Presenters

Michael Queroz leads Public Communications Inc.’s digital group. He specializes in developing integrated media and digital strategies that advance the communications, marketing and business goals for a wide range of clients across the agency’s healthcare, conservation, nonprofit, business and government sectors. He also provides crisis communications planning, support and issues management counsel for clients who face internal or external threats.

Mr. Queroz is passionate about integrating media and digital strategies into client programs to support all communications needs.  He has provided integrated communications support for a variety of Chicago-based and national organizations including AARP Illinois, AARP Florida, the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Shedd Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, Chicago’s First Lady Cruises, The Marine Mammal Center, Howard Brown Health, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, the Greater Chicago Food Depository, the Village of Glenview and the Arlington Heights Park District. He also has presented about planning ahead of cybersecurity threats at the Credit Union National Association’s Cybersecurity Conference with the National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors. 

Executive Vice President Natalie Bauer Luce is a seasoned communications and public affairs strategist with extensive experience at the intersection of government, law, politics and business. Over the course of her career, Ms. Bauer Luce has developed and executed award-winning integrated marketing and communications campaigns for technology and digital innovation leaders, elected officials and nonprofit advocacy organizations.

After several years as a senior advisor to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Ms. Bauer Luce entered Chicago’s burgeoning startup community and oversaw communications and influencer relations for Uptake, the fast-growing predictive analytics firm named Forbes’ “hottest startup of the year.”  As Uptake’s first strategic communications leader, Ms. Bauer Luce was responsible for building, scaling and managing the company’s external, internal and social media teams. She oversaw the company’s announcements of its early financing rounds, establishing Uptake as the fastest U.S. startup to reach a $2 billion valuation, and securing media coverage in top mainstream business publications and broadcast outlets, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune and CNBC.

Bauer Luce started her career as a journalist covering government and politics for dailies including the Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald and The Olympian, and as a researcher for CBS-affiliate WBBM’s award-winning investigations team.   Early in her career, she counseled corporate teams on regulatory and legislative public affairs strategy, crafted messaging for local and statewide political campaigns, and developed award-winning integrated marketing campaigns for leading advocacy organizations, including Unidos and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Gabriel Imperato's personal practice includes representing individuals and organizations accused of health care fraud and assisting and advising health care organizations on corporate governance and compliance matters. He is board certified as a specialist in health law by the Florida Bar; is certified in Health Care Compliance (CHC) by the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics and the Health Care Compliance Association (SCCE/HCCA); and has served as a longtime member of the Board of Directors and as past president of the SCCE/HCCA.

Mr. Imperato previously served as interim general counsel of the North Broward Hospital District, the tenth largest health system in the United States and also was the deputy chief counsel in the Office of the General Counsel for the United States Department of Health and Human Services in Dallas, Texas.  He has criminal and civil trial and appellate experience in the federal and state courts and administrative forums, and he has personally handled leading national cases concerning criminal and civil health care fraud and abuse and health care law and policy. He has vast experience in the defense of allegations involving the False Claims Act against health care organizations and has litigated and settled many of these cases with the Department of Justice and the Office of Counsel to the Inspector General, as well as State Medicaid Fraud Control Units.

Mr. Imperato also has handled numerous matters involving the formation of integrated delivery systems and managed care organizations. He is considered a national leader in health care fraud, abuse and compliance, as well as health care reform matters.

Brian Annulis has spent his entire professional career counseling health care providers, suppliers, practitioners, manufacturers and health plans. Well-versed in matters affecting health care entities, he focuses his practice on health care regulatory and compliance concerns.

Mr. Annulis started his career with the Office of General Counsel, United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in Baltimore, MD, where he concentrated on matters involving the Medicare program. After leaving public service, he worked for various law firms counseling clients on matters involving Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement and program participation, corporate compliance, the federal Stark Law, the federal health care Anti-Kickback Statute and the federal False Claims Act. He has assisted clients with compliance investigations and negotiating settlement agreements with the United States Department of Justice and the Office of Inspector General for HHS, including a multi-million dollar settlement agreement on behalf of a hospital concerning hospital-physician arrangements and agreements. He also routinely counsels health care provider on matters involving health care privacy and security standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and other applicable state and federal privacy and security statutes, rules and regulations. 

Representative matters in this area include the development of privacy programs, policies and procedures for a multi-state health care provider, security audits and assessments, and the negotiation of complex data license and use agreements. He has assisted clients with developing and implementing compliance programs and evaluating the effectiveness of the same. He has extensive experience assisting health care providers in procurement and purchasing matters, including the negotiation of pharmaceutical product and supply agreements. 

In addition to his legal experience and background, Mr. Annulis has served as a health care consultant and advisor and, most recently, has become the chief compliance officer for Fast Pace Health. Fast Pace Health is a leading provider of rural healthcare services through a network of outpatient clinics and provides affordable access to high quality primary and urgent care services for a wide range of illnesses, injuries and conditions through its nurse practitioner centered model.  

Mr. Annulis is certified in Health Care Compliance (CHC) and Healthcare Privacy Compliance (CHPC) by the Health Care Compliance Association and also is an adjunct professor at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Ethan Rii is a partner in Ice Miller’s Health Care Group. Prior to joining Ice Miller, he served as chair of the health care and professional associations for an international law firm where he focused on health care regulation and transactions including compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate restructurings. 

Mr. Rii regularly speaks on the topics of health care compliance and transactions, and his work also has appeared in a number of prominent health care publications. Specifically, he has spoken for organizations such as the American Health Lawyers Association and the Illinois Association of Healthcare Attorneys, and he is featured in publications by the American Hospital Association, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the State Bar of Michigan Health Care Law Section Publications, among others. 

Throughout his legal career, Mr. Rii has served in leadership positions for organizations such as the Chicago Bar Association, the American Health Lawyers Association and the Illinois Association of Healthcare Attorneys. In 2021, he was recognized as an Acritas Stars Stand-Out Lawyer for outstanding client service.

Taryn Stone is a partner and chair of the Health Care Group at Ice Miller, representing various providers and suppliers of health care services including hospitals, physicians and medical device manufacturers on transactional and regulatory issues.  Her practice includes counseling clients on matters involving Medicare conditions of participation, Medicare and Medicaid billing and reimbursement issues, the Stark and Anti-Kickback laws and similar state laws, the False Claims Act, HIPAA and other state privacy and security laws, and state licensure laws and regulations. She also is a member of the firm's Internet of Things (IoT) Group. 

Previously, Ms. Stone served as in-house counsel for a large, publicly traded home health and hospice company. She also worked as a health care consultant for a national consulting firm helping clients develop and implement co-management arrangements.

Ms. Mitchell is an attorney, certified in health care compliance and an experienced health care compliance professional.  She currently serves as the compliance and privacy lead for Amazon Care, a health care and technology organization. Before that, she was the chief compliance and privacy officer for Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, an inpatient rehabilitation facility and system, and the chief compliance officer at Sinai Health, a multi-specialty safety net system on the Southwest side of Chicago.