Catherine Anderson is the senior vice president of health equity strategy for UnitedHealth Group. She is a key member of the sustainability team, working to support efforts across UnitedHealthcare and Optum to advance health equity. In this role, Catherine is responsible for engaging internal and external stakeholders and partners to shape policy, convene communities, and design interventions to reduce disparities. UnitedHealth Group is a health care and well-being company with a mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone through two distinct and complementary businesses. Optum delivers care aided by technology and data, empowering people, partners and providers with the guidance and tools they need to achieve better health. UnitedHealthcare offers a full range of health benefits, enabling affordable coverage, simplifying the health care experience, and delivering access to high-quality care. Catherine has more than 30 years of experience in public policy development, legislative affairs, advocacy, and product development. Previously, she was senior vice president of policy & strategic engagement for UnitedHealthcare Community & State. In this role, she served as a key member of the executive team and spearheaded national strategy to direct and shape public policy and advocacy efforts for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and more. Catherine led strategic and business development for new products and oversaw community-based integration models that advance health equity and address social determinants of health. She currently serves as board chair for Medicaid Health Plans of America. She established a national Health Equity Advisory Board at UnitedHealthcare, serves on UnitedHealth Group’s Health Equity Steering Committee, is the chair of the UnitedHealthcare National Advisory Board, and is the chair of the UnitedHealthcare Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Board. Catherine earned a B.A. in political science/sociology from Phillips University, a master’s in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver, and a master’s in health care delivery science from Dartmouth College.

   Arethusa Stevens Kirk is a National Senior Medical Director for UnitedHealthcare Community & State where she serves as the VP of Population Health & Clinical Strategy supporting each of the health plans nationally to achieve key clinical and business objectives. Areas of focus in her portfolio and for her team include population health strategy, health equity and quality advancement, clinical model and program development, virtual health, medical behavioral health integration and clinical innovation.

 

   With over 17 years of healthcare and community leadership experience, Dr Kirk has served as the Vice President of Medical Affairs at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Baltimore City and as a National Health Service Corps Scholar. She continues to practice as a primary care physician and as an Associate Physician of the Neurology and Development Inpatient Unit at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Dr Kirk is board certified in Pediatrics and completed her residency at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital.

   She holds an honors degree in Visual Arts and Semiotics from Brown University and her Medical Doctorate from George Washington School of Medicine. Prior to her career in medicine, she served with the Missionaries of Charity in India, taught at an open school in the Republic of South Africa, and lived with a regional village midwife as a U.S. Peace Corps Health Education Volunteer in The Gambia, West Africa. Finally, her parallel chief commitment is to shepherd the development and potential of her two boys.

Michelle Martin is the Senior Policy Director of Complex Care and LTSS at UnitedHealthcare Community & State. Michelle brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from both the payer and provider sides of LTSS, having worked in complex care policy at America’s Health Insurance Plans as well as another insurer. She was also the policy director at the National Council on Medicaid Home Care where she represented home care providers on a variety of issues on and off Capitol Hill. Prior to the Medicaid Council, Ms. Martin worked as a lobbyist during the development of the Affordable Care Act representing direct care workers and funding for Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs. Michelle lives in Falls Church, Virginia with her husband, Joe and their four rescue dogs. She is a former caregiver, native Michigander, and lawyer.

Andy McMahon is the Vice President of Community Investment & Innovation at UnitedHealthcare Community & State. UnitedHealthcare Community & State proudly serves nearly 6.4 million Medicaid members in 32 states, plus Washington D.C. UnitedHealthcare is a division of UnitedHealth Group, a health and well-being company with a mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. In his current role, Andy focuses on integrating and leveraging affordable housing and human services to provide better care at lower costs for populations with complex health needs. Andy works with UnitedHealthcare’s Medicaid plans and the myConnections™ team, and his portfolio includes policy and program work in affordable and supportive housing, criminal justice, child welfare, and social impact investment. Prior to joining UnitedHealthcare, Andy worked at the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) for 15 years, most recently as the Vice President for Policy and External Affairs. At CSH, Andy led an array of national, state, and local efforts to align systems and integrate resources to create supportive housing opportunities for vulnerable populations. Andy also led CSH's work to develop Pay for Success and impact investing models for supportive housing. Prior to CSH, Andy held positions in both state and local government, as a lobbyist for state housing and community development agencies in Washington, D.C., and helped found and was the first executive director of a non-profit housing organization in Minnesota.

Kate Paris is the Vice President of Policy & Advocacy at UnitedHealthcare Community & State. Kate is responsible for shaping and advocating for policy agendas as well as positioning Community & State as a trusted thought leader and partner with federal, state, and local health and social programs. Kate has extensive experience in health and public policy and is passionate about improving systems and programs to ensure fair and equitable access to care for the individuals, families and communities these systems serve. She currently serves as the Chair of the Medicaid Health Plans of America policy committee and sits on the board of SNP Alliance. Prior to joining UnitedHealthcare in 2012, Kate had a variety of professional roles that focused on policy, economic development and rural communities. Her work within the agricultural sector to support local food, food processing and renewable energy built a strong foundation and understanding of the connection between food, health and the policies that shape both. Kate has spent time in the non-profit sector and within the administrative and executive branches of state government. Kate received her Masters of Public Administration from the University of North Dakota and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota Morris.

As the Senior Director of Federal Policy, Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice, Nicole leads the development of policy positioning and associated advocacy and thought leadership strategies related to both traditional and complex Medicaid covered populations. This includes TANF and CHIP populations (with focus on maternal and child health), Medicaid Expansion, Child Welfare, Criminal Justice Involved, and I/DD populations. Prior to joining UnitedHealthcare, Nicole served as the Government Affairs Director for America Forward where she led policy strategy and advocacy efforts related to Pay for Success/evidence-based policy, workforce development, career and technical education, higher education, and social innovation. Nicole also worked for over a decade at a national child welfare and children’s mental health non-profit where she advocated for policy and funding changes in the child welfare, juvenile justice, Medicaid/children’s mental health, and innovative financing policy areas. Nicole has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN and a Master’s in Public Administration/Public Policy from the University of Memphis.

Dr. Alex Billioux is the chief medical officer (CMO), Government Programs, and senior vice president for population health and social care at UnitedHealthcare. As CMO, he is responsible for the individual care, population health, and provider partnership strategies for UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare and Medicaid plans. He also leads enterprise-wide strategy and capabilities to address individual health-related social needs and community social drivers of health. He is an internal medicine doctor focused on supporting whole-person health by delivering coordinated physical, behavioral, and social care and advancing cross-sector population health strategies and sharing data to foster coordinated, learning health systems. Dr. Billioux was formerly the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Public Health and a senior advisor and division director at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

Dr. Billioux received his M.D. from Johns Hopkins University and his D.Phil. in clinical medicine from the University of Oxford. He holds a B.A. from the Louisiana Scholars’ College at Northwestern State University in Louisiana. 

Dr. Andree serves as the President and CEO for Community Health Centers, Inc., (CHC) a Federally Qualified Health Care Center, with 15 healthcare locations offering primary healthcare services in Central Florida. Dr. Andree’s commitment to CHC began in 2002 as a pediatrician and over the years her past roles have included serving as Chief Medical Officer & Vice-President, Associate Medical Director and Chief of Pediatrics. She also serves as the Pediatric Education Director/Clinical Associate Professor in Clinical Sciences at the Florida State University College of Medicine and has been on faculty there since 2004. Dr. Andree serves on various committees at the state and local level which include the Florida Surgeon General Physician Workforce Advisory Council. Prior to her medical education degree from the University of Miami in 1999, Dr. Andree obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Florida and worked as a Pediatric nurse. Additionally, Dr. Andree has experience working with the National Committee for Quality Assurance Patient Centered Medical Home accreditation process, the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, the Health and Resource Services Administration for Federally Qualified Health Care Clinics, and the Federal Tort Claims Act certification process. She has received numerous service and teaching awards including the Gold Humanism Award and the 2018 Centers for Disease Control Childhood Immunization Champion. Dr. Andree believes in CHC’s mission to provide quality and compassionate healthcare services to Central Florida’s diverse communities which aligns nicely with the goals of UnitedHealthcare’s Community & State FQHC National Advisory Board.

Eleanor formerly lead Community & State’s social impact investment strategy to address critical public health issues, improve community health, advance housing first solutions, and build health, social service, and community capacity. She managed a $9M social impact investment portfolio, develops strategy tools and resources, and scoped investment opportunities. She represented UnitedHealthcare on key committees and working groups such as the Just in Reach Pay for Success Executive Steering Committee and the Appalachian Funders Network Health Working Group. Eleanor worked at UnitedHealthcare for five years. Before coming to UnitedHealthcare, Eleanor managed a research-based public health program at the Friedman School of Nutrition at Tufts University. She has a Master of Science in Exercise Science/Public Health from Northeastern University and a Bachelors of Arts in International Relations from Tufts University.

Dr. Stephen Cha is the former Chief Medical Officer of UnitedHealthcare Community & State, where he oversaw clinical strategies and programs while acting as the liaison for critical clinical initiatives. He also played a key role in clinical thought leadership and served as a subject matter expert in care decisions throughout Community & State. Prior to joining UnitedHealthcare, Dr. Cha served as the Group Director in the State Innovation Group at the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). He has also served as the Chief Medical Officer at the Center for Medicaid & CHIP Services (CMCS), and is a practicing physician. Dr. Cha has a strong background in dynamic health policy thought leadership, health care transformation, and quality reporting.

Heather Cianfrocco leads OptumHealth Health Services. Formerly the Chief Executive Officer of UnitedHealthcare Community & State, a division of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH). Prior to this role, Heather served as Senior Vice President of Health Advancement and Clinical Transformation for UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement. Before joining Medicare & Retirement, Heather served in a number of leadership roles with UnitedHealthcare Community & State including Senior Vice President of Clinical Strategy and Operations, Northeast Region CEO, Southeast Region CEO, and Community Plan of Pennsylvania CEO. Before joining UnitedHealthcare, Heather worked in private legal practices in Pittsburgh where she concentrated on corporate and securities law, representing health care entities in mergers and acquisitions

As the national policy director of community & social health at UnitedHealthcare Community & State, Blair’s policy and advocacy work focuses on health equity, housing and homelessness, food access, interpersonal violence, social connection, justice involvement, economic stability and workforce development, behavioral health, and social impact investing.

Prior to joining UnitedHealthcare, Blair was the deputy director of a local health department and served previously as the senior advisor on health, homelessness and housing for the Minnesota Department of Health and Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness. Blair is an infectious disease epidemiologist by training and has worked on trauma-effective systems change and advancing health and racial equity for more than 15 years.

Donna Meltzer is CEO of the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), where she leads 56 Councils across the nation to raise awareness at the government level for those living with developmental disabilities. She also serves on the National Advisory Board for UnitedHealthcare Community & State, where she shares knowledge and information about the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities.

Kevin Moore is the Chief Executive Officer for the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Wisconsin. Kevin has an extensive background in Medicaid, social determinants of health, public policy, and strategic solutions and has a long history with proven leadership and experience in state-based and government sector programs. Most recently, Kevin served as Vice President of Strategic Solutions for UnitedHealthcare Community & State. Prior to that role, Kevin joined Community & State more than three years ago as Vice President of National Policy & Strategy. Kevin previously served as Medicaid Director for the State of Wisconsin.

Samantha O’Leary is VP, Growth Performance & Execution Community & State Product. Previously, VP of Implementation, Maintenance, and Regulatory Alignment at UnitedHealthcare Community & State. UnitedHealthcare Community & State proudly serves 6.4 million Medicaid members in 32 states, plus Washington D.C. UnitedHealthcare is a division of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) which is a diversified health and well-being company with a mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. In her role, Samantha serves as a policy expert on the emerging policy trends blending Medicaid and commercial insurance markets, including personal responsibility models and Medicaid buyin concepts. With nearly a decade health policy experience focused on the Affordable Care Act and the Medicaid program, she has developed expertise in a series of policy-focused roles across business development and consulting. Samantha is dedicated to her community and volunteers with several non-profits in the Washington, D.C. region, including the Junior League of Washington and Edu-Futuro. Samantha holds a Master of Public Policy degree from American University’s School of Public Affairs, a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Philosophy from Gettysburg College.

Allison Rizer is currently a Principal at ATI Advisory where she works with clients focused on serving older adults. Allison has over 20 years of health-related experience, including more than a decade focused on insurance and government programs.

Sarah Rubin is Senior Director of Policy at Cityblock Health. Prior to joining Citybloc, Sarah served as a Director of Policy & Strategy at UnitedHealthcare Community & State. UnitedHealthcare Community & State proudly serves nearly 6 million Medicaid members in 31 states, plus Washington D.C. UnitedHealthcare is a division of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) which is a diversified health and well-being company with a mission to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone.

Tom Tracy is a National Senior Director on Clinical Strategy & Population Health Team of UnitedHealthcare’s Community and State division.  Tom’s areas of focus include the development of strategies to deepen the integration of medical-behavioral interventions and refinement of clinical models to best meet our members’ individual needs. His approach draws on his extensive experience as a clinical social worker, resulting in strategies that are person-centered and address health disparities.  Tom’s entire career has been spent in serving the Medicaid population.  He currently holds a license in clinical social (LCSW) and, prior to his tenure with UnitedHealthcare was the Chief Strategy Officer for a NJ-based community mental health center.  His clinical experience spans multiple populations ranging from children, families and adults with mental health concerns.  He has further developed and managed community-based programs, including supportive housing, Assertive Community Treatment, juvenile justice programs, as well as outpatient and in-home therapy-based programs.  Tom holds a Masters in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and a Masters in Management from Thomas Edison State University.  He is also a PROSCI Certified Change Management Practitioner.  Tom, and his husband and their two daughters live in NJ, just outside of Philadelphia. 

At thirty-two, Grace followed in the footsteps of NAC Founder Gail Gibson Hunt to helm one of the nation’s leading public policy and advocacy organizations for friend and family caregivers. With previous experience as COO and the Director of Strategic Partnerships, Grace has doubled the budget of the organization in her tenure to date and created the Hunt Research Program. Grace led the nation’s first national policy study of 1,400+ rare disease caregivers with Global Genes. She has led other original NAC research including Sandwich Generation in the U.S. with Caring Across Generations; A National Study of Caregivers of Individuals with Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis with the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and ImproveCareNow; Cancer Caregiving in the U.S. with the National Cancer Institute and Cancer Support Community; and Dementia Caregiving in the U.S. with the Alzheimer’s Association, among others. Grace has spoken on caregiving at national and international conferences, including the 7th International Carers Conference in Adelaide, Australia and at multiple national summits at the National Institutes of Health. Grace has also served as a resource to major media on the topic of caregiving and aging, including C-SPAN, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Oprah Magazine, Women’s Health Magazine, and Kiplinger’s Retirement Report. Grace represents NAC and the United States on the Governing Board of the International Alliance for Carer Organizations and offers ex officio support for NAC’s role as Secretariat. A licensed attorney with the D.C. Bar, Grace was named an “Outstanding Law Student” by the National Association of Women Lawyers after earning her law degree from the University of Memphis. She is a proud graduate of the Louisiana State University Honors College in communication studies and philosophy. Grace lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with her husband, writer Geoffrey Whiting, and their distinguished pug, Chief Justice.