Board of Directors

Dr. Oxiris Barbot is the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, a position she has held since 2018. Previously, Dr. Barbot was the agency’s First Deputy Commissioner and oversaw development and implementation of key initiatives and priorities.

Dr. Barbot has over 25 years of experience in advancing health equity, public health, and healthcare in urban communities. She previously served as Commissioner of Health for Baltimore, Maryland, where she led the development of Healthy Baltimore 2015, a health policy agenda focused on areas where the largest impact could be made to improve quality of life. Prior, Dr. Barbot served as Medical Director of NYC public schools. Before working in New York, Dr. Barbot was the Chief of Pediatrics and Community Medicine at Unity Health Care, Inc., a federally qualified health center in Washington, DC.

Dr. Barbot received a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and holds a medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She completed her pediatric residency at George Washington University’s Children’s National Medical Center.

After practicing for 22 years as a health care lawyer for state regulatory agencies in Massachusetts and New York, Ms. Hyman founded Medical Mediation Group, LLC in NYC to resolve health care disputes. In addition to serving as a health care mediator, she conducts research to gather data about mediation’s efficacy in health care and training health care professionals and about attorneys in mediation skills. She has also worked as an Associate and Adjunct Researcher at Columbia Law School and is a Special Master mediating appeals pending before the New York Supreme Court Appellate Division, First Department.

Ms. Hyman’s community involvement includes serving on the boards of Citizens’ Committee for Children in New York, Women in Need, and The Writing Revolution. She earned her JD from Brooklyn Law School and her BA from the University of Chicago.

Amit Bansal is a principal and a part of the founding team at Digitalis, a venture capital firm that invests in solutions to complex problems in animal and human health. His current investments include The Mighty, Aunt Bertha, and NuPerfect. Amit is also a member of the NYU Innovation Fund’s Healthcare Advisory Board.

Prior to Digitalis, Amit was at Mars, Inc. in both strategy and innovation roles. He has also worked at a healthcare start-up leveraging telemedicine to provide last mile access to primary care in rural India. Amit began his career at GE Healthcare in corporate finance, where he held a number of roles in finance, risk, and marketing. He received his MBA. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and his BA from Boston College.

Fatima Ashraf is a grantmaker, policymaker, organizer, and educator.  Fatima studied biology and medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and public health and public policy at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.  From 2006-2012 Fatima worked in NYC government, first in the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and then in the Mayor’s Office.  Fatima helped to launch the Health Literacy Fellowship for physicians, the We Are New York television series for English language learners, the City’s Youth Violence Prevention Project, the Plain Language Project, and the Young Men’s Initiative.  Fatima also worked on several executive orders including ones on language access (EO 120); consideration of criminal convictions in hiring (EO 151); and access to government-issued identification (EO 150).

After leaving the Mayor’s Office in 2012, Fatima joined the Obama re-election campaign in Virginia and organized college students across the state to GOTV. After the election, she returned to New York to serve as Director of Special Projects at Literacy Partners, a non-profit committed to advancing adult and childhood literacy.  In 2013, Fatima was the field director for Talking Transition, a city-wide project to inform the mayoral transition.  Most recently, Fatima served as a special adviser at Open Society Foundations where she oversaw crisis funding, global advocacy, and political philanthropy.  Currently, she is a professor of public policy at City College of New York helping her students learn about dismantling oppressive systems.  Fatima lives in New York with her husband and 3 sons.

Dr. Melynda Barnes Oussayef is SVP of Medical Affairs and Research at Ro, a digital health platform that provides telehealth and telepharmacy services. Dr. Barnes is also a double board-certified Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and Otolaryngologist.

Dr. Barnes earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University where she double majored in Biology and Spanish and graduated with distinction. She attended Mount Sinai School of Medicine where she was a Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellow after which she completed Otolaryngology residency at Stanford University Hospital and Clinics. She then completed her Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at Oregon Health and Science University. She joined the faculty at Yale School of Medicine where she was an Assistant Professor of Surgery-Otolaryngology and served on Yale Medical Group’s Board of Directors. She worked in private practice in New York City prior to joining Ro.

Dr. Barnes is committed to fighting for racial justice and equality especially in healthcare and education. She participates in medical missions, serves as a volunteer with the Junior League and mentors underrepresented minorities who are interested in careers in medicine and healthcare technology. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.

Cara Berkowitz is the  Vice President of Government Relations and Policy at EmblemHealth, where she advocates for insurance-related policy issues on the New York City, New York State and federal levels. In her previous government relations job at The Jewish Board Ms. Berkowitz has raised more than $3 million dollars during her tenure at Jewish Board, and she represented the government relations interests of more than 100 social services agencies during her prior role at UJA-Federation of New York. Prior Before working at UJA, Ms. Berkowitz represented the Bloomberg administration on behalf of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to advocate for City Hall’s public health and mental hygiene priorities. A published author, Ms. Berkowitz has written several articles on health care topics including intellectual property of government-sponsored pharmaceutical research and Medicare regulations surrounding palliative care. Ms. Berkowitz is a 2016 92nd Street Y Women in Power Fellow and a 2012 recipient of the New York City and State “40 under 40” award for her city advocacy efforts.  She received her BA from Washington University in St. Louis and a JD from American University, Washington College of Law.

Currently Ms. Brier serves as a Senior Advisor to Hunter College President Jennifer Raab, overseeing and guiding the development of a new City Mental Health Services Corps. She is also a visiting senior fellow at the New York Academy of Medicine. Ms. Brier joined Maimonides Medical Center as COO and Executive Vice President in 1995, and from 2003 to 2015 she served as President and CEO. During her tenure, Maimonides grew from a $500 million community hospital to a billion-dollar tertiary hub that was recognized nationally for innovations in health care.

Previously, she served as Vice President of Finance, Senior Vice President of Administration, and Executive Vice President of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation and as CEO of both Jacobi Medical Center and Bellevue Hospital Center. Ms. Brier is a member of the New York City Board of Health and a trustee of the Citizen’s Budget Commission. She holds a BA from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master’s in Health Administration from UCLA.

Ms. Borowick is a media and advertising lawyer. She currently works at NBC Sports and, prior to law school, served as a Legislative Analyst in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Jessica is especially interested in the Olympics and Paralympics, each as a force for overcoming social exclusion and addressing public health issues such as childhood obesity, and Jessica worked and volunteered at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games. A graduate of Stanford University, Ms. Borowick earned her law degree from New York University School of Law. She also holds an MSc in Urban Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Bunny Ellerin is a highly-experienced healthcare leader who has dedicated her career to driving change and innovation in healthcare. With more than 20 years’ experience in academic, corporate and entrepreneurial environments, Bunny has helped transform New York City into a center of healthcare innovation and excellence.  As Director of the Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management Program at Columbia Business School, Bunny has oversight of a variety of strategic, curricular, and industry outreach initiatives, working with students, faculty and alumni to build a world-class program. Her work has helped to create a new generation of healthcare leaders who are as passionate about healthcare as Bunny.

Bunny also serves as the co-founder and president of NYC Health Business Leaders (NYCHBL), a professional community of 3.000 senior executives, dedicated to building a healthcare ecosystem in the New York region. The organization fosters collaboration across sectors and brings together the best minds to discuss important issues and spur innovation. Under Bunny’s leadership, NYCHBL has flourished into a diverse network of leaders from all sides of the healthcare ecosystem whose networking events, thought leadership and publications are industry-renowned.  With a BA in Political Science from Columbia University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, Bunny founded the Harvard Business School Healthcare Alumni Association, which she built into one of the largest alumni organizations at HBS. The Ellerin Alumni Achievement Award was created to commemorate Bunny’s role in forming and leading the organization and is given to an outstanding leader annually at the HBSHAA Annual Conference.

Dr. Fargnoli is a Partner at AlleyCorp, a venture capital firm focused on entrepreneurship in New York City. He leads the firm’s healthcare investments and incubations. Prior to AlleyCorp, Dr. Fargnoli was a Senior Medical Director at Flatiron Health. He previously worked at J.P. Morgan and Blue Cross & Blue Shield. Board certified in Internal Medicine, Dr. Fargnoli is also a practicing physician. 

Dr. Fargnoli completed his residency at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, earning his MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and an MBA in Healthcare Management from the Wharton School.

Michael Gargano is Managing Director at Argent Ventures LLC. He is responsible for structuring and financing new acquisitions and for overseeing development, leasing, and management of the firm’s properties. Prior to joining Argent, Mr. Gargano was a real estate attorney with the law firm of Shearman & Sterling, where he represented institutional and government clients on major real estate development and financing transactions.  He is on the board of AcuamarkDx, a colon cancer diagnostics company, and BlinkBio, Inc., a cancer therapeutics company.  Mr. Gargano is a member of the Board of Directors of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the Hollywood Property Owners Alliance.  He holds a BA from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and a JD from Boston University.

Jungwon Kim is a communications leader and former journalist who has worked across print, radio, television/video, and digital media for 20+ years. Since 2012 she has led the Creative & Editorial team at the Rainforest Alliance, an international organization that advances natural climate solutions––rainforest conservation, sustainable/regenerative agriculture, and rural prosperity––in some of the world’s most threatened landscapes. Prior to joining the Rainforest Alliance, she served for 10 years as the managing editor of Amnesty International magazine, a human rights quarterly that published work by award-winning journalists, authors, and documentary photographers.

Before moving into NGO communications, Jungwon worked on staff and as a freelance journalist for many news organizations, including Public Radio International, CNBC Asia, Newsday, Colorlines, the Nation, and Vibe. She did her graduate studies (Journalism and East Asian Studies) at the University of California, Berkeley, where she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship, a Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship, and a Korea Foundation Fellowship. 

She has lived in Brooklyn, New York, since 1997 and has two daughters. 

Dr. Hillary Kunins is the Executive Deputy Commissioner of Mental Hygiene at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). In this role, she oversees the DOHMH’s major strategic initiatives to improve the mental health and behavioral health of all New Yorkers. Previously, Dr. Kunins served as Assistant Commissioner for the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use at DOHMH where, since 2012, she has led the DOHMH’s efforts to promote public health approaches to reducing the health and social consequences of drug and alcohol use in NYC, including preventing opioid overdose and prescription opioid misuse, and binge and excessive alcohol use; integrating best practices in substance use care into health care systems; and strengthening the continuum of services to address the needs of New Yorkers with substance use disorders. Dr. Kunins serves as the DOHMH lead for Mayor Bill de Blasio’s 60 million dollar citywide opioid initiative, HealingNYC.

As a general internist and addiction medicine physician, before joining DOHMH, Dr. Kunins worked in the Bronx for 16 years providing primary and addiction-related care to patients in both community health centers and in substance use disorder treatment programs. Dr. Kunins served as Medical Director of the Hub 2 Methadone Maintenance Program, in the Division of Substance Abuse at Einstein (2000-2003); Founder and Director of Project GROW – HIV prevention for women with substance use disorders (2003-2012) and Director of the Primary Care/Social Internal Medicine Residency Program at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine (2007-2012). She has been a Principal or Co-Investigator of foundation and federal grants related to buprenorphine treatment in primary care, disparities in substance use service utilization, and medical education/training to promote quality care for vulnerable populations. Dr. Kunins received her MD and MPH from Columbia University and her MS in Clinical Research from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Kunins is a Clinical Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Family & Social Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Fellow of American College of Physicians, and Fellow of American Society of Addiction Medicine.

A biotechnology entrepreneur and private investor, Dr. Maddon founded Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes new medicines in the areas of gastroenterology, oncology, and infectious diseases. He served as the company’s Chairman, Vice Chairman, CEO, and Chief Science Officer until retiring in June 2016. Dr. Maddon is currently a director and senior advisor to several biotechnology and specialty pharmaceutical companies. Educated as a molecular virologist and immunologist, he has made seminal contributions to the understanding of viral entry and infection.

Dr. Maddon received his BA, MD, and PhD degrees from Columbia University, and was elected to serve as a Senate-consulted Trustee of Columbia in 2008. He also serves as chairman of Columbia College’s Science Advisory Committee and The Rockefeller University’s Science Outreach Program and as a trustee of the Society for Science & the Public, NYSCI (New York Hall of Science), and the Sabin Vaccine Institute. In addition, Dr. Maddon is a member of the Board of Advisors of Columbia University Medical Center and a member of the Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute Scientific Advisory Board.

Ms. Servan-Schreiber is Vice President for Business Development at University of the People, the first tuition-free, not for profit, accredited American University.

She produced the award-winning documentary film THE C WORD, about the importance of lifestyle change in cancer prevention and was the driving force behind THE C WORD’s outreach and engagement campaign. In addition to a career in media and technology, Ms. Servan-Schreiber has volunteered with NGOs such as the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, and Girls Learn International. She serves on the board of the Anticancer Lifestyle Foundation, and sits on the advisory council of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch. She received her M.B.A. from INSEAD and her Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Brown University.