Staff Biographies
Administration
Dr. Kenneth Michael (Mike) Walker
Chief Audit and Compliance Officer
UCHC, Storrs and Regional Campuses
Mike was appointed Chief Audit and Compliance Officer for the University of Connecticut (UConn) and for the University of Connecticut Health Center (UCHC) in January of 2005. His responsibilities include the leadership and oversight of the audit and compliance functions at the main campus at Storrs, the Health Center campus in Farmington, and seven regional campuses. A major focus of his current responsibilities includes the oversight of the campus expansion and renovation effort known as UConn 2000 and 21st Century UConn. Combined, this is a $2.3 billion State-funded expansion and renovation program designed to establish and maintain UConn’s dominance as the number one public university in New England.
Prior higher education experience includes serving as Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University and holding multiple faculty and staff positions at Wake Forest University (WFU). In 1998, Mike assumed leadership of a newly formed compliance and audit function at WFU serving in that capacity through 2004.
He is well versed in health care and higher education issues having served on multiple committees for both WFU and UConn. Additionally, Mike was formally trained as an Army Inspector General; served five years as the Co-Chair for HIPAA implementation for WFU and WFU Baptist Medical Center; and was Chair for the Sarbanes-Oxley implementation at WFU.
Mike received his B.S. from Chaminade University, an M.A. in Personnel Management from Central Michigan and an M.S. in Education Administration from Appalachian State University. Mike’s Ph.D. is from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is also a graduate of the Army’s Command and General Staff College and other military schools including the Army Ranger School and Airborne School. Mike’s military experience includes serving as a Lieutenant Colonel. He is a Gulf War Veteran and was awarded the Bronze Star for service in the Gulf War and Legion of Merit Award for life-time achievement.
Mike has authored numerous articles for national publication. He has served as speaker and panel member for the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), and the North Carolina Health Information Communications Alliance (NCHICA). Mike is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), HCCA, AAMC and NCHICA.
Angela Marsh
Administrative Assistant, Storrs
Angela joined OACE in October 2011. She began her career at UConn in Human Resources and Payroll Services in June 2010. She previously worked at MassMutual Financial Group located in Springfield and Chicopee, MA, Enfield, CT for fifteen years. She held various positions that included a Call Center Representative, Analyst, Trainer and Project / Program Manager.
Angela holds a B.S. in Communications from Southern Connecticut State University. As administrative assistant Angela supports the Chief Audit and Compliance Officer and the OACE staff.
Melanie O’Connor
Executive Assistant, UCHC
Melanie joined UCHC in October of 2009 after many years of employment with Skip Barber, LLC as an Administrative Assistant. She is responsible for supporting the Office of Audit, Compliance and Ethics with administrative functions. She currently holds an A.S. in Legal Assisting and is pursuing a degree in Allied Health Administration from Northwestern Connecticut Community College.
Compliance - UCHC
Iris Mauriello, RN, CHC
Corporate Compliance Integrity/Privacy Officer, UCHC
Iris Mauriello is a registered nurse and has led the UCHC Compliance Office since 2000. She has 28 years experience in healthcare as a clinical RN and Nursing Manager. Her diverse experience includes physical rehab, medical/surgical, psychiatric/substance abuse, emergency department, interventional radiology/nursing and risk management settings.
Her responsibilities as Corporate Compliance Integrity/Privacy Officer include the oversight of operations for five separate domains of the UCHC Compliance Program. She is also the Corporate Privacy Officer, a designation required by the HIPAA Privacy regulation. As the Privacy Officer, Iris oversees the development, implementation and adherence to UCHC policies and procedures covering the privacy of patient protected health information in accordance with Federal and State laws.
Iris received her B.G.S. from the University of Connecticut. She is an active member of the Association of American Medical Colleges Compliance Officers Forum, the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) and former chairperson of the Connecticut Hospital Association Corporate Compliance Officers Group. She also holds a certification in Health Care Compliance (CHC) awarded through the Health Care Compliance Association Board.
Nancy Day Adams, MD
Director Compliance Education and Faculty Liaison, UCHC
Nancy Day Adams, MD is the Director of Compliance Education and Faculty Liaison at UCHC. She was appointed Executive Director of Corporate Compliance by the Executive Vice President in July 2004. With development of the Office of Audit, Compliance and Ethics at the University of Connecticut and the appointment of Kenneth “Mike” Walker, her position changed to the present one.
Dr. Adams is Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Nephrology. She has been a member of the Health Center’s Ethics Committee since 1988, and was Chair of the School of Medicine Council from 2001-2003, Chair of the LCME Task Force and Task Force Steering Committee for the accreditation of the medical school, and has served on and chaired ad hoc investigation committees regarding various allegations within UCHC.
Dr. Adams received her B.A. in Biology from Reed College, Portland, Oregon and her MD from the University of Oregon School of Medicine [now Oregon Health Sciences University]. She completed Internal Medicine and Nephrology training at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has been a faculty member at UCHC since 1984. She is an active member of the Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) Compliance Officer’s Forum and Forum on Conflict of Interest in Academe, and serves on a University Healthcare Consortium’s Task Force on Conflicts of Interest.
Kimberly Bailot, CHC
Associate Compliance Officer - Finance Domain, UCHC
Kimberly Bailot joined OACE at UCHC as the Associate Compliance Officer for the Finance Domain in February 2008. Her primary responsibility is to support the Corporate Compliance Integrity and Privacy Officer in overseeing the compliance activities related to the UCHC’s financial operations.
Prior to joining UCHC, Kim served in the Compliance Department at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford. Kim has 20 years experience in the health care financial field focusing on compliance, reimbursement, financial analysis, budgeting and managed care.
Kim holds a B.S. in Health Care Administration from Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York and is Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC).
Margaret DeMeo, RN, M.A., CHC, CHPC
Associate Clinical Compliance Officer, UCHC
Margaret DeMeo joined the professional staff of OACE in September 2005. She has a clinical nursing and medical quality management background with expertise in general medicine, oncology, surgery, women’s health and clinical research. Prior to coming to OACE, Ms. DeMeo was responsible for designing and implementing the human subjects research compliance monitoring program for UCHC. She formerly served as a primary reviewer of research adverse events and co-chaired the Research Adverse Events Committee.
As the Associate Compliance Officer for the Clinical Domain, she is responsible for overseeing the clinical compliance plan with respect to delivery of health care within the scope of regulatory, quality, safety and ethical parameters.
Ms. DeMeo holds a B.S. in Biology and B.S.N. in Nursing from St. Joseph College and a M.A. in BioEthics and Health Policy from Loyola University Chicago. She has published several articles and formerly reviewed toxicology manuscripts for the Journal of Emergency Nursing. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the International Nursing Honor Society, the John Dempsey Hospital Ethics, Patient Safety, Regulatory and Stem Cell Oversight Committees. She presently chairs the UCHC Clinical Compliance Committee and formerly co-chaired the Connecticut Hospital Association Compliance Officers Committee. She also holds a certification in Health Care Compliance (CHC) and Health Care Privacy Compliance (CHPC) awarded by the Health Care Compliance Association Board.
Gustavo Fernandez, DVM, CHRC
Research Compliance Monitor, UCHC
Dr. Fernandez joined UCHC in 1993 as a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Cell Biology. In 2001 Dr. Fernandez was named Research Compliance Monitor for the Office of Research Compliance at UCHC.
Dr. Fernandez is uniquely qualified for this job. He grew up in Argentina, a Spanish-speaking country. He earned a degree in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Buenos Aires and he has performed basic science research for many years.
Dr. Fernandez is responsible for implementing and monitoring several areas of research compliance including financial conflicts of interest in research, adverse event reporting for human subject research, time and effort reporting, and compliance training module for hESC Research. Dr. Fernandez is involved in writing policies and educating researchers on compliance issues. He also investigates allegations of research misconduct or non-compliance of UCHC policies, State and Federal regulations and guidelines. Dr. Fernandez also developed and maintains databases for all of the activities listed above for the Office of Research Compliance. Dr. Fernandez works collaboratively with other offices such as the Human Subjects Protection Office and Research Finance.
Dr. Fernandez co-authored several publications on the molecular and cellular biology of immunology and cell signaling and has presented at national conferences on compliance. He is a member of the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) and Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIMandR). In addition, Dr. Fernandez holds a Certification Healthcare Research Compliance (CHRC).
Marcie Hamel, CPC
Coding Trainer, UCHC
Marcie Hamel joined UCHC’s Office of Audit, Compliance and Ethics team in November 2010. As a coding trainer, Marcie is responsible for educating physicians on documentation and coding to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. She reviews the professional billing of our physicians.
Marcie previously worked in the UMG Patient Account department as a Medical Records Coding Technician for the last year. Marcie was responsible for coding the daily surgeries of the UMG physicians. Prior to UCHC, she worked for Alliance Medical Group for 10 years as a medical coder and auditor responsible for documentation compliance.
Marcie has been credentialed through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) as a Certified Professional Coder since 2004.
Janice McDonnell, RHIT, CCS
Compliance Specialist, UCHC
Janice McDonnell joined OACE at UCHC in May 2007. She is responsible for the development and monitoring of a documentation and coding compliance program for hospital and physician practices. Janice comes to UCHC after working 20 years for Connecticut’s Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Qualidigm. At Qualidigm Janice was the Project Coordinator for the Hospital Payment Monitoring Program. Her responsibilities included the evaluation of Medicare payment errors for inpatient stays in the acute care hospitals. She assisted hospitals in identifying the root cause of payment errors related to coding, billing and utilization. Janice also served as a coding consultant to the National Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring System Project.
Janice holds an A.S. in Health Information Management from Holyoke Community College and became a Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) in 2000. She is a member of the American Health Information Association (AHIMA) and its affiliate, the Society for Clinical Coding. She also serves on the Connecticut Health Information Management Association Coding Roundtable Steering Committee.
Michelle Mendocha
Administrative Program Assistant II, UCHC
Michelle joined OACE in March of 2013. She began her career at UCHC in the Pediatric dentistry department in July of 2011. She has extensive experience in administrative support positions, and is currently responsible for supporting the Office of Audit, Compliance and Ethics staff. She currently holds an A.S. degree in Business Management.
Virginia Pack, APRN, CCEP, CCP
Associate Education/Administration Compliance Officer, UCHC
Virginia Pack joined OACE at UCHC in September of 2005. Her responsibilities include the ongoing development, implementation and evaluation of educational programs related to all areas of compliance. In addition, her role involves assisting with and overseeing adherence to State and Federal laws and UCHC policies in the following areas: School of Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, Graduate School, Human Resources, Office of Diversity and Equity, Facilities Management, Campus Planning, Public Safety and Information Technology.
Virginia has 30 years of clinical and administrative health care experience in adult mental health and health care education. Most recently she was the Program Manager for Education and Training in UCHC’s Correctional Managed Health Care.
Virginia holds an A.S. in Nursing from Mattatuck Community College, a B.S. in Psychology from Elizabethtown College, a M.S. in Nursing from Saint Joseph College and is certified as a Clinical Nurse Specialist through the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
She is a member of the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) and the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE). She is certified as a Corporate Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP) through the SCCE and as a Certified Compliance Professional (CCP) through the Health Ethics Trust, a division of the Council of Ethical Organizations.
Kristen Tremblay, MPH, CCRP
Research Subject Advocate, UCHC
Kristen has been at UCHC in since 1998. She has over 11 years of experience working in clinical research, with an interest and focus on regulatory management and human subject protection issues. Kristen joined the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) and Office of Research Compliance (ORC) in 2010 as the Research Subject Advocate (RSA).
As a Research Compliance Monitor within the ORC, Kristen works with Dr. Gustavo Fernandez in implementing and monitoring research compliance programs. As an advocate for research participants, Kristen helps ensure that studies within the GCRC are conducted safely and ethically, with protection of human subjects accorded the highest priority. She also provides oversight, education, and consultation to research staff and investigators on safety issues and compliance to regulations, standards, and IRB-approved protocols.
Kristen received her B.A. in Psychology from University of Connecticut (Storrs) and Master of Public Health from University of Connecticut (Farmington). She is a member of the Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA). She is a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) through SoCRA.
Pamela Walsh, CPC, CEMC, CPMA
Coding Trainer, UCHC
Pamela Walsh joined UCHC’s Office of Audit, Compliance and Ethics team in October, 2008 as a Coding Trainer. As part of the UCHC Physician Documentation and Coding, Pam’s responsibilities include ensuring that all physician documentation is compliant with state and federal regulations. Additionally she provides education to UCHC physicians on correct coding and documentation.
Pam is a Certified Professional Coder (CPC) who came to UCHC from Urology Specialists of Middlebury, Connecticut where she worked as the Coding and Accounts Receivable Manager. She has been credentialed through the AAPC since 2003 and has been certified in Evaluation and Management Specialty Coding. In addition to urology, Pam has multi-specialty experience with medical oncology, hematology and orthopedics.
Pam is also a Certified Professional Medical Auditor.
Compliance – Storrs
Kimberly Fearney, CCEP
Director of Compliance and Ethics Liaison, Storrs and Regional Campuses
Kimberly Fearney has been with UConn since 1997 previously working in the Department of Human Resources. Kim’s prior work experience includes employment classification and compensation, benefits administration, training, contract interpretation and employee discipline.
Kim’s OACE responsibilities include development, monitoring and day-to-day implementation of the University’s compliance program. In addition she is responsible for the ongoing development, implementation and evaluation of educational programs related to all areas of compliance.
Kim holds a B.A. in Political Science from UConn. She is certified as a Corporate Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP) through the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Rachel Krinsky-Rudnick, JD, CIPP
Assistant Director of Compliance/Privacy, Storrs and Regional Campuses
Rachel Krinsky Rudnick serves as the Assistant Director of Compliance/Privacy for Storrs and Regional Campuses at UConn. As Assistant Director of Compliance/Privacy, Rachel oversees development, implementation, maintenance of, and adherence to, University policies and procedures covering the privacy of, and access to, student and employee information. As part of her duties, Rachel also supports the University's efforts towards overall compliance with Federal and State laws and oversees the coordination of responding to Freedom of Information requests received by the University.
Prior to coming to UConn, Rachel was an attorney in private practice with the law firm of Berchem, Moses and Devlin, P.C. in Milford, Connecticut where she advised boards of education and school administrators regarding general education, special education and employment matters.
Rachel holds a B.A. from the University of Rochester and a J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law. She is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) and Connecticut Bar Association (CTBA).
Bruce J. Gelston, JD
Compliance and Public Information Specialist, Storrs and Regional Campuses
Bruce Gelston joined OACE as a Compliance Investigations Associate in 2013. Bruce is responsible for conducting compliance investigations involving alleged violations of University policies and procedures.
Prior to joining UConn, Bruce worked as an attorney in private practice for 15 years. He has a B.A. in Psychology from Western Washington University and a J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law.
Elizabeth (Liz) Vitullo
Compliance Investigations Associate, Storrs and Regional Campuses
Liz Vitullo joined OACE in 2007 as a Compliance and Public Information Specialist. Prior to joining the University, she was employed by the City of Hartford and worked in the private sector.
She is responsible for supporting the Director and Assistant Directors of Compliance. She also assists with Freedom of Information requests, various investigations and Code of Conduct training.
Liz holds a B.A. in English from Fairfield University. She has a paralegal certificate from the University of Connecticut.
Audit
Cheryl M. Chiaputti, CPA
Director of Audit Services, UCHC, Storrs and Regional Campuses
Cheryl Chiaputti joined the professional staff of Internal Auditing in September of 1997. Prior to this she worked in public practice for 11 years. As the Director of Audit Services, Cheryl is responsible for overseeing the design, planning and implementation of all internal audits for UCHC, UConn Storrs and regional campuses.
Cheryl holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Eastern Connecticut State University. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Connecticut and a current member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the Association of College and University Auditors (ACUA) and the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). Cheryl also holds a Graduate Certificate in Public Financial Management.
Donna Barberi, M.S., CIA
Internal Auditor, UCHC
Donna Barberi joined OACE as an Internal Auditor in April 2008. Her primary responsibilities include conducting financial, operational and compliance audits at UCHC.
Prior to joining UCHC, Donna was employed by UHY Advisors where she performed various internal audits and special projects for hospital clients. Prior to UHY, Donna was employed by Fleet Bank for 10 years performing various internal audits specializing in trust and investment services and conducting various internal fraud investigations.
Donna holds a B.S. in Business Administration and a M.S. in Professional Accounting from the University of Hartford. Donna is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA).
Thomas Dyer, CISA, CFE, SSCP
University Auditor IT, Storrs and Regional Campuses
Thomas joined OACE as a University Auditor IT in July 2102. He previously held internal audit, information security and special investigation positions in the personal insurance and healthcare industries.
Thomas holds a B.S. from Eastern Connecticut State University and an M.S. in Information Technology from the University of Maryland University College.
He currently holds the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) certifications. Thomas is also a member of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) and the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2.
Katherine A. Goss, CPA
University Auditor, Storrs and Regional Campuses
Katherine A. Goss joined OACE staff as an Internal Auditor in the fall of 2005. Her duties include the performance of operational, financial, and compliance audits and special projects as requested by management. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Prior to joining OACE, Katherine was in public practice in Vermont for eight years.
Katherine holds a B.S. from Cornell University. Katherine is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), the Association of College and University Auditors (ACUA) and the Connecticut Society of Governmental Accountants (CSGA).
Carrie Gray, M.S., CIA, CISA, CISSP, CRISC
IT Audit Manager, UCHC, Storrs and Regional Campuses
Carrie Gray joined the University in July 2007. Prior to coming to the University Carrie worked in the corporate sector focusing on control and governance of IT systems.
Carrie holds a B.S. in Information Technology and an M.S. in Information Assurance.
She is also a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC).Carrie is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), the Association of College and University Auditors (ACUA), Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) and Information Systems Security Association (ISSA).
Heather Hildebrandt RN, CPA
Audit Manager – Medical, UCHC
Heather joined OACE as an internal auditor in April of 2010. Her responsibilities include conducting medical, financial and compliance audits at UCHC.
Heather was most recently employed as a charge nurse in the cardiac intervention unit of Baystate Medical Center. She also has ten years of healthcare finance experience in the academic medical, insurance and consulting settings. Her previous employers include Brigham and Women’s Hospital, United Health Group and Deloitte and Touche.
Heather holds a B.A. in economics from Colgate University and a B.S. in nursing from The University of Massachusetts – Amherst. She is licensed as a registered nurse in both Connecticut and Massachusetts and also as Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Massachusetts.
David Hook, CFE
University Construction Auditor, Storrs and Regional Campuses
David joined OACE as an Internal Auditor in September 2008, specializing in construction auditing. David’s prior audit experience includes procurement, contracting and Medicare reimbursement audits. In addition, David spent 10 years in the construction field working different aspects of the industry.
David holds a B.S. in Business Administration. David is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). He is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).
Kaye Johnson, CPA, MBA
University Auditor, Storrs and Regional Campuses
Kaye Johnson joined OACE as an Internal Auditor in 2005. Prior to that time, she worked in the Office for Sponsored Programs at UConn and has five years of experience in public accounting and corporate internal auditing.
As staff auditor, Kaye performs operational, financial and compliance audits and upon department request, special projects.
Kaye holds a B.S. and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Connecticut. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and is a member of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants (CSCPA). She is also a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), the Association of College and University Auditors (ACUA) and the Connecticut Society of Governmental Accountants (CSGA)
Elaine C. Zincavage, M.A., CPA
University Audit Manager, UCHC, Storrs and Regional Campuses
Elaine Zincavage joined the professional staff of internal auditing in July 2006. Prior to joining OACE, she worked as a Grant Manager in the Office for Sponsored Programs at UConn.
Elaine’s prior relevant experience spans 12 years in a variety of public and private accounting and auditing assignments, including manufacturing, financial services, sales and distribution and governmental organizations. She has also worked as an educator in public education and corporate training.
As audit manager, Elaine performs operational, financial and compliance audits and upon department request, special projects and also assists in planning, developing and executing the University’s overall internal audit functions.
Elaine holds a B.S. in Psychology and M.A. in Education from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the State of Connecticut and a member of the Association of College and University Auditors (ACUA), the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and the Connecticut Society of Governmental Accountants (CSGA).
Ying Liu, M.S., CPA
Internal Auditor - UCHC
Ying Liu joined OACE as an Internal Auditor in April 2008. Prior to joining the University, Ying worked in public accounting and the corporate sector. She is responsible for conducting financial, operational and compliance audits at UCHC.
Ying has a B.S. in Accounting and a M.S. in Management Information System. She is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Karen Violette
Audit Assistant, Storrs and Regional Campuses
Karen Violette has been employed at UConn since 1985. As the Audit Assistant, Karen assists internal auditors with operational, financial and compliance audits at various levels of the University. In addition Karen assists the Director of Audit Services and is secretary to the Joint Audit and Compliance Committee (JACC).
Karen is a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) and the Association of College and University Auditors (ACUA).