Executive Leadership

Waridibo Allison, MD, PhD, FACP, CPE, FIDSA

Vice President of Health Policy and Founding Executive Director

Dr. Wari Allison is VP of Health Policy at the University of North Texas Health Science Center Fort Worth, Executive Director of their Center for Health Policy and Professor in the College of Public Health. She attended Imperial College School of Medicine, London, completed internal medicine residency at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and infectious disease fellowship at NYU. She holds a PhD in Public Health and Community Medicine from the Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Australia. She is elected to fellowship of both the American College of Physicians and the Infectious Disease Society of America. Dr. Allison is passionate about providing solutions to health care for disadvantaged and underserved populations. She has successfully secured continuous federal funding for her work which includes directing the national Rural Telementoring Training Center and a project to integrate the National HIV Curriculum e-Learning Platform into Health Care Professions Programs.

Senior Leadership

Chaz B. England, MS, CLSSBB, CCME, CCTE, SFC, SODFC

Director of Operations

Chaz England serves as the Center for Health Policy’s Director of Operations. This includes operational and strategic oversight involving Center-based programs, education, projects, and initiatives.  Chaz is recognized as a dynamic and results-oriented executive leader, known for his ability to cultivate high-performing teams and foster collaboration.  His career is marked by a commitment to excellence and a strategic vision that drives organizational success.  He brings over a decade of experience in managed and acute care leadership including quality and process improvement, regulatory compliance, clinical operations, and research programming.  He holds a Master of Science Degree from Jackson State University in Health Science and has completed additional study through Stanford University, Tulane University, Louisiana State University, and the University of South Florida. Chaz is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified Change Management Expert, Certified Cultural Transformation Expert, Scrum Fundamentals Certified, and Scrum for Operations and DevOps Fundamentals Certified. Chaz is also certified as a TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer. Chaz is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE), the Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS), and North Texas Ethics and Compliance Council (NTECC).

Sean Hubbard, PhD

Joint Assistant Professor

Dr. Hubbard is an Assistant Professor with the Center for Health Policy and the Department of Health Administration and Health Policy within the College of Public Health. He holds a doctorate in Public Policy and Political Economy from the University of Texas at Dallas. Driven by his belief that health insurance coverage does not equate to access, Dr. Hubbard’s research focuses on healthcare-related financial decisions made by economically vulnerable households. He seeks to use his research to remove financial barriers to healthcare and improve patients’ ability to navigate complex healthcare systems. Dr. Hubbard’s recent work examines medical debt and cost avoidance among American Indians and Alaskan Natives, as well as the role of financial knowledge in healthcare-related financial decisions.

Leadership

Gary R. Barter, MS

Senior Program Manager, Infectious Diseases

Gary Barter serves as the Senior Program Manager for Infectious Diseases. He brings several years of experience working in health services, and client safety and rehabilitation of healthy life services. He earned his Masters of Science (Forensic Psychology) and his Bachelors of Science (Counseling: Mental Health, Substance, and Crisis management) from Grand Canyon University. His military experience has allowed him to live abroad and helped him gain experience in several countries that help form his compassion and empathy for helping others.

Meghan Brown, MSML

Senior Program Manager, Finance, Grants, Contracts

Meghan Brown is a dedicated advocate for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), with a distinguished career in Social Services focused on program management, training development, and policy compliance. She has extensive experience running Federal programs in both Oregon and Washington, working to ensure individuals with I/DD receive the services and equipment needed to enhance their independence and quality of life. As a Social & Health Program Consultant IV, Meghan’s policy research and advocacy led to one of her most rewarding accomplishments—securing funding for a smart home transformation that allowed a man with Cerebral Palsy to operate his home through voice commands, greatly enhancing his independence. Throughout her career, she has remained dedicated to advancing accessibility. Meghan holds a B.S. in Psychology & Family Studies from Corban University, an M.S. in Business Management and Leadership from Western Governors University, and has completed additional Master’s-level coursework in Public Administration and Business Administration through Corban University.

Suyen Schneegans, MA

Senior Program Manager, Telementoring, Training and Technical Assistance

Suyen Schneegans serves as the Senior Program Manager, Telementoring, Training and Technical Assistance for the Center for Health Policy. Suyen was previously with UT Health San Antonio at the Research to Advance Community Health (ReACH) Center. She has a MA from the University of Texas at San Antonio in Bicultural Bilingual Studies with a concentration in Cultural Studies and is a graduate of the University of the Incarnate Word with a BA in Spanish, Literature and Language and a minor in Psychology. Ms. Schneegans has worked on various social science projects pertaining to substance use disorders, community health, and screening, brief intervention, referral to treatment (SBIRT). She is also a qualitative researcher and has presented at numerous local and national conferences and co-authored several publications.

Trisha Melhado, MPH

Evaluation Staff Lead

Trisha Melhado leads evaluation efforts across the Center for Health Policy and the Rural Telementoring Training Center, including the development of telementoring quality measure toolkit and dissemination of program findings. As a Senior Research Specialist, she provides research guidance to faculty and residents on all aspects of the research process with an emphasis on study methodology and statistical analysis. She has collaborated with teams across institutions to implement multi-year grant funded projects from the state and federal grantors, including the following: Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, Department of Defense, and Health Resources and Services Administration. She has presented research at local and international conferences in addition to co-authoring publications based on her analytical contributions.

Staff

Linda Perna, PhD

Senior Research Associate, Statistician

Dr. Perna serves as the Senior Research Associate, Statistician for the Center of Health Policy in the Division of Research and Innovation. She holds a PhD in Psychology with a concentration in Social Psychology from Walden University. Her most recent work was focused on evaluating behavioral health programs designed to improve the overall health, quality of life, and health equity for individuals in vulnerable populations, with an emphasis on individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Dr. Perna seeks to use her research to increase the understanding of how social identity and negative beliefs can influence health disparities and health-related decision-making while leveraging insights to promote health care access, patient health outcomes, and support impactful changes in health policy.

Krystle Gabele, MA

Senior Communications Specialist

Krystle Gabele is a Senior Communications Specialist for the Center for Health Policy in the Division of Research and Innovation. She brings extensive experience in communications to the Center and is passionate about improving health outcomes in rural communities. Krystle received her Master of Arts degree in Strategic Communications and Digital Strategy from the University of Oklahoma, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work from McDaniel College (formerly known as Western Maryland College).

Nafisa Ebtisam Esha, MS

Research Assistant III

Nafisa Ebtisam Esha is a Research Assistant III for the University of North Texas Health Science Center, Department of Research and Innovation, Center for Health Policy. Nafisa received her Master of Science degree in Applied Economics and Predictive Analytics from Southern Methodist University, along with a Master of Social Science and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Dhaka. Nafisa contributed to a health development project in rural Tanzania by designing a survey research questionnaire.

Alison McRae, MS

Research Assistant II

Alison McRae is a Research Assistant at The Center for Health Policy at the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth. She has a background in community outreach for organizations such as the American Cancer Society and Blue Zones Project. This work includes supporting health policy through coordinating legislative testimonial for city council, working with schools on nutrition mandates, and advising worksites on employee wellness programs. She has a Master of Science in Sociology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Alison has lived abroad in countries like Spain and Australia and these experiences have led to an interest in how culture and social determinants impact health.

Blake Ross, MPH

Research Assistant II

Blake Ross is a Research Assistant at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, Department of Research and Innovation, Center for Health Policy. He earned his Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology from UNTHSC.  As a part of his MPH practicum, Mr. Ross spent time working with urban farming projects and discount food events in Southeast Fort Worth and gathered extensive data on the food inventory of vendors across Tarrant County.  From these experiences, his professional desire is to contribute to innovative and multifaceted approaches to building healthier and more resilient communities.

Cathy Quigley, CLSSWB

Senior Administrative Associate

Cathy Quigley is the Senior Administrative Associate for the Center for Health Policy at the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth. She is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience in administrative work. As a former medical assistant, she is particularly passionate about advocating for the improved medical care in rural communities, which is what drew her to the Center. She brings a creative and altruistic spirit to her role. Cathy is certified as a Lean Six Sigma White Belt and is a member of the American Society of Administrative Professionals (ASAP).