Matthew Imm, CEO and Founder
Matthew Imm is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. He attended the College of William and Mary in Virginia and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BS in chemistry and a deep interest in global health and service to the poor. He then attended The Ohio State University College of Medicine where he helped found PODEMOS and deepened his commitment to Buckeye football. In 2011, he graduated Cum Laude and promptly escaped from the cold to South Florida. He completed his combined internal medicine/pediatrics internship and residency at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital from 2011-2015, participating in the Global Health Track which is designed to help participants care for diverse patients in a local and international setting. He was also Chief Resident for the Medpeds program during his fourth year.
Tiffany Wang, Chairman of the Board
Tiffany Wang is originally from Dayton, Ohio. She graduated from The Ohio State University with degrees in Psychology and Zoology, and went on to complete her medical degree from Ohio State as well. During that time, she served as Student Chapter Vice-President, and led several PODEMOS brigades. She is currently an obstetrics and gynecology resident at Georgetown University / Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. As the Chair of the PODEMOS Board of Directors, she is involved with ensuring the long-term success of the organization and works closely with both the Board of Directors and the Student Chapter. Outside of PODEMOS, she enjoys running, hiking, rock climbing, music, cooking, and traveling..
Andrew Vitaliti, Chief Financial Officer
Andrew Vitaliti is originally from Richmond, Virginia and graduated from Cedarville University with majors in Biology and International Studies. He then moved up to Columbus, OH and received his MBA from The Ohio State University. During his MBA, he majored in Strategy and International Business; he also traveled to various parts of the world (Middle East, Asia, Europe and South America) as part of his coursework. He is currently working as a Consultant at Nationwide Insurance and is focused on developing cross-functional market strategy. In 2016, he joined PODEMOS as the Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he is responsible for managing the finances of the organization as well as finding partnerships for PODEMOS. Additionally, he will provide business and organizational acumen to help the organization run more effectively. In addition to PODEMOS, his other interests include traveling, public speaking, scuba diving, outdoor activities, politics, international relations and economics.
Sara Brummel Imm, Chief Operative Officer
Sara Brummel Imm is originally from Warrenville, IL. Her introduction and initial inspiration to work in global heath service and research was as an undergraduate student at the College of William and Mary when she worked on a public health initiative in the Dominican Republic. She graduated cum laude with a bachelors degree in Sociology in 2007. After graduation she spent a year working as a Laboratory Coordinator in the department of psychology at the Ohio State University, studying language development in children. While living in Columbus, OH she assisted in the design and implementation on the first research project in Honduras that ultimately lead to the creation of PODEMOS. In 2008 she enrolled in the Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University. As a law student, she became one of the founding members of PODEMOS and worked on drafting the original bylaws and nonprofit incorporation documents. Sara received her Juris Doctor degree with honors from Ohio State in 2011. She currently is licensed to practice law in Florida and works as a government attorney in the Miami area.
Dr. Tejal Patel, Medical Director
Tejal is originally from Barberton, Ohio and graduated from Northeast Ohio Medical University in 2009. She subsequently moved to Columbus, Ohio to complete her residency in Internal Medicine at Riverside Methodist Hospital in 2012. Soon afterward, she began working with PODEMOS as a medical provider. In 2014 she became medical director of PODEMOS. In the past four years she has participated in six medical missions to Honduras and Nicaragua and has been the lead physician on four of these mission trips. She currently oversees overall PODEMOS operations including student leadership, medical management and pharmacy. In addition to service and international medicine, her interests include traveling, living life to the fullest and spending time with family and friends. Currently, Tejal is a hospitalist at Riverside Methodist Hospital.
Suzanne Scholl, Chronic Care Advisor
Suzanne Scholl, nurse practitioner graduated from Mount Carmel College of Nursing in 2004 and University of Cincinnati in 2012. She worked as a registered nurse in critical care for several years prior to returning to graduate school and has been working as a nurse practitioner with a hospitalist group at Riverside Methodist Hospital since 2012. Her favorite patient population is geriatrics. She has been involved with PODEMOS since 2015 and has participated in two medical brigades as a provider and works with the chronic care team monthly to review patient charts and adjust medications. In addition to global medicine, she is an avid traveler and animal lover.
Filiz, Pharmacy Director
Filiz is originally from Naperville, Illinois and graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2009 and received her Doctorate of Pharmacy from The Ohio State University in 2014. To finish her tour of the BIG10, Filiz completed a PGY1 residency at Northwestern Medical Center in Chicago and is currently completing her PGY2 residency in Hematology/Oncology at The James Cancer Hospital at OSU. She will be staying at The James as a pharmacist with Hematology Float starting fall of 2017. Filiz became involved with PODEMOS in 2011 when she made her first trip to Honduras. While a pharmacy student, she served as the Pharmacy Student Chair and helped with the inventory management. As the current Director of Pharmacy, she oversees medication and supply inventory for both the acute and chronic care components of the brigades, along with medication and pharmacy protocols.
Howard Werman, Faculty Advisor
Howard Werman graduated Duke University and attended medical school at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He completed a residency in Emergency Medicine at the Ohio State University Medical Center and has been a faculty member for the past 31 years. He participated in the Summer 2009 PODEMOS trip and has had additional global health experience in Haiti, Ghana, Israel and Qatar. Dr. Werman has continued to enjoy global health experiences as they combine service, education, and public health.
Denise Fabian, Fundraising Director
Denise has been involved with PODEMOS since 2011 when she made her first visit to the villages in Honduras. During medical school, she served as the Fundraising co-chair and organized events to raise money, awareness, and community support for PODEMOS. Memorable past fundraisers include the Dodgeball Tournament, Date Auction, and Volleyball tournament. She remains a member of the PODEMOS board and has spearheaded fundraising efforts; most recently the PODEMOS $10 Insulin Campaign. She is a current Radiation Oncology resident at Ohio State.