Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 50 Women Leaders in Medicine of 2023. The number of women choosing medicine as a career continues to grow. Back in 1960, women represented a mere 6% of all U.S. physicians. However, in the present day, women now constitute over one-third of the physician workforce, and approximately 47% of residents and fellows, thanks to an increase in the acceptance of women into medical schools. Interestingly, as of 2019, the majority of U.S. medical students are women.
This shift in the medical landscape can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, women have historically been seen as leaders within households, and these leadership skills readily transfer to the medical realm. Furthermore, there is a growing recognition of the significance of diversity within the medical field, with research demonstrating that gender diversity among healthcare providers results in improved patient outcomes. For this year's award, we have narrowed down some of the top women leaders in medicine, a list that is composed of physicians, doctors, clinicians and educators who are changing the face of medicine through their profession, teachings, and personal lives. We recognize and honor each awardee for their commitment to quality care and advancements within the field.
This year's prestigious list features several notable honorees, including Connie Savor Price, who serves as the Chief Medical Officer at Denver Health. Price boasts an impressive track record of securing federal funding and has authored over 75 manuscripts and delivered more than 175 lectures on the prevention of healthcare-associated infectious diseases and related subjects. Another deserving recipient of recognition is Catherine Counard, who holds the position of State Medical Officer at the Illinois Department of Public Health, one of the state's long-standing agencies with an annual budget of approximately $500 million. Lastly, we have Sara Fazio, an award-winning Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 50 Women Leaders in Medicine of 2023.
2. Avril Beckford
Chief Pediatric Officer, WellStar Health System
Avril Beckford is a pediatrician who founded the Pediatric and Adolescent Center in 1993 in Atlanta Georgia, and is the Chief Pediatric Officer of the WellStar Health System as well as a member of the WellStar Board of Trustees. She has an unmatched passion and unwavering
commitment to the children, adolescents, and multi-professional team she works with. Their goal is to serve every patient and family as if they are their very own and as if they were the only ones that they serve. They believe overarching is the commitment to up to current best practice and evidence-based medicine.
Beckford is the past president of the Georgia Chapter of the Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the National Nominating Committee of the Academy of Pediatrics. She is passionate about Pediatrics and Pediatric advocacy and has served on a number of other volunteer boards including that of The Lovett School, The Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education, The 1998 Society of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and Camp Kudzu for Children with Diabetes. She has authored 3 books; a parenting book titled Allow Your Children to Fail if You Want Them to Succeed, and two children's books I Love You 65 Bulldozers and The Tooth Fairy, as well as writing the forward of Typecast and a chapter in a major pediatric textbook. She enjoys public speaking and has given presentations internationally. Beckford graduated from the University of Cape Town with an MD in pediatrics.
7. Connie Price
Chief Medical Officer, Denver Health
Connie Savor Price is the Chief Medical Officer at Denver Health and a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Prior to becoming the CMO, she served as the chief of infectious diseases and the medical director of infection control and prevention at Denver Health for 13 years. Price is board-certified in internal medicine, infectious diseases, and medical microbiology. Her research and clinical interest focus on healthcare epidemiology and methods to prevent and rapidly detect emerging and antimicrobial-resistant infections.
Price has a track record of successful federal funding as a principal investigator from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. She has published >75 manuscripts and delivered >175 lectures on the prevention of healthcare-associated infectious diseases and related topics. She is active in the Infectious Diseases Society of America, served in an elected position on the board of directors of the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America, and is a past chair of the American Society for Microbiology section on Healthcare Epidemiology.
Price was the physician representative on the inaugural Colorado Healthcare Associated Infections Advisory Committee for public reporting of healthcare-associated infections for Colorado. She has recognized expertise in outbreak management and has served as a consultant to public health authorities around the world on control of emerging infections, specifically MERS and SARS, as well as Ebola preparedness. Price graduated from Northwestern University - The Feinberg School of Medicine with an MD, from the University of Denver - Daniels College of Business with an MBA, and from Beloit College with an undergraduate degree in biochemistry.
9. Luxme Hariharan
Chief of Ophthalmology & Chief Population Health Officer, Dayton Children's Hospital
Luxme Hariharan is the Chief of Ophthalmology and Chief Population Health Officer at Dayton Children's Hospital. She is building a division of pediatric ophthalmology, optometry, opticians, and childhood blindness prevention at the hospital. Hariharan and her teams are reinventing the pathway to eye health for children, from prevention to early detection, to screening, glasses, access, surgery, and integrated care.
As an accomplished global researcher and child health advocate, Hariharan has a passion for international health that is deeply rooted in her own background. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and she has written textbook chapters on childhood blindness prevention. Hariharan’s life and career passion is to create and scale effective programs and policies to prevent, diagnose, and treat childhood vision disorders both locally and abroad. Specifically, she has experience in policy, advocacy, and governance, working with ministries of health on the implementation of childhood blindness prevention programs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and with the United Nations’ World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
As part of the University of Wisconsin’s competitive medical scholar program, Hariharan majored as an undergraduate in biology, as well as Spanish and Caribbean studies. She earned her medical degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison. She completed a residency in ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania/Scheie Eye Institute in Philadelphia, followed by a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine/Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Hariharan then pursued an additional fellowship in pediatric cornea, cataract, and glaucoma with an emphasis on international health at the University of Southern California Gayle and Edward Roski Eye Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She also holds an MPH with an emphasis on global and child health policy from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. Hariharan is board-certified in ophthalmology. She is a member and serves on several committees within the American Academy of Ophthalmology, The American Academy of Pediatric Ophthalmology, and Strabismus; and sits on the board of directors of Combat Blindness International.
12. Daniela Ferrara
Principal Medical Director, Genentech
Daniela Ferrara received her medical degree summa cum laude from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, one of the most prestigious universities in South America. During medical school, she joined a research group from the Biophysics Institute and conducted laboratory research projects on macromolecular metabolism. She completed a surgical internship and ophthalmology residency at the same University, followed by a master’s degree in ophthalmology. Ferrara completed her training at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, achieving a PhD degree in ophthalmology and visual sciences. Ferrara moved to the US in 2006 to complete a research fellowship in Medical Retina at the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital affiliated with New York University, and since then she has been working on multimodal imaging analysis for clinical trials on retinal diseases. Ferrara’s training and career are shaped to bring together basic research and clinical challenges.
Ferrara’s major research interests include imaging of the posterior segment of the eye, and multimodal imaging analysis on pathological conditions of the vitreous, retina, and choroid. As assistant professor of ophthalmology at Tufts University School of Medicine, Ferrara is currently involved with the Optical Coherence Tomography Team at the New England Eye Center, a multidisciplinary group that promotes the scientific contribution in a clinical setting between retina specialists and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
As Principal Medical Director in the Clinical Science team of Genentech, one of the largest biotech companies worldwide, Ferrara participates in the development and execution of clinical initiatives within the Clinical Ophthalmology group. She is a key contributor in building an integrated plan for late product development, providing support and clinical guidance, and assessing future opportunities to advance the science and address unmet needs in ophthalmology.
17. Heather Sojourner
Community Medical Director Utah, WellBe Senior Medical
Heather Sojourner is a board-certified family physician and fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Sojourner is on a mission to help patients lead meaningful lives and improve access to care for the highest-risk populations. After 16 years of creating and owning a thriving five-physician privately owned medical practice in Utah and being the former US medical director for an international digital health technology company, she is now focusing on making healthcare easier for Utah’s highest-risk Medicare population as the WellBe Senior Medical Utah Medical Director. As an advocate for digital healthcare and other innovative care models, Dr. Sojourner is proud to work within the WellBe care model providing concierge-level home-based primary care to patients struggling with the traditional models of care. She believes in an interdisciplinary team approach to healthcare so leading the Utah WellBe team of nurse practitioners, social workers, pharmacists, and other clinicians is a natural fit for her leadership.
Dr. Sojourner was born and raised in Little Rock, AR where she attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville for her undergraduate degree and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock for medical school. She then completed the Virginia Commonwealth University Riverside Regional Family Medicine Residency Program in Newport News, VA. Dr. Sojourner moved to Utah in 2005 where she happily resides with her husband, kids, and three dogs.
Dr. Sojourner currently serves on the American Academy of Family Physicians Commission for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness and the Utah Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors. Other notable roles for Dr. Sojourner include a four-year term as the Intermountain Medical Center Department of Family Medicine chairperson, Salt Lake County Medical Society president, and an active member of both the American Medical Association and Utah Medical Association.
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18. Aenor Sawyer
MD, UCSF
Aenor Sawyer has more than two decades of experience in the development and evaluation of health technologies, telemedicine, and remote medical management. Her experience in remote medical management includes 15 years as an Expedition Medic and Medical Advisor for extreme ocean rowers. She also conducts research with the Australian Antarctic Division on remote medical monitoring. Additionally, she has expertise in remote care and Space Health/Medical management as the Director of the UC Space Health Program and previously served as the Chief Health Innovation Officer for the Translational Research Institute for Space Health, a NASA-funded program.
Sawyer is a member of the UCSF IT Governance Committee, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the UCSF Center for Advanced 3D+ Technologies, Co-Founder of the Center for Digital Health Innovation, and a UCSF HEALTH HUB board member. Her external roles also include chair of the MCRI HealthTechnology Advisory Board, advisor to UCSF Invest Fund, advisor to ANDHealth, External Advisory Board Member of the Scripps Translational Sciences Institute, and prior associate editor of Nature’s Digital Medicine Journal.
As a UCSF Orthopedist, she is the Founder and Director of the Skeletal Health Service where she combines her background as an orthopaedic surgeon, physical therapist, and exercise physiologist enabling pediatric to geriatric patients to optimize their bone health across the lifespan. Her career includes 10 years as a Physical Therapist, after which she received an MS in human physiology and her MD from the University of California, Davis. Upon completion of her orthopaedic surgery residency at Stanford University, she completed fellowship training in paediatric orthopaedic surgery and paediatric/adolescent sports medicine, both at Boston Children's Hospital and in the Harvard Orthopaedic program.
21. Samira Ummat
Medical Director, Longevity Medical Clinic & Bellamedica
Dr. Samira Ummat is a regenerative medicine specialist in Kirkland, WA, with over 20 years of experience in transforming the way people age. She is currently the Medical Director of Longevity Medical Clinic and Bellamedica, an upscale age management practice with several locations in the Puget Sound area of Washington State. She believes in empowering her patients and others with knowledge and tools to transform their health on her popular weekly radio show Leading Edge Medicine and Beautiful You. Dr. Ummat has also appeared on the TV show New Day Northwest with King 5 in Seattle to discuss aging and hormonal balance.
After obtaining her medical degree from a renowned school, she then completed her residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation, a field of internal medicine dedicated to helping people heal after injuries, strokes, and complicated medical setbacks. Her goals changed after several years of practice to focus on prevention and well-being and proactively reduce the risk and progression of many diseases. She is certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Academy of Regenerative Medicine.
Dr. Ummat integrates evidence-based interventions with a comprehensive and proactive approach to patient care. Her specialties include disease prevention, women's and men’s health, hormone replacement therapy, nutritional and metabolic therapy, and exercise physiology. She combines cutting-edge, age management treatments with her mind-body philosophy in patient management. She emphasizes the importance of preventive medicine, focusing on early detection and intervention to address potential health issues before they become more serious. By identifying risk factors and implementing personalized preventive strategies, Dr. Ummat aims to delay the onset of age-related conditions, addressing the unique needs of each individual to help them achieve their goals and enjoy a fulfilling life.
25. Nieca Goldberg
Medical Director, Atria New York City
Nieca Goldberg is the Medical Director of Atria New York City. Prior to joining Atria, Goldberg was the medical director of NYU Women’s Heart Program, senior advisor of Women’s Health Strategy at NYU Langone Health, and the founder and medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at the NYU Langone Medical Center.
Goldberg continues to serve as a clinical associate professor of medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. A graduate of Barnard College and SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Goldberg completed her medical residency at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center and a cardiology fellowship at SUNY Downstate.
27. Luti Kashimawo
PICU Medical Director & Section Head Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Ochsner Health
Luti Kashimawo is the PICU Medical Director and Section Head of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at Ochsner Health. She earned her medical degree from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife in Nigeria. She completed her internship and practiced at the Massey Street Children's Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria, before immigrating to the US. Kashimawo completed her pediatric residency and fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine at the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospital. She is board-certified in general pediatrics as well as pediatric critical care medicine and has been on staff at Ochsner since August 2001 as a pediatric intensive care provider. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
Kashimawo is the section head and medical director of the pediatric intensive care unit at Ochsner Hospital for Children. She has been very instrumental in the growth of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and has built a solid team of specialists caring for critically ill children with complex needs and their families. She believes every child should be cared for with respect and compassion.
31. Sacsha T.M. Sanders
Physician Consultant & Territory Manager, Vikor Scientific™
Dr. Sacsha T.M. Sanders made history when she became the first African American from Portage County, Ohio to earn an MD. As a modern-day renaissance woman, she empowers other female physicians to branch into the business of medicine, fostering physician-owned and operated hospitals, pioneering physician-developed medical devices and products as well as drawing focus to the impact of the intersection of biotechnology and medical diagnostics.
Dr. Sanders believes that innovation and entrepreneurship are the driving forces to setting this generation of female physicians apart. Her transformational leadership and commitment to philanthropy have had an international and local impact. She has participated in missions focused on small islands in the Caribbean as well as serving underprivileged communities in Ohio through various Christian charities and organizations including Emmanuel's Mission which she co-founded with her mother, and the Miss Universe Organization which she holds the title of Miss Ravenna, USA.
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33. Diana Chavkin
Infertility Specialist & Reproductive Endocrinologist, Pacific Fertility Center Los Angeles
Dr. Diana Chavkin is a double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and an infertility specialist who is passionate about helping people build their families. She sees patients at Pacific Fertility Center Los Angeles. For over 30 years, people have been choosing the Pacific Fertility Center of Los Angeles, one of the leading fertility clinics in the world. With success rates that are among the best in the nation, they have been a part of over 13,500 happy, healthy births, creating families, and making dreams come true all over the world.
Having struggled with her own infertility, Dr. Chavkin knows the value of a compassionate, transparent, and effective medical team. She offers personalized care with exceptional outcomes. Her approach is holistic and thoughtfully individualized to each patient. She has empowered thousands of families and individuals through fertility treatment and fertility preservation.
34. Kenna Stephenson
Physician for Primary Care, Northern Arizona VAHCS
Kenna Stephenson, a native Texan, graduated with honors from The University of Texas at Austin, joining the estimated 3% of children orphaned at birth who hold university degrees. At age 5, she declared her desire to become a physician. As a teen she worked in cotton fields, excelled in fast food, and following her 18th birthday, she eagerly became a certified nurse’s aide. She received her last nurse’s aide paycheck on graduation day from medical school. A human artist with an eternal passion for patient care, she thrives on helping others achieve well-being and has cared for over 100,000 patients in diverse settings: on a Marae in rural New Zealand, under triple canopy jungles of Guatemala, inside a mobile unit traversing East Texas minefields, and on a Paramount Pictures’ set.
Stephenson received a Doctor of Medicine degree with Research Honors from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and completed a student clinical research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. Her residency at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center culminated with the Resident’s Resident Award. She is board-certified in Family Medicine, a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, and a member of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. Her career has spanned private practice, community medicine, the creation of a health center for female veterans, employee health, academic medicine, and global health. She has practiced in underserved areas of Texas, Arizona, Belize, Guatemala, Southeast Asia, and New Zealand. Her research has been featured in Family Practice News, Cardiology News, Ob/Gyn News, Medscape, and UK News Digest and she is an award-winning science educator in radio and television. Doctor Kenna currently practices medicine in Northern Arizona and is an associate professor of family, community & preventive medicine at The University of Arizona College of Medicine. Her book, The Gospel of Women’s Health: Awakening Athena Again has received international acclaim.
35. Jamie Engel
Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon, Parkview Medical Center
Jamie Engel is an Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon at Parkview Medical Center. Her clinical interests include polytrauma, complex fracture care, periarticular fractures, nonunions, and pelvic/acetabular fractures. Engel’s experience is primarily within clinical and biomechanical research with national and regional presentations, as well as multiple publications of peer-reviewed articles and a book chapter.
Engel currently serves on committees in the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society, the Orthopaedic Trauma Association, and the ACGME. She is passionate about orthopaedic education and research and the advancement of women in orthopaedics. Previously, she served as an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery and sports medicine where she was responsible for covering trauma calls, operating on complex fractures, teaching residents and medical students, and conducting research. Engel graduated from Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo with an MD and from the University of Notre Dame with an undergraduate degree in science professional studies.
36. Haley Parker
Director of Clinical Operations, Virginia University of Integrative Medicine
Haley Parker is a state board-licensed acupuncturist and herbalist in VA, DC, MD, NJ, and GA. She is a New Mexico State Board Doctor of Oriental Medicine, and a Diplomat in Oriental Medicine certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
Haley received her master’s degree in The Science of Oriental Medicine from Southwest Acupuncture College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her background as a Division 1 athlete contributed to her successful strategy of working with student-athletes on sports-related psychology, competitive performance, and nutritional aspects of their athletic training. Haley’s passion for athletics and physical fitness continued to serve her as she worked as the resident acupuncturist at the prominent El Gancho Racquet and Fitness Club in Santa Fe, New Mexico before she joined Princess Cruise Lines to travel the world for 5 years. Over this time, she became extremely proficient at teaching acupuncture to guests and jump-starting their healing while they were on vacation.
For the past 5 years, Haley worked for Palmercare Chiropractic in two locations in Northern Virginia. She onboarded and coached the newly hired acupuncturists into the company and helped them transition into their businesses. Her passion for teaching was ignited, and she joined the Virginia University of Integrative Medicine in 2021 to teach the practice management and clinical communications curriculum. She is currently serving as the Director of Clinical Operations for the University, overseeing the VA, NJ, and GA locations.
Haley is a board member of the Acupuncture Society of Virginia lobbying for acupuncture advocacy, The NCCAOM Professional Ethics and Disciplinary Committee, and the Acupuncture Advisory Board for the Virginia Board of Medicine. She has worked to represent acupuncturists, as well as the community, in the healthcare system. She is passionate about the acupuncture movement across the legislative and integrative healthcare systems. She is inspired to become more informed and involved through her work with her colleagues in the state and wants to continue to encourage professional networks and group representation across the state, nation, and even further.
37. Heather M. Prendergast
Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs, College of Medicine
Dr. Heather Prendergast is a physician-scientist and leader recognized for developing high-quality medical programs and creating strategic alliances while fostering positive hospital, physician, and community relationships. She has successfully increased engagement through effective retention strategies that focus on developing and mentoring staff, faculty, and students.
Dr. Prendergast's passion and focus have been on minority cardiovascular health, particularly for individuals seeking care within the emergency department, together with community engagement. Her research has been well funded, most notably she has been the recipient of continuous funding since 2007. She currently serves as the principal investigator for the first Randomized Clinical Trial funded by NHLBI focused on addressing asymptomatic undiagnosed/uncontrolled hypertension in a predominantly minority population being discharged from the emergency department.
As a physician-leader, Dr. Prendergast led the efforts to establish the first off-site University of Illinois Multispecialty Ambulatory Clinic in 2020. She also spearheaded the submission to the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services for the Inaugural Healthcare Transformation Initiatives Collaborative on behalf of the University of Illinois Physicians Group, with a subsequent award of $17.2M. This award established the 55th and Pulaski Healthcare Collaborative, the second off-site University of Illinois Multispecialty Ambulatory Clinic.
Dr. Prendergast has received several awards for her work. She received an MD degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed a residency in emergency medicine at the University of Maryland Hospital in Baltimore, MD. She received her MPH, Master in Clinical and Translational Science, and MHA from the University of Illinois School of Public Health. She received her MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago Business Liautaud Graduate School.
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39. Deborah Gilboa
Founder & CEO, Ask Doctor G
Resilience expert, Dr. Deborah Gilboa, teaches individuals, teams, and companies some of the most valuable skills they need to learn - how to transform fear, stress, and anxiety into resilience, productivity, and innovation. Dr. Gilboa is a popular TV guest and a board-certified family physician who frequently appears on top television programs including TODAY, Good Morning America, and The Doctors. She is also a contributor to the Washington Post, The New York Times, Huffington Post, Forbes, and other print and digital outlets. Dr. Gilboa is the author of five self-development books, which include From Stressed to Resilient: The Guide to Handle More and Feel It Less.
Popularly known in the wellness world as “Dr. G.,” Dr. Gilboa helps companies foster resiliency in the workplace by teaching professionals how to develop the skills they need to cope with difficult events, daily pressures, and trauma they may face on the job or at home. She collaborates with a broad range of brands that include Westinghouse, the Young President’s Organization, Boy Scouts of America, and the Foundation for Alcohol Responsibility.
A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine and Carnegie Mellon University, Dr. G. serves a highly diverse, multilingual population in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the Squirrel Hill Health Center. She is also a clinical associate professor for the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and has received many awards for clinical excellence in teaching including the Alpha Omega Alpha Volunteer Clinical Faculty Award. Fluent in American Sign Language, Dr. Gilboa’s work with the Deaf community has received national recognition, as well as being the focus of her service as an Albert Schweitzer Fellow. An alumna of Second City Improv Theater in Chicago, she has a great sense of humor that has earned her the appreciation of audiences and patients alike. Past clients note her ability to positively impact corporate culture, help them navigate change without pain, and cut through complex subjects in a clear and entertaining manner.
41. Aarti Singla
Interventional Pain Physician, Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine
Aarti Singla is passionate about helping people regain their active lifestyles. She specializes in providing comprehensive non-surgical care for spine-related issues, joint pain, and a wide variety of pain syndromes. She is dual board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation, pain medicine, and independent medical examinations and is an integral member of the Beacon Spine care team. Singla embraces a comprehensive approach to patient care, customizing each treatment plan to her patients’ specific needs. Her practice is mainly referral-generated from primary care providers, specialists, and patients. At her disposal is a wide variety of options, including interventional pain procedures, regenerative treatments, medications, therapy, bracing, and patient education.
Singla has additional certification in independent medical examinations from the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners. She conducts independent medical examinations, serves as an expert witness, and reviews records. Singla attended an accelerated program for undergraduate and medical school at Northeastern Ohio Medical University and completed her residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. She further advanced her training and education by completing a fellowship in pain management at the University of Kentucky. Previously, she worked for a private practice orthopaedic group in St. Louis and Cincinnati and served as medical director of an inpatient rehabilitation unit prior to joining Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine.
42. Allyson Shrikhande
Chief Medical Officer, Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine
Dr. Allyson Shrikhande is a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, Chief Medical Officer of Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine, and an expert in women’s and men’s health and sexual health. A leading expert on pelvic health and a respected researcher, author, and lecturer, Dr. Shrikhande is a recognized authority on female and male pelvic pain diagnosis and treatment. Formerly affiliated with Weill Cornell, Shrikhande helped to found the Weill Cornell Medical Center Women’s Health Musculoskeletal Outpatient Clinic. Dr. Shrikhande is passionate about this cause and dedicated to helping women and men with pelvic pain who often suffer without anyone willing to listen, understand, or find the cause of their pain.
After suffering from persistent pelvic pain herself, Dr. Shrikhande was left feeling unseen by the healthcare system which led her to develop the protocol that is used nationwide by the pelvic pain specialists at PRM to help stop the suffering patients have to endure. Shrikhande founded PRM to serve chronic pelvic pain patients - a population that is often silent and silenced. As a physiatrist treating pelvic pain, she focuses not on a single organ system but on the interplay of the different organ systems in the pelvis with each other and with the muscles and nerves. The treatment she created is safer, more comfortable, and efficacious. The best part? It’s safer for women (who are a majority of PRM's patients - such as those with endometriosis), as it avoids radiation and offers the ability for patients to receive treatment and go on with their day. PRM is proud to be the only national organization of pelvic pain specialists that offers a unique and comprehensive ultrasound-guided approach to the pelvis - the first of its kind in the country.
For Shrikhande, her passion is in validating patients' symptoms and letting them know they aren't alone, even if they feel they are - something PRM sees so often being on the front lines of endometriosis. She loves to help them connect the dots to come up with a treatment plan to get them on their way to living their life again, along with educating them and reminding them that the pain they’re feeling is not in their head, that this is real, and there is a plan to get them on a better path.
43. Rohini Bogineni
Chief of Staff & Trauma Medical Director, Doctors Medical Center of Modesto
Rohini Bogineni is a practicing trauma and general surgeon. She has been the Chief of Staff for Doctors Medical Center as well as the Trauma Medical Director for their busy Level 2 ACS-verified Trauma Center for the past 5 years. A very skilled and compassionate surgeon, Bogineni has over 20 years of experience in general surgery with a special interest in advanced robotic surgery. She is among one of the busiest female robotic surgeons in the Central Valley area of California. Bogineni also has a special interest in endocrine surgery for thyroid and parathyroid pathology. She has held various leadership roles and strived to work hard not only in the field of trauma and general surgery but also towards improving the processes geared towards the overall quality of care for surgical patients. She has served as the past chairman of the Department of Surgery and was instrumental along with other physician leaders in reshaping surgical care during the COVID pandemic.
Bogineni obtained her MD from the prestigious Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, India. She trained in general surgery at the Worcester Warwickshire BST program in the UK for 3 years prior to her move to the United States. Her general surgery residency was at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital in New York before completion at the Carolinas Medical Center, affiliated with Wake Forest School of Medicine. She has also served as the cancer liaison physician for the Cancer Committee for Doctors Medical Center. In addition to her surgical practice, Bogineni serves as the secretary at Stanislaus Medical Society and has been on the board of directors for the Medical Society. She is a board-certified general surgeon by the American Board of Surgery and a current fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
44. Christie-Michele Hogue
CEO & Founder, Mouth Mirrors
Dr. Christie-Michele Hogue is a dental clinician, researcher, educator, and author. She has devoted over a decade of service to our nation’s veterans as a dental clinician with the VAMC. She previously served as a dental research investigator at the Miami VA Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center. Dr. Hogue's research focuses on cultural competence and health literacy for minority veterans to address oral health disparities. Her areas of interest include oral health and frailty, preventative/behavioral dentistry, dental ageism, oral health literacy, oral health disparities, health equity, and cultural competency. As a dental clinician, she is passionate about patient education and sharing the correlation between oral and systemic health. As a dental researcher, she hopes to enhance and innovate interactive models of care to empower patients to participate in their healthcare through knowledge and behavior modifications.
She is the CEO and Founder of Mouth Mirrors LLC, an online education company, established to help bridge the gap through knowledge and education with an interdisciplinary approach to learning. The overall goal is to encourage health professionals to render compassionate, competent, comprehensive care for the oral health of our most vulnerable older populations. Dr. Hogue is also the host of the Aging Pearls Podcast.
Dr. Hogue is a distinguished fellow of the American Geriatric Society. She completed an advanced fellowship in geriatrics focusing on geriatric research, education, and clinic care at Bruce W. Carter Miami VA. She completed her general practice residency in her hometown of Detroit, Michigan at the John D. Dingell Veteran Affairs Medical Center. She graduated from Howard University College of Dentistry earning a Doctor of Dental Surgery. She completed her undergraduate studies at Tennessee State University graduating with a Bachelor of Science.
46. Kara Hartl
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Troy Medical
Kara Hartl is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Troy Medical. Hartl has been practicing medicine in Fairbanks, Alaska for almost 15 years where she has witnessed firsthand the challenges of obtaining medical treatment. She created Troy Medical with the belief that everyone should have access to excellent medical care, no matter where they live. Troy Medical is a new approach to telemedicine with the goal of bringing medical specialists from all over the country to remote and medically underserved communities using technology. Troy Medical provides an enhanced telemedicine experience using a hybrid of online and in-person care.
Previously, Hartl was an ophthalmology resident at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. She earned an MD from UC San Diego School of Medicine and an undergraduate degree in biology from Harvard University.
47. Alexis Anvekar
Founder & Concierge Physician, The Leela Integrative Medicine Center
Dr. Alexis Anvekar is a Concierge Integrative Medicine Doctor with a solo medical practice in Pasadena, California. She is board-certified with the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine, the American Board of Internal Medicine, and the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons.
Dr. Anvekar was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was not allowed to attend college due to her gender, so she left home at age 18 and financed 100% of her room, board, and education. She recalls many nights sleeping in her car for the first couple of years and states that her inspiration came from famous quotes of people who were once struggling like her. She told herself every single day, “I’m giving it 110% today because I’m quitting tomorrow.”
Dr. Anvekar graduated with honors from UC San Diego, obtaining degrees in biochemistry and cell biology, with a minor in psychology. She graduated from the USC School of Medicine and was the sole student in her medical school class selected into USC’s highest secret honor society. As a senior at the medical school, she was invited along with the top 0.01% of graduating seniors to complete a coveted leadership fellowship called the USC Presidential Fellowship run by USC's Marshall School of Business.
Anvekar was very active in leadership roles throughout college and medical school, including roles as student body president, student body VP, editor-in-chief for the college newspaper, co-editor-in-chief of the medical school newspaper, co-founder of Student Organization for the Medical Awareness of AIDS, delegate for American Medical Association and American Medical Women's Association (AMWA). She received a national leadership award with AMWA given to the most promising female physician-in-training in the country.
48. Melissa Rosenhan
Certified Physician Associate, Schweiger Dermatology Group
Melissa Rosenhan is a Certified Physician Assistant at Schweiger Dermatology Group. As a clinician, she takes pride in seeing patients of all ages for both medical and cosmetic treatments. She believes and practices medicine in accordance with the strong correlations between self-confidence, overall health, wellness, and quality of life allowing for a holistic approach to her care. She focuses on a patient-centered approach, aiming to address each patient’s concerns by understanding motivations and adequately educating each patient with each visit.
Rosenhan graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in biochemistry. From there, she earned her MPH from New York University, focusing on community and international healthcare, education, and healthcare management. Her passion has always been attributed to clinical medicine, namely dermatology. As such, she went on to receive her master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Stony Brook University. She completed clerkships in psychology, obstetrics/gynecology, general surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, orthopedics, outpatient medicine, geriatrics, emergency medicine, and dermatology. In addition, she went on a medical mission to Honduras, where was given the opportunity to serve underprivileged communities from a public health and clinical medicine standpoint. During her two years at Stony Brook, Rosenhan served her class as the House of Delegate representative of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. She completed a dermatology residency program at Schweiger Dermatology Group, where she trained alongside top dermatology clinicians in medical and cosmetic treatments and surgical interventions. Melissa is a member of the New York State Society of Physician Assistants, the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants.
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