Healthcare Transformation Initiatives
Prioritizing health in health care
The Healthcare Transformation Initiatives (HTI) Department implements programs that increase access to primary and specialty care, improve the effectiveness and efficiency of care, and reduce health care costs using a patient-centered approach.
HTI supports UT Physicians’ goal of exceeding all clinical, quality, and safety measures and being an innovative clinical practice that is the provider of choice for Southeast Texas and a model for other practices.
Services
In line with our mission and vision, as a collaborating partner, we offer the following internal services:
- Consultation on grant proposals
- Project management for projects
- Review, consultation, and approval for projects that occur in UT Physicians clinics
- Review and consultation on custom content for patient education and marketing
- Data pulls for grant proposals and quality improvement projects
- Innovative data analytics and visualizations
- Develop user-friendly applications to enable end-users to interact seamlessly with data
Meet the Team
The HTI leadership team represents the following divisions to successfully support our mission and services:
Roles
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Sahar Qashqai, MPH, CLSSBB
Associate Vice President, Strategy & Quality
Yen Chi-Le, PhD
Executive Director, Innovation & Quality
Logan Thornton, DrPH, MPH, CHES, PCMH CCE, CLSSBB
Executive Director, Health Services Delivery/Population
Health & Evidence-Based Practice
Sharif Mansur, MPH, CLSSBB
Executive Director, Project Management & Quality Initiatives
Ingrid Castillo, MPA, CLSSBB
Director, Strategic Initiatives
The Innovation and Quality Division is the think tank of HTI. The division’s primary focus areas are innovation, evaluation, and analytics. This division designs, implements, and evaluates various Managed Care Organization quality incentive programs, quality improvement, and research projects. The division also disseminates the work of the HTI department through white papers for executive leadership, prepares testimonies for the Texas State Legislature, presents at national and local conferences, and publishes articles in peer-reviewed journals. The Analytics arm of the division leverages advanced skills in SQL, Python, Tableau, and Epic reporting tools to transform data into actionable insights. Guided by principles of collaboration and innovation, this team designs impactful reports, visualizations, and applications that shape organizational strategy and enhance operational efficiency.
Roles
- Set up new programs
- Implement quality initiatives
- Disseminate work via conferences and publications
- Identify funding opportunities and apply for grants
- Analyze and manage data for informed decision-making
- Conduct program evaluation and cost-effectiveness analysis
- Innovative data analytics and visualizations
- Develop user-friendly applications to enable end-users to interact seamlessly with data
Yen-Chi Le, PhD
Executive Director, Innovation & Quality
Sandra Stansberry, MPH
Director, Innovation and Analytics
Matthew Faatz, MS
Business Intelligence Developer III
Jordan Godfrey-Stovall, MS
Business Intelligence Developer I
Heath Goodrum, MS
Business Intelligence Developer III
Kathleen Hanley, DrPH, MS, CHES
Assistant Director, Healthcare Transformation Initiatives
Richard Marciniak, BS, CG(ASCP)CM, CAPM®
Business Intelligence Developer II
Linh Nguyen, PhD, MS
Senior Health Economist
Rhea Olegario, MPH, MCHES
Epic Business Intelligence Applications Specialist II Practice Plan
Hannah Reygaerts, PhD, MPH
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Jinni Tang, PhD, MPH, CHES
Project Manager I
Kevin Sanchez
Project Manager II
Roles
- Operate Transitions of Care Hub
- Improve Chronic Disease Management
- Maintain PCMH recognition
- Implement Wellness/Patient Education programs
- Coordinate patient care and support through Multidisciplinary Care Teams
- Grow community partnerships
- Integrate social determinants of health screening
Care Team Service
- Leverage care team support for special projects
- Consult with practices pursuing case management accreditation
- Liaise with community-based organizations to develop health promotion initiatives
Logan R. Thornton, DrPH, MPH, CHES, PCMH CCE, CLSSBB
Executive Director, Population Health & Evidence-Based Practice
Cheryle DeMaria, MSN, BSN, RN
Manager, Clinical Case Management
Monique Johnson, MS, CCHW
Community Health Worker Manager
Pio Juan Lansangan, PharmD, APh, NASM-CPT
Clinical Pharmacy Supervisor
Nancy Ngo, MSW, LCSW
Social Work Supervisor
Natalia Williams, MPH, CHES
Project Manager II
Kira Wilson, MS, RD, LD, CDCES, MSHA
Diabetes Program Manager
The Division of Project Management and Quality Initiatives drives health care excellence by leading high-impact projects and managing strategic grants that enhance patient outcomes and care quality. Through data-informed decision-making and a strong commitment to continuous improvement, we work to optimize performance on key quality metrics, improve operational efficiency, and implement sustainable health care solutions. Our efforts support patients, empower providers, and strengthen care teams — advancing a shared mission of delivering the highest standards of care across the organization.
Roles
- Strategic project management
- Clinical quality improvement, including measure performance management
- Practice-level support for project and quality initiatives
- Accreditation, budgeting, and operational support
- Federal programs reporting and audit compliance
Sharif Mansur
Executive Director, Project Management & Quality Initiatives
Tunu Tenende, MPH, PMP
Assistant Director
Robyn Harris, MPA, CLSSGB
Manager, Project Management – Practice Plan
Lance Johnson
Project Manager II
Isaac Mancillas
Project Manager I
Xochitl Olguin, MBA, CLSSGB
Project Manager II
The Integrated Behavioral Health program leads efforts to improve health outcomes through integrated behavioral healthcare in primary and specialty care settings. This program is the driving force behind the practice-wide advancement of crisis prevention and intervention strategies.
Roles
- Optimize crisis management to improve patient safety and team performance
- Integration of behavioral health
- Enhance universal screening for common behavioral disorders
- Strengthen skills in addressing mental health concerns
Ingrid Castillo, MPA, CLSSBB
Director, Strategic Initiatives
Rhonda Conyers, MSW, LCSW-S
Manager of Social Work and Quality Assurance
Elizabeth Martinez, BA
Assistant Project Manager
Jennifer Noblet, MSW, LCSW-S
Manager, Behavioral Health
The Division of Strategic Initiatives accelerates the successful development and implementation of new long-range strategic objectives. It is on a transformative journey to shift the organization’s focus towards the broader adoption of alternative payment models, aiming for significant savings and improved quality. The division provides direct guidance and coordination for special projects and ensures the success of parallel programs.
Roles
- Adoption of alternative payment models
- Maximize revenue through clinical documentation improvement programs
- Operate Patient Integrated Care Team (PICT)
- Manage special projects
- Implement processes and workflow to enhance patient access
- Advance practice-plan telehealth services
- Further technological innovations to improve outcomes
Ingrid Castillo, MPA, CLSSBB
Director, Strategic Initiatives
Stephanie Dixon
Assistant Director, Strategic Initiatives
Corporate Engagement & Wellness Services
Leslie Feld
Senior Manager, Community Relations, Wellness Services
UT Physicians Wellness Services supports the corporate organization’s efforts to maintain a strong and productive workforce. The wellness team offers a wide range of services and screenings to help improve the health of employees, from vaccinations and blood pressure readings to BMI measurements and cholesterol screenings. Their mission is to promote the UT Physicians community-based clinics and provide services on-site and at community events within the Greater Houston area.
Nurse Triage Line
Robin Riggs, MSN, CEN, RN
Assistant Director, Nursing
Lauren Cantu
BSN, RN, Nurse Manager
UT Physicians Nurse Triage Line (NTL) provides access to patients by trained registered nurse staff who can provide patient care ranging from home care advice to emergent interventions using approved, and evidence-based adult and pediatric protocols. With over 400 plus combined years of critical care nursing experience and taking over 240,000 calls annually, NTL plays an integral part in providing safe and appropriate nursing care and clinical advice to the patients of UT Physicians.
In the News
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- Community spirit shines through HTI’s holiday gathering
- Cold hands, warm hearts: Houston Habitat for Humanity build day
- Making a difference in the community builds camaraderie
- A Dedicated Group Behind the Scenes of Houston's Vaccine Efforts
