Jen Mettler is the manager of the New Patient Department at Nebraska Cancer Specialists. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and then went on to earn a dual Masters Degree in Nursing and Business Administration from Nebraska Wesleyan University. 

Jen started her nursing career in inpatient oncology before eventually moving into outpatient oncology over 4 years ago. While working for Nebraska Cancer Specialists she has helped evolve and develop an entire department dedicated to helping and guiding new patients entering the practice. She has been foundational in developing a standard of using registered nurses in a non-patient facing role in order to provide the best possible outcomes and standards for not only the patients coming into the practice but also the providers seeing the patients which in turn sets everyone up for success.

Jen is currently a co-chair of the patient and family advisory council at NCS. Throughout this program, the committee has been instrumental in designing and implementing positive changes throughout the practice. Jen believes there is great importance of receiving input from patients and families to make beneficial changes along with having the patients and families involved in driving those changes. 

Rebekah Ormond is the Volunteer Coordinator at Clearview Cancer Institute, where she has overseen all Volunteer Programs since 2021.  The Volunteer Programs at Clearview Cancer Institute offer a wide range of patient and caregiver support through their Hospitality Volunteers, Ambassador of Hope, Clerical Volunteers, Hooks for Hope, Musicians with a Mission, Confidence with a Clear View, Peer-to-Peer, and Patient Family Advisory Council serving all thirteen cancer sites in North Alabama.  Before joining Clearview in 2015, Rebekah worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation as a Development and Program Services Intern, gaining experience that has served her well during the launch of multiple Clearview Volunteer Programs such as Confidence with a Clear View, Peer-to-Peer Program, and the Patient and Family Advisory Council. 

Rebekah was a member of the Huntsville Hospital Development Council and is currently serving as a board member for The Vine, a local non-profit counseling clinic. Her passion is to connect with others and help her community gain access to compassionate, individualized care, while receiving encouragement and support throughout treatment. 

When she is not working, you can find her exploring the North Alabama area with her husband and three young children, ages four, two, and five months old!

Melissa Shaw, BSN, RN, OCN, has been a registered nurse since 2007 and an OCN-certified nurse since 2012. She has been with Central Georgia Cancer Care since 2009, where she administered chemotherapy for 13 years and served as the lead nurse for the Warner Robins clinic. In her current role as Director of Clinical Projects, Melissa leads the implementation of patient-focused programs and assists with policy development to ensure the practice adheres to best oncology practices. She was instrumental in guiding the practice to achieve ASCO OMH and QOPI certifications in 2022.  In addition to her clinical responsibilities, Melissa is a CPAN Chapter Leader and a member of ONS and ASCO, furthering her commitment to the oncology community. Melissa lives near Macon, Georgia, with her three children, ages 5 months, 5 years, and 8 years. Outside of work, she enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends.

Rose Gerber is a nationally recognized cancer advocate and cancer survivor. Her experience includes appearing on national television (MSNBC) to speak about cancer care, meeting with legislators in Washington, D.C. on cancer policy issues, and developing cancer programs. Rose was brought to the COA team to develop its patient advocacy program. One of her first accomplishments was to add an advocacy track to the annual conference, making the meeting one of the few that brings together physicians, administrators, and advocates. She serves as an invited member on national patient advocate panels, steering committees, and cancer coalitions. Rose has also served as a consumer reviewer on the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs – Department of Defense Breast Cancer research panels.

Rose has been a featured cancer survivor for various cancer organizations’ media campaigns, including the national About Clinical Trials initiative. She has appeared on the cover of the national publication, Breast Cancer Wellness magazine, and was honored as the National Breast Cancer Leader of the Year. In addition, she has been a guest speaker for CURE magazine’s podcast in the episode titled, From Cancer to Capitol Hill. She has been the keynote speaker at multiple national and state conferences. Rose served for five years as a grant reviewer, speaker, and educator for Susan G. Komen and co-founded and managed a breast cancer-mentoring program for Eastern Connecticut Hematology & Oncology in Connecticut. Collaborating with community health workers and nurses, Rose also gained an understanding of disparities in health care. Rose taught breast health education to diverse populations including Muslims, Haitians, Asians, Hispanics, African Americans, and young mothers.

Rose has a Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership and two bachelor’s degrees. Rose is also a graduate of the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s esteemed Project Lead programs: Clinical Trials, Science Institute, and Quality Care. Prior to her advocacy work, Rose worked for NBC-TV in Los Angeles, California. A mother with young children when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she is now a long-term survivor and applies her personal experience as a cancer survivor with her advocacy knowledge to educate and train cancer patients and cancer survivors on how various national cancer policy issues impact their local patient care. 

Dr Erba is a professor of medicine in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy at Duke University. He serves as the Director of the Leukemia Program.  Dr Erba graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He earned his medical degree and doctor of philosophy degree in Biophysics from Stanford University School of Medicine in California. He completed his internship, residency and fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  He has been a clinical investigator for myeloid neoplasms at the University of Michigan (1996-2012), University of Alabama at Birmingham (2012-2018), and Duke University since 2018. He has served as the Chair of the SWOG Leukemia Committee since 2012, member of the NCI Leukemia Steering Committee since 2012, and the Co-Chair of the Senior Scientific Council of the NCI-sponsored MyeloMATCH precision medicine initiative since 2019. 

Danielle Brown is the Senior Director of Care Coordination at Florida Cancer Specialists. Danielle is an Oncology Certified Nurse leader specializing and certified in breast cancer care.  She holds an MBA in Health Care Management from Western Governor’s University & Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grand Canyon University.  She also earned her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt for Healthcare Organizations from The City of Hope. 

Prior to joining FCS, she most recently served at HCA North Florida as the Division Director of Oncology Navigation where she was responsible for the continual development and implementation of the oncology navigation service line, driving profitable service line growth, and improving operations in quality & processes.  

With over 30 years of oncology-care experience, Jennifer (Jen) Pichoske, MS, EMBA, AOCNP is the Chief Executive Officer for Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY (HOACNY) in Syracuse, New York. A natural born leader, Jen has a passion for motivating her teams and growing the future. She is an integral part of HOACNY’s success utilizing vision, data and strategy. Jen fosters a culture of respect, state of the art quality care, and integrity keeping the patient at the center of every decision. 

Jen believes in serving her community through volunteer board participation. She currently serves as the board VP for Hospice of CNY and the Finger Lakes. She serves, as a board member for Cancer Connects, and is board treasurer for Breast Care Partners LLC. Nationally, Jen is a member of Community Oncology Alliance board where she enjoys sharing her endless passion for cancer care.

Jen has two sons who are busy student athletes. She enjoys her two rescue dogs, cat, the outdoors, cooking and yoga.

Anne Marie Rainey is the Director of Value-Based Care for the American Oncology Network and manages internal quality, government, and value-based care initiatives. She has experience in government quality reporting as a contractor for Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services and Centers for Disease Control. After obtaining her MSN in leadership and administration, Anne Marie transitioned to community oncology. Her work interests include quality metrics analysis, program implementation, health policy, and community oncology advocacy. From her time in oncology, she has several publications about implementation of value-based care initiatives, including Oncology Care Model, and has participated in speaking engagements sharing learnings. She has the privilege of serving on several boards, committees, and task forces with Association of Community Cancer Centers and Community Oncology Alliance to promote best practices and positive impact to community oncology. Anne Marie resides in Alabama with her husband, twins, and dog. She loves volunteering, is an avid college football fan, and enjoys traveling.

Sean Riley is the Chief Information Officer at New York Cancer & Blood Specialists (NYCBS), where he has led the development of an IT framework that fueled the organization’s growth from 6 to over 100 offices and scaled support for more than 3,000 employees. Beginning his career as a technician and digital marketer at the Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI), Sean gained a deep appreciation for the transformative power of technology in improving lives. This experience shaped his commitment to enhancing patient interactions and streamlining healthcare processes to drive better outcomes and more efficient digital care experiences.

Sean is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz, where he earned a degree in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. He is also CPHIMS certified and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School CTO Program. Dedicated to service, growth, and innovation, he leverages technology to create seamless, patient-centered experiences, ensuring every interaction is meaningful and designed with care at its core.

Dr. Emily Touloukian is a medical oncologist and hematologist practicing at Coastal Cancer Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A native of Bloomington, Indiana; she received her undergraduate degree from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California and her medical degree from Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in Downers Grove, Illinois. She completed her Internship and Residency at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois and her Fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan. Dr. Touloukian is Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Medical Oncology, Hematology and Internal Medicine.

In addition to serving as President and CEO of her practice, she is a past President of the South Carolina Oncology Society and the current President of the Medical Society of Horry County. Dr. Touloukian is an active member of the teaching staff for the Internal Medicine residency at Grand Strand Regional Medical Center where she serves at the Subspecialty Education Coordinator for Hematology and Oncology. She is on the Board of Directors on the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) and is the medical co-chair for the COA Patient Advocacy Network. Additionally, she is the current Chair of the ASCO State Affiliate Council and serves as the President of the Board of Directors of the Carolina Cancer Foundation.

Georgia, a private practice community cancer center providing Hematology and Oncology care in Central Georgia. His mission is to deliver quality, comprehensive, compassionate care to cancer patients of underserved Middle Georgia. 

Dr. Harsha Vyas obtained his fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Wake Forest University Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, North Carolina, and completed his Internal Medicine residency at the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center, East Tennessee State University, Tennessee. He also served as Chief Medical Resident during his Residency. He completed his medical training at the reputed Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India. 

Dr. Vyas is Board Certified in Hematology and Medical Oncology, is published in many peer- reviewed journals, reputed online publications, and is actively involved in clinical research. He was instrumental in starting the clinical research division of Cancer Center of Middle Georgia. His efforts have brought emerging clinical research to the underserved and the underrepresented rural patients without needing to travel long distances. He regularly lectures various groups at the community level to educate and raise awareness on cancer-related issues. Dr. Vyas also serves on various advisory panels related oncology care in the community. 

Dr. Vyas is passionate about communicating the importance of preserving community oncology as the way to deliver personalized, high quality, affordable, cancer care close to home with lawmakers. He continues to engage the legislature on a regular basis on various issues important to community oncology.  He was named an Advocacy Champion by The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) for his efforts to communicate relevant rural healthcare issues with lawmakers. He currently serves as the National CPAN Co-Medical director of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA). 

Dr. Vyas Co-founded Athena Oncology, LLC in 2022 which is a network of nearly 30 independent community oncology practices in two dozen states to better coordinate purchasing of life saving medications, maintain vendor relationships and engage in data analytics to improve efficiencies, eliminate barriers for early adoption of guidelines-based therapy and improve patient outcomes in a cost-effective manner. He currently serves as the CEO of Athena Oncology as well as a member of its Board of Directors.

To better serve the holistic needs of the underserved population, he was instrumental in founding the Cancer Foundation of Middle Georgia (CFMG), a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization serving the needs of indigent cancer patients in middle Georgia. 

Dr. Vyas lives with his family in Dublin, GA. He enjoys morning yoga and meditation, a good game of tennis, the outdoors, catching up on TV shows, and spending time with family and friends.

Guy Messer leads American Oncology Network (AON’s) radiation and radiology services which includes its Radiopharmaceutical Therapy services. With more than 30 years’ experience Guy has served in a variety of roles gaining a deep understanding of how today’s healthcare is delivered particularly within the diagnostic imaging space.

Prior to joining AON Guy served as Chief Executive Officer of Trident Medical Imaging, a multi-modality diagnostic imaging organization with a primary focus on PET/CT and oncologic imaging. During his tenure at Trident, Guy also served as Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Sales. In addition, Guy served on the Technical Assessment Committee for Georgia’s Department of Community Health tasked with developing the state’s Certificate of Need Rules for PET/CT scanners and volunteered his services as Chief Financial Officer for the non-profit Outpatient Imaging Coalition.

Guy has been instrumental in developing imaging centers throughout the U.S and his career includes sales management positions with CTI, Siemens, and CYTOGEN. He has served as Director of Nuclear Medicine with a multi-specialty facility and has been published as principal author of peer-reviewed journal articles. He also served as Adjunct Faculty with George Washington University’s Nuclear Medicine Technology program while simultaneously teaching at the US Navy’s Clinical Nuclear Medicine School as Senior Instructor.

Guy received his MBA from Georgia State University and his Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management from Southern Illinois University.

Karen M. Fancher, PharmD, BCOP, is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Duquesne University School of Pharmacy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  She is a graduate of Duquesne University School of Pharmacy and completed a Pharmacy Practice Residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, followed by a Specialty Residency in Oncology Pharmacy Practice at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa. She then spent almost 10 years as a Clinical Pharmacist in the Blood and Marrow Transplant Division at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center before returning to Pittsburgh to work with the West Penn Allegheny Oncology Network. Her current practice site is the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center at Passavant Hospital.  She presently serves on the faculty for the ASHP/ACCP Board Certification in Oncology Pharmacy (BCOP) Review & Recertification course, as well as various committees of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA). In addition, she has recently been appointed to the inaugural class of HOPAmbassadors.  Her research interests include chronic leukemias, lymphomas, and ethics in oncology.

Karen and her husband Stewart are the proud parents of two pretty awesome young adults. When she’s not on an adventure with her family, you can find her cooking, reading, cheering for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and daydreaming about musical legend Sting.

Dr. Hanna is board certified by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties in Oncology Pharmacy and Pharmacotherapy. He received his doctorate of pharmacy from Florida A&M University, completed his general residency at St. Thomas Hospital, Nashville, TN and his oncology residency at St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute, Boise, ID.

He is currently the Director of Pharmacy at Minnesota Oncology and an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. Dr. Hanna serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology (JADPRO).

Dr. Hanna’s research interests are focused on B-cell malignancies and genitourinary cancers. He has published over a dozen peer-reviewed manuscripts in various journals including Pharmacotherapy, AJHP, Drugs, JOPP, AJMC and JHOP.

Dr. Hanna is a recognized Fellow of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) and a Board member of the National Community Oncology Dispensing Association (NCODA). He is also an active member of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, and the Advanced Practitioner Society For Hematology and Oncology.

Tammy Chambers is the Director of Contracting and Payer Relations at The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, a OneOncology practice with multiple locations throughout North Texas. With more than 25 years of experience in managed care contracting, she is currently responsible for The Center’s value-based care strategy. Tammy is on the board of the Coalition of Hematology and Oncology Practices and serves on the COA Payment Reform Committee and the NCTA Contracting Committee.

Kathy Oubre is the CEO of Pontchartrain Cancer Center in Louisiana.

Kathy is a board member of the Community Oncology Alliance and co-chairs the Drug Policy and Regulatory Affairs committee and serves on their Government Affairs committee. She also serves on the Strategic Advisory committee and Leadership Council for Flatiron Health and is on the Executive Board for Athena Oncology. Kathy is a member of ACCC and serves on their Oral Oncolytics Advisory committee as well as their Government Affairs committee. Additionally, Kathy serves on the editorial boards for The Center for Biosimilars and the Journal of Evidence-Based Managed Care.

Kristen D. Bautz is the Vice President of Government Affairs at Farragut Partners, where she oversees House Democratic relationships and outreach for clients. With over a decade of experience in stakeholder outreach, messaging, fundraising, and working one-on-one with Democratic members of Congress, Kristen is recognized for her ability to set client priorities, cultivate relationships, and execute a mission-oriented strategy.

Prior to joining H&M Strategies, Kristen served as the Senior Advisor and Special Projects Coordinator to Senior House Democrat and Dean of the Florida Democratic Delegation, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. In this role, she spearheaded outreach to the Democratic Caucus and industry stakeholders and acted as the Congresswoman’s Political Director for nearly five years.

Kristen served as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s (DCCC) Senior Director  of Member Outreach. Under Chairman Ben Ray Lujan, Kristen worked directly with Democratic Leadership to advance Democratic priorities, protect (and elect) Democrats across the country, and raise over $34 million from the House Caucus. Kristen also served within 4C Partners, a premier Democratic political strategy and fundraising firm, where she worked for Democrats such as Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (MA-05), Rep. Lois Frankel (FL-21), and former Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-01).

Kristen got her start in politics by working for now Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York after graduating from the Florida. 

Jeff Mortier brings over a decade of public policy expertise in the healthcare, energy, telecommunications, privacy, and data security arenas and is widely regarded as a trusted voice on Capitol Hill.

Jeff has extensive experience in providing strategic advice and lobbying and policy expertise to executives of fortune 500 companies, industry associations, and non-profit organizations.

Jeff also serves as the Executive Director of the 21st Century Privacy Coalition, where he represents major telecommunications and cable companies.

Prior to co-founding Farragut Partners, Jeff served as a Professional Staff Member on the House Energy & Commerce Committee under Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). In that role, he helped organize the committee’s policy agenda and promoted the Chairman’s legislative priorities including work on online privacy and data security issues. He also served as a liaison to Republican Member offices on the committee and worked directly with Members and senior staff to help them further their policy goals.

Before serving on the Energy & Commerce Committee, Jeff spent five years working with senior Member of Congress Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) where he handled the Congressman’s most important legislative priorities, including health care policy, and served as Rep. Whitfield’s top policy advisor. During his time with Rep. Whitfield, Jeff worked on a number of significant bills including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 and the Food Safety and Modernization Act.

Working with his founding partners, Jeff MacKinnon and Joe Vasapoli, Jeff has built Farragut Partners into a premier DC lobbying firm. A Louisiana native, Jeff resides in Washington, DC with his wife Nicole.

Sarah Walter has spent the last 20 years working on a variety of issues across the health care spectrum.

From 1994 to 2003, Ms. Walter worked in the Washington office of United States Senator John Breaux (D-LA). Ms. Walter handled a broad range of issues, with a focus on health care policy, while serving as the Senator’s Legislative Director and Chief Counsel beginning in 1999.

In her role as Chief Counsel, Ms. Walter advised Senator Breaux in his capacity as Chief Deputy Whip and as a member of three influential Senate committees (Finance; Commerce, Science and Transportation; and Rules). She served as Senator Breaux’s principal advisor in his role as the Chairman of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare and played a key role in the passage of the landmark Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003.

Ms. Walter was also involved in passage of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the Balanced Budget Refinement Act of 1999, and the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000. Ms. Walter advised Senator Breaux on several other critical pieces of legislation including the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act of 2001, the Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002, and the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

As the key Democratic staffer for the Senate Centrist Coalition, co-chaired by Senator Breaux and Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, Ms. Walter has built a strong network of associates and policymakers on both sides of the political aisle. In 2007, Ms. Walter was named by National Journal as one of the top Democratic health care lobbyists in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Walter joined Senator Breaux’s office after earning her Masters Degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas and working at an Austin-based public affairs firm, Public Strategies, Inc. She worked in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office for a year and a half before becoming projects correspondent in Senator Breaux’s D.C. office in 1994. In 1999, she earned her J.D. with honors from the George Washington University School of Law while working for Senator Breaux.

Ms. Walter joined the firm as a Partner in 2016. She received a B.A. in Communications from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. She lives in McLean, Virginia with her husband and three children.

Ruemu Ejedafeta Birhiray, MD, is Partner at Hematology Oncology of Indiana/American Oncology Network and Clinical Professor at the Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Indianapolis. He is also an attending physician in Medical Oncology, Hematology, and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation at St. Vincent Indianapolis. Dr. Birhiray received his medical degree at the University of Benin in Benin City, Nigeria, followed by a residency and Chief Residency in Internal Medicine at Columbus Hospital in Chicago, Illinois; a fellowship in Medical Oncology at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland; and a fellowship in Bone Marrow Transplant at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He is board-certified in Medical Oncology.

Dr. Birhiray is Chair and Founder and Chairman of the Annual Indy Hematology Review and a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Hematology. He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Blood Transfusion and Hematopathology, and his work has been published in such journals as Blood, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Pharmacotherapy. Dr. Birhiray participated in numerous studies on therapies for patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, metastatic colorectal cancer, and metastatic breast cancer, among others.

Sheri Chatterson is the Vice President of Payer Relations for One Oncology and United Urology. In her role Sheri leads a team of 7 support practices with payer strategy, payer negotiations, and escalating chronic payer issues and value-based care.  Sheri has spent the last 25 years in a variety of healthcare positions including pharmaceutical sales, administrative leadership of a blood and marrow transplant program, managed care contracting for a large integrated delivery system in MI, managed care leadership positions for three payers including Priority Health, Health Alliance Plan and Molina. Sheri has earned a master’s degree in management and an executive MBA with an emphasis in healthcare. 

Rhonda Henschel is the Senior Vice President of Payer and Care Transformation for The US Oncology Network, where she leads a team of professionals who support the practices with payer strategy, value-based care transformation, and data and analytics. 

Before joining McKesson in 2019, Rhonda served in various roles at Minnesota Oncology for over 15 years, including Laboratory Manager, Practice Administrator, and Director of Managed Care and Quality. Through these experiences, she found a passion for improving patient outcomes and experience while creating aligned incentives and successful payment models. 

Rhonda earned a BS in Medical Technology from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from Hamline University. 

Alti Rahman is the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at American Oncology Network. He holds a dual Masters Degree in Business and Healthcare Administration and is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt .

Alti is proud of his South Asian heritage and has fond memories of his childhood when he lived in the middle east in a small country of Kuwait. His career in healthcare started as a mental health case worker. Those powerful experiences shaped his pursuit of a career in healthcare administration where he felt there was a tremendous gap in medical interventions and pursuit of public health goals.

Prior to joining AON, Alti spent 15 years at a community oncology practice, pursuing value-based care and continuous innovations around operational, cost and quality improvements.

Alti holds additional supplementary roles including: Board Member of COA (Community Oncology Alliance)-, Chair of the Health Equity Committee for COA, Board Member of the Oncology Circle Advisory, Past Treasurer for the National Cancer Care Alliance and Past President and Treasurer of the Coalition of Hematology and Oncology Practices (CHOP).

Alti believes that the future of healthcare involves a multidisciplinary and unapologetically collaborative approach keeping the patient at the center of all decisions.

Barry Russo, CEO, has been with The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, a private community practice based in Fort Worth, Texas, since 2002.  Barry has over 30 years of healthcare experience – he has worked in academic and community practices as well as academic and community hospitals. The Center has over 60 providers & 400+ employees at 20 facilities in the DFW area.  The Center offers medical oncology, radiation oncology, hematology, gynecologic oncology, breast oncology surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, integrative medicine, palliative care, imaging, laboratory services and retail pharmacy.

Barry is a current board member of COA and Advisory Board of Cancer Care Business Exchange (CBEX) and current member of ACCC, ASCO and TXMGMA.

Barry has an MBA from the University of Dallas and resides in Southlake, Texas.

James Lee is the Director of State Regulation and Policy at the Community Oncology Alliance (COA). Leveraging a background in government relations and public policy he has influenced critical areas throughout the health care system. His portfolio spans a wide range of issues including the Federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, commercial insurance, state-administered health plans, clinical pharmacy operations, and telehealth policy.

Since joining COA, James established the organization's multistate policy program, empowering independent practice leaders to effectively advocate for policies that support accessible and affordable cancer care in their respective regions. With his guidance, COA members have successfully challenged policies that would compromise patient care, fostered interstate collaborations, and introduced legislation in various state legislatures.

Prior to COA, James served as a government relations manager for one of the nation’s largest Federally Qualified Health Center systems in Southeast Texas. In his role, he led strategic legislative campaigns and served as a liaison between a network of over forty-five facilities serving 190,000 clients and more than seventy-five federal, state, and local policymakers.

A native of the U.S. border with Mexico, James was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, the southernmost region of Texas. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Health Law and Strategy at New York University, and previously earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Houston. James currently resides in the New York City Metropolitan Area, in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Lisa has extensive experience in Oncology in various settings, dedicating most of her time and efforts to Community practice and patient advocacy.  She led Fort Wayne Medical Oncology to become QOPI certified in 2015 and assisted in obtaining ASCO OMH certification in 2024, she launched Indiana’s only CPAN Chapter in 2018, coordinated several Oncology speaking events and advocated locally and at the state and federal levels for Oncology Patient Care. We accomplished expanding our advocacy efforts through involvement and connections associated with the Employers Forum of Indiana and CPAN Sit in my Chair events by inviting Federal, State, and local legislators to the table.  The progress FWMOH achieved at the local and state levels caught the attention of COA and helped build the foundations for the COA Employers forum and COA State advocacy efforts. Lisa’s experience encompasses Inpatient and Outpatient patient care ranging from Peripheral Stem Cell Transplant, outpatient chemotherapy administration into practice management, EMR coordination to Quality care programs such as OCM and VBC programs, data analysis and governmental reporting for the practice. She continues to be a strong voice for patient care in the Community setting. 

Dr. Sucharu Chris Prakash is the Medical Director and an Oncology/ Hematology specialist at Texas Oncology Paris. As the Director of Quality Services and Chair of Texas Oncology Quality Committee, he strives to maintain the highest standards of oncology care across the statewide group. Of note, he led Texas Oncology’s Precision Medicine Testing Initiative to increase biomarker testing in Cancer, and as a result Texas Oncology now tests almost 100% of eligible cancer patients. He is a member of the ASCO Task Force for rural cancer care and has spoken on this matter at various forums. He also moderates a biannual Oncology Congress designed to improve education and awareness among rural oncology providers. As the President of Texas Society of Clinical Oncology, he contributed to increased membership, active advocacy and educational activities for its provider members. As past member of the TMA’s Committee on Cancer, he was involved in cancer policy and coverage issues impacting providers and patients in Texas. As a Principal Investigator for US Oncology Research, he has brought clinical trials to the patients living in rural communities of Northeast Texas.

Dr. Emily B. Saul is a native of Greenville, Mississippi.  She graduated magna cum laude from Delta State University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2005.  She worked doing breast cancer research in Baton Rouge, LA prior to attending Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2007.  Dr. Saul’s internship and residency were completed at Riverside Methodist Hospital in 2014 in Columbus, OH where she received multiple “Power of One” awards.  Prior to beginning her fellowship in 2015, Dr. Saul was a hospitalist at Riverside Methodist Hospital.  Because of her passion in caring for patients with oncologic and hematologic disorders, she went on to complete a combined fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.  She joined Columbus Oncology and Hematology Associates in July 2018 where she currently serves as Vice President and Treasurer along with being a part of the Mentorship Committee.  She is also the Hematology and Oncology Section Chair for Riverside Methodist Hospital.  She is board certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology. 

Dr. Wilfong is Senior Vice President of Value-Based Care at Thyme Care, the leading value-based care enabler, collaborating with payers and providers to transform the experience and outcomes for individuals living with cancer. He is also a practicing medical oncologist/hematologist, at Texas Oncology in Dallas, Texas. Prior to his role at Thyme Care, he served as Senior Vice President of Payer and Care Transformation at The US Oncology Network and as Vice President of Value-Based Care and Quality programs at Texas Oncology.   

A committed advocate for community oncology, Dr. Wilfong’s mission is to transform cancer care to deliver better outcomes by aligning patient goals and values with treatment options and payment models. In his role at Thyme Care, he is helping define the future of value-based care payment reform, improving care-team coordination, optimizing actionable analytics and improving the quality of patient care. 

While at The US Oncology Network, Dr. Wilfong was instrumental in implementing both the Oncology Care Model and the Enhancing Oncology Model while driving performance in multiple commercial value-based care contracts. He previously led the Value-Based Physician Champion task force for The US Oncology Network and chaired the US Oncology Pathways Task Force. Dr. Wilfong currently co-chairs the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Reform Committee and serves on the ASCO drug shortages committee. He formerly volunteered on the ASCO quality measures task force and the ASCO guidelines committee.  While at Texas Oncology, Dr. Wilfong served as medical director of the COVID-19 Task Force and was the physician lead for their electronic medical record conversion. He has received various teaching and community service awards and has published over 50 papers and abstracts.

In 2003, Dr. Wilfong completed a fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas in hematology and medical oncology. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the same school in 2000, as well as earned his M.D. from there in 1997. He earned a B.S. degree in mathematics at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, in 1993.

C. Brooke Adams is a board-certified Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Malignant Hematology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy at the Orlando Health Cancer Institute. She completed her Doctorate of Pharmacy with research concentration at East Tennessee State University and her PGY-1 pharmacy practice and PGY-2 oncology residencies at Indiana University Health. Dr. Adams is a preceptor for UF pharmacy students, PGY-1 and PGY-2 pharmacy residents and also extensively involved in the education of Hematology/Oncology Fellows and Advanced Practice Providers. She is an active member of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacist Association (HOPA), the American Society for Transplant and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT), and a board member for the Oncology Pharmacist Network (OPN) – Florida Chapter. She recently received the New Practitioner Award from HOPA in 2023 and was a recipient of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 40 under 40 in Cancer award in 2022.