About

Karen Wolk Feinstein
President and Chief Executive Officer, Jewish Healthcare Foundation, PRHI, and Health Careers Futures
PhD, Brandeis University, Social Welfare Policies and Economics; MSW, Boston College; BA, Brown University, American History

Dr. Feinstein is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF) and its
two supporting organizations, the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative (PRHI) and Health Careers Futures (HCF). Appointed the Foundation’s first CEO in 1990, she initially focused on health issues endemic to aging, women’s health and underserved populations. She has since made JHF and PRHI a leading voice in patient safety, healthcare quality and workforce issues. When Dr. Feinstein co-founded PRHI with former Alcoa CEO and U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill in 1997, it was among the nation’s first regional multi-stakeholder quality coalitions devoted simultaneously to advancing efficiency, best practices and safety in health care through the use of industrial engineering principles. Dr. Feinstein also founded Health Careers Futures to assist the region’s healthcare industry in attracting, preparing and retaining employees.

Dr. Feinstein is widely regarded as a national leader in healthcare quality improvement and often presents at national and international conferences. She was a leader in the formation of the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement (NRHI), a national coalition of Regional Health Improvement Collaboratives that supports national policy efforts to improve healthcare quality and value. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of NRHI.

Dr. Feinstein serves on numerous nonprofit and for-profit boards, has previously held executive posts at other nonprofits, including United Way, and has served as a Past President of Grantmakers In Health. She has also served on the faculties of Boston College and Carnegie Mellon University. Contact: 412-594-2550.

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Stacie Amorose
Director, Lean Healthcare Strategy and Applications
BA, Waynesburg University

Ms. Amorose brings a wealth of experience in workforce performance and process improvement, including long-term care and hospital operations. She is trained in Perfecting Patient CareSM (PPC) and has led quality improvement teams through a wide variety of clinical improvement undertakings, including redesigned medication delivery processes and nurse work in surgical units. Her areas of concentration include strategic program development, implementation and management; frontline coaching and curriculum development; and concept development, promotion, sales and marketing. Contact: 412-586-6718, samorose@prhi.org.Back to Top

Carla Barricella
Communications Manager
BA, Point Park University, Journalism and Communications
Jewish Healthcare Foundation, Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative, Health Careers Futures

Ms. Barricella has a wealth of experience in health and human services, communications and event management.  She joined the Foundation in 2004 after 12 years at United Way where she held the positions of Special Events Director and Corporate Relations Manager.  Prior to United Way, Ms. Barricella worked as Staff Assistant to Elsie H. Hillman, Republican National Committeewoman.  She was involved with the planning and execution of political visits involving the President, Vice President and Cabinet members, and served as a liaison to the White House Office of Political Affairs.  She also worked for the local CBS affiliate, KDKA-TV, in public affairs, and studio and remote production.  Contact: 412-594-2568, barricella@jhf.org.Back to Top

Christi A. Beck
EHR Implementation Specialist
BA, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Marketing

Ms. Beck is an EHR implementation Specialist who plays a key role in PRHI’s work as part of the PA REACH West program, through which PRHI is to assist up to 1,000 Pittsburgh-area primary care providers with EHR implementation, quality improvement, and attainment of federal meaningful use standards. She has exceptional experience and success with helping physicians and practices adopt electronic health records systems. Prior to PRHI, Ms. Beck served nine years as a Systems Analyst and Liaison for UPMC Health System during their deployment of Cerner and EPIC ambulatory practice EHR systems. Contact 412-586-6706, cbeck@prhi.org. Back to Top

Bruce Block, MD
Chief Medical Informatics Officer
MD, Yale School of Medicine

Dr. Block is PRHI’s Chief Medical Informatics Officer, supporting the implementation of EHRs and quality improvement methods in medical practice through the PA REACH West program. Dr. Block began practice as a family doctor in rural western Pennsylvania in 1972. In 1981, he joined the faculty of the Shadyside Family Medicine Residency program. In 1985 he developed and implemented an EHR at the Shadyside Family Health Center practice. In 1998 he co-founded the Centers for Healthy Hearts and Souls, a non-profit health promotion organization in partnership with over 40 African-American churches and community organizations. After 15 years as the medical director of the Shadyside Family Health Center, Dr. Block created the Shadyside Primary Care Institute where he developed quality improvement software for practicing physicians, conducted research and published articles about practice improvement and community health, and served as Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Contact: 412-594-2564, bblock@prhi.org. Back to Top

Katherine M. Brewer
Educator / Trainer / Coach
MPH, Yale University; BS, Albion College, Physics

Ms. Brewer is an Educator/Trainer/Coach focusing on the Safety Net Medical Home and Transforming Care in Provider Practice initiatives.She has expertise in patient-centered medical home certification, the Chronic Care Model, and patient disease registries. She joined PRHI after completing an Administrative Fellowship with UPMC’s Physician Services Division, where she was manager of a family medicine practice and involved in numerous corporate initiatives. Ms. Brewer is also a National Rural Health Association Fellow with a long-standing interest in primary care and rural health. Contact: 412-594-2572, kbrewer@prhi.org.Back to Top

Jennifer Condel, SCT(ASCP)
Project Manager / Educator / Trainer / Coach
BS, University of Pittsburgh, Medical Technology; Cytology Certification, Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC

Ms. Condel has 19 years experience working in the healthcare industry.  Most recently, she was an Improvement Specialist for the Donald D. Wolff, Jr. Center for Quality Improvement and Innovation of UPMC where her work comprised of applying and teaching lean concepts including problem solving, and assisting and facilitating patient and process improvement initiatives within the UPMC Health System.  Ms. Condel has a strong laboratory background including experience as an Anatomic Pathology Manager, Cytotechnologist and Medical Technologist.  For three years, she served as a Team Leader for the UPMC Anatomic Pathology Learning Line utilizing the tools and principles of the Perfecting Patient CareSM methodology to create a Histology Department Learning Line model for all areas of pathology.  This implementation resulted in changes to daily pathology practice by simultaneously reducing pathology errors, decreasing specimen turnaround time and decreasing cost. Ms. Condel has also published and presented in the areas of problem solving, lean concepts and quality assurance in pathology. Contact: 412-594-2589, jcondel@prhi.org.Back to Top

Patrick J. Cunningham, CPA
Chief Financial and Operations Officer
BS, University of Pittsburgh

Mr. Cunningham is the Chief Financial and Operations Officer for the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and its supporting organizations.  Most recently he served as Vice President for Finance and Administration at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Before the Seminary, Mr. Cunningham held the position of Chief Financial Officer/Director of Administration for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. He has also managed and performed a wide variety of accounting and consulting services for non-profit, school district, municipal, corporate, and individual clients as Audit Manager for Hosack, Specht, Muetzel and Woods, CPAs.  Mr. Cunningham also served as audit senior/consultant at Deloitte and Touche LLP, providing guidance and support on auditing and accounting related consulting engagements. Contact: 412-594-2560, cunningham@jhf.org.Back to Top

Terri Devereaux, MPM, MSN, FNP-BC
Senior Quality Improvement Specialist
MPM, Carnegie Mellon University, Public Management; MSN, University of Pittsburgh; BA, Point Park University, Health Service Administration

Ms. Devereaux is a Senior Quality Improvement Specialist for the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative focusing on Tomorrow’s HealthCare (THC) — a web-based learning platform designed to advance quality, safety and best practices in health care. As a coach, Ms. Devereaux works with healthcare organizations on quality improvement efforts and trains workers in Perfecting Patient Care. Most recently, she was the Lead Instructor for the Family and Adult Nurse Practitioner Programs at the University of Pittsburgh, as well as a Family Nurse Practitioner at South Hills Family Medicine. She is quite familiar with our organizations as she was involved in the planning for the Squirrel Hill Health Center and served as the Practice Administrator/Nurse Practitioner when it opened in 2006. Contact: 412-586-6704, tdevereaux@prhi.org.Back to Top

Eric J. Fritz
Operations Coordinator - Tomorrow's HealthCareTM
BA, Robert Morris University, Communications

Mr. Fritz is the Operations Coordinator for Tomorrow’s HealthCareTM (THC) —a web-based learning
platform designed to advance quality, safety and best practices in health care.  He assists the THC team with planning, client communications, as well as day-to-day operating support. Prior to joining PRHI, he served six years as the Business Center Supervisor for the Oncology Nursing Society where he developed and implemented many procedural improvements. He has 17 years of combined work experience in inventory management, systems maintenance and fitness management. Contact: 412-594-2552, efritz@prhi.org.Back to Top

Scott L. Frost
EHR Business Implementation Specialist
MBA, West Virginia University; BS, Cornell University, Psychology

Mr. Frost is a member of the PA REACH West team, through which PRHI is to assist up to 1,000 Pittsburgh-area primary care providers with EHR implementation, quality improvement, and attainment of federal meaningful use standards. He helped to develop the aspects of PRHI's primary care practice transformation curriculum that deal with the financial implications of EHR implementation. Mr. Frost has more than 20 years of non-profit experience, including United Way and as Chief Financial Officer for Holy Family Institute. His earlier experience in business has enabled him to bring those concepts to the non-profit arena. Contact: 412-594-2563, sfrost@prhi.org.Back to Top

Tina Hahn
Director of Education and Coaching
BS, University of Pittsburgh, Psychology

Ms. Hahn is the Director of Education and Coaching, with additional responsibility for the Safety Net Medical Home Initiative and the Transforming Care in Provider Practice project. She has worked in the healthcare industry for more than eleven years. Her clinical experience includes intake and diagnostic evaluations of children with developmental and behavioral disorders. She served as a Team Leader for two years implementing PRHI’s Perfecting Patient CareSM improvement methodology in an outpatient pediatric setting. Most recently, she served as a Systems Analyst at UPMC Health System, collaborating with clinical end users to define requirements and design specifications for an interoperability application aimed at bringing together patient data from disparate electronic medical record systems. Contact: 412-586-6715, thahn@prhi.org.Back to Top

Leah Holleran
Business/Office Manager
Associate in Specialized Business, Duff's Business Institute; RN Coursework, Mercy School of Nursing

Ms. Holleran is the Business/Office Manager for the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and its supporting organizations.   Previously, she worked at UPMC Mercy as a Senior Secretary in the Department of Surgery, supporting Surgical Research, Infection Control, Orthopedics, as well as for the Chief of Pediatric Surgery. Contact: 412-586-6708, lholleran@prhi.org.Back to Top

Keith T. Kanel, MD, MHCM, FACP
Chief Medical Officer
MD, University of Pittsburgh; MHCM, Harvard University

Dr. Kanel is the Chief Medical and Learning Officer for the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and its supporting organizations.  He is an internal medicine physician with over 20 years of clinical and administrative experience in prominent academic medical centers and progressive integrated delivery systems. He was previously Chief of General Internal Medicine at Allegheny General Hospital, where he co-founded one of the region’s first hospitalist services and was director of its primary care training program. Dr. Kanel later led successful quality and patient safety initiatives at the UPMC Health System.  He has served on the faculties of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, the Drexel University College of Medicine, and the Carnegie Mellon H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management. For the last 12 years he has been named to the Best Doctors in America list, and has been cited multiple times as a “Top Doctor” by Pittsburgh Magazine.  Dr. Kanel is the author of multiple articles and textbook chapters on topics ranging from patient safety to electronic health information technology. His focus areas include quality improvement, health delivery systems, and payment policy. Contact: 412-586-6716, kkanel@prhi.org.Back to Top

Sheila Kruman
EHR Implementation Specialist
MBA, University of Pittsburgh

Ms. Kruman is an EHR implementation Specialist with over 12 years of Healthcare IT experience including the implementation of electronic health records and practice management systems. She joins PRHI as a member of the team working with the PA REACH West program, through which PRHI is to assist up to 1,000 Pittsburgh-area primary care providers with EHR implementation, quality improvement, and attainment of federal meaningful use standards. Previously, Ms.Kruman worked for 10 years at UPMC Health System as a Systems Analyst deploying Cerner’s ambulatory EHR system, as well as an Interface Analyst for EpicCare, Epic’s EHR system for ambulatory care. Contact 412-594-5280, skruman@prhi.org. Back to Top

Marty Kurth, RN, BSN, MPM
Senior Quality Improvement Specialist
MPM, Carnegie Mellon University, Public Management-Health Systems; BS, Nursing, Duquesne University

Mr. Kurth returns to PRHI as a Senior Quality Improvement Specialist. He previously worked as a Field Manager for PRHI from 2002-2005, and most recently worked as the Regional Director for Accelero Health Partners in Canonsburg, PA. At Accelero, he led interdisciplinary teams and senior leaders through the implementation of musculoskeletal service line management, margin improvements and volume building for acute care hospitals and health systems. He has over 25 years of experience as a healthcare professional. Contact: 412-586-6711, mkurth@prhi.org.

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Harold D. Miller
Strategic Initiatives Consultant
MS, Carnegie Mellon University, Public Management and Policy

Mr. Miller is President of Future Strategies, LLC, a management and policy consulting firm in Pittsburgh. He created and maintains www.PittsburghFuture.com, an Internet resource that explains and comments on economic development strategy issues for the Pittsburgh region. He also serves as an adjunct Professor of Public Policy Management at Carnegie Mellon University's H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management. Mr. Miller provides JHF and its supporting organizations with analytical services on projects funded to help shed light on the financial impact of hospital-acquired infections, among other things. He previously served as the President of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Economy League of Southwestern Pennsylvania. In those roles, he designed and implemented a wide range of initiatives designed to improve the economy and quality of life in the Pittsburgh region. Mr. Miller served for 10 years as the Director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Growth Alliance, a 10-county, public-private partnership dedicated to promoting the economic development needs of the region with state and federal officials. Between 1987 and 1992, Mr. Miller served as Associate Dean of Carnegie Mellon's Heinz School. During the 1980s, he served as Director of the Pennsylvania Governor's Office of Policy Development. Mr. Miller serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, and is President of the Board of Directors of Eastern Area Adult Services, Inc., an agency helping senior citizens. He is the author of a number of articles and books in the fields of science and public policy.Back to Top

Betsy Milliron
Administrative Assistant
Liberal Arts Studies, University of Tampa

Ms. Milliron is an Administrative Assistant for the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative.  She supports the Perfecting Patient CareSM team and the PRHI Board of Directors.  Prior to joining PRHI, Ms. Milliron served as an Accounts Payable Specialist and Assistant to the COO for GMS Florida West Coast, Inc., a physician group. She has over 10 years of administrative and business support experience in the healthcare and finance industries. Contact 412-586-6714, bmilliron@prhi.org.Back to Top

David J. Rice
Implementation Specialist - Tomorrow's HealthCareTM
BS, Plymouth State College, Business Management

Mr. Rice is an Implementation Specialist for the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative focusing on Tomorrow’s HealthCareTM —a web-based learning platform designed to advance quality, safety and best practices in health care. Previously, he was a Project Manager at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association in Washington, DC where he was responsible for data management, operations, planning, and marketing support. Mr. Rice also served as a Business Analyst for Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Hampshire, developing systems requirements, assisting in design, completing quality assurance testing and creating training documentation for all customer service-related aspects of the computer system conversion. Contact 412-586-6707, drice@prhi.org.Back to Top

Brian Turcsanyi
Senior Systems Analyst
MBA, University of Pittsburgh; BS, Pennsylvania State University, Management Information Systems

Mr. Turcsanyi works in a number of areas including the development of Tomorrow's HealthCareTM, a web-based learning platform designed to advance quality, safety and best practices in health care, and managing large data sets relative to PRHI's initiatives. He joined the staff after a number of years at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Pathology Quality and Healthcare Research, where he managed the informatics needs of the research group which include the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) funded Improving Patient Safety by Examining Pathology Errors database and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) funded Best Practices for Pathology database.  Brian developed a datamart that included data from the laboratory information system and other information systems to track the progress of the Toyota Process intervention in the histology lab, as well as other AHRQ interventions. Contact: 412-586-6712, bturcsanyi@prhi.org.Back to Top

Jessica Turner
Research Consultant
PhD, University of Pittsburgh, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics

Dr. Turner is a Consultant for the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative, providing information regarding best practices and quality metrics, as well as clinical and technical data for the development of performance improvement modules for Tomorrow’s HealthCareTM — a web-based learning platform designed to advance quality, safety and best practices in health care.  Previously, Dr. Turner served as a post-doctoral fellow in the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Surgery, while also studying Health Policy and Management at the School of Public Health. Back to Top

Mark Valenti
Project Manager
BS, University of Pittsburgh, Health Services Management

Mr. Valenti is a Project Manager and AHRQ Implementation Specialist for the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative.  He joins PRHI after a long career with the UPMC Health System.  Mr. Valenti was most recently the Administrative Director of the UPMC Shadyside Family Health Center, responsible for strategic planning, staff development and operations.  While there, he was a co-creator of the Multi-Disciplinary Ambulatory Process Improvement Team (MAP-IT) which was charged with improving patient flow at the facility. As the Administrative Director of the UPMC Matilda Theiss Health Center, an FQHC, he collaborated with the staff of the PRHI Safety Net Medical Home Initiative. He also implemented a Family Health Center Introduction rotation for residents at UPMC. Mr. Valenti has experience in the mental health field having served as a Research Assistant at the Depression/Manic Depression Prevention Clinic of Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC. Contact: 412-594-2584, mvalenti@prhi.org.Back to Top

Linda Vicaro
Senior Quality Improvement Specialist
MA, University of Colorado, Communications

Ms. Vicaro is a Sr. Quality Improvement Specialist for the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative. In this role, she provides training and coaching support for healthcare staff in a variety of settings. Additionally, Ms. Vicaro spent two years as a lead coach for the Incumbent Worker Investment and Skills Enhancement program designed to promote soft skills among frontline healthcare workers. She joined PRHI after serving as an educator in the Communications Department at the University of Colorado (Boulder). Contact: 412-594-2586, lvicaro@prhi.org.Back to Top

Colleen Vrbin
Senior Research Analyst
BS, Carnegie Mellon University, Policy and Management, Political Science, and Social and Decision Science

Ms. Vrbin's focus is on research, including identifying funding opportunities, grant writing, as well as analyzing data and developing metrics. Prior to joining PRHI, she was a Research Assistant at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Pathology Quality and Healthcare Research. She worked on numerous patient safety studies pertaining to pathology errors, co-authoring 10 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 14 abstracts and presenting more than 30 posters. Ms. Vrbin has been involved with various studies, including AHRQ-related and others, studying physicians’ perceptions of the usefulness of various healthcare professionals, variations in existing quality measures designed to detect errors in pathology, and implementation of interventions geared to reduce errors. Larger-scale interventions include implementation of Toyota Production principles into the practice of collecting Pap smear and thyroid fine needle aspiration specimens. Contact: 412-586-6710, cvrbin@prhi.org.Back to Top

Nancy D. Zionts
Chief Program Officer
MBA; BS, Concordia University, Chemistry

Ms. Zionts is the Chief Program Officer for the Jewish Healthcare Foundation and its supporting organizations, overseeing a grant agenda that includes aging, end-of-life care, health workforce development, quality and safety, and Fellowships. She is also engaged in Tomorrow’s HealthCareTM — a web-based learning platform designed to advance quality, safety and best practices in health care. Ms. Zionts also coordinated the Foundation’s participation in development of the Squirrel Hill Health Center. She has been active in the development and implementation of many JHF initiatives including the Coordinated Care Network, the Squirrel Hill Food Pantry and Elderhostel Pittsburgh. Ms. Zionts has also been involved in the development of special publications, including the Aging Environmental Scan, Moderating the Effects of Aging: A Caregiver’s Manual, and the Health Information Technology Scan. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including Grantmakers In Aging and Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania. Prior to joining JHF, she was employed for 10 years at Forbes Health System in the areas of administration, planning and continuous quality improvement. Contact: 412-594-2559, zionts@jhf.org.Back to Top