Mark Masselli
Chairperson
Mark Masselli is president, CEO, and founder of Community Health Center, Inc., Connecticut’s largest provider of medical, dental, and behavioral healthcare for the underserved. A Middletown, Conn. native, Masselli founded CHC in 1972 with a group of community activists. CHC currently provides team-based primary care services to more than 150,000 patients at 200 sites across Connecticut and is an innovator in the delivery of primary care to special populations. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, CHC was called upon by Connecticut’s executive branch to build and operate the state’s largest drive-through mass vaccination sites. Masselli led this historic effort, during which CHC administered more than 500,000 vaccines. In addition, CHC organized hundreds of mobile vaccination clinics, bringing vaccines directly into the most vulnerable communities. Masselli serves as board chair of the National Institute for Medical Assistant Advancement and of the national e-Consult provider ConferMED, is the Chair-Elect of the Board of Directors of the national School-Based Health Alliance, and is a member of the Goodspeed Opera House Board of Trustees. In 2022, he was appointed to the State of Connecticut's Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Working Group. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by Wesleyan University in 2009 for his work in the healthcare field.
Natasha Quinn
Secretary
Natasha Quinn is a senior medical assistant at Community Health Center, Inc., where she has worked as a medical assistant since 2007. She has more than 13 years of experience as a medical assistant, earning her MA certificate from Porter and Chester Institute in 2004. Quinn has made significant contributions to the origins and growth of NIMAA. She helped develop the role of the preceptor and serves as a preceptor for NIMAA students at Community Health Center. She has participated in numerous webinars, for NIMAA and for CHC’s National Cooperative Agreement, speaking on the topic of enhancing the role of the medical assistant in team-based primary care settings. At CHC she is active on employee committees focused on safety at the health center and on education in the community.
Jason Pniewski, CPA
Treasurer
Jason Pniewski, CPA is the Chief Financial Officer at Moses/Weitzman Health System, and is responsible for all financial operations including accounts payable, accounts receivable, financial reporting and analysis, annual budgeting, audit, tax, treasury functions and patient accounts.
Jason began his career in public accounting as a staff accountant for a Connecticut-based CPA firm providing accounting, audit and tax services for a variety of clients. Prior to joining the Moses/Weitzman Health System, Jason served in various roles of increasing responsibility at Yale New Haven Health System for more than 16 years, with his final role being Sr. Manager of Budget and Financial Planning. He joined MHWS in 2019 as Controller, where he was responsible for the monthly financial close, annual audit and tax preparation, among other responsibilities.
Jason earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Quinnipiac University. He is an avid golfer and has volunteer in several youth sports associations as both a couch and board member. Jason is also a member of the CT Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Mary Blankson, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, FAAN
Blankson is the chief nursing officer for Community Health Center, Inc., overseeing diverse nursing services across the CHC network, including primary care, healthcare for the homeless, and school-based health services. AS CNO, she oversees the quality and expansion of nursing services, the development of nursing policy, and continuing nurse education. Blankson also works collaboratively to ensure Joint Commission and Patient Centered Medical Home compliance throughout CHC. Blankson earned her MSN at Yale University and joined CHC as a family nurse practitioner shortly after graduation. She has served as the on-site medical director of the New London county sites, the vice president of the medical staff, the chair of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, and as a preceptor for CHC’s Nurse Practitioner Residency Program. She completed her DNP education at Johns Hopkins University. Blankson is certified and holds professional membership in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
Tillman Farley, MD
Farley is the medical director of Salud Family Health Centers. He graduated from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and completed his family medicine residency at the University of Rochester. He spent three years in private practice in upstate New York and three years in west Texas directing two federally qualified rural health centers prior to moving to Colorado. Farley has implemented a variety of successful integrated care models in practices in New York, Texas, and Colorado. Salud is a federally qualified community health center with clinics across north/northeast Colorado. Farley’s research interests include integrated primary care and health disparities as well as racism in healthcare and immigrant health. Farley served as chief of staff of Platte Valley Medical Center in Brighton, Colo, and was on the hospital board for 12 years. He sits on multiple boards and currently chairs the advisory board for the Center for Public Health Practice at the University of Colorado School Of Public Health.
René Kougel, MBA
René is the Interim President & CEO and Vice President & Chief Operations Officer for HealthNet, Inc. in Indiana. René brings with her an impressive set of operational accomplishments and achievements and currently has operational oversight of ten community based primary care locations, five dental clinics, 2 school-based clinics, and one mobile health unit along with support services. Prior to her current role, René was the Chief Operations Officer for Indiana Health Centers, Inc. for five years. As an operational executive, René has managed the merger and acquisition of six health clinics, has managed the planning, development, and construction of 6 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and developed an incentive program for prenatal, postpartum, and pediatric patients called “The Baby Corner.” René earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Purdue University and her MBA in Health Care Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Terri Sabella, RN, BSN, JD, PhD, CPHQ
Terri Sabella, RN, BSN, JD, PhD, CPHQ, is an accomplished health center executive, experienced nurse, and healthcare attorney with a broad spectrum of expertise spanning clinical, legal, and operational domains. Terri currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for BVCAA, Inc. (dba HealthPoint) where she leads a community health center with multiple sites throughout the Greater Brazos Valley in Texas. Prior to this role, Terri served for three years as the Chief Executive Officer for the Tennessee Primary Care Association in Nashville, TN. Terri earned her JD from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University and her PhD in Healthcare Management and Policy from the School of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Science Center Houston.
Stephanie J. Wroten, BSN, MS, LNC
Stephanie J. Wroten, BSN, MS, LNC, serves as the Chief Nursing Officer at Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center. She is a Registered Nurse with expertise in nursing leadership, healthcare business strategy, health information systems optimization, revenue cycle management and quality management. Stephanie is astute in building team-based healthcare infrastructure to support sustainability and growth. She is a graduate of La Salle University (BSN) and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Master of Science (MS) in Forensic Medicine. She has also studied healthcare quality and compliance at Jefferson School of Population Health and completed the Legal Nurse Studies certificate program at Manor College. Stephanie has a Master of Science in Nurse Education from Gwynedd Mercy University (MSN). Stephanie has worked extensively with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) and underserved populations to improve healthcare delivery systems, quality of care, and patient outcomes. She believes in progressive health center transformation by employing a team-based care approach. Stephanie is a 2020 graduate of the North Carolina Homegrown Leaders program.