The leadership team at Brookside Community Health Center is committed to creating a welcoming environment for staff, patients, and visitors, where all individuals can thrive. We work with staff to ensure excellent care to all patients regardless of their ability to pay. Racial justice and health equity are core to our mission and vision. We strive to be an active member of the local community in Jamaica Plain and surrounding areas.
Executive Director
Mimi joined Brookside in 2013 as the manager for Quality, Compliance and Special Projects. She was hired into the role of Executive Director in 2015. She has 18 years of healthcare and public health experience and is a family nurse practitioner. She works collaboratively with her leadership team and strives to provide high quality care through continuous improvement efforts across Brookside.
Administrative Director, Operations and Patient Support Services
Awilda comes to us from Chelsea Health Center where she was the Administrative Manager for Adult Medicine. She has held numerous management positions at MGH and received glowing reviews. She holds an associate degree in accounting from Bay State College, a Bachelor of Science in business management, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Healthcare Administration at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Awilda is certified in Six Sigma Methodology Yellow Belt, Association for the Healthcare Environment CMIP, and Lean Management.
Medical Director
Dr. Cynthia So-Armah joined Brookside in 2013 as an internal medicine resident. She became an attending internist in 2016, at which point she served as Lead Physician for Quality Improvement at Brookside and Assistant Program Director for QI at the Brigham Internal Medicine Residency Program. She has spent a significant amount of time working in the Dominican Republic and currently serves as chair of the Board of Directors for Yspaniola, an organization that brings high quality educational opportunities to individuals in Batey Libertad, Dominican Republic. She has served as Brookside’s Medical Director since September 2019.
Nurse Director
Meg has worked as a Registered Nurse and Nurse Leader for over a decade. Most of her experience has been in acute care at academic medical centers, where her eyes were opened to how challenging the U.S. healthcare system is for those who need it most. She is passionate about Community Health, Health Equity, Population Health and Social Determinants of Health. She also has great experience and interest in process improvement and quality improvement. She feels honored to serve as Brookside’s Nurse Director since 2019.
WIC/Nutrition Director
Maria O’Donnell, an alumna of The Pennsylvania State University, holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics and a Master of Science in Nutrition from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is a committed advocate for community nutrition, consistently aiming to create positive change through her personal and professional endeavors. With over seven years as a Public Health professional, Maria specializes in the nutritional well-being of children and mothers in underserved communities. Her efforts have centered on facilitating access to nutritious foods and bolstering self-confidence among low-income families. In her five-year tenure with the Massachusetts WIC Program, she has played a pivotal role in enhancing service accessibility for marginalized groups and fostering healthy eating practices from pregnancy through early childhood.
Dental Director
Dr. Claudia Morales, born in Colombia, went to the University of St. Thomas of Aquino and graduated in general dentistry in 1988. She then attended the Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine where she received her D.M.D in 1997. Soon after, she started her career in dentistry at Brookside in the fall of 1997. Dr. Morales was appointed as the Dental Director in 2013.
Dental and Family Services Practice Manager
Prior to becoming part of Brookside Team, Manuela worked in a non-profit organization, Children's Services of Roxbury, assisting homeless families in the Boston area for 14 years. The different roles Manuela played during those years as a Case Coordinator, Lead Coordinator, Supervisor, Assistant Director, and as Director of the Housing and Stabilization Program, provided her with the essential skills and knowledge to lead, coach, and motivate others.
Nurse Manager
Darlin joined Brookside in 2013 as a Pediatric LPN. Obtained her Associates Nursing Degree from Quincy College in 2015 and continued her nursing career at Brookside moving into a Family and Adult Registered Nurse Position in 2016. She then obtained her bachelor’s in nursing from Curry College in 2017. She worked in unison with the patient care team to provide exceptional care to our patients and has been a leader and a reliable resource to her team members. She is an expert in chronic and acute care management of Adult and Family medicine patients. Her passions include community health, population health and team building. In 2020 she became the Nurse Flow Manager of the Medical Department.
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