Dr. Aggarwal is board certified in internal medicine, hematology and oncology with particular focus on breast and gynecological malignancies. Dr. Aggarwal served her residency at the Medical Center of Central Massachusetts and her fellowship at Brown University School of Medicine. She has been with Fort Wayne Medical Oncology for over 20 years. Dr. Aggarwal has been an influential leader in Fort Wayne Medical Oncology’s value based care delivery by spearheading several of our efforts in our participation of the Oncology Care Model (OCM) with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. Her efforts have progressed our transformation of the practice in to a low cost high quality practice that allowed further expansion of several programs and community collaborations for enhanced patient care. Currently she is serving on the Board of Directors for Community Oncology Alliance/COA and was past co-medical chair for Community Oncology Alliance Patient Advocacy Network/CPAN after being instrumental in the launch of Indiana’s first CPAN chapter in 2018.

Judy Alberto, MHA, RPh, BCOP is Director of Clinical Initiatives at the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), the nation’s only non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting local, affordable, and accessible cancer care. In this role, she supports and promotes the success of community oncology practices participating in clinical and payment reform initiatives.

Working closely with COA’s quality and value team, Alberto seeks to support the design, awareness, and participation in oncology payment and delivery reform initiatives. This includes oncology models from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, as well as participants in the National Cancer Treatment Alliance, a COA-led clinically integrated network engaging directly with employers and payers. Alberto also helps lead the Community Oncology Pharmacy Association (COPA), an 875+ strong peer-to-peer network of medically integrated pharmacies located in independent community oncology and urology practices across the country.

Prior to joining COA, Judy was the director of oncology and investigational drug services pharmacy at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center – Jefferson Health. She joined Jefferson in 2010, working her way up from patient care pharmacist to her directorship. Prior to joining Jefferson, she worked as a pharmacist at Express Scripts in Bensalem, PA, and the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Judy received her pharmacy degree from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science and a Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of Arizona.

Dr. Ted Arrowsmith is a practicing Medical Oncologist with Tennessee Oncology based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is a graduate of Williams College and received MD and MPH degrees from Vanderbilt University where he also trained in Internal Medicine, Hematology, and Oncology. He currently serves as Executive Vice President for Therapeutics and Chair of the Pharmacy, Therapeutics, and Diagnostic Committee at Tennessee Oncology and Medical Director for Pathways at OneOncology. 

Robert has extensive experience in healthcare management, developing strategic plans and directing financial, operational, and clinical initiatives.  He is currently the President of the National Cancer Treatment Alliance (NCTA) a national network of community oncology practices whose focus is to contract directly through value-based agreements with health care purchasers for oncology services.  Prior to joining NCTA Robert was the CEO of Dayton Physicians, where he merged 3 independent Physician practices (Medical Oncology/Radiation Oncology/Urology) to create a large multi-specialty practice.  

Robert received his Bachelor of Science in Education from Bowling Green State University, Master of Science in Hospital and Health Service Administration from Central Michigan University, and a Nursing Degree from Excelsior College.

Robert is married with three children and enjoys travelling, hiking, and spending time with family and friends. 

Glenn joined RMCC in 2014 with over 25 years of experience in oncology practice operations and management. He is involved at local, state, and national levels in regards to presenting his knowledge and insight at industry meetings, as well as working with congressional representatives on cancer-related issues. His commitment to making cancer care better at RMCC is demonstrated through his ability to identify, and find solutions to, complex problems. He believes that everyone is an important part of the team at RMCC, and each team member has an equally important role in helping patients through their healthcare journey. Outside of work, he enjoys running, cycling, and skiing and is very proud of the accomplishments of his wife and his two adult children.

Fred has over 20 years of experience in the pharmacy industry and 12 years as a practicing Doctor of Pharmacy. Some of his experiences include managing retail pharmacy operations, practicing specialty pharmacy, leading teams of clinical pharmacists while scaling national operations and building adherence and medication therapy management programs.

Fred is setting a new standard for how to understand, manage and believe in the pharmacy benefit experience. His training as a pharmacist and commitment to innovative care equip him with the clinical knowledge and patient first mentality to formulate a solution that is best for the clients of AffirmedRx.  As Vice President of Clinical Product and Partnerships at AffirmedRx, he is responsible for knowing what employers want and need for their plan participants.

Travis has over 25 years of healthcare administration/contracting experience from both the payer and provider sides of healthcare.   Prior to joining Texas Oncology in 2019 he was the senior vice president and COO for Patient Physician Network, a large multi-specialty IPA in North Texas.  Previously, he was a network vice president for both United HealthCare and Aetna.   He has also held leadership positions with Prudential Healthcare and HealthSouth. 

Travis has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The University of Texas at Dallas.  He is married with two adult sons and enjoys camping, hunting, and coaching youth sports, particularly football.

Tammy Chambers is the Director of Contracting and Payor Relations at The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, a OneOncology practice with multiple locations throughout North Texas. With more than 25 years of experience in managed care contracting, she is currently responsible for The Center’s value-based care strategy. Tammy is on the board of the Coalition of Hematology and Oncology Practices and serves on the NCTA Contracting Committee.

Claire Cote is the Chief Operations Officer at New England Cancer Specialists (NECS), the largest independent oncology practice in New England and affiliate member of Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  Claire has been with NECS for just over 5 years. Prior to joining NECS, Claire held various leadership roles in private practices and health systems such as CFO, Director Cardiovascular Operations, Director of Clinical Standardization, Director Care Integration and Vice President of Quality & Patient Experience. Claire has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, a Master’s Degree in Management and a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma.

Claire was born in Northern Ireland and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1986 at the age of 13. 10 years later, Claire moved to Boston where she met her husband – a Mainer. While working at NECS, Claire received a breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 48 and now shares her early detection stories with groups in an effort to save lives. Claire spends most of her free time watching her three daughters play field hockey in college and high school and planning her next trip to foreign climates. 

François de Brantes has spent close to two decades working to transform the U.S. healthcare system by improving incentives for providers and consumers in order to encourage value-based decisions.

As Executive Vice President, Payment and Network Performance, François leverages his decades of expertise to help provider, payer and employer-focused organizations achieve their goals of achieving measurable change in the system and improving outcomes for all Americans. XO Health is a new health plan focused exclusively on self-insured employers and designed to drive better outcomes for plan members and their employers. François oversees the design and implementation of all advanced alternative payment models and the performance of the network in delivering real value.

Prior to that, François was Senior Vice President of Episodes of Care at Signify Health where he led customer development of the Medicare Advantage, Self-Insured Employer, and Commercial Payer markets. In his role, François has also been an active member of the corporate development team, and participated in the acquisition of Caravan Health by Signify.

Prior to joining Signify Health, François served as Vice President of Altarum, a national nonprofit. From 2006 to 2016, he was Executive Director of the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute (HCI3), a not-for-profit company that designed programs to motivate physicians and hospitals to improve the quality and affordability of healthcare delivery. The organization, which merged with Altarum in December 2017, was responsible for creating and implementing the Bridges to Excellence (BTE) and PROMETHEUS Payment programs, which compensate and reward clinicians that focus on episodes of care and performance measures.

Prior to HCI3, François was Chief Operating Officer of the eHealth Initiative (eHI), which promotes adoption of health information technology in the U.S. He led the development of eHI’s HIE Value and Sustainability Model, a method to value services offered by Health Information Exchanges. Early in his career working in General Electric’s corporate health care department, he was involved in many strategic programs that created, connected and supported Active Consumers, and defined market mechanisms to reward providers for better performance.

François holds a master’s degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Paris IX-Dauphine and a master’s degree in Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College.

Dr. Michael Diaz is an oncologist and hematologist for Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) in Pinellas County. He joined FCS in 2011 and is the Immediate Past President and Managing Physician for the statewide practice. As a hematologist and oncologist, Dr. Diaz has a deep interest in treating breast, lung, colorectal, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, skin, and blood and bone marrow malignancies. In addition to his medical practice, Dr. Diaz provides leadership for a number of organizations, including serving as a current member and Immediate Past Chair of the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation Board of Directors, which offers non-medical financial assistance to qualified cancer patients in Florida.

He serves as the Director of Patient Advocacy and Federal Legislative Committee Chair for the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology (FLASCO), as well as being a Past President. Dr. Diaz advocates nationally for cancer patients and practices by serving as the Immediate Past President of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) as well as the Co-Chair for the organization’s reform workgroup, which develops quality and value-based alternative payment models.

He advocates for Florida Medicaid patients by serving on the Florida Medicaid Pharmaceutical and Therapeutics Committee to ensure access to state-of-the-art, quality-based care, and advises the Florida Governor’s office and State Legislature by serving on the Florida Cancer Control & Research Advisory Council. Dr. Diaz is on the Board of Directors for the National Cancer Treatment Alliance, which works with regional/national employers as well as their health care coalitions to improve the understanding of quality and value-based cancer care and develop collaborative programs related to cancer care. Dr. Diaz also serves on the FCS Finance Committee.

As a part of his philanthropic commitment, Dr. Diaz is dedicated to providing medical care to populations who are underserved and has participated in numerous medical missions to Kingston, Jamaica.

Jesse Dresser, a partner at Frier Levitt, heads the firm's Life Sciences Department and Pharmacy Practice Groups. He represents a wide range of pharmacies including specialty, hospital, community retail, chain, compounding, mail order, and home infusion pharmacies, as well as dispensing physician practices. Jesse addresses payor and PBM issues such as audit appeals, network terminations, credentialing applications, and reimbursement problems.

Beyond pharmacy clients, Jesse represents healthcare providers, pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and healthcare technology companies. Well-versed in the intersection of law and economics, Jesse focuses on drug pricing, marketing techniques, and benefits management.

A sought-after speaker, Jesse regularly lectures at pharmacy and healthcare conferences, including ACA, ACVP, APC, ASHP, IgNS, NHIA, NASP, COA, and COPA. He also hosts industry webinars and has been featured in various publications and media.

A. Mark Fendrick, M.D. is a Professor of Internal Medicine in the School of Medicine and a Professor of Health Management and Policy in the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan. Dr. Fendrick received a bachelor’s degree in economics and chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania where he was a fellow in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program.

Dr. Fendrick conceptualized and coined the term Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID) and currently directs the V-BID Center at the University of Michigan [www.vbidcenter.org], the leading advocate for development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative health benefit plans. His research focuses on how clinician payment and consumer engagement initiatives impact access to care, quality of care, and health care costs. Dr. Fendrick has authored over 350 articles and book chapters and has received numerous awards for the creation and implementation of value-based insurance design. His perspective and understanding of clinical and economic issues have fostered collaborations with numerous government agencies, health plans, professional societies, and health care companies. Dr. Fendrick is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (formerly IOM), serves on the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee, and has been invited to present testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel.

Dr. Fendrick is the co-editor in chief of the American Journal of Managed Care and is an editorial board member for 3 additional peer-reviewed publications. He is also a member of the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation at the University of Michigan, where he remains clinically active in the practice of general internal medicine.

Rahul Ghosh is the founder and CEO of StitchFin, a transformational patient financial engagement platform. Rahul started StitchFin to help simplify bill payments journey for patients, having personally experienced challenges with understanding medical bills and coverage. Healthcare today is largely outdated in terms of patient experience, especially when it comes to payments. Patients, as healthcare consumers, expect their experiences to be on par with, if not better than, those in other industries like retail or travel. Rahul started StitchFin to elevate patient payment experiences to the next generation.

Rahul’s expertise spans a wide range of technologies and business solutions, establishing him as a respected leader and advisor in the tech industry. Prior to starting StitchFin, Rahul led a multi-billion dollar volume payment business at Amazon where he helped drive payment experiences for millions of Amazon shoppers globally. Rahul has also held leadership positions at organizations like Akamai Technologies where he helped shape web experiences for millions of customers of healthcare, retail, travel, hospitality and fintech enterprises. Rahul has 18+ years of experience in consumer and enterprise technology, and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Technology from India, with a Master's Degree in Bioinformatics from Georgia Institute of Technology. 

Rahul has lived in Atlanta for over two decades. He and his wife enjoy traveling and taking road trips throughout the Southeast. Sundays are devoted to watching Formula 1 races at home.

Known for his wide-ranging policy expertise, and government relations experience, Shawn Gremminger brings to the National Alliance a successful record of working with coalitions, employers and other healthcare purchasers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders toward the mission of achieving high-quality, affordable, equitable healthcare.

Shawn was most recently senior vice president at Reservoir Communications Group where he led communications and public affairs strategy and execution on a range of relevant issues, including 340B and the drug supply chain, employer-sponsored insurance regulations, and Medicare payment. He has a strong history of healthcare advocacy and public affairs with employers, plans, hospitals, and consumer organizations. Shawn was previously director of health policy for the Purchaser Business Group on Health, a member of the National Alliance, where he ran efforts to improve quality and affordability for consumers and healthcare purchasers through federal policy. He has held senior leadership roles at Families USA, and America’s Essential Hospitals. Shawn began his career as a lobbyist for the Children’s Hospital Association. He achieved a Master of Public Policy from George Washington University in Washington and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA.

Rhonda Henschel is the Senior Vice President of Payer and Care Transformation for The US Oncology Network, where she leads a team of professionals who support strategic payer relationships, quality improvement programs, and actionable insights to drive performance and alignment. Before joining McKesson, Rhonda served in various roles at Minnesota Oncology for over 15 years, including Laboratory Manager, Practice Administrator, and Director of Managed Care and Quality. Through these experiences, she found a passion for improving patient outcomes and experience while creating aligned incentives and successful payment models. 

Health care executive, investor and advisor.  Currently Chief Medical Officer at FFF Enterprises.  Recently completed 9 years as Chief Medical Officer Centene Corp, Innovation and Pharmacy.  Served as executive for PBM, Specialty Pharmacy, Rare Disease Center of Excellence and as Chair of corporate national P+T Committee.

Cross-industry leader: health economics, technology and policy work groups; tech-enabled services, specialty drug services and analytics, health care AI solution builder.

Serial startup founder creating $2B in value in neurotech, digital imaging solutions, clinical decision support.

MD Cardiologist with training from University of Pennsylvania, University of Florida, Brown University, Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s/Boston Children’s Hospital.

Katy Johnson is senior counsel, health policy at the American Benefits Council. Katy assists Council members on a wide range of health policy and issues and directs the Council’s activities with respect to health care reform, ERISA and other federal regulations impacting employer-sponsored health benefits.

Prior to joining the Council in 2019, Katy was an attorney advisor in the Office of Benefits Tax Counsel at the U.S. Department of Treasury. Before that, she served as an attorney in the health and welfare branch of the Office of Chief Counsel at the Internal Revenue Service. In these positions Katy had lead responsibilities in crafting guidance related to several employer plan sponsor provisions of the ACA. She also played a key role representing Treasury in coordinating health care guidance with the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other executive branch entities. She also provided technical assistance to members of Congress in the development of health care legislation, including measures related to health savings accounts.

Katy is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Middlebury College and graduated Stanford Law School, where she served on the managing board of the Stanford Law Review. Earlier in her career she worked at the U.S. Department of Justice, was a judicial clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and was in private law practice where she advised clients on health, retirement and executive compensation matters.

 Lucy R. Langer, MD, MSHS, is the National Medical Director of Oncology and Genomics at UnitedHealthcare. 

Dr. Langer earned her medical degree at Stanford and completed fellowship in hematology and oncology at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, where she also earned a master’s degree in Health Services Research. She has been a practicing oncologist with Compass Oncology in Portland, OR since 2007. 

Dr. Langer formerly held several leadership positions within US Oncology, including creator and co-Medical Director of the Genetic Risk Evaluation and Testing (GREAT) Program, and two-term Chair of the US Oncology National Policy Board Executive Committee. Dr. Langer held a seat on the board of the Oregon Society of Medical Oncology, and served as Practice President of Compass Oncology for eight years. 

Dr. Langer has been recognized as a “Top Doc” several years running for her high quality, compassionate patient care. She is a member of several processional organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR), the Oregon Society of Medical Oncology (OSMO), and the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG).

Sarah Lanners is the Vice President of Oncology Business Development at Carrum Health, where she leads the expansion of the company’s community oncology Centers of Excellence. Sarah is dedicated to eliminating financial toxicity in cancer care and increasing access to high-quality healthcare. 

Prior to joining Carrum Health in 2023, Sarah gained experience in healthcare research and delivery as a Renewal Director at Advisory Board Optum. In that role, Sarah negotiated health plan contracts and worked closely with independent medical groups, including primary care, multispecialty, and oncology practices, to assist them in making informed decisions based on industry-wide healthcare trends. Sarah holds a degree from George Washington University in Public Health and Business. 

Dr. Leach is an experienced medical oncologist from Minneapolis, MN.  He served patients in a busy community practice for 20 years during which time he held multiple clinical and research leadership positions. In 2020, he joined the payer world as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President for Prime Therapeutics. In May, he returned to clinical practice and currently focuses on thoracic oncology with the Allina Health Cancer Institute where he also serves as medical director of quality and safety.

Dr. Leach was also president of the Minnesota Society of Clinical Oncology.

James Lee is the Director of State Regulation and Policy at the Community Oncology Alliance (COA). Leveraging a background in government relations and public policy he has influenced critical areas throughout the health care system. His portfolio spans a wide range of issues including the Federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, commercial insurance, state-administered health plans, clinical pharmacy operations, and telehealth policy.

Since joining COA, James established the organization's multistate policy program, empowering independent practice leaders to effectively advocate for policies that support accessible and affordable cancer care in their respective regions. With his guidance, COA members have successfully challenged policies that would compromise patient care, fostered interstate collaborations, and introduced legislation in various state legislatures.

Prior to COA, James served as a government relations manager for one of the nation’s largest Federally Qualified Health Center systems in Southeast Texas. In his role, he led strategic legislative campaigns and served as a liaison between a network of over forty-five facilities serving 190,000 clients and more than seventy-five federal, state, and local policymakers.

A native of the U.S. border with Mexico, James was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, the southernmost region of Texas. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Health Law and Strategy at New York University, and previously earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Houston. James currently resides in the New York City Metropolitan Area, in Jersey City, New Jersey

Dan has 25 years of experience developing innovative healthcare technology solutions, including electronic health records, inventory management, practice management, analytics, integration, patient engagement, prior authorization, and AI solutions. 

Dan co-founded Glide Health, a company that develops AI solutions to improve provider revenue cycle management. McKesson Corporation acquired Glide Health in 2023, where he is Vice President of Provider Technology.

Bryan Loy MD, MBA is an industry recognized physician executive. He is a corporate medical director for Humana, a Fortune 100 health insurance company. Board certified in both anatomic and clinical pathology as well as hematology, he leads quality and value initiatives for oncology and other specialties. 

A nationally recognized speaker, panelist, and author, he routinely presents a variety of health care topics including the evolving landscape of health care delivery and population health initiatives. He’s helped 100,000+ member employer groups understand medical cost and utilization and created strategies improving quality of care and value while improving the associate experience.  He co-chaired the Louisville Health Advisory Board, a large public-private partnership in collaboration with leaders devoted to community based opportunities to address Social Determinants of Health, suicide prevention, health care access and inequities.

He has 20+ years of experience in evaluating drugs and biologics, medical devices, laboratory tests and innovations for effectiveness and payment. He has experience in accelerating the appropriate adoption of new technology. He is an oncology and laboratory subject matter expert for pharmacy and therapeutics  and policy development committees. He served as an advisor and co-chair for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) advisory panel designed to evaluate appropriate payment for new complex lab tests. He works with the nation's most prominent commercial labs and oncologists and other specialty groups to implement cancer quality initiatives in all 50 states. He collaborates directly with industry leading medical oncologists and practices committed to improving the patient experience. 

In previous roles, he has served as a medical director for a multi-state Medicare contractor and as Chief Medical Officer for an innovative lab focused on tailoring treatment for breast and ovarian cancer patients.

Aaron Lyss is Senior Director of Payment and Policy Innovation for OneOncology, a national partnership of independent community oncology practices. Aaron’s role at OneOncology includes implementation of policy and advocacy strategies, and other initiatives related value-based care and risk-sharing payment models, including strategic planning and implementation support for community oncology-based CAR-T programs. He also serves on the board of directors for the Patient Advocate Foundation. 

Prior to this role with OneOncology, Aaron was the Director of Strategy and Business Development for Tennessee Oncology, and prior to that served as healthcare policy specialist for the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies.

Aaron earned his Master of Business Administration at the Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management, and his Bachelor of Arts degree at Washington University in St. Louis.

Nicki is the General Manager of Cancer Care Direct at Employer Direct Healthcare. Prior to EDH, she was Head of Product of Kidney Care at CVS Health.  As VP of Transformation, Nicki focused on primary care delivery and chronic condition management across MinuteClinics, HealthHubs, retail pharmacies and virtually. On the Enterprise Strategy team, she was responsible for external partnerships and growth strategy for CVS Health.

Prior to CVS, she worked with Michael Porter at the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), with health systems. She built out the 10,000 Small Business Program with Goldman Sachs. She has international experience as a management consultant to pharma and medical organizations at Monitor-Deloitte and Mercer, advising pharmaceutical and medical device companies on pipeline innovation and market entry strategies in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Harvard Business School MBA. 

Kiana Mehring, MBA is currently Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships Managed Care at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute. Throughout her career, she has been instrumental in building strong payer partnerships and designing innovative value-based care/alternative-payment models that balance cost and quality. She works with various stakeholders and interdepartmentally to identify performance improvement areas and creating strategic business plans. She is dedicated to fostering collaboration between payers and providers, ultimately aiming to create sustainable and high-value care solutions. 

Originally from Minnesota and living in various parts of the Midwest, Kiana now resides in Florida. This geographic transition has provided a unique perspective on regional healthcare challenges and opportunities, enhancing her ability to implement tailored healthcare solutions across different markets. Kiana is committed to driving innovation and efficiency in healthcare that is holistic and patient-centric, considers an evolving market landscape, and ensures prospective and sustainable value to patients, providers, and payers.  

Jeff Mortier brings over a decade of public policy expertise in the healthcare, energy, telecommunications, privacy, and data security arenas and is widely regarded as a trusted voice on Capitol Hill.

Jeff has extensive experience in providing strategic advice and lobbying and policy expertise to executives of fortune 500 companies, industry associations, and non-profit organizations.

Jeff also serves as the Executive Director of the 21st Century Privacy Coalition, where he represents major telecommunications and cable companies.

Prior to co-founding Farragut Partners, Jeff served as a Professional Staff Member on the House Energy & Commerce Committee under Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). In that role, he helped organize the committee’s policy agenda and promoted the Chairman’s legislative priorities including work on online privacy and data security issues. He also served as a liaison to Republican Member offices on the committee and worked directly with Members and senior staff to help them further their policy goals.

Before serving on the Energy & Commerce Committee, Jeff spent five years working with senior Member of Congress Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) where he handled the Congressman’s most important legislative priorities, including health care policy, and served as Rep. Whitfield’s top policy advisor. During his time with Rep. Whitfield, Jeff worked on a number of significant bills including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 and the Food Safety and Modernization Act.

Working with his founding partners, Jeff MacKinnon and Joe Vasapoli, Jeff has built Farragut Partners into a premier DC lobbying firm. A Louisiana native, Jeff resides in Washington, DC with his wife Nicole.

As The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) chief medical officer (CMO), Gwen Nichols, M.D., plays a critical role in advancing cures through a unique combination of clinical, academic and pharmaceutical experience. She oversees LLS’s scientific research portfolio, patient services and policy and advocacy initiatives. A physician and scientific researcher, she has dedicated her career to advancing cures for cancers.

Most recently, Dr. Nichols was oncology site head of the Roche Translational Clinical Research Center, where she worked to develop new cancer therapies, translating them from the laboratory to clinical trials. Prior to joining Roche in 2007, Dr. Nichols was at Columbia University for more than ten years, where she served as the director of the Hematologic Malignancies Program.

While at Columbia University, Dr. Nichols maintained an active clinical practice and received the prestigious honors of “Physician of the Year” from Columbia University and the “Humanism in Medicine Award” from the American Association of Medical Colleges.

Kristin Oaks D.O. serves as Central Ohio Primary Care’s Senior Health Connect medical director and the Medical Director of Value Based Care. She is a board-certified family physician, passionate about value-based care and bringing primary care physicians back to a practice they love and patients to the healthcare experience they deserve. Prior to this role she practiced as a family physician for over 20+ years, 7 on active duty in the US Navy, 12 as the solo physician in her private practice. While on active duty she provided medical leadership as the Senior Medical Officer followed by Head of the Primary Care Clinic. She serves as a Governor on the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians Ohio Chapter Board of Governors. 

Dr. Oaks is an advocate for equity in leadership and compensation for women in medicine and is one of the founders of agilon’s Women Physician’s Leadership Council.  She is the proud mother of five, including two women physicians. 

Dr. Oaks is a graduate of The Ohio State University and the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. 

Ted Okon is a nationally recognized expert on the policy and politics of cancer care. He is quoted extensively in the press, including guest appearances on TV and radio news shows. Ted has testified before Congress on cancer issues and is frequently on Capitol Hill discussing the nation’s cancer care delivery system. Ted’s target areas of expertise include the cost of cancer treatment, health care reform, Medicare reimbursement, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), drug shortages, and the changing landscape of cancer care delivery in the United States.

Ted has dedicated his career to healthcare business and policy. He has worked for several pharmaceutical companies including Merck and Warner-Lambert, now part of Pfizer, and IMS Health. He co-founded and took public the health care information business Medical Marketing Group. He also founded two oncology companies (an oncology clinical research network and an information network) and has traveled extensively to China, India, Singapore, the U.K., and the Middle East, analyzing and discussing cancer care delivery.

As executive director of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), Ted oversees the strategic direction of this non-profit organization dedicated to patients and providers in the community cancer care setting, under the direction of a dedicated board of oncologists and practice administrators. Ted also travels the country speaking to state oncology societies, professional organizations, and companies about the challenges facing the nation’s cancer care delivery system. He has authored numerous articles and studies relating to cancer care policy and politics, reimbursement, and clinical issues.

Ted holds a BS degree from Fairfield University and an MBA from the Carnegie-Mellon University Tepper School of Business. His wife, Susan, practiced as a certified oncology nurse.

Dr. Ameet Patel is a bone marrow transplant and cell therapy provider with a strategic focus on the sustainable implementation of novel cell, bispecific antibody, and transplantation therapies. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Florida and completed a hematology/oncology fellowship with a focus on hematologic malignancies, bone marrow transplant, and cellular therapy at Vanderbilt University. He also earned a Master of Management in Healthcare at the Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management, with an interest in cost analysis and payment models for CAR T therapy. During his tenure at OHC, he developed a transplantation program for Multiple Sclerosis, the only known center in the community across the US. His passion is to provide clinical innovation with financial value to cancer patients in the community. 

Dr. Debra Patt is a practicing oncologist and breast cancer specialist in Austin, Texas, and an executive vice president of Texas Oncology with responsibilities in healthcare policy and strategic initiatives. She is an active leader in breast cancer and research in healthcare informatics driving digital healthcare tool adoption in clinical practice to improve the patient journey.

She is the managing partner for the central Texas, Gulf, and Rio Grande Valley regions in Texas Oncology since 2023.

Dr. Patt is the medical director for public policy for The US Oncology Network and has testified before the US Congress and Senate to protect access to care for cancer patients.  She has chaired the council on legislation and the cancer committee for the Texas Medical Association.

Dr. Patt serves as the current Vice President of the Community Oncology Alliance and on the ASCO Board of Directors.  She also chairs the Artificial Intelligence Task Force for ASCO and is the liaison for the clinical innovation committee. 

She lectures medical students and is a Professor at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin.

As Director of Practice Support, Shiela Plasencia brings a wealth of knowledge to COA membership. Ms. Plasencia acts as a critical link between practice administrators, distributing insights and tools to improve practice operations and pursue the highest quality care for patients. She also oversees the COA Administrators’ Network, a peer-to-peer network for administrators for practice leaders to share best practices for addressing the unique issues they face.

Prior to joining COA, Plasencia served as director of quality improvement, compliance, and value-based care at Oklahoma Cancer Specialists and Research Institute (OCSRI), a community oncology practice she joined in 2004. Through her leadership, OCSRI earned the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s QOPI Certification and is one of only two practices in the state of Oklahoma to hold this certification. In 2016, Plasencia joined the Coalition of Hematology Oncology Practices (CHOP) and served as its President from 2019-2021.

Alti Rahman is the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at American Oncology Network. He holds a dual Masters Degree in Business and Healthcare Administration and is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt . 

Alti is proud of his South Asian heritage and has fond memories of his childhood when he lived in the middle east in a small country of Kuwait. His career in healthcare started as a mental health case worker. Those powerful experiences shaped his pursuit of a career in healthcare administration where he felt there was a tremendous gap in medical interventions and pursuit of public health goals.

Prior to joining AON, Alti spent 15 years at a community oncology practice, pursuing value-based care and continuous innovations around operational, cost and quality improvements. 

Alti holds additional supplementary roles including: Board Member of COA (Community Oncology Alliance)-, Chair of the Health Equity Committee for COA, Board Member of the Oncology Circle Advisory, Past Treasurer for the National Cancer Care Alliance and Past President and Treasurer of the Coalition of Hematology and Oncology Practices (CHOP).

Alti believes that the future of healthcare involves a multidisciplinary and unapologetically collaborative approach keeping the patient at the center of all decisions. 

Gloria Sachdev serves as President and CEO of the Employers’ Forum of Indiana. She also serves as Adjunct Associate Professor at Purdue College of Pharmacy. Forum initiatives focus on hospital price and quality transparency, value-based health benefit & payment strategies, and health policy. She serves as a member of the Board of Governors for the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions and as Board Vice Chair for Hoosiers for Affordable Healthcare. 

Dr. Sachdev received her BS and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from the University of Oklahoma and completed a primary residency at the VA in Madison, Wisconsin. Thereafter, she practiced in primary care physician offices managing patients with chronic diseases for 12 years, followed by consulting in the space of incorporating clinical pharmacists into team-based care for 6 years. She retired from Purdue College of Pharmacy after 15 years, but still teaches a few classes for fun. She enjoys traveling, taking her dog on long walks, and playing board games when her 3 kids are home from college.

Robin Shah is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Thyme Care, the leading value-based cancer care partner, collaborating with payers and providers to transform the experience and outcomes for individuals living with cancer. Thyme Care pairs human guidance with software and analytics to engage members with a cancer diagnosis, quickly connect them to the right care, and provide ongoing support through targeted, evidence-based interventions. 

Before launching Thyme Care, Robin was a founding member of OneOncology, where he served as the Chief Development and Marketing Officer, focusing on provider development, marketing, strategy, and technology/analytics. Prior to OneOncology, Robin’s passion for building a stronger future for community oncology brought him to Flatiron Health, a leading healthcare technology company. There, Robin served as Vice President of provider marketing and strategy, where he focused on developing successful go-to-market strategies for patients and providers. Before joining Flatiron, Robin helped manage a comprehensive community cancer center in his hometown, Gettysburg, PA. Robin was instrumental in securing a strong future for the cancer center by restructuring the practice’s business operations, implementing leading technologies, and helping to build a robust research program, ultimately creating a better experience for patients in his community. 

Robin earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from George Washington University and holds an M.B.A from the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University.

Joseph Shields is Transparency-Rx’s founder and President. He  has served both Republican and Democratic Governors in New York and New Jersey. His policy and technology work earned recognition in the media and awards from the Council of State Government for innovation. His representative clients include Capital Rx, Active Radar, Family Matters of Greater Washington, the Rockefeller Foundation, General Motors, Zoll Medical, and emerging tech companies.  Joe earned his law degree from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law and is a cum laude graduate of Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Public Affairs and Citizenship.

Mike Stancil is CEO & President of the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health and cofounder and CMO of Leaficient, an agricultural technology company. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Slippery Rock University, a Master's degree from George Washington University, and his MBA from Johns Hopkins University. He currently serves a number of organizations including the Executive Service Corp through the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management, the Board of Governors of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, the Advisory Board for the School of Public Health at Duquesne University, and the Board of Trustees for the Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative through the Jewish Healthcare Foundation. Mr. Stancil was selected as one of City & State’s Power 100 for 2023, City & State's Healthcare Power 100 and one of the 2024 Pittsburgh Business Times Top 20 to Know in Healthcare.

Shilpa is the Director Value Based Care & IV-Purchasing at Oncology Consultants P.A. Where she dives efforts to maximize patient care savings while ensuring patients receive the highest quality of care. She excels in optimizing value-based contracts and empowering providers to meet patient needs. With a strong background in Business Analytics, Six Sigma and statistical modelling , Shilpa analyses complex process and contracts to deliver optimized and effective cancer care.

Despite being in the healthcare industry for just over four years, She is passionate about creating value not only for the patients  but also for the broader Community Oncology field.

Raymond Tsai is a Family Medicine physician serving as Vice President of Advanced Primary Care for Purchaser Business Group on Health, a non-profit coalition of around 40 private employers and public entities nationally that collectively spend $350 billion annually purchasing health care services for more than 21 million Americans and their families. His current work is to help purchaser members identify high quality advanced primary care, as well as enable easy contracting of identified clinical partners. Prior to PBGH, he served as executive medical leadership for a private company’s effort to invest in primary care for their employees and their families, and saw how primary care improved health outcomes, patient experience, clinician experience, health equity, and health care spend. He has been recognized for his work as a Presidential Leadership Scholar, a partnership among the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. Raymond received his MD from Stanford University, is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Clinical Informatics, received his MS in Health Policy and Management from Harvard, and obtained his BA in Music from UC San Diego.

Ashira has extensive experience in researching a wide variety of issues including public health, health education, human rights, women’s rights, and disability rights. Building on her own experiences growing up and facing difficulties in accessing healthcare, Ashira is now a passionate advocate for ensuring access to healthcare. In her role as Counsel, Ashira provides unique legal insight, develops policy, and oversees advocacy and coalition-building efforts of allied organizations focused on advancing common goals. Ashira earned her Juris Doctorate degree from Florida International University College of Law and is licensed to practice law in Florida and the District of Columbia.

Tom Wierzbowski - President of Willow Risk Advisors. Under Tom’s leadership the firm has grown to become a nationally recognized malpractice consulting firm. Tom has been responsible in designing professional liability and alternative risk programs with several regional and national physician groups / organizations including Fortune 25 companies. Prior to Willow Risk, Tom was Cardinal Health and several healthcare distributors as a medical device and healthcare consultant. This experience has given Tom a unique perspective on healthcare from the physician's practice through the various facilities in which healthcare is delivered.

Dr. Wilfong is Senior Vice President of Value-Based Care at Thyme Care, the leading value-based care enabler, collaborating with payers and providers to transform the experience and outcomes for individuals living with cancer. He is also a practicing medical oncologist/hematologist, at Texas Oncology in Dallas, Texas. Prior to his role at Thyme Care, he served as Senior Vice President of Payer and Care Transformation at The US Oncology Network and as Vice President of Value-Based Care and Quality programs at Texas Oncology.   

A committed advocate for community oncology, Dr. Wilfong’s mission is to transform cancer care to deliver better outcomes by aligning patient goals and values with treatment options and payment models. In his role at Thyme Care, he is helping define the future of value-based care payment reform, improving care-team coordination, optimizing actionable analytics and improving the quality of patient care. 

While at The US Oncology Network, Dr. Wilfong was instrumental in implementing both the Oncology Care Model and the Enhancing Oncology Model while driving performance in multiple commercial value-based care contracts. He previously led the Value-Based Physician Champion task force for The US Oncology Network and chaired the US Oncology Pathways Task Force. Dr. Wilfong currently co-chairs the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Reform Committee and serves on the ASCO drug shortages committee. He formerly volunteered on the ASCO quality measures task force and the ASCO guidelines committee.  While at Texas Oncology, Dr. Wilfong served as medical director of the COVID-19 Task Force and was the physician lead for their electronic medical record conversion. He has received various teaching and community service awards and has published over 50 papers and abstracts.

In 2003, Dr. Wilfong completed a fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas in hematology and medical oncology. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the same school in 2000, as well as earned his M.D. from there in 1997. He earned a B.S. degree in mathematics at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, in 1993.