Town Hall Meeting Speakers

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Speakers' Biographies

Vicki Benard, PhD

Epidemiologist and Team Lead, Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC

Dr. Vicki Benard is an epidemiologist and team lead in CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC). Her research focuses on cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV). She leads an educational intervention study examining HPV co-testing in Federally Qualified Health Centers in the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program.

Dr. Benard did her undergraduate work in statistics and math at the University of South Alabama, and received a doctorate in biometry and epidemiology from the Medical University of South Carolina. She first joined DCPC in 1998 as a contractor working with the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) to conduct a needs assessment of epidemiologic capacity in cancer control. Two years later, she became a staff epidemiologist. Much of her research has examined cervical cancer control and screening practices within the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, and she is well published on these issues.

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Cheley Grigsby

Program Director, Alaska Breast and Cervical Health Check, Division of Public Health, Alaska Department of Health and Social Services

Cheley Grigsby has been the program director for the state of Alaska’s Breast and Cervical Health Check (BCHC) program for three years. She has been with the BCHC program for more than 12 years. Previously, she served as the data manager and program coordinator.

Ms. Grigsby has a degree in health care management. As program coordinator for the Alaska BCHC program, she had the opportunity to travel around the state and work closely with providers to implement the program.

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Heather Hirsch

Program Coordinator, Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, Minnesota Department of Health

Heather Hirsch is the Program Coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Health Comprehensive Cancer Control Program and Minnesota Cancer Alliance. Since June 2009, Ms. Hirsch has been working with the Minnesota Cancer Alliance and supports the coalition development and leadership. Her area of work focuses on the quality of life section of the cancer spectrum, including projects ranging from clinical trials to end-of-life care to HPV vaccination.

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