Join us on November 20, 2024, for the Pennsylvania Charitable Healthcare Coalition's annual conference, "Strengthening the Safety Net," at the Best Western Premier Hotel in Harrisburg, PA. This one-day event will bring together healthcare leaders, volunteers, and advocates dedicated to improving access to care for underserved communities. The conference will feature keynote speeches, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities focused on addressing the healthcare needs of uninsured Pennsylvanians.
Location & Lodging
Best Western Premier Hotel and Conference Center | 800 E Park Dr, Harrisburg, PA 17111 | (717) 561-2800
The room block at the Best Western Premier Hotel and Conference Center PCHC reserved for this event is full. If available, rooms may be reserved at the "best available rate" which may fluctuate daily. Call (717) 561-2800 to request reservations.
There are two other hotels in the immediate vicinity that you may also contact to inquire about room reservations. Please note PCHC does not have rooms reserved at these locations:
Hampton Inn Harrisburg-East
4230 Union Deposit Rd
Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 545-9595
Holiday Inn Express Harrisburg-East
4021 Union Deposit Rd
Harrisburg, PA 17109
(717) 561-8100
Agenda
The 2024 PA Charitable Healthcare Coalition Conference will focus on "Strengthening the Safety Net" for underserved communities. The event features keynote speeches, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities. Topics include language accessibility, food as medicine, nonprofit fundraising, and connecting oral and physical health. Attendees will also explore data usage, medication access, and social determinants of health in free clinics.
For full details, view the complete agenda by clicking the link below.
Speaker Bios
-
Chad Barger, ACFRE, ACNP helps nonprofit professionals fundraise more efficiently and effectively. He is the founder of the firm Productive Fundraising, which focuses on bringing actionable, research-based fundraising tactics to small and mid-sized non-profits. He is a top-rated conference speaker and webinar presenter as well as a master trainer of boards that “don’t want to fundraise.” Chad is also a strategic advisor and coach to many non-profit fundraisers, executive directors and board members. He takes pride in being a qualified curator of top-notch fundraising news and research through his weekly fundraiserchad e-blasts and popular free monthly webinar series.
-
With over thirty years of experience in managing and developing systems for private industry, non-profit, and government organizations, Marisa has established a distinguished career spanning a diverse range of sectors, including social services, long-term care, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals.
Throughout Marisa's career, she has led program management and partnership development initiatives across various locations and clinical settings. Known for a results-oriented approach and respected for her strategic vision, Marisa is dedicated to enhancing access to health care for vulnerable populations. Her work focuses on connecting medication access to improved health outcomes, constantly seeking innovative ways to address and resolve complex challenges in health care delivery.
-
Kelly Braun, RDH, MSDH, serves as the rural primary care and integration coordinator at Pennsylvania Office on Rural Health. Kelly leads the office’s technical assistance activities for Rural Health Clinics (RHC) in Pennsylvania. She has completed the National Association of Rural Health Clinic’s Certified Rural Health Clinic Professional program and can offer mock RHC surveys to Pennsylvania’s RHCs. In addition to technical assistance, Kelly focuses on care integration, with a special emphasis on oral health. Kelly implemented in Pennsylvania the DentaQuest Institute-funded (now CareQuest) program, the Medical Oral Expanded Care (MORE Care) Collaborative. This program focused on integrating oral health, specifically the primary and secondary prevention of dental disease, into primary care practice in RHCs.
A Registered Dental Hygienist and a Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner, Kelly worked in a hospital-based clinical practice prior to coming to PORH. She also serves as the Executive Director of the American Board of Dental Public Health and is an adjunct faculty member for Concorde Career College’s dental hygiene program. Kelly holds an A.S. and a B.S. in Dental Hygiene (BSDH) from the Pennsylvania College of Technology. She obtained an M.S. in Dental Hygiene (MSDH), with an emphasis on education, from the University of Bridgeport in 2013. Kelly completed the National Rural Health Association’s Fellows program in 2021.
-
Phil Falvo, Public Policy Director, United Way of PA - Philip Falvo is an experienced public policy professional with over eleven years of state government experience. Prior to joining United Way of Pennsylvania, Phil served as Democratic Executive Director of the Gaming Oversight committee in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Before that, he was the Democratic Executive Director of the House Children & Youth committee.
During his tenure with the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Phil worked on a variety of policy areas, however, his primary focus was on health, human services and insurance. Phil earned Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from Susquehanna University and a Master of Public Administration from Shippensburg University. A strong advocate of public service, Phil previously served on the Upper Allen Township Zoning Hearing Board. On June 29, 2023, Phil was appointed to the Children’s Trust Fund Board by Governor Josh Shapiro and confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate.
-
Amanda Taylor Gehman is a Program Manager with the PA Area Health Education Center (PA AHEC) Program Office. Amanda has been with PA AHEC since the fall of 2021 and coordinates the PA Training Center for Health Equity and Community Health Worker Training Program. She manages programs and grant activities related to Community Health Worker training and support. Amanda has a passion for empowering others to improve health outcomes for themselves and others in their community through education and advocacy. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Rhetoric from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Health from the Penn State College of Medicine.
-
Ariana Gordillo De Vivero, the Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFC), has been with the organization since 2011. She manages partner relationships, oversees grant programs, mobilizes volunteers, engages in community outreach, and provides leadership in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts. Ariana has secured millions of dollars annually through grant acquisitions and has overseen over 45 grant programs since 2014. She holds a Master of Arts in Latin American & Hemispheric Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies. Originally from Lima, Peru, Ariana is also an interpreter at the Arlington Free Clinic and resides in McLean, Virginia. She is a frequent speaker at conferences, sharing her expertise in healthcare access, equity, and charitable clinic operations.
-
Helen Hawkey serves as the Executive Director for the PA Coalition for Oral Health, a statewide and community non-profit coalition. She previously worked as a research coordinator with the Centers for Oral Health Research in Appalachia on a childhood caries study through the University of Pittsburgh and a dental educator for various companies. Prior to 2013, Helen worked full-time as a clinical dental hygienist in a family dental practice for 12 years.
Helen's leadership roles include serving as a past board chair and current board member of the American Network of Oral Health Coalitions and as the incoming board vice chair and current board member for the Pennsylvania Rural Health Association, as well as on multiple dental and dental hygiene advisory boards in the state.
-
Mary Herbert is the Practice Manager and Clinical Director for the Program for Health Care to Underserved Populations (PHCUP), one of the longest-operating free clinic organizations in Pennsylvania and has over 25 years of experience in the safety net and free and charitable space. She obtained her Master’s Degree in biomedical research from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and her Master’s of Public Health in Behavioral and Community Health from the University of Pittsburgh, where she received the Margaret F. Glonninger Service Award in recognition of her significant contribution to the community. She is a proud board member of the PA Free and Charitable Healthcare Coalition.
In her position with the PHCUP, she oversees day to day operations of the program’s two community-embedded free clinics, the Birmingham Free Clinic, and the Women’s Center Clinic. In her tenure she has helped to grow both patient care accessibility, services, and volume including 21 different sub-specialty sessions, significant medication access for patients, and whole person care which addresses social determinants of health.
She is passionate about health equity and justice, and the vital role free and charitable clinics play in our communities!
-
Matt Hess has served as the Senior Director of Operations at Global Wordsmiths, a Language Access Company headquartered in Pittsburgh, since March 2023. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Managerial Economics from Allegheny College and a Masters of Business Administration from Duquesne University.
Matt began his career in Financial Services in Orlando Florida and worked in corporate banking and wealth management, providing Project management for transitioning business operations and implementing new technology.
After 5 years in finance, Matt transitioned to the nonprofit world, where he spent six years working at a refugee resettlement agency, eventually becoming the Director of the Reception and Placement (R&P) and Preferred Communities (PC) Programs. The R&P program focuses on assisting new refugee and immigrant arrivals in the country to find housing, employment, and enroll in benefits including Medicaid and SNAP. The PC program specializes in serving the most vulnerable clients, including those with mental or behavioral challenges, and urgent medical needs such as long-term conditions or pregnancies.
In his current role, Matt oversees the Operations at Global Wordsmiths, including all Interpretation, Translation and Localization services. His focus is on delivering efficient, cost-effective Language Access solutions for hospitals, medical clinics, schools, nonprofits, and corporate clients and works with over 250 freelance linguists.
In his free time Matt enjoys reading, playing guitar, hiking with his dogs Hobbes and Layla, and watching Pittsburgh sports.
-
Cat Hulburt is the Senior Director, US Programs at Americares, a disaster relief and global healthcare organization. In this role, she drives strategic growth and program development in the US in key focus areas (including health equity, mental health, and health system strengthening). In her career, Cat has helped to establish a number of complex collaborative initiatives focused on improving quality, reducing inequities, and elevating health outcomes. Cat graduated from DePaul University in Chicago with a B.A. in Communications, focusing on language and culture.
Cat is dedicated to identifying innovative ways to bring services, care, and opportunities to individuals and communities who lack access. She has more than 15 years of experience working with nonprofits and community organizations and is particularly adept at organizing diverse groups and individuals into working partnerships.
-
Steve is the Executive Director of Katallasso Family Health Center in York, PA. Founded in 2012, Katallasso (Greek: to reconcile) serves South Central Pennsylvania's uninsured and underinsured population.
Steve attended Northpoint College and Seminary, studying theology and religious studies. He served in pastoral roles for nearly two decades before joining Katallasso.
In his role at Katallasso, Steve is focused on staff and volunteer leadership, fund development, deepening community relationships, vacuuming the carpets, uncovering new funding opportunities, overseeing and leading clinic operations, making coffee to fuel the Katallasso Army, and procuring more funding.
Outside his work at the clinic, Steve spends time with his wife, five children, and a four-month-old granddaughter, Nora. He enjoys reading old books and studying DIY videos on YouTube when he should be calling a professional.
-
Erin Raub is the Director of Government Relations for WellSpan Health. Over the past few decades, WellSpan has grown its footprint in south central PA to include seven acute care hospitals, a rehabilitation hospital, and a behavioral health hospital. WellSpan utilizes 23,000 team members and spans seven counties (Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Northumberland, and York).
Prior to joining WellSpan, Erin worked 17 years at the PA House of Representatives as Executive Director for the House Aging & Older Services Committee and the House Human Services Committee. Her experiences run the gamut from long-term care and seniors to individuals living with intellectual, developmental, and/or physical disabilities to those living with substance use disorder and mental health issues. She is highly regarded for her institutional knowledge and her willingness to collaborate with stakeholders to develop meaningful policy change for vulnerable populations in the Commonwealth.
Erin resides in Harrisburg, PA, with her husband Justin, their two sons, Owen and Dillon, and rescue dogs, Jed and Roxie. In her free time, she enjoys camping, skiing, and snowboarding and also loves the beach. Most weekends, you can find her on the sidelines watching her sons play baseball.
-
Mark B. Stephens, MD is a Professor of Family and Community Medicine; Professor of Humanities, Associate Dean for Medical Education and Master Educator for the Penn State College of Medicine University Park Regional Campus in State College, PA. He completed his undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts from the Pennsylvania State University and holds a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology from Penn State. He received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Stephens served for over 20 years as a family physician for the US Navy, retiring as Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, MD. Dr. Stephens’ professional interests include physician wellness, exercise medicine, and the use of art to promote professional identity formation in medical education.
-
Susan Veldheer is a prevention researcher and a registered dietitian Associate Professor in the Departments of Family and Community Medicine and Public Health Sciences at the Penn State College of Medicine. Dr. Veldheer leads the Penn State Food as Medicine initiative which uses a health equity lens to develop and test culturally relevant interventions to reduce the burden of diet-related chronic disease in clinical and community-based settings.
Event Exhibitors
Event Sponsors
The Highmark Foundation
Presenting Sponsor
Sponsorship Opportunities
Support the Pennsylvania Charitable Healthcare Coalition’s mission by becoming a sponsor of the 2024 "Strengthening the Safety Net" conference. Your sponsorship will provide invaluable resources to help free and charitable clinics continue delivering essential healthcare services to uninsured and underserved Pennsylvanians. Sponsors will receive special recognition throughout the event and benefit from various promotional opportunities.