Mackenzie Jones, MPH, CHES
Unleashing the Potential: How You CAN Provide Accessible and Quality Care for Patients
Mackenzie Jones, MPH, CHES, is the program manager for the Montana Disability and Health Program (MTDH) which is housed at the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. MTDH is a CDC funded program that aims to increase health and wellness opportunities and healthcare access with and for people with disability through community empowerment; policy, systems, and environmental changes, and health education. Mackenzie started working with MTDH in 2019 after she received her MPH from Indiana University in Health Education. Mackenzie is also a Governing Counselor for the Disability Section of the American Public Health Association and has been on the executive board for six years. Outside of work life, Mackenzie enjoys trail running, playing cribbage, and performing in musical theater productions.
Patty Kosednar, PMP, CPHIMS
Unleashing the Potential: How You CAN Provide Accessible and Quality Care for Patients
Patty Kosednar, PMP, CPHIMS, began working for Mountain-Pacific Quality Health, a nonprofit health care improvement organization, in 2010, as a Health Information Technology (HIT) and Quality Improvement (QI) consultant. Patty is a certified project management professional (PMP) and has additional professional certifications in healthcare quality and safety, electronic health records, healthcare information and management systems and nonprofit administration. She utilizes proven data driven and strategic approaches to manage projects, improve health outcomes and health equity, aligning efforts and supporting the needs of each healthcare system or population.
Ryan Weight, TB Program Manager/Controller
Tuberculosis Basics, Epi, and Recommendations
Ryan Weight graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor's in Health, Society, and Policy and holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Utah School of Medicine. Ryan is the Tuberculosis (TB) Program Manager and Controller for the state of Montana and has worked with DPHHS for over 6 years in this role. Ryan sat on the National TB Coalition of America’s (NTCA) board as the low incidence representative from 2022 to 2024. Ryan continues to work nationally and locally with various TB organization working towards TB elimination. Ryan is the subject matter expert for TB in Montana and has work several multidrug resistant cases as well as complex pulmonary and/or extrapulmonary cases. Ryan has written and enacted Administrative Rules for the state of Montana (ARMs) pertaining to TB and TB infection (LTBI) and continues to strive towards a TB free Montana.
Andrew Smith, MD
Andrew M. Smith, MD, MS, is an asthma, allergy, and immunology physician and the owner of Allergy Associates of Utah, which has two locations in Sandy and West Jordan, Utah. Prior to entering private practice, Dr. Smith completed his undergraduate education at Princeton University in 1997. He then attended medical school at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine before completing his residency in internal medicine at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. In December 2006, Dr. Smith earned his Masters of Science in molecular epidemiology from the University of Cincinnati. He also completed his fellowship in Allergy and Immunology at the University of Cincinnati/Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in June 2007.
To stay current with the latest developments in his field, Dr. Smith is a Fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. He is also board certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology and the American Board of Internal Medicine.
As a respected member of the medical community, Dr. Smith has authored and co-authored numerous publications and presented his work at many professional meetings and conferences. Additionally, in recognition of his hard work and dedication, he has received several awards, including the ICARE Certificate of Excellence Award (2013); Top Doctors in Cincinnati, Allergy/Immunology (2013); and the Power of Performance Award (2012). Most recently, Dr. Smith was recognized as the best Allergist in Utah for 2024 by City Weekly.
Tarin Worrest, MD, FACS
Bariatric Surgery and Pulmonary Disease
Tarin Worrest, MD, FACS, grew up in Missoula where she received a scholarship from Community Medical Center to attend Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. After college, she attended Georgetown University School of Medicine, before completing her general surgery residency and minimally invasive surgery fellowship at Oregon Health and Science University. While in training, she became passionate about how bariatric surgery can change lives in so many ways. She specializes in robotic foregut and bariatric surgery at Community Medical Center, where she started the bariatric surgery program. When not at work, she enjoys hiking and camping around Montana.
Kyle Hogarth, MD, FCCP
Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction - Patient Selection
Incidental Lung Nodule Management and Lung Cancer Screening
Kyle Hogarth, MD, FCCP, is a Professor of Medicine in the Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at The University of Chicago. He is the Director of Bronchoscopy and is heavily involved in the field of advanced bronchoscopy and interventional pulmonary with numerous publications. He co-directs the lung cancer screening program and established the nodule clinic at the University. He also runs the Alpha One Antitrypsin Deficiency Clinical Resource Center, one of the largest in the Midwest. Dr. Hogarth received his medical degree at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. He then completed a residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care at The University of Chicago. He has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Chest, ERJ and many other journals. He previously served on the editorial board of CHEST, where he was the section editor for the podcast section and giants in chest medicine series. He helped write the 2016 Alpha One Antitrypsin deficiency Clinical Practice Guidelines. He has won numerous clinical awards and teaching awards from his University and International Societies. In 2010, he was one of the team physicians for the Chicago Blackhawks!
Anita Chopra, MD, FACP
Long Covid: Forging the Path Ahead
Anita Chopra, MD, FACP, is Assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Washington and faculty at the UW School of Medicine. She is a lead physician at the University of Washington Long Covid clinic, which serves the WWAMI states.
Dr. Chopra is Co-Investigator on the AHRQ grant for the UW Long Covid clinic. She is Chair for the National ACP Long Covid Interest group and Co-Chair for the AHRQ Telementoring / Echo workgroup. She was also an invited member to the U.S. Healthcare Leadership summit on Long Covid and came together with National stakeholders to develop policy and resources around Long Covid.
Dr. Chopra is the Founder and Medical Director for Northwest Health and Wellness, an organization focused on bridging healthcare disparities. She is the chair for the Washington chapter American College of Physicians, Primary care council and Co-chair for the International Medical graduate council. She has presented her work on bridging healthcare inequities at the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine.
Abdallah (Abe) F. Elias, MD, FACMG, HCLD (ABB)
Genetics in the Air: A Primer on Common Pulmonary Genetic Conditions in Adults
Abdallah (Abe) Elias, MD, FACMG, HCLD (ABB), is a medical geneticist and Chief Medical Officer of Genetics at Shodair Children’s Hospital. He serves as adjunct associate professor in the department of pediatrics, University of Utah, and as clinical faculty in neurosciences at the 91次元. A native of Germany, he received his MD from the University of Freiburg, where he also trained in pediatrics before coming to the United States to work on the molecular genetics of vector borne diseases at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH). He completed a residency and fellowship in medical genetics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Abe is boarded in family medicine (ABFM) and medical genetics (ABMGG), and board certified as high complexity clinical laboratory director (ABB). He is a fellow of the American Academy of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Practice.
Brian Cayko, MBA, RRT, EdD (ABD)
Pulmonary Auscultation - Breath Sounds, Are We Getting it Right & What Do They Tell Us?
Brian D. Cayko, M.B.A, RRT, FAARC, is an assistant professor of
Respiratory Care for the degree advancement program in the
College of Health Sciences at Boise State University. He
previously served as the Director of Clinical education at the Great Falls College of the Montana State University. He is currently a doctoral student in the 91次元’s Education Leadership Department seeking a doctorate in Education Leadership. He holds an M.B.A. with a healthcare administration focus from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota; a B.S. in Biology from Montana State University; and an A.A.S. in Respiratory Therapy from Great Falls College MSU. Professor Cayko has taught for the last 16 years in Respiratory Care education. Cayko is an esteemed Fellow of the American Association for Respiratory Care. He has also served as a Delegate for the state of Montana to the AARC for 8 years and has been a nominee for the AARC Board of Directors and Education Section Chair. He currently sits on the BSU DAP advisory committee and the College of Health Sciences Policy committee. Cayko is the current presiding officer for the Montana Respiratory Care License Board and a past Chairman of the AARC Bylaws Committee having served that office for 3 terms. He is the current Vice Chair of the Board of Deacons for for his local church in Great Falls, Montana and has served as a board member for 5 years. Cayko is a previous board member for the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls, Montana and numerous other leadership and chair roles within the AARC and Montana Society for Respiratory Care. He has also served a multitude of committees for GFC MSU.
Cayko has several periodical publications in the AARC Times and the Allergy & Asthma
Network. He has presented for the AARC at the International Congress and for the
MSRC at their state annual conference on several occasions, and both Montana State
University and the 91次元 Respiratory Care Programs as guest lecturer.
He is a mentor for the AARC mentorship program and has completed leadership
training with that organization.
As professor of Respiratory Care, he has taught courses related to techniques,
therapies, equipment, procedures, anatomy & physiology, basic & advanced mechanical
ventilation, patient assessment, pharmacology, simulation, seminar, leadership training,
job preparedness, advanced life support, professional writing, current research topics in
RC and teaching techniques for academic and clinical settings.
Ni-Cheng Liang, MD
Mindfulness for Lung Health and Beyond
Ni-Cheng Liang, MD, is an award-winning integrative pulmonologist and mindfulness teacher. She was named one of Mindful Magazine's Ten Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement 2021 and has received San Diego Top Doctor recognition for five years inclusive of 2024. She is a leader and international speaker on physician well-being, mindfulness, anti-racism, integrative and pulmonary medicine who has taught courses, led retreats, and designed wellness curricula for over a decade.
Caroline O. Cobb, PhD
Who is Puffing What? Current Vaping Trends and Health Implications
Caroline O. Cobb, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychology and director of the Health Psychology Doctoral Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. She has served as one of the Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) Liaisons/Faculty Champions for the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center since 2021. Dr. Cobb’s research interests include assessing patterns of tobacco use initiation, maintenance, and cessation and the refining of clinical trial and in-laboratory methods for tobacco product evaluation. Her areas of focus include menthol cigarette smoking and the use of other flavored tobacco products such as hookah, little cigars/cigarillos, and nicotine vaping on individual and population health. Dr. Cobb prioritizes community engagement in her work, and some of her frequent partners include the Henrico Too Smart 2 Start Coalition for youth substance use prevention and VCU’s HealthHub.
Her funding sources include several state-based grants focused on youth tobacco use prevention, and she works with a diverse, multi-disciplinary team of scientists and trainees. She is committed to addressing tobacco-related health inequities and supporting the next generation of health psychologists.