YSN Clinical Community Advisory Board

Dr. Sadak’s research has centered on developing strategies to meet the needs of individuals living with dementia and their care partners. She has used research findings to revolutionize the nursing curriculum by incorporating dementia and eldercare knowledge into all aspects of education. Her work has gained international recognition and has profoundly impacted the lives of many.

One of Dr. Sadak’s notable achievements is the establishment and leadership of the Dementia Palliative Education Network (DPEN), which has become the gold standard for dementia education and training in nursing and related healthcare fields. DPEN also promotes antiracism and diversity within the healthcare profession.

Dr. Sadak’s expertise, accomplishments, and leadership have earned her various prestigious honors, including fellowship induction into the American Academy of Nursing and the Gerontological Society of America. She serves on the editorial board of the Frontiers in Dementia journal and holds a position on the board of directors of the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence. Her efforts have been supported by prestigious organizations like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), various foundations, as well as state and legislative funding.

Apart from her research and educational initiatives, Dr. Sadak has held leadership positions on the Washington State Board of Nursing, the Dementia Action Collaborative, and a workgroup focused on identifying gaps in long-term care. This demonstrates her commitment to improving and shaping the future of dementia care. Overall, Dr. Sadak’s achievements highlight her impact in the nursing community and her dedication to enhancing the quality of dementia care through education and leadership. Additionally, Dr. Sadak has received multiple awards, including recognition as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholar, a Cambia Health Foundation Sojourn’s Scholar, and a Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Faculty Scholar.

Dr. Sadak earned her bachelor’s, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Washington, where she later held positions as faculty, director of undergraduate and graduate education, and associate dean for student and academic affairs.

Nursing is a remarkable academic discipline that possesses a wide-ranging public presence. It holds the distinction of being America’s most trusted profession, owing to many factors. Dr. Sadak’s community service, teaching expertise, and administrative achievements attest to her recognition of the multifaceted responsibilities and opportunities that nursing entails. She fully comprehends and elevates the importance of nursing professionals being visible, dedicated to serving the public, and skillful communicators in promoting research, education, and community service within the field.

Jennifer McIntyre is an experienced healthcare operations leader with more than 25 years of nursing experience, including over 20 years in ambulatory and specialty care. As Associate Chief of Clinical Operations at Yale Health, she oversees a comprehensive portfolio of departments including Internal Medicine, Acute Care, OB-GYN, Pediatrics, Specialty Services, Ophthalmology, Diagnostic Imaging, Endoscopy, Mental Health & Counseling, and Vaccine Program Operations. Jennifer is known for her detailed, data-driven approach that emphasizes efficiency, safety, and patient-centered excellence, while prioritizing the growth and professional development of both teams and individuals.

Appointed to the Associate Chief of Clinical Operations role in July 2024, Jennifer is approaching this opportunity with enthusiasm and a strong focus on future success. Her primary goals include strengthening the efficiency and effectiveness of Yale Health’s clinical operations, improving patient outcomes, fostering collaboration across teams, advancing staff training and development, and enhancing patient satisfaction through clear communication, reduced wait times, and a supportive, patient-centered environment.

She began her Yale Health career at the 17 Hillhouse location as an RN Coordinator for Surgical Specialties and has since witnessed and contributed to many of Yale Health’s milestones and achievements throughout her tenure.

Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys walking, cooking, and spending time with family and friends. She lives in Wallingford with her three sons and their black lab, Mac.

Ena Williams, PhD, RN, has been named chief nurse executive (CNE) of Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS). She has been a nurse with Yale New Haven Health for 32 years, advancing to the role of chief nursing officer (CNO) for Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) in 2018.

Williams joined the staff at YNHH in 1992 as a nurse in the Operating Room. She assumed the role of CNO in 2018. As CNO, she led the team through the first American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Nurse Residency Accreditation in the State and third Magnet Redesignation. The prestigious ANCC Magnet designation is the highest honor of nursing excellence a hospital can achieve. She led the nursing team through the COVID-19 pandemic and, most recently, YNHH was awarded the 2024 ANCC Magnet Prize, sponsored by Press Ganey, for the development of a patient experience survey tool for psychiatric inpatients.

As YNHHS chief nurse executive, Williams will steward three Magnet efforts in 2025. Bridgeport Hospital has applied for Magnet Recognition for the first time; and Yale New Haven and Greenwich hospitals will seek redesignation. Across YNHHS, Williams will lead the standardization and implementation of nursing best practices to improve quality, expand innovative training opportunities and leverage our talent to meet the needs of a changing healthcare environment.

At the national level, Ena serves on The Joint Commission Board of Commissioners and the American Nurses Foundation Board of Trustees. She was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) in 2023 and was named as one of Modern Healthcare’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives for 2024. She will become the American Organization for Nursing Leadership board president in 2026.

Yale New Haven Hospital is proud to welcome Courtney as our new chief nursing officer,” said Katherine Heilpern, MD, president, YNHH. “Courtney is an outstanding nurse leader with more than 20 years of progressive executive leadership experience. Throughout her career, she has consistently achieved top-tier nursing and hospital outcomes and we are very excited to bring her vision, energy and experience to our patients, families and staff.”

Prior to arriving at YNHH, Vose served as senior vice president and chief nursing officer at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) in New Jersey, and associate professor, Division of Advanced Practice Nursing, Rutgers University School of Nursing. Immediately prior to her tenure at RWJUH, Courtney served as CNO for New York-Presbyterian (NYP)/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NYP/Allen Hospital, NYP/Columbia Ambulatory Care Network (ACN), and assistant professor of Clinical Nursing, Columbia University School of Nursing. Under her leadership, both hospitals and the ACN achieved their inaugural Magnet recognition.

Before transitioning to executive leadership, Courtney worked as an emergency department and trauma nurse at Temple University Hospital and later as a neurosurgery nurse practitioner with a prominent practice in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. Her leadership journey began in emergency departments, trauma centers, and community hospitals within an academic health system, where she steadily grew her career.

On the regional and national level, Vose has held several influential leadership roles in nursing professional organizations. In 2021, she was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing, where she actively serves on the Building Health Care Excellence Expert Panel. She was elected vice chair for 2025 and is set to assume the role of chair in 2026.

Vose earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Science in Nursing/Adult Nurse Practitioner degree from Temple University, and both Master of Business Administration and Doctorate in Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership degrees from DeSales University.

Vose succeeds Ena Williams, PhD, RN, who has been named senior vice president and chief nursing executive, Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS).

Dr. Bressler has built a reputation for her expertise in patient care, leadership, policy and advocacy. Melding her faith with nursing science and social justice, her advocacy has improved health-equity for at-risk communities. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to improving the quality of care for cancer patients and supporting her fellow nurses in the oncology community.

Dr. Bressler received her PhD from Molloy University, Master’s degree from New York University, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from SUNY Downstate. Her scholarship and research promote access to cancer screening, aligning oncology nursing best practices and promoting palliative care among faith-based minorities. Dr. Bressler has disseminated this highly specialized work in more than 70 peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters spanning 20 countries and across five continents. A transformational leader, the impact of Dr. Bressler’s contributions cross a nexus of community, clinical, and educational settings, helping to advance global understanding and policy formation.

Dr. Bressler is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and advisory mentor for the Nursing Section in the New York Academy of Medicine and is the past President of the Orthodox Jewish Nurses Association. Bressler is the newly elected Director at Large for the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Board of Directors. In recognition of her national leadership, Bressler received the Excellence in Oncology Nursing Health Policy and Advocacy Award from the Oncology Nursing Society and the Health-Impact DAISY Nurse Leader Award in Policy from the American Organization for Nursing Leadership in 2024.

Anna Cerra is currently the Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer of Patient Care Services for the Magnet designated Greenwich Hospital, Yale New Haven Health. She has led her team in establishing an environment of excellence, and contributing to the superior clinical outcomes in patient care.

Anna’s personal journey began when she moved to the United States as a young elementary school student from Italy, not speaking a word of English. She quickly had to assimilate into a new culture, and it was pure determination and will that drove her to succeed. Anna has devoted herself to giving back and as a result, she has been a constant inspiration of “you can do it” to everyone around her.

Her career began in New York, and was successively followed by management positions in Critical Care and Ambulatory Surgery. She subsequently joined Greenwich Hospital in 1999, an affiliate of Yale New Haven Health, and served as the Director of Surgical Services and as Executive Director of Women’s and Children’s Services. Anna has been instrumental in the growth of these service lines and their standardization within Yale New Haven Health.

Anna has successfully initiated the Daisy Program, to honor nurses and received the prestigious Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for the second time, on September 15, 2021. Dr. Cerra sits on the Boards of the Connecticut Hospital Association for Patient Care Quality, Sacred Heart University and Chairs the Patient and Family Advisory Council at CHA. Dr. Cerra is appointed to one of 12 positions on the CICIAMS Pan American International Nurse Consulting Team on Best Practices, as the expert consultant on Hospital Administration. The CICIAMS Pan American International Nurse Consulting Team is an international committee of Catholic nurses who advise 150 Catholic hospitals around the world on evidence-based best practices.

In addition to a Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Health Care Administration, and a Master’s in Nursing, Dr. Cerra earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Case Western Reserve University. Anna completed the Samuel H. and Maria Miller Fellowship in the Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy Post-Doctoral Program, at Case Western Reserve University, May 2021. She will be presenting her Post-Doctoral research on “nurse leadership spiritual resilience at the 2022 World Congress. Anna was also contacted by the United Nations to work on building resilience on the International Human Trafficking task force. Dr. Cerra and her husband, Vincenzo, moved to Greenwich in 2012 and have one son, Massimo, and a soon to be daughter-n-law Julianna.

Bridgeport Hospital has named Mary Christoffersen, DNP, RN, senior vice president and chief nursing officer. Serving as interim CNO since December 2022, the Trumbull resident brings vast organizational knowledge, leadership experience and a drive towards ensuring excellence in patient care to her new role.

“Mary is the right choice for this critical role. She embodies all the best qualities of a nurse and nursing leader,” said Anne Diamond, JD, CNMT, hospital president, in announcing the new CNO. “She reflects the values and behaviors expected of all hospital staff – compassion, respect, patient-and family-centered care, integrity and accountability.”

“I am genuinely excited about the possibilities that lie ahead,” said Christoffersen. “Our team possesses a remarkable capacity for innovation and collaboration, consistently striving for excellence and delivering quality in everything we do. I look forward to embarking on this journey together.”

Christoffersen joined Bridgeport Hospital in 1998, beginning her career as a staff nurse in the Orthopedics, Neurosurgery and Urology unit. During her 25-year tenure with the organization, she has held numerous leadership positions having advanced from bedside care to OR manager, Director of Perioperative and Emergency Services and Executive Director of Operations and Patient Care Services. Since 2017, Christoffersen has served as vice president, Nursing and Patient Care Operations providing strategic direction in program development and performance improvement initiatives. She was also instrumental in navigating the complex challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, including resource and care management and staff education and support.

“There is no question Mary is the right nursing leader as we continue to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and the multitude of challenges it presented for our hospital and other healthcare organizations across the nation,” Diamond said. “She is a committed leader, mentor and role model, and shows it every day through her ever-present smile and positive attitude.”

As chief nursing officer, Christoffersen has oversight of all nursing clinical operations across the hospitals’ two campuses and multiple ambulatory sites. She will continue to focus on performance improvement, prioritizing education among nursing professionals and advancing care coordination and collaboration among nursing, physicians and clinical departments. In addition, she will use her vast experience and expertise to lead the process for the hospital’s pursuit of Magnet designation for nursing excellence.

Christoffersen earned her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Quinnipiac University. After an early career as a tax examiner for the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, she pursued a career in nursing receiving her RN from St. Vincent’s College and later earning her BSN from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She also obtained an MBA from Southern Connecticut State University.

Dr. MaryEllen (Mel) Hope Kosturko is the Executive Vice President and System Chief Nursing Officer for Hartford HealthCare (HHC). Highly regarded, Dr. Kosturko has served in various strategic leadership, operational, and clinical nursing roles. She has driven significant results as an energetic, dynamic, and inspiring Healthcare Executive with over 30 years of experience and an unwavering passion for the education and advancement of the nursing profession.

In a previous role in CT, where Dr. Kosturko served as SVP and Chief Nursing Officer at Yale New Haven Health/Bridgeport Hospital for decades, she oversaw an accredited diploma school of Nursing with Surgical Technology and Central Sterile Processing Programs for ten years before closing the school and assisting a local community CT University in opening a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program. She then assisted a second local CT University in opening another Bachelor of Science in Nursing program (University of Bridgeport/Goodwin and Eastern CT State University).

In her current role, Dr. Kosturko oversees the delivery of exceptional-quality inpatient and outpatient nursing services and patient care across the State of CT throughout Hartford HealthCare, with all seven (7) HHC acute care inpatient hospitals receiving Leap Frog 'A' quality scores. Dr. Kosturko is a passionate patient and nurse advocate focusing on strategically building a Center for Nursing Excellence. The Center is elevating and transforming nursing professional practice, research, and innovation, nursing practice standardization, nursing governance, workforce planning inclusive of leadership growth, development, mentoring and coaching, and program development to enhance the retention and recruitment of the nursing workforce. The Center also focuses strategically on the patient and colleague experience, quality and safety outcomes, and the financial management of clinical operations. In addition to a Bachelor of Science degree from Fairfield University, she holds a Master of Arts in Health Systems Management from Sacred Heart University's College of Business and a Doctor of Nursing Practice focused on Healthcare Leadership, Systems, and Policy from Yale University. Her statistically significant doctoral project work focused on Retention of the Newly Licensed Registered Nursing Workforce Post Coronavirus (COVID-19): Establishing a Trauma-Informed Wellness Program, The Registered Nurse Residency Script for the Future (RNRx)(©MHK2022). Dr. Kosturko is an Alumni Fellow of the Academy of GE Health Management Program for Nurse Executives, a member of Sigma Theta Tau's International Honor Society (of Nursing's Delta Mu Chapter), a national thought leader, and as such, has been a podium speaker internationally, nationally, and locally along with being published. Dr. Kosturko is a Volunteer Ambassador with AARPs National Center for Health Equity through Nursing (A-CHEN). She is a proven, influential nurse leader committed to leveraging her role to influence change in the complex systems in which she works and beyond. A community leader, Dr. Kosturko is a member of multiple national and local associations and serves on numerous CT university nursing advisory committees. She is a proud lifelong native of Connecticut.

Stamford Health’s Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer, Ellen Komar, has won this year’s Doris M. Armstrong Award for Outstanding Contributions to Nursing Administration from the Connecticut Nurses’ Association (CNA). This prestigious award recognizes outstanding achievement, innovation and leadership in nursing service, which embodies the cultivation of a practice environment that empowers nurses and enhances their impact on care while achieving significant advancement of the nursing profession.

Among her most notable achievements, Komar has led the organization to Magnet® designation for nursing excellence, helped secure the hospital’s Planetree designation, established a robust Nursing Research Institute; cultivated a growing Nurse Residency program, and advanced educational and career ladders for all nurses at the Stamford Health. Due to her leadership this past year, three of the hospital’s patient care areas were awarded the Guardian of Excellence Award from Press Ganey for outstanding outcomes in the patient care experience.

“I have worked closely with Ellen since she joined Stamford Health in 2004 as Director of our Orthopedic and Women’s Health Service lines. Her impact on our organization has been profound,” said Kathleen Silard, President and CEO of Stamford Health. “As Chief Nursing Officer, Ellen is well-respected among our nurses and physicians alike. We are proud to celebrate such a momentous honor with her.”

In her current role, Komar leads a team of more than 800 professionals, providing strategic direction and leadership for patient care services including all nursing units, perioperative services, emergency department, cardiac cath lab, pharmacy, pulmonary and neurology departments. Previously as Executive Director of the Heart & Vascular Institute and Women's Health, she was responsible for the planning and administrative launch of emergency and elective angioplasty, open heart and The Center for Integrative Medicine & Wellness.

Prior to joining Stamford Health, she served as Director of the Transplant Center, Heart Center & Neuroscience Center of Excellence at Westchester Medical Center (WMC) in Valhalla, NY. At WMC, Komar was the nurse manager for the Neurosurgical ICU & Burn Center and she also worked in the clinical areas of cardiothoracic, emergency and trauma. Komar holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and a Master's degree in Public Administration, Healthcare Administration from Pace University. She is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as Nurse Executive Advanced.

Northwell’s third executive to be spotlighted on the list is Maureen White. As the health system’s chief nursing officer, Ms. White oversees nursing practice, education, and research across Northwell’s 21 hospitals and more than 900 outpatient facilities. She is a recognized leader in nursing, having served as a faculty member for the Institute of Healthcare Improvement and one of the inaugural members of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-Transforming Care at the Bedside (TCAB) initiative.

“It’s a privilege to be recognized by Crain’s and to be part of such an impressive group of health care leaders,” said Ms. White. “I’m proud to work alongside the dedicated nurses and staff at Northwell who are committed to educating the next generation of nurses and providing compassionate care to our patients.”

Ms. White is also director of the Northwell Institute for Nursing, which focuses on nursing education, nursing research, creating healthy work environments, and developing future nursing leaders within Northwell.

“As exemplified by Dr. Tracey, Dr. Reiter and Ms. White, leadership is a science and an art. To lead successfully you must do so by example,” said Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health. “We are proud to have these esteemed and notable leaders as part of the Northwell family.”

Vincent Capece Jr. leads Middlesex Health and its flagship 275-bed Middlesex Hospital. He’s in a unique position because he runs one of the few remaining independent health systems in Connecticut. Middlesex Health, a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, offers cancer center, emergency department, surgery, urgent and primary care services, among others.

Capece has been vocal about the industry’s post-pandemic struggles.

In March, he submitted testimony to the state legislature’s Public Health Committee detailing the financial impact of the pandemic and how its “lingering effects have been staggering.” Capece submitted the testimony in opposition to a hospital regulatory reform bill that he said “increased regulatory oversight and control over hospitals without providing any assistance to address the many issues impacting hospitals (i.e., the healthcare workforce shortage; financial hardship; historic inflation in the cost of drugs, supplies, electricity, heat, infrastructure, and labor; sicker patients with more severe health needs; burdensome commercial insurance practices; increasing state administrative burdens; and Medicare and Medicaid underpayments).”

That legislation (Senate Bill 9) failed to pass through the legislature this year.

Over the past few years, Middlesex Health has added several services, including becoming the basic life support ambulance provider for the town of Durham. It also created the Middlesex Health Center for Golf Performance, located in Middletown, which assesses and addresses a golfer’s biomechanics, helping players better understand how their body relates to their golf swing.

Capece is a UConn grad, having received both his bachelor’s degree in accounting and MBA from the state’s flagship university.

We're thrilled to welcome Dr. Stephen Traub as our new ProHealth CEO. Dr. Traub is a practicing emergency medicine physician and medical toxicologist by training. He comes to Connecticut from Providence, Rhode Island. There, he most recently was the vice chair for Clinical Affairs for Brown Emergency Medicine (BEM) and interim medical director at Rhode Island Hospital. We're excited that Dr. Traub has joined us and we thank Dr. Alvarez for his contributions to our community and team. Cleveland is lucky to have him back.

Mary Blankson DNP, APRN, FNP-C, FAAN is the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for Community Health Center, Inc., overseeing diverse nursing services across the CHC network, including primary care, health care for the homeless, and school based health services. As CNO she ensures the quality and expansion of nursing services, the development of nursing policy, and continuing nurse education. Mary also works collaboratively to ensure Joint Commission and Patient Centered Medical Home compliance throughout CHC.

Building upon her service in various mission organizations, Mary continued to develop her passion for meeting the needs of the underserved by earning her MSN at Yale University in 2005. Mary joined CHC as a family nurse practitioner shortly after graduation. While at CHC, Mary has served as the On-Site Medical Director of the New London County Sites, the Vice President of the Medical Staff, the Chair of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, and has served as a preceptor for CHC’s Nurse Practitioner Residency Program. She completed her DNP education at Johns Hopkins University in 2015 with her capstone focusing on “Increasing Identification and Treatment Referral of Individuals with Hepatitis C (HCV) in the Primary Care Setting Through Clinical Dashboards.” Mary is certified and holds professional membership in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She continues to support various quality improvement projects throughout the agency to increase the visibility of nursing’s contribution to the Medical Home. In 2017, Dr. Blankson was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree by Quinnipiac University School of Nursing for her contribution to nursing and for helping meet the health care needs of the underserved.

Dr. Nicole Seagriff, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, is a nurse practitioner, healthcare leader, and breast cancer advocate. She currently serves as Vice President of the Western Region at Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC), overseeing multiple sites at CHC including Stamford, Norwalk, Danbury, Meriden, Bristol, and Waterbury.

Dr. Seagriff earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Boston College in 2007. She began her career as a Registered Nurse in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Yale New Haven Hospital while pursuing her Master of Science in Nursing at Yale University, graduating in 2011 as a Family Nurse Practitioner. In 2012, she completed the nation's first nurse practitioner residency program at CHC. She later obtained her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Duke University in 2016, focusing her research on genetic testing for breast cancer mutations in underserved populations.

Beyond her clinical roles, Dr. Seagriff is the President of The Pink Agenda, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness for breast cancer research and care among young professionals. A two-time breast cancer survivor herself, diagnosed first at age 26, she uses her personal experience to inspire and educate others, emphasizing the importance of research in providing treatment options.

I am the Sr. VP and Clinical Director of the Community Health Center, Inc. (CHCI), an organization I've had the privilege of leading and developing over much of my career. CHC is a FQHC serving 150,000 patients from its 200 service delivery sites. A family nurse practitioner since 1980, I have held progressive roles in the organization as both primary care provider and executive leader as CHCI transformed from a free clinic to one of the country’s largest and most innovative FQHCs.

In 2005, I founded CHCI’s Weitzman Center for Innovation, now the Weitzman Institute, which is CHCI’s research, innovation, and quality improvement arm. I also serve as the national co-director of the RWJF Primary Care Teams: Learning from Effective Ambulatory Practices (LEAP) project, which is studying exemplar primary care practices across the country.

Since 2007, I have led the national development of a model of post-graduate residency training programs for new nurse practitioners committed to practice careers in community health centers and established the National Nurse Practitioner Residency and Fellowship Training Consortium as an independent organization to serve as an accrediting organization for such programs. I am the Principal Investigator for HRSA’s National Cooperative Agreement on Clinical Workforce Development. Since 2009, I have had the pleasure of co-hosting, along with my friend, colleague, and CHC founder and CEO Mark Masselli, a weekly radio show, “Conversations on Health Care”, which connects people with issues of health policy, reform, and innovation, and speak widely on topics related to primary care policy, practice, and transformation. I am an alum of the University of Connecticut (BSN (and PHD) and Yale (MSN), proud to be a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, and an alumna of both the National Health Service Corps Scholars and the Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows Programs.

Mentored by Cornell Scott, Michael R. Taylor has been employed by the Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center (CS-HHC) since 2010 and served as its Chief Executive Officer since 2012. Prior to that, he was Founder and President of a health care consulting firm that served more than 200 community health centers nationally and also held leadership positions with several national accounting and health care consulting firms including The Lewin Group.

He provided consultative support to federal, state and local governments, and state and regional primary care associations. In addition, he was a subject expert and trainer for the National Association of Community Health Centers for more than ten years focusing on strategic planning and ope rations improvement.

Michael is a creative entrepreneur who is deeply passionate about community health’s capacity to improve the quality of people’s lives. His tenure at CS-HHC can best be described as a time of rededication to the legacy created by Cornell Scott and, with that, one of innovation, renaissance and growth and development. Under his guidance, CS-HHC’s leadership team fortified the health center’s financial position, blazed a trail of care integration, quality and patient centeredness, renovated and expanded or replaced existing care sites, add new care sites developed services, and bolstered internal systems and infrastructure such that CS-HHC now has 700+ staff members who operate in 35 care sites to serve more than 55,000 patients annually.
Michael earned a B.S. degree in Accounting and Finance from Northeastern University and supplemented his education with coursework in healthcare management. He serves on the Boards of Directors of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, the Community Health Center Association of CT, Community Health Network of CT and Yale New Haven Hospital. He is also Board Chair-Elect for the National Association of Community Health Centers.

Sara Keiling works as a Director, School Based Health & Community Outreach at Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center, which is a Hospitals & Physicians Clinics company with an estimated 691 employees; and founded in 1968. They are part of the Customer Experience team within the Marketing Department and their management level is Director. Sara graduated from Yale School of Nursing and is currently based in New Haven, United States.

Dr. Lagarde serves as CEO of Fair Haven Community Health Care, a Federally Qualified Health Center providing comprehensive health care to nearly 30,000 residents of southern CT. In her 9 years at the helm of Fair Haven, she has overseen considerable growth, with the addition of several new clinical sites and new clinical services. She currently oversees the health center’s efforts in practice transformation, transitioning from volume based to value-based health care delivery.

Trained as a gastroenterologist, Dr. Lagarde was a founding member of CT Gastroenterology Consultants, a large private practice in southern CT, where she worked for many years prior to her current position. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Yale University and an attending gastroenterologist at Yale New Haven Hospital. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in mathematics from Fordham University and obtained her medical degree from Cornell University. She acquired her MBA, specializing in Healthcare, from Yale University.

Dr. Lagarde is a founding member and past president of Project Access-New Haven, a non-profit which provides access to specialty care for the uninsured. She has devoted her career to improving health care for the underserved. In acknowledgement of her many contributions, she has received numerous community service awards. In 2015, she was the recipient of the “Healthcare Leadership and Innovator Award” from the Connecticut State Medical Society, one of the medical society’s highest recognitions.

Dr. Lagarde advocates for the underserved at both city and state levels. She serves on many key committees, including the Steering Committee of CT SIM (State Innovation Model) charged with healthcare reform in the state of CT. She serves on the Council on Medical Assistance Program Oversight for the state of CT, the agency with direct oversight of the Medicaid Program in CT. She chairs the Medicaid Committee of the CT State Medical Society and serves on the Board of Directors of Community Health Network (CHN), the ASO for CT Medicaid.

Amanda has spent her professional life working to advance equity in health care across health care settings – private practice, consulting, large academic health system, payer, and community-based non-profit provider. Amanda is a certified nurse-midwife and spent 10 years in clinical practice and practice leadership.

She is a past chair of the CT Chapter of the American College of Nurse-Midwives; during her tenure she led a successful policy campaign to expand the practice of nurse-midwives in Connecticut. Following her graduation from Yale School of Management, Amanda joined The Chartis Group as a healthcare strategy and operations consultant, spent 6 years at Yale New Haven Health System where she built out population health, clinical integration, and value-based care operations, and then served as Vice President and General Manager at Optum overseeing an integrated population health analytics and services business. In 2017 Amanda accepted her dream job at Planned Parenthood of Southern New England.

Amanda is a 2021-2022 Donaldson Fellow of the Yale School of Management. In her spare time, she is a governance nerd and serves on multiple boards including Planned Parenthood Federation of America Board of Directors, Better Health – a PP partnership, for which she is currently the board chair, and the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, for which she is currently treasurer.

She is a graduate of Rice University in Houston, TX, and holds her MSN from the Yale School of Nursing and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. Amanda lives in Connecticut with her husband, Kalter and their dogs, Butch and Sundance.

Zack Gray, 2019 MBA Wharton graduate, co-founded Ophelia, an online resource that seeks to improve access to opioid addiction treatment.

Ophelia, founded in 2019 by Gray and Columbia Business School faculty member Mattan Griffel, replaces rehabilitation treatment with telemedicine, providing its users with online doctors’ visits, prescribed medicine, and more.

“I was a business school student at Wharton, and a former girlfriend of mine died of an overdose. I was very involved in her attempt to get help and saw a system that was poorly designed for people who need access to treatment for addiction,” Gray told The Daily Pennsylvanian.

Ophelia aims to facilitate access to medication-assisted treatment, which can reduce overdoses by 75% but is difficult to receive from doctors. According to Gray, many people currently turn to the black market for MAT, which is unreliable, expensive, and illegal.

Barbara Pearce is the CEO of Pearce Real Estate. She practiced law at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLC, before returning to New Haven to work in the business her father started. After several decades as President and CEO of Pearce Real Estate, she is currently on sabbatical, in order to serve as the Interim CEO of The Connecticut Hospice, the country’s first hospice.

She has been extremely involved as a community leader in the State. She has chaired many boards, including The Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, Long Wharf Theatre, the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, the United Way of Greater New Haven, and the Hospital of Saint Raphael. She founded Women Organizing Women Political Action Committee (WOWPAC). She has served on the Connecticut Real Estate Commission, the Committee to Visit Harvard College, and as Campaign Chair of both the Greater New Haven United Way and the Greater New Haven National Arts Stabilization project.

Barbara holds honorary degrees from Albertus Magnus College and the University of New Haven, and has been honored by Glamour Magazine, the Connecticut Council on Philanthropy, and the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, as well as numerous other organizations. She is a graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Business School, living in Guilford with her attorney husband, Norm Fleming. They have two grown children.

David is a published, decisive, and experienced healthcare leader with over 25 years of emergency medical experience and more than 15 years of diverse nursing and leadership expertise. His career spans a wide range of specialties, including Compliance, Quality, Education, Consulting, Mental Health, Infection Control, Emergency, Acute and Chronic Care, Rehabilitation, Addiction Services, and Safety.

As an MSN-prepared leader, David’s career is distinguished by his progressive expertise in clinical, managerial, strategic, and executive healthcare leadership. He has proven his ability to excel in multiple areas, from continuous performance improvement and strategic assessment to large-scale budget management and rapid financial turnarounds. His expertise also includes emergency planning and response, personnel allocation, training, change management, and situational leadership.

Throughout his career, David has demonstrated a strong ability to develop and transform departments and teams, driving organizational growth and success. His leadership is characterized by decisive action, clear communication, and a commitment to improving patient care and operational efficiency.

David resides on the Connecticut Shoreline, where he enjoys boating, fishing, and spending quality time with his wife and three children.

Jennifer McIntyre is an experienced healthcare operations leader with more than 25 years of nursing experience, including over 20 years in ambulatory and specialty care. As Associate Chief of Clinical Operations at Yale Health, she oversees a comprehensive portfolio of departments including Internal Medicine, Acute Care, OB-GYN, Pediatrics, Specialty Services, Ophthalmology, Diagnostic Imaging, Endoscopy, Mental Health & Counseling, and Vaccine Program Operations. Jennifer is known for her detailed, data-driven approach that emphasizes efficiency, safety, and patient-centered excellence, while prioritizing the growth and professional development of both teams and individuals.

Appointed to the Associate Chief of Clinical Operations role in July 2024, Jennifer is approaching this opportunity with enthusiasm and a strong focus on future success. Her primary goals include strengthening the efficiency and effectiveness of Yale Health’s clinical operations, improving patient outcomes, fostering collaboration across teams, advancing staff training and development, and enhancing patient satisfaction through clear communication, reduced wait times, and a supportive, patient-centered environment.

She began her Yale Health career at the 17 Hillhouse location as an RN Coordinator for Surgical Specialties and has since witnessed and contributed to many of Yale Health’s milestones and achievements throughout her tenure.

Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys walking, cooking, and spending time with family and friends. She lives in Wallingford with her three sons and their black lab, Mac.

As the Acting ADPCS, Mr. Robidoux is Responsible for the Nursing services throughout all VA Connecticut for a 1a complexity health care system with an operating budget that exceeds $700 million and more than 3,200 employees who serve more than 59,000 unique Veterans in the Connecticut.

Mr. Robidoux began his VA career as a Critical Care Registered Nurse with the Florida VA Health Care System in 2008. He transferred to VA Connecticut in 2009 and worked as a staff nurse in both the MICU and SICU. In his over 17-year VA career he has served in various leadership roles. He is a certified mentor and is the executive sponsor for numerous hospital wide initiatives and construction projects. Prior to starting his career in the VA, he served as an active-duty paratrooper in the United States Army from 1992 to 2001. While serving in the Army he held many leadership positions and was honorably discharged from service in 2001.

Mr. Robidoux earned his undergraduate degree in Nursing from the University of North Georgia and his graduate degree in Nursing Leadership from the University of Hartford. He is a member of American Association of Critical Care nurses. Mr. Robidoux served 10 years in the Army as a US Army Paratrooper and is an active member in the Greater Hartford 82nd Airborne Association.

Jessica Chan is the Director of Medical Services at Child and Family Agency of SECT, overseeing all outpatient and school-based medical primary care services. As a national board-certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Ms. Chan worked in clinical and leadership roles for more than a decade across school-based health, primary care, behavioral health, and integrated, interdisciplinary health care models. Ms. Chan supervises all the APRN staff and is responsible for the medical services policies, procedures, and workflows to include regulatory compliance and ensure best practices are met.

As the medical supervisor for staff, Ms. Chan implements the ongoing professional practice evaluations (OPPE) for credentialing staff, which include health equity-based cultural shifts in medicine, and assessments and intervention for Social Determinants of Health for the medical providers.