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.

Catherine, a former award-winning journalist, is responsible for all media and public-facing outreach at UHF, and staff communications. She handles press relations, manages UHF’s social media accounts and writes all press releases. She also writes UHF events for the website, articles for UHF’s Blueprint newsletter, and honoree profiles. Catherine is responsible for keeping staff informed about UHF press coverage and honors, nominates staff members for awards, and oversees the quarterly reports to the Board about UHF activities. 

Before joining UHF in 2016, Catherine was Director of Media Relations for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s largest foundation devoted to health. She spent most of her career as a journalist covering health and medicine, as Senior Medical Writer for BusinessWeek, and as European Science and Medical Correspondent and Boston Correspondent for Reuters, among other positions. She has won numerous journalism awards and served several fellowships focused on medical research and health policy.

Catherine holds a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Boston University
 

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.

Miles edits and designs United Hospital Fund’s research reports and prepares them for publication. He also manages UHF’s public websites. 

Before joining UHF in 2008, Miles was the managing editor at Arbor Research Collaborative for Health in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He holds a BA in English from Yale University. 
 

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, and from March to September 1993 served as the Fund's acting president. 
 
Sally is a member of the board of LiveOnNY, the New York area’s organ procurement organization, where she serves as secretary and as a member of both the executive committee and the finance committee. She is also 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. 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.
 

Maryam, who joined UHF in 1992, manages and implements production of the annual direct solicitation program. She also serves as primary facilitator of the Raiser’s Edge database for the development department, including donor record maintenance, managing all gift entry, preparing financial reports and lists, and serving as liaison to the finance department.

Maryam holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Baruch College. 

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

Dora is a critical member of UHF’s senior leadership team and supports UHF’s mission, values, people, and culture with personal sensitivity and human resources expertise.

Prior to joining UHF in September 2022, Dora was Director of Talent and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at Student Leadership Network, a nonprofit that works to achieve education equity for underserved students through a network of Young Women’s Leadership Schools and College Bound Initiative.

Before joining the SL Network, Dora was Director of Human Resources for New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG). She also served as Human Resources Director at The Bridge, Inc., where she led the human resources integration and policy alignment of affiliate organization Weston United Community Renewal, Inc. Prior positions included Director of Training, Workforce Planning and Development at Win (formerly Women in Need), and an investigator of employment and housing discrimination complaints for the NY State Division of Human Rights–Office of Sexual Harassment Issues and at HELP USA’s Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC).

During her tenure at HELP’s FHJC, she supported the creation, development, and facilitation of a unique training program on fair housing rights for survivors of domestic violence. Preceding FHJC, she served as director of the District Office for NYC Council District 6 and as a Paralegal Specialist for the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of NY under the outstanding scholar program. 

Dora earned a Master's in Public Administration at the City University of New York-John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she is now an Adjunct Professor, and earned a Bachelor of Arts from Iona University. She is a lifelong New Yorker and currently resides in Harlem with her husband, Dylan Rogers, and their two children.

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.
 

Frank offers technical support to UHF staff and troubleshoots computer problems. He installs and updates software and hardware as needed and anticipates and reports the cost of replacing or updating computer items.

Before joining UHF in 2015 Frank worked in office support services at Pfizer, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Nature Publishing Group, and Lóreal.

Frank majored in meteorology at Environmental Studies High School in New York City and plays professional paintball for the National Xball League (better known as the NXL).

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.

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.

Emily produces data analyses, writes policy memos, and facilitates convenings that support the improvement of the New York State Medicaid program.

Before joining UHF in 2019, Emily worked on system process improvement at Mount Sinai Health System and provided technical assistance and program evaluation on grants for federal agencies including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Office of Minority Health.

Emily holds a Master of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts from Barnard College.

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. 

Anne-Marie is a licensed primary care physician with over 30 years of experience in quality improvement. She joined UHF in 2015 to spearhead the activities of the newly-created Quality Institute and now serves as UHF’s Senior Medical Officer, providing strategic guidance to execute the Quality Institute’s mission and goals, and identifying funding and collaborative opportunities. Anne-Marie also provides expertise on measurement, performance improvement, system redesign, and patient-centered care to several of the Quality Institute’s initiatives and serves as main lead on its projects.  She is also on the faculty of UHF’s Clinical Quality Fellowship Program.

Before joining UHF Anne-Marie was vice-president, Delivery System Reform at the Commonwealth Fund. She also served as assistant professor of medicine at Harvard University and as the director of the Office for Clinical Effectiveness/Process Improvement at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. In the 1990s she worked as associate medical director at the Massachusetts Quality Improvement Organization. She has been an assistant professor of Medicine and Public Health at Cornell University since 2006.

Anne-Marie is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She holds a Bachelor of Science, Honors, a Master of Science, Epidemiology & Biostatistics, and a medical degree (MDCM), all from McGill University. She also earned a Master of Science in Health Policy & Management from Harvard School of Public Health. She was a Fellow at New England Medical Center, Tufts, Boston, Clinical Decision Making, from 1988-1989; a Fellow at Institute for the Improvement of Medicine and Health, New England Medical Center, Tufts, Boston Health Services Research, from 1989-1990, and a Fellow at New York Academy of Medicine from 2005-Present.

Anne-Marie is licensed to practice medicine in Massachusetts, the Province of Quebec, and New York State. She is a board member of the Massachusetts Medical Society & Alliance Charitable Foundation, a volunteer member of the NYS Medical Reserve Corp, and a volunteer chaplain at Weill Cornell Medical Center.

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.

Hillary is responsible for organizing the projects and calendars of UHF’s program and policy staff members.

Before joining UHF in 2010, Hillary worked for a Red Cross-funded program through the NYC Mental Health Association to remove the financial barriers to behavioral health care for survivors of Hurricane Katrina. She volunteers with several dog rescue organizations.

Hillary has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from the School of Visual Arts.

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 joined UHF in 2015 as administrative support to the Program and Policy department, where she assists with meeting logistics, liaises with vendors and external contacts, reviews and finalize grant proposals and reports, and provides support for board committees. She is also facilitator of UHF’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategies working group and a member of UHF’s Board Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion working group

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.

Hollis coordinates the review of grant proposals; ensures that applicants comply with UHF proposal submission requirements, including proof of nonprofit status; and assists in preparing materials for proposal review by the Program Committee. In coordination with UHF staff she solicits grantee performance and financial reports, monitors grantee compliance with administrative requirements, and works with the UHF Business Office to make grantee payments. Hollis also coordinates all UHF in-person conferences, including the annual Medicaid Conference and the Annual Research Symposium, and coordinates publicity and speaker information for virtual conferences

Before joining UHF in 2002, Hollis managed annual conferences for the Association of American University Presses. She also edited its quarterly newsletter, edited and supervised production of annual membership directory, and managed the annual university press operating survey and compensation survey program.

Hollis holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Berkeley.  She is a board member and member of the chorus of the Park Slope Singers.

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.

Peter conducts research and analysis that highlights barriers to coverage, identifies ways to expand coverage and improve affordability, and helps shape solutions to federal and state policy and implementation challenges. He is the co-author of UHF’s Big Picture reports analyzing health plan enrollment and financial results in public and private markets, wrote a series of issue briefs exploring key issues in New York's implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and a widely disseminated 2020 consumer guide on how to replace health coverage lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Peter joined UHF in 2007 after a long tenure as Executive Director of the New York State Assembly Committee on Insurance and staff director for Assemblymember Pete Grannis. During that time, he represented the Assembly Majority in negotiations on a series of major health care reforms—many of which were later adopted nationally—that bolstered managed care consumer protections, protected women and elderly New Yorkers from discriminatory health insurance rates and prohibited health plans from rejecting consumers with pre-existing conditions or charging higher rates. Earlier in his Assembly career, Peter directed the Assembly’s Committee on Housing and worked to strengthen tenant protections and implement affordable housing programs. He is also a former reporter and editor for weekly newspapers in Manhattan.

Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame.

Susan’s primary focus at UHF is building and managing the statewide Pediatrics for an Equitable Developmental Start (PEDS) Learning Network. She leads the project management team in fulfilling all grant activities, including developing content for the online resource center, and managing the fellowship and learning collaborative programs, with a focus on child health and educational equity. 

Before joining UHF in 2020, Susan worked at the American Cancer Society for 11 years, where she built strategic alliances with major health systems and worked to ensure high-quality and equitable access to cancer care and prevention for underserved populations. She has also held operational roles at Children’s Aid Society, Public Health Solutions, and the William F. Ryan Community Health Center. 

Susan earned a Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy and Management from New York Medical College and a Bachelor of Science from the College of Mt. Saint Vincent. She is also a graduate of the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement–Emerging Latino Leadership Program.  

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. 

Wil maintains and manages UHF’s library resources, including books and periodicals; develops the collection; orients and supports UHF staff in the use of library’s resources; performs literature searches and fills information requests. 

Before joining UHF in 2012 Wil spent 13 years at Pfizer Inc, first as a librarian for international market research, then as a specialist in competitive intelligence. He also lived in Japan for 15 years, where he was on the staff of the National Council of YMCA of Japan. He served eight years with the YMCA of the USA as Assistant Director of the International Division and was Chief of Staff to the chairman of the YMCA Urban Network, based in London.

Wil holds a Master of Library Science from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor of Arts from Occidental College. 

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.