Erica Benjamin is a program manager in Facilities Design and Construction. Erica works on enterprise-wide strategic capital projects and manages the FACE program. FACE is an executive initiative that provides high-impact quick turnaround projects to upgrade public and patient areas across the hospital system. Erica’s mission for hospital planning and improvement is to provide functional and efficient state-of-the-art clinical spaces that meet the varied and changing requirements of modern healthcare. As a former Senior Project Manager in construction, she focused on clinical workflows, quality build-out, updated interior finishes, technology, long-term planning for future innovations, and the immediate details required to deliver optimal medical and administrative facilities. Prior to working in healthcare, Erica was the principal of an interior design and renovation business where she designed and managed the build-out of residential, commercial, and institutional projects. Erica earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Design from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and a Juris Doctor from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

Katie Schimanski is a manager of Regulatory Activity at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH).  In her current role, she holds responsibilities for Joint Commission Hospital Accreditation and Certification for Disease Specific programs.  Katie has held various positions in quality and patient safety at NYP for the past eight years, and her prior experience includes quality improvement, hospital operations, and strategic development.  Katie received her master’s in public health with a concentration in Health Policy and Management from Boston University.  As a part of the REACH Fellowship, Katie is excited to learn more about supporting a resilient health care workforce and the communities they serve.

Victoria Ng is the manager of the Liver Transplant program at New York-Presbyterian. In this role, she manages all aspects of the liver transplant program, including operations and strategic plan development. Prior to joining NYP in 2018, Victoria completed an Administrative Fellowship at the University of Chicago Medicine, where she focused on service line management in the Heart and Vascular Center and Transplant Institute. Victoria received her Master of Public Health in Healthcare Management from the Yale School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from The Ohio State University. Victoria hopes to learn how to build a more resilient health care delivery system and address gaps in care in the community.

Felesea Thakoor-Persaud has been with New York Presbyterian Hospital since 2015 and has been the Manager of the Infection Prevention & Control (IP&C) Department since 2021. She received her bachelor’s in public health at SUNY Stony Brook, her MBA in Healthcare Management at Touro College, and her doctorate in Healthcare Administration (DHA) at National University. As the IP&C Manager, Felesea is responsible for managing the hand hygiene program and the Infection Prevention & Control Liaisons (IPLs). The IPLs are responsible for making hand hygiene, PPE, and equipment cleaning observations. Beyond IP&C, Felesea enjoys spending time with her family, shopping, and watching movies with her son.

Mwanaidi Tindi, MPH, MSN, RN-BC, is a manager with the Patient Services Administration at NewYork-Presbyterian. In this role, she provides administrative leadership, guidance, and ongoing support for managing complex medical-legal issues surrounding informed consent or refusal, brain death, and withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and mediates all conflicts within clinical and non-clinical practice in Milstein Hospital. She is a member of the Hospital Institutional Ethics Committee and enterprise-wide Organ Donor Council, committees that develop, review, and refine policies that guide organizational ethics consistent with ethical and professional norms, relevant laws, and the mission of NewYork-Presbyterial Hospital. In addition, she is a member of the enterprise-wide Organizational Readiness Council and serves as co-team lead for the Rights and Responsibilities of the Individual (RI) Chapter for the Joint Commission, where she collaborates and partners with the Department of Quality and Patient Safety to identify strategies and maintain ongoing compliance with regulatory standards related to patients’ rights. Since 2017, she has served as an Administrator on Call (AOC) responsible for immediate crisis response to internal and external emergency incidents during off-shift hours while providing administrative and leadership coverage for the Allen Hospital, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and Westchester Hospital and functions as the key liaison to Senior Hospital Administration and Office of Legal Affairs. Ms. Tindi holds a Master of Public Health and Master of Nursing degrees. She completed the Advanced Certificate in Bioethics and Medical Humanities and the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS) Quality Residency Program. She is board certified in medical-surgical nursing by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and has extensive clinical background and experience in acute care practice.

Nelson Mesa is an accomplished public health professional with twenty years of experience leading strategic planning and implementation of value-based and population health programs, quality and patient safety initiatives, technology and analytics projects, and consulting services with state, city, and private companies.  

Nelson has spent most of his career supporting primary care groups, community health centers, and healthcare systems with the evolution of value-based care transformation programs. He is currently working within the Division of Community and Population Health and across the NewYork-Presbyterian Consortium to implement population health technology, foster multidisciplinary collaboratives, and align program strategies across managed care contracts. As part of the REACH Fellowship, Nelson is interested in strengthening virtual care resilience during a pandemic. Drawing from lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nelson aims to develop a service model to identify, engage, and support patients in need of technical assistance with the adoption and use of virtual care tools. Nelson received a Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins—Bloomberg School of Public Health and a Master of Business Administration degree from Hofstra University—Zarb School of Business.

Gabrielle is currently a project lead at NewYork-Presbyterian in the Office of Government and Community Affairs. In this role, she upholds the hospital’s commitment to the community by leading engagement and outreach initiatives, supporting philanthropic efforts, and advancing the hospital’s anchor mission strategies. Through her work in grant management and outreach, she has cultivated strong partnerships with community-based organizations to help address health disparities throughout New York City and Westchester County. Prior to joining NewYork-Presbyterian, Gabrielle served as a Project Manager in Quality Management and Patient Safety at Northwell Health’s Lenox Hill Hospital. During this time, she facilitated performance improvement projects and managed compliance for four Joint Commission Certifications: Advanced Palliative Care, Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement, Total Shoulder Replacement, and Comprehensive Stroke Center. Gabrielle holds a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University and completed her Master of Public Health from CUNY’s Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. Gabrielle is an avid reader and lover of photography. In her spare time, you can find her cheering on the New York Mets with her husband and their dog, Vincent.