Bev Johnson (President and Chief Executive Officer): Bev offers 25 years of experience in leading non-profit organizations. She has clinical and administrative experience in an academic medical center and has served as a hospital trustee and a trustee for other organizations. She has provided technical assistance and consultation to over 150 hospitals, federal, state, and provincial agencies, and community organizations. She is a mother of four children, two are writers and two are health care professionals. She also has four grandsons and one granddaughter.
Sharon Love, BS (Executive Assistant to the President & CEO): Sharon provides primary support to Bev Johnson, President and CEO, is the liaison for employee benefits, and assists with other administrative duties. She possesses over twenty years of administrative and human resources experience. Sharon spent over 5 years in the healthcare industry, focusing on end-of-life and elder care issues. Her recent work in a long-term care facility helped her realize the importance of compassion and quality care for patients and their families. Sharon completed her B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration in 2007. She currently resides in Maryland with her family.
Program and Policy
Marie Abraham, MA (Policy and Program Specialist): Marie provides consultation to hospitals and organizations that are working toward patient- and family-centered change, assists with the development of resource materials, and serves as a faculty member for Institute seminars. Over the past several years, Marie has served as a faculty member and consultant for several quality improvement projects including the Vermont-Oxford Network, the National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality, and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Marie has worked at the Institute since 1996 and lives in Connecticut. Marie has three sons, one of whom has special needs.
Program and Policy Consultants
Marlene Fondrick, RN, MSN: Marlene provides training and technical assistance to hospitals and health systems on implementing patient- and family-centered care, building the capacity of patient and family advisory councils, creating a variety of advisory roles for patients and families, and enhancing staff understanding of effective approaches to collaboration. Marlene brings experience as a clinician and an administrator in both maternity care and pediatrics. She currently resides on a lake with her husband. She is a proud grandmother of three boys, one of whom has experienced cancer care.
Pat Sodomka, MS, FACHE is Senior Vice President for Patient- and Family-Centered Care at the MCG Health System in Augusta, Georgia and Director for the Center for Patient- and Family-Centered Care at the Medical College of Georgia. For MCG, she oversees quality, safety, facilities, and the Centers of Excellence. Pat is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), and she has served on the Board of the Council of Teaching Hospitals of the American Association of Medical Colleges, She serves on the Georgia Hospital Association Board of Trustees and Chairs the Partnership for Health and Accountability, a statewide coalition focused on improving quality and patient safety in Georgia's hospitals. She provides training and technical assistance for the Institute for Family-Centered Care on leadership and advancing the practice of patient- and family-centered care.
Information and Resource Guidance
Barbara Kahl, JD (Information Specialist): Barbara works collaboratively with members of the Institute's team, and is responsible for interviewing and writing profiles of Patient and Family Advisors. Barbara works on a variety of projects that involve research, writing, editing, and analysis. For over 20 years, Barbara practiced law (appellate, labor, health and safety) with the United States Department of Labor. Barbara does a variety of volunteer work for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), including running a support group for families with children with Type 1 Diabetes, and serving on the JDRF's Outreach/Mentor Committee. Barbara is a patient advocate for several of her extended family members. Barbara lives in Maryland with her husband and daughters, one of whom has Type 1 Diabetes.
Joanna Kaufman, RN, MS (Information Specialist): Joanna comes to the Institute with more than 20 years of experience in patient- and family-centered care. She is a registered nurse with a myriad of pediatric clinical experience, gained in the trenches of Strong Memorial Hospital, Charity Hospital of New Orleans, and Johns Hopkins Hospital. She left clinical practice in 1983 to be the Executive Director of a federally funded SPRANS (Special Project of Regional and National Significance) funded by the Dept. of Health and Human Services Bureau of Maternal/Child Health. This is where she learned her first lessons about family-centered, community based coordinated care and has been committed to patient- and family-centered care ever since. As a member of the Institute's team, she collaborates on a variety of projects that involve research, writing, editing, and analysis. Joanna lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her husband of 29 years-and their 15 year old cat.
Special Projects
Julie Ginn Moretz (Director): Julie joins the Institute team as Director of Special Projects, working on programs to develop partnerships among health professionals, patients, and families. As the former Director of Family Services Development at the Medical College of Georgia Health System, Julie brings nearly 15 years of hands-on experience in developing patient- and family-centered care programs. Julie, a long-time member of the Institute's faculty, also has presented at a wide array of forums to advance the practice of patient- and family-centered care. Inspired by her youngest son's battle with heart disease, Julie works to redesign the experience of health care through her unique perspective. Julie and her family were recently featured in the PBS Remaking American Medicine Series, "Hand-in- Hand" where she was named a Champion of Change. Julie and her husband, David, have three children—Lee, 21, Morgan, 20, and Daniel, forever 14.
LeAndria Streeter (Special Projects Assistant): LeAndria joins the Institute team as the Special Projects Assistant. LeAndria works primarily with Julie Moretz, Director of Special Projects, and is involved in a broad range of activities, including meeting planning, publications, the Pinwheel sponsorship program, and a host of other activities. LeAndria brings to the Institute experience in meeting planning, and skills in organization and coordination of programs and events. LeAndria graduated from Clemson University in 2007, and resides in Washington, DC.
Volunteers/Interns
Ann Selinger (Volunteer): Ann joins the Institute as a volunteer. Ann handled the sale of publications and processed financial transactions at the Institute's 3rd International Conference and at our Hospitals Moving Forward Seminars. While in the office, Ann assists on a variety of projects, such as meeting planning, the Pinwheel sponsorship program, and providing general office support to the Institute team. Ann brings a wealth of experience to the Institute; she has been a hospital and school volunteer, hospital board member, nursery school teacher, head of a nursery school, children's bookstore owner, caterer, real estate agent, and administrative assistant. Ann currently works at the St. Albans School in Washington, D.C.
Anna Yuwen (Student Intern): Anna is working as an intern during her senior year of high school, gaining some "real world" experience working at a nonprofit organization. Anna brings to the Institute great organizational skills and artistic talent. Anna works on a variety of projects including assisting our meeting planning staff, working on seminar evaluations, keeping data up-to-date, answering the telephone, and generally being helpful.