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Diabetes Coalition of California Executive Committee Coalition Chair Rebecca Olson, MS, PhD has been active in the Diabetes Coalition of California since 1998, leading the Guidelines Committee 2001-2002 and currently serving as Coalition Chair. As a Senior Scientist with Lumetra, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for California, she provides analytic, statistical, and epidemiological support to Lumetra’s quality improvement programs for managed care plans, physician offices, and underserved populations. Dr. Olson received her training in epidemiology at Cornell University and then completed a two-year training program in public health and applied epidemiology with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Before moving to California, Dr. Olson worked as an epidemiologist in the New Mexico Diabetes Control Program. Coalition Vice Chair Brenda Rueda-Yamashita has been a member of Diabetes Coalition of California since 1998, chairing the Guidelines Committee 2002-2004 and currently serves as Coalition Vice Chair. As the Director of the Diabetes Program for Alameda County Public Health Department she oversees a in home case management and diabetes education program serving the African American and Latino residents, with type 2 diabetes. Prior to coming to Alameda County she worked for three years at California Department of Health Services, Diabetes Prevention and Control Program promoting the use of evidence based guidelines for diabetes care in medical groups and HMOs. Locally she chairs the Diabetes Committee for the Ethnic Health Institute a foundation of Alta Bates Summit Medical Centers. Brenda is a graduate of St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA with a BA in Health Service Administration. Immediate Past Coalition Chair Coalition Treasurer Gary Arsham, MD, PhD, FACP has been active in the Diabetes Coalition of California since inception, as vice-chair of the Guidelines Committee and recently as Treasurer. He is a physician/educator specializing in patient education and health behavior. He has been a member of the national Board of Directors of the American Diabetes Association and an officer and director of the American Association of Diabetes Educators. He is co-author of Diabetes: A Guide to Living Well, and 101 Tips for Coping with Diabetes, both published by the American Diabetes Association. Dr Arsham received his undergraduate degree, cum laude from Harvard College and his medical training at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He then studied medical education as a fellow at the University of Illinois Medical Center and the College of Education earning a doctorate in educational psychology/medical education specializing in instructional design and development. Coalition Secretary Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, Interim Program Chief Mark Shannon, PA, CDE is a physician assistant and certified diabetes educator with twelve years experience in the medical management of patients with diabetes. He has written articles, appeared on radio and television, and lectured extensively on diabetes and related issues. He is a member of the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the American Diabetes Association and serves on the board of the Diabetes Coalition of California. Currently, he is the interim program chief of the California Department of Health Services' Diabetes Prevention and Control Program. Guidelines Committee ChairBRENDA YAMASHITA Brenda Rueda-Yamashita has been a member of Diabetes Coalition of California since 1998, chairing the Guidelines Committee 2002-2004 and currently serves as Coalition Vice Chair. As the Director of the Diabetes Program for Alameda County Public Health Department she oversees an in-home case management and diabetes education program serving the African American and Latino residents with type 2 diabetes. Prior to coming to Alameda County she worked for three years at California Department of Health Services, Diabetes Prevention and Control Program promoting the use of evidence based guidelines for diabetes care in medical groups and HMOs. Locally she chairs the Diabetes Committee for the Ethnic Health Institute, a foundation of Alta Bates Summit Medical Centers. Brenda is a graduate of St. Mary’s College in Moraga, CA with a BA in Health Service Administration. Education Committee Chair VGE is a Board Certified Endocrinologist and the Chief, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Kern Medical Center, as well as the Director of Endocrinology, Kaiser - Kern County. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He holds memberships in AACE, ADA and the Endocrine Society. Education Committee Vice Chair Advocacy Committee Chair Kerry Portlock serves as Chair of the DCC Advocacy Committee, having acted as Co-Chair of the Committee for nearly three years. Kerry works for the California Optometric Association (COA) as their Senior Health Community & Regulatory Analyst. Previous to her position at COA, Kerry served in former Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian’s Capitol office, as well as former Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle’s office. In addition to diabetes advocacy, she is involved in other health community relations, state agency relations (i.e., Medi-Cal Program), and lobbying. Advocacy Committee Vice Chair Membership Committee Chair Membership Committee Vice Chair Elaine Ellers, MSW has been an active member of the Diabetes Coalition since 1998, serving on the Education Task Force and as vice Chair of the Membership Committee. She is the Regional Coordinator for the California Diabetes and Pregnancy Program for the Northeast and East Bay Regions, working with 30 Sweet Success affiliates located within those 25 counties. Elaine provides consultation, training, and assistance to the clinical Sweet Success Program staff as part of the Regional California Diabetes and Pregnancy Regional team. Elaine has a Masters in Social Work degree with an emphasis in Organization, Planning and Administration. She received her degree from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Social Welfare. Past Coalition Chair As a member of the statewide Board of the American Diabetes Association California Affiliate, Dr. Arevalo worked with the Department of Health Service's Diabetes Control Program as one of the original members of the California Diabetes Steering Committee that created the Diabetes Coalition of California. As the first chair of the Guidelines Committee he led the effort to establish and promulgate Consensus Basic Diabetes Care Guidelines through CCHRI that are now widely accepted across California. |