2024 CHEAC Annual Meeting Plenary Speakers

OPENING KEYNOTE PANEL DISCUSSION
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

Dr. Palav Babaria
Chief Quality Officer and Deputy Director of Quality and Population Health Management
California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)

Dr. DeLorean Ruffin, DrPH, MPH
Director of Population Health Management
Partnership Health Plan

Vanessa Davis
Director of Medi-Cal External Engagement and Initiatives
Kaiser Permanente

Vernell Shaw III
Director, Northern California Medi-Cal Regional Lead
Health Net

Dr. Palav Babaria was appointed Chief Quality Officer and Deputy Director of Quality and Population Health Management of the California Department of Health Care Services beginning in March 2021. She was formerly the Chief Administrative Officer of Ambulatory Services at Alameda Health System. In that capacity, she operationally and clinically oversaw 26 specialty clinics, four large primary care FQHCs, specialty and integrated behavioral health, and is responsible for all outpatient value-based payment programs. Prior to that role, she served as Medical Director of K6 Adult Medicine Clinic. She also has over a decade of global health experience and her work has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Academic Medicine, Social Science & Medicine, L.A. Times, and New York Times. Her areas of interest include ambulatory transformation in resource-limited settings, shifting to value-based care, and issues of gender in medicine. Babaria received her bachelor’s from Harvard College, as well as her MD and Masters in Health Science from Yale University. She completed her residency training in internal medicine and global health fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. DeLorean Ruffin is the new Director of Population Health Management for Partnership Health Plan. She possess over 8 years of experience in public health sector including health education and promotion, clinical research, regulatory compliance, and health equity initiatives. Prior to this role, Dr. Ruffin served as the Director of Research, Evaluation, and Community Health at the West Oakland Health Council, an FQHC. There, she led efforts in health data analytics, quality improvement, and community health programs, focusing on systematic change and sustainable, culturally appropriate interventions to enhance the health and vitality of individuals, families, and communities. In professional capacities, Dr. Ruffin addresses root causes of health concerns, disparities, and social inequalities, utilizing a wide range of skills—including program monitoring and evaluation, education, advocacy, interprofessional collaboration, performance improvement, and research/assessments—to drive change across multiple system levels.

Vanessa Davis brings over fifteen years of experience in health care and with national and international health and social justice non-profits. She has a robust background in public health research trials in various hospital and community-based settings, working at the intersection of health and social behavior. Currently serving as the Director of Medi-Cal External Engagement and Initiatives at Kaiser Permanente, Vanessa leads efforts to strengthen the Medi-Cal program by fostering meaningful collaborations with external partners, including county agencies, community-based organizations, and managed care plans. Her portfolio includes strategies to address population health, homelessness and affordable housing, food security, and other social drivers of health. Vanessa's journey at KP began over a decade ago in the Division of Research, focusing on member engagement in research trials, before transitioning to a leadership role in Community Health as the Housing and Homelessness Lead where she launched and scaled  the Health, Housing, and Justice- Medical Legal Partnership Initiative, sponsored a docuseries focused on human-centered storytelling and systems-focused solutions to the homelessness crisis,   and advanced other innovative initiatives and publications.  During the pandemic, she served on the California Statewide COVID-19 Testing Taskforce, supporting the rapid adoption of innovative prevention and mitigation strategies for people experiencing homelessness. Vanessa holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Wesleyan University and a Master of Public Health Degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Owing to her familial and ancestral experience of displacement and diaspora, she’s committed to working in solidarity with the communities most impacted by systemic inequities to address personal and collective health and well-being.

Vernell Shaw III is an accomplished professional with over 20 years of combined experience in behavioral health, child welfare, and Medi-Cal managed care in California. Currently serving as Director, Northern California Medi-Cal Regional Lead at Health Net, Vernell has demonstrated a proven track record of driving impactful collaborations. He holds a bachelor's degree from the College of the Holy Cross and pursued his graduate studies at Fordham University. Vernell’s interests include reading, exercising, and spending time with his family. He and his wife are the proud parents of six children – five daughters and one son – with two sets of twins! With his deep expertise and dedication, Vernell continues to contribute significantly to the healthcare landscape, fostering innovative partnerships for improved community well-being.