Healthy Transitions

About

Mission Statement

Background

Staff

	Nienke P. Dosa MD, MPH is Director of the NYS Institute for Health Transition Training and one of the authors of the curriculum guides for the Healthy Transitions project. Dr. Dosa is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Center for Development, Behavior and Genetics at the Golisano Children's Hospital, SUNY Upstate Medical University. She is medical director of a regional spina bifida center that serves both children and adults.

	Mary Harrington JD is one of the authors of the curriculum guides for the Healthy Transitions project . She is a parent of an eighteen-year-old son diagnosed with autism. She has been home schooling her son for three years. Mary is an attorney specializing in helping families with disabled children obtain guardianship and Social Security assistance, as well as drafting Supplemental Needs Trusts, Wills and Health Care Proxies.

	Regina McConnell is Administrative Assistant with the NYS Institute for Health Transition Training. She manages the resource directory for the Healthy Transitions Project. She also coordinates the Group Visit program at the Center for Development, Behavior, and Genetics.

	Christopher Morley, PhD is the Vice Chair for Research and an Assistant Professor the Department of Family Medicine at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He is a collaborator on research and evaluation initiatives for the Health Transition Training Institute. He is also the director of the "SPARC" program, which pairs regional graduate students from the social sciences and education with endeavors at SUNY Upstate. Dr. Morley has a decade of research experience, and nearly two decades of general managerial experience, which he brings to the present project. His principal research interest is in health disparities. He additionally maintains research interests in psychiatric genetics, public health, research design & mixed methods, practice improvement and practice-based research networks, medical ethics, and medical education.

	Carsten Osterlund, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University (see http://blogs.iis.syr.edu/osterlund/). He is a collaborator on research and evaluation initiatives for the Healthy Transitions Project. His research explores the organization, creation, and use of documents in distributed work environments where people's daily practices are characterized by high mobility. Lately, his research has focused on documenting work in the healthcare industry. He earned a Ph.D. in Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is a former student of UC Berkeley, University of Arhus, and University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

	Susan L. Scharoun, PhD is one of the authors of the curriculum guides for the Healthy Transitions project. She is the Chair of the Department of Psychology at LeMoyne College, where she is also an Associate Professor. She is a practicing psychologist with the CNY-DSO (OMRDD), Toomey Residential Services and Elmcrest Children's Center. Her focus is on Autism and the Developmental Disabilities.

	Pat Slaski MEd is one of the authors of the curriculum guides for the Healthy Transitions project. She is also a workshop leader for the Institute for Health Transition Training. Pat is a retired special education teacher with 33 years experience. She is the parent of an adult child with multiple disabilites. Pat has served on the Board of Directors for Exceptional Family Resources and is the past recipient of the Partnership for Education & Business Inc. of the Year Award, Woman of Distinction Award from the Girl Scout Council, and many more.

	WORKSHOP LEADERS
	Jeffrey Tamburo LMSW, is a workshop leader for the Institute for Health Transition Training. He joined the NYS Institue for Health Transition Training as Project Administrator when the Institute was created in 2006. He recently returned to the field of supported employment at Enable of CNY. He has been working in the disability field since 1992 and spent 14 years working in supported employment. Currently, Jeffrey serves as the NYS Coordinator for Disability Mentoring Day and the Greater Syracuse DMD Local Coordinator; President of the Empire State APSE: The Network on Employment; and Commissioner for the Syracuse/Onondaga County Commission on Human Rights.

	Laurie James MEd is a workshop leader for the Institute for Health Transition Training. She has a master's degree in Special Education. She has worked in various capacities over the last 15 years. These positions included; Medicaid Service Coordination and supervision, Director of Family Support Services at Exceptional Family Resources, Director of Developmental Disability Services at Liberty Resources, Coordinator of Self-Directed Personal Services at Enable and currently, MSC supervisor with Familycapped, Inc., specializing in transition.

	Pat Slaski MEd is a workshop leader for the Institute for Health Transition Training. She is also co-author with Susan Scharoun and Nienke Dosa of the curriculum guide for the Healthy Transitions project. She is a retired special education teacher with 33 years experience. She is the parent of an adult child with multiple disabilites. Pat has served on the Board of Directors for Exceptional Family Resources and is the past recipient of the Partnership for Education & Business Inc. of the Year Award, Woman of Distinction Award from the Girl Scout Council, and many more.

	INTERNS
	Heidi Byrd is a student majoring in humanities at Onondaga Community College. Her career interest is early childhood special education. She is a family caregiver for two cousins who have been diagnosed with autism.

	Mary Grace Flaherty is a doctoral student in information studies at the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University. She is lead investigator of a study that examines information sharing patterns and preferences at the Spina Bifida Center of Central New York. She is also participating in a feasibility study of MY PLACE. She previously worked with the National Library of Medicine on a project that introduced internet resources to rural health care providers.

	Kimberlee Garver MSW is the social worker for the Spina Bifida Center of Central New York. She is an investigator in a multi-center longitudinal study on medical and social outcomes among youth with spina bifida that is sponsored by the Spina Bifida Association of America. She is also a co-investigator of a feasibility study of MY PLACE at the Spina Bifida Center of Central new York.

	Tammy Gebo-Seaman is a senior at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL, and is a volunteer for the Shriner's Hospital for Children in Tampa Bay. Her future plans include attending medical school and pursuing a career as a general practitioner. Tammy has a 27-year-old brother with spina bifida.

	Rebecca LaValley is a second year medical student at Upstate Medical Universoty. She participated in a chart review study that examined health status of adults with spina bifida as well as information sharing patterns and preferences. She was a production assistant for video vignettes that were filmed in Summer 2009.

	Amanda Miles is a Junior at LeMoyne College. She is majoring in Psychology with concentration in elementary and special education. After her undergraduate studies she plans to attend grad school to obtain her masters degree in special education. Her family has a history of working with/helping individuals with disabilities and she has always had an interest in doing the same.

	Celestia Ohrazda is the usability engineer for the Healthy Transitions Institute. She is currently finishing up her PhD in Instructional Design, Development, and Evaluation at Syracuse University. Her research explores the use of emerging technologies in learning environments outside the classroom. Her dissertation focuses on the validation of a causal model of technology integration, specifically targeting an educator's adoption of technologies in classroom instruction.

	WORKING GROUP

	Kathy Ahern RN is a Community Mental Health Nurse with the Central New York OMRDD-DDSO. She helps lead regional interagency collaboration initiatives that focus on improving care for youth who have a dual diagnosis of developmental disability and mental health/behavioral disability.

	Peter Beatty PhD is Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Director of the Central Region Office of the New York State AHEC System. He has been a medical educator in the Department of Family Medicine since 1983 and is the Associate Director of it's Rural Medical Education Program.

	John Epling Jr., MD, joined the Department of Family Medicine in 1999 as an Assistant Professor and Resident Faculty for the Family Practice Residency Program in Lafayette, NY. After the closing of the residency in 2001, Dr. Epling assumed the role of Assistant Professor in the Center for Evidence-Based Practice in the Department of Family Medicine. He earned a Master of Education degree in 2004 from the Primary Care Faculty Development Fellowship in Evidence-Based Practice, Policy and Education at SUNY Upstate.

	Marcia Hagan is the granparent of an adolescent with a developmental disability. She participated in the filming of several video vignettes for the Health Transitions project.

	Nicole Hastings is a 24-year-old with a developmental disability. She is very active in her community and sits on many boards. She lives in her own home with her fiance and is part of the self-determination program which allows her to manage her staff. She has won many awards, including Volunteer of the Year and Partners in Policy Making. Nichole brings her expertise as a presenter and self-advocate, and has co-presented with Jeffrey Tamburo at trainings and conferences.

	Gregory S. Liptak MD, MPH is Director of the Center for Development, Behavior, and Genetics, Golisano Children's Hospital at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He is board certified in neurodevelopmental disabilities.

	Doris Moore is the state-wide CCS-ISS coordinator with the OMRDD-DDSO. She is involved with multiple initiatives that promote self determination for individuals with developmental disabilities.

	Kuni Riccardi, RN, MS is a parent of a child with a disability. She works for Familycapped, Inc. as a Self Determination Star-up Broker and as an advocate for the medical needs of individuals with developmental disabilities.

	Sue Wegman is the Children with Special Needs Coordinator at Exceptional Family Resources. She assists families obtain health Services and access community resources.

	CREATIVE TEAM

	Thomas Hardy is President of DataMomentum. DataMomentum is a web and database development organization specializing in interactive web sites. With experience in both the commercial and education communities, we are able to provide a wide range of software solutions to suit your needs. Let us know how we can help you.

	Colleen McAllister, BS is the video editor for the Healthy Transition Institute and an independent filmmaker with freeFALL Media. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Television-Radio, Video Production from Ithaca College and has worked in the LosAngeles area as a production assistant, intern and location coordinator. She also was chosen as a grant recipient for her film Rose by the National Board Review of Motion Pictures.

	Holly Scherzi is principal of Holly Scherzi Design, an award winning graphic design studio in Syracuse, NY. In this role she has designed and overseen production of annual reports, identity programs, packaging, cookbooks, and brochures for local, national and international clients. Holly is responsible for the look and feel of Healthy Transitions, which began with the logo design and is being incorporated into the website and supporting print materials.