2023 Michigan State of Reform Health Policy Conference

Farah Hanley, Chief Deputy Director for Health at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, will kick off our conference by discussing the overall challenges facing Michigan healthcare today, and MDHHS’s plan to address them. She will outline the agency’s current work and her vision for the future of the department.

Farah Hanley: Chief Deputy Director for Health, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

Dave Schneider: Managing Principal, HMA (Conference Host)

The Michigan Legislature has taken up an abundance of significant health-related legislation this year, from care integration to protections for abortion care. We’ve convened this group of experts to talk through the health policy conversations happening at the capitol and what stakeholders might expect by the end of the session.

Karla Ruest: Former Director, Legislative Affairs, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

Monique Stanton: President & Chief Executive Officer, Michigan League for Public Policy 

Phil Yeiter: Director of Government Affairs, Priority Health

Care integration has been a prominent conversation for Michigan’s healthcare sector over the past few years. With an initiative to integrate behavioral and physical health failing last year, lawmakers and stakeholders this year have been considering a reformulated integration through dual-eligible special needs plans. Hear from this group of care integration experts about the current landscape and what the future holds.

Michael Genord, MD: President & Chief Executive Officer, HAP

Michael Parr: D-SNP Executive Director, UnitedHealthcare

Dave Schneider: Managing Principal, HMA (Moderator)

With a growing focus on bridging gaps in health equity, Michigan continues to see disparate health outcomes among certain populations. One focus area in Michigan is maternal health, with Black women in the state continuing to experience much higher rates of maternal mortality than other demographics. This panel will provide an overview of the state’s current work to address these disparities, and offer insight about the best ways to continue to improve health equity moving forward.

Kiddada Green: Founding Executive Director, Black Mothers’ Breastfeeding Association

Bianca Nash-Miot: Founder, Birth Queens and Milk Queens

Amy Zaagman: Executive Director, Michigan Council for Maternal & Child Health

It’s been a busy legislative session for lawmakers, with reproductive healthcare and gun control being just some of the important policy discussions happening at the capitol this year. We’ve brought together this group of legislators working closely on healthcare-related bills for a conversation about how the legislature has approached healthcare policymaking this year, as well as the key legislation stakeholders should be aware of.

Sen. Sylvia Santana: Majority Vice Chair, Senate Health Policy Committee

Rep. Julie Rogers: Chair, House Health Policy Committee

Rep. Curt VanderWall: Minority Vice Chair, House Health Policy Committee

With an increasing number of Michiganders enrolling in Medicaid managed care, what results have value-based payment structures produced in the state? How might the upcoming reprocurement affect health plans and their members? The future of managed care in Michigan is a topic of utmost interest, and these experts will hold a robust discussion about what might be on the horizon.

Brad Barron: Director, Managed Care Plan Division, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

Jason Jorkasky: Senior Vice President of Health Finance, Michigan Health and Hospital Association

Tiffany Stone: Deputy Director, Medicaid Policy, Michigan Association of Health Plans

Linda Henderson Smith, PhD: Senior Product Director, Carelon Behavioral Health (Moderator)

There is a growing recognition among the healthcare sector that resources like housing and food are a critical factor in the overall health of Michiganders. These factors have increasingly been incorporated into healthcare policymaking, but many Michiganders still remain unhoused and/or food-insecure. This group of panelists will discuss how to ensure that these social drivers of health are integrated into broader efforts to improve healthcare in Michigan.

Julie Cassidy: Senior Analyst, Michigan League for Public Policy 

Veatrice Futch: Lead Director, Aetna

Dawn Opel: Chief Innovation Officer & General Counsel, Food Bank Council of Michigan

Michigan’s adoption of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model has yielded positive results during its first years. The state has also tackled behavioral health challenges through the use of Health Homes, providing targeted mental health and substance use disorder services to underserved Michiganders. Join this group of experts in Michigan’s behavioral health landscape for a discussion measuring the success of these programs and offering insight about potential future innovations.

Tracy Andrews: Director of Managed and Integrated Care Services, Northern Lakes CMH

Trish Cortes: Executive Director, Washtenaw County CMH

Lindsey Naeyaert: State Administrative Manager, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

Dave Schneider: Managing Principal, HMA (Moderator)

The healthcare workforce shortage continues to have detrimental effects on every aspect of the healthcare system. As demand for care increases, hospitals continue to see employees leave due to burnout and facilities are competing for staff as wage expectations fluctuate. This panel will discuss how hospitals, academic institutions, and other sectors can collaborate to solve today’s most pressing workforce challenges.

Amy Brown: Chief Nursing Officer, Sparrow Hospital Lansing

Celena Mills: Education Consultant, Office of Career and Technical Education, Michigan Department of Education

Drew Murray: Senior Director for Strategy and Public Affairs, Michigan Health Council

Ensuring equitable access to increasingly costly prescription drugs is a top priority for healthcare stakeholders. Recent action at the federal level has instituted multiple important changes, including the ability for the federal government to negotiate Medicare reimbursement rates. Learn from our panel of experts how recent policy changes have impacted Michiganders’ access to critical medications.

Elizabeth Kutter: Senior Director, Government & Political Affairs, Michigan Health and Hospital Association

Christopher Meny: Director of Pharmacy, Blue Cross Complete of Michigan

Dominick Pallone: Executive Director, Michigan Association of Health Plans

The unwinding of the public health emergency is top-of-mind for virtually everyone in the healthcare sector, and with it, continued conversations about how to increase overall health coverage. Michigan will begin the Medicaid continuous eligibility unwinding process next month, with the first disenrollments from the program expected to occur in July. Join this insightful discussion about the implications of these changes and how stakeholders can work to minimize the number of uninsured Michiganders.

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

Nicole Hudson: Assistant Administrator for Chief Deputy for Health, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

Nancy Jenkins: Market President & Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Health Plan

Heather Korbulic: Vice President, Policy and Communications, GetInsured

Anne Scott: Health Center Operations Officer, Michigan Primary Care Association

Most stakeholders would agree that lowering healthcare costs should be a top priority for Michigan health policy. With recent federal legislation designed to promote more transparency in the pricing of services, how is Michigan working to reduce the financial burden healthcare places on patients? This group of experts will discuss current efforts to lower costs, evaluate what’s working and what’s not, and offer future strategies for bending the cost curve.

Phillip Bergquist: President & Chief Executive Officer, Michigan Primary Care Association

Philip Lieffers: Director of Finance, Novello Physicians Organization

Brian Mclane: Senior Director, Customer Experience and Consumer Insights, Priority Health Plan

Innovative health data collection capabilities, along with increasing calls for stronger data sharing infrastructure, have come to the forefront of conversations around state health policy. Moving to a more interconnected healthcare system with centralized, accessible data—while continuing to protect patients’ health information—will require collaboration and consensus across sectors. Join these panelists for a deep dive into Michigan’s health information technology landscape and what the future might hold.

Theresa Anderson: Strategic Alignment & Engagement Project Specialist, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

Scott Monteith, MD: Medical Director, Board Member, Network180, MiHIN

Rajesh Sharma: VP and GM for Systems Integration, Data Analytics and Interoperability, Gainwell Technologies

Monica Trevino: Director of Social Enterprise, Michigan Public Health Institute

Jim McEvoy: Data Analytics Resources Director, HMA (Moderator)

Marianne Udow-Phillips, Former Executive Director of the Center for Health and Research Transformation, will wrap up our program with her insights on the most critical current issues in Michigan healthcare. Drawing from her experience as a healthcare executive and state official, as well as CHRT policy studies and reports, she will look at future policy directions and strategies to address Michigan’s biggest healthcare challenges.

Marianne Udow-Phillips: Former Executive Director, Center for Health and Research Transformation

Dave Schneider: Managing Principal, HMA (Conference Host)