Our Team

In his storied career, Dr. Lee has been CEO of Meridian Support Company, Inc. promoting efficiency in healthcare systems; Past President of The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; Past President of the New Haven County Medical Association; Past Chair of a Hospital Medical Board; Past Vice-Chair of a Healthcare HMO; Past Commissioner of CT-Guilford Harbor Management Commission; and Trustee of First Guilford Congregational Church.

In 2016, Dr. Lee and his colleagues conducted research showing that most providers offered good outcomes, but fewer showed compassion while delivering good results. Their key research finding was that compassion improves patient outcomes and reduces healthcare costs, increasing happiness and satisfaction for both patients and providers.

Dr. Lee believes patients and their families deserve good outcomes rendered with great compassion and thus decided to create TPIU.

“Like the word beauty, this concept of compassionate healthcare was difficult to define or describe quantitatively. It meant different things to different people. Hence, we defined it as treating every patient as if you or your loved one is the patient; The Patient Is U (TPIU).”

For more about our founder, please see Our History.

Robin Bennett Kanarek is the president of the Kanarek Family Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded with her husband, Joseph, in 2006. The foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life for those affected by cancer and other life-threatening conditions through the promotion, education, and integration of palliative care into all aspects of health care. The catalyst for creating the Kanarek Family Foundation was the loss of her 15-year-old son, David, in 2000, following a five-year battle with cancer and stem cell transplant.

A Fairfield University School of Nursing graduate, Mrs. Kanarek has served on their Board of Trustees and Chairs the Kanarek Center for Palliative Education and the Bennett Center for Judaic Studies. She also has served on the Board of Trustees of Greenwich Hospital (Greenwich, CT), a Yale-New Haven Health affiliate. Through innovative and collaborative projects at Fairfield University School of Nursing in Fairfield, Connecticut, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, and the George Washington University for Spirituality and Health, the Kanarek Family Foundation focuses on educating the public and healthcare professionals to the many benefits of early integration of palliative care.

Mrs. Kanarek has presented at international health conferences, universities, and medical institutions. She has been published in several peer-reviewed journals, including the American Journal of Nursing, Pediatric Oncology Nursing, Palliative and Supportive Care, and Palliative Medicine. She recently published her first book with Johns Hopkins University Press. The book is titled Living Well with a Serious Illness: A Guide to Palliative Care for Mind, Body, and Spirit and honors David’s short but remarkable life.

With a doctorate in nursing, Dr. Paulmeno is the Founder/CEO of Global Health Systems Consultants, LLC, a public health consulting firm from 2009-2023. She is the Public Health Promotion Specialist at the Greenwich (CT) Department of Health, Past-President of the Connecticut Nurses Association, and Co-Leader of the Health Sector of the (International) Charter for Compassion.

She was the first nurse to receive a TPIU Halo Award in 2019. The organization’s leaders invited her to join the Board of Directors and she was later elected as Chair in 2020.

“As a nurse, caring and compassion are second nature to me. They have been drilled into my practice since I entered nursing school 58 years ago, and I have practiced with caring and compassion every day of my life. The mission, purpose, and values of the TPIU Foundation, Inc. resonate with my own.”

Dr. Crain is the former CEO & President of Radiologic Associates of Middletown (CT) and the former Chairman of the Middlesex Health Radiology Department. He currently serves as President of the Radiological Society of Connecticut and the CMO of Pondera Pharmaceuticals.

Guilford Radiology, an office of Radiologic Associates, received the first TPIU Halo award in 2017.Dr. Lee invited Dr. Crain to join the Board in 2018.

“I believe the successful treatment of any illness requires the combination of care based on evidence-based medicine and compassionate care. Being part of TPIU helps me reinforce this crucial combination among patients, providers, and healthcare administrators.”

Claudio Pannunzio is a senior marketing executive, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He has held senior management positions at leading financial services companies both in Europe and the US and served in senior management capacities at premier US marketing, branding and public relations agencies. He is currently a Managing Director at Adler Branding & Marketing.

From 2017, he has served as Director of the Board at TRIFORM–a residential community providing education and training for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. From 2010 to 2017, he was Director of the Board of Camphill Foundation–an anthroposophy-based movement for social change for individuals with developmental disabilities.

As a Support Volunteer Mentor for The Cancer Hope Network, he provides moral and emotional support to cancer patients and their families. He also volunteers at Yale-Health-Greenwich Hospital, in the Medicine, Medical Intensive Care and Oncology Units, where he offers guided imagery, mindfulness meditations, and emotional support to adult cancer patients, their families and hospital staff.

Claudio Pannunzio is a Certified Senior Trainer in corporate-based mindfulness and leadership competence. He conducts training seminars on work/life balance, interoception, mindfulness, self-awareness, stress reduction, and meditation practices for both for-profit and non-profit organizations. He is also a Certified Consulting Hypnotist and Certified in Neuro Linguistic Programming [NLP].

He is a two-time cancer survivor and the recipient of the 2023 Michael Kzirian “Flame of Courage” award for having demonstrated exceptional courage, spirit, and determination in the face of cancer, and for providing emotional support and making a meaningful impact on the lives of cancer patients, their families, and their caregivers.

Claudio is also a frequent guest lecturer on mindfulness and marketing at the MBA programs of New York University – Stern School of Business, Copenhagen Business School – Handelshøjskolen, Long Island University School of Business, and University at Albany MBA programs.

For the past 30 years, Claudio has been a student and practitioner of Zen Buddhism in the Soto School tradition and of Japanese, Korean and Chinese martial arts.

Joanne Palmer is a senior communications and marketing executive with more than 20 years’ experience in healthcare and nonprofit organizations. She currently works in organizational change management at Yale University, and prior to that, spearheaded executive communications and diversity, inclusion, and belonging efforts at Ivy Rehab Network. Previously, she was chief of staff and communications for the largest network of fertility practices in North America.

Joanne’s passion for patient care was ignited early in her career, while working on a project at The Brain Trauma Foundation that highlighted disparate levels of care for brain injury patients at trauma centers around the country. Since then, her work has often taken on aspects of patient-facing roles, and she has had the privilege of interfacing with hundreds of patients globally to hear their stories first-hand. From this, it became evident that there are two things that every patient wants – to be heard, and to be treated with dignity and compassion.

This is why Joanne was honored to join TPIU as a board member, and grateful to have the opportunity to help steward the return of compassionate care to the provider-patient relationship, contributing to better patient outcomes and a better healthcare system overall.

Joanne holds a BA from Wesleyan University, and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Colorado State University, as well as a certificate in corporate communication from Cornell University.  She lives a busy life in Southern Westchester with her husband and four teenage children.

Ms. Wang’s passion for compassionate care goes back to her teachings as a child in China. Mencius, an ancient Chinese philosopher renowned for work on human nature said “honor old people as we do our own aged parentsand care for other’s children as one’s own.”This phrase has lived in Ms. Wang’s heart since childhood. She believes that no matter how much hardship we face in life, we will be stronger if we hold on to the goodness in treating others just like ourselves. This is especially true when it comes to caring for patients. Healthcare providers who respect the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients improve the quality of medical care for the whole person.

Ms. Panico is Vice President of Retail Banking for Sikorsky Credit Union. She has been with TPIU since 2018.

TPIU is something that I’m passionate about because I’m a compassionate leader who believes in treating the patient as if the patient is you or a loved one.

“I use the same concept to lead my team at the credit union. We achieve exceptional member satisfaction because we treat our members as if they were ourselves or a loved one to whom we deliver financial wellness.”

Dr. Anju Patel is an experienced board-certified otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon with advanced expertise in voice and swallowing disorders. A compassionate, dignified, patient-centered approach to care is the crux of Dr. Patel’s healthcare ethos.

During her tenure as faculty at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Patel led multiple national and regional initiatives to improve patient care and experience through digital transformation. She is a leader, educator, and innovator in advancing technology in healthcare to support patient education and healthcare equity. She has a strong background in driving advances in medicine through research and data collection authoring over 50+ presentations and peer-reviewed publications.

Dr. Patel is a skilled clinical leader for health technology companies focused on patient education and experience. She has developed guidelines and protocols to improve the intersection of technology and compassionate care. She aims to leverage her experiences in academic medicine and health technology to further TPIU’s mission.

Dr. Patel has been involved with TPIU in an advisory capacity since 2022 and joined the board in 2023.

Dr. Chustecki practices Internal Medicine in Connecticut, as the Managing Director and Head Physician of Internal Medicine of Greater New Haven.

A native of Poland, Dr. Chustecki received her medical degree from Warsaw School of Medicine. She completed residency at Tufts Medical School. In 2009, Dr. Chustecki received her MBA from the Yale. Dr. Chustecki is Assistant Clinical Professor at the Yale School of Medicine. She is a member of the Credentialing Committee for the Independent Physician Association of Yale New Haven Hospital Medical Staff, a member of the Board of Governors for the New Haven County Medical Association, and member of the Legislative Committee for the Connecticut State Medical Association engaged in committee work and testimonies before the Public Health Committee of the Connecticut State Senate. Since 2003, she served on the Board of Directors for the American Industrial Acquisition Corporation in Greenwich, CT.

Dr. Chustecki established the Aid for Orphans Relief Foundation after visiting orphanages throughout Poland and seeing firsthand their dire need for health and medical supplies. As the Founding Member and Managing Director, in a short period of time, she has expanded her mission to Appalachia and Africa.

She has been a dedicated compassionate healthcare provider for over 20 years and aims to see that everyone gets TPIU healthcare through her role on the board.

Pat Carroll is a recognized patient advocate and leader, working with people and families coping with primary immune deficiency, autoimmune disease, and rare diseases. In 2011, she was diagnosed with primary immune deficiency as an adult and had to give up her clinical practice as a trauma nurse.

She has since started a clinic for individuals at the homeless center in her community. Pat Carroll plays a pivotal role in patient education from diabetes management to HIV education. With a degree in Instructional Design and Educational Technology, she contributes to patient education at TPIU.

“It is an honor to work with a dynamic, dedicated group of people who are committed to helping health care providers unleash their compassion and feel the benefits of providing compassionate care every day.”

Jocelyn is a former journalist, a philanthropist and an entrepreneur. Over her distinguished  broadcast career, the Emmy Award-nominated medical reporter has anchored and reported for television stations in North Carolina, Milwaukee, Texas and Connecticut.

A political science graduate of the University of  Missouri in Columbia, Jocelyn works tirelessly for many nonprofits across the state. She serves on the Boards of Friends of Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital and Ronald McDonald House Charities of CT/Western MA.

She is a member of the Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital Family Council of Fairfield County, Jane Doe No More Advisory Council, The Patient is U Foundation Advisory Council, The Center of Family Justice PR/Marketing committee and supports the National Kidney Foundation of CT and the Arts Council of Greater New Haven. She has been honored numerous times for her volunteer efforts.

She is co-founder of Caroline’s Room, a safe haven for families coping with the challenges and uncertainties surrounding the birth of a premature baby. There are Caroline’s Rooms in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Texas and Virginia.

Jocelyn is also Founder and CEO of JM Media Group LLC, a full service strategic media and marketing company. And enjoys flipping and designing houses with her family.

Derek is a junior at Noble and Greenough School. At TPIU, he conducts news and literature searches and produces TPIU Digest (an internal newsletter) to support TPIU Board Members’ work. He also contributes to special projects such as fundraising Gala preparation and surveys about TikTok topics. His volunteering experiences at TPIU have offered him valuable opportunities beyond a typical high school life. He is thrilled to have gained not only knowledge about the healthcare systems but also the joy of serving others.

Derek is a chess National Master and a USAMO qualifier. He is passionate about science research and tennis. In his spare time, he loves to sing, doodle, and cook. He has been a Co-President and Founding Board Member of Chess For Unity (a national chess organization with over 1000 members in 32 states) since 2020 and the President and Co-Founder of MA-based Chess+Math Lab since 2023.

Derek is committed to empower minds and build a more compassionate world through chess, math, and healthcare.

Jeff is an attorney in private practice and a retired Chief of Police, having worked in law enforcement for over thirty years. Jeff’s passion for public service led to terms on many volunteer boards and organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Guilford Community Fund, East Shore Adult Day Center, Guilford Youth Mentoring, and Essex Land Trust.  Now with T.P.I.U. , Jeff sees countless opportunities for improved healthcare outcomes by advancing the cause for compassionate care. 

Jeff holds a B.A. from the University of Connecticut, a Masters of Public Administration (M.P.A.) from the University of New Haven, and a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from Quinnipiac University. 

He lives in Connecticut with his wife and three children.