Our Leadership
Executive Leadership
Leah Heimbach
President/Founder
For Leah Heimbach, caring for vulnerable populations is personal. Leah’s mother and father-in-law were in nursing homes. That’s when she learned that oversight is crucial to ensuring that healthcare facilities meet the high standards of care established in federal and state laws.
As Leah herself explains…
“Most nursing homes do a great job of taking care of the residents they serve. But there are those instances where things don’t go so well. If you don’t yet have a family member in a nursing home or other healthcare setting, eventually you will. You might even find yourself there one day.”
“I want you to know that our HMS staff is world-class and committed to identifying ways that care and outcomes can be improved. That’s why I get up every day. That’s why I love the work I do. And that’s one of the reasons I adore our awesome leadership team.”
Leah’s multiple careers — as a lawyer, registered nurse, EMT-paramedic, flight paramedic, administrator of a federally funded injury control training and demonstration center, and executive director of a statewide emergency-physician nonprofit — converged when she co-founded Healthcare Management Solutions, LLC (HMS).
Leah distilled a lifetime of high-impact roles into a business model designed to protect vulnerable people, which became her life’s focus and daily passion. She has developed and implemented compliance and risk management programs, reduced organizational costs by millions of dollars, and improved overall profitability for a variety of healthcare organizations. A popular presenter at state and national meetings, Leah has authored numerous articles and book chapters for national publications.
Leah knows her entire leadership team is world-class, because she sets high standards and only hires people who truly embody HMS’ focus on care and compassion, combined with deep skill and experience.
Laura Reeder
Chief Executive Officer
Laura began her career in finance and accounting over 31 years ago, amassing broad experience in public accounting and management, and evincing her commitment to quality and growth through ongoing education and professional development. Laura worked as an accountant, assisted living facility administrator, finance supervisor, contracts and finance manager, director of contracts, and senior contracts specialist, before becoming Chief Executive Officer for HMS.
Her experience in both the private healthcare facility sector and work with large federal contractors give Laura a unique perspective as she guides HMS’ day-to-day operations and contract performance. She is responsible for management and oversight of human resources, accounting and finance, contracts, and proposal pricing. Her seasoned and methodical approach, coupled with her keen insight, has contributed significantly to the continued growth and success of HMS.
Jason Cunningham
Chief Technology Officer
Jason has amassed over 20 years of practical IT experience, having worked in program management and systems development in both the public and private sectors. He is especially adept in the areas of formulation and design of software systems according to a client’s perimeters, as well as in technical analysis and the resolution of software conflicts. In addition to his technical expertise, Jason has extensive experience in project and personnel management.
He has worked very closely with government healthcare entities to develop new software systems that improve efficiency and streamline processes through innovative, state-of-the-art technology. Jason’s expansive background in IT creative solutions and personnel management, and his knowledge and experience related to the real-world aspects of information technology and understanding a customer’s needs, allow him to always provide the perfect IT solution for any client.
Kelley Leonette, MPP, PMP
Vice President of Survey and Technical Assistance
Kelley has 15 years’ experience in healthcare, with a focus on contract administration, federal and state compliance, policy development, surveyor training, and data analysis. As a member of the HMS leadership team, she assists in evaluating and implementing short- and long-term strategic objectives. She is responsible for the HMS Survey Division managing the overall coordination, operations, oversight, and communication of all survey and state survey agency technical assistance (consulting service) activities.
Prior to HMS, Kelley worked for the Division of Acute and Continuing Care Providers in Quality and Safety Oversight Group (formerly Survey & Certification Group) at CMS Central Office, where she directed and oversaw the administration of several provider survey types. She gained significant knowledge of contract management, serving as a Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) for CMS on two multi-million-dollar survey contracts. She then managed multiple technology contracts while serving as project manager for revenue cycle management at the Cleveland Clinic. Kelley has a Master’s Degree in public policy and is a Certified Project Management Professional.
Douglas Kelly, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Business Development and Growth
Matthew “Matt” Loss
Business Development Director
Matt has over 20 years’ management experience with expertise on proposal processes, government contracting, project management, and budget tracking. In his current position as Proposal Manager at HMS, Matt oversees proposal strategies and content which focus on solicitation compliance and best practices to meet customer objectives. He serves as the liaison between HMS and teaming partners, identifying capabilities and win themes that will provide the strongest opportunities for award. Matt also assists in developing winning budgets and business proposals. He is the Program Director on multiple HMS projects as well, which support the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation.
Prior to joining HMS, Matt was Proposal Manager for two previous government contractors within the State of West Virginia where he oversaw the entire proposal process and interfaced with multiple departments to facilitate federal and state acquisitions. Matt served as Contracts Manager with the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation and administered federal prime contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements from negotiation through close-out. He also managed multiple programs including projects for the National Institute of Justice and NASA. Matt was the Lead Change Management Consultant for the Air Force (AF)-wide Oracle ERP implementation of the Expeditionary Combat Support System Program Management Office. He also served as Senior Reengineering Consultant on two initiatives for DSD Laboratories, Inc.: 1) an AF-wide Change Management implementation of the Standard Procurement System sponsored by Standard Systems Group, and 2) the AF Financial Management Transformation. He earned a MS in business administration from West Virginia Wesleyan in Buckhannon, West Virginia and has a BS in business administration with a major in corporate finance and marketing from Fairmont State University in Fairmont, West Virginia.
Mark Koepke
Director of Capture and Relationship Management
Mark is a transformational change agent with more than 30 years of experience in business development and health policy. Using his skills as a relationship manager, he excels at establishing networks and developing new ideas and initiatives, particularly in the areas of quality improvement, performance measurement and compliance. At HMS, he is responsible for developing initiatives to achieve the company’s long-term growth goals. In particular, Koepke will support the company’s growth strategy that focuses on agencies within the federal government, including but not limited to CMS — where he worked for nearly a decade — and selected state governments, in order to accelerate HMS’ impact in those markets.
Mark has a wealth of business development knowledge, but his skills as an analyst, writer and communicator truly set him apart. He has leveraged these skills to manage many strategic external relationships with state and federal agencies, businesses and individual experts. He also has led corporate-wide growth initiatives and generated millions of dollars of revenue. Mark also has extensive “boots on the ground” healthcare and government legislative work. He spent the first years of his career in administrative and legal roles for the University of Chicago Hospitals, North Carolina Department of Justice, and Senator Terry Sanford (D-North Carolina). This unique background provides him with a deeper understanding of how government and healthcare organizations should be run from the ground up.
Program Leadership
Survey and Technical Assistance
Nadine Renbarger, MA
State Survey Agency Subject Matter Expert
With over 40 years of healthcare experience, Nadine is an expert in Medicare quality and safety oversight policy. As a subject matter leader on the HMS team, her primary role is to provide technical assistance to state survey agencies.
Prior to joining HMS, she spent 30 years working for CMS’ Quality, Safety, and Oversight Group, most recently as the associate regional administrator for the Midwest Division of Survey & Certification, overseeing Regions V (Chicago) and VII (Kansas City).
Nadine led a team of 63 staff who conducted federal monitoring surveys, processed certification of new providers and suppliers, and took enforcement action against providers and suppliers based on state and federal survey outcomes. She also served as a technical advisor and health quality review specialist at CMS, with a focus on providing survey and training support at intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IIDs) and psychiatric hospitals in Region V. Nadine has a Master of Arts in clinical psychology.
Polly Weaver
State Operations Director
Polly has over 20 years of management experience in a state healthcare agency, coordinating with stakeholders to review and revise policies and processes used to regulate a variety of healthcare providers. She provides management consultation to state survey agencies in support of several contracts. Before joining HMS, Polly was the Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Division of Health Quality Assurance, Agency for Health Care Administration, and the State Survey Agency Director for the State of Florida, where she was responsible for over 500 staff members and the associated management of all survey and certification activities.
Polly is well known nationally by both her peers and among regulatory agencies for her proven ability to drive projects that result in positive outcomes for customers. Polly co-chaired the Florida coalition to individualize dementia care in nursing homes with the Florida QIN-QIO. She also served as president of the Association of Health Facility Survey Agencies (AHFSA) and worked closely with other states and CMS to facilitate improvements and consistency in the implementation of survey and certification processes nationally. Polly holds a Bachelor of Science degree in medical technology.
Pamela “Pam” Mets, MBA, MSN, RN
Survey Operations Director
Pam Mets is a seasoned surveyor of 30 years with significant clinical experience, including direct care as a staff nurse and director of nursing in long-term care. Pam is responsible for all survey activity under state and federal contracts. These responsibilities include oversight of the survey schedule, HMS surveyors, field liaisons, and quality assurance personnel and activities. Pam collaborates and coordinates with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ central office, regional locations, and state survey agencies (SAs) on survey needs; identifying appropriate survey team members for assignments; and ensures surveyor participation as required.
Pam meets regularly with project managers to share survey progress and to address challenges or emergencies. Prior to joining HMS, Pam managed a large district office for the SA in Ohio, where she was instrumental in the development of a computerized, centralized scheduling model for her SA. She is a registered nurse with a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in nursing.
Christina “Chris” Compher, MHS
Epidemiologist/Principal Researcher
Christina has spent the last 15 years leading and supporting programs and projects aimed at improving health among various population groups. Chris now supports multiple HMS contracts, providing expertise on project components that are research-based and data-focused. This includes leading state performance data analysis and reporting on several contracts and serving as principal investigator in the evaluation of the state performance standards system (SPSS) and development of revision recommendations. For one project, she developed and streamlined the data abstraction and review process which boosted HMS’ ability to produce more than the required number of reports while remaining on-budget.
Her familiarity with quality of care and outcomes research (QCOR), data.medicare.gov, and SPSS continues to benefit HMS’ customers, as Chris is able to identify trends and make recommendations for future priorities. Chris develops study designs, manages data, conducts data analyses, performs environmental scans and literature reviews, writes reports, trains staff, and develops survey and interview instruments. She has a Masters of Health Science in epidemiology from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Most recently, Chris was asked to support the State of Texas by collecting and analyzing COVID-19 data to fuel decision making and develop much needed public policies.
Audit and Program Integrity
Michael Gartland
Project Manager
Michael has over 15 years of experience in various audit and financial roles within the healthcare and insurance industry. He formerly directed a Durable Medical Equipment Compliance & Ethics program which included designing and executing internal audits and evaluations for compliance with Federal and State regulations, HIPAA requirements, and TJC Accreditation Standards. He has also formally served as a Senior Financial Analyst in Revenue Cycle operations at a large, integrated health system and as a Provider Auditor for the Jurisdiction 12 Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC).
At HMS, Michael fills a number of project management roles, including as Project Manager of two ongoing CMS Advanced Payment Model medical record validation review subcontracts where he oversees teams of clinical subject matter experts and auditors. These subcontracts focus on quality measure verification (QMV), audit of quality performance targets, and compliance with shared savings rules. He also is a Senior Task Lead of the Marketplace Plan Management Compliance Review (MPMCR) contract in support of CMS, overseeing ad hoc reviews to ensure Qualified Health Plan (QHP) Issuer compliance with Federally Facilitated Exchange requirements. Michael has a Master of Business Administration degree with a focus in Health Systems Management and is a certified Project Management Professional. He also has a professional development certificate in internal auditing.
Frank D’Amico
Compliance Reviewer
Frank has an extensive insurance and healthcare background with over 17 years of experience, starting in customer service and transitioning to external and internal audit. Frank has worked in various audit roles with nearly 15 years of experience having formerly performed internal audits for a large medical system and insurance division. Frank has worked for HMS in the MPMCR program since 2013 having joined the company as a compliance reviewer. Frank has fulfilled several roles in this program from compliance auditor to his current role as a project manager and lead reviewer of MPMCR and special tasks.
Business Process
Gwen Graves
Project Director & Office Manager
Gwen brings over 15 years of project management experience to her work at HMS and has expansive knowledge of project oversight, control, and implementation. Gwen’s project management skills enable her to manage contracts for HMS while simultaneously serving as the office manager for our Columbia, Maryland, location. She assists the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with payment, enrollment, and refund exceptions in CMS’ databases and related systems on the Medicare Casework Support Contract (MCS), providing administrative support and reporting in connection with exception processing. She has also provided overall project management/executive direction of the Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) project in support of CMS.
Her leadership and dedication to her projects make Gwen an exceptional member of our team. Prior to joining HMS, Gwen was Director of Professional Services at HeiTech Services, Inc., overseeing 90 million IDIQ Records Management for the Food and Drug Administration and approximately 300 contractors in 10 locations in Prince Georges and Montgomery counties. She earned a BA in special education from Coppin University in Baltimore, Maryland, and has a Professional Management Certificate.
Matthew “Matt” Loss
Proposal Manager
Matt has over 20 years’ management experience with expertise on proposal processes, government contracting, project management, and budget tracking. In his current position as Proposal Manager at HMS, Matt oversees proposal strategies and content which focus on solicitation compliance and best practices to meet customer objectives. He serves as the liaison between HMS and teaming partners, identifying capabilities and win themes that will provide the strongest opportunities for award. Matt also assists in developing winning budgets and business proposals. He is the Program Director on multiple HMS projects as well, which support the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation.
Prior to joining HMS, Matt was Proposal Manager for two previous government contractors within the State of West Virginia where he oversaw the entire proposal process and interfaced with multiple departments to facilitate federal and state acquisitions. Matt served as Contracts Manager with the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation and administered federal prime contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements from negotiation through close-out. He also managed multiple programs including projects for the National Institute of Justice and NASA. Matt was the Lead Change Management Consultant for the Air Force (AF)-wide Oracle ERP implementation of the Expeditionary Combat Support System Program Management Office. He also served as Senior Reengineering Consultant on two initiatives for DSD Laboratories, Inc.: 1) an AF-wide Change Management implementation of the Standard Procurement System sponsored by Standard Systems Group, and 2) the AF Financial Management Transformation. He earned a MS in business administration from West Virginia Wesleyan in Buckhannon, West Virginia and has a BS in business administration with a major in corporate finance and marketing from Fairmont State University in Fairmont, West Virginia.
