Our Board

Kalpesh Shah joined Wood River Health’s Board in May 2022 and was recently appointed Board Chair. Raised in India, Shah has always had a philanthropic spirit. Throughout his life, he has connected vulnerable individuals with food, shelter and education. After migrating to the US, he launched Connecticut Fibers, Inc., exporting recycling material to paper mills in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Residents of Wood River Junction, Kalpesh and his wife Jeanette are dedicated to ensuring their community has access to quality health care. Their support helped Wood River Health launch telehealth services during the pandemic.

Shah graduated with distinction from N.M. College, Mumbai with B.com degree and graduated with a master’s degree in cost accounting. He received the Partners in Philanthropy Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2021 for his contributions to Wood River Health. He also serves on the Advisory Board at Monsignor Clarke School in Wakefield, RI and chairs its Facilities Committee.

The Board meets monthly, and Members participate on committees that oversee the strategic initiatives of Wood River Health. These include the Executive Committee, Credentialing and Privileging, Finance, Governance, Quality Improvement, Strategic Planning, Building Committee and Gala/Fundraising.

John S. Payne, Esq. is the AVP/Compliance Assurance Officer for Washington Trust. John holds a Juris Doctor from Penn State Dickinson School of Law and an MBA from University of Rhode Island's College of Business. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Bates College in 2001. He also currently serves as a Board Member for Pine Point School and the Watch Hill Yacht Club Sailing Association. He re-joined Wood River Health's Board in May 2022 having previously served from 201 to 2019.

Joe Reddish has a varied background.  He has worked with the likes of Bob Metcalf at 3Com corporation the inventor of Ethernet to a company called Storage Dimensions which had the first laser disk drive which recorded the first Terminator movie. Joe is a native Californian and joined the RI community in 1993.  Most recently he spent 17 years as an Assistant Vice President at Citizens Bank serving in various positions providing exceptional customer experiences. He currently is a Benefits Advisor for Aflac as well as an Independent Business Owner in the areas of Technology and Energy.   

Joe served his community as the elected Town Councilman and President of the Town Council for Richmond, Rhode Island for 10 years. He is a community volunteer and servant, serving as a member of the boards for many organizations including the RI Commission on Prejudice and Bias , RI Public Finance Management Board , AIDS Care Ocean State , Community2000.org, and People to People International.   

Joe is a  graduate of California State University, Sacramento with a B.S. in Management. He has served on Wood River Health's Board of Directors since January 2020.

Jessamine Sargent attended the University of New Haven, New Haven, CT in process to complete the last course for my Master’s degree in Elementary Education. She also attended the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, E.K. Shriver Center, Waltham, MA and West Virginia Wesleyan College, Buchannon, WV. She holds a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Rehabilitation and Psychology. Ms. Sargent has worked in early intervention for the past 20 years and currently is Lead/Early Intervention Developmental Therapy Specialist with SARAH Inc. Kidsteps, North Haven, CT. In this role, she is responsible for a team of 10 therapist to ensure professional compliance and excellence in the field of early intervention with a focus on Infant and Family Mental Health, Trauma Informed intervention, Coaching as a Style of Interaction, Primary Service Provider Best Practices within the Natural Environment.  

Ms. Sargent currently serves a caseload including families and children in the region of Connecticut that includes; Norwich, Plainfield, Groton, Niantic, Killingly, Franklin, Griswold, Voluntown, Lisbon, Canterbury areas. Ms. Sargent has lived in Westerly, RI for the past 20 years and has a family of 5 children ages 9-17 who keep her and her husband very busy with sports, travel and their many day to day adventures.  Her hobbies include hiking, running and a variety of other outdoor sports with her family and dog, Moose. Ms. Sargent joined the Board of Directors in December 2019.

Christine Bedoya is the Director of Payment Integrity at Neighborhood Health Plans of Rhode Island. Christine specializes in Revenue Cycle Management and Oversight with over 25 years of experience in the healthcare field. She has lived in the Hope Valley area for over 15 years and is dedicated to serving others within the community. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening and spending time with family. She has served on Wood River Health's Board of Directors since January 2018.

Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Dr. Hinteregger received her Doctor of Medicine from University of Massachusetts, Worcester and conducted her residency at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge. She was a Clinical Fellow at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Hinteregger's lengthy career includes serving as Staff Physicians at Westerly Urgent Care, StatCare in Warwick and Westerly Hospital. She formerly served as Medical Director at Wood River Health. She has served on Wood River Health's Board since March 2021. Dr. Hinteregger resides in Hope Valley.

Frank Hopkins is a semi-retired Senior Healthcare Executive currently providing short term consulting activity with Hopkins and Associates, LLC.   Frank’s previous positions include Managing Partner of University Pathologists Diagnostics Laboratory and University Pathologists Pathology Practice.  He also served at Westerly Hospital in a number of senior management positions including COO, CFO, and CNO. 

Frank received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rhode Island College and his MBA from Bryant University.  He has his certification as a Medical Practice Executive (CMPE) from the Medical Group Management Association.  

Frank is a Vietnam Era Veteran serving as a Navy Hospital Corpsman and a Lieutenant in the Navy Nurse Corps.  Frank volunteers his time as a mentor with the YMCA Mentoring Program, a Hospice Volunteer and Veteran Liaison with Hope Hospice of RI, Community Network Partner Volunteer at Chariho HS, CALA Community Advisory Board, Chariho HS Mentoring Advisory Board, and proud Grandad. He has served on Wood River Health's Board since April 2014 and has held the positions of Treasurer, Vice Chair and Chair.

A longtime resident of Washington County, Greg Kenney was reappointed to Wood River Health's Board of Directors in July 2024. He has also served on the Hopkinton Finance Board, Chariho School Committee, Chariho Building Committee and Community 2000. He is Principal and President at Perreault Family Real Estate Partnership in Hope Valley, RI.

Daniel Makin joined Professional Planning Group as a Financial Advisor in 2000. He works directly with clients to develop and implement retirement strategies based upon their individual goals and objectives. Dan is Associate Compliance Officer, Operations Manager and a member of Executive, Compliance and Investment Committees.

Prior to joining Professional Planning Group, Daniel worked at the Mashantucket Pequot Gaming Enterprise as a Manager supervising department operations. Earlier in his career, he worked at the Washington Trust Company.

Daniel earned a Bachelor of Arts from Alfred University in 1991 with a dual emphasis in management and finance. He earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification in 2003 and the Certified Investment Management Analyst designation in 2017. Daniel holds the Series 7, 24, 51, 63 and 65 licenses and is a Raymond James Registered Principal. He has also been a contributor to Newsline, a local NEARI publication for educators.

Active in the community, Daniel serves on the Board of Directors and is a member of the Finance and Executive Committees for Wood River Health Services. Daniel is also a Board Member for the Arcadia Branch of the YMCA and a member of the Finance Committee for the Ocean Community YMCA.

Daniel is rejoining Wood River Health's board in July 2023.

Michael McCarten, DO, MPH is a native of Cranston, Rhode Island, and a 1983 graduate of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. Upon graduation, he was commissioned a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, beginning a 30-year career that led to travel to 24 countries on five continents. The highlights of Dr. McCarten’s career include serving as Senior Medical Officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) at the time of the 9/11 attacks. His ship deployed to the North Arabian Sea one week later and remained in combat operations for the next five months.

Dr. McCarten also served as the Commanding Officer of the NATO trauma hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan, overseeing 500 US Navy, Army, Air Force and NATO medical personnel for a one-year period of intense combat operations. There the medical personnel recorded an historic 97 percent survival rate for combat casualties. Dr. McCarten also served as Fleet Surgeon, United States 7th Fleet, overseeing the healthcare provided to 20,000 sailors and marines aboard ships deployed to the waters from Hawaii to Africa, while simultaneously planning and participating in humanitarian and disaster relief missions throughout the South Pacific and South Asia. Following retirement from the Navy in 2013, Dr. McCarten served as a family physician, initially at Elliot Health System, Manchester, NH and then Wood River Health, retiring in December 2023.

Ruth Morgan joined Wood River Health's Board of Directors in February 2021. She earned her Master’s in Business Administration from Cornell University and achieved her Bachelor’s Degree from Wells College. She dedicated her career to practicing financial management and worked at private accounting firms, The Westerly Hospital and the Internal Revenue Service.

Now retired, Ruth has volunteered for The Warm Center, the Jonnycake Center, has served on Chariho and Ashaway School Committees as well as the Boards of the Westerly Community Credit Union and the Chorus of Westerly.   

Regan is currently Director, Medicare & Regulatory Compliance at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island. In this capacity she develops, implements, and monitor the Medicare and Medicaid compliance programs to ensure the organization is operating in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations. Prior to that Regan was President of Ancorat Consulting. With 20 years of experience with government programs, she refines compliance programs and operations using the most up-to-date industry guidance and best practices. Regan also speaks at a number of industry events on topics such as perspectives on program audit process, appeals and grievances operations, and vendor oversight. 

Regan previously served as Senior Vice President at Gorman Health Group in Washington, DC. Prior to that time, she served in operations and compliance roles at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. She earned her BA from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Professional designations earned include Managed Healthcare Professional and Fellow of Health Insurance Advanced Studies from America’s Health Insurance Plans, as well as the Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional from the Health Care Compliance Association. Ms. Pennypacker joined the Wood River Health Board of Directors in November 2015.

Kate Porter (she/her) is the Director of Campus Life Communications at Brown University. She serves a key leadership role in the Office of the Vice President for Campus Life, collaborating with senior leaders to develop and execute strategic communications, constituency-based marketing, and outreach efforts that align with and elevate divisional and University priorities. She also provides support as a thought partner and consultant for staff within the 22 offices, departments, and centers in the division. Kate joined the Division of Campus Life in May 2022, after serving as Assistant Director of Communications and Public Engagement for the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University from 2019-2022.

Before joining Brown, Kate’s dedication to the Rhode Island community included a decade of service to local nonprofit organizations. In various roles, she managed communications, development, and special events for the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Domestic Violence Resource Center of South County, the Newport Women’s Resource Center, and South County Habitat for Humanity. 

Kate earned a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Quinnipiac University, a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Mount Holyoke College, and is a proud graduate of the 2018 Xi II Class of Leadership Rhode Island. Kate enjoys spending time outdoors with her children and dogs, playing soccer, hiking, reading, running, gardening, and painting. Kate joined Wood River Health's Board of Directors in July 2022. She resides in North Kingstown.

Keith Swaby is retired following a 30-year career at Vitol, a global energy and commodity trading company headquartered in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, where he served variously as Controller, Treasurer, Vice President and CFO. His areas of focus included accounting, taxation, banking, credit, human resources and regulatory matters.

He received both his bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Business Administration from Pace University and was a licensed CPA in New York state from 1977 until 2007. He worked as a CPA for six years prior to signing with Vitol, working at Glenn Ingram and Co., SD Liedsdorf and Ernst & Whinney.

He currently also serves on the Board of Directors for the Arnolda Improvement Corporation, a homeowners’ association in Charlestown. He has served on Wood River Health's Board of Directors since March 2017.