The Food is Medicine National Network of Excellence

Colleen Briggs is responsible for advancing the company’s purpose to improve the health and well-being of customers and communities.

Prior to joining Blue Cross NC, she was Head of Inclusive Economies and Banking within the Office of Corporate Responsibility at JPMorgan Chase & Co.  Colleen was responsible for helping establish and execute the firm’s strategies to promote inclusive products and practices, including advising the development and implementation of the firm’s $30 billion commitment to advance economic inclusion by harnessing the firm’s products, hiring, philanthropy and advocacy. She also led strategic initiatives for the JPMorgan Foundation, including developing and managing global strategies for community development, affordable housing, and small business.

Previously, Colleen was the Economic Policy Advisor to Senator Debbie Stabenow. In this role, she managed the Senator’s economic portfolio, including policy related to financial services, tax, small business, job creation, community development, manufacturing, and housing. Colleen managed the Dodd-Frank market reforms for the Senate Agriculture Committee, and helped draft the Recovery Act, TARP, the Dodd-Frank Act, and health care reform.

Colleen earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ayo Gathing, M.D. is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in child, adolescent, and adult mental health, and a nationally recognized healthcare executive. She brings extensive leadership experience in advancing whole-person care, with a focus on patient-centered access, digital health innovation, and the integration of physical, behavioral, and social health. As a physician leader, Dr. Gathing drives strategies that improve health outcomes, reduce disparities, and combat the stigma of mental illness while inspiring others to action.

She completed her psychiatric residency and child and adolescent fellowship at the Emory University School of Medicine after completing her medical degree from the Morehouse School of Medicine. Beyond her executive roles, Dr. Gathing is an author and speaker who uses her platforms to educate and connect with diverse audiences. She also practices clinically in the juvenile justice system and, through her family’s nonprofit, the Black Rose Foundation for Children, partners to serve youth and create children’s books that foster growth and resilience.

Dr. Gathing lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and two children. She currently serves as the Deputy Chief Health Engagement and Access Officer at CVS Health.

Mary Ann is a seasoned design and experience leader with a proven track record of driving innovation and growth. Her work is grounded in a rigorous data-driven approach, and she is dedicated to delivering exceptional experiences that foster trust and build meaningful relationships with customers. Working cross-functionally with technology, operations, and design, Mary Ann excels at communicating and championing a clear and compelling vision for member experience and behavior change.

As the VP, Experience at Devoted Health, she leads talented teams in crafting an exceptional end-to-end member experience that leaves members feeling known and cared for. She is passionate about understanding what truly supports members’ health and well-being—whether through seamless care navigation, proactive engagement, or access to nutrition and Food is Medicine initiatives. Mary Ann’s leadership has been integral to Devoted’s success as one of the fastest-growing consumer healthcare companies in our category—with an NPS of 70 and trust scores above 90%.

Before joining Devoted, Mary Ann worked at the United States Digital Service at the White House, where she helped improve the delivery of critical government services for Veterans. She also served as a lead editor of Health Literacy Online, a guide to writing and designing easy-to-use health websites. Mary Ann received her BA and MPH from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Kofi D. Essel, MD, MPH, FAAP, is the inaugural Food as Medicine Program Director at Elevance Health. As a core member of the Health Outcomes Organization team, he works to coordinate with the broader social impact strategy, health equity, and medical policy initiatives throughout the enterprise. He leads efforts in designing innovative approaches to address diet related chronic diseases and social risk using novel food interventions.

Dr. Essel is a board-certified community pediatrician at Children’s National Hospital(CNH) and Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University(GWU) School of Medicine & Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. Most recently serving as the Director of the GWU Culinary Medicine Program. Dr. Essel has dedicated his career to advocacy/research around healthcare and public health workforce training, health disparities, and community engagement, with expertise and national recognition in the areas of addressing diet related chronic disease and food insecurity with patients and families.

Dr. Essel is an award winning author and speaker, and is incredibly passionate about research dissemination and translation.  He has been extensively published in peer reviewed journals, frequently appears in lay media, and has targeted his messaging for local, national, and international audiences.  Dr. Essel sits on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Roundtable on Obesity Solutions’ Lived Experience Innovation Collaborative and was nationally recognized by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation for helping to create an innovative curriculum to enhance pediatric resident trainee skills on nutrition related disease management. Dr. Essel sits on the board of directors for the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and serves as physician advisor for the Partnership for a Healthier America’s “Veggies Early & Often” campaign. Dr. Essel is a member of the executive committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Obesity. He also co-authored a national toolkit for pediatric providers to address food insecurity in their clinical settings with the AAP and FRAC. Dr. Essel earned a B.S. from Emory University with a focus on human biology/anthropology and earned his M.D. and M.P.H. in Epidemiology from GWU.

Allison Hess is the Vice President of Health Services for Geisinger. She has over 20 years of experience in healthcare and is responsible for the oversight and implementation of health services programming that includes Geisinger patients, GHP insured members and community members. She started her career in community health education while expanding her scope to include innovative employer wellness, preventive health and population health initiatives driven by data analysis and clinical outcome measurements. Most recently her work has been focused on quality/preventive care initiatives, innovative programs targeting social needs, wellness and quality/prevention initiatives.

Ms. Hess has earned a Bachelor of science in Health Education and her MBA from Bloomsburg University. She has been the recipient of several awards focused in various areas of health including social needs, worksite wellness and innovative supply chain. She has also been recognized nationally for her work with the Fresh Food Farmacy program.

Nebeyou Abebe is senior vice president of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) at Highmark Health, a $27 billion national health organization encompassing a major Blue Cross Blue Shield insurer and a large regional hospital and physician network. He leads a cross-enterprise SDOH team focused on improving the health and well-being of members across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and New York, collaborating closely with local communities to address social drivers of health.

With nearly 20 years of experience in SDOH, population health, and employee well-being, Abebe previously served as Global Vice President of Health and Well-being for Sodexo Group and Associate Director of Health Systems for the Louisiana Public Health Institute. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, a master’s in social and public policy from Georgetown University, and a Project Management Professional credential. He serves on the board of directors for SNP Alliance.

Pamela Schwartz, MPH, is executive director of community health for Kaiser Permanente. She leads a broad portfolio of work in the areas of highest need among Kaiser Permanente members and its communities, including food, housing, and financial security. Pam oversees Kaiser Permanente’s $50 million Food Is Medicine commitment to improve access to healthy food in communities as part of the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Health Communities. She leads the new Kaiser Permanente Food Is Medicine Center of Excellence, which she helped create to more fully integrate food and nutrition into health care delivery and to drive the uptake of Food Is Medicine programs across the nation.

An experienced leader in health care and community health, Pam has served on many advisory committees and expert panels, and she is currently on faculty at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine in the Department of Health System Science.