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Lights, Camera, Adherence: Using Stories to Drive Star Ratings

Lights, Camera, Adherence: Using Stories to Drive Star Ratings

Daniel Weaver

Senior Vice President
of Stars and Quality,
Zing Health

Daniel Weaver recently became the Senior Vice President of Stars and Quality at Zing Health. With over 25 years of experience in Operations and Star Ratings strategy, Daniel has previously served as VP, Government Quality Programs at Gateway Health and Director of Stars Programs at Highmark Health, helping both organizations achieve and maintain their first 4.5 Star Ratings. In his career, Dan has overseen the development and implementation of many analytics-driven and customer-focused programs, and he advocates for continuous improvement and operational excellence philosophies for sustained success. In his new role with Zing Health, Daniel will focus on implementing a high-performing Stars infrastructure to support the organization’s rapid growth with a focus on servicing special needs members in several states.

Athena Patrikios, Pharm. D., MBA, CHIE

Director, Pharmacy-
Medicare, Horizon Blue
Cross Blue Shield of
New Jersey

Athena Patrikios is the Director, Pharmacy-Medicare at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and has been with the organization for 18 years. In her current role, Athena is responsible for the management and oversight of clinical initiatives and operations for Medicare Part D. Her team’s focus includes implementation of drug cost savings initiatives, administering the Medication Therapy Management Program and Part D Star Rating Quality Program, as well as the day-to-day operations of the Part D benefits for Medicare Advantage plans, Prescription Standalone Plans (PDP) and Dual Special Needs Plan (DSNP).

After earning her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University, Athena completed a 1 year post graduate managed care residency program with Horizon.  Athena initially served as a clinical pharmacist supporting the commercial pharmacy business leading clinical programs and formulary management and transitioned to the government programs space for the last 11 years. Athena earned her MBA from Rutgers Business School in 2022 and most recently earned the Certified Healthcare Insurance Executive (CHIE) designation from AHIP in 2024.

Paul von Ebers

CEO,
SmartStory Technologies

Paul von Ebers is a veteran healthcare executive and strategic advisor with over 40 years of experience leading innovations across health plans, technology companies, and advisory boards. He currently serves as CEO of SmartStory Technologies, where he is driving growth in digital health engagement through secure, personalized communication platforms.

Paul is also the founder of Prospective Health, LLC, a strategic advisory firm that has supported organizations ranging from early-stage startups to multi-billion-dollar enterprises. His previous leadership roles include CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Dakota and COO of Excellus Blue Cross and Blue Shield, where he led major operational turnarounds and growth initiatives.

A recognized leader in healthcare transformation, Paul has served numerous corporate and nonprofit boards, including Prime Therapeutics, MDdatacor, and OutcomesMTM. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and is a Governance Fellow with the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Lights, Camera, Adherence: Using Stories to Drive Star Ratings

With adherence measures playing an outsized role in Star Ratings, Medicare Advantage plans are reimagining how they engage members—shifting from transactional reminders to compelling, personalized storytelling that drives real behavior change. Fueled by data and creativity, leading plans are using short, relatable content to close gaps, enhance member experience, and boost quality performance.

Join us to discover how your organization can:

  • Use story-driven engagement to improve medication adherence at scale
  • Personalize outreach using data triggers and behavioral insights
  • Translate content into measurable Star Rating gains and better member outcomes
  • Avoid common pitfalls and maximize ROI in content-driven strategies
  • Explore emerging opportunities heading into the 2026 performance year

Whether you lead pharmacy, Stars strategy, or member engagement, join this actionable conversation to learn how turning data into stories can power your next big leap in performance.

Daniel Weaver

Senior Vice President
of Stars and Quality,
Zing Health

Athena Patrikios, Pharm. D., MBA, CHIE

Director, Pharmacy-
Medicare, Horizon Blue
Cross Blue Shield of
New Jersey

Paul von Ebers

CEO,
SmartStory Technologies

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