James A. Hester, Ph.D. is the Director of the Health Care Reform Commission for the Vermont state legislature. The commission is charged with overseeing the implementation of a comprehensive package of health reform legislation passed since 2006 and recommending the long term strategy to ensure that all Vermonter’s have access to affordable, quality health care. The three major themes of Vermont’s reform strategy are reducing the number of uninsured, accelerating the availability and secure exchange of electronic health information, and improving the performance of the delivery system. The delivery system reforms currently include a statewide enhanced medical home program and the development of pilot community health systems based on the ACO concept.

Dr. Hester has 35 years experience in the health care field, and has held senior management positions with MVP Healthcare in Vermont, ChoiceCare in Cincinnati, Pilgrim Health Care in Boston, and Tufts Medical Center in Boston. He began his managed care career as Director of Applied Research for the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Los Angeles, California.

Dr. Hester earned his Ph.D. in urban studies, and his M.S. and B.S. degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics, all from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has a continuing interest in health services research and teaching, and has held faculty appointments at the University of Vermont, University of Cincinnati, Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Massachusetts. He has served on the boards of Vermont Information Technology Leaders (VITL), the Vermont Program for Quality Health Care, UVM’s College of Nursing and Health Science, the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce, and is a former member of the Vermont Business Roundtable. He and his family live in Jericho, Vermont where he pursues his hobbies of backpacking, photography and cross country skiing.
 

In addition, Susan has extensive experience with the valuation, financial analysis, and
projection of healthcare services for several state public health insurance (Medicaid)
programs.

Prior to rejoining Milliman, Susan worked at Andersen LLP and Ernst & Young, LLP.
Susan serves on the Society of Actuaries’ Education and Examination Committee.
Susan serves as Chair of the Health Section Council of the Society of Actuaries.
Susan is also a member of the American Academy of Actuaries’ Health Care Quality
Workgroup.
 

Elizabeth H. Hammond, M.D. FCAP, is Executive Editor of Amirsys' pathology division. Dr. Hammond, a pioneering pathologist and medical researcher, is the recipient of the 2005 Pathologist of the Year Award, the highest award given by the College of American Pathologists In addition to her clinical responsibilities in immunopathology, molecular pathology, transplantation pathology, and diagnostic electron microscopy, Dr. Hammond has devoted much of her life to collaborative clinical research in cardiac transplantation and predictive cancer factor testing. She is the current and past principal investigator of numerous local and federally sponsored grants and contracts. She is the author of 150 original articles in peer-reviewed journals, as well as several books and book chapters. She has presented numerous conferences and symposia related to her clinical and research interests, and she continues to teach medical students, pathology residents, and cardiology fellows. Named among the "Foremost Women of the Twentieth Century," Dr. Hammond has been applauded for her accomplishments on numerous lists, including "Notable American Women," "Notable Americans," "Personalities of the World," "Community Leaders of America" and "Best Doctors in America."

Dr. Hammond is also Professor of Pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine and Associate Professor of Internal Medicine (Cardiology) at the University of Utah School of Medicine. She is also the Chairman of the Department of Pathology at LDS Hospital and Urban Central Region, Intermountain Health Care in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has an active pathology practice in renal and cardiac pathology. Her primary transplant interest is immunopathology of heart and kidney allografts, particularly relating to humoral immune responses. She was one of the pathologists who developed the International Society of Heart and Lung Tranplantation grading schema for cardiac allograft rejection in 1990. She has written extensively on her experience with the Utah Cardiac Transplant Program. She and her colleagues reported the first prospective series of patients with humorally mediated acute vascular rejection of the cardiac allograft. She is the author of 125 original publications and 14 book chapters.

 

Dr. Kanel is the Chief Medical and Learning Officer for the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and its supporting organizations. He is an internal medicine physician with over 20 years of clinical and administrative experience in prominent academic medical centers and progressive integrated delivery systems.

He was previously Chief of General Internal Medicine at Allegheny General Hospital, where he co-founded one of the region’s first hospitalist services and was director of its primary care training program. Dr. Kanel later led successful quality and patient safety initiatives at the UPMC Health System.

He has served on the faculties of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the Drexel University College of Medicine, and the Carnegie Mellon H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management. For the last 12 years he has been named to the Best Doctors in America list, and has been cited multiple times as a “Top Doctor” by Pittsburgh Magazine. Dr. Kanel is the author of multiple articles and textbook chapters on topics ranging from patient safety to electronic health information technology. His focus areas will include quality improvement, health delivery systems, and payment policy. He received his MD from the University of Pittsburgh and his MHCM from Harvard University.