Whole Person Health Summit

Session: Breakout Strategy Session (B)

Dr. Roberto Aspholm, Associate Professor, Morrison Family College of Health

Roberto (Rob) Aspholm is associate professor of social work in the Morrison Family College of Health at the University of St. Thomas. Rob spent more than a decade working in community practice and research capacities on issues affecting young people in dispossessed urban neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago and in East St. Louis. He is the author of Views from the Streets: The Transformation of Gangs and Violence on Chicago's South Side (Columbia University Press, 2020), and his writing has appeared in scholarly and popular outlets including Critical Criminology, Social Service Review, Current Affairs, and Jacobin Magazine.

Session: Breakout Strategy Session (C)

Stacy Barnes, Co-Lead and Global Director of Innovation, Alight U.S.

Stacy Barnes is a creative problem-solver and leader focused on building strong, connected communities. As co-lead of Alight U.S., she develops innovative programs like Culture Crawls and strengthens existing initiatives using direct feedback from the people they serve. Her work connects newcomers and long-standing residents in meaningful ways, helping them build relationships that foster belonging, economic mobility, and social cohesion. A champion of human-centered design, Stacy collaborates across sectors to challenge outdated systems and scale solutions that make integration easier, more effective, and rooted in real community needs.

Session: Afternoon Keynote

Bukata Hayes, Vice President, Chief Equity Officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

As vice president, chief equity officer, Bukata Hayes is responsible for the Blue Cross racial and health equity strategy, this includes working to integrating all diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) efforts across the entire company to fully embrace the values and practices of being an antiracist organization. Through this lens he serves as an advisor and strategic leader across the organization to identify and implement initiatives that bring about greater inclusiveness, representation, and lasting change. Hayes’ work places an emphasis on enhancing policies and programs that can more effectively address the specific needs of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) members and communities.

Hayes reports directly to the CEO and serves as a member of the Blue Cross senior leadership team. Hayes also works with the CEO to co-lead an internal cross-functional advisory group called the Racial Equity Action Committee for Health (REACH), which gives BIPOC employees an active voice in how Blue Cross can best address racial and health inequities in communities throughout Minnesota.

Hayes also serves as chair of the board of directors for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation. He first joined the board in 2015 and was named chair in 2021.

Hayes has more than 20 years of experience organizing and facilitating systemic change within large and small systems such as non-profit, K-12, higher education and rural communities. Prior to joining Blue Cross, Hayes spent 15 years as the executive director of the Greater Mankato Diversity Council. Before that, he served as the coordinator of the Multi Ethnic Center at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, the first-ever position of its kind at the college.

Hayes received his bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. Additionally, he is actively involved in numerous community-based organizations, including the MEDA Board of Directors, American Cancer Society (ACS), Minnesota Region Board of Directors, Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity (MBCRE) Advisory Committee, Minnesota Council of Health Plans, Health Equity Committee and the Blandin Foundation Board of Trustees.

Session: Breakout Strategy Session (D)

Catherine Justice, Program Manager for Integrative Medicine, Hennepin Healthcare Systems

Catherine Justice is an Integrative Physical Therapist, a Certified Yoga Therapist, and Program Manager for Integrative Medicine at Hennepin Healthcare Systems. Catherine received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Minnesota and is a graduate of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine’s two-year Fellowship program. She serves as the Associate Editor for the International Journal of Yoga Therapy and is the founder of The Art of Wellness (www.artofwellness.yoga). She is a freelance writer and frequent speaker for podcasts, workshops, and conferences. Catherine is passionate about increasing access to integrative medicine for everyone in need.

Session: Morning Panel

Suzanne Koepplinger, Backbone Team for Birth Justice Collaborative

Suzanne Koepplinger is the founder of Catalyst North Consulting: fostering healing centered organizational cultures and leaders. Previously she served 8 years as founding director for the Catalyst Initiative at the George Family Foundation and later at the Minneapolis Foundation. Suzanne was the executive director of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center from 2003 - 2014, leading the first research and community response in the country to address sex trafficking of American Indian women and girls. She holds a M.A. in the Art of Leadership from Augsburg University and has extensive international experience as a trainer and public speaker.

Session: Breakout Strategy Session (C)

Jovita Morales, Founder and CEO, Minnesota Immigrant Movement

My name is Jovita Morales. I am an Indigenous immigrant from Mexico and a proud mother of two wonderful young adults. I was raised by my native Mazahua grandmother and great-grandmother, moving back and forth between them and my parents. I grew up in a community that practiced curanderismo, where natural herbs were our primary medicine. My passions include painting, farming, soccer, and boxing. I have been involved in activism since 2000. As an organizer, I co-founded the Minnesota Immigrant Movement, a grassroots organization dedicated to fighting for immigrant rights. Since 2008, I have been at the forefront of the campaign for driver’s licenses for all, working tirelessly to ensure access for undocumented community members. I have also provided training on the driver’s manual to help individuals navigate the licensing process and pass the exam. Additionally, I played a key role in passing the municipal ID in Minneapolis and supporting its implementation in Northfield. I have been actively involved in voter engagement, redistricting efforts to ensure fair representation, and advocacy around issues such as the benefits cliff, the passage of the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), and the approval of a food vendor permit in Minneapolis. I also support Alebrijes Minnesota, a grassroots group that promotes arts as a way to preserve culture and facilitate healing from trauma and stress experienced by many families. Beyond these efforts, I have worked on various issues impacting low-income families. Currently, I serve as a Policy and Advocacy Community Organizer at Pillsbury United Communities and as the CEO of the Minnesota Immigrant Movement

Session: Breakout Strategy Session (D)

Robert Cole Pueringer, Medical Toxicologist and Addiction Medicine Specialist, Essentia Health

Dr. Robert “Cole” Pueringer is a Medical Toxicologist, Addiction Medicine Specialist, and Hospitalist. He joined Essentia Health in September of 2022 after completing his medical training in the Twin Cities, including Medical School at the University of Minnesota, an Internal Medicine Residency, and a Chief Resident year at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC). He received his CTropMed certification for Tropical Medicine/Travelers’ Health at the University of Minnesota. He then completed his fellowship training in Medical Toxicology at the Health Partners Institute/HCMC and Addiction Medicine at the University of Minnesota. He is particularly passionate about substance use disorder - a disease that has affected many aspects of his own life.

Session: Welcome Address

Francisco Segovia, Executive Director of COPAL

Francisco Segovia is the founder of COPAL, a Latino membership organization, where he currently leads the strategic vision. Under his leadership, COPAL has become an influential force dedicated to improving the quality of life for thousands of Latinos in Minnesota. The organization has played a crucial role in promoting state laws and has been key in mobilizing the Latino vote at the state level, establishing itself as a civic leader both in Minnesota and across the United States. In addition to his role at COPAL, Francisco currently serves on the board of TakeAction Minnesota, contributing his insights and expertise to further the organization’s mission. He actively engages in The Minnesota Civic Studies Initiative, a project by the College of Education & Human Development at the University of Minnesota, facilitating dialogues among leaders representing diverse political viewpoints.

Session: Morning Keynote

Prathibha Varkey, President, Mayo Clinic Health Systems

Prathibha Varkey, MBBS, MPH, MHPE, MBA, MA (privatum), is president of Mayo Clinic Health System (MCHS). As president, Dr. Varkey leads 15,000 employees serving 16 community hospitals and 53 multispecialty clinics across 44 communities in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. Dr. Varkey is also a Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Prior to her current role, Dr. Varkey served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of the Yale New Haven Health Northeast Medical Group, and as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Seton Clinical Enterprise.

From 2001 to 2013, Dr. Varkey held leadership positions at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, including Associate Chair of the Department of Medicine; medical director of Ask Mayo Clinic; program director of the Preventive Medicine Fellowship, and Director of the Quality Improvement Curriculum.

A nationally recognized expert in Quality Improvement, Dr. Varkey is a past president of the American College of Medical Quality, has authored over 80 publications and is the editor of two books: Medical Quality Management and Mayo Clinic Board Review on Preventive Medicine and Public Health. Dr. Varkey earned her MBBS from the Christian Medical College in Vellore, India; a Master of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health; a Master of Health Professions Education from the University of Illinois, Chicago; and a Master of Business Administration from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. She completed her internal medicine residency at the Yale New Haven Health Hospital of Saint Raphael and a preventive medicine fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. She has an honorary Master of Arts degree from Yale University.

Dr. Varkey and her husband, Pravin, have a young daughter and live in Rochester, Minnesota.