Speakers

Emily Helbick, BSN
DNP Student
Jacksonville University

Emily is a registered nurse as well as a value-based population health management expert with 13 years of experience. Throughout a decade of working in and out of a critical care hospital setting, Emily has experienced shifts in healthcare culture and policy firsthand. She witnessed the trend towards poor healthcare quality with a focus on volume over value. It was at this point that she decided to pivot to a career focusing on value-based care and health system improvement. Emily is now employed by one of the largest and most successful Accountable Care Organization’s in the nation. As a clinical project manager, she spearheads the organization’s initiatives for optimizing the spend towards post-acute care and their provider network of high caliber specialists while increasing patient care quality. Her toolbelt includes the power of artificial intelligence and innovative predictive analytics to help satisfy these demanding initiatives.

Emily attained a Bachelor of Nursing Science from the University of New Hampshire and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Jacksonville University. Emily volunteers with a local LGBTQ+ community non-profit delivering preventative care services as an HIV awareness and screening counselor. In her free time, Emily loves to travel, scuba dive, and participate with international ocean and coral conservation programs.

Gemma O'Donnell
PhD Student
Arizona State University

Gemma O’Donnell, MSN, RN is a master’s prepared registered nurse. She is a PhD student in the Arizona State University Edson College School of Nursing, PhD in Nursing and Healthcare Innovation program. Her research interest is in exploring solutions for family caregivers of persons with dementia. She teaches undergraduate nursing students at Northern Arizona University’s School of Nursing, focusing on Gerontology, Palliative Care and Nursing Leadership. She has over 20 years of nursing experience serving the needs of patients with dementia at all stages and their family members.

Speakers

Elizabeth Kuzma, DNP, RN, FNP-BC
Clinical Associate Professor
University of Michigan

Elizabeth Kuzma, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, is a Clinical Associate Professor at University of Michigan's School of Nursing (UMSN) in the Health Behavior and Biological Sciences department. She is a Program Lead for their Adult-Gerontology and Family Nurse Practitioner Programs and serves as the Coordinator of the five Graduate Program Leads. As a Family Nurse Practitioner, she is committed to working with vulnerable and underserved populations, particularly at-risk, high ACE youth. Dr. Kuzma is an expert in providing holistic, trauma-informed primary care with cultural humility, including health promotion, disease prevention, management of minor acute and chronic conditions. Her research and scholarship focus includes a variety of adolescent health issues, particularly related to trauma, sexuality and gender identity, as well as integrating these content areas into NP education. She is actively involved and committed to professional and policy advocacy. She is a former past American Association for Nurse Practitioners (AANP) State Representative for Michigan, has served on the AANP Research Committee, and is currently serving on the AANP National Nominations Council.

Speakers

Julie Van Orne, MSN, RN, CPN, CNL
Nursing EBP/ QI Coordinator
Cook Children’s Medical Center

Throughout her nursing career, Julie has strived to improve the care of children with medical complexity. As a certified Clinical Nurse Leader, Julie has led multiple quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and research projects to advance the care pediatric patients and their families receive. In 2020, Julie began working on a Ph.D. in Nursing Science at Texas Woman’s University. Her dissertation will focus on sharing the lives of caregivers who care for children with a tracheostomy at home using photovoice. As Julie transitions into the role of a Nurse Scientist, she will collaborate heavily with a DNP counterpart to improve patient care and the clinical work environment at Cook Children’s Medical Center.

Kaylan Branson, MSN, RN, CPN, CNL
Director of Nursing Quality and Magnet
Cook Children’s Medical Center

Kaylan Branson is the Director of Nursing Quality and the Magnet Program at Cook Children’s Medical Center. Kaylan began her career as a nurse resident at Cook and has dedicated her clinical nursing career to improving the care of pediatric patients with medical complexity. Kaylan graduated with her master’s in nursing education in 2017 and received a post-master’s certificate as a certified Clinical Nurse Leader in 2019. Kaylan is pursuing her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Kaylan’s doctoral studies have focused on improving nurse wellness in the clinical setting. In her role as nursing director, Kaylan believes in being a strong advocate for nurses and promoting nursing excellence by engaging frontline nursing in quality improvement activities that improve clinical outcomes and the care environment.

Speakers

Julie Van Orne, MSN, RN, CPN, CNL
Nursing EBP/ QI Coordinator
Cook Children’s Medical Center

Throughout her nursing career, Julie has strived to improve the care of children with medical complexity. As a certified Clinical Nurse Leader, Julie has led multiple quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and research projects to advance the care pediatric patients and their families receive. In 2020, Julie began working on a Ph.D. in Nursing Science at Texas Woman’s University. Her dissertation will focus on sharing the lives of caregivers who care for children with a tracheostomy at home using photovoice. As Julie transitions into the role of a Nurse Scientist, she will collaborate heavily with a DNP counterpart to improve patient care and the clinical work environment at Cook Children’s Medical Center.

Kaylan Branson, MSN, RN, CPN, CNL
Director of Nursing Quality and Magnet
Cook Children’s Medical Center

Kaylan Branson is the Director of Nursing Quality and the Magnet Program at Cook Children’s Medical Center. Kaylan began her career as a nurse resident at Cook and has dedicated her clinical nursing career to improving the care of pediatric patients with medical complexity. Kaylan graduated with her master’s in nursing education in 2017 and received a post-master’s certificate as a certified Clinical Nurse Leader in 2019. Kaylan is pursuing her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Kaylan’s doctoral studies have focused on improving nurse wellness in the clinical setting. In her role as nursing director, Kaylan believes in being a strong advocate for nurses and promoting nursing excellence by engaging frontline nursing in quality improvement activities that improve clinical outcomes and the care environment.

Speakers

Maja Djukic, PhD, RN, FAAN
Assistant Dean for Research
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Djukic joined the Cizik School of Nursing on Sept. 1, 2020, as the John P. McGovern Distinguished Associate Professor in the Department of Research. She is a widely published nurse scientist who has pioneered national research of new graduate nurses to identify key gaps in quality and safety competencies essential for high-value patient care. The more than $7 million in extramural funding she has secured in the past decade includes three current studies on which she serves as primary investigator that examine various issues affecting the nursing workforce.

Earlier in her career, Djukic received two prestigious career development awards – the Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Scholar Award and the Josiah Macy Junior Foundation Faculty Scholar Award. She was elected co-chair of the Interdisciplinary Group on Nursing Issues (IRGNI) at Academy Health and is currently an Associate Editor for the Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice journal.

Prior to joining Cizik School of Nursing, Djukic was an associate professor at New York University College of Nursing, where she earned a PhD in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing Education. She began her nursing career Oklahoma, receiving an Associate Degree in Nursing from Tulsa Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from North Eastern State University

Speakers

Varsha Singh, DNP, APN, NEA-BC, FAHA, FAANP
Manager Neurosciences/Stroke Program/Telestroke Specialist
St. Joseph’s Health System

Speakers

Brittany Hay, DNP, APRN, ANP-BC, FNP-BC
Assistant Professor
University of South Florida

Dr. Brittany Hay is an assistant professor at the University of South Florida, lead director of the nurse practitioner concentrations, and director of the adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner concentration. She has extensive experience in the advanced practice nurse role caring for patients and families prior to becoming faculty. As a DNP, she has engaged in multiple successful systems level initiatives utilizing evidence-based practice and quality improvement approaches. Dr. Hay has advanced education and scholarship in diagnostic reasoning and teaching. She leverages competency-based educational strategies to support student development of the requisite knowledge, skills, and attitudes for successful contemporary practice.

Speakers

Robert Englander, MD, MPH
Leading Authority on Competency-Based Education and Entrustable Professional Activities

Dr. Englander is the immediate past Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) at the University of Minnesota. He attended Yale Medical School, received an MPH from Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, completed pediatric residency at Children’s National Medical Center and a Critical Care fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital. His career has included stints at the University of Maryland Medical School (1993-2002), the University of Connecticut Medical School (2002-2011), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) (2011-2015) and the University of Minnesota Medical School (2016-2022). His clinical career has focused on the inpatient care of pediatric patients with an emphasis on quality and patient safety. He served as Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center from 2005-2011.

Dr. Englander has held leadership positions in both UME and GME with a scholarly focus on Competency-based Medical Education. He was a member of the Pediatric Milestones working group and helped write the General Pediatric Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs). While at the AAMC, he led the Education in Pediatrics Across the Continuum pilot to test the feasibility of competency-based, time variable progression from medical school through residency. He also led the development of the Core EPAs for Entering Residency, delineating the 13 activities that every graduate of medical school should be able to do on day one of residency, regardless of specialty choice. Dr. Englander is excited in this next phase of his career to continue to advance CBE across the health professions.

Speakers

Marta Okoniewski, MPA
Director of Student Engagement
American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Marta Okoniewski, MPA, is the Director of Student Engagement at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). She led the development and launch of the GNSA, a national network providing high value programs, services, and resources to nursing students enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs. Prior to joining AACN, Ms. Okoniewski worked as the Program Coordinator at New York University College of Nursing within the Academic and Clinical Affairs department. She received her master’s in public administration from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Scranton.

Speakers

Marta Okoniewski, MPA
Director of Student Engagement
American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Marta Okoniewski, MPA, is the Director of Student Engagement at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). She led the development and launch of the GNSA, a national network providing high value programs, services, and resources to nursing students enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs. Prior to joining AACN, Ms. Okoniewski worked as the Program Coordinator at New York University College of Nursing within the Academic and Clinical Affairs department. She received her master’s in public administration from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Scranton.

Speakers

Emerson Ea
Clinical Associate Professor
Associate Dean, Clinical & Adjunct Faculty Affairs
New York University

Dr. Emerson Ea is the associate dean and a clinical associate professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. His scholarship interest areas include nursing education and innovation, immigrant health and well-being, and cardiovascular health. He has published on topics related to work and personal outcomes among internationally educated nurses, Filipino immigrant health, gerontologic nursing, and nursing education and practice. Dr. Ea was part of the inaugural cohort of the American Academy of Nursing Jonas Policy Scholars, working with the Cultural Competence and Health Equity Expert Panel (2014–2016).

Dr. Ea is chair of the Kalusugan Coalition, a community organization that aims to promote cardiovascular health among Filipino Americans in the New York metropolitan area, and chair of the Education Committee of the Philippine Nurses Association of America.

Dr. Ea earned a PhD in nursing from Duquesne University, DNP from Case Western Reserve University, MS in adult health from Long Island University, and BSN from the University of St. La Salle, Philippines.

Karyn L. Boyar, DNP, FNP-BC, RN, CNE
Clinical Assistant Professor
New York University

Karyn Boyar is an assistant clinical professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, the director for the Master in Clinical Nursing Research Program as well as a Certified Nurse Educator. As an educator and family nurse practitioner specializing in neurology and long-term care, she teaches both didactic and clinical courses and simulation. She has over 20 years of experience in healthcare and over ten years of experience in the clinical care and management of patients with Parkinson’s disease and Dystonia.

Before joining the faculty at NYU, Boyar was the clinical specialty coordinator at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the designated outreach coordinator for the National Parkinson Center of Excellence at the Robert and John M. Benheim Center for Movement Disorders.

Boyar earned her DNP from Pace University and MS and BS in nursing science from Pace University. Currently, she serves on the board of directors of the IARCN (International Association of Clinical Research Nurses) as a member-at-large.

Her current scholarship focuses on bringing Design Thinking Models to life for undergraduate students in the large classroom. She has presented her work on Design Thinking on the local, national and international levels and has contributed several book chapters disseminating this innovation in teaching.

Mary Jo Vetter, DNP, RN, AGPCNP-BC, FAANP
Clinical Associate Professor
Director of the DNP Program
New York University

Mary Jo Vetter is a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the DNP Program at NYU Meyers College of Nursing. She engages in clinical practice as the founder of VetterAPN Consulting promoting clinical and care management strategies to support successful aging in place. Dr. Vetter has expertise in evidence-based quality improvement, establishing cutting-edge NP led, primary care services in the community, and virtual care delivery. She has a proven track record of innovation in practice and education that focuses on promoting the nurse practitioner as leader. She has received awards and accolades for her contributions to clinical academic partnerships, advancing and leading the profession, and transforming advanced practice nursing.

Stacen Keating, PhD, RN
Clinical Associate Professor
New York University

Stacen A. Keating is a Clinical Associate Professor at NYU's Rory Meyers College of Nursing. Dr. Keating teaches across programs in both the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral departments (DNP). She has established competencies in Instructional Design as well as Design Thinking (DT). Design Thinking is a means of teaching nurses a framework of creative thinking and innovation and has established a process for utilizing this framework within her public health classes. Her areas of scholarship interest are further focused on global public health. She has written numerous publications related to both educator and student needs. A key focus has been to assist nurse educators and students attain access to the most evidenced based resources to achieve excellence within professional nursing practice. Dr. Keating is on the Nursing Advisory Board for Nurses International, a 501c3 organization devoted to providing excellence in global nursing education, especially in countries with limited resources. Dr. Keating has developed educational products in collaboration with colleagues at Nurses International which are open access resources and are readily available at Nurses international's main website. Key courses relate to: oncology nursing, fundamentals of nursing and medical surgical nursing. Additional courses taught at NYU include: Community/Public Health Nursing (UG), Applied Epidemiology (DNP), Environment and the Health of Populations (G) and Psych Nursing (UG, simulation).

Speakers

Pamela Smith, EdD, APRN-Rx, FNP-BC
Associate Dean
School of Nursing and Health Professions
Chaminade University of Honolulu

Dr. Pamela Smith is the Associate Dean at Chaminade University of Honolulu and directs a Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Dr. Smith has been a Nursing education leader for over a decade and maintains an active family nurse practitioner practice. Dr. Smith serves on state-wide nursing leadership committees, reviews proposals for publication, manages a number of health related grants, and presents posters at national nursing organizations. She earned an EdD in Educational Leadership from University of New England, MSN FNP from Hawai’i Pacific University, and BSN from Johns Hopkins University.

Speakers

Kathleen Amos, MLIS
Director, Academic/Practice Linkages
Public Health Foundation

Kathleen Amos, MLIS, serves as the Director, Academic/Practice Linkages for the Public Health Foundation. In this role, she supports collaborative public health workforce development initiatives designed to strengthen connections between academia, public health practice, and healthcare. She coordinates the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice and its initiatives, including the Academic Health Department Learning Community and Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals, as well as other performance improvement efforts related to workforce development. Kathleen holds a Master’s degree in library and information studies, with post-graduate training in health sciences information services.

Nola Martz, EdD, MSN, RN
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Truman State University

Nola earned her BSN and MSN (with clinical specialty in Public Health) from the University of Missouri - Columbia (MU). Nola completed her Doctorate of Education with William Woods University where her dissertation research was on the impact of accreditation to public health funding in Missouri. Following her early nursing practice in NICU, rural community hospital and physician practice settings, she has spent the majority of her career in public health nursing in rural and suburban local public health agencies, and with the State health department in Missouri at programmatic and administrative levels. Nola joined the Truman State University (TSU) Nursing Department in Fall of 2021 as an Assistant Professor of Nursing. She currently teaches the NU485 – Rural and Public Health Nursing course and the NU250 Life Span Development course. She has also taught Pharmacology I and II for TSU. Prior to joining the TSU Nursing faculty, Nola taught for 6 years as adjunct instructor and full time as Visiting Assistant Professor for the graduate Master in Public Health (MPH) online program at MU where she instructed Applied Epidemiology in Community Assessment, and Introduction to Research Methods courses. At MU, she additionally served as a Public Health Consultant for the MU Extension Community Health Team. Nola currently serves on the Missouri Public Health Association Board.

Joann Hoganson, MSN, RN
Director of Community Wellness
Kent County Health Department

Joann Hoganson is the Director of Community Wellness at the Kent County Health Department in Grand Rapids, MI. Prior to this, Joann, along with her husband and four kids, served in Brazil, South America as a missionary nurse for sixteen years. A primary focus of her efforts in Brazil was providing holistic and redemptive care to children and families living on the streets of Salvador, Bahia. Through this experience, she honed her administrative skills, learned the importance of community collaboration, and deepened her passion and commitment to bringing quality, holistic care to those who most need it. Additionally, she has worked as a Nursing Instructor at Grand Valley State University and Davenport University.

Joann is originally from Danbury, Connecticut, and received her Bachelor’s Degree from Cedarville University in Ohio, majoring in Biology and Chemistry. She then received a Master’s Degree in Nursing from Pace University in Pleasantville, NY, just outside of New York City. Joann has a deep commitment to the future generations of nurses and finds joy in passing her acquired knowledge on to future nurses who are diverse, well-prepared, innovative, and culturally competent. These are the people she hopes will carry the nursing torch after her retirement.

Moderator:

Susan M. Swinder, PhD, PHNA-BC, FAAN
Professor
Community, Systems and Mental Health Nursing
Rush University

Susan Swider is a Professor in the Department of Community, Systems and Mental Health Nursing at Rush University in Chicago. Dr. Swider has practiced in acute care, home health care and public health settings over the past thirty years. Her research has focused on program development and evaluation of community health workers, engaging urban communities in health promotion, and health policy to support health promotion efforts. She has taught public health nursing at the pre-licensure and graduate/specialty level at several universities, and co-directed 10 years of HRSA supported work to develop an online doctoral program in Advanced Public Health Nursing, ensuring that it met the Quad Council competencies for Public Health Nursing practice. She is a member of a number of public health and public health nursing organizations, and is a past president of the Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (ACHNE). In her role with ACHNE, she served on the Quad Council for Public Health Nursing organizations, and was a member of the Task Force that revised the Competencies for Public Health Nursing (2010-2012). In 2011, Dr. Swider was appointed by President Obama to the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion and Integrative and Public Health, a group designed to advise on the development and implementation of the National Prevention Strategy. She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago. In 2016, she was appointed to serve on the Community Preventive Services Task Force of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Speakers

Cecilia Sorensen, MD
Director, Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health
Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine
Columbia University

Cecilia Sorensen, MD is the Director of the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education at Columbia University, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Columbia Irving Medical Center and Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. Dr. Sorensen received her Doctor of Medicine from Drexel University College of Medicine and completed a four-year emergency medicine residency at Denver Health. Following residency training, she completed a 2-year fellowship in climate change and human health policy with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Her work focuses on the intersection of climate change and health and how policy solutions, clinical action and education can build resilience in vulnerable communities. She currently serves on the working group for the National Academy of Medicine’s Climate and Human Health Initiative. She was an author for the U.S. Fourth National Climate Assessment and serves as a technical advisor for the Lancet Climate and Health U.S. Policy Brief. She is the co-editor of the textbook Climate Change and Human Health: From Science to Practice.

Teddie M. Potter, PhD, RN, FAAN, FNAP
Clinical Professor/Coordinator, Doctor of Nursing Practice in Health Innovation and Leadership
Director of Planetary Health; Pauline A. Vincent Chair of Public Health
Directorate, Katharine J. Densford International Center for Nursing Leadership
School of Nursing
University of Minnesota

Dr. Potter is deeply committed to climate change education including co-founding Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate, membership in the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, and membership on the American Academy of Nursing Environment and Public Health Expert Panel. She is a member of the Coordinating Committee of Columbia University’s Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education and a Fellow in the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota. She chairs Clinicians for Planetary Health (C4PH) and is a member of the Steering Committee of the Planetary Health Alliance at Harvard.

At the University of Minnesota, Dr. Potter designed and co-teaches an interdisciplinary course titled “The Global Climate Challenge: Creating an Empowered Movement for Change”. In addition, she co-leads a Health Sciences initiative titled, “Climate Change and Health: An Interprofessional Response”. In 2019, Dr. Potter was appointed the first Director of Planetary Health for the School of Nursing.

In addition, Dr. Potter is Executive Editor for the Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies; a peer-reviewed, open-access, online journal promoting interdisciplinary collaboration as a solution for solving society’s grand challenges.

Dorothy Biberman, MPH, CPH
Director of Global Engagement and Executive Initiatives
Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health

Speakers

Meredith Foxx, MSN, MBA, APRN, NEA-BC, PCNS-BC, PPCNP-BC, CPON
Executive Chief Nursing Officer
Cleveland Clinic Nursing Institute

Surani Hayre-Kwan, DNP, MBA, FNP-BC, FACHE, FAANP
Director, Professional Practice and Nursing Excellence
Office of the Chief Nurse Officer
Sutter Health

Maureen A. Schaupp, MSN, APRN-CNP, CHFN
Associate Chief Nursing Officer, Advanced Practice and Nursing Quality and Practice
Cleveland Clinic

Speaker

Rhonda Hoyer, MS, RN, APNP, ANP-C
VP, Chief Advanced Practice Officer, Advocate Aurora Medical Group
Advocate Aurora Health

Speakers

	Habibah Williams, MSN, AGACNP-BC DNP Student University of Virginia
	Aislinn Woody, BSN, RN PhD Student University of Central Florida

Speakers

Pamela Smith, EdD, APRN-Rx, FNP-BC
Associate Dean
School of Nursing and Health Professions
Chaminade University of Honolulu

Dr. Pamela Smith is the Associate Dean at Chaminade University of Honolulu and directs a Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Dr. Smith has been a Nursing education leader for over a decade and maintains an active family nurse practitioner practice. Dr. Smith serves on state-wide nursing leadership committees, reviews proposals for publication, manages a number of health related grants, and presents posters at national nursing organizations. She earned an EdD in Educational Leadership from University of New England, MSN FNP from Hawai’i Pacific University, and BSN from Johns Hopkins University.

Speakers

Anita Catlin, PhD, FNP, CNL, FAAN
Manager of Nursing Research
Kaiser Permanente

Anita Catlin is Manager of Nursing Research at Kaiser Permanente, Vallejo, California. Anita taught in the CNL programs at both Touro University and University of San Francisco, becoming a CNL by challenge exam. Anita uses her CNL skills daily as mentor to nurses at all levels, and in several countries, in advancing their academic and clinical careers. Anita’s role includes writing grants to obtain funding for projects and she has multiple publications in research, ethics and in clinical care. She is currently the Editor of the Journal of Pediatric Surgical Nursing. She is an active member of Sigma Theta Tau in both California and Portugal. Dr. Catlin is a 2022 CNC CNL Innovation in Practice Award Winner for her project entitled, International Study of Pediatric Nurses Caring for Adult Patients During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Sorayah Bourenane, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL
Clinical Nurse Leader
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

At the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Sorayah Bourenane has developed educational content and served as a subject-matter expert on Oncologic Emergency Nursing for the Board of Certified Emergency Nurses. She co-authored a chapter in a medical textbook for Oncologic Emergencies and assisted in the development of the institutional sepsis program at MD Anderson, which has resulted in decreased mortality. She also serves as Speaker of the Nursing Platform for the Global Sepsis Alliance and has presented nationally and internationally on oncologic emergencies, end-of-life care in the emergency department and in-flight medical emergencies. Sorayah is a 2022 AACN and CNC CNL Vanguard Award Winner.

Lauren Salinas, MSN, RN, CNL, CCRN
Clinical Specialist
Texas Children’s Hospital

Lauren Salinas is a Clinical Specialist certified as a CNL at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU). Since graduating as a CNL, she has worked to improve patient outcomes and the patient-family experience while in the CICU through her coordination of care, quality initiatives, and innovation at the bedside. Lauren incorporated her knowledge as a CNL to decrease central line associated bloodstream infections through her innovative quality improvement projects surrounding central line care and quality rounding. Lauren has presented her quality projects at local and national conferences. She is passionate about incorporating the CNL focus of care coordination and transitions of care into her complex patient population. Lauren is a 2022 AACN and CNC CNL Vanguard Award Winner.

Speakers

Gail Armstrong, PhD, DNP, ACNS-BC, CNE, FAAN
Professor, Assistant Dean of the DNP Program
Oregon Health & Science University

Dr. Gail Armstrong received her BA from Bates College, her Nursing Doctorate, MSN and DNP from the University of Colorado, and her PhD from Vanderbilt University. Well known as an exceptional educator, Gail’s career in higher education has included teaching and curricular development in pre-licensure, Master’s Degree and DNP Programs. Gail’s clinical practice began at the bedside as Med/Surg nurse, then as an Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist, and more recently was focused on the area of quality and safety. Gail’s academic and practice career has focused on inspiring and leading health professionals to integrate healthcare systems improvement into their practice. Gail’s scholarly contributions include developing groundbreaking, specific strategies for early and sustained integration of the IOM/NAM competencies into pre-licensure curricula, which challenged decades-old models of curricular progression. Gail is the primary author of Leadership and Systems Improvement for the DNP, a 2020 text that offers leadership and systems improvement content for DNP nursing clinical leaders.

Speakers

Barbara A. Fowler, EdD, PhD, RN
Professor of Nursing
Wright State University

Barbara A. Fowler holds an EdD in Curriculum Instruction & Design from Teacher’s College at the University of Cincinnati, OH in 1988 and later earned a PhD from Rush University – College of Nursing in Chicago, IL (2003). She has more than 30 years of experience in teaching and mentoring the next generation of nurses across programs (non-licensure BSN, RN-BSN, accelerated BSN, MS and DNP) on providing equitable and evidence-based nursing care to racial/ethnic minorities and marginalized groups (i.e., immigrants and homeless) in underserved urban communities. She has received the Graduate Teaching Excellence Award in the College of Nursing and Health at Wright State University on several occasions. Dr. Fowler’s program of research is funded by the American Nursing Foundation (ANF), Oncology Nursing Society and Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Research Grant, Sigma Theta Tau – Honor Society of Nursing/Beta Iota Chapter (Cincinnati, OH) and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (Population-Health Grant) on health disparities faced by racial/ethnic minority females in accessing preventive breast health screenings in underserved urban communities. Recent research on systemic or structural barriers to leadership development and career advancement for minority nurses in public health nursing departments was published in Public Health Nursing in 2020; the findings were presented (virtual) via poster at the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) Annual Conference in April 2021 and oral/podium (virtual) presentation at the Association of Public Health Nursing (APHN) Annual Conference in May 2021. Dr. Fowler was an inaugural member of the AACN subcommittee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in 2019, and later played a leadership role on the Campus Climate & Intergroup Relations portion of the Diversity Tool Kit by compiling available data and co-authoring a scoping review of the literature on systemic, structural barriers and implicit biases affecting racial/ethnic minority nurses across practice settings. In 2020, Dr. Fowler was appointed by the Interim Dean in the College of Nursing and Health to serve on the President's Advisory Council on Inclusive Excellence at Wright State University.

Patricia G. Francis-Johnson, DNP, RN
Director of Diversity and Inclusion
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

Patricia Francis-Johnson is an Assistant Professor and Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the School of Nursing at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC). She received her DNP with a concentration in Executive Leadership from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock, Texas. She has over twenty years of experience in traditional and online education, clinical teaching, quality improvement, patient safety, and interprofessional teamwork. Dr. Francis-Johnson is also a TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer who conducts training classes for students, faculty, and staff. Dr. Francis-Johnson led a diverse group of faculty and staff to design and implement Shared Governance at the School of Nursing, which resulted in the development of an Academic Shared Governance Model for Nursing Education. She serves as the inaugural Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the School of Nursing to increase diversity and inclusion among faculty, staff and students. She represents the School of Nursing (SON) on the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Institutional Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Dr. Francis-Johnson is a member of the search committee for the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion (VPDEI) position at TTUHSC. She is a member of the AACN Diversity Equity, Inclusion Leadership Network (DEILN) and participated in developing the AACN Diversity Toolkit. She represents TTUHSC as an Executive Board member of the Texas Tech University/ Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTU/TTUHSC) Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA), which includes faculty and staff from the Texas Tech System. She also chairs the Texas Nurses Association Leadership Succession Committee. Dr. Francis-Johnson has participated in Unconscious Bias training and attended a webinar on National Inclusive Excellence. She serves as a member of various admissions and progressions committees, bringing the perspective of diversity, inclusion, and unconscious bias into the process. Dr. Francis-Johnson has led the dissemination of educational innovation through invited presentations to various groups.

Antonea’ Jackson, PhD, RN, CNE
Director of Undergraduate Programs
Prairie View A&M University

Antonea’ Jackson is a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs at Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing, where she has served as faculty since 2009. She is a Certified Nurse Educator, and has been recognized a nominee for the President’s Teaching Award Service Learning Award from Prairie View A&M University. In 2020, Dr. Jackson received her PhD from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and completed both her undergraduate and graduate studies at Prairie View A&M University. Her research interests include nursing education, cultural competence of nurse educators, and health disparities and health equity. She is currently the PI of the Texas COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach and Education Grant designed to reduce vaccine hesitancy in communities of color, and the Co-PI of the Nursing Innovation Grant Program funded by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board designed to improve interprofessional communication via telehealth in nursing students. Dr. Jackson has presented at professional conferences on the national level and is an active member of several professional nursing organizations including Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, Eta Delta Chapter. Dr. Jackson has a passion for nursing and nursing education, and believes in educating students by providing opportunities that foster student success academically and professionally. She values education and the opportunities it creates, specifically for students of disadvantaged backgrounds.

Janelle R. Sokolowich, PhD, MSN Ed, RN
Academic Vice President, Dean
College of Health Professions
Western Governors University

Dr. Sokolowich is an accomplished visionary academic leader. She has been an academic leader for over a decade, having held various roles, including dean of academic operations, interim dean, and faculty. In her current role as the Academic Vice President/Dean for the College of Health Professions at Western Governors University (WGU), her goal is to close the equity and access gap in the health professions by providing degree programs and certifications to student who seek to advance their education. Her passion for student success, specifically the underserved, is marked by her drive for innovation to reach all who desire a degree. Her research includes the successful orientation of nursing faculty and intentional, focused academic support of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Dr. Sokolowich has presented nationally and internationally, highlighting the use of technology in the classroom, non-academic support strategies for high-risk students, and cultural inclusivity in the classroom. She is a member of the inaugural American Association of College of Nursing, Diversity Equity and Inclusion leadership network, National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society, and numerous other academic societies. She serves as an American Nurses Association Mentor and is a National League for Nursing Writing Scholar. Dr. Sokolowich earned her bachelor's and master's in the science of nursing degrees from the University of Phoenix and Ph.D. in Education, with Distinction from Capella University.

Speakers

Patricia Gonce Morton, PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FAAN
Dean Emeritus, University of Utah College of Nursing
Editor, Journal of Professional Nursing

Patricia Gonce Morton is Dean Emeritus at University of Utah College of Nursing. Prior to her deanship at the University of Utah, Dr. Morton served in various administrative positions at the University of Maryland School of Nursing. An educator and scholar who is known for her work in critical care nursing and nursing education, Dr. Morton has authored multiple editions of three textbooks, numerous book chapters, and over 60 journal articles. She has served on the editorial board of eight nursing journals and for seven years was the editor of the journal AACN Clinical Issues: Advanced Practice in Acute and Critical Care sponsored by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. Currently, Dr. Morton is the editor of the Journal of Professional Nursing sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Dr. Morton is a certified acute care nurse practitioner. In recognition of her contributions to nursing and healthcare, Dr. Morton was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 1999.

Speakers

Kendra M. Barrier, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE
Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Louisiana State University Health New Orleans School of Nursing

Dr. Kendra M. Barrier is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing, serving as the inaugural Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Louisiana State University Health New Orleans School of Nursing. She is also an Associate Faculty for the School of Graduate Studies at LSU Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC). She is a National League for Nursing Certified Nurse Educator. In her administrative role she engages in quality improvement and programmatic development in creating and sustaining an inclusive, an equitable, and a respectful academic environment for students, faculty, staff, and stakeholders. She has a passion for the recruitment and academic success of underrepresented and underserved students.

Dr. Barrier has more than 20 years of nursing experience and over 12 years in academic nursing education. Her clinical expertise spans from emergency and intensive care, to quality management, and school nursing. She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals and podium presentations of her research interests of simulation, diversity, equity, inclusion, mentoring, emotional intelligence, and cultural competence, at local and regional conferences. Dr. Barrier has served in several leadership roles and chaired councils and committees within the SON. She has received many honors and awards. She has been accepted into the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Elevating Leaders in Academic Nursing (ELAN) Cohort III (2021 to 2022) and the AACN Diversity Leadership Institute (2022).

Dr. Barrier mentors and coaches through her dedication to a life of service to the profession and community at large. She currently serves as the President of the New Orleans District Nurses Association (2019), a member of the Louisiana State Nurses Association (LSNA), serving on several committees and subcommittees, a member of the Steering Committee and Communications Subcommittee for the Organizational Leadership Network (OLN). She is a member of the Steering and Nominations Committees for AACN Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Network (DEILN), as well as a member of The New Orleans (LA) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated.

She earned a Bachelor of Science (2000) and a Master of Science in Nursing (2009) in Nursing Education from LSUHSC. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy (2016) in Nursing Education and Administration from William Carey University.

Linda Haen, EdD, MSN, FNP-BC
Assistant Professor/Faculty Success Coordinator
United States University

Dr. Linda Haen is an Assistant Professor and Faculty Success coordinator at United States University teaching in the graduate nursing program. She has been a nurse for 42 years and an FNP for 21 years. Her clinical practice has been primarily in women’s health. She began teaching full time in 2018 and earned her doctorate in Education with a specialty in adult education in December 2020. Her capstone project was titled “Nurse Educators and Implicit Bias: Does Critical Self Reflection Change Practice?”. She has served on AACN’s diversity, equity, and inclusion group since its inception. She also serves on the DEIG at United States University.

Kae Rivers Livsey, MPH, PhD, RN
Western Carolina University School of Nursing

Dr. Livsey has been a nurse educator for more than a decade, with a scholarship focus on community based service learning experiences. She has extensive experience in policy and advocacy and serving underserved populations. Since 2016, Dr. Livsey has been leading development of innovative primary care focused experiences for BSN-RNs and is serving as PI on a HRSA Nursing Workforce Diversity Grant.

Speakers

Thomas A. LaVeist, PhD
Dean
Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine

Thomas A. LaVeist was appointed dean of the Tulane University, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in July 2018. Previous to that he served as chairman of the Department of Health Policy and Management at the George Washington University (GWU), Milken Institute School of Public Health. He joined GWU after 25 years on the faculty of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where he was the William & Nancy Richardson Professor in Health Policy and Founding Director of the Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, his doctorate degree from the University of Michigan and completed postdoctoral studies in gerontology and Health Management & Policy at the Michigan School of Public Health. Dr. LaVeist’s research focuses on health equity, having conducted major studies of cultural competency in healthcare, social determinants of health, and health policy analysis. In addition to his extensive record of publication in scientific journals, he has written for NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE, BALTIMORE SUN, and other mass media outlets. He has authored or edited six books, and is executive producer, and narrator for THE SKIN YOU’RE IN, a documentary series about racial inequalities in health that is currently in production. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, Center for Disease Control, Department of Defense, Commonwealth Fund, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Sage Foundation and the Agency for Healthcare Research.

Daniel Dawes, JD
Director, Morehouse School of Medicine
Satcher Health Leadership Institute

Daniel E. Dawes is a widely respected healthcare and public health leader, health policy expert, educator, and researcher who serves as executive director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine and a professor of health law, policy, and management. He is the author of two groundbreaking books, 150 Years of ObamaCare and The Political Determinants of Health, both published by Johns Hopkins University Press. Among his many achievements, he was an instrumental figure in developing and negotiating the Mental Health Parity Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, and the Affordable Care Act’s health equity-focused provisions, among other landmark federal policies, as well as the principal investigator for the nation’s first health equity tracker, co-founder of the Health Equity Leadership and Exchange Network (HELEN), and co-principal investigator of the HHS National COVID-19 Resiliency Network. Professor Dawes is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and an elected fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine. He serves as an advisor to The White House COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force and an appointed member of the CDC’s Advisory Committee to the Director.

Moderator:

Malika Fair, MD, MPH
Senior Director, Equity and Social Accountability
Association of American Medical Colleges

Malika Fair is the Senior Director of Equity and Social Accountability at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Dr. Fair develops programs and initiatives with multidisciplinary partners and local communities to advance equity, racial justice, population health, and accountability through a continuous equity improvement lens. Within the AAMC Strategic Plan, Dr. Fair leads one of the 10 action plans for the AAMC: Equipping Academic Medicine to be More Inclusive and Equitable. Within this action plan, Dr. Fair oversees the plan to address and eliminate racism within academic medicine. Her work assists the academic medicine community in becoming anti-racist leaders who acknowledge and understand systemic racial inequities and cultivate evidence-based policies and practices that promote racial justice and equity in our communities, education and research institutions, and health care systems. Dr. Fair is also an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine of The George Washington University. She is the Vice Chair of the Advisory Board of the Griffith Leadership Center within the University of Michigan School of Public Health and Department of Health Management and Policy and serves on the Fiscal Control Board of Directors for United Medical Center in Washington, DC. In 2019, Dr. Fair was selected to serve on the Mayor’s Commission on Healthcare Systems Transformation for the District of Columbia and to be included in the 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health by the National Minority Quality Forum. Dr. Fair completed her residency training and chief residency at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC. She received her medical and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Michigan and Bachelor of Science from Stanford University.

Speakers

Michelle DeCoux Hampton, RN, PhD
Associate Professor
Special Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Valley Foundation School of Nursing
San Jose State University

Michelle DeCoux Hampton is the College of Health and Human Sciences Special Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Associate Professor in The Valley Foundation School of Nursing at San Jose State University. She joined SJSU in 2018, but has 16 years of experience in academia and 27 years as Registered Nurse. Her teaching experience has focused on decreasing stigma and promoting a recovery mindset in psychiatric mental health nursing, as well as preparing prelicensure, Master’s, and Doctor of Nursing Practice students for evidence based practice in her research courses. She served as an administrative leader in Doctor of Nursing Practice programs and provided university and departmental leadership with regard to faculty development. Her goal is to contribute to improving health equity for underserved populations by increasing access to health professional education for members of underrepresented communities, and by educating current students and practicing professionals.