WHO WE ARE

Dr. Prasad is the Chief of Internal Medicine at Hennepin Healthcare and is a Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the University of Minnesota. She has extensive background and experience in integrative medicine. At Hennepin, Dr. Prasad has created a new division in the Department of Medicine, particularly the Division of Person-Centered, Culturally-Inspired Integrative Health. She is also a founding member of the American Board of Integrative Medicine and serves as a current board member for Pathways, a community nonprofit that provides free integrative health services to people in need.

Before coming to Minnesota, Dr. Prasad was a Professor of Internal Medicine and the Chief of the Divison of General Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Integrative Medicine at the University of New Mexico (UNM). Her dedication to integrative, intercultural, and community health led her to develop the UNM Center for Life, a center for patient care, learning, and community education. Dr. Prasad brings this passion for integrative medicine and healing to the NO PAIN MN team and shares, "This project serves as an antidote to the ongoing opioid epidemic in that we hope to empower patients and providers towards a path of 'do no harm' pain alleviation. We aspire to demonstrate that pain management and healing is possible without narcotics."

Dr. Printon is a practicing chiropractor and serves as the current Medical Director for Integrative Health at Hennepin Healthcare. He received his Doctor of Chiropractic from the Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Bloomington, Minnesota and was certified in McKenzie Mechanical Diagnosis and Physical Therapy by the McKenzie Institute in Syracuse, New York. Before joining Hennepin Healthcare in 1999, Dr. Printon was in private practice and served as the Vice President and Chiropractic Director for the Chiropractic Network Service in Minnesota. He is also a current site investigator for a patient self-management study for preventing acute to chronic back pain in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh.

As part of his chiropractic practice, Dr. Printon is passionate about integrating chiropractic care into a multi-disciplinary medical setting. He brings his expertise to the NO PAIN MN team and shares, "As a chiropractor, I treat patients with chronic pain on a daily basis. I personally have seen how evidence-based, non-opioid care can and does alleviate pain. I am thrilled to be part of a project that helps patients and providers navigate towards non-opioid pain management."

Sophie graduated from Macalester College in 2018 with a bachelor of arts in anthropology, minor in biology, and concentration in community and global health. Prior to joining the NO PAIN MN team, she worked with a nonprofit health organization in Guatemala. There she participated in research projects that allowed her to gain an appreciation for the cultural importance of complementary healing methods in caring for chronic conditions. Sophie is an aspiring primary care physician who hopes to promote integrative care and health equity in her future practice. Her form of wellness includes running to happy tunes and cooking up new recipes while listening to Hidden Brain, one of her favorite podcasts.

Mia Vang graduated from St. Cloud State University in 2015 with a bachelor of arts in psychology and minor in biology. While at university, she developed an interest in conducting research from enrolling in multiple capstone courses and seminars during her last year, as well as assisting in faculty research studies. A year later, she started at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute, formally known as Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation, with the Center for Patient and Provider Experience. There, she assisted in multiple NIH and AHRQ funded projects and quality improvement projects. She aspires to continue her part in research focusing on understanding and improving healthcare access and delivery.

Chris has worked in interactive media for over 20 years. With a background in visual and musical arts, as well as video & audio production, Chris brings a unique blend of artistic and pragmatic sensibilities to his current role as a web developer. His work can be found in a wide variety of industries, from health care and non-profit to industrial and ecommerce.

When not furiously slinging code or vanquishing computer bugs, Chris enjoys biking, running, rock climbing and playing farm with his family on their small acreage just north of the Twin Cities.

Jeffery A. Dusek, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Dusek has over 20 years of experience leading innovative integrative health and medicine research at prominent research and healthcare institutions in the US.