Covington 2025: Food as Medicine

Come together with several leading experts in nutrition and mental health, as they discuss how food nourishes not just our bodies, but our minds and mental health. Discover the fascinating links between what we eat and how we feel - through the gut-brain connection, the role of food in emotional well-being, and the science behind mood-supportive nutrition.

MEET THE PANEL

Alyson R. Kuroski-Mazzei, DO, DFAPA, FASAM, CEO & Chief Medical Officer

After earning her Bachelor of Science degree from Benedictine University and medical degree from Midwestern University, Dr. Kuroski-Mazzei completed her general psychiatry residency training at Duke University and a forensic psychiatry residency at UNC-Chapel Hill where she maintains her academic appointment with the UNC School of Medicine. She is triple board certified in psychiatry, forensic psychiatry and addiction medicine.

In 2006, she founded the Forensic Psychiatry Program & Clinic at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill and served as its Director and Director of Training. She continues her national & international forensic psychiatry work through the UNC-Chapel Hill Psychiatry Department. Among other leadership positions, Dr. Kuroski-Mazzei has served as the Medical Director of Quality at Cone Health Behavioral Health Hospital, the Medical Director of Fellowship Hall, a specialty hospital for alcohol and drug addiction treatment, and the Medical Director of the San Diego Professional Group in Southern California.

Dr. Kuroski-Mazzei returned to North Carolina in 2016 to serve as the founding CEO and Chief Medical Officer for HopeWay, a non-profit mental health treatment center in Charlotte. HopeWay’s mission is to make HOPE tangible by inspiring mental wellness for all. Dr. Kuroski-Mazzei led the start-up of this organization and maintained its growth and focus on quality and safety from the beginning and throughout the pandemic. She is a beloved leader, physician, mentor and advocate for her team of over 150 team members and the patients she serves. Under her executive leadership and top-notch culture, the organization has thrived and grown to serve children, adolescents and adults who have psychiatric, medical and substance use disorders. HopeWay shines as a national leader in excellence and evidence-based treatment for mental health illnesses, including Veteran’s mental health and eating disorders.

In addition, she has held leadership positions for the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, North Carolina Psychiatric Association, Duke University Medical Center, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and Illinois State Osteopathic Medical Society. Dr. Kuroski-Mazzei’s medical and legal research has also been published in leading professional and academic books and peer-reviewed journals. She continues to support the North Carolina Psychiatric Association as Past President. She is also a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Dr. Kuroski-Mazzei is an expert in and enjoys working with women’s health issues, mood disorders including bipolar disorder, substance use disorders and complex psychopharmacology. With her background in forensic psychiatry, she is also an expert in completing suicide and violence risk assessments, medical malpractice reviews and evaluations for the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA). Lastly, her focus for her practice is to diagnose and treat all relevant psychiatric, medical and addiction issues to lead to lasting overall wellness and recovery.

Dr. Kuroski-Mazzei and her husband, Paul, have two sons, a Shih Tzu and a Toy Poodle who is training to be a therapy dog. She prides herself in being a strong mother, wife and physician executive who successfully balances her personal and professional life. Her passion for returning to North Carolina in 2016 to lead HopeWay stems from personal family experience with mental health challenges that can, when treated effectively, lead one through recovery to complete personal and professional success.

Chef Sam Diminich, Executive Chef/Owner of Your Farms Your Table Group, James Beard Award Nominee 

Cooking is in Chef Sam Diminich’s lineage. Originally from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Diminich grew up in the restaurants of both his father and grandfather. After working his way up the ranks in his family restaurants and training with other local chefs, Diminich enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America where he graduated with a degree in Culinary Arts.    

After graduation, Diminich trained under Chef and Owner Georges Perrier at Le Bec Fin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He then headed back to the South where he worked BLT Steak located in the Ritz Carlton Charlotte, Executive Chef Raffaele Dall’Erta at The Hampton’s Restaurant in Sumter and was Executive Chef of Upstream Restaurant in the SouthPark area of Charlotte. In 2019 Sam appeared on Beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network Channel, taking down the legendary Chef in a ‘battle’ of Lobster Risotto.     

Sam has also been very transparent about his sobriety and has found a purpose in sharing his journey publicly in hopes of helping others with similar journeys. He is Co-Leader of the Charlotte, NC chapter of Ben’s Friends, a food and beverage support group offering hope, fellowship and path forward to those food and beverage professionals who struggle with addiction and alcoholism.    

Chef Diminich is passionate about working with local ingredients. His approach to cooking is to honor the ingredients using sound techniques with a balance of flavors and textures blending traditional flavors with contemporary ones. His goal is to have a celebratory impact on the guest dining experience.    When he is not in the kitchen, Sam enjoys spending time with his two children, Constance and Allan Grey, enjoying the beauty of the Carolinas. 

Ellen Jones, RD

Ellen Jones is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in Human Nutrition from Winthrop University. After completing a 1,200-hour supervised dietetic internship and passing the national board exam, she has maintained her credentials through ongoing continuing education, staying current with the latest research and evidence-based recommendations.

Ellen joined the HopeWay team in 2016 when HopeWay first opened, following previous experience at Carolinas Medical Center (now Atrium). She developed the curriculum for the original biweekly nutrition and cooking classes, many of which continue to shape the program today. In 2024, she started with HopeWay’s Eating Disorder Programs, bringing both clinical expertise and compassion to her work.

Ellen’s nutrition philosophy is rooted in the understanding that our relationship with food is both physical and emotional. She believes that while nutrients play a vital role in brain health, food also holds deep cultural and emotional significance. Her approach to care balances the science of nutrition with a person-centered awareness of each client’s unique emotional connection to food.

Now living in Greensboro to be closer to family, she remains a proud supporter of HopeWay and its mission.