Board of Directors

Joan Allen, MPP

Government Relations Advocate
Service Employees International Union – United Healthcare Workers

Joan Allen, MPP

Joan Allen (She/Her) is a Government Relations Advocate for SEIU United Healthcare Workers (SEIU-UHW), where she has more than 15 years of experience working to improve California’s health care system for the benefit of patients, consumers, and health care workers. She currently covers issues related to health care, health insurance, and elections. SEIU-UHW represents more than 100,000 California health care workers and fights for health care justice on behalf of both workers and patients.

Ms. Allen previously worked for the City and County of San Francisco Department of Adult Probation, focusing on improving reentry services, data systems, and coordination between the department and other aspects of San Francisco’s justice and public health systems.

Ms. Allen sits on multiple health care advisory boards for the state of California, including the Hospital Equity Measures Advisory Committee, the Health Payments Data Program Advisory Committee, and the Health Care Affordability Advisory Committee. Additionally, she is a member of the board of directors of the California Health Care Coalition.

She earned a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Rice University.

Bill Barcellona, JD, MHA

Executive Vice President of
Government Affairs
America’s Physician Groups

Bill Barcellona, JD, MHA

Bill Barcellona, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs, America’s Physician Groups

Bill Barcellona currently holds the position of Executive Vice President of Government Affairs at America’s Physician Groups (APG), where he is responsible for shaping and advocating health care policies for the organization. In this capacity, he oversees litigation and appellate cases, as well as manages legislative and regulatory issues. Before joining APG, Bill served as the Deputy Director for Plan-Provider Relations at the Department of Managed Health Care in Sacramento.

Bill actively participates in stakeholder advisory groups related to Medicaid coverage expansion and managed care services under the Department of Health Care Services. His overarching goal is to enhance the value of healthcare organizations, fostering increased patient access, affordability, and quality of care.

Daniel J. Chavez

Executive Director,

Serving Communities HIO,

California Association of Health Information Exchanges

Daniel J. Chavez

Daniel J. Chavez joined the SCHIO as its first Executive Director in March 2022 with more than 35 years of health care information technology (HIT) experience. He has an extensive track record of leading startups, business development and product marketing in the HIT space. Previously, he served as the founding executive director of San Diego Health Connect, the health information exchange, HIE, in San Diego and Imperial Counties. While ED, Chavez served on the 211 San Diego, Community Information Exchange San Diego, Strategic HIE Collaborative (SHIEC) and Destination Care San Diego board of directors. He currently sits on the Boards of the California Association of HIEs (CAHIE), the Health Improvement Partnership of Santa Cruz County, and Connecting for Better Health. He holds a BA from San Jose State University and an MBA from Stanford University.

Crystal Eubanks, MS

Vice President, Care Transformation
and California Quality Collaborative
Purchaser Business Group on Health

Crystal Eubanks, MS

Crystal Eubanks, Vice President, Care Transformation and California Quality Collaborative, Purchaser Business Group on Health

Crystal Eubanks is the Vice President of Care Transformation at Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH). At PBGH, she drives strategy development, program design and execution, partner engagement, and business development across the organization’s portfolio of programs, initiatives, and technical assistance. Crystal leads the California Quality Collaborative (CQC) and its California Advanced Primary Care Initiative, in partnership with Integrated Healthcare Association, and oversees the Transform Maternity Care Program.

Previously, Crystal served as the Senior Director for Care Redesign, where she crafted technical frameworks for behavioral health integration and practice facilitation. Her responsibilities included developing informational resources and serving as an improvement advisor and trainer in CQC’s Practice Transformation Initiative. She is driven by her dedication to transforming chronic disease and behavioral health care through data and value-driven innovation based on her experiences in the health care sector.

Lori Hack, MBA

Health Technology Leader &
Board Member
Mark Twain Health Care District

Lori Hack, MBA

Board Treasurer – Lori Hack, Interim Executive Director, California Association of Health Information Exchanges

Lori Hack serves as the Interim Executive Director and the Interim Director of Finance at the California Association of Health Information Exchanges. With over three decades of experience in the healthcare industry, Lori has navigated various aspects of hospital, clinic, and health plan operations, policy, and management. Her recent focus includes state-level initiatives for the seamless integration of clinical activities within Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Health Information Exchange (HIE) implementations.

With a comprehensive background in compliance, privacy, and security of health information and health information exchange, Lori also possesses in-depth knowledge of reimbursement issues and incentive programs. In her current role as Principal at Mazars USA, Lori utilizes her wealth of experience in health care strategy, policy, and management to provide invaluable support to government agencies, health systems, payers, and associations, contributing to the enhancement of health care delivery across the United States.

Katie Heidorn, MPA

Director of State Health Policy
California Health Care Foundation
C4BH Board Secretary

Katie Heidorn, MPA

Board Secretary – Katie Heidorn, MPA, Director, State Health Policy, California Health Care Foundation

Katie Heidorn holds the position of Director of State Health Policy at the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), where she utilizes the Foundation’s wealth of data, expertise, and collaborative partnerships to assist California’s State government to create well-informed decisions regarding health care. With nearly two decades of experience in the industry, Katie has cultivated a diverse background in health policy, government, and nonprofit sectors.

Before joining CHCF, Katie served as the Executive Director for the Insure the Uninsured Project (ITUP), following her role as the Government Affairs Advocate for Health Net. Her experience also includes serving as the Development Director and Policy Lead at the California Coverage and Health Initiatives nonprofit. Katie’s background in the California State Government spans approximately a decade, during which she held pivotal roles such as Deputy Secretary for the California Health and Human Services Agency and Principal Consultant in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Timi Leslie

Founder and President
BluePath Health
Honorary Director

Timi Leslie

Timi Leslie, Founder and President, BluePath Health, Honorary Director

Timi Leslie serves as the Executive Director of Connecting for Better Health and the founder and President of BluePath Health, a health care consulting organization that develops forward-thinking policies and strategies to improve care delivery and community health. With a focus placed on the power of data, she has devoted her career to closing health disparity gaps. Timi’s work advances the critical need to invest in local health data sharing infrastructure and provide capacity building to support new Medicaid programs.

Timi regularly leads government and organizational initiatives focused on health IT strategy, financing, population and community health, electronic health record (EHR), and health information exchange (HIE). With her experience working with federal agencies, she offers a unique combination of expertise in both national and California health care policy and regulations.

Rhonda Smith, MBA

Executive Director California Black Health Network

Rhonda Smith, MBA

Rhonda Smith, Executive Director, California Black Health Network

Rhonda Smith currently serves as the Executive Director at the California Black Health Network. Her previous roles include serving as the Executive Director of the Life Serve Youth Foundation and acting as the Interim Executive Director for Integrative Medicine for the Underserved (IM4US), following her position as the IM4US Board President-elect.

Rhonda’s expertise in health disparities consulting encompasses diverse roles, including Consultant and Project Director for the LiveHealthy OC Initiative. This initiative advocates for a prevention and wellness model, promoting a holistic approach to whole-person care. Additionally, she has played a pivotal role as Consultant and statewide Project Manager for the Susan G. Komen Circle of Promise California Initiative, employing evidence-based strategies to reduce the high mortality rate among African American women diagnosed with breast cancer and address disparities at the system, community, and individual levels.

Board of Directors

Joan Allen, MPP

Bill Barcellona, JD, MHA

Daniel J. Chavez

Crystal Eubanks, MS

Lori Hack, MBA

Katie Heidorn, MPA

Timi Leslie

Rhonda Smith, MBA

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