Growth of tick populations, diseases and syndromes are dominating conversations on Martha’s Vineyard, from the dinner table to medical professionals to environmentalists and public health leaders. Hosted by the Vineyard Haven Public Library in collaboration with the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, this expert panel will answer questions about preventing bites, seeking medical treatment, alpha gal syndrome, community action, and new research efforts. This event will be held at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, June 9th at the Katharine Cornell Theatre, located at 51 Spring Street in Vineyard Haven (above Tisbury Town Hall). Free and open to the public. No registration required.
The panel will be moderated by Ellen McMahon, MD, of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Panelists include: Lea Hamner, MPH of the Inter Island Public Health Excellence Collaborative; Aubrey Stimola Ryan, PA-C of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital; Josh Levy, MS, RDN, LDN of Vineyard Nutrition; Virginia Barbatti of Tick Free MV; and Kathleen Fitch, NP of Mass General Hospital Infectious Disease Division.
Ellen McMahon, MD – Moderator – Martha’s Vineyard Hospital
Dr. Ellen McMahon has served as a physician at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital since 2002, providing comprehensive primary care to patients of all ages. In 2023, Dr. McMahon became Chief of Medicine and Ambulatory Medical Director, focusing on the development of physician and advanced practitioner services, leadership of quality-of-care initiatives, and support of broader hospital and Mass General Brigham efforts. Dr. McMahon also serves as the medical director of the future Tick Care Clinic and Express Care at West Tisbury and a local liaison and investigator for the alpha-gal research project scheduled to begin in summer 2026.
Lea Hamner, MPH- Inter Island Public Health Excellence Collaborative
Lea is a public health epidemiologist based on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, specializing in tickborne diseases with a particular focus on Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS). She works for the Martha’s Vineyard Tick Program, Dukes County, and the Inter-Island Public Health Excellence Collaborative. She works at the intersection of applied epidemiology, local public health, and community-based research to better understand and respond to emerging tick-associated conditions. She serves as a Senior Advisor to Tick Free MV, supporting at-scale interventions to reduce tick and host abundance on the landscape.
Aubrey Stimola Ryan, PA-C – Martha’s Vineyard Hospital
Aubrey holds a MS in Physician Assistant Sciences from Albany Medical College and a BA in Bioethics—a curriculum she designed—from Bard College. She has over 17 years of clinical emergency room experience, including at Martha's Vineyard Hospital and in New York City. She has spent extensive time researching, writing about and presenting on tickborne illnesses including alpha-gal syndrome to both clinicians and the local community to help raise awareness and promote the most current science-based data on these topics. She sits on multiple tick related committees at MVH, will be working in the MVH tick care clinic and is collaborating with TickFree MV to help promote a cohesive, island-wide effort to reduce the burden of tickborne illnesses locally. Aubrey was one of the first Advanced Practice Providers in the U.S. to be offered a two-year fellowship in Global Health Studies—a program traditionally offered to MDs. Her global health work has included travel to Tanzania and Uganda, with a focus on infectious diseases. She received the American Society of Travel Medicine and Hygiene’s (ASTMH) Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and also holds a certificate in Travel Medicine from the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM).
Josh Levy, MS, RDN, LDN – Vineyard Nutrition
Josh, Co-owner Vineyard Nutrition, earned his master’s degree in human nutrition from Colorado State University in 2003 and completed his dietetic internships with the University of Northern Colorado in 2004. Since then, Josh has dedicated his career to helping people reach their health goals and establish a positive relationship with food. He has diverse experience in diabetes, cardiovascular disease, GI conditions, tick borne diseases, weight loss, and sports nutrition. He provides targeted nutrition education to patients in one-on-one settings, small groups and large classes. His additional experiences as a culinary instructor, college lecturer, and previous business owner provide a unique background to helping his patients reach their goals. Prior to Vineyard Nutrition, he worked at Kaiser Permanente Colorado and Maine Medical Center and has earned his certification in Adult Weight Management from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Outside of his practice, Josh is an avid cyclist, skier, traveler, cook, and father.
Virginia Barbatti – Tick Free MV
Virginia Barbatti serves as Executive Director of Tick Free MV, leading the organization's efforts to reduce tick-borne disease and allergy on Martha's Vineyard through coordinated, community-driven action. A lifelong seasonal resident of Martha's Vineyard, Virginia moved to the Island full-time in 2020 with her family. She spent 15 years in senior corporate strategy roles at companies including Stanley Black & Decker and Wayfair. She went on to build nonprofit leadership experience on the Island, most recently as Development Director at Island Grown Initiative. She came to this work out of a deep commitment to this community and a belief that the Island has what it takes to meet this challenge. Virginia holds a B.S. in Business Management from Penn State University and grew up in Washington, D.C. She lives in Chilmark with her husband and their three young children.
Kathleen Fitch, NP – Mass General Hospital Infectious Disease Division
Katie is a nurse practitioner and clinical researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital with more than 20 years of experience leading large scale clinical research studies. After a long career investigating cardiometabolic disease in people with HIV—including leadership of a landmark trial that helped shape national guidelines—she now works in the MGH Infectious Diseases Division focused on tick borne diseases. She leads and helps design observational studies, supports a Tick Bite Access Clinic, and provides care in the Multidisciplinary Lyme Disease Clinic. Her work integrates community based clinical care with research aimed at improving the understanding and treatment of Lyme disease and persistent symptoms after infection.
For more information, please contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.
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