2022 Conference Speakers

Get to know our 2022 Annual Conference Speakers!
 
Jim Bailey Eleanor Beaber Susan Butterworth Jonathan Chapman
       
Paula Farmer Jennifer Genua-McDaniel Bing Li  Morgan McDonald
       
Eric Pan Angela Powell Lauren Spears Kristie Tobias
       
Marie Williams Victor Wu    
 
 
Dr. Jim Bailey
TN Population Health Consortium
TN Heart Health Network 

Dr. Bailey leads the Tennessee Population Health Consortium, a statewide partnership of The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), UTHSC campuses in Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville, The University of Tennessee, and partnering academic institutions, health systems, health plans, quality improvement organizations, providers, and patients. The Consortium is dedicated to strengthening primary and preventive care in order to measurably improve population health and health equity in Tennessee. The Consortium’s signature initiative is the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)-funded Tennessee Heart Health Network `which is building a network of primary care practices, implementing patient-centered practices in primary care, and developing sustainable, state-based QI support capacity through partnership with State and local organizations to improve cardiovascular health. The Consortium also leads the Tennessee Population Health Data Network (TN-POPnet) and its Heart Health, Obesity and Diabetes, and Cancer Prevention Registries to track outcomes and improve care across Tennessee.
 
Eleanor Beaber
Primary Care Development Corporation

Eleanor Beaber is a Senior Loan Officer with PCDC who works with health centers in states across the southeast to finance transformation and expansion efforts. She is an experienced social impact investment and healthcare leader. Before joining PCDC last fall, Eleanor was the Director of Social Impact Strategy at UnitedHealthcare. She spent 7+ years leading mission-aligned investment strategies in affordable and supportive housing, health care, and human services, including four projects in Tennessee. Prior to UnitedHealthcare, Eleanor was a Program Manager at John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention where she managed research-based community health programs in 40 states. She has a BA in from Tufts University and a MS from Northeastern University. She is based in St. Paul, MN.
 
Susan Butterworth, PhD, MS
University of Tennessee Health Center 
Tennessee Heart Health Network

Dr. Butterworth is currently an Associate Professor at the Center for Health System Improvement at the University of Tennessee Health Center and the Director of Patient Engagement for the Tennessee Heart Health Network. Her clinical background is exercise physiology and she received her doctoral degree in adult education and training with a cognate in health promotion from Virginia Commonwealth University. Susan specializes in the application of motivational interviewing-based health coaching interventions in research and practice and is well-published in this area. She has been a member of the Motivational Interviewing Networking of Trainers (MINT) since 2002.
 
Jonathan Chapman
Capital Link

Jonathan Chapman rejoined Capital Link in November 2015 as Director of Community Health Center Advisory Services. In 2019, he was promoted to Chief Project Officer. In this role, Mr. Chapman leads the organization's project consultants in capital development and operational analyses with community health centers.

He formerly served as Executive Director of the Louisiana Primary Care Association (LPCA) where he developed various technical assistance programs and helped member health centers and partner organizations navigate the complex health care, political, and financial environments. During his tenure, the LPCA established a legislative caucus, implemented a Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN), initiated an Independent Practice Association (IPA), completed a $110 million health center expansion initiative, and purchased a new LPCA facility.

Prior to joining the LPCA, Mr. Chapman worked for Capital Link as a Project Consultant and assisted Primary Care Associations and health centers around the country with market assessments, capital campaigns, and financial feasibility studies. Mr. Chapman also has experience with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and pharmacy management.

In addition to having earned both a BA degree in marketing and an MBA from Southeastern Louisiana University, he has completed multiple health care executive programs and recently earned a predictive analytics certificate through the University of California, Irvine. He is located in Capital Link’s Colorado office.
 
Paula M. Farmer
Core Value Leadership Consulting

Paula M. Farmer’s superpower is her unique ability to skillfully and powerfully guide others to discover their genius. Her gifts as a coach, speaker, author, consultant and trainer continues to lead her clients to their place of self-discovery, transformative change and clarity.

Paula holds an Associates of Science degree from Nashville State Community College, a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts Degrees from Trevecca Nazarene University, certifications from the Covey Leadership Institute and Tyson McGhee Airforce Base, and a Black Belt in Six Sigma. Paula led a team that won the coveted Malcom Baldridge National Quality Award while working for a Fortune 500 company. She serves as an Adjunct Professor at a local HBCU in Nashville, Tennessee where she leads, guides, and educates her traditional and nontraditional students into the Entrepreneurial Leadership space.

Paula launched an HR consulting firm in 2011. She has corporate clients, nonprofit clients, and individual coaching clients. Paula’s DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) consultancy work continues to reshape and redesign cultures, especially in the nonprofit world.
 
Jennifer Genua-McDaniel
Genua Consulting, LLC

Jennifer Genua-McDaniel is the founder and CEO of Genua Consulting, LLC. In this capacity, she works closely with the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) as a reviewer for operational site visits and provides training and technical assistance to community health centers, Look-Alikes and Primary Care Associations (PCAs). She also provides private consulting to all models of community health centers. Jennifer has worked with FQHCs and FQHC LAL’s for the past 16 years and 8 of those years in a CEO capacity.
 
Bing Li, PhD CISSP
Office of Technology Services, Tennessee State University

o Bing is well versed in many aspects of science and technology.  He is a highly motivated and passionate information technology professional with 20 years of successful experience in information security, risk management, technology integration and project management. Bing has been the Chief Information Security Officer at TSU since April 2022. Bing comes to this venue with a somewhat varied background of experience: software developer, cybersecurity practitioner, adjunct professor teaching cybersecurity courses, etc.  Bing have involved in the community services of information security management through Technologies, Operations, and Practice Working Group of Educause from 2014, Gartner’s Enterprise IT Leaders from 2019, and Cybersecurity Engagement in a Research Environment leading by UCSD, Information Security Officers Council of Nevada Systems of Higher Education (NSHE), Information Security Steering Committee of NSHE, member of International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2 , MS-ISAC, and Homeland Security Information Network.
 
Bing incubates and evangelizes new security strategies to disrupt emerging cyber threats. Bing focuses on proving out what works and what does not to accelerate cyber maturity. Working with leading security experts from all areas of cybersecurity community gives him unique insights into different comprehensive approaches to security and the emerging threat landscape. 
 
Morgan F. McDonald, MD FACP FAAP
Tennessee Department of Health

Morgan McDonald, MD FACP FAAP has been appointed deputy commissioner for population health for the Tennessee Department of Health. McDonald had been serving as interim deputy commissioner in this position since October 2018. She previously served as assistant commissioner for Family Health and Wellness, a role in which she led TDH efforts in maternal and child health, chronic disease prevention, health promotion and supplemental nutrition.

As deputy commissioner, McDonald will provide leadership for offices and divisions within TDH including Family Health and Wellness, Minority Health and Disparities Elimination, Population Health Assessment, Vital Records and Statistics, Rural Health and the State Chief Medical Examiner.

McDonald is board-certified in internal medicine and pediatrics and has served as a primary care clinician in safety net clinics for more than ten years. In addition to clinical care, she has focused on program management, workforce development, patient and community engagement and quality improvement. In her role as assistant commissioner for Family Health and Wellness, she provided leadership for programs including WIC services, Chronic Disease Prevention, Early Childhood Initiatives, Injury Prevention, Perinatal Regionalization, Newborn Screening, Children’s Special Services and Women’s Health.

Prior to joining the Department of Health, McDonald served as an assistant professor of internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of North Carolina and then Vanderbilt University, working as associate program director for the medicine-pediatrics residency at both universities. While at Vanderbilt, she developed curricula in inter-professional education, social determinants of health and the care of vulnerable populations for the medical school and residency programs.

McDonald received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Vanderbilt University. She completed her residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians and a member of numerous professional organizations including the Association of Maternal Child Health Programs, Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, Tennessee Public Health Association, Tennessee Center for Patient Safety and Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care. She has been recognized with numerous service and teaching awards including the Emerging Maternal and Child Health Professional Award by the Association for Maternal and Child Health Programs.
 
Dr. Eric Pan, MD, MSc, FAMIA
HITEQ

Dr. Eric Pan is a senior physician informaticist with more than 30 years of health informatics research experience. He was one of the founding members of the HITEQ Center and leads its EHR and interoperability efforts. He is a senior study director in Westat’s Center for Healthcare Delivery Research and Evaluation, and served as Westat’s project director and subject matter expert for multiple clients, including the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, the Bureau of Primary Health Care, VA, CDC, and AHRQ. 
 
Angela R. Powell, MPH, CPH
Office of Health Center Program Monitoring, Bureau of Primary Health Care
Health Resources and Services Administration

Angela R. Powell, MPH, CPH, is the Director of the Office of Health Center Program Monitoring (OHCPM) in the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC), part of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Ms. Powell oversees program monitoring and assistance activities for the nearly 1,400 Federally Qualified Health Centers, with a grant portfolio of almost $6 billion.  Prior to her current position, Angela was the Director of HRSA’s Region 8 Office in Denver, Colorado covering Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.

Previously at HRSA, Angela managed programs in the HIV/AIDS Bureau and coordinated technical assistance for the Ryan White HIV program. She also served a detail at the White House Office of National AIDS Policy. Before entering federal service, Angela was the Director of AIDS Support Services at the Whitman-Walker Health Clinic in Washington, D.C. She actively volunteers with HIV/AIDS programs and as a patient advocate for breast cancer survivors.

Ms. Powell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in life sciences and Master of Public Health degree in health administration from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She received the Certified in Public Health credential by the National Board of Public Health Examiners and a certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida.
 
Lauren Spears
Director of Policy, Office of Policy and Program Development
Bureau of Primary Health Care, Health Resources and Services Administration

Lauren Spears is the Director of Policy, one of four functional areas within the Office of Policy and Program Development in the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC). In this position, Lauren provides leadership in the development and clarification of Health Center Program requirements and related policy resources, analyses, and communications, which provide clear, transparent parameters to effectively administer and advance the Health Center Program mission and strategic priorities. Lauren has been with HRSA for over 17 years and has served in a variety of roles across the agency. Prior to joining BPHC as the Director of Policy in 2019, she served as the Chief for the Health Workforce Policy Branch in HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce. Lauren resides in Harpers Ferry, WV, with her husband and three children.
 
Kristie Tobias
Huron

Kristie Tobias is an innovative and dynamic Change Management consultant and national speaker with close to 20 years of consulting and leadership experience. With a background in organizational change leadership, diversity and inclusion, and human resources, Kristie has partnered with leaders and organizations to foster a diverse and inclusive environment focused on developing leaders to proactively lead through change in the midst of system wide transformations. She serves as a trusted advisor for organizations on topics focused on change management and leadership, DEI, employee engagement, leadership development, business optimization, and financial improvement.
 
Marie Williams
TN Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Marie Williams, LCSW, was reappointed Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) by Governor Bill Lee on January 19, 2019.  Ms. Williams was initially appointed to the position by Gov. Bill Haslam, effective October 22, 2016. 

As Commissioner, Ms. Williams oversees and leads the department in its role as the state’s public mental health and substance abuse authority with an annual budget of more than $500 million.  She provides leadership and oversight to 1,849 full-time positions that assist individuals to secure treatment and recovery services for serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbances, and substance abuse disorders.  Her duties as commissioner also include system planning; monitoring, licensing, evaluating, and setting policy and quality standards; collaborating with other state and community agencies; and working to educate the community about mental health and substance abuse services.  Ms. Williams’s oversight responsibilities include community mental health and substance abuse programs and the operation of four regional mental health institutes.  TDMHSAS-funded community behavioral health services are provided through contracted relationships with not-for-profit and faith-based organizations with about 1,200 ongoing contractual agreements.  The department also operates four regional mental health institutes which serve more than 8,000 people on an annual basis, and the department has contracts with three additional private psychiatric hospitals which serve more than 3,000 people annually. In all, the department serves approximately 350,000 Tennesseans annually who are struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues.

In her time as Commissioner, Ms. Williams has served as a leader in addressing several essential issues facing Tennessee including the opioid crisis, emergency psychiatric services, and criminal justice reform. 

Under the direction of Gov. Bill Haslam, Ms. Williams co-chaired a workgroup of commissioners, state and local lawmakers, and law enforcement officers to develop a comprehensive plan to address opioid addiction and reduce overdose deaths in Tennessee.  This plan became known as TN Together and was the signature policy initiative of Gov. Haslam’s final year in office.  The $30 million plan addressed the crisis by making significant investments in substance abuse treatment, addiction prevention, and law enforcement.

In the arena of emergency psychiatric services, Commissioner Williams established an unprecedented public-private partnership in collaboration with the Tennessee Hospital Association which resulted in the creation and implementation of psychiatric treatment protocols for use in Emergency Departments (EDs) across the state.  These protocols have been adopted by the Tennessee College of Emergency Physicians and are being adopted as a national model by the American College of Emergency Physicians as well.  This collaboration continues to pay dividends as the department works with stakeholders to address the burden that emergency psychiatric services place on communities across Tennessee. 

Ms. Williams’s efforts in the area of criminal justice reform include advocating, increasing funding, and expanding the network of recovery courts to encompass 82 recovery courts in Tennessee.  Additionally, Ms. Williams is responsible for leadership and oversight of the department’s new juvenile justice program which seeks to create alternatives to out-of-home placements in areas of the state where options are limited. 

In her previous position as Deputy Commissioner, Ms. Williams served as top advisor to the Commissioner and managed the departmental budget of more than $337 million.  Ms. Williams successfully assisted in the department’s transformation initiative.  Through strong partnership and collaboration with community providers, treatment for patients was moved into less-restrictive environments, and $20.5 million was reinvested into community-based services.  Her leadership secured the support of three East Tennessee private psychiatric in-patient hospital partners to provide services to those patients previously served by Lakeshore Mental Health Institute. 

Commissioner Williams’s drive for serving Tennesseans with behavioral health challenges still lies with the area where her passion was first sparked: housing and homeless services.  Ms. Williams began her career in Memphis supporting people experiencing homelessness and mental illness.  Her success there led to employment with TDMHSAS starting in 2000 as the Director of Housing Planning and Development.   Her initiative, the Creating Homes Initiative (CHI), since its creation has leveraged $600 Million and developed more than 20,000 supportive housing options for people diagnosed with mental illness and co-occurring disorders.

Commissioner Williams is the recipient of numerous professional and community awards from national and state groups including the Excellence in Advocacy Individual Achievement Award from the National Council for Behavioral Health, the George Goodman and Ruth P. Brudney National Social Work Award from Mental Health America, the Alumni Professional Achievement Award from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, the Senator Douglas Henry Award for Service to Children and Families at Risk from the University of Tennessee College of Social Work, the Voice of Recovery Award from the Tennessee Association of Alcohol Drug and other Addiction Services, and the Tipper Gore Legacy Award from Tennessee Voices for Children.  Ms. Williams lives in Nashville, and she is the mother of Nicole Williams.
 
Victor Wu, MD, MPH
TennCare

Victor serves as the Chief Medical Officer for the TN Division of TennCare, the state’s Medicaid Agency. At TennCare, Dr. Wu leads the medical office to ensure quality and cost-effective delivery of medical, pharmacy, and dental services to its members. He also supports payment reform and practice transformation initiatives across the agency. Prior to joining TennCare, Dr. Wu worked at Evolent Health as Vice President for Clinical Transformation and Medicaid Strategies where he led provider groups and health systems to implement value based population health redesign. In 2013, he served as a White House Fellow to the Secretary of Health and Human Services working on ACA implementation, delivery system reform, and addressing social determinants of health. Dr. Wu is a board certified Internist who completed his Internal Medicine Primary Care Residency, Chief Medical Residency, and practiced as an attending physician at Emory University and Grady Memorial Hospital. He still practices clinically as an internist in the Veteran’s Affairs Health System. He is originally from Tennessee and completed his undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt University.
 
 
 
 


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