Our Steering Committee
Preeti Jaggi, MD, Chair
Preeti Jaggi, MD (she/her), current chair of GaCCA, is a Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University and directs the Antimicrobial Stewardship program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She sees parallels between the advances in antimicrobial stewardship and healthcare quality improvement that could be applied to decreasing emissions in healthcare settings.
She can be reached at preeti.jaggi@emory.edu
Jennifer L. Barkin, MS, PhD
Dr. Jennifer Barkin is an Associate Professor of Community Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Georgia. She is a University of Pittsburgh-trained biostatistician (M.S.) and psychiatric epidemiologist (PhD) and her research program has traditionally focused on maternal and child mental health. As an executive committee member, she provides a public health perspective regarding the effects of climate change and environmental issues on family mental health. Her recent work includes a published study of the behavioral health effects of extreme weather events on children.
She can be reached at: barkin_jl@mercer.edu
Anne Mellinger-Birdsong, MD, MPH, FAAP
Anne Mellinger-Birdsong, MD, MPH, FAAP has worked as a medical epidemiologist at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Georgia Division/Department of Public Health, and the American Lung Association of Georgia. She has served as Director of Mothers and Others for Clean Air, given grand rounds about climate and health through a grant from Union of Concerned Scientists, and does health education about air pollution, climate change, and health. She is Vice Chair of the GA-AAP committee on environmental health, and a member of the GA-AAP legislative committee.
Neha Pathak, MD, FACP DipABLM
Neha Pathak MD, FACP, DipABLM is board certified in both internal medicine and lifestyle medicine and works as Chief Physician Editor for Health and Lifestyle Medicine and Writer with WebMD/Medscape. She is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine board of directors and Chair of ACLM's Global Sustainability Committee. She is a lecturer at the Yale School of Public Health, where she facilitates coursework on climate change and health. She works to educate healthcare professionals and the public about the health impacts of climate change and environmental pollution. She is a founding member of Georgia Clinicians for Climate Action and Co-Chair of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light. She has been invited to join the National Academy of Medicine’s Communicating About Climate Change and Health Project expert panel. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and children.
Mehul Tejani, MD, MPH
Mehul Tejani, MD, MPH, is a primary care physician with a specialty in HIV medicine at the Grady Health System as a faculty member for the Emory University School of Medicine. He is interested in educating students, residents, and clinical practitioners on the health effects of climate change. He is active with the Society of General Internal Medicine's Environmental Health Interest Group.
Kimberly D. Williams, PhD
Kimberly Williams is part of the founding committee of GaCCA. Kimberly is the Executive Director for the Georgia State Medical Association (GSMA), the state chapter of the National Medical Association (NMA), the regional Director for NMA Region III, and the Program Manager of the Climate and Health Equity Fellowship (CHEF) at the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health. Kimberly works in support of health, equity, and diversity, including research, advocacy, and policy at the state and federal levels. Kimberly organizes strategic plans, designs policies and processes, and implements new programs for the organizations she works with. Kimberly identifies opportunities that amplify the importance of social and environmental justice, increase diversity in healthcare professions, and in support of health equity. Kimberly’s PhD is in Organization and Management, with a focus on Leadership, Training, Development, and certification in DEI. With a passion for spiritual and mental wellness, Kimberly is also a certified facilitator of Mental Health First Aid™ training.
Linda I. Walden, MD, FAAFP
Linda Walden, M.D., FAAFP is a founding Steering Committee member of GaCCA and Family Physician from the Cairo/Thomasville, GA area. She is a inaugural graduate of the Medical Consortium on Climate and Health and the National Medical Association’s Climate, Health and Equity Fellowship (CHEF) program. She is a Visionary, Pioneer, Catalyst, Community Leader and Mentor in the Medical Field. She is a Speaker and Advocate on a Local, State and National levels to inform communities about Climate Change and it’s Negative Impact on Our Health. Her main goal is to help improve clean air, water and renewable energy in communities and bring about Health Equity and Eliminate Health Disparities that have disproportionately affected people of Color.