Montana Cancer Summit Speaker Bios

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Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Whitney Jones, MD, Medical Advisor for GRAIL, Inc.

Senior Medical Director, GRAILDr. Whitney Jones is a Gastroenterologist, a former Clinical Professor of Medicine and current adjunct Professor in the School of Public Health and information services at the University of Louisville.  He is a founding member and currently serves as Chair of the Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening and Prevention Program Advisory Committee serving the un- and underinsured.   He is a 2020-21 alumnus of the City of Hope Intensive Course in Hereditary Cancer Risk Assessment and currently serves on the National Colorectal Cancer Round Table’s Family History and Early Age Onset CRC Task Force.

In 2003, he founded and remains active in the Colon Cancer Prevention Project, a leading CRC information and advocacy organization focused on innovative acceleration of evidence-based screening including emerging biotech and logistics.  A major focus of the “Project” is advocacy around pragmatic state-based laws which lower barriers to access evidence-based CRC screening. Kentucky is the first state in the nation to mandate no cost sharing coverage for preventative evidence-based genetic panel testing for hereditary cancers including Lynch Syndrome.  These laws have resulted in Kentucky having the lowest barriers for CRC screening in the nation.  Kentucky has since more than doubled its screening rates (now 69.7%) and reduced colon cancer deaths by a third.

Dr. Jones joined the Grail Team in 2021 to advance multi-cancer early detection technology through education, policy and clinical pathways.

 

Panel Discussion: “Accelerating Progress in Montana Through Innovation and Research”:

Panel Moderator:

Sharon Pesharon peterson bioscience allianceterson, Executive Director, Montana BioScience Alliance   

Sharon Peterson is the Executive Director of the Montana BioScience Alliance. The Alliance serves as the hub for Montana’s biotechnology companies, entrepreneurs, laboratories, hospitals, clinics and universities to commercialize new technologies and to start, grow and sustain globally competitive bioscience companies – ultimately to create high-quality jobs and economic opportunity in Montana. In this role Sharon has also collaborated with and mentored other bioscience organizations in the Mountain and Plains states.  

Sharon served as a Founder and Director of Leadership Montana from 2003-2011. Leadership Montana is a statewide effort to develop a sustainable network of leaders who share a passion for Montana and a commitment to the future of the state.   

Sharon was the State Director for Senator Max Baucus and her Senate career spanned 25 years, working as the Senator’s scheduler, Special Assistant and State Director.  Her responsibilities included legislative assistant for Native American, agriculture and rural issues. As the manager of 7 state offices, Sharon was responsible for constituent outreach. She was also the main organizer for the Montana Economic Development Summits in 2000, 2001, and 2003. She organized and participated in trade missions to Taiwan, South Korea, China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Mexico City. 

Prior to her Senate service, Sharon was one of the owners and operators of the Peterson Ranch, Feedlot and trucking business at Winifred, Montana.  She was a charter officer of the Women Involved in Farm Economics (WIFE) organization and in 1979 was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the National Alcohol Fuels Commission where she served two years. 

 

Panelists:

Montana Policy Summit PanelistDavid J. Burkhart, Ph.D. ,Chief Operating Officer, Inimmune

Dr. David Burkhart is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder of Inimmune, while also overseeing the formulation science R&D team. Dr. Burkhart was an investigator with GlaxoSmithKline for nearly 8 years leading the formulation R&D team where he demonstrated a knack for innovation and project/team management which led to his promotion from his starting role as a Principal Scientist. Prior to his work with GSK, Dr. Burkhart was a Senior Scientist with the CMO Hollister-Stier labs in Spokane, Washington for two years where he gained invaluable experience in cGMP analytical and manufacturing. He has over 10 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries with experience in project management, leadership, business development, and licensing with over 13 years experience in medicinal and analytical chemistry, formulation and drug delivery. David earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 2002 from the University of Idaho and conducted research in oncology as a postdoctoral scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder until 2005. 

 

 

Montana Policy Summit PanelistSuzanne Held, PhD, Professor, Health & Human Development, Montana State University

Suzanne Held, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Health & Human Development at Montana State University. She received her doctorate from the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health in 1995. She has worked since 1996 as a non-Indigenous partner with community members from the Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation. She strives to work in this partnership with integrity, establishing trust, sharing power, and co-learning to address Apsáalooke community-identified health topics using cultural and community strengths that lead to sustainable solutions and improved health. She understands that health disparities exist because of colonization and current policies that privilege whites and wants to do her part toward a healthier and more equitable future. In 2018, Alma and Suzanne’s partnership won the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Equity presented by Community-Campus Partnerships for Health.   

 

Montana Policy Summit PanelistAlma Knows His Gun-McCormick, Executive Director, Messengers for Health

Alma Knows His Gun McCormick, BS (Apsáalooke (Crow)) is the Executive Director of the Indigenous non-profit organization Messengers for Health, which is located in Crow Agency, MT. She has a BS degree in Health and Wellness from Montana State University-Billings. The mission of Messengers for Health is to improve the health of individuals on the Crow Indian Reservation and outlying areas through community-based projects designed to strengthen the capacity of communities and empower them to assess and address their own unique health-related problems. She fluently speaks her language and has been a leader and community activist for improved health and wellness among the Crow people. Since 1996 she has partnered with Montana State University Bozeman and has gained extensive and successful experiences in community-based participatory research addressing health concerns such as cancer and chronic illness self-care management. She has numerous publications and has provided presentations nationwide regarding this work. Alma always shares that her passion to help others stems from losing her own young twin daughter to cancer in 1985.  

 

Montana Policy Summit PanelistLisa Boyle, BPharm, Clinical Pharmacist, PacificSource Health Plans

Lisa Boyle is a Clinical Pharmacist with PacificSource Health Plans. She graduated from Southern Oregon University as well as Oregon State University College of Pharmacy, is board certified in ambulatory care pharmacy and has an extensive background in community pharmacy, ambulatory care, hospital pharmacy and managed care pharmacy. She moved to her current role at PacificSource after working at the WVP Health Authority for 4 years, providing clinical benefit oversight for Medicare and Oregon Health Plan members in Oregon’s Marion and Polk counties. She has managed Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee topics for both companies. In addition, she is a preceptor for experiential programs with intern and resident pharmacists and provides clinical support for the commercial, Medicare and Medicaid lines of business for PacificSource. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Montana Policy Summit Panelist

Amanda Dinsdale, MHA, CCRC, Director, Montana Cancer Consortium

Amanda Dinsdale is the Director of the Montana Cancer Consortium. Montana Cancer Consortium (MCC) is an independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring state-of-the-art cancer care to Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming through National Cancer Institute (NCI) sponsored clinical research.
Amanda has served as the Director of MCC since 2007. She enjoys working with member cancer care professionals across the service area to maximize patient access to the highest level of cancer care with a focus on access to clinical trials. Amanda grew up in rural Montana and understands the unique challenges associated with rural health care delivery. Having lost her father to prostate cancer in 2013, she is committed to fighting cancer through research.
Amanda has Bachelor of Arts degrees in Human Biology and Psychology obtained through The University of Montana and a Master’s in Healthcare Administration degree from University of Phoenix. In addition, Amanda has obtained her certification as a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator and Certified Clinical Research Project Manager through ACRP (Association of Clinical Research Professionals) and Clinical Research Contract Professional through MAGI (Model Agreements & Guidelines International). She also serves on many professional and state committees and organizations such as the Montana State Oncology Society and the Montana and Wyoming state’s Cancer Control Coalitions.
Amanda is married and has twin boys. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, chasing her boys in their school and sports endeavors, volunteering in her community, baking, canning, sewing, skiing, horseback riding, and tending the family’s funny farm line up of animals (horses, cows, sheep, chickens, cats, and dogs).

Montana Policy Summit PanelistLois Fitzpatrick, Cancer Survivor, Legislative Ambassador Emeritus, former ACS cancer research committee member

Lois Fitzpatrick is Professor Emeritus at Carroll College, Helena MT. Lois is married with two daughters, three grandsons, two granddaughters and one rescue dog. She is the 2013 St George National Award from the American Cancer Society and the ACS CAN 2009 Montana Advocate of the Year. In 2019, Lois was awarded the “Gail Michelotti Public Health Activist Award. She is a 26-year cancer survivor and has been advocating for cancer issues since 1997. Lois moved to Oregon in 2009 and became an ACT Lead. In 2011 she became the State Lead Ambassador. She left the State Lead position in 2015 and was an ACT Lead for Oregon Congressional District 1. Lois moved back to Montana in 2017 and is an Advocate Emeritus. She enjoys reading, knitting, walking and advocating. 

 

Kristin PageKristin Page-Nei, Idaho & Montana Government Relations Director, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network  -Nei, Idaho & Montana Government Relations Director, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network  

During Kristin’s tenure with ACS CAN in Montana, she has worked with partners to pass and sustain several public health policies including Medicaid Expansion, a statewide palliative care advisory council, numerous local and state tobacco policies, funding for breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment, funding for tobacco disease prevention and cessation, assured coverage for those participating in cancer clinical trials. She is excited to serve in her birth state as the Idaho Government Relations Director. Kristin continues to work on health equity policies including to improve access to health care and cancer prevention. She has her B.A. in political science from The University of Montana.  Kristin loves hiking, berry picking and exploring the outdoors with her family and friends.  

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