Dr. Elizabeth (Liz) Fowler, J.D., Ph.D., is a distinguished healthcare policy expert who served as the Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from March 2021 until early 2025. In this role, she was instrumental in steering the U.S. healthcare system toward value-based care, focusing on improving quality, equity, and affordability.

During her tenure at CMMI, Dr. Fowler oversaw the development and implementation of innovative payment and service delivery models aimed at reducing costs while enhancing care quality for Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiaries. She emphasized the importance of accountable care organizations (ACOs), health equity, and the integration of social determinants of health into care models. Under her leadership, CMMI launched a refreshed strategic direction to streamline its portfolio and scale successful models nationwide .

Before her appointment at CMS, Dr. Fowler held several key positions in both the public and private sectors. She was the Executive Vice President for Programs at The Commonwealth Fund, where she focused on health system performance and innovation. Previously, she served as Vice President for Global Health Policy at Johnson & Johnson, concentrating on healthcare delivery system and payment reform in the U.S. and emerging markets .

Dr. Fowler’s extensive experience in health policy includes her role as Special Assistant to President Barack Obama on healthcare and economic policy at the National Economic Council, where she played a significant part in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She also served as Chief Health Counsel to the Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Senator Max Baucus, contributing to the drafting of the ACA and the 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act .

Academically, Dr. Fowler holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania, a Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health—where her research focused on risk adjustment—and a Juris Doctor from the University of Minnesota Law School. She is admitted to the bar in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Supreme Court .

Dr. Fowler’s leadership at CMMI was marked by a commitment to advancing person-centered, value-based care models and addressing systemic inequities in healthcare delivery.

Dr. Tim Attebery, DSc, MBA, FACHE, is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cardiovascular Associates of America (CVAUSA), a physician-led cardiology platform established in partnership with Webster Equity Partners in December 2021. Under his leadership, CVAUSA has become the largest private equity-backed cardiovascular network in the United States, encompassing over 19 partner groups with more than 325 cardiovascular specialists across eight states as of mid-2023 .

Dr. Attebery’s extensive career in healthcare spans over three decades, including serving as CEO of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and MedAxiom, as well as executive roles at Holston Valley Medical Center and Wellmont Health System . He holds a Doctorate in Healthcare Leadership from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, an MBA from the University of Tennessee, and a BS in Business Administration from Western Governors University .

At CVAUSA, Dr. Attebery has pioneered a model that empowers cardiologists to maintain clinical and operational autonomy while benefiting from shared resources and strategic support. This approach facilitates practice expansion, the development of ambulatory surgery centers, and the adoption of value-based care models .

Beyond his role at CVAUSA, Dr. Attebery contributes to the advancement of cardiovascular care through board memberships, including his appointment to the Board of Directors at CorVista Health in 2023, where he supports the development of innovative cardiac diagnostics .

Dr. Attebery’s leadership continues to shape the future of cardiovascular healthcare delivery, emphasizing quality, efficiency, and patient-centered care.