Ana Langer is the Director of the Women and Health Initiative at the Harvard School of Public Health and is a Professor in its Department of Global Health and Population. She is a physician specialized in pediatrics and neonatology, as well as a reproductive health expert, public health researcher, and advocate for women’s reproductive health and rights. Media includes: International Herald Tribune, Reuters, Newsweek, New York Post, WNBC 4 New York.
Dr. Sylvia Morris is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine. Currently, she is a phsyician with Kaiser Permanente and a contributor for the US News & World Reports Medical School Admissions’ blog. Prior to coming to Kaiser Permanente, she was the Senior Medical Director on the Revenue Cycle Solutions team at The Advisory Board Company. Media includes: CNN International, CNN.com, Weather Channel, Health Professions Radio.
Victoria Maizes is the executive director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and a professor of medicine, family medicine and public health at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Together with her team at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine she created and implemented a national, scalable education model that teaches physicians lifestyle change; developed an innovative, integrative primary care clinical model and is carrying out a comparative effectiveness trial exploring clinical and cost outcomes; and is developing noninvasive research tools that measure health and well-being as well as the impact of place on health. Media includes: DGREE, TEDx Talks, Science Friday, Quartz, CNN.
Barbara Glickstein is a public health nurse executive, health policy expert and broadcast journalist. She is the co-founding director of the Center for Health Media and Policy at Hunter College, City University of New York. For the past 30 years, she has produced and hosted “HealthCetera,” an award-winning, weekly program on public radio in New York City. Glickstein is a Researcher and Outreach Strategist at Carolyn Jones Productions for The American Nurse Project. Media includes: WNBC, PBS, WBAI Pacifica Radio, Martha Stewart Living on Sirius Satellite Radio, Entertainment.
Elise Gould is director of health policy research at the Economic Policy Institute. Her research areas include employer-sponsored health insurance, inequality and health, poverty, mobility, and the employer tax exclusion. In the past, she has authored a chapter on health in The State of Working America 2008/09, co-authored a book on health insurance coverage in retirement. Media includes: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Bloomberg News, USA Today, Detroit News.
Jennifer Dalven is Director of the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project, Jennifer oversees and directs the ACLU’s litigation, state advocacy, and communications work on issues affecting access to reproductive health services. That work runs the gamut from legal challenges to laws that would ban abortions and shut down women’s health centers to initiatives to stop state legislatures from passing further restrictions on access to reproductive health care to communications strategies to move public opinion and galvanize supporters.
Susan Blumenthal, M.D. served as U.S. Assistant Surgeon General, Senior Global Health Advisor and the first Deputy Assistant Secretary of Women’s Health in the US Department of Health and Human Services and was a White House Advisor on Health. She is currently a Senior Fellow in Health Policy at the New America Foundation, Senior Policy and Medical Advisor at amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research and Chair of the Global Health Program at the Meridian International Center where her work focuses on a broad range of public health and science issues facing the nation and world. Extensive media experience.
Lisa Maldonado is one of the founders of the Reproductive Health Access Project and has served as the organization’s Executive Director since 2005. She has devoted her career to working on reproductive health issues, especially as they affect women, adolescents and immigrants. Lisa has worked with large family planning programs in Latin America and Africa and, for over 10 years, worked with local New York City primary care clinics providing health care to Latino women and adolescents. She is on the board of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals and is active within the American Public Health Association.
Kelly Baden is the Director of State Advocacy for the Center for Reproductive Rights, where she oversees the Center’s state and local advocacy within the United States, including leading convenings for state advocates and legislators, building the capacity of local partners through the development of policy resources and trainings, overseeing technical assistance to state partners fighting abortion restrictions, and managing the state components of the Act for Women campaign to promote the national Women’s Health Protection Act, a ground-breaking federal bill to counter the devastating onslaught of abortion restrictions in the states.
Fatima Goss Graves is Senior Vice President for Program, where she leads the Center's broad program agenda to eliminate barriers in employment, education, health and reproductive rights and lift women and families out of poverty. She uses a number of advocacy strategies in her work on issues ranging from public education and legislative advocacy to litigation, including briefs in the Supreme Court and federal courts of appeals. Media includes: Washington Post, USA Today, NPR, CNN, CNBC, CSPAN (Washington Journal).
Stephanie Morain is an Assistant Professor in the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy. Her research examines political and ethical issues concerning the scope of government authority in public health and the role of stakeholder opinion in shaping decision-making in public health policy. She has expertise in public opinion towards controversial public health laws including those targeting “lifestyle choices” like obesity, physical inactivity, and tobacco use. Media includes: NY Times Well Blog, LA Times, NPR, ABC news, Wall St Journal.
Phronie Jackson, MPH was the Project Coordinator of the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI) at the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW). She applies lessons learned from more than 17 years of public health experience to develop community and worksite wellness programs and women's health programs. She also serves as Curriculum and Training Specialist for the Save Our Selves Sisters (SOS); a five-module intervention for female that uses as its foundation ethnic and gender pride to empower females to fight for HIV/AIDS prevention. Media includes: WOL AM 1450, NBC 4.
Jessica González-Rojas is the Executive Director at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, the only national reproductive justice organization that specifically works to advance reproductive health and rights for Latinas. She has been a leader in progressive movements for over 15 years. Jessica is successfully forging connections between reproductive health, gender, immigration, LGBTQ liberation, labor and Latino civil rights, breaking down barriers between movements and building a strong Latina grassroots presence.
Maureen Sullivan is Senior Vice President, Strategic Services for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), a national federation of 39 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies collectively providing health coverage for 100 million people – one-in-three of all Americans. She oversees BCBSA’s major strategic initiatives, including programs designed to increase healthcare quality and affordability, and is responsible for developing major growth strategies for Blue System inter-plan programs. Media includes: WSJ, NYT, USA Today, BusinessWeek.
Charon Asetoyer, a Native American women's health activist, holds a Masters of International Administration and Management. She is the CEO and Founder of the Native American Community Board (1985) and the Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center (1988) on the Yankton Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. The Resource Center addresses issues of reproductive justice, violence against women, and environmental justice. Media includes: Native American Calling, NPR, the New York Times, ColorLines, CNN, Jezebel.
Anna Vishkaee Eskamani serves as the Senior Director of Public Affairs and Communications for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. An Iranian-American and Florida native, Anna is committed to her community. Her first four years at the University of Central Florida (UCF) were spent researching, writing, advocating, and organizing for social justice. Her early work began as an advocate for environmental protection; she then shifted her focus on international human rights and thereafter on domestic policy and women’s issues.
Jennifer D. Oliva is an Associate Professor at West Virginia University in the College of Law and School of Public Health. In the College of Law, she teaches evidence and public health law courses and directs the WVU Veterans Advocacy Clinic, which represents West Virginia veterans in litigation before administrative agencies and courts, on benefits, discharge upgrades, employment claims and other civil and criminal matters. Media includes: The Conversation, The Oxford Human Rights Hub, Appalachian Justice Initiative.
Dr. Sharon Allison-Ottey serves as Executive Director of The COSHAR Foundation. The foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on impacting the health of the world, one community at a time. Dr. Allison-Ottey completed a three year residency program in Internal Medicine (Adult Medicine) at Union Memorial Hospital. It was during her residency training that she developed a keen interest in the elderly and subsequently completed an additional two year fellowship in Geriatric Medicine (Adults over 65) at the same institution. Media includes: Black Entertainment Television, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Radio One, ABC Radio.
Aletha Maybank, MD, MPH she is an Assistant Commissioner at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Dr. Maybank is also a Founding Board Member of the Artemis Medical Society, an organization created in 2012 to support and nurture women physicians of color worldwide with a current engagement of over 3500 women. Her areas of expertise include preventive medicine, health injustice and inequities, food and fitness, maternal and child health, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and community health. Media includes: MSNBC Melissa Harris-Perry Show, Disney Junior’s Doc McStuffin’s Animated Show, BET 106 & Park, WBLS Daily Dose, Huff Post Live.
Aimee R. Thorne-Thomsen is the Vice President for Strategic Partnerships at Advocates for Youth, where they partner with youth leaders, adult allies, and youth-serving organizations to advocate for policies and champion programs that recognize young people’s rights to: honest sexual health information; accessible, confidential, and affordable sexual health services; and the resources and opportunities necessary to create sexual health equity for all youth. Media includes: The Washington Post, RH Reality Check, Feministing, Colorlines, Feministe.
Marilyn Moon, Ph.D. is an Institute Fellow and director of the Aging Program at the American Institutes for Research. Her current work focuses on the role of informing consumers, providers and policy makers about health care issues, issues in delivery system innovations, and approaches to Medicare and overall healthcare reform. She has written extensively on health policy, reform issues in Medicare health financing, and other social insurance issues and published Medicare: A policy primer in 2006. Media includes: CBS National Television News, NBC National Television News, NPR Diane Rehm show, New York Times.
Jeannine Melly is Deputy Director of the Social Work Leadership Institute at The New York Academy of Medicine. The Social Work Leadership Institute is a national program working to ensure that America's older adults receive the care they need to stay in charge of their lives- and that caregivers also get the support they deserve. Melly is a volunteer with ALS in New York City and chair of the HIV Law Project Board of Directors. She is a former member of the New Jersey Women and AIDS Network\'s Board of Directors. Extensive media experience.
Laura Jimenez became the Executive Director of California Latinas for Reproductive Justice in September 2011. Laura has over 20 years of experience working with women of color organizations across the country on issues of reproductive justice, including the National Latina Health Organization (Oakland), the Dominican Women’s Development Center (New York) and being part of the founding of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective (Atlanta).
Bobbie Sackman is a leading expert on issues facing the elderly and a well-known advocate for the importance of providing community-based senior services to diverse populations. Bobbie spent 10 years delivering direct services to the elderly, including a stint as Director of a senior center in Brooklyn, NY. She also served as a Legislative Analyst in the NYC Office of Management and Budget. Media includes: CBS-TV, WNBC-TV, The New York Times, New York Daily News, National Public Radio/WNYC.
Lisa S. Kantor, Esq., a Los Angeles lawyer and partner in Kantor & Kantor LLP, represents people denied health benefits for treatment of both physical and mental illnesses. She is an expert in federal and state mental health parity laws, how to maximize insurance benefits, and how to obtain insurance coverage for mental health and eating disorder treatment. Media includes: New York Times, Los Angeles Times, CBS 2 News Chicago, “America the Beautiful: Health for Sale" documentary.
Ana L. Oliveira became the President & CEO of The New York Women’s Foundation in 2006. Ana has worked in the health and human services field for over 22 years, developing programs for vulnerable populations throughout NYC. She served as the Executive Director of Gay Men’s Health Crisis for over seven years, overseeing a complete turn-around of the agency. Before working at GMHC, Ana directed innovative community-based programs at Samaritan Village, the Osborne Association, Kings County and Lincoln Hospitals. Extensive media experience.
Amelia Maris Bonow is the Founding Director of #ShoutYourAbortion, a movement dedicated to broadening the existing cultural discourse around abortion. Bonow is interested in discussing the connection between changing the way culture discusses abortion and achieving universally accessible reproductive healthcare. Although abortion has been a common, legal medical procedure for almost 50 years and 70% of Americans support abortion rights, the United States is currently in the midst of the most regressive attack on abortion rights in a generation.
Alida Brill is an author, social critic and advocate for women and girls. She has written and spoken about the personal and public issues surrounding women and chronic illness, and questions of medical privacy. Her most recent book is Dancing at the River's Edge: A Patient and Her Doctor Negotiate a Life With Chronic Illness (Schaffner Press, 2009), a dual memoir with her physician Michael D. Lockshin, M.D. Media includes: NBC: The Bonnie Hunt Show, CBS Radio, WOR - NYC, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor.
Diana N. Derige is a program officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Mich. She focuses on funding opportunities that enable the foundation to make progress in ensuring that all children can grow and thrive by having love, good parenting, high-quality food, physical activity, interaction with nature and access to healthcare. Prior to joining the foundation in 2010, Derige worked for more than 10 years in public health, public policy, advocacy and community-based philanthropy. Media includes: Detroit Free Press, Chicago Tribune, and Women's E-News.
Renata Schiavo, PhD, MA is a public health, global health, healthcare, social innovation, and health communication specialist with more than 20 years of experience in a variety of settings, including the United States and several countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. She is Founding President of Health Equity Initiative, a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to building and sustaining a global community that engages across sectors and disciplines to advance health equity.
Gloria Tavera the president of the board of the access to medicines non-profit, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM), a global group of university students and academics organizing for public control over medicine and its pricing. Forbes 30 Under 30 Healthcare recognized Gloria for her work with UAEM in 2017. Gloria was an early member of UAEM and founded a UAEM chapter at the University of Florida in 2005 and now fosters the chapter at Case Western Reserve University. Media includes: TVR2C, The Sound of Ideas, Malaria Journal, The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Jacqueline Kosecoff, PhD is CEO of Prescriptions Solutions (RxS), UnitedHealth Group. She is responsible for United’s PBM, Specialty Pharmacy, and Consumer Health Products. UnitedHealth Group is a diversified health and well-being company, serving approximately 70 million Americans. Prior to joining UnitedHealth Group-PacifiCare, Dr. Kosecoff was founder, President and Chief Operating Officer of Protocare (now Constella Health Strategies and Radiant Research), a firm whose lines of business included the clinical development of drugs, devices, biopharmaceutical and nutritional products and health services consulting. Media includes: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Reuters, Forbes.com, Fortune.com.
Susan L. Parish, PhD, MSW is the Nancy Lurie Marks Professor of Disability Policy and Director of the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, at Brandeis University. Her research examines the health and financial well-being of children and adults with disabilities, and their caregiving families. Dr. Parish’s disability and poverty policy expertise is widely sought. She has testified in state and federal lawsuits, and she has been quoted by PBS NewsHour, the Washington Post, National Public Radio, Psychology Today, and the Huffington Post.
Elsie Koh, MD is board certified in diagnostic radiology since 2001 with added certification in Vascular and Interventional Radiology since 2006. She worked in private practice in TX and NJ for a total of 3.5 years before joining American Access Care (AAC), an access care company providing endovascular care to dialysis patients. She founded three outpatient vascular centers in NJ which have all been successful since 2006 and has been recognized as one of the “champion” physicians in our nationwide group of doctors working in 62 centers. AAC was acquired by Fresenius Vascular Care (FVC) in 2011. Extensive media experience.
Theresa Brown works as a clinical nurse in Pittsburgh. Her most recent book is The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients' Lives. Critical Care: A New Nurse Faces Death, Life, and Everything in Between (HarperOne, 2011, paperback edition) is her first book, which has been adopted as a textbook in Schools of Nursing across the country. Theresa lectures nationally on issues related to nursing, health care, and end of life. Media includes: NY Times, CNN.com, Reader’s Digest, American Journal of Nursing, Scrubs Magazine.