Leadership Team
Dr. Nicholas Yagoda
Interim Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Nicholas Yagoda is the Interim Chief Executive Officer of CommUnityCare Health Centers. He leads Central Texas Community Health Centers (CommUnityCare), one of the nation’s largest networks of federally supported health centers. In partnership with Central Health, CommUnityCare strives to provide high-quality, affordable care to underserved populations in Central Texas.
Yagoda joined CommUnityCare in 2014 and throughout his tenure with us has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to strengthening the health and well-being of the patients and families we are so privileged to care for. Since 2014, Yagoda has continuously cared for our communities as a family medicine physician with a focus on HIV and addiction medicine. He further helped develop the region’s first treatment program for uninsured people with opioid use disorders and is a founding member of the Fast Track Cities/Getting to Zero task force to end the HIV epidemic in Travis County. Yagoda is also an assistant professor of population health at The University of Texas at Austin’s Dell Medical School, and his writing has been published in peer-reviewed journals including the Annals of Family Medicine, The Journal of Family Practice, and Nature. A native of New York’s Brooklyn borough, he completed his medical education at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, and his postgraduate training at the FQHC-based Lawrence Family Medicine Residency in northeastern Massachusetts.
Dr. Susan Dubois
Interim Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Susan Dubois is the Interim Chief Medical Officer at CommUnityCare Health Centers (CUC) and a specialist in endocrinology. Since joining CUC in 2009, she has been a driving force in advancing health equity for underserved communities. With a commitment to patient-centered care, she has held leadership roles since 2017, including Director of Specialty Care and Associate Chief Medical Officer, where she has played a pivotal role in shaping clinical strategy and expanding access to specialized healthcare services.
Dr. Dubois earned her medical degree from the University of Texas McGovern Medical School in Houston and completed her Internal Medicine Residency and Fellowship in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism at UT Southwestern in Dallas, where she also served as Chief Resident. Inspired by her mentor, Dr. Daniel W. Foster, she has pursued her passion for teaching through faculty appointments at the University of West Virginia School of Medicine, The University of Texas School of Nursing, and as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at UT Austin. She is also an Affiliate Faculty member at UT Dell Medical School.
Her research focuses on resilience tools for improving diabetes self-management, combining science, education, and patient empowerment to enhance health outcomes.
Tara Trower
Interim Chief Operating Officer
Tara A. Trower serves as CommUnityCare’s Interim Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. As CSO, Trower is responsible for leading and advancing strategic initiatives and planning efforts, overseeing community engagement and communications and continuing to foster strong relationships with community partners.
Prior to joining CommUnityCare in 2021, Trower served as chief of staff to the senior vice president and CFO at The University of Texas at Austin, advising and leading strategic initiatives for a 2,400-person portfolio, including campus safety and security, finances, information technology, human resources, development, real estate, construction utilities and administrative services. She also served as one of the university’s primary contacts on local governmental affairs issues where the university’s interests intersected with those of the City of Austin and Travis County, especially on COVID-19 response, transportation, sustainability, development issues and community relationships in East Austin and West Campus.
Trower spent more than 18 years in the Austin community as a journalist and professional communicator, holding roles at the Austin American-Statesman, most notably as the senior editor for opinion and commentary (Viewpoints) and in University Communications at UT Austin. She has also worked as an adjunct professor at Huston-Tillotson University and UT Austin, and as a consultant helping non-profits refine their communications strategies.
Her community involvement includes serving as board member for the Austin Child Guidance Center, previous vice chair of the KUT Media Advisory Board, and membership on campus advisory committees for her daughters’ schools. She was a member of the 2019 McBee Fellow class with the Austin Area Research Organization.
Trower received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from Northwestern University.
Joy Sloan
Chief Financial Officer
Joy Sloan is the chief financial officer of CommUnityCare Health Centers and is responsible for overseeing the organization’s fiscal operations.
Prior to joining CommUnityCare, Sloan was the chief financial officer for Eastland Memorial Hospital, a small rural hospital in Texas, and served as chief financial officer for two FQHCs, one in Texas and one in Indiana.
Sloan has over 13 years’ experience in FQHC finance and two years’ hospital experience and has a proven record of balancing strong fiscal control with service line growth. Sloan holds a B.A. in accounting from Anderson University and a master’s in health care management from WGU. When not in the office, Sloan spends time with her two kids and husband, enjoys yoga and walking, and loves to ride horses.
Yvonne Camarena
Chief Nursing Officer
Yvonne Camarena serves as chief nursing officer for CommUnityCare Health Centers. Prior to assuming her current role, she was CommUnityCare’s chief operations officer. Before joining CommUnityCare, Camarena was the chief operating officer of Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center in Northern California.
Camarena is a solutions-focused administrator with a comprehensive background in clinical, administrative, and quality fields. She is accomplished in transforming health care delivery models.
Camarena graduated from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (formally Pan American University) with an associate degree in nursing. She continued her education with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The University of Texas at Austin, followed by a Master in Healthcare Administration from Kaplan University. In addition, Camarena recently received an appointment as an adjunct professor at The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing.
She began her health care career as a nurse’s aide in an acute care hospital. Having begun with bedside care, she understands the importance of patient care at all service levels. She is passionate for the need to create a caring environment for the patients we serve and developing positive employee engagement.
Dr. Rosa De La Torre
Chief Population Health and Integration Officer
As the Chief Population Health and Integration Officer, Rosa brings decades of progressive leadership experience in healthcare, with a strong focus on improving clinical outcomes, enhancing patient care, and driving strategic initiatives for population health management.
Rosa leads the development and execution of comprehensive population health strategies that aim to improve the overall health of communities, reduce health disparities, and ensure high-quality, cost-effective care. By combining expertise in clinical leadership and data-driven insights, Rosa fosters collaboration across multidisciplinary teams to design and implement programs that address the complex health needs of CommUnity Care’s diverse populations within our patient-centered framework.
Rosa joined CommUnity Care in August of 2023 and has served as the Associate Chief Medical Officer for Primary Care. She has over 25 years of healthcare experience, with a proven track record in leadership roles. Throughout her 11-year tenure at Marathon Health, she held key positions, including Vice President of Clinical Leadership, Regional Vice President of Clinical Affairs for the Southwest, and Clinical Director of Quality Assurance, where she played a pivotal role in driving the organization’s growth by advancing healthcare delivery through innovative solutions, with a strong emphasis on enhancing the patient experience and achieving cost containment.
Previously, as Vice President of Clinical Leadership, Rosa played a key role in overseeing clinical operations, creating and designing innovative programs and driving initiatives that delivered on the triple aim including improving patient care quality and operational efficiency for many of their Fortune 500 customers. As Regional Vice President of Clinical Affairs for the Southwest, Rosa successfully led clinical operations in a multi-state area, improving outcomes through strategic oversight and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Rosa began her career as a Family Nurse Practitioner serving through the National Health Service Corp at an FQHC on the Texas border. She has been deeply committed to health equity and reducing health disparities in those most vulnerable. She has worked with several FQHC systems throughout her career and has a deep understanding of the challenges experienced by organizations committed to care delivery to diverse populations with many social drivers impacting health outcomes. She is a passionate advocate for health equity and is dedicated to creating systems that deliver better care for all patients, especially underserved communities. By leveraging advanced healthcare technologies and forging strategic partnerships, Rosa works to drive positive health outcomes and enhance care delivery on a population level.
Rosa has a strong connection to the University of Texas at Austin having received her Bachelor of Nursing and Nursing Doctorate from UT. She attended the University of Texas Health Science Center – San Antonio for her Masters completing her Family Nurse Practitioner program.
With a comprehensive background in clinical leadership, quality assurance, and population health management, Rosa continues to inspire change and shape the future of healthcare through innovative leadership and a commitment to excellence. In her free time, she enjoys spending time in her garden and with her three busy children. She also loves watching the Lady Longhorns basketball team.
Cristie Pellegrini
Vice President of Pharmacy Services
Cristie Pellegrini, RPh, MHA is CommUnityCare’s Vice President of Pharmacy. Cristie has worked in the health center space for over 20 years and is an expert in using the federal 340B program to maximize health center savings and increase patient access. Pellegrini oversees the pharmacy team, Patient Assistance Program, and Clinical Pharmacist services and is the medication supply chain manager for the entire CommUnityCare system.
In her previous role as CommUnityCare’s Director of Pharmacy, Cristie added a generic price list option for patients and increased access by quadrupling the number of contracted pharmacy access points in Travis County and surrounding areas.
Prior to CommUnityCare, she was the Vice President of Operations and National Pharmacy Director at imgHolding, LLC.
Cristie has dedicated her career to serving the underserved community by increasing medication access and removing barriers to care. She received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at Rutgers University and completed her Master of Healthcare Administration at the University of Southern California.
Therese DeMay
Vice President of Compliance
Therese DeMay serves as the Vice President of Compliance for CommUnityCare Health Centers. DeMay spearheads the efforts made throughout the organization to exceed regulatory standards and ethical expectations as a healthcare provider, including those vital to our Joint Commission Accreditation and Federal Health Center program status. Furthermore, DeMay is responsible for compliance operations, risk management and mitigation initiatives. This includes developing and implementing policies that align with the CommUnityCare Health Centers mission, values and all regulatory requirements.
DeMay’s journey with CommUnityCare Health Centers began with the City of Austin health centers. Since then she has served as Corporate Compliance Officer and most recently Director of Compliance. Her work has been critical in advancing our compliance and risk management programs.
October Ambrose
Vice President of People Partnerships & Engagement
October Ambrose serves as Vice President of People Partnerships & Engagement at CommUnityCare Health Centers, where she oversees talent acquisition, talent management, and team member engagement and health across the organization.. With over 15 years of experience in healthcare and nonprofit leadership, she is known for building high-performing teams, shaping inclusive workplace cultures, and driving workforce strategies aligned with mission and growth.
Before joining Central Health, Ambrose held leadership roles at the Center on Rural Innovation and Ochsner Health, leading key initiatives in people operations and ambulatory operations serving patients and the community in New Orleans. She is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and holds additional credentials in diversity, equity, and inclusion, Six Sigma, and leadership coaching and development.
Ambrose earned her MA in Human Development and BS in Human Resources Management from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. She is an adjunct lecturer at Tulane University, supporting the development of future healthcare and business leaders.
Asad Asghar
Vice President of Business Transformation
Asad Asghar serves as the Vice President of Business Transformation at CommUnityCare Health Centers. In this role, he oversees the daily operations of the organization’s health centers throughout the Austin area, with a focus on improving access to care, enhancing operational efficiency, and strengthening financial performance. He leads cross-functional teams to identify and implement transformational initiatives across departments, ensuring alignment with CommUnityCare strategic goals. Asad plays a key role in driving change management, integrating new processes and technologies, and developing systems that support collaboration across functions.
With over a decade of experience in business development and operations management, Asad has held leadership roles including Executive Director at Synergy HomeCare, as well as Vice President of Operations, Director of Operations, and Area Operations Manager in previous organizations. He joined CommUnityCare Health Centers in 2023. Asad earned his medical degree from DOW University of Health Sciences in Karachi, Pakistan.