9th Annual Conference

MSW/LCSW

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Jennifer Groebe, LCSW is a clinical social worker, experienced trainer and provider of continuing education for mental health, nursing and long term care professionals. She has taught at University of California at Berkeley and University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, Extension programs and John F Kennedy University in Orinda, CA. During her career at Kaiser Permanente, Ms. Groebe made numerous presentations, worked on or managed projects that impact the organization today. Publications include a collaboration between Kaiser Permanente, SAMSHA, CMS and the Flight Attendants Association- “Flight Attendants, Coping With Trauma”, a post 911 guide, (9/2002).
Currently Ms. Groebe continues to train professionals and is a palliative medicine social worker; and is a member of the Humanitarian Committee of the Association of Comprehensive Energy Psychology, which focuses on the relationship between bioenergy systems, neuro and electro processes, and mental functions and behavior.

BA, MA , JD

Cheryl Cranshaw, J.D., LMFT – Therapist,
Executive Director
I am a licensed attorney and a licensed therapist with fifteen years of experience, providing individual and group therapy and managing community mental health programs.

After receiving an Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services, African American Innovation Grant in 2011, I worked in collaboration with colleagues, allies, supporters and community to develop Conscious Voices Curriculum. We developed an understanding of trauma and the effects on learning, behavior and health and strategies to address trauma. We examined evidence-based strategies to address trauma and adapted those strategies for African the American community.

At Conscious Voices African American Well Being Center, we are using the curriculum, to provide individual and group therapy, community and provider trainings. Our innovative strategies aim to improve health and mental health by addressing trauma and reducing homicide and community violence.

BA, MA, PsyD

Dr. Celina has practiced clinical psychotherapy for more than 25 years She is known for her work with children, adolescents and their families. Dr. Celina uses a systemic and cognitive behavioral approach. She has created several clinical group curriculum, and speaks Cape Verdean, Krioulo. Dr Celina is licensed in Massachusetts and New York State. and has offices in NYC, Cape Cod Southeastern MA in She is an expert witness in child abuse and certified in Anger Management. Dr. Celina is creative and eclectic in her clinical approach.

MD MPH

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Dr Anjali Taneja is a family physician and DJ who is passionate about reimagining healthcare and healing in the US. She is the Executive Director of Casa de Salud — a culturally humble, anti-racist, and accessible nonprofit model of integrative healthcare that merges east/west/traditional healing, primary care, and innovative harm reduction and addictions treatment in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The organization also aims to share power with those most marginalized, through advocacy and community organizing. In addition, Casa de Salud trains 30 health apprentices a year — primarily young students of color — and prepares them to become the future healthcare workforce of New Mexico.

Anjali also works in the emergency room of a small hospital in the Navajo Nation. Anjali is a Next City Vanguard fellow and a member of the Creating Health Collaborative - an international collaborative of health innovators. Anjali co-founded CureThis — an online platform for reimagining models of care.

Erika Rios-Casillas is a community advocate and future healthcare provider. She has dedicated 10 years of her life to the development of individuals and programs at Casa de Salud, an integrative nonprofit healthcare center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is currently the Health Apprentice Clinical Supervisor at Casa de Salud and trains and supervises over 30 student health apprentices a year.

Phoenix Leon is the Health Apprentice Program Developer at Casa de Salud, and also serves as a Clinic Flow coordinator at the organization. Casa de Salud is a nonprofit integrative healthcare center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Phoenix's role focuses on developing and strengthening the unique Health Apprentice Fellowship -- a transformative and immersive training experience for primarily youth of color who are interested in the healthcare fields. Phoenix also helps run the day to day clinic flow at the organization.

RN

Alejandra Casarrubias is a passionate and dedicated nurse and the Clinic Manager at Casa de Salud, a nonprofit integrative healthcare center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She supervises health apprentices, helps manage the flow of the clinic, and supports the operations of Casa de Salud. Alejandra was a health apprentice before pursuing nursing school and years later becoming Casa's staff nurse. She also works as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE nurse) and is very involved in her community.

MD

Harry McIlroy is a medical doctor, completed a master's degree in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, is an Institute of Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner with extensive training in osteopathy, yoga, and meditation. He has a longtime commitment to bringing his extensive training into an urban underserved setting. He is an expert in working with medical cannabis with specific application to underserved patients.

LAc

Benjamin Zappin is a Licensed Acupuncturist and herbalist from Oakland CA. He has been working with underserved clients for over twenty years with a strong emphasis on mental health and pain reduction. He is on the board of directors of Integrative Medicine for the Underserved. Ben is a founder of Five Flavors Herbs, a herbal dispensary and manufacturing facility in Oakland, CA.

MD, PhD

Ellen Barnett is a family doctor and educator. She has practiced family medicine at the Integrative Medical Clinic (IMC) in Santa Rosa for the past 17 years and 5 yrs ago developed the Imagine YOU program thru the Integrative Medical Clinic Foundation - a non-profit educational arm of IMC. Imagine YOU has been used in non-profit organizations throughout Sonoma County to reach underserved and at risk populations. The Imagine YOU process helps people create an Image of Health that represents why they want their best health.
Dr Barnett is a Clinical Professor with the Department of Family and COmmunity Medicine at UCSF. She was on faculty at the Santa Rosa Family Practice Residency for over 15 yrs serving as Curriculum Director for 6 yrs and Acting Residency Director for 2 yrs. She has been a Balint Group leader there for over a decade. She had a practice through the residency faculty for 10 years before starting at IMC.

MD

Jeffrey Geller, MD practices family medicine at the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center (GLFHC) serving as the Director of Integrative Medicine and the Group Medical Visit Programs since 1999. GLFHC is a federally qualified community health center in one of the poorest cities in New England. His practice integrates the most accessible of allopathic and alternative medicine including acupuncture, hypnosis, mind body therapy, nutrition counselling, and osteopathic therapy which are offered to patients as non-pharmacologic treatment for pain. He is frequently identified as an innovator in delivery of health care to reduce loneliness by using an Empowerment Group Visit Model. These models are being replicated throughout the US providing efficient and effective healthcare in a financially sustainable way thus providing services otherwise unavailable to many patients.

MD

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Chanel Heermann, MD, is an integrative psychiatrist who helps people create a holistic recovery plan for their unique emotional challenges using the best of conventional and alternative medicine. She provides her integrative psychiatry services via secure, high-quality videoconferencing technology, allowing clients convenient access to care from anywhere in CO, AZ, NM, WY, SD, ND, or NE.
Dr. Heermann is board certified in Psychiatry and Integrative Medicine. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine’s fellowship program, and serves as faculty for the Center for Mind-Body Medicine and Saybrook University's College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences.
Dr. Heermann is the author of The 7 Foundations of Health and Happiness: Building a Bridge to Balance and multiple peer-reviewed articles, including “Perinatal Depression: An Evidence-Based Review of Integrative Treatment”.

LCSW

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Lynn Scheidenhelm is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 25 years experience working in an FQHC/Federally Qualified Health Center in the Boulder/Denver area in Colorado. She had worked with underserved populations in a safety net clinic with a focus on integrating behavioral health staff as a primary member of the clinic’s medical teams. She has been co-facilitating Centering groups (pregnancy, parenting, chronic pain) with medical providers since 2006 and has been training medical and behavioral staff across the country at clinics since 2007 as a Consultant with Centering Healthcare Institute.

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As Senior Director of Engagement and Innovation, Marena oversees the development of Centering Healthcare Institute’s products, services and training, and guides the marketing and communication initiatives. Her work includes developing the CenteringPregnancy, CenteringParenting and CenteringHealthcare frameworks to support clinicians in applying the Centering model of group care across the life course. Marena serves on CHI’s senior leadership team that sets the strategic direction and budget for the organization, and is a member of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee.

Prior to joining CHI Marena was the Engagement Manager for a large Integrative Medicine practice. As the parent of four (now adult) children with chronic health conditions, her personal experience of learning how to navigate a complex healthcare system drives the passion to make healthcare accessible and inclusive of every patient population, with offerings that are empowering, holistic and life changing.

MD, PHD, MSW

Eve Ekman is the Director of Training at the University of California Berkeley Greater Good Science Center. Ekman’s research interests were inspired by her experience as a medical social worker in the emergency department of San Francisco General Hospital coupled with her training in the applied emotion regulation and mindfulness intervention: Cultivating Emotional Balance, CEB. At the Osher Center for Integrative medicine Eve continues to refine the conceptual framework, research and training in the areas of meaning, empathy and burnout.

MSW, PHD, L.Ac., BS, MS

Scott Blossom is a Traditional Chinese Medical practitioner, Shadow Yoga teacher and Ayurvedic Consultant. He has been studying yoga for over twenty years and teaching for thirteen. His primary teachers are Zhander Remete, founder of Shadow Yoga, and Dr. Robert Svoboda, Ayurvedic physician and scholar.

MD

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Dr. Towner is an internist with over 30 years experience in community health. She has always been interested in a holistic approach to health, with an to urge bring a variety of healing modalities to safety net patients. Previously as CMO at LifeLong Medical Care, she supported the development of various integrative programs and hiring of integrative practitioners at multiple primary care sites, as well as implemented a CME program focused on topics particular to FQHCs. Most recently she has focused her time as co-founder of LifeLong East Oakland’s Wellness Center, currently in the role of interim Lead Clinician. Over the last 10 years she has become an advanced practitioner of Eden Energy Medicine, teaches in the community, and facilitates Energy and Wellness shared medical visits and other groups at the WC. She does hands on sessions with energy medicine and myofascial release. She has also dabbled in medical and conversational hypnosis which she integrates into her sessions.

DrPH, CCH, CHC

Dr. Saleena Gupte, DrPH, CCH, CHC, is an Integrative Medicine-Homeopath, Wellness & Behavioral Health Coach at LifeLong Medical Care in California. She has been instrumental in developing a homeopathy clinic model & is part of a core team to envision an Integrative Medicine program providing complementary, holistic, natural health & wellness options for underserved clients alongside primary care. Dr. Gupte’s area of focus is behavioral health care. Dr. Gupte is also Director of Behavioral Health Integration with the Alameda Health Consortium, offering access to mental health services within a network of community health centers. She completed her doctorate in public health at the University of California- Berkeley, and has a background in cross cultural health, health disparities, and social determinants of health. Dr. Gupte is a faculty member of the Institute for Health Care Communication and leads many trainings for inter-disciplinary and clinical staff.

PhD, LMT

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Luann Drolc Fortune, PhD, LMT is a health and wellness educator, researcher and advocate. She is on faculty and specialization coordinator at Saybrook’s College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences. In addition to teaching and instructional design, she supervises doctorate students’ research. Her own research focuses on integrative healthcare and wellness practices.

As a consultant in the private sector, she specializes in systems work to improve individual and collective contributions. She is an accomplished group facilitator, having created and conducted multitudes of workshops, retreats, and group symposiums. She operated a wellness and somatic therapy practice in Washington, DC for over 20 years.

Her writings and publications span multiple disciplines, invoke systems thinking, and promote translational value in scholarship and practice. She currently lives in SW Florida.

PhD, JD, DAc, MPH

Ruthann’s work in healthcare systems over the past 20+ years have focused on organizational transformation and behavioral change. She has practiced at 3 academic medical centers in New York City where she also taught evidence-informed self-care skills to patients, their families, and their support systems.

She is a TEDx speaker (Your Vital Role in Reimagining Healthcare), and a nationally board certified and multi-state licensed acupuncturist. She is certified as an Integrative Healthcare Administrator, Yoga Teacher, Health Coach, and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher. She is the author of 7 Steps to Your Best Possible Healthcare: The Essential Guide for Crafting Your Personal Healthcare Plan (DJ Iber Publishing) and The Philosophy and Nutrition Behind Raw and Live Foods (Random House/North Atlantic Publishers).

PHD

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Ariana Thompson-Lastad is a postdoctoral fellow at UC San Francisco, in the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. She has a PhD in sociology from UCSF and 5 years of experience as a health educator and diabetes care coordinator in a Bay Area community health center. Ariana’s research focuses on health disparities, group medical visits, chronic pain, and access to integrative medicine.

MD

Jen Matthews, MD is a Faculty Scholar in the clinical training program at the Osher Center to become an integrative pediatrician. She is also an attending physician in Adolescent Medicine and Primary Care at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.

Dr. Matthews did a Pediatric Residency at Children’s Hospital in Oakland, where she worked with Phat Beets Produce, a food justice organization, to create several nutritional programs. She started a community garden near the hospital for patients and neighbors to grow food and build community and learn about food justice, and established and ran a program for teens from the hospital.

Through her program at UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Jen Matthews is working to create a curriculum for pediatric residents to learn nonpharmacologic approaches to pain.
Dr. Matthews is also part of the Structural Competency Working Group in the Bay Area who facilitate trainings in structural violence and its intersection with health care.

MFT

Kini Chang is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist where I practice as a Behavioral Emergency Response Therapist UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland. Expertise: trauma associated with systemic oppression, community violence, abuse and attachment, and grief and loss. An advocate for quality holistic, innovative, and accessible healthcare for all, she is a member of the Integrative Health and Medicine Committee to integrate holistic and nontraditional forms of wellness and medicine into our healthcare to offer alternatives and culturally accommodating services. In addition to her role at the hospital, she has a private practice in Oakland where she specializes in intergenerational and familial trauma, transitional struggles and life challenges, anxiety and depression, as well parent education and coaching on adolescent development and child-rearing.

Emiliano L. Lemus is a medical student in the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program, energetic herbalist, health disparities researcher, and trainer on transgender-affirming healthcare. After completing a bachelor’s degree in Biochemical Studies at Harvard College, Emiliano worked for a decade as a community organizer, serving as founding director of Erósfera, Center for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Puebla, Mexico, and co-director of Bluestockings Activist Center in NYC. Emiliano now researches the health and healthcare needs of homeless transgender youth in the San Francisco Bay Area, has a private herbalism practice, and helps healthcare organizations better understand how to serve marginalized transgender populations.

MD, MPH

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Myles Spar, MD, MPH directs the Integrative Medicine program at the Venice Family Clinic and practices Integrative Medicine at the Men's Health Foundation. A Clinical faculty member of the UCLA and University of Arizona Schools of Medicine, he is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and in Integrative Medicine. Dr. Spar completed a fellowship in Integ Med with the University of Arizona and is Vice-chair of the American Board of Integrative Medicine. He co-edited Integrative Men’s Health from Oxford University Press and is now writing Optimal Men’s Health. Dr. Spar is the recipient of the Bravewell Award for Leadership in Integrative Medicine in 2013.
Volunteering and being on the board of Doctors without Borders led to his interest in making an Integrative Medicine approach to healthcare available to all populations. Dr. Spar has founded a 501c3 organization dedicated to facilitating access to Integrative Medicine among the underserved, Integrative Medicine Access.

RN, MS Comp. Sci., CAS

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Ms. Agarawal is passionate about empowering people to live life to the fullest by making integrative medicine accessible to people where they are. She is founder of Helpsy. She is a computer scientist turned integrative medicine practitioner and researcher and a cancer nurse.
She developed world's first mobile video streaming technology that was acquired by Skype. She then changed career into integrative medicine. She spent the next decade as a researcher, oncology nurse and integrative medicine practitioner at the Mayo Clinic, Stanford Cancer Center, and UCSF Cancer Center. Her groundbreaking research work on development of algorithms for clinical impact of integrative medicine was recognized by UCSF and NSF, and she received support from them to start Helpsy, world's first Artificial intelligence nurse for wholistic symptom management and navigation (San). She leads innovation initiative at both SIO and ONS, and serves on the board of NCI PDQ for integrative medicine.

MD,MPH

Safi completed a BA/MPH at Tufts University and Tufts School of Medicine with majors in Child Development and Community Health. Before medical school, he took 3 years to volunteer and travel abroad, 2 years of which were as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural South Africa working in family literacy and health education. He attended UMass Medical School. He chose Family Medicine as a bridge between clinical medicine and community health. He stumbled upon psychiatry after realizing physical health and mental health cannot be separated, that we are mind, body and spirit. He completed a 5 year combined residency in Family Medicine and Psychiatry at UC San Diego. His continuity clinic was based at a homeless shelter were he fell in love with providing both medical care and psychiatric care to homeless, uninsured and undocumented patients. He is excited to finish his fellowship and begin practicing primary care, mental health and integrative medicine for marginalized populations.

ND

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Dr. Sean Hesler has been committed to improving community and global health through Naturopathic medicine throughout his career. He co-founded the MamaBaby Haiti birth center in Cap Haitien, Haiti in 2010. Currently serving as Executive Director of Naturopaths Without Borders (NWB), he also received the SCNM Alumni Award for Community Service. In addition to sharing lessons on global health at universities and conferences around the United States, Dr. Sean also teaches medical students and professionals at NWB's sites in Haiti, Mexico, Thailand and Phoenix in addition to his Adjunct Faculty position at AT Still in the Physician Assistant program. Dr. Sean uses the tools of root-cause Naturopathic medicine to stimulate profound healing and life shifts in his patients, and he specializes in cognitive enhancement, genomic medicine, biohacking, mental-emotional conditions and pain relief through physical and mental therapies.

ND

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Sarah Preston Hesler, ND received her medical degree from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, is on faculty at A.T. Still University and is also a founding member and the Director of Operations for Naturopaths Without Borders (NWB), a nonprofit organization. She has worked with thousands of patients in Haiti, Mexico, Thailand and the United States. She was a 2011 co-recipient of the SCNM Alumni Award for Community Service, was instrumental in winning the Emerson Grant for NWB in 2013 and received the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians' President's Award in 2018. Dr. Preston Hesler believes that her role as a physician is to listen and to walk alongside her patients as they journey to better health.

PhD, MSW

Salome Raheim, PhD, ACSW is a professor at the University at Albany—SUNY School of Social Welfare. Her areas of teaching and scholarship include integrative body-mind-spirit social work practice and promoting equity and cultural competence in organizations and. Currently, she is providing training to the Albany County Department of Children, Youth and Families on mindfulness and addressing implicit bias. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Raheim holds the PhD in Communication Studies from the University of Iowa, MSW from Catholic University of America, MA in Integrative Health and Healing from the Graduate Institute. She is a meditation, reiki and yoga practitioner and a family constellations facilitator.

MD

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BIO
I fled Viet Nam during the Fall of Sai Gon. We lost our father. Mother and 7 children passed through two refugee camps. I grew up in poverty and cultural marginalization but rich in culture, as my family organized language classes and cultural festivals. I continued a lifetime of work in cultural arts empowerment for underserved communities on several continents. With my BS in environmental policy, I volunteered with the Peace Corps to run a tree nursery in sub-Saharan northern Ghana. I gained a master's in Chinese Medicine, and worked half-time in Chinese Medicine and half-time teaching music to at-risk youth. I earned a dual degree from UC Berkeley School of Public Health and UCSF School of Medicine, and trained in the Program in in Medical Care for Urban Under-Served. I completed residency in Hilo, Hawaii and currently work in urgent care in Puna, one of the most underserved districts. I am beginning to study with traditional Hawaiian teachers of culture and healing practices.

MD

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Karen Burt-Imira, MD has been has been student, teacher, patient, practitioner, and administrator of Integrative Medicine for over 40 years. She founded an Integrative Health Program within a large county health system in 1998, and grew a large Group Visit Program. The groups focus on building community / empowerment, are powered by respect, love, cultural sensitivity and humility, and they inspire/support people to take precious care of themselves and others. She developed a highly interactive 2-day training in Group Facilitation skills, which includes courageous cultural humility. She continues to train a range of staff members from many organizations. Since first encountering Breema, the “Art of Being Present,” in 1985, the universal philosophy and revitalizing, balancing practices have been foundational in her life and work. As a certified Breema Instructor since 2001 – she has led workshops in California and Oregon.


PhD, RN

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Dr. Meg Jordan is Professor and Chair of Integrative Health Studies M.A. degree at the California Institute of Integral Studies, a clinical medical anthropologist, RN specializing in integrative and behavioral health, National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach. She has lectured and published extensively in integrative health and behavioral change; former past Co-President of the National Wellness Institute Board; on faculty at Integrative Health Coaching program, Center for Integrative Medicine, U of AZ; faculty Institute of Functional Medicine Coaching Academy; founding board member of the International Consortium of Health and Wellness Coaching, which launched national board certification with NBME; co-author, National Standards for Education and Training of Health Coaches, and books, including The Fitness Instinct, How to be a Health Coach: An Integrative Wellness Approach, and Integrative Health Coaching.

RN, MA

Sarah DeVincenzi, RN, MA, is a CA licensed Registered Nurse and Public Health Nurse, Board certified Critical Care Nurse, Board certified Nurse Coach, Board certified Health and Wellness Coach, Clinical Nurse IV currently employed by Stanford Hospital.

DNM

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Junia Chou is a Doctor of Natural Medicine, and an international instructor for Holistic Wellness. Combining her passion for education and medicine, she became the Director of the K-12 Mind-Body Wellness Program at a private school in the Bay Area. She currently facilitates healthy lifestyle classes at Kaiser Permanente, and runs a private practice in Fremont. Junia incorporates holistic healing modalities in her workshops with youth and educators to promote self-awareness, emotional wellbeing, and stress resilience. She is a big "learning is fun" believer and finds joy in creating interactive, applicable and meaningful sessions.

PhD

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Margaret Chesney is Prof of Medicine at UCSF. From 2010 to 2015, she directed the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. She returned to UCSF to take this position after serving as a Sr. Fellow supported by the RWJ and MacArthur Foundations. From 2003 to 2008, she served at the NIH as Deputy Director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Medicine.
Her work focuses on advancing health policy to support whole person health for all, including the under-served. She is particularly interested in advancing health promotion, disease prevention, and optimal well-being across the lifespan. She is a Past Chair of the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health, and has served as president a number of health organizations. She currently is an advisor to the Board of the Integrative Health Policy Consortium and a number of health foundations. She has received numerous awards for her work in science policy and is a member of the Nat’l Acad. of Med.

MD

Elena Rosenbaum, M.D. is Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Albany Medical College and Director of Integrative Medicine and Osteopathy. She completed the HIP Fellowship in 2008. She is board certified in both Family Medicine (ABFM) and Integrative Medicine (ABOIM). She has many patients with IBS and other challenging symptoms in her busy integrative practice. Elena teaches family medicine residents and medical students regularly. She has taught sessions introducing the HOPE note as well as the Integrative approach to IBS.

MD

Andrea Gordon MD is Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at Tufts University and is Director of Integrative Medicine at the Tufts Family Medicine Residency Program at Cambridge Health Alliance. She has completed the University of Arizona Fellowship in Integrative Medicine and is Board Certified in both Family Medicine (ABFM) and Integrative Medicine (ABPS). Her time is divided between seeing her own patients, doing integrative medicine consultations and teaching medical students and residents. By teaching she hopes to create a generation of healers who will look beyond conventional medicine and treat the whole person.

MD

Dr. Wayne Jonas is a practicing family physician, an expert in integrative
health and health care delivery, and a widely published scientific
investigator. He is Executive Director of Samueli Integrative Health
Programs. Dr. Jonas was Director of the Office of Alternative Medicine at
the NIH from 1995-1999; prior to that served as Director of the Medical
Research Fellowship at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. He is a
Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

MD

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Cortney is a first year resident at Tufts University Family Medicine Residency at Cambridge Health Alliance in Boston, MA and is participating in the Integrative Medicine in Residency program. As a graduate of Stony Brook University School of Medicine on Long Island, NY, she was able to foster her interest in integrative medicine through coursework in lifestyle medicine and working with an integrative medicine primary care mentor. In her free time, she enjoys yoga and cooking plant based recipes and sharing them on her blog.

JD

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Desiree F. Magsombol JD, is a Facilitator of The Resilience Toolkit Facilitator, TRE (Tension/Trauma Release Exercise) Provider, and a Department of Justice Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Auditor. Working with, living in, and being a part of communities with high levels of trauma and a limited access to mainstream tools, Desiree is committed making multi-modality tools of resilience accessible to all communities.

Desiree has worked as an advocate for foster youth, LGBTQ survivors of domestic violence, and survivors of sexual violence in prisons and jails. For five years, she provided training and technical assistance, developed policy, protocol, and programming to prisons, jails, juvenile facilities and sexual assault agency staff across the US to address sexual abuse behind bars.

Desiree facilitates workshops for community and professional organizations and provides consultation and program design for organizational clients.

LAc

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Scott is a licensed practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and an Ayurvedic consultant. His passion for integrating holistic wellness practices into conventional settings began by developing programs for the employees and patients at the Cancer Center of Santa Barbara and Hospice of Santa Barbara. He is on the faculty of the Kripalu School of Ayurveda and regularly contributes to magazines and conferences on these subjects. He co-founded an integrative health clinic in Berkeley, CA and lives there with his wife and two children.

MS, RDN

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Mary Purdy, Integrative Registered Dietitian, received her Masters in Nutrition from Bastyr University. She was in private practice for 8 years and was both adjunct professor at Bastyr University & clinic supervisor at their teaching clinic for 5 years. She now works at Arivale as a Coach and Clinical Education Lead providing nutrition & lifestyle counseling to clients using personalized genetic data, functional labs & a food as medicine approach. She has provided wellness presentations at businesses & local organizations around Seattle including continuing credit lectures given to the Washington State Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, Greater Seattle Dietetic Association, Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine and the Austin Registered Dietitians Alliance. She is also Immediate Past Chair of Dietitians in Integrative & Functional Medicine, host of the web series & podcast “Mary’s Nutrition Show” & author of the recently published book “Serving the Broccoli Gods.”

MPH

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My overall academic interests include the development of powerful strategies for improving women and children wellbeing, through the utilization of novel and culturally appropriate educational tools designed for Latina/indigenous immigrant women in areas of personal, maternal & mental health, education, and financial independence. As a Maternal & Child Health Community-Based Fellow at Centro Hispano, I am implementing a program equipping Latino community health workers, with the tools to be maternal health ambassadors and to become doulas of color. Utilizing an ecological method based on cultural respect and gender positionality to accomplish: 1) women’s empowerment efforts, 2) community organization & advocacy, 3) maternal health from the ground-up, and 4) a financially sustainable structure. It is my professional and personal mission to work with other women and men looking to create a more educated and healthier Latino/immigrant community in Wisconsin & beyond.

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Aída is an indigenous woman of the Kichwa tribe and grew up surrounded by nature in Oatavalo, a city in the Ecuadorian Andes. She describes her first time in the US as the feeling of stepping into another planet because she had just entered a world where nobody spoke her language, dressed as she did, or had the same color of skin as she. Aída started her own business of crafts and textiles, where she is proud of who she is and continues to do work that she enjoys. Her duty as a promotora/doula and as a human being is to instill knowledge in all of our people, to create a generation of children and young people who are strengthened through education. In this way, she explains, we will be creating a more educated, respectful, and compassionate mankind. She lives by the mantra that education is the door to freedom and that we should never stop learning. With these sentiments, she fights for equity in her community.

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Mari, a native to Puebla, Mexico, immigrated to the United States when she was 19, dreams and hopes for a better future. The first few years were very hard and lonely – Mari did not have a car, missed her family back home, and did not speak English. She spent most of her time working and when she had free time, she studied English and spent time with her cousins. It has been 14 years since Mari first arrived in Madison and she works with el Centro as a “Promotora de Salud”. For her, being a promotora is about more than education, it is a way in which she can empower her community by giving them a voice, and show them all of the resources available to them. Additionally, being a promotora means being an example to her three young children. She wants to teach them the importance of remembering where they came from and show them that all though they may be far from their community, they can accomplish anything.

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Karime Pérez, is a Mexican and currently resides in Madison, WI. Upon arriving in the U.S, she decided to work with people like herself who immigrated to this country. Centro Hispano gave her an opportunity to work with the Latino community. Three years ago, she started working on a project to train Community Health Worker-doulas. This project has been a great incentive for families to come together and work for the well-being of the community. The Community Health Workers have helped families by providing health education and promoting awareness of social services. Her goal is for healthcare organizations to recognize the importance of Community Health Workers and doulas and to compensate them for what they do. This model should serve as an example for other institutions in other states and, in a few years, these services will be available to more people across the nation.

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Matilde is an indigenous woman of Ecuador, she immigrated to the United States with her husband and two small children with the dream of finding a better life. Her idea of life in the United States was one in which she had the ability to earn money for herself and her family, which she quickly found was much more difficult than it had seemed. And so, she continued her work as an artisan, making and selling jewelry as she had in Ecuador. As a promotora, she continues to learn and inspire her daughters and those in her community. The goal, she says, is to continue studying and to strive for knowledge regardless of the obstacles you face, because everything is possible.

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Virginia grew up in Puebla, Mexico and in 2005 she came to the United States by herself where she knew no one but her uncle. She described the loneliness and difficulty of being so far from home as isolating, not knowing anyone or understanding the language. Many times she wished to return home. She recalls the time she spent working in a restaurant, where she met a coworker that really changed her perspective and helped her with and through a lot, she refers to him as her “angelito” (angel). As a promotora, Virginia hopes to continue to help people as her “angelito” helped her. She wants her community to know about the resources available to them and to help make their transition from their community at home to one here in the states more comfortable. As a mother, Virginia wants to be an example to her children and show them the importance of a life-long education

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Jennifer grew up in Colombia and came to the United States in 2007 with her sister and some of her extended family. She first landed in North Carolina, where she met her husband. They then moved from North Carolina to Madison where Jennifer began working for a cleaning company, studying English, and volunteering for a non-profit organization where she learned of the Promotoras program. When Jennifer started as a promotora she was pregnant with her first baby, who was born one month later. Jennifer loves her work as a promotora because she loves to help her community and show them that there are so many resources available and so many people that wish to help them. As a mother and a promotora, Jennifer wants to create a better future for her family through education and giving back to her community.

DAOM

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Dr. Rhonda Coleman, DAOM is on a mission to promote holistic health in communities of color in the Denver Metro community and beyond. She strives to enhance lives and increase the life span of the African-American communities in Aurora and Northeast Denver by offering treatments using traditional and complementary medicine systems. Rhonda is a native of New Orleans, LA. She moved to Colorado in 2012 and studied at the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine where she received a Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine. She went on to study at AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine in Austin, TX where she completed the Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine degree program. She runs a private practice, Water Mama Acupuncture, in Aurora, CO where she lives with her husband and children. She serves as Vice-Chair on the city's Human Relations Commission, leads community discussions, and is actively involved in several social justice movements in the Denver Metro.

B.Ed., MTS

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Randall Duval is the Senior Team Leader for the High School Language Arts Department at DCIS-Montbello High School in Denver, CO. He began teaching in 1998 after graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in English Education. He also has Master’s Degree in Theology from Vanderbilt University. Bell Hooks, Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Paulo Friere greatly influence his approach to teaching. Consequently, his emphasis in teaching is centered around Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Social Justice.

MD

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Krishna M. Desai, MD is an Integrative Medicine physician at Columbia University/New York Presbyterian Hospital. She completed an Integrative Medicine Fellowship through University of Arizona while also completing a Faculty Development Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Desai is dual board certified in Family Medicine and Integrative Medicine and runs the Integrative Medicine Consultation Clinic for underserved patients at the Farrell Family Health Center. She has several publications in the topic of Integrative Medicine including the American Academy of Family Physicians publication "FP Essentials" monograph on the topic of Integrative Medicine. Dr. Desai is committed to providing high quality evidence informed integrative care for her underserved patients and furthermore incorporating the principles of Integrative Medicine to teach medical students and Family Medicine residents.

MD

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Sharon Chacko, MD: Medical Director, Integrative Medicine physician, and Director of Wellness for the Center for Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Chacko completed the University of Arizona’s Integrative Medicine in Residency track, which includes over 200 hours of Integrative Medicine curriculum. She also provides patient care in the Integrative Medicine Consultation Clinic at Farrell Family Health Center in New York City.

PhD, ABPP

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Nataliya Pilipenko, PhD holds the position of Director of Behavioral Medicine for Family Medicine Residency at Columbia University/New York Presbyterian Hospital. She completed graduate training at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University. Dr. Pilipenko completed post doctoral fellowship at the Consortium for Graduate Psychology Training, McLaren Regional Medical Center and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She is board certified in Clinical Health Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. Dr. Pilipenko's scholarly work focuses on the impact of medico-psychiatric co-morbidities upon patients' illness outcomes and patients' perceptions.

Dr. Pilipenko delivers patient care in the Integrative Medicine Consultation Clinic (IMCC) at Farrell Community Health Center. Using inter-professional team-based framework, Dr. Pilipenko and Desai employ IMCC to provide patient-centered care, resident training, and quality improvement efforts.

MD

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Dr. Pooja Amy Shah is the Director of Integrative Medicine, Director of Musculoskeletal Education and inpatient hospital teaching faculty at Columbia University/New York Presbyterian Hospital Family Medicine residency program. She is dual Board Certified in Family Medicine and Integrative Medicine. She runs a clinic for acute and chronic pain for underserved patients. Dr. Shah is licensed in and practices medical acupuncture. In 2018, she completed a 2-year certificate in meditation-based contemplative psychotherapy at the Nalanda Institute in NYC and is now teaching the neuroscience of meditation for Nalanda.

Stanford 3 years, no degree; 4 honorary doctorates (Bastyr, NUNM, NUHS, CCNM)

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John Weeks has worked in integrative health since 1983 as organizer, chronicler, speaker and executive. He is editor-in-chief of JACM – Paradigm, Practice and Policy Advancing Integrative Health (The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine). For a quarter century, his Integrator Blog and related columns have been leading sources on policy and organizational activity in the field. He has consulted with NIH, WHO, PAHO, and numerous other organizations. He helped found IHPC, ACIH, and AIHM. He attended Stanford for 3 years, studying history. Four academic institutions have granted Weeks honorary doctorates. He was honored in 2014 by 3 consortia with a Lifetime Achievement Living Tribute Award. He loves stand-up paddle boarding, and where there are waves, SUP surfing. He and his partner in all this, Jeana Kimball, ND, MPH, have managed to work from Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Puerto Rico with their two now grown children for 6 of the past 18 years. www.johnweeks-integrator.com

DrPH, MPA

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Dr. Maria Chao’s recent studies aim to: (1) rigorously test integrative approaches to address the under-treatment of pain in diverse patient populations; and (2) apply research to broaden access to evidence-based integrative medicine. This includes: Piloting an integrative pain management program at the Tom Waddell Urban Health Clinic in the Tenderloin. Designing, implementing, and evaluating group-based acupuncture for low-income, racially and linguistically diverse patients with painful diabetic neuropathy; testing non-pharmacologic approaches to pain and symptom distress for hospitalized cancer patients. Her research bridging public health and integrative medicine is nationally recognized. Her work has received funding support through the NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, numerous foundations, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

-

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Marena joined the CHI team in 2015, after enjoying the challenge and spirit of working at two progressive healthcare start-ups. She oversees the development of Centering products, services and training, and guides the marketing and communication initiatives. Her work includes developing the CenteringParenting and CenteringHealthcare frameworks to support clinicians in applying the model across the life course. Prior to joining CHI Marena was the Engagement Manager for a large Integrative Medicine practice and the Early Parenting Program Manager for an innovative service/health education program serving families in the Boston, Atlanta and Dallas areas. She has extensive experience in program design and management, group facilitation and cross-functional team leadership.

CMT, MFA

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Ms Burke joined the Center for Integrative Medicine, at the University of Arizona in 2000. She's worn many hats, including instructional designer, project manager, and currently the Director of Online Education for UACIM. Early in her career she entered the healing arts as a licensed and certified massage therapist. After earning her bachelors, she dabbled in local television news as a videographer/editor. In her spare time she earned her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Arizona. Her focus, for the last 7 years, has been on educational strategies and designing new programs to support the Center's mission of training health professionals to be integrative. Additionally, she has led efforts to create a self-care tool that supports everyone in making healthy behavior changes from a balanced, wholistic approach. Balancing work and home life is a wonderful challenge she tries to manage gracefully. She enjoys spending free time with her wife and playing with their two children.

PhD

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Audrey Brooks, PhD, Evaluator/Statistician, University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine (UACIM). Dr. Brooks has a doctorate in family studies and human development with 25 years’ experience in project coordination, program evaluation, research methodology, and applied statistics, serving as the evaluator/methodologist/statistician on NIH and SAMSHA-funded projects. She has been the evaluator/statistician on UACIM education projects for the past 8 years, participating in faculty development meetings, designing evaluation strategies, analysis and presentation of evaluation findings, and working with UACIM leadership and site directors to utilize evaluation findings for program development and revision. She is the Project Director/Evaluator for the National Center for Integrative Primary Healthcare.

MA

Jenny Harrow has a Master’s Degree in Integrative Health Studies and is a certified Integrative Health Coach, Nature Therapy Guide, and Guided Imagery Practitioner. She is the Executive Director/Co-Founder of Integrative Healers Action Network (IHAN), an organization that formed during the 2017 Sonoma County wildfires that aims to provide acute and long-term care to communities impacted by emergency situations by providing integrative healing modalities through systems that bridge medicines and organizations. She is a group facilitator specialized in mind-body awareness techniques, stress management tools, health education, community organizing, trauma-informed care and integrative health advocacy. Jenny is excited to combine her passions for integrative health modalities and community organizing to help alleviate suffering in communities most impacted by the climate crisis.

PhD

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Ariana Thompson-Lastad is a postdoctoral fellow at UC San Francisco, in the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. She has a PhD in sociology from UCSF and 5 years of experience as a health educator and diabetes care coordinator in a California community health center. Ariana’s research focuses on health disparities, group medical visits, chronic pain, and access to integrative medicine.

MD, MPH

Jeff Geller

MSN, MPH, ARNP, CYT

Udaya Thomas is a PhD student at Walden University in the Nursing Interdisciplinary Health track. Her area of doctoral research is in Behavioral Health integration into Primary Care for uninsured and underinsured community members. She is a current SAMHSA ANA MFP Doctoral Fellow since 2016. Udaya is also working full time as a Primary Care Provider at Memorial Primary Care with safety-net patients in Hollywood, Florida. Udaya holds certificates in integrative health coaching, yoga, and is a Jhpiego Master Trainer. She is a Johns Hopkins University Master’s prepared & Board Certified Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and Public Health Specialist. Udaya works with individuals and groups, utilizing preventative health, meditation, nutrition and movement solutions to co-create plans with community members in improving self and family care in order to maintain optimal health. She has also published results of primary original research, which contributed to educational policy changes in Liberia, West Africa in 2012. Udaya is currently the Co-Chair of the IM4US Policy Committee.

MD

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Dr. Kogan is a leader in the newly established field of Integrative Geriatrics. He is the editor of “Integrative Geriatric Medicine” Oxford University Press textbook, and is a frequent speaker at a variety of international conferences. Misha is currently serves as medical director of the GW Center for Integrative Medicine, associate director of the Geriatrics and Integrative Medicine Fellowships at the George Washington University School of Medicine.
Misha is also the chair of the board of AIM Health Institute Washington, D.C based non-profit organization providing integrative medicine services to low-income and terminally ill patients regardless of their ability to pay.

MD

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Dr. Stephanie Cheng is a palliative care physician who cares for patients with terminal or life-altering illness. Her goal is to provide holistic, person-centered care focused on improving patients' quality of life. She devotes most of her clinical time to outpatient palliative care and sees patients through the Symptom Management Service at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Cheng has a special interest in integrative approaches to symptom management and improving quality of life. Cheng received her medical degree from Oregon Health & Science University, followed by a family medicine residency at UCSF affiliate Contra Costa Regional Medical Center. She then completed a dual fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine and integrative medicine at George Washington University. She is a member of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health.

MD

Donald I. Abrams, M.D. is chief of the Hematology-Oncology Division at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, an integrative oncologist at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine and Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. He conducted numerous clinical trials investigating conventional as well as complementary therapies in patients with HIV including therapeutic touch, Traditional Chinese Medicine interventions, medicinal mushrooms, medical marijuana and distant healing. His interest in botanical therapies led him to pursue a two-year Fellowship in the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. Since completing his Fellowship, Dr. Abrams has been providing Integrative Medicine consultation to people living with and beyond cancer at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. He co-edited the Oxford University Press textbook Integrative Oncology with Andrew Weil, M.D.

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Kristina Leonoudakis-Watts is a Program Coordinator with SF Department of Public Health. "Kris" has worked with underserved & at risk populations since 2009 as a Shelter Supervisor with Episcopal Community Services, and a peer advocate & vocational coordinator w/Community Vocational Enterprises. In SFDPH she’s worked as a housing Case Manager, a Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist/Intensive Case Manager, and now as Program Coordinator for the Integrative Pain Management Program. Her experience and passion are centered on working with people with multiple social challenges and complex & resilient spirits. Kris received her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University in 2006. It is her mission to make healing of all types available to the most vulnerable populations through advocacy and her own personal experiences.

Joseph Pace, MD is the Director of Primary Care for Homeless Services in the San Francisco Department of Public Health, and Medical Director of the Tom Waddell Urban Health Clinic for the past 5 years.

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Blue Walcer serves as Health Education Manager for the San Francisco Health Network, Primary Care section of the Department of Public Health. Prior to her current position, Blue served as a Health Educator at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG). Blue was the Founding Director of the CARE (Cancer Awareness, Resources, and Education) program, Director of Patient Education, and Wellness Innovator with the ZSFG Community Wellness Program. Blue works to promote community building and more compassionate, comprehensible, healing experiences for patients and staff. Blue received a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Field Studies with focus on Education and Social Justice, and a Master’s in Public Health, with a focus on Community Health Education – both from the University of California, Berkeley. She was the National Grand Winner of the California Pacific Award for Excellence in Patient Education and received the American Cancer Society’s Quality of Life Award for her work with CARE.

MD

Listed under co-presenters

MD

TESSY AYZANOA

I graduated from medical school as a physician in Peru in 2001. I've volunteered in a clinic for two years and have been offering a class to Hispanic womenabout relaxation techniques and ways to help with stress in their lives. I am determined to the promotion of health literacy as well as access to disease prevention and quality healthcare.

WORK HISTORY

General Practitioner — 2000-2001

Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia - Lima,Peru

Clinic Coordinator — 2006

Pulmonary and Critical Care Associates - Cudahy, WI

Volunteer — 2015

Aurora Walker’s point Community Clinic - Milwaukee, WI

Community Health Worker — 2017

Aurora Walker’s point Community Clinic - Milwaukee, WI

EDUCATION

Clerkship:Infectious disease - 2000

Henry Ford Hospital - Detroit, MI

MD. Physician - Graduated 2001

Cayetano Heredia - Cercado de Lima, Peru

Bilingual (English and Spanish)

RESEARCH

Perinatal Complications in Nulliparous Women of 40 years old and more (Published 2001)

Education and Training

June 2020 University of California, San Francisco: Residency Training
Department of Internal Medicine, San Franciscop General Primary Care Track

May 2017 University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health: M.D.
Training in Urban Medicine and Public Health (TRIUMPH)
Global Health Certificate and Research Honors

May 2010 Unviersity of Wisconsin- Madison: B.A.
Zoology, Psychology and Environemtnal Studies
Comprehensive Honors

Jan-July 2008 Universidade Federal de Minas Gerals (UFMG): Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Study abroad in Biology and Fine Arts, Instruction in Portuguese Language

Jan 2006 Instituto cultural de Oaxaca, Oaxaco, Mexico
Study abroud in Spanish Language and Culture

BPS

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Diagnosed with breast cancer Jan 1993 unable to take chemo, refused radiation and hormonal. Sought 'alternative' therapies, founded a Whole Health study group, then founded a cancer nonprofit Annie Appleseed Project to help educate others about evidence around natural cancer strategies. This nonprofit is THE go-to for many other cancer nonprofits seeking evidence-based information on CAM. Serve on several boards (National Breast Cancer Coalition, Best Answer for Cancer) and committees, a Cochrane Consumer Collaborator, grant reviewer for several groups. Attended over 200 cancer meetings worldwide (primarily in US). Speak to community groups, have been interviewed extensively via SKYPE, Google Hangouts, Facebook Live, and written about in books and news articles. Unique cancer history and a long-time active member of LGBTQIA community. Raised as a Progressive and active in the 1960's and onward Civil Rights, Human RIghts and anti-war.

Ed.S - educational specialist

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Diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in October 2006 at the age of 33, Valencia Robinson incorporated complementary therapy along with her chemotherapy and radiation. As board member of the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation she now serves on vario

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Dr. Diana Shakarian is a former university professor of Kinesiology and Coordinator of Teacher Education, with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction. She has taught at the university level for over 25 years, has worked with universities nationwide to improve college teaching, has consulted with state and national agencies (e.g., California State Department of Education, National Science Foundation, etc.) in the area of kinesiology, education and health promotion, and has published peer-reviewed articles.

Dr. Shakarian has been student of Eastern philosophy and the Energy Arts since the 70’s. She is a 6th Generation Usui Reiki Master, a Yang Style Tai Chi Master, A Qigong Master, a UCLA Certified Mindfulness Instructor and an Eden Energy Medicine Authorized Teacher and Advanced Practitioner. Dr. Shakarian operates an Energy Medicine private practice in Huntington Beach, CA and teaches mindfulness, energy medicine and spirituality classes at local colleges and venues.

MD, MPH

I work in a FQHC (federally qualified healthcare center) as a primary care doctor and I am an assistant clinical professor for Preventive Medicine at UCSD. As part of the latter responsibility I work with medical screenings for the refugee resettlement program and recent as one of hr lead physicians for the migrant shelter. I also precept Preventive Medicine Residents in primary care and in lifestyle medicine at the FQHC clinic.

MD

Harry McIlroy is a medical doctor, completed a master's degree in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, is an Institute of Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner with extensive training in osteopathy, yoga, and meditation. He has a longtime commitment to bringing his extensive training into an urban underserved setting. He recently completed the Certificate in Psychedelic Therapies and Research (CPTR) at the California Institue of Integral Studies. He is currently applying for his DEA schedule 1 license as part of the Expanded Access program in order to provide MDMA assisted psychotherapy for veterans and other patients suffering from PTSD.

DO

Dr. Singh Wadhwa D.O. is an osteopathic family physician with over 10 yrs of experience. His current practice is at Lifelong Medical East Oakland Integrative Clinic and Wellness Center where he focuses on one-on-one osteopathy and shared medical visits. These include yoga for disability, men’s health, diabetes education, energy medicine, and weight management. In the allopathic clinic he sees patients and teaches the family medicine residents. Additionally, he mentors students at the wellness clinic, students from UC Berkeley for a local community clinic, teaches in San Quentin, works along with the People Community Medics & Critical Resistance in Oakland, and has done disaster relief work in Haiti and Houston. In 2018 he became the Lead Consultant and Trainer for the ATOD-Tobacco Dependence and Treatment Program. He lives with three children Max, Olivia, Pachpreet (ages 9,7, & 1), and his partner Alice. His hobbies include cooking, dancing, playing with a frisbee, and hiking outdoors.

MD

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Barbara Towner is an internist with 0ver 30 years of experience in community health, joining LifeLong Medical Care in 1993. She has always been interested in the mind/body connection and a holistic approach to health, with an interest in bringing a variety of healing modalities to safety net patients. At Lifelong, she has had a variety of roles. Previously as CMO, she supported the development of various integrative programs and hiring of integrative practitioners at multiple primary care sites.
Most recently she has focused her time as co-founder of LifeLong East Oakland’s Wellness Center, currently in the role of interim Lead Clinician. Over the last 10 years she has become an advanced practitioner of Eden Energy Medicine and facilitates Energy and Wellness shared medical visits, along with other group. She does hands on sessions with energy medicine and myofascial release. She has also dabbled in medical and conversational hypnosis which she integrates into her sessions.

MD

Adisa Willmer is the lead physician for the Wellness Center East Oakland clinic, Lifelong Medical Care. She also has served as a physician for the Hopi Native American Tribe on their reservation lands in rural Arizona. Adisa's focus is to work with elderly patients around sustained healthy living and her goal is to empower patients around their healthcare by meeting their individual health and wellness goals. Her focus is also on community health and trying to address social determinants of health. Adisa's expertise is in chronic disease management around diabetes, chronic pain, obesity, hypertension, and coronary heart disease. She also is passionate about helping people with behavior changes in regard to smoking cessation, healthy eating, and finding physical/emotional balance in their life. Adisa is a certified Yoga Instructor and also practices hands-on healing modalities - myofascial release and counter strain techniques.

MD

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Marc J. Weigensberg, MD, is an holistic pediatric endocrinologist specializing in the mind-body treatment of youth with diabetes and other chronic health conditions. He is the Director of Pediatric Endocrinology at LA County+USC Medical Center, and Director of the USC Institute for Integrative Health & Wellness. He is certified in the mind-body modality of Interactive Guided ImagerySM, which he uses to help his patients reduce stress, improve lifestyle behaviors, and promote a state of wholeness and well-being. His extensive activity in integrative biomedical research has utilized guided imagery, along with other integrative modalities such as narrative medicine, indigenous group processes, poetry, music and storytelling, to treat diabetes and reduce metabolic disease risk in children, adolescents, and young adults. He practices a collaborative, whole person approach to health which incorporates attention to body, emotion, mind, and spirit in seeking true and complete healing.

PhD

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Tobi Fishel, PhD, is an integrative clinical health psychologist and is the Director of Residency Wellness at LAC/USC, Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, California. Recently having moved to the LA area, she is currently working on a book on bringing the sacred back into the healing room. She is a consultant to many academic integrative centers across the country and has an active clinical practice. With over 28 years of experience working with distressed physicians/healthcare professionals, as well as children, teens, and adults suffering with chronic illness, chronic pain, and other sorts of trauma, she incorporates creativity, mindfulness-based practices, creative arts, narrative therapy, the natural world, spirituality, dream work, play, and group (heart council) work as key elements to easing suffering. The guiding principle for her work is encouraging a deepening relationship with the innate gifts of one’s own soul.

MD

Rhianon Liu is a current chief resident and rising integrative medicine fellow at Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency. Prior to medical school, she trained as a yoga teacher, which inspired her to seek a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. During a predoctoral research fellowship at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at UCSF, she worked with Dr. Maria Chao on integrative interventions to reduce health disparities. Her other scholarly interests include challenging existing systems of healthcare and medical education to reduce burnout among providers and trainees.

MD

Ben Brown, MD. Welcome! Are you ready to take consistent strategic steps towards living your dream in medicine? When one does this, we are all served! I have been practicing integrative family medicine for more than 20 years in underserved settings. I have been fortunate to work with many amazing people on project with powerful impact. These projects have helped grow the health care system towards one that deeply serves and that we find deep joy in. With others, we have created clinics and programs to serve refugees along the Thai-Burma Border, developed an integrative medicine fellowship to bring skills and hope to graduating residents that has transformed the health of our community, developed a national lifestyle medicine program that reverses heart disease and is covered by insurance, and much more. Service projects are a context for relationships and for personal growth. We all stand on the shoulders of those that have come before us. Join us and take the next step.

MD

Antoinette Mason is a first year at Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency and is grateful to be training at a program committed to bringing integrative medicine to the underserved. Antoinette was exposed to integrative medicine as a child and she went on to study nutrition in college. Once in medical school, Antoinette was surprised to discover a consistent lack of integrated medicine pedagogy. She spent most of her free time as a medical student seeking integrative medicine experience. She founded an Integrative Medicine Clinic at the UCSD Student Run-Free Clinic, worked closely with the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine to develop student chapters, and evaluated chronic pain management using integrative modalities. Through her professional experiences as well as her own self care, Antoinette believes that the incorporation of integrative medicine into conventional primary care is the optimal way to provide quality, comprehensive care, especially in underserved settings.

MD

Wendy Kohatsu, M.D. is an Associate Clinical Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the UCSF. She was one of the four inaugural Fellows in the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona with Dr. Andrew Weil. She currently is the Director of the Integrative Medicine Fellowship at the Santa Rosa Family Medicine. She is an author of several integrative medicine textbook chapters, and Principal Investigator of the VeggieRx Prescription program through Santa Rosa Community Health. Dr. Kohatsu is also a CHEF ! She received her professional culinary degree from the Oregon Culinary Institute in 2008. She was the Cook on Every Corner culinary program director through the Healing Kitchens Institute of Commonweal from 2014-2016, and teaches culinary medicine courses to healthcare providers and the community. Dr. Kohatsu loves to scour farmers’ markets for field-fresh ingredients, ‘doctor’ recipes to make them healthier, and go wild in her kitchen-laboratory.

MD

Tahereh Naderi is a second year resident at Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency. She has always been interested in integrative medicine and a holistic approach to healthcare, with a focus on food as medicine and the healing power of music. She has explored various IM modalities for her own well-being and is trained in NADA acupuncture. She looks forward to a lifetime career dedicated to increasing access to IM services for underserved populations.

DO, MPH

Olympia Kabobel is a DO, MPH, she is in her second year of post graduate education at California Hospital Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program. She graduated from Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific. Her passion is to bring osteopathic medicine and touch back to the primary care setting and especially to the underserved. She is a member of the Osteopathic Cranial Academy and attends yearly Cranial Academy conferences. In her spare time, she takes care of her 2 adopted dogs, goes rock climbing with her husband, and recently started CrossFit.

DO, MPH

Michelle Yim is a DO, MPH and she is in her second year of post graduate education at California Hospital Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program. She graduated from Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific. She is interested in integrative medicine, public health, and underserved medicine. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she hopes to provide a multicultural and multimodal approach to healthcare with an osteopathic touch. She is excited to continue her love for working with the urban, underserved community while also balancing her passion for dance and yoga.

MD MPH FAAFP ABoIM

Armaity V Austin, MD, MPH dually Board Certified in Family Medicine and Integrative Medicine.
Founding Faculty of Integrative Medicine Curriculum for medical students at Keck School of Medicine USC and Integrative Medicine Residency Track at CHMC FM Residency. Completed Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. She is a "Globe trotter" enjoys traveling, Yoga, reading, photography and ethnic cuisine.

MD

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Hansie Wong studied medicine at Georgetown University in Washington DC and trained in Family Practice in San Bernardino, CA. After residency, she completed a course in medical acupuncture and went on to obtain a fellowship in Integrative Medicine in the underserved community of Lawrence, MA. She currently works at Health Point Community Health Center and has her own Integrative Health Coaching practice outside Seattle, WA. She also teaches taichi and qigong at her local community center.

Hansie enjoys bringing health to the underserved and integrates acupuncture, healing touch, and guided imagery/hypnosis into her current practice. She believes that practicing good medicine means treating the patient as a whole and having discussions regarding all aspects of health (mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical) and necessitates patience, compassion, and open-mindedness. For more information, visit her website at: www.integrativehealthandwellness.net

JD, LLM

Keegan Warren-Clem, J.D., LL.M., is the founding director of Austin Medical-Legal Partnership, through which she collaborates with health care providers to improve health outcomes. Also an adjunct professor dually appointed at The University of Texas School of Law and McCombs School of Business, Keegan is engaged in research that takes an epidemiological approach to legal interventions as a concrete means for addressing health inequities. She is admitted to practice in Texas and is a member of the State Bar College, an honorary society of the most highly trained lawyers. Keegan is a veteran of the Army National Guard and is also a member of the Order of St. Joan of Arc, the highest civilian award given by the Army Armor and Cavalry Associations. Keegan earned her LL.M. in Health Law and Policy from Southern Illinois University, her J.D. from The University of Texas, and her B.A. from the University of Arkansas. In her spare time, she rows crew.

MD

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Dr. Sharad Kohli has dedicated his career to working with the underserved and to attaining health equity. He received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma, and completed a rural Family Medicine residency in Klamath Falls, OR. He has spent 15 years working with both urban and rural safety net clinics in California and Texas.

He works at People's Community Clinic, an FQHC in Austin committed to looking upstream at factors that influence health. He is currently developing an interprofessional pain program integrating numerous services including behavioral health, acupuncture, medical-legal, and more.

Dr. Kohli has been intimately involved in the growth and development of IM4US. He co-founded its annual conference, was a member of its founding Board of Directors, created and chaired its Policy Committee, and serves as IM4US's representative on the Board of the Integrative Health Policy Consortium, which consists of national leaders from various integrative health fields.

MD, MPH

Pritesh Gandhi is an internist, pediatrician, and community advocate who focuses on social determinants of health. Dr. Gandhi is the Associate Chief Medical Officer and Director of Adult Medicine at People's Community Clinic, an Austin safety net clinic. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor in Population Health at Dell Medical School at UT Austin.

Dr. Gandhi has focused on poverty-reduction his entire career - as a Fulbright Fellow in India, a Schweitzer Fellow, and as a National Health Service Corps Scholar. He completed his medical residency at Tulane University. Dr. Gandhi holds degrees in International Relations & Economics from Tufts University & completed his MD and MPH from Tufts University School of Medicine. He speaks extensively on poverty & health, has testified to both the Texas House and Senate Public Health Committees, and actively supports and advocates for initiatives that address root causes of poverty. He is a 2018 Presidential Leadership Scholar.

M.S. in Human Nutrition

Cathryn Couch is the founder and CEO for Ceres Community Project, an innovative and award-winning non-profit organization working to foster health by connecting people to one another and to a healthier food system. Ceres provides 120,000 organic meals annually to primarily low-income people struggling due to a health challenge. Youth volunteers grow food and prepare the meals as part of a youth development and culinary education program. Couch, who holds an MBA, has worked in the corporate and non-profit worlds including founding one of the first gourmet organic home delivered meal services in the San Francisco Bay Region in 1993. She and Ceres have won many awards including national finalist for The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Community Health Leaders Award, Leader in Sustainability Award from the Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy, finalist for the James Irvine Leadership Award, Red Cross Adult Humanitarian Hero for Northern California and a CNN Hero.

DO

Connie Earl, DO, is a family physician in Sonoma County, CA. and the Co-founder of 360 Integrative Consulting. She currently serves as the Medical Director and Director of Integrative Medicine of a stand-alone wellness center within a Federally Qualified Health Center that offers a variety of shared medical visits and integrative medicine services. After completing her residency training at the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency (SRFMR), Connie served as the Integrative Medicine Fellow at SRFMR; this fellowship is focused on providing evidence-based, integrative medicine for the underserved. During her fellowship year, Connie was instrumental in creating the inaugural 2011 and 2012 Integrative Medicine for the Underserved (IM4Us) Conferences. Connie has organized multiple national workshops on leadership, activism in medicine, and integrative health care; and she believes in the power of community.

JD, MBE

Emma is a thought leader and healthcare executive who was at the Director of Medical-Legal Partnerships and Corporate Bioethicist for Centura Health. Emma’s personal journey with the healthcare system as a cochlear implanted woman, including being a member of the 1990s FDA experimental group, has informed her to the many perspectives and dynamics in play in our healthcare systems.
Emma attended the University of Washington School of Law and has worked in nonprofit legal advocacy organizations and served on state health law boards as well as working for hospitals and corporate healthcare organizations. Emma is also passionate about the field of Biomedical Ethics and received her MBE from Harvard Medical School. Emma has been interviewed by NPR and Kaiser Health News, Careers and the Disabled, published by Kaiser Commission for Medicaid and the Uninsured, and has been a keynote speaker at national conferences.

BSBA, MBA

Mike is a seasoned life science marketer that brings a data driven approach to Customer Experience Marketing and Innovation. Mike recently joined TAG after running a global relationship marketing firm where he and his team helped both small and large Bio-Pharma Clients such as AbbVie, Novartis, BMS, UCB, Incyte, and many others build scalable and flexible strategies to grow their business.
Mike started his career at Grey Advertising, moved to Brand Management and Business Development in Packaged Goods, then Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, now Pfizer, and launched viagra. He is also a frequent presenter at global life sciences conferences.
With his successful track record of customer experience planning and design and launching Medical Device companies, Mike is now helping guide EVERSANA with a fully Digital and Multi-Channel approach across all three customer groups, Payers, Providers and Patients.

MBE, MA, NREMT

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Jeff is a management consultant with nearly two decades of experience advising life science organizations in research, market development, and product commercialization. His the founder of New England Research Group, a health research and analytics consultancy. Prior to this, he created the Oncology Business Unit at The Access Group—a market access consulting firm—where he led strategic services across specialty products and diagnostics, particularly those focused on oncology and precision medicine. He advised clients on medical affairs, health policy, regulatory affairs and compliance, and strategic planning for pharmaceutical and biotech assets. Jeff holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English Literature and Critical Theory from City University of New York-Brooklyn College, and received his Master’s degree in Bioethics from Harvard Medical School. Jeff is a lecturer at the College of Arts and Sciences at Boston University, and is a Massachusetts-licensed EMT provider.

MD,

A modified version of a previous bio. will be forthcoming.

RPh

TBA

TBA

PhD, MPH, MBA

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Beth Rosenthal, MPH, MBA, PhD, is Director of Working Groups for the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health (ACIH). She is author of Replenish: A Life Enhancing Activity Book and It’s That Easy: The High Vibe Guide to Attracting what you Really Want. Beth works with individuals and groups to clarify goals and implement plans with do-able tasks. Beth lives in Chicago, San Diego, and Charlevoix (Michigan) throughout the year and enjoys dancing in all locations!

MAS

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Heather Carrie serves as an integrative health and medicine (IHM) professional dedicated to increasing access to care while fostering therapeutic cooperation among the health professions. With a life-long commitment to both education and holistic health she enthusiastically supports the success of IHM practitioners and students through advocacy and engagement. As a researcher, her interests include health equity, global affairs and public policy issues. As a trained mediator, she works with groups to resolve conflict and rebuild relationships with a focus on healing among healers. Heather enjoys life as an outdoor recreation enthusiast, gardener and musician living in the Pacific Northwest.

FNP

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Raluca Ioanid, FNP-is a bilingual and bicultural family nurse practitioner working at an FQHC in Fruitvale, Oakland. She is also a postpartum nurse who works and social justice educator dedicated to upending the hierarchy in medicine and empowering patients.

LMFT

Alberto Rangel LMFT is a mental health clinician at the TRC/Survivors International. His clinical concentration is providing psychotherapy and case management services to adult survivors of trauma. He is a bicultural and bilingual clinician. He has worked in mental health services to culturally diverse populations since 2003. Before coming to the TRC, he worked in the community as a clinical social work supervisor for the San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team and HIV services at Mission Neighborhood Health Center. Alberto obtained his Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy with an emphasis in Art Therapy in 2006 from Notre Dame de Namur College, and is registered with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Mr. Rangel provides clinical services in Spanish and English.

MD

Elena Rosenbaum, M.D. is Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Albany Medical College and Director of Integrative Medicine and Osteopathy. She completed the HIP Fellowship in 2008. She is board certified in both Family Medicine (ABFM) and Integrative Medicine (ABOIM). Elena teaches family medicine residents, medical students and works with community based organizations and public health colleagues to improve community health in her community. She has participated in teaching a community asset mapping workshop at Albany Medical College.

MPH

Marva M. Richards MPH, Director of Community Outreach and Service Learning at Albany Medical College is helping to engage medical students in meaningful service in the Capital Region’s communities as a requirement for their graduation. An active community member since moving to Albany in 2011 with an interest in promoting social justice, she has served as President of the Board of Directors of AVillage Inc., where she initiated and headed the Health Advocacy Committee while also serving on other local boards. She serves as an advocate for health and education equity on panels and committees including the Albany Task Force for the Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities at University at Albany, SUNY

DO

Dr. Andrea works for an Federally Qualified Health Center in Sonoma Co, CA specializing in Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy and Integrative Medicine. She is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and in Integrative and Holistic Medicine. She is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, and teaches Recollective Awareness Meditation. She graduated from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, received her Osteopathic medical degree at KCUMB-COM, and completed her residency training in Internal Medicine at UTMB-Galveston. She volunteered twice with Humanity First to work in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010, has volunteered with United Boys and Girls Club in Santa Barbara, and volunteered with Partners in Education in SB County schools. Her philosophy of health care is centered around the idea of “Sustainable Health" and her first book will be published in mid-2019.

AS, E-RYT, C-IAYT, CQI

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As a theater, music and dance enthusiast, Sarah Elizabeth has always had a deep appreciation of movement, which led her to fall in love with yoga. Having found her niche, Sarah Elizabeth’s yogic path led to Yoga Teaching certification, Yoga Therapy certification, Qigong certification, and training in Street Yoga and Mindful Schools to serve youth with yoga, meditation and other mindfulness practices. Sarah Elizabeth teaches Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, and Qigong for the Huntsman Cancer Institute, Primary Children’s Hospital and Intermountain Healthcare, specializing in yoga for cancer patients, care providers and healthcare staff. She has been practicing yoga since 1994, teaching since 2007 and is a strong advocate for accessible yoga that can benefit people of all ages, sizes, shapes and abilities.

BS

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As Senior Director of Engagement and Innovation, Marena oversees the development of Centering Healthcare Institute’s products, services and training, and guides the marketing and communication initiatives. Her work includes developing the CenteringPregnancy, CenteringParenting and CenteringHealthcare frameworks to support clinicians in applying the Centering model of group care across the life course. Marena serves on CHI’s senior leadership team that sets the strategic direction and budget for the organization, and is a member of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee.

Prior to joining CHI Marena was the Engagement Manager for a large Integrative Medicine practice. As the parent of four (now adult) children with chronic health conditions, her personal experience of learning how to navigate a complex healthcare system drives the passion to make healthcare accessible and inclusive of every patient population, with offerings that are empowering, holistic and life changing.

LCSW

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Lynn Scheidenhelm is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 25 years experience working in an FQHC/Federally Qualified Health Center in the Boulder/Denver area in Colorado. She had worked with underserved populations in a safety net clinic with a focus on integrating behavioral health staff as a primary member of the clinic’s medical teams. She has been co-facilitating Centering groups (pregnancy, parenting, chronic pain) with medical providers since 2006 and has been training medical and behavioral staff across the country at clinics since 2007 as a Consultant with Centering Healthcare Institute.

RN

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Patricia (Tricia) Richardson, has worked in health care and community in Savannah for 30 years. Patricia graduated from Armstrong Atlantic Nursing School in 1988. As a registered nurse, her primary experience is behavioral health and wellness. In the mid -nineties, Patricia began the study and practice of Qigong (a simple health exercise related to Tai Chi). This led to further studies in complementary medicine practices, including training (2007) with Center for Mindfulness founder, Jon Kabat- Zinn and an extensive study (2009) in Costa Rica in massage therapy and the healing arts. Community gardening has been an integral part of the complimentary practices.

Currently, Patricia works with Mixed Greens, a part of the Real Communities, a statewide project of GA Council for Developmental Disability. She has a private practice called the Art of Self-Care offering massage therapies, mindfulness training and qigong instruction.

LCSW

Alicia Mangiaracina Schmidt, MSW, is the Co-founder of 360 Integrative Consulting. She currently works as a Mental Health Therapist for a Federally Qualified Health Center in Southern Oregon. Prior to this, Alicia was hired as a consultant by this same FQHC to help open their first wellness site. This is the second site that she helped to open in this way. She is passionate about reducing barriers, filling gaps in care and promoting access to integrative services for all. Alicia holds her MSW from Portland State University and has spent the last 6 years learning and teaching through a trauma informed lens. This framework in conjunction with wellness services can help improve patient, provider and staff health and morale. Alicia continues to be active in developing ideas and working collaboratively to meet the growing needs of our changing communities

DO

Connie Earl, DO, is a family physician in Sonoma County, CA. and the Co-founder of 360 Integrative Consulting. She currently serves as the Medical Director and Director of Integrative Medicine of a stand-alone wellness center within a Federally Qualified Health Center that offers a variety of shared medical visits and integrative medicine services. After completing her residency training at the Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency (SRFMR), Connie served as the Integrative Medicine Fellow at SRFMR; this fellowship is focused on providing evidence-based, integrative medicine for the underserved. During her fellowship year, Connie was instrumental in creating the inaugural 2011 and 2012 Integrative Medicine for the Underserved (IM4Us) Conferences. Connie has organized multiple national workshops on leadership, activism in medicine, and integrative health care; and she believes in the power of community.