THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015 | 8:30 – 9:30 A.M.
Opening General Session Regency Ballroom
Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Secretary, United States Department of Health and Human Services
As the Secretary of HHS, Ms. Burwell oversees more than 77,000 employees, in work that touches the lives of Americans at every age, from every background, in every part of our country. Her portfolio includes numerous programs that are critical to the health and well-being of people without homes, including the Health Center program with its 250+ Health Care for the Homeless Grants, SAMHSA’s homelessness programs, and Medicaid. Secretary Burwell is the Vice-Chair of the US Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Susan L. Neibacher Address
The Susan L. Neibacher Address honors the memory of an early president of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. Neibacher was a social worker who founded New York’s Care for the Homeless and worked to make systems-level advocacy an essential component of the HCH model of care.
T.R. Reid, author, lecturer, and documentary film maker.
A noted advocate himself, T.R. Reid’s book The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care is an important contribution to understanding the single payer solution in a number of countries. Reid is one of the nation’s best-known reporters through his books and articles, his documentary films, his reporting for the Washington Post, and his light-hearted commentaries on NPR’s Morning Edition. His latest PBS film was U.S. Health Care: The Good News, which is being broadcast by PBS affiliates around the country.
Reid is a member of the boards of the Health Research and Education Trust, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (an HCH program), and other community and educational institutions. He is Chairman of the Colorado Foundation for Universal Health Care, the state-wide citizens’ campaign working to provide health care for every Coloradan.
FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015 | 8:30 – 9:30 A.M.
General Session Regency Ballroom
Jama Shelton, LMSW, PhD, Deputy Executive Director of the True Colors Fund
For more than a decade, Jama Shelton has worked in the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth homelessness. After receiving an MSW in 2004, Shelton began a 9-year stint at the Ali Forney Center, an organization that provides housing and supportive services for gay and transgender youth experiencing homelessness. During her tenure she played an integral role in the building of the most expansive housing program in the nation for gay and transgender youth. Having worked in various roles – first as a direct service provider, then developing and directing the expansion of their housing program, and finally as a researcher, program evaluator and trainer – Jama brings a comprehensive understanding of the issues facing both homeless gay and transgender youth and the service providers with whom they work.
Tom Andrews, President/CEO of Saint Joseph’s Health System and President of Mercy Care
Tom Andrews was named President/CEO of Saint Joseph’s Health System in April, 2012 and President of Mercy Care in September, 2003. Mercy Care is a Federally Qualified Health Center in Atlanta, Georgia specifically funded to serve the homeless population. The agency operates twelve medical clinics, two dental clinics and offers a variety of other services including behavioral health, mental health case management, respite care, vision, diagnostics, health education, residential support services and homeless outreach. In 2013, Mercy Care provided services to over 12,796 patients.
Tom was the President of the Board for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council in 2010-11. Tom has an extensive background in health care management and administration including business development, process improvement, strategic planning and financial management. He has served in leadership roles with a variety of non-profit and for-profit health care organizations. Prior to joining Saint Joseph’s Health System, Tom was the president of Independent Physician Strategies, a physician practice support consulting firm for large oncology, surgery and urology practices. Tom also served as the Executive Director of the Georgia Society of Clinical Oncology and was Vice President of Contracting for Promina Health System. Tom also served as the Director of Managed Care for Saint Joseph’s Hospital from 1989 to 1994.