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Leadership
Jeff Walter,
President & CEO
As president and CEO of Rushford, Jeff Walter is responsible for ensuring the organization is able to achieve its mission to provide affordable, accessible behavioral healthcare services to children, adolescents, adults and families in need. He has been with the organization for more than 28 years and has been integral to Rushford evolving into one of the leading behavioral healthcare providers in the state. In addition to serving on state committees that focus on advancing care for people with behavioral health disorders, Jeff is the New England representative to the National Council of Community Behavioral Healthcare (NCCBH). As the region’s representative to the board, he is responsible for communicating concerns of providers in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont to the council as well as educating and informing the region about community behavioral health issues. In July 2008, he was named Secretary-Treasurer of the NCCBH Board of Directors. Jeff also co-chairs, with State Senator Jonathan Harris, the Connecticut Behavioral Health Partnership Oversight Council, a legislatively-mandated body that oversees the state’s mental health services for HUSKY children and families. Jeff lives in Glastonbury with his wife, Judy.
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J. Craig Allen, M.D.,
Chief Medical Officer
J. Craig Allen, M.D., joined Rushford as Chief Medical Officer in 2006. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit in 1989. Dr. Allen began his internship and combined General Psychiatry-Child Psychiatry Fellowship at the New England Medical Center-Tufts University Medical School Program in Boston and completed it in 1994 at the Harvard University Medical School Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Hospital Program. Dr. Allen served as Director of Psychiatric and Family Services at Franciscan Children's Hospital in Brighton, Mass., from 1995 to 2003. He then relocated to become Unit Chief at Riverview Hospital for Children and Youth in Middletown, Conn., until accepting his present position. Dr. Allen has taught medical students, interns and residents in the capacity of Clinical Insructor in Psychiatry at Harvard University Medical School (1994-2003) and Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry at Yale University Medical School (2003-2005). His extensive experience in program development and administration, teaching, clinical supervision and direct patient care make him a valuable addition to the Rushford team.
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Andrew Czerniewski,,
Vice President, Finance/Chief Financial Officer
Andrew Czerniewski, MBA, FHFMA, CMPA, CMPC, joined Rushford in 2007 as Chief Financial Officer and is responsible for business operations as well as providing oversight and leadership of facilities, health information and management information systems. Andrew served on the national board of the Visiting Nurse Association of America in various capacities and on the Connecticut chapter of Healthcare Financial Management Association. Prior to Rushford, he provided financial leadership to a large home care and private duty nursing organization, a nursing home management company that consisted of nine entities, a 300-bed acute care hospital and an internationally renowned rehabilitation hospital. Andrew and his wife have three children and are very active in local church and community organizations.
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Kathleen Whelan-Ulm,
Vice President, Behavioral Health Services
Kathy Ulm, MA, LADC, CCS, is responsible for providing strategic oversight and leadership in the planning, development and implementation of all clinical treatment programs for Rushford. This includes inpatient and outpatient substance abuse and mental health programs that annually serve more than 10,000 Connecticut children, adolescents, adults and families. She oversees sites in Middletown, Meriden, Glastonbury, Portland and Durham. Kathy has been with the organization for more than two decades and serves on various state committees including the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Clinical Cabinet, which serves as a think tank in developing policies and plans for improving behavioral health services in Connecticut. She is widely respected for her contributions to the advancement of behavioral healthcare services in the state.
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Amy Hickey,
Vice President, Business Development
Amy Hickey leads the business and fund development, strategic planning, marketing communications and community wellness activities for the organization. Prior to joining Rushford, she managed strategic promotions for Concord Hospital, where she garnered several awards for her contributions, including a National Health Information Award for a television commercial she produced for the Center for Cardiac Care. Amy served for nearly eight years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force as a public affairs manager. Upon completing her service, she worked as director of public relations for a full-service advertising agency in Boston, where she provided strategic PR support to several large healthcare organizations. She graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis.
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Olga Dutka,
Assistant VP, Quality/Corporate Compliance Officer
Olga Dutka, RN, MSN, MBA, is responsible for quality improvement and compliance initiatives, audit functions, outcome measurement, oversight of accreditation and licensing and regulatory issues, infection control, risk management, and corporate compliance. Olga has almost 30 years of clinical nursing experience with all age groups in psychiatric, substance abuse, forensic, and home care nursing. She has also held numerous administrative positions as: nursing supervisor, staff educator, unit and department director, Director of Nursing, and nurse consultant. While most of her career has been at The Institute of Living/ Hartford Hospital, she has also worked in other roles at Rushford and other Connecticut hospitals. Her graduate degrees are from Saint Joseph’s College and UCONN.
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Wally Harper,
Assistant VP, Human Resources
Wally Harper, CCP, SPHR, is responsible for all aspects of the human resources function in support of Rushford’s mission and provides professional expertise to the Senior Leadership Team. In his role, he oversees employee relations, staffing, compensation, benefits, staff development, employee engagement, policies and procedures, record keeping and compliance with labor laws. Wally has a graduate degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in business and human resources management and more than 25 years of Human Resources management experience. He lives with his wife, Theresa, and two children in Glastonbury.
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