Speakers & Faculty

Karen Fridg

Director of EHR Systems, Community Intervention Services, Inc.

Karen Fridg

Director of EHR Systems, Community Intervention Services, Inc.

Karen has worked in Behavioral Healthcare Administration for over 20 years. Currently, she serves as the Director of Electronic Health Record Systems for Community Intervention Services, Inc. As part of the senior IT team, she provides expertise in both implementation and configuration of the Electronic Health Record (EHR). Her specialized skills include system optimization, and coordination of I.T. resources and application vendors to support enterprise EHR initiatives. Karen’s passion is in the development of data analytics to monitor and assess enterprise-wide business operations, which contribute to better and faster business decisions and ultimately result in the highest level quality of care.

Prior to this role, Karen served as the Director of Clinical and Business Systems for Family Behavioral Resources, Inc. and as a Systems Analyst for Alternative Community Resources Program. Karen earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Management Information Systems, and a minor in Applied Statistics from Indiana University of PA where she also served as President of the Association of Management Information Systems. ×

Phil Hickmon, MPA

Vice President, Market Intelligence, OPEN MINDS

Phil Hickmon, MPA, brings 25 years of experience in the public health and behavioral health fields to the OPEN MINDS team. Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Hickmon acted as the Vice President of Business Development for Hope Network.

Mr. Hickmon was responsible for fostering organic and strategic growth, assisting in creating a five-year plan to grow the company to $200 million by 2020. Day-to-day activities included overall business development strategy, contracting support, and execution of strategies for growth across multiple service lines.

Previously, Mr. Hickmon served as a Chief Operating Officer for an Acadia Healthcare facility. In this role, Mr. Hickmon was responsible for P&L analysis, health plan contracting and negotiation, strategic planning, future inpatient hospital expansion, and contract analysis.

Prior to his time at Acadia Healthcare, Mr. Hickmon served as a Chief Operating Officer and a Chief Executive Officer of a Universal Health Services facility. In this position, Mr. Hickmon successfully reached a 94% year-to-date occupancy. He led regulatory compliance initiatives including both internal corporate audits and state Medicaid contract audits. While with UHS, Mr. Hickmon developed and implemented strategies to grow hospital census, improve clinical operations, achieve regulatory standards of excellence, and lower bad debt.

Mr. Hickmon also has extensive experience in crisis services and emergency psychiatric programming. As the President of ConnectionsAZ, he built the corporate business plan in order to launch the physician led company. He negotiated vendor contracts and managed all health plan contracts. He also executed operational oversite in order to reduce employee turnover and improve employee satisfaction.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Hickmon worked in the Michigan Community Mental Health system and in direct service delivery for ten years. He has experience as a case manager and care coordinator. This experience includes a variety of program settings including psychosocial rehab programs, ACT teams, partial hospitalization, and home health.

In addition to a wealth of professional experience, Mr. Hickmon is also involved with his community. He has served in various positions in the Coloma Rocket Football League, where he is currently a head coach. Mr. Hickmon has also participated in the Relay-For-Life and the Coloma Wrestling Program. ×

Stephanie Hollada

Customer Relationship Manager, OPENMINDS

Stephanie Hollada, brings over 6 years of unique experience in marketing and operation management to the OPEN MINDS team.

Her areas of expertise include: project management, solution-focused problem-solving, marketing strategy development, client relationship management, as well as data analytics.

She currently serves as Customer Relationship Manager for the OPEN MINDS and the point of contact for all Premium and Elite Members.

Previously, she served as a Market Research Assistant for OPEN MINDS. In that role, Ms. Hollada was responsible for supporting the health care market intelligence research, management consultation practice and for maintaining data integrity for several databases.

Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, she served as the Marketing Design Analyst & Operations Manager for Gardens By Grace, LLC in Central PA. Ms. Hollada contributed with the achievement of organizational growth by nearly tripling the annual revenue. She launched and designed product lines, trained and supervised contractors, maintained relationships with wholesale and retail clients, and supervised all website development and social media. In addition, she assisted with the planning and execution of educational events.

Previously, has held a number of positions in customer service, retail management, developing marketing materials and event coordination.

Ms. Hollada attended Oklahoma State University and received her Bachelor’s degree in History, minoring in Middle Eastern Studies and Geography. ×

Julie Hiett, LMSW

Senior Director, Population Health Management, Netsmart

Julie Hiett is Sr. Director of Population Health Management, providing Netsmart clients with expertise and population health solutions that enable them to collect and analyze authorized patient data across the healthcare continuum, and use it to improve clinical outcomes and lower the cost of care.

Previously, Julie was Netsmart’s Practice Director, Consulting, managing the implementation teams for Netsmart care coordination, population health, addiction management and public health solutions. Julie works closely with Netsmart’s product, development and consulting teams, driving these multi-functional teams to implement small and large-scale projects. She has led multiple state-wide rollouts involving care coordination across social services, I/DD, behavioral health and primary care populations.

Prior to joining Netsmart, Julie held a variety of positions with ScriptPro, a pharmacy software company, including leading large-scale projects for the Department of Veterans Administration, Department of Defense and Indian Health Services. She also has 8+ years of experience in the social services and social work arena, including both child and adult mental health, mentoring and advocacy at community mental health centers and multiple non-profit organizations.

Julie has a bachelor’s degree in Family Studies & Human Services from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in Social Work from Wichita State University. She also attained the designation of Licensed Master Social Worker. ×

Diana Salvador, PsyD

Vice President, Program Evaluation, Grants & Outcomes, CPC Behavioral Healthcare

Diana Salvador, PsyD

Vice President, Program Evaluation, Grants & Outcomes, CPC Behavioral Healthcare

Diana Salvador, PsyD, is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in both New Jersey and New York and currently serves as the Vice President of Quality Assurance & Risk Management at CPC Behavioral Healthcare in Monmouth County, NJ. CPC provides a continuum of mental health, substance use, and special education services to children, adults, and families and is a certified CCBHC and the recent recipient of the SAMHSA CCBHC and MAT Expansion grants. In her role she develops and monitors outcomes to support a value-based system of care and leads quality improvement initiatives. Prior to coming to CPC, Dr. Salvador worked at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care providing oversight for residential, school and community programs for youth and families throughout NJ. She is a volunteer Faculty member of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and an Affiliate of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Her specialties include program development, continuous quality improvement, workforce development and the creation of innovative system change to reduce health disparities. ×

Roy Leitstein

Chief Executive Officer, Legacy Treatment Services

Roy Leitstein

Chief Executive Officer, Legacy Treatment Services

Roy Leitstein has served as Chief Executive Officer of Legacy Treatment Services since its inception. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Human Services. Roy began his career in social services while serving in the United States Army and volunteering for the Exceptional Family Member Program.

Roy was named Executive Director at The Children’s Home where after nine years, he co-facilitated a merger between The Children’s Home and The Drenk Center and assumed the role of Legacy Treatment Services’ CEO. In 2017, Roy helped orchestrate an affiliation agreement with Community Treatment Solutions bringing both organizations together to further Legacy’s continuum of care.

Under Roy’s leadership Legacy also recently announced a new affiliation with Woods Services of Bucks County, PA and will begin to serve Philadelphia youth in Philadelphia as well as in New Jersey. As the human services field continues to face threats and challenges to its core mission of serving those who need them most, Woods and Legacy are creating a dynamic population health management organization that relies on our combined expertise to provide the highest quality care continuum that meets the complex health, behavioral, social and educational needs of those they serve. Additionally Legacy established two new partnerships by collaborating with Virtua Health to open the Behavioral Health Assessment and Treatment Service in Berlin Township, and joining with the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Foundation to operate a mobile addiction outreach van called Hope One.

Legacy Treatment Services is a nonprofit behavioral health organization serving more than 16,000 people each year. Legacy operates over 70 programs across the entire state of New Jersey. Services include prevention programs, outpatient therapy and psychiatric services, substance abuse programs, emergency and crisis intervention services, therapeutic foster care, juvenile detention alternatives, residential programs, case management, services for adults and children with developmental disabilities, and a special education school. Legacy Treatment Services’ programming aims to change the behavioral health and social service outcomes for people of all ages from surviving to thriving.

Roy has been married for 19 years to his wife Aimee and they have two children - Noah (17) and

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Mike Kreamer

National Sales Manager, Harris Coordinated Care Solutions

Mike Kreamer

National Sales Manager, Harris Coordinated Care Solutions

Bio coming soon

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Sherry Marchand, CPMA

Principal, SMCPMA

From her start in hospital accounts receivables to becoming the first VAR for multiple practice management systems reseller in Virginia and operating a billing service to becoming a national seminar speaker one of the country's foremost experts in CMS regulations and compliance in the areas of mental health and physical, occupational and speech/language therapy, Sherry has dedicated herself to providing the most accurate and up-to-date information to help your practice not just survive, but thrive. Sherry is a reimbursement analyst and billing, collection, and chart-auditing consultant with more than 25 years of experience in the health care industry. ×

S. Shanun Kunnavatana, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Director of Clinical Development, Autism Services, Easterseals UCP North Carolina & Virginia

Dr. Shanun Kunnavatana is a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst with over 18 years of experience working with individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities at home, school, behavioral clinics, and in community-based programs. She has served as a faculty member for multiple universities, and regularly provides training and consultation to community partners. An active researcher, Dr. Kunnavatana’s work focuses on ways to improve long-term behavioral outcomes, including the accessibility of behavioral assessments and treatments, caregiver training, and treatment preference. As the Director of Clinical Development for Autism Services at Easterseals UCP, Dr. Kunnavatana develops and oversees ongoing professional development opportunities and provides clinical support throughout the service line. ×

Lecia M. Anzaldo, MPA, BCBA

Director of Autism Services, Easterseals UCP North Carolina & Virginia

Leica is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has been working with individuals with autism from early intervention age to adults in varied settings for 23 years. Leica places special emphasis on the integration of the principles of applied behavior analysis across service delivery settings. Leica’s background in applied behavior analysis, public administration, and social work as well as her clinical and administrative experience as a Director affords her a unique perspective on meeting the training and service needs of families and professionals in a way that aligns with statewide systems. ×

Travis Craig

Senior Solutions Manager, Streamline Healthcare Solutions

Travis Craig

Senior Solutions Manager, Streamline Healthcare Solutions

Travis is the Senior Solutions Manager for Streamline Healthcare. Travis has over 15 years billing & finance experience and over 10 years of behavioral health software implementation experience. Travis earned his Master’s of Business Administration from Bethel University located in McKenzie, TN. He spent the last 7 years training agencies on how to maximize software billing processes. ×

Chris Williams, MA

Senior Associate, OPEN MINDS

Christopher Williams, M.A., brings over 25 years of strategic marketing and communications experience to the OPEN MINDS team. Mr. Williams currently serves as a Senior Associate, leading projects related to developing strategic partnerships, brand and reputation management, strategic and crisis communications, as well as mixed-method research design and statistical analysis.

Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Williams served as the Director of Sales, Northwest and Account Management for The Echo Group, based in Conway, New Hampshire. In this role, Mr. Williams was responsible for generating new client sales, sales territory planning and management, as well as sales prospecting and lead conversions, through product demonstrations, managing strategic accounts, and fostering client relationships.

Prior to serving as the Director of Sales, Northwest and Account Management. Williams served as the Director of Marketing for The Echo Group. In this role, Mr. Williams oversaw lead generation, managed brand developments, executed product launches, conducted market research and competitive analyses, as well as executed strategic marketing plans and initiatives.

Previously, Mr. Williams served as the Vice President of Strategic Communications at Cookson Strategic Communications, in Manchester, New Hampshire. During his tenure, Mr. Williams served as a as lead consultant for on-going client programs and initiatives, managed the planning and execution phases of strategic communication campaigns, oversaw brand development and multiple product launches, as well as provided creative direction.

In addition to his commercial experience, Mr. Williams held adjunct faculty positions at the University of New Hampshire, Manchester, Concordia University, and Michigan State University, where he taught courses pertaining to public relations, communications and journalism. Mr. Williams earned his Master of Arts in Journalism from Michigan State University. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communications & Journalism from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, as well as his Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts from Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan. ×

Betsy Lynam

Chief Program Officer, AHRC, New York

Elizabeth Lynam is the Chief Program Officer of AHRC New York City. Elizabeth, also known as Betsy, has an exceptional and unique range of experiences workingwith special populations including people with IDD and their families. Betsy has held high-level leadership roles in the development of policy and financial models to support services and programs to vulnerable populations across New York State, as well as overseeing programs and services for people with IDD.

Most recently, Betsy worked as a Subject Matter Expert in the Global Healthcare Practice for KPMG Advisory, one of the top 4 advisory and accounting firms in the nation. She played a lead role in developing strategic direction for the implementation of Value-Based Payment models for New York’s $70 billion Medicaid program. Working closely with the leadership of the New York State Department of Health, she managed extensive engagement efforts with providers, managed-care plans and advocates for special populations including those with IDD. She has also worked extremely closely with the New York State Office of Mental Health, the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, as well as with OPWDD.

Prior to advising New York State government in her work with KPMG, she was the Vice President of the highly regarded Citizens Budget Commission, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civic organization whose mission is to achieve constructive change in the finances and services of New York City and New York State government. Betsy has also held positions as Deputy Director of the New York City Department of Education, Office of Special Education Initiatives, and as a Senior Education Analyst at the New York City Independent Budget Office.

In addition to her leadership roles in guiding public policy and program development, she has had Director-level positions for the Learning Disabilities Association of Rochester and at the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Rochester.Betsy started her impressive career as a Direct Support Professional at the Arc of Monroe. Betsy has also volunteered her substantial skills while serving as an expert consultant in the Financial Services Volunteer Corps in Morocco and Tunisia.

Betsy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Policy Analysis and Management from the New School. Her unique combination of leadership roles in large scale population support models and hands-on experience working with and managing programs and services for people with IDD will greatly bolster our continued efforts to innovate, advocate and lead the field in the transformative years to come. ×

Edie Didomenico-Weber

Director, Clinical & Program Informatics, AHRC, New York

Experienced Finance Professional with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit I/DD organization industry. Skilled in Nonprofit Management, Budgeting, Analytics, Project Management, Volunteer Management, and Team Building. Strong Administrator with a focus in Information Technology. She has worked for AHRCNYC for over 28 years in various leadership positions in Program Operations, Finance, and Information Technology. ×

Saffron Wanger, MSHCA, CHCIO, CPHIMS

Chief Information & Innovation Officer, Terros Health

Saffron oversees technology vision, strategy and leadership in the development, implementation, security and sustainability of enterprise-wide information systems initiatives at Terros Health.

Prior to joining Terros Health in 2004, she held prior roles in information technology managing the electronic medical record contract, project initiatives, enhancement development and training initiatives.

Saffron volunteers with Achilles International, an organization that assists endurance athletes with disabilities. She enjoys acrylic painting on canvas and loves to experience international travel. Saffron and her husband live in downtown Phoenix with their two rescue cats, Romy and Roxy. ×

Bryant Edgerton

Vice President, IDD Services North Carolina, Easterseals UCP North Carolina & Virginia

Bryant Edgerton

Vice President, IDD Services North Carolina, Easterseals UCP North Carolina & Virginia

Bryant is the Vice President of Autism and I/DD Services at Easterseals UCP, a non-profit organization providing services to children and adults living with mental health challenges, autism, and intellectual and developmental disability in North Carolina and Virginia. Bryant holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has worked in the I/DD and behavioral health industry for 16 years. His current focus is developing comprehensive approaches that integrate behavioral treatment, education services, family support, recreation, mental health services, and home and community based supports to assure coordinated and holistic care for families. ×

Susanna Kramer, MA

Director of Performance Evaluation, Community Behavioral Health

Susanna Kramer has been working in behavioral health program development and evaluation for over 15 years. She currently serves as Director of Performance Evaluation with Community Behavioral Health (CBH), Philadelphia County’s Behavioral Health Medicaid Managed Care Organization. Since coming to CBH in August 2014, she has overseen program evaluation initiatives such as pay-for-performance and value-based purchasing. Prior to joining CBH, Ms. Kramer worked at Drexel University’s Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice in developing trauma-informed systems of care and the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research in evaluating public behavioral health systems. She has worked clinically with children in Philadelphia and with adults in a day treatment program in Portland, Oregon. She holds a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from West Chester University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania. ×

Jaclyn O’Donnell

Executive Vice President, Credible Behavioral Health Software

Ms. O’Donnell serves as Credible’s Executive Vice President. With over 15 years of experience in corporate administration, project management, and technology, Ms. O’Donnell leads initiatives at Credible to drive corporate efficiencies and scalability, the execution of Credible’s Two Year Strategic Plan, as well as oversee all of Credible’s Partner-facing and corporate departments.

During her time at Credible, Credible has experienced unprecedented growth sextupling in Partners, revenues, and clients served.  It has been Ms. O’Donnell’s responsibility to manage that growth and oversee the establishment and expansion of multiple departments to further foster and scale the organization’s growth. Prior to joining Credible, Ms. O’Donnell served as a consultant for organizations such as the World Health Organization focused on international education and telecommunication projects in developing countries. Ms. O’Donnell’s background also consists of inter-department management and oversight at Northrop Grumman, a Fortune 500 company, US telecom fiber project management at Advanced Communications Technology, and management with the University of Maryland’s Center for Advanced Study of Language, the first and only national resource dedicated to addressing the language needs of the Intelligence Community. Ms. O’Donnell earned her B.A. in Government & Politics with a minor in French and Executive MBA from the University of Maryland, College Park ×

Larry Trenga

Vice President, IT, Wesley Family Services

Trenga is an IT Executive of 20+ years with experience managing all areas of IT. He is currently the Vice President, Information and Technology at Wesley Family Services.

He has extensive experience with project management and delivery of IT services aligned to providing business value. This includes leading many application development initiatives, infrastructure/operations initiatives, and a $25mm project to design and build a new corporate data center followed by relocating ~ 100 IT services (including ~ 800 pieces of IT equipment).

He is experienced in managing all disciplines of IT aligned to an ITIL/COBIT framework.

Mr. Trenga previously served as Chief Information Officer of Family Services of Western Pennsylvania prior to its recent merger with Wesley Spectrum.

Before working at Family Services of Western Pennsylvania, Larry served in multiple roles at EDMC. He held the position of Software Engineer before being promoted to Assistant Vice President, Applications Development, and ended his career at EDMC as Vice President – IT Operations and Finance.

Larry Trenga also served as a Software Engineer at Union Switch & Signal before moving on to the same position at US Airways.

He received his Masters in International Management at STOA. He attended the University of Pittsburgh for Mathematics and Computer Science, where he also served as President of his Fraternity.

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Sandy Hall, LISW, LMSW

President, Lighthouse Telehealth LLC, Harbor

Sandy Hall joined Harbor in June 2017 as the Vice President of Information Technology and Clinical Integration. Prior to that, Sandy was Vice President of Client Services at Streamline for 4 years. Presently, Sandy is the President of Lighthouse Telehealth LLC (a subsidiary of Harbor). She has played an active role in the success of Harbor's telehealth expansion to meet internal client needs as well as implementing telehealth services within a large hospital network and other behavioral health agencies. Sandy’s background includes clinical, administrative, finance, and information technology. She is passionate about using data to drive and improve business and clinical outcomes, creating workflow efficiencies, and ensuring a positive client experience.

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Katherine Wooten, LCSW, BCBA

Clinical Director - Corporate Programs, New Directions

Katherine Wooten has over two decades of experience in direct clinical services and managed care leadership in the south, northeast and mid-west. Katherine currently serves as corporate clinical director for New Directions Behavioral Health, where she oversees the company’s Autism Resource Program. Katherine is responsible for operations management, business development and innovation for a team of behavior analysts, social workers and professional support staff. As a longtime advocate for member experience, she enjoys the challenge of creating innovative solutions to the changing needs of autism treatment. She received two bachelor’s degrees from Rhodes College, a master’s degree in social work from the University of Tennessee and a graduate certificate in behavior analysis from Florida Institute of Technology. She maintains an active LCSW license in New Jersey and national board certification in Behavior Analysis. ×

Rick Crump

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, KineticXperience

Rick Crump

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, KineticXperience

Rick Crump is the Founder and CEO of KineticXperience a managerial consulting firm near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rick partners with clients to improve customer experiences and business processes that have the most impact on brand and bottom line performance. ×

Dr. Jason Raines, MPA, SSBB

Chief Operating Officer, Haven Behavioral Hospital of Philadelphia

Jason has a Doctorate in Business Administration from Wilmington University. Jason’s dissertation was titled, Perceived Barriers to the Successful Implementation of Lean in Behavioral Healthcare and Perceptions of Implementation Success.

Jason has a Master’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Public Administration from Kutztown University. Jason’s Master’s thesis was titled, Problems and Strategic Solutions for Not-For-Profit Agencies: with Emphasis on Turnaround and Expansion.

Jason has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts in Administration of Justice from Pennsylvania State University. Jason is also a Six Sigma Black Belt and Lean Sensei earning both certifications from Villanova University.

Jason is an appointed volunteer board member of the Children and Youth Advisory Board for Lehigh County and services as the board’s Vice President. In addition, Jason also services as the Chair of Citizen Review Panel for the Northeast region of Pennsylvania. Jason is also a member of the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority’s Healthcare Associated Infection Advisory Panel.

Jason is the founder of Raines Consulting Group LLC. Jason currently works as the Chief Operations Officer for a Hospital. ×

John Falsetti

Director of Information Services, Maryville Academy

John Falsetti

Director of Information Services, Maryville Academy

John Falsetti brings over 25 years of information services management experience in the health and human services field to the OPEN MINDS team. His areas of expertise include managing all areas of technology and information services, IT strategic planning, database development and warehousing, electronic health record (EHR) development and implementation, voice/data infrastructures, helpdesk and user training, business intelligence and process re-engineering.

Mr. Falsetti is currently the Director of Information Services for Maryville Academy based in Des Plaines, Illinois. In this role, he is responsible for all functions of information services including strategic planning, budgeting, business intelligence, infrastructure and process improvement, as well as training and client services. During his tenure with Maryville, he completed the selection and implementation of an enterprise-wide electronic medical health record system, business intelligence reporting system, and help desk software system.

Prior to joining Maryville Academy, Mr. Falsetti served as the Senior Vice President of Information Services for One Hope United (formally Kids Hope United), a private human service organization focused on children and families in Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, and Florida. In his eleven years with the organization, Mr. Falsetti completed a number of notable projects including implementation of a web-based business intelligence reporting system, consolidation of 30 computing service locations, and development and implementation of a web-based database system for administrative and clinical use. In this role, he also worked with senior management on strategic planning, authored an in-depth information services roadmap, and negotiated all departmental contracts.

Previously, Mr. Falsetti was the Information Technology Manager for Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare where he oversaw a technical staff that managed all aspects of networking, help desk, and systems implementation for the 260-bed hospital.

Mr. Falsetti began his career as an Electrical Engineer for Bio-Imaging Research where he designed a 16-bit data acquisition system for CT imaging. He moved into network management as a Senior Network Specialist for DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Falsetti moved back into the healthcare space, serving as a Departmental Information Services Administrator for Loyola University Medical Center. In this role, he supervised daily MIS operations for all sub-specialty surgery departments and developed all clinical/administrative client-server systems for each unit.

Mr. Falsetti earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Technology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

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Jonathan Brown

Controller, Crossroads Health

Jonathan Brown, who also goes by JB, is the Corporate Controller for Crossroads Health in Cleveland, Ohio. He is thrilled to be a part of the collective effort of pursuing organizational effectiveness.

Using the prism of Accounting and Finance, his career has provided him 26 years of perspective on how clinicians orient to performance standards, and constantly battle the fallacy of budget based performance as a standard of financial truth. In various leadership roles throughout his career JB has led organizational efforts from the millions to the billions.

He believes in finding what matters to an organization most, and finding efficiency in chasing after that in direct support of front-line team members who are daily challenged towards that end. He enjoys challenging conventional financial conversations, replacing them with critical path discussions around the things that matter most to the front-line team members.

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Daniel Openden, Ph.D., BCBA-D

President & Chief Executive Officer, Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC)

Daniel Openden, Ph.D., BCBA-D is President and CEO of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) in Phoenix, Arizona. SARRC is an internationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to autism research, education, evidence-based treatment, and community outreach to support individuals with autism and their families throughout their lifetimes. The 18,000-square-foot Campus for Exceptional Children and 10,000-square-foot Sander’s Center for Autism Studies co-located with SARRC’s Vocational & Life Skills Academy are state-of-the-art clinical centers that serve as models for similar research and resource facilities.

In 2007, Dr. Openden was recruited to SARRC from the renowned Koegel Autism Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara to serve as SARRC’s Vice President and Clinical Services Director. Since joining SARRC, Dr. Openden has advanced the center’s clinical programs and services, including an inclusive preschool, a comprehensive home-based program, a parent training program for families living in rural/remote areas, and school consultation. In 2009, Dr. Openden and Dr. Christopher J. Smith, SARRC’s VP & Research Director, received funding to initiate and research SARRC’s Remote Telemedicine Program to provide follow up access to services via the internet for families living outside Maricopa County. In 2011, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) identified SARRC’s innovative, cutting edge inclusive preschool among the most promising practices in autism services to influence the development of effective care systems in other states.

Dr. Openden is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst—Doctoral (BCBA-D) and is licensed as a behavior analyst in Arizona. He has expertise in developing training programs for teaching parents and professionals to implement Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), a comprehensive, evidence-based treatment model for children with ASD. Dr. Openden has worked extensively with families with children, adolescents and adults with ASD; provided consulting and training for school districts across the country; presented research at regional, state, national and international conventions; served as Associate Editor for the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions (JPBI) from 2008-2013; and been published in several peer reviewed journals and book chapters in the field.

Dr. Openden is also an adjunct professor at Arizona State University (ASU) and serves on the Autism Speaks Family Services Committee; Scientific Council of the Organization for Autism Research (OAR); Arizona State University President’s Advisory Community Council; Feeding Matters Medical Professional Council; and the Arizona Autism Coalition Advisory Committee. Further, he is a founding member of the Council on Autism Services (CAS), a networking organization that brings together Presidents, CEOs, Executive Directors, Clinical Directors, and Program Directors to share high level information and identify gaps facing autism service delivery organizations. Dr. Openden was honored as one of the Phoenix Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” up-and-coming community leaders in 2011 and in 2015 he was honored as one of the “Most Admired Leaders.”

Dr. Openden graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s and Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in special education, disability and risk studies. ×

Jeremy Blair, MBA, LMFT

Chief Executive Officer, WellStone

Jeremy is the CEO of WellStone, a community mental health center in Huntsville, AL. Jeremy earned a BS in Psychology and Master in Marriage and Family Therapy from Harding University and an MBA from the University of North Alabama. He has worked in non-profit behavioral healthcare for the last 19 years serving children, adolescents and adults suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders. Jeremy serves on the board of LifeSouth Community Blood Centers. He also currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Happi Health, a primary care clinic. ×

Richard G. Allen, Psy.D., BCBA-D, NCSP

Supervising Psychologist, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health

Dr. Allen is presently an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Educational Specialist Program (EdS) in the Department of School Psychology at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.  He also serves as a supervising psychologist at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health where he provides support to home, school and community based programs, serving both children and adults on the autism spectrum, as well as other developmental disabilities and/or mental health concerns.  Dr. Allen has extensive experience providing psychological assessment, consultation, and clinical supervision in schools and community-based programs.  He completed his doctoral degree in School Psychology from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and both his BS and MS in psychology at Saint Joseph’s University.  Dr. Allen has presented frequently at both regional and national conferences on such topics as, program-wide positive behavior support, clinical outcomes in community services, treatment foster care, and social skills training for individuals on the autism spectrum. ×

Scott Bell

EHR Administrator/Compliance Manager, LifeSkills, Inc.

Scott Bell

EHR Administrator/Compliance Manager, LifeSkills, Inc.

Scott Bell is the Compliance Manager and EHR Administrator for Lifeskills, Inc. in Bowling Green, KY. He has worked with LifeSkills, Inc. for over a decade and has recently led the organization through implementation for their Addictions, Behavioral Health and Intellectual and Developmental Services Divisions.

Scott began his career as a behavioral health provider in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. He started working with Electronic Records systems in 2005 and has since worked for a vendor for several years as an implementation and project manager. Scott returned back to the behavioral health world in 2010 and has served in roles in Compliance and IT with LifeSkills, Inc.

LifeSkills has been a part of the south central Kentucky community for the last 50 years. As a non-profit, community mental health center, LifeSkills supports people who experience mental illness, addictions and developmental disabilities as they build meaningful and independent lives. ×

Ellie Zuehlke, MPH

Director, Community Benefit & Engagement, Allina Health

Ellie Zuehlke, MPH is the Director of Community Benefit & Engagement at Allina Health, a large not-for-profit health system in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Ellie leads community benefit, community health improvement, charitable giving, community relations and employee volunteerism for Allina Health. She is also the project director for Allina’s CMS Accountable Health Communities Model to support patients in addressing their health-related social needs through routine screening and connections to community resources. Previously, Ellie worked for nearly a decade in State and Local public health building programs and collaborations related to prevention, wellness, chronic disease management and health equity. ×

Boyd H. Mark

Director of Telehealth Services, The Scott Center for Autism Treatment

Boyd H. Mark

Director of Telehealth Services, The Scott Center for Autism Treatment

Boyd Mark leads the Telehealth initiative at The Scott Center, harnessing the power of the internet to deliver increased access to autism treatment, training, and services to families everywhere.

In the rapidly emerging era of digital healthcare and telemedicine, Florida Tech and The Scott Center are uniquely positioned to successfully combine technology and evidence-based treatment procedures to increase access to services. Boyd leverages his background in digital business transformation with Silicon Valley organizations including Intuit, Oracle, Microsoft, and others, to develop globally scalable, web-based autism healthcare solutions.

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Todd Harris, Ph.D.

Executive Director of Autism Services, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health

Todd Harris, Ph.D.

Executive Director of Autism Services, Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health

Dr. Harris is presently the Executive Director of Autism Services for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health.  In his current role, he coordinates the design and leads Devereux’s national autism initiatives, assesses and provides consultation and professional development to Devereux centers, and provides direct oversight to Devereux’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (D-PBIS) Autism model.  Dr. Harris received his graduate degree at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where he focused upon the use of applied behavior analysis techniques to instruct and support individuals with autism and their families under the direction of Dr. Beth Sulzer-Azaroff. Along with teaching the Autism Specialization courses at the University of Delaware in the past, Dr. Harris has also published and presented research in the areas of teaching functional communication skills and PECS, staff and family support and training practices, community-based transition programming, and methods to reduce unwanted behaviors through positive approaches.  He is presently on the advisory board for the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, a member of the Council on Autism Services, a participant on the Delaware State Autism Task Force, a participant on the Pennsylvania State Workgroup on MNGs for ABA Services, Chair of Devereux’s National Autism Committee, and on the Peer Review Committee for the Delaware Autism Program. ×

Carolyn Spence

Chief Information Officer, Alexander Youth Network

Carolyn Spence is the Chief Information Officer for Alexander Youth Network, an organization in North Carolina providing an array of mental and behavioral health services for children and young adults.  Carolyn has been with the organization for more than 20 years overseeing the organization’s clinical case management, administration, billing, utilization management, EHR development and implementation, and data analysis.

Carolyn’s success is attributed to her ability to partner clinical and IT staff, create interdisciplinary teamwork, and develop relationships with technology vendors. Her dedication to children’s mental health and knack for innovation have produced organizational efficiencies, effective systems for care and streamlined processes throughout the organization.

She completed her Honours Bachelor of Social Work degree from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada. ×

Yagnesh Vadgama, BCBA

Vice President, Clinical Care Services Autism, Magellan Health

Bio Coming Soon! ×

Jonathan D. Linkous, MPA, FATA (Fellow of the American Telemedicine Association)

Chief Executive Officer, The Partnership For Artificial Intelligence, Telemedicine & Robotics In Healthcare (PATH)

Jon Linkous is recognized as one of the foremost authorities on the use of telecommunications technology to provide health care services. He has lectured and written extensively on healthcare modernization, public policy affecting health technology, emerging applications and market trends in the U.S. and around the world. He has been called upon to advise the federal government and a variety of national and international companies, health systems and investment firms. Author of many published articles and contributor to numerous books, he is a sought-after speaker on trends and emerging issues related to healthcare and telecommunications. He has been frequently interviewed by a variety of national, regional and trade press including: New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, NBC News, CNN, etc.

Currently, Jon is CEO of Linkous Health where he serves as a senior advisor and Board member to organizations in the healthcare and technology space in the United States, Middle East and Asia where he provides leadership, strategic advice, and business assessments regarding telemedicine, telehealth, artificial intelligence, automated healthcare and related areas.

Under his 24 years of leadership as the founding Chief Executive Officer of the American Telemedicine Association, the association grew to be the foremost international resource and advocacy organization promoting the use of advanced remote medical technologies with 10,000 individual and 500 organizational members throughout the world. Through these efforts he is widely credited with helping to transform the delivery of healthcare.

In the private sector he has served as a senior consultant to seven major telecommunications companies managing external relations and stakeholder relations. He led efforts that made significant changes to improve consumer access to wireless 911 services and broadband telecommunications to rural healthcare institutions by the Federal Communications Commission.

As a national leader in aging services Jon was a member of the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations while serving as the Executive Director of the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Prior to this Jon served as the Deputy Director of the National Association of Regional Councils and Director of development Programs with the Appalachian Regional Commission.

His lifelong interest in telecommunications and technology started with his time in public television and radio in Columbus, Ohio working both behind and in front of the camera as well as on air in radio. His recent series of videocasts “This Month in Telemedicine” became a widely viewed source of news and information about the field.

One of Jon’s passions is using technology to deliver health services to the poor and those most in need. He established the Human Touch Award at ATA, that was given to an individual or organization that employs telemedicine to help meet the needs of the poor. Past awardees include Jennifer Lopez and Carlos Santana.

Mr. Linkous holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the School of Government and Public Affairs at the American University in Washington, D.C with additional postgraduate work at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, Public Executive Institute at the University of Texas in in Austin, Texas. ×

Rob Hickernell

Senior Associate, OPEN MINDS

Rob Hickernell, M.B.A. brings over 20 years of web site development and maintenance, digital marketing and reporting, data analytics, and conversion attribution experience to the OPEN MINDS team. Mr. Hickernell currently serves as a Senior Associate, leading projects related to website development and maintenance, digital marketing, website reporting, data analytics and conversion attribution and web site optimization, acquisition and retention.

Prior to joining OPEN MINDS Mr. Hickernell served as a Digital Marketing and Strategy Consultant for Live Oak Associates, LLC. In this role, Mr. Hickernell served as a consultant and advisor to digital B2B and B2C companies, creating and executing digital marketing strategies (search, social, mobile) by using data insights and analysis to solve business challenges.

Prior to serving as Digital Marketing and Strategy Consultant for Live Oak Associates, LLC, Hickernell served as Vice President, Search for AOL, Inc. in Dulles, VA. In this role Mr. Hickernell was responsible for strategic partnership management (Google, Bing), business development, revenue growth and data analytics of AOL’s search business which incorporates web/site search and content distribution across global web and mobile properties.

Previously, Mr. Hickernell served as the Director/ Sr. Director of Product Management for AOL, Inc. During his tenure Mr. Hickernell was the product marketing leader of AOL Search with focus on marketing partnerships, analytics and site optimization to drive revenue and traffic growth.

Mr. Hickernell has also served in a variety of other roles with AOL, Inc. including Principal Business Planning Manager, Program Director and Sr. Program Director. Mr. Hickernell received his Master of Business Administration with a concentration in marketing from the University of Baltimore, Merrick School of Business in Baltimore, Maryland. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in management from Towson State University in Baltimore, Maryland. ×

Sean Klutinoty, MBA

Senior Associate, OPEN MINDS

Sean Klutinoty, M.B.A. brings 30 years of strategic planning and implementation, business development and marketing experience to the OPEN MINDS team. Mr. Klutinoty currently serves as a Senior Associate, leading projects related to strategic planning and implementation, customer relationship management, business development, and marketing.

Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Klutinoty served as the Vice President of Marketing and Sales for the Escape Room Mystery.  In this role Mr. Klutinoty was responsible for developing and overseeing the marketing budget, developing key performance indicators, establishing and managing business to business relationships, developing and implementing marketing campaigns, analyzing customer demographics, developing market targets and customer loyalty initiatives and developing and overseeing all social media and email marketing functions.

Prior to serving as the Vice President of Marketing and Sales for the Escape Room Mystery, Klutinoty served as Business Account Executive for Meritus Business Solutions in Bedminster, New Jersey.  In this role Mr. Klutinoty exercised comprehensive management of the sales cycle including generating new leads, creating and conducting presentations for clients, product demonstrations, educating clients on business solutions and closing client contracts.  Klutinoty also oversaw product implementation, leveraged customer relationship management tools to track progress and report goals, analyzed customer needs to identify market opportunities, developed client-centric solutions and directed the development of a new product line which expanded the company’s offerings and market reach.

Previously Mr. Klutinoty served as the Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Project Transition in Chalfont, Pennsylvania.  During his tenure, Mr. Klutinoty developed and directed a national marketing team and managed the admissions team.  In addition, Mr. Klutinoty was responsible for overseeing business development opportunities and executive relationships with managed care organizations, enhancing customer relationships and implementing established targeted customer value propositions and key performance indicators within a data driven system.

Mr. Klutinoty also served in a variety of roles including Executive Director of Marketing over the course of a 26 year tenure with KidsPeace National Centers, Inc. in Orefield , PA.  Mr. Klutinoty earned his Master’s in Business Administration from Eastern University.  He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Nyack College in Nyack, New York. ×

Paul Duck

Senior Associate, OPEN MINDS

Bio Coming Soon! ×

Alison Nelson

Senior Vice President for Optum Technology, Optum

Alison Nelson

Senior Vice President for Optum Technology, Optum

Alison is a member of the Optum Technology leadership team. She leads Technology Transformation and is the CIO for Optum Operations and the Customer Office.  This team serves the business in achieving their goals by engineering & delivering cost effective, scalable, high quality software solutions that rapidly deliver customer value for the Optum Enterprise. Services offered include Advanced Technology and Automation Engineering, Technology Partnership & Consulting Services, and Client Implementation Technical Readiness.  This team also enables the Optum Technology Net Promoter Score (NPS), supports the enterprise MOVE program and drives the enterprise technology transformation. They focus on driving the utilization of modern technologies, simplifying the technology landscape, transforming the technology workforce and improving the customer experience.

Alison joined UnitedHealth Group in July of 1996.  During her tenure, she held various leadership positions throughout the evolution of UnitedHealth Group, all with a focus on technology, software development, program management and application architecture.   Prior to joining UnitedHealth Group, Alison worked for Price Waterhouse, LLC in their Insurance Industry management consulting practice. ×

David E. Wawrzynek, MBA

Senior Associate, OPEN MINDS

David Wawrzynek, MBA brings more than 40 years of public behavioral health, clinical, financial, and management experience to the OPEN MINDS team. He brings a truly unique combination of experience  with his clinical, business, and financial experience, as well as a demonstrated history of efficient and effective management of behavioral health services.

Mr. Wawrzynek currently serves as a Senior Associate and Subject Matter Expert in the OPEN MINDS Consulting Practice, where he leads projects related to value-based purchasing, financial modeling, and clinical and financial data analysis. In recent years, Mr. Wawrzynek has focused on the development of analytic modeling tools, communication platforms, and knowledge management supports to transform raw data into meaningful information, to enable more effective strategic and operational insights and decision-making.

Before joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Wawrzynek served 18 years as the Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Spectrum Human Services, a private, non-profit community mental health organization in Western New York. In this role, Mr. Wawrzynek designed, implemented and monitored systems to support information technology, human resources, billing, budgeting, financial modeling and reporting, site operations, risk management, security, as well as change management.

Previously, Mr. Wawrzynek served as the Vice President of Finance and Chief Fiscal Officer with Health Management Group in Buffalo, New York. In this role, he managed the corporate financial resources through the supervision and coordination of the functions of reimbursement, budget, banking, and general accounting.

Previously, Mr. Wawrzynek served his first 14 year tenure with Spectrum Human Services as Director of Financial Operations. In this role, he was responsible for the fiscal, facility, personnel, and business functions of the corporation. In addition he was responsible for data analysis and worked closely with the Clinical and Quality Assurance Directors in the development and monitoring of performance and outcome indicators.

Before joining Spectrum, Mr. Wawrzynek served as an Outpatient Psychiatry Supervising Counselor with Buffalo General Hospital Community Mental Health Center. In this role, he held dual clinical and administrative responsibilities and assisted in the daily operation of the department, acted as a liaison to other hospital departments, and supervised staff activities.

Mr. Wawrzynek began his career as a clinical Supervising Counselor for the City of Buffalo’s Division of Drug Abuse Services where he was responsible for supervision of all counseling and clinical activities at a community-based drug treatment center and provided counseling services for clinic patients.

In recognition of his professional successes, Mr. Wawrzynek was named as the 2007 Not-for-profit Chief Financial Officer of the Year by Buffalo Business First.

In addition to his professional experience, Mr. Wawrzynek has served in a number of leadership roles for affiliations including past President for the New York State Cerner Software User Group; past Board President for Child Resource Network; and Treasurer for Spectrum Human Services Foundation.

Mr. Wawrzynek earned his Master of Business Administration and his bachelors in psychology from SUNY at Buffalo and his Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling from Syracuse University.

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Timothy Snyder, Jr.

Executive Vice President, Marketing, OPEN MINDS

Timothy G. Snyder, Jr. brings a unique combination of marketing, business development, and online media expertise to OPEN MINDS. Since joining our team in 2008, Mr. Snyder has led dozens of strategic marketing and sales-focused projects, including comprehensive product launch initiatives, corporate re-branding/positioning projects, and website/online marketing programs for some of the largest and most influential pharmaceutical and technology organizations in the health and human service field.

In addition to his work in the consulting practice, Mr. Snyder has executive responsibility for the marketing, web site, public relations, and sales divisions of OPEN MINDS.

Mr. Snyder has been instrumental in developing cutting edge content marketing programs for OPEN MINDS customers.  He is able to translate branding and marketing positioning strategy into market-sector appropriate content campaigns.

In addition, Mr. Snyder brings broad knowledge of content campaign platforms.  His work includes leverage of traditional print media and printed educational material.  He has designed educational curriculum outreach – in on-site formats and synchronous and asynchronous web-based curriculum models.   In his work, he has designed dozens of web sites to support content campaigns – and worked with them from conceptualization, design, development, and launch.   He has lead the development of multiple-platform social media campaigns, customized apps, YouTube channels and podcast initiatives.

Mr. Snyder has spoken a numerous conferences and has published dozens of articles and resources on the growing importance of marketing and online branding in the new consumer-driven health and human service marketplace.    He developed OPEN MINDS marketing planning and web marketing curriculum.   In addition, he created OPEN MINDS assessment of organizational online presence.

Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Snyder worked as an independent marketing consultant for multiple government agencies and provider organizations—specializing in online marketing strategy, campaign design and execution, event promotion, and social media integration. While completing his degree, Mr. Snyder also worked as a web developer and website manager —specializing in search engine optimization.

Mr. Snyder is a graduate of  Shippensburg University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in both marketing communications and business management.

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Matthew M. Dorman

Founder & CEO, Credible Behavioral Health Software

Bio coming soon

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Monica E. Oss

Chief Executive Officer, OPEN MINDS

Monica E. Oss, M.S., Chief Executive Officer and Senior Associate, is the founder of OPEN MINDS. For the past two decades, Ms. Oss has led the OPEN MINDS team and its research on health and human service market trends and its national consulting practice. Ms. Oss is well known for her numerous books and articles focused on the strategic and marketing implications of the evolving health and human service field. She has unique expertise in payer financing models, provider rate setting, and service pricing. She has led numerous engagements with state Medicaid plans, county governments, private insurers, managed care programs, service provider organizations, technology vendors, neurotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations, and investment banking firms – with a focus on the implications of financing changes on delivery system design. ×

Sharon Hicks

Senior Associate, OPEN MINDS

Sharon Hicks, OPEN MINDS Senior Associate, has more than 20 years of experience in the health and human service field.  She has extensive experience and wide range of expertise in health plan management, in clinical operations management, and technology.

Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Ms. Hicks spent two decades in a number of executive positions within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) system and within its health plan division.   Ms. Hicks served as the Chief Operating Officer for Community Care Behavioral Health, a managed behavioral health organization.  She was responsible for all aspects of the organization’s operations including fiscal, information systems, the claims processing department, and the design of clinical systems. In addition Ms. Hicks managed the day-to-day operations of including human resources, facilities, purchasing, and security.

Ms. Hicks also served as the Vice President, Internet Strategy, UPMC Insurance Services Division and, since 2002, as the Chief Executive Officer of Askesis Development Group, Inc. since May of 2002. In this role, Ms. Hicks was responsible for the growth of the company, profitability of the company, and the direction of software development.

Ms. Hick started her impressive health care career as a psychiatric social worker before being promoted to Assistant Director of Social Work.   Prior to her executive promotions, Ms. Hicks served as a Clinical Administrator for both Ambulatory Services and Emergency and Intake Services at the UPMC Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. In this role, Ms. Hicks managed the behavioral health division, the budgets for all departments, and implemented new software replacing paper billing for clinical services.

Ms. Hicks received both her Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Social Work degrees from the University of Pittsburg. Before pursuing her graduate education, Ms. Hicks received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.

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Ken Carr

Senior Associate, OPEN MINDS

Ken Carr brings over 30 years of finance, technology, data analysis and reporting experience in the health and human service field to OPEN MINDS. He currently serves as a Senior Associate with the OPEN MINDS consulting practice. In this role, Mr. Carr serves as a subject matter expert in the OPEN MINDS consulting practice where he has led numerous engagements in strategic planning, merger and acquisition prospecting, business process improvement, managed care and value-based contracting preparedness, financial analysis of service lines, and technology selection.

Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Carr served as the Chief Financial Officer for Elite DNA Therapy Services, a mental health provider based in Fort Myers, FL. In this position, Mr. Carr led development of the strategic plan, identified opportunities to optimize the EHR, and restructured financial reporting and analysis by service lines and key metrics.

Prior to his role at Elite DNA Therapy Services, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of The Centers, a community mental health center in Ocala, Florida. In this position, Mr. Carr led a realignment of the organization’s financial management functions. This included revenue cycle management, EHR bill implementation and reporting, cash management enhancement, and strategic financial analysis.

Prior to his role at The Centers, Mr. Carr served as Chief Financial Officer of Guild Incorporated, an organization providing residential and community based mental health services in St. Paul, Minnesota. As CFO, Mr. Carr led the financial, billing, IT, quality, informatics, compliance, and facilities activities. During his tenure at Guild Incorporated, Mr. Carr used his expertise in change management and business process improvement to lead the EHR implementation team, align service data reporting and financial performance, and lead the financial and data capture activities for new service initiatives.

Mr. Carr has also held the positions of Administrative Director and Finance Director at the St. Paul National Testing Laboratory, a biomedical testing facility of the American Red Cross. In those positions he oversaw activities to enhance inventory management, align financial results to industry standards, and improve financial and facilities performance through problem analysis and quality management initiatives. He also was involved in directing human resource functions during laboratory closing near the end of his tenure.

Mr. Carr earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of South Dakota, and a Master of Divinity Degree from Sioux Falls Seminary. He maintains an active CPA license with the State of South Dakota.

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Ravi Ganesan

President & CEO, Core Solutions, Inc.

Ravi Ganesan started Core Solutions nearly a decade ago.  He began the venture as a developer of custom solutions for select organizations in behavioral health and human services. Since then, he has used his passion for entrepreneurship and a rich background in consulting and software development to grow the company into a premier provider for clients of all types and sizes across the country.

Prior to founding the company, Ravi was a systems architect and software developer with Management Concepts, Inc., an IT consulting firm. Before this, Ravi launched his career in the Greater Philadelphia region at New York Life, the nation’s oldest and largest mutual life insurance company. While there, he established a technical assistance program initially developed to help insurance agents integrate technology into their businesses, which evolved to include business consulting, marketing and related support activities. Ravi received his M.B.A. from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. ×

Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, EdM

Senior Associate, OPEN MINDS

Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, EdM, Senior Associate, has more than 30 years of experience in the health and human service field. In this tenure as senior associate with OPEN MINDS since 1998, he has served as lead of dozens of client initiatives, served as editor of OPEN MINDS publications, and is the author of many groundbreaking articles and presentations.

Mr. Naughton-Travers brings to OPEN MINDS a broad range of experiences in private and public sector delivery of behavioral health and social services. He started his career as a behavioral health clinician, working in both child welfare and community mental health clinic settings. Subsequently, Mr. Naughton-Travers held a senior business operations management position for a psychiatric hospital system and its community mental health clinics.  Later, he was vice president of a firm specializing in information systems and billing and receivables management for community-based mental health programs.

Since joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Naughton-Travers has developed business solutions for provider and professional organizations, state and county government, technology companies, and venture capital firms. His primary areas of expertise include strategic planning and metrics-based management, electronic health record (EHR) and technology selection and implementation, operations improvement, and corporate compliance. For the past decade, over half his consulting practice has focused on aiding organizations in technology selection and implementation, including all aspects of strategic technology planning, functional specifications development, request for proposal development, vendor selection, and contracting.

He has written numerous articles, including “Winning the Human Resource Wars: Tried, True and New Strategies for Behavioral Health and Social Service Organizations,” “Five Pillars of Management Competency,” “Data Driven Decision Making: Moving to an Organizational Measurement Culture,” “Survival of the Smartest: What is Your Organization’s Information Literacy IQ?,” and “Strategic Human Resource Management: Aligning Compensation with Employee Performance and Organizational Strategy.” Mr. Naughton-Travers is also a nationally recognized speaker, having conducted hundreds of executive and professional executive training events around the nation.

Mr. Naughton-Travers received his Bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio and his Masters’ of Education in Counseling Psychology from Boston University. ×

Alsten Tauro

Senior Consultant, OPEN MINDS

Alsten Tauro brings more than 10 years of leadership and management experience in information technology (IT) and services to the OPEN MINDS team. He has a demonstrated expertise in IT operations and process reengineering, strategic IT planning and road-mapping, networking and telecommunications, web administration and programming, and project management.

Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Tauro was the Director of Information Technology for the Corporate Headquarters of Sigma Nu Fraternity, Inc., were he established and implemented technology initiatives to meet Sigma Nu Fraternity’s growing IT needs―inventory, annual budget, disaster recovery plan, documentation, and operating policies. He also managed a broad range of installation, upgrade, and troubleshooting projects for network and web administration and organization conferences. In this role, he led IT assessments, research, and benefit-cost analysis of potential technology acquisitions; leveraged changing technology landscape and new millennium opportunities unto social media platforms tools for improved operational efficiency. As a result, Sigma Nu saw a 35% enhancement of their remote computing systems and productivity through infrastructure updates led by Mr. Tauro.

In addition to his Director role, Mr. Tauro served as a Programmer for the organization, leading many hands-on solution architecture design projects and performing frequent ‘big data’ extraction and analysis, and integrity and security checks on confidential and public information. He also administered website content work orders and performing various website content updates and redesign in 2002 and 2007―using LAMP, HTML, CSS, PHP, MySQL, JavaScript and Ajax; leading to $9,000+ in annual savings.

Previously, Mr. Tauro served a number of organizations as an independent IT consultant, providing IT consulting and supporting development of IT applications and equipment for start-up organizations. As part of this role, he setup and managed technical equipment, networked computers, and monitored video feeds for the 2014 Oracle Open World conference.

Mr. Tauro earned Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

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