Kent Strategic Advisors, LLC
My Curriculum Vitae
Robert A. Kent
President
Kent Strategic Advisors, LLC
Robert A. Kent is the President of Kent Strategic Advisors, LLC a healthcare strategic policy advisor focused on helping clients maximize their opportunities to serve those in need of help.
Robert previously served as the General Counsel with the
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). In this
role Mr. Kent provides overall legal support to all
components of ONDCP.
Mr. Kent has also served as the Vice President of
Advocacy and General Counsel for the American
Association of Orthodontists, a national healthcare
organization.
Prior to that he served as the General Counsel for the
New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports
(OASAS). In this role, Robert provided overall legal
support, policy guidance, and direction to the OASAS
Executive Office and all divisions of the agency. Robert led the OASAS efforts to implement New York State’s Heroin and Opioid Task Force recommendations, including the Combat Addiction/Heroin Campaign, the Federal Opioid Targeted Grant program, and Medicaid Redesign Team initiatives including implementation of historic legislation to increase access to treatment, including harm reduction services.
Robert has co-authored articles on patient confidentiality and sober homes and has presented nationally and throughout New York State on the addiction system of care.
In 2011, Robert was recognized by the Caron Foundation with their Legal Professional Public Service Award. In 2013, Robert was recognized by the Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies with their Leadership Award. In 2016, Robert was recognized by the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence with their Nyswander/Dole “Marie” award; the Long Island Recovery Association Friend of Recovery Award; and the Northern Tier Providers Coalition Public Service Award. In 2018, Robert was honored by the Friends of Recovery New York with the Charles Devlin Recovery Advocate Award and by Christopher’s Reason with the Outstanding Leader in the Recovery Community Award. In 2019, Robert was honored by NYAPRS with its Public Policy Leadership Award and by the MHANYS with their CEO Award. In 2020, Robert was honored by the NYS
Justice Center with their Champion Award.
Mr. Kent is a graduate of the Syracuse University College of Law.
Elizabeth C. Dears
Chief Compliance Officer
Kent Strategic Advisors, LLC.
Elizabeth Dears is the title at Kent Strategic Advisors, LLC.
Previously, Elizabeth worked as the Senior Director For Strategy & Regulatory Programs at
DrFirst. This included advising company leadership on state and federal legislative and regulatory
changes mandating electronic transmission of prescriptions and prescriber queries of state
prescription drug databases as well as interoperability and electronic prior authorization
requirements and provisions to enable or restrict the provision of telehealth care. In this role,
Elizabeth had also advocated with several states to enable integration of hospital and physician
practices with state prescription drug databases (PDMPs).
Ms. Dears was also the Senior Vice President and Chief Legislative Counsel for the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY), an $11 million not-for-profit professional association, overseeing and managing the Division of Governmental Affairs and representing over twenty-thousand practicing physicians in solo, group practice and those employed from all regions of the State of New York. While at MSSNY, Elizabeth promoted physician interests with members of the Executive and Legislative branches of government through regular dialogue, one-on-one negotiation, as well as the creation and delivery of organizational policy statements and testimony. Ms. Dears had also worked extensively and collaboratively with representatives from other healthcare stakeholders, chronic illness and patient advocacy organizations and other physician organizations, including county and local medical societies and national specialty medical societies. She had also successfully secured grant funding from public and private sources while managing the implementation of multiple grant programs to improve public health and continuing medical education.
A proactive, articulate and collaborative specialist in governmental affairs representation, advocacy and policy development on all matters related to health care, health insurance and health information technology, Elizabeth Dears has more than twenty-five years’ experience working on behalf of physicians, their patients, and patient caregivers to enhance health outcomes across the continuum of care.
Ms. Dears is a graduate of Albany Law School.
Stephanie Campbell
Senior Vice President of Strategic Solutions
Kent Strategic Advisors, LLC.
Stephanie began her advocacy with ACT-UP, the grassroots organization that empowered
people to fight back against health discrimination through direct action, partnerships with
government and public health experts to end the AIDS pandemic, and to increase harm
reduction and recovery supports and services to people who use drugs. After she received
her MA from Columbia University, an MS from University of Albany, and an MSW from New
York University, Stephanie joined Friends of Recovery— New York (FOR-NY) and worked at
the state and national levels on public policy issues affecting individuals and families
impacted by substance use. As a person in sustained recovery, Stephanie oversaw the
creation of the first-in-nation statewide behavioral health ombudsman office (CHAMP), which
has helped thousands of New Yorkers access treatment and recovery supports and services along the full continuum of healthcare. She is an adjunct professor at NYU’s Silver School of Social Work. She is also a member of the Recovery Policy Collaborative in partnership with the Addiction and Public Policy Initiative at the O’Neill Institute at Georgetown University, and serves on the National Harm Reduction Steering Committee, convened in 2021 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Betty Ann Hartman Foundation Award (2022); the Long Island Recovery Association Friends of Recovery Award (2019); In His Name Outreach Advocacy Award (2017); New York Press Association Best News/Featured Series Award (2009); African Reflections Foundation Award (2009); and the Albany School of Education Secondary Education Award (2008). Stephanie joined Kent Strategic Advisors in 2023 as Senior Vice President of Strategic Solutions.
