Join American Public Square at Jewell for Cocktails & Politics on June 30th as we feature special guests Qiana Thomason of Health Forward Foundation and Joe Reardon with the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.
Grab your favorite drink and join us for this digital event as Qiana and Joe talk about the Missouri Medicaid Expansion Initiative, what Medicaid expansion would mean for the state of Missouri, and the strides being made for the health of the Greater Kansas City Community.
Qiana Thomason, a life-long Kansas Citian, has dedicated her career to the improvement of health and wellness across the region, with a special focus on communities with significant health disparities and those living in marginalized conditions. Thomason serves as the president and CEO of Health Forward. By focusing on people most in need, Health Forward works through partnership and advocacy to transform communities so everyone has a fair and just opportunity for better health. Thomason currently serves on the City of Kansas City, Missouri, Health Commission, is a board trustee for William Jewel College, and is a board member of ArtsKC. She received her undergraduate degree in Social Work from Florida A&M University and has a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Kansas. Thomason came to Health Forward from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC), where she most recently served as vice president of community health. During her tenure at Blue KC, she spearheaded development and implementation of new care delivery and payment models in partnership with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) and primary care providers throughout Kansas City. She was also a successful champion for the inclusion of health equity and the social determinants of health in Blue KC’s corporate strategy. Prior to her tenure at Blue KC, Thomason spent eight years at Swope Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center, as program manager of a multi-municipality Mental Health Court and as the director of clinical operations, behavioral health. Qiana also served as deputy director and health and human services liaison for United States Senator Jean Carnahan.
Joe Reardon is the former Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, is President and CEO of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the area’s oldest and only regional chamber of commerce. Reardon assumed his post on March 1, 2016. Prior to his appointment as President/CEO of the KC Chamber, Reardon served as President and CEO of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, the $86-million public transportation authority serving the KC region. As an Adjunct Professor at Rockhurst University, Reardon developed and co-taught an MBA level class on regionalism, an interdisciplinary course focused on the political and economic aspects of metro areas, with Kansas City as a case study. A lawyer by training, Reardon also served as a Partner at McAnany, Van Cleave & Phillips, PA, where he focused on economic development, public/private partnerships, and digital infrastructure projects.
