Our Team

Jason McNichol, PhD,  President and Executive Director

Jason is a medical sociologist, researcher, and patient advocate with fourteen years of experience addressing challenges facing patients and families in the health-care system. He holds his PhD and MA degrees from the University of California at Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Science with Highest Honors from Cornell University. Before founding Health Advocacy Solutions, Jason served as a program officer at the Social Science Research Council in New York City, where he directed health-related projects funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and other philanthropies. Over the course of his career, Jason has received several major awards, including fellowships from the National Science Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.  He has taught at the University of California, the University of Freiburg (Germany), and other campuses. Curently, Jason teaches as an adjunct professor at Portland State University.  He also serves on several state and national committees focusing on healthcare advocacy, patient-centered care, and insurance reform.

Our Trusted Advisors, Volunteers, and Interns
 

Sean Larkin, MPA, Information Technology

Sean is an integrated IT and knowledge management specialist with more than ten years’ experience leading new projects in diverse organizational environments. After graduating with honors from the University of Virginia in 1998, Sean went on to complete a masters in public administration as a Jon Ben Snow Fellow in Nonprofit Management at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School. He recently founded ThinkShout, a technology planning and social media strategy firm that focuses on open-source solutions for non-profits and forward-thinking firms.

Daren Nicholson, MD, CM, e-Health Technology

Trained originally as a medical doctor, Daren Nicholson now works on the implementation of medical informatics solutions to improve health-care outcomes for patients and consumers.  He is currently working with ICW America-- an international e-health technology provider.  Daren earned his Doctorate of Medicine (MD, CM) degree from McGill University in Montreal (Canada), as well as a Masters of Biomedical Informatics from Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon. Since 2005, Daren's other consulting work has focused on policy and technical issues related to personal health records (PHRs).

Patricia (Trish) Ohliger-Frerking, PhD, MPH, Community Health

Trish Frerking holds her PhD in physiology from the University of California at Davis, and a masters in public health through the joint program at Portland State University and Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU).  In June of 2006, Trish completed a year-long internship with the Oregon Institute on Disability and Development (OIDD). While at OIDD she completed the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program at OHSU’s Child Development and Rehabilitation Center.  At the Center, Trish worked in collaboration with diverse health professionals to assess needs and recommend appropriate services to children with neuro-developmental disabilities.

José Pares-Avila, MN, MA, NP-C, RN, ARNP, LMHC, Underserved Populations

José is a nurse practitioner, mental health counselor, and interdisciplinary researcher on care challenges facing diverse populations. He has over 20 years of experience working in clinical and community settings addressing the unique primary and chronic care needs of children and adolescents, infectious disease patients, Latino immigrants, and sexual minorities. José completed a Doctorate of Nurse Practice at the University of Washington in 2009.

Raymond Rendleman, Communications Associate

Raymond is a freelance journalist who has covered health-care topics of interest to consumers and communities for over three years. A 2006 graduate of Reed College, Raymond has served as a writer and reporter for several publications and regional news organizations. He has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for his investigative reporting work. Between 1999 and 2002, Raymond also worked as the office manager of the Old Town Clinic-- a community primary care health provider in Portland. At HAS, Raymond is assisting with a variety of our communications and outreach activities.

Kent Unruh, PhD, Patient-Provider Communications

Kent Unruh is a leading researcher studying how patients manage information and communicate with their providers to navigate the medical system and coordinate distributed care. He holds his BA in computer systems from Goshen College, a master of science (MS) degree in information technology from Northwestern University, and a doctorate in information science from the University of Washington. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the the University of Washington's School of Medicine. Kent brings to our team over a decade of experience implementing innovative communication and information tools to empower communities and improve the quality of care in clinical settings.
 

Please see About Us for more information about our Board of Directors.