Title: Candidates for Section Office
Author:
Section/SPIG: Community Health Planning and Policy Development
Issue Date:
Governing Councilor (Vote for 3)
CANDIDATE – Linda Slote Quick, BA, MSM
President, South Florida Hospital & Healthcare Association
E-mail: lquick@bellsouth.net
Bio: For thirty years, Linda Quick’s work has required familiarity with all aspects of South Florida’s health and human services systems. From neonatal intensive care to developments in hospice care, from hospital based psychiatric service to alternatives to hospitalization, the community-based health planning effort has required study and analysis of the full range and scope of health facilitates, sites, finances, and personnel. More importantly, her work on and with boards, committees and task forces has required interaction with the community’s and the country’s providers and consumers of health and social services. Quick maintains comfortable professional relationships with legislators, business leaders, physicians, nurses, social workers, journalists, educators, seniors, parents, and teenagers. Quick demonstrates strong skills in community organization arena as reflected by her status as a respected participant in many Florida, national and international human service forums. In her current position, President of the South Florida Hospital & Healthcare Association (SFHHA), she oversees activities working with over 50 institutional and 75 affiliate members in Broward, Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties, providing legislative representation at the local, state and national levels; educational programs for management and staff. Through leadership of The Healthcare Consortium she developed and directed several shared services and group purchasing initiatives for hospitals and physicians. As President of the SFHREF Quick raises funds to support an annual seminar on contemporary health care issues.
CANDIDATE – Peter D. Rizik:
Adjunct Associate Professor
Georgetown School of Medicine
E-mail: Rizikpeter@aol.com
Peter D. Rizik was appointed as an APHA Governing Councilor for the Community Health Planning and Policy Development Section. This is a position that opened up due to the resignation of Tony Schlaff. Rizik is currently an adjunct associate professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. He just completed a Legislative Fellowship with the U.S. Congress House Ways and Means Committee where he supported Medicare reform efforts. Rizik was President of the American Society for Microbiology's private corporation, a vice president at Science Applications International, and an analyst at IBM. After successfully completing a payback agreement as part of a DHHS NIMH service award, Rizik started his career as a health actuarial analyst and as a public health consultant to a Virginia County Public Health Department. Dr. Rizik received a doctorate from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. Dr. Rizik has successfully completed executive education coursework at the Wharton School and the Harvard Business School. He received an AB from Carleton College. He has been an APHA member since 1983.
CANDIDATE – Mara H. Yerow, MPH, BS
Director, Massachusetts Medical Security Program
Massachusetts Division of Employment & Training
E-mail: myerow@detma.org
Mara H. Yerow is the Director of the Massachusetts Medical Security Program (MSP) for the Division of Employment and Training (MDET). She has been with the MDET for approximately four months and is the first full-time director of the MSP. Yerow has more than 20 years of experience in health administration, planning, marketing, government relations and policy development. Her previous positions have included Director of Planning and Policy Development for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health; Hospital Vice President; and Executive Director of the Central Massachusetts Health Systems Agency (regional health planning agency). She has been active on health policy issues on both the state and federal levels. She serves on the Board of Directors of the American Health Planning Association and is a Governing Councilor of the American Public Health Association. She also serves on a number of regional, statewide and civic organizations. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health with a Master’s in Health Administration. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is a Certified Healthcare Executive of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Section Counselor (Vote for 2)
CANDIDATE – Ning Lu, Ph.D., MPH
Assistant Professor
Department of Public Health, College of Health and Human Services, Western Kentucky University
E-mail: ning.lu@wku.edu
Ning Lu graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with an MPH in Community Health and from the University of South Carolina with a PhD in Health Care Administration. Currently she is working as an assistant professor at Western Kentucky University. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in public health and health care administration, conducts research and provides public services to the Central Kentucky region. Her research interests include social determinants of health, health behaviors, and health care for the underserved, children, women, and minority populations. She has been involved in many research projects and published several peer-reviewed journal articles relevant to community health planning and policy development. Lu has been a member of the Kentucky Public Health Association and APHA. Lu’s educational background and working experience have given her a great opportunity and equipped her to bridge the fields of public health and health care services.
CANDIDATE – Islara B. Souto, MPH
Manager, Cancer Information Service
University of Miami School of Medicine
E-mail: isouto@med.miami.edu; ibsouto@bellsouth.net
Islara B. Souto brings over 20 years of experience in public health. She has become nationally recognized for her work in community needs assessments and health planning, developing a model of collaboration that ensures participation and results. She serves on the Board of the American Health Planning Association, and has worked to develop an ePlanner Initiative for the use of marketers, planners, educators and administrators. As the Manager of a National Cancer Institute (NCI) program in cancer control, Souto helped to develop comprehensive cancer control programs in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Her background in cancer epidemiology has allowed her to provide over 1,500 national and local partners with analytical expertise and technical assistance. Souto is an expert in translating data into information that is useful in the design of evidence-based programs that meet the needs of patients, providers and the community. She has assisted community-based organizations, cancer centers and governmental agencies to position themselves competitively in cancer control services throughout the United States and the Caribbean. Souto has a Master’s Degree in Public Health, with an emphasis on health planning and administration, from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her Bachelor’s degree is in Secondary Science Education. She studied medicine for four years, one in Mexico and three in Puerto Rico on a National Health Corp Scholarship; Souto left medical school when the NHCS program was severely cut in the early 1980’s. She has pursued a doctoral degree from Florida State University in medical geography.
CANDIDATE – Simbonika Spencer, BA, MPH
Volunteer Resources Director, Mid-Atlantic Division of the American Cancer Society (VA, MD, West VA, DE, and District of Columbia)
E-Mail: simbonika.spencer@cancer.org
Simbonika Spencer is a Public Health Professional currently employed by the American Cancer Society as the Volunteer Resources Director of the Society’s Mid-Atlantic Division. This includes managing volunteer recruitment, retention, and development and leading the Division’s Diversity Initiative. She has been involved in public health education and program development for over eight years. Prior to entering public health practice, she attained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia in Women’s Studies and Anthropology. After completing her undergraduate work, she attained a Master of Public Health degree from Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University. Professionally, she has worked in health law, managed care and general health education. Spencer continues to be actively involved in numerous local, state, and national health initiatives. She also writes periodically for several publications and speaks on various health topics throughout the state of Virginia.