IN CAREs ECHO

Amnah Anwar, MPH, MBBS

Senior Director & Epidemiologist | Indiana Rural Health Association (IRHA)

Her work at IRHA involves senior staff management, program management, grant evaluations, and grant writing. She is currently working as the program director for the Indiana Rural Opioid Consortium, which is a grant-funded program under the Health Resources and Services Administration for combating the epidemic of substance use overdose deaths and morbidity in rural Indiana.

She is also the lead evaluator for three different federally funded programs. She serves on the board of the Indiana Immunization Coalition. She has a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from King ward Medical University, Pakistan and master's in public health with a concentration in epidemiology from Indiana University. Her research interests include health disparities, mental health and addiction, and vaccine-preventable diseases. 

Alex Buchanan, MA

IN CAREs ECHO Project Manager

Alex Buchanan is the project manager at the Indiana University Interprofessional Practice and Education Center (IU IPE). At the IU IPE Center, Alex oversees various curricular and co-curricular projects that pertain to interprofessional education and collaboration. He also manages the Indiana Communities Advancing Recovery Efforts (IN CAREs) ECHO at the Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health through the Indiana University Indianapolis ECHO Center.

Alex has a bachelor’s degree in general studies from Indiana University. He earned his master’s degree in executive development at Ball State University. Alex previously worked at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business as the associate director of student engagement where he supervised the academic advising staff and assisted in course and curriculum development. Prior to that, he was the assistant director of student life at Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, IN. 

Erika L. Chapman, MPH, CPH, CHES, CHW, RYT-200

Harm Reduction Program Manager | Indiana Department of Health: Division of HIV/STD & Viral Hepatitis

Erika currently serves as the Harm Reduction Program Manager with the Indiana Department of Health in the Division of HIV, STI, and Viral Hepatitis where she has served in various capacities since 2006.

Erika holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and minors in Theatre and Art from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. She earned her Master of Public Health with a concentration in Behavioral Health Science from Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Public Health. She has also earned Certified in Public Health, Certified Health Education Specialist, and Community Health Worker credentials. Outside of her work Erika loves to travel, knit, and pester her husband and two cats.

Sydney Garcia

Community Outreach Coordinator | Drug Overdose Prevention (DOP) at IDOH

Sydney is dedicated to fostering community engagement and spreading awareness about the importance of destigmatizing substance use disorder.

Sydney recently graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in Public Health. During her studies, she gained experience volunteering with Madison Weintraut at the Marion County Health Department, where she contributed to the Safe Syringe Access and Support program. She also completed her Capstone project under Madison's mentorship.

With a passion for helping communities and a commitment to public health, Sydney is eager to make a positive impact in her new role, working to prevent drug overdoses and support those affected.

Laura Hollowell, MA, LMHC

Naloxone Program Manager | IDOH Division of Trauma and Injury Prevention

Laura has been with IDOH since February 2020. She started as a community outreach coordinator and transitioned into her current role as the Naloxone Program Manager in March 2022. As the Naloxone Program Manager, Laura provides naloxone education and training around the state and oversees two naloxone grants, one for local health departments and one for rural first responders. Laura is also a licensed mental-health counselor and, before joining IDOH, spent five years working in residential and outpatient substance use treatment. 

Jayla Howard, BS

Community Outreach Coordinator | Indiana Department of Health

In her role, Jayla services the southern counties participating in the IN CARE’s ECHO project. Jayla is an alumna of Western Kentucky University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in public health. Jayla hopes to continue to raise awareness of drug overdose and prevention within her role. 

Mariah Kirksey, MPH

Drug Overdose Prevention (DOP) Program Coordinator | IDOH Division of Trauma and Injury Prevention

Mariah has been with the Indiana Department of Health since April 2022 but brings years of experience in substance abuse treatment and recovery to the table. Mariah manages the Overdose Data to Action grant given to the state by the CDC. Under this grant, a variety of substance use prevention initiatives have been implemented across the state of Indiana. Mariah has a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Indiana University Bloomington with minors in Spanish and Human Development and Family Studies. She also earned a master's in public health from IU Indianapolis with a Social and Behavioral Sciences concentration.

Molly A. Nichols, PharmD, MS, MATS

Curriculum Specialist & Research Associate (remote) | University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy

Molly Nichols is a pharmacist and health services researcher. She currently works in a remote role with the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, where she serves as a Curriculum Specialist and Research Associate for the Pharmacy Addictions Research & Medicine Program. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Purdue University College of Pharmacy. Her research to date has explored the pharmacist’s role in substance use disorder interventions and patient care, and her work has received national funding and recognition. Molly is also a passionate educator and has delivered over 450 hours of pharmacy practice- and substance use disorder-related education to various learners and practitioners.

Molly holds Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Science degrees from Purdue University. She also completed a one-year post-graduate residency with Walgreen Co./Purdue University and a two-year post-graduate research fellowship with Purdue University. Molly is additionally certified as a Medication Assisted Treatment Specialist through the Indiana Counselor’s Association on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (ICAADA).

Mark E. Spitzer

Judge | Grant Circuit Court

Mark E. Spitzer serves as the Judge of Grant Circuit Court, Grant County, Indiana. Circuit Court is a general jurisdiction court that includes supervision of the Grant County Drug Court and Grant County Veteran’s Treatment Court. Mark is a frequent lecturer on issues relating to Drug Courts and the utilization of evidence-based practices in the criminal justice system. In connection with his service as a judge, Mark has held several positions that relate to the advancement and improvement of the justice system.

Mark currently chairs Indiana’s Pretrial Committee. Mark also serves as the appointee of the Indiana Judges’ Association for the Statutory Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council. Mark is a member of the National Center for State Courts’ Evidence-Based Sentencing Peer Group and the Pew Charitable Trusts/Arnold Foundation Advisory Council on Community Corrections. Mark is also a member and officer of the Indiana Judges Association Board of Managers.

Since 2015, Mark has served as an adjunct faculty at Taylor University in the prelaw program of studies. He received his Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis in 1990. He received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame in 1987. Mark and his wife, Hope, have four sons, all of whom have attended or have graduated from the University of Notre Dame. As such, the family typically has standing plans on Saturdays in the fall.

Chief Tom Synan

Chief of Police, Co-Chair Interdiction Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition

Tom Synan is a United States Marine Corps veteran, a 26-year police veteran, and the police chief of the Newtown Police Department. He is also a 10-year SWAT veteran serving four years as team leader. In 2014, Mr. Synan helped form the Hamilton County Heroin Coalition where he sits on the steering committee and chair interdiction.

Mr. Synan coordinates law enforcement efforts to reduce supply and works with other members to help reduce demand. Mr. Synan was asked to testify in Washington D.C. at a U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee giving testimony on synthetic opiates and the impact fentanyl and carfentanil have had on the country.

Mr. Synan was a speaker with President Clinton and other distinguished panelists for the Clinton Foundation discussing the opioid crisis at Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Synan’s career and work with the opiate epidemic has been recorded and archived in the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington D.C. His work with the coalition has been used in national and international publications and media outlets.

Madison Weintraut

Assistant Administrator | Infectious Disease | Safe Syringe Access and Support

Madison Weintraut is the founding program manager of Safe Syringe Access and Support, Indianapolis's first legal syringe services program. Prior to her work with syringe services, Madison worked as a nurse epidemiologist focusing on hepatitis B and C. Madison served as incident commander during the planning of the SSP, designing the program policies and procedures, meeting with community stakeholders and elected officials, and applying to and receiving nearly $3 million in grant funding over the course of less than a year.

Madison has degrees in neurobiology and physiology from Purdue University (BS), nursing from Marian University (BSN), and Health Policy and Management from IU Indianapolis (MPH).