President/Founder of The Wagner Law Group
Marcia S. Wagner is a specialist in pension and employee benefits law, and is the principal of The Wagner Law Group, one of the nation’s largest boutique law firms, specializing in ERISA, employee benefits and executive compensation, which she founded over 20 years ago. A summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Cornell University and a graduate of Harvard Law School, she has practiced law for over twenty-seven years. Ms. Wagner was appointed to the IRS Tax Exempt & Government Entities Advisory Committee and received the IRS’ Commissioner’s Award. Ms. Wagner has also been inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel. For the past eight years, 401k Wire has listed Ms. Wagner as one of its 100 Most Influential Persons in the 401(k) industry.
Philanthropist
Nan has been involved in her community for over 30 years. A native of Chicago and a graduate of Manhattanville College, Nan was a mother of two young children when her husband Al was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 35. Nan and Al decided to do something positive with their experience and help others in similar crisis. Together they founded Hackers for Hope. Hackers for Hope raises money for cancer research and programs to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and their families. To date the Foundation has donated over $20 million to worthy charities including MSKCC and Stamford Hospital. Nan has held leadership positions at Americares and Changing our World. She served as a long time trustee of the Alfred E. Smith Foundation. Nan and Al reside in New Caanan, CT and enjoy spending time with their children and 6 grandchildren.
Parent
Co-Founder of TrachCare, Inc.
Faculty Associate, Institute for Professionalism and Ethical Practice, Children’s Hospital Boston
Erin holds a Master’s Degree in Education and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Counseling and is committed to combining her personal experiences as a mother of a child with complex medical needs with her professional skills to work towards improving parent-professional relationships and the quality of healthcare for children and adults with tracheostomies.
Erin is a founding member of TrachCare, Inc., a Massachusetts-based, non-profit organization established in 2005 providing support and information to parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers of children who have, or previously had a tracheostomy (www.trachcare.org). As a Faculty Associate for the Institute for Professionalism and Ethical Practice at Children’s Hospital Boston since 2005, Erin contributes to developing curricula and facilitates medical education programs that focus on enhancing relational and communication skills. (http://www.ipepweb.org/ward.html) Previously, Erin also worked for the Center for Families at Children’s Hospital Boston, where she coordinated the Family Initiatives program and developed a Family Advisory Board for the Complex Care Service Department. (http://www.childrenshospital.org/chnews/09-01-06/erin_ward.html)
Erin’s interests include promoting parent-professional partnerships, improving the transition of care process from the hospital to home, care coordination, and supporting inclusion of individuals with tracheostomies in schools and communities.
Speech Pathologist, Melbourne Australia
Vice-Chairman, Board of Directors, Global Tracheostomy Collaborative
Director of Tracheostomy Review & Management Service (TRAMS)
Sr. Speech Language Pathologist
At Austin Health located in Melbourne Australia, she obtained her Masters in Speech –Language Pathology from the University of Colorado and has worked in numerous centres in the US, Canada and Australia. Tanis has extensive experience in the management of ventilated and tracheostomised patients and brings a unique perspective to interdisciplinary care of this patient group. She has presented nationally and internationally and has published outcomes in a number of areas. As a founding member of TRAMS Tanis has been integral to the success of this innovative service. TRAMS coordinates multi-disciplinary tracheostomy care from ICU through to the community and has managed over 1,200 patients since 2002. Additional information can be found at www.tracheostomyteam.org.
Otolaryngologist, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Treasurer, Global Tracheostomy Collaborative
Associate Professor of Otolaryngology
Division of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery
University of Michigan School of Medicine
Dr. Brenner is on faculty as University of Michigan, where his academic efforts focus on both patient safety, quality, and scientific research on injury prevention. He is board certified in Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, and Sleep Medicine. He has an interest in healthcare policy leadership and QI, serving as the 2012 Health Policy Scholar for the ACS/AAO-HNSF and as a delegate to the AMA for the young physicians section. He has participated in the Telluride Roundtable on Patient safety and Transparency and is active in national Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Committees through the American Academy of Otolaryngology and the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He has participated in the TeamSTEPPS Collaborative at American Institutes for Research by DOD, AAMC, AIR, and AHRQ. His active and pending research support is through the National Institutes of Health, Triological Society, and an Excellence in Academic Medicine award.
Otolaryngologist, London, UK
Co-Founder and Chairman, Board of Directors, Global Tracheostomy Collaborative
Consultant Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon
Honorary Consultant, Imperial Healthcare
Formerly Honorary Visiting Professor, Middlesex University 2003-2017
Dr. Narula has been a consultant and head of department at St Mary's Hospital Paddington, Charing Cross Hospital and Hammersmith Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary. He was also an Honorary Consultant at Chelsea & Westminster and Royal Brompton Hospitals. Until 2017, and was also honorary professor at Middlesex University.
In 2000, at Leicester Royal Infirmary he was appointed Medical Director for the hospital and, in 2001, Assistant Medical Director for the newly formed unified Trust; University Hospitals of Leicester. From 2002 to 2004, he was appointed Medical Director of Action On ENT under the NHS Modernisation Agency.
Dr. Narula took early retirement in 2014 to concentrate on his medical charity work and his private practice. In 2015, he co-founded The Global Tracheostomy Collaborative, a global multidisciplinary collaborative of doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, patients and families committed to improving care for all children and adults with tracheostomies. They provide educational materials, change strategies and an international outcomes database.
Additionally, he was a Past President of ENT UK and a Past President of British Society for Otology, The Association of Otolaryngologists and Young Consultant Otolaryngologists. He served as an elected member of Royal College of Surgeons Council from 2004 to 2014, including 5 years as the honorary treasurer (2008-2014) and RCS Revalidation lead (2009-12).
Dr. Narula was Editor-in-Chief of CME Bulletin Otolaryngology between 1996 and 2006. From 1999-2002, he was an appointed Independent (i.e. non party political) member of the Leicester Police Authority and chairman of the Best Value Committee.
Until his retirement, he was heavily involved in teaching including; the Post Graduate ENT Diploma for GPs, membership of ENT training committees and exam boards at various levels.
Additional information about Dr. Narula can be found at www.Tonynarula.com.
Division Coordinator Entrepreneurship Division, Babson College
Boston, MA
Marram has developed a reputation for outstanding academic and technical accomplishments. A professor at Babson for over 20 years, he regularly lectures on entrepreneurship and issues facing high-growth businesses in both graduate level and executive education programs. Marram was an entrepreneur in the high-technology sector for more than 35 years; he was the founder, president and CEO of Geo-Centers, Inc., a high technology, professional services firm which he sold in 2005. Geo-Centers, Inc. was recognized twice by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing, privately-held companies in the United States.
He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Sherman College, Philadelphia University, and South Cove Medical Center. He serves on the Chancellors Advisory Board has served on the College Advisory Council, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He has also served on the Chemistry Advisory Group at Tufts University. He is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors, the Board of Overseers for Children’s Hospital Boston, and previously served on the Health and Educational Financial Authority (HEFA) of Massachusetts. He also serves on the boards of several privately held companies. In 1999 and 2000, Marram was appointed to the Summer National Defense Science Board.
Marram earned a Ph.D. from Tufts University and M.S. and B.S. degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He was named a Price-Babson College Fellow, received the Edwin M. Appel Prize for Bringing Entrepreneurial Vitality to Academia and was the recipient of the Thomas Kennedy award for teaching excellence in the graduate school at Babson.
Otolaryngologist, Boston, MA
Founder and President, Global Tracheostomy Collaborative
Associate in Otolaryngology, Boston Children's Hospital
Associate Professor of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Roberson has worked in quality improvement in Otolaryngology and Pediatrics for over a decade. He is co-chair of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Quality Improvement Committee. From 2003-2011, he was Director of Implementation for the Children's Hospital Boston Program for Patient Safety and Quality. He has participated in a national QI collaborative to introduce surgical checklists into pediatric hospitals, and co-led an international QI collaborative to improve outcomes of congenital cardiac surgery in developing nations. His research focuses on understanding the nature of medical errors and adverse events, and on the contribution of patient complexity to cognitive errors.
Professor Patrick James Bradley, MBA, MB, BCh, FRCSIr, FRCSEd, FACS, FRCS (Hon), FRACS (Hon), FRCSLT (Hon)
Consultant Otorhinolaryngologist, Nottingham, UK
Head and Neck Oncologic Surgeon, Nottingham, UK
Lead Clinician Head and Neck Cancer, NHS (England & Wales)
Clinical Director of Audit, Risk and Governance, Nottingham University Hospital
Formerly Honorary Professor, Middlesex University, London
Honorary Professor of Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery, The University of Nottingham, UK
Professor Bradley graduated from University College Dublin (1973) and trained in general surgery, moved to Liverpool (1977) were he did his specialist residency in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. He was appointed as a Consultant Otorhinolaryngologist, Head and Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS) in Nottingham, specialising in surgical head and neck oncology, 1982 – 2009. He had a protracted period of ill-health retiring in 2009.
He has also been President of the British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists (2003 – 2005); President of the European Laryngological Society (2004 – 2006); President of the European Salivary Gland Society (2007 – 2009). He has been the National Lead Clinician – Head and Neck Cancer for the English & Wales National Health Service (2003 – 2008). He has been a Founder Board Member of the European Head and Neck Society, and The European Academy of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. He has been Hunterian Professor, 2007/08 Royal College of Surgeons, England. He was the 5th Eugene Myers International Lecturer in Head and Neck Surgery at the American Academy of ORL-HNS in 2000.
He has published >300 peer-reviewed articles, >70 book chapters and Edited or Co-Edited 9 books. Is currently Joint-Editor of Current Opinions ORL-HNS and Editor of “Advances in Oto-Rhino-Laryngology”, and is/or has been a member of several editorial boards: Head and Neck, Laryngoscope, Oral Oncology, Journal Laryngology & Otology, European Archives ORL-HNS, Clinical Otolaryngology etc. He has travelled most parts of the World as visiting Professor partaking of eponymous lectures, grand-rounds as well as partaking of National and International lecturer. He has been awarded 17 Honorary Memberships of ORL-HNS Societies, as well as 3 Honorary Fellowships of Royal Colleges.
Currently he enjoys: ORL-HNS teaching, writing and editing, travelling the World, good wine and food, as well as occasionally playing golf!
Brendan qualified from the University of Sheffield and trained initially in general medicine in Yorkshire, the North East and then Australia. He returned to specialize in Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine, appointed as a consultant at the recently renamed Manchester University Foundation Trust, at Wythenshawe Hospital in 2009.
Brendan’s research interests in patient safety and airway management led to the initiation of the UK National Tracheostomy Safety Project, collaborating widely in developing educational resources to guide the multidisciplinary response to airway emergencies. Realising that the real work was in prevention of airway emergencies, Brendan helped to develop the Global Tracheostomy Collaborative in 2012, bringing together international expertise from Harvard to Melbourne with the goal of improving tracheostomy care ‘everywhere’ through quality improvement initiatives. Brendan has worked on and led a number of domestic and international quality improvement projects and research studies, securing significant grant funding. His contributions in his field were recognised by appointment as Visiting Professor to Harvard Medical School in 2016 and as NHS England National Clinical Advisor for Tracheostomy in 2015. He remains European lead of the Global Tracheostomy Collaborative, supporting UK and European sites to improve care for patients and their families.
Outside of medicine, Brendan is entertained by a young(ish) family, plays guitar in the family rock band, "Death Metal Children of Rock," attempts to support Liverpool FC whilst living near Old Trafford, and tries to ride his road bike when it isn’t raining (too hard).
Vinciya Pandian is an acute care nurse practitioner who has clinical expertise in managing individuals with a tracheostomy. She completed her undergraduate degree in nursing at the Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Nursing at the Johns Hopkins University, and Masters of Business and Administration degree at the University of Baltimore. She works as an Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and serves as the Associate Director of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)-Executive and DNP-MBA programs.
The focus of her scholarship has been in advancing the management of mechanically ventilated patients with a tracheostomy, integrating biological and behavioral science for better health, with an emphasis on improving quality of life and eliminating health disparities. Her primary research focuses on identifying signs and symptoms of laryngeal injury post-extubation in intensive care units. Her other interests surround developing, implementing, and evaluating airway products and multidisciplinary programs. She has been highly productive academically, publishing over 60 scientific articles and presenting over 100 abstracts nationally or globally.
Vinciya Pandian is currently the Vice President of Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Nurses and the President of Sigma Theta Tau International Nu Beta-at Large chapter. She has been involved with global tracheostomy collaborative since 2014 and now, also serves a chair for the Educational committee of the Global Tracheostomy Collaborative.
Associate in Otolaryngology, Boston Children's Hospital
Instructor in Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School
Medical Degree from University College Dublin, Ireland. Completed specialist registrar training in Otolaryngology/ Head and Neck Surgery at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Fellowship in Pediatric Otolaryngology, Boston Children's Hospital 2009-2011. MPH Harvard School of Public Health 2010-2011 with concentration in Quantitative Methods. Clinical interests pediatric aerodigestive disorders and congenital head and neck anomalies.
Co-Founder, Global Tracheostomy Collaborative and Webinar Committee Chair
North Thames London Deanery
St Mary's Hospital, London
Mr. Asit Arora, MD works at St Mary's Hospital, London. In 2008, he established a Tracheostomy MDT in this department. He is the author of several peer reviewed publications in this field and served on the NPSA (National Patient Safety Agency) committee which developed national guidelines for tracheostomy care in the UK. He was an invited expert panel member at the AAO-HNS (2011) and BACO (2012) meetings contributing to seminars which outline how the multidisciplinary approach improves tracheostomy care. He has been instrumental in establishing the 1st International Tracheostomy QI Collaborative.
Deputy Director, Department of Intensive Care at Austin Health
Director of Intensive Care, Epworth Eastern Private Hospital's Intensive Care Unit
Stephen trained in internal medicine prior to completing specialty studies in critical care. He is a senior specialist and Deputy Director of the Department of Intensive Care at Austin Health and is also the Director of Intensive Care at Epworth Eastern Private Hospital's Intensive Care Unit. He is trained in aeromedical retrieval and has previously worked on fixed and rotary wing aircraft. As a senior research fellow with the University of Melbourne, he has research interests across critical care hepatology, critical care outreach and ICU survivor outcomes. Stephen is an active medical educator who directs physician training across four teaching hospitals and examines for the College of Intensive Care Medicine and The Royal Australasian College of Physicians. He is the Victorian chair of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society and sits on the Victorian State Committee of the RACP. Outside of medicine, he enjoys outdoor pursuits and is the current Australian National Amateur Radio Field Day Champion.
Dionne Graham, PhD
Center for Applied Pediatric Quality Analytics, Boston Children’s Hospital
Director of Evaluation & Analytics, Program for Patient Safety and Quality, Boston Children's Hospital
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Graham leads the GTC Database Data Coordinating Center, which is based in the Center for Applied Pediatric Quality Analytics (CAPQA) at Boston Children’s Hospital. CAPQA provides data management, reporting, and analytical support to the GTC sites participating in the database. Dionne is a collaborative biostatistician and health services researcher whose work focuses on the development of risk adjusted measures of healthcare quality; examining the relationship between variations in care, utilization, and outcomes; comparative effectiveness research; and the evaluation of quality improvement initiatives. She and members of the CAPQA team have provided analytic support to several other multi-center, quality improvement collaboratives, including the International Quality Improvement Collaborative, the National Eating Disorder Collaborative, the I-PASS Mentored National Implementation Study, and the Massachusetts Neonatal Quality Improvement Collaborative. With over 100 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Graham has extensive expertise in working with large, multi-institutional administrative and clinical databases.
Director, Speech Pathology Director, Speech Pathology Austin Health, in Melbourne, Australia.
Joanne manages Speech Pathology service at Austin Health, in Melbourne, Australia. She has a longstanding interest in safety, quality and risk and concepts of clinical governance as they apply to patient care, including patients with tracheostomy. In 2003, Joanne was awarded an inaugural Victorian Travelling Fellowship which enabled her to travel to the northern hemisphere to investigate models of care in tracheostomy. Other interests include the implementation and evaluation of advanced practice roles such as Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES). In 2005, she was commissioned by the Victorian Department of Health to develop a statewide training program in this area in conjunction with LaTrobe University.
Charissa Zaga is a Senior Speech Pathologist and Critical Care and Cardiothoracics Stream Leader within the Department of Speech Pathology at Austin Health. Charissa is a member of the Tracheostomy Review and Management Service and a member of the Global Tracheostomy Collaborative Database Committee. Charissa is the co-convenor for the Victorian Critical Care and Tracheostomy Interest Group. Charissa has clinical expertise in tracheostomy, ventilation and dysphagia and has a keen interest in research and quality improvement. Charissa is undertaking her PhD with a focus on communication interventions with mechanically ventilated patients in the Intensive Care Unit.
Clinical Nurse Educator, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Associate Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Anesthesiology
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Dr. Morris is the clinical nurse educator and tracheostomy specialist at the #1 rated rehabilitation hospital in the US. She is also associate professor of physical medicine & rehabilitation and anesthesiology for the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. She is co-editor and author of Tracheostomies: The Complete Guide, (Morris & Afifi, 2010, NY: Springer), a comprehensive reference book developed for all health professionals who care for patients with tracheostomies. Her clinical background includes critical care and education. Current research interests include quality of life, social support, and body image perception with tracheostomy patients.
AbilityLab (formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Associate Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Anesthesiology
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Asia-Pacific Co-Chair Patient & Family Committee Leads
My name is Gabby Chessells and I am one of the Asia-Pacific co-chair Patient & Family committee leads. I have been working as a speech pathologist for the past 7 years and my passion has always been working with patients and their tracheostomies.