Jill J. VanKuren, MBA, FACHE

President and Chief Executive Officer

Ms. VanKuren was tapped to lead Saratoga Hospital because of her track record of success as a senior executive with the largest integrated health care system in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. She has 25 years of experience in hospital and health care operations and strategic planning and development. She also has a deep appreciation of both the vital role of a community hospital and the advantages of being part of a health system.

Before joining Saratoga Hospital, Ms. VanKuren was senior vice president of operations and chief operating officer at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, one of 10 MedStar Health system hospitals. She has first-hand knowledge of how to maximize the strengths of a health system to best serve local communities.

A graduate of East Carolina University in North Carolina, Ms. VanKuren has a Master of Business Administration, with a specialization in healthcare administration, from Loyola University Maryland. She is board certified in healthcare management by the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Ms. VanKuren is a member of the advisory board of Women in Healthcare. She also has served on the behavioral health advisory group of the Maryland Hospital Association and on the board of the National Alliance for Mental Illness Metropolitan Baltimore.

Toni Bishop-McWain, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CNRN, CCRN

Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer

Dr. Bishop-McWain has more than 25 years of nursing administration experience. Before joining Saratoga Hospital, she was vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, a large, integrated health system in Illinois. She also has held nursing leadership roles in critical care, cardiopulmonary services, and cardiovascular services. Earlier in her career, Dr. Bishop-McWain worked in the intensive care unit of Glens Falls Hospital.

She began her nursing education at Adirondack Community College, went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, and has a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from OSF Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing. She also holds Nurse Executive Advanced Certification (NEA-BC) from the American Nurse Credentialing Center, certification in critical-care nursing (CCRN) from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, and Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN) certification from the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses.

Dr. Bishop-McWain is a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, American Association of Neuroscience Nurses, American Nurses Association, American Organization of Nurse Leaders, and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Scarlet Clement-Buffoline, MS, FACHE

Vice President, Operations

Ms. Clement-Buffoline has more than two decades of administrative experience in positions of increasing responsibility. Most recently, she was executive director of Saratoga Hospital Medical Group, overseeing all operational elements of the multispecialty practice, including increasing physician engagement, patient outcomes and financial stewardship. Additionally, she has partnered with team members in the Albany Med Health System to plan for the system-wide electronic medical record conversion to EPIC.

Prior to joining Saratoga, Ms. Clement-Buffoline served as the Chief Operating Officer for St. Peters, St Mary’s, Samaritan and Albany Memorial Hospitals in New York. She has also served as an operational Vice-president and Behavioral health service line leader. 

Ms. Clement-Buffoline holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and health from the State University of New York at Potsdam and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University at Albany. A fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Ms. Clement-Buffoline is board certified in healthcare management. She is a member of the National Council for Community and Behavioral Healthcare and the Healthcare Association of New York State Behavioral Taske Force. In addition, she has served on the boards of the Troy Redevelopment Foundation, Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce, and Rensselaer County Community Services. 

Robert Donnarumma, MD, MPH, FACEP, FACHE

Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer 

Dr. Donnarumma came to Saratoga Hospital's emergency department in 2013 as an attending physician with Saratoga Emergency Physicians, P.C. When that group joined Saratoga Hospital Medical Group in 2018, Dr. Donnarumma became the medical director of Urgent Care - Adirondack and the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program. In August 2020, he was named chair of the department of emergency medicine, and appointed as medical director of the emergency department and the stroke program.

Prior to joining Saratoga Hospital, Dr. Donnarumma served as an EMT with Rural/Metro Ambulance Service, then as an EMT and crew chief with Cornell University EMS. 

Dr. Donnarumma holds a bachelor's degree from Cornell University, a doctor of medicine degree from New York Medical College, as well as a master of public health from New York Medical College with a concentration in health policy management. He is board certified in emergency medicine by the American Board of Emergency Medicine, as well as in healthcare management by the American College of Healthcare Executives.

J. Robert Hayes, MD

Vice President, Clinical Operations

Dr. Hayes serves as the chief of inpatient medicine at Saratoga Hospital. He is responsible for recruiting new physicians to join the team and overseeing the ongoing quality improvement of our inpatient medicine services. During his tenure, the group has grown exponentially to include more than 35 providers and APPs. 

Before he joined Saratoga Hospital, Dr. Hayes worked as a inpatient medicine physician at Pulmonary and Critical Care Associates, LLP in Denver, CO and at Elliot Hospital in Manchester, NH. Since 2010, he has served as a medical expert witness, an authority in judicial proceedings requiring an educated physician.

Dr. Hayes has a bachelor's degree from Union College and a doctor of medicine from New York Medical College. He completed his residency at the University of Colorado Health Science Center, and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Patricia Gavis, CPA

Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Patricia "Pat" Gavis joined Saratoga Hospital in June of 2023, and brings more than 35 years of experience in healthcare finance. Before joining Saratoga Hospital, she was the Chief Financial Officer of HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley in Kingston, NY. Prior to that, Ms. Gavis was a Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Ellenville Regional Hospital. Ms. Gavis earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the State University of New York at New Paltz and a Masters of Jurisprudence in Health Law from Loyola University Chicago, Beazley Institute for Health Law and Policy. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of New York.

Kathy LaFond, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Vice President, Human Resources

Ms. LaFond has more than two decades of experience across core Human Resource functions. Most recently, she served as the Associate Director of Benefits & Compensation at Saratoga Hospital, overseeing comprehensive compensation and benefits programs. Previously, she held the Senior Director of Human Resources role at Glens Falls Hospital in New York.

Ms. LaFond holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management & Economics with an HR Management concentration from SUNY Empire State College. Her certifications include HR Management from Duke University and completion of the CRHRA Leadership Program.

Ms. LaFond is an active member of the Society for HR Management, Capital Region HR Association, and Adirondack HR Association. Additionally, Ms. LaFond contributes to various boards, including the SUNY Adirondack Foundation and Adirondack EAP, and currently serves as President of the Adirondack HR Association.