Bridges Leadership

Jennifer Fiorillo, President & CEO of Bridges Healthcare has nearly 30 years of experience in the healthcare and non-profit industry with extensive background in quality, compliance, fiscal management, business operations and program/project development. Ms. Fiorillo has led Bridges through multiple large projects and initiatives including acquiring Gold Star accreditation through the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, conversion to a new electronic health record system, integration of behavioral health and primary care, and most recently, the award of $4 million ($2 million per year) to establish a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic. She holds a Master of Public Health degree from Southern Connecticut State University, a Master of Business Administration degree from Post University and a certificate in Non-Profit Executive Leadership from Duke University. Jennifer is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on the Board of Directors for CommuniCare, Inc. and Advanced Behavioral Health, Inc.

With more than 40 years of experience with Bridges, Dr. Schwartzman maintains oversight of all agency programs. He is a clinical psychologist and has performed in a variety of capacities, including direct clinical and prevention programming, consultation, psychological testing, program development, infant/toddler assessments, supervision, and grant writing.

Dr. Schwartzman has a major interest in the development and sustainability of evidence-based practices through the learning collaborative methodology and reliance on data driven outcomes. He holds a PhD from the University of South Carolina, a certificate of completion from the Connecticut Health Foundation Health Leadership Fellows Program, and Connecticut Infant-Toddler Developmental Assessment Certification.

Jaya served as Chief Medical Officer for a 50-bed general hospital in India and has more than 20 years of clinical and leadership experience in healthcare. She has progressively responsive experience in Behavioral Healthcare Management and the addiction field with the task of managing and organizing the business with high quality and productivity standards. She concentrates on continuous growth and new opportunities for business development. She holds a CCIM certificate for continuous Improvement and Management and a certificate in Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Master Belt. She is a recipient of a lifetime achievement award in the healthcare field from the physician association in CT and serves multiple non-profit boards. Jaya presents internationally and locally on a variety of topics in the field of behavioral health, as well as natural and holistic care. Client satisfaction and excellent customer service are a strong focus for Jaya. This is evidenced by her commitment to the focus on client engagement and continuity in the treatment. Jaya holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine and Surgery and a Master’s in Healthcare Administration and Management.

Tara has been devoted to the field of community psychiatry for 20 years. During her 8 years at Bridges Healthcare, Dr. Kerner has been integral in expanding Bridges’ addiction services.  She spearheaded Connecticut’s first Mobile Addiction Treatment program known as MATT’s van; a community based medication assisted treatment program which has been replicated in several agencies throughout the state. In addition, she has worked closely with the entire staff of Bridges to embrace harm reduction philosophies, naloxone training, and raise awareness on reducing stigma associated with addiction. Dr. Kerner is committed to the education of new APRN’s and established Bridges as a training site for psychiatric APRN students. Dr. Kerner continues to expand Bridges’ community based treatments which includes bringing primary healthcare services to underserved communities, connecting people recently released from prison into treatment, and establishing partnerships with local shelters and other non-profit agencies. She holds a Doctorate of Osteopathy from NY College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed her training in Adult Psychiatry at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in NY, and has been trained in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy at Columbia University’s Center for Psychoanalytic training and research.

With  37 years of experience in non-profit behavioral healthcare settings, Dawn has held multiple positions during her 33 year tenure at Bridges. She has been involved in the development and expansion of a number of programs within the agency and often represents the agency at local and state-wide initiative meetings. Dawn is a strong supporter of the Peer and Recovery models of care and has led the effort to expand Peer Staff.

She holds a Bachelor in Social Work from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York and a Master’s in Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Springfield College.

​Valerie has been a member of the Bridges team since 2006 and oversees both the Human Resources and Facilities Departments. Ms. Ferrante has over 25 years of experience in human resources and facilities departments, with expertise in labor relations and HR compliance. She has collaborated with the management team on many strategic initiatives such as the attainment of the Joint Commission accreditation and the expansion of the agency through the acquisition of several grants. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from St. John’s University in Communications, the senior level Human Resources certifications of  SPHR and SHRM-SCP, and is a graduate of the Disney Approach to Leadership Excellence Program.

Carlos Rodriguez has been with Bridges since 2008. He has nearly 20 years of experience in the finance field and has held a number of different roles in the organization. Carlos has collaborated on a number of projects within the organization including the strategic plan, implementation of a new electronic health record and new financial information system. Bridges operating budget has grown over 20% since he came into the role of CFO and has expanded into a number of different programs and services including a Mobile Medical Assisted Program, Wellness on Wheels, and a number of prevention programs and school-based services. Carlos holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting and a Project Management Professional Certification from Central Connecticut State University.

Bill joined Bridges Healthcare in 2020. His expertise in Health IT is backed by over 25 years in senior leadership roles with a major health system and a number of healthcare technology consulting firms leading strategic healthcare technology implementations and productivity improvements. He currently serves as a Reviewer /Mentor /Ambassador /Moderator with the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Global Conference Education Committee and for the past 11 years, as a Scientific Program Committee Reviewer with the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) for the past 6 years, and as a member of the Merit Review Panel for the US Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC-HIT).

Bill holds an Sc.M. in Radiology/Medical Physics from The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and Division of Biological Sciences, an Executive MBA with a concentration in Finance and eCommerce from the University of Connecticut School of Business and is certified in HIPAA Security, Good Clinical Practice & Regulatory Compliance in Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Development.

Allison Csonka, joined the Bridges team in 2022. Allison has more than 15 years in non-profit fundraising experience. Her career has primarily focused on raising funds and awareness for health-related non-profit organizations including The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and SeriousFun Children’s Network. Allison’s areas of expertise in fundraising include event planning and logistics, corporate sponsorships, individual donor relations and communications, annual appeals, and mission-focused storytelling. Mrs. Csonka holds a Masters in Public Administration with a Non-profit Emphasis as well as a Professional Certificate in Non-profit Fundraising from the University of Missouri – Kansas City’s Bloch School of Business and Public Administration. She is also a licensed foster parent with the State of Connecticut’s Department of Children & Families.