The Steadman Group

Sharon has more than 20 years direct experience in public-sector funded health care service delivery, including Medicaid, State Children’s Health Insurance Programs, and Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans, including Medicare Special Needs Plans.

As a consultant, Sharon provides technical assistance, project management, and policy/operational consulting services. Sharon has supported health plan and State implementation of Medicaid payment reform, primary care medical home, and integrated health care models, including performing as a project manager during initiative development and launch.

She has led numerous proposal responses for Medicaid contracts and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation grants. She participated in the SHAPE evaluation as project manager. She has also performed as global project manager for the Colorado Beacon Consortium, one of 17 Beacon communities building and strengthening local health IT infrastructure and testing innovative approaches to make measurable improvements in health care and cost.

Prior to her work as a consultant, Sharon was Executive Director for a not-for-profit health plan’s Medicare line of business, where she managed the implementation of Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNP) and was responsible for continuing its operations, yearly bid process, sales, and Medicare Advantage compliance. This included the implementation and administration of a Medicare Behavioral Health Chronic Care SNP, two dual eligible SNPs, and a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan targeted at lower income Medicare beneficiaries who did not qualify for a full Medicaid-Medicare dual SNP plan. Sharon also has extensive experience implementing and operating Medicaid managed care programs, both as a former Indiana Medicaid Managed Care Director and as Executive Director for a health plan’s Medicaid line of business. Sharon has a Master’s of Science degree in Public Policy Analysis and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, both from the University of Rochester.

JK Costello develops population health plan for substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery. Inspired by the ongoing explosion of addiction and overdose, he works across medicine, public health, and community organizations to create a community of recovery in publicly-funded treatment systems.

Recent projects include advocacy and technical assistance for addiction treatment in prisons and jails; assisting a rural Medicaid health plan with their substance use strategy, including developing an alternative payment model for addiction; and working with several CMHCs, FQHCs, and a syringe access program to develop their business and implementation plans for substance use treatment. He helped develop a winning $1.5 million SAMHSA grant in Northern Colorado to streamline and expand access to addiction treatment. Prior to entering public health, he spent two years as chief medical officer for a chain of medical clinics designing efficient, evidence-based care models for more than a dozen physicians and mid-level providers.

“Thank you for bringing in the speaker today, he was great! Probably the best speaker I have heard in the whole time I have been employed here. He was so passionate and clearly really cares about what he is doing. Thank you a bunch!!”

As a prescriber himself, Dr. Costello has the credibility to work with other health care providers; his experience in teaching and public speaking help him deliver presentations and education in a variety of settings. He gives informational and motivational talks and workshops for conferences, treatment providers, and law enforcement groups. He is known for his in-depth knowledge of coding and billing while retaining a big-picture focus on addiction. Having completed his MPH capstone project at the Harm Reduction Action Center, he uses this experience to design programs that are relevant to people with substance use disorders as well as the prevention, treatment and recovery professionals who work with this population. He has presented at state and regional conferences on his work and is active in the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention’s Provider Education and Treatment workgroups.

Burke Fishburn brings a wealth of global public health, management, and strategic evaluation and planning expertise to our organization. He began his professional career as a US Naval Officer, eventually transitioned to public health at the federal level. He managed the US Department of Health and Human Services legislative program, became a senior advisor on food and drug safety policy, then built a policy and evaluation team for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health. In 2001, Burke made the move to global public health, first as a CDC Technical Officer on loan to the World Health Organization in Vietnam and other countries, and later as a WHO Regional Coordinator for the Tobacco Free Initiative responsible for anti-smoking activities in over 20 countries. Burke then founded and managed a series of consulting firms devoted to global public health. During this time he also served in leadership positions with the Colorado Public Health Association, including a three-year term as President. Most recently he was the Executive Director of the Denver-based Posner Center for International Development, a global community of development organizations.

Margo Pipkorn has 20+ years of healthcare industry experience and a proven track record building and scaling high-performance customer-facing teams across professional services, customer success, business development and customer support. Margo and the teams she supports consistently guide customers from the point of sale to achieving their desired outcomes and becoming valuable references.

At Steadman Group, Margo oversees the project management office and execution of complex projects ensuring goals for customer satisfaction, performance, and retention are met and exceeded. Passionate about process improvement and workflow optimization, both internally and in customer-facing operations, Margo fosters cross-functional collaboration and maintains a customer-centric mindset. Leveraging extensive healthcare industry knowledge and technology expertise, Margo supports health systems, providers and members navigating the complexity of our healthcare system.

Carla Lewis has eight years of public health experience, ranging from hands-on laboratory-based research to large scale public health study management. She has experience with both private and public sector clients on projects such as physician training to report adverse events, managing Institutional Review Board renewals, and implementing project quality assurance / quality control protocols.

Prior to working at the Steadman Group, she worked at Abt Consulting in Cambridge, MA as a Research Analyst and Study Coordinator and as a Research Assistant at the Harvard University School of Public Health. At Abt, she helped coordinate a nationwide study across 77 hospitals to track the safety of novel applications of medications and interventions. While at Harvard, she designed and implemented research projects evaluating the health effects of air pollution, including on the relationship between global warming and pollen exposure-related health effects, as well as the health effects of indoor air pollution on children. Ms. Lewis earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science from the State University of New York, Plattsburgh. She is also fluent in Spanish and Catalan.

Stephanie Halvorson, MPH, is a seasoned grant writer and program developer specializing in community-engaged participatory research and storytelling. In 2023, she played a pivotal role in securing over $7.3 million in grant funding for various health initiatives, demonstrating her skill in navigating complex funding landscapes and crafting compelling narratives. Notably, Stephanie authored a successful $2 million grant proposal for the Colorado Division of Housing, transforming street outreach and emergency shelter services in Denver. Her portfolio also includes the co-development of a legislature-mandated peer-facilitated pre-release and reentry program for a Colorado Correctional Facility, where she collaborated closely with staff, residents, and a local nonprofit. Additionally, Stephanie has authored curricula for recovery support organizations, effectively translating visions into actionable programs.

Stephanie’s expertise extends to conducting comprehensive community needs assessments and employing mixed methods for data analysis and management. Driven by a personal mission to enhance health equity, she connects community-voiced needs with actionable public health research and policies, consistently applying a growth mindset to her work. Her dedication is deeply influenced by her own experiences with mental illness and substance use, fueling her passion for advocating for accessible, culturally responsive, and person-centered recovery support services. Outside her professional life, Stephanie is a proud military spouse, a devoted bulldog mom, an avid cyclist, a paint-by-the-numbers enthusiast, and a global traveler, bringing a rich tapestry of personal experiences to her professional endeavors.

Brianna Robles, MPH is experienced in emergency response, community needs assessments, qualitative and quantitative data analysis, and health education.
In previous work, Brianna has collaborated with local health departments on various community assessments surrounding sexual health, physical health, outdoor recreation, and mental health.

Upon graduating from the Colorado School of Public Health, Brianna worked valiantly on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic for two years, collecting and analyzing vital state-wide data and training hundreds of investigators.
Brianna understands that community empowerment is at the heart of identifying and improving social determinants of health. Her personal hobbies include baking sourdough, teaching yoga, gardening, camping, and hiking big mountains with her 2-year-old.

Nat Truszczynski, PhD, is experienced in behavioral health research, evaluation, and qualitative and quantitative data analysis. They have worked across diverse industries from academia to private hospitals, and in behavioral health from county level all the way up to the federal level.

As a behavioral health consultant, Nat provides expertise in evaluation, grant writing, and data analytics. Nat has managed multiple public health evaluations across Georgia and Colorado, using both quantitative and mixed methods approaches. They have worked with large federal datasets focusing on health outcomes of vulnerable populations, mental health, and substance use.

Nat holds a PhD in Health Promotion and Behavior from the University of Georgia, specializing in large datasets among marginalized populations. Previously, they earned an M.P.H. in Health Behavior from the College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, and a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Outside of public health, Nat enjoys baking with their four year old, playing board games and role playing games with their partner, and volunteering with the local autism community.

Courtney Lange brings a wealth of experience in government administration, social service program development, implementation, and evaluation, cross-departmental and cross-organizational collaboration strategies, and subject matter expertise of the intersections of public safety and public health. She has designed and led projects in corrections, diversion and system-involvement prevention, integrated care models for individuals experiencing chronic mental and behavioral health disorders, transiency, and criminal justice system involvement, and gang and gun violence prevention and intervention, specializing in relentless pursuit models. Courtney has worked for city, county, combined government, and state jurisdictions allowing for comprehensive guidance implementing evidence based models within any government agency mode.

In 2021, Courtney obtained her Master’s in Criminology from University of Colorado, Denver, and has since continued her education becoming certified in Group and Gang Involved Supervision Methods, School Violence Prevention, Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, and Crisis Intervention. Currently, she is studying under the National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform within the Violence Reduction Management Institute, is working on her certification in Implementation Science, and is a research fellow with the Community Justice Action Fund developing the annual Violence Prevention Index.

Carina Stavish works as an Associate Behavioral Health Consultant with the Steadman Group, LLC, a woman-owned health and social services consultancy. In this role, she supports behavioral health projects and organizational development through grant writing, research, strategic planning, and group facilitation.

Stavish graduated with a Master's of Public Health from the Colorado School of Public Health (CSPH) in December 2023. For her capstone project, she conducted a quantitative community needs assessment for the syringe access program at the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment. While attending CSPH, Stavish also worked as a research assistant and made substantial contributions to a published research paper exploring the impact of cultural identity, historical trauma, and economic barriers on alcohol-exposed pregnancy risk among urban Native young adults, using statistical software for data management and analysis.

Prior to pursuing her graduate degree, Stavish worked at the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment as the Quality Administrator for the Denver HIV Resources (DHR) team. She was responsible for monitoring and leading clinical quality management initiatives to improve client health outcomes, access to care, experience, and satisfaction. She monitored performance measures, such as HIV viral suppression, for the Ryan White Part A system and reported program and data updates to the DHR Quality Committee. Additionally, she played a key role in a statewide HIV/AIDS care and prevention needs assessment project, in collaboration with state partners.

Olivia Golan, PhD, is an Evaluation Consultant for the Opioid Settlement team and related projects at The Steadman Group. She uses qualitative and quantitative methods to assess what works in behavioral health programs.

Prior to joining The Steadman Group, she was a Research Scientist at NORC at the University of Chicago, where she evaluated programs such as naloxone distribution, mobile treatment units, recovery support specialist training, crisis services, and permanent supportive housing. Olivia also held positions at the RAND Corporation, Georgia State University, and the University of Central Florida. In these roles, she built Medicaid policy datasets, examined how policy changes influence access to and quality of treatment for opioid use disorder, and evaluated drug court programs and residential treatment facilities.

Olivia holds a PhD in Public Health from Georgia State University, as well as an MS in Health Administration and a BS in Psychology from the University of Central Florida. Her doctoral research on buprenorphine treatment included a meta-analysis of quality-of-life outcomes, a content analysis of news media articles, and an analysis of pharmacy claims data to identify disparities across income levels and rural populations. She has authored over 25 peer-reviewed publications and delivered dozens of presentations.

Originally from the Southeast, she relocated to Colorado in May 2025. Outside her professional work, she enjoys beach volleyball, hiking, and spending time with her husband Matt, family, and friends.

Samantha Strobing is a seasoned behavioral health professional with over 14 years of clinical experience. As a licensed clinical social worker, Samantha has made significant contributions in both direct clinical practice and leadership roles at WellPower, a leading community mental health center in Denver. Her expertise includes program management, development, and implementation, notably contributing to initiatives such as Zero Suicide and a Peer Specialist pilot program. With a strong foundation in clinical practice, team leadership, and program development, Samantha brings a comprehensive skill set to her current role as Behavioral Health Consultant at the Steadman Group.