CTC-RI Annual Conference Official Landing Page
Welcome to CTC-RI's 2025 Annual Conference Official Landing page. This in-person event will bring together health care professionals, community partners, and policy leaders for a day of dynamic learning, networking, and collaboration. Attendees will engage with timely topics including health equity, behavioral health integration, workforce challenges, population health, and technology, all aimed at strengthening Rhode Island’s primary care system. With an exhibitor hall featuring local organizations and resources, this conference offers practical strategies, peer connection, and new ideas to improve care across the state.
Access session information presenter biographies, presentation materials, how to claim CME/CEU credits, and information on our sponsors. Download our conference program here!
Here you can see information on our sessions for this year, including links to slides and other documents related to each session. Download our program here!
Keynote: 9:00-10:00 AM
Keynote: Fostering Medical Trust
Time: 9:00-10:00am
Katherine Gergen Barnett, MD, Vice Chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC), Clinical Associate Professor, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine
Cheryl Harding, Strategic Advisor, Everyday Boston
Slides Available Here Access the Recording Here
Time: 9:00-10:00am
Katherine Gergen Barnett, MD, Vice Chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC), Clinical Associate Professor, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine
Cheryl Harding, Strategic Advisor, Everyday Boston
Slides Available Here Access the Recording Here
10:15 - 11:05 AM Sessions
Session 1: Size-Inclusive Practice: How to promote and protect a weight-neutral environment for the benefit of patient and provider experience
Claire Williams, MD, Psychiatrist, Family Service of Rhode Island
Krista Handfield, LICSW, Director of Size-Inclusive Health, Thundermist Health Center
Location: Salon 1 & 2
Slides Available Here
Session 2: Adding Legal Problem-Solving to the Home Visiting Toolbox: Lessons Learned
Jeannine Casselman, JD, Law & Policy Director, Legal Key Partnership for Health and Justice
Carol Votta, MPH, Family Visiting Professional Development Coordinator, Center for Perinatal and Early Childhoold Health, Division of Community Health and Equity, RI Department of Health
Michelle Hirst, MSW, Supervisor, Healthy Families America Program, Children’s Friend
Calla DiGiovanni, Bilingual Family Support Specialist, Healthy Families America, Children’s Friend
Location: Main Ballroom
Slides Available Here
Session 3: Prescribing Arts and Culture: Innovations That Address Loneliness and Promote Mental Wellbeing Across the Lifespan
Emily Devlin, LICSW, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Clinical Innovation, Art Pharmacy
Lucy Bailey, DrPHc, MPH, Head of Research, Art Pharmacy
Location: Bristol Room
Slides Available Here
Worksheet Available Here
Session 4: Bridging Practice and Policy: Empowering Clinicians to Advocate for Change
Stacy Paterno, Executive Vice President, Rhode Island Medical Society
Beth Cronin, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Jayne Watts, LICSW, Director of Transgender Health, Thundermist Health Center
Location: Tiverton
11:20-12:10 PM Sessions
Session 1: Shots of Success: Embedding pharmacists to drive immunization success in adults with diabetes
Kelly Sanzen, PharmD, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Division of Kidney Disease and Hypertension, Brown Medicine
Lisa Gargano, PhD, MPH, Chief, Office of Immunization, Center for Preventive Services, Division of Community Health and Equity, Rhode Island Department of Health
Caitlin Kennedy, PharmD, MHA, Director of Population Health Management, Brown Health
Slides Available Here
Session 2: Forming the Providence Community Advisory Network (Providence CAN): Community preferences for hypertension management and diabetes prevention
Jayne Daylor, RN, Quality Consultant, CTC-RI/RIDOH
Gina DeLuca, Community Engagement Coordinator, Rhode Island Department of Health
Megan Sheridan, MS, RD, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Health Program Administrator, Rhode Island Department of Health
Slides Available Here
Session 3: A Novel Approach Anyone Can Use to Care for Patients with Intense Emotions
Daniel Mullin, PsyD MPH, Professor, UMass Chan Medical School
Slides Available Here
Session 4: Expanding and Improving the Delivery of Medicare Annual Wellness Visits in Primary Care
Shannon Boyd, MHL, RN, Clinical Operations Project Administrator, Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care
Paul Larson, MD, MS, MBA, CPE, Physician/Medical Director, Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care
Slides Available Here
1:00-1:50 PM Sessions
Session 1: Transforming Primary Care: Addressing Workforce Shortage and Sustainable Solutions
Jennifer Cioffi, MPH, Clinical Transformation Project Administrator, Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care
Kristen Hubbard, MD, Associate Medical Director & Primary Care Physician, Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care
Location: Salon 1&2
Slides Available Here
Session 2: Statewide Approaches to Breastfeeding Policy in New York
Erin Van Denburg, NY State Department of Health
Sarah Avellino, NY State Department of Health
Location: Main Ballroom
Slides Available Here
Session 3: Implementing AI Scribes to Promote Provider Wellness in Primary Care
Matthew Malek, MD MPH, Medical Director of Clinician Wellness, Thundermist Health Center
Location: Bristol Room
Slides Available Here
Session 4: Effectively Train Primary Care Physicians to Screen and Refer Patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Dementia
Casey Gallagher, LMHC, Clinical Supervisor, VICTA
Location: Tiverton
Slides Available Here
NTG-EDSD Quick Guide Document
NTG-EDSD Screening Document
Special Session: 2:00-3:00 PM
Special Session: Reclaiming Joy in Medicine: reducing administrative burdens, creating a culture of wellness, and sustaining success
Jane Fogg, MD, MPH, Physician Director of Organizational Transformation, Professional Satisfaction, American Medical Association
Access the Recording Here
Keynote:
Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett is the Vice Chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC), an Associate Professor at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, a recent Associate at Harvard’s Center for Primary Care, and a Health Innovators Fellow at the Aspen Institute, a highly competitive fellowship that catalyzes leaders to improve US health care. Prior to joining BMC in 2009, Dr. Gergen Barnett attended Yale University School of Medicine, worked at the National Institutes of Health, and completed a fellowship studying a model of group prenatal care for women in low-income communities. At BMC, she has served in multiple leadership roles including as a chief resident, Director of Integrative Medicine, Medical Director, Residency Director, and Vice Chair. Dr. Gergen Barnett has been on the front lines of full scope primary care for over twenty years, where her primary clinical interests are behavioral health, preventive medicine, trauma informed care, women’s health, reproductive care, post incarceration medicine, and group medical care. Dr. Gergen Barnett’s research career has been focused on innovative models of care to address chronic medical conditions, physician burnout, and engaging community partners in creating feasible solutions to increase health and wellness and to address medical distrust in traditionally marginalized communities. She has served as a PI and co-PI on multiple grants, including a MassHealth grant to create and evaluate addiction training for family medicine residents, a Pfizer grant to study the efficacy of Paxlovid in high risk children, a CTSI grant to evaluate best practices for hospital based youth advisory boards, a PCORI grant to create and evaluate integrative medicine group visits for chronic pain, and an NIH grant to study the efficacy of restorative justice and storytelling on healing medical mistrust. Finally, Dr. Gergen Barnett is involved in local and state health policy addressing health inequities, national policy addressing primary care delivery, a frequent commentator in local and national media, and an accomplished writer whoseop-eds and scholarship highlight solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in American health care. Her work is grounded in advancing equity, rebuilding trust in medicine, and ensuring that primary care remains a cornerstone of a healthier, more just future.
Cheryl Harding is an experienced lifelong community advocate and leader. Cheryl seeks to build trust between Bostonians and the institutions that serve them, and to bridge perceived differences across demographics and generations to build connections to make the city a better place for all. She has served in a range of roles, from Founder of the nonprofit From Roots to Wings, which supported grandparents raising their grandchildren, to statewide Field Director for Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s campaign. At Everyday Boston, Cheryl as the Strategic Advisor is leading a community visioning process for Storytelling to Build Medical Trust, an NIH-funded learning series that brings healthcare providers and BIPOC community members together to focus on their shared humanity and practice their people skills.
Special Session:
Jane Fogg, MD, MPH, is a physician leader and executive with broad experience leading health care delivery, focusing on primary care, systems redesign, and value-based delivery models. She joined the American Medical Association as Physician Director of Organizational Transformation for the division of Professional Satisfaction & Practice Sustainability in 2023. She leads the wellbeing survey service, Organizational Biopsy, which assesses both drivers and outcomes of wellbeing in health care systems. She also leads the development of strategies to activate and advance organizational transformation that delivers physician satisfaction, and she also supports the research, recognition, and resource work in her unit. Prior to this, she was the Executive Chair of Internal Medicine Family Medicine at Atrius Health, an innovative value-based healthcare leader in Massachusetts, and a member of Optum. She was responsible for the care delivery and outcomes of a practice with 350 physicians and advanced practice clinicians caring for 400,000 patients. She implemented advanced primary care redesign for reliable systems that are team-based, patient-centered, innovative, and return joy to the practice of medicine. Dr. Fogg started her career in 1996 as the Director of Adult Medicine & Residency Training at The Dimock Center, a FQHC, in Roxbury. In 2004, Dr. Fogg joined the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center system and founded a successful primary care practice in Needham, MA as their Medical Director. She went on to assume system wide leadership roles designing and implemented care models to address the transition from volume to value at both local and system levels until 2016. Dr. Fogg speaks internationally and locally on value-based care delivery, innovation in health care, physician wellbeing, and in basket reduction.
Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett is the Vice Chair of Primary Care Innovation and Transformation in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC), an Associate Professor at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, a recent Associate at Harvard’s Center for Primary Care, and a Health Innovators Fellow at the Aspen Institute, a highly competitive fellowship that catalyzes leaders to improve US health care. Prior to joining BMC in 2009, Dr. Gergen Barnett attended Yale University School of Medicine, worked at the National Institutes of Health, and completed a fellowship studying a model of group prenatal care for women in low-income communities. At BMC, she has served in multiple leadership roles including as a chief resident, Director of Integrative Medicine, Medical Director, Residency Director, and Vice Chair. Dr. Gergen Barnett has been on the front lines of full scope primary care for over twenty years, where her primary clinical interests are behavioral health, preventive medicine, trauma informed care, women’s health, reproductive care, post incarceration medicine, and group medical care. Dr. Gergen Barnett’s research career has been focused on innovative models of care to address chronic medical conditions, physician burnout, and engaging community partners in creating feasible solutions to increase health and wellness and to address medical distrust in traditionally marginalized communities. She has served as a PI and co-PI on multiple grants, including a MassHealth grant to create and evaluate addiction training for family medicine residents, a Pfizer grant to study the efficacy of Paxlovid in high risk children, a CTSI grant to evaluate best practices for hospital based youth advisory boards, a PCORI grant to create and evaluate integrative medicine group visits for chronic pain, and an NIH grant to study the efficacy of restorative justice and storytelling on healing medical mistrust. Finally, Dr. Gergen Barnett is involved in local and state health policy addressing health inequities, national policy addressing primary care delivery, a frequent commentator in local and national media, and an accomplished writer whoseop-eds and scholarship highlight solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in American health care. Her work is grounded in advancing equity, rebuilding trust in medicine, and ensuring that primary care remains a cornerstone of a healthier, more just future.
Cheryl Harding is an experienced lifelong community advocate and leader. Cheryl seeks to build trust between Bostonians and the institutions that serve them, and to bridge perceived differences across demographics and generations to build connections to make the city a better place for all. She has served in a range of roles, from Founder of the nonprofit From Roots to Wings, which supported grandparents raising their grandchildren, to statewide Field Director for Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s campaign. At Everyday Boston, Cheryl as the Strategic Advisor is leading a community visioning process for Storytelling to Build Medical Trust, an NIH-funded learning series that brings healthcare providers and BIPOC community members together to focus on their shared humanity and practice their people skills.
Special Session:
Jane Fogg, MD, MPH, is a physician leader and executive with broad experience leading health care delivery, focusing on primary care, systems redesign, and value-based delivery models. She joined the American Medical Association as Physician Director of Organizational Transformation for the division of Professional Satisfaction & Practice Sustainability in 2023. She leads the wellbeing survey service, Organizational Biopsy, which assesses both drivers and outcomes of wellbeing in health care systems. She also leads the development of strategies to activate and advance organizational transformation that delivers physician satisfaction, and she also supports the research, recognition, and resource work in her unit. Prior to this, she was the Executive Chair of Internal Medicine Family Medicine at Atrius Health, an innovative value-based healthcare leader in Massachusetts, and a member of Optum. She was responsible for the care delivery and outcomes of a practice with 350 physicians and advanced practice clinicians caring for 400,000 patients. She implemented advanced primary care redesign for reliable systems that are team-based, patient-centered, innovative, and return joy to the practice of medicine. Dr. Fogg started her career in 1996 as the Director of Adult Medicine & Residency Training at The Dimock Center, a FQHC, in Roxbury. In 2004, Dr. Fogg joined the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center system and founded a successful primary care practice in Needham, MA as their Medical Director. She went on to assume system wide leadership roles designing and implemented care models to address the transition from volume to value at both local and system levels until 2016. Dr. Fogg speaks internationally and locally on value-based care delivery, innovation in health care, physician wellbeing, and in basket reduction.
Session 1:
Claire Williams, MD, is a board-certified adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist and pediatrician. She has worked in community health and integrated care in clinic and school-based settings. She serves as the Medical Director of Psychiatry at an integrated community health center in RI. She also serves as a preceptor and course director for a community-based psychiatry post-graduate fellowship training program for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse practitioners that includes training and development in integrating weight-neutral evidence-based care in psychiatric practice. Claire’s psychiatric practice and advocacy work have centered around health equity for people living in larger bodies, LGBTQIA+ folks, those impacted by the carceral system, and other populations. She continues to work on learning and adapting a weight-neutral approach and unlearning weight stigma in her own practice.
Krista Handfield, LICSW (she/her) is national expert in weight stigma and size-Inclusive practice and is a health equity and justice-oriented health professional. She serves as Director of Size-Inclusive Health at a large integrated community health center in RI, where she developed and implemented the first large scale size-inclusive healthcare track in the nation. Krista serves on the advisory board for Medical Students for Size-Inclusivity (MSSI) and is a member of the Association of Size and Weight Inclusive Medicine (AWSIM) where advancements in weight-neutral evidence-based care are centered. Krista also served as a state Commissioner for RI's Commission for Health Advocacy and Equity. Krista has many years as a conscious leader, activist, and artist whose work is rooted in the equitable treatment of people living in larger bodies, women, LGBTQ+, and other population. She is certified in Body Trust®, child and adolescent trauma-informed care, and anxiety disorders. Krista also created a free resource for people in RI to connect to size and weight inclusive resources, called SHAPEcenterRI.com. She provides support, consultation, training, and education on weight stigma and size-Inclusive practice to professional, academic, wellness, and healthcare organizations.
Session 2:
Jeannine Casselman, JD, is the Law & Policy Director at Legal Key. She was previously with the Rhode Island Center for Law and Public Policy and served as the Program Director for the Rhode Island Medical-Legal Partnership from 2011-2016. Jeannine graduated from Roger Williams University School of Law in 2009 where she focused on public interest law. She interned with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights, South Coastal Counties Legal Services and the Community Mediation Center of Rhode Island
Carol Votta, MPH, is the Professional Development Coordinator at the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). In this position, Carol supports agencies training needs that have partnered with RIDOH to implement Family Visiting. Carol assists the Family Visiting team on evaluating professional development needs, planning, implementation, and reporting. In her previous position, Carol assisted the team to strengthen the infrastructure that supported those who have chronic conditions and promoted use of evidence-based client interventions. Carol supported practices that have partnered with RIDOH to implement quality improvement activities, provided feedback to address barriers and solutions on recommended strategies and resources to address blood pressure, diabetes, and prediabetes. Carol has also managed data surrounding people with special health care needs within the Rhode Island Department of Health. Carol conducted data analysis of national surveys such as Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System that led to policy and programmatic changes and decisions. In addition, Carol was responsible for creating evaluation plans that facilitate inclusion and improve health outcomes of the population served.
Michelle Hirst, MSW, is a social worker who has been working at Children’s Friends for over 20 years. She has been a supervisor in their Healthy Families America (HFA) program for the past 6 years. She enjoys supporting the staff and the families they serve and loves it when she gets the chance to get out of the office and meet the families in person. Outside of work, she likes exploring new places and events with her teenage daughter.
Calla DiGiovanni, is a recent graduate of the University of Rhode Island undergraduate Clinical Neuroscience Program. Since graduating, they joined the Healthy Families America team at Children’s Friend as a bilingual family support specialist. They enjoy empowering families to navigate community resources and advocate for themselves.
Claire Williams, MD, is a board-certified adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist and pediatrician. She has worked in community health and integrated care in clinic and school-based settings. She serves as the Medical Director of Psychiatry at an integrated community health center in RI. She also serves as a preceptor and course director for a community-based psychiatry post-graduate fellowship training program for Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse practitioners that includes training and development in integrating weight-neutral evidence-based care in psychiatric practice. Claire’s psychiatric practice and advocacy work have centered around health equity for people living in larger bodies, LGBTQIA+ folks, those impacted by the carceral system, and other populations. She continues to work on learning and adapting a weight-neutral approach and unlearning weight stigma in her own practice.
Krista Handfield, LICSW (she/her) is national expert in weight stigma and size-Inclusive practice and is a health equity and justice-oriented health professional. She serves as Director of Size-Inclusive Health at a large integrated community health center in RI, where she developed and implemented the first large scale size-inclusive healthcare track in the nation. Krista serves on the advisory board for Medical Students for Size-Inclusivity (MSSI) and is a member of the Association of Size and Weight Inclusive Medicine (AWSIM) where advancements in weight-neutral evidence-based care are centered. Krista also served as a state Commissioner for RI's Commission for Health Advocacy and Equity. Krista has many years as a conscious leader, activist, and artist whose work is rooted in the equitable treatment of people living in larger bodies, women, LGBTQ+, and other population. She is certified in Body Trust®, child and adolescent trauma-informed care, and anxiety disorders. Krista also created a free resource for people in RI to connect to size and weight inclusive resources, called SHAPEcenterRI.com. She provides support, consultation, training, and education on weight stigma and size-Inclusive practice to professional, academic, wellness, and healthcare organizations.
Session 2:
Jeannine Casselman, JD, is the Law & Policy Director at Legal Key. She was previously with the Rhode Island Center for Law and Public Policy and served as the Program Director for the Rhode Island Medical-Legal Partnership from 2011-2016. Jeannine graduated from Roger Williams University School of Law in 2009 where she focused on public interest law. She interned with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights, South Coastal Counties Legal Services and the Community Mediation Center of Rhode Island
Carol Votta, MPH, is the Professional Development Coordinator at the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). In this position, Carol supports agencies training needs that have partnered with RIDOH to implement Family Visiting. Carol assists the Family Visiting team on evaluating professional development needs, planning, implementation, and reporting. In her previous position, Carol assisted the team to strengthen the infrastructure that supported those who have chronic conditions and promoted use of evidence-based client interventions. Carol supported practices that have partnered with RIDOH to implement quality improvement activities, provided feedback to address barriers and solutions on recommended strategies and resources to address blood pressure, diabetes, and prediabetes. Carol has also managed data surrounding people with special health care needs within the Rhode Island Department of Health. Carol conducted data analysis of national surveys such as Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System that led to policy and programmatic changes and decisions. In addition, Carol was responsible for creating evaluation plans that facilitate inclusion and improve health outcomes of the population served.
Michelle Hirst, MSW, is a social worker who has been working at Children’s Friends for over 20 years. She has been a supervisor in their Healthy Families America (HFA) program for the past 6 years. She enjoys supporting the staff and the families they serve and loves it when she gets the chance to get out of the office and meet the families in person. Outside of work, she likes exploring new places and events with her teenage daughter.
Calla DiGiovanni, is a recent graduate of the University of Rhode Island undergraduate Clinical Neuroscience Program. Since graduating, they joined the Healthy Families America team at Children’s Friend as a bilingual family support specialist. They enjoy empowering families to navigate community resources and advocate for themselves.
Session 3:
Emily Devlin, LICSW, is an independently licensed social worker specializing in helping children, youth, and families. She is the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Clinical Innovation at Art Pharmacy, a healthcare company providing social prescribing to address mental health and loneliness crises in the US. Emily earned her Bachelor’s degrees in Social Work and Psychology (BSW and BS) from the University of New Hampshire, followed by a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Boston College. She has experience working with children, teens, and families in home-based, inpatient, and school settings. For the past 8 years, Emily has been active in the healthcare startup sector, using her clinical expertise to develop and implement innovative solutions. Her passion is creating new mental healthcare models to improve access and outcomes. She focuses on collaborating with various healthcare system areas to expand access to mental health services while ensuring scalability, equity, and effectiveness.
Lucy Bailey, DrPHc, MPH, is Head of Research at Art Pharmacy, an arts-based social prescribing company advancing mental health equity through arts and cultural engagement. As an experienced mixed-methods researcher and program evaluator, she leads Art Pharmacy’s research strategy—managing data collection and analysis, integrating scientific evidence into care delivery, and collaborating with external researchers. She is the Principal Investigator on an NIH-funded SBIR grant to develop and validate Art Pharmacy’s technology platform, including leveraging AI to optimize arts prescriptions for health. Lucy began her career in community mental health, linking patients to trauma-informed and social support services in federally qualified health centers and community health settings. She later led research projects at NORC at the University of Chicago and the Georgia Health Policy Center for organizations such as CMS, CDC, the American Cancer Society, and the California Health Care Foundation, focusing on access to care, mental health equity, behavioral health integration, and social determinants of health. She holds an MPH in Health Education and Behavioral Science from Emory University and is a DrPH candidate at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Session 4:
Stacy Paterno oversees the policy and advocacy work of the Rhode Island Medical Society, managing programs that support physicians and strengthen Rhode Island’s healthcare system. Her work includes legislative and regulatory coordination, physician engagement, and organizational operations. She works closely with clinical and community partners to address workforce, reimbursement, and system-level challenges affecting care delivery across the state.
Beth Cronin, MD, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and works at Providence Community Health Centers providing full scope obstetrics and gynecologic care. Dr. Cronin completed her residency training at Women and Infants Hospital in 2010. She is passionate about medical student and resident education and completed the APGO Scholars Program in 2017. She lectures and advocates on the importance of inclusive welcoming health care for the LGBTQ community.
Jaye Watts, LICSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in transgender health. For the past 10 years, he has played a key role in advocacy and policy change efforts for Rhode Island’s Transgender community. Jaye has used both his professional and life experiences to educate thousands of Rhode Islander’s on LGBTQ related topics with an emphasis on gender identity and expression. In 2015, Jaye became the Trans Health Program Director at Thundermist Health Center and helped to launch the first community health center program in the state dedicated to the needs of the trans community.
Emily Devlin, LICSW, is an independently licensed social worker specializing in helping children, youth, and families. She is the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Clinical Innovation at Art Pharmacy, a healthcare company providing social prescribing to address mental health and loneliness crises in the US. Emily earned her Bachelor’s degrees in Social Work and Psychology (BSW and BS) from the University of New Hampshire, followed by a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Boston College. She has experience working with children, teens, and families in home-based, inpatient, and school settings. For the past 8 years, Emily has been active in the healthcare startup sector, using her clinical expertise to develop and implement innovative solutions. Her passion is creating new mental healthcare models to improve access and outcomes. She focuses on collaborating with various healthcare system areas to expand access to mental health services while ensuring scalability, equity, and effectiveness.
Lucy Bailey, DrPHc, MPH, is Head of Research at Art Pharmacy, an arts-based social prescribing company advancing mental health equity through arts and cultural engagement. As an experienced mixed-methods researcher and program evaluator, she leads Art Pharmacy’s research strategy—managing data collection and analysis, integrating scientific evidence into care delivery, and collaborating with external researchers. She is the Principal Investigator on an NIH-funded SBIR grant to develop and validate Art Pharmacy’s technology platform, including leveraging AI to optimize arts prescriptions for health. Lucy began her career in community mental health, linking patients to trauma-informed and social support services in federally qualified health centers and community health settings. She later led research projects at NORC at the University of Chicago and the Georgia Health Policy Center for organizations such as CMS, CDC, the American Cancer Society, and the California Health Care Foundation, focusing on access to care, mental health equity, behavioral health integration, and social determinants of health. She holds an MPH in Health Education and Behavioral Science from Emory University and is a DrPH candidate at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Session 4:
Stacy Paterno oversees the policy and advocacy work of the Rhode Island Medical Society, managing programs that support physicians and strengthen Rhode Island’s healthcare system. Her work includes legislative and regulatory coordination, physician engagement, and organizational operations. She works closely with clinical and community partners to address workforce, reimbursement, and system-level challenges affecting care delivery across the state.
Beth Cronin, MD, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and works at Providence Community Health Centers providing full scope obstetrics and gynecologic care. Dr. Cronin completed her residency training at Women and Infants Hospital in 2010. She is passionate about medical student and resident education and completed the APGO Scholars Program in 2017. She lectures and advocates on the importance of inclusive welcoming health care for the LGBTQ community.
Jaye Watts, LICSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in transgender health. For the past 10 years, he has played a key role in advocacy and policy change efforts for Rhode Island’s Transgender community. Jaye has used both his professional and life experiences to educate thousands of Rhode Islander’s on LGBTQ related topics with an emphasis on gender identity and expression. In 2015, Jaye became the Trans Health Program Director at Thundermist Health Center and helped to launch the first community health center program in the state dedicated to the needs of the trans community.
Session 1:
Kelly Sanzen, PharmD, 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, PCP-Specialist collaboration, and immunizations. 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 has held 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 Awards and Recognition team. She is committed to community service and re-established volunteer clinical pharmacy services at the RI Free Clinic in 2021 providing one on one education, medication reviews, and continuous glucose monitoring services to patients with uncontrolled diabetes.
Lisa Gargano, PhD, MPH, is the Chief of the Office of Immunization at the Rhode Island Department of Health, where she leads statewide immunization strategy and preparedness efforts. With a PhD in Immunology and an MPH in Epidemiology from Emory University, Dr. Gargano brings over 15 years of experience in public health and research, spanning infectious disease, mental health, substance use, and disaster epidemiology. Her career has taken her through every level of government—local, state, federal, and international—shaping a deep understanding of the complexities and opportunities within public health systems. Notably, she founded the Vaccine Equity and Confidence Unit within the Office of Immunization, a pioneering initiative aimed at building trust and improving access to vaccines in communities most at risk.
Caitlin Kennedy, PharmD, MHA, has a diverse work experience in the healthcare field. Caitlin started their career at CVS Health in 2016 as a Pharmacy Manager. In 2017, they joined Coastal Medical, where they have held multiple roles. Caitlin began as a Clinical Pharmacist - Managed Care Coordinator and then transitioned to the role of Clinical Pharmacy Manager. Caitlin later became the Director Of Pharmacy and is currently serving as the Director of Population Health Management. Caitlin's roles at Coastal Medical showcase their expertise in pharmacy management and their commitment to improving population health. Caitlin Kennedy, PharmD, MHA has a Master's degree in Health/Health Care Administration/Management from The George Washington University- Milken Institute School of Public Health, which they obtained between 2017 and 2020. Prior to that, they earned a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from the University of Rhode Island, where they studied from 2009 to 2015. In addition to their academic achievements, Caitlin has obtained certification in Adult Mental Health First Aid from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in March 2022.
Session 2:
Jayne Daylor, RN, MSN is a Quality Improvement Specialist with the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Care Transformation Collaborative of Rhode Island (CTC-RI). She serves as Nursing Care Manager/G-Learn Faculty and practice facilitator for CTC-RI, supporting primary care teams in implementing evidence-based improvements. Jayne holds a master’s degree in nursing from Boston College and has many years of experience advancing healthcare quality through system transformation and team-based care.
Session 2 (cont'd):
Gina DeLuca is the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Diabetes and Cardiovascular Health Program at the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). Gina primarily works on the program's Office of Minority Health grant titled “Community Level Innovations for Improving Health Outcomes”. Gina works with a diverse group of trusted community partners to improve hypertension management and diabetes prevention. The overall goal of the project is to lift community voices to strengthen policies, advance systems, and create supportive environments where providers, Community Health Workers, and members of the community to work in unison to reduce social determinants of health barriers and increase preventive health services. Gina began her career at RIDOH in 2010, after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health Education from Rhode Island College. Gina has a wide range of public health experience, working on a variety of programs while at RIDOH including Worksite Wellness, Physical Activity and Nutrition, Drug Overdose Prevention, and COVID-19 Epidemiological Operations.
Megan Sheridan, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian and alumna to the University of Rhode Island (URI), where she received her master’s degree in nutrition and food sciences. Megan started her career at the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) in 2017 as the Health Systems Intervention (HSI) Manager within the Diabetes and Cardiovascular Health Program (formerly the Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke Program). In this role she oversaw several quality improvement initiatives, such the Rhode Island Chronic Care Collaborative and Care + Community + Equity. Megan is currently the Program Administrator for the RIDOH Diabetes and Cardiovascular Health Program. She oversees two cooperative agreements funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the prevention and management of diabetes and cardiovascular health and one Office of Minority Health grant for Community Level Innovations for Improving Health Outcomes. Program efforts and strategies are focused on scaling and sustaining the delivery of evidence-based lifestyle change programs (e.g., National Diabetes Prevention Program, Healthy Heart Ambassador-Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Program), preventing diabetes complications through early detection (e.g., increased screening for chronic kidney disease and early detection of diabetic retinopathy), expanding the community health worker workforce, enhancing the use of electronic health records and team-based care for population health management, and strengthening clinical-community linkages. Outside of her full-time position at RIDOH she is an adjunct lecturer for URI’s Nutrition and Food Sciences Department, teaching “Public Health Nutrition”, “Community Nutrition and Health Promotion”, and “General Nutrition”.
Session 3:
Daniel Mullin, PsyD MPH, is a clinician, educator, researcher, and consultant specializing in the integration of behavioral health and primary care services. He maintains a clinical practice embedded in the Barre Family Health Center, a rural family medicine residency practice in Massachusetts. Dr. Mullin is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers and provides training in Motivational Interviewing to healthcare providers. He is a developer of the Practice Integration.
Session 4:
Shannon Boyd, MHL, RN, s a Clinical Operations Project Administrator working across Operations and Practice Management divisions within Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care in Providence, RI. Ms. Boyd is an institutional lead for Epic optimization and education within primary care and is a member of various system optimization and efficiency workgroups.
Paul Larson MD, MS, MBA, CPE, DIM&PH, FAAFP is a Medial Director for Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care in Providence, RI. Board certified with active practice in Family Medicine, Dr. Larson is a clinical assistant professor at Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School. Dr. Larson is the institutional lead for eConsult implementation, co-directs Population Health and Utilization initiatives, Epic optimization and education, co-Chairs the CTCRI PCP/Specialist Oversight Group, Clinical Strategy Committee, & is a CTC Board Member.
Gina DeLuca is the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Diabetes and Cardiovascular Health Program at the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). Gina primarily works on the program's Office of Minority Health grant titled “Community Level Innovations for Improving Health Outcomes”. Gina works with a diverse group of trusted community partners to improve hypertension management and diabetes prevention. The overall goal of the project is to lift community voices to strengthen policies, advance systems, and create supportive environments where providers, Community Health Workers, and members of the community to work in unison to reduce social determinants of health barriers and increase preventive health services. Gina began her career at RIDOH in 2010, after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health Education from Rhode Island College. Gina has a wide range of public health experience, working on a variety of programs while at RIDOH including Worksite Wellness, Physical Activity and Nutrition, Drug Overdose Prevention, and COVID-19 Epidemiological Operations.
Megan Sheridan, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian and alumna to the University of Rhode Island (URI), where she received her master’s degree in nutrition and food sciences. Megan started her career at the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) in 2017 as the Health Systems Intervention (HSI) Manager within the Diabetes and Cardiovascular Health Program (formerly the Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke Program). In this role she oversaw several quality improvement initiatives, such the Rhode Island Chronic Care Collaborative and Care + Community + Equity. Megan is currently the Program Administrator for the RIDOH Diabetes and Cardiovascular Health Program. She oversees two cooperative agreements funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the prevention and management of diabetes and cardiovascular health and one Office of Minority Health grant for Community Level Innovations for Improving Health Outcomes. Program efforts and strategies are focused on scaling and sustaining the delivery of evidence-based lifestyle change programs (e.g., National Diabetes Prevention Program, Healthy Heart Ambassador-Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Program), preventing diabetes complications through early detection (e.g., increased screening for chronic kidney disease and early detection of diabetic retinopathy), expanding the community health worker workforce, enhancing the use of electronic health records and team-based care for population health management, and strengthening clinical-community linkages. Outside of her full-time position at RIDOH she is an adjunct lecturer for URI’s Nutrition and Food Sciences Department, teaching “Public Health Nutrition”, “Community Nutrition and Health Promotion”, and “General Nutrition”.
Session 3:
Daniel Mullin, PsyD MPH, is a clinician, educator, researcher, and consultant specializing in the integration of behavioral health and primary care services. He maintains a clinical practice embedded in the Barre Family Health Center, a rural family medicine residency practice in Massachusetts. Dr. Mullin is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers and provides training in Motivational Interviewing to healthcare providers. He is a developer of the Practice Integration.
Session 4:
Shannon Boyd, MHL, RN, s a Clinical Operations Project Administrator working across Operations and Practice Management divisions within Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care in Providence, RI. Ms. Boyd is an institutional lead for Epic optimization and education within primary care and is a member of various system optimization and efficiency workgroups.
Paul Larson MD, MS, MBA, CPE, DIM&PH, FAAFP is a Medial Director for Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care in Providence, RI. Board certified with active practice in Family Medicine, Dr. Larson is a clinical assistant professor at Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School. Dr. Larson is the institutional lead for eConsult implementation, co-directs Population Health and Utilization initiatives, Epic optimization and education, co-Chairs the CTCRI PCP/Specialist Oversight Group, Clinical Strategy Committee, & is a CTC Board Member.
Session 1:
Jennifer Cioffi, MPH, is the Clinical Transformation Project Administrator for Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care. In her current role, Jennifer is responsible for project coordination to support clinical transformation efforts and practice operations across the Brown Health Primary Care system. Jennifer is involved with managing patients who need to get reassigned to a primary care provider after a primary care provider departure or retirement from Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care. Jennifer is also involved in managing new patient access across Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care. Jennifer completed her undergraduate degree from the University of Rhode Island in Health Studies and completed her graduate degree from the University of New England for her Master's in Public Health. Jennifer is passionate about delivering high-quality care and increasing the efficiency of healthcare delivery systems.
Kristen Hubbard, MD, serves as the Associate Medical Director for Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care and is also a practicing Primary Care Physician. She earned her medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine and completed her residency at UConn Health Center in Connecticut. In addition to her clinical and administrative roles, Dr. Hubbard oversees the mentorship program for all new primary care providers joining Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care.
Session 2:
Erin Van Denburg is a Program Administrator at the New York State Department of Health within the Bureau of Community Chronic Disease Prevention. She holds a Master of Science in Organization Management from Sage College in Albany, NY. In her role, Erin works to support public health initiatives across the state, with a focus on promoting equitable access to maternal and child health resources. At this conference, she will be presenting on the New York State Breastfeeding, Chestfeeding, and Lactation Friendly Designation Program, which recognizes and supports outpatient health care practices that foster welcoming and supporting environments for lactating individuals and families.
Sarah Avellino (she/her) is an Evaluation Specialist for the Bureau of Chronic Disease Evaluation and Research and the lead evaluator for the Breastfeeding, Chestfeeding, and Lactation Friendly New York grant. She has worked in the field of public health for 25 years, as both a program coordinator and evaluator for several public health programs at the local, state, and national levels to support lactation and nutrition policy and environmental change in healthcare and community settings. During this conference, she will present the first ten-year summary (2013-2023) of the New York State Department of Health Breastfeeding Friendly Practice Designation Program, highlighting the significant impact that has occurred since the program's inception.
Session 3:
Matthew Malek, MD, MPH, is the Medical Director of Clinician Wellness at Thundermist Health Center. In this role, he leads Thundermist’s organizational approach to promoting clinician wellness, rooted in the three domains of Clinical Leadership, Efficiency of Practice, and Community. Through his work, Thundermist became the first FQHC in the country to earn the Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition from the American Medical Association. He has presented Thundermist’s work on clinician wellness both locally and nationally. Prior to his work at Thundermist, Dr Malek worked as the Medical Director at Tri-County Health Center in Johnston, RI, where he focused on clinical systems transformations such as integrated behavioral health, clinical pharmacy, and substance use disorder treatment. He served as the chair of the Clinical Leadership Committee of the Rhode Island Health Center Association from 2018-2020. Dr Malek is also a practicing family medicine physician, practicing outpatient medicine across the lifespan at Thundermist Woonsocket, and inpatient adult medicine at The Miriam Hospital. He is an Assistant Professor (Clinical) at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where he teaches in the Brown Family Medicine Residency. He graduated from the University of Rochester School of Medicine with an MD with Distinction in Research in 2011, the Boston University Family Medicine Residency in 2014, the Brown University School of Public Health with an MPH in 2016, and the Brown University Maternal Child Health Fellowship in 2016.
Session 4:
Casey Gallagher, LMHC, is a passionate clinician with over 15 years of experience in the mental health field. She is currently the Clinical Supervisor at VICTA. Previously, she was the Project Manager of the Alzheimer's Disease Program Initiative Grant (funded by the Association for Community Living) at CareLink. She has previously opened the first Disabled workers cooperative in the country, providing peer support to Neurodivergent adults; overseen the Integrative Behavioral Health program at St. Joseph's Health Center; and was the Assistant Director of the Enhanced Outpatient Services Program at NAFI Rhode Island. In her free time, Casey enjoys cooking, traveling and listening to true crime podcasts.
Matthew Malek, MD, MPH, is the Medical Director of Clinician Wellness at Thundermist Health Center. In this role, he leads Thundermist’s organizational approach to promoting clinician wellness, rooted in the three domains of Clinical Leadership, Efficiency of Practice, and Community. Through his work, Thundermist became the first FQHC in the country to earn the Joy in Medicine Health System Recognition from the American Medical Association. He has presented Thundermist’s work on clinician wellness both locally and nationally. Prior to his work at Thundermist, Dr Malek worked as the Medical Director at Tri-County Health Center in Johnston, RI, where he focused on clinical systems transformations such as integrated behavioral health, clinical pharmacy, and substance use disorder treatment. He served as the chair of the Clinical Leadership Committee of the Rhode Island Health Center Association from 2018-2020. Dr Malek is also a practicing family medicine physician, practicing outpatient medicine across the lifespan at Thundermist Woonsocket, and inpatient adult medicine at The Miriam Hospital. He is an Assistant Professor (Clinical) at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where he teaches in the Brown Family Medicine Residency. He graduated from the University of Rochester School of Medicine with an MD with Distinction in Research in 2011, the Boston University Family Medicine Residency in 2014, the Brown University School of Public Health with an MPH in 2016, and the Brown University Maternal Child Health Fellowship in 2016.
Session 4:
Casey Gallagher, LMHC, is a passionate clinician with over 15 years of experience in the mental health field. She is currently the Clinical Supervisor at VICTA. Previously, she was the Project Manager of the Alzheimer's Disease Program Initiative Grant (funded by the Association for Community Living) at CareLink. She has previously opened the first Disabled workers cooperative in the country, providing peer support to Neurodivergent adults; overseen the Integrative Behavioral Health program at St. Joseph's Health Center; and was the Assistant Director of the Enhanced Outpatient Services Program at NAFI Rhode Island. In her free time, Casey enjoys cooking, traveling and listening to true crime podcasts.
Interested in becoming a sponsor or have questions? Email Michelle Mooney, MPA, mmooney@ctc-ri.org for assistance.
Platinum Sponsors
BlueCross BlueShield
United Healthcare
Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island
Point32Health
Rhode Island Department of Health
Gold Sponsors
Advance RI-CTR
Primary Care, Brown Medical Group, Brown Health University
Rhode Island Physicians Corporation Primary Care
Astrana Health - RI
- Acelleron
- ADVANCE RI-CTR at Brown
- Alzheimers Association
- American Addiction Centers
- American Lung Association in Rhode Island
- AstranaHealth
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Brown University Health
- Community Care Alliance
- Conversio Health
- East Bay Community Action Program
- Embrace Prevention Care
- Equip Health
- Family Services of Rhode Island
- Governor’s Overdose Taskforce
- Green and Health Homes
- Health Helper
- Neighborhood Healthplan
- Ocean State Center for Independent Living (OSCIL)
- On Belay Health Solutions
- Pediatric Psychiatry Resource Network (PediPRN)
- Relational Leadership Partners
- RI Elder Info
- RI Health Center Association
- RI Healthy Schools Coalition - RIght to Know
- RI Primary Care Physcians Care Corporation
- RI Department of Health
- Community Health Worker Network
- Health Equity Institute
- MomsPRN
- Project First Line
- RIPIN
- The Autism Project
- The Foundation for Integrated Care
- The Greatest 8
- UMass Center for Integrated Primary Care
- United Health Care
- Urban Perinatal Education Center
- URI RI Geriatric Education Center (RIGEC)
- Youth Pride RI
Claim CME/CEU and complete the conference eval here
Please note: individuals are eligible for up to 5 NASW credits and 5 AAFP credits.
AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. When applying for the AMA PRA, Prescribed credit earned must be reported as Prescribed credit, not as AMA PRA Category 1TM.
AAFP credit is accepted by many organizations. Please follow up with your specific organization as to how you should report the credit earned. To view AAFP equivalancy agreements, please check out their website: https://www.aafp.org/cme/credit-system/credit-statements/agreements.html
Our Mission
The mission of CTC-RI is to support the continuing transformation of primary care in Rhode Island as the foundation of an ever-improving integrated, accessible, affordable, and equitable health care system. CTC-RI brings together critical stakeholders to implement, evaluate and spread effective multi-payer models to deliver, pay for and sustain high-quality, comprehensive, accountable primary care.