AAFP Foundation Board of Trustees

Jay-Sheree Allen Akambase, MD, FAAFP, President

Rochester, Minnesota

Dr. Jay-Sheree Allen Akambase is a Preventive Medicine Fellow in the Division of Public Health, Infectious Diseases, and Occupational Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and an Executive master’s degree in public health practice candidate at the University of Minnesota. She holds the rank of Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and previously served as a Senior Associate Consultant and Diversity Leader in the Department of Family Medicine. She created the first department wide equity, inclusion, and diversity committee to lead the team through the department’s 2022-23 EID priorities including a faculty development program to promote leadership among women and underrepresented minorities in Family Medicine. As a National Health Service Corps scholar through 2021, she practiced as a full spectrum Family Physician with Centracare Health Long Prairie, a critical access hospital in Central Minnesota.

Jay-Sheree is passionate about strengthening the connections between primary care and public health, especially through the use of media platforms. To that end, she has worked with ABC News Health, Minnesota Public Radio and Hippo Education’s Primary Care Reviews and Perspectives podcast. She has been named a 40 under 40 Leader in Health by the National Minority Quality Forum. In addition to being the President and leading the Foundation through the development of the 2024-2026 strategic plan, she previously chaired the workgroup focused on the humanitarian efforts of the Foundation and has been instrumental in relaunching the Family Medicine Cares International Program in the Dominican Republic.

Renee Markovich, MD, President-Elect

Uniontown, Ohio

Dr. Renee Markovich is the clinical associate director of the Cleveland Clinic Akron General Family Medicine Residency Program and an assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University. She received her combined BS/MD from Youngstown State University and Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine in 1994.

Renee completed her residency at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, Ga., and served as chief resident in her final year. She practiced full-scope rural family medicine, including obstetrics, at Community Memorial Hospital in Hicksville, Ohio, where she served one year as chief of staff. She has been active in her state Academy of Family Physicians and the Foundation, supporting student efforts and interest in family medicine.

Andrea Gavin, MD, Vice President

Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin

Dr. Andrea Gavin began her career in family medicine in Plymouth, Wis., in 1991. In addition to providing heartfelt, comprehensive care to her patients, she gives back to her community through her active participation in community and non-profit boards and local fundraising activities.

After being named Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians Family Physician of the Year in 2001, Andrea became active in organized medicine on the WAFP Board and Foundation. This, along with participation in the Aurora Health Care Foundation and AAFP Foundation activities, has given Andrea a passion for philanthropy. She is especially interested in fundraising activities that support the family medicine workforce and those who work to decrease health inequities.

Heather Palmer, MA, MBA, Executive Director

Leawood, Kansas

Heather E. Palmer, MA, MBA is the Executive Director of the AAFP Foundation and AAFP’s Vice President of Development. With over 30 years of experience, Heather leads the AAFP’s philanthropic arm and grants team. Her expertise in development and fundraising, along with a deeply personal commitment to the well-being of others, helps her further the AAFP’s work toward ensuring all people can access medical care. 
 
Prior to joining the AAFP, Heather served as director of development and corporate relations at the American Podiatric Medical Association. She also served as director of corporate philanthropy and partnerships at the Inova Health System Foundation and gained international experience in her role at the Center for Development and Population Activities. Heather fell in love with family medicine at the start of her career as the director of development at the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians Foundation.  
  
Heather is a member of the Association of Fundraising Executives. She holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from American University and a master’s degree in business from Marymount University. 

R. Shawn Martin, Executive Vice President/CEO, AAFP

Leawood, KS

Shawn Martin serves as executive vice president and chief executive officer for the American Academy of Family Physicians, the medical specialty organization representing 136,700 family physicians and medical students nationwide.

Shawn has served on the National Quality Assurance Coalition Patient Centered Medical Home Advisory Board, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Practice Transformation Advisory Board, and the Hospital and Facilities Accreditation Program Patient-Centered Medical Home Advisory Panel. His leadership roles include a six-year period as chair of the Health Coalition on Liability and Access. He also is an active member of the Patient Centered Primary Care Collaborative, where he has served in several official leadership roles since its inception in 2006.

Justin Bartos, MD, Treasurer

Bedford, TX

Dr. Justin Bartos has been involved with the AAFP Foundation since 2016.  After practicing in a community-based clinic for many years, he was attracted to the opportunity to give back to patients in need through the AAFP Foundation.  

Justin began his family medicine journey at the University of Texas and the University of Texas Medical Branch. His completed his residency at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. In 2020 he joined HCA Medical City Arlington Hospital with a focus on developing an advocacy curriculum and geriatrics.  

He also works as the administrative physician of North Hills Family Medicine and was the past owner of Bishop Davies Nursing Center and Founder of Bishop Hospice. 

Justin has been a delegate to the Congress of Delegates from Texas, member of the Commissions on Practice Enhancement, Quality and Practice, and Membership. He has served as a chairman of the Reference Committee on Organization and Finance. He is a past president of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians and was named Texas Family Physician of the Year.  He is a member of the Board of the Texas Academy of Family Physicians Foundation. 

Keith L. Callahan, MD, MBA, FAAFP, Physician Trustee

East Greenwich, Rhode Island

Dr. Keith Callahan is a solo-practice family physician and clinical associate professor of family medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Keith currently supervises Alpert Medical School students during their family medicine core rotation; is serving his second term as president of the Rhode Island Academy of Family Physicians; and is the founding editor-in-chief of “Rhode Island Family Medicine.”

At the start of his career in Chicago, Keith held a wide variety of clinical, educational, administrative, practice management, and advocacy roles. Since moving to Rhode Island and opening a private practice, he has maintained his commitment to medical education, taking on new leadership and advocacy roles. Keith leads the Rhode Island Academy of Family Physicians State Advocacy Day, represents national family medicine interests during the Family Medicine Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., and serves a member of the Rhode Island Medical Society Board of Directors.

Patrick Falvey, PhD, DSc, FACHE, Public Trustee

Louisville, Kentucky

Dr. Patrick Falvey has a strong interest in and advocacy for the critical role of primary care in quality, efficiency, and value-based care. As both an executive in large health systems and a researcher, Patrick has worked extensively to support strategy around primary care’s role in leadership, access, growth, clinical improvement, clinical trials, and philanthropy. Patrick also researches the important role of philanthropy and foundation work around engaging donors and linking donors’ interests to key organizational priorities. He currently serves on several healthcare-based non-profit foundation boards. Patrick is the chief operations officer for Baptist Health System, based in Louisville, Kentucky. His responsibilities include hospital operations, pharmacy, laboratory, clinical quality/safety, philanthropy, clinical research, behavioral health, analytics, supply chain, and facilities/construction. Patrick is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Ashesh Gandhi, PharmD, Corporate Trustee

Summit, New Jersey

Dr. Ashesh Gandhi is Executive Director of Medical Affairs for the Americas region at CSL Seqirus and is responsible for the implementation of the medical affairs strategy focused on influenza disease prevention. Ashesh completed his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Mercer University College of Pharmacy and his pharmacy practice residency and clinical research fellowship at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Ashesh’ s interests includes managing a non-profit organization for an ultra-rare disease, helping patients adhere to their medications, educating health care providers and individuals on the importance and effectiveness of vaccines, ensuring access of vaccines in underserved populations, and volunteering with his therapy dog at local hospices and mass vaccination clinics.

Ashesh grew up in Kenya which helped drive his passion for the need of universal medical care and the importance of health prevention programs.

Kristina Laguerre, MD, MPH, Physician Trustee

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Dr. Kristina Laguerre is a board-certified family physician practicing in West Philadelphia and serving as a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Pennsylvania. Kristina completed her residency training at Southern Hills Hospital in Las Vegas, Nev. where she served as chief resident and was actively involved with the AAFP as a resident leader. Kristina's passion lies in community health and providing primary care to underserved populations. She is also enthusiastic about medical education and enjoys working to strengthen the family medicine pipeline.   

Teresa L. Lovins, MD, FAAFP, Academy Trustee

Columbus, Indiana

Teresa L. Lovins, MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians. As an AAFP board member, Lovins advocates on behalf of family physicians and patients to inspire positive change in the U.S. health care system.  Lovins is currently a physician owner at Lovin My Health DPC in Columbus, Indiana. She studied bioscience at Indiana State University (ISU), attended Indiana University School of Medicine, and in 1992 began training at the Family Medicine Residency at St. Francis Hospital in Beech Grove, Indiana (now Franciscan Health-Indianapolis). It was during medical school and residency that she first became involved in the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP).  Lovins’ first practice was full-spectrum family medicine, including obstetrics, in a group practice. She later opened a solo practice and continued full-spectrum care for eight years. Over the next 12 years, she worked in a variety of practice settings and helped to get both an employer-based clinic and a group practice off the ground. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lovins opened her own hometown direct primary care practice, Lovin My Health DPC.  She has been actively involved in family medicine at the national level, representing Indiana at the National Conference of Constituency Leaders (formerly NCSC), contributing to the AAFP Commissions on Continuing Professional Development and Federal and State Policy, and serving on Indiana’s delegation to the AAFP Congress of Delegates for the last eight years. 

Lovins is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. She has the AAFP Degree of Fellow, an earned degree awarded to family physicians for distinguished service and continuing medical education.

Nada Mlinarevich, MPH, BSN, Corporate Trustee

Chicago, Illinois

Nada Mlinarevich’s desire to help others and promote health and wellness, along with her innate curiosity and thirst for knowledge, continues to guide her personally and professionally.

Nada started her career in healthcare providing bedside nursing care on a neurology unit at a community hospital, and quickly realized she had a passion for advancing medicine and clinical research. This passion led to a decade of work in academics, where she specialized in translational research.

Nada’s focus on innovation and helping others at a population level drew her to Exact Sciences; once there, she led a large diagnostic clinical study that resulted in FDA approval of the first multi-target stool DNA test for colorectal cancer screening. Currently, she is director of medical affairs at Exact Sciences, leading thought leader engagement across the screening business unit.  

Eddie Richardson, Jr., MD, FAAFP, Physician Trustee

Eatonton, GA

Dr. Eddie Richardson, Jr. is a native of Echols County. He earned his BS in Chemistry from Valdosta State University, served with distinction in the Marine Corps, and received the Navy Medal of Achievement. After completing his Master’s in Biochemistry at Clark Atlanta University, he completed his Family Medicine residency at Morehouse School of Medicine. Dr. Richardson then served as a National Health Service Corps Scholar and completed a fellowship in Geriatric and Palliative medicine at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, GA

Currently, he holds leadership positions including Medical Director & CEO of Lake Oconee Urgent & Primary Care Center and Lake Oconee Concierge Medicine; AXIS Occupational Health, LLC. He is the Medical Director and Chief of Staff of Putnam General Hospitalist Program, & Peaceful Purpose Hospice. He is the Chief Medical Officer of AXIS RISK Services, LLC., and the Laboratory Clinical Consultant for Med-Lake Laboratory LLC. He is an Assistant Professor at Augusta University School of Medicine, and Morehouse School of Medicine as well as serves on the faculty for two Nurse Practitioner schools.

Sarah Sams, MD, FAAFP, Academy Trustee

Columbus, Ohio

Sarah Sams is a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians. The AAFP represents 130,000 physicians and medical students nationwide. As an AAFP board member, Sams advocates on behalf of family physicians and patients to inspire positive change in the U.S. health care system. Sams is a passionate, board-certified family physician, educator, and advocate for family medicine. For over 17 years, she has served as an associate director and full-time faculty member at Grant Family Medicine Residency in Columbus, Ohio where she provides full-spectrum family medicine care, including obstetrics and minor office-based procedures. She has trained over 180 family medicine residents and helped to showcase how bonds built through the patient-physician relationship are the true joy in family medicine. Prior to joining the Grant Family Medicine Residency, Sams owned and operated her own independent, private practice for seven years and as a result, understands the complexity of the business aspects in medicine.

Sams is a past president of the OAFP and was an OAFP delegate to the AAFP Congress of Delegates and the chair of the AAFP Commission on Finance and Insurance. She also served as chair of the AAFP’s Commission on Governmental Advocacy and a multitude of state chapter committees that advance OAFP’s strategic initiatives. Sams has mentored family physicians during the AAFP’s National Conference of Constituency Leaders, early-career leaders at AAFP’s National Conference, and advised scholars of the AAFP Foundation’s Emerging Leader Institute. 

Jake Sangster, MHA, Public Trustee

Saratoga Springs, Utah

Jake Sangster currently serves as the Operating Principal for Intermountain Health’s Venture Capital Firm. In his role, Jake leads Intermountian’s efforts of commercializing new and innovative companies into the marketplace. Jake’s previous roles with Intermountain Health have provided him experience in leading; digital health growth initiatives, primary care strategies, multi-payer partnerships, and value-based care expansion. Jake completed his undergraduate degree in Healthcare Administration from Brigham Young University Idaho and his master’s degree in health policy and administration from the Pennsylvania State University. Jake’s career has been spent building and fostering relationships between healthcare organizations to improve healthcare access, optimize service delivery, and achieve strategic alignment.

Jake grew up in a small town in southwest Montana. Being raised in a rural area, Jake experienced the essential role a family physician plays in improving and maintaining healthy communities. These experiences have drawn him to the work of the AAFP Foundation to advance the field of family medicine. 

Christopher Watson, MD, MPH, Physician Trustee

Jacksonville, Florida

Dr. Christopher Watson is a board-certified Family Medicine Physician practicing full scope family medicine including surgical obstetrics. He is currently a Core Faculty Member at Ascension St. Vincent's Family Medicine Residency Program in Jacksonville, Fla. He is currently active in the American Balint Society and the Florida Academy of Family Physicians (FAFP) Justice, Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Task Force. Christopher is a Teach For America Alumni as well as a National Health Service Scholar. Christopher served as student and resident member to the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation Board of Trustees. He is currently a faculty member in the Foundation's Family Medicine Leads Emerging Leaders Institute. Christopher has an array of interests in primary care including maternal health, men's health, and transgender health. He is interested in creating safe spaces that promote inclusion and diversity. 

Kelly Dougherty, MD, Resident Trustee

St. Louis, Missouri

Dr. Kelly Dougherty is a resident at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, MO. She hails from rural Missouri and had only five students in her graduating class in high school. Her experiences as a rural American have inspired her to fight for equitable healthcare for even the smallest of towns. Her passion for Rural Health Equity led her to become involved in Missouri Academy of Family Physicians as a medical student and her testimony has been influential on multiple bills involving Rural Medical Education. She continues her involvement as the Resident Director for Missouri AFP.

Kelly strives to provide equitable patient care to underserved communities and is passionate about educating future physicians to do the same. She believes patient care only begins in the exam room and must be followed through at State Capitols and on The Hill. As a 2023 Family Medicine Leads Emerging Leader Institute Scholar, she is excited to create positive change in her community and looks forward to giving back to the AAFP Foundation in her role as Resident Trustee.

Andrea Augustine, MPH, MS-3, Student Trustee

Durham, North Carolina

Andrea Augustine is the student representative to the AAFP Foundation Board of Trustees. She is a medical student on the Primary Care Leadership Track at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. She was born in Kerala, India; raised in Atlanta, Georgia; and studied in Houston, Texas at Rice University as a QuestBridge Scholar and the UT Health Houston School of Public Health.

Her deep-rooted desire to build long-term relationships with her patients and engage actively with their communities guided her to family medicine. Andrea’s motivation to serve as the Student Member of the AAFP Foundation Board of Trustees was shaped by participating in the AAFP Foundation’s Family Medicine Leads Emerging Leader Institute (ELI); serving on the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians Foundation Board of Trustees; and founding the Primary Care Student Alliance at Duke, the development of which was supported by ELI and the Family Medicine Student Organization Grant Program.

As Student Trustee, Andrea is committed to advocating for increased educational investment and serving as a bridge between the AAFP Foundation and students to support their shared priorities.