Community Paramedic Liaison and Advisory Council Mission To bring together community leaders in healthcare who will advance the resources, reputation, and reach of our community paramedics to create an innovative and efficient healthcare delivery system. Council Vision Mobile Integrated Health Care to provide leadership, resources, and modeling for the development of Community Paramedics into an active and collaborative part of the overall healthcare system. Patient Care to provide excellent patient-centered care, advocacy, and care coordination which will be driven by innovation, partnerships, patient activation, data collection and analysis, and continued education. Community Leadership to serve our community, patients and healthcare partners by leveraging established resources, innovation, data sharing, system coordination, education, and outreach. Education to be a leader in establishing national Community Paramedic educational standards which incorporate best practices within health care. Positive Outcomes to ensure every program aspect will focus on meaningful patient outcomes and overall population health.
Meet Our Community Paramedic Liaison and Advisory Council Aimee Stein, Council Co-Chair Aimee is the Relationship Manager for Saint Alphonsus Health System (SAHS). She acts as a resource for regional EMS providers and is the editor of the quarterly EMS news publication Heroes & Saints, the silver winner in the 30 th Annual Healthcare National Marketing Report. In addition, she also serves on various special project committees for SAHS. Prior to joining SAHS, Aimee spent 12 years in national and regional sales and marketing roles including GE Healthcare and Toshiba America Medical Systems. Aimee graduated Magna cum Laude from the American College in London with a Bachelor of International Business and Marketing. Luana Lani Gerber, Council Co-Chair Lani is a Complex Care Manager with St. Luke s Health Partners following 4 years as the Director of St. Luke s Home Care. She earned her RN from St Joseph College of Nursing in San Francisco and her BA in Healthcare Administration from St Mary s College in Moraga California. Lani s clinical background includes experience in acute care, home health care, case management and hospital recruiting. She has worked for Kaiser Permanente as a Women s Health Clinic Manager and manager of the American Red Cross Blood Collections activities for the state of Idaho. In her new role, Lani is privileged to work with patients, families, physicians and community providers to realize St. Luke s Health System mission: To improve the health of people in our region. Linda Rowe Linda Rowe possesses 39 years of professional experience in the healthcare and wellness industry. Her experience includes work in management, operations, business and program development, as well as project management settings. She is currently the Idaho Director for Qualis Health s Idaho Medicare contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Linda is responsible for planning, implementing, and directing overall operations for all of the Medicare initiatives in the state. Prior to assuming her current position, Linda worked as a director for Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, where she oversaw programs that ensured compliance with rules and regulations for the Joint Commission and CMS. Linda possesses 12 years of clinical experience as a staff nurse in medical and ambulatory care settings, and is licensed as a Practical Nurse. She earned both her Master of Science in Exercise Science and Sports Studies and Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and Health Promotion from Boise State University.
Stephanie Bender-Kitz Stephanie is the Project Lead for the Idaho Community Initiative on Advance Care Planning (ICIACP), a program based at the nonprofit Jannus Inc. The ICIACP, a collaborative of health care, payer, academic and community-based partners, is a major initiative to create a shared model and standard of care that ensures every person s health care choices are clearly defined, documented, and honored through personcentered advance care planning. Prior to her leadership role with the ICIACP Stephanie spent 25 years devoted to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of community-based programs for older adults and family caregivers, most recently as Director of Friends in Action (another program of Jannus). Stephanie enjoys combining her background in gerontology, public health, and health policy to develop and sustain collaborative community-based initiatives. Mindi Anderson Mindi currently works for the Department of Health and Welfare, Bureau of EMS & Preparedness as a Program Specialist. Mindi spent 11 years as an Air Force Medic and Laboratory Technologist and Radio Operator. She serves as the 124 th MDG Force Development Training Manager for the Idaho Air National Guard. She is an Adjunct Faculty member with Park University at MHAFB where she instructs undergraduate courses for the Healthcare Administration. Mindi earned an Associate in Allied Health Science, Laboratory Technology and Information Technology; a Bachelor of Science in Social Psychology, a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration with a specialization in Leadership & Management and is currently working on her Doctorate degree in Healthcare Administration. Mindi is working to advance the Community Health EMS concept in Idaho by supporting EMS provider/stakeholder discussion on how to expand the roles of EMS personnel. Palina Louangketh Palina is the Director of Quality for the Saint Alphonsus Health Alliance. She is a healthcare quality improvement professional with over 18 years of healthcare experience including billing and coding, provider relations and healthcare alliances across the care continuum. Palina previously held positions including a quality improvement consultant for Qualis Health, consultant for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, and Director of State Health Alliances for the American Heart Association and American State Stroke Association. She holds a Master of Health Science in Health Services Leadership, is a TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer and is both a Registered Health information Technologist and a Certified Professional in Health IT.
Russ Duke Russ Duke is the Director for Central District Health Department in Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley Counties. The district includes urban, rural and frontier populations with approximately 459,035 residents. Prior to working for Central District Health Department, Russ worked for the State Division of Health for 12 years in various capacities including managing the Bureau of Environmental Health and Safety and the Bureau of Clinical and Preventive Services. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Science from Texas A & M University. Christine Shirazi Christine has 21 years of nursing experience working in the areas of intensive care, critical care, flight nursing, and the emergency department. During the last 6 years, as the Emergency Department Clinical Educator, Christine has had the opportunity to work closely with Ada County Paramedics to facilitate education and take a collaborative approach to patient care. This past January, Christine assumed the position of Cardiovascular Clinical Program Leader at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, where she oversees the different programs within the cardiovascular service line such as chest pain, heart failure and cardiac registries. Christine earned her Master of Science in Nursing, is a Certified Emergency Nurse, earned her Advanced Practice Professional Nurse License, and is a Board Certified Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist. Murry Sturkie, D.O. Dr. Sturkie is a graduate of Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona, California. He did his residency in Emergency Medicine at Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan. He is Board Certified in Emergency Medicine. After residency he served as Project Medical Director (System EMS Medical Director) at Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville, Illinois. Dr. Sturkie currently works with Emergency Medicine of Idaho and St Luke's Hospital System. Dr. Sturkie works with the Idaho EMS Advisory Council and is a member of the Community Health EMS Task Force. He joined the Idaho EMS Physician Commission during its inception and serves as the current vice chair. Nationally, Dr. Sturkie is the liaison from ACOEP (American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians) to the Board of the National Registry and as Commissioner to CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Healthcare Education Programs).
Pat Lara Pat is the Director for St. Luke s Heart Health and Rehabilitation and Care Transitions Programs. Previously he held leadership positions with Bon Secours Health System in South Carolina, Providence Health and Services in Alaska and HCA in Texas. He earned a Master s degree from Texas Tech University in Health Science and holds a Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist designation from the American College of Sports Medicine. His clinical background is primarily in caring for patients with chronic health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes. He has also worked in oncology, hospice, palliative care and imaging. The multi-disciplinary team he leads provides care for persons with chronic disease to help them manage their symptoms and optimize their quality of life despite their medical condition. Neva Santos Neva Santos obtained a degree in Business Administration from Northwest Nazarene University and her CAE (Certified Association Executive) certification from the American Society of Association Executives. She has been the executive director for the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians for 15 years. Edward McEachern, M.D. Dr. McEachern is currently the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Medical Information Officer for Saint Alphonsus Health Alliance. Dr. McEachern is an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Utah and the Director for Health Services Research. In addition, Dr. McEachern is on the bio-scientific faculty of Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine. He has also served as the Physician Senior Partner at Daedalus Private Equity, Vice President for Medical Affairs at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, the Chief Medical Officer/Senior Vice President of the Northeast Ohio Community Health Plan and the Vice President for Medical Affairs at Hospital Corporation of America's West Paces Ferry Hospital. Dr. McEachern is the author of four books and numerous articles on quality improvement. He is on the editorial review board for Medical Care, The Health System Leader, and the ASQC Press.
Jennifer Burlage Jennifer is the Region 4 Program Manager for Division of Behavioral Health with the Department of Health and Welfare. She earned her Master s degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling from The University for Humanistic Studies (Solana Beach, CA) and has 25 years experience in the behavioral health arena. She has worked in both private and public settings providing service to adults, children, families, and couples. She has worked with the Department of Health & Welfare for the past 13 years and has supervised the Mobile Crisis Unit and the Forensic Assertive Community Treatment Team before taking on the role as Project Manager and finally Program Manager. Pat Burton Pat is the Director of Operations for St. Luke's Eagle Medical Plaza. Pat earned a BA specializing in Communication Sciences and Disorders, and worked as a Speech Therapist for K through 8th grades for the Hillsdale, New Jersey Public School system for four years. There, she volunteered for the local EMS service. This led her to desire a career in healthcare. Pat earned her BSN from Columbia University. In 1992 Pat worked as the Director of the Emergency Department for St Lukes in Boise. Pat is the Chair of the Ada County EMS Advisory Board, and works to ensure system approaches to both pre-hospital and in-hospital care. In addition, she is involved with United Way of Treasure Valley, serving on the Resource Development Vision Council and is the Chair of the St. Luke's United Way Silent Auction. Mike Mikitish Mike is the Director for the Institute of Emergency Management at Idaho State University (ISU). The Institute develops and administers degrees that support the fields of emergency management, fire services, and paramedic science. Additionally, the Institute runs a human patient simulation lab and in coordination with local hospitals, develops and supports outreach training for the surrounding EMS professionals. Mike holds a Master of Science in Business Administration from Boston University, a Masters in Public Administration from Boise State University, and a Bachelors of Science in Public Administration, Criminal Justice major, from the University of Arizona. From 1982-2005, Mike served in the U.S. Army in a variety of positions, including Pershing missiles Platoon Commander and Operations Officer, Field Artillery Battery Commander, Combat Maneuver Training Center Observer Controller, Field Artillery Instructor, Battalion Executive Officer, Division Fire Support Coordinator, Training Support Battalion Commander, and Professor of Military Science.
Katie Gries Katie is a Provider Strategy Specialist for the Saint Alphonsus Health Alliance. Katie is responsible for working collaboratively with independent and employed providers to execute population health management operational processes, innovative care continuums and team-based strategies for primary care providers across The Alliance. With over 15 years of experience in private practice, Katie has a vast knowledge with assisting practices in evaluating their current processes and implementing best practices to ensure providers and their care teams are prepared for the transition to pay-for-performance. Katie has a Masters of Healthcare Administration.