Leadership & Members

Inspired By Need, Triumphant Through Action

California Chronic Care Coalition

Leadership

While passion is often the fuel that inspires us to action, the CCCC’s core leadership is comprised of established professionals with the knowledge and experience to make change possible.

California Chronic Care Coalition

Team

CCCC Staff

  • Mary Odbert, COO
  • Alex Khan, Senior Policy Counsel
  • Blanca Garza Jacobs, Director of Communications

Communications Chair

  • Chuck Dorcich, Advisor, Cutting Edge Productions

Emeritus Board Members

  • Liz Helms

  • Joan Stevie

  • Bill Remak, CA Hepatitis C Task Force

California Chronic Care Coalition

Members

  • Alliance for Patient Access
  • ALS Association
  • Alzheimer’s Association, California Council
  • Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation
  • American Cancer Society Action Network, ACS-CAN, Inc.
  • American Diabetes Association
  • American Heart Association
  • American Stroke Association
  • Asthma and Allergy Network
  • Arthritis Foundation
  • AXIS Advocacy
  • Breathe Southern California

  • California Academy of Family Physicians

  • California Access Coalition

  • California Association of Alcohol And Drug Programs Executive, Inc. (CAADPE)

  • California Health Collaborative

  • California Life Sciences

  • California Pharmacists Association

  • California Psychiatric Physician Alliance of California

  • California Rheumatology Alliance

  • Carrie’s TOUCH, Inc.

  • Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation

  • Cystic Fibrosis Research Institute

  • Hemophilia Council of California

  • International Foundation for Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Arthritis (AiArthritis)

  • Looms for Lupus

  • Lupus Foundation of America

  • Lupus LA

  • National Eczema Association

  • National Multiple Sclerosis Society

  • National Psoriasis Foundation

  • National Organization for Rare Disease (NORD)

  • Neuropathy Action Foundation

  • Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California

  • Susan G. Komen

     

Corporate

Members

Liz Helms
President & CEO

Liz Helms has been a leader within the patient’s rights movement since the mid-1990s. Her vision, breadth of knowledge and unwavering commitment to coalition building, grassroots advocacy, strategic planning, and policy development has earned her immense recognition and respect in California and nationally. In addition to being the President & CEO of the CCCC, Liz co-founded the Chronic Care Policy Alliance (CCPA) which works across state lines to ensure access to affordable, quality health care. CCPA gives states a broader voice.

Liz was instrumental in bringing the clinical pharmacist on the care team to the Right Care Initiative – University of Best Practices which in 2010 won her the Michelotti Public Health Prize from the CA Pharmacy Foundation. In 2019, Liz was honored to receive the Friend of Pharmacy Award from the California Pharmacists Association, WPE.

Liz has been a catalyst within the chronic disease community working with the California administration’s health policy division on health care reform, including implementation of prevention, wellness, and coordination of care. Liz represents the foremost patient voice in the development and implementation of Comprehensive Medication

Management strategies, as a member of the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) CMM Statewide Implementation Workgroup, Executive Member of CDPH Wellness Plan, and serves as an Advisor to California’s Master Plan for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention and Treatment,  the CA Right Meds Collaborative, CoverMyMeds 2022 Medication Access Report and serves as consumer representative to the Right Care Initiative, Executive Member – Get the Medications Right Institute, and is an active member of the CDC’s National Hypertension Control Roundtable.

Michelle Rivas
Chair

Michelle Rivas has built an extensive career in legislative affairs and public policy, with a focus on advocacy, external relations, and strategic leadership across multiple sectors.

Rivas spent 11 years with the California Dental Association (CDA), serving as both Manager of External Affairs and Legislative Advocate. In these roles, she successfully advanced the association’s legislative priorities and helped elect two dentists to the state Legislature.

Subsequently, Rivas held prominent leadership positions, including Executive Director of the California Hospital Association’s Political Action Committee. She also served as the Director of Development and Fundraising for the CDA Foundation, where she led efforts to secure resources and expand the organization’s impact on oral health for the underserved.

Currently, Rivas is the Executive Vice President of Government Relations & Corporate Affairs at the California Pharmacists Association, where she oversees the organization’s legislative strategy, public policy initiatives, and corporate communications.

Lynne Kinst
Secretary

Lynne Kinst is the Executive Director of Bleeding Disorders Council of California. As Executive Director, she has implemented many new programs and increased revenue by 100%. Previously she worked for California State Board of Equalization Board Members George Runner and Diane Harkey, and the Taxpayer’s Rights Advocate. As a tax services specialist, Lynne worked on improving the taxpayer experience, assisted taxpayers with their concerns, coordinated educational events and worked on legislative and tax policy.

In addition, Lynne spent eight years as director of administration with a non-profit organization now known as Capitol Commission, where she supported ministry leadership in establishing ministries, partner development, fundraising, event coordination and human resources. Prior to working at the non-profit she had four years of political experience working for state elected officials in a variety of capacities.

Born and raised in Sacramento, Lynne attended the University of California, Davis earning a bachelor’s degree in political science, with minors in human development and religious studies. Lynne also has a master of arts in biblical counseling from The Master’s University.

Her father, Jim Carey, was an active member of the CCHF Board, serving as treasurer since the chapter’s founding until his death in 1994. CCHF’s Jim Carey Scholarship is named in his honor. Previously, Lynne served on both the Bleeding Disorders Council of California and Hemophilia Council of California Boards of Directors. Lynne is herself a carrier of Hemophilia. She and her husband David live in Rocklin, CA with their son Zach, and daughter Ashley.

Tim Madden
Treasurer

Tim Madden is a principal with Madden Quiñonez Advocacy which is a government relations and consulting firm that evolved from Randlett Nelson Madden, established in 1976. Tim has been with the firm since February 2004. His focus has been on the firm’s healthcare clients, including drafting legislation, testifying on bills and regulations, lobbying Members of the Legislature and agency officials, and organizing and implementing key contact and PAC contribution programs.

Adrienne Shapiro
Director

Adrienne is a Sickle Cell Disease and stem cell patient advocate, the founder and Science Administrator of the Axis Advocacy Foundation, and a fifth-generation mother of a child with Sickle Cell Disease. She is a recipient of the highest honor in the regenerative medicine community, the 2018 Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Action Inspiration Award. She was one of the first supporters of the work done by UCLA’s Dr. Don Kohn in bone marrow and later stem cell transplants. She is a firm believer that stem cell science will cure Sickle Cell Disease and has dedicated a large portion of her life to improving the lives and overall healthcare of those living with the disease. Adrienne participates in educational conferences and seminars, meets with lawmakers to advocate for the Sickle Cell affected population, and supports funding for clinical trials. Adrienne also serves as an ambassador for the Americans for Cures Foundation.

Conor Sweeney
Director

Conor Sweeney leads state policy and legislative advocacy for Susan G. Komen across the Western United States. He champions healthcare policies that primarily support breast cancer patients and frequently engages on broader issues affecting the chronic disease community. Previously, Conor was a Government Affairs Specialist with the California Association of Health Facilities (CAHF), a major trade association for long-term care facilities, where he shaped lobbying strategies, managed the political action committee, and led grassroots advocacy. He also brings legislative experience from his time with California Assemblymember Tim Grayson. Outside of work, Conor enjoys golfing near his Curtis Park home and cheering on the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.

Dominick Spatafora
Director

Dominick Spatafora received a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University. He also holds a Master of Public Administration from The American University in Washington, D.C. While in D.C. he worked for Congressman J. Dennis Hastert where he assisted with sweeping health care reform efforts. He then joined the Arizona Medical Board in as the Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Director. In this position, he developed and wrote the standards that govern the practice of medicine for Arizona.

Dominick then moved to California where he formed DVS Governmental Consulting Solutions, a full-service public affairs firm specializing in strategic planning and communications, political consulting, and grassroots development. After giving up DVS Governmental Consulting Solutions due to insurance coverage issues, he became the Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles County Medical Association. Then in March 2009 he joined Pfizer, Inc. where he initially served as a Director of Advocacy and Professional Relations. Dominick was at Pfizer for nearly 17 years until 2025 where he directed national alliance development.

Dominick was diagnosed with multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) at the age of 30. Shortly after being diagnosed Dominick became a patient advocate, almost by accident, because of his personal struggles accessing appropriate treatment. Dominick’s neuropathy is not typical and does not fall neatly into the treatment guidelines established by his managed care company. At one point Dominick went three months without his IVIG treatment before he lost the use of his right hand. After working cooperatively with his physician and others Dominick finally prevailed and resumed treatment which gave him back the use of his hand. In 2006 Dominick founded the Neuropathy Action Foundation (NAF)  because of his commitment to educate the public on what neuropathy is and most importantly to help other neuropathy patients obtain and maintain appropriate individualized care.

Joan Werblun, RN (retired)
Ex-officio

Joan Werblun is Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the California Health Collaborative, a nonprofit organization administering programs throughout California to promote quality life and health care in the underserved populations.

She spent over thirty years as the Diabetes Nurse Expert for the UC Davis Hospital and Medical School. She was recruited by the State of California Health Department to head a project to develop a statewide program for standards of care and management of Diabetes and she chaired this project for two years. She was the Chair of the program which became the Diabetes Coalition of California and was given a proclamation, by then-Governor Pete Wilson, for her work in Diabetes. She served on local, state and national boards and committees of the American Diabetes Association for 27 years. She was awarded a grant from the American Pharmacists Association Foundation and spent a year with migrant farm laborers in the Lost Hills, California area as part of the Project Impact, a national study of patient empowerment and care in the field of Diabetes. She  spent time in Nigeria and Ghana working in villages and hospitals teaching diabetes management to hospital staff and patients. She served as the founding chair of Citizens for the Right to Know, a nonprofit patient activist organization and worked with legislation to create the Department of Managed Care. She is retired from UC Davis but continues her work in Diabetes throughout the state.