Noridian Medical Directors - JE Part A

Anna Lee Amarnath, MD, MPH

Anna Lee Amarnath, MD, MPH, joined Noridian Healthcare Solutions in May, 2024 as a Contractor Medical Director. A graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr. Amarnath completed her residency training at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, WA. As a board-certified in family medicine physician, Dr. Amarnath brings clinical experience providing full-spectrum primary care services and has completed additional fellowship training in quality, safety and comparative effectiveness research prior to joining Noridian. She also has over 10 years of experience in Medicaid medical policy, healthcare data collection processes, and population health management and clinical performance measurement programs.

Smitha Ballyamanda, MD, CAQSM

Smitha Ballyamanda, MD, CAQSM, joined Noridian Healthcare Solutions in September 2018 as a Durable Medical Equipment Contractor Medical Director. Dr. Ballyamanda completed her Family Medicine Residency and Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship training at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. Board-certified in Family Medicine and Primary Care Sports Medicine, Dr. Ballyamanda brings 12 years of practice experience in Family Medicine, Sports Medicine, Occupational Medicine, and Urgent Care services. She also has five years of Medicare experience in physician reviews, medical policy, and Administrative Law Judge case work. Dr. Ballyamanda continues to practice clinical medicine in the medical, occupational and orthopedic urgent care setting.

Luke Barré, MD, MPH, FACP

Luke Barré, MD, MPH, FACP, joined Noridian Healthcare Solutions in January, 2024 as a Contractor Medical Director. Dr. Barré completed their Internal Medicine residency at Boston University, their MPH, rheumatology fellowship and leadership preventive medicine residency at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Board-certified in Internal Medicine, Preventive Medicine, and Rheumatology, Dr. Barré brings 10 years of practice experience in outpatient and inpatient services. Dr. Barré continues to practice clinical medicine in the outpatient setting.

Jeanna Blitz, MD, FASA, DFPM

Jeanna Blitz, MD, FASA, DFPM joined Noridian Healthcare Solutions in November 2023 as a Contractor Medical Director. A graduate of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Blitz completed her residency in Anesthesiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA. She is a board-certified anesthesiologist, who subspecializes in perioperative medicine. Dr. Blitz completed a fellowship in Clinical Quality and has been in active clinical practice for 17 years working, prior to joining Noridian, at the interface of perioperative care and population health. Dr. Blitz continues to practice clinical medicine in the perioperative setting as an anesthesiologist in North Carolina.

Felice Caldarella, MD, MBA, FACP, FACE

Felice Caldarella, MD, MBA, FACP, FACE joined Noridian Healthcare Solutions in August 2022 as a Durable Medical Equipment Contractor Medical Director. Dr. Caldarella completed his medical degree at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He then completed his internal medicine residency at Brown University Internal Medical Residency Program. He then went to University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark for endocrinology fellowship. He is board-certified in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. Dr. Caldarella brings 18 years of practice experience in caring for people with diabetes, endocrine disorders, and obesity. Dr. Caldarella also had a master's in business in administration from DeSales University with a concentration in healthcare administration. Dr. Caldarella was President of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology after serving on the Board of Directors, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President, and President-Elect roles. In his leadership roles he chaired and served on numerous committees including as representative of AACE to Relative Value Update (RUC) Committee.

Raeann Capehart, MD

Raeann Capehart, MD, joined Noridian as a Contractor Medical Director in September 2020. Raeann graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and trained in a General Surgery at the Medical College of Virginia with subsequent fellowships in Vascular Transplant and Surgical Oncology (MCV). She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery with over 30 years of active practice in academic and private clinical facilities in North Texas and Virginia. Practice experience includes all aspects of Vascular and Transplant Surgery, Surgical Oncology, Bariatric Surgery, Oncoplastic Breast Surgery, Trauma and Wound Care. She has been an active member of multiple specialty societies, as well as Local, State and National Medical Associations. She has served as a Qualified Independent Reviewer in the Medical Care Ombudsman Program and Policy Review, with over 20 years of Medicare experience with eight years as a Medicare Contractor Medical Director.

Angela Jenny, DO, DABFM

Angie Jenny, DO, DABFM, joined Noridian Healthcare Solutions as a Durable Medical Equipment Contractor Medical Director in August 2019. Dr. Jenny graduated from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her Family Medicine residency at a combined program with St. Louis University and Scott Air Force Base in Belleville, IL. Board-certified in Family Medicine, Dr. Jenny brought over 16 years of clinical experience split between time as an Air Force family physician and more recently in the urgent-care setting. Dr. Jenny continues to practice clinical medicine part time.

Scott Johnson, MD FABS

Scott Johnson, MD FABS, joined Noridian Healthcare Solutions in September 2023 as a Contractor Medical Director. Dr. Johnson completed his general surgery and abdominal transplant at University of Cincinnati. Board-certified in general surgery, Dr. Johnson brings 20 years of practice experience in transplant, hepatobiliary trauma and general surgery services. He also has five years of Medicare experience in UM and quality. Dr. Johnson continues to practice clinical medicine in the general and trauma setting.

Arthur Lurvey, MD, FACP, FACE

Dr. Lurvey received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Illinois, Chicago Campus, and completed his internal medicine residency and endocrinology fellowship at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. Dr. Lurvey brings to Noridian over 25 years of Medicare medical director experience.

As a Medicare medical director, Dr. Lurvey provided guidance and medical expertise to the Part A Medicare Integrity Program areas and Medicare contractors. He wrote local coverage determinations (LCDs) for both Part A and Part B aspects of Medicare, and worked with Medicare review at each contract to oversee claims, reviews, and appeals. Dr. Lurvey educated the nurse reviewers and assisted in redeterminations and administrative law judge (ALJ) situations. To increase awareness and understanding of Medicare programs, Dr. Lurvey developed educational programs for physicians, specialty societies, institutional providers, and others in the states and jurisdictions managed by the contractors. Programs included home health and hospice in eight states, and most recently in Jurisdiction E and F while working for Palmetto GBA.

He actively participates in professional activities, serving as the liaison for Medicare issues to key professional societies including the California Medical Association, the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Dr. Lurvey also has experience in administration, serving for six years as the director for utilization management at Midway Hospital in Los Angeles. He published 10 articles on various endocrinology topics between 1969 and 1985.

Fred Mamuya, MD, PhD

Wilfred (Fred) Mamuya, MD, PhD, is Vice President of Medical Policy, providing policy oversight and leading medical director collaboration for Noridian's Jurisdictions A, D, E, F, and Supplemental Medical Review Contractor (SMRC) contracts. A graduate of Boston University School of Medicine, Dr. Mamuya completed his medical residency and fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at the Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. He is board certified in internal medicine, specializing in cardiovascular disease. He is licensed to practice medicine in Massachusetts, and remains clinically active.

Eileen Moynihan, MD, FACP, MACRh

Dr. Moynihan received her Doctor of Medicine from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Penn. She completed rheumatology fellowships and internal medicine residencies at Hahnemann Hospital and Albert Einstein Medical Center, both in Philadelphia. Dr. Moynihan has worked with Medicare A/B and DME programs for more 25 years. She is a board-certified, practicing rheumatologist for the past 35 years, Dr. Moynihan is licensed by the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

An accomplished, highly respected physician with memberships in multiple medical associations and honor societies, Dr. Moynihan connects routinely with medical experts both nationally and globally. As such, she has the unique opportunity to collaborate on medical policy issues face-to-face with experts in all fields of medicine. For example, as a member of the American Medical Association (AMA), Dr. Moynihan is part of several coalitions, which gives her direct access to physicians in all types of specialty groups. She has worked previously with the U.S. Bone and Joint Initiative after representing the Board of the American College of Rheumatology as its liaison. Working with diverse groups of physicians as well as her experience in rendering care to patients provides her with a great advantage of understanding medical practice as well as the science and clinical issues behind medical policies enabling her to have the skills e to build consensus on policy among physicians.

The physician community's trust in Dr. Moynihan's judgment and fairness is evident, as she has been appointed by physician organizations to critical roles. She was elected by the Board of Trustees of the AMA to serve as the vice co-chair of the Relative Value Update Committee of the AMA for the AMA, having initially served as a relative value update advisor and then an alternate delegate for the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) to that body. Meetings include working with the national specialty society representatives, the AMA staff, and CMS. In addition, the ACR advanced Dr. Moynihan to the position of delegate, having initially selected her as an alternate delegate at the national AMA meetings, where she represents the organization in meetings with other specialty societies and state representatives. She chaired the Committee on Rheumatologic Care for three years for the American College of Rheumatology and served on the Board of Directors for that same organization. She has also previously been elected president of both her county and state medical societies.

Gary Oakes, MD, FAAFP

Dr. Oakes received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis, TN., and completed his post-graduate family practice residency and family practice internship at Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, FL. Dr. Oakes was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal for exemplary service rendered in support of Desert Storm. He came to Noridian with more than 25 years of experience as a practicing physician and 16 years of experience as a medical director, including eight years in Medicare experience. In addition to his previous experience, Dr. Oakes has been employed as a CMD for Noridian since November 2012.

A seasoned medical director who is fervent about and dedicated to the delivery of appropriate and efficient medical care, Dr. Oakes is a strong physician and employee leader. He is well-respected by peers and subordinates for ethical and diverse work standards. His fair but sometimes tough strategic and tactical decisions result in practical solutions and "Win-Win" outcomes that assure the proper patient care. He works collegially with several medical specialty groups to assure optimal care for the Medicare beneficiaries. He closely supports law enforcement as they work to maintain program integrity.

Dr. Oakes has been a board-certified Doctor of Medicine since 1986, and never been sanctioned or excluded from the Medicare Program. Recently, he successfully completed the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) board recertification examination requirement and remains fully vetted as a Diplomat with the ABFM.

Nectarios Pavlakos RDH DDS

Nectarios Pavlakos RDH DDS, joined Noridian Healthcare Solutions in January 2024, as a Contractor Medical Director. Dr. Nectarios Pavlakos completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at the University of Missouri Kansas City and completed a residency in Advanced Education in General Dentistry at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Pavlakos brings 8 years of experience, specifically in the private practice sector and as a faculty member at the University of New Mexico Department of Dental Medicine. He then joined the VA hospital system and served as a staff dentist for the veteran population before joining Noridian. During his tenure, he provided dental care in restorative/prosthodontic dentistry, implant dentistry, oral surgery and advanced hospital-based dentistry. He also has 7 years of experience with Medicaid/Medicare treatment plan review, pre-authorization review and dental policy during his time in the hospital settings. He continues to practice dentistry part time in private practice, in addition to volunteering his time lecturing to dental residents and dental hygiene students at the University of New Mexico.

Bruce E. Porter MD, MPH, MSE

Bruce E. Porter, MD, MPH, MSE, joined Noridian Healthcare Solutions in October 2023 as a Contractor Medical Director. Dr. Porter completed his medical school at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Eastern Virginia Medical School, his MPH at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, and his Master of Science in Engineering (Human Factors Engineering with a focus on Neuro-engineering) at Wright State University. Dr. Porter is board-certified in Physiatry, Sports Medicine, and Brain Injury Medicine and is Certified in Public Health (CPH) through the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE), is Certified in Health Care Quality and Management (CHCQM) through the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians (ABQAURP), is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) through the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ), and is a Certified Coding Associate (CCA®) through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). Dr. Porter brings 18 years of practice experience in inpatient and outpatient Physiatry, outpatient primary care, urgent care, and occupational medicine. He also has seven prior years of Medicare experience in Parts B, C and D both at the appeal and the QIC level and in Medicaid and in Employer and Individual Plans levels.

Aparna Rajadhyaksha MD MBA

Aparna Rajadhyaksha MD MBA joined Noridian Healthcare Solutions in August 2023 as a Contractor Medical Director. Dr. Rajadhyaksha completed her Clinical Pathology at Baystate Medical Center, Tufts University followed by Medical Genetics at University of Miami. She is board-certified in Clinical Pathology, Medical Genetics and Biochemical Genetics. Dr. Rajadhyaksha brings 15 years of practice experience in Genomic/Genetic Testing. She also has 5 years of Medicare experience in Molecular Pathology. Dr. Rajadhyaksha continues to practice clinical medicine in the Molecular Pathology setting.

Ann Marie Sun, MD

Ann Marie Sun, M.D., joined Noridian Healthcare Solutions in April 2019 as a Part A/B Contractor Medical Director. Dr. Sun graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia and completed her residency in emergency medicine at Maricopa County Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ. As a board-certified emergency medicine physician, Dr. Sun brings clinical experience in both emergency medicine and primary care/urgent care medicine. Having previously served as medical director for several large health care systems, she also has expertise in hospital utilization, health plan utilization management, and population health.

Barry Whites, MD FCCP MSHA

Barry Whites, MD FCCP MSHA, joined Noridian Healthcare Solutions in March 2023 as a Contract Medical Director. Dr. Whites completed his medical school training, internship, Medicine Residency and Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellowship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and his Master of Science in Healthcare Administration at the University of Alabama Birmingham. Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary. Dr. Whites brings 34 years of practice experience in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine consultation. He also has 19 years of Medicare experience in Medicare A/ B Fee for Service.

Richard Whitten, MD, MBA, FACP

Dr. Richard Whitten is Senior Medical Director for Noridian's Supplemental Medical Review Contractor (SMRC). He received his MD from Northwestern in Chicago, completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Washington (UW) and specialized in internal medicine/critical care.

Dick was the CMD liaison to both the American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) and Resource Based Relative Value System (RBRVS) Update Committee (RUC) processes, was on the RUC for 12 years, and its Vice Chair for six. He holds an MBA with a focus on human behavior in health care organizations from Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Mass., has 30+ years of medical director experience and more than 30 years of clinical practice which continue at UW/Harborview in Seattle.