2025 Power Players in Health Care

Linda P. Fried, M.D., MPH, is a leader in epidemiology and geriatric medicine. Trained in cardiovascular and chronic disease epidemiology and geriatrics, she has dedicated her career to the science of healthy aging and frailty prevention, disability, and cardiovascular disease. A renowned scientist, she has led seminal work in defining frailty as a new clinical syndrome and major population-based studies to determine causes and consequences of chronic diseases, multimorbidity, loneliness, and disability in aging.

What piece of health care related legislation would you like to see passed in the near future?
A vision for creating health across longer lives that invests in a modernized public health system that implements in health futures of prevention and health promotion at the population level in every community for every age, and a complementary medical care system that invests adequately in geriatric medicine systems, providers and adequate reimbursement, for the most effective and cost-effective care of the almost 20% of our population that is over 65.

How do you expect the health care field to change in the next five years?
We are at a fork in the road, where disinvestment in public health will mean rising rates of ill health that add excessive demand on the medical care system. 

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
Increase our health professional vision for creating healthy longevity for all Americans.

Dr. Melody Goodman is a biostatistician and public health research methodologist whose work moves beyond defining problems and focuses on developing solutions using partner-engaged research approaches. Her research efforts seek to develop a more rigorous understanding of the social risk factors contributing to urban health outcomes. Dr. Goodman aims to develop solutions for improving health in high-risk populations, and her contributions have spanned the areas of prevention, treatment, intervention, and policy.

How do you expect the health care field to change in the next five years?
AI is rapidly transforming health care, and though its full future impact is unknown, we must train public health professionals to leverage AI in areas like data analysis, coding, and writing. However, we must also equip them with the skills AI can’t replace: leadership, problem solving and collaboration.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
Our field is at a critical juncture, but public health has a history of resilience. As dean of a school of public health, I want faculty, staff, researchers, and alumni to remember why they fell in love with public health. My goal is to inspire our students – the next generation of difference-makers – to find their reason to fall in love with public health.

As president of the Healthcare Association of New York State, Bea Grause is a passionate advocate for New York’s nonprofit and public hospitals, health systems and post-acute and continuing care providers. She also oversees HANYS’ nationally engaged for-profit business services. Since her tenure began in 2016, she has contributed her extensive clinical, political and legal know-how to the organization’s agenda and in discussions with state and federal health care stakeholders.

What piece of health care related legislation would you like to see passed in the near future?
H.R. 1, or The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, represents the largest erosion of our health care system in history and will significantly impact New Yorkers. It will reduce coverage for millions and strain our hospitals, health systems and providers across the care continuum. HANYS supports legislation that would repeal the harmful health care provisions at the federal level and urges state lawmakers to advance policies that help mitigate the law’s impact on New Yorkers’ care access.

How do you expect the health care field to change in the next five years?
There is no doubt that H.R. 1 will fundamentally change how New Yorkers access health care. Hospitals and health systems will be forced to make difficult decisions about staffing and service offerings to meet their mission of preserving access to care across urban, suburban and rural communities. 

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
Ensuring the new leadership of HANYS has a strong platform to continue to lead the organization through uncertain times – and enjoying retirement.

Nancy Hagans, BSN, RN, CCRN, is a nurse and critical care expert who has served as NYSNA president since 2021 and National Nurses United (NNU) co-president since 2022. She is also the vice president of the New York City Central Labor Council and vice president of the New York State AFL-CIO. Under Ms. Hagan’s tenure, NYSNA has helped members navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, win groundbreaking safe staffing legislation, and achieve historic contract victories.

What piece of health care related legislation would you like to see passed in the near future?
We want the NY Health Act passed. The time is now to implement a single-payer health care system to provide universal access to health care for all.

How do you expect the health care field to change in the next five years?
We expect that investments in technology will make artificial intelligence a much larger part of health care conversations. Some of the largest hospitals in New York are investing untold millions of dollars in technology whose impact on health care is largely unknown. We can’t gamble with people’s care like that. Nurses are concerned that employers are trying to replace human nursing care with machine care and making decisions that put profits before patients.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
We want to secure strong contracts that deliver safe patient care and protect access for those who need it most. Approximately 20,000 private-sector nurses in 12 New York City hospitals are bargaining and demanding that management protect health care and invest in patients. Nurses in four Northwell hospitals on Long Island and the Hudson Valley, and members at seven hospitals in the North Country aim to win good contracts by the end of the year.

Stephen has been a zealous advocate working in and around New York State government for 30 years. His career began in the State legislature, then advanced to association advocacy, then to the practice of law representing numerous health care clients, among others, and continues in his current role as president and CEO of New York’s largest statewide association representing nursing homes and adult care facilities throughout the State.

What piece of health care related legislation would you like to see passed in the near future?
Two critical pieces of legislation must be passed in the near future to ensure nursing homes throughout New York are able to maintain and upgrade their aging facilities: (1) legislation restoring the 15% Medicaid cut in nursing home capital reimbursement; and (2) legislation allowing for the depreciation of capital investments for proprietary nursing homes older than 40 years old.

How do you expect the health care field to change in the next five years?
New York must provide sufficient funding to cover the cost of care for Medicaid residents in nursing homes and assisted living program facilities. Without this needed investment, facilities will continue to close and New York’s most vulnerable residents will face severely diminished access to critical long-term care services and supports. 

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
We are hopeful that CMS will approve New York’s MCO tax for at least two full fiscal years, so the desperately needed Medicaid rate increases approved in the FY 2025-26 enacted state budget will proceed as enacted. For 2026, it is vital that the legislature approve legislation that would restore the 15% Medicaid cut in capital reimbursement, and approve legislation allowing for depreciation of capital investments for proprietary nursing homes older than 40 years old.

Roy W. Breitenbach, co-leader of Harris Beach Murtha’s Health Care Industry Team, is an experienced trial lawyer in the areas of health care and commercial litigation. Health care providers and related entities rely on Roy’s experience to successfully and efficiently help resolve complex business disputes, medical staff issues, investigations, hearings, regulatory matters, employment-related litigation and patient access matters. A significant aspect of his practice involves resolving disputes with managed care companies and other third-party payers.

What piece of health care related legislation would you like to see passed in the near future?
Health care providers desperately need federal and state legislation requiring large health plans and managed care companies to treat them fairly and honor their statutory and contractual obligations regarding prompt and reasonable reimbursement. Health care providers are suffering more and more each year because of health plans’ refusal to honor their obligations.

How do you expect the health care field to change in the next five years?
Unfortunately, unless legislation is passed to even the playing field between health care providers and managed care companies, I expect there to be less and less independent, private practice physicians available to patients.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
My goal for 2026 is to continue to do everything I can to help providers solve their legal and regulatory challenges so that they can focus on what they do best – treat patients.

Stephanie Sprague Sobkowiak, co-leader of Harris Beach Murtha’s Health Care Industry Team and member of the firm’s management committee, represents health systems, hospitals, physician groups, dental practices, community health centers and others in the health care industry. Known for her negotiation skills, Stephanie partners with clients on a broad range of regulatory and corporate matters. She frequently shares her knowledge of federal and state health care regulatory requirements by speaking at seminars and authoring articles.

What piece of health care related legislation would you like to see passed in the near future?
Access to health care is essential, making it difficult to isolate one piece of legislation. That said, I believe that ensuring access to health care for our nation’s children is extremely important. To this end, ensuring children covered by Medicaid can access care without interruption when they must move across state lines and ensuring children currently covered by Medicaid can remain covered in their home state despite changes to eligibility criteria are key. 

How do you expect the health care field to change in the next five years?
In the next five years, I anticipate continued consolidation as cost and administrative burden force consideration of further economies of scale and as the system as a whole demands more value. It will be interesting to see how artificial intelligence, with its benefits and risks, increases efficiencies, enhances treatment plans and impacts overall costs in the system. 

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
I hope to continue to partner with the firm’s health care clients as a strategic partner and adviser. I enjoy learning their businesses, care models and culture to help them provide the highest quality care in the most compliant, efficient and logical manner based on their growth plans and patient populations. Despite the challenges that they face, our nation’s health care providers continue to do amazing things for the patients in their care every day.

Brett R. Harris, DrPH, is president of the New York State Public Health Association (NYSPHA), a clinical associate professor at the University at Albany, and a senior research scientist at NORC. Throughout her career, Dr. Harris has specialized in behavioral health, with 16 years of experience in the development, implementation, and evaluation of substance use and suicide prevention initiatives. Dr. Harris founded and chairs the NYSPHA Mental Health Workgroup and Statewide Behavioral Health Advisory Group.

What piece of health care related legislation would you like to see passed in the near future?
Young people are struggling with their mental health more now than ever, and it’s critical that we identify risk early and connect them with age-appropriate care, including on-site brief intervention. I would like to see a law requiring schools to screen secondary students for substance use, mental health, and suicide risk using validated, standardized tools and provide brief intervention and referral as needed. Other states have taken this approach and can serve as a model.

How do you expect the health care field to change in the next five years?
I expect that shifts in federal funding will greatly impact the health care field in the next five years, particularly substance use and mental health services. I worry there will be less integration of these services as health care looks to preserve more mainstream essential services. I also think there will be a greater reliance on AI to increase efficiencies and cut costs which could be problematic if not monitored closely.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
As NYSPHA president, my goal is to support our members and the larger public health community during a time when the profession is under attack, including rebuilding trust in public health and providing safe spaces to engage in collective action. In my role at NORC, I aim to expand our suicide prevention portfolio in New York to include novel interventions tailored to disproportionately affected populations, including older adults, youth, Veterans, first responders, and LGBTQIA2S+ communities.

Renee Hastick-Motes is the chief executive officer of Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center (JPAFHC), bringing extensive experience in health care policy, health equity, philanthropy, government/community affairs, and communications. A strategic, mission-driven leader, she drives initiatives addressing health disparities, fosters stakeholder partnerships, and secures multimillion-dollar grants to benefit underserved communities. Mrs. Hastick-Motes holds an MPA from Long Island University and a B.A. in business administration-marketing, earning recognition for her transformative leadership and commitment to public service.

What piece of health care related legislation would you like to see passed in the near future?
At the Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center, we advocate for legislation that expands access to affordable, comprehensive health care for all, especially underserved and underinsured populations. Strengthening long-term funding and workforce development for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) is vital. Sustained investment in community-based primary care enables us to deliver preventive services, manage chronic conditions, and address social determinants of health – ensuring equitable care for the communities that need it most.

How do you expect the health care field to change in the next five years?
Over the next five years, I expect the health care sector to continue shifting toward a more patient-centered, community-based model of care. We’ll see greater integration of technology like telehealth and data-driven care coordination paired with a stronger emphasis on preventive health and addressing social determinants of health. For community health centers like JPAFHC, this means expanding beyond traditional medical services to meet patients where they are, ensuring access, equity, and whole-person care.

As this year comes to an end, what are your goals for 2026?
As this year comes to an end, our goals for 2026 center on deepening our impact and expanding access to quality care across the communities we serve. We aim to strengthen our clinical services, enhance patient experience, and invest in our workforce to ensure we continue delivering compassionate, culturally competent care. Most importantly, we plan to build stronger community partnerships to address the root causes of health disparities.