The IVI Board of Directors is comprised of members representing various classes of stakeholders, including research and academia, providers, patients, payers, pharmaceutical and medical device companies, as well as other companies in the healthcare industry. The Board is responsible for overseeing the financial and strategic direction of the organization and provides advice and leadership support to IVI’s Executive Director and staff team to execute its work.
Board Members
Alan Balch
Patient Advocate Foundation
Alan Balch, PhD
Chief Executive Officer, Patient Advocate Foundation
Dr. Balch has nearly fifteen years of executive leadership in the non-profit sector with an emphasis on consensus building and collaboration. He has led numerous federal advocacy efforts on a range of issues both that the legislative and regulatory level. He became the CEO of both the Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) and National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF) in 2013. From 2006-2013, he served as the Vice President of the Preventive Health Partnership – a national health promotion collaboration between the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, and American Heart Association. Prior to 2006, Dr. Balch was the Executive Director of Friends of Cancer Research.
Scott Brunner
Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services
Scott Brunner
Scott Brunner is the Deputy Secretary of Hospitals and Facilities with the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS.) This position provides executive oversight of the 4 state hospitals and the KDADS staff conducting surveys and certification reviews for long term care facilities and health occupations. Before starting at KDADS in January 2020, Scott was the Vice President for Stakeholder Relations for Aetna Better Health of Kansas, the new Medicaid health plan operating in the KanCare program. Before working for Aetna, Scott worked in a variety of roles in the Kansas Medicaid Program including State Medicaid Director, Chief Financial Officer, and Director of Informatics from 2004 through 2011. After leaving state service, Scott was the Coverage and Access Team Leader for the Kansas Health Institute, a state focused health policy think tank, during the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and Kansas’ movement to full Medicaid managed care. Scott lives in Topeka, Kansas.
Susan Cantrell
Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy
Susan Cantrell, RPh, MHL, CAE
Susan Cantrell is Chief Executive Officer of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP), the national professional society whose members manage medication therapy benefits for the over 300 million Americans covered by public and private health plans. Susan leads the organization in fulfilling its mission of increasing patient access to affordable medicines, improving health outcomes, and ensuring the wise use of healthcare dollars. Since joining AMCP in 2016, she has worked to advance AMCP’s policies to address rising healthcare costs, health disparities, and the shift toward paying for value in healthcare.
Before joining AMCP, she was Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Americas for the Drug Information Association (DIA), a global society of professionals involved in the development and life-cycle management of pharmaceuticals and other medical products. She previously was Vice President of Resources Development at the American Society of Health‐System Pharmacists (ASHP).
She received her pharmacy degree from the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy and completed a post-graduate residency in hospital pharmacy at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She received her master’s degree in healthcare leadership at Western Governors University and completed a Certificate in Public Health from the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Public Health. A registered pharmacist and former practicing pharmacist in hospital, home care, and specialty pharmacy settings, she is certified by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) as a Certified Association Executive (CAE). She is co-author of three books providing career advice for pharmacists: Letters to A Young Pharmacist: Sage Advice on Life and Career from Extraordinary Pharmacists (2014), Letters from Rising Pharmacy Stars: Advice on Creating and Advancing Your Career in a Changing Profession (2017), and Letters to a Young Pharmacist: Even More Sage Advice on Life & Career, 2nd Ed. (2022).
Harold Carter
Express Scripts
Harold Carter, PharmD
Vice President, Strategy & Contracting, Express Scripts
Harold Carter leads the strategic development and management of Express Scripts’ Value Based and Generic Management Solutions. Prior to his current role, Harold was responsible for the development and management of Express Scripts’ Utilization Management Program. Harold earned his doctorate of pharmacy from St. Louis College of Pharmacy.
Chuck Cutler
Cutler Healthcare
Chuck Cutler, MD, MS
President, Cutler Healthcare
Dr. Cutler, a fellow of the American College of Physicians, has served as Chief Medical Officer of Magellan Complete Care, National Medical Director and interim Chief Medical Officer at Aetna, Chief Medical Director of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP – the trade association for health plans), and Deputy Medical Director of Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare of New England. He has been a consultant to employers and an advisor to the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchasers. He has served on the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) standards committee, the NCQA performance measurement committee, the advisory board for the National Guidelines Clearinghouse, committees of the National Quality Forum, and Institute of Medicine workgroups.
Mark Cziraky (President)
Carelon Research
Mark Cziraky, PharmD
President and Co-Founder, HealthCore
As HealthCore’s co-founder and President, Mark Cziraky, PharmD, has been extensively involved with clinical, health economic and outcomes research for more than 25 years. Prior to becoming President, Mark was most recently responsible for leading Scientific Affairs and global scientific and business development at HealthCore. He has held additional leadership roles at HealthCore including running individual research units and leading business development teams. Mark remains dedicated to HealthCore’s mission to provide information to enable healthcare decision makers to assess the real-world value of pharmaceutical products and medical devices. He serves as a key architect in creating open-source research collaborations within the healthcare industry that allow health plans to be involved in research design and execution with various collaborating organizations.
Greg Daniel
Eli Lilly and Company
Greg Daniel, PhD
Head of U.S. Healthcare Policy, Eli Lilly
Greg has 20 years of distinguished experience in healthcare policy and research. As a recognized health policy leader, Greg spent almost a decade leading pharmaceutical and medical device policy in the areas of value-based healthcare and payment, real-world evidence development, and FDA regulatory science. Prior to joining Edwards, Greg was the Deputy Center Director at the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy and Clinical Professor at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business where he directed the Washington, DC office and led the Center’s biomedical innovation policy portfolio. Prior to that he was a Fellow and Managing Director in the Center for Health Policy at the Brookings Institution. In addition, he was the Vice President, Government and Academic Research, at HealthCore Inc., an Anthem Company, where he lead large observational research studies focused in health economics and outcomes research, real world evidence, and safety and epidemiology that leveraged administrative claims, electronic health record, and other real-world data sources.
Greg is currently the Editor-In-Chief of Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science scientific journal has recently joined the Board of Directors for the Innovation and Value Initiative (IVI). Greg holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Economics, Policy, and Outcomes from the University of Arizona, and an MPH in Biostatistics, MS in Pharmaceutical Administration and a BS in Pharmacy, all from The Ohio State University.
Lisa Feng
Alexion
Lisa Feng, DrPH
Lisa Feng, DrPH is the Senior Director of Health Policy at Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease which focuses on transforming the lives of people affected by rare diseases and devastating conditions. In her role at Alexion, Dr. Feng helps the company assess the evolving health policy landscape to lead efforts that help ensure patient access to current and future innovations. Prior to Alexion, Dr. Feng was Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, where she led state and federal policy analysis and advocacy related to access to cystic fibrosis care and treatments. Dr. Feng was also responsible for the Value and Coverage program at FasterCures, a center of the Milken Institute. She has worked extensively on programs funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Feng is a health services researcher and has published on topics such as health care quality, diffusion of innovation, and health information technology. She received her doctorate in health policy at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Patty Fritz (Secretary/Treasurer)
UCB, Inc.
Patty Fritz, MA
Vice President, U.S. Corporate Affairs, UCB
Patty Fritz oversees public policy, government affairs, advocacy, communications and public affairs, as well as UCB’s office and strategic priorities in Washington, D.C. Patty leads efforts to create value for patients and their families through strategic engagement and positively influencing the healthcare environment and policy landscape.
In her role, Patty finds opportunities to better understand the unique needs of patients, so we can continue delivering value. She is a champion of innovative projects to spotlight the importance of access and care for people living with severe diseases.
Patty has made a significant impact in different leadership roles including regulatory affairs, operational excellence, government affairs, health policy, and UCBCares®. Patty led the regulatory efforts for UCB’s first product filing in the US – Keppra® (levetiracetam) – and oversaw the FDA approval process for many of UCB’s other products.
Prior to joining UCB, Patty held positions with the government and industry in regulatory affairs, clinical development, and research.
Patty has also championed and was a driving force behind the establishment of UCB’s Women in Leadership initiative. She was recently recognized by PharmaVOICE magazine as one of the 100 most influential and inspirational leaders in the life sciences industry in 2019.
Outside of UCB, Patty serves as chair of the board of directors for Georgia Bio and as a member of The Carter Center Board of Councilors. She splits her time between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, where she enjoys spending time with her family.
Patty holds a master’s degree in health care policy and administration from Mercer University (Atlanta, Ga.) and a Bachelor of Science degree in management and technology from the University of Maryland (Laurel, Md.). Patty is also a graduate of Summers County School of Nursing (Hinton, W.Va.).
Kistein Monkhouse
Patient Orator
Kistein Monkhouse, MPA
Kistein Monkhouse, a public health advocate and former frontline healthcare worker, is the founder of Patient Orator, a digital platform aiming to improve patient-provider communication and tackle health disparities. Her work extends to award-winning documentary production, including “Humanizing Health Care” and “The Cost of Abortion Bans.” Beyond entrepreneurship, Monkhouse actively contributes to various not-for-profit boards, advocating for health equity and amplifying the patient voice.
Nelly Ganesan
JPMorgan Chase & Co. – Morgan Health
Nelly Ganesan, MPH
Executive Director of Community Engagement and Health Equity, JPMorgan Chase & Co. – Morgan Health
Nelly Ganesan, MPH, advises clients on the implications of quality-related healthcare policies, including but not limited to public and private quality reporting programs, value-based care, and payment and delivery models. Nelly has special expertise in care models focused on CMS’ Triple Aim—better care, better health, and lower costs—and the use of patient-reported outcomes. Nelly has been with the firm since 2011. Prior to joining Avalere, Nelly spent 6 years at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, focused on population health and hospital-based quality improvement. Nelly has an MPH in epidemiology and international health from Boston University and a BS in economics from the University of Oregon.
Suzanne Schrandt
ExPPect
Suzanne Schrandt, JD
Suz Schrandt is a patient and patient engagement engineer with a health and disability law and policy background. She is the Founder and CEO of ExPPect, a patient engagement initiative focused on improving healthcare and research through the expertise and partnership of skilled patient partners. Schrandt previously served as the Director of Patient Engagement at the Arthritis Foundation and as the Deputy Director of Patient Engagement for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI); in both capacities she led the development and execution of patient engagement strategies to support research, medical product development, care delivery, and other innovation.
Before joining PCORI, Schrandt served as the Health Reform Team Leader for the Kansas Health Institute and she has held roles in bioethics, the study of genetic discrimination, and chronic disease self-management, as well as patient-led clinical training aimed at increasing early diagnosis and appropriate, patient-centered management of chronic disease. Schrandt’s passion for patient engagement began in large part from her own experience, having been diagnosed with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis as a teenager, several years before the first biologics were available. She has undergone multiple joint replacement and other orthopedic surgeries and has logged nearly thirty years of first-hand experience with the healthcare system.
Schrandt is one of nine voting members on the FDA’s inaugural Patient Engagement Advisory Committee. She has been the Chairperson for the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) North American Patient Representative Roundtable since 2016, co-chaired the Patients as Partners conference from 2016 to 2018, and has been an invited speaker at numerous national and international conferences. Schrandt received her law degree from the University of Kansas School of Law and has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed articles on the value and importance of patient engagement.
Vipan Sood (President Elect)
vcsoodConsulting LLC
Vipan Sood, MBA, RPh, MRPharmS
A strategic, results-driven global senior business leader specializing in the pharmaceutical sector, with deep experience in HEOR, Medical Affairs (MA), Market Access & Reimbursement (MA & R), and RWE/RWD platforms. Excels at supporting strong revenue growth and profitability, driving operational excellence, and ensuring brand awareness. Combines keen expertise in business with a diverse clinical background to achieve key goals. An innovative problem solver with proven success in leading and mentoring dynamic teams to achieve sustained market competitiveness, long-term growth and results. Dual nationality and multilingual.
Adam Thompson
Independent Consultant
Adam Thompson
Adam Thompson is an independent consultant supporting health systems, communities, and patients to improve health outcomes. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Theology from Georgetown University and will graduate in December 2022 with is Masters in Public Health from the Jefferson College of Population Health where he was named the 2022 Public Health Student of the Year. He is currently the Co-Chair of the Primary Care and Chronic Disease Standing Committee for the National Quality Forum where he also serves on the Board of Directors. He is the 2010 recipient of the Leadership in Quality Award from CQII and the HIV/AIDS Bureau. He co-developed several national trainings for the Ryan White communities including the Training of Consumers on Quality, the Building Leaders of Color, and ELEVATE & ESCALATE programs. Mr. Thompson is the former Regional Partner Director for the South Jersey AIDS Education and Training Center and brings over 17 years of experience in health care improvement and patient engagement.
Neil Weissman
MedStar Health Research Institute
Neil Weissman, MD
President, MedStar Health Research Institute
Neil J. Weissman, MD, FACC, FASE, is the Chief Scientific Officer for MedStar Health and President of MedStar Health Research Institute. Dr. Weissman is a professor of medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine and an internationally recognized cardiologist with expertise in echocardiography and clinical trials.
As chief scientific officer, he provides leadership for the development and implementation of specific scientific priorities, with a commitment to further advancing MedStar Health as an academic healthcare system. As president of the Research Institute, he is responsible for the overall strategic and operational direction of the research arm of MedStar Health.
Dr. Weissman’s research interests include the use of cardiovascular ultrasound imaging in clinical trials and the development of artificial intelligent applications for imaging. He has served as principal investigator for numerous national and international multi-center trials served on several national organizations and editorial boards and written hundreds of original reports published in high profile peer-reviewed journals. He is frequently invited to serve as an expert on U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panels and National Institutes of Health commissions and held many national leadership positions including past president of the American Society of Echocardiography and past chair of the American College of Cardiology’s Imaging Council.
Dr. Weissman received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in New York. He completed his internship, residency and chief residency in Internal Medicine at New York Hospital. He followed his residency training with a clinical and research fellowship in Cardiology and a fellowship in Cardiac Ultrasound at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.