Dr. Robert Saeid Farivar is a distinguished cardiothoracic surgeon currently serving as the chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. As a teenager, Farivar remembers seeing his own father have a heart attack and it was then that he started thinking about pursuing a medical career.

Over the course of his decades-long career, he has been recognized for pioneering minimally invasive cardiac procedures, and has performed more than 2,000 valve surgeries. Notably, he was the first surgeon in the United States to perform both commercial Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) and Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (Tendyne) procedures.

Farivar’s work has truly saved lives and his leadership has significantly advanced the organization’s capabilities.

A Boston University School of Medicine alumnus, Farivar completed his surgical training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He also worked at a variety of other institutions including the University of Iowa, University of Pennsylvania, Minneapolis Heart Institute and HCA East Florida.

Janice Jordan has led Marimn Health for three years, bringing 49 years of health care experience to the Plummer-based organization. Her most significant recent accomplishments focus on both ends of the life continuum: Expanding youth programming and developing an elder care facility that honors tribal values.

“I am very dedicated to creating environments where children can grow with confidence, resilience and a healthy sense of self, regardless of the challenges they may face,” Jordan said. “We know that they are our future parents, leaders and mentors of tomorrow and the health of our future communities depend on them.”

She holds nursing and bachelor’s degrees from Lewis-Clark State College, a physician assistant certificate from University of North Dakota School of Medicine and an executive MBA from University of Idaho. Her biggest challenge was balancing single motherhood with pursuing business success.

Jordan’s career began in high school as a candy-striper, progressing through nursing and physician assistant roles before becoming CEO. Her primary goal is beginning construction on a 30-bed elder facility designed to provide culturally respectful care in a homelike environment.

Beth Markley has a true dedication to working alongside nonprofits and has done so for the past 25 years. As an independent consultant, she has worked with more than 50 area nonprofits, where she’s assisted in volunteer training, communications outreach and campaign management.  

Today, she works as the executive director of NAMI Idaho and is a host on the public affairs program “Vital Idaho” on 89.9FM, KRBX, Radio Boise.   

When she’s not busy with one of these roles, Markley loves to stay active around the community. She is a regular presenter for AFP and the Idaho Nonprofit Center and has served in presidential leadership roles for the Rotary Club of Boise, Radio Boise and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.  

She has also served on other boards, including for Boise Contemporary Theater, the Idaho Women’s Charitable Foundation and the Junior League of Boise. 

Dr. Kevin H. Maas serves as medical director of the Idaho Center for Reproductive Medicine, joining the practice in 2014. He graduated from the University of California, Davis with Highest Honors, earning a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry while minoring in Comparative Literature.

Maas earned both his M.D. and Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where his research on autoimmune disorders earned him the American College of Rheumatology REF/Abbott award for outstanding graduate research, with two papers recognized as noteworthy by the Faculty of 1000.

He completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University, where he won numerous teaching awards and was twice honored with the Julianne O’Callahan Award for compassion in-patient care.

During his fellowship at the University of California, San Diego, he investigated mechanisms of androgen excess in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Board certified in both obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Maas brings academic credentials and research expertise to reproductive medicine in Idaho.

Mark Ruszczyk’s journey to his role at Regence BlueShield of Idaho is a personal one. He shares that a health maintenance organization was able to dramatically improve and lengthen his father’s life and once he saw how impactful the work that the professionals there were doing, he wanted to be involved.
“My father’s experience was the genesis of my interest in health care delivery and insurance,” Ruszczyk shared.
Ruszczyk explained that over the last four years in his role, there have been a lot of great accomplishments, but in the last 18 months specifically, he and his team were able to come up with solutions that opened up better care to more communities across Idaho.
“I would like to continue to build coalitions working on improving rural health, recruiting physicians into Idaho and creating a competitive managed Medicaid marketplace,” he added. “I’m particularly proud of insuring the state of Idaho which is having a powerfully positive impact through better pricing, enhanced service and lower costs for the state.”

Dr. Cristin C. Slater serves as medical director of the Idaho Center for Reproductive Medicine, where she has practiced since 2002. Board certified in both obstetrics and gynecology and the subspecialty of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Slater earned her bachelor’s degree in health sciences from the University of Utah in just three years.
She received her medical degree from the University of Utah in 1993, completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and finished her fellowship training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of Southern California.
Prior to joining ICRM, Slater served as an assistant professor at USC for three years, teaching medical students and reproductive endocrinology fellows.
She has authored three medical textbook chapters and published numerous articles in prestigious journals. Slater has served on the board and as president of the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society, demonstrating her leadership in advancing reproductive medicine throughout Idaho and beyond.

Elizabeth Elroy has been with Micron for more than two decades, having worked her way up as an environmental engineer to various leadership roles.
For the last two and a half years, she’s served as the vice president of global environmental, health and safety (EHS) and sustainability, leading a worldwide team to build a worldclass EHS culture and reach sustainability goals. By 2050, she hopes to lead the company to meet their net zero objective.
“At my core, I am committed to protecting the environment,” Elroy explained. “I have worked to instill this passion in others, fostering a culture of environmental stewardship. This commitment has spread through many organizations, leading to a collective effort to safeguard our natural resources. I believe this has had a direct impact on preserving the quality of life here in Idaho for the long term, ensuring that our community continues to thrive in a sustainable and healthy environment.”

Chelsey Galipeau has been a certified physician associate for the last seven years and has a background in endocrinology. She is a distinguished graduate of Concordia University Wisconsin’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies program and currently serves as a physician associate for HRMN Health. She also has experience as the company owner and physician assistant of Idahormones and a medspa clinic called Meridian Medical Aesthetics.

As a diabetic, Galipeau is empathetic to people’s various medical conditions and works hard to provide the best care and treatment available. Compassionate, personalized care is at the very core of her daily interactions with patients. Looking ahead, she aims to become an educator and speaker.

“Chelsey, and all of the staff at HRMN are incredibly attentive and offer a higher and more personalized level of care than I have ever come across,” said Brittany Hansen, who nominated Galipeau for Idaho 500. “Working with them has given me a level of health in my 40s I haven’t had since I was a teenager.”

When she’s not helping others, Galipeau recharges by spending time outdoors.