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Shelby Arena

HARM REDUCTION MANAGER

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Shelby earned her dual Bachelor of Arts Degrees in International Relations and Latin American Studies from Canisius College. She is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work at the University at Buffalo. She has worked in the health and human services sector since 2016 with experience educating and counseling people in reproductive health and justice, domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as mental health and substance use. Shelby is an advocate for harm reduction and is passionate about fostering community connections.

Kimberly Boulden, PhD, MA

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

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Dr. Kimberly Boulden brings over 10 years of leadership experience to MATTERS and has worked at both the national and local levels to implement and scale harm reduction and recovery-supportive programming. Boulden’s leadership practice centers on effective systems change, transformative assessment, and sustainable community collaboration. She holds a doctorate in Education and has published research on effective partnerships, equity in university recruitment, and responsible computing practices. In addition to her work in addiction and mental health, Dr. Boulden has worked as an assessment consultant to University at Buffalo faculty on the Mozilla Foundation’s “Responsible Computing Challenge,” aimed at addressing ethical issues in machine learning and artificial intelligence. She also sits on the board of directors for the Impossible Project, an education nonprofit that fosters interdisciplinary collaboration to grand challenges. At MATTERS, Dr. Boulden is responsible for strategy and consultation, contract and budget negotiation, execution, and management, program expansion, and organizational and personnel development.

Brian Clemency, DO, MBA

MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH

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Dr. Clemency has been involved in emergency care for nearly 20 years, beginning his career as a firefighter and emergency medical technician. Dr. Clemency completed both medical school and an MBA in health care administration in 4 years, before coming to Buffalo to continue his medical education. He is double boarded in Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services. Dr. Clemency has become a local, regional and national leader in prehospital care, education and research. Dr. Clemency has authored over 30 peer reviewed publications, including 3 on the topic of opioid overdose. Dr. Clemency is the Research Director and oversees external funding.

Lucy Connery,MPH

MARKETING COORDINATOR

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Lucy Connery completed her BS in Health Promotion, BA in Spanish, and Master of Public Health at Daemen University. Connery began her career at the Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo & WNY, where she led multiple community health initiatives to promote regular physical activity, positive mental health practices, and improved quality of life in WNY. After time working as a Research Manager in the University at Buffalo’s Department of Emergency Medicine, Connery was quickly attracted to the MATTERS program for its advocacy for people who use drugs. Outside of her work at MATTERS, Lucy serves as an Adjunct Professor for the Daemen MPH Department; she enjoys spending time at home with her two cats and participating in recreational sports in WNY.

Recent Articles by Lucy

History and Significance of Syringe Service Programs
Myth-Busting Fentanyl in Cannabis
Individuals with SUD Leaving Hospitals AMA

Mia Dickinson

HARM REDUCTION COORDINATOR

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Mia recently graduated from University at Buffalo with her Bachelor Degree in Public Health. She found her passion for public health through working for the New York State Contact Tracing Initiative during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and hopes to work towards reducing health disparities and increasing access to healthcare throughout her career.

Recent Articles by Mia

Harm Reduction Strategies and Interventions
Harm Reduction Principles
What is Harm Reduction?

Emma Furlano, MD

MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF PRE-HOSPITAL CARE

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Dr. Furlano is an assistant professor of Emergency Medicine in the Division of Medical Toxicology and Addiction Medicine at Albany Medical College. She is fellowship-trained in medical toxicology, having completed a fellowship at NYU/Bellevue Hospital. She is also the current director of the Emergency Medicine Clerkship at Albany Medical College. Her research interests include opioid use disorder, prehospital medicine and medical education.

SaMari Hall, MPH

HARM REDUCTION ASSISTANT

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SaMari graduated with her MPH in 2024 from the University at Buffalo with a concentration in Epidemiology. She graduated from Cornell University in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. During her academic career, she focused on social determinants of health, health disparities, and the impact of policy on community well-being. She has a keen interest in applying these skills and is eager to contribute to the field of public health and use her insights to create healthier communities. In her free time, SaMari likes to read, take long walks, and try new restaurants.

Brigid Keane, MPH

OUTREACH COORDINATOR - WNY &
FINGER LAKES

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Brigid graduated with her MPH in 2023 from Daemen University with a focus on Community Health Education. She graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a degree in biology with the ambition of going into a field where she was able to help others. Brigid is passionate about being a supportive member of her surrounding communities. She spends her free time doing pilates/other forms of physical activity and spending time with family, friends, and her 2 year old puppy Mochi.

Brooke Langella, MPH

OUTREACH COORDINATOR - LONG ISLAND
& NYC

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Brooke earned her Master’s Degree in Public Health from SUNY Albany, specializing in Maternal and Child Health. Dedicated to health equity and improving health outcomes, Brooke is passionate about contributing to her community’s well-being. Drawing from her background in healthcare, health education, and substance misuse prevention, she is looking forward to expanding the MATTERS outreach further throughout New York State.

Lauren Lennett

MARKETING SPECIALIST

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Lauren completed her undergraduate degree in Public Health at The University at Buffalo, where she is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Health. She has had leadership experience for several years as a camp counselor and group leader at a summer sleep-away camp in Pennsylvania. Lauren specializes in digital marketing and content development and has a passion for taking care of others and helping her greater community.

Alexander Ljungberg, DO, MBA

MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM EVALUATION & BUSINESS ANALYTICS

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Dr. Alexander Ljungberg is a dedicated emergency medicine physician who graduated from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2012. With nearly a decade of service to the Western New York community, he has worked as an attending physician at multiple WNY hospitals since 2015. Currently serving as the Associate Director of Emergency Medicine at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Dr. Ljungberg brings extensive expertise in quality assurance and improvement, culminating in the completion of his Executive MBA from the Jacob’s School of Management in 2021. His leadership is evident in the successful implementation of multi-level improvement processes, and the development of various improvement initiatives within UBMD Emergency Medicine.

Joshua Lynch, DO,
FACEP

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER

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Dr. Lynch completed an emergency medicine residency at the University at Buffalo in Buffalo, New York, where he served as Chief Resident in his final year.  He is an Associate Professor of Emergency and Addiction Medicine at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and a senior physician with UB|MD Emergency Medicine.  Dr. Lynch is a national leader in substance use disorder and serves as a technical advisor for the New York State Department of Health.  Additionally, Dr. Lynch has nearly 25 years of EMS experience and is a medical director and flight physician for Mercy Flight of Western New York, serving on the board of directors at the 100 Club of Buffalo, and recently served as trustee for the Clarence Board of Education.

He is the founder and Chief Medical Officer of the MATTERS (Medication for Addiction Treatment and Electronic Referrals) program focused on prevention, education, increasing access to treatment for substance use disorder, rapid referrals to long-term substance use treatment, harm reduction supplies and education, along with emergency telemedicine assessments.  He has been an invited speaker to many state, national, and international meetings on the topics of emergency medicine, EMS, and addiction medicine.

Raven Manchester

OUTREACH COORDINATOR - CAPITAL REGION & NORTH COUNTRY

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Raven earned her BA in psychology from Utica University and BAS in Biology from Arizona State University. As an undergraduate student, she participated in research on memory retrieval, dengue fever, and insect sleeping patterns. She is currently studying for her Master’s Degree in the Science of Public Health through SUNY Potsdam with the goal of becoming an Epidemiologist. Before joining the MATTERS team, she worked for New York State’s Tobacco Control Program as a community engagement specialist for the central region. Raven is passionate about improving community health outcomes through data-driven practice in order to create impactful change on the local & state level. In her personal time, she enjoys reading, attending renaissance festivals, and traveling with her daughter.

Robert McCormack, MD, MBA

PHYSICIAN ADVISOR

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Dr. Robert McCormack is an attending physician in the emergency department of Erie County Medical Center. In addition to his emergency medicine work at ECMC, he is also a Clinical Professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo, Vice Chair at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and Chief of Service of Emergency Medicine for the Kaleida Health system. Dr. Robert McCormack is the recipient of a number of awards, including the Suicide Prevention and Crisis Services Community Service Award and the Western New York Heroes award.

Phil McNamara

OUTREACH MANAGER

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Phil holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture as well as a CASAT-T. He has worked as an SUD Counselor specializing in MAT at Best Self and as a Community Outreach Coordinator specializing in HCV Linkage and Harm Reduction at ECMC’s GI / Hepatology Dept. He also has a decade of bar/restaurant management in NYC and Buffalo. Phil is the founder of Buffalo Resilience a nonprofit linking local businesses to community organizations to provide meals and harm reduction supplies to underserved communities in WNY. He believes that a strong community can offer many different paths to recovery and is passionate about building strong community connections.

Mila Pakhomova, BSN

OPERATIONS MANAGER

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Mila Pakhomova holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing. With a lifelong passion for healthcare, she brings 15 years of extensive experience in healthcare administration and management to MATTERS. Throughout her career, Mila has cultivated a talent for transforming chaos into order and enhancing the functionality of programs and departments. Her proudest achievement as a manager has been building cohesive teams that feel empowered, supported, and engaged, all while remaining focused on the organization’s mission. Driven by a deep commitment to community health, she is passionate about the MATTERS program, which connects individuals to essential treatment services, embodying her mission to create lasting, positive change in the lives of others. Outside of her professional pursuits, Mila enjoys spending quality time with her family, exploring the outdoors, reading, and listening to music.

Martie Ritz

OUTREACH COORDINATOR -
MID-HUDSON & SOUTHERN TIER REGIONS

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With her bachelor’s degree in Emergency Management and over a decade on the front lines of emergency services, Martie brings this first hand experience to her efforts with UBMD and the MATTERS program. Martie has always had a passion for helping others and will be serving those of the Southern Tier, her home ground and the Mid-Hudson Region. In her free time, she enjoys taking her horses trail riding across New York, to enjoy the beautiful state she calls home. Martie is excited to continue to be voice and advocate to help better her community, for both its residents and its resources.

Kailyn Tomilin,
MPH

PROGRAM EVALUATOR

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Kailyn earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health from D’Youville University in 2021. She recently graduated from Daemen University with her MPH with a focus in epidemiology. Kailyn has a passion for public health and plans to spend her career helping to improve health outcomes among underserved populations and working to address barriers to care.

Recent Articles by Kailyn

Medetomidine
Nitazenes: A Dangerous Class of Synthetic Opioids
Kratom
Ibogaine
Gas Station Heroin: The Dangers of Tianeptine
Benzodiazepines and Opioid Use
National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week 2024

Renoj Varughese, MD

MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF TELEMEDICINE

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Dr. Varughese is an emergency physician and EMS medical director in Buffalo, NY. He currently practices at Buffalo General Hospital, ECMC and the Veterans Affairs WNY Hospital. His focus is on telemedicine and community paramedicine. He serves as the Medical Director of Telemedicine at MATTERS.

 

Recent Publications

Comparison of 30-day Retention in Treatment Among Patients Referred to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment from Emergency Department and Telemedicine Settings

Buprenorphine Prescription and Treatment Initiation Through Preemptive Outreach and Telehealth Consultation with Emergency Medicine Providers

 

Timothy Wiegand, MD, DFASAM

MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF TOXICOLOGY

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Dr. Timothy Wiegand is a distinguished Medical Toxicologist and Addiction Specialist who serves as the Director of Addiction Medicine in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He is the founder of the Toxicology and Addiction Medicine Consult Service at URMC where he continues to provide bedside care for patients with intoxication, overdose, substance use disorder and addiction-related emergencies. Dr. Wiegand is a former President of the New York Society of Addiction Medicine (NYSAM) and currently serves as the Medical Director for two overdose prevention programs in Upstate New York. Dr. Wiegand also serves as Co-chair for the New York Department of Health AIDS Institute Substance Use Care Guidelines Committee and holds the position of Treasurer for the Medical Toxicology Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT).  

Dr. Wiegand’s professional interests include bedside care for intoxication and withdrawal management, pain treatment and perioperative care, micro-dosing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD), and the interpretation and application of drug testing. He is widely recognized for his expertise in the use of buprenorphine and ambulatory detoxification models for treating OUD and alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Dr. Wiegand’s unwavering commitment to advancing addiction medicine and medical toxicology has positioned him as a leader in his field, dedicated to education, clinical excellence, and advocacy in combating substance use disorders. 

Bella Wilklow

SUPPORT SERVICES COORDINATOR

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Bella graduated from Buffalo State University with a BA in Psychology. She then began her journey by supporting families as a postpartum doula with Buffalo Doula Collective. Following her work as a doula, she discovered her passion for aiding underserved communities while working with refugees at Catholic Charities. Outside of her professional life, she finds fulfillment in restoring her Victorian home and baking.

Bob Zielonka, MA

MARKETING MANAGER

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Bob graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a Masters in Integrated Marketing Communications, and Buffalo State University with a BA in Public Communications. After years of working in marketing agencies, Bob found his way into non-profit work, and truly found his calling within Public Health. When not dedicating his time to MATTERS, he has published a sci-fi novel, competed in 2 Ironman triathlons, and has traveled to three continents and nine countries.