LEADERSHIP
Dorothy Urschel
An accomplished clinician, administrator and academic, Dr. Urschel is a doctorally prepared acute care and family nurse practitioner. She also holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration.
Bryan Mahoney
Bryan Mahoney joined CMH in 2011 as the Controller and was named Chief Financial Officer in 2016.
Bryan came to CMH with 9 years of experience at the accounting firm KPMG. As CFO, Bryan oversees the organization’s revenue cycle, supply chain and information technology needs across several departments.
After earning a degree in accounting from the University of Massachusetts in 2002, Bryan went on to become a certified public accountant and completed a certificate program at The Academy for Healthcare Leadership Advancement at Cornell University in 2015.
Clifford J. Belden, MD
A former Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve, Dr. Belden has received numerous honors and awards as a physician, researcher, teacher and leader. He has held leadership appointments at several leading institutions, including: Johns Hopkins University where he served as a radiology instructor; Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center where he served as Chief Clinical Officer; Temple University School of Medicine where he served as Chair of Radiology; University of Texas where he served as adjunct associate professor of radiology; Geisel School of Medicine where he served as associate professor of radiology and neurology; and Albany Medical College where he served as associate professor of radiology. He is also associated with numerous leading professional and clinical organizations.
Bryanna Scali
Bryanna Scali joined the CMH Human Resources Department in 2009 and was promoted to a managerial role in 2013 before being named Vice President of Human Resources in January 2017.
In her role at CMH, Brya is responsible for organizational development, recruitment and staffing, employment law, performance management, employee relations, and compensation and benefits for the network’s 1,400 staff members.
Brya earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University at Albany in 2006 and a Master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Alliant International University in San Diego in 2008. Brya is an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management as well as the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.
Stephanie Hisgen
Stephanie holds numerous degrees including Doctor of Nursing Practice, Master of Public Health, and Bachelor of Science in nursing. Ms. Hisgen has accrued many years of nursing leadership and senior management experience at health care organizations in our region and across the nation, including as: Corporate Director of Nursing for Prospect Medical Holdings, a 17-hospital health system operating in five states; Senior Director Visiting Nurse Service Northeastern New York; Director of Nursing Recruitment at SUNY Upstate Medical University; and Director of Nursing Excellence at Glens Falls Hospital. She also served as an improvement advisor in the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention.
Ronald Pope, D.O.
Dr. Pope oversees a team of administrative staff, clinical providers and physicians across CMH’s network of primary and specialty care centers. In addition, he serves as Medical Director of Staff Health as well as Director of Medical Education and helped develop a mentor program at CMH for medical students.
He previously served as an Assistant Director of Medical Education at Mid-Hudson Family Practice Residency Program and as President & CEO Ocean State Ambulance. As a graduate of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Pope has worked as both a primary care physician and administrator. He has studied through the American Association of Physician Leadership, and is a Certified Physician Executive through that same organization.
Patricia Finnegan
Tish Finnegan joined the CMH executive team in 2005 and has nearly 27 years of experience in a variety of roles across the healthcare network.
Today, Tish serves as Vice President of Care Center Administration and oversees the networks’ primary, specialty and urgent care centers.
Tish is a graduate of Columbia- Greene Community College and The University at Albany, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology. As an active community volunteer, Tish serves on the leadership boards of the Columbia Economic Development Corporation, Greene County Rural Health Network, and The Second Show thrift shop a Hospital fundraising organization.
Barbara Klassen
Barbara Klassen joined the CMH Foundation as Executive Director in March 2019. Barbara has over 30 years of experience in not-for-profit and healthcare fundraising including roles as Executive Director of the Benedictine Health Foundation in Kingston, and Regional Director, American Diabetes Association in Albany.
Barbara works with the Foundation Board of Trustees to secure funding for advanced medical technology, capital projects, and modernization of CMH facilities.
Barbara serves as a board member for the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, and the New York Council of Nonprofits.
Laurie Harbeck
Laurie Harbeck is an experienced public health professional bringing ample experience and knowledge in areas such as healthcare quality, regulatory compliance, data management and performance improvement. After joining CMH in 2022 she was named Executive Director of Quality, Regulatory and Performance Improvement. She is responsible for the overall management of the hospital Quality Management System which includes development of annual quality priorities and goals, risk management and regulatory reporting requirements. She is the operational lead for the Quality Management Department including oversight of CMS and NYS Dept of Health accreditation and certification activities, Performance Improvement, Clinical Quality, and Quality Data Management.
Rhonda Makoske
Rhonda Makoske is an experienced healthcare leader who joined Columbia Memorial Health in 2002 and has oversight of Medical Imaging Services across the hospital and outpatient imaging centers. In addition, Rhonda currently serves as the Patient Safety, Corporate Compliance and HIPAA Privacy Officer.
Rhonda began her healthcare career as a radiologic technologist with a degree from Hudson Valley Community College in Radiologic Technology and holds advanced ARRT certifications in CT and Mammography. She also earned a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Utica College and a Master’s Certificate in Clinical Ethics from the Alden March Bioethics Institute at Albany Medical College.
