Active Faculty
Although we are not a true university and so we have no true "faculty," these excellent professionals have been selected for their expertise, experience and abilities to communicate those accomplishments and many have been with us for many years.
Karen E. Adams, MD, NCMP, IF

Karen Adams MD, FACOG, DipACLM, NCMP, IF is Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Stanford University. She is the Director of The Stanford Program in Menopause and Healthy Aging, a program that connects specialists in many fields to provide world-class care for women in the second half of life. Dr. Adams is double-board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Lifestyle Medicine, a Menopause Society Certified Menopause Practitioner, and a fellow of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health. She is the course director for the Oregon ECHO Program in Menopause, a state-wide program to educate primary care and women’s health providers in menopause care.
Dr. Adams is an award-winning educator and has lectured to medical audiences locally, nationally, and internationally, including a January 2020 TEDx talk entitled 'Sleep, Sex, and Menopausal Zest" with over 150,000 views on YouTube.
Thomas G. Allison, PhD, MPH

Dr. Thomas G. Allison is a consultant in the Department of Cardiovascular Diseases and Cardiovascular Surgery and Professor of Medicine in the Mayo School of Medical and Science. His clinical responsibilities include stress testing, primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, cardiac rehabilitation, and sports cardiology. He is Director of the Cardiopulmonary Exercise Laboratories and Director of the Sports Cardiology Clinic, and Course Co-Director of the external CME course Focus on Prevention. The Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Laboratory at Mayo Clinic performs the highest volume and complexity of cardiopulmonary tests in the world.
He has been practicing in the fields of stress testing, cardiac rehabilitation, preventive cardiology, and sports and exercise cardiology for 41 years, including 31 years at the Mayo Clinic. He is a fellow in the American College of Cardiology, American College of Sports Medicine, and National Lipid Association.
Dr. Allison’s research interests parallel his clinical interests. He is currently principal or co-investigator on a number of studies in the field of exercise testing. He hosts students from all over the world who come to learn exercise testing and cardiovascular exercise physiology.
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, Dr. Allison did his undergraduate work at Princeton University and completed a PhD in exercise physiology and an MPH in cardiovascular epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh. An active participant in regional, national, and international cardiovascular conferences, he has given over 250 invited presentations in more than 25 countries around the world -- on all 6 inhabited continents.
Dr. Allison was for many years a successful long-distance runner with 26 marathons to his credit. He qualified for the US Olympic Trial in the marathon in 1980.
Professor Howard Amital, MD MHA

Howard Amital is a professor of Medicine at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine of the Tel-Aviv University. He is the head of Department of Medicine 'B' at the Sheba Medical Center at the Sheba Medical Center, in Tel-Hashomer. For the past two years he is also the chair of Internal Medicine at the Sackler faculty of Medicine at the Tel-Aviv University. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, and his fellowship at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem.
Prof. Amital conducts clinical and basic research and speaks at international Rheumatology conferences such as the EULAR (European League against Rheumatism) and the ACR (American College of Rheumatology). He has authored over 270 scientific peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and reviews. His papers mainly focus on autoimmunity research primarily in new avenues for the development of therapeutic peptides in RA, roles of vitamin D, use of biological therapy, pain and comorbidities of fibromyalgia and epidemiological studies based on Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) databases.
Dennis Andrade, MD

Dr. Dennis Andrade serves as the Associate Program Director for the Family Medicine Residency Program at Kaiser Permanente San Diego. With over 20 years of experience teaching and mentoring medical students and resident physicians, he manages clinical rotations across various specialties, including surgery, emergency medicine, office procedures, and ultrasound. Dr. Andrade also founded the Southern California Regional Global Health Program for Kaiser Permanente resident physicians, leading numerous international medical trips to Peru, Thailand, Jamaica, Fiji, Kenya, and Mexico.
In addition to his leadership role, Dr. Andrade maintains an active clinical practice at Kaiser Permanente, where he supervises the Minor Surgery Clinic. He is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego where he precepts medical students. Dr. Andrade has also presented at national medical conferences on a variety of topics, including medical volunteerism abroad, travel medicine, and the use of ultrasound in primary care. His expertise also includes advanced training in trauma management and wilderness medicine.
Outside of his professional commitments, Dr. Andrade is passionate about travel, exploring diverse cultures, and enjoys running half-marathons, hiking, and photography.
Kevin Astle, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, AAHIVP, CDCES

Kevin Astle, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, AAHIVP, CDCES is an assistant professor with the University of Taneja College of Pharmacy in the department of Pharmacotherapeutics and Clinical Research. He joined USF in July 2022 from his previous institution, Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy in Mobile AL. Dr. Astle graduated from pharmacy school at the University of Florida in 2016 and completed a PGY-1 ambulatory care pharmacy residency with Auburn University Clinical Health Services in 2017.
Dr. Astle’s clinical practice and research interests are in the treatment and prevention of HIV, addressing health disparities in the LGBTQIA+ community, and prevention of cardiovascular disease in people living with HIV. Dr. Astle is passionate about advocacy and policy change regarding healthcare access for sexual and gender minorities and expanding access to healthcare for transgender patients. He is a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist, Ambulatory Care Pharmacist, HIV Pharmacist, and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist. In 2021, Dr. Astle was a founding member of RxSHARE, an international collaborative of pharmacists with the mission of improving health care access and education regarding sexual and gender minorities.
Steven R. Bailey, M.D

Dr. Steven Bailey is the Chairman of Internal Medicine at LSU Health Shreveport and the Malcolm Feist Chair of Interventional Cardiology. He is a Tenured and Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Radiology and previous Chief of the Janey and Dolph Briscoe Jr. Division of Cardiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Bailey received his medical degree from the University of Oregon Health Science Center at Portland and did his medicine residency and cardiology fellowship at Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine with subspecialty board certification in both Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology. Dr. Bailey's clinical focus is in Adult Congenital/Structural and Valvular heart disease in addition to Coronary Atherosclerotic Disease. His research laboratory is involved in investigating the effects of NOX subtypes in promoting cardiovascular disease and Pulmonary Endothelial cell prothrombic response to Covid 19 viral infection. He has translational research in the field of nanotechnologies and nanosensors and holds several patents in these fields. He was the Program Director for Interventional Cardiology at UTHSCSA from 1999 to 2019. Dr. Bailey chaired the UTHSCSA Promotion and Tenure committee. Dr. Bailey is a Past President of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) and is currently the Editor in Chief of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions. He is a Master Fellow of SCAI, a Master Fellow of ACP, a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, and a Fellow of the American Heart Association. He is a member of the Association of the Professors of Medicine, Association of University Cardiologists, the Association of Cardiology Professors, as well as the International Andreas Greuntizig Society.
Miklosh Bala, MD

Dr. Bala Miklosh is a Director of Trauma and Acute care Surgery Unit and senior surgeon of Department of General Surgery of Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel. Residency in General Surgery in Hadassah Medical Center. Fellowship in Trauma and Surgical Critical Care in Baltimore, MD. Active member of EAST, AAST and ESTES. Currently work as a leading surgeon in Acute Care Surgery and Trauma and chief consultant for surgery in ICU. Member of trauma committee of Israeli Trauma Association.
Dr. Bala's clinical and research experience in trauma care started in 2001 while he was a second year surgical resident at the Hadassah Medical Center and was first exposed to trauma surgery. Since then trauma surgery has become a major topic of his investigations and a main subspecialty.
During his period of residency in general surgery at Hadassah Medical Center, he took care of and was involved in the management of hundreds of casualties that arrived at our Trauma Center following terrorist attacks. On the basis of his experiences, he helped to first introduce the civilian protocol for the management of mass casualty incidents MCIs and showed his team's high success rate in saving life by fully utilizing the limited resources available in civilian hospitals. He was able to summarize this experience in a number of recently published papers relating to different aspects of MCI management, for the first time assessed in terms of ICU need and blood use during the MCI (Published in Injury and European Journals). He summarized his data from hundreds of victims suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to terrorist attacks in an article published in the Journal of Trauma.
Collection of this data is an ongoing project, for which he works in close collaboration with a psychological group in his hospital. The importance of these studies has been demonstrated in real-time and he have been invited as an expert speaker and guest lecturer to a number of teaching courses and conferences around the world.
Lastly, he is active in National Homeland Security committee for disaster preparedness, where he works on preparedness for earthquake and chemical disaster on hospital and national levels.
Other topics of special interest:
- Trauma surgery and surgical critical care
- Education in surgery and trauma
Shelley Ball, BA (HONS), JD, CERT. HUMAN RIGHTS

Shelley Ball BA (Hons), JD
Shelley is a lawyer and the principal of Shelsu Pacific Consulting Inc., in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, which provides sexual misconduct and bullying and harassment investigation services, as well as training and advising to public and private organizations, including unions.
She has served as senior legal counsel in health regulation and as the Director of Investigations at one of the largest universities in Canada. She was previously a litigation lawyer and the senior investigator for British Columbia's Independent Officer of the Legislature which oversaw deaths and injuries of children in the child welfare system. She is also experienced with investigating unidentified human remains and cases of presumed death for the provincial coroner.
She is an appointed member of the Patient Care Quality Review Board of British Columbia, and member of the Canadian Network for Agencies of Regulation's Education Planning Advisory Committee. For several years, she has been a pro-bono advisor for Forensic Guardians International, which provides dignified management of human remains during conflicts and emergencies. She was previously a mentor to law students with the Canadian Bar Association.
She is a subject matter professional in sexual misconduct and investigations, and often speaks internationally on those topics as well as trauma-informed and compassionate practice, risk and prevention. In 2023, she was nominated as one of Canada's 25 Most Influential Lawyers for her work in creating fair, impartial and trauma-informed institutional investigation systems.
Shelley holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology with First Class Honours, a Juris Doctor, and a Certificate in Human Rights Law for Education Professionals. She is also a certified and experienced restorative justice facilitator.
Melinda Barbour-Word, LPC, LSATP, LCMHC

Melinda Barbour-Word is the CEO and President of My Brother’s Keeper of North Carolina, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides sober living transitional housing. She is also the owner of Word Counseling and Consulting, where she offers expert therapeutic services, and a Treatment Practitioner at Prince William County Community Services Board, providing comprehensive mental health support. Melinda is a retired U.S. Air Force Major with 22 years of service. She is actively involved in her community as a Board Member at Resurrection Church, where she also leads the Children’s Ministry. She holds an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marymount University, an MBA in Human Resources Management from Trident University, and a BS in Management Studies from the University of Maryland Global Campus. Residing in Northern Virginia with her husband and her service dog, Jennifer. Melinda cherishes her family, including four adult children and a son-in-law. She continues to empower individuals through advocacy, counseling, and leadership.
Joseph Beltempo, PhD Psychologist

Dr. Joseph Beltempo, Ph.D. Psychologist
Since 1984 he was Lecturer in the Psychology Department of Concordia University (in Montreal) teaching in a wide spectrum of clinical and research areas. His clinical training was in Cognitive and Gestalt psychology at the University of Montreal. His approach takes into account the holistic (systemic) ways reflecting Native cultural perspectives together with contemporary clinical psychology. From 1982 to 2012, Dr. Beltempo, senior clinical psychologist, worked for Kahnawake Shakotiia'takenhas Community Services, a Mohawk Community. For two years he was the Coordinator for the Kahnawake Outreach Project, which was established to deal with the after-effects of the 1990 Mohawk Crisis. His clinical work has largely focused on addiction, mental health, dual diagnosis, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and various methods of clinical intervention. He is highly trained in assessments and interventions of FASD and has received extensive training in diagnostics. He is Clinical Site Supervisor for Doctoral Interns in Psychology at Concordia University and McGill University. He is an Expert Witness and Consultant for Youth Courts of Quebec involving First Nations peoples.
He is the father of three young adults and married since 1980. Dr. Beltempo received his B.A. in Psychology from McGill University. He earned his Master's (MA, 1979; Ph.D. 1986 and Post-Doctorate, 1990) in Research & Clinical Psychology from Université de Montréal. He is a member of the Order of Psychologists of Quebec since 1979 (Lic. 2675-80).
Jonathan Betlinski, MD

Jonathan Betlinski, M.D., is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University, where he also gets to be the Public Psychiatry Director. Among other projects, he serves as Medical Director for the Oregon Psychiatric Access Line about Adults, as Clinical Advisor to the Oregon ECHO Network, as Program Committee Chair for the Oregon Psychiatric Physicians Association, and as Principal Investigator for the HEAL-OR study. Dr. Betlinski believes in the power of family, community, relationship, diverse perspectives, multi-disciplinary approaches, theater, being outdoors, a good night's sleep, and leaving the world better for having spent time in it.
Paul D. Blaylock, MD, JD, FCLM

Dr. Blaylock is a past ACLM Board Member, lecturer and winner of the Jefferson Cup and President's Award. Past Board Certified in Emergency Medicine and Legal Medicine, Dr. Blaylock has worked in Emergency Medicine Level I/II Trauma Center for 31 years in Portland, Oregon. He has also worked as a Defense Trial Attorney for 25 years.
Nominated Outstanding Alumnus of the University of Tennessee Medical School (2007, 2008), Dr. Blaylock has also served on the Alumni Board of Governors for the University of Tennessee Medical School. Dr. Blaylock has worked on emergency medicine Disaster Teams in Mexico City, Guatemala, Ground Zero in New York City, and Hurricane Katrina disaster sites.
Dr. Blaylock has served as Adjunct Professor of Law at the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis & Clark as well as Clinical Instructor of Emergency Medicine at OHSU in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Blaylock worked with Providence Medical Group as Medical Director, Tanasbourne Immediate Care (2005 - 2009).
Glen Bradley, MA, LGPC, NCC

Glen Bradley, MA, LGPC (DC), NCC, (they) is a mental health therapist in Washington, DC. Their background includes advocacy and activism for queer people, beginning during their undergraduate studies at Santa Clara University, where they worked at the LGBTQ+ student resource center. Glen was invited to the 2016 National Jesuit Student Leadership Conference, where they spoke on LGBTQ+ cultural competency issues at Catholic universities. Glen has over 10 years of experience facilitating LGBTQ+ cultural competency training seminars across a diverse field, from the DC office for the Federal Maritime Commission to the DC Mental Health Counseling Association. Glen has presented six separate continuing education courses on queer topics. Glen uses a variety of theoretical lenses to inform their understanding of their clients: Gestalt, somatic, queer liberation, trauma-focused, body-process, Adlerian, mindfulness-based, and ecopsychotherapy.
Robert T. Brodell, MD, FAAD, FRCP(Edin)

Robert T. Brodell, MD is tenured Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology, Past Founding Chair of the Department of Dermatology, and Billy S Guyton MD Distinguished Professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. A graduate of Washington and Jefferson College ('75) and the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry ('79), he completed dermatology and dermatopathology training at Barnes Hospital (Washington University in St Louis). He was in solo private practice for 27 years in Warren, Ohio. Dr Bob has performed 1,895 lectures, directed 49 symposia, and has 420 publications, 42 book chapters, 43 poster presentations, and has written three books: The Diagnosis and Treatment of Warts: An Evidence Based Approach (2003); Tips and Tricks in Procedural Dermatology (2019); and, Dermatology in Rural Settings -- Organizational, Clinical, and Socioeconomic Perspectives.
Monica Broome, MD, FACP, FAACH, FAMWA

Dr. Monica Broome is the Director of the new Communication Skills Program for University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Her interest is in the neuroscience of communication specifically physician patient communication. The scope of this program includes the undergraduate, graduate, and faculty development levels.
Dr. Broome completed a three year fellowship under the Director of Education Development in the Department of Medical Education, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. During her fellowship she completed programs in the Macy Institute for Health Communication Curriculum Development and is certified as a master trainer of the Institute for Healthcare Communication. Her scholarly work includes presentations and workshops nationally for the Association of American Medical Colleges, Society of General Internal Medicine, and Southern Group on Educational Affairs, and internationally for the European Association for Communication in Health Care, the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare, and the International Association of Law and Mental Health with the focus on communication skills training concerning conflict and bullying. She serves on the American College of Physicians Legislative Action Program for Health Care Reform and participated as a Florida delegate for Leadership Day in Washington DC. She servers on the Editorial Board of Medical Encounter, and Chaired the Committee on Communication and Technology for the 2006 American Academy on Communication in Healthcare Annual Research and Teaching Forum. Dr. Broome co-chaired the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare held in the USA in Miami, October 2009.
Dr. Broome, formerly Dr. Harris, is an alumnus of the University Of Miami School Of Medicine. Her specialty is Internal Medicine for which she has received recognition and accolades from colleagues and patients, including a service award from the State of Virginia Department of Disabled American Veterans. She was the Founder and former Medical Director of the Women’s Veterans Comprehensive Health Program, in Hampton Virginia. Dr. Broome was selected as one of the representatives from the state of Florida to participate in a National Summit on Women’s Veterans Health Issues at the White House which resulted in a position paper for Congress.
To continue her interest in promoting women’s health, Dr. Broome served on the Institutes for Women’s Health Education/Academic Training Subcommittee and currently serves on the Women in Academic Medicine at the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine. She is a Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine, a Fellow in the American College of Physicians, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Communication in Healthcare.
Dr. Broome was recently appointed to serve for two years on the Introduction to Clinical Diagnosis Test Committee of the National Board of Medical Examiners, and concurrently for the United States Medical Licensing Examination. USMLE is the sole licensing examination for allopathic physicians in the United States.
Internationally, she was recently awarded Elsevier Journal Reviewer Recognition Outstanding Reviewer Status for their Journal Patient Education and Counseling. Dr. Broome has been appointed to serve as Deputy National Representative of the European Association on Communication in Healthcare. There are only two representatives for each member country. This nomination and appointment has special significance on a personal level as representatives are nominated by the votes of colleagues.
Dr. Broome is the Course Director of the new Bridge Course for the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine. This new program facilitates the integration of incoming medical students from International Medical University Malaysia.
Current projects include serving as Educational Director of Candid Conversations, training and e-learning program of the sexual health concerns of women patients; and developing wisdom in medicine by enhancing personal awareness in the aftermath of adverse outcomes. Dr. Broome teaches communication skills updates as faculty of the University at Sea.
New for 2020, Dr. Broome is named the National Co-Chair East Coast for the American Medical Women’s Association Physicians Against the Trafficking of Humans program.
Lisa Brown DNP, MSN, APRN, CNM

Lisa Brown DNP, APRN, CNM is a full scope certified nurse-midwife for Mankato Clinic with a perinatal mood disorders specialization and trained by the FEMM Research Institute for Restorative Reproductive Medicine. She works with women of all ages and stages of life via telehealth and face to face visits. Dr. Brown has over 25 years of nursing experience, mostly in obstetrics, and graduated with a master's degree in midwifery in 2018 and a doctorate degree in 2022.
Dr. Brown has spent many years as a registered nurse and midwife working with fertility awareness methods, infertility issues, recurrent loss, and restoring reproductive wellness. She is a trained FEMM medical consultant and has working knowledge of the Creighton, SymtoThermal, and Marquette methods of fertility awareness. Dr. Brown has helped many women avoid and achieve pregnancy and addresses fertility issues like PCOS, anovulatory cycles, irregular cycles, recurrent loss, and hormonal imbalance from adolescence through menopause.
In recent years, Dr. Brown has developed a special interest in perinatal mood disorders after seeing this issue daily with limited resources to address it. She recently graduated with a doctorate in nursing practice (DNP) from Bethel University in St. Paul MN. Her focus was on perinatal mood disorders, symptom management, and non-pharmacological interventions to improve mental health in the perinatal population. Dr. Brown sees patients at her practice at Mankato Clinic, Mankato and via telehealth through the Reply Fertility in Cary, North Carolina.
Peter Buch, MD, AGAF, FACP

Dr. Peter Buch is a clinical gastroenterologist with 37 years of teaching experience. Teaching is his passion and his style is case based, practical, interactive and fun.
He is a graduate of Downstate Medical Center (NY) He completed his Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine and his Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Long Island Jewish-Hillside Medical Center (now a division of Northwell Health).
Dr. Buch is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the Frank H Netter school of Medicine/Quinnipiac University.
Dr. Buch has been honored to speak at dozens of national conferences. He looks forward to learning with you!
Ronald R. Butendieck, JR, MD, FACP

Dr. Butendieck received his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida and his Doctor of Medicine degree at the University of Florida College of Medicine. He completed clinical residency and fellowship training in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology at the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida.
Dr. Butendieck is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and serves as a consultant in the Division of Rheumatology at the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida. He is actively involved in teaching residents and fellows and has received the Top Teacher in Rheumatology Award on multiple occasions. Since 2013, he has presented the topics of Vasculitis and Inflammatory/Non-inflammatory myopathies each year at the Mayo Clinic Internal Medicine Board Review series for senior residents.
He has a special interest in Behçet’s disease and has presented internationally on the topic of Neuro-Behçet’s. He is also the contributing author on the topic of Behçet’s for the National Organization for Rare Disorders. He has presented nationally and internationally on various topics in rheumatology and has authored peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.
In 2017, he was elected as a Fellow in the American College of Physicians. He currently serves on the Mayo International Health Program Selection Committee and the Humanities in Medici
Ashish Chandra, MBA, PhD

Professor Ashish Chandra is a Professor of Healthcare Administration, College of Business at the University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL), Houston, Texas, USA where he also served as the Department Chair for over four years at UHCL. All together Dr. Chandra has over 20 years of university level teaching experience in the U.S. He is a well-recognized healthcare administration academician internationally and serves on the academic advisory board of several educational institutions in Turkey and India. He has also provided over a dozen Management Development Program, Faculty Development Programs, and professional consulting services to several healthcare and business organizations in the United States, India, Turkey, and aboard cruise ships. He actively served on the board of directors of several professional and community organizations in the United States. Over the past four years he has served as the Course Director and Speaker of five Continuing Education Programs for health professionals.
Dr. Chandra is a prolific researcher and has 75 publications in refereed journals, two edited books, ten book chapters, and over 250 publications in conference proceedings. He is an Executive Editor of the journal Hospital Topics (the oldest journal in healthcare administration field - almost 95 years in existence). He has served as the President of FOUR major international academic organizations - the Business and Health Administration Association; the Association of Collegiate Marketing Educators; the MBAA International; and the Federation of Business Disciplines. He has also served as the Program Chair of over a dozen major international conferences, held in U.S., India, Turkey, and U.K. as well as aboard cruise ships in the Caribbean, Alaska, Baltics, and Mediterranean.
Professor Chandra has received numerous awards and recognition related to teaching, research, and service throughout his career, including the 2017 Excellence in Teaching Award by the National Society for Leadership Success; 2015 Outstanding Professor Award given by the University of Houston - Clear Lake Alumni Association; 2012 American College of Healthcare Executives Service Award; 2011 Outstanding Educator Award from the Association of Collegiate Marketing Educators; to name a few. He also has the distinct honor of being the Commencement Speaker at the December 2018 graduation ceremony of the University of Houston – Clear Lake. The URL link to Dr. Chandra’s commencement speech is below. Please cue to minute 32 of the video link in case you just want to see Dr. Chandra’s speech.
URL to speech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpwOooexSYA&t=2984s
Frances M. Christian, PhD, LCSW

Frances M. Christian, Ph.D., LCSW, provides psychotherapy services to individuals, couples, and families as a private practitioner. She is a former full-time Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center Department of Psychiatry faculty member who served as Director of Clinical Social Work and Co-Director of the Anxiety Disorders Specialty Clinic. She remains affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry as an external Clinical Professor supervising VCU psychiatry residents in providing psychotherapy services. She is a seasoned cognitive-behavioral therapist specializing in working with trauma survivors. She is past Chairman of the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Health Professions Board of Social Work and an active member of several professional organizations, including the Association of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (ABCT), The National Association of Social Workers (NASW,) and the National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW), International OCD Foundation and the International Society for the Study of Trauma & Dissociation (ISSTD), In 2013 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Social Workers, Virginia Chapter recognizing her as "someone who has been recognized beyond the social work profession”.
Nicole Harrington Cirino, MD

Dr. Nicole Cirino is a Reproductive Psychiatrist (Board Certified MD physician) and Senior Faculty member in both the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and in the Department of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine/ Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas. She the Division Director of the Division of Reproductive Psychiatry, which is one of the leading programs in the field nationally and is housed within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Texas Childrens Medical Center in the Women's Pavillion.
She was fellowship trained in Reproductive Psychiatry at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine where she also completed her Psychiatry Residency. Reproductive Psychiatry is a specialty area of Psychiatry that focuses exclusively on the treatment of women across the reproductive life cycle. She teaches topics including Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Menopause and Mood Disorders, and Female Sexual Medicine to medical students, residents, fellows and practicing clinicians internationally. Besides psychotropic and hormonal interventions she is also skilled in Interpersonal Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Sex Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy as well as other evidence based behavioral interventions.
Dr. Cirino is also a specialist in Female Sexual Medicine. She is a Certified Sex Therapist through the governing body American Association of Sexual Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). She is also an International Fellow with the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH).
Dr. Cirino's research interests involve medical and behavioral therapy interventions for perinatal mental health conditions and female sexual dysfunction. She recently moved to Houston, Texas from Portland, Oregon and is married with three children. Traveling with family and friends and teaching are her greatest passions.
Stephen R. Clum, MD, PhD

Stephen Clum, MD PhD
Dr. Clum earned his PhD in biochemistry at the University of Kansas. His PhD studies involve characterization of the dengue virus type II serine protease. After completing his PhD, he then pursued his medical degree at the University of Kansas. Following completion of his medical school training, he completed a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at University of South Florida. He remained at University of South Florida for fellowship training in Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine.
After completing his fellowship training, he moved to Springfield Missouri where he joined a multispecialty group. His practice encompassed Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep Medicine including an active pediatric sleep practice. In 2014, he returned to the University South Florida to join the faculty in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine where he served as the associated division director. In this role he was actively involved in expansion of inpatient and outpatient services at Tampa General Hospital and USF. Following the retirement of his mentor, he served as the interim division director until the fall of 2020 when he joined the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System as the Chief of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine. In his current role as Chief of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, he has helped developed a robust pulmonary nodule program, COPD program, and ILD program. At both the University of South Florida and Bay Pines VA, Dr. Clum has been a core faculty involved in the education of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine fellows.
Richard Colgan, MD

Dr. Colgan’s career has been marked by a number of significant leadership initiatives and awards for teaching excellence, many coinciding with his 20-year tenure at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. As a professor of family and community medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, he also serves as executive vice chairman. Dr. Colgan has served as lead investigator on many research projects, including the Medical Student Experience with Primary Care Physicians, the Patient Centered Medical Home, and Care for the Underserved in Maryland, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration. He has authored more than eighty publications.
Dr. Colgan has been listed in Best Doctors in America, was chosen by the School of Medicine’s student body as its nominee for the Association of American Medical Colleges’ annual humanism award, and was inducted into the school’s Humanism Honor Society as well as Alpha Omega Alpha. In 2008, he was awarded the American Medical Student Association’s Golden Apple clinical faculty teaching award by the University of Maryland School of Medicine class of 2008.
Dr. Colgan is a colonel in the Maryland Defense Force, serving the state of Maryland as a volunteer physician in the 10th Medical Regiment. He is the author of two books: Advice to the Young Physician: On the Art of Medicine and Advice to the Healer: On the Art of Caring, both published by Springer. He was recently selected to direct the Maryland Area Health Education Center, the School of Medicine’s “Mini-Med School” and “Mini-Med School for Kids” programs, providing medical information to members of the local community. He also is the Director of the School of Medicine’s Executive Health Program.
Blaise L Congeni, MD

Blaise L. Congeni, MD, is Professor of Pediatrics and of Medical Microbiology at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED.) He also serves as Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Attending Physician at Akron Children’s Hospital in Akron, Ohio.
Dr. Congeni received his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He completed his pediatrics residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center and C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, and his pediatric infectious diseases fellowship at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital
Dr. Congeni is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases. A member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and American Society of Microbiology, Dr. Congeni has been named in the Best Doctors in America for more than a dozen years. He has been the recipient of numerous faculty awards including Leibelt-Wheeler, 1999, Legendary Service, 2013, Golden Apple Award for teaching excellence 6 times, honorary hooder by the graduating class 4 times, and he was elected Master Teacher at NEOMED, class of 2000.
Dr. Congeni serves as an editorial board member for Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice, and he is a past editorial board member for Concise Reviews of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. He has authored more than 60 abstracts, book chapters, and peer-reviewed medical journal publications, and he has served as a guest editor of Pediatric Annals.
Joseph A. Congeni, MD

Joseph A. Congeni, M.D. is the Medical Director of the Sports Medicine Center at Akron Children's Hospital as well an Professor of Pediatrics at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Sports Medicine at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. He developed the Primary Care Pediatrics Sports Medicine Fellowship at Akron Children's Hospital, the first of its kind at a pediatric hospital in the U.S. in (1990). He is a (1980) graduate of the University of Notre Dame; and received his medical degree from NEOMED in (1984). Dr. Congeni is currently a team physician for the University of Akron and Archbishop Hoban High School since (1988).
He has won many awards including: the OHSAA Respect the Game Award (2004-2005), the Ohio Athletic Trainer's Association’s Team Physician of the Year Award (2008), and Ohio Outstanding Team Physician by the Ohio State Medical Association (2008), Best Doctors in Northeast Ohio (2009-2022), the Dr. Carl Krill Award for humanism and excellence in the field of medicine from the Knights of Columbus (2013),Sports & Exercise Medicine Godfather, Cleveland Clinic (aka Warthog Society) (2017), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Thomas Shaffer National Award for significant contributions to the field of sports medicine (2018), was inducted to the Diocese of Cleveland CYO Hall of Fame in (2019), NEOMED Distinguished Alumni Award (2024).
He is also a lead author on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Baseball/Softball Policy Statement issued March 2012. Dr. Congeni’s media events vary from appearing on NBC’s TODAY Show in 2009 to his appearance on a PBS documentary entitled “The Smartest Team” in 2012 and a Sports Illustrated segment in 2014. He also has been appearing on a weekly radio sports medicine segment since 1995. In addition, he does about 10-15 media appearances and 25-35 speaking engagements, locally, regionally, and nationally per year. Joe and his wife Karen have six children.
Jessica Crandall-Snyder, RDN, CDE

Jessica Crandall Snyder earned her Bachelor's degree at Colorado State University and completed her postgraduate work in Oneonta, New York, with rotations at Rose Medical Center. She is accredited by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Jessica is the owner and founder of VitalRD. She caters to the diverse nutritional needs of the community. Jessica has a virtual practice, contracts with numerous doctors' offices (providing them with nutritional services), and develops and manages hospital-based outpatient programs for nutritional counseling services. She is passionate about helping consumers navigate the nutritional maze towards a healthier life in an atmosphere that is comfortable for them and conductive to learning – no matter what the setting or challenges.
As a Registered Dietitian (RDN), Jessica's passion lies in nutritional counseling in weight management, sports nutrition, bariatric education, diabetes prevention and management, cardiac diet modification, oncology nutrition and family nutrition dynamics. She also works with children with special nutritional needs and feeding disorders. Jessica is also a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE), NASM Personal Trainer, and AAFA certified Group Fitness Instructor.
Jessica's accolades include being named 2009 Colorado Dietitian of the Year, served as Colorado Dietetic President-Elect in 2009, and President of Colorado Dietetics Association in 2010. She is a strong supporter of public policy for dietitians and their professional development. She also had the honor to be a National Media Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics from 2010-2019. She regularly speaks for a variety of media outlets and has been quoted in numerous media outlets including WebMD, Prevention, Shape, Weight Watchers, Men's Fitness, Readers Digest, Martha Stewart Whole Living Magazines, and is frequently engaged as an expert resource regarding nutrition and health for many media outlets.
Tara Dall, MD, FNLA

In 2008, Dr. Dall formed the Early Detection Center for heart disease and diabetes near Madison, Wisconsin and served as a clinical associate professor for the Medical College of Wisconsin. Two years later, she brought her fight against heart disease to the web, co-founding Lecturepad.org and FHITtv.org, web platforms that advance clinical understanding and application of advanced lipid and biomarker testing.
For 3 years Dr. Dall served as Chief Medical Officer of Health Diagnostic Laboratory. As an author and educator on biomarker research focused on the role that insulin resistance plays in diabetes prevention she has expanded the education of physicians to prevent chronic disease. She has a special interest in insulin resistance's role in cardiovascular disease, women's heart disease, Autoimmune disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and obesity. She also serves as chief of cardiometabolic education at the non-profit Foundation for Health Improvement and Technology (FHIT).
Known for her passionate delivery of complex medical topics in patient-friendly terms, Dr. Dall is a sought after speaker, traveling the world to present research on advanced biomarkers. She is a also a regular go-to for reporters, appearing on Bloomberg News, CBS Sports, CNN Radio, Reach MD Satellite Radio, and RadioHealth Journal. She was also a regular guest on KTXD-TV's The Broadcast in Dallas, as well as programs on wabcradio.com (Optimal wellness and Forever Young). She continues to practice medicine as a physician founder of AvanceMD Concierge in Richmond, VA which incorporates cutting edge web based technology to the human touch of medicine, providing services to local as well as national and international clients.
Elliot Davidson, MD, FAAFP
Dr. Elliot Davidson is the Medical Director of the Center for Family Medicine (CFM) at Cleveland Clinic Akron General in Akron, Ohio.
He is Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) and Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OUHCOM). He serves on many committees and is Co-Chair of the Ethics Committee. He is past Chairman of the Board of Partners Physician Group, the Private Practice of Akron General Health System.
Dr. Davidson is passionate about the prevention of heart disease and has published in and has been a reviewer for the Journal of Clinical Lipidology. He is a leader in test taking preparation and has presented on this topic at many local and national meetings and worked individually with many learners. For the 11 years he was a Family Medicine Program Director from 2008 to 2019 his graduates had a 100% pass rate on their first attempt on the American Board of Family Medicine Certifying Examination. He is actively engaged in teaching many medical and pharmacy students, and family medicine residents. In 2022, he received the Outstanding Family Medicine Faculty Award from OUHCOM and Cleveland Clinic. In 2023, he was presented with the Medical Education Leadership Award from Cleveland Clinic Akron General.
Dr. Davidson graduated from both Kent State University (Summa cum Laude) and NEOMED in 1982 and did his Family Medicine Residency at Akron General Medical Center.
He is married, has four children and one granddaughter (so far).
Kristen Bell DeTienne, MA, PhD

Dr. Kristen DeTienne is a tenured Professor at Brigham Young University. She earned her doctorate from the University of Southern California. Professor DeTienne has published over 100 articles and books in management and business. In 2020 she was named the Outstanding Professor and in 2017 she received the teaching excellence award at her school. Kristen has been a Visiting Professor in Germany and in Poland.
Dr. DeTienne's research has received international recognition. Her research was selected for Best of the American Bar Association, outstanding article of the year by the Association for Business Communication, Best of Conference at the Organizational Behavior Teaching Conference, and Best Paper from the Southwest Academy of Management. She received the Outstanding Paper Award for her article in Competitiveness Review. Professor DeTienne was named a Beckham Scholar at BYU.
Professor DeTienne's research on the health impacts of stress has been published in the Journal of Health and Human Services Administration and in the Journal of Business Ethics and has been cited hundreds of times. Dr. DeTienne's recent research examines mental health in organizations. In 2020 and 2022 her work on managing employees with depression was published by Harvard Business Review. Her work on negotiating with those suffering from mental health problems was published in Harvard's Negotiation Journal. Professor DeTienne enjoys translating best practices in management into practical, hands-on lessons for medical professionals and other practitioners. Dr. DeTienne has consulted to numerous organizations, including Partners Personnel, Cisco, eBay, Discover Card, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Entrada and Zions Bancorp.
Michael J. Drescher, MD, FACEP

Dr Drescher graduated from the University of Michigan in 1982 with a BA in economics after writing his senior thesis on “Jewish and Arab Economies in Mandatory Palestine.” Upon graduating from the U of M he moved to Israel where after performing his military service as an infantry rifleman he began his medical school studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Hadassah Medical School where he graduated in 1992. After marrying his wife Yosefa, Michael returned to the US and completed a residency at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine Emergency Medicine Residency, staying on as faculty and in charge of research for the residency as well as an attending physician at Hartford Hospital Emergency Department.
In 2000 Dr Drescher and his family moved back to Israel where he worked as an attending physician in the ED at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel where he was interim head of the Trauma service and of the ED until 2005. Those were years of unrest in Israel with terrorist attacks happening with relative frequency affecting both work in the ED and life outside.
From 2005 -2010 moved back to Connecticut where he was the Associate Chief of Emergency Medicine at Hartford Hospital and after another move from 2015-2022 was the Chief of EM at Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, in Petah Tikvah, Israel.
Dr Drescher has published over 40 peer reviewed articles, with a research interest in emergency radiology, pain control, clinical decision making among other topics.
From 2018-2022 he was the Chairman of the Israel Association for Emergency Medicine and worked on the advancement of the specialty in Israel. He is Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UCONN school of medicine and visiting Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Tel Aviv University School of Medicine.
David S. Edwards, MD

From self-publishing a 100 page Emergency Medicine book during residency to pioneering novel simulation strategies using gaming engines and telemedicine, Dr. Edwards has made his career around medical education. The recipient of multiple teaching awards, he continues to look for ways to make learning medicine fun and efficient. After working a decade at a top teaching hospital in Miami where he directed resident education as the Associate Program director, directed med student education as the Clerkship Director, and started and ran the simulation program for the entire hospital as Medical Simulation Director, he now brings his enthusiasm to the Florida Athletic Commission where - when he is not competing himself - you can find him ringside taking care of the professional fighters and training new doctors in this niche field.
Duane C. Eichler, PhD

Duane C. Eichler, Ph.D. is currently a Distinguished University Professor Emeritus in the Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine at the University of SouthFlorida. When he retired in June, 2012, Dr. Eichler was Professor and Vice Chair of Molecular Medicine, he held two joint appointments; one as Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, and the other as Professor in the School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences. He was also the Basic Science Director of the Signature Interdisciplinary Program in Cardiovascular Research at USF Health.
He received his undergraduate training at San Jose State University in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry, and graduated with Great Distinction. He received his Ph.D. from UCLA in Biological Chemistry followed by postdoctoral training at Stanford University, School of Medicine. In June, 1977, he joined the Department of Biochemistry (renamed Molecular Medicine), in the College of Medicine at the University of South Florida.
Dr. Eichler is still active providing invited talks and consultations, and currently chair’s The Villages Community Advisory Council with oversight of cooperative university related clinical research activities.
Uriel Elchalal MD

Born - July 8, 1956 in Israel. Doctor of Medicine, Ben-Gurion University, Israel, 1984. Resident in obstetrics and gynecology Kaplan University Hospital, Rehovot, Israel. 1985-1991. Chief physician Ob/Gyn Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, since 1993. Research Fellowship in reproductive sciences - Barns Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Miss. USA 2003-2004.
Associate Prof. Ob/Gyn Hebrew University, Hadassah School Medicine, Jerusalem since 2009. Head of high risk pregnancy outpatient clinic, Hadassah Ein Kerem medical center.
Head of high risk pregnancy outpatient clinic, Hadassah Ein Kerem medical center. Head of Maccabi women outpatient health center in Jerusalem. Vice Dean&dasg; Student affairs Faculty of Medicine Hadassah Hebrew University. Contributor of over 100 articles to professional journals and author of 3 books in Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproduction (Hebrew).
Pamela Ellsworth, MD

Dr. Pamela Ellsworth graduated Summa Cum Laude from Boston College. She completed her medical school at University of Massachusetts Medical School, her urology residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and her pediatric urology fellowship at University of Florida Gainesville/Nemours Jacksonville.
Dr. Ellsworth was awarded an Honorary AOA while on the staff at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for her teaching skills. She became the first female full time surgeon to become full professor at Brown University and received the resident teaching aware while at Brown University.
She was awarded the Top Doctor Award for 2 years while at UMassMemorial Medical Center. Much of her career has been decidated to education, both in the realm of pediatric and adult urology. The author of over 75 peer reviewed publications, over 50 book chapters and several books geared for the layperson, including 100 Questions and Answers about Prostate Cancer, with a 5th edition soon to be published.
Dr. Ellsworth has educated medical students, residents, peers and patients over the years.
Marshall D. Fagin, DDS Prosthodontist

Dr. Marshall Fagin is a Prosthodontist and as an international lecturer and educator for over 35 years, he frequently updates his colleagues on the most recent advances in his specialty, including cosmetic and implant dentistry and on complex major crown and bridge cases.
In 2013 he received the highest honor given by his local Dental Society, the coveted Frank Stone Award, for his many years of contributions to dentistry, dental education and to organized dentistry. While in private practice, he is also a part-time Associate Professor at SUNY’s Dental School in the Post-Grad Prosthodontic Residency Program and was instrumental in starting implant dentistry education there in the late 1980’s.
He has conducted several “Hands-On” courses for dentists on “Anterior Esthetic Makeovers” at the school’s Esthetic Dentistry Education Center and for the University of Florida School of Dentistry’s Mastership Program in Fixed Prosthetics as well as Esthethics and Implant courses for AGD chapters.
Dr. Fagin served as Prosthodontist adviser and presentor for several Implant Study Clubs over the past 26 years. He presents for Dental Laboratories around the country to help dentists get back to the basics so labs can provide them with better outcomes. He was voted by his colleagues to “Best Dentists in America” 2004/2005 and 2013, “Global Who’s Who Man of the Year” in Dental Health 2008, “Top Dentists” 2008/2014/2015/2017/2018 and was elected to faculty membership in the Honorary Dental Society Omicron Kappa Upsilon.
He was awarded Diplomat status in the International Congress of Oral Implantologists in 1994 and is a Fellowship recipient of the International College of Dentists for his contributions to Dentistry. Dr. Fagin also served on faculty for the Misch Implant Institute 1991-1993 (Detroit, Michigan) and 2005-2006 (Rochester, NY).
Thomas M File Jr., MD, MSc, MACP, FIDSA, FCCP

Thomas M File Jr., MD MSc MACP FIDSA FCCP
Dr Thomas File is Chair of the Infectious Disease Division and Co-Director of Antimicrobial Stewardship at Summa Health in Akron, Ohio and Professor of Internal Medicine, Master Teacher, and Chair of the Infectious Disease Section at Northeast Ohio Medical University. After graduating from medical school at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1972, Dr. File received his Master of Science in medical microbiology from Ohio State University in Columbus, in 1977, where he also completed his fellowship in infectious diseases.
Dr File is a past President of the Board of Directors of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and Past President of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID). He is a Master of the American College of Physicians, a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians, and a member of the American Thoracic Society. He is a past Chairperson of the Standards and Practice Guidelines Committee of the IDSA and served as a member of several guideline panels. He is a past-president of the Infectious Disease Society of Ohio.
Primary research interests that Dr File has pursued include respiratory tract infections, antimicrobial stewardship, immunizations in adults, and evaluation of new antimicrobial agents. A frequent lecturer nationally and internationally, he has published more than 250 articles, abstracts, and textbook chapters, focusing on the diagnosis, etiology, and treatment of infectious diseases, especially on respiratory tract infections and antimicrobial stewardship. He received the Watanakunakorn Clinician Award from the IDSA in 2013 and the John P Utz Leadership award from NFID in May 2017. He authors sections on community-acquired pneumonia, acute bronchitis, and hospital-acquired pneumonia in UpToDate. He is Editor-in-Chief of Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice.
Gregory Firestone, PhD

Gregory Firestone served on standing alternative dispute resolution committees of the Florida Supreme Court for more than two decades (including seven years as Vice Chair of the Court's Alternative Dispute Resolution Rules and Policy Committee) and as Official Observer (on behalf of the Association for Conflict Resolution and the Academy of Family Mediators) to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws Uniform Mediation Act Drafting Committee.
Dr. Firestone is a psychologist, mediator, mediation trainer and dispute resolution system consultant and has maintained a private mediation practice since 1984. Gregory Firestone is a practicing 1) Florida Supreme Court certified Appellate, Circuit Court, Dependency, and Family Mediator, 2) Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR) Advanced Practitioner, and 3) Diplomate Member of the Florida Academy of Professional Mediator.
Dr. Firestone has lectured and published widely in the field of mediation including a recent article he co-authored on mandatory pre-suit medical malpractice mediation and is co-author of Mediation Works: Make it Work for You, a mediation orientation video produced by the Florida Supreme Court Dispute Resolution Center.
April S. Fitzgerald, MD, M.Ed, MBA, FACP

Dr. April Fitzerald is a board-certified internal medicine physician specializing in outpatient primary care. She is an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (JHUSOM) in Baltimore and an adjunct clinical professor of medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. She teaches medical students, residents, and faculty. She has received local, regional, and national awards for her work in medical education.
April graduated from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and completed residency training at Harvard Medical School’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. She has a Master's of Education in the Health Professions from Johns Hopkins University and a Master’s of Business from the University of Virginia. She has served in multiple leadership roles at JHUSOM and for national medical societies.
Robert Fogerty, MD, MPH, SFHM

After receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Boston College, Robert L. Fogerty received his MD and MPH degrees from Northwestern University and completed training in Internal Medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital. In 2011, he joined the Yale faculty as a founding member of the Academic Hospitalist Program. His academic interests include safety and quality of care in the inpatient setting and cost-effective care. Publications include the Journal of Hospital Medicine, JAMA Internal Medicine, and The New England Journal of Medicine. He is also the co-founder & Past-President of the Society of Hospital Medicine Connecticut Chapter, faculty in the High Value Practice Academic Alliance (HVPAA) training programs, and a founding member of the Hospital Capacity Management Consortium. In his current role as Senior Medical Director, Clinical Leadership, Dr. Fogerty reports to the Chief Medical Officer and works to support medical directors across multiple clinical disciplines in clinical operations, professional development, corporate compliance and other areas.
Elisabeth Fowlie Mock, MD, MPH, FAAFP

Elisabeth Fowlie Mock, MD, MPH, FAAFP attended Colby College, Emory University, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and UNC Chapel Hill School of Public Health. She is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine and works primarily as a consultant and clinical educator with per diem hospitalist shifts. Her passions are travel, women's basketball and public speaking. She lives in Bangor, Maine with her husband and 3 doodles (dogs) now that her 3 young adult children have left the nest.
Dr. Mock spent several years as Family Medicine faculty and has been delivering CME lectures and workshops since 2011. She is also trained in an educational technique known as Academic Detailing. She has worked in a variety of clinical settings including at a low barrier opioid treatment clinic at a Federally Qualified Health Center and as an adult hospitalist at a community referral hospital. Her QI work with chronic pain, controlled substance prescribing and addiction dates back to 2014. She strives to develop interactive workshops that are practical and actionable for practicing physicians and providers and has focused on being an engaging and enthusiastic presenter for 2 decades. Her work with opioid continuing education has reached several thousand providers in her home state. She considers herself a community-based academic.
Will Frye, PhD, BCB, ABPP

Will Frye, PhD, BCB, ABPP is a Pediatric Psychologist at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital (JHACH) who specializes in evidence-based treatment of youth with chronic pain and complex medical conditions. He has an Assistant Professor, part time, faculty appointment at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Frye earned his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Auburn University. He completed a pre-doctoral internship in pediatric psychology at Children’s Mercy Hospital and a postdoctoral fellowship in chronic pain at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Frye’s research interests include the experience of patients living with chronic illness, parental impact on pain response, pain catastrophizing, and improving access to care
Dr. Frye provides clinical care to patients at JHACH through the interdisciplinary chronic pain clinic, inpatient consultation, outpatient psychology services, and the intensive inpatient Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Rehab Program. He also leads Camp Wellness at JHACH, which is an outpatient half-day pain management program. Dr. Frye has additional areas of clinical specialty including program development and biofeedback.
Boris Garber, DO

After completing an Emergency Medicine Residency in Stony Brook Medical center in Stony Brook NY, he worked in community Emergency medicine in central Illinois for three years, then was hired to Metrohealth Medical center in 2005.
He is an attending physician in MetroHealth Medical center, faculty in the EMS fellowship, Fellow of American College of Emergency Physicians, Assistant Professor in Case western Reserve School of medicine, and Medical Director for Cuyahoga County College paramedic program.
Robert Gauer, MD
Dr. Robert Gauer earned his medical degree from Wake Forest University School of Medicine and completed his residency in Family Medicine at DeWitt Army Medical Center, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and completed a Faculty Development Fellowship at the University of North Carolina. He also holds a Designation of Focused Practice in Hospital Medicine. He has been an Associate Director of Residency training for the largest Army Family Medicine residency program and currently serves as hospitalist faculty for the Internal Medicine residency program at Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, NC. He remains active working as an emergency medicine physician at level III through IV trauma centers.
Dr. Gauer's greatest passion is graduate medical education providing training and mentorship for residents, medical, pharmacy, and advanced practice provider students. His primary interest are management of inpatient chronic medical conditions, cardiology, critical care, emergency medicine, environmental medicine, diabetes and hematology care. He has published over 60 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals in support of evidence-based best practices and serves as a peer reviewer for the Jounal of Family Practice, American Family Physician, The BMJ and JAMA. In his free time he enjoys travel, sightseeing and european sports cars.
Hayley B. Gershengorn, MD, FCCM, ATSF

Dr. Gershengorn is a Professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine.
She received her medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed a residency in Internal Medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell and a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia.
She is Editor in Chief for CHEST Critical Care, serves on the planning committee for Critical Care for the American Thoracic Society, and is Past-Chair of the Internal Medicine Section for the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
Jonathan Glauser, MD, FACEP, MBA

Dr. Jonathan Glauser is currently Professor of Emergency Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. He is board certified in both Emergency Medicine and Pediatric Emergency Medicine.
He has been active in the education of medical students and resident training for over three decades, and is currently on the full-time faculty of the residency program in Emergency Medicine at MetroHealth Medical Center/ Cleveland Clinic.
He serves on the editorial advisory board of three publications in the field of emergency care, and is section editor in Infectious Disease for the journal Current Emergency and Hospital Medicine Reports. He lives with his wife in the greater Cleveland area.
Jennifer Green, MD

Dr. Jennifer Green is a professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology, metabolism, and nutrition at Duke University and a faculty member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute. Dr. Green’s research has focused primarily upon strategies to treat diabetes mellitus and reduce the risk of cardiovascular and other diabetes-related complications. She is very clinically active caring for patients with a wide array of endocrine conditions, including diabetes, thyroid disease, and metabolic bone disease. She is currently a member of the American Diabetes Association’s Professional Practice Committee, which publishes the organization’s annual Standards of Care in Diabetes.
Elizabeth Grill, PsyD

Dr. Elizabeth Grill is Director of Psychological Services and Associate Professor of Psychology at The Center for Reproductive Medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. She is also an Assistant Attending Psychologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Dr. Grill is experienced as a health psychologist and medical researcher. Dr. Grill sits on several professional boards and is an editorial reviewer for peer reviewed journals.
She is the author of numerous articles and book chapters, has lectured worldwide to patient and medical audiences and has participated in media interviews.
Melody Hartzler, PharmD, BCACP, BC-ADM, ABAAHP

Dr. Hartzler has developed a passion for functional medicine and treating the underlying causes of disease. Her focus areas are functional gastrointestinal disorders, nutritional deficiencies, metabolic conditions, and autoimmune conditions. She is also a nationally recognized speaker on diabetes and functional medicine. She is currently Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Specialist (BCACP), and is Board Certified in Advanced Diabetes Management (BC-ADM). She is the owner of PharmToTable, LLC, where she provides continuing education to pharmacists and provides a platform for functional medicine telehealth visits. She is passionate about working as a team to change the landscape of pharmacist provided care.
In addition to PharmToTable Team, she practices as a clinical pharmacist at Western Medicine Family Physicians in Fairborn, Ohio. There she works via collaborative practice to provide functional medicine services and management of chronic conditions.
She is a graduate of Ohio Northern University College of Pharmacy and completed her residency training at Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center. Her functional medicine education has come from a variety of different conferences, educational programs, and clinical experience. She has completed Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice (AFMCP) from Institute of Functional Medicine and is currently enrolled in the Fellowship of Anti-Aging, Metabolic and Functional Medicine (FAAMFM) with the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M).
She and her team are ready to help transform lives, from not feeling well, tired, stressed, and experiencing GI symptoms; to thriving, symptom free and back to enjoying life!
Stephen E. Helms, MD, FAAD

Dr. Helms arrived at the University of Mississippi in 2013 with 35 years of private practice experience in Warren, Ohio. He graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed his dermatology residency at the University of Pittsburgh.
In addition to teaching medical students and dermatology residents at Northeastern Ohio Medical University and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, he frequently taught at regional and national venues. His dermatology subspecialty interest is in occupational dermatology and contact dermatitis.
Dr. Helms has 62 scientific publications and is a reviewer for several journals. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and Cutis. He has participated as an investigator or sub-investigator in scores of clinical trials.
Steve enjoys fishing, reading, watching classic movies, and especially, traveling with his wife, two children and their families.
Katherine A. Hochman, MD, FHM

Katherine A. Hochman is currently the Associate Chair for Quality and the Assistant Chief of Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City as well as a practicing hospitalist. She is the founder and former Director of the NYU Hospital Medicine program, which grew from 1 to 35 hospitalists under her leadership.
Katherine serves on national and local committees on quality and patient safety. Her most recent research has focused on maximizing hospital operational efficiency. Katherine's interests include creating a culture of safety, enhancing teamwork and leadership.
Kim Hutchinson, EdD, MS, MSN, BSN, PMHCNS-BC, CARN

Dr. Kim Hutchinson is a hospital-based advance practice psychiatric mental health clinical nurse specialist and faculty consultant for the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Credentialed as a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN) currently seeking waiver training for buprenorphine prescription privileges. Credentialed to diagnose, assess, and treat persons with substance use disorders under the Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist membership for the state of North Carolina. Professional work involves assurances that healthcare systems interface and integrate unique behavioral and substance use health needs of consumers across the lifespan. Adoption of evidence-based practices are the promoted standard.
Dr. Hutchinson has collaborated in writing the Review and Resource Manual – Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing (5th ed) resource and a chapter on Geriatric Mental Health for the Nursing Knowledge Center arm of the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This work incorporates knowledge derived from role delineation studies to develop additional accompanying materials: (1) case studies; (2) questions, answers and rationales; (3) workbooks; (4) face-to-face 2-day live reviews; and (4) learning module redesign to online audio-visual modules, all purposed to lead to successful attainment of board certification (BC) in psychiatric mental health nursing.
Dr. Hutchinson is an officer in NC American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) membership activities, and national APNA activities. With APNA, Dr. Hutchinson is a facilitator for the Suicide Assessment and Prevention certification course, the Recovery to Practice modules, and co-developed the Transitions to Practice online education module set.
Dr. Hutchinson has worked in nursing since 1976 in roles as clinician, university faculty, researcher, expert, author, test item developer (for NCLEX-RN and ANCC), consultant, and speaker. Recognition and awards have been earned from colleagues across local, national, and international practice regions.
BSN: 1977
MSN: 1980
EdD: 1996
MS: 2003
Mark H. Hyman, MD, FACP, FIAIME, FACOEM

Dr. Hyman is an internist with more than 30 years of experience and head of HymanHealth, which is located on the Westside of Los Angeles, California. A nationally recognized disability expert, Dr. Hyman provides medical-legal evaluations spanning the continuum of internal medicine for a wide variety of legal and insurance organizations. He has evaluated hundreds of workers’ compensation patients around the country, from NFL players to everyday workers, providing credible and thorough diagnoses, depositions and documentation, often using the state-of-science technology found in his office.
Dr. Hyman had served for 30 years as an Associate Professor on the clinical faculty at the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA). He pursued medical school, internship, residency and fellowship at UCLA. Dr. Hyman is a highly sought-after lecturer, including being the keynote speaker for annual State level meetings. He has authored various medical-legal and internal medicine topics. He has served as editor for the Internal Medicine section of the Medical Disability Advisor, Fifth and Seventh Editions. Much of his work can be found in prestigious peer-reviewed journals including the Annals of Internal Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Archives of Neurology, the American Family Physician, and the Journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine. Dr. Hyman is a chapter author and editor for numerous American Medical Association (AMA) books including: A Physician’s Guide to Return to Work, Guides to Disease and Injury Causation, Guides to Functional Capacity Evaluations, Guides Transition Book, Guides to Navigating Disability Benefit Systems, Guides 6th edition and accompanying Internal Medicine Workbook
Over the years, Dr. Hyman has been a member of the AMA, American College of Physicians and the American College of Environmental and Occupational Medicine. His FACP designation acknowledges that he is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and has served on the organization’s Governor’s Advisory Council. His FAIME designation recognizes that he is a Fellow of the International Academy of Independent Medical Examiners. He is past chair of the National Board of Directors for IAIME. Dr. Hyman has testified before the United States Congress as a national expert on disability issues.
Dr. Hyman has received acclaim for his contributions to the medical world. In 2009, WebMD selected Dr. Hyman for its annual "Health Heroes" award. In addition, the City of Los Angeles recognized his involvement with the LA Police Department related to developing police arrest procedures.
Jeremy Jackson, MD

Originally from Meridian, MS, Dr. Jackson attended Mississippi State University where he was a four-year letterman in baseball with the Bulldogs and lead MSU to back-to-back College World Series in 1997 and 1998.
He was named Academic All-American in 1997 and 1998 and was the Southeastern Conference male scholar-athlete of the year award in 1998. Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 1998, he was later traded to the New York Mets where he finished his minor league career. He moved back to Mississippi and enrolled at University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 2002
After completing an Internal Medicine Residency, he served an additional year as Chief Resident of Internal medicine before completing a dermatology residency at the University of Alabama in Birmingham.
Dr. Jackson has served on the faculty since 2013. His subspecialty interests are hospitalist dermatology, complex medical dermatology, and cutaneous lymphoma. He serves a Director of Clinics in the Department of Dermatology.
Jerry G. Ninia, MD, RVT

Dr. Ninia is the Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, NY and a Clinical Associate Professor of OB/GYN at Stony Brook University School of Medicine.
He received his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine and continued his post graduate training at Nassau County Medical Center. For over 30 years, he has maintained two separate private practices in both OB/GYN and Phlebology. He has lectured internationally on the topic of women's health and venous disease and has authored 3 text book chapters and over 25 articles in peer reviewed journals. He is the clerkship director for NYITCOM medical students rotating through St. Charles hospital department of OBGYN with administrative, didactic and clinical teaching responsibilities.
A Fellow of the American College of OB/GYN's, Surgeons and Phlebologists, he is board certified in OB/GYN as well as Phlebology and was instrumental in the creation of the nationally administered Phlebology board certification exam. He is certified by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography as a Registered Vascular Technologist. He has served as a member of the American College of Phlebology Board of Directors and the Phlebology Foundation Board. He has served on the Catholic Health Services of Long Island Board of Trustees and helped create initiatives to improve patient safety in Labor and Delivery. His efforts resulted in St. Charles hospital earning the Healthcare Association of New York State Pinnacle Award for quality and patient safety along with his earning the prestigious Theodore Roosevelt award given to those individuals who provide outstanding voluntary contributions and leadership at Long Island hospitals.
Michael Alan Kahn, DDS

Michael A. Kahn, DDS, is an emeritus professor and former chairman of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral Medicine, and Craniofacial Pain at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Professor at Tufts School of Medicine, and laboratory director of Tufts Oral Pathology Services.
He maintained a university-based consultative oral medicine/oral pathology clinical practice and conducted intramural and extramural funded basic and clinical research. He is past-president and emeritus fellow of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology as well as past-president and emeritus diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.
Colin G. Kaide, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, UHM

Colin Kaide is professor of Emergency Medicine at the Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. As a native of Chicago, Illinois, he completed Undergraduate Studies and Medical School at the University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign. He completed a residency in Emergency Medicine at the Ohio State University (1993-1996). After residency, he served as the assistant director of the emergency department in Lima, Ohio for 3 years while serving as part-time faculty at OSU. In 2000 he joined the department at OSU as a full-time faculty member. He is board-certified in Emergency Medicine and Hyperbaric Medicine. In addition to emergency medicine and hyperbarics, he completed advanced training in wound care and is certified by the Council for Medical Education and Testing. He does wound care at the Ohio State Comprehensive Wound Center.
His academic interests include: Medical education, Rapid-Sequence Intubation and the Advanced Management of the Difficult Airway, Hematological and Oncological Disorders, Anticoagulation and its Reversal, Procedural Sedation, Hyperbaric Medicine and Chronic Wound Care. He was honored as "Teacher of the Year" for the Department of Emergency Medicine (2008) and has received both the OSU College of Medicine Excellence in Teaching Award (2004) and Outstanding Teaching Award (2008). He is core faculty in the Emergency Medicine residency program at OSU.
One of his outside interests is martial arts. He has participated in the combative arts since 1978 and holds a 3rd-degree black belt in Goshin Jitsu. He has been a teacher of self-defense since high school and has developed a specialized course for EMS providers and healthcare professionals. He has also been a principal developer and Chief Medical Editor for a medical software company that produces a computer-based electronic medical record product that creates computerized ED and inpatient discharge instructions, prescriptions, and work excuses with over 800 hospitals using the software and instructions.
Eileen L. Kalmar, Ph.D.

Dr. Kalmar earned her doctorate in Neurobiology and Anatomy from the University of Rochester, NY in 1993. With that training, Dr. Kalmar has taught anatomy, histology, embryology and neuroanatomy at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels. Currently, she is involved with both dental and medical student education and curricula, advanced head and neck anatomy for dental residents, graduate anatomy student education and continuing education programs. In addition, Dr. Kalmar has designed and led several innovative Head and Neck Anatomy continuing education courses for dental and medical professionals.
Dr. Kalmar has served as the Director for Anatomy Dental Education at Ohio State as well as Director of the University’s Body Donation Program. Over the years, her excellence in teaching has led to numerous awards, including the Distinguished Educator Award in the College of Medicine for 2022-2023.
John R. Kalmar, DMD, PhD

Dr. Kalmar received his DMD from Southern Illinois University. Following residencies in hospital dentistry (UNC-Chapel Hill) and oral pathology (Emory), he received a PhD in Experimental Pathology (Emory). From 1992-9, Dr. Kalmar served on the faculty of the Department of Pathology, University of Rochester and the Eastman Dental Center in Rochester, NY. In 1999, he joined the faculty at Ohio State and has served the Buckeyes in multiple roles since that time, including Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Dr. Kalmar is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology (ABOMP) and a member of the Editorial Board of
Gilaad Kaplan, MD MPH FRCPC CAGF AGAF FCAHS

Dr. Kaplan is a Professor in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. Dr. Kaplan is a gastroenterologist who is internationally renowned for studying the global epidemiology of digestive diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease. As the senior author, he has published in prestigious journals such as Nature, The Lancet and JAMA. He is an Associate Editor of Gastroenterology and an Academic Editor of PLOS Med. Clarivate, Web of Science named Dr. Kaplan a Highly Cited Researcher (2020-2024) in recognition of being in the top one percent of cited researchers. Dr. Kaplan was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. His research has been widely cited in the news media including Time Magazine, BBC, The New York Times, and Scientific American.
Daniel B. Kessler, MD, FAAP

Dr. Kessler is a board certified Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician with over 35 years of clinical experience. For 21 years he was the Director of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the Children's Health Center of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center.
Prior to his recent retirement from clinical practice he was the Medical Director of the Children's Developmental Center at Southwest Human Development where he established a transdisciplinary evaluation program for young children with complex developmental and behavioral problems.
He also ran his private practice in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Daniel B. Kessler MD and Associates. Danny received his MD degree at New York University School of Medicine and completed his Internship and Residency Training both at NYU-Bellevue in New York and at Children's Hospital Boston where he did both an Ambulatory Pediatric Residency and completed fellowship training in Family Violence and then in Child Development with noted "baby doctor" T. Berry Brazelton MD.
From 1983 to 1990 Danny was the Director of the Division of Child Development and Behavior and the Carl C. Icahn Program for the Prevention of Child Abuse at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in NYC. In addition to his abiding interest in babies and the earliest relationships, Danny applied his expertise and experience in the evaluation of children with autistic spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and related co-morbidities, problems of learning and emotional adjustment, feeding and self-regulation.
In 1999 Danny coedited with his colleague Peter Dawson MD the book Failure to Thrive and Pediatric Undernutrition: A Transdisciplinary Approach with the expressed purpose of ending the use of the pejorative “Failure to Thrive” label. Recently Danny has been working with a distinguished multidisciplinary group through the organization “Feeding Matters” to revise our understanding of Pediatric Feeding Disorders.
In 2013 Danny was honored by the Phoenix Business Journal as it’s Health Care Hero in the Physician category. He has also been selected on numerous occasions as a Best Doc by Phoenix Magazine and Best Doctors of America. In 2018 he became a consultant to the Autism Center of Excellence at Touchstone Behavioral Services in Phoenix, Arizona and he continues to provide consultation in developmental and behavioral pediatrics in legal and educational settings when asked to do so.
Daniel H. Kett, MD

Daniel H. Kett, MD, is the Associate Chief Medical Officer for Critical Care at University of Miami Hospital and a Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Florida and his medical degree at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Dr. Kett completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine followed by a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He is the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Program.
Dr. Kett has strong clinical and research interests in severe ICU related infections, including invasive candidiasis and healthcare associated pneumonia,and infection control practices in the ICU.
Dr. Kett is an investigator for the Mycoses Study Group, a large multidisciplinary group of researchers with a primary focus on studying serious infections, and is active in several projects related to fungal infections in critically ill patients.
Results of his research have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Annals of Internal Medicine, Lancet Infectious Diseases, Critical Care Medicine, Chest, and the Journal of Intensive Care Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Kett has presented at numerous scientific meetings and has been an invited lecturer at national and international conferences.
Dana E. King, MD, MS

Dr. King is a board certified family physician who has served as Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at West Virginia University since 2012. Prior to that he was Vice Chair of Family Medicine and Director of Research at Medical University of South Carolina, and previously, was on the faculty of the East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine.
Throughout his career he has been a clinical researcher and educator with several areas of emphasis including lung disease, cardiovascular risk reduction, and clinical epidemiology. He was co-founder of the WV Practice-Based Research Network and is a senior leader in the WV Clinical Translational Science Institute. He has been a leader of the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) since early in his career and currently is an officer on the Executive Board. He has been a national speaker for the American Academy of Family Physicians on lung disease and other topics.
Dr. King has published over 100 peer-reviewed research publications and his work has been recognized with a Distinguished Paper at NAPCRG and has been a finalist for paper of the year at the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. He enjoys time with family and is an avid road bike cyclist. Dr. King is an experienced lecturer and maintains an active clinical practice.
Daniel B. Kessler, MD, FAAP

Dr. Kessler is a board certified Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician with over 35 years of clinical experience. For 21 years he was the Director of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the Children's Health Center of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center.<br />
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Prior to his recent retirement from clinical practice he was the Medical Director of the Children's Developmental Center at Southwest Human Development where he established a transdisciplinary evaluation program for young children with complex developmental and behavioral problems.<br />
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He also ran his private practice in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Daniel B. Kessler MD and Associates. Danny received his MD degree at New York University School of Medicine and completed his Internship and Residency Training both at NYU-Bellevue in New York and at Children's Hospital Boston where he did both an Ambulatory Pediatric Residency and completed fellowship training in Family Violence and then in Child Development with noted "baby doctor" T. Berry Brazelton MD.<br />
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From 1983 to 1990 Danny was the Director of the Division of Child Development and Behavior and the Carl C. Icahn Program for the Prevention of Child Abuse at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in NYC. In addition to his abiding interest in babies and the earliest relationships, Danny applied his expertise and experience in the evaluation of children with autistic spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and related co-morbidities, problems of learning and emotional adjustment, feeding and self-regulation.<br />
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In 1999 Danny coedited with his colleague Peter Dawson MD the book Failure to Thrive and Pediatric Undernutrition: A Transdisciplinary Approach with the expressed purpose of ending the use of the pejorative “Failure to Thrive” label. Recently Danny has been working with a distinguished multidisciplinary group through the organization “Feeding Matters” to revise our understanding of Pediatric Feeding Disorders.<br />
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In 2013 Danny was honored by the Phoenix Business Journal as it’s Health Care Hero in the Physician category. He has also been selected on numerous occasions as a Best Doc by Phoenix Magazine and Best Doctors of America. In 2018 he became a consultant to the Autism Center of Excellence at Touchstone Behavioral Services in Phoenix, Arizona and he continues to provide consultation in developmental and behavioral pediatrics in legal and educational settings when asked to do so.
Daniel H. Kett, MD

Daniel H. Kett, MD, is the Associate Chief Medical Officer for Critical Care at University of Miami Hospital and a Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Florida and his medical degree at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.<br /><br />
Dr. Kett completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine followed by a fellowship in Critical Care Medicine at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He is the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Program.<br /><br />
Dr. Kett has strong clinical and research interests in severe ICU related infections, including invasive candidiasis and healthcare associated pneumonia,and infection control practices in the ICU.<br /><br />
Dr. Kett is an investigator for the Mycoses Study Group, a large multidisciplinary group of researchers with a primary focus on studying serious infections, and is active in several projects related to fungal infections in critically ill patients. <br /><br />
Results of his research have been published in the <i>New England Journal of Medicine</i>, <i>JAMA</i>, <i>Annals of Internal Medicine,</i> <i>Lancet Infectious Diseases,</i> <i>Critical Care Medicine</i>, <i>Chest</i>, and the <i>Journal of Intensive Care Medicine</i>. Additionally, Dr. Kett has presented at numerous scientific meetings and has been an invited lecturer at national and international conferences.
Dana E. King, MD, MS

Dr. King is a board certified family physician who has served as Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at West Virginia University since 2012. Prior to that he was Vice Chair of Family Medicine and Director of Research at Medical University of South Carolina, and previously, was on the faculty of the East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine. <br />
<br />
Throughout his career he has been a clinical researcher and educator with several areas of emphasis including lung disease, cardiovascular risk reduction, and clinical epidemiology. He was co-founder of the WV Practice-Based Research Network and is a senior leader in the WV Clinical Translational Science Institute. He has been a leader of the North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) since early in his career and currently is an officer on the Executive Board. He has been a national speaker for the American Academy of Family Physicians on lung disease and other topics.<br />
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Dr. King has published over 100 peer-reviewed research publications and his work has been recognized with a Distinguished Paper at NAPCRG and has been a finalist for paper of the year at the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. He enjoys time with family and is an avid road bike cyclist. Dr. King is an experienced lecturer and maintains an active clinical practice.
David S. Kountz, MD, MBA, MACP

Dr. David S. Kountz is a Professor of Medicine for the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and Co-Chief Academic Officer for Hackensack Meridian Health. He earned his AB at Princeton, MD at SUNY/Buffalo School of Medicine, and MBA at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ. He completed training in Internal Medicine at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia. <br />
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A board-certified internist, Dr. Kountz has had progressive responsibilities in academic medicine as Associate Professor of Medicine at Temple University School of Medicine and Professor of Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. <br />
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Dr. Kountz's research interests include hypertension treatment and guidelines in underserved populations, health literacy, pipeline programs and leadership development. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, editorials and abstracts, and is a frequent speaker within and outside of his health network on a variety of topics in primary care.
Richard J. Kramer, MD

Dr. Kramer is a retired Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in the Department of Gastroenterology at Stanford University and Associate Chief of Gastroenterology at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose CA., which is a safety net and teaching hospital that serves as one of the Stanford teaching sites.<br />
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He has 25 years of experience in the private practice of Gastroenterology. Despite a full career in private practice, Dr. Kramer joined the voluntary teaching staff in the Division of Gastroenterology at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and Stanford Medical Center in 1978, to help educate house staff and fight tirelessly as a patient advocate for the underserved. Then in 2003, he made the decision to leave his private practice to work full time at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center because education was so important to him. He formally retired in 2015, but decided to return part-time seeing patients and educating house staff in 2016. <br />
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Dr. Kramer is a Fellow of the American Gastroenterology Association and belongs to the American Association of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and American Society of Gastroenterological Endoscopy (ASGE). He is also a dedicated member of the Santa Clara County Medical Association and was an Alternate Delegate to the California Medical Association for two years.
Merrill A. Krolick, DO, FACC, FACP

Dr. Krolick has been in clinical practice since 1992. Initially he practiced at Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Va. Currently he is practicing at The Heart Institute at Largo. He is an attending cardiologist at HCA Largo Medical Center, Morton Plant Hospital and HCA Indian Rocks Hospital.<br />
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Dr. Krolick has been a previous chairperson and director of the Pinellas chapter of the American Heart Association. He currently serves as co-director of the cardiology fellowship program at HCA Largo Medical Center and is director of the interventional cardiology fellowship. He directs the cardiac cath lab at HCA Largo Medical Center.<br />
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Dr. Krolick is triple board certified in Internal medicine, cardiology and interventional cardiology. He has written numerous articles including being published in The New England Journal of Medicine, and writing recent chapters in cardiovascular textbooks. He is an associate professor in cardiology at the University of South Florida, and at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL.<br />
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Dr. Krolick has served as clinical investigator on numerous drug and clinical device trials including drug coated balloons for treatment of peripheral vascular disease and the original drug coated stent trials for coronary artery disease He practices noninvasive cardiology and interventional cardiology. His special interest is in peripheral vascular disease. He is recognized as both a national and local leader in endovascular interventions. He is currently on advisory panels for Bard Peripheral Vascular, CSI, Access Closure and St. Jude Medical. He has spoken at major vascular meetings including AMP and The Veins.<br />
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His peripheral interests included endovascular aortic aneurysm treatment and treatment of CLI (critical limb ischemia), Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), venous treatment, and treatment of symptomatic claudication.<br />
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He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians and Society of Cardiac Angiography and Interventionalists.</span></span>
David A. LeVine, MD, CMD

Dr. LeVine is currently an Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) and previously was a Clinical Associate Professor of Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is Certified in Geriatrics by the American Board of Family Practice and Internal Medicine and has been asked this year to participate in the blueprint review for the Geriatric Medicine examination. He is also the clinical preceptor of Geriatrics for 3 different residency programs in St. Petersburg, Florida. <br />
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In addition to his private geriatric clinical practice, he is the Medical Director at Arden Courts of Seminole (ALF specializing in memory care), Dementia specialist for the IDEAS (The Imaging Dementia†Evidence for Amyloid Scanning) Study, Medical Director of the Geriatric Assessment Program at Menorah Manor, Medical Director of Menorah Manor's Marion and Bernard Samson Nursing Center and Chief Medical Officer of Menorah Manor. In 2016, he was awarded Medical Director of the Year by AMDA-The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine 2016.
Paul Lewis, MD, FAAFP, CPE, CPHIMSS, ABPM- CI

After medical school Dr. Lewis joined the U.S. Air Force, completed a transitional internship and spent the next four years at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, where he worked in Aviation Medicine as a Flight Surgeon. He had many positive experiences, ranging from medical care of the pilots and their families to traveling the globe in support of military operations to flying in F-16 fighters. <br />
He then returned to his native Florida as one of six members of the inaugural class of the USF-MPM Family Medicine Residency program in 1998, serving as Chief Resident from 2000-2001. Dr. Lewis joined the faculty after graduation and held the position of Medical Director from 2007 until 2012. During his tenure as Medical Director he led the Turley Family Health Center team in achieving NCQA certification as a Level 3 Patient Centered Medical Home. This recognition in 2011 was the 1st Residency Practice Site in the State of Florida to achieve certification. He was also one of the lead Physician Informaticists in the Baycare Health System during the implementation of its inpatient electronic medical record and chaired the Internal Medicine and Critical Care Committees. Additionally, he received the Certified Physician Executive designation in 2013 from the American College of Physician Executives <br />
He has a passion for clinical medicine and has for several years in a row been listed in the Best Doctors in America database as elected by his peers. His clinical interests include informatics, inpatient medicine, geriatrics and dermatology.<br />
In his spare time, he enjoys camping and spending time with his wife and two young daughters. He loves water sports, scuba diving and the local beaches. <br />
Deanne Long, MD, FACEP

Deanne Long, MD, has been practicing emergency medicine for 18 years. She spent 15 years working at the University of Utah School of Medicine Level 1 Trauma Center, teaching residents and medical students in addition to her clinical duties. She is board-certified in Emergency Medicine and Hyperbaric Medicine and will take the Obesity Medicine Board Exam in the Fall. She has worked in hyperbaric medicine at Salt Lake Regional Hospital’s Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Clinic and Cache Valley Hospital’s Hyperbaric Medicine and Wound Care Clinic. Dr. Long is the owner and provider of Utah Body and Soul Hyperbarics and Wellness. A unique medical clinic in Salt Lake City, UT that uses integrative medicine to enhance patients' mental and physical well-being. She is very interested in international medicine and has traveled to Peru and China to participate in a cooperative teaching effort with local healthcare providers. Dr. Long is an avid golfer and roots for her Alma Mater, Brigham Young University, at every opportunity.
Karen J. MacKinnon, BS, RPh

In her role at MCW, Professor MacKinnon is responsible for developing corporate partnerships, activities and services that support the creation of new pharmacy practice models. Professor MacKinnon has over 25 years of experience in teaching and has assisted in the establishment of three previous academic pharmacy programs, having served in the roles of Director of Experiential Education and Director of Professional Laboratories.<br />
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Professor MacKinnon has practiced in institutional and community pharmacy practice settings throughout her career. Professor MacKinnon is currently engaged with local and state immunization grants to support pharmacists’ role in optimizing and expanding immunization access in Wisconsin.
George E. MacKinnon III, PhD, MS, RPh, FASHP

Dr. George E. MacKinnon III began responsibilities as Founding Dean of the School of Pharmacy at the Medical College of Wisconsin October 1, 2015. His primary academic appointment is as Professor of Pharmacy Administration with secondary appointments within the School of Medicine in the Institute for Health and Equity (Division of Population Health Improvement), Department of Family and Community Medicine and the Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center.<br />
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Dr. MacKinnon received both his BS (Pharmacy) and MS (Hospital Pharmacy) from University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy. He completed two-years of post-graduate clinical pharmacy residency training at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, earning his PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Loyola University Chicago.<br />
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Over the past 30 years he has held academic appointments in medicine and pharmacy engaging in clinical practice, research, teaching, and academic administration. His previous appointments include Founding Dean of Pharmacy & Vice Provost for Health Sciences at Roosevelt University Chicago, Vice President of Academic Affairs with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, and Director of Global Health Economics & Outcomes Research of Abbott Laboratories, in Chicago.<br />
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Dr. MacKinnon has engaged in significant curricular pharmacy innovation (e.g., accelerated graduation and non- traditional pathways, integrated curricula, and interprofessional education) and post-graduate training development. He taught one of the first required courses in health economics and outcomes assessment and is Editor of the textbook, <em> Understanding Health Outcomes and Pharmacoeconomic</em>. His research interests align in expanding pharmacist care models (e.g., primary care, pharmacogenomics, immunizations).
C. Scott Mahan, MD

Dr. Charles "Scott" Mahan is an infectious disease doctor certified in tropical medicine. He is active in teaching medical students, medical residents, and staff clinicians. He is a clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at both the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. He currently works in Asheville NC, previously having done clinical work and research in Ghana, Zambia, and Uganda. He continues to go on regular medical missions in the developing world. Dr. Mahan is co-author of the popular book Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple and author of Are you Afraid of Snakes? A doctor's exploration of Alternative Medicine. Areas of interest include clinical tropical medicine, tuberculosis, and HIV. He is happily married and the father of three boys: Connor, David, and Thayer.
Frank B. Marsalisi, MD, FACOG

Dr. Frank Marsalisi is the Director of Gynecology at the Bayfront OB/Gyn Residency Program , Bayfront Health St. Petersburg -Orlando Health Inc.. Originally from New York, he preceded his medical degree from Michigan State University with two years of research with publication in Hypersensitivity Diseases at USV Pharmaceutical and the Upjohn Company. <br />
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After completing his Obstetrics and Gynecology residency as Chief resident at the University of South Florida, he went on to fulfill his four-year commitment with the National Health Service Corp as Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Ruskin Migrant and Community Health Center in Ruskin, Florida. While at Ruskin, he was made a Clinical Assistant Professor of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of South Florida and received the U.S. Public Health Service Regional Health Administrator's Award.<br />
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Throughout his residency training and postgraduate career, Dr. Marsalisi has been the recipient of many prestigious university and national teaching awards, including the University of South Florida's Distinguished Professor Award and the John Turlich Medical Student Teaching Award, the Council on Resident Education in Ob/Gyn National Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, and many Bayfront Health Teaching Faculty of the Year awards.<br />
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He has been honored as being one of the <em>"Top Obstetricians and Gynecologists in America" </em>by the Consumer Research Council of America, and in 2017 he was recognized by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd to be among the<em>"Leading Physicians of the World"</em>. <br />
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He is a medical community leader serving on the Board of his county medical association and is a delegate to the Florida Medical Association. He has been a speaker on women's health issues for the University at Sea since 2012.
Dale A. Matthews, MD, FACP

Dale A. Matthews, MD, FACP has served on the faculties of Yale University, the University of Connecticut, and Georgetown University and has lectured at over 30 medical schools. He gives lectures on primary care general internal medicine, the doctor-patient relationship, and the psychological and spiritual dimensions of medicine, including the role of religion, faith, and prayer in clinical care. He is the author of The Faith Factor: Proof of the Healing Power of Prayer (Viking, 1998), a four-volume research work (The Faith Factor: An Annotated Bibliography of Clinical Research on Spiritual Subjects), three documentaries, and over 65 peer-reviewed scientific articles, book chapters, and other publications.
Dr. Matthews is a graduate of Princeton (AB, cum laude, Romance Languages, 1976) and Duke University School of Medicine (1980). His internship and residency in internal medicine took place at the University of Connecticut (1980-3) and he completed the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar Program and Fellowship in Clinical Epidemiology at Yale (1983-5). In 1989, he was named the George Morris Piersol Teaching and Research Scholar of the American College of Physicians. He has received many awards for his compassionate patient care, including Washingtonian Magazine Top Doctor recognition. He has appeared on numerous television shows, including the Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, and Good Morning America.
He lives in McLean, Virginia with his wife, Demetra, a certified public accountant. He has two adult children and three grandchildren. He enjoys family and church activities, Bible study and teaching, golf, baseball, piano, singing, songwriting, ballroom dancing, travel, and photography.
Jeanne McCoy, MD

For more than a decade, Dr. Jeanne McCoy has established a reputation as a pediatric hospitalist with a below average joke telling ability and a love of talking. As a result of this, Dr. McCoy finds joy in subjecting students, colleagues, and audiences to her sense of humor during her presentations and lectures, combining her passion for teaching with a captive audience. <br><br>
Since 2009, she has served in leadership positions in several peer review and quality improvement committees, two terms as Medical Staff President, and as Chair of Pediatrics since 2013. In her clinical role as a pediatric hospitalist, she cares for newborns on the maternity service, pediatric patients on the inpatient and observation units, and pediatric patients in the emergency department. She is a board-certified pediatrician (FAAP) and also an instructor in both Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP). Her personal mission statement is to “Improve the experience of healthcare for patients, colleagues, and families.” In the post-pandemic era, she has been attempting to work on prevention of burnout and moral injury. <br><br>
Jeanne enjoys running (slowly) and has completed two marathons. Her homestead is home to chickens, guinea fowl, goats, cats, and a variety of wildlife. She and her husband enjoy travel and camping.
Raun David Melmed, MD, FAAP

Raun Melmed, MD, FAAP, a developmental and behavioral pediatrician, is director of the Melmed Center in Scottsdale, Arizona and co-founder and medical director of the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center.<br />
Dr. Melmed is on faculty at Arizona State University in Phoenix, the University of Arizona in Tucson and Creighton Medical School. He earned his medical degree at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and completed fellowship training at Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston, where he was an Instructor at Harvard Medical School. He is a member of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is board certified in both Pediatrics and Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.<br />
He has set up nationally recognized physician training programs for the early identification of infants and toddlers with developmental and behavioral concerns and has authored programs geared toward screening for autism spectrum disorders. <br />
Dr. Melmed is an investigator of novel psychopharmacological agents and digital therapeutic devices for the treatment of ADHD, autism, Fragile X and related disorders. He studies include the identification of biomarkers in ASD as well as the development of diagnostic tools for developmental disorders. <br />
He is the author of the ST4 Mindfulness Series for Children including <i>Marvin's Monster Diary ‐ ADHD Attacks, Timmy's Monster Diary: Screen Time Attacks! (But I Rock it Big Time), Harriet's Monster Diary ‐ Awfully Anxious (But I Squish it Big Time), Marvin's Monster Diary 2 (+ Lyssa): ADHD Emotion Explosion (But I Triumph, Big Time), Marvin's Monster Diary 3: Trouble with Friends (But I Get By, Big Time!)</i> and <i>Marvin's Monster Diary 4: Neighborhood Bully (But We Stand Up, Big Time).</i> <br />
He is also the author of books for families including <i>Autism: Early Intervention; Autism and the Extended Family; and Autism Parent Handbook: Beginning with the End Goal in Mind.</i> <br />
Samuel Menahem, MB, BS, MD, MEd (Melb), MPM (Mon), FRACP, FACC, FCSANZ

Professor Samuel Menahem from Melbourne, Australia is a Consultant Paediatrician with extensive experience in General Paediatrics and Neonatology. In addition he has researched and published widely on the interface of Child Psychiatry and Paediatrics and has trained as a Child Psychotherapist. He has a subspecialty of Paediatric Cardiology extending from the foetus to the adult with congenital heart disease. <br /><br />
He has held Consultant appointments at the Royal Children's Hospital both as a Physician and Cardiologist, and at Monash Medical Centre as a Consultant Paediatrician and Paediatric Cardiologist. He has previously headed the General Paediatric Unit and the Paediatric Cardiology Unit and was Foundation Co-Director of the Foetal Cardiac Unit at the latter institution. He continues to hold consultant appointments as a Paediatrician and Cardiologist. <br /><br />
Professor Menahem has an illustrious academic career. He graduated as top of his year from the University of Melbourne and subsequently successfully completed 4 research degrees. He gained his specialist qualification to the Royal Australasian College of Physicians after completing his residency. His Membership was subsequently elevated to a Fellowship of that College. He also is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. <br /><br />
He continues to teach and mentor students and graduates. He has also been a Visiting Professor and/or Examiner to institutions overseas and has presented and lectured at National and International Meetings. He continues to be active especially in clinical research and has an extensive publication list. <br /><br />
Professor Menahem now spends most of his time in private consultant practice and continues to conduct teaching clinics in rural Victoria. Many of his patients have stayed with him since infancy into adult life including a number of women with congenital heart disease who he has successfully cared for during their pregnancies. His utilizes a holistic approach in all his consultations.
Gary F. Merrill, PhD

Investigator of the mammalian cardiovascular system, full professor, teacher, author (e.g. Our Intelligent Bodies, 2020; Our Aging Bodies, 2015; Our Marvelous Bodies, 2008; all published by Rutgers University Press).
Erin D. Michos, MD, MHS, FACC, FAHA, FASE, FASPC

Erin D. Michos, MD is an Associate Professor in the Division of Cardiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, with joint appointment in Epidemiology at the School of Public Health. She is the Director of Women’s Cardiovascular Health Research and the Associate Director of Preventive Cardiology at Johns Hopkins University.<br><br>
Dr. Michos is an internationally known expert in Preventive Cardiology and Women’s Health, having authored >650 publications and 11 book chapters. Her clinical and research is focused on (1) Women’s Cardiovascular Health; (2) Lipids and Lipid management; (3) Cardiometabolic diseases (4) Coronary artery calcium, inflammation, and other biomarkers of cardiovascular risk.<br><br>
She is the co-Editor-in-Chief for the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology and an Associate Editor for Circulation. She is Co-Director of the IMPACT Center (Improving Participation Among Diverse Populations in Cardiovascular Clinical Trials) at Johns Hopkins, funded by the American Heart Association (AHA). She is a co-investigator in several NIH-funded studies including the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohorts. She is the Training Director for four AHA Strategic Focused Research Networks. She has mentored over 60 individuals and the recipient of 2 mentoring awards. <br><br>
Dr. Michos completed medical school at Northwestern University, Internal Medicine residency and Cardiology fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and a Master of Health Science degree at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
Jennifer Mitzman, MD, FACEP

Dr. Mitzman is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. She is also involved in resident and student education serving as a core faculty member and the director of the 3rd year medical student selective. She has an interest in simulation and has developed a Pediatric Emergency Medicine resident simulation curriculum.<br />
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In addition, she has a faculty appointment in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. There she has an opportunity to work with residents from a variety of disciplines including Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics and Family Medicine as well as fellows in Pediatric Emergency Medicine.<br />
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Dr. Mitzman completed her medical education at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She went on to complete residency in Emergency Medicine at Case Western University Hospitals in Cleveland. There she discovered passions for pediatric patients and education. After residency, she elected to complete a fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center - Brenner Children's Hospital. Following her training she returned to Ohio and joined The Ohio State University faculty.<br />
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She enjoys free time with her husband and young children.
Darryl Moch, MEd

Darryl Moch is the founder of Innergy, Incorporated, a nonprofit community empowerment and faith-based organization working to eradicate poverty on all levels to improve quality of life for individuals, families, and communities. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre, Dance, and Psychology (Clinical Counseling); a Master of Education degree in Counseling; and a Master of Fine Arts in Theater from Alfred University. Darryl! is completing his doctorate in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Transformational Leadership. His passion and work is centered and rooted in social change, social justice, and equality for all people. Moch is a social entrepreneur, inspirational and motivational life coach, mental health specialist and master trainer. He currently provides consulting services and training in Mental Health in DC and MD and for nonprofits organizations providing DEI(B), Administrative, Leadership, Program, Community Engagement, and Development consulting. He has created and provides CARF accredited training and is a train-the-trainer on many DC Behavioral Health supported training.
Angele Moss-Baker, LPC, LMFT, MAC, SAP

Angele Moss-Baker, LPC, LMFT, MAC, SAP, is the founder of Comprehensive Addiction & Psychological Services LLC (CAPS). She is a licensed clinical mental health counselor with years of experience providing a broad spectrum of comprehensive, person-centered, integrated treatment to individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders in various treatment settings. CAPS specializes in developing and facilitating behavioral health training and clinical consultation to improve service delivery. Her interactive workshops are practical and engaging, offering valuable insights for behavioral health practitioners.
P. Patrick Mularoni, MD, FAAP, FACEP, CAQ SM

Dr. Mularoni is a Pediatrician who splits his clinical time between Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Pediatric Sports Medicine. He is a graduate of the Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University and the American University of the Caribbean.<br />
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Dr. Mularoni completed his Pediatric Residency at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan. His first Fellowship was in Pediatric Emergency Medicine through Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Mularoni has been practicing Pediatric Emergency Medicine at All Childrens Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine since 2007. He completed his second fellowship in Primary Care Sports Medicine through Bayfront Health in 2014. <br />
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While at Emory University, Dr. Mularoni completed research on procedural pain reduction in the emergency setting and was awarded the American Academy of Pediatrics Willis Wingert award for best fellow research. He has continued conducting research at All Childrens looking at best practice for procedural sedation in reduction of Pediatric forearm fractures and his current research interests include concussion management, diagnosis and prognosis in patients with mild traumatic brain injuries and predictors of overuse injuries in youth athletics. He is the founder and medical director of the Primary Care Sports Medicine division at All Childrens Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine. He also serves as the chairman of the Medical Emergency Committee at All Children's Hospital. He has worked with Sarasota, Hillsborough and Pinellas County school systems to create a uniform return to learning protocol following concussion. <br />
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Dr. Mularoni authored the article on pediatric athlete concussion diagnosis and management for Family Practice Essentials. He has also written articles geared towards Physicians and the families of athletes highlighting the risks associated with early specialization and the overuse injuries this practice creates. Dr. Mularoni lectures locally and internationally on Pediatric Emergency and Sports related topics and is a regular contributor to Fox television's Good Day show. <br />
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Dr. Mularoni lives in St. Petersburg, Florida with his wife Kim who is also a Pediatrician and their three young children. During free time he enjoys travel, watching Michigan State sports, skiing, and competing in triathlon, running and stand-up paddle board races.
Tim Munzing, MD, FAAFP

Dr. Timothy Munzing has been a family physician with Kaiser Permanente in Orange County, California for the past 33-1/2 years, over 30 years as the founding Program Director of the KP-OC Family Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Munzing serves on the national ACGME Family Medicine Review Committee, responsible for the accreditation of over 600 Family Medicine residency programs. He has had a clinical practice for over three decades and has taught hundreds of Family Medicine residents and thousands of medical students. Dr. Munzing was the recipient of the 2017 National Family Medicine Outstanding Residency Program Director of the Year Award and the 2017 California Academy of Family Physicians Hero of Family Medicine Award. He holds the appointment of full Clinical Professor at the University of California, Irvine College of Medicine and Professor at the developing Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, opening Summer 2020.<br />
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Dr. Munzing is a leading national expert on appropriate (legal vs. illegal) Opioid and Controlled Substance Prescribing, recently receiving a major national Medical Director’s Award by the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association. He has served as a medical expert reviewer for the DEA, FBI, and Medical Board of California for 15 years, having reviewed over 200 cases (100+ criminal) in over sixteen states across the United States.<br />
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Dr. Munzing published a peer reviewed article entitled “Guide to Appropriate Opioid Prescribing for Noncancer Pain" in May 2017 in the Permanente Journal, which is now being used nationally by physicians, law enforcement, and prosecutors. Dr. Munzing has lectured on the subject to thousands of physicians and healthcare providers, law enforcement (DEA, FBI, other state and federal law enforcement), and prosecutors across the United States.
Kim Murphy, MS, APRN-CNP, WHNP-BC, RNC-OB, RNC-MNN, C-EFM

Kim Murphy has over 36 years of nursing experience including 32 years in labor and delivery and 16 years as a women's health nurse practitioner.<br />
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She currently fills the role of staff nurse and charge nurse at The Ohio State University, a large Level 3 academic medical center along with being a women's health NP in private practice. She also is the lead provider in public health for prenatal care and sexual health services in a Title X agency.<br />
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She has been a leader in education while making multiple speaking presentations on a variety of topics related to obstetrics and women's health. She recently spoke at the national AWHONN conference in 2019. She is a designated instructor for fetal monitoring through AWHONN. She also participates in legal review of malpractice cases.
Clinton Allen Musil, Jr., MD

Allen Musil has been practicing child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry for over 20 years. His education includes an undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University, a stint at Dallas Theological Seminary, and medical school at Quillen College of Medicine in Tennessee.<br />
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He completed a triple board residency and fellowship at the University of Kentucky and is board certified in general pediatrics, child-adolescent psychiatry, and adult psychiatry. He has worked as an emergency room pediatrician and medical director of both in and out patient child psychiatric services. He currently works as a child psychiatrist and medical director for Frontier Health in Johnson City, TN. <br />
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He is also a part time assistant clinical professor at East Tennessee State University and Lincoln Memorial University in both the departments of pediatrics and psychiatry. He has been appointed by TN Governor Haslam for participation on the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners. His expertise is in ADHD issues, mood disorders, and autistic disorders.
Mohanram Narayanan, MD, FACP, FNKF, FASN, FRCP(C)

Professor of Medicine, Texas A&M HSC COM<br />
Director, Division of Nephrology & Hypertension<br />
Chief, Section of Clinical Transplantation <br />
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Dr. Narayanan received his medical degree at Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, India, and completed residencies in Internal Medicine at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, India and at Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois. He completed clinical fellowships in Nephrology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago, Illinois, and at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Texas. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Nephrology, and Geriatric Medicine and is a Certified Specialist in Hypertension by the American Society of Hypertension.<br />
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Dr. Narayanan is a Professor of Medicine at the Texas A&M Health Science Center-College of Medicine and Baylor Scott & White Healthcare in Temple, Texas, where he serves as Director, Division of Nephrology-Hypertension and Medical Director of the Abdominal Transplant Program.<br />
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A fellow of the National Kidney Foundation, the American Society of Nephrology, the American College of Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Dr. Narayanan&apos's clinical practice focuses on all aspects of Nephrology as well as kidney and pancreas transplantation. <br />
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A frequent lecturer, presenter, and author, Dr. Narayanan's work has been published in several peer reviewed journals including the <em>American Journal of Kidney Disease, American Journal of Transplantation, Annals of Emergency Medicine, Hemodialysis International, Investigative Radiology, and Journal of the American Society of Nephrology </em>, among many others. He is also the Principal Investigator for several industry sponsored clinical trials. Dr. Narayanan serves on the editorial board of the journal <em>Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease </em>and is a reviewer for the <em>American Journal of Transplantation </em>.
Miranda Y. Pearson, PhD, LCMHCS, NCC, BCC, CSOTP, MAC, BC-TMH

Dr. Miranda Y. Pearson is the owner and Clinical Director of Divine Appointment Counseling Services, PA, offering specialized mental health services to individuals, families, and youth. As a dedicated public servant, she leads transformative mental health initiatives across North Carolina through The PhD Trauma Institute, Inc., bringing trauma-informed care and wellness programs in collaboration with churches and community organizations. Dr Pearson is also a licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor (LCMHCS) and supervises interns and clinicians. Her unwavering commitment to serving diverse populations underscores her mission to enhance the quality of mental health services through advocacy and education.
M. Anthony Pogrel, DDS, MD, and Professor

Tony Pogrel received his dental degree in 1967 from Liverpool University in England and his medical degree from Aberdeen University in Scotland in 1974. He then received further general surgery training and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery training in Great Britain, Holland and Miami, Florida. In 1979, he was appointed consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Peterborough and Cambridge in England and since 1983, has been on the full-time faculty of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. He is a former chairman of the department and is currently a professor and Associate Dean. Dr. Pogrel holds both medical and dental licenses in California and is board certified in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. <br />
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He is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the International and American Associations of Dental Research and the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons. Dr. Pogrel has more than 200 publications in the literature on a variety of topics and is a frequent presenter at specialty meetings nationally and internationally.
Jay M. Portnoy, MD

Dr. Jay Portnoy is an allergist in the Division of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and he is the Medical Director of Telemedicine at Children's Mercy-Kansas City and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. He received his medical degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine and he did his pediatric residency at the Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and his Allergy fellowship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Following that he returned to Children's Mercy Hospital.<br><br>
Dr. Portnoy has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals involving asthma disease management, environmental control and mold allergy. More recently he has been involved in use of Telemedicine to deliver patient care and in evidence-based medicine. He founded the UMKC School of Medicine allergy program and directed it from 1997-2006.<br />
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Dr. Portnoy served as President of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in 2008 and he currently serves on numerous committees both of the American College and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. He also is Chair of MOC for the American Board of Allergy and Immunology and he serves on the FDA advisory panel for allergenic extracts.<br><br>
Dr. Portnoy lives in Overland Park Kansas with his wife and 2 cats. Fortunately, neither are cat-allergic.<br><br>
Stephen Raskin, MD, FACC

Steve Raskin is a practicing clinical cardiologist and is currently is the Director of the Sutter Eastbay Medical Foundation Lipid Clinic in Oakland, California. He has practiced cardiology for nearly 40 years and in addition has served as a mentor at the University of California, Berkeley, and San Francisco Combined Medical School Program and as Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF.<br />
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He has participated in many important clinical trials and served as principal investigator of many pivotal cardiology trials including the Beta Blocker Heart Attack Trial, Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial (CAST) and many of the first acute myocardial infarction thrombolytic trials (GUSTO program).<br />
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He obtained his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin followed by internship and medical residency at the Boston City Hospital. Cardiology fellowship was completed at Mt. Zion-University of California, San Francisco.<br />
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Dr. Raskin is a member of AOA and is board certified in cardiology, clinical lipidology and cardiovascular computed tomography. He is an avid photographer and ocean sailor completing two transpacific crossings and was cardiology consultant to the Swedish America’s Cup ARTEMIS Sailing Team.<br />
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He is the Chief Medical Officer of MedChefs, a company dedicated to improving health by providing a novel e-solution to foster a healthy lifestyle and nutrition pattern.
Shakaib (Shak) Rehman, MD, SCH, FACP, FAACH

Dr. Rehman is the Associate Chief of Staff for Education at the Phoenix VA Healthcare Systems. He is also the Professor of Informatics/ Interim Chair & Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix (UACOM-P). He is also currently serving as the Chair of UACOM-P Admissions Committee and Graduate Medical Education.<br />
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He received his MD from University of Punjab, Pakistan with Gold Medals in Physiology, Forensic Medicine and Pathology. He did his Internal Medicine Residency at Nassau University Medical Center/SUNY @Stony Brook, New York and General Internal Medicine/Medical Education Fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. He then graduated from the Senior Executive Fellowship (SEF) Program from the Harvard University, Boston.A<br /><br />
He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Hypertension
and Clinical Informatics. He is also a Fellow of American College of Physicians (ACP) and American Academy on Communication in Healthcare. American Society of Hypertension designated him a Clinical Specialist in Hypertension. He is a certified Mentor for the Department of Veterans Affairs.<br /><br />
Dr. Rehman is a well-recognized expert in "Healthcare Communication", "Balancing Work and Life" and "Hypertension". He has taught courses/workshops around the country as well as in many countries outside the USA. He was invited to give the Commencement Address on the graduation ceremony of Medical University of South Carolina class of 2013.<br /><br />
He have received numerous awards including Department of Veterans Affair Excellence in Medical Education Award, Best Doctors in America ® award, David E. Rogers Teaching Award from Society of General Internal Medicine twice, Medical University of South Carolina Best Teacher Award, American College of Physicians (ACP) Young Physician Award, ACP James A. McFarland Award in Excellence in Teaching and Humanism, ACP Laureate Award, ACP Arizona Chapter Leader of the Year Award and Outstanding IMG award. He has been inducted in the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Medical Honor Society. He has been inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. He has received the Department of Veterans Affairs Gerald Schmitz Award, ICARE Award and Certificate in Recognition for important contributions to VA's education mission.<br /><br />
He has served as the President of the Society of General Internal Medicine, Mountain West Region and Vice- President of the Academy on Communications in Healthcare (ACH). He was also the Conference Chair for the International Conference on Communication in Healthcare (ICCH) in 2007. He is currently the Chair of ACP
Arizona Chapter’s Public Policy committee. He was the founding member of ACP Council of Young Physicians (CYP) and was also the Chair of ACP-SC Chapter CYP, Chair of ACP-SC Chapter Health and Public Policy Committee (HPPC). He has been a member of the scientific committees for annual sessions of SGIM, AACH, SMA, ACP (South Carolina and Arizona chapters) as well as ACP national Public Policy Committee for the last many years.<br /><br />
Dr. Rehman has participated in many landmark research trials such as ACCORD, SPRINT, ACCOMPLISH, ONTARGET, PROMINENT etc. He has published hundreds of articles and book chapters. He is reviewer for many scientific journals such as Annals of Internal Medicine, Journal of General Internal Medicine, and American Journal of Hypertension etc. He is the Associate Editor of Medical Encounter and was the editor of Journal Scan. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and five children, hiking and meditating.
George P. Rodgers, MD, MACC

Dr. Rodgers is an Associate Professor of Medicine and the Associate Chief of Cardiology for Education at The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School. He led the development of the cardiovascular curriculum for the new medical school. Dr. Rodgers teaches medical students, residents and cardiology fellows on a regular basis. Beyond medical education, he has a particular interest in prevention the early detection of heart disease, team-based care and innovative value based care for the safety net population.<br />
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Dr. Rodgers received his medical education at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He completed his fellowship training in cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He began his cardiology practice in Austin in 1989. Dr. Rodgers has been very active in the American College of Cardiology over the last 25 years. He has served as the Chair of the Board of Governors, the Board of Trustees and as Co-chair Leadership Council of the Cardiovascular Team.<br />
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He has also served on a number of other committees and writing groups within the College He received the Distinguished Fellow of the American College of Cardiology Award in 2017. This year he was awarded Master of the American College of Cardiology.
Domingo Rodriguez-Cue, MD

Dr. Domingo Rodriguez-Cue was born in Havana, Cuba. Inspired by his father, who was also a physician, he went to Medical School at San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic. He did general surgery at Morristown Memorial Hospital in NJ and subsequently transferred to East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. He completed a rural residency program and then a faculty development fellowship. Dr. Cue was featured in Peter Jennings's world news tonight American Agenda program on Telemedicine use in rural practice. He recently authored a chapter titled “Sleep Diagnosis: Polysomnography and Home Sleep Apnea Testing” in Dental Sleep Medicine A Clinical Guide, Springer, 2022 <br />
<br /> He trained students and residents with ECU for 4 years, and then went into private practice in Williamston, NC. He was chief of staff for 7 years and practiced holistic family medicine, including ICU, ER, OBGYN and newborn care. With a strong focus on diet and exercise, he felt he needed to focus on the third pillar of health, which is sleep. He underwent his sleep training at Atlanta Sleep School at Northside Hospital. He became board certified in Sleep Medicine in 2009. He is the medical director of SleepWorks in Raleigh North Carolina, and practices at 5 locations throughout the state. <br />
<br /> His sleep practice is 40 % pediatrics with a focus on movement disorders, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, circadian rhythm disorders and insomnia. <br />
<br /> He interprets Level I polysomnograms and also Level II-IV home based tests. Along with prescribing CPAP therapy, Dr. Cue also works closely with dentists who provide oral appliances for sleep apnea patients. He is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, CHEST physicians, AAFP and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. He specializes in non-pharmacologic approaches to insomnia and movement disorders.
I. Leslie Rubin, MD

I Leslie Rubin MD is Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Morehouse School of Medicine, Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, Co-director of the Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Unit at Emory University, Medical Director of The Rubin Center for Autism and Developmental Pediatrics, and Founder of Break the Cycle of Health Disparities Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia. <br />
<br /> As a Developmental Pediatrician, he has provided care for children and adults with developmental disabilities for decades, and in 2016 published the 3rd edition of his text: “Health Care for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Across the Lifespan, (Springer Switzerland)” <br>
<br> As an Environmental Pediatrician, he started a program in 2004 called: Break the Cycle of Children’s Environmental Health Disparities, to raise awareness of children’s environmental health disparities and cultivate future leaders. This program, now in its 15th year, has resulted in the publication of more than 100 student papers in 10 international journal supplements and 10 Books with Nova, publishers in their Public Health Series. <br />
<br /> He is actively involved in a number of local, national and international organization and has received a several awards for his work.
Dania Rumbak, MD

Dania Rumbak, M.D.<br>
Attending Physician, Halifax Medical Center<br>
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics<br>
Department of Pediatrics<br>
Florida State University School of Medicine<br>
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Dania Rumbak is a pediatrician, pediatric intensivist and healthcare entrepreneur. She received her BA from the University of Florida and her MD from the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine and is Board-Certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care.
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She is currently an Attending Physician in Pediatric Urgent Care at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Florida and serves as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Florida State University School of Medicine. She has previously worked at Columbia University Medical Center, New York University Medical Center, and the Children's Hospital at Montefiore, where she received all her medical training (residency and fellowship.) She has published multiple works in medical journals. She was also co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of a healthcare startup called Baby Doctor. She lives in Ormond Beach, Florida with her husband and two children.
Donna H. Ryan, MD, FACP

Donna H. Ryan, MD, FACP is a Professor Emerita at Pennington Biomedical in Baton Rouge, LA, where she had a 25-year career in clinical research in obesity. She was an Investigator on POUNDS Lost, Look AHEAD, DPP, DASH and other studies of the health benefits of weight loss by diet, lifestyle intervention and medications. Most recently, she was the co-Chair of the SELECT Steering Committee, the first cardiovascular outcome trial to demonstrate reduction with semaglutide in heart attack, stroke, and death in persons with obesity without diabetes. She has been an active member and former President of The Obesity Society and World Obesity Federation. She serves on Safety Monitoring Committees for three GLP-1 RA- related agents. She has more than 300 publications, is a frequent speaker on obesity and diabetes treatments and remains an active consultant and advisor to companies developing drugs, devices, lifestyle programs and medical approaches to obesity management.
Frances M. Sahebzamani (Rankin), PhD, ARNP, FAANP

Dr. Sahebzamani is an Adult Nurse Practitioner, and joined H. Lee Moffitt's Team Member Medical Clinic in June of 2014 to develop and manage the Healthy Weight and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction program for team members with metabolic dysregulation, overweight, and obesity. <br />
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Prior to joining the H. Lee Moffitt Team, Dr. Sahebzamani was an Assistant Professor in the USF Colleges of Nursing and Medicine, Division of Family Medicine. <br />
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From 2006-2013, she was the director of the Advanced Nursing Practice Doctorate (DNP) Program in the College of Nursing and in 2002 co-developed and co-directed the USF Prediabetes Treatment Center within the Department of Family Medicine. <br />
During this time, she served as the Assistant Director of Research for the Department of Family Medicine. <br />
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Dr. Sahebzamani is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Her practice expertise is in primary care, metabolic dysregulation and preventive cardiology. She speaks nationally on the topics of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular risk factors.<br />
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In addition to her lectures, Dr. Sahebzamani has participated in developing national educational initiatives on the topics of obesity and diabetes to enhance knowledge and clinical outcomes for physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. <br />
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She recently served as the lead author on the American Association of Nurse Practitioners White Paper on the Management of Obesity. Her program of research includes the topics of obesity, insulin resistance and metabolic dysregulation, and cardiovascular risk reduction in primary care settings.
Tracy G. Sanson MD, FACEP, CEO

Dr. Sanson is an Emergency Physician with more than 20 years of experience in emergency medicine education, emergency department management, and leadership. She is a consultant and educator on Leadership development and Medical education at TracySansonMD.<br />
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Dr. Sanson has served in several and varied leadership positions with the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), the Council of Residency Directors (CORD), and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). She is a member of the ACEP Speaker's Bureau and the 911 network. She has been a member of the ACEP faculty for many years, including the ACEP Teaching Fellowship and the Emergency Department Directors Academy. <br />
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Dr. Sanson completed her medical degree and residency training at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has held director positions in the US Air Force, the University of South Florida and TeamHealth during the past 20 years. Dr. Sanson heads her own consulting firm, specializing in leadership training.
Khalid H. Sheikh, MD, MBA, FACC, FNLA, FASE

Dr. Sheikh is a consulting cardiologist, practicing on the Space Coast of Florida. He serves as Director of the Health First Institute for Cardiovascular Wellness and Disease Prevention. He is engaged in clinical practice, as well as research and teaching. His academic appointments include Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Duke University Global Health Institute, as well Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Central Florida.<br />
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His clinical interests include preventative cardiology, cardiac imaging, and global cardiac health and wellness. He was voted by the Consumer council of America as one of America’s top cardiologists. Dr. Sheikh speaks at national and international forums about a variety of topics related to his clinical research, cardiovascular diseases and cardiac wellness. He has served as the principal investigator in over 100 national and international clinical trials. He has authored over 150 scientific abstracts, peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and reviews. He is the author of the critically acclaimed heart wellness book, “Don’t Let Your Heart Attack.”
Michael Snyder, MD, FACS, FASMBS

Dr. Snyder received his medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine and completed an internship and residency at Oregon Health Sciences University at Portland, Oregon. He is board certified in General Surgery by the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Snyder is an active member of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and is Medical Director of the Denver Center for Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery at Rose Medical Center in Denver. <br />
<br /> Dr. Snyder is an international leader in the field of bariatric surgery. As of September 2020, he has performed over 10,000 primary and revisional bariatric procedures. His program is the most comprehensive and highest volume program in the region. He regularly treats patients from all over the US and when appropriate, from other countries. He lectures regularly on obesity and bariatric surgery both for non-surgeon medical professionals and to his surgical peers at AMBS and SAGES. <br />
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Kevin T. Stephan, MD, FACP

Dr. Stephan is a board-certified Infectious Disease physician with many years of clinical experience. He currently serves as Vice President, nodSpecialists, a telemedicine-based Infectious Disease practice headquartered in Phoenix, AZ where he sees patients live and via virtual video visits throughout the western United States.<br />
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Prior to this, he served as Chief of Medical Specialties and Chief of Infectious Disease for St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, MN, where he was voted top doctor in Infectious Disease by Duluth Superior Magazine, and won top recognition for patient care ranking in the top 10% nationally with a 5-star rating of Infectious Disease physicians over multiple years as assessed by PRC research.<br />
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Dr. Stephan had a 23-year career in the United States military, serving in multiple roles as a physician, researcher, and educator, including running the HIV program for the United States Air Force in San Antonio, TX. He deployed after 9/11/2001 and also participated in humanitarian operations and relief in Africa and Central America.
Michael J. Tan, MD, FACP, FIDSA

Michael J. Tan, MD is Professor of Internal Medicine at Northeastern Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) in Rootstown, Ohio. At NEOMED, he is co-course director of the Infection and Immunity Course and Vice-Chair of the Infectious Disease Section of the Principles of Medicine Course. Dr. Tan is Lead Physician for Summa Health Medical Group-Infectious Disease at Summa Health in Akron, Ohio where he is also Clinical Physician, Infectious Diseases and HIV as well as Medical Director for the Summa Health Clinical Research Center.<br />
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Dr. Tan is board certified in infectious disease and internal medicine. He obtained his medical degree from the Northeastern Universities College of Medicine (now NEOMED) and completed his residency training at Summa Health System. He then completed a fellowship in Infectious Disease at the University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.<br />
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Dr. Tan is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (ACP) and Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). He is Regent for the American College of Physicians and immediate past-Governor for the Ohio Chapter of the ACP.<br />
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Dr. Tan’s primary research interests include participation in multi-centered controlled trials of new and novel treatments for Clostridium difficile infection, skin and soft tissue infection, and pneumonia. He is co-editor of Tan JS, File TM Jr., Salata RA, Tan MJ (eds.) Expert Guide to Infectious Diseases, 2nd edition (2008, ACP Press) and Rosenthal KS and Tan MJ (eds.) Rapid Review Microbiology and Immunology 3rd edition (2010, Mosby). Dr. Tan is listed in Best Doctors in America (2010 to present).
William O. Tatum IV, DO, FAAN, FACNS

Dr. William O. Tatum IV is professor in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and senior consultant in the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic Florida. He is a Fellow in the American Academy of Neurology, American Neurological Association and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society. He is board-certified in Neurology, Clinical Neurophysiology, and Epilepsy and serves as the current director for the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at the Mayo Clinic in Florida.<br />
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He completed his medical education at the College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery in Des Moines, Iowa, neurology residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, and a two-year epilepsy fellowship at Graduate Hospital affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania. After training, he relocated to Tampa, Florida pioneering Tampa General Hospital-University of South Florida Comprehensive Epilepsy Center before joining the Mayo Clinic in 2009 as a clinician-educator.<br />
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He is a past president of the board of the American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, currently serving as the Chair for the clinical neurophysiology section of the American Academy of Neurology. He has served on the board of directors for the American Board of Registration of EEG Technologists and Evoked Potentials, and currently serves on the board of the Epilepsy Foundation of America. He has been principal investigator in pharmacologic and device clinical trials with research interests in drug-resistant epilepsy, seizure semiology and EEG/clinical neurophysiology.<br />
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He has authored 160 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 35 book chapters and edited/co-edited 8 books in the field of epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology. He serves on the current editorial board for the <em>Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology</em> as Associate Editor, and is the Editor-in-Chief for <em>Epilepsy and Behavior Reports</em>. He has presented lectures at national and international meetings as an invited lecturer.
Randolph Taylor II, MD, FAAFP

Dr. Randolph Taylor II earned his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Taylor completed both his internship and residency in family medicine at Womack Army Medical Center in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. He also received his primary care sports medicine fellowship from Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Florida. He has served as the team physician for the University of South Florida volleyball team, Eckerd College athletics, and Houston Baptist University athletics. He serves as a ringside physician for professional and amateur boxing and MMA.<br />
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Dr. Taylor found his way into medicine through a combination of a strong interest in science and a love of sports. His diverse background includes providing inpatient, outpatient and battlefield medical care as a staff physician to soldiers, their families and veterans during his military service. While on active duty, Dr. Taylor completed a combat tour in Iraq supporting Operation New Dawn. He was also the medical director for the Warrior Transition Battalion at Ft. Campbell, KY. Dr. Taylor received an honorable discharge at the rank of Major from the United States Army in 2013.<br />
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Dr. Taylor was prior faculty for the Memorial Family Medicine Residency in Sugar Land, TX and clinical faculty at Texas A&M College of Medicine. He currently treats acute injuries and illness in Houston, TX. He is interested in concussion management and ultrasound guided therapy for treating musculoskeletal injuries, combative sports, and innovative nontraditional methods of advancing health care. In his spare time, Dr. Taylor enjoys spending time with family, flag football, softball, and bowling.
Davis Thomas, BDS, DDS, MSD, MSc Med, MSc

Dr. Davis Thomas completed his Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from India. He received his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) and one year of Advanced Education in General Dentistry from NYU. While in private practice, he then went on to further his education in the following twenty years to include multiple master’s degrees including orofacial pain (MSD from Rutgers University), headache pain management (MSc from University of Edinburgh), and sleep medicine (MSc Med from University of Sydney). As an assoc. clinical professor (14 years), Dr. Thomas now continues his research in Pain Management at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine and Eastman Dental Center, Rochester, New York. The experience and education Dr. Thomas has acquired over the years has allowed him to lecture extensively all around the world. He has been a commissioned officer in the United Sates Army since 2001. He also has multiple faculty appointments in national and international hospitals and universities. Currently, he is the director for OFP/TMD/Sleep medicine courses for Roseman University/Smile USA Academy.
Gina Touch, Ph.D.

Dr. Touch is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Family, Community, and Preventive Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix (UA COM-P). <br><br> She is the director of the Behavioral Sciences, Wellness, and Professional Identity Development curricula at UA COM-P and a clinical psychologist in Addiction Medicine in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. <br><br> Dr. Touch graduated from the University of Houston with a doctorate in Counseling Psychology and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Geropsychology at the Houston VA Medical Center. She has been a practicing clinical psychologist and core faculty member in graduate psychology and medical education programs for over 25 years.
Stacey Van Gelderen DNP, MS, RNC-MNN, PHN
Dr. Van Gelderen is a full professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN, USA who has focused her career on supporting perinatal women, and neonates, and building family-focused caring practices. For over 24 years, she has supported clients in obstetrics, neonates, women's health, and those with family care needs. <br /><br />
Dr. Van Gelderen offers workshops and consultations for maternal-newborn care, nursing education, family practice, and simulation. In recent years, Dr. Van Gelderen has had special interest areas of supporting high-risk, low-occurrence obstetrical emergencies such as hypertension in pregnancy, post-partum hemorrhage, cardiac conditions during pregnancy, and infertility. <br /><br />
Dr. Van Gelderen is the primary author of the Van Gelderen Family Care Rubric (VGFCR) (2019, 2016) which is an evidence-based validated tool that helps healthcare professionals develop family assessment and communication skills. This tool is recognized by the renowned International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning and awarded the 2018-2019 articles of influence by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. This instrument is being utilized by healthcare staff and educators in twelve countries across the globe. <br /><br />
David Weiland, Jr., MD

Dr. David Weiland is Board Certified in Internal Medicine & currently works with Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care. He is also working as the Director of Palliative Care at Advent Hospital in North Pinellas County. He has significant administrative and quality experience as Chief Medical Officer at HCA/Largo Medical Center for 5 years. He also served as the VPMA of Bayfront Medical Center for four years.<br>
Dr. Weiland was Medical Director of Suncoast Hospice, where he oversaw quality, community outreach and developed inpatient hospice units and hospital-based palliative care teams. In addition, Dr. Weiland has served as Family Practice Faculty for the University of South Florida. He was board certified in Internal Medicine as well as Hospice and Palliative Medicine.<br>
Dr. Weiland has served on numerous community boards including current Chairman of the Pinellas EMS Advisory Committee and the Pinellas County Commission Pill Mill Task Force dealing with illicit pain medication prescribing. He was the past president of the Pinellas County Medical Association and continues to take an active role in PCMA and FMA activities.<br>
He lectures and presents clinical presentations nationally for the AAFP, including a diverse array of palliative and primary care topics including The Physiological Benefits of Humor, Medical Ethics, Depression, Alzheimer's Disease, Palliative Pain Management, Quality and Patient safety issues as well as conducts workshops on patient-centered communication to enhance the patient care experience.
David Glenn Weismiller, MD, ScM, FAAFP

Dr. Weismiller is a graduate of Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed his residency at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center in Charlottesville and a fellowship in Maternal-Child Health and graduate degree in Epidemiology at Brown University School of Medicine, Providence.<br />
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A Professor of Family Medicine at the new medical school of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he provides full-scope care that includes inpatient and maternity care. A proponent of "reflection in practice" and "learner-centered instruction," he is recognized nationally for his work in continuing medical education and faculty development.<br />
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Having taught board review programs for the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) for more than 20 years, he is the founding and current chair of the AAFP Family Medicine Board Review Express<i>™</i>, as well as the AAFP's annual Family Medicine Update course.<br />
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He is a frequent presenter at AAFP Family Medicine Experience (FMX) and teaches American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Knowledge Self-Assessments throughout the country. Dr. Weismiller is the author of numerous publications on issues related to women's and children's health, and he is an advocate for empowering individuals to make sound health care choices.<br />
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He is the father of three amazing daughters. He and his partner Brian make their home in Las Vegas.
Ariel Weissman, MD

Professor Ariel Weissman graduated from the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical School in Jerusalem in 1988. In 1994, he completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot, where he spent an additional two years as a senior physician in the IVF unit. Prof. Weissman then undertook a two-year research and clinical fellowship with at the Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Canada. <br>
<br> Upon returning to Israel in 1998, Prof. Weissman joined the IVF unit at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon and became a faculty member at Tel Aviv University’s Faculty of Medicine, where he currently holds the position of Full Professor. Since 2000, together with David Gardner, Ph.D., Colin Howles, Ph.D., and Zeev Shoham, M.D., Prof. Weissman has co-authored the Textbook of Assisted Reproductive Techniques: Laboratory and Clinical Perspectives, which has become one of the leading references in the field of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). The sixth edition of this influential textbook was recently published.
Michael J. Wilsey, Jr., MD, FAAP

Dr. Wilsey is Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and former Associate Program Director of the Pediatric Residency Training Program at the University of South Florida (USF) Morsani College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics in Tampa, Florida. He graduated from the University of Miami School of Medicine and completed residency training in Pediatrics and fellowship training in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Texas Children's Hospital and the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He currently serves as the Vice Chief of the medical staff and the Vice-chairman of the Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital (JHACH) in St. Petersburg, Florida.<br />
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Dr. Wilsey is the Past-President of the Hillsborough County Pediatric Society as well as the former Florida Region V Representative of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). He has served on the Endoscopy and Procedures Committee and the Clinical Practice Committee for the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN), and is a member of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). Dr. Wilsey has been recognized and has won teaching awards for outstanding medical education, and is the clerkship coordinator and core faculty member for pediatric residents at both USF and JHACH residency programs. His current clinical and research interests include advanced therapeutic endoscopy (including ERCP), clinical and nutritional outcomes of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostostomy (PEG) placement in children, as well as hepatobiliary and eosinophilic disorders. He has published on a wide variety of pediatric gastroenterology and endoscopy topics.<br />
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Dr. Wilsey lives in Tampa, Florida with his beautiful wife and three teenage children. He enjoys reading, running, swimming, watching college and professional sports, and spending quality time with friends and family.
J. Stuart Wolf, Jr., MD, FACS

After receiving his M.D. from Northwestern University, Dr. Wolf completed Urology residency at UCSF and then an Endourology / Laparoscopy Fellowship with Ralph Clayman. He joined the University of Michigan in 1996, and over the ensuing 20 years he served as the Director of the Division of Endourology, the Director of the Endourology / Laparoscopy Fellowship, and the Associate Urology Department Chair for Surgical Services. In 2016 he joined the Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care at Dell Medical School of the University of Texas at Austin, where he serves as the Associate Chair for Clinical Integration and Operations, Executive Associate Chair, and Chief of the Division of Surgical Specialties.<br /><br />
Dr. Wolf has served on the Boards of Directors of the Michigan Urologic Society, the Endourological Society, the Society of Academic Urologists and the Texas Urological Society. He chaired the American Urological Association (AUA) Practice Guidelines Committee and was the inaugural chair of the AUA Science & Quality Council. At the University of Michigan, Dr. Wolf received the Silver Cystoscope Award for Urology Residency Teaching Excellence three times (1999, 2002 and 2005). He was appointed the inaugural David A. Bloom Professor of Urology in 2006. The Department of Urology awarded him the Faculty Service Award in 2011 and the Outstanding Achievement Award in 2012. He was inducted into the League of Educational Excellence of the University of Michigan Medical School in 2015, and that year he also received the inaugural Program Director's Award from the Endourological Society and was the Malcolm Coptcoat Lecturer for The British Association of Urologic Surgeons. In 2010, Dr. Wolf was elected to the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons. In 2018, he started a 6-year term as a Trustee of the American Board of Urology; in 2022 he assumed the role of President-Elect and will become President in 2023. Dr. Wolf received a Distinguished Service Award from the AUA in 2019. <br /><br />
An author of over 325 peer-reviewed articles and videos, and over 175 invited publications, Dr. Wolf has served on the editorial boards of 12 journals. His scholarly work has been recognized by awards and/or research grants from the American Foundation for Urologic Disease, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Endourological Society, the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, and the AUA and 2 of its Sections. <br />
Jeannette Marie Wolfe, MD

Dr. Jeannette Wolfe is Professor of Emergency Medicine and the Joy McCann endowed Professor of Women at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Baystate Campus. She has spent her entire attending career working and teaching in one of the busiest emergency departments in the Northeast.<br />
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Besides emergency medicine, her passion is understanding ways in which biological sex and gender influence wellness and disease as cutting-edge research definitively shows that men and women often have different responses to the same illness, trauma, toxins and therapies. <br />
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Dr Wolfe's personal mission is to increase awareness of this information and to use it to improve medical care of both men and women. She is a national lecturer and writer and has recently started a podcast called Sex and Why, exploring how biological sex and gender influence our brain, body and behavior.
Ameigh Worley, MD, MMS, FACOG

Dr. Worley is a Board Certified OB/GYN serving women of all ages. A highly skilled and compassionate physician, Dr. Worley has extensive training in high risk obstetrics, minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, and infertility.<br />
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Dr. Worley’s outstanding credentials include her medical degree from the University of South Florida College of Medicine in Tampa where she had a scholarly concentration in research. She then went on to complete an internship at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta and residency training at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Prior to medical school, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with Honors and completed a Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. She then continued on to earn a Master’s of Medical Sciences degree at Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts.<br />
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Following her residency training in 2014, Dr. Worley joined Wake Forest University as an Assistant Professor for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In 2016, she returned to her Central Florida roots where she currently works as an OB/GYN Hospitalist at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach and in a small boutique-style private practice (Alliance Obstetrics & Gynecology) in Winter Park. In 2018, Dr. Worley received certification from the American Board of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as a Focused Practice Designation in Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology.<br />
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Dr. Worley’s commitment to helping women extends beyond the hospital and clinic. She has extensive experience in resident and medical student education, is involved in simulation training and quality improvement initiatives at various locations, and is a dedicated researcher. Additionally, as an experienced lecturer, Dr. Worley is frequently called to educate other medical professionals and the public. She is also an avid volunteer in her community, proving that her compassion and skills extend far beyond the exam room.<br />
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Dr. Worley is certified by the American Board of Obstetricians and Gynecologists as well as the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. She is licensed to practice in Florida and North Carolina.
Laraine T. Zappert, PhD

Dr. Zappert is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine. As a faculty member at the Center for Neuroscience in Women’s Health at Stanford, Dr. Zappert was instrumental in developing and directing the first Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program in Women’s Health. Previously, Dr. Zappert had served as Director of Clinical Training at Vaden Student Health Services at Stanford.<br />
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Currently, she teaches a course on Sexual Violence and Recovery, and supervises the clinical work of residents in the Department of Psychiatry. In addition to her clinical, teaching and research responsibilities, Dr. Zappert has served as the Director of Stanford University's Sexual Harassment Policy Office since its inception in 1993. She also founded and led the Women’s Group Program at Stanford’s Graduate Schools of Business and Law for over 20 years. In 2001, Dr. Zappert initiated the (WISE) Women in Science and Engineering Program for women graduate and post-doctoral students in the Schools of Engineering, Science and Medicine at Stanford, and more recently, extended that program (WISSH) to graduate and post-doctoral women in Humanities and Social Sciences at Stanford.<br />
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Dr. Zappert's clinical work and research has focused on the areas of women's mental health, work and wellness. She is the senior author of the 1985 landmark study “In the Pipeline”, as well as the 2002 study, “Priming the Pipeline” both of which examined the stresses confronting women in science and engineering at Stanford. Her book, Getting It Right: How Working Mother’s Successfully Take Up the Challenge of Life, Work and Family has been nationally recognized as an authoritative resource for professional women and their families.<br />
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Most recently, Dr. Zappert was the senior author on an article (in press) on The Impact of a Support Group Intervention for Women in STEM. In 2017, she was awarded a Faculty Fellowship at the Clayman Institute for Gender Research.