Thirty-six leaders from health-related and safety net organizations across western and central New York graduated from the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York Health Leadership Fellows program at an event Monday, May 2, 2016 at the Strong Museum in Rochester, NY.
For this fifth cohort of Fellows, the event marked the end of the intensive 18-month program, which included four two- to three-day residential sessions on topics including personal leadership, leading change, communicating as a leader and results-based leadership and collaboration. Ongoing learning happened between sessions, where fellows worked together on an inter-organizational project in small teams. Each fellow also received executive coaching and access to the program’s learning materials.
Launched in 2005, the goal of the Health Leadership Fellows program is to produce a network of diverse, highly-skilled leaders that will lead collaboratively from both within and outside of their organizations and become advocates for improved health care delivery, particularly for vulnerable older adults and children impacted by poverty.
Graduates from the fifth cohort are:
- James Y. Bender, University at Buffalo
- Rebecca A. Bostwick, Lerner Center for Public Health Promotions, Syracuse University
- Jorien L. Brock, Jorien Brock Consulting
- Cornelia E. Brown, Multi-Cultural Association of Medical Interpreters
- Monica Brown, Health Foundation for Western and Central New York
- Ruth M. Camann, People Inc. Home Health
- Marie A. Cannon, Erie County Department of Social Services
- Mindy Cervoni, Community Services for the Developmentally Disabled
- Crystal Jackson Cheek, formerly with Western New York Independent Living Center
- Annie Deaver, Millennium Collaborative Care
- Kathleen M. Dermady, Regional Perinatal Center at SUNY Upstate Medical University
- LaTonya J. Diggs, Millennium Collaborative Care
- Tara A. Ellis, Meals on Wheels for Western New York
- Helen Evans, Ardent Solutions
- Ann M. Feightner, Total Senior Care, Inc.
- Susan Furtney, SUNY Upstate University Hospital
- Lesley Gooch-Christman, ACCORD Corporation
- Susan A. Green, University at Buffalo Graduate School of Social Work
- Randall A. Hoak, Erie County Department of Social Services
- Liddy Hintz, Bowman Systems, LLC
- Jeffrey Lance Jackson, formerly with Syracuse Model Neighborhood Facility, Inc.
- Donna L. Kahm, Southern Tier Health Care System, Inc.
- Heather Kemmis, The Centers at St. Camillus
- David Mann, Buffalo Police Department
- Isiah Marshall, Jr., Daemen College
- Carol C. Murphy, New Hope Education Center – Harvest House
- Tracey Olson, Western New York Children’s Psychiatric Center
- Jessica C. Pirro, Crisis Services
- Nicholas G. Randell, The Peter & Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation
- Laurie Reger, Hemophilia Center of Western New York
- Rebecca L. Schaeffer, University at Buffalo Department of Psychiatry
- Nancy Seller, Upstate Cerebral Palsy
- Lynn Siradas, New Directions Youth & Family Services, Inc.
- Stephanie E. Smith, formerly with Jericho Road Community Health Center
- Kelly Walters, The Parkway Center
- Elizabeth Woike-Ganga, Lake Shore Behavioral Health, Inc.
Since 2005, the Health Foundation has graduated 137 health leadership fellows from its program. Graduates of the program continue their work as members of the Fellows Action Network, where they work collaboratively to improve care for vulnerable older adults and children in poverty, as well as collectively tackle other critical health issues facing western and central New York. A sixth class of the Health Leadership Fellows is currently in progress, with a seventh cohort recently selected.
