Fawzi M. Ameer, M.D., was born and raised in Rapid City, SD. He graduated from Stevens High School in Rapid City, and got his undergraduate degree in Biology from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. He completed his Doctor of Medicine degree from the American University of Antigua in May, 2014, and went on to complete his residency in Internal Medicine and his Cardiovascular Fellowship at the New York Presbyterian Hospital in Queens. During his residency and fellowship training Dr. Ameer was recognized as the Resident of the Year and Cardiology Fellow of the Year on multiple occasions, as well as being named Chief Cardiology fellow. Dr. Ameer has also completed an Advance Cardiac Imaging Fellowship at the Houston Methodist Hospital’s Debakey Heart and Vascular Institute, before joining the Medical Staff at Monument Health in Rapid City. Dr. Ameer is a board certified cardiologist in addition to being board certified in Internal Medicine, Echocardiography, Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac Computed Tomography. He has a special interest in advanced cardiac imaging, complex valve intervention and treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Ameer strives to treat every patient with compassion, care and dignity, as if they were a member of his family. He pursued a career in medicine because he truly enjoys helping people. After he completed his medical education and professional training Dr. Ameer wanted to relocate to Rapid City, South Dakota, which he considers home. He enjoys spending time with his family, being active in sports and other recreational activities including jogging, hiking, and reading, particularly in keeping up with advancements in medical and clinical technology.

Corey is a native of Gettysburg, SD. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Notre Dame on a Navy ROTC scholarship where he studied Government and International Relations. After graduating with high honors, he was commissioned in the United States Navy where he completed training to become a Naval Aviator. Corey flew both the S-3B Viking and the E-6B Mercury during his nearly 11 years of service. He completed three deployments to the Middle East, two of which were in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has logged over 2,500 hours of Aircraft Commander and pilot time and he was awarded 2 Air Medals and 2 Navy/Marine Corps. Commendation Medals for his service. During his two deployments aboard the USS Constellation, he accumulated 318 carrier landings and was recognized three times as one of the top 10 pilots for landing performance aboard the carrier. After 11 years of service, Corey moved back home to Gettysburg with his wife Karen and family. He took the role of Executive Director of the Gettysburg/Whitlock Bay Development Corporation. Subsequently, he worked as an independent insurance agent with his family’s insurance agency. In 2008, Corey was elected to the SD State Senate. He served as the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, the Assistance Majority Leader, the Majority Leader, and the President Pro Tempore. Corey currently serves as the System Vice President of Government Affairs for Sanford Health. Sanford Health is a non-profit integrated health system headquartered in the Dakotas. It is one of the largest rural health systems in the nation with 47 medical centers, 2,800 physicians and advanced practice providers, and more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations spanning over 250,000 square miles. Sanford Health’s nearly 48,000 employees make it the largest employer in the Dakotas. Corey and his wife Karen are the proud parents of 4 children in Sioux Falls, SD.

As an internal medicine practitioner at the Sanford Health Internal Medicine clinic, Dr. Ellis Easterling provides primary care to adult patients. He offers chronic disease care, medication management and preventive health exams.

Shari M. Erickson currently serves as Chief Advocacy Officer and Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs and Public Policy with the American College of Physicians (ACP). In this role, Ms. Erickson oversees the operations of the Washington, DC office and manages ACP’s overall advocacy and policy initiatives relating to Congress and federal regulatory agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), CMS’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), and other federal bodies. Ms. Erickson also oversees ACP’s Department of Medical Practice, which is responsible for the ongoing development and maintenance of programs, products, tools, and services to assist medical practices with regulatory compliance and practice transformation. In addition, Ms. Erickson currently serves as Co-Chair of the Primary Care Collaborative’s (PCC) Public Policy and Advocacy Workgroup. Before coming to ACP, Ms. Erickson was a Senior Program Director with the National Quality Forum (NQF) in Washington, D.C. where she was responsible for managing an array of projects that support NQF’s national strategy for health care quality measurement and reporting. Ms. Erickson received her Master of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of ArtsInternational Studies degrees from Miami University in Ohio.

Dr. Sunanda V. Kane is a Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. She has a busy clinical practice that reflects her expertise in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is also the focus of her research work encompassing new therapies, gender-specific issues, and medication adherence. She is a prolific researcher and writer, having published over 200 original research articles, as well as invited reviews and book chapters along with the third edition of a book for patients on self-management of IBD. She is a passionate teacher, not just to students in the medical school, trainees and colleagues, but also to patients in her previous role as Chair of the National Patient Education Committee for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. She was the first female Associate Editor for Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics and serves in editorial roles for other journals and is the Section Editor for IBD for UpToDate as well. Amongst many leadership positions that she holds within Mayo Clinic is the Assistant Chair of Patient Experience within the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and Physician Chair of the Mayo Quality Academy Fellow Subcommittee; the pinnacle of Dr. Kane’s leadership journey was being President of the American College of Gastroenterology in 2018-2019. She also just completed a 5-year service on the Gastroenterology Specialty Council of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Randall Lamfers is a graduate of the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Medicine. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency training and served as a Chief resident at the University of Wisconsin. He currently is practicing as a Hospitalist at Sanford USD Medical Center. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Lamfers serves as the Associate Program Director Internal Medicine Residency and as the GME Quality Officer at USD SSOM.

Dr. Eric Larson has been in private practice in Sioux Falls for 19 years. He is the Chair of General Internal Medicine at the Sanford School of Medicine and is the Program Director for the Transitional Residency Program. He coordinates the outpatient internal medicine residency clinic at Sanford Clinic and his research interest is primarily in pharmacogenetics. He is married and has 3 teenage children.

Dr. Ukamaka N. Nwadibia was born in Nigeria, West Africa. She started her career with a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Lab sciences from University of Nigeria in 2004, then proceeded to Windsor University School of medicine in St. Kitts and Nevis and graduated with her MD degree in 2013, she proceeded to SSOM Internal Medicine residency program and completed her residency in 2016. Since then , she has been working at Sanford Adult Medicine clinic, Imagenetics building till date. She is also a clinical assistant professor involved in teaching residents and medical students during their ambulatory internal medicine rotations. She is married with 5 children, loves cooking, travelling and watching soccer games.

Timothy O'Keefe, Ph.D., is the newly appointed dean of the Beacom School of Business at the University of South Dakota (USD). Dr. O'Keefe, a seasoned leader with over 40 years of experience in higher education, has spent 20 years in higher education administration, dedicating himself to improving student access, retention, and learning. O'Keefe is also an experienced entrepreneur, having co-founded and led ComMark, Inc. – an Internet consulting company based in North Dakota – between 1995-2013. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis in 1996 from the University of Arkansas College of Business, where he was also an AACSB National Doctoral Fellow. He earned his MBA from Moorhead State University in 1985 and his Bachelor of Arts in business administration from Mayville State University in 1981. Recognizing an increase in the number of clinicians returning to complete an MBA, USD’s Sanford School of Medicine and its Beacom School of Business partnered to offer an MD-MBA dual degree. The specialized training prepares physicians for a different method of addressing challenges and a larger diversity of career opportunities to support this region.

Dr. Palmer is an endocrinologist with Monument Health in Rapid City, SD. He cares for patients in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, focusing on diagnoses of diabetes mellitus and related diseases. He completed his fellowship and his internal medicine residency at the University of Missouri. Dr. Palmer received the Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of South Dakota as a faculty member for Rapid City’s Family Medicine Residency program.

Dr. Dawn Sears is an academic professor and practicing board certified gastroenterologist/hepatologist who has focused much of her career and research into wellbeing of her colleagues. She was system-wide Chief of Wellbeing for several years and later spearheaded the Women Leaders in Medicine serving over 300 women physicians and moving the needles of engagement, retention and burnout. She has received multiple grants and awards for her work, including AMA, AMWA, TMA and a $150,000 grant from The Physicians Foundation. Most recently, she hosted the Authenticity Courage and Empowerment conference for women physicians and continues to serve in multiple academic and leadership positions. She is an ICF certified Executive Coach who regularly works with private, institutional and medical society associated physicians. Her goal is to stop the hemorrhaging of women physicians from healthcare. She currently proudly servers as Chief of Veterans Administration Gastroenterology Division in Central Texas.

Dr. Stephen Tamang is a dedicated physician with a decade of experience at Monument Health. After starting his career in the ambulatory department, he transitioned to being a hospitalist in 2022. Dr. Tamang's passion for addressing opioid addiction led him to facilitate state funding for treatment in West River. With several years of experience in treating opioid use disorder, he brings expertise and compassion to improving the lives of individuals affected by addiction. Dr. Tamang has had the privilege of caring for hundreds of OUD patients on his patient panel, further solidifying his commitment to providing comprehensive and personalized care in this field.

Reservations under South Dakota American College of Physicians; Telephone: 877-393-5634; Rooms: $134.00/night; Block of rooms will be released September 3, 2023. Shuttle to/from the Rapid City airport is free with 48 hours advance notice given by calling the above number, providing your name, cell phone, airline, time of arrival, and number in group. Tips are encouraged to the driver, who will be driving a black vehicle with The Lodge at Deadwood logo.