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Four new members have joined the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) Advisory Board: Alison Ansher, district health director for Prince William Country; Anton Arbatov, vice president of revenue cycle management and compliance for SOC Telemed; Michael Fraser, chief executive officer at ASTHO; and Patricia Haresign, health and wellness coach and founder of Coaching Wellness for Life.
The new members of the board will join the twelve current members in advising and assisting the Dean in strategic planning for the College.
“The College is fortunate to welcome Alison Ansher, Anton Arbatov, Michael Fraser, and Patricia Haresign to the Board,” says Dean Germaine Louis. “Their experience and insight will be instrumental as we continue our transition to becoming Virginia’s first College of Public Health and seek to improve the public’s health and well-being across the lifespan.”
Read more about the four new advisory board members below and visit the advisory board page to learn more about the current members of the board.
Alison Ansher, District Health Director, Prince William Health District
Alison Ansher, MD, MPH, is the district health director for the Prince William Health District in Northern Virginia. In that role, which she has held since 2006, Ansher oversees the public health services for the jurisdictions of Prince William County, Manassas City, and Manassas Park. She serves a diverse community of over 500,000 residents, managing over 90 employees who provide services through the following programs: environmental health, women's wellness, teen wellness, WIC, dental health, immunizations, communicable disease, maternity care, and emergency preparedness and response. Previously, Ansher served as a clinician and the director of women’s health for the Prince William health district.
Ansher began her career as an OB/GYN generalist clinician with the Group Health Association after completing her residency. Ansher earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine and completed her Master of Public Health, Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkin University.
Anton Arbatov, Vice President of Revenue Cycle Management and Compliance, SOC Telemed
Anton Arbatov, MHA, is the vice president of revenue cycle management and compliance at SOC Telemed, the nation’s largest acute care telemedicine company, publicly traded, based in Reston, VA. He is an expert on telehealth reimbursement and policy and leads SOC’s government relations. In this capacity, Arbatov works with hundreds of hospitals and health systems across the country to establish a national-scale billing operation for hospital-based telemedicine. He routinely advises clinical partners across the country and lobbies CMS and Congress to enact lasting change to telemedicine policy. A former Army Combat Medic, Arbatov is passionate about improving access and quality of care for patients across the care continuum. He joined SOC Telemed following an impressive career in the U.S. Army, where he served in a number of clinical and administrative roles, including Senior Manager (NCOIC) of Emergency Medical Operations at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), and Senior Emergency Medical Operations Advisor to the regional government of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. Due to his passion and background, Arbatov continues to work closely with the U.S. military to help them establish and grow their telehealth programs.
Arbatov is board-certified in healthcare administration as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and holds a Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree in Health Systems Management from George Mason University. He lectures regularly at Washington D.C. regional universities and presents regularly for chapters of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), among other organizations. Arbatov has contributed to publications by the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and by George Mason’s Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics (CHPRE).
Michael Fraser, Chief Executive Officer, ASTHO
Michael Fraser, PhD, MS, CAE, FCPP, is the chief executive officer of The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories and freely associated states, and Washington, D.C.
Fraser has been advancing ASTHO’s mission as an advocate, voice, and resource for state and territorial public health since August 2016. Prior to joining ASTHO, he served in many leadership positions, including executive vice president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, CEO of the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, and deputy executive director of the National Association of County and City Health Officials. He also served in several capacities at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Fraser received his doctorate and master’s degrees in sociology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a master’s in management with a concentration on management, strategy, and leadership from the Eli Broad School of Management at Michigan State University.
He is a co-editor of the Public Health Guide to Ending the Opioid Crisis, published by the Oxford University Press, and a co-editor and author of the Handbook of Strategic Skills for Public Health Practice, to be published in 2021.
Patricia Haresign, Health and Wellness Coach, Founder, Coaching Wellness for Life
Prior to setting up her business, Patricia Haresign, MS, enjoyed a successful career as an educator, developing programs that strategically led to the achievement of individual and organizational outcomes. In her role as an education nurse specialist at Sibley Hospital/Johns Hopkins Medicine, and also as a nursing clinical adjunct faculty member at Marymount University, her instruction took students beyond academics and clinical education to include communication skills for crucial conversations and connecting with patients and families, as well as promoting wellness and resilience strategies for her students. Haresign became well known for her expertise in the patient experience. Using Design Thinking strategies, she acted as an internal consultant at Sibley/Johns Hopkins Medicine, leading teams to create solutions to improve the patient experience. She participated in interviews for publication, panel discussions, and accepted recognition awards and invitations to present success strategies at national conferences.
Haresign received her BSN from George Mason University's School of Nursing and an MS from Marymount University in organization effectiveness. Her board certifications include Gerontologic Nursing, Nursing Continuing Professional Development, Myers Briggs (MBTI), EQi 360 2.0 (Emotional Intelligence), and Health and Wellness Coaching (NBCHWC).
Haresign served on the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation as an appraiser for continuing nursing education provider applicants. She was appointed to the Patient and Family Advisory Council, Sibley Hospital /Johns Hopkins Medicine, in her role as the patient experience specialist and coach.