Executive Team

Dr. Tiffany Nelson played an integral role in the formation of Innovation Care Partners (ICP). Prior to becoming Chief Executive Officer, she served as the Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Medical Officer, as well as Chairman of the Board. Dr. Nelson has been an instrumental part of developing both the care coordination program and technology platform that has been critical to the success of ICP. Dr. Nelson obtained her medical degree from The University of Arizona College of Medicine, where she received the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha distinction. Following medical school, Dr. Nelson completed her residency training in Family Medicine at Banner Good Samaritan where she served as Chief Resident. Dr. Nelson was chosen to be part of the inaugural class of Health IT Fellows by ONC. Dr. Nelson is the founder of Desert Ridge Family Physicians in Phoenix, AZ. The practice was created in 2004 to promote a patient-centered philosophy in order to foster long lasting relationships with their patients. Desert Ridge Family Physicians has grown to ten physicians and provides care to more than 25,000 patients. The practice has received NextGen’s Best Small Practice Award, Intel Innovation Award and Arizona Republic’s Most Family Friendly Primary Care Office.

Chief Medical Officer Kris Samaddar, MD joined Innovation Care Partners (ICP) in 2022 from HonorHealth, where he was an emergency department (ED) physician and Chief of Staff at HonorHealth Shea. Dr. Samaddar leads Population Health, quality performance, provider workflows, and payer revenue (RAF). He also chairs the Operations, Finance and Quality Committee. Throughout his career, he has focused on improving efficiency of health care delivery. Prior to joining the ICP executive team, Dr. Samaddar led quality initiatives in Sepsis and COVID-19 for the HonorHealth system. He also led initiatives to address transitions of care from the ED. Dr. Samaddar earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame, a medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine and completed his emergency medicine residency in Detroit at the Henry Ford Health System.

Karen Vanaskie currently serves as Care Management Program Director for Innovation Care Partners. Over the span of her career, Karen holds 30 years of nursing experience along with extensive experience in acute care settings, home health, multi-specialty medical groups, independent physician associations, and managed care organizations. Karen has spent her nursing leadership career developing case management programs, overseeing quality of care, infection control, and risk management activities, and serving as a chief nursing officer. Karen’s formal education includes earning a Baccalaureate Degree in the Science of Nursing (B.S.N.), a Master’s Degree in the Science of Nursing (M.S.N.), and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (D.N.P).

Rick Warren is Innovation Care Partners’ Chief Financial and Operations Officer, overseeing finance, payer relations, and contracting along with human resources and compliance. Rick has more than 20 years in health care finance and a proven track record of leading financial teams and achieving operational efficiencies within large and mid-sized national healthcare companies. Before joining ICP, he was vice president of finance at Ascension and chief financial officer for the Banner Health Network and Government Programs where he led all functions of finance, reporting, analytics, payer/provider contracting, and budget. He has a BS in Political Science from the Arizona State University and a Master of Business Administration from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

Kena Taylor is the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Innovation Care Partners. Kena has over 25 years of leadership and technology experience leading the design and implementation of information systems that support business growth, system advancement, clinical service operations, and quality performance improvement oversight. Prior to joining ICP, Kena served in IT leadership roles at healthcare organizations, most recently at Community Health Systems. Kena earned her BS in Computer Science and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Arkansas Grantham. She has a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from Walden University with specializations in Leadership, Strategic Management and Organizational Development. She is also a Certified Chief Information Officer (CHCIO), Certified Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MSCE) and a Certified HIPAA Privacy Professional (CHP).

Megan Pardo is the Chief Administrative Officer at Innovation Care Partners (ICP). As CAO, she is responsible for the engagement and development of ICP’s Membership, Project Management, and the Administration Office. Megan joined ICP in its early stages in 2012, and has held many positions throughout her tenure at the company. Megan has over 19 years of experience in various healthcare roles throughout the industry, including a Radiology Technologist, Orthopedic Practice Manager, to implementing and training on IT network Solutions.