Our Team

Tobias Wasser, MD

Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, HHC Fairfield Region

Chair and Professor of Psychiatry, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University 

Dr. Tobias Wasser attended college at Wesleyan University, medical school at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and completed his psychiatry training at Yale, including serving as chief resident and completing fellowships in forensic and public psychiatry. 

After completing his training, he joined the psychiatry department at Yale as a faculty member where he held academic leadership roles in the public psychiatry and residency training programs and clinical leadership roles in the state forensic mental health system, Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Yale Department of Psychiatry. 

As Chair, Dr. Wasser is the department’s physician leader for behavioral health, with overall responsibility for the quality, safety, and educational mission of services provided throughout the Fairfield Region. Dr. Wasser is recognized as a regional and national leader in administrative and forensic psychiatry and medical education. He has previously served as president of the Connecticut Psychiatry Society and the American Association of Psychiatric Administration and Leadership. He has authored over 100 publications, including as editor of an introductory textbook, Psychiatry and the Law: Basic Principles, and continues to hold academic appointments at the Yale School of Medicine and Yale Law School. 

Eleanor Cronley, LMSW

Regional Director for Behavioral Health, HHC Fairfield Region

Eleanor Cronley graduated from Hofstra University and earned her Master of Science in social work from Columbia University, New York, NY. She has over 20 years of experience in behavioral health environments including operational leadership and the management of residential and outpatient facilities throughout Fairfield County, Texas, Florida, Maryland and Virginia. Eleanor has been integral in opening facilities, driving growth, improving outcomes and enhancing customer satisfaction.

As Regional Director for Behavioral Health, Eleanor serves with the Chair of Psychiatry as the dyad leaders for the department, and is responsible for strategy, program development, operational efficiency and administrative leadership of all behavioral health services provided in the Fairfield Region. Eleanor formerly served as Vice President of Operations for a leading Behavioral health organization in the private sector. Eleanor’s expertise lies in business development, team leadership, identifying business strategies for organizational growth, as well as recruiting key operators to establish integral system leadership.

She also has a proven track record of building strong cross-functional teams, focusing on communication, relationship building and seeking solutions. Eleanor is a champion of people who advocates for both the patients and her team to ensure that operational excellence and safety is always paramount.

Andre Newfield, MD

Vice Chair for Clinical Services and Regional Medical Director, Behavioral Health, HHC Fairfield Region

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University

Dr. Newfield received his Master’s Degree from Georgetown University and his Medical degree from Sackler School of Medicine. He completed his Residency at Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY, and went on to do an addiction Fellowship at Yale University, New Haven, CT.

Dr. Newfield joined St. Vincent’s Medical Center in September of 2015 as the Medical Director of Psychiatry. As Vice Chair for Clinical Services and Regional Medical Director, he is responsible for leading psychiatric and medical services across the region in all clinical care sites, with direct oversight of all psychiatric providers. He is actively involved in faculty development and supporting the new residency program. 

Belinda Seak, DNP, MSN, RN

Director of Nursing, Behavioral Health, HHC Fairfield Region

Belinda is a highly skilled nurse leader with Hartford Health Care St. Vincent’s Medical Center since 2017 who currently serves as the Director of Nursing in the Behavioral Health Services Fairfield Region covering Westport and Bridgeport locations. Prior to this role, she served as Nurse Manager at the on surgical services unit (Level 7S). Earlier in her career she held roles as a Registered Nurse and Patient Care Manager.

As Director of Nursing, Belinda has the responsibility for leading nursing services and operations across the region with proven skills in teambuilding, financial planning, budgeting, and operations.  Belinda received her Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2024 from Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT, and her Master of Science in Nursing in Leadership and Management from Walden University Online. She received her nursing degree from the Bridgeport Hospital School of Nursing where she was a National Student Nurse Association Member and is a Licensed Practical Nurse from the New England Technical Institute.

Belinda is a Registered Nurse with the State of Connecticut and serves as a mentor for the Nurse Residency Program Evidence-Based Practice. She was honored with a Nightingale nursing award in 2012 and received a Nursing Excellence Award in Nursing Practice in 2016.

Remy A. Sirken, MD

Vice Chair for Education and Psychiatry Residency Program, Behavioral Health, HHC Fairfield Region

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University

Dr. Sirken graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and completed her medical school education at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She then completed her adult psychiatry residency training at the Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital, where she served as chief resident during her final year, followed by a fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry at Yale University.

After completion of fellowship training, Dr. Sirken served as the Medical Director for Inpatient Psychiatry at Danbury Hospital before taking on the roles of Chief of Psychiatry and regional Vice Chair for the Department of Psychiatry at Waterbury Health.

As Vice Chair for Education, Dr. Sirken is the department’s medical education leader, with responsibility for healthcare education and training throughout the region. Dr. Sirken supervises the Psychiatry Clerkship Director for Netter medical students, works with students as a Specialty Advisor in psychiatry, and she is the Principal Investigator of a HRSA Grant for Rural Residency Program Development. Dr. Sirken is also a Founding Program Director of The Quinnipiac University Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine Rural Psychiatry Residency Program which provides an inclusive, safe, and innovative learning environment to train the next generation of psychiatrists.

Rachel Jakoboski, LCSW, DSW

Director of Clinical Services, Behavioral Health, HHC Fairfield Region 

Dr. Rachel Jakoboski is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in the state of CT and NY who earned her Doctorate in Social Work at Southern Connecticut state University. She also has a master’s in social work at Fordham University and has a bachelor’s in social work from Western Connecticut State University.

As Director of Clinical Services, Dr. Jakoboski is responsible for the clinical services provided across the region in inpatient, outpatient and emergency settings. She has experience working with high acuity behavioral health individuals through multiple years of children’s emergency department mental health care, mobile crisis intervention, outpatient therapy, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient hospitalization, and inpatient hospitalization for adults, children, and adolescents.

She is certified in dialectal behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, works with trauma informed interventions as well as person centered approaches. Rachel also has experience in program development of partial hospitalization, assisting in the creation of therapeutic intervention from the ground up.

Her passion is training, coaching, and mentoring those working in the mental health field and she has experience supervising a multitude of individuals under different levels of licensure.

Joyce Platz, MA

Director of Business Operations, Behavioral Health, HHC Fairfield Region

Joyce Platz has been a member of the Executive Behavioral Health Leadership Team at St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health for the last 20 years and has 35 Years of expertise in mental health management, organizational management, regulatory compliance, program development, administrative/fiscal oversite, and grant writing. 

Joyce began her career at St. Vincent’s in 1988 and was responsible for the development and implementation of St. Vincent’s Community Support Services Programs for the severe and persistently mentally ill and those experiencing chronic homelessness. She has served as the Administrator and Executive Director of those services since inception.

As Director of Business Operations, she is responsible for the oversight of St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health Community Support Services, regulatory compliance, and administrative and operational processes of the regional behavioral health services. She has served on several community Boards and Committees including, Greater Bridgeport Health Improvement Alliance, where she served as co-chair of the Behavioral Health Sub-Committee, Steering Council of Opening Doors of Fairfield County/Regional Alliance to End Homelessness and has served as the Chair of the Standards and Evaluation Committee.