Gary "Chris" Christopherson Email & Phone Number

Nelson, Wi

Thrive! helps create and sustain large, positive change to help families, communities, states, nations and the world not only survive but thrive. www.ThrivingFuture.org

Nelson, Wi

“HealthePeople - Building a Healthy America and World” addresses current programs, the 2010 health reform law, the remaining gaps and the execution challenges. Combining the best of all our strategies, together we can build a substantially healthier America and move toward a truly healthy, thriving America and world.

Nelson, Wi

Creator of GChris Sculpture, abstract sculpture using copper and other metals and wood. www.GChris.com

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Elected Fellow to the National Academy of Public Administration.

Nelson, Wi

Strategies and models for creating and sustaining positive, large scale change and building a thriving future. Two areas of emphasis are national health reform and reducing vulnerability. www.viaFuture.org

Washington D.C. Metro Area And Wisconsin

Throughout his career, he worked on building a thriving and surviving future, health and human services and reducing vulnerability. He develops strategy and tools for building a thriving future for all.This work can be seen at ThriveEndeavor.org, ThrivingFuture.org, and HealthePeople.com He wrote public policy books including Thrive! Endeavor® - All Thrive Forever; Thrive!® - People’s Guide To A Thriving Future [For All Forever]; Thrive!® - Building a Thriving Future; and HealthePeople – Achieving Healthy People, Communities, Countries and World.His public service includes: Associate Director, Presidential Personnel, Executive Office of the President, White House; Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs; Senior Advisor to the Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Senior Fellow, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences; Chief Information Officer (CIO), Veterans Health Administration; and Director of Health Legislation, House Select Committee on Aging, U.S. House of Representatives. He served as member of the Senior Executive Service. He is an elected Senior Fellow of National Academy of Public Administration.As GChris, he is a sculptor of abstract art creating over 200 sculptures, working in wood and copper. GChris sculpture is mission-driven toward reducing vulnerability and building a thriving future for all forever. GChris.com. His Studio/Gallery is in an historic 1880s house and barn on a Mississippi River bluffside in Nelson, WI. Previously, his GChris Sculpture Studio/Gallery was in Georgetown, DC and University Park, MD. He wrote science fiction novels The Thrive! Endeavor, Extinction! – The Failure to Thrive, Thrive! – Escape from Extinction, and black box and children’s books Angel, Creator of Artful Things and T!rrific [terrific] - What will you do to thrive? He wrote the sculpture and thought book, Thrive! Sculpture & Thought.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

As Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Health, ed several initiatives, incl. person-centered health, care in the community, personal health systems (incl. My HealtheVet), virtual health systems (incl. HealthePeople) and health info standardization. HealthePeople is an initiative to move to person-centered health, improve health delivery systems, adopt health info standards, and improve availability, affordability and performance of health info systems nationally.

Baltimore, Maryland Area

Through early 2006, served as 1) Senior Advisor to the Chief Operating Officer of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and 2) Senior Advisor to the VA Under Secretary for Health. As Senior Advisor with CMS (on detail from VA), led the strategic/operational planning effort and helped lead pay for performance, quality improvement and person-centered health. Also served (2005) as Deputy Director of the Quality Improvement Group with CMS (on detail from VA).

Washington D.C. Metro Area

For 2004-05, was a Senior Fellow / Scholar-in-Residence with the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences focusing on vulnerable populations, person-centered health, virtual health systems and care in the community.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Beginning in 2000, served as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Veterans Health Administration. As CIO, managed info systems for the $20+ billion veterans health system, the nation’s largest integrated health system, and info-related, system-wide expenditures of over $1 billion annually. In addition, developed and obtained approval and expanded funding (additional $125M/year) for HealtheVet.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

From 1994-2000, served in the Department of Defense (DoD), including as Acting Assistant Secretary and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (PDASD) for Health Affairs. Managed policy, the Defense Health Program budget, and performance for the $16 billion Military Health System, including force health protection and TRICARE. Was also Senior Advisor for Force Health Protection with the Assistant Secretary for Reserve Affairs focusing on DoD’s largest force health protection effort, protection against anthrax. Earlier, was Health Affairs’ Acting PDAS and Senior Advisor and managed relationships with the White House and Federal agencies.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

In 1993-94, was Associate Director, Office of Presidential Personnel, The White House and managed Presidential appointments (PAS/PA/SES) to the Department of Health and Human Services as well as eleven other Departments.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

From 1983 to 1991, was Director of Health Legislation for House Select Committee on Aging. Worked with House leadership and authorization/appropriations committees, drafted health legislation, and managed hearings on Alzheimer’s, quality assurance, health costs, underserved populations, health reform, Medicaid and Medicare.

Baltimore, Maryland Area

Served as Deputy Director and managed $15 million The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant program for five cities improving health care for inner city residents. Provided technical assistance to the five cities. Served as liaison with Health Care Financing Administration, the US Conference of Mayors and the American Medical Association.

Greater Milwaukee Area

Served as Director of Special Projects, Director of Mother and Infant Care Project, Director of Project Life and Health and Director of the Municipal Health Services Program. Developed comprehensive preventive and primary health system for Milwaukee's inner city.

Health Administration

Began Sc.D. degree

M.S., Urban And Regional Planning

B.A., Political Science