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Colleen Leners is the Director of Policy at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in Washington, D.C. AACN serves as the voice of academic nursing, encompassing education, research, and practice. Dr. Leners was selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow in the office of Senator John Thune (R-SD) of the Senate Finance Committee. Colleen serves on the Case Western Reserve Alumni Board and many committees for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). She has maintained an active family nurse practitioner practice for over 26 years and has served our country in the United States Army Nurse Corps. She has many notable achievements both civilian and military and was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and in American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Dr. Leners was awarded the Bronze Star for her service overseas.

She received her DNP in Leadership from Case Western Reserve University, MSN FNP from University of San Diego and her BSN from California State University Dominguez Hills.

As Government Affairs and Policy Assistant for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), Emily assists in policy and legislative initiatives pertaining to health policy and higher education issues that impact nursing schools. Prior to AACN, Emily was a United States Senate staffer, and focused on health care strategies and policy in fellowships with think tank and lobbying organizations.

Emily earned dual BA degrees in Public Relations and Policy with a focus on Economic Systems from Drake University.

Dan Hanfling is a Vice President, Technical Staff at In-Q-Tel, focused broadly on exploring the national security implications of epidemics and outbreak events. He previously served as a special advisor in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), focused chiefly on the National Healthcare Preparedness Program. He spent 18 years as principal consultant to the Inova Health System (Falls Church, VA) on matters related to emergency preparedness and response and was instrumental in founding one of the nation's first healthcare coalitions, the Northern Virginia Hospital Alliance, in October 2002. He also served as a contributing scholar at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Health Security,

He is the co-chair of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events. During the COVID-19 response, he was appointed as a member to the National Academies Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats, for which he co-authored two rapid emergency consultations on the topic of crisis standards of care.

He is a medical team manager for the Fairfax County-based FEMA and USAID-sanctioned international urban search and rescue team (VATF-1, USA-1) and has responded to catastrophic disaster events across the globe. He is clinical professor of emergency medicine at George Washington University, and a Professor of Medical Education at the University of Virginia. He has been board certified in emergency medicine since 1997 and remains on staff in the Emergency Department of Inova Fairfax Hospital.

John L. Hick is a faculty emergency physician at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) and a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He serves as the Associate Medical Director for Hennepin County Emergency Medical Services and Medical Director for Emergency Preparedness at HCMC. He is also Assistant Medical Director and Vice Chair of the Clinical Council for LifeLink III.

He served the Minnesota Department of Health as the Medical Director for the Office of Emergency Preparedness from 2002-2014 and currently works part-time for US Health and Human Services (HHS/ASPR) as an Advisor to the Director of the Office of Emergency Management.

He is an expert on hospital preparedness and crisis medical care issues and has published over fifty peer-reviewed papers dealing with hospital preparedness for contaminated casualties, disaster standards of care, and surge capacity.

John also has a strong interest in rotor-wing and fixed wing medical care and worked in 1998 for the Royal Flying Doctors Service in rural Queensland, Australia performing fixed-wing retrievals across a large area of outback Australia from the Mt. Isa base. He returned to Australia for six months in 2012 to work as a retrieval physician for the New South Wales helicopter service performing rescue and inter-facility responses.

In his spare time, he practices disaster mitigation, response, and recovery at home with his two daughters ages 14 and 17.

Tener Goodwin Veenema, PhD, MPH, MS, is a Contributing Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a Professor of Nursing and Public Health in the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. At the Center, she conducts, manages, and leads research projects to explore health systems optimization and healthcare worker protection during disasters and large-scale biological events. She also serves as an Associate Editor of the peer-reviewed journal Health Security (formerly Biosecurity and Bioterrorism). Dr. Veenema’s program of research focuses upon informing evidence-based policy related to health care systems and public health response for catastrophic events such as pandemics and radiation/nuclear disasters. She has conducted national workforce analyses evaluating emergency healthcare worker readiness and health systems coordination for disaster response in Ireland, Japan and the United States. Dr. Veenema is currently conducting studies addressing the use of personal protective equipment and the mental health burden on emergency healthcare providers during COVID-19. She is editor of Disaster Nursing and Emergency Preparedness for Chemical, Biological and Radiological Terrorism and Other Hazards, 4th Ed., the leading textbook in the field and developer of Disaster Nursing, a digital technology application (“App”) to provide decision support during disasters at the point of care. Dr. Veenema was awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal of Honor (International Red Crescent, 2013) the highest international award in Nursing for her professional service in disasters and public health emergencies. Dr. Veenema served as the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) 2017-18 Distinguished Nurse Scholar-in-Residence.

Meg Zomorodi is Assistant Provost for Interprofessional Education and Practice at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Professor in the School of Nursing. Dr. Zomorodi received her BSN and PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing, and in 2014 was selected as a Josiah Macy Faculty Scholar. She currently serves as the Director of the Rural Interprofessional Health Initiative (RIPHI), in which interprofessional teams of students work together with rural and underserved communities to give back using a quality improvement methodology.

Dr. Zomorodi was named the Well Care Home Health Faculty Scholar in June 2016; establishing a partnership between the School of Nursing and Well Care Home Health to engage students in interprofessional activities and establish a program to promote home health nursing to graduate students. Previously, she served as the Faculty Lead for Graduate Programs in Health Care Systems for the School of Nursing, and was Chair for the Master’s Executive Committee. She recently completed a two-year program with Sigma Theta Tau International as a Nurse Faculty Leadership Academy Scholar, and returns annually to teach at the Harvard-Macy Institute: A Systems Approach to Assessment in Health Professions.

Dr. Zomorodi teaches across the graduate and undergraduate nursing programs and has a passion for developing collaborations and innovations in teaching.

Marcia Nahikian-Nelms is currently a professor of clinical health and rehabilitation sciences and the Director of Academic Affairs in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences-College of Medicine at The Ohio State University.

She has practiced as a dietitian and public health nutritionist for over 35 years. She is the lead author for several textbooks and is the author of peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters for other texts. Her clinical expertise focuses on development and practice of evidence based nutrition therapy for both pediatric and adult populations as well as the development of alternative teaching environments for students within their clinical training. Her current research focuses on developing pedagogy for clinical education with a primary objective to develop experiential education that will bridge classroom to practice. Dr. Nahikian-Nelms’ case study textbook (Medical Nutrition Therapy: A Case Study Approach) is now in its fifth edition.

Dr. Nahikian-Nelms serves as one of the leads for Interprofessional Education (IPE) and has contributed to the design of multiple simulations and IPE experiences within the seven health science colleges at Ohio State University.

Dr. Nahikian-Nelms has received the Ohio State University Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Teaching for the State of Missouri, Outstanding Dietetic Educator in Missouri and Ohio, Outstanding Teacher in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, and received the PRIDE award from Southeast Missouri State University in recognition of her teaching.

Dr. Haden is President and CEO of the Academy for Advancing Leadership (AAL). Since AAL's founding in 2005, Dr. Haden and AAL have worked with more than 150 U.S. and international higher education institutions, associations, and businesses and over 5,000 individuals through professional development programs, consulting, and executive coaching services. Dr. Haden oversees ongoing leadership development initiatives in collaboration with numerous associations in the health professions as well as university partners.

In 2017, Dr. Haden led AAL’s efforts to launch leadership development on behalf of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC). The 2020 Interprofessional Leaders Development Program is the third IPEC leadership program he has helped to organize and facilitate.

His areas of expertise include leadership, organizational change, team building, and strategic planning. Dr. Haden has authored more than 80 articles and monographs and is the co-author, with Rob Jenkins, of The 9 Virtues of Exceptional Leaders (Deeds, 2015) and 31 Days with the Virtues (Deeds, 2020).

Dr. Haden is a Fellow of the Center for the Study of Great Ideas, an Honorary Fellow of the American College of Dentists, and the 2017 recipient of the ADEAGies Foundation Award for Achievement-Public or Private Partner. In 2019, he received the Ethics and Professionalism Award from the American College of Dentists.

Dr. Cobb earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy degree in 2015 from Hampton University School of Pharmacy in Hampton, VA. She completed her PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA and PGY2 Pharmacotherapy Residency at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in conjunction with Cooper University Hospital in Camden, NJ. After completion of her residency training, she accepted a clinical faculty position in 2017 at the University of the Sciences as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy with the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and teaches in a multitude of courses across the PharmD curriculum. She maintains an active practice site in an adult internal medicine clinic and interprofessional student-run free clinic at Cooper University Healthcare.

In addition, she serves as a primary pharmacy preceptor for students annually on an interprofessional medical mission trip and rotation experience to Jamaica. Her practice and research interests include chronic disease state management, interprofessional education, care for underserved communities, and LGBTQ health education. Dr. Cobb is also a member of several local, state, and national pharmacy organizations including the Mid-Atlantic College of Clinical Pharmacy, Pennsylvania Society of Health-System Pharmacists, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, and American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

John Patro Jr., OTD, OTR/L, earned a Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) from Chatham University and a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from The University of Scranton. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Philosophy in Education from Lesley University, with a concentration in Adult Learning and Development.

Dr. Patro has extensive experience both as program director and teaching faculty of OT programs in New York and Philadelphia, in addition to clinical experience working in the rehab setting and rehab administration. Dr. Patro’s work in occupational engagement and leadership in occupational therapy has been presented at numerus national and international conferences, including the American Occupational Therapy Association and World Federation of Occupational Therapists.

Paula Anderson-Worts, DO, MPH, is a board-certified family physician, associate professor, and Assistant Dean of Faculty & Alumni Affairs at Nova Southeastern University - Kiran C Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU/KPCOM). As a member of the NSU/KPCOM Department of Family Medicine, she has dedicated her career to educate and mentor students and residents for the past 23 years. She severed as program director for the Family Medicine Residency and Traditional Rotating Internship programs, at Broward Health Medical Center from 2007-2016.

During her undergraduate training at the University of Miami, she majored in biology and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1988. She completed her medical training in 1994, at NSU/KPCOM.

Dr. Anderson-Worts is a prolific contributor to community service. She is committed to educate and empower people to take an active role in their own health. She has participated in numerous local health fairs and international medical mission trips. In 2000, Dr. Anderson-Worts participated in medical mission trips with students and volunteers to serve people in Guatemala and Haiti. She has also organized twenty-nine medical mission trips to Jamaica, serving over 75,000 patients since 2001.

Before joining the faculty at Indiana University School of Nursing in 1993, Dr. DeMeester’s clinical experience was in the areas of critical care and cardiac rehabilitation nursing. She earned her BSN and MSN degrees from Indiana University and her PhD from UNLV. She currently holds an academic appointment as a Clinical Associate Professor of Nursing. She has served as an academic leader in the roles of Associate Dean of Pre-Licensure Programs (2013-2018) and Interim Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs (2018-2020). She is a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) and teaches courses in both the undergraduate and PhD programs. She previously co-chaired the IU Practice-Education-Partnership (PEP) operations subcommittee and worked with nursing leaders from eight area hospitals to implement a precepted PEP clinical model designed to deepen the clinical learning and practice preparation of undergraduate students. She currently teaches a Nursing Synthesis course in which she supports the learning of senior students in their final semester who are preparing to transition to RN practice. Her educational research has focused on the clinical education of pre-licensure nursing students. She has been involved in studies of the perceptions of students engaged in interprofessional clinical learning and faculty members, preceptors, and/or students in various clinical learning environments including traditional faculty-supervised instruction, preceptorships, dedicated education units (DEUs), and hybrid models of clinical education. Dr. DeMeester is interested in curriculum development, program evaluation and the preparation of future faculty. She has expertise in examination mapping, item-writing, and exam/item analysis.

CAPT Tarsha Cavanaugh is Chief of the Nurse Corps Scholarship Branch where she oversees $27 million in Federal funds to award scholarships annually to over 200 students accepted or enrolled in a nursing degree program at an accredited school of nursing located throughout the United States. She also manages the Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program portfolio totaling $1.4 million in Federal funds specifically geared to students pursuing degrees in 20 health and allied health professions to deliver quality, culturally competent health services to Native Hawaiians throughout the State of Hawai’i. In addition to her Branch Chief duties, she also co-leads BHW’s Grantee Engagement Plan (GEP), a strategic public health initiative aimed at strengthening academic, clinical, and community-based partnerships.

CAPT has previously worked in the HRSA, HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB), Division of Policy and Data as a Senior Public Health Analyst, providing advisement on programmatic policies and regulations germane to the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP). Prior to joining HAB, CAPT Cavanaugh was assigned to the HRSA Office of Women’s Health, as a women’s health advisor and subject matter expert on Departmental and Agency-wide policy and programmatic initiatives. In this capacity, she led the implementation of three high priority areas in OWH’s strategic plan, violence prevention/home visiting domestic violence benchmark, and trauma-informed care, as well as, stakeholder engagement activities. CAPT Cavanaugh has over 22 years of public health experience working in adolescent health, youth suicide prevention, mental health, health workforce, women’s health and HIV/AIDS policy.

Dr. Toni Eason, is the Director of the Division of Health Careers and Financial Support and joined the Bureau of Health Workforce in October 2020 from the Department of Labor where she served as a Branch Chief in the Medical Benefits Adjudication program. She is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse who brings a wide range of experience in health workforce development best practices with a focus on rural health, immigration health, minority health and health literacy. Dr. Eason has spent the majority of her career dedicated to health workforce development best practices, business process re-engineering and the optimization of fiscal operations. She has more than 20 years’ experience in the healthcare space, with expertise focused on rural health, immigration health, minority health, and health literacy. Dr. Eason is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, who received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Howard University and dual Master of Science degrees from the University of Maryland in both Public/Community Health Nursing and Health Policy; a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Rush University was granted, with a focus on Leadership and the Business of HealthCare and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing Informatics from Walden University. Dr. Eason is also a Fellow of the American Association of Occupation Health Nurses.

Captain Sophia L. Russell, D.M., M.B.A., R.N., NE-BC, SHRM-SCP, a member of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, is the Director of the Division of Nursing and Public Health at the Health Resources and Services Administration in the Bureau of Health Workforce, where she is responsible for the strategic guidance for a $319M/year portfolio of programs spanning more than 800 federal awards (FY20) in nursing, public health, and behavioral health. In this capacity, Captain Russell serves as principal advisor on strategies and decisions regarding national policy with regard to support of nursing practice and education, and behavioral and public health programs.

Captain Russell holds a Doctorate of Management degree in organizational leadership from the University of Phoenix and received a Master of Business Administration (with a concentration in corporate finance) from John Hopkins University. She is a graduate of Norfolk State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and holds a post-graduate certificate in Global Health from the University of Maryland. She is board certified as a Nurse Executive by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Captain Russell has spent the vast majority of her nursing career working in the field of nursing administration and workforce development and management. She began her nursing career through the Army’s Specialized Training for Army Readiness (STAR) program. Over the course of her nursing career, some of her assignments include tours of duty at the Office of the Unites States Surgeon General, Division of Commissioned Corps Personnel and Readiness; on staff at the Defense Health Agency and TRICARE Management Activity; on staff at the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute; and as a staff nurse with the Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons.

Dr. Dailey graduated from Missouri State University and Saint Louis University with a bachelor of science in business, a master’s degree in Student Affairs, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration respectively. Currently she is spearheading the development of Kindred Healthcare’s new Nursing Student Program and Career Accelerator Registered Apprenticeship Program. Previously, she served as the Assistant Director for the Saint Louis University Pre-Health and Pre-Law Program and Director for the Utah Valley University School of the Arts Advising Office. Her professional and personal studies focus on the impact of mindfulness and resiliency among students and professionals in healthcare. As a manager with Kindred, she has incorporated mindfulness and resiliency training into her work across the United States.

Ana McCorkhill-Jones is a graduate of Maryville University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) from Saint Louis University with a minor in Education. She is an 8 year Seabee combat veteran as a Hospital Corpsman and Construction Mechanic. Currently, she is the hospital's nurse educator over all staff at Kindred St Louis South and previously served as floor nurse and nurse supervisor at each of Kindred's hospitals in Missouri. She is instrumental in providing education on all resources available to help increase mindfulness, productivity and time management skills. She is also instrumental in reducing staff's caregiver stress and compassion fatigue due to emotional investments which naturally occur when caring for patients much longer than the national average length of stay.

Dr. Mensik earned a PhD in Nursing from the University of Arizona College of Nursing with a major focus in health systems and a minor in public administration from the Eller College of Management.

Hillary Harrison is a graduate of Texas Christians University in Fort Worth, Texas with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). After graduation she began working as a staff RN at Texas Rehabilitation Hospital (TRH) of Fort Worth. Continuing at TRH Fort Worth, she transitioned to the role of Hospital Educator and Outcomes Coordinator. After becoming a Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse, she became the Infection Control Nurse and Hospital Educator for TRH Fort Worth. In 2018, she went to work for John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth as an Infection Preventionist RN and earned her Certification in Infection Control and Epidemiology. Last year she returned to Kindred Healthcare to work as part of the student programs team to connect with nursing programs and students around the country. Due to the pandemic she became an Infection Control resource for the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities and recently moved into the role of Director of Infection Control and Prevention for Kindred Hospital Rehabilitation Services.

Dr. Mensik earned a PhD in Nursing from the University of Arizona College of Nursing with a major focus in health systems and a minor in public administration from the Eller College of Management.

She has authored numerous publications including the books, "Lead, Drive, and Thrive in the System" and "The Nurse Mangers Guide to Innovative Staffing." She is a co-author for "A Nurse's Step-By-Step Guide to Transitioning to the Professional Nurse Role" and "The Power of Ten” (2nd edition), and contributed a chapter to the book "The Career Handoff: A Healthcare Leader's Guide to Knowledge & Wisdom Transfer Across Generations."

Dr. Mensik has extensive leadership experience, including employment as Administrator for Nursing and Patient Care at a Magnet-designated health system, Executive Director of Quality and Patient Safety, and System Director of Clinical Practice and Research. She has served as president of the Arizona Nurses Association as well as nationally for the American Nurses Association as Second Vice President and Director at Large on the Board of Directors. Dr. Mensik has published and presented nationally and regionally on quality, staffing, and professional practice and is an article reviewer for Nursing Outlook, World Views on Evidence Based Nursing, and Nursing Economic$.

With more than thirty years of diverse healthcare leadership experience, Jane has expertise in executive leadership, search, and consulting. An executive leader for Kirby Bates since 2007, Jane previously held senior executive search positions with regional and international search firms.

Prior to her current role, Jane served in leadership positions as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer in Massachusetts and Michigan. In these roles, she led the redesign and revitalization of operations and patient care services to achieve strategic outcomes. As the Vice President for Patient Care Policy for the Massachusetts Hospital Association, she worked directly with cabinet-level policy makers and provided leadership on state and federal policy and healthcare initiatives.

Jane is actively involved in professional associations including the American Organization of Nurse Leaders (AONL), the Organization of Nurse Leaders MA, RI, VT, CT & NH, and the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA). Jane has a passion for promoting greater diversity among healthcare leadership.

Jane was awarded a Master of Science in Nursing from Boston University and received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Rhode Island. She completed a post-graduate program in Health Policy at Harvard University and received certification in Health Care Mediation through Boston University School of Public Health. She also serves as an Adjunct Faculty member at Emmanuel College School of Nursing.

Dr. Mensik earned a PhD in Nursing from the University of Arizona College of Nursing with a major focus in health systems and a minor in public administration from the Eller College of Management.

Kathy is a nationally recognized nurse leader, entrepreneur, author, and award-winning filmmaker. She has been on the executive team of several healthcare start-up companies. She is the author of numerous published articles on the healthcare workforce. Kathy wrote and directed the film, NURSES If Florence Could See US Now, an intimate look into the world of nursing today. She is co-author of the book The Dance of Caring – A Caregivers Guide to Harmony and the recently published book NURSES Cry Too, a look at loss and grief in the world of nursing. She was recognized by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses with their Pioneering Spirit Award and featured on the cover of Nurse Leader magazine, as a leader to honor. Find her at Kathy.douglas@prolucent.com.

Dr. Pérez is Senior Philanthropic Advisor and Executive Consultant to national foundations, federal grant making entities, and higher education. She has been a leader in advancing equity and accountability for three of the nation’s leading foundations and higher education organizations. Dr. Pérez has served on multiple committees and received multiple awards. At the National Science Foundation Educative Human Resources Advisory Committee, she led the subcommittee on Broadening Participation. In addition to her professional achievements, she has been recognized for her outstanding work mentoring underrepresented and emerging leaders as well as supporting others succeed in advancing equity. Dr. Perez has received multiple community awards including the 2019 Latinx Amplify Award, the 2015 Hispanics Inspiring Student Achievement Leadership in Mentoring award, the 2016 Hispanics in Philanthropy HIPGiver, the 2011 YWCA Women of Industry Award and the 2010 Latino Trendsetter Award. In 2015 she received an Honorary Doctorate from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. She was also featured in Latina Style Magazine as one of the Latina leaders in philanthropy.

In her work in professional private philanthropy, Dr. Pérez previously served as Chief Measurement and Evaluation Officer at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. She also served as Vice President of Research, Evaluation, and Learning at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and Interim Vice President at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Throughout her career, she has been responsible for bringing diverse perspectives to the table of research and policy decision-making. She has been responsible for developing many initiatives to foster high-quality multidisciplinary research and expanding various dimensions of diversity.

Dr. Pérez is the first in her family to go to college. She earned a bachelor’s in communication from Rutgers University/Douglass College; a Master’s in Social Science and Women’s Studies from the University of Kent in Canterbury, England; a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College, City University of New York; and a PhD in health policy from Harvard University.

Colleen Leners is the Director of Policy at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). AACN serves as the voice of academic nursing, encompassing education, research, and practice. Dr. Leners was selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow in the office of Senator John Thune (R-SD) of the Senate Finance Committee. Dr. Leners, alongside the staff at the Senate Finance Committee, managed the Medicare and Medicaid portfolios and worked on issues of veteran’s care in Senator Thune’s office. She has maintained an active family nurse practitioner practice for over 25 years and has served our country in the United States Army Nurse Corps, which after multiple deployments overseas was honorably discharged. She has many notable achievements both civilian and military and was inducted as a Fellow in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and awarded the Bronze Star for her service overseas.

Dr. Leners has served as the Traumatic Brain Injury Program manager, created a nurse-managed primary care clinic for Wounded Warriors at Navy Medical Center San Diego. She has also been a registered nurse and nurse practitioner for three decades. She received her DNP in Leadership from Case Western Reserve University, MSN FNP from University of San Diego and her BSN from California State University Dominguez Hills.

Aimee is a psychiatric and addictions nurse practitioner. Her background in nursing includes public health, mental health and addictions nursing. She is currently a senior instructor at the University of Colorado in the college of nursing and Denver Springs. She is a grant recipient from National Institute of Drug Abuse and American Association of Colleges of Nursing to educate nurses on opioid use disorders and medication assisted treatment. To date she has trained over 2,500 nurses nationwide as a part of her grant. Aimee’s clinical and research expertise include creating and implementing new evidence guidelines to low-barrier approaches to medication assisted treatment for substance use disorders in integrated care settings to reduce stigma and improve access to care. Aimee is also the clinical director for a $5 million legislative initiative to expand access to medication assisted treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in rural Colorado counties. Aimee’s work on the initiative included the creation and deployment of a state-wide medication assisted treatment for Opioid Use Disorder toolkit that facilitates provider ease in treating OUD. She is also currently the PI spearheading an integrated, multiyear, state-funded maternal/child SUD research project to reduce maternal mortality due to drug overdose and to improve infant-related health indictors. She continues to grow her research and expertise by pursuing her PhD by studying novel biomarkers in substance use disorder.

Brayden Kameg is an assistant professor of nursing at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC), and a certified addictions registered nurse (CARN). Primarily, her research and clinical interests include substance use disorders and addiction, with focused interest in screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT), fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and opioid use management. She also has expertise in adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their association with adult substance use disorders, and recently evaluated rates of ACEs and substance use disorders in a sample of nearly 700 undergraduate and graduate nursing students.

She was awarded funding through the AACN and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Mentored Training Program to develop and disseminate training materials regarding opioid use management. She worked with various professional nursing organizations to broadly disseminate these training materials, which included a three-webinar series, and then sought feedback in regards to barriers to and facilitators of opioid use management in clinical practice, particularly buprenorphine prescribing.

Yovan Gonzalez is a family nurse practitioner working as a primary care provider for the NYC Health + Hospitals system. At Gouverneur Health, Yovan has led efforts to integrate behavioral health into primary care by participating as a member of the Integrated Mental Health Services (IMHS) committee. Yovan was also the first nurse practitioner at Gouverneur to be waivered to prescribe buprenorphine. At the Roberto Clemente Center, he has focused on providing integrated care at a behavioral health facility whose clients are mainly Hispanic. He has also successfully integrated a buprenorphine clinic and screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) into routine clinical practice.

Yovan is originally from Lima, Peru. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he received his BSN and MSN. Yovan recently completed his Doctor in Nursing Practice (DNP) degree and his post-master’s psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) certificate at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. His DNP scholarly project focused on increasing nurses’ knowledge in the screening and management of substance use through an online SBIRT program. Yovan was a doctoral fellow of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Minority Fellowship Program and a finalist of the Don Quixote Award for the American Society of Hispanic Psychiatry in 2019. Yovan also has several publications based on his doctoral work.