The National Steering Committee of the Initiative on Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke Prevention

Barbara L. Schuster, MD, MACP, Co-chair
Campus Dean
Medical College of Georgia/University of Georgia Medical Partnership

Dr. Schuster is the Campus Dean for the Medical College of Georgia/University of Georgia (MCG/UGA) Medical Partnership. Prior to this position, Dr. Schuster served as Medical Director of the University Health Service at the University of Rochester, Medical Director of the University Medicine-Pediatrics Practice at Wright State University and President of Wright State's faculty practice plan. The University of Rochester's internal medicine/pediatric training program, formerly directed by Dr. Schuster, has created an award in her honor. She served on the Board of Regents of the American College of Physicians and chaired its Education Committee.

Doron Schneider, MD, FACP, Co-chair
Medical Director, Center for Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality
Abington Memorial Hospital

Doron Schneider, MD is an internist at Abington Memorial Hospital.  He serves as Medical Director of the Center for Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality, Deputy Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency and is an Assistant Professor at Drexel University.  He is a lead physician for the ABIM PIM MOC Program and is a reviewer for ACP Diabetes Self Assessment Program.  Dr. Schneider also serves as national faculty for ACP Quality Net, the ACP Closing the Gap Program and is a member of the National Quality Forum Serious Reportable Events Advisory Panel.

Matt Austin, Ph.D.
Director, The Leapfrog Hospital Survey
The Leapfrog Group

Dr. Matt Austin is the Director of the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Leapfrog's annual patient safety survey.  Dr. Austin has been with The Leapfrog Group for over three years.  Prior to joining The Leapfrog Group, Dr. Austin worked in the airline industry for over ten years as an industrial engineering manager, responsible for resource allocation, work measurement, decision support tools, and process improvement in airports.  Dr. Austin recently received his Ph.D. in Industrial & Systems Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, with a research focus on applying industrial engineering principles to health care delivery systems.

Katie Brewer, MSN, RN
Senior Policy Analyst
Department of Nursing Practice and Policy
American Nurses Association

Katie Brewer provides expert and evidence-based analysis in nursing and public health. Her areas of focus are disaster preparedness and response, immunizations, population health, and nurse staffing. Katie assists in the development and revision of standards of nursing practice and has been the Coordinator of a newborn/post-partum home visiting program. She was instrumental in risk communication and emergency planning and response.

Stephen F. Jencks, MD, MPH
Consultant in Healthcare Safety and Quality
Senior Fellow, Institute for Healthcare Improvement

Stephen F. Jencks, MD is an independent consultant in healthcare safety and quality and a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. His work focuses on understanding and preventing re-hospitalization and other adverse results of poor transition planning. Dr. Jencks led transformation of Medicare’s Quality Improvement Organization program. He received the Ernest A. Codman Award, the Distinguished Service Medal of the U.S. Public Health Service, six Secretary’s Distinguished Service Awards, and retired as Assistant Surgeon General.

Lee Kirksey, MD, MBA
Association of Black Cardiologists
Assistant Professor of Surgery University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Lee Kirksey, MD, an Assistant Professor of Surgery at The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has been recognized for his research in health disparity and cultural competency in cardiovascular care. He is also Director of the Penn Wound Care Center. He recently published his second book, the Wellness Revolution: Promoting Prevention and Eliminating Disparity. For All. Dr. Kirksey has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles in cardiovascular surgery.

Ruth M. Parker, MD, FACP
Professor of Medicine
Emory School of Medicine

Dr. Ruth Parker, Professor of Medicine and Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, is nationally and internationally recognized for her research, educational, and advocacy efforts to advance health literacy. She co- authored the definition of health literacy used by Healthy People 2010, the IOM, and the NIH. Dr. Parker has served in leadership roles as a health literacy advocate for professional societies and consulted with many federal and state agencies regarding their health literacy efforts. She was a member of the IOM Health Literacy Committee and is currently a member of the IOM Health Literacy Roundtable. Dr. Parker has received national awards in recognition of her work.

Susan Pisano
Vice President, Communications
America’s Health Insurance Plans

Susan Pisano is the Vice President of Communications for the America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). Susan acts as a spokesperson for AHIP and is responsible for outreach to member companies, the news media, and other major audiences.  She is the primary staffer for AHIP's Health Literacy Task Force."

L. Douglas Ried, PhD
American Pharmacists Association
Professor and Chair, College of Pharmacy

L. Douglas Ried, PhD, is Professor and Chair, College of Pharmacy University of South Florida Tampa, FL. Prior to this position, Dr. Ried was Dean and Professor at the Southwestern Oklahoma State University College of Pharmacy in Weatherford Oklahoma. Dr. Ried has performed research linking use of different antihypertensive medications with the onset of depressive symptoms and treatment of post-stroke depression. He has also spoken extensively and published on medication adherence and continuum of care issues from the institution to the home.

Hiren Shah, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Feinberg School of Medicine

Hiren Shah, MD is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University and Medical Director of the Cardiac Telemetry Unit at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL. Dr. Shah has a strong interest in hospital quality and patient safety and has led numerous process and quality improvement initiatives at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He is the physician leader for NWM hospital’s Reduction of Venous Thromboembolism Initiative, sits on the Department of Medicine Quality Improvement Committee, and on the Medicine Safety Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.

Henry Solomon, MD, FACP, FACC
Chief Medical Officer
American College of Cardiology (ACC)

Henry A. Solomon, MD, is the Chief Medical Officer of the American College of Cardiology, and Chair of the College’s Professional and Corporate Consortium. Dr. Solomon is a Board Certified Cardiologist, and a Fellow of both the American College of Physicians and the American College of Cardiology. He is also Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Cornell University Medical College. Dr. Solomon has authored numerous scientific papers and articles, published and edited newsletters in the field of Cardiovascular Disease, and written a book on the impact of exercise on health and fitness that has been translated into several languages.

Jane Staller, MA, Ed
Director, Program Grants
National Stroke Association

Jane Staller, Director of Program Grants for National Stroke Association, oversees the development of grant requests related to all aspects of stroke for submission to corporations and foundations. In collaboration with the Programs Department at the NSA, Jane develops outcomes-oriented stroke education programs based on identified knowledge gaps for healthcare professionals, stroke survivors, and caregivers. She is also responsible for developing collaborative relationships with other non-profit and for-profit organizations that are aligned with National Stroke Association’s vision and mission.

Daniel Thibodeau MHP, PA-C, DFAAPA
American Academy of Physician Assistants
Associate Professor, Physician Assistant Program
Eastern Virginia Medical School

Daniel Thibodeau is Associate Professor in the Physician Assistant Program at the Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia and a practicing physician assistant in cardiology at Cardiovascular Specialists, Inc. in Portsmouth, Virginia. He has been active in the leadership of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and served on its Board of Directors from 2007-2011 with roles of increasing importance; as Secretary from 2010-2011, and as Board Chair. Mr. Thibodeau has written widely on clinical practices and other medical matters and has lectured on health care and academic subjects in clinical, university and policy forums.