Governance
Governing Body
Telligen’s Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) and Hospital Quality Improvement Contractor (HQIC) governing body plays an integral role in the performance of work being done for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve health and promote quality of care for people with Medicare. Governing body members have deep knowledge and expertise on the most challenging issues across care settings. The governing body provides oversight, direction and recommendations related to strategy, interventions and evidence-based practice. Governing body members may advise QIN-QIO and HQIC team members; serve as local subject matter experts; and partner with Telligen on Breakthrough Learning Series (BTS), webinars and other activities to address urgent needs and achieve improvement goals.
Governing body positions are voluntary and members are not compensated for their time, other than reimbursement for travel expenses to in-person meetings. The governing body can include up to 25 members who may serve up to six years (two terms of three years each) of consecutive service. However, exemptions can be made that can extend membership to up to nine years of consecutive service (or three terms). Membership is evaluated on an ongoing basis to identify any competencies that need to be added to the governing body, which causes the membership to fluctuate. Generally, one to two members are added or replaced each year.
Name | Affiliation | Term Number | Term Start Date |
Dheeraj Mahajan, MD, MBA, MPH, FACP (Chair) | Founder, President and CEO, CIMPAR (Chicago Internal Medicine Practice and Research) | 1st | May 2020 |
Wendy C. Ager, RN, BSN, LNHA (Vice Chair) | Administrator/Senior Director of Skilled Nursing, Western Home Communities, Iowa | 2nd | October 2020 |
Kim Bergen-Jackson, PhD, RN-BC, LNHA | Administrator, Oaknoll Retirement Residence, Iowa | 1st | May 2022 |
Dale W. Bratzler, DO, MPH, MACOI, FIDSA | Professor, College of Medicine and Public Health; Enterprise Chief Quality Officer – OU Medicine | 1st | May 2020 |
Mike Cook, BSPE | Director, Long Term Care Service, Oklahoma State Department of Health | 1st | May 2020 |
W. Perry Dickinson, MD | Department of Family Medicine University of Colorado | 1st | May 2020 |
Cynthia Fiester, RN, BSN | Chronic Disease Services, Program Coordinator, Linn County Public Health | 1st | May 2020 |
Susan Gardiner | Beneficiary | 1st | May 2020 |
Jay Johnson | President/CEO, DRH Health, Oklahoma | 1st | May 2022 |
Corie Kaiser, BS, MNAS | Director, Oklahoma Office of Rural Health | 1st | May 2020 |
John Leon | Beneficiary | 1st | May 2020 |
Bill Menner | Executive Director, Iowa Rural Health Association | 1st | May 2022 |
Paul Mulhausen, MD | Chief Medical Director, Iowa Total Care | 1st | May 2020 |
Elizabeth S. Mullins, MSW, NHA | Division Director, Veterans Community Living Centers | 1st | May 2020 |
Karen Orsi, BA (Secretary) | Director, Oklahoma Mental Health and Aging Coalition, NorthCare | 1st | May 2020 |
Julia Ann Pollock, BA | Long-Term Care Ombudsman, State of Iowa | 2nd | October 2020 |
Laura M. Ross, MSW | Public Health Institute of Oklahoma | 1st | May 2022 |
Jayla Sanchez-Warren | Executive Director, Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) Area Agency on Aging | 1st | May 2020 |
Pat Schou, FACHE | Executive Director, Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network | 1st | May 2022 |
Linda Schwab | Beneficiary | 1st | May 2022 |
Esther Sciammarella, MS | Executive Director, Chicago Hispanic Health Coalition | 3rd | January 2021 |
David Thomas, MD | Beneficiary | 1st | May 2020 |
Tara Trujillo, MNM | Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment | 1st | May 2020 |