Choice and Competition Workgroup
The Choice and Competition Workgroup is working to expand access to high-quality, value-based care by increasing meaningful choices for patients in where, how, and from whom they receive care. This group is also investigating how to encourage more providers to participate in value-based care models to ensure consumers have access to a broad range of care options.
Objectives
- Create alignment across the marketplace to increase beneficiary choice among high-value plans, providers, and sites of care
- Identify barriers and opportunities to increase participation in value-based care across key stakeholder groups
Chair
Andy Slavitt, MBA
Town Hall Ventures
Members
Toyin Ajayi, MD, MPhil
Cityblock Health
Michael Bagel, JD
Alliance of Community Health Plans
Gary Bacher, JD, MPA
CMS Innovation Center
Sparkle Barnes, MA
Integrated Health Partners Southern California
Eric Becker, MPP
agilon health
Alicia Berkemeyer
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Henish Bhansali, MD, FACP
Andrew Clifton, MBA
Zing Health
Fredrick Cerise, MD, MPH
Parkland Health
Mohammad Dar, MD
Community Care Cooperative (C3)
Christopher Del Vecchio, MBA
MVP Health Care
Jonathan Forte, MHA, FACHE
RiverStone Health
Faris Ghawi, MBA
Vytalize Health
Tim Gronniger, MPP, MHSA
Hopscotch Primary Care
Jackson Griggs, MD
Waco Family Medicine
Robert Hitchcock, MHA
SelectHealth
Sachin Jain, MD, MBA, FACP
SCAN Health Plan
John Kao, MBA
Alignment Health
David Klebonis, MSBA
Palm Beach Accountable Care Organization, LLC
Lawrence Kosinski, MD, MBA
Sonar MD, VIOVOC, Jona
Thomas Lally, MD
Bloom Healthcare
Victor Legner, MD, MS
Central Ohio Primary Care
Michael Markowicz, JD
Thyme Care
Creagh Milford, DO, MPH
Oak Street Health
Karen Murphy, PhD, RN
Ed Park
Devoted Health
Chris Riopelle, JD, MBA
Strive Health
Barry J. Thornton II
Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan, Inc.
Andrew Toy, MS
Clover Health
W. Stan Taylor, MBA
Community Care of North Carolina
Eric Whitaker, MD, MPH
Zing Health
Purchasers
Providers | 
Policy Makers | 
Enabling Organizations | 
Community-Based Organizations
Providers | 
Emily DuHamel Brower, M.B.A., is senior vice president of clinical integration and physician services for Trinity Health. Emphasizing clinical integration and payment model transformation, Ms. Brower provides strategic direction related to the evolving accountable healthcare environment with strong results. Her team is currently accountable for $10.4B of medical expense for 1.6M lives in Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid and Commercial Alternative Payment Models.
Victor is the Chief Medical Officer for TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid Agency. At TennCare, Victor leads the medical office to ensure quality and effective delivery of medical, pharmacy, and dental services to its members. He also leads TennCare’s opioid epidemic strategy, social determinants of health, and practice transformation initiatives across the agency. Prior to joining TennCare, Victor worked at Evolent Health supporting value-based population health care delivery. In 2013, Victor served as a White House Fellow to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Victor completed his Internal Medicine Residency at Emory University still practices clinically as an internist in the Veteran’s Affairs Health System.
Tamara Ward is the SVP of Insurance Business Operations at Oscar Health, where she leads the National Network Contracting Strategy and Market Expansion & Readiness. Prior to Oscar she served as VP of Managed Care & Network Operations at TriHealth in Southwest Ohio. With over 15 years of progressive health care experience, she has been instrumental driving collaborative payer provider strategies, improving insurance operations, and building high value networks through her various roles with UHC and other large provider health systems. Her breadth and depth of experience and interest-based approach has allowed her to have success solving some of the most complex issues our industry faces today. Tam is passionate about driving change for marginalized communities, developing Oscar’s Culturally Competent Care Program- reducing healthcare disparities and improving access for the underserved population. Tamara holds a B.A. from the University of Cincinnati’s and M.B.A from Miami University.
Dr. Peter Walsh joined the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing as the Chief Medical Officer on December 1, 2020. Prior to joining HCPF, Dr. Walsh served as a Hospital Field Representative/Surveyor at the Joint Commission, headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.
