Leadership Team

Whitney was hired as Kids First Health Care’s executive director in April 2019, bringing with her more than 30 years of experience in health care services, public policy and philanthropy.

Under Whitney’s leadership, Kids First opened a state-of-the-art community clinic in Commerce City on the fourth floor of Adams County’s first Community Resource Hub at 7190 Colorado Blvd., centralizing health and other supportive services for families in one, convenient location. This move was made possible by generous capital funders, enabling the 45-year-old nonprofit to purchase and renovate the fourth floor to serve today’s children and generations to come.  Additionally, in partnership with Maiker Housing, Kids First will open another pediatric clinic at Maiker’s Alto Community on 71^st and Federal Blvd., improving access to high quality health care for families in south Westminster.

Before joining Kids First, Whitney served as a senior program officer in health at the Rose Community Foundation, where she directed grant-making efforts for nonprofit organizations working to improve Colorado’s health care system. Prior to serving at Rose Community Foundation, Whitney worked as a consultant hired to open a new school-based health center on behalf of Cape Cod Healthcare in Massachusetts. Whitney also has extensive experience working at the State Capitol as a nonpartisan health and human services policy analyst with the Colorado General Assembly, and a planning and grants specialist in women’s health at the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. She has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado.

Dr. Amanda Jichlinski (Amanda) has been with Kids First Health Care since 2022, bringing notable expertise as a pediatrician with multiple years of experience in integrated pediatric health care to her role as medical director.  

Across the agency’s nine clinics, Amanda oversees clinical care and provides administrative and leadership support for all sites, including Kids First’s community clinics that serve patients from birth to 21, and its school-based health centers that serve students enrolled at those schools. 

Amanda is passionate about reducing health disparities for children in marginalized and medically underserved communities, and her leadership role at Kids First allows her to deliver equitable health care across Adams County.  

Growing up fluent in English, Spanish and French, Amanda has always found joy serving diverse and immigrant populations. Throughout her career, Amanda has cared for families from a variety of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds and enjoys serving them while learning about their communities. 

Before joining Kids First, Amanda worked as a pediatrician at Salud Family Health Centers in Commerce City.  

Amanda is Board Certified in Pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics, is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, completed medical school at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, and completed her residency in pediatrics at Children’s National in Washington, D.C. 

Mr. Lurie joined Kids First Health Care in February 2020. Mr. Lurie leads all internal, nonclinical operations at Kids First and manages the agency’s finances. Prior to joining Kids First, Mr. Lurie served as the Director of Finance and Planning at Mile High Youth Corps, where he developed effective systems for managing financial and administrative processes. Mr. Lurie has many years of experience in financial analytics and operations management, including 10 years at the University of Colorado.

Catherine has been with Kids First Health Care since 2011, bringing over 20 years of experience in integrated pediatric health care to her role as nurse practitioner and assistant medical director. 

Across the agency, Catherine oversees clinic projects and operations that ensure infants, children, adolescents, and families have access to high-quality, integrated health care that is both accessible and culturally relevant.  

Catherine’s decision to join the Kids First team was an easy one, as she was drawn to the nonprofit’s mission of improving the health and well-being of all children, regardless of their circumstances. She believes that all children deserve to be healthy and supports Kids First’s work to remove barriers to care for children across Colorado.  

Before joining Kids First, Catherine spent 12 years as a pediatric and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse, which included three years working as a travel nurse, working in various hospitals throughout the country. She also spent time in Costa Rica learning Spanish, which she now uses daily with her patients and families.  

In addition to her work at Kids First, Catherine continues her service to the community through weekends spent at Children’s Hospital working as a nurse practitioner in the emergency department.  

Ms. Manning has worked for Kids First Health Care in Commerce City since 2001. She is a Licensed Registered Nurse and currently serves as the Director of School Nursing Services for Adams 14 School District. She oversees the nursing team which serves all students in Adams 14 schools, including preschool and transition programs. Ms. Manning also serves as a Child Care Health Consultant for Little Giants Learning Center and the Commerce City Recreation Center.  She truly enjoys working with the children, students and families in Commerce City.

Ms. Pacheco is a Colorado native and graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Regis University and a master’s degree in health sciences from Nova SE University.  She just celebrated her 20^th anniversary with Kid’s First Health Care.  Ms. Pacheco has worked as a school nurse consultant for Kids First contracting to Adams County School District 14 (1998-2005) and Westminster Public Schools (2005-present).  She has been the Director of School Nursing Services since 2003.  Ms. Pacheco became a National Certified School Nurse in 2011.

Ms. Ortiz joined Kids First Health Care in January 2019. Ms. Ortiz’s work is focused on analyzing data and processes to maximize revenue and increase financial stability. She also monitors and ensures compliance with national and state regulations and commercial contracts. She has more than 10 years of experience in the health care industry, with a varied background in hospitals, facilities, primary care, specialties, non-profits, health care insurance, waiver services, and case management.

Breanna Deidel brings more than 16 years of public relations and corporate communications experience to the Kids First Health Care team. Breanna started her career in the private sector working for a Denver-based public relations agency before she made the switch to education, where she served Adams 14 for more than a decade years as a communications specialist and public information officer. She then started her own public relations consulting business where she continued to serve Adams 14 as the director of communications.

Breanna is passionate about leveraging her expertise to build relationships and create opportunities for children and families in underserved communities. In her free time, Breanna enjoys spending time with her husband and their two children. Breanna received her bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations, and minor in sociology from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Nicole has been with Kids First Health Care since 2023, bringing over 20 years of experience in child and family therapy, early childhood mental health and integrated behavioral health.  

As the Kids First Behavioral Health Program Manager, she focuses on ensuring that children, adolescents, and families have access to high-quality, trauma-informed care within medical and school settings. She is also dedicated to supporting clinicians through training, supervision, and collaboration while building a comprehensive behavioral health program that integrates best practices, expands access to care, and strengthens the connection between physical and mental health. 

Nicole chose Kids First because of its commitment to accessible, integrated care that supports children and families while honoring their unique experiences and needs. 

Before joining Kids First, Nicole worked across a wide range of settings, including mental health centers, Early Head Start and Head Start programs, public schools, hospitals, residential facilities, and pediatric medical centers. 

Nicole has specialized training in art and play therapy, Conscious Discipline, Touchpoints, Healthy Steps, and the DC:0-5 diagnostic framework for early childhood mental health. She is also trained in EMDR, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), bringing a trauma-informed and evidence-based approach to her work. Additionally, she integrates principles from reflective supervision, motivational interviewing, and family systems theory to provide holistic, strengths-based care.  

Nicole is committed to empowering patients and families through preventive and integrative care, while supporting clinicians in creating a meaningful, lasting impact on the well-being of those Kids First serves.