Kathleen A. Curran is Senior Director of Public Policy at the Catholic Health Association of the United States. Ms. Curran coordinates the development of public policy positions for the Association and works with other CHA staff to communicate CHA's public policy positions to Congress, the executive branch, the membership and other outside organizations. Ms. Curran has previously held positions at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. 

Prior to coming to Washington, D.C., Ms. Curran practiced law in Boston, MA, with the firm of Choate, Hall and Stewart. Ms. Curran is a graduate of University of Virginia School of Law and Yale University.

As the Head of Education at the Avila Institute of Gerontology, Shane oversees all educational initiatives and the organization's learning management system. He is responsible for developing comprehensive educational content and programs tailored to the needs of the organization. Notably, he established the AIG CARE (Compassion, Advocacy, Recognition, Excellence) Program, which is designed to provide leadership skills education and professional development to staff working in Carmelite homes. He is dedicated to fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional growth.

Dr. Francis L. Battisti is a noted educator, speaker, psychotherapist, consultant, and author who offers individuals and organizations pathways to explore their potential and move toward desired transformation. Dr. Battisti is a former Executive Vice President, Chief Academic Officer, and Full Professor of Psychology at the State University of New York at Broome Community College, where he was the 2011 recipient of the State University of New York Distinguished Professorship for Service, and a 1989 recipient of the State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. His national reputation in the fields of healthy aging, motivation, health enhancement, and conflict disposition are recognized in his work with numerous corporations, healthcare organizations, long-term care communities, and governmental committees.

Brian Ellsworth has more than 30 years of experience in health care financing, delivery, and policy from both payor and provider perspectives. He has worked at Optum (UnitedHealth Group) and as a policymaker in New York’s Medicaid program. His extensive provider experience includes positions at the American Hospital Association (AHA) and senior leadership roles at statewide associations of home health, hospice, and long-term care providers. At HDG, Mr. Ellsworth leads efforts to develop value-based payment approaches for skilled nursing facilities and home- and community-based providers, including the development of continuing care networks and analysis of bundled payment opportunities. 

His expertise includes the following: development of cutting-edge episodic and value-based payment systems; managed care strategy development for providers and payors seeking to bring value to the health care delivery system; development of regulatory streamlining and cost-saving proposals through leveraging technology and programmatic change; and analysis of legislative and regulatory proposals affecting all post-acute sectors and dual eligible managed care plans.

At Optum, Mr. Ellsworth led efforts to develop a mobile technology solution to improve quality and program integrity for home care and medical transportation providers. His experience also includes federal and state demonstrations on home health pay for performance, Medicare capitation for the chronically ill, and dual eligible integration. At AHA, Mr. Ellsworth analyzed the impact of payment and quality monitoring policies for SNFs, hospital swing beds, IRFs, LTACHs, home health, and inpatient psychiatric facilities. Throughout his career, Mr. Ellsworth’s thought leadership has resulted in a number of important refinements to post-acute, long-term care, and inpatient payment and quality monitoring systems for both Medicare and Medicaid. As a policymaker in New York, he led early efforts to develop managed long-term care plans for the dually eligible. He has served on federal and state technical advisory panels on a wide range of topics, such as long-term care financing reform, episodic reimbursement, and development of process and outcome measures for home health.