Leadership Team

Adagio Health is lead by a talented internal team boasting a wide range of expertise in healthcare, nonprofit management, fundraising, financial administration, information technology, and public relations. Together, they work to continue our mission and enable Adagio Health to best serve our communities.

BJ Leber 

President & CEO, Adagio Health
BJ Leber is President & CEO of Adagio Health. Adagio Health meets the health, wellness, and nutrition needs of diverse communities, regardless of income, with a focus on women. Services include reproductive health for women, men, and teens; nutrition support and counseling; breast and cervical cancer screening; prenatal care; behavioral health and care navigation; tobacco cessation; and education. Inclusive services and support are provided to members of the LGBTQIA+ community, patients with substance use disorders, and women veterans. Adagio Health serves approximately 100,000 patients and families annually in Pennsylvania.

BJ is a recognized leader in the field of nonprofit management.  She previously served as President & CEO of The Western Pennsylvania Hospital Foundation, where she guided the foundation to support significant investments in the hospitals’ efforts to serve local communities. Prior to her work at the West Penn Hospital Foundation, BJ served as Interim CEO for the YWCA. She served as Chief of Staff for Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O’Connor. She was VP & Station Manager for WQED Pittsburgh’s public television and radio stations.

BJ currently serves on the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Women, an appointment by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. She served on a similar commission under former Governor Tom Wolf.  BJ is a member and past president of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the International Women’s Forum.  She served on the National Advisory Council of the Elsie Hillman Civic Advisory Forum at the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute of Politics and on the board of Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting (WESA and WYEP Public Radio Stations). She currently serves on the boards of the Highmark Caring Foundation, Family Planning Councils of America, and was appointed to the board of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority. BJ is a former board chair of Pittsburgh’s Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, an appointment by Governor Tom Wolf. She also served on the boards of Leadership Pittsburgh, VisitPittsburgh, Brother’s Brother International Foundation, and Pressley Ridge Schools.

BJ lives in Highland Park with her husband Jeff. They have two sons, and three grandchildren. 

William Gedman, CPA, CHC

Chief Financial and Operations Officer
Bill has been with Adagio Health since December 2015, first in the capacity of CFO, then taking on the role of COO in July 2017. Before joining Adagio Health, Bill held positions of increasing responsibility during 17 years at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). At UPMC, Bill began his service in the corporate internal audit department and eventually held the position of Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of the $6 billion (in 2015) UPMC Health Plan. Bill’s professional experience also includes finance-related positions at the University of Pittsburgh, City of Pittsburgh, and US Steel Corporation. For 16 years, Bill was adjunct faculty at Carlow University and four years at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Bill is a certified public accountant, and holds a certification in health care compliance.

Alicia Schisler

Chief of External Affairs
Chief of External Affairs Alicia Schisler joined Adagio Health in December 2018. Prior to that, she spent four years focused on corporate communications and served as Senior Producer, Writer & Project Manager at WQED Pittsburgh. A four-time Emmy award winner and 14-time nominee, Schisler has also been recognized with a Southwestern Pennsylvania Media & Mental Health Award and a Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Award for Excellence. Schisler serves on the Mt. Lebanon Partnership Board of Directors and is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh XXXIX. She co-leads parent and family advocacy group, Neurodivergent Mt. Lebanon; is a member of the Reproductive Bridges Coalition and the Disability & Mental Health Summit Committee, and formerly served on the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health Innovations Board. She is the mom of two sons and a daughter, and passionate about healthcare, equality, and opportunities for all.

 

GERRI L. SPERLING

Legal Counsel
Gerri L. Sperling serves as legal counsel to Adagio Health. She is also counsel at Strassburger McKenna Gutnick and Gefsky, brings over thirty years of experience to her diverse practice areas. Ms. Sperling has a background in health law. She provides a broad range of legal services to health insurers, hospitals, and other healthcare providers. Her experience in the healthcare arena includes drafting and reviewing employment, service and vendor contracts, advising on regulatory matters, and litigating provider and coverage disputes in federal and state courts. She has also devoted much of her practice to advising clients on employment-related matters and representing them in employment litigation. Finally, Ms. Sperling obtains great satisfaction from her adoption, guardianship, surrogacy practice. She has handled over 800 adoption cases, including domestic, international, and step-parent adoptions. 
 

DR. ROD HOJAT

Medical Director
Dr. Rod Hojat was born in Pennsylvania and raised in the Appalachian Mountains in southeast Ohio. He is board certified, and a fellow of the American College of OBGyn. Dr. Hojat attended Andover, Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. He received a BS in psychology and pre-medicine from Vanderbilt University. He attended medical school at UCC in San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA, and he completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Summa/Akron City Hospital in Akron, Ohio. Dr. Hojat is dedicated to all aspects of women’s care and making a difference in the lives of families and the community in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virgina. Dr. Hojat is guided by principles of evidence-based care, and he has special interests in maternal-fetal medicine, chronic pelvic pain, and family planning. English is his first language, but he is also fluent in Spanish. A resident of Uniontown, PA, he is an avid horseman and enjoys history, diplomacy, language, literature, film, and music.