Our Team

Patrick Schmid is the Chief Technology Officer at Activate Care, and has been involved with Activate Care prior to its founding. Patrick received his B.A. in International Relations and B.S. in Computer Science from Tufts University, his M.S., Ph.D. in Computer Science from MIT, and completed a postdoctoral program at Harvard Medical School. Before joining Activate Care, Patrick interned at a trading desk in a bank, and worked at a research department at a pharmaceutical company as part of college and graduate school.

Patrick envisions a future of SDOH that simplifies the process of getting social needs addressed, and eliminates the stigma of SDOH-related problems. Just like flu shots and setting a broken bone, treating social needs should be commonplace and well-accepted. Patrick is inspired by all the people that help people get needs addressed, whether it be a professional person (social worker, care coordinator, nurse navigator, etc) or non-professional person (family member, friend, volunteer, etc.) that is putting in their time, effort, and care to help those in need.

When Patrick isn’t working or spending time with family, he can be found mountain biking, which he considers a great mix of technical abilities, strategy, and physical strength and stamina. Patrick was born in Switzerland and then grew up in Tokyo, Japan, perhaps contributing to his love of going off the beaten path; some of his favorite adventures include solo backpacking and only eating at restaurants where no English is spoken. Now with two young kids, he enjoys going anywhere that makes them go “wow”, in places as “simple” as a nearby beach with an ice cream stand, a zoo, or an aquarium. Patrick lives with his wife and children in Boston, MA.

Dave Fanara is the Chief Revenue Officer at Activate Care and has been with the company since May of 2019. He has over 20 years of healthcare sales and consulting experience, and has worked for ARAMARK, UpToDate (a division of Walters Kluwer), BedWatch and several other healthcare start-ups. He has also worked with all 26 departments of a typical hospital. Dave attended Suffolk University for his undergraduate degree and Lesley University for graduate school.

Dave expects that the COVID-19 pandemic will be a large factor in determining the future of SDOH. Citing a recent study by Columbia University, he points out that the homeless population within the United States will likely increase by 40-45% by the end of 2020, calling for a serious awakening in order to address the needs of vulnerable populations. 

Outside of work, Dave is an avid runner and sports fan. In fact, he recently completed his 20th half-marathon in Arizona! Dave is based in Boston, and he enjoys traveling to the Bahamas. Dave is married with two grown children, and he recently became a grandfather to a granddaughter and a grandson.

Imre Fitos is the Chief Security Officer at Activate Care. He has been with the company for 6 years, following many years of interesting and varied professional experiences around the world. His experiences include time working for NPR as well as military airfields in countries ranging from American Samoa to the Netherlands.

Being born in Hungary and having lived abroad, Imre is inspired by efforts to learn from the best and most effective healthcare systems in the world, especially the Scandinavian model of caring for citizens’ health and well-being. In addition to his international work experience, Imre studied Computer Science at Gábor Dénes College (GDF) Hungary in Budapest, Hungary. 

When Imre is not working, he can be found bicycling, visiting national parks, and exploring old cities. Imre is based in Boston, MA, where he lives with his wife, two children, two cats, and one dog.

Jonathan Abbett is Activate Care’s Vice President of User Experience and has been involved with Activate Care from its 2012 founding. After receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Computer Science from Brandeis University, Jonathan has spent his entire career designing and building software for physicians, researchers, patients, and their families, through startups, hospitals, and a global pharmaceutical company.

Jonathan envisions a future of SDOH that addresses not just social needs, but underlying social determinants. He is inspired by his mother and her efforts to care for her parents in their final years:

“I learned the lesson that medical treatment isn't nearly enough, even in well-respected hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes. My grandparents were lucky to have a daughter that could navigate the system and keep track of everything else they needed.”

When Jonathan is not working, he enjoys cooking, and has recently perfected his recipes for chocolate chip cookies, whole-wheat sandwich bread, and challah. (In fact, the User Experience team is known for sharing cooking advice across the company.)

Jonathan lives in Brookline, MA with his wife, an anesthesiologist, and their three energetic children.

Jessica Sattler is the Vice President of Implementations at Activate Care and has been with the company since 2013. Before joining Activate Care, Jessica worked in Human Resources, then later returned to school to pursue a second career in Nursing after her children were born. She received her B.A. from Providence College and her M.S. in Nursing from Boston College

As a nurse, Jessica experienced first-hand how important coordinated care collaboration across healthcare and community settings can be for patients and families. She’s grateful for the opportunity to work with our partners who share a commitment to improving health and social outcomes through cross-sector data sharing and care collaboration.

Outside of work, Jessica enjoys reading, music, and volunteer work. Jessica and her husband have three children and live in Belmont, MA with their very sweet but slightly neurotic dog.

Katie Young is the Vice President of Product at Activate Care. Her roots are in Public Health and health research, specializing in mixed-methods research and Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). Before working at Activate Care, Katie’s work involved collaborating with formerly homeless women with serious mental illness engaged in Housing First programs to develop, implement, and evaluate health promotion and disease prevention programs.

Encouraged by the increasing momentum of the SDOH movement, Katie envisions communities narrowing the gap between investments in healthcare and social services. She hopes to see more products and services designed to make hard things easier for underserved communities. Katie is inspired by Malala Yousafzai’s activism, bravery, and unwavering commitment to female education.

When Katie isn’t working, she enjoys cooking and exploring local restaurants and breweries. She also likes gardening, kayaking, and snowboarding. Some of Katie’s favorite places to travel to are New Zealand, Maine, and Philadelphia. She lives with her husband Matt in New Hampshire.