Laura Appel is senior vice president and chief innovation officer at the Michigan Health u0026 Hospital Association (MHA). In her current role, she focuses on health care policy, hospital finance, legislation, and governance. She also leads the MHA Innovation Council.rnrnAt the federal level, she represents the interests of Michigan hospitals and health systems in both the legislative and regulatory arenas on key issues, including federal healthcare reform and Medicare. She served as vice president of federal policy and advocacy, executive director of the MHA Health Reform Resource Center, and senior vice president of strategic initiatives.rnrnBefore joining the MHA, Appel started her career as a policy analyst at the Michigan Insurance Bureau (now the Department of Insurance and Financial Services) before moving to the Democratic policy staff of the Michigan House of Representatives. She currently serves on the board and executive committee of the Citizens Research Council, the board of the Michigan Fitness Foundation, and the executive committee for the Coalition to Protect Auto No-Fault based.rnrnAppel holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She recently received an MBA certificate in design and innovation from Kendall College of Art and Design, Grand Rapids, Michigan.