CHPA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Board Treasurer Chief Administrative Officer, Axis Health System
- Chief Financial Officer for Axis Health System
Alex is the Chief Financial Officer for Axis Health System in Durango, CO. He has spent over a decade of his career in the healthcare industry with a specific emphasis on operational and financial leadership. Serving in different capacities over the years has allowed him to gain experience in new practice start-ups, physician practice management, integration of behavioral health within the primary care setting, mergers and acquisitions, medical coding and billing, insurance credentialing, business analysis, process improvement and more. This experience has been expanded in many different healthcare settings across the country. These settings include private for-profit organizations, non-profit hospital based systems and Federally Qualified Health Centers. These settings offered services that included primary care, internal medicine, pediatrics, urgent care, neurology, neuro-psychology, behavioral health within a primary care setting, Substance use and addiction treatment & therapy, obstetrics and gynecology, pharmacy (340B), and dentistry. He currently maintains an active Certified Professional Accountant (CPA) license.
Job Titles:
- Board Member Chief Operating Officer, Mountain Family Health Centers
- Chief Operating Officer for Mountain Family Health Centers
Art Fernandez serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Mountain Family Health Centers. Art joined Mountain Family in July 2007, after more than 20 years of health care management experience. Art's years in the medical industry have afforded him the opportunity to hone his skills in health care operations, leadership, systems/process administration, utilization management, and business development. Prior to joining Mountain Family, he worked for several medical and dental for-profit and not-for-profit organizations in Southern California. Before embarking into a career in health care, Art's experience included holding various management level positions in banking operations with Bank of America. Art received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the California State University, Los Angeles. When not working, Art enjoys biking, hiking, traveling (road trips), gardening, and spending time with his wife Annette, two children Sean and Monica, and our three dogs Casey Jane, Cash, and Snowball.
Job Titles:
- Interim Chief Executive Officer
Ben Wiederholt, FACHE, is the interim chief executive officer at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). He has been a healthcare executive for 18 years and is currently the president of Icarus Advising which supports organizations in the journey to a patient-first delivery system that is more effective, efficient, and equitable. Most recently he was the CEO at STRIDE Community Health Center, an FQHC with 17 locations throughout the Denver Metro area serving more than 55,000 people a year who are economically poor. During his five-year tenure, finances were stabilized, visits increased by 97%, quality outcomes improved including an emphasis on reducing health disparities, and programs were expanded to address the social drivers of health. Ben previously led ambulatory operations at Centura Health. He holds a master's degree in health administration from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. He is honored to be part of the incredible team at CHPA and to support them and the board during this transitional period.
Job Titles:
- Practice Transformation Manager
Job Titles:
- Chief Operations Officer
- Chief Operating Officer at Community Health Provider Alliance
Brandi Apodaca is the chief operating officer at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). She has been an RN for over 23 years, with 15 years experience in implementing Clinically Integrated Networks, Accountable Care Organizations, and value-based care initiatives for commercial, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid contracts. In addition she has lead teams supporting fully-capitated medical management and developed care coordination, utilization management, disease management, and practice transformation programs. She previously served as a US Air Force RN and held management positions with Aetna and Physician Health Partners. In her most recent role, Brandi worked as the director of quality at HealthONE Colorado Care Partners (CCP) overseeing 4 commercial value-based contracts and 4 Medicare Advantage Programs. She collaborated with physician leadership to develop strong practice improvement toolkits and care coordination programs improving patient quality outcomes with data-driven quality improvement activities. At CCP, Brandi oversaw the successful support of 85 primary care practices with greater than 125K attributed lives resulting in annual contract performance of more than $2.5 million in shared savings. Brandi has lived in Colorado since 1988 and enjoys the beautiful Colorado outdoors including skiing and golf. However, she spends most of her free time with family, including her husband, their four children and one grandchild.
Job Titles:
- Healthcare Data Reporting Coordinator
Brandi Gorgon is the healthcare data reporting coordinator at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). Brandi graduated from her local community college with an associate degree in Physical Therapist Assistant. Shortly after graduation, she pivoted from working in an outpatient physical therapy role into a data specialist role at a Delaware hospital in the trauma department, which is where she found her love for healthcare data. She enjoys seeing how much of a positive impact data can have on improving patients' outcomes and experiences. Brandi is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. In her free time, Brandi enjoys mountain biking and volunteers as a coach for a local women, girls, and non-binary mountain biking team. She also enjoys spending time with her partner and their two cats.
Job Titles:
- Healthcare Data Reporting Coordinator at Community Health Provider Alliance
Brandi Gorgon is the healthcare data reporting coordinator at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). Brandi graduated from her local community college with an associate degree in Physical Therapist Assistant. Shortly after graduation, she pivoted from working in an outpatient physical therapy role into a data specialist role at a Delaware hospital in the trauma department, which is where she found her love for healthcare data. She enjoys seeing how much of a positive impact data can have on improving patients' outcomes and experiences. Brandi is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. In her free time, Brandi enjoys mountain biking and volunteers as a coach for a local women, girls, and non-binary mountain biking team. She also enjoys spending time with her partner and their two cats.
Job Titles:
- Supervisor
- CRC Supervisor of Risk Adjustment & Quality
Brionna Benedetti is the supervisor of quality and risk adjustment at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). She is a graduate of the University of Florida's Public Health program, holding high honors as a member of the Delta Omega National Public Health Honors Society. Brionna is an accomplished healthcare professional with over five years of experience in the healthcare industry. Early in her career, she started as a Patient Care and Risk Adjustment Coordinator for a physician-led ACO in Gainesville Florida, where she provided care coordination and HCC coding expertise to over 20 providers. While at this ACO, she also served as a case manager, piloting a program to reduce emergency department utilization and promote better health outcomes for patients with complex care needs. She later worked as a Practice Performance Manager and Medicare Consultant for United Healthcare, where she led both large health systems and small health groups in quality-of-care strategies and diagnoses recapture rates. She holds several certifications from the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and is passionate about the diagnostic coding world.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant and Communications Specialist at Community Health Provider Alliance
Caitlyn Diroff is the executive assistant and communications specialist at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). She first started supporting CHPA part-time while working with sister company, Colorado Community Health Network (CCHN) in April 2019, transitioning to CHPA full-time in early 2022. Caitlyn's primary responsibility is to assist the CEO, leadership team, and Board of Directors. She also leads the development and execution of the organization's communications plan. Caitlyn earned her bachelor's degree in public and nonprofit administration with a minor in advertising and public relations from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Before moving to Colorado, Caitlyn worked in fund development and events for a small nonprofit carrying out a music-based academic achievement program for K-2 students in Kent County, Michigan. She is skilled in nonprofit administration, executive assistance, event and conference planning, communications, fund development, community engagement, and more. In her free time, Caitlyn enjoys volleyball, yoga, cooking, and spending time outside.
Job Titles:
- Communications Specialist
- Executive Assistant
Caitlyn Diroff is the executive assistant and communications specialist at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). She first started supporting CHPA part-time while working with sister company, Colorado Community Health Network (CCHN) in April 2019, transitioning to CHPA full-time in early 2022. Caitlyn's primary responsibility is to assist the CEO, leadership team, and Board of Directors. She also leads the development and execution of the organization's communications plan. Caitlyn earned her bachelor's degree in public and nonprofit administration with a minor in advertising and public relations from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Before moving to Colorado, Caitlyn worked in fund development and events for a small nonprofit carrying out a music-based academic achievement program for K-2 students in Kent County, Michigan. She is skilled in nonprofit administration, executive assistance, event and conference planning, communications, fund development, community engagement, and more. In her free time, Caitlyn enjoys volleyball, yoga, cooking, and spending time outside.
Job Titles:
- CRC Risk Adjustment & Quality Specialist
- Quality Specialist at Community Health Provider Alliance
Christine Smidt is a risk adjustment and quality specialist at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). She graduated College America in 2002 with a medical assistant diploma. Christine went on to work mostly within family practice. In 2012 she graduated with a bachelors degree from College America. Christine started working for Ponderosa Family Physicians doing billing and coding and was the team leader for more than nine years. Christine used her expertise from both front and back office experience and helped institute the care coordination program that made a huge impact on the practice and patients. In 2016 she received her Certified Professional Coders (CPC) certification. She has also been the vice-president and president of her local Aurora American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) chapter since 2019. Christine is married to a very patient and loving man, they have two sons ages 21 and 14. Her Great Dane, Maximus serves as her office assistant. She also enjoys camping, crocheting, cross stitching, and sewing in her free time.
Job Titles:
- Quality Specialist at Community Health Provider Alliance
Diana Hope is a risk adjustment and quality specialist at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). She attended Big Bend Community College while living abroad in Feltwell, Norfolk, England. Upon relocating to Colorado, she took a fondness in healthcare coding and billing. After researching options for success, she pursued her passion with the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) where she obtained her various licenses to work with distinct healthcare providers. Diana has worked in hospital burn centers, private practice, coding production centers, and in the corporate setting. She is a professional coder with over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She has over seven years of experience in HCC risk adjustment. She has served as an officer for many AAPC local chapters. In her free time, Diana enjoys volunteering at local Great Pyrenees shelters. She also enjoys hiking, cooking, yoga, puzzles, and Tae Bo.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Board Member Chief Executive Officer, Pueblo Community Health Center
Donald is the CEO (2009 - present) of Pueblo Community Health Center, which is the health primary care home for over 28,000 patients who have access to primary medical, dental and mental health services in the Pueblo area. He previously was the Chief Operations Officer (1999-2009) and oversaw administrative and clinical support services at the Center, special population and outreach programs. Donald was also a senior leader for service and facility expansions, compliance and outcome improvement efforts. He obtained his Master of Healthcare Administration from the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in 1992. After completing his post-graduate residency at the Geisinger Health System in 1993 he worked for the Daughters of Charity National Health System, now Ascension Health (St. Louis), in Arkansas as a Health Systems Planner and then in San Antonio, Texas as Executive Director of the Daughters' health and social service centers.
Job Titles:
- Medical Executive
- Medicare Beneficiary Board Member
Dr. Timothy E. Dudley is a clinician and medical executive with several decades of experience in clinical practice, graduate medical education and accountable care organization (ACO), and clinically integrated network (CIN) administration. Dr. Dudley has extensive consultation experience, along with more than 35 years of clinical and medical directorship in both rural and metropolitan areas. His experience in research, publication, and public speaking includes topics on physician/patient communication, patient perception of health risks, behavior change technology, and health promotion and disease prevention. RDr. Dudley has served as medical director and chief medical officer for a large CIN. He also recently served as CHPA's medical director. He also has served as legislative chair for the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians and on the Colorado Family Practice Director's Council. Dr. Dudley has provided legislative testimony on matters related to healthcare and participated in the development and promotion of managed care reform legislation, tobacco legislation, and Medicaid Managed Care legislation. Dr. Dudley has presented at multiple national healthcare meetings, including (but not limited to): the Annual Patient Education Conference, Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, and American College of Preventive Medicine. He has more than 30 years of leadership experience in premier medical clinics and residency programs nationwide.
Job Titles:
- Practice Transformation Coach
- Practice Transformation Coach at Community Health Provider Alliance
Heather Martinez is a practice transformation coach at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). Heather has 16 years of experience as a Registered Nurse that includes pediatric inpatient care, community behavioral health care, corrections nursing, and most recently population health management in the primary care setting. She has enjoyed her experience as a clinical nurse, recognizing that each patient interaction presented an opportunity to positively impact an individual and those close to them. For Heather, the decision to transition from clinical nursing to population health management was an easy one. The more she learned about population health management, and the positive impact this approach can have on, not just individual patients and their caregivers, but on entire patient populations, there was no question she had found her place within healthcare. Heather's experience within population health management includes developing a successful team of case managers, educating medical providers and care teams on annual wellness visit processes, and successfully working with multiple payors on varied value-based programs. In her spare time, she enjoys mountain biking throughout Colorado with her spouse, son, and three dogs in their little red camper van.
Job Titles:
- Board President President and CEO, Valley - Wide Health Systems, Inc.
Jania, as the CEO at Valley-Wide, is responsible for strategic and operational leadership, relationship building internally and externally at the national, state, and local levels, and ultimately responsible for all high-level decision-making. Jania has been a leader in Community Health for over 22 years. Prior to her current role, Jania was the Chief Financial Officer at two community health centers and another community healthcare organization in Tucson, Arizona. Jania obtained her doctorate degree in Healthcare Administration in 2021 from AT Still University, her Master of Business Administration from The University of Phoenix in 2006, and her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from the University of Arizona in 2002. Jania currently resides in Alamosa, Colorado with her husband and her six children. Jania enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors anywhere in beautiful Colorado.
Job Titles:
- Board Member President and Chief Executive Officer, Salud Family Health Centers
- Deputy President / CEO of Salud Family Health Centers
John Santistevan is the Deputy President/CEO of Salud Family Health Centers and held the position of Chief Financial Officer for the previous seventeen years. John has held the office of President and Treasurer for the community health centers primary care association, Colorado Community Health Network (CCHN). John served as the co-chair for the CCHN and Community Behavioral Health Collaboration committee for four years. John has served as the chaired the Finance Committee of the Colorado Community Managed Care Network for ten years and currently held the office of Treasurer. John has served on the following committees for the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC): Finance, Marketing and AmeriCorps Steering committee, and the subcommittee on Health Care Finance. In 2013, John was elected serve on the NACHC board of directors. In 2010, Mr. Santistevan was awarded the Jeffery T. Latman Leadership in Healthcare Finance by the NACHC.
Job Titles:
- Board Secretary Chief Executive Officer, Marillac Health
Kay holds a Master of Arts degree in History from the University of Poona, India. Since assuming the top leadership role in January, 2013, Kay has transformed MarillacHealth into a flourishing, progressive and sustainable community health center. Under her direction MarillacHealth has successfully implemented two Electronic Health Records and Medicaid service expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Kay possesses over twenty years of experience in senior management positions in health care, both in the for-profit and non-profit industry in Canada and the United States. With fourteen years of Executive Director/CEO experience, one of her noteworthy roles was from 2004-2007 as CEO of the People's Clinic (a FQHC) in Boulder, Colorado, where she led the organization from severe financial losses to a stable bottom line in just twenty-four months. Kay was appointed to the Commission of Denver Mayor's Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness; she has also served on many non-profit Boards. Kay's mastery in working with boards, senior leaders, community partners and elected officials has enabled her to develop and implement annual plans, budgets, capital projects and clinic re-designs. Kay's primary language is English. Born and raised in India, she speaks Tamil and Hindi and possesses a rich understanding of cultural issues and economic disparities.
Job Titles:
- BCACP Clinical Pharmacist for Value - Based Care
Leah Fitzgerald is a graduate of Auburn University and completed an ASHP accredited PGY1 residency in Atlanta, GA before moving to Colorado to begin her pharmacy career. Dr. Fitzgerald worked in the acute care setting as an intensive care specialist for the first half of her career. In 2016 she began working in community health as a senior clinical instructor with the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Services. She is the director of pharmacy services at Denver Indian Health and Family Services (DIHFS), an Urban Indian Organization located in Denver, CO and supports pharmacy services at CU Family Health Clinic, a FQHC in Sheridan, CO. During her time at DIHFS she implemented new pharmacy services including a 340b pharmacy and helped grow clinical services through utilization of collaborative drug therapy management protocols. Her work at DIHFS was highlighted in the Journal of Primary Care and Community Health in January 2022. She is passionate about the opportunity pharmacists have to improve access to affordable medications and their positive impact on quality of care for vulnerable and underserved populations in Colorado. Outside of work she loves spending time with her family which includes her husband, two teenage boys, and their dog, Rufus. In addition to being active outside and enjoying the hiking trails near her home, Dr. Fitzgerald also loves to read and cook.
Job Titles:
- Board Member Chief Systems Officer, Sunrise Community Health
Libby Goode-Grasmick, DC, is Chief Systems Officer for Sunrise Community Health. She has a diverse medical background consisting of eleven years of medical education focusing on medicine, chiropractic, pharmacology, radiology, and emergency medicine. Twenty-five years of experience in practice management and operations, compliance with federal and state program regulations, OSHA and infection control, quality improvement, grant program management and service line development. Libby has learned insurance contracting, coding, and billing from watching VHS tapes and filling out red HCFA 1500 forms by hand during her time in private practice. She is budget minded and mission driven.
Loretta Lathon is the risk adjustment & quality specialist educator at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). She is a graduate of Norfolk State University's Advanced Billing and Coding Program. Loretta is a highly accomplished health care professional with over 25 years of experience in the health care industry. Early in her career, she attended the US School of Allied Health Professions and completed training to become an EMT. She later worked as a health and safety coordinator where she was responsible for managing over 80 employees and coordinated health and safety courses with businesses throughout the Hampton Roads area. She has served as a member of the City of Suffolk Steering Committee, US Naval Chapel Council and vice president of the local Suffolk chapter of the American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC). She holds several AAPC specialty certifications and worked as an HCC Clinical Coding Trainer. Loretta was responsible for implementing client validation and remediation training programs, tracking quality scores, auditing providers, and giving feedback to ensure documentation was accurate, yielding maximum shared savings. Loretta has been married for 34 years to a US Navy Veteran who served 26 years in the armed forces. She enjoys exercising and spending time with her family.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Chief Financial Officer at Community Health Provider Alliance
Mark Sandvik is the chief financial officer at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). Mark received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Economy from Colorado College (Colorado Springs, CO) in 1989. In 1995, he received dual degrees from the University of Colorado, Graduate School of Business (Denver, CO): Master of Science in Healthcare Administration and Master of Business Administration. His experience the past 25 years has included operational management and financial and clinical consulting work with integrated health systems throughout the mountain west. He served as chief financial officer at Northwest Colorado Health for more than 16 years during which time the organization experienced significant growth through program expansion and innovation to serve its vast market area. He was a member of the CHPA Board of Directors from 2015-2022.
Job Titles:
- CPC Risk Adjustment & Quality Specialist
Paula Thingelstad is a risk adjustment & quality specialist at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). She has 17 years of vast coding experience and her true passion is for risk adjustment coding.
Job Titles:
- CCS Risk Adjustment & Quality Specialist
Richelle Griffiths is a risk adjustment & quality specialist at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). She attended San Diego Mesa College in 2012, participating in the Registered Health Information Technologist (RHIT) program. She graduated with her associates degree and certification as a RHIT in Health Information Management (HIM). She later became certified by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) as a medical coder in March 2014. Over the past 9 years, Richelle has worked as a contract coder for multiple hospital and physician networks around the country, strengthening her skills in many coding specialties. Most recently, she served as a clinical documentation integrity (CDI) specialist, auditing provider coding as a risk adjustment coder/auditor. She has a 10-year-old son and has adopted multiple animals. If she is not working or playing Minecraft or Roblox with her son, she enjoys woodworking and rehabbing furniture she buys at yard sales or thrift stores.
Job Titles:
- CPHQ Practice Transformation Coach
- Practice Transformation Coach at Community Health Provider Alliance
Robert Smith is a practice transformation coach at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). Rob graduated from the University of Michigan and began his career as a Human Resources professional. Over ten years ago, he transitioned to healthcare to focus on clinical quality and operational performance improvement activities for a multi-state accountable care organization as part of Colorado's largest healthcare delivery system. Rob is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) from the National Association for Healthcare Quality and has extensive experience leading the development and deployment of high-impact quality and systems transformation initiatives within a variety of healthcare settings. Rob is well-trained and experienced in utilizing lean methodology within various healthcare settings and holds a Certificate in Quality and Safety from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. When not working, Rob enjoys spending time with his family and enjoying the great outdoors of Colorado.
Job Titles:
- Board Vice President President and Chief Executive Officer, Clinica Family Health Services
Simon joined Clinica's staff in 2011 as a project manager and, in less than three years, was named as president and CEO of the organization. Before coming to Clinica, Simon worked for Abt Associates, Inc., a research and consulting firm that assists companies and governmental agencies in implementing health, social and environmental programs. Simon spent his first three years with Abt in Kazakhstan helping restructure the country's public health system. He spent another five years at Abt's Bethesda, MD, office managing government-funded international activities to improve care in areas such as HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, and community health. Prior to becoming Clinica's president and CEO, Simon served as the clinic director of Clinica's Boulder facility, the People's Medical Clinic. In that capacity, he managed 64 staff that provided care to almost 9,500 annually. As Clinica's CEO, Simon wants to work closely with other social service agencies and officials within Clinica's service area to improve the health care safety net for low-income and uninsured individuals.
Job Titles:
- Director of Human Resources & Business Operations
- Director of Human Resources and Business Operations at Community Health Provider Alliance
Susie Stebbins is the director of human resources and business operations at Community Health Provider Alliance (CHPA). With over ten years of experience in human resources working alongside the executive team, Susie specializes in human resources management, organizational leadership, and change implementation. One of Susie's favorite things about working in human resources is supporting staff in their roles to drive innovation, improve processes, and cultivate a workplace culture that employees can thrive and grow in. Other things Susie is passionate about is utilizing technology for mass communication to educate, empower, and inspire our community to support CHPA's mission and vision. Susie is inspired by her husband and two kids (ages 5 and 1) and in her free time, she likes to golf, play board games, cook, and attend performing arts events.