WEITZMAN INSTITUTE - Key Persons
Abby is a Program Specialist for Weitzman Institute where she primarily serves on the implementation team of the Prescription for Play program, a partnership with the LEGO Foundation to promote learning through play at pediatric primary care visits in clinics across the country. In this role, she provides insight to provider relations, program coordination and process improvement to support equitable health care opportunities to thrive in underserved communities. Prior to this role, she worked on the NIH All of Us Research Program also within Weitzman Institute as the Internal Program Specialist. She coordinated internal operational aspects of the AoU program and provided oversight and management of the Research Coordinators.
Before joining CHC and Weitzman in 2022, she was simultaneously working as a School Based Health Center Care Coordinator with Intercommunity Healthcare and as a Pharmacy Technician with CVS Pharmacy. She received her Bachelor's degree in Health Sciences with a concentration in Business Administration from University of Hartford and her dual Masters of Health Administration/Masters of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She also has a passionate background in faith based philanthropic initiatives. Abby is a native of Connecticut, born and raised but loves to travel, plan/coordinate events, cook, bake, explore new adventures and spend quality time with her loved ones.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Associate
Adam Alomari earned his Master of Public Health from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health. Early on, Adam held numerous research positions, most of which have been part of grant-funded projects/studies focusing on a variety of issues and aspects in regards to overall health, awareness and prevention. Prior to joining Moses/Weitzman, Adam served as a Senior Research Associate for the Cancer Prevention & Control Division for the Family & Community Medicine Department at Texas Tech Health Science Center - El Paso. He contributed to the operation and growth of four large state funded cancer prevention programs that provided free education and screening services to underserved/minority groups; focusing on HPV along with breast, colorectal and cervical cancers. Within a decade, Adam was directly involved in the expansion and progress of each grant, as each program was refunded at least 3 times over and was disseminated throughout 50+ West Texas counties; servicing nearly 70,000 individuals. He spent the latter half of his tenure with TTUHSC overseeing all data components for the Division; focusing on database development, data management, documentation, analysis and visualization. He has contributed to several conference presentations along with co-authoring published work in the research field of cancer awareness and prevention. Adam brings a passion and motivational interest in being able to pinpoint critical needs and share information in exciting, useful and accessible ways.
Alejandra graduated with a Bachelors of Education and Languages from the Libre University in Colombia. She has devoted the past five years to a successful career in healthcare. Beginning as a Patient Services Associate (PSA) at CHCI, and then transitioned to the role of Research Coordinator for the All of Us Research Program. Her commitment to advancing healthcare excellence led Alejandra to assume the position of Quality Assurance and Training Lead. In this role, she played an essential part in maintaining and enhancing operational standards while overseeing training initiatives. Currently serving as a Program Manager, Alejandra continues to bring her expertise to the forefront, coordinating comprehensive healthcare programs with precision and strategic insight.
Job Titles:
- Education Program Specialist
Anthony is an Education Program Specialist for the Weitzman Institute where they oversee day-to-day program management of Key Populations ECHO as well as the Telehealth Technology-Enabled Learning Program (TTELP) ECHOs, which includes Complex Integrated Pediatrics ECHO and Advanced Primary Care ECHO. Within Weitzman, Anthony is also a co-lead of the E3 (Expanding Equity in Education) Committee and the Weitzman Wednesdays meeting series. Anthony is especially passionate about being a voice for the LGBTQ+ community in their role while developing education initiatives that help to address health inequities faced by underrepresented populations. Prior to joining Weitzman, Anthony worked in secondary education as an English teacher and Academic Interventionist. They graduated from Quinnipiac University in 2016 with a B.A. in English and in 2017 with their M.A. in Teaching. In their free time, Anthony enjoys creative writing, video games, and taking care of their handsome cat, Jace.
Dr. Forray is a reproductive psychiatrist board-certified in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. She is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine. She received her B.A. in neuroscience from Bryn Mawr and her M.D. from Harvard. She completed her residency training in psychiatry at Yale and has been a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry since then. She is the Director of the Center for Wellness of Women and Mothers, a reproductive psychiatry research program. As a principal investigator and co-investigator on several NIH-funded grants, she has developed and implemented addiction treatment interventions for pregnant and postpartum patients. Clinically, Dr. Forray is a consultation-liaison psychiatrist at Yale New Haven Hospital, where she is the Section Chief of Psychological Medicine. The Psychological Medicine Section includes traditional and proactive psychiatric consult services on medical and surgical inpatient units, and 14 integrated psychiatry and behavioral health programs in diverse medical and surgical outpatient settings.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Education Operations
Ariel Porto is the Assistant Director of Education Operations at the Weitzman Institute where her work focuses on the conceptualization and development of virtual continuing education initiatives such as Project ECHO, webinars, on-demand modules, and learning collaboratives for health care professionals. Across a robust historical and current portfolio of projects, Ariel leads programs that apply one or more of these modalities regionally and across the country to solve for major health disparities in topic areas such as substance use disorder, psychiatric conditions, diabetes, and women's health. Ariel has nearly a decade of experience in this field, including hands-on as a Program Coordinator, serving as the Program Manager to train and supervise an operations team of Program Specialists during a period of rapid growth, and program oversight as the Senior Program Manager for Education. In her current role, Ariel is integral to the funding, design, and development of new programs, leads stakeholder relationships with a variety partners from federal and nonprofit agencies and health plans, provides collaborative and compassionate leadership and mentorship to a diverse and skilled Education team, and co-leads the Weitzman Institute's Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education (CEU) activities. Ariel promotes resilient collaborations between research and education program implementation staff, ensuring that the Weitzman Institute's findings and best practices are disseminated nationally through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations, often through the lens of implementation science. Prior to this position, Ariel managed the support department for an elder law website and taught English to children in Japan, developing diverse technology and communication skills that lend to the dynamic perspective she brings to leadership. She earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and completed a dual Bachelor's Degree in Communications and English Literature at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager for the National Training and Technical Assistance Partner
- Project Manager, NTTAP
Bianca Flowers is the Project Manager for the National Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP) on Clinical Workforce Development at Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC)/Weitzman Institute supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). In this role, she oversees the program's implementation and operations, in addition to developing innovations to the program. She is responsible for carrying out tasks related to conducting, coordinating, and supporting the growth and development of NTTAP activities. This includes project objectives, vision, success criteria and measurement, budget, scope, developing an implementation plan, and project management throughout the project. This also includes documentation of these processes, communication with internal CHCI/Weitzman, and external partners nationally. Most recently, Bianca served as the Health Educator and Special Projects Coordinator at Suwannee River Area Health Education Center (SRAHEC) in Alachua, Florida where she supported the center's Federal AHEC Scholars Program focused on interprofessional learning for health professions students. Bianca graduated from Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) in 2016 with her Bachelor's in Public Health, and she also has a background in higher education and student affairs from working as a SCSU Wellness Center Graduate Intern while pursuing her Master's of Public Health. One year after graduating in 2019, Bianca successfully passed the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC), Inc.'s competency-based examination and became a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®).
Job Titles:
- Program Manager
- Program Specialist
Claire Newby joined the Weitzman Institute as a Program Specialist in June 2022, and was promoted to the role of Program Manager in September 2023. In this role, Claire works with the Prescription for Play program, a collaboration with The Lego Group to address the mental health needs of young children. Claire graduated summa cum laude from DePaul University with a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences in 2020, and went on to receive a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Minnesota in 2022. Prior to joining the team at Weitzman, Claire has experience working in public health and healthcare in a multitude of capacities, including roles such as a collegiate peer health educator, mental health advocate for adults with severe and persistent mental illness, an Autism services paraprofessional for preschool and school aged children, and a services coordinator for students in recovery from substance use disorders. Claire's interests lie in health equity and access, and she is proud to use her role as a Program Manager to reduce health disparities, improve mental health in children, and encourage best practices among providers.
Job Titles:
- Instructional Design Specialist
Colleen is an Instructional Design Specialist for the Weitzman Education team. Colleen works to continually improve our education programs and develop engaging synchronous and asynchronous content to support our mission. Previously, Colleen worked in higher education where she assisted faculty with the development of online courses for undergraduate and graduate programs. She also has experience creating synchronous and asynchronous training curricula and instructional materials in secondary school and corporate settings. Colleen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Mathematics Education from Villanova University, a Master of Education degree in Mathematics Education from Rutgers University - New Brunswick, and a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology degree from Saint Joseph's University of PA.
Job Titles:
- Education Program Specialist
Coralie Arango is a dedicated professional with a background in psychology, holding a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Bridgeport. Currently serving as the Education Specialist at Moses Weitzman Health System in Meriden, CT, Coralie oversees administrative operations, providing technical assistance to program staff, ensuring quality assurance, and developing educational presentations and curriculum. With a proven track record in healthcare, Coralie has honed skills in customer service, data entry, and program coordination. Previous roles include Operations Coordinator at the Meriden branch of Community Health Center, where multitasking and maintaining a high standard of care were paramount. With a rich history of providing support to individuals with mental and physical disabilities, Coralie Arango is not only proficient in English and Spanish but also brings a compassionate approach to every role, fostering independence and well-being within diverse communities.
Job Titles:
- Health Services Researcher
Dr. April Joy Damian is an epidemiologist, health services researcher, and classically trained public health professional with expertise in health equity, social determinants of health, psychiatric epidemiology, and mixed methods. She currently serves as the Vice President and Director of the Weitzman Institute, a research, education, and policy center dedicated to quality improvement and primary care transformation, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations. Dr. Damian concurrently serves as a Senior Scholar for Health Equity at AcademyHealth, and holds faculty appointments at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Wesleyan University. She provides thought leadership on numerous national committees, including as an appointed Member of the National Academies Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Forum for Children's Well-Being, Member of the Committee on Advocacy and Public Policy (CAPP) and Membership Committee at AcademyHealth, and inaugural Vice-Chair of the Health Equity/Patient Reported Outcomes/Community Engagement Committee of NIH's RECOVER initiative. Dr. Damian previously served as the Director of Quality Innovation at the National Quality Forum (NQF), where she spearheaded the expansion of NQF's portfolio on social determinants of health quality measures, and co-led the NQF Measure Incubator®, an innovative effort that facilitates efficient measure development and testing through collaboration and partnership, and addresses important aspects of care for which quality measures are underdeveloped or non-existent.
Dr. Damian completed her PhD in the Department of Mental Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Masters in Medical Sciences at Harvard Medical School. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelors of Arts in Ethnic Studies, Highest Honors. She has received numerous recognitions in honor of her role as a social change agent, including the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded Community Well-Being Warrior Award, and an honorarium from the University of Delaware.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Scientist
Dr. Becca Tavernier is a licensed clinical health psychologist with a focus on maternal and child health promotion. Much of her work has involved developing and evaluating clinical trials aimed at improving smoking, mental health, and weight-related outcomes among perinatal persons. An additional area of interest has centered on identifying and addressing health disparities in vulnerable populations of perinatal people, including those living in rural areas and those with a history of childhood maltreatment. She currently serves as co-investigator on two NIH-funded studies focused on postpartum smoking relapse prevention and identifying personality predictors of perinatal health outcomes. She has published widely in the field of perinatal health.
Dr. Tavernier completed her BS in psychology and BA in philosophy at the University of Washington, and her joint PhD in clinical and biological health psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. She went on to complete her clinical residency at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and her postdoctoral fellowship training in epidemiology and translational science at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Tavernier maintains an appointment as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth campus. She has worked as both a researcher and clinician and has specialty certification in perinatal mental health.
Job Titles:
- Director of Research
- Health Services Researcher
Dr. Grace Wang is a health services researcher with expertise in mixed methods evaluations of health programs. As Director of Research at the Weitzman Institute, Dr. Wang contributes to research about quality improvement and primary care transformation. Dr. Wang's expertise is in how new technologies and innovations enter into health care systems. She previously studied digital delivery of conservative care for musculoskeletal needs. She has also served as a research and evaluation consultant to government agencies, including the Agency for Healthcare Research a Quality, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and county public health agencies. Dr. Wang completed her PhD in Public Health Genetics at the University of Washington and MPH at The George Washington University.
Job Titles:
- Principal Investigator for the All of Us Research Program
- Principal Investigator, All of Us Research Program / Senior Research Scientist
Dr. Katrina Yamazaki is the Principal Investigator for the All of Us Research Program and Senior Research Scientist at Weitzman Institute. Dr. Katrina Yamazaki received her Ph.D. from UC San Diego where she used x-ray imaging and biochemical techniques to study the mechanisms by which abnormal wall motion leads to an upregulation of inflammation in the heart. Dr. Yamazaki was a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Cal State LA where she ran a cardiovascular metabolism research lab and taught multiple courses related to human anatomy, physiology and pathology. She also served as program coordinator and director for the California State University Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation undergraduate program and Bridge to Doctorate program for graduate students, which prepared students facing socioeconomic, educational and financial barriers for STEM graduate programs and/or the STEM workforce. Dr. Yamazaki brings her experience in research, mentoring, program oversight and working with a diverse community to her role at Weitzman Institute.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President and Clinical Director of the Community Health Center, Inc
Dr. Margaret Flinter is the Senior Vice President and Clinical Director of the Community Health Center, Inc. A family nurse practitioner since 1980, she has held progressive roles in the organization as both clinician and executive leader as it transformed from a storefront clinic to one of the country's largest FQHCs. In 2005, she founded CHCI's Weitzman Center as the research and development arm of CHCI, now the Weitzman Institute, and serves as a Senior Faculty of the Institute. Margaret also served as the national co-director of the RWJ Foundation's LEAP project, which studied exemplar primary care practices across the country. She also serves as the PI and co-Director of the National Technical Training and Assistance Project on Clinical Workforce Development. Margaret has led the national development of a model of post-graduate residency training programs for new nurse practitioners committed to practice careers as primary care providers, particularly in safety net settings and established and chairs the Board of the National Nurse Practitioner Residency Training Consortium. She is the co-host of a weekly radio show, "Conversations on Health Care", which connects people with issues of health policy, reform, and innovation, and speaks widely on topics related to primary care transformation.
Margaret received her BSN from the University of Connecticut, her MSN from Yale University, and her PhD at the University of Connecticut. She is a fellow of both the American Academy of Nursing and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Margaret is a former National Health Service Corps and RWJ Executive Nurse Fellow.
Emily attained her Bachelor of Public Health degree from Southern New Hampshire University. She possesses a strong passion for addressing healthcare disparities among underserved populations. Emily is a traveling Research Coordinator I with the All of Us Research Program. She travels to various CHC sites and conducts outreach and engagement strategies to recruit participants into the program, while also facilitating retention activities to maintain participants in the program. Along with outreach, engagement, and retention activities, her role includes education and biospecimen collection.
Job Titles:
- Education Program Specialist
Emma Warshauer is an Education Program Specialist for the Weitzman Institute. Emma graduated from Central Connecticut State University with a Bachelor's degree in Strategic Communication with minors in Biomolecular Science and Writing/Publishing in 2021. She is expected to graduate in the spring of 2024 from Sacred Heart University with a Master's in Public Health with a concentration in Community Outreach. Emma previously worked for Hartford Hospital in the neurotrauma/neurosurgery units as a surgical scheduler. Most recently, Emma has been working with the Fairfield CARES Community Coalition researching and analyzing data regarding LGBTQ+ substance misuse in Connecticut. Emma has always been passionate about health and the medical field. Some of her specific interests include mental health, LGBTQ+ health, and health equity. In her spare time, Emma enjoys reading, knitting, and "unplugged" nature walks.
Gerard "Gerry" H. Weitzman was born in Middletown, CT. and died tragically in a car accident on May 21, 1999. A graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, class of 1956, he attended Wesleyan University from 1956 - 1957, and graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, B.S. Pharmacy in 1960. He served as a staff sergeant for the 103rd Fighter Group of the Connecticut Air National Guard in Windsor Locks, from 1963 - 1969. In 1960, he joined his father in managing Pelton's Drug Store, the oldest pharmacy in Connecticut and one of the oldest in the country. In 1972, the business was handed down to Gerry, who continued to guide Pelton's further progress, expanding from Middletown to Wethersfield and East Hartford. He was active in many civic and community organizations including an early champion and board chairman of Community Health Center, Inc.
Gerry Weitzman's commitment to healthcare as a social justice issue and his zest for innovation and new ideas led him to join the Community Health Center's original founders in creating an organization that would benefit from Gerry's energy and leadership for nearly 30 years. He championed the growth and expansion of CHC from its original focus on Middletown to embrace the development of sites in cities all across Connecticut, as well as in schools and shelters. When CHC formed the Weitzman Center for Innovation in Community Health and Primary Care in 2005, it was a natural step to name it in honor of Gerry, who we like to say, never met a good idea he didn't like. He would have been enormously proud of the evolution of the Center into the Weitzman Institute, and its position as a leader in research, innovation, and quality across the United States.
Idiana Velez is the Project Manager for Research and Evaluation at Weitzman Institute. Idiana has 16 years of experience working in the human services field serving key populations and has always had a passion for helping underserved communities. Idiana worked for the Community Health Center, Inc.'s Center for Key Populations (CKP) as the PrEP Navigator and HIV Education Coordinator where her work focused on the uptake of PrEP. Through this position, Idiana took the lead in educating providers on PrEP and obtaining buy-in, as well as training the MA staff on how to approach patients that can benefit from PrEP. In her time working with CKP, Idiana assisted in the recruitment of focus groups for a research project on SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) data collection and compilation. Before starting at the Weitzman Institute, Idiana worked as a Grants Manager at an LGBTQ+ primary care center, managing a prevention grant from the Department of Public Health on PrEP and HIV Prevention.
In her current role as a Project Manager for the Weitzman Institute, Idiana contributes to multiple research projects by conducting patient interviews as well as assisting with patient recruitment and FQHC recruitment for project rollouts at the national level. She also brings her expertise in working with marginalized populations to meet the needs of the Weitzman Institute's diverse research portfolio. Additionally, Idiana plays a significant role in the development for Weitzman by actively seeking funding opportunities and leading the WI Internal Funding Committee. She also provides support for our grant writers by tracking all activities during the writing process as well as all components of the applications. Idiana has cross-department roles within Research and Education and provides administrative support to the VP/Director as well as the Director of Partnerships and Development at Weitzman Institute.
Job Titles:
- Instructional Designer for the Weitzman Education
Jason Neenos is an Instructional Designer for the Weitzman Education team. Previously Jason was an Instructional Designer for higher education working with faculty on course development and technology training. Prior to that he was a K12 teacher teaching History, Government, and English. He has a Master of Education in Educational Technology from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education, also from Arizona State University.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Training and Technical Assistance
Jenni Lane joined the Weitzman Institute in 2022, bringing decades of experience in education to her role as Assistant Director of Training and Technical Assistance. Jenni has developed and disseminated multiple replicable trainings, practice improvement and change management interventions, and quality improvement initiatives that are currently implemented in health centers, health systems, schools, and community-based organizations across the country. She prioritizes health equity in program design, toward a goal of disrupting and dismantling inequitable practices and systems.
In 1999, Jenni received her Master's degree in English from Eastern Michigan University, where she taught writing while volunteering at a local family planning clinic. She found her passion for prevention/education work in adolescent sexual health there, and she dedicated herself to improving adolescent health and wellbeing through centering the voices and needs of young people. This launched the next twenty years of her career, where she focused on training and professional development for adolescents and the adult professionals who serve them. Jenni adheres to the principle, "Nothing about us/without us," through human-centered program development and patient care practices. She brings this perspective and her love of data-driven continuous quality improvement to Weitzman after serving for eight years as Senior Program Manager at the University of Michigan Adolescent Health Initiative. At AHI, Jenni built strong national partnerships and secured funding for many innovative projects, striving to keep youth justice, reproductive justice, and racial and social justice at the center of the work. Jenni has been a proud member of the Youth Engagement committee of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine since its inauguration, and has served on many boards and task forces. She finds joy in her daily morning walks, vegetable growing and cooking, reading, NYT crossword puzzles, and her many treasured relationships.
For over twenty years, Jenni Lane has worked in the field of healthcare improvement. She has significant experience in performance improvement and program development across the stages of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation, bringing innovative concepts to practical application. Lane has co-developed, piloted, and scaled evidence-based models that are now implemented in hundreds of health centers across the U.S. She champions justice-driven approaches, human-centered problem-solving, and adult learning principles to drive change. In her role as Assistant Director of Training and Technical Assistance at the Weitzman Institute at the Moses/Weitzman Health System, Lane supports the development of CME/CE activities and quality improvement initiatives for primary care providers and care teams at Federally Qualified Health Centers and other safety net centers across the U.S. Lane advances evidence-based practices through her training expertise, and she has a sound understanding of the role translational science plays in professional development for healthcare professionals. She has been an author on four peer-reviewed articles and is certified by The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program) in Social and Behavioral Research.
Most recently, as Senior Program Manager at the University of Michigan Adolescent Health Initiative, Jenni Lane trained and coached over 100 interdisciplinary health center teams on practice improvements and workforce development around issues such as integrated behavioral healthcare, LGBTQ+-affirming care, adolescent-centered care and teen pregnancy prevention, and many other topics. She has received numerous national awards for her work incorporating innovative, positive youth development principles into the healthcare field, including the Partnership Award from the Institute for Patient and Family-Centered Care and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine's Millar Innovation award.
Job Titles:
- Senior Health Policy Analyst
Jessica McCann, MPH, CPH Senior Health Policy Analyst Jessica joined the Weitzman Institute as Senior Health Policy Analyst in 2023. She received her Master of Public Health degree from Oregon Health and Science University, where her work focused on improving health care for underserved and vulnerable populations. She previously earned a master's degree in geography from Temple University, and strives to incorporate place into her public health work. In previous positions with the Robert Graham Center and HealthLandscape, both within the American Academy of Family Physicians, Jessica gained experience in health policy and research, data analysis, geographic information systems/health geography, and federally-funded health centers. Her research interests include behavioral health, community health centers, climate health and environmental justice, and health equity. She enjoys traveling, hiking, and lots of coffee.
Job Titles:
- Education Program Specialist
Jhoselyn Jara is an Education Program Specialist for the Weitzman Institute. She works with the Project ECHO team on programs such as Complex Care Management, Diabetes Management for Health Net, Medicated Assisted Treatment, and Peer Recovery Specialists. As a Program Specialist, Jhoselyn works closely with faculty on curriculum planning, ensuring that program objectives are being met, and day-to-day logistics for each program. Jhoselyn graduated from Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a minor in Biology in 2019. She is a member of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, and a New Haven Scholar. In 2021, she received her Master's degree in Health Psychology from CCSU. Jhoselyn has always had a passion in health and wellness, especially in underserved communities. Outside of Weitzman, Jhoselyn loves traveling, hiking, all things food, spending time with her friends and family, and working on DIY home projects in her new home!
Julia Karlin is a Program Specialist for the Weitzman Institute on the Prescription for Play program, which embeds learning through play into pediatric well-child visits through provider education and free play kits in partnership with the LEGO® group and foundation. In this role Julia works to spread the model of Prescription for Play and educate pediatric providers on the importance of play for early childhood development. Julia is passionate about health, health equity, and social justice. After receiving a Bachelor's degree in Diversity and Social Justice at East Carolina University, Julia went on to receive her Masters in Integrative Health and Wellness from Creighton University's School of Medicine. Julia is proud to be a part of the Weitzman Institute and contribute to the important work conducted by the organization.
With the UT Health Brownsville Regional Campus she served as the project manager for the UT Health Mobile Clinic Community Health Worker/Navigator program which provided basic health services to rural areas of Cameron County. She is very proud of leading a needs assessment for the mobile clinic that enhanced and expanded its impact by providing locally-based patient navigators to support screening of BMI, hypertension and to deliver health education presentations and support. She also worked closely with community health workers/promotoras de salud in the implementation of culturally relevant health presentations across Cameron County as part of various health initiatives including the Tu Salud Si Cuenta Health campaign, Salud y Vida Diabetes Prevention Program, and general presentations related to nutrition, physical activity, and colorectal cancer prevention.
Tonantzin grew up dividing her time between the border towns of Brownsville, Texas and Matamoros Mexico. She is very proud of her bicultural upbringing which allowed her to see first-hand how social, cultural, economic and political factors affect the health of border residents. Tonantzin is a graduate of UT Brownsville where she double majored in Psychology and History. She has a Master of Science in Psychology from UT San Antonio. Tonantzin is bilingual in English and Spanish, and is proficient in French.
As Director of Education for the Weitzman Institute, Dr. Ashley is responsible for providing leadership and supporting the growth and development of the Weitzman Institute's diverse educational programs. Dr. Ashley has focused her career on adult education in health and health care, whether in academic or non-profit settings. Her areas of expertise include curriculum design and development, accreditation, faculty development, instructional design, and evaluation. Prior to joining CHC, Dr. Ashley was the Associate Director of Education at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice at Dartmouth College, where she oversaw its MPH, MS, and PhD programs. While at Dartmouth, Dr. Ashley was also the Principal Investigator for a CDC/PEPFAR project in partnership with Boston University's School of Public Health, and Muhimbili University's School of Public Health (in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) to redesign Muhimbili's public health curriculum and offer faculty development seminars. The goal of this nine-year project was to increase the number of public health workers in the field to address HIV/AIDS in Tanzania.
Prior to joining Dartmouth, Karen served as Director of Education for the Carolinas Center for Hospice and End of Life Care, providing continuing education for hospice and end-of-life care providers and volunteers for hospice agencies across North and South Carolina. Before that, she worked with the Northeast Tennessee Area Health Education Center through East Tennessee State University, coordinating continuing education for medical and other health care professionals in 13 counties in Tennessee. Karen completed her EdD in Educational Leadership from the University of Phoenix, MEd in Health Education from the University of Tennessee, and BS in Health and Sport Science from Wake Forest University.
Job Titles:
- Founder and Director of UMassMemorial 's Karen W Green Clinic for Pregnancy
Katherine Callaghan is the founder and director of UMassMemorial's Karen W Green Clinic for Pregnancy and Recovery. This multidisciplinary clinic provides comprehensive prenatal care and addiction treatment to women with a variety of substance use disorders. Since joining the Ob/Gyn Department at UMassMemorial in 2014, Katherine has led a committee of nurses, pharmacists, addiction specialists and administrators in drafting, finalizing and implementing in-patient protocols for initiating Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in the pregnant patient. She was site Co-PI for the Worcester site of the MomsDoCare grant, a 3-year, $3 million grant from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) to improve linkages with comprehensive services for recovery support for women currently receiving MAT, primarily through Peer Supports. In addition to being an Ob/Gyn, in 2020 she became board certified in Addiction Medicine. She is an advocate for improvements in the care of pregnant women with Substance Use Disorder on both a local and national level. As part of the UMass Opioid Crisis Task Force, she leads a subcommittee on increasing assess to treatment for all persons with Opioid Use Disorder. On a national level, she joined the American College of Ob/Gyn's Opioid and Addiction Medicine Expert Work Group.
Lorena Morgan Program Specialist Lorena Morgan is an Education Program Specialist for the Weitzman Institute, where they work closely with the Weitzman ECHO team and help manage aspects of the Weitzman Education Platform and Joint Accreditation status. Lorena graduated Summa Cum Laude from Central Michigan University (CMU) in 2023 with a B.S. in Public Health Education and Spanish. They were also a member of the CMU Honors Program and a leader in their university's chapter of Eta Sigma Gamma, a health education honorary. Lorena is passionate about remedying chronic health inequities in minority populations and is particularly interested in interventions that address Type II Diabetes. They are also dedicated to social justice issues regarding underrepresented individuals, such as the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups. In their free time, they enjoy cooking, buying and caring for their houseplants, and spending time with their beautiful Siamese cat, Goju.
Job Titles:
- Research - Evaluation Associate
Lucy is a Research Evaluation Associate at the Weitzman Institute working with the All of Us Program. She has a background in data analysis, visualizations, and urban theory and has previously worked in education and homeless services.
Job Titles:
- Design Specialist With a Master
- Instructional Design Specialist
Lucy Wolski is an accomplished Instructional Design Specialist with a Master's degree in Educational Technology from Northern Arizona University. With a passion for designing and developing courses that are engaging, effective, and inclusive, Lucy brings a wealth of instructional design experiences to her role. Her previous positions at Professional Software for Nurses, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Saint Anselm College, and Arizona State University have equipped her with a diverse background in healthcare and academia. Currently splitting her time between Weitzman Institute and NIMAA, Lucy's expertise supports Weitzman's CME/CE offerings and NIMAA's courses for medical assistant students. Beyond her professional endeavors, Lucy enjoys tending to her rabbits, delving into book club reads, and mastering new homesteading skills.
Luis Torres is the Program Specialist at the Weitzman Institute with the All of Us Research Program. Providing support primarily at the New London Community Health Center and various modified clinic sites. As a Research Coordinator, Luis helped facilitate new participants to enroll in the program and does physical measurements and blood draws as one of the Phlebotomists. Luis will be enrolling in an Undergrad Program with primary focus on Computer Science and Public Health administration as a minor focus. Prior to joining Weitzman, Luis was a Dental Assistant with the Community Health Center for ten years, with over 300 hours of externship working chairside with Dental professionals at CHCI. Luis obtained multiple certificates and important trainings with his tenure at CHCI and continues to use them as stepping stones to for helping AOURP moving forward.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager
- Project Manager for the Research and Evaluation Team
Lynsey Grzejszczak is a Project Manager for the Research and Evaluation team at Weitzman Institute. She has a passion for health equality, with a specific focus on social determinates of health.
She has been with the organization since 2019 and previously, worked as an Education Program Specialist, focusing on Project ECHO. Within the Project ECHO team, Lynsey managed several ECHOs including Complex Integrated Pediatrics and Advanced Primary Care. Lynsey started as the Department Coordinator of the Weitzman Institute and Executive Assistant to Community Health Center, Inc.'s President and CEO Mark Masselli.
She graduated from the University of Connecticut with a dual degree in History and Human Rights, and has her Master's Degree in Healthcare Administration at the University of Cincinnati.
Outside of her time at the Weitzman Institute, Lynsey enjoys time with her dog, reading, and listening to true crime podcasts.
Job Titles:
- Research and Evaluation Program Manager
MacKenzie is a Kansas native, and an alumni of the University of Kansas and the University of Kansas Medical Center, where she obtained her Master of Public Health degree. She previously worked for the University of Kansas, Department of Physical Activity and Weight Management, where she was a Research Coordinator, and Children's Mercy Kansas City, where she was as a Research Assistant for the Weighing In program. MacKenzie has primarily worked with special and vulnerable populations including adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, and caregivers of AD patients. MacKenzie will be working as a Research and Evaluation Program Manager for CHC. In her spare time, MacKenzie enjoys spending time with her partner, playing with her pet cats and dogs, working on her parent's farm and ranch, and cheering on the Jayhawks and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Job Titles:
- Director of Strategic Operations
As the Director of Strategic Operations, Mandy is responsible for stakeholder engagement and capacity building for the Institute. She oversees various operational aspects of the Institute to ensure efficient and effective functioning across all three arms of the Institute (research, education and policy), in addition to the Institute's work with other Moses Weitzman Health System affiliates. Mandy plays a critical role in driving organizational growth and advancing the mission of the Institute. She leads the approach and strategy for developing, maintaining and expanding key relationships that are mission-aligned and financially support the Institute's priorities. As part of her role, she oversees the faculty appointment and recruitment process for the Institute. Since 2021, Mandy has also served as the project lead for the Institute's collaboration with the LEGO Group to bring to scale the national Prescription for Play program.
Mandy joined the Weitzman Institute's Education Department in 2017, where she was responsible for overseeing the expansion and implementation of Weitzman's Project ECHO® program. Project ECHO is a disruptive and innovative tele-mentoring program developed at the University of New Mexico, and successfully replicated by the Weitzman Institute, with the goal of reducing disparities in access to specialty care for patients in medically underserved regions. Along with overseeing the implementation of Weitzman ECHO programs, Mandy also led multiple large education and telehealth initiatives. Mandy initially joined the Community Health Center in 2015 as the Executive Assistant to the CEO and Senior Vice President and Clinical Director, where she supported special initiatives of the executive office and was responsible for managing the Board of Directors for CHC and its affiliates.
Prior to joining the Moses Weitzman Health System, Mandy was a Research Associate for the Harvard Opinion Research Program at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she developed and reported on public opinion polls on various domestic and international health topics, including attitudes on immunizations, infectious disease prevention, and health policy. Mandy obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Saint Michael's College, and her Masters of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. While completing her studies at UMass Amherst, Mandy taught courses and conducted research on health policy and public opinion.
Job Titles:
- Research and Evaluation Associate
Maximillian Morris, MSPH Research and Evaluation Associate Max is a research and evaluation associate within Weitzman education. He plans and assists with the evaluation for various Weitzman ECHOs, as well as monitoring other Weitzman research projects. He has a B.A in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University, and a Master of Science in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg school of Public Health. He has a passion for travel, the beach, and all things sweet!
Job Titles:
- Senior Research / Evaluation Associate
May Oo is a Senior Research/Evaluation Associate at the Weitzman Institute. She provides her support for Prescription for Play, a program coordinated by The LEGO Foundation to promote ‘play' for pediatric (18- to 36-month old) patients. May is also involved with other research projects at Weitzman, including data analysis and preparation of manuscripts and grants. May is currently enrolled in a Master of Science in Business Analytics program at Quinnipiac University. Prior to Weitzman Institute, May was an office administrator and dental assistant in Burlington, MA. May obtained a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Dental Medicine, Yangon and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. During her time as a graduate student, May completed an orthopedic/musculoskeletal research internship, which studied the relationship between age, firefighting experience, and dynamic balance ability, as well as gastrocnemius muscle length and single-leg balance ability among male career active-duty firefighters.
Job Titles:
- Program Specialist
- Program Specialist of the Health Resources and Services
Meaghan Angers is the Program Specialist of the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's) National Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP) on Clinical Workforce Development at Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC)/Weitzman Institute. In this role, she supports the activities providing free technical assistance (T/TA) nationally to health centers in the key areas of training the next generation and transforming teams and expanding to emerging issues, such as COVID response T/TA and soon- to-launch HIV prevention T/TA. These activities include outreach to the nation's federally qualified health centers to enroll them in the activities of the NTTAP, supporting expert faculty in the development of curriculum, materials and nation presentation, and provides technical assistance to enrollees in accessing distance-learning technologies used in the project. Meaghan is responsible for coordinating the NTTAP efforts around evaluation and data analysis.
Job Titles:
- Participant Experience Coordinator
Michael is the External Participant Coordinator at the Community Health Center working with the All of Us research Program. His role involves working closely with the Participant Experience Lead to develop and document effective outreach and retention strategies, as well as creating workflow for outreach, appointment scheduling for direct volunteers with research coordinators. Michael graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with his bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences.
Job Titles:
- Education Program Manager
- Program Manager for Education
Nikita Reyes Nieves is an Education Program Manager for the Weitzman Institute where she manages the lifecycle of multiple continuing education activities. She works closely to ensure Joint Accreditation processes are compliant across the organization while also supporting the development of educational initiatives through our Weitzman Education Platform. Lastly, she serves as a member of the Expanding Equity in Education Committee to ensure justice, equity, diversity and belonging are prioritized within all learning programs. She joined Weitzman Institute in 2020, initially serving as a Research Coordinator for the All of Research Program where she was responsible for building diversity within research. She soon after accepted the role of an Education Program Specialist where she worked closely with the Weitzman ECHO team and faculty on several ECHO initiatives, such as Women's Health, Complex Care Management, Peer Recovery Specialist, Substance Use Disorders and more! Nikita graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2022 with a Master's in Public Health and concentration in Women's Health. She has a passion for empowering women and being a voice for underrepresented/underserved populations. In her free time, she enjoys spontaneous trips with her husband, decorating her house, and spending time with her Siberian husky, Nala.
Job Titles:
- Experience Coordinator
- Participant Experience Coordinator
Paige Petit is a Participant Experience Coordinator with the All of Us research program. Paige graduated from the College of The Holy Cross in 2018 with a Bachelor's degree in Biology. They combined their interests of food justice and service work through two years of service with the AmeriCorps program, FoodCorps. They served at two elementary schools in Middletown and built a strong connection to their service community. When the pandemic struck, they stepped up to become the Farmers Market Manager for the city. They spent the next several years working at elementary schools, specializing in social emotional learning and literacy instruction and eventually gaining their elementary teaching certification. Paige joined the All of Us research program as a team member in November 2023 and has gained their NHA certification in phlebotomy to benefit the program. Paige is the communications lead for the team and works with the Participant Experience Lead to foster external partnerships with community organizations. Additionally, they do outreach at CHC sites, assist participants in their enrollment journey, and give presentations to community partners to promote the program. Outside of Moses-Weitzman Health System, Paige coaches preschool soccer, and enjoys painting, dancing, mutual aid, bird-watching, keeping house plants and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Patty has a master's degree in Health Promotion & Disease Prevention with a focus on children and youths and has extensive study and career experience in emotional-social wellness for early childhood and children. She has been a "Train the Trainer" on related topics, including for A.C.E.S and Trauma-Informed Care, training early educators and child care center directors and ensuring optimal environments and compliance to policy regulations. She was also the supervisor of the health advisors and home educators, coordinating and overseeing Health, Nutrition and Well-being services for all Head Starts and Early Head Starts throughout Pittsburgh and surrounding communities, coaching educators and caregivers on best practices for positive outcomes for children and families despite high-risk environments. She has also served as the family worker/team lead for children exhibiting adverse behaviors, teaching evidence-based parenting classes in cognitive behavior change and mentoring families on best practices and lifestyle modifications to facilitate positive change. She has even worked with the incarcerated as the Director of Therapeutic Activities, focused on cognitive behavior and lifestyle change for inmates that will be reunited with their children and families.
Job Titles:
- Research and Evaluation Associate
Peyton Rogers obtained her Master of Public Health in Behavioral Social and Health Education Sciences (BSHES) from Emory University and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health from the University of South Carolina. Before joining CHC, Peyton served as a Research Coordinator/Assistant in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. At UNC, she was responsible for managing and assisting a study focused on Black female adolescent experiences with reproductive health counseling in primary care. Peyton has also had the opportunity to serve as a research assistant at reproductive justice organizations: such as Sisterlove, Inc, and RISE (The Center for Reproductive Health Research in the Southeast). She worked on studies that focused on improving reproductive health and equity of people in the U.S Southeast through research, education, policy, and community engagement. Peyton has contributed to conference presentations and peer-reviewed journal articles based on her work. She brings expertise in qualitative research, program evaluation, program planning, and community-centered and participatory research.
Rosie Motz is a Senior Program Manager at the Weitzman Institute, where she oversees project milestones and deliverables, designs new programs, leads and mentors a team, and manages successful stakeholder partnerships for educational interventions designed for health care professionals. In 2020, Rosie joined the Weitzman Institute, where she managed and implemented educational interventions in her capacity as a Program Specialist. Following, she was a Program Manager for two years where she oversaw every aspect of educational projects' life cycles. Rosie has more than ten years of expertise in the field of public health and is also a registered dietitian nutritionist. Her dedication to her work with marginalized and underserved populations stems from her conviction that every person deserves full and equitable access to healthcare and food as a human right. Rosie earned a Master of Public Health degree in Behavioral, Social, Community Health and a Master of Arts degree in Latin American Studies from Indiana University Bloomington. She also holds a Bachelor's of Science in Dietetics and Bachelor of Arts in Human Rights Studies from the University of Dayton. Her research, during her dual MPH-MA, investigated food insecurity and the food system of the indigenous Peruvian Quechua population, where she spent over 6 months in Peru learning the Quechua language and culture, conducting her research, and working at a local health nonprofit. In her role before joining the Weitzman Institute, she worked as a community dietitian with disadvantaged populations in Chicago including recently resettled refugees, people experiencing housing insecurity, and people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. In her spare time, Rosie enjoys playing in her garden, adventuring outdoors, and experimenting in her kitchen.
Sarah Roepe, BA Binghamton University, just joined the All of Us Research Program as a Research Coordinator II. In the past, she has worked in a clinical and health psychology program on many research studies. More recently, she worked at Yale Hospital as a Patient Care Associate during the COVID pandemic. Just prior to joining the All of Us Research program, she worked as an outpatient full time phlebotomist.
Shelby Anderson-Badbade is a Senior Program Manager for the Weitzman Institute where she primarily oversees the activities of the Prescription for Play program, which embeds learning through play into pediatric well-child visits through provider education and free play kits in partnership with the LEGO® group and foundation. Along with her team, she is currently leading a multi-site study across the US to evaluate the process and outcome measures of Prescription for Play as well as lead the team's implementation of the program in all 50 states and 2 territories. In addition to Prescription for Play, Shelby's other work centers her interest in pediatric populations, migrants populations, qualitative research, and patient-centered research. Prior to joining Weitzman in September of 2021, her previous research has centered on vulnerable populations with a particular interest in the health and rights of children, migrants, and refugees. Shelby received her MA in Anthropology from Georgia State University where she collaborated with a leading local refugee organization to conduct an ethnographic program evaluation focused on their after-school program for refugee youth. In addition to her masters, she has received training in children's human rights, participatory-action research, and migrant rights. Shelby believes research and data should be used to empower and center the needs of the vulnerable and disempowered. She hopes her research and evaluation work at Weitzman will help in developing more person-centered research and innovations locally and beyond. Outside of work, Shelby can be found trying new recipes, hiking local trails, or planning her next travel adventure.
Sreynin Chhoeun joined the All of Us Research Program in September of 2023 as an External Participant Experience Lead. Her role include conducting outreach and engagement in the community, as well as working closely with research coordinators to recruit potential participants. Prior to joining the AoURP, Sreynin worked with CHCI Western Region Covid-19 vaccine and testing team as a site lead then transitioned to be a Community Health Worker under the Advancing Health Literacy Program. Sreynin graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science in May 2023.
Job Titles:
- Retention Specialist for the All of Us
Sthefany is the Retention Specialist for the All of Us research program at the New London Site. In this role, she focuses on conducting outreach and engagement activities aimed at retaining participants in the All of Us research program. Sthefany graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a minor in Psychology in 2019. During her time as an undergraduate student, she was involved in academic research in the Molecular and Cell Biology department, mentored incoming freshman students through the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program and volunteered at Migrant Farm Worker Clinics around Connecticut as a Medical translator.
Since joining the All of Us Research Program as a Research Coordinator in September 2021, Thelma has advanced to her current role as a Participant Experience Lead. In this position, she collaborates closely with the Research Coordinators and oversees outreach, engagement, and enrollment initiatives across the various CHCI sites and within the community.
Job Titles:
- Senior Health Policy Analyst
Prior to coming to CHC/Weitzman, Tonantzin worked as an Economic Associate at the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica where she provided technical and substantive support to the State Department's Regional Environmental Hub for Central America and the Caribbean. Her work included research, policy analysis and reporting to advance U.S. government environmental, science, technology and health (ESTH) objectives in the region. She also created and coordinated the Climate Predictive Services for Health Interdisciplinary Working Group with the goal of increasing Central America and Caribbean's capacity in this area. In West Africa, Tonantzin worked for Agir Pour la Planification Familiale, a project funded by USAID, where she lead monitoring and evaluation for the West African Ambassador Fund (WAAD) grants and supported the development and implementation of various projects related to expanding women's access to and use of family planning services in five West African countries. She is very proud of her work in the development of a 3-part series of comic books dealing with sexual reproductive health, gender and rights. "Assibi et Salifou: La Premiere Fois" was launched in August 2016 with the goal of increasing youths' use of sexual reproductive health services. With the UT Health Brownsville Regional Campus she served as the project manager for the UT Health Mobile Clinic Community Health Worker/Navigator program which provided basic health services to rural areas of Cameron County. She is very proud of leading a needs assessment for the mobile clinic that enhanced and expanded its impact by providing locally-based patient navigators to support screening of BMI, hypertension and to deliver health education presentations and support. She also worked closely with community health workers/promotoras de salud in the implementation of culturally relevant health presentations across Cameron County as part of various health initiatives including the Tu Salud Si Cuenta Health campaign, Salud y Vida Diabetes Prevention Program, and general presentations related to nutrition, physical activity, and colorectal cancer prevention. Tonantzin grew up dividing her time between the border towns of Brownsville, Texas and Matamoros Mexico. She is very proud of her bicultural upbringing which allowed her to see first-hand how social, cultural, economic and political factors affect the health of border residents. Tonantzin is a graduate of UT Brownsville where she double majored in Psychology and History. She has a Master of Science in Psychology from UT San Antonio. Tonantzin is bilingual in English and Spanish, and is proficient in French.