What We Do

St. John’s CPHS serves the needs of its diverse community while upholding its mission rooted in the Vincentian tradition of a “deep concern for the dignity of every person, especially the poor.”

St. John’s CPHS serves the needs of its diverse community while upholding its mission rooted in the Vincentian tradition of a “deep concern for the dignity of every person, especially the poor.”

Through serving those in need, members of the St. John’s community demonstrate their active compassion and the cultivation of these priorities and values in our learners.

St. John’s CPHS and New Life Community Health Center (NLCHC) have partnered to develop the MOBILE clinic: MOving through communities to Better lives using Interprofessional Learners and Educators, established as an interprofessional approach to provide culturally-responsive, patient-centered care with a focus on

  • Preventative health services
  • Medication management services
  • Education

St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences was one of the six pharmacy schools recently selected as a recipient of the 2019 NACDS Foundation Merit-based Scholarship Award. With the generous contributions of their benefactors, this $20,000 award supports the institution’s program, “St. John’s University MOBILE Clinic: MOving through communities to Better lives using Interprofessional Learners and Educators.”

This program takes an interprofessional approach to provide culturally-responsive and sensitive, patient-centered care with a focus on prevention and medication therapy to a community in need of connection to primary care/health resources. In collaboration with our community partner, New Life Community Health Centers, we will target the most vulnerable within this population by offering the following services: medication/health education, clinical preventive services, alcohol/drug abuse screening and education, as well as mental health screenings and pharmacogenomic testing.

MOBILE Clinic Faculty

 

Manouchkathe Cassagnol

 

Dr. Manouchkathe Cassagnol is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Clinical Health Professions. Dr. Cassagnol is a graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University’s College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, graduating with her doctorate of pharmacy degree in 2005. Dr. Cassagnol completed her PGY-1 General Practice and PGY-2 Internal Medicine residencies at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. 

Her current practice site is within the Division of Cardiology at Nassau University Medical Center, a safety net hospital, where she provides clinical pharmacy services to local indigent populations. She holds board certification in pharmacotherapy.

She is also the Assistant Dean for Service Programs. Together with the Provost and the Chief Diversity Officer, she serves as the faculty Co-Chair of the University’s Equity and Inclusion Council. Dr. Cassagnol currently serves as the Director of the Academic Center for Equity and Inclusion.

 

Christine Chim ’11Pharm.D.

 

Dr. Christine Chim is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Health Professions in St. John’s University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, where she received her Pharm.D. in 2011. She completed a PGY-1 residency at Northeastern University/Harbor Health Services, Inc. in Boston, MA.

She currently provides patient care as a board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist within the Division of General Internal Medicine at Northwell Health. She is also an adjunct faculty member with the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.

She serves as a preceptor for pharmacy students on their ambulatory care rotation, where they provide education to patients about their health and medications. Her current research interests include interprofessional education, pharmacist-run home visits, medication adherence, and health-care disparities in underserved communities.

 

 

Dr. John M. Conry is a Clinical Professor and the Chairperson of the Department of Clinical Health Professions in St. John’s University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS). He earned both his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from St. John’s. He subsequently completed a primary care specialty residency at the VA Medical Center in Baltimore, MD.

His first faculty appointment of three years was at the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where he practiced and taught pharmacy students in ambulatory care clinics within the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center. He subsequently returned to St. John’s University as a full-time clinical pharmacy practice faculty member, where he has remained for 17 years.

In addition to his didactic teaching responsibilities within the pharmacy program, Dr. Conry maintains an active clinical practice for experiential teaching at Project Renewal in New York City, where he provides pharmacy care for the homeless and urban indigent, with a special emphasis on HIV and primary care. He has authored numerous publications in peer-reviewed professional journals and books, and is frequently invited to provide presentations at the local, regional, and national levels.

In CPHS, Dr. Conry serves as Director of the Urban Pharmaceutical Care Research and Education Institute, which is responsible for community outreach initiatives that primarily focus on the urban indigent patient population. Dr. Conry is a licensed pharmacist in the state of New York, is certified as an HIV Expert Pharmacist by the American Academy of HIV Medicine, and is a Fellow of the National Academies of Practice.

He is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). Within AACP, he has been elected Chair of the Public Health SIG (2010–11), and has been appointed to a variety of AACP task forces and committees. Dr. Conry has received leadership training through the AACP Academic Leadership Fellows Program (Cohort 9) and the Global Institute for Leadership Development. He resides on Long Island with his wife and three children.

Dr. Danielle C. Ezzo is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Clinical Health Professions in St. John’s University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. She is a dual alumna of the University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, graduating with her bachelor’s degree and doctor of pharmacy degree in 2002 and 2003 respectively. 

Dr. Ezzo completed a PGY-1 residency at the US Department of Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Health Care System in Brooklyn, NY. Her current practice site is within the Division of General Internal Medicine at Northwell Health, specifically at the Medicine Specialties at Glen Oaks, where she provides clinical pharmacy services to indigent populations within Queens. She holds board certifications in pharmacotherapy, as well as asthma education. Currently, Dr. Ezzo serves the College as the Director of Interprofessional Education. 

Dr. Olga Hilas is an Associate Professor in St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees at St. John’s University, followed by a Master of Public Health degree (with a focus in Urban and Immigrant Health) at SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

Dr. Hilas completed a PGY-1 residency at the US Department of Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System in Brooklyn, NY. She is a board-certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist, a board-certified Geriatric Pharmacist, and a Fellow of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. She is also as a member of the Fidelis Care Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee in Rego Park, NY, and is a trainer for both the American Pharmacists Association Immunization Delivery and Medication Therapy Management certificate programs.

In 2015, Dr. Hilas was awarded $944,138 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for implementation of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment  training within the curricula of the health professions’ programs at St. John’s University. Her focus on and dedication to health promotion both on campus and throughout the community have led to her successfully obtaining approval from New York State to initiate an Opioid Overdose Prevention Program aimed to educate individuals on the risks of opioid misuse and steps to respond to a suspected opioid overdose. To date, more than 1,000 students have been trained in SBIRT and approximately 1,000 additional students, faculty, administrators, and staff have been trained in opioid overdose response.

 

Professional head shot of Professor Louise Lee, with a gray background, wearing a black blouse

 

Dr. Louise Lee has been a PA educator for 20 years and has continued to practice medicine for more than 32 years. She is currently the Director of the St. John’s University PA program. Her past roles include Assistant Program Director and Director of Didactic Education at Tufts University, as well as Director of Clinical Education and Department Chair at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences PA program. Dr. Lee has practiced clinically in internal medicine, emergency medicine, and geriatric medicine throughout her career. Her research interests and work have led to more than 21 publications and presentations on various clinical and educational topics, with a scholarly focus in active learning. She has also been the recipient of several teaching and scholarship awards.

Kristin Moltz’s relationship with New Life Community Health Center first began in 2005 when she began volunteering with the center. In 2013, she was appointed Medical Administrator and she continues to serve in this role today. Some of her many roles over the years with the clinic have included participation in health fairs, direct patient care, credentialing and training students and volunteers, grant and policy writing, general operations management, purchasing, contract negotiations, forging organizational partnerships, event planning, vetting EMR companies, and organizing and starting the women’s specialty clinic for victims of sexual violence.

Ms. Moltz’s passion for holistic care in serving the underserved developed early in her life.  During high school in Kenya, she was involved in maternal-child education programs. While completing her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Davidson College, she took summer trips to Kenya to participate in physical rehabilitation and provide medical care at orphanages.

In 1995, Ms. Moltz graduated from Physician Assistant School and joined the National Health Service Corps, where she worked in methadone maintenance programs in the Bronx, NY. She then went on to complete a two-year Critical Care residency program in 2000 and continued working in Critical Care medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx until 2015. 

In 2002, she completed her master’s degree from Finch University in health care management, in addition to completing a certificate program in clinical research. Victim services, trauma-informed care, and concern for the poor and marginalized have been strong themes throughout her life.

Ms. Moltz currently lives in Forest Hills, NY, with her husband, Steven, and their teenage sons, Josiah and Aaron.

Dr. Kimberly Ng is an Assistant Professor at St. John’s University. She received her Pharm.D. from St. John’s University, and completed a PGY-1 residency at Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

Dr. Ng is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist who currently practices in an internal medicine unit where she provides medication counseling services and participates in antimicrobial stewardship at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst. Her areas of interest include patient education and patient counseling, which she has been able to expand upon through a partnership with the New York City Department for the Aging. Through this partnership, she provides monthly outpatient medication review services to senior citizens.

Alyssa C. Quinlan, PA-C, MS, DFAAPA is an Assistant Professor in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Physician Assistant Education program. She earned her certificate in Physician Assistant studies from Hofstra University in 2004 and a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Pace University in 2014. 

Ms. Quinlan initially practiced as a physician assistant in pediatric and adult neurosurgery but has spent much of her career in pediatric hematology/oncology, where she is still in clinical practice. She has coordinated several clinical trials involving pediatric head trauma and pediatric brain tumors. In addition, she has conducted academic research relating to Academic Service-Learning, interprofessional service opportunities, student perspectives on learning, and pediatric health outcomes. She is a member and distinguished fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, as well as a member of various regional and national professional PA and health-care educator organizations.

 

Profile photo for Heather C. Robertson

 

Dr. Heather C. Robertson is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education at St. John’s University. She is the program coordinator for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program in The School of Education at St. John’s.

She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC, CT), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC, NY), Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC, NY), Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF), and Board-Certified Telemental Health Provider (BC-TMH). Her research and advocacy efforts include substance abuse, career transition, telemental health, military and veterans, and reducing the stigma of mental illness and addiction.

She earned a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Virginia Tech, and an M.S. in Counseling and Guidance from Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi. Dr. Robertson served as the past-president of the American Counseling Association of New York (ACA-NY) and of the New York State Career Development Association.

Dr. Maha Saad is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Clinical Health Professions in St. John’s University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Dr. Saad maintains an active clinical practice for experiential teaching at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, NY, where she serves as the Codirector for the Drug Information Services.

She earned both her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from the Lebanese American University. She subsequently completed two years of postgraduate training at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Dr. Saad is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist and a certified geriatric pharmacist. She is an active member in a number of professional organizations.

Stacey L. Singer-Leshinsky has been a tenured Associate Professor for the St. John’s Physician Assistant Education program since 2007. She teaches emergency medicine and clinical medicine. She practices as a Physician Assistant in emergency medicine, urgent care, and currently medicine/cardiology at Long Island Jewish Hospital. Her interest is in emergency medicine and substance abuse. She is a New York State Opioid Overdose Prevention Program dispenser and American Heart Association CPR instructor.