Career Pulse
Baystate Names Albert VP of Development, Director of Foundation
SPRINGFIELD — Jane Albert, an experienced communications and relationship builder with extensive ties to the community, has been named vice president of development for Baystate Health and executive director of the Baystate Health Foundation.
Her appointment comes after a nationwide search to find an individual who could provide vision, leadership, and management for the Baystate Health Foundation and all its supporting fund-raising programs to promote active and continuing philanthropic support throughout Baystate Health.
“Jane has a range of career experiences and skills that make her ideal for this leadership role. Her dedication to Baystate — our patients and their families — is exceptional. She has lifelong relationships within our community and has worked both professionally and as a volunteer in philanthropy,” said Mark Tolosky, president and CEO of Baystate Health.
Albert began her career at Baystate in 2002 as a manager in Marketing and Communications, and later was named director of Public Affairs and Community Relations. Her expertise was recently sought by Baystate Medical Practices to assist in launching a new office of Referral Services.
Before joining Baystate, Albert served as vice president of advancement and marketing at Western New England University with the responsibility for all philanthropic efforts focusing on alumni, businesses and foundations in support of the university. She also served as principal of Albert Associates, her own marketing consulting firm with both local and national clients.
Active in numerous community and national organizations, Albert is vice chair of the board of directors of Spirit of Springfield, and serves as vice president of the board of directors of the Springfield Jewish Community Center. She has also served on the boards of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, the Springfield Rotary Club, and Temple Beth El. Albert is former chair of the National Conference for Community and Justice and is a Seed Council member of 18 Pomegranates, a private, philanthropic funding organization based in Denver.
Albert’s efforts on behalf of others have been recognized with community awards from the Springfield Women’s Commission, which named her one of its Women of the Year in 2010 for contributions to the community and efforts to enhance the lives of others, and from Rotary Club International, which named her a Paul Harris Fellow for her “commitment to organization and service above self.”
She is also a member of numerous area and national professional organizations, including the Mass. Hospital Assoc., the American Hospital Assoc., the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development, and the New England Society for Healthcare Communications. Albert also founded the Western Mass. chapter of the American Marketing Assoc., which she served as president.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to further use my talents in support of Baystate Health and its charitable mission,” Albert said. “Over the years, I have had so many opportunities to see firsthand the lives touched, improved, and saved by the incredibly talented physicians and care teams, along with wonderful dedicated employees throughout the health system. I feel privileged to now have the opportunity to work with wonderful professionals and committed volunteers to further engage our community in supporting all that we do at Baystate Health to provide the best care and experiences for patients.”
Neurosurgeon Liu Joins
Berkshire Medical Center
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Health Systems announces the appointment of Dr. Jeannette Liu, a board-certified neurosurgeon with experience in a wide variety of treatments and procedures, to the medical staff of Berkshire Medical Center and the Neurosurgery Professional Services of BMC physician practice.
Liu is accepting new patients in need of neurosurgical services, including brain, spine, and peripheral nerve conditions. She joins Dr. Laszlo Tamas at Neurosurgery Professional Services of BMC. Liu and Tamas had previously worked together in California.
Liu comes to the Berkshires from Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, Texas, where she served as a neurosurgeon for the past three years. Previously, she served in the U.S. Air Force as Chief of Neurosurgery at David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base in California and at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska and Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan. She attained the rank of major in the Air Force.
Board-certified in neurological surgery, Liu has a medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore and completed her residency in Neurosurgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. She received her undergraduate degree from Brown University.
Liu specializes in degenerative spinal diseases affecting the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine; herniated discs; brain tumors; spine tumors; spinal cord injuries and infection; pituitary tumors; neurotrauma affecting the brain and spine; and carpal-tunnel and cubital-tunnel syndromes.
For more information or to make an appointment with Liu or Tamas, call Neurosurgery Professional Services of BMC at (413) 447-2870.
Mary Lane Specialists Adds Lukanich to Team
WARE — Dr. Jeanne Lukanich, a board-certified thoracic surgeon and member of Baystate Thoracic Surgery, has joined Baystate Medical Practices (BMP) – Mary Lane Specialists as part of the growing multi-specialty group from Baystate Medical Center practicing at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital (BMLH) in Ware.
Lukanich specializes in malignant and benign diseases of the chest. She will provide outpatient care in thoracic surgery to patients at BMLH.
She is board-certified in surgery and thoracic surgery and joined Baystate Thoracic Surgery in 2009. She earned her medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. She completed residencies in general surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Columbus Hospital in Chicago, and Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She has also completed a residency in cardiothoracic surgery at Queen’s University in Kingston in Toronto, Ont. and the University of Toronto, as well as a fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She was formerly an instructor of surgery at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
“Dr. Lukanich is among the many medical specialists joining Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in our mission to meet the needs of our community as we provide our patients with seamless accessibility to the finest community-based physicians, specialists and programs,” said Dr. Mohammed Ahmed, chief operating officer and chief medical officer at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital and the Baystate Health Eastern Region.
Lukanich will be seeing patients in the BMP – Mary Lane Specialist office, Suite 3, located at the hospital. For more information or for an appointment, call (413) 794-8050.
Meffen Leads Nursing Team at Reeds Landing
SPRINGFIELD — Loomis Communities has appointed Mary Meffen director of Nursing at Reeds Landing Nursing Center.
Meffen has more than 30 years of experience working in settings that serve older adults, most recently at Heritage Hall West in Agawam and Wingate at South Hadley, where she reorganized clinical policies and procedures for improved care and outcomes. She has a record of stabilizing nursing-care staff and eliminating the need for agency nurses. Shortly after she joined Reeds Landing, the Reeds Landing Nursing Center received both deficiency-free and deficiency-free life-safety surveys from the Mass. Department of Public Health. Meffen is a graduate of Springfield College School of Human Services.
Reeds Landing is a member of the Loomis Communities, a nonprofit, continuing-care retirement community founded in 1902 with a mission of enriching the lives of older adults. Loomis Communities are located on four campuses in the Pioneer Valley: Applewood in Amherst, Loomis House in Holyoke, Loomis Village in South Hadley, and Reeds Landing in Springfield.
HMC Appoints Neill Therapy, Rehab Manager
HOLYOKE — Holyoke Medical Center has announced the promotion of Trisha Neill to the position of manager of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitiation.
“We are fortunate to have someone of Trisha’s experience, knowledge, and empathy for patient care to join our management team here at Holyoke Medical Center,” said Michael Zwirko, vice president of Outpatient Services.
Neill received her BS in Physical Therapy from the University of New England, and during the past year, she completed her doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from Simmons College. She has worked in variety of physical-therapy positions throughout Western Mass. and has been with Holyoke Medical Center for 11 years. She brings a broad range of clinical experience and expertise to her new position.
Podiatrists Cwass, Sarage
to See Patients at BMLH
WARE — Baystate Mary Lane Hospital announced that Dr. Evan Cwass and Dr. Anthony Sarage, physicians from Western Massachusetts Podiatry Associates, P.C., based in East Longmeadow, will see patients in the Outpatient Specialty Care Clinic at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital beginning this month.
“Improving access to specialty care continues to be one of our top priorities,” said Dr. Mohammed Ahmed, chief operating officer and chief medical officer at the hospital. “Dr. Cwass and Dr. Sarage specialize in comprehensive podiatric care and will offer medical and surgical treatment of the foot, ankle, and lower extremity. They have extensive experience with reconstructive and trauma procedures of the foot and ankle, and will also offer our community members diabetic and pediatric foot care.”
Cwass completed a podiatric surgical fellowship at Tucson General Hospital in Arizona and a podiatric surgical residency at Golden Glades Regional Medical Center in Miami, Fla. He is currently the chief of Podiatry Services at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield and is board-certified with the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, certified as an endoscopic heel surgeon, and a member of the American Podiatric Medical Assoc.
Sarage completed a residency in foot and ankle surgery at Yale-New Haven Hospital, Yale University School of Medicine Clinical Campus. He served as chief resident in reconstructive foot and ankle surgery in 2007 at the same location. He is board-certified with the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and received advanced training in operative arthroscopy. He is a member of the American Podiatric Medical Assoc. and a board member of the Mass. Podiatric Medical Society.
New patients are welcome, and most insurance plans are accepted. For more information or to make an appointment, call Western Massachusetts Podiatry Associates at (413) 525-4373.
Loomis House Nursing Center Names Hines New Medical Director
HOLYOKE — Loomis Communities has announced that Dr. Charles Hines has been appointed medical director at Loomis House Nursing Center in Holyoke.
Hines has been a geriatric medical practitioner for 20 years and is board-certified in gerontology and internal medicine. He is a certified medical director through the American Medical Assoc. He graduated from St. George’s University School of Medicine.
Loomis House is a member of the Loomis Communities, a nonprofit, continuing-care retirement community founded in 1902 with a mission of enriching the lives of older adults. Loomis Communities are located on four campuses in the Pioneer Valley: Applewood in Amherst, Loomis House in Holyoke, Loomis Village in South Hadley, and Reeds Landing in Springfield.
