TAO Board of Directors

Robert "Bob" Duehmig, Chairperson, currently is the Communication Director for the Oregon Office of Rural Health. After attending Indiana University, Robert worked as an academic advisor for the US/UK Fulbright Commission in London. After returning to the US, he worked in the end user marketing division of Avnet Computer in Culver City, CA. In 1992, he moved to Oregon where he worked on a number of various political campaigns before becoming Director of Government Relations for the American Federation of Teachers-Oregon. In 1998, he began working with Congressman David Wu on issues dealing with labor, education and health care. In 2000, Robert became the Associate Director of Government Relations for OHSU. Robert is a past chair of the Oregon Health Action Campaign, Treasurer for the NW Families Children from Cambodia and the Sabin Elementary PTA.

 

Jeff Caulley, Secretary, is a Strategic Planning and Business Development Analyst for Asante Health System located in Medford, Oregon. He has worked for Asante for the past 10 years in various operational roles with the last 3 years in his current role in. He sees telemedicine as the next frontier of healthcare in rural areas of Oregon. Jeff is a native Oregonian and earned his bachelors and masters degree from Southern Oregon University. 

Jo Bell, Treasurer, is Health Policy Advisor for the Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development. She previously held positions as the Acting Executive Director Oregon Healthcare Workforce Institute, Shared Executive for the Healthcare Workforce Initiative, Office of the Governor / Oregon Association Of Hospitals & Health Systems, and Director, Legislative Support Services Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems.

Sandy Kukla, RN, CFP, Treasurer-elect, is the Senior Program Manager for GCI ConnectMD, Washington. As an RN, IT financial and application analyst, she has been with GCI since 2006. She has over 30 years of experience in various healthcare disciplines including hospital and emergency room nursing, practice administration, Director of Hospital Business Services , application implementation and training, medical financial consulting and clinical analytics. Sandy is a member of the Washington Technology Exchange Advisory Board, ATA, MGMA, HFMA and is a certified EMT. Sandy is very active in chronic care collaboratives, patient safety initiatives, advancement of telemedicine applications and is passionate about improving healthcare and the access to care and has been very active in national, regional and state initiatives to promote the advancement of telehealth.

Catherine Britain, TAO Volunteer Coordinator, runs CSBritain Consulting from Medford, Oregon. She provides support to organizations and communities who want to build telehealth networks, and develop applications. Additionally, CSB Consulting offers telehealth policy development and grant writing support for telehealth projects.  She serves as the chair for the TAO reimbursement workgroup. Catherine serves on the board for the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center, an organization that provides technical assistance and support to new and existing telehealth programs in seven states. Previously she was the program director for RODEO NET, a telemental health program based in La Grande, Oregon for 10 years. Catherine has been active in regional, state and national groups that promote rural mental health, rural telecommunications and telehealth. Among them the Association of Telehealth Service Providers and the American Telemedicine Association, the Board of the National Association for Rural Mental Health, and the Oregon Telecommunications Coordinating Council. She is a co-founder and a past president of the Telehealth Alliance of Oregon.

 

Josie Henderson, MPAHA, is an independent telehealth consultant who is working with Providence Health & Services in Portland, Oregon to help them make strategic decisions about telehealth. Prior experience includes serving as the Chief Executive Officer for the Telemedicine Research Center (TRC) and as the Executive Director for the Association of Telehealth Service Providers (ATSP). During her tenure with the TRC and ATSP she was involved in numerous regional and national telehealth efforts. In 2003, Josie’s testimony before the Oregon State Legislature helped lead to the passage of House Joint Resolution 4, which favors telemedicine reimbursement. In 2010 she earned a Masters of Public Administration, Health Administration from Portland State University, graduating Upsilon Phi Delta. Josie is passionate about leading telehealth efforts that achieve the triple aim of healthcare: lower cost, better health, and an improved patient experience.

Kim Hoffman, Chairperson, currently is the Outreach and Telehealth Coordinator for the Information Technology Group (ITG) at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). After attending Southern Oregon University, Kim began her career at OHSU in 1976 in the Patient Business Office. In 1985, she joined the Hospital Information Systems Department (HISD) to assist with the implementation of the SMS (Shared Medical Systems) patient and clinical management systems. After taking on the role of Interim Director for HISD in 1988, she served as the Applications Manager for HISD until 1993 when the hospital and university systems groups merged to become the Information Technology Group. Kim served as Interim CIO for OHSU in 1995, and then became the Director of Applications for ITG until 1999, when she moved into her current position. Kim currently participates as an ex-officio member of the Oregon Telecommunications Coordinating Council (ORTCC), serves on the Health-Education Committee of the ORTCC, and is the current chair of the Telehealth Alliance of Oregon (TAO).

John Irwin works with communities to help them use technology for economic development and quality of life enhancements. John previously chaired the Oregon Telecommunications Coordinating Council (2001-2009). Previous board affiliations included Vice-chairman of the Area Health Education Center of southwest Oregon (www.healthyoregon.com). John is a co-founder of the Living Well in Southern Oregon Program (www.sohealthyoregon.org). He brings 30 years of diverse technology, healthcare and business experience gained from both the public and private sectors.

Robin Lawson, BA in education from University of Washington, has used her educational background to create teaching programs to help train healthcare interpreters. She serves on the board for PCC Healthcare Institute and has offered courses in this program for close to fifteen years. She also developed Passport University to assist interpreters with specific areas of learning to enhance their skills. In 1997, Robin created HB 2635 and saw it pass into State of Oregon law. This law ensures that interpreters and translators are recognized in the State of Oregon as independent contractors. “Passport To Languages” received the Best of Portland 2008 & 2009 Translators and Interpreters Award from the US Local Business Association. Robin has a dream of creating an Oregon-wide Video Healthcare Interpreting team to assist all patients and providers in need of a professionally trained interpreter, no matter where in Oregon there is a need.

Robin Moody is director of public policy for the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, and serves as the team lead within that organization on health information technology issues. Prior to her work at the hospital association, Moody was a journalist for 10 years, including six years as the health care reporter at the Portland Business Journal. Moody is working toward her master's of public health degree at Portland State University, and earned bachelor's degrees in economics, Spanish and journalism from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash. She is married to Ryan Burghard and has a baby boy named Gabriel.

Thomas Roe, MD, is a member of the Peace Health Board of Directors Oregon Region. An Oregon native, Tom graduated from Oregon State University and the University of Oregon Medical School. He completed post-graduate work in pediatrics at the University of California at San Francisco and San Francisco General Hospital. Following military service, Tom returned to Eugene where he opened a private practice and became a professor of pediatrics at the University of Oregon Medical School. Tom retired from 37 years of private practice in 2006. He continues to serve as a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Oregon Health & Sciences University, and remains an active member of the Peace Health community. He was selected for the 2010 Baldwin Physician Leadership Award by the Sacred Heart Medical Foundation. Tom was instrumental in establishing the Pediatric Intensive Care Program between OHSU and Sacred Heart Hospital. He is a physician champion for the Peace Health telehealth program.

Douglas Romer is the Executive Director of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Grande Ronde Hospital, a twenty-five bed critical access hospital located in La Grande, Oregon. Doug is a graduate of Eastern Oregon University and has over thirty-five years experience in the healthcare industry including Surgical Services management, performance improvement, accreditation and licensure. Doug is the telemedicine coordinator for Grande Ronde Hospital and has implemented several successful telemedicine programs that have increased access and quality of care for its rural community. Doug is a member of Eastern Oregon University – College of Arts and Sciences Computer Sciences/Multimedia Industry Advisory Board, Center for Human Development Board of Directors and is the President of the Northeast Oregon Nurse Executive Council. Doug has presented to local, state and national audiences concerning technology and telemedicine successes.

Donald Skinner currently serves as the Executive Director of Oregon Pacific Area Health Education Center, which has its office in Lincoln City and serves Oregon’s nine northwest counties. A long time Oregon political activist and non-profit administrator, Don was founding Director of Oregon PeaceWorks and has worked as Development Director for Oregon EarthShare, Public Affairs Director for Planned Parenthood of the Columbia-Willamette and also served on the Kopetski Congressional staff. With an emphasis on community organizing, Don’s interest is in expanding TAO’s capacity to facilitate effective application of telecommunications to narrow the quality of healthcare gap between rural and urban areas.

Christopher Tamarin, Ex Oficio, is the Telecommunications Strategist for the Oregon Business Development Department assisting communities with telecommunications infrastructure issues. He has seventeen years experience in marketing voice and data telecommunications services and equipment used in small and large communities by multi-location companies, electric utilities, healthcare providers, schools, and government agencies. He has five years teaching experience at Eastern Oregon University. He has an MBA from the University of Nevada and an MS in Telecommunications from the University of Colorado. Contact Chris by calling 503 508-0178 or by e-mail to Christopher.Tamarin@state.or.us Or US Mail to Oregon Business Development Department, 121 SW Salmon Street #205, Portland, Oregon 97204

 

Joe Yoder currently works for Legacy Health as the Manager of One Call & Outreach Services. Prior to this role he served as the Administrative Fellow for Legacy where he was a member of the legislative workgroup for the Telehealth Alliance of Oregon. Joe completed his Masters Degree in Health Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and his Bachelors degree in Health Policy & Management from Oregon State University.