1997 Partnerships for Networked Consumer Health Information Conference

Biographies Of Conference Speakers - N-R

John Noell, PhD

Dr. Noell has been creating and evaluating interactive computer applications for more than 20 years. He currently is a Research Scientist at both Oregon Research Institute and Oregon Center for Applied Science, Inc. Dr. Noell's specialty is behavioral interventions. Recent programs include "Over the Line? - Preventing Sexual Coercion and Date Rape" and "The Choice is Yours - Preventing HIV/STDs" series (Pyramid Media).

Kevin Patrick, MD, MS

Dr. Patrick is Adjunct Professor of Public Health at San Diego State University, and Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. From 1993 to 1995 he was Senior Advisor of Communication Technology Policy in the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health; he co-chaired the Information Infrastructure Task Force's Sub-Committee on Consumer Health Information and created and now serves on the HHS Science Panel on Interactive Communications and Health.

Larry Pfisterer, MSSM, RRA

Mr. Pfisterer entered the Health Information field following a 20 year career as an Army officer. His military assignments focused primarily on human resources and medically-related issues. On completion of The University of Washington's Health Information Administration program, he joined Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound in Seattle. He is currently the manager for outpatient records at Group Health's Central Campus. Mr. Pfisterer holds a MS in Systems Management from the University of Denver.

John H. Renner, MD

Dr. Renner, is a family physician educator and consumer health information advocate. For 37 years, he has been sharing up-to-date health facts and information with health professionals and the lay public. He is Founder and President of Consumer Health Information Research Institute (CHIRI) in Independence, Missouri. He is Clinical Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri Medical School and Adjunct Professor of Preventive Medicine at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City, Kansas. He is a Center Associate at Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He monitors health information on the Internet and in the general media. He has a page called "Health Misinformation Watch" on Microsoft network under ICNN, a nutrition information network. Dr. Renner is a commentator on Reutershealth.com with a column "In My Humble Opinion" where he evaluates Internet web sites.

He serves on the advisory council of the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association. He is on the Alternative Remedies Committee of the American Cancer Society. Dr. Renner has been a consultant to the Food and Drug Administration of AIDS fraud and quackery. He serves on the board of directors of the National Council Against Health Fraud, Inc., and operates the NCAHF Resource Center.

Dr. Renner has addressed hundreds of audiences, both lay and professional, in 46 different states and has appeared on national television programs such as 20/20, Nightline, Good Morning America, Dateline, CNN's Crossfire, and Inside Edition.

He has been on National Public Radio and Voice of America programs. Also, he frequently serves as a source for accurate health information for national media, newspapers, and magazines. He serves on the editorial board of Prevention Magazine.

Dr. Renner is the editor or author of seven books, including HealthSmarts and How to Stay Well Without Going Broke. He has written hundreds of articles for newspapers, wrote for 7 years for the Kansas City Star, and has published many articles in medical journals. He hosted a two-hour call-in health show on KCMO radio for a year.

Dr. Renner has testified before Congress and several state legislative hearings on health fraud, quackery, and misinformation issues. Dr. Renner pioneered in conducting patient education classes for his patients, as well as instructing other physicians in the skills for educating their patients. He is co-founder of the National Patient Education Conference, now in its 18th year. A founding member, he served on the Board of Directors of the National Osteoporosis Foundation for ten years.

A graduate of Dartmouth College and The George Washington University School of Medicine, Dr. Renner has practiced family medicine, taught medical students and family practice residents, and directed family practice residency programs.

Jordan Richland, MPA

Mr. Richland was named Executive Director of Partnership for Prevention in 1995. He leads this national non-profit organization whose mission is to increase the priority for prevention in health policy and practice. From 1987-1995, Mr. Richland served as Deputy Director and Acting Executive Director of the Public Health Foundation. From 1979-1987, he worked at the US General Accounting Office where he authored numerous reports to the Congress recommending policy and management improvements in many federal programs.

Sylvia G. Rickard

Ms. Rickard is a native of Arizona. She attended the University of Arizona. Married 26 years and mother of two college-age sons. Ms. Rickard is a breast cancer survivor and is currently serving as President of the Idaho Breast Cancer Coalition, and working on the Race for the Cure. She is a member of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, The Idaho Breast and Cervical Alliance, The Rural Connection through St. Luke's Regional Medical Center, and the Assistance League of Boise.

Helga E. Rippen, MD, PhD

Dr. Helga Rippen is the director and cofounder of the Health Information Technology Institute (HITI) at Mitretek Systems. HITI is a non-profit charitable institution with the charter to improve health through innovations in information technology. Dr. Rippen completed her residency in Preventive Medicine at Johns Hopkins University where she received her MPH. She obtained her MD from the University of Florida, a PhD from Duke University in Biomedical Engineering, and a BSME in Mechanical Engineering.

Richard Rockefeller, MD

Dr. Rockefeller is President of Health Commons Institute (HCI), a nonprofit organization in Portland, Maine. HCI promotes the field of informed shared decision making: effective collaboration between patients and providers through the use of computerized information tools. Dr. Rockefeller devotes mush of his time to writing and lecturing on this subject. In addition to his work with HCI, Dr. Rockefeller serves on the faculty of the University of Vermont Medical Schools as Clinical Assistant Professor in Family Medicine at the Maine Medical Center Family Practice Residency Program. He is Chair of the US Advisory Board of Doctors Without Borders, the international medical disaster relief organization, and serves as a Trustee of Rockefeller University. He received his bachelors degree from Harvard College, his Masters in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and his MD from the Harvard Medical School.

Roberto J. Rodrigues, MD

Dr. Rodrigues 56, is Coordinator, Health Services Information Systems Program, Division of Health Systems and Services Development, Pan American health Organization/World Health Organization in Washington, DC.

He was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he graduated from the University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine. His post-graduate training in Surgery, Emergency and Critical Care Medicine was in Brazil and in the US. Dr. Rodrigues is a Board Certified Surgeon with specialization in Health Informatics in Sweden and in the US.

Since 1974 Dr. Rodrigues has been in information systems design and health applications development and implementation, both at national and international levels. His experience encompasses public and private organizations and internationally funded projects.

His professional achievements include: design and implementation of large hospital and primary care information projects in different Latin American and Caribbean countries; the reimbursement systems of the Social Security Health Care Administration of Brazil; the coordination of a state government statistical office; and the establishment of educational programs in Health Informatics.

He is the author of publications: health informatics and information systems (30), management (4), clinical medicine (13), pharmacology (1) and military medicine (1). He has been active in many national and international scientific and professional societies.

Linda Roman

Ms. Linda Roman is President and Chief Executive Officer of HELP Innovations of Lawrence, Kansas and creator of the patient-focused ResourceLink System for the delivery of televideo medical services to the home. A one-year Alpha Test of the system was completed in November of 1995. Beta tests are now in progress in Hays, Lawrence, Atwood and Lenexa, Kansas and in Kansas City, Missouri. ResourceLink is concurrently being introduced into the marketplace. The turnkey ResourceLink system accommodates multiple transmission mediums and includes: communication software; case management software; clinical protocols tailored to home televideo nurse/patient interactions; and base station and patient televideo equipment.

Ms. Roman holds a BS in Health Care Administration and is past President and board member of the Kansas Health Care Association. She was co-author of Home Health Visits Using A Cable Television Network: User Satisfaction and has been quoted in several national publications including: Telemedicine Today, Family Practice News, Managing Senior Care, The Financial Times of London, HOMECARE, Kansas Business Report, Health Data Management, Managed Care Healthcare News, Telemedicine and Telehealth Networks.

Ms. Roman has made presentation at: American Telemedicine Association Conference, the Oklahoma Association for Home Care Spring Conference, Global Telemedicine and Technology Conference, The Nebraska Care Association Conference, Telehealthcare Solutions Conference, and The Telecon XVI.

David L. Rosenbloom, PhD

Mr. Rosenbloom has been Director of Join Together since 1991, a national resource helping communities develop strategies to reduce the harm from alcohol and drug abuse. Mr. Rosenbloom is an Associate Professor Of Public Health at Boston University and an adjunct lecture at the Heller School of Brandeis University..

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