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By the Bay Health

Leadership

By the Bay Health prides itself on building a mission-driven group of individuals to lead our organization. Our leadership teams include professionals and volunteers from all backgrounds who are driven by a commitment and passion to serve others.

Learn more about our leadership below.

Leadership

SKELLY WINGARD, RN, PHN, MSN
Chief Executive Officer

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Skelly Wingard, Chief Executive Officer of By the Bay Health, joins the organization with more than 10 years of progressive leadership experience, including her most recent role as Vice President of Continuum of Care for Kaiser Permanente, Mid-Atlantic States, where she led strategy and operations for hospital and post-acute services, emergency care management, health plan utilization, transportation, regional care management, and more.

Wingard, who holds a Master’s Degree in Nursing from the University of San Francisco, began her career in healthcare as a bedside nurse before joining North American Health Care in 2008, where she held both clinical and administrative leadership roles. In 2012, she joined Ensign Services as Director of Nursing, and was promoted to Vice President of Care Continuum in 2014.  In 2017, she joined Kaiser Permanente Health Plan, where she held Continuum of Care leadership roles across Northern California.  In 2020, she progressed within the organization as the executive leader, overseeing Continuum health plan operations in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. 

Wingard currently lives in Petaluma, is an avid trail runner, and enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends.


LESLIE HASSAN-SEIDMAN, MSN, APRN, NP-C, CHA
Chief Patient Care Services Officer

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Leslie joined By the Bay Health in 2010, serving in direct care, management, and leadership roles before becoming Interim Chief Operating Officer in 2024. She is a certified Adult-Gerontological Nurse Practitioner by training and received her Master’s degree in Nursing from The University of Massachusetts. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in Nursing and Sociology from Syracuse University and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, respectively.

As Interim COO, Leslie oversees our community, home and inpatient hospice teams, our volunteer and bereavement programs as well as our intake and admissions department. 

Leslie began her nursing career as a thoracic surgical nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital before relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area and joining By the Bay Health. She lives in Sonoma County with her family and spends her spare time hiking and enjoying nature. 


ROBERTINA SZOLAROVA
, RN, MS
Chief Administrative Officer

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Robertina Szolarova joined By the Bay Health in 2003, serving in clinical leadership and quality & compliance roles before becoming CAO in 2018. She is a registered nurse by training, and received her Master’s degree from UCSF’s Health Policy Nursing program. She oversees Human Resources, Education, Quality & Compliance, Service Excellence, Marketing & Communications, and Retail Operations.


KAI ROMERO
, MD
Chief Medical Officer

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Dr. Kai Romero is board certified in Emergency Medicine. She completed her residency at UCSF-ZSFGH and fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Care at UC San Francisco. She continues to practice Emergency Medicine at Kaiser San Francisco, and outpatient Palliative Care at UCSF. She joined By the Bay Health in 2018.

Jim Kelly - BTBH


JIM KELLY

Chief Financial Officer

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Jim Kelly joined By the Bay Health in 2015, filling the CFO role as of 2021. He oversees the Finance, Accounting, and Billing departments, while also serving on many committees and groups within the organization. Prior to By the Bay Health, Jim worked for Klutz Press, a subsidiary of Scholastic Inc., providing financial leadership as the Business Manager.
Jim grew up in New Jersey, and attended Lehigh University, receiving his B.S. in Accounting with a minor in Asian Studies. He moved to California in 2002, and currently resides in Marin County with his wife and two children. Outside of work, Jim enjoys hiking, camping, skiing, and traveling.

Board Officers

KAREN E. MAY, PhD, Chair
Advisor/Coach

GERALD R. PETERS, JD, Vice Chair
Retired Attorney
Former Partner, Latham & Watkins

GREGORY A. LeCLAIRE, Treasurer
CFO, Muso, Inc.

WENDY C. CHOW, J.D., Secretary
VP Legal, Head of Health Care & Privacy Officer, WeightWatchers

STEVEN Z. PANTILAT, MD, At Large
Chief of Palliative Medicine, Division of Palliative Medicine, UCSF

SKELLY A. WINGARD, RN, MSN, CEO
By the Bay Health

Directors

MUKUND ACHARYA, PhD
Social Entrepreneur & Advocate

ARMIKA J. BERKLEY, DSc
Chief Administrative Officer, Kaiser Permanente

STACY A. BLANCHARD
Senior Managing Director, Accenture

DANIEL E. COHN, JD
Partner, Farella Braun + Martel LLP

JEFF M. GERARD
Retired Health Care Professional

TRACY A. HOGAN
Director of Development, Dominican University of California

CATHERINE C. JAMENTZ (Kate)
Retired in 2016 from Academic Deputy Superintendent, Fremont Union High School District

SWAMINATHAN M. JAYARAMAN
President, Vascular Innovations, Inc.

PATRICIA A. KENDALL
Retired, Medical Group Administrator
Kaiser Permanente

KENNETH MEISLIN
Principal, Meislin Investments

MICHELLE S. MOURAD, MD
Professor and Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs and Value, Department of Medicine
Medical Director, Transitions in Care
UCSF Health

RICK SANCIANGCO
CEO/Owner
Nothing Bundt Cakes

SHAY J. STRACHAN
Chief Partnership & Growth Officer, UCSF Health

SCOTT TAYLOR SMITH
CEO, Viant Group & Viant Capital, a merchant bank in San Francisco

Emeriti

MARY TAVERNA, President Emeritus
Former President/CEO
Hospice of Marin/Hospice by the Bay

STEPHEN A. THAL, Chair Emeritus
Retired Certified Gemologist and founder of Fox’s St. Francis Jewelry Store, San Francisco

By the Bay Health Physicians

KAI ROMERO, M.D., Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Kai Romero is board certified in Emergency Medicine. She completed her residency at UCSF-ZSFGH and fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Care at UC San Francisco. She continues to practice Emergency Medicine at Kaiser San Francisco, and outpatient Palliative Care at UCSF. She joined By the Bay Health in 2018.

JESSICA KEANE, M.D.
Dr. Jessica Keane is board certified in Internal Medicine. She completed her residency at UC Davis and later went on to serve as Chief Resident. She practiced primary care in San Rafael for seven years before joining By the Bay Health in 2014.

JESSICA SAFRA, M.D.
Dr. Jessica Safra is board certified in Internal Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She completed her residency at Oregon Health & Science University and fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Care at UC San Francisco. She practiced inpatient and clinic-based Palliative Care for three years before joining By the Bay Health in 2015.

MICHELLE NICHOLS, M.D.
Dr. Michelle Nichols is board certified in Internal Medicine. She completed her medical school and residency at UCSF. She practiced in primary care and as a hospitalist for 15 years before focusing her clinical practice on Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She joined By the Bay Health in 2017. She compliments her Hospice practice with work in medical education and serves as Medical Director for the Physician Assistant Program at Dominican University.

NICHOLAS BUCKLEY, M.D.
Dr. Nicholas Buckley is board certified in family medicine. He completed his residency at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center in New York. He joined Mission Hospice in 2020. He complements his hospice practice by seeing homebound patients as part of Homecare Physicians Medical Group.