The Driving Forces Behind CHIME Healthcare IT Policy

What motivates the experts fighting for positive change in healthcare technology policies? CHIME's public policy leaders - Mari Savickis , Chelsea Arnone , and Cassie (Leonard) Ballard - reveal the most rewarding aspects of their advocacy work in this insightful Q&A.

Q: What's the most rewarding aspect of your job and the work you do to advance healthcare through advocacy?

Cassie: The most rewarding aspect of my job is working with our members! I feel very privileged to be able to learn from them about the issues that impact their organizations every day.

Chelsea: I have a feeling the team will sound like a broken record here – the members. They are the absolute best at what they do, and they’re just fantastic people.

Mari: The most rewarding aspect of my job - hands down - is working with our members and serving as their voice in Washington. I love getting into the weeds and really understanding the policy but at the same time stepping back and fitting the complex pieces of the healthcare puzzle together.

Q: If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the current healthcare policy landscape, what would it be?

Cassie: This is not specific to healthcare policy, but if I had a magic wand, I would use it to decrease polarization which has made it extremely difficult for lawmakers to pass legislation.

Chelsea: Reduce all the regulatory burdens and redundancies that cost our members time and resources. Ideally, I don’t want them to have “attempting to budget for expected and unexpected regulatory changes” on their to-do lists.?

Mari: If it were just as easy as waving a magic wand and incanting “abracadabra” I would do it if it meant getting us a national privacy law and more protections for our sensitive data is used.?

Q: When you're not immersed in policy work, what are some of your favorite hobbies or activities to unwind?

Cassie: I am a mom to a 1.5-year-old toddler, so my free time consists of taking her on adventures around the DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia) area!

Chelsea: Family (including my dog Figgy), friends, and food. Very stereotypical Italian answers. I also love traveling – exploring new places and revisiting my favorites. And – rooting for the Phillies.

Mari: When I am not working, I love spending time with my twelve-year-old twins who are the sweetest humans and keep me grounded. I also love taking and teaching hot yoga and traveling. I’m a beach girl through and through.

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