Current and Past Participants

Andrew Bryant, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine

Project focus: Implement a waitlist review process with the goal of optimizing the transfer of patients from other hospitals to Internal Medicine services at UIHC.

Tracey A. Cho, MD, MA

Clinical Professor, Neurology

Project focus: Elevate the level of care, education, and research of the Neuroimmunology Division and our regional and national reputation

Katy Demeulenaere, BSW

Behavioral Health Manager, Social Services

Project focus: Optimize transportation process for Medicaid beneficiaries and improve early discharge and LOS concerns or issues from a transportation perspective.

Stephanie Edmonds, PhD, MPH, RN

Nurse Scientist, Nursing

Project focus: Create and implement a strategic marketing plan for UIHC Nursing Research and EBP products, programs, and expertise. 

Kristi Foster, DNP, C-PNP, C-PMHNP

Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, Pediatrics

Project focus: Comprehensive Development of an Expansion Plan for the Pediatric Psycho-Oncology Program.

Amber Frederick, RDN, LD, CNSC

Healthcare Services Supervisor/ Assistant Manager, Food and Nutrition Services

Project focus: Improve the consumption rate of supplements offered to patients that are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.

Paul E. Ganss, EdD, NRP

Director, EMS Learning Resource Center, Emergency Medical Services

Project focus: Develop a comprehensive, two semester Community Paramedic education program.

Nicole Graf, MHA

Fellow, UI Physicians

Project focus: Develop and implement a new Epic Note to be used by IM: Hospitalists and Super Triage to manage and assess patients awaiting transfer on a daily cadence to prioritize patient transfers given UIHC’s limited bed availability.

Nathalee C. Grue, MSN, RN, CCRN-K

Nurse Manager, Nursing

Project focus: Provide Nurse Managers with tools to assist them in managing and planning their budget.

Zoe Horak, MHA

Fellow, UI Physicians

Project focus: Offer providers a document that outlines what is included in digital health and how to best offer this service for patients.

Megan Humphreys, RDN

Healthcare Services Supervisor/ Assistant Manager, Food and Nutrition Services

Project focus: Implement a room service associate model in patient services.

Jill Kain, MSN, ARNP

Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, Orthopaedic Surgery

Project focus: Implementing implanted device screening in Ambulatory clinics: Identification of implanted devices to improve MRI processes.

Michelle A. Koller, MHA, CPC-A

Healthcare Services Supervisor/ Assistant Manager, Orthopaedic Surgery

Project focus: Create a workers compensation tool kit that can be applied to any clinical department

Christina Kopp, ARNP

PA/ARNP/NNP Supervisor, Family Medicine

Project focus: Pilot APP eConsults to discuss non-surgical patient care, management, and expedite patient follow up between departments.

Tera Kringle, MS

Patient Experience Coach, Office of Patient Experience

Project focus: Continued implementation of Ambulatory C3 Program, focusing on: delivery of training, fostering clinic-level sustainment, and measuring success.

Molly Kucera, MBAHC, BSN, RN,CNAMB, CNOR

Associate Director, Ambulatory Surgery Center

Project focus: Improve engagement and retention for frontline nurses in the periop division.

Narayan Kulkarni, MHA, MBA, CPH

Fellow, Hospital Administration

Project focus: Enhance Hospital Administration’s Administrator on Call manual through centralized content and monitoring processes.

Robert Linnell, PA-C, MPAS

PA/ARNP/NNP Supervisor, UI Community Clinics

Project focus: Refine and expand the telemedicine platform and workflows and build a system for expanding to other departments within the UIHC.

Gina M. Lockwood, MD, MS

Clinical Assistant Professor, Urology

Project focus: Improve access and content for written and online educational materials for Pediatric Urology patients and parents.

Brittany McGraw, LISW, ACSW

Social Work Specialist I, Psychiatry

Project focus: Finalization and rollout of ICON training, provision of further education and support for staff encountering human trafficking concerns across the hospital.

Kyle Minehart, MBA

Manager of Capital Accounting, Finance and Accounting Services

Project focus: Centralize asset replacement data sources to feed into one dashboard. 

Jennifer Pidima, BSE

Quality & Opportunity Improvement Engineer, Quality Improvement Program (QuIP)

Project focus: Decreasing patient wait time, improving patient access, and improving UIHC staff satisfaction by standardizing and optimizing the IVF 1st Patient Appointment.

Courtney Ralph

Facility Coordinator, College of Medicine Administration

Project focus: Provide senior leadership and departmental officers a graphic representation of grant funding and square feet assigned to primary investigators.

Keri Shelton, MSN, RN, CPAN

Nurse Manager, Nursing

Project focus: Improve the ability to safely staff the pre and postoperative anesthesia units throughout the perioperative division (MOR, ASC, SFCH).

Mark J. Siebenga

Security Manager, Safety & Security

Project focus: Increase the security of the SFCH using new technology. 

Lauren Thomann, DNP, ARNP, PMHNP-BC

APP Lead, Psychiatry

Project focus: Development of formal performance recognition program for APPs in the department of psychiatry.

Sarah Tierney, PharmD, BCPPS

Manager, Pharmacy

Project focus: Develop a pharmacy readiness plan to support UIHC’s initiative to implement Beacon for Pediatric Oncology. 

Melissa Vermillion, RN, BSN

Quality & Opportunity Improvement Senior Engineer, Clinical Documentation Improvement

Project focus: Implementation of Quality CDI RNs. 

Julie Williams, RN BSN MHA

Interim Associate Director, Nursing

Project focus: Enhance care coordination of patients through the perioperative experience. 

2021-2022 Executive Leadership Academy participants poster

Carryn Anderson

Clinical Assistant Professor Radiation Oncology

Project focus: Improve recruitment for Radiation Oncology residency program by developing a strategic marketing and outreach plan.

Steven Anderson

Assistant Manager Guest Services

Project focus: Utilize the technology available via Epic Transport to automate transport assignments and making the patient escort program more efficient.

Lauren Dorzinski

Assistant Director Food and Nutrition Services

Project focus: Utilize Tableau to integrate existing CBORD data structures for enhanced decision support in food service operations.

Friederike Fischer

Hospitalist Internal Medicine

Project focus: The implementation of a timely inpatient medication reconciliation process to decrease length of stay, associated care costs, and to increase patient safety.

Max Freund

Director Marketing, Digital/Multimedia

Project focus: Rebuild of uihc.org and uichildrens.org on a new content management system. This project in full will tackle the functionalist, structure, and aesthetics of our two core patient-focused web properties.

Mariko Hagiwara

Clinical Assistant Professor Internal Medicine

Project focus: Streamlining the process of inpatient transfers between UIHC and ICVA to gain back time consumed by team members, resulting in decrease in hospital occupancy rate and length of stay.

Gary E. Harnet

Nurse Manager Nursing

Project focus: Implement best practice strategies and new technology, to improve patient perception of noise, in and around their room, during their inpatient stay.

Michelle Havinga

Director Population Health Operations/ACO

Project focus: Increase volume of diabetic eye exams performed via IDx-DR, an AI diagnostic system.

Hermann Hounkponou

Senior Application Developer HCIS

Project focus: Collaborate with the Cherwell team in order to improve the data request process, ticket prioritization and time tracking for the Reporting and Analytics Team in HCIS.

Becky Humpal

Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Nursing

Project focus: Develop a comprehensive wound care approach to decreasing surgical site infections in cesarean section patients which can be expanded to an organizational level.

Randy Jenkins

Assistant Director Engineering Services

Project focus: Controlling Engineering Services supply costs by streamlining ordering and inventory processes.

Dana Jones

Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Nursing

Project focus: Work with CMS and other major insurance companies to add a qualifier to coding and billing to allow APP specialty recognition for reimbursement for services.

Jennifer Krantz

Assistant Nurse Manager Family Medicine

Project focus: Improve the current workflow in which clinical delays are communicated to patients thus improving patient's perception about delays and also improving Press Ganey scores for IRL East Family Medicine patients.

Andy Kuse

Life Safety Manager Engineering Services

Project focus: Improve the accountability and accuracy of inspection testing and maintenances activities at UIHC through measurable database platforms.

Douglas E. Laux

Clinical Assistant Professor Internal Medicine

Project focus: Improve mentorship program for clinical investigators within the HCCC, and develop a program to train and assist physicians in conducting investigator initiated clinical trials.

Alex Mersch

Manager Specialty Pharmacy

Project focus: Enhancing prescription capture rate through growth of a centralized specialty pharmacy model.

Wendy Meyers

Administrative Services Specialist Marketing and Communication

Project focus: Strengthen communication to our UI Health Care providers, and implement ways to improve provider to provider communication - both internally and externally.

Alex Nance

Director Office of the Patient Experience

Project focus: Development of a comprehensive Ambulatory C3 Curriculum to be implemented in UI Health Care’s Clinics.

Santiago Ortega

Clinical Associate Professor Neurology

Project focus: Expand the neurointerventional program throughout the state including telemedicine, and satellite sites for acute coverage.

Dionne F. Peacher

Clinical Assistant Professor Anesthesia

Project focus: Improve patient safety and medication documentation administration by adoption of intraoperative infusion pump integration.

Stefanie Pirkl

HR Director Pediatrics

Project focus: Enhance Pediatric's administrative staff development.

Ryon Rasmussen

Fellow UIP

Project focus: Provide the appropriate resources for both employees and employers when it comes to COVID-19 testing.

Irena G. Rupp

Clinical Assistant Professor Surgery

Project focus: Evaluate impact of COVID-19 on surgeons and surgical patients, as well as volume of elective surgeries at UIHC compared to normal operation.

Kathryn Steffen

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Pediatrics

Project focus: Evaluation of APP transition to practice at UIHC and implementation of Transition to Practice Fellowship to support new graduate APPs through formalized curriculum, mentoring and fostering of research and publication.

Bridget Toomey

Assistant Director OBGYN

Project focus: Institute a labor and delivery center of excellence by creating a culture of mutual respect, improving communication, improving maternal and neonatal outcomes, and planning an overall vision for OBGYN at UIHC.

Erin Willits

Fellow Hospital Administration

Project focus: Creating and implementing an electronic tool for timely review of staffing data.

Brandy Wood

Associate Director Finance

Project focus: Implementation of a rolling forecast to be used at UIHC, which will allow for real time assessments and increased flexibility in financial decisions.

Yousef Zakharia

Clinical Associate Professor Internal Medicine

Project focus: Grow the Phase 1 Clinical Trials Program at HCCC and bring innovative treatment options for our cancer patients.

2020-2021 Executive Leadership Academy participants poster

Lovkesh Arora

Clinical Associate Professor Anesthesia

Project focus: Develop Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) billing for sustainability.

Ravi Ashwath

Clinical Associate Professor Pediatrics

Project focus: Improving Outreach Pediatric Cardiology Clinical productivity.

Jacqueline Buol

Senior Compliance Coordinator Clinical Staff Office

Project focus: Develop an online application for direct download of practitioner data.

Cody Ching

Associate Clinical Department Administrator Pediatrics

Project focus: Expansion of the Neonatal Transport Program is designed to improve the access and quality of care for the state’s most critically ill neonates.

Dana Cook

Nursing Practice Leader Nursing Administration

Project focus: Development a new response team that would respond to patients who are becoming verbally aggressive and not requiring immediate hands-on intervention.

Jacque Decker

E&A Project Manager College of Medicine

Project focus: Develop the most universal clinical exam pod.

Julie Hartman

Operations Manager Hospital Administration

Project focus: A self-assessment to prepare the Center for Procedural Skills and Simulation (CPSS) to grow from a ‘Focused’ to ‘Comprehensive’  American College of Surgeons (ACS) Accredited Educational Institute (AEI).

Hilary Humphrey

Administrative Services Specialist Internal Medicine - GI/Hep

Project focus: Decreasing scheduling lag in Digestive Health through the use of a referral decision tree.

Randi Jelinek

Compliance Associate Director Joint Office for Compliance

Project focus: Standardize provider education across specialties to focus on high risk areas of coding and EHR utilization. 

Jaclyn Kolosik

Senior Financial Analyst Ophthalmology

Project focus: Review and evaluate UI Optical business and operations, ensuring efficiency and optimum workflow for both patients, staff, and bottom line.

Ashly Lagneaux

Healthcare Planner Capital Management

Project focus: Develop processes and improvements for UIHC Capital Management Design and Construction Transfer Packages.

Jeffery Landry

Supply Chain Coordinator Material Services

Project focus: Transitioning the Linen and Laundry department inventory to an electronic tracking system to improve efficiencies in ordering and delivery processes.

Ben Mohr

Admin Fellow Hospital Administration

Project focus: Reduce error likelihood and decrease process waste through the use of a just-in-time blood management system.

Elizabeth Moore

Associate Director Heart and Vascular Center

Project focus: Creation of a cardiovascular service line clinical operations council focused on quality, safety, patient, and staff satisfaction.

Sheila Ouverson

Assistant Director Cancer Center

Project focus: The development of a cancer rehabilitation program at UIHC to increase the visibility and reputation of the hematological malignancies program to free up inpatient capacity by reducing length of stay for eligible patients. 

Janine Petitgout

Co-Director Care Coordination Division - Pediatrics
Program Director Pediatric Pain and Palliative Care

Project focus: Increase awareness and development of the pediatric complexity tool within EPIC.

Yatish Ranganath

Clinical Assistant Professor Anesthesia

Project focus: Developing an innovative approach to delivery of pain care in the peri-operative setting with goals of improving patient satisfaction scores and reducing chronic post-surgical pain and opioid dependence.

Heather Roman

Operations and Communications Manager CDD

Project focus: Discover and develop ways to empower our clinical providers and support staff to help manage the critical touchpoints of our clinic when looking to increase patient and staff satisfaction and manage expectations.

Katie Schaier

UIP Fellow University of Iowa Physicians

Project focus: eConsult Optimization & Expansion Project: Expanding the scope of eConsults to additional adult and pediatric specialties to support patient access.

Jennifer Stout

Administrative Services Specialist College of Medicine

Project focus: Develop an Emergency Preparedness Plan for the College of Medicine that includes implementing a quick alert communication tool, emergency action plans for 12 buildings and provides building occupants first steps to action during an emergent event.

Ergun Uc

Professor Neurology

Project focus: Organization of the First Annual UI Parkinson’s Disease Patient Symposium to enhance education and UI Outreach to Parkinson’s disease community.

Melissa Vermillion

Staff Nurse Clinical Documentation Improvement

Project focus: Develop and implement the 3M 360MD query process for inpatient providers, in an effort to streamline the query process, enhance documentation accuracy, and improve documentation related metrics for our organization.

Kelly Vinquist

Clinical Assistant Professor Psychiatry

Project focus: Extending an initiative to reduce restrictive responses to challenging behaviors exhibited by patients and evaluating interdisciplinary training opportunities.

Anureet Walia

Clinical Assistant Professor Anesthesia

Project focus: Developing the Pediatric Comprehensive Pain Clinic.

Sue Witte

Behavioral Health Clinical Manager/Coordinator of the Family Support Program Social Services

Project focus: Creation of a UIHC Donor Memorial Wall.  

2019-2020 Executive Leadership Academy participants poster

Danielle Allen

Manager Human Resources, Learning and Development

Project focus: Develop and implement a supervisor training program focused on employment laws and policies to ensure supervisors throughout UI Health Care have the knowledge to successfully supervise others.

Guru Bhoojhawon

Clinical Assistant Professor Pediatrics

Project focus: Standardize scheduled general pediatric as well as nursery admissions.

Jonathan Bothell

Director Office of the Patient Experience

Project focus: Implementation of a Provider Communication Program that utilizes Evidence-based communication skills to enhance the communication practices of Care Providers at UIHC.

Nick Butler

Clinical Assistant Professor Family Medicine

Project focus: Improving physician understanding of patient communication and medical management preferences through a novel medical personality inventory aimed at improving patient-physician alignment.

Philip Danzer

Healthcare Services Supervisor/Assistant Manager Radiology

Project focus: Better connect Radiology residents with departmental research and researchers, and related departments and focus areas, throughout their entire Radiology residency.

Teresa Franklin

Assistant Director, Clinical Applications HCIS

Project focus: The After Visit Summary optimization project improved the key health information communicated between providers and patients across the state of Iowa. 

Jonathan Garringer

Facilities Services Coord Environmental and Guest Services

Project focus: Implementing a “Huddle Board” in CWS Environmental Services that will eventually be implemented throughout all of Environmental Services.

Yuya Hagiwara

Clinical Assistant Professor Internal Medicine

Project focus: Develop an innovative approach to the Outpatient Supportive & Palliative Care Clinic Flow.

Greg Hamilton

Healthcare Services Manager/Assistant Department Director Hospital Admin

Project focus: Develop a process for specialty palliative telehealth consultation in partnership with the Virtual Hospitalist Program, as a means of advancing Palliative Outreach.

John Heinemann

Manager, Clinical Practice and Operations Pediatrics

Project focus: Complete a staffing & template analysis for the Department of Pediatric specialty providers (both physicians and APPs) across all practice locations (PSC, IRL, & Outreach) to develop departmental template guidelines and protocols to reduce variation and inefficiency.  

Justin Kahler

Program Coordinator Cancer Center

Project focus: Develop value-based metrics and reporting mechanism for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program.

Diane Lamb

Nursing Manager Nursing Admin

Project focus: Implementation and ongoing development  of a Fixed Wing program at the University of Iowa with initial focus on neonate, pediatric patient and then expanding to all appropriate patient populations. 

Dan Lose

Nurse Manager - 6RC Nursing

Project focus: Training RNs to complete patient mobility assessment and using data to drive decision-making for interdisciplinary team. 

Alisha Loy

Qual & Op Improv Engineer Operations Excellence

Project focus: Building a Quality and Lean Foundation for "Cancer's Newest Miracle Cure."

Jenna Lueth

HR Manager Pharmacy

Project focus: Development of a comprehensive, accredited pharmacy technician training program with the goal of providing hands-on and experiential training to individuals entering the pharmacy technician career field.

Lyndsey Mascher

Compliance Specialist Compliance

Project focus: Assess ligature risk and mitigation plans at UIHC to ensure compliance with Joint Commission suicide prevention standards.

Rachel McGuire

Mgr, Acct and Financial Analysis Pediatrics

Project focus: Create and implement a Stead Family Department of Pediatrics Purchasing Policy that will streamline purchases made by division administration in our decentralized structure and create efficiencies in the approval process of departmental purchases.

Christine McNair

Certified RN Anesthetist/Sup Anesthesia

Project focus: The Patient Centered Perioperative Care project aims to improve patient flow through full coordination across the pre-surgical and post-surgical care continuum. 

Jason Miller

Director Project Management Capital Management

Project focus: Create a data driven tool enabling leadership to properly evaluate space allocation to a department or faculty member at the Carver College of Medicine based on strategic vision, research synergies, grant funding, and space availability.  

Anne Nielsen

PA/ARNP Hospitalist Pediatrics

Project focus: Updating the Child Protection Clinical Guidelines and Epic Order Sets.

Kim Ogden

Admin Fellow Hospital Admin

Project focus: Evaluation of the current MA:RN staffing model in ambulatory clinics in order to determine the appropriate model that supports physicians while improving clinic efficiency and throughput.

Sanela Omic

Support Services Coordinator Family Medicine

Project focus: Leverage Epic, MyChart, and Welcome tablet functionalities to optimize the patient check-in and registration processes.

Josh Paxton

Qual and Op Improv Engineer Office of the Patient Experience

Project focus: Improving the patient experience in the Emergency Department waiting area.

Andrew Phillips

Assistant Manager Rehab Therapies

Project focus: Implementation of a screening process to determine appropriateness for physical therapy evaluation and intervention on 6 Roy Carver inpatient unit.

Nicholas Poch

Nursing Manager - 2RC Nursing Admin

Project focus: Optimize the use of ultrasound guided peripheral IV placement to improve the patient experience and reduce hospital acquired infections (HAIs).

Abdul Qazi

Fellow Internal Medicine

Project focus: Creating a closed cardiac intermediate care unit.

Catherine Radzewich

Senior Project Manager HCIS

Project focus: Develop, evaluate and recommend process changes to the PMO project life cycle to support project managers and project leaders to identify, measure and communicate sustainable project benefits. 

Prerna Rastogi

Clinical Assistant Professor Pathology

Project focus: Develop and document a standardized workflow for the 3­D Histech P1000 (Pathology slide scanner) to utilize the scanned slides in patient care setting.

Sarah Schneider

Nurse Practice Leader Nursing Admin

Project focus: Complete a gap analysis for the Experienced Nurse Fellowship program to evaluate alignment with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) global standards and develop a timeline to pursue ANCC Practice Transition Accreditation (PTAP).

Amber Skoglund

Compliance Coordinator Compliance

Project focus: Work with stakeholders to bring our institution into compliance with The Joint Commission's 2018 Pain Standards.

Christina Woline

Nursing Practice Leader Nursing Admin

Project focus: Gain a better understanding of the differences in delegated task unit-by-unit and determine how the organization could optimize the role of the nursing assistant allowing them to function at their highest level of training.  

2018-2019 Executive Leadership Academy participants poster

Nathanael Adam

Assistant Director, Administrative Applications HCIS

Project focus: Implementation of EPIC's Transfer Center module to improve standardization of data capture and improve monitoring, trending, and reporting of incoming patient transfers to UIHC.

Kyle Anson

Director of Compensation Health Care Human Resources

Project focus: Exploring additional pay practices to aid in the recruitment and retention of Staff Nurses.

Jessica Block

Nurse Manager 6JC Nursing

Project focused: Improve 6JC staff retention.

Michelle Borgwardt

Senior Physical Therapist, Assistant Manager Rehabilitation Therapies Department

Project focus: Streamlining inpatient physical therapy at UIHC: focus on value by emphasizing efficiency and efficacy.

Kristin Bramow

Administrative Fellow Hospital Admin

Project focus: Preparing for the opening of the new cancer clinic.

David Bush

Program Manager Internal Medicine

Project focus: Developing telemedicine services for general Infectious Diseases and Virology patients across the state of Iowa.

Sara Caven

Program Director Nursing Recruitment/Magnet

Project focus: Develop an additional support classification/role for the intensive care units that would allow us to reallocate our full scope nursing assistant workforce to the inpatient units that require their skills.

Julie Cayler

Research Manager Clinical Research Unit of the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science 

Project focus: Develop the Academy for Research Professionals into an initial standardized and documented competency based orientation process for new research staff throughout UI. 

Muhammad Furqan

Clinical Assistant Professor, Medical Director of Clinical Services Internal Med - HCCC

Project focus: Improve wait time and patient’s satisfaction at their appointments in Holder Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Jeydith Gutierrez

Clinical Assistant Professor Internal Medicine - Hospitalist

Project focus: PRICE: Patient Regionalization to Improve Care Efficiency for impatient medicine teams.

Kirsten Hanrahan

Interim Director, Nursing Research, Evidence-Based Practice & Quality Nursing

Project focus: Establish a cost structure for nursing services related to industry sponsored research.

Jennifer Harbison

Director of Health Policy VPMA

Project focus: Develop and implement a legislative and regulatory tracking system tied to the UI Health Care Strategic Plan to centralize information and UI Health Care positions.

Michael Hesseltine

Manager UI Patient Access Center 

Project focus: Create new INPT discharge follow up orders, one for specialty care follow up and one for Primary Care Provider follow up needs. Embed these new orders in the discharge navigator workflow for a providers’ ease of access. Route these new orders, when signed, to the Schedule Orders Workqueue to be worked by priority by outpatient schedulers. The orders will be added to the After Visit Summary document for clinical education prior to discharge.

Janet Hosking

Nursing Practice Leader, Nurse Residency Coordinator Nursing Clinical Education Center 

Project focus: The purpose of this project will be to develop a proposal and timeline for application for the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) Provisional Accreditation for the University of Iowa interprofessional simulation center.

Ethan Frank Kuperman

Clinical Assistant Professor Internal Medicine

Project focus: Expand our Virtual Hospitalist Service; a service where we provide academic hospitalist staffing to small rural hospitals using telemedicine.

Anil Marian

Clinical Associate Professor, Medical Director of Anesthesia Informatics, Physician Informatics Officer, Clinical Director of Main Operating Rooms Anesthesia

Project focus: Epic Anesthesia enhancements including use of Haiku and Canto applications for improving documentation and timely billing.

Yusuf Menda

Associate Professor Program Director, Nuclear Medicine Residency Radiology

Project focus: Re-organize the scheduling of work during the day to make the combined operation of the nuclear medicine and PET clinics more efficient.

Jayne Nelson

HR Generalist Engineering Services, Guest Services, & Employee Health 

Project focus: Create a Support Services orientation to improve culture, reduce turnover, and provide consistent training and expectations for our new employees. 

Evelyn Perry

Associate Administrative Director Adult Hospitalist Program – Internal Medicine

Project focus: Implement a structured huddle with the multidisciplinary team to share key metrics for the 5 South Unit.

Connie Phommaly

Project Manager Division of General Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

Project focus: Patient Access in Outpatient General Pediatrics.

Stuart K. Pitman

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Acute Care - Department of Pharmaceutical Care
Clinical Assistant Professor Applied Clinical Science -Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science

Project focus: Determining the possibilities for increased fiscal responsibility by retrospectively analyzing UIHC’s use of inpatient biologic therapies for the treatment of adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Brad Seaton

Manager, Finance Analysis Pathology

Project focus: Work collaboratively with nursing and medical leadership to develop a cost benefit analysis for a 24/7 phlebotomy service.

Mel Sharafuddin

Clinical Associate Professor Surgery

Project focus: Optimizing the financial performance of the complex aortic endovascular surgery program at the University of Iowa Heart and Vascular Center.

Tejinder Singh Swaran Singh

Clinical Assistant Professor, Pain Medicine Fellowship Director, Department of Anesthesiology

Project focus: Creation of an online educational module on Responsible Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Non Cancer Pain with the aim of incorporating that into the Compliance System for Practitioners.

Becky Skinner

Manager Respiratory Care - Pulmonary Diagnostics & Hyperbaric Medicine

Project focus: To implement a Respiratory Therapy Educator Specialist program targeting chronic pulmonary disease patients that will provide education on respiratory medication delivery, self-management techniques and coordinate with the Pulmonary Clinic for discharge follow-up to improve continuity of care.

Sarah Titler

Clinical Assistant Professor, Interim Clinical Director SFCH Operating Rooms Anesthesia

Project focus: Decrease Stead Family Children’s Hospital Operating Room turnover times.

Michelle Turner

Nurse Manager IRL

Project focus: Measurement of staff satisfaction and perception of teamwork after the implementation of TeamSTEPPS in a multi-specialty clinic setting.

Staci Vaske

ARNP/PA Supervisor SNICU Anesthesia

Project focus: Creating a Fellowship program for critical care advanced practice providers.

Melissa Whisler

Clinical Department Administrator Pediatrics

Project focus: Develop a standardized onboarding and training program for administrative support leaders across all divisions in the Stead Family Department of Pediatrics.

Allison Wynes

MICU Lead APP Internal Medicine, Division of Pulm Critical Care 

Project focus: Creating a Fellowship program for critical care advanced practice providers.

Amy Yoder Dowden

Clinical Associate Professor Internal Medicine - Immunology

Project focus: The development of a dedicated team based inpatient service to prioritize, then evaluate for penicillin allergy.

Lisa Zavala

Lead, Project Manager UI Physicians

Project focus: Multi-phased collaborative effort between the UI Physicians and UI Pharmacy to standardize and centralize pharmacy services. Project goals are to focus on reducing risk of pharmacy denials, increase patient satisfaction, and decrease clinician administrative burden.

2017-2018 Executive Leadership Academy participant poster

Susan Berends

Quality and Safety Specialist Clinical Quality Safety and Performance Improvement

Project focus: A standardized plan for advanced practice provider onboarding: proposing the ideal state.

DeAnna Brennan

Quality & Operations Improvement Manager/Director Clinical Documentation Improvement

Project focus: Standardization of documentation queries in Epic with integration of UIHC approved Documentation Guidelines.

Jenniffer Carpe

Nurse Manager Ophthalmology Clinic

Project focus: Improve operations including patient access and through put in pediatric ophthalmology clinic setting and determine if growth is financially viable.

Anna Cigrand

Administrative Fellow Hospital Administration

Project focus: Developing a standardized process for completion of advanced care planning throughout the organization.

Tara Clark

Renal Services Administrator Dialysis

Project focus: Transitioning Prisoners on Dialysis to a Home Dialysis Treatment Modality at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center.

Trishul Dahya

Senior Project Manager Capital Management

Project focus: Evaluate the sustainability of new technology and building materials used in the 4 new operating rooms.

Nicholas Dreyer

Assistant Director, Clinical Applications HCIS

Project focus: Implement Laboratory Information Systems for UIHC's non-Pathology laboratories.

Matthew Espy

Senior IT Security Analyst HCIS

Project focus: Improve the after hours Help Desk phone quality and workflow to improve experience for customer and support staff.

Jill Furgason

Senior Project Manager HCIS

Project focus: To develop a Population Health Dashboard that tracks ACO metrics and generates targets.

Denise Grafft

Assistant Director, Clinical Applications HCIS

Project focus: Analysis and implementation of the Epic Case Management module.

Jessica Hanson

Assistant Nurse Manager 6RCP- Adult Internal Medicine 

Project focus: Develop program to sponsor UIHC health care workers in providing international aid.

Karisa Harland

Associate Research Scientist Emergency Medicine

Project focus: Increasing acute care research through campus wide utilization of the Emergency Department Research Enroller Program (ED-REP).

Lynnette Kenne

Lean Management Engineer Department of Operations Excellence

Project focus: Improve the sharps injuries reporting process for residents in the MOR.

Vicki Kijewski

Clinical Professor Psychiatry/Internal Medicine

Project focus: Improvement of Psychiatry Admission and Transfer Process.

Maria Lofgren

Director of Advanced Practice Providers Nursing Administration

Project focus: A standardized plan for advanced practice provider onboarding: proposing the ideal state.

Brad Manning

Hospitalist, 6RC Medical Director Internal Medicine

Project focus: Initiate nurse-physician joint rounding on 6RC to improve communication and coordination of care.

Jennifer McDanel

Quality and Safety Specialist Clinical Quality, Safety, and Performance Improvement

Project focus: Perform a restrospective analysis that will identify factors associated with improving early identification and treatment of patients with sepsis. 

Michael Mullinnix

Assistant Director, Administrative Applications HCIS

Project focus: Implementation of Patient Estimate functionality in Epic to provide patients with an accurate estimate of their out-of-pocket responsibility for common procedures.

Kip Pedersen

Support Services Manager IRL

Project focus: Providing a new patient experience by offering Shared Medical Appointments in our IRL Diabetes Center.

Cory Pfab

Senior Project Manager HCIS

Project focus: Replace UIHC's nurse call system and integrate with other hospital systems to provide timely notifications and enable nursing to make data-driven decisions.

Zachary Pollock

Associate Director, Clinical Cancer Services Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center

Project focus: Implementation of Supportive Oncology Services.

Barbara Schuessler

Associate Director, Nursing Emergency Medicine

Project focus: Designing updated triage space and accompanying workflows to decrease left Without Being Seen measure and increase patient satisfaction.

Shane Sedenka

Pharmacy Operations Supervisor Ambulatory Care Pharmacy

Project focus: Networking our high performing pharmacy services and evaluating their impact on population health.

Taylin Stoner

Administrative Fellow Hospital Administration

Project focus: Cost-benefit analysis to justify an increase in radiology technicians in order to maximize efficiency and effectiveness of image post-processing.

Beth Tarini

Associate Professor Pediatrics

Project focus: Optimizing the flow of the general pediatrics resident acute care clinic.

Joe Wilford

Senior Project Manager HCIS

Project focus: Upgrade of Epic EMR and related modules and applications from v2014 to v2016. 

2016-2017 Executive Leadership Academy participant poster

Aldijana Avdic

Assistant Director, Patient Privacy, Safety, and Policy Management Joint Office for Compliance

Project focus: Create an effective EHR Patient Privacy Monitoring Program by implementing and utilizing a software system that proactively protects patient privacy. 

Sabrina Awe

Project Director University of Iowa Health Ventures

Project focus: Hosting Epic (EHR) and Infor (ERP) to affiliates.

Marian Biggins

Associate Director Health Information Management

Project focus: Identification of correct patient status for patients in the Operating Room and Ambulatory Surgery Center.

James Brown

Professor Urology

Project focus: Development of cancer staging/treatment summary section within cancer patient note.

Karmen Dillon

Interim Director, Clinical Applications HCIS

Project focus: Implement a new EHR for UEHC (Employee Health).

Bridget Drapeaux

Associate Director Food and Nutrition

Project focus: Improving efficiencies in workflow to provide more meaningful info to LIPs for clinical decision making, including discharge decisions.

Jennifer Ehrlich

Assistant Nurse Manager Pediatric Dialysis

Project focus: Using telemedicine to improve patient's health with interactive communication between the home dialysis patient and multidisciplinary team.

Amy Eischens

RN CQSPI

Project focus: Transitioning data abstraction to a more automated process.

Sarah Elliott

Clinical Support Teams Supervisor Otolaryngology

Project focus: Evaluating & eliminating  clinic barriers to access to increase Press Ganey scores.

Leah Engel

Nurse Clinical Specialist - Cardiomyopathy Treatment Program Heart and Vascular Center

Project focus: Development of a Center for Staff Engagement in the Heart and Vascular Center.

Andrea Greiner

Clinical Assistant Professor Obstetrics & Gynecology

Project focus: Telehealth program in OB ultrasound to provide MFM consults to pregnant women at risk fetal anomalies.

Steve Hamilton

Manager HCIS

Project focus: Expand the partnership between HCIS and Capital Management to align technology requirements and ensure stakeholder vision.

Enrique Leira

Associate Professor, Acting Director Comprehensive Stroke Center Neurology

Project focus: Expanding Acute Stroke Call & telestroke Providers at UI Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Luke Leyden

Chief Architect Capital Management

Project focus: Studying design elements of the new Children's Hospital Integrated Cancer Center that can be incorporated in future UIHC projects.

Nicholas Mohr

Assistant Professor Emergency Medicine, Anesthesia

Project focus: Developing sepsis outreach program for critical access hospitals in Southeast Iowa.

Kelsey Montross

Research Support Manager Psychiatry

Project focus: Mental health integration between the UI and the VA. 

Ken Nepple

Clinical Assistant Professor Urology

Project focus: Creating data linkages to leverage unique data sources for outcomes assessment in patients with cancer.

Denise Rettig

Director, Clinical Functions Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Project focus: Expanding off-site infusion opportunities for HCCC.

Adam Santi

Health Care Services Associate Director Dermatology

Project focus: Expanding dermatologic clinical service via private practice acquisition.

Keri Semrau

Director UI Patient Appointment Center

Project focus: Develop and implement a methodology and tool for monitoring, tracking and reporting scheduling variances.

Melinda Shetler

Assistant Director Rehabilitation Therapies

Project focus: Development of formal mentorship model.

Mark Thomason

Lean Management Engineer Operations Excellence

Project focus: Staff & equipment planning for Infusion Suite expansion.

Katie Tunning

Manager, Data & Analytics HCIS

Project focus: Create a centralized report request and review process available to end users within UIHC.

Nick Weime

Management Srvs Manager EVS

Project focus: Satellite Locations EVS Process Standardization.

Heidi Williams

Nurse Clinical Specialist Navigators

Project focus: Clinical Documentation Seminar for M2's at Carver College of Medicine.

2015-2016 Executive Leadership Academy participant poster

Matthew Berg

Project Manager Capital Management

Project focus: Comparison of two UV sterilization systems in the OR.

Herbert Berger

Clinical Professor/Director Joint Office for Clinical Outreach

Project focus: Encourage physician participation in Clinical Outreach.

Kiley Bybee-Francque

Associate Director Joint Office for Compliance

Project focus: Achieve patient-centered medical home recognition for all primary care clinics and providers.

Lasticia Coleman

PA/ARNP Hospitalist OBGYN

Project focus: Implementing Team STEPPS on the OB inpatient units.

Thomas Collins

Clinical Associate Professor Surgery

Project focus: Operation and financial plan for center procedural skills and stimulation.

Mindy Curtin

Senior Financial Analyst EVS

Project focus: Implementation of automated inventory supply software.

Courtney Mace Davis

Manager Central Sterilizing Services

Project focus: To improve the quality of instrument trays supplied by Central Sterilizing Services to the main operating room.

Elaine Demetroulis

Medical Director Outpt. Cardiology/PICC Line Services

Project focus: Implement a vascular access device choice algorithm.

Jenny Fitzpatrick

Manager CDD Rehab Therapies

Project focus: Increase patient engagement by utilizing family centered care model.

Ryan Flynn

Director of Physics Radiation Oncology

Project focus: Implementing Valumetric Modulated Arc Therapy to improve treatment efficiency.

Lori Goedecke

Assistant Nurse Manager Nursing Administration

Project focus: Development and initiation of a patient satisfaction survey designed for patients of the Digestive Disease Procedure Center.

Jennifer Goerbig-Campbell

Interim Director Cardiomyopathy Treatment Program

Project focus: Develop Heart Failure QAPI Program.

Susan Hanken

Manager Respiratory Care

Project focus: Facilitate pulmonary function testing in asthmatic patients.

Sarah Healy

Assistant Nurse Manager Nursing Administration

Project focus: Multidisciplinary rounds with patients, family and nursing participation.

Elizabeth Jaggers

Assistant Department Director Radiology

Project focus: Implement decision support to help guide physicians when ordering imaging procedures.

Joyce Kutin

Staff Nurse Hospital Based Projects

Project focus: Frontline providers capturing codable documentation: Electronic Application.

Anne Kwitek

Associate Director Iowa Institute of Human Genetics

Project focus: Developing a NGS-based panel for PGx testing to determine each person's Phamacogenomics Profile (PGxP).

Geeta Lal

Associate Professor Surgery

Project focus: Improve admission times in 4JP inpatient unit.

Elaine Martin

Director of Clinical Functions Perioperative

Project focus: Facilitate Team STEPPS implementation and sustainment in Perioperative Services.

Bill Millard

Manager EVS

Project focus: EVS business plan for the Children's Hospital.

Mary Lee Neuberger

Advanced Practice Nurse Nursing Administration

Project focus: Develop a comprehensive renal replacement therapy education program.

Cathy Pierce

Interim Administrator/Director HVS

Project focus: Heart & Vascular Center Strategy.

Christina Spofford

Assistant Professor Anesthesia

Project focus: Develop high fidelity simulation program for maintenance and certification and assessment of clinical competence.

Marjorie Tucker

Assistant Department Director Neurology

Project focus: Combine EEG lab and Epilepsy Monitor Unit sharing resources and improving patient care.

Marta VanBeek

Clinical Associate Professor Dermatology

Project focus: Innovative alternate models of dermatology.

Rujuta Vidal

Clinical Nurse Manager UICMS

Project focus: Physician efficient, patient focused care using scribing.

Michael Voigt

Medical Director Liver Transplantation

Project focus: Reduce readmissions through improved discharge process and transition care.

Emily Wynn

Nurse Manager Nursing Administration

Project focus: Implement the Patient Acuity Workload scoring system in our EMR.

Marta Zahs

Nursing Clinical Strategist Nursing Administration

Project focus: Creating interoperatives safety checklist for robotics.

2014-2015 Executive Leadership Academy participant poster