2017 Conference Presenters


John J. Schlitt

John Schlitt is President of the School-Based Health Alliance.  From 1997-2008, John served as the Alliance’s first executive director, leading the organization’s advocacy, education, and technical assistance efforts to strengthen and sustain school-based health centers and to build long-term financial support for the organization.  In 2011 he rejoined the Alliance after exploring other public health interests.  In 2014 he succeeded Linda Juszczak as president of the organization.

John’s thirty year career spans maternal, infant and child health policy, practice and advocacy arenas.  He is a national authority on school-based health care financing, organization and delivery.

John has worked as a clinical social worker with adolescents in psychiatric and community mental health settings and has authored several articles on school-based health care and teen pregnancy prevention.  A native Floridian, John received his bachelor of science degree in psychology from the University of Florida and his master of social work degree from Florida State University. 


Jana Shaw, MD, MPH


Jana Shaw MD, MPH is a practicing pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases and an expert on vaccines and immunology. Dr. Shaw is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY and a chief medical officer at the North Country Family Health Center in Watertown, NY. She is a member of pediatric and infectious disease professional societies and a member of the International Affairs and Communications Committees of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society. Her research interests focus on improving vaccination coverage in children. She has authored numerous publications focusing on vaccine hesitancy and is an active vaccination advocate.


Chris Kjolhede, MD, MPH


Dr. Kjolhede
 is an Attending Pediatrician and Research Scientist at Bassett Healthcare in Cooperstown, NY.  He received his medical degree from Michigan State University, and his Masters in Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.  Dr. Kjolhede did his pediatric training at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York.  His career pursuits formerly included children’s health and nutrition in foreign countries and included research in micronutrient deficiencies.  Upon moving to rural upstate New York, his initial research interest was on the relationship between maternal obesity and lactation success.  He is currently focusing his research on the evaluation of School-Based Health Centers as a paradigm for delivering primary health care to rural, underserved children and adolescents.  His clinical practice in Cooperstown, NY, includes a primary care clinic with part-time hospital coverage and he is the Co-director of a School-Based Health Program that has 20 school-based health centers in 15 school districts.  Dr. Kjolhede is Vice-chairman for the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the Bassett Research Institute.  He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of its Executive Committee of the Council on School Health.  He has served on the Board of Directors for the New York State Alliance for School-Based Health and is a member of the National Alliance for School-Based Health.  He is also an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics for the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York.

 


Bonnie Allen


Bonnie Allen has served as Administrator for the Domestic Violence Program, Community Response, at the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence since 2014.  She has a Master’s Degree in Behavioral Psychology from Adelphi University.  She comes to the Office with over 25 years of experience working with domestic violence, families and systems.  She was the first Universal Response to Domestic Violence Coordinator in Dutchess County.  In that role, working out of the District Attorneys Office, she worked closely with Domestic Violence Service Providers to provide training for Police, Judges, and Health Care Professionals.  She also assisted in the development of a Domestic Violence Bench Manual for Judges in Dutchess County.

In addition to her work with systems that address domestic violence, Bonnie has worked with numerous victims, offenders and children exposed to domestic violence.  She began her career as the Child and Family Therapist for the Nassau County Coalition against Domestic Violence. In that role she, provided counselling for victims and their children and taught parenting classes.   She also worked as a group facilitator for Domestic Abuse Awareness Classes, a Batterers Intervention Program in Dutchess County, for 15 years.  Prior to coming to OPDV, Bonnie was the Family Program Manager for the Mediation Center of Dutchess County (MCDC).  MCDC has an innovative domestic violence protocol that was developed with domestic violence service providers to allow victims of Domestic Violence to mediate custody and visitation issues in Family Court. She is very familiar with domestic violence from all perspectives.  She recognizes the complexity of the issue and the intimate connections that domestic violence has with mental health issues, substance abuse and trauma.

 



Anne-Marie Conn, PhD, MEd

Anne-Marie Conn is a Senior Instructor, General Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center.  Dr. Conn’s research is focused on preventing or mitigating the devastating impact on children (and adults) of adverse childhood experiences, such as maltreatment, family dysfunction, and other childhood trauma. This research includes evaluation of the physical and emotional impact of childhood adversity, screening to identify adverse experiences in clinical and community settings, and community awareness and trauma-informed training. Thus, Dr. Conn’s work aims to support the social-emotional growth of vulnerable children in their families, communities, and the health care system.


Nichole Butler, MS, LCSW-R


Nichole Butler is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of New York with psychotherapy privileges (R number) and Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP). 
She is a Senior Social Worker with University of Rochester Medical Center in the Social Work Division and her primary role is working at University of Rochester School of Nursing, School Based Health Centers located at East School and at the Frederick Douglass Campus. The school based health center team focuses on integrative medical and mental health services. Her focus is to foster a connection and engage in a therapeutic relationship with youth and families on a foundation of safety and trust. Her approach is trauma-aware and responsive, with a mindfulness core while integrating cognitive (CBT) and dialectical (DBT) behavior therapy modalities.

She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and American Group Psychotherapy Association.  Ms. Butler received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) in 2000 and her Master of Science degree from Columbia University School of Social Work in 2002. Nichole also has a private practice, Peaceful Mind Therapy, in Fairport, NY. 


Claire Mulder, LCSW


Claire Mulder is the SBHC manager and mental health supervisor of the school based health center at Curtis High School on Staten Island for Children’s Aid. Claire started out at Children’s Aid in 2011 as a social worker, providing individual therapy to middle schoolers at a Children’s Aid SBHC in Washington Heights. In 2015, she became the mental health supervisor at the Curtis High School SBHC. This year, she has taken on the role of SBHC manager. Because of her diverse roles, she has been able to see the benefits and learn the workings of a SBHC through both a clinical and administrative lens.

Lynn Gargano, DDS

Lynn Gargano, DDS has been the Director of the Dental School Health Program, Family Health Centers at NYU Langone since 2012. She is Board Certified in Pediatric Dentistry.

As the Director she runs one of the largest, if not the largest Dental School Health Programs in the country. The program provides comprehensive dental services to 40 schools in 4 boroughs, completing 25,000 dental visits per year. Annually there is expansion of the DSH program to several additional schools, and continual growth is anticipated. She is supported by an incredible team of Coordinators that play a direct part in the success of the program as well as an encouraging administration. The DSH Program shares in a HRSA 330 Expansion grant (which salaries 1 .8FTE dentist, 1 .5FTE dental assistant, 1 .6FTE hygienist and 1 FT Outreach Specialist) as well as just received a 5 year NYS Dental Sealant Grant.

Gargano’s job includes expansion, continuous quality improvement, general oversight of all regulatory requirements, etc. Prior to this position, Dr. Gargano was in private practice and wa the Director of Pediatric Dentistry for 8 years at Interfaith Hospital (2006-2012).  She graduated NYU College of Dentistry and completed both her residencies (GP and Pediatric Dentistry) at Lutheran Medical Center.

Jodi-ann Bailey, MPP

Jodi Bailey, oversees strategic planning for practice transformation at the Montefiore School Health Program. She specializes in clinical performance improvement coaching. Ms. Bailey works with clinical leadership and interdisciplinary practice teams to plan and implement targeted CQI interventions to drive improvements in pediatric care, primarily Asthma Management. She co-developed medical home standards for School-Based Health Centers and is leading transformation efforts at MSHP for School-Based Medical Home Recognition.

IPRO Update Presenters:

Margaret L. Morelli, RN, BSNNYS Department of Health Public Health Program Nurse

Denise Hernas, BSN, MS, NYS DOH Public Health Program Nurse

Alison Platt, MA, MAED, NYS DOH Health Program Administrator

Become a Member

Regular member communications, advocacy updates, alerts & webinars are only some of what you receive as a NYSBHA member

Donate

Your donation plays an essential role in the Alliance’s ability to achieve its vision of "Healthy Children, Healthy Teens, and Healthy Schools."

Contact Us

Get in touch with NYSBHA