Presenters

Alphabetical by last name

Melanie L. Balestra, JD, PNP, MN, BSN; Law Offices of Melanie Balestra and Laguna Beach Community Clinic; Rancho Mirage, California

Ms. Balestra is a transactional and administrative law attorney as well as an active PNP at the Laguna Beach Community clinic. She is the owner and Attorney at the Law Offices of Melanie Balestra, Rancho Mirage, California. She has practiced as a nurse practitioner for over thirty years and an attorney for over twenty years. She has consulted and assisted in starting practices for over 300 nurse practitioners. She is an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of California, Irvine and UCLA. She focuses on liability, disciplinary and business issues that affect health care providers as well as hospitals and health insurances as well as solves compliance issues for health care providers. She has written multiple journal articles on liability issues for nurses and nurse practitioners as well as lecturing on these issues nationally. She provides expert witness testimony. for both healthcare boards and professionals. She is counsel for the California Association of Nurse Practitioners and on the Advisory Board of Nurses Service Organization. She is past President of the California Coalition for Nurse Practitioners, the American College of Nurse Practitioners and The American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She is licensed to practice before California and Arizona courts as well the U.S. Supreme Court. She has volunteered abroad as a nurse practitioner in Africa, Cambodia, and Mexico. She is involved in advocacy for mental health and has published a best seller book on Amazon “Suicide: A Mother’s Journey Through Her Child’s Pain."

Edith A. Brous, BSN, MS, MPH, JD, RN; Law Offices of Edith Brous, Esq. PC; East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

Ms. Brous is a Nurse Attorney in private practice concentrating in professional licensure representation and nursing advocacy. She has practiced in major litigation law firms representing nurses at all levels of practice, physicians, other health care professionals, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. Edie is admitted to practice before the bars of the state courts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the Southern and Eastern Districts of the New York Federal Courts and the United States Supreme Court. She is a member of many bar associations and nursing organizations and was the 2011 president of The American Association of Nurse Attorneys. Ms. Brous has an extensive clinical and managerial background in OR, Emergency and Critical Care Nursing. In addition to her law degree, she holds master’s degrees in Public Health and in Critical Care Nursing from Columbia University. She has been part time faculty at Columbia University, and has held adjunct faculty positions at several universities teaching legal aspects of nursing. Ms. Brous has lectured and published extensively on legal issues for nurses and co-authored the textbook Law and Ethics for Advanced Practice Nurses. She is the 2008 recipient of the Outstanding Advocate Award, the 2017 Outstanding Litigation Section Member Award, and the 2020 Outstanding Solo Practice Section Member Award from The American Association of Nurse Attorneys.

Nancy W. Brown, Esq; Office of Counsel to the Inspector General; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Washington, DC

Nancy is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia where she earned a B.A. in Sociology. She is also a proud alum of the Howard University School of Law (HUSL) where she earned her J.D. After finishing HUSL, Ms. Brown became a member of the New York Bar and worked in private practice before becoming an Assistant General Counsel at the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs. She civilly prosecuted financial fraud cases and specialized in consumer protection and consumer fraud. Ms. Brown relocated to Washington, D.C. to work for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) where she continued her efforts to combat fraud. Ms. Brown left the FTC to work as Senior Counsel for the Office of Counsel to the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health and Human Services where she has been practicing health care law since 2006. Ms. Brown’s health care portfolio includesprovider Self-Disclosures, False Claims Act cases, Civil Monetary Penalty cases, exclusion matters, and she also negotiates and monitors Corporate Integrity Agreements with health care providers around the country.Ms. Brown has been a speaker at numerous health care law symposiums and conferences including AHLA, NAMFCU, NAMPIand HCCA. Ms. Brown has also been a member of the Adjunct Faculty at the David A. Clarke School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia for nearly 10 years as well as an adjunct professor at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University.

Beth Collis, JD; Dinsmore and Shohl, LLP; Columbus, Ohio

Beth Collis is a Partner at the law firm of Dinsmore and Shohl, LLP in the Healthcare Lobbying and Public Policy Practice Group. Ms. Collis focuses her practice on representing individuals and companies before professional licensure boards, including the State Medical Board of Ohio, Ohio Board of Nursing, Ohio Pharmacy Board, and Ohio Psychology Board. She represents clients who are under investigation or who are the subject of a proposed disciplinary action. Ms. Collis represents clients in administrative disciplinary proceedings and on appeal to the Ohio Courts. She also helps her clients wade through the myriad of collateral damage resulting from public discipline that can include termination of provider status with Medicare, Ohio Medicaid, or before their national certifying board.

Carolyn M. Dolan, JD, MSN, FNPBC, PPCNP-BC, SANEA, SANEP; University of South Alabama; Fairhope, Alabama

Carolyn’s experience and education, includes nursing and law and currently focuses on the care of victims primarily after sexual assault, legal/policy issues, leadership and grant management. She serves as PI of "SOUTH SANES (South Alabama Sexual Assault Nursing Empowerment and Support)", and has attained over 8 million in federal grants over her career. Her nursing career spans over forty years most of which time as an NP prescriber in hospital and outpatient settings. Today, her primary practice concerns patients after victimization. She has held a faculty position at the University of South Alabama for nearly 30 years and has been a professor since 2010. She is past recipient of the National Farmworkers' Association/Migrant Clinician Networks' ''Unsung Hero" Award, 2023 recipient of the AANP' s NP Excellence in Practice Award Alabama and TAANA’s Educator, Leadership and Cynthia Northrop Awards. She is a past president (2018) and a long time reviewer and editorial board member for the Journal of Nurse Practitioners. Today she is the co-treasurer of the TAANA Foundation (TAANAF). She has published and presented on sexual assault, migrant care and the legalities of advanced practice nursing particularly in the realm of prescribing and collaborative practice and remains an active member of The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA), the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) and the Academy of Forensic Nurses (AFN).

Chad Eggspuehler, JD; Tucker Ellis, LLP; Cleveland, Ohio

Chad is an appellate and complex litigation strategist with experience in federal and state courts across the United States. Chad specializes in crafting succinct and thoughtful solutions to complex legal issues at all stages of litigation, ranging from jurisdictional and discovery issues to appellate oral arguments. Applying experience gained as a law clerk to federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Chad has devised winning strategies for a variety of clients, ranging from product-liability dispositive and expert-witness motions to unique procedural obstacles, multidistrict litigation, and LGBT civil rights issues. In addition to working on appellate, administrative, and complex litigation matters, Chad has experience with intellectual property disputes, including multiple copyright infringement cases. He has penned winning briefs in state and federal courts across the country, including the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Fifth, and Eighth Circuits and amicus briefs in the Supreme Court of the United States and the Supreme Court of Ohio. Every case is a puzzle; Chad thrives at arranging the pieces and fitting them together.

Laura Ellis, Esq; Office of Counsel to the Inspector General; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Washington, DC

Laura has been a senior counsel in the Office of Counsel to the Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services since 2003. Ms. Ellis’s work focuses on advising on health care compliance and monitoring Corporate Integrity Agreements. During her time at OIG Ms. Ellis has also handled complex exclusion appeals and negotiated Corporate Integrity Agreements. Ms. Ellis speaks regularly on compliance and other topics related to the work of Office of Counsel to the Inspector General. Prior to joining OIG, Ms. Ellis worked at HHS’s Office of General Counsel, CMS Division, and North Country Legal Services.

Toni-Jamisin Victoria Fife, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC, MSN, RN; PsychoGeriatric Services, LLC; Winchester, Virginia

Toni-Jamisin is a Regional Supervisor/Clinical Director in northern Virginia for PsychoGeriatric Services, LLC located in Silver Spring, Maryland. She provides clinical direction, care coordination, and training to nurse practitioners practicing geropsychiatric care. Mrs. Fife has practiced in many areas of healthcare including, administration, academia, and advanced nursing practice, both in medicine and psychiatry. She has a master’s degree in nursing management and leadership and is dual certified as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from Liberty University and a Family Nurse Practitioner from Herzing University. Mrs. Fife is in the doctorate program at Kent State University to obtain a Doctor of Nursing Practice. Her current research interest includes stopping off-label use of antipsychotic medications to control behaviors and psychological symptoms (BPSD) of dementia in nursing home residents. She is currently completing her DNP project at Kent State University on how employing non-pharmacologic interventions might reduce the need for off-label antipsychotic medications in dementia residents with BPSD in nursing homes.

Jennifer Flynn, CPHRM; Aon/Nurses Service Organization (NSO); Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

Jennifer is Vice President of Risk Management for Nurses Service Organization in the Healthcare Division of Aon’s Affinity Insurance Services, Inc. Specializing in risk management and having worked in the health care insurance business for over 21 years, Jennifer is dedicated to educating nurses and health care professionals on professional liability risks and offers strategies to mitigate those risks by supporting patient safety principles and developing quality management programs. In addition to being a frequent national speaker on healthcare risk and liability, Jennifer is also a published author on various risk management topics. Jennifer is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management and is a licensed Property & Casualty agent. She earned a BA in Psychology from Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

Marlene S. Garvis, JD, MSN, BSN, BA; Marlene S Garvis, LLC; Minnetonka, Minnesota

Marlene entered the practice of law following a successful career in nursing. She practiced at Jardine, Logan & O'Brien, PLLP, where she was a partner and held many leadership positions in the firm. She has also been a leader in the legal community, including President of Minnesota Women Lawyers, Hennepin County Bar Foundation, and Hennepin County Bar Association; Chair of the Battered Women’s Legal Advocacy Project, and Chair of the Federal Bar Association Health Law Section. She is currently on the Advisory Board of Minnesota Woman Lawyers, a Vice Chair the ABA Health Law Section Nurses and Allied Health Professionals; and Secretary and of the FBA Health Law Section. Marlene is also on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys, where she currently serves as Treasurer and the Beyond Pink Foundation Leadership Board, where she currently serves as Secretary. Marlene is a Life Fellow of American Bar Foundation and a Founding Fellow of the Hennepin County Bar Foundation. Since January 2015, Marlene has practiced in her own law firm in Minnetonka, Minnesota, where she represents clients in consultation, litigation, and administrative proceedings on Health Care Law and Professional Licensure, Health Care Law Consultation, Licensing, Discipline and Regulatory Matters, Litigation, Consultation, and Appellate Matters. Marlene has an AV® Preeminent Rating in the distinguished legal directory, Martindale-Hubbell®, and was selected to the 2014-2022 Minnesota Super Lawyers lists.

Kathleen Gialanella, Esq, RN, BSN, JD, LLM (Health Law); Kathleen M. Gialanella, Esq, PC; Westfield, New Jersey

Kathleen is an attorney who practices health law in New Jersey and New York. She is also a nurse and a veteran. Her law practice is primarily devoted to representing licensed health care professionals including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and others who face legal issues in connection with their licensure, professional practices, and employment. Kathleen is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Nursing, New York Law School and Seton Hall University School of Law where she earned a Masters of Law in Health Law & Policy. In addition to her legal practice, she lectures widely and has authored a number of articles and book chapters about the legal aspects of health care. She has taught health policy and legal and ethical aspects of health care to doctoral, masters and baccalaureate students at Teachers College/Columbia University and Seton Hall University’s School of Law and College of Nursing. Kathleen is legal counsel to the New Jersey League for Nursing, past president of the New York and New Jersey Chapters of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys, and the New Jersey Representative of the Army Nurse Corps Association.

Kelly K. Gillespie, JD, PhD Health Law; St. Louis School of Law; St. Louis, Missouri

Co-author of multiple amicus briefs re: Ruan v United States, Professor Gillespie is a health law specialist who has directed health law programs and taught a variety of courses including Controlled Substances Law and Policy; Health Law; Criminal Law, Bioethics and the Law; FDA: Law and Policy; Innovation and Emerging Technology in Health Care: Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (research, genetics, and neuroscience and the law); Health Law Moot Court; amongst others. She has received a number of awards including Dissertation awarded with distinction (written and oral defense) (2015); Legal Scholar, Missouri Women’s Justice Awards (2013); St. Louis Women’s Commission Leadership Award (2011). In addition, she has published and presented widely and is cited in over 100 law review and interdisciplinary publications, including those published in JAMA, Preventative Medicine, the American Journal of Public Health, the Harvard Law and Policy Review, and the Journal of General Internal Medicine. In Ruan v. United States: Bad Doctors, Bad Law, and the Promise of Decriminalizing Medical Care, CATO SUPREME COURT REVIEW: 2021-2022, 271-304 (2022) she provides ongoing commentary and research on issues involving controlled substance prescribing. Her professional career includes a BSN (1991) magma cum laude, St. Louis University. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society as well as the American Bar Association, American Health Law, American Association of Law Schools and many more.

Dana Hansen, PhD, APRN ACHPN, FPCN; Kent State University; Kent, Ohio

For the past 25 years, my clinical, educational, and research experiences have reflected my strong desire to improve the quality of end-of-life experiences for patients and their families. I have devoted my career to improving care for patients and families through helping students to develop an understanding of the needs of patients with a serious illness and their families and generating scientific knowledge about important issues in end-of-life care that include the importance of communication among the dying patient and their family members and through final conversations.

Patricia Harmon, RN, MM, CPHRM; CNA Risk Control Consulting Director; Bristol, Rhode Island

Patricia Harmon serves as a Risk Control Consulting Director for CNA’s Allied Health Facilities and large physician group practices providing analysis and evaluation of patient safety risk exposures and offering risk mitigation strategies for our insured clients. Patricia is a national speaker at professional industry associations and has co-authored several risk control publications including claim studies and white papers. Patricia serves as a publisher on the editorial board for CNA healthcare publications and authors quarterly risk control newsletters for insured physician groups. Prior to joining CNA, Patricia worked for a large academic health system in various roles providing clinical risk management, risk control, and claims management services for the system’s captive insurance company. Her clinical background includes medical-surgical acute care, dialysis, obstetrics, physician office practice, and pediatric nursing. Patricia holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Rhode Island and a Master’s degree in Healthcare Management from Cambridge College in Boston, Massachusetts. She also maintains the designation of Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management from the American Hospital Association and is actively involved in the national chapter of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM). Patricia has completed the TeamSTEPPS® Master Training Course sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality aimed at improving communication and teamwork to improve patient safety and reduce hospital professional liability exposures.

Felicia Heimer, Esq; Office of Counsel to the Inspector General; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Washington, DC

Felicia is a senior attorney with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) where she represents the agency on a wide range of healthcare fraud and compliance matters including the settlement of cases arising under the civil False Claims Act, the resolution of matters under the Self-Disclosure Protocol, and the negotiation and monitoring of Corporate Integrity Agreements. Prior to entering government service, Ms. Heimer worked for a global litigation advisory firm assisting health systems, pharmaceutical manufacturers and their boards of directors in responding to government investigations and conducting internal compliance reviews. Ms. Heimer began her legal career at an academic medical center and research institute in Southern California. Ms. Heimer is a frequent speaker on healthcare fraud and compliance issues, and also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Seton Hall University and Loyola University Chicago where she teaches courses on healthfcare fraud and abuse laws, and healthcare payment and policy matters. She received her B.A, magna cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago, her M.P.H. from University of California, Los Angeles, and her J.D. from Whittier College. She is a member of the California Bar.

Alice Maples Henley, JD, LMM; Alabama Board of Nursing; Montgomery, Alabama

Since January 2008, Ms. Henley has served as the General Counsel for the Alabama Board of Nursing, where she leads the Board’s Legal Division, prosecutes disciplinary proceedings against licensees of the Board, manages all litigation involving the Board, and provides general legal services to the Board. Before joining the ABN staff, Ms. Henley worked for over five years as an Assistant Attorney General in the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, first with the General Civil and Administrative Law Division and later as the Chief of the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Section. Ms. Henley began her legal career as a law clerk to two federal administrative law judges at the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges in Washington, D.C. She earned her J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law and her LL.M. in Health Law from the University of Houston Law Center. Ms. Henley currently serves as Co-Chair of the Rules Committee and member of the Technology Task Force for the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators, and her NCSBN involvement includes prior service as a member of the Active Supervision Committee, ABN representative to the Delegate Assembly, presenter at NCSBN meetings, and peer reviewer for the Journal for Nursing Regulation. She has been a member of the Alabama State Bar since 1999 and currently serves as chair of the Administrative Law Section.

Jessie Hill, JD; Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland, Ohio

Jessie is the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and Judge Ben C. Green Professor of Law at Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Ms. Hill's teaching focuses on constitutional law, civil rights, reproductive rights, and law and religion. Prior to teaching, Professor Hill worked at the Reproductive Freedom Project of the national ACLU office in New York, litigating challenges to state-law restrictions on reproductive rights, and then practiced First Amendment and civil rights law with Berkman, Gordon, Murray & DeVan in Cleveland. She is a frequent lecturer and consultant on reproductive rights issues and is currently involved in litigating numerous challenges to abortion restrictions in Ohio.

Kathleen Kearney, JD, MSN, RN, CNE; Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing; Dallas, Texas

Kathleen is an Associate Professor of Nursing at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing where she serves as lead faculty for Nursing Jurisprudence & Legal Nurse Consulting in the RN to BSN program. Since 2006, Kathleen has also been in private practice representing people & families who have been injured in Texas.

Diane J. Knoblauch, JD, MSN, RN; Knoblauch Law Offices; Ohio & Michigan

A registered nurse since 1976, Ms. Knoblauch earned a diploma, BSN (1978), and MSN in Primary Care (1980). She was certified as a nurse practitioner from 1980-2000, with a clinical focus in primary care and occupational health. While in law school she was an assistant professor of nursing and was one of the first two faculty members for the nurse practitioner program at the University of Toledo (OH) College of Nursing. She has been a practicing attorney since 1994, starting a solo practice in 2004. Diane has been a TAANA member since 1996 and served as TAANA President in 2022.

Jay B. Marks, PhD; Diversity & Equity Consultant; Jay B. Marks and Associates Educational Consulting Services; Oakland County, Michigan

Jay is a widely-respected educator who has been in education since 1991, where he began his career as a Special Education Teacher at Northern High School with the Detroit Public School System. During his career he has served as a classroom teacher for 17 years with both Detroit and Southfield Public School Systems, as well as an educational consultant on the local and national level. Most recently, Dr. Marks worked as a Diversity & Equity Consultant with Oakland Schools (the Intermediate School District in Oakland County, Michigan) where he served and supported the diversity, equity, and inclusion needs of the 28 school districts within Oakland County. He is highly sought after for his work in the area of equity focused on Anti- Racism, Social Justice, Cultural Proficiency, Courageous Conversations about Race, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Educating African American Males, and Student Engagement. In addition to his professional work in the field of education, he has been mentoring youth since 1989, and has started several mentoring programs in the Metropolitan Detroit Area as a result of his experiences. Currently, Dr. Marks is an independent consultant in the area of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice on the local and national level. His academic credentials include a B.S. degree from Western Michigan University (1990), M.A. degree from University of Detroit Mercy (1995), and an Education Specialist Certificate (1997) and Ph.D. (2005) in Curriculum and Instruction both from Wayne State University.

Robert A. Martin, PhD; Visiting Assistant Professor, Oakland University; Rochester, Michigan

Robert is currently on faculty at Oakland University in Educational Leadership. He retired in 2016 as the Chief of Staff for Utica Community Schools, the second largest school district in Michigan. His previous administrative experiences include Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for the West Bloomfield School District; Deputy for Strategic Reform with the Pontiac School District, Leadership Consultant with Oakland Schools, and Principal with the Southfield Public Schools. He is an adjunct teacher for Rochester College, Oakland University and the University of Michigan-Flint. At the age of 13 Robert committed his life to Christ and has since dedicated his time and resources to various ministries throughout the region including: Metropolitan Detroit Youth Chorus, Michigan Christian Youth Camp, Luckett Christian Academy, Lighthouse Singers, Rochester University and mission trips to Russia and Brazil. He serves as an elder for the Rochester church of Christ. He considers his role as husband and father to be the most significant spiritual focus in his life. Robert received his doctorate from Oakland University in Educational Leadership along with degrees from Wayne State University and the University of Michigan. In addition, Robert has a background in music and celebrated 28 years as the Artistic Director of the Madrigal Chorale, an adult semi-professional choir. He is recognized as a national and international presenter and is the author of several published articles. His areas of expertise include leadership, equity, student engagement, and achievement disparities.

Erin M. McCluan, RN, BSN, JD, Esq; Osterhout Berger Disability Law; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Erin is a nurse attorney and disability advocate from Pittsburgh, PA. She practices disability law with a focus on federal appeals of Social Security disability denials.

Marc Meyer, RN, JD; Law Offices of Marc Meyer, PLLC; Houston, Texas

Marc received a BS in Biology from Cornell in 1986. In 1989, Marc graduated with a MS in biochemistry from Texas A&M University. In July, 1990, Marc joined the City of Houston Fire Department as a paramedic and firefighter and he has been with the Houston Fire Department and recently retired a Captain/Paramedic with the City of Houston Fire Department after twenty years. Marc graduated with an AS in nursing from Regents College (now Excelsior College). He is licensed as a Registered Nurse and has been employed as a nurse with the St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and the Methodist Hospital System in the Emergency Department, Neurological ICU and Medical-Surgical floor settings. In 2009, he graduated from the South Texas College of Law and is licensed as an attorney by the State Bar of Texas. Marc is involved in the American Bar Association, Health Law Section and Young Lawyer Division; The American Association of Nurse Attorneys; the Woodlands Bar Association; the Montgomery County Bar Association and the Houston Bar Association. Marc holds leadership positions in the American Bar Association as the liaison from the Young Lawyers Division to the Health Law Section; in the Texas chapter of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys as a member of the Board of Directors.

Kevin C. Murphy, JD, BA; Murphy Jones, PC; San Diego, California

Kevin founded, established and currently manages all aspects of the law firm as its President. He supervises firm administrative duties and substantive legal services. He manages legal actions and lawsuits from inception to conclusion. He conducts client interviews, case evaluation, litigation, administrative hearings, negotiations and settlement of claims. Kevin provides legal counseling and substantive legal services, including court appearances, law and motion practice, civil trials, administrative investigations and hearings, and arbitration. Kevin is proficient with the California Administrative Procedure Act and Nevada Administrative Board practice protocols.

Thomas Justin Palmer, JD; McMurray Contracting, LLC; Fairhope, Alabama

Mr. Palmer received his associate degree in nursing in 1998 followed by his BSN and MSN with a focus on Advanced Practice Emergency Nursing. After distinguished military service and a long career in nursing including advanced practice, Justin became a defendant in the Ruan v United States case where he plead and was found guilty and sentenced to prison. Today, Justin is a second year law student. He speaks candidly of the impact of Ruan and its aftermath on his professional and personal life.

Bridgette Parker, MSN, FNP-BC; Victory Health Partners; Mobile, Alabama 

Ms. Parker is a motivational Advanced Practice Nurse who inspires excellence in her team members and patients. She received her associate degree in nursing in 1990 and worked as a registered nurse in ER, hospital and outpatient settings. In 1993 she received her BSN, followed by her MSN with a focus Family Practitioner practice. Shortly after receiving her Advanced Practice credentials, she began her career in pain management. She became the first defendant in the Ruan case to plead and was found guilty and sentenced to prison. In 2021, she regained her Alabama nursing license and eventually her reinstatement as an advanced practice nurse. Her impactful story of the experience as a prescriber convicted, found guilty and sentenced is riveting.

Jane E. Roman, JD; Law Office of Jane E. Roman; Toledo, Ohio

Jane is a sol practitioner who has devoted her career to criminal defense. She is admitted to the State Bar of Ohio and Federal bar for the United States Distrct Court for the Northern District of Ohio. She represents cliens in complex criminal matters at the state and federal levels. She earned her juris doctorate from the University of Toledo College of Law. She is also a member of the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Jackie L. Russell, RN, JD, LLM; Minnesota Nurses Association; St. Paul, Minnesota

Jackie is currently the General Counsel of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA). She represents the MNA in arbitrations, unit determinations, employment-related administrative hearings, unfair labor practice filings, and court proceedings. She provides written and verbal legal advice to Association staff and member groups on a variety of issues including, but not limited to, labor law, nursing practice and regulatory affairs, employment law, public- and private-sector collective bargaining and labor relations, and other areas of the law relevant to MNA’s union activities. In her role as general, Jackie develops and maintains effective working relationships with counsel from affiliated organizations and outside legal consultants. In coordination with MNA’s Education department, she prepares and presents educational programs regarding aspects of nursing practice, collective bargaining, labor law, and employment law for staff and members as requested, among other duties. Prior to becoming MNA General Counsel, Jackie was the MNA Nursing Practice and Regulatory Affairs Specialist. Her work in that position included a special focus on professional nursing practice issues, health policy development, and analysis of health care regulations for their potential impact on nursing and health care. She represented the MNA at designated meetings of relevant state and federal agencies, boards, and commissions and acted as a resource to nurse- members and staff on nursing, regulatory, and health policy matters.

Ashley Saferight, JD; Tucker Ellis, LLP; Cleveland, Ohio

Ashley routinely defends hospitals, long-term care facilities, doctors, and nurses in medical malpractice and professional liability actions. Ashley also works with the Tucker Ellis medical and pharmaceutical liability team defending clients in complex multi-defendant pharmaceutical litigation, and she is part of a Tucker Ellis team of attorneys that serves as national counsel in motor vehicle accident and premises liability litigation for two Fortune 300 companies. Additionally, Ashley defends various corporations in products liability cases, including asbestos defense and food flavorings cases. Ashley is experienced in all facets of pre-trial litigation, including preparing and responding to pleadings, fact investigation, discovery, developing defense strategies, conducting witness interviews, drafting motions, and oral argument. Originally from Georgia, Ashley lives in downtown Cleveland with her fiancé. She enjoys live theatre at Playhouse Square, loves both the Cavaliers and the Indians, and she is learning to love the Browns. A foster volunteer for the Cleveland Animal Protective League, Ashley fostered 13 kittens in 2020.

Teressa M. Sanzio, RN, MPA, JD; Law Office of Teressa Sanzio; Phoenix, Arizona

Teressa is a sole practitioner, devoting her practice to administrative and regulatory law. Teressa provides professional representation for all licensed health care providers with all licensure-related matters including board complaints, application denials, and other matters. She has represented health care professionals for over twenty-five years. Teressa also holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, and an Associate’s Degree in Nursing. Teressa’s nursing background is ER and ICU. Prior to becoming an attorney, Teressa worked as a Legal Nurse Consultant, a Risk Management Consultant, and a Nurse Specialist in Quality Resource Management.

Jeffrey T. Stewart, JD; Challenge Mfg. Company LLC; Detroit, Michigan

I am a lifelong Michigan resident born and raised in the Detroit area. I graduated from the U of D Jesuit High School in 1967; completed my undergraduate studies at Michigan State University and graduated from the Wayne State University Law School in 1974 cum laude. I have been a general trial practitioner all of my career handling cases in a broad variety of areas, including medical malpractice, legal malpractice, product liability, general personal injury, worker’s compensation, probate litigation a wide spectrum of business litigation. federal and state constitutional law matters involving private versus public sector entities, school law, civil rights litigation, partnership and corporate dissolutions and disputes, and truck accident litigation. I handle cases both at the trial court level and on appeal. Between September 2020 and February 2023 I was with Johnson Law in Detroit and since then as general counsel for Challenge Mfg. Company LLC where I handle and oversee the companies litigation. I served on the School Board for the West Bloomfield School District for 24 years, holding the offices of President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary. I am a member of the Board of Regents for the Orchard Lake Schools. I also serve as a hearing panelist for the Michigan Attorney Discipline Board and in that capacity have authored numerous opinions on individual discipline cases. I was a former member of the Executive Board of the Michigan Association for Justice. I am admitted to the State Bars of Michigan and Ohio, the United States Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the Northern District of Ohio. I have also been specially admitted in Ohio, Missouri and Texas.

Jonathan D. Stewart, JD, MSc, MS, RN; California State University, East Bay; Vancouver, Washington

Jonathan is a nurse, attorney, health care risk manager and patient safety practitioner. His areas of interest include health law, organizational responses to medical harm, clinical and organizational ethics, and public health injury prevention policy. A former emergency nurse, Mr. Stewart has practiced as a risk manager and patient safety professional in hospital, health system, and medical professional liability insurance settings since 2009. He has represented Washington nurses and therapists in disciplinary matters and he has taught a course on health law for baccalaureate nursing students at California State University East Bay since 2011. Mr. Stewart is a past president of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys and is currently an active member of the Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) Northwest Crisis Response Team, providing emotional first aid and practical support to victims of traumatic events and their families in the first few hours after tragedies. Mr. Stewart received a master’s degree in nursing/health policy from the University of California at San Francisco and a second master's degree in human factors and system safety from Lund University in Sweden. He earned his juris doctor and health law certificate from the University of Tulsa, and a certificate in clinical bioethics from Loyola University Chicago. Mr. Stewart has been admitted to the bars of California, Washington, and Alaska and he holds professional certifications in patient safety and healthcare risk management.