AHA Affinity Forum: Advancing Population-Based Behavioral Health Inside and Outside the Hospital Walls

Deryk Van Brunt is a co-founder of CredibleMind and serves as CEO. He is also President and CEO of the Healthy Communities Foundation, a nonprofit organization. He teaches health informatics at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, and conducts research in the area of individual and community health information systems. Dr. Van Brunt has overseen the creation, development, and evaluation of clinical and patient-centered information systems implemented in over 500 healthcare institutions. He has authored several health-related articles and is the recipient of the Health 2.0 Outstanding Leadership Award for 2022. Dr. Van Brunt received his MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and his DrPH in Health Informatics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Nancy Myers is a seasoned healthcare leader with a strong track record in health system redesign and population health strategy. Currently serving as Vice President at the American Hospital Association, she has successfully driven initiatives that align payer and provider goals, resulting in significant cost savings and improved patient outcomes. With a PhD in Medical Sociology, Nancy combines her academic expertise with practical experience in clinical transformation and quality improvement. She has a passion for coaching and leading multi-disciplinary teams towards a culture of excellence. Nancy’s career reflects her commitment to integrating social determinants of health into healthcare practices, ensuring comprehensive care delivery. Her extensive experience spans both the delivery and payer sides of healthcare, making her a versatile leader in the industry. Outside of her professional achievements, she is known for her engaging public speaking and teaching abilities, inspiring others in the field.

Dr. Arpan Waghray is a geriatric psychiatrist and CEO of Providence’s Well Being Trust, a national foundation advancing mental, social, and spiritual health. He also serves as Chief Medical Officer of Behavioral Medicine at Providence, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health systems. A nationally recognized leader in mental health, he has held advisory roles with the American Psychiatric Association, Catholic Health Association, and American Hospital Association. Trained in India, New York, and Washington, Dr. Waghray is widely published and featured as an expert on mental health and well-being. He lives in Seattle with his wife and two daughters.

Jon Adler serves as the Chief Medical Officer and Co-Editor-in-Chief of CredibleMind.  A dedicated clinician and teacher at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School for 22 years, he served as an editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM Journal Watch, eMedicine.com (now the Medscape Reference by WebMD) and authored or edited 14 books. Jon earned his M.S. in Aerospace Engineering and M.D. from University of Colorado and is an emergency physician with Beth Israel Lahey Health.

Debbie Zuerner is the Director of Community Engagement at Owensboro Health, where she leads community benefit initiatives, health needs assessments, and grant programs to address disparities and build healthier communities. With a background in nonprofit leadership, prevention, and case management, she is active in numerous state and local councils and coalitions, including serving as President of the Daviess County Extension Council and trustee of the Hager Educational Foundation. A graduate of the University of Kentucky and Western Kentucky University, Debbie is passionate about population health, collaborative problem-solving, and advancing community well-being.

Julie has been in customer service, client relationship and research, process improvement, and project management for 36 years with an integrated energy utility company. For the past three years, Julie has served as a project manager working collaboratively with community stakeholder on the community mental health initiative. Over the past three years, Mental Health Matters has worked to identify the current state of mental health within their community, as well as the gaps and barriers to the 5 elements of mental wellbeing.  From those identified elements—system access, programs and services, provider pipeline, knowledge and perception, and basic needs—stakeholder teams developed initiatives around these 5 elements to close the gap and improve access to mental health services in the community.