GOV
Joint Boards of Health and Hospitals
The Joint Boards of Health and Hospitals advise the director of health on matters relating to public health and hospitals.
Members of the Board
Will Ross, MD, MPH
Will Ross, MD, MPH, is associate dean for diversity at Washington University School of Medicine and professor of medicine in the Renal Division. He is Chairman of the board of directors of the Mid America Transplant Services Foundation and a member of the Centers for Disease and Control Health Disparities Subcommittee where he promotes efforts to further diversity in the public health workforce. A Yale University graduate, he completed medical school at Washington University School of Medicine, Internal Medicine residency at Vanderbilt University, and a Renal Fellowship at Washington University. He completed a Master's of Science in Epidemiology at the Saint Louis University School of Public Health.
Collins O. Airhihenbuwa PhD. MPH
Collins O. Airhihenbuwa PhD, MPH, is Professor and Dean of the College for Public Health and Social Justice, and Director of the Global Health Institute at Saint Louis University. He chairs the Advisory Board of the Global Philanthropy Alliance which funds projects in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. He has been a member of the Board of Scientific Counselors of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He is a former President and Distinguished Fellow of the Society for Public Health Education. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Health Behavior and the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research.
Keon L. Gilbert, DrPH, MA, MPA
Dr. Keon L. Gilbert is currently an Assistant Professor at the Saint Louis University School of Public Health in the Division of Behavioral Science/Health Education within the Department of Community Health Sciences. His primary research interests seek to reduce health disparities through research and interventions that will prevent disease and promote healthy behaviors. His work applies quantitative and qualitative methods in areas such as social capital, community capacity, organizational readiness, community based participatory research, and with populations such as African American men. Dr. Gilbert's key research interests include social capital, health disparities, African American Men's health, and interventions to prevent chronic diseases. Dr. Gilbert's work draws on his inter-disciplinary training in Biology, African American Studies, Public Affairs and Public Health to investigate the intersection of racial identity, racial socialization, and structural racism as an important, yet unexplored, social determinant of African American male's health across the lifecourse.
Khaleelah Green
Khaleelah Green's biography to be added soon.
Melody S. Goodman, MS, PhD
Dr. Melody S. Goodman, MS, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Public Health Sciences at Washington University School of Medicine. She received her B.S. summa cum laude in applied mathematics-statistics and economics (double major) from Stony Brook University where she was a Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) National Institutes of Health (NIH) Fellow. She received her M.S. in biostatistics from the Harvard School of Public Health where she was an Initiative for Minority Student Development (IMSD/NIH) Fellow. Melody received her Ph.D. from the Department of Biostatistics at Harvard University with minors in theoretical statistics and the social determinants of health disparities. She was a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development NIH Minority Pre-doctoral Fellow.
Theresa Mayberry, PhD
Theresa Mayberry, Ph.D., is a recent retiree form the St. Louis County Children's Services Fund where she was the Chief Program Director for mental health and substance abuse investments for children and youth. Dr. Mayberry earned her undergraduate degree in Social Science at George Williams College, Downers Grove, IL. Her post-graduate work includes a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology, and a doctorate in Social Work from University of Illinois at Chicago, Jane Addams College of Social Work.
Mary Jo Condon, MPPA
Mary Jo Condon, MPPA, sees information and collaboration as the foundation for improving our nation's health care system. In her dual roles as a Senior Director for the Midwest Health Initiative and the St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition, Condon supports employers, physicians, health systems and health plans in determining shared priorities for action and developing aligned strategies to achieve improvement.
Justine Craig Meyer
Justine Craig-Meyer, CFRE, is the Chief Development and Communications Officer (CDO) for DOORWAYS, a $7M housing organization based in the City of Saint Louis Central West End neighborhood. DOORWAYS provides Housing, Health, and Hope to more than 2,400 people affected by HIV in more than 100 counties in Missouri and Illinois through four housing programs and a 24-hour residential care facility. Justine has several certifications from NeighborWorks, a certification in Economic Development from the St. Louis Economic Partnership and a BA in Political Science from Stephens College. She volunteers for various organizations and serves on the Advisory Board for YouthBridge Community Foundation.
Susan Kending, MSN, JD, WHNP
Susan Kending, MSN, JD, WHNP, is a professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her teaching area of interest is in women's health. She received a diploma from the Indiana Hospital School of Nursing, a BSN from Maryville University, a MSN from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a JD from the University of Missouri - Columbia. Her research interests include collaborative community-based program development, health needs of adolescent women athletes, mid-life women's health, and integrated women's health care.
Paul Lee, DC
Dr. Paul Lee, DC, was born in Vietnam and came to America when he was 11 years old. He graduated from Truman State and Logan universities. Dr. Lee has worked as a chiropractor for 20 years. He and his wife own a Vietnamese restaurant and he runs a Chinese martial arts school. Beside English, he speaks Chinese and Vietnamese.
Timothy D. McBride, PhD
Timothy McBride, PhD, is currently a Professor in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. McBride, who received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin, focuses his research in the areas of health economics, health policy, and aging. In particular, most of his research focuses on Medicare policy, health reform, the uninsured and insurance markets, rural health, Medicaid, and long-term care.
Alma Poljarevic, PhD, LMFT, PPC
Alma Poljarevic, PhD is a licensed marriage and family therapist and a licensed professional counselor in the state of MO. She is currently working at Lutheran Family and Children's Services and in private practice, providing therapy to children and families. She moved to the USA at age 17 as a refugee from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Her focus is working with minority groups who had experienced loss and trauma. Dr. Poljarevic has completed both her MA and PhD degree at Saint Louis University. She has been a member of the board since February, 2016.
Jorge Riopedre
Jorge Riopedre is the President of Casa de Salud, a clinic providing high-quality, low-cost clinical and mental healthcare to the uninsured, focusing on the foreign born community of the St. Louis region. He is the former executive director of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis. Jorge has a degree in Communications from Loyola University in New Orleans, and is a 2015 USA Eisenhower Fellow. He was appointed by former Missouri Governor Matt Blunt to the Hispanic Business, Culture &Trade Commission, and by Governor Jay Nixon to the Missouri Complete Count Commission.
