Board of Directors

Eric Borstein, Board Chair

Eric “EB” Borstein serves as Board Chair of Team PHenomenal Hope. In 2020, Eric experienced a life-altering health crisis when he collapsed at home from massive right heart failure and almost died.  After sixteen days in the intensive care unit at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, he was diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension.  After leaving the hospital Eric turned to walking as a personal form of healing and resilience. What began as short neighborhood strolls soon became a passion that helped him manage the severe physical and emotional challenges of life with PAH. Challenges he continues to manage through walking to this day.  Between 2022 and 2024, Eric walked over 14,500 miles, embodying the very spirit of Team PH’s mission.  EB’s recovery has been remarkable.  He attributes this not only to the lifesaving drugs he was immediately given in the days after collapsing, and remains on today, but also a keen focus on good mental health, daily exercise, strict diet, and the reliance on family, friends, neighbors and others around him.  His village.  All what he calls “pieces of his pie”, and all important in the recovery of a person living with a terminal disease. 

During his recovery, he was introduced to National Jewish Health in Denver and began supporting PAH research efforts. It was there that he met Dr. Patty George and was introduced to Team PHenomenal Hope and its mission—particularly the powerful message behind the slogan “Let Me Be Your Lungs.”  As board chair, he brings a deeply personal commitment to advancing awareness, education, and resources for the PAH community, and the PH community.

Eric is the founder of Where is EB?, is on the Board of Trustees of the Borstein Family Foundation and is a board member at UCLA Children’s Hospital and PS Science.  He lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife and three children.   

Harrison Farber, MD, Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Harrison “Hap” Farber is a pulmonologist and the director of the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) at Tufts Medical Center. He had long been a key opinion leader in the field of pulmonary hypertension. He has made incredible contributions through a successful research career, numerous publications, many mentees who have gone on to be leaders in the field, and with his patient-centered advocacy. He is also a devoted endurance athlete, having repeatedly run the Boston Marathon, Ironman triathlons, and more recently The Pioneer New Zealand in 2016 and 2019 with Team PH. Hap continues to contribute his energy and passion in helping the pulmonary hypertension community.

Carl Hicks
Carl Hicks has served the pulmonary hypertension community in a wide variety of roles since his daughter was diagnosed with what was then called “primary pulmonary hypertension” in 1994. Initially serving as a caregiver for Meaghan, he began to serve the greater community as a patient advocate and was invited to join the PHA Board of Trustees. There he served on every committee, became more deeply involved in advocacy and fundraising at the national level. Representing PHA he has spoken extensively worldwide increasing awareness. While serving as the PHA chairman of the board his daughter Meaghan lost her battle and became a PH Angel. Undaunted, Carl continued to serve raising funds and awareness for the fight as he stepped off the board to join PHA as the executive vice-president. Following four years at PHA he was asked to join industry where he serves as vice-president for patient advocacy and community support. Recently he was honored as the first and only honorary lifetime member of the PHA board of directors. In addition to his board servce for Team Phenomenal Hope he has just been asked to become a PHA Support Group Co-leader near his home in Gig Harbor Washington. Carl has dedicated his life to the fight against pulmonary hypertension.

Gareth Gwyn
For the past 30 years Gareth has worked closely with patient communities in conjunction with the roles he held within the pharmaceutical industry. Nineteen years ago, he was blessed to be introduced to the pulmonary hypertension community of patients, families, and healthcare professionals. Since that time he has been humbled to work with and for these amazing patients. He continues to work in the pharmaceutical industry supporting the development of new therapies for pulmonary hypertension.
 

Lenise Whitley
Lenise Whitley is a PH secondary to left ventricular diastolic disfunction patient and a liver cancer survivor. She is a strong advocate of patient rights and treatments for all PH patients whether it is PH or PAH. She was instrumental in the creation of the Survivor Tent which was set up at PH walks in the Northeast giving patients and/or supporters who could not walk but wanted to show support, a place to rest, have refreshments, get information and socialize with each other. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic she established and maintains a network of pulmonary patients creating a place to support and encourage each other and to provide information that affects them and their respective pulmonary diseases. Lenise strongly believes there should be dignity, choices and a supportive network for all patients.

Dr. Vijay Balasubramanian

Dr. Vijay Balasubramanian is the Founder/ Medical Director of Valley Advanced Lung Diseases Institute (VALDI) in Fresno. He is Board Certified in Pulmonary Medicine and specializes in Advanced lung diseases such as Interstitial Lung disease and Pulmonary vascular disease. 

He earned his medical degree at Stanley Medical College and completed postgraduate fellowship training in the United Kingdom (MRCP UK) and the Medical College of Wisconsin. He recently completed his Academic tenure as Professor of Medicine at UCSF Fresno. At UCSF Fresno, he established a nationally renowned Pulmonary Hypertension Program. He is well-known in the field of Pulmonary Hypertension with extensive academic accomplishments including Research and publications. He has been recognized for his Clinical teaching with Multiple teaching awards. 

Key highlight roles include:

He served as the “Pulmonary Vascular Network Section Chair at ACCP” till Dec 2023 and is currently serving as the Ex-Officio Chair.

PVRI-IDDI – Co-Leader of the “Access to Care” Task Force

Editorial Board of Chest Pulmonary Journal

Recognized CME speaker – on a few National CME Speaker platforms

Previous member of the PHA – National Review committee for Accreditation of programs (2018-20)

Allen Farber
Allen comes to Team PH with 40 years in litigation experience. He began his career as a trial attorney with the District of Columbia Public Defender Service and has represented private clients before state and federal trial and appellate courts and arbitration panels. He is an avid cyclist and swims six days a week, as well as other exercises. He is planning to put his cycling to good use in raising funds for Team PH. He is happy to race as someone else’s lungs.

Dr. Erika Berman Rosenzweig
Dr. Erika Berman Rosenzweig, Professor of Pediatrics in Medicine, is the Department Chair of Pediatrics at NY Medical College and Physician in Chief of the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital/Westchester Medical Center Network. She is also the current Director of the Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Network (PPHNet). She has tremendous clinical and research experience in the fields of adult and pediatric pulmonary hypertension and is widely published and has devoted remarkable efforts toward clinical research on the study of novel treatments and genetic causes of PH as well as novel approaches to mechanical support for patients with end-stage PH. She has been an active member of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) and serves as a Distinguished Advisor to the Scientific Leadership Council of the PHA.

Abby Poms, RRT CCRP
Ms. Poms managed the Duke University Pulmonary Vascular Disease Center, overseeing the pulmonary hypertension research programs and clinical care of patients for 25 years. She served on the PHA founding committee of the Pulmonary Hypertension Comprehensive Care (PHCC) program as Co-Chair of the Evaluation and Implementation Committee and is currently a member of the Accreditation Review Committee. She joined E Squared Trials and Registries, Inc. in 2015, managing clinical trials and is currently an independent research consultant in the pulmonary vascular disease field.

Ms. Poms has over 30 years of experience working and publishing in the field of pulmonary hypertension, mentoring clinicians, developing programs for patient education and advocacy and as an advisor to physician practices and industry. She served on the International PHA Scientific Advisory Board for 10 years, was a member of the REVEAL Steering Committee, and is a co-founding member of the Pulmonary Hypertension Professional Network (PHPN) and PHCC program, formed to accredit centers with expertise in the management of PAH patients.

Stacey McCarthy
Stacey was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension 15 years ago when she was just 37 years old. She can remember pleading with her doctor to help her stay around long enough to be a grandma. In her PHight with PH, she has learned so much, participated in many trials, AND has become a grandma. She has found that she can still do things she loves that works around PH. She rides a motorcycle, volunteers with the local womens’ shelter, and other things that make her feel like she still has a lot of purpose here. She realized that this PHight doesn’t have to be so grim or scary. She has since made it her heart’s mission to do what she can to fill the gap between the doctors and the patient by helping others who are newly diagnosed. Understanding this complicated disease takes time and experience, something we can do together as a team!

Susanne McDevitt
Susanne McDevitt DNP, ACNP-BC, is a nurse practitioner in the Pulmonary Hypertension Program, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System and Adjunct Clinical Faculty at the University of Michigan School of Nursing. She earned a Master of Science in Nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice at Duke University, and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner certification at the University of Michigan. Dr. McDevitt provides comprehensive care to both inpatients and outpatients for the Pulmonary Hypertension Program, and leads efforts in ongoing QI and database research projects. She has numerous publications, has spoken at local and national conferences, and is a sub-investigator for multiple PH clinical trials. She is an active member of the American College of Cardiology, the American Thoracic Society, the Association of Pulmonary Advanced Practice Providers, and the Pulmonary Hypertension Professional Network. She has worked in pulmonary hypertension for over 25 years, as both a clinician and supporting research and publications in various Medical Affairs roles.

Dr. Jennifer H. Keeley
Jennifer H. Keeley, DNP, ANP-BC, is a board-certified adult cardiology nurse practitioner in the Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Clinic at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is also the lead nurse practitioner in Allegheny Health Network’s Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension, Amyloidosis and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy specialty clinics.

Dr. Keeley received her Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College School of Nursing in 1987. In 2006, she earned her Master of Science in nursing degree with a specialty in cardiopulmonary education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. In 2011, she earned her Doctorate in Nursing Practice at Robert Morris
University in Pittsburgh, PA.

Dr. Keeley is an active member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (PCNP), American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN), American College of Cardiolgy (ACC), and the Pulmonary Hypertension Professional Network (PHPN).

Dr. Daniel Lachant
Dr. Daniel Lachant is a pulmonologist specializing in pulmonary hypertension and serves as the associate director of the University of Rochester Medical Center Pulmonary Hypertension Association Comprehensive Care Center. His clinical and research work focuses on improving outcomes for patients with pulmonary hypertension through innovative approaches, including the use of wearable technologies to better monitor physiology, guide therapy, and promote safe exercise at home. He is actively involved in clinical trials and has received numerous research grants aimed at developing novel strategies to improve the quality of life of patients with pulmonary hypertension using wearable devices.

Kathy Eberwein
Kathy is a dynamic leader with over twenty years of recruitment experience in the Global Energy Industry. In addition to having one of the first woman-owned recruitment agencies in the global energy arena, she has worked to improve educational opportunities for women through the Doyenne Initiative, a non-governmental organization (NGO) created to provide and support higher-level education and knowledge growth opportunities for women in developing countries. She is also owner and CEO of Medical Edge Recruitment, a large medical staffing agency in the US. 
Kathy has personal connection with the PH community, having lost her father to the disease in 2011. She has worked hard in the fight against PH, supporting for many years the BB&T Woodlands Crawphish Festival, an event to fundraise for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association and help improve the lives of those living with PH, and now with her work on the Board of Team PHenomenal Hope.

Martha Torres
Martha Torres has been a tireless advocate in the fight against pulmonary hypertension. Her son, Daniel was first diagnosed with congenital heart disease before his birth. In 2005, at barely a year old, her son was facing a new challenge – PH. Since then, she has supported her son and the PH community through advocacy, education, volunteer work with numerous PH organizations, and outreach both nationally and internationally. Through her diligent efforts in bringing PH awareness to the community, Martha’s work may be the key to allowing her son, and all PH patients, to live a long and happy life.
 

Patricia George, MD, Founder
Dr. Patricia George, “PG,” is a PH pulmonologist, Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program at National Jewish Health, and President/Co-founder of Team PHenomenal Hope. As one of the original athletes in the Race Across America in 2014, a joint effort in the Race of Our Lives with PHA, she helped lay the groundwork for the athlete-PH patient teamwork epitomized by the Let Me Be Your Lungs program. She views Team PHenomenal Hope as a movement as well as an organization. It is from the strong bonds within this unique community that Team PH is able to provide educational programs, global momentum, funds for research and patient needs, in this race to make a difference in the lives of those living with pulmonary hypertension.pe.

Julia Feitner
Diagnosed in 2008 with pulmonary hypertension, Julia Feitner has been a long time supporter of Team PH and our mission. She started the PHenomenal Hope 5K in Pittsburgh more than a decade ago, and has worked on countless advocacy efforts and fundraisers. She is a support group leader, as well as a guest speaker to Team PH’s many educational webinars.
 

Merle Reeseman
Merle was a PHighter and a super hero (long-term survivor) of this dastardly disease known as pulmonary hypertension. She served on the Board of Directors for Team PHenomenal Hope since its creation, and was a fierce advocate for both Team PH and the PH community. After many years of battling PH, Merle passed away in September of 2022.

Christine Walsh
Christine first became involved with Team PHenomenal Hope in January of 2018 when she found interest in the Let Me Be Your Lungs program. She joined the endurance program and was matched with young PH patient Callie Linscott. In 2018 alone, Christine’s efforts as a PH athlete, recruitment of other athletes, and participation in other Team PH events, such as the Peloton Challenge, combined raised nearly $14,000 to fight PH. In July of 2018, she joined the board. Christine continues to race for Callie, and consistently brings in significant support to our organization.