Our Leadership
Boulder Community Health is led by a volunteer Board of Directors made
up of local residents committed to preserving nonprofit, quality health
care in our community. The Board of Directors meets regularly to guide
the strategic direction of BCH.
Our Management Council administrative team is responsible for ensuring that our health system’s mission, vision and beliefs are integrated into our day-to-day operations.
Our Medical Staff leadership ensures that our patients receive medical care that is rooted in evidence-based best practices.
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Board of Directors
John Greff, Chair
John joined the BCH Board in 2018. He has over 35 years experience in finance,
working as Chief Financial Officer for Allos Therapeutics, a venture-backed
bio-pharmaceutical start-up and at bio-pharmaceutical company Somagen.
In 1996, John co-founded Sequel Venture Partners, which currently manages
over $410 million in venture capital and has invested in over 70 early
stage portfolio companies.
John served six years on the BCH Foundation including one as the Chair of the Board of Trustees. Previously, he served six years including one as Board Chairman of Impact on Education, a non-profit benefiting K-12 public school education in the Boulder Valley School District. He also has served since 2000 as a Board Member of the Colorado State University Institute for Entrepreneurship.
Deborah Lund, M.D., Vice Chair
Deborah joined the BCH Board in 2018. She’s been an Emergency Physician at Boulder Community Health since 2002 and the ED Physician Assistant Supervisor since 2003. Deborah has extensive experience with various BCH Committees and Leadership. She served as Medical Staff President for three years and was the Credentials Committee Chair for two years. Deborah currently participates in the BCH Board of Directors Planning Committee and the Professional Practice Review Committee. Deborah obtained her medical degree from University of California Irvine, School of Medicine and completed her Emergency Medicine residency at Stanford University, where she was Chief Resident.
Nancy Stevens, Treasurer
Nancy Stevens joined the BCH Board in 2020 having previously served on the BCH Foundation Board for six years. Nancy has had a distinguished career in the financial services industry and most recently co-founded the Stevens Cohen Group, a wealth management practice. Previously, she was Chairman of First Western Trust Bank in Boulder.
In addition to BCH, she has served on the boards of Boulder Community Foundation (Past Chair), Impact on Education (Past Chair), Boulder Chamber of Commerce Esprit Entrepreneur (Past Chair), CU Law School’s Silicon Flatirons Entrepreneurship Initiative, eTown, Blue Sky Bridge and Philanthropiece.
George Karakehian, Secretary
George Karakehian was raised in the Boston area in a close Armenian family. He attended college at Colorado State University. In 1969, he met Kristin at CSU and they were married in 1972. They moved to Kristin’s hometown of Boulder. They have two grown daughters who live with their families in the Boulder area. Mr. Karakehian's first career was in the life insurance business.
His first office in 1970, was located at 1245 Pearl street. He had a rewarding and successful insurance business for fifteen years. He decided to make a major change in direction in 1985 when he went into the antique map, print and book business. George opened his shop, Art Source International, in 1989, at his current location, 1237 Pearl Street. The business has been a unique part of Boulder’s downtown for 27 years. George has been active in the downtown for many years, and is often referred to as ‘ the Mayor of Pearl Street’. He has also been involved with numerous charitable organizations, and his favorite is co-founding, with Bob Charles, the Imagine! Foundation.
Through the years, he has served on various city boards and committees, until he finally decided to run for city council. He served as a city council member for six years, from 2009-2015. He was elected mayor pro-tem of the city council in 2014. Since his retirement from council George has been travelling with Kristin and spending more time working at his business. He continues his interest in civic affairs.
Douglas A. Abel
Doug joined the BCH Board in 2023. He has over 40 years of experience in healthcare and information technology, working as a senior executive at health care provider organizations and healthcare software companies. Doug has held the position of Chief Information Officer at two community hospital-based health systems - Anne Arundel Health System and North Kansas City Hospital. He was one of the first healthcare CIOs in the country to earn the CHIME Certified Healthcare CIO (CHCIO) certification. Doug has also held senior executive positions at three healthcare software companies – Cerner, Infor and Netsmart Technologies.
Doug has served on a number of technical and healthcare boards including the Board of Managers for CentrusHealth, a clinically integrated network in Kansas City and the Cerner Charitable Foundation (formerly First Hand) in Kansas City, providing individual medical grants connecting children to needed care. His first board experience was with the Maryland Associates for Dyslexic Adults and Youth in Baltimore.
Doug lives in Arvada with his wife Jeanne and enjoys golf, reading, hiking and especially spending time with his children and grand-children.
Susan Connelly
Susan Connelly joined the BCH board in 2023. She practiced law in Florida and Illinois representing local governments, nonprofits and various real estate development interests in transactions and litigation for 13 years. She then gravitated to positions that had a strong community focus at the Town of Vail, City of Chicago and McStain Neighborhoods. Susan served as Executive Director of the Colorado Chautauqua Association for 12 years, and worked for the City of Boulder’s Community Vitality Department.
Since 2018, she has been the Director of Community Relations for Hieronymus Inc. and a director of the Hieronymus Foundation. Susan has served as the interim CEO for the Downtown Boulder Partnership and Boulder Valley Women’s Health Center. She has served on the boards of Boulder Valley Women’s Health Center, Boulder Chamber, Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau and Boulder Rotary Club. She currently serves on the boards of Frasier and Boulder Rotary Club Foundation.
Philip Distefano
Philip DiStefano is the Chancellor at the University of Colorado Boulder. Prior to his appointment on May 5, 2009, Mr. DiStefano was the top academic officer at CU Boulder for eight years as the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. He served as interim chancellor twice during pivotal times in the university's history. Mr. DiStefano co-chaired the steering committee for CU Boulder's visionary strategic plan, Flagship 2030, conceived with campus, community and statewide input, to guide CU Boulder for decades to come.
Today, he is shepherding its implementation as Flagship 2030 moves from vision to reality. Mr. DiStefano has served CU Boulder for 42 years. He joined the University of Colorado in 1974 as an Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at the School of Education. His academic career flourished as he assumed a series of academic and administrative positions, including Professor, Associate Dean, Dean and Vice Chancellor. He was appointed Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs in 2001. As Chancellor he works closely with students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, governing officials, and business and community leaders in extending CU's legacy as a preeminent national comprehensive research university.
A first-generation college graduate, Mr. DiStefano earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio State University and a Master of Arts degree in English Education from West Virginia University. He holds a Doctorate in Humanities Education from Ohio State University, where he served as a teaching and research associate. Mr. DiStefano and his wife, Yvonne, have been married for 46 years. They are the parents of three grown daughters and the proud grandparents of two girls.
John Fleagle, M.D.
Dr. Fleagle is a board-certified medical oncologist who started his professional career in Boulder in 1983 following his medical training. He earned his medical degree with honors at the University of Illinois in Chicago. He then pursued an internal medicine residency at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago followed by a medical oncology fellowship completed in 1983 at the University of Colorado.
Over the years at BCH, he served in multiple volunteer roles including, the Foundation, the Department of Medicine, the Executive Committee, and the Planning Committee. In 2019, he received the Lifetime Service Award from the medical staff.
During his leadership at Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers in Boulder County, the organization expanded to 10 medical oncologists and 3 radiation oncologists serving patients throughout the region.
Dr. Fleagle was elected managing partner of Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, a group of 55 oncologists throughout Colorado, from 2010 until his retirement 2019. He also served on many national committees at US Oncology. Among his many professional interests are improving the delivery of healthcare and improving its value to patients.
Valerie E. Lipetz, M.D.
Dr. Lipetz is an internal medicine physician employed by Boulder Community Health. She received her medical degree with honors from the University of Colorado in 1988. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and general studies from CU, where she graduated magna cum laude, was the Outstanding Graduate in arts and sciences in 1977 and also earned her master’s degree in biology from CU.
Dr. Lipetz is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and has been practicing locally since 1991. She is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and enjoys practicing the full spectrum of outpatient general internal medicine. Except for four years in Denver for medical school and a three-year residency in Portland, she has called Boulder home since 1958.
Dr. Lipetz has served as president of the Medical Staff of Boulder Community Health and served as the Chief Medical Officer for the BCH’s clinics for eight years before returning to full-time medical practice. She continues to be extremely active in Medical Staff affairs through serving on committees.
An active community volunteer, she served on the Mental Health Partners board and is the chair of the Boulder County Health Improvement Collaborative. She has been a facilitator for the BCH Listens project and continues to teach clinical skills in her office practice to medical, physician assistant, and nurse practitioner students.
In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, spending time with her children, horseback riding, reading, hiking, and cooking.
Joel Montbriand, M.D.
Dr. Montbriand is a board-certified, fellowship-trained gastroenterologist who founded Gastroenterology of the Rockies. He retired as a practicing physician effective April 30, 2019.
His medical designations and awards include:
- Fellow of the American College of Physicians (1994)
- Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology (2006).
- Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® in the Rocky Mountain Region-Life Sciences category (2006)
- Boulder County Business Report Health Care Heroes Distinguished Service Award (2010)
-
Boulder County Business Hall of Fame Inductee (2016)
Dr. Montbriand has been at the forefront of growth in gastroenterology care in Colorado since 1988. His one-physician Boulder practice expanded to a large gastroenterology practice serving Boulder County and the metro Denver area. Applying business and technology best practices to his clinical expertise improved scalability, patient access and quality of care while lowering costs at multiple state-of-the-art endoscopy centers and local indigent care clinics. He was a volunteer faculty member at the UCHealth and has served on other community health organizations.
Mardi Moore
Mardi Moore is Out Boulder County’s Executive Director. Prior to joining OBC in 2013, Mardi was the Deputy Director of Development at the New York City LGBT Center and worked as the Associate Director of Individual Giving for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. She spent the previous 20 years in Seattle where she owned and operated a fundraising consulting firm serving progressive non-profits in the Pacific Northwest. Mardi has been active in LGBTQ politics at both the local and national level for 30 years. She graduated from the University of Denver with a degree in Political Science. As executive director, she is responsible for the financial management and fundraising for OBC as well as staff development and supervision, program evaluation, board development and planning.
Robert Vissers, M.D.
Dr. Rob Vissers is a health care leader, grounded in 25 years of front-line practice in emergency medicine. He joined Boulder Community Health (BCH) in 2014 as Chief Operating Officer before becoming President and Chief Executive Officer in 2015. Prior to joining BCH he held several leadership roles at Legacy Health, a nonprofit health system based in Portland, Oregon and was also President and CEO of Northwest Acute Care Specialists, one of the largest independent physician groups in the Northwest.
Dr. Vissers is a lifelong leaner and educator who excels at creating efficiency and innovation to drive value in healthcare. He received his medical degree in his home country of Canada and completed his residency at the University of British Columbia. He earned his MBA from Oregon Health & Science University/Portland State University.
Dr. Vissers is well published and has guest lectured internationally. He has been clinical faculty at Harvard University, University of North Carolina, Oregon Health Sciences University and currently is an instructor for the University of Colorado Health Care Executive MBA Program. He has contributed to many local and national organizations and currently is the immediate past Board Chair for the Colorado Hospital Association. He also serves on the AHA regional advisory board, is the chairperson for the Vizient Community Based Independent Hospital Collaborative and is on the board of Bridge House, an organization that provides resources to lift people out of homelessness.
Rhonda Wallen
Rhonda Wallen joined the BCH Board in 2015. She has more than 20 years experience in health care and life sciences, working in various senior management capacities to help improve patient health and care and bring innovation and efficiency to the practice of medicine. She is the co-founder of two biotech companies and currently consults with early stage start ups in life sciences. Rhonda was also a trustee and a former board chair for the Community Foundation serving Boulder County for eight years.
Christopher M. Hazlitt
Chris Hazlitt is Senior Counsel at the global law firm of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP. He served as Partner in Charge of its Boulder office and has practiced corporate law in Boulder over 30 years. He provides guidance to companies, boards and investors in connection with structuring and negotiating transactions, risk management, governance and dispute resolution. Chris also helps executives with employment, investment, severance, and non-compete matters.
He regularly counsels enterprises ranging from emerging and start-up ventures to middle market enterprises in various corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, and dispositions of businesses, operating units, and assets.
Chris frequently advises clients on capital formation strategy, private placements of debt and equity securities, strategic partnerships and joint ventures. He leverages the experience of fellow BCLP attorneys to represent companies in other key areas affecting business operations.
His broad-based business practice spans a variety of industries, including software and technology, manufacturing, business services, and consumer products and services. He has successfully handled dozens of private and public merger and acquisition deals and securities financings for public and privately held businesses.
Diana Verrilli
Diana Verrilli joined the BCH Board in 2022. With more than 30 years of
experience in research and innovation surrounding physician reimbursement,
disease management, strategic planning, and other related topics, Diana
is known for launching cutting-edge health care support programs and payment
models that advance technology and improve patient outcomes. She has progressed
through multiple positions and divisions at McKesson and today, is SVP,
Corporate Strategy and Business Development.
Prior to McKesson, Diana held roles at Harvard, the Urban Institute, Radiology Management Services, and MedSolutions, Inc. In addition, she holds a master’s degree in health policy and management from Harvard and has had recent involvement with American University, Greenhouse Scholars, Women Business Leaders of the US Health Care Industry Foundation, and The US Oncology Network. In addition to her passion for people and commitment to excellence, she brings a strong leadership presence, philanthropic mindset, and reputation for making a measurable impact.
Diana lives in Boulder with her husband, David. They have two children in college.
Management Council
Robert Vissers, President and Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Rob Vissers is a health care leader, grounded in 25 years of front-line practice in emergency medicine. He joined Boulder Community Health (BCH) in 2014 as Chief Operating Officer before becoming President and Chief Executive Officer in 2015. Prior to joining BCH he held several leadership roles at Legacy Health, a nonprofit health system based in Portland, Oregon and was also President and CEO of Northwest Acute Care Specialists, one of the largest independent physician groups in the Northwest.
Dr. Vissers is a lifelong leaner and educator who excels at creating efficiency and innovation to drive value in healthcare. He received his medical degree in his home country of Canada and completed his residency at the University of British Columbia. He earned his MBA from Oregon Health & Science University/Portland State University.
Dr. Vissers is well published and has guest lectured internationally. He has been clinical faculty at Harvard University, University of North Carolina, Oregon Health Sciences University and currently is an instructor for the University of Colorado Health Care Executive MBA Program. He has contributed to many local and national organizations and currently is the immediate past Board Chair for the Colorado Hospital Association. He also serves on the AHA regional advisory board, is the chairperson for the Vizient Community Based Independent Hospital Collaborative and is on the board of Bridge House, an organization that provides resources to lift people out of homelessness.
Jackie Attlesey-Pries, Vice President of Operations, Chief Nursing Officer
Jackie joined BCH in 2011. Jackie has a passion for patient safety and quality improvement and has had this focus for most of her career. She is a graduate of the American Hospital Association’s Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship and has been active in patient safety committees in Minnesota and nursing associations. She is a member of the National Patient Safety Foundation and the American Organization of Nurse Executives.
Prior to joining BCH, Jackie worked for 25 years at the Mayo Clinic in various nursing leadership positions. She graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, with a bachelor of arts degree in nursing and from Winona State University in Winona, MN, with a master of science in nursing.
Jackie lives in the Boulder area with her husband, Michael, and her sons, Josh and Sam.
Grant Besser, Vice President of Community Health & Engagement and President,
BCH Foundation
Grant became the Vice President of Public Affairs in 2018 and has served as the President of the BCH Foundation since October 2016.
He previously served as Chief Marketing Officer for Teach for America, and held senior management positions at Warner Bros. and Yahoo!.
As BCH Foundation President, Grant is responsible for managing the Foundation grants program, donor relations and spearheading all fundraising efforts, including an $8-million capital campaign to expand mental health services in our community.
He lives in Boulder with his wife and three sons.
Michael Jefferies, Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Michael joined BCH in 2016. He is responsible for implementing technology solutions that advance provider capabilities and operational efficiency at BCH. He is especially passionate about improving the patient experience and giving providers tools to improve the quality of patient care.
Prior to joining BCH, Michael was Vice President of Information Systems at Longmont United Hospital and previously worked at ACS/Xerox and McKesson providing IT solutions to hospitals across the country.
Michael holds an MBA in Healthcare Administration from the University of Colorado, a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Colorado, the designation of Certified Healthcare CIO from CHIME and certifications as a PMP and CPHIMS.
Michael lives in Louisville and enjoys rock climbing, volunteering in mental healthcare, seeing live music, rebuilding classic motorcycles, and enjoying life in Colorado with his wife, Asna and two daughters.
Ben Keidan, MD, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Keidan started his role as Boulder Community Health's Chief Medical Officer in 2017. He enjoys the opportunity to lead BCH with an emphasis on quality improvement, collaborative care, patient safety and improving the patient/care team experience. As an internal medicine physician who has practiced medicine at BCH for over 20 years as both a primary care and hospital medicine physician, he brings a broad range of experience to his leadership role.
Prior to 2017, Dr. Keidan was the Medical Director for Quality and Population Health for the BCH employed physician group where he focused on strategies for providing high quality, affordable health care with an emphasis on improved communication and collaboration between health care providers and patients.
Originally from suburban Detroit, he studied history at the University of Michigan and earned his medical degree from Wayne State University. He completed his residency and served as Chief Medical Resident at George Washington University. He went on to practice internal medicine and hospital medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and joined the teaching faculty of Harvard Medical School. He completed his MBA in health care administration at University of Colorado Denver in 2018.
Dr. Keidan is married and has two teenage daughters. He enjoys trail running, swimming and playing guitar, as well as live music and cooking.
Sarah Meshak, Vice President and General Counsel
Sarah joined BCH in 2009. She has practiced health care law for more than 20 years, representing both hospitals and physicians in a wide variety of matters. Prior to joining BCH, Sarah was a member of the law firm Caplan and Earnest, LLC, which has represented BCH for more than 25 years.
Originally from Wisconsin, Sarah has lived in Colorado since age 11. She graduated from the University of Colorado in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and women’s studies. With career options in those areas looking bleak, Sarah went to law school at the University of Colorado and graduated in 1988.
Sarah has served on a number of community boards over the years, including the People’s Clinic, the Community Mediation Project and Care Connect. She has also been active in state legal and health care associations, serving as chair of the Colorado Bar Association’s Health Care Council and advisor to the Colorado Managed Care Contractors. Sarah has been a frequent speaker on health care issues statewide and is a member of the Colorado Bar Association, the American Health Lawyers Association, and the Health Care Compliance Association.
Sarah lives in Niwot with her husband Paul, son Matthew, dog Krissy, and various other pets. They love most outdoor activities, particularly camping, hiking, biking and rafting.
Bill Munson, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Bill joined BCH in 2008 and has more than 30 years’ experience in hospital financial management. Prior to BCH, Bill served as Chief Financial Officer at North Colorado Medical Center (Greeley, Colo.) and held hospital financial management positions with Humana in Kansas, California, Alaska and Utah. Bill also served as an adjunct professor for the Master’s Program in Healthcare Administration at the University of Kansas.
Bill received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1987 and a Master of Business Administration degree in 2007 from Colorado Christian University. He is a member of Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Bill serves on the board of directors for several organizations that provide needed community services in the areas of outpatient surgery, sports medicine, and hospital laundry. He is currently appointed by Colorado Senate President Garcia’s office as the hospital representative for the Medicaid Provider Rate Review Advisory Committee. Bill is Treasurer for the Boulder Valley Care Network, a clinically integrated network of over 350 providers. He also serves in leadership roles on the Finance and Audit Committees for Captis, which is a member-driven supply network for 80+ hospitals and healthcare systems.
Bill grew up in Colorado Springs. His family includes wife Amy, and two daughters, Katie and Lauren. His interests include horseback riding, hunting and fishing, Jeeping, and enjoying the outdoors. Bill is also a member of the Pikes Peak Range Riders in Colorado Springs. Bill enjoys playing guitar and learning the banjo.
Larry Novissimo, Vice President of Ambulatory Services
Larry Novissimo is the Vice President of Ambulatory Services overseeing
all outpatient services at Boulder Community Health. He has a BA in Biology
from Bucknell University and a MBA/MHA in Healthcare & Business Administration
from the University of Colorado. Larry has a passion for continuous improvement,
patient experience, and working to build high functioning teams.
Larry first joined BCH as a Supervisor in Admissions in Financial Counseling from 2000-2007, he went on to climb the ranks building his skill set in leadership roles at Children’s Hospital, The University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Centura Health before returning to BCH in 2018.
Larry lives in Lafayette with his wife Kasie (a nurse at Children’s Hospital Colorado) and three children, Dylan, Luke, and Nora, and enjoys coaching his kids sports teams, playing drums, and camping with his family.
Tonushree J. Tyagi, Vice President & Optum Partnership Executive
Tonushree (also known as “TJ”) is the Vice President overseeing
Boulder Community Heath’s strategic partnership with Optum, which
includes managed services spanning revenue cycle, inpatient and ambulatory
care management, analytics and project management. She serves in a dual
role on Boulder Community Health’s Management Council as well as
on the OptumInsight Provider market executive team.
She has spent 20 years in health care leadership roles spanning research, marketing, new product development, and client services, largely with the Advisory Board. When the Advisory Board was acquired by Optum in 2017, Tonushree took a role overseeing strategic partnerships with key health system clients and developing new and innovative provider collaborations, which led to the formation of the Boulder Community Health partnership.
Tonushree was born in India and raised in Boston, and earned her undergraduate degree in Economics from Harvard. She now lives in Louisville with her husband Kush, a satellite instrument engineer, and two boys, Ruhaan and Ishaan.
Medical Staff Leadership
Alan Zacharias, M.D., President
Dr. Zacharias is board certified in neurology with added specializations in clinical neurophysiology and electrodiagnostic medicine. He has been with Associated Neurologists since 2003.
He earned a B.S. in Molecular Biology from Vanderbilt University in 1987. He received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi in 1991 and completed his neurology residency at the University of Virginia in 1995. He completed a fellowship in Electromyography and Neuromuscular disease at Emory University in 2000.
Jeska Albuisson, M.D., President-elect
Dr. Albuisson joined the BCH hospital medicine team in July, 2012. She
grew up on Long Island, New York after living in Guadalajara, Mexico for
five years. During college, she decided to leave school and travel around
the world. After spending several years traveling through New Zealand,
Australia, South East Asia and France, she returned to the United States
and earned a Bachelors of Science in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental
Biology from the University of Colorado in Boulder. She then earned her
medical degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver.
Dr. Albuisson completed her residency at the University of Colorado Hospital
in Denver.
Dr. Albuisson has two sons. She remains passionate about travel and has
an interest in International Health as well as a love of the outdoors..
Elizabeth Cruse, M.D., Ambulatory Medicine Department Chair
Dr. Cruse is a board-certified internist who focuses on the treatment and prevention of adult illnesses and injuries. Fluent in Spanish, Dr. Cruse also has a unique interest in women’s health. Dr. Cruse received her medical degree from Baylor College and completed her residency at the University of Rochester in New York. Her undergraduate degree is from Brown University. Before moving to Boulder, Dr. Cruse practiced internal medicine at Memorial City Hospital in Houston.
A member of the American College of Physicians, Dr. Cruse also served as an assistant professor for the University of Texas Health Science Center, where she was honored with the Dean’s Award for teaching.
Christopher Trojanovich, MD, MPH, MMS, Credentials Committee Chair
Dr. Trojanovich is board certified in internal medicine. He has been a member of our medical staff since 2011.
He earned a B.A. in Biology from the University of Colorado in 1996. He received his medical degree from the University of Colorado in 2004 and completed his internal medicine residency at Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati, OH in 2007. He completed a fellowship Complementary and Alternative Medicine at Harvard Medical School in 2011.
Mark Sitarik, M.D., Cancer Committee Chair
Dr. Sitarik is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology. He received his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital in Philadelphia, PA and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University Hospitals of Cleveland in Cleveland, OH. He completed his fellowship in medical oncology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, CO.
Moni Banerjee, PA-C, Advanced Practice Professionals’ Committee Chair
Ms. Banerjee is a nationally certified physician assistant at BCH. She has extensive experience in treating patients with heart disease and its comorbid conditions. She established special clinics at RMC for patients with lipid problems.
Ms. Banerjee completed her undergraduate studies at Colorado College and earned a masters degree in Medical Science at St. Francis University in Pennsylvania. She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Colorado Academy of Physician Assistants.
Timothy Meyers, M.D., Emergency Medicine Department Chair
Dr. Meyers was born and raised in the Maryland countryside. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arizona and a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan. Prior to starting medical school, he was a research scientist in the government defense sector. Dr. Meyers received his medical degree from the University of Colorado and completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at Stanford University Hospital. He joined the medical staff at BCH upon completing his residency in 2003.
Jonathan Sprague, M.D., Hospital Medicine Department Chair
A specialist in internal medicine, Dr. Sprague joined the hospital medicine department in July 2013.
Dr. Sprague grew up in Dallas and graduated with a Physics degree from the University of Texas. He earned his medical degree and completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Colorado.
Prior to pursuing his medical degree, Dr. Sprague worked at several technology companies.
Jie Mao, M.D., Imaging Department Chair
Dr. Jie Mao completed the Junior Honors Medical Program at the University of Florida, where she obtained her medical degree. She then matriculated to the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center where she served a year of internship in general surgery, four years of residency in radiology, and one year of fellowship in vascular and interventional radiology.
In 2003, Dr. Mao joined the medical staff at BCH, where she practices both interventional and diagnostic radiology. Dr. Mao is an expert in a highly popular varicose vein treatment, treating more than 500 patients with varicose veins. Varicose veins can lead to serious health problems and helps treat patients with the latest options such as outpatient laser and radio-frequency procedures.
Dr. Mao also has special interest in noninvasive vascular imaging. She is also a regional expert in uterine fibroid embolization for the treatment of symptomatic fibroids and endovascular graft placement for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. She has in-depth experience in treating cancer in the liver with chemoembolization, radioembolization (Y90) and ablations.
Dr. Mao is always available to talk with patients about interventional radiology procedures that may serve as an alternative to more invasive treatments.
Dr. Mao is married to Dr. David Gatof, a practicing member of Gastroenterology of the Rockies. They both love the community of Boulder and enjoy many outdoor activities such as biking, camping, hiking, and skiing. Her favorite pastimes, however, are making bead jewelry and reading.
Laura Harmon, M.D., Surgery Department and Trauma Services Committee Chair
Dr. Laura Harmon received her medical degree from Texas Tech University in 2011 and then completed her surgical residency at Baylor Scott & White in 2016. She went on to complete fellowship training in Trauma & Surgical Critical Care at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, MD.
Dr. Harmon came to Boulder Community Health on June 1, 2021, after working at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, CO, where she was an assistant professor. Dr. Harmon brings a passion for trauma care that ensures BCH’s multidisciplinary approach to caring for trauma patients is outstanding. She enjoys living in the foothills, gardening with her family and her latest adventure of raising bees!
Kyle J Marthaller, M.D., Professional Practice Review Committee Chair-crop.jpg)
Dr. Marthaller is a general surgeon with the latest training on advanced surgical techniques. He has special expertise in trauma as well as minimally invasive procedures including advanced laparoscopy.
He received his bachelor’s degree (with highest honors) from Minnesota State University Moorhead and his medical degree from the University of North Dakota’s School of Medicine, where he was awarded General Surgery Medical Student of the Year in 2011. He completed his five-year residency at St. Joseph Hospital in Denver, where he gained valuable expertise in a nationally recognized Level 1 Trauma Center and also served as Administrative Chief Resident.
Dr. Marthaller is a member of the American College of Surgeons. He is dedicated to providing the best possible patient care, building lasting patient relationships, and contributing to the overall welfare of our community. He enjoys traveling, fishing, hiking, camping and just about anything outdoors.
Douglas Morgan, M.D., Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Chair
A board-certified Internal Medicine specialist, Dr. Morgan received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He completed his internship and residency at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
He also has an MS in Physiology from the Medical University of South Carolina and a BA in Natural Sciences from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He has been a practicing physician since 1991. As an internist, Dr. Morgan has expertise in the diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of adult disorders, including treatment of severe chronic illnesses.
Roger Nichols, M.D., Practitioner Health and Wellbeing Committee Chair
Dr. Nichols received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa in 1985. He graduated from University of Iowa College of Medicine in 1980. He then performed his internship at the University of Nebraska Medical Center from 1989-1994. He was chief resident in 1994 at University of Nebraska Medical Center. He then completed a fellowship in MRI at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1995.
In 1997, after two years in private practice in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dr. Nichols joined as an associate with Boulder Radiologists, Inc.
Dr. Nichols is board certified in diagnostic radiology and is a member of the American Medical Association, American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America, the Colorado Radiological Society, the American Roentgen Society, and the Boulder Medical Society. He has served on many hospital committees, and is currently chairman of the Credentials Committee at Boulder Community Hospital.
Dr. Nichols’ areas of expertise include imagery of the injured athlete, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, and oncology care. He enjoys providing state-of-the-art care to his patients in a safe and comfortable environment.