Richard Bergenstal, MD, Executive Director, International Diabetes Center

Rich Bergenstal is an endocrinologist and the Executive Director of the International Diabetes Center, HealthPartners Institute. In 2010 he was the American Diabetes Association (ADA)’s President, Medicine & Science and ADA’s Outstanding Physician Clinician in 2007. Dr. Bergenstal was Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago, before joining the International Diabetes Center in 1983. He is an adjunct clinical professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota. He has served as a site Principal Investigator of several NIH trials demonstrating the necessity of good glucose control to reduce diabetes complications and continues to study the most effective tools and teamwork needed to accomplish this goal. Dr. Bergenstal has worked toward international standardization of CGM metrics and data display in the Ambulatory Glucose Profile (AGP) Report. Integrating CGM data in the electronic health record and organizing CGM data to guide diabetes management are areas of current focus.

Dr. Bergenstal has over 300 peer-reviewed publications and has been listed in Best Doctors in America since the listing began in 1992.

Lori Bethke, MD, Family Physician, Entira Family Clinics

Lori Bethke is a family medicine physician and current CMO at Entira Family Clinics. She started her work there as a certified medical assistant in 1991, left to obtain an undergraduate degree in nutrition science at the University of Minnesota and then went on to medical school there as well. She returned to Entira in 2003 after completing residency at United Family Medicine Residency Program. She enjoys seeing patients of all ages along with her administrative duties.

Joseph Bianco, MD, Director, Primary Care Essentia Health

Dr. Joseph Bianco is a board-certified family practice physician with Essentia Health, an integrated health system that serves northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Western North Dakota. He also serves as the Ambulatory Quality Leader for Essentia Health working to improve the quality of care delivered as well as addressing health disparities. He is the Chairman of the Essentia Opioid steering committee. He also helped to author the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) guidelines for pain management published last year. He serves on the ICSI Opioid Oversight committee as well as the Addiction committee. He has a long-standing interest in the education of medical students and the role of the primary care physician as mentor to future family physicians and to the Duluth Family Practice Residency Program. Dr. Bianco attended the University of MN, School of Medicine and completed a family practice residency in Duluth, MN. He maintains a busy family practice in the small rural town of Ely, Minnesota.

Kirsten Bich, MD, Family Medicine Physician. Essentia Health, Quality Medical Director, Duluth Primary Care, Section Chair, West Duluth Clinic

Dr. Bich is a family medicine physician who has practiced in a variety of settings including both in patient and out patient settings. Kirsten's current practice is an office-based practice with a large focus on chronic disease management which they find both challenging and rewarding. Outside of work, Kirsten enjoys getting out into the woods; mountain biking, skiing, and taking her empty-nest-filling rescue dog Lulu on hikes...or more accurately, she takes Kirsen on hikes. They are still working on dog manners.

Tyler Boese, PhD Student, Student Researcher, University of Minnesota

Tyler's research interests include health economics, health insurance, and health policy. He is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

Caroline Carlin, PhD, Research Investigator, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota

Dr. Carlin’s primary appointment at the University of Minnesota is in the Department of Family Medicine, where she focuses on organization of the health care system and how it impacts patients, quality of care, and resource use. Dr. Carlin’s research leverages her knowledge of the health care and insurance industries, and a thorough understanding of econometrics. Her current research uses MNCM data to study how primary care organization impacts the cost and quality of care, particularly for patients with diabetes. She is also a key collaborator on a research team studying care delivery in traditional fee-for-service Medicare to care delivery in Medicare Advantage plans. Previous work explored the impact of clinic systems being acquired by vertically integrated health care systems, and how integration into a larger system impacts physician prices, referral patterns and quality of care. She earned a PhD in Health Services Research from the University of Minnesota, and subsequently held a faculty position in the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Carlin’s research is informed by her pre-academic career as a health care actuary (earning Fellowship in the Society of Actuaries), and as director of benefits for a national discount retailer.

Liz Cinqueonce, MBA, Chief Operating Officer, MN Community Measurement

Liz Cinqueonce is the Chief Operating Officer for MN Community Measurement, a Twin Cities non-profit focused on health care measurement, reporting, and data strategies to inform improvement. Liz’s professional experience includes service in non-profit executive leadership, health policy, government affairs, and public administration. She previously served as executive vice president/CEO of the Minnesota Pharmacists Association after several years as its vice president of public affairs. Her government experience includes service as executive director for a twelve-county joint powers organization responsible for coordinating care for 28,000 Medicaid enrollees, and five years in management positions at State agencies overseeing business areas focused on health care data management and health information technology. Liz received her MBA from St Catherine University and her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of St. Thomas.

Molly Clark, PharmD, MHA, Vice President Safety, Quality, & Population Health, Allina Health

Molly Clark earned her Doctor of Pharmacy Degree at Drake University, her post-graduate residency at Northwestern Memorial in Chicago and her Master’s in Healthcare Administration from the University of North Carolina. Following her work as a clinical pharmacist, Molly pursued a career in patient safety and quality. For the past 17 years she has had various leadership roles in patient safety and quality. She most recently joined the Allina Health System in 2019 as the new System Vice President for Safety and Quality. She oversees patient safety, quality, clinical programs, infection control, accreditation, and has been leading Allina’s journey to Zero Preventable Harm through the implementation of high reliability. Most recently Molly added the Vice President for Population health and Care Management at Allina to her leadership responsibilities.

Collette Cole, RN, BSN, CPHQ, Clinical Measure Developer, MN Community Measurement

Collette is a measure developer at MN Community Measurement. She has over 30 years’ experience in a variety of health care settings with a significant portion devoted to quality improvement, measure design and reporting. Measurement development work includes depression, chronic disease, orthopedic procedures and oncology. She is passionate about developing and implementing measures that address gaps in patient outcomes. Collette has served as an expert panel member for several patient reported outcome focused groups. Ms. Cole holds a BSN degree in Nursing from the University of Minnesota and is a certified professional in healthcare quality.

Steven Dehmer, PhD, Senior Research Investigator & Health Economist, HealthPartners Institute

Steven Dehmer, PhD is a senior research investigator and health economist at the HealthPartners Institute. He co-leads the Minnesota Care Coordination Effectiveness Study (MNCARES). His research is focused on the economics of disease prevention, with an emphasis on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Using microsimulation modeling, he led the decision analyses conducted to support the U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce recommendations for aspirin published in 2016 and 2022. Dr. Dehmer’s current and past research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. His research has been published in leading journals such as JAMA, Nature, Annals of Internal Medicine, and the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. In 2018, Dr. Dehmer received the Emerging Aspirin Investigator Award from the International Aspirin Foundation. His professional expertise has also been recognized by his service on the Complex Systems Science and Modeling Issue Brief Subcommittee of the Healthy People 2030 initiative and as an expert panelist for the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Dehmer received his Ph.D. in applied economics from the University of Minnesota and holds a B.A. in economics and computer science from Saint John’s University in Minnesota.

Chelsey Doepner, MBA, HEDIS Manager, UCare

As the HEDIS Manager of UCare, Chelsey provides strategy, leadership, and oversight for annual NCQA HEDIS reporting and serves as a HEDIS subject matter expert to all UCare business areas. Chelsey especially oversees all operations for hybrid (medical record) data collection, which is managed in-house at UCare and in driving forward the transition to Electronic Clinical Data Systems (ECDS) reporting through provider EMR exchanges, partnerships with any state HIEs, and strategic year-round medical record review efforts. Chelsey has over 12 years’ experience with health plan and provider quality improvement operations and strategy, 10 of those years with direct HEDIS leadership responsibility.

Chelsey received her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota Duluth in Health Care Management and Economics and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus in Health Care from the University of St. Thomas/Opus School of Business and Entrepreneurship. Chelsey has extensive experience with data management, performance reporting, strategic quality improvement, business applications, outcome management, health information systems, electronic medical records (EMRs), ROI and pay for performance analysis and decision-making, provider/payer/regulator collaboration and vendor management.

Macy Dotty, Clinical Quality Management Analyst, Cuyuna Regional Medical Center

Macy Dotty is a Clinical Quality Management Analyst at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby, MN where she has worked for 2.5 years. She began her career at CRMC upon finishing her schooling at The College of St. Scholastica where she received a double major in Health Information Management and Computer Science. Macy is now furthering her education as she works to complete an MBA with a focus in Leadership and Change. Macy is an active volunteer in most of CRMC’s community projects and is always willing to give her time to help others. Growing up in a small town 30 miles away, Macy knows and understands the importance of the unique healthcare needs to our rural Minnesota communities.

Emily Downing, System Clinical Officer • Population Health, Home Care Services, Health Equity Allina Health, Allina Health

Dr. Downing is a board certified Internist and Geriatrician. She serves as the System Clinical Officer for population health, home care services, and health equity for Allina Health.

Dr Downing graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School, and completed residency in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics Fellowship at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She is passionate about population health, care of seniors, care transitions, end of life care, and delivering care in the home whenever possible. She has developed new models of care in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities and in the home including home based primary care and hospital at home. She serves on the board of directors for Genevive-a Joint venture company between Allina Health and Presbyterian Homes that specializes in valued-base care for frail seniors, and Inbound Health, an Allina Health joint venture company delivery home hospital care services.

Josh Fangmeier, Research Director, Minnesota Management and Budget

Josh Fangmeier is the Research Director for Employee Insurance at Minnesota Management and Budget, where he leads the Population Health team for the State Employee Group Insurance Program (SEGIP). SEGIP provides health insurance benefits to about 130,000 members, including Minnesota state employees and their dependents and is the largest employer group purchaser of health care in Minnesota. He holds a Masters of Public Policy degree from the University of Michigan.

Ellie Hallen, MHA, Director, Population Health | Director, Operations, Allina Integrated Medical Network, Allina Health

Ellie Hallen joined Allina Health in 2015 as an Administrative Fellow, becoming Allina’s Neuroscience Program and Operations Manager for the following 5 years. Since February, 2020, Ellie has served as Director, Population Health, building the capabilities required for achieving success in Allina Health’s population health strategy. In 2021, Ellie took on additional responsibility as Director of Operations, Allina Integrated Medical Network, as well as Program Director for Allina’s Health-Related Social Needs program. Ellie received a Master’s of Healthcare Administration from the University of Minnesota in 2015, and an undergraduate degree from Boston College in Economics and Psychology in 2012.

Tim Hernandez, MD, CEO, Entira Family Clinics, Entira Family Clinics

Tim is a graduate of Carleton College, Mayo Medical School and University of Minnesota Residency programs, St. Johns Hospital. Dr. Hernandez has practiced the full scope of family medicine at his clinic in West St. Paul for almost 35 years. Tim teaches medical students through the Dept. of Family Practice at the University of Minnesota. He has 7 children and (almost) 15 grandchildren and lives in St. Paul.

Pinar Karaca-Mandic, PhD, C. Arthur Williams Jr. Professor of Healthcare Risk Management, University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management

Pinar Karaca-Mandic (she/her), PhD is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and the C. Arthur Williams Jr. Professor in Healthcare Risk Management in the Department of Finance, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. She is also the Founding Director of the Business Advancement Center for Health (BACH), and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. As a health economist, she is passionate about improving “value” and “equity” in healthcare.

Her research contributes to better understanding factors that improve access to safe and effective medical technologies and treatments; identifies the roles of regulations and market-based models in the functioning of the health insurance markets; as well as addresses frictions and social determinants of health through innovations.

Dr. Karaca-Mandic has published over 130 manuscripts in leading economics, medical and health policy journals. Her work was awarded numerous recognitions including 1st place nationally in Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Step-Up App Challenge for her work on a mobile health technology to collect patient reported outcomes, as well as INFORMS Information Systems Society Design Science Award, Innovations That Inspire Award from AACSB and Women's Health Leadership TRUST Award for Community Engagement for her leadership of the University of Minnesota COVID-19 Hospitalization Tracking Project.

She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from University of California at Berkeley, and BA in economics and mathematics, and a concentration in public policy from Swarthmore College.

Jennifer Lamprecht, MS, RN, CNL, CPHQ, Director Quality Strategy, Sanford Health

Jennifer Lamprecht is the Director of Quality Strategy for Sanford Health. She advises executive leadership by analyzing performance across value-based programs and prioritizes areas for improvement. Her team serves as a resource for regulatory reporting, quality and safety measurement, and improvement methods. The Quality Strategy team provides expertise for all healthcare settings as well as education on how to do or coach improvement work using the Sanford Improvement Model. Jennifer has 18 years of healthcare quality experience and earned her Master’s degree and certification as a Clinical Nurse Leader in 2013.

Will Muenchow, Vice President of Technology & Innovation, MN Community Measurement

Will Muenchow is the Vice President of Technology and Innovation at MN Community Measurement (MNCM), a non-profit organization whose mission is to accelerate the improvement of health by publicly reporting health care information. Mr. Muenchow is responsible for the technology leadership, overall strategic planning, organizing, and execution of all information systems, security, and technology functions at MNCM. Will has more 20 years of experience in the Information Technology, Software Development, and Healthcare Interoperability sector. This includes operating a Minnesota certified Health Information Exchange and the development of the Process Intelligence Performance Engine (PIPE). He has worked with both state agencies, private enterprises, and local community providers in the development of better patient outcomes through better data exchange.

Peggy Olson, MAN, RN, Informatics Analyst, Mayo Clinic

Peggy Olson, MAN, RN, has been at Mayo for 18 years, working first as a staff RN in labor and delivery then in ambulatory care OB/GYN. In 2016, she transitioned to quality data and analytics and has been there since. Peggy is also part of an Equity, Inclusion and Diversity subcommittee and is passionate about this work. Ms. Olson received both a bachelors in nursing and master's in nursing leadership at Augsburg University. She and her husband live in Albert Lea, MN and have two adult children and two cats.

Gregg Simonson, PhD, Director, Care Transformation and Training, International Diabetes Center, HealthPartners Institute

Gregg D. Simonson, PhD, is currently the director of Care Transformation and Training at International Diabetes Center, part of HealthPartners Institute. He also holds an academic appointment as an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Family Practice and Community Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School and is responsible for ensuring that family practice residents understand how to provide evidence-based diabetes care and education.

Dr. Simonson earned his doctorate in molecular cell biology and biochemistry at the University of Minnesota. He held a post-doctoral research position at the University of Wisconsin Children’s Diabetes Center and was awarded a Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellowship for his research on diabetes gene therapy. As Director of Care Transformation and Training, Dr. Simonson oversees development of the Ambulatory Glucose Profile (AGP) Report, quality improvement projects with emphasis on integrating continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data into the electronic medical record and the development of continuing education programs for healthcare and industry professionals. His research interests include translation of research into clinical practice through creation of evidence-based algorithms, practice guidelines, and education resources.

Dr. Simonson is a member of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and Minnesota Department of Health Diabetes CVD and Diabetes Plan Leadership Team. He was the recipient of the 2015 Bruce Zimmerman Diabetes Award by the Minnesota Department of Health for leadership in promoting diabetes care, education, and prevention. He has authored many original articles published in peer-reviewed journals and has presented abstracts of his research at numerous national and international scientific meetings.

Leif Solberg, Family Physician and Researcher, Senior Investigator, HealthPartners Institute

Dr. Solberg has combined patient care and quality improvement research over a long career in Minnesota, spending the last 30 years at HealthPartners Institute. He has published more than 300 papers and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2017, but is most proud of his work with care systems to learn how to improve care for patients.

Wendy St. Peter, PharmD, Professor, University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy

Dr. Wendy St. Peter is a Professor in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree and adult medicine fellowship from the University of Texas Health Science Center. She was a clinical pharmacist at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis where she provided medication therapy management for patients with kidney diseases. Dr. St. Peter’s career has been focused on improving medication management and drug safety in patients with kidney disease. She conducts health outcomes research using Medicare and other datasets. She is a co-investigator with the United States Renal Data System (USRDS). She has served on several national technical expert panels for medication-related safety and quality measurement and served on the Board of Directors of the Kidney Health Initiative as well as on the National Kidney Foundation-American Society of Nephrology eGFR and race Taskforce.

Julie Sonier, MPA, President and CEO, MN Community Measurement

Julie Sonier, MPA is President and CEO of MN Community Measurement (MNCM), a multi-stakeholder nonprofit that empowers health care decision makers with data to improve health care quality, affordability, and equity. Ms. Sonier has 25 years of experience in health care policy and reforms to improve health care cost, quality, and access and joined MNCM as its President and CEO in 2017. At MNCM, she has led a strategic focus on leveraging MNCM’s strengths as a convener and as a trusted source of data to make measurement more meaningful, timely, and actionable in ways that support better health care quality, affordability, and health equity. Ms. Sonier experience prior to joining MNCM includes serving as Director of Minnesota’s State Employee Group Insurance Program, the largest employer purchaser of health care in Minnesota; as Deputy Director of the State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health, where she worked with states across the nation on developing and implementing health care reforms to improve health care access, cost, and quality; and as Director of the Health Economics Program at the Minnesota Department of Health, where she helped to lead development and implementation of major state health policy initiatives. Ms. Sonier holds a master’s degree in public affairs with a concentration in economics from Princeton University, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Amherst College.

Mark Steffen, MD, MPH, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

As Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Dr. Mark Steffen oversees medical management strategies that encompass the organization’s medical policies, clinical programs, community health, and health equity initiatives. He serves as the Chair of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Board and is a board member on the Minnesota Community Measures Board.

Dr. Steffen came to Blue Cross in 2018 from Humana, where he focused on population health and value-based care. Previously, he spent five years at the Mayo Clinic as a medical director within Preventive, Occupational and Aerospace Medicine. Dr. Steffen’s started his clinical career at Fairview Red Wing Medical Center where he practiced rural primary care and was the medical director for employee health and wellness.

He has board certifications in Family Medicine, Preventive Medicine, and Occupational Medicine. He received both his medical degree and master’s in public health from the University of Minnesota.