Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships (CP3)

Staff Biographies

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

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Anderson, Denise M.
Phone: (301) 427-1591
Fax: (301) 427-1595
E-mail: Denise.Anderson@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Ms. Anderson applies knowledge and understanding of AHRQ programs, priorities, and office procedures in receiving and handling communications to the Center. Ms. Anderson serves as the timekeeper, prepares travel arrangements and reimbursement, handles all routine outgoing grant correspondence, and purchases office supplies and equipment.
Bio Sketch: Ms. Anderson has worked at AHRQ since 1992 and has served as Keyworker for the Combined Federal Campaign several years in a row.

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Basu, Jayasree (Joy), Ph.D., M.B.A.
Phone: (301) 427-1579
Fax: (301) 427-1595
E-mail: Jayasree.Basu@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Dr. Basu is a Senior Economist and leads the Center's Intramural Research Program. She is also responsible for administering extramural research grants.
Bio Sketch: Dr. Basu has developed and led several intramural research projects focusing on primary care access issues, with a particular emphasis on preventable hospitalization, specialty referral patterns, supply and demand issues in primary care, racial and ethnic disparities, impact of managed care, geographic barriers to access, and distant hospitalization. She has published a large number of articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented her work to professional audiences. She is also responsible for administering extramural research grants addressing issues related to health care cost, financing, and access. Dr. Basu previously worked in the Office of the Actuary and the Office of Research and Demonstrations in the Health Care Financing Administration and as Assistant Director for Policy Analysis in the Maryland Health Planning Commission. She has conducted evaluations of various legislation-mandated Medicare and Medicaid demonstrations and led special research studies to address various National and State health policy issues. She also has directed the development of Statewide need projection methodologies to forecast future demand for health resources in Maryland.
Research Interests: Access issues for vulnerable population, supply and demand issues in primary care, preventable hospitalization, referral-sensitive procedures, racial and ethnic disparities, managed care, geographic barriers to access, and risk adjustment methods.

Bernstein, Steve E., B.S., Engineering
Phone: (301) 427-1581
Fax: (301) 427-1597
E-mail: Steve.Bernstein@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Mr. Bernstein is a Health Information Technology (Health IT) Project Officer and IT Advisor for AHRQ's Clinical Informatics initiatives. He is the Project Officer for the Health IT Resource Center and serves as Project Officer for other Health IT initiatives. He is also responsible for the development and operations of extranets to support information sharing, collaboration, and knowledge management for the nationwide Practice-Based Research Networks and Health IT initiatives.
Bio Sketch: Mr. Bernstein has served for four years as AHRQ's Chief Information Officer and Director of the Division of IT Management. He provided for the upgrade and management of the Agency's state-of-the-art IT infrastructure and information systems, including the Intranet, Extranet, E-mail, local area network, wide area network, secure intramural network, secure data center, and information security. Mr. Bernstein served prior to 1997 as the Director of Information Systems for Logistics and Fleet Support for the Naval Air Systems Command in the Department of Navy and managed the successful development and implementation of some of the world's largest, state-of-the-art IT programs and information systems. Mr. Bernstein graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Engineering and Operations Research with a focus on Computer Science, has completed extensive graduate and postgraduate-level courses in information systems, and has completed senior executive-level management programs and seminars at Harvard University, University of Virginia, and other organizations.

Boateng, Brenda, M.S., Health Services Administration
Phone: (301) 427-1803
Fax: (301) 427-1595
E-mail: Brenda.Boateng@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Ms. Boateng is the coordinator for the controlled Correspondence Tracking System and provides general administrative support to Center staff.
Bio Sketch: Ms. Boateng joined the Center in March 2009. She received a Bachelor's degree in Computer Information Technology from University of Maryland University College and a Master's degree in Health Services Administration from Strayer University.
Research Interests: Medical errors.

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Kevin J. Chaney, M.G.S.
Phone: (301) 427-1042
E-mail: Mr. Chaney.Chaney@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Mr. Chaney is a Junior Service Fellow in the Center's Health Information Technology (Health IT) Program.
Bio Sketch: Prior to joining AHRQ, Mr. Chaney was a project officer with the Health Resources and Services Administration, where he worked on grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act aimed at assisting Federally Qualified Community Health Centers in Louisiana and Texas. Before joining the Federal Government in 2009, Mr. Chaney was an analyst with AARP's State Health and Long-Term Care Team, where he worked on a variety of issues surrounding Health IT, healthcare reform, Medicare and Medicaid, Tort reform, and long-term care rebalancing. In 2006, Mr. Chaney worked with the Programs and Planning department of the Southwestern Ohio Council on Aging. Mr. Chaney attending Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) as an Evans Scholar and earned a B.A. and a Master's degree in gerontological studies. During his time at Miami, Mr. Chaney had the opportunity to study Western European social policy and welfare models at the Miami University Dolibois European Center in Luxembourg.

Clift, Joseph B., Ed.D., M.S., PMP
Phone: (301) 427-1566
Fax: (301) 427-1595
E-mail: Joseph.Clift@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Dr. Clift is a Program Analyst and Project Officer in the Center. He provides support to the Practice-Based Research Network initiative, serves as a Project Officer on extramural grants and contracts, and also conducts intramural research. In addition, Dr. Clift is an Agency representative on the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender workgroup for Healthy People 2020.
Bio Sketch: Dr. Clift joined AHRQ in December 2009. He began his career in the environmental, health, and safety field working for a variety of clients, including private, non-profit, and government agencies. After completing his doctoral degree in health education from Nova Southeastern University, he was a project manager and managing associate for a small company working primarily on health-related research and program evaluation projects and community change initiatives. Dr. Clift served on the institutional review board (IRB) at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute.
Research Interests: Racial, ethnic, and sexual minority health disparities; HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases; primary care; patient-provider interaction; health literacy; and environmental health.

Cosby, Robert, Ph.D.
Phone: (301) 427-1534
Fax: (301) 427-1462
E-mail: Robert.Cosby@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Dr. Cosby is the Senior Coordinator for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Bio Sketch: Before joining the Center, Dr. Cosby most recently worked for the District of Columbia (D.C) Government. He served as Chief of Staff for the D.C. Office on Aging and Chief of the D.C. Department of Health, Office on Disabilities and Aging (now the Department of Health Care Finance, Office on Chronic and Long Term Care). Prior to that, Dr. Cosby served as Executive Director for the Non-Profit Clinic Consortium, a management services organization for 13 agencies and 26 private primary care clinics that aid D.C.'s underserved populations. Dr. Cosby has a doctoral degree in Social Science from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and Master's degrees in Social Science and Social Work, also from Syracuse University. He has over 20 years of experience in health and human services.

Croswell, Jennifer, M.D., M.P.H.
Phone: (301) 427-1583
E-mail: Jennifer.Croswell@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Dr. Croswell is a Medical Officer for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). She provides technical assistance to the USPSTF in the form of drafting recommendations, conducting targeted evidence updates, and serving as a peer reviewer for USPSTF evidence reviews and products.
Biosketch: Dr. Croswell joined the Center in November 2010. She received her Bachelor's degree in English literature from the University of Chicago and a Master's degree in theatre from the Ohio State University, and worked at two Chicago theatre companies before her interests turned to medicine. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Medicine, and after several years of residency in general surgery, transitioned into the field of preventive medicine though the Department of Health and Human Services' Emerging Leaders Program. Shortly thereafter she obtained her MPH, with a concentration in biostatistics and epidemiology, from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. She previously served as the Acting Director of the National Institutes of Health Office of Medical Applications of Research, home to NIH Consensus Development and State-of-the-Science Conferences.
Research interests: Cancer screening and prevention and health/risk communications (particularly the intersection of medicine and the media).

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Genevro, Janice, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Phone: (301) 427-1627
Fax: (301) 427-1597
E-mail: Janice.Genevro@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Dr. Genevro is the Center's Senior Dissemination and Implementation Scientist and is a member of the Prevention/Care Management Portfolio. She provides dissemination and implementation support to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and works to improve health and health care through the transformation of primary care services.
Bio Sketch: Dr. Genevro is a psychologist who specializes in the translation of health services research into effective practice. She earned a doctoral degree in Health Psychology from the University of California, San Francisco. As a post-doctoral fellow at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, she conducted research at the intersection of child development and health. Dr. Genevro also has served as a faculty member and staff researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, working with other faculty and staff to evaluate programs designed to improve primary care pediatrics through the integration of child development services into routine care. As a social worker, she led the social services component of a comprehensive program designed to improve perinatal outcomes in families at increased risk. This community-clinical partnership was administered through a consortium of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, UCSD Medical Center, and 13 community clinics. Dr. Genevro currently serves as a member of the Institutional Review Board of the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health.
Research Interests: Health communication, consumer/patient involvement, clinical decision support in primary care, care coordination, and health and well-being of health care providers.

Grace, Erin, M.H.A.
Phone: (301) 427-1580
Fax: (301) 427-1597
E-mail: Erin.Grace@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Ms. Grace is the Center's Senior Manager for Health Information Technology (Health IT) and Senior Advisor for Rural and Community Health. In this role she manages grants, contracts, and other initiatives related to Health IT, including AHRQ-funded State and Regional demonstration projects in Health IT and the contract to provide technical assistance related to Health IT and health information exchange for Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program agencies.
Bio Sketch: Ms. Grace joined AHRQ in February 2007. She most recently served as Senior Vice President of the Primary Care Coalition (PCC) of Montgomery County, Maryland, and Director of its Center for Community-Based Health Informatics. In this role, she directed and managed the Center, which seeks to improve health care quality and productivity for low-income populations without health insurance through innovative uses of Health IT, including implementation and ongoing development of a shared electronic medical record for primary care safety net providers in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. region. Previously, Ms. Grace managed a Community Access Program grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to build the infrastructure to establish a system of care for Montgomery County's low-income residents without health insurance. Prior to joining PCC she was AVP for Accreditation at the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Ms. Grace also has experience working in a large academic medical center, a community health center, and a health management organization. She received a Master's degree in Health Administration from the Ohio State University.

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Johnson-Skrivanek, Heather, M.S., Biomedical Informatics
Phone: (301) 427-1569
Fax: (301) 427-1595
E-mail: Heather.Johnson-Skrivanek@ahrq.hhs.gov

Role: Ms. Johnson-Skrivanek is a Junior Service Fellow with the Health IT Program.
Bio Sketch: Ms. Johnson-Skrivanek received a Bachelor's degree in Biology, with a minor in Statistics, from the University of Georgia and a Master's degree in Biomedical Informatics from the University of Pittsburgh.

Johnson, Kelly, M.P.H.
Phone: (301) 427-1572
Fax: (301) 427-1595
E-mail: Kelly.Johnson@ahrq.hhs.gov

Role: Ms. Johnson is the Coordinator for Public Health Emergency Preparedness Research Programs.
Bio Sketch: Ms. Johnson joined AHRQ in May 2008. Prior to that, she worked at the American Red Cross National Headquarters, where she served in the Federal Response Unit as the Senior Associate for Health and Human Services Coordination. While with the Red Cross, Ms. Johnson acted as the liaison to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for all operational activities related to Emergency Support Function 8 (ESF 8)—Public Health and Medical Services, as well as working with HHS to expand its role in the human services aspect of Emergency Support Function 6 (ESF 6)—Mass Care Services, under the National Response Plan/Framework. She was also the lead for training and deploying Red Cross liaisons to the Secretary's Operations Center at HHS Headquarters in Washington, D.C., as well as working with the Atlanta Chapter in the deployment of Red Cross liaisons to the Director's Emergency Operations Center at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Ms. Johnson also served as a Track Leader on the Planning Committee for the National Disaster Medical Systems Annual Training Conference. Prior to joining the American Red Cross, she worked as a consultant at HHS in the Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness on the Training Exercise and Lessons Learned Team. Ms. Johnson has also worked as a Budget Analyst for the George Washington University Health Plan and as Director of Operations at the Professional Rehabilitation Network in Rockville, Maryland. She has a Bachelor's degree in Health Planning and Administration from Pennsylvania State University and a Master's degree in Public Health from George Washington University.
Research Interests: Risk communications messaging, mass communications.

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Lavanderos, Angela M., B.S.
Phone: (301) 427-1505
Fax: (301) 427-1595
E-mail: Angela.Lavanderos@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Ms. Lavanderos is a Management/Program Analyst with the Health IT Program.
Bio Sketch: Ms. Lavanderos received a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Public Health Promotion at Virginia Tech.
Research Interests: Mental health, children's health, and women's health.

Liggins, Leilani
Phone: (301) 427-1637
Fax: (301) 427-1595
Email: Leilani.Liggins@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Ms. Liggins is the Staff Assistant to the Center Director and the Director of Health Information Technology.
Bio Sketch: Prior to her arrival at AHRQ, Ms. Liggins worked in supervisory and lead administrative roles for six years at the University of Maryland Medical Center's Shock Trauma Center, Greenebaum Cancer Center, and Division of Cardiology. From 1996 to 2001, she was the Supervisor of the Medical Transcription Department at the Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan. She holds certificates from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) in Management Foundations and Management Studies and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration at UMUC.

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Mabry-Hernandez, Iris, M.D., M.P.H.
Phone: (301) 427-1605
Fax: (301) 427-1597
E-mail: Iris.Mabry@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Dr. Mabry-Hernandez is a Medical Officer for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. She is a member of the Prevention and Care Management Portfolio and serves as a Project Officer for pediatric research grants and contracts.
Bio Sketch: Dr. Mabry-Hernandez joined the Center in August 2004. She received a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana. Dr. Mabry-Hernandez graduated from medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine, and completed a pediatric residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a board-certified pediatrician, and completed a fellowship in general pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University and a fellowship in pediatric health services research at the University of Michigan. Dr. Mabry-Hernandez currently sits on the Child and Adolescent Health Advisory Group at AHRQ and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, AcademyHealth, and the Ambulatory Pediatric Association.
Research Interests: Childhood overweight, child health in primary care, and prevention.

Mayes, Robert, M.S., R.N.
Phone: (301) 427-1492
Fax: (301) 427-1597
E-mail: Robert.Mayes@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Mr. Mayes is the Senior Advisor on Health Information Technology (IT) Issues for the Health IT Program.
Bio Sketch: Throughout his career in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), Mr. Mayes has worked on a wide variety of health informatics topics, ranging from policy and standards to systems development and implementation. From 2000 to his arrival at AHRQ in July 2007, he was the Senior Health Information Systems Advisor for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and worked in Africa with a number of countries and international agencies, such as the World Health Organization, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and the World Bank, to develop and implement national health information systems. Prior to his work in Africa, Mr. Mayes held a senior management post at the Health Care Financing Administration (now the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), where he was responsible for the Quality of Care data systems for the U.S. Medicare program. His previous USPHS assignments include the Office of the Surgeon General and the U.S. Indian Health Service. He has chaired a number of national committees dealing with health data standards, including the development of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 regulations, and represented the United States on international standards committees as well. In addition to his informatics work, Mr. Mayes is a registered nurse with experience in both acute care and community nursing. Mr. Mayes holds degrees in anthropology, nursing, and information management.

Meyers, David, M.D.
Phone: (301) 427-1500
Fax: (301) 427-1595
E-mail: David.Meyers@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Dr. Meyers is the Director of the Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships.
Bio Sketch: Dr. Meyers has served as the Center's Director since February 2008. Prior to this appointment, he helped to direct the Center's Practice-Based Research Network initiatives, served as a Medical Officer for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and as a Project Officer for the Health Information Technology Portfolio, and in 2007 served as the Center's Acting Director. Before joining AHRQ in 2004, he practiced family medicine, including maternity care, in a community health center in southeast Washington, D.C., and directed the Georgetown University Department of Family Medicine's practice-based research network, CAPRICORN. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and completed a family practice residency at Providence Hospital/Georgetown University. After residency, he completed fellowship training in primary care health policy and research in the Department of Family Medicine at Georgetown University.
Research Interests: Access and quality of care issues for the underserved and participatory research methodologies.

Miller, Tess, Dr.P.H.
Phone: (301) 427-1585
Fax: (301) 427-1597
E-mail: Therese.Miller@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Dr. Miller leads the Prevention and Care Management Portfolio.
Bio Sketch: Dr. Miller began her career at a New York City advertising agency as a Media Specialist. However, her interest eventually turned to social marketing and public health. She attended the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, earning a doctoral degree in Public Health and a Certificate in Health Communications. She has over 10 years experience managing public health projects, including the Hospital-Based Rural Health Care Program, Pathways to Adulthood: A Three Generation Urban Study, and the National Evaluation of The Healthy Steps for Young Children Program. Prior to this appointment, she was the Senior Coordinator for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Research Interests: Adolescent reproductive health, child development, community-level interventions, and behavior change.

Morgan, Kelly M., B.S.
Phone: (301) 427-1570
Fax: (301) 427-1595
E-mail: Kelly.Morgan@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Ms. Morgan is the Associate Director of Operations for the Center. She manages the day-to-day operations of the Center and ensures that operational deadlines are met and that available resources are maximized. She initiates personnel actions and coordinates recruitment activities. Based on programmatic initiatives, Ms. Morgan develops spending plans and program budgets, including fund allocations for Request for Applications, Request for Contracts, Program Investment Funds, travel, training, and conferences. She also is responsible for directing the re-programming of funds to support changes in initiatives and organizational needs.
Bio Sketch: Ms. Morgan has been with AHRQ since 1991 and has a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Frostburg State University.

Mullican, Charlotte A., B.S.W., M.P.H.
Phone: (301) 427-1495
Fax: (301) 427-1597
E-mail: Charlotte.Mullican@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Ms. Mullican is Senior Advisor for Mental Health Research in the Center. Her areas of interest and responsibility are mental health and substance abuse. Her programmatic responsibilities include a broad research portfolio on mental health research, including areas such as the integration of mental health and primary care, health information technology (Health IT), children's mental health, and response to domestic violence in the health care setting. Recently, she led an Agencywide research translation initiative, Partnerships for Quality, which included 20 Cooperative Agreements and spanned five Centers. Her past research projects include the Schizophrenia and Depression Patient Outcomes Research Team. Currently, she serves on a variety of cross-Agency committees and working groups, including the Federal Partners Senior Workgroup, which developed a National Agenda for Action for the White House New Freedom Commission Report on Mental Health. Ms. Mullican participates on several subcommittees, including the Integration of Mental Health and Primary Care, Suicide Prevention, and Mental Health/Substance Abuse and Health IT.
Bio Sketch: Ms. Mullican completed her Master's degree in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University and received her Bachelor's degree in Social Work from Kansas State University. Prior to working for the Federal government, she spent over 10 years providing direct services to families experiencing violence. She is past Chair of the County Executive's Citizen Review Panel for Child Protective Services in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Research Interests: Mental health and substance abuse.

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Quinn, Matt, M.B.A.
Phone: (301) 427-1884
Fax: (301) 427-1597
E-mail: Matt.Quinn@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Mr. Quinn is a Special Expert in the Health IT Program.
Bio Sketch: Before joining AHRQ, Mr. Quinn was the Health Care Program Manager for Teradata, the global leader in data warehousing and analytic technologies, and was responsible for health care strategy and partnerships for the company. Prior to that, he led marketing for Quantros, a patient safety and clinical outcomes improvement software company, managed GE Healthcare's "Six Sigma for Healthcare" clinical outcomes performance improvement consulting services and data analytic products, helped build an early Personal Health Record company, and served as an Army Engineer Officer. Mr. Quinn's has published work in a variety of health care and technology publications and journals, and he has spoken at the World Health Care Congress, eHealth Initiative's Health IT Summit, and other national and international venues. Mr. Quinn earned a Bachelor's degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Master's degree in Business Administration from Colorado State University.

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Ricciardi, Richard, Ph.D., NP
Phone: (301) 427-1578
Fax: (301) 427-1595
E-mail: Richard.Ricciardi@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Dr. Ricciardi is a Health Scientist in the Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships. Bio Sketch: Dr. Ricciardi is Pediatric and Family Nurse Practitioner who received a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing from Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn NY; a Master's in Science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore MD; and a Ph.D. from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda MD. Before joining AHRQ in 2010, Dr. Ricciardi was on active duty for thirty years and had numerous positions with the Department of Defense, working as a Nurse Practitioner, Senior Leader and Clinical Scientist. Research Interests: Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Human Performance and Fitness, and Health Services Research focusing on the delivery of health care in primary care settings.

Roper, Rebecca, M.S., M.P.H.
Phone: (301) 427-1535
Fax: (301) 427-1597
E-mail: Rebecca.Roper@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Ms. Roper is the Program Officer for Health IT and Senior Research Scientist for the Center. She is involved in contract and grant activities featuring Health IT and Center research activities.
Biosketch: Ms. Roper's early service at AHRQ was as a Scientific Review Officer (SRO) who administrated the extramural evaluation of the merit of various grant applications submitted in response to AHRQ-sponsored Health IT Funding Opportunity Announcements. She has a special interest in the empowerment of the patient, consumer health informatics, clinical trials, and Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRNs). Previously, Ms. Roper served as Project Officer for the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) Dental PBRNS and Administrator for the NIDCR Context within the National Cancer Institute's Bioinformatics Center. She previously was the SRO for applications submitted to the NIDCR's continuum of clinical funding opportunity announcements, including multisite, phase III, randomized clinical trials. Much of Ms. Roper's 20-year Federal career has been dedicated to monitoring and improving occupational health. In the U.S. Peace Corps (PC) she monitored and analyzed health care data of PC Volunteers. For the Department of Labor, she conducted risk assessments and significance of risk analyses for the promulgation of various occupational health regulations published in the Federal Register Notice. Ms. Roper received a Bachelor's degree in Health Services Administration from Providence College, a Master's degree in Biostatistics and Epidemiology from Georgetown University, and a Master's degree in Public Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina.

Rosenthal, Vera
Phone: (301) 427-1167
Fax: (301) 427-1595
E-mail: Vera.Rosenthal@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Ms. Rosenthal is a Junior Service Fellow in the Health IT Program. She works primarily with all aspects of the grant process, from writing funding announcements to closing out finished grants.
Bio Sketch: Ms. Rosenthal received her Master's degree in Public Health, with a focus on policy, from the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services in July 2008. Prior to joining AHRQ, she worked at the National Cancer Institute as a Health Communications Fellow.

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Washington, Gloria G.
Phone: (301) 427-1590
Fax: (301) 427-1595
E-mail: Gloria.Washington@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Ms. Washington is the Assistant to the Center Director. She receives and handles all incoming communications to the Director, prepares visual presentations and travel arrangements, and serves as the liaison between the Director and Center staff.
Bio Sketch: Ms. Washington joined the Agency in 2001.

Weschler, Claire A., M.S.Ed., CHES
Phone: (301) 427-1577
Fax: (301) 427-1595
E-mail: Claire.Weschler@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Ms. Weschler is the Program Coordinator for the Prevention and Care Management Portfolio.
Bio Sketch: Ms. Weschler works for the Prevention and Care Management Portfolio's Dissemination and Implementation Program. She serves as a health promotion specialist for the team, working on programs such as Steps to a Healthier U.S., Healthy People 2010, and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. She is also the Wellness Coordinator for AHRQ; in this role she works to bring fitness classes, healthy foods, and educational health seminars to the agency. Ms. Weschler has a Master's degree in Health and Physical Education and became a Certified Health Education Specialist in 2006. Prior to working for AHRQ, she served as a personal trainer at a fitness center and as an assistant at Virginia Tech's Therapeutic Exercise and Community Health Center, a cardiac rehabilitation center. Her professional areas of interest include health and wellness, with a focus on lifestyle and behavior change.
Research Interests: Early detection and prevention of chronic diseases, community level interventions, physical activity and nutrition.

White, P. Jon, M.D.
Phone: (301) 427-1171
Fax: (301) 427-1597
E-mail: Jon.White@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Jon White, M.D., directs AHRQ's Health Information Technology (Health IT) Portfolio. Dr. White is responsible for setting the programmatic direction of AHRQ's Health IT projects and leads a team of diverse and talented individuals at the Agency.
Bio Sketch: Dr. White has extensive experience developing and managing Federal grants and contracts programs. He has directly managed numerous projects on quality measurement and improvement, electronic prescribing, standards development, health information exchange, clinical decision support, and implementation of health IT in diverse settings around the country. He participates in several national initiatives to improve the quality of American health care. A board-certified family physician, Dr. White received his medical degree from the University of Virginia and trained as a resident at Lancaster General Hospital in Pennsylvania, where he received the national AAFP Award for Excellence in Graduate Education. Prior to his tenure at AHRQ, he was chief medical information officer and associate residency director of Lancaster General Hospital.
Research Interest: The practical application of IT to improve health care and medical history.

Wolff, Tracy, M.D., M.P.H.
Phone: (301) 427-1616
Fax: (301) 427-1597
E-mail: Tracy.Wolff@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Dr. Wolff is a Medical Officer and Senior Service Fellow with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In this capacity, she provides technical assistance to the USPSTF in the formulation of recommendations on preventive services provided in primary care settings. The technical assistance she provides to the USPSTF includes drafting recommendations, conducting targeted evidence reviews that are used by the USPSTF in updating their recommendations, assisting in the coordination of USPSTF meetings, and serving as a peer reviewer for the USPSTF evidence reviews and products. She leads the USPSTF Topic Prioritization and Geriatric workgroups and has collaborated with the USPSTF in the development of new methods of developing recommendations for geriatric populations.
Bio Sketch: Dr. Wolff is a board-certified physician trained in both family medicine and preventive medicine. She completed a family medicine residency at the University of Maryland and a preventive medicine residency at Johns Hopkins University. She received a Master's degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, with emphases on Health Policy and Planning and Maternal and Child Health. Dr. Wolff's past research experience includes a primary care research fellowship jointly administered by Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland.
Research Interests: General prevention, training in preventive medicine, prevention in older adults, and cardiovascular prevention.

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CDR Sherri Yoder, Pharm.D, BCPS
Phone: (301) 427-1587
E-mail: Sherri.Yoder@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: AHRQ-Indian Health Service (IHS) liaison, Complex Patient CER Program Consultant
Bio Sketch: Dr. Yoder came to AHRQ in 2010 as a Complex Patient Comparative Effectiveness Reviews (CER) Program Consultant for the Indian Health Service (IHS) to work on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funded CER projects and to explore ways to deepen collaboration between AHRQ and IHS. Prior to joining AHRQ, Dr. Yoder was a clinical pharmacist with the IHS where she worked for the Pauite-Shoshone tribe in Fallon, Nevada. She has been a Commissioned Officer with the USPHS for 15 years. During those 15 years, Dr. Yoder has worked on Indian Reservations in the western United States in Arizona, Nevada, and Montana. During her career, she has implemented many chronic care and preventative programs including pharmacy-based immunization delivery, pain management policies and protocols, patient newsletters, and disease management protocols. Sherri attended the University of Arizona (Tucson, Arizona) and earned a Doctorate degree in Pharmacy (Pharm.D). In 2008, she was board-certified in Pharmacotherapy by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties. Dr. Yoder is an Arizona native. Her mother is Navajo.

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Zayas-Caban, Teresa, Ph.D.
Phone: (301) 427-1586
Fax: (301) 427-1597
E-mail: Teresa.ZayasCaban@ahrq.hhs.gov
Role: Dr. Zayas-Cabán is the Senior Manager for Health IT. She oversees projects in the portfolio that implement and demonstrate the value of Health IT, such as the Enabling Patient-Centered Care through Health IT grant initiative. She also manages several contracts focused on clinical decision support, workflow, and the design and implementation of Health IT and its impact on consumers.
Bio Sketch: Dr. Zayas-Cabán completed her doctoral training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow in industrial engineering. Her dissertation work focused on the development of a methodology that captures the location and distribution of health information in the home. While pursuing her doctoral degree, she worked with Partners HealthCare Clinical Informatics Research and Development, Boston Children's Hospital Informatics Program, and the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center's Cancer Care in Massachusetts project. Before joining AHRQ, she served as a postdoctoral trainee in the Computation and Informatics in Biology and Medicine program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, examining the informed-consent process for health research projects to discover factors that influence the quality of decisions made by potential participants about whether or not to participate in a study.
Research Interests: Applying human factors engineering concepts in the home environment, capturing home health information management work, and access to care.

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Current as of November 2011

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Internet Citation:

Staff Biographies: Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships. November 2011. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/about/cp3/cp3staff2.htm

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