Jessica Downes is a registered nurse with over 20 years of experience, most of which has been working in public and population health. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Science in Nursing in Leadership, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Health Systems Leadership. Her career has focused on chronic disease prevention, social determinants of health, and building clinical-community linkages to support whole person care.

Jessica currently works with the Envoy integrated network and accountable care organization (ACO), where she leads a specialty project aimed at coordinating care and bridging clinical and community care. Her work emphasizes streamlined, coordinated approaches that bring together diverse provider sectors to deliver comprehensive, person-centered care. As a panelist, Jessica brings deep insight into how technology can support meaningful health integration across systems.

Doug Farmer is President and CEO of the Colorado Health Care Association (CHCA). The Association represents the nursing home and assisted living professions through education and advocacy. Prior to his time at CHCA, Doug served in numerous roles in Kansas state government. He began his career as an analyst in the Governor’s budget office and moved on to serve as Assistant Secretary on Aging; Deputy Secretary of Health and Environment, Chief of Staff to the Attorney General of Kansas, and Deputy Director of the Kansas Health Policy Authority. After leaving state government, Doug served as the Vice President for Policy with the Sunflower Foundation where he worked on public policy matters related to health care and trained nonprofit executives in public policy advocacy. Doug earned a Master of Public Administration from James Madison University and a BA in Political Science from the University of California at Davis.

Nicole Davis Hernandez is the Director of Quality at the Idaho Hospital Association, a statewide organization that provides leadership in health policy and advocacy and delivers comprehensive member services to strengthen Idaho hospitals’ ability to serve their communities.

In her role, Mrs. Hernandez leads hospital collaboration across local and national quality improvement initiatives and advances the adoption of evidence-based practices. Her work bridges patient safety, public health, health care quality, regulatory compliance, risk management, and emergency management to support system-level performance improvement. She also operates a multistate peer review network that assists hospitals and clinics in achieving higher levels of clinical quality and accountability.

Mrs. Hernandez is a nurse with more than 20 years of experience across the health care continuum, including clinical care delivery, quality and process improvement, informatics, workflow design, population health management, case management, and strategic planning.

She currently serves on the Idaho Healthcare Quality Committee and the Comagine Health Idaho Community Board.

Lindsey Ludwig is a registered pharmacist and the Executive Director for CPESN IOWA, a clinically integrated network of over 120 pharmacies. Lindsey graduated from Drake University with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy. While in pharmacy school she founded a screening & education company initially focused on osteoporosis prevention and later grew into a broader health services company. Lindsey’s background includes ownership and management of a community and infusion pharmacy, clinical director for a large domestic and international pharmacy franchise and as a clinical pharmacist for a closed-door pharmacy working to expand pharmacist services to their clients and patients.

Lindsey and her husband, Mike, live in Des Moines, Iowa with their 3 kids. When she isn’t running the Ludwig taxi to activities, she enjoys boating, cooking, gardening, and a great glass of wine.

Rebekah Lucas is an accomplished healthcare executive with over two decades of experience in executive management, including 15 years dedicated to overseeing multiple facilities. Her career is fueled by a deep commitment to healthcare, emphasizing accountability and respect. A strong proponent of person-centered care, Rebekah believes in empowering individuals to embrace their true selves and enhance their lives. Guided by the principle of leaving every situation better than she found it, she aims to improve interactions and create opportunities that positively influence others.

She holds an MBA in Healthcare Management and a bachelor’s degree in IT Management from William Woods University in Fulton, MO. Additionally, Rebekah is a certified Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA), LNHA Preceptor, ALF Assessor, and Project Management professional, with a certificate in Change Leadership from Harvard University. Her expertise encompasses creativity, teamwork, critical thinking, process improvement, and technology adaptation.

Currently, as Vice President at LeadingAge Missouri and a coach at the LeadingAge Missouri and LeadingAge Kansas Center for Leadership, Rebekah is responsible for membership growth, IT and data systems management, marketing strategies, financial oversight, and the development of online educational programs through Learning Management Systems. She also organizes statewide conferences and manages contracts. Rebekah's unwavering dedication to healthcare and education has established her as a respected leader, recognized for her ability to drive meaningful change and promote growth within the industry.

Ben has lived in Billings with his wife and two children and 3 dogs since 2011 and they spend as much time as possible enjoying the mountains and outdoors

Robert L. Wergin, MD, FAAFP was born in Lincoln, Nebraska but grew up in Milford, Nebraska, a community of 1700 residents at the time. He grew up with his 4 brothers in Milford and attended Milford Public Schools. He participated in all sports-Football, Basketball, Track, and Baseball. He graduated in 1972 as Salutatorian of his class in 1972. He went on to the University of Nebraska Kearney where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1976 having a double major in Biology and Chemistry. His interest in applied science stimulated his application to medical school, and he went on to attend medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center from 1976-1979. After graduation he went on to residency in Family Medicine at the University of Colorado spending one year in Denver then going on to St Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction Colorado for his final two years finishing in 1982. He moved on to private practice in Grand Junction Colorado and continued to work in the residency as well as supervising the residents in their Emergency rotation and their Obstetrical rotations. He continued to practice in private practice working with Rocky Mountain HMO from 1982-1989. During that time, he served as President of the Western Slope area of the Colorado Academy of Family Medicine. He was blessed with two sons while practicing in Colorado with his oldest son, now a Family Physician in Fairbury, Nebraska. He left Colorado in 1989 and founded a family practice group in York, Nebraska practicing whole person family medicine.

After practicing in York, Nebraska Dr. Wergin transitioned to work as a full time Emergency Room Physician in Beatrice, Nebraska beginning in 1991. He left that position in 1992 to join the Lincoln Family Medicine Residency as a faculty member and eventually became the assistant director of the program which was affiliated with the University of Nebraska Medical Center. In 1996 he returned to full time Family Medicine practice in Seward, Nebraska until he retired in January 2024.

Dr. Wergin has received many awards over his professional career. He was elected President of the Nebraska Academy of Family Practice in 1998. He was honored to be selected as Family Physician of the Year for the State of Nebraska in 2002. He was selected as Nursing Home Medical Director of the Year in 2008. He was also honored to be selected for the Outstanding Rural Health Practitioner Award in 2018. He was selected for membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha, a national academic honor society for Medicine as well. He was elected to be President of the national American Academy of Family Physicians in 2015 representing 130,000 members nationwide being the voice of family medicine nationwide. He was honored to be selected to the Board of Directors of the American Board of Family Medicine setting national standards for Board certification from 2018-2024. Although he was honored by being selected to all these prestigious awards, he is most proud of just being a small-town family physician for his patients and his community

Heidi Peirce, MS has served as the Director of the Nebraska State Office of Rural Health at Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services in Lincoln, Nebraska since April 2022. The Office of Rural Health houses a staff of 8 employees that are involved with rural health care issues such as workforce recruitment and retention, technical assistance, quality improvement in rural hospitals and clinics, telehealth, maternal care, and more. Prior to this role, Heidi served as the Primary Care Office Director in the same office. Prior experience includes compliance and quality assurance positions at a private health care patient experience firm located in Lincoln, NE.

Heidi has spent significant professional time in customer service roles that included training, presenting, and human resource functions. This experience adds a natural ability to relate and speak with others across all demographics, handle delicate and confidential situations, and offer many experiential ideas and support to others with whom she works. Heidi has been directly involved in over a decade of work in hiring and recruiting, trade shows, and training. In addition, she holds a Master of Science in Management from Bellevue University (2015), focusing on Human Resources.

Heidi has lived and worked in Nebraska for most of her adult life, and she is proud of her family history that is entrenched in rural Nebraska. She is a fifth generation Nebraskan, with relatives involved in homesteading in Webster County, Nebraska. This legacy continues with many of her relatives living and farming the same land. Because of this history, she has traveled and enjoyed visiting and learning about a good amount of rural Nebraska. Heidi enjoys playing tennis, volunteering her time to Special Olympics, and serving as a Mentor for the Teammates Program.

Rachel L. Navarro, Ph.D., LP is the principal investigator and training specialist for the SAMHSA-funded ND THRIVES Rural and Tribal Suicide Prevention Project, the co-principal investigator and content specialist for the USDA-funded Substance Use Prevention in the WIC Program collaborative agreement, and an implementation specialist for the SAMHSA-funded Southwestern Plains Hub of the Center for Mental Health Implementation Support. She also is a licensed psychologist and a Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Counseling Psychology in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of North Dakota where she supervises the training future counselors and psychologists. Rachel received her doctoral degree from the University of Missouri. She completed her doctoral internship at the University of Florida Counseling Center and her postdoctoral residency at the Family Institute in Grand Forks, ND where she served adolescents and adults from rural communities struggling with behavioral health issues.

Rachel has over 25 years working in the behavioral health field as a clinician, supervisor, and trainer. She is dedicated to training healthcare providers and other allied health professionals in the provision of empirically supported practices. From 2007-2016, she was a key contributor and senior personnel on three HRSA-funded training grants focused on building the behavioral health workforce in rural and/or underserved areas with a focus on integrated care. She also was the co-director of the SAMHSA-funded Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (2021-2024), where she and her team provided training, resources, and technical assistance to providers serving persons with mental health and behavioral health concerns across a 6-state region (ND, SD, MT, CO, UT, and WY).

Rachel has lived in Grand Forks, ND since 2010. A Minnesota native, she enjoys spending time on the lake fishing and boating with her husband, children, grandchildren, family members, and friends.

Ryan is the Vice President of Operations for the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO), a not-for-profit organization in Sioux Falls, SD. SDAHO members include hospitals, health care systems, nursing facilities, home health agencies, assisted living centers, and hospice organizations. Ryan joined SDAHO in May 2025, and is responsible for operational management including human resources, along with oversight of SDAHO’s Enterprises (for-profit division) and SDAHO Health, Research, Education, & Trust (HRET), its not-for-profit division.

Prior to joining the SDAHO team, Ryan worked under the federal Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) program for nearly 22 years. His prior roles have included serving as CEO of Great Plains Quality Innovation Network and Vice President at the South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care, which both served states in the Midwest. Early in his career, he worked for Bankfirst in a number of roles in the credit card center. Ryan’s past duties have included leadership at the local and national level, data analysis, supporting hospitals with their data reporting, contract performance monitoring, staff training and management, and leading quality improvement initiatives.

Ryan enjoys supporting healthcare providers and stakeholders across South Dakota. He volunteers for Junior Achievement teaching elementary students about business and economics, tries to get in an occasional round of golf, and likes spending time with his family following their favorite sports teams. He received his master's in business administration (MBA) from the University of Sioux Falls.

Morgan Hadden, MPH, MBA, is a public health leader with nonprofit and advocacy experience. She holds a Master of Public Health from Utah State University and a Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University.

Morgan previously served as Program Coordinator at the nonprofit Get Healthy Utah, where she led statewide partnerships, managed the Healthy Utah Community designation program, and worked with leaders and organizations across Utah to strengthen understanding of the role public health plays in the state's well-being.

She also served as Advocacy Chair for the Utah Society of Public Health Educators, where she promoted effective public health policy and supported the professional development of public health workers. Morgan is committed to collaborative leadership and ensuring professionals, partners, and policymakers have the support they need to strengthen public health in Utah.

Dr. von Preyss-Friedman is deeply involved in quality improvement, developing standards, and outcome measures in SNFs, and successfully translating medical evidence into clinical care. Her mission is to support the best possible medical care for all patients.

Dr. von Preyss-Friedman currently is the president of PALTMed and immediate past president of the WA Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term care Medicine.

Eric graduated from Weber State University with a degree in Business Administration and an emphasis on accounting. He spent three years as a stockbroker and an options trader before entering the healthcare industry.

Eric worked for 20 years at South Lincoln Medical Center and Nursing Home. He started as the business office manager, then he was promoted to CFO, then COO. Eric earned his nursing home administrators license and helped build a nursing home to serve Lincoln County and the surrounding areas.

Eric became CEO of South Lincoln Medical Center in 2003 and served in that capacity until November of 2014 when he accepted the position of President of the Wyoming Hospital Association. In 2015 Eric was also named as President of LeadingAge Wyoming. Eric combined the WHA and LAW to represent over 60 hospitals and nursing homes around the state.

Eric has actively served on the American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board. He was appointed by the Governor to the Wyoming Board of Nursing Home Administrators, Governor’s EMS Council, and the American College of Healthcare Administrators among other state and national organizations.