Gitesh “Git” Patel is the director of global business development for the Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center (CBCC) where he oversees business development, strategic management, marketing, and day to day operations. Git has been a chief architect in various multimillion dollar healthcare mergers and acquisitions. He is also the founder and CEO of Sargas Pharmaceutical Adherence and Compliance (SPAC) International and has been responsible for the development of its technology platform, which is at the forefront of the Federal Health IT Strategic 2015-2020 Plan because of its interoperability among providers.

Kavita Patel, MD, MS, FACP, is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution as well as a practicing primary care physician in Washington D.C.

Dr. Patel was previously a director of policy for the White House under President Obama and a senior advisor to the late Senator Edward Kennedy.  Her prior research in healthcare quality and community approaches to mental illness have earned national recognition and she has published numerous papers and book chapters on healthcare reform and health policy. She has also been part of several presidential campaigns including leading health care policy for a current Democratic candidate.

Brad Prechtl, MBA, is the CEO for American Oncology Network, and a nationally recognized healthcare executive who is responsible for guiding the organization’s growth and strategy. Brad brings more than 30 years of physician practice management experience to his role, including having been the CEO of Florida Cancer Specialists from 2009 to 2020, where he led the growth of the practice from 50 to more than 240 physicians; expanded the service offerings; and developed and implemented the organization’s mission to provide world-class cancer care in community-based settings close to home.

Brad is a former chairman of the board for the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation (2010-2018), an organization that provides non-medical financial assistance to qualified cancer patients in Florida, and the 2016-2017 chair of the Florida Chapter of CEOs Against Cancer, a program of the American Cancer Society.  Brad earned his master’s from the University of Pittsburgh, while working at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Adam I. Riker, MD., FSSO, FACS is the current Chair of Oncology for Luminis Health. Dr. Riker oversees the continued development and growth for all aspects of cancer care delivery, as well as all related cancer research, clinical trials and academic endeavors. Additionally, he provides physician and team leadership with regard to strategic vision, operational functionality, quality metrics, education and community outreach, as well as system-wide resource management for Luminis Health.

Dr. Riker is board-certified in general surgery and fellowship-trained as a surgical oncologist. His clinical specialty is focused upon patients with breast cancer, sarcoma, melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers [Merkel cell, basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma]. He also specializes in gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary malignancies. He actively participates in numerous cancer clinical trials examining optimal immunotherapy treatment options for cancer. He has presented his clinical and translational research findings at numerous scientific meetings, both nationally and internationally. Dr. Riker has over 150 peer-reviewed publications, and has written two educational textbooks.

Dr. Riker completed his undergraduate studies and medical school degree at the University of South Florida, in Tampa. He then went on to complete his residency program in general surgery at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, as well as a 3-year, surgical oncology fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Surgery Branch in Bethesda, Maryland. 

Georgina “Gigi” Rodgers, BSN, RN, OCN, NE-BC is the Director of Clinical Cancer Services at Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Institute. Gigi has over 27 years of experience in oncology nursing with the last 20 years spent in a management/leadership role and has worked extensively in the areas of quality/process improvement, clinical compliance, and patient safety. Gigi is also the program manager for Cleveland Clinic’s participation in the Oncology Care Model, leading teams in enhancing quality of care while reducing the overall cost of care for patients. Gigi holds a BS in Nursing from Youngstown State University and has been a certified Oncology Nurse (OCN) since 2000 and a Board Certified Nurse Executive (NE-BC) through ANCC since 2015.

Emily Rost joined Unlimited Systems in December of 2016 a member of the Value-Based Care team. As a Value-Based Care Analyst, she identified and implemented software solutions to assist cancer centers with billing for emerging value-based care programs, such as the Oncology Care Model. Unlimited Systems has also been a MIPS Qualified Registry since the inception of the program in 2017 and offers customized dashboards and personalized one-on-one MIPS coaching services.

As a member of the Business Development team, Emily spreads awareness of Unlimited’s market-leading specialty healthcare platform across the country. She helps customers to research and select software that increases revenue and accelerates cash flow in the business office.

Barry Russo, MBA, has been with the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, a private community practice based in Fort Worth, Texas, since 2002. As CEO, Barry has more than 25 years of healthcare experience having worked in academic and community practices and hospitals. Barry is a board member of the Community Oncology Alliance and Revital, as well as on the advisory board for the Cancer Center Business Summit. He is also a current member of ACCC, Community Oncology Alliance, and Texas Medical Group Management Association. Barry earned his MBA from the University of Dallas.

Charles Saunders, MD, is the CEO of Integra Connect and a physician executive with a combined clinical, business, and technology background. His former leadership roles include CEO of Healthagen (an Aetna company), which provides population health technology and services; CEO of Broadlane, a large GPO and supply chain technology company; president of EDS Healthcare Global Industry Group; and CMO of Healtheon/WebMD. Dr. Saunders received his MD from Johns Hopkins University.

Parag Shah is President, Practice Solutions at Integra Connect. The Practice Solutions division manages client engagement and delivery across all provider-facing solutions.  Prior to Integra Connect, he was President at Health Prime International, where he led the company from its inception in 2004 and developed leading products and solutions in RCM, EHR, and Practice Management.  Parag also served as Chairman of three Accountable Care Organizations in Maryland.  He holds a BA in Economics and Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland.

As the only full-time radiation oncologist on the Outer Banks, Shelton has not only established himself as an expert in cancer services but also has been the champion for The OBH Cancer Committee. In fact, he assisted the committee in achieving accreditation from the Commission on Cancer. Currently, he serves as chairman of the Cancer Committee.

 
Dr. Shelton did his undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA, followed by work as a lab technician for the University of South Alabama, then on to medical school at the same location and then back to UVA for radiation therapy residency. He realized his passion was radiation therapy in medical school following rotations in orthopedics, general surgery and hematology/oncology. Prior to work at the Outer Banks Radiation Therapy Center, Shelton worked as a radiation oncologist in Lewisburg, WV.

Kelley D. Simpson, MBA, is a Director at The Chartis Group within the Oncology Solutions Practice.  Ms. Simpson has a passion for helping hospitals and physicians drive transformative cancer care delivery.  Her strategic, analytical, and operational skills and organizational experience enable her to be a catalyst for change with physician enterprise and ambulatory networks.  Her 30 years of experience with the full range of challenges facing community and NCI/academic centers allows her to identify high-impact opportunities, while mitigating the tendency to problem-solve isolated issues that may not lead to sustainable practices.

Ms. Simpson is also a dyad leader of the Chartis Oncology Solutions practice, assisting hundreds of clients with a variety of strategic and operational issues geared towards creating comprehensive, value-based cancer enterprises. Kelley views every oncology project as an opportunity to collaborate with her clients to transform cancer care delivery for patients in every community she touches, while creating sustainable business models that support operational and financial performance.

Kelley regularly contributes to leading industry publications and serves as a director of the board for the Association of Cancer Executives and is a member of the advisory board for the Cancer Center Business Summit.

As chief scientific officer, Spigel oversees the development and operations of Sarah Cannon's clinical research program and works with research physician leaders, biotech and pharma companies to ensure the latest innovative treatments are available to patients. Spigel, who joined Sarah Cannon in 2003 as the director of the lung cancer research program, has played a significant role in the development of immunotherapies and other targeted medicines in clinical trials at Sarah Cannon, that have led to new drug approvals.

Spigel received his bachelor’s degree from Tulane University in New Orleans in 1992, and medical degree from The University of Tennessee in Memphis in 1996. After completing an internal medicine and chief residency at Indiana University Medical Center, he completed a fellowship in hematology and oncology at The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. He is board certified in medical oncology. Additionally, he is an associate with Tennessee Oncology, PLLC.

Dr. Still is a nurse informaticist with 15 years of experience in diverse clinical settings. She served in leadership roles for informatics projects across the care continuum from medication administration safety in the acute care setting to electronic health record (EHR) implementations in primary care offices and clinics. She is a member of several professional organizations, including ANIA and ANA, and has severed as a peer reviewer for HIMSS Online Journal of Nursing Informatics. She earned her BSN from Widener University and MSN from Rutgers University. Dr. Still earned her DNP from Thomas Jefferson University where her Practice Inquiry Project explored provider perceptions of electronic supportive and survivorship care plans.

Lauren Sutton is Director of Product Management at Flatiron Health. Lauren leads product development for Flatiron's clinical trial and mobile app businesses. Prior to Flatiron, Lauren worked at Quintiles (now IQVIA) as a Clinical Research Associate focused on oncology drug development. She holds an MBA from North Carolina State University and a BS in Biology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Jaclyn Truelove is currently the Director of Contracting and Payer Relations for the Cancer Care Associates of York in Central Pennsylvania.  She has over 17 years of experience in healthcare in working for both the payer side, Empire BlueCross BlueShield, and the provider side, MedStar Health.  Her current responsibilities draw from her diverse background to oversee the value-based contracting efforts for the practice, as well as heading the billing team, assisting the in-practice dispensary, and participating in a multi-disciplinary pharmaeconomics team.  Jaclyn is a Certified Revenue Cycle Executive (CRCE) through the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM).  She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Chapter of AAHAM and oversees the certification educational programs.

Madelyn Trupkin Herzfeld was Founder, President, and General Manager of the Institute for Medical Education & Research, Inc. (IMER), where she led the development of accredited oncology continuing education/continuing medical education programs for nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals specializing in oncology for 12 years. IMER was sold in 2007 to United Biosource Corporation, which was acquired by Medco Health Solutions (2010) and later Express Scripts Corporation (2011). Ms. Herzfeld earned dual degrees in business (concentration: Health Care Public Policy and Management) and nursing from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and School of Nursing, respectively. She began her career at Bear, Stearns & Co. as a financial analyst in its investment banking healthcare services/pharmaceutical group and subsequently served as an associate for Pinnacle Partners, a boutique investment bank focused on middle-market healthcare service companies.

Mei Wa Kwong joined CCHP in March 2010 as a Policy Associate and was named Executive Director in January 2018.  Ms. Kwong leads the organization’s work on , public policy issues as they impact telehealth on the state and federal level.  She is also the project director for the National Telehealth Policy Resource Center.

Ms. Kwong is a nationally recognized expert on telehealth policy.  In her current role at CCHP she works with the organization’s multitude of national and regional partners on telehealth issues and oversees CCHP’s projects, provides policy technical assistance to state and federal lawmakers, industry members, providers, consumers and others.  She manages CCHP’s staff and works closely with CCHP’s consultants.

Prior to joining CCHP, Ms. Kwong was a public policy analyst for Children’s Home Society of California, working on child care and early education issues on the state and federal levels. She also worked extensively with the Child Development Policy Institute, a statewide public policy organization, and was recognized by them in 2004 for her work in the early care and education field.  Ms. Kwong holds a BA in International Affairs from George Washington University, and a JD from George Washington University Law School.

Adria E. Warren, JD, is a partner and healthcare lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP, where she advises clients on mergers, acquisitions, affiliations, and strategic transactions, including the formation of provider groups, networks, alliances, and joint ventures. In addition, Adria counsels entrepreneurs and established companies on a wide range of day-to-day legal and business issues, including corporate governance, securities laws compliance, tax, and employment matters. She is a member of the Health Care and Technology Industry teams as well as the Transactional & Securities, Private Equity & Venture Capital, and International Practices.

Mark Wojtowicz is the Administrative Director of Oncology Innovation and Research for Geisinger Cancer Institute in Danville, Pennsylvania. His is responsible for the oncology research and innovation program, including support of research operations, regulatory activities, program accreditation, research strategy and partner relations. Mark is currently the lead for Cancer Care Delivery Research (CCDR) of Geisinger’s National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) where he partners with clinical investigators in the conduct of multidisciplinary research that seeks to improve factors that influence care delivery. To participate in this broad research portfolio, he provides oversight and direction to data analysts who access the many disparate clinical data systems used at Geisinger. He has been a user of Geisinger’s large data warehouse since 2007, using the platform for self-service analytics, clinical service improvements, operational insights and overall business intelligence. Mark engages with multidisciplinary cancer teams in a rapidly changing treatment and value-based oncology care landscape. Through the application of data informatics, he partners to improve processes of cancer care delivery and promote high-quality collaborations.

Dr. Wujcik’s entire career has been in oncology – from clinical roles in medical oncology and bone marrow transplant to research roles as both principal investigator and administrator. She received both a BSN and MSN from the University of Pittsburgh and a Doctor of Philosophy with a focus on Oncology Research from the University of Utah. Most of her career was spent at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN in roles of oncology clinical nurse specialist and Director of the Oncology Clinical Trials Shared Resource.