The Montgomery Cares Advisory Board (MCAB) meets the fourth Wednesday of the month from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm in the Tan Conference Room on the first floor at 401 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD. The MCAB meeting schedule, along with the schedules for other advisory board/commissions/committees, is posted on the Montgomery County Web site.
Montgomery Cares Advisory Board Members
Joan M. Planell
Joan Planell has over 30 years of experience working for local government in the field of health and human services. During her tenure with Montgomery County, she worked for both the legislative and executive branches. For 11 years as a senior legislative analyst, Ms. Planell staffed the Health and Human Services Committee handling policy issues related to public health, behavioral health, and human services. In 2008, she was dually appointed by County Executive Isiah Leggett and State of Maryland Secretary of Human Resources Brenda Donald as the Social Services Officer for the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. Currently, Ms. Planell is the Deputy Director of the Arlington County (Virginia) Department of Human Services. From 2000 to 2009, she taught policy courses as an adjunct professor at Hood College in Frederick and the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Shady Grove campus. Ms. Planell has an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and two graduate degrees from the University of Maryland,one in public policy and the other in clinical social work.
Okianer Christian Dark, JD
Member of the Public
Okianer Christian Dark is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Law at Howard University School of Law, Washington, D.C. where she specializes in torts, product liability and health law. She has been in legal education for 16 years. Associate Dean Dark has published articles primarily in the torts area on topics involving dignitary torts, product liability matters as well as a series of articles on race, gender and the legal academy.
She was formerly an Assistant United States Attorney with the United States Attorney’s Office in Portland, Oregon and a trial attorney in the Antitrust and Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice. She has had a total of 11 years as a litigator. Associate Dean Dark is very committed to the area of health law. While she was in Oregon she was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Northwest Health Foundation, which supports advances and promotes the health of the people of Oregon and Southwest Washington.
She teaches Health Ethics at the Howard University Medical School as a part of an interdisciplinary team of professionals. She currently is the past Chair of the Montgomery County Commission on Health in Maryland. The Commission’s top priorities for a number of years have been access to primary care for Montgomery County residents and the reduction (or elimination) of racial and ethnic health disparities in our community.
Lynda Honberg is currently a Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service and has over 30 years experience in the private and public health sectors. She is recognized as an expert on the issues of improving the financing and delivery of care to underserved populations. In her current position, Ms. Honberg is responsible for several grant programs focused on improving the system of services for children and youth with special health care needs, including access to a medical home.
Stephen W. Gammarino
Member of the Public
Stephen W. Gammarino is a Healthcare Executive who has successfully led multiple business enterprises of a large national health plan. He currently provides advice and counsel to healthcare related enterprises in the public and private sector. His experience and expertise include: Strategic Planning, Marketing, Product Development, Finance, Operations, Information Systems, Communications, Medical Management, Care Coordition, Risk Management, Quality Assurance, Customer Service, Pharmacy Management and Contract Negotiation.
Steve Gammarino was Senior Vice President of National Programs for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) for almost 15 years where he oversaw BCBSA's Federal Employee Program (FEP). In addition, he directed Blue Cross and Blue Shield's National Labor Office, which coordinates numerous programs with the leadership of national labor organizations.
Among numerous industry affiliations, Gammarino was a board member and former chairman of the URAC Board of Directors, a healthcare accrediting organization.
Sybil Greenhut, APRN, BC
Designee of the Chief of DHHS-Behavioral Health and Crisis Services
Sybil Greenhut is a Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist who is presently the Program Manager of Mental Health Services for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities. In that role, she is responsible for monitoring five contracts providing mental health services to these populations and act as the mental health consultant to Aging and Disability Services staff. She is also a member of the Center for Continuous Learning Training Committee, which enables me to bring trainings on mental health topics to DHHS staff and our community partners. In addition, she speaks on senior behavioral health issues to DHHS staff, students, and at state mental health and addiction conferences.
She participates in many projects and programs which attempt to improve the quality of mental health services for seniors such as the MD MHA Transformation Grant Aging in Place Taskforce, the DHHS Task Force of Hoarding Behaviors, the PHS Taskforce on establishing a Recuperative Care program, and the Commission on Aging efforts to establish a Geriatric Behavioral Health treatment Team and establish assisted living facilities with the capacity to work with clients with co-morbid mental health and somatic issues.
Her clinical background consists of 12 years of work as a psychiatric nurse on both psychiatric and substance use inpatient units at Montgomery General Hospital, 8 years as a Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Rockville Mental Health Center, and 11 years in her present position. Her diverse experience with different clinical issues and different populations has made her appreciate the importance of integrated care The Montgomery Cares Behavioral Health Program is such a model using Collaborative Care to bring mental health services into the somatic setting which is frequently the setting that seniors feel the most comfortable.
Theora Browning-Hawkins
Consumer Representative
As of May 2011, She earned her Master Degree in Business at Washington Adventist University (WAU). In December 2009 she earned her Bachelor Science in Business degree at Columbia Union College (CUC). As of March 2012, She has completed the requirements for my BS in Organization Management at WAU, and earned Project Management Certificates at Montgomery College along with experience.
She has more than 20 years of work experience as an Administrator, Project Assistant, and as the Vice President Assistant. Over the years she has enjoyed working with community service activities. She is blessed to have the opportunity to be on the Montgomery Cares Board over the past months has been one of her most enlighten experiences. Giving back has always been a priority for her.
James T. Marrinan
Member of the public
Previously, James T. Marrinan was a five-term elected member of the Rockville City Council and President of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. He was an official at the federal Department of Health and Human Services, implementing the Medicaid & Medicare programs. Later, he was a Division Director at the American Hospital Association, responsible for regulatory analysis. He has been corporate Vice President and Executive Director of national health care organizations. He has also been an administrator and board member of community health and mental health clinics. I has a MSW in Community Organization and MPH in Health Policy and Management. He is currently a member of the Health Advisory Council of the Community Ministries of Rockville.
Jacqueline Schultz
Representative of a hospital
Jacqueline Schultz joined Suburban Hospital in. September 2005 and serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. She came to Suburban from the Saint Barnabas Healthcare System in New Jersey, where she was a nurse executive. She has a broad range of clinical expertise achieved during more than 30 years of healthcare experience that includes an impressive record of progressive growth in nursing leadership. She served as Vice President of Patient Care Services for Irvington General Hospital from 2003 to 2005, and prior to that was Administrative Director of Patient Care Services at Monmouth Medical Center for 4 years. Prior to being named Executive Vice President and COO at Suburban, she served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations and Chief Nursing Officer. Her responsibilities for the Suburban Hospital Healthcare System include oversight of: nursing, all clinical services, quality and patient safety, utilization/outcomes, safety and security, planning, and community health and wellness.
Ms. Schultz currently serves as Secretary and Board member of the Maryland Organization of Nurse Executives. She received her BSN degree from Cornell University and her MSN degree from Seton Hall University.
Cesar Palacios
Community Health Care Provider
He is a public health physician, educated in Guatemala and the USA. His professional experience includes management of preventive health programs and related community development projects. He has acted as a national representative of a non-governmental agency that proposed health initiatives in the Central American, and the Caribbean region. In addition, in the recent past, he has conducted policy analysis of health sector policies in African countries. Currently, heis the Executive Director of a non-profit primary care clinic in Wheaton, MD.
His reasons for participating in the Montgomery Cares Advisory Board relate to my interest on facilitating healthcare access to the disadvantaged, fighting against poverty and striving for a fair social system.
Deborah Parham Hopson, Ph.D., R.N.
Individuals with knowledge and experience re: health care for the uninsured
Deborah Parham Hopson is the Associate Administrator of the HIV/AIDS Bureau at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
As Associate Administrator of the HIV/AIDS Bureau, Dr. Parham Hopson is responsible for managing over $2.1 billion for programs authorized under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006 (Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program). In addition, as part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, she directs a multi-million dollar global HIV/AIDS program with training, care and treatment activities in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.
Dr. Parham Hopson received her undergraduate degree in nursing and health from the University of Cincinnati and her Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in health policy and administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health. She completed the Department of Defense Joint Medical Executive Skills Institute Capstone Course, the CDC Public Health Leadership Institute, the HRSA Primary Care Policy Fellowship, and the George Washington University Contemporary Executive Development Seminar.
Dr. Parham Hopson is a career officer within the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) entering in 1984 with HRSA’s Bureau of Community Health Services and rising to the rank of Rear Admiral in 2003. Dr. Parham Hopson completed a variety of assignments in the HIV/AIDS Bureau, served as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Surgeon General, and worked as a public health and budget analyst and chief nurse for the National Health Service Corps and other Bureau of Primary Health Care programs.
Prior to her USPHS career, Dr. Parham Hopson was a White House Intern, a Presidential Management Intern, and a Research Associate at the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine. Her clinical practice was in neonatal intensive care nursing.
RADM Parham Hopson is a member of many professional and community organizations She is married to Kevin Hopson and the mother of one son, William.
Lynda Honberg
Individual with knowledge and expertise in health care for the uninsured
Lynda's other positions within the Public Health Service have included the HIV/AIDS Bureau and the Bureau of Primary Health Care, where she developed training and technical assistance programs to build the capacity of community health centers, health care for the homeless programs and Ryan White C.A.R.E. Act funded community based programs. For several years, she also worked in the Office of Health Maintenance Organizations managing grants to develop and finance health plans.
In the private sector, Ms. Honberg worked for eight years as the Director of Operations and Planning for the George Washington University Health Plan of Washington, D.C. where she was responsible for strategic planning, provider relations and health center operations. Her other experiences include developing an IPA for Blue Cross-Blue Shield of the National Capital Area and advising employers and unions on health benefit packages.
Lynda has a Masters in Health Services Administration from the University of Michigan School of Public Health and Bachelors in Health Education from State University of New York at Cortland. She is a parent of a young adult with special health care needs and is involved in many community activities.
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Agnes Saenz
Community health care provider
Agnes Saenz is the Executive Director of Community Ministries of Rockville (CMR), a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, which has faithfully served those in need for over forty five years in Rockville and Montgomery County. Ms. Saenz has worked for CMR for twenty one years in several capacities. She first joined CMR in 1991 as a volunteer accountant and soon became a full-time employee charged with updating CMR?s accounting system. Later, Agnes proposed and founded CMR?s Latino Outreach Program, directing that program until 1998 when she was promoted to Managing Director. As the Managing Director, she was responsible for oversight of all direct service programs, day-to-day operations of the organization and administration oversight. Since 2008, as Executive Director of CMR, Agnes is responsible for CMR?s administration, fundraising, advocacy, and operation of all direct service programs..
Agnes Saenz has a BS Degree in Business Administration with major in Management and Accounting from the University of Lima, Peru. Ms. Saenz holds a Masters Degree in Human Resources from the University of Maryland University College. Ms. Saenz is fluent in both Spanish and English, knowledgeable in Latino/Hispanic culture issues and serves on several boards and commissions. Ms. Saenz is a member of the Latin American Advisory Group for Montgomery County Executive, a member of the Human Services Advisory Commission for the City of Rockville, a member of the Health Center Leadership Council, and a member of the Montgomery Cares Advisory Board.
Individual with knowledge and expertise in health care for the uninsured
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Medical Society Representative
Steve Thronson
Commission on Health Representive
Steve Thronson is a Senior level, MBA prepared, health sector executive with extensive experience leading operations for public, private, non-profit, and investor-owned organizations; including national managed care plans, hospitals, a national healthcare contract and consulting services organization, large multi-specialty medical groups and a large urban county health department.
Currently, he is Chief of Operations, PFC Associates, LLC, Washington, DC – (A joint venture between Providence Hospital and MedStar Health(Washington Hospital Center) providing urgent care, occupational medicine, behavioral health services, wellness, emergency and hospital services, and a managed care network of specialty providers for DC Police, Fire, Secret Service, Park Police, DOE, and DRES.
Past positions he has held:
· Senior Vice President , Chief Operating Officer, APS Public Programs, APS Healthcare, Silver Springs, Maryland – Specialty healthcare and health management solutions serving clients covering more than 40 percent of the Medicaid beneficiaries in the United States.
· Chief, Public Health Operations for Orange County Health Care Agency, Santa Ana, California- Public Health delivery system serving three million residents.
· Vice President, Operations, Phoenix Houses of California, California Region – One of the largest non-profit substance abuse organization.
· Assistant Administrator, Kaiser Permanente, Harbor City, California – National managed care plan; including hospitals, outpatient clinics, medical group services, and health plan functions.
· HealthcareCenter Administrator, CIGNA Healthcare, Los Angeles, California –National managed care plan providing direct services and contracted healthcare services through a staff model delivery of care system.
· District Manager, Marriott Healthcare Services,Western Region, California – National healthcare support services contract and consulting services organization for hospitals.
Attended the Executive Health Care Leadership Program at HarvardSchool of Public Health and the National PH Leadership Institute, University of North Carolina/CDC. Received a MBA from PepperdineUniversity and BA in Economics & Psychology from St.OlafCollege.
Some of his community leadership includes: Commissioner on Montgomery County Commission on Health, Board President/Director Rossmoor Community Services District,CalOptima Medicaid Advisory Board,Los Alamitos School District Operations Steering Committee, Harbor Free Clinic Consultant, Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center Mentoring Program, YMCA Family Programs Leader, and American Diabetes Association/PADRE Planning Chair.
Ulder J. Tillman, M.D., M.P.H.
Chief, Public Health Services, DHHS
Ulder J. Tillman as the Chief of Public Health Services, she has the overall responsibility for all Montgomery County health programs, including the Montgomery Cares Program. Prior to coming to Montgomery County in 2003, she was the Director of Public Health in Delaware and prior to that, she was Director of Health for the City of Waterbury, Connecticut.
Her initial clinical training was in internal medicine. She subsequently earned a Master of Public Health degree from The Johns Hopkins University of School of Hygiene and Public Health. She then completed a residency in preventive medicine at the University of Maryland. She also was a National Institutes of Mental Health post-doctorate fellow in psychiatric epidemiology at The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. She is currently board certified in preventive medicine.
Her current interests for Montgomery County focus on increasing access to quality health care, eliminating health disparities and increasing community emergency preparedness.
Rockefeller Ludwig Twyman
Consumer Representative
Rockefeller Twyman is a marketing/fundraising professional with over 30 years of experience, most of it in health care. he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music with highest honors at Loma Linda University and completed graduate studies at Indiana University.
Over the years, he has been the recipient of many awards including: WUSA-TV's (CBS) Nine Who Care Award for Outstanding Community Service: the Beatrice Campbell Community Service Award from the District of Columbia's Committee on Persons with Disabilities: Washingtonian of the Year, 2000: and a Finalist for NBC's Civilian Medal of Honor. Mr. Twyman was also nominated for a CNN Heroes Award.
Rockefeller Twyman is a bone marrow activist and has recruited thousands for the National Marrow Registry. He has a strong interest in promoting community projects and raising funds for nonprofit organizations.
Lisa Wald
Individual with knowledge and expertise in health care for the uninsured
Lisa Wald is a Public Health Analyst with the Bureau of Primary Health Care, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with responsibility for coordinating training and technical assistance activities for health centers serving underserved and vulnerable populations in communities across the U.S. Prior to joining HRSA, Lisa was the Montgomery Cares Program Manager at the Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County. Lisa earned a B.A. in Psychology and an M.P.H., both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.