Rise

Brandon Solomon SVP & General Manager

Pareto Intelligence

Brandon first joined Convey Health Solutions in 2018, holding multiple roles focused on corporate strategy and business development, most recently as Convey’s Chief Growth Officer.  In his current role as GM of Pareto, he focuses on developing strong partnerships with clients to help them improve risk & quality outcomes and better manage members with advanced technology and analytic solutions. He is responsible for the strategic growth of the organization, both through setting and pursuing business development strategies and ensuring our clients receive optimal value from our solutions and services.  

Prior to joining Convey, Brandon was an original member of HealthScape Advisors, a leading healthcare management consulting firm, and Pareto Intelligence, a market leader in healthcare analytics, contributing to the strategic direction and growth of each organization. Brandon has 20 years of healthcare experience as a strategic advisor and partner to health plans and providers, mainly operating government markets (MA, ACA, Medicaid). Brandon holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Indiana University. Outside of work, Brandon enjoys time with his wife and two kids who remind him to have fun and not take life so seriously.  

Terrell Bacchus Chief Medical Officer

Keebler Health

Terrell Bacchus, M.D., FAAFP is a Physician executive and passionate healthcare innovator with over a decade of experience leading clinical transformation in value-based care. As Chief Medical Officer at Keebler Health, he drives the clinical strategy behind AI-native solutions that enhance clinician workflows and improve patient outcomes for high-risk populations.

Previously, Dr. Bacchus served as Chief Medical Officer at ConvenientMD, where he led clinical operations and strategy across 40+ urgent care and primary care sites, implementing a successful value-based membership model. He also held multiple leadership roles at ChenMed, including Regional Chief Clinical Officer where he spearheaded clinical performance improvement and growth initiatives across Florida markets.

Board-certified in Family Medicine and a Fellow of the AAFP, Dr. Bacchus trained at Emory University and holds degrees from Ross University and the University of Waterloo. He brings a forward-thinking, tech-savvy perspective to care delivery, with a passion for emerging technologies, team-based leadership, and system-level change.

Jeannine Bumford Director, Risk Adjustment Operations

Christus Health

As Director of Risk Adjustment Operations, Jeannine Bumford has successfully planned, designed, and overseen the business and strategic objectives in creating and optimizing a Risk Adjustment Program. Her team has effectively managed all risk adjustment programs pertinent to Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and ACA lines of business. Jeannine's extensive experience in risk adjustment, spanning over twelve years, has significantly improved provider engagement, finance, HCC coding, RADV audits, and data submissions. She holds certifications for Professional Coder (CPC) and Risk Coder (CRC). 

Wynda Clayton Specialist, Risk Adjustment  

Wynda Clayton, MHA, BSHCA, AAS, RHIT, CRC and currently pursuing a DBA in healthcare administration - has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Wynda is a risk adjustment specialist with expertise that includes third-party billing, compliance, accounts receivable, and being a RADV auditor, educator, and senior director of risk adjustment for a health plan. Wynda is a thought leader within the Risk Adjustment community and a frequent speaker at national and regional risk adjustment conferences.

Emily Crooks APRN, FNP-C, Director, Population Health

Affinity Health Group, LLC

Emily Crooks is the Director of Population Health for Affinity Health Group (AHG) in Monroe, LA. She has 22 years of nurse practitioner experience with the past 11 years focused on preventive care, risk stratification, quality performance, and provider education. Emily currently leads operations, strategy, and process improvement for AHG’s Population Health Department. AHG Population Health partners with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana to provide in-home health assessments for MA and ACA lines of business. These comprehensive in-home assessments focus on disease prevention and early detection, risk identification, patient education, and access to care which contributes to improved patient outcomes. Emily also serves as a Population Health Advisor and Clinical Documentation Supervising Lead for eleHealth, a physician-led management services organization. She oversees clinical documentation and coding reviews for eleHealth’s Network and Medicare ACO practices. As a subject matter expert in clear, accurate clinical documentation and coding best practices, she delivers effective, provider centered education and tools that promote improved performance in quality and gain sharing programs. 

Deborah Curry Director Risk Adjustment & Recoveries

Medical Mutual

Deb joined Paramount Healthcare in May 2013 and oversees the Risk Adjustment, Coordination of Benefits, and Subrogation departments.

Prior to her position with Paramount she had 21 years’ experience working with the State of Ohio workers’ compensation program, both for the government and a contracted managed care organizations. She came to Paramount with extensive knowledge in medical coding, provider billing and education, Medicare payment methodologies, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance.

Deb attended The University of Toledo for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees and currently holds a Masters of Business Administration with major in Healthcare Systems Management. She is an active member of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and is a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) and Certified Coding Specialist, physician based (CCS-P). Deb is also an active member of the America Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and is a Certified Risk Adjustment Coder (CRC). Also, Deb is a member of RISE and holds certificates as a Risk Adjustment Practitioner (RAP) and Advanced HCC Auditor
(AHCCA).
Additionally, Deb is a Board Member of the University of Toledo Health Information Administration Advisory Board, Health and Human Services Alumni Affiliate at The University of Toledo, and Health Information Technology Advisory Committee at Owens Community College.

Dr. Shannon Decker PhD, MBA, MBA, M.Ed., M.Ed, Founder & CEO

VBC One

Dr. Shannon Decker is Founder & CEO at VBC One, a consulting firm assisting physician groups, health plans and vendors maximize the performance of their value based contracts and offerings. Dr. Decker has more than 25 years experience in health care and most recently led teams in risk, quality, data and analytics, telehealth, COVID response and delegation compliance. Of her more than 25 years of experience in healthcare--17 include working with risk adjustment, quality and Medicare. Dr. Decker has a PhD. in Interdisciplinary Studies, dual MBA degrees--in Finance and in Marketing, as well as an M.Ed. in Secondary Education and a M.Ed. in Administration and Leadership. Dr. Decker is on the faculty at Arizona State University and is also an associate professor in the social and behavioral sciences for Walden and Capella Universities where she chairs and oversees the dissertations of doctoral students. An author of two books and several peer-reviewed articles, and a prolific national public speaker, her interests include the study of human behavior and how social and behavioral theories may be brought to bear in value based care and population health management as a whole. 

Ryan Dodson Risk Adjustment Consultant

Choice Medical Group

His background is in management and operational processes for 15 years, and began working in the Risk Adjustment arena 12 years ago. Ryan has proven himself by helping Medical Groups raise their RAF scores to their proper levels. He directed the movement of a 10,000 member group up 43% over a two year period, and an 1800 member group up 53% in the first year. Ryan achieves these results through chart documentation audits, provider and staff documentation training, and provider relationship building. In his most current role Ryan works with multiple groups to optimize their RAF score, while at the same time achieving CMS 5 Star quality. Ryan explains to these groups that getting their RAF score to the correct level will not only drive revenue, but it will also lead to better patient care with improved documentation habits. Ryan is a Certified Risk Adjustment Coder (CRC) credential through the AAPC.

Tina Dueringer BSN, RN, CCM, PCC, CEO, Principal Advisor

Dueringer Advisors Inc

Tina Dueringer, BSN, RN, CCM, PCC, is the CEO and Principal Advisor at Dueringer Advisors Inc., a distinguished consulting firm dedicated to supporting health plans, vendors, and leaders in the health insurance and provider sectors. With a robust background spanning Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, Duals, ACA, and commercial markets, Tina brings extensive expertise in care management, utilization management, clinical quality, Model of Care development, Stars ratings, HEDIS measures, and accreditation standards such as NCQA and URAC. 

Tina's career is marked by strategic insights into health plan operations, including strategic planning, joint ventures, partnerships, delegated relationships, and the advancement of value-based care models. She is deeply committed to advancing Health Equity, Population Health, and integrated care initiatives across the industry. 

Previously, Tina served as Vice President of Clinical Quality and Stars at Rebellis Group, specializing in Medicare Advantage and government consulting. Her leadership journey includes pivotal roles at Cityblock, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Medicaid Policy Division. 

Tina earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and holds a post-graduate certification in Population Care Coordination from Duke University. She is also a Board-Certified Case Manager (CCM), underscoring her dedication to enhancing healthcare delivery and outcomes through comprehensive care coordination strategies. 

Eden Anne Encarnacion Sr. Manager, HEDIS - Medicare Star Program

Blue Shield of California

Eden Encarnacion, MHA, is the Senior Manager for the Medicare Stars Program at Blue Shield California. With over nine years of experience, Eden has successfully led quality improvement programs across multiple lines of business in both provider and payer settings. She spearheads strategic development and executes quality improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing overall HEDIS performance. In her current role, she leads both member and provider engagement programs, focusing on optimizing engagement and operational efficiency. Her impactful strategies drive measurable improvements in healthcare quality and outcomes.

Sandra Elizabeth Ford, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.A.P. CEO

BFT Consulting, LLC 

Sandra Elizabeth Ford, M.D., M.B.A., F.A.A.P. is the President and CEO of BFT Consulting, LLC, whose clients include KPMG, DeKalb County Government, and the US Virgin Island’s Office of Health Information Technology. A Board-Certified Pediatrician, she has served in executive leadership roles at the local, state, and Federal levels. In her most recent role as Special Advisor for Healthcare to DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, she has led projects to increase Medicaid re-enrollment and improve healthcare delivery for DeKalb County Residents. In her most recent role as the Special Assistant to the President for Public Health and Science in the White House Domestic Policy Council, Dr. Ford’s portfolio included the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR).  Her work during her tenure at the White House focused on health equity, maternal and child health, emergency preparedness, social determinants of health (SDOH), and emerging infectious diseases, including monkeypox, ebola, and COVID-19.  She spearheaded the development of The White House Playbook to Address Social Determinants of Health, which includes whole-of-government policy actions to address SDOH with the ultimate goal of improving both health equity and health outcomes.

Prior to assuming her role in the Domestic Policy Council, Dr. Ford was District Health Director of DeKalb County and Chief Executive Officer of the DeKalb County Board of Health, a position she held for 16 years. In this role, Dr. Ford directed clinical and population-based services for DeKalb’s 760,000 residents who speak more than 130 languages and dialects.  Under her leadership, DeKalb County Board of Health received over $40 million in grant funding to address obesity, physical activity, nutrition, asthma, and smoking cessation.  Her maternal and child health initiative, M.O.R.E. (Mothers Offering Resources and Education) has received national recognition and has been supported by entities as diverse as United Way and R&B icon Usher Raymond.

While Dr. Ford was serving as District Health Director for DeKalb County, she also served as the Interim District Health Director for Fulton County (population 1.04M) from 2019-2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her knowledge and expertise were essential when facing the COVID-19 crisis, and she was instrumental in ensuring the safety of the citizens of DeKalb and Fulton Counties simultaneously while still overseeing core public health services in both counties.

From May 2008- July 2009, Dr. Ford served as Acting Director of the Georgia Division of Public Health, where she orchestrated the agency’s reorganization.  There, she also led the development of policy and legislation pertaining to public health and enforcing related laws and regulations.

Dr. Ford’s Public Health career began in April 2003, when she was appointed Florida Department of Health’s Deputy State Health Officer/Deputy Secretary for Children’s Medical Services, where she was responsible for the oversight of all health services for children with special health care needs in the state. 

 Dr. Ford received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Stanford University, a medical degree from Howard University’s College of Medicine, and a master’s degree in business administration with a focus in Health Services Administration from Howard University’s Graduate School of Business.  Additionally, she is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Ford has held faculty positions at Howard University’s College of Medicine, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, and Morehouse School of Medicine.  She has also served on a number of advisory boards. Her dedication to minority health, health inequities, and public safety has led to appearances on CNN, CNN International and multiple local Atlanta stations, including FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC, and NPR.

Colleen Gianatasio Clinical Documentation Integrity and Coding Compliance Specialist

Colleen Gianatasio CPC, CPCO, CRC, CDEO, CPC-P, CPMA, CPPM, CCS, CCDS-O, CHC, AHFI, and AAPC Approved Instructor is a strategic value-based care expert with over 20 years of experience in the health care field. Colleen specializes in supporting healthcare programs by ensuring compliance with federal guidelines and appropriate reimbursement processes. Colleen is known for driving program integrity and cost savings, increasing provider engagement and developing innovative coding curriculum. Colleen served as President of the AAPC National Advisory Board for the 2022-2025 term.

Arlene Godinez Senior Program Manager

VBC One

Arlene Godinez is a Senior Program Manager at VBC One, specializing in Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) and quality/risk adjustment programs. Drawing on her hands-on experience as a former medical assistant in family practice, Arlene brings a unique perspective to healthcare documentation that bridges clinical practice with operational excellence. 

In her current role, Arlene develops and oversees customized CDI training programs focused on retrospective chart reviews, helping healthcare providers optimize their documentation for both quality care and regulatory compliance. Her expertise spans financial accuracy, quality measure validation, and population health management strategies. 

Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration with a focus in Leadership, Arlene combines practical experience with emerging best practices in healthcare management to deliver comprehensive solutions for medical practices of all sizes. 

Rafael J. Gonzalez Director of Clinical Coding & Clinical Documentation Integrity

Leon Medical Centers

Martha Goodlin Senior Director, Risk Adjustment

Rebellis Group

Joshua Habib Senior Vice President

Covera Health

Josh Habib is Senior Vice President at Covera Health, a company that uses AI in medical imaging to help patients get the care they deserve – while improving performance for health plans and ACOs. Before joining Covera, Josh was COO of Together Senior Health, improving quality of life for the 1 in 9 seniors with Alzheimer’s disease. Together was acquired by Linus Health in 2024.

Previously, Josh co-Founded UnitedHealthcare’s (UHC) Group Retiree Medicare Advantage business, which organically and profitably grew to $18B in annual revenue (35% CAGR) during his tenure.

Josh lives on Long Island, NY. Hobbies include outdoor activities and local historic preservation.

Marisa Hamamoto Speaker, Performing Artist, Changemaker

Infinite Flow Dance

Marisa Hamamoto is the first professional dancer named People Magazine “Women Changing the World.” A leading authority on disability inclusion and building a culture of belonging, Marisa was recently named LinkedIn Top Voice, and has been featured on Good Morning America, NBC Today, Forbes, Fast Company, amongst other media outlets. As a sought-after international speaker, performing artist, and creative director, Marisa has been a speaker at the United Nations, shared the stage with Tim Cook at Apple HQ’s Steve Jobs Theater, and her clients and partners include Google, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Red Bull, Deloitte, adidas, PayPal, Farmers Insurance, Kaiser Permanente, among other forward-thinking brands. Marisa is a spinal stroke survivor, a late-diagnosed Autistic, and a proud fourth-generation Japanese American. She is the founder of Infinite Flow Dance, an award-winning dance company and nonprofit that employs disabled and nondisabled dancers with diverse, intersectional identities, with a mission to advance disability inclusion, one dance at a time. Marisa is bilingual and bicultural. She completed her BA & MA from Keio University, Tokyo. 

Eric Hansen DO, FAAFP, Physician

Hansen Medical

Dr. Hansen currently practices in the High Desert area of San Bernardino County. He has been in independent practice, Family Medicine, since 2002. He has been involved in organized medicine the entire time he has been in practice. He was awarded his fellowship from the American Academy of Family Practice in Legislative Advocacy in 2017. He was recently elected to serve as the Vice Chair of the Board for the California Medical Association, representing all of the Independent Solo and Small Group Practicing physicians of California to the California Legislature through the CMA. He also serves on the Governing Board of the California Political Action Committee (CalPac), he serves as Vice Chair of the Legislative Commission for the San Bernardino County Medical Society, as well as serves on the Legislative Committee for Cap-MPT and on the California Legislative Committee for Aledade. Dr. Hansen is a past president of the San Bernardino County Medical Society from 2017–18, and serves as a clinical faculty member for Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Associate Clinical Professor for the California University of Science and Medicine; School of Medicine, and Clinical Professor for the University of California Riverside School of Medicine.

Jeannie Hennum General Manager, Value Based Care

Verisma

Jeannie Hennum has 25+ years of experience focused on payers and providers in medical record retrieval, release of information (ROI), risk adjustment, quality measures, and claims adjudication. She oversees Verisma’s value-based care solutions. 

Previously Jeannie was the CEO at ChartFast, developing relationships with health systems and plans, and automating the request and delivery of medical information between those parties. She also worked for several health information (HI) companies, responsible for provider sales at Optum/Episource; payer sales at Optum/naviHealth; payer, provider sales, and operations as senior VP at Datavant (formerly HealthPort/CIOX); payer sales as regional director at Optum/Change Healthcare (formerly Outcomes Health Information Solutions); payer sales and operations as VP at Health Solutions Plus; and president and CEO at Linnaeus. 

Jeannie provides consultative services to the healthcare industry including speaking engagements, publications, and best practices. 

Nedim Husrefovic VP, Product Strategy – Risk

Reveleer

Seasoned Healthcare leader, with hands-on experience applying human centered design and advanced analytics (AI) to innovate and deliver data-centric healthcare solutions. My approach focuses on deeply understanding customer needs to improve patient outcomes, optimize healthcare delivery and enable captivating user experiences. Nedims' expertise spans the full healthcare lifecycle, with a deep understanding of the synergies between Risk Adjustment, Quality, and Value-Based Care for both Payers and Providers

Mary Inman Partner  

Whistleblower Partners

Mary Inman is a partner and co-founder of Whistleblower Partners LLP, a law firm dedicated to representing whistleblowers under the various U.S. whistleblower reward programs.  Mary and her colleagues have pioneered a series of successful whistleblower cases against prominent health insurers, hospitals, provider groups, and vendors under the False Claims Act alleging manipulation of the risk scores of Medicare Advantage patients.  Mary is a recognized expert and frequent author, commentator, and speaker on frauds in the healthcare industry, particularly those exposed by whistleblowers.   

Brett J. Goff Director of Risk Adjustment

Centene Corporation

Brett has been with Centene Corporation for 5+ years, where his roles have led to successful startups and transition of several health plans focused on supporting risk adjustment at both the corporate and health plan level across Medicare, Medicaid and ACA lines of business. He came to managed care from an extensive career in contract manufacturing of OTC & Nutritional products with robust experience in process development, business management, procurement and sales. 
 
As Director of Risk Adjustment at Peach State Health Plan in Georgia. Brett leads risk adjustment operations, and strategy throughout the plan working interdepartmentally and cross functionally with providers, corporate and vendor partners. He and his team drive success and stand out as examples across Centene Corporation. 

Amy Jack Director of Risk Adjustment

Select Health

Amy Jack is the Director of Risk Adjustment at Select Health. She has honed her expertise in Risk Adjustment documentation and coding for more than a decade by earning a Health Information Management Bachelor's degree from Weber State University, along with her credentials of Registered Health Information Administrator, Certified Coding Associate and Certified Risk Adjustment Coder.

For the past nine years, Amy has grown a dedicated team of Risk Adjustment coding specialists and has led them to be the standard-bearers of ethical and compliant Risk Adjustment coding. She thrives in her role as a mentor and team leader. She takes delight in sharing knowledge about coding and documentation best practices with Providers and their staff, and her expertise has led her to be a sought-after presenter at industry events.

Ava Johnson Associate Director, Ambulatory CDQI

Mount Sinai Hospital, NYC

Ava Johnson has over 15 years of experience as a seasoned Medical Coding instructor with expertise in Multi-Specialty Coding, Clinical Documentation, and Physician Education. Ava is also a Public Speaker with a focus on Risk Adjustment, Career Development, and Leadership. Ava is currently the Associate Director of the Ambulatory Clinical Documentation Quality Improvement department at Mount Sinai Hospital where a key responsibility includes oversight of Risk Adjustment Coding and Documentation initiatives across the organization's metropolitan and downstate New York areas.

Jenn Kerfoot Chief Strategy & Growth Officer

DUOS

Jenn is a visionary healthcare leader with deep expertise in Medicare Advantage and Value-Based Care. She leverages her extensive background in healthcare policy, regulation, and business development to drive strategic growth and innovation at DUOS, developing tailored solutions that meet the evolving needs of Medicare Advantage plans. A seasoned podcast host, Jenn regularly explores critical issues like the looming threat of Medicare insolvency, the challenges of financing care for an aging population, the impact of rising healthcare costs, and disparities in care access. With previous leadership roles at FarmboxRx, Excelera Health, and NationsBenefits, Jenn has a proven track record of navigating complex healthcare regulations and aligning strategies with market demands. Beyond her executive role, she is a recognized thought leader and advocate for progressive healthcare practices, advising venture capital and private equity firms on investments in transformative healthcare solutions. Jenn’s pragmatic optimism and relentless problem-solving approach are key to her success in fostering collaboration and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in healthcare.

Jimmy Liu VP Analytics and MRR Solutions

Advantmed

Jimmy Liu is Vice President of Analytics and MRR Solutions at Advantmed. He has been helping health plans with their risk adjustment strategy across all lines of business for more than 15 years. Jimmy is a risk adjustment thought leader, conference speaker, and author of numerous white papers and articles. Jimmy started in consulting doing 10 years of application design and development for the financial services industry. He then spent the next 6 years at Independence Blue Cross in Philadelphia working on HIPAA EDI and eBusiness initiatives. He has designed and developed more than 20 large scale applications in his career, several of which became risk adjustment products. Jimmy has also spent more than 10 years doing risk analytics and developing suspecting algorithms that are used to create prospective and retrospective chase lists. Jimmy is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and lives in the greater Philadelphia area.

Donna Malone Director, Risk Capture

Mass General Brigham

Donna Malone, CPC, CRC, AAPC Approved Instructor, AHCCA, RAP, RISE Fellow: Director Risk Adjustment with Mass General Brigham in MA, Adjunct Professor with MassBay Community College, Chair of the RISE Risk Adjustment Academy HCC Coding Faculty Advisory Group as well as content developer RISE designations and workshops, and 2022-2025 AAPC National Advisory Board. Donna has over 28 years’ experience (Payer, Provider System and Vendor) in healthcare with primary focus on Value-Based Care.

Donna has also served as President of the Watertown AAPC Chapter (2017-2022) and Education officer (2016)

Donna speaks nationally for RISE, AAPC and AHIMA

She also received the 2021 MaHIMA Champion Award

Ryan McEntee Senior Consultant II

Wakely

Ryan McEntee, MBA, joined Wakely Consulting Group, LLC as a Senior Consultant in 2023. He is an experienced managed care executive specializing in strategic leadership within Medicare Advantage and at-risk medical groups. Ryan has led several key areas of health plans over the years overseeing Revenue, Clinical Operations, Quality Improvement, medical management, Stars, and Value-Based strategy and Network contracting. He has also advised for several tech enabled Value-Based Care companies to help drive payor strategy.

Jenni Monfils CPC, CDEO, CRC | AVP, Provider Engagement

Molina HealthCare

Jenni Monfils, CPC, CDEO, CRC, is the Associate Vice President of Provider Engagement for Risk Adjustment and Quality, with a strategic focus on provider education and clinical documentation integrity. With over 20 years of healthcare experience spanning revenue cycle, coding, and documentation improvement, Jenni is a recognized leader in the risk adjustment and quality space. She brings deep expertise in the Medicare, Medicaid, and ACA Marketplace, and has successfully developed and implemented provider education and quality oversight programs that drive compliance and improve performance across lines of business. Jenni has led critical initiatives including HHS-RADV audits, Medicare Advantage Contract-Level RADV audits, the Part C Improper Payment Measure (National RADV) audits, and Medicaid risk adjustment and quality reporting programs. Jenni is known for her effective leadership, innovative problem-solving, and ability to execute forward-thinking strategies in an ever-evolving regulatory environment. Her work continues to advance clinical documentation integrity and elevate provider engagement across risk and quality initiatives.

Hemanshu Patel MD, CMO, CMtO,

CareMD Inc

Matt Ringler Finance Manager, Health Plans

Christus Health

As Finance Manager, Matt Ringler has successfully led the planning, analysis, and oversight of financial operations to support strategic business objectives and drive fiscal performance. He has managed budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting across multiple business units, ensuring regulatory compliance and enabling data-driven decision-making. Matt brings specialized experience in building provider incentive models for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and Clinically Integrated Networks (CINs). He has also contributed to claims submissions for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Health Insurance Exchange (HIX) plans, as well as supported HIX enrollment and financial modeling for the Health Plan.

Thomas Shankle Vice President of Payer Strategy & Success

Virtix Health

As Vice President of Payer Strategy and Success at Virtix Health, Tom Shankle leads his team to modernize health plan operations and improve overall health outcomes for Americans. He leverages his 14+ years of experience in HEDIS, risk adjustment, and payer-focused consulting to guide health plans through the ever-evolving complexities of managed care. He has been a trusted partner to over 100 health plans nationwide, playing a key role in helping clients enhance operational efficiency and financial performance.

He has worked in many areas of healthcare and his diverse experience brings a unique perspective to Virtix Health clients. From selling health insurance and delivering QI, RA, and MRR solutions to consulting and providing frontline virtual clinical support during COVID, he has seen healthcare from many angles. Most recently, he led a member engagement startup, helping seniors navigate the complexities of managed care.

Outside work, he is on the American Diabetes Association Leadership board, supporting the ADA’s mission in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia regions. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric Science from Salisbury University.

Laura Sheriff Risk Adjustment Industry Expert

Laura Sheriff, RN, MSN, is currently working as a consultant with physician groups and health plans to capitalize on risk adjustment performance and operations.  Laura is an MSN with >12 years’ experience in Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace Managed Care and has led teams in risk, quality, telehealth, and population health analytics.  Laura demonstrates effective leadership, innovative problem-solving techniques, and goal-oriented focus to execute business objectives and meet performance metrics.  Laura designed and coordinated activities including provider education, training, auditing, data mining, and data analysis to direct program success and achieve all risk goals.  Laura is also a certified professional coder and a certified risk coder. 

Annie Shieh Medicare Compliance Officer

Centene

Annie Hsu Shieh specializes in health care laws, reimbursement, compliance, fraud & abuse, privacy, antitrust, and contractual issues. Annie develops corporate-wide policies and procedures, administers HIPAA/HITECH privacy and compliance training, conducts internal audits, investigates complaints, and interprets CMS, HHS, OIG, managed care, and Medicare regulations and guidance.

Annie has received numerous publication credits, including “Legal Issues Concerning Retail Clinics,” a Reproductive Health Guide to the Medicaid Program, and a tutorial on Medicare Advantage Compliance Program Guidelines. Annie is a Citation Editor for the Journal of Health & Life Sciences Law. Annie spoke at the 2011 American Health Lawyers Association Annual Meeting on ethics and served as the Social Media Workforce Chair of the Young Professionals Council from 2010-2013.

Annie’s experience began with Lehman Brothers’ Washington Equity Research Group. There, she wrote weekly articles to institutional investors about expected changes in Medicare reimbursement and how they financially impacted the health care industry. In law school, she worked as the first Diversity Intern for the American Health Lawyers Association; Law Clerk for the Department of Managed Health Care; Summer Associate at a products liability law firm where she worked on the Merck Vioxx settlement; and Post-Bar Fellow at the National Health Law Program.

Annie obtained her B.A. in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and her J.D. from Loyola Law School, where she completed the Health Care Law track and was President of the Health Law & Bioethics Association. In 2014, Annie was named the Alumni Honoree by the Loyola Law School Health Law & Bioethics Association for her contributions to establishing a health law externship for law students and post-bar fellows.

Kei Shao Tikkanen Senior Manager, BoI Strategic Initiatives

Cityblock Health

Kei is the Senior Manager of Burden of Illness Strategic Initiatives at Cityblock Health, a leading value-based care provider specializing in Dually eligible and managed Medicaid populations. In this role, Kei is responsible for building and scaling Cityblock's risk adjustment operations, which are deeply embedded within the company's member-centric care model. Kei has particularly focused on developing the clinical engagement strategy, helping members receive preventative care in the way that best meets the complex needs of marginalized populations. 

Prior to Cityblock, Kei served as a management consultant with The Chartis Group, providing strategic planning and performance improvement services for leading hospitals and health systems. Kei has a MPH in Health Care Management from Yale School of Public Health and a Bachelor's in Microbiology from UCLA. 

Chris Trygstad Vice President, Product

Biomedix

Chris Trygstad is a Vice President with Biomedix, a market leader in font-line diagnostic solutions. Chris oversees all aspects of Product at Biomedix, including functional and technical product design, security, interfacing, promotion, and support. Chris has over 20 years of experience in technology-based products and over 10 years concentrating on designing and delivering innovative medical technology products and services that improve and save lives. Chris is an expert in both commercial and public Fee-For-Service reimbursement models as well as commercial and public Value-Based-Care coverage models.

Susan Waterman Director of Risk Adjustment

Baylor Scott and White Healthcare

As Director of Risk Adjustment, Susan Waterman has been empowered to plan, design and oversee business and strategic objectives in creating and optimizing a Risk Adjustment Department responsible for ensuring the accuracy of risk adjustment payments while successfully managing all activities related to Medicare Advantage, ACA and Exchange Risk Adjusted lines of business. In that capacity Susan directed department changes that resulted in multi-million dollar gains in Risk Adjustment, brought all chart review activity in-house, and partnered with the hospital CDI/Quality Physicians to create an Outpatient CDI Department focused on documentation quality, Risk Adjustment activities and clinic training.

A proven leader in her field, Susan’s professional experience includes coding and compliance management, auditing and provider training, system management, and consulting services.