The 3rd Annual
Supplemental Benefit
Innovations to Drive Health Outcomes

Gain Competitive Market Advantage and Better Health & ROI For
Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and D-SNPs Plans

Speakers

Speaker 6

ABBY KATABARO

Managing Director of Medicare Product

Speaker 6

AMANDA REES

Co-Founder and CEO

Speaker 1

ANDREA BROOKHART

Director, Population Health and Wellness

Speaker 1

ANDREW PARKER

Founder and CEO

Speaker 2

ANDY FRIEDELL

COO

Speaker 3

ANDY AUERBACH

Chief Commercial Officer

Speaker 4

ARCHIE DEY

Vice President, Consumer Experience and Insights

Speaker 4

ARIANE GRAZIAN

VP of Strategy & Partnership

Speaker 6

ASHISH V.SHAH

CEO

Speaker 6

BRIAN DWYER

Vice President of Business Development

Speaker 5

CHARLES BAKER

Vice President, Compliance Solutions

Speaker 6

CHRISTINE LEO

Vice President, Medicare Advantage Products

Speaker 7

COURTNEY MEYER

Senior Director, Development & Distribution

Speaker 8

CRAIG W. FISHER

Director, Product Development & Growth Initiatives

Speaker 9

CYNDI ALEXANDER

Vice President, Healthcare Service Solutions

Speaker 6

DARREN E WETHERS

CEO

Speaker 6

DAVE ETLING

Senior Vice President & General Manager

Speaker 6

DEAN GUTRIDGE

Vice President of Growth – Government Solutions

Speaker 5

EDDIE MARIA

Head of Sales

Speaker 6

EVELYN CHOJNACKI, MPH

Director, Health Plan Product Strategy

Speaker 6

JANINE V. ANGEL

Senior Director, Medicare Strategic Business Operations & Compliance

Speaker 6

JASON HELLINGER

Senior Product Manager

Speaker 6

JASON MONTRIE

SVP Healthcare and Products

Speaker 6

JENNIFER CALLAHAN

Chief Operating Officer

Speaker 6

JENN KERFOOT

Chief Strategy & Growth Officer

Speaker 6

JENNIFER MACQUARRIE

Director, Supplemental Benefits

Speaker 6

JENNIFER SIMMS

Director, Government Products

Speaker 6

JESSICA ASSEFA

President & Senior Consultant

Speaker 6

JIM KNEBEL

Head of Growth

Speaker 6

JOHN GORMAN

Founder and Chairman

Speaker 6

JULIE CRAWFORD

Senior Director, Enterprise Solutions

Speaker 6

KALEB HOLT

Director of Medicare Products

Speaker 6

KAITLIN MAYHEW

Senior Director, Product Development

Speaker 6

KATE MCCOWN, CHC, LLIF

Vice President, Group Compliance

Speaker 6

KELLY DELMORE

Co-Chair, Government Relations & Public Policy

Speaker 6

KIMBERLY GONZALEZ

Population Health Specialist, Arizona Best Care Network, LLC

Speaker 6

LISA FRANKLIN, MS

Director of Product and Marketing Strategy and Individual Medicare P&L Leader | Strategic Growth and Government Programs

Speaker 6

LORI RUND

Vice President, Government Programs

Speaker 6

MICHAEL ADELBERG

Executive Director

Speaker 6

MICHAEL SPICER, MBAH

Vice President, Product

Speaker 6

MINA CHANG, PH.D.

Deputy Director, Chief Analytics & Compliance Division

Speaker 6

MONICA PAGELS

Manager, JV, Product Development

Speaker 6

NAIWIN CHANG

Senior Manager, National Supplemental Products

Speaker 6

NICOLE HUNGATE

Product & Quality Consultant

Speaker 6

OMAR DAOUD

Senior Director of Pharmacy

Speaker 6

SEIJI HAYASHI, MD, MPH, FAAFP

Interim Chief Medical Officer, Community Health Plan of DC, Lead Medical Director for Government Programs

Speaker 6

SHARON L. FLETCHER

President & CEO

Speaker 6

SION HUGHES

Senior Consultant, Market and Provider Strategist

Speaker 6

WINNIE GRIM

Supplemental Benefits Manager

Speaker Details

Speaker 1

Abby Katabaro

Managing Director of Medicare Product

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

Abby Katabaro is a seasoned product leader who oversees Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement product development and management as the Managing Director of Medicare Product at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. In her role, she provides strategic direction over product portfolio planning, benefit design, communications, and filing for the health plan, as well as leading vendor engagement and management of supplemental benefits. Prior to joining BCBSM in February 2025, Abby served as the National Director of Medicare Products at Kaiser Permanente where she was accountable for the development and implementation of competitive, growth-driving ancillary and supplemental benefits as well as Medicare product strategy across the company’s market landscape. She previously led Medicare product development for Centene and served in various roles at Wellcare Health Plans, where she developed Medicare products and materials, designed plan portfolios, and filed CMS bids. Abby previously held legal and corporate communications roles in the professional sports, education, and legal industries, of which she holds degrees in. Based out of Alpharetta, Georgia, you can find her volunteering for service dog and rescue organizations, playing tennis, traveling abroad, and going on local foodie adventures around Atlanta with her husband, two daughters and two retrievers.

Speaker 1

Amanda Rees

Co-Founder and CEO

Bold

Amanda Rees is co-founder and CEO of Bold, a digital health company focused on disease prevention and healthy aging. Bold partners with Medicare plans and provider groups to offer older adults personalized and science-based exercise programs that prevent falls, reduce musculoskeletal pain and disability, and increase physical activity levels. Before Bold, Amanda worked in energy and environmental justice, managing the renewable energy portfolio at The 11th Hour Project, a program of The Schmidt Family Foundation. Prior to that, she was a Dalai Lama Fellow, and she has conducted research at Stanford, Princeton and UCLA. Amanda has a BSE in Chemical & Biological Engineering from Princeton University. She has been a fitness instructor for over a decade, teaching dance, yoga, indoor cycling, and community tai chi for fall prevention.

Speaker 1

Andrea Brookhart

Director, Population Health and Wellness

Kroger Health

Dr. Andrea Brookhart is a community pharmacist who is passionate about helping people live healthier lives. In her role, she is responsible for Kroger Health’s strategy to achieve population health via value- based care. Andrea leads the development of products and services that enable delivery of personalized care at scale in partnership with patients, primary care, and the larger healthcare ecosystem. She believes Kroger Health’s community-based providers, including pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and dietitians, are uniquely poised to change the way healthcare is delivered – by improving access, equity, quality, and cost.

She has been with Kroger since 2012, and her primary focus areas include developing interventions that improve medication adherence, immunization rates, access to care, and gaps in care. Dr. Brookhart earned her bachelors degree and Doctor of Pharmacy degree from University of Toledo College of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. She is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Community-based Pharmacy Residency Program, an active member of the American Pharmacists Association, and a Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist.

Speaker 1

Andrew Parker

Founder and CEO

Papa

Throughout his career, Andrew Parker has focused on health care innovation that brings care to the consumer. In late 2017, Andrew founded Papa, a curated platform of companionship and support for older adults and families. He started the company to support his own grandfather, his “papa,” and the company has since scaled to provide social support nationally through Medicare Advantage, managed Medicaid, Special Needs Plans, and employer benefits. Prior to Papa, Andrew was part of the founding team of MDLIVE. Andrew resides in Miami, Florida with his wife, Romi, and dog, Chewie.

Speaker 1

Andy Friedell

COO

The Helper Bees

As COO, Andy helps drive growth and provides strategic direction across The Helper Bees’ products and services, ensuring that the work of the team is properly aligned with the goals of payers, patients and caregivers. He brings over 20 years of healthcare experience to the job. Andy founded healthAlign to help payers better manage a diverse range of services into the home and that business was acquired by The Helper Bees in 2021. Prior to founding healthAlign, he oversaw payer relations, nationwide business development, and large-scale strategic engagements at Maxim, one of the nation’s largest homecare companies. His work driving the product development function there brought about a community-based care management offering that has been shown to reduce readmissions by over 65% while also driving a 35% reduction in in-patient spending. Andy came to Maxim from Medco Health Solutions where he worked on the development of the Medicare Part D drug benefit, the early launch of the internet pharmacy marketplace and the regulatory environment for mail service pharmacies. Andy began his career as an aide to former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman.

Speaker 1

Andy Auerbach

Chief Commercial Officer

SafeRide

Andy has led SafeRide’s commercial strategy since 2018, growing the business from less than 1,000 rides per year to over 7M projected rides in 2025. Beginning as a technology platform for delivering on-demand transportation to care providers, SafeRide now serves many of the nation's leading Medicare Advantage and Medicaid plans, including the largest share of DSNP membership of any NEMT provider. Before SafeRide, Andy has more than 10 years of revenue leadership experience in SaaS and enterprise technology across all verticals - most recently as a Regional Vice President of Sales for Oracle.

Speaker 1

Archie Dey

Vice President, Consumer Experience and Insights

SCAN Health Plan

Speaker 1

Ariane Grazian

VP of Strategy & Partnership

Soda Health

Ari never backs down from a challenge and brings deep experience in transforming large-scale, bold ideas into scalable, viable strategies and products. As the Chief Strategy and Partnerships Officer at Soda Health, she is architecting a disruptive health tech meets fin tech solution to deliver smarter, personalized benefits to employees in a consumer-friendly, familiar way - with smart cards. Soda Health is transforming employee benefit delivery to be a strategic value driver rather than a cost of doing business.

Ari began her career with Deloitte as a strategy and operations consultant prior to joining Walmart in 2014. During her time with Walmart, she served as a productively disruptive leader who delivered many “world firsts” for the world’s largest retailer. In her most recent role as Director of Product Development & Health Plan Partnerships, Ari supported the financial viability of Walmart’s healthcare business by forging relationships with the country’s largest health plans and translating their challenges into new product offerings such as clinical gaps closure and engagement support, social determinants of health solutions, and innovative insurance products.

Ari has a Bachelor of Business Administration from The George Washington University.

Speaker 1

Ashish V. Shah

CEO

Dina

Ashish founded Dina in 2015 and leads the team on its mission to make in-home care accessible, reliable and transparent. A recognized thought leader, Ashish previously served as CTO at Medicity, the market leader for vendor-neutral Health Information Exchange solutions (acquired by Aetna in 2011). Under his leadership, Medicity built a healthcare network with over 1,300 hospitals and 250,000 acute and ambulatory staff, sharing over two billion health records annually. Today, Dina works with top health plans and providers to accelerate access to home- based services to help people live their very best lives.

Speaker 1

Brian Dwyer

Vice President of Business Development

Belle

Brian has over 25 years of expertise working with health plans providing strategic planning and consulting services pertaining to clinical solutions, data analytics, client services and provider networks. Brian has led solution design efforts to optimize operations and implemented software solutions that assist health plans with improving health, member experience and reducing costs. He has sold consulting services to government sponsored health plans and led the go-to-market strategy and sales efforts for a leading consumer analytics healthcare company.

Based on his experience working in various healthcare roles, Brian has presented at numerous industry conferences and led webinars on topics including personalized, one-on-one nurse interaction, provider engagement, data analytics and technology-driven care management tools.

Speaker 1

Charles Baker

Vice President, Compliance Solutions

ATTAC Consulting Group

Charles Baker is a distinguished leader in the healthcare industry, known for his strategic expertise in health plan compliance and operational excellence.
As the Director of Health Plan Performance and Medicare Compliance Officer at Priority Health, Charles led the transformation of the Medicare Advantage Compliance Program. Overseeing a membership exceeding 260,000 beneficiaries, his commitment to compliance and quality excellence resulted in Priority Health’s attainment of a 5-star rating — the only Medicare plan to achieve this distinction in Michigan for 2023. Charles’ expertise extends across diverse healthcare environments. His role as the Practice Leader at Trinity Health underscored his ability to translate healthcare guidelines into practical strategies. In his tenure with Allina Health, Charles played an instrumental role in revenue enhancement through innovative program initiatives and streamlined operational management.
He holds a Master of Healthcare Administration and a Master of Social Work from the University of Minnesota, as well as a Bachelor of Social Work from Eastern Michigan University. He earned certification as a LEAN Practitioner from Johns Hopkins Medical Center.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Charles is deeply engaged in community initiatives. He serves on the city council for the City of Rockford, Michigan, and contributed his expertise as a former Adjunct Professor at the University of Detroit Mercy in Population Health and Epidemiology. He volunteers as a Health Equity Council Member at the Kent County YMCA and has held past board positions at Urban Roots Community Market and the Merriam Park Block Nursing Association.

Speaker 1

Christine Leo

Vice President, Medicare Advantage Products

Cigna

Christine joined Cigna Medicare in 2015 and is responsible for the oversight of Cigna's Medicare Advantage group and individual products. She is responsible for innovation, new product development, and the implementation and performance of Cigna's Medicare Advantage plans.
Christine has been integral in advancing innovation within the Medicare line of business throughout her career and is an expert within the industry. Her experiences both as caregiver, as well as dealing with her own health issues, serve to drive her passion to improve healthcare.
She has more than 25 years of Medicare and Medicaid experience. Christine previously worked at Aetna where she was National Head of Product Strategy for Medicare Advantage at Aetna. She also held leadership roles in national contracting, network contracting, operations and dental.
Christine began her managed care career with HealthPASS, one of the first managed Medicaid programs in Pennsylvania.
A graduate of the University of New Mexico with a degree in Dental Hygiene, Christine also holds a Master’s in Business Administration from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Christine lives in Philadelphia with her husband and daughter.

Speaker 1

Courtney Meyer

Senior Director, Development & Distribution

Sanford Health Plan

Courtney Meyer is the Senior Director of Development & Distribution at Sanford Health Plan where she oversees the plan’s strategic growth including the product development teams for individual, commercial, and Medicare lines of business as well as the various teams that support the distribution channels. Courtney is an innovative leader with >14 years’ experience in the health insurance industry with a background in broker sales.
With a proven track record in driving strategic growth and improving operational efficiency, Courtney excels in leveraging data-driven insights to inform product development and market expansion strategies. Her leadership has resulted in significant revenue growth, cost savings, and enhanced member engagement across various projects. Most recently her team led the successful launch of a Medicare Advantage plan exceeding market entry goals. In the plan’s second year in existence it received a 4.5 star rating.
Courtney has an MBA from Kaplan University and lives in South Dakota with her family where they enjoy spending as much time as possible outdoors, usually camping, archery hunting, gardening, hiking, or attending baseball games.

Speaker 1

Craig W. Fisher

Director, Product Development & Growth Initiatives

Jefferson Health Plans

Craig Fisher is an enterprise product leader and current director at Jefferson Health Plans who oversees Medicare Advantage and Individual & Family plans as it relates to product strategy & design, implementation and management. Also, Craig manages and ushers strategic direction and execution to achieve the enterprises overarching targets and goals. Upon alignment and execution, provides leadership across both portfolios for all implementation and go to market efforts. Prior to joining Jefferson Health Plans, Craig managed the Cross Segment Product Strategy Team while also leading enterprise roadmap efforts at Highmark Health. These programs and products aligned care journeys, member experiences with digital and non-digital solutions which created synergies to drive member satisfaction, better care outcomes, and an ROI on key benefits. These roadmap workstreams spanned commercial fully insured, ASO, Federal ACA, and MA plans. During Craig’s time at Highmark, he held several leadership roles in Medicare product development and strategy in order to design and build market competitive products to achieve enterprise enrollment targets and support all aspects of CMS bid development and new contract filing. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Craig stays busy with his wife and two young children attending sporting events, golfing, and hosting cook outs with friends and family.

Speaker 1

Cyndi Alexander

Director, Product Development & Growth Initiatives

Jefferson Health Plans

Cyndi joined NationsBenefits with more than 25 years healthcare expertise focusing on outcomes, quality, regulatory compliance management, product strategy and tech enabled clinical services delivery nationwide. Prior to joining NationsBenefits, Cyndi was a senior executive at AdhereHealth responsible for all design and clinical services including the high touch pharmacy AdhereRx. Cyndi’s previous experience included responsibility for health services, quality, Star’s Ratings, and accreditation for Winsor Health Plan. Cyndi was for years Ascension Health Systems executive for regulatory compliance and Joint Commission of the multi state multi system hospital not for profit organization. Cyndi holds a BSN and a Master’s in Healthcare from the University of Tennessee. Cyndi is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality. She currently sits on the advisory board of the NCQA SNP surveys. She also sits on the new measure board for Pharmacy Quality Alliance the public-private partnership with CMS since the implementation of Part D.

Speaker 1

Darren E Wethers

CEO

Wethers Consulting LLC

Darren Wethers is a board-certified internal medicine physician and certified physician executive.
He graduated from Morehouse College, Northwestern University Medical School and completed internal medicine training at Emory University School of Medicine before establishing himself in internal medicine practice in the St. Louis, Missouri area, becoming a “Top Doctor” honoree several years running.
In 2011, Dr. Wethers began a career in administrative medicine, servings as a medical director with Coventry Health Care and Aetna, vice president of clinical operations at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and now at Atrio Health Plans, where he serves as chief medical officer.
Dr. Wethers is a member of the American Association for Physician Leadership, Fellow of the American College of Physicians, member of Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi fraternities; he is the past chairman for Gamma Mu Educational Services (GMES) board of directors and is a board member of Northwestern University Medical School Alumni Association, for which he serves as co-chair of the Inclusion and Allyship committee and president-elect.

Speaker 1

Dave Etling

Senior Vice President & General Manager

InComm Healthcare

Dave Etling was InComm Payments' 40th employee and has held various leadership positions, including business development, sales, product management, and merchant services. Dave uses his broad knowledge of InComm Payments' technologies and services to establish deep and mutually beneficial business relationships with our customers that extend far beyond the basic delivery of stored-value cards into reward points redemption directly at retail POS, single- use digital coupons for specific retail SKU redemption and card-based, by-SKU affinity promotions. He has been a key asset to InComm Payments' growth over many years by improving product partner acquisition and successful retail launches of products for major industry leaders.

Speaker 1

Dean Gutridge

Vice President of Growth – Government Solutions

The Helper Bees

As Vice President of Growth at The Helper Bees, Dean Gutridge leads efforts to drive business expansion by creating innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of health plans. He brings extensive leadership and experience to his role, gained from working for more than a decade with a Fortune 5 payer. His deep understanding of healthcare ecosystems and ability to anticipate industry trends position him as a leader in building impactful, forward-thinking partnerships.

Speaker 1

Eddie Maria

Head of Sales

Birdsong Hearing Benefits

Eddie Maria is the Head of Sales for Birdsong Hearing. In his role, Eddie provides leadership of Birdsong Hearing Benefits, LLC Sales while partnering with clients to make their plans more impactful, personal, and meaningful for members. He is passionate about improving peoples’ lives by bringing a whole health focus to hearing benefits that also helps health plans bring additional value to their members.

Eddie is a client-focused leader with extensive experience bringing solutions to Commercial, Medicare Advantage, and Managed Medicaid plans. He is passionate about the customer experience, focuses on nurturing relationships, and appreciates the importance of understanding the customer’s needs.

Eddie has 27 years of experience building client partnerships and leading sales teams in the healthcare industry, including the pharmaceutical, women’s healthcare, and hearing benefits sectors. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies from California State University – Sacramento. Outside of work, Eddie volunteers with Blessings in a Backpack – an organization that provides children on a free- lunch program with food every Friday during the school year so that they have food for the weekend.

Speaker 1

Evelyn Chojnacki, MPH

Director, Health Plan Product Strategy

Sword Health

Evelyn Chojnacki brings an extensive health plan background to Sword Health with over 19 years’ experience serving clients and members. This includes client management, health care program development, vendor assessment and integrations, market deployment and strategy.
Evelyn joined Sword in early 2021 and remains focused on advocating for the needs of health plan partners while supporting the advancement of virtual care across the industry. This means promoting solutions positioned to deliver impactful clinical results and equitable member access to convenient care - all while tackling escalating healthcare costs.
Outside of work, Evelyn is an active outdoor and travel enthusiast.

Speaker 1

Janine V. Angel

Senior Director, Medicare Strategic Business Operations & Compliance

Centene

Upon joining Health Net in 2005, I focused on supporting the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement Enrollment, Eligibility and Premium Billing Teams. My concentration was on process improvement initiatives including increasing operational consistency, efficiency, reducing enrollment related errors, and decreased plan-controlled transaction rejections to 0%. In 2010, I led the business and IT teams to convert the day-to-day operation to a paperless environment. I joined our Enterprise Process Change Organization in late 2011 to managing four (4) states regulatory changes for Medicare, Medicaid and Commercial lines of business across. From 2018 to the end of 2022, I provided operational oversight and strategic leadership for our CA MMP product and managed the transition of its members along with 42K Wellcare MA Plan duals in CA to the Exclusive Aligned Enrollment (EAE) Dual Special Needs plan (D-SNP). Beginning in 2023, I have the privilege of caring for every Wellcare Medicare Advantage member in the state of CA where over 40% are dual eligible. I take to heart our vision- to transforming the health of the community, one person at a time.
Prior to my health insurance career, I worked for beverage distributors focusing on wine, beer and spirits in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Currently, I call West Hills, CA my home along with my husband, two teenage boys, two ragdoll cats and a crazy hyper puppy. In my community, I serve as an executive on the Board of Directors of HAMAKOM, a local synagogue. My addiction to Costco and Amazon drives my husband insane and I strive to not kill the many fruit trees and vegetables we grow so I may share with my neighbors and those less fortunate.

Speaker 1

Jason Hellinger

Senior Product Manager

Cigna

Jason Hellinger is a Senior Product Manager for Cigna Healthcare’s Medicare Advantage Strategic Supplemental Solutions team with primary responsibility for managing our dental solution. He currently has end-to-end ownership of the relationship with Cigna Dental, which includes product development, contracting, and escalated issue resolution as well as oversight of key functions needed to support the solution like network, operations, marketing, and digital capabilities. Jason joined The Cigna Group in 2015 through the Managed Care Rotational program. Since, he has held roles in Operating Effectiveness, FDR Operations, the Government Business PMO, and Product Strategy. Outside of Cigna, Jason dedicates his time to support the work of the National LGBTQ Task Force serving as co-chair of their largest fundraiser of the year, Winter Party Festival.
Prior to joining Cigna, Jason led the digital and marketing teams for Quadra Media (publisher of Inked Magazine) and developed integrated marketing solutions to support sales teams across the country for Time Warner Cable Media. Jason holds a Bachelors in Consumer Behavior & Communication from Tulane University and received an MBA from Temple University.

Speaker 1

Jason Montrie

SVP Healthcare and Products

NationsBenefits

Jason Montrie is an award-winning healthcare entrepreneur and senior executive. Jason has spent 20 plus years in healthcare as a founder and growth, strategy and operations leader for some of the most innovative companies in healthcare and technology. Jason was the co-founder and CEO of Land of Lincoln Health and most recently served as President of Pareto Intelligence and Convey Health Solutions. In his current role Jason leads the strategy, growth and operations for all supplemental benefits and healthcare outcomes at Nations Benefits. Using Nations Benefits proprietary technology, integrated supplemental benefits platform, sophisticated analytic capabilities, and next generation fintech solutions, Nations Benefits is uniquely positioned in the market to bring a higher level of value to every member interaction Nations has with its members and health plans.

Speaker 1

Jennifer Callahan

Chief Operating Officer

ATRIO Health Plans

Jen Callahan is the Chief Operating Officer of ATRIO Health Plans. For the past 19 years, Jen has established herself as a trusted thought leader and helped shape the managed care industry with her innovative ideas and expertise. Jen has dedicated her career almost exclusively to managed care and is an industry leading expert in all areas of Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement programs.
Prior to joining ATRIO, she co-founded a field management organization, Keen Insurance Services, Inc. to create a provider-centric Medicare focused sales and distribution organization from the ground up. Prior to that, she held the position of Vice President, Medicare Product at Aetna, a CVS Health company where she oversaw the product development and implementation Aetna’s entire Medicare portfolio, contributing over $24 billion to Aetna’s revenue. Throughout her career, Jen has also held various leadership positions at Healthfirst, Inc. and Anthem, Inc. focused exclusively on Government sponsored business.
Jen received her Bachelor of Science degree from Fordham University and MBA from North Carolina State University. Jen currently resides in Waxhaw, a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband, their three kids and fur baby, Vivi. Jen loves spending time with her family and friends and hosting them at their home.

Speaker 1

Jenn Kerfoot

Chief Strategy & Growth Officer

DUOS

Jenn brings their deep understanding of the complexities and nuances within the Medicare Advantage & Value Based Care landscape to their work at DUOS, where they lead business development, go-to-market strategy, and marketing. By leveraging data-driven insights and market intelligence, they spearhead the development of tailored products and services that cater to the unique needs of Medicare Advantage plans and deliver unparalleled value to clients and beneficiaries alike; previous leadership roles include FarmboxRx, Excelera Health and NationsBenefits. Beyond their role at DUOS, Jenn actively contributes to the industry's progress as a thought leader leveraging expertise and advocacy for innovative healthcare practices to enhance healthcare accessibility and quality.

Speaker 1

Jennifer MacQuarrie

Director, Supplemental Benefits

Cigna Medicare Advantage

Jennifer (Jen) MacQuarrie is a Product Strategy Director leading Cigna Healthcare’s Medicare Advantage Strategic Supplemental Solutions team. The Strategic Supplemental Solutions team has primary responsibilities for strategic vendor relationships and functions as overall lead for Medicare Advantage supplemental benefit management. This includes strategy, performance management and operationalizing regulatory impacts. Jen joined The Cigna Group in 2021 to lead Affordability strategy for MA. She supported establishment of the overall Affordability process, including vetting mechanisms and overall strategic direction. Jen joined Cigna with more than 15 years of consulting and industry experience. She was with Deloitte Consulting for over 12 years where she managed and delivered over 50 MA and Part D engagements for highly matrixed national and regional health plan clients with a focus on program management and governance, market entry, performance improvement, operational assessments, and compliance engagements. Jen holds a BA from Allegheny College and an MS in Healthcare Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

Speaker 1

Jennifer Simms

Director, Government Products

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City

Jennifer Simms is Director, Government Product for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. She has over 25+ years of experience with Healthcare organizations. Currently, her focus is on Government Programs which includes Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and Qualified Health Insurance Exchange Plans with responsibility for product strategy, CMS product compliance, vendor management and E2E business implementation. While at Blue KC, Jennifer designed and re-launched the Medicare Advantage portfolio resulting in 100% growth during Annual Enrollment Period 2021 - 2022 with a 10% lapse rate year-over-year 2021 – 2023. She also created C suite oversight structure for product portfolio, and finance transparency, which includes member growth, medical loss ratio (MLR), and cost containment.

Jennifer has held similar roles with Centene and Aetna, a CVS Health organization. During this time she implemented, led and facilitated collaboration and engagement opportunities with local Health Plan markets to competitively position and financially stabilize product portfolio. Achieving membership increases of 22% (2016), 12% (2017), and 12% (2018), and retention/persistency of 80%+ year-over-year. In 2016, she generated $11M in revenue by facilitating a CMS contract consolidation; partnered with the Kansas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma Departments of Insurance to coordinate and file licensing requirements; and project managed the combined efforts for system administration to ensure operational integrity.

Speaker 1

Jessica Assefa

President & Senior Consultant

Ameropia Advisors

Jessica Assefa is a seasoned healthcare professional specializing in Medicare Advantage Star Ratings and quality improvement. With over two decades of experience, she currently serves as the President and senior consultant at Ameropia Advisors, LLC.

Jessica's expertise spans Medicare, Medicaid, Marketplace, and dual eligible programs, with a proven track record of guiding contracts to four and five-star ratings nationally. She has extensive experience in leadership roles on the Medicare Advantage payer side, including positions such as Chief Quality Officer and Senior Director of Star Ratings. Jessica has led quality improvement initiatives and strategic planning for local, regional, and national Medicare Advantage plans, focusing on HEDIS, medication adherence, CAHPS, HOS, provider relations, value-based care, and health plan operations driving significant improvements in Star Ratings and overall plan performance.

Before her roles in the payer sector, Jessica's healthcare journey began on the provider side, where she held leadership positions and specialized in the care of geriatric and disabled populations. Her experience as a nurse gave her a deep, firsthand understanding of healthcare delivery and patient needs, which informs her approach to quality improvement.

This unique combination of experience on both the payer and provider sides of the healthcare industry positions Jessica exceptionally well as a consultant. She brings a comprehensive perspective, deep regulatory knowledge, and a proven track record of success to her consultancy work, making a significant impact in improving healthcare quality and outcomes for her clients.

Speaker 1

Jill Selby

Founder

JVS Consulting, LLC

Jill Selby has recently concluded her 12-year tenure as Senior Vice President overseeing Product Development, Marketing, and Market Expansion at SCAN Health Plan, a Medicare Advantage Plan catering to nearly 300,000 members. Throughout her tenure, Jill played a pivotal role in driving the growth and evolution of SCAN’s Medicare Advantage products, across California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and New Mexico.
Her responsibilities encompassed spearheading market expansion initiatives, identifying geographic growth opportunities, and leading the innovative development and deployment of SCAN's industry leading product offerings. Additionally, Jill served as the driving force behind SCAN’s marketing strategies, overseeing traditional, digital, and social media advertising efforts, as well as sales lead generation.
With an extensive background spanning over 35 years in the healthcare sector, Jill now brings her wealth of expertise and experience to the table as a self-employed consultant. In this capacity, she is dedicated to assisting various industry partners in navigating and thriving within the dynamic landscape of current day healthcare.

Speaker 1

Jim Knebel

Head of Growth

Kaizen Health

Jim is the Head of Growth at Kaizen Health, leading the client relationship teams and ensuring strategic alignment across sales, marketing, and client retention. As a founding member, he has been integral to the company's journey, providing a unique perspective on its product market fit.
Kaizen Health addresses the social determinants of health (SDOH) by removing transportation barriers, enabling access to healthcare, food, education, and employment. Utilizing an adaptive technology platform and a nationwide network of partners, Kaizen Health serves diverse populations in urban and rural areas. Their innovative solutions impact millions across the US through partnerships with major healthcare organizations, non-profits, municipalities, and public- school districts.

Speaker 1

John Gorman

Founder and Chairman

Nightingale Partners

John is the Founder and Chairman of Nightingale Partners, the first venture fund to invest in early- stage companies in the social determinants of health (SDOH) ecosystem, and which structures tailored interventions with health insurers, local government, and provider organizations. His work focuses on Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and Accountable Care Act strategy, governance, and health equity. John serves on the Board of Directors of Henry Ford Health System’s Health Alliance Plan in his birthplace of Detroit; on the Board of Edenbridge Health, a groundbreaking company in the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE); and on the Board of RoundTrip, an innovative Non- Emergent Medical Transport company. He serves on the Advisory Board for NationsBenefits, the nation's leading supplemental benefits provider, and on the Medicaid Advisory Board for Icario Health, a leading member engagement and communications firm. John is the Founder and Former Chairman at Gorman Health Group (GHG). For 22 years he led the development of the industry's leading consulting practice and several entrepreneurial ventures in government health programs. John speak at two dozen industry conferences each year, and am regularly quoted in the trade press and national media. I serve on the editorial advisory boards of several industry publications. Prior to founding Gorman Health Group in 1996, I was appointed by President Clinton as the first Assistant to the Director of Health Care Financing Administration’s (HCFA, now CMS) Office of Managed Care, where I provided day-to-day management, and served as the external liaison for the Medicare and Medicaid managed care programs. During the 1993 debate on national health care reform, I was chief lobbyist on health care financing issues for the National Association of Community Health Centers, an organization of Federally-funded primary care clinics for the medically underserved. My career in Washington began as Press Secretary and Staff Director for U.S. Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), then-Chairman of the Government Operations Committee.

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Julie Crawford

Senior Director, Enterprise Solutions

Modivcare

Julie Crawford is a seasoned healthcare executive with over two decades of experience in driving strategic growth and operational excellence. As the Senior Director of Strategic Solutions at Modivcare, she leverages her expertise in Clinical/Quality initiatives and Operational logistics to forge successful partnerships with healthcare providers and payors. With a proven track record of delivering exceptional results, Julie has been recognized for her leadership, innovation, and commitment to patient & Member care. Prior to joining Modivcare, Julie led the Pharmacy Sales Specialists team covering the Western half of the US with B.Braun Medical, Inc. Julie is a Florida State graduate in Food & Nutrition Science and is a Registered Dietitian.

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Kaleb Holt

Director of Medicare Products

SelectHealth

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Kaitlin Mayhew

Senior Director, Product Development

Curana Health Plans / Align Senior Care

Kaitlin Mayhew has more than a decade of experience in the Medicare and Medicaid space. She has held multiple roles supporting Medicare Advantage health plans including sales and implementation, regulatory management, and CMS bid development. Today, Kaitlin leads the Product Department at Curana health plans and Align Senior Care. Specializing in special needs plans, Kaitlin manages benefit strategy and design for more than 30 MAPD plans. She also oversees health plan expansion and new product development. Kaitlin lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, two-year-old daughter, and Australian Shepherd dog.

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Kate McCown, CHC, LLIF

Vice President, Group Compliance

SelectHealth

Kate McCown is Vice President and Compliance Officer for the Ameritas and Ameritas of New York Group Dental, Vision, and Hearing Division in Lincoln, Nebraska. She began her career at Ameritas in 1999 and brings with her more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. She has served in a variety of capacities including business operations and underwriting. In 2012 she was appointed as Director of Health Care Reform and responsible for analysis, advocacy, strategy and implementation related to Affordable Care Act on state and Federal levels; presenting on the Affordable Care Act and implications to dental benefits across the country. In 2014, she was elected as Second Vice President of Compliance for Ameritas and in 2018, Vice President and Compliance Officer. In 2014, she was elected to Board of Directors for the National Association of Dental Plans (NADP) and served two consecutive terms until 2020. She is Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC) by the Healthcare Compliance Certification Association and is a LIMRA Leadership Institute Fellow.
In her community, she currently serves as a Teammates youth mentor, a steering committee member of Women in Philanthropy for the United Way of Lincoln/Lancaster County, a board member of the Members Own Credit Union in Lincoln, and a board member of the Museum of Nebraska Arts (MONA) in Kearney.

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Kelly Delmore

Co-Chair, Government Relations & Public Policy,

Hooper, Lundy & Bookman, P.C.

Kelly Delmore is the Co-Chair of the Government Relations & Public Policy Department at Hooper, Lundy & Bookman, PC, the largest law firm in the country dedicated exclusively to representing health care clients. Kelly is a seasoned health care policy professional who advises clients on federal legislation, political strategy, and advocacy. Highly regarded and respected on both sides of the political aisle, Kelly’s practice primarily focuses on representing health care clients before the U.S. House, Senate, and Administration on payment, coverage, quality initiatives, and health care access. She currently works with insurers, national insurance associations, national provider associations, large health systems, disability advocates, and dialysis providers to create policy solutions and legislative opportunities. Before becoming a consultant, Kelly served in a variety of capacities in Washington DC, both on and off Capitol Hill.
She was director of Federal Government Affairs for the American Physical Therapy Association, legislative assistant to House Ways & Means Committee member Rep. Phil English (R-PA), and regulatory policy analyst for the American Osteopathic Association. Before her time in Washington, Kelly worked in hospital settings in Pittsburgh, PA, where she focused on health information technology, cancer registry, and HIPAA implementation. She holds a BS in Health Information Management and a Master of Health Administration from the University of Pittsburgh.

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Kimberly Gonzalez

Population Health Specialist, Arizona Best Care Network, LLC

VBCare Network, LLC

Kimberly is a passionate public health professional with a solid foundation in immunology and microbiology. She holds an undergraduate degree from UC Merced and a master's in public health from USC. Her experience as a Graduate Research Assistant at USC's Center for Population Health has honed her skills in data analysis and interpretation of complex health data. She has worked extensively with underserved communities, volunteering with organizations like UCSF Fresno Mobile HeaL Clinic and Project Grow to address health disparities.
As the Population Health Specialist at VBCare Network and ABC Network, she focuses on improving health outcomes by reducing health disparities through targeted efforts addressing social determinants of health (SDOH). Her commitment to advancing public health and creating equitable healthcare access fuels her drive to contribute to impactful community health initiatives.

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Lisa Franklin, MS

Director of Product and Marketing Strategy and Individual Medicare P&L Leader | Strategic Growth and Government Programs

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

Lisa Franklin is currently the Business Owner of Individual Medicare and Director of Product and Marketing Strategy focused on driving the Individual Medicare businesses to financial sustainability, leading the product lifecycle (strategy, design, management, and optimization), and development of robust marketing strategies around member retention and engagement. She drives the business to consistently assess and make improvements in the levers (cost of care, revenue, quality, and administrative costs) that ensure plans can continue to offer low premiums, supplemental benefits, and an overall great member experience. She leads the overall product vision and strategy, while continuously optimizing Individual Medicare Advantage plans (including Dual Special Needs), Medicare Supplemental, and Group Medicare Advantage plans in the Maryland, District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia areas. She manages a team that leads cross-functional discussions to meet milestones on the product roadmap driving towards short and long-term strategic goals. She also leads a team of marketing professionals focused on executing key messages through various channels (print, digital, phone, and more) for all government programs.
Lisa previously worked at Johns Hopkins Healthcare in Maryland as Product Development Manager for Medicare Advantage plans. She has over 8 years of experience leading the Medicare Advantage Bid process at multiple organizations with a passion for ensuring that data is the driving force for every element of the product lifecycle. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and corgi, Turbo, as well as spinning and shopping.

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Lori Rund

Vice President, Government Programs

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City

Lori Rund is the Vice President of Government Programs at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC). Lori is responsible for the oversight and ongoing strategic direction for Blue KC’s Government Programs line of business, including financial and operational accountability. She has been with Blue KC since November 2019. Prior to joining Blue KC, Lori worked nine years for the Henry Ford Health System health plan, HAP, as the Vice President for Product Management and Market Intelligence. She has had an extensive career with 30+ years of experience within the healthcare industry.
She is a member of the RISE Medicare Member Acquisition & Experience Advisory Board and member of the Girls on the Run Board of Greater Kansas City.
Lori earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Loyola University, New Orleans, Louisiana

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Michael Adelberg

Executive Director

National Association of Dental Plans

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Michael Spicer, MBAH

Vice President, Product

CDPHP

Mike leads the Product Innovation team of portfolio managers, researchers, and analysts at CDPHP in Albany, NY. Mike’s team is always seeking out new trends and disruptions in healthcare to enhance CDPHP’s product portfolio, ranging the gamut from digital health technologies to high deductible plans paired with HSAs.
Mike is most interested in studying and utilizing consumer behavior trends in healthcare, including the choices people make, why they make those choices, and the influences required to help them make choices that are more appropriate.
Originally from Syracuse, New York, Mike relocated for his post-secondary education, including a B.S from Union College (NY) focused in Neuroscience and Quantitative Economics, as well as a Masters of Business Administration (M.B.A.) focused in Healthcare Management from Clarkson University. Mike now resides with his family and dachshunds in Latham while continuing to work on his golf game.

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Mina Chang, Ph.D.

Deputy Director, Chief Analytics & Compliance Division

Ohio Department of Aging

Dr. Mina Chang brings over 25 years of distinguished leadership in health and human services across diverse governmental sectors and national markets. Currently, as the Senior Policy Advisor to the Director at the Ohio Department of Aging, she drives impactful policy changes to benefit 2.8 million older Ohioans. Previously, as the Deputy Director, she was at the forefront of transforming eldercare and healthy aging in Ohio, leading business intelligence and compliance strategies to ensure innovation and service excellence.
In her role as VP of Quality at Bethesda, a national long-term care provider, she led COVID response efforts and managed a workforce of 3,000 across 400 programs in 13 states. As Assistant Health Commissioner for NYC, she spearheaded teams to expand health insurance services for 8 million residents, successfully onboarding 85,000 new members during ACA open enrollment.
A respected industry speaker, Dr. Chang has advised influential organizations such as MACPAC, SAMHSA, and CHCS. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management and an MPA from Ohio State University. As a Fellow of the American Healthcare Executives, Dr. Chang is dedicated to advancing excellence in public policy and healthcare leadership.

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Monica Pagels

Manager, JV, Product Development

Emergient

Monica Pagels is the Manager of Product Development at Emergient. Emergient brings leading end- to-end Medicare Advantage capabilities to new markets through joint venture partnerships with health plans.  As Manager of Product Development, Monica is responsible for the annual Medicare bids, product implementation and oversees product strategy and vendor management. Monica works closely with sales, marketing, enrollment, billing, claims, and customer service to deliver best in class benefits and member experience, leading to a retention rate of over 95% across all Emergient markets.

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Naiwin Chang

Senior Manager, National Supplemental Products

Kaiser Permanente

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Nicole Hungate

Product & Quality Consultant

Brightstar Health Solutions, LLC

Nikki Hungate is an accomplished executive with over 19 years of experience in the healthcare industry, encompassing both payer and provider sectors. She holds a Master’s degree in Health Administration and Doctorate in Executive Leadership, underscoring her commitment to advancing her expertise and impact in the field.

A passionate advocate for accessible and affordable healthcare, Nikki dedicates her career to driving innovation and helping organizations navigate the complex regulatory landscapes within government programs. Her journey in healthcare began humbly as a customer service professional, where she developed a foundational understanding of the industry's nuances. This early experience has enriched her tactical and leadership perspective across various domains, including Operations, Sales, Compliance, Quality Monitoring, Provider Relations, and Product Development.

Nikki’s insights and expertise make her a sought-after speaker, and in 2025 alone, she has presented at 15 industry conferences, addressing critical topics that shape the future of healthcare. Through her work, Nikki continues to influence the discourse on healthcare access and quality, striving to create a system that serves all individuals effectively.

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Omar Daoud

Senior Director of Pharmacy

Community Health Plan of Washington

Omar joined Community Health Plan of Washington, CHPW, as the Director of Pharmacy in 2019 after sixteen years with Walgreens Co., where he led Specialty Pharmacy operations for the Pacific Northwest Region.
Omar has extensive experience in Specialty Pharmacy, Managed Care including government programs, and Clinical Pharmacy quality initiatives. Omar’s current role is focused on PBM relationship oversight, clinical pharmacy integration, and utilization management of medical and prescription drug benefits. Omar received his Doctorate of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Washington in 2005 and continues to reside in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

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Seiji Hayashi, MD, MPH, FAAFP

Interim Chief Medical Officer, Community Health Plan of DC, Lead Medical Director for Government Programs

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

Dr. Hayashi is Interim Chief Medical Officer for the Community Health Plan of DC and the Lead Medical Director for Government Programs at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield that serves 3.5 million individuals and groups in Maryland and the Washington metropolitan area. Dr. Hayashi was a member of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s committee that published the seminal report, “Transforming Health Care to Create Whole Health: Strategies to Assess, Scale, and Spread the Whole Person Approach to Health.” Dr. Hayashi is board certified family physician and is an experienced leader in primary care, quality improvement, and health policy at the local and national levels. Prior to CareFirst, he spearheaded health services integration and transformation at two area federally qualified health centers. Hayashi's national health policy experience comes from his role as Chief Medical Officer for the Bureau of Primary Health Care at the Health Resources and Services Administration. He started his career at Georgetown University and at George Washington University teaching public health and conducting health policy research.
Hayashi has received a number of awards and honors, including the Samuel U. Rodgers, MD Achievement Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers. Dr. Hayashi graduated with honors in Studio Art from Vassar College, received his M.D. with Alpha Omega Alpha distinction from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed his family medicine residency training at the University of California San Francisco. He received his M.P.H. from the Harvard School of Public Health while a fellow with the Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellowship

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Sharon L. Fletcher

President & CEO

Birdsong Hearing Benefits

Sharon Fletcher is President of Birdsong Hearing Benefits. In addition, she serves as President to Birdsong’s subsidiaries, AudioNet America (ANA), Your Hearing Network (YHN) and Advanced Hearing Providers (AHP) and Great Lakes Provider Network (GLPN). She is a highly accomplished three-time Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with a history for being thrust into completely new businesses, quickly determining the leverage points, developing a plan to grow shareholder value, staffing the organization for success, and motivating the team to deliver the Plan. She has deep experience in the Healthcare sector but has also demonstrated the same approach and results in industries ranging from technology, to consulting, and even airlines. Sharon is focused on awakening people to the sounds of life through better hearing healthcare. She is an outstanding coach by the thousands of people she has touched.
 
With over 18-years of managed care experience, she has served as the President of Fluent Health, a technology-enabled application platform delivering cost effective value to the healthcare sector.
 
Her numerous achievements include being nominated to be a member of Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation and was also recognized as one of Oklahoma’s Outstanding 2018 Chief Executive Officer of the Year. Her extensive Board experience includes several United Way chapters, The American Heart Association, Tulsa’s Chamber of Commerce, and the Healthcare Advisory Board. She is also a member of The National Association of Corporate Directors.
 
She serves on JAX Chamber Board of Directors and as Vice President of Programs for JAX SHRM, including serving on the Board of JAX Society of Human Resources.
 
Fletcher holds a PhD from Northcentral University, MBA from University of Mary, MS from La Roche College, and a Bachelor of Science from Point Park University. She also obtained an Executive Leadership Program Certificate from Cornell University in Finance. She enjoys time with family, travel, and reads five books a month.

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Sion Hughes

Senior Consultant, Market and Provider Strategist

Wakely

Sion Hughes, Senior Consultant I, Market and Provider Strategist, Wakely, an HMA Company

Sion Hughes has payer and provider experience with product and strategy. His experience includes building successful integrated delivery financial models, value-based payment program development, product development, and leading strategic efforts for growth of covered lives. Mr. Hughes has a proven track record of creating, improving, and expanding profitable Medicare Advantage products, Medicaid programs, and value-based payment models. His expertise centers around strategic thinking, increasing operating margins, and enhancing stakeholder experience. He is a subject matter expert in successful planning, contract negotiations, implementation, and growth of government products, as well as developing joint venture economic models. Mr. Hughes is the co-architect of Wakely Analytics Health Operations Optimization program, which helps to position payers and providers to be successful with managing risk.

Mr. Hughes earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from Cleary University.

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Winnie Grim

Supplemental Benefits Manager

Zing Health

Winnie Grim is a seasoned Healthcare Professional with a knack for achieving tangible results. With more than 20 years of experience in the industry, Winnie has mastered the art of driving revenue growth, optimizing operations to cut costs, and flawlessly implementing change management strategies. Winnie excels in leading diverse teams and delivering outstanding outcomes and is well-versed in healthcare, CMS, and business savvy. Her expertise spans utilization, population health, clinical operations, care management, value-based care, and analytics.

With a focus on relationship management and strategic support, Winnie is a valued leader at Zing Health, where she manages the supplemental benefits. Her collaboration with the Product and Growth teams is paving the way for a promising future for the Medicare Advantage Supplemental program at Zing Health.

Winnie currently resides in Virginia. She received her bachelor's degree in kinesiology from James Madison University and her master’s in healthcare administration from The University of Maryland.