Conference Presenters

Jeremy R. Geffen, MD, FACP is a board-certified medical oncologist, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a pioneer in integrative medicine and oncology. He is president of Geffen Visions International and director of integrative oncology for P4 Healthcare and Caring4Cancer.com. Dr. Geffen is author of the highly-acclaimed book The Journey Through Cancer: Healing and Transforming the Whole Person (Three Rivers Press, 2006) and integrative medicine program The Seven Levels of Healing®. This leading-edge program integrates state-of-the-art conventional cancer treatments with a wide array of complementary therapies designed to help patients and family members heal and transform at the deepest levels of the body, mind, heart, and spirit. For more information, visit www.geffenvisions.com

Shayna Komar, RD, LD, is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian in Atlanta, GA.. She completed her undergraduate degree in Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Tech. She completed her medical dietetic internship at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. She resides in Marietta, GA with her husband and 2 year old son. Shayna currently contracts with Cancer Wellness of Piedmont Hospital where she provides individual counseling, cooking workshops and group lectures for cancer patients and caregivers. She focuses her energy on educating the cancer patient on how to use food as a part of their medicine before, during and after treatment. She was named Distinguished Dietitian of the Year in 2006 from the American Dietetic Association. She has presented nutrition lectures across the United States including Las Vegas, NV for the Oncology Nursing Society. She can be reached at 678-485-6998.

Beth Nielsen Chapman, singer-songwriter, breast cancer survivor, and environmental activist, has written songs for Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Bette Midler, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Faith Hill, Willie Nelson, and more. Her recordings include “Sand & Water”, written and recorded following the death of her husband from cancer in 1994, performed by Elton John on his 1997 U.S. tour; “Deeper Still”, following her successful treatment for breast cancer, and most recent, “Prism-The Human Family Songbook”, sung in nine languages. Beth’s music has been featured in TV and movies: ER, Dawson’s Creek, Providence, “The Prince of Egypt, “Message In A Bottle”, “The Rookie”, “Where The Heart Is” and “Practical Magic”. “This Kiss” ASCAP’S 1999 Song Of The Year, sung by Faith Hill garnered her a Grammy nomination. Nashville NAMMY’S 1999 Songwriter of the Year, Beth teaches workshops internationally on Creativity, Songwriting, and Grief, and serves on the Board of Directors of Healthy Child Healthy World. www.bethnielsenchapman.com.

Anna L. Schwartz, FNP, PhD, FAAN is Executive Medical Director of Rehabilitation Systems and an Affiliate Professor at University of Washington. She is internationally known for her program of research, which focuses on exercise interventions to reduce the acute and chronic physical and emotional effects of cancer and its treatment. Her book, Cancer Fitness: Exercise programs for patients & survivors, published by Simon & Schuster, brings the science of cancer and exercise to patients, survivors and their families. She holds 3 world records in cycling, and was a member of the 2003 Tour of Hope team that cycled from Los Angeles to Washington DC to raise awareness for cancer research. She is also an avid horsewoman and runs a horse therapy program for cancer patients, survivors and their families. www.rehabsys.com

Magician Chad Juros is a two time cancer and brain surgery survivor who has been an award winning magician since the age of seven. Past performances include the White House, Las Vegas casinos, the TV shows Criss Angel’s “Mindfreak” and “Dinner Impossible”. He played the young David Copperfield in a TV movie and is the official magician to the Philadelphia 76ers. Chad is the recipient of the Courage and Inspiration Award from the American Cancer Society, the Volunteer of the Year Award from the National Leukemia Society and performs for Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camps and Ronald McDonald Houses. Chad is a 21 year-old college student in New Jersey, and is the founder of the Spread the Magic Foundation, a NJ nonprofit that spreads magic to children with cancer in the hopes that they can find the magic in their life as he did. www.magicalchad.com and www.spreadthemagic.org.

Debra Jarvis, “the irreverent reverend with something to say,” is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. She is a breast cancer survivor and the author of It’s Not About the Hair: And Other Certainties of Life & Cancer (Sasquatch Books, 2007). She has worked as a hospice spiritual counselor and currently serves as a per diem chaplain for the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. She is a commentator for National Public Radio and frequently speaks at conferences and workshops on cancer, death, dying, medical staff care, spirituality and the importance of quality chocolate. She received an MA in Christian Arts from New College, Berkeley, and her Master’s in Divinity from Northwest Theological Union, Seattle. She is board certified through the Association for Professional Chaplains (APC). She lives in Seattle with her husband Wes Van Voorhis and their mighty Cairn terrier Max. www.debrajarvis.com

Anita Burroughs-Price is principal harpist for the North Carolina Symphony and harp instructor at Furman University. She holds degrees from Furman University, Yale School of Music and the Royal College of Music in London. Her solo career has taken her all over Europe–from England’s Brighton Palace to Cremona, Italy. As an ensemble harpist, she has played in Carnegie Hall and London’s Royal Festival Hall. Her great love is playing for individuals facing personal challenges. She plays in Red Cross hurricane shelters, in medical clinics and at the bedside of seriously ill patients. Her music of comfort has been featured on the Hallmark Channel and on NBC’s Emmy-winning Carolina Traveler. She won the 1999 Raleigh Medal of Arts, the city’s highest award, for “musical excellence and humanitarian service.” Her CD Healing Touch won Hollywood’s Excellence in Media Silver Angel Award and has raised over $16,000 for families in crisis in North Carolina. www.anitaharp.com

David B. Feldman, PhD is an assistant professor of counseling psychology at Santa Clara University. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Kansas and completed a fellowship in palliative care with the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California. His passion is to help victims of trauma and potentially life-threatening medical illness experience growth and embrace life despite significant adversity. He has worked with patients and families coping with cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s dementia, spinal cord injury, and countless other serious medical conditions. His research and writings have addressed such topics as hope, meaning, and growth in the face of negative events. His book, The End-of-Life Handbook: A Compassionate Guide to Connecting with and Caring for a Dying Loved One, was written for families facing the serious illness of a loved one. www.endoflifehandbook.com