Wayland Resident Joins Greater Boston Food Bank Board

WAYLAND, MA — The Greater Boston Food Bank recently added several new members to the board of directors, including Wayland resident and physician Debra Poskanzer.

Here's more from a Greater Boston Food Bank press release:

The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), the largest hunger-relief organization in New England, is responding to historic levels of food insecurity in 2021, while adding several new members to its Board of Directors and Board of Advisors including Wayland resident Debra Poskanzer.

“I am interested in working to further expand the concept and use of food as medicine and to commit to helping reduce food insecurities for citizens of the commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Poskanzer.

Debra Poskanzer is a Utilization Review Medical Director for Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA) in Boston. She is a board-certified physician executive with an extensive background in providing clinical care, managing senior leadership positions within clinical organizations and health plans, and advising vendor startup and healthcare delivery organizations on program development, quality improvement, and business execution.

Debra has extensive board leadership experience and currently serves as a Trustee on the Quality and Safety Council at Hebrew SeniorLife and for her Synagogue, Temple Beth Avodah in Newton. Past board experiences include director-level positions with the Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors and the Massachusetts Quality Health Partners as well as a medical advisor for the start-up population health organization, Utilize Health.

The Wayland native joined the GBFB Board of Advisors during a time when food insecurity in Eastern Massachusetts remains elevated at a heightened rate. Massachusetts saw the greatest percentage increase in food insecurity in the country in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a 47 percent increase over 2019. Despite positive trends in the economy food insecurity in Eastern Massachusetts is expected to remain 30 percent above pre-COVID levels for the remainder of 2021. Many families have experienced food insecurity for the first time during the pandemic, and many are still struggling. Families are recovering from the economic burden COVID-19 produced, and dealing with changing federal nutrition and economic benefits as well as increasing food costs.

These food insecurity projections are staggering, but GBFB and its network has supported the surge in demand with resiliency. Since the onset of COVID-19, the GBFB network of food pantries have reported, on average, nearly two times the number of clients served.

In October 2021, GBFB welcomed two new members to its Board of Directors and two new members to its Board of Advisors.

2021 Additions to GBFB Board of Directors

• Debbie Amaral, President and CEO, Mystic Valley YMCA
• Eileen Pyne, Retired, Senior HR & Administration Executive, Fidelity Investments

2021 Additions to GBFB Board of Advisors

• Daniel Levin, Director and Tax Council, Baupost Group, L.L.C
• Debra Poskanzer, M.D., Utilization Review Medical Director, Commonwealth Care Alliance