Melissa Chen MD is an internist and the Medical Director of the Interprofessional Community Clinic (ICC), the student-led free clinic at Rosalind Franklin University (RFU). She has two decades of experience at free clinics.
Karan Gowda and Krishi Korrapati are former Executive Officers (Research, Telehealth) at the ICC and medical students at Chicago Medical School (class of 2027).
Sara Schnake is a licensed mental health clinician with an extra knack in program, strategy, and leadership development. Her passion is in making people feel seen, individualizing her work to the people in front of her that it may be digested as value- added. At open arms free clinic she leads the Behavioral Health Program, creating both clinical and operational standards in the effort to maintain mental health care excellence.
Ms. Christopher is a seasoned public health leader and the Director of Prevention at the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. In this role, she leads the strategic design, implementation, and evaluation of national initiatives to prevent colorectal cancer. Her work centers on advancing equitable access to screening, enhancing health education, and strengthening advocacy efforts for underserved communities. Through collaboration with internal teams, community organizations, healthcare providers, and policymakers, she champions evidence-based interventions that drive early detection and reduce health disparities.
Before stepping into her current position, Dionne served as the Senior Program Manager for Screening and Prevention at the Colorectal Cancer Alliance. There, she cultivated strategic partnerships and launched prevention initiatives that significantly advanced the organization’s mission to increase screening participation and save lives.
Her career in cancer prevention spans more than 15+ years at the American Cancer Society, where she served as a Project Manager for both the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable and the National Lung Cancer Roundtable. In these roles, she played an instrumental part in developing national resources and fostering collaboration among key stakeholders to accelerate progress in cancer control.
Beyond her national contributions, Dionne has been an active member of advisory boards throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area. Her background in program management, community engagement, and partnership development gives her a deep understanding of the systemic challenges impacting health equity across diverse populations.
Dionne holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources management from Saint Leo University and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Palazzi-Xirinachs of Ely is the Director of Health Services for Talbot House Ministries – Good Samaritan Free Clinic in Lakeland, Florida. This free clinic provides extensive no cost medical, mental, medication, and dental services to the underserved in Polk County. Liz was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but grew up overseas in both Costa Rica and Bolivia. As a result, Liz is bilingual (English/Spanish) which allows her to interact with many of her indigent, Hispanic, and undocumented patients through culturally sensitive and compassionate care. As an ordained minister through the Assemblies of God, both her and her husband have provided interdenominational pastoral and medical care for well over 40 plus years through a variety of stateside and overseas missionary endeavors. Liz’s educational background includes seminary training with a pastoral and missions major and a teaching degree minor through Zion Bible University, a bachelor’s and master’s degree through the University of South Florida, a Doctor of Nurse Practice (DNP) through Florida Southern College, and her original medical training through La Universidad Mayor de San Simon in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
Fred Bauermeister is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Free Clinic of Simi Valley, which has provided medical, dental, legal, and counseling services to individuals and families regardless of their ability to pay since its inception in 1971. He also co-founded and serves on the Executive Board of the California Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, an organization representing free clinics across California. From 2008 to 2017, Fred was a member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFC), where he also served as Treasurer for 3.5 years. In addition to his leadership in healthcare, Fred is a member of the Advisory Board for the Center for Non-Profit Leadership at California Lutheran University and the Leadership Simi Valley Steering Committee, where he oversees Non-Profit Day. His contributions have earned him several honors, including being named to the Pacific Coast Business Times’ Who’s Who in Nonprofits & Foundations in 2017 and 2018 and receiving the Legacy Award from the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce. Notably, Fred had the honor of carrying the Olympic Torch on January 16th, 2002.
Maureen joined Community Volunteers in Medicine in 2008 as the second president of the free healthcare center serving low-income, uninsured working families. She came to the position with more than 25 years of extensive operational and management experience in non-profit and healthcare organizations. Immediately prior to joining CVIM, Maureen served as Senior Director of Emergency Services at the Southeastern PA Chapter of the American Red Cross where she was responsible for the overall administration and operations of Emergency Services and directly managed over 3,000 staff and volunteers for delivery of services in a five county 1,700 square mile territory with a population of 3.9 million. Maureen holds a Bachelors of Social Work degree from Pennsylvania State University and a Masters of Social work from Rutgers, state university of New Jersey. As President and Chief Executive Officer of CVIM, Maureen provides strategic and operational leadership for the organization, works closely with the Board of Directors to ensure fiscal sustainability, and ensures the relevance and effectiveness of the clinic as it relates to community needs and the changing healthcare environment.
Abu Raihan, a seasoned public health specialist, has a rich background in global and national healthcare delivery systems. His journey began as an Ophthalmologist in Bangladesh, where he served as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology. His passion for public health led him to transition to Public Health Ophthalmology, a field he further honed with a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Fellowship in Public Health Ophthalmology from Johns Hopkins University. He also pursued a Master’s in Business Administration. This career progression underscores his commitment to public health, focusing on health strategy, management, and advocacy.
Dr. Raihan worked at ORBIS International (www.orbis.org) for over twenty years in various capacities, including Staff Ophthalmologist of its flying eye hospital, Bangladesh Country Director, Asia Program Advisor, and Regional Program Director in Asia. From 2012 to 2016, he was the Regional Co-chair for South East Asia for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) (www.iapb.org). He currently serves as the Director of Shifa Clinics in Georgia and the Assistant Director of Health Services at ICNA Relief USA (www.icnarelief.org). Under his transformative leadership, Shifa Clinics has expanded its critical services for underprivileged communities, improved care quality, and increased grant projects and partnerships. Since 2020, he has been an Advisor to NAFC’s multiple working groups.
Dr. Noor Al-Shibli received her B.S. in Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Tennessee. She then received her M.D. from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN, and completed her OB/GYN residency training at Duke University in Durham, NC. She is currently completing her subspecialty fellowship training in Maternal Fetal Medicine in the Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics at Emory University. Her clinical and research interests include maternal nutrition, infectious diseases in pregnancy, and community health.
As an undergraduate and medical student, Noor was involved in various community health efforts, including volunteering in public school clinics with Clinic Vols through the University of Tennessee, traveling to clinics with Remote Area Medical (RAM) in rural Tennessee, and global relief trips with Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS). As an OB/GYN resident, she participated in a global health program through the Duke Global Health Institute and completed a clinical rotation in Tanzania. Noor joined Shifa Clinic in Duluth, GA, as a volunteer physician in January of 2024 with the debut of the Women’s Clinic and cervical cancer screening program. Her passions include serving underserved communities and empowering women through health education. In her free time, Noor enjoys spending time with family, hiking, kayaking, and camping.
Sara Nichols is the executive director of Open Arms Free Clinic, Inc. in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Ms. Nichols holds a master’s degree in public health with 25 years of experience in nonprofit management and excels in grant writing, program development and evaluation, and collaboration building. As a change-agent who inspires a vision and turns it into reality, Ms. Nichols has been successfully leading organizations by building consensus and inspiring others to move forward with strategic priorities. Nichols has demonstrated success with the investment of time, talent, and enormous positive energy to improve systems for the health and wellness of vulnerable communities. OAFC is the first free clinic in rural Walworth County and opened in 2012. OAFC has achieved the Wisconsin Association of Free and Charitable Clinics Gold Standard of Excellence and the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics Gold Standard, and now operates with a $2M budget.
Dr. Wallace Nozile is a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in the prevention, detection, and treatment of skin cancer, including Mohs micrographic surgery, as well as other disorders of the skin, hair, and nails. His formal education and training include:
Dr. Nozile has published several articles in scholarly journals and has presented at national and regional conferences, such as the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and the Florida Society for Dermatologic Surgery (FSDS) annual meetings. During residency, Dr. Nozile spent extensive time training at the Veterans Medical Center as well as at the University Hospital. During this time, he gained extensive surgical experience, including Mohs micrographic surgery, in the Dermatological Surgical Units of both departments. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and a member of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS). Dr. Nozile lives in the Atlanta area with his wife. In his spare time, he enjoys fitness, reading, cooking, spending time with family, and hiking.
Melissa Riba is director of research and evaluation at CHRT. She has more than 20 years of experience conducting applied research to inform policy and program improvements, including program evaluation, need assessments, survey research and equitable evaluation frameworks. She is also skilled in stakeholder engagement and collaborative research partnerships. Her areas of expertise include behavioral and health care integration, maternal and reproductive health, social determinants of health and health equity. as lead for CHRT’s Research and Evaluation Team, Melissa directs key projects such as the evaluation of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic demonstration project for the state of Michigan, as well as numerous behavioral health integration projects involving primary care and criminal justice. In 2009, Melissa began CHRT’s first statewide survey of healthcare consumers, Cover Michigan, which tracks insurance status, access to care, health status, social needs, and other timely topics. In 2012, the Michigan Physician Survey was launched to collect and track data on physician experience, impact of policy change on practice environment, stress/burnout, and timely topics impacting the practice environment in Michigan.
In addition to her role at CHRT, Melissa is a lecturer within the UM School of Public Health where she teaches a course on health policy and advocacy, in addition to numerous guest lectures about applied evaluation approaches. She currently serves on the Ingham County Racial Equity Taskforce, as well as the Housing Trust Fund.
Melissa earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Philosophy from California State University, Fresno and her master’s degree in Sociology from Michigan State University.
Chinonso “Chinnie” Ukachukwu, MPH, is a seasoned Public Health Professional with nearly 20 years of leadership in healthcare. As the Senior Director of Quality Improvement and Equity at the National Minority Quality Forum’s Center for Sustainable Health Care Quality and Equity (SHC), she leads initiatives to boost health awareness and address disparities in underserved communities across the country. Chinnie directs impactful projects for clinical teams and community leaders, focusing on effective and equitable health interventions.
She holds a Master of Public Health from Southern New Hampshire University, which has been pivotal in her career. Previously, as a Chronic Disease Manager at MetroHealth Clinic DC, she helped bridge care gaps for chronic conditions like diabetes and HIV and developed the “Let’s Get Moving” program with the DC Department of Health. This program, targeting adult obesity, saw 60% of participants lose at least 10 pounds in a year. Chinnie is also a wife and mother of three, enjoying family time and travel.
Gerald B. Stephanz Jr., MD, FACP “retired” to the Olympic Peninsula in 2015 after nearly 30 years of clinical practice of Internal Medicine and Nephrology. He has been involved with OPCC as clinical volunteer, board member, donor, medical director and in political advocacy. Dr. Stephanz earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas, completed his Internal Medicine Residency and Chief Residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita and Nephrology Fellowship at the University of Florida College of Medicine. In 2016, he decided to show up at a county homeless shelter to do a medical clinic.
Breanna Lathrop, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC is the chief operating officer and nurse practitioner at the Good Samaritan Health Center in Atlanta, GA where she provides executive leadership and direct patient care. She has spent over fifteen years providing health care to individuals and families who lack health insurance. She earned her doctor of nursing practice from Georgia Southern University, master of nursing and master of public health from Emory University, and bachelor of arts in nursing from St. Olaf College. She writes, speaks, teaches and provides consulting services on the topics of health equity and social determinants of health. She is the co-author of How Neighborhoods Make Us Sick: Restoring Health and Wellness to Our Communities and is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Leader.
Amanda Missey has more than 30 years of program development, fundraising and administrative experience in the not-for-profit sector. In May, 2014, she became the President and CEO of Bergen Volunteer Medical Initiative, a free clinic serving more than 1,000 uninsured adults. Under her leadership, the organization has grown significantly to serve more people in need; in early 2025, a second clinic – BVMI@UnityHealth – will open in Garfield as part of a collaborative designed to meet the health and wellness needs of people in southwestern Bergen County.
Previously, she spent 18 years at the Bergen Volunteer Center, where she founded Bergen LEADS, a civic leadership program for adults. She is a Leadership New Jersey 2006 Fellow and past-president of the Hackensack Rotary Club. She serves on the boards of the Johnson Public Library, Greater Bergen Community Action, National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics, Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Bergen County Workforce Development Board. Amanda holds an MBA from Texas A&M Commerce.
Amanda lives in Hackensack with Andy, her husband of 41 years, Roscoe, her pandemic rescue hound, and three cats. She enjoys spending time with her adult children and new grandson, reading, doing crossword puzzles and word games, rooting for the NY Mets, and spending time on the beach.
Scott has been involved with OPCC since 2007, first as a donor and volunteer, then advisor, board member, employee, and CEO. In 2016 he introduced programs that address social determinants of health, changing the service delivery model while expanding the services provided by the clinic to better meet the needs of the community. He provides technical assistance across the country to clinics, organizations, and programs that are looking for ways to change their delivery model and better meet patients’ needs.
Over the past 15 years, Suzanne has served as the Chief Executive Officer for the Virginia B. Andes Volunteer Community Clinic, a non-profit community organization that provides no cost medical, pharmacy, and wellness services to the under-served in Charlotte County, Florida. Suzanne is an energetic professional with unlimited desire for growth and personal fulfillment through making a significant difference in organizations, youth, and families. Suzanne’s professional history includes 37+ years of experience in the field of human services and healthcare, with increasing executive management responsibilities, including national assignments with multiple honors and recognition. Suzanne received a Master of Education degree in 1991 from the University of North Florida and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology & Minor in Music from Palm Beach Atlantic College in 1983.
Dr. Rusty Curington, PharmD, BC-ADM is the Vice President of Pharmacy for St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree and residency training from the University of Cincinnati College of Pharmacy where he serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy. Dr. Curington manages three locations of the Charitable Pharmacy which has dispensed over 800,000 prescriptions for free to Southwest Ohio’s neighbors in need. He currently serves as a Board member for Ohio’s Charitable Healthcare Network and NAFC’s Charitable Pharmacies of America. For his work in developing innovative, free clinical services, Dr. Curington was awarded the Cincinnati Business Courier’s 2022 Health Care Heroes Award and recognized in Cincinnati’s Forty Under 40 Class of 2022.
Kat Mastrangelo is the Executive Director of the Volunteers in Medicine, Clinic of the Cascades in Bend, OR. After serving for 3 years as a volunteer, she became Director in 2008, and is in her 17th year of leadership at the clinic. Prior to her work at VIM, she has held jobs doing everything from village water projects in Western Africa to budgeting for local government and hospital strategic planning. Leading and visioning through challenges and change is what keeps her job interesting.
As a passionate educator and performer, Jake brings a dynamic perspective to his role at PRIDE Philanthropy. With a history in music and performance, Jake has not only taught at the University of Georgia but also performed at Super Bowl LIII with Maroon 5.
Heather Kersey joined The Good Samaritan Health Center as the Chief Development Officer in May 2021. Previously a Director of Development at Emory School of Medicine and Wellroot Family Services, Heather has more than twelve years of development, fundraising, marketing, financial operations and event planning experience. After graduating with degrees in Biology and Chemistry from Shorter College, Heather began her healthcare and fundraising career as the first Director of Development at MercyMed of Columbus, another faith-based primary care clinic for the uninsured and underserved in Columbus, Georgia. It was with MercyMed that Heather came to realize her deep passion for promoting healthcare access and equity by building relationships between those with abundance and those in need. In the years since, Heather has raised more than $55M for causes surrounding healthcare, education, and child welfare. Heather and her husband, Grant, reside in Tucker, Georgia with their two young sons.
Alanna serves as the Senior Vice President leading MWW’s Government Relations practice in Washington, D.C. Working with associations, healthcare entities, nonprofits, corporations, and higher education institutions, Ms. Suda utilizes her expertise in monitoring the federal landscape and leveraging the legislative and regulatory processes to achieve client goals. Ms. Suda has over 25 years of experience helping clients engage with the federal government to shape policies and funding streams that achieve their desired results. Before joining MWW in 2008, Ms. Suda worked on Capitol Hill and at Jorden Burt LLP, where she led the firm’s appropriations and higher education practices. Ms. Suda is involved in a broad range of national, Washington-based organizations and coalitions, including Women in Government Relations, where she served two terms as the co-chair of the Health and Social Policies Task Force. Ms. Suda is a highly effective advocate who is passionate about using her government and communications skills to give clients a stronger voice in our nation’s capital.
Dr. Se-A Han, PharmD is a Population Health Pharmacist at NOVA ScriptsCentral where she works collaboratively with other team members and health care providers to develop and implement programs to improve uninsured patients’ health outcomes. She received her Doctorate in Pharmacy from Virginia Commonwealth University where she also earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology.
Dr. Shabnum Anwari, PharmD is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University where she earned her Doctorate in Pharmacy as well as a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology with a concentration in Addiction. She is completing a 1 year fellowship with NOVA ScriptsCentral and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) as the first Safety-Net Health Equity Fellow. One primary focus of her fellowship has been improving health literacy and mental health awareness in the immigrant and refugee population.
Emily Draper is a third year medical student at the University of Florida who serves as the Executive Director of Projects at the Equal Access Clinic.
Latha Varghese is the new Executive Director for the Social Welfare Board of the County of Buchanan doing business as Stuber Health Center. She recently took the position in Feb 2024. Latha worked as a nurse practitioner at the clinic for 6 years before this new position. She also teaches undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students at the local Missouri Western State University. Latha is a PhD candidate and her research focus is on trauma-informed care.
A. Hayes Chatham is a second year medical student at the University of Florida College of Medicine. He is an officer at the 7th Day Primary Care Clinic, a branch of the Equal Access Clinic Network in Gainesville, Florida where he volunteers alongside his wife. His work at the clinic has primarily focused on specialty care referrals and connecting patients with community resources. In his spare time, he enjoys running, reading and college football.
Cassandra D’Amico is a second-year medical student at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) currently interested in pursuing surgery with an emphasis on global/population health. She is originally from Montreal, Canada and moved to Greenville, SC in 2010 where she attended and received her B.S. from USC Upstate. She currently serves as the Director of Operations for the MUSC CARES Clinic, where she oversees the clinic’s day-to-day operations.
Katie Pyrz is a third year medical school student at the AU/UGA Medical Partnership in Athens, GA. She attended the University of Georgia for undergrad, where she graduated with a degree in Mathematics. Now pursuing medicine at the Medical Partnership where she is interested in OB/GYN and orthopedic surgery. As part of the Medical Partnership curriculum, sees patients at the Athens Free Clinic at Clarke Central High School under the guidance of Dr. Kate Meixner, MD. The Athens Free Clinic is a free and low-cost primary health care clinic, with services delivered to area communities with barriers to accessing health care. The goal is to reach uninsured and underinsured patients who have difficulty accessing primary and continuity in medical care due to socioeconomic barriers such as transportation.
Volunteering my time at the CommunityCare Clinic has been instrumental in understanding the role of social resources in the lives of our patients. I have become knowledgable on the unique resources our patients require, and the best way to address health inequities in our communities. I continue to look for ways to bridge the gap for patients who frequent our clinic, and how to best serve the greater Toledo area hoping to extrapolate all of my knowledge to serve my future patients as a physician.
Andrew Fritz, BSPS, is a 2025 PharmD/MBA candidate from The University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and College of Business. Andrew’s current extracurricular involvement consists of being the regent of Kappa Psi’s Beta Lambda chapter, being a teaching assistant for pharmacy skills lab, being the director of finances for IPHO, and being a member of Phi Lambda Sigma and Rho Chi. Most notably, Andrew had the pleasure of serving on the CommunityCare Clinic’s board of directors as the Director of Clinical Pharmacy Services over this past year and created the foundation of the patient assistance program service. His goal is to start, manage, and/or direct a student run, charitable clinic in the future.