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Speakers

Kristi Barslou

Kristi Barslou is a program manager at the Iowa Primary Care Association (PCA). She has worked with the Colorectal Cancer Screening Grant in partnership with Iowa Department of Health and Human Services and ten Federally Qualified Health Centers for the last two years. She also provides program management support to a verity of other important initiatives at the Iowa PCA. In her previous role she worked in community mental health for 11 years. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa.

Judy Beck, MSN, RN

Judy Beck, MSN, RN, serves as the Quality Improvement Program Director for Quality Health Associates of North Dakota. She is the program manager for their colorectal cancer control program. Judy joined Quality Health Associates of North Dakota in 2013 and provides leadership and guidance for quality improvement, patient safety, preventative care, and population health. She is an active member of the North Dakota Cancer Coalition and the North Dakota Colorectal Cancer Roundtable. Judy received her BSN from Minot State University in 1983 and her masters in nursing education from the University of North Dakota in 2010.

Michele Beckman

Michele Beckman is an epidemiologist within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC). As a member of the Program Services Branch’s Evaluation Team, she serves as a data manager and analyst for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and the Colorectal Cancer Control Program. Prior to joining DCPC, Michele was in CDC’s Division of Blood Disorders where she was an epidemiologist and team lead of the Clotting Disorders Team within the Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch.

Jennifer Boehm, MPH

Jennifer Boehm, MPH, serves as a public health advisor to states, universities, and tribes funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Colorectal Cancer Control and National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Programs. She began her CDC career in 2007 as part of the team managing the Colorectal Cancer Screening Demonstration Program and has continued to work in the development, management, and evaluation of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening programs for the past 15 years. Additionally, Jennifer works with colleagues across the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, researching psychosocial issues impacting lung and ovarian cancer survivors. Jennifer holds a BA in Anthropology from James Madison University and an MPH in Health Behavior & Promotion from Georgia State University.

Matthew Boudreau, PhD

Matthew Boudreau, PhD, is the Colorectal Cancer Screening Program Manager at the Rhode Island Department of Health. A native of Rhode Island, he graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, with bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Creative Writing and completed post-baccalaureate coursework in the basic sciences. Matthew has worked as a veterinary technician, an EMT, and a research assistant in a hospital’s infectious diseases department. A self-proclaimed jack of all trades and master of none, he enjoys drawing and painting, fiction writing, woodworking, sailing, and acting silly as a member of an improv comedy troupe.

Victoria Brenton, MPH

Victoria Brenton, MPH, is the Program Manager of the Colorectal Cancer Program at the Iowa Department of Health & Human Services. She’s been with the agency since 2010 and first started as the Program Manager of the Iowa Comprehensive Cancer Control Program. She earned an MPH from Des Moines University in 2020. Victoria loves all things health related and geeking out over the latest research articles. When she’s not talking to others about the new colorectal cancer screening guidelines, she stays busy with her twin 7-year olds, her spouse and golden doodle, Frida.

Amy DeGroff, PhD, MPH

Amy DeGroff, PhD, MPH has worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for over 25 years and currently leads the Program Evaluation Team in Program Services Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. The Program Evaluation Team leads and conducts monitoring and evaluation activities for the Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP) and the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). The Program Evaluation Team plans and carries out national evaluations of the CRCCP and the NBCCEDP. Dr. DeGroff has contributed to evaluation planning, the development of standardized data collections for the CRCCP and NBCCEDP and the conduct of special studies of the CRCCP and NBCCEDP. Dr. DeGroff has a doctorate degree in Public Policy and a masters degree in Public Health.

Andrea (Andi) Dwyer

Andrea (Andi) Dwyer is the Director and a founding member of the Colorado Cancer Screening Program (CCSP) at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. CCSP is now growing the prevention and cancer control work to hereditary and lung cancer screening initiatives. At the state level, Andi is on the Executive Committee of the Colorado Community Health Worker and Patient Navigation Collaborative to help advance this work in Colorado and Chair of the Colorado Cancer Coalition. On the national front, Andi is the Chair of the Patient Navigation Roundtable, supported by the American Cancer Society and is a longtime member of the National Colorectal Roundtable. Andi also advises Fight Colorectal, a national colorectal survivorship nonprofit, in their health promotion and research aims.

Susan Eason, MA

Susan Eason, MA, is the Program Director for the West Virginia Program to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening with Cancer Prevention and Control at the West Virginia University Cancer Institute. Susan works with health systems across West Virginia and uses practice facilitation approaches to support the implementation of evidence-based interventions to increase cancer screenings. Her background includes work on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded West Virginia Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program and the National Institutes of Health studies on diabetes and depression management and cancer prevention through healthy lifestyle interventions. She is an active member of the West Virginia state-wide cancer coalition, Mountains of Hope.

Casey Eastman, MPH

Casey Eastman, MPH, is the Manager of the Washington State Department of Health’s Community Healthcare Improvement and Linkages Section which houses the Breast, Cervical, and Colon Health Program (BCCHP). Prior to becoming the Section Manager she served as the BCCHP program manager for five years. BCCHP provides free breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening services to eligible people in Washington State. The program is administered through grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state funding (breast and cervical services only), and foundational funding. BCCHP contracts with regional organizations to implement the program. Casey’s passion in public health is to ensure access to health through quality program planning, implementation, and evaluation. She has worked with International, Federal, Tribal, State and Local programs. Casey received her Master of Public Health at the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Tucson, Arizona and completed a Post Graduate Fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bilikisu Reni Elewonibi, PhD, MPH

Bilikisu Reni Elewonibi, PhD, MPH, leads the work for the Willows Impact Evaluation in Tanzania as a research associate at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in the Department of Global Health and Population. Dr. Elewonibi holds a PhD in Health Policy and Administration and Demography from the Pennsylvania State University and an MPH in Health Management and Policy from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Before coming to Harvard, her research focused on understanding how the built, social, and cultural environments influence access to preventive health services and health behaviors of women in different countries. She has worked on projects in Nigeria, Senegal, Barbados, Jamaica, South Africa, and India as well as with minority and immigrant populations in the U.S.

Cam Escoffery, PhD, MPH, CHES

Cam Escoffery, PhD, MPH, CHES is a Professor of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education at the Rollins School of Public Health. Dr. Escoffery is a health educator and behavioral scientist by training. She has conducted research for over 28 years on health promotion, cancer prevention and control, implementation science, and evaluation. Her current research aims to translate evidence-based interventions into practice related to cancer control and self-management. She is the Principal Investigator of the Emory Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network. She has been working for 10 years on evaluation and implementation research related to CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program.

Kevin D. Everett, PhD

Kevin D. Everett, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Family & Community Medicine at the University of Missouri. He co-directs the Missouri Partnership to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening project and the University of Missouri Rural Health Research Center. Dr. Everett is a clinical psychologist by training and has long-standing interests in behavior change interventions designed to reduce health risks. This has included projects addressing vulnerable, hard-to-reach, or underserved populations (e.g., rural populations; low-income; LGBT community; individuals with mental illness). His approaches specifically incorporate local community participation including leadership building activities for youth and college students.

Emily Ferroni, MS

Emily Ferroni, MS, is contracted through the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan as a Patient Navigator of Cancer Screening. She works out of Little Traverse Bay Band Health Clinic in Petoskey, Michigan. She went to Lake Superior State University for a B.Sc. of Kinesiology. She then continued her education at Northern Michigan University to graduate with a MS of Exercise Science. Emily’s research while getting her masters was heavily focused on cancer and sports biomechanics. She completed a thesis researching the effect of exercise within a cancer survivor population.

Sheryl Gabram-Mendola, MD, MBA, FACS

Sheryl Gabram-Mendola, MD, MBA, FACS is the Chief Scientific Officer for the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education and oversees research and clinical service initiatives. She serves as the Principal Investigator on the CDC Cooperative Agreement: “Georgia Colorectal Cancer Screening Project 2020-2025.” She is Professor Emerita of Surgery for Emory University as of January 2021. In 2007, she was named a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar. Dr. Gabram-Mendola completed Medical School at Georgetown University, Surgical Residency at the Washington Hospital Center, a Fellowship at the University of Connecticut, Hartford Hospital, and an MBA from the University of Connecticut School of Business.

Leslie Given, MPA

Leslie Given, MPA, is co-owner and Vice President of Strategic Health Concepts (SHC). SHC works with health-related organizations, primarily in strategic planning and program development, implementation, and evaluation. SHC has been instrumental in developing and delivering technical assistance and training to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded cancer control programs and their partners. SHC also works with the National Cancer Institute to support development and implementation of national cancer control plans internationally. Prior to joining SHC in January 2007, Leslie was a Team Lead for CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control in Atlanta, Georgia.

Karen Hacker, MD, MPH

Karen Hacker, MD, MPH, is the Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), a position she assumed in August 2019. NCCDPHP has an annual budget of more than $1.3 billion and more than 1,000 staff members dedicated to preventing chronic diseases and promoting health across the lifespan.

Dr. Hacker leads an executive team that sets the strategic direction for the center’s portfolio, which focuses on:

Surveillance and epidemiology to move data into action.
Policy and environmental improvements to support health and healthy behaviors.
Health care system collaboration to strengthen the delivery of preventive services.
Links between community and clinical services to improve self-management of chronic conditions and enhance the quality of life.

As an expert in community-based participatory research (CBPR), Dr. Hacker served as the Director of the CBPR program of the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Award Initiative (Harvard Catalyst). She wrote Community-Based Participatory Action Research, a widely used academic text, and taught a course on the topic at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. As the Executive Director of the Institute for Community Health, she designed, led, and published on numerous community participatory health projects. She has published 67 peer-reviewed articles on various topics, including adolescent health and school-based health centers, obesity, substance use, and health policy.

Dr. Hacker received her BA from Yale University, her MD from Northwestern University School of Medicine, and her MPH with Honors from Boston University School of Public Health. She completed her internship and residency training in primary care internal medicine at Boston City Hospital, followed by an adolescent medicine fellowship at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. She is board-certified in internal medicine and has served as an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School (2010 to 2015) and at Harvard School of Public Health (2012 to 2015). She is currently a Visiting Professor at the Graduate School of Public Health and a Clinical Professor at the School of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

Peggy Hannon, PhD, MPH

Peggy Hannon, PhD, MPH, is a professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health and director of the Health Promotion Research Center, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Research Center. She also co-leads the Optimizing Implementation in Cancer Control Center, a National Cancer Institute Implementation Science Center for Cancer Control. She completed her training in public health and social psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington. Dr. Hannon’s research focuses on dissemination and implementation research, with an emphasis on cancer screening, workplace health promotion, and communities experiencing health disparities.

Michelle Hibbard

Michelle Hibbard is a Practice Transformation Advisor Lead with the Kentucky Regional Extension Center. She holds a Bachelors in Business Administration with a Minor in Management from Union College and an Associates in Office Systems and Technologies from Eastern Kentucky University. Michelle assists practices with Promoting Interoperability support and quality improvement in areas such as Colon Cancer Screening, Diabetes and Hypertension Learning Collaboratives. She provides workflow assessments, data collection and validation, and implementation plans. Prior to working at the Kentucky Regional Extension Center, Michelle worked as an Office Manager for an internal medicine/family practice group. She has a combined 22 years’ experience assisting providers and working to improve quality across the state.

Karin Hohman, RN, MBA

Karin Hohman, RN, MBA, President of Strategic Health Concepts (SHC), an international public health consulting company. Karin has worked extensively in national, regional and community strategic health planning, with an emphasis in creating and maintaining effective health related partnerships, developing and implementing organizational and leadership development programs, and writing public and professional prevention and control materials over the past 25 years.

SHC has been privileged to support the Comprehensive Cancer Control National Partnership and Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Cancer Programs over the past 20 years. As a result, SHC has worked with nearly all CDC Comprehensive Cancer Control Program funded states, tribes, territories, and Pacific Island Jurisdiction programs and their coalitions. SHC also works with the International Cancer Control Partnership and has provided technical assistance to over 25 countries on their health-related national plans.

Karin received BS and BA degrees in nursing, health promotion and physical education from Luther College, Decorah Iowa and her Master of Business Administration from the University of Colorado.

James A. Hotz, MD

James A. Hotz, MD, a board-certified Internist and Master of the American College of Physicians, began practicing medicine in one of the poorest and most medically underserved areas of the south. Volunteering to join the National Health Service Corp in the U.S. Public Health Service in 1978, he helped to form a community health center system (Albany Area Primary Health Care, Inc.) in Southwest Georgia. This organization now operates 30 clinical sites that provide primary health care for over 45,000 patients in Southwest Georgia.

Dr. Hotz’s academic preparation included a degree in chemistry from Cornell University, an MD from Ohio State, and a residency in internal medicine at Emory University. He is the former Chairman of the Board of Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, the Georgia Association for Primary Health Care, and the Southwest Georgia Area Health Education Center and helped found and was Medical Director of the Southwest Georgia Cancer Coalition. He is on the Board of Health of Baker County and is the Clinic Services Director of Albany Area Primary Health Care. Dr. Hotz is currently Co-Chair of the Georgia Colorectal Cancer Roundtable, the Community Health Center Interest Group of the National Colorectal Roundtable, and is Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Georgia State Cancer Plan.

He has multiple publications on cancer screening and primary care and prevention and is Medical Director for the Georgia Colorectal Cancer Control Program.

Dr. Hotz was selected for the Community Health Leadership Award by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for his outstanding leadership in primary care. He was the 2009 recipient of the James Alley Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Georgia Rural Health Association.

Mary Joseph RN, BC, CPHQ

Mary Joseph RN, BC, CPHQ, is a Project Manager at the Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County. In her current position, Mary is responsible for multiple projects working to improve the health of those served by the safety-net clinics by providing process improvement training in the areas of preventative health, diabetes, and behavioral health.

Additionally, she is responsible for the development and implementation of patient navigation/care coordination services for the Montgomery County’s Montgomery Cares program serving 27,000 low-income, uninsured adults. As part of the patient navigation services, Mary developed care management software to assist the clinics in tracking patients needing a specialized level of care.

As the Sr. Director of Behavioral Health for United Health Care and Director of Nurses at Potomac Ridge Hospital, Mary worked in program development, management, and administration. She served on the Board of Directors for Mansfield Kaseman Health Clinic, The Case Management Society of America and Potomac Ridge Behavioral Health Board of Governors.

In addition to her work at Primary Care Coalition, Mary currently is a Clinical Instructor in Community Health for the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

Sallyann Coleman King, MD, MSc

Sallyann Coleman King, MD, MSc, serves as the Medical Director of the Colorectal Cancer Control Program. Dr. Coleman King did her undergraduate training at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and her Masters degree in a program jointly taught at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University College London in London, England. She completed her medical degree and residency at Emory University School of Medicine in preventive medicine and then completed a fellowship in Outcomes Research and a Clinical Trials fellowship. Dr. Coleman King then completed a fellowship in the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She is a Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service and supports emergency response needs for the country.

Teri Larkins, PhD

Teri Larkins, PhD, joined the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC) in 2006 as a Postdoctoral Fellow to the Director to assist with educational and public health genomics efforts to reduce health disparities in cancer. In 2009, she became a DCPC Program Services Branch (PSB) Public Health Advisor to the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) and the Colorectal Cancer Control Programs (CRCCP) awardees. Additionally, Teri has actively served as a CDC work-life wellness liaison campus lead (Chamblee), a women’s health liaison on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Coordinating Committee on Women’s Health, and a member of the DCPC’s HPV and Cervical Cancer workgroup.

As a PSB Communication workgroup lead, she was instrumental in launching ScreenOutCancer, a communication support and brand identity initiative for the CDC cancer prevention programs –NBCCEDP and CRCCP. Last year, she joined the CDC COVID-19 response with the Global Rapid Response Team and worked with the Southwest Border Migrant Health Task Force to improve the health and safety of unaccompanied children and staff at emergency intake sites.

Teri holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences – Cancer Biology and has been trained in wellness and health coaching. She serves on the boards and leadership teams of metro Atlanta-based cancer wellness and women support non-profit organizations.

Tracie Lewis

Tracie Lewis is the Operations Director with the Colorectal Cancer Prevention Network (CCPN) at the University of South Carolina. The CCPN is focused on reducing colorectal cancer through education, awareness, and screening. Tracie co-created the Southeastern Colorectal Cancer Consortium to address barriers and share best practices to increase colorectal cancer screening throughout the South. She continues to support the Consortium’s mission and objectives to decrease incident and mortality of colorectal cancer. Locally, Tracie serves on the South Carolina Cancer Alliance’s workgroups where she focuses on developing and implementing population health programs to achieve the South Carolina Cancer Plan’s goals.

Melissa Leypoldt, RN

Melissa Leypoldt, RN, is currently the Program Director for Nebraska’s Women’s and Men’s Health Programs. She manages Nebraska’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program, WISEWOMAN, and Colorectal Cancer Screening Programs. During her tenure with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) she has worked over 30 years in the area of cancer prevention and control, coordinating strategies to increase access to care.

She has served on the NBCCEDP Federal Advisory Committee for CDC. Melissa’s most recent projects for DHHS center around evidence-based strategies within communities to increase cancer screenings, development of utilization of technology to increase awareness, and linkages to community resources.

Mary E. Luvisi

Mary E. Luvisi has a combined 33 years’ health IT, state government and quality improvement experience with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Kentucky Health Information Exchange and the Kentucky Regional Extension Center (an outreach arm of UK Healthcare). She currently serves as the Director of the Kentucky Diabetes Learning Collaborative. Mary partners on the Colorectal Cancer 1502 and 2002 grants to improve colorectal cancer screenings. She has a passion for patient engagement, chronic disease management, quality improvement, and health care transformation.

Mark Macauda, PhD

Mark Macauda, PhD, is a research assistant professor at the Arnold School of Public Health; Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior; University of South Carolina. Trained as a medical anthropologist, he works with the Center for Applied Research and Evaluation, assessing the implementation and impact of public health programs. Dr. Macauda has expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methods in applied research settings. He is currently working with the University of South Carolina Colorectal Cancer Prevention Network as an evaluator on their Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded project “SC Communities Unite to Increase CRC Screening.”

Mike Marosits

Mike Marosits is a Quality Initiatives Specialist at the Colorado Community Health Network (CCHN), where he provides quality improvement coaching on projects involving cancer screening, safe opioid prescribing, collaborative drug therapy management, behavioral health leadership, and many peer-led work groups. Before joining CCHN, Mike was a health educator and consultant specializing in patient navigation and community health work. Most importantly, he is dedicated to using quality improvement processes to influence positive systems change and support equitable health care for all.

Jesse McCall, MBA

Jesse McCall, MBA, Senior Director and Improvement Advisor, Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) coaches individuals and organizations through the process of improvement. This includes the data-driven identification of strategic improvement priorities, the development of operational systems to support improvement, and the building of practical improvement capability necessary for staff to get results that matter. Jesse also has extensive experience coaching organizations to engage clinical staff to reduce burnout and foster joy in work. Jesse is also a Teaching Fellow at The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University in Boston and his MBA at the UMASS Amherst Isenberg School of Management.

Brent McKune

Brent McKune serves as Managing Director of the Kentucky Regional Extension Center (REC) at the University of Kentucky, where he manages all staff, programs, and operations. Kentucky REC is an organization charged with assisting healthcare providers, practices, and hospitals across Kentucky with using technology, connectivity, process improvement, and value-based care models to improve the quality and value of healthcare. With more than 18 years of experience as a project manager and team leader in the areas of healthcare IT, quality improvement, and compliance with government regulations, Brent and his team are focused on using data to improve the health of Kentuckians

Nikki Medalen, MSN, BSN, RN

Nikki Medalen, MSN, BSN, RN, is a Quality Improvement Specialist at Quality Health Associates of North Dakota since 2016. She is currently involved in three projects related to Colorectal Cancer. ScreeND is the program name for the Colorectal Cancer Control Program funded Colorectal Cancer Screening Improvement Program, which assists rural and tribal clinics in North Dakota to Improve colorectal cancer screening rates through the implementation of evidenced based interventions. In addition, she is charged with developing the North Dakota Colorectal Cancer Screening Initiative enrollment hub for both clinics and patients. This initiative pays for colorectal cancer screening for patients who meet age and income criteria in the state of North Dakota. She has also recently been named the Policy Lead for the North Dakota Comprehensive Cancer Control program. Nikki has been a nurse for more than 25 years and has a passion for public health, vulnerable populations and nursing education. She is currently serving on the board of First District Health Unit. Nikki and her husband, Keith, ranch north of Towner, North Dakota where they raise registered Angus cattle and Quarter Horses.

Stephanie Melillo, MPH

Stephanie Melillo, MPH, joined the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC) as a Health Scientist in 2011. She is a member of the evaluation team, translating research findings into practical resources for awardees and other public health professionals. She has worked with the Community Preventive Services Task force in various capacities since 2004 and draws on this experience to inform the way we think about the implementation of evidence-based recommendations. Stephanie recently returned from a detail to the Office of the Director serving as a subject matter expert for the EARLY Act portfolio of projects.

Jacqueline Miller, MD, FACS

Jacqueline Miller, MD, FACS, is a board-certified general surgeon and a Captain with the U.S. Public Health Service. She did her undergraduate education at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, and earned her medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. She then completed her residency in general surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. After completing her training, she practiced general surgery for eight years in Atlanta with a special interest in breast cancer before joining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer in the Division of Adult and Community Health. Currently, she is the Medical Director for CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. She continues to provide clinical care in an outpatient clinic setting.

Cheryl Modica, PhD, MPH, BSN, RN

Cheryl Modica, PhD, MPH, BSN, RN, as Director of the Quality Center at the National Association of Community Health Centers, provides strategic direction in clinical quality and health center transformation. She is author of the Value Transformation Framework, a conceptual model to guide health center systems change and support health center advancement toward value-based models of care and the Quintuple Aim: improved health outcomes, improved patient experience, improved staff experience, reduced costs, and equity. Dr. Modica has decades of experience designing, developing, and operationalizing innovative health care initiatives aimed toward integrating primary care and public health and translating evidence into practice. Dr. Modica earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health Administration from New York University’s School of Public Service and a Master of Public Health from The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Modica also earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The University of Vermont.

Fornessa T. Randal, MCRP

Fornessa T. Randal, MCRP, is the Co-Director of the University of Chicago’s Center for Asian Health Equity and Executive Director for the Asian Health Coalition, a non-profit community-based organization. Fornessa has over 20 years of experience in health systems innovation, as well as minority and community health planning and implementation. Her background extends to cancer disparities research, public health, outreach and community-based participatory research.

Fornessa has disseminated and transformed local health initiatives into statewide and national models and developed prototypes, which have been recognized by both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She is the Principal Investigator for several federally funded programs, including NIH’s All of Us Research Program and is Chair for the Asian Engagement and Recruitment Core. Fornessa has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed articles and is a leader in health equity.

Lisa C. Richardson, MD, MPH

Lisa C. Richardson, MD, MPH, is the Director of Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC). She is responsible for providing leadership and direction for all scientific, policy, and programmatic issues related to four foundational programs: the Colorectal Cancer Control Program, the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, and the National Program of Cancer Registries. She oversees a well-developed research agenda that includes the national Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network.

A public servant for more than 25 years, Dr. Richardson has held numerous leadership positions within CDC and DCPC. Before her current role, she served as Director of CDC’s Division of Blood Disorders, where she led national efforts to prevent complications and improve the quality of life for people living with hereditary blood disorders such as hemophilia and sickle cell disease.

Dr. Richardson came to CDC in 1997 as the Medical Director for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer and Early Detection Program, the largest organized screening program for low-income uninsured women in the United States. After a stint at the University of Florida as an Assistant Professor, she returned to CDC in 2004 as a Staff Scientist in DCPC’s Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch, then served as team lead for the Scientific Support and Clinical Translation Team in DCPC’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Branch. In 2010, Dr. Richardson was named DCPC’s Chief Science Officer, where she advised the director in setting scientific priorities and worked with division staff to maintain scientific integrity in division activities.

Dr. Richardson earned her Bachelor of Science and medical degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society while at the University of North Carolina. She completed the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar’s Program at the University of Michigan, earning her Master of Public Health degree in epidemiology. She completed her internal medicine residency and hematology/medical oncology fellowship at the University of Florida School of Medicine. She served as faculty of the University of Florida’s Department of Medical Oncology from 2000 to 2004. She collaborated extensively with the Florida Cancer Data System, one of the 50 central cancer registries funded by CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries.

Dr. Richardson is a highly sought expert on public health’s role in cancer control, the role of health care delivery and cancer outcomes, health equity, and quality cancer care. She has authored and co-authored more than 175 journal articles.

Charissa Rivers, MPH

Charissa Rivers, MPH, is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee. She received her B.S. in Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and her MPH from Walden University. She worked in the health care and allied health fields for 10 years before transitioning into public health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Charissa joined the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control’s Program Services Branch (DCPC/PSB) in November 2015 and has recently been selected to serve in a 120-day detail Team Lead position for DCPC/PSB.

Esmeralda Ruiz, MPH

Esmeralda Ruiz, MPH, is a Research and Evaluation Analyst at AltaMed Health Services, a large Federally Qualified Health Center in Southern California. Esmeralda focuses on developing, implementing, and evaluating interventions to increase colorectal cancer screening rates and abnormal Fecal Immunochemical Test follow-up rates as part of her work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program. She holds a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dara Schlueter, MPH

Dara Schlueter, MPH, is a Health Scientist in the Program Services Branch of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She serves on an evaluation team that examines two nationwide cancer screening programs – the Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP) and the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). Ms. Schlueter has more than 16 years of experience designing and implementing evaluation studies related to chronic disease and health promotion, with a specific focus on evaluation planning, qualitative and mixed methods evaluation, working collaboratively with multi-disciplinary groups, and obtaining Office of Management and Budget and Institutional Review Board approvals for evaluation data collections. She serves as the CDC lead on several qualitative case projects that examine how CRCCP and NBCCEDP programs are implemented in real-world settings to identify lessons learned for cancer screening programs throughout the field of public health.

Eric M. Schlueter, MD

Eric M. Schlueter, MD, is a Family Physician and the Chief Medical Officer of the Eau Claire Cooperative Health Center. He attended college at Brown University, medical school at Case Western Reserve University, and a family medicine residence with the University of South Carolina and Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia, South Carolina. As the Chief Medical officer for the Eau Claire Cooperative Health Center, Dr. Schlueter is responsible for leading more than 100 medical providers and care for over 62,000 residents living in the South Carolina Midlands.

Lisa Scott

Lisa Scott is the Education Manager with the Colorectal Cancer Prevention Network (CCPN) at the University of South Carolina. Her work focuses on data-driven clinical quality improvement to improve colorectal cancer screenings. She has the pleasure of working with primary care practices to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based strategies to yield improved workflows and quality measures. In addition, she supports CCPN’s screening program through data monitoring and analysis to ensure the program meets targeted screening completion outcomes. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Behavior from the University of Georgia and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

Krishna P. Sharma, PhD

Krishna P. Sharma, PhD, is a health economist and contractor within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC). He’s a part of the evaluation team lead by Amy DeGroff, PhD in DCPC’s Program Services Branch. In the past six years, Dr. Sharma led research and evaluation projects associated with Colorectal Cancer Control Program, including economic evaluation, outcome evaluation and program effectiveness. In addition, Dr. Sharma has been involved in several collaborative research projects with researchers from within and outside CDC in the field of cancer prevention and control.

Erica Smith, MS

Erica Smith, MS, is the Deputy Director of the Center for Cancer Prevention and Control at the Maryland Department of Health. She oversees programs dedicated to reducing the burden of cancer in Maryland and fosters collaboration among partners statewide. She also oversees cancer surveillance efforts and works across programs to promote data-driven decision-making. Previously, Erica worked in the Maryland Department of Health, Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, and prior to moving to Maryland, she worked at the Virginia Department of Health in violence prevention. Erica has a Master of Science in Sociology and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Social Research from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Sujha Subramanian, PhD

Sujha Subramanian, PhD, is a Senior Fellow in Economics and Policy Research at RTI International and has extensive experience performing economic burden studies, evaluations of cancer screening programs and implementation science driven real-world assessments. She has developed costing methodologies, created microsimulation cost-effectiveness models, and produced resource allocation tools for cancer programs. Over the past 20 years she has directed several program evaluations, including the assessment of breast, cervical, oral, and colorectal cancer screening programs. She has served as Principal Investigator on several grants to assess implementation strategies to enhance uptake of HPV vaccination, cervical cancer screening, and HIV testing.

Florence Tangka, PhD, MS

Florence Tangka, PhD, MS, is a health economist in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control’s Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She is the principal investigator for several studies. Her research focuses on the economics of cancer, economics of CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program and National Program of Cancer Registries, use of breast and cervical cancer screening services, and Social Determinants of Health Along Cancer Continuum.

Dr. Tangka received her BSc from the University of Reading (UK), MS from Rutgers and PhD from the University of Florida. She is a Prevention Effectiveness Fellowship program alum. Dr. Tangka has authored and coauthored over 115 publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Felicia Solomon Tharpe, MPH

Felicia Solomon Tharpe, MPH, is a Team Lead in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, where she supervises program consultants for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and the Colorectal Cancer Control Program. She has worked in cancer prevention and control at the federal level for more than 20 years, applying public health expertise to support the implementation of national programs at the community level. Before joining CDC in 2009, Felicia worked at the National Cancer Institute, where she developed and evaluated models for disseminating evidence-based interventions and managed partnerships. She developed training and education materials across the cancer continuum. Felicia earned her Bachelors Degree in Biology from Clark Atlanta University; her MPH in Health Education and Health Behavior with a minor in Epidemiology from UNC Gilling’s School of Global Public Health, and her Certificate in Evaluation Practice from The Evaluators’ Institute.

Annie Thibault, MSc

Annie Thibault, MSc, graduated from the Université de Montréal with a Masters degree of Medicine and brings 25 years of experience in public health and health administration sectors. Annie is known for her strategic vision and the ability to establish sustainable partnerships. As Executive Director of the Colorectal Cancer Prevention Network she contributed to development of sustainable programs that address barriers to Colorectal Cancer prevention in South Carolina. She is recognized for spearheading the creation of the Southeastern Colorectal Cancer Consortium of 15 Southeastern States and one territory and is a member of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable Steering Committee.

Evelyn Torres-Ozadali, MPH

Evelyn Torres-Ozadali, MPH, currently serves as Population Health Manager at AltaMed Health Services, a large Latino-serving Federally Qualified Health Center in Southern California. She is primarily responsible for managing the organization’s colorectal cancer screening prevention activities, which include outreach, as well as abnormal follow-up for positive screening tests. She holds a Masters Degree in Public Health from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Nuha Wareg, MBBS, MPH

Nuha Wareg, MBBS, MPH, is a Practice Facilitator for the Missouri Partnership to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Program (MPICCS). Nuha earned a degree in Medicine in 2007 and was a practicing physician in Libya for three years before moving to the U.S. in 2010. In the U.S., Nuha earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Missouri and has been working in healthcare settings as a provider, evaluator, and researcher. Nuha is currently working on her Nursing PhD, focusing on health disparities in cancer survivorship care. Nuha’s work with MPICCS involves working with key personnel at each clinic to gather data and facilitate tasks related to clinic organization, workflow processes, readiness for evidence based intervention implementation, and promoting the use of evidence based interventions.

Catherine Whitworth, MPA

Catherine Whitworth, MPA, serves in a primary care practice facilitation role with the West Virginia Program to increase Colorectal Cancer Screening. She holds a Masters of Public Administration from Rutgers University. She brings 14 years of experience in public health policy, cancer prevention and control, and building strategic partnerships. She provided substantial leadership in passage of clean indoor air laws in West Virginia. Earlier in her career, Catherine worked in leadership roles with Oregon’s Department of Human Services and served as an environmental educator with the Peace Corps in Guatemala.

Teri Wood, PhD

Teri Wood, PhD, completed her doctorate in Social Inequality at the University of Kentucky. After graduation, she served as Director of the University of Kentucky Survey Research Center. She joined the Kentucky Department for Public Health in 1997 and worked with the newly funded Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening program. Currently, she is the Project Manager for the state-funded Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening Program, which provides colon cancer screening for uninsured and underinsured Kentucky residents. Dr. Wood also leads work on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded grant “Public Health and Health System Partnerships to Increase Colon Cancer Screening.” She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where she rides her bike, paddles a kayak, and cheers for both the Louisville Cardinals and Kentucky Wildcats – unless they are playing each other – then she bleeds blue!

Tiffany Young, MSW, MPH, CHES

Tiffany Young, MSW, MPH, CHES, is a leader in the field of Public Health and a health equity subject matter expert working on issues related to advocacy, chronic disease prevention, and health promotion. Tiffany is the CEO of Think Equity, a consulting firm focused on engaging, educating, and empowering this generation to incite social change that lifts equity and upholds social justice. She consults with the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, the National Parks and Recreation Association, and the Urban Land Institute. Known for her thought-provoking insights into social issues, Tiffany has a profound ability to captivate and connect audiences in efforts to bridge the racial and wealth gaps that have both defined and divided our nation. Tiffany received a Bachelors of Art in Human Services from Geneva College in 2003 and Masters Degrees in Social Work and Public Health from the University of Maryland Baltimore in 2008.

Debra Younginer

Debra Younginer has been with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for over 31 years and brings a rich background and many relevant professional experiences to the Program Services Branch (PSB). Currently, she serves as Deputy Branch Chief in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control’s (DCPC).

Debra joined DCPC in January of 2002 as a Project Officer to grantees funded through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, and National Partnership Organizations initiative. She was an excellent consultant to her assigned grantees and demonstrated an exemplary ability to provide appropriate technical assistance and communicate a thorough knowledge of CDC policies and procedures. She also served as staff lead for the case management program component and was the Designate Federal Officer for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Federal Advisory Committee. Prior to working in PSB, Debra spent 11 years in the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention where she served in various roles such as a Disease Intervention Specialist, First-line Supervisor, and Surveillance Coordinator.

In 2009, Debra was promoted to Team Leader (Lead Public Health Advisor) in the PSB, DCPC. As Team Leader, she supervises a team of staff members who manage cooperative agreements in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and the Colorectal Cancer Control Program. In addition, she serves as a valued member of the branch management team, setting direction and monitoring performance of the branch.

Since 2013, Debra has served as the Deputy Branch Chief of PSB in DCPC. She manages the branch’s personnel and workload while maintaining oversight of the branch’s budget. She also actively participates in setting the strategic direction of the branch and implementing branch priorities. She has distinguished herself as a conscientious and energetic advocate in the field of public health.

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The “Enhancing Cancer Program Grantee Capacity through Peer-to-Peer Learning” project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $600,000 with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

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