Speakers

Ms. Brenda Karkos is an associate nurse researcher at Abt Associates. She is an RN with many years of clinical, administrative, and education experience in inpatient, community health, hospice, and oncology. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Hospice and Palliative Care Federation of Massachusetts. Before joining Abt in 2016, Brenda was the Director of a Hospice program in Massachusetts. Her work at Abt has included serving as a Hospice SME, and has also focused on hospice, oncology, home health, and other Post-Acute care projects. 

Lisa Newton is a senior staff associate at Econometrica Inc. She is a registered nurse with extensive clinical and administrative experience in acute and post-acute care. Ms. Newton is board certified as an ANCC Nursing Professional Development Specialist. Since 2016, she has provided academic and clinical expertise to the CMS post-acute care (PAC) training project. In this role, she develops and provides training for PAC providers on the CMS Quality Reporting Program (QRP). Prior to joining Econometrica, Ms. Newton served as Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive at an LTCH in central Connecticut.  

Margaret Brown is a Staff Associate at Econometrica, Inc., where she develops, reviews, and delivers training content for the CMS Post-Acute Care (PAC) Training contract. Ms. Brown holds her doctorate in occupational therapy and has experience providing direct patient care in a variety of settings.  

Teresa Mota has extensive experience in geriatric nursing and is currently an Associate Nurse Researcher at Abt Associates. Prior to joining Abt, Ms. Mota worked for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as a post-acute care (PAC) subject matter expert in quality measure and standardized patient/resident assessment data element development across PAC settings assisting with the implementation of the IMPACT Act of 2014 and standing up the SNF QRP. Her work at Abt is focused on long-term care, hospice, opioid and substance use disorders, and other PAC projects.  

Therese Rodda is an Associate in U.S. Health Policy with Abt Associates. Ms. Rodda has extensive clinical, education and administrative experience as a physical therapist across post-acute care settings.  Ms. Rodda assists and leads client initiatives that focus on federal healthcare payment and delivery system reforms that involve clinicians serving Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in a variety of clinical settings.

She is currently a Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program lead. Heidi is a Registered Nurse with over 25 years of experience, and prior to joining CMS she spent 13 years working in the home health industry, as both a visiting nurse and a nurse supervisor.