Melanda Adams
Tuesday, 6:00 pm, Stories of Hope Across America
Melanda Adams had it made. She came from a good family (her father was the school superintendent), and was elected president of her high school’s DARE Club. But she became rebellious and chose to hang around with the “wrong crowd.” OxyContin and methamphetamine soon took control of her life. Just as she had lost all hope, police came knocking on her door. Adams went through three treatment programs before turning to God to save her from addiction. In October 2005, she shared her testimony during Operation UNITE’s “Go Light Your World” Candlelight Crusades, and has been a spokesperson since. Adams returned to the heart of temptation by opening a convenience store in her home county. She and her sister Co-Chair the Clay Countians UNITED anti-drug coalition, working to engage community stakeholders in the fight. In addition, she currently serves on the board for Beth’s Blessing – the treatment program that helped turn her life around. Out of treatment now for eight years, Adams has a 4-year-old daughter.
Dr. Daniel P. Alford, MD, MPH, FACP, FASAM
Associate Professor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Safe Prescribing and Use of Opioids
Dr. Alford is an Associate Professor of Medicine, Assistant Dean and Program Director of the Addiction Medicine residency program at Boston University School of Medicine. He is on staff in the Section of General Internal Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC). He is a diplomate in Addiction Medicine by the American Board of Addiction Medicine, president-elect of the Association of Medical Education in Research in Substance Abuse (AMERSA), and is the Medical Director of the Massachusetts Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment and the BMC Office-based Opioid Treatment program. Dr. Alford is co-investigator for National Institute on Drug Abuse funded Chief Resident Immersion Training Program in Addiction Medicine and the Massachusetts Consortium-Center of Excellence for Physician Information on Prescription Drug Abuse. He is course director for the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine’s Safe Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain trainings. He was recently recognized as a Champion of Change by the White House.
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Hon. Dave Aronberg
Special Council on Prescription Drug Trafficking, Florida Office of the Attorney General
Tuesday, 2:15 pm, Strategies to Prevent “Pill Mill” Diversion
Dave Aronberg, an attorney and former Florida Senator, was appointed as Special Prosecutor for Prescription Drug Trafficking by Attorney General Pam Bondi in 2011. In this role as “Drug Czar” he combats Florida’s epidemic of prescription drug abuse – the number one public safety threat in the state – by targeting the hundreds of “pill mills” in Florida criminally, civilly, administratively and legislatively. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Aronberg served eight years representing the diverse south Florida region. Called the “strongest consumer advocate” in the legislature by two major newspapers, his priorities included tightening Florida’s laws against prescription drug diversion and reforming the state’s Medicaid laws to make it harder to “doctor shop” for controlled substances at taxpayer expense. In 2000, Mr. Aronberg was selected to be one of 15 White House Fellows from across the country. In this non-partisan position, he served in two presidential administrations as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Treasury Department for international money laundering. Mr. Aronberg graduated with honors from Harvard College and Harvard Law School.
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Margaret-Jaree Baker, MA
Treatment Referral Coordinator, Operation UNITE
Tuesday, 2:15 pm, Managing Risk: Identifying Issues in the Workplace (moderator)
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Compliance with Narcotics Guidelines (moderator)
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Creative Solutions in Lean Budget Times (moderator)
Jaree Baker obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Eastern Kentucky University, where she attended on a full athletic scholarship for basketball. During her tenure at Eastern she collected three All-American Awards, was named the Ohio Valley Conference Most Valuable Player, and was the 1992 EKU Female Athlete of the Year. Her scoring record of 18 field goals in a single game still stands. She was inducted into the EKU Hall of Fame in 2010. She returned to EKU and obtained a Master of Arts in business education and her Rank I in Education. Ms. Baker has more than 15 years experience in education with a focus on technology and drug addiction. She currently works as a Treatment Referral Coordinator for Operation UNITE and teaches classes at EKU. Previously, Ms. Baker was the Vice President of Education and Training for International Bio-Resources.
Sarah Ball, PharmD
Assistant Professor, South Carolina College of Pharmacy of the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Safe Prescribing and Use of Opioids
Dr. Ball is an Assistant Professor at the South Carolina College of Pharmacy of the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina. In her role as Program Director for Academic Detailing, she developed and implemented SCORxE, an educational outreach program using the principles of academic detailing to serve South Carolina Medicaid providers. Dr. Ball also has 20 years experience in clinical database design and management and maintaining sophisticated drug databases integrated into clinical and financial pharmacy applications. Prior to joining the college, her work was very focused on patient safety. She managed the life cycle of a medication error prevention service at Per-Se Technologies and co-authored a U.S. Patent to support the service. Dr. Ball is a graduate of the Medical University of South Carolina, where she received both a B.S. in Pharmacy and Pharm.D. She is a registered pharmacist in South Carolina.
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Leslie Balonick, MA, CRADC
Senior Vice President-Eastern Division, WestCare Foundation
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Creative Solutions in Lean Budget Times
Leslie Balonick is a Senior Vice President for WestCare Foundation, overseeing WestCare’s Central Region with operations in Kentucky, Illinois, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. Ms. Balonick has 30 years experience in administering and developing behavioral health treatment, including juvenile and criminal justice programming and programming for women and adolescent girls. Previously, she served as Senior Policy and Program Development Administrator for the Illinois Department of Corrections. Throughout her career in the industry, Ms. Balonick has been recognized as a national expert and has consulted on social policy system change, behavioral health, correctional and gender responsive policy and program development. Ms. Balonick has a Master’s Degree in human services administration from Spertus College and a Bachelor’s Degree in addictions management from DePaul University. She is also a Certified Reciprocal Alcohol and Drug Counselor.
Michael C. Barnes, Esq., JD
Director (interim), Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence (CLAAD); Policy Advisor, DCBA Law & Policy
National Rx Drug Abuse Summit Advisory Board Member
Tuesday, 4:00 pm, The Financial Impact to Employers (moderator)
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Examining What’s Happening Across America (moderator)
Michael Barnes is an attorney and policy advisor with DCBA Law & Policy. Mr. Barnes provides strategic counsel to corporations, health care providers, and national non-profits on substance abuse, medication safety, pain care and related issues. He is a founder and interim executive director of the not-for-profit Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence, and primary author of the National Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Strategy. Mr. Barnes previously served as confidential counsel in the drug policy office of the White House. He has spoken at Congressional briefings and national conferences, and frequently provides analysis for Fox News Channel, CNN, HLN, and other media outlets. Mr. Barnes obtained his Juris Doctor degree from George Mason University School of Law. He earned a master’s degree in international economic policy from La Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and received his bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from Flagler College.
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Deborah Beck, MSW
President, Drug and Alcohol Service Providers Organization of Pennsylvania
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Youth and Elderly Addiction Issues
Deborah Beck brings more than 30 years of clinical and legislative experience working with alcohol and drug treatment and prevention as a consultant and President of the Drug and Alcohol Service Providers Organization of Pennsylvania. She is co-founder and a board member of the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws and a board member of the Pennsylvania Recovery Organizations Alliance. Ms. Beck researches and initiates policy activities and works with public policy and legislative leaders, grassroots and consumer groups to develop and organize statewide and national public policy and legislative strategies. This work has led to the enactment of laws requiring coverage of addiction treatment in group health plans, requiring K-12 alcohol and drug prevention/education, establishing residential treatment for pregnant addicted women and women with dependent children, and requiring state Medicaid to cover residential addiction treatment. She has a MSW from Temple University and a BA from Earlham College.
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Dr. Marylou Behnke, MD
Professor of Pediatrics, University of Florida School of Medicine
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Drug-Exposed Infants: Trends and Challenges
Dr. Behnke is Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Florida College of Medicine in the Division of Neonataology. In her 30 years as a clinician she has cared for hundreds of infants with utero drug exposure. She also serves as Director of the North Central Early Steps, a part of Florida’s early intervention program. her unique blend of medical and developmental expertise in young children has facilitated her clinical and research efforts. Dr. Behnke’s research has focused on the effects of perinatal risk, including medical, genetic, environmental and psychosocial factors on long-term outcomes for children. Her prenatal cocaine study has been funded by NIH for more than 17 years. She has served on the Committee on Substance Abuse for the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Florida Medical Association, and the Florida Pediatric Society. Dr. Behnke currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Addiction Medicine
William A. Benson, CFE
Assistant Director, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Drug Investigation Division, and member Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Executive Board
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Regulatory and Law Enforcement Roles in Cross-State Border Diversion
William Benson is the Assistant Director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Drug Investigation Division, serving in this capacity since December 2003. As part of his role with TBI, he serves on the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Executive Board. He also served as chairman of the Tennessee Alliance for Drug Endangered Children from 2006-2008. Mr. Benson previously served as Special Agent-In-Charge and Director of the TBI’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (1992-2003). Prior to this appointment he was assigned to the TBI’s Special Investigations unit (1984-1992) in Knoxville, Tenn. Mr. Benson worked with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith in Atlanta (1981-1984) and has a bachelor of science degree in economics from Francis Marion College in Florence, S.C. He is a Certified Fraud Examiner and has been a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners since 1997.
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Rep. Mary Bono Mack
U.S. Representative, R-California 45th District
Wednesday, 9:30 am, General Session
Thursday, 9:30 am, Forum of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse
U.S. Representative Mary Bono Mack, now in her eighth term, was elected through a special election held to fill the seat left vacant by her late husband, the Hon. Sonny Bono, who died in a tragic skiing accident. She has established herself as a leader on critically important issues such as the fight against prescription drug abuse, online privacy, data security, intellectual property protection, telecommunications, regulatory reform, consumer protection, domestic energy production and environmental protection. As a senior Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, she was selected to chair the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade. She also sits on the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy, serves as co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse, co-chair of the Congressional Salton Sea Task Force, and vice-chair of the Entertainment Task Force. Congressman Bono Mack has been recognized repeatedly for her leadership and efforts to strengthen the economy, improve our nation’s health care, preserve the environment, protect consumers, and expand alternative energy. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California.
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Kristine Harper Bowers
Research Assistant and Coordinator of Substance Abuse Projects, Office of Rural and Community Health and Community Partnerships, East Tennessee State University
Tuesday, 2:15 pm, Successful Coalitions Across America
Kristine Harper Bowers coordinates substance abuse programs for the Office of Rural and Community Health and Community Partnerships at East Tennessee State University, which facilitates interdisciplinary health projects and classes with community involvement and experiential learning related to rural health disparities. She has managed more than 60 grants to rural community-based substance abuse prevention coalitions for the Appalachian Regional Commission. She has collected and analyzed data for subcontracts with the National Opinion Research Center and the Department of Health and Human Services. Ms. Bowers also provides staff support for the Coalition on Appalachian Substance Abuse Policy, a regional health policy organization as a coordinator of services. CASAP’s most recent endeavor was a 2011 colloquium on Appalachian substance abuse research and a follow-up discussion on social inequities as a casual basis for health issues, especially misuse of substances.
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Dr. Carol J. Boyd, PhD, RN, FAAN
Research Professor, Substance Abuse Research Center & Institute for Research on Women and Gender; Deborah J. Oakley Professor of Nursing & Women’s Studies, University of Michigan
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, What Parents Can Do
Dr. Boyd is an internationally recognized scholar who has studied drug use for more than three decades, including the use of heroin, Ts & Blues, crack, ecstasy, tobacco and alcohol. Dr. Boyd currently studies the misuse of controlled medications in populations of adolescents and young adults. Her research draws attention to the gender differences in prescribing patterns, diversion patterns, and the different ways males and females use controlled medications. In addition, she advises and works with advocacy groups as well as risk management and post-marketing surveillance scientific advisory boards. Dr. Boyd publishes extensively in health and interdisciplinary journals; her most recent work centers on gender differences in prescription medication misuse in school-based populations (12-25 year olds) and has been published in Journal of Adolescent Health, Pediatrics, and in Archives of Adolescent and Pediatric Medicine.
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Fred Wells Brason II
CEO, Project Lazarus, and Project Director, Chronic Pain Initiative, North Carolina Community Care Network
Tuesday, 1:00 pm, Project Lazarus: Community-Based Overdose Prevention
Fred Brason is President/CEO of Project Lazarus, a community-based opioid overdose prevention model reaching North Carolina and various parts of the United States, including U.S. Military and Tribal Groups, and the Project Director for Community Care of North Carolina’s Medicaid Management System Statewide Chronic Pain Initiative. Mr. Brason serves on the SAMHSA/CSAT Emerging opioid Overdose Surveillance Group, is a member of the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NAADI), serves on the Advisory Board for the North Carolina Controlled Substance Reporting System, consults for the North Carolina Medical Society Opioid Death Reduction Task Force, and Co-Chairs the SAMHSA/ASTHO expert panel for Opioid Prescriber toolkit publication. Mr. Brason is also serving on the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) scientific workshop committee for the role of Naloxone in Opioid Overdose Fatality Prevention, and the FDA committee public workshop: Assessment of Analgesic Treatment of Chronic Pain.
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Det. Ryan Buzzini
Drug Recognition Expert Instructor, Community Policing Officer, and Pharmacy Fraud Investigator, Boise Police Department, and Idaho State Poison Control Center
Tuesday, 2:15 pm, Managing Risk – Identifying Issues in the Workplace
Det. Ryan Buzzini has been in law enforcement for 24 years. He served as a reserve for Ada County Paramedics from 1988-1993, as well as worked in the Idaho Poison Control Center for several years. Det. Buzzini has worked pharmacy fraud over the past 10 years for the Boise City Police Department. As a Drug Recognition Expert Instructor, he is trained in the signs and symptoms of legal and illegal drug use. He recently concluded a position with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force where drug trafficking is watched as it is used to finance terrorism activities. His vast knowledge, accumulated through training and years of professional service, lies in both the realms of medical professionals as well as street-level usage and sales. Det. Buzzini leaves the audience with the necessary tools to detect people under the influence, whether it is at home or in the workplace.
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Dr. Alex Cahana, MD, MAS, DAAPM, FIPP
Endowed Professor and Chief, Division of Pain Management, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Washington Medical Center
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Coordinating Multiple Stakeholders
Dr. Cahana joined the University of Washington as Professor and Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine in 2008. He is adjunct Professor in Bioethics and medical Humanities, adjunct Professor in Radiology, and is the holder of the Hughes & Katherine Blake Endowed Professor in Behavioral Science. He studied medicine at Tel Aviv University, was awarded the Purple Heart as a combat medical officer. He completed training in anesthesiology, a pain fellowship at Vanderbilt University, and holds degrees in bioethics, philosophy and theology. He served as Director of the Postoperative and Interventional Pain program at Geneva University, Switzerland. He promotes measurement-based care as standard of care in pain medicine and is involved in state and federal legislation. He co-chaired the American Academy of Pain Medicine Research Committee, is Assistant President of the World Institute of Pain, and President of the American Academy of Pain Medicine Foundation. Dr. Cahana received The Army Surgeon General Commander’s Coin and the 2011 Purple Heart Foundation Award.
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Shelley Caplan
Project Director, IQ Solutions, Inc
Tuesday, 1:00 pm, PEERx Initiative to Educate Teens on the Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse
Shelly Caplan has more than 22 years of communications experience. As Project Director of a Research Dissemination contract for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), she oversees the development and implementation of NIDA’s public health campaigns. Earlier in her career, Ms. Caplan worked closely with social marketing pioneer Bill Novelli at the national Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, managing advertising, the campaign’s websites, and an entertainment education program. She also led web marketing for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, developing partnerships with online media and producing co-branded content and live web chats. Ms. Caplan began her career in the media relations department at American University, publicizing the faculty, publications, programs and events. Ms. Caplan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a member of IABC, and participated in an eight-week Social Media Bootcamp in 2011 sponsored by Media Bistro.
Dr. Kelly J. Clark, MD, MBA, DFAPA
Medical Director, Behavioral Health, Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan (CDPHP)
National Rx Drug Abuse Summit Advisory Board Member
Tuesday, 2:15 pm. Chronic Pain and Addiction
Tuesday, 4:00 pm, Treatment and Recovery in America (moderator)
Wednesday, 11:15 am, A Paradigm Shift of Payer Strategy (moderator)
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Opioid Dependence: Health Plan Problems and Strategies
Dr. Clark is board certified in both psychiatry and addiction medicine. She is the Medical Director of Behavioral Health for CDPHP, a physician-directed, non-profit health plan based in Albany, N.Y. In this role she provides the clinical leadership for the integration of the management of mental health and substance abuse service benefits with medical services. Dr. Clark earned an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, Durham, N.C.; her medical degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison; and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She is the President of the Kentucky Society of Addiction Medicine, a member of the Medical Advisory Panel of the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, and is Co-Chair of the Legislative Action Committee of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.
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Thomas W. Clark, BA
Clearing House Manager, PMP Center for Excellence, Brandeis University
Thursday, 8:00 am, Prescription Monitoring Programs
Thomas Clark is the Clearing House Manager at the PMP Center for Excellence and Senior Research Associate with the Institute for Behavioral Health at Brandeis University. Through his involvement with the PMP Center of Excellence and Massachusetts Prescription Monitoring Program, Mr. Clark has extensive experience in prescription monitoring program project management, evaluation and research. His current interests include PMP best practices, innovative uses of PMP data in a broad range of applications, and developing the evidence base for PMP effectiveness. Mr. Clark earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Amherst College and did graduate study in philosophy at Tufts University.
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Early Clover
Singer/Songwriter
Wednesday, 6:00 pm, Summit Reception
Early Clover decided at a young age, growing up on a small farm in Georgia, that he was going to be a singer/entertainer. An older brother taught him to play guitar, and at age 16 he formed his own band. After changing the band’s name to the Middle Georgia Soul Drifters, he went on to become the opening act for some of the hottest names in the South, such as Betty Wright, Clarence Carter, Tyrone Davis and Marvin Sease. The band – awarded “Best Band of the Year” in 1981 – because the road band and back up for performers including Wiliam Bell, Rufus Thomas and Joe Simon. Mr. Clover moved to New York City and became a favorite at the Apollo Theater. He won first place twice, second place three times and third place in the “Top Dog of the Year” competition, and tied for third place in the “Super Dog of the Year” competition. In 1988, he was selected to sing lead with Cornell Gunter’s Coasters, and shared the stage with world-class performers for 14 years.
Dr. Jeremy J. Corbett, MD
Chief Medical Director, Centene Corporation/Kentucky Spirit Health Plan
Tuesday, 1:00 pm, Prescription Drug Abuse and Managed Care Organizations: Can Policies Affect Change?
Dr. Corbett is the Chief Medical Director for Kentucky Spirit Health Plan, a managed care organization chosen to support Kentucky’s Medicare Program. Kentucky Spirit is a subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a Fortune 500 company. Board Certified in emergency medicine, he is also a Physician Partner with Central Emergency Physicians at Central Baptist Hospital. Previously, he served as Vice President of Medical Affairs for VaxCare Corporation in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Corbett graduated magna cum laude from Asbury University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of South Florida College of Medicine. We served as Chief Resident in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center. Currently he is the Medical Student Chairman for the FLAMPC board of directors, of which he is a member.
Judy Cushing
President & CEO, Oregon Partnership
Tuesday, 4 pm, Two Models on New Approaches for Community-Based Anti-Drug Coalition: State of Oregon and the US Military
Judy Cushing has devoted 30 years to community, state and national efforts to combat drug and alcohol abuse and to shape public policy. In 2010 she was appointed to the Executive Committee of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, and in 2003 was appointed by President Bush to the President’s Advisory Commission on Drug-Free Communities. She has held national advisory positions with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America. She has also served as president and executive board member of the National Family Partnership. In Oregon, Ms. Cushing is a member of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Executive Board, was instrumental in the formation of the Statewide Leadership Team for Alcohol Free Kids, and serves on the Governor’s Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission. She founded the Oregon Partnership in 1993 and serves as its President and CEO.
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Officer Cully Desmond
McMinnville (Oregon) Police Department
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Building Community Support for Law Enforcement
Officer Desmond has been employed since 1997 as a Patrol Officer. Officer Desmond has a Bachelor of Arts in law enforcement and is licensed with an advanced police certificate. After working as a patrol officer for 10 years, he spent four years working as a detective with a multi-disciplinary narcotics team focusing on drug enforcement, undercover operations and working with informants. Officer Desmond has extensive knowledge of prescription drug abuse and has worked with local community organizations, coalitions and schools regarding education, policy advocacy and how to reduce accessibility through enforcement and regulation. Officer Desmond worked exclusively with pharmacies and health care professionals regarding identification of fraudulent prescriptions, protocol for reporting abuse and the District Attorney’s office for prosecution. Officer Desmond is the Citizen’s Academy facilitator for drug recognition and serves as a liaison to local and state government.
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Agent Bruce DiVincenzo
Delaware State Police Drug Diversion Unit
Tuesday, 4 pm, Building Cases Across State Lines
Agent DiVincenzo is an investigator with the Delaware State Police Drug Diversion Unit. He previously served as the Chief Agent for the former Delaware Office of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs from 2002 to 2010, when the agency was placed under the direction of the Delaware State Police. Prior to his role as Chief Agent, Agent DiVencenzo was a member of the Delaware State Police, retiring as a Captain following 27 years of service. He has served as Troop Commander, Inspections and Accreditation Officer, Investigative and Patrol Supervisor, and Trooper. As an assessor for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), Agent DiVincenzo conducted on-site team assessments of the Virginia and Connecticut State Police and was responsible for ensuring the continued compliance of the Delaware State Police with the law enforcement standards applicable to an internationally accredited police agency. He is a member of the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI). Agent DiVencenzo received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Delaware.
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Candy Finnigan, BRI-II
Interventionist, A&E’s Emmy award-winning series Intervention
Wednesday, 9:30 am, General Session
Candy Finnigan is a Board Registered Interventionist (Level) II featured on A&E’s Emmy award-winning series Intervention. A nationally recognized addiction specialist, Ms. Finnigan has been involved in all areas of recovery for more than 19 years. She received her certification in chemical dependency from UCLA and completed her internship at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, where she worked in addiction services. Ms. Finnigan was certified in sex addiction and codependency at The Meadows. She received intervention training from Dr. Vern Johnson, who developed the process. She has been affiliated as an interventionist with the Betty Ford Center, Sierra Tucson, The Meadows, Cottonwood de Tucson, Promises West and Malibu, Vista Taos, Hazelden, Talbots, Caron and other treatment centers. Besides interventionist training, Ms. Finnigan is an expert in relapse prevention and family and individual counseling. She has extensive experience in assessment, placement, and aftercare treatment. She is an experienced group facilitator for both adolescent and adult clients. She was inspired to become an interventionist because she has personally been in recovery for more than 23 years. In April of 2008, she published a new book, “When Enough is Enough: A Comprehensive Guide to Successful Intervention,” that provides advice to family members thinking about an intervention.
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Florida SADD
University High School SADD Chapter
Tuesday, 1:00 pm, PEERx Initiative to Educate Teens on the Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse
Florida SADD is dedicated to educating students, parents and others in the community concerning the problem of underage drinking, impaired driving, seatbelt usage, driver training, speeding and red light running. Florida SADD emphasizes traffic safety because traffic crashes are the Number 1 cause of death for teenagers in America. The purpose of Florida SADD is to assist and encourage middle and high school students to live safe, healthy and substance-free lifestyles by creating chapters in their schools that support and promote positive decision-making. SADD promotes a “No-Use” message – no alcohol, tobacco or illegal substances – through positive peer pressure, support and activism. SADD’s philosophy is: If the problem is mine, the solution also begins with me.
Dr. Gary M. Franklin, MD, MPH
Medical Director, Washington State Department of Labor & Industries; Research Professor, Departments of Environmental Health, Neurology and Health Services, University of Washington
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Coordinating Multiple Stakeholders
Dr. Franklin obtained his medical degree from George Washington University and his master of public health degree from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a board-certified neurologist whose current positions are Research Professor, Departments of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, and Medicine (Neurology), University of Washington School of Public Health, and Medical Director for Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. Dr. Franklin is the Chair of the Washington State Agency Medical Directors Group, and has led efforts by the state agencies in Washington in the development of evidence-based health policy. His current research interests include population-based outcome studies for work-related musculoskeletal disorders, health care delivery research, and research to predict disability and generate models of disability prevention in workers’ compensation.
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Dr. Beverly Franklin-Thompson, PharmD
Director, Regional Pharmacists, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
Wednesday, 11:15 am, A Paradigm Shift of Payer Strategy
Dr. Franklin-Thompson is a Pharmacy Director with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in biology, a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Tennessee, and completed an ASHP certified hospital pharmacy practice residency at Methodist Hospital in Memphis. Dr. Franklin-Thompson has worked as a clinical pharmacist in the health care industry for 20 years, in academia, research and hospital settings. Since 1998 she has been concentrating on management of pharmacy benefits in the health insurance industry, focusing particularly on innovative ways to deliver integrated, optimal health care management. She has twice been the recipient of the BlueCross BlueShield Association’s “Best of Blue Awards” for innovate practice in specialty pharmacy and polypharmacy. She was also honored with the BlueCross BlueShield Tennessee Pinnacle Award in 2003. Dr. Franklin-Thompson is a member of several professional pharmacy associations, including Association of Managed Care Pharmacists and the Tennessee Pharmacists Association where she serves as a member of the Managed Care Committee. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in business administration.
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Dr. Rollin M. Gallagher, MD, MPH
Deputy National Program Director for Pain Management, Veterans Health Administration, Co-Chair, Pain Management Work Group, Veterans Administration-DoD Health Executive Council
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Responsible Prescribing Practices
Dr. Gallagher is currently Deputy National Program Director for Pain Management for the Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veteran Affairs, Philadelphia Veteran Affairs Medical Center; is Co-Chair of the Pain Management Working Group, VA-DoD Health Executive Council; Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and of Anesthesiology and Critical Care and Director for Pain Policy Research and Primary Care, Penn Pain Medicine, at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; and is Editor-in-Chief of Pain Medicine. Dr. Gallagher is a member of the AAPM (and is a past president). His VHA posts include serving on the National Pain Management Strategy Coordinating Committee, Review Committee for RR&D, Pain and Analgesia Consultant to the Medical Advisory Panel, and Pharmacy Benefits Management, Co-Chair Opioid Therapy Clinical Practice Guideline Panel, consultant for FDA and NIH pain-related panels. Dr. Gallagher’s honors include the Founders Award and Distinguished Service Awards from AAPM. His research includes the epidemiology of pain and depression, and opioid use in primary care. He received his BA from Harvard, MD from Boston University, and post-doctorate in epidemiology from Columbia MPH/NIH.
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Michael Gavin, MBA
Chief Marketing Officer, PRIUM Medical Cost Management Services
Tuesday, 4 pm, The Financial Impact to Employers
Michael Gavin is responsible for the marketing, strategy and business development efforts of PRIUM. Most recently, Mr. Gavin served as Chief Operating Officer of the company. He brings to PRIUM deep experience in several major sectors of the health care industry. Before PRIUM, Mr. Gavin was a consultant with Kurt Salmon Associates, a leading provider of strategic advisory services to the health care provider sector. Prior to KSA, he served as the Vice President of Operations for MDdatacor, Inc. Before joining MDdatacor, Mr. Gavin was a consultant with The Monitor Group in Cambridge, Mass. He holds an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, as well as a BSBA degree in finance from Georgetown University’s McDonnough School of Business. You can follow Mr. Gavin’s thoughts on the health care industry on PRIUM’s blog, Evidence Based: http://prium-evidencebased.blogspot.com/
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Earl F. Gohl, MPA
Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission
Thursday, 8:00 am, Mobilizing Regional Solutions to Substance Abuse (moderator)
Earl Gohl was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) in March 2010. He came to the ARC with 20 years experience in Pennsylvania state and local government. He held positions including executive assistant to the mayor, member of the Harrisburg City Council, deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs, and director of the Pennsylvania Governor’s Washington office. From 1996-2001, Mr. Gohl served as a special assistant and then as an associate assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor. He was director of government relations/deputy director for the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration from 2001 until his current appointment. Mr. Gohl holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ridner College in New Jersey and a Master in Public Administration from Pennsylvania State University.
Thomas J. Gorman
Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Louisville District Office, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Strategies for Successful Pharmaceutical Drug Diversion Investigations
Tom Gorman began his career with the Drug Enforcement Administration in 1992 at the Sacramento Resident Office as a Special Agent. Mr. Gorman was assigned to the clandestine methamphetamine laboratory enforcement group where he conducted investigations of methamphetamine manufacturing organizations and domestic chemical suppliers to clandestine methamphetamine laboratories. In 1998 he was transferred to the Bogotá, Colombia, County Office where he was assigned to work with the Colombian National Police. The following year, Mr. Gorman was transferred to the Denver Division Office. He was promoted to Group Supervisor of the Nashville District Office with subsequent transfers to the Grand Junction Resident Office as the Resident Agent in Charge and the Office of Investigative Technology in Washington D.C. where he served as staff coordinator of the Technology Working Group and Unit Chief of the Radio Communications Unit. Mr. Gorman was then promoted to Section Chief of the Communications and Polygraph Support Section at the Office of Investigative Technology. In August 2009, he was selected as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) of the Louisville District Office which covers five offices in the State of Kentucky and the Cincinnati Resident Office. He graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a degree in finance.
Hon. Sherry L. Green, JD
Chief Executive Officer, National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Examining What’s Happing Across America
Sherry Green helped co-found the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws (NAMSDL), the bipartisan non-profit successor to the President’s Commission on Model State Drug Laws. As Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Green has led NAMSDL for 18 years in its role as a legislative and policy resource center on more than 40 drug and alcohol issues. Through a combination of 14 different services, NAMSDL helps federal, state and local officials, drug and alcohol professionals, and community leaders create more comprehensive laws and policies to bring about a more effective continuum of drugs and alcohol services. Ms. Green received her Juris Doctor from the George Washington University’s National Law Center and is a member of the D.C. Bar. She also received a Bachelor’s degree in political science-economics from the University of Montana.
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Mary F. Haag, RN, BSN, OCPS I, ICPS
President/CEO/Executive Director, Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati
Thursday, 8:00 am, Mobilizing Regional Solutions to Substance Abuse
Mary Haag is a results-driven leader with more than 15 years of achievement in substance abuse prevention, coalition building, and non-profit management. She excels at building strategic alliances and has extensive experience in community level prevention planning related to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, including data analysis, grant writing, budgeting and program evaluation. During her tenure with the Coalition, Ms. Haag has assisted more than 30 neighborhood coalitions develop across the region, and orchestrated the Coalition’s strategic realignment resulting in a lean and focused strategic plan and organizational infrastructure. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, with an emphasis on business management, from the College of Mount St. Joseph and is an Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist. Ms. Haag currently serves as President of the Ohio Chemical Dependency Board and is a mentor for the Partners for Recovery School for Prevention Leadership.
Frances M. Harding
Director, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Examining What’s Happing Across America
Frances Harding is recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts in the field of alcohol and drug policy. As part of an Executive Leadership Exchange within SAMHSA, Ms. Harding served as Director of SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services from July 2010 to January 2011. She also serves as the lead for SAMHSA’s Strategic Initiative on the Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness. Prior to federal service, Ms. Harding served as Associate Commissioner of the Division of Prevention and Recovery at the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, where she was responsible for development of policy and guidelines for prevention, treatment and recovery programming. She has held numerous national positions and received recognition from her peers for her work, including serving as president of the National Prevention Network and as New York State’s representative to the Board of Directors for the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, Inc. In 2004, she became the first non-researcher to receive the prestigious Science to Practice Award from the International Society for Prevention Research.
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Rebecca Heuser
Prevention Coordinator, Yamhill County Oregon
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Building Community Support for Law Enforcement
Rebecca Heuser is a certified addiction and prevention specialist and has a Masters in health care administration and business administration. She has more than 10 years experience working in substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, and community mobilization. Since 2000, she has specialized in delinquency, violence and substance abuse prevention, providing school/community-based services for children affected by substance abuse in their families, and developing a diversion program for first-time youth offenders. Ms. Heuser is trained in numerous evidence-based curriculums and assists schools in integrating prevention efforts into their daily curricula. She has worked with the DEA on implementing continual prescription drug take-back programs, as well as worked with local police departments in implementing programs. Ms. Heuser works diligently with law enforcement on the benefits of community-oriented policing and serves on local and state task forces.
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Roseline Hooks
Interactive eHealth Manager I, IQ Solutions Inc.
Tuesday, 1:00 pm, PEERx Initiative to Educate Teens on the Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse
Roseline Hooks is an interactive eHealth manager with experience in health professional outreach, campaign development and promotion, media relations, social media marketing, online public awareness strategies, and health communication. She has provided marketing and media outreach support for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), including the NIDA For Teens website and the PEERx initiative. Ms. Hooks holds a degree in mass communications, with a concentration in public relations and advertising, and is a degree candidate in health communications at Johns Hopkins University. She also has a certification in Online Public Relations.
David R. Hopkins
KASPER Program Manager, Office of Inspector General, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
Thursday, 8:00 am, Prescription Monitoring Programs
David Hopkins is Program Manager for the Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting (KASPER) system, the Kentucky Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Mr. Hopkins is responsible for KASPER training, promoting use of the system, managing federal Harold Rogers Prescription Monitoring Program grants that provide funding support for the program, and for research using KASPER data. Mr. Hopkins currently serves as Acting President of the Alliance of States with Prescription Monitoring Programs, which provides a national forum for exchange of ideas and best practices among state and federal agencies to support Prescription Monitoring Programs. He graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in computer and information science, and has more than 30 years experience in information technology consulting and project management. Mr. Hopkins is a member of the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, and the National Association of State Controlled Substances Authorities.
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Dennis Jay
Executive Director, Coalition Against Insurance Fraud
Tuesday, 4 pm, The Financial Impact to Employers
Dennis Jay has served as Chief Executive Officer for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud since its founding in 1993. He coordinated the drafting of a comprehensive model insurance fraud law which 19 states have passed wholly or partly. Mr. Jay serves on the advisory board to the fraud bureau within the Virginia State Police, and in 2007 was appointed to a state blue ribbon panel to recommend ways to strengthen anti-fraud efforts in California. He initiated the chartering of the New York Alliance Against Insurance Fraud and now serves on the alliance’s board. He is also advisor to the board of directors of the International Association of Special Investigation Units, and has served as a guest lecturer at the FBI Academy’s in-service training on white-collar crime. In 2008 he was appointed advisor to the board of governors of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. He formerly served as Vice President of Communications for the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents. Mr. Jay holds a BA in business administration.
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Larry Jeffrey
Tuesday, 6:00 pm, Stories of Hope Across America
As a young man, Larry Jeffrey was a high academic performer in science and possessed an insatiable interest in everything around him. Upon graduation from high school he took on a variety of jobs until, in his mid-40s, he became a field technician for a lab involved in the coal mine permitting process in his native West Virginia. Then he got hurt on the job and was sent to a doctor who prescribed him narcotic pain killers. Compelled by a need to stay competitive in his high-performance position, he went back to work too soon and continued taking the medication. About a year later he was injured again. Higher doses of medicine followed. His addiction to OxyContin and amphetamines lasted for several years, until he “got into legal trouble” and decided to seek treatment. Now age 56, Jeffrey is in a transitional housing program at Prestera’s Laurelwood East facility. “I’ve seen my friends die” from drugs, Jeffrey said. “There is help to be had and there is hope. You just have to know where to look.”
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Erin Johnson, MPH
Manager, Prescription Pain Medication Program, Utah Department of Health
Tuesday, 4 pm, What Every Clinician Needs to Know About Overdoses
Since July 2007, Erin Johnson has managed the Utah Department of Health’s Prescription Pain Medication Program. Her efforts have included research looking at the risk factors for prescription overdose deaths, overseeing provider education on preventing opioid-related deaths, and coordinating the development of Utah Clinical Guidelines on Prescribing Opioids for Treatment of Pain. She also initiated a statewide media campaign, “Use Only As Directed,” to educate Utahns about safe use of prescription medication. Ms. Johnson received her Masters of Public Health from Brigham Young University.
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Christopher M. Jones, Pharm.D., MPH, LCDR U.S. Public Health Service
Co-lead expert on prescription drug overdose, Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Injury Center
National Rx Drug Abuse Summit Advisory Board Member
Tuesday, 1:00 pm, Enhancing Access to Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Through Health Information Technology (moderator)
Tuesday, 2:15 pm, What Every Prescriber and Pharmacist Needs to Know About Addiction (moderator)
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Responsible Prescribing Practices (moderator)
LCDR Jones serves as a co-lead subject matter expert on prescription drug overdose in the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention in the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Injury Center. He recently completed a one-year detail to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) serving as senior public health advisor. At ONDCP, his work primarily focused on prescription drug abuse policy and he was co-author of the administration’s Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Plan. Prior to joining CDC, LCDR Jones worked at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) where he served as team leader of the Safety and Risk Communication Team. LCDR Jones previously worked in the Strategic National Stockpile at the CDC as a clinical pharmacist for CatalystRx, a pharmacy benefits manager. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Reinhardt College, his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer University, and his Master of Public Health degree from New York Medical College School of Public Health.
Ginger Katz
Founder and CEO, The Courage To Speak® Foundation
Tuesday, 6:00 pm, Stories of Hope Across America
Ginger Katz is a nationally recognized figure in the world of youth drug prevention education. She is Founder and CEO of The Courage To Speak® Foundation and author of “Sunny’s Story.” The Foundation was founded after the death of her 20-year-old son, Ian, from a drug overdose in 1996. Ms. Katz has shared Ian’s story in more than 1,000 presentations across the nation. With teams of experts in the substance abuse field, Ms. Katz led the development of the Courage to Speak Drug Prevention Education Curricula, which includes distinctive programs for elementary, middle and high schools, and Courage to Speak – Courageous Parenting 101® to educate parents on how to keep their children safe. The Courage to Speak Foundation multi-component prevention model is recommended by Yale University School of Medicine. Ms. Katz has received numerous awards for her work, including the prestigious Connecticut Association of School, Distinguished Friend of Education Award and the Prevention Works Award from SAMHSA. She was Honorary Chair of the National Parent Vigil in Washington, D.C., and a Presidential Points of Light honoree.
Dr. Nathaniel P. Katz, MD, MS
President & CEO, Alalgesic Solutions; Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anesthesia, Tufts University School of Medicine
National Rx Drug Abuse Summit Advisory Board Member
Tuesday, 4 pm, What Every Clinician Needs to Know About Overdoses (moderator)
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Safe Prescribing and Use of Opioids (moderator)
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Opioid Dependence: Health Plan Problems and Strategies
Dr. Katz is President and CEO of Analgesic Solutions, a research, education and consulting firm in Massachusetts, focused on pain therapeutics. He is Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anesthesia at Tufts University School of Medicine and holds a Master of Science degree in Biostatistics from Columbia University. Dr. Katz founded the Pain & Symptom Management Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Pain Trials Center and Brigham & Women’s Hospital. From 2000-04 Dr. Katz served as Chair of the Advisory Committee, Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Addiction Products Division at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He has completed numerous clinical trials of treatments for pain and has conducted studies related to opioid therapy. Dr. Katz is active on many publications, was an Associate Editor at the Clinical Journal of Pain, and Associate Editor (Pain) for the Encyclopedia of Neurological Sciences, and has overseen many educational programs on pain management.
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Karen Kelly
President & CEO, Operation UNITE
Tuesday, 11 am, General Assembly Moderator
Karen Kelly was tapped by Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-5th) in 2003 to create Operation UNITE and has served as the anti-drug’s only director. In this role she oversees a network of community coalitions to expand drug awareness and education programs to keep people from using drugs; coordinates drug treatment and outreach programs for those who are already addicted; and operates an accredited Drug Task Force for interdiction and prosecution of those dealing drugs. In 2007, President George Bush recognized UNITE a model for the country. Currently, Ms. Kelly serves as a member of the University of Kentucky Nonprofit Leadership Initiative and is a past member of Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s Drug Control Assessment Team, the KY Council on Post-Secondary Education Nominating Committee, and boards of directors for Leadership Kentucky, the Challenger Learning Center of Kentucky, and Union College Alumni Association. Ms. Kelly has served as a presenter at several state and national conferences and has testified on policy issues before the Kentucky General Assembly.
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Rep. Jack Kingston
U.S. Representative, R-Georgia 1st District
Thursday, 9:30 am, Forum of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse
U.S. Representative Jack Kingston is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and serves on the Defense Subcommittee which oversees all military-based funding. He is Chairman of the Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and Related Agencies. The Medicare program, funded by this committee, is the nation’s largest health insurer, handling more than $1 billion in claims per year. Medicare and Medicaid together provide health care insurance for one in four Americans. Congressman Kingston is considered one of the strongest communicators in Congress and is often a guest on network television shows. He has been rated as the “most conservative member of the House” by National Journal for his voting record. In addition, he has been named each term as a “Taxpayer’s Hero” and “A Guardian of Small Business.” Congressman Kingston was awarded the “Watchdog of the Treasury Award” and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “Spirit of Enterprise” Award. He is a graduate from the University of Georgia. Prior to serving in Congress he sold agribusiness insurance.
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Dr. Andrew Kolodny, MD
President, Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP); Chairman, Department of Psychiatry, Maimonides Medical Center
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Responsible Prescribing Practices
Dr. Kolodny is Chair of Psychiatry at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. and treats patients addicted to opioid analgesics. He was previously the Medical Director for Special Projects in the Office of the Executive Deputy Commissioner for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In this role, Dr. Kolodny helped develop and implement multiple programs to improve the health of New Yorkers and save lives, including city-wide buprenorphine programs and emergency room-based screening and referral programs for drug and alcohol misuse. Dr. Kolodny lectures frequently to medical audiences on opioid addiction, buprenorphine treatment and the opioid analgesic epidemic. He is President for Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP).
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Dr. Barbara Krantz, DO, MS-Nuclear Medicine
Chief Medical Officer and Director of Medical Research, The Hanley Center
Tuesday, 4 pm, Chronic Pain and Addiction
Dr. Krantz is a strong national and state advocate for the need to curb pain pill mills and prescription pain abuse. She is a substance abuse treatment pioneer in several respects. She introduced a Chronic Pain track in integrated treatment of alcohol and substance abuse, primarily in older adult and Boomer treatment. Dr. Krantz initiated and has led a ground-breaking collaborative research project with partners Scripps Research, Fla., academia and clinical experience, in the determination of biomarkers for addiction and relapse and the identification of the most effective treatment and relapse interventions in a non-profit, private treatment setting. Dr. Krantz was one of the first to introduce SPECT brain scanning in substance abuse treatment. She was elected as a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine for her outstanding contributions, and has appeared on national media as a leading expert on prescription pill abuse. She is a diplomat of the American Board of Addiction Medicine.
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Peter Kreiner, PhD
Research Scientist, Institute for Behavioral Health, Brandeis University
Thursday, 8:00 am, Prescription Monitoring Programs (moderator)
Dr. Kreiner is a research scientist at the Institute for Behavioral Health at Brandeis University. He is the Principal Investigator for both the national Prescription Monitoring Program Training and Technical Center and the national PMP Center of Excellence, both funded by the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. In the latter role, he leads the Center’s efforts to study PMP effectiveness and identify best practices. Dr. Kreiner has more than 18 years experience conducting research and evaluation of substance abuse prevention and treatment systems and programs. For the past seven years, he has worked with the Massachusetts Prescription Monitoring Program, evaluating their efforts to use PMP data to identify and prevent prescription drug abuse and diversion. He has been studying small geographic area associations between different measures of doctor shopping behavior and rates of opioid overdose cases, and networks of doctor shopping patients and prescribers.
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Chris Kresnak
Diversion Investigator, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Strategies for Successful Pharmaceutical Drug Diversion Investigations
Hon. Regina M. LaBelle
Policy Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
National Rx Drug Abuse Summit Advisory Board Member
Tuesday, 2:15 pm, Successful Coalitions Across America (moderator)
Tuesday, 4:00 pm, Two Models on New Approaches for Community-Based Anti-Drug Coalition: State of Oregon and the U.S. Military (moderator)
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Coordinating Multiple Stakeholders (moderator)
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Solutions in the Workplace (moderator)
Regina LaBelle is the Policy Director in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. In this role, she assists the director of National Drug Control Policy in implementing the administration’s National Drug Control Strategy. She is also the lead for the director’s prescription drug abuse strategic initiative. Prior to arriving at ONDCP, Ms. LaBelle served for eight years as legal counsel to Mayor Greg Nickels of Seattle. In this role, she advised the mayor on major issues in his administration, including public safety, criminal justice and legal policy issues. She has worked on the local, state and federal level in numerous political and policy positions and practiced law in a private Seattle law firm. In addition, Ms. LaBelle was an adjunct professor at Seattle University Institute for Policy Studies where she taught ethics and legislative policymaking. A magna cum laude graduate of Boston College, Ms. LaBelle received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
CDR Jinhee Lee, PharmD
Public Health Advisor, SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
Tuesday, 1 pm, Enhancing Access to Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Through Health Information Technology
Commander Lee is a public health advisor in SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, providing pharmacologic, pharmacokenetic, and clinical expertise on prescription, OTC and illicit drugs of abuse as they relate to opioid treatment programs, opioid prescribers, and prescription drug monitoring programs. She received her bachelor of science from University of California Los Angeles and her Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Illinois at Chicago. CDR Lee completed an ASHP Pharmacy Practice Residency at the Washington Hospital Center, an Executive Fellowship in Patient Safety through the Virginia Commonwealth University, and is a degree candidate for a Master in public health at the University of Maryland. Prior to coming to SAMHSA, CDR Lee was an FDA reviewer for eight years, including assignments in the Division of Surveillance at the Center for Veterinary Medicine and the Division of Medication Error Prevention and Analysis in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
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Michelle Lipinski, MEd
Founder, icanhelp(SM) Program; Principal, Northshore Recovery High School
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Youth and Elderly Addiction Issues
Michelle Muffett-Lipinski is the founder of the icanhelp(SM) Program and the Principal of Northshore Recovery High School in Beverly, Mass. For more than 20 years she has served in various educational roles, such as licensed biology, health and chemistry teacher, along with leadership and service roles including Alternative Education Director and adolescent-related health advisory boards. Throughout her career she has focused on developing rigorous academic programs that address the “whole child,” particularly students most at-risk of academic and social failure. She started the icanhelp program, operated through Potential Connections, LLC, in response to the nuber of students who are unable to connect with a trusted community partner, and consequently never receive the essential services they need to live a productive and healthy life. Northshore Recovery is a high school designed to meet the diverse needs of adolescents struggling with substance use and its co-occurring disorders.
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Dr. Benjamin C. Lok, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering, University of Florida
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Safe Prescribing and Use of Opioids
Dr. Lok is an Associate Professor in the Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering Department at the University of Florida. His research focuses on virtual humans and mixed reality in the areas of computer graphics, virtual environments, and human-computer interaction. Professor Lok received a Ph.D (2002, advisor Dr. Frederick P. Brooks, Jr.) and M.S. (1999) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a B.S. in Computer Science (1997) from the University of Tulsa. He did a post-doc fellowship (2003) under Dr. Larry F. Hodges at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Professor Lok received a NSF Career Award (2007-2012) and the University of Florida ACM CISE teacher of the Year Award in 2005-06.
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Tony Loya
Director, National Methamphetamine and Pharmaceuticals Initiative
National Rx Drug Abuse Summit Advisory Board Member
Tuesday, 1:00 pm, Prosecuting the Prescription Provider (moderator)
Tuesday, 4:00 pm, Building Cases Across State Lines (moderator)
Tony Loya is director of the National Methamphetamine and Pharmaceuticals Initiative (NAPI). This is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) position coordinating national and state strategy of federal, state and local law enforcement entities as well as prosecutorial and intelligence communities who are experiencing a clandestine laboratory/methamphetamine and/or a pharmaceutical drug crime problem. Mr. Loya has 27 years of previous domestic and international experience with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in investigative, regulatory, supervisory and managerial positions. He has significant background in counter-drug operations, interdiction tactics, including precursor chemical control and clandestine drug laboratories in the United States and Latin America.
Jon Marshall
Medical Investigator, Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure; former Detective, Kentucky State Police Drug Enforcement-Special Investigations
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Regulatory and Law Enforcement Roles in Cross-State Border Diversion
Jon Marshall is Medical Investigator for the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure. In this position he is responsible for investigating violations of the Kentucky Medical Practice Act and for supervising physicians under orders from the Board. Previously, Mr. Marshall spent 24 years with the Kentucky State Police, including nine years as a detective with the Drug Enforcement-Special Investigations unit where he was responsible for leading drug diversion investigations in Eastern Kentucky. During this time, Mr. Marshall was involved with drug investigations that resulted in closure of illegal Internet pharmacies and pill mill clinics in Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale and Philadelphia.
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Dr. Gary Martin, EdD
Homicide Detective and Manager, Overdose Death Suppression Project, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office; Associate Dean for Student Life, Lynn University
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, What Parents Can Do
Detective Gary Martin served as a homicide investigator in the Violent Crimes Division of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for the past 18 years. In that capacity, Det. Martin investigates all manner of death. Since 2006, Det. Martin envisioned, designed, implemented and now manages the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Overdose Suppression Project. This innovative and comprehensive venture includes components dedicated to overdose research, public awareness and targeted law enforcement. In addition, Dr. Martin serves as the Associate Dean for Student Life at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. In that position, he oversees mental health treatment, substance abuse prevention, threat assessment, and health care services for 2,500 university students. Dr. Martin also serves as Vice President of the Narcotics Overdose Prevention and Education Task Force. Dr. Martin holds a Doctorate in counseling psychology and is a Florida licensed and nationally certified psychotherapist.
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Karen Matthew, MA
Director of Investigations and Inspections, North Carolina Board of Pharmacy; former investigator, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Regulatory and Law Enforcement Roles in Cross-State Border Diversion
Karen Matthew has been Director of Investigations & Inspections for the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy for the past five years. She oversees a nine-person staff responsible for investigating complaints involving pharmacists, pharmacies, pharmacy technicians, durable medical equipment businesses, registered dispensing physicians and others. Ms. Matthew has 28 years law enforcement experience, including 22 years with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, including the Diversion & Environmental Crimes Unit and Medicaid Fraud Unit. She investigated cases involving diversion of drugs by health care professionals and others, homicides, and violations of environmental statutes. Later she investigated violations of Medicaid/Medicare laws by health care providers and others. Ms. Matthew is President of the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators Carolinas Chapter. She holds a BA in business and MA in liberal studies from UNC-Greensboro, and a BA in journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill.
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Mike Mayer
President & Chief Operating Officer, MedReturn, LLC, and its parent company, Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc.
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Building Community Support for Law Enforcement
Mike Mayer is the President & COO of MedReturn, LLC, and its parent company, Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. MedReturn was started in August 2008 in response to media stories where prescription drugs from home drug cabinets were finding their way to children and the local water supplies. Mike challenged his associates to create a drug collection unit that would catch the public’s attention while at the same time provide a safe, secure, accessible environmentally-friendly way to collect the unwanted drugs. The current unit is being used in more than 30 states. Over the past four years, Mr. Mayer has appeared before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade and a variety of community coalition and drug enforcement groups. His MedReturn team has worked with local, state and federal officials and lawmakers to promote ongoing drug collection efforts and policies to encourage local drug collection efforts.
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Dr. Elinore F. McCance-Katz, MD, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco
Tuesday, 2:15 pm, What Every Prescriber and Pharmacist Needs to Know About Addiction
Tuesday, 4:00 pm, Treatment and Recovery in America
Dr. McCance-Katz is board-certified in general psychiatry and addiction psychiatry. She has been working in the field of addiction medicine for 20 years as a clinician, teacher and clinical researcher. Her specialty areas include clinical pharmacology of abused drugs, drug interactions, cocaine/alcohol/opioid dependence medications development, and co-occurring HIV disease and addiction. Dr. McCance-Katz is the State Medical Director for the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. She is also the Medical Director of the Physicians’ Clinical Support System – Buprenorphine and Prescribers’ Clinical Support System for Opioid Therapies, CSAT/SAMHSA-sponsored national training programs for physicians and clinicians treating patients with clinical need for opioid medications. Dr. McCance-Katz is developing educational curriculum and treatment referral through an SBIRT grant to UCSF.
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Dr. Sarah T. Melton, PharmD, BCACP, BCPP, CGP, FASCP
Clinical Pharmacist, C-Health, PC and Highpower, PC, and Executive Committee Chair, OneCare of Southwest Virginia, Inc.
Thursday, 8:00 am, Mobilizing Regional Solutions to Substance Abuse
Dr. Melton is Clinical Pharmacist at C-Health, PC and Highpower, PC, and is the Clinical Geriatric Pharmacist at All Care for Seniors. She received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia School of Pharmacy. She has been a board certified psychiatric pharmacist since 1997, and a board certified ambulatory care pharmacist since 2011. Dr. Melton is a Fellow of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. She performs medication therapy management in the areas of psychiatric and neurologic pharmacy, addiction, and other primary care disorders and directs the RxAssist program. Dr. Melton has presented research at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists, and NECDEU national meetings. Dr. Melton was awarded the prestigious Health Care Hero Cup of Kindness Award by The Business Journal and King Pharmaceuticals, and was recipient of the Appalachian College of Pharmacy 2007 Professor of the Year Award, Clinical Faculty of the Year Award (2008, 2009 and 2010), and the 2009 Preceptor of the Year Award. Dr. Melton is a member of several pharmacy organizations, and currently serves as Chair of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists Recertification Committee, is Chair of the Board of Directors of OneCare of Southwest Virginia, and serves on the clinical committee of CareSpark. She was appointed by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell to serve a four-year term on the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth.
Hon. Alix C. Michel, JD
Shareholder and attorney, Litigation Section, Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, PC
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Solutions in the Workplace
Alix Michel received his Juris Doctor degree cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law in 1988. He is a member of the Litigation Section of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel. For the past 23 years he has been an active litigator focusing on professional malpractice defense, licensing board defense, general litigation, hospital liability, long-term care defense, general insurance defense and product liability defense. In response to the growing problem of prescription drug diversion, Mr. Michel has presented on legal issues to and for all types of healthcare providers and has made television and radio appearances to help raise public awareness of the problem. His most recent legal presentation was a webinar for the Tennessee Medical Association on “Prescription Drug Diversion and How to Prevent and Minimize the Impact of Health Related Board Investigations.” He has presented to the International Association of Defense Counsel on “Alternative Dispute Agreements in Resolving Complex Long-Term Care Disputes.” Mr. Michel is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association.
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Robert I.L. Morrison
Executive Director, National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Examining What’s Happening Across America
Robert Morrison was appointed Executive Director of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors in December 2009 after serving the Association in a number of roles: Public Policy Associate (1997-99), Director of Public Policy (2001-05), Deputy Executive Director (2006-07) and Interim Executive Director (2008-09). In addition, Mr. Morrison was Associate Director of Government Relations at Smith, Bucklin and Associates from 1999-2001, where he directed government affairs programs for a variety of health care clients, including the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. Mr. Morrison began his career working for U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (N.J.) for almost four years, spending his last two years as a Legislative Aide. He graduated from Drew University in New Jersey with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and completed graduate work in government at The John Hopkins University.
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Jan Mosley
Director of Nursing Education Program, Lee County (Virginia) Career and Technical Center, and School Nurse Coordinator, Lee County (Virginia) Public Schools
Tuesday, 6:00 pm, Stories of Hope Across America
Jan Mosley obtained an Associate of Science degree in business administration from Mountain Empire Community College in 1974 and a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 1977. She has served as a nurse educator for 23 years, and is Director of the Nursing Education Program at Lee County (Virginia) Career and Technical Center as well as School Nurse Coordinator for the Lee County (Virginia) Public Schools. Ms. Mosley is a former member of the Virginia Board of Nursing. She was previously certified as a Professional in Healthcare Quality and former Quality Improvement Director, Risk Manager, JCAHO compliance officer, and survey coordinator at Lee County Community Hospital. Ms. Mosley is active in a number of local civic organizations as well as local government affairs.
Dr. Kathryn Mueller, MD, MPH, FACOEM
Medical Director, Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation
Wednesday, 11:15 am, A Paradigm Shift of Payer Strategy
Dr. Mueller has served as Medical Director for the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation since inception of the position in 1991. She is board certified in occupational medicine and was previously certified in emergency medicine. Dr. Mueller is a professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the School of Public Health at the University of Colorado at Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, the former developer and Director of the Student/Occupational Health Service Clinic, and previously served as the Residency Director for the Occupational and Environmental Residency. In her position with Colorado Workers’ Compensation she has edited and assisted in the development of 10 medical treatment guidelines which, to the extent possible, are evidence based. Her education efforts include directing the Level I and II accreditation courses, which focus on training and certification of doctors in impairment rating. She contributed significantly to the current ACOEM Occupational Practice Guidelines being used in California Workers’ Compensation, and helped develop the original ACOEM course on impairment and served as faculty.
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Hon. John Niedermann, JD, Deputy District Attorney, Bureau of Specialized Prosecutions, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
Tuesday, 1:00 pm, Prosecuting the Prescription Provider
John Niedermann has been a practicing attorney in Los Angeles for more than 17 years, and a prosecutor with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for 16 years. He has prosecuted a variety of cases, including murders, gang-related and third-strike cases. He has been with the Major Narcotics Division for three years, the only unit in Los Angeles County responsible for conducting state wiretap investigations. Mr. Niedermann’s focus in Major Narcotics has been the prosecution of over-prescribing physicians, doctor shopping, capping and prescription diversion. In April 2010, he successfully prosecuted Carlos Estiandan, a doctor prescribing in the Los Angeles area, for prescribing to an addict and prescribing without a legitimate medical purpose. Dr. Estiandan was the single most prolific prescriber in the United States, ahead of the entire staff of Johns Hopkins University Hospital. Mr. Niedermann was also part of the prosecution team of People v. Kristine Eroshevich, Howard K. Stern and Sandeep Kapoor, who were charged with providing excessive medication to Anna Nicole Smith before her death. A jury convicted Dr. Eroshevich and Howard Stern with felony conspiracy.
Joseph Paduda
President, CompPharma, LLC
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Compliance With Narcotics Guidelines
Joe Paduda is a nationally recognized expert on medical management issues in workers’ compensation, particularly pharmacy, and has conducted an annual survey of Prescription Drug Management in Workers’ Compensation for the past eight years. In addition to his Health Strategy Associates consulting practice, he is the President of CompPharma, a consortium of workers’ compensation pharmacy benefit management firms. Mr. Paduda also writes the provocative blog, managedcarematters.com, which covers the work comp industry and has raised awareness of inappropriate opioid use in the industry.
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Steve Pasierb, MEd
President & CEO, Partnership at Drugfree.org
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Examining What’s Happening Across America
Wednesday, 6:00 pm, A Conversation About the Realities of Rx Drug Abuse (moderator)
Steve Pasierb is the President and CEO of the Partnership at Drugfree.org. He joined the Partnership in 1993, was named to the Board of Directors in 2000, and became President in October 2001. In the eight years prior to becoming president, Mr. Pasierb directed the Partnership’s State/City Alliance Program, which forms public-private partnerships to operate comprehensive drug abuse prevention programs in states and cities across the nation. Previously, Mr. Pasierb served as manager of marketing and media communications for then-Maryland Gov. William Donald Schaefer’s Drug & Alcohol Abuse Commission. Prior to the Commission, he worked in the communications industry in both Baltimore and Pittsburgh. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Treatment Research Institute affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi, Mr. Pasierb holds a Masters of Education degree with honors in communications media and a Bachelor of Science in criminology.
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Karen H. Perry
Executive Director and Co-Founder, Narcotics Overdose Prevention & Education (NOPE)
National Rx Drug Abuse Summit Advisory Board Member
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Drug-Exposed Infants: Trends and Challenges
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, What Parents Can Do
After the loss of her oldest son, Richard, to a drug overdose, Karen Perry co-founded NOPE Task Force (Narcotics Overdose Prevention and Education) in Florida. Since its inception in 2004, she has served in a voluntary capacity as executive director, board secretary, and director of development. Mrs. Perry’s major initiatives include the development and implementation of middle and high school presentations, university and parent presentations, as well as training and certification seminars. Other initiatives created and led by Mrs. Perry include NOPE’s Annual National Candle Light Vigil, the NOPE Treatment Fund, and the NOPE Support Group. She has also been a leading advocate for numerous substance abuse-related legislative initiatives on the state and federal levels. In addition, Mrs. Perry serves as chairperson of the Palm Beach County Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force, secretary of the Palm Beach County Substance Awareness Coalition, and member of the Department of Juvenile Justice Circuit 15 Board of Directors, the Florida Office of Drug Control Drug Related Death Workgroup, and the Palm Beach County Safe and Drug Free School Advisory Council.
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Peggy K. Quigg
P2Q Consulting, National Guard Bureau Counterdrug Program
Tuesday, 4 pm, Two Models on New Approaches for Community-Based Anti-Drug Coalition: State of Oregon and the US Military
Peggy Quigg is a recognized leader in the substance abuse prevention field and has provided prevention and recovery support training and technical assistance at all levels. Currently, Ms. QUigg is a consultant for the National Guard Bureau’s Counterdrug Office in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, she works with senior leadership on policy and planning issues and provides project management activities for the Prevention, Treatment and Outreach (PTO) program. Previous experience includes federal service as the Acting Deputy Director and Division Director for the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, executive leadership as the director of a statewide coalition association in Missouri, and prevention training with the Missouri National Guard Drug Demand Reduction Program. Ms. Quigg is a National Guard retiree and Gulf War veteran.
Rep. Nick J. Rahall II
U.S. Representative, D-West Virginia, 3rd District
Tuesday, 6:00 pm, Stories of Hope Across America (moderator)
Thursday, 8:00 am, Mobilizing Regional Solutions to Substance Abuse (moderator)
Thursday, 9:30 am, Forum of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse
U.S. Representative Nick Rahall currently serves as the Ranking Member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and former Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, on which he was a member for 34 years. He is currently serving his 18th term in the House of Representatives, and is recognized as the youngest elected, longest serving member in the history of the House. He has received national recognition for his strong dedication to protecting and preserving our nation’s environment, while continuing to provide employment and tourism opportunities. A 33rd degree Mason, Congressman Rahall is a life member of the National Rifle Association, Elks, Moose, and the NAACP, and was made an honorary member of the United Mine Workers of America. Before his election to Congress, he made a career as a businessman and served as staff assistant for U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd.
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C. Martin Redd
Diversion Group Supervisor, Louisville District Office, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Strategies for Successful Pharmaceutical Drug Diversion Investigations
Martin Redd started a law enforcement career in 1993 with the Ridge Spring Police Department and Aiken County Sheriff’s Office located in South Carolina. In February 2005, he became employed with the Drug Enforcement Administration where he spent five and a half years in Kansas as a Diversion Investigator and then promoted to a Group Supervisor’s position. He transferred to Louisville, Kentucky, in September 2010.
Richard R. Rosky
Assistant Director of Training Programs, National Methamphetamine and Pharmaceutical Drugs Initiative
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Regulatory and Law Enforcement Roles in Cross-State Border Diversion (moderator)
Rich Rosky is the Assistant Director of Training Programs for the National Methamphetamine and Pharmaceutical Drugs Initiative funded through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program and the President’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. A staff member for eight years, Mr. Rosky works closely with federal, state and local officials to develop, implement and promote programs and strategies directed at reducing the use, trafficking and production of meth and the diversion of pharmaceutical drugs. He retired from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office as the Special Investigations Division Commander and Project Coordinator for the HIDTA Meth Lab Task Force and West Valley Narcotics Task Force. He is an Arizona POST certified police training instructor. Mr. Rosky previously served five years as an adjunct faculty member for the Glendale Community College Reserve Police Officer Academy. He is a member of the Arizona and New Mexico Narcotics Officers Associations, the Arizona Governor’s Methamphetamine Task Force, the Arizona Substance Abuse Partnership, the Arizona Alliance for Drug Endangered Children, Federal Drug Endangered Children Task Force Tribal Sub-Committee, and the HIDTA Native American Project Sub-Committee.
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Dr. Kay Roussos-Ross, MEd, MPAS
Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Florida College of Medicine
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Drug-Exposed Infants: Trends and Challenges
Dr. Roussos-Ross joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Florida, College of Medicine, in January 2012, and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Psychiatry. She is Board Certified in psychiatry and is Board-eligible in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Additionally, Dr. Roussos-Ross is certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine. Her areas of focus include high-risk obstetric patients with co-morbid psychiatric and substance use disorders. Dr. Roussos-Ross completed both her undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Florida, graduating with Research Honors from the College of Medicine, and received her Doctor of Medicine degree in 2002. Prior to receiving her MD degree, she received a Bachelor of Arts in sociology, graduating with Highest Honors, and continued with her UF studies in the Physician Assistant Program, receiving a Bachelor of Science in medicine and a Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies. Dr. Roussos-Ross first completed a residency in psychiatry and joined the UF Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor and Medical Director of the Adult Inpatient Psychiatry Unit with a primary area of focus in perinatal psychiatry. She continued with a second residency in obstetrics and gynecology and is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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Peggy B. Sapp, BS
President, National Family Partnership; President & CEO, Informed Families/The Florida Family Partnership
National Rx Drug Abuse Summit Advisory Board Member
Tuesday, 1:00 pm, Prescription Drug Abuse and Managed Care Organizations: Can Policies Affect Change? (moderator)
Tuesday, 2:15 pm, Successful Coalitions Across America
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Youth and Elderly Addiction Issues (moderator)
Peggy Sapp is president and CEO for Informed Families/The Florida Family Partnership, a company she helped found 25 years ago, and is volunteer president of the National Family Partnership, a national network of parenting organizations. Through these organizations, Ms. Sapp’s leadership has created two nationally renowned drug abuse prevention campaigns – Red Ribbon and Lock Your Meds. A recognized leader in youth substance abuse prevention through grassroots involvement, she served on the Advisory Councils of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the Florida Governor’s Drug Control Policy Council. Mrs. Sapp was honored as one of the historic leaders in the field of parenting and prevention with the 1999 National Parents’ Day Award from the ONDCP and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, received the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2004 National Visionary Leader Award, and was the Miami-Dade Medical Association’s 2007 Citizen of the Year.
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Dan Smoot
Deputy Director, Operation UNITE
Tuesday, 2:15 pm, Strategies to Prevent “Pill Mill” Diversion (moderator)
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Building Community Support for Law Enforcement
Dan Smoot is a 1982 graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice. That same year, Dan entered the Kentucky State Police Academy. After graduating the academy, he was placed at Post 13 (Hazard) where he served for 22 years, working narcotics for 14 of those years. While with the KSP, Smoot received two Meritorious Service Awards, two Commissioner Commendations, and was selected as the 2002 State Trooper of the Year for Kentucky. In November 2003, Mr. Smoot was named the Director of Law Enforcement for Operation UNITE (Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment and Education). He presently serves as the Second Vice President of the Kentucky Narcotics Officers Association and Third Vice President of the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police. In September 2011 he was named Deputy Director for Operation UNITE, where he oversees the day-to-day operations.
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Dr. Brian K. Solow, MD, FAAFP
Chief Medical Officer, OptumRx
Wednesday, 11:15 am, A Paradigm Shift of Payer Strategy
Dr. Solow is Chief Medical Officer at OptumRx, a segment of UnitedHealth Group, which provides innovative pharmacy benefit management (PBM) services and products to employer groups, union trusts, commercial, Medicare and other governmental health plans. Dr. Solow’s primary responsibility is the coordination of clinical activities related to the development, enhancement and implementation of clinical programs that support formulary management for OptumRx clients. Dr. Solow has also served as a member of national pharmacy and therapeutics committees for leading managed care organizations and pharmacy benefit management firms. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the National P&T Society, and the National Council on Patient Information and Education. Additionally, he is a member of the American College of Physician Executives, the FDA Advisory Panel, and the US Pharmacopeial Medicare Model Guidelines Expert Panel. Dr. Solow holds an active appointment as Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Pharmacy, and an appointment at the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy.
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Dr. Henry Spiller
Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology, and Director, Kentucky Regional Poison Control Center
Tuesday, 4:00 pm, What Every Clinician Needs to Know About Overdoses
Dr. Spiller has been Director of the Kentucky Regional Poison Control Center of Kosair Children’s Hospital for 16 years. He is board certified in toxicology by the American Board of Applied Toxicology and an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology. He remains active both clinically and in research, with more than 280 publications relating to toxicology and more than 25 years in the field of toxicology.
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Robert Sproul, PharmD
Director, OVAMC Pain Management Program; Director, Pharmacy Pain Management & Palliative Care Project; Co-Chair, VA National Pain Management Pharmacy Work Group
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Responsible Prescribing Practices
Dr. Sproul received his Doctorate of Pharmacy from the University of Florida. He completed a residency at Moffitt Cancer Research Center and subsequently received certification as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Pain Management and Palliative Care. He began employment at the Orlando Veterans Medical Center (OVAMC) as a pain specialist in 2007 and was appointed Program Director for the facility’s pain management program two years later. He serves as a consultant for the facility’s specialty pain clinics and palliative/Hospice care services, and provides curb-side pain consults as a support system for primary care, nursing and pharmacy. At the national level, Dr. Sproul serves as a member of the Veteran’s Health Administration’s National Pain Management Strategic Coordinating Committee and Co-Chairs both the National Pain Management Pharmacy Work Group and the National Clinical Pharmacy Training Work Group PM.
Hon. Jackie L. Steele, Jr., JD
Commonwealth Attorney, Kentucky 27th Judicial Circuit, and Board Member, Operation UNITE
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Strategies for Successful Pharmaceutical Drug Diversion Investigations (moderator)
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Building Community Support for Law Enforcement (moderator)
Thursday, 8:00 am, Mobilizing Regional Solutions to Substance Abuse
Jackie Steele is a graduate of the University of the Cumberlands (formerly Cumberland College) and earned his Juris Doctor degree from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University. He practiced civil law prior to accepting a full-time position as Assistant Commonwealth Attorney in 2003. In June 2008, Steele was appointed by Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear as Commonwealth Attorney for the 27th Judicial Circuit. During the past nine years he has handled hundreds of felony cases ranging from theft, embezzlement, rape, drug trafficking and murders. Steele was named “Outstanding Commowealth’s Attorney” in 2011 by Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, and was recognized by Drug Court staff for his exceptional support to the Drug Court program. Mr. Steele is a Board Member for Operation UNITE, a parent representative on the Site-Based Decision Making Council for Sublimity Elementary School, a member of the Laurel County and Kentucky Bar Associations, the 27th Judicial Circuit Drug Court Team, Laurel County and Knox County Child Abuse Response Teams, and Laurel County Republican Executive Committee.
Hon. Vernon Stejskal
Assistant Utah Attorney General
Tuesday, 4 pm, Building Cases Across State Lines
Vernon Stejskal is an Assistant Utah Attorney General assigned to the DEA Metro Narcotics Task Force. He has been designated as the lead prosecutor and trainer for the Utah Pharmaceutical Drug Crimes Project, which was formed to specifically address the growing problem of pharmaceutical diversion and overdose deaths. Mr. Stejskal prosecutes pharmaceutical drug crime cases in state and federal courts, and also assists investigators in building solid pharmaceutical drug crime cases. He has provided training to prosecutors, investigators, the medical community and members of the public on a variety of issues that relate to pharmaceutical drug diversion. Prior to the Pharmaceutical Project, Mr. Stejskal focused on methamphetamine labs and precursor chemicals. He is a 1991 graduate of Drake University, and a 1994 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law.
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Hon. Kate Tipping
Policy Analyst, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
Tuesday, 1 pm, Enhancing Access to Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Through Health Information Technology
Kate Tipping is a policy analyst for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). She works in the Office of Policy and Planning and is primarily focused on behavioral health. Ms. Tipping previously served as a project officer for the State Health Information Exchange Program at ONC. Prior to joining ONC, she was a project officer for health information technology and telehealth grants in the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Office of Health Information Technology. Before becoming a project officer, she worked as a legislative analyst at HRSA. She received her law degree from Widener University in 2005 and a bachelor’s degree in health information management from the University of Pittsburgh in 2002.
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Mike Townsend, MSW
Executive Director, Recovery Kentucky Program, Kentucky Housing Corporation
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Creative Solutions in Lean Budget Times
Mike Townsend, the Assistant Director for Special Initiatives with the Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC), has worked for the corporation for the past six years. He serves as Program Director for Recovery Kentucky – a statewide initiative to build and operate, through non-profit agencies, 14 100-bed addiction recovery centers for persons needing long-term substance abuse recovery and housing support. In addition, he serves as Program Director for Money Follows the Person, a KHC partnership with the Department for Medicaid Services, providing housing to persons in nursing homes and intermediate care facilities seeking to return to their communities and live with assisted housing and supportive medical services. Previously, Mr. Townsend served for 25 years as Director of the Division of Substance Abuse within the Department for Mental Health and Mental Retardation Services. He is a graduate of Centre College where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology and biology. Mr. Townsend also received a Master’s of Science in social work from the University of Louisville’s Kent School of Social Work.
Debbie L. Trusty, BSW
Education Director, Operation UNITE
Tuesday, 1:00 pm, PEERx Initiative to Educate Teens on the Dangers of Prescription Drug Abuse (moderator)
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, What Parents Can Do (moderator)
Debbie Trusty has served as Education Director for Operation UNITE since April 2007. Previously, Ms. Trusty was employed by Pulaski (Virginia) Mental Health before returning to Kentucky as Juvenile Support Staff Worker for Floyd County. During this time she served as an unpaid Supervisor for the Big Sandy Juvenile Detention Center until it’s closing. She later served as a Floyd County Juvenile Support Staff Worker and was the first Court Designated Worker hired by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. In addition, Ms. Trusty served as Family Service Worker, Clinician and Deputy Director of the Floyd County office of the Cabinet for Human Resources, worked as Director for Social Services for Hospice of Pike County, and was Coalition Coordinator for UNITE Pike (County). Ms. Trusty is currently a member of the Pike/Floyd KY ASAP Board, Pike County Schools Substance Abuse Task Force, Floyd County UNITE Coalition, Kentucky Prevention Network Council Member, Advisory Council for Pikeville College School of Social Work, and the National Association of Social Workers. She received her Bachelor of Social Work from Radford College in Virginia.
Peter VanPelt, RPh
Associate Director, Corporate Alliances, American Pharmacists Association (APA)
National Rx Drug Abuse Summit Advisory Board Member
Tuesday, 2:15 p.m., What Every Prescriber and Pharmacist Needs to Know About Addiction
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Opioid Dependence: Health Plan Problems and Strategies (moderator)
Peter VanPelt is an associate director of corporate alliances for the American Pharmacists Association in Washington, D.C. He is responsible for the creation and maintenance of relationships with pharmaceutical industry accounts, development of new strategic alliances for the association with other health care provider groups – such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants and physicians – and oversight of various professional education programs to help association members “improve medication use and advance patient care.” Mr. VanPelt represents APhA on several national, broad-based coalitions including the Pain Care Forum, the CDC PROTECT Initiative, the Acetaminophen Awareness Coalition, and others. For the past five years he has worked extensively on pain care issues such as patient access, abuse and diversion, REMS, and pain education while at APhA. He is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science and is certificate-trained in pharmacist-based immunization. Mr. VanPelt also has an extensive background in pharmacy recruitment and operations in the retail sector with Albertsons, Inc.
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Dr. Richard A. Victor, JD, PhD
Executive Director, Workers Compensation Research Institute
Wednesday, 1:30 pm, Compliance With Narcotics Guidelines
Dr. Victor has been the Executive Director of the Workers Compensation Research Institute since its inception in 1983. The Institute, located in Cambridge, Mass., is an independent, not-for-profit research organization providing high-quality objective information about public policy issues involving workers’ compensation systems. Dr. Victor is the author of numerous books and articles on workers’ compensation issues. Prior to working at the Institute, Dr. Victor spent seven years conducting research at the Rand Corporation in both Washington, D.C., and Santa Monica, Calif. At Rand, he was a principal researcher at the Institute for Civil Justice. Dr. Victor received his J.D. and Ph.D. (economics) degrees at the University of Michigan, where he was the George Humphrey Fellow in Law and Economic Policy.
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Phillip Walls, RPh
Chief Clinical Compliance Officer, myMatrixx
Tuesday, 2:15 pm, Managing Risk – Identifying Issues in the Workplace
Phil Walls is a recognized health care executive in the clinical pharmacy, health care informatics and workers compensation arenas. In addition, Mr. Walls is a published author and clinical pharmacist with more than 25 years experience. By working closely with health care providers and patients, Mr. Walls develops innovative cost containment strategies that help clients manage their drug spend. He focuses on pain management since it is an area where patients may experience difficulties in being managed effectively. It is also an area where there are ample opportunities for effective changes to be implemented that will provide the best outcomes for patients and clients. Mr. Walls won the Dorland People in Health award for the pharmacist category, and he was a finalist and winner in the Healthcare Heroes award presented by the Tamp Bap Business Journal. He received his pharmacy degree from Mercer University in 1978.
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Hon. David J. Ward, JD
Shareholder and attorney in the Litigation Section, Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, PC
Wednesday, 3:15 pm, Solutions in the Workplace
David Ward received his J.D. degree from the Memphis State University in 1988. For 23 years he has focused his practice on the defense of health care professionals in all types of matters, including medical malpractice defense, professional licensing board investigations, arbitration and general litigation. Mr. Ward also represents hospitals, long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, home health care organizations, and Hospice organizations. The scope of his experience includes the defense of general insurance and product liability claims. As a shareholder at Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, Mr. Ward has presented extensively on the growing problem of prescription drug diversion, long-term care, workers’ compensation and medical malpractice issues. He has argued multiple cases before the Tennessee Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals. Mr. Ward is a member of the Defense Research Institute and Tennessee Medical Group Managers Association, past President of the Scenic City Civitan Club, and is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.
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Dr. Tamara D. Warner, PhD
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida
Wednesday, 11:15 am, Drug-Exposed Infants: Trends and Challenges
Dr. Warner is a licensed clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist who currently holds a position as Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Florida. A native of West Virginia, Dr. Warner attained a Bachelor’s Degree from Harvard University, Master’s Degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Florida, and a Doctorate in clinical and health psychology from the University of Florida. She has been conducting research on the developmental effects of prenatal exposure to drugs, primarily cocaine, for more than 10 years. Her research has been published in a number of well-respected academic journals, including Pediatrics, the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, and Neurotoxicology and Teratology. She is currently serving as the Principal Investigator on a grant funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse to assess the effects of prenatal and postnatal cocaine exposure on adolescent brain development, behavior and cognition.
Gregory C. Warren, MA, MBA
President & CEO, Baltimore Substance Abuse Systems, Inc.
Tuesday, 2:15 pm, Treatment and Recovery in America
Greg Warren is President & CEO of Baltimore Substance Abuse Systems, Inc. (BSAS), which directs the prevention, treatment and strategic planning for drug and alcohol treatment in Baltimore City, overseeing more than 50 treatment programs. BSAS recently received a model practices award from the National Association of County and City Health Officers and two other national organizations for its buprenorphine initiative. Prior to BSAS, Mr. Warren was Director of Substance Abuse Treatment Services for the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for the state of Maryland, where he was charged with expanding substance abuse treatment “behind the walls” and improving coordination and treatment of offenders as they return to their communities. He has worked as a substance abuse counselor and program director in the full range of treatment modalities for 20 years. Mr. Warren holds an MBA from Loyola College, Executive Program selling School of Business, a MA in counseling psychology from Bowie State University, and a BA in psychology from the University of Maryland at College Park.
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Dr. Lynn R. Webster, MD, FACPM, FASAM
Co-Founder and Medical Director, Lifetree Clinical Research, LC
National Rx Drug Abuse Summit Advisory Board Member
Tuesday, 1:00 pm, Project Lazarus: Community-Based Overdose Prevention (moderator)
Tuesday, 2:15 pm, Chronic Pain and Addiction
Dr. Webster is a co-founder and medical director of Lifetree Clinical Research L.C. in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is considered a world expert on how to assess the abuse of potential medications, and lectures extensively on the subject of preventing opioid abuse and criminal diversion in patients with chronic pain. Dr. Webster earned his doctorate of medicine from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and completed his residency in the University of Utah Medical Center’s Department of Anesthesiology. He co-founded LifeSource, a non-profit foundation established in 2006 to educate physicians, patients and communities on health matters (with an emphasis on pain-related, scientific and social issues), as well as to fund and conduct research to forward solutions to improve quality of life. Dr. Webster is President-elect of the American Academy of Pain Medicine board of directors. He is board certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine and is also certified in addiction medicine.
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Hon. Roger W. West, JD
Assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Kentucky
Tuesday, 2:15 pm, Strategies to Prevent “Pill Mill” Diversion
Roger West has worked as a federal prosecutor at the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) in the Eastern District of Kentucky for nearly 14 years. For more than a decade, West has played a significant role in Kentucky’s fight against the massive prescription pill epidemic. As a result of his successful prosecutions, some of the largest pill suppliers in Kentucky and surrounding states have received significant prison sentences. During his tenure with the USAO, West has successfully prosecuted pill cases involving street-level dealers, pharmacists, pain clinic employees (including a CEO), and doctors in Kentucky, Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio for their roles in unlawfully dispensing pills to Kentuckians. In addition, West will represent the USAO in a case against a Louisiana pain clinic and its president for allegedly being part of a large conspiracy to illegally distribute pills to Kentuckians. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky and worked nine years as a state prosecutor in the Fayette County Commonwealth Attorney’s office, specializing in narcotics cases and homicides.
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Leonard Young
Epidemiologist, Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Prescription Monitoring Program
Thursday, 8:00 am, Prescription Monitoring Programs
Leonard Young holds a Masters of Science in epidemiology and a Masters of Arts in public policy, and has more than 18 years of experience working in the public health field. His broad areas of expertise include conducting research studies, assessment of health quality indicators, descriptive epidemiological evaluations, epidemiological surveillance, preparing technical reports, designing and evaluating survey instruments, program evaluation, and conducting literature reviews on a large variety of public health topics. Mr. Young currently works as an epidemiologist for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Prescription Monitoring Program. Since September 2009, he has assisted the MA PMP in building epidemiological capacity and enhancing surveillance of highly addictive controlled drugs.
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