To facilitate contact with AHRQ nurses in the various Agency Centers and Offices, E-mail addresses and program areas are provided. Although not all Centers and Offices have nurses on staff, these nurses are prepared to assist you in locating Agency information, in addition to discussing their particular areas of interest.
Beth A. Collins Sharp, Ph.D., R.N.
Health Scientist Administrator
E-mail: BCsharp@ahrq.gov
Program Areas: Workforce issues, nursing research and nurse providers.
Biosketch: Dr. Collins Sharp is a project officer and task order officer with interests in the areas of workforce issues, nursing research and practice, clinical guideline evaluation and outcomes. She received an Associate degree in Nursing and B.S. (Psychology) from Shenandoah College and Conservatory, a B.S. (Nursing) and M.S. (Nursing) degrees from Medical of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University and a Ph.D. (Nursing) from the University of Texas at Austin. She has taught at three large university schools of nursing, served as Nurse Coordinator in the NICHD-Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network, and practiced in a community hospital general medicine and postpartum units, an obstetric emergency room and a university mother-baby inpatient unit. Most recently, she served on the faculty of the Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine and as Director of Research for the obstetrics/gynecology department. Along the way, she has served as a member of a university institutional review board, Chair of a university General Clinical Research Center Scientific Research Committee, President of the Southern Nursing Research Society, and Science Team Leader for the Evidence-Based Guideline on Cyclic Perimenstrual Pain and Discomfort, Association for Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.
Margaret Coopey, M.P.S., M.G.A., R.N.
Senior Health Policy Analyst
E-mail: MCoopey@ahrq.gov
Program
Areas: Pain management, Evidence-based Practice Centers, cancer pain, and
pressure ulcers.
Biosketch: Ms. Coopey is a health policy analyst in
COE and has been with AHRQ since 1991. She serves as a task order officer for
evidence reports developed under Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs) Program,
and also serves as a project officer for other grants and projects related to
evidence-based practice, evaluation, and implementation research.
Heddy Hubbard, M.P.H., R.N.
Acting Associate Director, COE, and Senior Advisor for Nursing
E-mail: HHubbard@ahrq.gov
Program
Areas: Center management, maternal/child health, women's health, and nursing
research in patient outcomes and effectiveness research.
Biosketch:
Heddy Hubbard is Acting Associate Director of COE. She received her Nursing Diploma from Presbyterian Hospital/Bloomfield College, her B.S.N. from the University of Maryland School of Nursing and her M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. She is currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program at the Graduate School of Nursing, Uniform Services University for Health Sciences. Her major interests include maternal and child health, women's health and nursing research. She serves as AHRQ's Senior Advisor for Nursing and in this role she leads efforts to integrate nursing research and health services research, to build the capacity of nurse researchers and to administer the AAN Senior Nurse Scholar B in residence program. Before joining the Agency in 1990, Ms. Hubbard was affiliated with various Agencies in the Public Health Service addressing issues related to maternal and child health, health professions, substance abuse, mental health and health policy.
Ernestine (Tina) Murray, M.A.S., R.N.
Captain, U.S. Public Health Service
E-mail: EMurray@ahrq.gov
Program
areas: Tobacco/smoking cessation, Evidence-based Practice, stroke, mammography, and cardiac rehabilitation.
Biosketch: Captain Murray is a commissioned nurse officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. She is a senior health policy analyst and has been with AHRQ since 1993. In her current position as a task order officer, she facilitates the development of evidence reports, technology assessments, and other quality improvement tools under the Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPCs) Program. She also serves as a project officer for extramural research grants related to evidence-based practice. Before assuming her current position, Captain Murray was a nurse consultant and a scientific reviewer with the Food and Drug Administration involved in developing educational programs aimed at reducing medical errors associated with the use of medical devices by health care practitioners and evaluating medical device problem reports submitted through the Product Problem Reporting Program and the Medical Device Reporting Regulations, as they relate to the enforcement of the United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. She has over 23 years experience in critical care, both coronary care and surgical intensive care. Her experience encompasses clinical practice, nursing education, health care policy, health care research, and quality assurance. Captain Murray received a B.S.N. from Towson University, and Master of Administrative Science in Public Administration from Johns Hopkins University.
Joanna Siegel, Sc.D., R.N.
Director, Research Initiative in Clinical Economics
E-mail: JSiegel@ahrq.gov
Program Areas: Cost effectiveness analysis, health status measurement, health policy issues.
Biosketch: Dr. Siegel directs the Research Initiative in Clinical Economics, a program to support and promote the development of tools and knowledge for the efficient allocation of health care resources. As a member of the faculty at Harvard School of Public Health from 1991 to 1997, her research focused on cost-effectiveness analysis and its applications in HIV/AIDS policy, diabetes and drug policy, and health status measurement and policy issues affecting women and children. During a three-year leave at the Department of Health and Human Services, she worked with the Panel on Cost-Effectiveness in Health and Medicine to propose guidelines for the practice of cost-effectiveness analysis. After relocating to Washington DC in 1997, she joined the newly created Arlington Health Foundation as its Director of Evaluation, overseeing evaluation activities for the Foundation's $4 million annual grants program, and developing its initiative in Children's Health. She received her undergraduate degree from UCLA, and her masters in Health Policy and doctorate in Health Decision Sciences from Harvard School of Public Health.
Denise Remus, Ph.D., R.N.
Senior Research Scientist
E-Mail: DRemus@ahrq.gov
Program Areas: Implementation, analysis and evaluation of Quality Indicators.
Biosketch: Dr. Remus is a senior research scientist at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Dr. Remus is leading the Agency's efforts in use of AHRQ Quality Indicators implementation, analysis and evaluation. She is also involved in the evaluation of measures and the methodology for the National Healthcare Quality Report; the hospital and nursing care measurement set for the National Quality Forum (NQF); and a member of the NQF Implementation Committee. Dr. Remus is a Board member of the National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO). Immediately before coming to AHRQ, she served as Vice President of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Data Initiative. In that role, she was responsible for the collection, analysis and reporting of hospital discharge data from 63 hospitals and related quality improvement activities. Dr. Remus obtained her Ph.D. and M.S. in nursing from the University of Minnesota with an emphasis on ethics and gerontology and a B.A. in nursing from the College of St. Scholastica. She has more than 25 years experience in health care, with 15 years in direct patient care. Her most recent roles have been focused on all aspects of quality improvement including data access, standardization, analysis and reporting; risk and severity adjustment; and identification and implementation of practice standards.
Carol Stocks, M.H.S.A., R.N.
Program Analyst
E-mail: CStocks@ahrq.gov
Program Areas: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, data privacy.
Biosketch: Ms. Stocks provides assistance and support to the Health Care Utilization Project (HCUP), a Federal-State-industry partnership in health care data. She works directly with the HCUP Data Coordinator to fulfill project officer responsibilities and develop State partner relationships. Ms. Stocks serves as an Agency resource for policies on data security and protection of privacy in health care data, especially as it relates to use of administrative data, serves as Privacy Coordinator for AHRQ's implementation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, and participates in oversight for the development of HHS guidance materials on the Privacy Rule. She provides administrative, organizational, and clinical support to senior staff conducting health care research. Ms. Stocks received her B.S.N. from George Mason University, and has extensive experience in hospital nursing. She received her Master of Health Services Administration from George Washington University.
Lisa Dolan-Branton, R.N.
Senior Advisor for Community-Based Health Information Technology
E-mail: LDolan@ahrq.gov
Program Areas: Primary care for underserved and vulnerable populations, quality improvement, health information technology (IT) applied in community-based settings, chronic illness care, collaborative learning methods.
Biosketch: Lisa Dolan-Branton, R.N., U.S. Public Health Service, joined CP3 in October 2003. Over the last 6 years, she has worked with HRSA's Bureau of Primary Health Care-funded Community Health Centers in many clinical quality initiatives, including creating a network for clinicians caring for underserved populations, a task force working on issues in New England related to farmworkers' health, and building quality-improvement expertise in under-resourced health care settings. Most recently, she directed the Clinical Information Systems program for the HRSA/BPHC Health Disparities Collaboratives, developing and supporting Health IT applications and training care teams related to IT and Quality Improvement aimed at creating system change and improving health status outcomes in community health centers. Over her 15 year career as a PHS-Commissioned Officer, Lisa has held staff clinical positions at the NIH Clinical Center, directed NOAA's Pacific Health Program and lead the clinical activities for HRSA's New England programs. She received a B.S.N. at Russell Sage College in Troy, NY.
Ronda Hughes, Ph.D., M.H.S., R.N.
Senior Health Scientist Administrator, Senior Advisor on End-of-Life Care
E-mail: RHughes@ahrq.gov
Program Areas: Patient safety, preventive and primary health care, patient-centered health care, quality of care, healthcare disparities, vulnerable populations, implementation of clinical guidelines, and current health policy issues.
Biosketch: Dr. Hughes is in CP3, where she is involved in both intramural and extramural research. Dr. Hughes is also the Agency's lead on end-of-life care issues and research as well as issues and research for populations with special needs as well as research relating to patient-centered care. Other areas of interest include: Preventive and primary health care; patient safety; improving the quality of health care; issues related to vulnerable populations; clinical quality improvement; and current health policy issues. Prior to joining the Agency, she worked in HRSA's Bureau of Primary Health Care, where she focused on improving access to care for the underserved. Dr. Hughes received a B.S. in nursing from Boston University, a M.H.S. from Johns Hopkins University, and her Ph.D. in Health Policy, with a concentration in Health Services Research, from Johns Hopkins University.
Sally Phillips, R.N., Ph.D.
Director of Bioterrorismism Preparedness Research Program
E-mail: SPhillips@ahrq.gov
Program Areas: Bioterrorism and other Public Health Emergencies.
Biosketch: Dr. Phillips joined the staff of CP3 in September 2001 as a Senior Nurse Scholar. She managed a portfolio that ranged from her primary area of bioterrorism, to multidisciplinary education for safety and related health care workforce initiatives. Prior to joining the AHRQ staff, Dr. Phillips was a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow and Health Policy Analyst for Senator Tom Harkin for 2 years. She brought a wealth of expertise in the area of multidisciplinary education, patient safety legislative initiatives, and curriculum with health professions education to her role at AHRQ. Dr. Phillips, joined the AHRQ staff in September 2002, as the Director of the Bioterrorism Preparedness Research Program. She is an accomplished author, consultant and speaker on public health and medical preparedness and response research initiatives.
Tricia L. Trinité, M.S.P.H., APRN
Captain, U.S. Public Health Service
E-mail: TTrinite@ahrq.gov
Program Areas: Primary care delivery systems for medically underserved and vulnerable populations, prevention, quality improvement.
Biosketch: Captain Tricia Trinité, N.P., M.S.P.H., is a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service. She is AANP certified as an Adult Nurse Practitioner and has a Masters in Public Health with an emphasis in occupational and environmental health. Captain Trinité comes to AHRQ from the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA)/Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHS), where she was the Director of the BPHC Health Disparities Collaborative, a large quality improvement program involving large-scale system changes in over 500 primary care organizations that provide health care access to medically underserved communities. Professional areas of interest and over 25 years of experience include primary care, public health, prevention, geriatric nursing, occupational and environmental health.
Marybeth A. Farquhar, M.S.N., R.N.
Health Scientist Administrator
E-mail: MFarquha@ahrq.gov
Program Areas: Performance measurement, consumerism, survey development and implementation, public reporting of quality, health policy issues, quality improvement
Biosketch: Ms. Farquhar joined CQuIPS in September 2003. She serves as a member of the CAHPS® instrument development and reports team on a variety of CAHPS® product lines. She has over 20 years experience as a nurse and manager, and is well versed in the quality improvement aspects of both the health care provider and the quality needs of the consumer. Before joining the Agency, Ms. Farquhar ran her own health care consulting firm, directed the Mammography Accreditation Program at the American College of Radiology, and she served as the Director of Nursing Services for SRT Med-Staff, a nursing/home care agency located in Springfield, VA. She received an Associate degree in Nursing and a B.S. in Business Administration and Management from Gwynedd Mercy College, and a M.S. in Nursing from George Mason University. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Public Administration and Public Policy at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Her dissertation focuses on performance measurement in health care, organizational systems, and networks. Her major interests are public policy, organizational behavior and networks, performance measurement, quality improvement and the role of the consumer in health care.
Anna Poker, M.S., R.N.
Junior Service Fellow
E-mail: APoker@ahrq.gov
Program Areas: Patient safety, national healthcare quality, national healthcare disparities.
Biosketch: Ms. Poker has over 20 years of health care experience in clinical, educational, consulting and research settings with particular expertise in health care informatics, project organization and administration, education and training and quality assurance and outcomes improvement. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Nursing from Tel Aviv University in Israel, and a Masters of Science in Nursing Informatics/Administration from the University of Maryland at Baltimore.
Kathie Kendrick, M.S.C.S., B.S.N.
Director, Planning, Evaluation, and Program Development
E-mail: KKendrick@ahrq.gov
Program Areas: Agency performance and accountability, program development and evaluation.
Biosketch: Ms. Kendrick joined OD in 2000 as the Agency's Director of Planning, Evaluation, and Program Development where she is actively involved in developing and guiding the Agency's strategic planning processes and program development and evaluation activities. Prior to joining the AHRQ staff, she was a Senior Health Policy Analyst in the General Accounting Office (GAO) Health Care Issue area. Ms. Kendrick has over 25 years experience in Health Care Administration, most recently as the Chief, Mental Health Outpatient Programs at the VA Medical Center in Washington, DC. Ms. Kendrick received a B.S. in Nursing from Keuka College and a M.S. in Child and Adolescent Mental Health from the University of Maryland. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in program evaluation at the University of Maryland.
Sandra Isaacson, M.S.N., M.B.A., R.N.
Director, User Liaison Program
E-mail: SIsaacso@ahrq.gov
Program Areas: Knowledge transfer, health care quality, federal and State policymaking.
Biosketch: Ms. Isaacson joined OCKT in 1997 as Director of what is now known as the Division of User Liaison and Research Translation, where she oversees a program that serves as a knowledge broker between the Agency, State and local health policymakers, health systems administrators, and purchasers. Previous to her present position she was an Assistant Director in the General Accounting Office (GAO) Health Care Quality and Public Health Issue area, where she studied such issues as health care report cards, managed care, and quality of care for persons with end-stage renal disease, and quality of care furnished to veterans. Ms. Isaacson also worked for the U.S. Senate Veterans' Affairs (VA)Committee drafting health care legislation and overseeing care in the VA system. She has also served as Vice President of Patient Care Services in several community hospitals. Ms. Isaacson received a B.S.N. from the University of Wisconsin/Madison, M.S.N. from the Catholic University of America, and M.B.A. from Marymount University.
Marjorie Shofer, M.B.A., B.S.N.
Program Analyst, User Liaison Program
E-mail: MShofer@ahrq.gov
Program Areas: Dissemination research, State health policy.
Biosketch: Margie Shofer is a program analyst with the User Liaison Program
where she disseminates health services research findings to State and local
policymakers. Prior to working at AHRQ, Ms. Shofer was a senior policy analyst
with the American Association of Health Plans and was responsible for analyzing
and responding to State and Federal legislative activities. Before that she
worked at the National Conference of State Legislatures, where, as assistant
staff to the Health Committee, she represented State legislatures before Congress
and the Federal Government in the area of health care. She also spent 3 years
as committee staff for the House Environmental Matters Committee of the Maryland
General Assembly, where she was responsible for analyzing health legislation
assigned to the committee. Ms. Shofer began her career working as an R.N. at
the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia. Ms. Shofer graduated
from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and
from Boston University's M.B.A. program where she concentrated in healthcare
management.
Ruth Ann Hadley, B.S.N.
Small Conference Grants Administrator
E-mail: RHadley@ahrq.gov
Program Areas: Conference grants.
Biosketch: Mrs. Hadley joined the Agency in 1999 as Small Conference Grants Administrator. The Small Grant Program for Conference Support is in the Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations. Previous to her present position, she was the CEO for the Center for Clinical Quality Evaluation, where most of the focus was on supporting the activities of the federally funded peer review organizations. Mrs. Hadley also worked for the Partners Health Plan as the Director of Review and was one of the original clinical staff for the Georgetown University Community Health Plan, an HMO which was the basis of the Kaiser Permanente Health Plan in DC. Other professional experience has been in the public health setting, including local health departments and federally funded programs focusing on women and children, with Professional Standards Review Organizations in Virginia and DC, with private review companies, and also as a consultant, writing grant applications. Mrs. Hadley received a B.S.N. from the University of Virginia.
Current as of September 2004
Internet Citation:
Staff Biographies: Nurses at AHRQ. September 2004. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/about/nursing/nrsbios.htm
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