Board Members
Along with our members, the Coalition is comprised of five founding organizations. The organizations include the Nebraska Academy of Physician Assistants, the Nebraska Hospital Association, the Nebraska Medical Association, the Nebraska Nurses Association and the Nebraska Pharmacists Association. The Coalition is governed by a 12 to 15 member Board of Directors that includes representation from each of the founding organizations plus at least one consumer member. Current board directors include:
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Katherine J. Jones, PT, PhD, President (Consumer)
Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Services Research and Administration
College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE -
Jason Kruger, MD, President Elect (Nebraska Medical Association)
CHI St. Elizabeth Hospital
Lincoln, NE -
Douglas V. Elting, Treasurer (Consumer)
TRANSCEND Health Consultants
Lincoln, NE -
Nicole Blaser, RN, MSN, Secretary (Nebraska Hospital Association)
Director of Quality and Compliance
Columbus Community Hospital
Columbus, NE -
Pamela Dickey, MPAS, PA-C (Nebraska Academy of Physician Assistants)
Assistant Professor
Physician Assistant Education
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Kearney, NE -
Mike German, PharmD, BCPS (Nebraska Pharmacists Association)
Pharmacy Clinical Services Coordinator
CHI Health St Francis
Grand Island, NE -
Shaun Horak, DMSc, PA-C (Nebraska Academy of Physician Assistants)
Assistant Professor
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE -
Kenneth Kester, PharmD, JD (Nebraska Pharmacists Association)
System Director of Telepharmacy
Pharmacy Operations and Clinical Services
CommonSpirit Health®
Omaha, NE -
Michael Rapp, MD, FACS (Nebraska Medical Association)
Vice President Medical Operations
CHI Health St. Elizabeth
Lincoln, NE -
Julie Rezac, RN, BSN, M.ED (Nebraska Hospital Association)
Chief Executive Officer
Saunders Medical Center
Wahoo, NE -
Jennifer Rystrom RN, MSN (Nebraska Organization for Nurse Leaders)
Faith Regional Surgery Center
Administrator
Norfolk, NE -
Britt Thedinger, MD (Nebraska Medical Association)
Physician
Ear Specialists of Omaha
Omaha, NE -
Carol Wahl, RN, DNP, MBA, NEA-BC, FACHE (Nebraska Nurses Association)
Assistant Professor
University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing
Kearney, NE
Staff
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Emily Barr, OTD, MBA, OTR/L, BCG, Executive Director
Emily Barr is a licensed and registered occupational therapist and holds a board certification in gerontology from the American Occupational Therapy Association. She is a graduate of Creighton University with a BS in Health Sciences and a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy. She has an MBA in Healthcare from Nebraska Methodist College and a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma. Emily has 10 plus years of clinical and leadership experience including program development, operational and fiscal management, and quality improvement. Emily comes to NCPS from Nebraska Methodist College, where she was an associate professor and the founding program director for the Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate program. Emily has served in leadership roles with the Nebraska Occupational Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association, she serves on various community guilds and boards, and she is an alum of Leadership Omaha Class 43.
Emily may be reached at embarr@unmc.edu.
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Carla Snyder, MHA, MT(ASCP)SBB, Patient Safety Program Director
Carla’s clinical background is in laboratory medicine and she has a Masters in Healthcare Administration degree. She has worked in a variety of clinical settings including Nebraska Medicine, OneWorld Community Health Centers, Memorial Community Hospital in Blair, NE, and Community Blood Bank in Lincoln, NE. She has held a variety of roles in these various settings: bench tech, department manager, Operations Director, and a Patient Safety Clinical Quality Manager. In all these settings she has been involved in patient care and quality improvement initiatives.
She is a TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer, a Six-Sigma Green Belt, a Zero Harm Trainer, and a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality.
Carla may be reached at carlasnyder@unmc.edu.