Worcester RISE for Health Profesional Advisory Board

Paul Geltman, MD - Chief of Medicine at Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children, Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Until recently medical director of DPH Refugee Services for MA DPH. National leader in refugee health. Associate Professor at the Department of Pediatrics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine.

Laurie Doran - Strategic advisor, Advancing Health Care. Extensive prior experience with multiple ACOs and MCOs.

Kate McEvoy - Vice President, Corporate Relations of UmassMemorial Health with extensive prior experience in the health insurance sector.

LeNola Potami, CFA – Underwriting Manager at Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF). Prior to joining NFF in 2023, she worked at Fidelity Investments, MFS, and State Street Bank in various capacities for nearly two decades including as a research analyst covering bonds backed by commercial real estate mortgages, other loans, and assets

Kola Akindele, JD, MS – Associate Vice-President for External Relations and Partnerships at the Worcester Polytechnical Institute (WPI).

Gina Plata-Nino, JD – Deputy Director of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Previously she worked for the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, Central West Justice Center of Community Legal Aid in Worcester, MA. Recipient of the 2022 Liberty Award from the Worcester Country Bar Association and the Top Women of Law award from the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

Robert P. Marlin, MD, PhD, MPH – Chief of the Meta Health Center, Associate Chief Medical Officer at the Lowell Community Health Center. Meta Health Center serves refugees and survivors of torture and violence. Prior to coming to Lowell in 2019, Dr. Marlin served for 13 years as the founding director of the Coordinated Care Program for Political Violence Survivors at the Cambridge Health Alliance.

Hugh Silk, MD, MPH, FAAFP (he/him) - Vice Chair of Community Health and Professor, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Instructor, Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Harvard Medical School, Medical Director, MassAHEC Network, Road to Care, and clinician at Homeless Outreach and Advocacy Project (HOAP). In addition to the above, Dr. Silk is a national expert on oral health and an avid advocate for oral health access for vulnerable populations.

Satu Salonen, MD, MPH. – Family Physician at Edward M. Kennedy, Fellowship trained specialist in refugee health and asylum medicine.

Kaska Yawo – Executive Director of the African Community Education program (ACE). Under Mr.Yawo’s leadership, the organization has grown from 0 to a 3.5 million dollar organization in 17 years and recently acquired a 56,000 square feet facility which he hopes to make accessible to Worcester refugee and immigrant populations.

Sergut Wolde-Yohannes, MPH – DPH Director of TB programs, originally from Ethiopia, passionate about refugee and community work, and extensive work in various departments of DPH around refugee care.

Scott Early, MD, MBA. President and Co-Founder at On Belay Health Solutions as well as Founder of Cronos Health – an innovative primary care practice for underserved populations.

Tim Garvin – President and CEO of United Way of Central Massachusetts

Ken Bates – President & CEO, Open Sky Community Service.

Mary Benvenuto – Executive Vice-President, Chief Financial Officer, Open Sky Community Service.