Health Care Stakeholder Advisory Committee

The Health Care Stakeholder Advisory Committee advises the Cost Board from the provider and carrier perspective. Also, it informs the creation of the benchmark and supporting data calls.

Meetings

All Health Care Stakeholder Advisory Committee meetings are public meetings. We encourage you to join us and share your input. Find upcoming meetings and more on the Cost Board's meetings and materials page.

Committee members

Eileen Cody, RN, BSN, CRRN, Chair

Eileen Cody earned an associate degree in nursing from the College of Saint Mary and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Creighton University.

Eileen retired after working at Kaiser Permanente (formerly Group Health Cooperative) in Seattle for over forty years. She worked as a neuro-rehab nurse certified in both rehabilitation nursing and multiple sclerosis care. In addition to her work at Kaiser Permanente, Eileen is a founding member of District 1199 NW/SEIU Hospital and Health Care Employees Union.

First appointed and subsequently retained to the House of Representatives in 1994, she served constituents in the 11^th district and then the 34^th district through 2022. Eileen dedicated her legislative career to achieving affordable, quality health care for all residents of Washington State.

Emily Brice, JD

Deputy director, Northwest Health Law Advocates (NoHLA)

Emily Brice, JD, is the deputy director at Northwest Health Law Advocates (NoHLA), a nonprofit organization that has worked for 25 years to expand access to affordable, quality health care in Washington State. Emily has over 15 years of experience working to advance consumer health justice. During her time at NoHLA, Emily co-founded Fair Health Prices Washington, a movement of consumers, workers, and businesses united to tackle rising health care costs with data-driven solutions.

Emily has served in government in two states, first as the senior health policy advisor to Washington State Insurance Commissioner Kreidler and later as the deputy chief of Policy and Strategy for the Massachusetts Health Connector, a state-based marketplace agency. Earlier in her career, Emily developed and managed clinic-based social services program as the Chicago Site Director for Health Leads and served as a Staff Attorney for NoHLA. She is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law and the University of Chicago.

Patrick Connor

Washington State director, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)

With 20 years’ experience in public affairs advocacy and nonprofit association management, Patrick is an outspoken leader representing small businesses on health care policy issues before the Washington State Legislature.

A champion for health-care cost and quality transparency, Patrick led a diverse public-private coalition to establish the state’s All Payer Claims Database. Following that successful effort, Governor Jay Inslee appointed him to the state Performance Measures Coordinating Committee. Patrick was also recruited to join the Washington Health Alliance’s board of directors, serving two terms in that role.

Deeply engaged in state legislation implementing the Affordable Care Act, Patrick was a member of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange’s (WAHBE) Small Business Health Option technical advisory committee.

Appointed by the state Secretary of Health to the Patient Out-of-Pocket Costs task force, Patrick later served on the WAHBE standardized health plan stakeholder committee and its Cascade Care advisory committee. He also served on the state’s Universal Health Care work group at the request of the Health Care Authority.

Patrick graduated cum laude from Gonzaga University in Spokane and was recognized as a Harry S Truman Foundation scholar and Sir Thomas More scholar.

Patrick and his family reside in Olympia.

Bob Crittenden, MD, MPH

Physician and consultant

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Crittenden has focused on developing the Equity for Essential Worker Fund that has supported assistance programs in four counties in Washington State. This program is focused on Latino farm workers who are without documentation and need assistance with quarantine and isolation. He has also been a consultant and advisor with tribes and foundations.

Prior to the pandemic, he was Executive in Residence at the Cambia Grove, a program that encourages innovation focused on solving health system problems. He practiced as a family physician for over 37 years in central and southeast Seattle with urban underserved populations, worked for the state Legislature, has been a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow with Senator George Mitchell, was special assistant to Governor Gardner for health, and is a Professor Emeritus in the Departments of Family Medicine and Health Services at the University of Washington.

His work on projects at the local, state, and national levels focuses on improving the access and effectiveness of health services for all populations. He was founding executive director of the Herndon Alliance, a coalition of 200 national and local organizations that focused on communications supporting the passage and defense of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

After that, he served as Governor Jay Inslee's Senior Health Policy Advisor, where he oversaw the implementation of the ACA in Washington State and the successful Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver, known as the Medicaid Transformation Project. He has also played a key role in initiating the Kids Get Care program, actively participating in rural and urban underserved health systems improvements, and working with insurers, employers, and providers in improving systems of care for chronic conditions.

Dr. Crittenden received his BA in Communications and Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley and a diploma in Political Theory and Development Economics from Oxford University. He went on to earn his medical degree at the University of Washington School of Medicine and his master's in Public Health in Health Services from the University of Washington.

Paul Fishman, PhD

Professor, Dept. of Health Services, University of Washington

Dr. Paul Fishman is a professor and associate director of health information and health management programs at the University of Washington (UW) where he teaches classes in health economics and health policy — both practice and research.

Before joining the UW full-time in 2015, he was an affiliate faculty member at the School of Public Health during his employment at Group Health where he worked for 23 years as a scientific investigator at the Group Health Research Institute (now the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute).

His research experience includes analyses of direct health care costs from social, patient, and payer perspective for a wide range of acute and chronic illnesses. Dr. Fishman also has experience in alternative payment models and in the development and application of risk adjustment tools. He is an expert in the use of health service data from electronic health records and claims for economic analysis.

Dr. Fishman has a PhD in Economics from the UW.

Jamie Fowler, MHA, CASC

Director of operations, SCA Health, Washington and Oregon region

Jamie Fowler, MHA, CASC, is the director of operations at SCA Health, Washington and Oregon region, where her work includes mergers and acquisitions. She has over 22 years of ambulatory surgery center experience and over 12 years of management and leadership experience.

Jamie has led centers to improve population health, patient experience, and well-being of team members and providers, while also reducing costs. In her work, she engages with stakeholders to drive continued success for Washington centers and access for the community.

Previously, Jamie worked at Pacific Surgery Center as the facility administrator. She has served in multiple leadership roles for the Washington Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, including president, vice president, secretary, and education chair.

Justin Gill, DNP, ARNP, RN

President, Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA)

Justin Gill, DNP, ARNP, RN currently serves as the president of the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) and works clinically as an urgent care nurse practitioner in Everett, Washington.

Justin obtained his BSN from the University of Washington, Bothell while working as a bedside nurse. After completing this he completed his MSN in 2015 at Georgetown University with a Family Nurse Practitioner focus. He has been working as a nurse practitioner since 2015. He later obtained Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree from Yale University with a focus on policy and leadership.

Justin has been an active member of WSNA since graduating from nursing school in 2012. He has held positions as a member and chair of the WSNA Legislative and Health Policy Council, vice president of the WSNA Board, and as a member of the WSNA Political Action Committee. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Justin made appearances on live segments for MSNBC, NBC News, and CBS News discussing his experience as an Urgent Care NP and commenting on the direct clinical impact of national policy decisions. Justin passionately believes that direct care clinicians need to be at the table to help develop policies that work for patients and healthcare providers.

Nariman Heshmati, MD, MBA

Executive medical director for affordability, Optum Washington

Nariman Heshmati, MD, MBA is a board-certified OB/GYN and the executive medical director for affordability for Optum Washington.

Dr. Heshmati has accountability for the total cost of care for risk-based patients served by Optum Washington and overseas innovative programs and partnerships to keep complex patients healthy. Previously, Dr. Heshmati was the Senior Medical Director for Surgery and Specialty Services and had oversight over all specialty practices for Optum Washington including at The Everett Clinic and The Polyclinic.

He remains widely involved in external organizations including serving as the President of the Washington State Medical Association (WSMA), a delegate to the American Medical Association, past chair of the Washington Medical Political Action Committee, past Chair of the Washington Section of the American College of OB/GYNs and on the Washington board of The March of Dimes He also served on numerous governmental taskforces including being appointed by Governor Inslee to the Pandemic After Action Review Committee. In these capacities, he routinely provides guidance on legislative, regulatory, and community advocacy efforts.

He attended medical school at Florida State University, where he served as class president and completed his residency in OB/GYN at Vanderbilt University. He received an executive MBA at Seattle University.

Adriann Jones, MPA

Adriann Jones is a dedicated public health professional with over eight years of leadership experience between the state and federal levels. She currently works at the Department of Health within the Office of Immunization, where she focuses on creating organizational procedures, preventing communicable diseases and advancing equitable public health strategies.

As a policy analyst specializing in equity and healthcare governance, Adriann excels at navigating complex implementation strategies, fostering collaboration, and driving systemic change. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and an Executive Master of Public Policy and Administration with a focus on racial equity from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington.

Her expertise includes forming strategic partnerships with healthcare systems, systems reform, and program management. Recognized nationally for driving impactful initiatives, she is committed to leveraging her skills to address complex public health challenges and advancing equitable healthcare policies. Her ability to present complex policy issues clearly, her dedication to community wellness, and her passion for public health advocacy are evident throughout her career.

Jodi Joyce, BSN

Chief executive officer, Unity Care Northwest

Jodi has extensive experience in improving access to and affordability of health and health care in large and small organizations and multi-system collaborations. At Unity Care Northwest, Jodi oversees the integration of health care services and delivery of innovative, whole-person care that has reduced health care cost growth.

Before working for Unity Care Northwest, Jodi served as the chief quality officer and associate vice chancellor for Quality and Patient Safety at the University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics. In this role, Jodi led a seven-year "improvement journey" that included improving price transparency for patients and achieving large reductions in health care costs. This work was accomplished through implementing key programs that reduced a patient's barriers to access.

Jodi has also served in senior leadership roles at Kaiser Permanente and Portland-based Legacy Health. In addition, she is an inaugural member of Washington State's Bree Collaborative. Jodi earned her MBA at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and her BSN at Northwestern University, and served as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow.

Louise Kaplan, BA, MN, PhD

Associate professor, Washington State University College of Nursing Vancouver

Dr. Louise Kaplan, an associate professor in the Washington State University College of Nursing, has more than 20 years of academic experience. A family nurse practitioner since 1981, she has extensive primary care clinical experience. Her PhD focused on health policy and she has been actively engaged in legislative and regulatory changes throughout her career.

Dr. Kaplan has conducted research and published on topics including APRN workforce issues, NP education, prescribing of controlled substances, prescriptive authority, and medical marijuana. Active in many professional organizations, she chairs the legislative committee of ARNPs United of Washington State and serves on the organization's Board of Directors. Dr. Kaplan is also the Washington State representative for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She is a member of the Washington State Nurses Association's Hall of Fame, and a fellow of both the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Academy of Nursing.

She has a BA from Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts, an MN from the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, and a PhD from Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.

Stacy Kessel, CPA

Chief finance and strategy officer, Community Health Plan of Washington

Stacy Kessel is the chief finance and strategy officer at Community Health Plan of Washington and Community Health Network of Washington. Stacy has over 32 years of experience as a finance professional and leader in the health care industry, with the last 14 years with her current employer. Her career started with six years at Deloitte & Touche, followed by time at MultiCare Health System, Premera, and First Choice Health.

Stacy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Central Washington University and is a Certified Public Accountant. She has been a member of both the Washington Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs for more than 25 years. She is currently serving on the Board for the Association of Washington Healthcare Plans and previously served as a committee member for the Washington Health Benefit Exchange Advisory Committee.

Vicki Lowe

Executive director, American Indian Health Commission

Vicki Lowe, a descendant of the Jamestown S'Klallam and Bella Coola First Nations, began working in the Jamestown Tribes Health Program and has seen this program through many changes in the world of health care. In July of 2015, Ms. Lowe became the executive director of the American Indian Health Commission (AIHC). Working with the AIHC, she has utilized her vast knowledge of the Indian health care delivery system, state and federal regulations that govern Indian health, to implement statewide strategies supporting Tribal and Urban Indian health programs. Some of these efforts include:

• Developed Tribal Assister Project and Indian Health Care Reform Manual for Washington State.
• Ensure tribal engagement and inclusion in Medicaid Transformation.
• Help with drafting and passage of the Washington Indian Health Improvement Act (2019) and the Washington Indian Behavioral Health Act (2020).

Ms. Lowe is also very involved in the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Community. She has been part of the Jamestown Canoe Family since 2009, pulling in the Tribe's canoe since 2012. She supports singing and drumming, language, weaving classes, and other culture programs. In 2012, she was honored as the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe's Volunteer of the Year.

Natalia Martinez-Kohler, BA, CPA

Chief financial officer, MultiCare Behavioral Health Network and South King Region

Natalia Martinez-Kohler started out in public accounting with Arthur Andersen after graduating from Pacific Lutheran University with her BA in Business Administration (concentrations in accounting and financial resource management), where she quickly started focusing on healthcare clients.

In 1999, she started with MultiCare Health System where she has served for 22 years. In her tenure there, she has supported financial planning and analytics across both system office and operational finance teams. This includes supporting and leading various cost structure improvement opportunities, benchmarking and productivity efforts, and supporting growth efforts, including several certificate of need applications.

She currently serves as the vice president of strategic finance, and chief financial officer for the Behavioral Health Network. In this role, as part of the executive team, she has responsibility for financial results of the Behavioral Health Network.

Natalia has her master's from University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. She is a licensed CPA and maintains a CHFP certification through HFMA.

Sulan Mlynarek

Sulan Mlynarek (they/them) leads the Research Department at Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare 1199NW. SEIU Healthcare 1199NW is a health care workers union of frontline caregivers. Sulan is grateful and proud to support the incredible leadership of healthcare workers across Washington State as they strive for quality patient care and safe workplaces. Sulan holds a master’s degree in economics from Roosevelt University, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Alverno College. They have been working as a researcher for nearly 15 years.

Michele Ritala

Benefits specialist, King County Department of Human Resources

Michele Ritala is a health benefits strategic planner for the King County Department of Human Resources. She has 20 years of experience in managing health benefits for up to 340,000 lives. Previously, she worked at Puget Sound Energy as the health and welfare manager. She also worked for 10 years at Health Care Authority (HCA), where she wrote the strategic plan for the SmartHealth wellness program.

Paul Schultz

Executive director, actuarial services, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc

Paul is executive director, actuarial services for the Washington market of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., America’s leading integrated health plan. In this role, he leads the team responsible for providing actuarial support for commercial lines of business for the Washington market, including pricing, product development, rate development and filing, and line of business strategy. Paul’s team is also responsible for market-wide rate setting, reserving, revenue forecasting, fee schedule development, and overall market-wide actuarial strategy. A strategic advisor to the Washington leadership team, Paul actively collaborates across departments to design and launch new products to support the region's goal of sustainable growth.

Prior to joining Kaiser in 2023, Paul held a variety of roles in the health care industry, including, most recently, eight years as Chief Actuary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont. In an actuarial career spanning more than 25 years, Paul has also held positions of responsibility for a national health plan, a pharmacy benefit manager, and two employee benefit consulting firms.

Paul is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries, a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and a fellow of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science from Purdue University.

Dorothy Teeter

Consultant, Teeter Health Strategies

Dorothy Frost Teeter is principal/owner of Teeter Health Strategies consultancy, which specializes in value-based payment reform and related health system transformation. She has over 30 years of public and private health system leadership and executive experience. Prior to establishing her consulting firm, she served as the director of Health Care Authority (HCA).

In her role as agency director, Dorothy oversaw policy, programs, and operations for HCA, and administered an annual health care services budget of over $10 billion for the Medicaid and the Public Employee programs. She led the HCA's nationally recognized approaches to value-based purchasing and population health reform, including the integration of physical and behavioral health services purchasing and care delivery, and the design/startup funding for Washington's Accountable Communities of Health.

She also chaired the Washington State Health Performance Measures Committee, creating a common set of quality and health measures for the state and other purchasers/plans use in contracting for value. A member of the Governor's Cabinet, she also served on the board of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, led the Healthier Washington plan for statewide health system transformation, and directed the successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion for Washington State.

In her role as agency director, Dorothy played a significant role in securing a $65 million State Innovation Models grant from Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) and a $1.3 billion Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid to further Washington State's transformation goals.

Prior to HCA, Dorothy served as senior advisor for Policy and Programs at CMMI. In this role, Dorothy directed the development, launch, and awarding of CMMI's initial $1 billion investment in its Health Care Innovation Award program, and served as the liaison to numerous federal health agencies who partnered with CMMI.

Dorothy previously served as director and chief of health operations for Public Health-Seattle and King County, a major metropolitan public health department. She has also served as a senior executive at Group Health Cooperative, where she designed and led its population-based quality of care improvement and care management strategies, and as an administrator at Seattle Children's Hospital and Medical Center.

Dorothy earned a master's in health services administration from the University of Washington and serves on the clinical faculty at the School of Public Health in the University of Washington.

Wes Waters, BSBA, MBA

Chief financial officer, Molina Healthcare of Washington, Inc.

In March of 2019, James "Wes" Waters joined Molina Healthcare of Washington, Inc. as regional chief financial officer for Washington, Utah, and Idaho ($3.8 billion revenue/980,000 members). With the significant expansion in membership and revenue for Molin ($4 billion revenue and 1 million members), Wes in now focused exclusively on the Washington health plan.

Wes brings over 27 years of broad managed care financial and operational experience in managed care. Between 2015 and 2019, Wes worked for various local and national health care organizations as chief financial officer, helped lead the sale of Advicare (Medicaid managed care organization) to WellCare, helped launch 16 ISNP HMOs in multiple states (AllyAlign), and restructured the financial operations of Wellpoint Washington (previously Amerigroup) — Tennessee.

He earned a BSBA in general business management with concentration in Economics and Computer Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis, as well as a master's in business administration with a concentration in healthcare.