Formed in 2005 by the Center for Health Improvement, the California Health
Policy Forum provides an independent platform for education, idea sharing, and
conversations among legislative and executive branch health policy staff about
the complex and vast array of health issues facing the state today. The Forum
seeks to inform the public policy-making process through briefings that feature
state and federal experts and published briefs that synthesize relevant research
and summarize policy implications on a range of topics.
Briefings
December 17, 2009: Addressing the Health Impacts of Climate Change: What Progress Is
California Making?
♦ Yvonne Hunter, MA, program director, California Climate Action Network, Institute for Local Government
♦ Connie Roser-Renouf, PhD, faculty researcher, Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason
University
♦ Miriam Rotkin-Ellman, MPH, scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
♦ Linda Rudolph, MD, MPH, chief deputy director policy & programs (acting), California Department of Public
Health
♦ Robin Salsburg, JD, senior staff attorney, Public Health Law & Policy
November 18, 2009: Leveraging Public Reports of Health Care Provider Performance to Improve
Quality
♦ Jennifer Benjamin, assistant vice president, strategic initiatives, NCQA
♦ Marge Ginsburg, MPH, executive director, Center for Healthcare Decisions
♦ Mike Kassis, research specialist, Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development
♦ Sandra Perez, MPA, MHA, director, California’s Office of the Patient Advocate
♦ Maribeth Shannon, MS, director, market and policy monitor program, California HealthCare Foundation
♦ Bruce Spurlock, MD, president & CEO, Convergence Health Consulting
June 25, 2009: Tackling Obesity: Crossing Silos to Find Solutions
♦ Lisa Cirill, MS, PAPHS, acting Chief, California Center for Physical Activity, California Department Public
Health
♦ Gail Feenstra, EdD, food systems analyst, University of California Sustainable Research and Education
Program
♦ Lisa Hershey, MPH, chief, Coordinating Office for Obesity Prevention, California Department of Public
Health
♦ Julie Williamson, MPH, director, California Convergence
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April 2, 2009: Aging Well In Place
♦ Bob Chason, MEd, independent health care consultant
♦ Mark Helmar, chief, Office of Long-Term Care, California Department of Health Care Services
♦ David L. Mandel, supervising attorney, California Senior Legal Hotline/Sacramento Senior Legal Services,
Legal Services of Northern California
♦ Catherine A. Sarkisian, MD, MSPH, associate professor of geriatrics, David Geffen School of Medicine at
UCLA and principal investigator, NIH Trial to Increase Walking Among Sedentary Older Latinos
♦ Amy Shin, PharmD, chief administrative officer, On Lok Inc.
February 26, 2009: Enhancing the Health Care Delivery System Through Telemedicine
♦ Thomas S. Nesbitt, MD, MPH, executive associate dean for clinical and administrative affairs, UC Davis
School of Medicine, and executive director of telehealth services, California Center for Connected Health
♦ Speranza Avram, MPA, consultant, Speranza Avram & Associates
♦ Richard S. Baker, MD, executive director, Drew Urban Telemedicine Program
♦ Christine Martin, MBA, PMP, executive director, California Telemedicine & eHealth Center
December 11, 2008: Perspectives on Aging Well
♦ David Bank, MS, vice president, Civic Ventures and editor of Encore.org, San Francisco
♦ David Feeny, PhD, senior investigator and assistant program Director, Center for Health Research, Kaiser
Permanente Northwest
♦ Peter S. Reed, PhD, MPH, senior director of programs, Alzheimer’s Association National Office
♦ Cordia Wade, MA, member, Sacramento County Adult and Aging Commission, and emeritus professor of
gerontology, American River College
♦ Elaine Welch, RN, MBA, executive director, Contra Costa for Every Generation—Making Our Community
Aging-Friendly
October 31, 2008: Reaching Across Silos to Create Healthier Communities
♦ Jonathan Heller, PhD, project director, Human Impact Partners
♦ Veva Isla-Hooker, MPH, CHES, project coordinator, Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program
♦ Robert S. Ogilvie, PhD, program director, Planning for Healthy Places, Public Health Law & Policy Program
♦ Linda Rudolph, MD, MPH, deputy director, Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,
California Department of Public Health
♦ Robin Salsburg, JD, senior staff attorney, Public Health Law & Policy program
February 21, 2008: Health Inequities: Root Causes and Innovative Solutions
♦ Nancy Adler, PhD, chair, Macarthur Foundation Research Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health
♦ Anthony Iton, MD, JD, MPH, director and health officer, Alameda County
♦ José Martín, LMFT Contra Costa County Health Department, Reducing Health Disparities Leader
♦ Martin Martinez, MPP, policy director, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
♦ Linda Rudolph, MD, MPH, health officer, City of Berkeley Public Health Division
♦ Paul Simon, MD, MPH, director, Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health
January 25, 2008: Deal Makers & Deal Breakers: An Update on California’s Health Reform Efforts
♦ Darrell Steinberg, California Senator, 6th District
♦ Ruth Liu, associate secretary for policy development at the Health and Human Services Agency
♦ Sumi Sousa, special assistant to Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez
♦ David Carroll, research director of the California Budget Project
♦ Greg Lucas, political journalist and satirist
October 25, 2007: Transforming Mental Health in California: Proposition 63 Implementation
Challenges and Successes
♦ Carol Hood, deputy director, Systems of Care, Mental Health Services Act Team, Department of Mental
Health
♦ Richard Van Horn, president & CEO, National Mental Health Association of Greater Los Angeles
♦ Jim Hurley, MFT, coordinator, Wellness Recovery Center & Psychiatric Liaison Clinic, Stanislaus County
Behavioral Health
♦ Mistique Felton, MPH, senior research associate, Nicholas C. Petris Center for Health Care Markets and
Consumer Welfare, University of California, Berkeley
♦ Patricia Ryan, MPA, executive director, California Mental Health Directors Association
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September 21, 2007: Public Health Regionalization: Opportunities and Lessons Learned
♦ Michael Stoto, PhD, professor, Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies
♦ Harold Cox, MSSW, associate dean for public health practice, Boston University School of Public Health
♦ Christina Welter, MPH, deputy director, Cook County Department of Public Health
♦ Bonnie Sorensen, MD, MBA, chief deputy director of policy and programs, California Department of Public
Health
June 21, 2007: State Health System Performance Scorecard – Is California A Winner?
♦ Stephen Schoenbaum, MD, executive vice president for programs, Commonwealth Fund
♦ Stan Rosenstein, MPA, deputy director, medical care services, California Department of Health
April 19, 2007: Transforming Public Health in California
♦ Bobbie Berkowitz, PhD, professor, University of Washington
♦ Leslie Beitsch, MD, JD, director, Center on Medicine and Public Health, Florida State University College of
Medicine
♦ Dick Jackson, MD, MPH, professor of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley
♦ Poki Namkung, MD, MPH, public health officer, Santa Cruz County and President of the National
Association of County and City Health Officials
♦ Jeffrey Wasserman, PhD, senior policy researcher, RAND
March 16, 2007: Innovations in Financing Chronic Care Preventive Services
♦ Jeffrey Guterman, MD, MS, senior medical director, Los Angeles Department of Health Services
♦ Athena Philis-Tsimikas, MD, executive director and chief medical officer, The Whittier Institute for Diabetes
and Project Dulce
♦ Antronette K. Yancey, MD, MPH, professor of health services, UCLA School of Public Health
January 25, 2007: Public Health 101: Progress and Challenges
♦ Anthony B. Iton, MD, JD, MPH, Health Officer, Alameda County, California
♦ Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News, San Diego NPR Affiliate
♦ Mark Horton, MD, MSPH, California State Public Health Officer
♦ Samuel J. Stratton, MD, MPH, medical director, Emergency Medical Services Agency, Orange County,
California
♦ Glennah Trochet, MD, health officer, Sacramento County, California
May 4, 2006: State and Local Actions to Address Land Use, Healthy Eating and Health Disparities
♦ Rebecca Flournoy, MPH, PolicyLink
♦ Lisa Feldstein, JD, Public Health Institute
♦ Anne McIntosh AICP, MCP, certified land use planner
♦ Hannah Burton, Pennsylvania Food Trust
♦ Keith Kelley, Fresno West Coalition for Economic Development
February 23, 2006: State Innovations to Advance Quality
♦ Foster Gesten, MD, medical director, State of New York, Office of Managed Care
♦ Cal Ludeman, State of Minnesota Smartbuy Alliance
♦ Steven Hill, MBA, State of Washington Healthcare Authority
♦ Sandra Shewry, MSW, MPH, director, California Department of Health Services
January 26, 2006: Public Health Macro Trends (II)
♦ Richard H. Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, US Surgeon General Vice Admiral
♦ Mark Horton, MD, MSPH, California Public Health Officer
♦ Glennah Trochet, MD, president of the California Conference of Local Health Officers
January 19, 2006: Financing & Delivery Macro Trends (I)
♦ Mark Smith, MD, president, California HealthCare Foundation
♦ Robert H. Brook, MD, ScD, vice president and director, RAND Health Sciences Program
August 24, 2005: Medi-Cal Hospital Waiver Implementation
♦ Andy Schneider, JD, principal, Medicaid Policy LLC
♦ Peter Harbage, MPP, director health policy program, USC California Policy Institute
♦ Agnes Lee, MPP, California Senate Office of Research
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♦ Stan Rosenstein, MPA, California Department of Health Services
♦ Denise Martin MPH, RN, California Public Hospitals and Health Clinics
♦ Duane Dauner, MA, California Hospital Association
April 29, 2005: California Medicare Dual-Eligible Rx Implementation
♦ Jeffrey Kelman, MD, chief medical officer, Center for Beneficiary Choices, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services
♦ Chuck Milligan, JD, MPH, executive director, Center for Health Program Development and Management,
University of Maryland
♦ Julie James, principal, Health Policy Alternatives
♦ Alan Weil, MA, JD, executive director, National Academy for State Health Policy
Policy & Issue Briefs
"Tackling Obesity by Building Healthy Communities: Changing Policies Through Innovative
Collaborations," Center for Health Improvement, California Health Policy Forum Brief, December 2009.
"Targeting Root Causes to Address Inequities and Improve Health: Implications for Health Reform,"
Center for Health Improvement, California Health Policy Forum Brief, July 2009.
"New Perspectives: Investing in Resilience to Promote Healthy Aging," Center for Health Improvement,
California Health Policy Forum Brief, June 2009.
"Regionalization in Local Public Health Systems," Center for Health Improvement, California Health Policy
Forum Issue Brief, September 2007.
"Understanding the United States Public Health System," Center for Health Improvement, California
Health Policy Issue Brief, January 2007.
"Understanding California’s Public Health System," Center for Health Improvement, California Health
Policy Issue Brief, January 2007.
"Leveraging Land Use and Economic Development Practices to Improve Health Disparities," Center for
Health Improvement, California Health Policy Forum Issue Brief, May 2006.
"Public Health in California: Trends and Challenges in 2006," Center for Health Improvement, California
Health Policy Forum Issue Brief, January 2006.
"Financing and Delivery of Health Care: California Trends," Center for Health Improvement, California
Health Policy Forum Issue Brief, January 2006.
"California Medicare Part D: Dual Eligible Rx Implementation," Center for Health Improvement, California
Health Policy Forum Issue Brief, April 2005.
Center for Health Improvement
1330 21st Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95811
www.chipolicy.org
www.cahpf.org
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