Laken Barkowski, RN, BSN, MSHS
Senior Program Manager for Health Systems Improvement
American Medical Association
Laken Barkowski is the Senior Program Manager for Health Systems Improvement in the Improving Health Outcomes department at the American Medical Association (AMA). In this role, she uses her clinical and quality improvement knowledge and experience to assist in the creation, enhancement and implementation of programs designed to improve health outcomes for cardiovascular disease and hypertension control.
Prior to joining the AMA, Laken worked in both the inpatient and outpatient healthcare settings. The primary care office she worked at most recently implemented AMA MAP BP during its prototyping phase and she was so inspired by the impact the program could have on patients that she joined to AMA team to assist in spreading the program nationally. Laken received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Carroll University and her Master’s degree in Healthcare Quality from The George Washington University.
Kate Kirley, MD, MS, FAAFPDr. Kirley is Director of Chronic Disease Prevention and Programs in the Improving Health Outcomes group at the American Medical Association. She serves as a clinical lead on AMA’s chronic disease prevention initiatives and leads efforts to advance chronic disease prevention via utilization of digital health solutions, advancing quality measurement, and improving medical education. Prior to joining the AMA, she was a practicing family physician and health services researcher at NorthShore University HealthSystem, and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Chicago.
Klodiana Myftari, PharmD, BCACPDr. Klodiana Myftari is the Director of Clinical Pharmacy Relations in Improving Health Outcomes at AMA. In her role, Dr. Myftari collaborates with healthcare teams across the nation to promote evidence-based prescribing behaviors to benefit all populations with a focus on the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Myftari serves as a subject matter expert regarding team-based approaches to managing chronic conditions, and to grow collaborations among organizations with shared interests in improving quality of care.
Her professional experience includes over a decade of leadership in the implementation and evaluation of pharmacists’ services in community pharmacy, ambulatory care, and population health management via digital medicine, telehealth, and traditional face-to-face practice models. She has served as a clinical pharmacist in team-based care models for high-risk patients at several institutions. She served as the lead population health pharmacist at Rush University Medical Center. Dr. Myftari is Adjust Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, at Midwestern University College of Pharmacy. She received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and completed a one-year residency with a focus on community and ambulatory care pharmacy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Pharmacy. She is Board Certified in Ambulatory Care Pharmacy. She is an active member of local and national pharmacy and interdisciplinary health organizations.
Carrie TaylorCarrie Taylor is the Director of Clinical Transformation and Product Adoption at Azara Healthcare, where she works with health centers to improve quality through data and technology. In a healthcare environment that is constantly changing, she is passionate about using data to drive change and improve the systems that impact patient outcomes. Early in her career as a nurse, Carrie quickly identified the crucial need for quality analytics in medicine. She has spent the last decade focusing on process improvement by leveraging data to improve patient health. Carrie strives to help improve community health centers by leveraging their data to solve the unique challenges of underserved populations.
