Leadership & Board
Meet our caring Leadership Team & Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees and the leadership team are comprised of dedicated individuals, who lead the way with compassion and integrity and are committed to providing quality, outstanding, and innovative care for patients and families, while maintaining connection to our community thorough outreach, collaborative partnerships, and engagement of volunteers and the community-at-large.
The Board of Trustees governs Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo (HPCB). HPCB affiliates include Hospice Buffalo, Home Connections (adult palliative care program), Essential Care for Children, Wilson Support Center, and the Hospice Foundation of WNY.
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Executive Team
Leadership
Staff Physicians
Anne Banas, MD
Staff Physician
Dr. Banas is a graduate of the SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine. Dr. Banas is certified by the Harvard Medical School Department of Continuing Medical Education in Clinical Training in Mind/Body Medicine. She belongs to the American Academy of Neurology.
Christopher Jacobus, MD
Staff Physician
Dr. Jacobus has been working with the elderly since 2004 and joined Hospice Buffalo in 2006. Known for his compassionate care for geriatric patients and their families faced with life- limiting illness, he advocates for the respect the elderly deserve until their last breath. His reach extends into nursing homes, assisted living residences, group homes and hospitals. He is regarded by the clinical community as an expert in the field and his integrity serves as the foundation for his care.
Fausat Oke, MD
Staff Physician
Dr. Oke was an attending physician in her native country of Nigeria. She completed an Internal Medicine residency in Brooklyn, NY, and recently graduated from the Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship, here in Western New York, after completing her training at Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo.
Tanya Orellana, MD
Staff Physician
Dr. Orellana joined Hospice in July 2021. She grew up in Florida before moving to Buffalo in 2013 to attend the University at Buffalo School of Medicine. She completed an Internal Medicine residency at the University at Buffalo and Palliative Care/Hospice Fellowship at New York Presbyterian-Queens. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and currently serves as the MD provider for one of the Hospice Home Care Based Teams. Dr. Orellana is a proud Salvadoran-American and is fluent in Spanish.
Board Members
Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo Trustees
Vince J. Mancuso
Chair
Ryan M. Zebro
Vice Chair
G. Richard Braen, MD
John L. D’Angelo
Erin Elizabeth DiGirolamo, CPA
Melinda C. DuBois
Paul Duggan, CFP
Michael Edbauer, DO
Vicki Feine
Thomas J. Foels, MD, MMM
Brendan Harrington
Huron O. Hill II, DDS
Cheryl A. Klass, RN
James S. Kramer
Joyce A. Markiewicz
Nora K. McGuire
Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD
Tracey O'Connor, MD
John D. Reinhold
Chair of Hospice Foundation Board
Daniel T. Riordan
Robert J. Schreck, Esq.
Paul Shields, DO
Michael W. Laipple (Emeritus)
Jock Mitchell (Emeritus)
Hospice Foundation Trustees
John D. Reinhold
Chair
Jane Mogavero
Vice Chair
Ariel Clay, ANP - BC
Paul Duggan, CFP
Kevin K. Gluc, Esq.
James S. Kramer
Linda Maggio
Nora K. McGuire
Catharine E. McGovern
Vince J. Mancuso
HPCB Chair
Karen Merkel
Marcy J. Munson
Mark Notarius
Kelly O’Brien
John D. Reinhold
Brendan J. Rich, Esq.
Daniel T. Riordan
Michael F. Thompson
John A. Wabick
Maggie Wilson
Ryan M. Zebro
HPCB Vice Chair
David S. Zygaj
W. Lawrence Buck (Emeritus)
Mary M. Wilson (Emeritus)
Request a Speaker
Our leadership team is available to speak at specific engagements and events. We are happy to share our expertise and experiences to help others within the community learn about how hospice and palliative care services can enhance the lives of seriously ill patients and their families.