Patty Upham, RN currently serves as the Vice President of Clinical Services at Health Recovery Solutions, where she helps lead clinical strategy and support clients as they launch and expand their RPM programs. Prior to joining HRS, Patty was the Director of FirstHealth Home Care for nearly 20 years. As Director, Patty managed FirstHealth Care Transitions including two Medicare Certified Home Health Agencies, a Complex Care Management Program, and the Center for Telehealth. Under her leadership, FirstHealth developed clinical pathways for chronic disease - a multidisciplinary, evidence-based, and patient-centered approach. Patty has over 30 years of Home Care experience and served a 3-year term on the American Hospital Association Advisory Board. She has been a frequent national speaker on the topics of telehealth and clinical and operational best practices.

Julia Crist is a leader in post-acute and value-based care models for seniors. In her current role as Vice President of Home and Community Services at Allina Health in Minneapolis Minnesota, Miss Crist leads operations and strategy for several service lines, including; home health, hospice, community geriatric medicine, palliative care and durable medical equipment. She is passionate about driving change in healthcare to reduce cost, improve outcomes, and serve patients and families in accordance with their wishes. Miss Crist holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from the University of Minnesota.

Rhonda Wiering is the Vice President of Growth and Innovation at Avera@Home, bringing over 25 years of experience in healthcare leadership and clinical operations. Miss Wiering currently serves on Rural Palliative Care Project, Stratis Health Advisory Committee and has served on numerous councils including the American Hospital Association Long Term Care and Rehab Governance Council, the Minnesota Health Care Home Quality Workgroup, and the MDH Rural Health Advisory Committee.

Miss Wiering is a registered nurse and received her Bachelors of Science Degree in Nursing from South Dakota State University. Miss Wiering also holds a Master’s in Healthcare Administration and from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Business and a Master’s in Science Nursing, Leadership and Management from Walden University.

Rachel received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire with a focus on long-term care. Miss Kuhnly desired to enable improvement across the care continuum and pursued her Master’s at the University of Minnesotaʼs MHA program. After graduation, she completed a year-long fellowship at Allina Health under Dr. Penny Wheeler. During her fellowship, the pandemic started and she quickly worked with Julia Crist (among many others!) to stand up a Hospital at Home model for Allina Health. Now, Miss Kuhnly is the Manager of Population Health Operations, where she continues to oversee the program development and operations.

Prior to HRS, Jenna Kowalski worked for 17 years as an RN at a large health system in western New York. Jenna started her career in the acute step-down unit and the ICU, later moving to home health where she held many positions including Lead Cardiac Trainer, Clinical Educator, Manager of Clinical Operations, and most recently, the Director of Nursing. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in nursing and an MBA with an advanced certificate in healthcare management.