New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute Staff Leadership
David L. Knowlton
President & CEO,New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute; former Deputy Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Health
dknowlton@njhcqi.org
Catherine Angrisani Purnell
Associate to the Mayors Wellness Campaigncapurnell@njhcqi.org
Patricia Farmer
Executive Assistantpfarmer@njhcqi.org
Bill Mayer
Senior Fellowwmayer1@verizon.net
Catrina Sparacio
Senior Fellowcsparacio@njhcqi.org
David Knowlton
David Knowlton is New Jersey's preeminent expert on health care quality issues. He has been a leader on health care issues generally in New Jersey for the better part of four decades. As President & CEO of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute for the past five years, he has led their advocacy on health care quality and the reduction of medical errors. The Institute's advocacy, under Mr. Knowlton's guidance, has led to the enactment of numerous statutory improvements to ensure patient safety and transparency in health care quality and cost information, including the New Jersey Heath Care Consumer Information Act in 2003, the Patient Safety Reporting Act in 2004, the Drug Price Registry Act in 2006 and the Hospital Acquired Infections Reporting Act in 2007.
Under Mr. Knowlton's leadership and guidance, the Institute created the "Mayors Wellness Campaign," which promotes local leaders as champions of community fitness and healthy lifestyles. In just its second full year in existence, the Mayors Wellness Campaign already counts nearly half the state's municipalities as active participants and holds the promise of making a real difference in the fight against childhood obesity.
At the request of the Chairman of the New Jersey Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, Senator Joseph Vitale, Mr. Knowlton chairs an ad-hoc committee of stakeholders intent upon improving the state's health care access and affordability issues. The group will soon unveil its plans to make New Jersey one of the first states in the nation to provide affordable and accessible health care coverage to all its citizens.
In the early 1990's, Mr. Knowlton founded and served as Executive Director of the Health Care Payers Coalition of New Jersey, a non-profit corporation representing business and labor organizations who provide healthcare. He remains a member of the Coalition's Board and Executive Committee. Mr. Knowlton is an officer and a director for The Leapfrog Group, a national group devoted to reducing medical errors, and directs New Jersey's Leapfrog program. He also serves as a director of the Healthwell Foundation, a national foundation that provides copayment relief to needy persons with chronic disease. Mr. Knowlton has served as a member of numerous National Quality Forum Steering Committees as well. He is an advisor to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services on quality and healthcare rationalization issues, currently serving on three advisory committees at the request of the Commissioner.
Mr. Knowlton was the Deputy Commissioner of Health for the State of New Jersey during the administration of Governor Tom Kean. He has served as a board member and officer of the Health Decisions Foundation and has been a principal presenter on the subject of Managed Care and HIV for the Kaiser Family Foundation AIDS Symposium. Mr. Knowlton has been published numerous times on issues dealing with health care quality and management.
Mr. Knowlton completed his undergraduate education in psychology at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and was granted a Master's degree from Trinity College in Hartford. Mr. Knowlton resides in Pennington, New Jersey and is married to Diane Zompa. He has two sons, Scott and Craig.
Allison DeBlois
North Carolina native Allison DeBlois has been named the new Chief of Staff to the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute (NJHCQI), replacing Sarah McLallen who is now Vice President with the New Jersey Association of Health Plans. Ms. DeBlois previously served as an aide to Senator Joseph Vitale, Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee.
"Allison has a passion for health care issues and we could not be more pleased that she has agreed to join the Quality Institute team," said David L. Knowlton, President and CEO of the NJHCQI. "Her commitment to health care quality as well as her organizational skills makes her uniquely qualified to help lead the Institute during this exciting and transformational time in health care policy making."
Ms. DeBlois has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental and Health Policy from the Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, with Departmental Honors. She is a member of the Honor Society Kappa Theta Epsilon. She worked two semesters with Senator Vitale.
"Allison is a committed public policy thinker who cares deeply about individuals," said Senator Vitale. "I am pleased that she will now be applying her passion and commitment to the endeavor of health care quality."
"I am thrilled to be joining the Quality Institute team and look forward to working with the state's health care stakeholders to fulfill the Institute's mission," said Ms. DeBlois.
Donald Sico
Donald Sico was the longest serving Executive Director of the New Jersey General Assembly in its history, serving as Chief of Staff to two Assembly Speakers (Garabed "Chuck" Haytaian and Jack Collins) from 1992 until 2002. He served as Chairman of the State House Joint Management Commission, overseeing issues regarding the Trenton Capitol Complex. Mr. Sico was the principal negotiator for the General Assembly from 1992 through 2002 on the state budget and major legislation. Prior to his appointment as Executive Director, Mr. Sico served as Communications Director for the Republican Caucus. A former reporter and editor, Mr. Sico served as Press Secretary to the Republican candidate for Governor in 1989. Prior to coming to New Jersey, he worked in Washington, D.C. on Capitol Hill as Press Secretary to a member of Congress from Ohio and in Columbus, Ohio, on the staff of the Ohio Legislative Services Commission. A veteran of dozens of political campaigns, he understands how to mobilize public opinion on issues.
Mr. Sico now brings his legislative experience and communications skills to bear for a wide-ranging list of clients, including Mr. J. Seward Johnson, Jr., New Jersey Cable Telecommunications Association, New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, Healthcare Institute of New Jersey, New Jersey Association of Health Plans, D-Corps Homes, Beesley's Point Bridge Company, Infrastructure Management Group, Inc., Healthcare Finance Group, Cherokee Investment Partners, Bayville Holdings LLC, Volunteers of America Delaware Valley, Builders League of South Jersey, Pathways Government Relations, PSEG, NJ Chooses Solar, Pennoni Associates, New Jersey State Nurses Association, Bordentown Waterfront Community LLC, Digimark Corporation, Zeiger Consulting Group, Lourdes Healthcare System, Ferguson Group, Infrastructure Management Group, Mediguide America, Northwest Financial Group, Buckingham Partners, Metro Energy Solutions, and the Mayors Wellness Campaign.
Joyce M. Sico
Joyce M. Sico has had a long and successful career in education, politics and government. A former teacher, she served as Chief of Staff to New Jersey Senator Bob Singer and former New Jersey Assemblyman Mel Cottrell. For many years, Ms. Sico served as the principal fundraiser and event coordinator for New Jersey Speakers Chuck Haytaian and Jack Collins. Prior to managing the offices of Donald Sico & Co. LLC, Ms. Sico served for seven years with the New Jersey School Boards Association as its principal legislative analyst and legislative event coordinator. Ms. Sico has keen analytical and organizational skills and has many years of experience as an event coordinator. She also has been active in organizing local community organizations as a volunteer.