GA Food is Medicine Summit
Event Details
Welcome and Introduction
8:45-9:15am
Matthew Pieper, Open Hand
Matthew serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Open Hand, the Southeast's largest community-based provider of medically tailored meals and nutrition education, and recently celebrated his sixteenth anniversary with the organization.
In addition to his role as CEO, Matt serves as a Vice Chair of the Board of Advisors for the national Food Is Medicine Coalition, and as Immediate Past President for the Meals on Wheels of Georgia Board of Directors, and serves on the Board of Directors for Rotary Club of Buckhead where he has been a proud Rotarian since 2010. He is also an active member of the Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement and speaks frequently as a public policy advocate for the role community-based nutrition interventions play in helping to achieve better health outcomes.
Congresswoman Nikema Williams, Georgia's Fifth District
Congresswoman Nikema Williams proudly represents Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District, carrying forward the legacy of her mentor, the late Congressman John Lewis. A fierce advocate for social justice, women, and families, she serves on the House Financial Services Committee, championing affordable housing, closing the racial wealth gap, and ensuring the economy works for all. As Whip of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, she leads efforts to protect reproductive freedom and advance equity. A Talladega College graduate and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. member, she is proud wife to Leslie and mother to Carter.
Research Panel
9:15-10:30am
Ciara Long, Open Hand
Moderator
Ms. Ciara Long holds a Bachelor’s in Health Promotion and Behavior (2018) and Master of Public Health (2020) from the University of Georgia. Previously, Ms. Long was a Research Assistant in a private “thinktank” organization that led original research and consulted for organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health departments. Now, as Open Hand's Research and Evaluation Manager, she oversees monitoring and evaluation efforts for nutrition and health education-related interventions and establishes research partnerships to study and refine programming. Her research interests include chronic disease management, health promotion and nutrition security interventions, health equity, and community-based participatory research.
Dr. Kurt Hager, UMass Chan Medical School
Dr. Kurt Hager is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology at UMass Chan Medical School with a research focus on structural determinants of health, food insecurity, nutrition, and health insurance policies. He currently evaluates the effectiveness of nutritional interventions integrated into clinical care with a special emphasis on Medicaid programs. Dr. Hager serves on the American Heart Association's Value Assessment Task Force and Steering Committee for the National Produce Prescription Collaborative.
Dr. Caroline E. Owens, PhD, UNC Wilmington and Tufts University
Caroline E. Owens, PhD, is an applied anthropologist and Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, as well as adjunct faculty with the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University. Her research explores how food and nutrition shape health, particularly the cardiometabolic and mental health effects of food insecurity. She is currently co-investigator on a multi-site trial of medically tailored groceries delivered through community pharmacies and supports the evaluation of Food is Medicine projects across the U.S., with a particular focus on the Southeast.
Dr. Julie Poteet, Optometrist and CNS
Dr. Julie Poteet is an optometrist and Certified Nutrition Specialist who bridges the fields of eye health and nutrition. A graduate of The New England College of Optometry with residency training in ocular disease at the Boston VA, she also holds a Master of Science in Human Nutrition. A past president of the Ocular Wellness & Nutrition Society, she serves on the boards of the American Nutrition Society BCNS, Women in Optometry, the Macular Degeneration Association, and OWNS. A recognized authority on ocular nutrition, Dr. Poteet advances the philosophy of using nutrition to prevent, not just slow, disease.
Healthcare Panel
10:45-11:45am
Aleta McLean, Open Hand
Moderator
Aleta McLean is the Senior Director of Client Services and Outcomes Tracking for Open Hand. As a key employee for the last 19 years, Aleta has been a driving force in Open Hand becoming a preferred provider of partner-agencies and has overseen several successful service delivery expansion and client satisfaction projects. Daily, she directs Client Services team members to ensure services are coordinated with community partners and providers, so clients are not just provided for, but satisfied. Additionally, she manages the large Programmatic Team , covering programs, policy, processes, evaluation of outcomes, government grants, and the community Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.
Leslie Marshburn, Grady Health System
Leslie Marshburn is Vice President of Strategy and Population Health at Grady Health System. Ms. Marshburn oversees programs and strategies designed to improve the community's health by increasing access to high quality care and addressing social barriers to care. She leads a clinical operations team focused on providing care outside of the hospital including home-based and mobile care, remote patient monitoring and population health care management. This includes system-wide initiatives supporting Grady’s value-based care contracts and Grady’s Community Health Improvement Plan.
In addition to her population health responsibilities, Leslie is responsible for organizing and managing strategic planning efforts, including the development of service line strategic plans and directing the production of market and data analytics to support planning efforts.
Dr. Minh Nguyen, Caresource
Minh Nguyen, MD is a physician executive based in Atlanta, dedicated to finding innovative solutions that enhance the health and well-being of those in need.
Before joining CareSource, Dr. Nguyen held various leadership and clinical positions, bringing a wealth of experience to his role. Prior to his career as a board-certified Family Medicine Physician, he was a middle school Math and Science teacher in an inner-city Boston neighborhood. His career has been marked by a commitment to education, service, and the promotion of preventative health.
Lisa Porter, Humana
Lisa Porter is the Director of Market Solutions on Humana’s Health Equity & Social Impact team. With 20 years of experience as a public health practitioner specializing is community health interventions, she champions opportunities to advance healthful behavior change. Her work supports creating solutions for improving health outcomes through addressing health equity gaps, health-related social needs, and social drivers of health.
Prior to Humana, Lisa worked with global NGO partners such as Action Aid and Amnesty International and secured grant funding for international advocacy campaigns as well as for domestic health education programming.
Community Panel
12:00-1:00pm
Jeffrey M. Smythe, ARCHI
Moderator
Jeffrey M. Smythe serves as the Executive Director of the Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI). Under Jeff’s leadership, ARCHI brings together cross-sector partners to drive sustainable, systemic change and eliminate health inequities across metro Atlanta. During his nearly 30 years of nonprofit leadership, his work has ranged from housing, homeless and hunger alleviation to aging services, from HIV services to international development, from refugee and foster family support to youth development and mental health. Jeff led the creation of and founding of the Meals On Wheels Association of Georgia in 2014 to strengthen statewide advocacy and collaboration.
Stefanie Hurst, Kaiser Permanente GA
Stefanie Hurst is Senior Director of Community Health for Kaiser Permanente Georgia, where she oversees the region’s community benefit investment portfolio, develops strategic partnerships, and leads programs that drive measurable community impact and enhance Kaiser Permanente’s reputation for service.
Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente, she served as Executive Director of External & Community Affairs at Grady Health System and held leadership roles with the American Heart Association, the Democratic National Committee, and as Protocol Event Director for The White House.
Beth Jansa, Emory Healthcare
Beth Jansa serves as the Director of Community Health Initiatives in the Office of Health Impact at Emory Healthcare, Georgia’s most comprehensive academic health system. Jansa is responsible for understanding the needs of Emory patients and community members to build authentic relationships, gain trust and promote access to health. Through a robust community health strategy which incorporates wellness and prevention, health education, and navigation and information, Jansa develops programming that supports focus areas identified in the Community Health Needs Assessment. An important part of the office’s strategy includes a Community Health Worker program which connects patients in the emergency department, NICU or community setting with wrap-around resources to stay well. Essential programming that Jansa is currently expanding across Emory Healthcare includes addressing chronic illness through Food is Medicine components.
Peter Pimentel, American Heart Association
Peter Pimentel is the Regional Community Advocacy Director for the American Heart Association – Southeast, where he drives policy and community initiatives to advance health equity and improve cardiovascular health across the region. A graduate of Georgia State University with dual degrees in Political Science and Public Administration, Peter brings more than six years of experience in working at the executive level of local government. His work centers on building coalitions, empowering marginalized communities, and creating lasting systems change through advocacy and civic engagement.
