In addition to a law degree, Robert Liles holds both an M.B.A. and an M.S. in Health Care Administration. Robert has worked on the provider side, as a Federal prosecutor and now represents physician practices around the country in connection with Medicare, Medicaid and private payor audits / investigations. While working as a Federal prosecutor, he was selected to serve as the nation's first "National Health Care Fraud Coordinator" for the DOJ’s, Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys. In this capacity, he advised prosecutors around the country regarding health care fraud statutes, schemes, investigative tools, privacy concerns, and compliance issues. Since entering private practice, Robert has continued to build on his health care background and experience.

I have worked extensively with ambulatory surgery centers since 1996 in a variety of roles including operations, development, acquisitions, and sales. This experience includes working for both a large multi-national healthcare operator and a privately owned independent ASC. Over this timeframe, I have successfully dealt with a wide variety of governing board physicians and their diverse personalities in order to improve surgery center operations and maximize teamwork.

With over 15 years of expertise in healthcare operations and pharmacy, Alex Yampolsky, PharmD MBA, brings a unique perspective to drug diversion prevention and regulatory compliance.

After a career in health system pharmacy as a pharmacist and director of operations, Alex ventured into the world of technology to help fix some of healthcare’s biggest issues.

Today Alex leads MedServe: a company dedicated to help surgery centers prevent drug diversion, improve patient safety, and streamline operations and compliance.

Jennifer Vazquez has a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management and is a Licensed Radiology Technologist with over 15 years of experience in the outpatient healthcare field. Since 2010, she has served in various roles within the Operating Room and transitioned to Surgery Center Administrator in 2013. In 2017, she successfully led the relocation and transformation of an office-based lab into a AAAHC Medicare Deemed Status Ambulatory Surgery Center, operating as a hybrid OBL/ASC. Recently, she oversaw the transition to operating exclusively as a primary ASC. Under her leadership, they expanded the interventional nephrology patient base to include cardiac and vascular procedures, driving significant growth in both service offerings and patient volume.

Coding Dialysis Access Interventions, PAD procedures, and other CardioVascular procedures and more for 19+ years. Includes Physician Office Surgical Billing, ASC Facility billing and Physician billing for ASC and Hospital IP/OP services.

Kelly Bemis, RN, BSN, is the Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) for National Cardiovascular Partners (NCP), a subsidiary of Fresenius Medical Care of North America (FMCNA). In that capacity, Ms. Bemis is responsible for the overall strategy, direction and oversight of all clinical aspects of the organization, to include facility certification, governance and regulatory compliance; physician relations; medical research; and the monitoring and reporting of comprehensive quality outcomes.

Ms. Bemis has spent her entire career in the healthcare, first in patient care, and later in a succession of high-level management and oversight roles. Ms. Bemis is a member of the Joint Commission’s Ambulatory Care Advisory Council, and represents NCP as a member of the Outpatient Endovascular and Interventional Society (OEIS). Her work has been published in several leading healthcare publications and national journals.

Dr. Vicki Lewis joined ECRI after working as a healthcare consultant with hospitals, outpatient facilities, and home care organizations. She has extensive experience applying the safety science of human factors engineering to complex work systems in the surface transportation and healthcare domains. She has an established research portfolio directing, collaborating, managing, and consulting on topics including healthcare-associated infections, implementation of universal protocol, specimen labeling and handling, usability of health information technology, and safety process improvement. Dr. Lewis has a track record of designing and developing the useful and usable design of medical devices and Health IT. She is practiced in facilitating sentinel event analyses to identify contributing factors to adverse events and develop system-based solutions that maximize effective and sustainable safety solutions. Dr. Lewis received her Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a Human Factors Engineering option from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Jessica is a Certified Patient Experience Professional, Certified Ambulatory Peri-Anesthesia Registered Nurse, Certified Maxwell Leadership Trainer and an Executive Coach with more than 15 years of leadership experience. As a PX Leader and Consultant, Jessica has trained more than 1,500 perioperative professionals, nurse leaders and executives to create organizational excellence. Her exceptional achievements in patient experience have earned her numerous awards, including the Detroit Medical Center Path to the Top Award, U.S. Customer Experience Award Finalist and the Tenet Hero Award for the Midwest Region. Jessica equips healthcare leaders with the necessary tools and resources to increase engagement, improve satisfaction and drive better health outcomes. She delivers inspirational keynote speeches, five-star OAS CAHPS patient experience programs, engaging professional development workshops, and personalized coaching to propel healthcare leaders forward in their commitment to CARE.

Jocelyn Gaddie is the innovative leader behind one of the longest-operating ASC billing companies in the nation, in2itive Business Solutions. Fourteen years ago, Jocelyn joined in2itive to be involved in an industry she believed had two things she was looking for: making an impact and substantial growth opportunity. Jocelyn was promoted to Vice President of Business Development at in2itive in 2014, then took on the role of President & CEO in 2020.

Jocelyn has led both in2itive and the many Ambulatory Surgery Centers it serves to make sound, growth-minded decisions by understanding financial performance and taking calculated risks. Outside of her work at in2itive, Jocelyn enjoys spending time with her husband and their 4 children and continuing to spread her passion for health and fitness.

Mary learned to scrub while in Nursing school and has remained in the perioperative field ever since. Early in her nursing career, she was appointed the Director of Nursing for a startup surgery center. In addition, Mary held positions such as Administrator, Group Administrator, Regional Manager, Group Clinical Director and Clinical Consultant. She has assisted many start-up centers as they became certified and helped others achieve or maintain accreditation.

She currently is a Senior Consultant for Amblitel. Mary was one of the founding members of the Iowa ASC Association and served as the first President. Mary has served on the Board of Ambulatory Surgery Certification (BASC) and helped create the CAIP Certification. She frequently speaks at the ASCA Annual Conference and many State Association Meetings. She has been one of the three main presenters for the Management Essentials for ASC Administrator course.

Colleen Ramirez is a Registered Nurse currently working at Bone and Joint Surgery Center of Novi as the Chief Administration Officer and has over 18 years of experience in the ASC industry. Prior to working in management, Colleen worked in every role of the perioperative environment and utilizes that experience to run an efficient, fast-paced surgery center. She has developed all aspects of an ASC, including building layout/design, proformas, revenue cycle management, employee hiring and training, and regulatory compliance for state, federal, and AAAHC accreditation.

Scott has been an OR nurse for over 35 years, a nurse manager, an interim Administrator and currently the Clinical Director of Bend surgery Center, which has 12 specialty service lines and performed over 15,000 procedures in 2023. Bend surgery Center has been recognized as one of the nation’s top ASC’s for the past several years. He has been fortunate to work in several surgical settings, including level 1 and 2 trauma centers, community hospitals and for the past 12 years in the ambulatory surgery setting. In the most recent years, he has successfully supported the growth of staff in their skill set while introducing Middle Ear, Cardio, Gynecology and Total Joint service lines to the Center. A portion of his career was spent as an Orthopedic sales and service representative.

Rena Courtay is the VP of Ambulatory Surgery at Trinity Health where she oversees the ambulatory surgery platforms for the Health System. Immediately prior to this, Rena was the AVP of Perioperative Ambulatory Surgery at Duke Health. Prior to this Rena was the Vice President, Executive Director of HSS (Hospital for Special Surgery) Florida. Rena has over 25 years of experience in the ASC industry and has been an operating room nurse, a DON, a surgery center Administrator and spent over 15 years as an RVP for HCA and Surgical Care Affiliates.

Rena currently serves as Secretary on the ASCA Board of Directors as well as sits on the Board of Directors of the Florida Ambulatory Surgical Center Association. She also serves on the ASCA education committee.

Rena earned her BSN from The Ohio State University and her MBA from Youngstown State University.

Melissa Stockwell: Veteran, Paralympian, World Champion, and Motivational Powerhouse.

As a trailblazer, Melissa became the first female American soldier to lose a limb in Operation Iraqi Freedom after surviving a roadside bomb attack in 2004. She earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for her bravery. Four years later, she made history again as the first Iraq War Veteran to compete in the Paralympic Games. Since then, she’s competed in three Paralympic Games (2008, 2016, 2020), claimed three World Championship titles, and won Paralympic bronze in triathlon. She’s also a world record-holding marathoner and an Ironman finisher.

In 2011, Melissa co-founded Dare2tri, a nonprofit empowering athletes with disabilities, and in 2019, she and her husband launched Tolsma Stockwell Prosthetics to provide cutting-edge solutions to the amputee community. Off the field, she inspires thousands as a top motivational speaker and author of The Power of Choice.

Melissa is also a proud mom of two and lives with her family near the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Kelley Blair is chief executive officer of nimble, the leading provider of revenue cycle management solutions for surgical organizations. Appointed in 2024, Kelley serves as nimble’s second CEO since the company’s founding in 2003.

A seasoned executive with over twenty-five years of leadership in healthcare revenue cycle, Kelley is an effective leader with a proven ability to motivate teams, improve performance, and drive growth. She is a frequent national speaker and author of revenue cycle articles. She is a six sigma blackbelt and holds a master’s in organizational leadership and strategic management from the University of St Catherine.

nimble’s tech-enabled solutions allow surgical organizations to streamline their revenue cycle processes, reduce administrative burden, and improve financial outcomes. More than 1,100 surgical organizations trust nimble and its advisors to bring deep insights and actionable intelligence to optimize their revenue cycle.

Salvatore Puccio is a Partner at Garfunkel Wild, P.C.. He is a member of the firm’s Employment Law, Cannabis, Litigation and Arbitration, Health Care and Appellate Groups. Sal's practice primarily focuses on advising and counseling health care providers on their day-to-day business operations.

Sal has particular experience in counseling clients concerning the employer-employee relationship including the defense of age, race, gender, national origin, disability discrimination and sexual harassment lawsuits, compliance with workplace regulations and employment statutes, and wage and hour lawsuits.

Sal also focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation matters and has represented clients in breach of contract matters, managed care disputes, partnership disputes and breakups, antitrust matters, construction litigation, landlord/tenant disputes, and employment disputes.

Kara Marshall Newbury serves as chief advocacy officer for the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), and through these roles spearheads ASCA’s government affairs efforts and strategic planning around policy initiatives for the association. Kara previously coordinated state legislative, regulatory and public affairs for the association. Before joining ASCA, Kara served as the assistant director, state government affairs at the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations and staff attorney and director of government relations for the Community Financial Services Association. Kara received her undergraduate and law degree from The Ohio State University.

Dale Lyman, CFPS, is a fire service veteran with over 35 years of experience. A Certified Fire Protection Specialist and expert in healthcare codes, Dale has held roles such as Fire Chief, City Emergency Manager, and Fire Marshal.

Dale has served serving on the NFPA 99 Health Care Facilities Codes’ technical committee. As a Life Safety Code Surveyor for AAAHC since 2013, he has conducted hundreds of CMS/Medicare surveys in ambulatory surgery centers, enriching his understanding of real-world challenges.

Author of the "Ambulatory Surgery Center Safety Guidebook," Dale provides a vital resource for ASC administrators. Through his company, Lyman Code Consulting, LLC, previously, and now as the Senior Fire Protection Consultant for Telgian Engineering & Consulting, he offers services in ASC life safety assessments, code consulting, and policy formulation.

Richard was hired in August 2022 as the Associate Director for Life Safety and Physical Environment. He has oversight responsibility for these areas and for Emergency Management requirements for all ACHC Accreditation programs.

Before joining ACHC, Richard had worked in hospitals since 1997. He held department responsibilities in engineering, construction, security, environmental services, food and nutrition services, patient transport, laundry and linen services, and communications. His range of experience makes him ideally suited to provide standards interpretation, post-survey support, and client education.

Richard received the Healthcare Facility Manager Certification (CHFM) in 2001. In 2017, he earned NFPA's Certified Life Safety Specialist for Health Care Certification (CLSS-HC). Richard is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and a Fellow of the American Society for Health Care Engineering (FASHE).

Richard earned an MBA from Belhaven University.

After leaving Florida State University (Economics/Public Administration), Frank followed his passion and became a firefighter with the North Naples Fire Department. After 10 years of serving the public, he sustained an injury which led him to an early retirement. This did not deter him from what he knew and loved, helping people and the fire service. He obtained certifications as a fire inspector and fire investigator on his way to a new chapter with Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). For almost 10 years, Frank served as a Fire Protection Specialist (life safety surveyor) for the state of Florida conducting over 1,000 surveys. Currently, he has joined the CE-Tech team to provide education, consultation and assist in maintaining a constant state of compliance.

Amber Walsh is a Partner inf the firm’s Healthcare Department, which is one of the largest healthcare practices in the United States. She sits on the firm’s Executive Committee and is Chairwoman of the firm’s Lateral Partner Integration Committee, and is a recognized leader in promoting the advancement of women in the private equity sector. She co-chairs the firm’s annual Healthcare and Life Sciences Private Equity and Finance Conference, one of the largest private equity events in the U.S.

She founded and leads McGuireWoods’ Women in Private Equity & Finance Initiative and sits on the board of The Leverage Network.

Focusing her practice on corporate healthcare transactional work and regulatory matters, she represents healthcare providers such as hospitals, health systems, dialysis facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, etc., and a variety of healthcare industry entrepreneurs, in sales and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate, contracting, securities, and regulatory matters.

Daren Smith is the vice president of ASC Solutions for Surgical Information Systems. In this role, Daren provides clinical support to the development team, leads facility-specific demonstrations for the sales team, and facilitates presentations for the marketing team. He serves as a product and industry subject matter expert, frequently speaking at industry events and contributing to industry publications. Daren previously worked as the director of clinical services for Surgical Management Professionals (SMP), an ASC and surgical hospital management and development company. Daren has also held the position of director of outpatient services for Avera McKennan Hospital, administrator of Fremont Surgical Center, and nurse manager at Grand Island Surgery Center.

Dr. Victor Alves is an expert consultant pharmacist and President of OctariusRx, a highly respected consulting firm specializing in safe medication management and pharmacy consulting to ambulatory surgical centers, senior care facilities, and individual patients.

With over 25 years of industry-leading experience as an expert consultant pharmacist, Victor established the mission for OctariusRx – safe medication management for all patients. He has dedicated his long-tenured career to medication management, patient safety and survey success.

Victor earned both his Bachelor’s and Doctoral degrees with high honors from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He is a nationally Board-Certified Geriatric Pharmacist and a fellow of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. He is also a published author and has been a featured speaker at industry conferences and podcasts.

Amy Lafko is a leadership and organizational design expert, mainstage speaker, author, and facilitator. Known for her “People First” method, she brings a step-by-step process to put employee engagement and empowerment into practice. Having spent 20+ years in healthcare leadership roles, her work is inspired by her personal transformation as a leader. That inspiration and her energy is multiplied every time she assists someone with their own shift in mindset and intentions.

Her book, People First: A Proven Method for an Exceptional Healthcare Practice was an Amazon bestselling new release. In addition to founding Cairn Consulting Solutions, LLC and being certified in TTI Success Insights DISC, Driving Forces and Emotional Intelligence, Amy has earned her MSPT from Ithaca College, her MBA from Loyola University of MD.

Rebecca Craig serves as chief executive officer of Harmony Surgery Center and Peak Surgical Management, located in beautiful Fort Collins, Colorado. She helped open Harmony Surgery Center in August of 2000 as well as multiple other surgery centers in Northern Colorado. Rebecca started her nursing career in the operating room and has held various management roles in perioperative services prior to opening Harmony Surgery Center. Rebecca has had the pleasure and honor of serving on the ASCA Board of Directors and continues to serve on the Colorado ASC Association Board of Directors and the ASC QC. She strives to stay involved on a state and federal health care policy level to ensure the highest quality of care is maintained and patients continue to have a choice for a cost-effective site of service. She enjoys being outside and spending time with her wonderful family.

Over 14 years of experience in healthcare leadership with expertise in all areas of ASC operations and financial management.

Missy Soliz has been working in the ASC industry for over 21 years, serving in various leadership roles in the past 18 years. She currently holds the position of Director of Human Resources and Quality at the Mississippi Valley Surgery Center and Mississippi Valley Endoscopy Center. In this role, she is responsible for managing all aspects of human resources, as well as developing, implementing, and evaluating the facilities’ overall Quality Improvement and Risk Management Programs. Missy is also the organization’s accreditation and compliance specialist, ensuring compliance with CMS regulations, AAAHC accreditation standards, and AAAHC’s Advanced Orthopaedic and Spine Certification standards. Additionally, she leads the Materials Management team, providing leadership and assistance with all supply chain functions for both facilities. Missy was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa. She has two adult children and a grandchild.

Will graduated from the University of California, San Diego, in 1986, and graduated from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1989. Will is an Equity Partner with the San Diego, California, law firm of Higgs, Fletcher & Mack, LLP, and is the former Chairperson of the Firm’s Health Care Group (years 2011-2021). For the past 34 years, Will’s practice has included civil trial litigation, with an emphasis on the representation of healthcare clientele in both State and Federal courts.

Will represents healthcare clientele in their business litigation, administrative law, and medical malpractice matters. To date, he has represented both national and state-wide, healthcare clientele in over 500 matters. His clients include Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Hospitals, Physicians, and other Allied Health Professionals.

Will has received the highest rating (A-V) available from Martindale-Hubbell for legal ability and ethics, has been designated "The Best Lawyers in America“ by Best Lawyers, and has been designated a "Super Lawyer for Southern California” by Thomson Reuters, "Top Healthcare Lawyer" by The Daily Journal, the “Best of the Bar” by the San Diego Business Journal, and a “Top Lawyer” by San Diego Magazine.

Debra Stinchcomb has over 30 years of health care experience including development, clinical, administrative, operations and sales. The last 30 years have been focused exclusively on the ASC industry.

Her responsibilities have included budget development/management, revenue/expense management, contract negotiation, licensing/certification/accreditation compliance, marketing, risk management, quality improvement and benchmarking.

Debra is a Registered Nurse having received her BSN and MBA. She is the founder/past President of the Arkansas Ambulatory Surgery Association and has served nationally as a past board member of FASA and the ASC Association. She is currently the past President of the Arkansas Ambulatory Surgery Association. She received her CASC credential in 2002.

Debra was an AAAHC surveyor 2001 - 2007 and is a past participant and Chair of the Ambulatory Joint Commission Professional and Technical Advisory Committee.

Debra is the current chair of BASC.

John Goehle is the Chief Operating Officer and partner with Ambulatory Healthcare Strategies, LLC - a Rochester, New York-based ASC management and consulting services company. John is also the Host of the ASC Podcast with John Goehle - the longest-running podcast dedicated to the ASC Industry.

Mr. Goehle has a Masters's Degree in Business Administration from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh Scotland, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Ithaca College in Upstate New York. He holds the prestigious Certified Administrator Surgery Center (CASC) credential. Mr. Goehle is also an accreditation surveyor with the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare (AAAHC).

Mr. Goehle is a frequent speaker on healthcare finance, technology and administration and has authored or co-authored eight books related to the ASC Industry including Ambulatory Surgery Center Governance - A Guide for Ambulatory Surgery Center Owners & Governing Body Members and The Survey Guide for ASCs – A Guide to the CMS Conditions of Coverage & Interpretive Guidelines for Ambulatory Surgery Centers. He is a former board member of the Federated Ambulatory Surgery Association and one of the founders of the New York State Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers.

Becky is an avid proponent of the ASC industry, is certified as a Surgery Center Administrator, and past member of the ASCA Board. She was employed for thirteen years as the ASC Administrator of a multi-specialty independent surgical center and remains active in the ASC space as the Assistant Executive Director of the ASC Quality Collaboration and in consulting/assisting surgical centers with regulatory, and operational projects.

With a background in leadership, performance improvement including benchmarking, healthcare compliance, survey preparation, health information management, and revenue cycle management, her career expands the entire healthcare spectrum, encompassing acute care, long-term care, psychiatric care, outpatient clinics, and outpatient surgery.

Tina DiMarino earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree in Executive Leadership at George Washington University. Prior to that, she earned her Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN) with a focus in Leadership and graduated Summa Cum Laude with her BSN degree from Notre Dame of Maryland University. Tina earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from West Texas A&M University.

Tina DiMarino has worked in the ambulatory surgery industry for 25 years, serving the last 22 years as an administrator. She holds certifications as a Certified Operating Room Nurse (CNOR) and as a Certified Ambulatory Surgery Center Administrator (CASC). She is also an ASC consultant, developing and managing centers nationwide. She serves on the board of the Maryland Ambulatory Surgery Association.

Dianne Bourque, RN, CNOR, graduated from Our Lady of the Lake School of Nursing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1990. She has 30 years of nursing experience in both inpatient and ambulatory care settings and has performed ASC and office-based surgical facility inspections for Quad A since 2008. She sits on the Standards Committee, is co-chair of the Investigations Committee, and is one of Quad A's clinical faculty. With her unique perspective on the regulatory and accreditation requirements for healthcare facilities, she provides meaningful compliance education and clinical coaching to pave the way for organizations to achieve an ongoing culture of patient safety.

Seasoned RN with over 35 years of experience in the Ambulatory Care Settings.

Currently serving as an Ambulatory Surveyor with the Joint Commission for the past 4 years, a per diem Clinical Educator with Glens Falls Hospital and High Peaks Hospice nurse.

Member and active volunteer with AORN, SGNA, and CCI.

For over 30 years, Tricia Dixon-Thomas, MSN, RN, LNC, has made a significant impact in health care through her leadership in various management and executive roles within the Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) environment, including Director of Surgical Services, Infection Control Nurse, and Accreditation Coordinator. As a Senior Clinical Review Specialist and field surveyor at ACHC, she continues to elevate the standard of care.

Alongside her professional journey, Tricia has passionately shared her love for yoga for the past twenty years, inspiring others to find balance and well-being. She embraces the great outdoors, finding joy in hiking and kayaking adventures with her husband and grandchildren, showing that a fulfilling life is a beautiful blend of work and play.

David Shapiro, M.D. is an anesthesiologist from Florida who has had extensive experience serving as a department chair, medical director, and board member of several ambulatory surgery centers. Dr. Shapiro currently serves on the Boards of both the Florida Society of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (FSASC) and the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) and is a Past President of ASCA. Additionally, he is the Immediate Past Chair of the Board of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), an organization for which he also conducts healthcare facility surveys on behalf of AAAHC and Medicare.

Dr. Shapiro is also on the Board of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Quality Collaboration (ASC QC), which develops, measures, and publicly reports national ASC quality data. Further, he serves on the Board of the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) and participates as a member of their Health Guidelines Review Committee (HGRC).

Cristina Bentin, CMA, CPPM, CCS-P, COC, CRRA is the president of Coding Compliance Management, LLC, a healthcare consulting company specializing in Ambulatory Surgery Centers with an emphasis on ASC revenue cycle management, ASC business operations/staffing assessments, A/R audits, ASC full-service daily coding support and education/training. Ms. Bentin is recognized as an ASC revenue cycle educator, speaker, and writer with over 30+ years of hands-on experience in ASC multi-specialty facility and physician office revenue cycle operations. Cristina's expertise extends to her involvement in federal fraud investigations to include her role as an expert witness. Cristina currently serves on ASCA's education and programs committee.

Shermoin Clardy is an esteemed educator and clinician dedicated to empowering communities of color to thrive. Renowned for her expertise in trauma-informed training, she specializes in racial justice for both large and small organizations. Her extensive background encompasses training in inclusive leadership and lecturing at the University of Washington, School of Social Work. As a clinical director, she compassionately serves families in mental health, substance abuse, gerontology, and forensic social work. Shermoin holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Washington and is licensed as a Clinical Social Worker and Substance Use Disorder Professional.

Kathleen Regan, MHA, BSN, RN, CASC is the Administrator and Clinical Director at Buffalo Surgery Center, located in Western New York. She has over 30 years of combined nursing, operations, and leadership experience in healthcare. Kathleen is a tireless advocate for patients and believes that professional communication is key to a healthy team dynamic in the perioperative environment. Recently, she has also harnessed her passion for quality patient care into formal advocacy at the state and national levels.

Simon Schwartz is the Chief Operating Officer at Strategic Resources Group Colorado, a boutique, Denver-based consulting firm specializing in association management and strategic planning. With over two decades of expertise, Schwartz is instrumental in guiding clients towards a unique identity that accentuates their strengths and capabilities. His extensive background encompasses government relations, nonprofit strategy, monetizing networks, event coordination, business development, fundraising, and strategic planning.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Schwartz has garnered recognition from various organizations nationwide for his philanthropic contributions and outstanding professional achievements.

Stephen Abresch is the Director of Government Affairs at the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA), where his primary responsibilities include covering state legislative and regulatory activity and federal legislative activity. Prior to joining ASCA in 2019, Stephen got his start in state government affairs in 2010 when he was a staffer on the House Appropriations Committee in the Maryland House of Delegates: he later spent nearly seven years at the state government affairs firm Stateside Associates, covering a wide range of topics including digital privacy, financial regulations and state procurement issues.

Stephen earned his Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Political Science and completed a Master’s program in Public Policy, with a focus on Social Policy, at George Washington University in 2012.

Casey Duhart, BS, M.Ed., JD, is the Chief Labor & Employment Counsel for Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. She provides legal advice and counsel regarding allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful discharge claims brought under federal and state employment laws and regulations.

Ms. Duhart earned her JD, cum laude, from the University of Tennessee College of Law where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Tennessee Law Review. She is the immediate past chair of the Tennessee Bar Association's Labor & Employment Council.

Naya Kehayes is an ASC industry leader, speaker and educator with deep expertise in the business of ASCs. She has a proven track record in strategy, planning, operations, reimbursement, payer contracting, and financial analysis. She has worked in ambulatory surgery for 35 years and over 26 years in consulting. Naya was a Partner and the ASC Practice Leader at ECG, and prior to that, founded Eveia Health Consulting and was the CEO. She devoted her career to working with ASCs, surgical hospitals, surgeons, hospitals and health systems.

Naya is a member of the ASCA Government Affairs Committee. She is a board member and past President of the Washington Ambulatory Surgery Center Association. She has numerous publications, is a national speaker and a guest lecturer at Yale University School of Public Health. Naya earned a B.A. from the University of Rochester and a Masters of Public Health from Yale University.

Terry is Vice President of Ambulatory Surgery Centers for Community Health Systems in Nashville, Tennessee. Terry served as President of the national ASC Association (ASCA) from 2014 to 2016 and as President of the California Surgery Center Association (CASA) from 2012 to 2014. Terry was Vice President of Operations for two national surgery center companies and has been Administrator of a large, multi-specialty ASC.

Terry is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and a Certified Administrator Surgery Center (CASC). He holds a master’s degree in Healthcare Administration and an undergraduate degree in Accounting. He served as adjunct assistant professor at the University of Florida in the Masters in Healthcare Administration program. He retired as Commander in the United States Navy Reserve after 24 years of military service.

Sandra Jones is President of Ambulatory Strategies, providing management, development, regulatory compliance, accreditation preparation, ASC licensing and CMS certification compliance consulting, and risk management services to surgical centers. Sandra is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management, Certified Administrator Surgery Center, Certified in Health Care Quality Management, and Fellow of the Health Care Financial Management Association.

She is a contributor on the subjects of risk management, regulatory compliance and operational issues for several professional publications. Sandra is an AAAHC accreditation and Medicare Deemed Status surveyor, serves on the Standards Development Committee for the AAAHC and is a former AAAHC board member. For nine years, she served on the board of the ASCA where she served on Governance, Strategic Planning, HIPAA Compliance and other committees.

She recently was on the board of the Florida Society for Healthcare Risk Management and Patient Safety and now serves on the Advocacy and Education Committees.

I had the privilege of completing a fellowship in Regional Anesthesia & Acute Pain Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus after finishing residency there. This was followed by 4 years in private practice in Denver, and now 3 years in private practice in and around Boulder. Much of this experience was orthopedic and ambulatory, as well as serving as department medical director for several years. In this time I have authored or edited chapters on ERAS, given talks and served on speaker panels pertaining to ambulatory topics, led or taught block workshops, and served as a consultant for ERAS protocols, pre-anesthesias testing, and quantitative train-of-four neuromuscular monitoring. I live in the Boulder County Area with my wife, 3 kids, and 2 dogs.

Michael is a board-certified anesthesiologist with over 20 years of experience. For the last seven years he has focused his efforts entirely on ambulatory surgery centers and improving outpatient surgical outcomes. In addition to leading a large outpatient anesthesia practice that services over 10 ASC and office based facilities, Michael has also been an owner of a successful Orthopedic, Spine, and Pain ASC. Understanding the views of an owner as well as a practicing Anesthesiologist has uniquely positioned Michael to not only strive for high quality care, but also accomplish this in a fiscally responsible manner. Having multiple responsibilities within the ASC has also led him to constantly look for operational efficiencies at each facility he serves, as well as expanding service lines and access to care, without compromising patient safety and quality.

Laurie has been in the ASC industry for over 25 years, serving 20 in leadership roles. Her certifications include Certified Nurse Operating Room (CNOR), Certified Registered Nurse First Assist (CRNFA(E)), Certified Administrator Surgery Center (CASC), as well as Certified Ambulatory Infection Preventionist (CAIP). She is also a Legal Nurse Consultant (LNC).

Prior to relocating to Cape Cod Massachusetts, she served as an executive board member and secretary for the New Hampshire ASC Association.

Laurie has provided clinical and administrative leadership for both large and small multi-specialty ASCs and served as a past member of the ASCA education committee. She currently is a deemed-status surveyor for AAAHC, is a member of the 2024 AORN Infection Prevention Task Force, and is the Director of Clinical Services and an Infection Prevention Consultant for a national ASC regulatory compliance company.

Will has a track record of helping organizations structure and interpret data to drive growth and profitability. At HST Pathways, Will leads Data Science and Insights, where he is responsible for generating actionable information from HST's Data and building data products to support Ambulatory Surgery Centers. Prior to HST, Will led strategy and analytics for the midmarket and small market business units at Lytx.

Will has over ten years of experience in leading revenue operations at high-growth SaaS companies and as an operations research consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton. He holds both a B.A. and M.A. in Economics.

Nyleen Flores, BA, CPMSM, CPCS, CPCO, CASC is a healthcare executive and certified Medical Services Professional with over 16 years of diverse healthcare and medical services management experience including office practice management, medical staff coordinator roles for a not-for-profit healthcare system, CEO for a multi-specialty Ambulatory Surgical Center and most recently as the Chief Operating Officer for an orthopedic surgery practice. Her experience includes coordinating, evaluating, planning, developing, and improving the credentialing, privileging and peer review processes for varying healthcare facilities including hospitals and ASC's. Currently, she is serving in various volunteer positions for the National Association for Medical Staff Services including, Chair of the Subject Matter Expert Subcommittee as well as a member of the Professional Development Council and Leadership Selection Committees.

Angie Burnette’s practice encompasses many aspects of health law. She provides general risk management and compliance advice to health care facilities, providers, and health plans. Angie advises health care providers and numerous other clients on HIPAA privacy, security, and breach notification issues, and helps clients respond to data incidents, HIPAA complaints, OCR investigations, and OCR compliance reviews.

While at Alston & Bird, she has served as temporary in-house counsel and as national coordinating counsel for clients. She has been an invited lecturer at Emory Law School and has been ranked by The Best Lawyers in America© in the area of Health Care Law since 2017.

Michael J. Patterson is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mississippi Valley Health.

For the past 25 years, his professional career has encompassed a variety of positions in healthcare ranging from a Registered Nurse in a Level I Trauma Center to the Chief Administrative Officer of a 350-bed community hospital and Chief Nurse Executive of a 3 hospital health system.

Michael has served over 23 years in both the Active and Reserve components of the US Navy and was deployed multiple times to provide Trauma care around the world. He retired with full honors in 2012.

Michael is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Master of Science in Nursing where he was awarded the Distinguished Nurse Alumnus in 2010. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Mary is a seasoned perioperative leader with a passion for quality of care and patient outcomes supported by innovation. Mary has over 46 years of extensive experience in both acute care and ambulatory settings and in the perioperative setting for the past twenty years. Mary is the director of nursing and ambulatory surgery centers and orthopedic urgent care for TRIA Orthopedics, a single specialty orthopedic practice in the Twin Cities. Mary has been instrumental in advancing the outpatient total joint program, utilizing the unique setting of a hotel recovery setting in addition to discharge directly to home. The TRIA total joint program received orthopedic total joint certification through AAAHC in 2022.

Joan Dentler is the founder of Avanza Healthcare Strategies, which provides healthcare organizations with strategic guidance, with a focus on outpatient services and community collaborations. No one has been developing ASC joint ventures longer than Avanza.

For more than 25 years, Joan has been consulting on, developing or operating ambulatory surgery centers, hospital outpatient services and outpatient strategy. She founded ASC Strategies in 2007 and Outpatient Strategies in 2011, unifying the two companies under a single brand, Avanza Healthcare Strategies, in 2013.

Joan's breadth of experience and disarming nature help her quickly build trust and establish credibility with clients and other stakeholders. She is known for her incisive business acumen and elegant solutions to complex problems. Before founding Avanza, Joan worked in healthcare administration, serving as a hospital liaison for physician-hospital joint ventures and as an administrator of community-based women's health and pediatric primary care facilities.

Akshay Tavkar, Principal and Managing Director of Skyline Healthcare Solutions, LLC, brings nearly 25 years of healthcare experience, from patient care to senior leadership. Leading multiple surgery centers, including Texas's largest ASC, showcased his expertise in managing complex healthcare systems. As a board-certified medical practice executive (CMPE) and surgery center administrator (CASC), Akshay is dedicated to excellence and actively involved in the Texas ASC Society and ASCA. Passionate about advocating for ASCs, he champions their interests on Capitol Hill and within the Texas legislature. Beyond his professional work, Akshay is committed to community service through his local Rotary club, reflecting his dedication to making a meaningful impact. With his deep expertise and heartfelt commitment, Akshay Tavkar is a leading force in shaping the future of healthcare.

Lisa has over 30 years of experience in the ASC industry and has been doing infection prevention for over 25 years. She has developed programs to train new infection preventionists and is certified in sterile processing and holds the CAIP certification.

Lisa has worked in every area of the surgery center including circulating, scrubbing, safety officer, infection preventionist, business office manager, administrator and corporate clinical leader. In a previous role, Lisa was the epidemiologist for her county Health Department. In her current role, Lisa is Senior Director of Clinical Education & Training for SCA Health. In this role, she develops onboarding and training programs for the clinical staff at the corporate enterprise level. Lisa is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Lisa has a BSN from the University of Cincinnati and a MSN and MEd from Xavier University.

Kevin McDonough is a Managing Director at VMG Health and is based out of the Dallas office. During his tenure at VMG Health, McDonough has provided valuation, transaction advisory, feasibility, and operational consulting services to the firm’s healthcare clients.

His clients include acute care hospitals and health systems, ambulatory surgery centers, surgical hospitals, oncology centers, diagnostic imaging centers, dialysis centers, inpatient and outpatient post-acute care operators, physician groups, health plans and risk bearing organizations, and numerous other ancillary healthcare service businesses. Finally, he has served as a consultant in the formation and development of numerous physician-hospital joint venture initiatives.

Kevin is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). He is a member of the CFA Institute, CFA Society of Dallas-Fort Worth, Ambulatory Surgery Center Association, American Society of Appraisers (ASA), and Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Gianni Scarcello, Workplace Safety Expert is a dedicated safety professional with 4 years of experience promoting secure environments across various industries. Holding multiple first-aid certifications, Gianni deeply understands the importance of prompt and effective response in emergencies. With a focus on the healthcare sector, Gianni is passionate about empowering professionals to prioritize their safety and well-being in high-pressure settings. Through his presentations, Gianni shares practical insights and evidence-based strategies to mitigate risks, prevent workplace violence, and foster a culture of safety and resilience in healthcare workplaces. His expertise and enthusiasm make him a compelling and informative speaker on this critical topic.

Dunston Almeida is the Chief Executive Officer of triValence, a leading provider of supply chain, payments and data insights to ASCs and medtech suppliesr and distributors. Dunston has over 25 years of experience with a track record at best-in-class healthcare companies, including Zelis ($5.7 billion recap), eviCore ($3.6 billion sale), and Medco (Evernorth/Cigna). He was a member of the executive team at Zelis, a leading provider of healthcare payments for health plans and consumers. Previously, he was part of the core team at eviCore which grew from a few hundred million to $3+ billion in revenues in under 4 years.

He sits on the Board at PurpleLabs, a leading no-code healthtech analytics company for Real-World Evidence solutions. He graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Electrical Engineering.

Gary Salman is the CEO and Co-Founder of Black Talon Security, a leading innovator in cybersecurity solutions for healthcare. Gary is a seasoned security expert and visionary and has a unique background, as he is still actively involved in law enforcement as a Deputy Sheriff.

Black Talon monitors and secures approximately 50,000 devices worldwide and provides cybersecurity services to clients, from small practices to some of the largest healthcare organizations in the US.

As a respected authority in his field, Gary frequently lectures at major national meetings. His work has been highlighted in over 100 prestigious dental and medical publications, reinforcing his status as a thought leader in healthcare cybersecurity.

Black Talon also specializes in cyberattack remediation, successfully guiding hundreds of healthcare organizations through recovery from security breaches. Their expertise is often enlisted by leading law firms and cyber insurance carriers, underscoring their prominence in the field.

Steve Zeplin, MSN, RN, CSPDT is a Clinical Specialist for Solventum-3M, providing scientific sterilization solutions for the Midwest and Desert West Regions in the U.S. Steve graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Education from Clarkson College in Omaha, NE. He has over 25 years of experience in the field of infection prevention and epidemiology, serving as an Infection Preventionist for a large Integrated Health System. Mr. Zeplin’s past experiences include Emergency, Med/Surg, Oncology, and Ambulatory Surgical nursing. In addition, he served in the U.S. Army National Guard for 23 years, finishing his career as a Nurse Corps Officer for the Mobile Readiness Command in Nebraska. He received many awards, including the Army Commendation and Meritorious Service Medal. Steve is an active member of APIC, HSPA, and SGNA.

Erica Smith is a Global Corporate Brand Manager at Henry Schein. She received her MBA in Business Administration from Loyola University in New Orleans and is currently completing her doctorate in Public Health with Capella University, which will help advance her infection prevention skills and knowledge. Mrs. Smith believes that by helping health care professionals improve their infection prevention processes, communities will ultimately receive the best care.

Josiah Whitman is CEO and founder of Whitman Partners - a premier firm specializing in recruiting Directors of Surgical Services. The firm conducts hundreds of retained search engagements annually providing permanent and interim placements for hospitals and ASCs across the nation. With nearly two decades of experience in perioperative leadership recruitment, Josiah collaborates with Chief Nursing Officers and CEOs to identify and develop top surgical talent. His expertise has been featured in multiple publications.

Beyond his professional achievements, Josiah has served the community through leadership roles, including the City of Portland Small Business Advisory Council, where his insights have been sought by the Mayor and City Council. He also plays a vital role on the advisory board of the Greater Portland Tennis Council, further demonstrating his commitment to making an impact both professionally and locally.

Josiah enjoys playing tennis, pickleball, and spending quality time with his wife and daughters.

Janette is a registered nurse with a passion for improving patient outcomes and quality of care. She has over 15 years of nursing experience in both ambulatory and acute care settings. For the last 10 years, she has held leadership roles within the ASC setting, including serving as Director of Nursing for a large multispecialty surgery center. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and a Master of Health Administration (MHA) from UCSF.

Janette currently oversees Clinical Services for Sutter Health’s Surgery Center Division, utilizing her expertise to guide and support over 35 surgery centers throughout California. She takes great pride in directing a dedicated team of clinical leaders specializing in quality, life safety, infection control, accreditation, licensing, survey preparedness, and risk management. Janette believes in the power of collaboration and strives to create an environment where everyone feels empowered to drive transformative change.

Emily Hemingway is a registered nurse with the Clinical Services team for Sutter Health Surgery Center Division. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on leadership and is a Certified Ambulatory Infection Preventionist (CAIP). With over 24 years of experience in healthcare, she has worked in various settings, including in-home care, skilled nursing, hospital-based care, and ambulatory surgery, where she has been for the past 16 years. Her diverse roles have provided her with a comprehensive perspective on the challenges and successes across the continuum of care. Emily believes that we all have the ability to make positive change through curiosity and connection.

Debbie currently provides consulting services to organizations for construction and renovation needs of ASCs. Assisting with survey readiness for state, CMS and accreditation. Prior to consulting, she was a VP of Operations for a management company overseeing the operations and development of ASCs and surgical hospitals. She has worked in the ASC industry in California since 1993, beginning as an Administrator of a surgery center.

Debbie served on the Board of the California Ambulatory Surgery Association for 15 years; including President. She continues to assist in developing Infection Control Seminars for many ambulatory surgery center organizations for over 15 years.

Melissa is an experienced Administrator and expert in negotiating lower orthopedic implant prices, with a deep knowledge of conducting successful RFPs for orthopedic and spinal implants. Specializing in data collection, analysis, and case costing, Melissa identifies cost-saving opportunities without compromising quality. With extensive experience engaging surgeons, navigating vendor/rep negotiations, and avoiding common pitfalls, Melissa empowers ASCs with actionable strategies to improve profitability. Leveraging effective negotiation tactics and industry tools, Melissa helps healthcare organizations optimize implant purchasing decisions, bringing valuable insights and experience to enhance operational efficiency and financial outcomes

Ryan Fredricey serves as Chief Operating Officer of Advantien. Advantien partners with ambulatory surgery centers to streamline purchasing, reduce ortho/spine implant costs, and drive significant profits. As COO, Ryan drives operational excellence and leads the company's sophisticated data analytics initiatives, transforming complex healthcare data into actionable insights that deliver substantial financial improvements for ASC partners.

Prior to co-founding Advantien, Ryan served in various leadership roles in medical device companies, including engineering, business development, marketing and commercialization. He received an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Colorado State University.

Steve’s passion for people and eye for market opportunities have led him to build several companies over the past 15 years that have brought benefits to healthcare. Today Steve is directly responsible for company vision and empowerment of the executive team to fulfill MedTrainer’s mission. Steve holds a degrees from the University of California Riverside in Business Economics as well as his Juris Doctorate from California Southern Law. In his free time, Steve is active with his two children, has a passion for cooking and food, and enjoys traveling. Steve loves building companies, technology, people, and believes in inclusive leadership.

Suzi is the CEO of Nebraska Orthopaedic Center (NOC) in Lincoln, NE. She joined NOC after a healthcare career as a health system compliance director, a multispecialty clinic VP of Compliance and Engagement, and an internal medicine clinic executive director. NOC is a large orthopedic clinic (27 Surgeons) with a wholly owned ASC, and ownership in Lincoln Surgical Hospital.

Eric Acheson, MD is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Surgeon’s Point LLC and performs surgery at Surgeon’s Point Cedar Park. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and member of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons and the American Foregut Society. His mission is to provide efficient and high quality patient care by empowering and supporting surgeons. Clinically, he operates with experience in a broad range of advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgery with a special interest in bariatric and foregut procedures.

Dr. Acheson completed surgical training at Brooke Army Medical Center. His active duty experience includes three deployments to Afghanistan/Iraq as a surgeon in the US Army. Currently, he works with Capital Surgeons Group and Southwest Bariatric Surgeons in the Austin, Texas area. He is a proud husband of 26 years and father of three.

Scott joined National Medical Billing Services in 2008 and has devoted his healthcare industry career advising surgical centers and practices on managed care contracting. His extensive knowledge of surgical reimbursement, coupled with his revenue cycle experience and his national perspective, enables him to devise solutions that are suited to the nuances of an ASC’s particular market.

Scott has a proven track record as a strategic advisor to National Medical’s clients by providing direction on payer contract issues, revenue implications associated with evolving payment systems and structures, and the financial impact of high acuity case migration to the ASC setting. Moreover, his expertise in RCM operations, reimbursement, and payment systems has been instrumental to his success securing payer contracts in surgical centers introducing and developing spine, total joint, and cardiology programs.

Scott earned a B.S. in Political Science from St. Louis University.

I have served in a leadership role at a multi-specialty ASC for the last 20 years. I began my career in surgery over 20 years ago where I was fortunate to gain leadership opportunities as education coordinator and charge nurse. I was invited to work at our ASC and one year later I inherited the Administrator/DON role. I would love to say my expertise on this topic was present from the beginning, but the reality is that I had many trial-and-error moments that contributed to my knowledge of this subject. I also earned my MSN 7 years ago.

After 20 years, I have collected several strategies that help motivate, encourage, and create a positive culture. My goal is to improve those around me, which motivates me to look at opportunities to continue my growth as a leader.

Michael McClain, founder of LeftCoast Healthcare Advisors is a broadly skilled executive, leader, and ambulatory specialist with over 25 years’ experience in healthcare. As a seasoned Hospitalist PA, he has a unique combination of clinical and operational experience.

Michael is a nationally recognized speaker and frequent contributor in the ambulatory surgery space. A former ASC and hospital executive, orthopedic practice CEO, and consultant, he is a former board member and President of the Michigan Academy of Physician Assistants and was named “Health Innovator of the Year” by Seattle Health Innovators in 2017.

Michael most recently served as Chief Executive for ASCs at one of the largest health systems in the US overseeing more than 40 facilities across 7 states, and where he was the recipient of the Department of Defense (ESGR) Patriot Award in 2022 for his support of employees in the National Guard and Reserve Forces.

Bill Slife serves as nimble’s Executive Vice President of Operations, a pivotal role in growing the company’s revenue and overall financial performance. As an accomplished leader with a strong background in the field of revenue cycle management, Bill has led teams through strategic planning to manage budgets and consistently meet key performance indicators. His career highlights at previous revenue cycle and healthcare organizations include winning the Pinnacle of Excellence Award twice, driving over $100 million in new revenue within 12 months, and delivering a substantial $15 million year-over-year EBITDA growth. His skillset encompasses supply chain management, data analysis, financial reporting, pricing strategy, and organizational development.

Bill attended an Executive Leadership Program at Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern) and has an MBA from Weatherhead School of Management (Case Western), and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Ohio University.