Career Pulse

WARE — Dr. M. Shafeeq Ahmed, acting president and chief operating officer at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, was recently named by Becker Hospital Review as one of the top 500 “People to Know in Healthcare” in the nation. He is listed among physicians, executives, and policymakers who have displayed dedication to improving the healthcare industry.

Ahmed joined Baystate Mary Lane Hospital in 2003 as a practicing physician and medical director of Baystate Medical Practices – Mary Lane Ob/Gyn, and chief of Obstetrics and Gynocology. He has also served as vice president of the medical staff and regional medical director for the Baystate Affiliated Physician Organization, and in 2010 he began serving as chief medical officer of the Baystate Health Eastern Region. In 2012, he also assumed the role of chief operating officer for Baystate Mary Lane Hospital and most recently was named acting president of the hospital in Ware.

Ahmed completed his undergraduate and medical school studies at Boston University and his residency in obstetrics and gynecology through Tufts University School of Medicine at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. In conjunction with the senior leadership team, he has extended his commitment to communities served by Baystate Mary Lane Hospital by expanding the team of providers, building new programs, and redefining services to ensure the highest standards of safety and quality care.

WARE — Baystate Mary Lane Hospital announced that general surgeon Dr. Kelly Galster has joined to its medical staff.

“Dr. Galster is a welcome addition to our medical staff,” said Dr. Shafeeq Ahmed, acting president, chief operating officer, and chief medical officer at BMLH. “He will be a great asset to our patients who need emergency or routine surgical care as we continue our mission to meet the needs of patients in our community.”

Galster received his bachelor’s degree in biology and pre-medicine from Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo. and his doctorate in osteopathic medicine at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. He completed his internship and residency in general surgery at McLaren-Oakland Hospital in Pontiac, Mich.

“I knew surgery was my calling because I’ve always been passionate about the workings of the human body and the ability to actively cure physical ailments,” Galster said. “I feel a tremendous amount of satisfaction being an active part in alleviating my patients’ illness so that they may enjoy life again.”

In addition to his passion for surgical medicine, Galster enjoys hiking, hunting, fishing, and exploring the landscape with his two dogs. “I come to New England from the Midwest,” he said. “The scenery out here is nothing like I have seen before; it is absolutely gorgeous. In the short time I have been here, I’ve already discovered people are very friendly and welcoming.”

Galster is accepting new patients at BMP – Mary Lane Surgery, Suite 1, Gilbert Wing, at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital. For more information or to make an appointment, call (413) 967-2800.

WARE — Licensed and certified massage therapist Donna Longtin has joined the rehabilitation team at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, offering a variety of massage techniques, including Swedish/relaxation massage, myofascial therapy, and deep-tissue massage.

“We are pleased to offer massage therapy as a supplement to traditional therapies provided by our rehabilitation team,” said Dr. Peter Ouellette, manager of Baystate Rehabilitation at Baystate Mary Hospital. “Massage therapy has been credited with reduced pain, eased muscle aches and tension, reduced stiffness, improved range of motion, increased flexibility, enhanced soft-tissue healing, improved blood and lymphatic circulation, and a deepened sense of relaxation.”

Longtin graduated from the Central Massachusetts School of Massage and Therapy in 2002. She has continued her studies with the Bancroft School of Massage, the Kripalu Center for Health & Yoga, the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, the Freedom from Pain Institute, and the BioSynchronistics Institute.

“Massage Therapy can help assist clients to experience a balanced and centered mind-body connection, giving their body an opportunity to begin the healing process,” said Longtin.

Individualized 30-, 60-, and 90-minute massage sessions are available. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the BMLH Rehabilitation Department at (413) 967-2180.

CHICOPEE — Kathleen Scoble, dean of the Elms College School of Nursing, has become the first nurse to serve on the board of trustees of Baystate Health.

Chair of the Division of Nursing at Elms College since 2003, Scoble led the program’s development from a traditional baccalaureate nursing program into a school of nursing which offers several educational pathways for advancing the education of RNs, including master of science and doctor of nursing practice degrees. Baystate Health is the largest regional employer in Western Mass., and one of the largest health systems in New England.

“Nurses are the largest part of our workforce, and they essentially define the experience of care for patients,” said Baystate Health CEO Dr. Mark Keroack. “Someone with Dr. Scoble’s qualifications is who I had in mind when I advocated for a nurse leader on the board. We do so many programs with Elms that this is a logical pairing.”

Added Scoble, “I am very honored to be the first nurse appointed to the Baystate Health board of trustees, and am confident that my experience as both a chief nurse executive and a leader in higher education — as well as the strong relationship that Elms College has enjoyed with Baystate — will assist me in this endeavor.”

She added that she has been impressed with how Baystate trustees, executives, senior managers, and medical staff leaders work and collaborate to achieve the health system’s goals. “I could not be more enthusiastic about the opportunity and responsibility I have as I serve in this very important position.”

Scoble, who has more than three decades of experience in academic, administrative, and consultant roles, has been recognized for her leadership in professional nursing both nationally and abroad. She currently serves as past president of the Mass. Assoc. of Colleges of Nursing and co-chairs a statewide team for the Mass. Institute of Medicine Action Coalition for Nursing. She is also a founding member of the Western Mass. Nursing Collaborative.

Consulting internationally for the Institute for Nursing Healthcare Leadership and Partners Healthcare International (formerly Partners Harvard Medical International) since 1999, Scoble has had programmatic experience in multiple countries, including Colombia, India, China, Dubai, and Turkey. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International and the National Honor Society of Alpha Sigma Lambda. She has also held faculty appointments at Teachers College, Columbia University, and UMass Boston. Her administrative posts in acute-care organizations have ranged from unit manager to chief nurse executive.

NORTHAMPTON — Lathrop Communities recently announced the appointment of Mauria Sirum, RN, as the new director of Wellness and Home Care.

Sirum is a graduate of Vermont Technical College and Excelsior College in Albany, N.Y., and has a broad range of healthcare experience, including supervision and leadership. Early in her career, she served as a CNA at Berkshire Health Systems and worked as a staff nurse and nursing supervisor for the Sisters of Providence Health System. Just prior to joining the Lathrop team, she was director of nurses at Wingate Healthcare, where she oversaw the nursing department and memory-care neighborhood.

Sirum is devoted to transparency, communication, a person-centered wellness philosophy, preventive health education, and initiatives for residents and those who care for them, as well as staff development and team building. In her spare time, she serves on the board of directors for Arena Civic Theater and works as a costumer for plays in her community.

Lathrop is a not-for-profit affiliate of the Kendal Corp., and manages independent-living communities in Northampton and Easthampton, serving older adults in the Quaker tradition.

HOLYOKE — Maura Squires has joined the staff of the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke as nurse practitioner.

She worked previously at the state Department of Developmental Services in Holyoke and at Wing Memorial Hospital in Palmer, and has held a variety of clinical and nursing positions throughout her more than 30 years of nursing experience.

At the Soldiers’ Home, the largest long-term-care facility for veterans in New England, Squires will provide direct patient care to residents and to veterans who use the home’s outpatient clinic.

The spouse of a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War, Squires said it is an honor to be on the staff of the Soldiers’ Home. “This is a great match for me personally and professionally to be able to support veterans. We have an excellent interdisciplinary team at the Soldiers’ Home that is focused on ensuring the very best quality of life for veterans, and I’m excited about taking a leading role in their delivery of care.”

Squires received a master’s degree in science from UMass Amherst, specializing as a family nurse practitioner.

Established in 1952, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke is a state-operated healthcare facility serving veterans of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. About 300 veterans reside at the Soldiers’ Home.

NORTHAMPTON — Dr. Eric Stanelle has joined Cooley Dickinson Medical Group Surgical Care and the medical staff of Cooley Dickinson Hospital.

Stanelle earned a doctorate of medicine from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. He completed general surgical residency programs at University of California San Francisco, East Bay, and Massachusetts General Hospital, and completed surgical-oncology and pediatric-surgery research fellowships at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His medical interests include minimally invasive/laparoscopy surgery for colon and rectal cancer; surgical oncology; endocrine surgery; and diseases of the liver, pancreas, and bile ducts.

“Since the start of my medical education, I wanted to establish a broad-based general-surgery practice to benefit the local community,” said Stanelle, who joins Dr. Holly Michaelson at Cooley Dickinson Medical Group Surgical Care. “Although I have been blessed to receive my training in metropolitan areas at some of the most premier hospitals in the country, I am most excited about being able to bring the top-notch surgical treatments that I learned in San Francisco, New York City, and Boston to the people of the Pioneer Valley.

Added Stanelle, “I believe that patients should not have to drive hours to the nearest biggest city in order to receive excellent medical and surgical care. My goal is to partner with each patient to promote his or her optimal health. As a general surgeon, I am equipped to treat a variety of surgical issues.”

Stanelle welcomes new patients at 76 Carlon Dr., Northampton. For more information, call (413) 584-4637.

SPRINGFIELD — The providers and staff of Baystate Ob/Gyn Group have announced that Kyrsten Hamel has joined the practice as a certified nurse midwife. She will see patients in the practice’s East Longmeadow and Springfield offices.

Hamel received her undergraduate degree from Elms College and her master’s degree in midwifery at Philadelphia University. She earned her certificate in nurse midwifery from Baystate Medical Center. During her master’s program research, she became a strong advocate for maternal-infant bonding through skin-to-skin contact in the hour following delivery due to its positive effects on elements such as neonatal temperature regulation, breathing patterns, and breastfeeding.

Through her background in nursing, Hamel provides her patients with a well-rounded approach to women’s healthcare and has never lost sight of the importance of evaluating each patient individually, in the context of the patient’s personal needs. Supporting each woman’s unique choices is at the heart of her approach to medicine.