Massachusetts Healthcare Workers to MA Healthcare Institutions and Professional Associations

300+ Massachusetts Healthcare Worker signatories


April 16, 2025

Open Letter to Defend Access to Healthcare for Immigrants 

A core principle of healthcare professions is that we care for all people to the best of our ability, regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, or immigration status. Providing care free from discrimination is an ethical obligation and fundamental to public health.

The U.S. government has long recognized this and designated healthcare facilities as sensitive locations to be avoided in immigration enforcement, along with churches and schools. But now the Trump administration has reversed this policy, endangering immigrants and all Americans.

As healthcare workers, we condemn that action and urge President Trump to rescind it.

Amid a barrage of dehumanizing rhetoric and new anti-immigrant policies, knowing that immigration agents may target healthcare facilities is already harming the health of immigrants, their families and our communities. A growing number of our patients are canceling or not coming to appointments and delaying medical care that they need. 

Fear of seeking care during emergencies can be fatal, while delaying or interrupting treatment for chronic illnesses worsens health and increases cost. Lack of care for communicable diseases threatens broader public health, as it greatly increases the risk of transmission and even outbreaks. 

Immigrants are also our neighbors, our friends and our coworkers; they represent nearly 20% of the healthcare workforce. 

Moreover, access to healthcare is a human right, and it is a violation of that right to expose our patients to detention and deportation from within our hospitals and clinics. 

We therefore call on all healthcare institutions and professional associations to uphold the sanctity of healthcare facilities by: 

  1. Creating and implementing formal policies to protect all of our patients’ privacy and access to healthcare, without exceptions.

  2. Explicitly communicating to patients that our health institutions welcome and care for all, regardless of immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity or ability, and specify the measures they have taken to protect their care.

  3. Advocating for our immigrant patients, colleagues, and communities to protect their access to healthcare, the stability of our workforce, and the integrity of our communities.

  4. Building medical-legal partnerships to address growing legal needs, which substantially impact the health of our patients and communities. 

At this time when so many of our patients are living in fear, it is our ethical duty as healthcare providers to stand with them.

This statement was delivered to the following organizations on April 16, 2025:                                                                                                 

President and CEO Steve Walsh, Massachusetts Health and Hospitals Association 

President and CEO Michael Curry, Esq, MA League of Community Health Centers

President and CEO Anne Klibanski, MD, Mass General Brigham

President and CEO Kevin Tabb, MD, Beth Israel Lahey Health

President and CEO Eric W. Dickson, MHCM, FACEP, UMass Memorial Health Care

President and Interim CEO Alastair Bell, MD, MBA, Boston Medical Center Health System

President and CEO Peter Banko, MD, Baystate Health

CC: Massachusetts Medical Society

Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians

Massachusetts Nurses Association

April 16, 2025: 415 Signatories

Lauren Kearney, MD

Samantha Rawlins-Pilgrim, MD, MSc

Alexander Yeo, MD

Katherine Fair, MD

Darrell Kotton, MD

Samuel Belok, MD

Alana Tova, MD

Christine Mitchell, ScD

Rebecca Warner, MD

Bezhan Muradi, MPH

Sarah Miller, PsyD

Elizabeth Tisei, MD

Sunny Kung, MD

Kate Douglas, MD

Michael Alpert, M.D.

Brett Lewis, MD

Mary Ann Kopydlowski, RN

Jaclyn French, LICSW

Alan Papscun

Gretel Munroe, MA, MSH, MS

Mardge Cohen, MD

Adelaida Jasperse, JD MBE, 

Alan Meyers, MD,MPH

Ramsey Champagne, LMHC

Dorothy Burlage, Ph.D. Harvard

Avik Chatterjee, MD, MPH

Elizabeth Fieg, MS, CGC

Stephanie Preston, MD

Ellen Isrrael, BSN, CNM, MPH

Honor MacNaughton, MD

Jenna Oelschlegel, 

Rose Molina, MD, MPH

Rashmi Jasrasaria, MD

Rebecca Rogers, MD

Malak Rafla, MD

Annekathryn Goodman, MD, MPH, MS, MA

Jaime Matorras, LMHC

Nahiris Bahamon, MD FAAP

Galina Tan, MD

Daniele Olveczky, MD MS

William Manning, MD

Ramona Dvorak, MD

Laura Sullivan, MD

Sussen Miller, Medical Interpreter

Ariel Majidi, MD

Judy Wolberg, retired Nurse-midwife

Thomas Kalinoski, MD

Zachary Gitlin, MD, FACP, FAAP

Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH

Sarah Bansen, MSN, NP

Jocelyn Hulburt, NP

Kelly Pajela, MD

Elsa Imbimbo, MD

Taylor Weckstein, MD candidate

Jiani Guo, DO

Alexis Ladd, MPH

Silvia Natalia Jaimes Ocazionez, MD

Dory Ziperstein, LICSW, MPH

Jodi Dean, LICSW

Kacey Bongarzone, LMHC, ATR

Sarah Bayer, LICSW

Mark Luthringshauser

Erin Bradley, MD, MPH, 

Ellen Forman, LICSW

Hema Pingali, MD

Richard Han 

Linda Nix, MD, MPH

Melanie Brunt, MD, MPH

Liliana Rosselli-Risal, MD

Regina LaRocque, MD

Elizabeth Duda, MD

Mark Eisenberg, MD

Lisa Carr, MD

Katherine Fachon, MPH

Victoria DiCianni, LICSW

Linda Shipton, MD

Beverly Garcia, Former Immigration Attorney

Juliana Morris, MD, EdM

Harvey Bidwell, MD. MPH

Jacqueline Baker, Esq

Naomi Feingold, RN

Dylan Berens 

Mary Greenwald 

Abigail Ortiz, MSW/MPH

YONG HAU TAN 

Barbara Sisson, MD

Maureen Balaguera, MSN, RN

Pivel Morton, 

Zayra Muñoz

Kateri Dir-Munoz, RN, BSN

Angeliki Vgontzas, MD

Samantha Montano, 

Amy Battisti-Ashe, RN, BSN, CLC

Eliza Sparkes, LICSW

Rachel Silverman, 

Chris Kirwan, PhD

Tracy Guzman, LICSW

Howard Levy, MD

Jackson Roberts, MD

Theodora Beschel

Kalila Zunes-Wolfe, RN

Megan O'Keefe, CNM

Margaret Noce 

Lynn Hur, MD

Monica Manandhar, MD

Anastasia Vishnevetsky, MD, MPH

Beret Amundson, MD

Jackie Savage-Borne, LICSW

Alice Newton, MD

Claire Stauffer, PA-C, MPH

Elizabeth Moran, MSN, RN, CPNP

Gina Sartori, LICSW

Andrew Hyatt, MD

Julia Koehler, MD

Glynnis Gracia, CNM

Maureen Kay

Joseph Leanza, MD

Meghan Caldwell, LICSW

Tyler Haaren

Kyle Mushkin, LICSW, MPH

Emma Anghel 

Zoe Tseng, MD

Judith Lischetti, LICSW

Lauren Glaser, LCSW

Susan Hoye

Olivia Ladd-Luthringshauser, MD

Jill Sandeen, CNM

Kristen Gunning, MD

Frances Nolde 

Laura McNulty, MPH, MSW

Clyde Lanford Smith, MD, MPH, DTM&H

Sienna Schaeffer

Cheryl Hardenbrook, MD

Emily Doucette, MPH, MS

Alexander Zapata, MD

Sonia Lipson, family NP

Jennifer Kincaid 

Cynthia So Armah, MD

Lydia Siegel, MD MPH

Karameh Kuemmerle 

Linda Herrera Santos, MD, PhD

Titilayo Alabi, MD

Megan Wolf, EdM

Jordana Laks, MD

Rachel Mott Keis, MD

Karen Henley, MD

Michael Bierer, MD MPH FASAM

Daniel Liauw, MD, MPH, FASAM

Sydney Jimenez, MD

Andrew Foley, MD, MPH

Lianna Karp, MD

Kathleen Hehn, RN

Jennifer Liano, M.D.

Charlotte Jenchura, M.D.

Bevin Kenney, MD

Silke Krieger, MD

Karen Friedman-Hanna, MA, CCC-SLP

Tomoko Okada

Mary Battenfeld

Kai Sonntag

Courtney Smith

Lana Habash, MD

Rachel Allen, MS4

Ronald Warner, MD

Marcia Zucker, MD

Ammy Sena, MA

Irving Barrera Lopez, BS

Martha Matlaw 

Eileen Howard

Eileen Howard 

Michael Cronin, MD

Jaclyn Shameklis, MD

Barbara Betns

Emily Sedgwick 

Anna McGregor, MS MPH

Nicole Oppenheim, MD

Claire Bloom, MD

Lara Jirmanus, MD, MPH

Anita Mathews, MD, MPH

Han Cao, MSW, LICSW

Jack Beinashowitz, PhD

Brendan Eappen, MD

Richard Warren

Evan Balmuth, MD

Emily Piper, RN

Ariel Frey-Vogel, MD, MAT

Pooja Mehta, 

Ramona Dvorak, MD

Jill Cowie 

Avina Rami

Katie Moynihan, MBBS

Jennifer Kasper, MD, MPH

Madison Louis 

Ira Helfand, MD

Maggie Sullivan, FNP-BC, DrPH, FAAN

Joseph McCabe, MD

Aliza Arzt, M.S.CCC

Susan Racine, MD

Stephanie Salvi, NP-C

Cynthia Kennedy, LICSW

John Jewett

Abhilasha Natarajan, LCSW

PJ Murphy, LCSW

Shristi Pant, LICSW

Anita Cheng, MD

Johanna Littlewood, 

Desiree Hartman, MSW

Bielka Liriano 

Laura Maslow-Armand, J.D. Ph.D

Kristin Guyot, JD, PhD

Jane Dreskin, M.D.

Alaina Aristide, MD

Haeyeon Hong, MD

Charlene Saulnier, FNP-BC

Jessica Santos, PhD

Maria Nagel 

Lance Laird 

Brita Lundberg, MD

Andy Tisdel, 

Aura Obando, MD

Christopher Newton-Cheh, MD

Marjorie Curran, MD

Benjamin Cole, Medical Student

Jesse Feierabend-Peters, MD

Desiree Hartman, MSW

Jeremy Stricsek, MD

Saeroi Yune

John Whelan, MBA

Mardge Cohen, MD

Dorothy Burlage, Ph.D. Harvard

Elizabeth Deleon 

Pat Larson 

Sunny Kung, MD

Emily Jimenez, BS

Caroline Palleschi, LICSW

Tiffany Phelan, NP

Ali Tapper, LICSW

Jacinda Swanson, 

Christina Terry, 

Caren Solomon, MD, MPH

Patricia Tholl, 

Michael Fisher 

Sarah Horsley, 

Hunter Aldrich, 

Urszula MASNY-LATOS, 

Aiham Korbage, MD

Joelle Dumont, LICSW

Reid Herreid, LCSW

Eliza Molinsek, LCSW

Janet Yassen, LiCSW

Sylvie Tuchman, LCSW

Christina Knapp, CPH

Melanie Brunt, MD, MPH

Linda Nix, MD, MPH

Ramona Dvorak, MD

Kim Ammons 

Sandy Eaton, RN (retired)

Alan Papscun, 

Alana Tova, MD

Galina Tan, MD

Talia Lewis, MD

Victoria Valencia, 

Kate Madden, MD

Sonia Lipson, FNP

Eduardo Siqueira, MD ScD

Monica Allen, concerned citizen

Emily Unger, MD/PhD

Claire Paduano, MD

Marcela Horvitz Lennon, MD MPH

Catherine Hennessey, 

Holly Aldrich, LICSW

Malak Rafla, MD

Hannah Biskind, LICSW

Iris Coloma-Gaines, 

Christine Mitchell, ScD

Karina Edouard, 

Anahí Venzor Strader, MD, MMSc

Amelia George 

Teresa Kohlenberg, MD

Jaime Matorras, LMHC

Carrie Jasper, LICSW

Marie-Louise Jean-Baptiste, Physician

Sunny Kung, MD

Maria Terra, NP

Rebecca Saff, MD PhD

Rohini Rau-murthy, MD

Michelle Lee, MD

Sarah Bradshaw, DNP, FNP-C

Shelley MacLeod, LICSW

Jeremy Stricsek, MD

Kikuye Sugiyama, 

Bari Brodsky, MD, FAAFP, Primary Care Physician, Addiction Medicine Physician

Greg Hagan, MD, FAAP

Lynne Eisenberg, LICSW

Nahiris Bahamon, MD FAAP

Jim Recht, MD

Eunice Kwon, LCSW

Deidre Alessio, NP

Charles Wyzanski, 

Janet Gottler, LICSW

Sara Lennox, MD

Julie Breskin, PhD

Joseph Schwartz, PhD Licensed Psychologist

David Nurenberg

Carolyn Taylor, Retired

Linda Sacenti, OTR/L

Peter Moyer, MD, MPH

Joseph McCabe, MD

Evan Longin, Licensed health care provider in psychology

Marya Axner 

Alain Jehlen

Cristina Brinkerhoff, 

Matthew Meizlish, MD, PhD

Stephanie Peralta

Corina Pinto, MS, CHW

Karameh Kuemmerle MD 

Emily Piper, RN

Mark Eisenberg, MD

Alisa Khan, MD, MPH

Shannon Scott-Vernaglia, MD

Jennifer Brody, MD, MPH

Malak Rafla, MD

Stephanie Preston, MD

H Kim, 

Therese Claxton, MPH

Shielding Cournoyer, 

Jennifer Hao, MD

Maxwell Ehrnfelt, LCSW

Hema Pingali, MD

Scott Gilbert, PA-C, MS

kristin guyot, JD, PhD

Anonymous MD

Anonymous 

Anonymous MD

Anonymous MD

Anonymous CCHI Core Certified Medical Interpreter

Anonymous 

Anonymous 

Anonymous MD

Anonymous MSc, PhD

Anonymous MSc, PhD

Anonymous MD

Anonymous MD

Anonymous DO

Anonymous MD

Anonymous 

Anonymous MD

Anonymous MD

Anonymous BA

Anonymous MD

Anonymous 

Anonymous LICSW

Anonymous 

Anonymous 

Anonymous B.S

Anonymous 

Anonymous MD

Anonymous MD MPH

Anonymous 

Anonymous MD

Anonymous Family NP

Anonymous MD

Anonymous PhD

Anonymous 

Anonymous PsyD

Anonymous MD

Anonymous 

Anonymous 

Anonymous 

Anonymous RN, NP

Anonymous MD, MSc

Anonymous MD

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