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Integrated health. That phrase is used often, but if it were truly put into practice, our healthcare system would be providing better care to all. We encourage you to participate in the Changing Care Together Summit to explore what effective whole-person care looks like — and, more importantly — how we can work together to ensure vital behavioral, mental, and physical health needs are met.

Get Your Ticket

$50

What your ticket includes

Attendees will receive a complimentary breakfast and lunch.

Tentative
AGENDA

8:00 – 8:25Check-in and networking breakfast
8:25 – 8:30Welcome & opening remarks
8:30 8:50Speaker session: Sandy Lancaster, CVS II, Notes from the field
8:55 – 9:55Keynote speech: Lee Woodruff, An inspiring case for change, transparency, and collaboration in healthcare
10:00 10:45Speaker session: Michelle P. Durham, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFAACAP, The need for integrated care models in pediatric care settings: a Boston case study
10:45 11:00Networking break
11:00 11:45A conversation on implementing collaborative care models at the hospital level, led by Amy Boutwell, MD, MPP
12:00 1:00Lunch
1:00 1:55Speaker session: Amy Boutwell, MD, MPP, ASPIRE to design & deliver whole-person care
2:00 3:00Advocacy Session with Lyssette Galvan, Public Policy Director at NAMI Texas 
3:00 –3:30Call to action

Keynote Speaker

Lee Woodruff
Best-selling co-author, freelance writer

As co-author of the New York Times best-selling “In an Instant,” Lee Woodruff garnered critical acclaim for the compelling and humorous chronicle of her family’s journey to recovery following her husband Bob’s roadside bomb injury in Iraq. Appearing publicly and on national television since the February 2007 publication of their book, the couple has helped put a face on the serious issue of traumatic brain injury among returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, as well as the millions of Americans who live with this often invisible, but life-changing affliction.

They have founded the Bob Woodruff Foundation to help post-9/11 injured service members, veterans, and their families heal from the physical and silent wounds of war. To date, the non-profit foundation has invested over $20 million, funding and shaping innovative programs across the country that are helping veterans successfully integrate back into their communities. Her best-selling book, “Perfectly Imperfect – A Life in Progress,” was followed by her first novel, “Those We Love Most,” which became a New York Times best seller.

A freelance writer, Woodruff has penned numerous articles about her family and parenting, and she ran a public relations and marketing consulting business for 16 years. She lives in Westchester County, New York, with her husband and four children.

Featured Speaker

Amy Boutwell, MD, MPP
Developer STAAR, ASPIRE, MVP Methods
Founder and President, Collaborative Healthcare Strategies

Amy Boutwell, MD, MPP is a nationally recognized expert in designing and implementing effective strategies to reduce recurrent hospital utilization. Over the past 15 years, Dr. Boutwell has developed methods and implemented programs supporting thousands of healthcare teams across the US to transform healthcare by identifying the root cause issues that lead to recurrent utilization and addressing them through interdisciplinary and cross-continuum collaboration. Dr. Boutwell is a graduate of Stanford University, Brown University School of Medicine, and the Harvard Kennedy School of Medicine, where she received the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Robert F. Kennedy Award for excellence in public service. Dr. Boutwell served as a humanitarian volunteer at Mother Teresa’s Home for the Destitute and Dying, and in homeless shelters, marginalized communities, HIV clinics, and prisons. Dr. Boutwell trained in healthcare delivery system engineering at Intermountain Healthcare and completed her clinical training in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Featured Speaker

Michelle P. Durham, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFAACAP

Michelle P. Durham, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFAACAP, is a triple-boarded physician with national certification in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Adult Psychiatry, and Addiction Medicine. She is a Senior Fellow for Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health at the Meadow Mental Health Policy Institute, Associate Consultant with Lorio Forensics, and a Psychiatrist for Instride Health. Previously, Dr. Durham was the Vice Chair of Education at the Boston Medical Center (BMC) Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Pediatrics at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. She is also a voluntary Clinical Associate Professor of Clinical Sciences at the University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine.

Dr. Durham has worked in large public hospitals serving individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use issues who are disproportionately impacted by trauma, racism, structural trauma, and family disruption. She has extensive experience across a continuum of mental health treatment settings, including psychiatric emergency departments, mobile crisis teams, and in-home and outpatient clinics. She has also served as a consultant to primary care physicians at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and in the hospital setting. Dr. Durham provides expert evaluation and testimony for forensic civil and criminal cases, and has practiced in public and private settings serving both children and adults. She is involved at the state and national level with the American Psychiatric Association and American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, where she works to improve the standard of care for adults, children, and adolescents. She has testified for the U.S. Senate HELP and Finance Committees to advocate for increased funding, access, and parity in mental health and substance use treatment.

speaker session

Sandy Lancaster, CVS II

As a Conservatorship Specialist II for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), Sandy Lancaster is passionate about supporting children in the care of CPS, as well as helping parents become their best selves. She is dedicated to improving access to mental and behavioral health services for young people.

panel contributor

Suzanne Jarvis, MPH

Suzanne Jarvis, MPH, serves as Chief Analytics and Communication Officer of Houston Recovery Center, with a primary role in operationalizing, tracking, and evaluating the performance of HRC’s recovery management service model implemented through the Medicaid section 1115 waiver. She is the Vice President of the National Sobering Collaborative Board and participates on steering committees focusing on community-based solutions for chronic homelessness, health equity, Pathways community hub, and advocacy related to substance use legislation. Suzanne has a BA in Psychology from Franklin and Marshall College, an MPH from the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health, and has published in the American Journal of Public Health.

panel contributor

Laurel Williams, DO

Laurel Williams, DO, is a Professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Williams is the Medical Director of a state-wide child psychiatry access network and tele-mental health provider for schools. She is also the Training Director for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She completed both her fellowship and residency training at Baylor College of Medicine in 2004 upon graduation from the University of North Texas School of Osteopathic Medicine in 1999. In 2020, Dr. Williams received a Women of Excellence Award and a Norton Rose Educational Leadership Faculty Excellence Award at Baylor College of Medicine. In 2021, the NAMI Greater Houston chapter presented Dr. Williams with a Heroes and Hope Across Greater Houston Award.

panel contributor

Melissa Pérez-Halley, MSW, LCSW, MA

Melissa Pérez-Halley, MSW, LCSW, MA, is a first-generation Mexican-American who oversees the Community Health Workers for the Multi-Visit Patient (MVP) initiative at Harris Health System. Previously, she served as a social worker at CityBlock Health, where she worked throughout Brooklyn, New York, building relationships in order to remove difficult medical and social barriers. Melissa is passionate about providing patients with navigation support while always being patient centered. She has a Master of Social Work from CUNY Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College and a Master of Arts in Art History from SUNY Stonybrook.

About Nexus Health Systems

Nexus Health Systems is a safe and efficient discharge option for children, adolescents, and adults who need a bridge between hospital and home. Offering a unique combination of physical, behavioral, and mental health services and support, we care for patients across our network of facilities. With locations throughout Texas, Nexus offers a continuum of care that enables patients to transition from higher acuity to lower acuity environments as progress is made. Taking a comprehensive approach, our specialized programs guide individuals through behavioral or mental health challenges with co-occurring medical needs, brain and spinal cord injury, medically complex diagnoses and conditions, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Nexus is committed to serving the needs of our community and helping individuals return to lives of productivity and meaning. Learn more at nexushealthsystems.com.