South Central Regional Meeting In-Person Agenda
January 14, 2026
8:00am – 3:00pm CT
Regional Meetings | Meeting Details | Agenda | Hotel | Meeting Location
| South Central Regional Meeting Location: Texas Health Resources Arlington TX Date: January 14, 2026 8:00 am – 3:00 pm | ||
|---|---|---|
| Time | Content | Speaker(s) |
| 8:00 am – 8:30 am | Registration | |
| 8:30 am – 8:45 am | Welcome and Introduction | Emily Brower, CEO, NAACOS |
| 8:45 am – 9:30 am | Advocacy Approaches in ACOs vs. MA This session will cover the advocacy approach to better align ACO models with MA with the overarching goal of ACOs and MA being two strong competitive approaches for Medicare. This will include discussion current advocacy updates follow by a discussion of some of the existing challenges and potential solutions from the provider and patient perspective. | Aisha Pittman, MPH Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, NAACOS Jennifer Peterson Senior Director, Strategy Alignment & Implementation, Southwestern Health Resources |
| 9:30 am – 10:20 am | Redefining Partnerships: Collaboration Beyond Traditional Payer Models This session will explore emerging partnership models that bring employers, brokers, and health systems together in new, more collaborative ways moving beyond conventional payer-driven structures. | Brian Felty, MHA, Chief Market, Payor Relations & Financial Officer, Southwestern Health Resources Wesley Bryan, Director of Business Development, Southwestern Health Resources Kaylan Brown, Benefits Director AT&T |
| 10:20 am – 10:30 am | Break | |
| 10:30 am – 11:00am | Moving the Needle: Using Incentives to Drie Provider Engagement in VBC Achieving success in Value-Based Care requires more than just favorable contracts; it requires active provider engagement and behavioral change. In this session, Southwestern Health Resources (SWHR) will pull back the curtain on its Primary Care incentive model, demonstrating how it aligns practice performance with the network’s largest risk arrangements. We will explore the evolution of SWHR’s clinical support strategy—tracing the journey from foundational initiatives like Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) and High Value Care assessment tools to the current model designed to effectively manage total cost of care and improve patient outcomes. | Calvin Mitchell, Vice President of Network Performance, Southwestern Health Resources |
| 11:00 am -11:30 am | Meridian Health Partner’s Comprehensive Model for Collaborating in the ACO Environment The presenters will discuss how collaboration from a comprehensive post-acute provider group and an ACO can create a care continuum which maximizes patient outcomes and financial impact. | Grady Goodwin, MD, Co-Founder, Meridian Health Partners Ankit Punatar, MD, Co-Founder, Meridian Health Partners |
| 11:30 am -12:00 pm | How AI is Restoring Balance in Primary Care The use of Agentic AI will transform Primary Care by – reducing cost, enhancing efficiency, and enabling better outcomes at scale by automating low-value tasks, surfacing clinical decision support, reducing provider burnout, and enhancing care coordination. | Jeremy Henry, Vice President and General Manager, Lumeris |
| 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm | Networking Lunch | All |
| 1:00 pm – 1:40 pm | Real-World Telepsychiatry: Clinical Impact and the Power of Therapeutic Alliance in Value-Based Care | Dr. Cheryl Person, National Director, Clinical Quality, Talkiatry Arturo Estrada, Clinical Outreach, Talkiatry |
| 1:40 pm –2:00 pm | Patient stories | All |
| 2:00 pm – 2:10 pm | Break | |
| 2:10pm – 2:50 pm | The Human Side of Care: Combating Loneliness for Better Outcomes “Connection Is the Best Prescription”. Loneliness is more than an emotional struggle. It’s a critical health issue that impacts physical well-being, increases healthcare costs, and contributes to poor outcomes for chronic conditions. “The Human Side of Care: Combating Loneliness for Better Outcomes” explores practical strategies to identify and address loneliness, including programs like Senior Buddies that foster meaningful connections, reduce unnecessary ER visits, and improve quality of life. By prioritizing social connection, we can transform care and achieve better health outcomes. | Sheila M. Magoon, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Buena Vida y Salud, LLC |
| 2:50 pm – 3:00 pm | Closing Remarks | Melody Danko-Holsomback, Vice President of Education, NAACOS |