DISTINGUISHED VIRGINIA HEALTH CARE PANELISTS AND SPEAKERS
Carl W. Armstrong, M.D.
Carl W. Armstrong serves as a shared physician executive between the American Hospital Association and the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, where he serves as vice president and senior medical advisor. In that role he provides leadership for clinical quality improvement, including end-of-life care, patient safety, medical decision-making, patient perceptions, and appropriateness of care. He came to this position with experience in population-based assessment, policy development, and public health leadership. 

A graduate of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Epidemic Intelligence Service training program, Armstrong went on to serve in various public health positions with the Virginia Department of Health. Recently, he served as acting Deputy State Health Commissioner, where he oversaw the Department's various public health programs, including the Center for Quality Health Care Services and Consumer Protection. 

Armstrong received his clinical training in internal medicine at Tufts New England Medical Center Hospital in Boston, and did a fellowship in infectious diseases at the Virginia Commonwealth University's Medical College of Virginia (VCU-MCV) in Richmond. He has authored or co-authored over 30 publications in peer-reviewed medical journals. He is board certified in internal medicine, infectious diseases, and preventive medicine, and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Armstrong is the founding and current President of Virginians Improving Patient Care and Safety. 
Delegate Robert H. Brink (48th District)
After graduating from college and serving two years in the Army, Bob Brink moved from the Midwest to Arlington in 1972. Three years later, he and Debby relocated to Williamsburg for three years at the College of William and Mary's law school. 

The Brinks have lived in three Arlington neighborhoods over the past 23 years. Their first home was in Arlington Forest. In 1983 they moved to Waverly Hills, near Glebe School, which David and Eliza attended from kindergarten through sixth grade. For the past ten years, they have lived on Marcey Road, near the entrance to Potomac Overlook Regional Park. 

Professionally, Bob worked for 15 years as counsel to two Congressional committees. In 1993, President Clinton appointed him as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he served until early 1997. 

Bob has been an Arlington civic activist for 20 years. He spearheaded successful School Bond campaigns in 1988 and 1996, and has served on the Arlington County Board's Fiscal Affairs and Transportation advisory panels. 

Currently he is a member of the Arlington Commission on Aging, Friends of George Mason University-Arlington Campus, and the board of the Warren Stambaugh Foundation.
J. Forrest Calland, M.D.
Dr. J. Forrest Calland completed his undergraduate degree and pre-medical requirements at Harvard University in 1993, and his medical degree at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1997. He began a residency in general surgery at the University of Virginia in 1997, and completed two years of clinical training before co-founding the Surgical Technology and Safety Laboratory in 1999. Currently a full-time research fellow, Dr. Calland’s research focuses on topics related to standardization, outcomes research, and human performance in the perioperative environment. Dr. Reid B. Adams, M.D. is his primary mentor, and co-founder of the Surgical Technology and Safety Laboratory.

Dr. Calland has won several awards related to his academic pursuits, both as a student and as an educator, and is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Most recently, his team won “best paper” in the Medical Systems Technical Group of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and first place in UVA’s Darden Business Concept Competition. Dr. Calland has contributed to two successful grant applications to the National Patient Safety Foundation for video-based patient safety research in the operating room. He is the author of several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in the scientific literature, and speaks regularly at national meetings on topics related to patient safety.  Dr. Calland lives in Charlottesville with his wife, Evangeline, and their two young children, William and Julia, where they attend Friends Meeting of Charlottesville. 
Gail B. Cameron, R.N., M.Ed., C.N.A.A., F.A.C.H.E.
Gail Cameron is Vice President of Nursing at Rappahannock General Hospital in Kilmarnock, Virginia, and Past President of the Virginia Organization of Nurse Executives.  She also serves as Clinical Risk Manager for her facility, and has a special interest in patient safety issues.  She recently attained Fellow status in the American College of Healthcare Executives through her thesis entitled: The Evolution and Ethics of Medical Error Reporting. 
Joe Ciezkowski, M.S., R.Ph.
Joe Ciezkowski received his Masters of Science in clinical pharmacy from the University of Florida. He has served as a clinical pharmacist and adjunct faculty at UF, then as a director of pharmacy in a long-term care facility and in hospital pharmacies for more than 28 years. He was the Regional Coordinator of Operations for Hospital Pharmacies, Inc., supervising operations in ten hospitals in three states. He served various positions in local and state pharmacy organizations, including a stint as President of the Florida Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

He has served as Director of Pharmacy at Danville Regional Medical Center since 1991. DRMC is a leader in providing innovative clinical pharmacy and medication distribution systems, including robotic dispensing and bedside bar code medication administration.
Rudolph Freeman, Jr., M.D.
Dr. Rudolph Freeman has been Vice President of Medical Affairs for Riverside Regional Medical Center since March of 1998. Dr. Freeman has been a member of the Active Staff of Riverside Regional Medical Center since 1984. He has served in a number of leadership roles at the Medical Center including Medical Director of Adult Psychiatric Inpatient Program between 1991-1998. He was Chairman of the Department from 1993 until 1996. He was elected as an officer of the medical staff in 1995 and subsequently was President of the Medical Staff in 1997.

Dr. Freeman's current responsibilities include Medical Staff Affairs, Credentialing, Performance Improvement, JCAHO Readiness, Risk Management, Care Management and Pharmacy. He served as Acting Administrator/Medical Director for Psychiatric Services at Riverside Regional Medical Center from February through June 2000.

A native of Portsmouth, Virginia, Dr. Freeman received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1973 from Hampton Institute. He was elected to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. He received his Doctor of Medicine Degree in 1977 from the Medical College of Virginia and completed his Internship, Residency and Fellowship Training in Geriatric Psychiatry from the University of Pittsburgh from 1977 to 1981. While at the University of Pittsburgh, he was Chief Resident and Departmental Nominee for the Falk Fellowship by the American Psychiatric Association. He is Board Certified in Psychiatry with Added Qualifications in Geriatric Psychiatry.

Following his education and training, he served as a Commissioned Officer at the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service from 1981 to 1984. During his tenure with the Public Health Service, he served as Medical Director of Middle Peninsula/Northern Neck Community Services Board. Dr. Freeman was in private practice from 1984 until his employment with Riverside Physician Associates in 1996. He served as Medical Director of Riverside Psychiatric Associates from 1996 until 1998. He remains a member of the RPA Board of Directors.

Dr. Freeman has been involved in the community with People to People, Framework for the Future, 100 Black Men and Menchville High School Band Boosters.  Dr. Freeman is married to the former Cheryl V. Harrison of Suffolk, Virginia. They have been married for 26 years and have three (3) sons, Christopher, Gregory and Aaron.
Randolph L. Gordon, M.D., M.P.H.
Dr. Randolph Gordon has dedicated his career to improving the health of the communities which he serves by promoting prevention and population based medicine. He has more than 13 years experiences in both public and private health administration. In his present position he oversees clinical quality improvement, strategic planning, business development and physician relations. Before joining the Bon Secours team he was Commissioner of Health for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In that position he promoted public-private partnerships, helped create an integrated health information system and sought to improve the quality of health care by protecting consumers while encouraging market innovations. 

Dr. Gordon is boarded in both family medicine and preventive medicine and still practices clinical medicine. He received his MD from the Medical College of Virginia and his MPH from John Hopkins University. He holds appointments at the University of Virginia in the Department of Health Evaluation Sciences and at Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia in the Department of Family Medicine.

Stephanie A. Guerlain, Ph.D.
Stephanie Guerlain received a B.S. in Engineering Psychology from Tufts University in 1990 and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Cognitive Systems Engineering from The Ohio State University in 1993 and 1995. Dr. Guerlain was Principal Research Scientist at Honeywell Technology Center from 1995 to 1999 and is now an Assistant Professor of Human Factors in the Department of Systems and Information Engineering at the University of Virginia.  Her research is in the area of human-computer interaction, decision support systems, computer-based training and human factors, focused in the medical, bioinformatics, and military domains. 

Stephanie and her colleagues have received several "best paper" awards, including the Medical Systems and Rehabilitation Technical Group at the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Since joining UVA in 1999, Dr. Guerlain has won several grants, including an NSF CAREER award and two National Patient Safety Foundation awards to study patient safety issues. Dr. Guerlain is a member of the University of Virginia Surgical Technology and Safety Lab, the University of Virginia Biotechnology Training Program and serves as an officer and technical reviewer for both the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and the IEEE Systems, Man and Cybernetics Society. 
Richard M. Hamrick III, M.D., M.B.A.
Dr. Richard M. Hamrick, III, practices with Pulmonary Associates of Richmond, Inc., a 21 physician practice specializing in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. He serves as Chief of the Medical Staff of Henrico Doctor’s Hospital, as well as medical director of Respiratory Therapy. He attended medical school at the Medical College of Virginia, completed an internship at Bowman Gray School of Medicine, completed his residency at West Virginia University Medical Center and a Pulmonary fellowship at Georgetown University Medical Center. In 1999, Dr. Hamrick received his MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Business. 

Dr. Hamrick is a founding member of VIPC&S and currently serves as its Vice-President. He is the immediate past chairman of the Richmond Academy of Medicine and the current Secretary/Treasurer of the Medical Society of Virginia.

James F. Holman, M.D.
Dr. James Holman is Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs and a practicing reproductive endocrinologist with Carilion Health System in Roanoke, VA. He attended medical school at the University of Arkansas, completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Emory University and a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at Duke University. 

With management studies from the Harvard School of Public Health and the American College of Physician Executives, he has been a physician administrator at Carilion for the past nine years. His current interests and responsibility are quality and patient safety.

J. Shelton Horsley III, M.D.
Since 1996, Dr. J. Shelton Horsley has served as a Professor Emeritus of the Department of Surgery of Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia Health Systems. Prior to his retirement, Dr. Horsley practiced surgical oncology at VCU/MCV for twenty years serving as a professor of surgery, clinical director of MCV/VCU Cancer Center and Director of the Oncology Clinic at MCV. Dr. Horsley served as American Cancer Society Professor of Clinical Oncology at MCV from 1992-1996. 

Dr. Horsley received his medical degree in 1953 from the University of Virginia, and completed his internship and residency at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. He has held appointments with the National Cancer Institute and Columbia University in New York City, University of Virginia School of Medicine, and Salem (Virginia) VA Hospital. 
 

W. Scott Johnson, Esquire
Scott Johnson is a principal lawyer at Crews and Hancock, P.L.C..  His practice primarily involves Governmental Affairs at the Virginia General Assembly and medical malpractice defense of health care providers. Scott leads Crews and Hancock's Governmental Affairs Team and routinely appears before the Virginia. General Assembly to testify on a broad range of issues affecting businesses, hospitals, physicians, pharmacies, and professional associations. 

His track record of drafting and introducing legislation and advocating, amending, or opposing legislation has proven indispensable to clients in Virginia and beyond.  He recently played an instrumental role in the passing of 2002 Virginia patient safety legislation (SB 316).  Scott frequently lectures on recent legislative actions, case law developments, and risk management strategies to avoid civil litigation. 

The Honorable Jerry W. Kilgore
Jerry Kilgore was elected Virginia's 42nd Attorney General on November 6, 2001, receiving more than 60% of the vote.  As the chief executive officer of the Commonwealth's Department of Law, he represents the interests of the State in all civil cases to which the Commonwealth or any of its agencies is a party, and in criminal appeals before the Virginia Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals of Virginia. In cases involving federal law, he represents the State's interests before federal courts. 

The Attorney General also is the legal advisor to the Governor, the General Assembly, and more than 240 State agencies, boards, commissions, and institutions. He renders official opinions on the application of the law upon the written request of the Governor, members of the General Assembly, members of the judiciary, State officers and officials, and local constitutional officers.
Prior to his election as Attorney General, Kilgore served in the Cabinet of former Governor George Allen. Governor Allen appointed Kilgore as Secretary of Public Safety in January 1994. As Secretary, Kilgore managed 11 State agencies, including the Virginia State Police, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, more than 17,000 employees and a one billion-dollar budget.

Kilgore led the nationally recognized criminal justice reform efforts for Governor Allen. He successfully implemented the abolition of parole and was Vice Chairman of the Commission on Juvenile Justice Reform, which overhauled the juvenile justice system. In fact, violent crime decreased 12% during his tenure as Secretary and Virginia's correctional system was recognized as a model for the nation. Kilgore also played an active role in Virginia's welfare reform, which requires able-bodied welfare recipients to work for their benefits.

Prior to serving in Governor Allen's Cabinet, Kilgore was both a State and Federal prosecutor. During the end of the Reagan Administration and through the Bush Administration, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia. While an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Kilgore concentrated on prosecutions brought from five regional drug task forces. Kilgore developed a reputation as an effective courtroom prosecutor, successfully prosecuting hundreds of drug dealers. As an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney for Scott County, Kilgore prosecuted a variety of criminal cases.

Kilgore received his law degree from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary in 1986 and is a graduate of University of Virginia's College at Wise (formerly Clinch Valley College of the University of Virginia). 

Kilgore is married to a former public school teacher, Marty Kilgore. She served as Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth under Governor Gilmore, and is currently Executive Director of the Tobacco Settlement Foundation. They have two children Klarke, age eight, and Kelsey, age five.
Craig F. Kirkwood, Pharm.D.
Craig Kirkwood, Pharm.D., is presently the Manager for Pharmacotherapy Services, Department of Pharmacy Services, VCU Health System, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University. From 1984 to 1991, he was the Director, Drug Information Services, Department of Pharmacy Services, Medical College of Virginia Hospitals, and Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, VCU.

Craig received his B.S. in Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Pharmacy, Amherst, NY, in 1980 and 1983, respectively. He completed a Hospital Pharmacy Residency at Buffalo General Hospital in 1981, and a Specialty Residency in Drug Information Practice, North Carolina Memorial Hospital / University of North Carolina in 1984.

Dr. Kirkwood’s post-graduate awards and honors include being selected as a preceptor for an ASHP Research and Education Foundation, Drug Information Fellowship in 1990, serving as a consultant to the United States Senate’s Special Committee on Aging in 1990, and serving on the Selections Committee for the ASHP Research and Education Foundation, Drug Information Fellowship.

Craig has been involved in more than 27 projects, primarily focused on the provision of drug information; influencing prescribing behavior; adverse drug event systems; drug use decision-making, selection of information resources; pharmacokinetics, drug-lab interactions and cost-effectiveness. He has 35 publications, including critical reviews, primary research reports, and letters; 28 abstracts, published from invited platform presentations, peer-reviewed platform presentations and peer-reviewed poster presentations; 29 platform presentations; 7 poster presentations without abstracts; and 7 major sessions as invited workshop\roundtable leader.
Chalmers M. Nunn, Jr. M.D., M.M.M., C.P.E., F.A.C.P.E.
Dr. Chalmers Nunn is a native of Virginia, attended Duke University and spent 9 years at Duke University Medical Center where he attended medical school and completed an internal medicine residency training program and gastroenterology fellowship. He is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He also is a certified physician executive with a masters in medical management from Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. Nunn practiced internal medicine and gastroenterology in a large multispecialty clinic in Rocky Mount, NC from 1985 to 1993. He served in a leadership position and helped grow the practice from 12 to 45 physicians. From 1994 to 1999 Dr. Nunn was Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Nash Health Care Systems in Rocky Mount, NC. His responsibilities centered on improving clinical effectiveness via guidelines, critical pathways, physician profiling, outcomes measurement and continuous quality improvement. Dr. Nunn was part of senior management and was involved in operations, planning, medical staff relationships, and integration efforts. Dr. Nunn had direct line responsibility over education, case management, quality improvement, medical records, pharmacy, and information systems. He has been involved in the development of an electronic medical record at Nash.

Since September of 1999 Dr. Nunn has been Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Centra Health in Lynchburg, Virginia. His primary responsibilities are for quality improvement and clinical effectiveness for the system as well as medical staff development and management. Dr. Nunn has direct responsibility for health information, pharmacy, risk management, medical staff office, decision support, social work and care coordination, the Lynchburg Family Residency program, and quality support services. He serves on the board of directors for the Lynchburg Chamber of Commerce, VHA Central Atlantic and the American College of Physician Executives.

Dr. Nunn has been heavily involved in his community as he is past chairman of the local school board and coaches youth sports.
Delegate John M. O’Bannon, III, M.D. (73rd District)
Dr. John O’Bannon is a lifelong Virginian who has dedicated himself to caring for others.

John is currently one of the leading physicians in Virginia. He currently is a partner in Neurological Associates, a leading Richmond medical practice. He served as Chief of Staff of Henrico Doctors’ Hospital and is currently on the Hospital’s Board of Trustees and its Ethics Committee. His peers have named him one of the "Outstanding Physicians of the Year" in Richmond Magazine’s annual poll.

John is a national leader in improving the medical profession. He is a leader in the American Medical Association where he serves as a member of the Council for Ethical and Judicial Affairs. Here in Virginia, John is a past Chairman of the Board of the Richmond Academy of Medicine. He has also been a past Chairman of the Medical Society of Virginia’s Legislative Committee where he helped pass the Virginia Patients Bill of Rights.

John is a leader in our community. John is a member of the West Richmond Rotary Club and serves on the Board of the Central Virginia Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He is a member of the Henrico County Republican Committee and has been active in numerous federal, state and local campaigns including the Gubernatorial campaigns of George Allen and Jim Gilmore as well as the Congressional campaigns of Tom Bliley. Governor Gilmore recognized John’s leadership by appointing him Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation. He and his wife attend River Road Baptist Church.
Susan Perkins, R.N., B.S.N., C.P.H.Q.
Sue Perkins is the Corporate Director of Risk Management Services at Valley Health System in Winchester, Virginia. She has over 26 years of diversified clinical, educational, and administrative experience in the health care environment; over 18 years in positions of Risk Management and/or Performance Improvement. She currently oversees the Risk Management Programs at Valley Health System which includes two acute care hospitals in Virginia and confers with a VHS managed hospital in West Virginia. Additionally, VHS comprises an ambulatory surgery center, urgent care facility, home health, durable medical equipment stores and services; an ambulance service; wellness services; and innovative community service partnerships.

Ms. Perkins has been actively involved in the Virginia Chapter of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management as a former board member and present Program Committee and Bylaws Committee member. In the past, she has served as a Senior Lecturer in Health Administration in the School of Allied Health Professionals, Virginia Commonwealth University, and currently donates her time to Shenandoah University School of Nursing as a lecturer on the subject of Risk Management. She is a graduate of The University of Virginia, Charlottesville and Shenandoah University, Winchester.
Janet A. Silvester, R.Ph., M.B.A.
Janet Silvester graduated from the Medical College of Virginia, now VCU, school of pharmacy in 1979. She obtained her MBA from James Madison University in 1994 and is currently enrolled in an external PharmD program through Creighton University in Nebraska. Janet has spent 22 years in hospital practice and has been the Director of Pharmacy at Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, VA. for 15 years. During that time clinical programs have been developed and implemented including ambulatory services provided in primary care physician offices. Janet has integrated bar-code technology into the medication use process with the installation of a robot for cart fill. Later this year a wireless, point-of-care scanner for bar-code medication administration will be implemented as well as a new pharmacy information system and physician order entry.

Janet was awarded Health System Pharmacist of the Year by the Virginia Society of Health System Pharmacists (VSHP) in 1998 and has served on the VSHP Board of Directors for more than 15 years. Janet also serves on the Board of the Virginia Institute for Pharmaceutical Care and Chairs the Legal and Public Affairs Council for the American Society of Health System Pharmacists.
Brenda Jo Simmons, Pharm.D., M.H.A.
Brenda Jo Simmons is a native of Miami, Florida and has served the pharmacy profession in community, hospital/health system, infusion therapy, and nursing home settings during her 29 year career. She received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Florida, her Doctor of Pharmacy from Nova-Southeastern University of the Health Sciences, and her Master of Health Administration from Tulane University, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine.

Dr. Simmons has served as Director of Pharmacy for Inova Fairfax Hospital & Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children since September of 2001. Prior to Inova, she was Pharmacy Director at Tulane University Hospital & Clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana. Additionally, she has been in pharmacy leadership roles within Mount Sinai Medical Center & Miami Heart Institute (both in Miami Beach, FL), Sacred Heart Health System (Pensacola, FL), and Shore Health System (Easton, MD).

Brenda Jo has served in many capacities within local & national pharmacy societies and has given presentations on varied topics ranging from clinical efficacy & therapeutics to human resource management. She currently resides in Manassas, VA with her husband and seventeen year old daughter. Her e-mail address is brenda.simmons@inova.com.
Wally R. Smith, M.D.
Wally Smith is an Associate Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and Chair of the first division in the nation in an academic Department of Internal Medicine focused primarily on researching health care quality. Dr. Smith was an inaugural Robert Wood Johnson Generalist Physician Faculty Scholar. He is on the editorial boards of the journals Medical Decision Making and Clinical Performance and Quality Health Care. 

He has served on study sections for the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, National Library of Medicine, and Health Resources and Services Administration. He is President of the Southern Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM), and Abstract Selection Co-Chair for the 20th National SGIM meeting.

Rebecca P. Snead, R.Ph.
Becky Snead received her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia and her Associate Degree in Science from Richard Bland College in Petersburg, Virginia.

Ms. Snead is currently the Executive Director of the Virginia Pharmacists Association, where she began her career as the Director of Professional Affairs in July 1994. In addition, beginning April 2002, she assumed the role of Administrative Manager for the National Council of State Pharmacy Association Executives. She also serves as a preceptor for the Hampton University School of Pharmacy, Shenandoah University School of Pharmacy and the VCU School of Pharmacy.

Ms. Snead’s current volunteer leadership positions include serving as President of the MCV Alumni Association of Virginia Commonwealth University, Secretary of Virginians Improving Patient Care and Safety, and Board member of the Arthritis Foundation-Virginia Chapter.

Ms. Snead is a member of a number of professional organizations including the Virginia Pharmacists Association, Richmond Pharmacists Association, American Pharmaceutical Association, American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, and the National Community Pharmacists Association. She has been awarded the 2000 VCU Alumni Star for Pharmacy, 2000 Arthritis Foundation-Virginia Chapter Hero for Hope and the 1993 Marion Merrell Dow Distinguished Young Pharmacists Award. In addition she was named one of the 50 most influential pharmacists in the Nation in 1998 by the American Druggist Magazine and attended the 1993 American Pharmaceutical Association/SmithKline Beecham Community Pharmacy Management Program.
 
Thomas G. Snead, Jr.
Tom Snead is the Chairman and CEO of Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield. He was elected Chairman of Trigon's Board of Directors in 2000 and named President and Chief Executive Officer in 1999. Prior to that, Tom was elected president and chief operating officer in 1997 and appointed senior vice president and chief financial officer in 1990.

Tom joined the company in 1985 as manager, Subsidiary Finance and held the positions of Financial Compliance director, Accounting and Budget director and Group Business financial officer. Before that, he served on the staff of public accounting firm KPMG LLP and was the financial executive for several small firms in the Richmond area.
Mark A. Szalwinski, R.Ph., M.H.A.
Mark Szalwinski has experience in pharmacy practice and pharmacy management in multiple practice settings. As well he has extensive experience in planning and implementing organizational improvements and measuring the results of those improvements. He has been recognized as the Pharmacist of the Year by the Virginia Society of Health System Pharmacists in 1997 and was appointed to the Virginia Board of Pharmacy in June 2000.

Mark Szalwinski joined Sentara in May 1995. His responsibilities include planning and oversight of all pharmacy programs within Sentara Healthcare. As well, he has responsibility for multiple departments and projects within Sentara Southside Hospitals.

Mr. Szalwinski received a BS in Science Education from the University of Virginia, a BS in Pharmacy from the Medical College of Virginia and a Masters in Health Care Administration from the Medical College of Virginia.
Shirley Tate-Gibson, R.N. 
Shirley Tate Gibson is the Vice President and Nurse Executive at Mary Washington Hospital, MediCorp Health System in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She holds a diploma in Nursing, a Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management, and a Masters of Science in Health Administration from the Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia. Her career spans thirty-five years with the majority concentrated in administration and leadership positions in nursing. She previously held the Nurse Executive position at HCA, Henrico Doctors’ Hospital and Bon Secours, St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond, Virginia.

Shirley is an active participant in nursing professional organizations and holds positions in the Virginia Nurses’ Association and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Organization of Nurse Executives. She currently holds adjunct faculty positions at George Mason University and Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia. In addition, she serves as Co-Director for the Virginia Partnership for Nursing, a Colleagues in Caring initiative with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which is designed to explore and develop strategies regarding nursing workforce issues. She has been instrumental in working with nursing leaders in practice and education to develop a strategic plan for nursing concerning the current and future shortage of nurses. She has recently been appointed by the Governor of Virginia to serve on the Advisory Council for the Future of Nursing. Shirley’s tremendous passion for the nursing profession has afforded her recognition as a nursing advocate and spokesperson for nursing.
Senator John C. Watkins (10th District)
John C. Watkins, a Republican, was elected to the Virginia State Senate in 1998. Senator Watkins was elected to complete the unexpired four-year term of Senator Joe Benedetti and was then reelected in November 2000 to serve the citizens of the 10th District (Chesterfield, Henrico, Powhatan and Richmond) for a full term. Prior to his Senate election, he represented Chesterfield and Powhatan Counties for sixteen years as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. 

Senator Watkins is a respected leader in transportation and agricultural and natural resource issues. As a member of the Legislative Transition Task force, he has taken a primary role in the critical issue of electric deregulation in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He serves on the following committees in the Senate: Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources; Commerce and Labor; Local Government; and Transportation

As the President of Watkins Nurseries, Senator Watkins has been a prominent and involved business and community leader.  While in his capacity as President, he has received the Distinguished Friend of Agriculture award by the Virginia Agribusiness Council, the Virginia Farm Bureau’s Distinguished Service to Agriculture award and the Virginia Nurseryman's Association - Nurseryman of the Year (1987). He sits on the Board of Directors of Chippenham Medical Center/Johnston-Willis Hospital and the Bank of Powhatan. He is also involved in many civic organizations including the Greater Richmond Chamber Foundation, the American Red Cross- Greater Richmond Chapter, the Midlothian Rotary Club, the Chesterfield Business Council and he serves as the President of the Virginia Mathematics & Science Coalition.

Numerous honors have been awarded to Senator Watkins from a variety of community and professional organizations. Some of the most recent awards include the W. Thomas Rice Rail Renaissance Award, the Northern Virginia Technology Council Tech Ten Award and an Honorary Membership in the Virginia Society of American Institute of Architects.

He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture/Horticulture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.  After graduation, he served in the United States Army from 1969 to 1971. Senator Watkins has three sons and he and his wife, Kathy, currently reside in Midlothian.

Barbara H. Wilkins, R.N., B.S.N., C.P.H.Q.
Barbara Wilkins received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Medical College of Virginia. Since 1975, she has served in various roles as a hospital nurse including bedside staff nursing, management, home health, IV therapy, and Case Management. For the past four years, her role as Performance Improvement Coordinator has involved serving as Chair of the Medication Safety Committee and facilitating performance improvement projects. She also facilitates the Nursing Performance Improvement Council and coordinates quality improvement projects for Nursing.
Secretary Jane H. Woods
Jane Woods is the Commonwealth of Virginia's Secretary of Health and Human Resources. She was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 1987. From 1992 to 2000, she represented the City of Fairfax and part of Fairfax County in the State Senate. 

As a member of the General Assembly, Woods rose to the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Education and Health. She developed a particular expertise in health care while serving as the Vice Chairman of the Joint Commission on Health Care and Chairman of its Long Term Care subcommittee. The Virginia School Board Association twice recognized her as legislator of the year. She was also named Virginia PTA's Advocate of the Year. 

Prior to entering elected office, Woods taught for almost twenty years in Virginia public schools. She grew up in Annandale and received her BA in education from American University.