Deneen Bowlin, M.D.

Dr. Bowlin is a board-certified internal medicine specialist. She was with Charlestown Care Center for 15 ½ years before joining CareFirst in April 2019 and was affiliated with St. Agnes during her employment at Charlestown. She is currently a Medical Director with CareFirst.

Dr. Bowlin attended Medical School at Medical College of Pennsylvania and completed her residency at Medical College of Pennsylvania and Hospital.

Robert Ciaverelli, M.D.

Dr. Ciaverelli, behavioral health medical director, CareFirst, is responsible for the medical leadership decisions impacting all CareFirst members. Before his role at CareFirst, he served as Magellan Behavioral Health’s medical director for more than 15 years.

Dr. Ciaverelli specialized in mood and substance disorders and had an active 30-year psychiatric practice. The Journal of Addiction Medicine has published his work on the barriers to setting up an office-based opioid practice.

Dr. Ciaverelli received his doctorate from George Washington School of Medicine and completed a psychiatric residency program at Sheppard Pratt.

John Comisi, D.D.S., M.A.G.D.

Dr. Comisi is an associate professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine and chair of the Oral Rehabilitation Department’s Dental Materials Committee. He practiced general dentistry for more than 35 years and was president and CEO of Sleep Focused Solutions, LLC, in Ithaca, N.Y., where he also founded Dental Care with a Difference®, Pc.

Dr. Comisi is a member of the Academy of Dental Materials, American Academy of Cariology, American Association for Oral Systemic Health, International and American Associations of Dental Research, and the Dental Biomaterials Science-Research Scientific Advisory Board. And he regularly contributes to several renowned dental journals.

Dr. Comisi graduated from Northwestern University Dental School and earned a Master of the Academy of General Dentistry. He’s a fellow of the Academy of Dentistry International, American College of Dentists, Pierre Fauchard Academy and International College of Dentists.

Charles A. Doring, D.D.S., M.A.G.D.

Dr. Doring has a special interest in treating children, elderly patients, and physically and mentally compromised patients. He is on the medical staff at Rockville Nursing Home and the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington. Additionally, he is a clinical instructor at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. And Dr. Doring is co-director of the Maryland State Dental Association’s Geriatric Dentistry mini-residency.

Dr. Doring serves as the Legislative Affairs Committee Chair for the Maryland State Dental Association and is a delegate to the American Dental Association.

Dr. Doring earned his doctorate from the University of Maryland, School of Dentistry and completed a residency in hospital dentistry at Georgetown University. He is a fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry and received a Mastership award for continuing education.

Barbara Steinberg, D.D.S.

Dr. Barbara Steinberg received her DDS from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry and completed a residency at the Medical College of Pennsylvania. She is a clinical professor of surgery at Drexel University College of Medicine, as well as an adjunct associate professor of oral medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Medicine. Specializing in the treatment of medically compromised patients, Dr. Steinberg is a former spokesperson for the ADA on women’s oral health issues and has had numerous television appearances, including Good Morning America. She represented the ADA at a congressional briefing on women’s oral health issues and presently serves on the Health, Nutrition, and Fitness Board of Woman’s Day magazine. She is also an internationally invited lecturer in the areas of dental treatment of the medically compromised patient and women’s health. She has also authored numerous articles and contributed to major textbooks on these subjects. Dentistry Today has recognized her as one of its Leaders in Continuing Education since 2002.

Oleg Tarkovsky

Oleg Tarkovsky, behavioral health services director, CareFirst, is an accomplished bilingual leader with expertise in developing client services and streamlining delivery within the healthcare industry. In addition to his role at CareFirst, Tarkovsky is an adjunct professor in the Psychology Department at Towson University.

Before joining CareFirst, Tarkovsky was responsible for the daily management and operation of outpatient behavioral health programs for Mosaic Community Services, Inc., part of the Sheppard Pratt Health System.

Tarkovsky earned a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Towson University and a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management from The Johns Hopkins University.

Janet Yellowitz, D.M.D., M.P.H., F.A.S.G.D., D.A.B.S.C.SD.

Dr. Yellowitz, director of Geriatric Dental Programs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, provides dental training to students. She is also the dental director of a long-term care facility and geriatric hospital.

Dr. Yellowitz is actively involved in the Geriatrics and Gerontology Section of the American Dental Educators Association and the Geriatric Oral Research Group of the International Association of Dental Research; and a member of the National Elder Care Advisory Committee, Council on Access, Prevention, Interprofessional Relations, and American Dental Association.

Dr. Yellowitz graduated from Forsyth School for Dental Hygienists. She completed a master’s in public health at the University of Minnesota and earned her doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. She is a fellow of the American Society of Geriatric Dentistry and a Diplomat of the American Board of Special Care Dentistry.

MODERATOR

Dr. Cheryl A Lerner, DMD, Dental Director CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield

Dr. Cheryl Lerner began at CareFirst in 2018 with 36 years of experience in the dental field, including private general practice, and more recently, over 20 years in the dental and health care insurance industry. She has led teams with responsibility for both clinical quality assurance and utilization management, as well as dental network development and servicing. She is pleased and proud to present the annual CareFirst Dental Symposium.

Dr. Lerner earned both her undergraduate and dental degrees at the University of Pennsylvania and completed a general practice residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia prior to practicing and teaching part time in Penn dental school’s clinic. She relocated to the DC area where she established her private practice and raised her family. She moved into the administrative side of dentistry in 1995, overseeing the utilization review area. In 2001, she worked as the Dental Compliance Officer at the MD State Board of Dental Examiners, and then returned to health insurance, developing the dental network at MAMSI, then at Delta Dental of Pennsylvania. As the Chief Clinical Officer at Delta Dental of Colorado, she took charge of both the network and quality managements areas and worked within the CO community to educate various stakeholders on the need to integrate dental and medical as a critical concept in the overall health of patients. At CareFirst, Dr. Lerner is a part of the medical director team and serves as a subject matter expert to the various related departments such as Networks, Sales, Claims and Service. She also serves as a board member for the Maryland State Dental Association Foundation, the Program Chair for the American Association of Dental Consultants and is a member of the Baltimore City Dental Society, MSDA and ADA.