National Advisory Council

Dr. Gallo is senior vice president and chief learning officer for the Northwell Health System. In this role, she is responsible for leadership development throughout the organization as well as the creation and implementation of a comprehensive learning strategy. Under her leadership, the Center for Learning and Innovation, Northwell’s corporate university, and the Patient Safety Institute were created to transform the health system into a learning organization by strategically focusing on workforce development. Dr. Gallo is also the founding dean of the Hofstra Northwell School of Graduate Nursing and Health Professions.

Within Northwell, Dr. Gallo has served as system director for emergency medicine and vice president for emergency medical services. She has more than 25 years experience in emergency nursing, having held a variety of clinical and administrative positions in tertiary care hospitals on Long Island. 

Dr. Gallo serves on the advisory boards for the Executive Program in Work-based Learning Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Open School for Health Professions. She is the former chair of the Quality Committee for the Council for Accreditation, Society for Simulation in Healthcare and serves on the editorial board of the Journal for Applied Nursing Research. Dr. Gallo is an associate professor of science education at the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, an associate adjunct professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University and an adjunct professor at the Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern University. She served as an examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award Program from 2003-2005 and also served on the advisory board for the National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) from 2004-2010. In addition, she has held several regional posts for emergency medical services and emergency nursing. 

A noted author and speaker, Dr. Gallo has collaborated with Dr. Lawrence Smith in a Springer publication entitled, “Building a Culture of Patient Safety Through Simulation: An Interprofessional Learning Model.”  She also speaks on a wide range of topics including “Future Workforce Requirements,” “Preparing Tomorrow’s Clinicians for Tomorrow’s Healthcare System,” “Enhancing Patient Safety Through Interprofessional Education and Collaboration,” “Heralding in a New Era: Patient Safety at the Forefront,” “Transforming Healthcare into Higher Reliability Organizations” and “Creating a Culture of Safety: Lessons Learned from Aviation.”

Dr. Gallo is a board member of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Futures Task Force, the American Nurses Foundation Board of Trustees, the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Advisory Council for Career and Technical Education for  the New York City Department of Education and the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the New York Academy of Medicine, and is a distinguished Scholar and Fellow of the National Academies of Practice. She was also inducted into the 2005 Hall of Fame at Adelphi University School of Nursing and received the 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award from State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Dr. Gallo received her bachelor of science in Nursing from Excelsior College, University of the State of New York; a master of science in Nursing from the State University of New York at Stony Brook; a PhD in Nursing from Adelphi University, Garden City, N.Y.; and a master of business administration, also from Adelphi University.

Paul, known as the “godfather” of the Patient Centered Medical Home movement and member of the Institute of Medicine, joins us from IBM where as Chief Medical Officer for IBM’s Healthcare and Life Sciences Industry where he developed and executed strategies on transformation initiatives in the healthcare industry. Paul currently serves as a director of the ACGME, the body responsible for accrediting graduate medical training programs. Paul is the founding President of the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, an organization dedicated to advancing a new primary-care model, called the patient-centered medical home; he was also fundamental in creating it in early 2006. Paul is a retired senior diplomat with the rank of Minister Consular U.S. State Department and was Medical Director for the International SOS and Adventist Health. Among a number of recognitions and awards, Paul won the NCQA national quality award for 2012 and the American College of Occupational Environmental Medicine 2013 Sappington Memorial Award. Paul is also an adjunct professor at the University of Utah Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and at University of California San Francisco Department of Family and Community Medicine. He attended medical school at the University of California San Francisco and earned his Master's Degree in Public Health at the University of California Berkeley. 

Dr. Leslie Hall currently serves as executive dean of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. From 2002 to 2008, he directed the Office of Clinical Effectiveness, overseeing quality improvement and patient safety initiatives throughout the University of Missouri Health Care system. From 2008 to 2012, he served as the senior associate dean for clinical affairs for the University of Missouri – Columbia School of Medicine and as the chief medical officer for University of Missouri Health Care. In his educational work at the University of Missouri, he has led several interprofessional curricular innovations in the areas of quality improvement, patient safety and teamwork in health care. When performing his clinical work as a hospitalist, he regularly participates in interprofessional team rounds with his patients.

At a national level, Dr. Hall served as a national physician advisor to the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) program from 2005 to 2008, and served on the steering committee of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Health Professions Education Collaborative. He also served as chair of the Academy for Healthcare Improvement Professional Education Resource Committee for several years and as a member of the board of the American Interprofessional Healthcare Collaborative. From 2012 to 2013, he received grant funding from the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation to co-lead a national initiative to promote faculty development in interprofessional team-based care.

Maryjoan D. Ladden, PhD, RN, FAAN

Dr. Ladden is a Senior Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Her work there focuses on building a diverse and well trained leadership to build a Culture of Health in America and cultivating global  ideas to address US health issues. She leads the Foundation’s efforts in primary care and interprofessional collaboration.

Prior to joining the Foundation, she served as Interim Chief Program Officer of the American Nurses Association (ANA), providing strategic direction, integration and coordination for all of ANA’s programs. Dr. Ladden  spent over 20 years in Boston as a nurse practitioner, case manager, researcher, and Director of Continuing Professional Education at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, and as Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical  School. Her work there focused on improving health care quality, safety and health professional collaboration. She is an alum of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellows program (2004 to 2007).

Julie Ginn Moretz, Chief Experience Officer/ AVP, Patient- and Family-Centered Care, Augusta University Medical Center

Julie Ginn Moretz recently rejoined Augusta University Health (AU Health) as Chief Experience Officer/AVP of Patient- and Family-Centered Care (PFCC), bringing her career full circle. Inspired by her son’s battle with  heart disease, Julie came to this work nearly two decades ago as a volunteer family leader at AU Health (formerly, Medical College of Georgia). Early on, as her young son underwent multiple heart surgeries and heart  transplant, Julie recognized that she and her husband, David, must be key players on his health care team for continuity of care and best possible outcomes.

Julie worked in partnership with health care leaders and clinicians to evaluate outdated policies and procedures that impacted health outcomes and patient experience. She then became Director of Family Services  Development there, supporting both adult and pediatric services. She oversaw patient/family advisory councils, developed the Family Faculty program to incorporate PFCC concepts in medical and health professions  education, and designed patient and family engagement strategies to improve the quality of care and the patient experience.

Most recently, before returning to Augusta in May 2017, Julie was associate Vice Chancellor for Patient- and Family-Centered Care at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock, AR where  she had overall leadership responsibility for developing clinical and academic programs related to PFCC. A key initiative was collaborating with academic programs to integrate PFCC in interprofessional education. Prior to her role at UAMS, Julie was Director of Special Projects with the Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care, based in Bethesda, MD, for nearly seven years. As a proponent of patient-centered outcomes research, Julie has served on the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute’s (PCORI) Advisory Panel on Patient Engagement and is a PCORI Ambassador.

Julie and her husband, David, have three children, Lee, Morgan, and Daniel (forever 14).

Dr. Lois Margaret Nora is president and chief executive officer of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). ABMS is a not-for-profit organization that supports its 24 medical specialty member boards in developing and implementing educational and professional standards to certify physician specialists and encourage lifelong learning and assessment. Through these efforts, ABMS helps ensure high quality health care for patients, families and communities. 

Prior to joining ABMS in 2012, Dr. Nora served as interim president and dean of The Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton, Penn., one of the nation’s newest medical schools. From 2002-2010, Dr. Nora served as president and dean of medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University. During Dr. Nora’s tenure, institutional accomplishments included the founding of a College of Pharmacy and College of Graduate Studies; a founding partnership in the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron; and selection as one of Ohio’s best workplaces, among others. Previously, Dr. Nora served as associate dean of academic affairs and administration and professor of neurology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, and assistant dean and assistant professor of neurology at Rush Medical College in Chicago. 

Dr. Nora’s scholarly work focuses on issues in medical education, particularly the student environment and issues at the intersection of law and medicine. Her honors include the American Medical Women’s Association President’s Recognition Award, the AAMC Group on Educational Affairs Merrel Flair Award in Medical Education, The Phillips Medal of Public Service from the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine and the 2010 Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Pharmacy Dean’s Leadership Award, among others. 

Dr. Nora received her medical degree from Rush Medical College, a law degree and certificate in clinical medical ethics from the University of Chicago and a master's of business administration from the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics. 

She is board certified in neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and is participating in Maintenance of Certification.

Dr. Stephen C. Shannon has been president of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) since 2006. Prior to assuming this position, he served as vice president for health services and dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of New England. He also served as chair of the AACOM Board of Deans from 2003 to 2005.

Dr. Shannon earned his doctor of osteopathic medicine from the University Of New England College Of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine, and his master of public health degree from the Harvard University School of Public Health. He is board certified in preventive medicine and osteopathic family practice.

Dr. Shannon has a long history of leadership in public health. He was instrumental in the development of a master of public health program at the University of New England and has served on numerous public health boards and commissions. Dr. Shannon has strong professional interests in public health and preventive medicine, health professions workforce, rural health and medical education.

Dr. George E. Thibault became the seventh president of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation in 2008. Immediately prior to that, he served as vice president of clinical affairs at Partners Healthcare System in Boston and director of the academy at Harvard Medical School (HMS).

He was the first Daniel D. Federman Professor of Medicine and Medical Education at HMS and is now the Federman Professor, Emeritus. Dr. Thibault previously served as chief medical officer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and chief of medicine at the Harvard-affiliated Brockton/West Roxbury VA Hospital. He was associate chief of medicine and director of the Internal Medical Residency Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). At the MGH he also served as director of the Medical ICU and the founding director of the Medical Practice Evaluation Unit.

For nearly four decades at HMS, Dr. Thibault played leadership roles in many aspects of undergraduate and graduate medical education. He played a central role in the New Pathway Curriculum reform and was a leader in the new integrated curriculum reform at HMS. He was founding director of the Academy at HMS, which was created to recognize outstanding teachers and to promote innovations in medical education. Throughout his career he has been recognized for his roles in teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, fellows and junior faculty. In addition to his teaching, his research has focused on the evaluation of practices and outcomes of medical intensive care and variations in the use of cardiac technologies.

Dr. Thibault is chairman of the board of the MGH Institute of Health Professions, and he serves on the board of the New York Academy of Sciences, Institute on Medicine as a Profession and the Lebanese American University. He serves on the President’s White House Fellows Commission and for 12 years he chaired the Special Medical Advisory Group for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. He is past president of the Harvard Medical Alumni Association and past chair of alumni relations at HMS. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Thibault graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University in 1965 and magna cum laude from Harvard Medical School in 1969. He completed his internship and residency in medicine and fellowship in cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). He also trained in cardiology at the National Heart and Lung Institute in Bethesda and at Guys Hospital in London and served as chief resident in Medicine at MGH.

Dr. Thibault has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors from Georgetown (Ryan Prize in Philosophy, Alumni Prize, and Cohongaroton Speaker) and Harvard (Alpha Omega Alpha, Henry Asbury Christian Award and Society of Fellows). He has been a visiting scholar both at the Institute of Medicine and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a visiting professor of medicine at numerous medical schools in the U.S. and abroad.

Donna Thompson serves as chief executive officer for Access Community Health Network (ACCESS), which provides high quality, comprehensive community-based health care in communities that might otherwise lack these resources.

In her 10 years as CEO, Donna has led ACCESS to become one of the largest federally qualified health care (FQHC) organizations in the country, serving more than 175,000 patients annually, 45,000 of whom are uninsured, in more than 35 health center locations across the greater Chicago area, including suburban Cook and DuPage Counties. In 2015, ACCESS is projected to provide its patients with more than 555,000 medical visits and deliver close to 3,000 babies.

As a community organizer concerned with effecting change beyond the health center walls, Thompson organized the Stand Against Cancer program in 2002, bringing together more than 1,400 women, elected officials and faith leaders to advocate for increased funding for breast and cervical cancer screenings. As a result of this advocacy effort, the State of Illinois allocated nearly $4 million annually to the Stand Against Cancer Program to reach women in faith communities to promote early detection and to offer screenings and follow-up care for those who are underinsured and uninsured.

In 2007, Thompson launched Pin-A-Sister™/Examinate Comadre™, bringing together members of predominantly African-American and Hispanic congregations to recognize breast cancer survivors and provide key information about preventive screening. Through 2014, this faith-based breast cancer awareness campaign has reached more than one million people in churches, community organizations and correctional centers during its signature events surrounding Mother’s Day and touched more than four million individuals through media outreach efforts nationally and internationally.

Thompson was named a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Executive Nurse Fellow in 2003. She received the 2007 Chicago Athena Award for her leadership in developing community health and was recognized as one of Chicago United’s 2007 Business Leaders of Color. She is also a co-founder of the Metropolitan Chicago Breast Cancer Task Force. In 2008, she received the Chicago National Organization for Women’s Outstanding Community Leader Award. In 2009, N’Digomagazine named her one of Chicago’s most influential women. Thompson is vice chairwoman of the Board of Directors of The Chicago Network. She is a 2010 graduate of the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management’s CEO Perspectives program.

Dr. Peter Vlasses serves as executive director for the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the national agency for the accreditation of professional degree programs in pharmacy and providers of continuing pharmacy education and the evaluation and certification of professional degree programs internationally.

ACPE collaborates with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and the American Nurses Credentialing Center in initiating a joint accreditation process (“Accreditation of Continuing Education Planned by the Team for the Team”) to support health care team-focused continuing education that improves patient care and streamlines the accreditation processes.

His professional experience includes service as a clinical faculty member at The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science (PCPS). He served as head of the Clinical Research Unit and research associate professor of medicine and pharmacology, Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and then as associate director, Clinical Practice Advancement Center, and director, Clinical Research & Investigator Services, University HealthSystem Consortium, Oak Brook, Ill. In each of his positions, Dr. Vlasses was involved in innovative interprofessional education, practice and research initiatives.

Dr. Vlasses is a founding member, fellow and past president of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). His awards include the Russell R. Miller Award from ACCP in recognition of his sustained and outstanding contributions to the biomedical literature, the ACCP Service Award, the PCPS Alumnus of the Year Award, the Cynthia Davenport Award for exemplary service to the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors, and an honorary doctor of science degree from Mercer University, Atlanta.

Dr. Vlasses received his bachelor of science and doctor of pharmacy degrees from Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science (PCPS) and served a residency in hospital pharmacy at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia. 

In 2005, Dr. Steven Wartman became the third president of the Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC), a non-profit association based in Washington, D.C. that seeks to advance health and well-being through the vigorous leadership of the multifaceted institutions that educate the next generation of health professionals, conduct cutting edge biomedical and clinical research and offer comprehensive patient care from the basic to the most advanced levels.

Prior to assuming this position, he was executive vice president for Academic and Health Affairs and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Wartman’s more than 25 year career in academic medicine includes chairing a department of medicine at two institutions and being the founding director of a division of general internal medicine. 

Dr. Wartman, an internist and sociologist, is board certified in internal medicine and a Master of the American College of Physicians. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Cornell University and his medical and PhD degrees from Johns Hopkins University. He was also a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at Johns Hopkins and a Henry Luce Scholar in Indonesia.

Dr. Wartman is currently recognized internationally for his work in the organization and management of academic health centers, where he has taken the lead on critical issues such as the need for alignment among an institution’s clinical, research and education programs. In 2008, he founded AAHC International (AAHCI), a global organization dedicated to improving health and well-being worldwide.

In 2012, he edited Confluence of Policy and Leadership in Academic Health Science Centers, published by Racliffe Press, that for the first time provided a comprehensive overview of the academic health center enterprise. He authored in 2014 a new guide, Searching for Leadership: Best Practices for Academic Institutions, that describes characteristics of successful leaders and a detailed analysis of the process to select them. In 2015, Elsevier published The Transformation of Academic Health Science Centers, the definitive work on the future of these vital institutions, which he edited. He has received numerous awards and honorary degrees, including the 2015 Johns Hopkins School of Medicine’s Distinguished Medical Alumnus Award.