AHRQ USPSTF Team Photo Name Title Biography Quyen Ngo- Metzger, Scientific Director Dr. Ngo-Metzger is the Scientific Director of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Program at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). She is a general internal medicine physician. Prior to her work at the Task Force, she was Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine, and Senior Research Fellow in the Health Policy Research Institute. At the University of California, she received the Dean s Award for Outstanding Clinician Investigator. Quyen s work in behavioral health and primary care has been published in the Oxford Textbook of Community Mental Health and the Handbook of Asian American Health. Dr. Ngo-Metzger received the American Cancer Society Cancer Control Career Development Award for Primary Care Physicians, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Generalist Physician Faculty Scholar Award. She has published over 75 peerreviewed publications in medical journals such as the Journal of American Medical Association and the Annals of Internal Medicine. Quyen received her Medical degree and internal medicine training at the University of Chicago. She completed fellowship training in health services research and health policy at Harvard Medical School, and completed a Master of Public Health degree at Harvard. Tracy Wolff, Associate Scientific Director Dr. Wolff is the Associate Scientific Director of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Program at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Dr. Wolff provides technical assistance to the USPSTF in the formulation of recommendations on preventive services provided in primary care settings. The technical assistance she provides includes the oversight of the work with the USPSTF in translating evidence into guidelines and serving as a peer reviewer for the USPSTF evidence reviews and products. She is the lead author on several evidence reviews for the USPSTF. Over the last 11 years, she has collaborated with the USPSTF in the advancement of methods of developing evidence-based recommendations. This work has focused on making recommendation for older adults, challenges in using evidence on intermediate outcomes, and challenges in making recommendations for diverse populations. Dr. Wolff has received several awards for her work at AHRQ, including the Secretary's Award for Meritorious Service. Dr. Wolff completed a family medicine residency at the University of Maryland and a preventive medicine residency at Johns Hopkins University. She received a Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University with emphases on Health Policy and Planning and Maternal and Child Health. Updated 3/1/18 1
Joya Chowdhury, Lydia Hill, B.S. Amanda Borsky, Dr.P.H., M.P.P. Senior Program Coordinator Program Coordinator Dissemination and Implementation Advisor Ms. Chowdhury is the Senior Coordinator for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Program (USPSTF) at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). She is the primary contracting officer technical representative for the program and provides overall support to the USPSTF program. Her interest is in working with vulnerable populations in primary care settings to improve access to care and decrease health disparities through prevention and use of evidence-based strategies. Her past experience includes working at HRSA s Bureau of Primary Health Care and consulting firms in health services research, policy and development. Joya received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Health Administration and Policy from the University of Maryland at Baltimore County. She received a Master of Public Health in Community Oriented Primary Care and is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Public Health degree program in Health Policy at the George Washington University. Ms. Hill is the Program Coordinator of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Program at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). She served honorably in the U.S. Army for a total of 12 years. She spent five of those years in the reserves and 7 on active duty. While in the reserves she worked as a legal specialist and court reporter. The highlight of her active duty service was the time she spent working as an Ear Nose and Throat Technician for the Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Service at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. During her time at Walter Reed she also received certifications in and worked as an EMT and a Hearing Conservationist. However, it was during her previous employment as a Project Officer for a cardiovascular disease prevention program with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation that she developed an understanding of the importance of disease prevention and consequently an interest in the same. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Maryland University College. Dr. Borsky is an advisor on dissemination and implementation-related issues for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) Programs at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). She supports the dissemination efforts of the USPSTF by translating and disseminating the scientific evidence and recommendations to clinicians, patients/consumers, and other stakeholders. She also leads efforts to engage stakeholders during the development of EPC systematic reviews and works to improve the effectiveness of the program s stakeholder engagement activities. Prior to joining AHRQ, she spent the past 10 years conducting health services research on a variety of preventive health issues, such as intimate partner violence prevention, increasing colorectal Updated 3/1/18 2
Iris Mabry- Hernandez, Theodore Ganiats, M.D. Tina Fan, Director cancer screening, mental and behavioral health promotion, and increasing access to health insurance. Amanda received her Doctor of Public Health, Health Behavior, and Masters of Public Policy in Health Policy, from the George Washington University. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Dr. Mabry-Hernandez is a of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Program at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). She joined AHRQ in 2004. Professional areas of interest include child health, prevention, and evidence-based medicine. She received a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana and her medical degree from the University of Tennessee at Memphis Health Science Center. Dr. Mabry-Hernandez completed her pediatric residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a board certified pediatrician who completed a General Pediatrics fellowship at Johns Hopkins and a pediatric health services research fellowship at the University of Michigan. She received a Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins. Dr. Ganiats is the Director of the National Center for Excellence in Primary Care Research at the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ). He received his medical degree from the University of California San Diego where was also a family medicine resident. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research, and he is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California San Diego. Dr. Fan is a of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Program at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). She joined AHRQ in August 2013. She is a board certified physician in Preventive Medicine. After gaining clinical experience as an intern in Obstetrics in Gynecology, Tina participated in ovarian cancer research as a clinical research consultant for a start-up biotechnology company, and as an Empire Clinical Research Investigator Program Fellow. She then completed a residency in Preventive Medicine at SUNY Stony Brook University School of Medicine and received her Master of Public Health from Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. As a Preventive Medicine resident, Tina was a grantee of the American Cancer Society Physician Training Award in Preventive Medicine. She joined AHRQ after working at Suffolk County Department of Health services, first as Director of Communicable Diseases, and then as Director of Performance Improvement for their county-operated health centers. She received her Updated 3/1/18 3
David Niebuhr, M.Sc. Justin Mills, Howard Tracer, M.D. Bachelor s degree in Human Biology from Stanford University and her Medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine (now Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai). Dr. Niebuhr is a in the Center for Evidencebased Practice, Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality. He is responsible to further the dissemination of patient centered outcome research evidence on what works in health and health care delivery, and to catalyze practice improvement across health care settings. He received a medical degree from the George Washington University, a MPH in international health from the Johns Hopkins University and a Master of Science in epidemiology from the University of Washington. He is a fellow in the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Preventive Medicine and an adjunct professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics in the School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Dr. Mills is a of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Program at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Before joining AHRQ he served as a Sr. Clinical Advisor for the Bureau of Primary Health Care (HRSA) were he advised on clinical issues and worked to improve clinic quality in Federally Qualified Health Centers. Dr. Mills is a board certified pediatrician and before joining HHS in 2011 worked in a small group practice located in Salina, Kansas. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas where he received both his Bachelors of Arts (2001) and medical degree (KU-SOM 2006). He completed his pediatric residency at the University of Kansas SOM Wichita in 2009 and went on to receive his Masters of Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health in 2010. Dr. Tracer is a of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Program at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Prior to joining AHRQ, he practiced clinical endocrinology with the Mid- Atlantic Permanente Medical group (MAPMG) and was chief of the Endocrinology service for fifteen years. During that time, he was also MAPMG s physician partner to Kaiser s Care Management Institute (CMI) for Diabetes and Bone Health programs. Howard's work with CMI included creating evidence based clinical guidelines, screening recommendations, treatment algorithms, disease specific population registries, and monitoring and improving disease related quality of care measures. During his tenure with CMI, Kaiser-Permanente Mid-Atlantic States and MAPMG were recognized as one of the top 5 performing health plans for effectiveness of care in the Southern Atlantic region of the US by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), and the top performing health plan in the state of Maryland by the Maryland Health Care Commission. Updated 3/1/18 4
Rachel Weinstein, M.Ed. Alison Hunt, Lisa Nicolella, M.A. Team Lead, Office of Communication Media Liaison, Office of Communication Writer/Editor, Office of Communication Howard received his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Princeton University and his Medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at NYU- Bellevue Hospital Center, and his fellowship in Endocrinology and Metabolism at the National Institutes of Health. Ms. Weinstein is a team lead in the Office of Communications supporting the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Program and other Agency priorities at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). She provides strategic oversight and guides daily plans for overall communication, material development, stakeholder engagement and media activities. Prior to joining AHRQ in 2009, Rachel was deputy director of the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) at NIH. Rachel has more than twenty years of experience in health education, social marketing, and communication in universities, hospitals, consulting firms and the government. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication and a Master's degree in education. Ms. Hunt is a Press Officer in the Office of Communications Media Division supporting the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Program at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). She works on a team to develop, implement, and track media activities within the Agency. In this manner, she assists with media and communications efforts related to the USPSTF. She also leads AHRQ s social media team. Before joining AHRQ, she was the Marketing and Outreach Director for the Government Services Division of Dell on a contract for the Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women s Health. Alison received a Master of Public Health from The George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Ms. Nicolella is a Writer/Editor in the Office of Communications supporting the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Program at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). She manages the editorial, production, and publication processes for the USPSTF. Before joining AHRQ in 2009, she was an Associate Editor in the Practice Standards Division at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and an Assistant Editor at the American Journal of Psychiatry. Lisa received a B.S. in Animal Science and Bachelor of Arts in English from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and an Master of Arts in English from Georgetown University. Updated 3/1/18 5
General email addresses Task Force email lists In collaboration with program staff, the communications team manages and uses the following email accounts for the Task Force: Chair@uspstf.net The chair account is used to send official notifications from the Task Force (using the Chair s name and signature line) to stakeholders and from AHRQ to Task Force members. Coordinator@uspstf.net The coordinator account is used to interact with stakeholders, dissemination and implementation partners, and the general public. Communications@uspstf.net The communications account is used by the communications team to send materials, such as TPs and Q&As, to Task Force members and AHRQ staff. It is also used to reach out to Task Force members for communications requests, such as bio updates. Mediamonitoring@uspstf.net The media monitoring account is used by the communications team to send daily media monitoring reports to Task Force members and AHRQ staff. Newsroom@uspstf.net The newsroom account is used by the communications team media supervisor to receive and respond to media inquiries. Updated 3/1/18 6