Heather Trafton, MBA

Heather Trafton, MBA, is a health care executive and CEO with a track record of transforming organizations, operating models, and care delivery from the front lines to the boardroom. A practicing physician assistant before becoming a senior executive, she has led complex risk-based models, payer-provider strategies, health plan operations, and clinical transformation across Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, commercial, bundled payment, and CMMI programs. She also served as Chair of the American Academy of Physician Assistants’ Advocacy and Policy Commission and represented AAPA on The Joint Commission’s Hospital Professional Technical Advisory Committee.

As CEO of Evergreen Nephrology, Heather has transformed the organization’s operating model by aligning structure, resources, clinical programs, and financial discipline around the capabilities that create the greatest value. Under her leadership, Evergreen reduced operating expenses by approximately $25 million while delivering the highest consistent level of shared savings among CKCC participants and improving patient outcomes by delaying disease progression. Her career reflects sustained, measurable leadership in scaling care models, strengthening executive teams, advancing value-based care, and modernizing health care delivery in ways that improve performance, promote sustainability, and enhance patients’ lives.