Donald L. Weaver, M.D., is the acting director of the Office of Special Health Affairs (OSHA), a new office in the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that was designated on January 5, 2010.

 

HRSA works to fill in the health care gaps for people who live outside the economic and medical mainstream. The agency uses its $7.5 billion annual budget (FY 2010) to expand access to quality health care for all Americans through an array of grants to state and local governments, health care providers and health professions training programs. HRSA supports more than 7,500 health care delivery sites that provide family-oriented primary and preventive care to approximately 24 million individuals.

 

As acting director of the Office of Special Health Affairs (OSHA), Dr. Weaver leads three offices: the Office of Health Equity, the Office of Global Health Affairs, and the Office of Strategic Priorities. Health Equity focuses on eliminating health disparities. Global Health Affairs advances HRSA global outreach and acts as the HRSA liaison with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Strategic Priorities serves as the principal advisor to the HRSA Administrator on major health priorities including, but not limited to, oral and behavioral health. OSHA collaborates with other departmental and Federal agencies and helps build public-private partnerships to improve the health of underserved communities and vulnerable populations.

 

Dr. Weaver began his career in the U.S. Public Health Service in 1975 as a National Health Service Corps (NHSC) volunteer physician. After his service in Tooele, Utah, Dr. Weaver served in HRSA Regional and Central offices in positions of increasing responsibility and subsequently served as the NHSC Director for 15 years. He has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and the Surgeon General’s Exemplary Service Medal in recognition of his achievements.

 

Dr. Weaver is a 1973 graduate of Harvard Medical School and completed a two-year pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Family Medicine and a Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. James Della Valle was born and raised in North Philadelphia. After graduating from Northeast Catholic High School he was accepted into an accelerated BA/MD program at Boston University. After completing the first year of medical school, he transferred to schools in Philadelphia. He received his BA from Temple University and his MD degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1977. He was inspired by the idea that it is important to learn about many things and with a desire to be of service to others, especially the underserved and the poor. He decided to pursue a career in Family Medicine. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pa. It was there that he met his wife, Kathleen a Behavioral Health nurse and native of South Philadelphia.

 

He and his family moved to Northeastern Pennsylvania in 1982 and they continue to reside in that area. In addition to the practice of Medicine in rural areas, Dr. Della Valle has been involved in medical education throughout his career. He has held faculty appointments at many institutions in Pennsylvania and New York. He has continued his own education and has obtained an MBA from Binghamton University, board certification in Emergency Medicine, certification and licensure as a Medical Acupuncturist and in Diagnostic Medical Ultrasonography.

 

In 2003, Dr. Della Valle and his spouse were challenged at a religious retreat to be of service in the Republic of Haiti. It was there that he became reacquainted with Father Thomas Hagan, a member of the Oblates of Saint Francis De Sales and the founder of Hands Together. Father Hagan was a teacher at Northeast Catholic High School while Dr. Della Valle was a student at the same school. Dr. Della Valle has been serving as the medical advisor for Hands Together and goes to Haiti regularly to provide care to the poorest of the poor in various locations throughout Haiti.

 

Jim and Kathy have four daughters of whom they are very proud. Diane is a Ph.D. Nutritionist, Andrea is a physician, Michele is a Neurosurgical Registered Nurse and Kathleen is an artist and entertainer. They have three grandchildren Julia, Madeline and Matthew James. Jim enjoys woodworking, playing guitar and painting icons.

 

 

 

 

Karen B. DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc is a Professor of Medicine at Tulane School of Medicine and holds the C. Thorpe Ray Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine. She serves as Vice Dean for Community Affairs and Health Policy, and has responsibility for implementing the Medical School’s mission to build healthier communities, including oversight of the community health center programs. Dr. DeSalvo’s research and policy experience is on improving access to quality community health care, particularly for vulnerable populations.

 

Dr. DeSalvo has been a leader in health sector recovery and health care reform efforts in Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina. Part of this work includes the creation of nationally award winning models of neighborhood-based care for low income, uninsured, and other vulnerable populations in a city that previously had none. She is responsible for the development of three comprehensive community based health centers with outreach programs, that grew from meager beginnings post-Hurricane Katrina from a street-based first aid station.

 

She was selected as a founding member of the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum Board and is the current President-elect. She is a member of the Louisiana Medical Care Advisory Committee and Vice Chair of the Louisiana Health Care Commission. Currently, Dr. DeSalvo is also serving as the Co-Chair for the New Orleans Mayor Elect Mitch Landrieu’s Health Care Transition Team.

 

Dr. DeSalvo was recognized as a Woman of Excellence in Health Care by the Louisiana Legislative Women’s Caucus for her health care reform efforts in 2008. Under her leadership, the Tulane School of Medicine was recognized as one of the top medical schools in the US by the American Association of Medical Colleges for community service in 2009.

 

She received her Bachelor of Arts from Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts in Biology and Political Science. She matriculated to Tulane University Health Sciences Center where she simultaneously received her Medical Doctorate and Masters of Public Health degrees. Dr. DeSalvo remained at Tulane as a resident, Chief Resident, and Fellow in Internal Medicine, and completed her National Health Service Corps obligation at Charity Hospital in New Orleans. She participated as a fellow in the Program of Clinical Effectiveness at Harvard University and completed a Masters in Clinical Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in May 2002.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Harper is a graduate of Howard University where she received a B.S. degree in 1971 and her D.D.S degree from the Howard University College of Dentistry (HUCD) in 1975. In addition, she holds a Masters in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. Her primary areas of interest were health administration and health legislation. She maintains a private practice, in general dentistry.

 

Upon graduating from HUCD, she became a full-time faculty member in the Department of Community Dentistry. After establishing a general dentistry practice in a multi-specialty dental group, she continued to serve the dental school by donating her time as an assistant professor and student mentor. She was one of the founding members of the Student National Dental Association (1972), and began her relationship with the National Dental Association as a student representative in 1972. She served as the second president (and first woman president) of the SNDA in 1973-74. Later, in 1997, she earned the distinction of serving as the first woman president in the 85-year history of the National Dental Association.

 

As an activist for oral health, Dr. Harper has served her profession in many capacities. She served on the transition teams of District of Columbia mayors Sharon Pratt Kelly and Marion Barry; was a member of President Bill Clinton’s Health Care Reform Task Force (1993) and contributed to the process of the first ever Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health under the direction of U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher (1999-2000). She also served as the first African American Spokesperson for the American Dental Association (1982-1994). On, many occasions Dr. Harper has written and delivered Congressional Testimony. She is also an ardent proponent of women’s health and currently serves on the Advisory Task Force of the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health. She spearheaded the formation of the NDA Women’s Health Symposium in 1992. She speaks on women and leadership, and has made international presentations on this topic.

 

As long time editor (first woman) of The Journal of the National Dental Association, she has authored and co-authored numerous articles focusing on the health needs of African Americans and the underserved. In 1996, she founded the National Dental Association’s Corporate Roundtable and shaped the organization’s strategic plan. She currently serves as the NDA Corporate Roundtable consultant. She is the co-founder and Project Director of the Deamonte Driver Dental Project.

 

Dr. Harper has been awarded numerous honors for professional service and community involvement. She has received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the H.U. College of Dentistry (HUCD); National Dental Association Distinguished Service Awards; the American Dental Association Consumer Advisor Award and Alpha Kappa Alpha Service Award, to name a few. She is a member of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon, National Dental Honor Society and a fellow in the American College of Dentists. She was the first woman president of the HUCD Alumni Association.

 

Dr. Harper served on the Board of Directors of Oral Health America, the Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, the American Association of Women Dentists, and the Ed Shils Entrepreneurial Fund. She was also on the Clinical Advisory Boards of Dentsply International, GlaxoSmithKline, Adec and Discus Dental. She was on the Editorial Board of the Woman Dentist Journal as well as the Editorial Advisory Board of Heart and Soul Magazine. In 1997, she was named one of the top Black Female Doctors in the U.S. by that magazine.

 

Dr. Harper earned the distinction of being the first to represent African American dentists on the covers of Dental Economics Magazine, (Feb. 2001) the country’s leading dental business magazine; and the Woman Dentist Journal, (Apr/Mar. 2003). She was also featured as one of the nation’s most outstanding dentists in the 2004 Aetna African-American History Calendar.