Jodi House, which supports brain injury survivors, has appointed of a new slate of officers to its Board of Directors, including Dr. Angela Hsu, chair; Kerry Kelly, vice chair; Arianne Johnson, secretary; and Aaron Poirier, treasurer.
Dr. Hsu, a pediatrician and pediatric intensivist, has been named board chair. Dr. Hsu is a former chair of pediatrics at Cottage Children’s Medical Center.
She was also the medical director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Pediatric Sedation Center at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Dr. Hsu is a pediatrician at the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department. She is a member of the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara and is an alumna of Leading from Within’s Katherine Harvey Fellows leadership program.
“I am honored to serve as the new board chair of Jodi House. I am deeply committed to advancing our mission of empowering brain injury survivors and supporting their caregivers and families,” she said.
“I look forward to working collaboratively with our dedicated board, phenomenal staff, and amazing community partners to strengthen our program and extend our reach, ensuring that all those impacted by brain injury have access to the resources and connection they deserve,” Dr. Hsu said.
Kelly holds a master’s degree in education and a secondary teaching credential from UC Santa Barbara. She has taught at both UCSB’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education and San Marcos High School.
Kelly is past president of the Santa Barbara chapter of the National Charity League, where she served as president during the start of the COVID pandemic, and led some 300 members in reimagining chapter operations virtually.
Johnson, medical research scientist at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, has developed more than 100 research and quality improvement projects with local and national partnerships.
Johnson’s areas of study include neuroscience, trauma, surgery, rehabilitation, internal medicine, emergency medicine, and community health.
She holds a bachelor’s in neuroscience from Dartmouth College, and a Ph.D in psychological & brain sciences with a focus on cognitive neuroscience from UC Santa Barbara.
Poirier is executive director of Post-acute Care and Ambulatory Services at Lompoc Valley Medical Center. He oversees operations at the Comprehensive Care Center, a skilled nursing and long-term care facility, as well as Lompoc Health’s outpatient multispecialty clinics and oncology center.
Poirier holds a doctorate in physical therapy and a master’s degree in healthcare administration. He brings experience in healthcare leadership, with a focus on operational excellence and patient-centered care across the continuum of services.
“Rapid advances in neuroscience and brain injury rehabilitation have dramatic implications for the work of Jodi House,” said Lindsey Black, executive director.
“This group of leaders, with their respective expertise in medicine, education, neuroscience research, and rehabilitation, will ensure that Jodi House’s programs continue to evolve to incorporate best practices in the field of brain injury care,” she said.
“Angela, Kerry, Arianne and Aaron all demonstrate great integrity, compassion, and commitment to our community, and I am honored to work together with them in furthering the mission of Jodi House,” Black said.
Other Jodi House Board of Directors members are Kathleen Klawitter, Adam Pollock, Ryan Rogers and Tiff Thompson.
The mission of Jodi House is to empower brain injury survivors to not merely survive but thrive. Jodi House’s programs are supportive and community-based, consisting of structured activities that facilitate community reintegration.
For more, contact Black at 805-563-2882 or lindsey@jodihouse.org.