Meet the experts

Linda Nozart is the Administrative Director of the Asthma Program at NYC H + H/Woodhull Hospital and, for a little over 14 years, has led asthma steering committees, interdisciplinary workgroups, and allied coalitions as a Registered Respiratory Therapist and Certified Asthma Educator. She served 4 years as the Chairperson of the North Brooklyn Asthma Action Alliance (NBAAA), an award-winning asthma coalition that caters to reducing disparities in health care by serving medically underserved communities and providing access to quality care.

She received her Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care and Master of Public Health at Long Island University Brooklyn (LIU). Currently, she oversees the NYCDOHMH Asthma Center of Excellence CHW Asthma Case Management Program, reducing ER visits for pediatric patients. She is the Director of Operations for Noz Health Ed, LLC, a healthcare consulting company, an asthma patient advocate, and a public speaker on asthma education program development. 

Caitlin Rhoten is a school-based occupational therapist working within the Madison Metropolitan School District. Driven by justice and inclusion, Caitlin is dedicated to providing equitable services to meet the diverse needs of her students. In addition to her role as an occupational therapist, Caitlin is the co-founder and vice-chair of Diverse-OT. Diverse-OT is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that aims to advance the OT profession's cultural climate by increasing student knowledge of culturally responsive practice and works to support underrepresented students of color. Caitlin’s professional interests include occupational justice, health equity, and culturally relevant care. Caitlin earned an OTD from Thomas Jefferson University and her Master’s and Bachelor’s Degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Prigi Varghese is a Nurse Practitioner with over 15 years of clinical experience. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2004 and her Master of Science in Nursing in 2010 from Texas Woman's University in Dallas, Texas. Currently, she is the CF Program Coordinator & Quality Improvement Coordinator for the Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Center at Children's Health.

Her dual roles in program development and quality improvement involve care coordination for 300+ pediatric patients, identifying high-risk populations with advocacy for follow-up services and support, department-specific initiatives, and process improvements. Her achievements include the 2016 Excellence and Accountability Cornerstone award for all Advanced Practitioners at Children's Health, the 2018 Quality Care Cornerstone Award, and the 2019 Dallas' Finest Award designated by the North Texas CF Foundation.

She is directly involved in various quality improvement initiatives through the CF Foundation and the CF Learning Network. In addition, she has presented on various topics related to Cystic Fibrosis both regionally and nationally.