Welcome to California Prison Health Care Services

Staff Biographies

Liana Bailey-Crimmins
Deputy Chief Information Officer - Infrastructure

Ms. Bailey-Crimmins has over twenty years of Information Technology (IT) experience which includes leading large technology initiatives, managing IT projects, mitigating technology/staffing obstacles and implementing customer outreach programs. In August 2008, Ms. Bailey-Crimmins was hired as the Deputy Chief Information Officer and her management responsibilities include Statewide IT Infrastructure Operations and managing the CPHCS data center and network initiatives.

Ms. Bailey-Crimmins began her State career in 1987 and for the past twenty years has promoted through the IT ranks. From 2003-2008, Ms. Bailey-Crimmins served as the Project Director of the $240M CDCR Consolidated IT Infrastructure Project, Senior Project Manager of the California Youth Authority (CYA) Infrastructure Migration Project and the Senior Project Manager of the CYA Digital High School Project. She promotes working with customers to develop technology solutions that are practical and focus on the program needs.

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Elaine Bush
Chief Deputy, California Prison Health Care Services

Ms. Bush, a respected top executive for almost two decades, is well known in State Capitol circles as a consensus builder. Ms. Bush has served as a Director, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Deputy in a number of state government positions including mental health, alcohol and drug programs, developmental services and the California Earthquake Authority. In her new post, as the Chief Deputy Receiver, she is an integral part of the Receiver's leadership team responsible for restoring, to a constitutional level, the healthcare in the 33 prisons across the state.

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Dave Cameron
Financial Consultant

Mr. Cameron provides accounting and other financial support services to the Office of the Receiver. Among Mr. Cameron's 20 years of financial and accounting experience, he spent 1994 to 1995 as the Chief Financial Officer of the Santa Clara Valley Health and Hospital System (SCVHHS), and from 1988 to 1994 as the SCVHHS Assistant Director of Finance - Controller. Since that time, Mr. Cameron has been the Chief Financial Officer and General Partner of Professional Club Management Inc. (1995-1999), and the Vice President - Finance and Treasurer of Club One (1999-2005). Mr. Cameron is currently the principal of his own investment company, Cameron Enterprises, LLC.

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Brenda Epperly-Ellis
Director of Policy, Planning and Evaluation

Brenda Epperly-Ellis, RN, MSN has a total of more than 30 years of experience in health care in both public and private settings. Prior to joining CPHCS, she was the director of the Statewide Mental Health Program for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR.) She is also the former Director of Nursing and Healthcare Programs for the Foundation for California Community Colleges, where she managed nursing-focused IT project development and has spent 12 years with Catholic Healthcare West in various areas including home health, hospice, and case management.

Epperly-Ellis has now worked in California state government for nearly 25 years. She began her career with CDCR in 2000 with the Health Care Services Division, participated on Governor Schwarzenegger’s Corrections Internal Review Panel as part of the California Performance Review in 2004, and was an original member of the CDCR Coleman Project Team. Epperly-Ellis holds a Masters degree in Nursing Administration and a Bachelors Degree in Nursing.

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Tom Felker
Director of Correctional Services - Field Operations

Tom Felker, Director of Correctional Services - Field Operations, began his career in 1984 as a Correctional Officer with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. With over 25 years of experience in field operations, Mr. Felker served at a variety of prisons within California including the California Medical Facility, California State Prison at Solano, Deuel Vocational Institution, Pelican Bay State Prison and High Desert State Prison. He held various positions including Correctional Counselor III, Correctional Administrator, Chief Deputy Warden and Warden. He has served on the Curriculum Advisory Committee for Lassen Community College, the Community Advisory Board for the Federal Correctional Institution at Herlong, pioneered the first Restorative Justice program in a Level IV prison in California, and developed and piloted the Behavioral Management Unit for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in 2006. A recipient of the Biltmore Who’s Who in America award for Outstanding Government Service in 2008, Felker has a Bachelors Degree in Education and Counseling Psychology from Briercrest Bible College in Canada and is a dedicated father of 5 children.

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Jared Goldman
Chief Counsel

Mr. Goldman worked for the County of Santa Clara, Office of the County Counsel, as Deputy County Counsel from 2001 to 2006. While at the Office of the County Counsel, Mr. Goldman represented the Santa Clara Valley Health and Hospital System (SCVHHS), including Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC) and the Santa Clara County Public Health Department. From 2004 until joining the Office of the Receiver, Mr. Goldman served as primary counsel for Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.

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Katie Hagen
Deputy Director, Workforce Development, Human Resources

Ms. Hagen is Deputy Director, Workforce Development, Human Resources for California Prison Health Care Services (CPHCS). Ms. Hagen has been with CPHCS since 2006 and manages recruitment, centralized hiring, workforce development and education and training functions. Prior to joining CPHCS, Ms. Hagen was the Assistant Deputy Director for the Office of Peace Officer Selection, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation where she worked in various capacities since 1997. Ms. Hagen is also Adjunct Faculty at University of San Francisco where she has taught Public Policy Analysis and Human Resources. Ms. Hagen has a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and French from Humboldt State University.

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Clark Kelso
Receiver

Mr. Kelso is a Professor of Law and former Director of the Capital Center for Government Law and Policy at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law located in Sacramento, California. Mr. Kelso comes to the California Prison Health Care Receivership with more than fifteen years of experience in a wide variety of positions in all three branches of state government, including the California Judicial Council and Administrative Office of the Courts, where he worked in support of court unification; the Department of Insurance, where he replaced Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush, who abruptly resigned amid allegations of corruption; and as California’s Chief Information Officer, where he turned around the State’s troubled information technology program. Because of his achievements, Mr. Kelso has developed a well-regarded reputation for independence and integrity and maintaining a commitment to collaborative leadership and organizational change in government.

Mr. Kelso has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious 1998 Bernard E. Witkin Amicus Curiae Award from the California Judicial Council and the “Top 25 Award for 2004 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers” from Government Technology. He was also named by Computerworld to their list of “Premier 100 IT Leaders for 2007.”

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Rich Kirkland
Director, Plata Support Division

The Plata Support Division is a unit within the CDCR that is dedicated to supporting the specific projects being undertaken by the Receiver. Mr. Kirkland worked for more than 32 years with the State of California, the last 22 with the CDCR. He retired from the position of Deputy Director for the Office of Fiscal Services, where he was responsible for the oversight and management of all CDCR accounting and support budget functions. In that role he served as the senior level liaison with the Department of Finance and legislative staff with respect to CDCR budget issues. Prior to that, Mr. Kirkland served at Pelican Bay State Prison in a variety of senior management positions for 14 years, including two as Warden and one as Chief Deputy Warden. During that time he participated in and oversaw the implementation of the state's remedial plan in the case of Madrid v. Tilton. Mr. Kirkland also has eight years of experience in the management of prison construction projects. He served as Project Director for the construction of Pelican Bay State Prison, Calipatria State Prison, California State Prison-Sacramento, and the maximum security units at the California Correctional Institution (Tehachapi). Prior to that, Mr. Kirkland worked for ten years as an analyst and supervisor for the California Department of Social Services. During that time he was responsible for the development of rate-setting methodologies, the development of computerized management information systems, and the management of quality control corrective action plans.

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Randy Lucas
Investigation and Discipline Coordinator

Mr. Lucas is responsible for coordination and preparation of investigative and discipline cases related to the medical system. Mr. Lucas has worked in California corrections for approximately 25 years and recently retired from the CDCR, Division of Correctional Health Care Services, where he was responsible for the oversight of statewide medical investigations and discipline. Mr. Lucas previously served the CDCR in many different capacities, including serving as an Internal Affairs Investigator and an Employee Relations Officer at Pelican Bay State Prison. Mr. Lucas assisted with the implementation of the remedial plan developed in the case of Madrid v. Gomez related to the use of force. Mr. Lucas also assisted in the development and implementation of the Employee Investigation and Disciplinary Matrix adopted by the Federal Court and currently in use by the CDCR.

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Jamie Mangrum
Chief Information Officer

Jamie Mangrum has been an Information Technology (IT) professional for over 25 years and in IT management for over 20 years. Following a year long hiatus due to health reasons, in March 2008 Jamie Mangrum was hired as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the California Prison Health Care Services organization lead by the Federal Receiver, Clark Kelso. In 2006, Jamie was appointed assistant secretary for IT at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. From 2004 to 2006, he served as the CIO and deputy director for the Office of Technology Resources (OTR) at the Department of General Services (DGS). Previously, he served in the DGS OTR from 1994 to 2004 in a variety of capacities, including Office Chief and as Operations Manager for varying areas including web and application technologies, end user support services and enterprise services.

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Claudina Nevis,
Project Management Office Director

Ms. Nevis is a career public servant with over 30 years of experience in all aspects of information technology, including significant executive, management and technical assignments. Ms. Nevis came to CPHCS in May 2008 to stand up the Project Management Office, deploy project portfolio management and hire and manage experienced contracted and state project managers. Recently, she has led efforts to develop the first CPHCS IT Strategic Plan, IT Capital Plan and the Enterprise Architecture Program. As the Office of the State Chief Information Officer Director from 2003 to 2007, Ms. Nevis gained extensive knowledge in statewide government operations, strategic planning, governance, policy development, organization structures, and statewide information technology projects and systems. She facilitated the California Information Technology (IT) Strategic Plan development and publication annually, supported the modernization of the classification structure and selection tools for the State’s IT work force projects and initiated the Leadership for the Government Executive program offered by California State University. While at the DMV as the Telecommunications Manager from 2000 to October 2003, Ms. Nevis provided oversight of the high-speed network for the 170 field offices and the DMV call centers throughout the state. During this time, she also managed an Information Technology application development project to modernize the California Vehicle Registration system by using a Business Rule engine solution that today still integrates with the department’s legacy systems. Ms. Nevis was the Deputy Director for Special Projects at the Department of Information Technology from 1996 to March 1999 where she directed the California Year 2000 Program and gained the respect of IT leaders and business organizations across State agencies for her organizational skills, collaborative approach, team building style and technical acumen. Ms. Nevis’ most significant accomplishment during this time was gaining support from the Legislature for a special fund to help departments budget their Year 2000 remediation projects.

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Bonnie Noble
Director of Clinical Operations

Bonnie Noble, RN, PhD has more than 30 years of healthcare experience. As a Registered Nurse, she has worked in a variety of healthcare settings and has held various positions including staff nurse, manager, consultant, and senior leader. She has more than 20 years of experience managing a wide range of healthcare projects and organizations. Her management responsibilities have included oversight for clinical, administrative, fiscal, and operational functions. In addition, she has expertise in many quality and performance improvement methodologies, is certified in Patient Safety and is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality. In addition to her Nursing degree, Dr. Noble holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and both a Master of Arts degree and a PhD in Organizational Psychology. Dr. Noble currently holds the position of Chief Executive, Ancillary Services for California Prison Healthcare Services.

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Luis Patiño Jr.
Director of Communications, California Prison Health Care Services

Prior to joining the Federal Receivership in May 2008, Patiño served as Chief of Staff to the 56th District Assembly Member. As Chief of Staff, Patiño was the intellectual author of AB 1291, the Anti-gang Parental Responsibility Act which allows Juvenile Court Judges to require that parents of first-time gang-related offenders complete a series of court approved parenting classes at their own expense. Previously, Patiño served as Director of Communications and Operations Support to Senate Majority Whip Richard Alarcon. Patiño is himself an award-winning former journalist and news manager. As a reporter at KCAL TV-9 in Los Angeles, Patiño was a key member of the reporting team that garnered multiple Emmy Awards for coverage of the Los Angeles Riots and the Northridge Quake. Individually, Patiño was nominated for the Best Reporting Emmy Award in 1993. He is also the Recipient of four RTNDA Golden Microphone Awards and the Best Spot News Reporting Award from the Los Angeles Press Club. As News Director at KMEX TV-34, also in Los Angeles, Patiño led his team to the National Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Broadcasting in 1996 and his team was nominated for the Best Newscast and the Best Spot News Emmy Awards. Patiño served as President of the Student Body at the University of Texas at El Paso in 1980.

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Karen Rea (Williams), PHN, MSN, FNP
Chief Nurse Executive

Ms. Rea is the Chief Nurse Executive responsible for Nursing Services within the California Prison Health Care Services. In this capacity, Ms. Rea is responsible for the operational side of nursing and ensuring collaboration among medical services. Previously, Ms. Rea provided statewide nursing leadership and oversight to all 33 state prisons as the Statewide Director of Nursing. She provided direction and guidance on multiple polices and procedures and delivery of services. She also participated in the selection of the Regional Chief Nurse Executives. Throughout 2007, Ms. Rea provided nursing leadership and oversight to state prisons located in Central California as the Regional Director of Nursing. Ms. Rea has over 20 years of nursing, education and administrative experience. From 2002 to 2006, Ms. Rea worked as the Quality Assurance Manager and Deputy Director for the Fresno County Department of Children and Family Services where she developed a quality improvement program for social workers and mental health clinicians and managed the only free standing children's emergency psychiatric facility in the Central Valley. From 1993 to 2002, Ms. Rea was the Fresno County Public Health Nurse (PHN) and Supervising PHN of the Communicable Disease and Epidemiology program. From 1987 to 1993, Ms. Rea was a Neonatal Intensive Care/ICU Nurse and the Director of the FOCUS substance abuse program for San Joaquin County. Ms. Rea has also worked as a Family Nurse Practitioner, hospice nurse and educator at Pacific Union College and University of Phoenix. Ms. Rea's memberships include: American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, California Association for Healthcare Quality, California Association of Nurse Practitioners and Academy of Correctional Health Professionals.

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Steven F. Ritter, D.O.
Chief Physician Executive (Acting)

Steven F. Ritter, D.O. is originally from the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. After completing his undergraduate work at a small Liberal Arts college, he joined the Peace Corps where he lived in Sierra Leone, West Africa for three years. For the first year, he taught secondary school science courses. The remaining two years he assisted in a United Nations Development Program, Rural Water and Supply/Sanitation project where he developed, implemented and coordinated the educational courses on appropriate usage of clean sanitized water. After completing his commitment with Peace Corps, he enrolled at Western Michigan University in the Physician Assistant program. After graduating, he moved to California, began working as a PAC at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, and assisted with developing their HIV/AIDS program. It was then that the two physicians that supervised him suggested he attend medical school. He enrolled at the Western University of Health Services, in Pomona, California in their College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific and then went on to complete his Family Medicine residency program at Downey Regional Medical Center in Downey, California. He took a position at Richard J. Donovan prison in San Diego as a transitional move and quickly found out that working within Correctional Medicine was more than a transition. He moved on to become the Chief Medical Officer and then Regional Medical Director for the Southern Region. He is currently board certified in Family Medicine, with a recent recertification in 2008. He currently is also enrolled in a Masters of Advance Studies, through the University of California San Diego studying Leadership in Health Care Organizations.

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Kathy Stigall
Human Resources Director

Ms. Stigall has more than 30 years of Human Resource (HR) experience. Ms. Stigall began her State career with the HR office of the Department of Motor Vehicles where she promoted through the HR technical, analytical, and supervisory ranks before moving to the California Department of Corrections (CDCR) and Rehabilitation’s Office of Personnel Services where she began her management career. Ms. Stigall spent over 15 years with CDCR HR in various management positions including Chief of the Office of Personnel Services. In 2006, Ms. Stigall joined the Receiver’s team and was tasked with building an HR organization to “Recruit, Train and Retain a Professional Qualify Medical Care Workforce” pursuant to the Receiver’s Turnaround Plan of Action.

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Dwight W. Winslow, MD
Acting CEO for Medical Services
California Prison Health Care Services

Dwight W. Winslow, MD is a native of Vancouver, B.C., Canada and received a Medical Degree from Loma Linda University. After medical school he completed a University of Washington affiliated Internal Medicine Residency in Spokane, Washington. After specialty training he joined the National Health Service Corp and provided medical services to a rural underserved community in northeastern Washington State. In 1990 during a transitional period in his career he accepted a position as a Physician and Surgeon, C.F. at Pelican Bay State Prison. While this position was intended to be temporary, he learned that practicing with an under served population was both challenging and rewarding. Over the next 15 years he rose through the ranks and became the Chief Medical Officer/Health Care Manager, a position which he held for 9 years. After working with the Federal Courts to implement the Madrid Remedial Plan at PBSP he was promoted to the position of Regional Medical Director and ultimately to a statewide medical leadership position. Dr. Winslow currently holds the position of Chief Medical Executive and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and a Certified Correctional Health Professional.

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