Meet the Team

Michael Lyons, MD, MPH
HealthNow Director

Dr. Lyons is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and a nationally renowned expert in public health and health services research. He has over two decades of experience developing and implementing high-quality adjunct health and prevention interventions in healthcare settings. Nationally renowned in ED-based screening and linkage to care interventions, he leads several high-profile infectious diseases and opioid response initiatives within the State of Ohio.

Emily B. Kauffman, DO, MPH
HealthNow Medical Director of Addiction Services

Dr. Kauffman is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Hospital Medicine. She has accomplished multi-sector state leadership in Addiction Medicine Services. She has served as PI on numerous projects related to the implementation of evidence-based practices for patients with SUD since 2018, including ODH ED Comprehensive Care, FCPH Overdose Data to Action grant, and NIH HEALing Communities Initiatives to project implementation in other EDs throughout Ohio. 

Brittany Punches, PhD, RN, CEN, FAEN
HealthNow Assistant Program Director 

Dr. Punches is an Associate Professor in the College of Nursing and Department of Emergency Medicine at the Ohio State University.  Dr. Punches’ clinical and scientific training focuses on applying health service research to develop and test emergency care prevention interventions to address population health. Her primary focus surrounds disparities in pain management, substance use, and trauma recovery.  Punches is a Fellow of the Academy of Emergency Nursing and a certified emergency nurse. 

Rebekah Richards, MD, MPH
HealthNow Assistant Director of Clinical Services 

Dr. Rebekah Richards is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine. Her academic focus is translational science with an emphasis on system-based interventions to support clinical decision making and improve the quality of health care delivered. Dr. Richards has served as co-investigator and collaborated on multiple projects including Ending the HIV Epidemic, OSU STAR Trauma Recovery Center, OCJS Anti-Human Trafficking service delivery, and Emergency Department Comprehensive Care training development. She is active in resident education focused on evidence-based clinical practice and leads the OSUWMC Clinical Practice Guideline Committee. 

Natalie Taul, LSW
Clinical Services Manager

Ms. Taul oversees the clinical operations/implementation of clinical services for the HealthNow program. Ms. Taul has extensive experience coordinating and managing a variety of health services research and clinical projects in the ED setting. She has supported and led grant efforts funded by SAMHSA, OMHAS, and Ohio Department of Health. Ms. Taul has considerable experience implementing clinical operations in the ED and community setting.

Maggie Chen, MPH
Clinical Services Lead

Ms. Chen assists in the clinical/research operations and implementation under Mss. Taul and Sall. In addition to her extensive research and clinical experience, she has worked and collaborated with community-based clinics, harm reduction centers, and CBOs on a range of public health initiatives related to food insecurity, homelessness, and substance use disorder. Ms. Chen is passionate about reducing health disparities and barriers to care of vulnerable populations. 

Andrew Cunha, CDCA, CPRS
Patient Navigator

Mr. Cunha earned a BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts. After years in education, his lived experience with addiction and recovery inspired a transition to the mental health and addiction field. Mr. Cunha became a Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant and Certified Peer Recovery Supporter for addiction. He is incredibly passionate about educating others in the success of long-term recovery and reducing the social stigma surrounding the disease of addiction. 

Brent Emerson, PhD, MPH
Project Manager

Mr. Emerson is a PhD candidate within The Ohio State University’s College of Public Health: Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion. He has experience using mixed methods and community-engaged strategies to develop, implement, and evaluate theoretically-guided interventions to improve health outcomes. His research interests include exploring the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) to reduce anxiety before first-time screening procedures.

Collin Haas
Student Worker

Mr. Haas is an undergraduate cellular and molecular neuroscience pre-med student. He assists the team by screening patients in the emergency department for programs that may offer beneficial support and care. He helps connect and refer patients with complex needs to services. Mr. Haas is deeply passionate about improving access to medical care for underserved communities and is committed to empowering individuals with the resources and encouragement they need to take charge of their health. 

Heather Mohrman
Project Manager

Ms. Mohrman comes to the HealthNow team with over 20 years of experience serving at-risk communities including SUD, LGBTQI+, low-income, and justice involved, with a specialty serving sexually exploited womxn. She has served in both public and nonprofit roles as a direct service provider and has expertise in program/community development. Her skills include fundraising in major gifts and grant writing. 

Katie Mosher
Student Worker

Ms. Mosher is an undergraduate public health student. She is involved with research through the College of Nursing, and volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House near Nationwide Children’s. In her free time, she loves to learn Spanish and hang out with dogs through a club called 4Paws for Ability. 

Kamala Poudyel, MPH
Patient Navigator Specialist

Mrs. Poudyel, a Master of Public Health graduate from the University of Utah, has extensive experience working in community settings, particularly with people of color, advocating for healthcare needs and providing mental health support to individuals and families. As a Patient Navigation Specialist, she is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for patients from diverse backgrounds. 

Nia Price
Student Worker

Ms. Price is an undergraduate Respiratory Therapy student, pursuing a minor in Aging. She assists team members in screening potentially eligible patients for various health-related programs as well as referring patients to higher-level HPAs for additional interventions. Ms. Price works to make healthcare more accessible and personal for patients with the help of her HealthNow Program mentors. 

Ariana Quintana
Patient Navigator

Ms. Quintana has an extensive professional healthcare background working across various patient serving roles and has a passion for marginalized groups. Her multicultural experiences bring much needed representation in her role in helping patients navigate the healthcare system. Ms. Quintana’s areas of interest include patient advocacy, healthcare outcomes of previously incarcerated individuals, and addiction healthcare policy. 

Shahad Salman
Patient Navigator

Ms. Salman graduated from Cornell University, where she studied Global and Public Health Sciences. Ms. Salman’s lived experiences, previous work in a range of community-centered roles, and translational research background shaped her present passion for health equity and people-centered care. She serves patients with a commitment to creating supportive, affirming, and uplifting environments for all.  

Micah Vance
Patient Navigator/ Training and Compliance Coordinator

Anchored in Columbus’ Emergency Medicine, Mr. Vance’s rural background offers unique insights into underserved healthcare. With seasoned expertise guiding patients through intricate medical cases, including ECMO, he seamlessly combines the wisdom gleaned from his rural upbringing with high professionalism, ensuring the comfort and confidence of every patient’s journey. Mr. Vance’s commitment to enhancing healthcare experiences underscores his passion for making a meaningful impact.

Hawa Sall
Clinical Research Manager

Ms. Sall oversees the research studies and operations for the PH2S (Population Health and Health Services) team. Additionally, she leads some clinical projects related to infectious diseases like HIV and HCV. Ms. Sall has over six years of experience working on community projects with the syringe exchange program and linkage to care services for patients in the hospital as well as the community. 

Karen Guerra
Clinical Research Specialist

Ms. Guerra is a graduate of The Ohio State University where she earned her BS in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. With extensive experience across various healthcare systems, she has most recently focused on oncological research. Ms. Guerra developed interest in human subject protections, patient advocacy and supporting individuals throughout their healthcare journey.

Bailey Hadley
Clinical Research Assistant

Ms. Hadley received her BS in Biology from North Carolina A&T State University. Her HBCU experience solidified her passion for health equity and inspired her to pursue her Master of Public Health. She previously worked at Nationwide Children’s Hospital as a Family Liaison, where she served as a bridge between surgical teams and patient’s families- facilitating linkage to medical and social services. Ms. Hadley currently supports clinical research efforts by recruiting and enrolling patients in the ED into clinical trials. 

Marissa Smith, MPH
Project Manager

Ms. Smith is a highly experienced Project Manager specializing in public health policy, program development, and strategic planning. Currently, she leads the development and implementation of projects supporting clinical research and public health initiatives with HealthNow. Ms. Smith has a rich background in managing local, state, and federal grants with a focus on addiction, HIV/STDs, and epidemiology. She previously contributed to NIH’s HEALing Communities Study, aiming to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths through evidence-based practices.

David Spatholt, MCP, MHI
Strategic Operations and Data Manager

Mr. Spatholt oversees data and strategic operations for the HealthNow program. He has expertise in grant and program management, strategic planning, homelessness policy, clinical research, health informatics, and design thinking with grant innovations and health disparities. Mr. Spatholt leads and assists teams with developing data and quality improvement infrastructure to monitor and scale program activity.

Katie Calhoun, MBA
Project Finance Coordinator

Ms. Calhoun earned an MBA with a focus on accounting from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She has experience in program management, community-based education, maternal and infant health, financial budgeting and forecasting, and grant management. Ms. Calhoun assists with financial forecasting, reconciliation, award management, and general business operations activities.  

Amanda Carroll, MTDA
Lead Data Manager

Ms. Carroll assists the team with constructing data infrastructure and serves as a quality/ process improvement and data manager. She is an expert in electronic data capture (EDC), electronic survey design and implementation, and related data collection methods for clinical and social research. She also manages data collection, compilation, and dissemination for reporting. Ms. Carroll has expertise in data analytics, information systems, and user experience.

Chelsea Cobranchi, MTDA
Data Manager

Ms. Cobranchi serves as a quality/process improvement and data manager for the HealthNow program. She contributes to the team by constructing data infrastructure and assists the team with identification, collection, assessment, and reporting of relevant data as required to meet needs for program information, metrics, and accountability. She has expertise in data management, electronic data capture systems, survey design, clinical research, data analytics, and mental health research. 

Elizabeth Hutzel-Dunham, PhD, RN, CPN
Clinical Services Coordinator

Ms. Hutzel-Dunham is a registered nurse and a PhD Candidate at The University of Cincinnati. Her research interests include: maternal addiction, stigma, resilience, and healthcare utilization. 

Craig Vandeberg
IT Partner

Mr. Vandeberg is primarily responsible for advising on IHIS and liaising with the IHIS (Epic) teams, driving initiatives to enhance uptake of testing and other best practices in the ED. Mr. Vandeberg is an expert in EMRs and EPIC systems and handles data collection for clinical, research and quality purposes. Mr. Vandeberg is also responsible for building data infrastructure and managing clinical data.

Jacob Langkiet
Patient Navigator/ Follow-up Specialist

Marilyn Macario
Patient Navigator

Dalen Moore
Clinical Research Lead  

Charlotte Roe
Clinical Research Associate

Erin Zhao
Patient Navigator