FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Board of Trustee member Dr. Zachariah P. Zachariah was re-elected Chair of the Board for the Florida Board of Medicine for 2021. He has served on the Board at various times for over 30 years and has served as Chair many times during his career. “Dr. Zachariah has been a valued member of several boards and councils during his career. He is dedicated to public service and sets a high priority on ensuring that Floridians receive quality healthcare,” said Claudia Kemp, Executive Director of the Florida Board of Medicine. “Dr. Zachariah’s appointment to the board and election to serve a second term as chair of the Board of Medicine, along with his experience and leadership, will add value to the board and support the important work of all its members. It is an honor and pleasure to work with Dr. Zachariah and support the board in carrying out its duties and responsibilities.” The Florida Board of Medicine plays a leading role in the ever-changing health care environment through dialogue with the public, the legislature, academia and the medical community. Board members serve a four-year term. Dr. Zachariah’s leadership, knowledge and his history with the Board, are invaluable assets to ensuring that the Board of Medicine successfully carries out its duties and responsibilities and protect the citizens of Florida, especially during these difficult times. Dr. Zachariah is a clinical faculty member of the University of Miami and Medical Director of UHealth Cardiology, Fort Lauderdale. He is a board-certified internal medicine and cardiology physician who specializes in cardiology, cardiac catheterization, and interventional cardiology and has performed more than 30,000 heart catheterizations and interventional procedures in Broward County and has also co-authored several scientific papers, and participated in various clinical trials. He currently serves as a member of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood institute of the National institutes of Health (NIH). Among the awards he has received throughout his career include the Ellis Island American Legend Award, the Child Advocate of the Year Award, Father of the Year Award, Spirit of Life Award from City of Hope, the Golden Heart Award from the American Heart Association, Freedom Foundation Medal of Honor from the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge, and Ellis Island Medal of Honor, Sister Innocent Hughes Award for his contribution to health and science by Holy Cross Hospital. He earned his medical degree from the Armed Forces Medical College in India, and then completed his residency at St. Joseph Hospital and Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey. Dr. Zachariah completed his fellowship in cardiology and cardiac catheterization at the Cleveland Clinic Educational Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. # # # Be sure to sign up for NSU’s RSS feed so you don’t miss any of our news releases, guest editorials and other announcements. Please sign up HERE. About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): At NSU, students don’t just get an education, they get the competitive edge they need for real careers, real contributions and real life. A dynamic, private research university, NSU is providing high-quality educational and research programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree levels. Established in 1964, the university includes 15 colleges, the 215,000-square-foot Center for Collaborative Research, the private JK-12 grade University School, the world-class NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, and the Alvin Sherman Library, Research and Information Technology Center, one of Florida’s largest public libraries. NSU students learn at our campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, and online globally. With nearly 200,000 alumni across the nation and globe, the reach of the NSU community is worldwide. Classified as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is one of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information.
Rose Yesha holds a Ph.D. in Information Systems with a concentration in health informatics. Dr. Yesha is a versatile writer and researcher in a highly specialized field. Previously, she held the position of Graduate Program Director for the Master of Professional Studies degree in Health Information Technology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Her past publications have included the use of hybrid algorithms to automatically partition unstructured health data from clinical notes and social media platforms. Her research articles have appeared in top-ranking journals. Currently, she serves as an expert consultant in the information technology sector.
Dr. Chalil, an author of several scientific and research papers in international publications, is the Chairman of the Complex Health Systems Advisory Board, H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, and a member of Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine (NSU MD) Executive Leadership Council. A U.S. Navy Medical Corps veteran, he is board certified in healthcare management. He has been awarded a Fellowship by the American College of Healthcare Executives, an international professional society of more than 40,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems, and other healthcare organizations. Dr. Chalil is the Chairman of the Indo-American Press Club (APC), the largest ethnic fraternity of Indian American and Indian Canadian media with a mandate to help shape a world through media that is fair, just, and equitable for all and future generations. He is an expert in U.S. healthcare policy and a strong advocate for patient-centered care,
Dawn Zenefski is a dedicated, results-driven healthcare professional who creates and executes innovative solutions for organizational strategy and growth. She has over 25 years of experience across the life sciences industry working for companies such as Boehringer Ingelheim, ECIR Medical Communications, InterMune, and Quest Diagnostics. Dawn specializes in building collaborative, cross-functional teams and relationships that are instrumental to achieving organizational goals, including restructuring and change management initiatives. An outstanding communicator, Dawn is adept at analyzing and leveraging data for strategic planning and performance measurement. Other areas of focus include conference planning and support, health plan and policy work (medical access), launch prep, and market analysis, with subject matter expertise in rare and orphan diseases. Dawn holds an MS in Molecular and Structural Biology from Eastern Kentucky University and an MBA in Organizational and Behavioral Development from Capella University.
Industrial X-Ray engineer brings over 15 years of account management experience with Samsung, LG affiliates, and small-medium enterprises. Industrial X-Ray equipment specialty in semiconductors, LEDs, cell phones, and electronic devices. He is a passionate sportsman who enjoys surfing, open water diving, swimming, and ice hockey. For the love of Ice hockey, he designed and manufactured jigs and fixtures to transform skate blades.
Dr. Choksi is an established and highly skilled physician with over 30 years of experience specializing in Cardiovascular Disease. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Interventional Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease, and Internal Medicine. Dr. Choksi completed his undergraduate education at Jai Hind College of Science and went on to complete his Medical School education at Grant Medical College in Bombay, India. His Internship, Residency, and Cardiology Fellowship were completed at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. As a well-regarded physician in the metro Detroit community, Dr. Choksi has earned numerous accolades for his quality and patient centered care. Not only is he a four-time titleholder of HOUR Magazine’s Top Doc Award, he also holds patents for the method of forming Monolithic CMOS-MEMS Hybrid Integrated Packaged Structures, along with a patent for flexible penetrating electrodes for Neuronal Stimulation and the recording method of manufacturing it. Among these achievements, he has received both the Glory and Gem of India award, as well as the Global Indian Achievers Award. Actively involved in his community, Dr. Choksi is a member of the American Society of Cardiovascular Interventionists. In September, 2018, he was appointed chief of Cardiovascular Services at Ascension Providence Hospital in Rochester, Michigan. Today, Dr. Choksi is a physician at the Michigan Outpatient Vascular Institute in Dearborn, Michigan. He holds Hospital affiliations with William Beaumont Hospital, Henry Ford Hospital, and Garden City Hospital. As well, he started Interventional Cath Labs at Huron Valley Sinai Hospital, Troy Beaumont, and Ascension Providence in Rochester Hills, Michigan. His passion is driven by the bonds he builds with his patients over the course of their lives and the enjoyment he holds in keeping them healthy and well.
Vivian is a strategic and visionary Creative Director with over 20 years of extensive experience designing and executing successful campaigns and creatives for high-profile brands such as L’Oréal, Victoria’s Secret, MTV Networks, New Yorker Magazine, Vanity Fair Magazine, McCann-Erickson, Grey Worldwide, Condé Nast Publication, DIRECTV, and AT&T. With her expertise in communication design, we can provide consulting services tailored to your vision.
Lesley F. Beznos is a graduate of the University of Miami Herbert Business School. Ms. Beznos is a partner in the Beztak Companies, a national real estate development firm with offices in Michigan, Florida and Arizona. The company has developed properties throughout the United States.
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been focusing on Korean Health Care Projects helping “Korean-made” health products international exposure & recognition they deserve. Julie founded “LaBleu Studio” to provide comprehensive consulting services to help identify gaps and opportunities. She has worked on one of kind, high-end design creations and outsourced pieces from Taffin, Cartier, Sotheby’s, and Harry Winston. Julie graduated 1st in her class with high honors from the Fashion Institute of Technology and Seoul Arts High School (서울예고)
Peter has combined over 26 years in the Pharmaceutical and banking industry. He has worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of NY, LG Electronics, Fujifilm, CVS Express Scripts, Teva Pharmaceuticals, KBI BioPharma, Eisai, Amgen, and Novartis. Peter holds MS and MBA magna cum laude from Saint Peter’s College. Graduate of State University New York – Binghamton. Swimming & Diving team. Yonsei IYC 2nd. Fort Lee High School Varsity Golf Team.
Robert Mattacchione is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer at Novo Integrated Sciences Mr. Mattacchione brings knowledge and experience leading the development of operational business interests worldwide, including mining exploration and production of natural resources in Europe and South America, pharmaceutical product development and manufacturing in Africa and Europe, and renewable energy development and production in South America. Mr. Mattacchione provides the Company with deep experience in formulating adaptive strategies, analyzing processes and engaging highly qualified personnel.
Dr. John Johnson, MD, MBA, is a board-certified psychiatrist, owner, and CEO of several healthcare enterprises comprising of general hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, and Ohio’s largest independently-owned behavioral healthcare agency, Access Ohio. He has over 30 years of clinical and administrative success in public, academic, and private sectors across three continents with extensive experience in nationalized health systems, public-private partnerships, and pure private systems. He is the Owner/Operator/Chairman of various corporate entities and direct private equity investments across healthcare services, real estate development, and specialty manufacturing, employing over 1,000 people in the US. He has extensive operating experience in healthcare services including inpatient and outpatient facility ownership and healthcare services management. His expertise in corporate turnaround proficiency showcases a proven track record of implementing and overseeing operational improvement, cost efficiency, revenue and profitably improvement. This is all while enhancing quality of products and services across multiple sectors via integration of technology, effective use of operational tools, and strategic management of human resources. Most recently, Dr. Johnson purchased a community hospital which had closed after being in operation for over 114 years. This multi-specialty hospital with 140 beds, served as the only inpatient healthcare facility in its county. He successfully re-opened the hospital and is currently actively managing operations of the facility providing inpatient treatment to the general population; specialty services include: emergency medicine (ER), cardiology, gastroenterology, orthopedics, pulmonary care, women’s health, etc., in addition to a high-complexity reference lab, anatomical pathology lab, full-service retail pharmacy, pharmacy benefit management (PBM), and ambulance services. He is also planning to bring the full continuum of services for mental health and substance abuse treatment to a critical need area. Dr. Johnson is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Wright State University, Department of Psychiatry. In partnership with the university, Dr. Johnson established a telemedicine service network over ten years ago, providing specialty psychiatric care to over 80 of the 88 counties in Ohio. Through Access Ohio’s Navigator Program and a $7.5MM grant, Dr. Johnson was able to house over 4,000 previously homeless individuals in Columbus, Ohio over a 3-year period with less than 5% recidivism. He continues to support several community non-profits and philanthropic endeavors. He has been named Healthcare Executive of the Year, received a Champion of Healthcare award, C-Suite Award, Fast 50 Award, and Business Leader Award.
Saju George serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Region V of Prime Healthcare. In his role, George oversees Prime Healthcare’s hospitals, medical groups and outpatient locations in Michigan. Saju George held various leadership positions within non-profit and for-profit health systems. Prior to joining Garden City Hospital, George served at Ascension Health’s -St. Mary’s/ St. Joseph Health System. George joined Prime Healthcare in 2014 and assumed the role of Garden City Hospital CEO in 2015. Since his arrival he led the Board and senior leadership through strategic planning effort, transforming the hospital from near-bankruptcy to vitality. Under his leadership, the hospital has significantly increased its quality, efficiency and financial performance earning top local and national honors including IBM Watson’s elite Everest Award for achieving the highest levels of sustained performance over five years and IBM Watson 100 Top Hospitals® Award in 2019. Mr. George holds a bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy and an MBA in Healthcare Administration. He completed his Executive Leadership Formation for Healthcare Leadership from Aquinas Institution of Theology in St. Louis, MO. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on various boards, including the American Hospital Association’s Regional Policy Board and Michigan Hospital Association Service Corporation.
Author of the Amazon Best Seller Book, entitled “Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Envisioning a Better World by Transforming the Future of Healthcare”; Ambassador Pradeep Kapur received the 2020 IAPC (Indo American Press Club) “Excellence in Literature” Award, and the 2020 Raymond Aaron Group “Health for All” Award for his latest book, with Dr Joseph Chalil. His other publications include “Connecting World Heritage Sites and Civilizations”; “India ASEAN Relations”; compiling “Profiles of Partnership: 50 Years of India Nepal Cooperation”; “Ta Prohm: A Glorious Era in Angkor Civilization” (with Professor Sachchidanand Sahai); and co-editor of “India of My Dreams”. – Ambassador Pradeep Kapur is an acknowledged “luminary diplomat” with a distinguished career, working closely with Heads of Governments, Heads of State, and global leaders and policymakers in different continents of the world: Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and South America. -He is currently working as International Strategic Adviser to Intellect Design Arena Inc. to support countries to develop their National Digital Fin-Tech Infrastructure; Executive Director of “Smart Village Development Initiative” at the WHEELS Global Foundation, an initiative of IIT Alumni in USA and India (supporting rural development in the areas of Water, Healthcare, Education, Energy, Livelihoods and Sustainability- with the acronym WHEELS); Director, Ambassador’s Circle, American Hindu Coalition; Member, Advisory Board of the Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies at IIT Bombay; and Chairman, Advisory Council, DiplomacyIndia.com -With his focus on strategizing India’s relations with other countries, through mutually beneficial initiatives, he helped to create pioneering institutions, and bilateral and multilateral projects, including -South Asian University- New Delhi; -in Cambodia- Entrepreneurship Development Institute, MGC Asian Traditional Textiles Museum, Ta Prohm Restoration Project- the biggest monument restoration project in the world, a new template for Lines of Credit to Least Developed Countries, strengthening the democratic process for elections in Cambodia, supporting Cambodia in it’s efforts with the UN to set up the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, successfully steering the First India-ASEAN Summit Dialogue, creating the initial template for QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) through his discussions and engagements with counterpart Ambassadors of US, Japan and Australia; -in Nepal- BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) catering to the healthcare needs of Eastern half of Nepal; 22 Bridges Project in the inaccessible western Himalaya region; and Birgunj Raxaul Rail Link for facilitating flow of goods and trade across the border; -in Chile, coordinating Earthquake Relief Funds from India to Chìle for micro and small women entrepreneurs, scholarships for underserved students, reconstruction of a school, setting up the Mahatma Gandhi Medical Simulation Facility at Talca University; with bilateral trade increasing from $ 1.3 billion to $ 3.2 billion, and initiating the First Foreign Ministerial Level Dialogue for CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) for pivoting India’s increasing relations with the continent. – As an educator, he has taught at some of the most prestigious universities, including Sorbonne University, Paris-1; Theseus Institute, Sophia Antipolis, France; ENPC Paris; IIT Roorkee; University of Maryland College Park; and as a Visiting Scholar at the George Washington University; he is Visiting Professor at MDI Gurugram (Public Policy and Management) -He was the first Indian diplomat to be conferred the “Third World Diplomat Award”, and worked as Diplomatic Faculty at Georgetown University (Edward Walsh Institute for the Study of Diplomacy) under a UN Fellowship -He was the first Indian diplomat invited to the Emerging Global Leaders “Georgetown Leadership Seminar” in 1992 – Alumnus of IIT Delhi, with B. Tech. (Electrical Engineering), and M. Tech. (Systems & Management Studies); JNU; Compltense University, Madrid; and Oxford University (Queen Elizabeth House) – He is invited regularly as a Keynote Speaker at Conferences and Webinars, and as a commentator on national TV channels for geo-political and geo-strategic analysis; is the author of many articles; and speaks French and Spanish, besides various Indian languages.