Denise O'Connell, MSW, LCSW, CCM - Course Co-Director

Denise O’Connell, MSW, LCSW, CCM is the Associate Director of the Lunder-Dineen Health Education Alliance of Maine, a program of Massachusetts General Hospital and the Peter L. Slavin, MD Academy for Applied Learning in Health Care. With decades of experience practicing with and leading healthcare teams across care settings, for the past 15 years, Denise has specialized in coaching teams on integrating evidence-based approaches to alcohol screening and intervention through online learning and a review of practice support tools. She has also served as field advisor for social work students. She is a licensed clinical social worker and Certified Case Manager.

Denise is a recognized presenter at national, regional, and local forums and a co-author of scholarly publications related to health education and program outcomes. She is a member of The Maine Nurse Action Coalition, two statewide alcohol prevention workgroups, and serves on the board of Unlimited Solutions.

Brendan Prast, MD, MPH - Course Co-Director

Brendan Prast is a Family and Preventive Medicine physician at MaineHealth Primary Care in Sanford, Maine, and faculty at MaineHealth Institute for Research. He is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine for Tufts University School of Medicine and the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine.

He graduated from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and completed his family medicine residency and general preventive medicine fellowship at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center. In addition, he completed a Masters of Public Health at the University of New England. His career interests include substance use disorders, immigrant healthcare, and population-based research.

Keith Baker, MD, PhD

Keith Baker is an anesthesiologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital and a Professor of Clinical Anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School. He earned his MD, PhD from Washington University and completed his residency in anesthesiology at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He served as Program Director for the MGH anesthesia residency for 15 years and served as the Vice Chair of Education for 18 years.  He is the co-Chair of the MGB Center of Expertise in Medical Education. He received one of the ACGME’s highest awards, the Parker J. Palmer “Courage to Teach” award.  More recently he was honored by the American Society of Anesthesiologists with their annual “Excellence in Education” Award. Keith has a long-term interest in evaluation and feedback, the cognitive science of teaching and learning, and the acquisition of expert performance.

Keith, and his wife Pam, live in Lexington, Massachusetts, where they adopt senior dogs.

Jesse Higgins, MPH, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC

Director, Integrated Behavioral Health - Northern Light Acadia Healthcare

Sarah McVicar, MS, MBA, LCPC, LADC

Sarah McVicar is a licensed mental health and substance use clinician and owner of Sarah McVicar, LLC, a private practice serving adults with mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders. She earned her Master of Science in Co-occurring Disorders Recovery Counseling from Metropolitan State University and has worked across the continuum of care, including intensive outpatient, outpatient, and community-based settings.

Prior to becoming a therapist, Sarah worked as a Recovery Navigator and Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, supporting individuals pursuing diverse pathways to recovery. Her clinical approach emphasizes person-centered, evidence-informed care that respects individual autonomy and promotes meaningful, sustainable change. Sarah is passionate about reducing stigma surrounding substance use and other mental health conditions and helping professionals develop effective, compassionate approaches to treatment engagement. She also holds an MBA in Sustainability and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

Kerri Palamara, MD, MACP

Kerri Palamara, MD, MACP is the Gill and Allan Gray Family Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine, an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a primary care internist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). She serves as Department of Medicine’s Medical Director of Well-being for Mass General Brigham and co-leads the MGB ELEVATE Physician Leadership Program. A national leader in physician coaching, Dr. Palamara directs the MGB Physician Coaching Program and the American College of Physicians’ Physician Peer Coach Training Program, helping expand coaching programs to over GME training programs and professional societies nationwide. She is a board member of CHARM and co-leads its GME Well-being Leaders CME Course. Her work focuses on clinician well-being, leadership development, coaching, and thriving medical teams.

Mark Publicker, MD, DFASM, DABAM

Bio TBA

Stephanie Vail, PharmD, MPH, BCPS, BCPP, FCCP

Bio TBA