About CIVHC

John Bartholomew*

Bartholomew is the Budget Director of the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), which serves almost 900,000 Coloradans with an annual budget of $5.0 billion. He has been a member of the HCPF team for over 11 years. Bartholomew has a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Colorado, Boulder and received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to joining HCPF, he was the lead economist at the Business Research Division at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has served on the board of the Denver Association of Business Economists from 2000 to 2009 and completed a fellowship at the Colorado Health Foundation.

Phyllis Albritton

Albritton has more than 20 years’ experience in health care and technology policy development, most recently as the Executive Director of the Colorado Regional Health Information Organization (CORHIO), a non-profit organization created to facilitate health information exchange to improve care for all Coloradans. Her experience includes policy areas, such as telecommunications discounts for schools and libraries, oral health, children’s basic health insurance and other federal programs.

Jay Brooke, M.S.W.

Brooke has been the Executive Director of High Plains Community Health Center in Lamar since it opened in 1995. High Plains has grown from its original five staff to its current staff of sixty-five and established itself as a model for delivering comprehensive primary care including medical, dental, behavioral health and health education. He has been the Board Chair for the Colorado Rural Health Center, the Colorado Community Health Network and the Colorado Community Managed Care Network.

Peg Brown, J.D., M.A.*

Brown is a native Coloradan with over twenty-five years’ experience in health care policy. She currently serves as Deputy Insurance Commissioner for Consumer Affairs for the Colorado Division of Insurance. Her experience includes serving as the Executive Director of the Colorado Association of Health Plans, advisor to former U.S. Senator Hank Brown on health care and welfare policy, as staff to U.S. Senator Bob Packwood, and an attorney in private practice focusing on health and insurance issues.

Lisa M. Clements, Ph.D.*

Clements has served as the Department’s Director of the Office of Behavioral Health since August, 2011. As such, she directs the mental health institutes at Fort Logan and Pueblo, as well as the Division of Behavioral Health that oversees community mental health and substance abuse treatment programs. Clements is a Licensed Psychologist and previously served as the Chief Behavioral Health Officer for Missouri HealthNet (Medicaid) in the Missouri Department of Social Services. She brings to Colorado more than two decades’ experience in the field of behavioral health. She holds a doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1988; a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the same institution; and, a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Mid-America Nazarene University in Kansas.

Greg D'Argonne

D’Argonne is the Chief Financial Officer of HCA-HealthONE LLC. He joined HCA in 1984 and served as the Assistant Controller at Parkland Hospital in Baton Rouge, LA and Controller at North Monroe Hospital in Monroe, LA. He has has served as CFO for HealthONE and the HCA Continental Division since 2001. Prior to that, D’Argonne served as Controller and then CFO at Wesley Medical Center from 1994 to 2001. He is a native of New Orleans and graduated from Louisiana State University in 1981.

Kelly Dunkin, M.P.A.

Dunkin is the vice president of philanthropy for The Colorado Health Foundation. In this role, she leads the staff of the Foundation’s three philanthropy teams; Healthy Living, Health Coverage and Health Care in their work investing in nonprofits throughout the state. Kelly has a diverse background in the philanthropy, nonprofit and education fields. Prior to joining the Foundation as grant program director in 2004, she was executive director of the Chowdry Family Foundation, a Lakewood, Colorado-based family foundation. She has also worked as an elementary school teacher in the Cherry Creek School District.

Michael Huotari, J.D.

Huotari is a nationally recognized attorney, with nearly 30 years’ experience in health care business and law. Previous to his current position as Vice President of Legal and Governmental Affairs with Rocky Mountain Health Plans, he served as Executive Director for the Colorado Association of Health Plans. Prior to that, he held the positions of Vice President and General Counsel for DMCare, Inc., a disease management company and as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans and affiliated companies in Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico. Additionally, he had a law practice in Denver, Colorado.

Jillian Jacobellis, Ph.D., M.S.*

Jacobellis is the Deputy Policy Advisor, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). In this new role, she is leading the effort to build and support public health framework as it relates to health care reform. For over thirteen years she served as the Director of the Prevention Services Division and State Chronic Disease Epidemiologist, CDPHE. She is the President-elect of the Board of Directors, National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, and serves as chair of the NACDD Science and Epidemiology Committee. She is Assistant Clinical Professor, School of Public Health, University of Colorado.

Annette Kowal

Kowal began at the Colorado Community Health Network (CCHN) in August 1996. Her primary responsibilities are to oversee the implementation of CCHN's strategic plan and to work with the CCHN Board of Directors to lead the organization in achieving its mission. She has more than 15 years of Health Care experience, including three years with the Colorado State Auditor’s Office conducting the annual financial audit of Colorado's Medicaid Program, and at the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), where she served as the manager of the Colorado Indigent Care Program and as a Policy/Rate analyst for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

Mark Levine, M.D.*

Levine is Chief Medical Officer at the Denver regional office of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. A practicing internist, he is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. As Clinical Professor of Medicine, he teaches in the Division of Geriatrics and at the Center for Bioethics and Humanities of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. He also serves on the faculty of the Colorado School of Public Health. He founded and now serves on the board of the Colorado Patient Safety Coalition.

Donna Marshall, M.B.A.

Marshall has served as Executive Director of the Colorado Business Group on Health (CBGH) since 1996. Prior to joining CBGH, Marshall was Manager of Managed Care Services for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing Medicaid Division, where she directed all activities associated with the Primary Care Physician Program, the Drug Utilization Review Program and health plan contracts including procurement, negotiation, rate setting, enrollment and systems implementation issues, oversight and conformance with state and Federal statutes and regulations.

Paul Melinkovich, M.D.

Melinkovich, a board certified pediatrician, has served as President of the Colorado Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and Chair of the Committee on Community Health of the national AAP. He is currently the President of Board of Directors of the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care, and serves on the Colorado Board of Medical Services. He was a founding member of the Colorado Children’s Campaign, the child advocacy organization for Colorado and served as their 2nd Board President. Melinkovich is also is a Professor of Pediatrics and Preventive Medicine at the University of Colorado.

Elizabeth Soberg

Soberg has more than 20 years of industry experience, including 13 years with UnitedHealth Group, to this significant leadership role. She is responsible for the health plan’s business development, operations, community and regulatory relationships. During her tenure with UnitedHealth Group, Soberg has served in several key leadership roles within Uniprise, Specialized Care Services and UnitedHealthcare. She is an active board member with the Denver Chamber of Commerce, Colorado Regional Health Information Organization, Colorado Associations of Health Plans, and Mental Health America of Colorado, and is a member of Colorado Concern, Colorado Forum and Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry.

Kelly Stahlman

Stahlman is a consumer health policy advocate, committed to bringing the voice of persons with disabilities and their families to public policy throughout Colorado. Kelly and her husband Bruce have three sons, including high school twins with disabilities. She works for the Colorado Alliance for Health and Independence (CAHI), a disability care coordination organization. Stahlman has worked on behalf of children and families with disabilities as Public Policy Director for Family Voices Colorado, as a Family Coordinator for Tri-County Department of Health, and as a Service Coordinator for The Arapahoe County Early Childhood Network.

Steven Summer

Summer joined the Colorado Hospital Association in September of 2006. Prior to that, he spent 13 years with the West Virginia Hospital Association as President and CEO. He also worked with the Maryland Hospital Association as senior vice president from 1990 to 1993 and vice president for professional activities from 1976 to 1990. He served as a member of Colorado’s Blue Ribbon Commission for Health Care Reform. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Dick Thompson

Thompson is the Executive Director and CEO of Quality Health Network – commonly referred to as QHN - headquartered in Grand Junction, CO. Thompson’s business background includes three decades of management experience in software technology and support organizations with special successes in “start up” organizations. A resident of Grand Junction for more than 25 years, he has been an active leader in many youth and philanthropic initiatives in the area. He also serves on a number of boards including the Colorado Regional Health Information Organization.

Barbara Yondorf, M.P.P.

Yondorf is president of Yondorf and Associates, a Denver-based health policy consulting firm. Yondorf and Associates researches policy issues, conducts feasibility studies, analyzes fiscal data, provides strategic planning services, facilitates meetings, drafts legislation and writes grant proposals. Barbara has written numerous reports, studies and white papers on health policy. Before starting her own company, she oversaw the health grant-making program at Rose Community Foundation. She has served in senior management positions at the Colorado Division of Insurance, National Conference of State Legislatures, and the former Colorado Department of Health. Yondorf also staffed the Colorado Legislature’s Joint Budget Committee.

Karen Zink

Zink is a Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner in Durango, Colorado. She is the owner of Southwest Women’s Health, a clinic providing primary and gynecologic care for women throughout the Four Corners since 1989. Her nursing roles include staff nurse, critical care (ICU/ER), nurse educator, childbirth educator, Hospice volunteer, and nurse practitioner. She works full‐time as an APN and serves as a clinical preceptor for nurse practitioner students.

* Denotes ex-officio status