Louis J. Papa, M.D.
Primary Care Physician
Partner, Olsan Medical Group, Strong Health, Rochester, NY
 
Louis J. Papa M.D., FACP is board certified in Internal Medicine and is a primary care physician and partner at Olsan Medical Group.  He is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Rochester, where he helps educate internal medicine residents on primary outpatient.  In 1989, Dr. Papa graduated from the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine and came to Rochester to complete his residency at Strong Memorial Hospital where he is currently an attending physician. Dr. Papa is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, a former Delegate for the Young Physicians Section representing New York State to the American Medical Association, and was named by his peers to "Best Doctors in America" in 2001.  He was selected by "Rochester Business Journal" as one of the "Forty under Forty" young community leaders in 2001 and was named as one of only 25 physicians under 40 years old nationally to receive the "Excellence in Medicine Award" from the American Medical Association Foundation for leadership in 2003. Dr. Papa is involved in a number of medical, civic and community activities and boards including his role as a board member of the largest health foundation in Upstate New York -- the Greater Rochester Healthcare Foundation, volunteer work with the uninsured, as a New York Council member for the American College of Physicians and is currently President of the local medical society.

Kat Carney
Health Reporter

Kat Carney is a former CNN heavyweight-both literally and figuratively, but her style is decidedly lighthearted and upbeat. Whether she's speaking about her personal experience of losing a whopping 90 pounds after a lifetime of obesity, or sharing the media savvy she developed as the Consumer Health anchor for CNN Headline News, Carney's energizing style engages your audiences and provides them with tools they can use in their daily lives. Her experience in broadcast journalism, encompassing 9 television networks from CNN to HGTV, is the backdrop for Carney's unique blend of expertise and accessibility. While she can cut through media hype with surgical precision, Carney turns to humor when sharing with her audience the story behind-the story truths about newsworthy health issues.

Although she's logged in countless hours of airtime, and her personal perspective on health-related topics is frequently featured in national outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, at heart Carney sees the world through the eyes of the consumer. Her ability to demystify complex topics and her commitment to providing women and men with concrete strategies to improve their lives are a winning combination.

Carney's personal story-as a woman who has overcome her weight issues and succeeded in broadcast journalism without a college degree, along with her refreshing perspective on a variety of topics, is a source of motivation and inspiration to audiences hungry for a dose of, "I can do it!" In addition to her work in front of the camera, Kat Carney is active in raising awareness of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). In 1999, she founded SoulCysters.com. Today, with over 30,000 registered members, and close to 1 million visitors monthly, SoulCysters has become the largest, and most recognized community for women with this common, but commonly misunderstood, endocrine disorder.

Timothy E. Quill, M.D.
Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry, and Medical Humanities
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

Timothy E. Quill, M.D. is a Professor of Medicine, Psychiatry, and Medical Humanities at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.  He is also the Director of the Center for Palliative Care and Clinical Ethics, Director of the Program for Biopsychosocial Studies, and a palliative care consultant in Rochester, New York.

Dr. Quill has published and lectured widely about various aspects of the doctor-patient relationship, with special focus on end-of-life decision-making, including delivering bad news, nonabandonment, discussing palliative care earlier, and exploring last-resort options.  He is the author of several books on end-of life, including Physician-Assisted Dying:  The Case for Palliative Care and Patient Choice (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004), Caring for Patients at the End of Life:  Facing an Uncertain Future Together (Oxford University Press, 2001), and A Midwife Through the Dying Process:  Stories of Healing and Hard Choices at the End of Life (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996), and numerous articles published in major medical journals including "Death and Dignity:  A Case of Individualized Decision Making" published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  Dr. Quill was the lead physician plaintiff in the New York State legal case challenging the law prohibiting physician-assisted death that was heard in 1997 by the U.S. Supreme Court (Quill v. Vacco).

Dr. Quill received his undergraduate degree from Amherst College (1971), and his M.D. from the University of Rochester (1976).  He completed his Internal Medicine residency in 1979 and a Fellowship in Medicine/Psychiatry Liaison in 1981, both from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.  Dr. Quill is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians, an ABHPM certified Palliative Care consultant, and a founding member of the American Academy on Physician and Patient.

Marilyn Webb
 
In 1997, Marilynn Webb was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for her book, The Good Death: The New American Search to Reshape the End of Life. It traces the lives of 15 terminally ill patients, using their experiences to explore social, legal and moral issues surrounding death in America. Over the course of her research, Marilyn interviewed 300 health care professionals. The book, used in planning Bill Moyer's PBS Special On Our Own Terms, is a blueprint for change and a book of comfort and hope for everyone concerned about dying.

Marilyn Webb is a Distinguished Professor of Journalism and Co-Chair of the Journalism Program at Knox College. A former editor-in-chief of Psychology Today, Webb has also taught at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and was a senior editor/writer for Woman's Day, McCall's, Ladies Home Journal and Us Magazines. She has written extensively for New York Magazine, where her stories on death and dying first appeared, drawing the largest reader response in the magazine's history. She has also been a contributing writer for Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Redbook and Glamour and her work has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today and Parade Magazine.

Kathie Quinlan
 
Kathie Quinlan, RN, graduated in 1959 from Nazareth College in Rochester, NY with a bachelors degree in Speech Correction (now Pathology) and practiced speech therapy in schools and at home privately for a number of years. In the ensuing years, several very tender and personal deaths instilled in her a desire to care for the dying. In 1979, Kathie entered Monroe Community College's Nursing program where she graduated two years later. While working at the former St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester over the next five years she began efforts, supported by countless others, toward the establishment of Isaiah House. This two-bed home for the dying that Kathie continues to direct has just completed its 19th year. With education as a focus, she regularly is able to address end-of-life issues and concerns in a variety of contexts and this work of her heart grows ever more and more fervent through the years.

Clare Regan
 
While recovering from surgery for another health issue, Clare received an endoscopy to diagnose a problem in her esophagus. They believed she had an ulcer in her esophagus that was about to perforate. Five days later she was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, and four days later she had surgery to remove the cancer. Clare is now facing end-of-life issues and speaks openly about how she is living the end of her own life.

Clare is the mother of six and grandmother of two. She was trained as a chemist, but spent life as a community activist. She was the Editor of "Justicia," the newsletter of the Judicial Process Commission (criminal justice advocacy group) for 28 years. Currently, Clare is an emeritus member of the board of New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty, and was a 7-year treasurer of the Peace and Justice Center that joined with Metro-Act to become Metro Justice. Anti-war activities she was involved with include draft counseling during the Vietnam War. Clare is also a member of the Monroe County Criminal Justice Council.