2025 Minnesota State of Reform Health Policy Conference

Hospitals and health systems are navigating a perfect storm of challenges in 2025—from financial instability and workforce shortages to regulatory uncertainty amidst a rapidly shifting federal policy landscape. In this session, a panel of hospital and health system CEOs from across the state will share insights on what it takes to lead during this era of polycrisis. Hear how they are making strategic decisions amid compounding pressures, protecting access to care, and reimagining care delivery to meet the needs of their patients, communities, and care teams. This timely conversation will discuss the challenges and opportunities of the current pivotal time in healthcare—and what’s needed from policymakers, partners, and the field.

Emily Chapman, MD: President & Chief Executive Officer, Children’s Minnesota

James Hereford: President & Chief Executive Officer, Fairview Health Services

Trevor Sawallish: Chief Executive Officer, North Memorial Health

Rachelle Schultz: President & Chief Executive Officer, Winona Health Services

Moderator: Rahul Koranne: President & Chief Executive Officer, Minnesota Hospital Association

Minnesota is pursuing an effort to use Medicaid as a bridge to care for people transitioning out of incarceration—tackling persistent health disparities and breaking the cycle of recidivism. This panel will explore the state’s multi-agency strategies to improve continuity of care before, during, and after incarceration. Panelists will highlight Minnesota’s implementation of Section 1115 demonstration waivers and other Medicaid policy innovations that aim to connect people to behavioral health services, substance use treatment, and primary care as they reenter the community. 

Jeremy Drucker: Director, Office of Addiction & Recovery

Jolene Rebertus: Director of Health, Recovery & Programming, Department of Corrections

Jerald (J.R.) Westberg, MPH: Opioid Response Coordinator, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office

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

Minnesota stands at a critical crossroads in behavioral health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. As federal funding streams—particularly Medicaid and SAMHSA—face uncertainty and potential cuts, providers, policymakers, and communities are grappling with how to sustain and adapt services for some of the state’s most vulnerable populations. This panel will examine the rapidly evolving landscape of behavioral health in Minnesota, highlighting both the systemic pressures created by shrinking federal support and the innovative responses emerging across the state. 

Wendy Jones: Executive Director, Minnesota Alliance of Recovery Community Organizations (MARCO)

Jason Lennox: Incoming MARRCH Board President

Jinny Palen: Executive Director, Minnesota Association of Community Mental Health Programs

Moderator: Boyd Brown: Associate Principal, Health Management Associates

This panel explores the work underway to integrate housing services into Minnesota’s healthcare system, creating more holistic and equitable care models. Panelists will discuss innovative collaborations between hospitals, health plans, housing providers, and government agencies that are addressing the root causes of poor health by investing in long-term housing stability. Panelists will discuss the role of impact investing—leveraging capital for both financial and social returns—in scaling supportive housing models and driving systems change.

Andrea Brennan: President & Chief Executive Officer, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund

Jennifer Ho: Commissioner, Minnesota Housing

Cami Peterson-DeVries: Vice President of Senior Services, St. Francis Health Services of Morris

Amy Stetzel: Regional Director, Corporation for Supportive Housing

Moderator: Andy McMahon: Principal, Health Management Associates

Panelists will examine the current landscape of youth health and justice in the state, highlighting both urgent challenges and promising opportunities. A key focus will be on successful initiatives from other states—ranging from community-based alternatives to incarceration, to trauma-informed care models and holistic public health approaches—that offer transferable lessons for Minnesota.

Kirsten Anderson: Executive Director, AspireMN

Erin Bailey: Assistant Commissioner & Executive Director, Minnesota Children’s Cabinet

Gilbert Domally: Director, Family & Child Services, Olmsted County Health, Housing & Human Services

Jennifer Gustafson: Clinical Supervisor, Dakota County

Kate Weeks: Assistant Commissioner, Department of Children, Youth & Families

Moderator: Paul Fleissner: Managing Principal, Health Management Associates

Minnesota’s Healthy Minnesota Framework offers a bold vision for advancing health equity and improving the well-being of all residents. This panel will explore the evolution and implementation of the Framework, a collaborative, statewide roadmap developed to guide public health priorities through cross-sector partnerships, community engagement, and data-driven strategies.

Denise Daniels: Public Health Director, Olmsted County

Kari Oldfield: Director, Minnesota LPHA

Wendy Underwood: Deputy Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Health

Moderator: Kate Lerner, MA, CPPM: Associate Principal, Health Management Associates

Despite Minnesota’s strong healthcare infrastructure, persistent disparities in health outcomes continue to affect communities of color, Indigenous populations, rural residents, and low-income families. This panel will explore bold strategies for embedding equity into all levels of Minnesota’s health systems.

Gaurang Choksi: Chief Executive Officer, Violet Health

Brooke Cunningham: Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Health

Pleasant Radford: Chief Health Equity Officer, UCare

Moderator: Sarah Oachs: Associate Principal, Health Management Associates

Join us for a special lunch plenary with Sue Abderholden, one of Minnesota’s most influential voices in mental health advocacy. With a career spanning decades of transformative policy work and public engagement, Sue has been a tireless champion for individuals and families affected by mental illness. In this keynote conversation, she will reflect on her journey—from the early days of grassroots organizing to becoming a leading force behind major legislative and cultural shifts in mental healthcare. Sue will share lessons learned from the frontlines of advocacy, explore how the mental health landscape has evolved over time, and offer her insights on the challenges and opportunities ahead. This session will inspire, ground, and energize participants with a deep appreciation for the role of courageous, persistent advocacy in driving system change.

Sue Abderholden, MPH: Executive Director, NAMI Minnesota

Moderator: Paul Fleissner: Managing Principal, Health Management Associates

This panel will focus on the current state of Native health and healthcare in Minnesota, spotlighting the leadership and initiatives of the Minnesota Department of Health’s Office and The Minnesota Board on Aging on American Indian Health. Topics will include Tribal-state partnerships, Indigenous models of healing, preventative care programs, public health infrastructure in Tribal nations, and strategies for addressing mental health, chronic disease, and maternal health disparities.

Rebekah J. Fineday, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, BSN, RN, PHN: Senior Native American Community Advocate, Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota

Megan O’Connell, MD: Chief Public Health Officer, Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board

Moderator: Shannon Geshick: Executive Director, Minnesota Indian Affairs Council

Minnesota is advancing an effort to improve primary care by integrating behavioral health services through the evidence-based Collaborative Care Model. The state has supported this integration with new funding, training, and policy initiatives. This panel will explore lessons learned, early outcomes, and strategies to scale collaborative care across diverse communities.

Lisa Bond: Sr. Government Account Director, findhelp

Ashley Kjos: Chief Executive Officer, Woodlands Center

Zora Radosevich: Director, Office of Rural Health & Primary Care

Moderator: Paul Fleissner: Managing Principal, Health Management Associates

This session will provide practical insights into how Minnesota’s healthcare ecosystem will need to navigate regulatory changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and the Medicaid Final Rule. Scenario planning topics include new mandates for work/community engagement, biannual eligibility redeterminations, and a moratorium on provider tax increases, with implications for state and county officials, healthcare providers, and managed care organizations.

Scott Guillemette: Principal, Cirdan Health Systems and Consulting

Moderator: Christine Rein: Managing Director, Local and Regional Managed Care Organizations Health Management Associates

This panel of Minnesota state legislators will share an inside look at the healthcare policy debates shaping the future of care across the state. From workforce and reimbursement challenges to mental health access and rural health sustainability, legislators will share their priorities, reflect on recent legislative sessions, and offer insights into what’s ahead. This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from lawmakers about the forces influencing health policy—and how stakeholders can most effectively engage.

Rep. Robert Bierman: Co-Chair, Health Finance & Policy Committee, Minnesota House of Representatives

Sen. Alice Mann: Vice Chair, Health & Human Services Committee, Minnesota Senate

Rep. Danny Nadeau: Co-Vice Chair, Health Finance & Policy Committee, Minnesota House of Representatives

Sen. Paul Utke: Ranking Minority Member, Health & Human Services Committee, Minnesota Senate

Moderator: Mary Krinkie: Vice President, Government Relations, Minnesota Hospital Association

This session will convene executive leaders from Minnesota’s managed care organizations (MCOs) to explore how they are positioning themselves to navigate emerging regulatory changes and operational challenges related to HR 1 across the Medicaid, Medicare, and Affordable Care Act, from community engagement/workforce requirements, enrollment volatility, managing affordability and access to care, and shifting from traditional fee-for-service models to value based care models.

Dana Erickson: President & Chief Executive Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota

Lisa Erickson: President & Chief Executive Officer, Medica

Andrea Walsh: President & Chief Executive Officer, Health Partners

Moderator: Christine Rein: Managing Director, Local & Regional Managed Care Organizations, Health Management Associates