Page 29 - HealthcareNews Jan_Feb 2021

AMIE MIARECKI
PATIENCE MARKS
DEBORAH BITSOLI
JENNIS ADAMCZYK
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM 29
CAREER PULSE CONT’D
She brings nearly 20 years of experience working in the health and human-services field in both Greater Springfield and Greater Boston, providing marketing, community- relations, and development expertise. She will promote the company’s mission by engaging with the com- munity and healthcare partners to
help individuals find their next home while maintaining their independence and a dignified quality of life.
Miarecki holds a master’s degree in corporate and orga- nizational communication with a specialization in leader- ship from the College of Professional Studies at Northeast- ern University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from UMass Amherst.
She is the president of the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield, a board member of the Professional Women’s Chamber, and a committee member for both
the civic and community-engagement committee of the Springfield City Library and the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce community-engagement commit- tee. In addition, she holds memberships with Hampshire County Young Professionals, the Western Mass. Elder Pro- fessionals Assoc., and the Retirement Marketing Directors Assoc. of Western Mass. She is also a past recipient of the BusinessWest 40 Under Forty award.
Bitsoli Named Trustee of Mass. Health & Hospital Assoc.
SPRINGFIELD — The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Assoc. (MHA), the state’s leading voice for hospitals and health systems, announced the appointment of Deborah Bitsoli, president of Mercy Medical Center and its affiliates, to its board of trustees.
Through advocacy, education, and collaboration, MHA’s mission is to improve the overall health of the Commonwealth and support providers’ efforts to offer high- quality, affordable, and accessible care. MHA has used its platform to serve as a nexus of coordination for the healthcare system throughout
the COVID-19 crisis, bringing leaders together and forging solutions to the challenges presented by the pandemic.
Bitsoli has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry and has spent the last 19 years in leadership roles. Before taking the helm at Mercy Medical Center, Bitsoli served as president of Morton Hospital in Taunton and as chief operating officer and executive vice president at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester.
She holds an MBA from Babson College in Wellesley and a bachelor’s degree in accountancy with a management minor from Bentley University in Waltham. She is a certi- fied public accountant in Massachusetts.
Florence Hearing Health Care Welcomes Niemi to Team
FLORENCE — Florence Hearing Health Care, a private audiology clinic serving Western Mass. and beyond, re- cently welcomed Dr. Anna Niemi to the team.
Current patients of the practice have likely already met Niemi while she was completing her fourth-year extern- ship under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Sowards. Having worked nearly 20 years managing finances for various
small businesses in Western Mass. and Connecticut, Niemi decided to pursue a new profession where her work would have a more direct impact on the lives of those in the com- munity that she serves.
She received her doctoral degree in audiology from UMass Amherst last spring. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology, the Massachusetts Academy of Audiology, and the Academy of Doctors of Audiology. She also holds a certificate of clinical competence (CCC-A) from the American Speech, Language and Hearing Assoc.
The practice aims to educate the community about hear- ing healthcare, including the signs of hearing loss and the available treatment options that can improve quality of life for those who experience it, as well as encourage adults to get a baseline hearing test and protect the hearing they do have. FHHC works with their clients to meet them where they are in their hearing healthcare journey.
Women’s Health Associates Welcomes Marks to Practice
SPRINGFIELD — Women’s Health Associates recently welcomed Patience Marks to its practice. An experienced women’s health nurse practitioner, Marks provides com- prehensive care to women across their lifespan, including, but not limited to, gynecology, pregnancy, well-woman care, health screenings, fertility, and menopause.
“Patience is a dedicated and dili- gent women’s healthcare provider,” said Dr. Robert Wool, medical director. “She is very approachable and takes pride in building lasting relationships with her patients.”
Marks earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Boston College and her master’s degree
from the University of Pennsylvania. She comes to Western Mass. from her previous position at a health center in
New Jersey, where she provided reproductive care to women and men, including well exams, STI screenings and management, contraceptive counseling, and gynecological care. She previously spent some time in Monrovia, Liberia, providing ob/gyn care to the local community.
as she adapted PMN’s programs to meet the community’s extraordinary needs for food and other resources.
Prior to joining PMN, Adamczyk served as director of Sales and Marketing for Ross, Webber and Grinnell Insur- ance Agency and was an active PMN volunteer, developing the Family Game Night program, one of PMN’s premier fundraisers.
BMC Awards Inaugural DAISY Award to Alibozek
PITTSFIELD — Cardiac-care nurse Susan Alibozek
has achieved a first at Berkshire Medical Center. She was honored with the hospital’s first DAISY Award for Extraor- dinary Nurses, a national nursing recognition program that has been adopted by thousands of hospitals to honor individual nurses who have had a tremendous impact on patient care. Based on a nomination received from the granddaughter of a BMC patient, Alibozek had a huge impact on the patient and family.
“My grandmother fell and broke her femur around
her hip-joint implant. It was a bad break that required a lengthy surgery. When we got to BMC, the doctors were also concerned about her heart, so she was admitted to the fourth floor. During her stay, communications with the nursing team was wonderful,” said Crystal Van Deusen
in her nomination. “Sue Alibozek was the amazing nurse that got stuck listening to me. She took all the time that was needed with me to explain and calm me. She walked me through everything that had happened — all that I was either unaware of or had little knowledge of. She also told me what the next steps were and what options we had. She treated me and, more importantly, my grandmother with dignity, grace, compassion, empathy, and respect.”
Using the acronym PETALS, BMC’s criteria for nomi- nating a nurse for a DAISY Award include passion and compassion, empathy, trust and teamwork, admirable at- titudes, love for patient and profession, and selflessness.
Sullivan Named to Board of MLK Family Services
SPRINGFIELD — Dr. Allison Sullivan was recently named to the board of directors at Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services Inc. (MLKFS).
Sullivan is lead faculty for the Occupational Therapy doctorate program at American International College. As an occupational therapist and educator, she has dedicated her 27-year career to improving the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the lifespan, working in day-habilitation services, school-based occupational therapy, and residential settings. She is the chair of the MAOT Western Massachusetts Mental Health Special Interest Group, a certified group-exercise and yoga instructor, and the co-founder and leader of #OTalk2US,
a Twitter chat for occupational therapists with tens of mil- lions of views of tweets carrying this tag.
Sullivan earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Am- herst College, a master’s degree in occupational therapy from Springfield College, and a doctorate in occupational therapy from Temple University. She currently volunteers as an advi- sory board member for Lighthouse and a board member and social media committee chair for Allen Cognitive Network, and serves on the human rights committee for Viability.
Other new MLKFS board members include Rose Colon, a criminal-defense and personal-injury attorney based in Springfield, and John Garvey, founder of Garvey Commu- nication Associates Inc.
Adamczyk Named Executive
Director at Providence
Ministries for the Needy
HOLYOKE — The board of trustees of Providence Min- istries for the Needy (PMN) announced the appointment of Jennie Adamczyk as executive director. This appoint- ment comes at a critical time, as Providence Ministries celebrates its 40th year and the demand for community ser- vices is exceptionally high. As executive director, Adamczyk will oversee the operations of Kate’s Kitchen, Margaret’s Pantry, St. Jude’s Thrift Store, and three sober-living homes — Loreto House, Broderick House, and McCleary Manor.
Prior to this appointment, Adamczyk served in multiple PMN leadership roles, including program director, associate director, and, most recently, interim executive director. In the interim role, she guided operations through the COVID-19 pandemic, implement- ing numerous safety precautions
to maintain the health and well-being of staff, residents, and community members. She gained community support