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A Risk Worth Taking: My Experience as a HIMSS25 Student Ambassador

by Malaysia Lightsey, BSN, RN

To prioritize both my health and professional aspirations I chose to resign without a job offer. I agonized for months about whether ending the chapter of my career that I’d built since childhood was worth it. As I was reading The Power of the Subconscious by Joseph Murphy, my desire to put myself first grew stronger. I began seeing how attending the HIMSS25 Global Health Conference & Exhibition as a Student Ambassador was an investment in my future and potentially a defining moment in my life. I was determined to immerse myself in the world of health IT and validate my efforts to advance from a direct impact on patients to a larger-scale impact on patient populations. I completed my service agreement and the next day I was on the plane.

Even with faith, anxiety exists. Whenever alone, my thoughts would run for the mountains. I had to carefully address doubts so they wouldn’t burrow in my mind and hinder my potential. So, I put on my imaginary Stetson of confidence and embraced any challenge that came my way.
Little did I know my first challenge was navigating Vegas.

I became known for getting lost very early on. A tad embarrassing at first, but it created a sense of familiarity that made it easier to connect with others. Anyone who navigated the conference with me at some point knows I felt like a kid in a toy store. I couldn’t stop myself from frequently expressing the joy of seeing my two worlds collide. Health IT is a wonderfully engaging field that serves the greatest purpose of being a clinician: improved patient outcomes.

There was so much excitement in my heart, but I quickly realized it could be overwhelming. Using meditation skills and leading with passion helped me push past daunting life stressors and fully engage. I thought it would be fun to study AI-based products by asking how they reach the understanding of the clinicians before implementation. The responses provided valuable insight that will aid my goal to amplify clinician voices in AI adoption. Proof that my confidence grew with purpose was when fellow students would ask me – a conference first-timer, “How do you do that?” as my approach appeared effortless.

Being surrounded by like-minded professionals who inspire and motivate is priceless. With high risk comes high reward – I won big by gaining friends whose impact I can’t wait to witness and support. HIMSS Student Ambassadors are top-notch emerging leaders. If you see one of us at HIMSS26, new or returning, say hi!

My main takeaway from my HIMSS25 experience is proving that I can open doors to the unknown to light my own path. Every day I am increasingly certain that this path was the one I was destined to illuminate on my journey to becoming a global health leader.

May your efforts achieve new heights – and if nothing else, remember to believe in yourself!

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Michelle Spencer

Deputy Director
Bloomberg American Health Initiative

Michelle Spencer is the Deputy Director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and Practice Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She has over 25 years of experience in public health management and leadership and a wealth of experience in administrative and operational management, strategic planning, resource management, and policy development.

Her expertise is in place-based program implementation, development, and management with a focus on the impacts of health equity, racial disparities, and health outcomes, particularly in disinvested and underserved and under resourced communities. She focuses on addressing the preventable nature of public health issues through integrated, evidence-based approaches.

Mrs. Spencer previously served as the Director of the Prevention and Health Promotion Administration at the Maryland Department of Health, Director of the Maryland Health Enterprise Zone initiative, and led both place-based chronic disease and violence intervention programs. Mrs. Spencer sits on national, hospital systems and state commissions, and advisory boards.

Mrs. Spencer holds a Master’s degree in Health Services Management and Policy from New School University in New York, NY and a BA in Sociology and African Studies from Binghamton University in Binghamton, NY.

Mihailo Kaplarevic

Chief Research Information Officer at Children’s National Hospital and the Bioinformatics Division Chief at Children’s National Research Institute
Cherie Pardue is the Associate CIO/VP Enterprise Applications at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) with responsibility for clinical and business application decisions. She is a past president of the HIMSS Virginia chapter, was formerly the CIO of the American Hospital Dubai and is a forward-thinking, results-focused executive with over 20 years of contributions to business through technology solutions.

Cherie Pardue

VP/ACIO Enterprise Applications, Clinical Technologies and Learning Services
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

Cherie Pardue is the Associate CIO/VP Enterprise Applications at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) with responsibility for clinical and business application decisions. She is a past president of the HIMSS Virginia chapter, was formerly the CIO of the American Hospital Dubai and is a forward-thinking, results-focused executive with over 20 years of contributions to business through technology solutions.

Brian Lancaster

CIO
Children’s Mercy KC

Brian Lancaster is a veteran healthcare technology strategist with over 25 years of experience and currently serves Children’s Mercy as Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer. His experience comes from both leading provider organizations IT departments as well as leading product strategy for major HIT vendors as seen from his time at Cerner Corporations where he was the executive that led the EMR and Population Health product management organizations. He is a recognized innovator with nine patents granted across the areas of analytics, machine learning, physician workflow and cost accounting as well as a frequent presenter on topics such as digital transformation, innovation, and governance. Additionally, he is very involved with the startup community as seen by his roles with Nobl Health and Redpoint Summit.

Angela Shippy

Director, Senior Physician Executive
Amazon Web Services

Angela A. Shippy, MD, MHA, FACP, FHM is Amazon Web Services’ Senior Physician Executive and Clinical Innovation Lead. In this role, Dr. Shippy brings clinical and operational leadership experience and perspective to advancing cloud technology adoption to support, enable, and activate patients and providers. Previously, Dr. Shippy served as Senior Vice President, Chief Medical & Quality Officer at Memorial Hermann Health System where she had system-wide oversight for accreditation, clinical quality, employee and patient safety, lab, and pharmacy. Prior to Memorial Hermann, Dr. Shippy served as Chief Medical Officer of HCA’s Gulf Coast Division and as Vice President of Medical Affairs at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in the Texas Medical Center where she practiced as a hospitalist. She earned a B.S. in biology from Texas A&M University and an M.D. from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where she also completed her residency in internal medicine. Dr. Shippy has served on local, state, and national councils and committees and held volunteer faculty positions at Baylor College of Medicine, UT Health-Houston, and The Institute of Healthcare Improvement.

Shereef Elnahal

Former Under Secretary for Veterans Health, NJ Health Commissioner, and Academic Medical Center CEO
Thrive Capital

Dr. Shereef Elnahal is a physician leader and expert in health care delivery to dual-eligible patients, with multiple leadership experiences serving vulnerable communities. He is currently Executive Health Advisor at Thrive Capital, and engages with firms large and small on how to remain competitive in an era of unprecedented innovation in health care delivery.
Before this, he was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as Under Secretary for Health at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and confirmed by the US Senate on July 21, 2022. In this role, he lead the largest integrated health system in the nation alongside a team of nearly 400,000 professionals, delivering world-class care to 9 million enrolled Veterans.
Dr. Elnahal has overseen the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) implementation of the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, the largest expansion of Veteran benefits and care in a generation. More than two years since the law, VA has enrolled more than 800,000 new Veterans into health care, the majority of whom had exposure to toxic substances, and upgraded health care coverage for more than 900,000 Veterans already enrolled in VA. Despite this large increase in demand, he has also improved access to care by growing appointment volumes, expanding infrastructure through innovative partnerships with top medical institutions and the Department of Defense, and more. VHA is now better staffed with clinicians that at any point in its history after he initiated system-wide hiring and retention initiatives, which also helped reduce average wait times for primary care and mental health 5% and 15% respectively. He has grown care delivery in all appointment types, and improved overall care productivity by 9% in two years. He has also advanced care access for women Veterans, including extending maternity care coordination benefits for up to one year after birth for Veteran mothers in an effort to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality, and enrolling more than 50,000 new women Veterans into healthcare over the last year.

He has also focused on ending the scourge of Veteran suicide, implementing a new policy in which VA covers the costs of care for any Veteran in suicidal crisis (not just those enrolled for VA healthcare), and has advanced VA’s research in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to unprecedented levels. Under his leadership, VA is now funding psychedelics studies for the first time since the 1960s, and has gained bipartisan support in Congress for more funding to do multi-site clinical trials on MDMA, psilocybin, and other psychedelics agents combined with novel models of psychotherapy.
Under Dr. Elnahal’s leadership, VA has also made progress in placing record numbers of homeless Veterans into permanent housing. In FY2024, VA housed nearly 48,000 homeless Veterans, leading to a 7.5% reduction in Veteran homelessness since 2023. Veteran homelessness is now at the lowest level overall since measurement began in 2009. He is also co-leading the agency’s efforts on generative artificial intelligence, focusing on use cases that reduce clinician burnout.
Prior to his role at VA, Dr. Elnahal served as President and Chief Executive Officer of University Hospital in Newark, NJ. University Hospital is a Level I trauma center, the principal academic medical center for Rutgers NJ Medical School, and New Jersey’s only public hospital serving a large population of dual-eligible patients. Elnahal led University Hospital through the COVID-19 public health emergency, and the hospital served as a model for urban and regional response efforts. In addition, Governor Phil Murphy tasked the hospital with coordinating regional pandemic response efforts across dozens of hospitals in northern NJ, as well as with activating a military field hospital alongside the National Guard. In addition to his leadership during the pandemic, Dr. Elnahal oversaw substantial improvements in care quality and patient safety at the hospital, leading to improvements against national benchmarks. He also turned around the hospital financially, moving from significant operating losses to a healthy surplus. He engaged the community meaningfully in the hospital’s programming, to include a partnership the NJ Housing and Mortgage Financing Authority to provide supportive housing to homeless patients; a hospital-based violence intervention program that has served as a national model; and a program that deploys trusted chaplains to serve as community health workers.

Prior to his time at University Hospital, Elnahal served as New Jersey’s 21st Health Commissioner, appointed to the state Cabinet post by Governor Phil Murphy and confirmed unanimously by the New Jersey Senate, serving during the first two years of the Murphy administration. As Health Commissioner, he was responsible for running the state’s four psychiatric hospitals, and made strides in improving quality, patient safety, and outcomes for New Jersey’s most vulnerable patients requiring mental health inpatient hospitalization. He also expanded the New Jersey Health Information Network, worked to improve infant and maternal health outcomes, and made strides in curbing the opioid epidemic.
Dr. Elnahal also served as Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Quality, Safety, and Value at the US Department of Veterans Affairs from 2016 through 2018, overseeing quality of care for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). He co-founded the VHA Innovation Ecosystem, a program that continues to foster the spread of innovation and best practices that improve Veteran care across the nation.

Dr. Elnahal received his MD from Harvard Medical School and his MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School. His perspective on the American health care system’s COVID-19 response, including on matters of health equity, has been featured on national media outlets including Fox Business, CNN, and the New York Times.

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Mendel Erlenwein

Founder and Chief Executive Officer
CareCo
Mendel Erlenwein is the founder and CEO of CareCo, an AI-powered co-pilot revolutionizing care coordination. With a deep understanding of the healthcare/care coordination landscape, he previously built Previva Health Group, a human-service-based care coordination company providing chronic care management, remote patient monitoring, and transitional care services to thousands of patients monthly. Mendel is a sought-after speaker on AI in healthcare, with recent keynote engagements at industry-leading conferences, including the HIMSS 25, Health Plan Alliance, Thinc360, and others. He is also the host of the #1 podcast in Value-Based Care, Healthcare Trailblazers, where he interviews top executives shaping the future of healthcare, and the author of “Unleashing Value, The Case for AI in Value-Based Care”. A visionary entrepreneur, Mendel is actively scaling CareCo to bridge the gap between AI and human care, securing funding, building strategic partnerships, and expanding its engineering capabilities. His expertise spans AI-driven workflow automation, care coordination, and health tech innovation.

David Banks

Group Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer
AdventHealth
David Banks is the chief strategy officer and senior executive vice president at AdventHealth. In this role, he oversees the system’s 10-year strategic roadmap called Vision 2030 and provides oversight for the acceleration and performance of AdventHealth’s transformation agenda. Further, he serves as the group CEO for two of AdventHealth’s five divisions – the Primary Health Division and the Multi- State Division – and also exercises responsibility for systemwide strategic planning and corporate communications. The Primary Health Division drives the diversification of AdventHealth’s service offerings outside hospitals to increase success in taking delegated risk. Banks oversees the assembly of all services needed to become a health care provider in consumers’ homes, as well as the maintenance and growth of an integrated consumer digital interface. The Multi-State Division spans five regions comprised of 23 hospital campuses across eight states. Banks oversees the strategic direction, development, and expansion of the entire division. Two of these regions are anchored in the strength of national partnerships for regional relevance – University of Chicago Medicine in the Chicago market, and Texas Health Resources in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. With leadership in both relationships and executive oversight into the boards across the division, Banks champions the growth and development of AdventHealth outside of Florida. Previously, Banks served as senior vice president and chief strategy officer for AdventHealth hospitals throughout Florida. He has also held facility-based positions as administrator for AdventHealth Celebration (formally Florida Hospital Celebration Health) and AdventHealth Kissimmee (formally Florida Hospital Kissimmee), senior vice president of multi-campus administration for AdventHealth campuses in Central Florida and administrator for AdventHealth Orlando (formally Florida Hospital Orlando). Banks earned a master’s degree in nonprofit administration from the School of Social Work at the University of Maryland, and a bachelor’s degree from Pacific Union College. He currently serves on the advisory board for CareCo, an AI-powered care coordination platform. In the past, he has served as co- chair of the executive board for the American Heart Association of Central Florida, chairman for Community Vision and on the board of YMCA of Central Florida.

Hal Wolf

President & CEO | HIMSS | United States

Harold (Hal) F. Wolf III is the president and CEO of HIMSS, a global advisor and thought leader supporting the transformation of the health ecosystem through information and technology. Wolf is respected internationally as a healthcare and informatics leader, with areas of expertise in mHealth, product development, integrated care models, marketing, distribution, information and technology, and large-scale innovation implementation. Before joining HIMSS, Wolf served at The Chartis Group as director, practice leader, information and digital health strategy. Prior to The Chartis Group, he served as senior vice president and COO of Kaiser Permanente’s The Permanente Federation, representing more than 16,000 physicians. Wolf also held executive positions at MTV Networks and Time Warner, and served as senior advisor to McKinsey & Co.

Gretchen Brown

Vice President, Chief Nursing Information Officer
Stanford Health Care
Gretchen Brown, MSN, RN, serves as the VP, Chief Nursing Information Officer at Stanford Health Care. She brings a myriad of experiences, having held significant roles including the implementation of Clinical Inpatient Access, a throughput hub, and acting as an interim Associate Chief Nursing Officer for Inpatient Services. Her leadership expertise encompasses a wide range of areas such as emergency medicine, psychiatry, inpatient services, and the emergency department.In 2019, Gretchen played a pivotal role in the launch of Stanford Health Care’s state-of-the-art hospital tower. As the primary clinical representative for Patient Care Services, she integrated technology and operations. Furthermore, Gretchen led the initiative to introduce an innovative model of care, Acuity Adaptable care to Stanford Health Care. This model has since revolutionized care delivery by offering flexible patient centric care and improving operational efficiency.Throughout her career, Gretchen has consistently incorporated technology, showcasing her commitment to advancement and innovation. After a successful hospital opening, she began shifting her attention purely to Informatics. Today, Gretchen oversees multidisciplinary initiatives, focusing on enhancing electronic health record systems and managing clinical technology platforms, always with the goal of improving patient care and the workplace for our providers and clinicians.

Khan Siddiqui

Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Chairman of the Board
HOPPR
Dr. Siddiqui is a world-renowned clinical radiologist, pioneer in the field of AI and a serial entrepreneur. His astounding network stretches through medicine, academia, technology, government, clinical associations, and finance. He holds dozens of patents in deep learning, AI, image processing, data visualization, MR imaging, and secure patient information handling. His work at Microsoft in the early 2000’s included the first multimodal AI model in medical imaging and developing the necessary infrastructure and training for the large AI model behind Xbox Kinect, which was based on nearly one billion images. Dr. Siddiqui is a serial entrepreneur with a track record of success. He is the Chief Medical Officer of Hyperfine, Inc., the creator of the world’s first FDA 510(k) cleared, portable MRI scanner, and took Hyperfine public via a SPAC process ($HYPR). He also founded higi, Inc., a consumer health technology company, which was acquired by a technology company in a $4.2 billion SPAC transaction. Dr. Siddiqui has held significant roles at Microsoft, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Maryland. He was the founding chair of Information Classification: General the American College of Radiology’s Imaging and Informatics Commission and has demonstrated his leadership and expertise throughout the field of radiology. He contributed to dozens of academic radiology informatics programs in the United States and is a frequent lecturer on building highly scalable technology companies, building data driven digital health companies and the rapid commercialization of medical and digital health technologies, particularly, AI in radiology and medical imaging startups. Finally, Dr. Siddiqui is a member of various boards and advisory committees for startups around the world, and he has given hundreds of invited talks. His work has been recognized globally, further solidifying his reputation as a leader in healthcare technology.

Shez Partovi

Chief Business Leader, Enterprise Informatics and Chief Innovation & Strategy
Phillips
Shez is an experienced clinical professor, neuroradiologist, global executive and entrepreneur with a track record of leading large health systems, cloud transformation, and artificial intelligence and machine learning initiatives in the healthcare, life sciences and genomics industries. Since 2021, Shez has led Philips’ global Innovation & Strategy organization. In collaboration with the operating businesses, he is responsible for creating enterprise-wide strategies to deliver peopleand patient-centric innovation, at scale. Shez and his teams raise the bar of innovation across the company and provide world-class capabilities and platforms to enable innovations that improve people’s health and healthcare outcomes, as well as making care more accessible, convenient, and sustainable. Shez also leads the Enterprise Informatics business at Philips, established in 2023. Enterprise Informatics combines Philips software and hardware solutions to empower healthcare leaders and care providers with the actionable insights they need to make informed decisions, optimize workflows and operations, and deliver high-quality care to improve patient outcomes. Shez and his informatics teams advance the mission of Philips as a world leader and trusted partner in integrated diagnostics, scaling insights & analytics.Shez joined Philips from Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he served as Worldwide Head of Business Development for Healthcare, Life Sciences and Medical Devices. In that role, he was responsible for the global AWS go-to-market strategy, charting the path for customer cloud transformation, and the adoption of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Prior to joining AWS in 2018, Shez spent 20 years at Dignity Health, the fifth largest health system in the U.S. He started his career in 1998 as a neuroradiologist at the Barrow Neurological Institute and was in clinical practice until 2013. In addition to his medical training at McGill University in Montreal, he has post-graduate qualifications in computer science. Shez has a passion for learning and teaching. He helped launch the Biomedical Informatics Department at Arizona State University and taught there as a clinical professor for three years.

Mike Mosquito

Emerging Technology & Innovation
Northeast Georgia Health System
Mike Mosquito is a national thought-leader for transformation, innovation, and emerging technology. Throughout his career, Mike has created and directed cross-functional teams and implemented enterprise technology solutions for public, private, and government entities. He is recognized across multiple industries for developing and managing multi-million-dollar strategies, organizations, programs, projects, and emerging technology products. Additionally, Mike empowers these large cross-functional teams to collaborate and make fact-based decisions guided by executive, business, and technology-themed roadmaps. With 20+ years of healthcare IT experience, functioning at the Fortune 10, he has managed teams or consulted for some of the top businesses in the world. As a leader in healthcare IT and multi- industry consulting, Mike and his teams provide strategic and technical solutions for problems emerging technology support in addition to the integration of IT and Business Management. The solutions include AI integration, digital and experience transformation, data analytics, developing centers of excellence, process automation, strategic innovation roadmaps, and providing companies with a new landscape for implementing, managing, and supporting entities from start- up to large business growth investments. Mike attended the United States Air Force Academy and is a graduate of Auburn University, where he earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree, with a minor in Materials Engineering. He also earned a Master of Business Administration degree with a special concentration on Business Information Systems Management and Information Technology from the Michael J. Coles College of Business through Kennesaw State University.

Dr. Eric Poon

Chief Health Information Officer and Assistant Vice President for Duke Medicine
Dr. Poon holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca NY and a Medical Doctorate from Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. He obtained his clinical training in the primary care track of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital’s Internal Medicine Residency Program, and subsequently obtained his Masters in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Dr. Poon currently serves as the Chief Health Information Officer and Assistant Vice President for Duke Medicine. He also practices primary care internal medicine in Duke Primary Care. In his capacity as CHIO/AVP, he is responsible for the visioning and strategic planning of clinical and analytic information systems that impact patient care, research and education. He oversees the ongoing development and optimization of the Maestro Care (Epic) electronic health record and other clinical, analytics, clinical engineering, and Artificial Intelligence systems, and partners with physicians, patients and operational leaders to effectively leverage innovative IT in support of Duke’s mission. He also has a keen interest in IT innovation, and works with investigators across Duke to pursue new and innovative ways to efficiently deliver high quality care to our patients.

Shiv Rao

Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Abridge
Shiv Rao, MD, is the Founder and CEO of Abridge, an AI company that structures and summarizes medical conversations to unburden clinicians from clerical work, and focus on what matters most—their patients. Recently recognized by Forbes in the “AI 50” list, Abridge’s science- centered technology platform transforms conversations into structured data and clinical documentation across over 50 specialties, 14 languages, and several care settings. Abridge’s documentation solution is now saving clinicians 3 hours a day, and its EMR integrated patient- facing summaries are helping people better understand and follow through on their care plans. Dr. Rao is a practicing cardiologist at UPMC and previously led the provider-facing investment portfolio for UPMC where he invested in startups, and also helped fund a Machine Learning in Health program at Carnegie Mellon University. He completed his medical education and training at the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and studied at Carnegie Mellon where he programmed virtual synthesizers, and skateboarded in IMAX movies.

Rebecca Mishuris

Chief Medical Information Officer and Vice President of Digital
Mass General Brigham
Dr. Rebecca Mishuris is Chief Medical Information Officer and VP, Digital at Mass General Brigham, responsible for the vision, strategy and implementation of technology to support care delivery. She is Faculty at Harvard Medical School, and a practicing primary care physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. In addition to her hospital leadership, Dr. Mishuris conducts research on the intersection of technology and the quintuple aim of healthcare.

Veena Jones

Chief Medical Information Officer
Sutter Health
Dr. Veena Jones is a triple board-certified clinical informaticist, pediatrician, and pediatric hospitalist. She serves as the Chief Medical Information Officer at Sutter Health, where she provides innovative clinical and change management leadership to enhance patient engagement and improve both patient and provider experiences. Most recently, Dr. Jones has led the implementation of generative AI platforms across the health system, making work easier for clinicians while enhancing support for patients. She is passionate about leveraging technology and digital tools to empower patients as they navigate their health journeys and equipping providers to deliver exceptional care to the patients and communities they serve. In addition to her leadership role, Dr. Jones practices clinically as a pediatric hospitalist, caring for newborns and hospitalized children.

Christopher Chen

Medical Director, Medicaid and Clinical Informatics
WA State Health Care Authority
Dr. Christopher Chen, MD, MBA, is a Medical Director for Medicaid and Clinical Informatics at the WA State Health Care Authority. Dr. Chen is dedicated to serving the underserved and believes in the HCA’s mission to use innovative programs, policies and purchasing strategies to improve health and address disparities. He helps guide clinical policy and strategy at the agency, and supports initiatives in health information technology, telehealth, quality, and health equity. He is currently chair of the Medicaid Medical Director’s Network and serves on the NCQA Public Sector Advisory Council. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, his business degree from The Wharton School, and completed his residency in internal medicine – primary care at the University of Washington. He is board certified in internal medicine and clinical informatics.

Allison Arwady

Director, National Center for Injury Prevention, CDC
As of January 2024, Allison Arwady, MD, MPH began serving as the director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control where she leads CDC’s innovative research and science-based programs to prevent injuries and violence and to reduce their consequences. Dr. Arwady most recently served four years as the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, leading the health department of the nation’s third-largest city, including through the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to that, she spent four years as Chicago’s chief medical officer, overseeing the department’s behavioral health and disease control work. Dr. Arwady has received local and national recognition for her strong leadership and communication skills. Earlier in her career, as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer based at the Illinois Department of Public Health, she responded to disease outbreaks across the state as well as CDC responses in Saudi Arabia (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) and Liberia (Ebola). She has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University, and completed medical school and clinical training at Yale University. Dr. Arwady is a board-certified internal medicine physician and pediatrician and continues to see primary care patients regularly.

Valorie Kondoes Field

NCAA Gymnastics Champion and Coach
Valorie Kondos Field is the retired head coach of the seven-time NCAA Champion, 22-time Regional and 18-time Pac 12 Champion UCLA Women’s Gymnastics team. Inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010, the four-time “National Coach of the Year” was also named “West Region Coach” of the Year and Pac 12 “Coach of the Century” for her solid track record as a preeminent coach. Formerly a professional ballet dancer, Miss Val, as she’s affectionately known by her gymnasts, was never a gymnast herself. Her reputation for teaching valuable life lessons, while encouraging individuality and joy is only one reason that 46 former US national team members came through her program and why half of the last two Olympic teams committed to UCLA. Also known as the nation’s foremost gymnastics choreographer, Miss Val’s many credits include choreographing and directing a myriad of live variety shows and 26 years of cirque-type shows for SeaWorld’s Summer Nights and the San Diego Zoo. Current projects include additional live stage shows, TV specials, events and the development of a theatrical musical, plus the highly acclaimed post-Olympic “Gold Over America Tour” featuring an all-star team of female gymnastics champions, headlined by Simone Biles which began in Fall 2020 and visited more than 35 U.S. cities, celebrating powerful female athletes in a high-octane, fun-filled experience. The tour will be back once again after the 2024 Olympics which Valorie will serve in the role of Executive Producer and Supervising Choreographer. Kondos Field is a dynamic and charismatic speaker with an extensive schedule of “Corporate Coaching” events for companies including Sam’s Club, NASA, Kennedy Space Center, Chick-fil-a, JP Morgan Chase, General Electric, Jackson National Life Insurance, Gucci, among many others and has contributed to various panel discussions including Bustle’s “Rule Breakers” and the ESPNW Summit. In her TEDWomen 2019 talk, Miss Val inspires people to reevaluate their definition of success, encouraging leaders to inspire others without compromising the human spirit. In addition her TED Talk has been viewed by millions and praised for her “Does all winning equal success” philosophy. A recent breast cancer survivor, Valorie shared her motivating and inspirational messages with the world in her book, “LIFE IS SHORT, DON’T WAIT TO DANCE: Advice and Inspiration from the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame Coach of 7 NCAA Championship Teams,” which was released in Fall 2018 by the Hachette Book Group. She is active with the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation, LA 84 Olympic Foundation, WISE (Women In Sports & Events), BCRF (Breast Cancer Research Foundation), Unite For Her, and many other charitable organizations, close to her heart. She resides in Fayetteville, AR with her husband, retired UCLA Football Coach, Bobby Field.

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Thalia Sirjue

Chief of Staff
New Jersey Department of Health

Thalia Sirjue is a diehard public health nerd, passionate about using technology to engage people in improving their own health. She currently gets her fill of public health nerdiness by serving as Chief of Staff at the New Jersey Department of Health where she oversees more than 5,600 employees and a combined State/Federal budget of $2.8 billion and. In this role, she acts as a Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the foundational units of the Department – Human Resources, Fiscal/Management & Administration, Health Information Technology, Healthcare Quality and Informatics, Communications, Policy & Legislative Affairs, Ethics, EEO/AA and Equity Services, and Research Initiatives. She also leads enterprise-wide initiatives for strategic planning, public health accreditation, and health innovation.

Thalia previously served as the Deputy Chief of Staff responsible for a myriad of special projects. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was appointed director of the statewide testing and contact tracing programs — this included the rapid scale-up of the contact tracing workforce, statewide rollout of a new contact tracing software, launch of the COVID Alert NJ app, managing the State’s K-12 screening testing and at-home testing programs, and managing testing inventory and distribution.

Prior to her tenure at NJDOH, Thalia managed development lifecycles for Veteran and clinician-focused mobile apps for the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) App Store and led the team that established VA’s Innovation Ecosystem to enable the discovery and diffusion of health care innovations across the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). This included launching the Diffusion of Excellence initiative and expanding the VA Innovators Network.

Thalia earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Boston University and Master of Public Health degree from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University. Thalia is a Jersey girl to her core. This mixed with her Jamaican and Cuban heritage means she drives fast, will eat a bacon or pork roll, egg, and cheese for any meal of the day, and lives for sun, sand, and saltwater. If she has free time, she spends it cooking, baking, reading romance novels and murder mysteries, watching anime, and going on walks with her husband and daughter.

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Leigh Steinberg

Chairman and Founder Speaker, Steinberg Sports and Entertainment
Leigh Steinberg, premier sports agent, entrepreneur, and Chairman and founder of Steinberg Sports and Entertainment, is best known for his work building athletes into stand-alone brands. Often credited as the real-life inspiration for the Oscar-winning film Jerry Maguire, Leigh has represented some of the most successful athletes and coaches across football, basketball, baseball, hockey, boxing, golf, and more. He holds an unprecedented record of representing the number one overall pick in the NFL draft eight times, along with 64 total first-round picks, and has represented 12 Hall of Famers. Beyond football, his clients include Oscar De La Hoya, Lennox Lewis, multiple Olympians, and professional teams. With a history of record-setting contracts, he has secured over $4 billion for more than 300 pro-athlete clients while directing over $1 billion to various charitable causes worldwide. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Leigh’s early life was shaped by his parents—a teacher and a librarian. He earned his B.A. in political science and J.D. from UC Berkeley, where he served as student body president during both degrees. His cultural significance extends beyond the sports world; Leigh has been a trivia question on Jeopardy! and Trivial Pursuit, cementing his iconic status. Deeply committed to philanthropy, Leigh has been recognized for his charitable work with numerous commendations, including honors from Congress, state legislatures, multiple U.S. Presidents, and various civic organizations. His accolades include being named “Man ofthe Year” over a dozen times and receiving “Keys to the City” in several U.S. cities. He also played a pivotal role in saving the San Francisco Giants, earning him the honor of “Leigh Steinberg Day” in the city. In 2017, he was inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame.Throughout his career, Leigh has been a prominent media figure, appearing on programs like 60 Minutes, Larry King Live, The Today Show, CNN, Fox Business, Fox & Friends, Lifestyles of theRich and Famous, and Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. His profile has graced the pages of Business Week, Sports Illustrated, Forbes, GQ, and ESPN The Magazine. As a consultant, he contributed to films and shows such as Jerry Maguire, Any Given Sunday, For Love of theGame, and Arli$$. He also provides expert commentary on sports business through outlets like The Dan Patrick Show and The Herd with Colin Cowherd. A prolific writer, Leigh contributes columns to Forbes, HuffPost, and Daily Pilot and has authored notable works such as Winning with Integrity and The Agent: My 40-Year Career of Making Deals and Changing the Game. Leigh’s passion for improving athlete health and safety has led him to establish a nonprofit foundation for concussion, traumatic brain injury, and brain health. Leigh hosts annual Brain Health Summits, uniting athletes, medical experts, and researchers to address leading healthissues. These summits focus on advancements in diagnosis, prevention, and mental health support. Additionally, Leigh has championed initiatives in sustainability and communitydevelopment through partnerships with various organizations. His efforts include launching educational programs for underserved communities, promoting clean energy in sports facilities, and developing outreach projects aimed at creating long-term social impact. His multifaceted projects reflect his dedication to driving meaningful change both within and beyond the sports world.

Robert Herjavec

Technology Innovator and Investor

Robert Herjavec is a globally recognized figure, renowned for his extraordinary expertise as a motivational speaker, business leader, entertainer, and CEO of cybersecurity company Cyderes. Over the past 15 years, Robert has become a household name as one of the Sharks and an executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning hit show, Shark Tank. Additionally, he is a founder and investor on Canada’s Dragons’ Den.
The inspiring narratives in Robert’s books — ‘Driven’, ‘The Will to Win’, and ‘You Don’t Have to Be a Shark: Creating Your Own Success’ — have made their way onto numerous bestsellers’ lists, with two even appearing in the top 10 simultaneously. His practical business advice has reached tens of millions through TV, print, radio, and digital media. Robert’s dynamic presence has lit up stages in front of audiences ranging from 50 to 20,000 people, sharing the spotlight with luminaries like Tony Robbins and Oprah.Boasting an impressive portfolio in investment, live entertainment, and on-screen executive production, Robert brings an exciting blend of skills to the table. His wealth of experience is not only inspiring but truly transformative.

Sakshika Dhingra

Medicaid Strategy Director Humana
Sakshika is a seasoned executive with over ten years of experience in the healthcare payer industry. As a visionary leader, she has consistently driven innovation in managed care, insurance solutions, and value-based care models. Sakshika specializes in optimizing operational efficiencies, enhancing member engagement, and fostering strategic partnerships with healthcare providers and regulatory agencies. Throughout her career, Sakshika has successfully led large-scale digital transformations, leveraging data analytics and technology to streamline member experience, improve health outcomes, and ensure regulatory compliance. She is passionate about advancing population health initiatives and creating sustainable & scalable healthcare solutions that prioritize quality care and equitable access for all. Currently serving as a Medicaid Strategy Director at Humana, Sakshika continues to be a driving force in the payer space, focused on addressing the evolving challenges of healthcare economics, payer-provider collaboration, and patient-centric care models. Sakshika holds a Masters from Michigan State and a Digital Transformation certification from Harvard Medical School. When not leading healthcare innovation, Sakshika enjoys spending time with her husband Vivesh and her beloved six year old son, Aveer Sharma.

Aric SHarp

Chief Executive Officer
Clover Health

Aric Sharp is a recognized national leader on the healthcare transition to value, innovation and physician practice management. Aric currently serves as the CEO of Value Based Care for Clover Health. In his previous role as Senior Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer at INTEGRIS Health, he led the journey to value-based care including launching the Direct Contracting Model, a Medicare Advantage Plan, and Oklahoma’s first virtual hospital.

As Vice President for Accountable Care at UnityPoint Health, he developed and led UnityPoint Accountable Care, one of the nation’s largest and most successful ACOs, with over 8,000 physicians, 40 hospitals, and over $2.0 Billion of medical spend under risk including the country’s largest Next Generation Model ACO. His nearly 30 years of healthcare experience included various executive level roles including CEO and COO for Quincy Medical Group and The Iowa Clinic respectively, two of the nation’s highest performing physician owned multi-specialty medical groups.

Aric is known for his ability to distill complexity into clear, actionable understanding through a collaborative results focused approach. He is frequently cited by national media on an array of healthcare topics and is called upon to speak and participate in panel discussions, provide briefings on Capitol Hill, and even testify to Congress. Aric has expertise in healthcare strategy and transformation, population health, physician leadership and governance development, growth, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, public policy, and operational turnarounds.

Aric serves as the Past Chair of AMGA (American Medical Group Association), as well as on numerous healthcare boards, advisory councils, start-up ventures and serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Iowa College of Public Health. He is also the Past-Chair of the AMGA Public Policy Committee. Aric earned his Master’s in Hospital and Health Administration from the University of Iowa and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Iowa State University. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and a Certified Medical Practice Executive.

Heather Lavoie

Chief Information Officer Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Heather Staples Lavoie is the Senior Vice President of Enterprise Business and Technology Solutions and Chief Information Officer at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Ms. Lavoie joined Horizon in 2024 and is responsible for the Information Technology, Information Security, Enterprise Program Management Office and Analytics divisions. Ms. Lavoie previously spent over a decade building and serving as President and CEO of Geneia, a health care technology, AI and analytics subsidiary of Capital BlueCross, serving more than 8 million members across health plans, and provider and employer organizations. Ms. Lavoie has an extensive health care business and technology background, spanning more than three decades with national payers, providers and service organizations and founding start-up organizations. Ms. Lavoie has received numerous awards, including NH Union Leader 40 under 40, Business NH 40 Influential Leaders, NH Business Review NH 200, Presenting Faculty at TedxUNE, 3x Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania (2017, 2018, 2019) and was the 2019 University of New Hampshire Manchester Commencement Speaker. Ms. Lavoie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Notre Dame College and a Master of Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University.

Francesca Rinaldo

CEO Chief Clinical Innovation Officer SCAN
Francesca Rinaldo, MD, PhD is SCAN’s Chief Clinical Innovation Officer. In her role she is responsible for driving innovation, strategic development, and operational excellence across all SCAN’s clinical initiatives, with a focus on enhancing member value and outcomes for both the SCAN health plans as well as SCAN Group diversified companies. In addition, Francesca leads teams in the integration of medical innovation, emerging technologies and creative solutions for continued growth and sustainability across SCAN programs, while spearheading a differentiation strategy to establish a new industry standard for innovation in senior care. Prior to joining SCAN, Francesca served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Product and Innovation and Chief Medical Officer at CareLinx by ShareCare, where she led strategic development and growth of programs leveraging a national network of in-home caregivers, driving innovation in home care delivery and serving as a pivotal industry thought leader. Francesca holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago, and MD/PhD from the University of Louisville School of Medicine. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship training in Healthcare Design at the Stanford Clinical Excellence Research Center under the mentorship of Dr. Arnie Milstein and others, and her clinical training in general surgery at Stanford University Hospitals and Clinics.

Tom Lawry

AI Transformation Advisor to Health and Medical Leaders
Tom Lawry is a leading AI transformation advisor to health and medical leaders around the world, a top keynote speaker, and best-selling author of Hacking Healthcare – How AI and the Intelligent Health Revolution Will Reboot an Ailing System. He’s the Managing Director of Second Century Tech and a former Microsoft exec who served as National Director for AI for Health and Life Sciences, Director of Worldwide Health, and Director of Organizational Performance for the company’s first health incubator. Prior to Microsoft, Tom was a Senior Director at GE Healthcare, the founder of two venture-backed healthcare software companies, a health system executive, and a board member. Tom’s work has been featured in Forbes, CEO Magazine, Harvard Business Review, CNET, Inside Precision Medicine, and numerous webcasts and podcasts. In a Harris Poll of 2023 JP Morgan Healthcare Conference attendees, Tom was named one of the most recognized leaders driving change and engagement in healthcare today. He has also been named one of the Top 2024 Influential Voices to Follow.

Gen. Paul M. Nakasone

Former Commander, U.S. Cyber Command & Former Director
A name synonymous with visionary leadership, retired four-star Army General Paul M. Nakasone is the longest-serving leader of the U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency/Central Security Service, and is regarded among an elite class of leaders whose strategic expertise at the nexus of cybersecurity, technology, and geopolitics has laid the groundwork for upholding our nation’s security in the modern age. General Nakasone’s career spans more than three decades of pivotal moments in modern warfare and digital defense and he draws upon his experiences constantly at the epicenter of conflict to share battle-tested lessons on transformational leadership, while also examining the challenges and opportunities organizations face in the ever-evolving tech and security landscape. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Nakasone is an engaging and dynamic speaker who leads audiences on a fascinating exploration into how our experiences today, paired with the advent of rapid and constant technological change, will shape the future — and what that means for how we approach the safety and security of our systems and society. Pointing to strategies that consistently led him and his teams to mission success in his own career, Nakasone shares recent examples of complex situations in which innovative ideas provided the catalyst for successful outcomes. As part of his talks, Nakasone emphasizes the skills that need to be sharpened in order to make a transformational impact as a leader, as well as the importance of purposefully recruiting, training, and retaining talent. He is of the belief that, ultimately, what shapes our future is fully dependent on the manner in which organizations invest leadership and talent. From the crucible of the Pentagon on 9/11 and spearheading the response to the most significant intrusion into the Defense Department’s classified networks, to the Wars in Iraq in Afghanistan, Nakasone has served as one of the most influential problem-solvers at the center of cyber and information operations and dedicated his career to being a steadfast guardian of our national security interests. He was also part of the select group of leaders that conceptualized and built U.S. Cyber Command from the ground up, and subsequently led their most elite forces before rising to command the entire organization, as well as the NSA/Central Security Service. In addition to his standing as a career Army officer who climbed the ranks to lead elite units battling the world’s top cyber hackers, Nakasone is widely recognized as an agent of innovation who championed new approaches to solving multifaceted challenges in rapidly changing landscape of cyber threats. His persistent approach to cyber defense against nation-state hackers has redefined the national and global security playbooks, while his emphasis on partnerships fostered a collaborative ecosystem transcending international, interagency, and private sector agencies. Under his stewardship, transparency became a cornerstone for his teams, elevating the confidence and trust of the American people in the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command. He retired as Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, Director of the NSA, and Chief of the Central Security Service on February 1, 2024 — having served in those roles since May 2018. General Nakasone’s remarkable service has been recognized with innumerable awards and decorations. Among them are the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Defense Meritorious Service Medal — to name a few. Described as “a transformational leader who strengthened our national security, bolstered our deterrence, and defended our democracy,” Nakasone remains a vocal advocate for defending the nation and securing the best possible future through people and partnerships.

Edward (Ed) Marx

CEO Marx Advisory
The youngest child of Holocaust survivors, Ed moved to the United States at age 10. At 16, he served as a medical clinic janitor where he discovered his healthcare calling. Ed took successive positions as combat medic, anesthesia tech, strategic planner and technology manager. He quickly learned how the convergence of clinical, business and digital saved lives. His passion ignited, he jumped feet first into technology and operations in the C-Suite of Cleveland Clinic, NYC Health & Hospitals, Texas Health Resources and University Hospitals. Intermixed, Ed served the supplier side as well. He was CEO for consulting firm Divurgent, global CDO for Tech Mahindra Health & Life Sciences and CIO of the Advisory Board. Concurrently, he served 15 years as an Army combat engineer officer and combat medic. Today, Ed is focused on his own advisory practice. Ed does a fair amount of speaking, writing and podcasting. He authored healthcare bestsellers including “Voices of Innovation” and “Healthcare Digital Transformation”. He is currently writing a book for Mayo Clinic on “Patient Experience” and “Voices of Innovation – Payers”. His podcast “DGTL Voices” is “Top 3%” globally. His Blog, CEO Unplugged, surpassed 1M views. Ed recently started a YouTube channel to expand his audience. Most importantly, Ed is husband to Simran who holds a Doctor of Nursing (DNP). They love to dance and climb mountains. They have 5 grown children and 4 grandchildren. To stay fit, he is captain of TeamUSA Triathlon.

Seema Verma

Executive Vice President and General Manager Oracle Health & Life Sciences
Seema Verma is the Executive Vice President and General Manager, Oracle Health and Life Sciences, where she has responsibility of Oracle’s EHR, (former Cerner), which is the largest EHR in the world, as well as clinical trials and the health insurance portfolio. She also is a Director on the Board of Lifestance, a public company focused on behaviorial health. In addition, she serves on the Board for USC’s Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics. Before coming to Oracle, she served as a Senior Advisor to private equity firms TPG and Cressey & Co, serving on the Cressey Distinguished Executive Committee. She also served on the Board of Directors for Lumeris, Monogram, Wellsky, LYRIC, and ShiftKey. Additionally, she provided advisory services to a variety of early stage and large public health care companies, including national payers and technology companies focusing on strategy, value creation, and operations. Seema was the former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the largest payer in the world, between 2017-2021. Confirmed by the Senate on a bi-partisan basis, she had one of the longest terms in modern CMS history. In this role, she oversaw a $1.4 trillion dollar budget and coverage for 145 million beneficiaries. She was responsible for federal policy and operations of Medicare, Medicaid, Health Insurance Exchanges, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), and all federal quality and safety regulations. In this role she developed and implemented the federal administration’s health care strategic plan across all programs to advance value-based care, innovation, interoperability, and price transparency while reducing drug prices, and regulations through her historic Patients over Paperwork initiative. CMS had numerous accomplishments during her tenure including delivering reduced premiums across Medicare Part D, Medicare Advantage, and individual insurance market as well as addressing the social determinants of health. Her pro-market policies advanced market competition, provided $35 insulin to seniors and advanced site neutral payments. Her leadership on the White House COVID Task Force led to the widespread adoption of telehealth, Hospital at Home, and no cost vaccines for the entire country. Prior to her role at CMS, she founded and sold a national consulting company and worked as a VP for Policy and Planning for a public hospital, public health department, and health system. In 2019, Seema was named as Modern Healthcare’s #1 Most Influential Person in Healthcare and was part of the Top 25 Women Leaders. Her healthcare articles have been published in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Health Affairs, Modern Healthcare, Newsweek, CNN, USA Today , STAT, and others. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, and John’s Hopkins University School of Public Health.

Dr. Kaitlan Baston

Health Commisioner New Jersey Department of Health
Prior to becoming New Jersey’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Baston built and led the Cooper Center for Healing, an integrated pain, addiction, and behavioral health center and was an Associate Professor of Medicine at Cooper Medical school of Rowan University.

Dr. Baston began her career as a full spectrum family physician focused on underserved populations. Prior to coming to New Jersey, her work ranged from public health projects in Rwanda, to public maternity and trauma hospitals in the Dominican Republic, to providing full spectrum family planning services and working in a bilingual community health center in Seattle, Washington.

Her experiences in primary care highlighted that both patients and medical professionals suffer from the lack of addiction medicine training and integration into healthcare. Following her addiction medicine fellowship, she came to Camden in 2015 driven to improve community-centered health care delivery, population health, and behavioral health. In the following seven years she built an inpatient addiction consult service, multiple interdisciplinary outpatient clinics, a wrap-around perinatal substance use disorder program, a harm reduction based low-barrier walk-in clinic, and the first program for emergency medicine services (EMS) field initiation of medication for addiction treatment. She led both undergraduate and graduate addiction medical education and started a new addiction medicine fellowship. Her research team was responsible for bringing in and overseeing several million dollars in state and federal grant funding to support innovation, community-based care, and to address social determinants of health.

This work expanded to state and federal level health policy, and Dr. Baston became the Medical Director of Government Relations at Cooper University Health Care in 2019. She is nationally recognized for her work in perinatal substance use disorders and EMS delivery of addiction treatment. She has spoken to congress, the American Bar Association, and is a national educator for the organization Zero to Three. She has served on national level committees including the Infant Toddler Court Program Expert Advisory Group, the American Academy of Pediatrics Head Start National Expert Workgroup, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives Opioid Task Force, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Opioid Collaborative Workgroup. She has also served on the New Jersey DMHAS State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup, the New Jersey ATLAS State Advisory Committee, the Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force, and the Camden County Opioid Settlement Funds Board. In 2011, she was awarded the Savacool Prize in Medical Ethics. She has been recognized as a New Jersey Top Doctor or Top Female Doctor every year from 2017 to 2023, won the Golden Apple Teaching Award in 2021, the New Jersey Healthcare Innovation Hero award in 2022, and the New Jersey Hospital Association Healthy New Jersey Award in 2023.

Currently, Dr. Baston is focused on decreasing health disparities, improving maternal child health outcomes, and enhancing integrated care for behavioral health and substance use disorders. In her role as Health Commissioner, she strives to ensure that all people have access to resources that can keep them healthy and to compassionate, evidence-based medical care when needed. Dr. Baston is proud to work with an interdisciplinary team of like-minded, driven individuals at the Department of Health who are dedicated to improving the equity and health of New Jersey.

Dr. Baston is dual boarded in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine, obtained a master’s degree in Neuroscience from Kings College, London, and graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA.

Gabrielle (Gabby) Thomas

Olympic Track & Field Gold Medalist
Gabby Thomas is a top American sprinter renowned as a high achiever, both on and off the track. She sealed her status as an iconic Olympian after winning three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, including gold in her signature event, the 200m. She earned two more golds in the 4×100 and 4×400 relays and was the first American track athlete to win three golds in the same Olympics since Allyson Felix. She is the fourth fastest woman in history in the 200m, with a time of 21.60, which was earned in her breakout race at the 2021 Olympic Trials. In her debut Olympics in Tokyo, she came home with two medals, with a bronze in the 200m event and silver in the 4×100 relay. Thomas is a graduate of Harvard University where she majored in neurobiology and went on to earn a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Texas. She works for the Volunteer Healthcare Clinic in Austin, TX that helps underserved communities, an area Thomas is passionate about. When not training or working, Thomas enjoys exploring her hometown of Austin and walking her pug, Rico.

Dr. Meong Hi Son

Chief Medical Information Officer
Samsung Medical Center
Meong Hi son is an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and currently holds the role of Chief Medical Information Officer at Samsung Medical Center, South Korea. Trained as a pediatrician specializing in pediatric hemato-oncology and pediatric emergency medicine, and despite having no initial background in IT, she has become a pioneering force in the digital transformation of healthcare services as a junior faculty member at Samsung Medical Center. During her early clinical career as a clinical fellow, Dr. Son spearheaded the migration of pediatric cancer treatment protocols and monitoring sheets from paper-based systems to electronic medical records (EMR). Not only did she initiate this critical transition, but she also played a key role in the actual implementation of EMRs, which became the driving force behind her involvement in the hospital’s digital transformation efforts. Dr. Son believes that healthcare services involve complex processes managed by a diverse group of professionals. She emphasizes that making even small changes in this field requires continuous reflection on what can be improved through technological advancements and tireless communication. She finds it particularly meaningful to encourage more healthcare workers, especially in resource-limited and change-resistant environments, to participate in the digital transformation journey. By sharing her personal experiences and impactful hospital stories with various audiences both within and outside the hospital, she aims to inspire others to join this essential movement towards improving healthcare through IT. Consequently, she played a pivotal role as an intermediary, facilitating communication and participation among various departments for the hospital to achieve Stage 7 in the four areas of maturity model (INFRAM, EMRAM,DIAM and AMAM).

Dr. Seung Woo Park

President
Samsung Medical Center

Dr. Seung Woo Park, the President of Samsung Medical Center, is a respected specialist in cardiovascular diseases, particularly in areas such as heart valve disorders and myocardial infarction. He also plays a significant role in the hospital’s efforts towards digitalization. Dr. Park currently serves as the 12th President of Samsung Medical Center, leading the realization of an advanced intelligent hospital focused on severe and complex medical conditions. After graduating from Seoul National University College of Medicine, Dr. Park joined Samsung Medical Center as a founding member in 1994. Throughout his career, he has held key positions within the hospital, including Chief of the Information Strategy Office, Chief of Quality Improvement, and Chief of Strategic Planning. In 2002, he spent two years at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, where he gained advanced knowledge in cardiac treatment, which he brought back to Korea. He has also served as the Chairman of the Korean Society of Echocardiography from 2016 to 2018 and is highly regarded as an authority in the field of cardiology, with publications in renowned medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine in November 2019. Dr. Park’s contributions extend beyond his medical achievements, as he has also been recognized for his efforts in hospital digitalization and innovation in the healthcare process. He introduced electronic medical records (EMR) and achieved a “paperless hospital,” receiving the Samsung Information Innovation Award in 2009. He led the a “Dr. Smart” application development project, which allows healthcare professionals to use personal smart devices for medical purposes, and received the Minister of Knowledge Economy Award in 2010. In 2010, he opened the first electronic medical referral system in Korea and implemented various smartphone mobile support systems for patients and hospital staff, enhancing customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Isabelle Kumar

Former News Anchor, Presenter
Isabelle is a former prime time news anchor and journalist with more than 20 years experience, she now moderates and MCs at leading forums and summits around the globe. Isabelle was the lead anchor for Euronews-NBC. She also criss-crossed the planet interviewing heads of state and government, CEOs and celebrities generating some 3 million views on YouTube. Isabelle has moderated at high level and large scale events throughout her career, including the first ever EU Presidential debate, deep dives at the Davos World Economic Forum and the European Commission. Now, this is her principal activity and works with corporates, international organisations and NGOs on subjects ranging from humanitarian, health, inclusion, economics, geopolitics, climate, sustainability, education and tech. Today her clients include the European Commission, the U.N., The Consumer Goods Forum, Proctor and Gamble, LEAP and Saatchi and Saatchi. She has been MC for award ceremonies for the UN, EU and chaired closed door discussions including with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European leaders. Her interviews include presidents and prime ministers from Russia, Iran, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Portugal as well as the heads of the UN and the European Commission. She has spoken to the King of Jordan, the Prince and Princess of Monaco, interviewed Richard Branson, Andrea Bocelli, Mike Tyson and Karl Lagerfeld to name but a few. Before heading to Euronews, Isabelle worked for CNN, APTN and Reuters. Isabelle is bilingual in French and English and holds British and German nationality. She is a disability activist, the President of a charity helping people with autism and does pro bono work with the charity Lake Aid helping unaccompanied minors, asylum seekers and homeless families in Annecy, France. Client feedback shows appreciation for Isabelle’s friendly, thorough and dynamic style of presentation.

Simone Biles

Athlete & Advocate
Simone Biles is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time. The most decorated gymnast in history with 41 medals across World Championships and the Olympic Games, Biles holds the most World Championship medals (30) and gold medals (23) in gymnastics history. A three-time Olympian, her 11 Olympic medals and seven Olympic gold medals are the most by a U.S. gymnast. The three-time Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year and Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, she has earned the rare distinction of having five skills named in her honor – The Biles – in the beam, floor (two), and vault (two) disciplines. Biles’s extraordinary accomplishments have received widespread recognition, including the youngest recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, Forbes’ 30 Under 30, Ebony Power 100, People’s Women Changing the World, USA Today’s 100 Women of the Century, and CNN Heroes, among others. Her autobiography, Courage to Soar, was a New York Times bestseller and developed into an award-winning TV special on Lifetime while her Snap Originals series, Daring Simone Biles, received an NAACP Image Award. An ambassador for Friends of the Children, Biles utilizes her platform to help advocate for change and support initiatives that provide education and assistance for children and young adults associated with adoption, foster care, and overall wellness.

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