Conference Speakers
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Ken AllmanKen H. Allman, MBA, CMSR, FMSD, is founder and CEO of both PracticeLink—The Online Physician Job Bank and Magazine and MountainPlex Properties LLC. Both PracticeLink and MountainPlex Properties are based in Hinton, WV, Ken’s hometown.
Before founding what became PracticeLink.com in 1994, Ken was a physician search consultant with Christopher & Long, where he was recognized as Recruiter of the Year for placing 20 physicians in 20-months. Before entering the physician recruitment field, Ken was a management consultant for the international firm of Alexander Proudfoot, where he was honored as Outstanding Staff Management Consultant of the Year in both the United States and Worldwide for his work in the areas of quality and productivity improvement. Ken holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Alderson-Broaddus College in pre-med biology, with computer science and community health and public medicine concentrations. He completed one year of graduate work in biology at the University of Dayton. Ken completed his EMBA at Washington University in St. Louis in 2009 and is a faculty member and Fellow of the College of Medical Staff Development. In 2014, Ken was awarded the West Virginia Small Businessperson of the Year by the West Virginia Small Business Administration. He was the recipient of the 2011 Friends of Business Award from Summers County Women’s Business & Training Center and was recognized in 2009 as one of the nine top small-business executives by the West Virginia State Business Journal. Ken serves on the Board of Directors for the Hinton Area Foundation and Board of Trustees for Appalachian Regional Healthcare. Ken lives in St. Louis, MO, with his wife, Julie, and son, Charles. |
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Charles W. Mathias.Charles W. Mathias PhD is the Policy Director for the national Rural Telementoring Training Center (RTTC) and an Associate Professor of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. At the RTTC, Dr. Mathias is responsible for strategic communications to advance the health policy interests of rural communities and the health workforce serving them. He supports the RTTC in educating state and federal legislators and agencies about telementoring. This policy work applies a Culture of Health Framework in promoting solutions for population well-being through cross-sector collaboration. His research focuses on improving health outcomes stemming from behavioral health risk and its interaction with community systems.
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Liz MahanLiz Mahan, MFA, CPRP is the Director of Professional Development and Solutions for AAPPR.
Liz comes from a physician recruitment background, most recently as a physician and provider recruitment professional at Berkshire Health Systems in Pittsfield, MA. During her tenure as a recruiter, she enjoyed partnering with physicians, senior leaders, and practice administrators to identify the best resources available to recruit, onboard, and retain top provider talent. Liz has a passion for helping others succeed, using creative problem solving and innovation to meet the challenges presented in today's market. As Physician Recruitment Advisor at AAPPR Liz partners with recruitment professionals to develop tools and resources to advance the profession. She is an experienced roundtable facilitator and public speaker and enjoys writing articles and blog posts on trends in physician and provider recruitment. Liz holds a BA in Russian and Eastern European Studies from Union College in Schenectady, NY, and an MFA in Theatrical Management and Producing from Columbia University in New York, NY. . |
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Donald PathmanDonald 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. |
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Michael FallahkhairMichael Fallahkhair, MPH, is the Principal Advisor for Impact and Planning 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 Deputy Director of the Community-Based Division 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.
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Alisa DruzbaAlisa Druzba has been with the New Hampshire Office of Rural Health and Primary Care at the Division of Public Health Services, Department of Health and Human Services, since November 2004. Ms. Druzba collaborates and consults with local, state, regional, and national stakeholders and partners, to develop strategies to improve access to quality healthcare. She has a background in information technology, clinical mental health care of adolescents, family therapy, youth development and community dynamics. Ms. Druzba has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Centenary College of Louisiana and a Master of Arts in Community and Social Psychology from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. Ms. Druzba has served on a number of national, regional, state, and foundation boards in both officer and director positions. She has also chaired and worked on various committees ranging from health workforce, transportation, health policy, emergency medical transfers, telehealth, health systems transformation, workforce diversity, healthy aging, veteran’s issues, childhood trauma, and equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
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Stephanie PagliucaStephanie Pagliuca is the Senior Director of Workforce Development and Recruitment for Bi-State Primary Care Association. In this role Ms. Pagliuca works with a variety of stakeholders and partners to strengthen and expand the pipeline of clinicians who are interested in practicing in New Hampshire and Vermont. She oversees operations of Bi-State’s NH/VT Recruitment Center and has managed many federal, state, and private foundation grants to support workforce development to build primary care, dental, mental health, and substance use disorder treatment capacity in underserved areas of our states.
Ms. Pagliuca works on public policy related to primary care workforce development, recruitment, and retention by serving on a number of statewide and regional commissions and work groups targeting these issues. Ms. Pagliuca joined Bi-State in 1994. Ms. Pagliuca earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Notre Dame College. She is a native of Manchester, New Hampshire and a graduate of the Leadership New Hampshire class of 2010. |
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Jessica SeelJessica Seel joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2018 as the workforce program manager. She currently serves as Director of Behavioral Health Initiatives & Workforce Development.
In her role as Director of Behavioral Health Initiatives, Jessica leads SCORH’s efforts to eliminate barriers to mental healthcare and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and substance use within rural communities. This work includes suicide prevention programs, and collaborations to address substance use disorder (SUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD). Jessica is the program lead for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), a statewide consortium of partners to integrate behavioral healthcare, primary care, and the treatment of infectious diseases associated with SUD/OUD. In her role as Director of Workforce Support, Jessica works to attract and retain physicians, advanced practice providers, and other essential providers to rural and medically underserved communities. She also connects students and clinicians to state and national programs that support long-term rural retention. A Columbia native, Jessica received a bachelor’s degree in social work from Columbia College and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of South Carolina. Prior to joining SCORH, she worked in the healthcare field in various capacities including marketing, management and community education. Jessica serves on the SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) Physician Assistant Advisory Council, the board of directors for the Rural Recruitment and Retention Network, and the board of directors for Carolinas Association of Physician Services. She enjoys running, exercising, spending time on Lake Murray and cheering for the Gamecocks. |
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Gracie BertrandGracie Bertrand joined the South Carolina Office of Rural Health in 2021. In her role as Workforce Coordinator, she connects physicians and advanced practice providers with positions that enable them to serve rural and medically underserved communities. She also helps medical students and residents navigate resources that ensure retention.
Gracie earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the College of Charleston. She is a native of Charleston, South Carolina. Prior to joining the Office of Rural Health, Gracie worked in various clinical settings, administrative and clinical, which provides her with multiple perspectives on workforce. She is passionate about anti-bias, equity, improving the physical and mental health of underserved communities, and identifying and reducing disparities that interfere with access and quality of care. She enjoys crocheting and other crafts, reading, live music, and spending time with her German Short-haired Pointer, Zoey. |
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Kathy JohnstonKathy Johnston joined the Texas State Office of Rural Health (SORH) in September 2019 after serving for five years as Administrative Secretary & Community Liaison for the Permian Basin Area Health Education Center located at Midland College in Midland, TX.
She worked closely with the Permian Basin AHEC board and enjoyed networking with their rural health educators and administrators. She now serves as a Rural Health Specialist for the West Texas Region with the State Office of Rural Health (SORH). The SORH is an organization that is dedicated to serving the health needs of rural Texas. SORH staff work with local health care providers, county leaders and state partners to support access to quality health care for rural Texans. SORH staff support rural health providers by providing technical assistance with finance, operations, and quality through a variety of grant programs, workshops, and one-on-one assistance. She serves as the 3RNET Coordinator for the State of Texas. |
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Captain Kristian BurnhamCaptain Kristian “Kit” Burnham is a Physical Therapist by training and currently serves as the Regional Supervisor in Region I and II for the Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) in Division of Regional Operations (DRO). Captain Burnham oversees the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship program for DRO. Captain Burnham also serves as the DRO lead for professional development and training. Prior to taking his current assignment, Captain Burnham worked for six years for the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons as a Physical Therapist at the Federal Medical Center in Devens, MA. Captain Burnham began his Uniformed Services career as an enlisted member of the United States Army Reserve (USAR) for eight years and then as a Commissioned Officer in the USAR for six years.
Captain Burnham received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of New England (1994) and his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of New England (2009). |
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Dwain HarrisDwain Harris is the CEO of the National AHEC Organization. Founded in 1997, NAO serves AHECs through education, advocacy, and strategic national partnerships.
Dwain was center director for the Southern KY Area Health Education Center from 2004- 2019. As NAO CEO, he has overseen the establishment of a dozen national partnerships, growth in federal funding, growth in networking and educational opportunities for NAO members, as well as growth in NAO membership. NAO has also expanded its capacity with the hiring of its first member services manager and, earlier this year, a director of grants and strategic partnerships. Before he began with AHEC, Dwain was the director of marketing and communications for a rural healthcare system, and prior to that worked as a community journalist. He has a bachelor’s in print journalism and master’s in health administration from Western KY University. He is a past president of the Kentucky Rural Health Association and past board chair of Rural Transit Enterprises Coordinated. He lives in Somerset, Kentucky, with his wife, Julie, son Matthew, 16, and 11-year-old twins, Piper and John Parker. |
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Kristine StoddardKristine Stoddard, Esq. joined Bi-State Primary Care Association as the Director, New Hampshire Public Policy in November 2012. Kristine collaborates with the State of New Hampshire, health care providers, non-profit advocacy organizations, and business leaders to improve the health of all New Hampshire residents. She serves as a member of the Medical Care Advisory Committee, the Mental Health Advisory Committee, and New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute’s board of directors. She previously served as a legislative research analyst for the Arizona House of Representatives. Kristine’s legislative work included appropriations, insurance, banking, environment, criminal law, health, and administrative law. Kristine is a 2020 graduate of Leadership New Hampshire, and a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association and the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association. Kristine has a Juris Doctor from the University of New Hampshire School of Law and a bachelor's degree in Business Administration in Finance from the University of Arizona.
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Kim FirthKim Firth serves as a Program Director for The Endowment for Health, a statewide health conversion foundation based in New Hampshire. In her role she manages a portfolio of grants, projects and policy initiatives for several of the Endowment’s targeted initiatives including early childhood, children’s behavioral health, and a new fund dedicated to health care workforce development called the Forward Fund. Before joining the Endowment for Health, nearly 17 years ago, Kim served as a Planning and Policy Analyst for the NH Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Health Planning and Medicaid. She also served as the Grant Manager for the Health Care Fund, Community Grant Program, a public endowment created by the legislature. Kim is a life-long “Granite Stater” and is passionate about the Endowment’s mission to improve the health of the people of NH.
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Albert RuizAlbert Ruiz is currently part of the State Office of Rural Health under the Texas Department of Agriculture. He has 25 years of experience working in compliance, HIT, and administration for both urban and rural hospitals and health clinics. A lifelong Texan who grew up in central Texas, Albert and his wife have 2 daughters and a son. Marina a Texas A&M Aggie Doctorate DVM student (Gig em!), Tristan a business major at The University of Alabama (Roll Tide!) and Penelope a sophomore at New Braunfels High School who will study law and plans on attending Notre Dame. Outside of the office he enjoys being outdoors and spending as much quality time with his family.
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Loan HuynhLoan Huynh is a Shareholder at Fredrikson & Byron and chair of its Immigration Group. She has practiced immigration law for over 20 years. Loan focuses on employment-based immigration, corporate immigration compliance and global mobility solutions for employers, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to mid-size companies, entrepreneurs/investors, and family-owned farms by developing practical immigration policy and strategies to meet their global mobility and immigration goals.
Loan is chair of Fredrikson & Bryon’s Immigration Group and also leads its I-9 audit and corporate immigration compliance practice. This includes drafting corporate immigration policies; counseling on I-9 / E-Verify policy and procedures; defending employers in civil and criminal worksite enforcement actions; and conducting immigration due diligence in mergers, acquisitions and other corporate transactions. Loan has extensive experience in advising clients in the agricultural, hospitality, food processing, life sciences, biotechnology, energy, healthcare (healthcare systems, hospitals and individual physicians), software and other high-tech sectors, financial services and manufacturing industries. She partners with her clients in finding creative work visa solutions to meet their labor force needs including the use of the H-1B for specialty occupations, L-1 intra-company visas for multinational employees, E-1/E-2 investor / trader visas, B1/H-3/J-1 trainee visas, and temporary H-2A agricultural and H-2B temporary nonagricultural visas. Loan is also a frequent speaker at national conferences and has written extensively on immigration issues. She is a member of the Board of Advocates for Human Rights, the Board of Trustee of the American Immigration Council and a member of the national American Immigration Lawyer’s Associations DOL Liaison Committee. She is also the Co-Chair of Fredrikson & Byron’s Inclusion & Diversity Committee. |
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Matthew WebsterMatthew 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. |
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Mike ShimmensMike Shimmens is the Executive Director for 3RNET, the nation’s most trusted resource for health professionals seeking careers in rural and underserved communities. Mike has led 3RNET since 2012. Mike works with a nine-member Board of Directors, leads a staff of three, and empowers the National Rural Recruitment and Retention Network of 54 members to further 3RNET’s mission to improve rural and underserved communities’ access to quality health care through the recruitment and retention of quality health care professionals.
Mike has over 20 years of experience in the recruitment of health care professionals. Prior to leading 3RNET Mike worked for six years at the Missouri Primary Care Association as Director of Recruitment and Workforce Development. There he assisted 21 Community Health Centers and other Missouri hospitals and clinics in their health professional recruitment efforts through the Missouri Health Professional Placement Service. Mike's first recruitment position in health care was as Director of Medical Staff Development at St. Mary's Health Center in Jefferson City, Missouri. He served in this role for nine years and recruited for all physician specialties and advanced practice nurses at this 167-bed hospital and affiliated clinics. |
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Michelle VarchoMichelle Varcho is the Director of Education Outreach for 3RNET, the nation’s most trusted resource for health professionals seeking careers in rural and underserved communities. Michelle leads education-related activities for 3RNET Network Coordinators as well as rural and underserved health care employers nationwide. Michelle focuses on practical, action-oriented training around 3RNET’s recruiting for retention philosophy.
Michelle has over 25 years of experience in health-care related human resources both at the local and national level. Prior to joining 3RNET, Michelle was a Human Resources Director for a Federally Qualified Health Center in Jefferson City, Missouri, where she helped the organization grow from five employees in one location to 110 employees in four locations serving over 13 counties. Michelle created and implemented strategies and best practices to overcome the unique barriers to recruiting and retaining providers in the rural health care arena and uses the wealth of expertise she gained in this role to help inform 3RNET trainings she leads. Michelle has an MBA from Williams Woods University and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Columbia College. She has held a Sr. Professional Human Resources certification since 2003. |
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Kristine MorinKristine Morin is the Director of Communication and Marketing for 3RNET, the nation’s most trusted resource for health professionals seeking careers in rural and underserved communities. Kristine leads the creation of 3RNET’s communication and promotion efforts to reach health professionals, employers, and 3RNET’s Network Coordinators. She also oversees the planning and committee for 3RNET’s Annual Conference.
Prior to joining 3RNET, Kristine worked for a public relations firm in Las Vegas, Nevada where she coordinated marketing efforts for clients varying from local firefighters to international artists. She also worked as the Communication Coordinator for the North Dakota Center for Rural Health, where she led the communication efforts for several statwide and national grant programs. Kristine has both Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in communication from the University of North Dakota. |
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Mark BarclayMark Barclay is the Director of Member Services for 3RNET, the nation’s most trusted resource for health professionals seeking careers in rural and underserved communities. Mark serves as the primary support contact for 54 3RNET members, as well as the 5,000+ rural and underserved employers across the country that use 3RNET to improve their recruitment and retention efforts.
Prior to working for 3RNET, Mark recruited for 36 Critical Access Hospitals and four FQHCs as the Workforce Specialist at the Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Mark also helped establish TruServe, a web-based tracking system used by State Offices of Rural Health and Primary Care Offices nationwide. Mark has maintained his Certified Physician/Provider Recruitment Professional (CPRP) certification from the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment (AAPPR) since 2013. Mark has both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from the University of North Dakota. |
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Jackie FannellJackie Fannell is the Provider Retention and Information System Management (PRISM) Program Manager for 3RNET, the nation’s most trusted resource for health professionals seeking careers in rural and underserved communities. Jackie serves as the primary support contact for all PRISM participating states: providing technical assistance and training for the PRISM project and ensuring successful coordination and collaboration of project activities between participating states and the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at UNC Chapel Hill.
Jackie has over 25 years of experience in non-profit, health care and financial industries. Prior to joining 3RNET, Jackie served as Program Manager at the Foundation for Health Leadership and Innovation and the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation where she was responsible for coordinating with the Sheps Center to pilot and then manage the ongoing collection of retention data for health professionals working in safety net practices. Jackie has a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. |