Presenter Bios
Keynote: Susan Dentzer
President and Chief Executive Officer, America's Physician Groups
Susan Dentzer is President and Chief Executive Officer of America’s Physician Groups (APG) (apg.org), the nonprofit organization representing more than 360 large physician groups focused on patient-centered, coordinated, and integrated health care that is accountable for both costs and quality. Dentzer is a highly respected health and health policy thought leader, a frequent speaker and commentator, and an author of commentaries in Modern Healthcare, the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst, the American Journal of Public Health, and other prominent publications. She is also the editor and lead author of the book Health Care Without Walls: A Roadmap for Reinventing U.S. Health Care.
Ms. Dentzer is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the Council on Foreign Relations and is a fellow of the National Academy of Social Insurance and the Hastings Center. Dentzer graduated from Dartmouth and also holds a master’s degree in health care delivery science from the institution. She is a trustee emerita of Dartmouth, chaired the institution’s Board of Trustees from 2001-2004, and also served on the board of Dartmouth Health as well as the Board of Advisors of the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.
Ms. Dentzer serves on the advisory boards of the Robert J. Margolis Center for Health Policy at Duke University; the Center for Global Health Equity at Dartmouth; and the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California - San Francisco (UCSF). From March 2021-March 2023, Dentzer chaired the Board of Directors of Research America, which advocates for health-related research, and formerly chaired the board of the Global Health Council. Dentzer was also a longtime member of the Board of Directors of the International Rescue Committee, the organization that works in more than 40 countries to help those affected by humanitarian crises survive and rebuild their lives, and currently serves on IRC’s Board of Advisors.
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Betsy Brooks, Executive Director, Clinical Integration, UC Health
Betsy Brooks is currently Executive Director of Clinical Integration at University of California Health, leading efforts to deliver systemwide IT alignment and integrated workflows that support value-based care. She has held various management positions in health care, focused on strategic initiatives around quality improvement, information technology, and change management. Betsy also has 15+ years of experience managing electronic health record (EHR) implementation programs and outcomes-driven process improvement work. Before joining UC Health, she was previously Senior Director of Population Health at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Reshma Gupta, Chief Population Health and Accountable Care, UCD Health
Dr. Reshma Gupta is the Chief of Population Health and Accountable Care at UC Davis Health and a Professor of Internal Medicine. With over a decade of experience leading large-scale healthcare transformation across complex health systems and national payment reform initiatives, she is dedicated to innovation in population health, affordable healthcare, and social justice. Her teams have led system-wide population health accountable care strategy to modernize and streamline care pathways across inpatient and outpatient settings, standing up quality and equity improvement systems, integrating social needs programs, and launching digital health and AI platforms. Nationally, she has advised the CMS Innovation Center on primary care transformation and advanced payment models and currently serves as an advisor to state and federal agencies on affordability, risk models, and health system delivery reform.
Michael Helle, Vice President (Interim) Population Health, UCSF Health
Michael Helle serves as Vice President (Interim) for Population Health at UCSF Health, leading strategic initiatives to improve health outcomes, optimize care delivery, and advance value-based care. He oversees programs for UCSF Health’s Accountable Care Organization (ACO), addressing health disparities and promoting equity and inclusion. With 30+ years of healthcare experience, Michael has held leadership roles across emergency/trauma services, multi-outpatient services, and cardiovascular/radiology services. He brings expertise as a National Registered/Critical Care/Flight Paramedic. He holds a degree in biology, dual master’s in healthcare and business administration, and is dedicated to mentorship and LGBTQIA+ advocacy.
Scott Jahnke, Senior Director, UCLA Health
Scott Jahnke, MBA is Senior Director of the Patient Flow Command Center at UCLA Health, where he leads systemwide operations focused on patient flow, transfer coordination, and hospital capacity management. His work focuses on using operational data and improvement science to help frontline teams identify opportunities to improve care transitions and system performance. Scott holds an MBA in Healthcare Management from Saint Leo University and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Health Services Administration from St. Petersburg College.
Laurie Johnson, Vice President, Ambulatory, UCI Health
Bio coming soon. Please check back for updates.
Timothy Judson, Chief Population Health Officer (Interim), UCSF Health
Chief Clinical and Innovation Officer, Canopy Health
Dr. Timothy Judson is interim chief population health officer at UCSF Health, leading value-based care strategy and overseeing clinical and quality initiatives for 100,000+ lives in accountable care relationships. He also serves as chief clinical and innovation officer at UCSF-affiliated Canopy Health, advancing quality and value for 20,000+ members. Dr. Judson practices hospital medicine and urgent care and is board certified in Clinical Informatics. He has authored over 35 peer-reviewed publications in care delivery transformation, digital health and value-based care.
Heather Leisy, Medical Director, Population Health Quality, UCD Health
Heather Leisy, MD, MBA, MPH is the Medical Director of Population Health Quality in the Office of Population Health and Accountable Care department. Before taking her role in OPHAC, she served as the Director of Preventive Care in Federally Qualified Health Care Center. She completed her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, residency from Stony Brook University. She is board certified in General Preventive Medicine & Public Health and Clinical Informatics. She also holds a master's degree in business and public health. When not at work, you can find her enjoying time at the park or spending time with her family.
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Vladimir Manuel, Vice Chair, Clinical Affairs, UCLA Health
Dr. Vladimir Manuel is Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs in Family Medicine in the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Within UCLA Health, he leads initiatives to improve patient flow and strengthen learning system capacity. He designed UCLA’s urgent care model and developed a network of flow-oriented clinics that integrate operational strategy with frontline care. His work spans clinical operations, improvement science, and the application of data and AI to healthcare systems. Dr. Manuel holds an MD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and an MS from MIT.
Patty Maysent, Chief Executive Officer, UCSD Health
Patty Maysent, chief executive officer of UC San Diego Health, leads the region’s No. 1 health care provider and only academic health system. She’s deeply committed to integrating the power of academic medicine with the accessibility of community health care to create a healthier world. Maysent’s passion is for building and sustaining care teams and spaces where world-class care happens every day. She aligns more than 14,000 team members who carry out 1.27 million patient visits annually. Under her guidance, UC San Diego Health has grown to include two academic medical centers, a community hospital, and more than 30 primary and specialty care offices spanning San Diego, Imperial, and Riverside counties. Prior to assuming her current role in 2016, Maysent served as chief of staff and chief strategy officer at UC San Diego Health. She was CEO of St. Jude Medical Center and served as a consultant for The St. Joseph Health System, University of Southern California's Keck Medical Center and Norris Cancer Center, and Alliance Healthcare Services. She holds a master's degree in business administration and a master’s degree in public health, both from UCLA, and received a bachelor's degree in human biology from Stanford University.
Katie Medders, Pharmacy Supervisor, UCSD Health and Population Health Pharmacist Lead, UC Health
Dr. Katie Medders works with the UC Population Health team as the Population Health Pharmacist Lead and works as a pharmacy supervisor at UCSD Health. She is a board-certified pharmacist specialist who helps create and implement best practice algorithms to improve and support appropriate prescribing habits. She has a background in many clinical areas including HIV, Rheumatology, and transitions of care in several specialties related to medication use. Her goal is to identify gaps in care and overcome barriers to reduce the cost of medications and improve outcomes for patients. She emphasizes that including a pharmacist in a patient’s interdisciplinary medical team results in better outcomes, fewer side effects, and overall lower cost of care. In addition to her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), she also has a Masters in Physiology and a PhD in Molecular Pathology, with an emphasis in HIV neurobiology.
Sarah Meshkat, Director, Office of Population Health & Accountable Care, UCLA Health
Sarah Meshkat is the Director of the Office of Population Health & Accountable Care and Interim Director of Ambulatory Care Management at UCLA Health. She leads the deployment of population health management strategies to improve outcomes and drive transformation that addresses all levels of healthcare delivery, including prevention and care management. Her team supports organizational population health management functions through data and analytic transformation, payment transformation, as well as care transformation activities. Prior to joining UCLA Health in 2018, Sarah served various healthcare leadership roles with a specialization in healthcare strategy, financial management, and performance improvement.
Danielle Perret Karimi, Associate Chief Medical Information Officer, Ambulatory and Vice Chair, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, UCI Health
Dr. Danielle Perret Karimi is Associate Chief Medical Information officer, Ambulatory- for UC Irvine Health. She is faculty in the UC Irvine School of Medicine and board certified in Clinical Informatics, Pain Medicine, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. Her past experiences include a myriad of leadership positions in academic medicine. These include Program Director of both PM&R and Pain/Anesthesiology; Assistant Dean, Resident Affairs/Wellness and Quality and Safety; and Associate Dean, Graduate Medical Education. She has experience in faculty development, curricular development, strategic development, accreditation/regulatory affairs, quality/safety, and in clinical informatics.
Naveen Raja, Chief Medical Officer, UCR Health
Naveen Raja, DO, MBA serves as the Chief Medical Officer of UC Riverside (UCR Health). In this role, he leads initiatives to achieve the highest standards of patient care including quality, efficiency, and patient experience. Dr. Raja drives innovation in healthcare delivery through the use of technology, including AI. He believes in a care model that considers the whole-person, including socioeconomic and behavioral factors that impact health. Prior to UCR Health, Dr. Raja served as the Medical Director of Population Health and Accountable Care at UCLA where he led UCLA’s initiatives in population health and value-based care. Prior to UCLA, Dr. Raja served as the Chief Medical Information Officer of City of Hope National Medical Center where he used technology to transform healthcare delivery.
David Rubin, Executive Vice President, UC Health
David Rubin, M.D., MSCE, is executive vice president of University of California Health. A graduate of UCSF’s school of medicine, Dr. Rubin works with campus leaders across UC’s academic health system, one of the largest in the nation, to advance shared goals in areas such as improving access to care in low resource communities, strengthening health care workforce training and development, and improving outcomes for people across the state. The executive vice president of UC Health is pivotal for building collaborations across UC’s academic health centers and campuses that bring together the University’s deep expertise to improve the health and well-being of all people in California. As part of the Office of the President, the UC Health executive vice president focuses on ensuring the health system is serving as a partner with the state to realize health improvement goals, helping increase fiscal resilience of UC’s health campuses, advancing distinction and excellence, and increasing access to health services in regions that have been underserved. The executive vice president of UC Health reports to UC President James B. Milliken. After completing his studies at UCSF, Dr. Rubin headed East to begin a 25-year career at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as a clinician, educator, epidemiologist and systems operational leader. With a strong background in data analytics, population health and community-partnered research, his work has informed the national dialogue on children’s health policy and meeting the needs of high-risk groups who are medically underserved. As Director of Population Health Innovation at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which serves more than 700,000 children and adolescents annually, Dr. Rubin developed programs to improve the value and quality of health care services patients receive. Within the PolicyLab at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Rubin led a team that conducts research in the areas of population health, implementation science and community-partnered research. He has been a senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics and an associate program director of the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Rubin was also a member of the Pentagon’s Military Family Readiness Council and a Presidential appointee to the White House Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse & Neglect Fatalities. Dr. Rubin has authored over 120 manuscripts, including notable works in Health Affairs, JAMA and Pediatrics, and edited chapters in prominent pediatric texts, focusing on quality of health coverage and access for children in low-income families and the delivery system interventions that can return value for public health programs. Dr. Rubin earned a medical degree at UCSF and completed his clinical training at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Additionally, he earned a master’s degree in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics at University of Pennsylvania.
Rachael Sak, Director UC Population Health
Rachael Sak, BSN, MPH is the Director of Population Health at the University of California (UC) Office of the President. She has 30 years of experience working in clinical care, operations, and research. Prior to joining UC Health, she was the Director of the UC BRAID consortium, which builds on the combined strengths of the 5 UC Clinical & Translational Science organizations to accelerate research and improve health. Rachael currently oversees systemwide initiatives in population health with the goal to advance value-based care delivery and improve patient outcomes through a data-driven, system-wide strategy. She collaborates with teams across the UCH system with an emphasis on advancing patient-centered and efficient care.
Samuel Skootsky, Chief Population Health Officer, UC Health
Dr. Skootsky is currently Chief Medical Officer of the UCLA Faculty Practice Group and Medical Group, Chief Population Health Officer for UC Health, and Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He attended the University of California at Berkeley, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and completed a program in Health Care Management at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. His longstanding focus is the implementation of advanced approaches for population health management goals, participation in governmental and commercial alternative payment and risk-based contract models, and improving the patient experience to respond to the changing health care marketplace. The overall goal is better healthcare and value creation for patients, health plans, and employers that are meaningful to all stakeholders and sustainable. He serves on the Board of America’s Physician Groups (APG), a trade organization that promotes the national transition to a clinically integrated, value-based healthcare delivery model. He is a long-standing member of the Patient Assessment Survey project sponsored by Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH), which produces statewide patient experience data in California for improvement work and public reporting.
Sunil Verma, UCI Health
Dr. Sunil P. Verma is a board-certified UCI Health otolaryngologist and head-and-neck surgeon. Fellowship-trained in laryngology, he is an expert in the management of voice, swallowing and breathing conditions. He is the director of the UCI Health University Voice and Swallowing Center. Verma is an expert in the management of complex laryngeal conditions including vocal cord paralysis, airway stenosis and Zenker’s diverticulum. In addition to providing state-of-the-art physical examination, he performs minimally invasive outpatient procedures such as laser surgery and laryngeal botox and vocal fold injections. He has advanced training in laser surgery for laryngeal and throat cancer that preserves a patient's function and voice. He specializes in caring for singers, actors, lawyers, teachers and others who rely on their voice for professional reasons. He also is a member of the Digestive Health Institute's esophageal disease services team. Verma received his medical degree at Keck School of Medicine at USC in Los Angeles, followed by an internship in general surgery and a residency in otolaryngology at LAC+USC Medical Center in Los Angeles. Next, he completed a fellowship in laryngology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wis. He has presented his research at numerous national and international conferences, and has appeared on national TV many times and has designed otolaryngology courses for medical students, resident physicians, primary care physicians and other ear, nose and throat specialists. He also serves as assistant dean of clinical affairs for the UCI School of Medicine.