The RISE Trailblazer Award recognizes outstanding innovation, leadership, and dedication in the health care industry. Help us choose this year’s winner.
RISE received more than 60 impressive nominations for the RISE Trailblazer Award, an accolade inspired by the legacy of the late Dr. Martin L. Block that pays tribute to his passion for transforming the health care system and his tireless efforts to inspire positive change.
The award celebrates an individual who has made a significant difference in the lives of America’s seniors by introducing groundbreaking ideas, driving transformative change in the industry or community, and setting an inspiring example through courage, creativity, and determination.
We’ve narrowed the dozens of nominations to seven outstanding finalists and this year we’re turning to you to help us choose the winner. Review the nominations and then cast your vote (please note, you may only vote once and must select one finalist).
The award will be presented to the winner at RISE National 2025, March 11-14 in San Antonio.
Gail Blacklock, chief compliance officer, Elite Health Plan
Blacklock is a compliance guru and is awe inspiring, according to Quinn Hawkins, director of network development at Elite Health Plan, who nominated her for the award.
With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Blacklock is passionate about her work, knowledge of health plan operations, and the inner workings of what makes a health plan operate.
“She’s been almost single-handedly responsible for establishing a MA Health Plan startup for Dr Jeereddi Prasad, called Elite Health Plan. She alone has been doing the work of at least 10 people,” Hawkings wrote.
“Her passion shines through the most when she talks about the way Elite Health Plan is going to do things differently. If there’s anyone who deserves to be acknowledged for dedication, commitment, and hard work she’s doing to create a health plan that cares, it’s Gail Blacklock by 10 miles!"
Daniel Guerra, M.D., chief medical information officer, ChenMed
Dr. Guerra leads the way in integrating leading-edge technology to promote respectful, person-centered geriatric care, wrote Emily Nicoli, MS, R.N., CRNP, AGNP-C, ACHPN, senior clinical officer, Neurotrack Technologies, in her nomination.
He is the heart of ChenMed’s organizational culture, she wrote. The company’s mission-driven, team-based, accountable care model is especially successful in bringing VIP-style treatment to needy, underserved seniors. As a result, ChenMed boasts 50 percent fewer hospital visits, 35 percent fewer emergency room visits, and a 95 percent patient satisfaction rate.
The reason: Providers give patients their cellphone numbers and encourage them to call. They invite them to come in, even when they’re well. Patients get three to four hours of facetime with their doctors each year.
“I believe that the innovators who will drive health care into the future will be individuals like Dr. Guerra,” Nicoli said. “People who can walk in the shoes of their patients, their providers, their staff and listen, synergize, and solve competing needs. People who can see where technology and medicine can build a bridge to something better and bring the right tools and teams to the table to make new workflows happen. People who can become successful in their field and never lose sight of the importance of the doctor-patient relationship.”
Cristine Oropez, M.D., chief medical officer, ConcertoCare
Dr. Oropez is described as a visionary leader who is dedicated to improving the U.S. health care system, particularly for changing the way it serves its seniors.
Her drive to transform how the U.S. health care system serves its seniors is her life’s work but also personal. She watched her grandparents face prolonged medical illnesses that affected their physical health, quality of life, and overall well-being.
Her family experienced the frustration of engaging with a health care system that was neglectful of holistic needs and disinterested in what mattered most to her grandparents, resulting in needless indignity and suffering.
Dr. Oropez is a physician executive with experience in value-based care delivery for aging adults and a board-certified practicing internist and pulmonologist, wrote Julian Harris, M.D., MBA, chairman and CEO of ConcertoCare, a national tech-enabled, value-based provider of at-home, comprehensive care for seniors and adults with unmet health and social needs.
She was instrumental in developing nearly every aspect of ConcertoCare’s clinical model, which has transformed the health care experience and improved outcomes for older adults with complex care needs and their caregivers and families across the nation, Dr. Harris said. “Having worked alongside Dr. Oropez at ConcertoCare for the past four years, I have personally seen and commend the balance of innovation, expertise, dedication, and true caring that Dr. Oropez delivers each day to our patients,” he wrote in the nomination.
Dr. Nirmala Kishun, senior VP of population health, MCR Health
Dr. Kishun is described in her nomination as a “true trailblazer in the field of population health, who has left an indelible mark on the health care industry through her transformative leadership.”
Through Dr. Kishun’s direction, MCR Health has developed and executed data-driven approaches to care that prioritize prevention, address health disparities, and improve the overall quality of life for vulnerable populations, wrote Shawna Papach, director of HEDIS and payer strategies, MCR Health, in the nomination.
Her leadership has been instrumental in developing new models of care that emphasize patient-centered solutions while promoting health equity.
“She is a tireless advocate for integrating whole health into health care strategies, ensuring that the whole person—beyond their clinical needs—is considered in treatment plans and interventions,” Papach said.
One of Dr. Kishun’s most notable accomplishments is the use of data analytics to identify at-risk individuals and proactively engage them in preventive care. This initiative has not only prevented avoidable conditions but has also significantly improved patient engagement, empowering individuals to take an active role in their health and wellness, ultimately leading to better overall health outcomes and reduced health care costs .“Through her focus on collaboration with community organizations, local governments, and stakeholders, Dr Kishun has helped bridge gaps in care delivery, ensuring that every individual, regardless of background or socioeconomic status, has an equal opportunity to achieve optimal health outcomes,” Papach wrote.
Alan Roth, DO, FAAFP, chairman, family medicine, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center
During the early days of COVID, Dr. Roth and his department served on the frontlines of the massive outbreak of cases in New York City and led the fight to save lives while managing hundreds of cases daily in the hospital.
His work during the COVID-19 pandemic led him to be featured in TIME magazine as a “Guardian of Health Care” and he was named “NY Magazine Best Doctor,” wrote Michael Tuggy, M.D., SVP advisory services, Converging Health, in the nomination.
For the past three years, Dr. Roth has led an innovative care transformation initiative that has transformed Jamaica Medical Centers primary care network into an advanced primary care whole person model that has dramatically reduced the cost of care and improved health outcomes for their Medicaid population that they serve. The transformation has led to thousands of patients improving their health literacy and health outcomes, having better engagement with their primary care teams, and resulting in measurable change in health risk.
“Dr. Roth consistently advocates for his patients and primary care values as a health care leader,” Tuggy wrote. “His professional areas of interest are vast and include retaining a focus on patients during health care transformation, including creating a whole-person advanced primary care model, teaching, integrative health, and health equity. He is tireless in his service to his community and has been visionary in his leadership over the past three decades of service the people of Queens, N.Y.”
Rebecca Welling, VP of risk adjustment, Select Health
Welling is described in her nomination as a passionate advocate for preventive care and a visionary leader who exemplifies the qualities of a true trailblazer in health care.
In her role at Select Health, Welling has transformed the field with her ethical leadership and forward-thinking strategies, wrote Chetan Parikh, CEO, Raapid, in her nomination.
“She has demonstrated a rare ability to balance productivity, compliance, and cost while driving meaningful, sustainable change in health care. Rebecca’s commitment to integrity is evident in her approach to compliance. She ensures accuracy in coding and documentation while preventing overcoding, building trust across stakeholders and fostering a culture of transparency. Her leadership not only meets industry standards but also elevates them, setting an example for others to follow."
Welling was instrumental in introducing advanced data analytics and natural language processing (NLP) at Select Health to improve risk adjustment processes. By developing a unified, data-driven platform, she has streamlined care coordination, reduced inefficiencies, and enhanced communication between payers, providers, and patients. This innovative system not only ensures compliance but also improves outcomes by aligning resources with patient needs.
She has also designed strategies to identify and address health issues before they escalate. By promoting early intervention, she improves outcomes for patients while reducing overall costs. This focus is particularly impactful for underserved populations, who often face systemic barriers to accessing care. “Her work ensures that no patient is left behind and highlights the importance of proactive, patient-centered care in creating a more inclusive health care system,” Parikh wrote.
Shannon Wilson, VP, population health & health Equity, Priority Health
Wilson, who was appointed as Priority Health’s first -ever vice president of population health and equity in 2022, is described in her nomination as passionate about improving the health and well-being of all.
Wilson is responsible for quality improvement for the nonprofit health plan’s Medicare, Medicaid, commercial and individual lines of business. She oversees the development and execution of Priority Health’s population health and health equity strategy, and serves as executive director of the Priority Health Total Health Foundation,
Kyla King, VP, individual markets, Priority Health, nominated Wilson for the award, noting that she serves as an expert on the intersection between health and race and has led several initiatives aimed at improving the health care experience for vulnerable populations. In addition to her work at the health plan,
Wilson is an active leader in the industry and community. She serves on several boards, including Meijer Gardens, Children’s Healing Center, Our Kitchen Table, and Net Health of West Michigan.
To cast your vote, click here. Remember, you may only vote once and must select one finalist. To find out the award winner, join RISE at RISE National 2025, March 11-14 in San Antonio.