IN THE NEWS

The National Asthma Educator Certification Board (NAECB) welcomes new board members Guillermo Flores, AE-C; Shawn McCormick, BS, RRT, AE-C; Henry Milgrom, MD; and Dennis Williams, Pharm. D., BCPS, FASHP, AE-C to join in the goal of quality asthma education through the certification process.

The NAECB held the certificant-only voting election in November 2003 with an illustrious slate of nominees in four categories: allergist, pharmacist, respiratory therapist, and health educator. Ballots were sent to nearly one thousand certificants. The Board acknowledges and appreciates the participation of many of these certificants in the voting process.

With the addition of these new board members, the NAECB is excited about the energy and excitement created by these dedicated and professional individuals and welcomes their ideas in creating a standard of excellence for healthcare professionals throughout the country and world.

*Allergist-Henry Milgrom, MD, FAAAAI

Dr. Henry Milgrom graduated from Columbia College and the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine. He trained in pediatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital and at the University of Colorado Medical Center, and in allergy and immunology at Boston Children’s Hospital and Scripps Clinic. He worked for 3 years at the CDC in Atlanta in the viral immunology laboratory and he practiced allergy for 8 years in Salinas and Pacific Grove, California.

For the past 17 years, Dr. Milgrom has been on the staff of the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver. He presently holds the appointments of Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Clinical Science at the University of Colorado. He treats both adult and pediatric patients who suffer from allergic disorders, asthma, chronic cough, and vocal cord dysfunction. His research interests are adherence with treatment regimens and the therapy of asthma.

*Pharmacist - Dennis Williams, Pharm.D., BCPS, AE-C

Dennis Williams received his pharmacy degrees (BS and Pharm. D) from the University of Kentucky. He is an associate professor in the School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and senior clinical specialist in pulmonary medicine at UNC hospitals. Dr. Williams is board certified in pharmacotherapy practice (BCPS) by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties, and is a certified asthma educator (AE-C). He has given numerous national and international lectures on the topics of asthma, inhalation therapies, and effective patient education.

He frequently participates in certificate programs for asthma management for both pharmacists and respiratory therapists. Dr. Williams also participations in the local asthma coalition and sits on the NAEPP coordinating committee of the NHLBI.

*Respiratory Therapist - Shawn McCormick, BS, RRT, AE-C

Shawn McCormick is Chairman and CEO of Zoey, LP. She founded the company to develop fun, creative, and educational tools that will help children and their families learn how to gain control over asthma. Ms. McCormick is a Registered Respiratory Therapist receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Health education from Southwest Texas State University. She previously worked as the Director of Patient Care Services at Santa Rosa Health Care Corporation in San Antonio for nine years managing the adult and pediatric cardiopulmonary services.

Concurrently with Zoey L.P., Ms. McCormick is the President and CEO of both Summit DME of San Antonio and Pulmonary Therapies. Summit DME is a home medical equipment company specializing in respiratory therapy equipment and services. Pulmonary Therapies is a respiratory care company specializing in the application of disease management principles. Pulmonary Therapies is currently collaborating with The University of Texas Disease Management Center and The National Jewish Medical and Research Center in the South Texas Asthma Management Program. This study is a multi-year, multi-million dollar grant funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Pulmonary Therapies provides all of the home visit interventions.

Ms. McCormick’s professional affiliations include the American Association of Respiratory Care, the Texas Society for Respiratory Care, the Asthma Coalition of Texas and the Association of Asthma Educators. She has also devoted numerous hours working to help the NAECB research committee develop the reimbursement site on the NAECB website.

*Health Educator - Guillermo Flores, AE-C, BBA

Guillermo Flores, affectionately called the “Asthma Dude” by pediatric asthma patients, was born and reared in the South Bronx and was diagnosed with asthma when he was five. Consequently, he knows the challenges, threats, and fearful episodes brought on by asthma. Throughout his career, Mr. Flores’ ability to relate to patients and to communicate in English and Spanish has allowed him to excel as an asthma educator bridging the gap of communication between medical providers and patients. Presently, at Urban Health Plan, a community health center comprised of eight clinics throughout the South Bronx, he coordinates the day-to-day functioning of the nationally acclaimed Asthma Management Program serving approximately 3,600 asthma patients to date. The institutions that he has worked for have serviced communities in New York City declared “health crisis zones" by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, communities that have one of the highest rates of asthma in the country. It is Mr. Flores’ professional and personal goal to help asthma patients live longer, healthier lives by integrating high quality asthma education into their patient care.

He has a Bachelor in Business Administration Summa Cum Laude from Monroe College. He has written Pun’s Plan for Asthma, and Asma: Peligro en el Bronx, literary works presenting the lives of people with asthma, soon to be published by Urban Health Plan. Mr. Flores is a member of the following associations/coalitions: New York City Asthma Partnership, American College of Healthcare Executives, Health Force at Hunts Point, Association of Asthma Educators, and the American Association for Respiratory Care.