CHP Board of Visitors

Andrea L. Boissevain, MPH has served as the Director of Health for Town of Stratford since 2010.  She has more than 25 years of multi-agency experience in addressing public health issues, evaluating human health risks and communicating the associated complexities to a wide variety of audiences. Prior to joining the local health department, Ms. Boissevain served as the department’s technical advisor for nearly 13 years on myriad issues pertaining to the federal Raymark Superfund clean-up project. She provided crisis management planning and execution in the early phases of project, reviewed technical documents and drafted comments on behalf of the health department. She also instituted communication and outreach strategies to residents regarding the project’s progress and its impact on public health.

An advocate of involving the residents in addressing and solving communication issues, Ms. Boissevain orchestrated a series of neighborhood forums over several years to address neighborhood-specific concerns as the cleanup progressed. Known to take decades to clean up, the Raymark Superfund site is still active with the latest phase of remediation work where Ms. Boissevain is working with colleagues from federal and state health and environmental agencies with the fourth “generation” of stakeholder groups.

​Leading a nationally accredited local health department (only the third to be accredited in CT), Ms. Boissevain is responsible for leading the development and implementation of mission, vision and strategic objectives of ensuring that the 10 Essential Services of Public Health are carried out. Local public health ranges from enforcing local and state regulations, preparing for and responding to public health emergencies (like global pandemics), addressing health disparities, investigating foodborne illness outbreaks and linking residents to needed care or resources--all of that and more are part of part and parcel of Ms. Boissevain's work in Stratford.

In other community engagement work, Ms. Boissevain is also an active member of the Greater Bridgeport area’s Health Improvement Alliance, a coalition consisting of two local hospitals, two federally qualified health centers and six area local health departments dedicated to championing health improvement in the surrounding seven communities. She serves as the regional lead for Cities Readiness Initiative to coordinate and collaborate on mass vaccination for the 14 towns (Greenwich to Stratford) that comprise CT DEMHS’s Emergency Preparedness Planning  Region 1

Anna Cerra has led her team in establishing an environment of excellence, and contributing to the superior clinical outcomes in patient care.  Her career began in New York, and was successively followed by management positions in Critical Care and Ambulatory Surgery. She subsequently joined Greenwich Hospital in 1999, an affiliate of Yale New Haven Health, and served as the Director of  Surgical Services and as Executive Director of Women’s and Children’s Services. Anna has been instrumental in the growth of these service lines and their standardization within Yale New Haven Health. In addition, Anna is involved with System Nursing Integration to ensure nursing is at the forefront and is centered on evidence based practice.  Optimizing patient and family experience, quality and satisfaction via one “Care Signature” across the YNHHS, will ensure a level of care that is best in class. 

Anna takes great pride in being visible and timely to all staff. She holds the position of Senior Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer of Patient Care Services and is responsible for Nursing. 

Anna has been successful in enhancing the patient experience through the implementation of various new initiatives and in her role as a leader in Greenwich Hospital’s attainment of outstanding patient satisfaction scores. She has successfully initiated the Daisy Program, to honor nurses and continues to work on the Magnet journey with her team, for re-designation the Spring of 2021. Anna is currently completing a Post Doctorate Degree, at an International level, promoting “Resiliency Training for Nurse Leaders.” In addition, she sits on the Board of the Connecticut Hospital Association for Patient Care Quality and is the Chair of the Patient and Family Advisory Council.

Anne Diamond is President of Bridgeport Hospital and Executive Vice President at Yale New Haven Health System. She has been in healthcare for over 30 years and held many positions in her career, starting as a nuclear medicine technologist, radiation safety officer, and researcher moving through the leadership ranks of hospitals until arriving at the C-suite. Anne is known as a "turnaround" CEO, leading her organizations to improve quality, service, financial outcomes, and culture change through leadership accountability. Anne is passionate about patient safety and providing the best environment of care for her patients.

The American Hospital Association recognized Anne as the 2020 Grassroots Champion to acknowledge her exceptional leadership in advocating for patients and hospital priorities. Her leadership on a statewide asthma initiative highlights the dual challenges of health disparities and social determinants of health, which led her to establish and Chair the Connecticut Hospital Association's Health Equity Advisory Council.

Anne earned a BS degree in Nuclear Medicine Technology from Cedar Crest College, is a graduate of Purdue University, Concord School of Law. Anne received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Bridgeport and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration with a concentration in Homeland Security, Leadership, and Policy at Northcentral University.

Ann M. Spenard DNP, RN-BC is the Chief Clinical Officer at National Health care Associates a post-acute network of skilled nursing and assisted living center throughout New England.

Dr. Spenard brings over 30 years of expertise and experience in patient safety, quality improvement, culture change, and standardized assessment in post-acute care. A proven leader in long-term care and geriatrics, she directed and led numerous large-scale nationally-driven quality improvement and patient safety initiatives. Prior to joining National, Dr. Spenard was Principal and Vice President of Consulting Service at Qualidigm.

She has served as the clinical coordinator to the national Nursing Home Quality Initiative and senior clinician and manager of the data verification project for the MDS. Dr. Spenard conducts national training sessions to providers on the MDS 3.0 manual and post-acute care standardized measurements for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Frederick A. Browne MD, MBA, FSHEA, FACP is Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs at Griffin Hospital, Derby CT.

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.

After finishing his fellowship Dr. Browne started in private practice in Infectious Diseases at New Milford Hospital, New Milford, CT and was quickly promoted to Director of Medical Affairs and then Vice President of Medical Affairs/Chief Medical Officer. In 2011 he was named one of Modern HealthCare’s Up and Comers. He transitioned to South County Hospital, Wakefield, RI where he held a similar role as the Vice President of Medical affairs/ Chief Medical Officer. In 2014 he returned to Connecticut to join the executive team at Griffin Hospital where he became the President of Griffin Faculty Physicians and the Vice President of Medical Affairs/ Chief Medical Officer. Over his career he has become a well-rounded strategic healthcare executive with deep operational and clinical experience. Dr. Browne has lead institutions via strategic planning, staff development, quality management and cultural transformation to become top performing organization. 

Joann R. Petrini, Ph.D., MPH, is a nationally recognized leader in healthcare research, leading studies and initiatives across various specialties and populations and fostering a culture of scholarship. She has been a vice president of Nuvance Health Network, executive director of research and innovation for Western Connecticut Health Network and a senior advisor and director of the Perinatal Data Center at the March of Dimes National Headquarters. She has authored or co-authored more than 40 publications and garnered more than $10 million in grant support for her team research.

In addition to teaching in the Department of Healthcare Informatics at Sacred Heart, Petrini holds an academic appointment at Southern Connecticut State University and was an associate research professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont.

Petrini was the inaugural Bedoukian Endowed Chair of Research and Innovation at Nuvance Health and was appointed to the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality under U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. She received the National Young Professional Achievement Award from the Maternal and Child Health Coalition for Excellence in MCH Epidemiology.

Having served the CHE Board of Visitors since 2021, Petrini was an invited member of several CDC panels and committees, including peer review panels on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Centers and Public Health Research on Modifiable Risk Factors for Spina Bifida. She is a reviewer for the New England Journal of Medicine, Women’s Health Issues, Pediatrics, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Journal of the American Medical Association, among other national publications.

Kerri Balbone joins Health Net as COO with 25 years of wide-ranging experience in the healthcare industry, including executive positions in business operations and business development. Most recently, she served as COO at UnitedHealthcare (UHC) where she drove operational plans to support growth across Medi-Cal counties and new product expansion. During her lengthy tenure at UHC, Kerri held a variety of leadership positions, including National VP of Provider Experience & Network Services, and National VP of Provider Relations. She was instrumental in establishing a national provider relations model to significantly improve UHC’s provider relationships.

Kerri is based Woodland Hills and leads and provides strategic oversight of our key operational areas to ensure excellence, disciplined growth and progress toward our CA Market goals

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.

Lisa S. Stump, MS, RPh, FASHP, chief information officer (CIO) for Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health System, leads the creation of Information Technology strategy and governance that fosters high-performance, scalability and innovation.  A dynamic health care leader, she leads a team of health IT professionals that plan, implement and support clinical and administrative systems, biomedical equipment and technologies, and analytics platforms in support of the patient care, research, and educational missions of the organization.  Mrs. Stump is a 1991 Graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy and a 1993 Graduate of The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy where she obtained a Master’s degree in Pharmacy Administration.  Mrs. Stump completed a residency in Pharmacy Administration at Grant Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio and after a decade of serving in various leadership roles in Pharmacy practice, she moved her career focus to health care IT.  Mrs. Stump created and led the inaugural Healthcare Informatics department at Yale New Haven Hospital and was subsequently chosen to lead the multi-year implementation of the electronic medical record and revenue cycle platform, providing the first integrated system shared by Yale Medicine, Yale Health, and the Yale New Haven Health System.  Through years of merger and acquisition activity in the health care landscape, she has led the consolidation of multiple of information systems and integrated multiple teams building a culture of excellence.  Mrs. Stump leads with a passion for leveraging technology and data to improve health and to enhance clinician well-being.  

Mrs. Stump has been recognized as one of the Most Influential Women in Healthcare IT and One of the Most Powerful Women in Health IT and is a published author and speaker.     In 2017, Mrs. Stump was named a Carol Emmott Fellow, recognizing women in healthcare leadership.  She serves on the State of Connecticut Health IT Legislative Advisory Council and on the Board of Directors of the state’s HIE entity, The Health Information Alliance, Inc.  She is Adjunct Professor at Sacred Heart University in Healthcare Informatics where she has also served on the College of Health Professions Board of Visitors.

She is the proud parent of three children and lives with her family in Southington, Connecticut.

Dr. Maryanne Davidson has over thirty-five years of experience in the healthcare field including as President of St. Vincent's College, Dean of St. Vincent's College, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Associate Professor of Nursing, and Director of Undergraduate Nursing at Sacred Heart University. She holds both a Masters of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Science from Yale University School of Nursing. She has conducted, presented, and published research in the areas of self and family management of chronic illness with concentrations in mental illness, obesity, and Type 1 and 2 diabetes. Her clinical focus includes adolescent health and school based health care. Dr. Davidson previously received the Florence Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing and the “Best in Nursing” honor by the American Health Council.

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 J. Hesketh, MD,FASCO is Director of the Lahey Health Cancer Institute, Director of the Sophia Gordon Cancer Center and Director of Thoracic Oncology at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, Massachusetts. He is also Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.  Dr. Hesketh has a broad interest in investigational antineoplastic therapeutics, with a particular focus in defining effective new treatment approaches for lung cancer and the supportive management of the patient with cancer.  He serves as a member of the Executive Leadership Group of the Lung Committee of SWOG, a National Cancer Institute sponsored nationwide clinical trials group. He also chairs the SWOG Lung Community Engagement Sub-Committee and Professional Review Committee and is the Principal Investigator for SWOG at Lahey Hospital Medical Center.

Dr. Hesketh is a past President of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC). He is a member of the antiemetic guideline committees for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (co-chair) and MASCC. He is also a member of the ASCO Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Guideline Committee. He also serves on the Board of Visitors for the College of Health Professions, Sacred Heart University. He has received multiple academic and teaching awards. They include:   Alumni Achievement Award in Science (Boston College), Best of Boston – Medical Oncology (Boston Magazine), Champion of Healthcare (Boston Business Journal), Distinguished Service Award (Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer), Massachusetts Oncologist of the Year (Massachusetts Society of Clinical Oncology), Fellow, American Society of Clinical Oncology. He serves as a reviewer and editorial board member for a number of scientific journals and is a former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Oncology:  Index & Reviews.  He is an author of more than 250 scientific manuscripts, abstracts, and book chapters.

Paul Possenti, MS, PA-C, is the Director of Trauma Services, Emergency Management, EMS, at Yale New Haven Health’s Bridgeport Hospital. 

A native of Yorktown Heights, NY, Paul attended the State University of New York at Cortland, graduating in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science and a minor in Biology. 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. 

Paul began his career in the Department of Surgery and Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital (then known as the Dr. Andrew Panettieri Burn Center). In 1991, he became Clinical Coordinator of Trauma, Burns and Surgical Critical Care, and a short time later was instrumental in helping the hospital obtain recognition as a Level I Trauma Center from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma. The hospital has maintained its ACS Trauma Center recognition ever since. 

Paul took on the additional role of Trauma Coordinator in 2004, and assumed his current position as Director of Trauma Services in 2010.  He served as Chief Surgical PA from 2003 -2015. 

Paul has actively participated in training new PAs since he joined Bridgeport Hospital.  He holds faculty appointments at a number of colleges, including the University of Bridgeport Physician Assistant Institute (PAI), Yale University School of Medicine, Yale University School of Nursing, Quinnipiac University, King’s College and Sacred Heart University. He is also a certified instructor in several categories of life support, including advanced burn, advanced cardiac, advanced trauma and advanced pediatric life support.

Paul is a member of PRN International Relief and has participated in over 15 missions to underserved areas such as Kingston, Jamaica.  This group provides free surgeries and primary care to poor communities.   

Paul has been recognized for his contributions to clinical care and teaching with several honors and awards, including the Connecticut Hospital Association Healthcare Hero Award, Bulldogs Care Foundation Humanitarian Award, Jack Cole Society Award from Yale University (three times), Clinical Excellence Award from Quinnipiac University, Excellence in Teaching Award from the University of Bridgeport PAI and a member of Pi Alpha Honor Society. He has recently received the 2019 Community Partner Award from Sacred Heart University Health Professions. Paul also earned Bridgeport Hospital Employee of the Month, Quality Award and Employee of the Year awards. 

Paul is a fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, American Academy of Surgical Physician Assistants and American Burn Society, and is a member of the American Trauma Society, Connecticut Academy of Physician Assistants, American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, Eastern Association of the Surgery of Trauma and the World Congress of Abdominal Compartment Syndrome. He has participated in numerous scholarly presentations on both the national and international level and co-authored over twenty research articles and textbook chapters.  He recently co-authored a children’s activity book on burn and fire prevention. 

In addition to his duties at Bridgeport Hospital, Paul also has a distinguished record of military and volunteer service.  He attended U.S. Army Intelligence School in 1988 and served in the Army and Active Reserve from 1987 to 2004 as a Military Intelligence Officer. Paul has been a volunteer firefighter since 2002 and held the rank of Captain with the Great Hill Hose Company in Seymour, CT, where he resides with his wife Dina and their two children, Philip and Sarah. 

Robert D. Russo, MD, has 50 years of experience in the health care field, and has held academic appointments at Yale University School of Medicine, Quinnipiac College School of Radiologic Technology, St. Vincent's Medical Center and St. Vincent's College. Certified by the American Board of Radiology, Russo has been president and CEO of Robert D. Russo, MD & Associates Radiology since 1977. Additionally, he served as chairperson, vice chairman, president of medical staff and secretary/treasurer at St. Vincent’s Medical Center.

Throughout his career, Dr. Russo has served as chairman and president of a number of prestigious medical boards and committees, including St. Vincent's College, Fairfield University Preparatory School, the Fordham University Science Counsel, Connecticut State Medical Society, Radiology Society of CT, Connecticut Radiology Network, Swim Across the Sound and more.

Russo’s significant contributions to the field led to various government appointments like the Governor's Blue Ribbon Commissions on State Health Insurance and State Licensure, respectively, as well as the State Legislature's Commission on TeleMedicine, Connecticut Commission on Hospitals and Health Care, Connecticut Health Institute for Policy Study MRI Task Force, among others.

He has been a member of many professional organizations and societies, from the American Red Cross and United Way to the Connecticut Hospital Association, Jewish Home for the Elderly, American College of Radiology, AmeriCares, Association of American Academic Chief Residents in Radiology, American College of Nuclear Medicine, Radiological Society of North America, to name a few.

Among his many honors, Russo was the recipient of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Award for his work in mammography; the Outstanding Leadership Volunteer Award from the Volunteer Center of Greater Bridgeport for his commitment to volunteerism in the community; and the Southwest Community Health Center, Inc., Service Award for making "The Michele Project" comprehensive cancer screening program a reality.

Rocco Orlando III, MD, is senior vice president and Chief Academic Officer for Hartford HealthCare. Dr. Orlando is the sytem’s first Chief Academic Officer and is responsible for professional education including medical education and research. He also manages and maintains relationships with HHC’s academic partners including the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and Quinnipiac University. Dr. Orlando oversees the organization’s research portfolio and is involved in clinical innovation in partnership with the leadership of HHC’s Clinical Institutes.

Prior to serving as Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Orlando was the first chief medical officer for Hartford HealthCare and led efforts of Hartford HealthCare clinical staffs in achieving national pre-eminence in patient quality and safety and in creating seamless care coordination across the entire network.

Dr. Orlando previously served as chief medical officer of Hartford Hospital and as vice president of Connecticut Surgical Group in Hartford. He is a general surgeon who has been on the medical staff of Hartford Hospital for more than thirty years. Throughout his time at Hartford Hospital, he has held various leadership positions, including president of the medical staff and member of the board of directors. 

Dr. Orlando has a national reputation for research and clinical excellence and has delivered more than 200 medical presentations internationally and across the United States. He has had more than sixty medical publications in addition to numerous abstracts and book chapters.

Dr. Orlando received his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and his undergraduate degree from Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y. He completed multiple internships and finished his residency at Hartford Hospital. He also completed a fellowship at the University of Miami – Jackson Memorial Hospital. He is a member of numerous professional societies and is a fellow to the American College of Surgeons. He resides in Glastonbury.

Susan grew up in Connecticut and obtained her BA from the University of Connecticut. She began her MBA program at the University of Connecticut and then moved to San Francisco, where she completed her course work at the University of California, Berkeley's Haas School of Business.

Susan's professional career includes over 25 years of experience in all areas of accounting and finance, including five years as Director of Finance, for Gap, Inc. After returning to her roots in Connecticut, Susan accepted a position as CFO for OR&L, Inc. with offices in Branford, CT and Winter Park, FL. After overseeing a period of rapid growth at OR&L, Susan joined Connecticut Orthopaedics in 2011 as Chief Financial Officer.

During her time at COS, Susan has seen the practice grow to more than 60 physicians as well as more than 80 mid-level providers, including physical therapy. Susan leads a team at Connecticut Orthopaedics with over 500 employees and 20 locations in Fairfield, New Haven and Middlesex counties. Ancillary services at CO include multiple ambulatory surgical centers, MR imaging locations and urgent care clinics.  They also operate the only overnight recovery care center in the state of Connecticut to meet the evolving needs of patients undergoing surgery in an outpatient setting. Susan played a key role in the merger of five other orthopaedic groups into the CO practice including the integration and training of team members.

After 10 years in the CFO role, Susan was selected by the Board of Directors to be the company's Chief Executive Officer in January, 2022. She has articulated a five­ year strategic plan for the practice which focuses on the various initiatives that will allow this group to continue to thrive as an independent medical practice focused on exceptional patient care. A key component of that plan is expansion of CO's partnerships with the academic institutions in their communities to facilitate excellence in the next generation of health care providers.

Dr. R. Wayne Holland presently serves as the Director of Special Education at Stamford Public Schools leading the district in areas of specialized instruction and related support services. As a graduate of Kansas Wesleyan University in the areas of Speech and Drama, Dr. Holland continued to grow his interest in the field of Special Education and acquired his Masters in Speech Pathology from Trenton State College and Special Education from Wayne State University. As Dr. Holland dedicated himself to lifelong learning, he earned a doctorate in Educational Administration from Wayne State University. Dr. Holland’s career has included working as a Speech and Language Pathologist, Supervisor of Speech, Hearing and Physically Handicapped programming, District Administrator for PPS staff, Editorial Advisor, Coordinator and Consultant to over 6 different districts ranging from Michigan to Connecticut. Dr. Holland has been an active contributor to a number of publications which includes the Journal of Voice and Andover Medical Publishers.