MCOM Alumni Society Board

Chair
Phillip Matar, Pediatrics ‘14

Phillip Matar, MD, MBA was elected to the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Alumni Society Board in 2020. He completed his pediatric residency at the University of South Florida, while concurrently obtaining his Master of Business Administration. Following residency, Dr. Matar practiced at the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Emergency Center, where he was Chairman of the Urgent Care Committee. He also advised the Triage and Development/Education Committees.

As an entrepreneur, Dr. Matar has founded two companies, both in 2017. KinderDoc, LLC is a telemedicine company devoted to pediatric patients. PoolKnight, LLC, co-founded with a physician colleague, is a company that, in collaboration with an engineer at Lockheed Martin, has developed a state-of-the-art drowning prevention device. Dr. Matar serves as a Medical Consultant for the Florida Department of Health and sits on the Medical Advisory Boards for PhykenTech, Inc, an Orlando-based tech firm integrating virtual reality into healthcare, and GaliDerm, Inc, a Palm Beach-based advanced medical skincare company. He is also a member of the American Telemedicine Association.

Chair-Elect
Catherine Hough-Telford, MD ‘10

Dr. Hough-Telford is a native of the Tampa Bay area. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida in 2006 and her medical degree from the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in 2010. She completed a pediatrics residency at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB), where she also was chief resident. She then trained for two years at UAB as a pediatric infectious disease fellow, where she researched vaccine hesitancy and congenital cytomegalovirus. After completing her fellowship, Dr. Hough-Telford moved back to Tampa and worked in private practice as a general pediatrician for several years. While currently on sabbatical, she volunteers her time with local schools and remains active with the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Past Chair
Evita Henderson-Jackson, Pathology ’11

Dr. Henderson-Jackson is an Associate Member of the Department of Anatomic Pathology at Moffitt Cancer Center. She completed her Bachelor’s degree at the University of South Carolina. She received her Doctor of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She completed her pathology residency training at the University of South Florida/Moffitt Cancer Center (USF/MCC) and a surgical oncologic pathology fellowship and cytopathology fellowship. Clinically, she focuses on soft tissue and bone sarcomas as well as breast pathology and cytopathology. She is the Program Director for the USF AP/CP pathology residency program. As a clinical educator, she is passionate and constantly involved in the education of students, residents, fellows, and clinicians.

Vignesh Doraiswamy, MD '15

Dr. Doraiswamy is a graduate of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine's Class of 2015. He finished his Med-Peds residency and was Med-Peds Chief Resident at Penn State Health and completed master’s in biomedical education at Ohio State University, where he currently serves as an associate professor of medicine and pediatrics. He practices as a Med-Peds hospitalist and is an associate program director for the Med-Peds residency at Ohio State and Nationwide Children's Hospital. He is honored to represent fellow alumni and give back to the Morsani College of Medicine community.
 

Jennifer Fredericks MD '07, Emergency Medicine '10

Dr. Fredericks is a proud graduate of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in 2007 and emergency medicine residency in 2010. After graduation, she began working at Bayfront Hospital for Emergency Physicians of St. Petersburg. At Bayfront, she is the medical director of the emergency department and chair of Emergency and Trauma Services. She has stayed active with the college by volunteering with the ASSIST Program and acts as a Doctoring Clinical Experience preceptor. Additionally, as a collaborative assistant professor with the Department of Medical Education, she shares her passion for practicing medicine and lessons from patient experiences with her medical students in Doctoring 2. She enjoys staying involved with her fellow alumni and was a Class Champion for the Alumni Weekend 2022. She looks forward to her continued involvement and future outreach with alumni and students through the Medicine Alumni Society Board of Directors.

Brian Garby, MD ‘79

A native of St. Petersburg, Dr. Garby graduated from Emory University in 1976 with a B.A. in French and is a MCOM Alumnus of the class of 1979.  He completed an Internal Medicine residency at the University of Kentucky and the University of South Florida, and an Emergency Medicine residency at Wake Forest/Bowman Gray School of Medicine.  From 1984 to 2020, he worked full-time in Emergency Medicine at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, serving as Department Chair and teaching Florida State University medical students and residents. In 2015, he was the first emergency medicine physician to receive the Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award from Florida State University. Retired since 2020, he enjoys his 2 kids and 2 grandkids that live in Tampa, as well as reading history, anything French including white Burgundy, studying classical guitar, volunteer work at the Salvation Army, and cave diving.

Christopher George, MD ‘76

Dr. Christopher George earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida and a Master of Science in Biochemistry from the University of South Florida. He graduated from the USF Morsani College of Medicine in 1976 and was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at Letterman Hospital in San Francisco, California, in 1981. Dr. George returned to Tampa in 1986 and most recently served patients through Florida Cancer Specialists until his retirement in late 2025
A longtime supporter of the College of Medicine, Dr. George looks forward to continuing to support and give back to the College through his service on the Alumni Society Board.

Thomas Alex John, MD ‘03

Dr John grew up in Dade City, Florida, and attended Tampa Catholic High School. He then graduated Summa Cum Laude from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology. He is a proud graduate from the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in 2003. Dr John completed his Internal Medicine Residency I 2006, and Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellowship in 2009, at the University of Florida Shands Hospital in Gainesville.
Dr John moved back to Dade City in 2009 to join his father (Gastroenterology) and sister (Internal Medicine) at their private practice in Zephyrhills. After his father’s retirement, he joined AdventHealth Medical Group in Zephyrhills in 2021. Dr John served as Chief of Staff from 2021-2022 at AdventHealth Dade City Hospital. He completed a Physician Team Leadership Program through AdventHealth and Harvard Business Publishing in 2022. Dr John currently works at AdventHealth Zephyrhills Hospital, AdventHealth Dade City Hospital, and AdventHealth Gastroenterology Clinic in Zephyrhills. He enjoys spending time with his wife, son, and daughter, and traveling.