Jane Kimani-Chomba, M.Ed., CHES
Jane Kimani is the founder and current president of Uhai For Health Inc. She is a strong advocate, Health Educator and a Community Organizer in the African community in Worcester Massachusetts. Jane holds a Bachelors degree in Community Health Education and a Masters in Education concentration in Health Education from Worcester State University. She is also a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and has conducted numerous Health Education workshops both locally and in Africa. Jane is currently working at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Hospital as a Case Manager for the Healthy Start Program. She is also an active member of the Community Engagement Committee of the Obstestrician/Gyneocology Department with the goal of improving the health outcomes of the African women in Worcester.
Catherine Nash, MPH – (Secretary)
Catherine has a Bachelors degree in Arts from Mount Holyoke College Massachusetts and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Campus.Catherine was the previous director for a Research Group in Primary Care Quality, Access and Outcome for the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University Of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA. She has also served as Outreach and Educational Specialist for the Department of Public Health for the Women’s Health Network program. Catherine has also served as an International Program Officer with the United Nations World Food Program serving refugees in Nepal, Bangladesh, Cote d’Ivore and Guinea. She also worked with UNICEF in Sudan. Her international work began as a peacecorp volunteer in Benin, Africa.
Katharine O’Dell, RN, Ph.D., CNM
Kate O’Dell is a certified nurse midwife and nurse-practitioner with over 35 years of experience providing healthcare to women. She received her original nursing education at the Mayo Clinic/ Rochester MN, her midwifery diploma at the Frontier Nursing Service in Kentucky, a Master of Science from Case Western Reserve University, and a PhD from UMass. She currently holds a faculty position as Assistant Professor of OB/GYN at UMass Medical School, and continues active practice in general out-patient women’s health and urogynecology. Her interests include community outreach, health education, and increased access to care.
Pegeen Eslami, MD.
Pegeen Eslami is an attending physician in the Pediatric Emergency Department at UMass Memorial University Hospital and the UMass medical school. She has been a practicing pediatrician for 20 years in a variety of inner-city, rural, academic and community hospitals, specializing in pediatric resuscitation and transport issues. She became interested in international health and traveled with UHAI to Kenya in 2010. She has a particular interest in expanding access to health care education and basic resuscitation for neonatal and pediatric patients.
Marianne Sarkis, Ph.D.
Marianne Sarkis is an applied medical anthropologist who is currently conducting research on the contentious relationship between African women refugees, health care professionals and biomedicine. Her research examines the link between acculturation, reproductive experiences, and strategies and fertility rates among African immigrants in Worcester, Massachusetts. Currently, Marianne is a visiting assistant professor of International Development and Social Change (IDSC) at Clark University.
Diane Pingeton, MD.
Dr. Pingeton graduated from Fitchburg State College with a BS – (magna cum laude); and proceeded to enroll in the premedical program at Harvard Extension School; and finally obtained her MD as well as OB/GYN residency at the University Of Massachusetts Medical School. She was a University of Massachusetts Medical Center Fellow, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; and is a member of American Medical Women’s Association, UMass Memorial Prenatal Issues Committee and the Public Health Committee, Worcester District Medical Society. A Worcester-area native, Dr. Pingeton began her career as a nurse. As her interest in women’s health care grew, she undertook premedical coursework while a labor and delivery nurse at Beth Israel Hospital. Dr. Pingeton is interested in wellness for women of all ages, holistic health care, natural childbirth, stress reduction and gynecologic surgery.
Kristen Maki, MPH – (Treasurer)
After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Bard College, Kristen served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa. The experience led her to pursue a Master of Public Health in International Health at Tulane University. After obtaining her degree, she moved to Worcester and worked for several years at the Great Brook Valley Community Health Center (now the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center). She is currently a Research Administrator at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. In addition to serving on the UHAI Board of Directors as Treasurer, Kristen volunteers with a number of community groups in Worcester, including serving as Co-Chair of her Neighborhood Crime Watch group.