All Access Healthcare: The Healthcare Affordability Challenge: Balancing Cost, Access and Quality

Steven Chananie is a special counsel in the Corporate Practice Group in the New York office of Sheppard Mullin.  In his practice, Steven assists his clients in navigating the often complex and evolving healthcare regulatory environment. He has represented numerous healthcare providers, advising them on regulatory, fraud and abuse, and reimbursement issues in the structuring of complex healthcare transactions; guiding them in the resolution of potential compliance problems; assisting them in implementing or modifying their compliance programs; and responding to government investigations.   His clients include academic medical centers, hospital systems, faculty practice plans, laboratories (both independent and hospital-based), physician practices, ambulatory surgery centers, nursing homes, and home health agencies.  Steven has lectured extensively on compliance, regulatory, defense and related issues.   Prior to entering private practice, Steven was Chief of Appeals at the Queens County District Attorney’s Office (1993 – 1996), Counsel to Field Operations and chief appellate counsel at the New York State Organized Crime Task Force (1987 – 1993), and an Assistant District Attorney at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office (1983 – 1987). While at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, he took a leave of absence to clerk for former Chief Judge Judith Kaye on the New York State Court of Appeals.

Tom Clements is the Managing Partner of the Employee Benefits Division at Meridian Risk Management, where he leads a team dedicated to helping organizations across the tri-state area and beyond design, optimize, and sustain high-value benefits programs.

Tom has built his career on a deep commitment to solving complex benefits challenges through data-driven strategies, candid communication, and a people-first approach.

A native of England, Tom earned his BS in Finance from Fairfield University, where he was a four-year starter on the Men’s Soccer team.

Tom specializes in guiding clients through the full spectrum of employee benefits strategy, including:
• Medical and pharmacy plan design and optimization
• Data analytics and claims review to identify cost-reduction opportunities
• Alternative funding arrangements, including PEOs, level-funded and self-funded solutions
• Risk pool optimization and plan design alignment

He is known for his ability to translate complex benefits data into actionable strategies that reduce overall spend while preserving or improving the quality of coverage for employees. Clients value Tom’s transparent, no-nonsense approach and his focus on long-term relationships rather than transactional interactions. He believes that effective benefits strategy is about protecting both the organization’s financial health and its employees’ well-being, ensuring that benefits remain a sustainable asset rather than an unmanageable cost.

Tom resides in Connecticut with his family and remains an active member of the employee benefits community, regularly sharing insights on medical and pharmacy trends, plan design innovations, and strategies for controlling benefit spend in a rapidly evolving market.

Nick Stefanizzi is a versatile health care executive with a track record of innovation and success across both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors of the industry. He currently serves as the CEO of Northwell Direct, where he is responsible for the strategy and performance of Northwell Health’s direct-to-employer business.

Under Nick’s leadership, Northwell Direct has experienced dramatic growth and achieved profitability since launching in 2020. His team is responsible for the management of over $2B in employer health care spend for over 300K employees and family members from over 65 employers and unions in the New York Metro area. Additionally, Northwell Direct has established the largest direct healthcare contract in the country while delivering over $150M in savings to employer and labor clients. As a result, Nick firmly believes that direct-to-employer relationships have the potential to dramatically transform how health care is organized, delivered, and financed across the US.

Prior to joining Northwell Direct, Nick served as Chief Administrative Officer and Interim CEO of Formativ Health, a for-profit joint-venture aimed at enhancing the patient and provider experience of, and access to, health care.

He also spent almost a decade in various roles across Northwell Health, New York State’s largest integrated delivery system and largest private employer. This included serving as Assistant Vice President for HR Innovation and Organizational Effectiveness, Director of Management Services for the ambulatory and joint venture network, and Chief of Staff to the CIO.

Nick’s leadership and innovation have routinely been recognized including being honored in Crain’s Notable LGBTQIA+ Leaders, Modern Healthcare’s 25 Emerging Leaders, and Becker’s Rising Stars: Healthcare Leaders Under 40.

Nick received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Boston University and his MBA in Healthcare Administration from Hofstra University. He serves as an advisor and board member for a variety of healthcare organizations.

Joan Kronick is a Regional Vice President with Amazon One Medical, where she partners with employers and benefits consultants to develop innovative healthcare strategies that improve access, enhance the employee experience, and help manage rising healthcare costs. With more than 20 years of experience in employee benefits and healthcare, Joan brings a consultative approach to helping organizations balance cost, quality, and access. Her background as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker provides a unique, people-first perspective on today’s healthcare challenges, making her a trusted advisor to employers navigating an increasingly complex benefits landscape.