Equitable Access to Care: Leveraging Telehealth for Medicaid Beneficiaries in North Carolina

Susan Dentzer is President and Chief Executive Officer of America’s Physician Groups, the nonprofit organization representing roughly 350 large physician groups focused on patient-centered, coordinated, and integrated health care that is responsible and accountable for both costs and quality. Dentzer is a highly respected health and health policy thought leader,  a frequent speaker and commentator, and an author of commentaries in Modern Healthcare, the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst, the American Journal of Public Health, and other peer-reviewed publications.  She is also the editor and lead author of the book Health Care Without Walls: A Roadmap for Reinventing U.S. Health Care. 

Dentzer previously served as Senior Policy Fellow at the Robert J. Margolis Center for Health Policy, the Washington, DC -based arm of Duke University that focuses on health system transformation, biopharmaceutical policy, and other key health policy issues, including multiple aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  She also served as senior policy adviser to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; editor-in-chief of the journal Health Affairs; and on-air Health Correspondent for the PBS NewsHour.  She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and the Council on Foreign Relations and is a fellow of the National Academy of Social Insurance and the Hastings Center.  She chairs the Board of Directors of Research!America, the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that advocates for health-related research, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Rescue Committee, a leading global humanitarian organization.  She also serves on the RAND Health Board of Advisors and is a fellow of the Hastings Institute and the National Academy of Social Insurance.

Dentzer graduated from Dartmouth and also holds a master’s degree in health care delivery science from the institution.  She is also a trustee emerita of the college, and chaired the Dartmouth Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2004. Dentzer holds an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Muskingum University.   She and her husband, Charles Alston, have three adult children. 
 

Angie Bailey is the director of the Broadband Infrastructure Office within the N.C. Department of Information Technology’s Division of Broadband and Digital Equity. Her focus is on planning and implementation of the infrastructure investment programs that are helping close the digital divide in North Carolina. Bailey previously served as director of N.C. Broadband within the N.C. Department of Commerce and has more than 20 years of experience in broadband planning and development in North Carolina. She has extensive expertise in broadband policy issues, rural and community development, coordination of statewide programs and partnerships with North Carolina’s broadband providers.

Corye Dunn joined DRNC in 2011 as the agency’s director of public policy. Dunn, who was born and raised in Durham, N.C., graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and NC Central University School of Law. Prior to coming to work at DRNC, Dunn practiced law in a small firm. She also served as a direct care provider to adults and children with developmental disabilities and worked in nonprofits seeking to expand access to education and increase investment in low-wealth communities.

Lwiza Escobar Garcia is a committed community engagement leader and capacity builder with a strong background and 10+ years’ experience in developing and executing mental health and health literacy programs that answer critical needs for historically marginalized communities in NYC and NC. Most recently with Resolve to Save Lives in Wake County, Lwiza led efforts to reduce vaccine hesitancy, increase literacy around vaccines, increase vaccination rates in underserved communities and to build trust in our local health agencies. As a licensed therapist with extensive experience in mental health and counseling, she delves deeply with individuals and communities to build bridges and improve lives.

Dr. North is the Vice President of Medical Operations for Eleanor Health, an outpatient substance use disorder program grounded in harm reduction and focuses on the whole person. In 2011, he founded the Health-e-Schools school-based telemedicine program that currently provides access to acute care, primary care, behavioral health and adolescent medicine to over 55,000 students at 115 schools in nine school districts across North Carolina.  Dr. North served as the Medical Director for Mission Virtual Care from 2014-2019 working with a team to integrate inpatient, outpatient, virtual visits, and remote home monitoring into Mission Health, North Carolina’s sixth largest health system that serves the state’s 18 western most counties. Dr. North is the Rural Telehealth Research Fellow at the University of North Carolina’s Sheps Center for Health Services Research and has served on the National Quality Forum’s Telehealth Committee and Rural Telehealth and Healthcare System Readiness Committee.  Dr. North received his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his medical doctorate from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He completed his Family Medicine Residency, Adolescent Medicine Fellowship, and Master’s in Public Health at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He lives in Spruce Pine, NC with his wife Amanda and their four adolescents where they spend their time chasing dogs, gardening and playing board games.

Dr. Michael Schmidt is a Physical Therapist and Clinical Coordinator of Rehab services in the Department of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy at Duke Health.  In addition to his role as a provider of healthcare, he serves as the Director of Payer Relations for the American Physical Therapy Association North Carolina Chapter.  As the Director of Payer Relations, he works closely with state and federal payers advocating for rehabilitation services.  

Ginny Whitman is a Public Policy Manager at the Alliance for Community Health Plans (ACHP) where she leads the digital health, interoperability/health IT and telehealth policy portfolios. Ginny launched the ACHP Health Data Innovation workforce and ePrior Authorization & Price Transparency Task force to advance ACHP digital health strategy initiatives. Ginny covers additional topics including Medicare Advantage, the individual market, price transparency in support of ACHP advocacy efforts. She previously worked in clinical fields ranging from EMT to researcher before coming to ACHP. Ginny holds a B.S. from Rhodes College and a M.S. from Georgetown University.