Blue Ribbon Panel Member Biographies

CHAIRS:

STEPHEN M. SHORTELL , Ph.D., MPH Dean of the School of Public Health at the University of California at Berkeley

Stephen M. Shortell, Ph.D., MPH is the Blue Cross of California Distinguished Professor of Health Policy and Management and Professor of Organization Behavior at the School of Public Health and Haas School of Business at the University of California-Berkeley. He is also the Dean of the School of Public Health at Berkeley. Dr. Shortell also holds appointments in the Department of Sociology at UC-Berkeley and at the Institute for Health Policy Research, UC-San Francisco.

Dr. Shortell received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, his masters degree in public health from UCLA, and his Ph.D. in the behavioral sciences from the University of Chicago.

A leading health care scholar, Dr. Shortell has done extensive research identifying the organizational and managerial correlates of quality of care and of high performing health care organizations. Dr. Shortell has been the recipient of many awards including the distinguished Baxter-Allegiance Prize for his contributions to health services research, the Gold Medal Award from the American College of Healthcare Executives for his contributions to the health care field, and the Distinguished Investigator Award from the Association for Health Services Research. He and his colleagues have also received the George R. Terry Book of the Year Award from the Academy of Management, the James R. Hamilton Book of the Year Award from the American College of Healthcare Executives, and several article of the year awards from the American College of Healthcare Executives and the National Institute for Health Care Management. His most recent book (with colleagues) is entitled Remaking Health Care in America: The Evolution of Organized Delivery Systems. During 2006-07 he was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford.

He is an elected member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and is past editor of Health Services Research. He serves on many boards and advisory groups.

He is currently conducting research on the evaluation of quality improvement initiatives and on the implementation of evidence-based medicine practices in physician organizations.

WEBSITES: http://nspo (National Study of Physician Organizations)
http://shortellresearch (Selected Shortell Research Projects)

RT. REVEREND MARC HANDLEY ANDRUS, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California

The Right Reverend Marc Handley Andrus is the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California. He was elected after three ballots in a special convention at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral on May 6, 2006, and was invested as Bishop of California on July 22, 2006. Prior to his election as Bishop of California, Andrus served as Bishop Suffragan in the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama.

Marc Handley Andrus was born on October 20, 1956, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to Mary Frances and Francis Andrus, and was raised in Kingston, Tennessee. He received his Bachelor of Science in Plant Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1979, and a Masters in Social Sciences from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg in 1982. After receiving his Masters Degree, Andrus went to work as a regional planner for the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission on Virginia's Delmarva Peninsula.

In 1987, Andrus was awarded a Master of Divinity degree from the Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. After being ordained deacon on June 20, 1987, Andrus became Senior Associate at Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. While at Church of the Redeemer, Andrus was ordained priest on April 25, 1988. In 1990, Andrus became Chaplain at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, until 1997 when he became Rector of Emmanuel Church in Middleburg, Virginia. He remained Rector of Emmanuel until his consecration as Bishop Suffragan for the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama on February 7, 2002.

Andrus is married to Sheila Andrus, PhD, former Director of the Sparkman Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's School of Public Health, and they have two daughters: Chloe and Pilar.

FACILTATORS:

JOHN D. GOLENSKI, Ed.D., Executive Director of the George Mark Children's House
Dr. John Golenski serves as Executive Director of George Mark Children's House, the nation's first residential end-of-life facility for children and adolescents. He came to George Mark in July 2004 after a career in clinical services, health care ethics and health policy. Early in his career he was Director of Psychological Services for the PICU at Children's Hospital, Oakland (1980-85). In 1982, he founded PediatriCare, one of the first pediatric home care hospices in the U.S.

He founded the Health Priorities Group in 1986. As President of that interdisciplinary group, he has advised community hospitals, university medical centers, hospital systems, armed services hospitals, medical groups, health plans and insurers, employer groups, large employers, every level of government in the U.S. as well as foreign insurers and governments, in the areas of health care delivery and health policy. Dr. Golenski designed and facilitated the Medicaid Prioritization Project in the State of Oregon (the "Oregon Plan") in 1989, facilitated the Governors' Blue Ribbon Panel on Cost Containment for Hawaii in 1992, and has provided consultation to state health care reform projects in California, Arizona, Florida, New York, Kentucky, Rhode Island, and Utah. He has also worked with private insurers and government health programs in Italy, France, Belgium, Sweden, Russia, and Albania directly as well as through USAID and the World Bank. In 1999, he founded and directed RxHealthValue, a national coalition of major stakeholders (including AARP, FamiliesUSA, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Kaiser Permanente, AFL-CIO, large employers, and the Consumer Federation of America) dedicated to improving Americans' access to appropriate prescription drugs through legislative reform. He currently serves as ethicist on the national Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees of CaremarkRx and Prescription Solutions/United Healthcare.

Dr. Golenski received his Bachelor's Degree from Boston College in 1969 and his doctorate in Human Development from Harvard University in 1978 and did post-doctoral studies in theology and ethics at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California. He currently serves as a priest of the Episcopal Diocese of California.

NANCY SHEMICK, MPA

Nancy Shemick, MPA has been working in the non-profit health arena since 1977. Her consulting firm is driven by the mission to increase access to quality health care for all persons, regardless of their health status or ability to pay. The focus of her practice is centered on community-based health care delivery systems. Since 1997, Ms. Shemick has developed more than 15 strategic plans for community clinics, coalitions, and grass-roots organizations. In addition to strategic planning, Ms. Shemick has developed new programs, supported new project start-ups, and guided philanthropic organizations by researching areas in need of funding.

In 1978-1980 Nancy served as a Maternal and Child Health Educator in Chile as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Subsequently, she worked in Costa Rica and in Washington, DC as a project manager in international development. She is bilingual in Spanish.

In the mid-1980's Ms. Shemick held the position of Director for a community mental health center serving Central American immigrants and refugees from Southeast Asia and Africa. Later, she worked at La Clinica de la Raza in Oakland, California, and later served as a Board member. She is still active as a fundraiser for the organization. After receiving a Masters Degree in Public Administration, Ms. Shemick accepted a fellowship in Public Affairs with the Coro Foundation in San Francisco.

In 1989, Nancy accepted a position with Kaiser Permanente's Northern California Regional headquarters to design and implement a program to subsidize coverage for the uninsured. Later at Kaiser Permanente, Nancy was tapped to start-up the Medicare Risk Program, which converted Medicare members from fee-for-service Medicare to a capitated (and much more affordable) program. She also served in two Senior Leadership positions for the East Bay Service Area - Community and Government Affairs Leader as well as Member Services Director. She is a founding member of the Kaiser Permanente Latino Association.

In 1996 Ms. Shemick served as Director of Business Development for Fox Systems Consulting (a Medicaid Consulting firm) and then became an independent consultant in 1998. Her clients include the California Primary Care Association, Planned Parenthood, Community Clinic Consortia for the counties of San Francisco, Orange, Contra Costa and Santa Clara, the Blue Shield Foundation, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, the Technical Assistance Legal Center (TALC), WomenCare Cancer Support Network, and community-based coalitions, such as the Contra Costa Asthma Coalition and the Santa Clara Diabetes Coalition.

She resides in Alameda, California.

PANELISTS:

MICHELA ALIOTO PIER, Supervisor, District Two, San Francisco Board of Supervisors

Supervisor Michela Alioto Pier is a leading voice on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for common sense public policies that create jobs, develop affordable housing, and grow our economy.

Appointed in January 2004 by Mayor Gavin Newsom, Michela moved quickly to unite the medical community, the business community, and City College around legislation to attract biotech companies to San Francisco. She succeeded in placing a "good government" proposal on the November ballot – Proposition I – to require an analysis of each law before it is passed to make sure it does not create hidden costs, drive away jobs, or hurt our economy. Michela has since been re-elected twice to the Board of Supervisors with her current term extending until January 2011.

Michela has worked hard to improve the quality of life for her constituents. During the budget cycle she was a leader in restoring funds to protect critical health services. She was the lead sponsor in securing San Francisco's endorsement of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. Michela worked successfully with neighbors and merchants in the Cow Hollow neighborhood to oppose the construction of a cell phone tower, and was able to persuade the Board of Supervisors to reject the permit.

In addition to her regular board duties, Michela serves on the City & School District Committee. She is a member of both the San Francisco Disaster Council and the Transportation Authority. She is also one of the Board Representatives on the State Legislative Committee. Prior to her service on the Board of Supervisors Michela served as a San Francisco Port Commissioner, focusing on port security issues.

Michela is a nationally known disability rights advocate. After an accident left her unable to walk in 1981, Michela decided fighting for her own civil rights wasn't enough. In 1984 President Ronald Reagan appointed her to the National Council on Disabilities Advisory Board at age 17. Michela decided on a life in public service after seeing first-hand how effective advocacy can improve the lives of people dramatically. She later worked for Vice President Al Gore, as an advisor on domestic policy matters and a liaison to the Department of Health & Human Services.

Michela was the Democratic nominee for Secretary of State of California in 1998 and lost to Republican Bill Jones by only 90,000 votes statewide. She was also the Democratic nominee for Congress from California's First Congressional District in 1996. The First District encompasses the Northern Coast of California, from Napa County to the Oregon Border.

Like many working moms, Michela balances her job with an active family life, raising three children – Nicholas, Giovanna and Valentina – with her husband Tom. Family and public service have been prominent in Michela's life since birth: her grandfather Joe Alioto was the Mayor of San Francisco from 1968 – 1976 and was a gubernatorial candidate; her aunt Angela Alioto was a San Francisco Supervisor from 1988-1996 and a mayoral candidate. Michela's great grandfather came to America over one hundred years ago to start a new life for himself and his family, and started a small fish market in San Francisco.

Michela graduated from the Convent of the Sacred Heart School in San Francisco, and received a degree in Anthropology from the University of California at Los Angeles. She also spent a year studying at Sophia University in Japan.

Michela has received numerous awards and honors, including seconding the nomination of Vice President Al Gore at the Democratic national convention in August of 1996. She is a member of the National Women's Political Caucus, the Women's Leadership Forum, and the Majority Council of EMILY's list. Michela has been named one of the top 21 up-and-coming women leaders in the country by Ms. Magazine, she is a Henry Crowne Fellow with the Aspen Institute, and she was a delegate to the Lifetime Summit on Women in 1997. Michela has been profiled in nationwide magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Time, and People. And she was named one of "the ten people expected to have the greatest impact on the Bay Area in the early part of the 21st century" by the San Francisco Examiner.

DAMIAN AUGUSTYN, M.D., Chief of Staff, Medical Executive Committee

Damian Augustyn, M.D. is currently the Chief of the Medical Staff at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco, California. In this capacity, he supervises 1700 physicians to ensure the highest levels of quality in the delivery of medical care at the Medical Center. He is also the former Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at CPMC and leads a full time clinical practice in Gastroenterology as the Managing Partner ofhis ten physician medical group, Pacific Internal Medicine Associates.

He is currently the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer-Secretary of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) in Washington, D.C. This is the largest group in the nation which oversees research and the practice of gastrenterology,with over 7000 physician members. As a Member of the Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the AGA, Dr. Augustyn is responsible for representing gastroenterologists in multiple research and educational activities, and in dealing with the United States Congress on issues involving gastrointestinal disease.

Dr. Augustyn graduated with a degree in Biological Sciences from Stanford University with Highest Honors and with Great Distinction.He thenwent on to graduate with his Medical Degreefrom Harvard University,with Honors. He trained at the University of Colorado Medical Center and the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, where he is currentlyClinical Professor of Medicine and teaches on a regular basis.

Dr. Augustyn is also theChief Financial Officer of the Physicians Reimbursement Fund, (a medical malpractice company in San Francisco),a Board member of Pan Med Enterprises andtheSan Francisco based Patient Assistance Foundation, and the primary Advisor in Gastroenterology for Blue Cross Wellpoint Anthem Insurance Company, the nation's largest health insurance company.

Dr. Augustyn is married to Caroline Augustyn, M.D., a busy Internist practicing in Burlingame, and has a daughter who just graduated from Princeton Universityin New Jerseyand a son in college at Hamilton College in upstate New York.

Dr. Augustyn frequently lectures on medical issues in Gastroenterology and is the author of a number of scholarly papers.

KENNETH BARNES, M.D., Savestlukes.org

Graduate of the University of California, San Francisco, Medical School (1967) Finished residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Community Medicine at UCSF/SF General Hospital, and became part of the faculty in Ambulatory and Community Medicine (1972). Was co-founder (1973) and first director of the Family Practice Residency Program at SFGH, and Medical Director of the Family Health Center. Entered private practice at St. Luke's Hospital in 1980, and was co-founder of Baywest Family Health Care and continues the practice of General Internal Medicine there for the past 28 years. Chair, Department of Medicine, St. Luke's Hospital, 1988-1992. Chair, Ethics Committee, St. Luke's Hospital, 1995-present. Chair and co-founder, Palliative Care Inpatient Consultation Service, St. Luke's Hospital, 2001-present. Physician Assistant to the CEO, St. Luke's Hospital, 2001-2005. Chair, African American Health Disparity Committee, St. Luke's Hospital, 2004-2007. Medical Director, Mission Hospice, San Mateo, 2007-present. Member, Board of Directors, Marty's Place, a residential program for homeless men with HIV/AIDS, 1998-present.

KEVIN BARNETT, DrPH, MCP, Senior Investigator, Public Health Institute

Kevin Barnett, DrPH., MCP. is a Senior Investigator at the Public Health Institute. His primary focus of research during the last 15 years is on the charitable obligations of nonprofit hospitals. A particular emphasis is on institutional alignment and the strategic investment of charitable resources in collaborative approaches to community health improvement. He recently completed a multi-state demonstration to develop and implement uniform community benefit standards, and efforts are underway to implement the standards across the country.

A significant focus of work in recent years is on increasing diversity in the health professions. Kevin served on the Institute of Medicine committee that produced the 2004 report "In the Nation's Compelling Interest: Ensuring Diversity in the Health Care Workforce," and co-authored a commissioned paper on the role of teaching hospitals that
was included in the 2004 Sullivan Commission report entitled "Missing Persons: Minorities in the Health Professions." More recently, he is co-author of a report examining diversity-related standards among health professions accreditation institutions that is funded by the WK Kellogg Foundation. He currently serves as a member of the Sullivan Alliance at the national level, and co-directs a statewide inquiry in California funded by The California Endowment that focuses on strategies to increase health professions workforce diversity.

DAN BERNAL, District Director for Congresswoman and Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi

Dan Bernal is district director for Congresswoman and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Bernal is responsible for managing constituent casework staff serving the diverse residents of San Francisco, and for representing Pelosi in the community while Congress is in session.

On January 4, Nancy Pelosi made history, breaking the marble ceiling to become the first woman to serve as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Elected in 2003 as the first woman to lead a major political party in Congress, Pelosi has built consensus and unified the Democratic caucus. Pelosi has served in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than 20 years representing California's 8th Congressional District which includes most of the City of San Francisco.

Before joining Pelosi’s staff, Bernal served as a presidential appointee at the U.S. Department of Education under the Clinton Administration, both in Washington, DC and in San Francisco. Previously, Bernal worked at the White House for Chief of Staff Leon Panetta and in the Office of Political Affairs. He has also developed and implemented initiatives for the State of California and the James Irvine Foundation to expand access to higher education for low-income and immigrant students.

Bernal recently served as board president of AIDS Emergency Fund and Breast Cancer Emergency Fund which help low-income people with Breast Cancer or AIDS pay their bills and maintain stable housing when they are too sick to work. He was an elected delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles and to every California State Democratic Conventions since 2003, and serves on the board of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club. Bernal currently serves on the board of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Bernal is an avid cyclist and snowboarder, and enjoys competing in triathlons. In 2007, Bernal was the top fundraiser for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation in AIDS/LifeCycle 6 – a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to end the human suffering caused by HIV/AIDS.

Bernal earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, where he served as student body president and graduated with honors.

EDWARD A. CHOW, M.D., Chinese Community Health Plan and San Francisco Health Commissioner

Dr. Chow has been a practicing internist in San Francisco for thirty-five years. A native San Franciscan, he attended the University of San Francisco, and St. Louis University School of Medicine and completed his post graduate training in internal medicine at the Southern Pacific Memorial Hospital, San Francisco.

He is currently Medical Director of the Chinese Community Health Plan, sponsored by the Chinese Hospital Association of San Francisco. The Chinese Community Health Plan was organized to meet the linguistic and cultural needs of the Chinese community in San Francisco. He also serves as Executive Director of the Chinese Community Health Care Association, a non-profit mutual benefit association of 160 physicians functioning as an individual practice association providing culturally competent medical services for over 28,000 managed care enrollees in Medicare, Commercial, Medicaid and Healthy Families Programs in seven health plans.

Since 1989, Dr. Chow has served on the San Francisco Health Commission, which has responsibility for over $1 billion of services and facilities including San Francisco General Hospital, and Laguna Honda Hospital. He has served as President and Vice President and is currently Chair of the Joint Conference Committee on Laguna Honda. He was a member of the Steering Committee creating the San Francisco Health Authority, the local initiative program for Medi-Cal recipients and a charter member of the California Department of Health Task Force on Multicultural Health, advisory to the Director of Health. He also serves on the Physician Relation Committee for Blue Cross of California.

Dr. Chow has served as President of the San Francisco Medical Society and President of the California Society of Internal Medicine, and a past member of the Board of Trustees of the California Medical Association. He is currently secretary of the board of the Institute of Medical Quality, a subsidiary of the California Medical Association. He served as Trustee of the University of San Francisco for nine years and is a member of the External Advisory Committee of the U.S.F. School of Nursing.

He was Chair of the first national Conference of Health Problems Related to the Chinese in America, and a charter member of the steering committee of the Asian American Health Forum, the nationally recognized advocate for Asian health issues. He was also a founder of the Chinese Community Cardiac Council of the San Francisco Heart Association, and the Federation of Chinese American and Chinese Canadian Medical Societies. He is a frequent lecturer or panelist on health access and the need for cultural competency. He has testified before the Congress (1994), and was a consultant for the Black and Minority Task Force, US Department of Health & Human Services (1984-1985). He is currently a principal investigator for the San Francisco Chinese site of the NCI Project, Asian American Network for Cancer, Awareness, Research and Training (AANCART).

Dr. Chow was Chairman, first President, and currently a member of the Board of Directors of the NICOS Chinese Health Coalition, a San Francisco coalition of health and human services agencies and private providers which evaluates and advocates for health issues related to the Chinese and Asians in San Francisco. He is a member of the Diversity Advisory Committee for the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine.

In 1995, he received the Robert C. Kirkwood award of the San Francisco Foundation for "extraordinary service to the community as a provider of and advocate for improved health care for all people, especially the undeserved". In 1996, he received the Distinguished Physician Award from the Chinese American Physician Society, Oakland, California. In 1997 he received the University of San Francisco Alumnus of the Year Award, and the Pioneer Award from the Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum for his national work on Asian Health issues. In 1998, he was cited by California Medicine as "Who's Who 1998" for his "abiding dedication to the goal of universal access to competent and culturally sensitive healthcare services". In 2005, he received the Asian Perinatal Advocates Award for "Outstanding Contributions towards Building a Healthy Community." In 2007, the California Medical Association Foundation and the Network of Ethnic Physician Organizations awarded Dr. Chow with the 2007 Ethnic Physician Leadership Award in recognition of his outstanding work to improve the health of Asian communities in the San Francisco area.

CATHERINE J. DODD, PhD, RN, Deputy Chief of Staff for Health and Human Services, Mayor's Office

Catherine J. Dodd, PhD, RN, has worked in the area of health policy for over 20 years. She holds a bachelors and masters degree from UCSF School of Nursing and completed a PhD in Sociology focusing on health policy in 2008. During her doctoral studies she was selected as a fellow in the UCSF Institute for Health Policy.

She currently serves in Mayor Gavin Newsom's Office as Deputy Chief of Staff overseeing Health, Human Services, Aging Services and Children Youth and Family Services. Prior to joining the Mayor's staff, she was District Chief of Staff to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) and prior to that she served as Region IX Director of Health and Human Services as an appointee of President Clinton. Catherine serves on many non-profit organizations as an enthusiastic board member, among them the Glide Methodist Church, the Homeless Prenatal Program, the Breast Cancer Fund, Zen Hospice and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. She has also held many leadership positions at the state and national level in the American Nurses Association.

STEVE B. FALK, President and CEO, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce

Steve B. Falk is the President & CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce is recognized as the city's pre-eminent business organization for advocacy, networking and economic growth. With 2,000 members, the Chamber represents over 250,000 employees from every business sector and geography of the city.

Before joining the Chamber in 2005, Falk had extensive experience in the newspaper industry. Born in Lancaster, PA, he began his newspaper career with Lancaster Newspapers during high school and college. He joined the Ithaca, NY, Journal in 1976 as country circulation/promotion manager and over the next several years held multiple management positions with newspapers in Berwick, PA, and Martins Ferry, Ohio.In 1980 he joined the GannettWestchester Rockland Newspapers, NY, where he planned and directed the startup of USA Today in the northern suburbs of New York City and servedas vice president/circulation director until joining the San Francisco Chronicle in 1987. He held several key positions at the Chronicle, including circulation director and vice president/sales and marketing. In 1996 he was named President/CEO of the San Francisco Newspaper Agency, associate publisher of the Chronicle in November 2000, and publisher and president of the San Francisco Chronicle in March 2003.

Falk serves on the boards of several local organizations, including the Commonwealth Club of California, and is a trustee of Elizabethtown College, PA, where he received a BA in psychology in 1976.

CHERYL A. FAMA, Executive Director, Peninsula Health Care District, former CEO of St. Francis Hospital

Cheryl A. Fama recently came out of retirement to accept the position as Chief Executive Officer for the Peninsula Health Care District, a political subdivision of California covering from South San Francisco to San Mateo. Prior to this new career, Cheryl was the President/Chief Executive Officer of Saint Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco. She was appointed to this position in December 2001 after serving as President/Site Administrator since 1995. She began her tenure with Saint Francis in 1984 as Vice President of Patient Care Services and in 1989 assumed the Chief Operating Officer position for the organization. A lifetime resident of San Mateo County, Ms. Fama began her career as a registered nurse in 1970 and has held executive administrative positions in hospitals since 1981.

She has served as co-chair of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Health Advisory Committee and has been a member of the S.F. Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the California Medical Associations' Institute for Medical Quality Survey Committee, and the Episcopal Community Services Board. She currently serves on a broad range of community boards that include the Saint Francis Foundation, Archbishop Riordan High School, the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, and most recently the California Transplant Donor Network, where she serves as Secretary/Treasurer serving on the Executive, Audit and the recent CEO Search committees.

Cheryl has received a number of community awards and honors, as well as, recognition by The San Francisco Business Times as one of the "Top One Hundred Women in Business in the Bay Area" for four consecutive years, 2003 – 2006.

She holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelors of Science Degree in Nursing, both from the University of San Francisco.

Cheryl and her husband Denis live on the Peninsula.

ANNA ENG, Senior Organizer, Bay Area Organizing Committee

The Bay Area Organizing Committee (BAOC) is a broad-based network of local faith, labor, educational and civic institutions that serves as a foundation for public relationships, conversation and action around issues that affect communities in San Francisco and the Greater Bay Area including issues of healthcare access and affordability.

BAOC is an affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation, the oldest network of broad-based, multi-ethnic, multi-issue organizations in the nation and has been established in San Francisco for over fifteen years.

Representing BAOC is the current senior organizer, Anna Eng, who has over a decade of experience in organizing and community non-profit work.

JEAN S. FRASER, Former CEO of San Francisco Health Plan

Jean S. Fraser is the former Chief Executive Officer of San Francisco Health Plan (SFHP), a licensed health plan providing affordable health coverage to 53,000 moderate and low-income San Franciscans. SFHP is a local, not-for-profit public entity, created by the City and County of San Francisco to design and implement programs to provide affordable health insurance to lower-income San Franciscans.

During Ms. Fraser's tenure at the Plan, she spearheaded the launch of Healthy Kids, an innovative health insurance program serving youth up to age 18. As a result of SFHP's work, in 2005 San Francisco became the first county in the nation to reach universal insurance for all children. Most recently, SFHP has been working in collaboration with the Department of Public Health to implement the Department's vision for the Healthy San Francisco program that will provide access to health care at an affordable cost to uninsured San Franciscans.

In addition to her work at the San Francisco Health Plan, Ms. Fraser served twice as the Chair of the Local Health Plans of California, the association of eight county-sponsored health plans that collectively provide health insurance to over a million low-income Californians. She also served on the board of the California Association of Health Plans. Ms. Fraser currently serves on two boards: the San Francisco Urban Planning and Research Association (SPUR), San Francisco's preeminent public-policy think tank promoting good planning and good government, and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, a non-profit that seeks to make bicycling a viable transportation alternative for all.

Prior to joining SFHP, Ms. Fraser was with the San Francisco City Attorney's Office, where she was the managing attorney of the team advising the San Francisco Departments of Public Health and Human Services.

Ms. Fraser holds a law degree from Yale Law School, and a bachelor's degree from Yale University.

ROMA GUY, MSW, Former President of the Health Commission

Roma Guy , MSW, has served three terms on Health Commission City and County of San Francisco, co-chairs the Health Committee of the California Women's Agenda and is a member of the Board of Directors of Health Access.

In 2007, Ms Guy retired from San Francisco State University, College of Health and Human Services in the Department of Health Education. She was Clinical Faculty for the MPH program, founder of the campus Stay-in School Family Resource Center and a fellow at the Institute for Community and Civic Engagement.

Ms Guy was one of founders of several community- based women's and girls programs and organizations such as SF Women's Building and SF Women Against Rape, The Women's Foundation, La Casa de las Madres. She has served on Mayor's Local Homeless Board and Jim Hormel Advisory Council for the SF Public Library. In 2005 she was one of the 1000 women nominate world-wide for Nobel Peace Prize

LOUIS J. GIRAUDO, Esq. Co-founder and Principal of GESD Capital Partners

Mr. Giraudo is a Co-Founder and Senior Managing Partner of GESD and serves on the board of Forklift Brands (Boudin, Go Roma), Innobake Brands and Milton's Baking Company. Mr. Giraudo also currently serves as an outside independent director for Pabst Brewing Company. Mr. Giraudo oversees investor relations, labor relations and firm investment strategy. His other primary responsibilities include portfolio company relations and deal generation. Prior to GESD, Mr. Giraudo was the CEO of Preferred Capital Markets, Inc., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Pacific Coast Baking Company and Chairman of Mother's Cake & Cookie Co.

Mr. Giraudo has also practiced corporate, business and labor law in California since 1974. Additionally, he has held several appointed public service positions throughout his career, including Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of San Francisco, President of the San Francisco Police Commission, President of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and President of the San Francisco Board of Permit Appeals, as well as numerous not-for-profit boards. Mr. Giraudo holds a BA degree in Political Science, a JD degree from the University of San Francisco and a Doctorate of Humane Letters in Education (Honoris Causa) from the University of San Francisco. Mr. Giraudo was also awarded the title of Papal Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great by Pope John Paul II in September 2000.

JOHN GRESSMAN, President and CEO, San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium

John W. Gressman is President & CEO of the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium (SFCCC). He has served in this post since 1991. Prior to coming to San Francisco, Mr. Gressman served as President & CEO of Family Planning Services for Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties in New Jersey from 1980 to 1991. He is a dedicated health care administrator with over twenty-five years service in community based care. He is nationally recognized for his work in administration, policy, development, advocacy, and community and governmental relations. Mr. Gressman is also recognized as an expert on social and health reform issues. He is known and respected for his creativity, teambuilding, and leadership through diversity.

Mr. Gressman provided leadership to San Francisco's traditional safety net providers in the planning and implementation of a health maintenance organization that addressed change in the state of California Medicaid Program. He has co-authored numerous policy statements and papers on the impact of legislative and regulatory changes on health care for the uninsured. Mr. Gressman worked with the city's planners to re-design San Francisco's health care delivery system for uninsured and underinsured patients. He also provided leadership for the creation of networks for enhanced and integrated primary care and specialty care for the ten SFCCC health clinics. This included leading the effort to craft network-based information systems between the SFCCC clinics and San Francisco's public hospital.

He serves on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Health Plan and is a former Board member of the California Primary Care Association (CPCA). He also serves as a Committee member on several key committees of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). In the past he has served on the Board of Directors of the Ryan White (CAEAR) Coalition (Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief), and Operation ACCESS, a program providing free ambulatory surgical service for the Uninsured. Mr. Gressman continues to be actively involved in leadership with the Regional Associations of California (RAC) and the work of the national Committee of the Health Center Controlled Network Committee. In addition, Mr. Gressman has provided a broad array of technical assistance and consulting services for nonprofit health care providers across the county.

He received his Masters degree in Social Work, Administration from Rutgers University; his Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Rowan University; and his Bachelors degree in Political Science from Alderson Broaddus College.

Honors and recognition include the 1996 Primary Care Achievement Award from the Pew Charitable Trust for excellence and significant achievement in advancing primary- care practice and numerous Outstanding Community Leader awards.

SANDRA R. HERNANDEZ, M.D., President of the San Francisco Foundation

Sandra R. Hernández, M.D., is chief executive officer of The San Francisco Foundation. She previously served as the director of public health for the City and County of San Francisco. She currently serves on the boards of the Council on Foundations, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, and Corporation for Supportive Housing. She is also a trustee of the Western Asbestos Settlement Trust, and a member of the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Implementation of Antiviral Medication Strategies for an Influenza Pandemic. Her prior affiliations include President Clinton's Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Healthcare Industry, The Pew Commission on Environmental Health, Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Session on Philanthropy, American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), and National Alliance for Hispanic Health. She is an assistant clinical professor at UCSF School of Medicine and maintains an active clinical practice at San Francisco General Hospital in the AIDS clinic.

MITCHELL H. KATZ, M.D., Director of Public Health for the City and County of San Francisco

Mitchell H. Katz, M.D., has been the Director of Health for the City and County of San Francisco for eleven years. He has been with the Health Department for over seventeen years, serving in a number of capacities prior to becoming Director, including Director of the AIDS Office, and Director of Health & Safety Branch of the Health Department.
He is also Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics at the University

Of California, San Francisco. He has a primary care outpatient practice at the Positive Healthcare Practice at San Francisco General Hospital, and also serves as an inpatient medical attending at the hospital.

EDWARD KERSH, M.D., Vice Chair, St. Luke's Medical Executive Committee

Dr. Edward Kersh is Chief of Cardiology and Vice Chief of Staff at St. Luke's Hospital, San Francisco. He also serves as a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).

Dr. Kersh was born in New York and attended the State University of New York. He moved to San Francisco in 1972 to complete his training in cardiology, and then worked at San Francisco General Hospital until 1980, when he joined the staff of California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC), where he has served as Chief of Echocardiography and Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation. In 2001, he was appointed Chief of Cardiology at St. Luke's Hospital, which is now affiliated with CPMC.

Dr. Kersh is an active teacher of cardiology fellows and medical students and in 2000 was honored with the Kaiser Teaching Award as the voluntary teacher of the year at UCSF. He is an active lecturer and has special clinical interests in echocardiography, systemic hypertension, pulmonary hypertension and atrial fibrillation. He is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiology, and echocardiography. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the American College of Physicians, the American College of Echocardiography and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.

Dr. Kersh has published articles featured in leading medical journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine, the American Journal of Cardiology, and the Journal of Echocardiography. He was recently honored with election to Best Doctors in America by his peers.

MICHAEL LIGHTY, Director of Public Policy, California Nurses Association

Michael Lighty has more than twenty years of experience in political, community and union organizing.

Lighty is currently the Director of Administration and Public Policy for the California Nurses Association. He currently manages CNA's national effort for healthcare reform on the single-payer model, an issue he has worked on since 1991. Last year he was campaign manager for the clean money initiative, Prop 89, which won a prestigious Pollie award for its phone campaign. In 2006, he coordinated CNA's successful effort to reverse California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's roll-back of CNA's landmark hospital nurse to patient staffing law. CNA was a leader in the electoral rejection of Schwarzenegger's special election ballot measures in November, 2005.

Lighty joined the CNA in 1994 as a Labor Representative and served as Political Director, coordinating a state-wide ballot initiative campaign for HMO reform in 1996, a campaign that launched the national HMO patient rights movement, and coordinated the field effort to win the safe staffing ratio law.

Lighty began his career as a Business Agent/Organizer for an association of film and video technicians in San Francisco, becoming the director of the association in Los Angeles and then New York City, where he negotiated agreements with independent film and television producers, including Spike Lee and the TV series, "Law & Order."

Lighty was then Mayor Jerry Brown's first appointee to the Oakland Planning Commission where he served for more than seven years. He has served on the Board of the independent Park Day School in Oakland. He has been active with non-profit organizations devoted to health care reform, voter registration, urban planning and lesbian and gay equality.

Lighty received his BA and MA from Stanford University in the Humanities, where he graduated with Honors. At Stanford, Lighty was the co-director of the Stanford Workshops on Political and Social Issues (SWOPSI). He grew up in Eugene, Oregon, where he was an honors student and high school student body president.

GABRIEL METCALF, Executive Director of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association.

Gabriel Metcalf is the executive director of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR). Prior to working at SPUR, Metcalf worked for The Bay Institute, an environmental non-profit specializing in California water policy. He serves on many juries, panels, and Boards including: the National Committee for the America 2050 campaign; the Mayor’s Policy Council on Children Youth and Families; the Business Times Real Estate Deals of the Year awards committee; the American Institute of Architects Urban Design Awards jury; and the Sustainability Advisory Committee to the Public Utilities Commission.

A frequent writer and speaker on planning and policy topics, Metcalf has a Masters of City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley.

SPUR is a non-profit membership organization that promotes good planning and good government through research, education, and advocacy.

ANTHONY W. MILES, CPMC Board Member

Mr. Miles serves as a community volunteer member of the California Pacific Medical Center Board of Directors and served formerly on the Boards of Directors of St. Luke's Hospital (where he was Vice Chairman) and St. Luke's Health Care Center. He also serves on the Board of Governors of the San Francisco Symphony, where he chairs the committee of oversight of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra.

From 1973 to 2000 he was on the staff of The Boston Consulting Group, where he was a Director and Senior Vice President. Mr. Miles was educated at Cambridge, Yale and Harvard universities. He is married and has two grown sons.

JACOB MOODY, Executive Director, Bayview Hunter's Point Foundation

Jacob Moody is Executive Director of the Bayview Hunters Point Foundation for Community Improvement. He has a long history of service in the Bay Area including pastorates in the United Methodist Church, Director of Balboa Teen Health Center for the Department of Public Health and a Program Officer for The California Endowment. Mr. Moody received a Master of Divinity degree from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley and a Masters of Social Work from San Francisco State University.

ROBERT MORALES, Labor Leader, 350 Secretary - Treasurer

Born in El Salvador Commissioner Morales came to the United States in 1958. He served in the US Army obtaining the rank of Sergeant 5th Class, was a Member of the Metal Polishers & Plasterers AFL-CIO Union and a Business Representative for the teamsters Local 350 for whom he is now the Secretary-Treasurer. He also serves as the Teamsters joint council #7 Secretary-Treasurer and has served for over 15 years on the Executive Board. Morales is the President of the National Teamsters Hispanic Caucus and the California Teamsters Hispanic Caucus Chapter. Morales also serves as Trustee to one of the largest health and welfare trusts for the Bay Area Teamsters and to the Western States Teamsters Representatives Retirement Plan.

In 1992 Morales was selected at labor’s Man of the Year for San Francisco. The United Way of California, The Martin Luther King Society in San Francisco, The A. Philip Randolph Association, The Hispanic Foundation, The Senior Centers in San Francisco, The United States Congress, the California State Capitol, the City and County of San Francisco and many other organizations have all honored him.

LAURA NORRELL, M.D., Medical Director, St. Luke's Women's Center

Dr. Norrell earned her medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham. She then completed OB/GYN residency training at the University of California – San Francisco Medical Center. She joined the staff at the St. Luke's Women's Center in 1995 and has been its Medical Director since 2000. In her role as Chair of Obstetrics for the past 7 years, she helped her department achieve several awards, including the best outcomes scores for First Pregnancy and Delivery (FPAD) in the entire Sutter Health system for three of the last five years. Dr. Norrell was recently featured in a documentary entitled " IT'S MY BODY, MY BABY, MY BIRTH ", a film produced in San Francisco about natural childbirth. Her two daughters were born at St. Luke's Hospital.

TIM PAULSON, Executive Director, San Francisco Labor Council

Tim Paulson joined the San Francisco Labor Council as its new Executive Director in September 2004. The San Francisco Labor Council is the center of labor activity in San Francisco and is comprised of 150 local unions, representing over 100,000 working men and women in San Francisco. The mission of the Council is to promote social and economic justice for all working people. As Executive Director, Tim leads and coordinates labor's political activities, organizes events and rallies, and supports affiliates in their bargaining and contract negotiations when necessary.

Tim has over two decades of extensive experience in the labor movement. Before joining the San Francisco Labor Council, Tim worked as the Political Director and Assistant Executive Officer of the San Mateo County Central Labor Council. At the San Mateo CLC Tim directed all political activities of the Council and coordinated a wide range of Council activities, including the staffing of the Council's Airport Labor Coalition, a monthly convening of unions which monitors and coordinates labor activities at SFO.

A Journeyman Tilesetter since 1981, Tim served as a principal officer and business agent for the 45-county Bricklayers, Tilelayers, and Allied Craftworkers Local 3 and was Apprenticeship Coordinator for the Northern California Tilelayers and Tile Finishers Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee. Tim has been a trustee to various Taft Hartley Health and Welfare and Pension programs and served as coordinator for the Tilelayers Local 19 Work Preservation organizing program in the early 1990's, which generated millions of dollars of employment during the recession.

In 1997 delegates to the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council elected Tim as their Vice President.

Prior to joining the San Mateo CLC, Tim served as Organizing and Political Director for SEIU's Justice for Janitors campaigns in San Francisco, generating significant union membership growth and helping to jumpstart SEIU's campaign to organize and improve the lives of security officers.

Tim majored in economics and political science in Minnesota and has lived in San Francisco since the late 1970's. He currently serves on the boards of the United Way of the Bay Area and the Labor Archives Center and is a member of Mayor Newsom's San Francisco Disaster Council.

BOB PRENTICE, Ph.D, Director of the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative

Bob Prentice, Ph.D., is Director of the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII), a collaboration of senior officials, managers and staff from eight bay area health departments, and a Senior Associate for Public Health Policy & Practice at the Public Health Institute, where he works with local health departments throughout California.

Bob previously worked at the San Francisco Department of Public Health for nearly two decades, where he served in a variety of roles, including Director of the Public Health Division. During his tenure, he also served as top advisor on homeless policy during the mayoral administration of Art Agnos.

Bob has taught courses in Health Policy and Health & Social Justice to undergraduate and graduate students at San Francisco State University. He received his doctorate in sociology from Michigan State University. He is an alumnus of the Public Health Leadership Institute.

ANTHONY WAGNER, Former VP of the National Labor Management Partnership, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan

Mr. Wagner retired from Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (KFHP) as Vice President, Office of Labor Management Partnership in 2006. Previously, he held positions as Executive Administrator for the Community Health Network of San Francisco, which included three hospitals and 17 hospital and community-based clinics; and Chief Executive Officer of Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center. Among his many achievements in the latter role was the passage of a general obligation bond by the voters of San Francisco to rebuild Laguna Honda Hospital at a cost of $401 Million. Prior to working for the City and County of San Francisco, Mr. Wagner spent 15 years as an Associate Director of the Medical Center at the University of California San Francisco.

Mr. Wagner currently holds leadership positions on three boards. He has served on the board of Longs Drug Stores, a publicly traded company, since 1999, and chairs the Compensation Committee and is a member of the Governance and Nominating Committee. Mr. Wagner is Vice Chairman of San Francisco's Institute on Aging. He also serves on the Board of Directors and chairs the Nominating and Compensation Committees of Lumetra, the San Francisco-based Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for California. Most recently, Mr. Wagner, a principle of Culbertson and Wagner Associates, consulted with the Dubai Healthcare City and Harvard (University) Medical International in building a new teaching hospital for the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Mr. Wagner resides in San Francisco.

JIM WUNDERMAN, President & C.E.O. Bay Area Council

Jim Wunderman serves as the president and chief executive officer of the Bay Area Council, a business-backed public policy organization in the Silicon Valley-San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area. Led by CEOs, the Bay Area Council is the strong, united voice of more than 275 of the largest Bay Area employers, representing more than 500,000 workers, or 1 of every six private sector employees. Since becoming CEO in April of 2004, Wunderman has led the 60-year-old public-policy organization to tighten its focus, significantly increase its advocacy work, and expand its efforts globally, starting with China.

Prior to the Bay Area Council, Wunderman spent about half of his career in the private sector and the other half in the public sector. In the private sector he worked for Providian Financial Corporation, Norcal Waste Systems, and ran his own consulting company, The Wunderman Group. From 1992 through 1995, Wunderman served as Chief of Staff to San Francisco Mayor Frank M. Jordan. He also worked in San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein’s administration from 1984 to 1988 and played a key role preparing the city for the 1984 Democratic National Convention. Under Jim Wunderman’s leadership, the Bay Area Council has preserved the Bay Area’s leadership in the state legislature; built formal relationships between the Bay Area and China; fought successfully to locate the new Stem Cell Institute in the region; and helped secure the $36 billion bonds on the November 2006 ballot, the passage on the Million Solar Roofs Initiative and the Global Warming Solutions Act. He holds degrees from San Francisco State University, and Kingsborough College of the City University of New York.