Detailed Agenda

This opening session will kick off the day with comments framing the conference agenda, and the role State of Reform hopes to play in this challenging era of health policy and politics.

DJ Wilson: Host, State of Reform

To kick off the conversations at State of Reform, three of Washington’s most important health care and health policy leaders will join DJ for an informal conversation, highlighting the work each is doing to improve the system of care.

Beth Johnson: Chief Executive Officer, Coordinated Care 

David O'Brien, MD: SVP/Chief Executive – Inland Northwest, MultiCare Health System

Dow Constantine: County Executive, King County 

The panel members in this session are among Olympia’s most well respected and well regarded advocates in health care. Come hear their take on where the policy and political landscapes are headed in 2019, 2020 and beyond. Bring your questions!

Mellani McAleenan: Director, Government Relations & General Counsel, Association of Washington Counties

Mel Sorenson: Attorney, Carney Badley Spellman

Amber Lewis: Consultant, Lewis Consulting

From adverse childhood experience to gun violence, our understanding of the impacts of trauma on kids is increasing, making the school setting all the more important as a site for care delivery. This session will explore the topic, what we know, and what we’re learning.

Lindsay Engh: Executive Director, The Health Center

Sandy Lennon: Executive Director, Washington School Based Health Alliance

David Crump, PhD: Director, Mental Health Services, Spokane Public Schools

We know the challenges of delivering care are increasing in complexity. Meanwhile, access to quality providers continues to be a struggle. This session will discuss new approaches to developing, training, and deploying a workforce ready for the demands of changing demographics.

Julie Akers, PharmD: Clinical Associate Professor, WSU College of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences

Jiquanda Nelson: Senior Manager, Equity, Inclusive, Diversity & Workforce Development, Kaiser Permanente

Kelley Halverson: VP, Administrative Services , CHAS Health 

It is clear that care delivery will align with payment models. So, how are payment models changing in light of increased cost pressures? This panel of experts will offer their take on one of the most closely held topics in health care.

Mary Anderson, MD: Chief Clinical Integration & Quality Officer, Physicians Care Alliance

Lonnie Johns Brown: Legislative Director, Office of the Insurance Commissioner

Karl Rebay: Partner, Moss Adams

With reforms in both Medicaid and public employee purchasing - and soon a “public option” - the HCA continues to build momentum for system redesign in Washington State. Come hear from some of the HCA’s senior leaders discuss the work in place and underway at the agency.

Maryanne Lindeblad: Director of Medicaid, Washington State Health Care Authority

Charissa Fotinos, MD: Deputy Chief Medical Director, Washington State Health Care Authority

Washington State’s public option legislation was a first-in-the nation approach to using a consumer-centric, policy-driven health plan to bring pressure to the insurance market. Hear about how the bill came about, and what implementation looks like as it progresses.

Sen. David Frockt: Vice Chair, Senate Ways and Means Committee

Mich'l Needham: Chief Policy Officer, Washington State Health Care Authority

Molly Voris: Chief Policy Officer, Washington Health Benefit Exchange

While progress is health care continues, the tremendous variability in outcomes across geographic, demographic, and economic cohorts remains stark. How will we make progress in addressing these inequities? This panel of leaders will offer ideas and insights on the future.

Leanne Berge: CEO, Community Health Plan of Washington

Laura Martin: Senior Program Associate, Empire Health Foundation

Gary Renville: Executive Director, Project Access Northwest

The issue of costs - both at the personal and the system level - is increasingly the most prominent cause for concern in health care. So, what is being done that is showing adequate, positive results? Our panel of executives and experts will discuss.

David Olson: Chief Executive Officer, Columbia Valley Health Center

Brady Cass: President, Asuris 

Saumil Pandya: Deputy Vice President, Advocacy & Strategic Alliances, PhRMA

Katie Rogers: Principal, Health Management Associates (moderator)

With improved majorities in the legislature, and building off a landmark session in 2019, Democrats continue to develop ideas and plans for health care heading into 2020. These elected officials will offer their thoughts on what’s to come in health policy.

Sen. Manka Dhingra: Chair, Senate Behavioral Health Subcommittee to Health & Long Term Care

Rep. Marcus Riccelli: Member, House Health Care & Wellness Committee

As problems of housing insecurity and homeless continue to impact individuals, families, and communities, it is increasingly clear that health status, both mental and physical, are important elements. This conversation will highlight how the dots connect, and what that means for both housing and health care.

Antony Chiang: Chief Executive Officer, Empire Health Foundation

Kathie Olson: VP, Healthcare Services, Molina

Pam Tietz: Execuitve Director, Spokane Housing Authority 

Years of threats to funding, and changes from the ACA, have created new approaches to delivering on the promise of public health. This panel of experts will highlight what’s working from among Washington State’s more interesting and novel state and local approaches to public health.

Kyle Unland: Division Director, Health Promotion, Spokane Regional Health District

Maria Courogen: Special Assistant for Health Systems Transformation, Washington State Dept. of Health

Betty Bekemeier PhD: Director, Northwest Center for Public Health Practice, University of Washington School of Public Health 

The commercial marketplace responds to employer demands for value. So, what are employers demanding from the health care system, and what does that mean for other lines of business?  This group of thought leaders will offer their experience, knowledge and wisdom from years of working on this issue.

Wade Larson: Director of Human Resources, Wagstaff Incorporated

Pete Phillips: VP, Finance Colmac Industries

Melissa Koontz: Senior Employee Benefits Consultant, HUB International

Some of Washington State’s most important policy makers will join this lunch keynote conversation. They will provide their thoughts on the state of politics in Washington State, what the elections of 2020 will mean for the next session, and where the policy conversation may be heading.

Sen. Andy Billig: Majority Leader, Washington State Senate

Rep. JT Wilcox: Minority Leader, House of Representatives 

Rep. Timm Ormsby: Chair, Appropriations

Republicans scored significant wins on health policy in the last session, including in areas of tele-health and public health. What can we expect from the Republican caucus in 2020 on health policy, and where do they see the greatest opportunity for movement in collaboration with Democrats?

Rep. Joe Schmick: Ranking Minority Member, House Health Care & Wellness Committee

Rep. Paul Harris: Member, House Health Care & Wellness Committee

Both market leaders and policy makers are trying to respond to the increasing demands for behavioral health, both at the individual and system level. Those efforts create both opportunity and tension as the sector evolves. Come learn about the areas of progress, of concern, and of change in behavioral health.

Jon Brumbach: Vice President, Beacon Health Options

Vicki Evans: Director, Behavioral Health, Molina

Anna Ratzliff, MD, PhD: Director, AIMS Center, UW Medicine

With new federal regulations, and increased expectations from consumers, information exchange is facing new hurdles and new goals in 2019. What does that mean for regions like Eastern Washington with a mix of urban and rural communities? This session will explore the topic.

Rick Rubin: Chief Executive Officer, OneHealthPort

Laura Young: Executive Director, healtheConnect Alaska

Wes Luckey: Deputy Director, Greater Columbia ACH

The importance of the social determinants is now well known.  But doing something to employ that knowledge in a meaningful and sustainable way is still elusive. This session will hear from experts that are working to integrate social determinants into a business model that can scale and succeed.

Torri Canda: Behavioral Health Integration Director, Amerigroup

Fawn Schott: Executive Director, VOA

Seth Doyle: Director, Strategic Initiatives, NW Regional Primary Care Association

This session will hear from staff of some of Washington State’s Congressional delegation, including a video feed from subject matter experts in Washington DC.  Bring your questions to hear about the facts on the ground in Congress that may not always get reported on cable tv.

Traci Couture: District Director, Office of Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers 

John Culton: Eastern Washington Director, Office of Sen. Patty Murray

Alex Scott: Eastern Washington Director, Office of Sen. Maria Cantwell

It is increasingly clear that smart population health strategies can leverage community-based care teams and supports to deliver on the promise of approach.  This panel of experts will discuss their learnings and experiences from a population health approach that focuses on what works for patients in their communities.

Roger Dowdy: Director, Mental Health & Wellness, Kaiser Permanente

Tory Gildred: Senior Director, Foster Care Program, Coordinated Care

Alison Poulsen: Executive Director, Better Health Together

Navigating the challenging waters of health reform isn’t easy. Transforming an organization to better deliver on value, quality and cost is easier said than done. So, we are lucky that this group of provider leaders joins us to offer their observations and experience from careers at the head of provider organizations. 

Jeff Thomas: Chief Executive Officer, Frontier Behavioral Health

Bob Marsalli: Chief Executive Officer, Washington Association for Community Health

Greg Repetti: President, MultiCare Valley Hospital

The changing system of providing benefits to school employees is having an impact across the carrier and provider communities. This session will update attendees on the latest progress in this transition and what it might mean for Washington State.

Rep. Timm Ormsby: Chair, House Appropriations Committee

Gene Sementi: Superintendent, West Valley School District

Brian Talbott: Superintendent, Nine Mile School District

This panel of some of Washington State’s most senior health care executives and health policy leaders offers an opportunity to reflect on the progress Washington State has made.  From Olympia to Spokane, and across all lines of business, this panel will end the day looking back on the progress made in Washington State.

Caitlin Safford: Director of Government Relations, Amerigroup of Washington

Pam MacEwan: Chief Executive Officer , Washington Health Benefit Exchange

Bill Akers: Senior Vice President & General Manager, Premera Blue Cross

Sean Graham: Director of Government Affairs, Washington State Medical Association