Meet Our Leadership Team
Dr. Allison Van der Velden
Read Dr. Allison's Bio
Dr. Allison van der Velden, DMD served as Chief Executive Officer since August 2020. She has worked at the Community Health Center of Franklin County as a dentist since 2015, becoming the Oral Health Director in 2018. Dr. Van der Velden completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at Hampshire College, where she focused in Microbiology. She earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Midwestern University, in Glendale AZ in 2013, and earned a Masters of Public Administration from Suffolk University in 2021.
She is passionate about the Community Health Center Movement and holds a certificate in Community Health and Community Health Center Management from Suffolk University and also completed the Geiger Gibson Health Policy Fellowship Program at George Washington University. Her interest and commitment to improving lives in her community is a driving force outside the Community Health Center as well. Dr. Van der Velden sits on the Board of Director’s for the Amherst Survival Center, a local non-profit dedicated to addressing hunger and the stigmatization food insecurity, and she serves on the Finance Committee for the Town of Deerfield.
Dr. Van der Velden is a dedicated healthcare administrator who uses her perspective as a healthcare provider, her education in leadership and management, and her values of respect and excellence to lead the Community Health Center of Franklin County.
Wes Hamilton
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Mr. Hamilton has been the CIO and Director of Information Technology and Electronic Health Records for the past 8 years at CHCFC, having served the organization during the 11 years previous in a technology advisory capacity through Hamilton Technology Consulting.
Wes is an Information Technology Specialist with over 21 years of professional experience in the private and non-profit sectors, spanning industries including education, public services, retail, and healthcare. Following study of Computer Science at Colgate University, in 1997 Wes began a career in Information Technology as a Service Technician with an aptitude for platform-independent technical expertise, progressing rapidly to business technology integration services and systems and network consulting for a variety of clients throughout the Greater Pioneer Valley. Building on this experience, Wes transitioned to an exciting opportunity with the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System (WMRLS) as a Technology Specialist, and subsequently promoted to Technology Coordinator. In this role spanning 13 years, Wes provided consulting, training, and technology planning services, as well as direct assistance with systems and networks, public access computing, and information security to libraries throughout Western MA. He developed code and database systems in production for regional and statewide services, and facilitated grants and projects to bring enhanced technology equipment and high-speed internet to dozens of smaller communities. In recognition of these efforts, Wes was dispatched to an American Libraries Association taskforce in Denver, CO to help shape the future of broadband and equal access connectivity for citizens in libraries nationwide.
In a parallel capacity providing consulting, implementation, and maintenance services for a variety of primarily non-profit and healthcare clients, Wes engaged with CHCFC beginning in 2001 for the establishment of a new technology environment, followed by activity in 2006 to plan and manage the infrastructure related to a multi-site FQHC expansion. With Electronic Health Records on the horizon, Wes joined the CHCFC team full time in 2010, and has since provided tireless technical guidance and leadership to enable the successful selection, adoption, implementation, and optimization of Electronic Medical and Dental Records. Building on the Electronic Health Record platform, Wes contributed additional technology improvements and reporting mechanisms as part of a clinical transformation team effort, culminating in the recognition of CHCFC as a Patient Centered Medical Home in December 2013.
In his role as CIO, Wes maintains active technical and interdisciplinary interests to achieve organizational transformation and staff development in the areas of business intelligence, clinical decision support, clinical quality metrics, data visualization, interoperability, open source systems, population health, and information security. He continues to be an important part of CHCFC’s success going forward, with a focus on healthcare transformation and quality.
Maria Heidenreich, FNP
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Ms. Heidenreich has been employed with the Community Health Center of Franklin County since 2013. She brings six years’ experience as a family nurse practitioner, as well as a background in epidemiology, computer science, and hospital and community health nursing. She expanded her role at CHCFC in January 2016 to include the administrative and leadership duties of Chief Medical Officer.
Ms. Heidenreich graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing Degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She completed her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, as well as a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Computer Science from Smith College in Northampton, MA.
Ms. Heidenreich is responsible for overseeing the medical staff, both the physicians and nurse teams. She oversees quality of care, peer review, and performance management. Maria works closely with the CEO on the retention and recruitment of staff clinicians all in accordance with the board’s strategic plan.
Arley Hoynoski
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Mrs. Hoynoski has been the CFO since April of 2017 at CHCFC. She brings over 15 years’ experience in both the public and private sectors in the non-profit and banking industries. Arley graduated with a Master’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Like most accounting majors Arley pursued a career in public accounting after graduation. During her time in public accounting her clients consisted of non-profit and real estate insuring GAAP and other applicable accounting standards were followed. Her work on her non-profit clients gave her exposure and a complete overview of non-profit accounting and reporting.
After her career in public accounting, Arley worked at several local publicly traded financial institutions. She also managed various operational and compliance audits throughout the Bank. Arley spent the major of her banking career in financial reporting and investor relations as the Vice President and Financial Reporting Manager. Arley managed all aspects of the Bank’s public and regulatory reporting. In addition, she managed all the financial duties and budgets of each Bank’s non-profit foundations in Massachusetts and Connecticut, respectively.
In 2017, after eight years in the banking industry, Arley decided to accept the opportunity at CHCFC because non-profits has always been her passion. Besides the monthly accounting and reporting to the Board of Directors and Senior Management Team, Arley prepares the annual budget in collaboration with the CEO and in accordance with the board’s strategic plan. Arley manages all of the regulatory and tax filings that are required for FQHC’s. In addition, Arley is Treasurer of the Board of Directors for a local non-profit, Guidewire, Inc. Guidewire services individuals with severe mental disabilities. She has been on the board since 2011.
