1. health and fitness

Twelfth Annual Summit on Health Disparities/
CBC Health Braintrust Meeting & Awards Dinner
April 20–21, 2015
Biographical Sketches
Lilyana Amezcua, MD
Dr. Lilyana Amezcua is an assistant professor of Neurology at the University of Southern
California (USC). She attended University of California, Irvine and Jefferson Medical College, in
Philadelphia, PA. She went on to train as a resident and was chief resident of neurology. She then
was awarded a Multiple Sclerosis Fellowship by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She has
received various research awards including a young investigator award by Race to Erase MS and
a KL2 by the Clinical Translational Science Institute. Dr. Amezcua’s current work focuses on
unraveling the ethnic contributions, including genetic ancestry and non-biological factors
affecting MS and MS disability. She is a council member to the NMSS Hispanic Advisory board
and was involved in the development of the Wellness center at the Historic Los Angeles County
General Hospital. She currently serves as the medical director of the MS Comprehensive Care
Clinics.
Phyllis Arthur, MBA
Phyllis Arthur is Senior Director for Vaccines, Immunotherapeutics and Diagnostics Policy at the
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). In this role Ms. Arthur is responsible for working
with member companies in vaccines, molecular diagnostics and bio-defense on policy, legislative
and regulatory issues.
Ms Arthur joined BIO in July 2009 as the Director of Healthcare Regulatory Affairs. Prior to
joining BIO, she worked in numerous marketing and sales positions for Merck & Co Inc in their
Vaccine Division. Over her 16 year career in vaccines Ms Arthur launched several exciting new
vaccines in the United States and internationally, including the first HPV vaccine GARDASIL.
During her years in Marketing she worked closely with clinical and academic thought leaders in
infectious diseases, oncology and public health. In addition, Ms Arthur also led a large vaccine
sales organization of over 75 representatives and managers covering 14 states.
Before graduate school, Ms Arthur worked as a research assistant for two economists at the
Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. There she conducted economic analyses related to
savings and investment policies for the OECD countries.
Ms Arthur received her B.A. in 1987 in Economics and International Politics from Goucher
College and her M.B.A. in 1991 from the Wharton School of Business at the University of
Pennsylvania.
Ray Michael Bridgewater
Mr. Bridgewater is the President and CEO of the Assembly of Petworth, a non-profit, culturally
diverse and multi-ethnic community empowerment organization serving the metropolitan
Twelfth Annual Summit on Health Disparities/CBC Health Braintrust Meeting & Awards Dinner:
Biographical Sketches
Washington area around issues concerning health disparities, technology, workforce and
community development.. He has guided and directed over several major community
development organizations whose work is concentrated in business development, institutional
capacity building and public policy intervention strategies designed to eliminate the
disadvantages of multi-generational poverty and disinvestment of inner city communities. He is
involved in many diverse programs, united by a common theme of providing health, education
and social services for underserved, at-risk populations of the District of Columbia including: low
achieving youth, ex-offenders, welfare recipients in need of job training, mothers, fathers, infants,
children, families and seniors in need of healthcare.
Mr. Bridgewater plays a significant role in overseeing operations of and bringing community
resources to a number of projects such as: the March of Dimes Mama and Baby Bus – a pre-natal
mobile unit and the NICU project at the Children National Medical Center; Howard University
Prostate Cancer and Diabetes Telehealth Mobile Unit; WUSA TV-9 Grassroot and Media
Campaign around Men’s Health Initiative (prostate cancer); National Minority Organ Tissue
Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP); Telehealth Hypertension and Kidney Project;
National Medical Association Diabetes Education Program ;University of the District of
Columbia/Emergency Management System (UDC/EMS) Academy and Cadet Program – a
bilingual training and certification of EMS cadets and the Assistant Technology Project –
developing a multi-media job training and career development program for the developmentally
disabled, senior and veterans population.
Virginia A. Caine, MD
As director of the Marion County Public Health Department, Virginia A. Caine, M.D., has
worked tirelessly to promote and advance public health through innovative programs and
unprecedented collaborations.
Dr. Caine, one of the Nations’ premier public health practitioners, is the past president of the
American Public Health Association, the nation’s oldest and largest public health organization,
and is an Associate Professor of Medicine for the Infectious Disease Division of the Indiana
University School of Medicine.
She has appeared on the CBS Evening News for her expertise regarding sexually transmitted
diseases and NBC Evening News for H1N1.
Dr. Caine is responsible for coordinating Marion County’s public health response in the event of
an emergency and she tapped her vast emergency preparedness to expertly coordinate the
county’s H1N1 activities where nearly 118,000 school age children were immunized.
Indianapolis was one of the first two cities in the U.S. to receive the nasal mist for H1N1. Along
with the Indianapolis Patient Safety Coalition, she helped implement the recent Influenza Patient
Restriction Visitor Policy for the Indianapolis hospitals to prevent any influenza outbreak.
Her boundless energy, vision and drive to serve people, especially disadvantaged areas, have led
Dr. Caine to have her fingerprints on numerous projects. She set up the first countywide
HIV/AIDS integrated health care delivery system involving major hospitals, community health
centers, social service agencies, and the first HIV dental clinic. Her efforts around HIV/AIDS
received national recognition from the White House in 2012 as the “best of the best” for the Ryan
White HIV/AIDS programs.
Dr. Caine is the founding member of a collaborative effort among hospitals and other health
entities that developed the nation’s best and nationally recognized Indiana Health Information
Exchange.
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Eleventh Annual Summit on Health Disparities/CBC Health Braintrust Meeting & Awards Dinner:
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Dr. Caine is an innovative, inspiring leader who has dedicated her career as both physician and
public servant to protecting and improving the health of her community. She has advanced the
field of public health and served the residents of Indianapolis and Marion County well.
Amanda D. Castel, MD, MPH
Dr. Amanda Castel is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and Co-Director
of the Masters in Science Public Health Microbiology and Emerging Infectious Diseases
program. She is a medical epidemiologist with board certifications in pediatrics and preventive
medicine and completed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Epidemic Intelligence
Service program.
Dr. Castel’s research interests include identifying interventions to maximize adherence to preexposure prophylaxis, assessing outcomes along the HIV care continuum including routine
testing expansion, and developing interventions to increase engagement in care, adherence, and
viral suppression.
Since 2006, Dr. Castel has provided technical and epidemiologic expertise to the DC Department
of Health's HIV/AIDS Administration through a Public Health-Academic Partnership and
through the Enhanced Comprehensive HIV Prevention Planning Initiative. Through these
partnership activities, she often uses routinely collected testing and HIV surveillance data to
measure population-based outcomes, such as community viral load. In addition to her health
department activities, Dr. Castel is the Principal Investigator of several studies including the DC
Cohort, a NIH-funded public health research database which aims to follow over 10,000 HIVinfected individuals receiving care in the District of Columbia, and several studies looking at
barriers and facilitators to engagement in HIV care.
Dr. Castel has also conducted international HIV/AIDS research, teaches courses on infectious
diseases including HIV, and is a volunteer attending physician at Children's National Medical
Center in the Special Immunology Clinic of the Infectious Disease Department.
Magdalena Castro Lewis
As the Vice President for Programs, Magdalena Castro Lewis provides oversight of the National
Alliance for Hispanic Health’s (the Alliance’s) national, multi-year programs in the areas of
disease prevention, health promotion, and technical assistance to community-based organizations,
health care professionals and communities. In addition, she manages the Alliance’s helplines: The
National Hispanic Prenatal Helpline and Su Familia: The National Hispanic Family Health
Helpline that provide callers with free, reliable information and referrals to health care services in
their communities. Major multi-site multi-year initiatives are Let’s Talk about Cancer; Nuestras
Familias: Medicaid and CHIP for Hispanic Children; Hypertension Control is in Your Hands; and
La Promesa: Medicare Diabetes Preventive Care Benefits. Another important initiative carried
out under this Center was the La Promesa (The Promise): Delivering the Medicare Message to
Hispanics, which was the Alliance's effort to ensure that Hispanics who have Medicare may take
advantage of the new Medicare benefits. During her sixteen-year tenure at the Alliance, Ms.
Castro Lewis has Directed the Vacunas para la familia: Immunization for All Ages –– Vaccines
for the family––, Moving Forward: CHIP for Hispanic Children, Caring for Hispanics: Culturally
Competent Systems of Care, and other initiatives on prenatal care and disabilities.
Ms. Castro Lewis' professional interest has increasingly focused on efforts to improve the health
and education status of the Hispanic community in the United States. She has extensive
experience developing culturally and linguistically proficient health education materials for
Hispanics and contributing to the development of national and community-based partnerships
geared to improving the health and education of Hispanic families.
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Twelfth Annual Summit on Health Disparities/CBC Health Braintrust Meeting & Awards Dinner:
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She received a licentiate degree in Sociology from La Salle University, Bogotá, Colombia, and
performed graduate work in social-educational research at the Unversidad Pedagógica de
Colombia.
Daniel Chaput, MM
Daniel Chaput is a Public Health Policy Analyst at the Office of the National Coordinator for
Health Information Technology in Washington D.C. Daniel has dual training background and
experience in public health and information technology, plus having worked at the State and
Local Health Departments for several years, he also brings in a unique perspective to multiple
projects and initiatives at the ONC. He co-leads the Public Health Tiger Team (PHTT) focused on
Structured Data Capture (SDC) and works collaboratively with CDC Electronic Health Record
(EHR) Meaningful Use (MU) Team to help the State/Local Health Departments, Healthcare
Providers, Vendors and Health IT developers, resolve the technical implementation challenges
related to submission of MU related data to Public Health. On multiple occasions, he has shared
his knowledge with the attendees from across the nation on- Joint PH Forum & CDC Nationwide
Call, PH-EHR Vendor Collaboration Initiative Call, Community of Practice for leveraging
Federal Funding Participation and many more. He provides technical support for public health
agencies related to the CMS Meaningful Use public health objectives; project support for CDC
funded pilot projects to enable inter-jurisdiction exchange of immunization data and a patient
portal for immunization data; and represents public health in policy and technical offices in ONC.
His background includes positions in IT management and architecture in financial institutions,
manufacturing, software, and consulting companies. As a public health informatician he has
addressed public health business problems utilizing an IT toolkit including statistics, system and
software design, and database management in addition to his management experience. His public
health assignments and projects have been at, and across jurisdictional levels including local,
state, national, and international levels.
Luther T. Clark, MD, FACC, FACP
Dr. Luther T. Clark is the Global Director, Scientific Medical and Patient Perspective (SMPP) for
Cardiovascular Diseases in the Office of the Chief Medical Officer (OCMO) at Merck & Co. In
this role, he supports the needs of the CMO by (1) gathering internal and external scientific and
medical information to assist with decision-making at the highest levels and (2) collaborating
across Merck to help increase the voice of patients, directly and indirectly into decision-making
across the enterprise. Prior to his appointment to this position on December 1, 2014, he was the
Global Director for Scientific Affairs (GDSA) for Cardiovascular & Atherosclerosis at Merck. In
the GDSA role, Dr. Clark led the development and execution of the Cardiovascular Scientific
Leadership Strategy, led the Cardiovascular & Atherosclerosis Global Scientific Affairs Teams
(GSATs) and chaired the Merck Investigator Initiated Studies Program (MISP-RC) for
Cardiovascular Diseases. He is a key member of the team that champions the OCMO’s Health
Care Equities Strategic Initiative (including promotion of health literacy and research diversity)
and chairs the Health Literacy Investigator Initiated Studies Research Committee.
Dr. Clark joined Merck in 2007. Prior to joining Merck, he was Chief of the Division of
Cardiovascular Medicine at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Kings County Hospital
Center, Brooklyn, New York, as well as director and principal investigator of the NIH-supported
Brooklyn Health Disparities Research Center.
Dr. Clark earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard College and his Medical degree from
Harvard Medical School. He has authored more than 100 publications, edited and was principal
contributor to the textbook, Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes (McGraw-Hill 2007).
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Eleventh Annual Summit on Health Disparities/CBC Health Braintrust Meeting & Awards Dinner:
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Dr. Clark is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) and the American College
of Physicians (FACP), a member of the Board of Directors of the Founders Affiliate of the
American Heart Association and a member of the Association of Black Cardiologists. He is also
currently a member of the Clinician Workgroup of the National Quality Forum’s Measures
Advisory Partnership (MAP).
Marla Dalton, PE, CAE
Marla Dalton is the Executive Director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
(NFID), a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to educating the public and healthcare
professionals about the causes, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases across the
lifespan. Dalton joined NFID in 2010 as Senior Director, Education and Public Outreach,
responsible for developing and implementing strategies to integrate public and professional
education on infectious diseases, expanding strategic partnerships and coalitions including more
than 50 partner organizations, and managing communications outreach initiatives including social
media and website properties.
Dalton brings her passion for improving public health along with more than 20 years of
experience in business management, marketing, and public affairs including various leadership
positions in the non-profit sector. Prior to joining NFID, she served as Senior Vice President of
Education and Consulting Services at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and
Epidemiology, Inc. (APIC) where she was responsible for the development and management of
APIC’s educational programs (live and online) and products as well as APIC Consulting
Services, Inc., a wholly-owned, for-profit subsidiary. Prior to joining APIC, Dalton was
Executive Vice President of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Industry Leaders
Council and Executive Director of The Infrastructure Security Partnership.
Dalton is a certified association executive (CAE), a member of the American Society of
Association Executives, and a registered professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
She earned a bachelor of science in civil and environmental engineering from Cornell University
College of Engineering and a certificate in non-profit organization management from the US
Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management.
Nina DeLorenzo
Nina DeLorenzo, vice president of Government Affairs Strategy and Public Policy for AbbVie, is
a communications and public affairs professional with more than 20 years of private sector,
political, and government experience.
In her current role, she leads a team that develops AbbVie’s public stances on critical public
policy issues and creates strategies that shape a more favorable public policy environment for
AbbVie’s business interests globally.
Her prior pharmaceutical experience includes roles in public affairs at Pfizer Inc, international
public affairs at Schering-Plough Corp. (now Merck), and at the Pharmaceutical Research and
Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), where she appeared on television, radio, and in print as a
spokeswoman for the trade association in Washington, DC.
Ms. DeLorenzo served in the administration of President George W. Bush, working in the White
House Coalition Information Center at the outset of the war on terror, and in the Bureau of
International Information Programs at the U.S. Department of State. Prior to this service, Ms.
DeLorenzo held political and communications roles in Republican politics, including positions on
the U.S. Senate campaigns of former U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham. She also
worked for Abraham in the U.S. Senate.
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Twelfth Annual Summit on Health Disparities/CBC Health Braintrust Meeting & Awards Dinner:
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Ms. DeLorenzo holds a BA in Government and International Relations from the University of
Notre Dame and an MA in International Relations from the University of Chicago. A Michigan
native, she now resides in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Chris Draft
When the game is over and the stadium lights are turned off, Chris Draft, former NFL linebacker,
suits up to play the positions of community activist and founder of the Chris Draft Family
Foundation (CDFF). Chris’s mission in life is focused on striving to make a positive difference in
the lives of youth and in the community as he leads by example both on and off the field.
In 2006, Chris established his Atlanta-based foundation with the vision of empowering families to
live healthy lifestyles. The Chris Draft Family Foundation’s seven initiatives are Asthma
Team™, Character Team™, Draft Picks™, Get Checked and Get Fit™, Literacy Leaders™,
Community Improvement, and Military Appreciation. Through the foundation’s seven pillars,
thousands of youth, adults, parents, and families are impacted annually.
The Chris Draft Family Foundation later established the Team Draft initiative. Created by Chris
and his late wife Keasha during her year-long struggle with lung cancer, Team Draft hopes that
her valiant fight to live, love, laugh, and smile will give hope and comfort to people around the
world. Team Draft is working to save lives by changing the face of lung cancer.
Chris defines his life’s work as both a privilege and a responsibility that has enabled him to serve
as a leading role model nationwide. His unwavering passion and dedication for making a
difference began with strong values and ethics he and his brother learned from their parents Rose
and Tony Draft. Those characteristics have been instrumental on his road to success at Stanford
University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics. Not only did Chris excel in the
classroom, he also excelled on the field, becoming a four-year letter winner on the Stanford
football team and a two year member of the baseball team.
Chris, who suffers from asthma, is the National Spokesman for the National Lieutenant
Governor’s Association’s “Winning with Asthma” program and is involved in national
campaigns with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the American Lung Association
and the NFL Players Association. He also serves as the National Ambassador for the Parent
Teacher Association (PTA), an official champion of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and
the regional spokesman of the Midwest Dairy Association. Draft has also served on the Board of
Advisors for the Atlanta NFL Youth Education Town (NFL/YET) Boys and Girls Club for three
years and remains involved as an active member of the Friends of the NFL/YET.
The 13-year NFL veteran has received a number of awards and honors for his tireless work in the
community, including his selection as Man of the Year by both the St. Louis Rams and the
Carolina Panthers and two time finalist for the prestigious Byron “Whizzer” White Award, which
recognizes outstanding community service. In addition to his numerous accolades, Do You Want
to Play Catch?, aims to inspire children and their families to spend time together while living
healthy, active lives.
Traci Thompson Ferguson, MD
Dr. Ferguson is the vice president of clinical services management and is responsible for
implementation and adherence of enterprise medical policy, medical expense initiatives within
the department, and oversight and mentorship of the utilization management medical directors,
who make utilization management determinations and support full compliance with regulatory
and contracted government customers.
Traci joined WellCare in 2010 as the Corporate Medical Director. Since then, she has held
several clinical leadership roles of increasing responsibility with the company, serving as the
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Eleventh Annual Summit on Health Disparities/CBC Health Braintrust Meeting & Awards Dinner:
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Senior Market Medical Director of Georgia, Lead Corporate Medical Director and Senior
Corporate Medical Director of Utilization Management prior to accepting her current position in
February 2014.
Traci came to WellCare from her position as the Locum Tenens Hospitalist at Weatherby
Healthcare where her experience included adhering to evidence-based clinical guidelines in the
management of complex medical and surgical situations. Her previous roles include Hospital
Medicine Medical Director at Team Health Inc., and Program Medical Director, Lead Hospitalist
Physician and Team Hospitalist Physician at Cogent Healthcare of Pensacola and Fort Myers.
Traci earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University, and a doctor of medicine degree
from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She served as both a faculty member and
clinical instructor at the University of Maryland Medical Center and at the University of Miami
Miller School of Medicine. As a board certified internal medicine physician, she actively worked
in hospitals on various quality initiatives and process improvement projects before transitioning
to medical management in 2010.
Traci is board certified in internal medicine through the American Board of Internal Medicine.
She has active medical licenses in California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland,
New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Texas.
Joel Freedman
Joel Freedman is President of Paladin Healthcare Capital LLC, makes private equity, structured
debt, and real estate investments in the healthcare sector. He previously served as President and
co-founder of Avanti Hospitals LLC, which acquired, turned around, and continues to own and
operate four highly successful community hospitals in South and East Los Angeles. In 2004, he
co-founded CompWest Insurance Company, an innovative California-based workers
compensation insurance company that was sold in 2007 to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Michigan. During his career, Joel has completed more than 175 transactions totaling more than $3
billion, including more than $800 million of healthcare transactions. Joel is a founding member of
the Healthcare Policy Advisory Council for Harvard Medical School and a National Council CoChair for American Enterprise Institute. He also serves on the Boards of Children’s Bureau and
the Foundation for AltaMed Health Services.
Laura Lee Hall, PhD
Laura Lee joined the American College of Physicians (ACP) in 2011 in the Medical Practice
Division. She has over 20 years of experience leading health education, research, and advocacy
efforts for government, for-profit, and nonprofit setting. At ACP, Laura Lee has launched the
Office of Grants and Center for Quality, overseeing grant funding from commercial, foundation,
and government sources. She also has developed the ACP Quality Connect network with
programs in 18 states focused on adult immunization, diabetes, and chronic pain to date.
After receiving a PhD at the Naval Medical School (USUHS) and completing post-doctoral
fellowships at the NIH and Bloomberg School of Public Health at John Hopkins University,
Laura Lee worked as a senior analyst at the congressional Office of Technology Assessment. She
then became the deputy director of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, leading advocacy,
education, communications, and research efforts on behalf of individuals with serious mental
illness. After serving as an advisor to the director of the National Institute of Mental Health and
as the scientific director at INNOVIA Education, Laura Lee led the development and
implementation of major quality improvement and educational programs at the American College
of Cardiology, including the development and launch of credo--Coalition to Reduce Ethnic and
Racial Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes.
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Twelfth Annual Summit on Health Disparities/CBC Health Braintrust Meeting & Awards Dinner:
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Stefanie Brown James
Stefanie Brown James is the CEO and Founding Partner of Vestige Strategies, LLC – a
Washington, DC based community engagement firm that specializes in grassroots community and
civic engagement strategies. Through her role at Vestige, Stefanie works with domestic and
international clients to help build and sustain strategic relationships while empowering the
community in the process.
In 2012, Stefanie served as the National African American Vote Director for the Obama for
America Campaign. In this position, Stefanie organized the African Americans for Obama
program and managed the national strategy to engage African American leaders and voters to
register and re-elect President Barack Obama. Formerly the National Field Director and National
Director of the NAACP Youth & College Division for the NAACP, Stefanie developed and
administered the national field organizing strategy for the NAACP’s 2,200 adult branches and
youth units in 48 states and the District of Columbia.
A 2003 graduate of Howard University, Stefanie is the founder and Executive Director of Brown
Girls Lead, Inc.; a leadership development organization focused on cultivating positive social
change on college campuses and in communities across the country. Stefanie has received
numerous awards and recognitions including being named as one of Campaign and Elections
Magazine’s 2014 “50 Influential People” changing the way we think about campaigns; The Grio
100, 2013 honoree and TheRoot 100, 2012 honoree.
William B. Lawson, MD, PhD, DLFAPA
Dr. Lawson is currently Professor and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences at Howard University Health Sciences, Washington, DC. He is also a professor in the
graduate faculties of psychology and pharmacology. He is President of the DC chapter of Mental
Health America, Past President of the Washington Psychiatric Society, a Distinguished Life
Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a member of the American College of
Psychiatrists. He is past Chair of the Section of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of the
National Medical Association, and past president of the Black Psychiatrists of America. He
received the American Psychiatric Foundation Award for Advancing Minority Mental Health,
and was given the 2014 Solomon Carter Fuller Award by the American Psychiatric Association,
which honors a Black citizen who has pioneered in an area which has significantly benefited the
quality of life for Black people. He was inducted in Sigma XI the scientific honor society and
Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical honor society. National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Exemplary
Psychiatrist Award and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Outstanding Psychologist
Award. He was twice named one of “America’s Leading Black Doctors” by Black Enterprise
Magazine, A “Super Doctor” by the Washington Post many times, and Top Doctor by US news
and World Report multiple times. He was the Andrea Delgado Honoree and Lecturer for the
Black Psychiatrists of America, received the Jeanne Spurlock Award from the American
Psychiatric Association, received the E.Y. Williams Clinical Scholar of Distinction Award from
the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Section of the National Medical Association, a
Multicultural Workplace Award from the Veterans Administration for his outstanding
contributions to the advancement of diversity and multicultural understanding. He received the
Howard University College of Medicine Research Award, the Faculty Senate Creativity and
Research Award, and Profiles in Courage Award. He has over 180 publications and has received
federal, industry, and foundation funding to study and treat severe mental illness, substance
abuse, and AIDs.
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Eleventh Annual Summit on Health Disparities/CBC Health Braintrust Meeting & Awards Dinner:
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Naomi Lowy, MD
Naomi Lowy, M.D. is a Medical Officer on the Professional Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement
(PASE) staff within the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) in FDA. Dr. Lowy
leads CDER’s team on the Drug Trials Snapshots initiative. She has been with the FDA for 7
years, most of that time in the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Drug Products. Dr.
Lowy graduated from New York Medical College and then completed an Internal Medicine
residency at Montefiore Medical Center and a fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and
Metabolism at New York University. Her work at the FDA has focused on medical and
regulatory issues of thyroid, pituitary, and growth hormone products, including drugs for the
treatment of rare endocrine diseases.
Paul Lucas II, MS
Paul Lucas, II graduated from the University of Illinois, College of Applied Health Sciences,
Department of Kinesiology and Community Health. He received both his B.S. and M.S. in
Community Health, Health Planning and Administration. Paul has been with the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over six years. Paul’s work at the CDC during the course
of his career has ranged from immunizations to emergency preparedness to health disparities.
Currently, Paul is assigned to the Indiana State Department of Health, Immunization Division,
where he provides technical assistance and consultation on various immunization policies and
procedures and oversees the adult immunization program. During his time with the Illinois
Department of Public Health, Paul collaborated with a variety of state partner organizations to
increase immunization coverage levels and reduce vaccine preventable disease incidence within
Illinois. Prior to joining the CDC, Paul served as an Outcomes Analyst on a Medicare
Coordinated Care Demonstration funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He
also instructed various public health courses at both the community college and university level.
Robert David Martinez, MD
Dr. Robert David Martinez,M.D. is an Internal Medicine physician with over 13 years of private
practice experience including Inpatient/Ambulatory care of patients. Born and raised in the Rio
Grande Valley, Dr. Martinez received his bachelor of arts in biology and psychology from
Southern Methodist University. He received his doctor of medicine and conducted his internal
medicine residency training at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Dr.
Martinez currently serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer/Chief Physician
Executive and as an active board member at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, where he
previously held the position of Chief of Staff (2011-2013). Other positions Dr. Martinez holds at
Doctors Hospital at Renaissance include vice president and co-founder of the Physician Health
Plus physician health organization, chairman of the Graduate Medical Education Committee, and
physician champion for the Internal Medicine Residency program. Dr. Martinez also serves as the
first and current President of the Renaissance Medical Foundation which is the rapidly expanding
branch of employed physician groups and Clinical Integration initiative at DHR. He is the
President/founding member of the RioOne Health Network, which is a regional healthcare hub
for electronic medical record information sharing among hospitals and providers. Dr. Martinez is
also an active member of the Board of Directors for the Border Health Political Action
Committee. He is a member of the American Medical Association, Texas Medical Association,
Hidalgo-Starr Medical Association, and the American College of Physician Executives.
Dennis McNamara, MD
Dr. Dennis McNamara is a Professor of Medicine and the Director of the Center for Heart Failure
Research at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Dr. McNamara, a graduate of
Yale University and Harvard Medical School, completed his research and clinical training at
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Twelfth Annual Summit on Health Disparities/CBC Health Braintrust Meeting & Awards Dinner:
Biographical Sketches
Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston before joining the University of Pittsburgh faculty in
1994.
For the last twenty years his research has focused on the pathogenesis of primary dilated
cardiomyopathy and the impact of genetic heterogeneity on clinical outcomes. He directed the
recently completed IPAC study (Investigation of Pregnancy Associated Cardiomyopathy), a thirty
center investigation of myocardial recovery for women with peripartum cardiomyopathy.
He is a recognized leader in the field of pharmacogenomics and heart failure therapeutics, and his
laboratory has functioned as the core genomics lab for numerous multi-center trials including the
AHeFT study of Heart Failure in African Americans. He is the Principal Investigator for the NIH
funded multicenter investigation GRAHF2, (Genomic Response Analysis for Heart Failure
Therapy in African Americans) which will explore the potential use of genomics to tailor heart
failure therapeutics.
Randall C. Morgan, MD, FAACOS, MBA
Fellowship Trained in Pediatric and General Orthopedics. Dr. Morgan is a surgeon achieving a
career of excellence in service to his patients, a visionary leader in group medical practice,
community and youth mentorship. As a Sarasota Orthopedic Associates physician he presently
serves as Executive Director of Orthopedic Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute while engaged
as an orthopedic surgeon locally.
Dr. Morgan earned a BA in Chemistry from Grinnell College, Iowa and began a long career of
medicine after acceptance at Howard University College of Medicine. He served an internship
and orthopedic surgery residency at Northwestern University, Chicago where he was recognized
as “Resident of the Year” and also as Chief Resident of Orthopedic Surgery. He then served as
Resident Physician at the prestigious Rancho Los Amigos Hospital in Downey, CA completing
his residency. Dr. Morgan joined two of his NW faculty members in their private practice in
Evanston, IL and became the first African American staff surgeon at the hospital.
Dr. Morgan practiced in his hometown, Gary, IN and with the assistance of his father, Dr.
Randall Morgan, Sr, he founded the Orthopedic Centers of Northwestern Indiana serving as
president.
He completed a fellowship in Pediatric Orthopedics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. He served
as Asst. Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Indiana University and as Clinical Associate at NW
University. He later earned his MBA from University of South Florida.
In addition to his contributions to community service Dr. Morgan is a Diplomat of the American
Board of Orthopedic Surgery, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and certified by the
American Board of Managed Care Medicine. A singular highlight was receiving an honorary
Doctor of Science by his alma mater, Grinnell College.
Dr. Morgan presently serves as Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at FL State
School of Medicine and Clinical Asst. Professor of Community Medicine at the University of CT
Health Center. It is there that he continues to develop his research interest in healthcare and
musculoskeletal disparities.
Lydia Pan, PhD
As Program Director, Lydia is primarily responsible for leading the formation of a collaborative
project to address disparities in adult vaccination rates. Her responsibilities include developing a
business plan for the Vaccination Disparities Project (VDP), managing daily operations,
recruiting members to the Steering Committee, and raising funds through sponsorship and other
means.
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Lydia brings to her current role a breadth of experience from the pharmaceutical sector. From
2007 until 2014, she served as a Director of Science Policy and Public Affairs at Pfizer, providing
support for the rare diseases, personalized medicine, clinical trial issues, diseases of the
developing world, academic-industry relations and pharmaceutical innovation. In this role, she
represented Pfizer in various industry association working groups, the NIH Drug Repurposing
Roundtable, the Personalized Medicine Coalition Public Policy Committee and played an
instrumental role in the establishment of the WIPO Re:Search consortium to catalyze innovation
against neglected tropical diseases.
Lydia has also made significant professional contributions to biomedical research, as head of a
drug discovery biology laboratory for osteoporosis and musculoskeletal disease therapeutics
within Pfizer Global R&D that produced several clinical candidates (1993-2007) and as Staff
Scientist and Director of the Molecular Biology Core Laboratory at the Hospital for Special
Surgery in New York (1991-1993). Her education includes a BS in Biology from Yale
University, PhD in Biology from the University of California San Diego and postdoctoral training
at Stanford University. Lydia has authored or co-authored more than 30 scientific journal articles
and book chapters.
Gary A. Puckrein, PhD
Dr. Gary A. Puckrein is President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Minority Quality
Forum. The Forum is dedicated to improving the quality of health care through the use of
evidence-based, data-driven initiatives. The Forum maintains a centralized data warehouse of
vital statistics, demographics, environmental information, provider claims, prescription drug use,
clinical laboratory values, health-care access points, and other data. The Forum employs these
data resources to build web-based indexes and atlases that enable users to measure and forecast
health status and disease prevalence in small geographic areas, evaluate the impact of specific
interventions, and monitor changes in health outcomes. The Forum has also recently launched the
Clinical Trial Engagement Network, the healthcare industry resource addressing a critical need in
drug research – improving the representation of diverse populations, including African
Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanics, in clinical trials. Dr. Puckrein is considered a
preeminent authority on health information products and was the publisher of American Visions
and Minority Health Today. Dr. Puckrein has served on numerous health-care advisory boards,
including the National Advisory Board on Health Disparities for the Health Research and
Educational Trust (American Hospital Association), the CLAS/Health Disparities Expert Panel
(National Committee for Quality Assurance), and the Pharmacy Education Advisory Council
(American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy). Between 1974 and 1992, Dr. Puckrein taught
and lectured at Brown University, Rutgers University, Connecticut College, and Roger Williams
College. Dr. Puckrein has received many awards and honors, including being named a visiting
scholar and fellow at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and a visiting
fellow at Princeton University. He was awarded doctoral and master’s degrees in history from
Brown University, and a bachelor’s degree from California State University at Los Angeles.
Mitchel Craig Rothholz, RPh, MBA
Mitchel C. Rothholz is a pharmacist currently serving as Chief Strategy Officer for the American
Pharmacists Association (APhA) responsible for the development and coordination of the
organization’s strategic plan, governance and policy development activities, and public health
initiative. He has served in numerous roles as an APhA staff member since 1994. He is a 1984
graduate of the University of Florida, College of Pharmacy, and earned a Masters in Business
Administration, Healthcare Management, from Regis University in 2005. He has served as the
Executive Director of the Alabama Pharmacy Association (1989-1994) and worked in numerous
roles for the Florida Pharmacy Association (1984-1989). He has practical experience in
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community (both chain and independent) pharmacy, nursing home, hospital, and managed care
practice settings. He is a nationally recognized expert on Pharmacy-Based Immunization
Delivery, and serves as a national faculty member for APhA’s Certificate Training Program. He
serves as Secretary for the Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners, a collaborative forum of
11 national pharmacist organizations. He currently serves on the HHS National Vaccine Advisory
Committee (NVAC), Leadership Steering Committee of the National Adult and Influenza
Immunization Summit (NAIIS), the Advisory Board of the Immunization Action Coalition, and
HHS - NVAC Working Groups.
He is a participant on several immunization stakeholder task forces, and has been involved in
numerous immunization grant and cooperative agreements. He has assisted numerous
pharmacists in implementing immunization and other patient care services. In 2014, he received
an Immunization Champion Award from the National Adult and Influenza Immunization
Summit. He has worked on projects involving collaboration between pharmacists, physicians and
other healthcare professionals leading to improved patient care outcomes, and has spent the last
20 years working with other immunization stakeholders on the creation and implementation of
immunization neighborhoods.
Albert T. Roy
Albert Roy is the Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR) Executive Director for their Lupus Clinical
Investigators Network (LuCIN). Prior to joining ALR, Mr. Roy was Chief Executive Officer of
Lupus Therapeutics. Mr. Roy brings more than fifteen years of non-profit, fundraising and
medical research experience to the lupus community.
Prior to joining Lupus Therapeutics, Mr. Roy spent eleven years at CureSearch for Children’s
Cancer, a multi-million dollar public charity whose mission is to support targeted and innovative
children's cancer research. CureSearch served as the fiscal, administrative and philanthropic agent
for the world’s largest pediatric cancer clinical trials research network, the Children’s Oncology
Group (COG). The COG is comprised of 5,000 physician-investigators and more than 200
international academic research hospitals. Mr. Roy began his tenure at CureSearch as the Chief
Administrator to COG Group Chair, and then served in various roles as the Director of Finance
and Planning, Senior Director of Grants & Contracts Management, and culminating his tenure as
Vice President of Operations and Research Programs. During his tenure, he was responsible for
managing a research portfolio exceeding $50 million per year and coordinating the formation of
strategic partnerships with more than 200 academic research hospitals throughout North America
to conduct Phase I, II and III pediatric cancer clinical trials. In addition, Mr. Roy played a major
role in the organization's efforts to forge strategic partnerships with the biopharmaceutical
industry.
In 1999, Mr. Roy began his professional career as the Lead Clinical Research Associate within
the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC.
Mr. Roy received his Bachelor's Degree from Ithaca College and Master's Degree from Johns
Hopkins University. Mr. Roy and his wife Michelle have two children, Caden (age 9) and Noelle
(age 7).
Ho Luong Tran, MD, MPH
Dr. Tran is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Asian and
Pacific Islander Physicians (NCAPIP). Dr. Tran holds a doctor of medicine degree from Saigon
Medical School, Vietnam, completed a Pediatrics residency at St. Luke Presbyterian Medical
Center in Chicago, Illinois and obtained a master’s degree in Public Health at the University of
Illinois.
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She was involved in understanding the multifaceted aspect of health status and health care
delivery in relation with the diversity of the population and became an advocate for policy
changes for health equity. In 2009, she received the Minority Health Trail Blazer Award from the
Office of Minority Health, HHS.
Dr. Tran has provided keynote addresses on the elimination of health disparities within the Asian
American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations and communities, conducting
workshops on the elements of diversities of different racial/ethnic groups that might impact on
their health statuses, and holding cultural competency training sessions nationwide.
Active in her community, she was the President of the Vietnamese American Community in
Illinois and chaired both the State of Illinois Governor’s Advisory Council on Asian Affairs, and
the city of Chicago Mayor’s Council on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. She was appointed to the
HHS Secretary’s National Minority Health Advisory Council and served on many other
commissions.
Dr. Tran was the President & CEO of the Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum, a
national advocacy organization with the mission to enable Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians
and Pacific Islanders attain the highest possible level of health and well-being. During her tenure,
she helped create the Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Alliance, the National Council of Asian
Pacific Islander Physicians and the Blueprint for Achieving Optimal Health and Well-Being of
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.
Lisa Valtierra
Lisa’s years of experience in the pharma/patient advocacy arena has aided her in her current focus
on cross cultural marketing, concentrating on the US Latino population. She works across
therapeutic areas to assist brand teams in incorporating Hispanic markets in their overall
strategies, developing in-language and culturally relevant and resonant campaigns.
Her work entails ensuring appropriate resources for projects that integrate with general market
strategies, as well as raising awareness of the need to create campaigns that reach diverse
audiences with accessible and actionable information. Her focus has spanned several therapeutic
areas including diabetes, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, atrial fibrillation, Parkinson's disease, and
women's sexual health.
Her latest campaign, Cuida Tu Don de la Salud with legendary host, Don Francisco, as its
ambassador, is a Spanish language site with videos and helpful tips for people with type 2
diabetes and their caregivers.
Lisa was named one of 2014's Top Marketers of the Year and an Outstanding Multicultural
Marketer of the Year by DTC Perspectives.
Lisa is a proud Los Angeles native and UCLA graduate currently living in Connecticut.
Deidre Walton, JD MSN RN-PHN
Dr. Deidre Walton is the current President of the National Black Nurses Association, Inc. A
nominee by Modern Healthcare for the 100 most influential people in healthcare, 2014, she is an
outstanding leader, one who is known for her acumen about health policy, human rights, health
care reform, and negotiating change. She earned her BSN, MSN, and JD and is a graduate of the
US Army Command and General Staff College. She has extensive Managed Care experience in
nursing practice, education and administration where she develops, implements, supports and
promotes health services strategies, tactics, policies and programs that drive the delivery of
quality health care. As a patient advocate, and an international leader in healthcare, her expertise
is often requested for the resolution of issues regarding healthcare finance, quality patient care,
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culturally competent care, and safety for patients and employees. Dr. Walton’s familiarity with
managing large cost-related data sets has provided opportunities for her to implement review
processes and “road maps” in health systems that help to improve health outcomes among
persons with complex health conditions. She was appointed to the Joint Commission’s Nursing
Advisory Council for the 2015-2016 terms. Most recently, she was selected as a member of the
Steering Committee for the Nurses on Board Coalition, sponsored by the Robert Woods Johnson
Foundation in partnership with the AARP’s Center for Championing for Nursing in America. She
also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurses
Association, and American Heart Association Diversity Leadership Committee, and serves on the
Advisory Board for the UCLA Resource Center for Minority Aging Research. Much of her
knowledge, wisdom, and skills were manifest during her work with the Campaign for Action
Diversity Steering Committee that produced the far-reaching and dynamic strategic plan for
creating a diverse workforce.
Verna L. Welch, PhD, MPH
Verna L. Welch is a Senior Medical Director and Team Leader of the Outcomes Research
Scientists Team in the Vaccines Business Unit at Pfizer Inc. The team’s mission is to help
customers discover the real-world value, both human and economic, of Pfizer vaccines by being a
first in class, trusted, customer facing, medical partner who meets the real-world needs of our
customer by generating, interpreting and communicating health outcomes and pharmacoeconomic
information.
Verna joined Pfizer as a member of the Specialty Care Business Unit field-based anti-infectives
outcome research scientists’ team supporting the Southeast in August of 2008 after a career at
Morehouse School of Medicine where she was an Associate Professor in Community Health and
Preventive Medicine and Director of the Cardiovascular Health Research Program. Verna rapidly
progressed during her industry career becoming team leader after eight months as an individual
contributor.
While at Pfizer, Verna has supported a diversity of therapeutic areas and has experience in
designing and implementing clinical trials, epidemiologic and outcomes research studies. She has
supported pharmacoeconomic and outcomes research studies across the product life cycle
including due diligence, comparative effectiveness, launch and LOE.
As a manager, Verna has effectively led diverse teams and is experienced in building teams,
managing resources, and aligning across complex, matrix organizations.
Verna has nearly 20 years of health-related experience in various sectors including
pharmaceutical industry, academia, health plans, contract research organizations, and
government. She received a BS degree in Mathematics from Clark Atlanta University, MPH in
Biostatistics from Emory University, and a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of North
Carolina-Chapel Hill. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband.
Mitzi Joi Williams, MD
Dr. Mitzi Joi Williams is a neurologist and MS Specialist at the Multiple Sclerosis Center of
Atlanta, in Atlanta, GA. She earned her BS degree in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology from
Emory University and her Doctor of Medicine from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta,
GA. She completed Neurology residency, and a Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Fellowship at Georgia
Regents University (formerly Medical College of Georgia) in Augusta, GA. She is certified by
the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and holds memberships in the American
Academy of Neurology, and the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers.
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Following completion of her training, she was appointed as the Medical Director of the Augusta
MS Center, Medical Director of Adult Rehabilitation Services Georgia Regents University as
well as Assistant Professor in Neurology. During her time as Medical Director of the Augusta MS
Center, she served a population of over 1,000 patients from the Georgia and South Carolina areas.
She currently serves as a Board Member and member of the Clinical Advisory Committee for the
Georgia Chapter of the National MS Society. She is also a clinical advisor for the Multiple
Sclerosis Foundation. She remains actively involved in clinical research and her research interests
include investigating the course of MS in minority ethnic populations. Dr. Williams remains
dedicated to educating patients and families as well as her colleagues about Multiple Sclerosis.
Joseph L. Wright, MD, MPH
Joseph L. Wright, MD, MPH is the newly appointed Professor and Chairman of Pediatrics at the
Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC. He most recently served as Senior
Vice President for Community Affairs at Children's National Medical Center, the nation’s thirdoldest children’s hospital, where he provided strategic leadership for the organization’s advocacy
mission, public policy positions and community partnership initiatives. Dr. Wright is among the
original cohort of board-certified pediatric emergency physicians in the United States with
scholarly interests that include prehospital pediatrics, youth violence prevention and the needs of
underserved communities.
Academically, Dr. Wright has contributed to over 80 publications in the scientific literature and
has been elected to both the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and the Delta Omega
Public Health Honor Society. His advocacy and public policy scholarship has been recognized by
the American Academy of Pediatrics with career achievement awards in two disciplines,
injury/violence prevention and emergency medicine. Dr. Wright has also been recognized by the
Los Angeles-based Starlight Foundation with its prestigious Shining Star Award for outstanding
contributions in health care service to communities of color.
Dr. Wright provides national leadership through service on advisory bodies including the
American Hospital Association’s Maternal and Child Health Council, the March of Dimes’
Public Policy Advisory Council, and a recently completed term as an Obama administration
appointee to the Food and Drug Administration’s Pediatric Advisory Committee. Dr. Wright
regularly delivers invited expert testimony before Congress and state and municipal legislative
bodies, has made numerous media appearances, and lectures widely to both professional and lay
audiences.
Dr. Wright earned a B.A. from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, his M.D. from Rutgers
New Jersey Medical School, and a Masters of Public Health in Administrative Medicine and
Management from the George Washington University.
Ronald M. Wyatt, MD, MHA
Ronald M. Wyatt, M.D., is the medical director in the Division of Healthcare Improvement at The
Joint Commission. In this role, Dr. Wyatt promotes quality improvement and patient safety to
internal and external audiences, works to influence public policy and legislation for patient safety
improvements, and serves as the lead patient safety information and education resource within
The Joint Commission. Dr. Wyatt collaborates in the development of National Patient Safety
Goals, Sentinel Event Alerts, and Quick Safety publication, and oversees data management and
analyses in the Office of Quality and Patient Safety. He is very interested in disparity, equity and
professionalism in health care.
Previously, Dr. Wyatt served on the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) Drug Safety Oversight
Board, and as a mentor to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMI) Advisors
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program at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Prior to joining The Joint
Commission, Dr. Wyatt served as Director of the Patient Safety Analysis Center for the
Department of Defense Military Health System. He also serves as The Joint Commission
representative on The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and
Prevention. He was named one of the 2013 and 2014 “Top 50 Patient Safety Experts” in the USA
by Becker’s Magazine.
Dr. Wyatt is a Board-Certified Internist with over 20 years practice experience and is currently
licensed in the state of Alabama. He earned his medical degree at the University of Alabama
Birmingham and completed residency at the St. Louis University hospital, where he served as
Chief Resident in the department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Wyatt earned the Executive Master of
Science in Health Administration (MSHA) from The University of Alabama at Birmingham. In
2000, the Morehouse School of Medicine conferred Dr. Wyatt with an honorary Doctor of
Medical Sciences degree. He was a George W. Merck Fellow with the Institute for Healthcare
Improvement 2009-2010. He also completed a Harvard School of Public Health program in
Clinical Effectiveness.
Thomas F. Zenty III
Thomas F. Zenty III is Chief Executive Officer of University Hospitals, a comprehensive health
system that cares for a million unique individuals annually with almost 25,000 physicians and
employees, and a national reputation for providing the highest-quality health care.
UH is an integrated system with 14 medical centers, 26 outpatient health centers, eight urgentcare centers and more than 230 physician offices across Northeast Ohio with almost $3 billion in
annual revenues.
The system’s flagship is University Hospitals Case Medical Center, one of only 18 hospitals in
the nation on the prestigious U.S. News & World Report 2013-2014 Best Hospitals Honor Roll.
This academic medical center is the primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School
of Medicine. UH Case Medical Center also earned the 2012-13 American Hospital AssociationMcKesson Quest for Quality Prize – the most prestigious national award for leadership and
innovation in care-quality improvement and patient safety. And UH Rainbow Babies &
Children’s Hospital ranks among the country’s Best Children’s Hospitals, according to U.S.
News & World Report and The Leapfrog Group.
Over the past eleven years under Mr. Zenty’s leadership, UH has grown market share, raised
more than$1.1 billion in philanthropy, augmented clinical research and expanded communitybenefit contributions substantially. UH is home to the Harrington Discovery Institute at UH Case
Medical Center, an innovative initiative supporting leading physician-scientists nationwide in the
development and commercialization of new drug therapies. A recent $1.2 billion systemwide
investment added the state-of-the-art UH Seidman Cancer Center, UH Ahuja Medical Center in
suburban Beachwood, and several community health centers. In January 2014, two community
hospitals – UH Elyria Medical Center and UH Parma Medical Center – joined the system.
Mr. Zenty is a past trustee of the American Hospital Association. Modern Healthcare has listed
Mr. Zenty among the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare and he is in the Northeast Ohio
Business Hall of Fame. Mr. Zenty serves on the faculty of colleges and universities in the U.S.
and abroad.
Prior to assuming leadership of UH in 2003, Mr. Zenty held leadership roles with health systems
in California, Arizona, New Jersey and Connecticut.
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Eleventh Annual Summit on Health Disparities/CBC Health Braintrust Meeting & Awards Dinner:
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Maggie Zettle, PharmD
Lieutenant (LT) Maggie Zettle serves as a Management Analyst in the National Vaccine Program
Office, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health in Washington, DC. She currently leads the
office efforts on adult immunizations with the recent development of the draft National Adult
Immunization Plan. Pharmacy-based immunizations and improving the rates of Human
Papillomavirus vaccination rates are other important aspects of her portfolio.
LT Zettle has been a United States Public Health Service officer since 2012 and has completed a
tour of duty as a clinical pharmacist with the Indian Health Service with an assignment in
Winslow, Arizona. She participated in the Junior Commissioned Officer Student Training and
Externship Program with the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse prior
to graduation from pharmacy school. She is a member of the Rapid Deployment Force Team 4,
the District of Columbia Commissioned Officers Association, and participates on USPHS Junior
Officer Advisory Group committees.
LT Zettle has a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio. She is
married, has one dog, and likes to spend her time traveling, cooking, spending time with her
family, and learning the art of flying trapeze.
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