Subject Matter Experts
MARY ELLEN PALOWITCH
Validation Operations Director and Acute Care Subject Matter Expert
Mary Ellen Palowitch, MHA, RN is an experienced healthcare professional with regulatory, managerial, and clinical expertise. In her current role as Validations Operations Director and Acute Care Subject Matter Expert at HMS, Mary Ellen provides coordination and oversight of healthcare facility survey activity in support of federal and state contracts. Prior to HMS, she worked as a member of the Health Care Group at Dentons, a large international law firm, providing regulatory and policy support to healthcare clients and colleagues.
From 2010 to 2020, Mary Ellen worked at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the Quality, Safety & Oversight Group (formerly Survey & Certification Group), Division of Continuing and Acute Care Providers. As the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) Technical Lead, she served as a national advisor to federal, state, public, and private entities. Mary Ellen’s expertise was in EMTALA and other acute care federal regulations including Medicare conditions of participation and coverage, related healthcare policy, and certification requirements. She has experience working in leadership and clinical nursing roles in emergency, trauma, critical care, ambulatory surgery, and medical-surgical settings. Mary Ellen is a Registered Nurse with a Master in Health Administration degree
POLLY WEAVER State Operations Director
Polly Weaver has over 20 years of management experience in a state healthcare agency, coordinating with stakeholders to review and revise policies and processes used to regulate a variety of healthcare providers. As State Operations Director, she provides management consultation to state survey agencies in support of several contracts. Before joining HMS, Polly was the Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Division of Health Quality Assurance, Agency for Health Care Administration, and the State Survey Agency Director for the State of Florida, where she was responsible for over 500 staff members and the associated management of all survey and certification activities.
Polly is well known nationally by both her peers and among regulatory agencies for her proven ability to drive projects that result in positive outcomes for customers. Polly co-chaired the Florida coalition to individualize dementia care in nursing homes with the Florida QIN-QIO. She also served as president of the Association of Health Facility Survey Agencies (AHFSA) and worked closely with other states and CMS to facilitate improvements and consistency in the implementation of survey and certification processes nationally. Polly holds a Bachelor of Science degree in medical technology.
“It is a privilege to work at HMS, where I have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the care and services provided to our most vulnerable individuals nationwide.”
CHRISTINA “CHRIS” COMPHER
Epidemiologist/Principal Researcher
Chris Compher, MHS has spent the last 20 years leading and supporting programs and projects aimed at improving health among various population groups. Chris now supports multiple HMS contracts, providing expertise on project components that are research-based and data-focused. This includes leading data analysis and reporting on several contracts and serving as principal investigator in assessing and revising the state performance standards system (SPSS). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chris supported the State of Texas developing data collection processes and systems, collecting, and analyzing COVID-19 data, conducting contract-tracing, and providing education and guidance to the public.
Her familiarity with quality of care and outcomes research (QCOR), CMS datasets and systems, and analytic methods continues to benefit HMS’ customers, as Chris is able to identify trends and make recommendations for future priorities. Chris develops study designs, manages data, conducts data analyses, performs environmental scans and literature reviews, writes reports, trains staff, and develops survey and interview instruments. She has a Masters of Health Science in epidemiology from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
NADINE RENBARGER State Survey Agency Senior Advisor
Nadine Renbarger, MA brings over 40 years of healthcare experience, is an expert in Medicare quality and safety oversight policy. As Senior Advisor, her primary role is to provide technical assistance to state survey agencies.
Prior to joining HMS, she spent 30 years working for CMS’ Quality, Safety, and Oversight Group, most recently as the associate regional administrator for the Midwest Division of Survey & Certification, overseeing Regions V (Chicago) and VII (Kansas City).
Nadine led a team of 63 staff who conducted federal monitoring surveys, processed certification of new providers and suppliers, and took enforcement action against providers and suppliers based on state and federal survey outcomes. She also served as a technical advisor and health quality review specialist at CMS, with a focus on providing survey and training support at intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IIDs) and psychiatric hospitals in Region V. Nadine has a Master of Arts in clinical psychology.ith over 40 years of healthcare experience, Nadine is an expert in Medicare quality and safety oversight policy. As Senior Advisor, her primary role is to provide technical assistance to state survey agencies.
Prior to joining HMS, she spent 30 years working for CMS’ Quality, Safety, and Oversight Group, most recently as the associate regional administrator for the Midwest Division of Survey & Certification, overseeing Regions V (Chicago) and VII (Kansas City).
Nadine led a team of 63 staff who conducted federal monitoring surveys, processed certification of new providers and suppliers, and took enforcement action against providers and suppliers based on state and federal survey outcomes. She also served as a technical advisor and health quality review specialist at CMS, with a focus on providing survey and training support at intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IIDs) and psychiatric hospitals in Region V. Nadine has a Master of Arts in clinical psychology.
PAMELA “PAM” METS Survey Operations Director
Pam Mets, MBA, MSN, RN is a seasoned surveyor of 35+ years with significant clinical experience, including direct care as a staff nurse in both long term care and the hospital setting, as well as Director of Nursing in long-term care. Pam is responsible for all survey activity under state and federal contracts. These responsibilities include oversight of the survey schedule, HMS surveyors, Quality Monitors, and quality assurance personnel and activities. Pam collaborates and coordinates with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ central office, CMS locations, and state survey agencies (SAs) on survey needs; identifying appropriate survey team members for assignments; and ensures surveyor participation as required.
Pam meets regularly with project managers to share survey progress and to address challenges or emergencies. Prior to joining HMS, Pam managed a large district office for the SA in Ohio, where she was instrumental in the development of a computerized, centralized scheduling model for her SA. She is a registered nurse with a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in nursing.
CHRISTOPHER “CHRIS” WRIGHT
Software Engineering Director
Chris Wright is a seasoned software development leader with over 15 years of experience, driven by a passion for building innovative, high-impact technology solutions. With a strong foundation in the public sector, he has led the design and delivery of multiple large-scale government IT systems.
As a practitioner of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Chris has served as a System Architect for a major Agile Release Train, guiding multiple cross-functional teams toward shared goals. His leadership fosters collaboration, innovation, and consistent delivery of high-quality software.
Chris specializes in integrating AI technologies to streamline operations and boost system performance. He is also deeply committed to DevOps and SecDevOps practices, continuously seeking ways to enhance development pipelines and drive operational excellence.
FRANK D’AMICO
Health Insurance Marketplace Senior Compliance Reviewer
Frank D’Amico, MBA, CIA is an experienced health insurance professional with over 15 years of experience assessing compliance requirements and developing testing methodologies to identify compliance with federal and state regulations. For the last 12 years, Frank has helped to develop and implement federal oversight processes regarding the Federally Facilitated Exchange, leading and conducting compliance audits of insurance companies around the country.
Frank is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and is highly proficient in using TeamMate Audit software as well as standard audit and documentation tools. Recognized as a teammate champion, he consistently fosters collaboration and a positive team environment. Frank applies audit best practices to ensure timely and efficient completion of assigned projects and tasks, while identifying procedural and operational gaps in business processes and uncovering opportunities for improvement to increase compliance with marketplace goals, objectives, regulations, and guidance.
DOUG BROWN
Software Engineer
Doug Brown is an experienced software engineer with over 20 years of expertise in designing and developing technology solutions for government agencies. He brings comprehensive knowledge of the full software development lifecycle, with a focus on web, desktop, mobile, and database applications.
Doug is highly proficient in Microsoft technologies, including the .NET framework and SQL Server, and consistently applies industry best practices in software engineering. His approach integrates Agile methodologies with modern DevOps practices, utilizing tools such as Azure DevOps for continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD).
At HMS, Doug is currently developing a secure, Angular-based web application tailored for State Survey Agencies. This platform enables efficient data capture and reporting for survey results, complaints, enforcement actions, scheduling, and facility-specific information—supporting operational transparency and regulatory compliance.