Wednesday, April 21
Dr. Rachelle Strawther is a life-long student and practitioner of leadership. As the Director of 
Leadership Training and Development for Gonzaga University’s School of Leadership Studies, she designs and leads executive leadership programs on topics such as emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, innovation, and interpersonal communication. An engaging and candid speaker, Rachelle has given presentations at the Boeing Company, the International Leadership Association, TEDx Kisumu, the National Association of Sports Officials, and many other organizations. She is also a sought-out storyteller, speaking at the inaugural event for Pivot (a live storytelling event in Spokane), the 2019 Spokane Women’s March, and Gonzaga University’s Story Slam.
Rachelle graduated with a degree in Anthropology, earned a Master’s in Communication and Leadership, and completed a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. In addition to her full-time role in leadership development, Rachelle has taught at the undergraduate and graduate level and recently served a term as President of the Staff Assembly, representing more than 800 employees at Gonzaga. Prior to coming to Gonzaga, Rachelle worked in Kisumu, Kenya, for eight years, first implementing community-based programs for women and children affected by HIV and later leading a regional sports-for-development organization serving 3000 youth. She continues to stay connected to this community by managing the Kalaki Fund, a scholarship program for disadvantaged youth that she co-founded in 2009.
Rachelle’s approach to speaking and teaching revolves around authenticity, humility and humor. Rather than canned, one-size-fits-all speeches, Rachelle engages audiences through, yet honest and often self-deprecating reflections of her leadership failures and lessons. She connects deeply with diverse audiences in various ways, whether that be sharing stories to elementary school students or engaging engineers in discussions about workplace challenges. Her guiding leadership mantra can be encapsulated in this African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
To read more about Dr. Strawther, please click here.
Watch her video
Dr. Frances Gough is the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for Molina Healthcare of Washington. Molina Healthcare is a managed healthcare organization that arranges the delivery of health care for members enrolled in government-funded programs. Molina Healthcare of Washington serves over 940,000 members enrolled in Medicaid, Marketplace and Medicare programs.
She oversees clinical strategy and development of clinical models of care delivery focused on quality and value, health outcomes, cost efficiency, and member safety, which meet the diverse needs of members across all Molina’s lines of business. Dr. Gough oversees all programs and activities related to telemedicine for the Washington healthplan, and consults and participates in enterprise wide initiatives and best practices related to innovation and telehealth. She maintains external relationships with providers, community organizations, Managed Care Organizations, and State partners.
Dr. Gough provides clinical perspective to the senior leadership within the organization, and engages with network and community physicians, hospital leaders, and other partners regarding clinical care and services for enrollees, as well as issues related to Utilization Management and Prior Authorization, Pharmacy and Quality.
She is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine; board certified in Internal Medicine. Her background includes clinical and academic medicine at University of Utah Medical Center and Scripps Clinics in San Diego.
As a member of the American Telemedicine Association, Dr. Gough served as co-chair of the Standards and Guidelines Committee for Primary Urgent Care and primary author of the ATA Guidelines for Primary Urgent Care Telemedicine. Dr. Gough currently serves as a Gubernatorial appointee to the Washington State Telehealth Collaborative.
Erin Muellenberg brings a strong skillset to her exclusive practice of Medical Staff law. Having been a Director of Medical Staff Services in a large community based hospital she is intimately familiar with the daily operations of the Medical Staff Organization and its governance process. Her practice covers advising hospitals, health systems, critical access hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and medical groups on the regulatory, compliance and practical requirements for interfacing the medical staff and allied health professional staff with hospital operations.
Erin’s representative work includes:
• Development of model bylaws and a fair hearing plan for a large hospital system that includes mediation, arbitration and dedicated hearing panels;
• Litigation multiple medical staff hearings, governing board appellate hearings and associated writs of mandamus;
• Development and assisted with implementation of individual provider remediation plans;
• Advise and assist with management and self-disclosure of medical staff compliance matters;
• Support and strengthen Well-Being Committee processes;
• Assist and advise on combining separate facility medical staffs;
• Code of conduct, general and department specific rules and regulations, and policies and procedure development, review and revision;
• Develop and advise on processes for strengthening credentialing, peer review and information sharing;
• Managing and advising on disciplinary processes for employed providers;
• Development of general and facility specific medical staff leadership and orientation programs.
Erin has written and lectured on a variety of health law topics, including credentialing, peer review, compliance, provider health and well-being, risk management, and the medical staff fair hearing process. She is a member of the California and National Association of Medical Staff Services
Cindy Allen Fedor, RN, MPA, CPHQ, ACM
Cindy Allen-Fedor has held a variety of positions in healthcare organizations. She served as an Executive Vice-President for an integrated health system. Her areas of responsibility included quality improvement, case management, disease management, patient safety, credentialing, accreditation and regulatory compliance.
Cindy is a registered nurse and NCQA Surveyor. She is also a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) and an Accredited Case Manager (ACM).
Cindy became an independent consultant in 2012. Drawing on her extensive experience as a nurse and NCQA Surveyor, she provides a wide range of consulting services. She has successfully guided many organizations through preparation and achievement of NCQA-Accreditation and Certification.
Cindy’s areas of expertise include:
- Broad knowledge and experience assessing, developing and implementing:
– Utilization Management
– Case Management
– Population Health
– Quality Improvement
– Credentialing
– Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance
- Ability to provide essential, practical knowledge of NCQA requirements
Craig Tom
Supervisory Diversion Investigator (DI) Craig Tom was hired by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 2010 after earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Riverside in 2009. After completing the Basic Diversion Investigator Training in Quantico, Virginia, DI Tom’s first duty station was the Sacramento District Office where he was assigned to the Regulatory Group and Tactical Diversion Squad. In 2014, DI Tom transferred to the Seattle Field Division Office where he was eventually promoted in 2019 to Group Supervisor. DI Tom supervises two Registration Program Specialists and eight Diversion Investigators in the State of Washington. During DI Tom’s career, his investigations have resulted in over 25 arrests, six of those being physicians or pharmacists and civil penalties paid to the government over $5 million.