2021 WPDC CONFERENCE
September 30 - October 3, 2021
2021 Presenter Biographies
You may select one or more names from the list below by checking and unchecking the box next to their name, to focus on one or more individual biographies. Clicking on the presenter's "Conference Speaking Schedule" button will take you to their first conference engagement as shown on the 2021 Conference Schedule.
Filter Categories
All
Allan Harmer
Alvera Stern
Amy Givler
Andrea B. Braun
Ann Tsen
Cara Brown
Elisa Ghezzi
Elizabeth Sherrill
Ellen M. Dailor
Jane Goleman
Jean Wright
Joy K. Ruff
Kellie Hooker
Kelly McCluskey-Erskine
Kelsey Thompson
Lanette Guthman
Leslie Walker
Lina Abujamra
Linda Wrede-Seaman
Madie Hartman
Nadine Duhan Floyd
Nancy Mabe
Patti Francis
Rashel Haverkorn
Regina Frost
Sarah Rahkola
Taryn Boik
Tiffany Owens
Wendy B. Kang
-
Amy Givler, M.D., a cancer survivor, shares her experience and the stories of others with the voice of encouragement, faith, and strength she so desperately needed at the point of her diagnosis. With medical knowledge and insight into the path to come, Dr. Givler is able to offer answers and hope as she discusses: looking at cancer through the lens of hope; seeking, evaluating, and making decisions for treatment; drawing closer to God along the journey; and facing family and friends. Dr. Givler shares more than professional wisdom; she extends her friendship. And as a fellow survivor she provides a comforting presence during an experience that too often is mired in uncertainty, fear, and loneliness. -
Sarah Rahkola, MD, believes to achieve optimal health, it is important to address the needs of the whole person - physical, mental and spiritual. In her practice, Dr. Rahkola emphasizes patient education and shared decision-making. "I coach my patients to make sound decisions for their own health," she says. Dr. Rahkola earned her medical degree from Oregon Health & Science University. She completed her internship, residency and a chief-resident year at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. She is an active member of the American College of Physicians and the Christian Medical and Dental Association. Raised in Hillsboro, Oregon, Dr. Rahkola is married with three children. Outside of the office, she enjoys gardening, cooking, reading and visiting the Oregon Coast. -
Practiced as a pediatric anesthesiologist and intensivist. She held positions as a physician executive at Emory, chair of pediatrics for Mercer and executive director for Memorial Health’s Children’s and Women’s Hospital in Savannah, and she was chief medical officer for Atrium Health Cabarrus. -
Dr. Rashel Haverkorn, MD is a Urology Specialist in San Antonio, TX and has over 18 years of experience in the medical field. Dr. Haverkorn has more experience with Urinary Conditions than other specialists in her area. She graduated from University of Texas Medical School At San Antonio medical school in 2003. She is affiliated with medical facilities such as Baptist Medical Center and CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital - Medical Center.
-
Elizabeth (“Tib”) Sherrill has published some 2000 articles and authored more than 30 books, with sales in excess of 60 million. Books authored, many co-written with her late husband John, include The Hiding Place, The Cross and the Switchblade, God’s Smuggler, They Speak with Other Tongues, and Return from Tomorrow. For over sixty years, Elizabeth has been a writer and editor for Guideposts Magazine. -
Dr. Kelly L. Mccluskey-Erskine is an obstetrician-gynecologist in Dayton, Ohio and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Miami Valley Hospital and Kettering Medical Center. She received her medical degree from Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine and has been in practice between 11-20 years.
-
Lina AbuJamra is a Pediatric ER doctor, now practicing telemedicine, and founder of Living With Power Ministries and She Gives Hope. Her vision is to bring hope to the world by connecting biblical answers to everyday life. A popular Bible teacher, blogger, and conference speaker, she is the author of several books and the host of the Living With Power Hope Podcast. Lina is also ministering to singles through her Today’s Single Christian show on Moody Radio and is engaged in providing medical care and humanitarian help to Syrian refugees in the Middle East. She is single, calls Chicago home, and would not survive without her iPhone. -
Dr. Kang said she always knew what she would do after earning her bachelor’s degree. “From the moment of consciousness, my mom said I knew I would be a physician. My aunt always said I had a calling. It was strange. There were no physicians on either side of our family. But, I just always knew I was going to be physician,” she said. Dr. Kang, a clinical professor of anesthesiology at the Health Science Center, said she didn’t play with dolls like other girls. “My first patient was my teddy bear. He received bandages, and I checked his vitals with a pretend stethoscope,” she said. “I was fortunate to grow up in a small town, but one that was large enough to have two family physicians. I admired both of them. They looked like doctors out of a Norman Rockwell painting.” She started medical school at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. In her third year, Dr. Kang said she had a hard time deciding on a specialty. “I loved everything about medicine. I decided to specialize in anesthesiology because I can use everything I learned. I get to work with all ages of patients. You have to know every aspect of medicine so you can treat the patient.” -
Dr. Floyd is certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery, and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Notre Dame and her medical degree at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She trained in general surgery at Rush University and Cook County Hospitals in Chicago, Illinois, and in colon and rectal surgery at St. Vincent Hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania. She has been practicing in Fort Wayne since 2005 and is a Volunteer Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine-Fort Wayne. Dr. Floyd is dedicated to a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to the management of colon and rectal disorders, especially colon and rectal cancer. She was the first surgeon in Fort Wayne to perform transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM), offering patients with rectal polyps and early rectal cancers an alternative to major abdominal surgery. Dr. Floyd practices the full scope of colon and rectal surgery, and has additional training in TEM, laparoscopic colon surgery and endorectal ultrasonography. She is certified in daVinci Robotic Surgery, Solesta treatment for fecal incontinence, and the THD procedure (Transanal Hemorrhoidal Dearterialization) for minimally invasive treatment of hemorrhoids. -
An ordained minister, having received a Master of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Prior to joining the staff of Christian Medical & Dental Associations, he served for nine years as an Associate Pastor over Christian Education and Family Ministries in suburban Washington, D.C. During his years in our nation's capital, Allan also served as an Associate Staff trainer with Leadership Dynamics International, leading seminars in: Leadership Development; Team Building; and Faith Planning. He also served as a member of the Adjunct Faculty at Washington Bible College. Born in a small northeast Nebraska farming community, Allan committed his life to Jesus Christ as Savior at seven years of age through the testimony of his father. Later during his college days he led a weekly Bible study and became persuaded of the importance of further training in God's Word. -
As a former pediatrician at Wright-Patterson Medical Center, I had the opportunity to receive training in the diagnoses and treatment of allergic disorders. It was my experience with allergists at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine and the U.S. Air Force allergy training program that made me feel passionate about this subspecialty. I give the same care and attention to my patients as I did with children and their families when I was a pediatrician. I enjoy helping patients understand what we know (and don’t know) about their condition, the limitations of testing, and the use of medications and non-medication treatments. I listen to their concerns, gather relevant history, order any necessary tests and partner with the patient to determine a personalized treatment plan. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center stands out because of the institution’s long-standing history of education, research and patient care as well as its community involvement and way of practically applying translational research to patient care. While working here, I would love to get involved in research relating to allergic rhinitis, venom allergy and/or allergy education. I’m also fascinated by immunomodulation, the possibility to change the immune system to be less reactive to allergens such as environmental (dog, cat, dust mite), pollens and venom. -
Dr. Regina Frost is an OB/Gyn and works out of St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan. She has been in practice for over 10 years, the majority of which was spent as the owner and solo physician of her former private practice. Regina enjoys educating women about their health and seeing God work in the lives of her patients. She is married to Darren Clark and enjoys serving at church, cooking/eating, reading, exercising, listening to music and spending time with friends and family. -
Dr. Andrea Braun is a board certified intensivist (ICU doctor) in Houston, TX and is affiliated with Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center. She received her medical degree from Ruprecht Karl University Faculty of Medicine in Heidelberg, Germany in 2002 and came to the US for residency training in 2005. She is board certified in internal medicine, critical care medicine and nephrology. She also speaks multiple languages, including German. She specializes in critical care and is experienced in nephrology and critical care medicine. Her interests include critical care ultrasound, medical education and critical care nephrology. -
Patti Francis, MD, has been in private practice in a partnership at Lamorinda Pediatrics since 1985, located in Lafayette CA. Patricia (Patti) graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara, completed her medical degree at Boston University School of Medicine and her residency in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital in Oakland. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics; was a founder and chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Women in Medicine and Dentistry from 1990-1996; and is a member and past chair of the Marriage Enrichment Commission. She has served on the Physicians Resource Council of Focus on the Family, as an Advisor Board Member of the Medical Insitute and DiscoveryHealth.com Disease and Conditions; and has worked on missions with Samaritan’s Purse, GHO, Kids Alive International, and Women of Vision/World Vision. She is married to Ron and has two daughters—Corrie and Erica. -
Graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School, where I also received my master's degree in Neuroscience. After an internship in internal medicine, I completed my residency in psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. I have been in private practice since 2000, first in Baltimore, and since 2007 in Cleveland. "I help patients learn to manage their psychiatric conditions effectively, so that they can reach their own professional and personal goals. Together, we develop a path to resilience." -
Dr. Linda Seaman worked as a hospice medical director for Sisters of Providence’s Hospice of Yakima for a decade in the 1990’s. During those years, she also served two 3-year terms on the Board of Directors with an additional year on the Executive Committee for the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. AAHPM was the only professional organization representing physicians and advanced care practitioners in the developing field of hospice and palliative medicine. During that time she helped create and critique curriculum development, authored articles in medical specialty journals, as well as authored & published practical books to aid practicing health care professionals serving to improve end of life care. She was one of the first board certified physicians in the field through the American Board of Hospice & Palliative Medicine in 1997 and supported work with ABMS to create the specialty of hospice & palliative medicine. She remains a Fellow in the AAHPM. In 2009. Dr. Seaman was honored at her alma mater with the Commonwealth Award at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, a prestigious award rarely given to medical alumni. The award honored her for her pioneering contributions to promote and create the medical specialty of palliative medicine, as well as for her ongoing work in patient advocacy in end of life care improvement.
-
Dr. M. Jane Goleman, MD, M.Div., D.Min. is a member of the Section of Ambulatory Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) and a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Goleman’s clinical interest is in primary care, ADHD, and doctor-patient communication and its impact on health outcomes. She is the medical lead for the Office of Health Equity at NCH, and a founding member of the Pediatric Health Equity Collaborative which is a national collaboration between pediatric organizations working together to eliminate disparities in health care and outcomes. She leads quality improvement teams addressing HPV vaccine rates, Infant Mortality due to unsafe sleep, and tobacco cessation. Dr. Goleman earned her BS and MD degrees from The Ohio State University in 1979 and 1982. She completed a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1991, and a Doctor of Ministry from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in 2010. -
Dr. Ann Tsen is a Certified Physician Life and Leadership Coach and Director of Coaching for the CMDA Center for Well-being. She is also a board-certified internist and serves on the advisory council for the Women Physicians in Christ ministry. Dr. Tsen is passionate about combatting the rising tide of burnout through her coaching work and Center for Well-being ministry. She helps women healthcare professionals align with God, rediscover joy in their personal and professional lives, and courageously move forward into their full God-given potential. She is also a licensed coaching trainer, has experience in international missions, has served as campus advisor to her local CMDA student group and currently practices part-time at a faith-based charity clinic, using coaching to help patients maximize health outcomes. When not coaching, she enjoys singing and playing guitar, capturing beauty with her camera, and taking long walks on the beach. -
Dr. Nancy C. Mabe is an internist in Columbia, Missouri and is affiliated with University of Missouri Health Care-Columbia. She received her medical degree from University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. -
Elisa M. Ghezzi, DDS, PhD provides dental care for residents of nursing and assisted living facilities in the Detroit Michigan Metropolitan area. In addition, she is an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics at the Universityof Michigan (UM) School of Dentistry. She received her DDS (1995) from UM, completed a General Practice Residency (1995-6) at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN, trained in a geriatric dentistry fellowship (1996-8) at UM, and obtained both an MS (2001) in Clinical Research Design and Statistical Analysis and a PhD (2005) in Epidemiology from UM School of Public Health. Dr. Ghezzi serves as the chair of the Michigan Coalition for Oral Health for the Aging, a board member of the Michigan Society of Gerontology, and is a member of the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry of Special Care Dentistry. Her research focuses on the effects of oral diseases on systemic health. She has written and lectured extensively on the topic of oral health care for older adults and persons with dementia.
