Our Consultants

Our multi-disciplinary team has subject matter expertise and real-world experience in all facets of primary care redesign. Our consultants are experienced professionals from all sectors of the healthcare industry, including community-based organizations, health plans, hospitals and medical groups.

Jonathan Sugarman, MD, MPH: Qualis Health's consultants work under the direction of President and CEO Jonathan Sugarman. Jonathan is a recognized leader in the area of quality improvement and primary care redesign, and regularly serves as an advisor for government and private sector quality measurement and improvement initiatives. He is a frequent speaker to regional and national audiences on topics related to healthcare quality and accelerating healthcare transformation through implementation of models such as the medical home.

Trudy Bearden, PA-C, MPAS, CPHIT, CHP, provides guidance and support to primary care providers, leaders and staff for health information technology, quality improvement training, Lean process improvement and PCMH technical assistance. Prior to joining Qualis Health, she served for five years as a clinical manager and clinical instructor at the Idaho State University Family Medicine Residency, where she led their medical home transformation.

Susan Crocetti, RN, BSN, CPHQ, CPEHR, HEM, PCMH CCE, develops PCMH practice readiness tools and helps practices prepare for PCMH recognition. She has over 20 years of industry experience in areas such as healthcare quality improvement, performance improvement, health information technology, patient safety, risk management and clinical care. Susan is an NCQA PCMH Certified Content Expert.

Sharon Eloranta, MD, provides training and consultation in the field of healthcare quality and is a frequent speaker on quality and safety improvement methods. Sharon has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare, and under her leadership, Qualis Health has conducted multiple local, regional and national Breakthrough Series Collaboratives on diabetes care; primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease; prevention of surgical site infections; and nursing home improvement on pain and pressure ulcers.

Dawn Gentsch, MPH, MCHES, PCMH CCE, supports practice transformation and NCQA PCMH Recognition by providing guidance and technical assistance to primary care providers, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and primary care associations. She has led PCMH learning collaboratives focused on practice transformation and PCMH recognition, and has helped FQHCs in multiple states achieve NCQA PCMH Recognition. Dawn's areas of expertise include systems development, performance improvement and quality improvement. She has served in government public health, nonprofit health organizations and academia. Dawn is an NCQA PCMH Certified Content Expert.

Rhonda Hill, MPH, supports practices in implementing PCMH change concepts. She has worked extensively in Arkansas, particularly on improving the state health payment system. Her experience as a liaison to health insurance plans includes leading coordination among many payer, provider and patient elements, with direct focus on PCMH design. She has also experience collecting, analyzing and interpreting health claims data. Prior to her work in Arkansas, Rhonda was a public health prevention specialist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bre Holt, MPH, assists with literature reviews, curriculum and presentation development, and policy analysis for Qualis Health's primary care improvement projects. She has nearly a decade of experience coordinating projects and initiatives in nonprofit health organizations. In her role as Project Specialist, she also manages technical assistance learning events and provides operations support.

Jeff Hummel, MD, MPH, is a general internist who specializes in meaningful use, specifically helping practices develop workflows that support the PCMH Model of Care. He has experience in primary care and health informatics and helped build a start-up delivery system of neighborhood clinics in Seattle-King County with the first electronic medical record system in the area.

Regina Neal, MS, MPH, PCMH CCE, helps clients deliver high quality, patient-centered care throughout their practices, including working with practice teams to reduce cycle times; creating access to appointments; and establishing patient-centered facilities and systems of care. Regina has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including positions with health plans, public health departments and ambulatory health systems. Her areas of expertise include quality improvement; strategic and business planning; governance; survey research and analysis; and team building and facilitation. Regina is an NCQA PCMH Certified Content Expert.

Jason Nigrosh, MM, coaches primary care practices, giving them the information and resources they need to deliver oral health preventive services as a component of whole-person primary care. He also develops resources and tools to help practices identify, implement and improve workflows. Jason has spent more than 15 years in the field of healthcare quality improvement, leading chronic care collaboratives, PCMH transformation efforts resulting in NCQA PCMH Recognition and performance measures improvement activities.

Kathryn Phillips, MPH, directs local, regional and national PCMH demonstrations; develops resources and tools on primary care redesign; and provides guidance to clients and stakeholders on PCMH payment policy. She has over a decade of experience in public health research and policy, program design and administration, and grants management.

Heather Russo, PCMH CCE, helps practices develop and implement policies, procedures, and processes to support PCMH and helps practices prepare applications for NCQA PCMH Recognition. Her background includes primary care safety net clinic operations and strategic planning. Heather is an NCQA PCMH Certified Content Expert.

Sue Sirlin, CPEHR, Six Sigma Black Belt, helps clients optimize their health information technology as a means to support PCMH transformation. Sue has more than 25 years' experience in healthcare, with a focus on practice leadership as well as administrative and business aspects of ambulatory operations. She is also experienced in EMR software design and ongoing process improvement through redesign and standardization.

Karen Vest-Taubert, RN, BSN, MBA, PCMH CCE, Six Sigma Green Belt, provides technical assistance to help practices implement PCMH and achieve NCQA PCMH Recognition. She possesses 20-plus years of clinical and administrative leadership experience in acute, home health, nursing facility and safety net environments, and prior to joining Qualis Health, served as the chief nursing officer for a federally qualified health center. Karen is an NCQA PCMH Certified Content Expert.

Justin Villines, PhD(c), MBA, works with providers and practice staff on implementing new workflows to better serve patients through the PCMH Model of Care. He has worked with the Arkansas Office of Health Information Technology, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Park University and Webster University. Justin possesses professional knowledge in the areas of health IT, PCMH practice transformation, quality assurance, education and health information exchange.

Mary Virden, MSEd, RN, provides technical assistance to community clinics and private practices undergoing PCMH transformation. During more than 40 years of clinical and administrative healthcare work, Mary has held management roles at acute care hospitals and quality improvement and information technology organizations; consulting positions at national and international consulting firms; and academic appointments in nursing and medicine. While she was the Administrator for Kansas' Silver City Health Center, the clinic attained NCQA PCMH™ Level 3 Recognition.