HARBORVIEW - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Associate Administrator, Quality / Safety / Safety Value Base Care
- Chief Quality Officer, UW Medicine
Adeyinka Adedipe, M.D., R.D.M.S., is a physician in the Emergency Department at UW Medical Center and a UW assistant professor of Emergency Medicine.
As an emergency physician, Dr. Adedipe enjoys working with all members of the team to ensure that he delivers a high quality of care. By connecting with patients and their families during their stay, he aspires to provide assurance during their time of need.
Dr. Adedipe earned his M.D. from the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine. He completed a surgical internship at Loyola University in Chicago and his emergency medicine residency at Boston University Medical Center, where he served as chief resident.
Dr. Adedipe's clinical and research interests include emergency point of care ultrasound and cardiac arrest.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Security Officer, UW Medicine
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Enterprise Initiatives Officer, UW Medicine Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Ana Mari Cauce was named president by the University of Washington Board of Regents on October 13, 2015. Cauce joined the University of Washington faculty in 1986 and is a full professor of psychology and American ethnic studies, with secondary appointments in gender, women and sexuality studies in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Anand Singla, MD, MS is a board-certified gastroenterologist based at the UW Medical Center (UWMC) and a clinical assistant professor in medicine and gastroenterology.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Administration and Operations
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Well - Being Officer, UW Medicine Associate Dean of Well - Being, University of Washington School of Medicine
Job Titles:
- Chief Medical Officer, UW Medicine / Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Dr. Stempien-Otero is extraordinary!!! She LISTENS before deciding which is a rarity among doctors. You feel like you are getting the best treatment possible for YOU, not just the standard protocol. I feel exceptionally lucky to have received care from her for more than 20 years. It is because of her that I am no longer disabled and able to have a good quality of life. I get cutting edge cardiac care tailored for my situation. She deserves every accolade and promotion possible. Make her a full professor and listen to what she has to say. As someone who has a lot of family in medicine, I know when I am getting outstanding care. Dr. Stempien-Otero is the rare doctor who has a fantastic way with patients and is a master of research.
Dr. April is the best. She never gave up on me. I love her and her dedication to helping me and others.
Dr. April always listens to me, asks questions of me, and is concerned about concerns and my overall health [...]
April Stempien-Otero, MD, FACC, is a board certified cardiologist at the Heart Institute at UW Medical Center, the UW's Craig Tall Family Endowed Chair in Heart Failure Research and a UW associate professor of Cardiology, Cardiology Research and Medicine and an adjunct associate professor of Pathology. She has been consistently listed as a Seattle Magazine Top Doctor.
Dr. Stempien-Otero specializes in heart failure transplant. She strives to create active partnerships with her patients to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Dr. Stempien-Otero earned her MD from the University of Connecticut. She is triple board certified in Cardiovascular Disease, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology and Internal Medicine. She has received the Mentored Physician Scientist Award by the National Institutes of Health and is a CME Teacher of the year. Her research interests include translational research in end-stage heart failure.
Aris Karatasakis, MD, is a board-certified advanced Heart Failure Cardiologist. Dr. Karatasakis believes in a team approach to patient care and providing the most current information so patients can make informed decisions, especially about advanced heart failure options. Dr. Karataskakis is an expert in evaluating all advanced heart failure treatment options include Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Devices. He is also an Assistant Professor, Medicine, at the University of Washington.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Academic and Medical Staff Affairs
Dr Nazer is an excellent physician - extremely knowledgeable, caring, articulate. It has been a pleasure to be his patient. I only wish he could be my ongoing cardiologist. However, I am grateful that he took me as a patient and performed the [...], which shows all signs of being an effective procedure.
Dr. Nazer specializes in the care of patients with heart rhythm disorders. He has advanced training in cardiac electrophysiology, and is skilled in the medical care of arrhythmia patients, implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators, and catheter ablation of complex arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. Dr. Nazer chose electrophysiology as a specialty because it allows him to help his patients improve their health through a longitudinal patient-doctor relationship, as well as to cure their arrhythmias with procedures. Dr. Nazer grew up in the Seattle area, and returned to join the UW faculty in 2022. He is an avid long-distance road cyclist, and he and his wife, a family medicine physician, enjoy hiking around the Northwest.
RESEARCH: Dr. Nazer directs the UW Translational Electrophysiology Laboratory, where his research focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of ventricular arrhythmias (premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) and ventricular tachycardia (VT). In collaboration with acoustic physicists and biomedical engineers, his laboratory develops new diagnostic and therapeutic ablation tools for the treatment of PVCs and VT, particularly those using ultrasound as an energy source. As Director of the UW Multidisciplinary Ventricular Arrhythmia Program, he collaborates with psychologists to investigate the psychosocial symptoms associated with VT and defibrillator shocks, and therapies to alleviate these symptoms.
PATIENT CARE PHILOSOPHY: "I believe medical care, particularly for patients with heart rhythm disorders, is best provided using a shared decision-making model with my patients. Together we will discuss options, data, risks and benefits. Together we will come to a decision regarding the best diagnostic and therapeutic courses of action for your cardiac care."
Job Titles:
- Chief Advancement Officer, UW Medicine / Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Job Titles:
- Vice Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Vice Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, University of Washington School of Medicine
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Compliance Officer, UW Medicine, Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Job Titles:
- President, UW Medicine Hospitals & Clinics / Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Brenda Nelson started her nursing career in Montana after graduating from Montana State University, in December 1986. She then worked at the Community Hospital in Missoula in their Level III NICU and later moved to the ED, where she had previously been the ER secretary through nursing school.
Her first flight experience in 1988 with a fixed wing program out of Community Hospital in Missoula. She moved to the Seattle Area with a position in UW Medicine Neonatal Intensive care unit in 1990.
She worked briefly in Stamford Connecticut in the Emergency Department of St. Joseph's in 1993/1994 before returning to the Pacific Northwest and back to UW Medicine ED/NICU, and also Group Health ED.
She landed her dream job with Airlift Northwest in February 1986 and has been firmly planted here since then.
Brenda moved to the Assistant Chief position after 10 years and then Chief Flight Nurse position in 2011. She has happily been at Airlift Northwest for over 25 years.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
Job Titles:
- Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education and DIO, University of Washington School of Medicine
Job Titles:
- Chief People & Experience Officer
Job Titles:
- J. Ward Kennedy - Hamilton Endowed Chair
I have consistently felt like Dr. Otto does not show care or compassion for me as a patient. She provides information, but often does not show concern for how the information may impact me [...]
Catherine Otto is the J. Ward Kennedy-Hamilton Endowed Chair in Cardiology, Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington (UW) School Of Medicine in Seattle, Washington. She served as Director of the Cardiology Fellowship Training Program for 20 years and currently is Director of the Heart Valve Clinic. She has served as Editor-in-Chief of Heart, an international journal of cardiology, since 2014. She also has been a member of the Heart Valve Collaboratory Scientific Council since 2020.
Dr. Otto is recognized as an expert on calcific aortic valve disease. Dr. Otto's research has transformed our understanding of this disease process, showing that it is an active disease process that may be amenable to medical therapy, rather than being an inevitable consequence of aging. She received for the 2011 American College of Cardiology Distinguished Scientist Award (Clinical Domain) for this research. Dr. Otto has received numerous other awards including the 2008 UW School of Medicine Award for Excellence in Mentoring Women and Minorities, the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award, the UW Medical Center 2011 Teamwork, Leadership and Caring Award, and the 2020 American Society of Echocardiography Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a Fellow of the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and European Society of Cardiology.
In addition, Dr. Otto is the author of several cardiology books: The Textbook of Clinical Echocardiography (6 th Edition, 2018), The Practice of Clinical Echocardiography (6 th Edition, in press), Valvular Heart Disease (5 th Edition, 2020, co-edited by Robert O. Bonow, MD), Intraoperative Echocardiography and Interventional Echocardiography (2 nd Edition, 2018, with Don Oxorn) and the Echocardiography Review Guide (4rd Edition with 3 co-authors). She also is one of the Cardiology Editor-in-Chiefs for the online medical textbook Up-to-Date.
Job Titles:
- Chief Nursing Officer & Director Nursing / Care Coordination
Job Titles:
- Interim Associate Administrator
Chris Marfo, MD, MBA is a board-certified general surgeon and intensivist who specializes in trauma surgery, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical care.
Dr. Marfo strives to provide the best care to his patients through a team-based, patient-centered approach. He believes in providing the most current information to his patients and guiding his patients to a treatment plan that works best for them. Dr. Marfo's clinical interest includes trauma surgery, emergency general surgery, minimally invasive surgery, hernia repair, and critical care.
Dr. Christopher Burke has my lifelong appreciation for his skills as a surgeon and surgical team leader, and also for his communication skills and genuinely friendly demeanor. [...] I will recommend UW Medicine, the Regional Heart Center and Dr. Burke to anyone with appropriate health conditions.
Dr. Chris Burke is fabulous. So responsive, kind and starts with "how can I best help you"? The perfect doctor. [...]
Christopher R. Burke, MD, is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon, Associate Program Director of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program, Co-Director of the Multidisciplinary Thoracic Aortic Program, and an Assistant Professor of Cardiac Surgery.
Dr. Burke specializes in the treatment of complex thoracic aortic disease, especially thoracic aortic aneurysms and aortic valve pathology. Dr. Burke has advanced aortic surgical training and completed a post-graduate fellowship under the mentorship of Dr. Joseph Bavaria at The University of Pennsylvania. During this time, he learned aortic valve reparative techniques, advanced aortic endovascular interventions, as well as complex open repair for aortic pathology. Dr. Burke also has expertise in extracorporeal life support (ECLS), having completed a fellowship at Seattle Children's Hospital.
Dr. Burke's approach to patient care is simple: he believes in striving to provide world class thoracic aortic care for patients' in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. He approaches every clinical decision as if he were treating a family member. He recognizes the magnitude of his patients' diagnoses on their life and is committed to being an advocate both pre and post-operatively.
Dr. Burke actively participates in multi-disciplinary clinical research focusing on advanced imaging techniques of aortic aneurysms, stroke identification and prevention during major aortic surgery, and clinical outcomes related to thoracic aortic surgery. To support the care of patients with complex aneurysms he helped create and now co-directs the Multidisciplinary Thoracic Aortic Program "MTAP" team. The team of both Cardiac and Vascular Surgeons as well as Genetics researchers collaborate to provide the best care possible. Visit sites.uw.edu/uwmtap for more information. He also serves as an author on UpToDate for several topics associated with thoracic aortic disease.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean, Graduate Medical Education
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Executive Officer, University of Washington Medical Center
- Chief Executive Officer, UWMC Northwest & Montlake
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Operations - Western Washington
Colleen brings over 20+ nursing career experience to the Airlift team. A BSN graduate of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT, she focused on emergency room nursing for 10 years. Eventually, she made her way to Airlift in 2012, starting in Juneau, AK. In her first year, she joined the Clinical Practice Committee, which focuses on exploring and operationalizing all the latest evidence-based practice and how to get it done safely and effectively in our challenging environment in the air. Colleen is currently enrolled in a Master of Healthcare Management program at the University of Arizona's Eller College of Business and will graduate in May 2023. As Assistant Director of Operations for Western Washington, Colleen oversees the day-to-day workings of our Puget Sound bases and helps ensure that we can get where we need, with who we need and what we need when the call comes in.
Craig Birgfeld, M.D., is a surgeon at the Burn and Plastic Surgery Clinics at Harborview and a UW associate professor of Surgery and director for the UW Fellowship in Craniofacial Surgery in the division of plastic surgery
Dr. Birgfeld's approach to patient care is to consider his patients as members of his family. He strives to give each person the absolute best care possible and goes to great lengths to ensure that patients and their families understand the reason for surgery and the expected outcome and recovery.
Dr. Birgfeld's clinical interests focus on congenital abnormalities of the skull and face in children and adults. His primary research focus is Craniofacial Microsomia and measuring outcomes of surgery and improvements in patients' quality of life. His teaching focus is on Plastic Surgery residents and Craniofacial fellows. He expects to graduate the absolute best plastic and craniofacial surgeons in the country every year.
Creighton W. Don, M.D, PhD is an interventional cardiologist and Professor of Medicine, Section Chief of Cardiology at the Puget Sound Veteran's Administration Hospital in Seattle and Director of the Interventional Cardiology and Structural Heart Fellowships at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, WA. He completed his cardiology fellowship at the University of Washington and an interventional fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital before joining UW Medicine in 2009.
Dr. Don is an expert in complex coronary interventions including advanced therapies for instent restenosis and brachytherapy, percutaneous treatment for valvular heart disease (including TAVR, TMVR, TTVR, MitraClip, mitral annular devices), and other structural interventions such as left atrial appendage closure, PFO closure, and paravalvular leak closure. He earned an MPH at UW and his research focuses on evaluating outcomes in real-world practice of patients undergoing complex coronary and structural heart procedures. He has been recognized in the Seattle Magazine as a Top Doctor in Seattle for interventional cardiology for several years.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Operating Officer, UW Medicine Hospitals & Clinics and Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Dr Fishbein provides excellent care; from listening closely to explanations needed to great responsiveness. I feel I am getting superior attention, understanding and care.
Dr. Fishbein is the best doctor I've ever had. He listens, he cares about my health- not just cardio, but everything. He's interested in my life - what I do and what limitations I have.
Dr Fishbein is a very caring and excellent provider. He spends time and listens to his patients
Dr Fishbein has been extremely helpful for many years and has always given me the time and care I have needed
Doctor Fishbein is the best cardiologist on the planet. He is kind, listens to your concerns and answers all the questions. He definitely is the best of the best.
Dr. Fishbein is a world-class physician he's worked with me for over nine years. With excellent results.
Doctor Fishbein is the BEST of the best doctors! He is considerate, kind, and always listens intently.
DR. FISHBEIN is a phenomenal doctor. [...] he is very professional, very knowledgeable, and very thorough. He takes time to listen to my concerns and discusses with me very patiently. Hallelujah.
Daniel Fishbein, MD., is a board certified cardiologist, medical director of UW Medicine's Congestive Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation Services and a UW professor of Cardiology and Medicine.
Dr. Fishbein strives to create active partnerships with his patients to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Dr. Fishbein earned his from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in the Bronx, New York. He is triple board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease and Advanced Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiology. His research interests include investigational use of rabbit anti-human thymocyte serum, exercise to improve sleep in heart failure patients and randomized evaluation of mechanical assistance.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Eastern Washington
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Second Vice President
David Manley has lived locally his entire life in the Seattle area. He was a Washington state paramedic and state EMS evaluator with a critical care focus, specializing in safety system development and clinical strategy since 2012. He started in EMS in 2006. He earned a Bachelor's of Health Sciences with a focus in disaster and Emergency Response from Walden University. He volunteers with the Red Cross, Team Rubicon, various local MRCs. Currently completing AAMS' SMTA. He is a NAEMT Regional Faculty member for trauma programs.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Job Titles:
- Associate Administrator, Essential Services, Radiology & Radiation Oncology
Job Titles:
- Associate Medical Director
- Emergency Medicine Physician
- Member of the Leadership Team
Dr. Andrew Latimer is an Emergency Medicine Physician dual boarded in Emergency Medicine and EMS/Prehospital Medicine. He is the Associate Medical Director of Airlift Northwest and an active flight physician with the program. He is also the Assistant Medical Director of the Seattle Fire Department, the Associate Program Director of the EMS Medicine Fellowship at the University of Washington, and an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine in the University of Washington Department of Emergency Medicine. His clinical and research interests focus on pre-hospital airway management and the resuscitation of patients in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. He is currently grant funded by the US Department of Defense (DOD) studying a novel device that may improve the prehospital care of critically injured trauma patients. Dr. Latimer completed his undergraduate training at the University of Washington, attended Medical School at the University of Michigan prior to Residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Cincinnati, and completed a two-year EMS medicine and prehospital care fellowship at the University of Washington before joining the faculty at UW.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Associate Pediatric Medical Director
Dr. Wall is trained in both emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine. She cares for patients in the emergency departments at Harborview Medical Center and Seattle Children's Hospital, and she serves at the Associate Pediatric Medical Director for Airlift Northwest. Through her work with the Department of Emergency Medicine Pediatric Care and Readiness Council, the Seattle Children's Transport Team and Airlift Northwest she strives to improve the care of pediatric patients in community emergency departments and during transport.
Research Interests: Pediatric community emergency care, pediatric access to care, and emergency medicine resident education. Clinical Interests: Pediatric care in the prehospital and transport setting.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean for Basic Science
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean for Social and Health Justice
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Operations - Alaska
Elise graduated from the University of Washington in 2004 with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She worked in community health and then the emergency department both in Washington and internationally. She transitioned to flight nursing when she joined the Airlift Northwest team in 2011 and moved to Juneau, Alaska. She has served as the Juneau base manager since 2015 and was promoted to the assistant director of operations - Alaska in 2022. She is currently working on her MBA in Healthcare Management.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Strategy Officer, UW Medicine
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer, UW Medicine
Job Titles:
- CFO
- Interim Executive Director
Francis Kim, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.P., is board certified physician at the Cardiology Clinic at Harborview and a UW professor of Cardiology Research.
Dr. Kim strives to create active partnerships with his patients to achieve the best possible outcomes. His research focuses on preventative cardiology and vascular biology.
Dr. Kim earned his M.D. from UC San Francisco. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology. His clinical interests include general cardiology, preventive cardiology and vascular biology. His research interests include the effects of diabetes/obesity on vascular function, and the use of hypothermia in cardiac arrest resuscitation. Other research interests include endothelial nitric oxide signaling and vascular inflammation, and the role of insulin resistance and obesity in the development of vascular disease.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Job Titles:
- Eastern and Central Washington
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Medical Director for Emergency and Transport Services at Seattle Children's
- Pediatric Medical Director
Dr. Woodward is the Chief of Emergency Medicine and Medical Director for Emergency and Transport Services at Seattle Children's, and a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington. He is the Pediatric Medical Director for Airlift Northwest.
Dr. Woodward received his MD from Temple University and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, after having completed a pediatric residency at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellowship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He served as the Medical Director for Transport Medicine at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (1993-2003), and the Co-Director of Pediatric Transport Medicine at Primary Children's in Salt Lake City (1988-93).
His professional affiliations include the American Academy of Pediatrics (Chair of the Section on Transport Medicine, member of the Section on Emergency Medicine executive committee, PREP-EM and PREP-EMed committees). He is the immediate past chair for the Pediatric Emergency Medicine North America Chiefs (PEMNAC) committee of the AAP. He served on the subboard and as Chair of the American Board of Pediatrics subboard for Pediatric Emergency Medicine.
Other memberships/activities have included the American College of Emergency Physicians (WA State Treasurer, Board of Directors, Education-planning committees), charter member of the Air Medical Physician Association and National Association of EMS Physicians. He was the Editor-in-Chief of the AAP's 3rd edition of Guidelines for Air and Ground Transport of Neonatal and Pediatric Patients, and currently serves on the senior editorial board for Pediatric Emergency Care as well as a pediatric emergency medicine section editor for UptoDate.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean for Student Support ( Student Affairs )
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, UW Medicine, Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Dr. Roth is perhaps the best doctor I have ever seen. I felt an immediate connection with him. His knowledge and professionalism gave me the feeling that I was in the right place. [...] I could not have been happier with my decision to see Dr Roth.
Gregory Roth, M.D., M.P.H., is a board certified cardiologist at the Cardiology Clinic at Harborview, the UW's John and Cookie Laughlin Endowed Professor in Cardiology and a UW assistant professor of Medicine and Cardiology and an adjunct assistant professor of Global Health and Health Metrics Sciences.
Dr. Roth is an expert in general cardiology, cardiac critical care and echocardiography. He strives to create active partnerships with his patients to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Dr. Roth earned his M.D. from Brown and his M.P.H. from the UW. His clinical interests include echocardiography, and general and critical care cardiology. His research interests include global health surveillance, population health and quality of care and outcomes for cardiovascular diseases.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Curriculum
Helen Chu, M.D., M.P.H., is a board certified physician with UW Medicine and a UW professor of Medicine and Allergy and Infectious Diseases and an adjunct assistant professor of Epidemiology.
Dr. Chu feels that the preferences, beliefs and diversity of each patient and their family are important to help us understand and take care of the patient.
Dr. Chu earned her M.D. at Duke and her M.P.H. at the UW. She is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease. Her research is focused on maternal vaccines, in particular vaccines against influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. She studies the virologic and immunologic correlates of protection from respiratory viral infections in mothers and infants in rural Nepal and performs clinical trials of vaccine candidates in both domestic and international sites.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Senior Director of External Affairs, UW Medicine and Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Job Titles:
- Medical Director
- Associate Dean and Medical Director, Harborview Medical Center
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance
- Director of Finance and Membership
Cindy received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Business Administration from Mount Mercy University, Cedar Rapids, IA. She has spent her entire career in various healthcare arenas from a healthcare expert in a Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firm, to health insurance companies and the last several years with health care providers. Cindy is passionate about the healthcare industry and the mission and strategic visions of Airlift Northwest.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer, UW Medicine / Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Job Titles:
- Interim Chief Nursing Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Executive Officer, Valley Medical Center
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Associate Administrator Essential Services, UWMC - Montlake
- Associate Administrator, Airlift Northwest, and Lab Medicine, Pathology and Telecommunication, Harborview Medical Center
- Executive Director - Airlift Northwest / Associate Administrator - University of Washington Medical Center
- Executive Director, Airlift NW
Jeff has over 30 years of experience in healthcare, including eight years as senior executive for clinical and ancillary services, 12 years in leadership for air medical transport systems and 26 years as a flight/critical care nurse. Jeff received his Bachelors in Nursing from Pacific Lutheran University, Master in Health Administration from the University of Washington and is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Associate Vice President for Strategic Planning, Operations and Campaign
Job Titles:
- Director, Reference Lab Services
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Operations - Eastern Washington
Jess has a wide range of HEMS and critical care experience with multiple air medical programs over the last 13 years. His background before his flight career was in level one trauma ICU care, emergency, and ground CCT. His career has mostly been in the Inland Northwest, and as a UW Alumni, he is happy to be in an Airlift Northwest leadership role serving his home area of Eastern Washington as the Assistant Director of Operations for Eastern Washington.
Job Titles:
- Acting Associate Dean and Chief of Staff
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean
- Chief Financial Officer
Job Titles:
- Associate Administrator, Ambulatory Care
Job Titles:
- Associate Administrator Surgical Services, UWMC - Montlake
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean for Rural Programs
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Job Titles:
- Vice Dean for Administration and Finance
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President - Chief Operating Officer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Associate Vice President for Development
Job Titles:
- Associate Administrator, Ambulatory and Allied Care Services
Kathleen A. Sellick joined Rady Children's Hospital- San Diego on June 30, 2006. Rady Children's has become one of the leading pediatric hospitals in America and has been ranked among America's best hospitals in all 10 specialties for 4 years by US News & World Report. In September of 2009, Rady Children's established a Medical Practice Foundation with Children's Specialists of San Diego and UC San Diego to provide a structure for recruiting and retaining top pediatric subspecialty physicians. Rady Children's also now serves more pediatric inpatients than any other children's hospital in California and opened its expanded 280,000 square foot acute care pavilion in October of 2010. Sellick retired from her position in March of 2014.
Prior to her appointment at Rady Children's, Sellick served as Executive Director of the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) beginning April 1, 2001. Sellick joined UWMC in January 1999 as Associate Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. She oversaw the successful transition of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (UW Medicine, Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center and Seattle Children's) bone marrow and stem cell adult patient units to UW Medical Center. Under her leadership the medical center attained its highest operating margin in its history in 2003, and was ranked ninth in the U.S. News & World Report honor roll of America's Best Hospitals.
Before going to Seattle, Sellick served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California for four years. Earlier, she was Vice President of Administration and Director of Outreach Development for Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California where she served for eight years.
Sellick was active in a number of volunteer organizations, boards and industry groups. She most recently served on the Board of Directors of the California Children's Hospital Association, Hospital Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties and the San Diego Center for Children.
A Phoenix native, Sellick is a graduate of Arizona State University and received her MBA from the University of Chicago (Booth) Graduate School of Business.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of NanoString Technologies
Kathy Surace-Smith is currently a senior vice president of NanoString Technologies in Seattle, where she manages the company's legal, human resources and regulatory functions. This NASDAQ-listed company develops, manufactures, and sells life-sciences research tools and molecular diagnostics. Kathy has over 30 years of experience working in high- growth private and public companies.
Kathy served on the board of trustees of the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center for seven years, including two years as Board Chair, and following the merger of Fred Hutch with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance to create the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, will serve as the first Chair of the Board of Directors of the new entity. She is also a member of the board of trustees of Columbia University and chair of the board's student affairs committee and recently concluded twelve years of service on the board of trustees of United Way of King County, including serving a term as Board Chair. She is also active in the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce as a member of its policy leadership group.
Kathy was honored by the Puget Sound Business Journal as a 2018 Woman of Influence. She received her bachelor's degree from Princeton University and her law degree from Columbia Law School
Job Titles:
- University of Alaska Anchorage
Job Titles:
- Chief Nursing Officer and Associate Administrator, UWMC
Job Titles:
- Assistant Administrator
- Finance
Job Titles:
- Associate Chief Nursing Officer, UWMC - Northwest
Kyle Danielson came to ALNW with experience flying long-distance critical care transports in northern Canada. Before this, his experience as a volunteer firefighter and first responder sparked an interest in prehospital care. Now, as a flight nurse, he cares for critically ill and injured patients throughout the WWAMI region. He works closely with prehospital EMS providers and regional hospitals to deliver the highest level of prehospital and inter-facility critical care.
Kyle is a graduate of the University of Toronto, Master of Nursing Program with a specialization in resuscitation science (2016). Prior to this he completed a Master of Public Health from Simon Fraser University (2010) where his research focused on optimizing early activation of Helicopter EMS (HEMS) for major trauma. He continues to explore improvements to prehospital care in the areas of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, trauma care, and health systems.
L.T. Arnold, BSN, RN, CCRN, CFRN, C-NPT Pediatric Assistant Chief Flight Nurse L.T. first began his career with Airlift Northwest as a dispatcher in 2001. His previous experience as an EMT and volunteer firefighter had provided some exposure to patient transport and flight nursing, but being around the team full time ignited desire to become a flight nurse. L.T. started his nursing career in neonatal and pediatric intensive care units, as well as in critical care ground transport, which he brought with him when he returned to Airlift Northwest as a flight nurse in 2010. L.T. graduated with an Associate of Science in Emergency Medical Services from the American College of Prehospital Medicine, from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor in Nursing, and is currently enrolled in graduate school at the University of Arizona working toward a Master's in Healthcare Management. He continues to be passionate about connecting his neonatal and pediatric nursing experience with his prehospital roots, often focusing on education and training that helps providers of all levels feel more confident in taking care of our tiniest and most-vulnerable patient populations.
Job Titles:
- Director, Physician Services
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- View Trustee Bios and Meeting Details
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Admissions
Job Titles:
- Chief Strategy and Operating Officer
Leigh Morgan is chief strategy and operating officer for Nia Tero, a global social enterprise where she is a key architect of the firm's growth & impact. Morgan previously served as chief operating officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where she oversaw a broad portfolio including HR, IT, information security, facilities and culture transformation. Her previous leadership roles include serving as associate chancellor at the University of California, San Francisco, vice president and global head of human resources (product development) at Genentech, and serving in North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt's administration. Her board roles include the Fred Hutch, biotech firm Curemark, Springboard Enterprises and Duke University's Center for Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
She received a master's of science degree in organization development at The American University, a bachelor's degree in religion from Duke University and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Asian University for Women (Bandladesh).
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean for Quality Improvement / Outcomes Research
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Seattle Children's
Job Titles:
- Administrator, Finance and Strategic Planning
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Trustee
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- Member of the Board of Trustees
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- Chief Communications & Philanthropy Officer
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- Associate Vice President for Clinical Integration and Transformation
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- Associate Vice President for Advancement
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, UW Medicine Faculty Business Planning Officer
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- Chief of Staff, UW Medicine
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- Associate Dean for Physician - Scientist
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- Director, Technology Integration & Operations Support ( TIOS )
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- Member of the National Academy of Medicine
- Visiting Distinguished Professor
Mary Wakefield is the Visiting Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Health Care at Georgetown University and also a Visiting Professor and Distinguished Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to these appointments, in March 2015, Dr. Wakefield was named by President Barack Obama to serve as the Acting Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She held this position through January 20, 2017.
Prior to becoming Acting Deputy Secretary, Dr. Wakefield was appointed by President Obama as the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Dr. Wakefield's public service career also includes more than eight years working in the United States Senate where she served as a legislative assistant and later as chief of staff to two North Dakota senators: Kent Conrad and Quentin Burdick.
Dr. Wakefield has extensive academic experience, including serving as associate dean for rural health at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences University of North Dakota, director of the Center for Health Policy, Research and Ethics at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., and as a faculty member and area chair in the College of Nursing, University of North Dakota. Additionally, she worked on site as a consultant to the World Health Organization 's Global Programme on AIDS in Geneva, Switzerland.
Dr. Wakefield is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. She has served on a number of public and not for profit boards and committees bringing expertise in nursing, health care quality and access to care and health workforce.
She currently serves as a member of the Macy Foundation and the MITRE Health Advisory Committee. Her prior service includes membership on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, Chair of the National Advisory Council for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, member of President Clinton's Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry, member of the National Advisory Committee to HRSA's Office of Rural Health Policy and member of the Commonwealth Fund's Commission to Create a High Performing Health System.
Dr. Wakefield has a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND and master's and doctoral degrees in nursing from the University of Texas at Austin. She also completed the Harvard University School of Government's Program for Senior Managers in Government.
Matthew was previously a Nurse Educator and Program Nurse Manager in the Cardiothoracic ICU at the University of Washington Medical Center. He was an EMT until he graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2006 with his Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He recently obtained a Masters degree in clinical informatics in 2020. He started his nursing career in the cardiothoracic ICU at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He has helped develop and grow the Extracorporeal Life Support program at the UWMC since its inception in 2012, he officially took the role as ECMO Educator in 2015 with the start of the ECMO Specialist program at UWMC and HMC. He transitioned to the ECMO program nurse manager role in 2017.
Additionally, he has a passion for international nursing education, having worked in and taught in Peru, India, Tanzania, Brazil and Nepal.
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- Assistant Dean for Student Development
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- Member of the Board of Trustees
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- Chief Population Health Officer, UW Medicine
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- Assistant Dean for URMS Career Development
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- Assistant Chief Flight Nurse
Mikaela began her career in healthcare as a volunteer Firefighter/EMT. Working as a first responder, she fell in love with EMS which inspired her to pursue a career in emergency and critical care medicine. She worked at Valley Medical Center in Renton for eight years prior to getting hired at Airlift in 2014. Mikaela is also passionate about disaster medicine. She is a member of the NDMS Trauma Critical Care Team (TCCT), a Federal Disaster Response team that provides critical, operative, and emergency care to help people during disasters and public health emergencies.
Mikaela graduated from the University of Washington (UW) with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is currently in the Master's in Health Administration program at the UW. As an Assistant Chief at Airlift, she works hand-in-hand with EMS and hospitals to deliver exceptional clinical care to patients throughout the region.
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- General Counsel
- Associate Dean of Regulatory and Business Affairs
- Associate Vice President of Medical Affairs, UW Associate Dean of Regulatory and Business Affairs, UW SoM General Counsel, UW Medicine Nonprofit Entities, CUMG
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- Assistant Dean for the Colleges
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- Interim Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Education
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- Associate Administrator, Facilities and Campus Development, UWMC - Montlake & Northwest
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- Endowed Dean of the School of Medicine
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- Associate Dean for Primary Care
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- Chief Equity Officer, UW Medicine and Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
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- Member of the Board of Trustees
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- Medical Director
- Member of the Leadership Team
Richard B. Utarnachitt, MD, MS, is an ABEM board certified physician in both Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). He also serves as Medical Director and flight physician for Airlift Northwest, UW Medicine's air medical transport service. He is a Clinical Associate Professor in the UW Department of Emergency Medicine and core faculty in the UW Section of EMS.
Dr. Utarnachitt finds great satisfaction in the role UW Medicine fills as the regional institution that provides tertiary care, as well as serves as the safety net hospital for the underserved population. Any patient is accepted into the UW system regardless of socioeconomic status. Airlift Northwest is a direct extension of the world-class service that UW Medicine provides.
Dr. Utarnachitt earned his MD from Wayne State University in Detroit. His clinical and research interests include critical care transport, airway management, sepsis care, pre-hospital trauma care and pre-hospital cardiac dysrhythmias.
Dr. Utarnachitt has a keen interest in all things food related. He is also an avid stand-up paddle boarder.
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- Medical Director, UW Medical Center
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- Associate Dean for Educational Quality Improvement
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- Administrator, Infrastructure and Communications
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- Director, Coding & Charge Capture
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- Enterprise Finance Officer and Associate Vice President Finance and Accounting, UW Medicine
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- Communications Center Manager
- Manager of Program Operations for Airlift Northwest
Sean Bacon is the Manager of Program Operations for Airlift Northwest. He has worked at ALNW for over 10 years, both as a communication specialist and communication supervisor. Sean brings extensive knowledge, skills and abilities gained from over 20 years' experience working in EMS communications. His ability to innovate new tools that improve operations are helping to propel ALNW operations to another level.
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- Member of the Board of Trustees
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- Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Education, University of Washington School of Medicine
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- Vice President of the Board of Trustees
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- Chief Executive Officer, Harborview Medical Center
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- President of the Board of Trustees
- Member of the UW Medicine Advisory Board and Vice Chair of the Harborview Medical Center Board of Trustees
Steffanie Fain is a member of the UW Medicine Advisory Board and Vice Chair of the Harborview Medical Center Board of Trustees. She serves as Chair of the Finance Committee and Vice Chair of the Governance Committee for the Harborview Medical Center Board of Trustees. Ms. Fain is an attorney at Carroll, Biddle, & Bilanko, PLLC, and practices commercial litigation. She also represents and advises companies and entrepreneurs on corporate and transactional matters.
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- Director of Business Development and Strategy
- Media Relations, Advertising and Marketing
Steve LeMay leads business development and outreach for Airlift Northwest. Steve's experience includes managing all aspects of EMS operations, including sales team direction, acquisitions, proposals, as well as building and executing growth strategies for multiple regions.
In his spare time, Steve enjoys competitive sailboat racing and flying hot air balloons.
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- Director, Billing and Insurance
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs, University of Washington School of Medicine
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- Associate Dean, UW Medical Center
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- Chief Executive Officer, UW Medicine Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and Paul G. Ramsey Endowed Dean of the School of Medicine, University of Washington
Tim Dellit, MD, was named CEO of UW Medicine, executive vice president for medical affairs and Paul G. Ramsey Endowed Dean of the UW School of Medicine on November 28, 2023. He held these same roles on an interim basis since July 1, 2022. He served previously as chief medical officer for UW Medicine, executive vice dean for clinical affairs for the School of Medicine, vice president for medical affairs and president of UW Physicians (UWP), a faculty practice plan with more than 2,800 members.
In his leadership roles, Dr. Dellit is a strong proponent of practice transformation as UW Medicine strives towards the quadruple aim of improving the healthcare experience and quality of care for our patients, improving the health of the population we serve, reducing healthcare costs, and improving the practice environment for our clinicians. He is also deeply committed to addressing healthcare inequities and improving care in underserved communities.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Dellit's expertise as an infectious diseases specialist has helped UW Medicine lead the nation in developing policies and protocols to treat patients safely and effectively. He also recognizes the toll of the pandemic on our 39,000-plus faculty, staff, trainees and students and the need to focus on their well-being.
Dr. Dellit earned his MD from Cornell University Medical College. He is board-certified in both Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine. Dr. Dellit's clinical and research interests include general infectious diseases, orthopedic trauma-related infections, prevention of healthcare-associated infections and appropriate use of antibiotics.
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- Director, Strategy Planning and Management of Global Health for the Bill
Toni Hoover, director, strategy planning and management of Global Health for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, leads a team that is responsible for supporting the programs and functions with business strategy and operations, portfolio and project management, and engagement with product development partners. Her team is working to create more opportunities to consistently deliver high impact interventions in global health by integrating the network of diverse partners involved in product development by leveraging their respective strengths. She also oversees the foundation's new Fellows program. Before joining the foundation in 2012, Toni was Senior Vice President and Site Director at Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, overseeing the operations of the company's largest R&D laboratories located in Groton, Connecticut. She is a 25-year veteran of pharmaceutical R & D product development and management where she held positions in clinical research and operations, project and portfolio management, and laboratory and facilities management. While at Pfizer she led the global development of Lyrica® from exploratory development through early commercialization. In 2013 Toni was named a "Woman of Influence" by the Puget Sound Business Journal. In 2007 Toni was named one of the "Top 50 Women to Watch" by The Wall Street Journal and in 2004 she received the YMCA's Black Achiever in Industry Award. Throughout her career she's been a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion and has mentored many associated with the pharmaceutical R & D enterprise. Toni is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. She received her Bachelor of Arts, Masters and Doctorate in Psychology and Social Relations from Harvard University. She serves on several not-for-profit boards, including the New York Academy of Sciences, Xavier University of Louisiana, the Joyce Theater, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet.
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- Associate General Counsel
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- Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs
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- Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Alaska Air Group
William S. Ayer is the retired chairman and chief executive officer of Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and its sister carrier, Horizon Air. Ayer, 63, served as chief executive officer of Alaska Air Group and its subsidiaries through 2012 and as chairman through 2013.
A veteran of more than three decades in aviation, Ayer began his career with Piper Aircraft Company and was the founder of Air Olympia, a small commuter airline in Washington State. He joined Horizon Air in 1982 where he held a variety of marketing and operations positions. He joined Alaska Airlines in 1995 as vice president of marketing and planning and subsequently held the posts of senior vice president, chief operating officer, and president. In 2002 he became the carrier's chief executive officer and in 2003 he was appointed chairman.
Ayer serves on the University of Washington Board of Regents. He also serves on the Honeywell Board of Directors, the Board of Trustees at the Museum of Flight and the Board of the National Air and Space Museum. Ayer was a member of the FAA's Management Advisory Council and is past chairman of FAA's NextGen Advisory Committee. He serves on the National Business Aviation Association Board and is chair of the AOPA Foundation Board of Advisors. He also serves on the Boards of two early stage companies, AirMap and VICIS. A graduate of Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in economics, he earned a master's degree in business administration from the University of Washington.