DFDD ORG

Mission Statement: Doctors for Designated Driving (DFDD) has one purpose, to increase public safety through the promotion of designating driving. To achieve this goal, DFDD will work with all interested members of the hospitality industry to promote the use of designated drivers. DFDD will be on the forefront on ensuring that our industry partners are recognized for their commitment to public safety through press releases, awards, and events. DFDD represents the unified voice of the medical community in support of this evidence-based public health measure. DFDD asks all physicians to sign-on in support of our principles.

Future Directors and Advisors

Howard Forman has made alcohol and health his passion. In the last year Mr. Forman was instrumental in the formation of the American Medical Association Action Team on Alcohol and Health. He now serves as co-chair of the same committee. Mr. Forman has served as a member of the AMA House of Delegates for which his work was recognized by the Speaker of the HOD as an “Outstanding New Delegate.” Before beginning medical school, Mr. Forman worked as an environmental economics consultant to many Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Forman founded Doctors for Designated Driving to be an organization that will bring the voice of doctors to the forefront of encouraging responsible decision-making when beverage alcohol is consumed.

Arkady Broder is currently a second year medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Before enrolling at AECOM, Arkady worked as a lab manager for a professor of neurophysiology at Columbia University. During his first year of medical school he became involved with educating teens on the health and social effects of alcohol. Arkady serves as Senior Vice President of Public Relations and manages all of our relationships with the Platinum Keys of Life Award Partners. For more information on becoming a Platinum Key Partner, please contact Mr. Broder at broder@dfdd.org

Paul Marantz, MD, MPH, is currently Professor in the Departments of Epidemiology and Population Health, and Medicine, at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He serves as director of Einstein's Clinical Research Training Program, a didactic curriculum for physician investigators leading to an MS degree. He is course leader for the required medical school course, "Principles of Preventive Medicine,” and chairs the curriculum committee for preventive medicine and population health. Dr. Marantz is active in the Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine, an organization he currently serves as Secretary/Treasurer, and from which he received the F. Marion Bishop Educator of the Year Award in 2000. He was also a 2003 Department of Health and Human Services Primary Health Care Policy Fellow. Dr. Marantz is a member of Einstein’s Davidoff (teaching honor) Society, and received the Harry Eagle Award for Outstanding Basic Science Teaching in 2004.

Michael J. Reichgott, M.D., Ph.D. is Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Graduate Medical Education at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY. A 1965 graduate of the AECOM, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and fellowship, and PhD in Pharmacology, at the University of California, San Francisco. He joined the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania in 1972 and returned to Einstein in 1984, as Medical Director of Jacobi Medical Center. In 1989, he became Associate Dean for Students and the College’s first Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, and in 1999 he became Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs. Dr. Reichgott has been active nationally in both the Association of American Medical Colleges and the AMA. He was a founding member of the Institutional Review Committee of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. He currently is a member of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, and has recently been appointed to the ACGME’s Standing Appeals Committee.

Stephen M. Kreitzer., M.D. is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Sleep Medicine. Dr. Kreitzer’s is a nationally regarded expert on the lethal combination of sleep deprivation, drugs, and driving. Dr Kreitzer practices in Tampa, Florida and graduated from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1971. He has chaired the Hillsborough County Medical Association’s Committee on Managed Care and Insurance. He currently serves as the Medical Director of Quality of Life Home Health Services.

Edwin C. Weiss M.D. is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Weiss has been a practicing physician since his graduation from Medical College of Virginia in 1969. He completed an Internal Medicine Residency at Albany Medical College and a Fellowship in Cardiology at the N.Y.U. School of Medicine. Dr. Weiss has been invited to give lectures around the world and is a renowned expert in his field. In addition Dr. Weiss has founded and served on the Board of a non-profit that has redesigned pediatric hospital wards to be more kid friendly.

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Nava Bak M.D., is currently an Emergency Medicine Resident at Jacobi Medical Center located in the Bronx, NY. Dr. Bak sees firsthand the horrible consequences when people make the irresponsible decision to drive drunk. With a great deal of experience in designing effective substance abuse programs that are in keeping with community standards and values, Dr. Bak is excited to chair the Scientific Advisory Committee of DFDD.

Daniel Farkas, M.D. received his medical degree from the University of Toronto in 1999. He then completed a residency in General Surgery at Montefiore Medical Center. During his residency, Dr. Farkas spent quite a bit of time on the trauma service at Jacobi Medical Center, where he was exposed to many of the consequences of drunk driving. He is currently undertaking fellowship training in Minimally Invasive Surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center.

Allison Lynn Jones, M.D. practices medicine in Urbana, IL. Dr. Jones began pursuing a career in medicine after completing a career as a world-class athlete who competed on the U.S. National Modern Pentathlon Team. She still actively coaches youth pursuing this Olympic Sport. In addition Dr. Jones is a internationally known expert on performance enhancing drugs. She currently serves as an advisor to the International Olympic Committee on this issue.

Ilana Blass, J.D. graduate magna cum laude from the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law. At Cardozo, Ms Blass was associate editor of the Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. Ms. Blass is currently an associate at one of the world's most respected law firms, Debevoise and Plimpton LLP. In addition to serving as Senior Legal Advisor to DFDD, Ms. Blass's considerable teaching experience will aid in the production of our educational and promotional materials.

Rabin Rahmani, D.D. is currently a fourth year medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Yeshiva University in 2001 with a B.A. in Biology. Dr. Rahmani received his Doctorate of Divinity from Beit Medrash Letalmud Theological Seminary in Queens, NY. Additionally, Dr. Rahmani has conducted research on the relationship between lifestyle choices and health outcomes in the Department of Family and Social Medicine. He also served as a guidance counselor for Project Liberty which was an effort to help people cope with PTSD following the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. Dr. Rahmani serves as Vice President of Government Relations for DFDD.

Benjamin Galper grew up in Brookline Massachusetts and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 2002 with a degree in History. Mr. Galper is a current 3rd year medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He is a very active in the American Medical Association including service a chapter President, a delegate in the AMA House of Delegates, and now as the sole medical student member of the Council of Long Range Planning and Development. Mr. Galper has been very active in creating a community service project focusing on educating teens about alcohol and is now working with others in the AMA to implement the “Alcohol and Teens” project at the national level.

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Daniel Fein is currently a 3rd year medical student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1998 with a B.S in Biology. While at MIT, he served as President and Vice President of Hillel, where he oversaw all of the committees, coordinated and organized weekly events and was a liaison to the Board of Directors. He spent two summers doing research in the bio-organic enzymology department of American Home Products. Mr. Fein has been happily married for two years now and in his spare time he is working on the sequel to his first novel, Shattered Alliances.

Daniel Machleder brings a diverse experience to DFDD. He was awarded the Coles Foundation
Philip A. Hunt Scholarship to study towards an MD degree at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he has completed his second year of medical school. Mr. Machleder has a background in financial services marketing at the American Express Corporation. He has also managed a group home/vocational education facility for special-needs young adults. He received his BA in Economics and History from Columbia College, Columbia University.

Aileen Love is currently in her 2nd year of medical school at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Prior to pursuing her medical education, she worked as an associate editor at Parenting magazine. Her writing and editing focused primarily on children's health. safety, and nutrition. She also has an active freelance writing career, and her articles have appeared in numerous national and regional publications, including Parenting, Self, Weight Watcher's, New York Daily News, Modern Bride, Bridal Guide, New Choices, and Hudson Valley magazine. She graduated from Columbia College, Columbia University in 1995 with a BA in History.

Tovah Rosen is currently enjoying her third year at Einstein. Before coming to Einstein, Ms. Rosen graduated from Princeton University, where she majored in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, while concurrently pursuing a pre-medical curriculum. Since entering medical school, Ms. Rosen has been able to continue her work with public policy through her involvement in the American Medical Association at many different levels. Most recently she has been elected to serve as a delegate to the AMA's House of Delegates, an honor that she is extremely excited about. Ms. Rosen is looking forward to working to encourage the use of designated drivers, an important issue that combines both medicine and public health.

Alexander S. Weiss graduated with a B.A. in History from Hofstra University in December of 2003. Since graduation, he has served as an assistant to the Chief of Detectives of the New York City Police Department. As the Fundraising Chairperson for the committee of the ASWCMF (Adam Scott Weiss Cancer Memorial Fund), Alex has helped raise money to build facilities for the pediatric floor at a major New York City medical center. Mr. Weiss looks to help DFDD integrate the important perspective and voice of the law enforcement community in promoting the use of designated drivers.

Etan Orgel is currently a 3rd-year medical student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts in the History and Sociology of Science. With a wide range of interests, he has spent time conducting research in anesthesiology at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ and pediatric hematology-oncology at New York University Hospital in Manhattan as well as studying Medicare/Medicaid and prescription drug reform in the Capitol Hill office of current of Congressman Dennis Kucinich.

Jessica Kirschner is currently a fourth year medical student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Upon entering Einstein, she was presented with the Alumni Scholar’s award which recognizes outstanding medical school applicants. Ms. Kirschner graduated from the University of Pennsylvania summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts. She majored in Biological Basis of Behavior where she studied biology, neurology, and psychology, and minored in nutrition. At the University of Pennsylvania and at Columbia University, Ms. Kirschner has been involved in researching and treating the public health epidemic of obesity. Doctors for Designated Driving will allow Ms. Kirschner to further her interests in public health issues.

Javier Villarreal is currently a Sr. Process Engineer at Analog Devices in Cambridge, MA. Before Analog Devices, Javier completed an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M.

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