Medical Director, YogaMedics
Director of Clinical Program Development
Visiting Physicians/USMM
Farmington Hills, Michigan

Dan Fink MD is the Director of Clinical Program Development for Visiting Physicians Association. This is a group of 155 doctors spread across the country. The practice delivers in-home medical care to their 30,000 patients located in 7 states. This is a rapidly expanding and valuable service for elderly and housebound patients. Previously Dr. Fink has extensive experience in the field of occupational medicine, both as an administrator and a direct care provider. In 2005 Dr. Fink became its Medical Director of Concentra Medical Center.  In this position he was responsible for the supervision, training, direction, quality assurance, and staff development for the organization's physicians, physician assistants, associate physicians, nursing and other medical personnel. 

In the course of his career, Dr. Fink has launched several successful medical ventures in Michigan, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, where he developed protocols and was responsible for hiring and training a medical staff in the areas of health care delivery and communication with employers, insurance carriers and case managers.
He co-authored a textbook with Dr. Robert Silver, entitled The Delivery of Occupational Health Care Services, which outlined techniques for staff and administrative development, billing and marketing structures, stocking clinical supplies, and implementing a corporate-wide quality control system.

Dr. Fink is a member of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and serves on the Board of Directors of the Michigan branch of the American Occupational Medical Association. He also holds the elected position of Chairman of the Workers Compensation Subcommittee of the Michigan State Medical Society and was invited by the State of Michigan to join the Workers Compensation Advisory Committee.

Dr. Fink also served as Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, where he taught both occupational and family practice residents. He was voted Teacher of the Year by the residents in 2001.

He has been a staff member at Bon Secours Hospital, Cottage Hospital, and St. John's Hospital of Detroit.

Medical Director, Mental Health, YogaMedics
Chairman, Behavioral Medicine
Providence Hospital
Southfield, Michigan

Dr. Hollander brings a wealth of experience to YogaMedics in the field of psychiatry, chemical dependency, and medical education. She currently serves as Chair of Behavioral Medicine, Medical Director, and Assistant Medical Education Coordinator at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan.

Her responsibilities include clinical and administrative supervision of a dually licensed inpatient program, development of educational modules, family conferences, quality improvement programs, and service on several hospital committees such as Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Geriatric Services.

Prior to joining the staff of Providence Hospital, she was a contractual physician for The Counseling Center in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Dr. Hollander has presented papers and attended numerous conferences on topics such as stress reduction, addiction and substance abuse, spirituality in medicine, and alternative and integrative medical practices.

Dr. Hollander received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition from Michigan State University and her Doctor of Medicine degree from the Wayne State University School of Medicine. Her prior education includes residencies at the Detroit Psychiatric Institute and Sinai Hospital of Detroit. She is a certified Diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and a member of the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Hollander resides in West Bloomfield, Michigan with her husband of 32 years, Robert, and their two children.

Medical Director, Pain Management, YogaMedics
Physical medicine and rehabilitation, Pain Medicine, Internal medicine
Rehabilitation Physicians PC (RPPC)
Farmington Hills, Michigan

Dr. Maury Ellenberg brings an extensive background in physical medicine and rehabilitation to YogaMedics. He is the current President of Rehabilitation Physicians, P. C. in Novi, Michigan and is a Clinical Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Wayne State University, where he has taught for 27 years. Dr. Ellenberg is a member of numerous professional societies; including the American Medical Association, the Michigan State and Wayne County Medical Societies, the American and the Michigan Academies of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the American Association of Electromyography and Electrodiagnosis, and the Association of Academic Physiatrists.

He has received awards from various organizations and was selected several years in a row by Best Doctors, Inc. of Aiken, South Carolina. He has also served on committees for numerous professional organizations on the national, state, and local level, including the legislative committee for the Michigan Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AMPM&R).

Dr. Ellenberg is an active member of the community. He serves as Chairman of the Board of the Yeshiva Beth Yehuda private school in Southfield. He also consults for AMOD, an organization of volunteer physicians who provide referrals and medical advice and participates in the “Chessed” program, providing free medical care to indigent members of the community. He and his wife reside in Oak Park, Michigan. They have five children.

Medical Director, Cardiology, YogaMedics
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Wayne State University 
School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
Medical Director, Cardiac Rehabilitation, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan, Medical Director, Carnegie Medical Institute, Troy, Michigan

Dr. Kahn brings an abundance of experience in the field of cardiology to the YogaMedics Board of Directors. He is on staff at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak and Troy. He is also the Medical Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation for William Beaumont Hospital and practices at Michigan Heart Group in Troy.
A graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Dr. Kahn completed his cardiology fellowship at the University of Texas in Dallas. He also completed advanced training in angioplasty at the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and its subspecialty board of Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Cardiology.
Dr. Kahn is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American College of Physicians, and the Society of Cardiac Angiography and Intervention. He is a member of the Oakland County Medical Society, the Michigan State Medical Society, and the American Heart Association.

Dr. Kahn has been a featured lecturer on a local and national level and has published over 100 articles on various medical topics.

Medical Director Occupational Medicine, YogaMedics
Director, Division of Occupational Medicine and
Assistant Professor of Family Medicine & Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine
Medical Director, City of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan

Dr. James Blessman is currently an Assistant Professor at Wayne State University, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Division of Occupational and Environmental Health.  In this capacity he also serves as the Medical Director for the City of Detroit.  Born and raised in Detroit Michigan, he graduated from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in 1984.  Dr. Blessman pursued additional specialty training in Internal Medicine from Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, after which he obtained a Masters in Public Health from the University of Washington in Seattle.  Married and the proud father of four, his academic interests surround attaining wellness and peak performance, occupational injury/illness prevention, managing delayed recovery in workers, and emergency preparedness.

Medical Director, Substance Abuse & Addiction, YogaMedics CEO, Brighton Hospital Brighton Hospital Brighton, Michigan

Denise Bertin-Epp is the President and Chief Nursing Officer at Brighton Hospital, a treatment center for chemical dependency.

She is a member of Legatus, an organization for Catholic business leaders; the American Society for Quality, the Michigan Hospital Association and the Brighton Chamber of Commerce. She also sits on the board of The Community Health Center in Toronto, Ont.

Bertin-Epp has a bachelor’s degree in nursing from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., and a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from Central Michigan University.

Clinical Scientist, YogaMedics
Professor of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (tenured), Department of Public Health, Division of Occupational and Environmental Health,
Wayne State School of Medicine
Detroit, Michigan

Dr. Arnetz is a native of Sweden with a wealth of experience in the field of occupational and environmental health. He received his Bachelor of Science, his Doctorate and his Medical Degree at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and also earned Masters Degrees in Public Health and Epidemiology at Harvard University in Boston.

Dr. Arnetz is currently a tenured Professor and Director of the Division of Occupational and Environmental Health of the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine. He is also a staff member at Sinai Grace Hospital, Detroit Medical Center.

In Sweden, Dr. Arnetz is an Associate Professor in Psychophysiology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and a tenured Professor of Social Medicine in the Department of Public Health at Uppsala University.

Dr. Arnetz gives frequent lectures to medical students on the issues of occupational and environmental health, stress medicine and physician health. He has been interviewed by international and local media, including FOX, NPR, and the Detroit Free Press. He also consults with public and private enterprises on wireless technologies such as PDA’s, health effects from electric and magnetic fields, and stress prevention and treatment.

Dr. Arnetz belongs to several professional organizations, including the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the American Psychosomatic Society, the American Public Health Association, and the American College of Preventive Medicine. He was also appointed by the Swedish government to the Vardal Foundation for health care and allergy research, where he has served as Associate Chair since 2004.

Public Health Scientist, YogaMedics
Co-Founder & President, YogaMedics, LLC
West Bloomfield, Michagan

Prior to founding YogaMedics, Sarah served as Manager of Strategic Development for the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, where she developed programs on behalf of all 146 hospitals in the state of Michigan. Sarah has worked with the senior leadership of many hospitals, businesses, physicians groups, insurance companies, and health-related systems to develop and implement innovative health care programs.

Sarah has been practicing yoga for more than ten years and has been a certified teacher for the last five years. She has attended numerous teacher training programs and workshops.

She developed the idea for YogaMedics after studying current health care trends and wellness programs. She believes that the integration of yoga and traditional medicine can help people within the health care system achieve a variety of goals, including reduced pain and improved healing, strength and flexibility.

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Kalamazoo College, where she studied psychology with a focus on behavioral interventions.  She earned a Masters of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan, with a dual focus in Health Behavior and Education and Health Management and Policy. 

Clinical Scientist, YogaMedics
Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Laboratories
William Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Michigan

Dr. Franklin has been director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Exercise Laboratories at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, since 1985. He is also professor of family medicine at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and he served as president of the American College of Sports Medicine from 1999 to 2000. A prolific writer, he has authored or coauthored more than 300 scholastic papers. He earned his PhD in physiology from Pennsylvania State University and a master's degree from the University of Michigan

Wellness Scientist, YogaMedics
Founder & National Director of Kids Kicking Cancer
Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan

Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg, who holds a First Degree Black Belt in the healing art of Choi Kwon Do, is the innovative force behind the ground-breaking Kids Kicking Cancer therapeutic martial arts program.

Having lost his first child to leukemia at the age of two, Rabbi Goldberg brings a wealth of personal experience and sensitivity to children and families facing life-threatening illness. His first experience with therapeutic martial arts was as the Director of Camp Simcha, an oncology camp located in New York. His ongoing commitment to ease the pain of very sick children and his dream of bringing healing through the empowering focus of the martial arts resulted in the creation of the Kids Kicking Cancer organization in June of 1999. 

In 2004, Rabbi Goldberg received the Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leader’s Award and the McCarty Cancer Foundation’s Humanitarian of the Year Award. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Clinical Scientist, YogaMedics
Professor of Psychiatry
Director, Obesity Research Center
University of Cincinnati School of Medicine
Cincinnati, Ohio

Dr. Woods is Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Obesity Research Center at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio. He received his PhD in physiology and biophysics as well as in psychology from the University of Washington in 1970.  He was on the faculty of Columbia University for several years before returning to the University of Washington where he served as Chair of the Department of Psychology (1981-1988), Associate Dean of the Graduate School (1994-1997), and Associate Vice Provost for Research (1997-1998) before assuming his current positions in 1998.

Dr. Woods has been a recipient of the MERIT Award (1993-2001) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He has served as President of the International Congress on the Physiology of Food and Fluid Intake (1986-1989), President of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (1988-1989), and Chair of the NIH Biopsychology Study Section (1998).  Dr. Woods has published over 400 articles in the subject areas of food intake, obesity and the brain’s control of energy homeostasis, and addictive behavior, in such peer-reviewed publications as Science, Nature, Diabetes, Endocrinology, American Journal of Physiology, Appetite, Brain Research, Journal of Nutrition, Nature Medicine, and Psychological Review. His published articles have been cited over 15,000 times.  He is the co-editor of the Handbook of Behavioral Neurobiology, Food and Fluid Intake (2004). His current NIH-supported research projects include “Insulin and CNS Control of Food Intake and Body Weight,” “Gut-Brain Mechanisms in Dietary Obesity,” “The Importance of Meal Anticipation,” and “The Role of TNFα in the Control of Food Intake.”

Executive Vice President,
Michigan Health & Hospital Association
Lansing, Michigan

David A. Seaman currently serves as executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association.  In that role, he directs the day-to-day operations of the MHA, including supervision of all functioning divisions, including public policy, advocacy, education and communications, and provides advice on all major internal and external issues affecting the Association and its members.  Before coming to Michigan, Mr. Seaman was employed for six years at the Hospital Association of New York State, where he served as vice president.
        
Mr. Seaman has served on a large number of state and national advisory panels, committees, etc., dealing with such diverse topics as technological innovation, long term care, mental health and minority management, and served as co-chairman of New York Governor Mario Cuomo's Nutrition Education Campaign.
        
Mr. Seaman received his bachelor of science and master of business administration degrees from Cornell University, where he also serves as a frequent guest lecturer.

Case Manager, Staff Psychologist, Baruch College Counseling Center, City University of New York
Child and Family Behavioral Health-Group Practice
New York, New York

Dr. Davis graduated from The University of Michigan with a B.A. in Psychology.  She went on to pursue her Doctorate in Psychology and graduated from The George Washington University.  She is now a licensed clinical psychologist in New York City.

Dr. Davis has treated clinical populations, such as, women with domestic violence issues, women in homeless shelters, women with HIV diagnosis, and has worked with a variety of diagnoses in a community mental health clinic which is directly affiliated with The George Washington University, Center for Professional Psychology.

Currently Dr. Davis specializes in treating college students.  She discovered this passion while doing her internship at Baruch College Counseling Center in New York City. After the completion of her internship Dr. Davis worked at Manhattanville College Counseling Center, a private liberal arts college in Westchester County.  She has presently returned to work as case manager, staff psychologist and supervisor at Baruch College Counseling Center.  Here she works with a diverse range of college students and diagnoses, such as, depression and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, PTSD, LGBT issues and substance abuse. In addition, she is in the process of starting her private practice. 

Director, Professional Education, YogaMedics
Ethicon, Inc.
Birmingham, Michigan

The practice of yoga has become my ultimate teacher of living life in the present moment. Yoga came into my life around 1999 and my love of this practice has grown and evolved over time. I was first introduced to Ashtanga Yoga and have a deep respect and love for the continuity of that practice. Vinyasa Yoga and other Hatha Yoga disciplines have helped me appreciate the spontaneity of the unknown in class and into life. Like life, the process evolves and changes daily. I have found the teachings of yoga and a consistent practice essential to help me understand how to keep my everyday life in balance. Yoga has touched my life in the most amazing ways and I welcome you to come and explore what this practice means to you both on and off the mat. There have been many teachers and friends who have helped guide me along this path. I give my immense thanks and gratitude to each of you. Your gift to me has been sharing a passion for this beautiful practice and creating the most welcoming and loving community here at the Yoga Shelter. I feel honored to explore this path together.

Licensed Clinical Health Psychologist, Personal Life Coach, Yoga Therapist,
The Rochester Center for Behavioral Medicine, The Yoga Shelter, and Private Practice

Melissa Oleshansky, Ph.D. works as a licensed clinical health psychologist, yoga therapist, and life coach specializing in stress management.  She has earned a Ph.D. in clinical health psychology and has two Master's degrees, one in clinical psychology, and the other in educational psychology.  She is also a Hatha yoga instructor.

Dr. Oleshansky works with adults and children.  She integrates proven techniques and strategies to help her patients minimize stress, resolve self-doubt, improve attention and concentration, and improve self-confidence to live the life they desire and deserve.

Senior Physical Therapist
Detroit Medical Center, Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan
Sterling Heights, Michigan

Erin graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelors in Anthropology/Art History in 1992.  She continued her education with greater interest in the physical and health sciences and went to Wayne State University for graduate school in Physical Therapy. Upon graduation in 1998, she began working in Inpatient Rehabilitation at Sinai and Sinai-Grace Hospital. In 2004, she worked for Beaumont Hospital in outpatient orthopedic and neurologic physical therapy. Following the birth of her 2 daughters, she began working contingent as a PT and began personal training post rehabilitation clients at Franklin Athletic Club. Presently, Erin works part-time at DMC-RIM doing outpatient orthopedic and neurologic PT, personal trains and sees home clients whom have had previous injury.

Erin has been practicing yoga for 5 years and strongly believes in the mind and body connection and the importance of integrating the two for improved health and happiness.

 

Attending Physician Certified in Family Practice  
Eastpointe Family Physicians    
Eastpointe, MI

Dr. Aquino brings an abundance of experience in the field of Preventative and Complementary & Alternative Medicine to the YogaMedics Board of Directors. She is an attending physician certified in family practice at Eastpointe Family Physicians. 

A graduate of the Michigan State College of Osteopathic, Dr. Aquino completed her externship at Mount Clemens General Hospital.  She is AOA & ACOFP Board Certified in Family Practice 2004 and a licensed physician in the state of Michigan.

Dr Aquino's professional interests lie in Preventative Medicine.  Along with her personal interests in Yoga Therapy, Dr Aquino is a volunteer at the Living Zen-Organic Center.

 

Licensed Psychologist
Ability Management Associates

 

 

Yoga Specialist, Spine Care, YogaMedics
Hazel Park, Michigan

Ann Fancy, who teaches the YogaMedics Spine Care class, has been practicing yoga since 2001. She studied under Linda Kay at Yoga Chi and completed the Yoga Shelter Teacher Training program with Eric and Lisa Paskel.
        
Her background includes working with young people in various capacities, most recently as director of children’s programs at the Beverly Hills Racquet Club. She also has experience in the areas of marketing, public relations, and event production.

Ann says that she knew after her first yoga class that she was meant to become a teacher.

“Yoga has been my sanctuary, my safe haven, my respite,” she said. “Yoga is truly my anti-depressant. It has allowed me a safe place to grow, learn, explore. I really believe in the power of yoga, the mind-body connection, and the science of healing. Through the practice of yoga, I have learned to honor the integrity of my physical body while creating space for my emotional and spiritual body to heal and grow. Not only have I experienced my life transform as my yoga practice deepens, I have witnessed the same in others time and time again.”

Ann was born in New Hampshire and grew up in Rochester, Michigan, where she was the youngest of three children. She practiced gymnastics and played Rugby and ice hockey. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Wayne State University.

Marcy received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Eastern Michigan University, where she had a double major in Psychology and Communications. She earned her Master of Social Work from Wayne State University, with a concentration in clinical therapy. She worked at Woodside Medical Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan as a psychiatric and substance abuse therapist, doing group and individual therapy.

Marcy is a certified personal trainer and has developed and led group programs designed to help people implement regular exercise routines to improve strength and flexibility and enhance self confidence. She has also coached and trained high school sports teams.

Yoga is an important part of Marcy’s personal and professional life. She has completed Yoga Training and is a certified yoga instructor. At the Yoga Shelter, she supervises other staff members, teaches numerous yoga classes and facilitates life training programs for more than 200 students and instructors.

Most recently, Marcy has been an integral part in the creation of the Experiential Therapeutic Recovery (ETR) program, which integrates yoga and traditional therapy for individuals who have struggled with from various kinds of addiction.

Marcy resides in Farmington Hills, Michigan, with her husband, Steve, Owner of the Yoga Shelter, and their three daughters.

Yoga Pain Specialist, YogaMedics
Franklin, Michigan

Former co-owner of YogaChi in Birmingham, Linda merged her studio with the Yoga Shelter family and now teaches at their Royal Oak, Birmingham, and West Bloomfield locations. Known throughout the yoga community for her creative and insightful style, Linda was voted Style magazine’s “best yoga teacher” from 2003 – 2005. Her 30-year career as a yoga instructor has encompassed thousands of hours of classroom study, numerous workshops, and an RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) Certified Teacher Training Program with the Yoga Alliance.
        
Linda also brings the benefits of her 25-year history as a Myomassologist, which gives her the unique ability to combine her functional knowledge and skill as a body worker with the intuitive and philosophical element of yoga. As a sports enthusiast, she has developed an interest and expertise in the health and care of the spine, therapeutic sports massage, and vinyasa yoga classes.
        
Linda describes her passion as follows, “as a hands-on yoga teacher, I feel comfortable with and honored to utilize the power and responsibility of touch, and thoroughly enjoy helping every body feel as relaxed, invigorated and regenerated as possible!
        
Linda is also the proud grandmother of Grayson Daniel Avery Snell, an aspiring two-year-old yogi.

Board Member, YogaShelter
Principal, COO and Board Member of The Weight Watchers Group, Inc.
Farmington Hills, Michigan

Hannan Lis, an active partner and investor in the Yoga Shelter, is principal, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Board Member of The WW Group, Inc. (Weight Watchers largest franchise group). Besides managing the day-to-day operations of the WW Group, he is also founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lis Ventures LLC, a venture fund that invests in emerging technologies and companies.

Mr. Lis is active in the Metropolitan Detroit community; having served as Past President of the Jewish Community Centers of Metropolitan Detroit, a National board member of the American Jewish Committee, Midwest President and National Vice President of the Jewish National Fund and a member of the Detroit Federation Board of Governors. He is an investor and board member of many companies throughout the United States and Israel.   At the state level, Hannan is a board member of the Wayne State University Manufacturing Information Center, and a past board member of Gleaners Food Bank and the American Diabetes Association. 

He is Co-President of MOPAC, a democratic Political Action committee.
Hannan and his wife, Lisa, have four children. They reside in Farmington Hills, Michigan and also maintain a second home in Hannan’s native city of Haifa, Israel.  

Co-Founder, YogaShelter & YogaMedics
West Bloomfield, Michigan

Steve Feldman is co-founder and owner of YogaMedics and the Yoga Shelter. After spending 25 years building a variety of businesses, Steve considers the Yoga Shelter his ultimate entrepreneurial experience. He describes it as “a place where people from all walks of life can come together as a community while discovering and deepening their practice of yoga, a phenomenon that has provided me with newfound insight into life…”

Under his guidance, the Yoga Shelter has expanded from its original West Bloomfield site to include locations in Royal Oak, Birmingham, Grosse Pointe, and Plans are now underway for additional facilities in Rochester, Michigan and Sherman Oaks, California.More than 11,000 students participate in over 700 yoga classes every month.

Steven is married and the father of three daughters resides in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Steve has been an entrepreneur building various businesses over his twenty five year career. In addition, Steve has helped develop YogaMedics a business specializing in the creation of evidence based therapeutic yoga programs, treating various types of injuries and illnesses.

Reporter/Producer
Lila Productions Media/Broadcast Services
Detroit, Michigan

As the energetic, award-winning Anchor and Health Reporter for FOX 2, Lila enjoys covering stories that help people improve their emotional and physical health and well-being.

Lila is extremely active in numerous community and charitable groups. She serves on multiple boards, including Kids Kicking Cancer, Huron Valley Sinai Hospital, and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. She is also very involved with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization, where she has been a big sister for 20 years.

Lila is also a marathon runner who takes part in the annual Race for the Cure, Gilda’s Walk, and several other charity races. Always one to welcome a new challenge, Lila started competing in triathlons. In 2007, she swam five miles in the Straits of Mackinac to raise funds and awareness for the importance of mentoring. Upon hearing about Lila’s accomplishments, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed her to the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness. She was also named Michigan’s Motorcycle Safety Ambassador by Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land. She has also received many professional accolades and awards, including several Emmy Awards, the Michigan Association of Broadcaster’s Award, two Clarion Awards, and two awards from the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.

Lila is a graduate of Kalamazoo College and the University of Michigan. She holds two Masters Degrees. Lila also speaks five languages and has reported from all over the world, including South Africa, where she covered the inauguration of Nelson Mandela.

Yoga gives Lila the opportunity to slow down and connect. “Between all the demands of work and home, it’s so easy to lose ourselves,” she says. “But a funny thing happens when you stand on a yoga mat and just breathe. It’s a chance to quiet the frenzy…”

Oakwood Healthcare System
Corporate Director, Community Outreach
Dearborn, Michigan

For more than ten years, Lisa has been involved in developing and implementing community outreach programs for the Oakwood Healthcare System in Dearborn, Michigan.

In her current position as Corporate Director, Community Outreach. she oversees a variety of community-based health programs, works with internal and external partnerships and collaborations, develops grant proposals and other funding activities, and oversees a budget of $3.5 million. She is also the administrator in charge of school based/linked health centers, and the Center for Exceptional Families clinics.

Lisa is involved in multiple projects designed to help those populations who need it most; immunization clinics for adults, domestic violence awareness, arts and cultural programs, faith-based and transcultural outreach, multilingual health information for seniors, and child passenger safety.

Her programs have been recognized with awards from various organizations, including the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, the American Hospital Association, United Way Community Services, and the Wayne County Council against Domestic Violence.

She is involved in a number of professional and community organizations, including the AIDS Partnership Michigan, The Senior Alliance (Area Agency on Aging 1-C), The Information Center, and the City of Taylor Library Commission. She has also volunteered for the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, The NEW Center in Ann Arbor, the American Red Cross, and Camp Fire USA.

Lisa has also published numerous articles and given many presentations on a wide variety of health-related topics.