Stephen Sears, Meghan May, Nick Birtcil, Josephine Conte, Jason Haxton, Jodie Hermann – COVID-19 Super Bundle: Panel Discussion, What would AT Still think, and OMT demo

Stephen Sears, MD Related seminars and products: 1

Epidemiologist & Maine CDC Clinical Advisor — COVID-19 Response Team

Dr. Stephen Sears joined the COVID-19 response team at the Maine CDC as a Clinical Advisor in March 2020.  Prior to that Dr Sears was the Chief of Staff at VA Maine Health System from 2014-2019. From 2009 to 2014 Dr. Stephen Sears was the State of Maine Epidemiologist .   He also has experience in Health System planning having been Vice President for Medical Administration and Chief Quality Officer at Mercy Hospital from 2007 to 2010. Prior to that, he was the Chief Medical Officer at MaineGeneralHealth from 1988 to 2007.  During this time, he was also a practicing infectious disease clinician. Dr. Sears completed an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkley; a Doctor of Medicine from Dartmouth Medical School; Internship and Residency at UCLA Harbor General Hospital; a Fellowship in Infectious Disease at the University of Maryland; and a Masters in Public Health at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Hygiene. Over the last 20 years, Dr. Sears has been very active in the public health challenges in the State of Maine.  He has been a tuberculosis consultant, active in emergency preparedness, and a member of numerous task forces and commissions for infectious and chronic disease epidemiology for the State of Maine.  He has also been active on several non-profit boards, including the Maine Center for Public Health, the American Lung Association and the American Diabetes Association.  He has won many awards, including the Koch Award for outstanding contributions to reporting, monitoring, prevention and control of tuberculosis in Maine (2007); and recognition as one of the top 25 most influential people in the fight against tobacco in the previous 25 years (2002) by the American Cancer Society, New England Chapter. Dr. Sears and his wife, Cathy, have three children:  a daughter in graduate school at Cornell, a son working as a production designer in Boston and another son a junior in college in Florida.  Dr. and Mrs. Sears reside in Belgrade with their cat, a canoe and two kayaks.

Dr. Sears has no disclosures.

Meghan May, PhD Related seminars and products: 3

Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences (Microbiology and Infectious Disease)

University of New England, College of Osteopathic Medicine

Dr. May was appointed in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of New England College of Medicine in 2013.  She was previously appointed in the Department of Biological Sciences at Towson University from 2010-2013 (holding the Fisher Endowed Chair of Biological Sciences from 2012-2013) and was appointed as a postdoctoral fellow and then a research assistant professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Pathology at the University of Florida ‘s Emerging Pathogens Institute. Dr. May earned her B.S. degree in Microbiology from the University of New Hampshire, and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Pathobiology and Bacteriology (respectively) from the University of Connecticut.  Her research focus is on the evolution of virulence, not only to determine how new diseases appear and where they come from but also how to predict what new disease might arise next – pathogen forecasting.  In order to explore this she studies bacteria (especially Mycoplasma), parasites (especially Filaria worms), and viruses (especially Zika).  She also studies infection-mediated pain, works up unusual clinical ID cases, and tries to invent novel diagnostic tests for antimicrobial resistance and Lyme disease.  In her copious spare time, she maintains a general public audience blog and contributes pieces to local and national print media on infectious disease.  Dr. May is a Co-Principal Investigator on a research grant from National Institutes of Health, the past chair of the American Society for Microbiology’s Division G, the chair of the International Research Programme in Comparative Mycoplasmology’s Molecular Genetics Team, and an elected member of the International Committee for the Systematics of Prokaryotes (Mollicutes Taxonomy Subcommittee). She also volunteers professional consultations in clinical microbiology and mycoplasmology for ASM’s international laboratory capacity (LabCAP) program and for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.  She is the author of 35 peer-reviewed publications and 10 invited book chapters, and has given several platform presentations at national and international meetings.  

Dr. May has no disclosures

Nick Birtcil Related seminars and products: 1

Executive Director

Osteopathic Physician and Surgeons of California

Nick Birtcil is the Executive Director of the Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons of California. His over 12 years of experience spans political campaigns to operating one of the largest political action committees in California. Nicholas is a graduate of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon where he majored in Politics. Prior to joining OPSC, Nick was the Associate Vice President of Political Operations for the California Medical Association. In addition to his experience in helping osteopathic physicians to navigate the landscape of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Nick also shared his own experience as a patient who came down with the illness via his Twitter account (Follow along on Twitter @nbirtcil). 

Mr. Birtcil has  no disclosures.

Josephine Conte Related seminars and products: 1

Maine Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency Program

Dr. Josie Conte has returned to her alma mater of Maine Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency as faculty for their ONMM3 program and practices in Waterville at the Maine Dartmouth Collaborative Care Center. 

She is a UNECOM graduate who completed a Family Medicine Residency and an NMM Plus One Residency with MDFMR. She is boarded in Family Medicine, Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine as well as Integrative Medicine.   She currently serves on the MOA Board of Directors and Co-Chairs the Education Committee; she is on the Post-Doctoral Training Committee for the AAO and for Coyote Institute. 

Josie Conte’s first degree is in Dance and she was Artistic Director for Baraka! Middle Eastern Dance Ensemble and has been a performing artist in Maine since 1993. She is a RYT-200 Yoga Instructor with Ayurveda Yoga specialty training and is completing an Integrative Structural Acupuncture Program. 

Dr. Conte has no disclosures. 

Jason Haxton Related seminars and products: 7

Jason Haxton, MA, DO (h.c.) has been the director of the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine since January 2001. Besides managing the Museum that was created in 1934, he makes multiple international trips each year (Belgium, Russia, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Brazil and the UK) to provide lectures, historic research materials and promote the principles of osteopathic medicine through exhibits for osteopaths globally.  At A.T. Still University in Kirksville he keeps a busy schedule teaching medical students and welcoming guests from around the world to the museum. His leadership at the Museum was recognized as an American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Shining STAR organization for its work promoting the osteopathic profession worldwide.

Dr. Haxton discloses that he has no relevant financial relationships with any organization producing, marketing, reselling or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients relative to the content of this presentation.

Jodie Hermann Related seminars and products: 3

University of New England, College of Osteopathic Medicine

Dr. Hermann received her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM) in 2006.  She graduated from University of Connecticut in 1980 with a B.S. in Athletic Training/Sports medicine and in 1997 with an MBA in Management and International Business. Her internship was at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, CT in 2007.  Her Internal Medicine residency was completed in 2010 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA.  She also completed her +1 Residency Neuromuscular Medicine program at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2014 and her Integrative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Arizona in 2015.  She is board certified in Internal Medicine by the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine and board certified by American Osteopathic Board of Neuromusculoskelatal Medicine in Osteopathic Neuromsculoskelatal Medicine. Dr. Hermann currently works at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine as Chair of the Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Department.  She is also working with Maine General Medical Center as a hospitalist.  Prior to this she worked as an Assistant Clinical Professor at UNE COM, and as the head hospitalist at Waldo County General Hospital.  In her prior life she was an athletic trainer in sports medicine working with various teams and levels of athletes from Olympics to high school, most recently going to Hungary with USA Boxing for a World Competition in August 2018.

Dr. Hermann has no Disclosures