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HCEA 2019 Conference Speakers

Sunil Kripalani, MD, MSc, SFHM

 Professor of Medicine – Vanderbilt University Medical Center
 Director, Center for Clinical Quality and Implementation Research (CCQIR)
 Director, Implementation Science Core  
 Co-Director, Center for Effective Health Communication

Dr. Kripalani is a Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Director of the Center for Clinical Quality and Implementation Research, and Co-Director of the Center for Effective Health Communication. He previously founded and served as Chief of the Section of Hospital Medicine at Vanderbilt. Dr. Kripalani has developed, implemented, and evaluated numerous interventions to improve the quality, safety, and value of health care delivery, with a focus on health communication, medication management, and transitions of care. He also led a white paper on Organizational Health Literacy commissioned by the National Academy of Medicine, as well as a successful initiative to incorporate routine health literacy assessment into both inpatient and outpatient settings at Vanderbilt.

Dr. Kripalani graduated from Rice University, received his MD from Baylor College of Medicine, and trained in Internal Medicine at Emory University, where he also completed a Hospital Medicine Fellowship and a Master of Science in Clinical Research. Dr. Kripalani’s research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute. 

 

Jing Li, MD, MS

 Associate Professor, Internal Medicine – University of Kentucky
 Administrative Director, Center for Health Services Research
 Director, Office for Value & Innovation in HealthCare Delivery

Jing Li, MD, MS, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Kentucky and Associate Director of the Center for Health Services Research and Director of the Office for Value and Innovation in Healthcare Delivery (OVIHD) at UK HealthCare. Dr. Li she has directed multiple projects and collaboratives through 15 years of experience and expertise in a range of research methodologies, quality improvement and program implementation and evaluation. Through this experience, she developed interdisciplinary teams, established community coalitions, promoted preventive care, improved care coordination and patient safety, enhanced in-setting and cross-setting teamwork, and documented improved patient outcomes. She studied the impact of factors at the individual, organization, system, and community levels on evidence-based program adoption, adaption, and implementation.

Dr. Li graduated from Tianjin Medical University and completed residency training in anesthesiology at the Tianjin Medical University General Hospital and subsequent clinical research training. She completed a Master’s degree in Computer & Information Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  Dr. Li’s research is funded by NIH, PCORI, and CMS. She is the PI on an NHLBI-funded study to develop strategies of implementing guideline-based practice in syncope evaluation and management and serves as Co-PI on the CMS-funded Kentucky Consortium for Accountable Health Communities project at UK. She is also the co-investigator on a PCORI-awarded transitional care study - Project ACHIEVE and on a NIDA-funded study assessing syringe exchange programs in Eastern Kentucky. Additionally, she serves as the Tracking & Evaluation Core co-Director for the Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science. 

 

Laura Cooley, PhD

 Senior Director of Education and Outreach, Academy of Communication in Healthcare
 Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of Patient Experience
 Co-Editor: Communication Rx: Transforming Healthcare Through Relationship-Centered Communication

Dr. Cooley leads efforts for outreach and development for The Academy of Communication in Healthcare (ACH), a non-profit organization with mission of improving healthcare through education, research, and practice that focuses on communication and relationships with patients, families, and healthcare teams. She also serves the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Patient Experience. Additionally, she hold an academic appointment as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. 

Dr. Cooley is co-editor for the book "Communication Rx: Transforming Healthcare Through Relationship-Centered Communication". Released October 2017, this book is a practical guide to help healthcare providers and leaders as they aim to improve communication and experiences. She leads strategic efforts to support the ACH mission by collaborating with healthcare leaders to develop and deliver customized communication skills training programs. While earning her doctorate in health communication she examined organizational and interpersonal communication dynamics encountered across the healthcare context. Her research interests include the intersections between patient-centered care, interpersonal skills, mindfulness, empathy, and communication in the end-of-life context. She has led presentations at many notable U.S. healthcare centers and at national events hosted by organizations such as, The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), The American Medical Group Association (AMGA), Planetree, The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), The Beryl Institute, and Press Ganey.

 

Terrell Smith

 Director, Patient and Family Engagement
 Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Terrell Smith has been the Director of Patient and Family Centered Care for Vanderbilt University Medical Center since 2005. Terrell began her career as a pediatric intensive care unit nurse at The Children’s Hospital of Alabama, and she has served in Brazil as a Peace Corps volunteer nurse. She has held leadership positions at Children’s Hospital of Alabama, and Ochsner Hospital in New Orleans. She was at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital for thirteen years as Administrative Director/Director of Nursing and was one of the leaders during the planning and construction of the Monroe Carrel Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, now a nationally recognized center of excellence. The Monroe Carrel Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt is ranked among the nation's leaders in pediatric health care in U.S. News & World Report magazine's Best Children's Hospitals. The hospital achieved rankings in a maximum of 10 out of 10 pediatric specialty programs. During her tenure with the children’s hospital, Mrs. Smith also helped to develop a partnership with the Shalom Foundation to set up medical services for children in Guatemala.

In her current role, Mrs. Smith serves as a thought leader for patient and family engagement and is a national speaker on the subject of patient and family centered care.  Terrell Smith received her diploma at Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing, her undergraduate degree at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and her graduate degree from the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

 

Lane Stiles

 Director, Patient Education
 Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Lane Stiles is Director of Patient Education for Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he is responsible for all aspects of patient education for the clinical enterprise.  He also oversees patient-facing efforts around health literacy.  Lane held a similar position at Fairview Health Services in Minnesota for nearly 15 years before coming to Vanderbilt.  While at Fairview, Lane helped found the Minnesota Health Literacy Partnership and represented health literacy issues for the Minnesota Alliance for Patient Safety.  He is currently a faculty member at the Vanderbilt Center for Effective Health Communication.  Lane has a BA in English from Rice University, a BS in Education from the University of Minnesota, and an MA in English from the University of Minnesota.  He has presented widely on topics related to patient education, patient and family engagement, clear communication, and shared decision making.