration, ending her tenure as an Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Budget Administration. She joined NYC Health & Hospitals in 2008 as Budget Director and worked collaboratively with all stakeholders to develop positive outcomes. Over the past 12 years, she has held various positions including: Budget Director, Patient Accounting Director, Service Line Administrator for Ambulatory Care, Network Accounts Receivable Director & Deputy Chief Financial Officer at three acute facilities within the Health System. She joined NYC Health & Hospitals in 2017 as Chief Financial Officer and was promoted to Chief Financial/Operating Officer in 2019 and to Chief Operating Officer of NYC Health & Hospitals/Metropolitan in 2022.

SCAN Group and Health Plan
Corporate Vice President, Chief Risk Executive

Ginette Hawkins is currently Corporate Vice President, Chief Risk Executive for SCAN Group and Health Plan. She formerly served as Vice President of Compliance and Compliance Officer for SCAN Health Plan. She is responsible for leading both the organization’s Compliance Program and Special Investigations Unit, which investigates potential fraud, waste, and abuse. Hawkins regularly presents to the plan’s board of directors and leads staff education efforts around the importance of ethical conduct and compliant performance. Previously, she served as the Director of Regulatory Affairs and was a manager in SCAN’s Home and Community Based Services unit where she led a team of social workers that performed in-home assessments of at-risk individuals. Prior to joining SCAN in 2006, she was the program director of an adult day health care center that served the senior and disabled communities. Hawkins earned a Master of Social Work Program degree from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor’s degree in social work from California State University, Long Beach. She is a regular guest lecturer and speaker at social work events, and mentors students and young professionals in this field.

Dartmouth Health
Chief Pharmacy Officer

Staci A. Hermann, PharmD, MS was named Dartmouth Health’s Chief Pharmacy Officer in 2018. She earned her PharmD degree from The University of Rhode Island and her master’s in Hospital Pharmacy Administration from The University of Wisconsin-Madison. During that time, she completed a two-year health system administration residency at The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. Hermann was the pharmacy operations and informatics manager at The University of Kansas Hospital from 2007 to 2012. She managed the pharmacy portion of Mass General Brigham’s Epic project in 2013. She returned to pharmacy in 2014 as the Assistant Director of Pharmacy for Tufts Medical Center, and for Lahey Hospital and Clinics in 2015. Hermann became the System Director of Pharmacy for the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health system in 2016. She has been actively engaged in professional organizations throughout her career (Vizient and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) and also serves on the board of her condo association.

Marshfield Clinic Health System
Security Health Plan Chief Executive Officer

Krista Hoglund is the Chief Executive Officer for Security Health Plan. Prior to this promotion in December 2021, she served as the Chief Actuary & Financial Officer for Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, part of the Marshfield Clinic Health System and one of Wisconsin’s largest regional health plans serving more than 208,000 members. She has long been a champion for Security Health Plan’s strategic imperative calling for stewardship of financial and human resources. One of her main areas of focus is reducing total cost of care for Security Health Plan customers, and across the healthcare industry.

Hoglund joined Marshfield Clinic Health System in 2008, serving in progressively more responsible roles since that time. She earned her Associateship in the Society of Actuaries in 2010 and has served as Security’s Appointed Actuary since 2016. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Yale New Haven Health
Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations

Lorraine “Lori” Lee is the Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations and formerly held the position of Vice President, Corporate Pharmacy and Corporate Supply Chain Services for Yale New Haven Health. She previously filled the role of Chief Pharmacy Officer from 2014-2019 and added Corporate Supply Chain in 2018. Lee is a pharmacist by training starting at Yale New Haven Health in 1986. She has held various leadership roles within pharmacy services and supply chain. She is responsible for the strategic oversight for pharmacy services and supply chain throughout the system; including financial, clinical integration, operational and medication/device safety objectives. She serves on many state and national executive forums within pharmacy and supply chain professional organizations. Lee holds a Masters of Health Administration from Simmons College in Boston where she was a member of the Upsilon Phi Delta Honor Society and a Bachelors of Pharmacy from University of Rhode Island.

Johns Hopkins Health System
Vice President Provider/Payer Transformation

Nicole “Nicki” Sandusky McCann started her career in health care policy as committee counsel to the Maryland House of Delegates Appropriations Committee where she provided policy and legal advice related to healthcare to members of the Maryland General Assembly. She began her career at Johns Hopkins in 2010 as the Director of Health Policy for Government Affairs. In this role, her responsibilities included advising Johns Hopkins Health System (JHHS) senior leadership regarding health policy issues and advocating on behalf of JHHS to advance industry priorities under Maryland’s rate-setting system. In April 2018, she transitioned to a new role at Johns Hopkins serving as Chief of Staff for The Johns Hopkins Hospital, leading efforts on the development and advancement of strategic objectives; fostering strong community partnerships; and collaborating with hospital leadership, providers, and staff to build and launch programs that align with Maryland’s Total Cost of Care Model and improve patient satisfaction and experience. McCann was promoted to the position of Vice President for Provider/Payer Transformation for JHHS in November of 2019. In this role, she is responsible for collaborating with health system leadership and the provider community to facilitate strategic responses to matters related to the payer market.

Henry Ford Jackson Hospital
President

Emily S. Moorhead is a healthcare executive with rapidly advancing leadership experience that spans diverse for-profit and non-profit networks as well as healthcare consulting services. Her roles have included Chief Operating Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, Director of Transforming Operations, Senior Consultant of Hospital Operations and Operational Excellence, and Regional Director of the Healthcare Division at GE. Her passions include providing the kind of healthcare services that bring a smile to the faces of even the sickest patients and facilitating the integration of health and wellness into everyday life. Moorhead earned an MBA from the University of Michigan, Dearborn, MI, graduating With Distinction. She also attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, from Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI.

Tufts Medical Center
Vice President of Education at Wellforce, Associate Professor of Medicine

Dr. Kari Roberts was selected in 2021 as Wellforce’s first Vice President of Education. A highly regarded clinician educator, Kari serves as the Associate Chief Medical Officer for GME at Tufts Medical Center.  Clinically, her practice includes pulmonary hypertension, critical care and general pulmonary medicine. Kari shares her clinical experience in these settings with trainees from the Pulmonary Critical care fellowship and Internal Medicine residency, as well as TUSM students.  Dr. Roberts earned her BA at Dartmouth College and MD at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her clinical training was completed at Johns Hopkins Hospital (Internal Medicine) and New York Presbyterian (Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine). A member of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at Tufts Medical Center since 2004, she was an NIH-funded physician scientist (translational genetics) prior to transitioning to a career focused on graduate medical education. She has been regularly been named a Top Doctor in Pulmonary Medicine by Boston Magazine since 2015.

City of Hope
Vice-Chair Surgery, Professor of Gynecologic Oncology, City of Hope National Medical Center-Department of Surgery

Dr. Lorna Rodriguez has worked at Albert Einstein College of Medicine as an Assistant Professor of Gynecologic Oncology and worked in the laboratories of Dr. Mathew Scharff and Susan Horowitz, she then moved to University of Rochester where she received a PhD in Biochemistry in 1996, and then became an associate professor and Director of the Gynecologic Oncology Division and then spent the next 18 years as Professor at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, first as Division Chief and then as Director of the Precision Medicine Initiative of the Center. In 2019 she became Vice Chair in the department of Surgery at City of Hope and is part of the Enterprise Leadership Team. Her laboratory research has contributed to the knowledge of the role of the CD44 receptor in multidrug resistance. She currently is part of the Governance Committee at COH for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This role is a new path in her leadership trajectory.

Near North Health (sponsored by UChicago)
Chief Strategy Officer

Dr. Tristé Smith is the Chief Strategy Officer at Near North Health. Prior to her role at Near North, Dr. Smith was the Executive Director of the Urban Health Initiative Strategy and Innovation at the University of Chicago from 2014 – 2021. She was responsible for developing strategies that leveraged UChicago Medicine’s community engagement and health equity capabilities across campus- wide health, research, clinical, and educational portfolios. Prior to joining the University of Chicago, Smith served in the roles of Chief Integrity Executive, Director of Government Relations, and Associate General Counsel at Northwestern Memorial Hospital where she oversaw the hospital’s compliance program, developed and managed strategies to inform and influence public policy at the county, state, and federal levels, and coordinated its enterprise-wide efforts related to tax-exemption and community benefit. She received an M.D. from Harvard University Medical School and holds a J.D. from the University of Chicago.

John Muir Health
Vice President, Finance and Optum Performance

Mika Taylor began her career at John Muir Health in 2005. She has grown within the organization in various accounting, financial planning, and analytics roles. Taylor previously served as Executive Finance Director and is now serving as the Vice President, Finance and Optum Performance. Taylor is responsible for managing the financial planning function, which includes management reporting, productivity, operating, capital, and long range planning.

Valley Children’s Healthcare
Executive Director Inpatient Operations & Assistant CNO

Vicky Tilton is currently the Executive Director of Inpatient Operations and the ACNO at Valley Children’s Healthcare, a 260 non-for-profit pediatric facility in Central California. In her current role, she is responsible for inpatient operational oversight along with championing strategic initiatives associated with patient care delivery. She has been a registered nurse for over 20 years and has held several leadership roles with many outstanding pediatric organizations. Tilton is proud to be an active board member for the Ronald McDonald Charity House. She earned her Master in Executive Nursing Leadership and is currently preparing for her Doctorate in Executive Nursing Leadership through Purdue University Global. She is quite passionate about her teams as well as the patients and families she has the opportunity to serve. Her goals include completion of her DNP, and she aspires to become a Chief Nursing Officer, as well as a future author focusing on transformational leadership.

University of Pennsylvania Health System
William Maul Measey-Truman G. Schnabel, Jr., MD Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, and Chief of the Division of Geriatric Medicine

Dr. Lisa M. Walke is Chief of the Division of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine since 2018. She determines and advances the strategic direction of the clinical, research, and education programs of the division. She earned an undergraduate degree in Sociology from Harvard University, a medical degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of New Haven. She was an Internal Medicine resident at Montefiore Medical Center and a Geriatric Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology fellow at Yale before serving on the Yale faculty from 2003-2018. She became an American Geriatrics Society (AGS) fellow in 2014 and was named AGS Outstanding Mid-Career Clinician Educator of the Year in 2017. She serves on the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs Board since 2019 and the American Board of Internal Medicine Geriatric Medicine Board since 2020.

Priority Health (sponsored by Geisinger Health Plan)
Senior VP, Advanced Analytics & Chief Actuary

Karena Weikel is the Senior Vice President of Advanced Analytics and Chief Actuary at Priority Health.  Previously, she served at Geisinger Health Plan from 2009-2021 in a variety of roles, including Chief Actuary. She is a risk professional who began her career in healthcare experience in 2001. Weikel has experience in managing overall cost of care (expense, vendor), trend mitigation, vendor relations, underwriting, provider and medical economics, risk adjustment, operational and regulatory reporting, pricing and rate filing, trend analysis, reserve and organization-wide financial analytics for all lines of business.