2024 Speakers

Jeff Barnhard

Jeff Barnhard is the Chief Executive Officer of Lincare, a leading home respiratory supplier serving approximately 1.8 million patients through the United States. Lincare provides respiratory equipment and services in the home. Barnhard also serves as the Chairman for the Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC). The CQRC is a leader in the home respiratory community, helping to protect and define the future of cost-effective, high quality home respiratory therapy care for all Americans. Barnhard joined Praxair in 1991 as a chemical engineer. He was given increasing responsibilities in engineering, sales, marketing, operations, and region management. He was the President of Praxair Healthcare Services, providing respiratory services and equipment in the home. Linde and Praxair merged in 2018. Barnhard later held various roles with Linde, managing the Industrial & Medical Gas business in the U.S. before he was promoted to his current position. Barnhard earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Clarkson University and a master’s degree in business administration from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Kyle Berkman

Kyle Berkman is a Director at Intrepid Investment Bankers. Prior to joining Intrepid in 2013, Kyle was an Associate in Macquarie Capital’s business services investment banking group. Kyle advised Shield HealthCare, one the largest independent distributors of consumable medical products to patients in their homes, on its sale to Henry Schein. Kyle focuses exclusively on health care and has helped a wide variety of health care services businesses raise capital or complete recapitalization or sale transactions. Kyle holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and a master’s degree from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Dexter Braff

Dexter W. Braff is the Founder and President of The Braff Group, one of the nation’s leading health care merger and acquisition advisory firms (source: Refinitiv). Since its founding in 1998, The Braff Group has closed transactions with an aggregate transaction value in excess of $5 billion.

With 30 plus years of experience representing health care service companies, Dexter is recognized as one of the preeminent industry experts in health care M&A. He has written and contributed to feature articles that have appeared in numerous health care industry publications and has written a chapter in the Handbook of Business Valuation published by John Wiley & Sons. He is frequently interviewed on various topics regarding health care mergers and acquisitions by news outlets including Bloomberg News, CNBC, USA Today, The Huffington Post, BHB News, Hospice News, and HHCN News, along with various health care sector journals. Additionally, Dexter is the author of The Braff Report, a respected periodic market analysis of specific health care sectors including Behavioral Health, Home Health and Hospice, Health Care Staffing Services, Home Medical Equipment and Pharmacy Services as well as Viewpoints, which are treatises on various aspects of completing a transaction.

Dexter has been the keynote speaker, panelist or speaker on various issues regarding health care mergers and acquisitions or finance at conferences across the country including Home Care Innovation + Investment, McGuireWoods Healthcare Private Equity and Finance Conference, BRG Healthcare Leadership Conference, National Association for Home Care & Hospice Annual Conference and Financial Management Conference, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, HME News Business Summit, Staffing Industry Analyst’s Healthcare Staffing Summit, Treatment Center Investment & Valuation Retreat, Autism Investor Summit, NATHO’s Conference for Healthcare Staffing Executives, CCAPP Addiction Leadership Conference and Aging Media’s INVEST, FUTURE, VALUE, ELEVATE and HOMECARE conferences on Behavior Health, Home Health, Home Care and Hospice. Dexter has presented seminars, webinars and moderated or participated in discussion panels for numerous entities including Expert Webcast, Aging Media’s Behavioral Health Business and Home Health Care News and Staffing Industry Analyst.

Dexter holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Science from the University of Oregon, a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University, and received the Vincent W. Lanfear Award for academic achievement from the University of Pittsburgh. Dexter has been selected to serve on the board of several companies and institutions including the advisory board for the Home Care Innovation & Investment Conference. Dexter was inducted into The Home Care and Hospice Financial Managers Association Hall of Fame as “Dealmaker Extraordinaire” in 2019.

Steve Cela

Steve Cela, President of Strategic Office Support, brings over two decades of experience in owning and operating DME companies and diagnostic centers. He is the owner and co-founder of Apnix Sleep Diagnostics, as well as Apnix CPAP Equipment and Supplies. He also owns a manufacturing business in Houston, Texas. Steve holds degrees in Biology and Business from Baylor University and the University of Texas in Dallas, respectively. A speaker, business owner and consultant, he is renowned for transforming business operations and strategy, leveraging his extensive expertise in efficiency optimization. His practical insights and strategic management advice have shaped the growth trajectories of numerous businesses in the healthcare sector.

Steve founded Strategic Office Support, a remote staffing and revenue cycle management company, specifically to help HME and DME providers become more efficient, more profitable, and more patient-focused. Together with Strategic Office Support, Steve is on a mission to help clients reclaim their time and focus on growth!

Coni Dennis

Coni Dennis serves as the Vice President of Clinical Strategy and Innovation at CCS . Her role is to translate evidence into practice and introduce new clinical solutions to improve CCS' position in the marketplace. Previously, she spent 16 years at Humana, focusing on clinical strategy, program and product development, quality and process enhancements, clinical operations, and population health. Her work at Humana aimed to improve outcomes for patients with multiple chronic conditions, using human-centered design principles to understand clinical, human, and business problems. She has extensive experience in clinical operations, program development, quality, and process improvement and has designed several pilot programs to improve patient health and reduce the total cost of care. In addition, she has experience in curriculum and CEU content development. She has completed several collaborative studies in cardiovascular conditions, including the impact of cardiac rehabilitation on new diagnoses of major depression, the implications of cognitive behavioral therapy on self-care heart failure index scores, and patient, caregiver, and provider perspectives on heart failure care. Additionally, she has served on the Humana/Amgen joint steering committee, guiding research topics to generate actionable insights. Most recently she designed, implemented, and facilitated the online Innovation Community for the American Nurses Association, engaging nurses nationally on topics of nurse-led innovation. Coni's early career included bedside nursing and nursing management at Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Ky., telephonic care management, and home health remote monitoring at the Visiting Nurse Association. Coni holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in nursing from Indiana Wesleyan and Bellarmine Universities, respectively. She is pursuing her Doctorate in Nursing Practice at Bellarmine University, focused on food insecurity and diabetes outcomes. She resides in Corydon, Ind., with her husband, Robert, and two golden retrievers.

Craig Douglas

Craig currently serves as vice president of Payer and Member Relations for VGM & Associates, where he focuses on helping providers navigate payer relationships. Craig helps address concerns that are impacting VGM’s broad range of members from a payer perspective, including medical policies, adequacy of provider networks and reimbursement, and alternative payment models aimed at achieving better care, better outcomes and lower overall health care costs. Craig has also previously served as vice president of Provider Relations for VGM’s HOMELINK division, where he built and fostered relationships with payers and providers across the country. Craig has been with VGM since 1999.

Casey Hoyt

As Chief Executive Officer of VieMed Healthcare, Mr. Hoyt is committed to executing VieMed's patient-centric focus and "live your life" mission. A longtime believer in helping patients live better lives through clinical excellence, education, and technology, Hoyt co-founded VieMed subsidiaries, Sleep Management, LLC, and Home Sleep Delivered, LLC, in 2006 before its evolution in 2012 to present-day VieMed Healthcare. Hoyt also serves on the American Association for Homecare's Board of Directors, its CEO Leadership Council, Ochsner Lafayette General Foundation's Board of Trustees, their General Foundation Board, and the Community Foundation of Acadiana’s Board. Additionally, he has led many successful businesses throughout his career, most recently a global trade show display and event marketing services company.

Eric Kim

Eric Kim is a Principal with Grant Avenue Capital. Prior to joining Grant Avenue Capital in 2019, Eric was an Associate at Morgan Stanley Capital Partners in New York. During this time, he executed and supported numerous investments across the health care and industrial sectors. Prior, he was an Analyst in the Healthcare Investment Banking group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Citigroup Capital Markets. Eric graduated from Duke University with a B.S. in Economics.

Dr. Charlotte Lawson

Dr. Charlotte Lawson is an emergency physician and the CEO/Co-Founder of Darby, a venture-backed software company incubated out of the Harvard Innovation Lab. Darby's Smart Intake software turns image-based files into structured data, allowing HME/DME companies to rapidly qualify referrals, identify missing information, and prepare for audits. Charlotte lives in Greenville, S.C., with her wife and two kids.

Keith Lockwood

Keith Lockwood joined Jefferies in August 2009 and is a Managing Director in the Global Healthcare Investment Banking Group. Mr. Lockwood's client coverage focuses on Outpatient and Alternate Site Healthcare Services Providers. Prior to joining Jefferies, he was employed at UBS Investment Bank in the Global Healthcare Group. Prior to joining UBS, Mr. Lockwood was employed by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in the Business Advisory Services Group. Mr. Lockwood graduated from Bucknell University with a BS / BA in accounting, and is also a CPA (inactive).

Josh Marx

Josh Marx is CEO of Medical Service Company, a third-generation family-owned business, founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1950. In his role, he largely focuses on corporate culture, strategic planning, organizational design, and acquisitions and partnerships. Over his career, Josh has held various roles supporting Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions, Strategic Partnerships, Marketing, Brand Management, and Operations Management. Josh also serves as Chairman of the Board for the American Association for Homecare, as well as serving on several other healthcare companies advisory boards. Josh earned his Master of Business Administration from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University and Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Coastal Carolina University.

Medical Service Company provides home medical equipment and clinical support to patients in their homes. With its 74 years of experience, 50 locations, and 600 employees, MSC is the industry leader in designing and delivering strategic partnerships with health systems to aid in the smooth transition of patients going from hospital to home. MSC cares for over 160,000 patients annually, across the nation.

Amanda Minimi

Amanda Minimi is an accomplished healthcare leader with over a decade of experience driving successful initiatives in health improvement and public policy. She is dedicated to promoting health equity, enhancing health outcomes, expanding access to quality care, and advocating for health system reform. In January 2017, Amanda joined Aeroflow Health and currently serves as the Director of Corporate Development.

In her role, Amanda oversees business development activities, program development, and payor solutions across all lines of business, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the commercial market. As the Director of Corporate Development, she leads a team of skilled individuals focused on business development, advocacy, and business support.

Beyond her responsibilities at Aeroflow Health, Amanda actively contributes as a member of AAHomeCare, serving on the Payor Relations Board. She also holds a position as a Board Member for ATHOMES, where she actively shapes and advocates for policies that benefit the patients served by Aeroflow.

Amanda Minimi earned her undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of South Florida, with a focus on healthcare finance. Additionally, she earned a master’s degree in Business Analytics from The College of William and Mary, showcasing her commitment to data-driven decision-making. As a certified Six Sigma Black Belt professional, Amanda exemplifies her dedication to continuous improvement and excellence in her field.

Jennifer Moore

Jennifer Moore, MBA is the President of the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization (MHACO), whose membership includes 10 acute care hospitals and over 1,700 private practice and employed physicians. She also serves as the Vice President, Payer Relations & Payment Innovation for MaineHealth. Jen oversees all activities associated with payer contracting and value-based performance, including the Medicare Shared Savings Program and numerous commercial value-based contracts, representing over 300,000 Medicare and commercial lives.

With over 30 years of experience, Jen is a results-oriented health care executive leading systems toward value-based care with strengths in contract negotiations, strategic planning, financial management, quality management, risk adjustment and operations, both in complex health care systems and the insurance industry. Successful in leading teams and fostering strong employee relations, while demonstrating expertise in operations management and fiscal stability, Jen led the transformation of a PHO into a successful accountable care organization.

Recognized as a thought-leader in ACO policy and development, Jen also serves as a board member of the National Association of Accountable Care Organizations (NAACOs), Chair of the NAACOs Education Committee, and member of the NAACOs Executive and Governance committees.

Joni Moss

Joni began her career as an acute care Registered Nurse, moving into home healthcare management as Director of Nurses for an HHA owned by Rotech Healthcare. Since then, she has held various leadership roles in sales/operations, centralized services, distribution/fulfillment and revenue cycle management. She currently serves as Chief Administration Officer.

Justin Mortara

Justin Mortara, Ph.D. is EnsoData’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President. He joined the EnsoData team in November of 2022, expanding the leadership team from the original core of founders. In his role as CEO and President, Justin has lead the day-to-day operations, growth, and execution across all aspects of both the current outlook of the business.

Justin is also the co-founder of Milwaukee-based Rose Biosciences, a tech-focused bio startup, and principal at Mortara Group, LLC. He also served as CEO for over 20 years at Mortara Instrument, a provider of diagnostics for cardiovascular disease.

He has been recognized with numerous awards including the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) Future 50 Award, the Deloitte Wisconsin 75, the Journal Sentinel Top 100 Workplaces Award, the Frost and Sullivan Product Line Strategy Award and the Business Journal’s Manufacturer of the Year Grand Award for Technology and Healthcare Innovation.

Alan Morris

Alan Morris is Senior Vice President of Strategy for VGM. VGM benefits from Alan's 18 years of experience in the health care field. He has a strong background in industry analysis and research, especially related to business opportunities and strategies. He uses his extensive knowledge to help VGM's members and vendors have insights necessary to implement effective business strategies. Alan worked for VGM from 2007 to 2014 and again since 2022. He has given keynotes, seminars and webinars on health care trends that affect DMEs. He also has experience in leading an analytics function for a large midwestern health system. There, he guided a team of internal consultants and analysts who worked on health care areas such as strategy, finance, clinical, operations and value-based contracting. He also gained expertise in health care policy, strategic partnership management, and performance management.

Michael O’Rourke

Michael O’Rourke is a Partner at Peloton Equity. Prior to joining the Peloton team in 2012, Michael was an associate at CIT Group, where he was responsible for health care investment banking. Michael currently serves on the boards of ClearSky Health, Journey Health & Lifestyle and Grenova Solutions, and as a board observer at Health Plan One. Michael also worked on Peloton’s investments in AeroCare Solutions/AdaptHealth (NASDAQ: AHCO), Arcadia Solutions, American Aerogel (d/b/a AeroSafe Global) and Identity Theft Guard Solutions (d/b/a IDX). Michael holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce.

Philip Parks

Philip Parks, MD, MPH joined AdaptHealth in June of 2024 as Executive Vice President, Strategy & Innovation. He has been a strategic advisor to venture capital and private equity backed companies where he worked with investors and founding teams of early-stage companies in pre-seed, seed, series A-E phases with specific goals to drive acceleration in revenue generation, profitability, and impact – through developing strategic partnerships. Dr. Parks was formerly VP, Healthcare Innovation at Cardinal Health, a global Fortune 15 company, where he led growth strategy, innovation, strategic investments, and partnerships. Dr. Parks’ team was responsible for deploying strategic investments, driving M&A deal flow, and launching new businesses and business models. Prior to Cardinal Health, he held intrapreneurial leadership roles at Exact Sciences where he launched new capabilities including Healthcare Transformation, Population Health, and Medical Affairs during a period of triple digit revenue growth and multi-billion dollar acquisitions. He has more than 20 years of strategy, commercial partnership, clinical, R&D, product and technology commercialization, corporate medicine, and managed healthcare experience.

Dr. Parks is multi-disciplinary trained in medicine, public health, and healthcare management and is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of clinical experience caring for patients. He earned his B.A. degree with High Honors in Philosophy & Medical Ethics from Davidson College, M.D. and M.P.H. from Tulane University, and a second masters degree in healthcare management from the T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health. He is an author of over a dozen peer-reviewed medical and scientific journal articles and is an inventor on four patents.

David Siegel

David Siegel is the CEO and majority owner of Nationwide Medical, Inc. David helped transform Nationwide Medical, Inc., from a small family-owned company into a national sleep and respiratory company. David has primarily focused on the company’s strategic direction, payer contracting expansion and manufacturer relationships. David currently sits on several industry committees, including the Board of Directors at AAHomecare and CAMPS. David holds an Exemptee license and has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Systems Management from California State University, Northridge.

Jeremy Stolz

Jeremy Stolz is CEO of VGM Group, Inc., stepping into the role in 2024. Jeremy has been with the company since 2003. In 2009, he developed and launched VGM Fulfillment, becoming president of the division in 2017. Under his leadership, VGM Fulfillment grew to become one of VGM’s largest divisions and a key player in the CPAP resupply business. In the summer of 2022, Stolz took over as president of VGM & Associates, another core VGM Group company, in addition to his role with VGM Fulfillment. He earned his B.A. and MBA from Upper Iowa University.

Craig Thompson

Craig Thompson is Tomorrow Health's General Manager and Senior Vice President of Sales. Thompson has a strong track record of growth and success throughout his 20-year career as a sales leader. After spending 14 years leading sales at Abbott – including his role as Area Vice President for the Western United States Vascular Division – Thompson joined Alto Pharmacy as Vice President of Sales, where he grew revenue over 20x and expanded the team from 10 to 200, and then became the Chief Commercial Officer at Getlabs. Thompson leads Tomorrow Health’s referring provider and supplier growth teams, taking on ownership of growth and engagement with provider groups, health systems, and suppliers.

Laura Williard

Laura Williard is the senior vice president of payer relations for the American Association for Homecare. She has served in the HME community for more than 24 years, most recently at Advanced Home Care as senior director of regulatory affairs, reimbursement compliance and contracting. Williard has extensive experience working with managed care, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid MCOs and state Medicaid programs. Laura is very active in state associations, serving on the board for GAMES, vice president for NCAMES, and vice president for ATHOMES. She also served as the Vice Chair for the Jurisdiction C Medicare Council, and is a founding member of the Mediware User Group. Williard also participated as a member of the Palmetto 16 State Coalition Committee and sits on the Public Policy Committee of the Visiting Nurses Association of America. In addition to her industry involvement, Williard has previous experience managing a large reimbursement department with 150 employees and was responsible for all aspects of the revenue cycle.

Phyllis Yale

Phyllis Yale currently serves on the boards of Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, DaVita Healthcare (NYSE: DVA), Aledade, and Montai (a Flagship Pioneering company).

She has worked across the post-acute sector, including chairing the board of Kindred Healthcare, Inc (NYSE: KND) and serving on the boards of NeighborCare (NASDAQ), and Pediatric Services of America (NASDAQ). She also serves on the advisory boards of Tomorrow Health and HeroHealth (tech enabled service for medication management).

Phyllis Yale is an Advisory Partner in Bain & Company’s Boston office. She joined the firm in 1982 and was elected to the partnership in 1987. Ms. Yale has been a leader in building Bain’s health care practice for more than 35 years. Over her career she has worked with health care payers and with providers across the continuum of care, and she frequently advises the world’s leading private equity firms on their investments in the health care sector.

She earned an MBA from Harvard Business School with honors and is a graduate Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics magna cum laude.