Current CAB member Bios (16 members)
Sylvia R. Chiang, MPH is Director of Community Health Impact at Mass General Brigham. She oversees the allocation of Community Health Impact Funds (CHIF) Determination of Needs funding for the Mass General Brigham Integrated Healthcare System. Following guidelines established by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, she leads community-driven processes to distribute the funds in an equitable way. Previously, and for almost two decades, Sylvia championed systemic, policy, and environmental changes to promote healthy lives for all residents at the MGH Center for Community Health Improvement. Here, she supported the organization’s efforts to build trust and foster strong relationships with community groups, especially those traditionally less represented. A native of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Sylvia earned a Doctor of Medicine and Surgery degree from the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (National Autonomous University of Honduras) and a Master of Public Health degree in family and community health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Zahira Correa is a community researcher who helps make mental health education and services more accessible for youth, caregivers, families, and communities. She is interested in co-creating actionable paths to trauma-informed care alongside impacted community members and demystifying research and data processes through participatory methods. Zahira uses her lived experience and identities to advocate for immigrants and incarcerated populations. She currently serves NAMI National, the largest mental health nonprofit in the US, developing their data, monitoring and evaluation portfolio to improve mental health programming for youth and young adults, communities of color, and Spanish-speaking populations. She holds a BSA in Nutritional Sciences with a certificate in Health Policy and a Master of Education in Human Development and Psychology.
Nikhil Dasgupta is an engagement and messaging strategist for the Allston-Brighton Health Collaborative. In this role, he helps an often-under-prioritized neighborhood of Boston stay civically engaged, building multi-channel digital and in-person outreach campaigns to connect underserved community members with the government resources and nonprofit services designed to aid them. As a former software engineer, he brings a strong, data-driven lens to digital communications, analyzing engagement trends, and closely monitoring changes in how people get their information. As a musician and songwriter, he brings a deep passion for storytelling to his work. And as a survivor of chronic illness, he holds an intimate appreciation for the importance of environmental justice in driving outcomes.
Laura Fries is a public health researcher and evaluator located in rural Western Mass. She landed in this part of the state to pursue a master’s in public health at UMass Amherst, and settled down in Northfield. Her professional work focuses on finding the best ways to collect, analyze, and communicate science and data to a variety of audiences to advance equity and improve communities. Laura's work is wide-ranging, but she specializes in food-related public health work, including an evaluation for a statewide USDA grant in support of Massachusetts' beginning farmers; farm to schoolwork in Springfield and New Bedford; and supporting food systems work and communications in Springfield. She's supported research and writing for the Western Mass Community Health Needs Assessments, as well as many other data collection, analysis, and writing projects. Outside of work, Laura is on her town's Recreation Commission and serves as a Board member for the Warwick Community School Foundation. She spends a lot of time raising three wild kids with her partner in a very old house and enjoys reading fiction and being outdoors in all seasons.
Joseph Gomes has a bachelor’s degree in health studies and political science with a Master’s in Sustainable Development. At Seven Hills Behavioral Health, he focused on Community Health Education and street outreach among individuals experiencing homelessness, mental health and substance use disorders. He provided case management, basic HIV/STI testing and linkages to relevant social services. At Health Imperatives, he focused on Community Health Education and street outreach among high-risk individuals in treatment centers, jails, and prisons. He collaborated with other regional agencies to advance the goals of the Local Opioid Task Force and Homeless Service Coalitions. For volunteer work, he was a part of Peace Corps South Africa which included Living in South Africa and worked towards the HIV/AIDS Community Health Outreach Program which included work at a drop-in center for local orphans and vulnerable children, teaching about health, nutrition, and life skills.
Daisy Hernandez is a native of Puerto Rico and lives in Western, MA. She identifies as a woman with lived experience (Substance Use Disorder, Mental Health, and Criminal Justice). Daisy has dedicated her clinical social work career to community mental and behavioral health organizations within under-served communities. She has used her lived experience, education, and bilingualism to support and advance racial justice and empower individuals who are over-represented in behavioral health and social services resulting from negative impacts of social determinants of health, including re-entry needs. Daisy’s professional career spans the entire spectrum of substance use disorder (prevention through recovery) from peer roles, management, and workforce development. She currently works within workforce development as a nation-wide facilitator on topics related to mental health, substance use disorder, recovery, trauma-informed care, post-traumatic growth, stigma and bias, equity and inclusion, peer support services, re-entry, and recovery. As a master’s Level bilingual clinician and LCSW in the state of MA she also fulfills clinical hours as a bilingual therapist within community mental health organization specializing in co-occurring and trauma disorders.
Nicole Lomerson earned a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan School of Public Health with an emphasis on maternal child health and is a Researcher at the Lurie Center for Disability Policy at Brandeis University, where her research is centered on perinatal health of women with disabilities and the needs of disabled parents. Nicole has a particular interest in the needs of disabled parents in the NICU, and in developing the best methods to support those parents so they can care for their babies during what is often the most vulnerable time in the life of a family. She has spoken both nationally and internationally about the experiences of disabled parents who have had a baby in the NICU.
Tara Pacheco is a Massachusetts Certified Community Health Worker (CCHW) and Harm Reduction Specialist (HRS) working in behavioral health promotion, outreach, and project management since 2020. She currently works at High Point Treatment Center in New Bedford, where she supports multiple behavioral health grants and public health initiatives focused on communities impacted by substance use and mental health disorders. Tara is a member of High Point’s Stimulant Treatment and Recovery Team (START) and provides outreach and education supported through the City of New Bedford’s opioid abatement funding. Her work includes advancing equity and system-level responses to substance use and behavioral health needs. Tara is an active leader within Massachusetts’ public health and behavioral health landscape. She serves on multiple committees and advisory boards, including the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health New Bedford Site Board, the Greater New Bedford Opioid Task Force (Treatment Sub-Committee Co-Chair), and CHNA 26. Tara also serves as Co-Chair of the Greater New Bedford Overdose Awareness Day Committee. In addition to her programmatic work, Tara provides consulting support to help organizations strengthen equity-driven initiatives, outreach, and communication strategies. Grounded in professional practice and lived experience, her work is rooted in harm reduction principles, cross-sector collaboration, and a deep commitment to meeting individuals and communities where they are.
Chelsey Patriss is the Executive Director of the Health Equity Partnership of North Central MA (CHNA 9). The CHNA 9 serves as the multisectoral convener of organizations across the North Central region to promote health equity through systems level change and collaboration. Chelsey led the CHNA 9 through the first regional Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) process in 2016 and they recently published the 2028 CHIP. Chelsey has been with the CHNA 9 for 11 years and is a passionate advocate for rural communities and for prevention, access, and empowerment as the foundations of health. She is proud of the strong collaborations CHNA 9 has grown over the years, with a network of over 240 local, regional, and state organizations.
Leela Ramachandran is the Policy Director for the Massachusetts Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Commission, where she uses 8+ years of advocacy experience, including 4 years in research and evaluation, to advance data-driven policies that effectively serve impacted communities. Her background includes anti-racism organizing and political campaigns, and she was elected to the Acton-Boxborough Regional School Committee in 2023. Leela also serves on the community advisory boards of a Planned Parenthood study focused on young people’s access to reproductive care and GBH. She holds a B.S. in Public Health Sciences and a certificate in Civic Engagement and Public Service from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She also has lived/living experience of disability and being queer.
Adolis Ramos has two decades of experience in the health industry, during which she has dedicated herself to advocating for underserved and marginalized communities. Her efforts focus on addressing health disparities that affect these populations. She is furthering her expertise by pursuing a master's degree in public health, which will enhance her ability to contribute to this vital area of work. Through her extensive background and ongoing education, she aims to develop effective strategies and interventions to improve health outcomes for those often overlooked in the healthcare system. She is committed to social justice and equity in health care.
Raja Sinjab LMHC, AT-R, PhD, is a Holistic Trauma Therapist, Adjunct Faculty at Lesley University, and co-founder of Real Eyes Truth Inc., a Community Mental Health Initiative. Raja has a long history of lived experience and working with people in the community in all settings as a licensed trauma therapist, including private practice. She is trained in art therapy, therapeutic yoga, and sound healing as modalities for subconscious work. Her doctoral research focused on the empowerment of teenagers and identifying what the next generation needs for support. She and her husband founded Real Eyes Truth Inc. a 501c3 non-profit as a community mental health initiative because they saw the fracture in their own community. Healing through holistic practices to get to the root of trauma/intergenerational trauma through community work has been a priority for her.
Hannah Tello completed her undergraduate degree in English at Mount Holyoke College. She later completed her Master’s in Education (Curriculum & Instruction) as well as a Master’s in Community Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Hannah received her Ph.D. in Applied Psychology & Prevention Science. Her mixed methods research on birth, obstetric mistreatment, and subsequent postnatal experiences has been featured at conferences as far as London and Tokyo, as well as in academic journals Previously, Hannah worked as the Coordinator for Teen Pregnancy Prevention at Lowell Community Health Center, where she oversaw the implementation of evidence-based comprehensive health curriculum for thousands of middle- and high-school students across Greater Lowell.She served as co-chair of the Maternal Child Health Task Force of the Greater Lowell Health Alliance and is a founding member of their Breastfeeding Working Group. Currently, Hannah is the Director of Projects & Evaluation for the Greater Lowell Health Alliance. In this role, she is the primary architect and author of the Greater Lowell Community Health Needs Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan. She has also overseen the community-based implementation of major projects like the NIH-funded HEALing Communities Study to reduce opioid overdose death and federally funded efforts to ensure disparities in both COVID morbidity and vaccination were at the forefront of community health efforts throughout Greater Lowell. Her primary work is to make community health data accessible, usable, and exciting to the organizations and individuals who are key stakeholders in public health throughout Greater Lowell.
Nic Tompkins-Hughes, LSW, MPA (they/them) is a queer transmasculine non-binary community organizer and advocate. They have a bachelor’s in social work from Bridgewater State University, and a Master’s in Public Administration from Northeastern University. As a licensed social worker (LSW) they offer private and volunteer case management support services to LGBTQIA+ individuals navigating the systems of care. Currently also a full-time healthcare data analyst, Nic has been passionate about data throughout all of their professional experience. In 2020 they published an Honors Thesis at BSU, a mixed methods research study investigating the Experiences of Transgender Adults Accessing Healthcare in Massachusetts. As a parent and an individual with complex healthcare needs who has lived and worked in Southeastern Massachusetts their entire life, Nic brings a variety of lived, academic, and professional experiences and a passion for public health equity and accessibility. Nic has served as a board member of the Mass Trans Political Coalition since 2022, previously also serving as a chair of the LGBTQIA+ group within the NASW MA in 2021.
Howard Trietsch graduated from Tufts School of Medicine in 1983 and went on to do his residency in OB/GYN at Baystate Medical Center, finishing in 1987, and shortly after became Board Certified. Howard joined a physician in private practice in Springfield that was closely aligned with the Medical Center. Over the next 30 plus years, he acted as the Managing Partner as they grew the group to the largest private OB/GYN practice in Western Mass. He retired from practice in 2020. During his career, he became very active in policy and administrative issues, serving on multiple hospital committees including 8 yrs as a Trustee on the Medical Center Board and 5 yrs as a Director on The Board of Health New England. He was also active in the not-for-profit world, having served years on The Springfield Jewish Community Center Board and later as its president. He is currently a chair on the Ware Town committee. His interests are in healthcare inequities, especially maternal and women’s health.
Dr. Arin C. Whitman-Jemison, PharmD, BCOP, is a pharmacist specializing in oncology with a strong commitment to health equity. She is Board Certified in Oncology Pharmacy (BCOP) and has completed the ACCP Academy Certificate Program in Precision Medicine, focusing on pharmacogenomics. Dr. Whitman-Jemison earned her Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree with a concentration in Geriatrics from Duquesne University’s Mylan School of Pharmacy and is licensed by the Pennsylvania and Massachusetts State Boards of Pharmacy. Currently, she serves as a Clinical Associate Professor at Western New England University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, where she teaches courses in Hematology-Oncology, prescription drug abuse, and community education, while also assisting in the Sterile Products Laboratory. She is dedicated to expanding opportunities in healthcare education, co-directing the MHC WNE Golden Bear and Jr. Golden Bear Summer Camp, which introduces middle and high school students to careers in pharmacy and health sciences in collaboration with the Massachusetts Health Council. Dr. Whitman-Jemison is deeply involved in mentorship and community engagement. She serves as Board Chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Massachusetts and MetroWest and is a member of the National Leadership Council for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.