Heather Westermeyer is a Patient Safety Risk Manager with over 19 years of industry experience. She holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Phoenix, Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from Metropolitan State College, and an Associate Degree in Nursing. Heather is also a member of the American Society of Health Care Risk Management (ASHRM) and Director At Large for the Colorado Healthcare Associated Risk Managers (CHARM) and has CPHRM, LEAN Six Sigma and Just Culture certification.

Kayla Boyd is a Patient Safety Risk Manager with 5 years of industry experience. She holds a master’s degree of science in healthcare transformation from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Palm Beach Atlantic University. Kayla has worked as a Registered Nurse for 9 years in a variety of specialties. Kayla is also a member of the American Society of Health Care Risk Management (ASHRM) and a director at Large for the Colorado Healthcare Associated Risk Managers (CHARM). Additionally, Kayla is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM) and holds certification in Just Culture.

Ashley Childress is a seasoned Claims Consultant with a wealth of experience spanning more than two decades in the insurance industry, specializing in professional liability claims, cyber, and risk management. Ashley’s expertise lies in navigating the intricate world of insurance to ensure that clients receive the support and guidance they need during challenging times. Ashley is a Seton Hall School of Law graduate with a Master of Jurisprudence in Financial Services and Health Care Law.

Dr. Olson is an Internist and Pediatrician and serves as the Vice President of Design Impact at the Mass General Brigham Integrated Health System (MGBIHS) where he leads the MGB Springboard Studio. He received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and completed his residency training in the Harvard Combined Medicine and Pediatrics Program. Dr. Olson also trained in the Master of Public Health program at the University of Sydney as a US Fulbright Scholar and completed a Diploma in Tropical Medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is a member of the Core Educator Faculty and the Chief Innovation Officer in the Department of Medicine’s Residency Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). He is also the Director of the Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech) through the MGH Center for Global Health and is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Zacharias is the Chief Medical Officer at Copic whose specialty is Internal Medicine. He received his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and completed his residency at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He has served on the Boulder Valley Care Network’s Board of Directors and was previously the Medical Director of Boulder Medical Center to Front Range Risks Management. Dr. Zacharias is also the author of The Mediterranean Diet: A Clinician’s Guide for Patient Care, published in 2012, and host of Copic’s podcast, Within Normal Limits.

Dr. Whitling is a practicing Emergency Physician in Boulder, Colorado. He has served as the Chief Medical Informatics Officer at Boulder Community Health since 2014. Originally from Miami, Florida, he trained at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and completed residency at Denver Health. He is passionate about many things, including EHR usability, his family, and the outdoors.

Ms. Razon serves as the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for Copic and has been with the company since 2009. Prior to joining Copic, Ms. Razon worked on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. for nearly eight years. She leads the government affairs and public outreach for Copic, engaging with business and healthcare organizations to identify opportunities to partner on legislative and policy initiatives, as well as statewide and community projects involving healthcare and patient safety. Ms. Razon holds and MBA from Regis University and Bachelor of Science from Doane College. She is an active member of several organizations including the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Colorado Competitive Council, and Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry.

Ms. Decker specializes in litigation and the representation of licensed professionals and entities in all phases of the regulatory process with the Department of Regulatory Agencies, from the investigatory phase through hearing. Ms. Decker also has significant experience in the defense of entities and professionals when they are sued for malpractice, negligence, or premises liability. Ms. Decker has represented numerous healthcare and business professionals in administrative matters before their various licensing agencies within DORA and the CDPHE, as well as in litigation matters before the District and Appellate Courts. Ms. Decker is a member of the Colorado Defense Lawyer’s Association, Colorado Bar Association (Health Law Section), and the Denver Bar Association.

Dr. Dyrbye is Senior Associate Dean of Faculty and Chief Well-being Officer at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and is a thought leader in physician burnout and engagement. She has conducted numerous national and multi-institutional studies, conducted randomized clinical trials of possible solutions, and been an innovator. Dr. Dyrbye is frequently invited to give presentations both nationally and internationally and has authored >130 journal articles, abstracts and other written publications related to physician well-being. Dr. Dyrbye is a member of National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience and co-authored the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus study report, Taking Action Against Burnout: A Systems Approach to Professional Well-Being, was released in the fall of 2019.

LaDonna Kelley brings over three decades of experiences in health care to patient safety. She began as a Nurse specializing in oncology, bone marrow transplants, and emergency care, where she spent the bulk of her career. Transitioning to leadership roles, she served as the Director of Nursing for a urology surgery center. Joining the Copic team in 2021 as a Patient Safety and Risk Manager, she brings her experiences to help drive proactive risk management strategies to ensure patient safety.

Shanta M. Zimmer, MD is the Senior Associate Dean for Education and Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (CUSOM). An infectious diseases specialist, Dr. Zimmer completed her medical school, residency, and fellowship training at Emory University in Atlanta. She left Emory to join the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh in 2008 initially as Director of the translational research track in the Master’s in Clinical Science training program and then as the internal medicine residency Program Director. Dr. Zimmer joined CU School of Medicine in June 2016 as the Associate Dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, a role she held until fall 2022. In 2017, Dr. Zimmer stepped into the role of Senior Associate Dean for Education and in this capacity, she launched a curriculum revision process and implemented the innovative Trek Curriculum in fall of 2021. This new curriculum includes a focus on leadership, curiosity and commitment with special attention to outcomes based education and incorporation of health systems science through the lens of equity and community engagement.

Ms. Waggoner leads Copic’s Human Resources (HR) department and oversees initiatives such as HR training, consultation, and support for Copic insureds. She has more than 20 years of experience, most recently as VP of Human Resources for the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). Ms. Waggoner holds a master’s degree in Organization Leadership/Human Resources Management from Regis University and received her certification as a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist from the International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plan and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is also SHRM-SCP certified from the Society for Human Resources Management.

Joe Macaluso has served Renown Health as the Director of risk management for more than nine years. As a registered Nurse, licensed Attorney and Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management, he has more than twenty years’ experience in risk management. Prior to working with Renown, Joe served in the corporate risk management department for Universal Health Services where he was instrumental in the development of their Patient Safety Organization as well as their High Reliability OB program. Joe is a frequent guest lecturer at the Orvis School of Nursing, the University of Nevada, Reno Medical School as well as professional nursing organizations. He has a passion for patient safety, just culture and process improvement.

Dean McConnell is currently Deputy General Counsel at Copic. Before coming to Copic, Mr. McConnell was a shareholder in the law firm of Kennedy Childs, practicing in health law, insurance, and business counseling from 1989 to 2013. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Denver. Mr. McConnell serves on the Board of Directors and as the Medical Malpractice Committee Liaison for the Colorado Defense Lawyers Association, on the Board of Directors and Legal Advisory Board for the Colorado Civil Justice League, and on the Board of Directors for Project Angel Heart.

Danon is a Senior Claims Consultant for Copic who manages medical professional liability claims across the United States. His claims include high severity and high exposure cases and span every medical specialty. Prior to joining Copic in 2021, he managed claims and performed risk management functions for anesthesia providers. Danon earned his Juris Doctor at the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Law.