Our Story
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us more than ever before just how critical local health care and community partnerships are in America. Local leaders stepped up to meet their community’s needs from public health messaging, to mask policies, testing sites, field clinics, vaccine distribution, emergency response and social service coordination. Incredible learnings emerged as did the need for trusted data-led multistakeholder collaboration.
Health Information Exchanges (HIEs)
HIEs provide technology for the secure digital exchange of data by medical, behavioral, and social service providers to improve the health of the communities they serve. HIEs can be statewide, regional, and community; government-run, for-profit, and nonprofit; large and small; and hybrids that involve collaborations among diverse organizations.
Regional Health Improvement Collaboratives (RHICs)
A RHIC provides a neutral, trusted mechanism through which the community can plan, facilitate, and coordinate the many different activities required for successful transformation of its health care system. A RHIC does not deliver health care services directly or pay for such services.
Our Team
Lisa Bari, MBA, MPH
Lisa Bari is Civitas Networks for Health’s Chief Executive Officer. Lisa previously served as the CEO of the Strategic Health Information Exchange Collaborative and as the Health IT and Interoperability lead at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Innovation Center, where she led health IT policy for the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus model and helped author the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access rule. She is a member of the Board of HealthCare Access Maryland.
Jessica Little, MS, RD
Jessica Little is Senior Director, Business Development and Programs at Civitas Networks for Health. Jessica previously served as the Director of Grants and Programs at the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI) where she led business development and oversight of multi-region initiatives.
Jolie Ritzo, MPH
Jolie Ritzo is Senior Director, Network Engagement at Civitas Networks for Health. Jolie previously served as the Director of Partnerships and Programs at the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI) where she led partner relations, membership growth, member programming, and communications.
Cora Bauman
Cora Bauman is Civitas Networks for Health’s Event Manager. Cora has over five years of experience supporting nonprofits and higher education departments in a variety of roles including administration, operational support, and membership liaison. She has worked with The Provision Team for over two years supporting three of the country’s leading health IT industry associations.
Malik Chambers
Malik Chambers is the Communications Specialist for Civitas Network for Health. With a background in historical research, Malik has four years of experience in the business development sector, and three years of experience in community storytelling. He will support the communications and marketing strategy initiatives for Civitas by curating, writing, and editing content through various channels.
Nadim Choudhury
Nadim Choudhury is the Member Services Associate for Civitas Network for Health. Nadim has over seven years of experience within the non-profit sector. He previously worked for the Space Foundation in various roles. His experience ranges from marketing, customer relations, technical support, data migration, and member services.
Niurka Lluveras-Hernandez
Niurka (Nikki) Lluveras-Hernandez is Civitas Networks for Health’s Operations Manager. With a Bachelor’s in Supervision and Management with a concentration in Healthcare (B.A.S) from Palm Beach State College, Nikki brings a wealth of experience in operations management gained through her work in retail, medical lab, debt consolidation, local government, and non-profit organizations. Her passion for organization, structure, and policy makes her a valuable asset to the Civitas team as she helps to maintain the organization’s structure and efficiency.
Kate Kroell, MPH
Kate Kroell is the Business Development Manager for Civitas Networks for Health. With a background in public health and food access, she has over seven years of experience in nonprofit development and supports fundraising and membership activities. She completed a Master of Public Health program at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon graduation, Kate worked for a little while in the healthcare world, but when she had the opportunity to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA, she jumped at the chance. Her service year was spent at the Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture, which is an urban farm and educational nonprofit.
Heidi Penix
As Grants and Program Manager, Heidi Penix supports multiple programs and projects with a focus on grants and contract management. She works closely with Civitas’ funders, members and partners nationwide. She has more than 20 years of experience designing and managing programs, projects and grants for universities and nonprofit organizations. Her experience base includes federal grants facilitation, funding proposal development, implementation design, grants and contract management, research, reporting and project management.
Jordan Rowe
Jordan Rowe is an independent communications strategist who serves as social media and content consultant for Civitas Networks for Health. She is responsible for content strategy and amplification across Civitas-owned channels, as well as visual production and voice ownership. Jordan’s decade of communications experience includes business-to-consumer public relations, nonprofit social media strategy, and health care communications project management.
Sarah Stein
Sarah Stein is Civitas Networks for Health’s Executive Coordinator. Sarah has more than ten years of experience in various executive assistant roles, performing a wide variety of complex, specialized administrative support functions for nonprofits, college provosts, CEOs, and high-level government officials. She recently worked as an administrative assistant for educational outreach at the American Immunization Registry Association.
Our Board
Beth Anderson, MBA
President and Chief Executive Officer, Vermont Information Technology Leaders (VITL)
Beth Anderson is President and Chief Executive Officer of Vermont Information Technology Leaders (VITL). Her work focuses on data interoperability, population health and medicaid operations support. She is committed to collaborating with peers across the Civitas membership to support health information exchange and data-driven health improvement.
Angie Bass, MHA
Chief Strategy Officer, Velatura Health Information Exchange Corporation
As the Chief Strategy Officer of Velatura Health Information Exchange Corporation (VHIEC) and the President and CEO of Midwest Health Connection (MHC), Angie leads the successful development of health information exchanges where she oversees all aspects of strategic initiatives, business development, government relations, and service delivery.
Marc H. Bennett, MA
Chief Executive Officer, Comagine Health
Marc H. Bennett is Chief Executive Officer of Comagine Health, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the hard problems in health and health care in communities across the country. Marc is responsible for all contracts and activities, including health care quality consulting, data and analytics, health information technology support, research, and care management services for clients across the U.S.
Jaime Bland, DNP, RN
Chief Executive Officer, CyncHealth
Jaime Bland is the Chief Executive Officer of Cynchealth, an organization that uses the power of data to empower care teams to work together for better health outcomes, lower costs, and healthier communities. She oversees the efforts in the Midwest region of the United States, specifically Iowa and Nebraska.
Tom Evans, MD, FAAFP
President and Chief Executive Officer, Iowa Health Collaborative
As the President and Chief Executive Officer of Iowa Health Collaborative (IHC), Tom Evans oversees the organization’s work which focuses on opioid management, patient safety, quality improvement and practice transformation. He is specifically interested in using data to advance sustainable health care transformation.
Jenelle Hoseus, MBA
Chief of Policy and Partnerships, Health Impact Ohio, and Chief Executive Officer, Central Ohio Pathways HUB
Jenelle Hoseus is Chief of Policy and Partnerships for Health Impact Ohio and Chief Executive Officer of Central Ohio Pathways HUB, a care coordination program, managed through Health Impact Ohio, which provides connections to care for the region’s most at-risk populations.
John Kansky, MSE, MBA, CPHIMS
President and Chief Executive Officer, Indiana Health Information Exchange
John Kansky, MSE, MBA, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE). During his 12 years at IHIE, John has held roles in Strategy and Planning, Product Management, and Business Development. Prior to joining IHIE, John’s career included experience in health IT and information operations in various healthcare organizations across the state of Indiana.
David Kendrick, MD, MPH, FACP
Principal Investigator and Chief Executive Officer, MyHealth Access Network
David Kendrick is the principal investigator and Chief Executive Officer at MyHealth Access Network, Oklahoma’s non-profit health information network. In his leadership role, David oversees the organization’s work to ensure that every Oklahoman’s complete health record is securely available where and when they need it for care and health decision-making.
Melissa Kotrys, MPH
Chief Executive Officer, Contexture
Melissa Kotrys is the Chief Executive Officer of Contexture, the umbrella organization of CORHIO and Health Current. Through her vision and leadership as CEO of Health Current, the Arizona health information exchange is recognized as a model for aligning the health care community with the possibilities of connected electronic health information to advance individual and community health and well-being.
Cindy Munn, MHA
Chief Executive Officer, Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum
As Chief Executive Officer of the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum (LHCQF), Cindy Munn oversees the organization’s integrated approach to transforming health care in Louisiana. She has oversight responsibility for initiatives that include health information technology, practice transformation, analytics support, clinical quality improvement, advance care planning, and education/outreach.
Wade Norwood
Chief Executive Officer, Common Ground Health
Wade Norwood has held leadership positions in the Rochester community for more than three decades, including roles in public service, education, and health care. Currently Chief Executive Officer at Common Ground Health, Wade has been central to the nonprofit’s strategic planning process, pushing the organization to become a more effective change agent for all Finger Lakes region residents, especially those most at risk.
Dan Porreca
Executive Director, HEALTHeLINK
Daniel Porreca has been Executive Director at HEALTHeLINK, since 2007, growing it into one of the leading clinical exchange networks in the United States. With more than 30 years of experience in the health care and technology industry, he has a wealth of knowledge and a strategic understanding of health care technology and its application in the clinical setting.