John Michael O’Brien is vice president of public policy at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, and represents CareFirst on state and federal government and regulatory matters – with a particular focus on quality policy and the role of care coordination in delivery system and payment reform. Dr. O’Brien joined CareFirst from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where he served as Acting Director of the Strategic Partnerships Division, senior adviser in the CMS Innovation Center, and policy coordinator in the Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs. Before joining CMS, John was a professor of clinical and administrative sciences at the Notre Dame of Maryland University College of Pharmacy, a Health Policy Fellow in the United States Senate, and held a number of medical affairs and government affairs positions in the pharmaceutical industry. He has a master’s degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a doctor of pharmacy degree from Nova Southeastern University, and also studied pharmacy and public policy at the University of Florida.