Meet the Board of Directors
President
Banschbach has 40 years of perioperative experience in staff and management positions. Currently her responsibilities include the administration of surgical services for 38 operating rooms, including an eight room ambulatory surgery center; endoscopy; PACU; a four room freestanding ASC; outpatient admit-discharge department; central processing; anesthesia; and perfusion at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, OK. Before joining the staff at Saint Francis, Banschbach worked at hospitals in Shreveport, La; Madison, Wisc; Radford, Va; and Boston, MA. She received a diploma in nursing from Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA, her BSN from Oklahoma Wesleyan University, and her MSN from the University of Oklahoma. Banschbach is past chair of the Oklahoma Council of Perioperative Nurses, past chair of the Leadership Specialty Assembly, and the current AORN President. She has spoken locally, nationally and internationally on many perioperative subjects, including management, strategic planning, case management, endoscopy, conflict in the perioperative arena, nurse-physician collaboration and professional career development.
View a brief message from Sue Banschbach.
Patrick Voight, RN, BSN, MSA, CNOR
President-Elect
Voight has been a member of AORN since 1992 and an RN with more than 20 years of experience. He is a member of the Michigan Nurses Association and Sigma Theta Tau. He is the past co-chair of the Michigan Council of periOperative Registered Nurses (MCRON), Michigan legislative coordinator, regional state coordinator on the National AORN Membership Committee and past president of the Metro-Detroit AORN Chapter. He has been a member of the BIC, Leadership, and Cardiovascular Specialty Assemblies, and a past BIC Governing Council member and newsletter editor. He has served two two-year terms on the national AORN board of directors and is currently serving as AORN President-Elect.As a perioperative nurse consultant and interim manager he has worked in over 30 different operating rooms in over 15 states. His previous employment includes: The Cleveland Clinic of Ohio and Florida, The Detroit Medical Center, Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Systems, and is currently a senior manager in the health care consulting practice of Deloitte & Touche. He is the firm's lead content expert for perioperative services. In addition to Patrick's consulting responsibilities, he is managing the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions in Washington DC. Patrick's responsibility at the Center includes, overseeing the Center's Pay for Quality research agenda and directly staffing former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson.
View a brief message from Patrick Voight.
Anne Marie Herlehy, RN, MS, CNOR
Vice President
Anne Marie Herlehy completed her undergraduate nursing studies at Rush University in 1993. She obtained a masters of science in Nursing Administration from DePaul University in 1997. She is now enrolled in a Doctoral program at Rush University.Herlehy's involvement in AORN began early in her nursing career as she served in her local chapter as Board Member, president-elect, vice president and president. At the national level, Herlehy has been the chair of the National Research Committee, Nurse Educator/Clinical Nurse Specialist, Specialty Assembly and Illinois Sate Council besides serving as a resource person in multiple capacities.
Herlehy's career has been in perioperative administration and education. She is currently an Administrative Director for Perioperative Services at Alexian Brothers Medical Center and a
faculty member at Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago.
View a brief message from Anne Marie Herlehy.
Deborah G. Spratt, RN, BSN, MPA, CNOR, CNAA
Secretary
Deborah Spratt is the Director of Value Analysis and a Nursing Clinical Specialist at the University of Rochester's Strong Memorial Hospital. She has responsibility for both capital and supply product evaluation, and purchase recommendation. In addition she assists with ongoing Magnet and JCAHO Interdisciplinary preparation and is a liaison between Nursing and other departments with a focus on patient and workplace safety, process improvement and systems. Ms Spratt previously was the nurse manager in the OR at Strong Memorial Hospital providing administrative and clinical leadership for more than 150 perioperative RNs and technicians. She participated in strategic and operational planning and management activities for a 27-room OR suite working with the management team at Strong Health's Highland Hospital to ensure a smooth transition of information, policies, procedures, and cases between the two facilities. Prior to joining Strong Memorial, Ms. Spratt was clinical director of the Lattimore Community Surgicenter in Rochester, NY. Before joining Lattimore, Ms. Spratt was manager of surgical services at Highland Hospital. She earned her diploma in nursing from Highland Hospital, her BSN from Alfred University in Alfred, NY and a master's in public administration from the State University of NY at Brockport. In 1979, Ms. Spratt achieved her CNOR and in 1993 obtained her CNAA. She has been a perioperative nurse since 1973 and a member of AORN since 1975. She contributed to the AORN publications, Ambulatory Surgery Principles and Practices, and Leadership in Action-A Manager's Guide to Success. She is one of several authors of the book Operating Room Management. Ms. Spratt has testified as an expert witness in the areas of ambulatory/office-based surgery and OR nursing practice and was a member of the New York State Department of Health’s Committee on Quality Assurance in Office Based Surgery and, Procedural and Site Verification Panel. Ms. Spratt is an active member of the upstate New York AORN Chapter. She is a member of the Ambulatory Surgery and Leadership Specialty Assemblies and has served on the governing council for each specialty assembly. She was a member of the AORN Governance Task Force, Specialty Assemblies Futures Task Force, and the Workplace Safety Task Force. Ms Spratt was a member [2003-2004] and Chair of the 2004-2005 AORN Nominating Committee. She is currently a member of the AORN Board of Directors.View a brief message from Deborah Spratt.
Nathalie Walker, RN, BS, MBA, CNOR
Treasurer
Walker is the Perioperative Process Coordinator /Clinical RN IV at East Jefferson General Hospital, Metairie, La. She has been a perioperative nurse and a member of AORN for 16 years. She earned her Associate degree in Nursing at Louisiana State University Medical Center School of Nursing, New Orleans; her Bachelor of Science degree in health arts at the College of St Francis, Joliet, IL; and her Master's in Business from the College of St. Francis in Joliet, IL. Nathalie has published several articles and book chapters and has given numerous presentations on the local, regional, and national level.
She is an active member of AORN of New Orleans, where she is currently serving as the chapter president, having served previously as a board of directors, vice president, and president as well as on numerous committees. She is a charter member of the Louisiana Council of AORN Chapters and has served as the state chair. In addition she is a member of her state nurses association and she is a member of the Nursing Supply and Demand Commission of Louisiana. She received the LSNA "Great 100" Honor in 1993 and her hospitals "Top 35" award in 2006.
On the national level, she received the AORN Nurse in Washington Internship Scholarship and has served as the chair of the AORN National Legislative Committee. Nathalie has been a member of the Cardiovascular, Integrated Health Practice and Leadership Specialty Assemblies, and past Leadership Governing Council member. Nathalie served as a member and chair of the National Membership Committee, a member of the AORN Nominating Committee, Congress 2000 Volunteer Coordinator, a member of the AORN Board of Directors (2002-2006), and is currently serving as the AORN Treasurer.
View a brief message from Nathalie Walker.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Rhonda Anders, RN, BSN, MSM, CNOR
Rhonda Anders is the Director for Medical and Surgical Nursing at St. Francis Hospital in Indianapolis, IN. Working with a large contingent of Registered Nurses primarily focusing on post-surgical care, Rhonda's principal focus is assuring safe passage for patients, while promoting a healthy work environment for employees and physicians. Rhonda chairs the Perioperative Patient Safety Committee which endeavors to assure adherence to standards across the St. Francis system, while striving for evidence-based practice throughout Perioperative Services. Rhonda has served as President of her local chapter, AORN of Greater Indianapolis, past chair of the National Committee on Education, past chair of the Nurse Educator/Clinical Nurse Specialist Specialty Assembly, past member of the Nominating Committee and Membership Committee, and current member of the AORN Board of Directors.
View a brief message from Rhonda Anders.
Claire Everson, RN, LMT, CNOR
Everson has been a perioperative clinical educator since 1985. She works for Banner Health in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. She first started her perioperative career in 1980 and passed the CNOR exam in 1982. In her current role, she is responsible for continuing education, orientation and facilitating work teams. She works closely with her peers and is appreciative of their support and input.
She received her diploma in nursing from Henry Ford Hospital School of Nursing in Detroit, Michigan, in 1973 and is working towards her BSN online via the College Network and Deaconess University. She has been actively involved in AORN since 1984 and has served her local chapter as vice president and secretary, and has been a member of her chapter board of directors and legislative and nominating committees. Everson first attended the OR Education: Dimensions of Practice in 1992 and has been networking with her peers ever since. Part of the original governing council of the Nurse Educator/Clinical Nurse Specialist Specialty Assembly, she served as chair until April of 1997. In this role, she developed the specialty assembly work plan, worked with headquarters on the membership directory, attended annual meetings at AORN headquarters, and participated in the "Think Tank" in August of 1996. Everson also served as specialty assembly secretary until April of 2002.
She was on the formatics task force for the Integrated Health Practices SA and served as their first chair 2003-2005. Some of her current projects include revising preceptor workshops, the continuous development of validation tools, and the co-development of a system-wide perioperative program. She is involved with student nurses, providing them with education and insight before they enter the perioperative environment. She also is on several work groups looking at perioperative recruitment, training, and retention for Banner Health System.
Certified as a clinical aromatherapy practitioner and as an aromatherapy instructor since 2000, Everson contributed to the complementary therapies chapter in the Alexander's text book. She was a member of the 2004 Congress Education Planning Committee. She has published several articles in Nursing Journals.
Everson is a member of AORN’s Board of Directors, 2005-2007 and 2007-2009.
View a brief message from Claire Everson.
Beverly A. Kirchner, RN, BSN, CNOR, CASC
Beverly Kirchner is recognized internationally for her leadership in improving workplace safety standards for patients as well as medical personnel. Now in her thirty-second year of nursing, Beverly is serving her second term on the AORN Board of Directors.
In collaboration with AORN, Beverly currently leads research on incidents of violence in the nursing workplace. Already receiving national attention in professional journals, final research findings and recommendations will be published in a forthcoming book.
Long engaged in writing and teaching, Beverly extends AORN’s educational reach through three prominent healthcare appointments. She serves on a special task force of the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations charged with rewriting ambulatory surgery center standards. In addition, she has been named to the Ambulatory Surgery Center Quality Collaboration—a collection of healthcare organizations and companies joining with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the National Quality Forum to develop improved quality indicators for ambulatory surgery centers. She also has authored AORN manuals on policies and procedures, performance improvement, patient safety, and infection control.
Honoring her commitment to perioperative nursing, Beverly mentors a graduate-level nursing student each semester at The University of Texas at Arlington. In addition, she now teaches an ambulatory surgery center administration course for AORN members.
Since 1985, Beverly has been engaged in design, development and management of ambulatory surgery centers. As owner and CEO of Genesee Associates, she collaborates with physicians, architects, contractors, equipment and supply vendors, lenders, and accrediting organizations to develop and manage ambulatory surgery centers throughout the nation. She is one of the first healthcare executives to pass the Federation of Ambulatory Surgery Associations certification exam.
On the national front, Beverly serves on the Med Assets Advisory Board for Ambulatory Care and on the Board of Directors of Celebrity Medical. She is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University and a resident of the Dallas suburb of Flower Mound. Beverly is married and the mother of three daughters and one son.
View a brief message from Beverly Kirchner.
Jane A. Kusler-Jensen, RN, BSN, MBA, CNOR, FABC
Jane Kusler-Jensen is the Director of Perioperative Services for Riverwood's outpatient center and Ozaukee Campus, part of Columbia St Mary's Healthcare system, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her prior positions have included Director of Surgical Services for Aurora Bay Care, Green Bay, Administrator of Physicians PlusSurgery Center, Madison, Nurse Manager at Surgicenter of Greater Milwaukee, Head Nurse at Waukesha Memorial Hospital, Patient Care Coordinator for Plastic and Neurosurgery at St. Joseph's Hospital and the OR Head Nurse at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, both of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ms. Kusler-Jensen earned her diploma in nursing from Deaconess School of Nursing, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin, a Bachelor of Science in Management from Cardinal Stritch College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and her master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Ms. Kusler-Jensen has been a member of AORN since 1980. She received an AORN writer's award in 1997 for her article, "A Patient Classification System Developed in a Freestanding Ambulatory Surgery Center." She has presented at the 1997, 1998, 2006, 2007 AORN Multispecialty Conferences and 2002, 2005 and 2007 AORN Congress.
View a brief message from Jane Kusler-Jensen.
Rosemarie Schroeder, RN, BSN, CNOR
Rosemarie Schroeder was the Administrative Director at Cox Health in Springfield, Missouri. She managed 29 operating rooms in the Main OR and the Ambulatory Center. Cox South is a level two trauma center, that performs all surgical specialties. Prior to joining Cox Health, Schroeder was OR Manager at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and a staff nurse and RNFA at University Hospital and a Nurse Manager at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before joining the CMC system, she held positions at Piedmont Medical Center, Rock Hill, South Carolina, Norman Municipal Hospital, Norman, Oklahoma, and St. Mary's Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin. She graduated in 1973 from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, with a BS in Nursing. She completed a course in First Assisting at Perioperative Plus in Phoenix, Arizona in 1998 and a Clinical Leadership course at UNC in 2004.
Schroeder has been a member of AORN since 1980 and has spoken at conferences locally, regionally and nationally on many perioperative topics, including Total Joints, Quality Improvement and Legislative Grassroots Involvement. She co-authored an article on legislative efforts in the AORN Journal. She was named to the NC Great 100 Nurses in 1998. She has held various offices, including Chair on the AORN Chapter level and the NC State Council. She was a member of the national AORN Legislative Committee and a member and Chair of the Education Committee.
View a brief message from Rosemarie Schroeder.
Rose E. Seavey, RN, BS, MBA, CNOR, ACSP
Seavey is the President/CEO of Seavey Healthcare Consulting, Inc. and former director of the sterile processing department at the Children's Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Seavey served on the AORN National Nomination Committee in 2005-2007. She served as the national president of the American Society of Healthcare Central Service Professionals (ASHCSP) in 2003. Seavey was the recipient of the 2002 National Educator of the Year award from that organization. In 2001, Seavey was honored with the national AORN award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Nurse Education. Seavey is a member of the AAMI Sterilization working group committees that are developing recommended practices and is currently a co-chair for the AAMI ST8, Hospital Steam Sterilizers. She has lectured and authored many articles on various topics relating to perioperative service and sterile processing, locally, nationally and internationally.
View a brief message from Rose Seavey.
David Wyatt, RN, MPH, CNOR
David is responsible for operational management and clinical leadership for perioperative services including the OR, PACU, Preoperative assessment and holding, Day Surgery, CS, OR Materials Management, and GI/Endoscopy. He directly supervises eight managers with responsibility for approximately 200 FTEs. In addition to the clinical leadership Mr. Wyatt is involved in strategic development and physician relations for the surgery service line.
Mr. Wyatt has been involved in information technology implementations in the Perioperative setting including scheduling, intraoperative documentation, as well as selection processes for hospital-wide systems. He has been worked on several projects related to performance improvement, patient outcome management and patient safety-designing methods of data collection based from computerized documentation. Currently, Mr. Wyatt is a PhD student with research interests in; health promotion, best practices in healthcare and organizational behavior.
View a brief message from David Wyatt.