Comagine Health Names New Executive Directors - New Roles are Poised for Strong Local Collaboration

SALT LAKE CITY, March 13, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Comagine Health, a leading national nonprofit health care consulting firm, recently named several state executive directors. Following the merger between Qualis Health and HealthInsight, Marc Bennett, Comagine Health's president and chief executive officer, recognized that a clear focus on local relationships and community engagement is needed to achieve the organization's mission and vision. This move supports Comagine Health's commitment to a heightened level of collaboration with local partners.

"Comagine Health is committed to reimagining health care, together," Bennett said. "To do this, we need to partner closely with health care stakeholders in our communities and work side by side. Our executive directors in Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington have deep connections in their communities and a strong understanding of the health care landscape in their states. This combined with their in-depth industry knowledge will enhance our ability to transform the health care system starting at the local level."

The executive directors serve lead roles in convening stakeholders in health care quality improvement efforts and contribute to corporate strategies, including regional business development. Additionally, they will be a part of a team engaging nursing homes, health systems, home health agencies, hospitals, primary care and specialty providers, community organizations, and patients and their families in the Partnership to Reimagine Health Care, a new initiative to improve care for people with Medicare.

The state executive directors are:

Linda Rowe, Idaho – Rowe has worked in several settings of the health care industry including inpatient and ambulatory care as a clinic nurse. She spent 20 years of her career as a director for Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, where she was responsible for strategic and operational leadership for senior health services, women's and children's services and behavioral health. A visionary leader, she is a passionate about improving health care in her community.

Kevin Kennedy, Nevada – With more than 25 years of service with the organization, Kennedy brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this expanded role. He has served in various capacities, including health care analyst, senior vice president of Nevada operations, and senior vice president of corporate operations, where he oversaw the management of several federal and local quality improvement contracts. He is well-known and widely connected in his community.

James Silva, New Mexico – Silva brings more than 28 years of experience in health care leadership. His previous positions include executive director of clinical operations at the University of New Mexico (UNM) Medical Group; administrator of the heart service line at Presbyterian Healthcare Services; and vice president of business development at Heart Hospital of New Mexico. He has served on numerous local boards, including the Heart Hospital of New Mexico Foundation and the UNM Lobo Club, and he is a member of the National Association for Healthcare Quality.

Meredith Roberts, Oregon – Roberts previously served as a senior program director working with total cost of care and payment reform programs. She has strong relationships with a wide array of health care leaders in the state. Prior to joining Comagine Health, she was an administrative fellow and manager of clinical planning at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. She also served as an employee benefits manager for a large self-insured employer and as a consultant. She is an active volunteer with Kaiser Permanente's hospice program and serves on various alumni committees.

Joan Gallegos, Utah – A skilled leader with more than 30 years of experience in health care management, Gallegos had been serving as the community engagement director of Comagine Health's Utah office. She is a leader in the patient and family advisory arena and was part of the team that launched an award-winning patient and family advisory council in Utah. Her previous roles include executive director of the Utah Health Care Association and director of the Division of Health Care Financing (Medicaid) at the Utah Department of Health. She has also served on numerous local boards.

Lisa Packard, Washington – Packard is a leader in developing equity programming in communities. She previously served as Comagine Health's senior director of community engagement as well as directed the community engagement, quality and safety initiatives in Idaho and Washington. Her background includes positions in research at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as a licensed acupuncturist, and with the Regional Extension Center, which helped health care providers with adoption and meaningful use of electronic health records.

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About Comagine Health
Comagine Health, formerly Qualis Health and HealthInsight, works collaboratively with patients, providers, payers and other stakeholders to reimagine, redesign and implement sustainable improvements in the health care system. As a trusted, neutral party, we work in our communities to address key, complex health and health care delivery problems. In all our engagements and initiatives, we draw upon our expertise in quality improvement, care management, health information technology, analytics and research. We invite our partners and communities to work with us to improve health and redesign the health care delivery system. For more information, please visit comagine.org.

Join the Partnership to Reimagine Health Care
Comagine Health is leading a new initiative to improve care for people with Medicare. We're working together with nursing homes, health systems, home health agencies, hospitals, primary care and specialty providers, community organizations, and patients and their families. For more information or to sign up, visit comagine.org/partnership.

SOURCE Comagine Health