OUR SPEAKERS

Elizabeth McLaren, Chair-LeadingAge Illinois

Vice President of Reimbursement and Community-Based Services, Covenant Living Communities and Services.

Elizabeth A. McLaren, joined Covenant Living Communities and Services in August 2009 and her role has evolved over the years. As the Vice President of Reimbursement and Community-Based Services she is responsible for oversight and strategic direction of the organizations $75M in third party business . She is also responsible for executive leadership of CovenantCare at Home, the organizations homecare division. Additional areas of responsibility including directing the organization’s managed care strategy and leading legislative relations at both the state- and national level.

Jason Lundy
Partner, Ice Miller’s Health Care Group.

Jason Lundy concentrates his practice on long-term care. He is adept at strategically guiding providers through fast-changing and uncertain regulatory environments. He regularly represents skilled nursing, assisted living, and independent living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled, and senior housing.

Samantha Olds Frey

Chief Executive Officer, Illinois Association of Medicaid Health Plans.

Samantha has nearly a decade of experience in health care and appropriations policy and as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer at IAMHP.  She is responsible for coordinating legislative strategies, testifying before legislative committees and working closely with state agency administrators to formulate and implement policy that positively impact members. 

Steve Wermuth
Vice President of Strategic Innovation.

Steve Wermuth is the Vice President of Stratgeic Innovation at Link-age. Prior to joining Link-age,Steve was a Partner in the Columbus office of Strategic Health Care for almost 20 years. He also he served as the Chief Operating Officer at the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) from 2011-2012. His major duties included overseeing the over 120 programs at ODH and managing the government affairs staff at the department.

Mr. Wermuth worked with ODH Director, Dr. Theodore E. Wymyslo, to lead ODH as the agency worked with Health and Human Services partners and the Governor’s Office of Health Transformation to protect and improve the health of all Ohioans.

Mark McCurdy
Policy Analyst at Illinois Healthcare and Family Services, Springfield, Illinois.

Lauren Wienrich
National Director of Centralized Intake & Admissions, Covenant Living Communities and Services.