Andrew Webber                                                                                                                 

Andrew Webber joined the National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) as President and CEO in June of 2003.  NBCH is a national, not-for-profit, membership organization of 80 local and regional business coalitions on health, dedicated to health system reform through value-based purchasing, community by community.  As President and CEO, Mr. Webber is responsible for directing all association activities including value based purchasing programs, government relations, education and training, communications, and technical assistance.   

Mr. Webber currently sits on the Board of Directors of the National Quality Forum, the Leapfrog Group, the Bridges to Excellence organization, and the Center for Information Therapy.  He is a member of the Purchaser/Business Advisory Councils for the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and the eHealth Initiative.    

Prior to joining NBCH, Mr. Webber was a Vice President for External Relations and Public Policy at the National Committee for Quality Assurance.  In this role, Mr. Webber directed all government relation activities and outreach efforts to the employer and consumer communities.  Previous positions also include Senior Associate for the Consumer Coalition for Quality Health Care and Executive Vice President for the American Medical Peer Review Association (currently renamed the American Health Quality Association).  Mr. Webber started his health care career in 1978 as an employee of the Washington Business Group on Health (WBGH), rising to the position of Vice President for Public Policy. 

Mr. Webber is a frequent speaker and lecturer on health care policy issues.  He is a graduate of Harvard University.

Neil Goldfarb                                                                                                                      

Mr. Neil Goldfarb is Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Health Policy at Jefferson Medical College.  As such, he is responsible for developing the Office's research strategy, designing studies, mentoring research fellows, and managing the Office's research staff.  Prior to accepting his current position in the Spring of 2000, Mr. Goldfarb was a research consultant to the Department, and Executive Director of MEDISYS QI, Inc., a quality improvement consulting and data collection firm serving the health care industry.  In a three year period, Mr. Goldfarb led MQI from being a start-up venture to having over $1 million in annual revenues, helping managed care plans prepare for accreditation and complete their HEDIS reports, designing and conducting evaluations of care processes and outcomes, and managing large projects requiring clinical record review. 

Before starting MEDISYS QI in 1997, Mr. Goldfarb was Vice President of Health Services and Provider Relations for Healthcare Management Alternatives, Inc. (HMA), a large Medicaid HMO in the Philadelphia region.  In this role, Mr. Goldfarb was responsible for all quality management and utilization management operations, pharmacy utilization management initiatives, provider contracting and credentialing activities, and program evaluation activities. 

Mr. Goldfarb is an experienced health services researcher, having held positions at Thomas Jefferson University in the Department of Family Medicine, and the University of Pennsylvania, in the Division of General Internal Medicine.  He remains a Senior Fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at Penn, and he completed all course work toward a degree from the doctoral program in health care management at The Wharton School.  Mr. Goldfarb is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Health Policy at University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and also serves as evaluation consultant to the Health Federation of Philadelphia.

Jerry W. Burgess                                                                                                                   

Jerry Burgess is President/CEO of HealthCare 21 Business Coalition.  Jerry holds a Master's of Business Administration degree with a double concentration in Marketing and Management and three undergraduate degrees.  Jerry has over 25 years experience as a senior executive in the health care industry and is a frequent speaker and lecturer on health care.  He has held executive positions with three large healthcare systems: St. Mary's Health System, Knoxville, Christ Hospital, Cincinnati and Methodist Health Systems, Memphis.  Jerry is on the Board of Governors and has served on its Executive Committee for the National Business Coalition on Health.  Jerry is also the Program Director of the College for Advanced Management of Health Benefits, a joint partnership with Thomas Jefferson University and National Business Coalition on Health.  In addition, Jerry is an Adjunct Professor for one of the nation’s top MBA programs for physicians at the University of Tennessee. 

HealthCare 21 is a non-profit, member driven organization committed to improving the quality of health care for East and Middle Tennessee.  HealthCare 21 has over 90 corporate members representing 200,000 covered lives.  HealthCare 21 was one of the first Leapfrog roll-out regions; the first in the US to publish Leapfrog results and a participant in the National Quality Forum (NQF) Summit.

David B. Nash, MD, MBA, FACP                                                                                         

David Nash is The Dr. Raymond C. and Doris N. Grandon Professor and Chairman of the Department of Health Policy at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.  Jefferson is one of a handful of medical schools in the nation with an endowed professorship in health policy.  Dr. Nash, a board certified internist, founded the original Office of Health Policy in 1990.  From 1996 to 2003, he served as the first Associate Dean for Health Policy at Jefferson Medical College.  In 2004, he was named Co-director of the Masters Program in Public Health at Jefferson and was named as a finalist in the 15th Annual Discover Awards for Innovation in Public Health by Discover magazine. 

Internationally recognized for his work in outcomes management, medical staff development and quality-of-care improvement, his publications have appeared in more than 100 articles in major journals.  He has edited fifteen books, including A Systems Approach to Disease Management by Jossey-Bass, Connecting with the New Healthcare Consumer by Aspen and The Quality Solution by Jones and Bartlett.  In 1995, he was awarded the Latiolais (“Lay-shee-o-lay”) Prize by the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy for his leadership in disease management and pharmacoeconomics.  He also received the Philadelphia Business Journal Healthcare Heroes Award in October 1997 and was named an honorary distinguished fellow of the American College of Physician Executives in 1998, and he chairs a technical advisory panel for the NQF. 

Repeatedly named by Modern Healthcare to the top 100 most powerful persons in healthcare list, his national activities include appointment to the JCAHO Advisory Committee on Performance Measurement, the CIGNA Physician Advisory Committee, membership on the Board of Directors of the Disease Management Association of America (DMAA) and Chair of an NQF Technical Advisory Panel – four key national groups focusing on quality measurement and improvement.  He continues as one of the principal faculty members for quality of care issues of the American College of Physician Executives in Tampa, Florida, and the developer of the ACPE Capstone Course on Quality.  Dr. Nash is on the National Advisory Committee for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Partnerships in Quality Education program, which is helping to transform medical education.  Finally, he is a member of the Board of Trustees of Catholic Healthcare Partners in Cincinnati, Ohio – one of the nation’s largest integrated delivery systems and chairs the Board Committee on Quality and Safety. 

Dr. Nash is a consultant to organizations in both the public and private sectors including the Technical Advisory Group of the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (a group he has chaired for the last six years), and numerous corporations within the pharmaceutical industry.  He is on the board of directors and advisory board of multiple healthcare companies.  From 1984 to 1989, he was Deputy Editor, Annals of Internal Medicine, at the American College of Physicians.  Currently, he is Editor-in-Chief of four major national journals including P&T, Disease Management, Biotechnology Healthcare and the American Journal of Medical Quality. 

Dr. Nash received his BA in economics (Phi Beta Kappa) from Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York; his MD from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry; and his MBA in Health Administration (with honors) from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.  While at Penn, he was a former Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar and Medical Director of a nine physician faculty group practice in general internal medicine. 

Dr. Nash lives in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Esther J. Nash, MD, fraternal twin eighteen-year old daughters, and fourteen-year old son.  He is an avid tennis player.  Please visit:  www.jefferson.edu/dhp/.

Christopher V. Goff, J.D.,M.A.                                                                                             

Christopher Goff is President and CEO of Employers Health Purchasing Corporation of Ohio and its affiliate, Community Healthcare Coalition, Inc.  EHPCO is a coalition of employers in northeast Ohio, representing over 400,000 covered lives.  EHPCO is engaged in group purchasing, lobbying, healthcare quality initiatives, community health improvement and education. Prior to 1995, he held management positions in three managed care organizations.                                               

A consultant to employers and employer coalitions in the area of pharmacy benefits management, Mr. Goff is also a member of the Booz Allen Hamilton consulting team as an expert advisor to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for Part D pharmacy implementation activities resulting from the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003.  

Mr. Goff holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Ohio Northern University, a Master of Arts in Political Science from The University of Akron, and a Juris Doctor from The University of Akron School of Law.   He is a member of the American Bar Association, the American Health Lawyers Association, the Ohio State Bar Association and the Stark County Bar Association. 

Mr. Goff serves on the Boards of Directors of the American Cancer Society-Ohio Division and Buckeye Council-Boy Scouts of America.  He serves as Chairman of the Board of Nova Behavioral Health and is Chairman of the Canton Forum, a city press club.  Mr. Goff served on the Board of Directors of the National Business Coalition on Health from May 1997 through May of 2003 and was the organization’s interim CEO from January 2003 through June 2003.  Mr. Goff also serves on the editorial boards of Biotechnology Healthcare and The Prescription Drug Benefit Cost and Plan Design Survey Report, provided by Takeda.  Mr. Goff is married and has three children.

David Hom                                                                                                                                                             

David Hom is currently chairman of a non-profit organization, The Center for Health Value Innovation, and the former vice president of Strategic Initiatives at Pitney Bowes in Stamford, Connecticut.  

Since 1992, Mr. Hom has developed a nationally recognized and award-winning integrated health care strategy that focuses on increased employee productivity through disease, disability and demand-management programs. His program design and the results have been recognized with various awards including 1998 NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) Corporate Leadership Award, 1997 Washington Business Group on Health Top Five Corporate Programs for Women's Health Care Issues, and 1996 C. Everett Koop Award for Health Care University. Mr. Hom received his undergraduate degree in economics from the State University of New York at Albany and his MBA degree from Hofstra University.

Carolyn E. Pare                                                                                                                                                     

Carolyn is the Chief Executive Officer of the Buyer's Health Care Action Group, a coalition of more than 30 public and private employers dedicated to health care market reform.  In the fifteen years since it's formation, this Minnesota based coalition has introduced a number of nationally recognized innovations in health care contracting, delivery, quality and consumerism.  BHCAG members are committed to supporting a health care system that delivers the care consumers need at the right time, in the right place and at the right price.

As a clear demonstration of BHCAG's commitment to quality improvement, patient safety and consumer empowerment through information, BHCAG led the way as one of the first Leapfrog Group Regional Rollouts.  In January 2003, BHCAG, in partnership with the Minnesota Hospital Association, announced that 100% of the hospitals in the state, both urban and rural, agreed to post patient safety information to the Leapfrog Group website.  In July 2004, Minnesota was the first to pass Adverse Events legislation, which requires hospitals to publicly report adverse events as defined by the NQF.  Most recently, BHCAG was one of the founding members of Governor Pawlenty's Smart Buy Alliance, a collaboration of public and private purchasers dedicated to common and rational purchasing practices.  The Alliance has agreed to use the NBCH eValue8 tool to drive value into the health care market.

Carolyn was previously a director of Human Resources, responsible for Benefits, Risk Management and Human Resource Information Systems at Target Corporation.  She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors for the National Business Coalition on Health, sites on the the Steering Committee of the Minnesota Alliance for Patient Safety and it s member of the National Quality Forum Purchasers Council.  Carolyn has provided assistance to the Joint Commission as a Business Advisory Group member and to the Minnesota Legislature as an advisor to committees evaluating clinical guidelines and electronic health technology.

Carolyn has a BS in Environmental and Public Health from the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and over twenty five years experience in occupational health and safety, risk management and health care. 

Jerry Reeves, MD                                                                                                                      

Chief Medical Officer, HEREIU (Culinary) Union Health Trusts

Director, Health Services Coalition

Dr. Jerry Reeves is Chief Medical Officer of Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union (H.E.R.E.I.U.) Welfare Funds serving 84,000 eligible employees and their family members. He is also a Director of the Health Services Coalition of Southern Nevada representing 350,000 insured participants. Dr. Reeves previously served as Chairman of WorldDoc Inc., Chief Medical Officer of Humana Inc. and Sierra Health Services Inc., and as Chief of Clinical Medicine at USAF Headquarters in Europe. He is board certified in Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, and in Medical Management.

Dr. Reeves provides medical consulting services and targeted interventions for health benefit plans, providers and consumers through Health Innovations LLC to assist in achieving better efficiency, effectiveness, and value of healthcare services.

Cristie Upshaw Travis, MS                                                                                                                                  

Cristie Upshaw Travis is Chief Executive Officer of the Memphis Business Group on Health, a business coalition with 25 employer members and affiliates providing health care benefits to approximately 100,000 residents of the MidSouth.  Since joining the Memphis Business Group on Health in December 1994, Ms. Travis has spearheaded the development of a new MBGH philosophy statement, developed the quality measurement strategy, facilitated publication of the Memphis Health Plan Report Card and Memphis Hospital Report Card, lead the roll-out of The Leapfrog Group hospital patient safety survey and improvement initiative in Memphis, recruited health plan and hospital participation in the Leapfrog Hospital Reward Program, engaged physicians in practice pattern evaluation and quality improvement, helped prepare physicians performance measurement & reporting and pay-for-performance and identified specific strategies to advance MBGH on its path to value-based purchasing.

Prior to joining the Memphis Business Group on Health, Ms. Travis was a health care consultant for over 15 years, working with clients in the area of health care planning and marketing.  Ms. Travis is the Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Directors for The Leapfrog Group and serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of the National Business Coalition on Health, both located in Washington, D.C..  She also serves on the National Commission on Prevention Priorities in Washington, D.C., and is Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Directors for the Healthy Memphis Common Table.  She is currently serving as Project Director for the Healthy Memphis Common Table's "Aligning Forces for Quality: Memphis Regional Market Project", a pilot project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's national initiative to dramatically improve care for the chronically ill.

She has her Master of Science in Hospital and Health Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.