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The long, strange trip to legalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania

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May 2, 2022

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Paul A. Tufano one of the City & State Pennsylvania Healthcare Power 100

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May 2, 2022

City & State Pennsylvania

Contents | MAY 2, 2022

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EDITOR’S NOTE … 4

High expectations for legalizing marijuana

FIRST READ … 7

Health care professionals share their tough breaks

DOUG MASTRIANO … 12

The GOP gubernatorial candidate outlines his ideal first hundred days in office

PRIMARY GUIDE ... 14 Your guide to all state legislators facing an opponent in this year’s primary

IN THE WEEDS ... 18 The state struggles to find a path forward on legalizing recreational marijuana

THE HEALTH CARE POWER 100 … 25

The people doing the most to keep Pennsylvanians – and everyone else – in the pink

WINNERS & LOSERS … 54

Who’s been up – and down – this month

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PHCA

ZACH SHAMBERG The long-term care advocate talks about the industry’s workforce crisis

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CityAndStatePA .com

May 2, 2022

EDITOR’S NOTE

Editor-in-chief

JARED GRUENWALD

JENNY DEHUFF

LEGALIZING RECREATIONAL marijuana in Pennsylvania should be a joint effort between Democrats and Republicans. So I’m hoping Republican state Sen. Mike Regan will follow through on his plan to introduce a bill this month to do just that. If he does, it just needs to win the approval of a good number of his colleagues – mostly on his side of the aisle.

Legalizing marijuana is no longer championed only by deadbeats or people in hippie circles. It is now regularly embraced by both political parties – many of whom realize and appreciate its economic, agricultural and medicinal benefits – and who understand it’s past time to stop fighting a losing battle.

I recently spoke with two people who were gracious enough to share their names with me and their weed stories.

Machele Nettles, 40, a jewelry designer from Philadelphia, started smoking weed when she was a teenager.

Today, she smokes or ingests it daily for a variety of reasons – part medicinal, part recreational. She buys from a grower in Pennsylvania but said she would buy from a commercial dispensary if one existed.

“I mean – it’s like medicine,” she said. “I think that it helps people. And it’s a lot less dangerous than alcohol, which is legal. I just don’t understand why it’s not allowed.”

Tyler Marino, 29, owns and operates a cannabis-themed home decor company in Philly called Snug Nug. He started smoking weed at 11, mostly because he was hanging out with an older crowd. Now, he smokes or eats weed or hashish daily.

Marino told me he suffers from a variety of “life’s ailments,” likening marijuana to a coping mechanism. But he also described how getting high helps him with depression, anxiety and physical pain. The problem is, he has to buy it illegally.

“I typically find all of my hash on the black market. Because Pennsylvania, at the moment, does not have solventless concentrates to offer their patients, which is a big issue for me,” he said.

Both Nettles and Marino raise great points – and they are among the many examples politicians must consider as they inevitably decide that legalizing recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania is truly the only way forward.

MAY 24, 2022 6:30PM-9PM KING MANSION, HARRISBURG, PA

CELEBRATING THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN PENNSYLVANIA City & State PA’s published, must-read list of Pennsylvania’s most influential elected officials, labor unions, advocacy groups, political consultants, lobbyists, media personalities, business leaders, and more will be back this May! Join us as we highlight the best in the Keystone State and celebrate the Pennsylvania Power 100 with an in-person event in Harrisburg. Don’t miss our guest speakers and a rundown of all 100 on our list!

KEYNOTE SPEAKER Stacy Garrity, Treasurer; State of Pennsylvania Register Here For more information about City & State Events, please contact events@cityandstatepa.com For more information about advertising and sponsorship opportunities, please contact advertising@cityandstatepa.com

May 2, 2022

City & State Pennsylvania

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A

SK ANYONE IN health care to list what they consider to be the most important qualities for an industry professional to have, and you’re sure to hear “empathy” at or near the top of the list every time. A sense of connection and understanding is an essential component of helping patients reach comfort levels, recuperate and heal.

Of course, some people can relate better than others – thanks to their own firsthand experiences with injuries of all sorts …

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TOUGH BREAKS PROVIDED

Health care professionals – they’re just like us when it comes to crazy injury stories.

By Hilary Danlailova

ZACH SHAMBERG CEO PENNSYLVANIA HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION

When Shamberg tried his hand at target practice in 2020 it left him with a serious bump on the head.

Zach Shamberg is happy his injury was more humorous than serious.

Just before he was set to address 400 members at the organization’s virtual convention in 2020, Shamberg joined his inlaws for a day of target shooting. “As a Philly native with no prior

firearms experience, I had never heard the term ‘recoil,’” Shamberg said.

The result was not pretty. “I delivered those opening remarks with a big Band-Aid across my forehead,” he said. “And I swore to never pick up any kind of firearm again.”

CityAndStatePA .com

April 11, 2022

BILL JOHNSTON-WALSH Bill Johnston-Walsh is a pro at fielding zingers from political opponents. But the earliest zingers he remembers came from a much more painful place – an angry swarm of bees.

Johnston-Walsh was 8 years old, playing hide-and-seek with

Eight-year-old Johnston-Walsh, around the time he enountered that beehive.

ART HAYWOOD

STATE SENATOR MINORITY CHAIR Health And Human Services Committee

SHEILAH BORNE

friends. “The place I decided to hide behind, a large rock, was also the entrance to a beehive,” he recounted. Approximately 30 bee stings later, JohnstonWalsh limped home in pain. No doubt he’s still stepping gingerly around suspect boulders today.

These days, Haywood still rides his bike, but he wears a helmet every time.

WAYNE REICH

PENNSYLVANIA STATE LOBBYIST Borne remembers an overly enthusiastic round of Irish dancing in high school that left her with a sprained ankle.

At the time, Borne was also a member of the girls’ basketball team. It was March, prime time for both St. Patrick’s Day dance performances and basketball playoffs. “My coach was beside himself when I showed up to practice on crutches,” Borne said, but she powered through the injury without missing a game.

State Sen. Art Haywood, minority chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, crashed his bike numerous times as a kid.

Director AARP - Pennsylvania Chapter

CEO Pennsylvania Nurses Association

The new CEO of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, was an absent-minded child who once walked directly into a sliding glass door. “I thought it was open,” he recalled.

Reich pictured around the age he admits he walked into a glass door.

Borne puts up a short jumper at Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg.

COURTESY OF BILL JOHNSTON-WALSH; PATRIOT-NEWS; SUBMITTED

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NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN! City & State PA will recognize forty individuals under the age of 40 throughout the Keystone State, who have already distinguished themselves in their fields and are on their way to amassing accomplishments well beyond their age. Nominate your friends and colleagues for this honor!

Honorees will be featured in a special edition of City & State PA Magazine and Awards Event in Harrisburg.

Nominations due by Friday, May 20, 2022

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May 2, 2022

A Q & A with Pennsylvania Health Care Association President and CEO

Zach Shamberg This long-term care advocate says workforce shortages threaten access to care for aging residents.

By Justin Sweitzer

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ENNSYLVANIA’S long-term care providers are at a crossroads. Not only were nursing homes and other long-term care facilities hit particularly hard by COVID-19 cases and deaths, but the sector is currently grappling with rising costs, a major staffing crisis and an inability to care for all residents in need of long-term care.

According to a survey from the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, nearly 60% of respondents reported being unable to accept new patients due to workforce shortages.

City & State recently sat down with Zach Shamberg, the PHCA’s president and CEO, to discuss how the pandemic impacted long-term care providers and their residents, how state lawmakers can help address staffing issues faced by long-term care facilities, and what providers can do to curb the spread of infectious diseases moving forward.

This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.

What issues did long-term care providers, workers and residents face during the pandemic?

We had a funding crisis where the state failed to invest in Medicaid funding for nursing homes. Providers derive more than 70% of all their revenue – or all their reimbursement – from the state’s Medicaid program. So, when that doesn’t keep up with rising costs, providers can’t invest in the care they provide, or their staff, or in their buildings and their technology and advancements.

And that was an issue that we’ve been talking about for years prior to the pandemic.

Another was the workforce shortage. There was a workforce shortage long before the pandemic, but that was really amplified and exacerbated over the last two years and we are where we are now … We have providers who are turning away vulnerable senior citizens in need of care simply because they don’t have enough staff to care for them. On average, our members are telling us 30 beds are sitting vacant – empty in

their facilities – because they don’t have enough staff for them to bring in new residents.

That’s scary.

How would you grade the state response in terms of helping your members and long-term providers weather the challenges that the pandemic caused?

We asked for a seat at the table over and over again. What we saw in terms of the failings of the state throughout the last two years was the inability to bring long-term care providers to the table for a discussion – to ask our providers, our workers, even our residents – what we needed to be successful. At the beginning of the pandemic, we had to fight for PPE. We had to fight for testing. We had to fight for staffing support, for funding support. In January of 2021, and even in December of 2021, we had to fight for the vaccine. We knew by then that long-term care was the epicenter of the pandemic, but the vaccine was being prioritized to hospitals and physician’s offices … From that standpoint, the

Shamberg ‘s PHCA hosted a “Day of Caring” event at Hempfield Manor nursing home in Greensburg.

state failed because we were not brought to the table, or we were brought too late.

Have there been any issues in getting long-term care workers to buy into getting vaccinated?

May 2, 2022

City & State Pennsylvania

Zafir Boroughs, a patient at Fox Subacute, speaks about his situation during a press conference.

ERIC HEISLER/PHCA

credit in the world to our workers for stepping up. But there was a myriad of reasons that we heard as we spoke to workers about why they may have been apprehensive of the vaccine.

It was interesting because we had members early on in 2021 who mandated the vaccine-specific providers. Some did it with great success; others lost workers. At this point, workers don’t have a choice in longterm care because we’ve got the

federal mandate, and we’ve got that vaccine requirement for all workers. We did see workforce losses, unfortunately. First in the City of Philadelphia, and then statewide – not as great as we may have anticipated, which was good. So we give all the

When you look at all of the issues that long-term care providers are facing right now, what’s the biggest issue that you think needs to be addressed?

Funding – because everything derives from funding. But it’s hard to not pick two issues, because the workforce is so important as well. Funding will enable us to invest in workers, but every single day, 10 times a day, I get a call about lack of workforce: that there is no pipeline; that we can’t certify temporary nurse aides because the state has put barriers in the way; that we can’t find LPNs, RNs; that we are taking beds offline, essentially, because we don’t have enough staff. We’re turning people away because we don’t have enough staff, we are seeing price gouging by staffing agencies … Really, the two issues go hand in hand.

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“We had to fight for testing. We had to fight for staffing support, for funding support ...”

– Zach Shamberg

What do you need from state lawmakers to address these issues?

No. 1 is an increase in Medicaid reimbursement. So, when it comes to this year’s state budget, we’ve got an ask out there for $294.3 million. It would be recurring state spending, it would go into the Medicaid rate. We’ve really broken it out into three buckets that would enable providers to pay higher wages to invest in their workers, to recruit more workers to the frontlines, and then to meet the demands of higher operational costs.

No. 2 is addressing the workforce crisis and the workforce shortage, whether that’s regulating staffing agencies, working with state partners to ensure that we’re able to certify our workers and that a potential nurse is not waiting six months to get a license. We’ve seen real benefits from all the flexibilities in the waivers throughout the last two years. We’ve learned that we can operate successfully without regulation after regulation. Let’s continue to do that moving forward.

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May 2, 2022

Mastriano is a state senator from Franklin County who is running for governor.

Keeping it Doug Mastriano’s plans for his first 100 days as governor – if he wins – include ending COVID-19 mandates and plenty of reforms.

By Justin Sweitzer

S

TATE SEN. Doug Mastriano has released a nine-point plan that details how he would handle his first 100 days as governor, including efforts to push back against COVID-19 mandates, eliminate mail-in ballots and implement voter ID, and reform state government if he is elected in November.

Mastriano, a Republican from Franklin County, is among the leading candidates in the GOP primary race for governor, with a recent poll from the Trafalgar Group showing him at the top of the Republican field with support from 21.9% of likely voters.

However, 19.4% of respondents said they were undecided at the time the survey was conducted, underscoring the unpredictability of the primary.

In a video accompanying the release of his policy plan, the Republican gubernatorial hopeful pledged to protect freedoms and support policies that would stimulate the state’s economy, including by low-

Mastriano supporters call on the Wolf administration to roll back COVID-19 restrictions and allow businesses to reopen.

ering the state’s corporate tax rate and cutting regulations.

“If you want your freedoms back, you want to restore your families, rebuild the economy and revive the state to the greatness that it should have, I’m your guy for the job and we will deliver results,” Mastriano claimed.

Mastriano, who rose to prominence as a vocal opponent of Gov. Tom Wolf’s

pandemic-related restrictions, said he will “reject” COVID19 policies handed down by the White House and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adding that he will ban policies that mandate masks and COVID-19 vaccines.

He also said he would back policies to eliminate the use of mail-in ballots, which he supported in 2019, and that he would sign legislation to ban

private election grants and implement universal voter ID requirements.

Regarding education, Mastriano said he would ban certain teachings related to race, ethnicity and gender, and would sign legislation to establish “Education Opportunity Accounts” and other bills that would expand school choice policies. Mastriano also supports the elimination of school

May 2, 2022

City & State Pennsylvania

PAUL WEAVER/SOPA IMAGES/LIGHTROCKET/GETTY IMAGES

Mastriano has developed a sizable following in the last two years. His stretch Hummer is shown here in front of the state Capitol.

property taxes, lowering the state’s Corporate Net Income Tax and cutting at least 55,000 state regulations.

Mastriano also expressed his desire to reform state government by implementing a gift ban that would prohibit public officials from receiving gifts from lobbyists and special interest groups. His plan also calls for getting rid of the “revolving door” that allows lobbyists to take jobs within the General Assembly, and prohibiting political consultants from concurrently registering as lobbyists.

Mastriano took aim at politicians on both sides of the aisle in a video promoting his executive and legislative agendas.

“It’s time to return the power to the people,” he said. “Pennsylvania should be the wealthiest, most prosperous, greatest state in this nation here. We should be. But because of failed politics and politicians from both sides of the aisle, we’ve been driven into the ground.”

He also promised to remove

the state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and protect the Second Amendment by making Pennsylvania a constitutional carry state, which would effectively do away with concealed carry permits.

Mastriano has become one of the more controversial figures in Pennsylvania government in recent years, due in no small part to his opposition to COVID-19 restrictions and his efforts to dispute without evidence the state’s 2020 presidential election results.

In 2020, Mastriano hosted a hearing that amplified former President Donald Trump’s thoroughly discredited claims of widespread election fraud, with Trump calling into the meeting to falsely claim that the election was “fraudulent” and “rigged” against him.

Mastriano later sponsored a resolution that sought to dispute the state’s presidential and statewide election results, and floated the possibility of the General Assembly designating

its own slate of unrecognized and unauthorized presidential electors.

Mastriano has also come under fire for busing people to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021.

The U.S. House panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has subpoenaed Mastriano for information pertaining to their investigation, but it’s unclear as to whether Mastriano has complied with the request; he has maintained that he did not enter the Capitol or cross police lines that day.

Mastriano is facing eight other candidates in the Republican primary for governor: former U.S. attorney Bill McSwain, former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, state Senate president Pro Tempore Jake Corman, Delaware County businessman Dave White, political strategist Charlie Gerow, heart surgeon Dr. Nche Zama, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale and former U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart. The primary election is on May 17.

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“If you want your freedoms back ... rebuild the economy and revive the state to the greatness that it should have, I’m your guy for the job ...”

– Doug Mastriano

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Your guide to

THE 2022 PRIMARY CHALLENGERS City & State’s list of all of the incumbents facing primary opponents in May

HOUSE CANDIDATES 5th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Jozwiak INCUMBENT Barry Jozwiak, a Republican from Bern Township in Berks County CHALLENGER David Golowski, a Republican from Bern Township in Berks County.

By Harrison Cann

P

ENNSYLVANIA’S redistricting process was enmeshed in a lengthy court battle, which led to candidates’ timelines for submitting petitions being shortened to avoid pushing back the May 17 primary. The normal, three-week process was curtailed to just 11 days, forcing candidates to scramble to collect enough signatures to get on the ballot. Some lawmakers have complained that the primary should have been pushed back because the shorter petition period gives incumbents an advantage over new challengers. But that hasn’t stopped newcomers from putting their names forward.

Here is your guide to every challenger going up against an incumbent in the upcoming primary.

Golowski was a vocal opponent of the COVID-19 related shutdowns and started a directory, PAlockdown.com, during the pandemic to highlight businesses operating in defiance of statewide orders.

11th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

8th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Bernstine INCUMBENT Aaron Bernstine, a Republican from New Beaver Borough in Lawrence County CHALLENGERS Eric DiTullio, a Republican from Lancaster Township in Butler County

10th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Brown INCUMBENT Amen Brown, a Democrat from Philadelphia serving the 190th district, was drawn into the 10th district in this redistricting cycle.

CHALLENGERS Sajda Blackwell, a Democrat from Philadelphia

John Kennedy, a Republican from Middlesex Township in Butler County

Cassandra Green, a Democrat from Philadelphia

13th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

20th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

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Mustello

Lawrence

INCUMBENT Marci Mustello, a Republican from Butler Township in Butler County

INCUMBENT John Lawrence, a Republican from London Grove in Chester County

CHALLENGER Jennifer Steele, a Republican from Summit Township in Butler County

CHALLENGER Carmela Ciliberti, a Republican from New London in Chester County

Steele, vice president of Butler PA Patriots, a grassroots conservative organization, already has an endorsement from lieutenant governor candidate Teddy Daniels.

Ciliberti, an expert in aviation regulations, was previously a candidate for Chester County Clerk of Courts in 2020; she was defeated by incumbent Democrat Yolanda Van de Krol.

Kinkead INCUMBENT Emily Kinkead, a Democrat from Pittsburgh CHALLENGER Nicholas Mastros, a Democrat from Ross in Allegheny County Mastros is the owner of Allegheny Sandwich Shoppe in Pittsburgh and in his first run for public office. He received an endorsement from the region’s Democratic committee members over the incumbent Kinkead.

May 2, 2022

34th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Lee INCUMBENT Summer Lee, a Democrat from Swissvale Borough in Allegheny County. Lee is also running to fill the 12th Congressional seat vacated

by U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle at the same time.

CHALLENGER Abigail Salisbury, a Democrat from Swissvale Salisbury is an attorney and borough council president who could take the Democratic nomination should Lee win the primary to replace Doyle.

55th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Silvis

PGIAM/GETTY IMAGES; PA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

INCUMBENT Jason Silvis, a Republican from Washington Township in Westmoreland County CHALLENGERS Michelle Schmidt, a Republican from Washington Township in Westmoreland County Jill Cooper, a Republican from Murrysville in Westmoreland County

City & State Pennsylvania

36th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Benham INCUMBENT Jessica Benham, a Democrat from Pittsburgh CHALLENGER Stephanie Fox, a Democrat from Brentwood in Allegheny County Fox, an executive with the Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Center for Victims, is a former member of Brentwood Borough Council.

56th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Dunbar

39th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Puskaric INCUMBENT Michael Puskaric, a Republican from Union Township in Washington County. Puskaric recently successfully defended a petition challenge.

CHALLENGER Andrew Kuzma, a Republican from Elizabeth Township in Allegheny County.

Kuzma, a former Elizabeth Township Commissioner, is an attorney who backed Puskaric’s Democratic opponent during his first race in 2018.

67th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Causer

INCUMBENT George Dunbar, a Republican from Penn Township in Westmoreland County

INCUMBENT Martin Causer, a Republican from Annin Township in McKean County

CHALLENGER Samuel Wright Jr., a Republican from Penn Township in Westmoreland County

CHALLENGER Robert Rossman, a Republican from Allegheny Township in Potter County Rossman, owner of Cream ’n Sugar in Coudersport, is a former vice chair of the Potter County GOP and has an endorsement from lieutenant governor candidate Teddy Daniels.

40th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Stuck INCUMBENT Natalie Stuck, a Republican from Peters Township in Washington County CHALLENGER Stephen Renz, a Republican from Peters Township in Washington County.

Renz, who currently serves as vice chair of the Republican Party of Peters Township, is a former Brentwood School Board member and Steamfitters Local 449 journeyman.

72nd LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Burns INCUMBENT Frank Burns, a Democrat from East Taylor Township in Cambria County CHALLENGER Michael Cashaw, a Democrat from Johnstown in Cambria County Cashaw, the current president of the Rotary Club of Johnstown, is a freelance photographer with a background in banking. He will remain on the ballot after a judge rejected a petition challenge of his signatures.

47th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

GIllespie INCUMBENT Keith Gillespie, a Republican from Hellam Township in York County CHALLENGER Joseph D’Orsie, a Republican from Mt. Wolf Borough in York County D’Orsie, a former football player and wrestler at Duquesne University, is the communications director at Praise Community Church in East York.

80th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Gregory

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51st LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Dowling INCUMBENT Matt Dowling, a Republican from Uniontown in Fayette County CHALLENGER Ryan Porupski, a Republican from Nicholson Township in Fayette County Porupski is the school board president of Albert Gallatin Area School District and a part-time instructor at the Fayette County Career and Technical Institute.

81th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Irvin

INCUMBENT James Gregory, a Republican from Hollidaysburg in Blair County

INCUMBENT Rich Irvin, a Republican from Spruce Creek Township in Huntingdon County.

CHALLENGER Patricia Haight, a Republican from Frankstown in Blair County.

CHALLENGER Andrea Speck, a Republican from Cromwell Township in Huntingdon County

Haight is a conservative activist and community organizer who founded the charity Love Them Both to help support unwed mothers.

Co-host of the Hippie Sunday School Podcast, Speck has been a community organizer over the last two years.

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May 2, 2022

HOUSE CANDIDATES 86th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Hershey INCUMBENT State Rep. John Hershey, a Republican serving the 82nd district, was drawn into this new district with state Rep. Perry Stambaugh, a Republican currently serving the 86th district.

159th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Kirkland

94th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Saylor

96th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Sturla

100th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Cutler

103rd LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Kim

INCUMBENT Bryan Cutler, a Republican from Drumore Township in Lancaster County

INCUMBENT Patty Kim, a Democrat from Harrisburg in Dauphin County

CHALLENGER Dana Hamp Gulick, a Democrat from Manheim Township in Lancaster County

CHALLENGER Anne Weston, a Republican from Quarryville Borough in Lancaster County

Fink, a conservative education advocate, has experience as both a public school and home-school educator.

Hamp Gulick, a business liaison for an advertising company and domestic violence survivor, lost her previous two elections when she tried to unseat state Rep. Steve Mentzer in the old 97th district.

A chiropractic assistant, Weston says she prioritizes election integrity and has the support of Audit the Vote PA, an organization that has promoted claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

CHALLENGER Heather MacDonald, a Democrat from Camp Hill Borough in Cumberland County

166th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

169th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

172nd LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

INCUMBENT Stan Saylor, a Republican from Windsor Township in York County CHALLENGER Wendy Fink, a Republican from Windsor Township in York County

Vitali

INCUMBENT Mike Sturla, a Democrat from Lancaster City

Klunk

INCUMBENT Brian Kirkland, a Democrat from Chester in Delaware County

INCUMBENT Greg Vitali, a Democrat from Haverford Township in Delaware County

INCUMBENT Katie Klunk, a Republican from Hanover Borough in York County

CHALLENGER Carol Kazeem, a Democrat from Chester in Delaware County

CHALLENGER David Brown, a Democrat from Haverford Township in Delaware County

CHALLENGER Matthew Smith, a Republican from Manheim Township in York County

Kazeem, a trauma-informed outreach worker, has been a community activist and helped organize protests of the Covanta waste-tostream facility in Chester.

Brown serves as chair of the Pennsylvania Secular Democrats and is a member of the State Democratic Committee and the Main Line NAACP.

Smith, who is an active foster parent specializing in behavioral health, works as a general contractor for automotive, restaurant and alcohol businesses.

Boyle INCUMBENT Kevin Boyle, a Democrat from Philadelphia CHALLENGER Robert Stewart, a Democrat from Philadelphia Stewart, a former aide to state Sen. John Sabatina, serves on several boards including the 7th Police District Advisory Committee.

A community activist who also works for a residential real estate company, MacDonald would be the first LGBTQ+ candidate to represent the district.

181st LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Kenyatta

134th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Schweyer INCUMBENT Peter Schweyer, a Democrat from Allentown in Lehigh County, currently serves the 22nd district but was drawn into the new 134th.

CHALLENGER Enid Santiago, a Democrat from Allentown in Lehigh County Santiago, who works at a local community organization, narrowly lost to Schweyer in the 2020 primary. A challenge to her petition was thrown out last week, meaning her rematch is set for May.

184th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Fiedler

INCUMBENT Malcolm Kenyatta, a Democrat from Philadelphia

INCUMBENT Elizabeth Fiedler, a Democrat from Philadelphia

CHALLENGER Joy Crudup-Dorsey, a Democrat from Philadelphia

CHALLENGER Michael Giangiordano II, a Democrat from Philadelphia

Crudup-Dorsey, a vocal advocate for addressing gun violence, works as a counselor at the Youth Detention Center in West Philadelphia.

Giangiordano II has a vast amount of real estate experience, both as a realtor for Century 21 and as the founder and CEO of Rental Rater, a rental experience ratings website.

He was endorsed by the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee over the incumbent Fiedler.

May 2, 2022

City & State Pennsylvania

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SENATE CANDIDATES 187th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Mackenzie INCUMBENT State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, a Republican serving the 134th district, was drawn into this new district with state Rep. Gary Day, a Republican currently serving the 187th district.

188th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Krajewski INCUMBENT Rick Krajewski, a Democrat from Philadelphia CHALLENGER James Wright, a Democrat from Philadelphia A lifelong Philadelphian, Wright is the director of Community, Economic, and Real Estate Development at the People’s Emergency Center. He was endorsed by the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee over the incumbent Krajewski.

PA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; VANDERBURGH/WIKIPEDIA; JAMES ROBINSON; COLIN M. LENTON; SENATOR LISA BAKER

197th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Burgos INCUMBENT Danilo Burgos, a Democrat from Philadelphia CHALLENGER Gladys DeMatos, a Democrat from Philadelphia

200th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

Fitzgerald INCUMBENT State Rep. Isabella Fitzgerald, a Democrat serving the 203rd district, was drawn into this new district with state Rep. Chris Rabb, a Democrat currently serving the 200th district .

CHALLENGER Janay Hawthorne, a Democrat from Philadelphia Hawthorne is an active member of AFSCME District Council 47 as a shop steward and serves as a public health adjunct professor at Arcadia University.

194th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT

DeLissio

8th SENATORIAL DISTRICT

Williams

16th SENATORIAL DISTRICT

Browne

INCUMBENT Pam DeLissio, a Democrat from Philadelphia.

INCUMBENT Anthony H. Williams, a Democrat from Philadelphia.

INCUMBENT Patrick Browne, a Republican from Allentown in Lehigh County

CHALLENGER Tarik Khan, a Democrat from Philadelphia

CHALLENGER Paul Prescod, a Democrat from Philadelphia.

CHALLENGER Jarrett Coleman, a Republican from Upper Macungie Township in Lehigh County

A frontline nurse and the immediate past president of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, Khan visited homebound residents to administer COVID-19 vaccines throughout the pandemic.

A public school teacher and union activist, Prescod has already received endorsements from organizations including the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, AFSCME District Council 47 and the Pennsylvania Working Families Party.

Coleman, an airline pilot and member of the Parkland School Board, has been an opponent of school closures and vaccine mandates.

20th SENATORIAL DISTRICT

36th SENATORIAL DISTRICT

Baker

Aument

INCUMBENT Lisa Baker, a Republican from Lehman Township in Luzerne County

INCUMBENT Ryan Aument, a Republican from West Hempfield in Lancaster County

CHALLENGER OFF THE BALLOT: Nathan Turock, a Republican from Factoryville in Wyoming County.

CHALLENGER Michael Miller, a Republican from Ephrata Township in Lancaster County

After Baker’s petition challenge was successful, Turock has confirmed he will not be on the ballot in May. He’s urging supporters to elect him as a write-in candidate.

Miller, a financial adviser with an office in Manheim Township, has been active in Audit the Vote PA’s efforts to protest the 2020 election, including leading an unsanctioned canvass of Lancaster County last summer.

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April 25, 2022

GREENER PASTURES Pennsylvania feels the peer pressure of neighboring states’ passage of adultuse marijuana.

By Harrison Cann

W

ILL BIPARTISAN talks in Harrisburg finally spark recreational marijuana legalization, or is this latest effort to go green destined to go up in smoke?

With neighboring states, including Maryland, New York and New Jersey, establishing their own private adultuse cannabis markets, Pennsylvania may be feeling peer pressure to act. The General Assembly has taken steps this year to learn more about recreational cannabis legalization through a series of public hearings in Senate committees, and a pair of bipartisan proposals suggest the commonwealth may be closer to legalization than ever before.

“I think that there is a growing sentiment in the Pennsylvania General Assembly that it’s not whether we legalize cannabis, but when,” state Sen. Sharif Street, a Democrat from Philadelphia, told City & State. Street, alongside state Sen. Dan Laughlin, an Erie County Republican, introduced Senate Bill 473, an adult-use marijuana legalization proposal, last year.

The proposed legislation calls for a “rational framework” for legalization. It would allow adults

21 and older to purchase and possess up to 30 grams of cannabis, allow medical patients to grow up to five plants at home for personal use, ban marketing toward children, provide workplace and intoxication rules, and emphasize social equity by creating equity licenses and expunging criminal records for anyone with a non-violent cannabis conviction.

Street and Laughlin aren’t the only ones with a proposal, however. State Sen. Mike Regan, chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, has been spearheading the hearings process as he prepares to introduce his own bipartisan legalization bill.

Regan has said his interest in legalization stems from his experience as a U.S. marshal, where he said he witnessed organized crime and drug cartels benefit from the illicit market.

Legalization has been a hot topic in the commonwealth for the past few years, with Gov. Tom Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman joining Democratic legislators’ calls for the Republican-controlled General Assembly to consider proposals for adult-use marijuana. This time around, experts say, it feels different, with Republican lawmakers holding serious conversations as surrounding states reap the tax benefits of a regulated market.

April 25, 2022

City & State Pennsylvania

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Surrounding states like New York and New Jersey have legalized marijuana for recreational use.

Some in Pennsylvania are trying to get there.

TORRIPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

20 CityAndStatePA .com

April 25, 2022

“I think there’s a growing awareness across the country about the need for reform in this area,” Jeremiah Mosteller, senior policy analyst for criminal justice reform at Americans for Prosperity, a libertarian-conservative political advocacy group that has expressed support for legalization, told City & State.

Mosteller said AFP began to get involved in the issue as public support for legalization grew and evidence revealed prohibition was not working.

“We’re actually seeing adult-use continue to go up. The black market continues to thrive regardless of what we do, and that brings along with it lots of other violent and nonviolent crimes that actually have victims,” he said, adding that law enforcement “is only solving about 42% of violent crimes and 15% of property crimes. We believe that is leaving too many victims without justice and jeopardizing public safety because we’re investing so many resources into the prohibition of cannabis and not actually achieving a positive outcome.”

Getting the conversation started is just step one. From there, lawmakers must consider not only the complex issues related to developing a new regulatory framework, but also the best policy options that take health, public safety and equity into account.

Beau Kilmer is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and director of RAND’s Drug Policy Research Center. While working with states and researching legalization policies around the country, Kilmer said he found that pricing plays a critical role in the development of a competitive market.

“If you look at a lot of the outcomes that you discuss in legalization debates, whether it be what happens to consumption, what happens in tax revenues, what happens to the size of the illegal market, what happens to the profitability of businesses – which is important for some of the social equity conversations – a lot of that is shaped by the price,” Kilmer said.

Kilmer said there’s no “best way” to tax cannabis but that there’s a growing consensus that taxing it as a function of price may not be it. He mentioned one proposal, which is being considered in New Hampshire, to have the state establish its cannabis market, similar to how Pennsylvania handles its liquor distribution.

“We’ve already seen the prices decline quite a bit. It’s getting harder, in a lot of places, for your smaller entrepreneurs to compete,” he said.

OFFICE OF GOVERNOR TOM WOLF

Street has said that his interest in cannabis grew out of his involvement in criminal justice reform.

April 25, 2022

City & State Pennsylvania

21

“One of the advantages of the state-store model is that it allows the state to not only control the products on the market but also kind of control the price, as opposed to waiting for competition to push things down.”

Pricing is also crucial in forcing out the illicit market – something that people on both sides of the legalization argument have expressed anxiety about.

State Sen. Judy Ward, chair of the Senate Aging and Youth Committee, who has been a vocal opponent of legalization, held her own hearing on adult-use marijuana after she said the Senate Law and Justice Committee’s hearings failed to hear from both sides.

“The black market will always be out there,” Ward, a Republican from Cumberland County, told City & State. “Don’t think for a minute that young people won’t get their hands on recreational marijuana, because we see what happens with alcohol … (Marijuana) just presents a whole host of problems that we haven’t yet really sorted out.”

On the other side of the argument, Mosteller said, concerns over the illicit market could be where smart pricing comes into play.

“The No. 1 thing that Pennsylvania can do to ensure that it undermines the illicit market that currently exists is to be intentional about its taxation structure and its regulatory structure, and just ensure that the legal companies are able to effectively compete on a price point,” he said.

“The reality is if the products in the black market or gray market are still cheaper than the products in the legal market, consumers will continue to go to their current provider or will find a black- or gray-market provider to purchase the goods from.”

The commonwealth has the benefit of seeing other states’ growing pains as they develop their cannabis markets. States such as Colorado, which began legal sales in 2014, can provide an example of what not to do.

Trent Woloveck, chief commercial director at Jushi Inc., testified at the Feb. 25 Senate Law and Justice hearing that Colorado initially dealt with long lines and high prices, which led to consumers sticking to the cheaper illicit market.

He noted that an eighth of an ounce of legal cannabis was going for $64.90, while people could get it on the street for half that price. Estimates showed that after Colorado’s initial launch eight years ago, the illicit market was still making up

22 CityAndStatePA .com

Mosteller spoke at a press event for the introduction of the States Reform Act in November 2021.

selves up when launching their cannabis markets. Those policy options include: avoiding arbitrary limits on the number of businesses that can operate in the market; allowing the number of licensed businesses to grow as market demand increases; having a level playing field for all applicants regardless of their involvement in the medical marijuana industry; and, along those same lines, prohibiting suppliers in the medical marijuana market to get a head start in securing a large portion of the market share before other competitors have an opportunity to join it.

Kilmer added that there are a variety of ways in which states can go about achieving social equity. It just depends on what lawmakers value the most.

“Especially for a state like Pennsylvania, it would be worth it to actually do the analysis and be very specific about it,” Kilmer said.

“What are the goals of my social equity program? Is it to build wealth in communities that were disproportionately affected by cannabis prohibition? You can be very specific about what the goal is, look at all your policy levers, and then start doing some cost-benefit analysis.”

Unfortunately for advocates and supporters of legalization, pricing and supply are just the tip of the iceberg with cannabis legalization.

On top of the regulatory questions, there are many public safety and enforcement issues

COMMONWEALTH MEDIA SERVICES

about 70% of cannabis sales in the state.

“We’re now closer to 80-20%, probably at 85-15%” of the market share being legal sales, Woloveck said at the hearing. “I would point to tax structure and supply really being the two main drivers.”

Along with pricing, supply is another big part of the equation. In talking with both lawmakers and advocates, it’s clear that supply and competition will also play a pivotal role in the establishment of a quality market.

Mosteller said besides having a transparent and accountable regulatory system, any legalization policy should prioritize creating an equitable and competitive market for large and small growers alike.

“If a state is going to choose to move forward here, it needs to prevent its market from being an oligopoly that is controlled by just a few large companies and out-of-state operators,” Mosteller said.

He noted that the medical marijuana market in Pennsylvania has become problematic, with local farmers and companies unable to compete, and that the state can’t let those issues work their way into a potential recreational market.

Current legalization proposals have considerations for social equity licensees to benefit communities that have been disproportionately affected by cannabis convictions. Mosteller said those proposals can go one step further.

Mosteller laid out four policies that could help the state avoid the mistakes of others who trip them-

OFFICE OF GOVERNOR TOM WOLF; ZAID HAMID

White, a hemp farmer, shows a cutting of industrial hemp at The Mountain Center in Tobyhanna, Monroe County.

April 25, 2022

April 25, 2022

City & State Pennsylvania

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“If a state is going to choose to move forward here, it needs to prevent its market from being an oligopoly that is controlled by just a few large companies and outof-state operators.”

– Jeremiah Mosteller

that have yet to be addressed. Among them are concerns about driving under the influence of marijuana and the ability to test if someone is intoxicated, individuals’ Second Amendment rights related to federal controlled substance laws, and where potential revenues should be allocated.

The General Assembly’s willingness to discuss the issues surrounding cannabis legalization is a promising sign for supporters, but that doesn’t mean any proposals will see a vote during this legislative session.

While Street thinks the time for legalization is coming, Ward said she doesn’t see the GOP-led legislature prioritizing the issue during this legislative session. “I think there might be people who vote for decriminalization,” Ward said. “I don’t see anywhere in the near future that we would be voting on” full legalization.

With the General Assembly still learning about the topic and weighing its regulatory options, Street is hopeful his and Laughlin’s proposal can be the starting point for debate.

“I think what’s happening is there’s now a level of education around cannabis (that) makes people understand what a rational bill looks like,” Street said. “I think our legislation does represent a compromise.”

■

EXCEPTIONAL HEALTH CARE. GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH. SUPERIOR MEDICAL EDUCATION. We salute Temple Health’s

Michael A. Young, MHA, FACHE Amy J. Goldberg, MD, FACS Abhinav Rastogi, MBA, MIS Robert Uzzo, MD, MBA, FACS Katherine E. Levins, JD, MBA And all honorees on being among Pennsylvania’s Top 100 in Healthcare

May 2, 2022

City & State Pennsylvania

THE 2022 HEALTH CARE POWER 100

25

The leaders driving advances in medicine, technology and policy in Pennsylvania.

A

S THE WORRYING numbers on COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations demonstrate more succinctly than any words can, the third year of the pandemic has meant that the spotlight continues to shine on Pennsylvania's health care industry, from its leaders to the frontline workers who put it all on an increasingly fraught line daily.

COVID’s prolonged onslaught has made it even more difficult to marshal resources and attention to tackle preexisting crises like the opioid epidemic, families and children at risk, and senior care, to name just a few.

The people populating this year’s City & State PA's Health care Power 100 list are earning their reputation as the Meds part of the state’s enviable Eds and Meds sobriquet by confronting all of the aforementioned challenges while also preparing the state, their institutions and the public for a better, more health-secure future.

They have made breakthroughs in science and medicine that have changed the lives of Pennsylvanians and improved access to health care. This list, written by Hilary Danailova, recognizes the public officials, health care executives, innovators, academics, advocates and activists – and their roles in taking care of us.

26 CityAndStatePA .com

May 2, 2022

Health Network from nearbankruptcy.

3 STEVEN COLLIS CHAIR, PRESIDENT & CEO AmerisourceBergen Corporation Steven Collis leads AmerisourceBergen Corporation, a global health care outfit that is currently ranked No. 10 on the Fortune 500. During his 11-year tenure, AmerisourceBergen has seen its annual revenue jump more than 80% and its number of employees rise to 21,000 people in 50 countries. Collis managed the firm’s 2013 partnership with Walgreens Boots Alliance, as well as the 2015 acquisition of MWI Veterinary Supply, both of which diversified AmerisourceBergen’s market.

As president of UPMC, Davis has more than 30 years of health care experience.

4 KEVIN MAHONEY CEO

LESLIE C. DAVIS PRESIDENT AND CEO UPMC After a successful run heading UPMC’s Health Services Division – which encompasses 40 hospitals and dozens of ancillary facilities – Leslie C. Davis became CEO of UPMC last year. She oversees the largest non-governmental employer in Pennsylvania – 92,000 employees – as well as the largest medical insurer in western Pennsylvania, with more than 4.1 million members.

2 DAVID HOLMBERG PRESIDENT AND CEO Highmark As president and chief executive officer of Pittsburghbased Highmark, David Holmberg oversees a $21 billion nonprofit health

organization with 37,000 employees, a growing regional hospital network, and one of America’s largest Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers. Holmberg, who joined Highmark in 2007 and became president in 2014, led the organization’s 2016 lawsuit against the federal government in defense of Affordable Care Act funding promises. Under Holmberg’s leadership, Highmark has posted record revenues and revived Allegheny

University of Pennsylvania Health System Anyone who has enjoyed traversing the University of Pennsylvania Health System’s main campus in Philadelphia, or who has toggled through its comprehensive electronic record platform, has Kevin Mahoney to thank. As Penn Medicine’s CEO, Mahoney has led numerous transformative projects. They include the Smilow Center for Translational Research,

AmerisourceBergen's annual revenue has jumped more than 80% under Collis.

UPMC

1

With Davis at the helm, UPMC launched Pennsylvania’s first tele-emergency department and partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Health on opioid overdose prevention training.

May 2, 2022

City & State Pennsylvania

27

the Henry A. Jordan Medical Education Center, The Pavilion – a $1.6 billion hospital unveiled last year – and a systemwide integrated digital records system.

5

9

MADELINE BELL PRESIDENT AND CEO

HEYWARD DONIGAN

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Madeline Bell started as a nurse in 1983 at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the top-ranked health system – it’s No. 1 on Forbes’ 2022 list of America’s best large employers – she has headed since 2015. Bell’s tenure has seen a major expansion of CHOP’s 4 million-square-foot Philadelphia campus, as well as the development of one of the nation’s largest pediatric ambulatory care networks and a new hospital complex on CHOP’s King of Prussia campus. Bell currently chairs the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

6 GREGORY E. DEAVENS PRESIDENT AND CEO

INDEPENDENCE BLUE CROSS; MICHAEL L. MIHALO

Independence Health Group Gregory E. Deavens assumed leadership of Independence Health Group in 2021 – just as the pandemic was changing the way Americans consume and pay for health care.

Independence is the parent of Independence Blue Cross, one of the nation’s largest health insurers, where Deavens, an accountant by training, had served since 2017 as executive vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer. Under Deavens, Independence recently partnered with Philadelphia-area health

PRESIDENT AND CEO Rite Aid

Deavens is president and CEO of Independence Health Group.

organizations and the City of Philadelphia for an initiative aimed at reducing disparities and improving outcomes.

7 JAEWON RYU PRESIDENT AND CEO Geisinger Jaewon Ryu joined Geisinger as executive vice president and chief medical officer in 2016, and was promoted to the health system’s top job two years later. His accomplishments include streamlining patient access by redesigning a teambased primary care model and growing Geisinger’s pharmacy operations. Ryu, an emergency physician, also oversaw the opening of 65 Forward, a collection of Medicare-focused primary care centers, as well as the launch of Geisinger at Home, a home health care program.

8 REGINA S. CUNNINGHAM CEO Hospital of the University Of Pennsylvania Since 2017, Regina Cunningham has led the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, ranked No. 1 in Pennsylvania by U.S. News & World Report. During her tenure, HUP – the country’s oldest university-owned teaching hospital – debuted one of the most ambitious capital projects in its 150-year history: the Pavilion, a 17-story, 1.5 million-square-foot center devoted to patient care on HUP’s University City campus.

Cunningham, formerly chief nursing officer at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

As the head of Rite Aid, Heyward Donigan brings digital and marketing savvy to one of the nation’s largest drugstore chains, with 2,500 stores in 17 states. Donigan, who joined Rite Aid in 2019, earned a reputation for growth and profits in a series of executive roles, including at Cigna and Premera Blue Cross. Before joining RiteAid, she helmed Sapphire Digital, where her strategic technological vision led the company to record expansion and consumer engagement.

10 ROB DAVIS CEO AND PRESIDENT Merck Under the leadership of Rob Davis, Merck has emerged as one of the most prominent innovators of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, with a recently authorized antiviral medication that many health experts are calling a global game-changer.

Merck also has a blockbuster cancer drug, sold under the brand name Keytruda, and an oral antiviral currently in development to combat COVID. Davis joined Merck in 2014 as chief financial officer and assumed responsibility for

28 CityAndStatePA .com

11 RICHARD ANDERSON PRESIDENT AND CEO St. Luke’s University Health Network Richard Anderson is the longest-tenured CEO of a hospital system in the U.S. Since assuming leadership of St Luke’s Hospital in 1985, Anderson has grown the community hospital into an integrated network comprising 11 hospitals, 300plus locations, and 17,000 employees. Among Anderson’s crowning achievements at the St Luke’s University Health Network is the creation of the region’s first and only medical school campus in 2011, in partnership with Temple University School of Medicine.

12 BRIAN NESTER PRESIDENT AND CEO Lehigh Valley Health Network Since taking over the Lehigh Valley Health Network in 2014, Brian Nester has led the organization through a series of acquisitions, including Schuylkill Health, the Pocono Health System and Coordinated Health. Nester, who joined LVHN in 1998,

oversees the Lehigh Valley’s top-ranked health system, including its only children’s hospital. Under Nester’s guidance, the network was recognized with the 2017 Vizient Quality Leadership Award, while U.S. News & World Report ranked it among Pennsylvania’s top five health systems.

13 RICHARD HAVERSTICK INTERIM PRESIDENT AND INTERIM CEO Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health Following a long career at Ernst & Young, Richard Haverstick is currently serving as the interim president of Thomas Jefferson University and interim CEO of Jefferson Health. He is an emeritus trustee and the immediate past chair of the Thomas Jefferson University and the Jefferson Health boards of trustees, where he has been a key figure since 2013. Haverstick’s business expertise played a critical role in creating and shaping Jefferson’s Strategic Blueprint for Action, which highlights innovation and philanthropy as key initiatives.

14 STEVE MASSINI CEO Penn State Health Since becoming CEO of Penn State Health in 2016, Steve

Johnson is acting health secretary and physician general for Pennsylvania.

Massini has spearheaded a number of key partnerships, including a collaboration with Highmark Health and the absorption of providers from Physicians Alliance Ltd. Massini, a Penn State alumnus, has also presided over the debut of a Lancaster County outpatient center and a $200 million acute care hospital in Enola, as well as the rollout of Penn State Health on Demand, a digital patient resource.

Massini's main focus is on Penn State Health's growth, development and success.

15 DENISE A. JOHNSON ACTING HEALTH SECRETARY AND PHYSICIAN GENERAL When Denise Johnson was appointed Pennsylvania’s acting physician general last year, she took over a role last filled by Rachel Levine, who left to become President Joe Biden’s assistant secretary for health. Johnson, an OB-GYN who previously served as chief medical officer at Meadville Medical Center, has focused attention on equity and health

LVHN; COMMONWEALTH MEDIA SERVICES

key areas, including real estate operations, corporate strategy, business development and information technology.

May 2, 2022

Congratulations to our president and CEO, John M. Ferretti, D.O., for being selected as one of City & State PA’s Healthcare Power 100.

TOP RANKED

The nation’s

LARGEST medical college

LOWEST

Estimated alumni economic impact of

tuition among private medical colleges

$7.9 billion

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30 CityAndStatePA .com

16 MICHAEL A. YOUNG

transitioning its physician practice to a nonprofit entity; absorbing Jeanes Hospital; and negotiating divestments from Fox Chase Cancer Center and Health Partners Plans.

Under Young’s leadership, Temple University Health System was recently lauded

by Healthgrades as one of the top U.S. hospitals in early COVID-19 care.

17

18 MEG SNEAD & JENNIFER SMITH

CEO

JOHN LYNCH

Temple University Health System

PRESIDENT AND CEO

Michael Young took over leadership of Temple University Hospital in 2018 and assumed his current role in 2019, working closely with new Temple University Hospital CEO Abhinav Rastogi. Young is guiding the ongoing restructuring of the system, which has included

and a regional nursing and hospice care network. Under Lynch, Philadelphia Business Journal has repeatedly named Main Line Health one of the best places to work in Greater Philadelphia. The nonprofit is also one of only 22 U.S. health systems to receive the System Magnet designation for nursing excellence.

Main Line Health Over his 17-year tenure, John Lynch has led Main Line Health through a period of expansion. He currently directs four acute care hospitals, centers for rehabilitation and addiction treatment, the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research

Young serves as CEO of Temple University Health System.

ACTING SECRETARY; SECRETARY Pennsylvania Department of Human Services; Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs When Gov. Tom Wolf tapped Meg Snead as the next secretary of the Department of Human Services, he chose an experienced manager with a background in affordable housing, homelessness and health care policy. Snead was most recently Wolf’s secretary of policy and planning, directing the implementation of policies that included the state’s COVID-19 pandemic response. Previously, Snead was an executive policy specialist at the Department of Human Services.

Fighting Pennsylvania’s opioid crisis is a top priority for Jennifer Smith, who was first appointed secretary of Drug and Alcohol Programs in 2018 and reappointed the following year. Under her direction, the department has secured $108 million in federal grants to fight heroin and opioid abuse, launched Pennsylvania’s Get Help Now hotline and expanded access to naloxone, the overdosereversing treatment, across the commonwealth. Smith has also led partnerships with the department of health to get overdose survivors into drug treatment.

19 CYNTHIA HUNDORFEAN PRESIDENT AND CEO Allegheny Health Network Cynthia Hundorfean’s leadership at Allegheny Health Network is attracting attention. Modern Healthcare called her one of America’s “Top Women Leaders” in 2019 and 2022, and one of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” in 2020 for her role at the 14-hospital, $4 billion health care system – the provider arm of Highmark Health.

Since 2016, Hundorfean has steered Allegheny’s $1.7 billion capital investment strategy, including five new hospitals, six new cancer centers, new outpatient facilities, and a cutting-edge electronic records system.

20 ZACH SHAMBERG PRESIDENT AND CEO Pennsylvania Health Care Association Born to a family of nurses, Zach Shamberg took the helm of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association in 2019 after five years of directing advocacy and legislative affairs for the organization – as well as experience managing political campaigns. Shamberg now directs the statewide organization advocating for

TEMPLE HEALTH; ERIC HEISLER/PHCA

access issues, including Black maternal mortality; she recently successfully championed an extension of postpartum benefits for Pennsylvania Medicaid patients. Last week, Gov. Tom Wolf named her to also serve as the state’s acting health secretary.

May 2, 2022

We are proud of our Penn State Health leaders who are being honored for their steadfast commitment to improve the health and well-being of the people of Pennsylvania, and beyond.

Thank you for your dedication, leadership and collaboration that enables Penn State Health to provide care that is compassionate, culturally responsive and equitable.

Deborah Addo, MPH

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Penn State Health

Sheilah Borne

Vice President Government Relations Penn State Health

Deborah A. Berini, MHA

Kevin Black, MD

President Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Interim Dean Penn State College of Medicine

Steve Massini

Deborah Rice-Johnson

Chief Executive Officer Penn State Health

Penn State Health Board Member and President, Highmark Health Plan and Diversified Businesses

HEA-16903-22

32 CityAndStatePA .com

Torres is secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging.

May 2, 2022

400 long-term care and senior service providers – and, by extension, Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable residents.

During his tenure managing advocacy and legislative efforts, Shamberg saw several important patients’ rights bills passed and developed a reputation for cultivating relationships with legislators.

2022 USA Today “Woman of the Year.” Stanford founded the Black Doctors Consortium in 2020 to bring mobile testing and vaccination to communities of color, who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. To date, the consortium has vaccinated more than 75,000 Philadelphians. Last year, she opened the Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity to provide mental health, primary care and screenings to underserved populations.

21 ANDY CARTER PRESIDENT AND CEO The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania

22

as the group’s executive vice president, Yarnell led the successful campaign to secure a $15 hourly wage for nursing home workers.

During the pandemic, Yarnell has crusaded for greater Medicaid funding, safe staffing standards at hospitals and higher pay for health care employees.

23 ROBERT TORRES

MATTHEW YARNELL

SECRETARY

PRESIDENT

Pennsylvania Department of Aging

SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania In 2016, when Matt Yarnell assumed leadership of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, the commonwealth’s largest nurse and health care worker union, he became the youngest leader of a major Pennsylvania union – and the state’s highest-ranking LGBTQ labor leader. That same year,

Secretary of Aging Robert Torres plays a particularly significant role in Pennsylvania, which has the ninth-largest number of elderly residents in the nation: nearly one in five Pennsylvanians is 65 or older. Torres assumed the post in 2019 after a stint as acting secretary of the Department of State. He

oversees numerous programs and initiatives, including a lottery-funded nutrition service that last year served 9 million meals to seniors.

Torres, an attorney, also leads state advocacy around issues including Medicare, prescription assistance and property tax relief.

24 ALA STANFORD FOUNDER Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium Philadelphia’s high COVID-19 vaccination rate is partly due to Dr. Ala Stanford, recognized as a 2021 “CNN Hero” and a

25 DEBORAH RICE-JOHNSON CEO OF DIVERSIFIED BUSINESSES Highmark Inc. Growth is Deborah RiceJohnson’s mission. Now it’s in her title: In December, she became Highmark’s CEO of Diversified Businesses and Chief Growth Officer.

Rice-Johnson grew the organization’s revenue to $20 billion in her previous role, as Highmark’s president for 18 years, and spearheaded affiliations with Penn State Health, Geisinger, Lehigh Valley and other health systems. Under Rice-Johnson, Highmark health plans are now among the largest of their

In 2021, Philly cut the ribbon to the Dr. Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity.

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA; HIGHMARK HEALTH

From workforce shortages to the telehealth revolution, the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered the hospital industry. As head of the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania since 2012, Andy Carter represents 235 member institutions. Carter, who was previously head of the Visiting Nurse Associations of America, advocates for the Commonwealth’s health systems at the state and federal levels, collaborating with the American Hospital Association and other coalitions around priorities like drug pricing, reimbursements and Medicaid.

REGINA CUNNINGHAM

Penn Medicine

GREG DEAVENS

LIFE’S MOST PERSISTENT AND URGENT QUESTION IS, ‘WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR OTHERS?’ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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KEVIN B. MAHONEY Penn Medicine

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Keystone First

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26

27 SRI CHALIKONDA

DAVID L. BAIADA

CHIEF MEDICAL OPERATIONS OFFICER

CEO

Allegheny Health Network

BAYADA Home Health Care

Pittsburgh is far from Silicon Valley – but Sri Chalikonda speaks a similar lingo as chief medical operations officer at Allegheny Health Network, talking of “disruption” and praising the organization’s “startup mentality.”

Chalikonda, who also chairs Allegheny’s Surgical Institute, encourages innovation at the $4 billion health system – from a telehealth program serving a half-million patients annually to predictive modeling and analytics that reinvents scheduling, staffing and the supply chain. Chalikonda is especially proud of pandemicdriven breakthroughs in air filtration, cancer biomarkers and next-generation masks.

Since becoming CEO of BAYADA Home Health Care in 2017, David L. Baiada has led the home health care provider’s transition into a notfor-profit organization. In 2018 and 2019, Glassdoor ranked BAYADA as an Employees’ Choice “Best Places to Work” for its 25,000 employees, who serve 150,000 clients annually from 350 worldwide locations.

Baiada took over from his father, Mark Baiada, who started the company in 1975 and serves as company chair.

Prior to becoming CEO, David Baiada worked for BAYADA in various capacities since 2002.

28 DEBORAH BERINI

Baiada is CEO of BAYADA Home Health Care, a nonprofit home health care provider.

Berini serves on the board of the American Hospital Association Capital Region.

organization’s ranking from No. 76 to No. 9, according to Vizient, which rates university health systems. In her current role, Berini has overseen a major expansion of Penn State Children’s Hospital.

29

PRESIDENT

DIANE P. HOLDER

Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

PRESIDENT AND CEO

Deborah Berini is president of Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Central Pennsylvania’s only academic medical center.

In 2018, the year Modern Healthcare named her a Top Chief Operating Officer, Berini came to Penn State from the University of Texas Medical Branch Health System.

There, as COO, she helped boost the

UPMC Health Plan Diane Holder oversees the UPMC Health Plan, which provides health plans for more than 3 million Pennsylvanians, as well as UPMC’s Insurance Services Division, whose companies manage benefits for a variety of commercial and government-sponsored programs. Last fall, Holder piloted UPMC’s In Home Urgent Care PLUS program, which provides urgent care at home in a bid to cut emergency room costs.

Holder’s tenure includes UPMC’s Freedom House 2.0 program, which trains people from disadvantaged

communities as emergency medical technicians and community health workers.

30 SCOTT BAKER VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OFFICER UPMC After a decade of leading federal, state and local advocacy for UPMC – and three more decades of additional government and lobbying experience – Scott Baker will retire later this year.

At UPMC, a $24 billion health system, Baker communicates the relationship between government health policy, federal and state funding for research and public health, and the regional health systems that carry out that research and provide health care to residents. Baker will be succeeded by former Pennsylvania Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam.

BAYADA HOME HEALTH CARE; PENN STATE HEALTH

kind in the country, serving 6 million-plus members.

May 2, 2022

Congratulations PACHC President & CEO, Cheri Rinehart and everyone on the PA’s Healthcare Power 100 List!

Community Health Centers: Care That Puts You First

Our health centers put you and your family at the heart of everything we do, every day.

Healthcare Workers Are Standing Together to Protect Those They Care For United for good jobs, quality care, and a better healthcare system.

ww.seiuhcpa.org Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers PAHealthCenter.org

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MIKE WARFEL VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Highmark Inc. As Highmark grew into a $20 billion health system with millions of members, Mike Warfel supported that growth by keeping on top of health care policy and advocating for Highmark in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C. Warfel, who joined Highmark as director of government affairs in 1995, became vice president in 2004. His office produces the weekly Capitol Hill Report, analyzing the latest policy around health care costs, reimbursements, Medicaid, Medicare and the pandemic.

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comes from federal sources.

In Harrisburg, Borne’s team communicates the value of Penn State’s land grant mission and partnerships with local economies. Borne served as mayor of Paxtang Borough until this past January.

33 KATHERINE LEVINS VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLIC POLICY AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS Temple University Health System The longtime chief lobbyist for Temple University Health System, Katherine Levins emphasizes Temple’s partnership with the commonwealth, from which the university receives about $158 million annually while generating nearly $9 billion in statewide economic impact, as well as its role as a nationally ranked research institution and regional health

Levins is vice president of public policy for Temple University Health System.

At Pitt, Shekhar leads all six health sciences schools as each continues to flourish. care hub. Levins, who has been at Temple since 2003, is also a well-known voice on regulatory and legislative matters.

34 J. LARRY JAMESON & PATRICK NORTON EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND DEAN; CHIEF OF STAFF AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS University of Pennsylvania Health System and Perelman School of Medicine; Penn Medicine The nation's first medical school has been steered since 2011 by J. Larry

Jameson, who oversees Penn Medicine – an $8 billion enterprise comprised of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and the Perelman School of Medicine.

Jameson directs a medical school with $800 million in sponsored research, as well as a nationally renowned network of hospitals, clinics and nursing homes. Jameson, who pioneered molecular medicine in endocrinology, is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine.

A lot is always happening at Penn Medicine – and Patrick Norton makes sure you hear about it. Norton, a seasoned health lobbyist, has worked in communications for Penn Medicine since 2007 – first as director of public affairs, and since 2013 as chief of staff to Perelman School of Medicine Dean J. Larry Jameson as well as secretary of the Penn Medicine board of directors.

Norton directs the public relations/communications, government and community relations offices for both the University of Pennsylvania Health System and the Perelman School.

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, GOVERNMENT HEALTH RELATIONS

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Penn State University

ANANTHA SHEKHAR

Sheilah Borne has been representing Penn State’s legislative and regulatory health care interests since 2004, when she joined the University’s Office of Government and Community Relations. Borne’s advocacy on local, state and federal levels can be significant: Of Penn State’s $800 million annual research budget, for instance, $500 million

DEAN University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine After three decades at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Anantha Shekhar became dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 2020. The neuroscientist and biotech entrepreneur

JILLIAN MORRISON; TEMPLE HEALTH

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C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S Bernard J. Costello DMD MD Dean and Thomas W. Braun Endowed Professor

The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine proudly salutes our dean, Dr. Bernard J. Costello, for being selected one of City & State’s Top 100 Healthcare People in Pennsylvania. His leadership has improved the health of many in the region and changed the opioid prescription landscape for patients, families, and practitioners.

One of Pennsylvania’s

CONGRATULATIONS Charles B. Cairns, MD

Healthcare Power 100

Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Dean & Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs

The College of Medicine congratulates all Pennsylvania Healthcare Power 100 List honorees!

Congratulations

Karen Wolk Feinstein President & CEO

Jewish Healthcare Foundation Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative Health Careers Futures Women’s Health Activist Movement Global (WHAMglobal)

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38 AMY GOLDBERG INTERIM DEAN Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University Cairns is dean and senior vice president for medical affairs at Drexel's College of Medicine.

oversees a recently expanded MD/Ph.D. program, as well as the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and the Pittsburgh NMR Institute, a high-level physics lab. Under Shekhar’s leadership, Pitt last year received nearly $600 million in NIH grants, and the school’s medical faculty ranked among the top 20 nationwide in federal grant support.

36 CHARLES B. CAIRNS DEAN AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR MEDICAL AFFAIRS Drexel University College of Medicine Charles Cairns presides over the most diverse student population ever at Drexel University’s College of Medicine, where he became dean in 2019. Since then, Cairns, an emergency medicine physician, has led partnerships with St.

Christopher’s Hospital for Children, new regional campuses in Pennsylvania and California and the opening of a four-year campus in Reading. As a result, Drexel – consistently a top-ranked medical school – has posted record medical school applications and a 30% increase in research funding.

Renowned trauma surgeon Amy Goldberg was appointed interim dean of Temple’s medical school last year.

Goldberg has been nationally lauded for her violence prevention programs and medical and teaching excellence. She also chairs the Katz School’s surgery department and is a director of the American Board of Surgery. In 2019, she received the Jacobi Medallion from her medical alma mater, Mount Sinai, as well as the Philadelphia Award for her community work on gun violence.

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KEVIN BLACK

JULIE BYERLEY

INTERIM DIRECTOR

PRESIDENT AND DEAN

Penn State College of Medicine Kevin Black became interim director of the Penn State College of Medicine in 2019.

Black guides a medical school with locations in both Hershey and State College, a threeyear accelerated program, and unique offerings like a patient navigator program and a longitudinal humanities curriculum. Under Black’s leadership, the college

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Following the retirement of Steven Scheinman, Julie Byerley became president and dean of the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, the educational branch of a 10-hospital health

system. Byerley, a pediatrician with a master’s degree in public health, comes to Geisinger from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, where she served as vice dean for academic affairs and interim dean of the UNC Adams School of Dentistry.

Byerley is prioritizing virtual education and training in telehealth patient care.

40 MARK SEVCO PRESIDENT UPMC Hospitals Last fall, Mark Sevco became president of UPMC Hospitals, a network of 40 academic, community and specialty institutions. His 30-year career at UPMC includes numerous leadership positions – most recently, the presidency of UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, ranked in the top 10 pediatric hospitals

Byerley is president at Geisinger's Commonwealth School of Medicine.

DREXEL UNIVERSITY; GEISINGER

welcomed its first dean of diversity, equity and belonging this year. Black previously chaired Penn State Health’s department of orthopedics and rehabilitation and created the Sports Medicine Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Powerful advocate of trauma care.

PA HEALTHCARE POWER 100 HONOREE Jill Bowen, Ph.D. Commissioner

The Pennsylvania Medical Society celebrates our CEO and Executive Vice President

Martin P. Raniowski, MA, FCPP, CAE! On behalf of PAMED’s 16,000 members and the patients they serve, we are proud of his leadership and being named as one of City & State PA’s Healthcare Power 100!

PAMED advances quality patient care and the ethical practice of medicine while promoting physician leadership, education, professional satisfaction, practice sustainability, and public health.

Zach Shamberg President & CEO

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nationwide by U.S. News & World Report. Sevco, who holds multiple degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, led the Children’s Hospital through a period of growth, adding new facilities and growing the digital health program.

and inclusion. Under this last initiative, PAMED is compiling an affirming physician guide for LGBTQ patients.

41 CHERYL BETTIGOLE, EVA GLADSTEIN & JILL BOWEN

Philadelphia Department of Public Health; Philadelphia Department of Health and Human Services; Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services When Cheryl Bettigole became Philadelphia Health Commissioner last year, her priorities included gun violence, medical racism and preparedness for future emergencies. Bettigole, who has led chronic disease and injury prevention for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health since 2015, also wants to improve access to primary care and has championed the city’s vaccination program. A family physician, Bettigole saw patients at city health centers for a dozen years and was director of one clinic. She is a past president of the National Physicians Alliance.

Leading Philadelphia’s Health and Human Services’ programs, Eva Gladstein is in charge of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual DisAbility Services, the Department of Public

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Raniowski is CEO and executive vice president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society.

DEBRA BOGEN & ERIN DALTON DIRECTOR; DIRECTOR

Health, the Office of Homeless Services and the Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity. Her “Shared Prosperity Philadelphia” plan to address poverty has received national attention and sparked the creation of the West Philadelphia Promise Zone. Gladstein has a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Temple University and has been working in city government since 1998.

As commissioner of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services since 2020, Jill Bowen responds to crises like COVID-19, opioid and other substance disorders and housing insecurity, all of which have disproportionately affected vulnerable Philadelphians during the pandemic. Bowen oversees administration and finances for a department composed of multiple divisions. Having

With a focus on equity, Bogen has led Allegheny County's COVID response.

previously served as deputy commissioner, Bowen, a clinical psychologist, collaborates with other city agencies to coordinate data, programs and services for disadvantaged populations and communities.

42 MARTIN RANIOWSKI CEO AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Pennsylvania Medical Society Martin Raniowski takes the reins of the Pennsylvania Medical Society after six years as its executive vice president and senior vice president for policy and programs. Previously, Raniowski headed health planning and assessment at the Pennsylvania Department of Health. As head of a 16,000-physician member association, Raniowski leads PAMED’s advocacy on state level issues such as physician burnout, opioid prescribing guidelines and diversity, equity

Allegheny County Health Department; Allegheny County Department of Human Services Debra Bogen was supposed to become the Allegheny County Health Department director in May 2020 but started two months early to guide the county through its COVID-19 response. Focusing on equity in access to testing, vaccination and treatment, Bogen and her team also successfully pushed for regulatory improvements in food safety, air quality and paid sick time. Bogen previously held posts in the pediatrics department of UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and serves as volunteer medical director of the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank, which she co-founded.

As head of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services since 2021, Erin Dalton oversees a network serving more than 200,000 people annually through community-based family, children’s, senior and housing programs, contracting with nearly 350 provider agencies. Dalton has been with DHS since 2007, most

VALERIE HARSHMAN; ALLEGHENY COUNTY

HEALTH COMMISSIONER; DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR; COMMISSIONER

PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE PROUDLY CONGRATULATES

JAY S. FELDSTEIN, DO PRESIDENT AND CEO

AND ALL OF THIS YEAR’S HONOREES ON BEING NAMED TO THE PENNSYLVANIA HIGHER EDUCATION POWER 100 LIST.

Founded in 1899, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has trained thousands of highly competent, caring physicians, health practitioners and behavioral scientists who practice a whole person approach to care—treating people, not just symptoms. PCOM students learn the importance of health promotion, research, education and service to the community. Through its community-based Healthcare Centers, PCOM provides care to medically underserved populations.

800-999-6998 • PCOM.EDU • 215-871-6700 •

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44 P. SUE PERROTTY PRESIDENT AND CEO Tower Health After a 27-year career in banking, P. Sue Perotty assumed leadership of Tower Health last year. Perotty supervises a regional health system with six hospitals, 27 urgent care facilities and a home health program. Perotty also steers Tower Health’s relationship with Drexel University, which includes Drexel University College of Medicine at Tower Health and strategic partnerships to relieve financial losses at Tower and Drexel’s jointly owned St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.

Capital Blue Cross, he was deputy chief of staff for the Pennsylvania governor’s office.

46 BILL JOHNSTON-WALSH PENNSYLVANIA STATE DIRECTOR AARP Bill Johnston-Walsh has consistently championed senior issues, including property tax relief, home care access, housing alternatives and lower drug prices. Johnston-Walsh, AARP Pennsylvania state director since 2014, has worked for AARP since 2000, representing the interests of the commonwealth’s nearly 2 million seniors. Earlier this year, he joined with U.S. Sen. Bob Casey in petitioning Congress to pass legislation to lower drug prices by capping out-of-pocket costs, allowing Medicare to negotiate prices, and penalizing opportunistic drug companies.

45 TODD SHAMASH PRESIDENT AND CEO Capital Blue Cross Todd Shamash took the helm of Capital Blue Cross in early 2020 – and his steady hand helped Capital continue its growth as one of the state’s leading health plans during a turbulent time for health care, including presiding over last year’s collaboration with WellSpan Health on expanded Medicare Advantage offerings.

Shamash previously served as Capital’s senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary. Prior to joining

47 MELISSA REED PRESIDENT AND CEO Planned Parenthood Keystone As the leader of Planned Parenthood Keystone, Melissa Reed oversees an affiliate with a $10.5 million budget

Rastogi is president and CEO of Temple University Hospital.

that provides comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care to 22,000 Pennsylvanians annually.

Since assuming the post in 2016, Reed has shepherded a financial turnaround at the organization, introduced new services and capital investment and reduced staff turnover while increasing representation. Reed, an attorney, previously directed lobbying, field strategy and political fundraising as executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic.

48 ABHINAV RASTOGI PRESIDENT AND CEO Temple University Hospital Two decades ago, Abhinav Rastogi joined Temple University as a graduate student from India. This January, he was named president and CEO of Temple

University Hospital. In between, Rastogi directed Temple’s project management office, was a data analyst at the School of Pharmacy, and served as senior vice president for Professional Services, among other Temple roles. In his new post, Rastogi will work closely with Michael Young, who remains president and CEO of Temple University Health System.

49 DIANE S. HUPP PRESIDENT UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Before assuming leadership of UPMC Children’s Hospital in February, Diane Hupp served as its chief nursing officer and vice president of operations.

During her two-decade tenure, 90% of UPMC nurses now hold bachelor’s degrees, while the organization achieved a Magnet designation –

KATE MCKEE; TEMPLE HEALTH

recently as executive deputy director, and has particular expertise in child protection, housing and criminal justice reform. She created a data analytics platform, AlleghenyCountyAnalytics.us, that is credited with improving decision-making, transparency and community engagement.

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City & State Pennsylvania

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Shakir, who heads the Mazzoni Center, is also a classically trained musician. youth, Shakir significantly increased its services, staff and budget.

52 NATALIE LEVKOVICH CEO Health Federation of Philadelphia

Fera is executive vice president of public affairs for Independence Blue Cross.

nursing’s top ranking. Hupp also collaborated with surgeons on the pediatric East Coast Transplant Network and recently received UPMC’s inaugural Chair for Nursing Excellence. Hupp, who holds a doctorate in nursing from Pitt, is a member of the American Academy of Nursing.

50 INDEPENDENCE BLUE CROSS; C. FRANK IGWE/MORAVIA HEALTH

STEPHEN FERA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS Independence Blue Cross Stephen Fera brings a community-oriented approach to his role as executive vice president of public affairs at Independence Blue Cross.

Bridging health care, public policy and social action, Fera oversees collaborations and programs aimed at expanding health care access and improving the quality of life for millions of Americans. Fera, who also leads Independence’s $130

million charitable foundation, served on the boards of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, Public Affairs Council and Public Health Management Corporation.

51 SULTAN SHAKIR PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE OFFICER Mazzoni Center The first thing Sultan Shakir did as the new president of the Mazzoni Center was to embark on a listening tour aimed at understanding what Philadelphians needed from the region’s largest LGBTQ health and wellness agency.

In January, Shakir became the first permanent leader in three turbulent years at the $14 million organization, which provides care to more than 7,000 people.

In his prior role leading SMYAL, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit agency supporting LGBTQ

Over Natalie Levkovich’s 35 years heading the Health Federation of Philadelphia, the organization has seen its budget grow from barely $200,000 to more than $20 million. Levkovich joined the federation in 1984, a year after its founding, serving first as director of program development for a fledgling agency dedicated to promoting health equity for marginalized communities through integrated, comprehensive services.

During Levkovich’s tenure, the federation has supported Early

As president of Moravia Health, Igwe serves more than 1,500 home care consumers across Pennsylvania.

Head Start, diabetes and HIV prevention, access to primary care and mental health and family case management.

53 FRANK IGWE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT Moravia Health In 10 years, Frank Igwe’s senior and low-income home health startup, Moravia Health, has grown to serve more than 1,500 mostly Medicare and Medicaid consumers across Pennsylvania. Igwe, who was a Wharton MBA grad working in management consulting when he decided he wanted a service-oriented career, returned to Penn to study public administration. Moravia, which Igwe scaled up slowly to maintain quality, received the coveted Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission.

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provides direct assistance via phone and site visits to the elderly, their families and professionals in the aging field, helping them assess needs, find resources, and resolve elder care issues. Most recently, Menio has steered CARIE and its stakeholders through the pandemic, which disproportionately harmed long-term care facilities and exacerbated myriad issues for vulnerable seniors.

KAREN FEINSTEIN PRESIDENT AND CEO Jewish Healthcare Foundation A longtime advocate for progressive health care and women’s empowerment, Karen Feinstein leads the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and its three operating arms, which she founded: the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative, Health Careers Futures and the Women’s Health Activist Movement Global. Together, these agencies have advanced agendas around aging, HIV/ AIDS, maternal health, patient safety and teen mental health.

Feinstein is the founder and co-chair of the Pennsylvania Health Funders Collaborative and a member of the National Board of Medical Examiners.

55 DIANE MENIO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CARIE Executive Director Diane Menio has been with CARIE – the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly – since 1989.

She oversees an awardwinning organization that

56 ROXANNA GAPSTUR PRESIDENT AND CEO WellSpan Health When she assumed leadership of WellSpan Health in 2019, Roxanna Gapstur brought a quarter-century of health care leadership in a career that led Modern Healthcare to call her one of the nation’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives.

At WellSpan, Gapstur guides a growing organization with more than 20,000 employees, 200-plus locations – including eight hospitals – and evolving partnerships with other health organizations. Under Gapstur’s guidance, WellSpan’s Surgery and Rehabilitation Hospital received its first Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in 2020.

57 GARY PEZZANO PRESIDENT AND CEO LeadingAge PA After 10 years in executive roles at Genesis Healthcare and Genesis Rehabilitation Services, Gary Pezzano was recently appointed LeadingAge PA’s chief executive. Pezzano now heads a trade association

Gapstur assumed the role of president of WellSpan Health in January 2019.

representing nearly 400 senior housing, health care and community services across the commonwealth that collectively serve more than 75,000 older Pennsylvanians and employ a half-million caregivers. Pezzano, a speech-language pathologist, will continue to expand LeadingAge PA’s activities, which include professional networking groups, workforce grants, a leadership fellow program and various scholarships and internships.

58 MARK WOLFF DEAN University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine As the dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine since 2018, Mark Wolff has implemented changes like expanding teledentistry and online programs, adding communitybased education sites and implementing COVID-era safety protocols. Under Wolff,

Penn Dental has added both faculty members and degree programs and provides clinical care to more than 40,000 patients. This year, Wolff was recognized by the Nationalities Service Center for care provided to refugees at the school’s Dental Care Center for Vulnerable Populations.

59 AMID ISMAIL DEAN Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry When the Global Philadelphia Association awarded Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry Dean Amid Ismail the 2019 Globy for Education Leadership, it cited his role in transforming Kornberg into a model for responsive and integrative care. Exhibit A is the school’s GPHA Medical Suite, a 2016 partnership with Greater Philadelphia Health Action that provides related medical care for Kornberg’s 22,000 annual community

JOSH FRANZOS; WELLSPAN HEALTH

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patients. During his 13-year tenure, Ismail has also led Kornberg through successful accreditation reviews and modernized the school’s curriculum, technology and research programs.

City & State Pennsylvania

May is president of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals.

leads programs that include mentoring, education workshops, and conferences aimed at elevating not only health care workers, but also the communities they serve.

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DALE ADAIR

BERNARD J. COSTELLO

MEDICAL DIRECTOR AND CHIEF PSYCHIATRIC OFFICER

DEAN University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine As the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine celebrates 125 years, Dean Bernard Costello, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, is keeping the school in the vanguard. His name is on two novel guideposts for responsible pain management, a critical part of America’s opioid crisis: the Costello Pain Care Pledge, a practitioner’s commitment, and the Costello Guidelines for Prescribing Pain Medications, a cornerstone of the school’s stance against opioids. Under Costello’s direction, Pitt Dental Medicine is known for its research into craniofacial disorders and regeneration.

2014, is responsible for the company’s Medicaid managed care, pharmacy benefit management and behavioral health businesses. Under his leadership, the organization joined Accelerate Health Equity, a Philadelphia publicprivate collaboration, and recently scored a 4.5 out of 5 rating among Medicaid plans from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Tufano, an attorney, was previously an executive vice president at Independence Blue Cross and served as general counsel of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

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AMERIHEALTH CARITAS; CHRISTINE MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY, LLC

MAUREEN MAY PRESIDENT Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals

61 PAUL A. TUFANO CHAIR AND CEO AmeriHealth Caritas Paul Tufano, who has led AmeriHealth Caritas since

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During the most challenging days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals President Maureen May led her fellow health care workers in calling for better safety measures, more staffing, and increased federal aid for Pennsylvania’s beleaguered hospitals. May, a longtime Temple University Hospital

nurse, took over leadership of PASNAP, the state’s fastestgrowing union for nurses and health professionals, in 2018.

As Pennsylvania’s health care industry copes with labor shortages and the pandemic, May ensures that workers’ voices are heard.

63 ALEX BROOKS PRESIDENT National Association of Health Services Executives, Pittsburgh As president of the National Association of Health Services Executives’ Pittsburgh chapter, Alex Brooks heads the region’s premier membership organization for Black health care professionals. The nonprofit has a five-decade history of championing Black health care leaders like Brooks, whose day job is director of operations for surgical services at UPMC Presbyterian and UPMC Montefiore hospitals. Brooks

Pennsylvania Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services With both mental health problems and substance abuse on the rise, Dale Adair provides a critical perspective as medical director and chief psychiatric officer for Pennsylvania’s Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Adair is responsible for the office’s clinical programs for patients with mental illness or substance abuse problems; he is also chief medical officer of the state’s mental hospital system. Adair piloted a statewide behavioral health clinic program before leaving in 2017 for another position; he returned to the role in 2019.

65 DEBORAH ADDO EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Penn State Health As Penn State Health’s executive vice president and chief operating officer,

Adair specializes in treating mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

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66 NILDA IRIS RUIZ PRESIDENT AND CEO Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha Nilda Iris Ruiz leads this 52-year-old Latino-based Philadelphia health, human services and community development organization.

Ruiz oversees three bilingual behavioral health clinics, homeless and housing placement services, culturally sensitive substance abuse treatment, early childhood programs and myriad family and career services. Ruiz, a leader in the Philadelphia Hispanic community, has also spearheaded the development of multiple affordable housing initiatives via Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha, which has leveraged $240 million in development financing since its inception.

67 SANDRA BROOKS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF COMMUNITY HEALTH EQUITY OFFICER Jefferson Health As the pandemic cast a harsh spotlight on health disparities, Dr. Sandra Brooks brought an equity mindset to the role of executive vice president and chief community health equity officer at Jefferson Health.

She leads the Philadelphia Collaborative for Health Equity and Jefferson’s Center for Urban Health, focusing on local outreach and education, screenings and prevention programs, often in partnership with community institutions.

Brooks, an OB-GYN, builds on Jefferson’s history of community collaborations to reverse health disparities while addressing the ongoing pandemic response.

68 BERT BRUCE REGIONAL PRESIDENT, RARE DISEASE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Merchant is director of the Penn Medicine Center for Digital Health.

7,000 rare diseases, and half of them are children.

69 RAINA MERCHANT DIRECTOR

Pfizer

Penn Medicine Center for Digital Health

Bert Bruce works in an oftoverlooked but vital corner of pharmaceuticals. The Wharton MBA came to Pfizer in 2005 after a 16-year career at Johnson & Johnson and has spent the past decade in the rare disease division, most recently as the company’s regional president for North America. He supervises development and researches partnerships in an area of medicine where the numbers are low but the stakes are high: 400 million people worldwide collectively have

Raina Merchant knows everyone Googles their symptoms. The intersection of online activity and health is her research area at the Penn Medicine Center for Digital Health, of which Merchant has been the director since 2017. Merchant, a professor of emergency medicine at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, guides a research team that studies how people use social media and other digital tools to navigate health issues – and how such engagements could potentially improve outcomes.

70 MARK SCHOR DIVISION PRESIDENT Acadia Healthcare In seven years at Acadia Healthcare, Mark Schor has made his presence felt across the company. Schor oversees 20 drug and alcohol and psychiatric facilities across the commonwealth, and also serves as Acadia’s vice president of acute operations and strategic affairs. Last year, Schor presided over the opening of the $125 million Belmont Behavioral Hospital in Philadelphia – and he has also been instrumental in orchestrating Belmont’s partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which resulted in the creation of the Philadelphia Crisis Response Center for Children.

ASOCIACIÓN PUERTORRIQUEÑOS EN MARCHA; PENN MEDICINE

Deborah Addo brings her financial and operational savvy to a health system with four hospitals and 94 outpatient locations across 10 counties, including the opening of the Lancaster Medical Center.

During her tenure, the affiliated Penn State College of Medicine secured $65 million in research funding for a portfolio total of $155 million.

Addo has been named one of 50 Great African American Leaders in Healthcare to Know by Becker’s Hospital Review.

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City & State Pennsylvania

71 MARIANNE FRAY CEO Maternity Care Coalition As CEO of Maternity Care Coalition, Marianne Fray heads a 42-year-old communitybased nonprofit serving low-income parents-to-be and families in Southeast Pennsylvania. The coalition advocates for policies like the expanded child tax credit, which expired in 2022 but made a huge difference for the 37% of Philadelphia children living in poverty, as well as maternal health initiatives and public initiatives to support breastfeeding. Under Fray, the coalition operates free programs that improve the quality of life for families, including a community-based home visitation program for new parents.

72 KEVIN M. SPIEGEL CEO

TONY VALADEZ PHOTOGRAPHY; PCOM

Crozer Health Kevin M. Spiegel, FACHE, assumed leadership of Crozer Health in February. During the two years prior, he was senior vice president of strategy and revenue development at Crozer’s parent company, Prospect Medical Holdings, where his priorities were improving access, quality and market share. Spiegel, a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, previously held leadership positions at Erlanger Health System in Chattanooga as well as at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, which he led to profitability for the first time in 20 years.

Fray is CEO of the Maternity Care Coalition, based out of Philadelphia.

73 LAVAL MILLER-WILSON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Pennsylvania Health Law Project Since 2009, Laval MillerWilson has directed the Pennsylvania Health Law Project, a nonprofit law firm that helps people to obtain or retain Medicaid coverage.

As the organization’s leader, Miller-Wilson advocates in Harrisburg for health care policies that benefit vulnerable populations. His office’s helpline takes thousands of calls annually from people who need help accessing or challenging denial of medical, assistive and home services.

Miller-Wilson serves on the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority, the Pennsylvania Health Access Network and the Health Federation of Philadelphia.

74 ROBERT H. VONDERHEIDE DIRECTOR Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania As director of Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center since 2017, Robert H.

Vonderheide leads an institution recognized as a global leader in research, patient care and education.

Vonderheide, a renowned immunologist, has headed fundraising for Abramson’s groundbreaking research, especially in pancreatic cancer. He supervises a center ranked No. 10 in the nation among cancer hospitals by U.S. News & World Report and is a member of the National Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Advisers, the Association of American Cancer Institutes and the American Association of Physicians.

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the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Feldstein guides the college’s business and finances, including the Primary Care Innovation Fund, the college’s first venture capital fund, which invests $5 million annually in primary care entrepreneurship and innovation. For his work on diversity issues, Feldstein, an emergency physician, was honored last year with the American Osteopathic Association’s inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Unification Award.

76 ROBERT UZZO INTERIM CEO Fox Chase Cancer Center Last December, Robert Uzzo was named interim CEO of Fox Chase Cancer Center, one of 51 institutions nationwide designated a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute. Uzzo, a nationally renowned specialist in urologic oncology, chairs Fox Chase’s department of surgery. A fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Uzzo has consistently ranked among Castle Connolly’s and Philadelphia Magazine's Top Doctors in urology; his research on molecular profiling was named the Top Advance of 2021 by the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

77 RICHARD COHEN

JAY S. FELDSTEIN

PRESIDENT AND CEO

PRESIDENT AND CEO

Public Health Management Corporation

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Jay Feldstein returned in 2014 to lead his alma mater,

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Richard Cohen is one of Pennsylvania’s foremost experts on public health.

During his 42-year tenure,

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given the “Legislative Champion” award from the Pennsylvania Health Care Association.

80 DAN FRANKEL STATE REPRESENTATIVE

Public Health Management Corporation has expanded more than 200-fold and is now one of the nation’s largest nonprofit public health organizations, with more than 350 public health programs and an operating budget of $325 million. Cohen, a social scientist with expertise in substance abuse, has launched programs ranging from behavioral health, child development and family support to health clinics and services for LGBTQ, HIV-positive, and homeless populations.

78 KATHY RAPP STATE REPRESENTATIVE Kathy Rapp, chair of the House Health Committee, is in her ninth term representing the 65th District in Crawford, Forest and Warren counties and also serves as majority co-chair of the bipartisan Pennsylvania House ProLife Caucus. Rapp recently presided over hearings on

the state’s opioid crisis and its COVID-19 response and has championed numerous bills advocating for antiabortion measures and fewer restrictions on legally owned guns in Pennsylvania. She was previously a community relations representative with Beverly Health Care.

STATE SENATOR Republican Michele Brooks chairs the Pennsylvania Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee, and is vice-chair of the Aging and Youth Committee. Elected to the state House in 2006 and the state Senate in 2014, Brooks – the first female state senator from the 50th District in Erie, Crawford, Mercer and Warren counties – advocates for policies favoring affordable health care access, senior home care, accelerated nursing degrees and funding to address hospital workforce shortages. She was recently

MEREDITH BUETTNER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition As marijuana moves from an illicit passtime to a mainstream medical treatment – and a burgeoning Pennsylvania industry – Meredith Buettner is tasked with advancing the cannabis agenda across the Keystone State. Buettner, who has directed the Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition since 2020, was instrumental in the passage of Act 44, the most extensive update to Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana statute since its approval. Buettner previously honed her fundraising and strategy skills working for candidates up and down the ballot.

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79 MICHELE BROOKS

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81 ART HAYWOOD STATE SENATOR Art Haywood, state senator for Pennsylvania’s 4th District, has been a proponent of numerous public health initiatives as minority chair of the Senate Health and Human Services committee. He has served on Gov. Tom Wolf's COVID-19 vaccine task force and championed a measure requiring testing for lead in water at Pennsylvania schools, as well as recent legislation to

JOHN M. FERRETTI PRESIDENT AND CEO Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine/ LECOM Health System Over three decades, John M. Ferretti has expanded Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine from a medical college to a health system with multiple new schools, campuses and patient care facilities. In collaboration with Millcreek Community Hospital, Ferretti, an internist, launched the LECOM Health System in 1993, bringing accessible primary care to the Erie region.

Ferretti also established LECOM’s School of Pharmacy

PA HOUSE REPUBLICAN PHOTO DEPARTMENT; PA SENATE

Rapp's 65th Legislative District in the state House encompasses Warren and Crawford counties.

As the Democratic chair of the state House Health Committee, state Rep. Dan Frankel, who has represented the 23rd District in Allegheny County since 1999, is a vocal advocate for public health. He supports legislation promoting LGBTQ equality and gun regulations, opposes efforts to limit abortion and takes the lead on public health efforts to expand access to health care and human services.

Frankel co-chairs the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus and the PA SAFE Caucus, and founded the PA Women’s Health Caucus.

create a State Office of Health Equity. Haywood often covers health topics on his Ask Art podcast and Facebook Live series.

May 2, 2022

Landis is executive director of The Arc of Pennsylvania.

City & State Pennsylvania

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– responding to a pharmacist shortage by developing a year-round, three-year degree program.

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VICTORIA ELLIOTT PRESIDENT Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association

PETER CASTAGNA PRESIDENT AND CEO Miller-Keystone Blood Center Peter Castagna is president and CEO of the MillerKeystone Blood Center, a 51-year-old nonprofit whose mission is even more critical as the pandemic continues to cause blood shortages. At Miller-Keystone – the sole blood provider for 29 hospitals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey – Castagna directs efforts to increase awareness, form partnerships to host blood drives and raise funds to meet the costs associated with rising blood demand and labor shortages. Castagna is also the longtime president and CEO of Hospital Central Services, a nonprofit laundry cooperative.

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KATIE YOST; PRESBYTERIAN SENIOR LIVING

members in 33 local chapters across the commonwealth that provide advocacy services, early intervention, home care assistance and job training. Landis previously directed the D.R.E.A.M. Partnership, which supports post-secondary education and job training for people with intellectual disabilities.

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and Washington, D.C. Under her leadership, the association played a key role in securing co-sponsorship for the first federal legislation for elder living, H.R. 6530, which assists senior communities with the twin challenges of COVID-19 and the labor shortage.

87 CEO

SHERRI LANDIS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Pennsylvania Assisted Living Association

Pennsylvania State Nurses Association & Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania

As executive director of The Arc of Pennsylvania, Sherri Landis heads the state division of America’s largest disability rights organization, serving Pennsylvanians with intellectual and developmental disabilities and advocating for their rights and welfare. Since 2019, Landis has led 8,000

Margie Zelenak has led the Pennsylvania Assisted Living Association, a nonprofit trade organization, since 2015, but her experience in senior living spans two decades.

This year, Zelenak received the Argentum Champion of Seniors award for her advocacy for senior living communities in Pennsylvania

Before her career in management, Elliott spent six years in pediatrics.

Victoria Elliott leads the 144-year-old Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association, a professional organization advocating for pharmacists statewide. Elliott, who joined the association last year, will carry out a strategic plan that includes rebranding the organization, growing and diversifying membership and increasing advocacy for the COVID-19 era. A seasoned advocate and fundraiser, Elliott previously served as CEO of the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care. Before that, she oversaw development at the University of the Sciences and was executive director of the American Neurological Association.

WAYNE REICH

MARGIE ZELENAK

The Arc of Pennsylvania

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As the new CEO of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association and its supporting organization, the Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania, Wayne Reich continues the momentum of his predecessor, Betsy Snook, who doubled the group’s membership to 224,000 over a dozen years.

Reich is championing statelevel policy to address chronic hospital understaffing, as well as to establish a chief nursing officer of the commonwealth on par with other health chiefs, and to allow highlevel nurses to practice independently.

89 JAMES BERNARDO PRESIDENT AND CEO Presbyterian Senior Living A social worker by profession, James Bernardo is one of the commonwealth’s most experienced managers of aging services. He became president and CEO of Presbyterian Senior Living in 2019 after working his way

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92 PERI JUDE RADECIC CEO Disability Rights Pennsylvania

Radecic is CEO of Disability Rights Pennsylvania.

up through the organization since 1985, most recently as executive vice president and chief operating officer. As head of Presbyterian, Bernardo oversees the care of more than 6,000 seniors across four mid-Atlantic states.

After seeing the organization through numerous pandemiccaused challenges, Bernardo will retire later this year.

90 DHANALAKSHMI RAMASAMY PRESIDENT The Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society Few health fields saw their delivery models more affected by the pandemic than psychiatry.

Overnight, clinicians started seeing patients on Zoom.

Shepherding the state’s psychiatrists through an era of unprecedented change is Dhanalakshmi Ramasamy, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital who is president of the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society. Ramasamy leads a

1,500-member professional association that provides workshops, mentoring and advocacy addressing the field’s multitude of new challenges – from social isolation and structural racism to issues surrounding the shift to telehealth.

Since taking over leadership of Disability Rights Pennsylvania in 2014, Peri Jude Radecic has stabilized the finances of the $6.3 million nonprofit, part of a national advocacy network. Radecic, a Pittsburgh native, is an attorney with three decades’ experience championing civil rights, LGBTQ and feminist issues. At Disability Rights Pennsylvania, Radecic has directed efforts to combat COVID-19 medical rationing, fought budget cuts that impact the disabled, urged greater ADA compliance, and advocated for broader Medicaid coverage on behalf of disabled students.

91 JOANNE MCFALL MARKET PRESIDENT Keystone First There are few people as experienced in Medicaid plans as Joanne McFall.

As market president for Keystone First, McFall supervises administration and strategy for Pennsylvania’s largest Medicaid managed care organization, which counts more than 430,000 members. Since assuming the post in 2014, McFall has been responsible for growth in both membership and programming. McFall was previously vice president and chief of staff at AmeriHealth Caritas and has more than 25 years of experience in health care operations, medical cost

93 MIKE CHIRIELEISON PARTNER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF STATE RELATIONS DeBrunner & Associates Mike Chirieleison heads the health policy consulting practice in Pennsylvania for DeBrunner & Associates, a national health policy consulting and advocacy

firm where he is a partner.

Chirieleison is an expert on Medicaid policy, reimbursement and practices, advising clients on legislative strategy and directing DeBrunner’s Pennsylvania lobbying. With extensive relationships throughout state government, Chirieleison is also executive director of the Safety-Net Association of Pennsylvania, one of DeBrunner’s largest clients, and a former legislative liaison at the State Treasury Department.

94 JOHN QUIRK CEO GHR Healthcare and General Healthcare Resources John Quirk founded GHR Healthcare, a health care recruitment and staffing firm, in 1993. He remains as CEO, in addition to heading General Healthcare Resources, its subsidiary. Quirk oversees six operating brands through GHR, the parent company, including divisions dedicated to allied health professionals, travel nursing, education, human services, technology and recruitment. In January, the Pennsylvania Department of Health named GHR Healthcare as its exclusive staffing partner for a new COVID Staffing Strike Force, supplying crucial employees to overburdened health facilities during the pandemic.

95 TERESA COLLINS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund Teresa Collins, who was named executive director

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containment, information technology and financial oversight.

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the unemployment programs provided by the CARES Act w motivate unemployment claimants to find jobs by offering th Republican state Rep.work.

Jim Cox has introduced legis bonus for finding

* the unemployment programs provided by the CARES NEW THIS MORNING: motivate unemployment claimants to find jobs by off * Republican leaders of the state House of Representatives bonus for finding work.

Friday to impeach Philadelphia elections officials if they cou ballots from the May 18 primary, The Philadelphia Inquirer re

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* With the state’s wide-open races for governor and U.S. Se shape, Republican candidates with strong ties to Donald Tru * Republican thecontenders state House of Represen and leaders consideredof strong for the party’s nominatio ated Press reports.

Friday to impeach Philadelphia elections officials if th

ballots from the May 18 primary, The Philadelphia Inq * Democratic state Rep. Amen Brown is crafting legislation t

get rid of a $5 copay state prison inmates are required to pa

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care after prison officials said inmates had avoided COVU * With the cal state’s wide-open races for governor and because of the fee, NBC Philadelphia reports. shape, Republican candidates with strong ties to Don * Peoplestrong receiving contenders unemployment are about nom the and considered forconcerned the party’s weeklong shutdown of the online unemployment claims sys ated Pressoverhaul, reports.

Spotlight PA reports.

* U.S. Sen. Bob Casey called GOP senators who haven’t su * Democratic state Rep. Amen Brown is crafting legis January 6 commission, voting rights protections or gun con get rid of a“impediments $5 copaytostate prison inmates require change” in an interview withare MSNBC. care after prison officials said inmates had avoided C

52 CityAndStatePA .com

president of The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania.

99 ABBIE R. NEWMAN CEO Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center Newman is CEO of Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center in Montgomery County.

her leadership on Medicaid expansion, and with the 2015 Thomas J. Zuber Patient Safety Award from SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania.

97 96 ANTOINETTE KRAUS FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Pennsylvania Health Access Network Antoinette Kraus founded the Pennsylvania Health Access Network in 2008, building it into the state’s largest consumer-driven organization.

Kraus campaigns to increase health care access and affordability and advance consumer protections, issues that have become more acute during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kraus, who serves on the board of the Pennsylvania Health Exchange Authority, was recognized with the 2013 Advocacy Vanguard Award from SEPA PRO-Act for

LISA GIOVANNI PRESIDENT The Pennsylvania Homecare Association In 2020, Lisa Giovanni was elected president of the Pennsylvania Homecare Association, which represents nearly 700 trade organizations. Giovanni, who is also president of the St. Luke’s Visiting Nurse Association, is a veteran nurse whose experience with the association includes stints on the board of directors and education committee.

As head of the association, Giovanni leads home care advocacy campaigns at the state and federal levels to

address workforce shortages, pare regulatory burdens, and increase Medicaid reimbursement rates.

98 CHERI RINEHART PRESIDENT AND CEO Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers Since 2008, Cheri Rinehart has provided strategy, direction and advocacy for Pennsylvania’s 350 federally qualified and equivalent health centers and nonprofit rural clinics. Rinehart heads the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers, whose members provide primary care on a sliding-scale fee basis to nearly 1 million Pennsylvanians in 53 counties, largely in underserved areas.

Rinehart – who in 2004 was one of 20 nurses selected as an RWJ Executive Nurse Fellow – is a former vice

Rinehart represents more than 300 health centers across the state at PACHC.

Inspired by a local case of child abuse, pediatric nurse-turned-attorney Abbie Newman founded Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center in Montgomery County in 2009. Since then, she has overseen its expansion into a nationally accredited organization that has served 5,000 abused children and families around cases of child abuse, trafficking and exploitation. Newman’s advocacy includes working closely with legislators, directing fund disbursement and membership on the CAC Advisory Committee in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Chapter of CACs and the Pennsylvania Victim Services Advisory Committee.

100 PAUL DEANGELO, JR. CEO Mission Autism Clinics Paul DeAngelo Jr. is CEO of Mission Autism Clinics, a twoyear-old organization with 10 locations in Pennsylvania and Maryland. DeAngelo oversees locations that offer day, afterschool and teen programs, with a focus on small caseloads and a specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis therapy. Prior to joining Mission, DeAngelo spent nine years in purchasing, market research, growth and infrastructure roles at DBi Services, an accounting firm.

PATRICK KEENAN; TESSA MARIE IMAGES

of District 1199c Training & Upgrading Fund last December, arrived with solid credentials: As the Fund’s early childhood workforce strategy director, she implemented an apprenticeship program for day care and preschool careers. Collins has 25 years of experience in early childhood education, workforce compliance and human services. At the fund – a labormanagement partnership that provides career and coaching services to 4,000 Delaware Valley students annually – her focus is on helping young people navigate the post-COVID professional landscape.

May 2, 2022

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CITY & STATE PENNSYLVANIA MANAGEMENT & PUBLISHING Publisher Susan Peiffer speiffer@cityandstatepa.com Group Publisher Tom Allon Event & Sales Director Lissa Blake Vice President of Operations Jasmin Freeman Comptroller David Pirozzi

Who’s been up – and down – this month

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THE BEST OF THE REST

AARON KAUFER Republican state Rep. Aaron Kaufer earned a big legislative win last month when his bill designed to attract more doctors to the state was signed into law. The bill will relax requirements on international medical students, allowing them to apply for medical licenses with the same amount of training as American medical school graduates.

International graduates were previously required to receive an extra year of training in order to obtain a license.

SUMMER LEE Calling all 2020 Democratic presidential candidates: Summer Lee is running for Congress. It seems like Lee, the progressive looking to replace U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle in the U.S. House, is getting endorsements from national figures every week. This time around, it’s U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Warren joins the likes of Bernie Sanders and Ayanna Pressley in endorsing Lee to represent the Pittsburgh region.

DAN MOUL State Rep. Dan Moul led an effort in the General Assembly to allow the creation of new boroughs by petitioning the Court of Common Pleas, only to be vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf, who said the bill will “lead to further fragmentation of local governments.” But Moul may have a chance to try again next year when the term-limited Wolf leaves office.

Yikes.

THE REST OF THE WORST SAID RIVERA

Said Rivera was arrested by Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s office recently for his role as the alleged ringleader of a Schuylkill County drug trafficking ring that reportedly helped move fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the region. Shapiro charged Rivera and four others with corrupt organizations, possession with intent to deliver meth and fentanyl and criminal conspiracy. If the charges stick, Rivera could end up out of the ring and into a cell.

MOHAMED FARAH Freedom of speech is one thing, but threatening to assassinate both a sitting and former president is no bueno.

Mohamed Farah, a Cumberland County man, was indicted by a grand jury after he allegedly threatened to kill President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, if the latter runs for reelection.

The 32-year-old native of Somalia can face up to five years in prison for each offense.

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Vol. 2 Issue 7 May 2, 2022 HEALTH CARE POWER 100

The long, strange trip to legalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania

THE KEYSTONED STATE

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LOSERS KENYATTA JOHNSON The latest corruption case in Philadelphia ended in a mistrial.

That means a sigh of relief for City Council member Kenyatta Johnson and his wife Dawn Chavous, who were facing serious bribery charges.

Johnson could’ve been the second City Council member to lose their seat due to corruption in the last year. Federal prosecutors say they’ll retry the couple ASAP.

OUR PICK

OUR PICK

WINNERS

Much like rapper Drake weighing which team to root for next, Philly basketball fans have mixed feelings right about now. Soon after news broke that longtime Villanova head coach Jay Wright was planning on retiring, Sixers fans got to witness Joel Embiid get his revenge with a game-winning shot against the Raptors in Toronto.

And now, Embiid is battling a torn ligament in his thumb. The highs and lows of the sporting world are much like those we see in the world of politics.

EDITORIAL editor@cityandstatepa.com Editor-in-Chief Jenny DeHuff jdehuff@cityandstatepa.com Senior Editor Greg Salisbury gsalisbury@cityandstatepa.com Senior Reporter Justin Sweitzer jsweitzer@cityandstatepa.com Staff Reporter Harrison Cann hcann@cityandstatepa.com

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SALUTES

Greg Deavens and Steve Fera

Gregory E. Deavens President and CEO Independence Blue Cross

Independence Blue Cross congratulates our own Greg Deavens and Steve Fera, and all of the other distinguished honorees, for being named to City & State Pennsylvania’s Healthcare Power 100 list.

Now more than ever, Independence is steadfast in its commitment to improve the

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lives and health of the people in our region.

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