CHP Board of Visitors

Susan Bader’s career spans more than 25 years in accounting and finance, including five years as director of finance for Gap, Inc. She currently serves as chief executive officer for Connecticut Orthopaedics—a position she has held since 2022 after serving for 11 years as chief financial officer for the practice. She leads a team with more than 500 employees across 20 locations in Fairfield, New Haven and Middlesex counties. Susan played a key role in the merger of five other orthopedic groups and has articulated a five­-year strategic plan to allow Connecticut Orthopaedics to thrive as an independent medical practice focused on exceptional patient care. A key component is the expansion of partnerships with academic institutions to facilitate excellence in the next generation of health care providers.

Bader grew up in Connecticut and obtained her BA from the University of Connecticut, where she began her MBA program before moving to San Francisco to complete her coursework at the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business. Prior to her work with Connecticut Orthopaedics, she was CFO for O,R&L, Inc., a full-service construction firm with offices in Branford, Connecticut, and Winter Park, Florida.

Dante Brittis, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Orthopaedic Specialty Group, PC. He specializes in sports medicine and shoulder and knee surgery, with extensive experience treating a range of musculoskeletal conditions, including arthroscopic procedures, joint replacement, sports injuries and trauma care.

Brittis earned his medical degree from New York Medical College. He completed a general surgery internship at North Shore University Hospital–Cornell Medical Center and an orthopedic surgery residency at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center/New York Orthopaedic Hospital. He pursued advanced sports medicine training at Lenox Hill Hospital’s Nicholas Institute for Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma.

He is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. Brittis is affiliated with St. Vincent’s Medical Center and Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus.

He has been recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor, reflecting his longstanding commitment to patient care and orthopedic excellence.

Frederick A. Browne MD, MBA, FSHEA, FACP is chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Connecticut.

Over his career, Frederick Browne has become a well-rounded strategic health care executive with deep operational and clinical experience, leading with strategic planning, staff development, quality management and cultural transformation. He began his career in private practice in infectious diseases at New Milford Hospital in Connecticut, later serving as director of medical affairs and then vice president of medical affairs/chief medical officer. He then joined South County Hospital in Rhode Island as vice president of medical affairs/chief medical officer, eventually becoming Griffin Hospital’s president of faculty physicians before transitioning into his current role.

Residency trained at Pennsylvania State University/Hershey Medical Center in internal medicine and anatomic/clinical pathology, Browne completed his fellowship at Yale University School of Medicine in infectious diseases, medical microbiology and epidemiology. He holds professional fellowships in the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America and American College of Physicians and in 2011 was named one of Modern HealthCare’s Up and Comers.

Browne is a graduate of the University of New Haven where he received an MBA, and he recently earned a graduate certificate in population health from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

Residency trained at Pennsylvania State University/Hershey Medical Center in Internal Medicine and Anatomic/Clinical Pathology. Fellowship trained at Yale University School of Medicine in Infectious Diseases, Medical Microbiology and Epidemiology. He has been awarded professional fellowships in the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America and American College of Physicians.

Dr. Browne is also a graduate of the University of New Haven, West Haven, CT where he received a Masters of Business Administration and most recently attended Thomas Jefferson University, College of Population Health, Philadelphia, PA where he received a graduate certificate in Population Health.

Kevin Cox is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Co-Founder of Polaris Corporate Risk Management, working out of Hartford, CT with company headquarters in New York City. As COO, my expertise in Enterprise Risk Management is called upon to guide and lead the POLARIS RISK team and its consultants to deliver exceptional client services. Kevin plays an integral role in the strategic direction of the business and assumed ownership of the operations function as we continue rapid expansion throughout the US market. In this role, Kevin collaborates closely with various business leaders on mission critical initiatives across functions and lead operational strategy pertaining to expansion into new markets, process and workflow optimization, logistics, people operations and more with the goal of continuously improving efficiency and scaling POLARIS RISK’S operations. Kevin’s leadership is instrumental in the evolution of our global security response services line in addition to physical and cyber risk assessment consulting services.

Prior to joining Polaris Corporate Risk Management, Kevin served in an executive leadership role as a Senior Managing Director at Pinkerton Corporate Risk Management. Kevin served as a trusted risk advisor and security subject matter expert with international, national, state and local security service officials, corporate executives, healthcare facilities and heads of universities. Kevin developed, implemented and led enterprise-wide converged security operations involving physical security, impenetrable IT and cyber systems, high value asset protection, complex business continuity measures, crisis and emergency management and executive protection. Ensured the safety and security of thousands of people on four continents. Kevin established framework and functionality of corporate protective intelligence services and crisis management processes. Provided leadership on investigations involving operations, conduct, fraud and misuse of funds.

Kevin received his BS in Criminal Justice and a Certificate in Arson Investigation from the University of New Haven, in addition to a Harvard Cybersecurity: Managing Risk in the information age short course certificate in 2018.

Anne Davila Casas Diamond is president of Bridgeport Hospital and executive vice president for Yale New Haven Health Services. In health care for over 30 years, Diamond started as a nuclear medicine technologist, becoming a radiation safety officer and researcher, and ultimately arriving at the C-suite hospital. A visionary chief executive, Diamond is passionate about patient-centered care, leading with strong clinical operations, strategic, business development, legal and marketing expertise.

Becker’s Healthcare recognized Diamond as among the top Hispanic and Latino Healthcare Leaders to Know and the top women hospital presidents and CEOs. She is among the 2025 Great Leaders in Healthcare and the 2025 Women of Distinction by the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce. She received the Grassroots Champion Award for her work in addressing asthma within Connecticut by the American Hospital Association, and she’s been recognized by many honor societies.

Diamond holds a BS in nuclear medicine technology from Cedar Crest College and is a graduate of Purdue University, Concord School of Law. She received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Bridgeport, a Doctorate in Business Administration with a concentration in homeland security, leadership and policy from National University and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Sacred Heart University.

Jeff Gold, DHSc, MBA, MSHA, CSSBB, PMP, is a health care executive and strategist with more than 30 years of experience leading organizational growth and operational transformation. As former chairman and CEO of the Blackmaple Group, a national consulting, management and procurement firm acquired in 2025, he built a company recognized for its results-driven approach to health care performance.

Throughout his career, Gold has guided hospitals, medical billing firms and physician group practices through expansion, restructuring and innovation. His expertise includes growth strategy, mergers and acquisitions, health policy, finance and operational improvement. He has a strong record of increasing efficiency and long-term value.

He has held senior leadership roles including chief administrative officer at OBGYN Specialists of the Palm Beaches, senior vice president of medical and network management at Vista Health Plans, an Aetna company, and president and chief operating officer at SunLife OBGYN Services. Earlier, he served as a senior consultant at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in Montreal.

Gold holds a Doctor of Health Science, an MBA and an MS in healthcare administration from the University of New Haven and a BA from McGill University.

Paul J. Hesketh, MD, FASCO is director of the Lahey Health Cancer Institute, the Sophia Gordon Cancer Center and thoracic oncology at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts. He is also professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. 

Hesketh has broad interest in investigational antineoplastic therapeutics, with a focus on  effective new treatment approaches for lung cancer and supportive management of the patient with cancer. He is a member of the Executive Leadership Group of the Lung Committee of SWOG, a National Cancer Institute sponsored nationwide clinical trials group, and principal investigator for SWOG at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center.

Hesketh is a past president of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) and a member of the antiemetic guideline committees for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and MASCC, as well as a member of the ASCO Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Guideline Committee. He has received awards and honors from academic institutions, associations and publications, including Boston College, Boston Business Journal and the Massachusetts Society of Clinical Oncology. He is an American Society of Clinical Oncology Fellow and serves as a reviewer and editorial board member for many scientific journals, as well as a former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Oncology: Index & Reviews. He has authored more than 250 scientific manuscripts, abstracts and book chapters.

Mike Papale is the President & Founder of In A Heartbeat, a CT based nonprofit organization with the mission to prevent death from sudden cardiac arrest. In A Heartbeat donates AEDS, provides CPR/AED training, raises money for research, supports heart disease patients and provides free electrocardiograms to children, teens and young adults. Mike suffered sudden cardiac arrest and was lucky to survive when he was 17 years old. He was later diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Prior to founding In A Heartbeat, Mike spent 6 years coaching college basketball at UMass Lowell, Quinnipiac University and Southern CT State University. Mike also serves as the Manager of Community Relations at Defibtech, an AED manufacturer based in Guilford and is the Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Fairfield Prep. He recently published a memoir titled A Big Heart about his journey living with heart disease.

Paul Possenti, MS, PA-C, is the director of trauma services, emergency management, EMS, at Yale New Haven Health’s Bridgeport Hospital.

Possenti began his career in the Department of Surgery and Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital. Over time, he served in various roles including clinical coordinator of trauma, burns and surgical critical care, trauma coordinator and chief surgical PA.

Paul is a fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, American Academy of Surgical Physician Assistants, American Burn Society and other key organizations. He trains new PAs through his and faculty appointments at several colleges. He has contributed to national and international scholarly presentations and co-authored over 20 research articles and textbook chapters.

Possenti has earned several honors and awards, including the Connecticut Hospital Association Healthcare Hero Award, Jack Cole Society Award from Yale University and Excellence in Teaching Award from the University of Bridgeport PAI. He’s a member of Pi Alpha Honor Society and a recipient of a Community Partner Award from Sacred Heart University Health Professions. Possenti also has a distinguished record of military and volunteer service.

Possenti earned a Bachelor of Science degree in health science and minor in biology from the State University of New York at Cortland. He completed the Physician Assistant (PA) Program at Hahnemann University Medical College of Pennsylvania and his Master of Science at Touro College of Health Sciences.

Elizabeth Rivera-Rodriguez, DNP, MSN, MPH, RN, has dedicated over 30 years of her professional career to nursing and public health within the nonprofit and profit sectors. In her current role as director of public health for Bridgeport, Rivera-Rodriguez leads municipal public health strategies focused on advancing health equity, population health, and community resilience. She is also responsible for all financial, programmatic and managerial aspects of a large urban health department. Previously, she served as chief operations officer and the first chief nursing officer at Optimus Healthcare, overseeing clinical operations and systemwide initiatives across community health settings.

Rivera-Rodriguez holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Walden University, a Master of Science in nursing education from the University of Phoenix and a Master of Public Health from Southern Connecticut State University.

Glynn Stanton, MS, is chief information officer and chief information security officer for Yale New Haven Health System and Yale Medicine. He has nearly 30 years of experience in information technology and cybersecurity. He began his career at British Telecom Labs, where he deployed the first internet firewalls across the United Kingdom’s National Health Service hospitals.

Stanton has held leadership roles at IBM, AT&T and Unilever, managing teams across multiple industries. At Yale New Haven Health, he oversees information technology, cybersecurity, clinical and financial applications, biomedical technology and clinical engineering.

He serves on the Connecticut State Health Information Technology Advisory Council, the Connecticut Hospital Association DNS Board and several technology advisory committees.

Stanton holds a Bachelor of Engineering in electrical and electronic engineering and a Master of Science in telecommunications from Aston University in the United Kingdom. He previously served as an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University and has lectured at Sacred Heart, Yale University and the University of New Haven.

Peter Yoo, MD, is a practicing surgeon and the chief academic officer of Hartford HealthCare, where he leads systemwide initiatives in education, research and innovation across seven hospitals and more than 500 care sites. He is focused on advancing academic partnerships, expanding simulation and training programs and developing workforce pathways that connect learners to meaningful careers in health care. Clinically, he has performed abdominal organ transplants in patients from infancy to late adulthood and has led complex clinical initiatives including a record-setting 18-way kidney exchange. His scholarly contributions include landmark national studies on surgical training, wellbeing and professional culture that continue to shape the field. He holds professorships in surgery at the University of Connecticut and Quinnipiac University.

Yoo has been inducted into the American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators and serves as a councilor of the American Board of Surgery and director of the General Surgery Board. He has held leadership positions with the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, the Association of Program Directors in Surgery and the New England Surgical Society.