Program Directors
Steven Fried, MD, MIBAC Program Director
Dr. Fried is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. He attended medical school at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, and did an internship in Family Medicine at Overlook Hospital, Family Medicine, NJ. He has been a Family Medicine physician with Henry Ford Medical Group for seventeen years. His care philosophy is “I strive to treat patients with compassion and respect, while addressing their medical needs. My job is to be a partner with patients in designing a plan for their medical care. All medicines have potential side effects, and minimizing unnecessary use of medicines is always a priority.”
Linda Holland, DC, Associate Program Director
Dr. Holland is a Chiropractor with the Henry Ford Center of Integrative Medicine, Henry Ford Medical Group. She received her doctoral degree from Life University in Georgia in 1990. Prior to joining Henry Ford, she was in private practice for 29 years throughout the metro Detroit area. As an experienced practitioner, she has worked primarily in family care, focusing on various back conditions addressing the importance of spinal alignment, exercise, stretching, nutrition and meditation. Dr. Holland has certifications in the Webster Technique, Cox disc management traction technique and completed her certification as a Primary Spine Care Practitioner at the University of Pittsburgh.
Ritu Zacharias, MD, Associate Program Director
The MIBAC team is excited to welcome our new Associate Program Director, Ritu Zacharias, MD, who joined our team back in September. In addition to her role in MIBAC, Dr. Zacharias is the medical director of the Division of Physiatry at Henry Ford Hospital, and the director of Medical Spine Services for Henry Ford Health System. Her special interests include conservative spine care, multidisciplinary pain management, senior spine care, sports and rehabilitation medicine, and musculoskeletal disease in women.
David Nerenz, PhD, MIBAC Program Consultant
Dr. Nerenz received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Wisconsin in 1979. He served as the Director Emeritus of the Center for Health Policy and Health Services Research for many years, is on the leadership team for the Michigan Spine Surgery Improvement Collaborative, and was instrumental in starting the MIBAC CQI at Henry Ford Health. David brings extensive CQI and research knowledge to our team, and is often referred to as the "CQI Guru" within our team.
Coordinating Center Operations Team
Diane Walkerdine, PT, MPT, MBA, CQI Program Manager
Diane has 28 years of experience working as a physical therapist and manager in both the hospital and private setting, primarily in outpatient orthopedics. She received her Master's in Physical Therapy (MPT) degree from Oakland University in 1995, and her MBA from Walsh College in 2022. She joined MIBAC in 2021 as the first Program Manager. She works closely with Physician Organizations, MIBAC Participating Clinicians, Program Directors, and BCBSM leadership.
Lisa Miller, BS, Research/Grant Specialist
Lisa joined MIBAC in 2021 as the program's Administrative Assistant, and was promoted to Research/Grant Specialist in 2022. She assists the program with managing expenses, the budget, payments to participating clinicians, and much more.
Alescia Toatley, MHA, CQI Program Coordinator
Alescia joined the MIBAC team in 2021 in the role of MIBAC Program Coordinator. She works closely with the Program Manager and serves as a second liaison between the Physician Organizations and the Coordinating Center. She has several years of experience in healthcare, hailing from the DMC, and received her MHA in 2020.
Keith Walworth, BSCS, Sr. CQI Registry Data Analyst
Keith graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a minor in mathematics in 1989. He has over 25 years of experience in the IT industry. He has extensive experience in designing and maintaining data systems and databases. He is excited to join the MIBAC Coordinating Center team to contribute his technical skills, expertise and experience to identify key data patterns and develop predictive models to help MIBAC achieve the goal of improving the health of Michigan.
Mary Roberts, BSME, Sr. CQI Registry Data Analyst
Mary graduated from Valparaiso University with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. She spent most of her career in the automotive industry where she gained experience in the Information Technology disciplines of database design, customer support, user experience, as well as safety and software data analytics. She is excited to be part of the MIBAC team and to contribute to its intiative towards better outcomes for patients with low back pain in Michigan.
Samantha Foreman, MSW, CQI Quality Improvement Lead
Samantha graduated from Wayne State University in 2014 with her master’s degree in Social Work. She began her career providing clinical services in the behavioral and mental health field, and for the last 5 years has worked as a quality analyst where she gained experience with case auditing, program evaluation and evidence-based program reviews. She is excited to join the MIBAC team and contribute towards the goal of improving patient care and achieving better outcomes for people with low back pain.
Kyra Thomas, BHA, Performance Measurement Analyst
Kyra graduated from the University of Phoenix with a bachelor's degree in Health Administration. She has many years of experience in healthcare as well as in the health insurance industry. She brings to the team an extensive analytical skill set, a keen eye of detecting inaccuracies and exceptional organizational abilities. Additionally, she has been a loyal and value employee of Henry Ford for longer than anyone else on our team!
Melissa Foster, Sr. Public Relations Specialist
As a Sr. Public Relations Specialist, Melissa Foster brings more than 15 years of experience in public relations and marketing to MIBAC. In her role, she oversees the development of communications to expand public recognition of the CQI. Prior to joining MIBAC, Melissa served as Sr. Public Relations Manager at The Henry Ford for 10 years and has communications experience in the automotive, motorsports, and tech industries. Melissa has a Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Public Relations from Central Michigan University.
Sheila Jordan, MIBAC Program Administrative Secretary
Sheila comes to the team with over 14 years of experience, including working in the Henry Ford Health Contact Center. Sheila will be assisting staff with coordinating logistics, routing and answering your questions and helping in the day-to-day program tasks. Outside of work, Sheila is a bit of a foodie - enjoying cooking and exploring different foods. She also loves to travel and has three young adults and a feisty Chihuahua named Flo.
