Conference Speakers

Dr. Nizar Wehbi
Presenting: Keynote

Gov. Doug Burgum appointed Dr. Nizar Wehbi (Nee-zar Wee-bee) to serve as North Dakota’s State Health Officer, effective May 1st, 2021.

Prior to his appointment, Dr. Wehbi served as Deputy Director of the Center for Health Policy and Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha.

As the Center for Health Policy’s Deputy Director, Dr. Wehbi conducted research and policy analysis to inform policymaking with a focus on improving population health and the efficiency and effectiveness of the U.S. healthcare system. In that role, he led initiatives to address binge drinking and colorectal
cancer and conducted analysis on the healthcare workforce shortage. As an assistant professor in the College of
Public Health at UNMC, Wehbi directed the Master’s in Health Administration (MHA) program, with teaching areas of focus that include health administration, health policy, the U.S. healthcare
system and human resources management. He also co-led a university-wide faculty leadership program.

Prior to that, Wehbi served as Senior Planner in the Strategic Planning and Business Development Department at Nebraska Medicine. He began his career in clinical medicine, caring
for patients and later, as an instructor of surgery at UNMC, joining a research team to identify biomarkers for early detection and risk assessment of bladder and prostate cancers.

In addition to his medical degree, Dr. Wehbi has a Master’s degree in public health and an MBA from the University of Nebraska. He also holds a graduate certificate in quality, patient safety and outcomes research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and currently serves a three-year term on the Board of Governors of ACHE. Wehbi has served on the National Board of Public Health Examiners since 2013 and on the Board of Directors of Clarkson College, in Omaha, since 2019.

Stacy Kusler
Presenting: North Dakota Network Coordinator Spotlight; Area Health Education Centers (AHEC): A "Long Game" Strategy for Recruitment and Retention

Stacy Kusler is the Workforce Specialist at the North Dakota Center for Rural Health, which serves as the North Dakota State Office of Rural Health.  In her role, Stacy is the connection between rural healthcare facilities in North Dakota and qualified health professional job seekers. She assists rural facilities to attract health professionals to their areas by working closely with medical and other health profession students during their training, and by collaborating with the North Dakota Area Health Education Center (ND AHEC) to promote and assist with rural training opportunities.   She manages the state’s J-1 visa Waiver program for the North Dakota Primary Care Office, and supports facilities who are looking to hire a J-1 candidate through the application process. Through her position, Stacy is working to reduce the healthcare workforce shortages throughout the state.

Kristine Sande
​Presenting: North Dakota Spotlight - RHIhub

Kristine Sande directs the Rural Health Information Hub, the nation’s information center on rural health, which is funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Ms. Sande also serves as an Associate Director at the University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health. She has over 20 years of experience with rural health and health policy issues. Ms. Sande was raised on a family farm outside of a North Dakota town of 1,200 people.  She has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of North Dakota.

Matthew Webster
​Presenting: Immigration Updates

Matthew Webster assists employers and individuals in meeting their immigration objectives by providing trusted and compassionate counsel and by zealously advocating for clients through every stage of the immigration process.

​Matthew works in employment-based immigration and nonimmigrant visas for diverse employers of all sizes, with a particular focus on healthcare and higher education. He assists clients with family, naturalization, asylum, humanitarian immigration matters and federal immigration litigation. With extensive experience in employment law, Matthew has expertise in immigration compliance issues, including structuring and implementing policies and training on I-9 compliance. He also draws on his experience in litigation and appeals to advocate for his clients. Matthew has taught immigration law at the University of Minnesota Law School.

Kayla Hoel
Presenting: Immigration Updates

Kayla Hoel assists employers and individuals offering strategic support and valuable insight during the various stages of the immigration process.
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Kayla’s practice includes employment-based immigration, with a focus on physicians, healthcare and investments, and also family and humanitarian-based immigration.  She has experience working with both corporate and individual clients managing the complexities of the U.S. Immigration system. 

Donald Pathman
Presenting: PRISM Update

Donald Pathman, MD MPH is Professor of Family Medicine and Director of the Program on Primary Care Research at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Sheps Center is a leading center of research on the U.S. healthcare system. Among its 12 programs on research are the HRSA-funded Carolina Health Workforce Research Center https://www.shepscenter.unc.edu/programs-projects/.

Dr. Pathman’s three decades of research and evaluation have focused on bolstering the effectiveness of federal, state and organization programs intended to build and support the clinician workforce of rural and underserved communities. This has included studies of clinician satisfaction and retention, loan repayment program design and outcomes including the retention of clinicians, clinician-community relationships, access to care, health disparities, and outcomes of medical education.

Mandi Gingras
Presenting: 3RNET Behavioral Health Workforce Expansion Project

Mandi Gingras is the Director of Education for the 3RNET. Mandi’s experience includes 14 years as a primary care and oral health recruiter and workforce consultant for the Bi-State Primary Care Association (PCA) in New Hampshire and Vermont. Prior to coming to 3RNET in 2022, Mandi also worked as a physician recruiter for a large hospital system in Michigan.
 
Mandi grew up in a small rural town in the Midwest and understands the unique challenges and benefits that rural communities offer. She is an AAPPR member and a RACR certified recruiter through the Healthcare Source and Lean Human Capital training curriculum. Throughout her career, Mandi has remained passionate about developing strategies to attract and retain providers that will thrive in rural and underserved communities. She strives to continue learning new and innovative ways to recruit healthcare professionals and to share best practices to help others remain competitive and be successful in their recruitment efforts.

Michael Fallahkhair
​Presenting: Workforce Partners: Updates from FORHP & RuralGME

Michael Fallahkhair, MPH, is the Deputy Associate Administrator for the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) in the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  In this role, Mr. Fallahkhair helps to lead the work of FORHP, which is charged with advising the Secretary of HHS on rural health issues and improving the delivery of rural health care.  Mr. Fallahkhair previously served as the Executive Officer in the HHS Immediate Office of the Secretary and as Principal Advisor in FORHP.  Mr. Fallahkhair has past work experience in the Office of Budget of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources at HHS and the Office of Management and Budget.  Mr. Fallahkhair has an undergraduate degree in Neurobiology and Physiology from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy from George Washington University.

Emily Hawes
​Presenting: Workforce Partners: Updates from FORHP & RuralGME

Emily M. Hawes, PharmD, BCPS, CPP is a professor in the University of North Carolina School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine. She serves as Deputy Director of the HRSA-funded Rural Residency and Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Technical Assistance Centers.  She practices as a Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner providing collaborative drug therapy management in a family medicine clinic in rural North Carolina. Dr. Hawes’ research focuses on team-based primary care, health workforce policy, rural health, and graduate medical education program development in rural and underserved areas.

Darrold Bertsch
​Presenting: Interview with Local 3RNET Champions

Darrold Bertsch retired in 2021 after having served as the CEO of Sakakawea Medical Center and Coal Country Community Health Center for 11 years. Darrold worked in healthcare for nearly 50 years, the last 29 years of his career as a CEO.  He currently serves on several Boards and has remained a steadfast advocate for rural healthcare.

Jocelyn Bertsch
​Presenting: Interview with Local 3RNET Champions

Jocelyn Bertsch, SPHR, has worked in healthcare over 45 years in various capacities in critical access hospitals, federally qualified health centers and long-term care facilities. Starting as a medical lab technician to laboratory director to human resources to recruiter, she has served in many roles along the way.  Jocelyn has also been active in the state human resources association and recruitment network activities. 
Growing up in southwest North Dakota yet working the majority of her career in central Arizona, she returned to her native state where it feels more like home.  

Dr. Dave Schmitz
Presenting: Panel Discussion with University of North Dakota (UND) Family Medicine Residents

David Schmitz, MD, is Professor and Chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He earned his medical doctorate from the State University of New York at Buffalo and completed residency training at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho. He has extensive research expertise in training and retaining physicians in rural and underserved areas. He has served as the president of the National Rural Health Association and the National Advisory Council on the National Health Service Corps. Dr. Schmitz has published and presented nationally and internationally and continues active research in rural-focused health professions education and rural health issues.

Lourdes Montez
Presenting: Panel Presentation on Community Health Worker Model Programs

Lourdes Montez joined the Alliance in February 2011 as the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Student/Resident Experience and Rotations in Community Health (SEARCH) Program Coordinator. In her current role as Workforce Manager, Lourdes develops and facilities coalitions and networks that include academic and healthcare organizations. She also facilitates workforce trainings and identifies healthcare partnership opportunities to help recruit and retain primary care providers, healthcare professionals, and allied health staff to Community Health Centers in rural and underserved communities in Arizona. Lourdes is a Trainer for Training of Trainers (TOT) for several Community Health Curriculums and has been involved with Community Health Worker (CHW) networks, coalitions, and statewide trainings for over 25 years. Prior to working for the Alliance Lourdes worked for a CHC in Southern Arizona that provided her with an inside perspective on the important role CHCs play in rural communities. She also worked for Arizona’s Area Health Education Center Programs for over 15 years. Lourdes attended nursing school in Dodge City, KS and is now working towards a master’s degree in counseling. She is a 4th generation Arizonan and was born and raised in a rural border community in Southeastern Arizona. Lourdes is bilingual, fluent in Spanish, and enjoys traveling and learning more about the rich culture and history of our beautiful state with her husband, Gus and son, Jesse.

Carrie Torgersen
Presenting: Panel Presentation on Community Health Worker Model Programs

Carrie Torgersen has worked for 25 years at the Utah Center for Rural Health and is currently the Assistant Director of Healthcare Workforce Development.  While overseeing many pathway and community programs, Carrie is committed to the Center's mission of increasing access to healthcare in rural and underserved areas.  As Utah's 3RNET Network Coordinator, she enjoys connecting Utah rural facilities and individuals committed to working in those areas.

 

Cindra Stahl
Presenting: Area Health Education Centers (AHEC): A "Long Game" Strategy for Recruitment and Retention

Cindra Stahl joined the Montana Area Health Education Center and Montana Office of Rural Health in 2011. Her interest lies in rural healthcare workforce issues and the unique challenges of developing an appropriate workforce in frontier/rural locations. She serves as staff for the Montana GME Council and plays a role in GME Advocacy as well as AHEC advocacy. Additionally, Cindra facilitates the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program for critical access hospitals across the state. Traveling across Montana for site visits and meeting the dedicated workforce in frontier communities is a favorite activity. Cindra and her husband recently moved to Whitefish, Montana and they look forward to building a new home in the forest.