As a strong proponent of promoting from within and to meet the rapidly expanding health care needs of our regional communities, AHI – Adirondack Health Institute is pleased to announce the promotion of two and the hiring of four staff members.
Ann Pepe has been promoted to the position of Contracts Manager. Pepe, who has held various finance positions at AHI since joining the organization in 2000, will be responsible for overall administration of the organization’s contracts and contractual relationships. She will coordinate internal and external resources to negotiate and execute contracts. She is also accountable for risk assessment and mitigation, and use contract management tools to facilitate workflow, communication, contract status and a complete contract database. Her role also will encompass ongoing compliance with contractual obligations and related reporting and monitoring. Pepe earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from SUNY Plattsburgh.
Elizabeth “Betsey” Towne has been promoted to the position of Project Manager. Formerly Program Coordinator for AHI’s Health Insurance Enrollment Assistance Services and Education (EASE) program, Towne joined the organization in 2013. In her new role, Towne will be responsible for managing innovative health care redesign projects undertaken by a network of providers and community-based partners spread across a nine-county region. She will also develop and monitor work plans, utilize project management systems to track and report project progress, monitor project implementation, identify risks, and develop strategies to mitigate them. Towne earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Siena College.
Jessica Chanese joins AHI as Community Engagement Manager. Prior to joining AHI, she served as an Administrator for Adirondack Manor Adult Home and Assisted Living Facility in Queensbury. In her new role, Chanese will be response for building and overseeing a new program focusing on direct patient and community engagement and activation. She will also be responsible for achieving program deliverables, monitoring budgets and supervising staff. Chanese earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services from SUNY Empire State College.
Rachel Hajos joins AHI as Director, Health System Development. Prior to joining AHI, she worked for the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) in Rensselaer in a number of roles from 1995-2014, most recently Senior Administrator for the Healthcare Educational and Research Fund. In her new role, Hajos, together with the Senior Management Team, will develop a strategic vision for AHI’s Health System Transformation services. She will contribute to the development of a strategic communications plan and oversee the execution of key aspects of the plan. In addition, she will establish and lead the Project Management Team, which is currently growing to support the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) initiative. Hajos earned a Master of Science degree in Health Services Administration from Russell Sage College, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Relations from Utica College of Syracuse University.
Alicia Sirk joins AHI as Compliance Coordinator. Prior to joining AHI, she served as Community Events Director for Turnpike Wesleyan Church in Plattsburgh. In her new role, Sirk will coordinate the development and implementation of the organization’s compliance program. She will assist in improving the organization’s efficiency and quality of services in order to reduce its vulnerability to fraud, waste and abuse, such as conducting periodic audits, developing effective lines of communication on compliance issues, and preparing, maintaining, implementing, and disseminating written practice standards and procedures. Sirk earned a Master of Arts degree, summa cum laude, in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Total Quality Management from SUNY Plattsburgh, and Bachelor of Arts degrees, magna cum laude, in Government, Speech and Theatre (Communications), and Music from St. Lawrence University.
Lyndsey Stoller joins AHI as Accounts Receivable Specialist. Prior to joining AHI, she served as an ERA Processor/Payments Representative for the Cash Management Team at McKesson Corporation in Queensbury. In her new role, she will be responsible for invoicing for AHI services, program invoicing and other similar processes such as Medicaid billing, including collection efforts. Stoller earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Sociology from SUNY Oneonta and an Associates degree, cum laude, in Liberal Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences from SUNY Adirondack.
Learn more about AHI Career Opportunities.
