Career Pulse

NORTHAMPTON — Two Cooley Dickinson employees, a nurse and a physician, were recognized recently for contributions they have made in their fields.

Linda Riley, RN, infection prevention manager, was awarded the 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award from the UMass Amherst School of Nursing. Throughout her 35-year career as a nurse, Riley has held a variety of roles in nursing, including education coordinator, Joint Commission survey coordinator, nurse educator, and administrative supervisor. Riley was praised for incorporating nursing research as part of her daily practice and staying current of nursing and clinical research. She has worked at CDH since 1981.

Dr. R. Dirk Stanley, hospital-based physician and CDH’s chief medical information officer, was recognized as the Clinician of the Year by the New England chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).

According to a letter from Paula Magnanti, HIMSS vice chair, Stanley was nominated because of his “leadership as a physician executive and chief medical information officer, dedicated to transforming health care through IT and contributions to the New England chapter of HIMSS.”

HIMSS is the health care industry’s membership organization focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of health care information technology and management systems for the betterment of health care. Stanley has worked at CDH since 2006.

Gálvez-Padilla Joins BMC Medical Staff

PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Medical Center announced the appointment of Dr. Christian Gálvez-Padilla, a board-certified, fellowship-trained surgeon specializing in general, thoracic, and vascular surgery, to the BMC medical staff and the physician staff of Berkshire Surgical Associates.

Gálvez-Padilla joins Drs. Michael Cohn, Eugene Curletti, Michael DiSiena, José Heisecke, Andrew Lederman, and George Veinoglou in providing comprehensive surgical services at Berkshire Surgical Associates.

Gálvez-Padilla most recently served as Director of Cardiovascular Medicine, Outpatient Clinic, and as a cardiovascular surgeon at UNICAR, the Guatemalan Institute of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery. He received his medical degree from Francisco Marroquin University Medical School in Guatemala City, completed his residency in general surgery at Berkshire Medical Center, and was fellowship-trained in cardiothoracic surgery at Allegheny General Hospital. He is board-certified in general surgery, and is fluent in English, Spanish, and German.

For an appointment with Gálvez-Padilla or one of his colleagues, call Berkshire Surgical Associates at (413) 445-6420.

CHD Names Drapalski VP of Business Planning and Analysis

SPRINGFIELD — Henry Drapalski Jr. has been named the Center for Human Development’s vice president of Business Planning & Analysis.

Drapalski has worked for CHD since September 1990, first as vice president for Administration and Finance and most recently as vice president of Development. Before being hired by CHD, he spent four years as financial business analyst and director of operations for Kaiser Permanente’s Massachusetts market.

In his role as VP of Business Planning & Analysis, a new position, Drapalski will be responsible for analyzing business operations and fiscal performance and planning future growth for the $58 million nonprofit agency.

Drapalski holds a JD from Western New England College School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College.

His responsibilities in the Development Office, which handles fund-raising, marketing, and communications, will be assumed by Susan Alston, director of Development.

Founded in 1972, CHD is a family of more than 40 programs that deliver a wide range of social services in communities throughout Western Mass. and Northwestern Conn. in areas such as mental health, youth mentoring, family stabilization, foster care, early intervention, elder care, occupational therapy, intellectual and physical disabilities, homelessness prevention, substance abuse, and juvenile justice.

HMC Appoints Riley Med-Surg Nurse Manager

HOLYOKE — Margaret (Peggy) Riley has been named nurse manager of Medical/Surgical Nursing at Holyoke Medical Center.

Riley began her nursing career in January 1970 at Holyoke Hospital as an LPN. She earned her RN degree in 1993 at Regents College in New York, and continued in medical/surgical nursing at Holyoke Medical Center. Six years ago, she was promoted to the position of clinical coordinator for the South 3 East nursing unit.

According James Keefe, HMC’s vice president of Inpatient Services, Riley has become an invaluable resource to the nursing staff during her tenure at the hospital.

Maplegate Names McCarthy Director of PR and Marketing

SPRINGFIELD — Maplegate Rehab Inc. welcomes new Director of Public Relations and Marketing Charlene McCarthy.

She is a lifelong resident of the greater Springfield area. Her previous experience includes work in the nonprofit sector and the educational field. Her time as a business owner has endowed her with the skills and enthusiasm necessary to connect with local community businesses.

McCarthy can be reached by e-mail at cmccarthy@maplegaterehab.com, or by phone at (413) 781-8900 ext.109.

Maplegate Rehab is a soft-tissue injury-rehabilitation center offering medical care, chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, and active rehabilitation. It’s located at 4 Maple St. in Springfield.

Baystate Ob/Gyn Group Welcomes Gorham

SPRINGFIELD —The providers and staff of Baystate Ob/Gyn Group are pleased to announce that Ann Marie “Re” Gorham, has joined the practice as a nurse practitioner, providing routine gynecologic care.

Gorham received her bachelor’s degree from Barnard College and went to Yale University for her master’s degree in nursing and nurse practitioner certificate. She joins Baystate Ob/Gyn Group with diverse experience in health care, including young-adult medicine, medical research, chronic care, rehabilitation, and health care administration.

After many years of experience as a nurse practitioner in settings ranging from Planned Parenthood to community health clinics and private practice, she is looking forward to returning to her interest in women’s health care.

“The opportunity to practice in an ob/gyn setting had been my goal since becoming a nurse practitioner,” she said. “Focusing on each woman’s real-life circumstances including her social, family, and medical history helps me to create a dialogue with each patient; that dialogue is fundamental to engage patients in their health care and to empower them to be proactive about prevention and treatment.”

Gorham finds it particularly fulfilling to provide care to young women as they begin to access reproductive care during an important period in their lives, when they are developing lifelong health habits. Supporting health across a woman’s development through all stages of life remains the core of her practice.

Baystate Ob/Gyn Group is a private women’s health care practice consisting of physicians, certified nurse midwives, certified nurse practitioners, and support staff.

Klein to Chair Noble’s Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging Department

WESTFIELD — Dr. Stephen Klein has been tapped to serve as chair of Noble Hospital’s Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging Department starting Jan. 1. He assumes the role of department head as part of a new affiliation between Noble and Jefferson Radiology.

Jefferson Radiology is a group of more than 50 radiologists in Connecticut, offering sub-specialized diagnostic and interventional imaging services. Jefferson Radiology is considered a leader in imaging and interventional radiology and has committed the resources necessary to make Noble Hospital’s Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging Department a singular center of excellence in the region.

Klein graduated from Yeshiva University Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, N.Y., and completed both an internship in internal medicine and residency in diagnostic radiology at Albany Medical Center, Albany, N.Y. He also completed a fellowship in cardiovascular/interventional radiology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Klein is certified by the American Board of Diagnostic Radiology and holds certification of added qualifications. He is certified in cardiovascular and interventional radiology.

Perry Earns Top Credential in Health Care Management

WESTFIELD – Robert Perry, president and CEO of Noble Hospital in Westfield, has been recertified as a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the nation’s leading professional society for health care leaders.

“Because health care management ultimately affects the people in our communities, it is critically important to have a standard of excellence promoted by a professional organization,” said Dr. Thomas Dolan, president and CEO of ACHE. “By becoming an ACHE fellow and simultaneously earning board certification from ACHE, health care leaders can show that they are committed to providing high-quality service to their patients and community.”

Fellow status represents achievement of the highest standard of professional development. In fact, only 8,500 health care executives hold this distinction. To obtain fellow status, candidates must fulfill multiple requirements, including passing a comprehensive examination, meeting academic and experiential criteria, earning continuing education credits, and demonstrating professional and community involvement. Fellows are also committed to ongoing professional development and undergo recertification every three years.

Segal to Open New Downtown Office

SPRINGFIELD — Dr. Shimon Segal, a board-certified gynecologist who specializes in female urinary incontinence treatment, will open new office in downtown Springfield.

Segal will be opening the first medical practice in Western Mass. to specialize in treating women who involuntarily leak urine when they cough, sneeze, laugh, lift objects, or exercise, a medical condition known as stress urinary incontinence. The treatment employs the FemiScan Pelvic Floor Therapy System. No surgery or medications are used in this natural treatment for the improvement of pelvic floor muscle tone.

Segal was a staff physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Massachusetts General Hospital with an academic appointment as an instructor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Harvard Medical School. He has been a staff physician since 1999 at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and has additional staff appointments at other medical centers.

Since 2007, Segal has been on the staff at Jordan Hospital in Plymouth and in private practice in Duxbury, Framingham, and Chelmsford.

Office visits are normally covered by major health insurance plans, including Medicare and Mass Health. To schedule an appointment with Segal, call (413) 781-1118. The office is located at 181 State St., Suite #2, with free validated parking available. For more information, visit www.femicarescan.com.