Meet Our Healthcare Management Consultants

Candace J. (Candi) Chitty, RN, MBA, CPHQ, President & CEO  Candace Chitty is President and CEO of Quality First Healthcare Consulting, Inc. (QFHC) and Quality First Management Solutions, Inc. (QFMS). Starting her consulting business in 2001 with a focus on National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) accreditation project management, she has expanded her management consulting over the past 18 years to provide consulting services to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs and FQHC-LAL), health plans, physician practices, accountable care organizations (ACO), hospital systems, state and federal funded health care programs, and information technology companies. She has been instrumental in the design of the PolicyPLUS™ cloud-based software platform and the HRSA ongoing compliance software, Total330™.

Through her leadership, organizations have achieved effective and sustainable results in the quality of health care they deliver by making improvements in coordinating and improving the utilization and quality of care and services, redesigning care delivery systems toward patient centered care, developing population health management programs, performance measurement and CQI, regulatory compliance, outcomes measurement and reporting.

Candi brings over 32 years’ experience having held staff, management, and executive level positions in hospitals, physician groups, home health agencies, and health plans. Ms. Chitty has worked with HRSA’s grantee programs since 2003 in the roles of grant reviewer, Healthy Community Access Program (HCAP) evaluator, clinical services technical assistance (TA) expert, FTCA application reviewer, FTCA TA consultant, and FTCA coach, special projects consultant, and Operational Site Visit (OSV) consultant. In 2009 she joined NCQA as an external consultant reviewer conducting the review process for numerous NCQA products including Health Plan Accreditation, Case Management, Case Management Long Term Support Service, Credentialing Vendor Organizations.

Ms. Chitty holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in Health Care Management, a Bachelors’ degree in Nursing, and a National Certification in Healthcare Quality.

She is an active member of the Case Management Society of America, (CMSA), the National Association of Community Health Centers (NHCHC), the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). Candi can be contacted at cjchitty@Qfhc.com 

Bonni Van, RN, MBA, PCMH CCE, Executive Vice President, Operations, QFHC partner, brings over 30 years of experience to our healthcare industry. Ms. Van holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration in Health Care Management, and a Bachelors’ degree in Nursing. She joined our QFHC consulting team in 2005.

Ms. Van has been working as a clinical consultant focused on the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) model of care for over 15 years. She also provides clinical expertise and technical assistance to FQHCs during HRSA Operational Site Visits (OSV). This includes performance analysis review and root cause discussion of targeted health center UDS measures leading to identification of action steps and plan for improved performance. Additionally, Ms. Van acts as an Operational Site Visit (OSV) coach helping health centers prepare for upcoming OSV’s, including gap analyses, documentation preparation, staff training, and overall health center readiness preparedness.

Other areas of expertise include positions with NCQA as a PCMH evaluator and external surveyor health plan, case management, population health, and case management LTSS accreditation products. She has held positions with health plans, pharmaceutical sales organizations, technology firms, online faculty, home health, and hospice. She is highly experienced in the areas of Care Management, Disease Management, quality improvement, medical record review, strategic operations including start-up expertise, governance, team building, and facilitation. Her consulting experience includes market research, policy & procedure development, time & work analysis, medical record auditing, case management curriculum design, care management design & implementation, PCMH survey readiness and providing technical assistance to community health centers. She enjoys working with primary care providers to improve workflow and overall efficiency. Ms. Van’s QFHC consulting portfolio includes accreditation project management, PCMH recognition project management, HRSA OSV preparation, HRSA ongoing compliance coaching, clinical practice optimization, policy writing, case management program development and oversight. Ms.Van can be contacted at bvan@Qfhc.com.

A. Irving (Irv) Koehler, MBA, BSN, RN, CPHQ, CPC, brings 41 years of experience working in the healthcare industry. Mr. Koehler has a Master’s in Business Administration, and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nursing. He is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) and a Certified Professional Coder (CPC). Irv joined our QFHC consulting team in 2017.

Mr. Koehler has expertise in URAC and NCQA standards and is a NCQA external surveyor for health plan, utilization management, and credentialing. He has a vast knowledge and skill set in leading successful HEDIS outcome measure reporting. He can apply innovation to data collection, maintenance, and clinical program structure to maximize impact of outcome measures.

Mr. Koehler’s experience includes Medicaid and CHIPRA application and projects in Florida and Tennessee, managed care experience in population health management, provider appeals, credentialing, operations, and quality management for insurance plans with multiple HMO and PPO products with over 2 million members. Mr. Koehler QFHC consulting portfolio includes NCQA accreditation management, HEDIS performance improvement, and clinical practiced optimization. Mr. Koehler can be contacted at Ikoehler@Qfhc.com.

Dr. Ahmed is an experienced Family Physician Epidemiologist and healthcare Consultant. He is located in Florida. He obtained his Dr. P. H. in Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. He joined Meharry Medical College to start a new division of Epidemiology. Soon, he became the Chief of this division and under his leadership he attracted federal and private funding for many research programs spanning both infectious and chronic diseases. He also became the director of Biostatistics at the General Clinical Research Center (NIH funded). He supervised Master’s Degree (MSPH) Physician candidates and served as the lead faculty on their research thesis. Dr. Ahmed secured funding for the first Minority Coalition for Community Health in Nashville in 1987. Under this grant, he led community efforts for Cancer and Cardiovascular risk reduction among African Americans living in Davidson County, TN.

He has been the Chief Medical Officer for several health care companies including Community Health Solutions of America, Magellan Complete Care or MCC, the first Integrated Behavioral and Physical Medicine Care Management Enterprise providing services to those with Behavioral Health conditions under FL Medicaid Program, and FL Amerigroup Inc. He was with United Health Group for more than 9 years where he held several leadership positions such as: Senior Medical Director, Clinical Analytics, Optum Health, the National, Senior and Regional Medical Director. He was also a medical Director with CIGNA for 3 years. He served as an assistant professor at the University of FL. Dr. Ahmed was the Principal Clinical Coordinator with FL Medicare Peer Review Organization (PRO) for more than 2 years (while he was with the University of FL) where he designed and implemented several Quality Improvement Projects which significantly contributed to superior care outcomes for FL providers and Medicare Seniors.

He distinguished himself as a consensus builder, a thought leader and behavioral “influencer and motivator”. He has many research interests including stroke, cardiovascular disease, nutrition and infectious disease epidemiology. He has been active in Medical Informatics and has become very passionate for new projects and start-up businesses in this space. . Dr. Ahmed’s QFHC consulting portfolio includes NCQA accreditation management, population health management and clinical practice optimization. Dr. Ahmed can be contacted at oahmed@Qfhc.com.

Valerie Butt, CPA, brings 27 years of experience in finance for the healthcare community, specializing in Federally Qualified Health Centers. With a BS/BA in Accounting from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, she is an experienced healthcare executive and CPA. Ms. Butt joined our QFHC consulting team in 2012.

Ms. Butt has held positions in the hospital setting, multi-specialty primary care practice, surgical practice and home health. As a former CFO Ms. Butt has the ability to provide all financial management aspects of Bureau of Primary Care Section 330 Grantees including program requirements/compliance, internal & external reporting, cash flow management, financial analysis, systems implementation, internal controls, billing & collections, accounts receivable, and grants management.

Ms. Butt's consulting experience includes Interim CFO positions, program assessment, Financial Recovery Plans, mentoring, and training as well as UDS reviewer. As a senior consultant with BPHC, she has also worked to advise the Bureau on the creation and maintenance of the Site Visit Protocol since its inception. Additionally, she performs site visits for Title X projects under the Office of Population Affairs (OPA). Valerie has provided training and speaking engagements for numerous PCAs including IL Primary Health Care Assoc., VA Community Healthcare Assoc., Mid Atlantic Assoc. of Community Health Centers, and the Bureau of Primary Care. The founding CFO at Hampton Roads Community Health Center, Ms. Butt is also a former Treasurer of the Community Care Network of VA. Ms. Butt can be contacted at vbutt@Qfhc.com .

Catherine Jones, RN, BSN, is a registered nurse with more than 35 years’ experience in health care. This includes practicing in hospitals, third party administrator organizations and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Ms. Jones received her BS degree in Nursing from Regis University, Denver CO, graduating magna cum laude. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Ms. Jones joined our QFHC consulting team in 2022.

After many years in hospital settings, Ms. Jones practiced at a multi-site FQHC for 14 years. Under her leadership she was instrumental in achieving NCQA PCMH recognition, developed a comprehensive Quality Improvement program, and implemented strong Peer Review, Risk Management and Corporate Compliance programs. She was responsible for oversight and management of organizational policies and procedures, the FTCA program and compliance with HRSA/BPHC requirements. Ms. Jones is committed to comprehensive quality improvement through improved education of staff, development of integrated health care teams, optimizing organizational functions, and use of comprehensive policies and procedures.

Ms. Jones’ QFHC consulting portfolio includes HRSA OSV preparation and ongoing compliance coaching, FTCA application review, FTCA site visit preparation, Interim quality improvement director, policy writing, and risk management and compliance program optimization. Ms. Jones can be contacted at cjones@Qfhc.com

Jill Metlin, MS, CPHQ, PCMH-CCE, has more than 25 years’ experience in the health care/public health arena. Ms. Metlin holds a master’s degree in Health Policy and Management from the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, is certified with the National Association of Healthcare Quality, and is a Patient Centered Medical Home Certified Content Expert (PCMH-CCE) with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). She has helped more than 300 offices become Patient Centered Medical Homes using the NCQA and the AAAHC models of care. Ms. Metlin joined our QFHC consulting team in 2022.

Ms. Metlin has over 25 years’ experience in driving high-quality physician and staff development strategies, community collaborations, and health equity and public health projects. Ms. Metlin has provided technical assistance to prepare medical offices for various site visits, conducted FQHC evaluations for HRSA, and written many grants for nonprofits resulting in more than $30M in private and government funding. Ms. Metlin’s QFHC consulting portfolio includes accreditation and PCMH project management, HRSA compliance, grant writing, and policy development. Ms. Metlin can be contacted at jmetlin@Qfhc.com .

Tracy N. Perkins, CPA, is a licensed CPA with 20+ years of experience in healthcare finance. Ms. Perkins obtained a BBA in Accounting from the University of Georgia and an MBA from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Ms. Perkins currently resides in Northport, Alabama. Her experience includes 10 years as a Chief Financial Officer for two community healthcare centers. She has worked in both for-profit and not-for-profit healthcare sectors at entities such as HealthSouth Corporation (now Encompass), Baptist Health Systems, and the University of Alabama. Ms. Perkins joined our QFHC consulting team in 2018.

Ms. Perkins currently provides consulting services to Federally Qualified Community Health Centers (FQHCs) which includes Interim CFO, grants management, and Medicare cost report activities. She conducts Operational Site Visit (OSV) financial reviews, Division of Financial Integrity (DFI) technical assistance, and Uniform Data Systems (UDS) report reviews. Ms. Perkins also serves as a patient reviewer, mentor, and Ambassador for the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). She was a principal investigator and grant manager for two PCORI “Pipeline to Proposal” grants to engage researchers, patients, and stakeholders in a project concerning West Nile Virus.

Ms. Perkins’ QFHC consulting portfolio includes HRSA OSV preparation and ongoing compliance coaching, policy writing, health center financial systems management and oversight, and grants management. Ms. Perkins can be contacted at tperkins@Qfhc.com .

Jared M. Pollick, BA, MBA, has extensive Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) experience including 9+ years and counting as a health center CEO. Mr. Pollick joined our QFHC consulting team in 2018.

Mr. Pollick provides consulting services to numerous health centers nationwide via Operational Site Visits (OSV), and technical assistant (TA) assignments for HRSA. Mr. Pollick reviews Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) compliance with the Operations Manual and the 93 program elements. Mr. Pollick has a decade of experience as a health center officer with responsibilities that include the development of organizational policies, development operating budgets, board training, providing operational guidance to members of the medical, dental and behavioral staffs.

Mr. Pollick’s QFHC consulting portfolio includes HRSA OSV preparation and ongoing compliance coaching, CEO succession planning, Information Technology (IT), Quality Improvement (QI/QM), Recruitment & Retention, Personnel Management, Administration/Governance and Emergency Preparedness Planning. Mr. Pollick can be contacted at jpollick@Qfhc.com .

Michelle Stephan RN, BSN, is a Schaller, IA native and a graduate of Morningside College in Sioux City, IA. She began her nursing career in 1994 at Siouxland Community Health Center (SCHC) following graduation. While employed with SCHC, Ms. Stephan held several positions beginning as a provider team nurse, Joint Commission (JC) Coordinator, Quality Director, and Operations, before being promoted into the CEO role. As Quality Director, Ms. Stephan developed the quality program while serving as lead for JC site visits and developed the Compliance program along with enforcing HIPAA regulation.Ms. Stephan joined our QFHC consulting team in 2020.

Ms. Stephan has served as President for the Midwest Clinician’s Network, West Central Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Board member, and as Faculty for the National Patient Safety and Clinical Pharmacy Services Collaborative for 2 years. Ms. Stephan is a Community Health Center Executive Fellow through the University of Kansas Medical Center. Ms. Stephan’s QFHC consulting portfolio includes HRSA Operational Site Visit (OSV) preparation and coaching in ongoing compliance, Federal Tort Claims Act, (FTCA) compliance, CEO, COO or Quality Director interims, quality assurance/quality improvement, health center operations, policy and procedure review and development, strategic planning, and board training. Ms. Stephan can be contacted at mstephan@Qfhc.com .

Erin Varela, MHS, OTR/L, PCMH-CCE, received her Master’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of Florida in 2001. Ms. Varela joined our QFHC consulting team in 2007 with a primary consulting focus in PCMH project management. Erin is a PCMH Certified Content Expert (PCMH-CCE) with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and currently holds a position with NCQA as a PCMH recognition program manager.

She has experience working in skilled nursing facilities and continuing care retirement communities providing direct patient care as well as managing large therapy departments. Mrs. Varela has served as a consultant to retirement communities, offering expert advice in home modifications for falls prevention. As an occupational therapist, Mrs. Varela has advanced knowledge of American Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines for creating a medical office space that accommodates persons with disabilities as well as optimal patient flow maximizing patient-centered team-based care. She has worked with health centers for 10+ years to optimize credentialing and privileging workflows and manages the process as an outsourcing service. Ms. Varela’s QFHC consulting portfolio includes policy writing, rehabilitation program optimization, and health center credentialing and privileging management. Erin can be contacted at evarela@Qfhc.com .

Keysa Shaw-Sanders, RN, B.A., CCM, is an accomplished Registered Nurse (RN) who brings over 20 years of invaluable experience in the healthcare industry. Her journey began in hospital settings, where she excelled as a Registered Respiratory Therapist, specializing in Adult and Neonatal Intensive Care. Her dedication expanded to obstetric and pediatric nursing, highlighting her versatility and commitment to patient care.

Her journey extended beyond clinical duties, into the managed care arena inclusive of efforts towards NCQA accreditation, quality improvement, regulatory compliance, case management, and project coordination. Keysa has had the privilege of assuming managerial roles within case management and quality improvement departments, fostering collaboration and collective growth, and ultimately increasing operational efficiencies in each role she has assumed.

Over the past decade, Mrs. Shaw-Sanders’ focus has centered around NCQA accreditation, where she has played a major role in guiding organizational efforts towards accreditation submissions, including but not limited to having oversight of accreditation initiatives for numerous health plans as well as the intricacies of Single Site Multiple Entity (SSME) accreditation.

Beyond her role as an accreditation overseer, Keysa is also an NCQA Surveyor, showcasing her commitment to setting and upholding industry standards. Her holistic approach to quality improvement has led her to construct innovative solutions, such as automated auditing tools, computer-based training modules, and customized project management accreditation tools.

Her dedication to professional development is evident through her Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, reflecting her dedication to process improvement and operational excellence. Additionally, Keysa’s certification in case management attests to her comprehensive understanding of patient care coordination.

Joining Quality First Healthcare Consulting (QFHC) in 2023 marks a new chapter in her journey, which will allow her to contribute to a team dedicated to healthcare excellence.

Keysa can be contacted via email at: ksanders@qfhc.com