Integrated Health Services was one of 2 cohorts in CT working with 2 cohorts in NY to pilot the standards. IHS was the only CT site to complete the pilot and designated as a level 2! This led to a proposal to have SBHC standards approved by NCQA which occurred in June 2017!
IHS developed the first national evidence-based preschool behavioral health screening, assessment, and therapeutic intervention program called “ADAPT”.
Member
Stephanie Begen retired in 2021 after 44 years as an educator in the greater Hartford region. She began her career as an elementary Special Education Teacher in Hartford and wrapped up the last 22 years of her career as a middle school Special Education Teacher in Berlin. Along the way she also worked at the Capitol Region Education Council as a Curriculum Specialist for the vocational high school, the University of Connecticut, Division of Child and Family Studies, as a Training Associate, and at Newington Children’s Hospital as a Patient/Team Coordinator for the PEDAL program. Stephanie was a passionate educator working with families/caregivers, service providers and outside agencies to ensure that her students’ educational, emotional, and healthcare needs were met. Communication, collaboration and advocacy were the hallmarks of Stephanie’s career.
Stephanie obtained her undergraduate degree in Special Education at the University of Hartford. She then obtained her Masters in Secondary Special Education at Southern Connecticut State University. Stephanie went on to earn her Masters in Counseling Psychology at Antioch/New England Graduate School.
Since her retirement, Stephanie has become an active member of Leadership Greater Hartford, completing both the year-long Third Age Initiative leadership training program and the Leaders on Board training. She volunteers in the Women’s Health unit at Hartford Hospital. In addition, she enjoys reading fiction, doing Pilates, and taking classes in pottery. Stephanie lives in Rocky Hill with her husband. She has two adult children, a daughter who lives in Salem, MA and a son who lives in Seattle, WA.
Member | Notary Public
Yanira Nazario is a Universal Banker at M&T Bank, with over 15 years of experience in banking. She is passionate about the community she serves and dedicated her time volunteering in and around Hartford County.
She enjoys problem solving whether it’s at work or doing a puzzle on her day off. She makes it her personal goal to financially educate each customer that she encounters. She is a big believer in the law of attraction and loves to work on self- development and listens to inspirational podcasts. Yanira resides in Manchester, CT and is an avid coffee drinker.
Member
Nestor Leon has over 25 years of workforce development experience. He has designed, implemented and monitored programs that provide pathways to economic self-sufficiency. He has coordinated programs in multiple states such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and Virginia that resulted in improved access for low-income customers. He is currently working with the Connecticut State College and Universities (CSCU) on a 35-million-dollar statewide healthcare and social work initiative.
Mr. Leon holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Charter Oak State College and holds a Master of Business Administration from Albertus Magnus College. He lives in Newington with his wife and daughter.
Member | Senior Manager of Accounting Compliance
James Cornell is the Senior Manager of Accounting Compliance at Hartford Steam Boiler. For the last 17 years, he has provided his assurance and financial analysis experience to healthcare and insurance entities in Connecticut. He joined the IHS board in May 2023.
James earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Accounting, and later his Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Connecticut. He has led several teams performing complex audits to identify risks and ensure they are effectively mitigated by appropriately designed controls. He enjoys working with both executive management and staff to bridge the gap between strategic decisions and operational reality in order to improve processes.
He is a long-time West Hartford resident and if you also enjoy being up at 5am, you may see him walking Yeti the Keeshond. He and his significant other enjoy hiking and camping and try to get back to nature at every opportunity. James has a passion for healthcare and education and believes that every child must have both to have a real opportunity to thrive.
Member | Medical Doctor
Dr. Andrew Feller is a Family Physician who currently works with Trinity Health of New England. For the last 20+ years, he has split his time working as a family doctor in East Hartford, taking care of hospitalized patients at St. Francis Hospital, and teaching residents and medical students at University of CT in Farmington.
Though he was born in New Haven, he grew up near Miami, FL. He studied biology and environmental studies at Tufts University and then went on to the University of Florida (go Gators!) for medical school and residency before moving back up to CT.
In addition to being a board member of IHS, he also acts as its medical director. He lives in Glastonbury with his wife and is proud parent of two children who happily remain (relatively) close by.
Member | Attorney
Matthew Cholewa is an attorney with over 30 years of experience. Matt has spent about half his career in private practice and half in the title insurance industry and is currently employed with Old Republic National Title Insurance Company as First Vice President & Senior Underwriting Counsel for its Commercial Agency Services office based in Hartford, Connecticut. While in private practice, Matt’s practice consisted of commercial and residential real estate transactions, real property related litigation, zoning, tax appeals and other small business matters.
Matt obtained both his B.S. degree in Engineering Summa Cum Laude and his M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut, and his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was a member of the Virginia Law Review. Matt is a member of the Connecticut and Massachusetts bars, Past Chair of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Real Property Section, and is a member of the Bar Association’s Board of Governors.
Matt lives in Wethersfield with his wife, Gillian, and their blended family of five college aged children and two dogs.
Member | Psychologist
Dr. Saunders is a staff psychologist working at the Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital and is also Board Certified in Clinical Psychology. She is the Director of the new initiative, the Center for Gender Health at Hartford Healthcare. In 2015, Dr. Saunders was named Employee of the Year for Hartford Hospital and in 2019, she was the recipient of the Ned Graffagnino Award for distinguished service in the areas of community-oriented work and collaboration with other mental health professionals. Her areas of expertise include LGBTQ mental health, child psychopathology, behavior management, parent training, and family therapy. She appears regularly in local TV news to provide psychological input on topics relevant to youth and families and currently has two weekly segments on WFSB/Ch. 3 Great Day CT, related to child mental health.
Dr. Saunders received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Scranton, a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Hartford and has been a board member at Integrated Health Services since 2019.
Dr. Saunders has resided in Wethersfield for the last 25 years. Her two children are currently in college, her son is a senior at Purdue University and daughter is a freshwoman at Rutgers University.
Member | Vice President
Joe Murphy is a Certified Financial Planner™ at Gateway Financial Partners. He has over 40 years of experience in Wealth Management and Investment Planning, including working with teams in the bank investment arena.
Joe earned degrees in Sociology and Mathematics at Colgate University, a master’s degree in Financial Planning from Northeastern University, and the Certified Financial Planning designation from The Center for Financial Planning. He has a passion for teaching and helping others pursue their financial goals.
Joe believes in getting involved in the community and making a difference. Besides serving as Board Chair for Integrated Health Services, he is a Board Member of the 21st Century Tolland Fund that serves disabled individuals who participate in sports. Joe and his wife, Sharon, are proud parents and reside in South Glastonbury, Connecticut.
Secretary | Dental Hygienist
Kareen Wilson is a team leader, owner, and patient-therapist at Contemporary General Dentistry in West Hartford, CT, and Smile Studio Dentistry in Hartford, CT. Kareen also works as an adjunct professor in the leadership program at Goodwin University. She has over twenty-five years of experience in clinical dental hygiene and office management.
Kareen earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California, and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Goodwin University. She is passionate about dental health care and teaching future leaders how to be assertive yet empathic guides of the future.
Kareen is involved in organizations that believe in spreading the message of equal health opportunities for everyone. In addition to serving on the board of Integrated Health Services and Bethesda Medical Mission, she is a vital member of the Women of Strength organization that helps women deal with and survive breast cancer. When she is not serving, you can find her enjoying life in Bloomfield with her husband, Dr. Bryan Wilson. She also enjoys long-distance running, skiing, challenging her peloton, and raising two extraordinary young ladies, Kierra and Bryana.
IHS Treasurer | CPA
Jeff Walsh is a graduate of Babson College in Wellesley, MA, with a degree in Accounting. Prior to joining CRT as their CFO, Jeff worked in public accounting for 19 years, specializing in non-profit and governmental audits throughout the northeast region. Jeff has extensive experience with the Federal Single Audit and State of Connecticut Single Audit requirements, in addition to Form 990 preparation and indirect cost rate calculations.
Jeff serves on the Board of Directors of Integrated Health Services, Inc. and is a member of the AICPA and the CT Society of Public Accountants. Jeff lives in Southington however he has worked in the Greater Hartford area for decades.
IHS BOD Chairman | Family Services Consultant
For over 25 years Doug Edwards has been a family services consultant who designs and facilitates fatherhood-focused programs. He provides professional development and training for family workers at state and non-profit human services agencies.
Doug earned certificates in Pastoral Counseling and Care, Infant Mental Health Home Visiting, Trauma Informed Family Support Practice, and Men’s Trauma and Recovery. And he is a Certified Family Development Credential Trainer and Parent Leadership Training Institute Master Facilitator.
Doug is the founder and director of Real Dads Forever, a Fatherhood Strategies Development organization. He serves on the advisory boards of the CT Maternal Child Health Coalition and ECHN’s Family Development Center. He is also a board member of the CT Association for Infant Mental Health. He enjoys spending time with his family in his hometown of Manchester.