Plenary 2: Leading the Way: Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Raffy R. Luquis is an associate professor of health education in the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education at Penn State Harrisburg. Dr. Luquis also serves as the professor-in-charge of the of the health education master’s degree and the program coordinator for the biobehavioral health undergraduate’ degree. Dr. Luquis has a broad background in health education and health promotion. His primary teaching and research interests are cultural competency and multicultural health, health promotion, and human sexuality. He earned the certified health education specialist credential in 1995 and the master certified health education specialist credential in 2011 from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing in 2011. He served in the SOPHE Board of Trustees from 2016-2020.

Anthony Stephen Fauci is an American physician-scientist and immunologist who serves as the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical advisor to the president.

As President/Chief Executive Officer, Laura S. Kaiser, FACHE, leads SSM Health, a Catholic not-for-profit health system serving communities across the Midwest through a robust and fully integrated health care delivery system. Headquartered in St. Louis, SSM Health includes 23 hospitals, more than 290 physician offices and other outpatient and virtual care services, 10 post-acute facilities, comprehensive home care and hospice services, a pharmacy benefit company, a health insurance company and an accountable care organization. The 40,000+ employees and 11,000 providers at SSM Health are committed to delivering exceptional health care services and revealing God’s healing presence to everyone they serve. Ms. Kaiser joined SSM Health in May 2017, bringing 30+ years of experience in health care strategy, improving clinical quality, fueling innovation, driving performance and growth and leading change while fostering a healthy culture. Ms. Kaiser previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, UT. She also served at Ascension Health in a number of senior leadership roles including Regional Executive for the Gulf Coast/Florida region and President/CEO at Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, FL. Ms. Kaiser currently serves on several boards, including the Catholic Health Association, the Healthcare Leadership Council, Joint Commission Resources, Navitus Health Solutions, Nuance
Communications, Embold Health and the Scottsdale Institute. She earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Missouri,
and a Master of Business Administration and Master of Healthcare Administration from Saint Louis University. Ms. Kaiser is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and has been named one of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” by Modern Healthcare magazine for the past three years.

A longtime leader and presence in the field, Dr. William Datema has served in education and public health for over 40 years, including service from local to international levels. He has held several national leadership positions in the United States including branch chief roles at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in school health and community health, Director of Partnerships for Children’s Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Executive Director of Eta Sigma Gamma national health education honorary society and the Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education.

In his decorated career, Datema has volunteered in many prominent roles including as the President-Elect of the National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), President of the Foundation for the Advancement of Health Education, and Chair-Elect of the Missouri State University Alumni Association. He is also a board member of the CATCH Global Foundation and Action for Healthy Kids. He previously served on the global boards of ASCD and the International Union for Health Promotion and Education; the national boards of the American Association for Health Education (AAHE), American School Health Association (ASHA), National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, and National PTA; and as chair of the national board and a founding board member of Action for Healthy Kids. He is the United States representative for the UNESCO Chair for Global Health and Education.

He holds a Doctor of Public Health in health policy and management from the University of Georgia, and a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Education from Missouri State University. Dr. Datema has presented in 48 U.S. states and 12 other nations, and he has authored and contributed to numerous publications. He is a fellow of ASHA and AAHE, a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES), and a member of Delta Omega national public health honorary society and Eta Sigma Gamma.