Conversations Live: Future of Health Care

Dennis P. Scanlon, Ph.D.

Professor of Health Policy and Administration
The Pennsylvania State University

Dennis Scanlon is a Professor of Health Policy and Administration at The Pennsylvania State University, College of Health and Human Development. He serves as principal investigator for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Aligning Forces for Quality evaluation. His research interests focus on health systems improvement, including understanding the role of information, incentives, and individual and organizational behavior change for improving health care outcomes. Scanlon also serves on the editorial board of several journals, including Health Services Research, Medical Care Research and Review, American Journal of Managed Care, BMC Health Services Research and International Scholarly Research Network Public Health. In 2002 he received the John D. Thompson Prize for Young Investigators, given annually by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration to an outstanding young investigator in the field of health services research and also was awarded the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Investigator in Health Policy Research Award. Scanlon earned a master’s degree in economics from the University of Pittsburgh and a doctorate in health services organization and policy from the University of Michigan. Dr. Scanlon is widely published in a variety of topics in the health services field with more than 70 peer reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and research briefs.

Joseph Wiedemer, MD

Director, Family Medicine Residency Program
Penn State College of Medicine, University Park

Joseph Wiedemer, M.D., joined the University Park Regional Campus in State College in August 2013 as the new program director for the future Penn State Hershey Family Medicine Residency Program at Mount Nittany Medical Center. As a family physician, Dr. Wiedemer also treats patients at Penn State Hershey Medical Group – Park Avenue. He earned his medical degree at Temple University and completed a residency in family medicine at West Jersey Hospital.

A native of Altoona, Pa., Dr. Wiedemer was previously the family medicine residency program director at Hackensack University Medical Center Mountainside in New Jersey. His clinical interests are in asthma, diabetes and preventive medicine, among others. Dr. Wiedemer is the former executive editor of Perspectives, the Journal for the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians. He is married, has three sons and resides in State College.

Antoinette Kraus

Director, Pennsylvania Health Access Network

Antoinette Kraus came to the Pennsylvania Health Access Network (PHAN) in 2008 after spending the beginning of her career running political campaigns in South Eastern Pennsylvania. Since 2008 Kraus has helped grow the Pennsylvania Health Access Network into the state’s largest statewide health coalition and has established PHAN as a leader in providing education on health care reform and the implementation process in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Health Access Network currently has over 60 participating organizations representing over one million Pennsylvanian’s from the faith, labor, small business, disability and nonprofit community.

Kraus has successfully led campaigns to advocate on behalf of Pennsylvania consumers including campaigns to save Pennsylvania’s adultBasic program, a campaign to strengthening Pennsylvania’s Rate Review Process, a campaign to expand Medicaid in Pennsylvania and was instrumental in a statewide campaign to help pass the Affordable Care Act. Since joining PHAN Kraus has become an expert on issues affecting the uninsured and underinsured as well as the Affordable Care Act. She has experience running health care navigator programs and most recently became a Certified Application Counselor. She has given hundreds of presentations on the new law, has testified before Congress and has testified at the state capital on numerous occasions. She has appeared in dozens of news stories and has appeared on PCN as an expert on the Affordable Care Act. She also currently serves on the Philadelphia Inquirer’s health reform advisory board.