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Empowering parents to breastfeed every step of the way
Meet the BFREE Team
We'd love to hear from you! Please visit our Contact Us page to connect with us.
Program Coordinators
Pamela Reichert-Anderson, MA, RDN, CLC
Project Coordinator
Pamela is a registered dietitian for General Pediatrics at CCMC and is the project coordinator. She has extensive experience with implementing health interventions in various settings. In a similar role on our previous grant, she coordinated training and quality improvement projects in nine pediatric practices to help change their breastfeeding culture. She played an instrumental role in helping Dolan Family Health Center successfully become the first NYS designated Breastfeeding Friendly practice in the Metropolitan region. For this project, Pamela will coordinate all aspects of the project including outreach, provider training, follow-up, assist in implementation and evaluation of operational activities, work closely with project staff to connect organizations and develop strong coalitions, and report any collected data.
Use this space to introduce yourself and share your professional history.
Henry (Hank) Bernstein,
DO, MHCM, FAAP
Primary Investigator
Dr. Bernstein is a professor of Pediatrics at Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine. He is involved in a broad range of clinical, educational, research, and advocacy activities and has notably enhanced pediatric clinical practice. He is a published representative of nationally established groups and has directly influenced national policy. In 2013, he created FeedingYourBaby.org, a unique online educational tool available in English and Spanish, to support individualized maternal education, provide guidance, and time management to promote breastfeeding during the baby's first 6 months of life. Dr. Bernstein will oversee all activities, budget, and reporting functions of the grant.
Jennifer L. Giordano is the Director of Latch With Love, Inc., East Setauket, NY and Lactation Consultant for Peds First Pediatrics, Medford, NY. Jennifer is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and known as an expert in the field of lactation management. She was the Lactation/Perinatal Education Coordinator for St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center and Lecturer/Board Advisor for Prepared Childbirth Educators, Inc. She taught a Certified Breastfeeding Counselor course nationally which focused on preparing hospitals for Baby-Friendly designation and is a member of the Association of Lactation Providers, Long Island, NY. Jennifer is excited to assist increasing breastfeeding community support as the IBCLC of the New York State Department of Health-Northwell BFREE Grant Team.
Jennifer L. Giordano,
MS, APRN, FNP, IBCLC
Lactation Consulant
Developer
Use this space to introduce yourself and share your professional history.
Tari is a public health professional holding Master's degrees in Public Health and Project Management and is one of the project coordinators for the BFREE Team. She has extensive experience with planning and implementing maternal health interventions for black and brown mothers on Long Island. She played an instrumental role in setting up the Birth Justice Warriors foundation, an educational non-profit dedicated to eliminating disparities in adverse health outcomes for black birthing people in Nassau County. She has also had the opportunity to identify and lead quality improvement programs to improve the quality of care for geriatric populations. Tari will coordinate outreach and provider training, and assist in implementation and evaluation of operational activities on the BFREE Team, working closely with project staff to connect organizations, develop strong coalitions, and report any collected data.
Tari Ajeh,
MPH, MS, CLC, CHC
Project Coordinator
Associate Program Coordinators
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Sarah Yashar-Gershman
Angela Cabrera
Siri Peddineni
Angelica Joshi
Sarah graduated from Princeton University in 2022 with a major in Psychology and a minor in Global Health and Health Policy. She has previously conducted research on indigenous women’s health in Ecuador as well as researched bilingual children’s language learning in a developmental psychology lab. She is looking forward to working with BFREE and the communities on Long Island to promote breastfeeding initiatives.
Angela graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology Honors and a minor in Psychology. In the past, she has conducted research on maximizing the photosynthetic efficiency of plants through molecular cloning in efforts to combat food insecurity. Angela is greatly looking forward to working with the BFREE team and collaborating with communities in New York to promote breastfeeding support and education.
Siri graduated from Emory University in 2023 with a bachelor of science in Anthropology/Human Biology and a minor in Global Health, Cultures, and Society. She has previously conducted research on increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates amongst refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities in Clarkston, Georgia. Siri is excited to join the BFREE team and work alongside community members to promote breastfeeding initiatives and education across the New York area.
Angelica graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2023 with a degree in Chemistry and minors in Biology and Neuroscience. She previously conducted research in infrared nanospectroscopy as well as adolescent alcohol exposure using an animal model. She is excited to work with the BFREE team and the communities of Long Island to promote breastfeeding/chestfeeding!
Meet the Lactation Support Group Facilitators
Pat Esposito, RN-PD, MS, IBCLC
Pat is a Registered Nurse with a Masters Degree in Health Administration. She has been a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator since 1978 and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 1998. She has guided many couples in achieving their birthing goal and assisting them on their breastfeeding journeys.
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Pat retired from her position as Head Nurse in the Labor and Delivery Unit at South Shore University Hospital in 2008, after serving in that role for 20 years. She continues to be employed at SSUH, as a per diem Lactation Consultant. She created the weekly Breastfeeding Support Group at SSUH in 2010 and often facilitates that in-person group on Tuesday afternoons. In addition to that, Pat counsels new moms in the Maternity Unit and facilitates our virtual lactation support groups every Tuesday from 7-8 pm.
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When not spending her time working with new families, Pat enjoys gardening, kayaking, paddle boarding, boating, and other outdoor activities. Pat relishes her family life, her husband, her 4 grown children and their spouses, and her 10 grandchildren. She feels that the experiences of her own life have aided her in being successful in the many facets of her work life.
Marta Blanco
Paola Duarte
Sandy McCabe
Maryjean Williams
Jeanne Rosser
Lizeth Villa
Italia Granshaw
Former Program Coordinators
Anastasia Schepers, MA, RDN, CLC, MS
Anastasia is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a Master's degree in clinical nutrition. Most of her 35 years in the field have been spent educating youth and parents on making healthy lifestyle choices, focusing particularly on food and beverages. Anastasia provides a variety of interactive and educational programs in Queens, Nassau, and Western Suffolk under the Kohl’s Cares Keeping Kids Healthy Program, a grant aimed at reducing the prevalence of childhood obesity. Programs focus on including more fruits and vegetables, eating breakfast, making healthy beverage and snack choices, and engaging in physical activity. For this project, Anastasia will coordinate all aspects of the project with Pamela, work closely with project staff to connect organizations and develop strong coalitions, and report any collected data.
Dawn Kempa, RN, IBCLC
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Dawn has served as a RN IBCLC for 22 years and is the project administrator. She has been the CCMC WIC program manager for 14 years has vast experience in supporting under served mothers with breastfeeding. Dawn also serves on a number of committees within Northwell Health to make breastfeeding the norm, which includes making clinical practices and hospitals breastfeeding and baby friendly. For this project, she will utilize her expertise to provide comprehensive staff administrative support, host breastfeeding training sessions, and help staff Baby Cafés®.
Former Associate Program Coordinators
Alix Rosenberg, BS
Maria Fernanda Machicao, BS
Muskaan Sawhney, BS
Michiyah Collins​, BA, CLC
Janvi Shukla, BA
Caroline Castleman, AB, CLC
Gloria Zhao, BA, CLC
Chisom Chigozie-Nwosu, BA, CLC
Heesu Park, BS, CLC
Tara Mathias-Prabhu​, BS, CLC
Abby Coco, BA
Michelle Chen, BA, CLC
Maggie Sherin, BA, CLC
Pearl Subramanian, BA, CLC
Yingna Wang, BA
Casidhe-Nicole Bethancourt, BA, CLC
Victoria Chi, BA, CLC
Shannon Cleary, BA, CLC
Ling Jing, BA, CLC
Angie Lee, BA, CLC
Irene Song, BA, CLC
Tiffany L. Wang, BA, CLC