Serving To Educate Primary Care Clinicians On Metabolic Issues
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Steering Committee

Mission Statement | Steering Committee | Membership Benefits | Supporters and Collaborators

Leonard FromerLeonard Fromer, MD
Executive Medical Director, Group Practice Forum Los Angeles, CA
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles

Dr. Leonard Fromer is a member of the board of TransforMED, LLC. He also acts as a consultant to TransforMED in the area of clinical integration: center of excellence quality improvement in the chronic diseases coupled with successful practice transformation to the patient centered medical home and the accountable care organization.

As Executive Medical Director of the Group Practice Forum, Dr. Fromer leads a team engaged in national projects with group practices that deliver education, tools, and services to achieve success in their clinical integration efforts.

Dr. Fromer lectures extensively on the topics of health-system reform, the patient centered medical home and the accountable care organization. He has been featured on CBS News, ABC News, and in the New York Times.

Leonard M. Fromer, MD, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, and a diplomat of both the American Board of Family Practice and the National Board of Medical Examiners. He has been in private practice in Santa Monica, California, with Prairie Medical Group for 28 years. Dr. Fromer has served on the group's Board of Directors and has been its Managing Director as well as its Chief Financial Officer.

Dr. Fromer is a past president of the California Academy of Family Physicians and has served over ten years as a member and Chairman of the American Academy of Family Physicians Commission on Health Care Services. He has also been a member of the AAFP Commission on Quality and Practice. He has also served on the Physicians Capital Source Project Steering Committee for the American Medical Association, the Advisory Board of Directors for the American Medical Informatics Association and the Advisory Board for the World Foundation for Studies of Female Health.


Claire BlockerClaire Blocker
Claire Blocker brings her desire to help others, not become as sick as she has with genetic cardiovascular disease, to the leadership of the HeartBright Foundation. She adds this passion to her thirty years of experience in business and corporate logistical management to help her HeartBright team, steward the foundation as it grows to meet it's goals and vision.

Claire's personal challenges with a stroke at 47 and coronary artery by-pass surgery at 51 have been a "learn as you go" education in wellness management for her. She is a role model for those around her as she faces each day with a positive attitude and gratefulness for the opportunities that it brings. She believes that we must all learn to be our own advocate for wellness and that we should work as a good team member with our physicians to manage our wellness and quality of life. The Foundation runs a free wellness center and medical clinic in the South Tryon area of Charlotte and serves the uninsured and underinsured with physician visits with specialists in cardiology, endocrinology and nephrology. Along with physician visits patients are taught to embrace their metabolic syndrome issues and are taught classes in nutrition and exercise along with running their own garden. All of this is accomplished at the cost of fifty dollars per patient per year. Ninety-two cents of every dollar collected goes directly into programs and services that are provided to patients. These prevention and management services reduce the number of hospital ER visits within our community.

Claire and her husband Tom live at Lake Wylie with their two golden retrievers. Claire has three daughters and is "step monster" to Tom's two children. They have six beautiful grandchildren. Claire believes that the love and support of her family has been pivotal in her recovery.


Stephen BruntonStephen Brunton, MD, FAAFP
Stephen A. Brunton, MD, FAAFP is Executive Vice President for Education of the Primary Care Metabolic Group and Executive Vice President for Education for the Primary Care Education Consortium (PCEC). He works in a group practice in rural South Carolina. He holds the faculty rank of Adjunct Associate Clinical Professor at Touro University in Vallejo California. He currently also serves as the Editor-in-Chief for Clinical Diabetes.

Dr. Brunton earned his medical degree at Monash University Medical School in Melbourne, Australia and completed his residency at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center in California. He is a board-certified family physician, with a certificate of added qualification in geriatrics.

As former president of the California Academy of Family Physicians and the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors, Dr. Brunton has held many positions within the Academy of Family Physicians. He served as the director of the Division of Education in the the early 1980s and was a family practice residency director in California for 13 years

A frequent lecturer, Dr Brunton also has published numerous articles, chapters, and monographs on family medicine and related clinical topics. He has served as a reviewer for American Family Physician, CMRO, Southern Medical Journal, Expert Review of Endocrinology and Metabolism and the Journal of Family Practice.


Carol M. MasonCarol M. Mason, ARNP, FAHA
Ms. Mason has been involved in preventive cardiology research, lipid management and general cardiology as a nurse practitioner as well as an educator in the arena of lipid clinic development for more than a decade. After graduating from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ms. Mason joined the St. Paul Heart Clinic where she spent 13 years as a nurse practitioner establishing the Division of Preventive Cardiology and managing patients with lipid disorders. In September of 2002 she transferred her practice to the Heart & Lipid Institute of Florida where as Clinical Director she oversaw administration of cardiovascular risk reduction programs and tutorials as well as providing direct patient care in both preventive cardiology and internal medicine. She is presently working at the University of South Florida’s College of Medicine’s Heart Health Program, Division of Preventive Cardiology, where she provides direct patient care to patients at risk for and with cardiovascular disease.

As the Clinical Administrator of the St. Paul Heart Clinic Lipid Clinic, Ms. Mason served as Clinical Preceptor for nurse practitioner students as well as nurses and physicians interested in initiating lipid clinic programs. Since 1995, she served as principal investigator, sub-investigator, and clinical coordinator of many large, national lipid-management clinical trials. Ms. Mason is Past President of the Greater St. Paul Division of the American Heart Association, remains active in the AHA Council of Cardiovascular Nursing and is Past President of the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA). She has served on the Board of Directors of PCNA since 1991 and was President of PCNA in 1999. In addition she presently serves as Treasurer of the Southeast Lipid Association. She is also Vice President of the Accreditation Council for Clinical Lipidology, a national certifying board credentialing clinical lipid specialists.

Ms. Mason lectures frequently and serves as a consultant on lipid management, diabetes and dyslipidemia, organizational management of heart disease prevention programs, as well as women’s heart health issues. She has authored many articles on lipid management and lipid clinic organization and administration including a chapter in the book entitled; A Guide to Risk Reduction Management as well as a chapter in a book entitled; Reducing Cardiovascular Risk in the Insulin Resistant Patient.


Charlene M. MorrisCharlene M. Morris, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA

Charlene M. Morris, DFAAPA, MPAS, PA-C, is a Family Medicine Physician Assistant living in Louisville, KY.

PA Morris earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Care Sciences and Physician Assistant certificate from George Washington University in Washington, DC in 1980 and her Masters of Physician Assistant Studies degree from the University of Nebraska, 2002. She was awarded AAPA's distinguished fellow (DFAAPA) in 2008.

Ms. Morris has over 40 years of experience in all facets of Family Medicine, with special interests in preventive medicine and acute care. She has enthusiastically worked in Rural practice, ER, Urgent Care, Hospitalist and Military Medicine throughout her career.

Ms. Morris has developed and presented many health care programs in addition to writing journal and on-line articles for clinicians and for Medscape's "Ask the Expert PA". She has served on the editorial and review staff for Prescriber’s Letter since 2002. Recently, PA Morris edited an entire 10 module CME through AAPA and American Academy of Nephrology PAs. She has published in numerous professional journals including The Journal of Family Practice, Advance for NPs & PAs and Physician Assistant.  Ms. Morris has also authored and reviewed chapters in several textbooks.

She is Past President of the North Carolina Association of Physician Assistants and and Past President of the Association of Family Practice PAs. PA Morris actively works as an advocate for PAs in the Kentucky legislature and continues to be involved in the PA and medical community as mentor, life-long learner and patient advocate.


Dr. Shahady PictureEdward Shahady, MD

Edward Shahady, MD, a family physician, is a graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University and West Virginia University School of Medicine . He has contributed over 170 scientific articles and 5 books to the medical literature in the areas of diabetes, the metabolic syndrome, group medical visits, sports medicine, musculoskeletal medicine, behavioral science, physician retirement, patient centered medical home, and the contribution of family medicine to effective health systems. He serves on the editorial boards of Consultant, Pediatric Consultant.

He is the medical director of the Diabetes Master Clinician Program. As medical director, he visits physicians' offices and teaches them how to use an internet based diabetes registry and conduct group visits. Over 400 physicians and 700 office staff and are part of the project.

He is the recipient of multiple awards including the distinguished alumni awards from West Virginia University School of Medicine and Wheeling Jesuit University, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Thomas Johnson Award, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) Recognition award and the Marion Bishop award and multiple teaching awards from students and residents at three medical schools. In 2005 he received the Art of Medicine award from the Florida Academy of Family Physicians for life time achievement in Medicine and the American Association of Medical Colleges humanitarian award from Florida State University School of Medicine. In 2008 he received the Innovation in Practice Improvement award from the AAFP and the STFM for his work with the Diabetes Master Clinician Program. Dr. Shahady and the Diabetes Master Clinician Program received the 2009 State Surgeon General's Health, Innovation, Prevention, and Management Award recognizing commitment to providing wellness, disease prevention and advocating healthy lifestyles.

He served as a Navy physician attached to a Marine Battalion during the Vietnam Conflict. He built a children's hospital while he was in Vietnam in addition to his other duties. He received a Navy Commendation Medal with a combat V from the US Navy and the Marine Corps and the Social Service Medals first class and second class from the Republic of South Vietnam.

He is a past president of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and its foundation and the Florida Academy of Family Physicians Foundation. 

He has lectured extensively both internationally and nationally. He is well known for his enthusiastic teaching style and ability to help learners at all levels understand complex issues.


Jeff UngerJeff Unger, MD
Dr. Unger is the Director For Metabolic Studies at the Catalina Research Institute in Chino, Ca. The center uniquely incorporates primary care with clinical research in areas related to diabetes, sexual dysfunction, diabetic neuropathy, diabetic nephropathy, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, pain, obesity, and mental illness. Dr. Unger is the recipient of the National Headache Foundation Speaker of the Year Award and has published over 180 peer reviewed articles, Medscape CME articles and book chapters on diabetes, mental illness, and pain management. Over the past 9 years, Dr. Unger has spoken internationally on topics linking mental illness with metabolic dysfunction, chronic pain disorders, diabetic neuropathy and ways by which primary care physicians might assist their diabetic patients to successfully achieve their metabolic targets. His medical textbook, entitled Diabetes Management In Primary Care (Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins) was published in April 2007. The 2nd edition of this book was published in 2012. Dr. Unger has also edited books on migraine and diabetes.

As a family physician, Dr. Unger has served as one of the physicians for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Baseball club, the World Wrestling Federation and several mixed martial arts organizations. He was even “roughed up” by two female wrestlers during Wrestlemania VII. In 2009, Dr. Unger was honored as the “Father of the Year” by the American Diabetes Association. 


Eugene E. Wright JrEugene E. Wright Jr., MD
Consulting Associate
Department of Medicine and Department of Community and Family Medicine
Duke Southern Regional Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine

Dr. Eugene E. Wright, Jr. holds appointments as Consulting Associate in the Department of Community and Family Medicine and the Department of Medicine of Duke University Medical Center and as Clinical Associate Professor at the Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine (CUSOM). He teaches and precepts medical students and Family Medicine residents and has been involved with the Diabetes and Obesity Fellowship Training program at the Southern Regional AHEC in Fayetteville, NC.

Clinically, Dr. Wright practices at The Care Clinic, a clinic for underserved and uninsured patients run by Catholic Charities and local community philanthropic efforts, where he sees primarily patients with diabetes and at the Bladen Medical Associates (BMA) Elizabethtown office. BMA is a rural outpatient clinic Affiliated with Cape Fear Valley Health System that serves the patients of Bladen County in southeastern North Carolina.

Dr. Wright served as the Senior Advisor for Medical Affairs at the Cape Fear Valley Health System from 2013 to 2016. Previously he served for thirteen (13) years as the Medical Director for Primary Care and Specialty Practices and as Chief Medical Officer of the health system between 2010 and 2013.

Dr. Wright serves and has served on several advisory and editorial boards to include Clinical Diabetes and as a content reviewer for UpToDate. He was a steering committee member of the Insulin Congress, an educational conference devoted to insulin. Dr. Wright has served on the Planning Committee of the Clinical Conference of the ADA since 2009 and served as Co-­-Chair 2012 and 2013. In addition, Dr. Wright serves as an adviser and consultant to Abbott Diabetes Care, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Voluntis and PTS Diagnostics. Dr. Wright has published several articles on diabetes diagnosis, treatment and management and has given presentations at national and international meetings on new treatments for diabetes.

Dr. Wright enjoys clinical practice, teaching and precepting students and residents. He has expertise in the management and treatment of diabetes and related conditions and is active clinically and academically in this area with real world research and publications.