He attended both undergraduate and medical school at the University of Maryland, and completed an emergency medicine residency at George Washington and Georgetown Universities. Following residency he did a two year fellowship in Emergency Medical Services with the District of Columbia government and George Washington and Georgetown Universities. In 1995 he completed an MPH at George Washington University. This past year, he completed the Executive MBA program at VCU.

His interest in the program stems from his desire to see safer health care delivered in both the Prehospital environment and in the emergency department. In the Prehospital environment, as the scope of practice continues to expand, the opportunities to reduce error will only increase.

For three years, prior to taking his current position, he was on contract to the Authority as Senior Consultant responsible for the development and implementation of the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS) and patient safety programs.

Prior to working for the Authority, Doering was a Director with the international firm Deloitte Consulting where he was employed for over 16 years. Mr. Doering has 23 years experience in operations management, and process and organizational transformation, primarily in government. He received his BA from Bradley University and an MBA from Indiana University.

After six years on the faculty at Washington University, Dr. Gallagher accepted a position at the University of Washington in both the Departments of Medicine and the Department of Medical History & Ethics. In addition to his research, Dr. Gallagher co-directs the Research Subject Advocate Program at the General Clinical Research Center, a program designed to enhance the safety of research participants. Dr. Gallagher also serves as a physician in the General Medicine Clinic at Roosevelt and as an inpatient attending.

Dr. Gallagher’s research first examined how financial conflicts of interest affect the managed care doctor-patient relationship. Dr. Gallagher’s initial research involved inserting unannounced standardized patients in managed care physicians’ actual patient schedules to study how physicians respond to requests for unindicated services. Dr. Gallagher then served as Principal Investigator for a nationwide survey of 1,000 randomly selected members of the general public regarding their attitudes towards financial incentives for managed care physicians. Dr. Gallagher also published an analysis of Federal policies for managed care financial incentives, as well as a focus-group study of physicians’ experiences of financial conflicts of interest in managed care plans.

Recently, Dr. Gallagher’s research focus has shifted to a different conflict of interest in the doctor-patient relationship, namely the disclosure of medical errors. His current work examines patients’ and doctors’ attitudes about medical error disclosure. His focus group study on this topic was recently published in JAMA. At present he is conducting a large survey to understand physicians’ attitudes and experiences regarding communicating with patients, colleagues, and health care institutions about medical errors. His work is supported by career development awards from the Greenwall Foundation Faculty Scholars in Bioethics Program and from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Joe Hilbert is the Executive Advisor to the State Health Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Joe has worked in state government since 1990. Prior to coming to the Department of Health, Joe served as a Senior Health Policy Analyst with the Virginia General Assembly’s Joint Commission on Health Care. From 1990 to 1998, he was a legislative analyst with the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. In this position, he performed program evaluation and policy analysis for the General Assembly in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of State government administration and management.

Joe received a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from State University of New York at Albany and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from New York University.

Dr. Kennedy is a fellow of the MSV Claude Moore Leadership Institute and she received her MD from the Medical Society of Virginia. She has spent the last 2 years as a member of the physician advisory group of the Sentara Ecare project developing an electronic medical record.

As of January of 2008, Dr. Kennedy has given up Obstetrics. She plans to continue to practice gynecology and to dedicate the rest of her career to improving the safety of medical care, especially obstetrics.

After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree and graduate studies at Old Dominion University, Michael began his career in health care data with a Professional Standards Review Organization (PSRO.)

Michael’s employment background also includes hospitals, Peer Review Organizations, and, since July 1993, as Executive Director for Virginia Health Information, a nonprofit health care information company serving businesses, consumers, providers and others. Through this venue, consumer guides, databases and analytical systems have been designed and made publicly available for use by those interested in making more informed health care decisions.

Michael serves in leadership positions with nonprofit organizations including Virginians Improving Patient Care and Safety, Centralized Credentials Verification Service, Inc.(CCVS) and the National Association of Health Data Organizations.

Ms. Mercier graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Masters of Science in Nursing and also completed the Executive Fellowship in Patient Safety at the MCV School of Health Administration.

Her nursing and managerial experience includes neurosurgery, general surgery, orthopedics and ambulatory care. She was also a Director with a local Managed Care company which is where she first became interested in Patient Safety. She has over 20 years of leadership experience in health care.

Martin Merry brings to his professional engagements a unique background of “Corporate America,” clinical practice and consulting/learning facilitation experience. He received his undergraduate degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University, based upon a unique “campus-factory shop floor” collaboration between Cornell and Corning, Inc. He then earned his medical degree at McGill University in Montreal, subsequently completing residency training in internal medicine, with an additional year of psychiatry residency at Dartmouth and Albany Medical Centers. Dr. Merry then practiced general internal medicine for 8 years with a group practice founded by two Mayo Clinic-trained senior partners. During these years he developed the role of Medical Director for Quality, the first designated medico-administrative position at St. Joseph's Hospital in Elmira, NY.

Building upon his medical practice and medical staff leadership experience in responding to both JCAHO and New York State regulation, Dr. Merry began in 1981 a career devoted to consultation and education in the areas of quality, medical staff leadership, and organizational transition. Presently he has worked with more than 1000 health care organizations in each of the 50 United States and internationally. Clients have included hospitals, physician group practices, managed care plans, multi-hospital systems, health care law firms, consulting firms involved in a variety of health management issues, the U.S. military health system (Project Director, US Department of Defense, Civilian External Peer Review Program, 1987-94), and the JCAHO. He has developed educational programs for the American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, American College of Physician Executives, American College of Healthcare Executives, American Medical Group Association, Medical Group Management Association, Veterans Administration, Indian Health Service and numerous state and regional professional associations. His practice keeps pace with vital issues emanating from the emergence of health care’s information and consumer revolutions. He is a recognized communicator of leading edge quality concepts for health care, including Six Sigma, Human Factors Science, ISO 9000 and Baldrige-based systems development. His present areas of focus include governance and leadership issues of organizational transition, physician liaison and leadership development, integration of quality systems into health system/network development, and creative approaches to address the national issue of patient safety. In order to expand his capabilities in these areas he has recently joined with three other senior consultants to form Dynamic Health Systems, an alliance that focuses on health system leadership and innovation.

In addition to his consulting and educational work, Dr. Merry continues in his part-time positions as Associate Clinical Professor of Health Management and Policy at the University of New Hampshire and Senior Advisor for Medical Affairs for the New Hampshire Hospital Association, a position created in 1994 to foster effective communication and collaboration between clinical and managerial professionals as they pursue health systems development.

Ms. Miller was Director of Women’s and Children’s Services for 8+ years and managed
EIRMC’s Labor and Delivery, Post-partum, GYN, Nursery, NICU, PICU, and Pediatrics
services.

Ms. Miller is currently a Perinatal Consultant for Hospital Corporation of America
(HCA) and a Clinical Quality Specialist at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center
(EIRMC), an acute-care hospital in Idaho Falls, ID.

Ms. Miller is an active member of the HCA Corporate Perinatal Clinical Workgroup,
where she has reviewed guidelines and protocols, led in the development of practice and
education guidelines, and provided recommendations to advisory committees for global
implementation.

She is also an active member of the HCA Corporate Fetal Heart Monitor Council. In this
role, she has provided recommendations for global fetal monitoring programs, facilitated
education, and provided recommendations for remediation planning. She is a nationwide
instructor trainer in AWHONN’s Intermediate, Advanced and Instructor courses.
She is currently the only Instructor Trainer in AWHONN fetal monitoring in Idaho.
Since 1999, Ms. Miller has been an active member of the Idaho State Perinatal Board, a
multi-specialty advisory board for perinatal and neonatal issues for the state of Idaho.
Board members included physicians and nurses from hospitals in Idaho. In this role, she
has worked with The March of Dimes, Vital Statistics, Sound Beginnings, WIC, and
other Idaho organizations in building better outcomes for women and children.

Ms. Miller has served as a legal nurse consultant and expert witness for various attorneys.
She also has been an instructor at EIRMC in critical care, prenatal care, and paramedics,
and a registered nurse in labor and delivery (including flight nursing).

Quinn was part of the WalMart team that rolled out the innovative $4 generic drug program that is changing the healthcare landscape in America. For this work he was one of the 2007 cowinners of the companies Sam M. Walton Entrepreneur Award. Prior to joining WalMart in 2006 Quinn was Director of Policy for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Quinn was responsible for the development of the Healthy Arkansas Initiative that became Healthy America when Huckabee was elected Chairman of the National Governors Association, and was instrumental in the development of the nationally acclaimed ARKids First program that reduced the number of uninsured Arkansas children by half.

In 2002 Quinn was Director of Communications for the successful Huckabee reelection campaign. Prior to that Quinn was Director of Communications for the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Before entering public service Quinn was an award winning television journalist with the CBS TV affiliate in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Quinn and his wife Shannon live in Rogers, Arkansas with their two children.
 

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is dedicated to protecting and promoting the health of Virginians.

VDH is made up of a statewide Central Office in Richmond and 35 local health districts. These entities work together to promote healthy lifestyle choices that can combat chronic disease, to educate the public about emergency preparedness and threats to their health, and to track disease outbreaks in Virginia.

VDH is led by the State Health Commissioner, Dr. Karen Remley. The State Health Commissioner serves as the principal advisor to Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources Marilyn Tavenner and the Virginia General Assembly on a wide range of public health issues. Dr. Remley was appointed by Governor Timothy M. Kaine in 2008. Dr. Remley has been involved in every aspect of health care including positions as Vice President of Medical Affairs at Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, Medical Director of External Quality at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Virginia and Chief Executive Officer of Physicians for Peace.

Dr. Remley earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City; a Masters in Business Administration from Duke University; and an undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. She is a pediatrician and certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, sub-board of Pediatric Emergency Medicine. 

Dr. Salluzzo previously served as CEO and chief medical officer of Conemaugh Health System in Johnstown, Pa. Before joining Conemaugh in 1998, he served as president and CEO of the 400-member faculty practice at Albany Medical Center in New York. He previously worked as chairman of and a professor in the department of emergency medicine at Albany College Medical University.

A graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Dr. Salluzzo received his medical degree from Boston's Tufts University School of Medicine and earned a master's degree in business administration from the acclaimed Katz School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh. He is board certified in internal medicine and emergency medicine.

He is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and a member of the American College of Physician Executives and the American Medical Association. Dr. Salluzzo has published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers and abstracts and is the author of a management textbook for emergency medicine.

Dr. Salluzzo serves on the boards of directors for the Tennessee Hospital Association and the Hospital Alliance of Tennessee and is a member of the advisory council for the Tennessee Center for Patient Safety. In 2007, he was named the nation's sixth-most-powerful physician executive by Modern Healthcare and Modern Physician magazines. He was also recognized as one of 2007’s 100 most powerful people in health care by Modern Healthcare, ranking No. 48 on the Top 100 list.

He and his wife, Nancy, have three daughters and two grandchildren.

Richard is also President and Chief Executive Officer of PatientFlow Technology, Inc., which he co-founded with Professor Eugene Litvak. PatientFlow Technology provides consulting and software services to hospitals to improve patient flow. In addition, Mr. Siegrist is Senior Vice President of WebMD Health Services and was previously Senior Vice President & General Manager of WebMD Quality Services. WebMD is the leading provider of health information for consumers, employers and health plans.

Richard Siegrist co-founded and served as President and CEO of HealthShare Technology, Inc. until WebMD acquired the company. HealthShare provided healthcare information on quality and cost to hospitals and health plans though decision support software and consulting services. He received a US patent (#5,652,842) with his brother Donald for “Analysis and reporting of performance of service providers.”

Richard Siegrist also co-founded Transition Systems, Inc. (TSI), a for-profit subsidiary of Tufts New England Medical Center in Boston that was acquired by Eclipsys. At various times, he served as Vice President of Consulting, Vice President of Operations and Chief Financial Officer for a leading provider of hospital cost accounting and decision support software. Richard began his career in healthcare at New England Medical Center.

Richard received an MBA from the Harvard Business School, an MS in Accounting from the New York University Graduate School of Business and a BA in Political Economy from Williams College.

Mr. Webber currently sits on the Board of Directors of the National Quality Forum, the Leapfrog Group, the Bridges to Excellence organization, and the Center for Information Therapy. He is a member of the Purchaser/Business Advisory Councils for the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and the eHealth Initiative.

Prior to joining NBCH, Mr. Webber was a Vice President for External Relations and
Public Policy at the National Committee for Quality Assurance. In this role, Mr. Webber directed all government relation activities and outreach efforts to the employer and consumer communities. Previous positions also include Senior Associate for the Consumer Coalition for Quality Health Care and Executive Vice President for the American Medical Peer Review Association (currently renamed the American Health Quality Association). Mr. Webber started his health care career in 1978 as an employee of the Washington Business Group on Health (WBGH), rising to the position of Vice President for Public Policy.

Mr. Webber is a frequent speaker and lecturer on health care policy issues. He is a
graduate of Harvard University.