Speakers

Saeed Aminzadeh
Chief Executive Officer

Andrew Bell
Medicare Stars Practice Leader

Jennifer Callahan
Chief Operating Officer

Keslie Crichton
Chief Sales Officer

Ghada Elkhammas
Senior Product Manager

Michael Farina
Vice President of Healthcare Quality

Corey Fleck
Vice President of Medicare Stars

Brendan Generelli
Director of Medicare Stars & Quality,

Mary A. Goble, MSN, RN
Director of Clinical Quality

Kena Hahn, MHA
Director, Medicare Stars & Outpatient Care Coordination

Jenna Horner
Director of Medicare Advantage Product Strategy,

Priyanka Jain
Vice President, Quality and Population Health

Leon W. Lead
AVP, Medicare Stars & Quality Improvement

Sara Lords
Medicare Stars Program Manager

Nate Lucena
Chief Strategy & Analytics Officer

Shelly McCombs, MPH
Sr. Manager Quality Improvement Operations and Accreditation

Misty Milby MPH
Vice President - Clinical Business Development

Alyssa Mullen, MHA
AVP, Quality Improvement and Performance

Jenna Pinnelle
Director of Quality and Customer Success

Caroline Paes Leme Pires
Care Consultant Sr.- Medicare Quality, East Region

Dan Ready
Director of Business Development

Reva Sheehan
Senior Director, Customer Insights

Kim Shell
Principal

Melissa Smith
Founder and Senior Advisor

Rex Wallace
Principal & Founder

Dan Weaver
Senior Vice President, Stars & Quality
Speaker Details

Saeed Aminzadeh
Chief Executive Officer
DecisionPoint by mPulse
Saeed founded Decision Point with the mission of improving health plan clinical, financial and operational performance through informed, data-driven predictions on strategic decisions. He has more than 25 years of health information technology experience, with a track record of developing innovative approaches to solve complex business problems. He has held key senior management positions at Eliza Corporation, Ingenix (currently Optum), IHCIS and ProVentive, where led high- performing teams focused creative uses of technology for practical problem-solving. Saeed is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University with a BA in Economics.

Andrew Bell
Medicare Stars Practice Leader
ProspHire
Andrew is the Medicare Stars Practice Leader at ProspHire, a national management consulting firm exclusively dedicated to healthcare. Specializing in delivery and execution, Andrew’s work has focused on the Payor Space supporting clients with go-to-market strategic planning, new product development, growth and transformation activities, post-acquisition integration efforts, and other strategic initiatives for MCOs. One of his key areas of expertise is Medicare Stars where he takes a lead role in guiding health plans through the program, enabling long-term sustainable success. He has a passion for staying at the forefront of policy changes, regulatory changes, and trends related to managed care, particularly in context to the Medicare Stars Program. Being an emerging thought leader in the field, he actively engages with new developments and industry changes, positioning himself and ProspHire as leaders in healthcare consulting.

Jennifer Callahan
Chief Operating Officer
ATRIO Health Plans
Jen Callahan is the Chief Operating Officer of ATRIO Health Plans. For the past 19
years, Jen has established herself as a trusted thought leader and helped shape the
managed care industry with her innovative ideas and expertise. Jen has dedicated her
career almost exclusively to managed care and is an industry leading expert in all
areas of Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement programs.
Prior to joining ATRIO, she co-founded a field management organization, Keen
Insurance Services, Inc. to create a provider-centric Medicare focused sales and
distribution organization from the ground up. Prior to that, she held the position
of Vice President, Medicare Product at Aetna, a CVS Health company where she oversaw
the product development and implementation Aetna’s entire Medicare portfolio,
contributing over $24 billion to Aetna’s revenue. Throughout her career, Jen has
also held various leadership positions at Healthfirst, Inc. and Anthem, Inc. focused
exclusively on Government sponsored business.
Jen received her Bachelor of Science degree from Fordham University and MBA from
North Carolina State University. Jen currently resides in Waxhaw, a suburb of
Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband, their three kids and fur baby, Vivi. Jen
loves spending time with her family and friends and hosting them at their home.

Keslie Crichton
Chief Sales Officer
BeneLynk
Keslie is the Chief Sales Officer for Benelynk. In her role, she is not only
responsible for new business development but also works on innovative partnerships
to improve outreach strategies and health outcomes for our client’s members. At the
core of BeneLynk’s services, Keslie and her team work to identify, document and
solve member’s social determinant of health (SDoH) challenges by “leading with
help”. This increases BeneLynk’s engagement rates across our integrated services
while also providing our clients with crucial information they need to deliver care
and improve their quality metrics.
Keslie has worked in managed care for over 25 years with a focus on SDoH solutions
that improve members lives but also provide a return on investment for our clients.
Keslie's passion lies in working on strategies that put members at the center while
ensuring we deliver accurate risk-adjusted revenue, quality performance, and member
retention.
Keslie holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Regis University and worked
toward her MBA and Masters in Healthcare Administration at Sacred Heart University
in Fairfield, CT.

Ghada Elkhammas
Senior Product Manager
Cigna
With over 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including six years
dedicated to the Medicare space, Ghada is currently a Senior Product Manager at
Cigna. In this role, she oversees the Cigna Medicare Advantage Incentive and Reward
Program, where she drives initiatives aimed at enhancing member engagement and
satisfaction. Ghada plays a crucial role in ensuring compliance with regulatory
requirements, while also implementing innovative strategies that improve program
effectiveness and member outcomes.
Throughout her career, Ghada has held a variety of positions that have shaped her
expertise in healthcare strategy, product development, and program management. She
has successfully led cross-functional teams in analyzing market trends and consumer
needs, enabling her to develop targeted solutions that meet the evolving demands of
the healthcare landscape. Her collaborative approach fosters strong relationships
with stakeholders, ensuring that projects are aligned with organizational goals and
deliver measurable results.
Ghada holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Arizona,
where she developed a strong foundation in business principles that she applies to
her work in healthcare. Outside of her professional pursuits, she is passionate
about traveling, volunteering in her community, and spending quality time with her
son, who is a freshman at the University of Arizona. Ghada’s diverse interests and
commitment to service reflect her belief in the importance of giving back and
fostering connections, both personally and professionally.

Michael Farina
Vice President of Healthcare Quality
Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan
Michael A. Farina, R Ph., MBA joined CDPHP in 2019 and is currently the Director of Health Care Quality In this role, he has primary responsibility for the HEDIS hybrid abstraction process, day to day operational aspects of the quality department. Michael earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Albany College of Pharmacy and a masters of Business Administration from Union College. Michael is a registered pharmacist in New York State.

Corey Fleck
Vice President of Medicare Stars
Jefferson Health Plans
Corey oversees the CMS Medicare Stars quality program, utilizing a five-star rating
system to measure the experience of Medicare beneficiaries with their health plans.
Responsible for more than 40 quality measures, Corey drives outcomes, implements
improvement initiatives and serves as the subject matter expert for interconnected
department efforts.
His leadership extends to the Jefferson Health Plans Stars Improvement Committee,
where he directs senior leaders from various program departments, fostering
collaboration and driving quality improvements for Medicare members.
Corey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Rutgers University (New Brunswick,
NJ) and an MBA from the Rutgers School of Business (Camden, NJ).

Brendan Generelli
Director of Medicare Stars & Quality,
Johns Hopkins Health Plan
Brendan Generelli is Director of Medicare Stars & Quality at Johns Hopkins Health Plan. Prior to joining JHHP, Brendan was the Senior Program Manager for Stars and Quality at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island, where he led them to achieving a 5 Star rating on multiple contracts in back to back years. Brendan has a deep passion for member experience, is a leading voice in the health equity space, and is always striving to improve the quality of care for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.

Mary A. Goble, MSN, RN
Director of Clinical Quality
Capital Health Plan

Kena Hahn, MHA
Director, Medicare Stars & Outpatient Care Coordination
Health Alliance
Kena Hahn is the Director of Medicare Stars and Outpatient Care Coordination for
Health Alliance, a vertically integrated health system with Carle that provides
coverage to Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and parts of Washington state. She has 6 years
of experience in star ratings including value based contracting, supplemental
benefits design, vendor management and collaborates with other population health
teams to drive improvement. Prior to working in the health plan industry, Kena
served in a variety of roles in ambulatory operations with a focus on process
improvement and overall patient experience. She brings over 19 years of experience
in the healthcare field with a focus on Star ratings, patient/member experience and
process improvement.
In her current role, Kena has responsibility for creating and implementing an
overall strategy to improve Star Ratings for Health Alliance’s Medicare Advantage
products as well as oversight for all Outpatient Care Coordination teams and the
population health digital strategy at the health plan.
In addition to her Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology and Marketing, Kena also
has her Master’s in Health Administration degree. The ultimate vision she has for
the Stars program is to utilize predictive analytics in conjunction with
collaboration from key vendors, the entire health plan organization and provider
partners to reach and sustain a five star rating for our Medicare Advantage
products.

Jenna Horner
Director of Medicare Advantage Product Strategy
Cigna
Jenna Horner is the Product Strategy Director for Cigna Healthcare. In her role, she is responsible for the oversight of Cigna’s Medicare Individual products and Cigna Medicare Advantage Incentive and Reward Program. She leads innovation, new product development, and the implementation and performance of Cigna’s Medicare Advantage plans. Prior to joining Cigna, she worked for a provider-owned Medicare Advantage plan and was responsible for identifying and executing on market expansions, product development, and vendor management. She also has experience in contract management, healthcare revenue services, value-based incentive programs for physician networks, and managing large IT initiatives for a healthcare company. A graduate of The Ohio State University with a degree in Health Care Management, Jenna also holds a Master’s in Business Administration – Finance from Tiffin University. Jenna lives in Columbus, OH with her husband and three children.

Priyanka Jain
Vice President, Quality and Population Health
Martin’s Point Health Care
Priyanka Jain is Vice President, Martin’s Point Health Plan. Prior to that she led
the Medicare Star Quality and Member Experience program for Point32Health in
Massachusetts (a not-for-profit formed from the combination of Tufts Health Plan and
Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare). Tufts Medicare Preferred is the only HMO plan in
Massachusetts, only plan in New England, that has earned 5 Stars 8 years in a row.
With more than 20+ years of healthcare experience, she started her journey as a
dentist in India, received a Master’s in Health Education from Texas Woman’s
University and a Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Health Care
Management and Policy from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Her background has served her well in building a bridge between the clinical and
business world in her roles in Clinical Operations, Provider Performance, and Care
Coordination at Partner’s Health Care and Beth Israel Lahey, large healthcare
systems in Massachusetts.
Educate, Encourage, and Empower are the principles she firmly believes and adheres
to in her professional endeavors. Mobilizing people around her to strive for
excellence is the mantra that has shaped her and her organization’s remarkable 5
Star success.
She is mom to a 10 year old boy and lives with her family in Sharon, Massachusetts.
In her spare time, she loves to learn languages, Mandarin is next on her list.

Leon W. Lead, AVP
Medicare Stars & Quality Improvement
Molina Healthcare
Leon Lead is an enthusiastic leader who is grateful for the opportunity to
serve others. Leon is committed to improving access to care for our most
vulnerable populations. Leon’s passion for improving access to care was
molded by his mother and wife having different health outcomes due the
zip codes in which they live. Leon serves as AVP of Stars & Quality
Improvement for Molina Healthcare.
Leon has held numerous roles in the past 20 years ranging from an
individual contributor to multiple leadership positions in both the private and
public sectors of healthcare, behavioral health, child welfare, juvenile
justice, and education.
Leon is a self-proclaimed “people helper” who lives in Arizona with his wife,
two sons and two dogs.

Sara Lords
Medicare Stars Program Manager
Blue Cross of Idaho
Sara Lords is the Program Manager for Medicare Stars at Blue Cross of Idaho. She is responsible for the overall strategic vision, direction, and performance management for the organization. With over 10 years of healthcare experience, Sara also has her undergraduate degree in psychology from Boise State University and a Masters in Healthcare Administration and Management from Colorado State University.

Nate Lucena
Chief Strategy & Analytics Officer
Rex Wallace Consulting
Nate has Master’s degrees in Experimental Psychology and Cognitive
Neuroscience/Aging from the College of William & Mary and Washington University in
St. Louis where his research was funded by the American Psychological Association,
the National Science Foundation, and the National Institute of Aging. He began his
career with over a decade in academic research, specializing in the neural bases of
schizophrenia, brain aging, Alzheimer’s Disease and human cognition. Nate has been
published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology and Frontiers
in Integrative Neuroscience.
Nate is currently the Chief Strategy & Analytics Officer for Rex Wallace Consulting,
where he specializes in developing and executing data-driven and health
equity-focused strategies to improve outcomes and reduce health disparities in
government healthcare programs. He is an industry expert on health equity, health
disparities, and inclusivity in government healthcare programs. He has served on the
Health Equity Technical Expert Panel for the Pharmacy Quality Alliance, and at
numerous speaking engagements at industry conferences across the country that focus
on the complex intersections of race, sex, gender, and sexual orientation that
impact access to safe, high-quality healthcare.
Prior to his current role, Nate held executive analytics and strategy roles at
Centene Corporation, a Fortune 25 company headquartered in St. Louis. His executive
roles included leadership over Enterprise Quality Analytics and Data Science, Chief
of Staff and Vice President of Enterprise Quality Performance Improvement Strategy,
and Quality Improvement Business Development for Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace
lines of business delivering care to 1 in 15 Americans across all 50 states.

Shelly McCombs, MPH
Sr. Manager Quality Improvement Operations and Accreditation
Health New England
Shelly McCombs is the Sr. Manager, Quality Improvement Operations and Accreditation
at Health New England. She joined the organization in 2017, under her leadership,
the plan has achieved numerous milestones, including attaining and maintaining key
accreditations and certifications. Shelly has served as the co-chair of the New
England HEDIS Coalition in partnership with PressGaney from 2022-2023. In 2022,
Shelly led Health New England’s journey to achieve NCQA Health Equity Accreditation.
The plan achieved full NCQA Health Equity Accreditation, a 2024 Medicaid
requirement, one year early and across all lines of business, just the second plan
nationally to achieve that milestone.
She currently chairs the HNE Health Equity Committee and Medicaid BeHealthy
Partnership Health Equity Committee. In addition to Health Equity Accreditation,
Shelly and her team are proactively driving assessment and improvement as it relates
to Medicare Stars upcoming Health Equity Index. Health New England is committed to
the importance of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at the core of all
values, processes, policies and programs, and Shelly serves as a charter member of
the DEIB committee, contributing to company wide DEIB education and leadership
programs.

Misty Milby
Vice President - Clinical Business Development
Everly Health
Misty is an experienced Registered Nurse, licensed in all 50 states plus DC, with a robust background in nurse management, clinical operations, clinical strategy, telehealth,
and clinical business development. As the Vice President of Clinical Business Development, she leads clinical service expansion for health plans and employers, working closely
with cross-functional teams to translate client needs into measurable outcomes.
In this role, Misty is a key driver in strategic initiatives, overseeing new and expanded services, improving processes, and providing critical support for clinical activities
and audits. Passionate about patient care and access to healthcare, Misty is dedicated to developing innovative solutions that empower individuals to achieve positive health
outcomes and drive meaningful change in the healthcare industry.

Alyssa Mullen, MHA
AVP, Quality Improvement and Performance
Jefferson Health Plans
Alyssa Mullen is the AVP of Quality Improvement and Performance (QIP) for Jefferson
Health Plans. Her department is responsible for the development,
execution and oversight of key quality projects and companywide initiatives that
maximize JHP’s performance and ensure regulatory compliance.
The QIP and Quality Management (QM) teams are focused on improving JHP’s quality
performance, optimizing JHP’s quality ratings programs (HEDIS, Medicare Stars and
Medicaid MCO P4P),
supporting JHP’s provider incentive programs, managing value-based payment models
and overseeing relationships with strategic provider and vendor partners. Prior to
joining
JHP in the spring of 2021, Alyssa worked for Temple Physicians, Inc. (TPI), the
community physician practice group that is part of Temple University Health System
in Philadelphia.
She served in several roles in the quality and compliance department at TPI,
including as the Director of Quality and Compliance for 6 years.
She was responsible for implementation of several NCQA and CMS programs, like PCMH,
CPC+ and PCF, as well as oversight over the pay-for-performance programs and
population
health initiatives for the physician group. Alyssa has a Bachelor in Science from
Georgetown University’s School of Nursing and Health Studies and a Master in Health
Administration
from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Jenna Pinnelle
Director of Quality and Customer Success
Value-Based Long Term Care
Jenna Pinnelle is the Director of Quality and Customer Success for Value-Based Long Term Care. Prior to this role, she was Medicare Program Manager for the state of Maine at Elevance Health. In her that role she managed and coordinated the development of provider programs related to Stars, HEDIS , Risk Adjustment and CAHPS. She has been involved in healthcare quality improvement for over 10 years and has a passion for elevating patient outcomes and experience throughout the healthcare continuum. In her free time she enjoys exploring the outdoors through surfing, hiking, and snowshoeing.

Caroline Paes Leme Pires
Care Consultant Sr.- Medicare Quality, East Region
Elevance Health
Caroline Pires is an experienced Care Consultant in NY with a comprehensive background in Population Health and Change Management in healthcare. In my current role I have proven ability to implement value-based quality programs, strategize based on market trends, and collaborate with various stakeholders for effective resource allocation to support quality and cost improvement. She leverage her strong skills in data analysis to provide targeted solutions for HEDIS stars and CAHPS enhancement. In her free time she loves to play and dance with her daughter, read and try diferent cusines.

Dan Ready
Director of Business Development
mPulse
Dan leads business development and strategic partnerships at mPulse, leveraging over a decade of experience in advancing data-driven, consumer-focused solutions. In his current role, Dan partners with healthcare organizations to identify opportunities for innovation, aligning cutting-edge technologies with business objectives. His work focuses on fostering collaboration and designing strategies that personalize consumer engagement, streamline operational efficiencies, and drive measurable improvements in business performance.

Reva Sheehan
Senior Director, Customer Insights
mPulse
Reva has more than 15 years’ industry experience ranging from long term care and
compound pharmacy management to health plan operations and quality.
As an avid collaborator, Reva engages internal and external stakeholders to improve
processes for optimal outcomes while keeping the member’s
experience at the heart of every conversation.

Kim Shell
Principal
Freedom Healthcare Consulting
An expert in multiple aspects of CMS star ratings and quality, Kim is a strategic
minded healthcare executive, committed to creativity and innovation in every aspect
of health care.
Kim has almost 30 years of extensive experience focused on quality management stars,
accreditation and process improvement, inclusive of Six Sigma projects in the
national health plan industry. Working for several of the largest US health plans
for extended periods, she has designed and implemented roadmaps and tactical
strategies designed to improve performance, increase member engagement and yield
greater returns. Her experience includes working in local, regional, and national
leadership roles and experience with Medicaid, Medicare and Commercial lines of
business.
She has led efforts not only with health plans but also with other partners such as
providers assisting in strategic design to maximize the efficiencies between payor
and providers. Additionally, she has direct experience in 14 states/markets
overseeing all aspects of quality, HEDIS/CAHPS/HOS as well as Risk Adjustment.
Kim has excelled in developing strategies to achieve outcomes on multiple aspects of
quality, operations and network areas. Her outcomes have included being the
recipient of the 5 Star Award for being the first plan in a national MCO to achieve
the coveted 5-star rating, receiving the Executive Development Program nomination
and incremental increases in the number of plans achieving their star goal from 42%
to 67% within 2 years in another national Medicare plan.

Melissa Smith
Founder and Senior Advisor
Newton Smith Group
For more than a decade, Melissa Smith has been at the forefront of leading Medicare
Advantage and Star Ratings teams. As the founder of Newton Smith Group and a Senior
Advisor to Oliver Wyman, Melissa is a widely recognized thought leader and
healthcare strategist. Her proven track record of success lies in developing
comprehensive enterprise-wide solutions that enhance Star Ratings, quality
performance, health outcomes, and the overall member experience.
Melissa excels in crafting strategic and tactical solutions to meet client needs,
forging productive partnerships across internal teams and external vendors, and
improving performance on various quality measures. Her unique background in
business, finance, regulatory compliance, and healthcare quality provides clients
unparalleled access to healthcare strategy, quality performance, and revenue
optimization.
As the former Chief Consulting Officer at Healthmine and Senior Vice President at
Gorman Health Group, Melissa's leadership spans across prestigious organizations
like Cigna-HealthSpring and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Graduating from
Purdue University, Melissa began her career at KPMG, LLP and is a Certified Public
Accountant.

Rex Wallace
Principal & Founder,
Rex Wallace Consulting, LLC
Rex is a Quality Improvement expert who helps health plans achieve higher quality, operational excellence, and more meaningful engagement with all stakeholders. Prior to founding RWC, Rex was a health plan leader accountable for Star Ratings, Medicare operations, and the member experience for a multi-state, 100,000+ member plan. He led the turnaround of all nine contracts from 3.5 Stars to either 4 or 4.5 Stars through enhanced data-enabled engagement with the organization, its members, and its providers. Rex has 30 years of industry experience leading functions such as member retention, market analysis, customer service, and operational improvement.

Dan Weaver
Senior Vice President, Stars & Quality,
Zing Health
Daniel Weaver recently joined Zing Health, a tech-forward health plan based in Chicago, as the Senior Vice President of Stars and Quality. With over 25 years of experience in Operations and Star Ratings strategy, Daniel has previously served as VP, Government Quality Programs at Highmark Wholecare (formerly Gateway Health Plan) and Director of Stars Programs at Highmark Health, helping both organizations achieve and maintain their first 4.5 Star Ratings. In his career, Dan has overseen the development and implementation of many analytics-driven and beneficiary-focused programs, has adopted continuous improvement and operational excellence philosophies for sustained success, and embraces innovation focused on overcoming socioeconomic barriers to achieving health equity and optimal quality outcomes. In his new role with Zing Health, Daniel will focus on implementing a high-performing Stars infrastructure to support the organization’s rapid growth with a focus on servicing special needs members in several states.