The last 8 months have been for lack of a better word, crazy. Not only has it been crazy, but because of the different standards and regulations that are being advised by each state, it’s challenging to sift through what truly are best practices as it relates to COVID-related situations.

As a business owner in Massachusetts, we are strictly following the mandated guidelines set forth by Governor Charlie Baker and his staff. But even with these guidelines and recommendations, we still need to make decisions that are in the best interest of our community, members, and team as it relates to COVID-19.

My number 1 lesson that I have learned in 2020 is to consult with people who are a lot smarter than me more often than ever. During these times, no one truly has it figured out and if you think you do, it all can change very quickly. That is why we have created our Prototype COVID Advisory Board. This idea was suggested to me by another person who is a lot smarter than I am to develop a board of people who are experts in the field of medicine to help advise on COVID-related situations at Prototype.

The group of individuals who are currently on this advisory board are all members at Prototype and are volunteering their time because they want to help.

The advisory boards’ counsel will be strictly for situations that arise related to COVID-19 exposure and to best keep our community safe. In the event that a situation arises, they will be notified to present their recommendation to handle a situation if needed.

This is one of the many things we are doing to keep you safe during these times!

With that said, both myself and the whole team at Prototype would like to personally thank every person on the advisory board for volunteering. We greatly appreciate your insight and expertise as it relates to COVID-19 and we greatly appreciate you being part of this amazing community!

Below are the individuals currently on the board. If you or someone you know would like to volunteer your insight, please let us know, we would love to hear from you!

Anne Powell, M.D. graduated from Bowdoin College with a double major in English and Biochemistry.  From there, she went on to the University of Massa chusetts Medical School and continued at UMass to complete a residency in Pediatrics.  Following residency, Anne received additional clinical training in Adolescent Medicine.  Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and a clinical faculty member in the Division of Adolescent Medicine. Her clinical interests include caring for adolescents and young adults coping with eating disorders, adolescent contraception, and primary care for adolescents with chronic illness.

Dennis Paoloni, MD completed his residency and received his medical degree from UMASS. Dennis has been practicing for over 16 years, is board certified and is currently am Emergency affiliated with Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians, St Vincents Hospital in Worcester and Umass Medical Center.

Lillian Rich, MD received her undergraduate degree in Commerce and Engineering from Drexel University and after working in IT for several years decided to switch to a career in medicine.  She completed prerequisite coursework through the post-baccalaureate program at Harvard Extension School and received her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.  She completed two years of Orthopedic Surgery followed by three years of Emergency Medicine training at UMass in Worcester.  She is board certified in Emergency Medicine from the American College of Emergency Physicians. She began working in the Emergency Department at Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster in 2008 and has been working at Emerson Urgent Care in Hudson and Littleton since 2017.

Martha Theirl is a Doctor of Physical Therapy who graduated with honors from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in San Diego, CA. She specializes in treating orthopedic injuries in athletes and crossfitters, and dysfunction of the jaw. Prior to becoming a PT, she worked in basic research on PTSD and depression at Harvard and MIT, and was a Biosafety officer at MIT where she oversaw the biological experiments of 50 laboratories. She has consulted with the Physical Therapy Association of Massachusetts (APTAMA) during the COVID-19 pandemic on breathing techniques are helpful for healthy lungs, and the transition of the orthopedic PT to a temporary inpatient PT should the need arise. She currently owns Q4 Physical Therapy, a mobile practice that meets her patients at their home, workplace, or gym.

Megan Kennelly is a doctorally prepared Nurse Practitioner who graduated at the top of her class from UMass Medical School in 2018. She is currently working at UMass for the Department of Neurosurgery. One of her interests is in quality improvement where she enjoys improving the care delivered to patients and their families.

Nicole is a registered pharmacist and graduated from Massachusetts college of pharmacy in 2010 with her PharmD. Since then, has been working at CVS pharmacy and currently is the pharmacy manager at the Athol, MA location. She has been a retail pharmacist her entire career. She specializes in medications, everything from ordinary prescription medications and controlled substances to over-the-counter medications and herbal products. She spends a lot of time counseling patients, making recommendations for them based on what symptoms they have, what other medications they are taking, and what other illnesses they might have.

Sabareesh Nataraja n is a Neurological Surgeon, affiliated with UMASS Memorial Medical Center. Sabareesh is one of the few neurosurgeons in this country who has triple expertise in open vascular, endovascular, and skull base surgery. He enjoys taking his patient through difficult problems and seeing them on the other side once the most complicated of procedures is done.

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