2025 Florida State of Reform Health Policy Conference

We’re beginning the conference by hearing from Florida’s top healthcare policy and regulatory leaders about their priorities for state health policy and their work at the agency this year. Join Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Shevaun Harris,  Deputy Secretary for Health Quality Assurance Kim Smoak, and Deputy Secretary for Medicaid Brian Meyer for a moderated discussion about Florida’s current and future healthcare landscape.

Shevaun Harris: Secretary, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration

Brian Meyer: Deputy Secretary for Medicaid, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration

Kim Smoak: Deputy Secretary for Health Quality Assurance, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration

Moderator: Beth Kidder: Managing Principal, Health Management Associates

This panel will discuss recent efforts to support and grow Florida’s healthcare workforce, including key provisions from the Live Healthy Florida legislative package to bolster the behavioral health workforce. Speakers will identify where work still needs to be done and talk through promising solutions for continuing to recruit and retain healthcare workers in Florida. 

Ben Browning, MPA: Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Florida Association of Community Health Centers

Rayna Letourneau, PhD, RN: Executive Director, Florida Center for Nursing; Associate Professor, University of South Florida

Courtney Whitt, PhD: Executive Director, Florida Center for Behavioral Health Workforce at the University of South Florida College of Behavioral & Community Sciences

Moderator: Kelli Stannard: Associate Principal, Health Management Associates

As Florida continues to innovate and evolve its healthcare delivery system, value-based care has emerged as a central strategy for improving outcomes, enhancing patient satisfaction, and controlling costs. This panel will discuss Florida’s Medicaid contracts, which incorporate key value-based care components aimed at shifting the state’s healthcare system toward more patient-centered, outcome-driven models. The panel will also discuss promising strategies for advancing the state’s commercial value-based care environment. 

Andi Gillentine: Vice President of National Accounts, Findhelp

Nirmala Kishun-Jit, MD: Senior Vice President, Population Health, MCR Health

Jagan Loganathan: Senior Director, Risk Provider Management, Sunshine Health

Moderator: Christopher Cogle, MD: Chief Medical Officer, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration

Florida’s aging population is growing at an unprecedented rate, bringing both opportunities and challenges to the state’s healthcare system. Older Floridians often face significant obstacles in accessing care, from difficulty navigating complex healthcare systems to social isolation and behavioral health issues. Adding to this challenge is a shortage of board-certified gerontologists, leaving many seniors without specialized care tailored to their unique needs. This panel will talk through the most promising strategies for ensuring older Floridians receive the care they need. 

Jimmy Baumgartner: Vice President of Home Care & Post-Acute Services, Baycare

Matt Hudson: Executive Director, Florida PACE Providers Association

Abby Riddle: President, Florida Community Care; Chief Operating Officer, Independent Living Systems

Moderator: Brian Green: Principal, Health Management Associates

As healthcare technology rapidly advances, Florida stands at the forefront of exploring how innovative tools like wearables, artificial intelligence (AI), and other digital solutions can transform health outcomes for its diverse population. This panel will explore how these technologies can best be used to enhance patient care, improve health monitoring, and drive efficiencies in Florida’s healthcare system. 

Taylor Justice: Co-Founder and President, Unite Us

William Olivera, PhD: Assistant Professor, Department of Business Analytics, Information Systems & Supply Chain, Florida State University – College of Business

Nisheeta Setlur: Vice President, Customer Success, Eleos Health

Moderator: Allie Franklin, LCSW: Managing Director, Health Management Associates

This panel will explore the current landscape of children’s behavioral health in Florida, examining the unique challenges faced by youth, their families, and healthcare providers in navigating care. Panelists will discuss key issues such as rising rates of anxiety, depression, and trauma, as well as barriers to accessing timely and effective services. Experts will share strategies for expanding care options, enhancing early intervention, and addressing systemic gaps that contribute to delays in diagnosis and treatment. 

April Andrews-Singh: General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, Pediatric Associates of South Florida

Ute Gazioch: Senior Director of Behavioral Health Policy, Florida Behavioral Health Association

William Hardin: Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Substance Abuse & Mental Health, Florida Department of Children & Families

Andres Pumariega, MD: Professor & Chief, Division of Child & Adolescent Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Florida College of Medicine & UF Health

Moderator: Laura Zaremba: Principal, Health Management Associates

Florida’s healthcare system is uniquely challenged by the frequency and intensity of hurricanes, which can disrupt services, damage infrastructure, and place vulnerable populations at significant risk. Effective emergency preparedness is critical to ensuring that healthcare providers can maintain care delivery, protect patients, and quickly recover after a storm. This panel will explore best practices for hurricane response in Florida’s healthcare sector, with a focus on the collaborative efforts between the federal government, the state, and healthcare providers to enhance preparedness and response. 

Denise Bellville, RN, BS, COS-C: Executive Director, Home Care Association of Florida

John Wilgis, MBA, RRT: Vice President, Member and Business Relations, Florida Hospital Association

Kimberly Smoak: Deputy Secretary, Division of Health Quality Assurance, Florida Agency for Health Care Administration

Moderator: Kelli Stannard: Associate Principal, Health Management Associates

This panel will provide an in-depth status update on Florida’s CORE (Coordinated Opioid Recovery) Network, a critical initiative in the state’s ongoing efforts to combat the opioid crisis. This session will explore the progress and impact of CORE, which integrates prevention, treatment, and recovery services to support individuals and communities affected by opioid use disorder. Speakers will also discuss additional promising strategies for addressing the opioid crisis among Floridians. 

Erica Floyd Thomas: Assistant Secretary for Substance Abuse & Mental Health, Florida Department of Children & Families

Kathleen Moore, PhD: Research Professor & Executive Director, Louis De La Parte Florida mental Health Institute at USF: Member, Florida DCF Commission on Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders

Jason Morgan: Division Chief of Emergency Medical Services, Citrus County Fire Rescue

Susan Nyamora: President & Chief Executive Officer, South Florida Wellness Network

Moderator: Allie Franklin, LCSW: Managing Director, Health Management Associates

This panel will explore the intersection of housing policy and healthcare in Florida, with a focus on the innovative efforts to address housing instability among vulnerable populations. Key topics will include Florida Medicaid’s housing pilot program for patients with serious mental illness, which is designed to improve health outcomes by providing stable housing as a foundational component of care. The discussion will also delve into the role of managed care organizations (MCOs) in tackling the affordable housing crisis, highlighting their strategies to support the unhoused and housing-insecure individuals. 

Jake Rothstein: Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Upside

Brian Postlewait: President, Florida Coalition to End Homelessness; Chief Operating Officer, Homeless Services Network of Central Florida

Janisse Schoepp, MPH, PhD: Chief Strategy Officer, Health Foundation of South Florida

Janet Stringfellow: President & Chief Executive Officer, Volunteers of America

Moderator: Andy McMahon: Principal, Health Management Associates

With the potential for significant changes to federal health policy under the Trump administration, Florida health leaders are eager to understand how federal health policy might shift in the coming months and how it will impact their state. This panel featuring federal policy expert Conor Sheehey, Director of Client Services for Leavitt Partners, will explore the key federal policy shifts that could impact Florida healthcare, particularly focusing on potential changes to Medicaid, the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), and other critical healthcare programs. 

Conor Sheehey: Director, Client Services, Leavitt Partners

Moderator: Beth Kidder: Managing Principal, Health Management Associates