OHPF Class of 2025
Lauren Azevedo, DO, MS
Dr. Azevedo serves as the director of pre-clerkship clinical education and assistant professor of pediatrics at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSU-COM). She holds a bachelor of arts in English and a bachelor of science
in biomedical science from Western Michigan University.
Dr. Azevedo pursued her graduate studies at Michigan State University, earning a master’s degree in pharmacology and toxicology, followed by a doctorate in osteopathic medicine. Subsequently, she completed her residency training in pediatrics
at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan. Board-certified in pediatrics and recognized as a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Azevedo's clinical focus centers on primary care at a federally qualified health
center in Lansing, MI. Within MSU-COM, Dr. Azevedo directs several courses and serves as the pediatrics clerkship director. She is core faculty at the University of Michigan Health - Sparrow Hospital pediatrics residency.
With a dedicated focus on advocacy education among medical students, residents, and colleagues, Dr. Azevedo has created an advocacy elective and spearheaded a civic health initiative at MSU-COM. She currently holds several leadership positions, including
secretary of the Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is a member of the executive committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics section on osteopathic pediatricians.
By learning how to facilitate more effective advocacy, she hopes to expand the presence of the osteopathic profession at both the state and national levels while championing healthcare equity for children. She also hopes to amplify the impact of the
skills developed in the fellowship by mentoring learners at all stages of medical education and inspiring them to include advocacy in their daily practice.
Mathew J. Bateman, PhD, DHEdDr. Bateman is the assistant provost for institutional effectiveness and a professor of anatomic sciences at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM). He received his PhD from the University of Iowa, department of anatomy and cell biology
in the Carver College of Medicine, and his DHEd from the College of Graduate Health Studies at A.T. Still University. Upon completing his post-doctoral research fellowship in developmental biology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia,
he returned to his home state of Nebraska to teach at a small rural liberal arts college.
Joining LECOM in 2006, Dr. Bateman advanced through the academic and administrative ranks within the college, delivering curricular content to students enrolled in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, dental, master’s in medical science, and medical
education programs while holding administrative positions such as assistant learning pathway director in preclinical education, assistant dean of curriculum, faculty, and assessment, and later as the institutional director of planning, assessment,
accreditation, and research. Dr. Bateman most recently completed his tenure as dean of the LECOM School of Dental Medicine before being appointed as assistant provost.
He volunteers as an accreditation site team evaluator for regional and specialty accreditation organizations. Dr. Bateman’s work and interests center around developing and delivering medical curriculum and creating a working and learning environment
conducive to the success of students, faculty, and staff. His meaningful engagement in innovative medical education, access to rural healthcare, and LGBTQIA+ healthcare issues motivates him to actively shape health policy with institutions of higher
education, governmental, and healthcare entities.
Candy Clawson, DO, MSMEdDr. Clawson received her medical degree from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her orthopedic surgery residency at Garden City Hospital in Detroit, Michigan and continued with fellowship training in hand/wrist surgery at Detroit
Medical Center. She then joined the USPHS and began work at the Alaska Native Healthcare System followed by the Indian Health Service in Shiprock, NM. During that time, she completed both an MS in medical education and a fellowship in leadership from
the University of Southern California.
She subsequently returned to the Alaska Native Medical Center to provide high-complexity hand and wrist orthopedic and microsurgery services for the Native population throughout the state. Her dedication to these medically underserved populations took
her to remote Alaskan villages via small plane, float plane and even once on a cargo ship.
During this time, she designed and maintained a primary care orthopedic resource website available to clinicians providing care in rural Alaska and taught classes on basic and emergent orthopedic care. Working with the Veterans Healthcare Administration
in both Alaska and Oregon, she provided general orthopedic and specialty hand/wrist surgical care. Her interests include all aspects of public health, health policy impacts on veterans’ care, osteopathy and an unending pursuit of new perspectives
in medicine.
Cameron Conn, PhDDr. Conn is assistant dean of administration, operations & services at Baptist University College of Osteopathic Medicine (BUCOM) in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Conn earned a master’s degree from Florida State University and a doctoral degree from
Azusa Pacific University, both in the field of higher education. She has held administrative posts in student and academic affairs at Mississippi College, Baylor University and Baptist Health Sciences University.
For the past 13 years, Dr. Conn has focused on healthcare education, working with nursing, allied health and pre-med students and faculty. Her transition to undergraduate medical education by serving on the inaugural leadership team at BUCOM has been
an exciting next step. Baptist Memorial Health Care, BUCOM’s sponsoring system, is one of the largest private not-for-profit healthcare systems in the southeast and serves patients in Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee, many of whom struggle
with access and affordability of primary and specialty care.
Dr. Conn has long been engaged in higher education policy issues at the state and federal level and is excited to envision the osteopathic health policy fellowship as an opportunity to turn her focus to healthcare policy and improve care for the populations
in Baptist’s service areas. Dr. Conn remains active as a quantitative researcher and peer reviewer in the field of higher education and mentors doctoral students by serving on dissertation committees. Her research interests include student-faculty
interaction, college student outcomes and Christian higher education.
Robyn Dreibelbis, DODr. Dreibelbis serves as executive director and designated institutional official of the Mountain States Institute for Graduate Medical Education and Research. She is also associate dean of graduate medical education and associate professor of family
medicine at the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed medical school at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP) in Pomona, CA in 1995 and residency in family medicine at Eastmoreland Hospital in Portland, Oregon. Always
interested in caring for the whole patient, she practiced full-scope family medicine in McMinnville, Oregon from 1998-2011.
Teaching has always been a focus of her practice whether with patients, students or residents. Her desire to be more fully involved in clinical teaching led her to Samaritan Health Service in Corvallis, Oregon where she served as the program director
of the family medicine residency from 2010-2013. In 2011, Dr. Dreibelbis joined the inaugural faculty at Western University/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific - Northwest in Lebanon, Oregon, chaired the department of family medicine and
served as the chief wellness officer for the college.
She served on various local and statewide committees and organizations including Oregon Healthcare Workforce Committee, Oregon Graduate Medical Education Consortium, Oregon Wellness Committee and the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of Oregon (OPSO), serving as president of OPSO during her tenure. Dr. Dreibelbis has represented Oregon for many years at the AOA and ACOFP House of Delegates. Advocacy is an integral part of being a physician and she intends to continue her efforts utilizing the knowledge and skills gained through the osteopathic health policy fellowship.
Emily Grewe-Nelson, DO
Dr. Grewe-Nelson received her medical degree from Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She completed a dual-accredited residency program at the University of Missouri Kansas City and Kansas City University of Medicine
and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine Family Medicine Residency in Kansas City, Missouri, where she also served as chief resident. Dr. Grewe-Nelson is dual board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and the American Osteopathic
Board of Family Practice in family medicine and family medicine with osteopathic manipulation treatment.
Upon graduation, she moved back to Oklahoma, where she started her practice at Utica Park Clinic. Dr. Grewe-Nelson joined the board of the Tulsa Osteopathic Medical Society, where she has served in several roles, including president in 2020-2021 while
helping the society navigate its mission during a global pandemic. She has also served in leadership positions within her organization, including serving as the physician chair of the Together 2 Goal initiative and on the quality and patient safety
committee within her organization.
Dr. Grewe-Nelson remains active in state and national osteopathic associations, serving for the past three years as an alternate delegate to the American Osteopathic Association House of Delegates. While also a member of the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association
Legislative Committee, she has been appointed by the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association president to the Bureau of Strategic Planning for two years in a row. Dr. Grewe-Nelson works full time as a family physician, where she is passionate about advocating
for her patients and ensuring that all patients have access to high-quality, evidence-based care.
She is excited to be an osteopathic health policy fellow and hopes to learn how to formulate and implement policy throughout the healthcare system to create an environment that better serves physicians and patients alike.
Stephanie Hansen, DODr. Hansen received her medical degree from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California and completed her residency in internal medicine at Banner Good Samaritan, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix Internal Medicine Residency
Program. She also served as chief resident during her time there. Dr. Hansen started a solo hospitalist practice that merged with other independent hospitalists working collectively. During her time as a hospitalist, she became interested in physician
leadership. To this end, she served as vice chief of staff while obtaining her executive MBA at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas.
Once completed, she became the regional medical director for hospitalist medicine for a national hospitalist company. While in this role, not only did she continue to foster her policy skills, but she also developed her considerable experience in CMS
rules and regulations. Over time, this background allowed her to transition into the role of physician advisor, and ultimately serving as the national interim chief medical officer for On-Sight Advisory.
With a desire to get closer to her roots and family, she moved to the Pacific Northwest and transitioned to primary care in a federally qualified health care facility where she was able to bridge both the clinical aspects of medicine and leadership serving
as the regional medical director and chief medical officer of the organization’s accountable care organization. With her years of physician leadership experience, Dr. Hansen discovered her passion for advocacy in improving our healthcare system,
leading her to participate in this year’s fellowship cohort. She looks forward to collaborating with other like-minded colleagues and gaining more knowledge and expertise in healthcare policy to focus on advocacy in the next phase of her career.
Teresa Hardesty DO, MHADr. Hardesty is a clinical assistant professor within the department of internal medicine at Oklahoma State University – College of Osteopathic Medicine where she is committed to educating the next generation of physicians. She completed her medical
degree at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and her residency training at Oklahoma State University Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is board certified in internal medicine and trains residents in the inpatient and outpatient
settings, including a Ryan White HIV clinic.
She developed a long COVID multi-disciplinary clinic at OSU, providing comprehensive care for patients grappling with long-term effects of COVID-19. She is the past president of the Tulsa Osteopathic Medical Society, current member of the Oklahoma Osteopathic
Association Board of Trustees, member of the Morningcrest Healthcare Foundation Board of Directors, medical advisor to the Oklahoma Board of Osteopathic Examiners and Oklahoma delegate to the American Osteopathic Association House of Delegates and
AOA ad hoc committee member.
Jason Kirby, DO, MBADr. Kirby currently serves as the chief medical officer for Landmark Recovery and Praxis by Landmark Recovery, a national drug and alcohol residential treatment organization and is also the president of the Tennessee Society of Addiction Medicine. He
is an expert in population health policy, healthcare economics, evidence-based outcomes-oriented addiction medicine and human behavior.
He is dual board certified in addiction medicine from the American Board of Preventive Medicine and family medicine from the American Board of Family Medicine. He received his medical degree from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and his
MBA from Point Park University. Dr. Kirby is also a fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), serving in roles on its finance, steering, conference planning and levels of care committees.
Recently, he contributed to the medically managed treatment chapter for the ASAM Criteria 4th Edition. Dr. Kirby previously served as medical director of addiction and recovery services at St. Peter’s Health Partners in Albany, New York and practiced
at St. Peter’s Hospital as their chief of behavioral health. Prior to that, he served as medical director for Gateway Rehabilitation
Nathaniel R. Overmire, DODr. Overmire is an assistant clinical professor of primary care at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine where he also practices medicine at OhioHealth. He also serves as the coroner of Franklin County, Ohio. Dr. Overmire served as
chief resident during his family medicine residency at Grant Family Medicine. During this time he participated in the Training in Policy Studies Fellowship, a one-year experiential program designed to provide medical residents with firsthand experience
in policy development and advocacy. During this time he testified on vaccine bills at the Ohio Statehouse and assisted in advocacy efforts on state policy.
He currently serves as the Central Ohio Region Director for the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) Board of Directors and served on behalf of the OAFP as the New Physician Delegate to the American Academy of Family Physicians National Conference
of Constituency Leaders. Here he worked on a resolution that redefines diversity in family medicine: a far-reaching youth pipeline for workforce development. Dr. Overmire currently serves as a member of the OAFP Public Policy Committee.
Dr. Overmire is driven to pursue the role of a health policy fellow because he aspires to enhance his abilities as a servant leader – a philosophy he learned as an Albert Schweitzer Fellow. This Osteopathic Health Policy Fellowship presents an invaluable
opportunity to connect with fellow professionals who share a similar dedication to advancing the health and well-being of our communities. His aim is to acquire specialized expertise and skills in health policy, empowering him to more effectively
contribute to the advancement of health equity and improved health outcomes for residents of Franklin County and across Ohio.
Christopher L. Snyder, DODr. Snyder received his medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his traditional medicine internship and family practice residency at Downey Regional Medical Center in Downey, California. Dr. Snyder is board certified
in family medicine. He is the medical director for Community Heights Family Medical Center, a branch of San Ysidro Health which is a federally funded nonprofit health center that serves medically underserved areas and populations located within San
Diego. He provides services for a large underserved Vietnamese and Spanish-speaking patient population.
He also directs a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulated lab for one of San Ysidro’s Urgent Care Clinics ensuring the quality and accuracy of laboratory testing is in accordance with federal regulatory standards. Dr. Snyder
is also a hospitalist for JFK Memorial Hospital located in Indio, California. He is currently in the process of completing a fellowship in psychiatry for primary care providers conducted by the University of California, Irvine campus.
In the past Dr. Snyder has served in many roles which include medical director of various skilled nursing care and home hospice agencies. He has served as director of wound care services at St. Francis Medical Center and Promise Hospital in Los Angeles,
California. He also has worked in occupational medical and various urgent care centers in California and Pennsylvania. As the evolution of artificial intelligence and genomic technologies revolutionize healthcare, Dr. Snyder is interested in ensuring
health policy and regulation address and promote healthcare that is fair, appropriate and valid.
James Toldi, DODr. Toldi is currently associate dean of clinical medicine for Lincoln Memorial – DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) in Orange Park, Florida. He is a graduate of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) in Bradenton, Florida.
Dr. Toldi is board-certified in family medicine and sports medicine, having completed his residency and fellowship through Florida State University College of Medicine and the University of New Mexico respectively.
Dr. Toldi’s medical career has been rooted in education and program building. He is honored to have twice served as the founding program director for two different sports medicine fellowships, first at the University of South Alabama and then at
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. Dr. Toldi’s educational drive led him to become the assistant dean of clinical education and assessment at LECOM in Bradenton, Florida and from there to his current role
with LMU-DCOM’s upcoming campus in Orange Park, Florida.
Dr. Toldi’s clinical and research interests include sports-related concussions and pediatric overuse injuries. He serves on several national committees and regularly presents at regional and national conferences.
OHPF Alumni Fellowship Program
This new program for OHPF alumni takes a collaborative approach to the important issues of the day by forging relationships across our alumni, working together towards solutions, advocacy, and renewed fellowship. Join us today!
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