Dr. Onukwugha is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. She is also the Executive Director of the Pharmaceutical Research Computing Center at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.

Since 2019, Dr. Onukwugha has served on the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board, a first-in-the-nation effort to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Maryland residents. The board – an independent body comprised of doctors, public health experts and medical researchers – will investigate expensive prescription drugs and make recommendations to lower costs, including by setting price caps.

For nearly two decades, Dr. Onukwugha has conducted cutting-edge pharmaceutical health services research to address health disparities, examine medical decision making and analyze ways to reduce costs across America’s health care system,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “Every single day, she’s on the front lines working to help improve treatment decision making, lower health care costs, reduce prescription drug prices and enhance health outcomes for Americans in every community.

Mercy Health Clinic is one of our partners in the North Bethesda Rotary Community Health Challenge, our club fundraiser that runs through September. On September 24, we’ll hear from Mark Foraker, the Executive Director of the clinic. The mission of Mercy Health Clinic (Mercy) is to provide high quality medical care, health education and pharmaceuticals to medically underserved, low -income residents of Montgomery County, Maryland. All onsite services are offered free of charge.

Founded in October 2000 by members of the social concerns committee at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Potomac, Maryland, Mercy started as an all volunteer clinic occupying a few rooms in the Montgomery Up-County Regional Services Center in Germantown, Maryland. The clinic quickly grew in the number of patients served and the number of volunteer physicians and nurses recruited to serve them. Today Mercy has a small paid staff and nearly 50 volunteer
physicians who provide primary and patient specialty care to nearly 1,800 patients annually. We are currently
providing approximately 7,200 patient appointments annually for our uninsured neighbors.

Mark is a non-profit executive with extensive management and fundraising experience in Montgomery County,
MD including St. Luke’s House (now Cornerstone Montgomery) and Manna Food Center. He has a Master’s
Degree in Nonprofit Management and a PMP certification in project management. Mr. Foraker became
Executive Director of Mercy in June, 2015 and has prioritized establishing partnerships with other social service organizations, implementing operational sustainability. 

Vladimir Fridman was born and raised in Moscow, Russia, with music a major part of his life. In Moscow Vladimir received his education in music.

He was active in Moscow theaters and in a Philharmonic, and appeared on Russian TV. With Jazz Balalaika Group Vladimir toured Europe, the Middle East and Japan and released four albums. Since his arrival in the United States in 1998, Vladimir frequently performs solo and with leading musicians as member of Music Pilgrim Trio and TransAtlantic Duo and recorded few albums solo and with other musicians. The album Ole Guapa with Gypsy Strings won the WAMMIES Award. Vladimir runs a successful Guitar Studio. Many of his students received awards at the Maryland State Guitar Competition.