Leadership

Our leaders are dedicated to the health and wellbeing of the communities we serve. They are committed to the mission and vision of Southern New Hampshire Health, bringing their expertise and talents to our organization in all they do. From our senior leadership to our Board of Trustees that bring together community leaders and volunteers, we share a common goal of a healthier region now and for generations to come.

Southern NH Health Board of Trustees

  • Melliyal Annamalai, PhD
  • Helen Honorow, Esq.
  • Peter Apostolicas
  • John Friberg, Esq. [EO, non-voting]
  • Bobbie D. Bagley, MS, MPH, RN, CPH
  • Hon. Joseph N. Laplante, Board Vice Chair
  • Mark William (Wills) Begor, Treasurer
  • Karen Maynard, MD
  • Heather Bender
  • Colin McHugh [EO], President, Secretary
  • Sister Paula Marie Buley
  • Brett Sweeney, MD
  • Alonzo DeBerry
  • Eitan Zeira
  • Craig Fitzgerald, Board Chair

Southern New Hampshire Health's Senior Leadership Team

Colin T. McHugh

President and CEO, Southern New Hampshire Health 

Colin is a healthcare executive with over 30 years of experience. He became president and chief executive officer of Southern New Hampshire Health (SNHH) in April 2022. Before this role, Colin served as senior vice president and chief value officer for SolutionHealth, the regional health system formed by the combination of SNHH and Elliot Health System in 2019. He also acted as interim president of SNHH in 2020, guiding the organization through a leadership transition, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the implementation of the Epic electronic medical record. 

Earlier in his career, Colin held leadership positions focused on integrated healthcare delivery and value-based payment models, including senior vice president of network development and contracting at MaineHealth, interim president & CEO of Synernet, Inc., and vice president of provider engagement and contracting for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. 

He earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Arts from The University of Connecticut. 

Michael Kleinschmidt
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Southern New Hampshire Health

Michael brings extensive experience in health care operations and joined Southern New Hampshire Health as senior vice president and chief operating officer in December 2024.  

He previously served as chief operating officer at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital and held several leadership roles with Tower Health, including vice president of operations. Throughout his career, Michael has focused on innovation, strategic growth, enhancing patient-centered experiences, improving workflows and efficiency, and increasing patient access to care. 

He earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and a Master of Business Administration in health care management from West Texas A&M University. 

Shannon Levesque
Chief People Officer, Southern New Hampshire Health  

Shannon is an accomplished human resources leader with more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, high tech, and financial services. She combines deep expertise in talent acquisition, workforce planning, employee engagement, and leadership development to advance Southern New Hampshire Health’s people strategy and support the organization’s mission.

Before joining Southern NH Health, Shannon served as Interim Division Vice President of Human Resources for the Community Hospitals division at Beth Israel Lahey Health, overseeing HR teams at seven hospitals across Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She has also held senior human resources leadership roles at Exeter Health Resources, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Baystate Health. Shannon earned her MBA in Organizational Leadership from Rivier University and her bachelor’s degree from Jacksonville University. She holds both Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Society for Human Resource Management – Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) credentials.

Rebecca Cooper-Piela, MS, APRN-BC

Senior Vice President of Quality, Accreditation, Regulatory, and Population Health Programs and Chief Quality Officer, Southern New Hampshire Health

Rebecca joined Foundation Medical Partners in 1995 as a board-certified adult nurse practitioner. She became involved in medical leadership when she joined the board of governors, serving from 1997 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2009. She began working with quality assurance in 2005 when she joined the Foundation Quality Assurance Committee. 

In 2015, Rebecca became medical director for quality assurance at Foundation Medical Partners. In December 2019, she was promoted to chief quality officer for Southern NH Health. In 2021, Rebecca was promoted again, becoming vice president of quality, safety, and accreditation and chief quality officer. 

Rebecca graduated from Boston College with a Bachelor of Science in nursing in 1991 and a Master of Science in nursing in 1994. She is also certified in health care quality management by the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians. 

Susan Santana

Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer, Southern New Hampshire Medical System 

Susan joined Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in 2022. She is a registered nurse and healthcare leader with more than 40 years of experience providing quality patient care and strategic leadership in an acute care hospital system. She previously held several progressive leadership roles at Tufts Medicine, Lowell General Hospital, most recently serving as associate chief nursing officer with extensive oversight of its nursing practice. 

A transformational leader, Susan is known for her dedication to fostering a supportive work environment for healthcare workers and promoting a culture of shared decision-making. Her broad experience in nursing brings valuable insight and perspective to her role at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. 

Susan is a certified nurse executive through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She holds a doctorate in nursing practice and a master’s in business administration from Rivier University. 

Ken Matsis
Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer, Southern New Hampshire Health  

Ken is a proven leader with a passion for innovation who combines more than 25 years of budget, audit, and accounting knowledge with health system expertise to ensure financial excellence. A lifelong New Hampshire resident, Ken’s leadership helps SNHH maintain our position of financial strength while looking for new ways to enhance our commitment to all those in our care.  

Starting out as the system’s financial controller, he became the vice president of finance of Southern NH Health in July 2023, where he spearheaded financial reporting processes, led database implementations, and collaborated with leadership to improve workflow and achieve best-in-class financial performance. He’s also held numerous other leadership positions across New England, including executive and managerial financial roles at Catholic Medical Center, Concord Hospital, Inc., and Home Health & Hospice Care.  

Ken earned a Master of Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University and earned his Bachelor of Science in business management from Keene State College.

Joseph Leahy, DO

Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Dr. Leahy joined Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in December 1997 as a staff emergency medicine physician and has held several leadership roles prior to his appointment as senior vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer of Southern NH Medical Center. He has also served as penultimate past president of the New Hampshire Osteopathic Association. 

In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Dr. Leahy continues to care for patients in the emergency department at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. He is an active member of the community, currently serving on the United Way of Greater Nashua Community Advisory Council and is a former board member of the Granite State Children’s Alliance. 

Dr. Leahy earned his medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine and completed a residency in emergency medicine at Union Hospital in Union, New Jersey. 

Salvatore Vella, Jr., DO

Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Foundation Medical Partners

Dr. Sal Vella joined Foundation Medical Partners in 1999 as a founding member of Memorial Medical Associates. Throughout his tenure, he has held various leadership roles, including serving on the Board of Governors, as vice chief of staff, and later as chief of staff for Southern New Hampshire Medical Center. Since 2022, Dr. Vella has served as chief medical officer of Foundation Medical Partners while continuing his work as a practicing physician and hospitalist. 

In addition to his clinical and leadership roles, Dr. Vella contributes to medical education by teaching Geisel School of Medicine and University of New England medical students as they rotate through various specialties. 

Dr. Vella earned his medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine. He completed his residency at UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is board-certified in internal medicine. 

Jim Watkins

Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Southern New Hampshire Health 

With more than 25 years of medical group leadership experience, Jim is responsible for health system strategy and provides administrative oversight of Foundation Medical Partners (FMP).  

Jim first joined FMP from 2000-2005, serving in a finance leadership role. He rejoined the organization in 2017 after more than a decade away. During this time, he held several leadership roles, including president of Hartford Medical Group in Hartford, Connecticut, executive vice president of physician services at Women and Infants Hospital in Rhode Island, and senior vice president of physician services at William H. Backus Health System in Connecticut.   

Prior to his career in healthcare, Jim worked in audit for Ernst & Young in a public accounting role. Jim is a certified public accountant and earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Springfield College and a Master of Business Administration from Nichols College. 

Andrew Watt, MD 

Chief Clinical Integration and Transformation Officer, Southern New Hampshire Health 

Dr. Watt has more than 20 years of leadership experience with an expertise in information systems and technology. He is responsible for the development and execution of strategies to modernize the health system’s operations for patients and employees seeking care at our facilities. 

Dr. Watt has held several leadership positions including Chief Medical Information Officer, Chief Information Officer, and Senior Product Consultant. Early in his career, he worked as an EMR installer and software developer for Meditech. He is also certified in the Epic EMR and has worked on large scale Epic implementations. 

Dr. Watt returned to Southern New Hampshire Health in 2025 after leaving his role as Chief Medical Information Officer and Chief Information Officer at Catholic Medical Center.  He serves on both the SNHH and CMC Institutional Review Boards (IRB) as a scientific reviewer for clinical research.  Andrew is the 2025 Board Chair of the Foundation for Healthy Communities. 

Dr. Watt earned his medical degree from the Chan School of Medicine in Worcester, Massachusetts. He completed his residency and served as Chief Resident in Emergency Medicine at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. He is board-certified in both emergency medicine and clinical informatics.   

Scott Cote

Vice President of Facilities and Emergency Management  

Scott joined the organization in 1999 as Director of Property Management, eventually assuming his current position. He is responsible for facility planning, operations, construction management, and emergency management for Southern NH Health. Scott previously held positions as director of facility operations for Dartmouth-Hitchcock, the Nashua School District, and Merrimack College.

He is a graduate of North Shore Technical School, where he majored in construction theory and management. Scott attended New England Institute, majoring in mechanical engineering. He holds an unrestricted construction superintendent license and is a certified healthcare emergency professional.

John Maschger FHFMA, CHFP, CHC

Vice President, Revenue Cycle, Southern New Hampshire Health System

John joined the organization in September 2025, bringing over two decades of senior and executive-level experience in healthcare finance management across various U.S. institutions. His strategic leadership has earned his team’s national recognition for excellence in revenue cycle management and the implementation of patient-centered practices designed to improve the financial experience for consumers.

As a committed servant leader, John prioritizes team development, staff empowerment, and a collaborative approach that aligns with SNHH’s mission and core values. His leadership fosters a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence, driving organizational success.

John is a Fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) and has received the Founder’s Medal of Honor. He holds certifications including HFMA’s Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP) and the Healthcare Compliance Association’s Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC). He earned his bachelor’s degree in healthcare management from Ottawa University.

Jon Michael B. Vore, DO

Chief Medical Information Officer, Southern New Hampshire Health

Dr. Vore has been with Foundation Medical Partners since 2006 and is a board-certified family medicine physician with dual certification in Clinical Informatics. He has served on the Foundation Medical Partners Board of Governors since 2009 and held roles as a clinical informaticist from 2009 to 2020 before becoming Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) in 2020.

As CMIO, Dr. Vore bridges clinical practice and information technology by leading the design, implementation, and optimization of health IT systems to improve patient care, safety, and clinician efficiency. In addition to his executive responsibilities, he continues to practice clinically in primary care and Immediate Care and currently serves as a Board Trustee for the Radiation Center of Greater Nashua.

Dr. Vore earned his medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his Family Medicine residency at the NH-Dartmouth Family Practice Residency in Concord, New Hampshire. He also holds a Master’s degree in Health Informatics from the University of New England and is an Epic-certified Physician Builder with experience supporting a large-scale Epic implementation.

Rick Markello

VP Finance, Foundation Medical Partners, Southern New Hampshire Medical Center

Rick is a healthcare executive with over forty years of experience. He became VP of Finance for Foundation Medical Partners (FMP), the physician organization of Southern New Hampshire Health, in June 2024.

Prior to joining FMP, Rick did consulting throughout New England for Hospitals and Physician Groups, specializing in financial turn arounds and mergers. Previously, he served in CFO positions at Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and MetroWest Medical Center. Earlier in his career, he worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA and in Massachusetts state government.

Rick earned his Master of Business Administration from the Boston University Graduate School of Management and his Bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University in New York.

Melissa Francoeur Anderson
Executive Director, Operations - Foundation Medical Partners

Julia Arcand
Executive Director, Operations - Foundation Medical Partners

Patricia Benjamin
Executive Director Quality, Safety and Infection Programs

Leanne Berube
RN Executive Director Surgical Services SNHH

Justin Burkhardt
Executive Director Brand Strategy & Community Connection

Lisa DiMarino
Executive Director Total Rewards & HRIS

Laura Forgione
Executive Director Inpatient, Critical Care and Maternal Child Heath Services

Valerie Fryatt
Executive Director Compliance and Privacy Officer - SNHH

Michelle Gardner
Executive Director Behavioral Health Services and Emergency Department

Ann Marie Giacalone
Executive Director People and Culture

Susan Hotchkiss
Executive Director, Operations - Foundation Medical Partners

Betsy Houde
Executive Director Community Health Improvement

Kathryn Nelson
Executive Director, Payer Contracting and Value-Based Care - SNHH

John Patti
Executive Director, Security - SNHH

Scott Santoro
Executive Director Talent Acquisition & Workforce Strategy

Steven Schapp-McGee 
Executive Director Access & Engagement Systems

Melissa Seccareccio
Executive Director of Care Coordination

Kristine Trombley
Executive Director, Operations - Foundation Medical Partners

SolutionHealth Senior Leadership Team

Friberg, John_ESQ_EHS_1500x2100.jpg

John Friberg, Esq.

Interim Chief Executive Officer

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Debra Dulac

SVP & Chief Information Officer