Meet Our Leadership

Karen A. Daley×

Karen has been the CEO of OPTIMUS Health Care since January 2022, providing leadership for the mission of improving healthcare in communities across SW Connecticut.

Before rising to CEO, she served as Chief Operating Officer, General Counsel, and chair of the OPTIMUS Foundation.

Karen is an operations leader with a unique combination of academic preparation and professional achievement in the law, health care, and management.

She has 10 years of nursing experience working at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard teaching hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.

She has nine years practicing regulatory and corporate health care law and medical malpractice defense litigation, and four years in risk management in teaching hospitals.

She is an innovative, strategic, and progress-driven professional with extensive experience and a track record of success improving the clinical and financial performance of health care organizations.

A mission-focused executive with the proven ability to launch new and enhanced programs, she also resolves operational issues and builds consensus and shared vision among staff on all levels.

Karen holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Boston College Law School and an MBA from Boston College, where she also obtained her Bachelor of Science degree as a registered nurse.

As OPTIMUS CEO, Karen is responsible for the administrative and financial responsibility of OPTIMUS operations. These management functions include planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and executing the policy directives of the board of directors while guiding and developing short- and long-range strategic plans, monitoring and affecting applicable legislation and ensuring the financial health of the organization.

Other key duties include fundraising, marketing, and community outreach.

Michelle Rodriguez-Teixeira×

Michelle Rodriguez-Teixeira is a proud native of Bridgeport, Connecticut, born and raised in the very community she now serves. Her relationship with Optimus began in the 1990s—not as an employee, but as an uninsured patient. Experiencing the profound impact of accessible and compassionate healthcare firsthand ignited her passion for community health and inspired her steadfast commitment to advancing Optimus’ mission.

While pursuing her nursing education, Michelle remained deeply connected to the values of community-based care. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Southern Connecticut State University in 2000 and soon joined Optimus after completing her nursing program. In 2020, she strengthened her leadership skills by earning a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Management and Executive Leadership from Sacred Heart University.

Throughout her tenure at Optimus, Michelle has served in diverse clinical and operational roles. Each position provided her with valuable insight into the complexities of healthcare delivery and fostered a deep appreciation for the challenges and opportunities present in an evolving healthcare system. Her leadership style is anchored in both experience and empathy, shaped by her unique perspective as a former patient and healthcare professional.

In 2026, Michelle was promoted to Chief Operating Officer. In this role, she oversees organizational operations and drives strategic initiatives that strengthen care delivery throughout the system. She is responsible for ensuring operational excellence and advancing Optimus’ mission to provide high-quality, patient-centered healthcare.

With nearly 30 years of experience in community healthcare, Michelle continues to focus on executing the organization’s strategic plan and mission effectively. She is committed to delivering care with dignity, respect, and cultural sensitivity to the communities Optimus serves and beyond. Her approach includes implementing patient-centered practices, upholding evidence-based standards, driving performance improvement initiatives, and maintaining patient safety as her highest priority.

Maria Xavier-Dowski×

Maria Xavier-Dowski serves as chief human resources and administrative officer (CHRO). She is a highly experienced, multi-lingual human resources and administrative professional with over 20 years of experience in human resources and financial services, 14 years of which has been working in health care.

Reporting directly to the CEO, Maria works with leaders across the organization by fostering an HR business partnership that reflects and supports OPTIMUS' dynamic needs to create a workplace culture that embraces OPTIMUS' mission visions and values while simultaneously ensuring OPTIMUS remains in compliance with regulatory standards pertaining to clinician credentialing and privileging as required to meet all regulatory agency requirements.

In her current role, Maria is responsible for leading OPTIMUS’ overall human resources strategy, talent acquisition, leadership development, organizational design and cultural development, employee education and development, compensation, payroll and benefits, HR operations and technology as well as employee and labor relations. As CHRO, she has changed the function, culture, and impact of HR across the organization to support its business goals and strategies as well as the needs and aspirations of OPTIMUS’ 420 employees in the communities where OPTIMUS operates.

Maria has a proven record of facilitating profitability through expert development and management of corporate human resource operations including mergers and acquisitions. She has demonstrated experience in building and leading top-performing teams, and turning around troubled organizations, restructuring, and realigning human resources and other operational departments, specifically in ambulatory care settings including community health. Maria’s human resources experience extends beyond Connecticut. Prior to working in community health, Maria worked for SunBridge Health LLC as regional director of human resources, where she had direct oversight of thirteen (13) skilled nursing facilities in six states, including the northeast. SunBridge Healthcare, LLC (now Genesis Health Care) provides health care services and long-term residential care for patients and residents.

Maria holds a master’s degree in human resources management and a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, both from Sacred Heart University.

Dr. Jose Orellana×

Born in Honduras and raised in the United States, Dr. Jose Orellana brings over 25 years of experience to his role as Chief Medical Officer at Optimus Health Care. He earned his medical degree from Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, and advanced his medical training with specialized education in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at Boston City Hospital and Boston University Medical Center.

Since 1997, Dr. Orellana has made significant contributions to the Connecticut community, serving in various capacities including as a primary care physician, gastroenterology specialist, and community health physician. In 2019, he obtained an MBA from Southern Connecticut State University, further strengthening his leadership abilities within the healthcare industry. Dr. Orellana is recognized for integrating clinical expertise with strategic leadership and is a passionate advocate for team-based, integrative care. Throughout his career, he has focused on improving access to medical services for diverse populations across Connecticut.

In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Dr. Orellana is committed to medical education. He serves as Clinical Educator for medical residents at the Northwell Danbury Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Program alongside his role as Chief Medical Officer at Optimus. Before joining Northwell Danbury Hospital, Dr. Orellana was the Medical Director of Adult Medicine at Optimus. As a dedicated physician administrator, Dr. Orellana emphasizes the delivery of high-quality, integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services. His mission is grounded in patient-focused care, addressing social determinants of health, and fostering the professional growth and well-being of his colleagues in healthcare.

Cindy Lopez×

Cindy Lopez serves as the Chief Compliance and Risk Management Officer at Optimus Health Care. With more than 20 years of experience, she is a seasoned executive specializing in regulatory compliance, financial and internal investigations, as well as health care operations. Her extensive background enables her to effectively manage complex compliance and risk environments within the health care sector.
Reporting directly to the CEO, Cindy collaborates closely with organizational leaders to cultivate accountability, transparency, and a commitment to operational excellence. She works alongside executive and departmental leadership, ensuring that Optimus’ operational requirements are supported by robust compliance frameworks and sound risk management strategies. Cindy provides regulatory oversight that aligns with federal, state, and accreditation standards, helping the organization adapt to evolving demands.

In her current capacity, Cindy leads the overall compliance and risk management strategy for Optimus Health Care. She oversees the Compliance, Medical Records, Facilities, and Security departments. Cindy is dedicated to designing and implementing systems and processes that safeguard patients, staff, and the organization as a whole, while ensuring that daily operations function smoothly. Through her leadership, the organization has benefited from strengthened internal controls, improved risk assessment processes, and the development of a culture where compliance is collectively embraced and supports Optimus’ mission, vision, and values.

Cindy’s track record demonstrates her ability to build high-performing teams and guide organizations through complex regulatory landscapes. She has implemented proactive measures to protect both patients and the organization and is recognized for her skill in aligning compliance initiatives with strategic goals. Cindy fosters a collaborative environment marked by trust and shared accountability, especially within community health and ambulatory care settings.

Cindy holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Investigations and Financial Crimes from the University of New Haven. Drawing on her advanced education, Cindy possesses in-depth knowledge of regulatory analysis, investigative protocols, financial risk oversight, and enterprise risk management. These skills are integral to her role at Optimus Health Care, where she applies her expertise to support organizational compliance, identify and mitigate financial risks, and enhance overall risk management strategies.

Dr. Alix Pose×

Dr. Alix Pose is an experienced quality and transformation officer with a demonstrated history of working in the community health care industry. She is skilled in epidemiology, prevention, health promotion, health care management, and telemedicine. She is a health care professional with an MD degree in family medicine (licensed in France), a master in public health from the Yale School of Public Health, and a master's degree focused in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the University of Bridgeport and holds a license in acupuncture from the state of CT.

As the chief quality & transformation officer, Dr. Pose reports to the chief executive officer with a dotted line to our chief medical officer, is the lead executive overseeing quality and clinical transformation across OPTIMUS Health Care, and also supervises the Department of Integrative Medicine, promoting quality, performance improvement, and clinical effectiveness in the clinician community, and partners with other members of the senior leadership team to strengthen and grow clinical programs and enhance patient safety, clinical quality, and patient satisfaction.

In collaboration with other senior leaders, Dr. Pose is responsible for setting and implementing a culture of excellence in the delivery of clinical services and fosters clinical leadership and engagement as necessary for care redesign across the system. She is responsible for planning, developing, and executing strategies for care delivery process improvement, cultural transformation, performance measurement in partnership with patient care design, data warehousing, and analytics. She leads the organization’s efforts to attain and maintain top performance as measured by HRSA and other publicly reported methodologies as well as champion the work efforts around safety and zero-harm across the care continuum and partners with leadership to lead zero harm improvements in partnership with the chief compliance officer. This collaboration includes the oversite of the patient complaint process, tracking and trending patient complaints, responses and areas for improvement.