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Staff

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Kevin Arts, Staff Assistant.
Hailing from Milwaukee, Kevin joined the Alliance in December 2009 after graduating from Tulane University with a B.A. in Economics, International Relations and Asian Studies. He plans on obtaining a M.P.P./J.D. with a focus on international economic policy.

Lindsey Cook, Health Policy Assistant.
A native of Chicago, Lindsey moved to Washington to join the Alliance in May 2008 after graduating with a master of public health degree from Indiana University-Bloomington. She also holds a B.A. in biology and Spanish from Indiana University. She plans to apply her continual research and volunteerism to improve social justice within public health in a career in health policy and advocacy for underserved populations. Pursuit of a PhD is also in her future.

Laura Covington, Conference Associate.
Laura joined the Alliance in summer 2007 after graduating from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication and African Studies.

Bill Erwin, Communications Director.
Before joining the Alliance, Bill headed his own media relations firm serving the Alliance and other health-related clients. Earlier, he served as communications director of Families USA, and shared media relations responsibilities at the American Hospital Association. He holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, and an undergraduate degree from Duke.

E-Mail: billerwin@allhealth.org

Edward F. Howard, Executive Vice President.
Ed has headed up the Alliance since its formation in 1991. Previously, he served as general counsel for the Pepper Commission, a bipartisan congressional panel convened to plan for providing health coverage to all Americans. Before that, he directed public policy at the Villers Foundation and at the National Council on the Aging, and served as general counsel to the House Select Committee on Aging. He holds a juris doctor degree from Harvard University.

Deanna Okrent, Senior Health Policy Associate.
Before joining the Alliance in spring 2007, Deanna was a consultant on aging and health policy to private and not-for-profit organizations for seven years. She is also a professional mediator. Earlier she was a policy associate for the Alpha Center (now AcademyHealth). Prior to that, Deanna served as an associate director for the 1995 White House Conference on Aging. She holds an M.A. in physiology from the City University of NY at Hunter College and a master’s degree in public administration from SUNY.

Nancy M. Peavy, Director of Operations.
Nancy has been at the Alliance since 1992. Previously, she spent 22 years at the National Council on the Aging, culminating her service as vice president. She holds bachelor's and MAT degrees from Connecticut College.

Lisa Swirsky, Senior Health Policy Associate.
Lisa, an attorney, has done health policy-related work for the law firm of FoxKiser in Washington, D.C., and for the firm of Ungaretti and Harris. Earlier, she was a health policy analyst at Families USA and at the Catholic Health Association. She has also done policy work at the Older Women’s League in Washington and at the Center for Health Services and Policy Research in Chicago. She received her J.D. degree from the George Washington University School of Law, and her B.S. degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Kate Wobbekind, Operations Associate.
Kate joined the Alliance in August of 2008. She is a Colorado native who got her BA in history and business administration at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Before coming to the Alliance, Kate spent a year teaching English in Thailand and traveling throughout Southeast Asia, followed by a year of non-profit education work in Colorado. Kate hopes to pursue a master’s degree in public health.

Aaron Charniak, Intern.
Aaron is currently finishing up his masters of public health at Brown University. Before coming to the Alliance, he worked as an EMT in Rhode Island. Originally hailing from Providence, RI, Aaron attended Colby College in Waterville, Maine.

Geoffrey Schnorr, Intern.
Originally from Wappingers Falls, NY, Geoffrey is currently pursuing a B.S. in healthcare management and policy with a minor in economics at Georgetown University. At Georgetown, Geoffrey competes for the university’s football team and has worked as a research assistant on a professor-led project investigating the intersection of health reform and veterans’ health. In the future, he plans to pursue a masters degree in public policy before beginning a career in health policy research and analysis.

 

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Updated Toolkit -- Budget Reconciliation and Health Reform


The next steps for health reform legislation likely will include an attempt to pass fixes to the Senate health reform bill through budget reconciliation. A newly updated toolkit from the Alliance for Health Reform explains briefly how reconciliation works, and offers links to resources that go into more detail on subjects such as the “Byrd rule” and the important role of the Senate parliamentarian. To download, click here.

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Issue Brief -- Rural Health and Health Reform


Health care delivery poses unique challenges in rural communities. Provider shortages are particularly acute. Unemployment rates are higher and private insurance rates are lower in rural areas than elsewhere.

Do the health reform bills in Congress adequately address the needs of rural areas? A new issue brief from the Alliance for Health Reform offers some insights. Written by Deanna Okrent, Alliance senior health policy associate, and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. To download, click here.

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Issue Brief -- Ensuring Access to Care


If tens of millions of Americans gain health coverage, will the current health system be able to meet the new demand? This four-page issue brief looks at why the nation has a physician shortage, and what can be done to help ensure access to care after health reform. Written by Deanna Okrent of the Alliance and supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. To download, click here.

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Better Care - Lower Costs: Exploring the Promise of Patient Engagement


Engaging consumers more directly in their care may improve health outcomes and help control the costs of care. This program focused on the potential for changing consumer behavior to promote the use of effective interventions and discourage unnecessary care. Cosponsored by the AARP Public Policy Institute.

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Issue Brief -- Applying Lessons Learned from the 1993-94 Health Reform Failure


This week could be make-or-break time for the Obama-era health reform effort. So it seems appropriate to examine what lessons we may have learned from the collapse of reform during the Clinton Administration, and whether those lessons are being applied to today's reform debate. A new issue brief features thoughts on this topic from experts who were actively involved in the 1993-94 reform effort (including Susan Dentzer of Health Affairs, right). Click here to download.

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