December 9, 2023
Utah’s Inaugural Innovation Advisory Board represents a powerful combination of leadership, expertise, innovation, and compassion working to drive positive change in healthcare.
Salt Lake City—Today the One Utah Health Collaborative (the Collaborative) announced the formation of Utah’s first healthcare Innovation Advisory Board. The Collaborative was launched by Gov. Spencer Cox last year to address healthcare costs in the state of Utah. It was founded on the principles of innovation and collaboration.
The Collaborative’s Innovation Advisory Board (IAB) is made up of diverse and exceptionally qualified members who will advise and execute on innovation in the state. More information on each Board member can be found below.
From the Collaborative’s Director of Innovation, John Poelman:
“We are thrilled and grateful to announce today each talented member of the Innovation Advisory Board,” Poelman said. “We selected candidates who collectively bring a wide range of perspectives and expertise. Members of this board have firsthand experience in clinical and operational transformation, innovation and entrepreneurship, and perhaps most importantly, personal experience working with patients from diverse backgrounds. We are particularly grateful to Dan McMaster for his service as chairman and efforts to help assemble the Board.”
From the Chairman of the Collaborative’s Innovation Advisory Board, Dan McMaster:
“Utah is home to some of the most innovative and respected health care organizations in the country,” McMaster said. “What a unique opportunity to bring a group of individuals together that come from many of these respected organizations and bring this innovative mindset. These leaders believe in doing what’s right for the individual patient and share a commitment to make the necessary changes that will ultimately lower costs and improve health outcomes for individuals.”
Innovation Advisory Board
One Utah Health Collaborative
- Dan McMaster (Chair), Chief Strategy Officer & Director, 3M Health Information Systems
- Brent James M.D., M.Stat., FACPE, Clinical Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine
- Douglas Smith M.D., MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Utah Cigna Healthcare
- Erika Tse PA-C, Pediatric Physician Assistant, Sacred Circle Healthcare
- Josh Walker, Co Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Nomi Health
- Katie Swenson DMSc, MBA, PA-C, Executive Clinical Director, Intermountain Health
- Mara Rabin M.D., Medical Director, Utah Health and Human Rights
- Oreta Tupola MSW, CHW, Program Coordinator, Utah Community Health Worker Association
- Peter Weir M.D., M.P.H., Executive Medical Director of Population Health, University of Utah Health
- Preston Cochrane, Chief Executive Officer, The Other Side Village
- Yemi Arunsi MHCDS, RN, Director of Hospital Care Management, Intermountain Health
*Read more about each member of the Board below.
About Dan McMaster:
Dan McMaster is an executive at 3M Health Care, a global leader in healthcare technology & innovation. He is responsible for monitoring emerging trends in health care and setting a strategic vision for the business. Dan is a growth-minded leader that has achieved success through building connections across traditional boundaries. He has built new businesses, advised health care start-ups as an investor, and led complex mergers, acquisitions, and business partnerships in various segments of health care and in countries around the world.
Dan holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Utah, and an MBA from the University of Michigan. He lives in Millcreek where he enjoys spending time with his family and is actively involved in church, community, the outdoors, and acoustic music.
About Brent James:
Brent James is a Clinical Professor at Stanford University’s Clinical Excellence Research Center (CERC), Department of Medicine. With extensive expertise in clinical quality improvement and patient safety, he is renowned internationally for his work in these areas. Dr. James holds multiple adjunct faculty appointments, including at Harvard School of Public Health, University of Utah David Eccles School of Business and School of Medicine, and Jönköping University in Sweden. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, a Fellow of the American College of Physician Executives, and Senior Advisor at Health Catalyst in Salt Lake City. Formerly, he served as Chief Quality Officer and Executive Director for the Institute for Healthcare Delivery Research at Intermountain Healthcare.
About Douglas Smith:
Douglas Smith, known as Dr. Doug, is a dedicated Family Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Care Physician based in Utah. With over 20 years of experience, he has provided compassionate care in various healthcare settings, including Primary Care, Urgent Care, Emergency Medicine, Post-Acute Care, and Hospice & Palliative Care. Dr. Doug has also served as a Chief Medical Officer in the health insurance sector. His unique perspective, combining clinical and fiscal considerations, drives his passion for collaborative problem-solving to address complex societal challenges. He obtained his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin and completed his Family Medicine Residency at Intermountain Health’s McKay-Dee Hospital. Dr. Doug later earned an MBA from BYU’s Marriott School of Business.
About Erika Tse:
Erika Tse is a certified Physician Assistant specializing in pediatric and adolescent medicine. She currently works at Sacred Circle Healthcare in West Valley, where she focuses on serving underserved communities in Pediatrics. Erika holds an undergraduate degree in Biological Studies from the University of California Santa Barbara and a master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Touro University in Henderson, Nevada. She is an active member of the Utah American Academy of Pediatrics Executive committee and serves as the co-chair of pediatrics for the Utah Academy of Physician Associates. Erika is fluent in Spanish and has extensive experience in various areas, including autism, developmental delays, premature babies, newborns, medically complicated children, young adults, ADHD, asthma, immunology, and preventative medicine. Her passion lies in addressing health inequalities in Utah.
About Josh Walker:
Josh Walker is a seasoned healthcare leader with over 20 years of experience. His expertise spans diverse regions, including the United States, Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, and Europe. Throughout his career, Josh has successfully managed complex operational and strategic healthcare initiatives and led high-performing teams. He currently holds the position of Co-Founder and COO at Nomi Health. Previously, Josh served as the Chief Operating Officer of Upwell Health, driving substantial revenue growth in the first year. He has also held leadership roles at Red Pine Consulting, OptumInsight, J3 Bioscience, and Huntsman Biotechnology Corporation. Josh holds an MBA with a Special Emphasis in Healthcare from The George Washington University School of Business, along with other certifications and a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Sciences and Health Economics from the University of Utah.
About Katie Swenson:
Kathryn Swenson, known as Katie, is a dedicated healthcare professional practicing in Pediatric Liver Transplant at Primary Children’s Hospital. She serves as the Executive Clinical Director of Surgical Specialties-Digestive Health Clinical Program at Intermountain Health. Katie’s journey began at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where she completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. She subsequently served overseas before pursuing her training as a Physician Assistant at A.T. Still University. Katie’s commitment to excellence led her to pursue a Doctorate in Medical Sciences (DMSc) from the University of Lynchburg. She shares her knowledge and expertise as an Adjunct Faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine, teaching Clinical Leadership to Pediatric Fellows. Additionally, Katie recently completed an Executive MBA program at the University of Utah and is currently studying Business Analytics through Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. With a passion for strategy, innovation, and patient-centered care, she strives to drive positive change and improve healthcare outcomes. Outside of her professional pursuits, Katie enjoys reading, writing, traveling, attending concerts and comedy shows, and participating in athletic activities. She cherishes quality time with her husband and four children and is excited to contribute to the elevation of wellness for all Utahns through her role on the Innovation Advisory Board.
About Mara Rabin:
Mara Rabin is a compassionate primary care physician who graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine and completed her training in family medicine at the University of Colorado. She is dedicated to providing care to refugees and has been the Medical Director of Utah Health & Human Rights, a nonprofit organization supporting survivors of torture and human rights abuse, since 2003. Dr. Rabin’s expertise in trauma-informed care for torture survivors has led her to advocate for mental health screenings and trauma history assessments across the United States. She has served as an expert consultant to the Centers for Disease Control’s Refugee Health Screening guidelines and has conducted research on torture prevalence and associated health conditions. Dr. Rabin co-authored “Torture and Refugees” in the book “Refugee Health Care: An Essential Medical Guide.” Her contributions to improving refugee health have been recognized by various organizations, including the Utah Refugee Services Office, Jewish Family Services, Utah Community Foundation, and Utah YWCA. She is dedicated to providing trauma-informed care for all patients and continues to educate and inspire healthcare professionals locally, nationally, and internationally.
About Oreta Tupola:
Oreta M. Tupola was born and raised in Laie, Hawaii, where she discovered her passion for community work. With over 25 years of experience in working with health systems and operations, community organizing, advocacy, diversity and equity, community health training and education, and community and systems capacity building, Oreta specializes in serving underserved and marginalized communities.
She is currently leading the Community Health Worker Workforce State initiative, focusing on building workforce infrastructure. Oreta is also actively involved in organizing the Utah Community Health Worker Association, collaborating with other Champion Community Health Workers (CHWs) in the state to establish an independent association. She played a significant role in the implementation of COVID response efforts during the pandemic and was instrumental in the passage of CHW Certification Legislation in partnership with the State CHW Coalition workgroups. Additionally, Oreta served as a member of the organizing committee for One Utah Health Collaborative in its design phase.
Apart from her community work, Oreta has a strong passion for Polynesian dancing, spending time with her family, genealogy, music, and playing sports. Her guiding principle in life is “When you learn, teach. When you get, give,” reflecting her commitment to continuous learning and giving back to her community.
About Peter Weir:
Peter Weir, M.D., M.P.H., currently serves as the Executive Medical Director of Population Health for the University of Utah. He initially trained as a Family Medicine physician and later completed a Masters of Public Health degree, which ignited his interest in population health. With over a decade of experience working in the employer setting, Dr. Weir led an onsite clinic focused on improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.
In his current role, Dr. Weir is dedicated to developing programs that align the U Health system to provide high-value care. This includes the creation and management of a high-risk clinic for Medicaid members, providing leadership for post-acute care, and developing a new curriculum for medical students to learn about healthcare systems.
Dr. Weir is passionate about redefining how healthcare is delivered, with a strong desire to make it affordable, accessible, and patient-centered. Through his work, he aims to transform the healthcare landscape and improve the well-being of individuals and communities.
About Preston Cochrane:
Preston L. Cochrane is the CEO at The Other Side Village, a self-reliant, master-planned neighborhood that provides affordable, permanent supportive housing, access to social services, and a robust community for men and women coming out
of chronic homelessness.
He was the Vice President of Housing & Support Services at Valley Behavioral Health and Executive Director of Shelter the Homeless where he oversaw the fundraising efforts and development of three new homeless resource centers. He was instrumental in the creation of the Salt Lake Valley Coalition to End Homelessness. Preston also served as CEO of American Research Bureau, a global leader in the probate research industry, and CEO & Co-Founder of AAA Fair Credit Foundation, a national nonprofit consumer credit and housing counseling organization.
He is a University of Utah and Beta Theta Pi alumnus, Certified Personal Finance Counselor, Certified Applied Behavioral Master Coach, Certified ISO 9001 Internal Quality Management Systems Auditor, and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) certified. He was the 2010 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Mountain West region winner in the social impact category, and 2006 Utah Best of State winner in the financial services category. Preston speaks Vietnamese and enjoys coaching youth sports, fly fishing, skiing, backpacking, golf, drums, and genealogy.
About Yemi Arunsi:
Yemi Arunsi currently serves as the Director of Hospital Care Management at Intermountain Health. Prior to Intermountain Health, Yemi served as the Executive Officer at the Veterans Health Administration, Office of Quality and Patient Safety. He also served as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs where he provided legislative, policy recommendations and mission operations support.
Yemi is also a Captain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, where he serves as a Healthcare Administrator on the Wing Inspection Team at Andrews AFB, Maryland, with multiple active-duty tours as the Deputy Chief of Revenue Cycle to support DoD’s implementation of its Electronic Health Record, MHS GENESIS.
Yemi lives in North Salt Lake and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts. He also holds Master of Science degrees in Health Informatics and Healthcare Delivery Science from Northeastern University and Dartmouth College respectively. When not at work, Yemi spends time with his wife and daughter. He also volunteers his time providing free soccer clinics to youths in the community.
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For more information contact:
Kelsey Koenen Witt
Director of Communications and Marketing
One Utah Health Collaborative
Kelsey@uthealthcollaborative.org
801-497-1562 (text is best)
