AFMC Senior Management Team

Nick J. Paslidis, MD, PhD, MHCM
Chief Executive Officer and President

Dr. Paslidis has served as chief executive officer of AFMC since June 2006. He was previously the medical director of Arkansas' White River Rural Health Centers, with oversight of 18 rural clinics, and maintained a medical practice in Carlisle, Kensett, Des Arc and Augusta. Paslidis is a recent master’s graduate in health care management from the Harvard School of Public Health, where he graduated magna cum laude. He received his medical degree with honors from Ross University School of Medicine in New York and the West Indies, and his doctorate with honors from the University of Crete School of Medicine in Greece.

As an active member of the Arkansas health care community for more than 10 years, Paslidis has served as an associate professor in the College of Public Health and assistant professor of internal medicine and family practice at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Because of his passion for quality health care, he has been involved with AFMC since 1996, first as a physician reviewer and later as a board member and chairman of the board. He is on the board of directors of the Community Health Centers of Arkansas and the Arkansas Medical Society, and is secretary-treasurer of the Pulaski County Medical Society. Paslidis is also a current board member and past board chairman of the Arkansas Health Care Access Foundation, an organization dedicated to meeting the medical needs of Arkansas’ uninsured, and is a board member on the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review. He is a co-author on numerous articles and lectures presented locally and across the nation.

Jonathan M. Fuchs, FACHE
Chief Operating Officer

Mr. Fuchs is a veteran health care executive whose significant experience in health care management includes specific expertise in insurance and health plan operations, organizational development, Quality Improvement Organization operations, provider negotiations and contracting, and hospital and facility management. He has worked in a variety of health care settings, including hospitals, health plans, and educational and community institutions, and as an independent consultant. His past positions include serving as CEO of University MSO, an affiliate of the New York University Hospital Center. Mr. Fuchs is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. He has master’s degrees in college and university administration and health services administration.

Greg Peterson, CPA, CIA, MBA
Chief Financial Officer

Gregory Peterson has 32 years of financial management experience, primarily with Fortune 500 companies. His career includes 18 years of supervisory experience, and he has led financial reporting, planning, project and analysis groups ranging from two to 10 staff members. He is experienced in external and internal auditing and with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid contracts. He holds a Master’s in Business Administration degree from Louisiana State University in Shreveport. Before coming to AFMC, Peterson served as the director of internal auditing for Pinnacle Business Solutions, Inc., in Little Rock, where he supervised staff internal auditors who processed $6.6 billion in Medicare claims a year. He has also served as the vice president and chief financial officer for Sterling Paint, Inc., and staff manager of strategic marking and financial planning for Alltel Communications, both in Little Rock. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the International Institute of Internal Auditors.

Kenya Harbin, RN
Vice President for Clinical Review

Ms. Harbin has been employed by AFMC for more than 20 years. She leads a team of case review specialists and support staff who are responsible for case review for Medicaid, including inpatient retrospective and concurrent length of stay review; prior authorization of surgical procedures; Child Health Management Services; personal care; targeted case management; extension of benefits; durable medical equipment; enteral and parenteral nutrition; and retrospective review of physical, speech and occupational therapy. She is also responsible for data collection for Medicaid projects. In addition, she oversees Medicare case review and the Hospital Payment Monitoring Program (HPMP). She has experience in multiple clinical settings and has worked with  the Health Care Quality Improvement Program (HCQIP) on abstract development and staff training for data abstraction.

Michael Moody, MD
Vice President, Corporate Medical Director

Dr. Moody is a past president of the Arkansas Academy of Family Physicians and the Arkansas Medical Society. He also serves as a member of Arkansas Medicaid’s Drug Utilization Review Board, the National Rural Health Association, and the American Health Quality Association’s Legislative Affairs Committee and Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) workgroups. He is a delegate of the American Academy of Family Physicians and an alternate delegate to the American Medical Association.

Susie Moore, CCEP
Corporate Compliance Officer

Ms. Moore has been with AFMC since 1997. She develops, implements and oversees AFMC’s corporate compliance program. Her responsibilities include maintaining and expanding visibility for the program at all levels within the company, training the senior management team regarding corporate compliance, recommending and implementing compliance initiatives to match the health care regulatory environment, and evaluating processes for compliance impact.

Moore previously served as AFMC’s director of human resources. She has also worked for the state of Arkansas in case management, which involved developing, implementing and directing a state-funded program that included state regulatory and compliance components. She graduated from Henderson State University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in human services. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and the Health Care Compliance Association.

Pamela Brown, RN, BSN, CPHQ
Assistant Vice President for Health Care Quality Improvement Program (HCQIP)

Ms. Brown is assistant vice president for health care quality improvement. She has more than 15 years of experience in quality improvement and 25 years in nursing in a variety of settings, including acute care, long-term acute care and home health. Her experience includes providing education, oversight and implementation of quality improvement and safety principles as appropriate to the health care setting, as well as providing direct patient care. Since August 2001, Ms. Brown has served as hospital team leader for AFMC’s health care quality improvement program. As AVP for health care quality improvement, she supports Arkansas health care providers through education, technical assistance, research references and collaborative support for a variety of clinical topics, as well as health information technology, patient safety and quality specific to the rural community.

Peggy Starling, CMPE
Assistant Vice President for Medicaid Managed Care Services (MMCS)

Ms. Starling has more than 25 years of experience in all phases of physician/clinic practice management and medical billing. Her background comprises all executive managerial functions and responsibilities, including operations, medical billing, marketing and human resources, clinic management and development and management of rural health initiatives. She maintains an extensive and current knowledge of state and federal regulations relating to physician offices and rural health clinics. She served in a leadership role with a physician practice management company, where she was instrumental in the success of a major hospital's development, as well as implementation of electronic health records in medical offices. Ms. Starling holds a degree in health service management and is a Certified Medical Practice Executive (CMPE) through the American College of Medical Practice Executives. She is also a graduate of the University of Arkansas leadership program LeadAR.

J. Gary Wheeler, MD, MPS
Associate Medical Director of Quality

Dr. Wheeler’s role at AFMC includes overseeing quality improvement projects and analysis for AFMC’s work with Arkansas Medicaid. He is also a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the College of Public Health at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He is the past chair of the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Advisory Committee and serves on a number of other public boards, including the Governor’s Commission on Children’s Behavioral Health, and recently earned a master’s degree from the Clinton School of Public Service. His research expertise includes wellness and prevention research; tobacco and obesity; antibiotics overuse; and vaccine policy.