Health Equity & Access Committee

Eric Bernicker_TxSCO
Eric Bernicker, MD
Medical Oncologist; Professor of Clinical Medicine; Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Houston Methodist Cancer Center; Houston Institute for Academic Medicine; Weill Cornell Medical College
Houston, TX

Eric H Bernicker, MD, is a medical oncologist and currently serves as the head of Thoracic Medical Oncology at the Houston Methodist Cancer Center (HMCC) in Houston, Texas. He is the principal investigator and co-investigator of multiple clinical trials at HMCC. He also serves on the tobacco control subcommittee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Cancer Prevention Committee and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s tobacco control and smoking cessation committee. Dr. Bernicker is the medical director of Houston Methodist’s Smoking cessation program, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, chairman of the Houston Methodist Hospital Cancer Committee, and the liaison for the American Society of Clinical Oncology's quality program, Quality Oncology Practice Initiative. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Association for Cancer Research, and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.

Dr. Bernicker completed his medical training, a residency in internal medicine, and a fellowship in hematology at Baylor College of Medicine. He also completed a fellowship in medical oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

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Amanda Ivarra, CHES
Texas Comprehensive Cancer Program Specialist
Texas Department of State Health Services
Austin, TX

Amanda Ivarra, CHES®, is the program specialist for the Texas Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (TCCCP) at the Texas Department of State Health Services. She is also the coalition coordinator for the state’s cancer coalition, the Cancer Alliance of Texas, which engages stakeholders to work collaboratively to reduce the burden of cancer in Texas. She is also a certified health education specialist.

Ms. Ivarra received her BS in health from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

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Ramona Magid, MBA
Chief Prevention Officer
Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas
Austin, TX

Ramona Magid, MBA, is the chief prevention officer at the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. She heads up the prevention program in supporting evidence-based prevention services in all 254 counties of Texas.

Ms. Magid received a bachelor's degree in medical technology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and obtained a master's degree in business administration from Memphis State University.

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Anish Meerasahib, MD, MA
Medical Hematologist and Oncologist; Director; Faculty Member
Texas Oncology, Deke Slayton Cancer Center; Texas Society of Clinical Oncology; Baylor College of Medicine
Webster, TX

Anish Meerasahib, MD, MA, is a medical oncologist and hematologist at Texas Oncology Deke Slayton Cancer Center in Webster, Texas. He is the director of the Texas Society of Clinical Oncology, and a faculty member at the Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. is specialized in treating blood disorders and has research interests in kinesiogenomics, cancer genetics and exercise.

Dr. Meerasahib earned his medical degree from the University of Kerala in India and completed a master’s degree in exercise physiology at the University of Maryland in College Park. He then completed his internship and residency training at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, followed by a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

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Lauren Milius, CHES
Texas Comprehensive Cancer Control Program Coordinator
Texas Department of State Health Services
Austin, TX

Lauren Milius, CHES®, is the Program Coordinator for the Texas Comprehensive Cancer Control Program at the Texas Department of State Health Services. She is also a certified health education specialist.

Ms. Milius received her BS in health promotion from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Ray D. Page, DO, PhD, FACOI, FASCO
President & Director of Research
The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
Fort Worth, TX

Ray D. Page, DO, PhD, FACOI, FASCO, has practiced medical oncology for 23 years. He is President of The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and has been at the forefront of community oncology practice transformation participating in a variety of payment reform models and development of pathway systems. As Director of Research for The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Dr. Page has been the Principal Investigator of over 200 clinical trials. He serves on the board, executive committee, and chairs the membership committee of a national oncology “Supergroup”, Quality Cancer Care Alliance. He is the Chief-of-Staff and serves on several committees, including the Graduate Medical Education Committee for the Internal Medicine residency program, and serves on the Board of the Careity Foundation in Fort Worth, Texas.

Dr. Page received his BS in chemistry and biology from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas and his MS in physiology at Baylor University Graduate School-Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas, Texas. He received his Ph.D. in pharmacology and his doctorate in osteopathic medicine. Dr. Page completed his residency in internal medicine at The University of North Texas Health Science Center Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas and completed a combined oncology/hematology fellowship at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

Debra Patt
Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, FASCO
Executive Vice President, Public Policy and Strategic Initiatives; President
Texas Oncology; Texas Society of Clinical Oncology
Austin, TX

Debra Patt, MD, PhD, MBA, FASCO, is a practicing oncologist and breast cancer specialist in Austin, Texas, and an executive vice president of Texas Oncology with responsibilities in healthcare policy and strategic initiatives. Dr. Patt serves as the President of the Texas Society of Clinical Oncology, the Secretary for the Community Oncology Alliance and serves locally on the Austin Healthcare Council, Shivers Board, and formerly on the board of Komen and the Breast Cancer Resource Center. She has responsibility for breast cancer research in Austin and leads the multidisciplinary tumor boards for breast cancer. She chairs the Council on Legislation for the Texas Medical Association and works to formulate responsible healthcare policy that improves the health of Texans. She serves as the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Clinical Oncology Clinical Cancer Informatics and drives engagement in clinical informatics solutions to enhance healthcare. Within Texas Oncology, Dr. Patt serves on the payer relations, marketing, telemedicine, strategy, policy, management executive, marketing, and revenue cycle committees. She lectures medical students and is a clinical Professor at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Patt received her doctorate in Health Economics and Health Services Research from The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX. She received her MBA from The University of Texas in Austin and an MPH from the University of Texas Health Science Center’s School of Public Health in Houston. Patt received her fellowship in hematology and medical oncology from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

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Alti Rahman, MHA, MBA, CSSBB
Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer
American Oncology Network, LLC

Alti Rahman, MHA, MBA, CSSBB, is the practice administrator for Oncology Consultants in Houston, Texas. He holds additional supplementary roles including Six Sigma course instructor for Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), Board Member of COA (Community Oncology Alliance)-Administrator Network, Treasurer for the National Cancer Care Alliance (NCCA), Steering Committee Member for McKesson Specialty Health, Board Member of the Oncology Circle Advisory, and Vice President and Treasurer of the Coalition of Hematology and Oncology Practices (CHOP).

He holds a dual master’s degree in healthcare and business administration from the University of Houston.

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Amelie Ramirez, DrPH
Director
Institute for Health Promotion ResearchSan Antonio, TX

Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, is an internationally recognized researcher and spokesperson on Latino cancer health disparities, is a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where she also is founding director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research. Dr. Ramirez is on the San Antonio Mayor’s Fitness Council and is board president of The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas.

She received her MPH and DrPH degrees from The University of Texas Health Science

Center at Houston.
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Fabian Robles, MS-HLM, CHI
Research Patient Navigator
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, TX

Fabian Robles, MS-HLM, CHI, is the patient navigator for the clinical research office of the H. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern. He is also a member of the Executive Board of the Texas Association of Healthcare Interpreter and Translators (TAHIT).

He earned an MS in healthcare leadership and management at Naveen Jindal School of Management, University of Texas in Dallas, Texas.

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Zoe Rothblatt, MPH
Patient Advocate, Community Outreach Manager
Global Healthy Living Foundation
Upper Nyack, NY

Zoe Rothblatt, MPH, is a patient advocate and community outreach manager at the Global Healthy Living Foundation in Upper Nyack, New York. She engages in direct patient communications, supporting patient councils and board of governors.

Ms. Rothblatt earned an MPH at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, with a focus on health policy and management. She received a BA in health from Brandeis University.

Susan Sabo-Wagner
Susan Sabo-Wagner, RN, BSN, OCN
Vice President of Clinical Innovation
American Oncology Network, LLC

Susan Sabo-Wagner, RN, BSN, OCN, is the clinical director of Oncology Consultants, a community-based oncology and hematology practice in Houston, Texas. She has over 23 years in nursing, half of which has been dedicated to oncology and patient advocacy.

She has a BS in nursing and is a certified oncology nurse (OCN).

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Navid Sadeghi, MD, MSPH, FACP
Chief of Cancer Program; Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
Parkland Health and Hospital System; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, TX

Navid Sadeghi, MD, MSPH, FACP, serves as Chief of the Cancer Program for the Parkland Health & Hospital System. He is also an associate professor in the department of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He specializes in the care of breast cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma patients. Dr. Sadeghi He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of several other professional organizations. He also serves on numerous committees at UT Southwestern and Parkland.

Dr. Sadeghi earned his medical degree at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and received advanced training through a hematology-oncology fellowship at UT Southwestern. Dr. Sadeghi holds an MS in public health from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health.

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Melissa A. Valerio-Shewmaker, PhD, MPH
Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, Associate Professor, Development and Diversity University of Texas Health Science Center
University of Texas Health Science Center
Houston, TX

Melissa A. Valerio-Shewmaker, PhD, MPH, is associate dean of faculty affairs, development and diversity and an associate professor with tenure in health promotion and behavioral science health promotion and behavioral science at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston. She serves as principal investigator on studies focused on COVID-19 antibody testing, cancer screening and prevention, maternal health, community engagement and chronic disease management.

Dr. Valerio-Shewmaker earned her doctoral degree and master’s of public health at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.


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