Our Team
Meet the people who work to make Healthcare United work for you!
L. Toni Lewis, MD
Luella Toni Lewis, M.D., a leader in the ongoing debates over appropriate work schedules for medical residents and medical care for the uninsured, is honored to be joining the Healthcare United team as a Lead Advocate. Toni currently serves as the current president of the Committee of Interns and Residents of SEIU Healthcare (CIR), which the largest medical resident union in the United States.Toni received her B.A. in Sociology from Georgetown University and her M.D. from Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington DC. She completed her residency training in Family Practice In Jamaica (Queens), NY at the New York Medical College/Brooklyn-Queens program. While in residency she served as Chief Resident and received awards including the L.I.S.Z. Foundation award “presented to resident during senior year who has demonstrated the highest achievement in the principles and practices of community medicine, embodying the qualities of compassion, sensitivity, dedication and leadership that characterize the Family Practice Physician”
Toni completed her geriatrics fellowship in Queens, NY in June 2008. During her residency and continuing to fellowship, she has been involved in fighting for resident physician rights and improved patient care.
Cathy Stoddart, RN, BSN
Cathy Stoddart RN, BSN, is proud to be one of the Lead Advocates for Healthcare United. Cathy brings 29 years of experience to her new role, having been in acute care nursing since 1979, practicing at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA in the kidney transplant and colorectal surgery unit.Cathy has been a lead advocate for improving care through safer patient ratios. She is a member of the National Nurse Alliance committee on Quality Care and a member of the National Steering Committee on Legislation for Safe Staffing -- a joint committee with the United American Nurses Association to win staffing ratios through federal legislation for all nurses.
Cathy continues to be inspired to learn from her patients and her career, and is currently working on a masters degree in nursing as an education specialist and nurse practitioner focusing on public health.
Valerie Tate, RN
Valerie Tate, RN graduated with an Associate Degree from
the University of DC in 1983 and worked as a bedside nurse at a
Washington, DC inner city hospital until 1991. She is currently the
Quality Care Programs Coordinator for the Nurse Alliance of SEIU
Healthcare; working with RN leaders who represent 85,000 union RNs and
connecting with 200,000 nonunion RNs, on improving patient outcomes,
quality care and RN satisfaction in the acute care workplace. She has
previously served as President of the DC Nurses Association; Member of
the American Nurses Association (ANA) Congress on Nursing Economics;
and Member of the ANA NLRB Rule Task Force. Her political appointments
include the DC Statewide Health Coordinating Council (SHCC), advising
the DC State Health Planning and Development Agency on matters of
health planning, regulation, data collection and analysis. She was
elected Chair of SHCC Project Review Committee which reviewed
Certificate of Need applications and recommending appropriate action.
Valerie was appointed to the Temporary Commission for Pay Equity and
Training, which monitored a study and developed the plan to address DC
civil service wage discrimination and training needs. And she served on
the city's Nursing Shortage Study Commission in 1988, which conducted a
study and urged public and private sector improvements to RN wages,
working conditions, professional autonomy, flexible scheduling,
adequate staffing, and enhanced access to education.
Julia Greene
Julia Greene is the National Coordinator for Professional Associations for Healthcare United. She works on recruiting organizations of healthcare professionals to take charge of reforming healthcare by joining the Healthcare United campaign.Most recently Julia was the Director of Health Systems for SEIU Colorado. In that position, Julia was appointed as a Commissioner to the Colorado Blue Ribbon Commission on Healthcare Reform and served from November 2006-January 2008. She also worked in both Colorado and Arizona as the State Campaign Director for Americans for Health Care, a project of SEIU.
Prior to joining SEIU, she spent 8 years as a community organizer in the Boston area working with church-based coalitions on housing, immigration and healthcare campaigns. It was her work on a successful coalition effort to save a community hospital that Julia first discovered her passion for healthcare.
Julia has a BA in Economics from Trinity University in Washington, DC and an MPA from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. When she is not traveling for Healthcare United, Julia spends her time in her native Massachusetts riding her bicycle and polishing her accent.
If you are a member of a professional or specialty association that you would like to see join with Healthcare United, contact Julia @ julia@healthcareunited.org.
Jason Groves
Jason is a coordinator for Healthcare United team here in Washington, DC. Jason’s involvement in community service began straight out of college when he went to work for the National Youth Connection Inc., a non-profit grassroots civil rights and social justice organization geared towards combating injustices that face youth in America. After a three year stint with the organization he traveled to South Africa where he became involved with the Southern African Arts Exchange located in Johannesburg. This organization sought to promote local and international poets in an annual festival held in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.After returning to the United States, Jason set his sights on service once more by working as a Legislative Assistant for a member of the House of Representatives with a primary focus on foreign policy issues. After a failed reelection bid in 2007, Jason came to work for SEIU as a healthcare policy analyst.
Jess Kutch
Jess Kutch is an internet strategist for Healthcare United. In 2006 and 2007, she directed the online campaign for Value Care, Value Nurses—an organization of RNs advocating for quality patient care. Before joining SEIU, she served as an online organizer for Public Citizen, where she helped expose the corruption surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Rep. Tom DeLay. Prior to arriving in Washington, DC, Jess organized neighborhood committees for ACORN in Hartford, CT. She graduated with a B.A. from Bennington College in 2003. Contact her at JessKutch@healthcareunited.org
Brad Levinson
Brad is a new media strategist for Healthcare United. After being inspired by the Howard Dean campaign, Brad shifted his dreams from becoming a school psychologist towards using the Internet and new media to empower people to create social change. After completing his undergraduate degree in Philadelphia, Brad moved to DC to earn his masters in new media and politics.
Brad joins Healthcare United after several years of work in the new media and public affairs field, where he worked on a number of healthcare issues including preventative care, prescription access, and drug safety. In his spare time, he blogs, Twitters, and generally “friends” people all over the world. Contact Brad at brad@healthcareunited.org