Leading through Innovation

Jeff Heatherington has served as president of FamilyCare since 1984 when he and two physicians sketched out the organization’s business plan on a paper napkin at a Portland restaurant. Under his direction, FamilyCare has demonstrated a laser-like focus on streamlining business operations and putting medical decisions in the hands of providers and patients.

Jeff is widely recognized as a healthcare leader in Oregon and the rest of the US. As a member of the board of directors for Pomona, California,-based Western University of Health Sciences, he helped bring Western University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine to Lebanon, Oregon. He is the founder and former chairman of the Coalition for a Healthy Oregon (where he continues to serve as a board member) and is on the board of directors for the Oregon Better Health Initiative.

He is especially active in the American Osteopathic Association, where he has served in a number of national posts, particularly as president of the AOA’s Committee of State Executive Directors.

In addition, he is a visiting professor in Health Policy Administration at McMasters University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Honors and awards include a Doctor of Humane Letters from Western University, a Distinguished Service Certificate from the American Osteopathic Association. He is also a member of the Distinguished Service Chapter of Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science at Willamette University.

Jesse Gamez oversees strategic operations at FamilyCare with responsibilities ranging from long-term planning to day to-day operations.

Jesse has more than 20 years experience in healthcare administration, notably at Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center where he was chief administrator and CEO accountable for a $179 million operating budget and 1,900 full-time employees. At Sunnyside, he directed implementation of a leading edge health information system project that served as a pilot for rolling out the technology at hospitals nationwide. He sponsored a service excellence program that led to a dramatic improvement in Sunnyside’s HCAHPS scores. And he played a leading role in planning and executing a $300 million expansion that doubled the size of the emergency department and increased the capacity of the hospital from 205 beds to 350.

Jesse is chairman of the board for the Oregon HealthCare Workforce Institute and serves on the corporate board for NW Engineering.

He studied business at Portland State University and completed the Advanced Leadership Program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Eddie Perse manages all aspect of FamilyCare’s Medicare Advantage operations, which augment Medicare coverage with added benefits, lower co-pays and coordination of care. His responsibilities include product development, making and implementing policy, sales and marketing, and enrollment. He is also FamilyCare’s principle liaison with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that oversees Medicare Advantage plans.

Before joining FamilyCare, he managed   the Medicare Finance Department at Kaiser Permanente Northwest. Prior to that, he was part of a small team which implemented a CMS Medicare Contract for the ODS companies.  He spent his first 10 years in Managed Care operations with Providence Health plans. 

He earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communications at Oregon State University.

Dr. Doug Luther is responsible for seeing that FamilyCare members receive the highest quality of care and that our organization meets or exceeds state, federal and industry standards.

His experience in clinical psychiatry and psychiatric research make him uniquely qualified to oversee FamilyCare’s integrated mental health services. After earning his medical degree at Oregon Health Sciences University, he completed his psychiatric residency at OHSU and was named chief resident for the program.

During 14 years in private practice, he was an inpatient psychiatrist for Providence and Legacy medical centers, medical director of Providence Behavioral Health Connections, and a consulting psychiatrist for Providence Crisis Program and Homestreet Clinic. He was also a consultant and principal investigator for Summit Research.

Dr. Luther has served as both president and treasurer of the Oregon Psychiatric Association.

Dayna Steringer serves as liaison between FamilyCare and the state and federal agencies that regulate healthcare. Along with assuring that FamilyCare is in compliance with both the letter and intent of regulations, she interacts with policymakers on behalf of FamilyCare to advocate for consumer-focused healthcare policies.

Graduating magna cum laude from Portland State University with a bachelor of science in Communications, she was a legislative intern and legislative assistant for the Oregon State Legislature. She went on to become government affairs and public relations coordinator at Willamette Dental Group, and then manager of Oregon Health Plan programs for Providence Health Plan