Meet Our Senior Leadership Team
Kevin Whitney, DNP, RN, NRP
President and Chief Operating Officer
Dr. Kevin Whitney, DNP, RN, is President and Chief Operating Officer (PCOO) of Cooley Dickinson Hospital, (CDH) a 140-bed, full-service hospital, which is part of the Mass General Brigham (MGB) Community Division. Kevin became PCOO after serving as interim Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at CDH from May 2024 through March 15, 2025,
Previously, Kevin served as Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer for Newton-Wellesley Hospital and as Associate Chief Nurse for Surgical, Orthopedics and Neurosciences at Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition, he held the position of Vice President of Community Operations for the MGB Community Division.
Prior to joining MGB, Kevin worked at Emerson Hospital, where he served in clinical and leadership roles, including Emergency Department Nursing Director and Vice President, Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer. With nearly 35 years of experience as a dedicated frontline registered nurse and an accomplished health care leader, he is also a nationally registered paramedic. Kevin earned multiple credentials, including board certifications in Executive Leadership and Emergency Nursing. These advanced certifications reflect his expertise and commitment to advancing the nursing and healthcare professions and improving patient outcomes.
Kevin earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice from the MGH Institute of Health Professions, a Master of Arts, Health Care Administration, from Framingham State University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and an Associate of Science in Paramedic Technology from Northeastern University.
He is a member of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) and the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). In 2024, Kevin received the UMASS Lowell Solomont School of Nursing Alumni Award recognizing his significant contributions to the nursing profession and epitomizing the University’s values of hard work, integrity, compassion, and stewardship.
Kevin lives in western Massachusetts with his wife Cindy, also a nurse, who serves as the Clinical Program Manager for MGB TeleNeurology, Newborn and Dermatology Virtual Consults. They have two adult children and are now proud grandparents.
Chika Anueyiagu, DNP, FNP, RN, NE-BC, CENP
Chief Nursing Officer
Chika Anueyiagu DNP, FNP, RN, NE-BC, CENP, joined CDH as Chief Nursing Officer in 2025 and partners with Dr. Sunny Shukla, MD, MBA, Associate Chief Medical Officer, and the entire CDH team to further advance quality, safety, patient experience and the practice environment for providers and clinical staff.
A seasoned healthcare champion with more than 20 years of experience in nursing leadership, Anueyiagu served as Director of Nursing/Patient Services at Yale New Haven Hospital prior to joining CDH. A passionate advocate for quality and professional development, she played a key leadership role in advancing her team’s performance in patient satisfaction and quality, reflecting significant reduction in hospital acquired pressure injuries, falls, and length of stay.
Equally dedicated to professional engagement and advancement, Anueyiagu has focused extensively on leadership development, patient experience, employee engagement, quality outcomes and operational efficiency. She is a published author and has presented her work at both local and national platforms. A passionate mentor, she is dedicated to fostering environments where individuals can thrive and achieve their full potential.
Anueyiagu began her nursing career as a certified nursing assistant, earning her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in nursing from the State University of New York, Brooklyn, followed by her doctorate in nursing practice from Fairfield University.
She earned her Nurse Executive Board Certification (NE-BC) through the American Nurses Credentialing Center and has completed the American Organization of Nurse Leadership (AONL) Director Fellowship and received the AONL Certification in Executive Nursing Practice. Additionally, she is a certified trainer with the Academy for Communication in Healthcare, having trained more than 1,000 healthcare professionals in relationship-centered and empathic communication.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Anueyiagu is deeply committed to service. She has served as an advisory board and foundation board member for Connecticut State Community College at Norwalk and as a board nominations committee member for AONL. Her humanitarian efforts through the Caring and Helpline Foundation in Nigeria—which provides food, shelter, and medical support to underprivileged residents—earned her a humanitarian award.
Anueyiagu and her family relocated to the Pioneer Valley in 2025.
Diane Dukette
Chief Development Officer
Diane Dukette serves as Chief Development Officer for Cooley Dickinson Hospital and the VNA & Hospice of Cooley Dickinson. She is honored to lead a dedicated development team who engage with our community to support the organization’s mission, through current and legacy gifts from grateful patients, community members, and organizations to fund projects, including the $26M Emergency Department expansion, nursing development, behavioral health, and health equity programs.
With more than 25 years in development, Diane has held leadership roles throughout the Pioneer Valley, including as Assistant Vice Chancellor of Advancement and Executive Director of Development at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, during which she oversaw the successful completion of Campaign UMass which included the naming of the Isenberg School of Management; and also Vice President, Fund Development at the Sisters of Providence Health System in Springfield MA, where she championed the campaign to construct the Sister Caritas Cancer Center.
Diane holds an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a BA from Smith College. She serves on the West Springfield Public Library Board of Trustees. She has presented at conferences such as Association of Fundraising Professionals International and Association of Healthcare Philanthropy International.
She is a recipient of the Outstanding Professional Fundraising Executive Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Western Massachusetts Chapter, as well as the UMass Isenberg School of Management Service Award.
Wendy Gordon
Executive Director, Human Resources
Wendy Gordon took on the human resources leadership role at Cooley Dickinson Hospital (CDH) in 2025 and has proven to be a forward-thinking and accomplished advisor and professional. Gordon also oversees human resources at Newton-Wellesley Hospital – another community hospital member of Mass General Brigham — and leverages best practices and expertise to support local and systemwide goals and foster a high-performing work culture. With extensive experience in talent management, leadership development and change management, she partners with the leadership team to build strong, collaborative work relationships within CDH and across Mass General Brigham.
Prior to joining Mass General Brigham, Gordon was the senior human resource business partner at the TJX Companies, where she served in multiple roles of increasing scope and responsibility over more than a dozen years. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama and professional certification in human resources from Bentley University. She is also a member of the Society of Human Resource Management and the Northeast Human Resource Association.
Throughout her career, Gordon has built trusted relationships with cross-divisional peers to execute talent strategies and provide valuable coaching and consultation.
Laurie Lamoureux
Chief Financial Officer
Laurie Lamoureux was appointed Chief Financial Officer of Cooley Dickinson Healthcare in 2014. Laurie is a strong leader, a problem solver, collaborative team builder and executive who demonstrates not only strong financial acumen and the ability to manage and complete projects but a deep understanding of operations, clinical care and the interactions between those areas and finance. Born at Cooley Dickinson, she has deep roots in the community and an abiding love for the organization.
Laurie joined Cooley Dickinson in 1987 as a General Accountant. Since that time, she has assumed positions of progressively greater responsibility including Accounting Manager, Controller and Director of Finance before assuming the role of Chief Financial Officer. Laurie has both financial and operational experience, overseeing all Accounting, Financial Operations, Revenue Cycle, Central Registration and Scheduling, Materials Management, Health Information Management, Contracting, Legal, and Information Systems.
Laurie has extensive hands-on experience in business leadership, management, accounting, revenue cycle, budgeting, audits, LEAN principles, workflow redesign, negotiation, recruiting, hiring and prioritization of multiple and complex projects.
Catherine Reed
Executive Director, Operations
Catherine Reed, interim Executive Director, Operations, has served Cooley Dickinson clinical services for over two decades. Her tenure at Cooley Dickinson is marked by her leadership and successful execution of multiple pivotal projects, including the implementation of a new laboratory information system integrated with the MGB health system’s EMR (EPIC). She has successfully managed the startup, integration, and accreditation of multiple Urgent Care sites across the Pioneer Valley. Catherine’s leadership was pivotal through the COVID-19 response, including the successful implementation of Cooley Dickinson’s community drive-thru testing program and the launch of the monoclonal antibodies infusion program for COVID-19 patients within the Mass General Brigham (MGB) health system.
In her role, Catherine collaborates with medical directors and departmental leaders to develop operational budgets, plan capital purchases, and continuously improve service outcomes. She is an active member of several MGB and Cooley Dickinson committees and workgroups, contributing to quality management, patient safety, and clinical excellence.
Catherine holds an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University and a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from the State University of New York at Fredonia. Catherine is respected by her colleagues and the community for her commitment to excellence, her dedicated leadership, and her commitment to mission and patient care.
Sundeep “Sunny” M. Shukla, MD, MBA, FACEP
Associate Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs
Sundeep “Sunny” M. Shukla, MD, MBA, FACEP, serves Cooley Dickinson Hospital and Mass General Brigham as Vice President of Medical Affairs and Associate Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Shukla has spent his career devoted to the field of Emergency Medicine and health equity. In addition to his undergraduate studies from the University of Missouri and a medical degree from Manipal University in Karnataka, India, Dr. Shukla earned an MBA with an emphasis in medical management from the University of Massachusetts Isenberg School of Management. He completed his Emergency Medicine Administrative Fellowship and Emergency Medicine Residency at Tufts University Western Campus in Springfield, Massachusetts. Dr. Shukla comes to Cooley Dickinson from Baystate Health, where most recently he served as an Assistant Professor at UMass Chan Medical School, Chief of Emergency Medicine at Baystate Noble Hospital and Medical Staff President. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine and is a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. In his free time, Dr. Shukla is the team physician for the Springfield Thunderbirds AHL team. Dr. Shukla and his family live in Northampton.