2023 Illinois State of Reform Health Policy Conference

State of Reform is delighted to welcome Governor JB Pritzker to kick off our inaugural Illinois conference with a brief video address, followed by an open conversation with Deputy Governor Sol Flores and conference host Jay Shannon, MD, of Health Management Associates! This discussion will focus on the administration’s top healthcare priorities in 2023 and the challenges they seek to overcome.

Gov. JB Pritzker: Governor, State of Illinois (Video Address)

Dep. Gov. Sol Flores: Deputy Governor, State of Illinois

Jay Shannon, MD: Principal, Health Management Associates (Conference Host)

The incarcerated population presents a unique and critically important opportunity to improve patients’ health and connect this population with necessary services they may not have had prior to incarceration. People with a history of incarceration continue to experience higher rates of disease, as well as higher mortality, than the general population. This panel of healthcare and criminal justice experts will discuss these important issues and intersections.

Deanne Benos: Co-Founder, Women’s Justice Institute

Victor Dickson: President & Chief Executive Officer, Safer Foundation

Cheryl Rucker-Whitaker, MD, MPH, FACP: Managing Director, Health Care Services and Health Equity, Health 2047, Inc.

Matt Powers: Managing Director, Health Management Associates (Moderator)

Eliminating disparities in maternal health outcomes remains a top priority in Illinois health policy. Black women are still significantly more likely to experience pregnancy/postpartum complications than white women. How has the state been working to address these inequities, and what can be done going forward to improve overall maternal healthcare? These experts will dive into this timely topic.

Megan Barton: Senior Vice President, Population Health, Meridian/Centene Illinois

Ann Borders, MD: Executive Director, OB Clinical Lead, Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative

Lakshmi Emory, MD, MPH: Chief Medical Officer, Aetna Better Health of Illinois

Margaret Kirkegaard, MD, MPH: Principal, Health Management Associates (Moderator)

For many Illinoisians living in rural areas, the limited number of healthcare providers and the lack of sufficient broadband capacity to utilize telehealth has had a dramatic impact on the quality of healthcare received. We’ve gathered a group of experts to discuss the challenges and offer potential solutions for both rural healthcare providers and patients.

Angie Hampton: Chief Executive Officer, Egyptian Health Department

Jeff Ripperda, MD: Family Physician, Shawnee Health

Pat Schou: Executive Director, Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network

Daniel Rich: Chief Operating Officer, Meridian/Centene Illinois (Moderator)

Governor Pritzker has been working with the Illinois healthcare system to address concerningly high rates of mental health and substance use issues among youth. Legislation similar to the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative aims to better integrate the children’s behavioral health system into the larger healthcare delivery system. Join some of the state’s foremost experts on the topic for a robust conversation about the best ways to improve children’s behavioral health in Illinois.

John Walkup, MD: Chair, Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Dana Weiner, PhD: Senior Policy Fellow, Chief Officer, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation

Andrea Goetz: Executive Director, Child & Family Division, Carelon Behavioral Health (Moderator)

What are the most effective ways to tackle the ongoing workforce crisis that continues to impact Illinois? Stakeholders have long been focused on growing and strengthening the workforce, but it’s clear that Illinois’s healthcare workforce still needs support. This conversation will focus on the most promising solutions to the present workforce crisis, including increased support for hospitals and community-based care.

Denise Norman: President, Transitional Care Management

Nichole Magalis: VP, Member Advocacy, Illinois Health and Hospital Association

Susan Swart, EdD, MS, RN: Executive Director, American Nurses Association of Illinois

Jennifer Orozco: Principal, Health Management Associates (Moderator)

What are the most effective ways to tackle the ongoing workforce crisis that continues to impact Illinois? Stakeholders have long been focused on growing and strengthening the workforce, but it’s clear that Illinois’s healthcare workforce still needs support. This conversation will focus on the most promising solutions to the present workforce crisis, including increased support for hospitals and community-based care.

Denise Norman: President, Transitional Care Management

Nichole Magalis: VP, Member Advocacy, Illinois Health and Hospital Association

Susan Swart, EdD, MS, RN: Executive Director, American Nurses Association of Illinois

Jennifer Orozco: Principal, Health Management Associates (Moderator)

Illinois lawmakers are at the forefront of some of the state’s most impactful healthcare-related laws. During this panel, hear from lawmakers who are entrenched in healthcare policymaking at the capitol about the dynamics of this year’s session and the important healthcare-related laws to emerge from it.

Sen. Ann Gillespie: Chair, Appropriations – Health and Human Services

Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth: Assistant Majority Leader, Illinois House of Representatives

Former Rep. Tom Demmer: Republican Spokesperson, Appropriations – Health and Human Services

Julie Hamos: Senior Advisor, Office of Medicaid Innovation (Moderator)

In this unique lunchtime session, Health Management Associates CEO Doug Elwell will speak with Theresa Eagleson, Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, about the main topics in state health policy she’s focused on. Grab a seat and enjoy lunch while these two seasoned leaders discuss healthcare coverage, recent HFS initiatives, and the work ahead for the department.

Theresa Eagleson: Director, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services

Doug Elwell: Chief Executive Officer, Health Management Associates

The state’s unique Medicare-Medicaid Alignment Initiative is streamlining healthcare delivery for dual-eligible Illinoisians, while also aiming to reduce overall expenditures for services. What is the status of Medicaid Managed Care in Illinois, and what are the benefits of the state’s innovative approach to the dual-eligible population? These subject matter experts will hold a valuable conversation on this important policy area.

Jeanette Badrov: Senior Vice President, Regulatory and Legislative Affairs, Centene

Rushil Desai: Chief Executive Officer, Aenta Better Health of Illinois

Jennifer Maslowski, PhD: Senior Consultant, Former Health Insurance Specialist; Health Management Associates, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Julie Faulhaber: Managing Director, Medicare and Dual Eligibles, Health Management Associates (Moderator)

Illinois health leaders are working to further incorporate health equity into state health policy, most recently by amending an 1115 waiver to include health-related social needs in Medicaid services. This panel will discuss the work underway to promote health equity and how stakeholders can support efforts to bridge equity gaps in state healthcare.

Kelly Cunningham: Medicaid Administrator, Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services

Ngozi Ezike, MD: President & Chief Executive Officer, Sinai Chicago

Versell Smith, Jr.: Chief Strategy Officer, Chicago House & Social Services Agency

Laura Zaremba: Principal, Health Management Associates (Moderator)

Recovering from a historic pandemic that created widespread and persistent challenges, and with federal relief dollars in the rearview mirror, hospitals continue to struggle with meeting service needs and financial sustainability as they try to catch up with deferred healthcare. These panelists will offer insight about their approaches, lessons learned, and how they see the coming year and change in what is perhaps the most complex sector of our economy.

Omar Lateef, DO: President & Chief Executive Officer, Rush University System for Health

Israel Rocha: Chief Executive Officer, Cook County Health

Ivan Samstein: Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, University of Chicago Medicine

Jay Shannon, MD: Principal, Health Management Associates (Moderator)

Care for the aging population has always been a core issue in Illinois, which has come under the spotlight again as the lingering effects of COVID threaten the wellbeing of aging residents. This panel of experts will identify the key lessons learned from the state’s experience with long-term care during the pandemic, discuss its impact on policymaking, and offer insight about the overall future long-term care landscape.

Michelle Stuercke: Chief Clinical Officer, Innovative Health, LLC

Marianne Marcocig: Vice President, Operations, Pavillion Healthcare 

Dina Besirevic: Senior Consultant, Health Management Associates (Moderator)

Medicare Advantage plans are facing some significant rule changes that could potentially impact the benefits they provide to enrollees in 2024. These changes may affect the payment structure for Medicare Advantage plans, as the methodology used to assess a member’s state of health will change. The hyper-competitive nature of the Medicare Advantage market means that carriers may try to increase enrollment by offering more benefits. Join this group of key experts as they navigate the status and future of Medicare Advantage in Illinois.

Garfield Collins: Chief Operating Officer, Zing Health

Art Jones, MD: Principal, Health Management Associates; Chief Medical Officer, MHN ACO

Cheryl Lulias: Chief Executive Officer, Medical Home Network

Patrick Burke: Principal, Health Management Associates (Moderator)

The Illinois healthcare sector has been increasingly focused on behavioral health policy following the pandemic, with a particular focus on substance use, children, and families. With so much work underway to address growing rates of behavioral health issues, this panel will discuss what’s next for behavioral health policy in Illinois.

David Albert: Director, Division of Mental Health, Illinois Department of Human Services

Blanca Campos, MPA, CAE: Chief Executive Officer, Community Behavioral Health Association of Illinois

Laura Garcia: Director, Division of Substance Use Prevention & Recovery, Illinois Department of Human Services

Rep. Lindsey LaPointe: Chairwoman, Mental Health & Addiction Committee

Karen Batia: Principal, Health Management Associates (Moderator)

We are honored to welcome US Department of Health and Human Services Region 5 Director Michael Cabonargi as our Closing Keynote speaker! Take a seat for what is sure to be a valuable discussion about how recent federal policy changes will impact Illinois’s health sector.

Michael Cabonargi: Region Director, Region V, US Department of Health and Human Services

Jay Shannon, MD: Principal, Health Management Associates (Conference Host)