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Board of Directors

The Center for Innovation & Value Research Board of Directors helps guide the Center toward achieving its mission and vision.

Scott Brunner (Treasurer)

Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services

Scott Brunner (Treasurer)

Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services

Scott Brunner is the Deputy Secretary of Hospitals and Facilities with the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS.) This position provides executive oversight of the 4 state hospitals and the KDADS staff conducting surveys and certification reviews for long term care facilities and health occupations. Before starting at KDADS in January 2020, Scott was the Vice President for Stakeholder Relations for Aetna Better Health of Kansas, the new Medicaid health plan operating in the KanCare program. Before working for Aetna, Scott worked in a variety of roles in the Kansas Medicaid Program including State Medicaid Director, Chief Financial Officer, and Director of Informatics from 2004 through 2011. After leaving state service, Scott was the Coverage and Access Team Leader for the Kansas Health Institute, a state focused health policy think tank, during the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and Kansas’ movement to full Medicaid managed care. Scott lives in Topeka, Kansas.

Harold Carter, PharmD

Express Scripts

Harold Carter, PharmD

Express Scripts

Harold Carter is responsible for leading all interactions and contracting with pharmaceutical manufacturers and oversees strategy and management of Express Scripts’ drug formularies, data & insights, client underwriting, and product strategy and development. In his nearly 14 years with the organization, Harold has held numerous leadership roles oriented around critical efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs and ensuring medication access for Express Scripts clients and members. Harold’s previous responsibilities include oversight of the organization’s medical pharma contracting and drug procurement teams, as well as leading the strategy, development and execution of Express Scripts’ wholesale market, value-based solutions and generic strategy, and development of Express Scripts’ advanced utilization management solutions.

Elizabeth Cope, PhD, MPH

AcademyHealth

Elizabeth Cope, PhD, MPH

AcademyHealth

Elizabeth L. Cope, PhD, MPH, is Vice President of Health Systems Improvement at AcademyHealth where she oversees a portfolio focused on the advancement of just, resilient, humanity-affirming systems of care. With expertise in epidemiology and implementation, Dr. Cope leads evidence translation collaboratives, performance management projects, and multi-stakeholder coalition-building initiatives. For nearly 15 years, Dr. Cope has been leading work in safety net and pediatric settings focused on building research capacity among patients and providers, developing and evaluating system improvement strategies, and designing payment and performance policy. She currently directs efforts for several HRSA- and AHRQ-funded initiatives as well as projects funded by private foundations. Her portfolio spans diverse content areas such as HIV viral suppression, medical complexity, primary care practice transformation, informed/shared decision-making, trust in health care, and quality measurement. Dr. Cope earned her undergraduate degree at Rice University and her MPH and PhD from the University of Michigan. She is active in numerous associations and consortia, such as the Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Research (IAPHS), ISOQOL, North American Primary Care Practice Research Group (NAPCRG), and PROTEUS.

Mark Cziraky, PharmD (Past Chairperson)

Carelon Research

Mark Cziraky, PharmD (Past Chairperson)

Carelon Research

Dr. Mark J. Cziraky is as a renowned clinician researcher and executive leader with over 28 years of experience specializing in real-world evidence insight generation. As the Co-founder and President of Carelon Research, formerly known as HealthCore, Dr. Cziraky oversees several research teams focused on generating real world insights in the areas of clinical research, health economics and outcomes research, safety and epidemiology and data products. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated exemplary leadership in clinical pharmacy practice, observational research, and clinical trial design. Dr. Cziraky serves as a primary architect in creating open-source research collaborations within the healthcare industry that allow health plans to be involved in research design and execution with various collaborating organizations.

Amy Duhig, PhD

Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Amy Duhig, PhD

Takeda Pharmaceuticals

Amy M. Duhig, PhD is Senior Director, New Product Planning, Value and Evidence Generation in US Medical at Takeda. She has over 20 years of consulting, digital biotech, and biopharmaceutical company experience, both on scientific and commercial sides of the business. At Takeda she is responsible for leading health economics and outcomes research for the US pipeline. Prior to Takeda she was Executive Director of Value Evidence at Cognoa, a digital diagnostic company for behavioral health, and was responsible for evidence generation and payer marketing. Regarding consulting, Amy was Vice President of Strategic Market Access and Intelligence at Xcenda. In this role, Amy was responsible for leading a team to deliver on US market access services, payer agency, and primary research with payers, providers, and patients. Amy also led the Outcomes Research team at Xcenda. Prior to consulting, Amy held roles in health economics and outcomes research departments in mid- and large-size pharmaceutical companies, providing strategic and tactical support within a variety of therapeutic areas. Her experience includes work on US and global products, small and large molecule assets, as well as specialty and orphan products. She has worked on products from Phase 1 to those late in their lifecycle. Amy earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of South Florida. She completed her clinical internship at the University of Miami, Department of Pediatrics, Mailman Center for Child Development and a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University.

Lisa Feng, DrPH (Chairperson Elect)

Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease

Lisa Feng, DrPH (Chairperson Elect)

Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease

Lisa Feng, DrPH is the Senior Director of Health Policy at Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease which focuses on transforming the lives of people affected by rare diseases and devastating conditions. In her role at Alexion, Dr. Feng helps the company assess the evolving health policy landscape to lead efforts that help ensure patient access to current and future innovations. Prior to Alexion, Dr. Feng was Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, where she led state and federal policy analysis and advocacy related to access to cystic fibrosis care and treatments. Dr. Feng was also responsible for the Value and Coverage program at FasterCures, a center of the Milken Institute. She has worked extensively on programs funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Feng is a health services researcher and has published on topics such as health care quality, diffusion of innovation, and health information technology. She received her doctorate in health policy at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.

Nelly Ganesan, MPH

Rock Health

Nelly Ganesan, MPH

Rock Health

Nelly Ganesan is deeply passionate about ensuring that all individuals receive the right care at the right time, regardless of their race, gender identity, or financial situation. She has 20 years of experience working in the quality and value space with special expertise in care models focused on better care, better health, and lower costs and the use of patient-reported outcomes to enhance consumer experience for their entire care journey. She is currently involved in supporting various organizations in their strategic efforts to integrate equity and measurable outcomes.

Darcel Jackson, CPXP, LSSGB

Children's National Hospital

Darcel Jackson, CPXP, LSSGB

Children's National Hospital

Darcel Jackson is dedicated to promoting inclusive and equitable care for all. With 18 years of experience in transforming the healthcare system and family caregiving, Darcel currently serves as the Manager of Patient and Family Centered Care at Children’s National Hospital. In this role, she collaborates closely with patients and families to ensure their voices are central to the organization’s mission and values. Darcel leads efforts to design, implement, and evaluate programs that enhance family-centered care by actively involving patients and families as co-designers and co-facilitators on various committees and projects. Her journey with her late daughter, Anniyah, who had complex medical needs, continues to fuel her commitment to transparency and health equity along with a passion for championing a healthcare system that prioritizes patient and family collaboration.

Stacy Lloyd, MPH, BCPA (Chairperson)

American Medical Association

Stacy Lloyd, MPH, BCPA (Chairperson)

American Medical Association

Stacy Lloyd is currently the Director of Digital Health and Operations at the American Medical Association. She has over 17 years of experience in finance and operations, digital health, innovation, and patient advocacy at leading healthcare organizations. Stacy also holds a Bachelors in Business Administration from Duquesne University and a Masters in Public Health Policy and Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Stacy was diagnosed with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) in 1999 at the age of 13. Since then, several other members of her family have also been diagnosed with the disease. As a Board-Certified Patient Advocate, she is active in the VHL community, served 6 years on the VHL Alliance Board of Directors, and works to improve the patient experience across healthcare by collaborating with physicians, care teams, and other patients. She is personally and professionally invested in the future of healthcare and enjoys being a resource in this space for family, friends and other patients, so that they can be better informed and empowered in their own healthcare journeys.

Kristi Mitchell, MPH

ATLAS CLARITY, LLC

Kristi Mitchell, MPH

ATLAS CLARITY, LLC

Kristi is a health services researcher who leads efforts to enable next generation health care delivery through innovation, value, and consumer engagement across multiple industries, including pharmaceutical/device companies, digital health, government agencies, and community-based organizations. After 11 years, she stepped down as Practice Director, Center for Healthcare Transformation at Avalere Health, a DC-based advisory services firm to launch, Health Equity Outcomes, a nonprofit to empower underserved communities to engage in the research enterprise to reduce racial disparities and advance health equity. Through these efforts, she is dedicated to elevating the role of community-based participatory research as a mechanism to derive real world data that is community-centric. At the same time, she also serves as Founder and Principal at ATLAS CLARITY, LLC an advisory services firm dedicated to improving the health and well-being of populations through patient engagement, strategic partnerships, and innovative data collection. Kristi is also recognized as a nationally recognized expert in the design and implementation of patient-powered data collection efforts. She currently sits on the MDEpiNet Executive Operations Committee and serves as chair of the National Kidney Foundation KidneyCARE Study Data Use and Publication Committee. Kristi is a member of Women’s Business Leaders in Healthcare, as well as a Founding Member of CHIEF-DC, a private network to support and connect women executives. A graduate of Brown University (’92) with a A.B. in human biology and public policy, she earned her Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology and Public Health Policy and Administration from the University of Michigan School of Public Health (’94).

Russ Montgomery, PhD

GSK

Russ Montgomery, PhD

GSK

Russ Montgomery, PhD is the Senior Director of US Value Assessment Strategy at GSK. In this role, he is responsible for value evidence planning and response to assessments conducted by government agencies and HTA organizations and external engagement on value-related policies and methods best practices. Prior to joining GSK, Russ worked on global value policy and US value assessment planning at Gilead Sciences. Additionally, he previously worked as a Vice President at Discern Health (now part of Real Chemistry), leading consulting work on quality and value issues, and held policy roles at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and health agencies in Maryland and Arkansas. Early in his career he led projects on value assessment methods at the Center for Medical Technology Policy. He holds a PhD in health services research from Johns Hopkins University, where he previously served as affiliate faculty.

Adam Thompson

Plain Speak Consulting, Inc.

Adam Thompson

Plain Speak Consulting, Inc.

Adam Thompson is an independent consultant supporting health systems, communities, and patients to improve health outcomes.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in Theology from Georgetown University and will graduate in December of 2022 with his Masters in Public Health from the Jefferson College of Population Health where he was named the 2022 Public Health Student of the Year. He is currently the Co-Chair of the Primary Care and Chronic Disease Standing Committee for the National Quality Forum where he also serves on the Board of Directors.  He is 2010 recipient of the Leadership in Quality Award from CQII and the HIV/AIDS Bureau.  He co-developed several national trainings for Ryan White communities including the Training of Consumers on Quality, the Building Leaders of Color, and ELEVATE & ESCALATE programs. Mr. Thompson is the former Regional Partner Director for the South Jersey AIDS Education and Training Center and brings over 17 years of experience in health care improvement and patient engagement. 

Cristie Upshaw Travis, MSHHA

HealthCareTN

Cristie Upshaw Travis, MSHHA

HealthCareTN

Cristie Upshaw Travis is Senior Advisor to HealthCareTN, an employer-led not-for-profit, statewide coalition in Tennessee whose members cover almost 700,000 covered lives in Tennessee. Prior to serving as Senior Advisor, Cristie was Co-CEO of HealthCareTN and CEO of Memphis Business Group on Health. She also currently serves as a Senior Advisor to The Leapfrog Group. Nationally, she has served on the Boards of Directors for the National Quality Forum (Chair), The Leapfrog Group (Chair), the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions (Chair), and the Southern College of Optometry (Chair). She has also served on key committees for the National Quality Forum, the Core Quality Measure Collaborative, and NCQA. Regionally, Cristie has served on the University of Memphis’ Masters of Health Administration Advisory Board and the University of Memphis Institute for Health Law and Policy. She is a former Board Chair of the Common Table Health Alliance, Advisory Council of Healthier Tennessee and serves on the Advisory Board for the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Masters in Quality and Safety program. Cristie lectures on health policy, health care quality, value-based payment models, and employer perspectives on workforce health and health benefits. Cristie has her Master of Science in Hospital and Health Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

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