Advisors

Powered By ME!^SM is the result of more than 18 months of collaborative meetings and discussions among many people who share a deep passion and concern for our young people. The seeds of the campaign were planted at a breakfast lecture at St. Joseph Medical Center in November of 2005. Congressman Elijah Cummings and Dr. William Goldiner, St. Joseph's staff physician and Orioles team physician, spoke to guests about the negative effect of steroids among professional athletes.

The topic at that lecture quickly turned to the trend among our youth to try anabolic steroids and other performance enhancers. Guests that morning were unaware of the scope and depth of the problem and the impact it could have on our sons and daughters.

From this initial meeting - and subsequent discussions and research - grew a realization that there was no comprehensive approach to education and little public awareness about anabolic steroid abuse in the Baltimore region. Congressman Cummings issued a challenge to us to spearhead such an effort throughout Maryland. Thanks to the commitment of these partnerships we will meet this challenge.

State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings and John Tolmie, President and CEO of St. Joseph Medical Center, announced the launch of Powered By ME! on February 26, 2007.

Powered By ME!^SM was then joined by Teri McCambridge, M.D., from Orthopaedic Associates and Towson Sports Medicine; Harry Brandt, M.D., Head of Psychiatry at St. Joseph and Director of the The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt; and Mike Gimbel, from Sheppard Pratt Office of Substance Abuse Education and Prevention and St. Agnes HealthCare - important partners in this outreach.

An advisory panel comprised of teachers, parents, athletes, medical professionals and concerned members of our community, has met and is dedicated to providing ongoing support. Please join us in our effort to build healthy communities for our children.