Our Staff

Oxiris Barbot, MD, is president and CEO of United Hospital Fund (UHF). She is a nationally recognized physician, public health practitioner, and innovative leader at the intersection of public health, social justice, and health care delivery. 

Dr. Barbot’s career has been defined by service, scholarship, and a commitment to community health equity. From 2018 until 2020, she served as Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene of the City of New York, leading the city’s successful response to the first wave of COVID-19. Her strategic decision-making, leadership of early action to address racial inequities, and clear and effective communication in both English and Spanish made a significant difference in public understanding, rapidly flattening the transmission curve and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable. As commissioner, she was also the driving force behind the city’s launch of a home visiting program for first-time families. 

Previously she was first deputy commissioner at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from 2014 until 2018, served as commissioner of the Baltimore City Health Department from 2010 until 2014, and was medical director of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Office of School Health from 2003 until 2010. Before this, she was a community pediatrician at a federally qualified health center in Washington, D.C. 

An independent, nonprofit organization, UHF works to build an effective and equitable health care system for every New Yorker by leveraging its public policy analysis to inform decision-makers, finding common ground among diverse stakeholders, and developing and supporting innovative programs that improve health and health care. Dr. Barbot became president in September 2022 and is the first woman to lead the organization since its founding in 1879.

An adjunct assistant professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Dr. Barbot was senior fellow for public health and social justice at The JPB Foundation from 2020 until 2022. She is a recipient of the Hispanic Health Leadership Award from the National Hispanic Medical Association and was named to the Crain’s New York Business “Notable Women in Health Care” list and City & State New York’s “Health Power 100” and “Nonprofit Power 100.” She currently serves on multiple national and local boards, including RIP Medical Debt, ChangeLab Solutions, and Phipps Neighborhoods. Previously she served on the boards of UHF and NYC Health and Hospitals. A prolific author of peer-reviewed articles and commentaries, she has been published in several academic journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Health Affairs, and The American Journal of Public Health, as well as lay publications such as The Washington Post and The New York Daily News.

Dr. Barbot received her undergraduate degree from Yale University and her medical degree from New Jersey Medical School, and she completed her pediatric training at George Washington University - Children’s National Medical Center. She also holds an Honorary Doctorate of Science from The City University of New York, Lehman College. 

In her role as Special Assistant to the President, Amanda is involved in the administrative functions of the Office of the President, including internal/external communications; calendars, meetings, department budgets, relationship building; and additional special projects.  

As Corporate Secretary, Amanda is a confidential bridge/liaison for information and communication between UHF’s 22 Board members, management, and staff; ensures compliance with governance procedures and regulations; coordinates and prepares for board/committee meetings in conjunction with the Board Chair and Tony through materials prep and timely distribution; maintains key corporate records, ensuring bylaw, conflict of interest, and general procedure compliance.  

Before joining UHF in 2005, Amanda served as Office Manager, Marketing, Communications and Public Relations at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center. She has also worked as a graphic designer.

She is a former Board member of the Future Leaders Institute Charter School Board of Trustees.

Quincy manages UHF’s Business Office, Support Services, and Information Technology departments, a role he assumed in 2021. He also leads UHF’s financial reporting, annual budget preparation, and treasury management activities.  Quincy previously served as the organization’s Controller.  

Prior to joining UHF in 2019, Quincy served as the Chief Financial Officer for The Institutes of Applied Human Dynamics (IAHD), a regional human service organization.  As the CFO, he led IAHD’s strategic financial planning, annual budgeting, real estate financing and treasury management activities. Quincy also oversaw all functional financial divisions, including General Accounting, Billing, Information Technology and Payroll.   

Quincy honed his skills as a nonprofit financial executive through progressive responsibilities during his tenure as the Director of Finance at Hackensack Meridian Health–Palisades Medical Center. He managed corporate accounting and numerous financial transactions for the hospital’s portfolio of entities and led the organization’s financial and performance metrics reporting for both internal and external stakeholders. He began his career as an auditor in Ernst & Young’s Healthcare Assurance Practice.

Quincy is a certified public accountant (CPA), specializing in nonprofit financial reporting. He holds a Master of Public Administration from New York University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of South Carolina.

Sherrard directs all accounting activities for UHF, prepares all tax returns, monitors cash flows, acts as project leader for software implementation and training, and prepares draft semi- and annual financial statements for the Board of Directors.

Before joining UHF in 2021, Sherrard served as assistant vice-president, Office of the Comptroller at Nassau Community College, audit supervisor at RSM US LLP, auditor at NYC Office of the Comptroller, and an accountant at EHE International.

Sherrard holds a Master of Business Administration in Economic Crime and Fraud Management from Utica College and a Bachelor of Science from York College. He is a Certified Public Accountant and  Certified Fraud Examiner and a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, Association of International Certified Public Accountants, and Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. 

James, who joined UHF in 2021, manages the Fund’s constituent database and email communications as well working on event journals and the website.

He came to UHF from The New York City Police Foundation, where he was a development and communications manager. He has also worked in development for Habitat for Humanity New York City, Human Rights Watch, and in the Membership Department of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

James holds a Bachelor of Arts from Swarthmore College.

Adam leads the communications department, overseeing publications and collateral, the website, and public relations.

Before joining UHF in 2018, Adam was an editorial officer at the Pew Trusts, the director of communications at the Alliance for Downtown New York, and the editorial chief for UNICEF USA. A former journalist, he is the author of two books and has written for a wide variety of magazines and newspapers.  Adam holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bates College.

Mary works on a variety of writing and strategic communications initiatives to promote UHF’s work.

Before joining UHF in 2005 she was senior vice president of Public Affairs and Communications at Greater New York Health Association, a program associate at The Commonwealth Fund, a writer at the international charity CARE, and a publicist at Bantam Books. She has served on the board of the Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society of Greater New York.

Mary holds a Master of Health Science in Health Policy from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts from University of Michigan. 

Anna provides support for both UHF’s communications and development teams. She helps with the Blueprint newsletter, social media pages, website content, and administrative needs.

Prior to joining UHF in 2022, Anna was the Brooklyn and City Hall reporter at Patch, a news site. She also worked as a local news reporter at the News-Times in Danbury, Connecticut and held positions at the Mayor’s Office of Bridgeport and the Mission of Panama to the United Nations.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Loyola University Maryland.

Sally is responsible for UHF's publications and public information program, as well as its fundraising activities. She joined UHF in 1978.

Sally is a member of the Society for Health Care Strategy and Market Development of the American Hospital Association and the Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society of New York. From 2001 until 2014, she was a trustee of Manhattanville College, serving on the executive committee and nominating and governance committees and co-chairing the Presidential Search Committee in 2008; and she was a long time member of the board of LiveOnNY, the New York area’s organ procurement organization. For many years, she served on the board of the Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society of Greater New York. In 1985 she was inducted into the YWCA’s Academy of Women Achievers.

Sally holds a Bachelor of Arts from Manhattanville College and she has a Master of Arts in Teaching from Brown University.

Michelle oversees fundraising for UHF, including its signature fundraising events and direct mail and email campaigns.  

Before joining UHF in 2010, Michelle worked as an event producer for JKS Events, which produces nonprofit and corporate events, and as an in-house event producer at Crain Communications.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware.

Rosalie provides administrative assistance to the development department. She is a key support person for all special events, manages the employee giving campaign, and conducts donor and prospect research.

Before joining UHF in 2011 Rosalie was a development Associate for Wills Eye Institute and assistant grant writer/online prospect researcher for The University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

Rosalie earned a Bachelor of Arts in film/digital video from The University of the Arts. She won the Lou Smaus Award for Best Stereo World Article on Modern Stereoscopy in 2018 and is on the reunion Committee for Central High School, Philadelphia, 260th Class.

Emily joined UHF in 2018 where she directs and manages the major gifts program, focusing on individual and institutional prospective donor identification, research, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. She manages research for new foundations and the process for securing new foundation/corporation partners, and she supports board members and the executive team in their fundraising efforts. Emily is primary staff for the Development Committee and facilitates UHF’s DEI Equitable and Consistent Standards workgroup.

Previously Emily was the major gifts officer for the Center for Reproductive Rights, managed the alumni and national donors work for The Juilliard School, and was development manager for the Paul Taylor Dance Company. 

Emily serves on the board of the Treehouse Shakers Dance Company, dances at Studio 509 in Maplewood, and volunteers for the music program at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Maplewood, NJ and for the creative theater program at the South Mountain YMCA. 

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from University of California-Santa Barbara and a Master of Arts in Performing Arts Administration from New York University.

Laura provides administrative and project support to the Human Resources (HR) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) teams and assists with the compliance of federal and state regulations concerning employment.  She also helps advance the work and priorities of both the HR department and DEI program across the organization.

Before joining UHF in 2023 Laura was a Talent Acquisition Coordinator at the New York Public Library. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Full Sail University

Jatna runs the daily functions of UHF's Human Resources department, including hiring and interviewing staff, administering benefits and leave, employee relations, performance, and implementing company policies and practices. She also helps create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive culture through facilitating discussions and evaluating the organization, its policies and process.

Before joining UHF in 2017 Jatna was a human resources assistant at the New York Botanical Garden. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Baruch College.

Joey, who joined UHF in 1987, manages all of UHF’s Information Technology and Support Services assets, including the acquisition, setup, administration, and maintenance of all computer software, computer hardware, office equipment, office security system and audio/visual systems, and office space. He also manages the office environment to comply with health and safety standards set by city, state and federal guidelines, and is the UHF liaison with building management on all matters related to the foundation.

Prior to his current position he served UHF as Director of Information Technology, network administrator, software specialist, research assistant and database manager, and support service assistant.

Joey holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He is a Certified Novel Administrator, a Microsoft Certified System Administrator, a Microsoft Exchange Administrator, and a Microsoft 2003 Server Administrator. Joey is also affiliated with the Network Professional Association.

Sharen is responsible for providing management, strategic direction, and technical support to UHF's technical infrastructure and systems operations.  She develops IT business continuity standards, which include identifying and administering resolutions to end user issues and coordinating technical support with third-party application vendors. Sharen also contributes IT expertise and provides support on special projects and events.

Before joining UHF in 1998, Sharen took part in the NYC Board of Education's rollout of Computer Camps in the early 1980s, to teach students computer programming.  She was also a summer clerical worker for Bronx Assemblyman Jose Serrano and hasserved with three non-profit organizations over the last three decades.    

She holds an Associate in Science in Information Technology from SUNY, Empire State College, and various certifications in Microsoft related applications, earned from 2000- 2021. Sharen is affiliated with Women in Technology.

Denise supports and enables UHF’s partnerships with community-based organizations and health care providers throughout the New York region.

Denise joined UHF in 2021 from RiseBoro Community Partnerships, where she was a primary consultant in health care integration, and Settlement Health, a health care provider in East Harlem, where she was chief operating officer. Prior to Settlement House, Denise was chief operating officer at Bailey House, one of the oldest AIDS service organizations in the nation. She has extensive administrative and clinical experience, improving services and support for individuals affected by a variety of social needs, including homelessness, mental health and substance use disorders, and chronic illness. 

Denise holds a Bachelor of Arts from Pace University and a Master of Social Work from Fordham University’s School of Social Work. 

Giovanna is a research analyst at UHF's Medicaid Institute. She analyzes public data and Medicaid-specific data and writes policy memos to guide the New York State Medicaid program.

Prior to joining UHF in 2022, Giovanna provided patient education and assessments to explore systemic health disparities in genomic medicine at the Mount Sinai Institute for Genomic Health. Giovanna earned a Master of Public Health from the SUNY Downstate School of Public Health and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rochester.

Alex leads UHF’s team of research and policy staff in analysis, convening, and policy development, partnering with the New York State Department of Health and other stakeholders to improve the State’s Medicaid program, which serves over 7 million New Yorkers.

Before joining UHF in 2020, Alex served as Policy & Advocacy Manager; Supervising Attorney, Health Care Access Project; and Health Care & Elder Law Attorney for Lenox Hill Neighborhood House. There she represented clients in health care and public benefits proceedings, created Medicaid trusts, and executed wills and other advance directives. She also supervised navigators, advocates, and attorneys who helped clients enroll, maintain, and enforce their rights in health care and public benefits. 

Alex also served as a US Agency for International Development Consultant and Global Health Fellow from 2014-2015, where she focused on anti-discrimination for key populations for HIV/AIDS. She has worked with AIDSLaw of Louisiana, Southern Louisiana Legal Services, the New York Legal Assistance Group, the Secretariat of Environmental Matters for the CAFTA-DR in Guatemala, and the American Cancer Society as a bilingual patient navigator in Texas. 

She earned both a Doctor of Law and a Master of Public Health degree from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Arts from Portland State University. Alex is licensed to practice law in New York and Massachusetts. She was given the Bank of America Emerging Leader Award in 2017.

Alex volunteers with Project ANAR, helping with humanitarian parole applications for Afghani refugees, and the Safe Passage Project to help children apply for special immigrant juvenile status and asylum.

Alice joined UHF in late 2021 as Senior Program Manager in the Quality Institute. She is involved in all aspects of the Institute’s quality improvement efforts, including program design, implementation, and evaluation; project management and reporting; and research and data analysis. She also supports UHF’s Quality Leaders Forum. 

Alice came to UHF from Healthfirst, a provider of low and no-cost health insurance in New York State, where she was Population Health Manager, responsible for ensuring that Healthfirst achieved a high rating in the Medicare Stars quality incentive program administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Prior to Healthfirst, Alice was a Public Health Strategist in the local government of two inner-London boroughs, Camden and Islington. There she partnered with the British National Health Service to design and implement public health improvement initiatives, such as the introduction of the National Diabetes Prevention Program, into all Primary Care practices across the boroughs. 

Alice holds a Master of Science in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Manchester, both in the United Kingdom

Gabriela began her journey with UHF in 2015, providing administrative support to the Program and Policy department. In 2022, Gabriela transitioned to the Clinical Community Partnerships team, where she took on the role of program manager. In this capacity, she spearheaded initiatives aimed at advancing early childhood literacy and health equity. Presently, Gabriela brings her expertise to the Health Equity Fellowship team, continuing her role as a program manager. Additionally, she serves as a facilitator for UHF's Diversity and Inclusion Strategies working group and is a valued member of the Board Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion working group, championing diversity efforts within the organization.

Before joining UHF Gabriela was Executive and Project Assistant at Scholastic Media, where she provided administrative support to executives and assisted on special projects related to the company’s reading app.

Gabriela holds a Master’s degree in Liberal Studies from The Graduate Center, City University of New York, and a Bachelor of Arts from Long Island University.

Joan leads UHF’s Quality Institute team and initiatives, focused on building quality capacity in health care organizations, engaging patients and families in care, and profiling quality. She directs the Clinical Quality Fellowship Program in partnership with Greater New York Hospital Association and develops and leads projects and learning collaboratives focused on implementing best practices and improving delivery of care. 

Before joining UHF in 2017, Joan was director of quality improvement for Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, a 300-bed community hospital in New Jersey. There she managed the quality services department and was responsible for Joint Commission accreditation, CMS/TJC quality reporting, hospital performance improvement initiatives, the medical peer review process, and reporting of serious adverse events and the root cause analysis process. Earlier in her career she was director of standards for St. Barnabas Medical Center, also in New Jersey, and director of Accreditation and Standards Compliance and director of Program Development and Planning for NYU Langone Medical Center.

Joan holds a Master of Business Administration in Health Care Management from Boston University and a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University. She is a Certified Professional in Health Quality and a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

Amy provides administrative support to the Senior Vice President for Policy and Program. She is responsible for research and program delivery support, including conducting and summarizing research, preparing presentations, and supporting internal and external meetings.

Prior to joining UHF in May, 2023, Amy was Health Partnerships Policy Coordinator at the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Rice University.

Kevin joined UHF in 2018 and supports the Quality Institute’s many initiatives with quantitative and qualitative analysis, literature review, publication development, and program coordination.

Before joining UHF Kevin provided direct social services and program evaluation in community-based organizations. He is on the junior board of advisors for Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the addiction crisis in the United States.  

Kevin holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Arts from Rockhurst University.

Camila (ella/she) serves as Director for the United Hospital Fund’s Health Equity Fellowship, a strategic initiative seeking to support and empower the next generation of health equity change-makers in New York City. Working closely with the President and CEO as well as the Senior Vice President of Policy and Program, Camila leads all stages of program design, development, and launch while also managing operations for the fellowship.

Camila is an advocate for systemic, transformational, and justice-oriented social innovation and has spent her career focused on providing leadership development opportunities and access to capital to early-stage leaders committed to building a more just and equitable society. Before joining UHF, Camila managed programmatic investments at Echoing Green, a leading organization that runs fellowship programs for emerging and established social innovators worldwide. As the Director of Investments, she designed and scaled Echoing Green’s global grantmaking process, including applicant recruitment and fellow selection, and distributed nearly $20 million to the organization’s fellows during her tenure. Prior to Echoing Green, Camila worked on program operations, curriculum delivery, and partnerships at the Young Entrepreneurs for Leadership and Sustainability.

Camila is a graduate of the University of Florida where she earned a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Development Practice (MDP), a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She also holds graduate certifications in public health and tropical conservation and development.

Camila was born in Colombia, raised in South Florida, and has been a proud Queens resident for almost a decade where she can be found exploring its unique corners with her husband and child.

Chad Shearer is UHF’s senior vice president for policy and program, overseeing UHF’s work across the coverage and access, quality and efficiency, and clinical-community partnerships focus areas, as well as UHF conferences and grantmaking. 

Before joining UHF in 2014, Chad was at the Princeton School of Public & International Affairs, where he was deputy director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Health Reform Assistance Network, a project coordinating technical assistance to 11 states on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s coverage expansion provisions. He was also a lecturer in public affairs at Princeton, teaching a capstone policy workshop. Chad has served as a senior program officer at the Center for Health Care Strategies, where he helped shape its Medicaid Leadership Institute, an intensive training program for selected state Medicaid directors. He was served as the legislative director for Congressman Pete Stark, Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Chad holds both a law degree and a Master of Health Administration from the University of Iowa. 

As senior research analyst, Alexis analyzes data and conducts research focused on strengthening and improving New York's Medicaid program.

Prior to joining UHF in 2024, Alexis worked as research and evaluation associate at Primary Care Development Corporation where she supported analytics and research projects surrounding primary care access and organizational impact. Alexis earned a Master of Public Health from CUNY School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

Sarah provides administrative and programmatic support for the Quality Institute team.

Before joining UHF in 2023, Sarah worked in the nonprofit world for several years, working with refugees and immigrants at two different organizations. In these roles, among other tasks, she supported initiatives to improve access to healthcare for refugee and immigrant communities. Sarah also has experience in international higher education and language teaching. She holds a BA in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies with a minor in Geography and received a Fulbright Award as an English Teaching Assistant in Morocco.

Sam joined UHF in 1995 and manages the daily operation of Support Services functions, including liaison with building personnel, mail room operations, maintenance of non-computer equipment, ordering office supplies, the maintenance of the physical office environment, leading the fire safety team, and the coordination and preparation of conference rooms for in-house and virtual meetings.

Prior to his current position Sam worked as UHF’s accounts payable and payroll coordinator. Sam is OSHA Certified. 

Carol Levine is a fellow of UHF and and former director of UHF's Families and Health Care Project, which focuses on developing partnerships between health care professionals and family caregivers, especially during transitions in health care settings (www.nextstepincare.org).  Before joining UHF in 1996, she directed the Citizens Commission on AIDS in New York City from 1987 to 1991, and The Orphan Project, which she founded, from1991 to 1996.  As a senior staff associate of The Hastings Center, she edited the Hastings Center Report.

Ms. Levine is the editor of Always on Call: When Illness Turns Families into Caregivers (2nd ed., Vanderbilt University Press, 2004); co-editor,  with Thomas H. Murray, of The Cultures of Caregiving: Conflict and Common Ground Among Families, Health Professionals and Policy Makers (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004); and editor of Living in the Land of Limbo: Fiction and Poetry about Family Caregiving (Vanderbilt University Press, 2014).

In 1993, Ms. Levine was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship for her work in AIDS policy and ethics.  She was named a WebMD Health Hero in 2007.

In 2009, Ms.Levine was named a Purpose Prize fellow, an honor for social entrepreneurs over 60 who are using their experience and passion to take on society’s biggest challenges.

In 2016, Ms. Levine was named one of the Top 50 "2016 Influencers in Aging" by Next Avenue, a digital publication dedicated to covering issues for people 50 and older.

Lee, who joined UHF in 2016, provides research and policy analysis support to projects focusing on children and families.

Before UHF Lee was Medicaid Director of the District of Columbia; health policy advisor for the National Partnership for Women and Families; staff director of the National Association of State Medicaid Directors; staff director of the Committee on Human Resources, D.C. City Council; and a member of the personal staff of U.S. Senator Jacob K. Javits. She has served on committees of the National Quality Forum, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.  She was the first public member of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies.

Lee holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College.