About Us - PMI Team Bios

Sue Boever founded the Patient Mentor Institute to improve clinical outcomes and quality of life for people with chronic disease through innovative mentoring by trained and certified people with the same chronic disease. The Institute staff is experienced in developing, implementing, operating and evaluating interactive patient mentor™ programs for patients, medical health care students, employers and payers, and practicing clinicians around the globe.

Sue is a registered nurse with a master’s degree in counseling and a PhD in metaphysics. Her clinical career includes significant direct patient care experience in pediatrics and psychiatry, including establishment of the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Home Care, Interim Home Care and Accu-Care Home Health agencies in St. Louis before focusing on health care marketing management and program development with a consulting firm out of St. Louis and Kansas City.

Sue was instrumental in the revitalization and expansion of the first international patient-led program, Patient Partners®, for G. D. Searle, and then the global development and expansion of the program for Pharmacia, Inc. The Patient Partners® program utilizes carefully selected, screened and trained patients with advanced rheumatoid arthritis to train and coach patients and families, health care students and practicing health care professionals.

Prior to the Pharmacia/Pfizer merger, Sue had the Patient Partners® joint examination program solidly established as required curriculum in 12 prestigious medical schools in the United States, from Harvard to Stanford, and actively growing in 15 other countries around the globe. The program was regularly highlighted in annual association conventions, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Rheumatology, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.

In June of 2002, Sue established the Patient Mentor Institute to expand the patient-to-patient mentoring concept to other disease states and remote geographic areas. Sue’s vision is to provide the support and inspiration of the Patient Mentor^TM model to as many patients, health care professionals and sponsors as possible to help patients help patients live life fully in spite of their chronic disease.

Sue may be contacted by phone at 1-866-741-7047 or by email at sue@patientmentor.com.

Susan Harris is a Program Director in the Patient Mentor Institute’s Northeast office located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the Institute in 2004, she spent more than 15 years in pharmaceutical marketing for companies such as Wyeth, Bristol Myers Squibb and sanofi-aventis. Her career focused primarily on the development of patient marketing programs. Her current responsibilities include:

• Incorporating clients’ goals and strategies into Patient Mentor Institute programs
• Assisting in defining the Institute’s role in sanofi-aventis’ business plans
• Implementing new Patient Mentor Institute projects and programs
• Coordinating requests for patient mentors to appear in client advertising, websites and other marketing endeavors
• Shepherding Patient Mentor Institute programs through the legal, medical and regulatory review process
• Developing and presenting new programs and ideas

Ms. Harris holds a graduate business degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an undergraduate business degree from Purdue University. She has more than 16 years of experience in business management and marketing. Her prior work in the pharmaceutical industry has focused primarily on pain medication, migraines, cough/cold products, weight loss and more.

Ms. Harris may be contacted by phone at 1-866-741-7047 or by email at susan@patientmentor.com.

Diane Spitz is a Program Director in the Patient Mentor Institute’s St. Louis office, where she oversees and directs national patient mentoring program activities.

Prior to joining the Institute in 2003, Ms. Spitz amassed 14 years of experience in business and office management, representing a number of industries. Since 1997, she has focused exclusively on the management and development of patient mentoring programs for, first, arthritis and, later, diabetes.

Ms. Spitz’s current responsibilities for the Institute include research and planning for the expansion of the patient mentoring concept to additional disease states. Diane also assists in the development of new program activities, troubleshoots program issues, and coordinates communication efforts between the Institute, its patient mentors and pharmaceutical clients.

Ms. Spitz holds an associate’s degree in office administration from Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Ill., She may be contacted by phone at 1-866-741-7047 or by email at diane@patientmentor.com.

Becky Lodes is a Program Manager in the Patient Mentor Institute’s St. Louis office.

Ms. Lodes’ responsibilities for the Institute include researching sources for, identifying, screening and securing patient mentors, writing communications, articles and press releases, developing and managing websites for the Institute and clients, and creating and programming databases. Becky also oversees document management, which includes coordinating and communicating with pharmaceutical clients on the legal and regulatory review process, and assists in program development and implementation.

Prior to joining the Institute in 2004, Ms. Lodes worked in health care and project management. Since 2000, she has focused exclusively on patient mentor programs.

Ms. Lodes holds a Bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. She may be contacted by phone at 1-866-741-7047 or by email at becky@patientmentor.com.

Traci Rogers is a Program Manager in the Patient Mentor Institute’s St. Louis office. Prior to joining the Institute in 2005, she spent more than 13 years in meeting and event planning.

Traci’s is responsible for overseeing all aspects of program coordination, which includes scheduling of programs, patient mentor matching, travel logistics, survey analysis, materials distribution, and expense processing.

Traci attended Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas. She may be contacted by phone at 1-866-741-7047 or by email at traci@patientmentor.com.

Kristen Schmidt is the Patient Trainer in the Patient Mentor Institute’s St. Louis office.

Prior to joining the Institute in 2009, Kristen spent 4 years fundraising, event planning, managing volunteers and writing foundation requests for non-profits in the Kansas City area.

Kristen’s current responsibilities include training patient mentors through the self-study program and the on-site training and certification. She will also be working with the Patient Mentor Foundation.

Kristen graduated from Rockhurst University with a degree in Business Communications. She may be contacted by phone at 1-866-741-7047 or by email at  kristen@patientmentor.com.

Katie Kirschman is a Program Coordinator in the Patient Mentor Institute’s St. Louis office. Prior to joining the Institute, Katie was a full time student at Rockhurst University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Non-Profit Leadership Studies. 

Katie’s current responsibilities for the Institute include communicating with sales representatives, health care providers and various other organizations about programs and also working closely with patient mentors to successfully coordinate educational events around the country.

Katie is an active volunteer with various organizations in the St. Louis area. She may be contacted by phone at 1-866-741-7047 or by email at Katie@patientmentor.com.
 

Mary Lodes is a Program Coordinator in the Patient Mentor Institute’s Kansas City office. Prior to joining the company, Mary was a full time student at Rockhurst University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Science with an emphasis in communication, sciences, and disorders.

Mary’s current responsibilities for the Institute include communicating with sales representatives, health care providers, and various other organizations about available presentations. Mary also works closely with patient mentors to successfully coordinate educational events around the country.

Mary may be contacted by phone at 1-866-741-7047 or by email at mary@patientmentor.com.

Louis Raya  is a Program Coordinator in the Patient Mentor Institute's Kansas City office. Prior to joining the company, Louis worked in the financial field while being a full time student at University of Missouri Kansas City. He is pursuing his Bachelor’s of Business administration degree with an emphasis in Finance.

As a Program Coordinator, Louis' responsibilities include program coordination, material distribution and inventory management.

Louis is very excited to join our team. He was born and raised in Kansas City. He is the younger of two boys and is a “sometimes” proud owner of his dog Carlos. Louis enjoys working out, playing basketball and cheering on his favorite team the Missouri Tigers.

Please join us in welcoming Louis to Patient Mentor Institute. He can be reached at 866-741-7047 or by email at louis@patientmentor.com.

Georgette Sarros is a Program Coordinator in the Patient Mentor Institute’s St. Louis office.

Georgette’s current responsibilities for the Institute include coordination of educational programs and health fairs, and extensive communication with program contacts, patient mentors and pharmaceutical representatives.

In April 2008, Georgette joined the Institute with over 30 years of corporate customer service experience. Georgette’s background in early education and psychology has been a valuable asset as she has served the community on Missouri’s accreditation review team.

Georgette may be contacted by phone at 1-866-741-7047 or by email at georgette@patientmentor.com.
 

Debbie Schaefer is a Program Coordinator in the Patient Mentor Institute’s St. Louis office.

Debbie’s current responsibilities for the Institute include various aspects of program coordination including extensive communication with program contacts, patient mentors and client representatives as well as travel research and database maintenance.

In March 2006, Debbie joined the Institute with over 20 years of experience in customer service and business practices. She holds an Associate’s degree in Accounting and Business Administration from DeVry University in Chicago, Illinois.

Ms. Schaefer may be contacted by phone at 1-866-741-7047 or by email at debbie@patientmentor.com
 

Ann Walters is a Program Coordinator in the Patient Mentor Institute’s Kansas City office, where she oversees the shipment of program materials and patient mentor supplies, and reconciliation of expenses.

Prior to joining the Institute in 2006, Ms. Walters worked in the pharmaceutical industry within the document management arena. Her main responsibilities consisted of document development and review to maintain current procedures required by various government agencies.

Ms. Walters may be contacted by phone at 1-866-741-7047 or by email at ann@patientmentor.com.