Indiana Rural Health Association’s 18th Annual Indiana Public Policy Forum (held virtually) January 28, 2021

KRISTINA BOX, MD, FACOG, was named Indiana State Health Commissioner by Governor Eric J. Holcomb on September 18, 2017. She brings to the role a passion for improving the health of Hoosiers, beginning before birth.

Dr. Box has been a practicing obstetrician and gynecologist in Indianapolis for 30 years. She served on the Indiana Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (IPQIC), an advisory council to the Indiana Department of Health that is comprised of more than 300 statewide community professionals working to reduce infant mortality. Her work with IPQIC included serving on a state task force to address neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), which established standards for the diagnosis of NAS and developed a hospital study to determine the prevalence of drug exposed newborns.

Dr. Box earned her undergraduate degree at Indiana University in Bloomington and her medical doctorate at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.

She and her husband of 35 years, David, a retired ophthalmologist, live in Indianapolis. They have four adult children.

TRAVIS CLAPP, ACHE, is a native of Marysville, Indiana, and graduated from the University of Evansville in 2006. He has been in healthcare administration for 14 years, specifically in the Therapy disciplines. He has experience in hospital therapy management, hospital-based in-patient and out-patient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, Orthopedic Physician-owned therapy, Occupational Medicine, and free-standing out-patient clinics.

Clapp has served on the Board of Directors for the Indiana Rural Health Association since 2013. He currently serves on the Executive Board for IRHA as President.

In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, watching the Indiana Hoosiers, the Indianapolis Colts, and spending time with his family. Clapp currently resides in Kentucky with his wife and two children ages 3 and 7. He and his family enjoy taking care of the animals on their farm and raising giant pumpkins.

GOVERNOR ERIC HOLCOMB is the 51st Governor of Indiana. A lifelong Hoosier, Governor Holcomb is a veteran of the United States Navy, served as the state’s 51st Lieutenant Governor, was a trusted advisor to both Governor Mitch Daniels and Senator Dan Coats, and was a former state chairman of the Indiana Republican Party.

He was elected Governor in November 2016, following an unprecedented 106-day campaign and was sworn in on January 9, 2017. Already, Governor Holcomb is moving our state forward. He led the way for the largest long-term infrastructure investment in our state’s history with the 20-year Next Level Roads program, which will invest $4.7 billion for roads and bridges in the first five years alone. To meet our state’s rapidly changing workforce needs, he unveiled the Next Level Jobs program to help get more Hoosiers into high-demand, high- wage jobs.

In his first legislative session as Governor, he rallied bipartisan support from Indiana lawmakers to expand pre-K for low-income Hoosier kids, and he unveiled Next Level Recovery—a one-stop shop for information and resources on the state’s comprehensive and community-based effort to fight the opioid crisis. All of this work is underscored by Governor Holcomb’s commitment to providing great government service for Hoosier taxpayers.

He has a mission to make Indiana competitive in the global economy by “bringing the world to Indiana and taking Indiana to the world.” So far, the Governor has met with officials and industry leaders in the United Kingdom, Japan, Hungary, France, and more to showcase Indiana’s assets and build global economic ties.

Throughout his career in service, he has earned a reputation of being a consensus builder. He has traveled extensively throughout the state—talking with folks wherever he goes about how to make Indiana an even better place to live, work and play. A lifelong basketball fan, Governor Holcomb has shot and made a basket in each of Indiana’s 92 counties.

The Governor is a graduate of Pike High School in Indianapolis and Hanover College in southeastern Indiana where he majored in U.S. History with a focus on the American Civil War and the Reconstruction Era. He is a collector of presidential signatures and currently has documents signed by 42 of our nation’s 44 presidents.

He and his wife, Janet, live with their dog, Henry, in the Governor’s Residence on North Meridian Street in Indianapolis.

MICHAEL A. KAUFMANN, MD, FACEP, FAEMS, first became an EMT in 1992. Near that same time, he graduated from Indiana University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology. He then worked as a microbiologist for Cook Pharmaceutical Solutions for one year in Bloomington, Indiana before entering Indiana University School of Medicine.

He graduated with his medical degree in 1997 and went on to complete an emergency medicine residency at the Case Western Reserve MetroHealth Medical Center Cleveland Clinic program in Cleveland, Ohio. During his last year there, he served as Chief Resident and worked as a flight physician for Cleveland Metro Life Flight. Since finishing residency, Dr. Kaufmann has worked as an emergency physician at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital and Health Systems in and around central Indiana. He currently serves as the EMS Medical Director for local Ascension St. Vincent EMS affiliates, including Pike Township Fire Department, Carmel Fire Department, Whitestown Fire Department, Zionsville Fire Department, Decatur Township Fire Department, Seals Ambulance, Fishers Fire Department, Jackson Township Fire Department, Anderson Fire Department, Pendleton Emergency Ambulance and several other BLS non-transport agencies. Dr. Kaufmann is also the EMS Medical Director for Ascension St. Vincent Critical Care Transport, which includes St. Vincent StatFlight.

Dr. Kaufmann is board certified in both Emergency Medicine and the sub-specialty of EMS and was one of the first physicians in the country to receive this distinct sub-specialty certification. In 2017, Dr. Kaufmann was granted fellow status by the National Association of EMS Physicians. In early 2018, he was appointed the EMS Medical Director for the State of Indiana in the Department of Homeland Security. Dr. Kaufmann has a strong passion for prehospital care and works endlessly to ensure that the organizations with which he works, maintains and delivers a high-quality standard.

He has been happily married for 22 years, is the father of four children, and enjoys Ironman triathlon and converting skoolies in his spare time.

KEITH J. MUELLER, PHD, is the Gerhard Hartman Professor and Head of the Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Iowa College of Public Health. He is also the Director of the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis and Chair of the RUPRI Health Panel. He has served as President of the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) and as a member of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services. He has published more than 220 scholarly articles and papers and in 2016, he received the University of Iowa Regents Award for Faculty Excellence. His PhD is in Political Science from the University of Arizona, and he completed a faculty fellowship with Johns Hopkins University.

KRISTIN SCHWARTZ is Director of Advocacy and Federal Relations at the Indiana Hospital Association. Kristin manages IHA’s advocacy efforts at both the state and federal levels. Previously, she was Deputy Director of Legislative and External Affairs at the Indiana Department of Health, where she worked on public health policy initiatives and managed constituent relations. She has experience working with the Professional Licensing Agency and in the communications department of the Indiana House of Representatives. Schwartz is a graduate of Taylor University with a Bachelor’s degree in Professional Writing. She is currently completing her Master’s degree in Government and Healthcare Policy & Ethics at Regent University.

BROCK SLABACH, MPH, FACHE, joined NRHA in 2008. He has administrative responsibility for all areas of member services, including membership, communications and meetings/exhibitions.

He was a rural hospital administrator for more than 21 years and has served on the board of the National Rural Health Association and the regional policy board of the American Hospital Association.

Slabach specializes in rural health system development that encompasses population health and the varied payment programs moving rural providers into value based purchasing models. He serves on the CMS Star Rating Technical Expert Panel (TEP), a member of the National Quality Forum’s Measures Application Partnership (MAP) Hospital and Rural Health Workgroup and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Rural Accountable Care Consortium and Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP).

Slabach is the 2015 recipient of the Calico Quality Leadership Award of the National Rural Health Resource Center and received the American Society of Healthcare Pharmacists (ASHP) Board of Directors’ Award of Honor for 2018.

He earned a Master’s of Public Health degree in Health Administration from the University of Oklahoma and is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

CARA VEALE, DHS, OTR, FACHE, has been full time with the Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA) since July 2020. Dr. Veale is currently the CEO for IRHA. She began her professional career as an Occupational Therapist at Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Indiana, in 2006. The following year, she moved to Daviess Community Hospital in Washington, Indiana, to work as an Occupational Therapist on the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit. Cara was promoted to the Director of Outpatient Rehabilitation Therapies in 2011, overseeing Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology services. In 2015, Cara transitioned to executive level leadership as Daviess Community Hospital’s first Chief Patient Experience Officer. During the last three years at Daviess Community Hospital, Cara served as the Vice President of Provider Services providing administrative oversight for the medical practice division.

Cara received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy and her Doctorate in Health Sciences from the University of Indianapolis. She is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

HEATHER WILLEY, JD, is a partner in Barnes & Thornburg LLP’s Indianapolis office. She is a member of the Governmental Services & Finance, Education and Healthcare Departments. She is a member of the firm’s Management Committee.

Willey focuses her legal practice on governmental services and provides general counsel services to her clients. As a registered Indiana lobbyist, Willey concentrates her practice on a variety of legislative issues, including policy development, analysis and negotiations on local, state and federal levels. In this role, she represents companies, individuals, non-profits and governmental units to achieve legislative solutions before the Indiana General Assembly. Additionally, Willey assists clients with Indiana State Administration and other elected offices.

In the 2018 and 2019 editions of The Best Lawyers in America, Willey was recognized for her government relations practice.

Healthcare matters are important component of Willey’s practice. In this role, she provides advice to healthcare providers on matters related to billing policy, state reimbursement and health policy matters. She assists clients with new rules and regulations. Willey regularly works with clients to assist their interactions with state government on such matters. She served as Adjunct Faculty to the IUPUI School of Health Informatics and taught “Medicine and the Law.”

Prior to her law firm career, Willey worked for Indiana Gov. Frank O’Bannon’s Administration, in the Office of the Governor from 1997 until 2003. She served as the Governor’s Special Assistant for Legislative Affairs providing legislative support to the Administration and serving as a liaison to the members of the Indiana General Assembly. Willey also served as Special Assistant to the Governor assisting the Governor on special projects

and later as Executive Assistant for Education. In this role, she assisted in the implementation of Indiana’s first Charter School law and worked as the Governor’s chief advisor on K-12 education matters.

Willey served as Past President of the Governmental Affairs Society of Indiana (an association of registered lobbyists in the State of Indiana). She also serves on a number of community boards including United Way of Central Indiana and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful. Willey is a member of the Steering Committee for the William S. and Christina S. Hall, Center for Law and Health at Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis and is a board member of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Business Advocacy Committee. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the advisory council for the Indiana State Museum.

Willey has also participated in a number of leadership programs in central Indiana. She is a graduate of the Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series, Class 2006. She is a member of the Lacy Leadership Association and serves as the firm’s liaison to this organization. She is also a graduate of the Indianapolis Bar Association Bar Leader Series and a past member of the Steering Committee for the Bar Leader Series. Most recently, Willey became a member of the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA). She also was named a Distinguished Fellow of the Indianapolis Bar Foundation.

In 2003, she received a Sagamore of the Wabash from former Governor Frank O’Bannon and a Distinguished Hoosier Award from former Speaker of the House John Gregg. She currently serves on the firm’s Legal Personnel Administration Committee, Diversity & Inclusion Committee and chairs the firm’s Women’s Initiative.

Willey received her B.A. from Indiana University in 1996 and her J.D. from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 2004. She also earned the Health Law Certificate at the William S. Hall and Christine S. Hall Center for Law and Health and received the Health Law Student of the Year award presented by law school leadership and faculty. She is a member of the Indianapolis Bar Association, Indiana State Bar Association, American Bar Association and the Indiana Municipal Lawyers Association. Willey is admitted to practice before all Indiana courts and the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Indiana, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.