Program Lead, North Highland

peter.cotterrell@northhighland.com

Peter has worked for North Highland for over 15 years. For the past nine years, he has been part of the Tallahassee office serving Public Sector clients across Florida, Georgia, Texas, Ohio and Oregon. This is Peter’s third year working on the FLEX program with Florida CAHs. Peter is leading the North Highland team supporting the FLEX program, with a focus on the financial and operational improvement analysis and recommendations. Peter has a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Leeds.

Director, State Office of Rural Health, Bureau of Emergency Medical Oversight, Division of Emergency Preparedness and Community Support, Florida Department of Health

Leonta.Willis@flhealth.gov

Leonta Willis was born in a small, rural town called Whigham, Georgia, and raised in Climax, Georgia. She understands the importance of having access to high quality health care services in rural communities. “It brings joy to my heart knowing that I have a chance to improve the health and well-being of the public at large by assessing their health needs in underserved communities.” This is what motivates her in this current role.

Prior to this position, Leonta functioned as the Executive Assistant and provided special project management for the current Deputy Secretary for Health, Kenneth A. Scheppke, MD, FAEMS, and the former Deputy Secretary for Health, Shamarial Roberson, DrPH, MPH. Dr. Scheppke and Dr. Roberson are phenomenal leaders and educators that truly believe in our mission: to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida. Mrs. Willis offered ideas and innovations such as new best practices, research findings, and/or industry trends to create potential solutions to problems. She provided process improvements plans, conducted trainings, and demonstrated an increase in accountability of funds and performance for the Department. Leonta had the pleasure of working directly with the Division of Community Health Promotion, Emergency Preparedness and Community Support, Disease Control and Health Protection, Public Health Statistics and Performance Management, the Offices of Medical Marijuana Use, Minority Health and Health Equity, the Florida Board of Medicine, and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine.

Outside of the Department, she enjoys spending quality time with loved ones on the family farm, hosting outreach events in underserved communities, and fishing.

Executive Director, Big Bend AHEC

awiman@bigbendahec.org

Allison is currently the Executive Director of Big Bend Area Health Education Center (BBAHEC) and Big Bend Rural Health Network (BBRHN). The mission of these organizations is to provide health education and services to underserved and rural populations across the 14 counties of the Big Bend area of Florida. Allison is a Registered Nurse in the state of Florida and holds a Master of Public Health from FSU. She is an active member of several Boards and is the Co-Lead for the Florida Center for Nursing Action Coalition. Allison leads the quality improvement elements of the North Highland FLEX site visits and facility recommendations.

Manager, North Highland

Jennifer.elmore@Northhighland.com

Jennifer has been with North Highland since 2020. She has more than a decade of professional experience working in and with state and county governments, and leading high-performing teams, multidisciplinary projects, strategic planning, performance improvement, program evaluation, communication, and research. Jennifer is engaged in the Tallahassee office serving Florida State Agencies and nonprofits primarily in the Health and Human Services arena. She is dedicated to creating a brighter, healthier future for Floridians through collaboration and a commitment to planned action. Jennifer has a Master of Human Services and Doctor of Organizational Leadership from Southeastern University.

Flex Analyst

kim.reda@flhealth.gov

Kim Reda is a Flex Analyst at Florida Department of Health in the Office of Rural Health for one and half years, helping rural and Critical Access Hospitals in Florida with grant funding, technical assistance and improving quality measures. Specializing in the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program as well as assisting with The Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, Kim uses her past clinical rural hospital experience of fifteen years in the Florida Keys to achieve critical financial, quality improvement and operational goals for these hospitals to better serve their communities.   

Project Analyst

adrina.patterson@northhighland.com

Adrina Patterson sits at the intersection of higher education, international health, and global economic development. Holding a BS in Language and International Health and a MSc in Global Public Health and Policy, Patterson is deeply passionate about leveraging education and study abroad experiences to foster economic growth and improve global health outcomes. Her international living experiences in London, Spain, and Colombia have enriched her cultural understanding and fluency in global health dynamics, enabling her to approach health issues with a nuanced and comprehensive perspective.

FLEX Coordinator, State Office of Rural Health, Bureau of Emergency Medical Oversight, Division of Emergency Preparedness and Community Support, Florida Department of Health

Alexis.Jacobs@flhealth.gov

Alexis grew up just outside of the small town of High Springs, FL and has always had a vested interested in public service. While earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, she spent her free time volunteering in a homeless shelter, visiting the local work release program as a criminal justice research assistant, and in office hours as a legal teaching assistant.

These experiences led her to a passion for law and the drive to continue helping people, which she explored further during her time at the University of North Carolina School of Law. Alexis’ detail-oriented nature and love of the written word served her well as an Editor of the First Amendment Law Review for two years.