Helen Burstin, MD, MPH, MACP

Helen Burstin, MD, MPH, MACP is the Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS), a coalition of more than 50 specialty societies representing more than 800,000 physicians. As the national organization of specialty societies, CMSS advances the expertise and collective voice of medical specialty societies in support of physicians and the patients they serve. Representing every specialty, from primary care to surgery, CMSS addresses critical issues across specialties through shared learning and innovation, convening, collaboration, and collective action. Dr. Burstin formerly served as Chief Scientific Officer of The National Quality Forum (NQF). Prior to joining NQF, she was the Director of the Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Prior to joining AHRQ, Dr. Burstin was an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and served as Director of Quality Measurement at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She is the author of more than 100 articles and book chapters on quality, safety, equity, and measurement. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Burstin currently serves on the board of the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine. A graduate of the State University of New York at Upstate College of Medicine and the Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Burstin completed her residency training in primary care internal medicine at Boston City Hospital and fellowship in General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Chris Charlton, BSEE, PE, CPI

Chris received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Wyoming. He began his employment in the communications industry in 1990 as a field engineer in the Desert Southwest and Mexico for Metro Mobile and Bell Atlantic Mobile. He later had an opportunity to bridge his time with AT&T as an RF Engineer. In 2017 Chris joined Philips Health Care as a Project Engineer designing and managing the construction of MRI, CT and Cardiovascular surgical suites. He then joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences within the Institute for Digital Health & Innovation (IDHI) as a Contractor in 2019 on the broadband effort in Arkansas through the Arkansas Rural Connect program. Chris joined the IDHI team as the Broadband Director in January 2021. He oversees the State’s broadband effort as funded by federal grants through the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Arkansas State Broadband Office. He is focused on the expansion of the broadband efforts as managed by IDHI and assisting in the e-Link Telehealth team’s growth. He is focused on future program development and expansion of IDHI programs as the Special Project Director.

Matthew Diamond, MD, PhD

Matthew Diamond, MD, PhD is the Chief Medical Officer at FDA’s Digital Health Center of Excellence. Serving as the senior clinical expert for digital health medical devices at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), Dr. Diamond provides clinical leadership for policy development on digital health technologies including artificial intelligence-enabled medical devices. Dr. Diamond represents FDA for national and international digital health initiatives including as Chair of the International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) Artificial Intelligence Working Group. Prior to joining the Agency, Dr. Diamond served on leadership teams of large and small technology companies, including as Chief Medical Officer at Nokia, and on numerous advisory boards including for the Center for Personalized Health Monitoring at UMass Amherst and the venture firm NGP Capital. As Vice Chair of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Health & Fitness Technology Board of Directors, he promoted public health applications of mobile technology and established an ANSI-accredited standardization committee to develop standards in digital health for wellness-related products. Dr. Diamond earned his MD and PhD (biophysics) from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and he is board certified in rehabilitation medicine and certified in medical acupuncture. A faculty member at NYU, Dr. Diamond is passionate about helping people improve their mobility and performance through a holistic approach to rehabilitation and technology that promotes wellness.

CAPT Heather Dimeris, MS, RD

Heather Dimeris serves as the Director for the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and she is a Captain (CAPT) in the United States Public Health Service (USPHS). She joined HRSA in 2003 in the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) as a Public Health Analyst and managed operations as the Associate Director and Senior Advisor in 2007 before becoming the FORHP Deputy Associate Administrator in 2016 and OAT Director in 2021. CAPT Dimeris oversees the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth at HRSA, which promotes telehealth as a way to deliver health care and supports the Department of Health & Human Services’ (HHS) telehealth efforts to expand access and improve health outcomes. Her work includes administration of the HHS Telehealth website, created in 2020. Prior to working at HRSA, CAPT Dimeris was a dietitian for Malden Hospital in Massachusetts. She holds a Master of Science degree in Public Health Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Reena Duseja, MD, MS

Dr. Duseja currently serves as the Senior Advisor, in the Office of the Associate Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Quality and Patient Safety in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). With the delivery of care to more than 9 million enrolled Veterans, and care at over 1,300 health care facilities, Dr. Duseja is responsible for leading and implementing complex initiatives, strategies, and advising on policies and programs that improve the quality of care and patient safety for Veterans. Her career has focused on advancing the health for populations through patient care, teaching, research, policy and leadership across health systems, academia, and government.

Sheri Gaskins

Sheri Gaskins is a Technical Director with the Division of Benefits and Coverage, Medicaid Benefits and Health Programs Group, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services. She is responsible for several Medicaid coverage areas including telehealth, facility services, and transportation. Ms. Gaskins holds a Bachelor of Science in healthcare management from Towson University in Towson, Maryland and a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University (formerly Loyola College in Maryland) in Baltimore, Maryland.

Susan Gregurick, PhD

Susan K. Gregurick, Ph.D., was appointed Associate Director for Data Science and Director of the Office of Data Science Strategy (ODSS) at the National Institutes of Health on Sept. 16, 2019. Under Dr. Gregurick’s leadership, the ODSS leads the implementation of the NIH Strategic Plan for Data Science through scientific, technical, and operational collaboration with the institutes, centers, and offices that comprise NIH. Dr. Gregurick was instrumental in creating the ODSS in 2018 and served as a senior advisor to the office until she was named in her current position.

Doug Jacobs, MD, MPH

Dr. Doug Jacobs is the Chief Transformation Officer in the Center for Medicare at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Dr. Jacobs is a practicing board-certified internal medicine physician and is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. He is also an avid writer, having published pieces in the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association, New York Times, and Washington Post. He trained in Internal Medicine Primary Care at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and served as Chief Resident at the West Roxbury VA hospital, received his MD at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, his MPH at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Carole Johnson

Carole Johnson is the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Johnson joined HRSA from the White House COVID-19 Response Team. She previously served as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, leading the state’s largest agency and providing health care and social services to one-in-five New Jerseyans. During her tenure as Commissioner, the Department expanded Medicaid coverage of mental health and substance use disorder services, created new Medicaid benefits to improve maternal health outcomes, and integrated Medicaid into the newly launched state-based Affordable Care Act marketplace. Under Johnson’s leadership, the Department also substantially increased child care rates for the first time in a decade, expanded food assistance benefits, and created an Office of New Americans to support the state’s diverse communities. Johnson served for more than five years as the Domestic Policy Council public health lead in the Obama White House, working on the Ebola and Zika responses, implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and combatting the opioid epidemic. In addition, she served on Capitol Hill as health staff for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and for members of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee and U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee. At the Department of Health and Human Services, Johnson previously managed health care workforce policy issues for HRSA. She also was policy director for the Alliance of Community Health Plans, program officer with the Pew Charitable Trusts health program, and senior government relations manager with the American Heart Association. She holds a master’s degree in government from the University of Virginia.

Ann Mond Johnson, MBA, MHA

Ann Mond Johnson is CEO at the American Telemedicine Association (the ATA). Prior to that, she served as CEO of Zest Health, a technology-enabled service; as Board Chair and Advisor to ConnectedHealth, a leading provider of private insurance exchanges; and as co-founder and CEO of Subimo, a pioneer in healthcare cost and quality decision support tools for consumers – for which she was inducted in the Chicago Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2020, Ann was recognized by Modern Healthcare magazine on their 100 Most Influential list. Ann is recognized as a thought leader and presents at a range of professional meetings and conferences.

Mei Kwong, JD

Mei Wa Kwong, JD has over two decades of experience in state and federal policy work. She is the Executive Director for the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP), the federally designated National Telehealth Policy Resource Center. She has written numerous policy briefs, crafted state legislation and led several coalition efforts on a variety of issues. Ms. Kwong has published articles on telehealth policy, is recognized as an expert in her field and has been consulted by state and federal lawmakers on telehealth legislation and policy. Ms. Kwong is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School.

Joycelyn Lawrence, MD

Joycelyn Lawrence, MD is a dedicated family medicine physician with a passion for addressing social determinants of health through innovative healthcare solutions. She attended Spelman College and earned her MD from the University of Arizona (1996). She completed her residency in family medicine at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital Residency Program (1999) and further advanced her expertise by completing a fellowship in faculty development at the University of North Carolina. Her professional experience includes a tenure at the University of Miami School of Medicine's Department of Family Medicine (1999 – 2016), where she served as faculty and Medical Director for a prominent school health program. Dr. Lawrence has been serving as the Chief Medical Officer for Jessie Trice Community Health System, Inc. since 2016. Growing up in the area served by Jessie Trice Community Health System (JTCHS), the first Federally Qualified Health Center in the state of Florida, Dr. Lawrence has a deep personal connection to the community she serves. Recognizing the impact of social determinants on health outcomes, she has been a fervent advocate for leveraging telehealth to overcome barriers to healthcare access. Her commitment to this cause led her to spearhead a telehealth initiative aimed at providing school-based health care services, ensuring that students receive timely and accessible medical attention. Other contributions to this cause include development and implementation of a remote monitoring patient platform for JTCHS, which has proven beneficial health outcomes. In her role as Chief Medical Officer at Jessie Trice Community Health System, Dr. Lawrence provides comprehensive organizational oversight and strategic leadership. She is responsible for the management of healthcare providers, ensuring the highest standards of patient care. Her strategic vision includes the planning and development of a teaching health center within the (FQHC), aimed at training the next generation of healthcare professionals. Additionally, Dr. Lawrence is deeply involved in various research projects that emphasize the social determinants of health, aiming to identify and address the root causes of health disparities. She has successfully led several grant-funded projects designed to improve health outcomes in underserved communities. She has helped to develop and implement the organization’s Teaching and Research Annex. Dr. Lawrence's leadership and vision have significantly enhanced the organization's capacity to deliver comprehensive care to underserved populations. Her dedication to improving community health and reducing health disparities is evident in her innovative approaches and unwavering commitment to serving her community.

Alan Morgan, MPA

Alan joined NRHA staff in 2001. Recognized as among the top 100 most influential people in health care by Modern Healthcare Magazine, Alan Morgan serves as Chief Executive Officer for the National Rural Health Association. He has more than 30 years experience in health policy at the state and federal level, and is one of the nation’s leading experts on rural health policy. Mr. Morgan served as a contributing author for the publications, “Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care,” “The Handbook of Rural Aging” and for the publication, “Rural Populations and Health.” In addition, his health policy articles have been published in: The American Journal of Clinical Medicine, The Journal of Rural Health, The Journal of Cardiovascular Management, The Journal of Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology, Cardiac Electrophysiology Review, and in Laboratory Medicine. Mr. Morgan served as staff for former US Congressman Dick Nichols and former Kansas Governor Mike Hayden. Additionally, his past experience includes tenures as a health care lobbyist for the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, the Heart Rhythm Society, and for VHA Inc. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from University of Kansas, and a master's degree in public administration from George Mason University.

Mary Ochsner, MS, LPC, CRC, BC-TMH

Ms. Ochsner is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Rehabilitative Counselor, and a Board Certified Telemental Health provider with 23 years of human services experience. During that time, Mary has managed several programs including outpatient therapy, foster care, school-based counseling, adult group homes, early intervention services for children, and community mental health programs for skills building and intensive in-home counseling programs. Mary received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Concord University, Master of Science in Rehabilitative Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University, Master of Philosophy in Psychology from Walden University, and has been working on her Ph.D. in Psychology with a concentration in teaching from Walden University.

Janet Orwig, MBA, CAE

Janet Orwig, MBA, CAE in her position with the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) serves as the Associate Executive Officer, Member Services and PSYPACT Executive Director. She is responsible for monitoring state regulatory and legislative actions and overseeing member services including the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT). Her 27-year career in association management includes experience in customer service, public relations, advocacy, strategic planning, leadership development, grant management and project and program management. Janet earned her Paralegal Certificate and bachelor’s in business administration from Huntingdon College and her MBA from the University of Phoenix. She is also a Certified Association Executive.

Andrea Palm

Andrea Palm is the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As Deputy Secretary, she is the Chief Operating Officer and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Department. Palm most recently served as Secretary-designee of the Department of Health Services (DHS), overseeing one of the largest state agencies in Wisconsin as a member of Governor Tony Evers' cabinet. In this role, she had responsibility for the state's Medicaid program, its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and behavioral health programs, among others. DHS is also Wisconsin's public health agency, and as such, Palm led the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, Palm held a number of policy and operational roles in the Obama-Biden Administration at HHS, including Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Counselor, Chief of Staff and Senior Counselor to the Secretary. During her eight-year tenure, she worked on a variety of Administration priorities, including the Affordable Care Act, as well as providing leadership for the Department's work to combat the opioid epidemic. Palm was born and raised in rural, upstate New York. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a Master's degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

Brian Philson, MSW, LMSW, ACSW

Brian Philson is the president and CEO of Highfields, a human services nonprofit in mid-Michigan. He also serves as the President of the Board of Directors with the Association of Social Work Boards. Brian started with Highfields in July, 2006 as the director of residential services. He was promoted to vice president of programming before being promoted to President/CEO in August 2008. Brian earned his master’s degree in social work at Michigan State University and bachelor’s degree in social work at Spring Arbor College, where he currently serves as an adjunct instructor. He is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, a Board Member of the Association of Social Work Boards, a Governor Appointee to the Michigan Committee on Juvenile Justice and a member of the National Partnership for Juvenile Services. Brian loves to backpack, hike, and spend time with his kids and grandkids.

Steve Posnack, M.S.

Steven Posnack serves as the Deputy National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. In this role, he advises the national coordinator, leads the execution of ONC’s mission, and represents ONC’s interests at a national and international level. In conjunction with the national coordinator, Steve oversees ONC’s federal coordination, regulatory policy, public-private initiatives, and the overall implementation of statutory authorities and requirements, such as those from the 21st Century Cures Act and HITECH Act.

Anthony Roggio, MD

Dr. Roggio is an Emergency Department physician and the Medical Director of Telehealth for University of Maryland Medical System, overseeing the deployment of multiple telehealth initiatives throughout UMMS 12 hospitals and numerous outpatient clinics. Within the Department of Emergency Medicine, Dr. Roggio acts as the Medical Director of the UMEM TeleTriage and TeleSNF programs, and has published multiple studies on telehealth's utility for ED operations, as well as serving as Principal Investigator on federal and state Telehealth and Health Information Technology grants. His areas of expertise include Emergency Department administration, improving healthcare equity through technology, telehealth delivery in quality based reimbursement environments, and quality improvement.

Daniel Shieh

Daniel Shieh is the Associate Deputy Director in HHS Office for Civil Rights’ Policy Division. As the Associate Deputy Director, he served as the rulemaking team lead for the final rule for Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), published on May 6, 2024. This final rule implements the ACA's prohibition on discrimination in health programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, including in the use of patient care decision support tools.

Julia Skapik, MD, MPH, FAMIA

Julia Skapik is a board-certified Internist and Clinical Informaticist and the Chief Medical Information Officer for NACHC. At NACHC she heads the development of technology-enabled public health and quality improvement projects, a next-generation HIT data infrastructure and warehouse, a unified data dictionary for community health, and a curriculum for informatics and human-centered design. Dr. Skapik is an ongoing leader in HIT standards development through her work as the Board Chair of HealthLevel7 (HL7) International and as a Director in HL7 Europe. She came to NACHC after serving as the Chief Health Information Officer for Cognitive Medical Systems, where she supported federal and private healthcare efforts in military health, care coordination, and clinical quality improvement. During her time as a Senior Medical Informatics Officer at ONC, Dr. Skapik worked to foster broad HIT stakeholder coordination and engagement, standards development, terminology, ONC certification, and electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) and clinical decision support development. She is currently a practicing community health primary care physician with Neighborhood Health of Virginia and PRN hospitalist with Inova Health System.

Kathy Wibberly, PhD

Kathy Hsu Wibberly, PhD is Director of the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center. TRC’s are federally funded to assist with telehealth program development and sustainability to increase access to quality care, particularly for rural and other underserved populations. Kathy is also Director of Research for the Center for Telehealth and Associate Research Professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Kathy’s public service career reflects over 30 years of experience in public health, public policy, program development, program evaluation and strategic planning.

Brittany Woods-Orrison

Brittany grew up along the Yukon River in Rampart, Alaska. During the school year her family lived in Fairbanks, and returned home to Rampart in the summers to harvest. Her education took her to Sitka, where she attended Mt. Edgecumbe High School, then the Bay Area of California, where she attended Menlo College. Brittany had a culinary career and traveled across the Western U.S. before returning home to Alaska to start her career as a Broadband Specialist. In this career, she focuses on educating users, creating a network of advocates, and influencing policy. Brittany spends her free time learning her Denaakk’e language & subsistence practices, making films, and pursuing athletics.