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About Our Experts William Atkinson, MD, MPH 2550 University Avenue West, Suite 415 North • Saint Paul, MN 55114 • 651-647-9009 email [email protected] website www.StandingOrders.org About Our Experts William Atkinson, MD, MPH Dr. William Atkinson is associate director for immunization education at the Immunization Action Coalition, which he joined in 2012. Atkinson attended the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Medicine with postgraduate training in internal medicine, adult infec- tious diseases, and preventive medicine, receiving a master’s degree in public health from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. For 25 years, Atkinson was a medical officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion where he participated in a variety of immunization-related activities including measles surveillance and outbreak control, creation of technical and training materials for vaccine providers, and the development of national immunization policy. From 1995 through 2012, he was the writer, producer, and presenter for 125 national satellite broadcasts and webcasts on multiple vaccine-preventable disease topics. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the U.S. Public Health Service Distinguished Service medal. Julie Morita, MD Dr. Julie Morita is the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH). Her nomination and appointment as commissioner by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in January 2015 is the latest in a succession of leadership positions during her 15 years of service at the CDPH, including medical director for immunization and chief medical officer. She has fostered part- nerships between health systems and the private sector, and is recognized for immunization improvements and increased overall coverage rates. In 2009, Morita led Chicago’s response to the pandemic influenza outbreak, developing a system to distribute more than one million doses of vaccine to clinics and residents across the city. As chief medical officer, Morita directed Chicago’s 2014 strategy to prevent the introduction and spread of the Ebola virus, overseeing the development and launch of the Chicago Ebola Resource Network, the first local network of medical centers working jointly to prepare and respond to a possible Ebola case. Prior to her leadership at the CDPH, Morita was an epidemic intelligence service officer with the CDC, and served patients in private medical practice. Dr. Morita is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical School. She has represented local public health as a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the National Vaccine Advisory Committee, the Illinois Immunization Advisory Committee, the Chicago Area Immunization Campaign, and the Illinois Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics. this initiative is being supported by a sponsorship from pfizer Take A Stand™ National Adult Immunization Standing Orders Training Initiative – Expert Biographies page 2 Alexandra Stewart, JD Alexandra Stewart is an associate professor with the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of Trinity College and the George Washington University Law School. Stewart has worked with a variety of stakeholders, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Vaccine Program Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, conducting research and providing technical assistance to improve standards for immunization coverage and performance in children and adults. She has examined the legal environment in the 50 states and the District of Columbia sur- rounding the use of standing orders for vaccine delivery. Her other research projects have focused on policy and access issues surrounding human papillomavirus vaccine, vaccination of U.S. health care personnel, the U.S. vaccine injury compensation program, vaccines and autism, immunization requirements for school and daycare entry, U.S. vaccine financing, public and private insurance coverage, and the impact of health reform initiatives on vaccine policy and practice. She also has drafted model statutes addressing state private insurance law for immuni- zation coverage, establishment of and data sharing among state immunization information systems, and establishment of perinatal and infant hepatitis B testing and vaccination programs. Litjen (L.J) Tan, MS, PhD L.J Tan is chief strategy officer for the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC), which he joined in January, 2013. Previously, Tan was director of medicine and public health at the American Medical Association (AMA) for 15 years. Tan also serves as co-chair of the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit which is a joint project with IAC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Vaccine Program Office (NVPO). Tan recently served on the National Quality Forum’s Adult Immunizations Expert Committee and is currently a member of the Pharmacy Quality Alliance’s Adult Immunization Working Group and the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Vaccine Study Group (EVASG). He is an editor of Journal for Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, BMC Infectious Diseases, and Medscape Infectious Diseases. He just completed his term as an elected member of the federal National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) and continues to serve on NVAC’s HPV and Vaccine Confidence working groups. Tan has chaired NVAC’s Immunization Infrastructure Working Group and served on its Vaccine Safety Working Group. Tan was a liaison member of CDC’s Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) for 12 years and currently serves on ACIP’s Adult Immunization Working Group. Previously, Tan was a member of the influenza, zoster, and evidence-based working groups of ACIP. this initiative is being supported by a sponsorship from pfizer Take A Stand™ National Adult Immunization Standing Orders Training Initiative – Expert Biographies page 3 Deborah L. Wexler, MD Dr. Deborah Wexler is founder and executive director of the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC). IAC’s mission is to increase immunization rates by providing the nation’s health care pro- fessionals and their patients with practical, concise, and up-to-date immunization information. During the 1990–91 U.S. measles epidemic, Wexler, in her medical practice in Saint Paul, Minnesota, established her first standing orders protocols so that registered nurses could provide vaccination services on their own without a physician being present. Since then, she has guided IAC’s development of standing orders templates for 14 routinely recommended vaccines, along with standing orders for managing medical emergencies related to the vaccination of both children and adults. Under her leadership, IAC also publishes general guidance materials including Using Standing Orders for Administering Vaccines: What You Should Know. All IAC standing orders materials are freely available online at www.immunize.org/standing-orders. Dr. Wexler’s educational background includes a bachelor of science degree in biology and an MD degree from the University of Minnesota. She completed her residency training in the Department of Family Practice and Community Health at the University of Wisconsin. Wexler serves on multiple national committees involved in vaccine policy and strategy issues. She is the recipient of the 2010 Friend of Pharmacy Immunization Leadership Award from the Amer- ican Pharmacists Association and the 2011 National Childhood Immunization Champion award from Every Child By Two. this initiative is being supported by a sponsorship from pfizer.
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