FMEC Board of Trustees

Executive Committee

   Leon McCrea, II, MD, MPH
   
President
    Drexel University College of Medicine
    Tower Health Family Medicine Residency
    Philadelphia, PA

Leon McCrea II, MD, MPH, is an associate professor in the Department of Family, Community & Preventive Medicine, and the director of the Family Medicine Residency program at Drexel University College of Medicine. He also serves as assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion.  He is a key part of the Drexel Pathway to Medical School team, managing the faculty mentorship aspect of the program, and is involved with the Drexel Black Doctors Network student group, promoting the organization to other physicians. Dr. McCrea is the faculty adviser for the Family Medicine Interest Group and a volunteer preceptor for the student-run Health Outreach Project clinics. He currently serves as chair of the Graduate Medical Education Committee on Resident and Fellow Wellness. He is also the course director of the Clinical Internship Scribe program, a collaboration with Holy Family University.  Prior to coming to Drexel, he was a member of the clinical faculty at Crozer-Keystone, during which time he had numerous teaching responsibilities. He served as the associate program director of the residency program from 2012 to 2015, rotation director for the Center for Family Health from 2014 to 2015, and the medical student clerkship director for third- and fourth-year medical students from 2010 to 2012. He received the Resident Teacher Award from the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine in 2010.

   Pam Vnenchak, MD 
   President - Elect
   Lancaster General Health/Penn Medicine
   Lancaster, PA
 
"I chose to become a Family Physician because I love the opportunity to develop ongoing relationships with patients and families. I provide maternity care because I enjoy working with women during pregnancy, delivery and afterwards with their babies. I believe that each of our life stories, born from our life experiences, shape who we are as individuals. These experiences affect our health and how we respond to events in life. I believe that individuals are in charge of their own health. I see my role as an advisor to assist patients in making their own healthcare and lifestyle choices."

   Heather L. Paladine, MD
     NY Presbyterian-Columbia Family Medicine Residency Program
    Treasurer - Secretary
     New York, NY

Dr. Paladine is a family physician who lives and practices  in Manhattan, New York, where she is the residency program director at the New York Presbyterian - Columbia Family Medicine Residency Program. She supervises residents and medical students and treats a predominantly Latino, low-income patient population. She focuses on women's health, including maternity care and reproductive health. In addition to her work on the FMEC board, she is a member of the boards of directors of the New York State Academy of Family Physicians and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. She believes that the United States needs a health care system based on primary care and that the public must learn more about family medicine to pave the way. 

   Donald Raj Woolever, MD, FAAFP 
     Portsmouth Regional Hospital/Tufts University School of Medicine Family Medicine Residency
     Immediate Past President
     Portsmouth, NH 

Donald Raj Woolever, MD, FAAFP is the Program Director of the Portsmouth Regional Hospital/Tufts University School of Medicine Family Medicine Residency, with academic appointments at University of New England, Geisel/Dartmouth and Tufts University.  He was a Fulbright Scholar, attended medical school at University of Rochester, family medicine residency at Travis Air Force Base, California and faculty development fellowship at University of North Carolina.  Dr. Woolever served as a medical officer in the US Air Force and has been a residency director for 14 years, receiving multiple teaching awards.  He is the immediate past president of the Family Medicine Education Consortium Board of Trustees, was elected as a Member-at-Large to the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors Board of Directors in 2022, and has been on the Academic Council of the National Institute of Program Director Development since 2015. He has presented widely on professionalism, team-building, hidden curriculum and mentoring, and published on clinical decision-making, evidence-based medicine and ambiguities in the residency environment. Raj is married to fellow family physician, Cindy Dechenes, and they have 2 adult children.

Board Members

   Maya Bass, MD, MA, FAAFP
   Cooper/CMSRU Family Medicine Residency
   Camden, NJ

  
Dr. Bass currently works as an Assistant Professor and Program Director in the department of family medicine at Cooper University and Regional Clinical Leader for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region for the Reproductive Health Access Project. She earned a master’s degree in Stem Cell and Developmental Biology from Wesleyan University, Connecticut. She earned her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College (now Sidney Kimmel Medical College) at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. She completed her family and community medicine residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia. She completed her fellowship in the Leadership Training Academy through Physicians for Reproductive Health learning to be a physician advocate for Reproductive Rights and Justice. She is a certified trainer through Providers Clinical Support System and the Health Federation of Philadelphia to run training required to prescribe medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder as well as through the IMPACT program of ACOG to run training on management of early pregnancy loss. She is dedicated to providing compassionate care to stigmatized populations and to improving the overall wellness of her patients and communities.

   Donald Beckstead, MD, FAAFP
    UPMC Altoona Family Medicine Residency
    Altoona, PA


Dr. Don Beckstead graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1984 and subsequently completed residency at Allegheny Family Physicians program in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Upon finishing residency he remained on as faculty of what is now the Program Director at UPMC Altoona Family Medicine Residency, and he opened their rural satellite office in Williamsburg, PA in 1987.  He became Program Director of the family medicine residency in Altoona in 2006 and has remained in that position since.   Dr Beckstead has interests in practice management, sports medicine, addiction medicine, and rural medicine.  He has served on the Committee on Curriculum & Professional Development for the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians for the past few years, and is head of the FMEC “Rural Initiative”.   Always a strong advocate for the FMEC, he has also served on the FMEC Host Committee for three of the past nine annual meetings and is happy to be joining the current Board of Directors!

   Tracey Conti, MD
   Chair of family medicine at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
    Pittsburgh, PA

Dr. Tracey Conti joined the Latterman Family Health Center faculty as a part time preceptor in 2002 and became full time faculty in September 2005. She has held many leadership roles within the residency including; Director of Research and Scholarly Projects, Medical Director and Associate Program Director. Dr. Conti became the Program Director in 2012.  
In 2021, Dr. Conti was named chair of family medicine at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.  She is a native of Pittsburgh and graduated from Woodland Hills Senior High School. She attended Benjamin Banneker Honors College at Prairie View A&M; University in Texas and received a B.S. in Biology. Dr. Conti received her M.D. from Temple University in Philadelphia PA. She found a ‘right-fit’ with family medicine as it represented a medical specialty with the scope and breadth to provide transformative care experiences for a wide variety of patients regardless of socioeconomic status. Dr. Conti completed family medicine residency training at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, where she also served as a chief resident and later completed fellowship training in faculty development.  Read More

    Uchenna Emeche, MD
     Associate Medical Director, Medstar Franklin Square Family Health Center
     Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine at Georgetown University
     Baltimore, MD

 

Dr. Emeche is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH and traveled south to Pennsylvania for residency at Lancaster General Hospital.  While in residency, she developed an interest in caring for people frequently admitted to the hospital and later integrated a biopsychosocial lens to providing holistic health care during her time in fellowship.  During her Healthcare Hot-spotting and Super-Utilizer aka population health fellowship she also studied and implemented successful data applications; using data as a tool to both identify opportunities for health care improvement and innovation and to track programmatic progress (and pivot accordingly).  She acquired these and other tools to tackle the issue of high cost, low quality health care. She is currently Associate Medical Director at the Medstar Franklin Square Family Health Center doing work that centers around primary care redesign, population health, process improvement, care of the medically and/or psychosocially complex patient, and women's health/obstetrics.

   Britt Gayle, MD, MPH, AAHIVS
   Health Resources and Services Administration and MedStar Franklin Square
   Laurel, MD


Britt Gayle, MD, MPH, AAHIVS is a Physician Advisor for the Health Resources and Services Administration and part time faculty at MedStar Franklin Square Family Medicine Residency Program. He was previously employed as a full time faculty physician at MedStar and designed the curriculum for the program’s HIV primary care rotation. He was appointed as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Georgetown University School of Medicine due to his role as one of the faculty mentors for the school’s Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship. He was also previously employed as an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he was co-PI of an internal grant that funded the development, delivery and analysis of a curriculum introducing Family Medicine and Internal Medicine interns to delivering evidence-based care to patients with Opioid Use Disorder. He has presented at FMEC Annual Meetings, assisted resident physicians to prepare their presentations, served as a proposal/abstract reviewer and poster judge, and served as a member of the Host Committee.

    Meritus Health
    Hagerstown, MD

 
Dr. Aaron George is the Director of Medical Education and Assistant Program Director for the Meritus Family Medicine Residency Program.  He is a 2012 graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and subsequently obtained his Family Medicine Residency training at Duke University Health System.  Dr. George was an Andlinger fellow in health policy with the Center for Public Health in Vienna, Austria where he worked on primary care workforce and academic development.  He recently served on the payment and practice tactic teams for the Family Medicine for America's Health program, and is a regular contributor as author to Medical Economics.  He is also a clinical Associate Professor at Penn State College of Medicine where he teaches graduate coursework on the history of medicine. He has been awarded the FMEC Emerging Leaders award, the Bristol-Myers Squibb award for excellence in graduate medical education, as well as being named one of the 40 under 40 physicians by the Pennsylvania Medical Society.   His areas of interest include advancement of community and population health as well as health policy and economics.  He resides in Hagerstown, Maryland.

    Dennis L. Gingrich, MD 
     Retired Professor
     Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
     Hershey, PA

Dr. Gingrich completed medical school and residency at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine and UPMC Medical Education Residency, UPMC Medical Education (Presbyterian Shadyside Hospital). Board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, Gingrich holds a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Geriatrics. He also earned the AAFP Degree of Fellow, awarded to family physicians for distinguished service and continuing medical education. He is licensed in Pennsylvania and California. Dr. Gingrich is a Past-president and Board Chair of the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians, a participant or chair of more than 20 academic academies and boards, and has been an admissions committee member at Penn State College of Medicine. Throughout his career, Gingrich has made servant leadership a core tenant of his personal and professional lives, using his skills and experience to bring family medicine’s influence to professionals, academies, and his own mentees. Dr. Gingrich has spent decades in the world of education and academia, including formal positions at medical schools training the next generation of family physicians and at educational conferences, sharing his knowledge with the current generation. Dr. Gingrich is also a strong community advocate; whether in an interview with a local TV station, as a speaker at schools and churches, or hosting educational programming for the public, Gingrich brings family medicine into the community around him and advocates for his community in practice.

   Sarah Inés Ramírez, MD 
     Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center
     Family and Community Medicine
    Hershey, PA

Dr. Sarah Inés Ramírez graduated from Ross University School of Medicine in 2011 and completed her Family Medicine Internship and Residency at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in 2014.  She then completed a fellowship in Women’s Health/Obstetrics at the University of Illinois in Peoria, IL in 2015.  As a surgically trained Family Physician, Dr. Ramirez’s scope of practice includes high risk obstetrical care and C-sections.  She then joined Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center in 2016 and as an academic Family Physician her scope of work includes medical education and curriculum development.  Since joining the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Penn State, Dr. Ramirez has built a local, regional, and national reputation in the areas of health equity for underserved populations and has grant funded work focused on culturally responsive health care curriculum and empathy formation in learners.  She has published on a medical student interpreter training program as a strategy to developing humanism and developed curriculum for medical students and physician assistant students at the Penn State College of Medicine with focus on Culturally Responsive Health Care.  She has also developed curriculum for health professions college students in Pennsylvania.  She has been a guest speaker locally and nationally on topics of health equity for minority populations.   Read More

     Robert J. Motley, MD, MHCDS
     Thomas Jefferson University & Sidney Kimmel Medical College
     Philadelphia, PA


Robert J Motley, MD, MHCDS is the Ellen M and Dale W Garber Professor of Family Medicine, Vice Chair of Community Medicine, and Director of the rural Physician Shortage Area Program in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College (SKMC) and Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Motley graduated from LaSalle University and Jefferson Medical College (now SKMC) and remained at Jefferson to complete his Family Medicine residency. Bob spent the first half of his career as a family physician in Montgomery and Bucks Counties, Pennsylvania. He helped form TriValley Primary Care, a group practice without walls, in 1995 and led the 34 clinician group from 2000-2004.  As a faculty member in the Family Medicine residency at Lehigh Valley Health Network(LVHN) Allentown, PA from 2006-2015, Dr. Motley participated in the p4 residency redesign project and was honored three times as Resident Teacher of the Year. He served for five years on the LVHN Board of Trustees (2 as Medical Staff President) and was the Leonard Parker Pool Chair of the Department of Community Health from 2015 to 2018, until his return to Jefferson. Dr. Motley remains active in patient care, with the regional Community Health Needs Assessment, and other community engagement activities. He is the Director of the rural Physician Shortage Area Program for Sidney Kimmel Medical College and is the Faculty Advisor for JeffHOPE, a student run free clinic serving persons experiencing homelessness.  Dr. Motley is a Diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine, holds a Certificate of Added Qualification in Geriatric Medicine and a Master of Health Care Delivery Science (MHCDS) from Dartmouth College. 

  Martha Seagrave RN, PA-C
   Physician Assistant
   UVM Center for Health and Wellbeing
   Burlington, VT

Ms. Seagrave began her service on the Planning Committee as a reviewer in 2010 and agreed to serve as a Planning Committee Coordinator in 2021. Her insight and outreach to new authors has enabled them to enrich their presentations and strengthen the overall Annual Meeting. The FMEC sincerely appreciates Martha’s contributions to the FMEC over many years.  Ms. Seagrave is a Physician Assistant in Student Health. She provides comprehensive health care to students and enjoys working with students to optimize their physical and mental health and self-confidence. Martha has Bachelor degrees in Health Education and Professional Nursing from the University of Vermont. Martha is an Associate Professor at the UVM Larner College of Medicine and is the Director of Medical Student Programs in Family Medicine and Director of Doctoring in Vermont.

     Molly Talley
     Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians
     Harrisburg, PA


Molly Talley joined PAFP in 2003 as the lead staff liaison to residents and students. A non-physician, Molly brings a professional background in behavioral health, marketing and association management. With PAFP, Molly helped build a network of Pennsylvania's Family Medicine residency programs and medical schools to collaborate on the effort to strengthen student interest in Family Medicine and build initiatives to support the professional development of residents. Throughout her tenure, Molly has presented at medical schools and residency programs, regional and national conferences on topics related to Family Medicine, leadership and advocacy, and strengthening the workforce pipeline. She values collaboration with like-minded organizations like FMEC, AAFP, Primary Care Progress, and other primary care advocacy organizations to build coalitions and amplify our message. Together we are stronger.

     Taylor Rider, DO, MS
   
 Resident Member
     UPMC Williamsport Family Medicine Residency
     Williamsport, PA

Taylor J Rider, DO is currently a PGY-1 at the UPMC Williamsport Family Medicine Residency. A graduate of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, she is a proud proponent of the osteopathic philosophy and practice. While non-traditional, her journey to family medicine underscores the distinctions of the specialty that entice many to join the cause. She cites her attendance at the FMEC Annual Meeting as a third-year medical student as an experience that clinched her love of the specialty. Her career interests include rural, full-spectrum compassionate care, osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT), and graduate medical education. As the Resident Member to the FMEC Board of Trustees, Taylor looks forward to engaging regional family medicine leaders and learners in networking and mentorship opportunities to foster individual and specialty-wide success. 

     Hannah Clarke, MPH
     
Medical Student Member
     Case Western Reserve University
     Cleveland, OH
Hannah Clarke is a Philadelphia native who attends Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH. She is a creative writer and health educator who uses storytelling as a tool to advance health education objectives. She is drawn to family medicine because of her public health background, and her belief in whole-person, whole-life care. Through her position on the Board, Hannah looks forward to encouraging medical students to explore the array of opportunities within family medicine and envision a future in which primary care is able to operate at its fullest potential.