Healthcare Workforce Data Center Advisory Council Profiles

The Honorable George Barker

Virginia State Senate

George has spent his life serving his community and working to effect positive change. Prior to his election to Virginia’s State Senate in 2007, George took the lead on a host of issues, and has been consistently committed to improving our quality of life in Northern Virginia.
For 30 years, George has worked for Northern Virginia’s regional health planning agency, the Health Systems Agency of Northern Virginia. During his tenure at the Agency, he worked to contain skyrocketing health care costs, promote quality of care, and ensure access to medical care for all Northern Virginians.
George and his wife, Jane, reside in Clifton. Together they raised two children, Erik and Emily, who are now grown and are pursuing their own careers. George earned two degrees from Harvard University, receiving undergraduate honors in Economics and Public Health and a master’s in Health Policy and Management.

Experience
Transportation
Chair, Fairfax County’s Transportation Advisory Commission, since 2001, working to improve our transportation system
Vice-chair, Fairfax County’s Tysons Task Force, since 2005, working to redesign Tysons into an integrated urban area

Community Involvement
President, Homeowners’ Association, since 1991
Vice-chair, Springfield District Council, since 2004
Board member, Occoquan Watershed Coalition, since 1997
Member, Green Breakfast group, since 2004
Member, Session (governing body), Fairfax Presbyterian Church, 1988-1991 and 2004-2007
Member, Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce
Host, “Focus on Franconia” and “Spotlight on Springfield”, Fairfax Public Access Television (Channel 10)

Youth and Education
President, PTA, Mount Vernon High School, 2000-2001, and Robinson Secondary School, 1992-1994

Health and Human Services
Founding Chair, Northern Virginia Perinatal Council, 1990-1996 and since 2004
Advisor to newly established Greater Prince William Community Health Center, since 2004
Founding Member and Analyst, Southeast Fairfax Health Task Force, since 2003, helping stabilize Inova Mount Vernon Hospital and providing the first recommendation for the developing Inova Lorton HealthPlex
Founding Member and Chair, Northern Virginia Access to Health Care Consortium, working to provide medical care to the uninsured

Peter Blake

Vice Chancellor for Workforce Development Services
Virginia Community College System

Peter Blake is Vice Chancellor for Workforce Development Services for the Virginia Community College System, a system of 23 colleges serving over 3,000 businesses and 150,000 students in workforce courses and transitional programs. The VCCS also serves as the administrator of the federal Workforce Investment Act and other workforce grants.

Prior to this appointment, he served as Secretary of Education and Deputy Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia, under Governor Mark Warner. During his tenure he worked closely with the National Governors Association and the Education Commission of the States on initiatives surrounding high school reform, transitions from secondary to postsecondary education, university research, and higher education financing and accountability.

Peter also served on the staff of the House Appropriations Committee of the Virginia General Assembly with primary responsibilities for higher education and transportation. He was the principal staff member responsible for a major revision of the state’s funding guidelines for colleges and universities.

Before working for the General Assembly, he worked for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the state's coordinating board for higher education, primarily on financial policy matters.

He holds B.A. and M.S. degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. He serves on board of several education-related organizations, including the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, the Richmond Public Library Board, and the Virginia Commonwealth University Alumni Association.

Jeffery S. Cribbs, Sr.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Richmond Memorial Health Foundation (RMHF)

Jeffery S. Cribbs, Jr. is the Executive Director of the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation (RMHF) and the Principal Investigator for the Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future (PIN) grant that partially funds the Nurse Leadership Institute of Central Virginia. In his role as Executive Director of the RMHF, he leads health care foundation with assets in excess of $100 million whose purposes are to provide financial and intellectual investments in organizations serving the residents of Richmond and Central Virginia.

Prior to assuming his position at the Foundation, he was President of Jeffrey S. Cribbs and Associates, a strategic planning, financial planning and facilities management consulting firm. He has served most of his career in higher education, government and philanthropy. He served as Vice-president at Virginia Commonwealth University. His administrative responsibilities included university and hospital program planning and evaluation; operating and capital budgeting; real estate development; facilities planning, design and construction; physical plant operations; information systems and services administration and community and legislative liaison and prior to that in the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.

He holds a BS Chaminade University of Honolulu, a MC from the University of Richmond and has post master’s College of William and Mary. He is an active leader across Virginia, serving on the program committee of LeadVA and providing consultation for not-for-profit organizations.

Arthur Garson, Jr., M.D., M.P.H.

Executive Vice President and Provost
University of Virginia

Arthur Garson, Jr. is the Executive Vice President and Provost of the University of Virginia and the Robert C. Taylor Professor of Health Science and Public Policy. He is responsible for the planning and operations of the University’s eleven schools, as well as academic planning. He co-chairs the Commission on the Future of the University.

In 2002, Dr. Garson was appointed Vice President and Dean of the University of Virginia’s School of Medicine. During his tenure as dean, he led health system-wide strategic and operational planning under his leadership, the School of Medicine started a Master of Public Health program; the Academy of Distinguished Educators; the Center on Health Care Disparities; the Patient Education Institute; the Medical Education Research Institute; and the Virginia Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (a joint effort among several schools).

Dr. Garson graduated (Phi Beta Kappa, Summa Cum Laude) from Princeton University in 1970 and received his M.D. (Alpha Omega Alpha) from Duke University in 1974, remaining at Duke for Pediatric residency. He completed his Pediatric Cardiology fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, becoming Chief of Pediatric Cardiology. In 1992, he received a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Texas Houston. He has served as Duke’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, and professor in the Sanford Institute of Public Policy. He returned to Baylor and was the Senior Vice President and Dean for Academic Operations as well as Vice President of Texas Children’s Hospital, before coming to the University. Dr. Garson has authored or edited more than 400 publications including eight books.

In addition, he has served on the White House panel on Health Policy and as Chair of the American College of Cardiology’s task force on the uninsured. He has served on the Institute of Medicine Task Force on rapid improvements in the healthcare system, and the Commonwealth Fund Task Force on Health Insurance and the Uninsured.

In 1999-2000, Dr. Garson served as President of the American College of Cardiology.

He was appointed by Secretary of Health and Human Services Thompson to chair the National Advisory Council of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in 2003.

In 2004, he was appointed to chair the Healthcare Programs subcommittee of the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Insurance and the Uninsured. He currently serves on the Governor of Virginia’s Health Reform Commission, chairs the Workforce Subcommittee, and is a special consultant on access and the uninsured.

Dr. Garson helped originate and draft a bill that has recently been introduced into both houses of the U.S. Congress, the "Health Partnership Act" (S. 325 and H.R. 5606), which funds grants to states for innovations to improve coverage for the uninsured, quality, and efficiency.

He continues to consult with pediatric cardiology patients, especially those with arrhythmias and fainting. He teaches the introductory MPH health policy course, "Myths and Realities of American Healthcare." His book Health Care Half Truths: Too Many Myths, Not Enough Reality, was published in April 2007.

Dr. Garson and his wife, Suzan, have two daughters.

JoAnne Kirk Henry, EdD., R.N.C.

Program Director, Nurse Leadership Institute of Central Virginia

JoAnne Kirk Henry, EdD., R.N.C. is the Program Director, of the Nurse Leadership Institute of Central Virginia and an Emerita faculty member of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing. At VCU, she was the Director of the Community Nursing Organization, the Theresa Thomas Professor and the Director of the VCU Office of Health Policy. She provided leadership in the School and University through her ability to developed networks of university and community contacts for consultation and leadership in policy decision-making.

She has served in a number of professional leadership roles, including the chair of the Governor’s Advisory Council on the Future of Nursing and co-founder (and current President) of the Virginia Partnership for Nursing. She was a founding leader in VCU’s Institute for Women’s Health and Center of Excellence in Women’s Health and serves as a member of the MCV Foundation Board.

Dr. Henry is a graduate of the University of Virginia BS (nursing) and EdD (higher Education), New York University (MA Parent Child Nursing) and UNC Chapel Hill (MPH). She is active as a community volunteer and currently serves as president of the Board of Directors of the Daily Planet and a member of the Corporation Board of St. Joseph’s Villa and the CHIP of Virginia Board.

Michael Jurgensen

Senior Vice President, Health Policy and Planning
The Medical Society of Virginia

Mr. Jurgensen is currently Senior Vice President, Health Policy and Planning for The Medical Society of Virginia. Prior to joining the MSV in 1998, he was Senior Researcher/Instructor in the Department of Health Administration, Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University. His other health care experience includes positions as Policy and Planning Supervisor for the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, Assistant Administrator at Grand Strand General Hospital in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Administrative Assistant at Trident Regional Medical Center in Charleston, South Carolina.

He has a Master of Health Administration degree from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from James Madison University.

Timothy Owen Kestner

Economist
Virginia Employment Commission

Tim has been a staff research economist at the Virginia Employment Commission for seventeen years. He is responsible for tracking and reporting on Virginia’s economy as it relates to the workforce, along with developing economic impact assessments of existing and declining industries.

Tim has authored numerous articles regarding industrial changes in Virginia, and has tracked and reported on the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) for the past decade.

Timothy Owen Kestner, continued

He recently worked with U.S. Senator John Warner, U.S. Congressman Randy Forbes, Fort Lee, Defense Supply Center Richmond, the College of William and Mary, and the University of Virginia in the provision of economic impact analyses.

Tim is the current President of the Virginia Association of Economists, and has served as Vice President and President of the Richmond Association of Business Economists.

Tim is an adjucnt professor of International Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he received his undergraduate degree. His graduate degree was earned at the University of Richmond.

The Honorable Daniel LeBlanc

Senior Advisor to the Governor for Workforce

As Senior Advisor for Workforce, Mr. LeBlanc serves as Governor Timothy Kaine’s Chief Workforce Development Officer. Mr. LeBlanc’s responsibilities include advising the Governor on all workforce development matters. In this role, he provides direction in the development and implementation of the Commonwealth’s workforce development strategic plan and in the administration of activities associated with the Federal Workforce Investment Act.

Mr. LeBlanc has extensive workforce experience from the Shop Floor to the Virginia Workforce Council. Prior to joining the Kaine Administration, Mr. LeBlanc served as the President of the Virginia AFL-CIO.

Mr. LeBlanc has been a Virginia resident most of his adult life and is an Army Veteran. He and his wife Mary live in the Richmond area, and they have three children and six grandchildren.

William “Bill” Lukhard

Executive Council
AARP

Graduate of the University Of Richmond
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Master of Commerce

Major Employment
Commonwealth of Virginia - 30 years
Commissioner of the Department of Social Services- 13 years
Adjunct Lecturer in Finance and Management - University of Richmond for 6 years.

Other Activities
A founding member of the Legal Services Corporation of Virginia and currently serving on its Board of Directors.
Helped establish Virginia Health Information, Inc. and was a charter member of its Board of Directors. Served as Board Chairman for 2 years.
Has been an AARP volunteer for 20 years serving on both National and state committees. Currently is on AARP – VA’s Executive Council leading its Long Term Care initiative.
Currently serves on the Virginia Health Quality Center's Board of Directors
Was a member of Governor Kaine's Health Care Reform Commission and chaired its Long Term Care work group.

Native of Richmond, Virginia

PJ Maddox

Professor, George Mason University
Chair, Dept. of Health Administration and Policy

Dr. Maddox received her doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University, New York in Health Systems Administration. She is a nurse with a distinguished career in nursing; health services research and hospital management. Dr. Maddox’s academic and research interests range from examining the impact of financing arrangements and delivery systems to program outcomes and Health Policy analysis. She is a recognized expert in health management and strategic planning, health policy analysis and health outcomes research.

Dr. Maddox came to George Mason University in 1995 from the National Institutes of Health. At GMU she developed the graduate program in health administration and established the health services research program in the Center for Health Policy, Research & Ethics where she served as Director. At the Clinic Center of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, she served as Deputy Director for Nursing and Service Chief for numerous institutes. She has held management and academic teaching appointments in a variety of Universities and Academic Medical Centers throughout the US (Saint Mary’s Hospital, Reno, NV, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, MA, University of California Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, and INOVA Fairfax Hospital, Fairfax, VA). She is recipient of numerous professional awards, and serves on philanthropic boards and service organizations concerned with Community Healthcare and International services. Currently she is a member of the Governing Council of the Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association.

Dr. Maddox is nationally recognized as a teacher, lecturer, researcher and consultant in the fields of nursing and contemporary healthcare management. She is author of numerous textbook chapters, articles and papers on policy, technology and ethics in health management, in applied health services research and on managing health services amidst workforce shortages and limited financial resources. She is co-editing a Community resource textbook on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response Planning that is expected to be published in late 2004 (Jones and Bartlett).

As a researcher Dr. Maddox’s work has involved evaluation of state telehealth programs, testing a proposed federal program funding allocation methodology for the Division of Nursing, evaluating state Medicaid program outcomes and health workforce planning. She has just completed the first supply/demand analysis of nursing workforce in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Currently she is funded through a HRSA State Planning Grant to Virginia to study the problem of employed uninsured and develop an economically viable model to improve health insurance coverage.

Tod Massa

Director of Policy Research & Data Warehousing
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV)

Tod Massa started at SCHEV in 2001 with nearly a decade of experience in policy research and analysis, and data management. As Policy Research and Data Warehousing Director, Mr. Massa oversees the development and production of the Reports of Institutional Effectiveness; the biennial projections of enrollment and demand; will be directing the development of the new teacher pipeline data system. His wide-ranging duties also include collecting, maintaining, and analyzing research data from all Virginia colleges and universities related to enrollment, graduation, faculty salaries, and financial aid. He is the architect of the agency’s statewide data warehouse. In addition, Mr. Massa oversees SCHEV's role as the state’s IPEDS coordinator. He conducts analyses of student behavior, and supports the agency's various assessment efforts. He also directs the agency's information systems activities.

Prior to joining the Council staff, Mr. Massa held institutional research leadership positions at two institutions of higher education. From 1991 to 1994, he served as the Institutional Research Coordinator and Academic Policy Analyst at Saint Louis University. Most recently, Mr. Massa served as the Director of Institutional Research and Planning Support at Williamette University in Salem, Oregon. Prior to joining the staff at Willamette, Mr. Massa served in the U.S. Army and was twice awarded the Department of the Army Certificate of Achievement and the Army Achievement Medal for outstanding service.

Mr. Massa has completed doctoral work in Public Policy Analysis and Planning at Saint Louis University. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art from Missouri Southern State College.

Mr. Massa has also received the Association for Institutional Research’s “Outstanding Service Award” for service to the association in 2000.

Stephen S. Mick, Ph.D., FACHE

Arthur Graham Glasgow Professor and Chair
Department of Health Administration
School of Allied Health Professions
Medical College of Virginia Campus
Virginia Commonwealth University

Education
Yale, Doctor of Philosophy, Sociology

Research/Teaching Areas
Dr. Mick's current teaching responsibilities include HAD 602, "The Health Services System," and HAD 702, "Health Care Financing, Organization, and Delivery Systems." Other teaching interests include health care management and organization, rural health and health services, and comparative national systems. His research interests include the health care workforce--particularly international medical graduates (IMGs), rural health care, and the relation between health care resources, use of services, and health status.

Awarded a Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship, Dr. Mick spent the 1993-94 academic year in France studying rural hospitals. He has been a consultant to the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME). During his career, Dr. Mick has taught health administration at Yale University, Oklahoma University, the University of Washington, the Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Michigan, where he directed the Doctoral Program in Health Services Organization and Policy. From 1997 through 1999, he was a delegate to annual meetings of the International Medical Workforce Conference. Dr. Mick is currently serving a four-year term as the Chairperson of the Health Systems Research study section of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). He is also on the Advisory Council of the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis.

Dr. Mick serves as a Commissioner for the Commission on Accreditation for Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). He is a member of the board of the Coalition for Health Services Research, and he is the 2007 Co-Chair of the Program Planning Committee for the Annual Meeting of the Association for University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA).

Current Projects
Under contract from the Virginia Department of Health, Dr. Mick and his research group are developing estimates of the requirements for physicians for the years 2010 and 2015. This work should provide state policy makers and other interested parties with a new assessment of the probable trends in primary care and specialty care medicine in the Commonwealth.

Dr. Mick is also working with Laura L. Morlock, Ph.D., of the Johns Hopkins University, on a follow-up study of some 1,000 rural hospitals to determine the outcome of two decades of changing federal and state reimbursement policies and of market forces on hospital performance and survival. Funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, this study will be the most comprehensive assessment of rural hospital activities since Mick and Morlock's earlier work in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The Honorable John O’Bannon, III, M.D.

Virginia House of Delegates

Dr. John O’Bannon is a lifelong Virginian who has dedicated himself to caring for others. Growing up on a farm in Rappahannock County, as a child John helped his family by selling apples at the family fruit stand near Skyline Drive. John O’Bannon’s leadership abilities became apparent during his schooling. A graduate of Hargrave Military Academy and the University of Richmond, John attended medical school at the Medical College of Virginia (MCV), where he was elected President of the Student Body. Later, as a resident at MCV, he was elected President of the Housestaff Council, served as Chairman of the Dean’s Advisory Committee, and was named Chief Resident in Neurology.

A well-regarded physician, John O’Bannon is a partner in Neurological Associates, a leading Richmond medical practice. He has served as Chief of Staff of Henrico Doctors’ Hospital and is currently on the Hospital’s Board of Trustees, where he chairs the Quality Committee. His peers named him one of the “Outstanding Physicians of the Year” in Richmond Magazine’s annual poll.

John O’Bannon is a national leader in improving the medical profession. A leader in the American Medical Association (AMA), John currently serves on the AMA Delegation from the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) and served as a member of the AMA’s Council for Ethical and Judicial Affairs from 1997 through 2004. Here in Virginia, John is a past Chairman of the Board of the Richmond Academy of Medicine. He also served as Chairman of the MSV’s Legislative Committee, where he helped pass the Virginia Patients’ Bill of Rights.

John O’Bannon is a leader in our community. He is a member of the West Richmond Rotary Club, the Glen Allen Ruritan Club, and the Board of the Central Virginia Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. A member of the Henrico County Republican Committee, John has been active in numerous federal, state, and local campaigns.

John O’Bannon is a leader in the General Assembly. The only practicing physician in the House of Delegates, he serves on the Appropriations, Health, Welfare and Institutions, and Privileges and Elections Committees. John also serves as Chairman of the Health Subcommittee of the Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee and of the Campaign Finance Subcommittee of the Privileges and Elections Committee. He is a member of the Secure Commonwealth Panel and the General Assembly’s Joint Commission on Health Care.

John and Pat O’Bannon have been married for 38 years, and reside in Western Henrico. Pat O’Bannon is a former public school teacher who currently serves as Henrico County Supervisor for the Tuckahoe District. The O’Bannon family attends River Road Church, Baptist. John and Pat have three children, John, Virginia, and Andy, all of whom are graduates of Henrico County Public Schools, and three grandchildren.

Sandra Whitley Ryals

Director of the Virginia Department of Health Professions

Appointed by Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Sandra Whitley Ryals currently serves as Director of the Virginia Department of Health Professions. She previously served as Chief Deputy Director of the Department. Ms. Ryals is responsible for providing leadership and executive management for the Department to enhance the delivery of safe and competent health care by licensing qualified health care professionals, enforcing standards of practice, and providing information to both practitioners and consumers of health care services.

Prior to Governor Kaine’s appointments, Ms. Ryals served in Governor Warner’s administration as executive director of the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation where she led a statewide comprehensive approach to decrease the number of youth who smoke in the Commonwealth. Also during Governor Warner’s term she served as chief deputy director at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. In that role, she developed total quality improvement initiatives for the agency and directed agency legislation.

Ms. Ryals has over 30 years experience in the healthcare field including serving as Public Health Nurse Director for the Roanoke City Health District and coordinator for Children’s Specialty Services through the Virginia Department of Health. In addition, she has served as a health care consultant and as a faculty member at Radford University and the College of Health Sciences.

Extensive volunteer leadership in professional and civic activities includes State President for the Virginia Nurses Association and Founding Member, Legislative Coalition of Virginia Nurses. Ms Ryals was appointed by Roanoke City Council to the Roanoke Civic Center Commission and was elected Vice-Chair.

As a lifelong healthcare advocate, Ms Ryals helped found the Child Health Investment Partnership (CHIP) and the Roanoke Adolescent Health Partnership (RAHP). She was awarded the 2001 Centennial Heritage Award for Leadership in Health Law from the University of Virginia.

Ms Ryals is a registered nurse and holds a certification in nursing administration advanced with the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Virginia and her master’s degree in education from Virginia Tech. Additional preparation includes completion with the Virginia Executive Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University: Health Policy Institute, George Mason University; and the Sorenson Institute for Political Leadership, University of Virginia.

Ms. Ryals is married to James Holt Ryals of Emporia, Virginia who is retired from Norfolk Southern Railway. They have a son, Jim Ryals, daughter-in-law Holliday, and two grandsons Holt and Tyler, who reside in Massapequa, New York.

David C. Sarrett, D.M.D., M.S.

Program Director, Area Health Education Centers (AHEC)
Associate Vice President Health Sciences
VCU

David C. Sarrett, D.M.D., M.S., associate vice president for health sciences, received the University of Florida College of Dentistry alumni award in fall 2007, recognizing his extensive involvement in organized dentistry, and for his work as a dental educator, practitioner, and writer.

Sarrett received his D.M.D. from the University of Florida College of Dentistry in 1977. From 1978-93, he served as instructor, assistant professor and then associate professor of operative dentistry. He completed an M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering with emphasis on polymers and composite at the University of Florida in 1988.

In 1993, Sarrett accepted the position of chair, Department of General Practice in Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. He continued his service in teaching and research while serving as department chair at VCU. In 1999, he was promoted to the rank of professor. Sarrett became the assistant dean for academic affairs at VCU School of Dentistry in 2000 and led the accreditation process for the school’s nine dental education programs. In 2003, Sarrett was appointed associate vice president for health sciences for academic affairs for VCU.

Sarrett has made numerous scientific and clinical presentations locally, nationally and internationally and has published more than 40 articles and abstracts. He continues to practice general dentistry while serving as a member of the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs, associate editor for the Journal of the American Dental Association, and editor for the ADA Professional Products Review, which debuted in July 2006.

The Honorable Marilyn B. Tavenner

Secretary of Health and Human Resources
Commonwealth of Virginia

Marilyn Tavenner was appointed Secretary of Health and Human Resources in January of 2006, by Governor Tim Kaine. She began her career as a nurse, working in critical care and emergency department settings.

Most of Marilyn’s career was spent with the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). She started as a Staff Nurse and then became CEO of both Johnston-Willis and Chippenham hospitals, finishing her service to HCA as Group President of Outpatient Services in Nashville, Tennessee. She also served as Chairman of the Virginia Hospital Association and was a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Hospital Association.

Marilyn’s community interests include the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the March of Dimes. A long time native of Virginia, she received both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Masters in Health Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also a Fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Kathy H. Wibberly, Ph.D.

Director, Division of Primary Care and Rural Health
Office of Minority Health and Public Health Policy
Virginia Department of Health (VDH)

Kathy is Director of the Division of Primary Care and Rural Health in the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Office of Minority Health and Public Health Policy. Kathy oversees the design and development of research and analyses of health data related to primary care, the healthcare workforce, and rural health and uses data to guide planning, policy development, program design and implementation. She manages/administers grants and other programmatic initiatives related to primary care, rural health and healthcare workforce issues. These include, but are not limited to telehealth, shortage designations, recruitment and retention efforts, incentives programs including scholarship and loan repayment programs, State Primary Care Office, Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (FLEX), Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (FHIP), FLEX Critical Access Hospital Health Information Technology Network (CAH-HITN) and State Office of Rural Health. Kathy also is Chair of the VDH Institutional Review Board.

Kathy has been working for VDH since November 1995. During her time at VDH, Kathy has spearheaded several state wide projects, including the CLAS Act - Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Health Care Services for Virginians Initiative, Virginia State Planning Grant/InsureMoreVirginians.org, Virginia Partners in Prevention Initiative, the Virginia Right Choices for Youth Initiative, and the Virginia Telehealth Network. Additionally, she has had over eight years of experience working with the VDH Office of Family Health Services conducting program evaluation research and managing multi-site program evaluations.

Kathy received her B.A in Psychology with minors in pre-medicine and youth services from Gordon College in Wenham, MA. She went on to receive her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. Her specialization was in Group Interventions. Areas of particular interest include family, cultural, and religious issues in preventive health. Before coming to VDH, Kathy was a Certified Prevention Specialist and worked at the District 19 Community Services Board where she developed and implemented a program to assist pregnant and parenting teens and their children. She also worked extensively on program evaluation and community coalition development issues. Kathy also has professional work experience as an individual and group therapist in a variety of settings, including community mental health, adult and juvenile corrections, and private practice.