Yalda Jabbarpour is a family physician in Washington, DC and Director of the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies. She graduated from the Georgetown University School of Medicine in 2008 and completed her residency at the Georgetown University/Providence Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program. Upon graduation, she worked as a family physician for Scripps Health Medical Group in San Diego, California. She returned to Washington, DC in 2015 to serve as the Robert L Phillips Health Policy Fellow at the Robert Graham Center and currently serves as Director. Her research interests include workforce issues such as provider burnout and the delivery and financing of primary health care.

Purva Rawal, PhD, was the Chief Strategy Officer at the CMS Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. As part of the Senior Leadership team, they provided guidance and leadership on the execution of the Innovation Center’s strategy.

Before CMMI, she was a principal at CapView Strategies, where she developed evidence-based public policy and business strategies and conducted policy research on health system transformation and sustainability issues. She was also an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University. In 2016, she published a book, The Affordable Care Act: Examining the Facts and has published book chapter, blogs, and papers on value-based care. Previously, Dr. Rawal served as professional staff on the Senate Budget Committee during the passage of the Affordable Care Act and as the health and social policy advisor to Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT). She was also a director in the Health Insurance and Reform Practice at Avalere Health. She began her health policy career as a Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Fellow at the National Academy of Sciences and as a Congressional Fellow for the Society for Research on Child Development and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Rawal received her B.A. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

Wayne Jonas, MD, is a widely published investigator, practicing family physician, and professor of medicine at Georgetown University and at Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. He is also a retired lieutenant colonel in the Medical Corps of the United States Army. Dr. Jonas was the director of the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health from 1995 to 1999 and led the World Health Organization’s Collaborative Center for Traditional Medicine. Prior to that, he served as the director of medical research fellowship at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. He now advises national and international organizations on ways to implement evidence-based healing practices in their medical systems. He serves as the President of Healing Works Foundation.

Erica is a Vice President for Health Care at Arnold Ventures where she leads the team’s strategic investments and policy work on commercial sector prices, Medicare sustainability, and provider payment reform. Erica has over a decade of health policy experience in government, think tanks, and philanthropy. Prior to joining Arnold Ventures, she worked at the White House Office of Management and Budget, where she led the Health Division’s quantitative work to support implementation of the Affordable Care Act and to advance policies for the president’s budget, federal regulations, and legislative proposals. Erica has also worked on Medicare and private insurance issues at the Congressional Budget Office and the Brookings Institution.

Erica holds a Ph.D. in political science from Texas A&M University, as well as a B.A. in economics and B.S. in mathematics from the University of Maryland.

Dr. Dan McCarter is a dedicated Family Physician, Professor of Family Medicine, and Medical Director for the UVA Physicians Group Practice Innovation team. Since returning to UVA in September 2024, Dr. McCarter has been passionately supporting UVA's efforts in value-based care.

In 1990, Dr. McCarter established Stoney Creek Family Practice, one of the first satellite teaching practices within the UVA health system to implement electronic health records. During his tenure, the practice achieved Level 3 patient-centered medical home certification.

With a career spanning several decades, Dr. McCarter held numerous administrative positions at the University of Virginia, including Vice-Chair of Family Medicine, Medical Director of Regional Primary Care, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Ambulatory Services, and Medical Director for WellVirginia ACO, a Track 1 MSSP.

Dr. McCarter took a break from UVA in 2017 to join ChenMed, a leader in full-risk value-based care. At ChenMed, he served as the Market CMO for their JenCare offices in Richmond, Virginia, and later as the National Director of Primary Care Advancement for five years.

Throughout his career, Dr. McCarter has always maintained and continues to maintain an active clinical practice, dedicating at least 30% of his time to patient care He has presented at numerous local, national, and regional conferences, sharing his expertise in primary care and value-based care. Notably, he participated in the Starfield IV summit on Family Medicine Resident Education in 2020 and was on the Pisacano Memorial Lecture Panel at the American Academy of Family Physicians Resident Leadership Summit in 2023.

Dr. McCarter is also the co-host of the Faisel and Friends Podcast, sponsored by Primary Care for America, which aims to share bright spots in primary care innovation with students, residents, and others. He currently co-chairs the Virginia Academy of Family Physicians Resident and Student Committee and serves on the Virginia Center for Health Care Innovation Primary Care Spend Task Force.

Dr. McCarter's dedication to primary care and value-based care continues to inspire and make a significant impact on the healthcare community.

Christopher F. Koller is President of the Milbank Memorial Fund and Publisher of the Milbank Quarterly. The Fund is a more than 100-year-old operating foundation that improves population health and health equity by connecting leaders with evidence and sound experience. Before joining the Fund in 2013, he served the state of Rhode Island for eight years as the country’s first health insurance commissioner. Prior to that, he was CEO of Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island. He has served in numerous national and state health policy advisory capacities and was elected to the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine in 2023.  Mr. Koller is also a professor of practice in the School of Public Health at Brown University. 

Kate Goodrich became Chief Medical Officer for Humana in August 2022. In this role, she provides executive clinical leadership for the insurance and CenterWell businesses, and has accountability for Physician engagement, Humana Healthcare Research, and the Health Equity and Social Impact work with Humana business partners.

Prior to becoming Chief Medical Officer, Kate was the SVP for Clinical Analytics and Trend within the Clinical Solutions organization, where she was accountable for producing the business analytics and rapid learning approach for clinical programs designed to improve outcomes at lower cost.

Prior to Humana, Kate was at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) where she was the Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality and CMS Chief Medical Officer. This Center is responsible for 18 quality and value-based purchasing programs including the Quality Payment Program, quality improvement programs in all 50 states, development and enforcement of health and safety standards of all facility-based providers across the nation, and coverage decisions for treatments and services for Medicare.

Prior to CMS, Kate was on the faculty at the George Washington University Medical Center (GWUMC) and served as division director for Hospital Medicine and chair of the Institutional Review Board. She continues to practice clinical medicine as a hospitalist and clinical professor of medicine at the GWUMC.

Kate earned her M.D. from Louisiana State University in Shreveport, LA. She completed internship and residency at George Washington University (GWU) and got her Masters in Health Services Research from Yale.

Kate grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and has lived in the Washington DC area since 1995. She lives with her husband, Bruce, and cat, Walter. She sings with the Choral Arts Society of Washington and enjoys hiking, travel, yoga and reading non-fiction.

She currently serves on the boards of Project N95, the National Clinician Scholars Program and the National Quality Forum.

Dr. Clint Flanagan is a board-certified physician, entrepreneur, and the founder and CMO of Nextera Healthcare, an award-winning Colorado-based healthcare company that provides advanced Direct Primary Care services to individuals, families, and employers. With over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, Dr. Flanagan is a recognized leader in the field of Direct Primary Care (DPC), which provides affordable and accessible healthcare services to patients without relying on traditional insurance models. As a pioneer in DPC, his journey has included direct involvement in DPC legislation at the state and federal level, a visit to the White House to discuss DPC, and keynote presentations at many events throughout the US. Dr. Flanagan/Nextera Healthcare have been awarded The Top 20 in DPC in the US, Top “Fierce15” Healthcare Companies in the US (Fierce Healthcare), Top 50 Value Based Healthcare Thinkers in the US (Pearl Health), and “Best of the West” Medical Centers (Yellow Scene Magazine) among numerous other awards.

Prior to founding Nextera Healthcare, Dr. Flanagan worked as an emergency medicine physician in rural Colorado and served as an officer in the United States Army Medical Corps including a tour of duty in Iraq in 2004-2005 with the 1st Infantry Division. He is an active member of several industry organizations, including the Direct Primary Care Coalition, the Direct Primary Care Alliance, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. With Nextera Healthcare, Dr. Flanagan is committed to improving the healthcare system by providing excellent, affordable, and accessible care for patients. The Nextera Healthcare Community currently has over 300 locations and clinicians in 22 states and nearly 90% of members are from employers. Dr. Flanagan is a strong advocate for patient-centered care and is dedicated to helping individuals and employers take control of their healthcare through innovative and personalized healthcare solutions. His free time is spent enjoying his family and outdoor fitness pursuits in the Colorado Rockies.

Jeffrey Davenport MD was born in OKC. Raised in Edmond, San Antonio, and Bartlesville, he returned to Edmond for high school. He graduated an Edmond Memorial Bulldog in 1993.

At Oklahoma State University he earned a BS in Biology with a minor in Microbiology from 1993-98. He then attended the University of Oklahoma college of medicine in OKC, OK from 1999-2003 earning his MD.

This led to 3 years in Wichita, KS at the KU affiliated Wesley Family Medicine Residency Program.

After graduation from residency in 2006, he returned to Edmond and has practiced medicine since September 2006. He was in private practice for 3 years, then employed for 5 years. He has now opened a medical practice he has dreamed of for years at One Focus Medical in April 2014.

He met the love of his life very early in life. Christine and Dr D have been in love since they were high school sweethearts. They’ve been married since 1998, and she is his best friend. They have two daughters: Megan, born in 2001 and Molly, 2004.

Dr D is a Family Medicine doctor, and he knows God gave him the gift to take care of people. The age-old question is: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you do? His response: “Exactly what I am doing now. God blessed me to be a Family Doc. I take care of people. That’s what I do. That’s who I am.”

Marisa Salemme is a Senior Health Policy Advisor for the minority staff on Senate Finance Committee, covering Medicare Part B and Part C issues. She joined the committee from Senator Chris Murphy’s office, where she served as Health Policy Advisor. Prior to Senator Murphy’s office, Marisa was Legislative Director for Congresswoman Annie Kuster, a senior member of the Energy & Commerce Committee. Marisa earned her MPH from George Washington University.

Peter Shin, PhD, MPH is the National Association of Community Health Centers’ first-ever Chief Science Officer — a position that underscores NACHC’s commitment to providing research- and data-driven solutions to health challenges facing this nation.   Dr. Shin provides thought leadership and direction for vital research on how community health centers deliver on the “quintuple aims.” Dr. Shin's expertise includes health care financing, quality of care, population and community health, and cost effectiveness research. Prior to joining NACHC, Dr. Shin was at the George Washington University for 30 decades, serving as a tenured Associate Professor of Health Policy & Management and founding research director of the Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health at the George Washington University.

Dr. Sonya Bruton is a trusted healthcare leader, author and licensed clinical psychologist with more than two decades of experience advancing health equity, access, and systems transformation. As President & CEO of CCI Health Services—a $58 million Federally Qualified Health Center operating 16 sites and serving more than 78,000 residents annually—Dr. Bruton has led cross-sector initiatives to integrate physical and behavioral health, expand community-based care, and improve outcomes for historically underserved populations.

An engaged stakeholder in local, state and national community health conversations, Dr. Bruton serves on local and national Boards and task forces focused on Equitable Access to Primary Health Care, Workforce Development, Opioid Abatement, School-based Wellness, Healthcare Financing and Innovation. She brings deep operational expertise, strategic vision, and a collaborative leadership style to her long-standing commitment to building health systems that are equitable, community-driven, and responsive to the complex needs of underserved communities.

Tim joins Hopscotch after serving as the Chief of Value-Based Care at Signify Health, a subsidiary of CVS Health. Prior to that, he was the CEO of Caravan Health, where he transformed the organization into the nation’s leading ACO enabler for rural health systems. Over the course of his seven-year tenure, Caravan and Signify led the value-based care transformation of thousands of primary care clinics across the country, generating hundreds of millions in shared savings for providers by providing proactive primary care. Under his leadership, the companies supported over 300 health systems and 30,000+ clinicians, serving more than one million senior patients in receiving more connected and proactive care through cutting-edge technology and population health programs. 

Tim is a notable thought leader in the healthcare industry, having served in senior roles at the White House, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and on Capitol Hill. During his tenure at the White House and CMS, Tim led teams that spurred the adoption of early-stage accountable care organizations through regulatory and spending initiatives and built coalitions advancing payment reforms across the industry.  

Tim holds Masters degrees in Public Policy and Health Services Administration from the University of Michigan and a B.A. In Biochemical Sciences from Harvard University. 

Margot L. Savoy, MD, MPH, FAAFP serves as senior vice president of education, inclusiveness and physician well-being. Savoy oversees all organizational activities related to medical education and continuing professional development. She also serves as the organization’s champion for physician well-being, is the executive lead for the AAFP’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work, and directs the Center for Diversity and Health Equity.

Ruth Fisher Pollard is an accomplished executive leader currently serving as the President and CEO of the DC Primary Care Association (DCPCA), where she spearheads transformative initiatives to align organizational objectives with community needs, enhancing the landscape of primary healthcare services in the District of Columbia. Ruth also serves as the Executive Director of the DC Connected Care Network (DC CCN), a clinically integrated network of the DCPCA and 7 Federally Qualified Health Centers providing comprehensive pediatric and adult primary care, specialty care services, chronic disease management, and various social support services at more than 45 locations throughout the District.

With a robust career spanning diverse and progressive roles, Ruth's public health journey commenced at the DC Department of Health (DC Health), where she served as a Supervisory Public Health Advisor and Assistant Chief of Program Operations for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program. Building on her longstanding commitment to community health and advocacy, Ruth's influence extended to more than a decade-long tenure at Children's National Hospital. At Children’s, Ruth held various roles, culminating in her appointment as Executive Director of Advocacy and Community Affairs. In the last ten years, Ruth's leadership journey included a significant tenure as the Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Providence Hospital (Washington, DC), the Executive Director of the DC Developing Families Center, and as a healthcare consultant.

Aligned with her executive role and driven by her passion for advancement through education, Ruth is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, School of Health and a member of the Capella University School of Nursing and Health Sciences Advisory Board. Ruth is a distinguished alumna of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She earned an MBA and MS in Healthcare Administration at the University of Maryland Global Campus.

As Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Charlene MacDonald leads FAH’s advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and beyond, advocating for access to quality health care for the millions of patients served by our members’ facilities. She also manages the Federation’s operations team, overseeing the organization’s finances, human resources and administrative services.

During her more than 20-year career in health policy, Charlene has held a wide range of leadership positions in business and government, most recently serving as Chief Government Affairs Officer for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. Prior to CareFirst, Charlene was Head of Health Care and Life Sciences at FTI Consulting, where she led a multidisciplinary strategic communications team and advised clients on all aspects of stakeholder engagement, including corporate reputation, investor relations and public affairs.

Charlene brings more than a decade of experience working inside government. She served as top health advisor to former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Senior Policy Advisor for Medicare & Social Security at the Senate Budget Committee under Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), and Deputy Chief of Staff to Representative Allyson Schwartz (D-PA). Her accomplishments include the drafting, negotiation and enactment of numerous bipartisan health bills ranging from the 21st Century Cures Act to the Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).

She holds an M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School and undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Sociology from Lake Forest College.

Shawn Martin is the executive vice president and chief executive officer for the American Academy of Family Physicians. In this role, he provides strategic leadership to the AAFP and directs the mission-driven work of the nation’s largest primary care organization.

A strategic leader with a proven track-record of accomplishments, he is nationally recognized for his thoughtful leadership on a range of health care policy and workforce issues. While his career portfolio includes focused work on numerous health care and public policy issues, he is best known for his extensive work and national leadership on the development and implementation of primary care delivery and payment models and workforce issues.

Prior to his current role, he served as the senior vice president, advocacy, practice advancement and policy at the AAFP and the Director of Government Relations and Health Policy for the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). He has served in leadership roles for several coalitions and partnerships during his career and he was recognized by The Hill as one of the top 10 health care lobbyists in Washington, DC. Mr. Martin was named 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare in 2022.

A native of Oklahoma, Martin earned his undergraduate degree from Phillips University and his graduate degree from Dartmouth College.

Dr. Carrie Cochran-McClain serves as the Chief Policy Officer at the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). Carrie joined NRHA staff in 2020 where she is the head lobbyist for the association and is responsible driving the policy agenda for rural health for the 21,000 member organization. She has more than 20 years of experience working in federal health policy development, including serving in the Senior Executive Service at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Deputy Director at the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, and as a Principle at Health Management Associates. Carrie earned a BA in sociology from Willamette University and an MPA with a concentration in health policy and management from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. She completed a doctor of public health at the UNC Gillings School with a focus on access to obstetrical care in rural areas.

Dr. Jim Lancaster is a physician leader and healthcare executive dedicated to advancing value-based care and improving rural health delivery. As Chief Medical Officer for the Southeast Region at Main Street Health, he partners with primary care practices to implement innovative models that enhance outcomes and support sustainability—particularly for Medicare and Medicare Advantage populations. 

Previously, he practiced internal medicine and held leadership roles within Ascension Saint Thomas before joining Cigna, where he led initiatives in both Medicare and commercial markets focused on provider engagement and population health. Dr. Lancaster’s work bridges clinical practice and strategic healthcare transformation. 

He is also deeply engaged in civic leadership, serving with Leadership Tennessee, Strong Accountable Care Community, and as former Board Chair of the American Cancer Society’s Tennessee Chapter. With a career spanning clinical, payer, and community sectors, Dr. Lancaster brings a unique, holistic perspective to improving access, quality, and equity in healthcare.

Ipsita Smolinski is a veteran advisor on healthcare regulatory and legislative issues with over twenty years of experience in healthcare policy and economic analysis. As the Managing Director of Capitol Street, she advises clients on key trends and major actions coming out of Washington, DC as well as at the state, court and stakeholder levels. These include healthcare legislation moving on Capitol Hill, actions from CMS, FDA, NIH, FTC, and other agencies, as well as emerging / commercial market trends e.g., pharmaceutical supply chain (PBM) reform, remote patient monitoring, AI, cell & gene therapy regulation & reimbursement, emerging medical technologies, site-neutral payments, and value-based healthcare. Her primary focus is forecasting the impacts of health policy through data-driven economic analysis.

Smolinski holds a faculty appointment at Georgetown University & Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School where she teaches coursework in Healthcare Economics and Healthcare Finance. She serves as a Senior Strategic Advisor to McAllister & Quinn, a healthcare grants firm that supports large U.S. hospital systems. Smolinski is a frequent speaker at national conferences and appears on CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News and others. She has been quoted in leading publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Reuters (see here).

Prior to launching Capitol Street, Smolinski was the Senior Equity Research Analyst for Healthcare Policy at J.P.Morgan. Before joining J.P.Morgan, Smolinski advised clients on health policy and trends at Citigroup and Bear Stearns. Earlier in her career, she spent several years as a healthcare management consultant at the Lewin Group, a Washington-based firm specializing in managed care and healthcare payment policy, and worked at both Pfizer and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Smolinski volunteered at a women’s health organization in Mexico City where she established databases for patient demographics and outcomes analysis.

Smolinski holds an MBA and a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from Columbia University and received her BA from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.

Michelle R. Neblett is the Executive Director of Health Care Policy in The Boeing Company’s Government Operations office. In this role, she is responsible for advocating on behalf of the company on corporate tax & governance, health & retirement, labor & workforce, and commercial aviation public policy issues before Congress and the Administration.

Prior to joining The Boeing Company in March 2017, Ms. Neblett served as a Professional Staff Member of the U.S. House Committee on Education & the Workforce for the Majority, where she worked on health care and pension policy related to employer-sponsored benefits.

Prior to joining the Committee in 2015, Ms. Neblett was Senior Director of Labor & Workforce Policy at the National Restaurant Association, where following passage of the Affordable Care Act, she served as the point person for the Association on the implementation of the law and its impact on the restaurant and foodservice industry. She traveled the country educating restaurateurs about the details of the law and regulations, and advocated for the industry before Congress and the Administration.

In that role, Ms. Neblett also served on the Executive Committee of the Employers for Flexibility in Health Care (E-Flex) Coalition, a coalition of leading trade associations and businesses in the retail, restaurant, supermarket, temporary staffing, and other service-related industries, as well as employer-sponsored health plans insuring millions of American workers. The coalition focused on how the health care law particularly impacts employers with variable hour workforces and maintaining employers’ ability to offer affordable coverage options.

Before taking on her Labor & Workforce Policy role, Ms. Neblett held several positions with the National Restaurant Association, lobbying on tax, interchange fees, profitability, food safety, travel, and energy policy issues on behalf of the industry.

Before representing the restaurant industry, Ms. Neblett served in several positions with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, where she advocated for the U.S. cattle and beef industry on a range of policy issues including international trade and tax.

Ms. Neblett is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She resides in Arlington, Virginia with her husband and son.

James “JP” Paluskiewicz is a senior policy advisor in the Health Care group. JP advises health care clients on legislative and public policy matters before Congress, the Administration, and other government agencies. JP devises strategies for effective outreach and messaging to assist health care clients in navigating complex legislation and regulation. He develops and executes legislative and regulatory solutions on behalf of health care provider groups, health care systems, hospitals, biopharmaceutical and medical device companies, and health payers while working directly with policymakers on the Hill and in the Administration to secure their passage and implementation.

JP was chief counsel on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Health Subcommittee and oversaw all policy matters under the committee’s jurisdiction, including legislation affecting the Food and Drug Administration, Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, health information technology, and public health. He managed the committee’s health agenda, policy development, and legislative strategy for Republicans. He was also the sole policy staffer overseeing Medicare Parts B and D and health information technology. During his tenure on Capitol Hill, JP developed and shepherded numerous policies throughout the legislative process.

JP is an adjunct professor at The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management and Milken Institute School of Public Health. JP regularly serves as a panelist and speaker on policy matters to health care audiences throughout the Washington, D.C. area.

Joe Brodine, MD, MPH is a practicing family medicine physician in Baltimore County, Maryland and serves as the Medical Director of the Accountable Care Organizations and the Care Transformation Organization at MedStar, a not-for-profit healthcare organization in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. Dr. Brodine helps to lead population health efforts that aim to improve the quality of care while reducing the overall cost of care for 40,000 patients enrolled in the Maryland Primary Care Program and for 150,000 patients enrolled in commercial ACOs. He is dually board certified in both Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine.