The MBHP leadership team oversees all company operations and
interactions with MassHealth and other
stakeholders.
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Sharon Hanson, Vice President of Client Partnerships and Chief Executive Officer of MBHP,
joined the team in 2021, after having initially worked at MBHP in the late 1990s. Sharon has over 30 years of experience in health plan operations, managed care, and
government programs, most recently serving as the Chief People Officer at Community Care Cooperative (C3). She has also held leadership roles
at MassHealth's Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan, and First Mental Health Services. Sharon also
worked as an independent consultant at Health Management Associates. Her educational background includes P.G. Teachers College, University of the West Indies, and Northeastern University.
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Kate Fogg, Chief Operating Officer at MBHP, has worked in the Operations Department covering health plans in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire since 2014. She has previously been Contracts Manager and Operations Manager
for the Northeast region, expanding the provider networks, participating in workgroups coordinating regulatory programs, rate increases, and claims. Kate graduated from the Cornell University
College of Human Ecology with a Bachelor of Science degree and lives in Massachusetts.
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Nadia Akbar is a financial executive with almost two decades of experience in the health insurance industry. As CFO
of MBHP, a Carelon Behavioral Health company, Nadia brings extensive expertise in financial planning, reporting,
reserving, budgeting, and forecasting. She is adept at analyzing trend and variance drivers, Membership mix, commercial revenue, financial variance, and segmentation margins. As a leader, she is skilled in team building, training, and coaching. Nadia holds a Master of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Cincinnati
and an MBA in Finance. She has held roles at top health insurance providers, including UnitedHealth Care, Blue Cross Blue Shield MA, and Elevance Health. Outside
of work, Nadia enjoys spending quality time traveling, and exploring local attractions with her husband and three children.
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David J. Wolfe, MD, MPH, MBA, is Chief Medical Officer of MBHP and Manager Medical Director at Carelon Behavioral Health.
Dr. Wolfe joined MBHP from Mass General Brigham Newton-Wellesley Hospital, where he had served as Chair, Department of Psychiatry until 2021. Since 2007, he has
worked as an attending psychiatrist at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), where he held the roles of Associate Vice Chair for Clinical Services; Chief, Division
of Ambulatory Services; Director, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Services, and Director of Psychiatric Education and Training. Dr. Wolfe completed his residency
in the Harvard-Longwood Psychiatric Residency Training Program and a fellowship in psychosomatic medicine at BWH. He is a graduate of Tufts University School of
Medicine (MD and MPH) and the University of Massachusetts Isenberg School of Management (MBA). He holds a faculty appointment at Harvard Medical School.
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Heather Towers, LICSW, is the Director of Clinical Programs at MBHP. Heather has been with Carelon for 13 years in clinical leadership,
supporting markets nationally as well as 24/7 call centers. Prior to joining the company, Heather's clinical practice experience was with MA emergency services, including 24/7 crisis stabilization,
CBAT, and emergency departments. She lives in RI with her husband and two daughters.
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Marie-Elaina Graves (Marie) has worked in the Human Services/Public Health space for more than 20 years.
She is the Government Contract Officer for MBHP, a Carelon Behavioral Health company. As part of the leadership team, Marie works hard to drive a culture of innovation and collaboration, with the goal of
positively impacting to the community she serves. Marie holds a Master's Degree in Human Services from Springfield College
with a concentration in Organizational Management and Leadership. She is a long-time MA resident and enjoys spending time with her large family,
including two children.
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Jennifer LaRoche, LICSW, serves as Director, Behavioral Health Network at MBHP. Jennifer returned to MBHP in 2023 after having previously
worked at MBHP as the Regional Clinical Supervisor in the Central Region and the Regional Director for the Central and Western Regions. Jennifer has over 30 years’ experience in
managed care, program oversight, and direct care. Most recently, Jennifer was the Vice President of Acute and Day Programs for a large community behavioral health provider in Western MA,
where she created a Co-Response Program serving 25 communities in Franklin and Hampshire Counties. In addition, Jennifer has been adjunct faculty for Boston University’s School of
Social Work since 2017. Jennifer holds an MSW degree from Boston College.
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David J. Wolfe, MD, MPH, MBA, is Chief Medical Officer of MBHP and Manager Medical Director at Carelon Behavioral Health.
Dr. Wolfe joined MBHP from Mass General Brigham Newton-Wellesley Hospital, where he had served as Chair, Department of Psychiatry until 2021. Since 2007, he has
worked as an attending psychiatrist at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), where he held the roles of Associate Vice Chair for Clinical Services; Chief, Division
of Ambulatory Services; Director, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Services, and Director of Psychiatric Education and Training. Dr. Wolfe completed his residency
in the Harvard-Longwood Psychiatric Residency Training Program and a fellowship in psychosomatic medicine at BWH. He is a graduate of Tufts University School of
Medicine (MD and MPH) and the University of Massachusetts Isenberg School of Management (MBA). He holds a faculty appointment at Harvard Medical School.
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Tina Bandekar is a Registered Pharmacist with over 20 years of pharmacy experience and helping patients achieve the best outcomes from the medications.
In her current role at MBHP, Tina works closely with care management and Medical Directors to identify barriers in receiving evidenced-based
care for our patients and assess clinical quality gaps to create interventions to address them. Mental health and physical health are important aspects of overall
health, and ensuring all our patients have timely access to medication is critical to our goal of making healthcare accessible and equitable.
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Tiffani Bell Washington, MD, MPH, FAPA, Diplomate of American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Diplomate of American Board of Obesity Medicine, and
Diplomate of American Board of Lifestyle Medicine [DABPN, DABOM, DABLM]
is a Harvard-Trained Public Health specialist and Quadruple Board-Certified Physician
who specializes in Adult Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Lifestyle Medicine, and Obesity Medicine. She is an Associate Medical Director, Child Psychiatrist at MBHP. In 2020, Dr.
Bell Washington received the Outstanding Teaching Faculty of the Year Award in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Wake Forest School of Medicine and National Medical Association's Post-Graduate Section's "Top
Physician under 40" Emerging Leader award. In 2022, Dr. Bell Washington was selected to be a 40 under 40 "Leader in Minority Health" "by National Minority Quality Forum,
a Nutrition obesity research center at Harvard Diversity Scholar, and A Fellow of the Network for Emotional Well-being, research for Emotional and Physical Health. Dr. Bell Washington
is a recent graduate of Harvard T. H. Chan with a Master of Public Health and concentration in Health Policy and Leadership. She completed undergraduate education at Norfolk State
University (a Historically Black College and University), medical school at Medical College of Virginia, and residency and fellowship at Wake Forest School of Medicine. Dr. Bell Washington is
passionate about advocacy, research, improving diversity and equity in leadership and decreasing stigma and bias surrounding chronic illnesses such as mental health disorders and obesity.
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Simreet Khaira, MD, is a board-certified Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatrist working for MBHP as Associate Medical Director. Prior to this position,
she served as the Associate Regional Medical Director in MA for Lifestance Health. After completing her residency and fellowship training at Tufts Medical Center, Simreet joined a small outpatient
private practice, Commonwealth Psychology Associates. There she partnered with senior leaders to help grow the business, including the creation of policies and procedures rooted in best practices.
She went on to lead the team, and when the company was eventually acquired by Lifestance Health her role was expanded to support the larger region.
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John Straus, MD, is the founding director of the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (known as MCPAP). MCPAP was the
first statewide program designed to address the shortage of child psychiatrists and is the model for the implementation of child psychiatry programs in 30 other states.
He is president of the National Network of Child Psychiatry Access Programs, a non-profit dedicated to providing technical assistance and support to child psychiatry
access programs. Dr. Straus was responsible for the expansion of MCPAP to include MCPAP for Moms to address perinatal depression, mental illness, and substance use.
Support for the national expansion of both programs has been included in the multiple federal bills resulting in programs now in 46 states, four territories, two tribes for children, and seven states for moms.
Dr. Straus is Associate Medical Director, Specialty Programs at MBHP, having retired
to part time from his full-time position as Vice President, Medical Affairs. Prior to working at MBHP, Dr. Straus was Medical Director of Fallon Community
Health Plan. He is currently a member of the HEDIS Behavioral Health Measurement Advisory Panel, having been involved with HEDIS since its inception. Dr. Straus is
responsible for the technique of health plan measurement known as the "hybrid method." He is a pediatrician, having had a primary care practice for 22 years. Dr. Straus
completed medical training at Columbia University, pediatric training at Strong Memorial Hospital at the University of Rochester, and was a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical
Scholar at Johns Hopkins Medical School.
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Maria Yerstein, MD, is Associate Medical Director of Quality at MBHP. A graduate of Harvard University and the University of Massachusetts
Chan Medical School, Dr. Yerstein completed her training in psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston. Dr. Yerstein
has an impressive track record of improving healthcare quality and reducing disparities, having led numerous initiatives at BWH and St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Boston. A passionate
advocate for health equity, Dr. Yerstein has taught numerous courses in quality improvement and contributed to projects aimed at enhancing healthcare access and outcomes for underserved
populations. She has also served as a member of the American Medical Association's Center for Health Equity, where she contributed to policies and initiatives that have had a lasting
impact on the industry. Her work has been recognized through numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals.
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