Sharlene George, Editor, developed an interest in health care reporting while serving as a reporter and city desk editor for a daily newspaper in the Philadelphia suburbs. She has been on the ADVANCE for Respiratory Care & Sleep Medicine staff since 1998. She and her staff have won several writers excellence awards from Merion Publications, and a Bronze Award from the American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors. She can be reached at sgeorge@advanceweb.com.
Mike Bederka, Editor, joined ADVANCE in 2001. He spent several years in the newspaper business as an editor and reporter. His writing has earned several industry honors, including awards from the Associated Press, the American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors and the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association. Mike graduated from the University of Delaware in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English/Journalism and a minor in Black American Studies. He can be reached at mbederka@advanceweb.com.
Vern Enge, Founding Editor, has worked with respiratory care publications for the past 21 years. He was the founding editor on ADVANCE publications for medical technology, radiologic technology, and health care information. He has prior journalism experience working for daily newspapers in Pennsylvania and North Dakota and for a weekly newspaper in Montana. He served as a public information officer for state, county and regional jurisdictions for health and social services and children’s services.
He holds an MA degree from North Dakota State University and BS and BA degrees from Dickinson State University. He has been named to Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in Science and Engineering. He also has served as an educator on high school and community college levels.
Among medical topics he has covered are the initial launch of the Medicare system and its anticipated impact on area hospitals and a psychological profile of one of Pennsylvania’s first heart transplant patients. He can be reached at venge@advanceweb.com.
Kristen Ziegler, Assistant Editor/Web Editor, joined ADVANCE in 2007 after working as a daily news and feature reporter for a Lehigh Valley newspaper. Her work has won a writers excellence award from Merion Publications and an honorable mention in the New Media category of 2008 AAAAI Samter Journalism Awards. Kristen graduated from Muhlenberg College in 2006, earning a bachelor’s degree in Media and Communication and in English with a writing concentration. She is pursuing her master’s degree in English and Publishing. She can be reached at kziegler@advanceweb.com.
Colleen Mullarkey, Assistant Editor, joined ADVANCE in 2006. She graduated from La Salle University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in English-Writing and minors in Communications and Classic Languages. She is currently pursing her master’s degree in Writing Studies at St. Joseph’s University. She received the David S. Barr Award from the Newspaper Guild in 2009. She can be reached at cmullarkey@advanceweb.com.