Board of Directors

Community Duals Expert, Board Chair
Chief Innovation Officer at Gold Coast Health Plan (GCHP)

Eve Gelb

Eve Gelb has 30 years’ operations and innovation experience improving the health and social outcomes of vulnerable populations in health plans and community-based organizations. She has particular expertise in models serving people with Medicare and Medicaid.

Eve recently joint Gold Coast Health Plan(GCHP), as Chief Innovation Officer.  In this role, Eve helps drive excellence, innovation, and quality care for GCHP’s more than 250,000 Medi-Cal members. She leads the execution and integration of complex, mission-critical and strategic initiatives that will ultimately lead to better outcomes for the members, greater access to quality care, and a superior member experience.

Prior to joining GCHP, she held progressive roles at SCAN Health Plan, working with nearly every part of the organization while operating with a strong sense of mission and commitment to members and the community.  She joined SCAN Health Plan in 1997 as a trainer in health care services and concluded her time with the organization as Senior Vice President of Duals, people with both Medicare and Medi-Cal coverage. In her senior leadership roles at SCAN Health Plan, Eve was responsible for the strategy, development and implementation of programs that improve health and social outcomes and equity.  She oversaw population health and health equity strategy and ran operations for care management, care coordination, quality management, utilization management and the community service arm of the organization, Independence at Home. These areas deliver the model of care, a person-centered approach that focuses on the unique needs of each member. 

In addition to work experience, she currently serves as the board chair for the SNP Alliance, a national leadership organization with the mission to improve the lives of people with complex needs through specializes managed care. She also serves on the board of WISE and Healthy Aging, a senior services organization and Su Casa, a domestic violence prevention organization and as consultant to a variety of health care organizations.   

She holds a Master of Public Health at Tulane University and her Bachelor of Arts at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Board Treasurer
Associate Medical Director at HealthPartners (Minnesota)

Thomas von Sternberg, M.D.,

Dr. von Sternberg is the medical director for HealthPartners Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan and Medicare advantage programs. He also supports the Government Programs division for policy regulatory issues and program development. He is the medical director overseeing the Care Management Program. He works with the HealthPartners Care Group on programs for complex frail elderly patients.

Dr. von Sternberg previously was HealthPartners medical director overseeing clinical programs in transitional care, assisted living, nursing home, palliative care, home care and hospice. He helped develop the home-based medicine program.

He is Associate professor of Geriatrics and Community Medicine at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine

Dr. von Sternberg was part of the team that developed Minnesota’s senior health options program (MSHO), one of the first fully integrated dual eligible plans in the country. He has also participated in the NQF measure applications project for long-term care and hospice quality measures. He has been involved in a variety of leadership roles and program development for care and management of geriatric populations for 25 years.

He is a member of the board of directors for the SNP Alliance and Capitol View Transitional Care.

Vice President, Government Relations,
Board Secretary UCare (Minnesota)

Stephanie Schwartz, JD

Ms. Schwartz has extensive legislative, regulatory and health plan experience. After working for several years for a Minnesota state senator learning how laws are really made, she wrote rules for Minnesota’s Medicaid agency before becoming administrator of the state’s Medicaid State plan and serving as the primary contact with the CMS Regional Office. A graduate of Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Ms. Schwartz is the Vice President of Government Relations at UCare, building and nurturing positive relationships with counties and tribal nations, state and federal regulators; overseeing the production and regulatory review of many of UCare’s materials; and helping staff understand, and comply with, myriad government programs and commercial regulatory requirements.

She is a member of the Minnesota Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Toastmasters club.

Chief of Managed Care
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (California)

Donna Stidham, RN

Donna Stidham, RN has been involved in the care of people with HIV disease since the beginning of the epidemic. She began working with what is now known as HIV/AIDS as a nurse epidemiologist when the first cases of immune deficiency were reported to the Centers for Disease Control.

In 1984, Stidham was instrumental in the opening of the first AIDS inpatient unit in a for-profit community hospital in the U.S. She has continually focused her efforts on developing systems of care that support the expertise necessary to treat people with HIV. Stidham joined AHF in 1994 to lend her expertise in health systems and managed care to the development and implementation of Positive Healthcare, the first capitated managed care program for people with HIV.

Stidham consults with multiple state Medicaid programs to promote the concept of specialty design for chronic conditions such as HIV/AIDS. She is working with AHF’s global leadership to bring managed care health system concepts to resource-poor countries.

CEO Associated Care Ventures, Inc.
Simpra Advantage, Inc. / Alabama Select Network, LLC

Ronald M. Chaffin

Ron Chaffin has 35 of senior leadership experience in health insurance, HMOs and managed care in all lines of business. Since 2008 he has focused on Medicare Advantage special needs plans, managed long term care and Medicare – Medicaid integration as CEO of Elderplan and HomeFirst in New York and more recently Associated Care Ventures, Simpra Advantage and Alabama Select Network in Alabama. His management experience includes several new start-up health plans, turn-around situations and senior management in a public company.

Ron has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Law degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

Vice President of Public Policy
Commonwealth Care Alliance (Massachusetts)

Michelle Herman Soper, MHS

Michelle Herman Soper is the Vice President of Public Policy at the Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA). She leads the design and implementation of CCA’s public policy agenda, focusing on federal and state health policy strategies to support individuals with significant needs.

Most recently, Ms. Soper served as Vice President of Integrated Care at the Center for Health Care Strategies, where she worked with states, philanthropic organizations, federal agencies and health plans to improve care delivery and financing for individuals who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, and implement long-term services and supports and behavioral health reforms. She has served as a Special Assistant to the Executive Director and Acting Director of Communications for the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), and as Special Projects Coordinator for the Office of Chronic and Long-Term Care within the District of Columbia’s Department of Health Care Finance.

She also held posts at Avalere Health and the National Conference of State Legislatures. Ms. Soper has a master’s degree in health science (MHS) from The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Tufts University.

VP Policy & Influence
UnitedHealthcare Community & State (Minnesota)

Kate Paris

Kate Paris serves as the Vice President Policy & Influence at UnitedHealthcare Community & State. She brings both a deep understanding of the complex populations that SNP Alliance serves and the technical knowledge of specialized managed care.

During her time with UnitedHealthcare, Ms. Paris has held roles focused on policy, clinical and operational aspects of managed care. She is well-versed in policy areas of Medicaid, long term care and programs serving individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Ms. Paris brings a passion to improving access and quality of care for vulnerable populations such as those who are dual eligible.

Ms. Paris earned her Masters in Public Administration from the University of North Dakota. She has over 10 years of experience working in the public and non-profit sector before joining UnitedHealthcare in 2012.

Executive Director for Medicare Products
LA Care (California)

Victor Hurtado

Victor Hurtado is the Executive Director for Medicare Products at L.A. Care Health Plan. In this role, he is responsible for product management, operating performance, compliance and quality for members enrolled in the Medicare and CCI lines of business. Mr. Hurtado is also responsible for new product development and implementations for these membership segments.  Mr. Hurtado brings to L.A. Care Health Plan over 15 years of product management, healthcare operations, and Medicare managed care experience, with a strong focus in serving the dually eligible population.

Prior to re-joining the organization Mr. Hurtado most recently served as the Associate Vice President of Medicare Administration at Molina Healthcare where he had oversight of the Medicare product portfolio, that included D-SNP, MMP, and MAPD products, across 12 states with an approximate $2B in annual revenue. Mr. Hurtado earned his Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration from California State University of Long Beach.

President, LTSS Solutions
Amerihealth Caritas (Pennsylvania)

Sharon Alexander

Sharon Alexander is currently President of Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Solutions for AmeriHealth Caritas where she spearheads innovative solutions, advances best practices, leads LTSS market expansion efforts, optimizes complex care delivery, establishes integrated eLTSS clinical systems, and furthers quality standards for a multi-state LTSS business portfolio.

She previously managed AmeriHealth Caritas’ Medicare dual eligible special needs plans (D-SNP) and Medicare/Medicaid integration products (MMP), as part of the CMS Financial Alignment Demonstration initiative; and she launched a full array of Medicare Advantage products for Universal American Corporation (acquired by WellCare in 2019).

Sharon came to AmeriHealth Caritas after serving as Secretary of Aging for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State’s chief advocate for the health, economic and social needs of 2.5 million older people and their caregivers. She also worked in a variety of management roles for an integrated health care system in Pittsburgh, PA and a multi-state long term care provider organization based in Kennett Square, PA.
Sharon is currently the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for the National MLTSS Health Plan Association; member of Long Term Quality Alliance (LTQA) Board of Directors; member of the SNP Alliance Board of Directors; and an Advisory Board Member, MLTSS Institute, ADvancing States.

She holds a Masters of Public Management from The H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University, and a Bachelor of Science, Health Planning and Administration, from The Pennsylvania State University.

Vice President, Health Policy – Government Programs,
Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) (Illinois)

Dana Mott-Bronson

Dana Mott-Bronson is a dedicated health care policy advocate with 25 years of combined federal legislative and regulatory experience. Currently, she serves as Vice President, Health Policy, Government Programs at Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), leading public policy development related to Medicare Advantage (MA), Medicare Part D, and Medicare-Medicaid Integration. HCSC is the largest customer-owned health insurer in the United States, serving more than 18.6 million members through plans in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Prior to joining HCSC, Dana held a variety of increasingly senior roles at America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), including responsibility for developing and carrying out federal regulatory advocacy efforts related to MA, Part D and programs serving individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. She also served over five years as a congressional staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Dana is committed to utilizing her expertise to advocate for policies that support access to quality care and improved health outcomes, including for the most vulnerable populations.

Senior Vice President of Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) for Highmark Health

Abebe Nebeyou

Nebeyou Abebe is the senior vice president of social determinants of health (SDoH) for Highmark Health, a $26 billion national, blended health organization that includes one of America’s largest Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers and a growing regional hospital and physician network. Based in Pittsburgh, Pa., Highmark Health’s 42,000 employees serve millions of customers nationwide through the nonprofit organization’s affiliated businesses including Highmark Inc., Allegheny Health Network, HM Insurance Group, United Concordia Dental, enGen, and Helion.

SDoH are the conditions in which people live, work, learn, and play that can impact up to 80% of an individuals’ health outcomes before the healthcare system can intervene. Mr. Abebe brings nearly 20 years of experience leading SDoH, population health, and employee health and well-being initiatives for public and private sector organizations.

In his role at Highmark Health, Mr. Abebe leads an SDoH team that spans across the enterprise and forges close ties with the communities in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and New York, uncovering non-clinical opportunities to improve the health and well-being of members and the region at large.

Highmark Health focuses on the confluence of medical and non-medical drivers of poor health outcomes, with a primary goal to identify and effectively address barriers to health.

Before joining Highmark Health, Mr. Abebe served as global VP of health and well-being for Sodexo Group, where he guided SDOH, population health and employee wellness for all Sodexo business segments impacting more than 425,000 employees and 100 million consumers. While at Sodexo Group, Mr. Abebe developed initiatives that addressed food insecurity, housing, transportation, and workforce development in partnership with community-based organizations.

Prior to joining the Sodexo Group in 2013, Mr. Abebe served as associate director of health systems for the Louisiana Public Health Institute, where he played a leading role in building and strengthening local health IT infrastructure and testing innovative approaches to make measurable improvements in health, patient care and cost. He has also served in health communications and social marketing positions, including directing a national CDC campaign to reduce the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.

Mr. Abebe earned his bachelor’s in economics from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and his master’s in social and public policy from Georgetown University, as well as his Project Management Professional credential from the Project Management Institute.

Current Professional Affiliations:

• Executive Chairman for the Health Business Committee on Workforce Economic Security, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)
• Executive Leadership Council, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
• AHIP 2023 Advisory Board
• Chief Wellbeing Officer Advisory Council Member, George Mason University
• Member, Project Management Institute
• Board Member, Generations United
• Board Member, Steel City Impact

Managing Medical Director/ Duals Special Needs Medical Director, Elevance Health

Geeta Sehgal, D.O. FACOG

Dr. Sehgal currently serves as Duals Special Needs Medical Director and Managing Medical Director at Elevance Health. In this role she supports enterprise-wide efforts to improve clinical care delivery for dually eligible members through care management, physical & behavioral health integration, long term services and supports and addressing of health-related social needs.

Prior to this, Dr. Sehgal served in various clinical roles including CMO for Amerigroup NJ, a Medicaid managed plan, where she provided clinical expertise in the management of specific member populations, implementing care management programs, working to improve quality outcomes for members, and ensuring compliance with CMS and State Medicaid policies.

Before working in managed care, Dr. Sehgal maintained a busy private practice in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Sehgal graduated from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and is Board Certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

President of Curana Health Plans and
CEO of Align Senior Care

Jeremy Dressen

Jeremy Dressen is President of Curana Health Plans and CEO of Align Senior Care, an organization dedicated to improving the health, happiness and dignity of senior living residents.  Jeremy has previously held senior leadership roles with Bright Health, Catholic Health Initiatives, and UnitedHealthcare and has been a strong advocate for Special Needs Plans throughout his career.

National Director of Care Coordination &
Risk Management for AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Tiffany Jarrett

Tiffany L. Jarrett, MSN, RN, is the National Director of Care Coordination & Risk Management for AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which offers a Medicare Advantage C-SNP plan and a special needs Medi-Cal Managed Care plan to the HIV/AIDS patient population. Tiffany also serves as the Ryan White Program Director.

With over 15 years of experience in healthcare, Tiffany is a committed patient advocate, with a keen vision to enhance population health management for the SNP patient population. Her objectives include removing access to care barriers, promoting high quality care, producing enhanced patient outcomes by effectuating diversity, equity and inclusion. Additionally, in efforts to strengthen her knowledge in healthcare policy and governance, Tiffany is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Nursing Practice, Administration Specialization.

SNP Alliance Founder, Ex-Officio Board Member
President, National Health Policy Group

Rich Bringewatt

Richard J. Bringewatt is a highly accomplished national policymaker and transformative coalition builder and leader. As co-founder and chief executive of the National Health Policy Group in Washington, D.C. he successfully led efforts to establish Special Needs Plans, now a $60+ billion Medicare program. As co-founder and chief executive of the National Chronic Care Consortium, an alliance of premier national health systems such as Johns Hopkins and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, he steered activities to fundamentally re-engineer care systems for the chronically ill. As co-founder and chief executive of the Special Needs Plan Alliance, comprised of distinguished organizations, including L.A. Care Health Plan, United Healthcare and Health Partners, he crafted new payment methods and performance metrics for serving special needs individuals.

He served on Candidate Obama’s Healthcare Advisory Committee, drafted a national demonstration included in President Clinton’s healthcare reform legislation, and advanced bi-partisan legislation with illustrious members of Congress as sponsors or co-sponsors, including Senators Wyden (D), Grassley (R), Baucus (D), and Hatch (R). He’s sat on national boards and expert panels and consulted with high-profile institutions, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the Bi-partisan Policy Center, and the World Health Organization. Mr. Bringewatt has authored numerous articles in various trade and scientific journals, for example The Metamorphosis of Chronic Care for the Healthcare Forum Journal, and was the principal advisor and expert panelist on the PBS program Chronic Illness in America: Who Cares?

Lois Simon, M.P.H., Founder and Principal of L. Simon Solutions LLC

Lois Simon

Lois Simon, M.P.H., Founder and Principal of L. Simon Solutions LLC, has provided strategic advising and operational consultancy services to a diverse array of organizations including health care delivery systems, managed care organizations and charitable foundations across the country focused on fostering the integration of long-term services and supports with medical and behavioral health care as well as housing -across policy, financing and care delivery dimensions. Ms. Simon has over three decades of leadership experience serving complex and high-cost government supported populations in executive management roles, clinical program development, and in government service. Ms. Simon’s background includes: Co-Founder and President of Commonwealth Care Alliance, a nationally recognized pioneer and industry leader in the design and operation of programs integrating Medicare and Medicaid financing and service delivery for populations with complex needs, both elders and individuals with disabilities across the age spectrum; serving as the Executive Vice President of Policy and Programs at SeniorLink (now CareForth); leading in Executive level roles in the provider and Medicaid managed care sector; and, serving in leadership positions in a variety of government positions, most notably as the Director of Long Term Care for the Massachusetts Medicaid program and as the Assistant Secretary of the Massachusetts State Unit on Aging.  Lois received her master’s degree in public health with a concentration in Health Systems from the Boston University School of Public Health, from whom she received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2015. She serves on several boards both locally and nationally.