Peter Ames joined the Foundation for Healthy Communities in 2018 from the American Cancer Society, where he served in various roles working with health care leaders and community partners to advance quality improvement and health promotion.  As a vital of member the American Cancer Society’s leadership team, Ames most recently served as the Senior Director of State Health Systems where he led the organization’s regional efforts to promote quality improvement, public health intervention efforts and health promotions through strategic partnerships.  In addition, he has extensive background in grant acquisitions and management, as well as program oversight, delivery, and evaluation, ensuring continued success in program and organizational goals.

Dan Andrus joined the Foundation as the director of substance use disorder treatment projects and works with health care systems in New Hampshire in primary care and emergency department settings to enhance their capability to provide effective treatment to patients.  Dan came to the Foundation for Healthy Communities in March 2020 after a 40 year career in the fire and emergency services.  He most recently served as the Fire Chief for the City of Concord for 11 years.  Prior to that, he served for 29 years with the Salt Lake City (Utah) Fire Department as a firefighter, paramedic, company officer, public information officer, division chief for communications and emergency management, fire marshal, battalion chief, and deputy chief for administration.  Dan has extensive experience in collaborative relations with community organizations and non-profit agencies in improving health care for persons experiencing homelessness, mental illness, and substance use disorder, as well as in non-profit governance for a home health care and hospice agency and a community health care center.  Dan holds undergraduate degrees in business management and fire services administration from the University of Utah and Western Oregon State College, respectively,  and master’s degrees in public administration and economics from the University of Utah.

Tammy L. Boucher, Director of Communications, joined the New Hampshire Hospital Association and the Foundation for Healthy Communities in 2023. Tammy serves as the primary spokesperson for both organizations, supports the development and management of external and internal strategic communications and marketing, and promotes high priority advocacy activities, projects and programs. She has 33 years of experience in marketing and communications, including internal and external communications, with a focus on messaging, branding, advocacy, public/media relations and relationship development. Tammy most recently owned her own public relations firm for 17 years. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from the University of New Hampshire and has been actively involved in the New Hampshire community serving on various boards of directors, committees, and as a volunteer.

George Devoid, Grants Accountant, joined the New Hampshire Hospital Association and Foundation for Healthy Communities in August of 2016, and is responsible for all aspects of the Association’s and the Foundation’s accounts receivable and accounts payable functions, as well as assisting FHC program staff with various financial grants management requirements and financial reports.  A Senior Accountant with nearly 20 years’ experience, George has extensive experience in accounting system development, report design, federal programs and reporting, among many other accounting functions, and previously held positions at Liberty Utilities and the NH Housing Finance Authority.

Dr. Kerri Federico, Director of Rural Quality Improvement, joined the Foundation for Health Communities in October of 2021. Kerri will serve as the primary contact for all survey readiness needs to our rural health members as well as coordinate the peer review network. Kerri began her career as a clinical pharmacist after receiving her Bachelor’s in Chemistry from UNH in 2010 and then her Doctorate in Pharmacy from MCPHS in 2013. She started as a clinical pharmacist at LRGHealthcare and transitioned her role to become their Patient Safety Officer in 2019 and then their Pharmacist-in-Charge at the Laconia campus in 2020.

Nancy Fennell joined the Foundation for Healthy Communities as its Program Director of the Behavioral Health Clinical Learning Collaborative in 2019.  Nancy led the initiation of the learning collaborative using her collaborative skills to bring together stakeholders dedicated to addressing the behavioral health crisis in New Hampshire.  Nancy is passionate about helping to improve the care and patient experience for those dealing with behavioral health issues, as well as to support health systems that are caring for patients who are boarded in hospital emergency rooms while they await placement for appropriate care.  Prior to joining the Foundation for Healthy Communities, Nancy had an extended career working in health care project management, health information data exchange, and advancing meaningful use for clinical practices.

Dakota joined the Foundation for Healthy Communities in August 2022 as the Planner for the Granite State Health Care Coalition; assisting partners in planning activities, project management, and providing technical assistance. Dakota holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in International Studies and Political Science from American University. Possessing a diverse background, Dakota’s recent experience working first on COVID response, and then as an All-Hazards Planner with the State of New Hampshire brings a wealth of knowledge of Emergency Operation Plans, All-Hazard Planning, Threat and Hazard Identification, and response work. Prior to Dakota’s role in emergency planning, he worked as a Program Assistant for a Social Services Nonprofit in Washington, DC where he deepened his knowledge and appreciation for assisting communities and individuals in need. His experience in conducting threat and hazard assessments, emergency plan writing, and researching will be a valuable addition to the Granite State Health Care Coalition assisting members across the state. He is passionate about assisting organizations and communities in their planning, research, and training in order to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

Kris joined the Foundation as the Vice President of Quality Improvement, replacing Anne Diefendorf who recently retired in October of 2020. Kris provides leadership and support in the areas of quality, patient safety and performance improvement to hospitals’ executive and clinical leadership and leads the development and implementation of strategies to advance the quality performance of hospitals.  She joins the Foundation from Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth where she served as the organization’s Chief Nursing Officer since 2009 and was the Director of Nursing of the Medical / Surgical and ICU units prior to that.  Kris received her BSN from St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire and her MSN from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois.

Over the past nine years, Adrian specialized in Medicaid and Concord Hospital’s financial assistance program.  She focused her knowledge to help the under insured and uninsured community members.  Adrian provided education on the multiple Medicaid programs to patients, families, community members and medical offices.  Along with providing education, she also assisted with the application process so patients were able to obtain the appropriate insurance coverage.

Caroline Lavoie, Senior Director, Health Information and Analytics, is responsible for data collection, processing, and reporting for both the New Hampshire Hospital Association and the Foundation for Healthy Communities. Prior to joining the NHHA in April 2019, Caroline co-founded a data services company in the Concord area. Before moving to New Hampshire, Caroline lived in Rochester, NY and worked for several years as an administrator in a healthcare facility that serves the uninsured.  Caroline earned her B.A. in Public Administration from Miami University and her M.S. in Analytics and Data Science from the University of New Hampshire.

Linda Levesque, Senior Director of Finance, is responsible for all aspects of the NHHA and the Foundation for Healthy Communities’ accounting functions, including financial statements, state and federal grants and payroll, and she also serves as benefits administrator. Prior to joining the NHHA in March of 2008, her accounting degree was put to use in the construction and manufacturing industry for 22 years, during which she held positions with the Kollsman Instrument Company’s sites in Merrimack and Nashua.

Shaylin Lipman, MSEM, Program Coordinator, Granite State Health Care Coalition, is responsible for coordinating and administrating tasks associated with the Health Care Coalition grant administered by the State of New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services with funding provided by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Shaylin provides technical assistance to health care coalition members and assists in completing program reporting requirements. Shaylin previously worked at the City of Worcester as the Regional Hospital Coordinator coordinating health care system preparedness initiatives for all ten hospitals in the region. Shaylin also worked at Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire as Enrollment and Matching Supervisor. Shaylin received a Bachelor’s Degree in U.S. History from Keene State College and Master of Science in Emergency Management from Anna Maria College.

Kate is currently the Senior Director of HealthForce NH where she serves as a statewide leader on healthcare workforce issues promoting solutions to healthcare workforce challenges by engaging, collaborating with, and soliciting input from partners, employers, higher education, policymakers, funders, the public, groups representing historically under-served populations, and other stakeholders. She also leads communication efforts to build awareness and support of HealthForce NH strategies.

Previously Kate was the President & CEO of the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce; the Director of Marketing and Business Development for Harvey Construction; and she was the founding President & CEO of Stay Work Play New Hampshire.

Kate has a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) with a certificate in Leadership of Non-Profit Organizations from Southern New Hampshire University, and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Business with a concentration in Sustainable Business from the University of New Hampshire.

Kate is passionate about being involved in the community and volunteers throughout the state often.

Janice McDermott has 35 years of experience working in hospice and palliative care most recently as Director of Hospice & Palliative Care for the NH Alliance for Home Care, Hospice & Palliative Care. She currently serves as the Coordinator of the Health Care Decisions Coalition in NH which focuses on promoting advance care planning and POLST. Janice is a member of the Steering Committee for the NH Alliance for Healthy Aging. She helped to create one of the first hospice volunteer programs in the state and a Community Hospice House that opened in 2000. In 2019, she completed the EOL Doula program at UVM.

Scott Nichols, Director, Granite State Health Care Coalition, works to bring together and provide opportunities for providers and health care and community stakeholders to plan, prepare, and train for catastrophic events through collaboration essential to integrated disaster response. Scott joined the FHC in December of 2017 with extensive public safety and planning experience with a diverse background. He has previously worked for the City of Concord New Hampshire as a police officer, a regional emergency planner for the City of Boston writing regional strategic response plans for New England, and an emergency management planner for New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency management.

Victoria joined the Foundation for Healthy Communities in October 2022 as the Exercise and Training Officer for the Granite State Health Care Coalition. Victoria holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Justice Studies-Homeland Security and Terrorism from Southern New Hampshire University. Her background is diverse with knowledge of security, public health, and healthcare emergency management. Victoria’s recent experience as Carroll County’s Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Coordinator brings a wealth of knowledge to COVID-19 response work for vaccinations and infection prevention requirements. Prior to Victoria’s Public Health role, she worked as a Hospital Emergency Management Coordinator for Wentworth Douglass Hospital for four years. Her experience in conducting Hazardous Vulnerability Analysis, emergency plan writing, creating and managing full scale and tabletop exercises, and training staff on emergency procedures will provide the team with a comprehensive knowledge of the duties as a HEMC. She is passionate about assisting organizations in their planning, exercising, and training needs to meet organization’s requirements.

Betsy joined the New Hampshire Hospital Association and Foundation for Healthy Communities in June of 2022. Prior to joining the NHHA, Betsy had 29 years of prior non-profit accounting experience as the Controller at Berwick Academy in southern Maine, where she was responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating all accounting operational functions. Betsy received her Associate of Science degree in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University.

Chris Symolon comes to the Foundation for Healthy Communities with extensive experience in project management, resource management and strategic planning. She gained knowledge in community development, engagement, and education as a Community Executive at the American Cancer Society and District Manager at the Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains. In addition, her role as a Community Partner Program manager at Southern New Hampshire University she acquired skills in program development, process improvement, grant management, and academic coaching. Chris is passionate about mission-driven change and making an impact in the communities of New Hampshire.

Luellyn Valtin, Senior Director of Rural Quality Improvement, supports New Hampshire’s Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) as they address access to care in the rural and medically underserved areas of New Hampshire, financial viability, enhanced patient safety and continuous improvement in the quality of patient care services.  Prior to joining the Foundation for Healthy Communities, Luellyn spent much of her career in positions at hospitals in New Hampshire and New York dedicated to patient safety and quality.  She spent time at a Critical Access Hospital in New York before returning to her home state of New Hampshire to be closer to her children and grandson.  Luellyn holds a Master of Health Leadership degree, an undergraduate degree in Community and Public Health, and certifications in Quality, Patient Safety and Risk Management.

Beth Gustafson Wheeler, MS, Senior Director for Population Health & Equity, leads state-wide efforts to unite leaders in population health and hospital community benefit practices in New Hampshire. Convening stakeholders such as NH hospitals, community organizations, and state government; she facilitates the establishment of systems, environments, and policies that utilize evidenced-based and promising practices in supporting healthy people in healthy communities.

Beth has 30 years of dedicated service in improving the health and well-being of NH residents and the communities in which they live. Her work has spanned the private and non-profit sectors, as well as the geography of New Hampshire; including over 25 NH communities and a variety of settings such as health care, managed care, worksite health, and educational institutions. Currently, Beth serves on the State of NH Public Health Improvement Services Council and the Governor’s Council for Physical Activity and Health.

Kathy Wieliczko, Patient & Family Engagement Coordinator, is responsible for providing technical assistance, guidance and support to NH hospitals in providing equitable care and furthering the work of building partnerships through patient engagement. Kathy comes to the Foundation from Concord Hospital where she worked in Patient Relations and Patient Experience.  Prior to that she was the social worker and Director of Care Management at Speare Memorial Hospital in Plymouth NH.  Kathy earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Duke University and her Masters in Social Work at Ohio State University.