Candice Berry

Central Intake Manager

Email

Candice is the manager of our Central Intake & Referral Team for Help Me Grow. She connects families prenatally up to age three to services they need, including Early Intervention, Home Visiting, and other community resources.

Jasmine Birdsong

Central Intake Specialist

Email

Jasmine is a member for the Help Me Grow- Central Intake and Referral team. Central Intake is responsible for processing referrals, communicating and engaging with families- along with Help Me Grow program staff members and referral sources. Our goal is to ensure we are servicing our community and families to the best of our abilities. To support families- while determining their best program fit for Home Visiting support services, Early Intervention needs and community resources across the region.

Jasmine has been a part of Help Me Grow Central Intake since April 2022. Prior to her position with Help Me Grow she worked in Non- Profit with Miami Valley Urban League and was a teacher for the Dayton Public School System. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Wilberforce University and a Master of Science in Education in Human Services from University of Dayton.

Jasmine was born in Chicago, Illinois but has spent most of her life in the Dayton, Ohio area. She is a proud Mother of an amazing- now six-year-old daughter; Jasmine enjoys cooking, swimming, art, photography, and travel!

Nan Chelette

Outreach Coordinator

Email

Nan Chelette is the Outreach Coordinator for Help Me Grow in the Western Ohio Region. She leads and supports a team of three in performing outreach across thirteen counties and personally manages outreach in Montgomery County.

Originally from the Dayton Area, Nan left Ohio for a few years to earn a Bachelor of Art from the University of Saint Francis before returning to serve her home. Prior to joining the GDAHA family, Nan worked as a Technology Educator and Camp Director at a community center.

Nan lives in Dayton and spends her free time writing, creating art, making music, and exploring the city with friends. She is the proud parent of an extremely spoiled cat.

Molly Dargavell

Health Preparedness Coordinator

Email

Molly Dargavell, BS, MA is the newest team member here at GDAHA in her role as the Health Preparedness Coordinator. She assists Mary Porter in her efforts to coordinate regional hospital preparedness and planning, foster partnerships with public health departments and public safety organizations in the region, and collaborate with other regional healthcare coalitions across the state.

Molly has nearly a decade of experience working in public health emergency preparedness and epidemiology before joining GDAHA. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Shawnee State University in Portsmouth Ohio and is a recent graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School with a Master of Arts in Security Studies.

Molly was born in Dayton and has recently moved back to the city after spending the past 16 years in Southeast Ohio

Joy Edington

Central Intake Specialist

Email

Joy is part of our Central Intake & Referral Team for Help Me Grow. She connects families prenatally up to age three to services they need, including Early Intervention, Home Visiting, and other community resources.

Joy has been with us since April 2024. Her previous experience is with Premier Health and CareSource. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Wright State University.

Joy is a lifelong resident of the Dayton area. She has two adult daughters that she enjoys spending time with. She also enjoys movies, traveling, and her two cats.

Katie Gainey-West

Director, Dayton Regional Pathways HUB

Email

Katie Gainey-West is the Director of the Dayton Regional Pathways HUB. As the Director of the Dayton Regional Pathways HUB, Katie is responsible for the representation of the HUB model to internal and external audiences and leads its growth, sustainability, and advocacy/education. She is the main point of contact for the Care Coordination Agencies and their care coordinators to ensure at-risk children, adults, and families in Montgomery County have access to resources and the results are documented and measured. She has a passion and enthusiasm for community service, which she brings to this role as we continue to develop and grow the program.

Before taking this role with GDAHA, Katie was the Operations Manager at Ascend Innovations, where she was responsible for onboarding, managing accounts payable and receivable, and organizing community events.

Katie is originally from Greenwood, Indiana but has been a Dayton resident for five years. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Indianapolis. When she isn’t working, Katie co-hosts The Silver Screen Podcast and participates in many community theatre productions in the Dayton area. She also serves on the Associate Board at the Dayton Playhouse.

2023 was a banner year for Katie, both personally and professionally. She was honored as one of the Dayton Business Journal’s “Forty Under Forty” in May. Rupert, the family cat, was awarded Best Pet Co-worker by the Dayton Daily News in July. And most exciting of all, Katie and her husband, Argen, welcomed their son in September 2023!

Sarah Hackenbracht

President & CEO

Email

Sarah Hackenbracht is the President & CEO of the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association (GDAHA). In her role, she sets the vision and strategy for a dedicated team that the Dayton region’s hospitals, health systems, and health partners throughout 11 counties. GDAHA is an integral regional association for healthcare organizations as their dedicated convener, collaborator, and advocate. By facilitating collective action on a diverse agenda, hospital and healthcare partners work together to improve the overall health and wellbeing of the communities they serve and demonstrate the value of quality care, close to home.

As an Indiana native, Sarah is proud to consider the Dayton region her home. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wright State University, she began her career at the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce working on small business public policy, safety, and healthcare issues before making the transition to healthcare and GDAHA. During her early years at GDAHA, Sarah specialized in workforce, public policy, and communications for the association and completed her Master of Public Administration from the University of Dayton. In 2011, Sarah moved to Cleveland to serve as the Executive Director of the Cuyahoga Health Access Partnership (CHAP) and navigated the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act before returning to the Dayton area to launch GDAHA’s community-wide advance care planning initiative. Sarah assumed the position of President & CEO for GDAHA in 2019 and led the GDAHA team through the Memorial Day Tornadoes and aftermath of the Oregon District tragedy. The myriad of challenges in 2019 prepared her to be at the forefront of the regional hospital response to COVID-19 in 2020.

Service to the Dayton region is a vital component of GDAHA’s mission and Sarah’s personal commitment to the community. Sarah serves on the Downtown Dayton Partnership Board of Directors, the Dayton Hoopla Local Organizing Committee, the Miami Valley Disaster Recovery Board, and the Advisory Board of the Miami Valley Urban League. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Conference of Metropolitan Hospital Associations

Throughout her career, she has been recognized as an accomplished community leader. Sarah was honored as one of the Dayton Business Journal’s “Forty Under Forty” in 2010 and included in the Dayton Business Journal’s “Power 50” recognizing female leaders across the Dayton region for the first time in 2020. As a graduate of Leadership Dayton’s Class of 2020, Sarah is continuing to focus on building relationships that will allow her to give back to the community. She was honored to accept the “Leader of the Year” from the Leadership Dayton Alumni Association in 2022. Sarah currently serves as an Honorary Commander for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to continue strengthening relationships between our military and civilian sectors. Most recently, she joined Wright State University’s Class of 2023 as their commencement speaker where she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Human Letters.

Sarah and her husband, Alden, welcomed their son in 2020. Becoming a mother has allowed Sarah to experience the world with a new perspective and provides more joy than she could have ever expected. Hugo, their cat, has also adapted to his furless little brother and likes having the extra set of hands to pet him while he eats.

Lisa Henderson

Vice President, Health Initiatives

Email

Lisa Henderson, MHSA, is the Vice President of Health Initiatives at the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association. She is responsible for community health efforts including the Dayton Regional Pathways HUB and the Greater Dayton Advance Care Planning Initiative’s signature project “Decide to be Heard.” She also leads GDAHA’s role in the regional community health needs assessment and subsequent implementation planning. She has responsibility for grant research, writing and development in concert with member hospitals, Ascend Innovations, and the community.

Prior to taking this role with GDAHA, spent 15 years at Dayton Children’s Hospital. She served as the executive director for Dayton Children’s Health Partners, as well as director for business development and physician relations. She has extensive experience in healthcare administration, business growth, strategic planning and operations.

Lisa has her Masters in Health Services Administration from Xavier University and serves on the board for House of Bread and volunteers with Junior League of Dayton. She has two energetic kids and a beloved labradoodle.

Heidi Heuing

Help Me Grow Outreach Specialist

Email

Heidi is an Outreach Specialist with Help Me Grow, serving the communities of Miami, Darke, Shelby, and Mercer counties. She began her journey with Help Me Grow as an Outreach Specialist and later expanded her role by serving as a Home Visitor in Darke County.

Heidi brings a diverse professional background, including experience in public relations, recruitment, and outreach at the Career Center in Piqua. She also spent over 13 years as a certified special needs paraprofessional, working closely with children to support their educational and developmental needs. Throughout her career, she has been passionate about empowering both children and adults to reach their full potential.

Originally from Fort Loramie, Ohio, Heidi now resides in Russia, Ohio, with her husband Jim. They are the proud parents of two daughters, Katelynn and Victoria, and share their home with a golden retriever named Gus.

In her free time, Heidi enjoys spending time outdoors, camping, and caring for her large garden.

Tif Huber

Director, Help Me Grow Brighter Futures

Email

Tif Huber holds a master’s degree from Antioch University where she studied Health Equity in Healthcare Delivery. She began serving as Director of Help Me Grow Brighter Futures at the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association in January 2024. Prior to that, she served at Public Health – Dayton Montgomery County and the Ohio Department of Health where she managed chronic disease programming and health equity strategies focused on reducing population-level health disparities. She is passionate about supporting communities with the most barriers to health and building infrastructure, data capacity, and cross-sector partnerships to meaningfully address social determinants of health and provide support to young children and families in establishing a solid foundation for success, regardless of who they are or where they live, play, or spend their day.

Jennifer Kiene

Help Me Grow Outreach Specialist

Email

Jennifer is a Help Me Grow Outreach Specialist serving the northern portion of the western region, which includes Allen, Auglaize, Hardin, and Logan counties. She has held this role for the past two years.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood and Human Ecology from The Ohio State University. Prior to her current position, Jennifer worked for several years as a Pre-K teacher and served as a mentor for student teachers.

In her free time, Jennifer enjoys spending quality time with her family and being involved in her church community.

Marty Larson

Chief Operating Officer

Email

Marty Larson is the Chief Operating Officer for the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association (GDAHA) and its affiliates, Greater Dayton Area Health Information Network and Southwestern Ohio Health Care Association. He is responsible for overseeing the operations including finance, assisting in strategic development and implementation, identifying emerging healthcare technology opportunities for member hospitals, relaunching SOHCA, identifying and addressing health equity opportunities in the region.

Marty has 30 years of experience in healthcare. He held leadership positions in finance, health information technology, and as an entrepreneur. He has a passion for impacting the community to address the needs in mental and behavioral health and improve health equity. Marty strives to use his work and life experiences to enhance the work of GDAHA and its community partners.

Marty received his master’s degree from Antioch University McGregor and undergraduate degree from Cedarville University. He resides in Xenia, Ohio with Sara, his wife of over 35 years. He has three kids, Lydia, Tabitha, and Noah. Marty’s daughters and their families reside in the Dayton area. Noah and his wife live in Denver. Marty has five grandkids whom he adores.

Ron Mayse

Director, Operations & Technology

Email

Ron Mayse is the Health Information Director for the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association (GDAHA). He is responsible for the coordination of the Health Information Technology efforts that are going on in the Dayton/Springfield Ohio area.  He has worked with teams from the area hospitals on deploying the Health Information Exchange functionality that connect data content providers, physicians and the community. He will continue to lead regional electronic healthcare data issues for GDAHA members.

Ron has 25 years of experience in health care as the owner of a Technology company servicing Health Care Facilities and Physician Practices in the Greater Dayton Area. He has been a Meaningful Use and MIPS/MACRA consultant for 12 years in the areas of workflows, security, documentation and audits. He has served on a local hospital board for 17 years dedicated to improving community healthcare.

Ron lives in the Dayton area with his wife Jennifer and daughter Trinity. He enjoys family, traveling, golf and the great outdoors.

Ariel Mertz

Manager, Health Initiatives Grants

Email

Ariel Mertz is the Health Initiatives Grants Manager at the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association. She is responsible for monitoring grant compliance, developing and maintaining grant budgets, and reporting on grants in support of GDAHA’s community health initiatives. Ariel also assists with invoicing for the Dayton Regional Pathways HUB.

Prior to her role with GDAHA, Ariel was a Case Manager at Homefull where she provided direct services to individuals and families at risk of homelessness. In addition to providing direct services, Ariel served as the Hospital Liaison, where she worked to connect local hospital systems with the homeless system to ensure the best care for all patients. She is excited to continue supporting the work of providing people with quality care through her work at GDAHA.

Ariel received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Northwestern University in 2021. In the summer of 2021, Ariel married her husband, Cameron, and moved to Dayton. Ariel and Cameron have since adopted a dog named Bear.

Mary E. Porter, BSN, RN, CHEP

Regional Healthcare Coordinator

Phone: 937.424.2364

Email

Mary Porter, RN, BSN, CHEP is the West Central Ohio Regional Healthcare Coordinator. She helps to coordinate regional hospital preparedness and planning, partnerships with public health departments, public safety organizations (police, fire, EMA, EMS) and coordination with other regional healthcare coalitions across the state as well as the Ohio Department of Health. She sits on local, regional, and state committees related to preparedness planning. Additionally, Mary is the staff liaison for the Infection Control, Workplace Violence, Nurse Executive, and Nurse Educator Committees.

Mary has been with us since 2017. Her earlier work experience includes working for Premier Health, as Safety Officer, and Emergency Planner as well as an Emergency Department Nurse and leader. Mary earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Wright State University.

Mary lives in Xenia, surrounded by a large extended family and Jamison her Maltese. Mary enjoys teaching, singing, sewing, and reading.

Lisa Rindler

Vice President, Member Services

Email

Lisa manages all of our organization’s data services and reports, quality and trauma initiatives,
and emergency planning activities. She helps to coordinate regional hospital preparedness and planning, partnerships with public health departments and public safety organizations (police, fire, EMA/EMS) and coordination with other regional healthcare coalitions across the state. She sits on numerous local, regional and state committees related to preparedness planning. Additionally, Lisa is the staff liaison for the Health Information Management Committee, the Human Trafficking workgroup, and the Human Resource Directors committee.

Lisa has been with us since 1998.  Her previous experience includes working for Kettering Health Network, Miami Valley Hospital and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Information Management and Systems from The Ohio State University.

Lisa lives in Tipp City with her husband, youngest son, and an adorable Goldendoodle named Harley. She is the proud grandmother of a beautiful baby boy. She enjoys traveling, reading, and cheering for her favorite sports teams at various events.

Jenae Sosebee

Outreach & Referral Coordinator, Dayton Regional Pathways HUB

Email

Jenae Sosebee is the Outreach and Referral Coordinator at Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association. She is responsible for providing the initial contact with clients to gauge interest in the Pathways Community HUB. She engages with Community Health Workers to ensure thorough training to best benefit referral clients. She goes out into the community and attends outreach and engagement events to represent and bring back resources to the Dayton Regional Pathways HUB.

Before GDAHA, Jenae was a school aged teacher at Montgomery Preparatory Academy. She was working with individuals, families, and communities to address a range of behavioral, emotional, and social needs and issues.

Jenae has her Bachelors of Science in Psychology from Wright State University. She graduated with her degree in May of 2021. She is from the Dayton Area, where she is the second oldest out of twelve siblings

Rachel Summers

Outreach Specialist

Email