Opportunities to Enhance Women’s Health through Alzheimer’s Disease Policy Initiatives

Ian N. Kremer, JD, has worked on federal, state, and local dementia for over 27 years. Since 2012, Kremer has served as Executive Director of the LEAD Coalition (Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer’s Disease Coalition), the uniting voice of over 260 member and allied organizations, along with hundreds of university-based researchers. The LEAD Coalition works collaboratively through federal public policy to improve quality of life for all people facing dementia while advancing the social and biomedical sciences to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure all forms of dementia.

Currently, Kremer serves on the CMS Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee, the Public Policy & Aging Report editorial board, and on steering and advisory committees for eight NIA and CDC-supported projects, the Alzheimer’s Disease Patient and Caregiver Engagement initiative, the Digital Medicine Society’s ADRD Core Digital Clinical Measures project, the Dementia Friendly America initiative, and the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Champions Cabinet. Previously, Kremer served on the steering committees for the NIH’s 2017 and 2020 National Research Summit on Care, Services, and Supports for Persons with Dementia and Their Caregivers, the CDC-Alzheimer’s Association Healthy Brain Initiative’s Leadership Committee developing the 2018-2023 and the 2023-2027 Public Health Roadmaps, and the FDA Stakeholders Working Groups for PDUFA VI and PDUFA VII. Kremer holds degrees from Washington University in Saint Louis and the University of Michigan School of Law.

Tonya Saffer is the Director of the Division of Healthcare Payment Models within the Patient Care Models Group at the at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’(CMS) Innovation Center. She leads a team of researchers and technical experts working on health care delivery and payment innovations to help people living with serious illnesses remain independent and, in their homes, and communities.

Tonya is a mission-driven leader that has spent her career leveraging skills in policy, research, reimbursement, and economics to improve health and healthcare access for underserved populations and people living with chronic illness.  Prior to joining the CMS Innovation Center in October of 2022, Tonya was the Vice President of Government Affairs and Market Access for Outset Medical. There she successfully architected and executed a strategy to secure dedicated reimbursement to bring innovations in home dialysis technology to people with kidney failure.  Before joining Outset Medical, Tonya served as the Vice President of Health Policy for the National Kidney Foundation where she worked with healthcare professionals, health insurers, Federal and state government agencies, and legislators to leverage clinical research and evidence to foster access to high quality care for people living with kidney disease. Tonya also spent time consulting for life science and medical device companies and patient advocacy organizations on health policy, reimbursement, and product commercialization strategies at Avalere Health. She began her career in health at a Fortune 500 dialysis provider company where she developed alliances with healthcare providers, patients, and families to champion changes in legislation and regulations to improve access to care for people living with kidney disease.

Tonya holds a Master of Public Health degree from the George Washington University. She spends her leisure time with her husband, son, two dogs, hiking whenever possible. She also volunteers as a Crisis Hotline Counselor, supporting people struggling with mental health who call the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988.

Cara Leahy, DO is a clinical neurologist and the Director of Cognitive Disorders at Memorial Healthcare Institute for Neuroscience.  She graduated from Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2007 and completed her neurology residency at Michigan State University Department of Neurology.  She is a leader in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease including the use of anti-amyloid therapies and blood based biomarkers.  She serves on various committees and advisory boards for Eisai, Lily and Biogen.