Speaker

Hussein Michael Tahan, PhD, RN, FAAN, FCM
Chief Nursing Officer and System Vice President
Nursing Professional Development, Workforce Management, and Academic Affairs
MedStar Health

Hussein M. Tahan is an internationally recognized nurse leader, scholar, and expert in case management and care coordination. He currently serves as Chief Nursing Officer & System Vice President for Nursing Professional Development, Workforce Management, and Academic Affairs at MedStar Health.

Hussein has led transformative initiatives in nursing practice, workforce strategy, and care delivery models across large health systems. With over 30 years of experience, he has significantly advanced the field of professional case management through research, education, and policy. He has authored over 110 publications, including award-winning textbooks and national research studies on the roles and functions of case managers. 

Hussein is a past commissioner and chair of the Commission for Case Manager Certification, editorial advisory board member of the Professional Case Management and CMSA Today journals. He just finished his term as the chair of the American Academy of Nursing-Institute of Nursing Leadership National Advisory Council; he is currently a member of the National Advisory Board of the Vizient/AACN New to Practice Nurse Residency Program, a member of the CNO Advisory group for Symplr, a member of the Aya Healthcare Workforce Technology Advisory Board, and a member of the CCNE Finance Committee.

Hussein is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and an inaugural fellow in case management conferred by the Case Management Society of America (CMSA). He is a two-time recipient of the American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award. In 2016, CMSA presented Hussein with the Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2025, the National Award of Service Excellence, both recognizing his unwavering contributions to professional case management practice.

Hussein received his Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, his Master’s of Science degree in nursing administra tion from the University of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, NY, and his Doctor of Philosophy from Columbia University in New York City, NY.
 

Speaker

Rachel Minahan, MA
Chief Government Affairs and Policy Officer
American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Rachel Minahan joined the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in June 2018, where she leads the Association’s advocacy and policy portfolio. In this role, she works closely with Members of Congress, the Administration, national coalitions, and AACN member institutions to advance health and health care through a nursing lens. She also serves as Executive Director of the Nursing Community Coalition, a 64-member organization representing a broad spectrum of nursing education, practice, research, and regulation.

Prior to AACN, Rachel spent more than a decade in government relations and policy, including eight years as a Legislative Director and Senior Legislative Assistant at Polsinelli and Wheat Government Relations. She began her career on Capitol Hill and as a field organizer in Iowa, experiences that grounded her deep commitment to public service and advocacy.

Rachel earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Interdisciplinary Studies in Communication, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government from American University, and a Master of Arts in Global Security Studies from Johns Hopkins University. She has also served as an assistant adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Nursing and Health Studies, where she taught courses on the foundations of health systems and policy.
 

Speaker

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

Marta Okoniewski is the Director of Student Engagement at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). She led the development, launch, and growth 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.

Speaker

Courtney Pitts, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN

Courtney Pitts, DNP, MPH, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, is a Clinical Professor and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Specialty Director at the Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. She is a nationally certified and actively practicing FNP with a clinical background in primary care and the management of patients living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Her experience as a nurse educator includes curricular oversight, clinical training program development and clinical practicum placement. As a former project director of a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) federally funded advanced nursing education workforce grant, Dr. Pitts focused on establishing and maintaining academic practice partnerships required to support nurse practitioner student success in their clinical learning. In 2021, Dr. Pitts was appointed by the United States Secretary of Health to the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (NACNEP). In this role, she serves with a national cadre of colleagues who focus on nursing workforce, practice, and education issues. Other roles of leadership include service or past service within the National League for Nursing (NLN),  the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), and the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF).
 

Speaker

Laura A. Taylor, PhD, CN, CNE, ANEF, FAAN
Founder and CEO, GuIDE to Degree

With more than 26 years in the transplant nursing/community, and 34 years in nursing education, Dr. Taylor has earned national and international recognition as a strong leader who shapes practice, policy and education. Dr. Taylor’s scholarship integrates pioneering technology-based innovations, rigorous scientific methods, inter-professional collaboration, and focused orientation on the advancement of global transplant care and education. Dr. Taylor embodies the innovative and evidence-based approach to contemporary nursing education, practice and healthcare delivery meeting the needs of patients in increasingly complex healthcare environments. 

Dr. Taylor established an educational pathway, The Guiding Initiative for Doctoral Education program (GuIDE ™), a program providing advanced practice nurses informational and problem-solving opportunities regarding PhD, EdD, and DNP education. GuIDE™ is preparing nurses to be competitive for admission to doctoral programs with the goal of increasing the diversity of doctorally prepared nurses.