Name: 

José M. Garcia, MHA

Board Role:

President

Professional Title:

Director of Business Integration- Digestive Health Institute

Organization:

Hartford HealthCare

Bio:

José currently serves as the Director of Business Integration for Digestive Health at Hartford HealthCare. In this role, he partners with clinical and administrative leaders in identifying opportunities for growth, operations and operational enhancement. He also serves as one of the inaugural Co-Chairs for the Hispanic/Latinx Colleague Resource Group. As Co-Chair, he partners with system leaders in advocating for the Latino colleagues and communities of Connecticut and beyond. Prior to serving in these roles, José completed an Administrative Fellowship in the Lean Office at Hartford HealthCare. His interests include process improvement, health equity, diversity and inclusion, and community health.

José, who was born and raised in Piedras Negras Mexico, moved with his family to the U.S. at a young age in search of a better future and pursuing the American Dream. After living in Texas for the past 10 years, he was drawn to New England because of its diversity. José hopes to use his personal and professional experiences in order to deliver the best care and experience to patients, families and the surrounding communities. José Garcia holds a Master’s degree in Health Administration (MHA) from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX.

Name: 

David Ortiz

Board Role:

President-Elect

Professional Title:

Assistant Vice President

Organization:

RWJBH-Newark Beth Israel Medical Center

Bio:

Dave Ortiz is the Assistant Vice President for the Fredrick B. Cohen Comprehensive Cancer & Blood Disorder Center. The cancer center is located at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center apart of RWJBarnabas Hospital System serving more than half of New Jersey residents.
Dave Ortiz has over 25 years of healthcare experience including operations, IT implementations and is a nationally recognized speaker on value-based care in cancer. Dave is father or 2 teenage boys and married to Raquel. Dave is Dominican born and raised in New York City.

Name: 

Adam Diaz, MHA

Board Role:

Secretary

Professional Title:

Regional Finance Data and Reporting Analyst

Organization:

Humana

Bio:

Adam Diaz is the Northeast Regional Finance Data and Reporting Analyst for Humana Inc. In this role, Adam is responsible for financial reporting and analyst in value-based contracts, and he is also the subject matter expert in Network adequacy and expansion for the 11 states in the region. He has experience in Medicare, Medicaid, Network Development, and Provider Operations & Contracting. Adam is also an adjunct professor at Felician University instructing courses at the School of Business bachelor and master-level programs.

Adam received his MHA from Seton Hall University and B.S from Stony Brook University in Healthcare Management, where he led various leadership positions in student organizations such as the Latin American Student Organization (LASO), and served on the University’s Diversity Plan Advisory Council from 2016-2017, and continued his passion for Latinx inclusion as the Market Leader of the Latinx Associate Resource Group of Wellcare Health Plans of New York from 2018 – 2020. Currently, Adam also serves in the Workforce Development committee in the IMPACT-ARG, and is a member for the UNIDOS-ARG at Humana.

Adam is a native New Yorker raised in Jamaica Queens, with heritage from the Dominican Republic, and is the Secretary for the National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives (NALHE) Tri-State Chapter.

Name: 

Connie Santan

Board Role:

Treasurer

Professional Title:

Surgical Clinical Registry Program Manager

Organization:

Hartford Healthcare

Bio:

Connie works as a Surgical Clinical Registry Program Manager at Hartford Healthcare. She graduated from Bloomfield College in New Jersey with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. In her current role, Connie is involved in different Quality Improvement initiatives and also collaborates with Clinical Research projects. Many of her interests include process improvement, diversity and inclusion, and community health.
Connie was born and raised in South America, Ecuador. She is very proud of her cultural heritage.
In her spare time, she loves traveling, listening to music, staying active, and outdoor activities including hiking, walking/jogging, biking, road trips, reading a book at the beach or park, and spending time with her family and friends.

Name: 

Marleny Mangual, MBA

Board Role:

Chair of Marketing and Communications

Professional Title:

Practice Manager

Organization:

Hartford Healthcare Medical Group

Bio:

Marleny Mangual, MBA is a Practice Manager for the Ayer Neuroscience Institute at Hartford Healthcare Medical Group.

Name: 

Jahaira L. Burns, RMA

Board Role:

Chair of Membership

Professional Title:

Practice Manager

Organization:

Hartford Healthcare Medical Group

Bio:

Jahaira is a Practice Manager for Hartford Healthcare. She oversees General Surgery and Colorectal surgery in the Fairfield Region. Her career in health care started in 2008 when she decided she wanted to pursue her passion for helping and caring for others.

She graduated from Lincoln Technical Institute with a GPA of 3.96 with a Certification in Medical Assisting. She was hired from her externship with the Avery Center of OB/GYN where she gained an extensive amount of experience ranging from front desk work, to running a lab, billing, answering Nurse calls, and assisting in surgical procedures. During her time with the Avery Center, she was promoted to Obstetrics Navigator where she was in charge of being the liaison for all OB patients in the practice. She remained with the Avery Center for 7 years and then began her journey with St. Vincent’s Medical Center.

Once with St. Vincent’s, she started her career as a Float Medical Assistant but very quickly was positioned within Surgical Oncology where within 4 months was promoted to Office Coordinator. She remained the Office Coordinator through the HHC acquisition and under new leadership has grown and gained many skills where she was then promoted to Office Manager. She was an Office Manager for 7 months and now is the Practice Manager. During her time in healthcare, she has been able to coach, mentor, and train her peers to assist them in growing in their careers. She thrives on collaboration, partnership, and continuous growth opportunities.

Being 1 of 4 daughters from Puerto Rican parents she has always felt there was a need to assist the Hispanic community. She has wanted to find someone to look up to whom she can relate and has now found that with her senior director. She desires to one day be in a position to be an inspiration to other Latinos and her 2 sons.

Jahaira was born and raised in Bridgeport, CT, and is also the Regional Ambassador for the Fairfield Region Hispanic and Latinx Colleague Resource Group with HHC.

Name: 

Tina Loarte-Rodriguez, MSN, RN, CIC, CPPS, CPHRM

Board Role:

Chair of Programming

Professional Title:

Vice President of Nursing

Organization:

Wheeler

Bio:

Tina Loarte-Rodriguez, MSN, RN, CIC, CPPS, CPHRM is the Vice President of Nursing at Wheeler Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center with five integrated primary care locations in central Connecticut. Her priority is supporting the team in providing high quality, safe, patient centered care.

Her professional experience includes teaching middle school math for four years and over sixteen years in health care in perioperative and primary care nursing, performance improvement, infection control, risk management, and patient safety. A graduate from Cornell University, UCONN, and Quinnipiac University, she is certified in infection prevention and control, patient safety, and healthcare risk management.

She is an eternal learner with a passion for health equity and high reliability. Tina is a Hartford Business Journal Healthcare Hero Award winner and led the Wheeler nursing team to win the Ct Nursing Association Excellence in Team Award, both in 2021. An active member of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses- Hartford Chapter and the Ct Nursing Association General Assembly Committee, Nomination Committee and DEI Committee. Tina is committed to giving back and advocacy. She loves dancing, eating, reading, and traveling. Originally born and raised in the Bronx, NY, she now resides in CT with her husband, three children, her father, and two rescue dogs.

Name: 

Raquel Ortiz, MHA

Board Role:

Chair of Mentorship

Professional Title:

Vice President of Operations

Organization:

Garnet Health Doctors

Bio:

Raquel Ortiz is the Vice President of Operations at Garnet Health Doctors in Middletown, NY. Raquel is a seasoned result driven leader who spearheads all operational activities within the organization inclusive of financial management, budget preparation, strategy development, practice management and productivity analysis. Raquel holds her Masters of science in Health Care Administration from IONA University and Certification in Advance Healthcare Leadership from Cornell University. Raquel is a proud Puerto Rican, who was born in Queens, NY, raised in the Bronx and currently resides in Monroe, NY with her husband David and their 2 wonderful teenage boys (Noah and Lucas).

Name: 

Melissa H. Molina-Trinidad, MBA, C-TAGME

Board Role:

Founder & Advisor, Immediate Past President

Professional Title:

Senior Residency Program Administrator for Surgery

Organization:

Columbia Irving Medical Center

Bio:

Melissa H. Molina-Trinidad, MBA, C-TAGME is the Senior Residency Program Coordinator for General Surgery Residents at Columbia Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) in New York City. She is the CUIMC Employee Resource Group leader for two groups; Latinx and Women.

Founder of the National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives (NALHE) Tri-State Chapter and the 2022 recipient of the NALHE Chapter Leader of the Year award. Melissa will now be serving on the Advisory Board as they continue to expand and grow the chapter.

She is a candidate for the Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and is currently on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the Healthcare Leaders of New York (HLNY).

Her career in Graduate Medical Education has given her the opportunity to get involved in the Association of Hospital Medical Education (AHME) and has been elected to become Chair of the Council of Program Administrators and Coordinators (COPAC) a two-year term starting this year.

Melissa is currently serving her last year term as a Board of Trustee of Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, the nation’s premiere Greek-lettered organization working towards the elimination of violence against women and empowerment of women. Committed to developing of collegiate and professional women through sisterhood, diversity, leadership, service, and academic excellence.

She received her Master’s degree in Business Administration from Mercy College in 2018 and her Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management at Stony Brook University with a minor in Women's Studies in 2009.

Melissa is of Ecuadorian descent and was born and raised in Queens, New York. She is a wife, a dog mom, and a new mom to a son.