ATA POLICY COUNCIL ANNOUNCES NEW CHAIR, THREE NEW MEMBERS UNMATCHED COMMITMENT TO STATE AND FEDERAL TELEHEALTH POLICY AND PATIENT ADVOCACY
WASHINGTON, DC, JANUARY 18, 2023 – As telehealth policy remains a top priority, the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) is pleased to announce the new chair of the ATA Policy Council, Mary Griskewicz, MS, FHIMSS, director of federal policy, Cigna, along with three new Policy Council members. The ATA Policy Council helps the ATA chart a path forward on the important policy questions now facing our industry, and inspired by the ATA’s Policy Principles, which provide a clear roadmap and vision for federal and state telehealth policy that is technology, modality and site neutral.
Mary replaces Mark Hayes, senior vice president, federal policy and advocacy, Ascension, as chair of the Policy Council. Mark will remain on the Policy Council as immediate past chair. Claudia Tucker, senior vice president, government affairs, Teladoc Health, served as the first Policy Council chair. ATA Policy Council members have expertise in public policy, law and/or government affairs and hold a policy or legal role in their respective organizations. Following are the new members joining the Policy Council:
Alyssa Keefe, system senior vice president, public policy and advocacy, CommonSpirit Health Leslie Krigstein, vice president, government affairs, Transcarent
Sarah-Lloyd Stevenson, MPH, senior manager, Amazon
“We are fortunate to have the benefit of the collective wisdom and collaboration of our industry’s foremost leaders in telehealth policy participating on the ATA Policy Council. As chair, Mary Griskewicz will bring a depth and breadth of experience working with payers, providers and technology developers on telehealth policy positions, including interoperability, privacy, security, consumer engagement and health equity, key issues which will shape the future of healthcare,” said Kyle Zebley, ATA’s senior vice president, public policy, and executive director, ATA Action. “We welcome her leadership and insights as we chart the path forward for telehealth policy on both the state and federal levels.
“As we continue to advocate for telehealth permanency, the role of the ATA Policy Council will be more important than ever. We are grateful for the work of the Policy Council and welcome the expertise and unique insights of our newest Council members, Alyssa Keefe, Leslie Krigstein and Sarah-Lloyd Stevenson during these most unprecedented and exciting times for telehealth and virtual care.”
“We extend our thanks to members Mike Hoak, Humana, and April Mimms, HIMS & HERS, for their important contributions to advancing telehealth policy, and to Mark Hayes for his vision and leadership as chair of the Policy Council during what was an unprecedented time in history. Under the guidance of Claudia and Mark, we achieved significant progress on telehealth policy initiatives, and published a number of important briefs, including our Vision 2030 document outlining a policy environment conducive to expanding telehealth access,” Zebley added.
The ATA Policy Council makes final determinations as to policy positions taken by the ATA and ATA Action, the ATA’s affiliated trade organization working to support the enactment of state and federal telehealth coverage and appropriate payment policies to secure telehealth access for all Americans, including those in rural and underserved communities.
Comprehensive Telehealth Policy Leadership
In January 2022, the ATA established ATA Action, its affiliated trade organization focused on ensuring individuals have permanent access to telehealth services across the care continuum. ATA Action works to support the enactment of state and federal telehealth coverage and appropriate payment policies to secure telehealth access for all Americans, including those in rural and underserved communities. The ATA Action Advocacy Council meets monthly and provides guidance on how ATA Action prioritizes its resources and formalizes the process on how advocacy decisions are made on behalf of ATA Action.
ATA Action established the Patient Voices for Telehealth Coalition, including nonprofit organizations representing diverse patient communities to ensure the patient voice is front and center in the debate for telehealth permanency.
The ATA also provides its members with exclusive access to its Government Relations Special Interest Group (SIG), focusing on strategies that support the development of sustainable and viable telehealth policy. The SIG provides a policy discussion forum, collaborates with the ATA’s Public Policy team, and
shares the latest actionable intelligence on federal and state telehealth policy, including ad hoc meetings regarding time sensitive government relations issues.
About the ATA
As the only organization completely focused on advancing telehealth, the American Telemedicine Association is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to safe, affordable, and appropriate care when and where they need it, enabling the system to do more good for more people. The ATA represents a broad and inclusive member network of leading healthcare delivery systems, academic institutions, technology solution providers and payers, as well as partner organizations and alliances, working to advance industry adoption of telehealth, promote responsible policy, advocate for government and market normalization, and provide education and resources to help integrate virtual care into emerging value-based delivery models.
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