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
Rebecca Calabrese, MD
Staff Physician
Rebecca Calabrese is the Medical Director for Home Connections. Board-certified in both Palliative Care & Internal Medicine, she received her medical degree at New York Medical College, and completed Internal Medicine residency at Beth Israel Medical Center, NY. She served as associate director for the department of Hospital Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in NY, was Director of Hospital Medicine for UBMD, completed her Palliative Care Fellowship training at the University at Buffalo, and most recently was a palliative care physician at ECMC.
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
Tanya Orellana, MD, 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 medical physician provider assigned to one of the Hospice Home Care Based Teams. Dr. Orellana is Salvadoran-American and fluent in Spanish.
Megan O'Shea Farrell, MD
Staff Physician
Prior to joining Hospice, Dr. Farrell was the Head of Endocrinology at the John M. Loré Jr. M.D. Head and Neck Center at Sister’s Hospital. Dr. Farrell is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, with an additional certification in endocrinology, and Board Eligible in hospice & palliative care medicine. Dr. Farrell previously served as the Hospice Medical Director.
John Tangeman, MD, FACP
Staff Physician
Dr. Tangeman joined Hospice Buffalo in 2005. Prior to Hospice, Dr. Tangeman was in private practice in Internal Medicine with Buffalo Medical Group. Dr. Tangeman is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in both internal medicine and hospice & palliative care medicine. He has lectured at the local, state and national level on various topics pertaining to hospice and palliative care. His responsibilities include overseeing and managing admissions to our Hospice program.
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 DiGirolamo
Melinda C. DuBois
Paul S. Duggan, CFP
Michael J. Edbauer, DO, MBA
Vicki Feine
Thomas J. Foels, MD, MMM
Brendan Harrington
Huron O. Hill II, DDS
Cheryl A. Klass, RN
James Kramer
Nora K. McGuire
Tracey O'Connor, MD
John D. Reinhold
Foundation Chair
Daniel T. Riordan
Robert J. Schreck, Esq.
Paul E. Shields, DO
Brian Snyder, MD
Michael W. Laipple (Emeritus)
Jock Mitchell (Emeritus)
Hospice Foundation Trustees
John D. Reinhold
Foundation Chair
Jane Mogavero
Vice Chair
Paul S. Duggan, CFP
Vicki Feine
Rhonda Frederick
Kevin K. Gluc, Esq.
Rob Goldberg
James Kramer
Linda Maggio
Nora K. McGuire
Catharine E. McGovern
Vince J. Mancuso
HPCB Chair
Karen Merkel
Melissa S. Milch
Mark Notarius
Kelly O’Brien
Brendan J. Rich, Esq.
Daniel T. Riordan
Michael F. Thompson
Maggie Wilson
Ryan M. Zebro
HPCB Vice Chair
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.