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Our Staff

Meet the dedicated leadership of America’s Essential Hospitals. They share a unique blend of knowledge, expertise, and commitment to preserving and protecting those hospitals that provide the highest quality care to all who come through their doors — our nation’s essential hospitals.

 

Leadership

 

Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH

President and CEO

With an extensive background in health care management, policy, and public health, Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH, has the blend of experience necessary to lead America’s Essential Hospitals and its members through the changing health care landscape and into a sustainable future. With more than 300 members, America’s Essential Hospitals is the only national organization representing hospitals committed to caring for the uninsured and others who face financial and social barriers to care.

Since joining America’s Essential Hospitals in 2010, Siegel has dramatically grown the association as it strengthened its advocacy, research, and education efforts. His intimate knowledge of member needs comes in part from his direct experience as president and CEO of two member systems: New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation and Tampa General Healthcare. Just before joining America’s Essential Hospitals, Siegel served as director of the Center for Health Care Quality and professor of health policy at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. He also served as New Jersey’s commissioner of health.

Among his many accomplishments, Siegel led groundbreaking work on quality and equity, with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. He is a past chair of the National Quality Forum board and the National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality. Modern Healthcare recognized him as one of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” from 2011 to 2019 and 2022 to 2023; among the “50 Most Influential Clinical Executives” in 2022 and 2023; among the “Top 25 Diversity Leaders in Healthcare” in 2021; one of the “50 Most Influential Physician Executives” from 2012 to 2018; and among the “Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare” in 2014 and 2016. He also was named one of the “50 Most Powerful People in Healthcare” by Becker’s Hospital Review in 2013 and 2014.

Siegel earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, a doctor of medicine from Cornell University Medical College, and a master’s degree in public health from The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health.

 

Beth Feldpush, DrPH

Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy

Feldpush oversees advocacy, policy, and communications work for America’s Essential Hospitals. In this role, she provides strategic leadership and advocacy on behalf of safety net health systems. Feldpush directs the association’s federal government affairs portfolio, as well as the organization’s policy development activities. She oversees the association’s internal and external communications efforts. Feldpush also manages the association’s participation in and leadership of coalitions and allied organization activities, acting as a liaison to other trade associations.

Feldpush previously served as a senior associate director for policy at the American Hospital Association (AHA), where she worked on health care delivery system reform and hospital quality and patient safety issues. Prior to joining AHA, Feldpush worked at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, where her work focused on Medicare payment policy, end-of-life care, geographic variation in service delivery, and health care workforce adequacy. She has a doctorate in public health from George Washington University and a master of public health degree from Johns Hopkins University.

 

Rhonda Gold

Chief Financial Officer

Gold joined America’s Essential Hospitals in 1992, making her its longest-serving staff member. She directs the association’s finance, investments, human resources, benefits, information technology, and operational functions. She also oversees the organization’s finance; compensation; and investment, audit, and compliance committees. As part of the leadership team, she provides vision and strategic direction for activities supporting the association’s members.

As an active certified public accountant, Gold has a well-established accounting career that spans more than three decades. Before joining America’s Essential Hospitals, Gold served as the assistant controller at a large employment agency, an accounting manager for two property management companies, and an auditor for both the Marriott Corp. and a large global public accounting firm. She graduated on the dean’s list from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

 

Ashley McMaster

Vice President of Membership and Development

McMaster joined America’s Essential Hospitals in 2020 to lead member engagement, cultivate effective industry relationships, and ensure growth and consistency of the association’s discrete revenue streams.

Prior to joining the association, McMaster was at Strada Education Network, leading strategy, operations, and implementation for marketplace impact in the nonprofit’s Consumer Insights division.

With a wealth of experience in health care and trade associations, McMaster previously served as vice president of business development and communications at startup accelerator MedTech Innovator and as vice president of membership and business development at the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed). There, she fostered connections with business leaders at multinational medical technology manufacturers and innovative startups. Before AdvaMed, she was senior health care editor at digital media firm SmartBrief.

McMaster holds a master’s degree in strategic communications and nonprofit management from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia.

 

Jason Pray

Vice President of Legislative Affairs

Pray brings more than 24 years of legislative, political, and grassroots experience to America’s Essential Hospitals as vice president of legislative affairs. In this role, he leads the association’s federal legislative strategy and advocacy activities and political action committee.

Before joining America’s Essential Hospitals, Pray served in multiple leadership positions with BlueCross BlueShield Association, most recently as executive director of congressional relations, in Washington, D.C. He also led lobbying, political, and grassroots activities for 13 years at the 35,000-member American Psychiatric Association, also in Washington.

In addition to his professional activities, Pray serves as a volunteer and advisory board member for three Washington-area charities: the Belfast-Beltway Boxing Project; The First Tee of Greater Washington, DC; and The Foundation to Eradicate Duchenne. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

 

Kalpana Ramiah, DrPH, MSc, MPH

Vice President of Innovation and Director, Essential Hospitals Institute

Ramiah joined America’s Essential Hospitals in 2015 to lead the research and analytics portfolio of Essential Hospitals Institute, the association’s quality and research arm. She has a well-established career in public health and health services research that spans two decades. Ramiah has extensive experience conducting research and managing federally and privately funded technical assistance projects and research programs. She is highly skilled in population health, patient and family engagement, and measures and materials development.

Before joining America’s Essential Hospitals, Ramiah was a principal researcher at the American Institutes for Research and an assistant research professor in the department of health policy at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. She managed several major projects, with responsibility for ensuring quality and consistency of data collection, supervising staff, and developing strong client relationships. Before her academic research work, Ramiah held leadership roles with the Association of Schools of Public Health and West Virginia Smoking Cessation and Reduction in Pregnancy Treatment Dissemination, serving as a manager and deputy director, respectively.

 

Jennifer Church

Senior Director of Human Resources

Church joined America’s Essential Hospitals in 2021 to facilitate people-focused programs and initiatives, serve as a champion for association culture, and partner with executives working to advance significant human resource strategies. She focuses on inclusiveness and equity; talent acquisition and engagement; staff growth and development; and overall efficiency of and compliance with practices and policies. She has more than a decade of experience leading successful human resources teams in a variety of industries, including human services, hospitality, and health care.

Church holds a master’s degree in industrial organizational psychology from the University of Baltimore, as well as professional certifications from the Human Resource Certification Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management.

 

Carl Graziano

Senior Director of Communications

Graziano directs all communications activities of America’s Essential Hospitals, including strategic message development, media relations, member communications, digital products, editorial services, speech writing, and branding. He joined the association in May 2012 and has nearly 30 years of experience in strategic communications and media relations for health care associations.

Previously, Graziano served more than six years with the Care Continuum Alliance (formerly the Disease Management Association of America), a trade group for wellness and population health improvement; and 13 years as manager of government communications for the 18,000-member College of American Pathologists, both in Washington, D.C.

From 1985 to 1993, Graziano worked as a reporter and editor at several daily newspapers, including The News and Observer, of Raleigh, N.C., and The Journal newspapers, in suburban Washington. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.

 

James Roberts

Senior Director of Information Technology

Roberts joined America’s Essential Hospitals in 2019 and has more than 12 years of nonprofit experience. He is responsible for building, integrating, and maintaining key systems, such as the association management system, accounting system, and databases. A Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Roberts is responsible for the association’s security and implementing successful audits for Payment Card Industry and Federal Information Security Modernization Act compliance. Roberts is forward-thinking and looks for new processes and solutions to meet the organization’s future needs. He is committed to serving the membership by ensuring an intuitive and smooth technology experience.

Roberts holds a master’s degree in business administration from Loyola University Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in computer and information science from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

 

Tanya Alteras

Director of Research and Innovation

Alteras joined Essential Hospitals Institute in 2023, bringing more than 20 years of research, analysis, evaluation, and advocacy experience to this role, where she provides strategic and operational leadership. Alteras previously served at various think tanks, as well as the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, the National Partnership for Women & Families, The MITRE Corporation, and the Health Care Transformation Task Force. In many roles, she supported delivery and payment efforts across multiple Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services divisions.

Throughout Alteras’ career, she has focused on payment and delivery innovations to improve care quality, outcomes, and patient experience. Over the last decade her focus has been on value-based payment; social determinants of health; patient-centered care; population and community health; and health equity, specifically morbidity and mortality among Black birthing people and newborns.

Alteras holds a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in public policy and law from the State University of New York at Binghamton.

 

Ashli Billington

Director of Meetings and Events

Billington joined the association in 2016 and serves as project director for all in-person events and distance learning programs. She oversees planning operations for association and Essential Hospitals Institute meetings, including logistics, administration, budget development, financial management, and venue selection.

Before joining America’s Essential Hospitals, Billington worked in government affairs on Capitol Hill and then at the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications—public relations from North Carolina State University.

 

Isabelle Kaunan

Director of Finance

Kaunan joined America’s Essential Hospitals in 2017 and has more than 15 years of nonprofit experience. She leads the financial operations for the association, developing and implementing financial strategies, managing the budget, and overseeing the delivery of accurate and timely financial reporting.

Kaunan ensures the organization is ready for the annual audit, administers grants, develops accounting-related policies and procedures, and supervises the dynamic finance team.

Prior to joining America’s Essential Hospitals, Kaunan worked at the American Advertising Federation for 11 years, where she was responsible for verifying the integrity and accuracy of the financial reporting and operations. She implemented process improvements, helping to create efficiencies in the accounting department.

Kaunan holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from University of Montpellier, Faculty of Economics, France.

 

Wendy McIntyre, MS

Director of Membership and Marketing

McIntyre joined America’s Essential Hospitals in 2020. She leads the association’s overall marketing strategy to generate awareness of member benefits, events, programming, and corporate relations programs. McIntyre also leads the ideation and creation of innovative marketing strategies, cultivates non-dues revenue initiatives, and manages corporate program partner and affiliate relationships. McIntyre has more than 15 years of experience in member communications and marketing for nonprofits and associations, as well as experience in B2C and B2B marketing for the wireless and publishing industries.

McIntyre holds a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from West Virginia University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Old Dominion University.

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Meet Our Experts

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Email Our Staff

Communications Team
media@essentialhospitals.org

Membership Team
membership@essentialhospitals.org

Operations Team
OPS.admin@essentialhospitals.org

Public Policy Team
GOV.admin@essentialhospitals.org

Research and Transformation
INSTITUTE.admin@essentialhospitals.org

 

 

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