The survivorship program was developed by a diverse national taskforce of leading experts in the field of cardiac arrest recovery including scientists, clinicians, advocates, and stakeholders. The people listed below, who were part of the original taskforce, now represent a working group aimed at enhancing CASA content, outreach, and connections with hospital discharge personnel.
Vision
To become an indispensable destination for anyone affected by cardiac arrest.
Our team
Mary M. Newman, MS
Founder and Consultant, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation
Mary M. Newman, MS, is Founder and Consultant to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Foundation. She served as President & CEO between Jan. 2005 and Jan. 2025. She co-founded and now manages the Cardiac Arrest…
Joe Farrell, DPT
Assistant Clinical Professor, School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, Creighton University
- Member, SCAF Board of Directors
Joe Farrell, PT, M App Sc, DPT, FAAOMPT, FAPTA is a 14-year survivor of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Dr. Farrell was the Co-Founder with his wife Edie of a physical therapy private practice in Castro…
Alex Presciutti, PhD, MSCS
Clinical Psychology Fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
- Member, SCAF Advisory Council
Alexander M. Presciutti, PhD, MSCS, is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School and Staff Psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is a co-founder of the Cardiac Arrest Survivor Alliance (program of the…
Joshua Lupton, MD, MPH, MPhil
Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University
Joshua Lupton, MD, MPH, MPhil, is a cardiac arrest survivor, emergency physician, and researcher who studies ways to improve outcomes for patients after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. After receiving his undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon, Josh…
Gina Peattie, MPA
Executive Director, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation
Gina Peattie holds a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) specializing in non-profit sector management and a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She has more than 20 years of professional experience in nonprofit operations, program development,…
Tom P. Aufderheide, MD, MS, FACEP, Hon FACC, FAHA
Professor of Emergency Medicine, Associate Chair of Research Affairs, and Director of the NIH-funded Resuscitation Research Center
Tom P. Aufderheide, MD, MS, FACEP, Hon FACC, FAHA, is a Professor of Emergency Medicine, Associate Chair of Research Affairs, and Director of the NIH-funded Resuscitation Research Center in the Department of Emergency Medicine at…
Johnnie Davis
Owner/Founder of Davis Group Enterprises LLC
- Member, SCAF Board of Directors
Johnnie Davis, Owner/Founder of Davis Group Enterprises LLC and a member of the SCAF Board of Directors. Johnnie is an inspirational speaker, best-selling author, entrepreneur, and success coach. His book I’m Still Here: From Heart…
Ankur A. Doshi, MD, FACEP
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
- Member, SCAF Board of Directors
Ankur A. Doshi, MD, FACEP is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (UPSOM) and Director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Post Cardiac Arrest Service, a…
Kate Flickinger, PhD
Physiologist, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Dr. Kate Flickinger is an exercise physiologist, ACSM certified personal trainer & Exercise is Medicine II provider, and researcher in the Department of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Flickinger successfully completed her PhD in August of 2022…
Joseph P. Ornato, MD
Professor of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Member, SCAF Advisory Council
Joseph P. Ornato, MD is Professor of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine (Cardiology) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Medical Center/Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia. He is also Affiliated Professor, VCU College of Engineering,…
Sarah Perman, MD, MSCE, FAHA
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine
- Member, SCAF Advisory Council
Sarah Perman, MD, MSCE, FAHA, is Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Yale School of Medicine. Previously she was an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Perman obtained…
Monica Rajdev, MPH
Director of IT Operations, Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival
Monica Rajdev, MPH graduated from the University of Michigan with an undergraduate degree from the School of Kinesiology in Movement Science. She began her formal introduction to public health at the University of Michigan under…
Stephen Sanko, MD, FACEP, FAEMS
Founding Member, Southern California Chapter
Stephen Sanko, MD, FACEP, FAEMS, is Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, and Assistant Medical Director of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Samuel F. Sears, PhD
Professor, East Carolina University Depts. of Psychology and Cardiovascular Sciences
- Member, SCAF Advisory Council
Samuel F. Sears, PhD, is a Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Cardiovascular Sciences at East Carolina University. He also serves as the Co-Director of the ECU Cardiology Fellowship. And he is a member of the…
Walter Watts
Senior Website Strategist, Social Driver, and Community Ambassador, SCA Foundation
Walter Watts is Senior Website Strategist, Social Driver, and a Community Ambassador for the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation. Previously, he was Marketing & Communications Associate at the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation. Prior to this, he was a…
Founded in 2005, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is a premier national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness and saving lives threatened by Sudden Cardiac Arrest. We are widely regarded as the expert “go-to” source for reliable, trustworthy information and resources on SCA. Our team is composed of nationally recognized leaders in the field, and stakeholders—including survivors, co-survivors (families and friends), and others affected by SCA.
Our vision is to eliminate preventable death and disability from Sudden Cardiac Arrest and support people personally affected by SCA. Our mission is to raise awareness of SCA and promote initiatives that help save lives through education, research, and community. The Cardiac Arrest Survivor Alliance is an outgrowth of our longstanding Survivor Network.
