Ryan Health Names Christopher Quiñones As Chief Operating Officer

President and CEO Daniel Pichinson Makes Additional Organizational Changes, Including Key Team Member Promotions

NEW YORK CITY — Ryan Health announced the appointment of Christopher Quiñones, MS, as the organization’s Chief Operating Officer (COO). Daniel Pichinson, MBA also made several organizational and staffing changes, including promoting several senior team members.

“Chris is responsible for overall operations of all health center locations and services. He will provide leadership and oversight to our operational team members to ensure the effectiveness, efficiency, and consistency of our health center operations,” Daniel Pichinson, MBA, President & CEO of Ryan Health said. “Among his duties, he will review current processes and implement changes to enhance patient and team member satisfaction, as well as explore opportunities for Ryan Health to grow.”

As Ryan Health’s first Chief Operating Officer (COO), Christopher will provide an integrated, unified, and standardized approach for how the network operates across its centers while honoring and recognizing the unique characteristics and culture of the communities in which they are located.

“I’m looking forward to working with leadership and team members at all of Ryan Health’s locations to determine the best way to deliver high-quality healthcare with a Ryan Health approach,” COO Christopher Quiñones, MS, said. “As Ryan Health serves a growing number of underserved New Yorkers, we want to ensure we maintain our consistently high level of service.”

Christopher comes to Ryan Health with over 20 years of executive leadership experience aimed at improving health outcomes for underserved communities throughout New York State. Most recently, he held multiple roles at Sun River Health, including as Executive Director of The Preservation Company, a Sun River member company that addresses the housing crisis in Westchester County, and as Chief of Government Affairs & Advocacy and Chief Administrative Officer. In the latter roles, he had oversight of government affairs, capital planning, real estate, facilities, transportation, dietary, and emergency management. He also is a champion of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI), and was a founding, executive member of the JEDI Committee at Sun River.

Prior to Sun River, he was Chief Administrative/Chief Operating Officer for Brightpoint Health Inc, Vice President of Administration/Corporate Compliance Officer for Community Healthcare Network, and other roles of increasing responsibility over his career.

Daniel Pichinson also announced senior team member promotions. Among them:

• Charles Shorter, MSW, is named Chief of Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships. Charles has been with the organization for 22 years, most recently serving as the Executive Director of Ryan Health | Adair & Frederick Douglass, where he demonstrated excellence in building strong community partnerships.
• Alicia Henderson, PhD, LCSW, has been promoted to Chief of Behavioral Health. Dr. Henderson joined Ryan Health in January 2023 and has made significant improvements in the delivery and expansion of its mental health services.
• Meredith Gentes, FNP-BC CDCES, is promoted to Chief of Population Health and Quality Improvement. Meredith joined Ryan Health in 2015 as a provider and has taken on leadership roles, most recently as Senior Director of Population Health.
• Michael Fagan, MPP, has been promoted to Chief of External & Government Affairs. Over the past six years, Michael has strengthened relationships with the center’s elected officials, raising awareness of Ryan Health and its priorities among them.
• Vanessa Fernandez, MD, has been appointed Medical Director of Ryan Health | Adair, Frederick Douglass, and Wadsworth. Dr. Fernandez joined Ryan Health in 2022 as a Family Medicine Physician and has taken on leadership roles as Associate Medical Director at Wadsworth and Interim Medical Director at the Harlem centers over the past year.
• Leslie Pargament, MBA is appointed as Chief of Staff. Leslie has served as Executive Director of Ryan Health | NENA since 2014 and, in her new role, will play a pivotal role in developing and tracking strategies and initiatives to meet organizational goals and advance Ryan Health’s mission.

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About Ryan Health

Ryan Health (formerly The William F. Ryan Community Health Network) is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) based in Manhattan that has been providing high-quality, comprehensive and affordable primary care to New York’s diverse and underserved communities since 1967. Ryan Health’s tagline, “Caring for New York. Here for you.” unites its network of 17 not-for-profit sites. These include seven community health centers, seven school-based centers, two community outreach centers, and a fully-equipped mobile medical van, which together share a common mission, supported by the founding principle that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Ryan Health’s team members of nearly 500 play an integral role in caring for over 50,000 patients annually. Ryan Health is a proud recipient of federal grants to support its projects and programs. For more information about this funding, please visit our website at www.ryanhealth.org.