California Hospital Association

The challenges that California’s hospital field will face in the coming year have never been greater, as the massive federal health care cuts from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act begin to materialize.

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What’s happening: Hospitals have only a short window to ensure that their non-supervisory organized labor costs are reflected in the spending target to which they will be held accountable.

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What’s happening:  Last week, the American Hospital Association, Maine Hospital Association, and four safety-net hospitals filed a lawsuit challenging the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) decision to move forward with an expanded 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program.

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What’s happening: The Office of Health Care Affordability this week responded to a letter authored by Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) and signed by dozens of others asking key questions on the enforcement process.

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What’s happening:  On Oct. 9, the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) published draft regulations outlining the process by which it would enforce its spending caps, including rules for determining which entities will be subject to performance improvement plans and penalties, as well as how penalties would be calculated.

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What’s happening: On Sept. 25, the Department of Health Care Services uploaded three new hospital data sets that hospitals must download before the files are deleted on Nov. 13.    

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What’s happening: On Wednesday, CHA released the 2026 Report on State Legislation, designed to help hospitals navigate the many health care-related bills the governor has signed into law.

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What’s happening: Next month, voters will weigh in on 14 statewide ballot propositions. CHA has taken positions on four measures with significant implications for hospitals and health care, along with its previously reported support for Proposition 2.

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What’s happening: CHA has submitted comments to the Cal/OSHA Standards Board on the draft regulations to implement the weapons detection screening required under Assembly Bill 2975.

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Dates/Times:
October 19, 2026
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Check-in & Lunch
1:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

October 20, 2026
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:00 a.m. 2:15 p.m.

Location:
CalChamber
1215 K Street, 14th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814

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Agenda | October 19

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. | Check-in & Lunch

1:00 – 1:30 p.m. | General Session | From Sacramento to Washington: Financial Policy Updates

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Health care policy continues to evolve at both the state and federal levels, bringing new challenges and opportunities for hospitals. This session will provide a broad overview of key financial policy developments, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, state budget, Medi-Cal, the Rural Health Transformation Program, and other legislative and regulatory updates. Attendees will gain a better understanding of how these developments may impact hospital operations and financial planning.

Adam Dorsey
Group Vice President, Financial Policy
California Hospital Association
Adam Dorsey is the Group Vice President for Financial Policy at the California Hospital Association. Mr. Dorsey held a number of roles at the California Department of Finance between 2008 and 2023. He most recently served as Program Budget Manager where he was responsible for health and human services fiscal policy on behalf of the Administration.

Mark Farouk
Vice President, State Advocacy
California Hospital Association
Mark Farouk is the Vice President of State Advocacy at the California Hospital Association (CHA). Prior to joining CHA, Mark served as the chief of staff at the Office of the Assembly Majority Leader. He has over twenty years of experience in government affairs and statewide policy making on important California issues. 

Ben McGowan
Vice President, Legal Counsel
California Hospital Association
Ben McGowan is Vice President and Legal Counsel for the California Hospital Association. Ben previously served as Deputy Chief Counsel and Assistant Deputy Director at the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and served as a Staff Counsel for Special Projects and Assistant Chief Counsel for Health Care Financing and Rates at DHCS. In his most recent DHCS position, Ben oversaw over ninety attorneys with respect to all legal matters pertaining to the administration of Medi-Cal and other health programs.

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | General Session | Medi-Cal Financing: What It Means for California Hospitals

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Recent changes to Medi-Cal financing and payment programs continue to shape California hospitals in different ways. This session will examine how evolving payment policies affect public, private, and district hospitals, highlighting key differences, emerging challenges, and important considerations for financial leaders.

Jesse Delis
Vice President, Financial Policy
California Hospital Association
Jesse Delis currently serves as Vice President, Financial Policy at the California Hospital Association and is lead over the hospital fee program. Jesse has over seven years of experience in Medi-Cal managed care financing in his previous role at Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). In his role at DHCS, he oversaw the development of the Managed Care Organization Tax along with various other provider-based financing programs.

Malavika Narayan, MBA
Senior Director of Finance Policy
California Association of Public Hospitals & Health Systems
Malavika Narayan is the Senior Director of Finance Policy at CAPH, focusing on safety net financing mechanics and strategy. Narayan has extensive experience in health care financing, analytics, and strategy. Prior to joining CAPH, Narayan spent 10 years at Stanford Children’s Health, helping grow the physician network and supporting financial and strategic planning for the physician network, as well as analytics related to acquisitions, joint ventures and other partnerships.

Ryan Witz
Executive Director, DHLF
Senior Manager, SCA Consulting
Ryan Witz is a Senior Manager with SCA and the Executive Director for the District Hospital Leadership Forum (DHLF). In his capacity with DHLF, he is responsible for the development of federal and state financial/reimbursement policy on behalf of California’s District hospitals. This includes overseeing DHLF’s advocacy functions and working directly with state regulators in the design and implementation of health care policies that impact District hospitals, as well as the other health care stakeholders that participate with the districts in this process.

2:30 – 3:00 p.m. | General Session | From Sacramento to Washington: Financial Policy Updates (cont.)

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Health care policy continues to evolve at both the state and federal levels, bringing new challenges and opportunities for hospitals. This session will provide a broad overview of key financial policy developments, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, state budget, Medi-Cal, the Rural Health Transformation Program, and other legislative and regulatory updates. Attendees will gain a better understanding of how these developments may impact hospital operations and financial planning.

Adam Dorsey
Group Vice President, Financial Policy
California Hospital Association
Adam Dorsey is the Group Vice President for Financial Policy at the California Hospital Association. Mr. Dorsey held a number of roles at the California Department of Finance between 2008 and 2023. He most recently served as Program Budget Manager where he was responsible for health and human services fiscal policy on behalf of the Administration.

Mark Farouk
Vice President, State Advocacy
California Hospital Association
Mark Farouk is the Vice President of State Advocacy at the California Hospital Association (CHA). Prior to joining CHA, Mark served as the chief of staff at the Office of the Assembly Majority Leader. He has over twenty years of experience in government affairs and statewide policy making on important California issues. 

Ben McGowan
Vice President, Legal Counsel
California Hospital Association
Ben McGowan is Vice President and Legal Counsel for the California Hospital Association. Ben previously served as Deputy Chief Counsel and Assistant Deputy Director at the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and served as a Staff Counsel for Special Projects and Assistant Chief Counsel for Health Care Financing and Rates at DHCS. In his most recent DHCS position, Ben oversaw over ninety attorneys with respect to all legal matters pertaining to the administration of Medi-Cal and other health programs.

3:00 – 3:30 p.m. | Break

3:30 – 4:30 p.m. | General Session | Perspectives from State Agency Leaders

Presentation not available.

Hear directly from state agency leaders as they discuss the priorities, initiatives, and policy considerations influencing California’s health care landscape. This panel will provide a broader perspective on the role state agencies play in shaping health care policy and offer attendees the opportunity to ask questions to better understand how decisions are made.

Panelists:

Richard Figueroa
Deputy Cabinet Secretary in the Office of Governor Gavin Newson
State of California
Mr. Figueroa has served as deputy cabinet secretary in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom since 2019. Figueroa was director of prevention for The California Endowment from 2010 to 2018. He served as deputy cabinet secretary and health care advisor in the Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger from 2006 to 2010, legislative director in the Office of California State Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi from 2003 to 2006 and deputy legislative secretary in the Office of Governor Gray Davis from 1999 to 2003. Figueroa was principal consultant at the California State Senate Insurance Committee from 1996 to 1999. He was deputy director of eligibility and enrollment at the California Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board from 1990 to 1996, senior consultant at the State Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee from 1986 to 1990 and a program analyst at the California Legislative Analyst’s Office from 1983 to 1986.

Elizabeth Landsberg
Director, California Department of Health Care Access and Information
State of California
Ms. Landsberg has been the Director of the Department of Health Care Access and Information (aka, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development) since 2020. Landsberg was Deputy Director of the Help Center for the California Department of Managed Health Care from 2016 to 2020. She was Director of Policy Advocacy for the Western Center on Law and Poverty from 2006 to 2016, Supervising Attorney for the Health Rights Hotline at Legal Services of Northern California from 2000 to 2006 and a Law Clerk at the U.S. District Court, District of New Mexico from 1999 to 2000. She was a Ruth Chance Law Fellow for Equal Rights Advocates from 1998 to 1999.

Joe Stephenshaw
Director, Department of Finance
State of California
Mr. Stephenshaw has been the Director of the California Department of Finance since 2022. Stephenshaw was Staff Director for the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee from 2017 to 2022. He held multiple positions in the California Legislature from 2008 to 2017, including serving as a Policy Consultant in the Office of the Senate President pro Tempore, a Special Advisor to the Speaker of the Assembly, and as a Budget Consultant for both the Assembly Budget Committee and the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. Stephenshaw was a Budget Analyst for the California Department of Finance from 2005 to 2008.

Moderator:

Adam Dorsey
Group Vice President, Financial Policy
California Hospital Association
Adam Dorsey is the Group Vice President for Financial Policy at the California Hospital Association. Mr. Dorsey held a number of roles at the California Department of Finance between 2008 and 2023. He most recently served as Program Budget Manager where he was responsible for health and human services fiscal policy on behalf of the Administration.

4:30 – 5:30 p.m. | Reception

Agenda | October 20

8:00 – 9:00 a.m. | Breakfast

9:00 – 11:00 a.m. | General Session | Office of Health Care Affordability: Progress, Challenges, & What’s Ahead

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Gain the latest updates on the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA) and its evolving role in hospital operations. Following the overview, a panel of hospital leaders will discuss how OHCA initiatives are impacting their organizations, lessons learned to date, and strategies for navigating the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Ben Johnson
Group Vice President, Financial Policy
California Hospital Association
Ben Johnson is CHA’s Group Vice President, Financial Policy, covering finance and affordability issues, including the Office of Health Care Affordability. Ben has been working in health care policy for a decade, previously having advised the state legislature from his role at the Legislative Analyst’s Office, where he was lead on issues like drug pricing, the Medi-Cal budget, single-payer financing, and health care-related taxes.

Jenny Nguyen
Vice President, Financial Policy
California Hospital Association
Jenny Nguyen is Vice President of Financial Policy at the California Hospital Association (CHA). Jenny covers finance and affordability issues, including the Office of Health Care Affordability. Prior to joining CHA, Jenny served as the Director of Budget and Fiscal Policy at the County Welfare Directors Association where she led fiscal and budget analysis, implementation, and advocacy across a variety of health and human services programs.

Victoria Valencia, MPH
Vice President, Data Analytics
California Hospital Association
Victoria Valencia, MPH, is Vice President of Data Analytics at the California Hospital Association. She leads analyses of hospital financial performance and quality outcomes across California, translating complex data into insights that guide advocacy and leadership decisions. With more than a decade of experience in academic medicine and health care value initiatives, she brings expertise in hospital finance, operations, quality measurement, and data-driven strategy.

Panelists:

Adam P. Dougherty, MD, MPH, FACEP
Chief of Emergency Medicine
Sutter Medical Center Sacramento

Tam M. Ma
Associate Vice President for Health Policy and Regulatory Affairs
University of California Health
Tam M. Ma is the Associate Vice President for Health Policy and Regulatory Affairs at University of California Health. She has spent the last two decades leading high-impact policy initiatives in California state government and with prominent nonprofit organizations. As a member of UC Health’s leadership team, Tam directs UC Health’s state and federal policy agenda on behalf of six academic health centers and 21 health professional schools—institutions dedicated to delivering high-quality care, training future health professionals, and advancing research and innovation.

Andrew See, FSA, MAA
Senior Vice President and Chief Actuary
Kaiser Permanente, Actuarial Services
Andrew See, FSA, MAAA, is Senior Vice President and Chief Actuary for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. He leads Actuarial Services, which supports enterprise rate setting, product pricing, Medicare bids, financial forecasting, actuarial liabilities, and the evaluation of legislative and regulatory proposals. His team partners with business and finance leaders to advance affordability, sustainable growth, and sound financial decision-making across Kaiser Permanente’s commercial and government programs.

11:00 – 11:15 a.m. | Break

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | General Session | Federal Updates

Presentation not yet available.

Federal policy continues to shape the financial outlook for hospitals nationwide. This session will provide timely updates on key federal legislative and regulatory developments, including Medicare, 340B, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and other emerging issues affecting California hospitals. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the federal environment and its implications for hospital finance.

Molly Smith
Group Vice President of Public Policy
American Hospital Association
Molly Smith is Group Vice President for Public Policy at the American Hospital Association. Prior to joining the AHA, she served as Vice President of Policy and Innovation at the Visiting Nurse Associations of America and as a health care business, strategy and policy consultant at Manatt Health. Molly began her career at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, where she worked in several positions related to Medicare inpatient payment policy, Medicaid eligibility, and health information technology. She also spent time at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology helping to stand up the HITECH programs.

12:15 – 1:15 p.m. | Hosted Lunch

1:15 – 2:15 p.m. | General Session | California’s Political Landscape:
A Panel Discussion

Presentation not available.

California’s political landscape continues to influence policies and priorities affecting hospitals and health care delivery. Join a panel of political experts for a discussion on the state’s evolving political environment, key issues to watch, and how the upcoming election cycle could shape health care policy and hospital operations in the months ahead.

Adam Dorsey
Group Vice President, Financial Policy
California Hospital Association
Adam Dorsey is the Group Vice President for Financial Policy at the California Hospital Association. Mr. Dorsey held a number of roles at the California Department of Finance between 2008 and 2023. He most recently served as Program Budget Manager where he was responsible for health and human services fiscal policy on behalf of the Administration.

Gayle Miller
Head of Strategic Investor Engagement, Global Client Group and Senior Advisor, Energy Group
Brookfield’s Asset Management
Gayle Miller is Head of Strategic Investor Engagement for Brookfield’s Global Client Group and a Senior Advisor to the Energy Group. In this role, she oversees critical touchpoints and programs tailored for our institutional clients and continues to advise on the energy transition. Prior to joining Brookfield in 2024, Ms. Miller was chief deputy of policy to the California Department of Finance and senior counselor on infrastructure and clean energy finance to the Governor, where she championed the state’s landmark clean energy agenda.

Jason Sisney
Advisor, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and California’s Assembly Democrats
State of California
Jason Sisney advises Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and California’s Assembly Democrats on the state budget, and he keeps the State Capitol community informed about the budget at jasonsisney.substack.com. Jason also is the Speaker’s advisor on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. Jason’s expertise centers on California’s tax system, the tax system’s relationship to the state budget (including education funding and state budget reserves), public employee pensions and compensation, and the legislative process related to California’s budget, which is the largest subnational public budget in the world.

Moderator:

Kathryn Austin Scott
Senior Vice President, State Relations and Advocacy
California Hospital Association
Kathryn serves as the association’s head lobbyist in Sacramento and directs the California lobbying team. Previously, Kathryn was a partner at Capitol Partners, a Sacramento lobbying firm that she founded. She has over 30 years of experience in public policy and served as a contract lobbyist to CHA for 15 years. She has also represented the United Hospital Association and the District Hospital Leadership Forum among other health care and non-health care clients. 

Location Parking Information Sponsors

The California Hospital Association would like to thank our 2026 conference sponsors!

Forvis Mazars, LLP is an independent member of Forvis Mazars Global, a leading global professional services network. Ranked among the largest public accounting firms in the United States, the firm’s 7,000 dedicated team members provide an Unmatched Client Experience® through the delivery of assurance, tax, and consulting services for clients in all 50 states and internationally. Visit forvismazars.us.

Pivotal Health is the IDR Authority™. Our full-service Independent Dispute Resolution platform combines technology and expertise to help health systems, hospitals, and physician groups secure fair reimbursement, reduce administrative burden, and scale IDR programs. We partner with 200+ hospital-based providers nationwide, processing 200,000+ claims monthly with an 89% win rate and 5:1 ROI.

Questions?

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