![mjc2012[2305843009229057827].png](/application/files/9516/9392/2278/mjc20122305843009229057827.png)
Cumming is board-certified in vascular and interventional radiology. Over the years, he has established himself as a trailblazer in outpatient, office-based interventional radiology in the Twin Cities. His dedication and expertise have led him to found three outpatient vascular centers throughout his illustrious career. In 2020, he took another significant step by founding VIE, an outpatient vascular and interventional center. VIE stands out not only for its comprehensive services but also for its state-of-the-art facilities that surpass many local hospitals. The center boasts an advanced Interventional Suite and CT scanner, ensuring patients receive the best care possible.
At the heart of Cumming's practice is a philosophy that revolves around the patient. He believes that they should always remain the focal point of all medical endeavors. This patient-centric approach is complemented by his dedication to providing compassionate, expert, and individualized care. Cumming is a staunch advocate of a conservative treatment approach, ensuring that all methods and procedures are backed by the latest and most reliable medical evidence.
Furthermore, Cumming firmly believes in the principles of servant leadership. He understands that a positive culture and a conducive work environment are crucial not only for the well-being of his employees, but also for the overall success and efficiency of the practice. This belief in efficiency and convenience aims to streamline the patient experience, reducing unnecessary visits and expenses. His overarching goal is to deliver top-tier, cost-effective care to all.
Cunningham was appointed in January 2023 as commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). She is responsible for directing the work of the Minnesota Department of Health. MDH is the state's lead public health agency, responsible for protecting, maintaining and improving the health of all Minnesotans. The department has approximately 1,400 employees in the Twin Cities area and seven offices in greater Minnesota.
Professional Background
Prior to being appointed commissioner, Cunningham was appointed assistant commissioner for the Health Equity Bureau in 2022 by Commissioner Jan Malcolm. As assistant commissioner, Cunningham was responsible for overseeing the Center for Health Equity, the Office of American Indian Health, the COVID-19 Health Equity Team, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She also worked closely with leaders and staff in MDH’s other bureaus to advance health equity in their work.
Cunningham is a general internist, sociologist, and assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining MDH, her research focused on developing strategies to reduce racial disparities in health, including addressing the adverse impacts of exposure to racism. She also co-directed the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Thread in medical education. In 2021, she was selected as one of four inaugural recipients of the University of Minnesota’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Award. Cunningham is a primary care provider at the Community-University Health Care Clinic (CUHCC), a federally qualified health clinic in Minneapolis that serves a diverse patient population.
Educational Background
Cunningham received her doctorates in medicine and sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. After completing residency in internal medicine at Duke University, she completed fellowships in health services research, health policy, and bioethics at Johns Hopkins University and an AcademyHealth Delivery System Science Fellowship at the Medica Research Institute. She received her bachelor’s degree in history and African American studies from the University of Virginia.
Givan is associate professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She is the co-editor of Strike for the Common Good: Fighting for the Future of Public Education (University of Michigan Press, 2020) and the author of The Challenge to Change: Reforming Health Care on the Front Line in the United States and the United Kingdom (Cornell University Press, 2016) as well as numerous articles on work in healthcare and education. She has a Ph.D in political science from Northwestern University.
Smith is a dermatologist and physician leader. She has spent her life serving and advocating for rural and underserved patients and communities. She currently serves as CentraCare’s vice president for medical education and in that role is helping to develop the University of Minnesota’s regional medical campus in St. Cloud. Over the past three decades she has served in multiple leadership capacities, including as president of the MMA and the Minnesota Dermatological Society and is current chair of the MMA delegation to the AMA. She has served as CEO of ACMC and Carris Health and as senior vice president, she helped develop the rural health division of CentraCare. She earned her medical degree from the University of Minnesota and a Masters in Health Care Innovation from the University of Pennsylvania. She is an adjunct professor in the University of Minnesota Department of Dermatology and is an active mentor, sponsor and champion of young student, resident and physician-leaders. Her proudest accomplishment is having a medical student tell her “she someday wanted to be just like her.”
As a former mental health practitioner, Reiland provides a unique combination of legal and practical experience in the healthcare field. Drawing on this critical ground-level perspective, she advises healthcare organizations on complex business transactions and strategic partnerships, informed by her significant experience in joint ventures, affiliations, antitrust, governance, and contracting matters. Reiland also counsels providers on state and federal regulatory compliance, including licensure, reimbursement, enrollment, HIPAA and state privacy, and participation issues. With a career concentration on health law and bioethics, she has extensive experience with federal and state anti-kickback laws, the Stark physician self-referral law, and HIPAA.
She is an adjunct assistant professor at American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. She is a frequent speaker on issues related to provider transactions and collaborations, fraud and abuse, privacy and security, and federal and state regulatory developments.
Reiland is also a firm leader - she serves as chair of the Recruiting Committee and is a member of the firm's Culture, Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Stillman is a physician, lawyer, and mediator. He is a practicing general internist at Hennepin Healthcare System (HHS) in Minneapolis, where he also serves as the mediation and conflict resolution officer. Along with practicing internal medicine, he mediates conflict among healthcare professionals and teaches about conflict resolution in healthcare across the country, helping everyone from front-line clinicians to executive leaders learn how to successfully evaluate and address conflict within healthcare. He developed the Conflict Resolution and Facilitation Training (CRAFT) Program for healthcare leaders which is now delivered both in-person and virtually. In addition, Stillman is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School where he teaches about law and medicine, and he continues to serve as a member of the national American Arbitration Association Healthcare Dispute Resolution Advisory Council. Stillman also has extensive knowledge of administrative, operational, financial, personnel, and quality issues associated with medical practice and patient care, having served as senior medical director for HHS’ Medicine and Medicine Subspecialty Services. He effectively utilizes this wide-ranging expertise to enhance his conflict resolution practice, teaching, and coaching.
Verghese is a national bestselling author and a prominent voice in medicine with a uniquely humanistic view of the future of healthcare. He received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama, “for reminding us that the patient is the center of the medical enterprise.” His memoirs and novels on medical themes have sold millions of copies, topped bestseller lists, and earned major movie deals, while his New York Times articles arguing for greater focus on the physical patient have made waves in the medical community. His warmth and vision as well as his world-class gifts as a storyteller make him a powerful speaker both to healthcare professionals and the patient in all of us.