MCC Speakers | Kisaco Research

MCC Speakers

Medical Cost Containment Summit
5-7 February, 2025

This stellar line-up will be discussing topics from payment integrity to revenue cycle management and everything in between. 

Check them out below!

 

Bruce Lim

Deputy Director, Audits and Investigations
California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)

Bruce Lim serves as the Deputy Director, Audits and Investigations, for the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and is the designated Program Integrity Director for Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. Mr. Lim is a certified public accountant (CPA) with over 32 years of audit and financial management experience in both the private and public sectors. Past employers include Kenneth Leventhal and Company, CPAs (Ernst & Young Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group), Packard Bell NEC, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Bruce Lim

Deputy Director, Audits and Investigations
California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)

Bruce Lim

Deputy Director, Audits and Investigations
California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)

Bruce Lim serves as the Deputy Director, Audits and Investigations, for the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and is the designated Program Integrity Director for Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program. Mr. Lim is a certified public accountant (CPA) with over 32 years of audit and financial management experience in both the private and public sectors. Past employers include Kenneth Leventhal and Company, CPAs (Ernst & Young Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group), Packard Bell NEC, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

 

Christopher Draven

Senior Director of Payment Integrity Analytics & AI
HCSC

Christopher Draven is Senior Director of Payment Integrity Analytics & AI at HCSC where he leads a cross-functional team focused on delivering actionable insights and savings. He has over 25 years experience in healthcare, starting in direct patient care.

Christopher Draven

Senior Director of Payment Integrity Analytics & AI
HCSC

Christopher Draven

Senior Director of Payment Integrity Analytics & AI
HCSC

Christopher Draven is Senior Director of Payment Integrity Analytics & AI at HCSC where he leads a cross-functional team focused on delivering actionable insights and savings. He has over 25 years experience in healthcare, starting in direct patient care.

 

Crystal Son

Executive Director of Enterprise Data Analytics Solutions
HCSC

Crystal Son is an Executive Director of Enterprise Data Analytics Solutions at Healthcare Service Corporation (HCSC). She has 19 years of experience in deriving intelligence from data. 

Crystal Son

Executive Director of Enterprise Data Analytics Solutions
HCSC

Crystal Son

Executive Director of Enterprise Data Analytics Solutions
HCSC

Crystal Son is an Executive Director of Enterprise Data Analytics Solutions at Healthcare Service Corporation (HCSC). She has 19 years of experience in deriving intelligence from data. 

At HCSC, she leads the Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships team, a department that focuses on cross-functional, collaborative analytics delivery on key programs such as Payment Integrity and Stakeholder Engagement, enterprise data and analytics strategy and planning, as well as design and execution of HCSC’s Responsible AI program. She is passionate about real-world applications of data-driven insights, storytelling through data, and building high-performance teams.

 

Helen Liu, Pharm.D.

Health Plan Leader
Independent

Helen Liu, PharmD, brings 29 years of diverse pharmacy experience, blending clinical expertise, operational efficiency, technological innovation, and management across various healthcare settings.

Helen Liu, Pharm.D.

Health Plan Leader
Independent

Helen Liu, Pharm.D.

Health Plan Leader
Independent

Helen Liu, PharmD, brings 29 years of diverse pharmacy experience, blending clinical expertise, operational efficiency, technological innovation, and management across various healthcare settings.
Over the past four years, Helen has successfully led pharmacy operations at ATRIO Health Plans (Medicare), achieving significant milestones in PA/ST, FWA, MTM programs, resulting in over $4.5M in savings. She’s conducted formulary analyses to support actuary Medicare annual bid submissions, including IRA and M3P programs, collaborated with partners and the Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) to identify cost-saving opportunities through formulary alternatives, biosimilars, and rebate strategies, and partnered in the RFP PBM selection process and resolved complex pharmacy-related issues through cross-departmental collaboration.
Before ATRIO, Helen spent seven years at Kaiser Permanente, where she served as Regional Assistant Director to implement hospitals Drug Use Management Program. Her efforts led to over $20 million in savings through inventory management, drug cost-saving initiatives, and the standardization of clinical content/practice guidelines.

 

Edgar Dominguez

Claims Integrity Business Manager
LA Care

Healthcare Operations expert with 20+ years of healthcare payer experience including 12+ years in Claims Administration with multiple fortune 200 companies.  I’m currently focused on implementing payment integrity initiatives aimed at cost avoidance by the use of data analytics.  I am a firm believer that data science is the wave of the future and will afford the healthcare industry with boundless opportunities to mitigate waste and reduce overall healthcare costs.

Edgar Dominguez

Claims Integrity Business Manager
LA Care

Edgar Dominguez

Claims Integrity Business Manager
LA Care

Healthcare Operations expert with 20+ years of healthcare payer experience including 12+ years in Claims Administration with multiple fortune 200 companies.  I’m currently focused on implementing payment integrity initiatives aimed at cost avoidance by the use of data analytics.  I am a firm believer that data science is the wave of the future and will afford the healthcare industry with boundless opportunities to mitigate waste and reduce overall healthcare costs.

 

Jordan Limperis

Data Scientist
LA Care

Highly motivated Data Scientist with a strong background in healthcare data and systems. Experienced in Inpatient Hospital and Laboratory Epic Systems, where I applied data-driven insights to improve clinical and operational efficiency. Currently, I am pursuing my career at L.A. Care, focusing leveraging advanced machine learning techniques to analyze noisy data, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in healthcare operations, particularly in payment integrity.

Jordan Limperis

Data Scientist
LA Care

Jordan Limperis

Data Scientist
LA Care

Highly motivated Data Scientist with a strong background in healthcare data and systems. Experienced in Inpatient Hospital and Laboratory Epic Systems, where I applied data-driven insights to improve clinical and operational efficiency. Currently, I am pursuing my career at L.A. Care, focusing leveraging advanced machine learning techniques to analyze noisy data, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in healthcare operations, particularly in payment integrity.

 

Kelly Bennett, JD, CFE, AHFI

Medicaid Program Integrity Chief
Agency for Health Care Administration

Kelly Bennett graduated from the University of Tampa and Florida State University College of Law.  She has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1997 and is a Certified Fraud Examiner and an Accredited Health Care Fraud Investigator.  She has worked at the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration since 2001 and has served in several roles, including as a Senior Attorney within the Medicaid Division of the Office of the General Counsel, the Assistant Bureau Chief for the Bureau of Medicaid Program Integrity, the Agency’s Medicaid

Kelly Bennett, JD, CFE, AHFI

Medicaid Program Integrity Chief
Agency for Health Care Administration

Kelly Bennett, JD, CFE, AHFI

Medicaid Program Integrity Chief
Agency for Health Care Administration

Kelly Bennett graduated from the University of Tampa and Florida State University College of Law.  She has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1997 and is a Certified Fraud Examiner and an Accredited Health Care Fraud Investigator.  She has worked at the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration since 2001 and has served in several roles, including as a Senior Attorney within the Medicaid Division of the Office of the General Counsel, the Assistant Bureau Chief for the Bureau of Medicaid Program Integrity, the Agency’s Medicaid
Fraud Liaison, and is currently the Chief of Medicaid Program Integrity, where she has served since July of 2014.  She is currently the President for the National Association for Medicaid Program Integrity and is an active participant in training and collaboration initiatives with the National Health Care Antifraud Association.

 

Monique Pierce

Payment Solutions & Operations
Cohere Health

Monique is a Strategic Executive Healthcare Leader with proven ability to develop solutions and maximize the benefits of Payment Integrity programs.  She is known for having excellent domain knowledge and being driven, high performing, and having a deep dedication to recruiting and developing top talent.

 

Monique Pierce

Payment Solutions & Operations
Cohere Health

Monique Pierce

Payment Solutions & Operations
Cohere Health

Monique is a Strategic Executive Healthcare Leader with proven ability to develop solutions and maximize the benefits of Payment Integrity programs.  She is known for having excellent domain knowledge and being driven, high performing, and having a deep dedication to recruiting and developing top talent.

 

Monique started her Payment Integrity career at Oxford HealthPlans in the COB and Subrogation Department after spending time in Payment Policy.  When United Healthcare acquired many health plans in the early 2000s like Oxford, Monique was tagged as part of the Optum team to integrate the processes and people into the COB systems that she had built at Oxford.  She led systems development, quality, reporting, operations, vendor management and was responsible for creating innovative proactive programs that more than doubled savings to $1.4B in three years.

 

Monique developed a successful program that reduced interest expense on late claims for UHC, assisted a communication company to develop COB tools and assisted in strategic system projects before joining SCIO Health Analytics in 2014 to develop new products - specifically prepayment programs.

In 2015 she became the product owner of SCIOMine, the company’s internal audit application and managed the roadmap.  Monique also owned

strategic direction for operational metrics and reporting including executive scorecards. Monique was promoted to VP of Business Opportunities and Client Engagement where she improved Audit Recovery TAT by 39% and reduced client implementations TAT by 11% and the Level of Effort by 18% while increasing the count of implementation projects by 126%.

 

In 2020 Monique joined Devoted Health, a startup company with the goal of building the first ever integrated Payment Integrity Program.  The company has one system, great data, and a great mission; to change health care by treating every member as if they are family.

 

In her spare time, Monique volunteers her time in the community on the Board of Directors of SCARE NH and works in her family business LARP Portal with her husband Rick.

 

Dr Priscilla Alfaro, MD, FAAP, CPC, CPMA, COC, CIC, CFE

VP Payment Integrity
Blue Cross NC

Dr. Priscilla Alfaro is a seasoned healthcare professional with extensive experience in executive medical management, fraud prevention, and healthcare analytics. A certified medical coder, fraud examiner, and auditor, she has a proven track record of improving healthcare efficiency and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse across various roles and affiliations, including the Texas HHS and Anthem.

Dr Priscilla Alfaro, MD, FAAP, CPC, CPMA, COC, CIC, CFE

VP Payment Integrity
Blue Cross NC

Dr Priscilla Alfaro, MD, FAAP, CPC, CPMA, COC, CIC, CFE

VP Payment Integrity
Blue Cross NC

Dr. Priscilla Alfaro is a seasoned healthcare professional with extensive experience in executive medical management, fraud prevention, and healthcare analytics. A certified medical coder, fraud examiner, and auditor, she has a proven track record of improving healthcare efficiency and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse across various roles and affiliations, including the Texas HHS and Anthem.

 

Simi Binning

Responsible AI Lead
HCSC

Simi Binning is an accomplished healthcare professional with over a decade of experience in developing and executing successful strategies that drive business growth. Currently serving as a Responsible AI lead at HCSC, her focus is on AI governance and innovative problem solving.

Simi Binning

Responsible AI Lead
HCSC

Simi Binning

Responsible AI Lead
HCSC

Simi Binning is an accomplished healthcare professional with over a decade of experience in developing and executing successful strategies that drive business growth. Currently serving as a Responsible AI lead at HCSC, her focus is on AI governance and innovative problem solving.

 

Cynthia Johnson

(fomer) Senior Director, Referral & Claims Administration
Kaiser Permanente

Cynthia Johnson

(fomer) Senior Director, Referral & Claims Administration
Kaiser Permanente

Cynthia Johnson

(fomer) Senior Director, Referral & Claims Administration
Kaiser Permanente
 

Andrew Zurick

Medical Director Cardiac CT & MRI, Staff Cardiologist
Ascension, St Thomas Heart

Andrew Zurick

Medical Director Cardiac CT & MRI, Staff Cardiologist
Ascension, St Thomas Heart

Andrew Zurick

Medical Director Cardiac CT & MRI, Staff Cardiologist
Ascension, St Thomas Heart
 

Becky Peters

Executive Director, Patient Access Services
Banner Health

Becky Peters

Executive Director, Patient Access Services
Banner Health

Becky Peters

Executive Director, Patient Access Services
Banner Health
 

Betye Ochoa

Director, Revenue Cycle Redesign
NorthShore University HealthSystem

Betye Ochoa

Director, Revenue Cycle Redesign
NorthShore University HealthSystem

Betye Ochoa

Director, Revenue Cycle Redesign
NorthShore University HealthSystem
 

Ebrahim Barkoudah

System Chief & Regional Chief Medical & Quality Officer
Baystate Health

Ebrahim Barkoudah

System Chief & Regional Chief Medical & Quality Officer
Baystate Health

Ebrahim Barkoudah

System Chief & Regional Chief Medical & Quality Officer
Baystate Health
 

Edward Thomas

Director, Enterprise Revenue Cycle Training & Deployment
Trinity Health (HQ Michigan)

Edward Thomas

Director, Enterprise Revenue Cycle Training & Deployment
Trinity Health (HQ Michigan)

Edward Thomas

Director, Enterprise Revenue Cycle Training & Deployment
Trinity Health (HQ Michigan)
 

Frank Shipp

Executive Director
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Frank E. Shipp currently serves as Executive Director of the Johns Hopkins Clinical Alliance, the clinically integrated network of Johns Hopkins Medicine. The network includes over 3,000 providers, consisting of both employed and independent practices.

Frank Shipp

Executive Director
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Frank Shipp

Executive Director
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Frank E. Shipp currently serves as Executive Director of the Johns Hopkins Clinical Alliance, the clinically integrated network of Johns Hopkins Medicine. The network includes over 3,000 providers, consisting of both employed and independent practices.

Frank transitioned to value-based care after 25 years of hospital-based operations experience in both community and academic health systems. During the past nine years, Frank has held executive positions in a Payor-Provider Organization in NYC and has built a highly successful CIN over a five-year period in Northern New Jersey. Frank speaks regular at national healthcare conferences regarding value-based care strategies and tactics.

Frank completed his MBA at Fairleigh Dickinson University, is a certified Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a trained Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma from Villanova University.

 

Garland Goins Jr

VP, Revenue Cycle Management
Avance Care

Garland Goins Jr

VP, Revenue Cycle Management
Avance Care

Garland Goins Jr

VP, Revenue Cycle Management
Avance Care
 

Jill Sell-Kruse

Director, Compliance Risk & Oversight Ethics & Compliance
ScionHealth

Jill Sell-Kruse

Director, Compliance Risk & Oversight Ethics & Compliance
ScionHealth

Jill Sell-Kruse

Director, Compliance Risk & Oversight Ethics & Compliance
ScionHealth
 

Lisa Meredith

AVP, Revenue Cycle Management
LifePoint Health

Lisa Meredith

AVP, Revenue Cycle Management
LifePoint Health

Lisa Meredith

AVP, Revenue Cycle Management
LifePoint Health
 

Paul LePage

Executive Director, Revenue Cycle Operations
Banner Health

Paul LePage

Executive Director, Revenue Cycle Operations
Banner Health

Paul LePage

Executive Director, Revenue Cycle Operations
Banner Health
 

Paul Schmitz

Executive Director, Patient Access
AdventHealth

Paul Schmitz

Executive Director, Patient Access
AdventHealth

Paul Schmitz

Executive Director, Patient Access
AdventHealth
 

Richelle Marting

Director, Managed Care Contracting
North Kansas City Hospital, Meritas Health Corporation

Richelle Marting

Director, Managed Care Contracting
North Kansas City Hospital, Meritas Health Corporation

Richelle Marting

Director, Managed Care Contracting
North Kansas City Hospital, Meritas Health Corporation
 

Sandy Giangreco Brown

VP, Revenue Integrity & Education
Spire Orthopedic Partners

Sandy Giangreco Brown

VP, Revenue Integrity & Education
Spire Orthopedic Partners

Sandy Giangreco Brown

VP, Revenue Integrity & Education
Spire Orthopedic Partners
 

Willie Brown

VP, Revenue Cycle
Sentara Healthcare

Willie Brown

VP, Revenue Cycle
Sentara Healthcare

Willie Brown

VP, Revenue Cycle
Sentara Healthcare
 

Catherine Pesek Bird

Physician Advisor
Lakeland Regional Health-Florida

Catherine Pesek Bird

Physician Advisor
Lakeland Regional Health-Florida

Catherine Pesek Bird

Physician Advisor
Lakeland Regional Health-Florida
 

Howard Kung

Senior Director, Revenue Cycle
Mayo Clinic

Howard Kung

Senior Director, Revenue Cycle
Mayo Clinic

Howard Kung

Senior Director, Revenue Cycle
Mayo Clinic
 

Ismet Sharich

Patient Access Director
Riverside Healthcare

Ismet Sharich

Patient Access Director
Riverside Healthcare

Ismet Sharich

Patient Access Director
Riverside Healthcare
 

Brennan John

Director, Revenue Cycle
Intermountain Health

Brennan John

Director, Revenue Cycle
Intermountain Health

Brennan John

Director, Revenue Cycle
Intermountain Health