The evolving health and human service landscape places a premium on new skills from all executive team members— and executives must take a pivotal role in the technology investment and transformation process. To effectively navigate the increasing complexity of these roles, today’s leaders must be informed, able to identify the financial impact of technology decisions, and willing to create strategies to ensure ongoing economic sustainability when it comes to tech their investments.
The OPEN MINDS Technology Investment Learning Path was meticulously designed to equip you with essential skills, provide valuable perspective, and offer practical solutions to some of the most challenging technology investment questions facing organizations as the industry embraces AI, value-based reimbursement, integrated care, and increased competition.
View featured courses and sessions below to get started!
Finding An Electronic Health Record System For Your Future: The 2024 OPEN MINDS Seminar On Best Practices In EHR Selection, Contracting & Optimization
Over the past twenty years, adopting electronic health record systems (EHRs) has changed how health services are managed and delivered. As the health care system has continued to evolve with more value-based reimbursement, the push towards integrated care coordination, and the rise in consumerism, the technology infrastructure needed by provider organizations has changed—including EHRs. For most executives, the EHR is a significant investment, and choosing the right system (or keeping the wrong system) can make or break any organization.
This essential seminar is for any executive considering a new EHR system—whether it is your organization’s first EHR or upgrading a system that isn’t delivering the functionality needed for sustainability. Also, OPEN MINDS Associates will guide you through a step-by-step process for selecting an EHR that fits all your organization’s needs. The seminar will cover:
- The best practice model for assessing the tech functionality your organization needs for future success
- Steps for vetting vendors and their products and services
- Budgeting for EHR software and implementation
- Ensuring the best value and performance in contract negotiating
Joseph P. Naughton-Travers, EdM
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.
Sharon Hicks, MSW, MBA
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.
Becoming A Data-Driven Organization – Using Metrics To Drive Performance & Success: The 2024 OPEN MINDS Seminar
The dynamics of accelerated change in the market have created new performance challenges for health and human services organizations. This seminar will focus on the latest performance landscape and critical domains for measuring and managing business and clinical effectiveness. Health and human services organizations have unique and evolving competition in the market—from new digital-first applications demonstrating speedy access, engagement, and satisfaction with consumers to industry disrupters such as retail health clinics providing convenient access to care right where individuals shop. Showing value through data is a must have in this competitive environment, and the ability to demonstrate value through data means that organizations must also use data to drive performance improvement—clinically and administratively. In addition, leaders within organizations are challenged to make rapid course corrections, and having immediate access to the correct data has become critical to organizational success. Key objectives for this seminar will include the following:
- Look at the critical strategic performance domains and metrics for managing business and clinical health effectiveness
- Scorecard and framework for becoming a data-driven organization and for evaluating business health operations
- Decision-making model for prioritization and selection of measures
Carol Clayton, Ph.D.
Carol Clayton brings over 30 years of experience in the health and human service fields to the OPEN MINDS team. She has a wealth of experience both in clinical work and in executive management. Her areas of expertise include data-driven strategy development and management, performance measurement and outcomes reporting, quality improvement, and growth strategies.
Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Dr. Clayton served as the Vice President of Behavioral Health Solutions Integration for Relias, an online training solution for health care providers. At Relias, Dr. Clayton led the development of analytics-focused market solutions. Her areas of focus were performance measurement systems, management team dashboards, and analytics for managing value-based reimbursement.
Prior to her role at Relias, Dr. Clayton served as the Chief Executive Officer for Care Management Technologies (CMT), an analytics solution organization of which she was a minority owner. With CMT, Dr. Clayton worked with state and county governments and provider collaboratives to develop shared performance management and performance improvement platforms. Her work included creating solution-specific health information exchanges promoting data sharing between multiple payer and provider organizations.
Prior to joining Care Management Technologies, Dr. Clayton served as the Executive Director for the North Carolina Council of Community Programs. In this role, she worked with both public agencies and private provider organizations during the evolution of the North Carolina MH/DD/SA service delivery system to a new managed care model. Her work involved both advocacy to public policy makers and the legislature, as well as working with member organizations on improving their delivery system.
Previously, Dr. Clayton also served as Executive Director for Magellan Behavioral Health. In this role, she was responsible for the Magellan book of business – at-risk managed care, administrative service organization (ASO) contracts, and employee assistance program (EAP) contracts for two million lives across four states.
Dr. Clayton started her career as a Staff Psychologist at John Umstead Hospital. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Special Education from Appalachian State University and her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Sharon Hicks, MSW, MBA
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.
Grand Opening Of The Exhibit Hall
Sponsored By: 
Join us for an unveiling of all of our great exhibitors! Unwind from the day and enjoy cocktails and hor ‘doeuvres with your peers and thought leaders. Thank you to our sponsor, Mend, for this special event!
Digital First Pioneers & The Future Of Tech-Enabled Behavioral Health Care
Join leaders from Big Health, Brightside, Care Solace, and Talkspace for a deep dive into the evolution and trends of virtual delivery systems within specialty health care. Discover what cutting edge uses of technology are at the forefront of improved care quality and access, plus get a first-hand look at how leading digital providers are anticipating and meeting the needs of complex consumers. This session will also explore the impact virtual delivery models can have on addressing workforce shortages and informing talent management strategies for providers struggling with clinician recruitment and retention.
Erin Boyd
Erin Boyd is Talkspace’s Chief Growth Officer, Enterprise. A proven leader in the healthcare industry, Erin brings a successful 25-year track record of managing sales operations, business development, strategy and marketing. Erin is responsible for driving growth and delivering differentiated solutions and capabilities to Talkspace’s Enterprise customers.
Prior to joining Talkspace, Boyd led Cigna’s behavioral network strategy, ensuring that customers had affordable, high-quality options when receiving behavioral health and substance abuse care. During her tenure at Cigna, she oversaw network programs and solutions that drove innovation, delivered cost-savings and improved outcomes to advance behavioral health access. Prior to Cigna, Boyd held a leadership position in business development and marketing for Aurora Behavioral Health System, a preeminent psychiatric hospital system.
Marshall Moncrief
At Care Solace, Mr. Moncrief leverages his experience to foster innovative partnerships for mental health care excellence. Prior to this role, Marshall was the founding CEO of Be Well Orange County, a large, multi-system mental health collaborative of hospitals, Medi-Cal health plan and County Public Services, to unify a system of mental health care for all of Orange County.
Arun Gupta
Arun is executive chairman and CEO of Big Health, the world’s leading provider of clinically-validated, non-drug digital mental health treatments and pioneer of the digital therapeutics category. During his tenure as chairman and now CEO, Big Health’s digital treatments – Sleepio, for insomnia and Daylight for generalized anxiety disorder – have been clinically proven in over 80 peer-reviewed papers and in 14 randomized, controlled trials to deliver safe and effective patient outcomes. Under his stewardship, Big Health was the first digital therapeutics company to receive approval from the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to recommend Sleepio as a first line insomnia treatment.
Previously, Arun founded Quartet Health, a mental health technology startup, leading it through a significant scale-up as CEO and then Executive Chairman of the Board – securing $150M in investments from Google Ventures and Oak HC/FT. Prior to Quartet, Gupta was General Partner at Accretive where he helped build over 10 industry-defining technology companies, driving several IPOs such as Accolade and R1 RCM and creating over $5B of equity value. He spent his earlier career at Palantir Technologies, McKinsey & Company, The World Bank and working as a Clinton Foundation fellow.
Arun earned a Master’s Degree from the Harvard Kennedy School where he was a Reynolds Fellow for Social Entrepreneurship and graduated with honors from Duke University. He serves on the boards of education technology company iD Tech and Autism Partnership Foundation and as an advisor to 8VC and Anthos. Arun and his wife, Dr. Mrinali Patel Gupta, live in Newport Beach, California with their three children.
Julia Bernstein
Julia Bernstein is a seasoned healthcare leader and currently serves as the Chief Operations Officer at Brightside Health, a telehealth platform that delivers life-saving mental healthcare to individuals with mild-to-severe clinical depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders. Before that, she was the Head of Operations and Strategy at Thirty Madison, where she oversaw 250+ people across customer experience, medical operations, and pharmacy. Prior to Thirty Madison, Julia held leadership roles in the behavioral health space at Tempest (acquired by Monument), Beacon Health Options (acquired by Elevance), and Ginger (now Headspace Health). Julia is also an active investor and advisor and sits on the Board of PharmaCCX. She lives in New York with her husband and two children.
Transforming A Tech Expense Into A Tech Investment: How Vista Care & ReDiscover Have Embedded Technology In Their Strategy For Growth
Embrace tomorrow’s growth through the strategic investment of technology today. This session will offer insights aimed at transforming your “tech expenses” into technological investments that support financial sustainability.
Discover how a multi-state I/DD agency, Vista Care, serves over 700 individuals throughout Colorado, Illinois, South Dakota, Nevada, and Wisconsin, and ReDiscover, a nonprofit mental health/substance use provider agency serving Kansas City, Missouri and surrounding communities, have leveraged technology to develop creative approaches to meeting consumers where they are and expanding their breadth of services throughout multiple states.
Key takeaways include:
- Explore novel frameworks to rethink Return on Investment (ROI) by considering the cost of avoiding critical decisions and investments
- Gain insights into constructing investment models that extend beyond short-term gains, providing a roadmap for sustained financial benefits over time
- Address the challenges of garnering support for technological advancements, offering strategies to secure both board and staff buy-in for successful implementation
John Tote
John is a career-long health care professional, having concentrated in the areas of mental health, I/DD, substance use disorder, co-occurring disorders, and health care network development.
John’s roles range from front-line staff to business/strategic development to CEO, all while seeing himself as an advocate, first and foremost.
Lastly, with his role at Vista Care, John sees a perfect alignment of culture through shared mission, vision, and values in the work he is so honored and humbled to be a part of.
Wayne Easterwood
Wayne has led and worked in healthcare technology for much of his career. In those early years, he was energized by improvement opportunities, especially the power technology tools could bring to the business. As a part of growing organizations, Wayne led the building and expanding of infrastructure, scaling solutions, improving processes, achieving economies of scale, leading blended teams, and building a healthy organizational culture.
Wayne was the architect of Centerstone’s first electronic health record system in 2001, which was among the first in the nation for behavioral health. He soon joined Qualifacts Systems, a Nashville based startup offering CareLogic. CareLogic, a first-of-a-kind software as a service (SaaS) electronic health record (EHR), was groundbreaking. In his five years, he led the team to transform the CareLogic platform from custom software implementations to a configurable multi-tenant system, built the maintenance and support team, established the service desk, and led the rollout of CareLogic to 200+ locations for a national healthcare customer.
In 2007, he returned to Centerstone as CIO, and they doubled in size with an expansion into Indiana. In years following the $120M, the organization executed additional mergers in Florida, Kentucky, and Illinois, bringing scale to $370M and 6500 employees. In 2020, Wayne left Centerstone as Chief Admin Officer. In the previous 5 years, he was leading Technology, Business Intelligence, Analytics, Human Resources, and Project Management. His team of 200 successfully reduced the cost of shared services as a percent of revenue by 10% while expanding the scope of services.
Today he works in fractional CIO roles to lead organizations through technology change. He has worked with large, mid-sized, and even boutique organizations where opportunity drives change. His focus is aligning technology strategy with business goals and leading the technology work toward those goals.
Wayne lives in Nashville with his wife, Lisa, who is 43 years old. They have 3 married sons and four grandchildren, who affectionately call him Boss; ask him about that. Wayne enjoys running marathons, trail races, and anything outdoors. He dreams of running a 4 Boston Marathon with one of the grands when they are ready.
How Findhelp & United Providers Of Health Are Cultivating Health Equity Through Innovative Technology Partnerships
Research shows that a person’s social needs substantially influence health disparity more than direct medical or clinical services. This emphasis on social care is reflected in recent Request for Proposals (RFPs) from New York and the federal government, signaling a clear interest in tackling these issues through community partnerships or establishing social care networks.
In this session, we will focus on the “how to” — how nonprofit health and human service agencies can move beyond traditional integrated service models.
Attendees will get an inside look at Findhelp’s innovative approach to building the largest network of free & reduced-cost social assistance in the United States, bridging the gap between people who need help and the providers offering services.
Plus, discover how United Providers Of Health, an Independent Providers Association, is revolutionizing access to care and making a real impact in their community by bringing together small I/DD, mental health, primary care, and substance abuse service organizations to fuel innovation in health care delivery and design through collaborative networks, such as medical home practice networks.
Objectives of this session include:
- Discover new approaches for building collaborative partnerships
- Learn how to finance and operationalize a social care collaborative network
- Examine data collection methods to show outcomes relevant to social care – access, reduction in disparities of care, and health outcomes
Jerome Brown
Jerome Brown is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of United Providers of Health (UPOH). UPOH is an Independent Provider Association (IPA) focusing on Integrated Care and addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). His previous roles were COO/Consultant for various Provider Healthcare organizations serving the MH/SA/ and I/DD populations. He has over 27 years of corporate management and executive experience. Jerome is also the CEO/Owner and founder of New Thought Leadership. New Thought Leadership is a series of workshops where individuals will learn the basic leadership principles, characteristics and leadership styles of being a leader and how to effectively use these styles.
Jerome is a Lean Six Sigma-Green Belt for over 24 years. He is a certified Facilitator and certifications in Leadership Through Quality (LTQ), Problem Solving Process (PSP), Quality Improvement Process (QIP), Organization Development (OD), Business Process Development (BPD) and Change Management (CM). He enjoys leading organizations, collaborating and building growth through networks and business development and managing change. He has implemented operational processes and clinical workflows that achieves strong measured outcomes and financial sound business results for organizations. He has launched and implemented programs and process in corporate America regionally and nationally and statewide within Healthcare. He has chaired on several boards of non-profits and is currently a board member at his church and served on the former i2i-I’m IN, Advisory Group. Jerome attended Millikin University (Decatur, Ill.) where he is in the Hall of Fame and a two time All American in Football and he
received his BS in Psychology.
Carolyn Mayo
Carolyn Mayo is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of United Providers of Health, LLC. She was most recently the Co-Consultant (June 2018-June 2019) for the Minority Coalition of Behavioral Health Providers of Color(MCBHP) for its Community Reinvestment Initiate, which received funding from Cardinal Innovations for Integrated Care. Carolyn joined Crandell’s Enterprises Inc. in 2007 and has comprehensive experience in corporate management, network technology, and process development. As CIO, Carolyn is responsible for cost-effective operations and strategic long-term success by implementing new technology, systems, protocols, and quality measurements. Carolyn was certified as a trainer by the American Psychiatric Association in 2017 for the integrated Care and Collaborative Care Model. She developed the Certified Mental Health Technician Course with a National Certification, which is being offered fully online and in a classroom setting in collaboration with Durham Technical Community College.
Carolyn has numerous years in Public Relations and Media. She has developed, managed, and launched several marketing campaigns over the years. Her unique skills have provided her the opportunity to work with small and large organizations to bring their ideas from concept to reality. Her forward-thinking and transformational leadership style brings about unique and creative ideas. She embraces change. She is also a radio personality for the talk show “Talk Back” aired on Foxy 107/104.3, Radio One, the largest urban radio station in North Carolina and recently the Host of “Chatting with UPOH”. She is a native of North Carolina and enjoys reading, learning, and spending time with family.
Erine Gray
Erine is the Founder and CEO of Findhelp, a Public Benefit Corporation and the leading social care software company in the US. Their platform is used by most major health plans, hospital systems, state governments, and cause organizations to connect all people in need and the programs that serve them, with dignity and ease. Prior to starting Findhelp, he helped the Texas Health and Human Services Commission streamline their public benefits enrollment process and he has deep expertise in eligibility programs for public healthcare services. Erine is also a 2019 TED Senior Fellow. He lives in Austin, TX.
Implementing Groundbreaking Digital Analytics To Support The Bottom Line With The Gandara Center
For CFOs trying to ensure that technology investments align with both organizational and financial strategy, there are many key things to consider, such as what technology is the most beneficial, what are best practices for implementation, what metrics will be used to evaluate effectiveness, and finally how will we pivot if those metrics aren’t being reached?
In this session, learn from Janine Kent, Chief Financial Officer at Gandara Center, on how they have been able to measure productivity better, address revenue cycle management issues, and bolster the bottom line by implementing analytics software. Ms. Kent will share insights into their decision-making process, the impact technology has had on improving overall revenue cycle management, and strategies for overcoming common implementation challenges.
Gandara Center is a behavioral health, substance use, and preventative services organization that aims to provide equal services in the Hispanic community, Gándara Center delivers quality bilingual care for nearly 15,000 children, adults, and families each year in 100 locations across Massachusetts.
Key takeaways include:
- Discover a process to align the technology plan with strategic and financial plans
- The decision-making process and strategies for assessing the ROI between different technology options
- Learn strategies for evaluating effectiveness and pivoting when needed
Janine Kent
Ms. Kent joined Gandara Center in early 2021 as CFO, and is responsible for strategic planning, financial analysis, budgeting, compliance, and risk management functions.
Her career spans twenty-five years, initially in public accounting with Deloitte & Touche in Hartford, CT, followed by positions in the private and public non-profit sectors. Ms. Kent holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting and a Master of Business Administration, both from Western New England University.
Ms. Kent currently serves as Vice Chair on the board of directors for Holyoke Community Charter School and as Treasurer at the Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst, MA. She has previously served on the board of the Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School in Springfield, MA.
Ms. Kent and her husband of nearly forty years reside in Hampden, MA, and have two grown sons, and one beautiful granddaughter.
Post Lunch Pick Me Up
Sponsored By: 
Join us in the exhibit hall for a fun after-lunch snack break!
Building Your Technology Team For The Future: The Emergence Health Network & Maryville Academy Strategies
Staffing the right tech team to support strategic business goals and infrastructure is emerging as a complex issue for many executives.
In this dynamic session, learn how Emergence Health Network, the Local Mental Health and I/DD Authority in El Paso County, and Maryville Academy a leading childcare organization in Illinois, have developed holistic approaches to overcoming the challenges and opportunities in tech staffing. Gain perspective on strategies to ensure tech teams are aligned with current organizational strategy and equipped to thrive in the future landscape of technology and business intelligence.
- Understand the impact of adopting business intelligence strategies to reshape your approach to hiring and structuring your tech team
- Explore the changing roles of nonprofit IT and strategies for optimizing your technology staffing
- Uncover the secrets to successful recruitment, hiring, and retention of business technology staff for the 21st century
Kristen Daugherty, LCSW-S, LISW-S, MBA
Kristi Daugherty, CEO for Emergence Health Network, has over twenty years of experience in the behavioral health arena. As chief executive officer for El Paso County’s Mental Health/Intellectual Disabilities Authority for El Paso County, Ms. Daugherty is responsible for all clinical and oversight services delegated through performance contracts with Texas Health & Human Services.
During her tenure as CEO, Ms. Daugherty spearheaded several key initiatives that have significantly increased scope of services offered to the El Paso community. As a result of her leadership, jail-based mental health services are now offered to justice involved patients and crisis intervention teams now partner especially trained police officers with behavioral health clinicians during crisis response.
During this time, Emergence Health Network added key components the system of care such as extended observation unit services and Multi-Systemic Therapy for at-risk adolescents and their families. Ms. Daugherty also orchestrated operational turnaround resulting in significantly improved financial indicators, enhanced quality measures and an emphasis on patient data analytics to improve overall health. These efforts resulted in Emergence Health Network receiving Joint Commission accreditation– a distinction held by only a handful of community centers in the State of Texas. Most recently, EHN also achieved Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC) designation, which will help the organization focus on addressing social determinants of health with a behavioral health focus.
Ms. Daugherty has led efforts to form critical community collaborations that have resulted in expanding access points to behavioral health services and expansion of services. Outside the area of crisis services, EHN has developed services in local school districts to include school-based clinics. A strong partnership with the local housing authority has resulted in work on a therapeutic community for individuals that have mental illness and are at risk of homelessness.
As El Paso has recently faced several challenges directly impacting community mental health, and Ms. Daugherty has ensured that EHN has led in crisis behavioral health response. In the aftermath of the August 3rd Walmart shooting, EHN provided a myriad of supports and services to victims, families and the entire community. Similarly, Emergence Health Network’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a strong emphasis on mental health supports.
Ms. Daugherty is a Licensed Clinical Social Work Supervisor in the State of Texas and a Licensed Independent Social Work Supervisor in the State of New Mexico. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from New Mexico State University and is a graduate of the Executive MBA Program at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Carlos Ortiz, MBA, MAcc
John Falsetti
Mr. Falsetti is currently the Chief Information Officer for Maryville Academy. A child welfare agency based in Des Plaines, Illinois. His areas of expertise include managing all areas of technology and information services, IT strategic planning, staff development, database development and warehousing, electronic health record (EHR) development and implementation, voice/data infrastructures, helpdesk and user training, business intelligence, and process re-engineering.
The Next Frontier In Managed Care: Florida Community Care’s Award Of Florida’s I/DD Managed Care Contract
Join David Rogers, President of Florida Community Care, as he explores their recent award of Florida’s new Comprehensive Intellectual/developmental disability (I/DD) Managed Care Program and what this means for the future of I/DD services on a national level.
Historically, the I/DD population receiving waiver services has been excluded from Medicaid managed care enrollment. The tide is beginning to turn with ten states having specific long-term care managed care plans for persons with I/DD. His recent award of a six-year contract from The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration to Florida Community Care, LLC, to pilot a managed care plan for people living with I/DD is a strong signal of states’ interest in how to better manage Medicaid benefits for the I/DD and LTCC populations. Throughout the pilot, 900 beneficiaries with I/DD will receive comprehensive medical, long-term care, and home- and community-based services (HCBS) waiver services.
In this session, gain a deeper understanding of the intricacies of this contract, including the overall goal of what The State Of Florida is trying to accomplish, how Florida Community Care plans to embrace this complex Medicaid population, and what key outcomes will be evaluated for the short-term pilot.
David Rogers
David Rogers is the President of Independent Living Systems (ILS) and a seasoned leader with more than 30 years of healthcare experience in both the public and private sectors. As President of ILS, Rogers is responsible for day-to-day management of the internal operations of the company as well as execution of strategies to optimize people, process, and technology across the enterprise and to continue to advance ILS as a driving force in healthcare innovation.
Prior to being named President of ILS in 2020, Rogers joined Florida Community Care (FCC), a subsidiary of ILS, as Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer in 2018. Before assuming his role at FCC, Rogers was Managing Principal of Health Management Associates (HMA) Medicaid Market Solutions where he advised and supported state agencies, health systems, health plans, and others. Rogers served as Assistant Deputy Secretary for Medicaid Operations, functioning as the Florida’s Medicaid program’s Chief Operations Officer. He has also served as Idaho’s State Medicaid Director.
David earned his Bachelor’s degree and Graduate Certificate in Health Services Administration and Public Policy from Florida State University.
Gulf Coast Center & Well Life Network Track, Monitor & Transform Operational Performance & Reporting Through Data Solutions
One of the most frequently asked questions of the OPEN MINDS Team is about operational efficiency. It is increasing the bottom line through improved workflow processes relative to referral management, appointment scheduling, authorization processes, documentation flow, and timely billing completion. This session will focus on strategies for improving data driven management skills and operational efficiency while avoiding staff and clinician burnout.
Learn how Gulf Coast Center, a provider of mental health, substance use, and I/DD services, was able to implement new technology, and transform their reporting, to inform processes and procedures that ultimately resulted in a 32% increase in the number of clinicians meeting their performance goals.
Then hear how Well Life Network, a nonprofit dedicated to the wellness of New Yorkers faced with disabilities, mental illness and addiction, was able to build a comprehensive dashboard amongst two EHR’s to better collect, analyze, and strategize to support the overall financial growth of the organization.
Key takeaways include:
- Exploration of varied uses of data to improve organizational efficiency
- Strategies for bridging the gap between operational, clinical, and financial data
- An examination of the most important metrics to improve operational performance
Felicia Jeffrey, LPC
Felicia Jeffrey’s work as a CEO in the Mental Health, Substance Use, and I/DD service industry highlights her dedication to advocacy and innovation. Her leadership approach, grounded in empowerment and ethical responsibility, aligns with the essential needs of the communities she serves. This makes her a key advocate for advancing services in these critical areas.
As a leader, Felicia’s qualities are especially impactful when working with communities. By empowering individuals within communities, she fosters collective growth and well-being. Her commitment to transparency and accountability likely builds trust within these groups, while her adaptability helps her respond to the unique challenges that different communities face.
Felicia’s commitment and dedication extend to transforming communities. By fostering partnerships and addressing unique needs, she ensures access to tailored services that make a lasting impact.
As a speaker, Felicia inspires professionals with her expertise in driving innovation, building partnerships, and leading transformational change. Her passion and dedication empower and inspire others to excel in their careers and create meaningful changes in their communities.
Dr. Devon Stanley, DSL, PMP, PMI-ACP, CSEP
Dr. Stanley is an executive in the behavioral health sector, bringing over 15 years of strategic IT leadership to his role as Chief Information Officer at The Gulf Coast Center, the Mental Health Authority for Galveston and Brazoria counties in the Greater Houston Area. A highly regarded transformational leader, he has a robust background in business transformation, digital strategy, technology governance, cybersecurity risk management, enterprise risk management, and strategic planning. Dr. Stanley leverages innovation and technology to drive outcomes while excelling in relationship-building across organizations.
He began his career as an Operations Specialist in the U.S. Navy abroad, the USS San Antonio, where he honed his skills in team leadership and operational excellence. In 2012, he transitioned to the private sector at Newport News Shipbuilding, where he advanced through various roles, from systems administration to project management. At NNS, he was instrumental in architecting and maintaining IT systems that supported a vision of an integrated digital shipyard.
Dr. Stanley holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems and Technology from Old Dominion University (2013), a Master of Science in Engineering Management from George Washington University (2016), and a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Liberty University. He also holds a graduate certificate in Public Procurement and Contract Management (2016), a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification (2015), and a Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) Certification (2019).
At The Gulf Coast Center, Dr. Stanley is dedicated to enhancing mental health services through technology and advancing toward the “clinic of the future,” focusing on the quadruple aim in healthcare. His leadership has driven significant milestones, including improved access to services, increased patient and clinician satisfaction, program expansion, and innovative service models. With a vision for accessible, stigma-free mental health care, Dr. Stanley continues to spearhead transformative initiatives within The Gulf Coast Center and the broader behavioral health landscape.
Amy Platt, Ph.D., LCSW-R
Dr. Platt currently serves as the Vice President of Data Strategy & Analytics for WellLife Network Inc., a non-profit behavioral healthcare organization. In this position, she provides pivotal direction and leadership, while overseeing two Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, in addition to multiple relevant software applications. Her responsibilities span a wide variety of crucial functions, including leading organizational strategies for technology adoption, oversight of critical technological advancements, building dashboards for Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and creating data analytics for state and federal grants. Dr. Platt fosters a culture of innovation by identifying priorities for workflow modifications to improve the quality and efficiency of service delivery. She continues to drive digital transformation initiatives while serving as the organizational leader for health system technology alignments, their necessary optimizations, and overall adoption.
Prior to her current position, Dr. Platt served as a Division Director, where she managed several addiction recovery service/prevention programs that included a mental health outpatient treatment program. Her additional responsibilities consisted of the creation and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure ongoing compliance with regulatory standards. She spearheaded program developments and expansion efforts, collaborated with community-based coalitions, and coordinated marketing strategies to promote vital health services.
In her role as Program Director, Dr. Platt managed staff in Addiction Recovery Service programs, focusing on quality assurance, program development, and staff supervision. She also facilitated clinical management sessions and directed key services with medical professionals. Further, her experience as a Clinical Supervisor equipped her with valuable insights into both program and staff administration as well as crisis intervention. Demonstrating a strong proficiency in designing and implementing programmatic changes, Dr. Platt led a concerted effort to enhance productivity and outreach efficiency for numerous initiatives.
Beginning her career as a clinician, Dr. Platt specialized in Co-Occurring Disorders (COD) and provided evidence-based therapy to individuals with Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders. She has made significant contributions to academia as an Adjunct Professor at both Stony Brook University and the College of New Rochelle, with a focus on a diverse range of subject matters, such as Psychopharmacology, Adolescent Development, Understanding Addictions, Evidence-Based Practices, and Group Work. Dr. Platt’s scholarly contributions are also comprised of publications centered on the perception of addiction in today’s American media. Her extensive collegiate achievements include a PhD in Social Welfare from Stony Brook University, an MSW from Adelphi University, and a BA in Sociology from the State University of New York at Albany.
With a relentless commitment to improving healthcare outcomes through data-driven strategies, clinical expertise, and academic contributions, Dr. Amy Platt’s multifaceted experience has provided her with a unique skillset to drive innovation and excellence in the healthcare industry.
The Power Of AI: Fueling Organizations & Elevating People
Sponsored By: 
Welcome to the age of AI! On the subject of artificial and augmented intelligence, today’s healthcare leaders are constantly challenged with understanding what’s real and what’s just buzz. Join us for an engaging session where our experts help you develop a roadmap for AI adoption, including what questions to ask. You’ll learn what it takes to adopt a Meaningful AI approach that pinpoints the intersection of effective UX, reliability, compliance, and beyond.
- Learn how to strategically plan for your organization to adopt and integrate AI today with an eye toward the future
- Develop a deeper understanding of how AI can support staff and improve morale by reducing administrative burdens to allow time for more meaningful work
- Explore the power of automation in clinical, operational, and financial workflows across the business
Jessica Fenchel, MA
Jessica Fenchel is the Executive Vice President and COO at Access Services, where she supports the delivery of diverse community-based programming for children, adults, and families in Eastern Pennsylvania. Access Services is a nonprofit organization building community through the delivery of services in Behavioral Health, Children and Families Services, and Intellectual Disability and Autism Programming.
Jess has been at Access Services for over 10 years, during which she was key in the startup of innovative initiatives across multiple service spaces including crisis, forensics, schools, and homelessness. Jess believes that help should be helpful and that the people we serve deserve our best. She has led in partnership building to realize integration between behavioral health and physical health, driving solutions for vulnerable populations. Jess’ work to develop new models of partnership between law enforcement and crisis systems has led to overall reductions in arrest for those experiencing mental health crisis.
Jess received her undergraduate degree from Messiah College, her master’s degree from Lasalle University in Clinical Counseling Psychology, training in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas, a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Lasalle University, and a certificate from the Global Trauma Recovery Institute. Jess is an avid sports fan, especially the Buffalo Bills, and loves being active outside with her husband, three kids, and dog.
Erica Gregory
As vice president of Revenue Cycle Management Operations, Erica oversees all billing and back-office operations for healthcare organizations across the country. Through strategy, measurement and execution, she works with internal teams to ensure the client achieves optimal financial performance. Erica is an expert in operations and business development, displaying a track record of consistent, substantial and measurable success across healthcare and technology. She is dedicated to exceeding goals by delivering results that directly impact the bottom line. She accomplishes this by collaborating with teams across Netsmart who bring expertise and technology innovation. Prior to joining Netsmart, Erica was an executive at Center Corporation for more than 10 years. Her roles spanned from financial management to business development/automation. Erica is a long-standing member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and is a Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP). Erica received her bachelor’s degree in economics and accounting from the University of Kansas.
Chris Yakscoe
As director of client alignment with Netsmart, Chris works with current clients to optimize their technology platforms and ensure they are using workflows efficiently. He is most proud of Bells, the artificial intelligence (AI) documentation solution, and the difference it makes in the work of clinicians.
Prior to Netsmart, Chris served as vice president of Remarkable Health, where he worked on the team that developed Bells, the popular AI digital assistant. He partnered with clients to successfully implement Bells alongside their EHR and designed strategies to improve documentation and billing processes. Chris routinely speaks at events and as a panelist on webinars sharing the power of effectively using technology to improve the client and staff experience.
Chris is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and holds a degree in business administration. He resides in Scottsdale, AZ, and enjoys networking and volunteering in the community.
Digital Tools With An ROI For Whole Person Care: A Look At The Digital Mental Health Implementation Playbook
Despite the growing evidence supporting the effectiveness of digital mental health tools, integrating these solutions into mainstream health care systems remains a challenge. Many initiatives occur outside traditional academic research, lacking established methods for sharing findings. To bridge this gap, the Society for Digital Mental Health (SDMH) has developed a Digital Mental Health Implementation Playbook. This resource aggregates insights from a Workgroup comprising representatives from companies and health care systems who have navigated the complexities of digital mental health implementations.
In this session, we will delve into key findings and strategic approaches derived from the Workgroup’s experiences, discussing practical tactics for overcoming common challenges in implementing digital mental health tools and solutions, and emphasizing their role in advancing whole person care.
Key learning objectives:
- Understand how digital tools contribute to delivering high-quality, accessible whole person care
- Review the Workgroup’s insights that highlight successful strategies and practices for digital tool integration in health care
- Learn about actionable strategies to overcome implementation challenges and evaluate the return on investment (ROI) for digital mental health tools
David Mohr
David C. Mohr, Ph.D. is a Professor of Preventive Medicine and Chief of Behavioral Medicine in Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, with appointments in Departments of Psychiatry and Medical Social Sciences. He is Director of the Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies (CBITs; www.cbits.northwestern.edu) and leads the Multidisciplinary Postdoctoral Fellowship in Digital Mental Health. Dr. Mohr’s research lies at the intersection of behavioral science, technology, and clinical research, focusing on the design, evaluation, and implementation of digital mental health technologies and services. He has developed and evaluated numerous web-based, mobile, and text messaging interventions for depression and anxiety. While there has been much research over the past decades demonstrating the effectiveness digital mental health interventions, successful implementation in healthcare settings has been elusive. To address this research-to-practice gap, an overarching goal of Dr. Mohr’s current work is to design, evaluate and sustainably implement digital mental health services in real-world healthcare settings. Dr. Mohr has also conducted research in personal sensing, using smartphone sensor data to detect behaviors related to common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. The goal of this work is to develop more efficient tools that can respond to sensed states to provide just-in-time interventions. Dr. Mohr is President of the Society for Digital Mental Health and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Society for Behavioral Medicine. His research has been consistently funded for more than 30 years by the NIH, other federal agencies, and numerous foundations, resulting in over 350 peer-reviewed publications, and more than 25 book chapters.
Lisa Palko, PharmD
Lisa Palko, PharmD, most recently serves as the Executive Director at the Society for Digital Mental Health. Dr Palko earned her PharmD from the University of Pittsburgh with a specialization in psychiatry and is a passionate advocate for mental health and technology-driven solutions. Her experience in the pharma industry includes serving as the Vice President of Medical Affairs at Akili Interactive and as a Medical Director for Otsuka Digital Health. With more than two decades working in mental digital health/medicine organizations, she has been invited to advise on population health systems and pre-market applications and was instrumental in the development of a military population health tool. She has previously worked at UPMC Health Plan and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (UPMC). Her experience has resulted in the cultivation of a unique skill set essential for navigating the intersection of mental health and technology.
Post Lunch Pick Me Up & Raffle Prize Drawing
Sponsored By: 
Join us in the exhibit hall for a fun after-lunch snack break, brought to you by Agilian! Starting at 1:45 pm we will also have our much-anticipated raffle drawing, so come see if you’ve won any of the great prizes provided by our generous sponsors! (Must be present to win!)
Paul M. Duck
Paul M. Duck brings over 30 years of experience in leadership and management focusing on managed care, health information technology organizations, strategy, business development, and market expansion, and customer experience optimization to the OPEN MINDS team.
Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Duck served as the Vice President, Strategy & Development at Beacon Health Options. In this role, Mr. Duck led the organization’s strategy and business development efforts – responsible for a 30% increase in net revenue and initiated over $1 billion in revenue generation. Mr. Duck was active in national behavioral health initiatives as an executive of Beacon Health Options, including participating as a speaker at national and state association meetings.
Before joining Beacon Health Options, Mr. Duck was the Vice President of Business Development at Netsmart Technologies. During his tenure, Mr. Duck was responsible for business planning, including, the oversight of strategic activities including acquisitions, development, and execution of strategic initiatives, and positioning, and sales of large strategic customers. He also led the rollout of the company’s benchmarking and data analytics product suite.
Prior to Netsmart, Mr. Duck served as the Chief Executive Officer for Coastal Orthopedics and Pain Management, a large group practice with five clinic locations and two ambulatory surgical centers. As the organization’s chief executive officer, Mr. Duck was responsible for significant positive changes in leadership and corporate culture, financial and operational performance, compliance, and governance. Mr. Duck improved net collections by over $1 million per month and grew the practice through negotiating better contract rates with payers. He also implemented an organizational rebranding initiative and launched a new marketing campaign.
Prior to Coastal Orthopedics and Pain Management, Mr. Duck served as the President and Chief Executive Officer for Florida Radiology Imaging, one of the largest outpatient diagnostic imaging service companies serving the greater Orlando market. During his tenure, Mr. Duck led the construction of three new, full modality, diagnostic imaging locations. Mr. Duck revolutionized the company’s culture by creating a highly attractive and functional work environment.
Mr. Duck earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Case Western Reserve University. He earned his Associate of Arts in Electronic Engineering Technology from the Electronic Technology Institute. Mr. Duck received an award by Inc Magazine for leading Florida Radiology Imaging as one of America’s fastest-growing companies. Mr. Duck recently served as a contributing author to the book The New Health Age: The Future of Health Care in America.
Securing Financial Sustainability: How DuPage County Is Implementing Cutting-Edge Tools To Strategize, Execute & Optimize RCM
In health care operations, revenue cycle management (RCM) begins before a prospective client’s first appointment. The seamless execution of processes such as registration, eligibility checking, and prior authorization plays a pivotal role in ensuring timely and accurate payment for services. Employing technology at this critical juncture not only streamlines the intricate processes but also contributes to an overall improvement in customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
In this session, learn how DuPage County Health Department is using technology tools to enhance RCM, simplify the experience for clients, and enhance the effectiveness of the organizational processes.
Attendees will:
- Examine case studies that have been successful in reducing claims errors that are associated with the initial stages of the RCM
- Explore the various stages of RCM and technology tools to support each
- Understand the importance of managing the initial phase of the RCM in data analytics and process improvement
Robert Baechle
Robert Baechle is a Clinical Informatics Analyst who uses data to help drive clinical and financial decisions at DuPage County Health Department. He is a public servant with a heart for helping people and uses this passion to serve his community. Rob’s career started in an inpatient behavioral health hospital and transitioned to public health in 1997. He has experience in all levels of outpatient care and was promoted into a supervisory role in 2006. During this time, Rob helped implement two behavioral health electronic health records, consulted on the implementation of an environmental health services electronic record, and established centralized scheduling for 100+ employees. Rob regularly uses analytics to support clinical, financial, and administrative staff. Rob’s expertise has helped the health department to achieve numerous best-practice clinical workflows across multiple service areas.
Surfing The Triple Disruption Rip Current: Strategies For Navigating Three Forces Reshaping Health & Human Services In The Year Ahead
Ten years ago, technology strategies for specialty care providers focused mainly on billing, compliance, and security, operating separately from overall organizational goals and reacting to regulatory changes.
Today’s market pressures of increased competition, the rise of value-based care, and challenges with reimbursement rates have shifted the focus to tech strategies that drive financial sustainability, growth, and competitive advantage, seamlessly integrating with broader organizational objectives.
In this session, join Monica E. Oss for an examination of key strategies for adapting to tighter margins, value-based reimbursement, and new technology options by implementing a modern, analytics-driven approach to achieve a competitive edge.
Monica E. Oss
Monica E. Oss, M.S. is the founder of OPEN MINDS and serves as its chief executive officer, executive editor of its publications and websites, and executive lead of its consulting engagements. For the past three decades, Ms. Oss has led the OPEN MINDS team and its research on health and human service market trends and its national consulting practice. She is well known for her numerous books and articles focused on the strategic and marketing implications of the evolving health and human service field – and its focus on the verticals of the field serving consumers with chronic conditions and complex support needs.
Ms. Oss has extensive experience in developing and implementing growth strategies for a wide array of organizations in the field. She has expertise in industry trend analysis, reimbursement and rate setting, and creating actionable plans for market success. In her role, she has led numerous engagements with state Medicaid plans, county governments, private insurers, and health plans, 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.
Prior to founding OPEN MINDS, Ms. Oss served as an executive with a nationally managed behavioral health organization, responsible for market development, actuarial analysis, and capitation-based rate setting. She also held a position as vice president of the U.S. risk management and underwriting division of an international insurance company.
Ms. Oss has been the keynote speaker at the conferences of dozens of national associations and has been published in a wide range of professional journals and trade publications. She has provided Congressional and state legislative testimony on issues as diverse as the financial impact of parity and payer medication access policies.
Ms. Oss has led a range of industry research and consultation initiatives, serving as principal investigator on research projects that include the examination of national managed care enrollment and service patterns, development of provider rate structures for government entities, creation of return-on-investment models for technology investments; design of performance-based compensation models within public and private health plans; and analysis of the economic impact of changes in benefit design, adoption of evidence-based practices, and new technologies.