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Our committees represent the major stakeholder groups in Washington’s health care system. They work with Washington Health Alliance staff to help steer the shift toward value-based purchasing in Washington.

Quality Improvement Committee (QIC)

The QIC provides clinical expertise and advice to the Board on quality improvement issues and strategies and is responsible for maintaining adherence to the Alliance’s overall vision and direction. The committee works in concert with the Alliance staff to ensure the Alliance’s quality improvement work and strategy are coordinated and moving forward.

Name Title Organization
Mary Anderson, MD Chief Clinical Integration and Quality Officer The Polyclinic/Physician Care Alliance/Physicians Care Network
Lydia Bartholomew, MD Senior Medical Director, West Region Patient Management Aetna
David Buchholz, MD Medical Director Quality, Provider Engagement Premera Blue Cross
Peter Dunbar, MBChB Executive Director Foundation for Health Care Quality
Sharon Eloranta, MD Division Director, Quality CHI Franciscan
Nancy Fisher, MD Chief Medical Officer Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Francis Gough, MD Chief Medical Officer Molina Healthcare
Bruce Gregg, MD Medical Director, Primary Care Clinics MultiCare Health System
Matt Handley, MD Medical Director of Quality & Informatics Kaiser Permanente Washington
Kim Herner, MD Medical Director Valley Medical Center
Dan Kent, MD Chief Medical Officer UnitedHealthcare Community Plan
Gary Knox, MD Chief Medical Officer The Rockwood Clinic
Peter McGough, MD Chief Medical Officer UW Medicine Neighborhood Clinics
Bob Mecklenburg, MD Medical Director, Center for Health Care Solutions Virginia Mason Medical Center
Randal Moseley, MD Quality Medical Director Confluence Health
Michael Myint, MD Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety Swedish Health Services
Andrew Oliveira, MD Executive Medical Director Regence BlueShield
Janet Piehl, MD Associate Director for Clinical Quality University of Washington Neighborhood Clinics
Terry Rogers, MD Retired
John Sobeck, MD Market Medical Executive Cigna Health Care
Hugh Straley, MD Chair Dr. Robert Bree Collabortive
Julie Stroud, MD Medical Director Northwest Physicians Network
John Vassall, MD Physician Executive, Quality & Safety-QSI Qualis Health
Lynette Wachholz, ARNP Quality Leader The Everett Clinic
Judy Zerzan, MD Chief Medical Officer Washington State Health Care Authority

Consumer Education Committee (formerly Consumer Engagement Committee) (CEC)

The purpose of the CEC is to develop strategies to empower individuals to more actively manage their health and health care through consumer education initiatives; to help implement consumer-related strategies that position the Alliance and the state as a leader in best practices in consumer education; and to provide expertise and advice to the Board on promoting patient-centered and culturally competent health care while educating consumers, improving patient-provider communication and addressing disparities in care.

Name Title Organization
Joseph Babani Manager, Health Care Financing and Delivery The Boeing Company
Gloria Brigham Education Director Washington State Nurses Association
Julie L. Brown Strategic Market Director Harmony Biosciences, LLC
Michael B Garrett Principal Mercer Health and Benefits
Michelle George PEBB Communications Manager Washington State Health Care Authority
Sarah Greene (Chair) Executive Director Health Care Systems Research Network
Leah Hole-Marshall General Counsel and Chief Strategist Washington Health Benefit Exchange
Nancy Kokenge Client Consultant Arthur J. Gallagher & Company – Benefit Services
Carolyn Martin Consumer Outreach Coordinator National Libraries of Medicine, NW
Milana McLead Senior Director, Strategic Communications and Growth Washington State Medical Association
Cameron Pelly Client Consultant Arthur J. Gallagher & Company – Benefit Services
Andrew Radolf Consumer Representative
Sherry Reynolds Consumer Representative
Tammy Wild Health Systems Manager, State-Based American Cancer Society
Janna Wilson Program Sourcing Manager King County

Purchaser Affinity Group (PAG)

The Purchaser Affinity Group was formed to give employers and labor trusts the opportunity to meet regularly to discuss value-based benefit design and other ways to reduce the medical cost trend. Among the group’s areas of interest are: sharing best practices regarding communication and engagement of consumers about their health decisions; learning about value-based benefit design; securing support from more employers for the Alliance’s medical home pilot and identifying how they can leverage the experience to accelerate payment reform; working together to give a consistent message to health plans regarding expectations for improving efficiencies in the market; and leveraging the Alliance’s efforts to dovetail with health reform efforts whenever possible.

Name Title Organization
Keith Abernathy Managing Director, Human Capital Operations Alaska Air Group
Joseph Babani Manager The Boeing Company
Jane Billbe Human Resources Manager Greater Seattle Metro Chamber of Commerce
Audrey Brown Benefits & Payroll Manager Foster Pepper PLLC
Fred Brown Executive Director Pacific Health Coalition
Merissa Clyde Director of Health Plan Operations SEIU 775 Benefits Group
Patrick Connor Washington State Director National Federation of Independent Business
Ron Crawford Vice President, Benefits Starbucks Coffee Company
Todd Crosby Secretary/Treasurer UFCW 21
Kathryn Ewing Economist City of Seattle
JD Fischer Healthier Washington Medical Program Specialist Washington State Health Care Authority
Mary Fliss Deputy, Clinical Strategy and Operations Washington State Health Care Authority
Renee Freiboth Benefits Manager City of Seattle
Mary Fuller Wellness, Retirement and Benefits Analyst SoundTransit
Donna Hagerman Benefits Specialist Health & Wellness Operations The Boeing Company
Erik Halse Strategy Specialist The Boeing Company
Eve Hewitt Human Resources Benefits Manager Port Blakely Companies
Julie Honeywell Chief Human Resources Officer SoundTransit
Kitty Hudzinski Benefits Manager Perkins Coie
Tom Hunt Director of Compensation and Benefits Puget Sound Energy
Beverly Lakey Program Manager, Employee Benefits Trust Association of Washington Cities
Charlene Lind Account Executive/Compliance Manager Northwest Administrators, Inc.
James Lopez Director of Human Resources and Performance Management City of Kirkland
Josh Madsen Director, Health Benefits and Medical Relations Alaska Air Group
Lou McDermott Division Director, Public Employees Benefits Washington State Health Care Authority
Larry McNutt Sr. VP Corporate Administration & Pension Northwest Administrators, Inc.
Rob Mumford Benefits Administrator Davis Wright Tremaine
Marcia Peterson Benefit Strategy Design Manager Washington Health Care Authority
Rachel Quinn Special Assistant for Health Care Policy and Programs Washington State Health Care Authority
Traci Quiroz Director of Human Resources and Operations Foster Pepper PLLC
Michele Ritala Health & Welfare Program Manager Puget Sound Energy
Kerry Schaefer King County Benefits Strategic Planning King County
Randy Scott NW Member Representative Pacific Health Coalition
Sandra Spellmeyer Total Rewards Manager Port of Seattle
Neil Strege Vice President Washington Roundtable
Carol Wilmes Director, Member Pooling Programs Association of Washington Cities
Karen Wren Benefits Manager Point B Consulting
Robin Wyss Secretary-Treasurer SEIU Healthcare 1199NW

 

Health Economics Committee (HEC)

The focus of the HEC is on (1) improving transparency of utilization and price variation to reduce unwarranted variation and the overall cost trend, and (2) promoting value-based benefit design, contracting, payment reform and other levers designed to improve the value of health care delivery.

Name Title Organization
Douglas Conrad Professor of Health Services University of Washington
Jim Fitzpatrick Vice President, Pacific Northwest Cigna
Will Fox Principal and Consulting Actuary Milliman
Jim Gregson Vice President Parker, Smith & Feek
Adam Jonas, MD Physician-in-Chief, East King County Hospitalist/Consultative Internal Medicine Kaiser Permanente Washington
David LaMarche Executive Director Eastside Health Network/ EvergreenHealth Partners
Shawna Lang Account Manager Health Care Authority
Ross Laursen Vice President Premera Blue Cross
Larry McNutt Senior Vice President, Corporate Admin/Pension Northwest Administrators, Inc.
Sandy Melzer, MD Senior Vice President/Chief Strategy Officer Seattle Children’s
Ethan Norris Senior Vice President, Business and Product Development Community Health Plan of Washington
Christine Palermo Physician Advisor, Finance Virginia Mason Medical Center
Bob Perna Director, Health Care Economics & Practice Support Washington State Medical Association
Zak Ramadan-Jradi, MD Executive Director, Clinically Integrated Network & ACO Operations MultiCare Health System
Ian Randall, PhD Senior Consultant Health Management Associates
Brian Ritchie Assistant Director Actuarial – Strategic Provider Analytics Regence BlueShield
John Robinson, MD Chief Medical Officer First Choice Health
Reynaldo “Rey” San Antonio Director, Network Pricing – Pacific Northwest UnitedHealthcare
Claudia Sanders Senior Vice President, Policy Development Washington State Hospital Association
Kerry Schaefer King County Benefits Strategic Planning King County
Walter Sive Consumer Representative
John Wagner Network Market Head Aetna
Karen Wren Benefits Manager Point B
To Be Announced The Boeing Company