BIDNEEDHAM - Key Persons
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
Althea Silver comes to the BID Needham BreastCare Center from BIDMC Boston. During her 11 years in Boston, Althea was the Nurse Navigator on the Liver Tumor Multi-Disciplinary team. Prior to working with the Liver Tumor team, she was the research nurse and center coordinator for the Movement Disorder team in outpatient Neurology. Althea has a BSN from Johns Hopkins University and an MPH from Boston University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
Bianca Calkins is responsible for overseeing the workflow throughout the breast imaging department and personally performs mammography exams. In her role, she is responsible for leading and mentoring the team of mammography technologists. Bianca is a liaison between the breast imaging department, the breast surgery team and the operating room, ensuring coordination of care throughout the patient breast care experience. Prior to joining BID Needham, she worked as a resource mammography technologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. Bianca holds a BS in Health Science Studies, from Quinnipiac University, and an AS in Radiography from Champlain College.
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Chief Financial Officer
- Vice President
- BID Needham As the Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Brian Smith joined BID Needham as the Vice President, Chief Financial Officer in May of 2022.
Brian oversees the finance department as well as facilities and support services.
Brian brings a nearly 20 year career in both hospital and physician practice financial management, most recently as Chief Financial Officer of Carney Hospital in Dorchester. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and accounting from Austin Peay State University in Tennessee, and received his Master of Business Administration from Oklahoma Christian University. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
Dr. Ranjna Sharma is a breast surgical oncologist specializing in the care of patients with breast cancer and benign breast disease. She attended Case Western Reserve University for her undergraduate studies and then received her medical degree from the Ohio State University College of Medicine. She performed a Residency in General Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Thereafter, Dr. Sharma completed an intensive Fellowship in Breast Surgical Oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She joined the faculty of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School (HMS) upon completing her Fellowship and was an attending surgeon for 9 years, with promotion to Assistant Professor of Surgery at HMS. Dr. Sharma returns to Beth Israel Deaconess Needham as the Director of Breast Surgery and Co-Director of the BreastCare Center. She will also serve as the Site Director for the BIDMC Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship.
Dr. Sharma is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. She is a longstanding member of the Society of Surgical Oncology and American Society of Breast Surgeons, and serves on national committees for both organizations. She has been awarded the Castle Connolly Top Doctor Award and Exceptional Women in Medicine Award.
Dr. Sharma believes in patient-centered care delivered in multidisciplinary fashion to offer the best clinical outcomes for her patients. She has engaged in clinical and outcomes-based research, and has published numerous studies in the medical literature discussing findings to improve patient care and management of breast cancer. She enjoys teaching the BIDMC general surgery residents, BIDMC breast surgical oncology fellow, and HMS students. Additionally, she enjoys taking part in events that provide social outreach and service to the local community. Dr. Sharma is thrilled to return to Beth Israel Deaconess Needham/BIDMC and believes that combining surgical clinical practice, teaching, research, and social outreach will provide the highest level of compassionate evidence-based care to her patients, their families, and the community.
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Certified Women 's Health and Adult Nurse Practitioner
Emily Howland is a board certified Women's Health and Adult Nurse Practitioner. She has practiced at BIDMC since 2015. She earned her master of science in nursing from MGH Institute of Health Professions in 2006. Emily practices at both the BIDMC and BID Needham BreastCare Center where her interests are evaluating patients with concerns of a breast mass, breast pain, nipple discharge, abnormal breast imaging and women in need of high-risk surveillance. In addition, she works collaboratively with Dr. Ranjna Sharma to help patients navigate through treatment after a breast cancer diagnosis.
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Chairman of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Chief Medical Officer
- Senior VP
​Gregory M. McSweeney, MD, MBA was appointed the Chief Medical Officer at BID Needham in August 2014.
Gregory M. McSweeney, MD, MBA was appointed the Chief Medical Officer at BID Needham in August 2014. He is responsible for the oversight of quality and patient safety, risk management, and medical staff office departments.
Dr. McSweeney has more than 20 years of healthcare management experience. He comes to BID Needham from Dedham Medical Associates where he worked as a community-based primary care practitioner since 2011. He served for 12 years at Carney Hospital as Vice President of Medical Affairs, and prior to that, was a medical director at Saint Elizabeth's Medical Center.
Dr. McSweeney is board certified in Internal Medicine having completed his medical school training at UMass Memorial Medical Center and postdoctoral training at Saint Elizabeth's Medical Center. Dr. McSweeney has also earned a master's degree in Business Administration from Boston University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Advisors
Heidi Alpert is the Senior Clinical Director at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham and has been in this position since October 2002.
In her role, Heidi oversees our outpatient areas including radiology, laboratory, specialty clinics, endoscopy and infusion and cardiology. In addition, she has key responsibilities for oversight of staff development and education as well as providing leadership for our DRIVE initiative. Heidi began her nursing career at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assumed the role of Nurse Manager after her role as clinical nurse, clinical advisor and Boston College School of Nursing Clinical Instructor. She was the chairperson for BIDMC's New Graduate Clinical Entry Program and Clinical Advancement Program.
Heidi holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing from Boston College. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, Chapter Chi (National Honor Society in Nursing). Heidi has been the recipient of the Mary Adelaide Nutting Award for Excellence in Nursing Management and has provided consultation to other healthcare organizations on transition to the new graduate nurse role and their development. Heidi developed and chairs our nurse clinical advancement program at BID Needham and is skilled in mentoring new managers. Heidi resides in Wellesley with her husband and has two sons, Marcus and David.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
Dr. Baum is a breast radiologist with over 40 years of experience in breast imaging. She completed her residency at the University of Michigan Medical School and an internship at St Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor.
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- CEO
- President
- Ex - Officio
- President of Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - Needham
John Fogarty is the President of Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, a position he has held since August 2011, after serving in an interim capacity since February of that year.
In this role, his focus has been in the areas of enhancing quality and building collaborative efforts with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In addition, he has led the growth of outpatient and surgical programs at BID Needham and the construction of a comprehensive cancer center, the BreastCare Center and most recently the new Outpatient Clinical Center on the hospital's campus. Prior to his joining the BID system, John served in the dual role of Executive VP of CharterCare Health Partners and CEO of St. Joseph Health Services of RI.
John holds an AB in Economics and a Master in Health Services Administration from Xavier University. He has served on numerous community boards including his current roles on the MHA Political Action Steering Committee and the Board of the YMCA in Barrington, RI. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and was a recipient of the ACHE Regent's Award for Early Career Advancement. John resides in Barrington, RI with his wife, Janet, and two sons, Sean and Patrick.
John is an ex-officio member of the BID Needham Board of Trustees and Board of Advisors by virtue of his position as President. He is also an ex-officio member of all committees.
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Human Resources Business Partner
- VP, Human Resources Business Partner
Julie Welch is a Human Resources Business Partner, and joined BID Needham in 2018.
Julie Welch was named the Senior Director of Human Resources in 2018. In this role, Welch is responsible for development, implementation, and administration of hospital-wide Human Resources policies and procedures; oversees employee relations and labor relations; and acts as a resource as needed in day-to-day activities of department staff to recruit and retain qualified personnel.
Welch has more than twenty years of experience in the human resources field, having previously served as the Director of Human Resources at Norwood Hospital and at Morton Hospital after serving as Assistant Director of Employee Relations and HR Operations at Tufts Medical Center and the Floating Hospital for Children for over nine years. Prior to entering in healthcare, Welch worked in Human Resources in the Media/Communications and Manufacturing industries.
Welch holds a Master of Business Administration with a Leadership Concentration from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Prior to that Welch attended Northeastern University where she attained an Associate of Science in Human Resource Management and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management. She resides in Bridgewater.
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Chief Nursing Officer
- Senior VP
Kathy Davidson graduated from Northeastern University with a BSN in Nursing and worked as a staff nurse and then nurse manager of the ICU at Carney Hospital.
Kathy Davidson graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 1979 and worked as a staff nurse and then Nurse Manager of the ICU at Carney Hospital. She continued her management career as Assistant VP for Nursing at Faulkner Hospital from 1987-1992 and then VP of Patient Care Services at Nashoba Valley Hospital from 1992-1994. During that time she received her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Boston University and her Master in Business Administration degree from Suffolk University. Kathy was recruited to St. Joseph's Medical Center in Stamford, CT for a turnover management position as Senior VP of Operations. In 1997, Kathy was then recruited to St. Vincent's Medical Center in Bridgeport, CT as VP of the major service lines; including cardiology and cardiac surgery, neurology, orthopedics, rehab and ED/trauma. In 2001, Kathy returned to Boston as CNO of Boston Medical Center responsible for all the nursing clinical operations including 2200 employees and 1400 RN's. After a successful seven years at BMC, Kathy was CNO at Steward Norwood Hospital for four years before accepting her present position as CNO/COO at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham.
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
Samantha Sherman arrived at BID Needham as the Chief Development Officer in July 2012 from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where she played many roles - leading events, marketing and communications, annual giving, and board relations for nearly 15 years.
Samantha Sherman arrived at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham as the Chief Development Officer in July 2012 from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. At BIDMC, she was the Executive Director of Development and Strategic Planning, serving as a lead strategist on the medical center's $300 million capital campaign. In her role, she led events, marketing and communications, donor relations, annual giving, and board relations for nearly 15 years.
In her current position as Chief Development and External Relations Officer at BID Needham, she serves as a key strategist on the CEO's senior team. As a senior executive and leader, Samantha is responsible for the direction, management, and coordination of all the external relations activities at the hospital, including fundraising, marketing and communications, board relations, community relations and benefits, government relations, and volunteer services.
Samantha plays an integral part, along with President and CEO John Fogarty, and the Development Committee, in working with the Board of Trustees and Board of Advisors on the hospital's capital campaign to support the Cancer Center and Surgical Pavilion at BID Needham.
Samantha is well-rooted in the community. She grew up in Newton and lives in Needham with her husband Marc Rolfes and their three children.
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
Dr. Fein-Zachary is a breast radiologist with over 30 years of experience in breast imaging. She does all aspects of breast imaging including breast biopsies and breast MRI. She is an Assistant Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School with an interest in healthcare for sexual and gender minorities.
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- Co - Director of the BreastCare Center
Dr. Dialani is the Co-Director of the BreastCare Center. She also serves as the Director of Breast Imaging - Community Network Division and collaborates with the BID community hospitals and medical office sites, including BID Needham, BID Milton, BID Plymouth, Medical Care Center North (Chelsea), BID HealthCare Lexington and Chestnut Hill. She works with local administration and management to ensure the delivery of exceptional and uniform breast imaging care and quality across these sites.
Dr. Dialani has been an attending radiologist at BIDMC since 2006. She joined BIDMC as a Women's Imaging Fellow in 2003 and from 2003-2006, she completed additional research and clinical fellowships in Breast Imaging and Chest Imaging. Before relocating to Boston, Dr. Dialani earned her MD from Grant Medical College in Mumbai, lndia. She also completed her Diagnostic Radiology Residency at Grant Medical College and the Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals in Mumbai.
She is an Assistant Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School and has published several peer reviewed manuscripts on various aspects of breast imaging. She is particularly interested in Breast MRI and new technologies in Breast imaging. Dr. Dialani has held various administrative leadership positions, including Clinical Director of Breast MRI, since 2013 and Clinical Director of BID Needham. She was the site PI for the ECOG/ACRIN trial, "Comparison of Abbreviated Breast MRI and Digital Breast Tomosynthesis in Breast Cancer Screening in Women with Dense Breasts." She has been a mentor to several residents and fellows, was named a Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) Fellow in 2015, and is actively involved with SBI today.
Dr. Champion is a fellowship trained breast radiologist. Dr. Champion completed his residency from Rhode Island Hospital and fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors
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- Member of the Board of Advisors