About NRHA

NRHA Staff Directory

NRHA staff would be happy to respond to any comments, questions, or requests you may have. Please refer to the staff listings below to specify an individual or department for your inquiry.


 

NRHA staff profiles


Tommy Barnhart
Technical assistance specialist
Phone: 336-978-0357

Tommy joined NRHA staff in 2020.

As a Technical Assistance Specialist, he helps administer NRHA's Cooperative Agreement with USDA.

Tommy was formerly CFO of large rural hospital and has consulted on a wide variety of financial management and operational issues.

He has over 50 years of experience in health care finance and operations working with hospitals, long-term care providers, home health agencies, hospices, clinics, and other health care entities.

Tommy earned a bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Bridgewater College.



Mory Bell
Program services coordinator
 
Mory joined NRHA staff in 2021.
 
As a program services coordinator, he assists with grant writing and monitoring, organizing educational events and initiatives, and project coordination.
 
Prior to joining NRHA, he served as an insurance specialist in the Philadelphia Health Corps and was a Continuing Care Leadership Fellow at Riverspring Health in The Bronx.
 
Mory earned a B.S. in public health from Tulane University and a masters in health care administration from the University of Maryland, College Park.


Gabriela Boscan
Program services and development senior director
Phone: 202-639-0550


Gaby joined NRHA staff in 2009.

As Director of Program Services and Development, she assists with all grant-writing activities and managemnet, helps in conference coordination, and is the NRHA staff contact for the Journal of Rural Health, NRHA’s Rural Health Fellowship program, the Health Equity Council, and the Rural Medical Educators Group. Gaby is also the key staff working on NRHA’s Border Health Initiative and the lead planner of NRHA’s Community Health Worker Trainings Network

She earned a masters in public health and a B.S. in psychology from the University of Florida.


Brandon Brook 
National Rural Health Foundation fundraising manager 
Phone: 818-205-7552 

Brandon joined NRHA staff in 2023. 

As the fundraising manager for the Rural Health Leadership and Education Foundation, he takes on the responsibility of developing and executing a robust fundraising plan to support initiatives approved by the foundation’s board of directors. 

In his previous role, Brandon worked as a fundraising operations manager during the 2022 cycle. He is credited with raising over $2 million across 14 clients while employed with a New England-based political fundraising firm. 

Brandon earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, San Diego. 


Donna Butler Douglas
Educational services manager
Phone: 816-756-3140

Donna joined NRHA staff in 2011.

She coordinates various aspects of the Rural Health Clinic and Critical Access Hospital Conferences.

She previously worked as public relations specialist for Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care, after a long career as church music director.

Donna earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Oklahoma Baptist University and a master’s degree in music composition from Southwestern Seminary.


Carrie Cochran-McClain, DrPH
Chief policy officer
Phone: 202-639-0550

Carrie joined NRHA staff in 2020 where she is the head lobbyist for the association and is responsible driving the organization's rural health policy agenda.

Carrie has more than 20 years of experience working in federal health policy development, including leadership roles at Health Management Associates, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. In her previous positions she has focused on improving health care outcomes, promoting health equity for vulnerable populations, and advising on health care policy issues.

Carrie earned a BA in sociology from Willamette University and an MPA with a concentration in health policy and management from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, and a doctor of public health at the UNC Gillings School.


Amy L. Elizondo
Chief strategy officer
Phone: 202-639-0550

Amy joined NRHA staff in 2006.

She provides executive oversight of both public and private partnerships, accounting for more than three fourths of the association’s revenue to sustain the growth strategy of NRHA’s program services division.

In this role, she directs her team to implement the diverse programs and initiatives that support technical assistance activities designed for addressing health equity across rural communities.

This includes educational events, initiatives addressing rural quality care, oral health, rural community health, border health, rural obesity and chronic diseases, community health workers, the Rural Health Fellows Leadership Program, emerging issues in rural health, workforce, and technical assistance for state rural health associations.

With more than 20 years of experience in rural public health, health equity, and leadership development, Amy previously served as the primary analyst for rural health care and post-acute care issues at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services office of legislation.

In this role, she provided policy and legislative analysis to various congressional committees. This position afforded her the opportunity to work as a liaison with Congress during the landmark passing of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, also known as the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

She also completed a fellowship at the Health Resources and Services Administration Federal Office of Rural Health Policy where she took part in implementing a rural leadership program.

Amy earned her bachelor of science degree in community health education from Texas A&M University and her master of public health degree from the Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health.


Sabrina Ho
Government Affairs and Policy Coordinator
Phone: 202-689-0550

Sabrina joined NRHA staff in 2023.

Sabrina graduated with her masters in public health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2023. Her interests are in health systems and policy with a focus on health inequities, especially advocating for marginalized populations and improving health care access for low socioeconomic status communities.

At NRHA, Sabrina works to create and maintain outreach, advocacy materials, and communications related to legislation and regulatory affairs, as well as representing the policy and programmatic interests of rural health in the U.S. Congress, the White House, federal agencies, and other relevant non-governmental organizations.


Laura B. Hudson
Program services and contracting senior director
Phone: 202-639-0550

Laura joined NRHA staff in 2012.

She assists with grant writing and with subawardee oversight and budget monitoring. She also helps coordinate the National Rural Oral Health Initiative and NRHA's collaboration with the All of Us Research Program. Laura also serves as the contact person for state rural health associations.

She previously served as external relations project manager for the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Health. She also has experience in grant management and prospect research.

Laura earned both a bachelor’s degree in American studies and a master’s of public administration from the University of Alabama.


Sharon Hutinett
Member services manager
Phone: 816-423-8205

Sharon joined NRHA staff in 2008.

She oversees all operations of the member services department. She has a passion for serving the health care industry, in particular health care associations.

She has previously worked for the American Academy of Family Physicians in their membership, meetings and conventions divisions and for the Women's Healthcare Forum, where she was director of conference sales and services.


Lisa Inman
Communications coordinator
Phone: 816-756-3140

Lisa joined NRHA staff in 2013.

She is responsible for event registration and member services inquiries and serves as receptionist for both the Kansas City and D.C. offices.

She has library customer service experience and has taught college-level English.

Lisa earned a bachelor’s degree in English and secondary education and a master’s degree in literature from the University of Tulsa.


Zil Joyce Dixon Romero
State government affairs manager
Phone: 202-639-0550


Zil joined NRHA staff in 2020.

He assists in analyzing rural health trends at the state level, identifying model legislation, developing and executing effective strategies to engage with state government officials and stakeholders, and building relationships with the state level advocates to promote policies around rural health.

He previously served on the program services team where he assisted with activities related to State Rural Health Associations, the National Rural Oral Health Initiative, and the All of Us Research Program. He joined NRHA after working as an intern on Capitol Hill for multiple members of congress. 

Zil has a bachelor’s degree in communication, legal institutions, economics, and government from American University's School of Public Affairs. 



Angela Lutz
Communications and marketing manager
Phone: 816-756-3140

Angela joined NRHA staff in 2018.

She assists with the association's marketing and communications efforts, including as head writer for Rural Horizons Magazine, the NRHA Today e-newsletter, and NRHA social media. She has more than a decade of experience as a professional writer and editor.

She previously taught college-level English, and she earned an MFA in creative writing and a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.


Piper Martin
Program services coordinator
Phone: 202-639-0550

Piper joined NRHA staff in 2023.

As a program services coordinator, she assists the program services team and focuses her efforts on state rural health associations and the National Rural Oral Health Initiative.

Previously, Piper served as health equity intern at the PAN Foundation. She has also served as an intern at the Bipartisan Policy Center on the Health Coverage and Payment team, where she worked closely on the rural health team and the digital health team.

Piper earned her bachelor’s degree in public health from the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University.


Alexa McKinley, JD
Regulatory affairs manager
Phone: 202-639-0550

Alexa joined NRHA staff in 2022.
 
In her role as government affairs and policy coordinator, Alexa provides policy and research support for rural health policy and programmatic interests for the U.S. Congress, the White House, federal agencies, and other relevant state and non-governmental organizations. 
 
Before joining NRHA Alexa earned a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. During law school she interned with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, a Pittsburgh-based corporation, and served clients at the Pitt Environmental Law Clinic. Previously, she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Michigan State University where she interned with the Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs at the Department of Education and served as a fellow at MSU’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research.


Rob McVay
Chief financial officer
Phone: 816-756-3140

Rob joined NRHA staff in 1986.

He oversees the daily financial and administrative operations of the organization.

He previously worked for a public accounting firm and a mutual fund brokerage.

Rob earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s in public administration in nonprofit management from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.


Alan Morgan
Chief executive officer
Phone: 202-639-0550

Alan joined NRHA staff in 2001.

Recognized as among the top 100 most influential people in health care by Modern Healthcare Magazine, Alan Morgan serves as Chief Executive Officer for the National Rural Health Association.  He has more than 30 years experience in health policy at the state and federal level, and is one of the nation’s leading experts on rural health policy.

Mr. Morgan served as a contributing author for the publications, “Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care,” “The Handbook of Rural Aging” and for the publication, “Rural Populations and Health.”  In addition, his health policy articles have been published in: The American Journal of Clinical Medicine, The Journal of Rural Health, The Journal of Cardiovascular Management, The Journal of Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology, Cardiac Electrophysiology Review, and in Laboratory Medicine.  

Mr. Morgan served as staff for former US Congressman Dick Nichols and former Kansas Governor Mike Hayden. Additionally, his past experience includes tenures as a health care lobbyist for the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, the Heart Rhythm Society, and for VHA Inc.

He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from University of Kansas, and a master's degree in public administration from George Mason University.
 
 
Chryspus Muema
Operations director and executive assistant 
Phone: 816-756-3140

Chryspus joined NRHA staff in 2021.

He provides senior management team support, manages all aspects of NRHA’s annual election process, contracts and performance with IT vendors. He also works with the executive team in monitoring and processing strategic plans, as well as overseeing NRHA foundation operations.

Chryspus graduated with his bachelor’s degree in finance from Washburn university in 2019 while also competing as an All-American in cross-country and track & field. He earned his master's in business administration from Drury University while supporting the cross-country and track & field team as a graduate assistant coach.

 

Doson R. Nguyen
Legislative affairs manager
Phone: 202-683-2077


Doson joined NRHA staff in 2023.

He represents the rural health care policy and programmatic interests of NRHA with the U.S. Congress. As a prior-service Army Combat Medic and a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, Doson has more than a decade of health care experience.

After deployment, Doson earned an A.S. in health science and a B.S. in pre-medical biology. During this time, he worked in rural health as a phlebotomist, and an EMT, and interned at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center, where he helped to conduct research on how diet and exercise influence energy metabolism.

While in law school, Doson was a leader in the development of a medical technology accelerator at Northeast Ohio Medical University and completed a judicial externship at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.


Prior to his role at NRHA, Doson served as a HillVets Congressional Fellow in the Office of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, where he consulted on contemporary health care policy and advised on legislation before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.



Alex T. Olson
Communications and marketing director
Phone: 816-756-3140

Alex joined NRHA staff in 2012.

He oversees and contributes to NRHA’s online media outlets including the association website, NRHA Connect and NRHA Today e-newsletter, as well as email promotions and social media.

He was previously responsible for developing and supporting online courseware in the medical education field.

Alex earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Kansas State University.


Briana Pistone
Program services coordinator
Phone: 202-639-0550

Briana joined NRHA staff in 2023.

She assists with writing grants and contracts, as well as coordinating activities relating to the All of Us Research Program, NRHA's Age-Friendly Care Initiative, and other project activities. 

Briana worked as an associate in global health consulting for a Washington, D.C., based firm. She has also served as a fellow, completing urban poverty research and assisting individuals receiving government benefits to seek employment opportunities.

She earned her B.A. in international affairs with a focus in global public health from George Washington University.


Geno Poarch
Accountant
Phone: 816-756-3140

Geno joined NRHA staff in 1999.

He records NRHA financial transactions in the accounting system and performs day-to-day accounting functions.

He was previously employed at the Internal Revenue Service and the Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Kansas City.

Geno earned a B.L.A. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.


Kathy Siress
Meeting logistics manager
Phone: 816-756-3140

Kathy joined NRHA staff in 2001.

She is responsible for pre-planning, contracting and logistics for NRHA's educational conferences.

Before joining NRHA, Kathy spent 15 years in catering and convention management with Marriott International and Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau.


Brock Slabach
Chief operations officer
Phone: 816-756-3140

Brock joined NRHA staff in 2008.

He has administrative responsibility for all areas of member services, including membership, communications, and meetings/exhibitions.

He was a rural hospital administrator for more than 21 years and has served on the board of the National Rural Health Association and the regional policy board of the American Hospital Association.

Brock specializes in rural health system development that encompasses population health and the varied payment programs moving rural providers into value based purchasing models. He’s a member of the National Quality Forum’s Measures Application Partnership (MAP) Hospital and Rural Health Workgroup and serves on the Board of Directors of Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC).

Brock is the 2015 recipient of the Calico Quality Leadership Award of the National Rural Health Resource Center and received the American Society of Healthcare Pharmacists (ASHP) Board of Directors’ Award of Honor for 2018.

Brock earned a master of public health degree in health administration from the University of Oklahoma and is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
 
 
Daria Thompson
Member services associate
Phone: 816-756-3140

Daria joined NRHA staff in 2021.

As a membership services associate, she assists management with all membership related duties.

Prior to joining NRHA, she worked for the National Sheriffs’ Association in their membership, grants, and professional development divisions, where she assisted members and coordinated training services.
 
 
Ally Zimmerman
Program services coordinator
Phone: 202-639-0550

Ally joined NRHA staff in 2021. 
 
As a program services coordinator, she assists with writing grants and contracts, organizing educational events and initiatives, and project coordination. 
 
She previously worked as a political affairs intern at The Borgen Project where she advocated on behalf of indigent populations to congressional leaders. 
 
Ally earned bachelor's degrees in public health and political science from Tulane University.