Membership Planning Group Members
Jonathan B. Perlin (Co-Chair), MD, PhD, MSHA, FACP, FACMI
Dr. Perlin is Chief Medical Officer and President, Clinical Services, of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA, the nation’s leading provider of healthcare services. He is responsible for clinical strategy and continually improving performance at HCA’s 169 hospitals and 158 outpatient centers. Current activities include developing and implementing electronic health records throughout HCA and a national program seeking to eradicate healthcare associated infections. Before joining HCA in 2006, Dr. Perlin was Under Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. As the senior-most physician in the Federal Government and Chief Executive Officer of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Dr. Perlin led the nation’s largest integrated health system.
Dr. Perlin has a Master’s of Science in Health Administration. He received his Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology (performing research in molecular neurobiology) with his M.D. as part of the Medical Scientist Training Program at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia Campus. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Medical Informatics.
Janet Corrigan, PhD, MBA
Dr. Corrigan is President and CEO of The National Quality Forum, a private, not-for-profit membership organization established in 1999 to develop and implement a national strategy for healthcare quality measurement and reporting. The NQF mission includes: setting national priorities and goals for performance improvement; endorsing national consensus standards for measuring and publicly reporting on performance; and promoting the attainment of national goals through education and outreach activities. Dr. Corrigan was instrumental in organizing the merger between NQF and the National Committee for Quality Health Care (NCQHC), where she served as President and CEO from June 2005 to March 2006. From 1998 to 2005, Dr. Corrigan was Senior Board Director at the Institute of Medicine (IOM), where she was responsible for the IOM Health Care Services portfolio of initiatives on quality and safety, health services organization and financing, and health insurance issues. Prior to joining IOM in 1998, Dr. Corrigan was Executive Director of the President’s Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry.
Dr. Corrigan received her doctorate in health services research and master of industrial engineering degrees from the University of Michigan, and masters’ degrees in business administration and community health from the University of Rochester.
Paul Cotton
Mr. Cotton is a Senior Legislative Representative at AARP, lobbying Congress and the Administration on Medicare, Medicaid, and health care quality issues. He was previously Director of Hearings and Policy Presentation at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Office of Legislation. He also worked for several years as a reporter for publications including the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Angela Fix, MPH
Ms. Fix is the Director of Public Health Informatics for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). Ms. Fix leads and directs Informatics and Privacy efforts, representing/supporting state-based public health in national debates, best practices and communications. She also assists State Public Health Agencies in their efforts to participate in Health Information Exchange and Regional Health Information Organization activities. Ms. Fix is a versatile public health professional with experience in practice, policy and research with focus in the specialty areas of informatics, infectious disease surveillance, and antimicrobial resistance.
Prior to joining ASTHO, Ms. Fix was a respiratory disease epidemiologist with the Florida Department of Health. In that position, she managed the state's influenza, RSV, and other respiratory disease surveillance systems. She has also conducted research involving international pathogenic bacterial disease surveillance. Ms. Fix received her MPH in Epidemiology at San Diego State University and her B.S. in Medical Microbiology/Immunology from the University of Wisconsin.
Mark Frisse, MD, MBA, MSc
Dr. Frisse is the Accenture Professor of Biomedical Informatics at Vanderbilt University. He is responsible for coordinating regional, state, and national projects aimed at the application of information technology to advance patient care. Working through the office of the Governor of the State of Tennessee, he is director of one of the Nation’s six AHRQ-funded state and regional demonstration programs in health information technology, focusing on the development of a comprehensive health information exchange system for southwest Tennessee. He is also supports activities sponsored by the Markle Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Resource Center, the American Medical Informatics Association, and the eHealth Initiative.
Dr. Frisse received his MD and MBA from Washington University and received a Master’s Degree in Medical Information Science from Stanford University.
Gail Graham
Ms. Graham is the Director of Health Data and Informatics for the Veterans Health Administration, the nation's largest integrated health care system. She oversees data management and informatics programs including Health Information Management, Privacy, Security, 508 Compliance, Patient Safety, National Data Systems, Identity Management and Data Quality, Data Services, Standards & Interagency Liaison, and Heath Information Resources. She serves on the Board of Foundation of Research and Education (FORE), a charitable affiliate of American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), and on the Information Technology Board of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). She is a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA).
Garth Graham, MD, MPH
Dr. Graham is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health in the Office of Minority Health at the Department of Health and Human Services. The Office of Minority Health develops and coordinates Federal health policy that addresses minority health concerns and ensures that Federal, State and local health programs take into account the needs of disadvantaged, racial and ethnic populations. He was previously appointed a White House Fellow and special assistant to former Secretary Tommy G. Thompson at the Department of Health and Human Services. He founded the Boston Men's Cardiovascular Health Project, a project designed to identify behavioral explanations for decreased adherence to adequate diet and exercise by African American men. He is currently on the faculty of Harvard Medical School where he trained in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and serves as a visiting scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Dr. Graham earned an MD from the Yale School of Medicine, where he graduated cum laude. He also earned an M.P.H. from the Yale School of Epidemiology and Public Health with a focus in health policy administration.
Walter Hauck, MS
Mr. Hauck is Vice President, Worldwide Technology for Pfizer. He is the global leader for all technology functions, managing a $2B organization, operating in 200+ countries. Mr. Hauck is past member of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Information Management Policy Affairs Coordination Committee (IMPACC), Chair of the SEBIX/SAFE Working Group to Pharmaceutical Innovation Steering Committee, and a member of the Drug Industry Association.
Mr. Hauck earned an MS in Acoustics from Pennsylvania State University and a BS in Engineering - Music & Acoustics from the University of Hartford.
Steve Lieber, CAE
Mr. Lieber has served as President and CEO of HIMSS, the largest healthcare association focused on healthcare information technology (HIT). Mr. Lieber not only serves on the Board of Directors of HIMSS and its two related corporations, but he also serves on numerous other corporate, nonprofit and coalition boards and groups. He is one of the founders of the Certification Commission for HIT and the Health Information Technology Standards Panel, two U.S. federally funded initiatives at the foundation of the U.S. interoperability effort. As a nationally recognized commentator on health policy in general and specifically healthcare IT trends and issues, Mr. Lieber is a regular speaker and contributor to corporate strategic planning efforts, government sponsored policy efforts, private sector initiatives and other nonprofit organizations.
Mr. Lieber earned an MA from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, and a BA in Psychology from the University of Arkansas. He also holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation.
Janet Marchibroda, MBA
Ms. Marchibroda is the founding Chief Executive Officer of the eHealth Initiative and the eHealth Initiative Foundation, both Washington, D.C.-based independent, national, non-profit, affiliated organizations whose missions are the same--to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of health care through information and information technology. Ms. Marchibroda is a nationally recognized expert on the use of health information and information technology to improve the quality, safety and efficiency of health care, frequently serving as both a speaker and advisor to a wide range of national and state level organizations—both within the public and private sector, across every sector of health care.
Ms. Marchibroda earned a BS in Commerce from the University of Virginia and an MBA with a concentration in organization development from George Washington University.
Blackford Middleton, MD, MPH, MSc
Dr. Middleton is Chairman of CITL's Executive Committee, Director of Clinical Informatics Research & Development for Partners HealthCare, and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Previously, he was Medical Director of Information Management and Technology at Stanford Health Services and Senior Vice President for Clinical Informatics and Chief Medical Officer for MedicaLogic/Medscape. Dr. Middleton has focused his research on clinical decision support systems, systems integration, and patient computing.
Dr. Middleton received an MD from the State University of New York School of Medicine at Buffalo. He received a Masters in Public Health degree from the Yale University School of Medicine with a dual concentration in Epidemiology, and Health Services Administration. His Fellowship was at Stanford University, where he received his Master of Science degree in Health Services Research, focusing on medical informatics.
Arnold Milstein, MD, MPH
Dr. Milstein is the Medical Director of the Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) and the Chief Physician at Mercer Health & Benefits. PBGH is the largest employer health care purchasing coalition in the U.S. His work and publications focus on private and public sector health care purchasing strategy, clinical performance measurement, and the psychology of clinical performance improvement. He co-founded both the Leapfrog Group and the Consumer-Purchaser Disclosure Project. He heads performance measurement activities for both initiatives and is a MedPAC Commissioner. The New England Journal of Medicine’s series on employer sponsored health insurance described him as a “pioneer” in efforts to advance quality of care. In 2005, he was selected for the highest annual award of the National Business Group on Health (NBGH), which cited his nationally distinguished innovation and results in health care cost reduction and quality gains. In 2006 he was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.
He was educated at Harvard (BA‑Economics), Tufts (MD) and (UC‑Berkeley MPH‑Health Services Evaluation and Planning).
Ruth Perot, MA
Ms. Perot is Co-founder and Executive Director/CEO of Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc. (SHIRE). SHIRE serves as a resource for the achievement of health parity and optimal health for all Americans, with emphasis on communities of color. Since 1997, Ms. Perot has guided SHIRE projects for The California Endowment; The Commonwealth Fund; Consumer Health Foundation; Office of Minority Health, Department of Health and Human Services; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Office on Women’s Health; Bureau of Primary Health Care; Kaiser Permanente, Microsoft and other agencies. .A highly visible advocate for the involvement of underserved communities in HIT, Perot became a Visiting Scholar at the National Academy of Social Insurance in 2007; has served on the Health Information Communication and Data Exchange Taskforce of the State Alliance for e-Health, National Governor’s Association, and was recently appointed as a member of the’ Advocacy and Public Policy Steering Committee, Health Information and Management Systems Society.
She is a graduate of Oberlin College, and received a Masters of Arts in Teaching degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Anthony D. Rodgers
Mr. Rodgers is Director of the Arizona Medicaid Program, known as the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). Appointed in 2003, Mr. Rodgers reports to the Governor and is responsible for health coverage for over one million Arizonans. The agency administers multiple sources of governmental and private funds and is responsible for regulatory oversight and compliance of Medicaid managed care health plans and health care providers to assure quality of care, fiscal accountability, and cost containment.
Mr. Rodgers has a Master of Science degree in public health and BA degree in Economics and Political Science from UCLA. He has held adjunct and visiting professor appointments at Arizona State University, the W.P Carey School of Business and at UCLA School of Public Health and is an expert on non-profit organization governance.
Stephen C. Schoenbaum, MD, MPH
Dr. Schoenbaum is Executive Vice President for programs and executive director of the Commonwealth Fund's Commission on a High Performance Health System. From 1993 to 1999, he was the medical director and then president of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England, a mixed-model HMO delivery system in Providence, RI. Prior to that, he was deputy medical director at Harvard Community Health Plan in the Boston area, where his roles included developing specialty services, disease management programs, clinical guidelines, and enhancing the Plan's computerized clinical information systems. Nationally, he played a significant role in the development of HEDIS quality indicators. Dr. Schoenbaum is a lecturer in the department of ambulatory care and prevention at Harvard Medical School, a department he helped to found, and the author of over 150 medical publications. He is a board member of the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics, the American College of Physician Executives, and the Picker Institute. He is also a longstanding member of the International Advisory Committee to the Joyce and Irving Goldman Medical School at Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva, Israel, and an honorary member of the British Association of Medical Managers, and an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.
Dr. Schoenbaum earned his MD from Harvard Medical School, and his MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health.
Zachary Sikes, MS
Mr. Sikes is Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations for the American Association of Homes & Services for the Aging. He is responsible for cultivating corporate America’s interest in the mission of aging services, which affects virtually all American families. He identifies, recommends and cultivates opportunities for AAHSA and its members to form partnerships within the corporate community and oversees this community’s role in several AAHSA’s programs, including group purchasing and shared services, sponsorships, fundraising and AAHSA’s Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST).
Mr. Sikes received a BS in Systems Engineering, International Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies from the U.S. Military Academy and an MS in National Security Studies with a focus on technology policy and competitive intelligence from Georgetown University.
Jeanette Thornton, MPA
Ms. Thornton is Director of Health Informatics for America’s Health Insurance Plans a Washington DC based association. Ms. Thornton leads the Association’s activities in the areas of health information technology and policy and the industry’s work to advance the adoption of personal health records. She also acts as an industry liaison to the federal government’s activities to advance the adoption of health information technology. Ms. Thornton has also held positions at the Office of Management and Budget and the Social Security Administration where she demonstrated leadership in technology policy.
Ms. Thornton earned a BA in Political Science from Western Illinois University and an MPA from The University of Pittsburgh.
Reed Tuckson, MD
Dr. Tuckson is Executive Vice President and Chief of Medical Affairs for UnitedHealth Group. Dr. Tuckson joined UnitedHealth Group in 2000 as senior vice president, Consumer Health and Medical Care Advancement. Prior to joining UnitedHealth Group, Dr. Tuckson worked as Senior Vice President, Professional Standards, for the American Medical Association (AMA). He also served as president of an academic health science center, and was formerly commissioner of public health for the District of Columbia.
Dr. Tuckson is a graduate of Howard University, Georgetown University School of Medicine, and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania's General Internal Medicine Residency and Fellowship Programs.
Margaret Van Amringe, MHS
Ms. Van Amringe is Vice President for Public Policy and Government Relations for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. She runs the Washington DC office of the Joint Commission which is based in Illinois. The mission of the Joint Commission is to continuously improve the quality and safety of care provided to the public. Ms. Van Amringe is responsible for setting and implementing an advocacy agenda for the Joint Commission; developing strategic opportunities with public and private partners that will forward the goals of the Joint Commission; and representing the Joint Commission’s interests in a variety of venues. She is involved with a broad array of public policy issues, including: pay-for-performance, patient safety, electronic health records, performance measurement, and information technology.
Ms. Van Amringe received her Masters in Health Sciences, from The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health.
Michele Vilaret, R.Ph
Ms. Vilaret is Director of Telecommunications Standards for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. In this position she is responsible for ensuring that members are aware of the latest technology affecting the pharmacy industry and working with members to resolve issues with state Medicaid agencies that result from misinterpretation of pharmacy standards. Ms. Vilaret currently serves as a staff liaison for PSTAC (Pharmacy Services Technical Advisory Coalition) and the Chain Pharmacy Advisory Council for Sure Scripts and is a member in WEDI (Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange) and HITSP (Health Information Technology Standards Panel.
Ms. Vilaret received a BS in Pharmacy from The University of Florida. She also holds the Registered Pharmacist designation.
Dave Wanser, PhD
Dr. Wanser is a Visiting Fellow at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and also serves as the Executive Director of National Data Infrastructure Improvement Consortium (NDIIC). NDIIC was founded on the notion that the easiest and best solution for publicly funded entities is to share and reuse open source and non-proprietary web-based EHR applications, resources and information. Several state-developed behavioral health modular computer systems have become significant in national level planning for health IT. These systems have been proven to be reusable, customizable and portable across different states and counties. By working together participants reduce costs of development, documentation and implementation of systems and have the potential to exponentially increase capacity to develop and implement system enhancements that will improve the delivery of behavioral health services.
Dr. Wanser previously served as the deputy commissioner for behavioral and community health at the Texas Department of State Health Services. He received his PhD in Psychology from The University of Oklahoma where he was recognized as a distinguished alumnus in 2005.