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 care.  He is also an attending physician at Strong Memorial Hospital. 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.  He is a member of the American College of Physicians.   Dr. Papa was elected a Fellow of the American College of Physicians at age 33, is 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 a member of numerous medical, civic and community committees and boards including volunteer work with the uninsured, and as Vice- President of the local medical society.

Arthur J. Moss, M.D.
Professor of Medicine, Cardiology
University of Rochester Medical Center

Arthur Moss M.D. is a Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) and Director, Heart Research Follow-up Program at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry in Rochester, NY.  He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease. Dr. Moss' education included: Undergraduate-Yale University, Graduate-Harvard Medical School, Medical Internship and Residency-Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, Cardiology-University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY.  Dr. Moss' major areas of interest are in genetic and acquired heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias), acute and chronic coronary heart disease, prevention of sudden cardiac death, and clinical trials involving drugs and devices.  He is a consultant to the FDA for drugs used in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. His major scientific accomplishments involve the study of mechanical and electrical risk factors in coronary heart disease, investigations into lipid and clotting factors that contribute to coronary disease, clinical trials involving the implanted defibrillator in high-risk coronary patients, electrocardiology, phenotype/genotype investigations of the inherited long QT syndrome, and studies of drug-induced heart rhythm disorders. Dr. Moss has authored more than 300 scientific medical articles and four medical books. He is a current member of National Institutes of Health Study Section.

Jamie Hammond
Television Manager

Jamie had a blood clot lodge in her finger that was blocking blood flow to that finger. When standard physical tests showed nothing unusual she was given an angiogram.  No source of the blood clot was found, but after several hours, Jamie's body went into shock from the amount of contrast in her system. It took Jamie took about six months to recover. 

The doctors had not explained the possible ramifications to the contrast material to her prior to the test. This experience Caused Jamie to become more proactive and take responsibility for her health.  She changed her diet and exercise routine and now asks every question she can think of in any medical situation.

Gladys Velarde, M.D.
Director, Strong Women's Heart Program
University of Rochester Medical Center

Cardiologist Gladys Velarde, M.D., serves as associate professor of Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, as well as founder/director of the Women's Heart Program. Dr. Velarde's practice stresses preventive care for women (and men) at risk for cardiovascular disease and early detection of cardiac-related problems. Currently, she is the principal investigator of the PINK (Prothrombotic, INflammatory marKers) study. The first women only study in female patients with the metabolic syndrome. The study focuses on blood markers that may put women with this syndrome at higher risk for cardiovascular events. Dr. Velarde received her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and fellowships in cardiology at Boston University and Mt. Sinai Hospital. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular disease and a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology.

Elissa Orlando
Civilian Guest

Elissa L. Orlando is a 20-year veteran of public affairs programming and multimedia storytelling. Orlando is director of national programming and special projects at WXXI Public Broadcasting. She was producer of the nationally televised Crucible of Freedom companion program to Ken Burns Not for Ourselves Alone.  Orlando has won several New York State broadcasting awards for television news reporting in Somalia Africa, Homestead Florida and other local and national venues.  She is a recipient of the Gracie award for television programming from American Women in Radio and Television, and she is the recipient of a Telly award for her production of the TV documentary Reclaiming the Crescent.  Orlando also received the Woman of the Distinction award from the Jefferson County Women's Conference in 1995. She was formerly TV news and public affairs director at WXXI, where she also served as executive producer, Website editor and news anchor of Need to Know, WXXI's Emmy Award-winning newsmagazine.

Nieca Goldberg, M.D.
Cardiologist, Assistant Clinical Professor
New York University School of Medicine

Nieca Goldberg M.D., cardiologist, author of the award winning book "Women Are Not Small Men: Life Saving Strategies for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease," recently started her own practice "Total Heart Care" in Manhattan. She is the former Chief of the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention Center at Lenox Hill Hospital and a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association. During her time at Lenox Hill, Dr. Goldberg founded the "Women's Heart Program," the only cardiac rehabilitation and prevention program for women in New York City. In addition, she holds the positions of Co-Medical Director of the 92nd Street Y Cardiac Rehabilitation, and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the New York University School of Medicine.

Dr. Goldberg received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Barnard College and her medical doctor degree from the State University of New York Health Science Center, Brooklyn. She completed her medical residency at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center and a cardiology fellowship at SUNY Downstate.

Dr. Goldberg's research and publications are concerned with exercise, exercise imaging and cardiovascular disease in women. Her work has been of considerable interest in the media. The New York Daily News, The New York Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fitness magazine, ABC-TV's Good Morning America, NBC-TV's Today Show, Nightly News, CBS-TV Early Show and WNBC-TV's News Channel 4 have featured interviews with her discussing women and heart disease. She serves on the Women's Day Editorial Advisory Board. In New York magazine's "Best Doctors" issue of 1999, Dr. Goldberg was the only woman in their top ten "Hall of Fame of Physicians." She returned to the "Best Doctors" list in 2000 and 2001. Her book Women Are Not Small Men: Life Saving Strategies for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease has been awarded the Books for a Better life Award by the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.