Dr. Mary Mason, CEO & Founder of Little Medical School
Mary V. Mason, M.D., MBA, FACP, is the founder and CEO of Little Medical School. She has 20 + Years of experience in the corporate and educational world designing clinical programs that improve health outcomes and literacy. Dr. Mason earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Bio-engineering at the University of Illinois and her M.D. and MBA from Washington University. She completed her clinical training at the Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, where she was Chief Resident for the Department of Medicine. She is board-certified in internal medicine, is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honorary Society.
An active member in the community, Dr. Mason serves on the Board of Oasis, Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, and the Washington University National Council for the Institute of Public Health. She has also been recognized as a member of the 2008 class of 40 under 40 and 2016 class of Most Influential Business Women by the St. Louis Business Journal.
Dr. Mason is a Clinical Instructor of Internal Medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine and an adjunct lecturer at the John Olin School of Business where she teaches Health Policy.
Dr. Mason is the lead author on several peer-reviewed papers focused on reducing premature births in the Medicaid population. Additionally, she wrote the Managed Care Primer, a textbook aimed at teaching medical and business students about managed care and two children’s books exploring the world of medicine.
Jennifer Griffard, Chief Operations Officer
Jennifer Griffard is the Chief Operations Officer and has been part of the Little Medical School team since 2013. Jennifer has been responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations. Jennifer ensures that all program activities operate consistently and ethically within the mission and values of Little Medical School. From March 2005-March 2010 Jennifer was a Patient Care Associate and Unit Secretary for Mercy Health System. August 2010- April 2013 she served as Assistant Office Manager for Cardiology Specialists through the BJC Health System. September 2013-December 2015. Jennifer was a Physician Liaison for Signature Medical Group, where she took over as Program Coordinator for Little Medical School. Jennifer has her Bachelor’s in Health Administration/Health Management from the University of Phoenix. Jennifer oversees the development and preparation of short-term and long-range plans and budgets based upon broad organization goals and objectives.
Heather Nickel, Chief Business Officer
Heather Nickel joined the LMS team in December 2016 and is the Chief Business Officer. Her focus is on the business processes including continued integration of business systems and Franchise Support, working to enhance franchise partnerships (domestically and internationally), as we grow. Heather brings 13 years of Customer Service and Business Management experience to Little Medical School. Prior to moving into the role of Chief Business Officer, Heather was the Program Coordinator for Little Medical School St Louis managing the day to day operations of the local Franchise. Heather’s educational background includes an associate degree in Occupational Therapy with a focus in children’s therapy.
Eric Axelbaum, Education Specialist
Eric Axelbaum joined the Little Medical School team in June 2017. As the Education Specialist Eric is responsible for all aspects of the development of curriculum for Little Medical School. This includes topics chosen, research, social consciousness, organization, writing, and production of student and instructor materials. Eric’s educational background includes an M.B.A. from St. Louis University and B.S. Finance, University of Colorado, Boulder. Eric is uniquely qualified to develop curriculum for elementary school students. He spent 19 years teaching second grade at an independent school in Saint Louis, Missouri. He personally created the majority of the coursework he taught during this time. His priority is crafting curriculum that is hands-on, interactive, relevant, practical, and fun.
Mary Kate Hoerr, Director of Marketing and Communications
Mary Kate Hoerr is the Director of Marketing and Communications at Little Medical School. Her focus is to create and develop marketing materials, manage Little Medical School’s social media accounts, assist franchisees in marketing and social media needs. Mary Kate received her bachelor’s degree in Communications at a private liberal arts school in Holland, Michigan – Hope College. While at Hope College, Mary Kate interned for the local Habitat for Humanity chapter as their marketing and special events intern. Mary Kate graduated from Hope in 2017, and started at Little Medical School in February of 2018.