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Improving patient safety by reducing communication failures

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Our Story

In 2010, we created the first I-PASS Intervention Bundle for resident physicians and completed a multisite study at nine children’s hospitals. Following that study, I-PASS received Honorable Mention award from the AAMC Readiness for Reform Health Care Innovation Challenge.

From there, we began enrolling hospitals in studies to highlight the importance of using a standardized handoff process to reduce patient harm. This led to a study that highlighted I-PASS as reducing Medical Errors by 23% and reducing Adverse Events by 30%.

Today our I-PASS Bundle is implemented across hundreds of hospitals and specialties as the go-to method for reducing patient harm. We look forward to helping you reduce patient harm at your institution.

Our Values

Patient Centeredness

Collaboration & Team Focus

Innovation

Fundamental & Transformational System Changes

Rigorous Measurement

Scholarship

Evidence-Based Improvement

Rapid Dissemination into Common Practice

I-PASS Patient Safety Institute Team

Aileen Fang

Senior Program Manager, Implementation

Aileen F. Fang is the Senior Program Manager at the I-PASS Institute. In her role, she collaborates with clients to navigate implementation timelines to guarantee the achievement of crucial milestones. She also assists in operational meetings across project stages to ensure the successful implementation of I-PASS solutions.

Aileen has six years of experience in the healthcare industry as well as prior experience in the financial, retail, luxury, and food and beverage industries. She has deep expertise in executing complex, tech-focused initiatives, including spearheading a Fortune 500 organization’s Payment Integrity Program and managing the deployment of a patient application system.

Aileen holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School, as well as several Lean Six Sigma and business certifications. In her free time, Aileen participates in different volunteer opportunities and enjoys traveling, reading, and trying new baking recipes.

Amanda Hofer, MPH

Senior Manager, Program Development & Design

As Senior Program Manager, Amanda Hofer guides clients to achieve and sustain successful implementations. As an instrumental part of our client’s success, Amanda works with our clients to refine and execute implementation timelines, develop a plan for ensuring milestones are met, and facilitate meetings throughout each project phase. Amanda also provides ongoing technical support for I-PASS’s cloud-based tools. Amanda ensures our clients implement successfully and sustainably.

Before joining I-PASS Institute in 2018, Amanda completed a practicum internship at Boston Children’s Hospital as a Pediatric Education Research Assistant. In this role, she developed qualitative and quantitative data frameworks for program evaluations in developmental medicine.

Amanda holds a Masters in Public Health from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree in Public Health from The Ohio State University. She also holds a green belt in Lean management. In her free time, Amanda enjoys reading, cooking, and baking.

Andrea Ferguson

Informatics Specialist

Andrea Ferguson is the Informatics Specialist at the I-PASS Institute. In her role, she supports patient safety initiatives and implementation across multiple units and specialties, helping to optimize provider workflow and ensure optimal patient outcomes. With acute knowledge of I-PASS tools and methods, Andrea provides insights to streamline operational processes and enhance clinical communication.

Andrea brings over 20 years of experience in healthcare, working in private practices that specialize in Cardiology and Plastic Surgery as well as at larger Cancer and Orthopaedics centers. Prior to joining I-PASS, she spent eight years working on a wide range of patient safety initiatives as an Epic analyst, during which she led the written tool design for I-PASS implementation across a large academic medical center. Andrea was also involved in efforts to maintain Epic’s accreditation from The Joint Commission, creating tools to improve communication between Stroke Care Teams and implementing a Remote Video Monitoring workflow to enable efficient resource usage.

Andrea holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University and Epic certifications in Clinical Documentation and Inpatient Rehab. Outside of work, she enjoys taking road trips and spending quality time with friends and family.

Christina Hazekamp, MPH

Vice President, Client Operations

Christina Hazekamp Wright is the Vice President of Client Operations at the I-PASS Institute. She utilizes her experience in patient safety to identify coaching opportunities for clients, oversees large-scale implementations, and provides operational insight internally.

Christina joined the organization in 2016. Before coming to I-PASS, Christina held positions at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, MI, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and Boston Children’s Hospital where she worked in both dietetics and patient safety.

Christina holds a bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences from Michigan State University and a Master's degree in Public Health from Boston University. She also holds certifications in Lean Management and Improvement Capability. In her free time, Christina can be found outdoors hiking, camping and kayaking.

Christopher P. Landrigan, MD, MPH

Co-founder and Executive Council Member

Christopher P. Landrigan, MD, MPH, is the Chief of General Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Director of the Sleep and Patient Safety Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He holds the William Berenberg Professorship of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and is a practicing pediatric hospitalist.

Dr. Landrigan was the founding chair and is currently an Executive Council Member of the Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) Network, a collaboration of over 100 pediatric hospitals focused on studying and improving the quality of hospital care. His extensive roles in clinical practice and research underscore his commitment to enhancing pediatric healthcare and patient safety.

Henry Floyd

Manager, Client Engagement

Henry Floyd is the Manager of Client Engagement at the I-PASS Institute.  With a diverse background in recruiting and marketing, Henry plays a pivotal role in managing existing I-PASS relationships and generating new business leads and partnerships with healthcare organizations committed to eliminating preventable medical errors industrywide.

Prior to joining I-PASS, Henry was an Account Manager at Cybba, a digital marketing and advertising company. Henry also has extensive experience in the executive recruiting industry, serving as a consultant for over five years at Beacon Hill Staffing Group.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Henry holds an Organizational Management Studies degree from Gettysburg College. He is a long-time volunteer for the Marfan Foundation, where he helps educate and support pediatric patients with the condition and any related surgeries. Henry is passionate about building and cultivating relationships with internal and external key stakeholders. He firmly believes that collaboration is not just a strategy but a way of moving the business forward.

In his free time, Henry can be found on his boat in Casco Bay or on the golf course. He also enjoys playing pickleball and tennis, as well as brewing his own beer.

John McKenna

Chief Financial Officer

John McKenna is the Chief Financial Officer at the I-PASS Institute. John brings an invaluable blend of financial acumen, strategic vision, and commitment to the community to the role.

Since joining I-PASS in 2023, John has overseen the financial landscape of the organization, leveraging his extensive experience in finance earned throughout his distinguished career. Prior to his tenure at I-PASS, John spent 25 years at PepsiCo, where he held various key positions, including Area Vice President of Finance, and spearheaded significant initiatives such as mergers and acquisitions and the IPO for Pepsi Bottling Group.

His dedication extends beyond the boardroom, and John's commitment to education and community service is evident through his roles as a trustee at Lasell University and a board member of the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund. He holds a BS in Business Administration from SUNY Albany and an MBA from Boston College. 

In his free time, John enjoys golfing, photography, and traveling.

Kara Pitt

Manager of HR & Executive Administration

As a Manager of HR & Executive Administration at I-PASS Patient Safety Institute, Kara leverages her 20+ years of experience across diverse industries to support the mission of improving patient safety. She manages the HR functions, including recruitment, training, performance evaluation, and benefits administration, as well as executive administration tasks.

Kara excels at communicating effectively, both verbally and in writing, with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring that the organization's vision and values are conveyed clearly and consistently. She also has strong organizational skills and attention to detail, which enables her to multi-task and prioritize in a fast-paced environment with shifting demands. Additionally, Kara has a positive, team-player attitude and a passion for building and maintaining collaborative relationships within and outside the organization.

Kieran Eissler, CPPS

Senior Director, Client Engagement

Kieran Eissler is the Senior Director of Client Engagement at the I-PASS Institute. With over a decade of experience in the healthcare and public health spaces, Kieran has dedicated his career to driving client growth, business development, and consulting in the healthcare sector, with an emphasis on patient safety and high reliability. Since joining I-PASS in 2024, Kieran has played a pivotal role in advancing business strategy.
 
Prior to joining I-PASS, Kieran spent seven years at Press Ganey, where he spearheaded domestic and international partnership strategies, facilitated safety and reliability education for multi-hospital health systems, and led initiatives to improve patient and caregiver experience across diverse care settings. Kieran's dedication and achievements have been recognized with prestigious accolades, including Press Ganey’s President’s Club Award for surpassing revenue growth and retention goals, as well as the Pinnacle Award for outstanding leadership and innovation. 

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Kieran holds a Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University, where he excelled on the men’s lacrosse team and received the B1G Distinguished Scholar Award. He is also a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS), demonstrating his commitment to ensuring the highest standards of safety in healthcare settings.

In his free time, Kieran enjoys golfing, hiking with his dog, and traveling to new places with his family. Additionally, he volunteers with the ALS Association to support their mission. 

Larissa Schaufele, MPH

Program Coordinator

Larissa Schaufele is a Program Coordinator at the I-PASS Institute. Larissa helps our clients execute and sustain a successful implementation by developing timelines, facilitating meetings, and ensuring key milestones are met throughout the project.

Prior to joining I-PASS, Larissa held positions working with children and adults in mental health and disability services, as well as advocating for harm reduction for vulnerable populations through behavioral change models.

Larissa holds a Master of Public Health and a graduate minor in project management from Drexel University. During her studies, Larissa focused on global health and harm reduction. She also spent time as a research assistant for Drexel University and has volunteered for harm reduction organizations such as Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

Marcia Peterson

Chief Information Officer

Marcia Peterson is the Chief Technology Officer at the I-PASS Institute. Marcia brings over 40 years of experience in healthcare, operations, finance, and technology. At I-PASS, she is responsible for technology compliance, strategy, and operations.

Prior to joining I-PASS in 2018, Marcia led people and projects across all segments of healthcare organizations. She has developed unique insights necessary for the successful collaboration and innovation of clinical, financial, operational, and technical support systems. She brings expertise in patient portals, electronic health records, and compliance programs to I-PASS.

When not working, Marcia enjoys spending time with her large and tight-knit family, especially her new grandson. As a close second, she enjoys outdoor activities, particularly gardening, walking, and bike riding.

Marshall Burkhart, CPPS

Vice President, Client Engagement

Marshall Burkhart is the Vice President, Client Engagement at the I-PASS Institute. Marshall brings a decade of experience in patient safety to the organization. He is responsible for client engagement, market strategy, and the growth of the organization.

Marshall joined I-PASS in 2020 after serving as a Regional Director at Press Ganey where he was responsible for innovative market strategies and the creation of strategic plans to assist clients in improving performance outcomes. While at Press Ganey, Marshall was a four-time recipient of the President’s Club Award for surpassing revenue growth and retention goals.

Marshall holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Johns Hopkins University and is a candidate for a Masters in Business Administration at the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College. He is also a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS), demonstrating his commitment to ensuring the highest standards of safety in healthcare settings.

Marshall is the chairman of the advisory board for the IB13 Foundation, an organization that focuses on improving the lives of those who have suffered spinal cord injuries. He is a former professional and college lacrosse player. When not working, Marshall enjoys cooking with his wife, jumping rope, and playing frisbee with their dog, Jax.

Megan Esporas, MPH

Senior Program Manager, Implementation

Megan Esporas is Senior Program Manager at the I-PASS Institute. With extensive expertise in patient safety and quality improvement, she leverages her experience designing and implementing quality improvement initiatives in top health organizations across the country to guarantee the successful implementation of I-PASS solutions in a wide variety of hospitals and health systems.

Megan brings over two decades of experience implementing complex and nuanced quality improvement initiatives. Prior to joining I-PASS, she worked with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality, the Children’s Hospital Association, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and NC Children’s Hospital. In her role at NC Children’s Hospital, she launched the NC Children’s Center for Clinical Excellence, providing sustainable quality improvement infrastructure through a process of shared learning, effective resource use, and the synchronization of improvement goals.

Megan holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Master’s in Public Health Leadership from UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. She proudly serves on the leadership team of Ready.Sim.Go, where she helps to transform patient and family discharge education through the use of simulation. She also serves on the Board for StrongHER TogetHER, a Durham-based non-profit that teaches girls to stick together despite their differences and to use their collective power in the fight for equality. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, discovering new restaurants, and staying active with running, yoga, and Pilates.  

Ryan Landrigan

Associate, Client Engagement & Implementation

Ryan Landrigan is the Client Engagement and Implementation Associate at the I-PASS Institute, where he supports business development in the healthcare sector, contributing a wealth of knowledge on the financial and clinical operations of patient safety organizations. Ryan brings experience analyzing healthcare companies and leveraging financial insights to drive growth and assist in deal valuation.

Previously, Ryan was a Project Liason intern for I-PASS, combining his acute knowledge of the Institute with multidisciplinary expertise in consulting, financial analysis, and socioeconomic research. As an undergraduate, Ryan collaborated with Economics professors at Boston College on two research projects examining the dollar valuation of human life and the relationship between race, socioeconomic status, and the locality of natural gas compressor stations within the U.S. Ryan was also an analyst for Colgate’s student-run investment fund and completed an internship with Avalerian Capital, a B2B SaaS-focused private equity firm.

Ryan holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from Colgate University and received the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence. He is also an avid backcountry skier and enjoys spending his free time with friends and family.

Theresa Murray, MSN, RN, CPPS, LSSBB

Vice President, Clinical Strategy and Transformation

As Vice President of Clinical Strategy and Transformation, Theresa Murray coordinates the clinical coach program and oversees recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing development for I-PASS implementation programs. Additionally, she supports our clients by developing policies and protocols, establishing clinical guidelines, and executing large-scale implementations. With prior experience as an I-PASS clinical coach, Theresa utilizes her first-hand experiences implementing the I-PASS method at various healthcare systems, including Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, M Health Fairview, Newton Wellesley Hospital, and Baptist Health, to actively improve the I-PASS clinical program.

Theresa graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and later received her Master of Science in Nursing Education from Norwich University. Prior to joining I-PASS, Theresa worked with Dartmouth Health for over 12 years, where she held various positions and led initiatives in patient safety, process improvement, and nursing education. Theresa is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB) and a Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS). In her free time, she enjoys running, coaching youth sports, and thrifting.

William H. Floyd

Chief Executive Officer

Bill Floyd, Founder and CEO, leads the development and implementation of the I-PASS Institute’s services and solutions. With a passion for improving the quality and standards of care patients receive, Bill brings entrepreneurial expertise to I-PASS Institute after working at several successful healthcare start-up organizations.

Bill has a career spanning three decades in the healthcare field ranging from medical devices to patient monitoring and enterprise software solutions at large organizations like Johnson & Johnson and Boston Scientific as well as start-ups.

Bill is a board member at the University of Vermont STEM Center and the Mid-Coast Medical Center Covid Clinic. He is also the principal of MerePoint Oyster Company in Maine. In his free time, Bill enjoys playing tennis, golf, and pickleball as well as skiing and hiking.

 

Clinical Founders

Amy J. Starmer, MD, MPH

Co-Founder and Executive Council Member

Dr. Amy Starmer is a general pediatrician with extensive experience leading initiatives to improve patient safety and healthcare quality. Currently, she serves as the Division Chief of General Pediatrics and Chief Quality Officer at Baystate Children's Hospital. Dr. Starmer’s leadership of quality improvement initiatives has resulted in measuring performance that far exceeds nationally benchmarked targets for numerous areas of focus, including immunization delivery, well child visit completion, and adherence to standardized clinical guidelines across a range of medical conditions. In her previous role at Boston Children’s Hospital, Dr. Starmer served as Medical Director of the BCH Clinical Pathways Program and as Associate Medical Director of Quality Improvement.

In addition to these local institutional administrative and clinical roles, Dr. Starmer leads nationally-recognized seminal research studies (Starmer et al JAMA 2013, Starmer et al NEJM 2014) focused on improving provider handoff communication and patient safety. She has subsequently served as Principal Investigator and co-PI of multiple additional intervention studies examining adaptations of handoff programs for nurses, ambulatory care, and other providers across more than 50 hospitals. The I-PASS handoff program has been recognized by AHRQ as “the gold standard for effective handoff communication” and has received multiple awards including the Eisenberg award for National Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality.

Christopher P. Landrigan, MD, MPH

Co-Founder and Executive Council Member

Christopher P. Landrigan, MD, MPH, is the Chief of General Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Director of the Sleep and Patient Safety Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He holds the William Berenberg Professorship of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and is a practicing pediatric hospitalist.

Dr. Landrigan was the founding chair and is currently an Executive Council Member of the Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) Network, a collaboration of over 100 pediatric hospitals focused on studying and improving the quality of hospital care. His extensive roles in clinical practice and research underscore his commitment to enhancing pediatric healthcare and patient safety.

Daniel C. West, MD

Co-Founder and Executive Council Member

Dr. Daniel C. West is a pediatric hematologist and oncologist specializing in the treatment of children with cancer, particularly bone sarcomas and blood disorders. His research focuses on bone sarcomas, especially Ewing sarcoma, and the relationship between educational outcomes and clinical outcomes.

Dr. West completed his medical degree at the University of Florida, followed by a residency at UCSF and fellowships at Children's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Harvard Medical School. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.

He serves on the Pediatric Review Committee of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Before joining UCSF, he was a professor of pediatrics at UC Davis, where he earned the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Faculty Excellence. Currently, he is a professor of pediatrics at UCSF, vice chair for education, and director of the Pediatric Residency Training Program. Dr. West is recognized for his expertise in curricular development and assessment, applying measurement theory and regression modeling to validate assessment tools used in EPAC to measure learner outcomes.

Nancy D. Spector, MD

Co-Founder and Executive Council Member

Dr. Nancy Spector is a prominent leader in medical education and patient safety, serving as the Executive Director of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) program and the Executive Leadership in Health Care (ELH) program at Drexel University College of Medicine. She is also the Senior Vice Dean for Faculty, the Betty A. Cohen Chair in Women’s Health, and the Executive Director of the Lynn Yeakel Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership (IWHL).

A professor of pediatrics with extensive expertise in leadership skills development, curriculum implementation, and gender equity, Dr. Spector has made significant contributions to academic medicine. She co-founded the I-PASS Patient Safety Institute and serves as Chair of the I-PASS Executive Council. Dr. Spector's scholarly work and leadership in the I-PASS Handoff Study Group have been recognized with numerous awards, including the John M. Eisenberg National Patient Safety and Quality Award. She holds degrees from Brown University and the University of Massachusetts Medical School and completed her residency and fellowships at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children.

Raj Srivastava, MD, FRCP(C), MPH

Co-Founder and Executive Council Member

Dr. Raj Srivastava, M.D., FRCP(C), M.P.H., is a key leader in healthcare delivery and quality improvement. As a Professor of Research and Pediatrics at the University of Utah, he has dedicated his career to implementing evidence-based clinical practices and enhancing patient care. Dr. Srivastava leads the implementation science core at Intermountain Healthcare’s Healthcare Delivery Institute (HDI), where he evaluates and applies clinical best practices across both adult and pediatric care settings.

In addition to his role at HDI, Dr. Srivastava oversees the Advanced Training Program in Clinical Quality Improvement, designed for healthcare professionals focused on quality improvement and clinical process management. He also co-directs the Stanford-Intermountain Population Health Fellowship Program. Dr. Srivastava's extensive background includes serving as Chair of the Pediatric Research in Inpatient Settings (PRIS) network and completing his medical education at the University of Toronto, with further training at the Hospital for Sick Children and a fellowship at Harvard Medical School.

Theodore C. Sectish, MD

Co-Founder and Executive Council Member

Dr. Ted Sectish is a renowned leader in pediatric education and patient safety. He is a Professor of Pediatrics, Vice‐Chair for Education, and Program Director of the pediatric residency training program at Boston Children’s Hospital. Previously, he directed the pediatric residency program at Stanford University School of Medicine for 14 years.

Dr. Sectish is a distinguished educator with a strong focus on educational innovation and improvement, spanning undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education, and continuous professional development. He has written extensively on residency education, including making programs more family-friendly. As a key figure in the I-PASS Study, Dr. Sectish has contributed significantly to standardizing the handoff process to reduce medical errors and improve resident workflow. He also served as Executive Director of the Federation of Pediatric Organizations (FOPO) from 2007-2014 and is a past President of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD). Dr. Sectish holds an MD from Johns Hopkins and completed his pediatrics residency at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Strategic Advisors

Bob Hanscom

Bob Hanscom, Strategic Advisor at the I-PASS Institute, collaborates with the I-PASS leadership team to develop and deliver strategies to champion patient safety and reduce medical malpractice rates at healthcare institutions across the country.

Bob brings nearly 30 years of experience in hospital risk management, with a specific focus in healthcare analytics claims data. He retired from his role as Vice President of Risk Management and Analytics at Coverys in September 2022. During Bob’s nine-year tenure at Coverys, he oversaw the company’s national risk management services, and led enterprise-wide initiatives to strengthen Coverys as a data-and-analytics driven organization. Included in those efforts was the development of Coverys’ comparative benchmarking database, which now houses the root-cause factors of approximately 30,000 deeply analyzed malpractice claims. His work has led to a proactive risk management model which focuses on using the evidence to find solutions before harm reaches the patient – rather than after.

Prior to joining Coverys, Bob was with CRICO, the malpractice self-insurance captive for the Harvard system, for 14 years. At CRICO, he was Senior Vice President of Loss Prevention and Patient Safety and headed up CRICO’s external consulting division, CRICO Strategies. Before that, Bob was Vice President of Clinical Services at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, MA for five years. Earlier in his career, Bob worked for both Massachusetts General Hospital and for a law practice in Maine.

Bob received his B.A. in History from Pacific Union College (California) and his Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law.

David Shahian, MD

David Michael Shahian, MD, is currently a professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and a senior surgeon in the MGH Department of Surgery and the Division of Cardiac Surgery. He completed his fellowship in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at Rush-Presbyterian–St. Luke’s Medical Center. For nearly a quarter century, Dr. Shahian was an attending cardiothoracic surgeon at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, most of that time serving as chair of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. He also served terms as president of the medical staff and member of the board of governors.

Dr. Shahian has previously served as the inaugural chair of the Massachusetts Cardiac Care Quality Commission, which led development of the Massachusetts cardiac surgery public reporting system, and he also served as president of the Massachusetts Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Nationally, Dr. Shahian is chair of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Quality Measurement Task Force, in which capacity he has led development of dozens of National Quality Forum-endorsed performance measures and the risk models upon which they are based. He is past chair of the STS National Database Workforce, the STS Workforce on Quality, and the STS Council on Quality, Research and Patient Safety, in which roles he was responsible for all STS database, quality measurement and public reporting activities. Dr. Shahian co-led development of the STS national voluntary public reporting program, the most expansive of any healthcare professional society. In recognition of this and related quality activities, on behalf of STS he accepted the 2018 Eisenberg Award of the Joint Commission and National Quality Forum. In 2017, Dr. Shahian also received the STS Distinguished Service Award for his leadership in database and quality activities.

Dr. Shahian has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the National Quality Forum and the Board of the PCPI. He has published more than 340 peer-reviewed scientific articles and previously served as deputy editor of the Annals of Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Shahian has been a member of multiple CMS and NQF technical expert panels (TEP) related to quality measurement, most recently the CMS/Yale CORE group TEP for CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings and the NQF Risk-Adjustment Guidance TEP.

Jonathan Black

Patricia McGaffigan

Patricia McGaffigan is a healthcare leader with over four decades dedicated to patient safety and quality care. She is the President of the Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety and Vice President of Safety at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Patricia has played a crucial role in mobilizing health systems to eliminate patient and workforce harm. Her career includes leadership roles at the National Patient Safety Foundation and numerous accolades, such as the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Lifetime Member Award.

Patricia has helped nearly 6,500 professionals earn the CPPS credential and was named to the 2023 Becker’s Review List of Patient Safety Experts to Know. As a new member of the I-PASS Board of Directors, she brings invaluable expertise and a commitment to reducing preventable patient harm through structured communication during clinical transitions, supporting I-PASS's mission to improve patient safety.

Ralph Fargnoli

Ralph Fargnoli is the Co-Founder and CEO of Empoura, bringing 38 years of healthcare expertise to his role. His extensive experience highlights the impact of people, process, and digital technology on healthcare delivery.

Before Empoura, Ralph was a Managing Director at a Big 4 Advisory firm, leading client development in the national healthcare market. He also founded and led Beacon Partners, a national healthcare advisory firm recognized by the INC 5000 for significant revenue growth.

Ralph serves on the Board of Directors for the Patient Safety Institute (I-PASS), where he contributes his deep knowledge of healthcare systems to improve patient safety through better communication during patient handoffs. He holds an MBA from Bryant University and a Bachelor of Science in Business from The University of Rhode Island.

Scott Pitt

Scott Pitt is a transformational operational and finance leader with over 30 years of experience in private equity, venture-backed, and public companies, specializing in technology, healthcare, and services.

As a strategic and financial leader, Scott is a trusted business partner and respected thought leader. He excels in setting strategic direction and driving progress through cross-functional collaboration. He is an accomplished problem solver with a proven track record in leading organizations through periods of transformation and growth, both organic and inorganic.

Scott's transaction expertise includes negotiating and executing complex transactions such as M&A, IPOs, strategic alliances, and intricate customer arrangements. His operational management skills have consistently achieved operating objectives, managed revenue and profitability, and optimized working capital and cash flows.

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