Sponsor Registration: Maternal Health Convening

Tess Stack Kuenning has dedicated her 45-year career to advancing access to high-quality, affordable primary and preventive health care. Since 1995, she has led Bi-State Primary Care Association, growing its membership to 27 organizations—including 21 FQHCs—serving over 330,000 patients across New Hampshire and Vermont.

Her career spans clinical nursing, global maternal-child health, and public health leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Tess is a nationally recognized advocate, honored with the Marc Wetherhorn Advocate of the Year Award for her tireless work to strengthen the health care workforce and support underserved communities.

Under her leadership, Bi-State continues to champion community-based care, ensuring that patients across both states have access to comprehensive medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services.

Tess Stack Kuenning has dedicated her 45-year career to advancing access to high-quality, affordable primary and preventive health care. Since 1995, she has led Bi-State Primary Care Association, growing its membership to 27 organizations—including 21 FQHCs—serving over 330,000 patients across New Hampshire and Vermont.

Her career spans clinical nursing, global maternal-child health, and public health leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Tess is a nationally recognized advocate, honored with the Marc Wetherhorn Advocate of the Year Award for her tireless work to strengthen the health care workforce and support underserved communities.

Under her leadership, Bi-State continues to champion community-based care, ensuring that patients across both states have access to comprehensive medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy services.

Kristen Bigelow-Talbert is the Senior Program Manager, Health Quality for Bi-State Primary Care Association and has been with the organization since 2008. She has facilitated many quality improvement projects and trainings with the VT and NH FQHCs over the years and is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality with a Master of Science degree in Healthcare Management. She is passionate about improving maternity care, and was a certified birth educator for many years. She earned the Emerging Leader Award in 2017 from the National Association of Community Health Centers. She has recently published “Experiences of birthing care during COVID-19: a systematic review protocol” in JBI Evidence Synthesis. She is currently a PhD student in the Health Quality program at Queen’s University with an anticipated graduation date in 2026.

Born and raised in VT, Lincoln attended McGill for undergraduate training and UVM College of Medicine (now Larner College of Medicine) for his medical degree. He continued on to complete his Family Medicine residency at UVM as well. He has worked at the Community Health Centers of Burlington since 2015 providing full spectrum family medicine care, seeing everyone from newborns to elderly adults and providing prenatal and obstetrical care up until 2024 when he shifted to dedicate more time to work at CHC's Safe Harbor homeless healthcare clinic. His passions are providing high quality, low barrier care without judgment to the most in need in our community. 

Liza Ryan LICSW, CRC is the Owner of Green Peaks Counseling, an Adjunct Faculty Member of Champlain College and Community Outreach Coordinator/Emergency Department Peer Recovery Coach at the North Central Vermont Recovery Center. Liza is an individual in long term recovery and has worked in the field of peer recovery for over 10years. Liza utilizes her lived experience and clinical experience throughout her work and specializes in treating trauma and Substance Use Disorder through her private practice. 

Dr. Kimberley Sampson–Paine is a board-certified OB/GYN, Lifestyle Medicine, and Obesity Medicine physician. She serves as Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and Assistant Professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.