Speakers at Putting Care at the Center 2025

Amit Shah

CoORdinated care: Oregon’s model for whole person health

Thursday, October 16 | 10:30 am – 11:15 am

Bio: Dr. Shah previously served as CareOregon’s Senior Medical Director of Network and Clinical Support. Prior to joining CareOregon, he was the Medical Director for the Multnomah County Health Department. Dr. Shah has served as a board member of CareOregon, Jefferson Health Information Exchange, Northwest Regional Primary Care Association and is currently a member of the HealthInsight Oregon board of directors. Dr. Shah received his medical training at the Drexel University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, and undergraduate degree in Molecular Genetics at the University of Rochester. He has a biomedical informatics certification from Oregon Health’s Science University. He is board certified in family medicine and a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Andy Mendenhall

CoORdinated care: Oregon’s model for whole person health

Thursday, October 16 | 10:30 am – 11:15 am

Bio: As President and CEO, Dr. Andy Mendenhall oversees all aspects of CCC.

Andy joined CCC in 2017 as Senior Medical Director for Substance Use Disorder Services (SUDS) and became Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in 2018. During his tenure, Andy has elevated and diversified CCC’s service level to offer a broad array of evidence-based practices to match client needs. As CMO, Andy brought oversight and responsibility for the agency’s medical and clinical services, provided leadership to staff, helped set the agency’s strategic direction, promoted ethical and quality care and led CCC through the COVID-19 pandemic. He became President and CEO in July 2022.

Andy is Board Certified in Addiction Medicine and Family Medicine. He graduated from the University of Portland and trained as a medical student and resident family physician at OHSU. He worked at Providence Health Systems and CleanSlate Centers, and co-founded an outpatient integrated treatment program called HealthWorks NW, which was acquired by Hazelden Betty Ford in 2012. Andy’s heart has always been anchored in service work to the most vulnerable and simultaneously resilient members of the Portland metropolitan region.

Aracelis Quiñones

Story share

Wednesday, October 15 | 9:40 am – 11:15 am

Bio: Aracelis Quiñones is the coordinator of Poder Latino, part of the Latino Commission on AIDS. The group of HIV-positive Latinos meets monthly for training on AIDS policy and advocacy and on ways to take care of themselves in order to improve health outcomes and boost self-esteem. She is a survivor of not only HIV but also hepatitis C , substance abuse and domestic violence. She has educated Spanish-speaking communities about viral suppression and access to and retention in care and has helped develop information around promoting U=U, decreasing stigma and aligning HIV participants with their role in ending the HIV epidemic. The Puerto Rican–born advocate is a proud mother and grandmother.

Charlotte Garner

Story share

Wednesday, October 15 | 9:40 am – 11:15 am

Bio: Charlotte A. Garner is a formerly homeless individual and nationally acclaimed spoken word artist devoted to the cause of ending homeless. In December 2006 after arriving to Houston, TX with just 32 cents in her pocket and the clothes on her back, she was referred to Healthcare for the Homeless-Houston (HHH), where her journey of restoration and advancement began. She has since dedicated her life to the service of others exemplified by her mantra: “Thanks for the opportunity to serve!” She has been a member of HHH’s Consumer Advisory Board for 16 years, serving as its chair for nine years. She serves on the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council’s (NHCHC) Research Committee, National Consumer Advisory Board, and Steering Committee- serving as Regional Representative two terms. She also serves as the National Coalition for the Homeless’ State Captain for Texas, and as a member of the Coalition for the Homeless Houston’s Consumer Advisory Council. In 2025 she was selected to be one of the Camden Coalition’s National Consumer Scholar.  Ms. Garner holds as Associates degree in Human Service Technology, a Bachelors of Psychology, and a Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management. She also has a certification as a Christian counselor and is a licensed minister.

Daniel Van Leeuwen

AI in complex care: Applications, ethics, and opportunities

Friday, October 17 | 10:05 am – 10:55 am

Bio: Committed to health equity and learning and sharing what works for best health. He serves people who help others by leveraging his privilege and experience as a person with disabilities, a nurse, a care partner, an informaticist, and a quality management leader, podcaster, vlogger (linktr.ee/healthhats), and technical and subject matter expert for measure and app development, pain management, and AI use in health decision-making, plays baritone saxophone in a Latin Band and Dixieland Band in his spare time.

LaKeesha Dumas

CoORdinated care: Oregon’s model for whole person health

Thursday, October 16 | 10:30 am – 11:15 am

Bio: Born and raised in Portland, LaKeesha has conquered adversity, including gentrification, gang violence, and addiction, all with resilience and determination. Now double digits into her own recovery, she is a dedicated advocate for community wellness who brings a wealth of expertise to her community as a local and national consultant, trainer, and  speaker.

With certifications as a CHW and multiple peer support specialties and extensive experience in mental health, addiction, social determinants of health, and trauma-informed care, LaKeesha facilitates coordination, collaboration, and referral support for Multnomah County networks, navigating them with expertise to foster accessibility for all.

LaKeesha is one of the tri-chairs for the Measure 110 Oversight and Accountability Council. She also develops and delivers training through MHACBO. She is also central to inter-BHRN collaboration and resource sharing. While also serving on various committees, councils, and boards centering around behavioral health, criminal justice, public health, physical health, and complex care andsocial needs locally and nationally.

LaKeesha’s dedication to the community and expertise extends to connecting individuals with culturally specific services, systems navigation, and working to create programs and tracking their outcomes while navigating risks, maintaining contacts and remaining a steadfast leader.

Luis Ortega

Story share

Wednesday, October 15 | 9:40 am – 11:15 am

Bio: Luis Ortega (he/they) is a multidisciplinary storyteller, educator, and narrative strategist, as well as the founder and director of Storytellers for Change. With over 16 years of experience, Luis has led consulting projects and research initiatives centered on asset-based storytelling, narrative change, healing, culturally responsive education, and systems transformation. Luis holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Washington and a Master’s in Education Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Mindy Stadtlander

CoORdinated care: Oregon’s model for whole person health

Thursday, October 16 | 10:30 am – 11:15 am

Bio: Mindy Stadtlander, MPH, is the CEO of Health Share of Oregon, the state’s largest Medicaid Coordinated Care Organization, serving more than 400,000 Oregon Health Plan members in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties. Prior to taking the helm as CEO, she served as Chief Operating Officer. Before joining Health Share, she spent nearly a decade at CareOregon in a variety of roles — including directing Medicaid strategy for the Portland Metro Region and leading the Provider Network. She has worked in and around the safety net in primary care innovation, quality improvement, and data analysis since 2004. Mindy received her MPH in Epidemiology with a Certificate in Program Evaluation from the University of Pittsburgh.

Purva Rawal

Navigating the moment in federal policy

Thursday, October 16 | 10:00 am – 10:30 am

Bio: Purva Rawal, PhD, is an internationally recognized leader in value-based care and health policy, with over two decades of experience spanning government, academia, and the private sector. Most recently, she was the Chief Strategy Officer at the CMS Innovation Center. She led the implementation of a strategic vision grounded in accountability and whole, person-centered care, and oversaw its implementation across the Center.

Prior to her role at CMS, Dr. Rawal spent a decade in policy research and business strategy consulting, advising organizations on value-based payment and health system transformation. She also served as an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University, where she taught courses on the politics of health care and mentored students.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Rawal was a senior staff member on the Senate Budget Committee during the development of the Affordable Care Act and was an advisor to Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT). She began her policy career as a Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Academies.

She is the author of The Affordable Care Act: Examining the Facts and has published in internationally recognized journals including, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the New England Journal of Medicine, and Health Affairs. Dr. Rawal received her B.A. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

Sadiq Patel

AI in complex care: Applications, ethics, and opportunities

Friday, October 17 | 10:05 am – 10:55 am

Bio: Sadiq Y. Patel, PhD, is VP of Data Science & AI at Waymark, where he builds predictive models and generative AI tools to support care delivery for Medicaid patients. He teaches machine learning at the University of Pennsylvania and previously trained at Harvard Medical School and with Microsoft’s AI for Good initiative.

He holds a PhD in Health Policy and an MS in Biostatistics from the University of Chicago, and an MSW from the University of Michigan. His work has been published in Nature, JAMA, Health Affairs, and other leading journals focused on advancing health equity

Shanice Sims

Story share

Wednesday, October 15 | 9:40 am – 11:15 am

Bio: Shanice Sims is a dedicated health advocate whose work is rooted in her lived experience as a single Black mother navigating the complexities of both physical and mental healthcare. Her personal journey inspired a deep commitment to breaking down barriers in the healthcare system and amplifying the voices of marginalized communities.

Shanice has served on multiple advisory committees with Colorado Access, where she has played a vital role in shaping programs that address health equity, particularly for Black birthing mothers. Through this work, she has contributed to the development of initiatives that support maternal health, increase access to culturally competent care, and create safer, more empowering experiences for families.

Passionate about advancing equity and justice in healthcare, Shanice continues to use her platform to advocate for systemic change, empower mothers, and ensure that future generations have the resources and support they deserve to thrive.

Shereef Elnahal

Navigating the moment in federal policy

Thursday, October 16 | 10:00 am – 10:30 am

Bio: Dr. Shereef Elnahal became OHSU’s sixth president on Aug. 11, 2025. He is a leader and expert in health care delivery in large, integrated health systems, with a career focused on serving vulnerable communities.

Before joining OHSU, he was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as Under Secretary for Health at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He led the largest integrated health system in the nation alongside a team of nearly 400,000 professionals, delivering world-class care to 9 million enrolled veterans. Accomplishments include:

• Overseeing the largest expansion of veteran benefits and care in a generation, enrolling more than 800,000 new veterans into health care, and upgrading coverage for more than 900,000 veterans.
• Improving overall care productivity by 9% in two years.
• Advancing care access for women veterans, including extending maternity care coordination benefits for up to one year after birth for veteran mothers to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality risks, and enrolling more than 50,000 new women veterans into health care over the last year.
• Implementing a new policy in which the VA covers the costs of care for any veteran in suicidal crisis.
• Placing record numbers of homeless veterans into permanent housing.

Before his role at VA, Dr. Elnahal served as President and Chief Executive Officer of University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey. University Hospital is a Level I trauma center, the principal academic medical center for Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and New Jersey’s only public hospital. Dr. Elnahal led University Hospital through the COVID-19 public health emergency and turned around the hospital’s finances.

Before that, he served as New Jersey’s 21st Health Commissioner, responsible for running the state’s four psychiatric hospitals. He made strides in improving quality, patient safety and outcomes for New Jersey’s most vulnerable patients requiring mental health inpatient hospitalization.

Dr. Elnahal received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School and his M.B.A. with Distinction from Harvard Business School. His perspective on the American health care system’s COVID-19 response, including on matters of health equity, has been featured on national media outlets including CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times and Fox Business Network.

Tom Norris

Story share

Wednesday, October 15 | 9:40 am – 11:15 am

Bio: I’m Tom Norris, a retired Air Force Lt. Colonel who’s lived with chronic pain for 37 years after cancer treatment. Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to helping others by leading peer support groups and pushing for patient voices in research. I work with groups like NIH, PCORI, and CDMRP to make sure people with lived experience are partners in clinical trials, health policy, and guidelines—not afterthoughts.

Zalika Gardner

Keynote

Wednesday, October 15 | 9:30 am – 10:00 am

Bio: Zalika Gardner is a visionary leader. She is a consultant, professional coach, and workshop facilitator partnering with leaders and organizations across both public and private sectors. She is a co-founder of the education organization KairosPDX, and an experienced speaker including her 2014 Tedx talk Listening Differently. She has served as a classroom teacher, administrator, graduate professor and organizational leader in her 30 year commitment to education and justice. Zalika’s work is inspired by a deep belief in the human capacity for growth, love and collective good.  She currently resides in Portland, Oregon with her husband and 3 children.