Dr. Alkins served as an active duty U.S. Army physician until 2004 with duty stations at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl Germany and at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda Maryland.
Dr. Alkins is in full-time clinical practice specializing in pulmonary and sleep medicine and is the Medical Director of Internal Medicine for Crouse Medical Practice. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine and is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians, American College of Chest Physicians, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
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University at Sea™
5700 4th St. N.
St Petersburg, Florida 33703
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.
Stephan Alkins, MD, FAASM, FCCP, FACP
Thomas G. Allison, PhD, MPH
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.
Farouq Alzurba, MD
Dr Zurba’s special clinical interest lies is in diabetes and wellness promotion; whereas his administrative interest is in Leadership, Total Quality Management (TQM) and Healthcare Facility Accreditation. Dr Zurba has a profound experience in Government Excellence Programs, Organisational Self-Assessment and Individual Performance Plans. He served as a senior advisor and consultant in United States Air Force Academy in Colorado for Multi Media Centre for 4 years during the period from 2001 to 2004.
Dr Zurba’s interest in primary health care has been further explored and strengthened by his research in minor surgery, psychiatry and notably into diabetes. Back in 1985 he established the Update Primary Health Care Journal in Bahrain and acted as the Chief Editor during the period from 1985 to 2005. His efforts and contributions have been recognised by being appointed as the Chairman of the Arab Group for the Study of Diabetes and its Editorial Board. Further he was a referee in WHO East Mediterranean Journal EMRO during 1980 to 2005. Last but not least Dr Zurba published numerous papers, internationally, and booklets, locally, on various medical topics and awareness.
Dr Zurba obtained his M.B.B.S. in 1974 from King Edward Medical College, Lahore, Punjab University. He got certified as Family Physician by the American University of Beirut in 1984 and later on as Fellow in Aesthetic Anti-Aging Medicine in 2015. Dr Zurba is a big fan of technology and design applications for photography and web designs (www.zurba.com). Dr Zurba is married and has 3 sons and 7 grandchildren.
Sandra L. Argenio, MD
Dr. Argenio has nurtured new generations of doctors, was instrumental in the development of the Family Medicine Residency at Mayo Clinic Florida and served as the program’s first residency director. She has trained and mentored over 150 family medicine residents.
Dr. Argenio served as the President of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians in 2005 and has been active on many committees of the FAFP and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
She has been active in CME program planning at Mayo Clinic and the Florida Academy of Family Physicians, conducting Maintenance of Certification Workshop sessions on multiple topics for over 1,100 participants at FAFP meetings.
Dr. Argenio had a leading role in establishing communication training at Mayo Clinic starting in 2005. She was Chair of the Mayo Clinic Florida Communication Faculty.
She developed coursework for faculty and trainees at Mayo Clinic, including Longitudinal Research in Academic Medicine, Family Medicine Residency, Scottsdale, Arizona; and Team Communication, Strengthening the Cornerstone of Teamwork at Mayo Clinic’s three campuses. She also served on the Florida Governor’s Physician Workforce Advisory Board.
Dr. Argenio was awarded the Exemplary Teacher Award by FAFP in 2000. She also received the Outstanding Florida Family Medicine Education Award by FAFP in 2000, and the Mayo Distinguished Educator Award in 2003. She was listed as one of Jacksonville’s Best Doctors by Jacksonville Magazine from 2000 to 2014. She has published on the topics of presence, reflective listening and communicating effectively with female patients.
In her current work, she has collaborated in designing curricula and delivering programs at multiple hospitals, hospice organizations, and veterans administration and military healthcare organizations.Dr. Argenio is a graduate of Wilkes College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Hahnemann Medical University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She completed her Family Medicine Residency at Geisinger Medical Center in Pennsylvania in 1982. She resides in Ormond Beach, Florida, with her husband Tom Sperrazza and daughter Jessie.
Steven R. Bailey, M.D
Joseph Beltempo, PhD Psychologist
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 Universit de Montral. He is a member of the Order of Psychologists of Quebec since 1979 (Lic. 2675-80).
Shagun Bindlish, MD, FACP
Dr. Shagun Bindlish is a board-certified Internal Medicine Physician with advanced fellowship training in diabetes and metabolic disorders. She is board-certified obesity medicine and lifestyle medicine specialist. She is a Chair of the thought leadership committee and board member of the American Diabetes Association. Dr. Bindlish is adjunct faculty at Touro university's diabetes fellowship program. She is a USA ambassador representing DiaBeters non-profit organization in Kenya, Africa. Dr. Bindlish presently working with international organizations conducting educational webinars about diabetes and obesity management. With a passion for community work, she has recently started her youTube channel with a vision to bring awareness among health care professionals and patients. Dr. Bindlish has earned her medical degree from Yerevan State Medical University in Armenia and completed her residency at Lutheran Medical Center in New York.
Dr. Bindlish is practicing currently in Bay Area. She is an author and writes blogs for magazines in Kenya, the USA, and India. Shagun has been actively involved in the California chapter as a fellow of the American College of Physicians and serves as a judge and mentor for multiple educational activities and conferences throughout the year.
Shagun's philosophy of care centers around prevention and education. She is an advocate for her patients and strives to build trusting, friendly relationships with them. She believes in a holistic understanding of all the factors that impact a patient's overall health. Thus, serving the patient as a wellness coach.
Dr. Bindlish is also a writer and contributes her work to journals. She is also an editor of renowned journals like the British Medical Journal, American College of Family Medicine ( ACOFP), American Diabetes Association. To stay healthy and happy, Shagun does yoga and Pilates. She loves to travel and cook international cuisines.
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. 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 been on the Alumni Board of Governors for the University of Tennessee Medical School since 2007. 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).
Robert T. Brodell, MD , FAAD
Dr. Bob is a graduate of Washington and Jefferson College ('75) and the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry ('79) . Following two years of internal medicine residency at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York, he completed his dermatology residency and dermatopathology fellowship at Barnes Hospital in St Louis, Missouri. He is a master mason (1974).
For 27 years, Dr Bob was the director of Skin Pathology Services, Inc and served in a solo clinical practice of dermatology in his hometown of Warren, Ohio. He worked in the building where he and his wife, Linda P. Brodell, MD (Ophthalmology), lived and raised 5 children. During this time he served as chair of the Northeastern Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) Dermatology section where he was elected to the master teacher guild. He also served as Chair of the Midwest Congress of Dermatological Societies (1995-1999).
Known for his passion for teaching, Dr Bob has performed 1,750 lectures and directed 45 symposia at local, regional, and national venues. He has 389 publications, 41 poster presentations, and has written two books: The Diagnosis and Treatment of Warts: An Evidence Based Approach (2003) and Tips and Tricks in Procedural Dermatology (2019). He has reviewed articles for 32 journals and served on the editorial board of 3 journals. Dr Bob is Editor-in-chief of Practice Update: Dermatology (Elsevier) a weekly digital abstracting service (2013-present) He has participated in 42 multi-center clinical trials. An avid mentor, over 100 of his medical students are now dermatologists.
Dr. Bob served as President of the Ohio Dermatological Association (2002) ; member of the American Board of Dermatology (ABD) (2003-12) and served as the ABD President (2011-12); and, the Sulzberger Institute for Dermatologic Education (1998–2001). He is a member of the American Dermatological Association (2007), an organization of national leaders in dermatology and serves as its secretary-treasurer (2017-present). He served on the Board of Directors, American Academy of Dermatology (2012-16); Board of Directors of the Noah Worcester Dermatological Society (2017-19); and, the dermatology Residency Review Committee (RRC) of the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) (2012-19).
An avid supporter of the American Cancer Society (ACS), he has been an ACS Relay For Life volunteer since 1992; served as President and Chief Medical Officer, Ohio Division, Inc. American
Robert Brodell, MD
Dr. Brodell is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, Noah Worcester Dermatological Society, American Society of Dermatopathology and he serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the American Dermatological Association.
He is a past president of the American Board of Dermatology and served on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Dermatology from 2012-16. He was honored to be a Master Teacher in his previous role at Northeastern Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) and served as chairman of the Master Teacher Guild.
He is currently Professor and Chair, Department of Dermatology and Professor of Pathology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. His interests are in general dermatology; dermatologic ethics; the treatment of warts; and, simple, quick, reproducible, almost fail-safe approaches to dermatologic procedures.
Bob enjoys travelling with his wife, Linda, a retired ophthalmologist, and their 5 children and 6 grandchildren.
Marni Brooks, BSc, MSW, MD, CCFP, FCFP
Upon her return to Canada, she completed a Master of Social Work degree where she spent years of training studying women's health and addiction as field placements. Her interest in addiction continued after she completed her medical degree and family medicine residency at the University of Toronto.
She is now a Fellow in Family Medicine and, until now, has explored working in the areas of family medicine, sleep medicine, addiction medicine and cannabinoid medicine. Dr. Brooks also sat on the OMA Executive of the Section on Addiction Medicine for nearly a decade where she assisted with negotiations with the Ministry of Health on behalf of the members in her section. Most recently, she founded and is the Chair of the OMA Medical Interest Group in Cannabinoid Medicine, the first such group in the country.
Dr. Brooks currently focuses her work in Cannabinoid Medicine, her two main interests. She hopes to help educate her peers, the community and patients, as well as advocate for them, on the benefits of cannabis for a variety of health conditions, either as sole therapy or in conjunction with other treatments. Other experiences in Cannabinoid Medicine include speaking on the Northwinds panel for insurance providers and acting as an expert witness on the safety and medical uses of cannabis in a sentencing hearing.
Monica Broome, MD, FACP, FAACH, FAMWA
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.
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 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
Aaron Buzzard, MD, FACEP
His areas of interest and expertise are in trauma, critical care medicine, and emergency medical service
Teri Campbell, BSN, RN, CFRN, CEN, PHRN
Kathy L. Cerminara, JD, LLM, JSD
Professor Cerminara teaches Torts; Health Policy, Bioethics & Quality of Care; Administrative Law; Civil Procedure; Bioethics; and other health-law-related courses. She also created and was the initial director of the online Master of Science in Health Law program for non-lawyers.
In 2017, she received a Scholars Award for innovative interprofessional work with the Broward County Mental Health Court.
Since 2012, she has been a member of the International Scientific Committee for the International Academy of Law & Mental Health, based in Montreal, Canada. In that position, she has co-organized the stream of therapeutic jurisprudence presentations for four of the Academy's bi-annual Congresses: one in Amsterdam in 2013, one in Vienna in 2015, one in Prague in 2017, and one in Rome in 2019. In recognition of that work, in 2017, the International Society of Therapeutic Jurisprudence awarded her and her co-organizer the first-ever Wexler/Winick Distinguished Service Award in Prague.
In recognition of that work, the International Society of Therapeutic Jurisprudence awarded her and her co-organizer the first-ever Wexler/Winick Distinguished Service Award in Prague.
Prior to joining the College of Law faculty, Professor Cerminara taught at the University of Miami School of Law and St. Thomas University School of Law, clerked in the Western District of Pennsylvania and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and practiced law with Reed Smith Shaw & McClay in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Professor Cerminara received her JD magna cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh and her LLM and JSD from Columbia University. She is an affiliate member of the Health Law and Tort Trial and Insurance sections of The Florida Bar, a retired member of the Pennsylvania Bar, and a member of organizations such as the American Bar Association, the American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics and the American Health Lawyers Association.
Ashish Chandra, MBA, PhD
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
Nicole Harrington Cirino, MD
It is a multi-specialty academic clinic treating exclusively women with a strong teaching and research component. She the Division Chief of the Women's Mental Health and Wellness Program at CWH as well as the Co-founder and Co-Director of the Menopause and Sexual Medicine Program at CWH.
She has been fellowship trained in Reproductive Psychiatry since 2003. Reproductive Psychiatry is a specialty area of Psychiatry that focuses exclusively on the treatment of women across the reproductive life cycle. She has been practicing Sexual Medicine as a part of her practice since 1998. In the past 5 years she has expanded her work in Sexual Medicine to also include research and education. She teaches topics of both Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders and Female Sexual Medicine to medical students, residents and other academic medicine faculty nationally.
Dr. Cirino is also a Certified Sex Therapist through the governing body AASECT, American Association of Sexual Educators, Counselors and Therapists. She also is skilled in Interpersonal, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and other therapeutic interventions.
Dr. Cirino's research interests involve medical and behavioral therapy interventions for perinatal mental health conditions and female sexual dysfunction. She lives in Portland, Oregon and is married with three children. Traveling is one of her greatest passions.
Stephen R. 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 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
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) and most recently was inducted to the Diocese of Cleveland CYO Hall of Fame in (2019).
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.
Shawn K. Conner, MD
Dr. Conner places a strong emphasis on the personal relationships he establishes with his patients, and in 2013 he was voted as "Best of the Best" Primary Care Doctor in Oakland County, Michigan. His office has been recognized as a Patient Centered Medical Home since the program inception. Dr. Conner greatly values education, and teaches medical students from both Wayne State University in Detroit as well as Michigan State University in East Lansing. He also serves as faculty for the American Academy of Family Physicians where he teaches other primary care providers at medical conferences across the country.
Dr. Conner has practice interests in Dermatology, Upper Respiratory, and Preventive Health. He is actively involved in his community, serving on the local Corridor Improvement Authority, and he serves as an assistant coach on an adult soccer team.
J. David Cunningham, Jr., MD, FACS
J. David Cunningham MD completed his medical training at Thomas Jefferson University as well as an Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery residency in 1984. He was in private practice in suburban Philadelphia and was an academic instructor in Otolaryngology with both the University of Pennsylvania and Thomas Jefferson until moving to North Carolina in 2001. He is presently practicing at UNC Ear Nose and Throat, associated with University of North Carolina since March of 2018 and is an associate Professor of Otolaryngology with Campbell University Medical College since 2014. He is board certified in Otolaryngology in 1984 and with subspecialty Sleep Medicine in 2008.
Tara Dall, MD, FNLA
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.
Dereck DeLeon, MD
Dr. Dereck DeLeon has been a Family Physician with Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, California for the past 22 years and was the Program Director for the Kaiser Permanente Family Medicine Residency Program in San Diego as well as the Southern California Regional Chair for Diversity in Graduate Medical Education Committee.
He was also the Co-Chair of the San Diego Graduate Medical Education Committee and the Chair of the San Diego, Innovation in Quality Education and Transformation Committee at Kaiser Permanente San Diego.
His leadership background also includes being on the Association of Family Medicine Residency Director Education and Program Director Development Committee as well past Chair of the Kaiser Permanente San Diego Continuing Medical Education Committee .He also has completed numerous Fellowships in Leadership, Faculty Development and Curriculum Design and Assessment.
Dr. DeLeon also maintains a busy clinical practice with Kaiser Permanente. He holds the appointment of Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Preventative Medicine at the University of California, San Diego.
One of Dr DeLeon's passions is in developing community programs that seek to expose those from underrepresented backgrounds to the health care profession as well as to educate other healthcare providers around the issues of health inequities in our communities. Dr DeLeon help pioneer the Kaiser Permanente/ San Ysidro High School Summer Urban Fellowship which has helped provide the education/mentoring and role modeling for local high school, college and medical students from underrepresented groups ,who seek careers in medicine .
Dr. DeLeon has been an invited speaker at numerous venues and has presented numerous scholarly work at, the AAFP Annual Scientific Assembly , the AAFP Program Directors Workshop , the University of California San Diego School of Medicine , and the AAMC Minority Student Workshop among others.
Tammie Lee Demler, PharmD, BS Pharm, MBA, RPh, BCGP, BCPP
Tammie Lee Demler received her Doctor of Pharmacy, Master of Business Administration, and Bachelor of Science degrees at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo.
Dr Demler is a dually Board-Certified Specialist in both Psychiatric and Geriatric Pharmacy and is currently the Director of Pharmacy Services and Pharmacy residency training at the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center.
She holds numerous academic appointments, including Clinical Associate Professor for SUNY Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Clinical Assistant Professor at SUNY School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, D'Youville College School of Pharmacy, University of Florida School of Pharmacy, and Clinical Instructor for the Erie County Community College Pharmacy Technician Certification Program.
She collaborates with both the National Association of the Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) and the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS) to develop board examinations that establish the minimum competencies expected for new practitioners for practice in an ever changing clinical environment. Prior to embarking on her academic and institutional career, Dr. Demler's clinical practice focused on ambulatory care in community pharmacy.
Dr. Demler has authored and co-authored numerous original research articles and expert reviews for print media. She is a regular contributor to U.S. Pharmacist and reviewer for Pharmacist's Letter.
Prior to launching Pharmacotherapeutics for Advanced Nursing Practice, Dr. Demler authored a chapter on insomnia in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy's (ACCP's) Ambulatory Care Self-Assessment. She also has provided expert pharmacotherapeutic consultation for other books such as the Side Effects of Drugs: Annual Volume 36 and Clinical Consult to Psychiatric Nursing for Advanced Practice . She has presented medication continuing education programs internationally and nationally, and is an Academic Educator for the New York State Medicaid Prescriber Education program sponsored by the New York Department of Health.
Dr. Demler served as President of both the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York and the Pharmacists Association of Western New York. Dr. Demler is also a local media personality, hosting her own weekly TV talk show as well as a weekly community affairs radio segment. She has won a number of prestigious national, state, and local awards acknowledging both her professional and community-based contributions.
Nihar R. Desai, MD, MPH
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. DeTiennes 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 DeTiennes 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. DeTiennes 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 Harvards 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.
Kevin D. Dieckhaus, MD, FIDSA
Dr. Dieckhaus completed his Medical Schooling at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Internal Medicine training at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Infectious Diseases fellowship at the University of Connecticut. He is the clinical lead physician for the Infectious Diseases clinical services at UConn Health, and is the director of International Travel Medicine and Immunization Services at UConn Health Center, a program that provides pre-trip counseling, preventative interventions for over 1500 travelers per year.
He is the primary grantee for the University of Connecticut's Ryan White AIDS support services and New England AIDS Education and Training Center. He is a member of the global health clinical competency subcommittee of the Consortium of Universities in Global Health.
Dr. Dieckhaus has developed linkages with numerous international partners to promote medical trainee learning in immersive cross-cultural settings. He is the medical director for the Clare Nsenga Foundation, a 501-c3 charitable organization that operates a rural medical clinic and associated public health‐related outreach programs in Kisoro, Uganda, where numerous medical trainees have participated in clinical medicine, public health programs, and community/global health research in Kisoro.
Jonathan C. Edwards, MD, MBA, FACNS
Dr. Edwards' clinical interests include epilepsy treatment, clinical neurophysiology, neuro-stimulation, epilepsy surgery, neurological education, and functional brain mapping. His research interests include new treatments for epilepsy, epilepsy imaging, and improving access to care for patients with epilepsy.
Dr. Edwards is a member of the South Carolina Neurological Association, the American Epilepsy Society, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society.
He has served on the scientific committee of several organizations, including the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, and has been a Board Member and Examiner for the American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology and for ABRET. Dr. Edwards is currently President of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, and has won numerous awards for teaching, research, and patient advocacy.
David S. Edwards, MD
Duane C. Eichler, PhD
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.
Osman El-Labban, MD
His patients can feel how easily he can gain rapport with them, allowing them comfortably to approach him for any health problem, and on how much he cares for their safety. In addition, he has the talent of explaining health problems in a very simple way that helped him to be a popular public speaker and writer of medical articles aiming to educate general public.
He started his career by working in the staff clinic of A.U.B., untili he moved to primary healthcare department of Dubai Health Authority(DHA) to be the first family physician in Dubai in 1986.
In DHA, he could prove himself and attain different posts as doctor in charge for different health centers, member of executive committee of the department and up to co-director of the family medicine residency program In DHA. During these years, he succeeded in different endeavors, which varied from managerial, clinical, to academic, all of which helped him in building his reputation, fame and identity as one of the pioneer family physicians in UAE.
The opportunity came few years ago to move to the private sector, when he joined Al Zahra hospital Dubai where he could achieve further success by establishing the family medicine department in the hospital, allowing him to serve as a role model of the family physician with various potentials in the hospital settings.
He has been chosen among the top 25 family physicians in Dubai & has achieved the first rank leader of the team of the year 2017 at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai.
The future still promises for more challenges …. By employing his accumulated expertise over 30 years, he is still seeking an opportunity to broaden his responsibilities in both clinical & managerial fields of healthcare, where he will be then steer a bigger team of physicians who can provide a higher standard of healthcare and excellence.
Uriel Elchalal MD
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. 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.
Corey Evans, MD
Originally from San Clemente, California, Dr. Evans attended Occidental College in LA, then St. Louis Medical School in Missouri, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. His family practice residency was at University of Missouri, Columbia where he was a Chief Resident. Dr. Evans tries to play the guitar poorly, and loves water sports. He teaches extensively at the national FP meetings with a special interest in exercise testing.
David B. Feller, MD
He has received several awards for his teaching including Clinical Science Teacher of the year by medical students, Exemplary Teaching Award from the College of Medicine, Teacher of the year by Family Medicine Residents, and Exemplary Teaching Award by the FAFP. His academic interests include integrative medicine and behavioral medicine.
Kevin Scott Ferentz, MD
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
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.
Robert Fogerty, MD
Will Frye, PhD, BCB, ABPP
Will Frye, PhD, BCB, ABPP is a Pediatric Psychologist at Johns Hopkins All Childrens 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 Childrens Mercy Hospital and a postdoctoral fellowship in chronic pain at Nationwide Childrens Hospital. Dr. Fryes 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.
Rebecca Levy-Gantt, DO
She practiced on Long Island for 11 years before moving to Napa. Her special interests are menopause management, including hormones and alternative management strategies, as well as vaginal and vulvar pain syndromes.
She owns a solo private practice which has been growing for the past 5 years, teaches medical students from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, and spends her free time teaching, traveling, running and writing.
Felice L. Gersh, MD
Felice Gersh, M.D. is a multi-award winning physician with dual board certifications in OB-GYN and Integrative Medicine. She is the founder and director of the Integrative Medical Group of Irvine, which provides comprehensive health care for women by combining the best evidence-based therapies from conventional, naturopathic, and holistic medicine.
An active part of the PCOS community, Dr. Gersh works with the PCOS Awareness Association and is a member of the PCOS Challenge’s Medical/Scientific Advisory Board. She speaks at the annual conferences of both non-profit organizations. She is a member of the AE-PCOS Society, and has spoken multiple times at their prestigious academic meetings.
She taught obstetrics and gynecology at Keck USC School of Medicine for 12 years as an Assistant Clinical Professor, where she received the highly coveted Outstanding Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award. She now serves as an Affiliate Faculty Member at the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine, through the University of Arizona School of Medicine, where she lectures and regularly grades the case presentations written by the Fellowship students for their final exams. She has had many scientific articles published in prestigious medical journals, and most recently had an article chosen to be featured in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Additionally, she is a sought after medical forensic expert and has worked on numerous high profile legal cases.
Felice Gersh, M.D. is the bestselling author of PCOS SOS and the PCOS SOS Fertility Fast Track and her newest book, Menopause: 50 Things You Need to Know, is now available on Amazon. She is a prolific lecturer, nationally and internationally, and has been featured in several films and documentary series, including The Real Skinny on Fat with Montel Williams and Fasting with Valter Longo, Ph.D. Dr. Gersh is regularly featured on podcasts and health summits, and has a popular health show on Instagram Live.
Hayley B. Gershengorn, MD, FCCM, ATSF
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 Associate Editor for Critical Care of the Annals of the American Thoracic Society, serves on the program committee for Critical Care for the American Thoracic Society, and is Chair-Elect of the Internal Medicine Section for the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
Jonathan Glauser, MD, FACEP, MBA
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.
Sam Goldstein, Ph.D., M.A.
Developmental Neuropsychologist with specialty in all areas of child developmental and psychiatric disorders, genetics, resilience/protective factors, and brain injury.
Vanessa Gorman, MSN, RN, FAEN
Marna Rayl Greenberg, DO, MPH
She recently co-chaired the Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference that put forth the national research agenda on Gender Specific Research in Emergency Medicine. She is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and a member of the American Osteopathic Association.
She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors such as completing her certification as a physician executive (2011), being selected as a Barness Behnke Chap of the Gold Humanism Honor Society (2020), being inducted in the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society (2018) , and receiving the USF Theodore/Venette Ashounes-Ashford Distinguished Scholar award in 2019 (the highest award the University gives to a researcher). She received the American College of Emergency Physicians recognition award for longevity in Emergency Medicine (2014), the Academy of Women in Academic Emergency Medicine Momentum Award (2014), the Unsung Hero award from the American Osteopathic Association (2014) , the Soroptimist International Ruby Award (2010) for Women Helping Women; the FHS Distinguished Alumna Award (2006); the Pennsylvania American College of Emergency Physicians 2005 Emergency Physician of the Year Award; the Physician Service Star Award (2004) for ER Preventive Health Initiatives; and the Koop Community Service Award (2000).
Elizabeth Grill, PsyD
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.
Stephen E. Helms, MD, FAAD
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 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.
Vera Hupertz, MD
Vera stayed on as Staff Physician at Rainbow Babies and Hospital and achieved the level of Associate Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. She was made Medical Director of the Pediatric Liver Transplant Team, and was co-director of the Residency Training Program at RB&C. In addition to the above, I developed a residency curriculum for Chronic Care to be used at Health Hill Hospital (now Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation).
She became a staff physician at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in July of 2000 and currently has a joint appointment with the Department of Transplant Surgery. She is Medical Director of Pediatric Liver Transplantation. She is Vice Chair of Quality Improvement for the Children's Hospital and Pediatric Institute at Cleveland Clinic. Current interests are liver disease (especially neonatal disease) and liver transplantation, as well as inflammatory bowel diseases
Mark H. Hyman, MD, FIAIME, FACP
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
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.
Khelda Jabbar, MD, MPH, CPE, CCD
Prior to joining Charles River, Dr. Jabbar was the Chief of the Internal Medicine Department at South Shore Medical Center/ South Shore Health System. In addition to that role she led the development of the bone health program and the accreditation of the program with the International Society of Clinical Densitometry.
She was an assistant clinical professor at Boston University for 6 years and developed primary care tracks for women’s health within Boston Medical Center and served as the interim medical director for the Women’s Health Group.
Professionally she has formal training in preventive medicine and family medicine, a women’s health fellowship and a master’s in public health and is a certified clinical bone densitometrist.
In addition to her leadership roles she remains a practicing physician with a focus on improving access to patients while delivering quality care.
Outside of work, she spends her time in antique stores and in horseback riding barns.
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.
Warren F. Jesek, DDS, MAGD
He graduated from Millikin University with a B.A. in biology and chemistry in 1974. He completed graduate studies in anatomy at the University of Nebraska before attending Loyola University Dental School where he received his dental degree in 1979. He has maintained a private general practice in Decatur, Illinois since 1979. Unique to the area, his practice houses a crown and bridge laboratory with three technicians focusing on using CAD/CAM milling technology to produce metal-free inlays, crowns and bridges Dr. Jesek continued his dental training at The Pankey Institute for Advanced Education beginning in 1986 and is a current member of the L.D. Pankey Dental Foundation. He became a teaching assistant in their TMJ dissection course in 1997.
Dr. Jesek is also the founder of Jesek Seminars: Promoting and Teaching Excellence in Dentistry. He has presented at national meetings for the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Equilibration Society, the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pain Management. His articles have been published in Dentistry Today, Dental Economics, the Pankeygram, and the American Equilibration Society's Contact.
Steven J Jewell, BSN, RN, USN (ret.)
Mr. Jewell is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Kanon Health, LLC educational firm. Kanon Health's mission is to promote educational opportunities for healthcare professionals. Mr. Jewell established Kanon Health in 2019 and following the 2020 pandemic, Kanon Health created rigorous educational opportunities for continuing education, board certification review courses, advanced practice skills workshops, and more than 200 hours of webinar conferences.
Steven is the host and leader of Jewell's Joules Podcast covering healthcare related topics, case studies, research, and hot-topics. Steven continues his promotion of healthier communities by being an avid national lecturer on topics such as mass exsanguination, pharmaceuticals, ethics, mental health, triage, mass casualty preparedness, and novice nurse education.
Mr. Jewell is a critical care registered nurse at Brooke Army Medical Center, the only Level I Trauma Facility and Global Burn Unit within the Department of Defense and the Institute for Surgical Research. Mr. Jewell has been an ED and ICU nurse since retiring from the US Navy.
Mr. Jewell is currently on the Board of Directors for the national Emergency Nurses Association. Mr. Jewell has been a past State President of the Texas Emergency Nurses Association, a past President of the San Antonio Emergency Nurses Association, and a past Chairperson of the Emergency Nurses Association Foundation. He serves on multiple other organizational board of directors related to healthcare and community service. Mr. Jewell has won several state and national educator of the year awards.
Jeffrey M. Kagan, MD
Jennifer Katzenstein, PhD, ABPP-CN
Joel M. Kaufman, MD, FAAN
Dr. Kaufman graduated from Boston University, majoring in mathematics, and from Boston University School of Medicine. He completed his medical internship at Presbyterian Hospital at Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco (now California Pacific Medical Center) and his Neurology residency at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center). He then joined Fallon Clinic (now Reliant Medical Group) in Worcester, Massachusetts. From 1988 through 1996 he was Medical Director of Fallon Community Health Plan. From 1997 to early 2014 he was Executive Director of the Lifespan/Physicians Professional Services Organization.
Dr. Kaufman is a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and active with the Academy, currently chairing the Payment Alternatives Team. He is also serving or has served on many other professional boards and committees.
Dr. Kaufman's interests include physician advocacy, quality improvement in medical practice, provide-payer interaction, and clinical teaching.
Daniel B. Kessler, MD, FAAP
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
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
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.
Sreenivas Koka, DDS, MS, PhD, MBA
Dr. Sreenivas Koka received DDS and MS (prosthodontics) degrees from The University of Michigan. He joined the University of Nebraska faculty in 1992, became a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics in 1995, and received his PhD in Oral Biology from the University of Nebraska in 1999. While at the University of Nebraska, Dr. Koka received the Outstanding Teacher Award on numerous occasions and was the inaugural Merritt C. Pedersen Professor of Dentistry. He joined the Staff of Mayo Clinic in 2004 and is former Consultant, former Professor of Dentistry and former Chairman of the Department of Dental Specialties in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Koka received an MBA from MIT's Sloan School of Management in 2013 and moved to Zurich, Switzerland to be Executive Director of the Foundation for Oral Rehabilitation. Dr. Koka moved back to the US in 2014 to focus on patient care and student education and open Koka Dental Clinic, a private practice focused on implant and removable prosthodontics in San Diego. In 2021, Dr. Koka was appointed as Dean and Professor of Dentistry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center's School of Dentistry.
Dr. Koka is a Fellow and Past-President of the Academy of Prosthodontics, a Fellow of the American College of Dentists, a member of the American Dental Association, co-President of the International College of Prosthodontists, and is Chair of MIT's Sloan School of Management Alumni Board. Dr. Koka has published over 100 journal articles and book chapters and lectures extensively nationally and internationally; he has presented before audiences at a variety of best-in-class organizations including Mayo Clinic, MIT and Apple Inc. Dr. Koka has been a reviewer for NIH grants and been a principal investigator on grants funded by NIH and industry sources. In addition, Dr. Koka is the co-founder of the Future Leaders in Prosthodontics (FLIP) and Shaping the Future of Implant Dentistry (SHIFT) leadership workshop series.
Chris J. Kottenstette, PA-C, CPE
Chris has been active in the PA community at a national level since 1998 when he was elected to the Student Academy Board as Director-at-Large; is a Past-President of the Colorado Academy of Physician Assistants; and in 2003 he founded the PAs in Pain Medicine Special Interest Group of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and is their current President.
Chris has been appointed to the Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, helped form the American Society for Pain Educators as one of the initial members of the Board of Advisors, and is directly involved at a national level in many pain and addiction related issues. Chris was an invited member of the AAPM & APS guidelines for the management of Chronic Non-Cancer Pain and has participated in the creation of both state and national pain guidelines.
In addition to being a clinical PA in a spine surgery and interventional pain practice, he is also the President of Abuse Tech, LLC which provides engineered solutions for abuse deterrence and clinically focused education in abuse prevention, mitigation, and compliance in the field of pain medicine.
David S. Kountz, MD, MBA, FACP
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.
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.
Sreenivas Koka, DDS, MS, PhD, MBA
Dr. Sreenivas Koka received DDS and MS (prosthodontics) degrees from The University of Michigan. He joined the University of Nebraska faculty in 1992, became a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics in 1995, and received his PhD in Oral Biology from the University of Nebraska in 1999. While at the University of Nebraska, Dr. Koka received the Outstanding Teacher Award on numerous occasions and was the inaugural Merritt C. Pedersen Professor of Dentistry. He joined the Staff of Mayo Clinic in 2004 and is former Consultant, former Professor of Dentistry and former Chairman of the Department of Dental Specialties in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Koka received an MBA from MIT's Sloan School of Management in 2013 and moved to Zurich, Switzerland to be Executive Director of the Foundation for Oral Rehabilitation. Dr. Koka moved back to the US in 2014 to focus on patient care and student education and open Koka Dental Clinic, a private practice focused on implant and removable prosthodontics in San Diego. In 2021, Dr. Koka was appointed as Dean and Professor of Dentistry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center's School of Dentistry.
Dr. Koka is a Fellow and Past-President of the Academy of Prosthodontics, a Fellow of the American College of Dentists, a member of the American Dental Association, co-President of the International College of Prosthodontists, and is Chair of MIT's Sloan School of Management Alumni Board. Dr. Koka has published over 100 journal articles and book chapters and lectures extensively nationally and internationally; he has presented before audiences at a variety of best-in-class organizations including Mayo Clinic, MIT and Apple Inc. Dr. Koka has been a reviewer for NIH grants and been a principal investigator on grants funded by NIH and industry sources. In addition, Dr. Koka is the co-founder of the Future Leaders in Prosthodontics (FLIP) and Shaping the Future of Implant Dentistry (SHIFT) leadership workshop series.
Chris J. Kottenstette, PA-C, CPE
Chris has been active in the PA community at a national level since 1998 when he was elected to the Student Academy Board as Director-at-Large; is a Past-President of the Colorado Academy of Physician Assistants; and in 2003 he founded the PAs in Pain Medicine Special Interest Group of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and is their current President.
Chris has been appointed to the Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, helped form the American Society for Pain Educators as one of the initial members of the Board of Advisors, and is directly involved at a national level in many pain and addiction related issues. Chris was an invited member of the AAPM & APS guidelines for the management of Chronic Non-Cancer Pain and has participated in the creation of both state and national pain guidelines.
In addition to being a clinical PA in a spine surgery and interventional pain practice, he is also the President of Abuse Tech, LLC which provides engineered solutions for abuse deterrence and clinically focused education in abuse prevention, mitigation, and compliance in the field of pain medicine.
David S. Kountz, MD, MBA, FACP
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.
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.
Merrill A. Krolick, DO, FACC, FACP
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.
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.
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.
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.
He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians and Society of Cardiac Angiography and Interventionalists.
Claudia J. Lee, MD, BS Pharmacy, RPh
Dr. Lee is a clinical instructor for the Jacobs School of Medicine and is board certified in internal medicine. She has been a member of the American College of Physicians and the American Geriatrics Society for many years.
She enjoys teaching students from many disciplines, including medical students, pharmacy students, and physician assistant students. Her being a preceptor for the pharmacy residency program at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center has resulted in multiple original research papers.
Dr. Lee has extensive experience working on a geriatric unit and enjoys taking care of challenging patients with psychiatric diagnoses, dementia, delirium, and a history of frequent falls. She is often a guest on community TV and radio shows in Western New York.
In her spare time, she enjoys giving historical tours.
DAVID A. LeVINE, MD, CMD
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
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
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.
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.
Gil Lichtshein, MD, FAPA
Disclosure: Dr. Lichtshein has NO financial arrangements with any corporate organization that might have an interest in the subject being presented.
Karen J. MacKinnon, BS, RPh
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. 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.
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.
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, Understanding Health Outcomes and Pharmacoeconomic. His research interests align in expanding pharmacist care models (e.g., primary care, pharmacogenomics, immunizations).
Brian Markoff, MD
He received his MD from the University of California, San Francisco and went on to residency and chief residency in Internal Medicine at the University of California, Davis. After his chief year, Dr. Markoff helped start the hospitalist group at the UC Davis Medical Center. He went to the Mount Sinai Medical Center in 2002 and served as the Associate Chief, Division of Hospital Medicine and the Associate Program Director for Quality, Internal Medicine Residency program until May 2016 when he took his current position.
Frank B. Marsalisi, MD, FACOG
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.
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.
He has been honored as being one of the "Top Obstetricians and Gynecologists in America" by the Consumer Research Council of America, and in 2017 he was recognized by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd to be among the"Leading Physicians of the World".
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.
Daniel R. Martin, MD, MBA, FACEP, FAAEM
Dr. Martin received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Indiana University School of Medicine and recently received an Executive MBA from Fisher School of Business. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and then completed an Emergency Medicine Residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin serving as Chief Resident during his final year.
His clinical interests include the treatment of infectious diseases in the emergency department, cognitive errors, leadership and patient education and satisfaction. His research interests are the ED treatment of infections, such as pneumonia and respiratory infections, medical education research and patient experience.
Dr. Martin is an active member of national organizations such as the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors, The American Academy of Emergency Medicine and the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) where he is an Ohio ACEP Counselor and an Ohio ACEP Board member. He has lectured as a Visiting Professor both regionally and nationally on topics such as Respiratory Infections, Case Studies of Infectious Emergencies, Recognizing and Reducing Cognitive Errors in Medicine, Applying Leadership Literature to Emergency Medicine and Patient Experience.
Dale A. Matthews, MD, FACP
Nicole D. Melendez, MD, FACR
She has a very active practice and is also involved in clinical research. She's been voluntary faculty at the University of South Florida in the Department of Rheumatology since 2015, and she has a personal interest in nutrition and diet and its impact on rheumatologic disease states.
Raun David Melmed, MD, FAAP
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.
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.
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.
He is the author of the ST4 Mindfulness Series for Children including 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!) and Marvin's Monster Diary 4: Neighborhood Bully (But We Stand Up, Big Time).
He is also the author of books for families including Autism: Early Intervention; Autism and the Extended Family; and Autism Parent Handbook: Beginning with the End Goal in Mind.
Samuel Menahem, MB, BS, MD, MEd (Melb), MPM (Mon), FRACP, FACC, FCSANZ
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 at a number of teaching and private hospitals.
Professor Menahem has an illustrious academic career. He graduated as top of his year from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. He gained his specialist qualification to the Royal Australasian College of Physicians after completing his residency at the previous Prince Henry's Hospital, Melbourne. 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.
He completed a research Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Melbourne and also a Masters in Education (Higher education) from the same university, and a Master of Psychological Medicine from Monash University. He has held academic appointments at the University of Melbourne and Deakin University and remains a full professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health Monash University being a member of a number of its Departments. He continues to teach and mentor students and graduates from all three universities. 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.
Professor Menahem now spends most of his time in private consultant practice and continues to conduct teaching clinics in rural Victoria. Although his referral base is from the surrounding areas with a dedicated referral pattern, his reputation has extended far and wide with referrals from other parts of Melbourne, country areas and even interstate. 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 consultations are always conducted using a holistic approach.
Gary F. Merrill, PhD
Andrew D. Michaels, MD, MAS, FACC, FAHA
He stayed at UCSF for 6 years as an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of the Cardiac Cath Lab. He was then recruited to the University of Utah as a tenured Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cardiac Cath Lab. He then transitioned to a community-based interventional cardiology practice at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, CA for 8 years. Since 2018, he has worked in Boise and Nampa, Idaho for the Saint Alphonsus Medical Group.
He is the Co-Director of the Cardiac Cath Lab and Medical Director of Cardiology in Nampa. He has over 100 publications, and has had clinical research grants from the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and the National Institutes of Health.
Karen Hughes Miller, PhD, MEd
Dr. Miller has more than 50 publications and presentations. She has taught adult education, curriculum design, and assessment courses and workshops to undergraduate and graduate students, medical residents and fellows, and faculty. She is also experienced in teaching task analysis to educators and physicians.
Dr. Miller's undergraduate degrees in journalism (with a minor in commercial art) and her master's degree in instructional technology are useful today in creating new teaching and learning materials and platforms. One of her several research agendas is teaching and assessment of very bright learners, and she is currently completing a book chapter on this topic for NOVA publishers.
Dr. Miller is Immediate Past Chair of the Association of American of Medical Colleges (AAMC) Southern Group on Education Affairs (SGEA), and the Immediate Past Chair of the AAMC Research in Medical Education (RIME) program selection committee.
Charles S. Mills, MD, FACP, FAAHPM, HMDBC
Dr Mills's extensive work in geriatrics in his clinical practice led to his growth in palliative and hospice medicine. Taking on a medical directorship at a local hospice, he gained practical knowledge of this field and went on to complete additional study in this area leading to his successful completion of board certification in 2008.
He is a zealous proponent of interactive learning processes and enjoys leading/mentoring invigorated medical education forums. He has lectured and taught broadly at both a community/ lay level, medical school level , residency/fellow level and at attending level of audience
Elizabeth Moberg-Wolff, MD
Her medical practice includes both children and adults with diagnosis such as cerebral palsy, brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, neuromuscular and genetic disorders. Spasticity management with botulinum toxins and intrathecal baclofen are areas of expertise. Travel, gardening and cooking for her family of 5 are her spare time activities.
Caroline M. Molins, MD MSMEd FACEP FAAEM
As for her residency, she stayed in Puerto Rico and attended University of Puerto Rico Emergency Medicine Residency, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Upon graduation in 2010, she moved to Orlando Florida, where she joined a group that serves AdventHealth East Orlando. Shortly after beginning at AdventHealth, she became the Curriculum Director at the AdventHealth Emergency Medicine Residency.
Recently in May 2019, she completed her master’s in medical education from Lake Erie College of Medicine. She is an enthusiastic tennis fan, as a local player and enjoys being a spectator at the Miami Open and US Open Championships.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Joseph G. Murphy, MD, MBA, FRCPI, FACC, FESC
Consultant Cardiologist, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Chair, Section of Scientific Publication, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation
Director Mayo Clinic Scientific Press
Dr. Murphy is Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota. He is Director of the Cardiology Invasive Specialist program at the Mayo School of Health Sciences. Dr Murphy is the Director of the Mayo Clinic Scientific Press and Chair of the Section of Scientific Publication at the Mayo Clinic. He is also Chair of the Mayo Foundation Publications Committee.
Dr. Murphy graduated from University College Cork in Ireland, where he also completed a Medical and Surgical Internship in the Professional Department at the University College Cork Hospital. He was Senior House Officer in Rotation in General Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland Medical School at St. Laurence's Hospital, Dublin Teaching Hospital. He was Tutor/Registrar in General Medicine at the Medical School, University of Dublin, Trinity College at the Dublin Teaching Hospital. Dr. Murphy was Senior House Officer and Registrar in Cardiology and General Medicine at Mater Misericordiae Hospital at Dublin Teaching Hospital. He completed a research fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School and fellowships in Clinical and Invasive Cardiology at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Murphy completed a Doctorate in Medicine in Cardiology by Thesis at the National University of Ireland.
Kim Murphy, MS, APRN-CNP, WHNP-BC, RNC-OB, RNC-MNN, C-EFM
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.
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
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.
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)
Director, Division of Nephrology & Hypertension
Chief, Section of Clinical Transplantation
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.
Dr. Narayanan is an Associate 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.
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.
A frequent lecturer, presenter, and author, Dr. Narayanan's work has been published in several peer reviewed journals including the 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 , 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 Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease and is a reviewer for the American Journal of Transplantation .
Barry Nathanson, BA, MD, MHCM, FRCPC, FACP
In 1995, he began practising internal medicine and critical care medicine at York County Hospital in Newmarket which, in 2000, became Southlake Regional Health Centre. Early on, Dr. Nathanson served as Medical Director of the inpatient Palliative Care Unit. He later founded the Southlake Heart Function Program. He was president of the Southlake Medical Staff Association for four years. He then helped develop Southlake’s Clinical Resource Utilization Management Program. From 2008 to 2017 he was Southlake’s Physician Leader (Medical Director), for Acute Medicine Programs. During that time Dr. Nathanson helped modernize Southlake inpatient services by founding and developing Southlake’s Hospital Medicine Program. In 2017 Dr. Nathanson completed a two-year term as co-chair of Southlake’s Quality, Utilization and Resource Management Committee. In 2018 Dr. Nathanson began an additional 5-year term as Medical Director of Critical Care Services at Southlake where he has helped introduce Southlake’s Physician-Led Critical Care Outreach Team.
In 2008, Dr. Nathanson founded Southlake’s Post Graduate Education Program for senior Internal Medicine residents. The principle focus of this month-long rotation is easing and facilitating residents’ transition into independent community practice, optimizing the likelihood of a long and rewarding career in the challenging environment of Ontario health services.
Dr. Nathanson has served as Chief of Staff at Stevenson Memorial Hospital since 2016 with a principle focus of modernizing physician culture and supporting the community goal of a long-overdue redevelopment of the physical hospital and its clinical service offerings.
Dr. Nathanson has served on 3 provincial task forces, the ER/ALC Advisory Committee and the ALC Action Team. More recently he served in an advisory capacity in support of the Ministry of Health and Long term Care working group aimed at reducing hallway medicine in Ontario.
Dr. Nathanson’s additional professional interests include Medical Bioethics and Health Law, Health Policy and Health Economics including the impact of different payor systems on clinical systems design and on clinical decision making, the role of Physician Leadership and Engagement in driving system change toward improved clinical safety, efficiency and effectiveness, and physician health and wellness. Dr. Nathanson lectures widely on these topics and on a variety of additional clinical and health services related topics.
Dr. Nathanson’s many personal interests include travelling. He second favorite hobby is lecturing to international medical audiences on cruise ships. Above all, he especially enjoys riding his 2014 Indian Chief Classic, together with his wife, Genny, all over Ontario, Canada, the US, and beyond.
Herdley O. Paolini, Ph.D., L.P
She has been engaged by several health systems for consultations, including the Mayo Health System, Wisconsin; Centura Health, Colorado; Loma Linda Medical Center, California; St. Helena Health System, California; Tampa General Hospital, Florida; Baylor, Scott & White, Texas; Orlando Health, Florida; Wentworth-Douglas Hospital & Concord Hospital, New Hampshire; Nemours Pediatric Hospital, Florida & Delaware, Spectrum Lakeland, Michigan, Summa Health, Ohio, Akron Children's Hospital, Ohio.
Dr. Paolini is a licensed psychologist, teacher, and author of Inside the Mind of a Physician, published in 2009 by the Florida Hospital Press. She also has authored numerous articles and academic papers and is lead author of Healers in Need of Healing cannot Heal, recently published by Medscape, a multi-specialty online journal serving physicians and other medical professionals.
She earned her doctorate from Western Michigan University, and she has 30 + years of experience influencing change through coaching, psychotherapy, CME curriculum, leadership development, and creative programing at both the individual and organizational levels.
David Parrish, MS, MD, FAAFP
He has been faculty in the residency for 32 years and Residency Director 2002-2016. As Director he was responsible for 24 residents 3 fellows and 7 full time faculty. Leadership positions he has held in the organization include Chief of the Medical Staff for 4 years, Chair of IRB for 8 years as well as multiple committees and community endeavors. He has received the AJ Gorday award, which is the highest award given by the medical staff.
Before joining Bayfront residency as faculty he established Family Medicine at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and was faculty in a US Navy residency in Charleston, SC. On leaving the active duty Navy he continued in the US Navy Reserves, serving twice as Directorate of Health Services for two different multi state regions, and Reserve Commanding Officer for Navy Hospital Jacksonville, Fl and National Naval Medical Center Bethesda, Md near Washington, D.C. He assumed Command of NNMC a few weeks after the attacks of 9/11/2001. Following the 2 year tour at NNMC he was recalled to Active duty for one year. CAPT Parrish has received many awards and medals for his service.
Dr. Parrish teaches in the residency daily and lectures frequently. He has taught ACLS and ALSO for many years as National Faculty. He has lectured on many topics from wilderness medicine to women's health. He especially likes to mentor emerging leaders and those interested in a life of service and organizational command leadership.
Dr. David Parrish was born and raised in a small town in Alabama. Public high school and a BS degree in Secondary Education from Auburn University were earned before being drafted to serve the US Army. Using his GI Bill he completed a Master's Degree at UAB in Pathology followed by Medical School. Returning to the military he completed a Family Practice Residency at Naval Hospital Pensacola. Other than continuing education courses, he completed the NIPDD (National Institute for Program Director Development). Dr Parrish is a recognized speaker, author and Family Physician.
Keyur Patel, MD, PhD
He completed a 3-year post-doctoral research fellowship in Clinical and Translational Research in viral hepatitis at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, San Diego, CA and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham NC. He was on faculty at Duke University 2004-2015, and is now at University of Toronto since 2016. His research interests include early phase clinical therapeutic trials for viral hepatitis and NASH fibrosis, and the development non-invasive biomarkers of fibrogenesis.
Wayne L. Peters, MD
From 1982 to 1984 he served as a Henry J. Kaiser Fellow in General Internal Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Following his fellowship, he remained at the Massachusetts General Hospital as Director of the Lipid Consultation Service. He also taught in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Harvard Medical School under the direction of Dr. Alexander Leaf, who was involved in marine-oil research for over 25 years.
In 1986, Dr. Peters returned to Colorado to assume positions as Medical Director/Partner of HealthMark LLC, a private preventative medicine clinic and as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He transitioned to Senior Medical Physician at HealthMark/OnPoint Medical Group on January 1, 2018.
Veronica Piziak, MD, PhD, FACP
Dr. Piziak is presently the Emeritus Chief of Endocrinology, Director of the Diabetes section and Director of the Endocrinology Fellowship program at Baylor Scott and White in Temple Texas. She is a Professor of Medicine at Texas A&M University and a fellow of the American College of physicians.
M. Anthony Pogrel, DDS, MD, and Professor
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.
Martin H. Poleski, MD,CM, FACP, AGAF
Dr. Poleski created the modern DRH Gastroenterology Department, starting with one Gastroenterologist in 2008, and now includes 8 Gastroenterologist. He is currently a full time Professor of Medicine at Duke University with a full time practice at Duke University clinics and endoscopy centers.
Dr. Poleski graduated McGill University, Montreal, in 1973 with an MD. He did his Internal medicine training at The University of Toronto and McGill University. In academic year 1975-76 he was Chief Medical Resident at The Jewish General Hospital of McGill University. He did a fellowship in Gastroenterology at Memorial Sloan Kettering , part of the Cornell Hospitals in New York City.
After completing his fellowship he returned to the Jewish General hospital as a consultant in Gastroenterology, developed the first Inflammatory Bowel Disease center at that hospital and at McGill University. He eventually rose in the ranks to become an Assistant Professor of Medicine at McGill University.
He joined the Scripps Clinic Medical Group in La Jolla , California at the end of 1992 as a consultant in Gastroenterology. He subsequently became Director of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center and Director of the Fellowship program in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Scripps clinic.
He also had an appointment at UCSD as Clinical Professor of Medicine. In the summer of 2003 he joined the faculty of Duke University as Professor of Medicine and senior consultant in Gastroenterology. He has continued his interest in inflammatory Bowel disease (IBD), involved in clinical studies and having a clinic at Duke University Medical Center dedicated to IBD.
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.
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.
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.
Dr. Portnoy lives in Overland Park Kansas with his wife and 2 cats. Fortunately, neither are cat-allergic.
Gregory L. Psaltis, DDS
He is currently involved with two volunteer clinics in Mexico that he developed. Each provides comprehensive care for the indigent and medically compromised children of the Los Cabos and Zihuatanejo areas. He has published in several dental journals and was given the Gordon Christensen Speaker Award for excellence in professional presentations.
Mary Ellen Psaltis, Bachelor in Philosophy, BPh
Mary Ellen speaks nationally on creating optimal nutrition and making thoughtful life choices. Her local classes focus on supporting people along their healthful life journeys. She accompanies Greg on their Mexican mission trips as a dental assistant.
Cheryl Randolph, RN, MSN, CCRN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, FNP-BC, FAEN
George P. Rodgers, MD, MACC
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.
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.
Carlos R. Rodriguez, MD, FAAFP, CAQSM
Dr. Rodriguez completed his Family Medicine Residency Program at The Medical Center of Central Georgia/Mercer University School of Medicine in 2001 where he served as Chief Resident during his final year and received the Resident Teacher Award. He then proceeded to complete a fellowship in Sports Medicine at Bayfront Medical Center. After finishing the fellowship program Dr Rodriguez remained in the Tampa Bay area in private practice and later joined Community Health Centers of Pinellas where he served as Director of the Family Medicine Department.
He has served as a team physician and provided medical coverage for many of our local sports. These activities include the Tampa Bay Rays, Eckerd College and University of South Florida sports, St. Anthony’s Triathlon, Saint Petersburg Parrots (Hockey), Seminole High School, Indian Rocks Christian School, Saint Petersburg Pelicans (Rugby) and the Tampa Bay Storm. He also covers local club sports for the Chargers Soccer Club and the Tampa Bay Jr. Lightning League. He is the medical director of the Sprint Tri-Athlon series in Saint Petersburg. He is also a licensed professional ringside physician and provides medical coverage for professional boxing and mixed martial arts in Florida.
Dr. Rodriguez has published sports medicine articles in FP Essentials, Florida Family Physician and ACSMs Health and Fitness Journals. He is an editorial member of the AAFPs FP Essentials. He is also in the faculty for University at Sea providing sports medicine CME courses.
Dr. Rodriguez is a diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine and holds a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Sports Medicine. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, a member of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine, the Pinellas County Medical Association, and the Association of Ringside Physicians.
Dr. Rodriguez is married and has three children. His oldest daughter attends Florida State University. He enjoys playing basketball and tennis but loves to spend his spare time watching his children participate in sports.
I. Leslie Rubin, MD
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).
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.
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
Attending Physician, Halifax Medical Center
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics
Florida State University School of Medicine
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.
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.
Frances M. Sahebzamani (Rankin), PhD, ARNP, FAANP
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.
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.
During this time, she served as the Assistant Director of Research for the Department of Family Medicine.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Joseph J. Shatzel, MD
Khalid H. Sheikh, MD, MBA, FACC, FNLA, FASE
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.”
Bruce D. Shephard, MD, FACOG
A former McCain Fellow at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and principal author of “The Complete Guide to Women’s Health,” Dr. Shephard is a frequent speaker and writer on women’s health issues. A previous president of the Hillsborough County Medical Association, he currently serves as president of the HCMA Foundation. Dr. Shephard serves on HMO medical advisory boards for Wellcare and AVMed health plans and as a medical case reviewer for both the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Agency for Health Care Administration, Florida. A 2009 selectee of the Marquis’ Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare, he received the Albert N. Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Berkeley, attended medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, and completed his Ob-Gyn residency at the University of Miami, Florida.
A former McCain Fellow at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Dr. Shephard is principal author of "The Complete Guide to Women's Health." and a frequent speaker and writer on women's health issues. He previously served as president of the Hillsborough County Medical Association and is member of the HCMA Board of Trustees.
Dr. Shephard serves on HMO medical advisory boards for Wellcare and AVMed and is a medical reviewer for EQ Health Solutions, which contracts with the Agency for Health Care Administration, Florida. A 2009 selectee of the Marquis’ Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare, he received the Albert N. Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
Karl Gregory Sieg, MD, FAPA, MRO
He is also a board-certified Medical Review Officer. Serving as Medical Director of Behavioral Health, Dr. Sieg has over 35 years of experience in practice having worked in a variety of settings including outpatient, community mental health & managed care as well as private, public & state psychiatric hospitals and addiction treatment programs. He has authored numerous scientific articles and also had past involvement in clinical psychopharmacology research.
Dr. Sieg maintains memberships with the American Psychiatric Association, the Florida Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Psychiatry & the Law, and the American Medical Association. He currently practices and resides in the Orlando, Florida metropolitan area.
Mervyn Singer, MB, BS, MD, FRCP(Lon), FRCP(Edin), FFICM
He is Director of the Bloomsbury Institute of Intensive Care Medicine and runs a research group totaling 15 people performing bench-to-bedside research. Specific interests include sepsis and multi-organ failure, tissue oxygenation, infection, novel diagnostics and monitoring. Funding comes from the Wellcome Trust, UK Medical Research Council, European Union, and UK National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) among others. He has published widely, with multiple papers in the New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet and JAMA. Apart from the above-mentioned esophageal Doppler monitor, he has developed a novel tissue PO2 monitor (gauging the adequacy of tissue perfusion) entering clinical trials in 2016, and a novel drug inducing a 'suspended animation' state intended for ischaemia-reperfusion injury that is scheduled to go into man also in 2016. He is also the clinical lead investigator of studies on novel diagnostics for sepsis and infection, and the first intensivist to be appointed a Senior Investigator by the NIHR.
He lectures widely and has delivered four plenary lectures at the annual Congresses of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the US Society of Critical Care Medicine. He has authored/edited several textbooks including the Oxford Textbook of Critical Care and the Oxford Handbook of Critical Care. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of Intensive Care Medicine Experimental (ICMx), co-chair of the new Sepsis Redefinitions Task Force, Council Member of the International Sepsis Forum, Critical Care Theme Lead of the NIHR Health Informatics Collaborative, and does 13 clinical on-call weeks per annum in the ICU.
Timothy Spruill, MA, EdD
Charles L. Sprung MD, JD, MCCM, FCCP
Professor Sprung has been active in research particularly studying sepsis, septic shock and ethical issues for more than 35 years. He was a member of the ACCP/SCCM consensus conference on definitions of sepsis in 1991 and a member of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines from 2002 to the most recent guidelines in 2021.
He has participated in many sepsis studies including those of encephalopathy and treatments with corticosteroids, monoclonal antibodies to endotoxin and tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, antithrombin III, tissue factor pathway inhibitor, human activated protein C and recombinant platelet-activating factor. He has also served as a member of Clinical Evaluation and Data Safety and Monitoring Committees for many phase III, multicenter sepsis trials. Professor Sprung coordinated the prospective, multicenter European trial of corticosteroids in septic shock, Corticus. He was the Coordinator of several multi-center studies in ethics including End of Life Decision Making and Procedures in European Intensive Care Units - ETHICUS, Systematic Study of General Ethical Principles Involved in End of Life Decisions for Patients in European Intensive Care Units - ETHICATT, Triage Decision Making for the Elderly in European Intensive Care units - ELDICUS and Worldwide Consensus for End of Life Decisions - Welpicus.
The Hadassah General ICU has treated more terror victims than any other ICU in the world. In addition, Professor Sprung served as the Chairman of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine Ethics Section Task Force for ICU Triage for Disasters and Pandemic Influenza which produced recommendations for the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic and he was a member of the recent American College of Chest Physicians Task Force for Mass Critical Care during a Disaster which also published recommendations. More recently, he was the first author of a paper written by an international group of triage experts on a new algorithm for triaging patients to the ICU during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic and the Chairman of the Medical Subcommittee that developed the National policy of the State of Israeli for Triage Decisions for Severely Ill Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Professor Sprung has been or continues to be a member of several international committees of medical organizations, world health organizations and governmental agencies. He has published extensively on all of the above and multiple ICU areas with more than 350 original articles and 50 book chapters. He received the 2011 ESICM Medal for outstanding contributions to both ESICM and to the development of Intensive Care Medicine worldwide and the Roger C. Bone Advances in End-of-Life Care Award from the CHEST Foundation of the American College of Chest Physicians in October 2013. He was the 2015 Bonei Zion Prize Recipient for Science & Medicine- an award recognizing outstanding Anglo Olim who encapsulate the spirit of modern-day Zionism by contributing in a significant way towards the State of Israel.
Kevin T. Stephan, MD, FACP
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.
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.
Stephen P. Stone, MD, FAAD
Dr. Stone graduated from Tufts University, and received his medical training at New York University School of Medicine. After serving with the U.S. Navy, he completed a residency in dermatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Stone then moved to Springfield, Illinois where he maintained a private practice for more than two decades before moving to his current university position.
He has received numerous honors and citations throughout his distinguished career including Honorary Membership in the AAD, selection for" Best Doctors in America", "Who's Who in Medicine and Health Care" and "Who's Who in America'. He is past Editor-in-Chief of Dialogues in Dermatology, the AAD's monthly audio journal and served as the 67th president of the Academy from March 2006 through February 2007.
His interests in dermatology include psoriasis and other inflammatory skin diseases, acne, occupational dermatology, and skin cancer. He has been involved as an investigator or subinvestigator in more than 40 clinical studies, more than half involving treatment of psoriasis.
Dr. Stone has given more than 220 lectures and Grand Rounds presentations outside of his university, including such international venues as Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an and Guangzhou, China, the Icelandic Dermatology Association, in Reykjavik, Iceland, the Congresso da Sociedade Brasileira Dermatologia, Curitiba and Salvador, Brazil, the Philippine Dermatological Society Annual Meeting in Manila, Republic of the Philippines, the Canadian Dermatological Association, Dermatrends III in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Hong Kong, the International Congress of Dermatology, in Prague, Czech Republic, and the World Congress of Dermatology in Vancouver BC, Canada, Kalambakas, Greece, and Taupo, New Zealand.
George N. Strickland, DDS
Michael J. Tan, MD, FACP, FIDSA
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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 Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology as Associate Editor, and is the Editor-in-Chief for Epilepsy and Behavior Reports. He has presented lectures at national and international meetings as an invited lecturer.
Valerie R. Vestal, MSN, PMHNP-BC
She received both her undergraduate and graduate degree in Nursing from Winston-Salem State University. She also holds a Post Master in Psychiatric Family Nurse Practitioner from the University of South Alabama School of Nursing. She is also a Lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserve and has deployed to both Kuwait and Germany.
She is passionate about uplifting patients who have a negative self-image and have defined themselves by their illness. She has most recently expressed this through her work as a contributing author in the book Goodness Abounds.
David Glenn Weismiller, MD, ScM, FAAFP
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.
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™, as well as the AAFP's annual Family Medicine Update course.
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.
He is the father of three amazing daughters. He and his partner Brian make their home in Las Vegas.
Michael J. Wilsey, Jr., MD, FAAP
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.
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
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.
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.
George Yung-hsing Wu, MD, PhD
He has been a pioneer of targeted delivery of biological substances including genes, and mitochondria specifically to hepatocytes. He has received an American Gastroenterological Association/Industry Research Scholar Award, American Liver Foundation Research Prize, AGA-Gastroenterology Research Group Young Scientist Award, was elected a Fellow of the AGA, and the American Association for the Study of liver Diseases.
He was elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation, Association of American Physicians, the National Academy of Inventors, and was a Fulbright Specialist. He has published more than 160 articles, edited 13 books and is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Clinical and Translational Hepatology, and senior associate editor of the Journal of Digestive Diseases.
Laraine T. Zappert, PhD
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.
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.
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.