Executive Management Team

Alan McKay - Executive Director

Alan McKay has served as the Executive Director of the Alliance since the health plan’s inception in Santa Cruz County in April 1995. He previously worked in Bay Area managed care for twelve years, as a Manager in Ernst & Young’s San Francisco health care consulting practice from 1984 to 1987, and as Director of Managed Care at El Camino Hospital from 1987 to 1993.

Alan holds a Master of Public Health degree from University of California at Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of California at Santa Cruz. Alan is a Member of the board of the California Association of Health Insuring Organizations (CAHIO), the professional association of five County Organized Health Systems in California, as well as a Member of the Merced County Health Care Consortium. He is also Chairperson of the Monterey Regional Health Development Group, Inc (MoreHealth), and President of the board of the Health Improvement Partnership of Santa Cruz County.

Richard Helmer, MD - Chief Medical Officer

Richard Helmer, M.D. joined the Alliance in August of 2007, where he currently serves as Chief Medical Officer. Previous positions he has held include Chief Medical Officer for Molina Healthcare from 1999 to 2005, Medical Director for TakeCare Health Plan from 1992 to 1994 and Associate Vice President for Health Care Services at FHP from 1988 to 1992. In the interim, Dr. Helmer has done consulting with a number of clients throughout the country which originally brought him to the Alliance.

Dr. Helmer graduated with high honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara and received his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin. He completed a residency in family medicine at the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, and a medical management fellowship at the University of California at Irvine. He is board certified in Family Medicine and is an NCQA surveyor.

Patti McFarland - Chief Financial Officer

Patti McFarland began her career at the Alliance as Controller in October 1995 and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in April 1998.  She previously held positions of Controller and Audit Director for a national photography corporation.  She has worked in the field of Finance for twenty years.

Patti holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Arizona State University and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Rachael Nava - Chief Operating Officer

Rachael Nava joined the Alliance in 2004 where she currently serves as Chief Operating Officer. She is responsible for overseeing provider services, member services, information technology, business analysis, business development, compliance and operations. Rachael has worked in the public health sector in the Monterey Bay region for several years. Prior to joining the Alliance, she directed Healthy Kids of Santa Cruz County, a program designed to provide health insurance to all of the uninsured children in the county. From 2000 to 2004, Rachael was the Associate Executive Director of Dientes Community Dental Care, a non-profit safety net dental clinic. From 1997 to 2000, she worked in the biotechnology sector in the area of cancer and AIDS research.

Rachael has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from University of California at Santa Cruz. She is a long time resident of Santa Cruz.

David Altman, MD - Associate Medical Director

David Altman, MD joined the Alliance as Associate Medical Director in 2010. Previous positions held include service as Chief Medical Officer for Alameda County Medical Center and Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, and as a Vice President for The Lewin Group (a health care consulting firm based in Falls Church, Virginia) and director of that firm’s San Francisco office. Prior to those positions he had been a Professor of Clinical Medicine and Associate Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, responsible initially for undergraduate medical education and later for the full scope of the University’s medical education programs in California’s Central San Joaquin Valley based in Fresno. He also maintained an active clinical practice at the University. During his time there, Dr. Altman was awarded the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship which brought him to Washington, D C where he worked on the legislative staff of Sen. John D. Rockefeller, IV.

Dr. Altman received his undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Computer Sciences from Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) and his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He trained in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at UCSF and is board certified in those specialties. He also received his M.B.A. from the University of Southern California in 2004.

Danita Carlson - Governmental Relations Director

Danita Carlson joined the Alliance in November 1995 and serves as the plan's Government Relations Director.  Danita is the main liaison with the State of California Department of Health Care Services, Department of Managed Health Care and the Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board.  She is responsible for state contract compliance and regulatory and legislative affairs for the health plan.  Prior to coming to work for the Alliance, Danita was employed by the County of Santa Cruz.  Danita earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from California State University, Sacramento.

Lilia Chagolla - Monterey County Regional Operations Director

Lilia Chagolla joined the Alliance in April 2004, where she currently serves as Monterey County Regional Operations Director. She is responsible for overseeing our Salinas office, management of Alliance programs and operating procedures in Monterey County, and regional community liaison. Lilia’s previous role at the Alliance was Health Programs Manager, where she was responsible for overseeing the health and disease management programs of the Alliance. Prior to joining the Alliance Lilia managed the Health Services Department for The Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco, and worked in the development and implementation of the Prenatal and Pediatric Outpatient Clinics for Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, California.

Lilia holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Community Health Education from San Francisco State University and attended Universidad Autonoma de Gudalajara, Mexico in 1992 studying Spanish and medical terminology. She resides in Capitola with her partner and daughter.

Bob Chernis - Information Technology Director

Bob Chernis has served as the IT Director of the Alliance since the health plan’s inception in Santa Cruz County in April 1995. He previously worked in California managed care for twelve years, as the IT Director at Omni Health Plan, MIS Manager at Foundation Health Plan, and as DBA at Cost Care, Inc. Bob holds a Bachelor degree from CSU Dominguez Hills.

Barbara Flynn, RN – Quality Improvement Director

Barbara Flynn, RN, joined the Alliance in November of 1995 and serves as Quality Improvement Director. She is responsible for the operations and development of quality improvement initiatives including HEDIS, medical audit management and community outreach regarding Health Services policies. Prior to the Alliance, Barbara oversaw Utilization Review and Social Service at Dominican Hospital.

A resident of Santa Cruz County since 1989, Barbara is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles and is past Chairperson of the Monterey County Commission on Disabilities.

Scott Fortner - Human Resources and Administrative Services Director

Scott has served as the Human Resources and Administrative Services Director at the Alliance since February of 2001. Prior to joining the Alliance, Scott was a professional Human Resources consultant and advisor for several pre-IPO start-up/dot-com firms in Silicon Valley. His career in HR began in the US Marine Corps, and as a Marine he served in Operations Desert Shield and Storm during the first Gulf War in 1991. Scott graduated Magna Cum Laude from National University with a major in Business Administration and a minor in Human Resources Development, is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, and is certified as a Professional in Human Resources.

Christine Gerbo, RN - Utilization Management Director

Christine Gerbo, RN, has joined the Alliance with over 30 years of experience as a Registered Nurse. With a background in primary care and specialty clinic nursing, she began work in Medi-Cal Managed Care Health Plans in 1995 where she has performed within health services for both Utilization Management and Quality Improvement.

A resident of Santa Cruz County since 1999, and previously a Central Valley resident for 20 years, Christine received her Bachelors Degree in Nursing at University of Phoenix. She holds a California Public Health Nurse Certificate and Certified Professional in Health Care Quality.

Richard Johnson, PharmD - Pharmacy Director

Richard Johnson, PharmD has served as the Alliance's Pharmacy Director since December of 1995. Rich served for two years as an Associate Clinical Professor of Pharmacy at the Albany College of Pharmacy in New York. He has extensive experience in managed care including 15 years as Pharmacy Director at Kaiser-Santa Teresa Medical Center in San Jose. He also worked for two years as a Drug Education Coordinator.

Rich has a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of California, San Francisco and is a member of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy.

Jennifer Mockus, RN - Merced County Regional Operations Director

Jennifer began her career with the Alliance in November 2009. She is responsible for administration of our Merced office, overseeing Alliance programs and operating procedures in Merced County, and regional community liaison. Prior to joining the Alliance, Jennifer worked for the Merced County Department of Public Health providing supervision and management of maternal child health programs and staff since 2002. From 1991-2000 Jennifer provided public health case management to Santa Cruz County residents as a Public Health Nurse for Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency.

Jennifer is a Public Health Nurse who has a Bachelor Degree in Nursing from California State University, Stanislaus.

Jim Murphy - Deputy Chief Operating Officer

Jim Murphy joined the Alliance in March 2011 as Deputy Chief Operating Officer. He is responsible for overseeing Information Technology, Claims and Business Analysis. Most recently, Jim was the National Director of Charity Care and Coverage for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Oakland. Prior to that, Jim spent 13 years as Organization Leader and Director of Planning, Business Development and Analysis at Santa Clara Valley Health and Hospital System in San Jose.

Jim holds a Masters Degree in Health Administration from Duke University, North Carolina, and a B.A. Degree in Biological Sciences from UC Irvine. Jim was awarded a Fellow from the California Health Leadership College in 2006, an intensive year-long program for the advancement of top health care professionals.

Julio Porro, MD - Associate Medical Director

Julio Porro, MD has served as Associate Medical Director of the Alliance since 2002. He previously co-founded and served as Medical Director of the Southwest Community Health Center in Santa Rosa from 1995 to 1998. He later served as Medical Director and staff physician of Salud Para La Gente, a federally qualified health center serving the Pajaro Valley community from 1998 to 2005.

Dr. Porro received his medical degree and a Bachelor of Arts in Biomedical Ethics from Brown University as part of the seven-year Program in Liberal Medical Education. Dr. Porro is a member of the Boards of Dientes, a community dental clinic, as well as of the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust. He lives in Santa Cruz with his wife and two children in a co-housing development.

Stephanie Sonnenshine - Provider Services Director

Stephanie Sonnenshine originally joined the Alliance in 1999, where she previously held positions of Executive Assistant, Provider Services Representative and Provider Services Contract Specialist. She went on to practice family law litigation in Santa Clara County from 2005 to 2009. Stephanie returned to the Alliance in July 2009 where she currently serves as Provider Services Director. She is responsible for leading the Provider Services department, provider network retention and development, and provider programs.

Stephanie has a Juris Doctorate from University of San Francisco, School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from U.C. Santa Barbara.

Frank Souza - Claims Director

Frank Souza joined the Alliance in September 2003, where he currently serves as Claims Director. Prior to joining the Alliance, Frank was the Chief Financial Officer for the largest privately held chain of retail luggage stores on the West Coast.

Frank holds a Masters in Business Administration from St. Mary's University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He is a long time resident of Santa Cruz County.