Board of Directors
|
Thom Walsh |
Stacey Lyon |
Robert Medcalf |
Julie Marley |
|
Ronald J. Schenk |
Vikas Agarwal |
Margaux Lojacono |
Christopher Plastaras |
|
Jason Ward |
Paul Avery |
Marissa DeVaul |
Thom Walsh – Chairman
PhD, MS (Retired: MSPT, OCS, Dip. MDT, NASM-PES)
Barre, VT
[email protected]
Thom Walsh is a member of Vermont's Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB), a nonpartisan branch of state government comprised of five members dedicated to serving the public interest. The GMCB provides unbiased and transparent information and analysis regarding the performance of Vermont's healthcare system. Its primary responsibilities include offering impartial evaluations of hospitals and insurers, regulating hospital budgets, commercial insurance rates, and statewide healthcare reform initiatives. Thom is an adjunct faculty member at Dartmouth College, where he teaches courses on Health Systems & Policy at the Geisel Medical and Tuck Business schools. Known as an excellent teacher and mentor, he emphasizes interactive learning techniques and has taught graduate and executive students in online and hybrid environments since 2010. He has authored two books and numerous articles on features of US healthcare systems. Before his appointment to the GMCB, Thom was the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Cardinal Point Health Solutions, a consulting company whose clients included The Joint Commission, Veterans Affairs, Navy Medicine, Boise State University, OneHealth Nebraska, and the University of Tulsa. His background includes direct patient care as a Physical Therapist specializing in Orthopedics. His clinical career began after he earned his MSPT from D’Youville University. In 1995, he completed his McKenzie Diploma residency in New Zealand and successfully passed the board certification exam in Orthopedics, becoming the first Dip.MDT, OCS in the US. In 2007, the National Academy of Sports Medicine recognized him as a Performance Enhancement Specialist. Throughout his clinical career, he pursued further education, obtaining a Master of Science in Clinical Evaluative Science and a Doctorate in Health Policy, both from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. He retired from clinical practice in 2021. Thom’s community activities have included volunteer service with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Altadena Mountain Search and Rescue unit, participating in disaster relief efforts with Team Rubicon, and teaching downhill skiing to Vermont elementary and middle school children. Learn more about Thom at: www.linkedin.com/in/thomwalsh-healthcare/ and http://www.thomwalsh.net/ He can be reached at [email protected]. Let him know what you care about. He’s interested and pays attention.
Stacey Lyon – Executive Director
McKenzie Institute USA
Syracuse, NY
[email protected]
Stacey joined The McKenzie Institute in 1995 as Administrator of the US Branch. A graduate of Allegheny College (PA) with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, Stacey also minored in Psychology and Sociology. This combination of study provided a diverse foundation of knowledge to apply to her 25+ years of varied business experience, primarily in social and medical service organizations. She was formally elected to the Board of Directors in 1998.
Robert Medcalf – Treasurer
PT, DPT, OCS, Dip. MDT
Atlanta, GA
[email protected]
Robert Medcalf, PT, DPT, OCS, Dip. MDT is a 1986 graduate of Georgia State University with a BS in Physical Therapy. After advanced studies in New Zealand, he became Diplomaed in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy in 1991 and was subsequently appointed to Teaching Faculty for The McKenzie Institute in August 1991. Robert was promoted to Senior Faculty in 1998.
In addition to his regular teaching responsibilities, Robert serves as a Clinical Mentor for other Teaching Faculty. He has taught numerous courses on the McKenzie approach to physicians and physical therapists throughout the United States and internationally, including courses in Argentina, Brazil and Japan. He also acts as a Guest Lecturer at both Georgia State University and Emory University. He has served as a workshop facilitator for MDT Conferences of the Americas and presented several times at McKenzie Institute International conferences. Robert currently performs duties as the Treasurer of the McKenzie Institute USA Board of Directors and also serves on the Executive Committee.
Robert is the Director of Spine Rehabilitation with Resurgens Orthopaedics in Atlanta, GA. In his spare time, he enjoys running, golf and trips to the beach and mountains with his family. Robert has been a member of the American Physical Therapy Association since 1984.
Julie Marley – Secretary
PT, Dip. MDT
Newark, DE
[email protected]
Julie graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 1989 with a Bachelors of Science and received a Master's of Physical Therapy from the University of Delaware in 1991. She attained the Diploma in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy in 1996 and became part of the teaching faculty in 1999. Julie currently resides in Wilmington, Delaware and has a spine practice at the Spine & Orthopedics Specialists in Newark, Delaware. Julie is currently serving on the MIUSA Board as Secretary.
Ronald J. Schenk – Past Chairman
PT, PhD, OCS, FAAOMPT, Dip. MDT
Charleston, SC
[email protected]
Ron Schenk is a Clinical Profressor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA. He formerly served as Dean of the Division of Health and Human Services and an Associate Professor of Physical Therapy at Daemen College in Amherst, NY. He also served as the Director of the Daemen College Fellowship Program in Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy. Dr Schenk continues to provide clinical guidance and supervision for the Fellowship & Residency Programs in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy. Dr. Schenk earned his BS degree in Physical Therapy and MS degree in Sportsmedicine from Ithaca College. He completed a residency program in orthopaedic manual physical therapy through the Gulf Coast Graduate Physical Therapy Institute and earned his PhD from the University at Buffalo. He is Diplomaed in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy through The McKenzie Institute International (Dip. MDT), and has completed the course sequence in Diagnosis and Treatment of Muscle Imbalances through Dr. Shirley Sahrmann. Dr. Schenk previously worked as an Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist with the Catholic Health System of Buffalo, NY. He has published his clinical research in peer-reviewed journals and has presented at national and international conferences. Dr. Schenk is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy. He is active in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists, an organization for which he has served as Secretary and Vice-President. He is also a past Chairman of The McKenzie Institute USA Board.
Vikas Agarwal – Member-at-Large
MD, Cert. MDT
Saint Joseph, MO
[email protected]
Dr. Agarwal is a 1994 graduate of King George’s Medical College (KGMC) in Lucknow, India. Following four and a half years of medical school, he spent six years as an Internal Medicine Resident, three with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS, New Delhi, 1995-1997), and three with the University of Missouri - Kansas City (UMKC, 1998-2001). Dr. Agarwal is Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (2001/2011) and became Certified in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy in 2015. A two-time recipient of the Mosaic Life Care Distinguished Physician Recognition Award (2012 & 2014), Vikas presents 16 years of experience in a traditional Internal Medicine private practice with both outpatient (ambulatory) and inpatient (hospital) settings. He is the principal author of the Evidence-Based Practice Newsletter and frequently lectures on the evidence-based clinical approach in presentations on various topics including, but not limited to, heart failure, COPD, back pain, fall prevention, chest pain, upper respiratory tract infection and understanding pain. Vikas specializes in managing patients with acute and chronic pain at Mosaic Life Care in Saint Joseph, MO where he also serves as a Physician Collaborator for Nurse Practitioners.
Margaux Lojacono – Member-at-Large
PT, DPT, MS, OCS, Cert. MDT, FAAOMPT
Niagara Falls, NY
[email protected]
Margaux Lojacono is a full-time clinician at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center and Associated Faculty at Tufts University. Her clinical practice has a focus on orthopedics and concussion management. She is a graduate of Ithaca College (MSPT) and completed her transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy and Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship at Daemen College. She is currently working towards a Doctor of Science in Physical Therapy at Bellin College. She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and is president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Therapists Sports Special Interest Group. She is also an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) and is credentialed in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT).
Christopher Plastaras – Member-at-Large
MD
Philadelphia, PA
[email protected]
Dr. Plastaras is the Clinical Director of Musculoskeletal Spine & Sports Rehabilitation Medicine at MossRehab and co-chairs the Einstein Spine Institute of the Einstein Healthcare Network. He is Clinical Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Jefferson University. He is former Director of The Penn Spine Rehabilitation Center at University of Pennsylvania. He also served as the Director of Penn’s Spine, Sports, and Musculoskeletal Medicine Fellowship from 2009-2018. He was physician co-lead for the Penn Neuroscience Spine Service Line from 2015-2018. He is board-certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Plastaras has extensive clinical experience in spine care and performing percutaneous fluoroscopically guided spine procedures and ultrasound guided injections. Patients from the mid-Atlantic region come to seek Dr. Plastaras’ clinical expertise. He has lectured on multiple occasions regionally and nationally on spine related topics. His research focus is on the safety and efficacy of spinal procedures. He has authored 40 original research publications and 39 reviews, chapters, and opinion publications.
Jason Ward – Member-at-Large
PT, Dip. MDT
Cordova, TN
[email protected]
Paul Avery – Legal Advisor
General Counsel
Buffalo, NY
[email protected]
Paul is a business law attorney who provides counsel to individuals, businesses in the manufacturing, retail, software, information technology, energy and other sectors and various non-profit institutions such as colleges and universities, hospitals and nursing homes in a broad range of business and transactional matters, including contract drafting, review and negotiation and general corporate counseling. Paul also routinely assists start-ups and small businesses by providing counsel regarding the formation of corporations and limited liability companies and the preparation and negotiation of various agreements, including shareholders' agreements, partnership agreements, operating agreements, employment agreements, independent contractor agreements, sales representative agreements, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements and non-compete agreements. He is a graduate of Bucknell University and the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law, and is a member in the law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC.
Marissa DeVaul – Scribe
MIUSA Director of Development
Syracuse, NY
mdevaul@mckenzieinstituteusaorg
Marissa joined The McKenzie Institute in 2012 as Project Coordinator for the US Branch. She was promoted to Director of Development for the organization in 2018. Marissa is a graduate of Syracuse University's S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communucations with a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communucation. She also minored in Political Science. A native of Connecticut, Marissa found a home in Upstate New York following graduation, serving as Senior Editor of Construction Data News' New York Branch for over ten years. She was named Editorial Employee of the Year in 2010. Marissa is a lover of horses and, in her youth, was a nationally ranked junior equestrian. She went on to compete for Syracuse University's Equestrian Team. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring nature with her husband and daughter, baking and spending quality time with her dogs.