Michael DiMeo
Program Manager, Medicare & SNP Product
UPMC HealthPlan

Michael DiMeo has worked for UPMC Health Plan for over 10 years in various roles throughout Operations and Reimbursement before his current role as Program Manager for the Medicare & SNP Product. He has over 18 years’ experience in the health insurance industry. In 2020, Michael was a mentee in the Insurance Services Division Diversity Mentorship Program. He also obtained a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University and was named a co-chair for the UPMC PRIDE Health Employee Resource Group at the beginning of 2022. Michael is a leader, champion and advocate for all UPMC LGBTQIA+ employees and initiatives impacting the community.

Kristen Eckstrand, MD, PhD
Fellow, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Dr. Kristen Eckstrand is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist with expertise in child and adolescent mental health, LGBTQ health, and the impact of trauma exposure on the brain and mental health with a focus on trauma experienced by vulnerable populations. Dr. Eckstrand is recognized nationally for their work in expanding health care professional education and health care systems to address the health needs of LGBTQ communities. Dr. Eckstrand has published on this topic widely and consults with various healthcare researchers and organizations related to LGBTQ health and organizational quality improvement.

Stephanie Finneran, PhD (she/her/hers)
Program Director, Health Equity
UPMC Health Plan
Pittsburgh, PA

Dr. Stephanie Finneran is a social health psychologist and behavioral designer dedicated to advancing health equity through community empowerment, service co-design, and advocacy. Her work focuses on designing, implementing, and evaluating programs with an emphasis on behavior science, human-centered design, and the upstream factors that lead to health disparities. Since 2022, Dr. Finneran has led LGBTQIA+ efforts including access and services related to gender-affirming healthcare for transgender and gender diverse individuals at UPMC Health Plan.

J. Joy Gero, PsyD (She/Her)
Director of Population Health & Improvement
Program Manager, LGBTQ Health
Wolff Center at UPMC
Pittsburgh, PA

Joy Gero, PsyD is a psychologist who began her career at UPMC 15 years ago at UPMC Western Behavioral Health.  During her time at UPMC, she has worked in leadership and training roles across the health care system including as the leader of patient relations at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.  She was named the manager of LGBTQIA+ Health at UPMC in February of 2019 and helped lead a team that improved UPMC’s participation and designation in the Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index. Dr. Gero currently serves as the Director of Population Health and Improvement for UPMC.

In addition to her work at UPMC, Dr. Gero has facilitated trainings and spoken about topics ranging from implicit bias, being an advocate for intersectional communities, moral injury, suicide, and anxiety.

Nicole Steele, MS, MT-BC, NICU-MT
Music Therapist, C & E Arts Therapist III
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

Nicole Steele M.S., MT-BC is a board-certified music therapist with a specialization in marriage and family therapy whose current role is Senior Creative & Expressive Arts Therapist at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of 17 years, where she also is appointed as the music therapy internship director. Steele was appointed co-chair of the UPMC Enterprise Employee Resource Group PRIDE Health in 2022, designed to support the needs of LGBTQIA+ staff and patients. Nicole’s passion for clinical care and advocating for mental health services remains at the forefront of her practice.