Dive deep into the heartbeat of healthcare transformation at our panel conference! We will gather happily, located at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge. Discover how to sync change with the pulse of your staff’s interests, turn resistance into a compass for growth, and build a robust foundation that ensures enduring evolution. Join us as we decode the art of catalyzing dynamic shifts by engaging every leadership tier and anchoring change in behavior and infrastructure. A transformative journey awaits!
Change Management Panel
Theron Post, Executive Director of Performance Excellence Northwest (PENW), has had the opportunity to engage with diverse business sectors, assisting them on their performance excellence trajectory. These guiding principles enhance discussions within senior leadership, optimizing systems critical for strategy execution, workforce engagement, and stakeholder satisfaction. Before his tenure at PENW, Theron dedicated his career to both internal coaching and external consulting, aiding organizations in adopting performance excellence standards.
Dr. Juan Aragon is responsible for EvergreenHealth’s strategic growth and partnership development. Dr. Aragon joined EvergreenHealth in 2009 and was involved in the expansion and growth of EvergreenHealth Medical Group. During this time, he also leads the Research and Clinical trials program. In addition to his role at EvergreenHealth, he serves as a member of the Digital Therapeutics Alliance advisory board and chairs Premier Inc. research and innovation collaborative. Before joining EvergreenHealth, Dr. Aragon worked for Joint Commission International, where he surveyed hospitals and advised health systems on their quality journey. Originally from Costa Rica, Dr. Aragon holds a Medical Degree from Universidad Autonoma de Ciencias Medicas and a Master’s in Medical Management from Tulane University.
Anna Taylor is the AVP, Population Health & Value Based Care (MCC), MultiCare Health System’s population health engine. She leads the portfolio team in executing on value-based products and strategic initiatives and oversees the Digital Health Ecosystem that enables the work of population health and value-based care. Anna has been with MultiCare Health System for 15+ years and has held positions in the Institute for Learning and Development, Information Services & Technology, and Strategy. She holds a B.S. from the UW School of Engineering in Technical Communication (now known as User-Centered Design and Engineering) and a M.S. in Clinical Informatics and Patient-Centered Technology from the UW School of Nursing & Medicine. She received the 2020 FHIR Champion Award from the DaVinci community and is highly engaged in building, implementing, and advocating for FHIR capabilities within Population Health and Value-Based Care.
Jennifer Brackeen is the Director of Innovation at Summit Pacific Medical Center, overseeing population health, value-based contracts, data analytics, grant administration, and advocacy. She leads comprehensive population health strategies, including the groundbreaking Food Rx program offering prescribed healthy foods, cooking classes, dietician visits, and primary care services. Jennifer also manages negotiations for value-based contracts, implementing innovative payment models for high-quality, cost-effective healthcare. As an advocate for healthcare transformation, Jennifer represents the organization externally, driving improved healthcare practices. In her tenure, she has consistently raised over a million dollars annually to enhance patient care and improve health outcomes. In a previous role, Jennifer was instrumental in establishing Washington State’s inaugural Accountable Communities of Health, igniting a region-wide health improvement plan, development of a wellness fund, and a community engagement strategy. Jennifer’s academic journey includes a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi and a Master’s in Health Administration from the University of Washington. Her exceptional contributions led to her induction as a Fellow of the American Healthcare College in 2022, highlighting her dedication to advancing healthcare practices.
Health Equity Panel
Tina Seery is an accomplished healthcare leader with expertise in hospital operations, clinical quality, and patient safety. She fosters healthcare excellence and reduces disparities through equitable and inclusive initiatives. Tina holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration and has multiple certifications, including Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality. With 28 years of diverse experience, she is set to sit for the FACHE exam in 2023.
Active in state-level healthcare initiatives, Tina focuses on patient safety, opioid stewardship, and emergency department utilization. She is also involved in COVID-19 response teams and is a key liaison for Lean/Six Sigma and healthcare policy efforts.
Tina enjoys tennis, golf, hiking, and spending time with her family and Great Danes outside work. She holds volunteer roles, including serving as a board director for the WA State Chapter of ACHE, and received the ACHE Regent’s Award in 2022. As a first-generation Latina college graduate, she mentors emerging healthcare professionals and has volunteered at COVID-19 mass vaccination clinics.
Dr. Paula L. Houston is the Director of Healthcare Equity for UW Medicine, the healthcare system of the University of Washington. Immediately before this role, she was the CEO of Sound Generations in Seattle, the largest non-profit in the state, providing services and programs to seniors, adults with disabilities, and those who care for them. Previous to that, she spent eight years as the Executive Director for the Meredith Mathews East Madison YMCA, was the Clinic Manager at Carolyn Downs Family Medical Center, part of the community health clinic system in Seattle, and spent seven years with Public Health, Seattle & King County as interim Division Manager for the Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and District Administrator for the Central Region Special Health Services. In her leadership roles, she led the initiation or enhancement of organization-wide equity, diversity, and inclusion work to improve service delivery and outcomes for our most historically oppressed and marginalized populations.
Dr. Houston is an active community leader. She has served on several non-profit boards and two City of Seattle Commissions. Additionally, she is an eleven-time national and six-time world champion powerlifter. In 2012, she was inducted into the USA Powerlifting Hall of Fame. Dr. Houston has a B.S. from Syracuse University, a master’s degree in Health Administration from the University of Washington, and earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Seattle University in 2014.
Dr. Raj Sundar is a family physician and community organizer working as a full-spectrum family medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente Washington. In addition to his clinical duties, Dr. Sundar serves as the District Medical Director of South King County, where he oversees the care of over 60,000 patients and is the leader of the Health Equity Action Team (HEAT), a group of over 500 members who are committed to promoting healthcare equity through forums and community organizing. In addition, Dr. Sundar hosts the Healthcare for Humans podcast.
Shareka Fortier (she, her, ella), currently serves as MultiCare’s first Chief Belonging Officer (CBO). She is a culture influencer, strategist, and champion of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). She has served within the DEIB arena for over 12 years across several industries, including healthcare, higher education, public/private schools, and community services. As a change agent, her career has been dedicated to intentionally integrating equity into leadership, systems, and operational standards, advocating for historically marginalized populations, removing barriers to access, implementing strategic interventions, and seeking to ensure a genuine culture of belonging for all people.
Within her current role as CBO, she is responsible for internal workforce diversity and belonging efforts and incorporating the tenets of DEIB into the healthcare enterprise.
Fortier is known for her relentless commitment to DEIB within the Puget Sound region. The South Sound Business Examiners recognized her as a trailblazer and a “40 Under 40” awardee in 2019.
Fortier is a University of Washington graduate with a master’s in management and leadership. She is a mother to three amazing children. She enjoys creating art and music, vacationing near the ocean, and enjoying Marvel/DC cinematic universe movies. Along with an impressive community of friends, these are the true gifts of her life that provide encouragement and strength.