PROGRAM ADVISORY COUNCIL
Cheryl Whitaker, MD, MPH, FACP
Chief Executive Officer, Complete Care Management Partners, LLC
Immediate Past President, Institute of Medicine of Chicago
Principal Investigator, Mentoring & Networking Program
Billings Society Fellow, Institute of Medicine of Chicago
Dr. Rucker-Whitaker, a physician, healthcare executive and entrepreneur, has dedicated her career to developing and executing innovative healthcare solutions for underserved populations. She is currently serving as the Immediate Past President of IOMC and is a member of the IOMC Maternal Health and Child Workgroup. In 2020, she founded Complete Care Management Partners, LLC and serves as its President and CEO. In 2014, she co-founded NextLevel Health, a groundbreaking insurance company dedicated to helping Cook County’s underserved access and manage Medicaid services, addressing health disparities and inequities in services for black women. NextLevel Health was sold in 2020. Dr. Whitaker is the former chair of the State of Illinois Medicaid advisory committee. In 2013, she received the La Rabida Community Leadership Award; in 2015, she received Fifth Third Bank's Community Leaders Award and was named one of Chicago Business Journal's 2018 Women of Influence, and in 2020 Crain's Notable Women Executives.
Jorge A. Girotti, PhD
Former Associate Dean and Director, Admissions and Special Curriculum Programs
Fellow, Institute of Medicine of Chicago
Dr. Girotti, former Director of the Hispanic Center of Excellence University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. Dr. Girotti is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Education (DME). One of his responsibilities is directing the Hispanic Center of Excellence, which aims to promote science and medical careers for Hispanic youth, expose undergraduate and medical students to biomedical and clinical research, and increase the representation of Latino faculty in our medical school. As the Associate Dean for Admissions and Special Curricular Programs for the College of Medicine, he oversees the admissions process to the MD program, as well as Joint Degree programs (MD-MPH, MD-MBA, and MD-MS-CTS), the Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions (GPPA) in Medicine, and the Urban Medicine program. Dr. Girotti’s research interests reflect his focus on the development of opportunities for students from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds.
His current priorities are the design, implementation, and evaluation of educational programs to improve cultural competence among physicians and other health professionals, and programs to improve leadership skills in the future. Community service is an important component of Dr. Girotti’s work. He currently serves as a member or leader on several boards: Illinois State Board of Public Health, National Hispanic Medical Association, and Hispanic Serving Health Professions Schools.
Cheryl Watson-Lowry, DDS
Former President of the Chicago Dental Society
Dr. Watson-Lowry is a general practice dentist on the south side of Chicago. She is the former President at Chicago Dental Society, which is a Membership Organizations company with an estimated 22 employees; and founded in 1864. They are part of the Executive team within the C-Suite Department and their management level is C-Level. Cheryl graduated from University of Illinois and is currently based in Chicago, Illinois.
Doriane Miller, MD
Professor of Medicine; and Director of Medicine for Community Health and Vitality, University of Chicago
Fellow, Institute of Medicine of Chicago
Board Director, Institute of Medicine of Chicago
Dr. Miller, MD, as an internist, has been providing care to under-served minority populations for more than 30 years. In addition to her role as a primary care physician, she has a special interest in behavioral health. Under her leadership, physicians, educators, and community members work to improve population health outcomes for residents on the South Side of Chicago through community-engaged research, demonstration, and service models. Dr. Miller's research focuses on the intersection of health disparities and race. She has served as the project director for several studies designed to augment care by promoting collaboration among physicians, patients, and families. Dr. Miller's work in the area of improving asthma outcomes through school and community interventions was noted by the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology with a 2006 Special Recognition Award.
Patrick D. Smith, DMD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Dentistry
University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Dentistry
Dr. Smith works in the Division of Public Health Sciences, where his role is to support the public health dentistry curriculum through a number of academic activities such as lecturing, research, mentorship, and community engagement. He also helps to facilitate student learning through extramural clinical experiences with an emphasis on access to care and the social determinants of health. His scholarly interests include Oral health workforce and infrastructure building, oral health literacy and community engagement. His publications focus on community dental health-related issues with an emphasis on access to care and the social determinants of health.
He is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, MPH(Health Policy and Administration), Harvard School of Dental Medicine, DMD, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, GPR Certificate, and BS in Biology from Morehouse College.
Clark M. Stanford, DDS, PhD, MHA
Professor and Dean , University of Iowa, College of Dentistry
Former Dean, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Dentistry
Billings Society Fellow, Institute of Medicine of Chicago
Treasurer, Institute of Medicine of Chicago
Dr. Stanford currently is the Dean and Professor, College of Dentistry at the University of Iowa. Formerly, he was a UIC Distinguished Professor and Dean at The University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Dentistry in Chicago, Illinois. He holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, and College of Medicine. As Dean, he is the CEO of the UI Health, COD Dental Clinics System around Chicago managing a $53M enterprise with 700 Academic, Clinical and Research staff and faculty. UIC and the College of Dentistry have a central vision and mission to address health equity issues and improve oral health as a part of our total dedication to primary care. He is the recipient of 15 academic awards including the 2007 State of Iowa Regents Award for Faculty Excellence and the International Association for Dental Research Distinguished Scientist Award (2007). UIC is ranked in the top 200 Global Universities, and the UIC College of Dentistry is ranked in the top 1% of all dental schools/colleges based on the London Times Rankings (2015-2018).
Anita Stewart, MD, MPH, JD
Medical Director Government Programs
BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois
Billing Society Fellow, Institute of Medicine of Chicago
Board Director, Institute of Medicine of Chicago
Dr. Stewart is the Medical Director of Government Programs for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and a member of the Illinois Association of Medicaid Health Plans. Blue Cross and Blue Shield has more than7 million beneficiaries and is the largest health insurer in Illinois. She is a Fellow, Director on the Board of Governors, and is highly interested in public health, health policy, and social determinants. Started in 1936, BCBSIL is committed to promoting the health and wellness of its members and its communities through accessible, cost-effective, quality health care. She is board-certified pediatrician with over 12 years of practice, holds a Juris Doctor in Law, masters in public health, and is a professor at Rosalind Franklin University.
Questions: Contact Deborah Hodges, Program Manager at dhodges@iomc.org
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