CTC-RI Annual Conference Official Landing Page

Aleah Bagwell-Moreino, LMHC, (she/her) RIPCPC: Aleah is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, who has several years of experience working with both children and adults in a variety of clinical settings, including emergency departments, school settings, outpatient, community mental health agencies, and home-based settings. She has experience working with diverse populations, including people of various ethnicities, cultures, gender/sexual identities, and socio-economic statuses. Alehea has strong background in psychiatric care. Aleah graduated from University of Rhode Island wit her bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies and Psychology. She has a Masters of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Antioch University. Aleah also has a QMHP certification. As an integrated behavioral health clinician at RIPCPC, Aleah provides short-term solution focused therapies for children and adults from various practices, requiring behavioral health supports or crisis interventions. In her clinical work, Aleah uses cognitive bheavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, play therapy, and person-centered therapies. In her free time, Aleah enjoys practicing/teaching martial arts and kickboxing classes, dancing, cooking, exercising, and spending time with family and friends. 

Amy Nunn, ScD, (she/her), Open Door Health: Dr. Amy Nunn, ScD, is a Professor in the Department of Medicine and School of Public Health at Brown University. Dr. Nunn is Executive Director at Rhode Island Public Health Institute, which owns and operates Open Door Health, the state’s only community-based LGBTQ+ clinic.

Atin Jindal, MD (he/him), Lifespan: Care Transformation Collaborative-RI’s annual conference on October 31, 2024 at the Crowne Plaza is thrilled to welcome Atin Jindal, MD, MS as our keynote speaker on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare: Pitfalls and Possibilities. Dr. Jindal is an academic hospitalist subspecializing in clinical informatics with a unique blend of clinical and technical expertise. His current roles span clinical hospital medicine, software development, operational leadership, global health and education within the realm of artificial intelligence in healthcare. He has nearly 10 years of experience in the hospital setting in both teaching and non-teaching roles and more than 15 years of experience with programming, software development and engineering. After completing his IM residency at Case Western (MetroHealth), he obtained his MS from the Oregon Health & Science University (Biomedical Informatics) program and his Clinical Informatics certification from ABPM. He has been involved in bridging the gap between informatics and medicine in several operational and research capacities. As the Director of Medical Informatics, he serves in an operations and consulting leadership role, to support and guide the implementation of informatics including artificial intelligence at Lifespan health facilities while upholding the best practices and principles regarding the ethical and responsible use of data. He is a stakeholder and champion of patient and provider-centric approach to technology implementation, especially newer technologies in healthcare. In this regard he has spoken locally and internationally including at Brown University residency programs, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown School of Public Health, BRAC University in Bangladesh, and International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICCDR,B). He was able to study in diverse settings in India, Canada, Ireland, Bangladesh, and the Unites States where he gained a passion in pursuit of global health equity, particularly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Looking ahead, Dr. Jindal’s research agenda centers around forging sustainable pathways towards equitable healthcare delivery leveraging emerging technologies and digital health innovations.

Brad Brockmann, JD, MDiv, (he/him), Brown University: Brad Brockmann, JD, MDiv, is a civil rights attorney whose career emphasis is on raising awareness at the national and state levels about healthcare issues and challenges facing incarcerated and justice-involved populations as well as the individuals and institutions who are charged with their custody and care. He has been designing and teaching courses on incarceration, criminal justice, and health at Brown University’s School of Public Health since 2013. He is the 2020 recipient of Brown’s Howard R. Swearer Engaged Faculty Award for Teaching. Brockmann collaborates with justice system stakeholders to identify and support projects that respond to the challenges that arise at the intersection of incarceration, recidivism, and public health locally and nationally. His research with the Maine Department of Corrections documents and assessed the Department's development and implementation of policies and practices intended to shift the operating culture of the state's maximum security prison from one of punishment to one of wellness. The ultimate goal is to develop a national model of corrections centered on creating a culture of wellness for all who live and work in carceral environments.   Brad is co-author of “Emerging Best Practices for the Management and Treatment of Incarcerated Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex Adults” (2019), and “Emerging Best Practices for the Management and Treatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Intersex Youth in Juvenile Justice Settings” (2018). Both publications were funded by the National Institute of Corrections and published by the Fenway Institute. Brockmann was the first executive director of the Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights based in Providence from 2010-2018, and from 2004-2010 was a civil rights litigator at Prisoners Legal Services of MA. He earned a JD, cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School, an MDiv from Episcopal Divinity School.  

Charlotte Vieira, MPH, (she/her), TEAM UP for Children, Boston Medical Center: Charlotte Vieira, MPH, is the Deputy Director for Model Implementation for TEAM UP for Children. In her role, she provides consultation and technical assistance to sites implementing the TEAM UP model and leads practice transformation across the TEAM UP community. Prior to joining TEAM UP, Charlotte supported multiple state-wide initiatives to drive best practice model development, implementation and scale-up of evidence-based practices, and quality improvement as part of The Baker Center's Quality Care Initiative. These efforts were focused across a variety of sectors, including child welfare, maternal and child health home visiting, managed care, and children's outpatient behavioral health care. Charlotte has also worked in direct care, delivering problem solving interventions and case management support to families with young children.

Dana Rubin, MD, MSW, (she/her), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center/DotHouse Health: Dr. Rubin is a Board Certified Pediatrician and Child Psychiatrist working at Dothouse Health, a health center in Boston, and Boston Medical Center.Her practice includes pediatric primary care and psychiatric assessment and treatment of children and adolescents, with a special interest in those with  autism. Her focus is the integration of mental health services into primary care practice and support of  health center providers to care for children with psychiatric needs. As part of TEAM UP for Children, she leads a fully integrated pediatric primary care behavioral health team (social workers and family partners). She also serves as the fellowship director for the transition age youth with autism training program at Boston Medical Center and as the psychiatric clinician liaison for TEAM UP for Children. Through Team Up for Children, she is available to local community health centers for teaching and clinical case consultation.

Devorah Donnell, MD, (she/her), Intend Health: Devorah Donnell, MD is a Family Medicine Physician practicing in Connecticut.  She graduated from the University of Connecticut Combined B.S./M.D. Program.  While at UCONN, she founded the UCONN Pre-Medical Society, was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society, was an Urban Service Track Public Health Scholar, and volunteered at UCONN's Migrant Farm Worker Mobile Medical Clinics as an interpreter, clinician, and clinic coordinator.  She completed Family Medicine Residency at Tufts Family Medicine Residency at Cambridge Health Alliance.  She has been involved with Intend Health Strategies since 2012, when she co-founded and led the UCONN Primary Care Progress/Intend Health Team.  Since then, she has served as a Training and Chapter Engagement fellow, Facilitator, Team Coach, Lead Coach, and Trainer at Intend Health.  She is passionate about primary care innovation, patient advocacy, full-spectrum reproductive health, destigmatizing mental health, and care for underserved populations

Dinusha Dietrich, MD, (she/her), Smithfield Pediatrics: Dinusha W. Dietrich, MD is a board-certified pediatrician and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has been in private practice at Smithfield Pediatrics since 2002 and holds appointments as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and the Bryant University Physician’s Assistant Program. She has been a long-standing proponent for the integration of behavioral health into pediatric practices as a key part of providing holistic care.

Dupe Akrinimisi, Woonsocket Health Equity Zone, Thundermist Health Center: Dupe serves as the Project Manager for the Woonsocket Health Equity Zone, where she oversees several key community-driven initiatives: overdose prevention, food access, teen health, and housing and homelessness prevention. Her commitment to equity shines through in her work, particularly in advocating for teens' right to better their quality of life. Dupe is passionate about policy and collaborates with legislators, community members, and stakeholders to build systems that promote equitable treatment for women of color and their children. Her leadership extends beyond her immediate role, serving on several community task forces where she continues to advocate for youth of color.

Emily Feinberg, ScD, CPNP, (she/her) Hassenfeld Child Health Institute, Brown University School of Public Health: Emily Feinberg, ScD, CPNP is a faculty in the Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute and a professor in the Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice at Brown University School of Public Health  She serves as Director of New Initiatives for TEAM UP for Children, a pediatric integrated behavioral care initiative that has been implemented in 7 Massachusetts community health centers. The overarching theme of her work has been the redesign of community-based child health systems.  She has applied this lens to a number of public health priorities, including maternal depression screening, management, and prevention; autism services; and, most recently, the integration of child mental health services within pediatric primary care. She leads research that investigates models that engage lay health workers (family navigators, family partners, community health workers) to assure equitable delivery of behavioral health services. In her spare time, she likes to cook with her grandchildren and hike and ski in the mountains with her partner and dog. 

Geoffrey Schoos, JD, (he/him), Rhode Island Center For Law and Public Policy, Inc: Geoffrey Schoos is the President of the Rhode Island Center for Law and Public Policy, where he has led the organization for over 16 years, providing legal services and conducting public policy research. With a diverse background in law, education, and public policy, he has also served as a political campaign manager and public policy analyst. Schoos has extensive experience in managing legal clinics, particularly for senior citizens, and has been involved in various board positions, including the Institute for Addiction Recovery. He holds a JD from New England School of Law and a BA in Political Science from Rhode Island College.

Griffin Jones, DrPH, MPP, (he/him), Collectively Determined, LLC: Griffin Jones is a Public Health Doctoral Fellow at MLPB. He is the founder and principal of Collectively Determined LLC, a health justice practice that specializes in equity and advocacy with and for marginalized communities. Griffin also serves as the senior program and research associate at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University where he oversees a portfolio of equity leadership research projects and executive education.  Griffin has served in leadership and management positions at private startups, nonprofit payer, and in government. Immediately prior to receiving his doctorate at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, he served as the Interim Director of Strategic Investment at the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission.  Originally from Portland, Maine, Griffin holds a Bachelor of Arts in international relations from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and a master’s degree in public policy and management from the University of Southern Maine. He lives with his wife and three young children in Arlington, Massachusetts, where he is a Human Rights Commissioner and enjoys cross-country skiing, traveling, and cooking with his kids.  

Jalyn Alzate, CHW, (she/her), Care New England Family Care Center: Jalyn Alzate is a dedicated DULCE Family Specialist at the Family Care Center in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where she plays a key role in supporting families with newborns during the first six months of life. As part of the innovative DULCE initiative, Jalyn helps integrate medical, social, and legal care into family medicine, fostering a "whole person" approach. She has successfully enrolled over 120 families in the program, building trust and providing vital resources and education. Jalyn’s work with MLPB has expanded her legal knowledge, enabling her to offer meaningful assistance on issues like immigration and housing.

Jane Cooper-Driver, MSc, (she/her), Intend Health: For over two decades Jane has worked at the intersection of individual and cultural transformation in organizational and leadership development. As Co-CEO at Intend Health Strategies (formerly Primary Care Progress), Jane partners with Dr. Sarah Smithson to oversee the strategic and operational activities for Intend Health. Jane focuses on the creation and delivery and evaluation of the nonprofit’s Relational Leadership (RL) curriculum designed to enhance team effectiveness, collaboration, and advocacy. She partners with medical students, faculty, clinicians, and health systems leaders to empower them with the mindset and tools to connect in their relationships.

Jennifer Jenks, LICSW, PhD, (she/her), Hasbro: Jennifer W. Jencks, PhD, LICSW, is the manager of pediatric social work at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, and she manages the community health worker team at Rhode Island Hospital. She previously worked at Lifespan as the director of the Access Center at Bradley Hospital and assistant director of Lifespan pediatric behavioral health emergency services. She also has thirty years of experience working with children and adolescents with anxiety and depression in private practice utilizing both psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques.

John Torous, MD, (he/him), BIDMC: John Torous, MD MBI is director of the digital psychiatry division, in the Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), a Harvard Medical School affiliated teaching hospital, where he also serves as a staff psychiatrist and assistant professor.  He has a background in electrical engineering and computer sciences and received an undergraduate degree in the field from UC Berkeley before attending medical school at UC San Diego. He completed his psychiatry residency, fellowship in clinical informatics, and master's degree in biomedical informatics at Harvard. Dr. Torous is active in investigating the potential of mobile mental health technologies for psychiatry and has published over 250 peer reviewed articles and 5 book chapters on the topic. He directs the Digital Psychiatry Clinic at BIDMC which seeks to improve access to and quality of mental health care through augmenting treatment with digital innovations. At a system level, Dr. Torous is the medical director of behavioral health informatics for Beth Israel Lahey Health. Dr. Torous serves as editor-in-chief for the journal JMIR Mental Health,  web editor for JAMA Psychiatry, and a member of various American Psychiatric Association committees.

Kate Treloar, LICSW, (she/her), Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corp.: Kathleen Treloar LICSW is the Director of Behavioral Health for Rhode Island Primary Care Physician Corporation. In her current role at RIPCPC she oversees a team of Community Health Workers and behavioral health referral coordinators and Integrative Behavioral Health Clinicians. The IBH clinicians are focused primarily on the pediatric patients with a hybrid hub and spoke model, providing patients with interdisciplinary care in multiple settings.   Prior to her role as Director of Behavioral Health, Kathleen Treloar was a clinical social worker for Optum Medical Services, a consultation group working within an interdisciplinary model for skilled nursing facilities. In this role, she provides mobile psychotherapy and rapid response treatment in the long-term care setting. During her tenure at Optum, Kathleen was actively involved in the creation and implementation of key programs and services to benefit both residents and staff, including creating a multi-sensory toy for dementia patients; conducting in-service education presentations for nursing home staff on behavioral intervention; and creating educational materials on the role of the social workers in long-term care.   Kathleen received her Bachelor of Social Services degree from Quinnipiac University, and her Master of Social Work degree from Rhode Island College.   

Katherine DelgadilloSoto, CHW, (she/her), Family Care Center: Katherine Delgadillo Soto is an Integrated Behavioral Health Community Health Worker (IBH CHW) at the CNEMG Family Care Center in Pawtucket. She graduated with her bachelor’s from UCLA in 2019 and has experience working in mental health research, community mental health agencies, and primary care. Katherine is passionate about working in integrated behavioral health and connecting marginalized communities to mental health care. 

Kelley Sanzen, (she/her), CTC-RI, Brown: Kelley Doherty Sanzen, Pharm.D., PAHM, CDOE is the Director of Quality Programs with expertise in kidney disease, hypertension, and diabetes management in the Division of Kidney Disease and Hypertension at Brown Medicine part of Brown Physicians, Inc., one of the largest nonprofit, academic, multi-specialty medical groups in Rhode Island (RI).  In addition,  since 2020, she has consulted as a Practice Facilitator for Care Transformation Collaborative of RI, working with many primary care practices on quality improvement projects in pharmacy, telehealth, and PCP-Specialist collaboration. Dr. Sanzen earned her Pharm.D. from the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy and completed her residency in Ambulatory Care at Bay Pines VA Medical Center in St. Petersburg, FL. She is a RI Certified Diabetes Outpatient Educator (CDOE) and an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Master Trainer in Shared Decision Making. Her research interests include chronic kidney disease (CKD), hypertension, medication adherence, decreasing polypharmacy, population health management, health literacy, motivational interviewing and evolving interprofessional models of care. She holds academic appointments with University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, Brown University Warren Alpert School of Medicine, and Bryant University Physician Assistant program.   

Dr. Sanzen is active in advancing the profession of pharmacy and is a past president of the Rhode Island Pharmacists Association (RIPA).  She has been honored with awards including Excellence in Innovation (2023), Bowl of Hygeia (2018), Rhode Island Pharmacist of the Year (2014), and Distinguished Young Pharmacist (2009).  She is an active member of the legislative team, current secretary of the RI Pharmacy Foundation Board of Directors and chairwoman of RIPA Recognition team. She is committed to community service and has recently re-established volunteer clinical pharmacy services at the RI Free Clinic providing one on one education, and continuous glucose monitoring to patients with uncontrolled diabetes. 

Kenya Fullen, CHW, (she/her), People's Social Services: Kenya Fullen is a passionate community advocate who operates on the belief that those with the strongest support system and resources are the ones who are best able to make through life’s challenges. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Kenya is now pursuing a master’s degree in community development from Roger Williams University. Kenya is also the owner of People’s Social Service Consulting, which has a mission of empowering marginalized communities to help improve better quality of life.

Kristin David, Psy.D., (she/her), The Foundation for Integrated Care: Dr. Kristin David is an independently licensed clinical psychologist with a postdoctoral degree from Brown University. She received her Doctorate from Nova South Eastern University.  She is an experienced integrated behavioral specialist with a passion for developing systems in which behavioral healthcare is accessible. In addition, she is the integrated behavioral specialist at a patient centered medical home. Dr. David is an experienced Practice Facilitator who assist primary care practices with start-up and operational considerations including hiring, scheduling, electronic  billing and  Implementing screenings for behavioral health conditions (depression, anxiety and substance use disorders) within primary care. Recently, Dr. David founded The Foundation For Integrated Care (FIC), a non profit with a focus on work force development in the field of mental health, specific to IBH. She remains the Executive Director of FIC and a champion of the IBH delivery model. 

Liz Cantor, PhD, (she/her), CTC-RI: Dr. Liz Cantor is a licensed child clinical psychologist who has consulted with CTC on a variety of integrated behavioral health projects as a subject matter expert and Pediatric IBH practice facilitator. Following a clinical career focused on child evaluation and assessment, she held leadership positions as the Director of two different Outpatient Behavioral Health departments in RI, which included Behavioral Health Integration efforts in primary care settings.  Dr. Cantor received her PhD in Child Clinical Psychology from University of Denver, her CAGS in School Psychology from Gallaudet University, and her undergraduate degree from Brown University.

Lizbeth Santos Cortes, (she/her), Children's Friend: Liz has been with the Healthy Families America program at Children's Friend for 2 years.  Prior to that she worked with a Family Care Community Partnership program.  She is a dedicated worker and strives to connect her families with the community resources they need to succeed.  

Marguerite Jeremie, (she/her), Children's Friend: Maggy has been working in the Healthy Families America program at Children's Friend for 3 years.  She has been at Children's Friend for 14 years and worked in numerous other family visiting programs including First Connections and Family Care Community Partnerships.  She is a passionate advocate for collaboration between providers to better support the families she serves.  

Martha Farlow, (she/her), MassHealth: Martha is the Deputy Director of Primary Care Strategy for the Office of Accountable Care and Behavioral Health at MassHealth, the Massachusetts Medicaid and CHIP agency. In her current role, Martha oversees the agency's Accountable Care Organization (ACO) and Managed Care Organization (MCO) contracts and related policy, the 1115 waiver, and  value-based payment for primary care. Martha received her Bachelor's Degree from Harvard University and her Master's in Health Administration from the George Washington University.

Marybeth Sutter, MD, (she/her), Care New England Family Care: Dr. Sutter is a family care practitioner at Care New England's Family Care Center in Pawtucket.  She is leading their Healthy Tomorrows and DULCE projects.  

Megan Clingham, Esq., (she/her), Office of the Mental Health Advocate: Megan Clingham was named 2023 Mental Health Hero of the Year. She is the Director of the Office of the Mental Health Advocate. 

Michelle Hirst, MSW, (she/her) Children's Friend: Michelle has been a supervisor for the Healthy Families America (HFA) program at Children's Friend for 5 years.  Prior to that she worked in the agency's permanency programs for 15 years.  She is the lead for Children's Friend in the Healthy Tomorrows project and has helped facilitate the collaboration between her team and the Care New England Family Care Center.

Nchabanu Wheeler, MBA, (she/her), Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corp.: Nchabanu Wheeler, M.B.A., is a Quality Improvement Specialist at Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corporation in Rhode Island and a member of the ACO’s Health Equity Steering committee. She has worked in the healthcare industry for over 10 years and her work currently focuses on healthcare quality and health equity. Nchabanu is passionate about identifying health care disparities and reducing the gap across the board.

Philip Chan, MD, (he/him), Open Door Health: Dr. Philip A. Chan, MD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine and School of Public Health at Brown University. Dr. Chan is Chief Medical Officer at Open Door Health, the state’s only community-based LGBTQ+ clinic. Dr. Chan also serves as Consultant Medical Director for the Rhode Island Department of Health.

Quinten Foster, MS, (he/they), East Bay Community Action Program (EBCAP): Quinten Foster (he/they) is the founding Director of Transgender Whole Healthcare at East Bay Community Action Program. They are a neurodivergent transmasculine nonbinary person who combines their lived experience and formal education in Health Psychology and DEI to create engaging learning opportunities that center the experiences of marginalized communities and best practices in safe and affirming service provision. They received their MS in Health Psychology from Northcentral University in 2021 and have delivered over 300 hours of professional development on DEIB topics such as LGBTQIA+ Health and Culture, Burnout Prevention, and Neuro-Inclusive Workplaces. 

Rebecca Kislak, JD, (she/her), MLPB: Rebecca M. Kislak is a Law and Policy Consultant whose career is rooted in collaborative law and policy. Rebecca was a founding attorney of the Medical-Legal Partnership at Community Legal Aid in Worcester, MA, and director of the initial Rhode Island Medical-Legal Partnership program. She also served as Policy Director and Counsel at the Rhode Island Health Center Association. Rebecca teaches health policy as an adjunct professor at Rhode Island College and the Brown University School of Public Health and represents her Providence district as a State Representative in the Rhode Island General Assembly. A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and Brown University, she is licensed to practice law in RI, MA, and PA.

Sabrina Werts, (she/her), MassHealth: Sabrina Werts is the Senior Manager of Primary Care Strategy for the Office of Accountable Care and Behavioral Health at MassHealth. In her current role, Sabrina leads MassHealth's Primary Care Sub-Capitation Program. She received her Bachelor's Degree from the University of California Berkley and her Master's of Public Health from the Harvard Chan School of Public Health. Prior to joining MassHealth, Sabrina worked in consulting.

Sara Ferszt, (she/her), The Foundation for Integrated Care: Sarah Ferszt is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who completed her Masters at Rhode Island College. Sarah has experience working in a variety of settings providing multidisciplinary care, with populations ranging from birth to end of life. Sarah specializes in functional health disorders, chronic disease, childhood disorders, trauma, grief/loss, and mood disorders.

Sarah Ferszt spent years as a medical social worker at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital, providing integrated behavioral health in both the inpatient and ambulatory settings. She was nominated and chosen for the 2019 Brite Lite Award at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, was chosen to speak on a panel of experts at Boston Children’s Hospital, and nationally presented for the American Liver Foundation amid the global pandemic in 2020.
Sarah is also a certified yoga instructor, and believes in a whole health approach. Sarah Ferszt co- founded The Foundation For Integrated Care (FIC), a 501c3 Non Profit organization with a strong passion to support the continued integration of behavioral health within primary care offices in RI as well as work force development. With a shared vision to ultimately improve access to effective, sustainable, high quality, comprehensive integrated total health she remains the Clinical and Program Director at FIC.

Scott I Gowrie, (he/him), BCBSRI: Scott Gowrie (he/him) is a Corporate Social Responsibility Specialist and has been the Safe Zone Program lead at BCBSRI for three years. Scott works with care facilities to achieve Safe Zone certification, helping staff align their facilities with the criteria, which reflects best practices in LGBTQ+ inclusive care.  Partnership with Safe Zone applicants often includes working with staff to understand criteria and identify gaps. He offers resources and support for applicants to update policies, procedures, and physical space to be LGBTQ+ inclusive.  Scott supports various Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives at BCBSRI, is a member of BCBSRI’s LGBTQ+ Employee Business Resource Group, Blue Pride, and co-chair of BCBSRI’s Disability Inclusion Network EBRG.  

Sonia Erlich, LMHC, MFA, MA, (she/her), TEAM UP for Children, Boston Medical Center: Sonia Erlich, LMHC, MFA, MA, is the Deputy Director for Workforce Development and Training for TEAM UP for Children. Born and raised in Boston, Sonia has worked toward improving the health and wellness of this city and its communities for more than twenty years. She provides psychotherapy for individuals and collectives of various ages, identities, cultures, and life circumstances. As a clinician and wellness instructor, she is passionate about creating meaningful, accessible interventions. Grounded in her human service experience, she works with organizations to build environments that support and sustain their employees and make it possible to deliver compassionate, culturally responsive care. Sonia is a storyteller and uses both writing and film to raise awareness about community health, the workforce, and social justice issues. Sonia earned her MA in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine and her MFA in Creative Writing.

Stephane Czech, MD, (she/her), Brown Medicine: Dr. Czech joined the Department of Family Medicine as the Director of Behavioral Health in Family Medicine in 2017. She has served as a Clinical Psychologist in Primary Care Behavioral Health at the University Medicine Foundation Governor/Barrington Primary Care Center, and a Staff Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at Rhode Island Hospital. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Brown University, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Suffolk University. During her graduate program she engaged in focused training and certification in Primary Care Behavioral Health at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and Center for Integrated Primary Care. She completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Primary Care Behavioral Health at the Providence VA Medical Center through the Brown Alpert Medical School Clinical Psychology Training Consortium. Stephanie has clinical and research interests in brief interventions for the primary care setting, particularly mindfulness- and acceptance-based behavioral therapies. Research interests also involve stress, anxiety, and mood disorders, and their relation to medical illness.

Tarah Provencal, JD (she/her), Blue Cross Blue Shield: Tarah Provencal, J.D., is Director of Health Equity at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI). In this role she advances the company’s health equity strategy, designed to eliminate health disparities for marginalized populations.  Tarah is responsible for aligning the company’s health equity initiatives with the BCBS Association’s goals and priorities. Tarah brings extensive legislative affairs and policy research experience to her work. Prior to BCBSRI, Tarah worked as a prosecutor for the Massachusetts Department of Health, for the State of Rhode Island Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner, and in the Executive Office of Health and Human Services focusing on legislative and regulatory policy initiatives. Tarah is the proud mom of three young children. 

Thomas Bledsoe, MD, (he/him), Brown Medicine: Dr. Bledsoe is a primary care internist with Brown Medicine in East Providence, Rhode Island, an academic internal medicine group affiliated with the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He is a former Regent of the American College of Physicians and past Chair of the College’s Ethics, Professionalism and Human Rights Committee.  At Brown, he is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine and has been integrally involved with clinical ethics education at Brown over the years. He is also the Chair of the Rhode Island Hospital Ethics Committee and has been a certified Healthcare Ethics Consultant. He is a past President of the Care Transformation Collaborative, Rhode Island’s multi-payer Patient-Centered Medical Home project and is a recent past President of the Rhode Island Medical Society.

Yolanda Bowes, BD, (she/her), CTC-RI: Yolanda Bowes is a program manager at CTC-RI supporting several projects including the demographic data collection pilot and quality improvement initiative aimed at identifying and reducing health disparities in underserved communities. Yolanda earned a Bachelor’s in Management from Eastern CT State University, and has a long history managing new and exciting private, state and federally-funded programs to address social determinants of health, as well as practice operations in both a federally qualified health center and a large accountable care organization outpatient clinic.