ONEcare Café: Managed Care Perspectives On Clinically Integrated Networks
Join Alera Health for an exclusive roundtable event, ONEcare Café: Conversations & Connections, designed to foster meaningful dialogue between provider and payer leaders. Hosted in a town hall-style format, this session brings together executives from leading health plan and managed care organizations to explore the strategies and nuances of developing Clinically Integrated Networks (CINs) across various states.
Co-facilitated by Monica Oss, CEO of OPEN MINDS, and Leesa Bain, SVP of Network Development at Alera Health, this session offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with organizations participating in or supporting value-based contracts through a ONEcare Network.
*This event is open to health plan and provider executives only.
Already Registered For The Institute? Request To Attend The ONEcare Café Here!
Not Registered For The Institute? Register & Request To Attend The ONEcare Café Here!
Monica E. Oss
Monica E. Oss, M.S. is the founder of OPEN MINDS and serves as its chief executive officer, executive editor of its publications and websites, and executive lead of its consulting engagements. For the past three decades, Ms. Oss has led the OPEN MINDS team and its research on health and human service market trends and its national consulting practice. She is well known for her numerous books and articles focused on the strategic and marketing implications of the evolving health and human service field – and its focus on the verticals of the field serving consumers with chronic conditions and complex support needs.
Ms. Oss has extensive experience in developing and implementing growth strategies for a wide array of organizations in the field. She has expertise in industry trend analysis, reimbursement and rate setting, and creating actionable plans for market success. In her role, she has led numerous engagements with state Medicaid plans, county governments, private insurers, and health plans, service provider organizations, technology vendors, neurotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations, and investment banking firms – with a focus on the implications of financing changes on delivery system design.
Prior to founding OPEN MINDS, Ms. Oss served as an executive with a nationally managed behavioral health organization, responsible for market development, actuarial analysis, and capitation-based rate setting. She also held a position as vice president of the U.S. risk management and underwriting division of an international insurance company.
Ms. Oss has been the keynote speaker at the conferences of dozens of national associations and has been published in a wide range of professional journals and trade publications. She has provided Congressional and state legislative testimony on issues as diverse as the financial impact of parity and payer medication access policies.
Ms. Oss has led a range of industry research and consultation initiatives, serving as principal investigator on research projects that include the examination of national managed care enrollment and service patterns, development of provider rate structures for government entities, creation of return-on-investment models for technology investments; design of performance-based compensation models within public and private health plans; and analysis of the economic impact of changes in benefit design, adoption of evidence-based practices, and new technologies.
Registration
Grab your badge and get registered for the week ahead!
Lunch On Your Own
Try the famous chargrilled oysters at Drago’s Seafood in the hotel, or check out one of the many restaurants within walking distance, such as Mother’s Restaurant.
The 2026 Alera Health ONEcare Symposium
Discover real-world best practices and innovations from the ONEcare Clinically Integrated Network. Beginning with a complimentary lunch at 12:00 PM CT, this half-day symposium will feature exclusive presentations from Monica E. Oss, CEO of OPEN MINDS, guest speakers from the managed care industry, and multiple best practice case studies from the ONEcare network.
Last year’s dynamic lineup of featured presenters included leaders from: Alera Health, Banner Government Health Plans, Butler Behavioral Health, Carter Clinic, P.A., COPA, CVS/Aetna, Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services, Molina Healthcare, Monarch, Optum, and Southwest Network.
Request to attend today to deepen your understanding of population health models through real-world case examples and connect with C-suite executives from payor and provider organizations across the country.
MA&A Strategy For A Shifting Market: The 2026 OPEN MINDS Seminar On Planning & Succeeding In Increasing Scale
How big is big enough for your organization to sustain talent, market reach, and financial resources? In deciding the right path for staying competitive in the constantly shifting health and human services marketplace, many executives from specialty provider organizations are pursuing merger, acquisition, and affiliation (MA&A) strategies. In the last few years, the field has experienced a record number of MA&A among specialty provider organizations serving consumers with complex conditions. Join us for this information-packed seminar examining growth strategies and successful implementation plans from previous combinations and collaborations occurring in the health and human services field. Learn how to position your organization for sustainability and growth as we move forward into the “post-pandemic” world.
This seminar will focus on:
- Designing an effective strategy for growth and scale
- Assessing the options for growth – from investors to mergers
- Identifying prospective organizational partners
- Overcoming the challenges to create successful collaborations
Ray Wolfe, J.D.
Raymond “Ray” Wolfe, J.D. brings over 40 years of experience in the health and human services sector to the OPEN MINDS team. Mr. Wolfe currently serves as a Senior Associate, a position in which he utilizes his expertise to successfully lead varying projects for OPEN MINDS. His areas of expertise include financial analysis and management, mergers and acquisitions, performance improvement, and strategic planning.
Before joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Wolfe served in a 22 year tenure with Pittsburgh Mercy Health System in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most recently, Mr. Wolfe served as the organization’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) where he was responsible for oversight of all system operations, strategic planning, and performance management. Under his direction Pittsburgh Mercy achieved over $850K in value-based reimbursement contract quality bonus awards, integrated three organizations through merger/acquisition, and adopted a new performance management program for managers.
Before acting as Pittsburgh Mercy’s COO, Mr. Wolfe served as the organization’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and was responsible for the development of internal costing methodologies, contract rate negotiations, and financial forecasting activities. In addition, he coordinated an integrated care program with local partner hospitals to develop a series of diversion and respite programs, as well as, specialized primary care, integrated care management and high utilizer teams, while maintaining 15 straight years profitability.
Mr. Wolfe was promoted to CFO after serving as the Director of Fiscal and Information Security/Compliance for the health system. In this role, he was responsible for managing the transition of service contracts from fee-for-service (FFS), leading all compliance activities, and implementing a next generation electronic health record (EHR) system.
Prior to his time at Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, Mr. Wolfe served as Chief Fiscal Officer with the Summit Center for Human Development in Clarksburg, West Virginia, where he was responsible for reporting and budgeting functions and preparing Summit Center’s programs for FFS billing.
Previously, Mr. Wolfe served in billing and collections for two Pennsylvania-based hospitals. First, as an Accounts Receivables Manager for Brownsville General Hospital in Brownsville, PA, where he managed the accounting and billing system transition systems. Later as a Patient Account Manager for St. Francis Medical Center in Pittsburgh, PA, where he improved collections to hit 95% rate through the implementation of new billing software and department reorganization.
Prior to working in the health and human services market, Mr. Wolfe spent five years practicing as a Lawyer with at Law Offices of Arch A. Moore in Moundsville, WV. In this role he provided general legal practice, created and established bylaws for multiple corporation, and handled West Virginia licensing of first vision insurance plan.
Mr. Wolfe earned his Juris Doctor from the West Virginia University School of Law in Morgantown, WV and his Bachelor’s degree with a focus in Political Science and Sociology from West Liberty University, in Wheeling, WV, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Best Practice Marketing Planning: The 2026 OPEN MINDS Seminar On Making Your Growth Strategy A Reality
Is your marketing strategy showcasing the distinctive value your organization brings compared to competitors?
Developing a winning marketing strategy is essential for every health and human service organization. To be effective, marketing efforts should align with long-term organizational goals and strategically position your organization in the eyes of consumers, potential partners, health plans, and even your future workforce.
This seminar, tailored for executives of specialty provider organizations, offers skills to craft a robust yet adaptable marketing plan that is informed by in-depth market analysis.
Key takeaways include:
- Understand the new “North Stars” in specialty health care and the importance of strategic marketing for strengthening an organization’s bottom line
- Examine strategies for evaluating and aligning a marketing strategy with long-term organizational goals
- Learn strategies for leveraging marketing efforts to strategically position your organization’s unique value in the eyes of stakeholders
Emily Harris
Emily Harris brings more than a decade of health care marketing experience to the OPEN MINDS team. She is a seasoned marketing executive with extensive knowledge of brand strategy and planning growth strategies.
Ms. Harris was most recently the Chief Marketing Officer for Trusted Provider Network Health (TPN.health), a national, interactive platform of behavioral health professionals. In her role there, she established TPN.health as a national behavioral health platform leader. She also led a team of marketing executives focused on revenue growth. And, Ms. Harris built out critical marketing data dashboards to track marketing impact of strategies by channel.
Prior to TPN.health, Ms. Harris was the Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Growth for Physician’s Choice Marketing Group, a full-service healthcare marketing firm in Dallas. Here she developed marketing strategies for private practice physicians. To achieve their clients’ marketing goals, Ms. Harris expanded direct-to-consumer (D2C) marketing channels to increase patient volume. She also developed key word ranking/search engine optimization strategies to drive content creation for organic online search ranking.
Previously, Ms. Harris was the Director of Brand Marketing and Growth for TeleHealth Solution (now Fident Health), a leading provider of virtual hospitalist telehealth services in Addison, Texas. In this position she developed lead and demand generation strategies that increased revenue growth through marketing qualified leads. She created strategic presentations for C-Suite board meetings to obtain an additional $10 Million in venture capital funding.
Ms. Harris earned both her Bachelor of Business Administration and her Master of Business Administration degrees from California Baptist University.
Grand Opening Reception Of The Exhibit Hall
Sponsored By: 
Join us for an unveiling of all of our great exhibitors! Unwind in New Orleans style during this networking reception featuring an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, and even live music! Thank you to our reception sponsor, Alera Health!
Executive Breakfast & Registration
If you haven’t registered yet, check in with us at the registration desk and then enjoy breakfast in the exhibit hall!
Thought Leader Discussion
Join our keynote for an interactive discussion where you can take time to ask your own questions and continue the conversation.
Breaking Into The Crisis Market: Case Studies On Successful Expansions For Crisis Organizations
The gap between local demand and local supply of behavioral health crisis services is large and growing. As communities around the country grapple with over-crowded emergency rooms and under-resourced first responders, many organizations are launching new or expanded crisis mobile teams, crisis stabilization facilities and crisis call centers to meet local needs.
Hear from Community Bridges an organization that expanded their crisis services into new markets by tailoring a best practice service model to meet the unique needs of populations and communities across the country.
During this session, discover:
- Strategies for crisis service program planning and community needs assessment
- Creating vibrant community partnerships to support local crisis service programs
- Accessing innovative funding sources for crisis service delivery
The 2026 OPEN MINDS Autism & I/DD Executive Summit
Innovation At The State Level Through Whole Person Care Models
Lunch On Your Own
Try the famous chargrilled oysters at Drago’s Seafood in the hotel, or check out one of the many restaurants within walking distance, such as Mother’s Restaurant.
From Strategy To Action: The Evolution Of The Strategic Planning & Implementation Process
Discover how organizations are going beyond strategic planning 101 and “owning” the strategic analysis and strategy development process. Learn to drive the process yourself and ensure you have the right team in place to keep it moving forward. Hear strategies for incorporating the process into your organizational analysis to enhance the selection of objectives, the language that goes with them, as well as the tactics for implementation.
During this session, attendees will hear real-world case studies from organizations who have taken the reigns to go beyond the nuts and bolts of the process and created the plan that works for them. By leveraging the right team, organizations are able to not only bring together a cohesive plan but execute it successfully.
An Update On Innovative New Payer Programs
Join our payer panel to hear the latest in innovative programs that top health plan industries are implementing today. This series will feature different payers from across the nation at each 2026 event.
Executive Networking Reception
End your day by unwinding with your peers, colleagues, thought leaders, and vendors. Join us in the exhibit hall and enjoy a cocktail and hors d’oeurvres!
Executive Breakfast
Start your day off right with breakfast, served in the exhibit hall. Take this time to speak with our great exhibitors and talk to peers about what you’ve heard this week!
Thought Leader Discussion
Join our keynote presenter for an interactive discussion where you can take time to ask your own questions and continue the conversation.
Housing As Health Care: Delivering Services Despite Funding Cuts
The connection between stable housing and improved health outcomes has never been more evident. This session will examine how behavioral health leaders can sustain and even strengthen housing-related services in the face of shrinking budgets, reimbursement challenges, and shifting regulatory landscapes.
Through real-world examples, data informed strategies, and innovative partnerships, presenters will explore operational and financial models that allow organizations to continue delivering housing supports that directly impact emergency utilization, care continuity, and long-term recovery.
Attendees will gain insight into:
- Creative financing and braided-funding solutions that offset program cuts
- Cross-sector collaborations with public agencies, payers and community partners
- Proven approaches for integrating housing into care management and value-based care models
Lunch On Your Own
Try the famous chargrilled oysters at Drago’s Seafood in the hotel, or check out one of the many restaurants within walking distance, such as Mother’s Restaurant.
Raffle Prize Drawing
Don’t miss the much-anticipated raffle drawing at 1:45 pm and come see if you’ve won any of the great prizes provided by our generous sponsors! (Must be present to win!)
Leaving The Emergency Room Behind: Innovative ED Diversion Programs For Youth
Emergency departments are seeing record numbers of children and adolescents in behavioral health crisis—often waiting hours or even days for appropriate care. Yet many of these youth could be safely and effectively treated in less restrictive, more therapeutic environments.
This session explores how health care organizations and community partners are building pediatric diversion programs that reroute young people from emergency rooms to the right level of care at the right time. Case studies will showcase successful models that create a continuum of care designed specifically for children and youth.
During this session, attendees will:
- Discover key components of an effective pediatric diversion continuum.
- Evaluate operational and staffing considerations unique to youth crisis services
- Identify partnership and funding strategies to support pediatric crisis alternatives to ED care.
Bringing Care To The Consumer: Treatment In Non-Traditional Settings
As the behavioral health landscape evolves, traditional clinic-based models no longer meet the expectations—or the needs—of today’s consumers. From mobile crisis units and community partnerships to digital platforms, schools, workplaces, and even churches ands retail clinics, care delivery is moving beyond the four walls of traditional settings.
This session brings together behavioral health leaders who are redefining access and engagement through consumer-centered, flexible care models. Panelists will explore how organizations are embedding treatment in everyday environments, building trust, breaking down stigma barriers, and creating sustainable reimbursement and operational frameworks that support care outside conventional facilities.
This session will highlight approaches that:
- Reduce barriers to care and reach underserved populations
- Integrate behavioral health into medical, community and virtual settings
- Align with value-based care goals and payer strategies
Closing Keynote
Monica E. Oss
Monica E. Oss, M.S. is the founder of OPEN MINDS and serves as its chief executive officer, executive editor of its publications and websites, and executive lead of its consulting engagements. For the past three decades, Ms. Oss has led the OPEN MINDS team and its research on health and human service market trends and its national consulting practice. She is well known for her numerous books and articles focused on the strategic and marketing implications of the evolving health and human service field – and its focus on the verticals of the field serving consumers with chronic conditions and complex support needs.
Ms. Oss has extensive experience in developing and implementing growth strategies for a wide array of organizations in the field. She has expertise in industry trend analysis, reimbursement and rate setting, and creating actionable plans for market success. In her role, she has led numerous engagements with state Medicaid plans, county governments, private insurers, and health plans, service provider organizations, technology vendors, neurotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations, and investment banking firms – with a focus on the implications of financing changes on delivery system design.
Prior to founding OPEN MINDS, Ms. Oss served as an executive with a nationally managed behavioral health organization, responsible for market development, actuarial analysis, and capitation-based rate setting. She also held a position as vice president of the U.S. risk management and underwriting division of an international insurance company.
Ms. Oss has been the keynote speaker at the conferences of dozens of national associations and has been published in a wide range of professional journals and trade publications. She has provided Congressional and state legislative testimony on issues as diverse as the financial impact of parity and payer medication access policies.
Ms. Oss has led a range of industry research and consultation initiatives, serving as principal investigator on research projects that include the examination of national managed care enrollment and service patterns, development of provider rate structures for government entities, creation of return-on-investment models for technology investments; design of performance-based compensation models within public and private health plans; and analysis of the economic impact of changes in benefit design, adoption of evidence-based practices, and new technologies.