CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Connie Bellone, RN MSHSC CCRN-K CCHC

Connie has 30 years of executive leadership experience in the healthcare and nonprofit sectors. She designed the Coordinated Care for the Whole Child Program, a unique program that cares for the whole child in a public-school setting and identifies, prevents, and addresses the health and education disparities for students who live in poverty.

cbellone@healschools.org
504-570-6952

DIRECTOR OF OFFICE OPERATIONS

Barbara Lopez

Barbara Lopez is the Director of Office Operations and has held her current position since the organization’s inception.  Barbara graduated from Tulane University with honors, and has worked for a variety of non-profits in New Orleans.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Jenny Bigelow, CFRE

Jenny has over 20 years of experience as a development professional.  Jenny is an adjunct faculty member at the University of New Orleans, where she teaches a graduate level class in grant-writing.

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

Brian Taylor

Brian Taylor is a Senior Project Manager for the Health & Education Alliance of Louisiana. Mr. Taylor comes to HEAL with 10 years of project management experience in the healthcare industry. Mr. Taylor is responsible for Revenue Project management and client relationships. He will also represent HEAL as the liaison with community partners across the state of Louisiana.

LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST

Deborah Palmer, PhD

Deborah is a licensed psychologist experienced in providing services to children, adolescents, and their families for over 20 years. Dr. Palmer graduated from the University of New Mexico and has worked in a variety of settings including inpatient care, outpatient therapy, mobile crisis team support, and education based mental health support. 

LICENSED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

Elizabeth Duncan, OTR/L

Elizabeth is a Louisiana-licensed and nationally board-certified Occupational Therapist with 30+ years of experience in healthcare and education. Her expertise includes Medicaid program support, compliance, professional development, and coordinated care initiatives that improve health and academic outcomes. Elizabeth is the former Medicaid Program Consultant for the Louisiana Department of Education and Coordinator of Occupational and Physical Therapists for St. Tammany Parish Schools. Elizabeth has worked as an occupational therapist in a variety of settings including early childhood, acute care, rehab and outpatient pediatric clinics.

DATA COORDINATOR

Kristen Sanders

Kristen Sanders is a Data Coordinator for the Health and Education Alliance of Louisiana where she manages all data collected from preventative health screenings and provides reports to schools and childcare centers. She has been working with HEAL since 2016.