Speakers
We’re bringing together leaders in the field to speak with you about volunteerism in disaster and emergency preparedness and response. Expect emergency management officials, creative design teams, experienced Maryland Responders, and more. Our keynote speaker, Captain Robert Tosatto, Director of the national Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), will give an update on the state of the national MRC. Hear from our panel of experts, who will share their experiences and stories of from all around the world and on topics ranging from personal deployment stories to lessons learned about risk communication. Wrap up the day by learning about responder best practices and celebrating our responders from around the state.
Check back often as we continue to confirm and add more speakers.
Check back often as we continue to confirm and add more speakers.
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Sherry Adams, RN
Director Office of Preparedness & Response, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Sherry Adams brings more than 20 years of experience in the emergency department and in trauma nursing. She served more than 20 years in public health and emergency preparedness in the District of Columbia Department of Health, and seven years in her current position. Sherry Adams presently coordinates Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) emergency preparedness and response, including management of nearly $20 million annually in federal grants that support emergency preparedness efforts at DHMH, local health departments, hospitals, and other health care facilities and partners. Her responsibilities include coordination of public health preparedness activities with multiple federal agencies including, but not limited to, DHHS/ASPR, CDC, DHS, FEMA, FBI, and DoD. |
Van T. Mitchell
Secretary Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Van Mitchell serves as the Secretary for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH). Van previously served as a Government Relations Specialist from 2007 – 2015 for Manis Canning & Associates. Appointed Principal Deputy Secretary of the DHMH from 2004-2007, he was a member of the Interagency Disabilities Board, Homeland Senior Policy Group, and the Maryland Commission on Disabilities. Van served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1995 – 2004. During his tenure in the legislature he sat on both the Economic Matters and Appropriations Committees and was a member of the Unemployment Insurance Subcommittee; Real Property Subcommittee; House Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Subcommittee; House Chair Workers’ Compensation Benefit and Insurance Oversight Committee; Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review; member Capital Budget Subcommittee; Oversight Committee on Pensions; Chair of the Health and Human Resources Subcommittee; House Chair Joint Audit Committee; and Chaired both the Charles County and Southern Maryland Delegations. |
Keynote Address: State of the National Medical Reserve Corps Network
Captain Robert Tosatto, RPh, MPH, MBA
Captain, U.S. Public Health Service, Director, Division of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Captain Rob Tosatto serves as Director of the civilian volunteer Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and is the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response and the Director of the Office of Emergency Management on issues of civilian volunteers and their participation in public health initiatives and emergency preparedness/response activities. He is a strong advocate for reducing disaster risk, building community resilience, and engaging young members of our society in these efforts. He is directly responsible for overseeing the establishment, implementation, and coordination of MRC units in communities nationwide. Captain Tosatto has been a U.S. Public Health Service officer since 1988, and has previously completed tours of duty with the Office of Global Health Affairs, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Indian Health Service, including assignments on the Navajo, Fort Hall, and Pine Ridge reservations. He has been deployed on numerous occasions, including response missions following the anthrax mailings in 2001, Hurricane Katrina, and several humanitarian and national special security events. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the USPHS Meritorious Service Medal and the Surgeon General’s Medallion. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and master's degrees in public health and business administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Captain Tosatto is married, has four children, strives for balance in his life, and enjoys spending much of his free time being outside and active (rock climbing, kayaking, hiking, snowboarding, mountain biking, etc.) |
New Era of Maryland Responds
Stephanie Parsons, MSPH
Maryland Responds Medical Reserve Corps State Coordinator Office of Preparedness & Response, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Stephanie Parsons is the State Coordinator for the Maryland Responds Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) in the Office of Preparedness and Response at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH). She is responsible for fostering the growth and sustainment of the statewide volunteer program and ensuring its integration into established state and local emergency systems. She also serves as the State Coordinator for the Web-based Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP) where she oversees 24 local Maryland Responds Units composed of over 3,600 medical and public health responder profiles. Prior to joining DHMH, Stephanie worked as a Senior Research Coordinator at the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research & Policy where her work focused on pediatric injury prevention. With over a decade of public health experience, Stephanie's background spans the fields of disaster preparedness, emergency management, injury prevention, communications, health education and behavior change strategies. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a Master’s of Science in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. |
Dorothy Sheu, MPH
Maryland Responds Medical Reserve Corps Program Specialist Office of Preparedness & Response, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Dorothy Sheu has dedicated over a decade to minority/global health issues, ranging from advocating for medical interpretation access to working in a rural health clinic in Senegal. Her vision for building strong communities led her to her current position as Program Specialist for Maryland's Medical Reserve Corps, Maryland Responds. As the technical lead to over 3,600 medical and public health volunteers, she recruits, prepares, and deploys responders to promote public health. Prior to working for the state, Dorothy coordinated a health promotion program at the International Rescue Committee as an Americorps VISTA. Managing health education volunteers, developing and teaching health information for refugees, and designing a refugee-run health worker program for refugees were among her many responsibilities. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Grinnell College in Psychology and Neuroscience. From Yale University, Dorothy also received a Master in Public Health, as well as the Weinerman Award for Social Justice. |
Point of Dispensing Drill
> Learn more about the Point of Dispensing drill here
Kimberly Eshleman, MPH State Cities Readiness Initiative Coordinator Office of Preparedness and Response, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Kimberly Eshleman is the State Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI) Coordinator at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Preparedness and Response. She provides technical assistance to local health departments on emergency medical countermeasure distribution and dispensing planning. She’s been instrumental in developing Closed POD partnerships with public and private partners. Previously, Ms. Eshleman worked in the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Administration (HEPRA) for the District of Columbia (DC) Department of Health. As Assistant Strategic National Stockpile Coordinator at HERPA, she helped plan for DC public health emergency operations, was responsible for planning and managing site operations for public H1N1 mass vaccination clinics, and supervised distribution of antiviral medications in DC during the H1N1 outbreak. Ms. Eshleman also served victims of Hurricane Katrina through Touch Global. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology from Messiah College and a Master in Public Health from Boston University. |
Panel Discussion
Captain Stephen Formanski, PsyD
Emergency Coordinator Region 3 Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Captain Stephen Formanski’s most recent deployment was to Monrovia, Liberia, where he was a mental health provider to the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) staff providing care at the Monrovia Medical Unit, Ebola Treatment Unit for health care workers. He is a licensed clinical psychologist and has been in the Uniformed Services for 24 years, first serving with the Navy and then transferring to the USPHS for the past 18 years. As a USPHS psychologist, he worked in the Federal Bureau of Prisons for 10 years. He is currently billeted to the Department of Health and Human Services working for the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and assigned as a Region 3 Regional Emergency Coordinator. His last few deployments include the West Virginia chemical spill (command staff), Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting (MH SME), and the Boston bombing incident (MH SME). |
Pamela Evans, MSW, LCSW-C
Mid-Atlantic Division Disaster Mental Health Advisor American Red Cross Ms. Pamela Evans has 38 years of experience with the state of Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR) and community based programs. Within DHR, she served roles at the local and state levels ranging from case manager, social work supervisor, to child care administration. Outside of DHR, she worked in places such as, but not limited to, children’s diagnostic centers, homeless shelters, alternative living units, hospitals, and inpatient psychiatric (Walter Reed). Ms. Evans joined the American Red Cross (ARC) in 2006 during the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Operation and is now an advanced ARC instructor on topics like sheltering fundamentals, disaster mental health fundamentals, and service to armed forces. Since 2012, she’s served as Maryland’s disaster mental health advisor. She has been very active in collaborating with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and teaching the ARC Coping in Today’s: Community Psychological First Aid to Maryland Responders and residents. |
Cindy Mankamyer, RN
Community Health Nurse Garrett County Health Department Cindy Mankamyer, RN, has been a communicable disease nurse at Garrett County Health Department for the past 14 years. She is a member and unit administrator for Garrett County’s unit of the Maryland Responds Medical Reserve Corps. After graduating from Geisinger Medical Center School of Nursing, Cindy has worked in critical care, cardiac care, home health, and utilization management. Her desire to volunteer was born in nursing school when she helped with a Children’s Miracle Network telethon. She deployed with a medical team to Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake, and has volunteered at mobile medical clinics in the mountains of Tennessee with Remote Area Medical. She has also volunteered for Mission of Mercy dental clinics and Garrett County’s Savage Man triathlon. Her non-medical volunteer work includes Maryland Special Olympics winter games, the Maryland Blind Skier Program, and the Deep Creek 2014 International Canoe event. |
Dr. Randolph Rowel, PhD, MS
Chair and Associate Professor Department of Behavioral Health Sciences, Morgan State University Dr. Randy Rowel of is Interim Chair of the Department of Behavioral Health Science, Morgan State University (MSU). His practice and research areas are in community engagement and disaster preparedness among local and international vulnerable populations. A FEMA’s Private Sector Representative alumni, Dr. Rowel advised FEMA on individual and community preparedness issues and was the first representative from the academic sector and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Dr. Rowel also served as an investigator for the Department of Homeland Security funded National Center for the Study of Preparedness and Catastrophic Event Response, through which he co-developed the course with Washington Bible College, “Role of Pastors in Disasters: Training Pastors to be Agents of Safety.” Dr. Rowel is also a member of the National Research Council Committee on Private-Public Sector Collaboration to Enhance Community Resilience. More recently, Dr. Rowel expanded his research through the Haiti Community Resilience Recovery Initiative. Dr. Beverly J. D. Bye, EdD, MS, CRNP-F, FNP-BC, CNE, CHSE, SANE-A, FNE-A, CFN
Nurse Practitioner and Associate Professor Greater Baltimore Medical Center/ Stevenson University Dr. Beverly J. D. Bye is an Associate Professor at Stevenson University, Graduate Professional Studies. Her areas of expertise include critical care / emergency nursing, obstetrics, forensics, nursing education, online learning, and simulation. Also a Family Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Bye enjoys working with patients and precepting Nurse Practitioner students. Dr. Bye has earned several awards, including the Excellence in Teaching Award and Baltimore’s Best Nurse 2010. She is a Medical Reserve Corp Volunteer with Maryland Responds and has deployed to annual flu clinics and to Star Spangled Spectacular. Further, she serves as an expert witness in the Baltimore area for forensic cases, mostly domestic violence and sexual assaults. She obtained her BS in Nursing from Towson University; MEd in Administration and Supervision from Loyola University; MS in FNP at University of Maryland, Baltimore; EdD in Instructional Technology from Towson University. She continued her education achieving a post-doctoral certificate in Informatics. |
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Donna C. Wells, LCSW-C, ACSW
Executive Director Howard County Mental Health Authority Donna Wells has worked in the public mental health system for the past 32 years, at both state in-patient facilities and outpatient services, and for the past 20 years in management positions at state headquarters and the county mental health authority. Mrs. Wells has been the Executive Director of the Howard County Mental Health Authority (HCMHA) since it was first established as a county agency in 1997. HCMHA is responsible for planning, developing and managing the publicly funded mental health system in the county, as well as for the All Hazards Disaster Mental Health Plan as part of the local health department’s Emergency Support Function 8. Mrs.Wells received a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Washington College and a Masters in Clinical Social Work from the University of Maryland. |
Jennie Wallace
Unit Clerk/Emergency Management Team Medstar Montgomery Medical Center Jennie Wallace has been a lifelong volunteer. She’s volunteered with fire departments, rescue squads, the American Heart Association, and Medical Reserve Corps around the country since 1976. During Hurricane Katrina, Jennie deployed with Maryland Responds to assist in emergency clinics. From this experience, she learned about the importance of having medical personnel available, coordination between agencies, and training, and decided to pursue a degree in emergency management. Since then, Jennie deployed to Hurricane Irene and “Snowmageddon.” She is currently on the emergency management team at Medstar Montgomery Medical Center. |
Award Presenter
Dr. Laura Herrera Scott, MD, MPH
Deputy Secretary for Public Health Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Dr. Laura Herrera was appointed Deputy Secretary for Public Health for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on December 17, 2012. The Deputy Secretary for Public Health oversees Local Public Health, the Prevention and Health Promotion, Health Systems and Infrastructure, Vital Statistics, and Laboratories Administrations, along with the Department’s Offices of Preparedness and Response and the Chief Medical Examiner. Prior to her appointment as Deputy Secretary, Dr. Herrera was Chief Medical Officer. In this role, she assisted the Secretary of Health on the implementation of innovative health delivery reform structures in the Maryland health care system. She advised the Deputy Secretary for Health Care Financing on policies and strategies to monitor and improve the quality of care, preventive services, and health promotion activities at the Medicaid participating managed care organizations. She received her MD from SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn and her MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She completed her internship and residency in family medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Click HERE for more information about the Best Practices Showcase and Awards. |