Staff and Leadership

ABOUT GRACHIE

The Georgia Regional Academic Community Health Information Exchange (GRAChIE) serves healthcare organizations and providers across Georgia seamlessly bringing health information from one healthcare professional to another. GRAChIE provides health information in a secure, electronic format allowing healthcare professionals to appropriately access and securely share a patient’s health information electronically through EHR system.

LEADERSHIP TEAM

TARA BROXTON CRAMER

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

SHANNA GRANT

MPI TECHNICIAN

JOANNA PARDEE-WALKINGSTICK

INTEGRATIONS SPECIALIST

HEATHER WALKER

AVP Business Solutions & EIM

With a progressive career in Information Technology, I have a track record of success in Healthcare IT spanning the past 20 years. Highlights of my career include leading the implementation of various healthcare systems including an integrated EHR, financial systems, business applications, and numerous clinical applications. My employment began as a Systems Operator and progressed to PC Technician, Technical Analyst, Technical Supervisor, IT Director, Director IT Transformation and EIM, and most recently AVP Business Solutions & EIM for Navicent Health. In 2008, I was selected by my peers to receive the Stellar Service Award. In 2015, I was appointed to serve as Oconee Regional Health Systems’ HIPAA Security Officer and received a Lean Six Sigma Certification in Healthcare.

Graduating Summa Cum Laude, and chosen by the American Association of University Women as the top female graduate, I received an A.S. in Business Administration from Georgia Military College. In 2001, graduating Summa Cum Laude, I received a BBA in Computer Based Information Systems from Georgia College & State University where I also served as Vice President for the Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP). I was selected as outstanding major in Information Systems from GC&SU in 2001. While at GC&SU, I was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gama Sigma, and Upsilon Pi Epsilon honor societies.

In December of 2015, I received a Master's degree in Management Information Systems from Georgia College & State University and was selected as outstanding major in the school of MMIS. I also served as an adjunct Business Office Technology instructor at Central Georgia Technical College from 2002 - 2004. I currently serve on the IT Advisory Board for Georgia College & State University and have recently worked with the Knight Foundation on innovation in Macon, GA.

WAYNE SELLERS

Wayne Sellers is the Chief Information Officer for AU Health System, Inc. He leads AU Health’s information technology strategy, working with executive leadership and caregivers across the health system to enhance patient care, in a fiscally responsible manner, through innovative technologies.

Wayne Sellers has more than 20 years of experience as a health care IT leader. Prior to AU Health, Wayne served as Cerner Corporation’s executive director of IT Operations for Baptist Health, where he guided IT strategy and investments, transformed the end-user experiences and matured data management and analytics to drive better patient outcomes.

Wayne Sellers is a member of CHIME (College of Healthcare Information Management Executives) and has recently been appointed to the GRAChIE (a Georgia Regional Health Information Exchange) board of directors.

CINDY HUTCHESON

Assistant Vice President - Corporate Finance, Navicent Health

Cindy leads the budgeting, cost accounting, and financial data analytics area of Finance for Navicent Health

Cindy joined Navicent Health in 1984 and has had many roles within the organization over the years to include development of Secure Health Plans of Georgia into an LLC as well as assisting in the formation of the provider hospital structure known today throughout the region as well as assisting with the development of third-party administrative services and serving as the CFO at Secure Health for 10 years. She also has served as the Cardiovascular Business leader within the Cardiology service line at Navicent, CFO of the Navicent Health Physician Group and the AVP over Revenue Cycle.

Cindy received her BBA in Accounting from Georgia College and State University in 1989 and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1995.

Cindy enjoys working out, going to concerts and spending time with family.

LAUREN WILLIAMS, MPH

Director of Population Health & Virtual Care
AU Health, Inc.

Lauren Williams, MPH, has been with AU Health, in Augusta, Georgia since April 2016. Ms. Williams is tasked with leading all value-based initiatives for the provider practice plan, which is composed of over 600 faculty members. Lauren is responsible for the operational performance of shared savings arrangements and incentive programs, chronic care management, transitional care management, the Quality Payment Program, Bundled Payment for Care Improvement-Advanced, and Patient-Centered Medical Home accreditation. Ms. Williams was tasked with the growth and oversight of the organization’s telehealth and virtual care program in 2018. This included development of a rural Tele-Emergency Department program, direct to consumer platform, and partnerships for outreach clinics. Ms. Williams is has also partnered with the Medical College of Georgia, Georgia’s state medical school, to develop telehealth curriculum for medical students and residents.

Ms. Williams received her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences and graduate degree in Masters of Public Health with an emphasis in Health Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg. Lauren came to AU Health from Pioneer Health Services, where she served in a variety of roles from Administrator and Associate Administrator for five plus years. In 2014, Lauren began working for the company’s value-based department, Rural Solutions, as Director of Network Development and Strategic Alignment for their Medicare Shared Savings Accountable Care Organization. In this role, she was responsible for developing and managing partnerships with existing and new partners in the ACO, managing and disseminating all reporting for the financial performance of the ACO, and helped align the strategic vision of improving rural health care in the southeastern United States.

Lauren currently resides in Waynesboro, Georgia, with her husband and fur babies, Brutus and Boomer. Lauren has a passion for healthcare policy and rural healthcare. In her spare time, she enjoys running, reading, cheering on her Southern Miss Golden Eagles and serving as the Alumni Advisor for Kappa Delta Sorority at Georgia Southern University.

DAVID J. FALLAW, MD, FACP

Chief Medical Information Officer, Augusta University Health
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency
Course Director, Medical Economics and Practice Management for Internal Medicine and Family Medicine Residents
Associate Professor of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia | Augusta University

Dr. David J. Fallaw serves as the Chief Medical Information Officer for AU Health in Augusta, GA, where he provides leadership and direction for the development and implementation of the clinical system strategic and technology plan for the organization, while ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency of patient care through the use of clinical technology solutions and evidence based medical best practices.

His interests are in optimizing efficient and high quality care delivery in an academic medical center setting, while striving towards the goal of interoperability and population health.

In addition to serving as CMIO since 2014, he has been Associate Program Director for the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University Internal Medicine Residency Program since 2013. He also directs a course for Internal Medicine and Family Medicine residents in medical economics and practice management, which consistently rates among the highest rotations in residency training. Dr. Fallaw thoroughly enjoys teaching students, interns, and residents, having received the MCG Exemplary Teaching Award for Residency Education in 2013, 2015, and 2018.

A native of Aiken, South Carolina, Dr. Fallaw earned his BS in Biology and BA in German at Wofford College and his Doctor of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, where he was class president. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia, being named Chief Resident, and subsequently joined the Section of General Internal Medicine as an Associate Professor.

He continues to practice as a board certified Internist in the ambulatory and inpatient settings, providing high-quality, comprehensive, and compassionate care, personalized to his patients. His wife, Robyn, is a Family Physician, and they both enjoy spending time in the outdoors with their two children and Boykin Spaniel.

PATRICE WALKER, MD

Dr. Walker began her journey in medicine as a native of Monroe County. She graduated from Mary Persons High School and then attended Georgia Institute of Technology, earning a degree in applied biology. Inspired by the mission of the School of Medicine, she returned to Middle Georgia to earn her medical degree from Mercer and complete her residency training at the Medical Center of Central Georgia. Dr. Walker is now a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and is employed by the Navicent Health Physician Group. She is an active member of the medical staff. Prior to transitioning to hospital administration full time, she sat on several committees and served as the Medical Director of the OBGYN Medical Staff for the 2016-2018 term.

Teaching has always been a passion for Dr. Walker. After working in the private sector for a number of years, she has become an educator of resident physicians and medical students. This was accomplished through her appointment as associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Mercer, as well as taking on the role of clerkship director for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Navicent Health. She is a three-time recipient of the National Faculty Award presented by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology for promoting high standards of residency education. From January 2017-October 2018, Dr. Walker held the position of Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Mercer University School of Medicine for the Macon and Columbus campuses. During her tenure she was able to increase the cultural competency of students and faculty while creating the opportunity for ongoing conversation and initiatives about diversity, equity and inclusion.

On November 5th, 2018 Dr. Walker assumed the role of Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Navicent Health. And on Sept 1st 2019 she was appointed as the Chief Medical Officer. As the first African American and female in this role she is poised to affect change in the organization and surrounding community in a unique way.

In her free time, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her husband, daughter and stepson.

JOANNA PARDEE-WALKINGSTICK

Joanna Pardee-Walkingstick became a full-time member of the GRAChIE team in November 2016 as an Integration Specialist. Joanna serves as the onboarding project manager for new member connections. She also works closely with long standing GRAChIE members upgrading existing connections to leverage the latest exchange standards and meet elevated provider expectations. Joanna leads network upgrade implementations and enhancements by following GRAChIE member feedback and leadership guidance paired with emerging technologies and functionality.

Joanna’s experience in health information exchange operations spans back to 2006 as a specialist in healthcare IT project management for maintaining and expanding network operations. She has managed network connections with eHealth Exchange participants, IHS and tribal healthcare systems, multi-state healthcare systems, specialist and primary care practices, rural hospitals, and ACOs (Accountable Care Organizations) utilizing +30 unique EMR vendors.

SHANNA GRANT

GRAChIE welcomed Shanna Grant to the team in August 2015 as a MPI Technician for the network. Shanna’s primary responsibilities include daily patient identity reconciliation and connectivity monitoring. She also compiles reporting data and processes provider access requests from GRAChIE member organizations.

TARA BROXTON CRAMER

Tara Broxton Cramer has been the Executive Director of the Georgia Regional Academic Community Health Information Exchange (GRAChIE) since November 2011. She was previously Executive Director of the East Georgia Health Cooperative, a rural health network.

Cramer sits on the User Group Committee of the Georgia Health Information Network, and is a member of both the Technology Committee and the Pediatric Asthma Committee for the Pediatric Healthcare Improvement Coalition. She is a former Secretary of the Board for the National Cooperative of Health Networks and co-chaired its 2011 annual conference. She received the organization’s New and Emerging Leader Award in 2009.