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New for 2008: MENTORS

You will find our faculty very giving of their time and very willing to answer individual questions after their talks, at the networking functions and when not presenting. To increase your networking experience and increase one-on-one attention, we have for 2008 also assembled a team of mentors to be available to talk with the attendees (at no additional charge).

Charles S. Carignan, MD brings extensive experience in clinical, regulatory and medical affairs with more than 14 years dedicated to medicine and the health care industry. As Chief Medical Officer, Endosurgery and Minimally Invasive Therapies at Boston Scientific, Chuck led all aspects of medical and clinical affairs for the Endosurgery group, including women’s health, urology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, and oncology. His team supported sales, reimbursement and regulatory strategies with well-designed clinical trials, peer-reviewed journal publications and physician support to increase the speed of new product development. As a strategic executive, Chuck evaluated new technologies and companies for potential alliances, partnerships and acquisitions to expand the breadth of Boston Scientific’s offerings. At Conceptus, Inc., he was Vice President, Clinical Research and Medical Affairs, responsible for large multicenter clinical trials, leading to expedited review and PMA approval by the FDA of a new female contraceptive device.

Marc M. Edelstein, MD, PhD, FAAP is the former Chief Medical Officer and Co-Director for the Tufts Health Care Institute (THCI) and Tufts University School of Medicine Office of Continuing Education (TUSM/OCE). With the Executive Director, Dr. Edelstein was responsible for business development, content and program oversight, and management of related operations. Dr. Edelstein has more than 25 years experience in both clinical and administrative health care. He served as Chief Executive Officer for Primary Care, LLC, a community-based Physician Organization of almost 200 physicians in Greater Boston and southeastern Massachusetts. At AvMed Health Plan, a Florida-based, not-for-profit Managed Care Health Plan, Dr. Edelstein served as Chief Medical Officer, Senior Vice-President for Network Contracting and Operations, and Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs and Quality. He completed a rotational (“Family Practice”) Internship and Residency in Pediatrics at the Naval Hospital, San Diego, CA.

Beth Jacobson, Esq.  is the founder of the firm BR Jacobson.  Beth got her law degree from New York University Law School in New York in 1987 and undergraduate degree with honors from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut in 1984. She is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey and is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Association of Bar of the City of New York.  Corporate attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in New York City for fifteen years. Skadden Arps is one of the largest, global law firms in the world and is continually ranked as one of the best law firms in the world. In 2007, the Corporate Board Member publication ranked Skadden, Arps as the firm they most admire for the seventh consecutive year and the Who’s Who in Legal Firm rankings once again rated Skadden, Arps first amongst all firms.  General Counsel, Executive Vice President and Corporate Secretary for three years at PDI, Inc., a Nasdaq listed company. PDI is a sales and marketing service provider to the biopharmaceutical and medical device and diagnostic industries.  Extensive experience representing parties in the biopharmaceutical arena.  In addition, she was responsible for first suggesting that physicians try thalidomide for the treatment of multiple myeloma – a cancer of the bone marrow that had previously been considered terminal. This treatment protocol is now effective in 98% of the patients treated.

Michael J. McLaughlin, MD is Chief Scientific Officer of Peloton Advantage, a medical communications company that he co-founded in Parsippany, NJ in 2005. He brings to Peloton Advantage more than 15 years of clinical and medical communications experience. Dr. McLaughlin completed residencies in general surgery and in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. McLaughlin then spent four years in clinical practice in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In 2001, Dr. McLaughlin entered the field of medical communications as a Medical Director for Interlink Healthcare Communications. He then joined Cardinal Health as Director of Business Strategy and subsequently became Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer. During his two years as CSO, he managed Cardinal Health’s Scientific Affairs Division, comprising Medesta Publications Group, MES Publications, the Clinical Services department (responsible for medical education content), and the Medical Direction team supporting these groups. Currently, in his position at Peloton Advantage, Dr. McLaughlin oversees the medical staff and frequently interviews and counsels physicians considering a career change.

Larry J. Miller, MD is founder, Chairman, and Chief Medical Officer of VidaCare, a San Antonio medical device company. In 1982, Dr. Miller partnered with a friend, who invented wheelchair carriers that sit on top of vans. Over the next several years and through the development of other firms, Miller and his partners continued research and development of mobility products. In 1990, Dr. Miller’s company, LifeQuest Medical, Inc. acquired the rights to develop the Osteoport, an implantable device aimed at better delivering chemotherapy to patients through the hip bone. The company was eventually sold. Over the next several years, he continued his research on products providing intraosseous vascular access, or delivering medicines through the bone. The entrepreneurial and research efforts culminated with the development of EZ-10, which is marketed by his company VidaCare Corp.

Michelle E. Mudge-Riley, DO is a healthcare management consultant at FT Solutions in Richmond, Virginia and is completing her Masters of Health Administration. She also has worked as a clinical field representative for Guidant. Dr. Mudge-Riley has written extensively on transitioning out of clinical practice.

Dr. Douglas Pousma, MD, MBA is President and Founder of Metrixx, a physician driven continuing medical education outcomes company in Highlands Ranch, Co. Doug completed a residency in Internal Medicine. Dr. Pousma has served in the U.S. Air Force and then as Assistant Medical Director of a 5,000-subject clinical trial before helping to start Multum Information Services, Inc. (www.multum.com). After Cerner Corporation (www.cerner.com) acquired Multum in 1998, he became Medical Director of Cerner-IQHealth. With his interest in real-time systems that improved clinical and financial outcomes, Dr. Pousma, joined TheraDoc (www.theradoc.com), a company that produced an expert knowledge engine that provides real time, high quality, evidence-based solutions that reduce medical errors, lower treatment costs and improve the quality and safety of patient care. Dr. Pousma was Medical Director and Senior Vice President of Jobson Education Group, a privately-held medical education and communications company (MECC) in Englewood, CO. Dr. Pousma has an extensive background and expertise in medical informatics.

Nancy Rubenstein-Ingenito is the president of Healthcare for Hire located in Plymouth, Massachusetts, with 20 years of Healthcare and recruiting experience and as owner of Healthcare for Hire, a unique firm. Ms. Rubenstein-Ingenito has been in business for 10 years, recruiting and placing professionals in permanent positions within the Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, and Medical Device Industries. Her firm specializes in transitioning Healthcare professionals’ in non-traditional job opportunities and has the proven ability to successfully search and select professionals for their clients.

Joel Rubinstein, MD majored in economics and computers and then went to medical school and seemingly left those fields behind. Dr. Rubenstein finished his residency in Psychiatry at MGH in 1974, and began practice in the Merrimac Valley of Massachusetts, and eventually with friends built a psychiatry practice which included 25 practitioners, and six employees. The practice worked with numerous managed care companies, and ultimately he began to consult to the mental health team of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC), a nonprofit Massachusetts HMO plan. Dr. Rubenstein also managed their practice, handling financial projections and staff. He did not seek to leave his practice, but jumped at the opportunity to work for HPHC full-time in 1996. At this point in time, he manages credentialing, pays for performance programs, and negotiates incentive programs with medical groups as well as continues as a content expert regarding behavioral health.