Executive Leadership

Suzan Mora Dalen, MPA, CHCA

Chief Executive Officer, & HEDIS® Auditor

A Certified HEDIS® Compliance Auditor since 2005, Suzan has performed nearly 300 National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) HEDIS® Commercial, Medicaid, and Medicare compliance audits as well as Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) Data Validations reviews. Suzan’s additional work experience includes California’s Integrated HealthCare Association (IHA)’s Value Based Pay for Performance audits and consultancy work in the area of quality and performance improvement for health plans, medical group, and hospitals. Suzan holds a Master’s of Art degree in Public Administration with a focus on Healthcare Administration.

James E. Dalen, MA

Chief Health Economist

James (Jim) is responsible for analytical reporting design, statistical analysis, and oversight. As a previous HEDIS® auditor, Jim performed HEDIS® audits and performance measure validation reviews across the country. Jim has developed value propositions, ROI models, and statistically based predictive models targeting multiple aspects of managed care. Jim also has devoted many years to developing standard analytical methods and reporting processes for HEDIS® and CAHPS®. Jim was responsible for all survey research and statistical analysis in a health plan setting. Jim holds a Master’s of Arts in Economic Theory and Econometrics with a focus on health care economics and health policy.

Stacy Baker, JD

Chief Compliance Officer & Sr. VP Regulatory Affairs

Stacy earned her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law and has been working in the regulatory compliance field for over 15 years. Stacy served as the Director of Legislative & Regulatory Affairs and Medicare Compliance Officer at Sharp Health Plan for the past 10 years. Stacy has extensive experience interpreting and implementing both state and federal statutory and regulatory provisions and sub-regulatory guidance. Stacy has served as the primary health plan liaison to numerous regulatory bodies including the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), Covered California, CMS, the Department of Labor and CCIIO. Stacy has worked closely with all aspects of health plan operations and delegated entities to ensure compliance with new and existing laws impacting health plan operations and is keenly familiar with the impact on those health plan operations.

Our Team

Lisa Bright, MS, CHCA

Chief of Quality Operations

Lisa joined QMetrics in August 2022 as Senior Director of the Data Aggregator Validation Program, assisting to streamline program operations to ensure program scalability.  She oversaw the audit program and validators in training and continues to serve as lead validator.  Lisa has been a Certified HEDIS Compliance Auditor since 2016.  She has performed numerous Commercial, Medicaid, Medicare, and Marketplace compliance audits as well as Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) Data Validation reviews.  Lisa’s additional work experience includes URAC Validation Audits, along with the development and oversight of audit programs.  Lisa has earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Healthcare Management.  She has recently completed her Master of Science in Healthcare Information and Analytics at Tufts School of Medicine.  Lisa is known for her collaborative leadership style, fostering a team culture that values open communication, innovation, and a relentless commitment to healthcare quality.  She thrives on challenges and is dedicated to creating environments where every team member is empowered to contribute their best.

Isabel Castro, BS

Survey Operations, Quality Control Supervisor

Isabel has six years of call center and customer service experience. Isabel’s responsibilities include leading quality assurance within QMetrics’ surveys product line. Her strength in communication and organization are demonstrated in her ability to work well with both colleagues and clients. Isabel thrives in a team environment, allowing her to excel in coaching and training opportunities. Isabel is a graduate of San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

Chuck Epting, AA

Technical Project Manager

Chuck comes with 20+ years of leading diverse, high-performance development teams.  He has extensive hands-on experience working with both business and technical stakeholders to deliver high-quality products.  Prior to joining QMetrics, Chuck was part of the leadership team that created multiple Revenue Optimization and Claim Submission products at Change Healthcare’s Risk Analytics Division.  Chuck was responsible for meeting CMS ACA annual medical claim submission deadlines for 15+ clients and 40+ in-house hosted EDGE Servers.  He enjoys developing data structures and analytic frameworks to discover new methods to improve processes and medical outcomes.  Chuck is a lifelong learner and enjoys reading history.  He holds an associate’s in history, Political Science and continues to work toward obtaining his bachelor’s in education, subject matter History.

Carla Gutierrez, BA

Client Engagement Specialist

Carla has developed a variety of experiences in healthcare, serving three years in Customer Relations for health plans, as well as a Medical Interpreter for the Dallas County Hospital. She has five years of experience in freelance translation in human resources. Carla takes pride in her productivity as well as her bilingual customer service skills. Carla’s love for learning led her to acquire her bachelor’s degree in Spanish Language and Literature with a minor in Fine Arts at San Diego State University.  Carla is certified in Translation and Interpretation Studies.

Sergio Gutierrez, BS

Information Technology Manager

With over 10 years of information technology experience, Sergio has been aiding companies grow their technological capabilities with keen insight and creative ideas. Sergio is a lifelong learner, gaining proficiencies in client-server environments, networking, information security, and cloud-based solutions. Sergio brings a unique blend of education, change management experience, and a deep understanding of the technical and organizational aspects of information systems.  Over the course of his career, Sergio has helped various organizations develop and implement strategic IT roadmaps that align with and support business process improvements, innovation, and organizational growth. Sergio is a strong proponent of lean-agile IT methodologies. He believes information technology is an integral part of a company that fosters productivity, collaboration, and innovation to a business organization. He has led QMetrics over the years in adopting and implementing technologies that align with these IT principles. Sergio earned a Bachelor of Science in Applied Arts and Science in Management Information Systems from San Diego State University.

Breanna Hetzel

Senior Project Manager, Process Excellence

Breanna brings over seven years of experience in healthcare working as a claims adjuster and project manager. Breanna has extensive experience partnering closely with Health Plan clients to manage member appeals & grievances and member reimbursement requests. She applies her strong leadership and communication skills to training team members and resolving customer service inquires. Breanna is highly focused and organized, allowing her to support the Data Aggregation Validation (DAV) program at QMetrics. She enjoys working with team members and providing her assistance on projects.

Jasmine Kauzlarich

Surveys Manager

After obtaining her Medical Assistant certification in 2012, Jasmine set out to gain firsthand experience in face-to-face patient care where she learned the value of applying quality to every aspect of health care.  Jasmine then held various positions in Claims Examination, Enrollment Leadership, and Encounter Data Analysis. Her strengths in organization and critical thinking have allowed her to successfully manage multiple projects.  Jasmine’s excellent use of leadership, coordination, and communication ensured deadlines were met while reporting status updates to executive leadership.  Now, as Surveys Manager, she is dedicated to her team and the excellent work that they produce.  Jasmine’s focus is aimed at process improvement and standardization to deliver better quality work for QMetrics’ clients.

Alison Ledesma

Administrative Project Manager

Alison’s 11 years of experience in customer service with six years of management experience through positions such as Sales Support and Enrollment Specialist have made her an excellent resource to QMetrics. Alison enjoys public speaking and the opportunity it provides to educate others. Alison thrives in a team environment and is passionate about being a team player and meeting deadlines. Her keen interest in advancing her career in healthcare has led her to grow from a Contact Center agent to a now Administrative Project Manager.  Alison learned and assisted with the quality assurance of various projects across different departments.  She also completed a Project Management certificate course I 2024.  Alison’s improved her probing skills along with improving in agility and productivity.

Raul Millan, MS

Assistant Project Manager

Raul has over 5 years of customer service experience and 3+ years of project management in a managed care plan setting. Raul closely worked and familiarized himself with the Department of Managed Health Care’s policies and procedures in order to provide timely access to appointments to the San Diego community and lead a San Diego health plan to the top spot in the state of California.  Using a number of tools and analyses, he understands the importance of data and how it can be interpreted for the benefit of an organization to continuously improve its work and meet its goals.  Raul earned his Master of Health Care Informatics from the University of San Diego.

Rebecca Mora

Call Engagement Specialist

Rebecca has achieved over 10 years of customer service experience in a variety of industries, including healthcare.  Her vast knowledge and skillset derived from her diverse background quickly propelled her into leading roles.  Rebecca comes with over three years’ experience in surveys and is well versed with the DMHC regulatory requirements to complete successful surveys.  She is dedicated to honesty, integrity, and provides quality clientele experience.  She is an autodidactic in several subjects from cryptocurrency to herbalism.  She enjoys spoken word, music, and time with her family.

Laisha Noriega

Call Engagement Specialist

Laisha is a high school graduate with new experience in managing calls to provide exceptional customer service and collaborating with team partners to improve team performance metrics. Driven by integrity, she takes pride in providing the best customer service.  As a team member, her goals include enhancing her knowledge and learning new skills.  Laisha is passionate about learning and growing.

Robb O’Brien, MA, MS

VP Analytics & Innovative Technology

Robb is a seasoned expert with a passion for transforming data into knowledge — driving change within the healthcare system. His 20+ years of analytics experience includes health economics, business intelligence, predictive modeling, and data science. As the leader of Vista Healthplan’s Healthcare Economics team, Robb was instrumental in the company’s success by supporting all Commercial and Government Programs lines of business and eventually contributing to a turnaround and sale of the company to Coventry Health Care. Robb’s extensive experience includes building in-house analytics capability within Social Service Coordinators, the leading Dual Eligible Outreach organization in the Medicare Advantage space. At Change Healthcare, Robb implemented market-leading AI-driven solutions for consumer engagement, risk, and quality analytics. He holds an MA degree in Economics from Illinois State University and an MS degree in Math Education from Nova Southeastern University. He has 15+ years of experience building and leading diverse teams. Robb also taught Economics as an adjunct instructor for over 10 years at Broward College.

Kristine Stachowski, BS, CRCR

Senior Project Manager, Process Excellence

Kristine joins us with over 15 years of experience working in healthcare with a focus in project management implementing software for large hospital systems.  The software implementations were comprehensive and included Quality Management, Risk Management, and Hospital and Community Case Management.  During this time Kristine worked closely with the clinical hospital staff and internal team members to deliver high quality implementations to ensure the clients were able to measure and manage risk, quality, and compliance to improve patient outcomes.  Most recently, Kristine worked in Revenue Cycle as a project manager and a client delivery manager.  In 2023, Kristine obtained her Certified Revenue Cycle Representative Certification.  Kristine earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sport Sciences from the University of Arizona.

Elizabeth "Liz" Subia, MBA

Associate Director, Contact Center

Bringing over 15 years of healthcare experience focused in customer service, Elizabeth has worked in various customer-centric roles in both provider offices and for a managed care plan. Elizabeth’s expertise in both Medi-Cal and Cal MediConnect include serving for several years as a contact center leader and is also a certified customer service facilitator. As a proactive leader, Elizabeth developed focused training tools including knowledge articles and desktop procedures to build team strengths and increase contact center agent productivity, while also improving call center service levels. Elizabeth earned a Master’s of Business Administration Degree from California State San Marcos.

Renata Tiscornia, BS

Healthcare Data Analyst

With six years of experience in data science, data visualization, public health research and health-related industries, Renata has developed a deep understanding of how data can be used to drive business decisions and improve outcomes.  She is adept at using a range of tools and technologies to extract meaning from complex data sets, and is always exploring new and innovative ways to visualize and present data.

Reata is driven by a love for puzzles and problem-solving, and takes pride in providing creative solutions with precision and accuracy. Her primary goals as data analyst include automation, process optimization, and translating data into clear and approachable insights for any variety of consumers. She understands that data is only as valuable as the insights it provides, and is committed to delivering actionable information that can drive meaningful change.  Renata holds a Bachelor of Science in Statistics with a minor in Psychology, and has a deep understanding of statistical methodologies and data analysis techniques.

 

Megan Wilson-Hunting, MA

Director, Quality Programs

Megan has significant experience in improving the quality of care provided to patients and health plan members by improving the implementation of HEDIS, CAHPS, and other quality improvement initiatives. Megan has utilized her strong background in project management to drive operational excellence and process improvement at several healthcare organizations. Her work has been primarily focused on the development and coordination of medical record abstraction for the validation of data for several quality improvement initiatives. As a result, Megan’s contributions directly impacted clients’ confidence in quality measurement and areas of opportunity within their networks. Megan holds a Master’s of Arts degree in Healthcare Leadership.

Adjunct Staff & Consultants

Kaylyn Bautista, MSN, RN

PSV Clinical Lead

Kaylyn is a Registered Nurse, with 8 years of experience in pediatrics, emergency, infusion, education, leadership, and more. She has spearheaded numerous quality and safety improvement projects in a variety of healthcare settings, and is always seeking new experiences to continue to improve the healthcare system. She is a lifelong learner and loves collaborating with other professionals to learn new perspectives. Kaylyn received her Bachelors and Masters in Nursing from the University of Arizona.

Amy Baxter, BSN, RN

PSV Clinical Lead

Amy has 12 years of nursing experience and has worked in the healthcare setting for over 25 years. She has been an ER staff nurse, Quality Improvement Trauma Program Coordinator, held union committee chair and co-chair positions, , was certified in both Emergency and Trauma nursing, and most recently staff nursing for community and ambulatory care. Amy enjoys being part of quality improvement projects, evidence-based processes, and being a support to her team. She received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Western Governors University.

Virginia Farrell, BA, CPC

PSV Reviewer

Virginia managed a Maxillofacial Surgery practice for 20 years and taught Medical Coding and Medical Terminology for five years. She is a Certified Professional Coder and has a Bachelor’s in Business Management.

Doug Hunting

Software Systems Architect

Doug has many years of experience in software development, web development, database administration, Linux server administration, Kubernetes infrastructure and cloud architecture. He has been employed by the state for several years and has helped the state improve efficiency by leveraging the latest in technology to better serve the people of California. Doug has a degree in Engineering from UC Davis.

Ty Kimble, BS

Data Analyst – SAS Programmer

Ty brings over 5 years of experience utilizing SAS to manipulate, analyze, and gather actionable insights from complex datasets including Medicare claims and clinical trial data. She is adept at developing innovative programs for data processing and reporting while also maintaining data integrity. Believing that there is always something that can be improved, Ty’s primary goal is process optimization. She employs design thinking, pattern recognition, and an insatiable curiosity to achieve that goal. Ty holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin.