Mario Gutierrez
Interim Executive Director
Mario Gutierrez is Interim Executive Director of the Center for Connected Health Policy.
Gutierrez, who joined CCHP in May 2010 as a Policy Associate, brings more than 30 years of experience in California’s non-profit health and health philanthropy sectors.
Prior to joining CCHP, Gutierrez served as a Program Director with The California Endowment for 12 years, where he led several major health care initiatives, including its 10-year, $20 million investment in telehealth deployment throughout California. He also served as The Endowment’s lead person for Rural and Agricultural Worker Health Programs and Policy.
Gutierrez serves on the Board of Directors of the California State Rural Health Association, a non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots organization that works to improve the health of rural Californians and the quality and accessibility of the heath care they receive.
He also serves on the Board of Directors of OCHIN, one of the nation’s largest and most successful health information networks, which is nationally recognized for its innovative use of Health IT to improve the integration and delivery of health care services across a wide variety of practices, with an emphasis on safety net clinics and small practices, as well as critical access and rural hospitals.
In recognition of his achievements, Gutierrez received the prestigious 2007 Terrance Keenan National Leadership Award in Health Philanthropy.
Gutierrez also has extensive experience in global health policy, with a special emphasis on Mexico and Latin America. He currently serves as Chairman of the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Rural Human Services Advisory Panel, which provides agencies of the federal government with policy analysis and recommendations to promote livable rural communities.
Thomas S. Nesbitt, MD, MPH
Executive Director for Telehealth Services
Thomas Nesbitt, who joined CCHP in January 2009, provides a clinical and health care quality perspective on the issues that the center seeks to address. Dr. Nesbitt works with providers in demonstration projects, such as the Specialty Care Safety Net Initiative. He also evaluates potential new models of telehealth delivery, examining patient safety, provider work flow, effectiveness, and clinical efficiency.
Dr. Nesbitt is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategic Technologies and Alliances of the University Of California Davis School Of Medicine, and a professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, specializing in rural health and the use of advanced telecommunications technologies to improve access to medical education and care.
Dr. Nesbitt is the founding director of the Center for Health and Technology, which oversees UC Davis’s telemedicine, distance learning, and medical informatics programs. He works closely with UC Office of the President, health care policy leaders, and senior staff from the State of California to implement Proposition 1D and the California Telehealth Network. As co-director of the California Telehealth Network, Dr. Nesbitt oversees the deployment of a statewide telecommunications program that will link more than 850 sites on a “digital health highway.” Together, these two initiatives will greatly expand access to health care services for many patients and families in rural areas.
Dr. Nesbitt received his medical degree from UC Davis, completed residency training through the Spokane Family Medicine Residency Program, an affiliate of the University Of Washington School Of Medicine, and obtained his master’s of public health at the University of Washington’s School of Public Health.
Kathy J. Chorba
Program Director, Specialty Care Safety Net Initiative
Kathy Chorba, who joined the CCHP team in June 2009, is responsible for project development, implementation and direction of the Specialty Care Safety Net Initiative. Ms. Chorba's background includes 13 years of telemedicine and health informatics experience, gathered from her previous roles at the University of California Davis, in the Center for Health and Technology, and the Health Informatics Program.
Ms. Chorba was a founding member of the UC Davis Center for Health and Technology (CHT) Telemedicine Program, which began in 1996. She continued working with CHT until 2008, when she transitioned to the Health Informatics Program, which teaches the incorporation of information and patient care technologies as tools for the researcher, patient care provider, and general population.
As a member of the Telemedicine Program's development team, Ms. Chorba played an active leadership role in clinic development, strategic visioning and the development process of new programs and joint ventures. She served as Instructor for the Center for Health and Technology's Telemedicine Learning Center (TLC) from 1999 to 2008, and assumed the role of TLC Director from 2006 to 2008. As an invited guest speaker, Ms. Chorba has presented telemedicine topics at national and bi-national conferences throughout the United States.
Throughout Ms. Chorba's history with the UC Davis Health System, she has acquired an extensive clinical operations background in primary care, rural health, and the delivery of specialty care. In her role as Telemedicine Operations Manager, Ms. Chorba has successfully implemented more than 30 UC Davis specialty clinics at more than 40 community hospitals and clinics throughout California. Ms. Chorba's exposure to the diverse medical needs of California's rural communities provides her with a wealth of knowledge regarding the challenges and successes of telemedicine.
Mei Wa Kwong
Policy Associate
Mei Wa Kwong joined CCHP in March 2010, where she works on public policy issues as they impact telehealth in California.
Prior to joining CCHP, Ms. Kwong was a public policy analyst for Children’s Home Society of California, working on child care and early education issues on the state and federal levels. She also worked extensively with the Child Development Policy Institute, a statewide public policy organization, and was recognized by them in 2004 for her work in the early care and education field.
Ms. Kwong worked for five years at the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) in Washington, D.C., on federal tax issues, and administered NAREIT’s political action committee.
She holds a B.A. in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.
Stephen Robitaille
Communications Manager
Steve Robitaille joined CCHP in January 2010, where he provides communications strategy and project implementation. He has nearly three decades of experience in communications, and is a former award-winning journalist.
Laura Stanworth
Office Administrator
Laura Stanworth has spent the last eight years working in a non-profit organization helping to create and maintain office workflow. At CCHP, she assists in everything from overseeing finances and budget preparation to scheduling meetings and editing proposals.
Rebecca Roland
Administrative Assistant, Specialty Care Safety Net Initiative
Rebecca Roland joined the CCHP team in November 2009. Ms. Roland’s background has been in direct patient care as well as administrative support in the health care field.