The Worcester District Medical Society, established in 1794 is the 3rd oldest medical society in the country. We are a not-for-profit organization representing over 2,400 physician members and medical students in Central Massachusetts. WDMS members and staff connect with the community on behalf of organized medicine and support physicians in caring for their patients. We are dedicated to enhancing the health of Central Mass residents through science, quality and ethics in the practice of medicine.

Michelle Dalal, MD, FAAP  is a Pediatrician and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at U Mass Chan Medical School.  She is currently the Medical Director of University Health and Counseling Services at Northeastern University. She is Board Certified in Pediatrics and Lifestyle Medicine and has advanced certifications in motivational interviewing and culinary coaching.  At MMS, she is Chair of the Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use. Other roles include Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MCAAP) Chapter Oral Health Advocate and WDMS Delegate to the Massachusetts Medical Society.   She recently co-authored the “The Teen Lifestyle Medicine Handbook: The Power of Healthy Living”. Her research has focused on integrating lifestyle interventions into routine care of adolescents and young adults with depression and anxiety and creating an 8 week intensive virtual program for adolescent depression called LIFT Mood -Lifestyle Interventions for Teen Mood. She has spoken locally, nationally and internationally on lifestyle medicine and prevention, management and treatment of chronic disease. Recent national collaborations have included toolkits for clinicians to help address adolescent depression and pediatric obesity through the integration of lifestyle medicine.

Hari Kirin Khalsa, MD, C-IAYT, aka Diane Pingeton, started in health care as a nurse’s aide, then a registered nurse who decided to go on to medical school.  Midpoint into a busy career as an OB GYN, she found yoga and meditation for her own stress reduction.  She became a yoga teacher, then completed medical yoga therapy training in 2019 while contributing as faculty for biomedical content.  She serves as volunteer faculty for the University of Massachusetts Medical School and offers yoga classes and therapy via the nonprofit www.gobinday.org   In her lifelong participation in healthcare, Dr. Khalsa has been honored to witness the triumph of the human spirit.  Her current mission is to empower this unique inner strength, via awareness, stress reduction, and lifestyle change.