Cast Your Vote for the 2025 RISE Trailblazer Award

Gail Blacklock
Chief Compliance Officer
Elite Health Plan

• Pioneering a New Medicare Advantage Health Plan – Gail Blacklock has been the driving force behind the launch of Elite Health Plan, single-handedly building its foundation and ensuring its success from the ground up.
• Revolutionizing Health Plan Operations – With over 20 years of experience, Gail brings an unparalleled depth of knowledge to streamline processes and implement innovative strategies that set Elite Health Plan apart.
• Redefining Compliance Excellence – As a compliance guru, Gail has expertly navigated complex regulations to create a health plan that prioritizes integrity, efficiency, and patient-centric care.
• Doing the Work of an Entire Team – Gail’s relentless dedication and expertise allow her to accomplish the work of at least ten people, proving that true innovation comes from passion and perseverance.
• Transforming Health Care with a Mission-Driven Approach – Gail is committed to building a health plan that genuinely cares, challenging industry norms to put patients first and create a model for compassionate, effective health care.

Daniel Guerra, MD
Chief Medical Information Officer
ChenMed

• Revolutionizing Medication Management – Dr. Daniel Guerra transformed ChenMed’s medication prescribing process by integrating their homegrown EMR with an onsite pharmacy, enabling one-click 90-day prescriptions. This innovative system enhances affordability, adherence, and overall patient outcomes.
• Pioneering High-Tech Cognitive Screening – Recognizing the vast gaps in dementia detection, Dr. Guerra championed a lightweight, scalable digital cognitive testing initiative, ensuring early intervention and better care for at-risk seniors.
• Embedding Clinical Leadership in Tech Development – Unlike traditional models where IT selects tools for doctors, Dr. Guerra drives ChenMed’s technology strategy from within, ensuring that digital workflows enhance care quality and provider efficiency.
• Leveraging Data for Smarter Care Decisions – Under Dr. Guerra’s leadership, ChenMed uses advanced data analytics to inform clinical decisions, reducing hospital visits by 50% and emergency room visits by 35%, while maintaining a 95% patient satisfaction rate.
• Redefining the Doctor-Patient Relationship – By fostering a model where physicians give patients direct access, encourage social engagement, and provide significantly more face time, Dr. Guerra is setting a new standard for personalized, relationship-driven geriatric care.

Dr. Nirmala Kishun
Senior VP of Population Health
MCR Health

• Revolutionizing Population Health with Data-Driven Strategies – Dr. Nirmala Kishun has pioneered the use of analytics to identify at-risk individuals, proactively engaging them in preventive care and improving long-term health outcomes.
• Championing Health Equity and Inclusion – She has led targeted outreach programs to address health care disparities, ensuring all individuals, regardless of background, receive high-quality, culturally competent care.
• Transforming Care Models for Lasting Impact – Dr. Kishun has developed innovative, patient-centered approaches that prioritize prevention, enhance care coordination, and improve the quality of life for vulnerable populations.
• Building Collaborative Partnerships for Holistic Care – By forging alliances with community organizations, governments, and health care systems, she has created a seamless, team-based approach to population health management.
• A Visionary Leader Inspiring the Next Generation – As a mentor and advocate, Dr. Kishun has nurtured future health care leaders, setting new industry standards and ensuring sustainable, impactful health care transformation.

Dr. Cristine Oropez, MD
Chief Medical Officer
ConcertoCare

• Revolutionizing At-Home Senior Care – Dr. Cristine Oropez has spearheaded innovative, tech-enabled, value-based care models at ConcertoCare, transforming home-based care for seniors with complex needs and improving health outcomes nationwide.
• Bridging Pulmonary Medicine and Geriatrics – Her groundbreaking work at the intersection of pulmonary medicine and aging has led to new clinical approaches that enhance care coordination and patient-centered treatment for older adults.
• Advancing Value-Based Care for Aging Populations – Dr. Oropez has led the design and implementation of innovative value-based programs across multiple care settings, ensuring high-quality, cost-effective care for tens of thousands of seniors.
• Championing Holistic, Patient-Centered Health Care – Inspired by personal experience, she has reimagined health care delivery to prioritize dignity, access, and holistic support for older adults, reducing care fragmentation and enhancing quality of life.
• Shaping the Future of Elder Care through Thought Leadership – As a researcher, educator, and speaker, Dr. Oropez has influenced national health care policy and best practices, driving systemic change in senior care through education and advocacy.

Alan Roth, DO, FAAFP
Chairman, Family Medicine
Jamaica Hospital Medical Center

• Revolutionizing Primary Care for Vulnerable Populations – Dr. Alan Roth spearheaded an advanced primary care whole-person model at Jamaica Hospital, dramatically improving health outcomes and reducing costs for Medicaid patients.
• Transforming Health Literacy and Patient Engagement – His care initiatives have empowered thousands of patients with better health literacy, stronger primary care relationships, and measurable reductions in health risks.
• Leading on the Frontlines of the COVID-19 Pandemic – As a Guardian of Healthcare, Dr. Roth and his team managed hundreds of cases daily, saving lives and protecting both patients and medical staff during NYC’s massive outbreak.
• Championing Health Equity and Integrative Care – A relentless advocate for patient-centered care, Dr. Roth has spent decades ensuring diverse, underserved communities receive high-quality, equitable medical services.
• Driving Innovation in Family Medicine and Palliative Care – Through his leadership, teaching, and groundbreaking care models, Dr. Roth continues to shape the future of primary care while mentoring the next generation of physicians.

Rebecca Welling
VP of Risk Adjustment
Select Health

• Revolutionizing Risk Adjustment with Ethical Leadership – Rebecca Welling has set new industry standards by balancing compliance, productivity, and cost efficiency while fostering a culture of transparency and trust.
• Harnessing Data and AI for Smarter Health Care – She has pioneered the use of advanced data analytics and natural language processing (NLP) to streamline risk adjustment, enhance care coordination, and close gaps in care.
• Advocating for Preventive Care and Health Equity – Rebecca’s initiatives proactively identify health risks, ensuring early intervention and improving outcomes for underserved populations facing systemic barriers to care.
• Setting a New Standard for Compliance and Sustainability – By aligning operational efficiency with ethical practices, she has proven that risk adjustment can be both highly productive and fully compliant, without compromising patient trust.
• Shaping the Future of Health Care – A recognized thought leader, Rebecca is redefining best practices in Medicare, Medicaid, and ACA risk adjustment, driving meaningful industry-wide change through collaboration and innovation.

Shannon Wilson
VP, Population Health & Health Equity
Priority Health 

• Pioneering Health Equity Leadership – As Priority Health’s first-ever VP of Population Health and Health Equity, Shannon Wilson has built a groundbreaking strategy to address disparities and improve health outcomes across all lines of business.
• Transforming Care with Data-Driven Solutions – She played a critical role in launching Priority Health’s innovative social determinants of health program, leveraging data to identify and address barriers to care for vulnerable populations.
• Advancing Quality Improvement Across Diverse Populations – Wilson oversees quality initiatives for Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial, and Individual markets, ensuring equitable, high-quality care for over 1.3 million members.
• Bridging the Gap Between Health and Race – A leading expert on health disparities, Wilson has spearheaded initiatives to improve the health care experience and outcomes for historically underserved communities.
• Driving Impact Beyond the Industry – As executive director of the Priority Health Total Health Foundation and a board member of multiple community organizations, Wilson’s influence extends beyond health care, shaping a healthier future for Michigan communities.