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 challinging era of health policy and politics.

DJ Wilson: Host, State of Reform

Robin Gelburd leads FAIR Health, an independent nonprofit that collects data for and manages the nation’s largest database of privately billed health insurance claims.  Gelburd, who is based in New York, will share cost data on Texas’s health care system drawn from claims paid for services.  FAIR Health is known for its commitment to transparency and for making actionable data available in innovative ways to all stakeholders in the healthcare community.

Robin Gelburd: President, FAIR Health

With a new legislature underway, Republican policy makers continue to lead discussions across the spectrum of topics in Texas health care and health policy.  This session will convene some of the 2019 legislative leaders among Texas Republican legislators to discuss their work, your questions, and what we might expect in the session ahead.

Rep. James Frank: Chair, House Human Services Committee

Rep. Stephanie Klick: Member, House Human Services

As the moral crisis of homelessness continues to rise, the connection to our behavioral and physical health system is increasingly clear.  This panel will highlight some of the more interesting things underway at the intersection of our homelessness crisis and the Texas behavioral health system.

Kevin Denmark: State Director, Texas, Beacon Health Options

Larry James: Executive Director, City Square

Christina Mintner: Vice President & Project Director, HOMES, Parkland Health and Hospital System

W. Stephen Love: CEO, Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council (Moderator)

Keeping the individual market healthy and prosperous in Texas requires close coordination between market actors and Texas regulators.  This session will explore some of the policies and market activity in place in 2019 which many hope to see bear fruit in the months and years ahead. 

Amy Einhorn: Principal, Health Management Associates 

Jason Gootee: Vice President, Moda Health

Ken Janda: President/CEO, Community Health Choice

Stacey Pogue: Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Public Policy Priorities

It’s clear that there are a range of technology organizations seeking to disrupt the traditional model of health care delivery and financing. As a whole, their success has been mixed.  This group of tech leaders will share their thoughts on the future disruption looming from technology, the lessons from the past, and finding pathways that add value.

Kristine Ashcraft: CEO, YouScript

Dilek Barlow: Senior Director, Government Solutions, Wildflower Health

Clinton Phillips: CEO/Founder, Medici MD

Sometimes, we in health care can focus too much on the contract, the legislation, the DRG, the EOB, the ACO, the MCO, or the TPA.  And, sometimes, we can lose sight of driving and supporting health, which isn’t always impacted by health care. This breakout will re-center our collective focus to highlight strategies that drive health within the context of health care.

Jaeson Fournier, DC: CEO, CommUnity Care Texas

Brian Sasser: Chief Communications Officer, Episcopal Health Foundation

Tracie Harrison: Director, Center for Excellence in Aging Services and Long Term Care

Michele Rountree, PhD: Associate Director, Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis

Businesses and employers are increasingly taking steps to be more engaged in managing the performance of their health care spend. How has that engagement been going?  What lessons can the broader market take from this new interventionism?  This panel of leaders will take up the issue and take your questions. 

Carrie de Moor: CEO, Code 3 Emergcy Room

Lynn Jennings: CEO, We Care TLC

Tommy Taylor: Vice President, Managing Consultant, Higginbotham

Following landmark legislation in the last legislative session, there has been new momentum behind telehealth in Texas.  This session will discuss the market and policy activity since 2017 and look ahead to what might come in the 2019 session to continue the progress. 

Michael Gonzalez, MD: Emergency Medicine, TEAMHealth, Memorial Hermann Medical System

Tamara Perry: Director of Virtual Health Operations, Children's Health System of Texas 

Mike Easley: Vice President, Hospital Operations, Preferred Management Corporation 

In what is always one of our most popular sessions, this group of government relations professionals will talk through what they believe is likely to happen in the 2019 legislative session. Bring your insights, questions and intel to the conversation.

Tom Banning: CEO, Texas Academy of Family Physicians

Nora Belcher: Executive Director, Texas e-Health Alliance

Ryan Clay: Principal, Texas Star Alliance

When states are the laboratories of policy and democracy, it’s helpful to learn something about what other states are doing in health policy.  This session will feature two “deep dive” presentations with leaders from Arizona and from California.  Come ready to get into the weeds where health policy and health care meet.

Lisa Chan-Sawin: CEO, Transform Healthcare

Jami Snyder: Director, Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System

The success of the health care system often is dependent on the success of the relationship between plans and providers. It’s a relationship that swings like a pendulum between setbacks and success. This panel of experts will discuss the evolution of the plan-provider relationship in recent years.

Michael Keyes: Engagement Leader, 3M Health Information Systems

Shara McClure: Senior Vice President, Texas Healthcare Delivery, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas

Debra Patt, MD: Vice President, Texas Oncology

As behavioral health continues to elevate in importance and relevance to overall health, the system remains challenged to meet the existing - much less future - demand for services.  This session will review where progress is being made and what that means for the health system overall. 

Mark Heit: Chief Partnership Officer, Beacon Health Options

Catherine Mitchell: Chief Operating Officer, Community Health Choice

John Petrila: Vice President, Adult Policy, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute

There is perhaps no clearer intersection between federal and state health policy today than recent judicial challenges to the Affordable Care Act and how the decision and possible appeals could impact health insurance regulation nation-wide.  One of the key attorneys in this Texas-led case will update us on where it stands and what to expect as the litigation progresses.

Ryan Bangert: Deputy Attorney General, State of Texas

With the 2019 legislative session set to catalyze the health policy discussion in Texas, this session with some of Texas’s most important policy makers is sure to be one of the highlights of the day. This session will help illuminate the shape of the 2019 legislative session before it gets fully underway, and point to the road ahead for health policy.

Rep. Chris Turner: Chair, House Democratic Caucus

Rep. Sarah Davis: Member, House Appropriations and Insurance Committees

This breakout session is a deep dive into the work, progress and plans for 2019 of some of the key leaders at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. This panel will discuss some of the agency’s work plan and include a lively audience discussion.

Robert Dole: Deputy Associate Commissioner, Systems Integration, IDD and Behavioral Health Services, Texas Health and Human Services Commission

Tim Bray: Associate Commissioner for State Hospitals, Texas Health and Human Services Commission

Coming off of a strong election cycle in 2018, Democrats are looking ahead to an active legislative session, working on policies of importance to their constituencies.  Come learn from some of Texas’s leading Democrats on health policy in what is always a well attended session. 

Sen. Jose Rodriguez: Chair, Senate Democratic Caucus

Rep. Toni Rose: Member, House Human Services Committee

Rep. Lina Ortega: Member, House Public Health Committee

There has been a great deal discussion between legislative sessions on the performance of the Medicaid managed care system, and how best to provide greater value to the state and its beneficiaries. This panel of policy leaders will review the options that will be discussed in the 2019 legislative session and beyond. 

Jamie Dudensing: Executive Director, Texas Association of Health Plans

Carolyn Ingram: Senior Vice President, Policy and Advocacy, Molina Healthcare

David Balat: Director, Right on Healthcare, Texas Public Policy Foundation

Data mobility and information exchange continue to be key elements of successful care coordination and cost management strategies. Yet, amidst the backdrop of increased privacy concerns, policy making on this topic is getting more complicated. With that context, this panel of thought leaders will outline the possible market and policy options for Texas in 2019.

George Gooch: CEO, Texas Health Services Authority

Jennifer Stoll: VP, Government Affairs and Public Relations, OCHIN

Hope Morgan: Director of Health IT & Interoperability, HHSC

Increasingly, costs associated with pharmacy is driving a response from both the market and policy makers.  This is a trend occurring across the country, and in 2019, the Texas legislature will dive into this topic as well.  Speakers in this session will discuss proposed legislation and market strategies underway to address the challenge of rising pharmacy costs.

Rep. Tom Oliverson: Vice Chair, House Insurance Committee

Bruce McAnally: Owner, Bonham Family Drug

Joseph Vazhappily, PharmD: Assoc. Vice President, Pharmacy Services, Molina Healthcare of Texas 

There is mainstream opinion now that the social determinants are a significant source of health disparities and driver of outcomes. Yet, there is mixed success in integrating that awareness into a business model.  This session will highlight successes - and lesson drawn from setbacks - from the integration of the social factors of health. 

Tim Garson, Jr., MD, MPH: Director, Health Policy Institute, Chairman, Grand-Aides, Texas Medical Center

Sarah Cook: Senior Director for Strategy, Communications and Population Health, Community Care Collaborative Central Health

Deanna Hoelscher, PhD, RDN, LD, CNS, FISBNPA: Regional Dean, Austin Campus, UTHealth School of Public Health

Colleen Horton: Director of Policy, Hogg Foundation

The current waiver has affirmed the end of DSRIP funding in Texas, a critical source of hospital and community funding mechanisms.  What does that mean for the future of the programs supported by these funds?  This group of policy experts will take up the topic and get into the weeds with your questions. 

Dave Salsberry: Chief Revenue Officer, Texas Health Resources

Kate Hendrix: Senior Policy Analyst, Texas Hospital Association

Lisa Kirsch: Senior Policy Director, Dell Medical School

Over the last decade, value based payments have been held up as a model for financing care transformation. Yet, tying care to value continues to bring challenges in defining goals and measuring outcomes. This session will discuss the state's unique approaches to value based care, what has been learned as a result, and areas for growth and development in 2019.

Debbie Garza, R.Ph.: CEO, Texas Pharmacy Association

Kevin Spencer, MD: Physician, Premier Family Physicians 

Kathleen Carberry: Outcomes Program Officer, The Univ. of Texas Value Institute for Health and Care 

This panel of disparate perspectives is as diverse as the audience at State of Reform itself. So, we will end the day with a discussion on the future of Texas health care and health policy from some of the state’s most interesting thought leaders.  Connect the dots from the day’s conversations with this keynote panel.  Bring your questions as we discuss the reshaping of health policy in Texas in 20

Don Langer: President, UnitedHealthcare 

Dianne Longley: Managing Principal, HMA

Gerald Tracy: Manager, State Initiatives Program, 3M Health Information Systems

Stephanie Muth: Deputy Executive Commissioner, Medicaid/CHIP, Medical and Social Services Division, Texas Health and Human Services Commission