Task Force

Valerie Csik, MPH, CPPS is the Director of Quality and Care Transformation for the cancer service line at Thomas Jefferson University Health System. She oversees oncology quality initiatives in the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, and her responsibilities include managing the cancer center’s participation in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Oncology Care Model program, as well as aligning various shared savings programs and quality initiatives to improve operations and reduce care variation.

Since 2005, Csik has been a dedicated volunteer with the American Cancer Society. She has held various leadership positions, serves as the Chair of the Greater Philadelphia Volunteer Leadership Council, and was the Founding Chair of the Young Professionals of the American Cancer Society, Philadelphia Chapter.

Csik started her career at Thomas Jefferson University and then joined the Patient Safety Organization partnering with healthcare systems around the world to evaluate and improve patient safety culture. Valerie returned to Jefferson as Project Director in the department of medical oncology. Her education includes a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Scranton and master’s degree in Public Health from Thomas Jefferson University. She is also a graduate of the American Hospital Association (AHA) and National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) Comprehensive Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship and is a Certified Professional of Patient Safety.

Amy Ellis is the chief quality officer at Northwest Medical Specialties (NWMS), who oversees its quality improvement, strategic practice initiatives, and value-based care programs, including the Oncology Care Model, Oncology Medical Home, and various commercial payment models. Amy works to continually transform the way care is provided to patients by utilizing innovative tools, such as artificial intelligence, care management technology, electronic patient-reported outcomes, population health technology, continual process improvement, and data analysis.

Amy brings 15 years of healthcare experience to the NWMS team, which includes clinical oncology research and alternative payment model implementation. Amy has been recognized for her work on the Payment Reform Committee with the Community Oncology Alliance, her active involvement in the Association of Community Cancer Centers’ committees and practice initiatives, as well as her value-based care leadership with the Quality Cancer Care Alliance Network and Washington state oncology initiatives. Amy is passionate about the quality of care provided to patients and strives to improve outcomes and the patient experience.

In 2019, Amy received a HemOnc Today’s Next Gen Innovator award for her forward-thinking approach in cancer care.

As CEO of Highlands of Oncology Group in northwest Arkansas, Jeff Hunnicutt has demonstrated a unique skill set and a passion for his work. Specializing in comparative analytics in oncology, Mr. Hunnicutt has helped drive the success of his practice by providing an in-depth look into the underlying data that now gives direction to operational decisions. He has been recognized for his efforts by participating on the CMMI Oncology Care Model (OCM) Redesign team with the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), the Value Based Care Reform group with Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), and in his role as executive director of the Quality Cancer Care Alliance (QCCA).

Mr. Hunnicutt and his family are deeply involved in projects to bring quality education to the remote areas of Senegal, Africa, and to raising awareness for the foster system in their state.

Mark Liu is the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the oncology service line at the Mount Sinai Health System—an eight-hospital integrated health system in all five boroughs of New York City. He works closely with senior leadership to develop long-term strategy, while collaborating to drive critical projects to completion.

He first joined Mount Sinai as part of a team to facilitate the build of Mount Sinai Health Partners, a new entity advancing population health within the health system. Prior to this, Liu managed ambulatory care operations at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center across nine different solid and hematologic cancers during his eight-year tenure.

He received a Bachelor of Science, double majoring in Integrated Neuroscience and Sociology, from Binghamton University.  Liu was selected as a 2008 fellow for the New York University (NYU) Leadership Initiative and NYU Wagner Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service. He is currently completing his Master of Healthcare Administration at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

Anne Marie Rainey, RN, MSN, CHC, is the Director of Quality and Value-Based Care at Clearview Cancer Institute in Huntsville, Alabama. She has previous experience in government quality reporting as a contractor for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

After obtaining her Master of Nursing in Clinical Leadership and Administration, Rainey transitioned to the community oncology setting. Her work interests include quality metrics analysis, program implementation, health policy, and advocacy for community oncology.

Barry Russo, MBA, is the Chief Executive Officer for The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders—a private community practice based in Fort Worth, Texas— and has been with the Center since 2002. It has over 30 providers and 200 employees across nine facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Russo has over 30 years of healthcare experience and has worked in academic and community practices, as well as academic and community hospitals.  He is a current board member of the Cancer Center Business Summit Advisory Board, a member of the board of directors for the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), an advisory board member for ReVital, and past board member for Texas MGMA.  Russo is also a member of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC). He received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Dallas.