Speakers
Chris Esguerra, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Jim Milanowski
CEO
Janine Angel
Senior Director, Medicare Strategic Business Operations & Compliance
Lucy Marrero MA LMFT CPHQ
Director of Behavioral Health & Social Programs
Alan Rice
Population Health Specialist
Jennifer D’ Angelo
COO & EVP
Robert Millette
CEO
Mina Chang
Senior Policy Adviser
Marcela Ruiz
Director, Value Based Purchasing
Shannon Smith
Director, Care Transformation
Speaker Details
Chris Esguerra, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Health Plan of San Mateo
An experienced healthcare leader, Chris Esguerra, MD, MBA, FAPA, CHCQM
has led systems transformation, program evolution, and public/private
partnerships leading to outcomes meeting the quadruple aim of improving health,
cost effectiveness, enhancing patient experience, and supporting provider well-
being. He serves as Chief Medical Officer for Health Plan of San Mateo, a local
community plan serving Medicaid and dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid
beneficiaries. He also advises nonprofits partnering in healthcare delivery,
healthcare startups, and provider groups.
His experience encompasses health care provider and systems leadership,
managed care operations, novel payment models, public-private partnerships,
and health care transformation. He has led significant efforts around integration
of care and services for a variety of populations, holistically addressing social
determinants of health in healthcare delivery, and helping people remain and age
in the community with appropriate long-term services and supports. He most
recently served on a National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine
committee that published Integrating Social Needs Care into the Delivery of
Health Care to Improve the Nation's Health.
Dr. Esguerra is board certified in both Psychiatry and Health Care and Quality
Management and is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and the
American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians. He
received his BS in Chemistry and Medical Degree from the University of
Southern California. He completed his residency training in Psychiatry at San
Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Psychiatry Residency
Training Program. He also received his MBA in business management from the
Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Jim Milanowski
CEO
Genesee Health Plan
Jim Milanowski has over 22 years experience in the management of mental
health, substance abuse, behavioral health managed care and medical care
coverage programs. Mr. Milanowski currently serves as the President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Genesee Health Plan (GHP), administering a community
based indigent health care plan. The health plan has covered over 70,000
Genesee County residents since 2001. Since the start of enrollment into
Affordable Care Act in 2013, GHP has conducted outreach and enrollment
sessions with over 15,000 Genesee County residents. The health plan received
the 2015 Pinnacle Award from the Michigan Association of Health Plans for this
effort. As a strong advocate, his expertise includes working to reduce racial
disparities, uncompensated care, and the impact of chronic disease. During his
leadership, Genesee Health Plan has received the national quality award from
URAC for Best Practices in Patient Empowerment and Protection, the Greater
Flint Labor Council's Community Partnership Award and the Robert M. Pestronk
Excellence in Public Health Award. He is a founding member of the Health Net
Collaborative, and a member of the Greater Flint Health Coalition Access, Dental
and Medical Group Visit Committees.
He is the Treasurer of the Michigan Association of County Health Plans and is on
the Board of Directors for the Genesee Community Health Center. Mr.
Milanowski received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Spring Arbor
University and his Master's of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from
Eastern Michigan University. He is a limited-licensed psychologist in the state of
Michigan, and has extensive counseling experience with adult, child, and
adolescent populations.
Janine Angel
Senior Director, Medicare Strategic Business Operations & Compliance
Centene
Upon joining Health Net in 2005, I focused on supporting the Medicare
Advantage and Medicare Supplement Enrollment, Eligibility and Premium Billing
Teams. My concentration was on process improvement initiatives including
increasing operational consistency, efficiency, reducing enrollment related errors,
and decreased plan-controlled transaction rejections to 0%. In 2010, I led the
business and IT teams to convert the day-to-day operation to a paperless
environment. I joined our Enterprise Process Change Organization in late 2011
to managing four (4) states regulatory changes for Medicare, Medicaid and
Commercial lines of business across. From 2018 to the end of 2022, I provided
operational oversight and strategic leadership for our CA MMP product and
managed the transition of its members along with 42K Wellcare MA Plan duals in
CA to the Exclusive Aligned Enrollment (EAE) Dual Special Needs plan (D-SNP).
Beginning in 2023, I have the privilege of caring for every Wellcare Medicare
Advantage member in the state of CA where over 40% are dual eligible. I take to
heart our vision- to transforming the health of the community, one person at a
time.
Prior to my health insurance career, I worked for beverage distributors focusing
on wine, beer and spirits in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Currently, I call West
Hills, CA my home along with my husband, two teenage boys, two ragdoll cats
and a crazy hyper puppy. In my community, I serve as an executive on the
Board of Directors of HAMAKOM, a local synagogue. My addiction to Costco
and Amazon drives my husband insane and I strive to not kill the many fruit trees
and vegetables we grow so I may share with my neighbors and those less
fortunate.
Lucy Marrero MA LMFT CPHQ
Director of Behavioral Health & Social Programs
Gold Coast Health Plan
Lucy Marrero is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), and community psychologist currently serving as the Director of Behavioral Health at Gold Coast Health Plan, the Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan for Ventura County, California. In this and previous roles, her track record of She is passionate about promoting seamless, high-quality, safe care through partnership and collaboration. Lucy is also a Patient Safety Champion with Patients for Patient Safety US and draws from lived expertise as a patient and caregiver to inform her work.
Alan Rice
Population Health Specialist
VNS Health Plans
Alan Rice graduated Kean College of NJ in 1977 with a BSW degree and went to
work for the NYC Department of Education as a Drug Counselor in a School
Base Drug Prevention Program. In 1980 he went to work at Beth Israel Medical
Center at the Bernstein Institute as a social work assistant on a male drug detox
unit. During this time, Alan entered the first PEP program in the country at
WSSW to be able to obtain his MSW which he did in June of1983. In July of
1983 he accepted a transfer to the Medical/Surgical Division of the Beth Israel
Department of Social Work. In August of 1983, he was asked to become one of
the first dedicated hospital AIDS social workers which he accepted. Alan has
been involved with the HIV/AIDS since, providing social work services as well as
having a progressive career as a supervisor, manager and Director of AIDS
social workers in both a hospital and nursing home setting. Alan is presently the
Population Health Specialist for VNSHealth, Select Health, a HIV Medicaid
Manage Care Special Needs Plan, one of only three in NYS.
Alan is an adjunct professor at WSSW teaching an Addiction course, as well as
teaching at Touro College School of Physician Assistant.
He has served on a variety of NYC and NYS committees around making services
better to the HIV and AIDS population as well as the Substance Abuse
population.
He was the first President on the board of Professional Association of Social
Workers in HIV and AIDS and remains an active member.
Jennifer D’ Angelo
COO & EVP
New Jersey Innovation Institute
Jennifer is a visionary leader, innovator, and strategist who currently holds the
position of Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President of Healthcare at
New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII).
As NJII’s COO, plays a key leadership role in shaping the organization by
streamlining processes and enhancing the organizational capabilities to not only
achieve, but exceed, its goal of doubling the size of NJII and surpassing $70
million in revenue.
Jennifer also continues to lead the Healthcare division as Executive Vice
President and leveraging her background in healthcare technology and
management to significantly advance its mission and impact
across the industry. The division manages federal and state grant funded
programs focused on revolutionizing healthcare through data-driven
transformation, including the management of the New Jersey Health Information
Network (NJHIN) on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH).
The NJHIN is the only network that has been built specifically to facilitate the
exchange of patient data for all New Jersey patients with their healthcare
providers. With Jennifer at the helm, NJII and the NJHIN can increase
interoperability, thus reducing the cost of healthcare and improving population
health statewide.
Jennifer also oversees the NJII Healthcare Division’s for-profit subsidiary,
Healthcare Innovation Solutions (HCIS), which assists thousands of physicians
across the country in navigating the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’
Merit-Based Incentive Payment Program (MIPS) and Quality Improvement
Program-New Jersey (QIP-NJ).
Prior to her appointment at NJII, Jennifer served as the Senior Vice President
and Chief Information Officer at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus,
NJ; Chief Information Officer and Vice President of Information Services at
Christian Health in Wyckoff, NJ; and Executive Director of Jersey Health Connect
in Newark, NJ.
Jennifer has more than two decades of HealthIT experience and is one of the few
women in leadership in the healthcare industry. Having worked as a Chief
Information Office on the provider side of healthcare, Jennifer implemented and
supported EHR and revenue initiatives; led cybersecurity, HIPPA and privacy,
Information Services, Clinical Informatics and Telecommunications on a state-
wide scale; and continues to provide a cutting-edge vision to the healthcare field
and revolution. She has also been tapped by leading organizations for her
expertise and thought leadership at various speaking engagements, including
sitting on the NJBIZ Healthcare Technology Panel, and speaking at the American
Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) Long-term and Post-
acute Care and Health Information Technology Summit.
Jennifer is also committed to furthering HealthIT through volunteering and giving
back her knowledge. She currently serves as a Board Member of NJHIMSS,
along with serving on several regional and state leadership associations and
committees including Health Care Association of New Jersey (HCANJ),
national HIMSS, AHIMA, LeadingAge CAST, Jersey Health Connect, AEHiT, New
Jersey Hospital
Association (NJHA) and NJHIN. Most recently, she was selected to become a
member in CHIEF – an organization designed for the most powerful women
executives to strengthen their leadership and magnify their influence – and a
nominee for the Civitas Networks for Health’s board. Through her experience
volunteering, collaborating, networking, and advising these organizations, she
has helped to make a significant impact on growing healthcare technology
initiatives across New Jersey and beyond.
Robert Millette
CEO
CharterCare Provider Group of RI
Robert Millette is CEO of CharterCare Provider Group of Rhode Island and Senior Vice President of Prospect Medical. He has 26 years of healthcare experience with a focus on finance. He has served as a finance and operations leader in acute care and OP management for BJC Healthcare and Ascension Medical Group and has been an operations and system level strategy executive for Ascension and Lee Health. Robert has spent the last decade in Value Based Care and Managed Care, standing up an owned MA and Medicaid plan, as well as two large IPA’s in risk arrangements.
Mina Chang
Senior Policy Adviser
Ohio Office of Aging
Dr. Mina Chang brings over 25 years of distinguished leadership in health and
human services across diverse governmental sectors and national markets.
Currently, as the Senior Policy Advisor to the Director at the Ohio Department of
Aging, she drives impactful policy changes to benefit 2.8 million older Ohioans.
Previously, as the Deputy Director, she was at the forefront of transforming
eldercare and healthy aging in Ohio, leading business intelligence and
compliance strategies to ensure innovation and service excellence.
In her role as VP of Quality at Bethesda, a national long-term care provider, she
led COVID response efforts and managed a workforce of 3,000 across 400
programs in 13 states. As Assistant Health Commissioner for NYC, she
spearheaded teams to expand health insurance services for 8 million residents,
successfully onboarding 85,000 new members during ACA open enrollment.
A respected industry speaker, Dr. Chang has advised influential organizations
such as MACPAC, SAMHSA, and CHCS. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and
Management and an MPA from Ohio State University. As a Fellow of the
American Healthcare Executives, Dr. Chang is dedicated to advancing
excellence in public policy and healthcare leadership.
Marcela Ruiz
Director, Value Based Purchasing
Banner Health
Marcela is experienced in both primary care and payer roles within the value-based payment (VBP) sector, where she has developed a comprehensive understanding of VBP contracting and relationship management. Her expertise is supported by her hands-on experience in clinical performance, allowing her to effectively bridge the gap between clinical outcomes and financial incentives. This unique combination of skills enables her to navigate the complexities of VBP models, facilitating collaboration between healthcare providers and payers to improve patient care and optimize resource utilization. Through her work, Marcela has demonstrated a commitment to advancing value-based strategies that enhance both healthcare quality and operational efficiency.
Shannon Smith
Director, Care Transformation
Banner Health
Shannon brings over 18 years of healthcare experience in the Arizona market. She has extensive experience in clinical program design and implementation, pharmacological disease support programs, chronic disease management, clinical performance improvement, and community program development. She received her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management and joined the Banner Connect Team as Director of Special Projects in 2021. In this role, Shannon has overseen the clinical quality performance and network development for three of Banner’s value-based networks: 1) Banner Network of Southern Arizona, 2) Specialty Network Providers and 3) Banner Health Plans Value Based Performance (VBP) providers including directly contracted, risk based and aggregated providers.