AURERRA HEALTH GROUP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Policy Consultant With the Integrated Care Team
Abena Asare is a Senior Policy Consultant with the Integrated Care team at Aurrera Health Group. Abena works on a variety of projects with the California Department of Health Care Services that support behavioral health policy in California, including the Opioid Settlement Fund.
Prior to joining Aurrera, Abena was a consultant, focused on health care strategy and operations. Before entering the world of consulting, she worked at Prevention Institute, a national public health nonprofit, where she helped coordinate prevention initiatives focused on health equity and community-based approaches to addressing intimate partner violence and mental health and well-being across the country. Abena was an inaugural NASHP Emerging Leaders of Color Fellow, where she worked closely with Virginia's Department of Medical Assistance Services, contributing to maternal health policies, include doula Medicaid coverage.
Abena is trained as a birth doula and is passionate about addressing the maternal health crisis. She holds a master's in public health from the University of California, Berkeley. Abena graduated from Wellesley College with a bachelor's in psychology and health & Society. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, supporting women's sports, and experimenting with new recipes.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of Medicaid Policy & Programs With
Alisa Chester serves as Director of Medicaid Policy & Programs with Aurrera Health Group. She joined the firm in April 2019 and works closely with clients from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative. Alisa plays a leading role on the transition to statewide integrated care plans for dual eligible individuals and long-term care carve-in to managed care, offering subject matter expertise across the landscape of dual eligibles and long-term care in California, policy analysis of federal and state policies for integrating care for dual eligibles, strategies for stakeholder outreach and engagement, and overall project management support. Alisa also led policy implementation, provider training, and technical assistance for the ACEs Aware initiative, working closely with staff at DHCS and Office of the California Surgeon General to train Medi-Cal providers on screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and responding with trauma-informed care.
Alisa brings expertise on Medicaid, Medicare, drug spending, and state and federal efforts to expand access to health care for low-income populations. Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Alisa held positions with the Pew Charitable Trusts' State Strategy Team and Drug Spending Research Initiative in Washington, D.C. where she led state strategies to reduce drug spending and Medicaid expenditures, published research on the pharmaceutical supply chain, and helped expand access to opioid use disorder treatments.
While at the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, Alisa provided policy analysis and research on the development and implementation efforts related to Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and the Affordable Care Act. Alisa has also worked for the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare (CAQH) Committee on Operating Rules for Information Exchange and the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association.
Alisa has a master's degree in women's studies from George Washington University, a certificate in health policy from Georgetown University, and a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Alisa lives in Sacramento, California and enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and rock climbing.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Managing Principal, Medicaid and Behavioral Health Policy
Allison Homewood, MHA serves as Managing Principal of Medicaid & Behavioral Health Policy at Aurrera Health Group. In this role, Allison leads projects related to the development and implementation of policies aimed at improving care for Medicaid beneficiaries. Currently, her work focuses on behavioral health delivery system improvement and integration in California's Medicaid (Medi-Cal) Program.
Prior to joining Aurrera, she served as the Associate Director of Policy at the California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, where she advanced policies to strengthen California's public health care delivery system and improve care for Medi-Cal's most complex beneficiaries. Prior to joining CAPH she worked in strategic planning and business development at LifeLong Medical Care, a multi-site community health center in the San Francisco Bay Area providing integrated medical, dental and social services to people of all ages.
She previously served as an Associate Director at the California Primary Care Association, advocating on behalf of and supporting California's nonprofit community clinics and health centers.
Allison holds a master's degree in health administration from the University of Southern California's School of Public Policy and completed her undergraduate education at UC Davis. In her spare time, she enjoys being in the kitchen and singing silly songs with her daughter.
Job Titles:
- Senior Policy Consultant With Aurrera Health Group 's Integrated Care
Alyssa Vicario is a Senior Policy Consultant with Aurrera Health Group's Integrated Care team, where she supports a wide range of projects related to promoting effective Medicaid and behavioral health policy in California and the nation, including providing policy and implementation support to DHCS' California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative.
Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Alyssa worked as a consultant for several California county behavioral health departments. In this role, she worked with county staff to support the design, implementation, and evaluation of Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funded programs. Alyssa also supported the development of policies and procedures for adherence to state and federal Medi-Cal requirements and the implementation of quality improvement measures to enhance organizational service delivery and improve client health outcomes.
Additionally, in this position Alyssa supported the development and evaluation of several state and federal grant applications for a number of behavioral health organizations throughout the state of California. Highlights include the SAMHSA-funded Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration (PBHCI) grant and the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) funded Proposition 47 grant.
Alyssa holds a bachelor's degree in political science and professional writing from the University of California, Davis. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, cooking and spending time with her family.
Job Titles:
- Digital Communications Specialist
Andrew Petee serves as the Digital Communications Specialist for Aurrera Health Group, assisting with the planning and execution of digital marketing initiatives, providing technical support for firm and client webinars and providing analysis on digital marketing campaigns to identify trends and insights to optimize message performance.
Before joining Aurrera Health Group, Andrew served as a Senior Account Executive with FINN Partners and was responsible for developing client content, including media materials, online content, article outlines, media pitches and participating in media and influencer outreach. Prior to his time at FINN Partners, Andrew served as the Communications Coordinator at the Michigan Health & Hospital Association where he developed and executed advocacy communications, content and event marketing, member communications, social media and patient safety and quality communications in addition to implementing digital communications analytics strategy to successfully reduce bounce rate, increase web traffic, improve functionality and navigation for users, and increase mobile-friendly optimization.
Andrew received his bachelor of arts and master of arts in communication with specializations in campaigns and quantitative research from Michigan State University. Andrew currently resides in Detroit, Michigan with his wife Theresa, his son Cooper, and their dog Tucker. In his free time, he enjoys woodworking, rooting for Michigan State University sports and singing karaoke.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director of Behavioral Health Policy on the Integrated Care Team
- Deputy Director, Behavioral Health Policy
Anisha Agrawal serves as Deputy Director of Behavioral Health Policy on the Integrated Care team at Aurrera Health Group. She is a seasoned consultant who has partnered with clients across Medicaid agencies, state behavioral health agencies, hospital associations, and federally qualified health centers. In her role, Anisha leads several behavioral health initiatives, including the State Opioid Response grant with California's Department of Health Care Services.
Anisha has supported diverse clients with strategic planning, policy development and analysis, grants management, stakeholder engagement, and communications. Prior to her consulting work, Anisha managed the Complex Care portfolio at Arnold Ventures where she supported state Medicaid agencies in designing and implementing integrated care programs for the dual-eligible population. Prior to her time at AV, Anisha was a consultant at a boutique firm in D.C. where she supported the development and implementation of Live.Long.DC, Washington D.C.'s citywide plan to combat the opioid epidemic. She partnered with District leaders and providers to address the opioid crisis across the continuum, from prevention through treatment and recovery.
Anisha holds a bachelor's degree in public health from the University of Washington, Seattle.
Anna Patterson, BSN, RN, MPH is a Policy Consultant with the Integrated Care team at Aurrera Health Group. She supports state- and county-level initiatives focused on behavioral health policy, including the CalAIM Behavioral Health Documentation Reform.
Prior to her time at Aurrera Health, Anna was a Project Analyst at the UPMC Center for High-Value Health Care where she worked on a variety of projects ranging from supporting the implementation of Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute funded grants to conducting internal program evaluations. Additionally, she has worked on several quantitative analyses with colleagues from the University of Pittsburgh focused on disparities in access to care and coverage among Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries and is well versed in the use of large publicly available datasets.
Anna earned her master's degree in public health at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Public Health, and a bachelor's degree in nursing sciences from Alvernia University. She worked as an RN in the emergency department setting for seven years prior to gaining her master's degree. Outside of work, Anna can be found spending her time outdoors enjoying the sunshine or working on her latest knitting project
Annie Averill, MPP is a Senior Policy Consultant with the Integrated Care team at Aurrera Health Group. She joined the team in September 2022. Annie works on a variety of projects that support behavioral health policy in California, including CalAIM Behavioral Health and the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System.
Prior to joining Aurrera, Annie worked at Commonwealth Medicine, where she worked within the MassHealth Office of Behavioral Health on policy development and implementation for a variety of behavioral health delivery system reform projects in Massachusetts. She previously worked with the Institute for Health Policy and Practice on behavioral health delivery and payment reform projects across New Hampshire, including work on harm reduction education and technical assistance for health care providers. Annie also interned with the Massachusetts Health Policy Forum, where she co-authored an issue brief on telehealth use in Massachusetts during COVID-19. Annie brings expertise in Medicaid, behavioral health policy development, policy analysis, and program implementation to her work at Aurrera.
Annie holds a master of public policy degree from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. She graduated cum laude from Brandeis University with a bachelor's degree in politics and health science, society & policy, with minors in women's and gender studies and anthropology. She lives in Massachusetts with her partner and their cat, Tofu. In her free time, Annie enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, and biking around New England.
Job Titles:
- Finance
- Staff Accountant
- Accountant at Nevada Orthopedic
Antoinette McKnight is a Staff Accountant on the Finance team and assists with payroll processing, 401k funding, headcount forecasting, and expense reconciliations.
Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Antoinette serves as an Accountant at Nevada Orthopedic and Spine Center where she was responsible for processing accounts payable, payroll, 401k administrator, reconciliations, employee expense reports, and month end close duties.
Antoinette holds a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting and finance from California State University Fullerton. She currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. In her spare time, she enjoys walking her two dogs, going to WNBA games, and spending time with family and friends.
Audrey Richardson-Salinas, MPP, MPH serves as Deputy Director for Behavioral Health Policy on the Integrated Care team at Aurrera Health Group. Audrey supports clients across the country through strategic planning, policy development and analysis, program evaluation, stakeholder engagement, and project management. In her role, she works closely with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on a variety of behavioral health initiatives related to mental health and substance use disorder supports, including the State's opioid response.
Audrey's expertise is grounded in refining our health and social systems to create livable, sustainable, and equitable communities. Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Audrey worked at Families USA where she partnered with state and federal officials to improve health outcomes in communities of color and develop policies to address long-standing, structural inequities. She also served as the organization's expert on COVID-19; co-leading the Building a New Normal through Vaccine Equity Initiative, a strategic effort to promote community-driven policy change during the pandemic.
Before entering the world of health policy, Audrey served as a researcher evaluating social service programs as well as investigating racial and ethnic discrimination in the U.S. health care system. She has worked with a myriad of organizations, including the Urban Institute, the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, to identify and implement needed changes in state environments to best support historically marginalized populations.
Audrey holds a master's degree in public policy with a concentration in policy analysis and a master's degree in public health with a concentration in health behavior from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. In her spare time, Audrey enjoys watching movies, camping, and traveling to new places.
Becky Normile, MPM serves as Deputy Director of Medicaid Policy & Programs with Aurrera Health Group. Becky supports policy development, stakeholder engagement and communications, and program implementation to strengthen service delivery for individuals receiving long-term services and supports. She currently leads communications and outreach to support the California Department of Health Care Services in integrating long-term care into managed care.
Prior to joining Aurrera, Becky served as a Senior Consultant at Deloitte. In this role, she led a variety of projects supporting state and federal health clients, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in strategy development, program design and implementation, and stakeholder engagement. Prior to Deloitte, Becky served as a Policy Associate at the National Academy for State Health Policy, where she led policy analysis and provided technical assistance to state Medicaid and public health agencies on coverage, payment reform, and delivery system redesign for maternal and child health populations. Becky also previously served as a Research Associate at AcademyHealth, where she supported states in implementing the Affordable Care Act, improving care quality, and testing alternative payment models.
Becky holds a master's degree in policy management from Georgetown University and a bachelor's degree in public health from Temple University. In her free time, Becky enjoys reading, hiking, and baking.
Job Titles:
- Senior Policy Consultant With the Integrated Care Team
Blake Owens is a Senior Policy Consultant with the Integrated Care Team at Aurrera Health Group. He supports Medicaid, behavioral health policy, and social service-related projects.
Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Blake worked for Plymouth Housing, a permanent supportive housing provider in Seattle where he managed community engagement programs and led the special event planning for three new permanent supportive housing buildings for the organization. Blake's prior work focused on the continuum of health and social services through direct social service delivery for folks experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles while at LA Family Housing. He also managed large-scale, business transformation projects for health care payers and providers as a Senior Consultant at PwC. He brings additional subject matter experience in the social determinants of health space that he gained while working as a Health Industries Research Analyst at PwC.
Blake holds a bachelor's degree in political economics with a focus in health policy from the University of California, Berkeley. In his free time, he loves to trail run, practice yoga, cook, and spend time with his partner and friends.
Brendan Finn, MPH is a Senior Policy Consultant on the Medicaid Policy & Programs team at Aurrera Health Group. He supports clients with policy analysis and implementation support, communications strategy, and stakeholder engagement. Brendan joined the firm in 2023 and works closely with clients at the California Department of Health Care Services on the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) Long-Term Care Carve-In Transition.
Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Brendan served as a Graduate Fellow with North Carolina Medicaid as a member of its Strategy & Planning unit, working with federal, state, and local partners across a series of subject matters, including eligibility and enrollment regulations, health equity initiatives, the public health emergency, and the continuous coverage unwind. Before joining North Carolina Medicaid, Brendan worked in political media as a news producer for networks such as ABC, Univision, and HBO, where he provided policy research, conducted expert interviews, and provided script coordination for on-air talent.
Brendan holds a master's degree in public health policy from the University of North Carolina's Gillings School of Global Public Health and a bachelor's degree from Colgate University. He enjoys the local arts scene, tennis, and a great novel in his free time.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director
- Deputy Director on the Integrated
Brianna Nielson is a Deputy Director on the Integrated Care Team at Aurrera Health Group. Brianna plays a leading role on multiple projects providing strategic policy development and analysis, technical implementation support, and project management to state and county clients.
Brianna joined the firm in August 2019 and has worked closely with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and several counties throughout the state to advance initiatives that improve the behavioral health care system through integrated, person-centered approaches, including work to support implementation of California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM). Her work with DHCS has also involved extensive stakeholder engagement activities to promote the Coordinated Care Initiative and Health Homes Program.
Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Brianna was a program coordinator for the ComPACT Clinic at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in St. Louis. In this role, she supported the implementation of an innovative primary care clinic designed to improve the continuation and coordination of care for individuals with multiple chronic illnesses.
Brianna has experience developing and supporting multiple programs focused on fostering collaborative partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and other community stakeholders through her work at the Catholic Institute of Lasallian Social Action. While in this position, Brianna collaborated with a family resource center to conduct an in-depth study on the effects of low health literacy and designed a visual guide of the Medi-Cal application process to make this important health coverage more understandable and attainable for Medi-Cal beneficiaries.
Brianna holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Saint Mary's College of California and is pursuing a master's degree in public health with a focus on health care policy from UC Berkeley. In her free time, Brianna enjoys exploring new cities, camping out in coffee shops, and spending time with family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Senior Policy Consultant With the Integrated Care Team
Caitlin Crowley is a Senior Policy Consultant with the Integrated Care team at Aurrera Health Group. She supports behavioral health policy projects related to the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative.
Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Caitlin was a Strategic Planning Specialist at L.A. Care Health Plan where she played an integral role in strategic planning efforts, including developing the organization's multi-year strategic plans and conducting research and policy analysis to support decision-making. She also supported efforts to prepare for major changes affecting the health plan, such as CalAIM.
Caitlin also previously worked at The Children's Partnership, where she researched and advocated for policies related to children's health issues with a primary focus on oral health and Medicaid/CHIP, and the National Association of Community Health Centers where she conducted research to track health center growth and capacity needs, estimate the impact of policy changes, and support advocacy efforts.
Caitlin holds a master's degree in public health from New York University and a bachelor's degree in psychology from The George Washington University. Outside of work she enjoys yoga, hiking and spending time in nature, exploring farmers markets, and seeing live music.
Camilla Barbaduomo serves as a Policy Associate on the Medicaid Policy & Programs team at Aurrera Health Group. She joined the firm in February 2024 and works closely with clients within the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative.
Camilla holds a bachelor's degree in global disease biology from the University of California, Davis, with a minor in political science. During her studies, she interned as an outbreak data liaison with the California Department of Public Health COVID-19 Surveillance Unit and worked as a research assistant in the UC Davis Health Anderson Lab. She also participated in campus and community organizations such as Girl Up, Girls on the Run, and the ASUCD Student Health and Wellness Committee.
Camilla is based in Burbank, California. She enjoys baking, being in nature, and spending time with her family, friends, and dog, Jujubean.
Cassidy Acosta, MSW, serves as Deputy Director of Medicaid Policy & Programs with Aurrera Health Group, where they bring their expertise in community organizing and stakeholder engagement, strategic communications, strategy development and implementation, and policy analysis to health care programs supporting low-income seniors and people with disabilities.
Since joining the firm in August 2019, Cassidy has worked closely with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative, helping lead efforts to integrate care for dually eligible beneficiaries. Most recently, their work has focused on the statewide expansion of Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs), where they leverage their expertise in communications and provider engagement to support the state's outreach and education efforts. Cassidy also played a key role in California's Coordinated Care Initiative and the Cal MediConnect demonstration and transition by leading local outreach and stakeholder engagement efforts and building key partnerships throughout the state.
Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Cassidy worked for Disability Rights California (DRC). During their tenure at DRC, they engaged in mental health policy and legislative analysis, developed accessible materials for beneficiaries and providers, and created and facilitated trainings in psychiatric facilities, state hospitals, and the community on various rights-based topics such as Medi-Cal, Medicare, Social Security, conservatorship, and disability discrimination. In 2018, Cassidy was awarded DRC's Advocacy Achievement Award for their advocacy, legal research, and educational outreach to beneficiaries with mental health disabilities.
Cassidy has presented advocacy trainings at numerous conferences throughout the state of California, targeted toward both providers and beneficiaries, including the University of California Mental Health Cultural Competency Summit, the California Association of Social Rehabilitation Agencies Conference, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Conference, and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health's Multicultural Mental Health Conference.
Cassidy holds a master's degree in social work from the California State University, San Bernardino, and a bachelor's degree in psychology and social behavior with a minor in women's studies from the University of California, Irvine. They live in sunny Southern California with their wife and enjoy traveling the west coast in search of the best coffee shops.
Charity Bracy has worked with Aurrera Health Group as a Strategic Partner since October 2014, when she joined the firm's New York's Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program team. In that role, she has supported two New York hospital systems in leading the Performing Provider Systems that make up the structure of New York's DSRIP program. She continues as a Strategic Partner with the firm, providing strategic advice to several California hospitals as they work to implement their Medicaid transformation projects called PRIME.
Charity has more than 18 years of experience in the non-profit and government sector, serving as a political and policy adviser to a U.S. senator on health care issues, as a federal hospital lobbyist, and as a consultant providing strategic advice on federal health care programs. She has experience in developing and implementing health care policy in the areas of Medicaid, Medicare, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Charity has extensive experience working directly with the California health care system, including 10 years with the California Children's Hospital Association working on initiatives to influence opinion leaders and key stakeholders with the goal of increasing public understanding of issues impacting hospitals and the delivery of care while increasing federal and state funding available to the children's hospitals. She also has more than three years experience working as an independent consultant with a variety of hospital clients, including large systems and small, independent hospitals in California, as well as experience with a statewide trade association representing district and municipal public hospitals.
Charity holds a master's degree in business and a master's degree in social work, both from the University of Michigan, and a bachelor's degree from the University of California,Santa Barbara.
Chelsea Ji is a Senior Policy Consultant within the Medicaid Policy & Programs team at Aurrera Health Group. Chelsea provides policy, operational, and project management support on projects related to dual eligible individuals as part of the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative, led by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).
Chelsea gained an interest in health care through various student organizations and personal experiences navigating the health care system. She previously worked on preventative medicine research with the Veterans Affairs Health System of Loma Linda, where she was involved with patient experience quality improvement and preventative health classes. Chelsea holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley in integrative biology. She enjoys baking, learning to watercolor, and exploring new places.
Job Titles:
- Director, Behavioral Health Policy
Chelsea Kelleher, MPP is a Director for Behavioral Health Policy on the Integrated Care team at Aurrera Health Group. Chelsea leads Aurrera's work with the California Department of Health Care Services on the implementation of California's opioid settlement funds. Chelsea previously led Aurrera's work on the MAT Expansion Project, a statewide effort to improve access to treatment for opioid use disorder. In this role, she provided policy analysis, technical assistance, and project management to the team as they worked to scale up treatment for opioid use disorder in California.
Chelsea has also overseen the development of resources for providers, stakeholders and consumers on treatment for opioid use disorder, including toolkits for residential treatment providers, counselors, criminal justice professionals, and consumers. In addition to her work on opioid treatment, Chelsea has also provided assistance on the implementation of the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS), as well as the development of the next Medicaid 1115 Waiver through the CalAIM initiative. Finally, Chelsea has worked with county behavioral health departments on policy guidance and technical assistance for improving county Medi-Cal financing and beneficiary services.
Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Chelsea served as a Senior Policy Analyst at the National Governors Association in the Health Division, where she also focused on behavioral health, and, in particular, policies related to opioids. Chelsea assisted state leaders in developing and implementing strategies for the prevention and treatment of opioid use disorder. Specific projects included convening leaders to draft statewide plans for addressing opioid use; improving access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for justice-involved populations in prisons and jails and upon re-entry; and creating harm reduction programs to reduce the spread of infectious diseases related to drug use. Before working at NGA, Chelsea served as a research assistant at the American Institutes for Research and at the UC Berkeley Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services.
Chelsea holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of the Pacific and a master's degree in public policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, running, and finding new places to travel and explore.
Job Titles:
- Director, Behavioral Health Policy
Courtney Kashiwagi, MPH is the Director for Behavioral Health Policy on the Integrated Care team at Aurrera Health Group. She has been with the firm since 2012 and currently serves as a key member of Aurrera Health Group's behavioral health team, contributing to multiple projects focused on mental health and substance use disorder policy and initiatives at the state and local level throughout California. Since joining the Behavioral Health Policy team, Courtney worked on the implementation of the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery system, California's efforts to address the opioid epidemic, and served as the team's project manager responsible for overseeing all projects in the Behavioral Health Policy portfolio. Courtney has also played a key role supporting the Department of Health Care Services CalAIM initiative.
From 2014 through 2015, Courtney played a key role in the planning and implementation of the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) program in New York. While in Aurrera Health Group's New York office, she worked closely with health professionals in two large hospital systems to manage and organize the development of clinical projects and other major deliverables. She also was responsible for analysis and translation of complex DSRIP policy topics into more digestible materials and presentations to inform and educate providers and stakeholders.
Courtney also participated in the policy development and implementation of California's Coordinated Care Initiative, focusing mostly on issues related to behavioral health coordination for dual eligible beneficiaries. Through her involvement in this project, Courtney developed familiarity in the administration and financing of the California behavioral health system, experience in planning large stakeholder events, and expertise in using communication software programs to engage stakeholders.
Before joining Aurrera Health Group, Courtney served as the Program Associate for Saath U.S.A., a non-profit organization that provides culturally sensitive health education and access to preventive care and support services to South Asian populations throughout Southern California. She has volunteered in Honduras with Global Brigades, an organization that contributes to the development of a clean water system and distributes medications to rural communities throughout the country.
Courtney holds a master's of public health from the University of Southern California with an emphasis in public health policy. She has a bachelor's degree in health promotion & disease prevention and a minor in business administration from the University of Southern California.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director for Behavioral Healh Policy on the Integrated Care Team
- Deputy Director, Behavioral Health Policy
Devin McBrayer is Deputy Director for Behavioral Healh Policy on the Integrated Care team at Aurrera Health Group. Devin supports clients at the state and county level through project management, policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, and material development. She currently supports multiple initiatives and programs including various components of the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative and the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery system.
Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Devin worked on the government affairs team at Delta Dental of California where she worked on legislation related to health insurance across the country with a team of lobbyists. In particular, she worked on increasing access to dental benefits, particularly including a dental benefit in Medicare. She also provided in-depth analysis of legislation and guided implementation of newly enacted legislation and regulations.
Prior to joining Delta Dental, Devin worked as a health policy advisor for Congresswoman Doris Matsui in her district office in Sacramento. In Congresswoman Doris Matsui's office, Devin served as a local advisor for policies moving through the Energy & Commerce subcommittee on health and a liaison for local health providers and organizations. She was also responsible for leading implementation efforts for Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers in California.
Devin also served in Congresswoman Capp's D.C. office as a Women's Congressional Policy Institute Fellow, a fellowship designed to train potential leaders in public policy formation to examine issues from the perspective, experiences, and needs of women. Devin served as the Congresswoman's primary staffer for the Energy & Commerce subcommittee on health and helped the Congresswoman pass the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act and helped secure the reauthorization of the Early Detection and Intervention Act.
Devin serves on the Board of Directors and volunteers with Children's Choice for Hearing and Talking (CCHAT), a listening and spoken language program to help children who are deaf or hard of hearing succeed in mainstream school.
Devin is a McNair Scholar. She has a master's degree in public health from George Washington University and a bachelor's degree in political science from Sonoma State University. Devin enjoys hosting family and friends, practicing yoga, gardening, or hanging out with her husband and their two dogs, Poppy and Oliver.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director
- Deputy Director on the Integrated
Elise Ressa, MSW is a Deputy Director on the Integrated Care team at Aurrera Health Group. In this role, she is primarily working on the behavioral health initiatives within the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) project, convening stakeholders and moving to consensus on several imperative policy decisions.
Prior to joining the Aurrera team, Elise spent two years as a dedicated consultant to MassHealth's (Massachusetts' Medicaid) Office of Behavioral Health, working on a bold initiative to redesign the behavioral health benefit for MassHealth members through the creation of a new level of care and several new and expanded behavioral health benefits. Elise also has experience in behavioral health advocacy, working for three years at the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, where her primary focus was a research project on pediatric behavioral health urgent care.
Elise holds a master's degree in social work from the Boston College School of Social Work and a bachelor's degree in child development and clinical psychology from Tufts University.
Elizabeth Ly, MPH is a Senior Policy Consultant for the Integrated Care team with Aurrera Health Group. She supports clients through project management and research activities and works with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on federal behavioral health grants projects on mental health and substance use disorder policy and initiatives and Community Supports with CalAIM.
Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Elizabeth was a Senior Clinical Affairs Coordinator with the Society of Family Planning where she managed the Abortion Clinical Research Network, a network of 70+ abortion clinics across the United States that participate in multi-center research studies. She lead research studies seeking to understand the impact of COVID-19 on family planning services, conducted data analysis, and collaborated with clinics and researchers to implement clinical trials. Previously, Elizabeth worked at the University of California, San Francisco's Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health with OB-GYNs across the United States to support family planning training in academic medicine. She also has experience in the social innovation space from her internship at Hopelab where she worked on facilitating the adoption of a goal-coaching app for low-income first-time mothers. In this role she engaged in ensuring stakeholder buy-in, user experience research, and qualitative data analysis. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the UC Berkeley School of Public Health Alumni Association where she promotes student-alumni engagement through networking and social events.
Elizabeth holds a master's degree in public health, focused on maternal, child, and adolescent health and a bachelor's degree in public health with a minor in public policy, both from the University of California, Berkeley. In her free time, she enjoys finding the best bites a neighborhood has to offer, trying new foods, playing tennis, cooking, and playing board games with her friends.
Emily Bauska serves as Deputy Director of Strategic Communications and offers a range of communications and design services to clients and internal teams. Emily excels at reaching stakeholders through multiple channels, crafting visually compelling, data-driven narratives, and managing complex communications projects.
Currently, Emily leads Pathways to Resilience's strategic communications efforts, encompassing web and social media strategy, marketing, and branding. She formerly played a key role in Aurrera Health's support of communications efforts for the ACEs Aware initiative. Her contributions included data reporting and visualizations; email campaign development and management; and design and technical support for monthly educational webinars.
Emily brings a wide range of experience from the non-profit sector and outdoor industry. Most recently, she improved outreach efforts and strengthened support for the Pacific Crest Trail Association, where she enjoyed working with a diverse group of volunteers, partners and communities along the 2,650-mile National Scenic Trail. Throughout her career, Emily has worked collaboratively with local governments, non-profits, and private businesses to create innovative programs.
Emily holds a bachelor's degree in English from Willamette University. Emily lives in Portland, Oregon where she enjoys tending to her vegetable garden and pursuing outdoor adventures with her husband and son.
Erika Massaro, MPH is a Policy Consultant at Aurrera Health Group. She supports the Naloxone Distribution Project with the California Department of Health Care Services Community Services Division to help improve behavioral health care access in California.
Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Erika was a Business Development Intern with ReKlame Health and led projects related to revenue cycle management and financial analysis. Additionally, she recently received a master's degree in public health from Tulane University with a concentration on health policy and management. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside, running, traveling, trying new restaurants, and cooking.
Job Titles:
- Senior Policy Consultant With
Erin Connolly is a Senior Policy Consultant with Aurrera Health Group where she supports the Integrated Care team with policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, webinar development, and project management.
Erin brings several years of experience in health policy research, strategic communications, and journalism to the team. Before joining Aurrera, Erin supported program coordination for the Hopkins Business of Health Initiative, conducted research for the Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness at Johns Hopkins, and provided long-term care policy analysis for members of the Maryland General Assembly.
Previously, Erin worked as a strategic communications consultant for several large-scale government and health advocacy clients. Her work ranged from conducting stakeholder interviews about Medicaid expansion, responding to congressional inquiries regarding policy changes, and creating presentations on the health equity media landscape. She also worked as a reporter covering the latest studies in healthcare.
Erin holds a master's degree in public health with a focus on health policy from Johns Hopkins and a bachelor's degree in journalism and psychology. Outside of work, you'll likely find Erin reading a good book, playing pickleball, and streaming the latest show.
Estrella Jackson is the Finance Manager for Aurrera Health Group. In this role she works closely with the Finance Director to improve financial systems, streamline procedures, update revenue forecasts, ensure data validity, and oversees back-office NetSuite operations.
Estrella previously worked as a Senior Project Controls Specialist at SWCA Environmental Consultants, a nationwide environmental consulting firm that helps businesses navigate environmental compliance, where she assisted projects with financial, accounting, document management, and project forecasting. She assisted in the effective implementation of several internal procedures related to project setup and system reporting for the Sacramento office, as well as assistance for additional offices in the West region.
She likes to spend time with her family, read, and learn new things.
Haley Henry is a Policy Consultant on Aurrera Health Group's Integrated Care team, where she supports California's State Opioid Response data collection.
Before joining Aurrera Health Group, Haley worked as a Study Coordinator for the Healthy Minds Study at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health. The study is an online survey designed for students across diverse post-secondary institutions, comprising four-year colleges, universities, community colleges, and technical schools in the United States.
Haley also worked as a Supply Chain Sustainability intern at Johnson & Johnson where she conducted a literature review on the implications of climate change for pharmaceutical safety and efficacy. Her insights influenced Johnson & Johnson's strategic approach in incorporating the consideration of climate change's effect on drugs in their clinical trials.
Haley has a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan in biopsychology, cognition, and neuroscience with minors in environment and law, justice, and social change and is working towards a master's of public health from Yale University. Outside of work, Haley is energized by hiking, trying new restaurants, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Job Titles:
- Senior Human Resources Generalist
Hana Elkhayat is Aurrera Health Group's Senior Human Resources Generalist. She joined our team in 2023 and serves as the primary HR subject matter expert for the company. In her role, Hana will oversee employee relations, talent acquisition, and uphold the highest standards of HR compliance ensuring that our company remains steadfast in its commitment to making impactful changes in the health care delivery system and representing our core values through our exceptional workforce.
Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Hana was an HR and Business Operations Manager for a cybersecurity start-up where she took ownership of all HR operations and streamlined processes to enhance overall business efficiency and growth. Her commitment to understanding diverse organizational needs allowed her to make a significant impact in implementing effective HR strategies that fostered diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Hana previously worked as an HR Generalist for OmegaComp HR, a Sacramento-based company, where she provided comprehensive HR support and guidance to clients across various industries and of varying sizes.
Hana holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from California State University, Sacramento. In her free time, you can catch her indulging in a great cup of coffee from one of Sacramento's thriving local coffee shops or searching for her next travel destination.
Job Titles:
- Strategic Partner
- Associate Professor at Indiana University
Hannah Maxey, PhD is an Associate Professor at Indiana University where she also serves as Founding Director of the Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy located in Indianapolis, IN. She is a nationally recognized expert and thought leader on state health workforce policy issues. Her expertise includes strategy development and consensus building for state centric solutions to complex health workforce issues.
Dr. Maxey's consulting experience includes both government and private sector clients interested in advancing health care workforce initiatives. She established Veritas Health Solutions, LLC (VHS) in 2019 as a mechanism to provide a broad range of integrity-based services to help clients generate and implement customized solutions.
She received her PhD from the Department of Health Policy and Management at Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health in 2014 and holds a Master of Public Health as well. She has held an Indiana State Dental Hygiene license since 2000. Prior to pursuing graduate training, Dr. Maxey spent nine years practicing dental hygiene in federally qualified health centers.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- President
Hilary Haycock, MPP has served as the President of Aurrera Health Group since 2015. As President, she directs the firm's nationally recognized work on Medicaid and Medicare, delivery system reform, behavioral health transformation, and long-term services and supports integration. Aurrera Health Group's work extends from California to Washington, DC, serving clients ranging from state and local governments to consumer advocacy groups to health care provider organizations and health plans.
In addition to her role as chief executive, Hilary has led Aurrera Health's work on a number of signature initiatives for the State of California. For a decade, Hilary provided policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, and provider and beneficiary outreach support to the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) for the Coordinated Care Initiative (CCI), the state's demonstration to integrate care for beneficiaries who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, and the state's subsequent transition to exclusively aligned Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans and Managed Long-Term Services and Supports and Long-Term Care. Hilary also led Aurrera Health Group's work on the ACEs Aware initiative, a first-in-the-nation effort to train Medi-Cal providers to conduct Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) screenings and provide trauma-informed care. She also has served in leadership roles for outreach and education efforts for beneficiaries and providers for DHCS' Health Homes Program, designed to provide care coordination services for Medi-Cal beneficiaries with chronic conditions, as well as for DHCS's Whole Person Care Learning Collaborative, the nation's first program to fund local governments and community-based organizations to provide wrap-around services to high-need Medicaid beneficiaries. Hilary has more than 20 years of health policy and communications experience.
Prior to joining Aurrera Health Group, Hilary served in numerous senior health policy communications roles. As a Presidential Management Fellow, she worked on communications and messaging around the Affordable Care Act at the White House Domestic Policy Council, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Hilary also served as a Health Policy Fellow to Sen. Bill Nelson, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, where she worked on health policy issues and legislation, including the Affordable Care Act. She spent time as communications director of SEIU Nevada during the 2008 presidential election, where she developed and executed several earned media strategies, including editorial board meetings and media tool kits, and served as the on-the-record spokesperson. Hilary also served as a senior account executive at Ziegler Associates, a Sacramento public affairs firm, where she worked on a number of issues including California's health care reform efforts in 2007.
Hilary's health policy expertise has grown from work focused on health system transformation and Medicaid waivers. In her role as the issues campaign director for the SEIU California State Council, she developed and implemented public affairs campaigns on health policy issues, particularly around implementation of the Affordable Care Act in California. She also provided policy support to the State Council, researching and analyzing health care legislation and leading an internal policy workgroup to develop policy positions. Hilary began her career as a research associate at the California Institute for County Government, where she analyzed and wrote policy reports based on health, labor, and housing data.
She has published extensively on health care safety net issues in California and other health reform topics for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Center for American Progress Action Fund, AARP, the California Health Care Foundation, Small Business Majority, and others.
Hilary holds a master's degree in public policy with a focus on health care from Georgetown University and a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. When not nerding out on health policy, Hilary can be found chasing her two toddlers, listening to Taylor Swift, or reading a good book.
Job Titles:
- Independent Consultant
- Strategic Partner
Jane Ogle is an independent consultant who works with Aurerra Health Group on select projects designed to promote innovative system change that leads to improving access to care for the most vulnerable in our state.
Jane is a former Deputy Director for Healthcare Delivery Systems at the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), where she was responsible for the Low Income Health Program that ultimately transitioned 640,000 childless adults into Medi-Cal in 2014; the Long-Term Care Division that oversees programs for the most at-risk older adults in our state; California Children's Services; and the Managed Care Division that expanded Medi-Cal managed care to all 58 counties and transitioned 900,000 children from Healthy Families into Medi-Cal. Jane also was responsible for overseeing the Coordinated Care Initiative, a seven-county pilot that integrates Medicare and Medi-Cal services with long-term services and supports through managed Medi-Cal health plans.
Prior to her work at DHCS, Jane was the first Chief Operating Officer at Santa Clara Family Health Plan. She also spent more than 20 years in hospital administration at hospitals in Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey.
Jane is a graduate of Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director, Medicaid Quality Initiatives
Job Titles:
- Senior Policy Consultant With the Medicaid Policy & Programs Team
Jessica Layton serves as Senior Policy Consultant with the Medicaid Policy & Programs team at Aurrera Health Group. She joined the firm in November 2019 and works closely with clients within the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) on the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) initiative.
Since joining Aurrera Health Group, Jessica helped support the Whole Person Care pilots prepare for the transition to CalAIM Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports and managed 35 grantees under the first round of the ACEs Aware grant initiative. Jessica currently provides support on stakeholder engagement and workgroup planning, project management, and policy development on projects related to dual-eligible individuals. Most recently, Jessica has supported California's transition from the Cal MediConnect demonstration to a statewide D-SNP model.
Before joining Aurrera Jessica developed educational materials in a Primary Care setting to help educate patients on lifestyle and dietary changes to address chronic conditions like diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. Jessica completed her graduate practicum with the Health Promotion Practice Journal. During her time as a graduate intern, she conducted numerous literature reviews on various health care policies and practices. Special projects included researching and writing synopses on articles that address health care policies and practices that confront barriers to health equity in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) communities, and participating in the manuscript collection and review with the Federal Drug Administration's Office of Minority Health and Health Equity. Jessica also worked directly with the journal's editor to establish a social media messaging campaign to help disseminate current research trends and increase outreach.
Jessica holds a master's degree in public health from San Jose State University and a bachelor's degree in nutrition and foods from California State University, Sacramento. Jessica currently resides in Roseville, California with her husband and daughter. In her free time, Jessica enjoys baking, hiking, spending time on the California coast, and managing her daughter's flourishing competitive soccer career.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Managing Principal, Medicaid Programs
Job Titles:
- Deputy Director, Behavioral Health Policy
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Managing Principal, Behavioral Health Policy
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Managing Principal, Duals & LTSS
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Vice President
Job Titles:
- Director, Medicaid Programs
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Financial Advisor
- Strategic Partner
Job Titles:
- Employee Engagement Associate
Job Titles:
- Director, Employee Engagement
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Managing Principal, Duals & LTSS
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Managing Principal, Medicaid Quality Initiatives
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Senior Vice President
Job Titles:
- Strategic Partner
- Clinical & Science Senior Advisor
Job Titles:
- Human Resources Generalist
Job Titles:
- Operations and IT Manager