Rise

Michael Cheek President & CEO

Special Needs Plan Alliance

Mike Cheek is the President & CEO of SNP Alliance, a national force for improving the health and well-being of individuals living with significant, complex needs through specialized managed care. Mike comes to the SNP Alliance from his role as the Senior Vice President for Reimbursement and Market Strategy for the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). Prior to this role he was the Director of Medicaid Long Term Care for the District of Columbia’s Medicaid agency, the Department of Health Care Finance.

Dr. Shannon Decker Principal

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.

Mary Clare DuRocher Vice President, Strategic Accounts

SafeRide Health

Mary Clare DuRocher, MHA, is the Vice President of Account Management at SafeRide Health. Mary Clare has a background in account management and NEMT program innovation across payer and providers. Mary Clare has worked with MCOs, large and small, to improve member access NEMT and telehealth programs with measurable results in performance improvement and cost savings.  Adept at leading teams, facilitating strategic initiatives, and managing multimillion-dollar accounts to deliver measurable results. Skilled in stakeholder engagement, program development, and mentoring emerging talent. Before SafeRide, Mary Clare was in management consulting focused on population health management with experience on readmission reduction, telehealth, and healthcare equity and brings that wholistic member focus to her client relationship role at SafeRide.  

Mary Clare has her undergraduate degree from Saint Olaf College and her Masters in Healthcare Administration from the University of Minnesota. 

Sarah Ferguson MPH, Program Director, Special Needs Plans

Devoted Health

Sarah Ferguson, MPH, is the Program Director for Special Needs Plans (SNPs) at Devoted Health, where she oversees operations, compliance, and quality improvement within Devoted's C-SNP and D-SNP products. She has served in many positions within Devoted Health's operations since 2020, including leading new market and product launches and supporting provider operations. 

Sarah has over 10 years of experience designing and managing healthcare and public health programs, working across sectors and populations to design, implement, and maintain sustainable, high-quality solutions to complex health challenges. Prior to Devoted, she conducted research on community disaster preparedness and resilience at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and managed a portfolio of global maternal and child health and nutrition projects at John Snow, Inc. She holds an MPH from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a BS from the University of Michigan.

Bill Friedman VP of Payer Engagement

Wider Circle

Bill has deep expertise in selling and marketing digital health engagement solutions to payers and providers with an intimate knowledge of the health payer landscape. Most recently, Bill led payer sales at Carrot Fertility, a global provider of fertility benefits. Prior to Carrot, Bill led all sales and lead generation for Zipari, a SaaS-based consumer engagement solution for health insurers. His team was instrumental in the company's growth from startup to scale and eventual acquisition by Thoma Bravo, a leading private equity firm. Additionally, he was Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer for Health Republic Insurance of New York, the largest CO-OP health insurance carrier in the nation, leading sales operations, broker relations, strategic sales planning, and marketing growing the company from startup to 220,000 members in less than three years. Prior to joining Health Republic, Bill served as Senior Vice President of Sales at Easy Choice Health Plan of New York, where he was vital in launching the company’s Medicare Advantage products, and Atlantis Health Plan, a provider-owned HMO focused on the commercial health insurance space.

Mr. Friedman’s recent speaking engagements include AHIP and The RISE Summit on Social Determinants of Health.

In his spare time, Bill enjoys live music, playing guitar, the NY Yankees, and he is currently studying for his private pilot’s license. He lives in New York's lower Hudson Valley with his wife, Lisa, four children, and two poodles.

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.

Eli Goldberg VP of Data and Innovation

Belle

Eli Goldberg, PhD, MSc, is the VP of data and innovation for Belle Cares, the US’ largest in-home clinical foot care company. Prior to Belle, Eli was the VP of Data Science at Current Health, a company acquired by Best Buy Health for $400M. Additionally, Eli has held leadership roles at CVS, Aetna, and Novartis, and is a board member in several health-tech companies in the US and Australia. Eli holds a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering, Geology, and Geophysics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as a Master’s in Environmental Engineering and a PhD in Chemistry and Bioengineering from ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

Doug Golub Principal Consultant

Data Potato LLC

Doug Golub is Principal Consultant at Data Potato LLC and focuses his deep HCBS and LTSS policy expertise and passion on delivering innovative technology solutions to the healthcare and human services field. Doug’s career has been dedicated to helping people to live their best and most included, supported, and empowered lives through tools, innovation, and data.

Doug has consulted with managed care plans, government oversight, and providers. Doug was President and co-founder of MediSked, LLC and completed its successful acquisition in 2022. Golub serves on the ACCSES AI Committee and on the ANCOR Foundation Board of Directors and is currently serving as the Board Treasurer.

Prior to joining MediSked, Golub served as Platform Services Manager for Microsoft’s Health Solutions Group. An original member of Microsoft’s healthcare venture, Golub is an expert in health information technology, security, implementations, and customer needs assessments. Golub holds a Master’s of Information Systems from Rochester Institute of Technology and a BS in Business Administration and Computer Science from the State University of New York College at Geneseo

Shannon O'Connell Associate Partner

Engagys

Jennifer Rucci MD, President

Eventus WholeHealth

Dr. Rucci is a nationally recognized Psychiatrist who specializes in the study, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders in the geriatric population. Dr. Rucci has built a foundation of knowledge from large hospital systems, community mental health, emergency services, and academic settings. She is a founder of Eventus WholeHealth and is the President of the Eventus Institute for Strategic Thought & Innovation.

In 2010 she found her passion in the underserved long-term care population who had little access to quality mental health services. In order to expand access, she developed a program to advance the future of psychiatric services in this population through a team of highly trained specialist providers. She then worked toward integrating these mental health services with high quality on site primary care services and other medical specialties, creating the first of its kind integrated healthcare model in the long term care population. Dr. Rucci and her expansive team are dedicated to producing measurable outcomes only achieved through the implementation of a truly integrated patient care system.

Dr. Rucci earned her undergraduate degree from the College of New Jersey and then went on to study medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School where she earned her M.D. Her internship and residency were completed at the University of Colorado, where she focused on geriatric interests and served as chief resident. As part of her dedication to educating and training new care providers, Dr. Rucci is Associate Clinical Faculty and educator for Garner–Webb University, University of North Carolina, and Campbell University. She has authored works on dementia in gold standard textbooks used to educate the next generation of psychiatrists.

Allison Silvers Chief Health Care Transformation Officer

Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC)

Allison Silvers has been with CAPC since 2016, working to integrate palliative care into population health and value-driven strategies. In this time, Ms. Silvers has educated payers and policymakers on both the value of palliative care and the key strategies that ensure access and quality, while also educating palliative care programs on opportunities under value-based payment. Her accomplishments in this time include: launching the CAPC Payment Accelerator; leading learning communities for Medicare Advantage plans, ACOs, PACE programs, and 'disrupter organizations'; supporting actuarial analysis and regulatory guidance for Medicaid palliative care benefits; and creating the Serious Illness Scorecard.

Prior to joining CAPC, Ms. Silvers served as the chief strategy office for VillageCare, where she oversaw innovations in chronic and long-term care services, as well as quality improvement efforts. She also helped launch two health insurance companies and has served as a long-term care subject matter expert for New York State. Ms. Silvers holds an MBA from Yale University, a BS in economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and a Geriatric Scholar Certificate from the City University of New York.

Courtney Skivington Chief Operating Officer

Partners Health Plan

Courtney Skivington-Wolf serves as Chief Operating Officer for Partners Health Plan. Prior to joining, Courtney served as Vice President for Program Administration at a New York State DSRIP PPS, overseeing provider quality performance initiatives. Courtney also directed the Project Management Office (PMO) for the Department of Health’s eMedNY claims system.

Courtney is a registered nurse and holds certifications in LEAN, Microsoft Training, and cardiac nursing. She received a BA in English and a BA in Communications from St. John Fisher College, and degree in Nursing from Hudson Valley Community College.

Jill Sumner Principal

Lyle Health LLC

Jill Sumner, Principal at Lyle Health, possesses over two decades of experience in the healthcare industry. Throughout her career, she has held various positions in payer and provider organizations, with a primary focus on enhancing the delivery and financing of healthcare services for complex and underserved populations. Jill has specialized in establishing partnerships between providers and payers through population health management models, aiming to enhance quality and streamline healthcare spending.

Her ability to identify gaps in the industry and naturally connect the dots to develop innovative solutions has established her as a thought leader in the field. With prominent positions in the two largest professional associations for long-term care providers, she developed multiple successful initiatives to foster productive partnerships between managed care organizations and providers.  Jill has been instrumental in the development of special needs plans including ISNPs, DSNPs, CSNPs and one of the first MMPs in the nation.

Jill has held positions within the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield (now Anthem) and Virginia Premier Health plan.  As the VP of Strategy and Business Development at Virginia Premier Health Plan she successfully led the organization in being one of three health plans awarded a contract to develop one of the first Medicare-Medicaid plans in the country.

Jill’s educational background includes two Master’s degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in gerontology, as well as a Master’s degree in Business Administration.

As Principal at Lyle Health, Jill helps organizations and individuals navigate the complex healthcare system. Understanding that every situation and organization is unique Lyle Health takes an individualistic approach to identifying the end goals and crafting a strategy to attain them.

Elizabeth Sutton MPH, Risk Management Lead | Care Management Risk

Humana

Elizabeth Sutton, MPH, is a Risk Management Lead with Humana, where she focuses on oversight and governance of Humana’s Special Needs Plan (SNP) products. Through the establishment of appropriate controls, oversight, and governance, Humana is able to identify risks and push to align on finding compliant data-driven solutions. Elizabeth has held various positions within the SNP division since joining the enterprise in 2013. She is actively involved in improving the health outcomes of Humana’s SNP members by leading quality improvement program requirements for Humana SNP products and ensuring the group is “audit ready every day.” Prior to joining Humana, she worked for an Institutional Special Needs Plan in New York City. Her passion to improve the care of older adults in rural areas led her to Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Gerontology. Elizabeth also holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Connecticut. She grew up in rural Maine and now lives in New York with her partner James and their two canine rescues, Maggie and Mota.

Natasha VanWright Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations

Belong Health

A visionary healthcare leader with over 25 years of experience, Natasha VanWright has transformed clinical operations, health equity programs, and executive coaching for women of color in healthcare. Natasha’s expertise spans clinical leadership, strategy, operations, business development, and medical cost reduction. Natasha bridges the gap between patient care and business strategy to drive sustainable impact.

As SVP of Clinical Operations at Belong Health, Natasha developed the SNP and ACO Care Management programs and leads the organization’s clinical strategy to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. Her career includes clinical and leadership roles at NYU Langone Hospital, VNS Health, Urban Health Plan, WellCare/Centene, Centerlight, and Healthfirst.

Committed to advancing health equity, Natasha serves as a Board Member for Community Healthcare Network (CHN), supporting 14 federally qualified health centers across New York City. As a passionate advocate for leadership diversity, Natasha founded Natasha VanWright Coaching to provide executive and life coaching to women of color in healthcare. Through her work as a certified coach, Natasha empowers women of color in healthcare with the tools to lead with authenticity, navigate career transitions, and thrive in executive roles.

Natasha is an active member of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business Recent Alumni Council, Westchester Women’s Agenda, Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, and the National Black MBA Association. She frequently speaks on healthcare innovation, leadership, and diversity, sharing her insights at industry conferences and leadership panels.

Natasha holds an MBA from the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, an MS in Healthcare Leadership from Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and an MA in Nursing Education from Pace University, alongside undergraduate degrees from Pace University and Fordham University.

Gretchen Wagner Associate Vice President, Risk Management

Humana

Sharon Williams Health Plan President

University of Michigan Health Plan

Sharon Williams is a Management Consultant and Healthcare executive. She has extensive experience working with healthcare payers, providers and managed care organizations in the development and evaluation of healthcare delivery and reimbursement systems, healthcare compliance programs, healthcare reform options and healthcare data analysis.  

As a senior executive for several health plans, she was responsible for the overall operations of the health plan, including strategic direction, network and reimbursement, and administration for all existing programs and the development of new programs to ensure goals and objectives were met or exceeded.

Sharon is an innovative leader adept at building teams who have the ability to think creatively and design profitable organizational changes.  She has a keen understanding of customer needs and optimal work environment to allow maximum performance from employees.  She specializes in policy leadership in family, health, organization operations, anti-violence, early childhood and economic growth.

Ms. Williams holds a double Masters’ degrees from the University of Chicago in Public Policy and Health Administration. She has completed competitive Policy Management Institutes at Carnegie Mellon and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. 

Caroline Wilson McDonald Principal

Prizm Health Advisory

Caroline Wilson McDonald is the Founder and Principal at Prizm Health Advisory, LLC, a consulting firm focused on Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNP) implementation, quality improvement and compliance. Prior to founding Prizm Health, Caroline was the SNP Quality Improvement Director at Cigna-HealthSpring where she oversaw the Plan’s SNP products (Dual, Chronic and Institutional) representing approximately 22% of membership and over $1 Billion in revenues. During her time at Cigna-HealthSpring, she developed structures and detailed processes to monitor and comply with SNP regulatory requirements and led the department that provided oversight, quality improvement and project management functions to the operational areas responsible for implementing the company’s SNP Models of Care. Caroline began her career working in Market Intelligence for Healthways and then joined the Business Development and Managed Care Department at Community Health Systems. Caroline has a BA in Economics from Vanderbilt University and a MBA from Harvard Business School. She is also a SNP Model of Care Surveyor on behalf of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

Caroline Yaun Senior Consultant, Clinical

Rebellis Group. LLC

Caroline has over 25 years of experience in managed care, product strategy, and policy analysis with a background in the development, implementation, and execution of Special Needs Plans (SNP) and hands-on experience creating Models of Care for D-SNP and C-SNP plans, addressing and meeting state and federal requirements, and navigating CMS corrective action plans.

Caroline’s previous health plan experience includes serving as an Executive Director of SNP Programs, where she insourced the SNP care management program and built a multi-year SNP growth strategy. Prior to that, she held various leadership roles at large health plans, where she was responsible for financial and clinical performance of the D-SNP for the Mid-America market and served as Director, Medicaid Eligibility and Program Policy in a National SNP Program Office. Caroline also served as a Senior Clinical Program Consultant, leading end to end clinical implementations for Medicaid, Group Retiree, and D-SNP products.

Caroline holds a BSN from the Catholic University of America and a BA in philosophy and religion from The University of the South-Sewanee.