2 Technology Drive,
Westborough, MA 01581
Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Urban Health Plan, one of the largest community health center networks in New York State. Under Paloma’s leadership, Urban Health Plan, which was established in 1974 by Paloma’s father, the late Dr. Richard Izquierdo, has expanded to a network of 12 health centers, 2 mental health facilities and 12 school-based health centers, serving approximately 84,000 patients throughout the Bronx, Northern Queens, and Central Harlem. Additionally, Urban Health Plan offers many grant-funded programs and WIC services throughout the communities it serves. Paloma is a visionary and nationally recognized thought leader who has devoted her career to increasing access to high-quality, affordable health care and reducing the rates of health disparities in underserved communities. Her approach to realizing health equity has been to ensure and strengthen a social safetynet that addresses the social drivers of health in the minoritized communities Urban Health Plan serves. In 2010, Urban Health Plan established the Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health and Science Charter School, which has successfully created a pathway to both higher education achievement and healthcare careers for middle and high school students. Since economic development is also key to reducing health disparities, in 2015 Paloma led the effort to bring on The Greater Hunts Point Economic Development Corporation as a wholly owned subsidiary of Urban Health Plan and serves as its community and economic development arm, focusing on local business, workforce development, sustainability, and transportation. Paloma’s ongoing commitment to patient-centered care and fostering teamwork has resulted in a culture of continuous quality improvement that has earned Urban Health Plan many recognitions through the years. In 2022, Urban Health Plan performed in the top quartile for 9 Universal Data Set (UDS) clinical measures earning it the distinction of being recognized as a high performing health center. Paloma, who was raised in the Bronx, is a graduate of Boston College and holds an M.A. in speech pathology from Columbia University’s Teachers College, an M.P.H. from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, an Honorary Doctoral Degree from Boston College, as well as an Honorary Doctoral from Metropolitan College of New York. She sits on several boards and has served as the chairperson of the board of directors of the Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS). In August of 2023 Paloma was elected to serve as the Board Chair of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC).
Read More
Lauren Whittemore has been with Hunter Health Clinic, a Kansas FQHC, for 5 years. In that time, she has experience working closely with front office and business operations, as well as evaluating and improving workflow efficiencies across all departments as the EHR Optimization Coordinator. With an appreciation for innovation and opportunities to learn, she looks forward to sharing how the AI No-Show Probability tool can be leveraged to advocate for patient access to quality care.
Read More
Trey Davis is the Director of Information Systems at Sun Life Health Located in Casa Grande Arizona. He is an Air Force Veteran and has been with Sun Life Health for 8 years. Trey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Network Administration and a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Informatics. Currently he oversees all information systems including IT network, data integration, EMR and data analytics. Additionally, he is the Director of the organizations Gaps in Care Team, coordinating between the health plans, Sun Life Health, and the growing patient population to meet the clinical care gap needs facing their communities.
Read More
Dan Clifford, PhD, MPH, is a leader, researcher, and innovator in public service organizations. He has a decade of experience in non-profit, government, and healthcare leadership. His passions are serving others through operations and technology-based solutions that are data driven, informed by stakeholders, and focused on achieving strategic success. He believes in trauma-informed care and follows Robert Greenleaf's notion of servant leadership. Dan is dedicated to helping organizations achieve success in serving others through a process of connection, innovation, data, and humility
Read More
Rachel Benatar has 15+ years of experience supporting FQHCs and other health care organizations. Her focus is on HIT optimization and health innovation to promote and improve health outcomes. Rachel's expertise encompasses Social Determinants of Health, EHR implementation & optimization, Telehealth, and Patient Engagement. She specializes in supporting health centers in optimizing their technologies and related workflows to align with QI objectives and best practices. Rachel is an eClinicalWorks expert and certified trainer. She has a great understanding of health center needs and HIT challenges.
Read More
As HealthEfficient’s Senior Director of Operations, Stephanie Rose oversees many of HealthEfficient’s programs supporting community health centers across the country. She develops and manages initiatives related to population health, clinical quality improvement, Electronic Health Record installation and improvement, Patient-Centered Medical Home transformation, UDS and UDS+ Reporting, Social Drivers of Health (SDoH) integration, and more. Before joining HealthEfficient in 2011, she served as the Senior Director of Information Technology at Washington University, St Louis.
Read More
Gayatri Ankem is a Data Scientist at Community Health Center of the New River Valley. Einstein once said, "The world we have made, as a result of the level of thinking we have done, thus far, creates problems we cannot solve at the same level that created them". This philosophy combined with her passion for making a difference formed the core of her career. She leverages data science with public health expertise for transforming healthcare delivery and driving corporate objectives through analytics. She is a lifelong learner with multiple master’s in public health, Biology and Chemical engineering (pretty sure, we are forgetting another major). She is a dancer, an enthusiast hiker, an experienced mindful practitioner, and communicator who enjoys connecting people and help build inclusive society.
Read More
Kimberly Ferguson is the Director of Clinical Operations at CVHS. With over ten years of experience as a Physician Assistant in Family Medicine, she is dedicated to bridging the gap between the business of medicine and the humanity of healthcare. With a strong belief in improving patient outcomes and enhancing both the patient and provider experience, she focuses on quality to seamlessly integrate clinical operations and patient care. She’s earned her Bachelors and Master’s in Biology from Virginia State University in Petersburg VA, her Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies from Mercy College Bronx, NY, and is currently pursuing an Executive Master's in Health Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond Virginia. Kim’s experiences as a researcher for both the State Laboratory of Virginia and Johns Hopkins University have allowed her to not only excel in patient care, but to also contribute to the advancement in medical knowledge and technology. Kim focuses on maximizing technology to improve efficiencies, focus high preforming teams, and increase touchpoints with patients.
Read More
Maria Odey is Director of Training and eClinicalWorks Administrator at PanCare of Florida. Maria holds an M.A. in Instructional Design & Technology, a B.S. in Workforce Education & Development, and 20+ years of training development, health information systems, and EMR/EHR management experience. Maria’s expertise in EMR, Health Information Systems, and Training Implementation and Management has been instrumental in bringing innovative solutions and strategies to the organization. Prior to PanCare, Maria led training development and EHR administration for a behavioral health organization for almost ten years. In her tenure, she spearheaded the organization’s transition from paper based medical records to electronic health records, and from traditional face-to-face training to virtual learning.
Read More
Amanda Hayes serves as the Director of Nursing for Emergency Psychiatric Services at Mental Health Cooperative. She joined the Mental Health Cooperative leadership team in 2022 bringing years of experience in emergency care, clinical operations, clinical informatics, and a passion for behavioral health care. She received her Bachelor of Nursing Degree from the University of Tennessee and Master of Nursing Degree in Management and Organizational Leadership from American Sentinel University. A trusted leader amongst the senior management team, Amanda fosters a collaborative and supportive work environment and is highly respected amongst peers and subordinates alike. Her work is pivotal in optimizing clinical workflows, identifying opportunities for process improvements, enhancing EHR documentation, and expanding safety initiatives. She is known for her hands-on leadership approach, on the floor engaging with staff while ensuring the highest standards of clinical and patient care are maintained.
Read More
Ruth VanBergen serves as Senior Vice President of Emergency Services, where she is dedicated to transforming emergency psychiatric services with a focus on operational excellence, compassionate care and outcomes. Ruth began her career at MHC in 1998 where she led the development of the state’s first Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT), which is still in operation today. She has also been instrumental in building and nurturing MHC’s care management service, focused solely on persons with serious behavioral health challenges that has matured into one of the largest programs in the state. Ruth previously held the position as Senior Vice President of Operations where she was responsible for all organizational functions, infrastructure and quality of care. Ruth received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Arizona State University, her MBA in Health Care Management from the University of Phoenix and a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology from Southern Illinois University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor/Mental Health Service Provider in the state of Tennessee.
Read More
Jennifer McPeek serves as the Director of Clinical Informatics and a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Williamson Health & Wellness Center. Jennifer seamlessly blends her profound clinical expertise with her passion for leveraging technology to enhance patient outcomes. With a tenure of two impactful years at Williamson Health & Wellness Center, Jennifer has carved a niche for herself as a visionary leader driving transformative change. Her journey towards excellence began with the pursuit of knowledge, culminating in a Master's degree in Nursing Informatics from Walden University. Driven by her relentless pursuit of excellence, she further honed her skills by obtaining a Post-Master's degree in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from Eastern Kentucky University, a testament to her dedication to holistic patient care Jennifer's professional trajectory is marked by her active involvement in pioneering initiatives and projects. From the ground-up construction of a new Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system to spearheading the establishment of School-Based health with cutting-edge telehealth equipment, her contributions have significantly enhanced the delivery of healthcare services. Her multifaceted experience encompasses various roles in clinical operations, enriched by a profound understanding of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), thus providing her with a comprehensive perspective on healthcare management. Beyond her technical acumen, Jennifer's true strength lies in her unwavering commitment to patient welfare. Whether it's optimizing workflows to streamline processes or implementing innovative solutions to address complex healthcare challenges, she remains steadfast in her mission to deliver patientcentered care of the highest quality
Read More
I have over ten years of experience working with a multitude of various EHRs and have been using eCW for the past eight years. I have implemented multiple eCW applications at my varying clinics including Kiosk, Dictation through eClinicalmobile, web from the EXE, PRISMA, eTouch, and of course eCW Cloud. Performed over 500 eCW trainings for end-user staff and have created multiple eBO reports. Have been in the healthcare field for over ten years servicing multiple specialties including Emergency, Urology, Ortho, Neurology, etc. I have had over five years of managing healthcare IT problems within a FQHC. Within that time, I have overseen over five migrations/expansions ranging from brand new clinics to folding in existing clinics.
Read More
Lisa James is Vice President of Health at Futures Without Violence. As part of a National Health Initiative on Domestic Violence, Ms. James has collaborated with health care providers, domestic violence experts, and health policymakers in over 30 states across the U.S. to develop statewide health care responses to domestic violence through training, health policy reform, and public education. She collaborates with national medical and nursing associations to enact effective health policy and programmatic health care responses to abuse and was the recipient of the American Medical Associations' Citation for Distinguished Service for her efforts to train health care providers on domestic violence. Ms. James has coordinated the biennial National Conference on Health Care and Domestic Violence. During her 28 years Futures without Violence, Ms. James has also worked with the international program, collaborating with leaders from non-governmental and health care organizations in Russia, Mexico, India, and China to build the capacity of health systems, providers, and community members to identify and help victims in reproductive health settings. She is the mother of two and lives in Berkeley, CA.
Read More
