Future of Mental Healthcare: East

Suzanne Kunis is Vice President of Behavioral Health Solutions for Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. She brings over 30 years of experience in the health care  industry with a significant focus on behavioral health. Suzanne is a registered nurse and moved from care delivery to health care management early in her career.

Suzanne was recruited to Horizon in March 2017 to develop and lead Horizon’s first ever internal Behavioral Health strategy and team. Suzanne is responsible for all behavioral health strategy development and execution including Horizon’s commitment to the  integration of physical and behavioral health. In her five years at Horizon, Suzanne has led the development of Horizon’s continuum of behavioral health capabilities, programs and services – an innovative approach to ensure the right care at the right time for all of Horizon’s members. Suzanne oversees all work related to behavioral health including the 2020 insourcing of behavioral health clinical operations from an MBHO vendor and has developed and successfully launched a first-of-its-kind integrated system of care to address the challenges of our fragmented delivery system for our most vulnerable members in New Jersey. Suzanne is Horizon’s behavioral health champion – the opioid crisis and continued battle to eliminate mental health stigma are priority items on her agenda and she is working tirelessly to ensure that Horizon’s employees, provider network and members know that “mental health is health.” Prior to joining Horizon BCBSNJ, Suzanne served for 22 years as Senior Vice President of Behavioral Health Services for Magellan Health Services. She was the business owner for Magellan’s health plan (Commercial, Medicare and Medicaid) and employer client relationships. She was responsible for oversight and management of nationwide service delivery including member services, clinical operations, network development  and management, quality, sales, EAP and finance. During her tenure with Magellan,  Suzanne developed a deep understanding of the behavioral health care issues facing our country and the long overdue recognition of the impact of behavioral health issues on comorbid medical conditions.Suzanne also served as Senior Vice President of Account Management and Implementations for ComplexCare Solutions (CCS). CCS provided in-home risk adjustment assessments and care management services for its health plan clients.

After graduating from Thomas Jefferson University, College of Allied Health Sciences in Philadelphia, Suzanne began her nursing career at the East Orange Veterans Administration Hospital. She then began a 12-year career journey with which was then Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey where she served many roles including Vice President of the Individual Market segment.

Dr. Caroline Carney is a board-certified internist and a board-certified psychiatrist. She joined Magellan Health in 2016 and serves as Magellan Health’s Chief Medical Officer, overseeing Magellan Healthcare and Magellan RX Management.  Her previous experience includes the role of SVP Chief Medical Officer of Magellan Behavioral Health and Magellan Specialty Health.  She served as the chief medical officer for regional health plans where she gained experience in Medicaid, Medicare, Exchange, and commercial populations.

Previously, Dr. Carney served as the medical director for the Indiana Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning, helping to launch the Medicaid expansion product as well as the behavioral health transformation for the state’s community mental health services. While in Indiana, she served on the Governor’s Mental Health Commission.  She is a frequent speaker about behavioral health services, integrated and collaborative care, and the importance of self-care during and following the pandemic.

Dr. Carney is a published author and co-author for over 100 peer and non-peer reviewed publications focusing on issues surrounding comorbid medical and behavioral health conditions.  She was a tenured associate professor of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry at Indiana University, and developed the psychosocial oncology program for Indiana University’s NCI accredited cancer center.

She started her medical and academic career at the University of Iowa where she earned her medical degree, as well as a master’s degree, and directed the Med-Psych residency program. She continues to engage in regular clinical work through supporting the behavioral health team at a federally qualified health center.

As Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Mark Friedlander, MD, MBA, oversees the medical strategy of our behavioral health facilities, contributing an integral perspective including thought leadership, oversight of medical staff across the network and utilization management.

Dr. Friedlander joined UHS in 2020. Prior to that, he served as Chief Medical Officer for Aetna’s Behavioral Health unit from 2010 to 2020. In this role, Friedlander was responsible for utilization management, quality, NCQA accreditation and clinical compliance, overseeing 400+ physicians, clinical and non-clinical staff providing 24/7/365 services to multiple lines of business.

Prior to his time at Aetna, Dr. Friedlander served as Corporate Medical Director for Penn-Friends Behavioral Health Systems in Plymouth Meeting, PA, responsible for the formulation and development of enterprise behavioral health strategies; and the design and implementation of emergency assessment capability to triage and manage high-risk patients. Before that, Friedlander served as Director, Outpatient Clinic and Adolescent Inpatient Care at Friends Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. Earlier in his career, Friedlander was the Psychiatrist and the Acting Medical Director at Child Guidance Resource Centers headquartered in Havertown, PA.

Dr. Friedlander earned his MD from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, and his MBA from the New York Institute of Technology. He completed postdoctoral residencies in General Psychiatry and in Child/Adolescent Psychiatry. He currently serves on the American Medical Society, Pennsylvania Medical Society and the Delaware County Medical Society.

Dr. Young leads the departments of psychiatry at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and Zucker Hillside Hospital, and he oversees behavioral health at Northwell.

Previously, he served as vice chair for education in the department of psychiatry at the Zucker School of Medicine and Zucker Hillside Hospital. He also directed the Psychiatry Residency Training Program at Zucker Hillside and chaired the Curriculum Committee, which oversees the four-year curriculum at the Zucker School of Medicine.

Prior to joining Northwell, Dr. Young served as associate professor of psychiatry at the UCSF School of Medicine. He held a number of roles including associate director of the Residency Training Program in the department of psychiatry (2005-2012), director of the medication management clinics at the Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital and Clinics (2005-2012), and chair for the Advanced Studies Committee at the Zucker School of Medicine (with oversight over the Med4 curriculum, 2008-2012). While based at the Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center (2012-2013), he was the associate director for the Kaiser- UCSF Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship and a physician investigator with the Behavioral Health Research Initiative at Kaiser’s Northern California Division of Research. During this time, he also helped create a primary care consult service supporting over 120 primary care physicians.

Dr. Young’s research has focused on improving quality and patient safety in the clinical learning workplace. In particular, he has made important contributions to multiple literatures, including cognitive load, handoffs and patient safety; the ‘July Effect’; professional identity formation; and workplace-based assessment in psychiatry. He has published extensively in the leading medical education journals. He served as associate editor for AHRQ’s WebM&M (2009-2013) and now serves as associate editor for Perspectives on Medical Education and as an invited member of the International Competency-Based Medical Education Collaborative. Throughout his career, he has participated in local patient safety committees and led efforts to incorporate quality improvement processes into ambulatory settings.

Dr. Young has held leadership roles in numerous medical education organizations. He is a former program chair and chair of the Assessment Committee and the current secretary and member of the Steering Committee and executive council of the Association of Directors of Psychiatry Residency Training. He was a member of the National Board of Medical Examiner’s (USMLE’s) inaugural Patient Safety Test Materials Development Committee and now serves on the Evidence Based Medicine Interdisciplinary Review Committee. In July 2017, he was chosen to serve on the ACGME Psychiatry Review Committee.

Prior to his career in medicine, he did human rights work in southern Africa and Asia and served as legislative director for an assemblywoman in the California State Legislature where he helped lead several important health policy initiatives.

He received a BA (magna cum laude) from Harvard University with a double concentration in social studies and the comparative study of religion. He earned a master’s degree in public policy from the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy and a PhD in health professional education from Utrecht University in the Netherlands. He obtained his MD from the University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine, where he also completed residency training in general adult psychiatry.

Karthik Sivashanker, MD, MPH, is a nationally recognized expert and pioneer in the field of Quality, Safety and Equity. He currently serves as Vice President of Equitable Health Systems at the American Medical Association (AMA), while also practicing as a psychiatrist at the Justice Resource Institute. Karthik is a co-lead of Rise to Health, a prominent national coalition dedicated to equity in healthcare.

With a background that includes a Harvard Medical School Fellowship in Patient Safety and Quality, as well as a Master’s in Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Dr. Sivashanker is committed to driving racial justice and equity in healthcare. His expertise lies in leveraging high-performance quality and safety practices to identify and resolve inequities within healthcare delivery systems.

At Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Karthik became the first recognized Medical Director in Quality, Safety, and Equity in the country. As a clinical scholar at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), he led a pivotal partnership with BWH to develop a groundbreaking system-wide model for reducing health inequities. His team coined the framework “equity-informed high-reliability” as a model for systematically addressing inequities in healthcare.

Since joining the AMA, Karthik has emerged as a national thought leader, spearheading initiatives to transform healthcare systems for greater equity and optimal health outcomes. His team has since launched the AMA Peer Network for Advancing Equity through Quality and Safety in collaboration with The Joint Commission and BWH. This model is now being implemented across healthcare systems nationwide. Karthik is also driving the formation of the Rise to Health Coalition, partnering with various organizations and individuals to build a powerful national movement for equity in healthcare. Additionally, his team leads efforts in transforming narratives through the National Health Equity Grand Rounds, reshaping medical education through the development of health equity curricula and advancing research on equity education measurement and evaluation.

As a former Fulbright scholar, he conducted groundbreaking research on the vertical transmission of HIV/AIDS in rural Venezuelan mountain communities. As a VA Under Secretary for Health Diffusion of Excellence Gold Fellow, he led work to standardize and improve substance use screening and triage for Veterans. He is a devoted father, a talented musician, a fierce advocate, and a loyal friend.

Pamela Greenberg is the President and CEO of the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW). She joined the association in 1998 and since that time has become a nationally recognized leader on managed behavioral health care policy.ABHW is the leading association working to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and advance federal policy to improve mental health and addiction care. ABHW represents major national and regional health plans who care for more than 200 million people.Pamela has extensive experience in behavioral health policy, particularly in the areas of parity, prevention, access, integration, and outcomes. She currently serves on the Joint Commission’s Behavioral Health Care Accreditation Advisory Council and URAC’s Health Standards Committee and Parity Advisory Council.Prior to joining ABHW Pamela was the Deputy Director of Federal Affairs for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). Before joining AHIP Ms. Greenberg was a Legislative Assistant at Capitol Associates, a healthcare consulting firm in Washington, D.C.Pamela has a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and a Masters in Public Policy from Georgetown University.

As president and CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Chuck Ingoglia leads the national charge to ensure people living with mental illness and addictions have access to comprehensive, high-quality care that affords every opportunity for recovery. To accomplish this, he harnesses the voices and support of the more than 3,000 National Council members who serve over 10 million individuals nationwide.

Prior to being named president and CEO, Chuck led the National Council’s policy and practice improvement work, directing the organization’s federal and state policy efforts and overseeing trainings and programs offered to more than 500,000 behavioral health professionals across the U.S. 

Chuck draws from personal experience and a deep knowledge of the field acquired from more than 26 years’ professional experience to provide services, including site-of-service technical assistance, to members. He effects change at both the national and state level by playing a major role in policy advocacy and analyses on issues relevant to behavioral health. His efforts center on key issues such as parity, health care reform and improving access to behavioral health treatment in communities. 

Before joining the National Council, Chuck provided policy and program design guidance to the Center for Mental Health Services at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Earlier in his career, he directed state government relations and service system improvement projects for the National Mental Health Association (now Mental Health America), performed policy analysis for the National Association of Social Workers and designed educational programs for mental health and addictions professionals for the Association of Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare. He has also served as an adjunct faculty member of the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management. 

Chuck holds a Master of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work, both from The Catholic University of America. 

Dawn Zieger is Vice President of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Geisinger.    Dawn is a dynamic speaker, change agent and advocate for mental health services.   In her current role, she is responsible for the operations of a full continuum of behavioral health services, including inpatient and outpatient behavioral health, addiction medicine and substance use treatment services serving Central Pennsylvania.  Dawn has led the transformation efforts to bring needed Behavioral Healthcare to rural Pennsylvania through virtual care while creating surge capacity for mental health services.  Ms. Zieger has a passion for integration and transformation, leading multi-organizational initiatives to bring needed behavioral healthcare to patients across the continuum.   

Ms. Zieger has a diverse background in healthcare, payer and technology-based environments. Prior to coming to Geisinger, she led transformation programs at JPS Health Network as Executive Director of Community and Director of Ambulatory Behavioral Health. Ms. Zieger is a proud Army veteran with experience working with PATRIOT missile systems. She’s also an assistant professor at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, supporting cross disciplinary educational programming.

She earned a master’s degree in public health from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College and has a bachelor of science degree from Dallas Baptist University. Dawn is dedicated to developing people and programs, leading teams through change and serving the needs of the community.  

Brad Lerner is a Director of Public Policy & Manager of Behavioral Health and Enterprise Issues for Anthem and formerly served as vice president government affairs/associate general counsel for Beacon Health Options. He is government relations professional with more than 25 years of public and private sector experience analyzing and addressing regulatory issues, including complex legal and policy issues in health care. He is a leading expert on Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) analysis and compliance and works with federal and state policymakers on ways to improve mental health and substance used disorder system of care. He is currently serving on the Board of Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness and is a subcommittee chair on the American Health Lawyers Association Behavioral Health Task Force. Previously, he worked as a regulatory attorney at the Federal Communications Commission and as in-house counsel at Cavalier Telephone, LLC. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School.

Dr. Mason Turner is the Senior Medical Director for Behavioral Health for Intermountain Healthcare based in Salt Lake City, UT. 

His leadership in mental health care focuses on the development and evolution of strategic innovations in behavioral health care delivery that enhance quality of care and clinical excellence and are guided by principles of equity and inclusion of the patient/consumer voice into all aspects of the behavioral healthcare ecosystem. 

Including integration initiatives which link mental health care and addiction medicine services with both primary and specialty medical care, as well as supporting innovative technological means of reaching patients for treatment of behavioral health conditions, he is also committed to enhancing access for behavioral health care services to all those who need it. Additionally, he has extensive experience in promoting employee health and well-being in a variety of corporate and healthcare sectors.

As a clinician, he specializes in addiction medicine, consult-liaison psychiatry and treatment of personality disorders. He has received extensive training in resiliency-and systems-based approaches for improving the mental health and well-being of refugees, asylum seekers and torture survivors.

Dr. Turner also served as a former Assistant Clinical Professor in Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco Medical School, where he taught medical students at all levels the practice of interviewing patients and clinical reasoning skills. He also served as adjunct faculty at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Dr. Turner earned his AB degree in psychology from Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, and completed his MD degree at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center/ Parkland Hospital in Dallas, TX. He completed his residency in psychiatry at Harvard University Medical School through Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital, in Boston, MA, with additional training in psychotherapy at the Center for Psychoanalytic Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital and addiction psychiatry at McLean Hospital. He is board certified in Psychiatry and certified in Addiction Medicine through the American Board of Preventive Medicine.

Tammer Attallah serves as the Executive Clinical Director for Intermountain Healthcare’s Behavioral Health Clinical Program.  Tammer Attallah has over 25 years’ experience in mental health and substance use disorder services across the lifespan. He holds a master’s in social work and business administration from the University of Utah.  

For 14 of those years, he led multiple programs and initiatives in a tri-county community mental health center serving Salt Lake, Summit, and Tooele counties in Utah. Notably, he launched a system wide school mental health programming across multiple school districts.  He led multiple implementations of systemwide evidence-based treatment models across the services’ continuum. Furthermore, he also led the organization’s cultural competency program that focused on removing internal and external barriers to care from disenfranchised community members. 

Over the 10 nine years at Intermountain Healthcare, he also served as the Administrative Director of Behavioral Health Services at Primary Children’s Hospital and then the Director of Community Services for Children’s Health Pediatric Behavioral Health Service Line where he led a continuum of behavioral health services and more recently he focused in community based service to enhance coordination and continuity.

Additionally, he served on community and state boards to include Utah’s Salt Lake County Council on Diversity Affairs, the Division of Occupation and Professional Social Work Licensing Board. Currently, he serves on National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Utah Chapter Board, Impact Clinic Board, a nonprofit free mental health clinic treating low-income and the uninsured in Utah, University of Utah’s College of Social Work Community Advisory Board and chairs Salt Lake County’s System of Care Advisory Council.

Over the course of his leadership career, he emphasizes the value of delivering evidence based behavioral health care.  From this cornerstone, a clear vision and collaboration create innovations that ultimately overcome the barriers to those we serve to meet our mission.

Tammer enjoys spending time with his partner and two daughters. He also appreciates his time in the outdoors cycling and skiing.

Dr. Hossam Mahmoud is Regional Chief Medical Office at Carelon Behavioral Health, overseeing a large regional team of medical directors, psychologists and pharmacists, dedicated to supporting behavioral health programs across multiple states. Dr Mahmoud leads the overall direction of the regional strategy to optimize behavioral health, improve whole-person health outcomes and implement innovative approaches and digital solutions to enhance behavioral health care access.  

Prior to joining Carelon Behavioral Health, Dr. Mahmoud was the Medical Director for Behavioral Health at Cambia/Regence, where he provided medical leadership, strategic direction and clinical oversight for behavioral health services across all lines of business within the health plan. Dr Mahmoud has also served as medical director and senior vice president at Array Behavioral Care, a national telehealth organization, focusing on implementing clinical telehealth programs and expanding access to BH services across the country.

Dr Mahmoud is a Board-Certified psychiatrist, Past President of the Illinois Psychiatric Society and Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He earned his Medical Degree and Master of Public Health at the American University of Beirut. He worked as a Medical Officer at the World Health Organization before completing his residency training at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University in Chicago. Dr Mahmoud holds an academic appointment at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr Mahmoud has worked in inpatient, outpatient and consultation/liaison psychiatry and telepsychiatry, and he is passionate about increasing access to high quality behavioral health services nationally. 

Dr Mahmoud has published multiple peer-reviewed papers on telebehavioral health and digital solutions, and he has recently published a book with Springer Health titled Essentials of Telebehavioral Health: A Practical Guide

Abeer is a seasoned healthcare leader with over 17 years of government programs experience in roles that span business analytics, compliance, network strategy, account management, growth and financial performance. She led the Medicare Product for Optum Behavioral Health where she focused on building the value-story of increased and integrated BH services and solutions for over 6M seniors that resulted in improved total health outcomes and member growth. In her current role, Abeer is responsible for the development and oversight of integrated behavioral health solutions for millions of members cared for by the Optum Home and Community Care Advanced Practice Clinicians, Care Management and Care Navigation teams.

 Abeer is also a proud United Health Group Culture Facilitator and active proponent of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She is a certified leadership coach, certified Fair Play facilitator, and sits on multiple boards including Wafa House, a Domestic Violence Agency in NJ. Abeer received her B.S. and MBA from Rutgers University and lives with her husband and 3 children in Monroe Township, NJ.

Jessica Chaudhary is a board-certified psychiatrist who completed her medical training at the University of Washington School of Medicine, her residency in psychiatry at Yale University, and a fellowship in psychosomatic medicine at Harvard University.  She specializes in psychiatric disorders and has treated patients with anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorders, substance use disorders, and bipolar disorders, among other psychiatric conditions.  She has expertise in caring for patients with co-morbid psychiatric and complex medical problems and has cared for patients across the lifespan.  She is a national accounts medical director at Elevance and a fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

Dylan Ross, PhD, LPCC, LMFT is an Organizational Psychologist and independently licensed behavioral health clinician with a strong background leading clinical strategy, product development, strategic partnerships, and digital transformation at Optum/UnitedHealth Group, Kaiser Permanente, and Rogers Behavioral Health. Dr. Ross currently serves as Principal and Owner of Dylan Ross Consultation, LLC – a consulting firm providing strategic advisory and consultancy services to care delivery, health systems, health plans, and technology companies within health and life sciences.

Most recently Dr. Ross led Clinical Innovation as system Vice President at Rogers Behavioral Health. Prior to this he served as National Sr. Director of Clinical Strategy and Products at Optum Behavioral Health. Dr. Ross’ professional experience also includes work with Kaiser Permanente-Colorado, The Permanente Medical Group in Northern California, and Kaiser’s Care Management Institute at Kaiser Permanente’s National Program Offices where his efforts helped deepen behavioral health and primary care integration, advance clinical innovation, and drive quality and outcomes improvement across the system.

Notable committee work includes Dr. Ross’ role as Chair Elect of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) National Advisory Committee for Measurement-Based Care and the Mental and Behavioral Health Registry where he supports the advancement, adoption, and use of standardized clinical measurement within the field of behavioral health.

Shairi R. Turner MD, MPH, is an internist and pediatrician with expertise in trauma-informed practices. She currently serves as the Chief Health Officer at Crisis Text Line, leading the organization’s external policy, advocacy, and partnership initiatives related to mental health. Crisis Text Line is a national not-for-profit organization that provides free, 24/7 text-based mental health support and crisis intervention in English and in Spanish.  In this role, she is fervently committed to addressing the youth mental health epidemic.

Prior to joining Crisis Text Line, Dr. Turner served four years as the first Chief Medical Director for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, responsible for the oversight of Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Services. Her office’s focus included the impact of childhood trauma (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse) on youth involved in the juvenile justice system. She then served two years as the Deputy Secretary for Health and the Interim State Surgeon General for the Florida Department of Health.  

After her departure, Dr. Turner was a faculty consultant for the National Center for Trauma-Informed Care, co-leading national trainings on the neurobiology of trauma. As the Co-Director of the U.S. Office on Women’s Health Trauma-Informed Medicine e-Cases, she was responsible for the development of a compendium of online virtual patient cases (for primary care providers) focused on practical approaches to caring for patients who have survived traumatic life experiences.

She received a BS in Biology from Stanford University, a Doctor of Medicine degree from Case Western University School of Medicine (with honors), and completed the Harvard Combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency Program. As a Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellow in Minority Health Policy, she earned a Master of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. 

She is married and the mother of two college students.  She serves on the board of the Innocence Project of Florida and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett is the Vice Chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC), a Clinical Associate Professor at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, an Associate at Harvard’s Center for Primary Care, and a Health Innovators Fellow at the Aspen Institute, a highly competitive fellowship that catalyzes leaders to improve US health care.

Prior to joining BMC in 2009, Dr. Gergen Barnett attended Yale University School of Medicine, worked at the National Institutes of Health, and completed a fellowship studying a model of group prenatal care for women in low-income communities. At BMC, she has served in multiple leadership roles including as a chief resident, Director of Integrative Medicine, Medical Director, Residency Director, and Vice Chair. Her primary clinical interests are behavioral health, preventive medicine, nutrition, trauma informed care, gender affirming care, women’s health, reproductive care, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and group medical care.

Dr. Gergen Barnett’s research career has been focused on innovative models of care to address chronic medical conditions, physician burnout, and engaging community partners in creating feasible solutions to increase health and wellness and to address medical distrust in traditionally marginalized communities. Dr. Gergen Barnett brings her training and passion for community engaged research to her role as PI in a clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of Paxlovid, an antiviral, in treating high risk children infected with COVID-19.

Finally, Dr. Gergen Barnett is involved in local and state health policy addressing health inequities, national policy addressing primary care delivery, and is a regular contributor to The Boston Globe, Boston Public Radio, and multiple television outlets.

Nathaniel Z Counts, JD is the Senior Vice President of Behavioral Health Innovation for Mental Health America (MHA) and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He currently also serves as the Senior Fellow in Behavioral Health Policy at the Commonwealth Fund. At MHA, Nathaniel leads policy research and advocacy centered around addressing social and economic determinants of behavioral health, prevention and population health strategies, and the economics of investing to improve behavioral health. Nathaniel’s thought leadership and research has been published in journals such as JAMA Pediatrics, Lancet Psychiatry, and the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Nathaniel also serves as an expert member of the Forum on Promoting Children’s Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Health at the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. Nathaniel received his J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was a Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy Student Fellow, and his B.A. in biology from Johns Hopkins.

Dr. Santopietro is the first physician-in-chief of the Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network, Connecticut’s leading provider of addiction and mental health services. A nationally recognized leader, Dr. Santopietro comes to Hartford HealthCare from Silver Hill Hospital where he served as president and medical director. Prior to that, he was chief clinical officer for behavioral health and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Carolinas HealthCare System, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit healthcare systems. He has published and lectured extensively, especially on the use of technology to enhance the delivery of behavioral health services, and integration of behavioral healthcare into primary care practices.

Tim Clement is the Director of Legislative Development at the American Psychiatric Association and creates state and federal legislation pertaining to behavioral health. Tim also works with state and federal regulators on implementation of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (federal parity law). Since 2017 he has drafted 24 state laws pertaining to parity implementation and drafted the amendment to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act that was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.

Stephanie Sullivan, PhD, LMHC, is a health care leader and advocate with a deep commitment to providing high-quality and equitable care to marginalized patients.

As Chief Executive Officer, she ensures sound financial operations, oversees program development and management; empowers staff by nurturing a supportive, inclusive and engaging culture; oversees fund development and leads the strategic and annual planning process.

Prior to joining BHCHP in 2022 as its CEO, Dr. Sullivan was Senior Vice President of Operations at VitalCore Health Strategies, a leading provider of healthcare for correctional institutions. She is a former Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Clinical Services for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, managing compliance and oversight for an $850 million contract providing a full range of treatment services.   

Dr. Sullivan served as Director of Federal Programs at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and was the Clinical Director for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Dr. Sullivan received her Master of Education in Counseling Psychology from Cambridge College and a PhD in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Capella University. She is a Licensed Mental Health Clinician in Massachusetts.

Shawna Zabkiewicz, RN BSN CCM SSYB is the Program Director, PH/BH Integration for Carelon Behavioral Health, a US Navy Veteran who has worked in several capacities within the healthcare field as an RN, including nursing, home health, occupational health, acute care, case management, and managed care. In previous roles, Shawna has developed and implemented several value-based care initiatives in the orthopedic space. Prior to coming to Carelon Behavioral Health, Shawna worked in the acute care setting at her local level 1 trauma center managing the Case Management, Social Work and Behavioral Health Crisis Teams. She is passionate about improving the alignment between quality care and financial efficiencies within our healthcare system.

In her current role at Carelon Behavioral Health, Shawna has developed and implemented a program to address rising Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) and Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) through a whole person care peer-based initiative. Her role as a thought leader focuses on integrated care, care management delivery and digital solutions using evidenced-based physical and behavioral health principles.  

Shawna is a Registered Nurse with certification in Case Management and is currently pursuing her Masters in Business Administration.

Amara is the Director of Behavioral Health Policy and Advocacy at Boston Children’s Hospital. She is responsible for advancing the hospital’s behavioral health policy agenda at the local, state, and national level to expand access to quality behavioral health care for all children. Amara works in close consultation with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and also provides strategic direction and leadership to further the policy goals of the Children’s Mental Health Campaign. Amara has been featured on Boston 25 News, Chronicle’s WCVB Channel 5, NBC10 Boston and is regularly quoted in major publications like the Boston Globe. Amara has authored publications on health equity, health care cost trends, and disparities in behavioral health, including a peer-reviewed article in the American Academy of Pediatrics. Before joining the Government Relations team, Amara worked in the Office of General Counsel at Boston Children’s Hospital, where she implemented and staffed the hospital’s first Medical Legal Partnership program. Amara also served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Health Care Division at the Massachusetts Office of Attorney General Maura Healey and as a judicial law clerk for the Delaware Family Court. She is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and George Washington University Law School.

John serves as the CEO of The Jed Foundation (JED), a leading nonprofit organization that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults. JED works across the country helping youth, families, schools, and community organizations to take actions to support youth mental health and reduce risks for suicide. Passionate about supporting young adults in their transition to adulthood, John advises several organizations including the S. Jay Levy Fellowship for Future Leaders at City College, Trek Medics, Opera Ebony, the Health Policy and Management Department at the Mailman School of Public Health, and HIV Hero.

Earlier in his career, he served in executive positions and board roles for several pharmaceutical companies, where he oversaw functions such as business development, alliance management, clinical development, regulatory affairs, and commercial operations. 

John is a recipient of The Allan Rosenfield Alumni Award for Excellence in the field of public health from the Joseph L. Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. He earned a BA from Columbia College, an MBA from New York University, and an MPH from Columbia University.

As the co-founder and CEO of Greenspace Health, Jeremy Weisz is revolutionizing the mental health industry through the implementation of Measurement-Based Care (MBC) in clinical settings. With a deep understanding of MBC’s potential to transform the quality of behavioral health services, Jeremy co-founded Greenspace to bridge the gap between research and its practical clinical implementation. Under his leadership, Greenspace has successfully supported over 400 organizations and health systems across North America in improving their behavioral health services through MBC.

Prior to co-founding Greenspace, Jeremy earned both his business and law degrees at the Ivey Business School and Western University, and worked as an M&A and corporate lawyer at Goodmans LLP. He is also a co-founder of True North Sports Camps and has held key business and product development roles at the Aequitas NEO Exchange. Jeremy’s passion for empowering individuals and service providers in the mental health care industry is evident in his unwavering dedication to improving the quality and effectiveness of behavioral health services through Greenspace Health. 

Jill Borelli is a transformation leader with success in steering organizations through groundbreaking changes in clinical services, systems, and healthcare business processes that drive quality, regulatory compliance, efficiency, and profitable growth. Her expertise includes leading large scale, organization-wide quality infrastructure, strategy and Board-approved initiatives and is known for pragmatic development and operationalization of compliance and quality processes. Motivated by a deep commitment to collaboration and talent/team management, Jill Borelii achieves strong results, as demonstrated in her previous work at Tufts Health Plan and current work at Point32Health.

Dr. Ronke Komolafe is an executive leader with over 15 years of healthcare experience creating business value through systemic programs, evaluation, strategic planning, market expansion, product development, and revenue generation. Dr. Ronke is the Board Chair and CEO of Integrated Physical & Behavioral Health Alliance, a business and market expansion Company that provides leadership and go-to-market strategies to healthcare and health IT Companies. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Integrated Health Magazine, a thought leadership magazine focusing on integrated health approaches to care delivery and digital health.

Dr. Komolafe is the Lead for the Mental Health Group of the Forbes Business Council, the Vice Chair of the American Association for Doctors of Behavioral Health, the Vice President of HIMSS South Texas Chapter, and an Associate Professor at Morehouse School of Medicine. She also serves as an Advisory Board Member and Associate Professor at Cumming Graduate Institute of Behavioral Health.

 Dr. Komolafe has extensive experience in mental health IT, Medicaid, leadership, healthcare strategy, business development, integrated care, and healthcare regulatory affairs. Dr. Komolafe is known for her multi-dimensional perspective on integrated and mental health and her passion for health innovation and advancement.

Samta currently serves as the Director of Data Science at Blue Cross Blue Shield, MN, building robust data science and generative AI capabilities spanning all areas of business while leading data teams from their inception. Her experience spans over a decade in machine learning, statistical optimization, and artificial intelligence, with a focus on addressing healthcare challenges. She previously held the position of Senior Data Science Manager at CVS Health, overseeing healthcare delivery portfolios and managing a team of data scientists. Her academic background includes a PhD in Computer Systems from RPI and a Master’s degree from IISc, with a specialization in machine learning and algorithms. Outside of work, Samta enjoys nature, music, and painting. For more information, you can contact her at shukla.samta@gmail.com. 

Sarah E. Wakeman, MD is the Senior Medical Director for Substance Use Disorder at Mass General Brigham in the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, Medical Director for the Mass General Hospital Substance Use Disorder Initiative, program director of the Mass General Addiction Medicine fellowship, and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. 

She received her A.B. from Brown University and her M.D. from Brown Medical School. She completed residency training in internal medicine and served as Chief Medical Resident at Mass General Hospital. She is a diplomate and fellow of the American Board of Addiction Medicine and board certified in Addiction Medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine. She served on Massachusetts’ Governor Baker’s Opioid Addiction Working Group. Nationally, she serves on the American Society of Addiction Medicine Ethics Committee.

Clinically she provides specialty addiction and general medical care in the inpatient and outpatient setting at Mass General Hospital and the Mass General Charlestown Health Center. Her research interests include evaluating models for integrated substance use disorder treatment in general medical settings, low threshold treatment models, recovery coaching, physician attitudes and practice related to substance use disorder, and screening for substance use in primary care. 

Tracey Weeden, MSW, LICSW is currently the executive director for Boston Medical Center’s Brockton Behavioral Health Center. Ms. Weeden has more than 25 years of experience serving behavioral health and marginalized communities along the East Coast. Ms. Weeden has a passion for shaping systems of care that place the person-served front and center by ensuring ease of access to quality treatment through the development of sustainable and efficient healthcare systems.  Ms. Weeden also spends much of her time volunteering on non-profit and governmental boards to ensure representation of the communities in which she serves.

Chris is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She earned her Master of Social Work degree rom Rutgers,
The State University of New Jersey and a Bachelor of Social Work from Slippery Rock University of
Pennsylvania. Chris has spent her life influencing change in our broken behavioral health treatment
system, from within New Jersey state government, as a C-Suite executive in substance use treatment
and social services, and now as an executive leader in Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield’s behavioral health
affiliate, NovaWell.
At Horizon, and now NovaWell, Chris has been responsible for developing and expanding an innovative
program that integrates physical health, behavioral health and social determinants of health care
through a network of community treatment providers and physical health partners. This program is
achieving significant reductions in substance use and mental health symptoms and improvement in
quality of life for members served, and is also reducing ER visits and overall cost of care. Chris is also
responsible for Horizon’s cutting edge behavioral health value based contracting work and the
implementation of Horizon’s Youth Behavioral Health strategy.

Mike is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, based out of New Jersey, who earned his Bachelor’s
degree in Sociology and Master’s Degree in Social Work from Rutgers University. Currently,
Mike serves as Vice President at Oaks Integrated Care overseeing operations for Ambulatory and
Acute Behavioral Health Services as well as being involved in strategy and business
development for the agency. With over 15 years in the field, Mike has served a variety of
populations throughout his career including children and families, individuals with serious
mental illness, and those with substance use and co-occurring disorders in a variety of settings
including ambulatory, acute and in-community. As a champion of evidence-based practices,
data driven decision-making and person-centered care, Mike has been a driving force behind
implementing new models of behavioral health care such as the Certified Community Behavioral
Health Clinics both at Oaks as well as at the state and national levels. Mike has experience
advocating for legislative change to improve behavioral health services throughout New Jersey
and the country in addition to serving on steering and advisory committees on the county, state
and national levels. Mike also works as adjunct faculty for Rutgers University’s School of
Social Work. His blend of strong leadership and clinical expertise helps to ensure sound
business decisions without compromise to clinical quality. Mike lives in Burlington County,
NJ with his wife, who is a practicing LPC and professor, along with their 2 children.