Culture, Experience and Community Health at University of Vermont Health

Marissa Coleman (She/Her), PsyD, Vice President of Culture, Experience, and Community Health

University of Vermont Medical Center

Marissa N. Coleman, PsyD is the Vice President of Culture, Experience, and Community Health at University of Vermont Medical Center. She is a practicing bilingual, clinical psychologist with a specialty in International Psychology and Human Rights. Additionally, Dr. Coleman serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at The Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at University of Vermont. She completed her pre-doctoral residency at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami; followed by her postdoctoral fellowship at Emory School of Medicine. With her background in creating culturally grounded healing spaces, Dr. Coleman’s work emphasizes psychological safety, liberation theory, and centering the role of community in systemic change.

Her career in healthcare spans domestically and internationally with focus areas in program development, monitoring and reporting, participatory action research, DEI strategic planning, and cultivating holistic educational experiences. Dr. Coleman continues to work in multiple international contexts, particularly working with individuals and communities affected by human rights violations, conflict/war, torture, health epidemics, and trauma. Utilizing her expertise in social justice, traumatology, cultural and community psychologies, she seeks to contribute to local capacity building, infrastructure development, and culturally humble approaches to what is considered “best practice” in the areas of equity, belonging, and psychological well-being. She has worked in numerous countries including Jamaica, Brazil, Mexico, Kenya, and El Salvador.

Guadalupe Martinez (She/Her), Director of Culture Experience and Community Health

University of Vermont Health

Guadalupe is a Mexican/American millennial who emigrated from Sonora, Mexico to Arizona with her family at a young age. Thankfully, because of her DACA status, she received her Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of Arizona in the spring of 2022.

Her lived experiences of food adversity, house instability, and health disparities propelled her to become a DEI professional in 2018 at Banner Health, a large integrated health system, where she had the opportunity to be one of the founders of their Diversity and Inclusion department. During her time there, Guadalupe co-led and established Employee Resource Groups, facilitated Unconscious Bias, Macroaggressions, and LGBTQ+ Health 101 across clinical and non-clinical teams, and fostered community relationships, all aimed to tackle health disparities.

She was fortunate to join University of Vermont Health as their first Network Diversity Director, in March of 2022 where her focus is cultivating a culture of belonging and addressing health equity. In her short time with the network, Guadalupe has delivered DEI and LGBTQIA+ care training to leadership at multiple hospitals and agency, is spearheading policies aimed at creating more equitable processes for staff, patients, and communities alike, and is collaborating with key network partners to identify DEI metrics and data. She is excited to continue serving marginalized and underserved populations by fostering a culture of innovation, belonging and equity across the communities that University of Vermont Health operates in and serves.

Erin Armstrong (She/Her), System Director of Health Equity

University of Vermont Health

Erin Armstrong is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and experienced leader. After graduating from St. Michael’s College she completed two years of AmeriCorps VISTA, and worked at alternative schools before graduating from Bryn Mawr College of Social Work in 2006. In her early years as a social worker, she worked with many people experiencing systemic barriers. She has since provided oversight and supervision of several therapeutic, case management and residential programs for individuals experiencing mental illness.

Since 2017, she has held a variety of leadership positions at the UVM Medical Center, shifting from directly connecting people to the care they need, to addressing some of the upstream factors that lead to the barriers and injustices people face. Erin currently leads a team of talented individuals who work closely alongside community partners to address community priorities, health literacy, and the development of health equity initiatives. She is excited to bring her knowledge, build new partnerships, and highlight the voice of the community to make a greater impact on all of the areas served by the UVM Health.

Geera Demers (She/Her), MPA, CPHQ, PMP, Director of Culture and Experience

University of Vermont Health

Geera is University of Vermont Medical Center's Director of Culture and Experience over Employee Experience and Education. Geera has twenty years of experience in health care including facilitating trainings, program management, health administration, quality improvement, and strategic planning. In her DEI role, she guides leaders and managers on DEI practices and how to navigate complex DEI-related situations with their staff. She facilitates and develops DEI trainings to improve knowledge, culture, and employee retention. Geera also supports the network-wide DEI strategic planning work. Prior to this role, Geera was the Senior Quality Improvement Partner for the Jeffords Institute for Quality for University of Vermont Health. In her quality improvement role, she provided project management support for the hospital, network, and external community stakeholders using quality improvement methodologies and best practices.

Before moving to Vermont, Geera worked in New York City as the Program Manager for the Cancer Prevention Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP), where she enhanced the hospital’s market presence by organizing cancer screenings, awareness events and educational lectures. In her role as the research project coordinator at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, she conducted research for multi-institutional clinical trials, which included researchers from nationally recognized cancer centers in Italy and India.

Taylor Small (She/Her), Director of Health Equity

University of Vermont Medical Center

Taylor Small is the Director of Health Equity at University of Vermont Medical Center. Small was born and raised in New England and has been living in Vermont for the last 14 years. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies and a minor in sexuality and gender identity studies in 2016 and has lived in the greater Burlington area since.

Her career path has been focused on addressing the needs of those most marginalized in our state and has included working with homeless and runaway youth, providing youth crisis stabilization, adolescent case management, advancing LGBTQIA+ health equity, and leading equity work for non-profits, state organizations, and municipalities. Prior to this position, Small served as the Health & Wellness Program Director for the Pride Center of Vermont where she trained over 2,000 healthcare and human service professionals across the state in cultural humility and LGBTQIA+ healthcare.

Most notably, Small was elected to the Vermont State Legislature in 2020 and now serves as the only out transgender representative in the state and one of a dozen nationwide. Her consistent focus in all areas of her work is to center those most impacted and to ensure that lived-experience perspectives are not only heard but considered throughout decision-making processes. Small is excited to bring her passion for community building and health equity to the UVM Medical Center team and looks forward to expanding the medical center’s impact for the community at-large.

LeGita Scott-Williams (She/Her), Regional Senior Manager, Engagement & Belonging – NY Hospitals

University of Vermont Health

LeGita Scott-Williams, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, is the Regional Senior Manager, Engagement & Belonging – NY Hospitals of University of Vermont Health. LeGita has extensive Human Resources experience including employee development, relationship building, collective bargaining & contract negotiations and development of HR and organizational policies. She is an experienced investigator of sensitive matters including harassment and discrimination and possesses a strength in delivering strategies to promote individual accountability and awareness around the behavioral competencies of empathy, kindness, and ownership. LeGita is dedicated to building an organizational culture of engagement, diversity and collaboration which are crucial steps in creating Allyship and a culturally inclusive environment that promotes wellbeing for our patients and employees.

LeGita has an extensive background in volunteerism and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association, is a current member of the National Board of Directors for the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR) serving as the Vice President of DEI Learning Programs, she is an active member of Harmony Grand Chapter, Order of Eastern Star, MWPHGL-MO, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., ABWA – Westport Landing Chapter and a Lifetime Member of the International Society of Business Leaders. She previously served on the Board of Directors for the Community Mediation Center, was an Ambassador with the Independence, MO Chamber of Commerce, has been involved with the Junior League of Kansas City; she served as team mom for KC Seminoles Youth Football Team, a mentor and member of the Board of Directors for the Sons of Hiram District #2 Youth Mentoring Group in Kansas City, MO, and a member of the Association of Persons in Supported Employment- MO Board of Directors, serving as Vice President Elect. LeGita holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, a Master of Science in Management, and a Master’s Degree in Management Information Systems.

Hajar Anvar (They/Them), Health Equity and Patient Experience Program Manager

Home Health & Hospice, Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Facilities

Hajar Anvar is the Health Equity and Patient Experience Program Manager for Home Health & Hospice and Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Facilities, leading the development, implementation and practice of patient- and family-centered care across the continuum. Hajar partners with frontline, operational, clinical and quality leaders to co-design systems that build safety, trust and choice into every encounter, so care meets patients where they are and honors what they carry with them.

Iranian/American, Hajar's path crossed four countries and as many disciplines before landing in Vermont in 2017: reading history and culture within the built environment as an architect in Tehran, urban designer in London and art historian in Montreal, then sensing systems and structures beneath policy in U.S. healthcare administration. That journey of learning new systems, languages and belonging shapes how Hajar approaches equity work today: restoring trust and agency for the most vulnerable and making room for full humanity.

Since joining UVM Health system in 2018, Hajar has led work across operations, strategic planning, professional development program design, grant management and data analytics, carrying a master’s in health administration and a certified trauma-informed care practitioner credential into every role. Trained through innovative leadership programs, Hajar helps teams sense the patterns beneath daily operations and co-create more inclusive, generative ways of working toward the future already emerging through them. The throughline: removing barriers that keep people from being fully seen and cared for.

Louise Barrows (She/Her), Director of Patient Experience

University of Vermont Medical Center