The BSR Team

Dr. Ladner brings over 45 years of experience in healthcare research and organizational development to the Ryan White Staff Support/Part A/MAI Quality Management activities. He was the head of the first Ryan White Title I evaluation, technical assistance and organizational development efforts in Miami-Dade County in the early 1990s, building on over 15 years of health care research, quality improvement and technical assistance experience before the Title I program was initiated, and has served as Project Director for the Ryan White Program work since 2006.

Dr. Ladner has overseen BSR’s health care systems research activities since its incorporation in 1975, conducting numerous needs assessments in substance abuse treatment, alcoholism treatment, mental health and HIV/AIDS, as well as creating and implementing quality assurance programs in acute care inpatient and outpatient settings for public and private hospitals.

He has published numerous research papers in statistical modeling of health outcomes, risk factors in HIV and implementation of Total Quality Management programs in industry, and (with Petra Brock, below) is co-investigator on two FIU epidemiology research projects using RWP data to model risk factors, retention in care and viral load suppression. Dr. Ladner’s primary research focus at BSR is the Staff Support and Part A/MAI Quality Management aspects of this project.

Contact Dr. Ladner: rladner@behavioralscience.com

Ms. Sergi joined BSR in October 2007 after working as a medical case manager and case manager supervisor in the Ryan White Program for 13 years, as well as providing independent medical case management to persons with HIV receiving Medicaid services under the former PAC Waiver program. Her rich experience in RWP case management is a vital contribution to the RWP CQM program.

Ms. Sergi is the principal CQM applications trainer for medical case managers (MCM) and supervisors, and serves as the principal CQM technical assistance resource to these providers. She works closely with the Affordable Care Act implementation in the RWP, assisting in the annual ACA enrollment campaign and diagnosing service delivery QI problems arising from this process.

Her CQM emphases are (1) improving the process of RWP ACA co-insurance and ensuring that clients are able to effectively access non-RWP specialty care through the ACA; and (2) ensuring that RWP clients entering through the Test and Treat/Rapid Access program are engaged and retained in care.

Contact Ms. Sergi: ssergi@behavioralscience.com

Ms. Martinez joined the Ryan White staff in 2008, after six years’ experience in direct service counseling.  Currently she works as a Quality Management Coordinator where she has worked diligently to maximize the collaboration of stakeholders and increase of client health outcomes through the restructuring of the Clinical Quality Management Committee and the Retention and Relinkage Team with the goal of creating a culture of quality, improved client satisfaction and retention. Additionally, she provides ongoing technical assistance for Ryan White Program subrecipients, including the development of QI training tools and QI strategies focusing on the Model for Improvement.  Her principal QI project is the development and testing of an “Early Warning” initiative, to “red flag” high risk clients at the point of intake, ultimately to reduce dropout rates in subrecipients with high proportions of minority clients.

Ms. Martinez earned her Master of Social Work from FIU.  Prior to joining BSR, she worked as a counselor where she conducted individual and family therapy that encompassed family stabilization, substance abuse support, HIV counseling for clients with co-morbidities, and the creation of treatment plans and assessments.

Contact Ms. Martinez: smartinez@behavioralscience.com

Ms. Meizoso has worked in the Miami-Dade HIV/AIDS Partnership and Committee infrastructure for 15 years, joining BSR in June 2006.  As part of the team for Staff Support Services, she is responsible for providing liaison with all committee members for decision-making to the Care and Treatment Committee (including the annual needs assessment, service prioritization and HRSA grant application budgeting), the Housing Committee and the Medical Care Subcommittee (responsible for all policies and formulary changes in medical care, pharmacy services and oral health). She is responsible for training new Partnership and committee members, and in orienting new members to the annual needs assessment process.

Prior to coming to working with BSR, Mrs. Meizoso was employed at William, Sterns and Associates (WSA) also working as Staff Support for the planning council and prior to her work at WSA, she was a pharmacy technician at a community pharmacy. Overall, Mrs. Meizoso has over 15 years of experience working providing technical and medical knowledge in the community planning process.

Contact Ms. Meizoso: marlen@behavioralscience.com

Ms. Bontempo began work as a Ryan White Program Planning Council Project Manager in 2004. She worked with BSR through 2011, worked briefly for the Broward Regional Health Planning Council, and rejoined the BSR Team in 2017. She serves as the principal staff resource to the Miami-Dade HIV/AIDS Partnership, its Executive Committee, the Community Coalition Committee, and the Prevention and Strategic Planning Committees whose work includes collaborations with the Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County on Integrated Planning and Ending the HIV Epidemic initiatives. She is the principal Partnership outreach officer, recruiting people with HIV and service providers through outreach at provider agencies, holding recruitment meetings in geographically dispersed locations throughout the County, and developing and hosting virtual recruiting sessions, as well as facilitating training of new members on the intricacies of Ryan White Program Planning Council responsibilities.

Ms. Bontempo manages the Miami-Dade HIV/AIDS Partnership website (www.aidsnet.org), social media accounts, bi-weekly Community Newsletter, and brochure and marketing publications.

She has participated as a trainer and presenter at provider agencies and community events and has received commendation for outstanding service and volunteer efforts in the HIV/AIDS community.

Contact Ms. Bontempo: cbontempo@behavioralscience.com

Ms. Lucas has been with BSR since December 2014.  She is responsible for BSR’s daily financial operations, strategic financial outlook, leadership and performance.  She plans, directs, coordinates and manages fiscal control activities with a thorough knowledge of fiscal and financial management practices and techniques, vast knowledge of federal guidelines for utilizing federal grant monies, and a working knowledge of principles, practices and methods of governmental budget formulation focusing on allowable expenditures, maintaining records in a centralized filing system. Her work at BSR includes the ability to determine overhead rates and formulate direct and indirect cost proposals, ensuring compliance with grant requirements, purchasing regulations, equipment inventory, and closing documents.

She provides direct assistance to the Program Director in the formulation and implementation of BSR’s policies and procedures as they affect the administration of grant projects.

Contact Ms. Lucas: mlucas@behavioralscience.com