Trailblazers
The City & State Trailblazers in Healthcare 2026
Meet the physicians, advocates and visionaries keeping Pennsylvania, and its mighty healthcare sector, healthy.
Dawn Diamond, Marc Giordano & Rhonda Mims Woods; Provided; AmeriHealth Caritas
From medical breakthroughs that shine a global spotlight on Philadelphia’s powerhouse research hubs to community-based care expanding to serve Pennsylvania’s rural swaths, the commonwealth can be proud of its notably innovative healthcare sector. The figures honored on this year’s Trailblazers in Healthcare list not only find new ways to care for Pennsylvanians – they also tend the health of one of the state’s marquee industries, keeping the commonwealth on the medical cutting edge.
Heidi Beilis
As vice president and chief medical officer for WellSpan Health's diagnostic service line, Heidi Beilis oversees imaging, laboratory services and rehabilitation medicine for patients throughout South-Central Pennsylvania and Northern Maryland, with more than 2,000 employees under her purview. The Jefferson-trained doctor, a graduate of WellSpan Health's Physician Leadership Academy, also leads the Medical Executive Committee and the medical staff at WellSpan York Hospital, where she is an attending radiologist. Beilis is also a longtime supporter of pediatric food allergy research at Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
Amanda Bertino
Amanda Bertino ensures both practice and technology are as efficient as possible at St. Luke’s University Health Network’s Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery division, where she is director of operations. She led the successful integration of an acquired oral and maxillofacial surgery practice, helped guide the implementation of Epic across the service line, and has driven operational growth through practice expansion initiatives and multi-site physician partnerships. For her work, she received St. Luke’s Physician Group's Serving with Heart Award.
Ward Blackwell
Ward Blackwell has led the Pennsylvania Dental Association since 2020, when he steered the organization through the pandemic. He has since overseen the profitable sale of the association’s insurance agency; the merger of the Pennsylvania Dental Foundation with the MOM-n-PA dental clinics, which expanded care to underserved populations; and development of new member benefits and outreach. A crusader for improved access to oral health care and better dental insurance reimbursement rates in the commonwealth, Blackwell previously was executive director of the Louisiana Dental Association.
Bernard Boulanger
As chief physician executive for Tower Health, Dr. Bernard Boulanger guides clinical strategy, urgent care, academic affairs, the Tower Health Medical Group and independent physician affiliations for the four-hospital Southeast Pennsylvania health system. He has played a key role in Tower Health’s recent turnaround, including measures to stabilize finances, grow the workforce, improve productivity and patient access, and restructure clinical programs. The trauma surgeon joined Tower in 2022 from Cleveland, where he held medical and administrative leadership roles with MetroHealth and Case Western Reserve University.
Neil Brown
From hospital systems to small practices, healthcare attorney Neil Brown helps industry clients at Jackson Kelly, where he is a member. He advises on regulatory and operational matters involving privacy and security, health care fraud and abuse, Medicare and Medicaid, and compliance with federal and state health care laws. Brown’s corporate and transactional practice includes conducting due diligence of healthcare entities – including, recently, a large-scale review in conjunction with a major acquisition.
Rosemary Brown
Earlier this year, state Sen. Rosemary Brown’s midwifery modernization legislation was signed into law, marking a milestone for maternal healthcare access in the commonwealth. The Northeast Pennsylvania Republican, who founded and co-chairs the Senate’s first Mental Health Caucus, has made healthcare a cornerstone of her efforts in the Capitol, where she served six terms in the state House of Representatives. Elected to the Senate in 2022, she chairs the Community, Economic & Recreational Development Committee and serves on the Governor's Advisory Commission on Women.
James Case
As a principal in KPMG's Healthcare Advisory practice, James Case specializes in rural health transformation, advising clients on one of the top challenges facing Pennsylvania's healthcare sector: financing quality care across the mostly rural commonwealth. Case speaks locally and nationally on the topic, and counsels stakeholders including providers, insurers and municipalities. He holds a master's degree in health sciences from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Michael Chirieleison
Known for his expertise on Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program and the health care regulatory environment, Michael Chirieleison is a partner and managing director at DeBrunner & Associates. Along with his government relations and policy team, he is championing state legislation to bolster safety-net hospitals amid uncertain federal funding. He’s also focused on raising awareness of the commonwealth's Living Independence for the Elderly long-term services program and directs the Pennsylvania LIFE Provider Alliance, while serving as president of the Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania.
Arielle Chortanoff
Arielle Chortanoff leads state-level advocacy for The Hospital And Healthsystem Association Of Pennsylvania, which represents hundreds of healthcare institutions and facilities throughout the Commonwealth. She brings an extensive background in health insurance and policy to the role, which she assumed in 2024, having previously led government affairs for Independence Blue Cross and, before that, for Highmark and Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania. She holds an MBA from Wilkes University.
Maria Collett
A nurse by training, Maria Collett has represented Montgomery County since 2018 and currently chairs the Pennsylvania Democratic Caucus. As minority chair of the Senate Aging & Youth Committee, she championed a Medicaid rate change that increased nursing home funding by $81 million; she also sponsored legislation around paid family and medical leave, reducing out-of-pocket preventive-care costs and curbing private e equity in medicine. She serves on the Pennsylvania Rare Disease Advisory Council and previously, as a deputy attorney general, advocated for children’s rights.
Gina H. Curry
State Rep. Gina Curry is a leading advocate for women’s health in the House of Representatives, where she co-founded the Pennsylvania Black Maternal Health Caucus. She has advanced four related bills to the governor's desk, including legislation to expand midwifery and to mandate coverage for blood pressure monitors during pregnancy and postpartum. Elected in 2021 to serve Delaware County, she co-chairs the Pennsylvania Women's Health Caucus and leads breast cancer awareness initiatives in underserved communities.
Dawn Diamond
Dawn Diamond has devoted nearly 30 years to serving underserved populations with the Woods System of Care, where she is the chief operating officer. During her tenure, she expanded primary and oral healthcare services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through new community-based primary care clinics and a special-needs dental clinic. She also coordinated the development of an outpatient behavioral health clinic and a 42-unit attainable housing complex with units for individuals with disabilities, and is currently spearheading an inpatient adult psychiatric micro-hospital.
Maria Montoro Edwards
Dr. Maria Montoro Edwards joined Maternal and Family Health Services in 2020, leading the Northeast Pennsylvania organization with a focus on equity, inclusion and responsiveness to community needs. She oversaw the launch of the state’s first comprehensive maternity medical home, Circle of Care in Lackawanna County, which has become a model for improving maternal and infant health outcomes and the foundation for the organization’s expansion. Edwards also co-chairs the Perinatal Action Collaborative and is a member of the Pennsylvania Maternal Mortality Review Committee.
Jay S. Feldstein
For a dozen years, Dr. Jay Feldstein has steered the multi-state expansion of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, his 1981 alma mater, which now boasts three campuses, community healthcare centers and annual revenues exceeding $200 million. His tenure has seen record philanthropic growth, including a $62 million campaign – as well as a major increase in research funding, with new grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He previously held senior executive and medical roles with AmeriHealth Caritas and Aetna.
Stephen P. Fera
Stephen Fera has built a 35-year career at Independence Blue Cross, his hometown health insurance company, which he joined shortly after earning his MBA from St. Joseph University. Now executive vice president for public affairs and president of government markets, he counts among his career highlights the rollout of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a hugely successful offering, and the launch of the IBX Foundation, which has delivered significant community impact. The lifelong Philadelphian is currently focused on maximizing value for Independence’s Medicare customers.
Ann Flood
Galvanized by the death of her four-year-old daughter from a birth brain injury, state Rep. Ann Flood has championed well-being both in and outside of the state Capitol. She brings that focus to her roles on the Appropriations, Insurance and Human Services Committees – including co-chairing the Mental Health Subcommittee – championing recent measures around health insurance coverage, newborn genetic testing, cancer awareness and elder abuse. The Northampton County Republican, who launched a foundation on behalf of brain-injured children, serves on the Governor's Advisory Commission on Women.
Keith Frndak
Over nearly a half century, Keith Frndak has steered Concordia Lutheran Ministries from a modest nursing home into a $300 million aging services provider driven by Christian social mission. As CEO of Concordia, which is based in Cabot and serves patients throughout Butler County and the Pittsburgh region, he now oversees more than 3,300 employees who care for some 50,000 clients annually.
Zachary Gates
Zachary Gates joined the Pennsylvania Medical Society as a government relations analyst after graduating from Shippensburg University in 2019. Now senior director of government relations, he has played an instrumental role in championing medical legislation, including regulations around physician contracts and an update of the commonwealth’s midwifery standards. He has also helped secure millions of dollars in state funding for primary care, and serves as the executive director of the Pennsylvania Medical Political Action Committee.
David Gibbons
Longtime UPMC executive David Gibbons has led UPMC's Health Services division since 2013. As regional president, he oversees three of the Pittsburgh-based health system’s five regions: Northwest Pennsylvania and New York, North-Central Pennsylvania and Central Pennsylvania. He previously served as president of UPMC Hamot, where he steered the largest capital project in the facility's history, a $111 million medical tower. Before that, Gibbons, who holds a master’s in health administration from St. Joseph’s University, led UPMC Northwest in Venango County.
Terry Gilliland
Since 2024, Terry Gilliland has served as president and CEO of Geisinger, a 10-hospital academic health system serving Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania. Under his leadership, Geisinger generates $10 billion in annual revenue, serves half a million members through Geisinger Health Plan, and has about 5,000 students at its College of Health Sciences. A surgeon by training, Gilliland has held leadership roles with Kaiser Permanente, Blue Shield of California, and, most recently, was the medical and science chief for Cogitativo, a health-focused artificial intelligence outfit.
Marc Giordano
As CEO, Marc Giordano brings a data-driven, community-focused approach to PA Health & Wellness, where he previously headed operations. Thanks to a partnership he spearheaded with Comcast – one of numerous strategic collaborations – his members now have broadband-enabled access to assistive technology and telemedicine services, improving both care delivery and member outcomes. Giordano, a veteran of Medicaid and Medicare managed care organizations, previously held senior leadership roles with Centene's MaryThankland Managed Services Organization and Conifer Health.
Nadia Glenn
Nadia Glenn brings 20 years of healthcare leadership experience to CVS Health and Aetna Better Health of Pennsylvania, where she assumed the top job this year. An expert in managed care, public health and government healthcare programs – including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – Glenn believes that healthcare is a fundamental human right and is dedicated to health equity, quality care access and the member experience. She is active with the National Association to Advance Black Birth.
Stacy Gromlich
An associate with Malady & Wooten, Stacy Gromlich focuses on issues affecting Pennsylvania’s healthcare industry, including healthcare access, behavioral health legislation, Medicaid policy changes, and workforce and safety. Most recently, she has championed measures to bolster rural healthcare and expand Pennsylvania’s Cancer Drug Repository Program. She began her career 25 years ago as an intern for a state representative and honed her skills as a research analyst for the House Health and Human Services Committee.
Zhi Huang
Zhi Huang is an assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, where he conducts research to develop artificial intelligence technologies used for disease diagnosis, computational pathology and precision medicine. He founded the TissueLab at Penn, an agentic AI system for medical image analysis. His research has been published in Nature, Nature Medicine, and Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Said Ibrahim
As dean of Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Dr. Said Ibrahim is leading an expansion into the Lehigh Valley and Delaware, with two new regional campuses. He also established the college’s Clinical and Translational Science Center and serves as president of Jefferson University Physicians. A scholar of racial disparities in joint replacement, Ibrahim is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the Philadelphia College of Physicians and the associate editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association Health Forum.
C. Frank Igwe
Dr. C. Frank Igwe presides over one of the commonwealth’s most visible health success stories: Moravia Health, the Philadelphia-based agency he launched in 2012 and has since expanded across 21 states. Igwe now oversees a fast-growing outfit with 7,000 employees, thousands of patients annually and top quality rankings. He is also the vision behind Moravia Cares, the nonprofit organization that gives back to his home community through philanthropic initiatives for underserved Philadelphia youth and their communities.
Amid Ibrahim Ismail
Temple University’s Kornberg School of Dentistry owes a good deal of its rising visibility and prestige to Dr. Amid Ibrahim Ismail, the longtime dean and the Laura H. Carnell Professor of Dentistry. Over just a decade, he spearheaded new oral health research that helped Temple vault from no NIH funding to ranking 24th in federal research grants. Ismail’s tenure has also seen the expansion of dental services for low-income residents across the region and the development of a novel residential-academic model in Tamaqua.
Louis P. Kassa III
Lou Kassa serves as CEO of the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, the Hepatitis B Foundation and the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, where he is also president; previously, he served as the organizations’ chief operating officer. In partnership with Brandywine Realty Trust, Kassa led the 2022 launch of B+labs, a Philadelphia incubator; he also opened a $20 million Doylestown laboratory facility. He founded the Biotechnology Center's $50 million regional venture capital fund, and established the center’s Academic Innovation Zone with a $5 million state grant.
Jason Kavulich
When Gov. Josh Shapiro appointed Jason Kavulich to be Pennsylvania's secretary of aging, he tapped a quarter-century veteran of the increasingly important sector. Kavulich is guiding the administration's 10-year strategic plan for managing the state's geriatric demographic trend, "Aging Our Way," while managing investment in Pennsylvania's Area Agencies on Aging and upgrades in transportation, housing and services for the commonwealth's seniors. He previously directed the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging and the PA Association of Area Agencies on Aging.
Deborah Lee-Sanko
Deborah Lee-Sanko is the executive director of the Lake Erie Consortium for Academic Excellence, guiding a 40-hospital graduate medical education consortium affiliated with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. A social worker by training and the recipient of a master’s in healthcare services administration from LECOM, Lee-Sanko has helped facilitate the growth of the Erie-based private medical college over nearly three decades, including guiding its accreditation and most recently serving as designated institutional official.
Kim Lira
Kim Lira, Southwood's CEO, joined the psychiatric hospital as an inpatient behavioral health associate in 2003 and has held the top job since 2019, having also served as a case manager, chief operations officer and program director. A University of Pittsburgh Health sciences graduate who also studied counseling at Carlow University, she steers the growth of a Western Pennsylvania institution providing behavioral healthcare for children and adolescents.
Kevin Mahoney
Since 2019, Kevin Mahoney has steered the University of Pennsylvania Health System, the clinical enterprise of Penn Medicine. Currently, the CEO is driving a major expansion across the region – including new facilities in Doylestown, Montgomeryville and Princeton as well as Philadelphia – and spearheading technology-driven innovations to streamline services and improve care for Penn Medicine’s 8.5 million annual visitors. Mahoney also co-founded the Fund for Health with the Wharton School, which invests in startups focused on strengthening the region’s social determinants of health.
Alex McNeill
Proud Pennsylvanian, parent, artist and reproductive-rights advocate Alex McNeill is the health center manager in abortion services at Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania, where she has held myriad administrative and clinical positions since 2012. McNeill led the expansion of abortion services access to meet surging regional demand for abortion after the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade. A graduate of Slippery Rock University and recipient of its “Woman of Distinction” award, she frequently volunteers at Planned Parenthood events.
Michael McShane
Dr. Michael McShane serves as the assistant director of core clinical medicine for Penn State College of Medicine's University Park Regional Campus. Based in Centre County, the Penn State Medical graduate is also the site leader for the college's Rural Health Scholars Program, as well as an associate professor of medicine. Trained in internal medicine, he joined Penn State Health in 2020 and holds a master's in education from Harvard University.
Rhonda Mims
Rhonda Mims serves as executive vice president for public affairs and risk at AmeriHealth Caritas, the national managed-care organization serving millions of members across 13 states and Washington, D.C. A senior legal executive and corporate governance expert, she recently supervised an integrated governance and communications model at AmeriHealth Caritas and has led similar large-scale projects across other national organizations, including WellCare Health Plans. As chair of the AmeriHealth Caritas Foundation, Mims led its 2025 national public launch, overseeing $2 million in grants to 16 nonprofits.
Johnny Patterson
At the intersection of the public and private sectors, Johnny J. Patterson II serves as senior vice president of government relations for Genesis HealthCare, leading state and federal advocacy and shaping key legislation. His successful advocacy has spanned Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regulatory policy, and long-term care – including work on efforts to pass the staffing mandate rule and regulatory relief for the post-acute care sector. Patterson previously held executive roles at Independence Care Group and Patriot Home Care.
Garry Pezzano
At the helm of LeadingAge PA is Garry Pezzano, a speech-language pathologist by training who now represents 400 aging services providers across Pennsylvania. As CEO, he created the LeadingAge PA Innovations Committee to promote a collaborative approach to high-quality senior care. He also champions industry-friendly state and local policy – including, recently, a historic state funding floor for nursing home reimbursement rates. Pezzano’s 30 years in post-acute care include leadership at Genesis Healthcare and serving as president of the National Association for Long-Term Care.
Camille Ragin
At Fox Chase Cancer Center, Camille Ragin is the associate director for research into cancer disparities, teaches in the Cancer Prevention and Control Program and serves as principal investigator for the African Caribbean Cancer Consortium. Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, she holds a master's of public health in epidemiology and a doctorate in infectious diseases and microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a recipient of multiple National Institutes of Health grants for her work investigating the genomic basis and racial disparities around cancer.
Brian Rath
Seasoned healthcare attorney Brian Rath is a shareholder in the Philadelphia and Princeton offices of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. He serves as counsel for healthcare entities, including nursing homes, hospitals, and long-term care facilities, providing representation for a variety of regulatory, legal, and financial matters. The Georgetown Law graduate is also a longtime volunteer with the Immune Deficiency Foundation, where he serves as a board member.
Luke Rayman
Luke Rayman directs grassroots advocacy for the Alzheimer's Association’s six-state Central East region. Informed by his faith, he advocates for legislation to increase early disease detection, invest in dementia research and support caregivers. His accomplishments include securing Harrisburg lawmakers’ backing for federal dementia research funding; championing the creation of the Pennsylvania Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Office; and building support within the Pennsylvania congressional delegation for priorities like the Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention Act.
Shelley Riser
Shelley Riser assumed the helm of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers in 2024, leading a statewide movement toward locally based, affordable healthcare that responds to community needs. In the role, she represents some 300 Federally Qualified Health Centers, rural health clinics and similar care sites around the commonwealth that collectively serve more than 1 million Pennsylvanians. A nurse by training, Riser holds a master’s in health administration and previously served as chief clinical officer for Ovation Healthcare.
Miko Rose
Dr. Miko Rose joined Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2023 as its founding dean. She achieved pre-accreditation in just 10 months, spearheaded recruitment of staff and students, and secured a network of clinical training sites in underserved communities. Board-certified in psychiatry and neurology and an elected fellow of the American College of Neuropsychiatrists, Rose previously founded and directed the Joy Initiative Wellness Program at Michigan State University’s medical schools.
Brad Rostolsky
Brad Rostolsky is a Philadelphia-based shareholder in the Health Care & FDA Practice at Greenberg Traurig, where he specializes in healthcare regulatory and transactional matters. His clients include hospitals, health insurers, pharmacies, long-term care facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturers and medical device companies. Regularly listed in compendia of top healthcare lawyers, Rostolsky is sought after for his knowledge of HIPAA, privacy, cybersecurity and related compliance. He is a graduate of Duquesne's Kline School of Law and holds a master's in public health from Emory University.
David Saunders
David Saunders has served as Pennsylvania’s director of health equity since 2016, leading racial equity work and advancing a 10-goal action plan to reduce disparities in healthcare and health outcomes. With over 30 years of nonprofit leadership experience in education, public health and youth development, he has led statewide initiatives addressing health inequities, collaborated with officials at multiple levels and developed programs for underserved communities. In 2020, he coordinated a comprehensive COVID‑19 response focused on vulnerable populations and produced 60 mitigation recommendations.
Ben Schmerin
Ben Schmerin leads the healthcare portfolio in the greater Pennsylvania region for Slalom, a national health consultancy where he advises health system leadership on strategy, patient experience, organizational change and technology upgrades. For large academic medical centers, he has led multi-year initiatives around contact-center modernization and digital front-door redesign, with measurably improved outcomes. His digital initiatives aim to better connect patients with care, bringing together data, AI, and customer experience to match patients with the right clinician and personalize their healthcare journeys.
Andrew Sharp
Andrew Sharp recently joined CVS Health as the leader of state government relations for Pennsylvania and other Northeastern states, representing the company's pharmacy, health insurance and healthcare services businesses. He previously led state government affairs for Penn Medicine, advancing legislative and regulatory priorities around patient care, research and medical education for one of the nation's premier academic health systems. Sharp, who once led external affairs for several state departments, more recently advised transition teams for Gov. Josh Shapiro and Attorney General Dave Sunday.
Jennifer Sheller
Jennifer Sheller is senior vice president and head of global clinical trial operations at Merck, leading a multinational team responsible for the company’s clinical trial portfolio. Since assuming the role in 2024, she has advanced the adoption of digital and AI-enabled capabilities across clinical operations, improving speed, quality and innovation. She has also led R&D efforts for major acquisitions including VelosBio, Peloton Therapeutics and Acceleron Pharma. She serves on the Executive Committee for the Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center of Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard.
Michael Siget
Since 2021, Michael Siget has served the Pennsylvania House GOP Caucus as executive director and counsel for the House Health Committee. He co-authored EMS regulations and is also responsible for writing legislation on out-of-state clinic laboratory licensure, substance scheduling, and temporary healthcare services agencies. The Pitt Law graduate previously served as senior legal counsel to the Pennsylvania Medical Society and as an assistant counsel with the state Department of Health; he currently directs the board of the Central Dauphin School District.
Jarrett Smith
Jarrett Smith represents healthcare workers across the Greater Philadelphia region as the political director for District 1199C. Previously with SEIU, he has helped lead statewide campaigns that secured hundreds of millions of dollars in investments benefiting healthcare workers – including $300 million in recurring Medicaid funding – along with passing safe staffing regulations for nursing homes and defeating efforts to expand private school voucher programs. An Executive Board member of the Patient Health Access Network, Smith also lends his singer-songwriter talents to labor rallies around Philadelphia.
Laura Spadaro
Laura Spadaro oversees primary care and public health policy at The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, where she is a vice president and chief policy officer. Her advocacy helped increase annual federal funding for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program by $50 million. A former executive advisor to the state secretary of health, she also recently helped advance $5 million in funding for community health center infrastructure.
Mark Stephens
At Penn State College of Medicine’s University Park Regional Campus, Associate Dean Mark Stephens serves as a professor of humanities and family and community medicine. He leads initiatives to expand healthcare access across rural Pennsylvania. These include a primary-care medic initiative, based on the military-medic framework Stephens saw as a family physician with the U.S. Navy, and LION Mobile, a platform that brings health education and screening to underserved communities. He is also Pennsylvania’s champion for the 100 Million Mouths Campaign for oral healthcare.
Dan Tropeano
As the market president of Highmark Blue Shield in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Dan Tropeano has led the health insurer’s 2024 entrance into the region, growing commercial and individual ACA membership to nearly 200,000, approximately 8% of market share. He also works to boost Highmark’s statewide presence and community focus, including a $6 million investment in 70-plus nonprofit and civic organizations throughout Southeast Pennsylvania. Tropeano joined Highmark after a 17-year tenure with UnitedHealth Group, most recently overseeing its pharmacy benefit management subsidiary, OptumRx.
Nicholas Wachinski
Veteran attorney and lobbyist Nicholas Wachinski is a partner at ERG Partners, a Harrisburg-based government affairs and strategic communications firm. With a specialty in healthcare advocacy as well as insurance and criminal justice, Wachinski is known for his successful efforts around health insurance policy, including prior authorization reform and coverage for disease biomarker testing. A familiar face around the Capitol, the Lehigh Valley native holds a business degree from Slippery Rock University and is a graduate of Widener Law.
Robin Ward
As Penn Medicine’s associate vice president for digital products & technology, Robin Ward leverages her data and analytics background to simplify complex healthcare journeys and transform how patients navigate care. She led the development of Penn Medicine's “digital front door,” uniting the health system’s disparate websites for easier site navigation, online scheduling and faster care access; she also spearheaded AI-enabled service models to improve the patient experience. Ward is also a co-founder, past president and longtime volunteer with Girls on the Run Philadelphia.
Nicholas Wojdak
The commonwealth’s healthcare policy and legislation is an area of expertise for Nicholas Wojdak, who serves as a market development manager for Pennsylvania Legislative Services – a Harrisburg-based outfit providing research, analysis and news tracking for policy developments in the commonwealth. Wojdak is a political science and government graduate of Trinity College in Hartford and joined Pennsylvania Legislative Services this past January.
Baligh Yehia
As president of Jefferson Health, Baligh Yehia oversees a multi-state nonprofit system and academic medical center with 33 hospitals and a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Aiming to make Jefferson Health the nation’s most accessible system, he has substantially grown patient volume through initiatives including virtual primary care – adding 500 new patients monthly – and a program connecting newly diagnosed patients with an oncologist within 48 hours. In addition, Yehia’s AI initiative has returned 10 million hours to clinicians, reducing administrative burden and enhancing care.
Angela Zaydon
Angela Zaydon directs government affairs for the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, advocating for long-term care providers and for sustainable funding for nursing homes and their vulnerable populations. A graduate of the Widener University School of Law, Zaydon is known for building coalitions and driving bipartisan consensus. Her extensive work in healthcare legislation includes securing Pennsylvania’s long-term care funding floor, a historic victory for the sector that ensures hundreds of millions of dollars to stabilize skilled nursing facilities' finances.
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