Jaines M. Andrades, DNP, AGACNP-BC
Dr. Jaines M. Andrades, DNP, AGACNP-BC, is a newly licensed nurse practitioner who recently completed her Doctor of Nurse Practice at Elms College, 2020. Dr. Andrades’ received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Elms College, 2014. She is a native of Springfield, Massachusetts and has dedicated her professional career to caring for vulnerable populations with addiction, mental illness and chronic disease. Dr. Andrades credits her pre-nursing experiences in the hospital setting as the catalyst to pursuing a career in healthcare.Dr. Andrades’ clinical experience as a registered nurse began as a correctional nurse for the Hampden Country Sheriff’s Department where she conducted mental health evaluations and incorporated a multidisciplinary approach to care. She later joined Baystate Mason Square Neighborhood Clinic and provided drug and alcohol abuse nursing care. In addition, Dr. Andrades enhanced her clinical skills as an inpatient staff nurse. She joined the Baystate Medical Center team as a Trauma / Acute Surgery nurse practitioner in September, 2020. Her commitment to be a voice for the disenfranchised has allowed her to be a change agent and role model for others.
Dr. Andrades is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, Western Massachusetts Chapter and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society. In 2019, she was a recipient of the Baystate Health Patient Family Advisory Council Award. Dr. Andrades was recently featured in People for her inspirational nursing journey that served to inspire many. She is a true testament of perseverance, success, and is an academic and clinical role model for Hispanic nurses.
Deborah Backus, PhD, PT
Deborah Backus, PT, PhD, FACRM is a grant-funded investigator, physical therapist, and educator with 30+ years of experience in the neurorehabilitation field. Her mission is to empower patients, students and colleagues to achieve their greatest potential, and to advance rehabilitation science and care. As Director of Multiple Sclerosis Research at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Backus's research activities have a broad scope that includes facilitating pharmacologic and device-related clinical trials for multiple sclerosis (MS). Her specific research agenda focuses on investigation of models of care and rehabilitation interventions to facilitate greater function, health and quality of life in people with MS. At Shepherd she has been instrumental in facilitating clinician involvement in research activities, translation of evidence into practice, uptake of technology into clinical programs, and incorporating standardized outcome assessment into routine clinical practice.
Lori Beck, MSN, RN, CPEN, TNS
Lori Beck is a trauma nurse coordinator at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. She provides trauma education and follow up for Missouri and Illinois hospitals as well as EMS. She has spoken at local, regional and national conferences on various topics related to Pediatric Trauma. Her interests lie in injury prevention and time critical diagnosis.
Vicki Bennett, MSN, RN
Vicki Bennett is the Executive Director, Trauma Services, Banner Health. She was a trauma program leader for over 25 years prior to assuming this role in 2016. Her experience spans the continuum of care having worked in the prehospital setting as a flight nurse/medic and in Level I, II and pediatric trauma centers. Vicki has been an active member of STN for over 20 years and is a member of EAST as well as an appointed nurse liaison to the COT. She is a site reviewer for the ACS as well as many states.
Cynthia Blank-Reid, RN, MSN, CEN
Cindy has worked in many areas throughout her career, from the surgical floor, the surgical/neurosurgical ICU, the ED, and as a Trauma Program Manager. For the past 16 years, she has been the Trauma Clinical Nurse Specialist at Temple University Hospital. She has published and lectured on a multitude of nursing topics and frequently presents at STN and other conferences. Cindy has been an active member of STN for more than 25 years and has held several leadership positions, including serving as President of the organization.
Joseph Blansfield, MS, NP, TCRN
Joseph Blansfield has over 40 years’ experience in trauma & emergency care as staff, charge, manager, educator, CNS and trauma program manager in a large, urban academic medical center in Boston. Also, he has 26 years military experience in the Army Nurse Corps. He deployed to Kosovo and Iraq as the Dep. Commander, Nursing/Chief Nurse. He is on the JEN Editorial Board, Exam Construction & Review Committee for the TCRN credential for BCEN and the Chair of the TNCC 8th ed. Work Team for ENA.
Pamela Bourg, PhD, RN, TCRN, FAEN
Pamela Bourg is the Director, Trauma Program at St. Anthony Hospital. Ms. Bourg earned a BSN from Louisiana State University and MSN from Boston University. She is a certified TNCC, ENPC, BLS, PALS, ATLS, and RTTDC instructor. She has published in nursing and trauma journals, is a Fellow of the Academy of Emergency Nursing, and in 2017, was awarded the STN Trauma Leadership Award and the Nurse Excellence-Transformational Leadership Award from St. Anthony Hospital. Ms. Bourg obtained her PhD in Nursing from the University of Arizona in geriatric trauma research.
Lisa Buckman, MBA, BSN, RN, TCRN, CSTR
Lisa Buckman is the Manager of Trauma Services at the new UCHealth Greeley Hospital in Greeley, Colorado. Lisa joined the Greeley team eight months before the opening developing the trauma program to ensure a Level 3 trauma center state designation on opening in July 2019. Greeley Hospital is one of 13 trauma centers in the UCHealth system. Lisa's trauma services experience includes RN trauma registrar, trauma nurse coordinator, and clinical quality specialist at Level 2 and 3 facilities.
Chelsea Burke, BSN, RN
Chelsea Burke is a Nurse Clinician IV at UTMB Galveston Emergency Department Level 1 trauma center. She served as essential staff caring for patients during Hurricane Harvey and enjoys involvement in hospital committees and efforts towards improving the field of emergency nursing. In addition, she is active in the Emergency Nurses Association as a director in the Gulf Coast Chapter, holds certifications as a Trauma and Emergency Certified Nurse, and is pursuing certification as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.
Beth Cipra, DNP, RN, APRN-CNS, CCRN-K
Beth Cipra has been a nurse for 35 years but is new to the world of trauma. She served in the Air Force from 1985-1993 as a nurse in the US, Germany, and Korea. Since then, her background consists mostly of critical care and critical care education, both in the academic and acute care settings. She came to the UMMC R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in early 2017 and serves as one of two Clinical Nurse Specialists focusing on performance improvement and evidence-based practice projects, safety and quality.
Nicole Cook, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, CEN, CCRN, TCRN
Nicole Cook is the Trauma Performance Improvement Coordinator at WakeMed Health & Hospitals. She has 17 years of nursing experience in Med-Surg, Cardiothoracic Stepdown, Intensive Care, and Emergency nursing, and currently oversees the performance and quality aspects of the WakeMed Raleigh Level One trauma system. Nicole is a Director and State Monitor for TNCC, and is an ATCN instructor. She is a board certified Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist and has her CEN, CCRN, and TCRN.
Robbie Dumond, MHA, BSN, TCRN, AEMT
Robbie Dumond is the Sr. Director of Trauma Services at the University of Colorado Hospital. Robbie currently serves as the Trauma Program Manager representative on the ACS TQIP training project team. He serves as a Trauma Program Manager Reviewer for the ACS Trauma Systems Consultation Program and as a trauma designation reviewer in Colorado and has been part of numerous trauma center reviews at various trauma center levels. He is a TOPIC, TNCC, and ATCN instructor.
Brody Eick, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, CCRN, TCRN
Brody has spent his career caring for the trauma patients across the country and has been involved in trauma education at the local and national level. He has been a part of the TCRN exam since its inception and is active on the Exam Construction and Review Committee. Brody is heavily involved with the Society of Trauma Nurses and is acting chair of the Membership and Marketing committee and is currently a trauma nurse and educator at an adult and pediatric Level I trauma center in California.Terri Elsbernd, MS, RN, CEN, CPEN
Terri Elsbernd MS, RN, CEN, CPEN is currently the Pediatric Trauma Coordinator at the Mayo Clinic Hospital – Rochester, an ACS verified Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center. She joined Mayo in 1990 and has an academic rank of Assistant Professor of Nursing. Terri received her BSN from Gustavus Adolphus College and an MSN with a clinical nurse specialist focus from Winona State University.
Terri’s other professional activities including serving as a member the executive board of the Pediatric Trauma Society, the Emergency Medical Services for Children Advisory Board, the Society of Trauma Nurses, and as the pediatric representative to the executive board of the Southern Minnesota Regional Trauma Advisory Committee. She also is an instructor for TNCC, ATCN, and TOPIC. In addition Terri is a site reviewer for the state of MN Trauma System.
Sean Elwell, MSN, RN, EMT
Alfred I duPont Hospital for ChildrenSean Elwell, MSN, RN, EMT, is employed at the Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children. Sean graduated Summa Cum Laude from Drexel University, with a MSN in leadership and health systems management. Sean is a member of the trauma program where he was the injury prevention coordinator and then promoted to trauma program manager. As part of the trauma program he led the charge to become a level 1 pediatric trauma center. Sean is actively involved in several professional organizations, including the Society of Trauma Nurses, where Sean is Director at Large in charge of leadership development and played a key role in the development of the Trauma Certification for Registered Nurses. Sean also remains active in his community. He is currently serving as Mayor of his township and Deputy Chief of his volunteer fire company and ambulance squad.
Tracylain Evans, DNP, MBA, MPH, RN, EMT/P, TCRN, CEN, NE-BC
Tracy has 40 years of prehospital, emergency, flight nursing, and leadership experience. She has authored journal articles and presented on many emergency and trauma care topics. Tracy has expanded her nursing and leadership skills with management, change, project, quality, and business analysis certifications. She is proud to have been invited to present at TraumaCon 2021.
Nicole Frederick, DNP, APRN, ACCNS-AG, CCRN-CSC, TCRN
Nicole Frederick is a Trauma Clinical Nurse Specialist at a Level II Trauma Center with over a decade of experience at a Level I Trauma Center and has facilitated TCRN reviews. She is a DNP, ACCNS-AG with specialty certifications in critical care, cardiac surgery, and trauma nursing.
Jasmine Garces-King, DNP, RN, CCRN, TCRN, ACNP-BC
Jasmine Garces-King has been in the nursing profession for 20 years throughout which time she has worked in a myriad of roles and specialties with her main area of concentration in trauma/surgery/critical care. She has presented nationally and internationally on a variety of topics. She presently works as a Nurse Practitioner at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and as an Associate Professor at Felician University in New Jersey.
Annemarie Glazer, RN, BSN, MBA, NHDP-BC, TCRN
Anne Glazer is the Trauma Program Manager at NYU Winthrop Hospital. She is actively involved in the trauma community as a representative to the NYS Trauma Advisory Committee, Vice chair of the regional trauma advisory committee, member of the editorial board of the Journal of Trauma Nursing, member of the Finance Committee of the Society of Trauma Nursing, member of a NDMS DMAT team, and an EMS pre-hospital provider.
Jaclyn Gosnell, MSN, RN, TCRN, CEN
Jackie is the trauma program director for Mission Hospital. Jackie has an extensive background in emergency nursing, serving in both a bedside and leadership capacity. She has functioned as a performance improvement advisor, using LEAN methodologies to improve care delivery models within the hospital setting. She has both a Bachelor’s and Masters degree in Nursing from Gardner-Webb University and is certified in trauma and emergency nursing.
Diana Grimm-Mapp, BSN, RN, CEN, TCRN
Diana Grimm-Mapp is theTrauma Service Program Director at an ACS verified Level I trauma center, where she is responsible for the leadership and oversight for the trauma program. She is actively involved in the regional trauma advisory council and serves on the board of directors. She is a Level III/IV trauma surveyor for the state. In addition, she has direct oversight of three facilities within the Health System that are state verified trauma centers or in active pursuit of trauma designation.Jacob Higgins, PhD, RN, CCRN-K
Jacob Higgins is an Assistant Professor with an academic-clinical joint appointment as a Nurse Scientist for a Trauma-Surgical service line at a large, academic, verified Level I trauma center. His research focus surrounds understanding how hospitalization impacts the trajectory of functional and emotional recovery in patients after major injury. Additionally, he is interested in mitigation of hospital-associated complications in patients after injury. In his academic role, he teaches Research/Evidence-based Practice in the undergraduate program and co-directs a research internship elective. In his clinical role, he functions as a Nurse Scientist within the hospital to facilitate and mentor clinical staff caring for trauma/surgical patients through research, evidence-based, and quality improvement projects.Higgins worked as a clinical nurse before pursuing his doctorate (2012-2016). While in his doctoral program, he worked as a Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator for the Department of Trauma/Acute Care Surgery at UK HealthCare (2015-2018). During the final year of his doctoral program, he transitioned into a Nursing Research Fellowship position with UK HealthCare (2018-2019), which served as a pilot program for the joint Nurse Scientist role he is in today.
Paula Hobbs, BSN, RN, CMSRN
Paula attended West Penn School of Nursing, graduating in 2001 and began working on a Trauma Unit at PUH. In 2008, she received a BSN from the University of Pittsburgh. Paula has spent her entire nursing career in Trauma. She became the Clinician on 12D in 2008. Paula is married to her husband Ben, together they have two children: Matthew who is 8 and Ethan is 5. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and shopping – she’s a bargain hunter!
Heidi Hotz, RN
Heidi Hotz is the Trauma Program Manager at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, a Department of Health designated and ACS verified Level I Trauma Center. She is the Immediate Past President of the American Trauma Society (ATS), Past President of the Society of Trauma Nurses (STN), and Past President of the Trauma Managers Association of California (TMAC). She has extensive experience in all aspects of trauma including clinical care, program management, trauma data, trauma performance improvement and patient safety, trauma systems, injury prevention, consultant for trauma centers and systems, educational curriculum development, conference and event planning and all trauma related issues across the continuum of care.She is the recipient of the STN’s Trauma Leadership Award. She is a member of the Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) Training Project Team of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). She has been a survey team member for the ACS Trauma Systems and Evaluation Program. She has been an invited expert panel member for many national trauma initiatives and projects such as the ATS Leadership Forums, the screening & brief intervention for alcohol in trauma initiatives, the Model Trauma System Plan work group, to name a few. She has lectured on a wide variety of trauma related topics throughout the United States and internationally. She has extensive participation at the member and Chair levels for local, regional, state and national committees. She was the Chair of the Advanced Trauma Care for Nurses® (ATCN) Committee in Arizona for 6 years. She was then appointed the first Chair of the STN’s ATCN National-International Committee and spearheaded the special projects team to attain the ACS COT approval of the program as a collaborative effort with the ATLS Subcommittee.
She was a member of the STN Board of Directors for over 8 years in the positions of Director at Large, Treasurer, President Elect and President. She is an author and Faculty Member for the STN’s Trauma Outcomes Performance Improvement Course (TOPIC).
Helen Jowett
Helen has over 20 years of paediatric experience at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne which is the Paediatric Major Trauma Service for Victoria where she holds the position of, Trauma Manager. She developed and implemented a state-wide paediatric trauma education program within Victoria, delivering much needed trauma team training and education to rural doctors, nurses and paramedics involved in trauma resuscitation and management.Helen is a state-wide Emergency Management of Severe Trauma Coordinator with the Royal College of Surgeons where she plays an integral role in ongoing trauma education both regionally and nationally. She is also a member of the Trauma Case Review Group which is a sub-committee of the State Trauma Committee at the Department of Health, Victoria. This group oversees the trauma patient journey, with a key objective to ensure the best patient outcome and adherence to the state trauma system guidelines.
Dan Kiff, RN, MN
Dan P. Kiff is the Director of Trauma Services at University Medical Center New Orleans Level 1 Trauma Center. Dan received a Diploma in Nursing from Charity Hospital School of Nursing at New Orleans, a bachelor’s degree in nursing from University of South Alabama, and a master’s degree from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – School of Nursing. He has been an active member of the Society of Trauma Nurses for over 15 years. Dan is currently the National Conference Committee Chair and has served on the committee for 8 years.
Keith Kincaid, BA, MDiv
Chaplain Keith Kincaid, BA.,MDiv. Pastoral Care Director, North Oaks Health System, earned his bachelor's degree in Psychology from Union University in Jackson, TN and his Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He completed a Clinical Pastoral Education residency through East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie,LA. He has served hospitals in Tennessee and Louisiana and currently serves as Pastoral Care Director for a level II trauma center, in Hammond, LA.Jorie Klein, RN
Jorie Klein is the Director of the Trauma Program, Disaster Management, and North Texas Poison Center for Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas, Texas. She has a long history of exemplary trauma leadership at the state, regional, and national level, including: President of the Texas EMS, Trauma, and Acute Care Foundation; Vice-Chair of the Governor’s Emergency/Trauma Advisory Council’s Trauma System (Texas); Chair of the Texas Hospital Association’s Policy Committee on Trauma and Emergency Services, and Chair of the Texas Hospital Association’s Trauma Technical Advisory Group. Jorie Klein is a past president of STN, and has also served on numerous STN committees, from the Annual STN Conference Committee (which she chaired from 1998 – 2004), to ATCN Regional Chair, and State Chair for Texas. She has received many awards for her service to the trauma community. Jorie Klein has authored papers, book chapters, and courses on emergency preparedness, disaster management, mechanism of injury, decision-making in trauma care, and preparing for a trauma site visit, among others. She has been frequent invited speaker on a vast array of trauma topics for both national and international audiences.
Amy Koestner, MSN, RN
Amy Koestner has a 30-year nursing career, with experience spanning pediatric ICU, flight nursing, and the past 20 years in the role of trauma program manager. She is the current Trauma Program Director at Spectrum Health Butterworth. She has been active in the STN for over 20 years, including president in 2008. She is an appointed STN chair liaison to the Committee on Trauma. Amy remains active as faculty for ATCN and the Optimal Trauma Center Course. She has been a VRC surveyor since 2011.
Regina Krell, MS, BSN, CEN, TCRN
Regina Krell is the Trauma Program Manager at University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, Colorado. Her current role includes oversight and development of the Trauma services team, including Trauma and Burn registries. She has expertise in Trauma and Emergency nursing process, cares, documentation, quality metrics, data collection, and all requirements for ACS verification and State designation.Regina’s 27 years of nursing, primarily in Trauma and Emergency care, have included a variety of leadership roles, both implied and assigned, including staff, program, and strategic development. These experiences inspired her to pursue a Master of Science degree with a focus on Nursing Leadership in Healthcare Systems. Her passions include collaboration to deliver quality patient care. She believes that building strong and seamless process result in optimal patient outcomes. She is also deeply committed to the professional responsibility to mentor, empower and develop staff.
Katherine ("Kathy") M. Lee , MS, CRNP, ANP-BC, CNRN
Ms. Lee currently serves as the Special Assistant for TBI matters to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Readiness Policy and Oversight. She brings considerable clinical, educational and research experience in the field of neuroscience and neurotrauma to include more than 200 regional, national and international presentations and more than 20 peer-reviewed publications.Ms. Lee has served in a variety of leadership, advisory and operational roles in the US Department of the Army and US Department of Defense for over 15 years; including the Assistant Chief of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), Deputy Director for the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury; Deputy Director for the Clinical and Educational Affairs Office for DVBIC and the manager of the Office of Clinical Standards at DVBIC. Prior to working in Washington DC, Ms Lee worked in 2 academic/level I trauma centers as a nurse practitioner/clinical care coordinator at the University of Louisville Hospital; and clinical research coordinator in the Division of Neurosurgery at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals/Virginia Commonwealth University. Ms. Lee holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in family and child development from Virginia Tech University. She has earned the following certifications: Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP) through the American Nurses Credentialing Center and Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN) through the American Board of Neuroscience Nursing.
Lindsay Leland, BSN, RN, TCRN
Lindsay is a Trauma Nurse Lead at Mission Hospital and has many years of experience in both trauma and emergency nursing. She has a Bachelors degree in nursing from Clemson University and is a Trauma Certified Registered Nurse. Lindsay has been very involved in clinical quality improvement within the areas she has functioned as a bedside nurse and has worked to improve both the unit teamwork, moral and clinical quality indicators.
Laurie Lovedale
Laurie Lovedale is a Public Health educator at the University of Colorado Hospital and has over 20 years’ experience in program development, implementation and evaluation around safety and injury prevention programs. Programming includes distracted driving awareness, falls prevention, and vehicle and bicycle safety. Laurie manages statewide grants to include sustainability efforts. Laurie co-chairs the Injury Prevention Sub-Committee for CTN and holds an MPH in Community Health Education.
Jennifer Maley, RN, MSN, TCRN
Jen graduated from Community College in 2003 and began working on a Trauma Unit. In 2005, she earned a BSN from the University of Pittsburgh, in 2009, she earned a MSN from Robert Morris University. Throughout her career, she has worked as a Staff Nurse, Clinician, Trauma Nurse Coordinator, In-Patient Rehabilitation Unit Director and most currently, as a Unit Director for a Trauma Unit at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Kathleen Martin, MSN, RN
Kathleen Martin is Sr. Director Trauma Service, UCHealth North. She was Trauma Nurse at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany; CEO of Martin Trauma Associates where she mentored trauma center staff nationally and internationally; and TPM at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She served on the STN Board of Directors for 19 years and as 2000-2001 President. She is the former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Trauma Nursing and an ATCN and TOPIC Instructor.
Sarah Mattocks, MSN, RN, CRNP, TCRN, NE-BC
Sarah Mattocks is the Trauma Program Manager at UPMC Hamot, a state accredited Level II Trauma Center, in Erie, Pennsylvania. Sarah earned her BSN from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, and her MSN from Gannon University. Sarah's nursing career started the emergency department and includes over 10 years in the role of trauma program coordinator/manager. Sarah is an active member of the Easter Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) and served as the Society of Trauma Nurses – EAST Foundation Nurse Fellow in 2014. Sarah is the current treasure for the Pennsylvania Trauma Nurse Advisory Council (PATNAC) and has served on various Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation committees. Sarah has been active in the STN for over 10 years, serving in various roles. Sarah is the current president-elect of the STN board of directors.
Jane McCormack, BSN,RN
Jane has been a trauma program manager for over 25 years, but COVID-19 was her first pandemic. The scope of the effect of this pandemic was both incredibly quick and intensely widespread. Jane hopes that by sharing these experiences, other trauma program managers will have a better idea of what to expect than she did.
Maria McMahon, MSN, RN, PNP-PC/AC, TCRN
Maria McMahon, MSN, RN, PNP-PC/AC, TCRN is the Trauma Center Manager at Boston Children’s Hospital. She has practiced trauma and critical care nursing for 30 years and has worked at Boston Children's Hospital for the last 24 years. She began her nursing career in the pediatric ICU, then on the Critical Care Transport Team before becoming the Trauma Center Manager in 2006. Maria maintains her certifications as a Primary Care and Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She provides strong leadership and demonstrates her advanced clinical skills providing exceptional patient care. She works with the Trauma team, clinical staff, and multidisciplinary services staff throughout Boston Children’s Hospital to ensure current evidenced based practice information and education is available to better care for the injured child. Maria is actively involved in several professional organizations, and has presented on the topic of pediatric trauma and injury prevention, both nationally and internationally. Maria is currently the President for the Society of Trauma Nurses.
Judy N. Mikhail, PhD, MBA, RN
Judy N. Mikhail, PhD, MBA, RN has over 30 years of progressive trauma nursing experience, including roles as Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist, Trauma Program Manager and Trauma Administrator at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, MI. Dr. Mikhail is currently the Senior Program Manager for the Michigan Trauma Quality Improvement Program (MTQIP) a surgical quality improvement collaborative of 34 trauma centers in Michigan. Dr. Mikhail is also the current Editor-In-Chief for the Journal of Trauma Nursing. She received a BSN from the University of Michigan, MSN from the University of Texas Science Center Houston, MBA from Colorado State University and a PhD in Nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina. Her research interests include trauma disparities, and trauma performance improvement. Dr. Mikhail previously served as President of the Society of Trauma Nurses, President of the Michigan Trauma Coalition, and Chair of the Michigan – State Trauma Advisory Committee. She is a nationally recognized speaker in trauma care and serves as an instructor for the Optimal Trauma Center Organization & Management Course cosponsored by the ACS and STN.
Rachel Moore, BSN, RN, TCRN
Rachel Moore is a Senior Clinical Nurse I on a Trauma Intermediate Care Unit. Her passion is education and during her five years she has been very involved in education throughout the trauma center. She decided to focus on improving discharges because of the impact that she noticed it has within the trauma center for both nurse and patient satisfaction as well as improving readmission rates.
Vicki Moran, PhD, RN, MPH, CNE, CDE, PHNA-BC, TNS
Vicki Moran is the coordinator of trauma research at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital. Her clinical background as an intensive care unit and emergency room RN has perpetuated a wealth of knowledge to conduct trauma research. She completed her BSN in 1994, MSN/MPH in 1997, and her PhD in higher education administration in 2015. She is also an assistant professor of nursing at Saint Louis University. She has published manuscripts focusing on care of the traumatic patient with a variety of interdisciplinary providers. Her current focus in working with three other Level I trauma centers in Saint Louis, Missouri to reduce recidivism of victims exposed to violence.
Elizabeth Naber, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, CNRN
Elizabeth has 30 years of experience in critical care and education with 20 years as an ICU nurse, including a year in a liver transplant ICU in Ireland. She transitioned into the role of the educator and currently is the system trauma educator for OhioHealth Trauma Services where she has created system-wide trauma education programs utilizing patient simulation. Elizabeth is heavily active in the trauma and critical care community and is the president of the central ohio chapter of the AACN.
Julie Nash, MSN, RN
Julie Nash, MSN, RN is the Assistant Vice President of Trauma Services at Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). Julie joined HCA from Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, an academic medical center and an ACS Adult Level I Verified Trauma Center and an Adult designation Level I Trauma Center for the States of Missouri and Illinois. During her 24 plus year tenure there, Julie was the Manager of the Trauma & Acute Care Surgery Program and held other positions that included Trauma Nurse Coordinator, Case Manager, and Emergency Room nurse. She is a past president of the Society of Trauma Nurses and has set on many regional, state and national boards and committees for Trauma and EMS. Julie earned a Master’s of Science in Nursing from the University of Missouri, St. Louis, and a Bachelors in Nursing from Webster University.
Anna Bradford Newcomb, PhD, MSW, LCSW
Anna Newcomb is the Trauma Research Manager at Inova in Northern Virginia. While a trauma clinical social worker in the 1990s, she initiated a program that would become the American Trauma Society’s (ATS) Trauma Survivors Network. After receiving her PhD in Health Services Research from Johns Hopkins, she has focused her research on hospital program implementation, interventions addressing trauma patient and family wellbeing, and communication training. Dr. Newcomb is the President of the ATS.
Todd Nickoles, RN, BSN, MBA
Todd Nickoles is the Trauma Program Manager at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, a Level 1 pediatric trauma center. He was previously the Nurse Manager of Pediatric Trauma and Injury Prevention at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, a level 1 pediatric trauma center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree in nursing from Grand Valley State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Ferris State University. He has twelve years of clinical experience with trauma, including six years in pediatric trauma programs. His interests within pediatric trauma include trauma team improvement and reliability, measurement-driven performance improvement, and research.Joan Pirrung, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC
Trauma Program Manager, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, DEJoan has worked with the trauma population for the last 20 years at the bedside in the ICU followed by her current role as trauma program manager. She has been in the role for 11 years and has worked in an ACS verified Level 1 trauma center for 13 years. A major part of her role is to manage and actively participate in PI. This includes case review, co-chairing PI committee meetings and assisting in loop closure.
Dianne Rankin, MSN, RN, MACE
Diane Rankin has taught undergraduate nursing courses since 1975 for academic institutions in Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, Florida and most recently at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). She is now teaching on-line courses in the RN-BSN program at UTEP. She is currently involved in a research project examining the role of mentorships in developing leadership and community health QI projects.
Kristen Ray, MSN, RN, TCRN, CCRN
Kristen Ray is the Clinical Quality Nurse Leader at UF Health Jacksonville for the ED, Trauma and PICU in Florida.Kristen Ray has worked at a number of level one trauma centers though out the east coast, including R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, MD; University Hospital in Newark, NJ & Inova Medical Center, in Virginia. She has had a variety of positions from bedside nursing to leadership. Kristen has lectured numerous times at the regional, state and national level.
Linda Reinhart, MSN, RN, CNS, CCRN, TCRN
Linda Reinhart has been employed at Lehigh Valley Health Network, Allentown PA, for the last 34 years. She is currently working as a Clinical RN in Trauma Neuro ICU. She previously served in both management and education positions; Patient Care Coordinator, Adult Trauma Coordinator and Patient Care Specialist for Trauma and Burn Services. She serves as ATCN Course Director at LVHN and on STN BOD as Secretary and member of ATCN Executive and Clinical Committee. She has been a volunteer firefighter for last 40 years.
Ilana Reisner, DVM, PhD, DACVB
Dr. Ilana Reisner received her DVM from the Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and a PhD in Behavioral Physiology (Canine Aggression) from Cornell University. Dr. Reisner is a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. After 10 years as head of the Behavior Service at the Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Reisner now owns a referral practice, treating canine and feline behavior problems ranging from anxiety disorders to aggression. A past president of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, Dr. Reisner has written and spoken extensively on the topic of behavioral medicine in general, with a research focus on dog bites and canine aggression to children.
Linda Roney, EdD, RN-BC, CPEN, CNE
Dr. Linda Roney is an Assistant Professor in the EGAN School of Nursing and Health Studies and the Specialty Coordinator of the MSN- LEAD IN program. Dr. Roney graduated with her BSN from Villanova University and both her MSN and Doctorate of Education in Nursing Education from Southern Connecticut State University and teaches in both the graduate and undergraduate program at the EGAN School. She is certified as a Pediatric Nurse, Pediatric Emergency Nurse and Academic Nurse Educator and has over 20 years of clinical, leadership and administrative experience at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital and has received awards such as Nurse of the Year, the Nightingale Award for Clinical Excellence, and the Connecticut Emergency Nurses Association Educator of the Year Award. Dr. Roney is the chair of the Pediatric Committee for the Society of Trauma Nurses, a member of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and a member of the Emergency Nurses Association's (ENA) Institute for Emergency Nursing Education (IENE) Advisory Council.Dr. Roney continues her pediatric nursing practice at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital. She has been involved in research and policy development on the state and national levels focused on injury prevention in children.
Daria Ruffolo, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, TNS, CCRN
Daria Ruffolo spent nearly 20 years as a bedside nurse in the SIUC before taking on the role as an ACNP with the Anesthesia/Critical care team at a busy urban medical center. She is certified in both critical care and trauma. Prior to this role, she served as the ACNP to the trauma/SICU team for 12 years. She is currently an associate professor at Loyola University, published in multiple peer-reviewed journals and book chapters, and has spoken at over 200 national conferences.
Babak Sarani, MD, FACS
Babak Sarani is a Professor of Surgery and Emergency Medicine and the Chief of Trauma Surgery at the George Washington University School of Medicine. He graduated from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in 1997. He then completed his training in General Surgery at GW in 2004. Following this, he completed fellowship training in Trauma and Critical Care Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. He began his career as an Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Trauma, Emergency Surgery, and Critical Care Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. He was recruited back to GW in 2011 where he is the Founder and Director of the Center for Trauma and Critical Care Network at The George Washington University Hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Center, and at Virginia Hospital Center, a soon-to-be level 2 trauma center. His research interests include measurement of coagulopathy following injury, chest wall injury and reconstruction, and processes to mitigate.
Kirby Thierheimer, BSN, RN
Kirby Thierheimer is an Injury Prevention Specialist at a level 1 trauma center in Texas responsible for monitoring trends in to analyze injury patterns and implement initiatives to decrease the burden of injury. She works with internal and external partners, including hospital administration, bedside clinicians, first responders, and the East Texas Gulf Coast Regional Advisory Council. She has worked to increase bedside clinician, student, and community involvement in injury prevention activities.
Christine Thorkildsen, BSN, CCRN, TCRN
Christine Thorkildsen is the Trauma Program Manager at Medical Center of the Rockies, a Level II ACS Verified Trauma Center in Loveland Colorado. It is one of 12 trauma centers within UCHealth. She has worked as a trauma critical care nurse for 14 years before moving into the trauma program where she has been the manager for 6 years. She is a current ATCN instructor and for Stop the Bleed Course. She holds certifications in CCRN and TCRN.
Audrey Tolouian, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE
Dr. Audrey Tolouian has been a University of Texas at El Paso School of Nursing faculty member for thirteen years in both the RN to BSN and traditional programs. She also teaches Informatics for the Rehabilitation Sciences Department. Before starting at UTEP, Dr. Tolouian worked med-surge and cardiac drug research for several years. She then moved into Quality Management and bariatric surgery. Her areas of interest include chronic illnesses, mindfulness and stress, renal and currently COVID-19.
Krongdai Unhasuta, RN, EdD
Krongdai Unhasuta has her expertise in organizing a trauma system. She is the ATCN Course Director of Thailand, Chairman of Trauma Nurses Society in Thailand, and Trauma Network in Thailand.
Shane Urban, BSN, RN
Shane Urban manages and supports the trauma research program at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. Mr. Urban has streamlined research processes by acting as a single point of contact for vetting research protocols, submitting studies to the ethics board, overseeing research regulatory and compliance, establishing legal agreements, data abstraction, and data submission. He has also implemented new technologies in his department which have led to improved data quality and security.
Pamela Vanderberg, MSN, MBA, RN, TCRN, CEN
Pam has been a nurse for 33 years with a majority of her practice in the emergency, trauma and critical care setting. She has been in trauma program management for 6 years, currently, the Nursing Director of Trauma and EMS outreach at Good Samaritan Medical Center. She thoroughly enjoys all aspects of program management as she works to improve care to our trauma population at all levels. She is a member of the national TQIP committee developing best practice guidelines for SCI patients.
Jill Volgraf, MSN, BA, RN
Jill Volgraf MSN, RN is the Director of Trauma and Burn Operations at Temple University Hospital, an accredited Level 1 Burn and Trauma Center in Philadelphia, PA. She began her career in the ED, then transitioned to Trauma Clinical Coordinator, Trauma Program Manager and then expanded her role acquiring Burn Program as the surgical APP positions. Jill was a previous STN Trauma Leadership Extern and is the current chair of the STN Leadership Committee.
Elizabeth Vorholt, BSN, RN, TCRN
Elizabeth Vorholt is the Program Coordinator at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Regional Burn Center. Her responsibilities include leading the Burn Center’s outreach and community partnerships and managing the PI and QI programs. She previously served as the QI Analyst and Clinical Staff Leader. She is currently pursuing her MSN. Previously, Elizabeth was a staff nurse in the Burn Center for six years and has a passion for burn patients and the specialized critical care they require.
Meghan Waldron, BSN, RN
Meghan graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing in 2003, she is currently working on her MSN from California University of Pennsylvania. Meghan has always worked in trauma and became the clinician on 12D in 2009. Meghan is married to her husband Kurt and have 3 awesome kiddos: Keelyn 14, Mollie 12, and Kaden 8. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, shopping and reading.
Melissa Wholeben, PhD, RN, CNE
Dr. Wholeben is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing with a well-established professional background in education and hands-on patient care. Areas of practice include the emergency room, nursing education, and EMS-Paramedic. Her primary research themes center on Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Management, and Trauma Care. Her current research projects include Trauma-Informed Care, PTSD/Stress Management, and Emergency-Disaster Curriculum drills/training.