Comprehensive, multi-stakeholder event focuses on policies, advancements, and collaborations that drive positive change in the equitable access, delivery, and quality of mental health and substance use disorder services.
NEEDHAM, Mass., Oct. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Healthcare Innovation Company (thINc) and the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW) announced the updated faculty list for the Advancing Behavioral Health and Policy Summit, October 28-29, in Washington, DC.
Running at The Watergate Hotel, the Summit is a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder event that focuses on policies, advancements, and collaborations that drive positive change in the equitable access, delivery, and quality of mental health and substance use disorder services.
"Taking place a week before the election, this year's Summit represents a unique opportunity for attendees to learn about how legislation and regulations can be a force for good and remove barriers to care, improve crisis response, promote integrated care models, and ensure people continue to receive the care they need," said Debbie Witchey, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness. "This faculty is second-to-none when it comes to discussing federal legislative and regulatory policies that help increase access to high-quality mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) care."
"Comprehensive and easily accessible behavioral health services are a must when it comes to value-based care," said Haritha Krishnarathnam, VP of Strategy and Content, at The Healthcare Innovation Company. "The entire healthcare ecosystem is represented in this faculty: employers, government and public health agencies, and state, local community, and advocacy organizations. We are proud to partner with ABHW and look forward to a fantastic, impactful event."
Faculty members confirmed to speak at the 2024 Advancing Behavioral Health and Policy Summit include:
Brian Altman, JD,
Director of the National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory (NMHSUPL),
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
John Giles
Director, Managed Care Group
Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS),
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Lisa M. Gomez
Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
U.S. Department of Labor
Michelle Greenhalgh
Director of Legislative Affairs
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Brittany Hughes
Legislative Director
Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL)
U.S. House of Representatives
Melicia Seay
Assistant Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
June Sivilli
Public Health Expert, Office of Public Health, Office of National Drug Control Policy, (ONDCP);
Executive Office of the President
Claire Wulf Winiarek, PhD
Director, Health Care Policy
Amazon Health Services
For the full list of speakers and Summit agenda, visit: .
The Advancing Behavioral Health and Policy Summit is co-located with thINc's Value-Based Care Summit, which brings together healthcare providers, health plans, pharmaceutical companies/manufacturers, and regulatory and legislative leaders to discuss novel approaches, innovative models, and mutually beneficial partnerships that drive care delivery transformation and accelerate the transition to value-based care. See to learn more
About The Healthcare Innovation Company (thINc)
The Healthcare Innovation Company (thINc) creates and produces the world-renowned Healthcare Innovation Congress, thINc360. It also develops content that keeps healthcare, pharma and life sciences executives engaged and informed. By delivering timely content through its live events, webinars, and additional digital offerings, thINc is a catalyst for change for today's leading organizations, providing them with insights and recommendations to make better business decisions, contain costs, and deliver better results for the populations and markets they serve. Learn more at:
About the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW)
ABHW is the leading health plan association working to improve access and quality of care for mental health and substance use disorders. ABHW's members include national and regional health plans who care for more than 200 million people. Together, we work to reduce stigma and advance federal policy on mental health and substance use disorder care. ABHW member companies - Aetna Behavioral Health, Elevance Health, Centene Corporation/Magellan Health, Evernorth, a Cigna company, Kaiser Permanente, Molina Healthcare, New Directions Behavioral Health/Lucet, Optum, and PerformCare, a subsidiary of AmeriHealth Caritas. To learn more, visit and follow us on X/Twitter at and LinkedIn at
Media Contact
Reena Joseph, The Healthcare Innovation Company, 1-781-939-2446, [email protected],
SOURCE The Healthcare Innovation Company
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