Michael Relf, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, is the Associate Chief Nurse Executive (ACNE) of Academic Partnerships and Innovation for Duke University Health System, Professor of Nursing and Global Health, and Interim Dean of the Duke University School of Nursing. He previously served as Associate Dean for Global and Community Affairs from 2014-2023 and as the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education and Director of the Accelerated BSN Program for the School of Nursing from 2008-2014.

His research focuses on the psychosocial aspects of HIV using mixed-methods, particularly focusing on intimate partner violence, HIV-related stigma, and interventions to promote engagement in HIV-oriented primary medical care. Additionally, through his research, he has documented the role of the professional and advanced practice nurse in the prevention, care and treatment of persons at risk for or living with HIV.

Dr. Relf’s work examining the intersection of intimate partner violence and HIV risk behaviors among men who have sex with men received international press attention. As a co-investigator on a President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funded project to build nursing capacity in the context of HIV and AIDS in Southern Africa, Dr. Relf, in collaboration with colleagues from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and Zimbabwe, published the Essential Nursing Competencies related to HIV and AIDS endorsed by the International Council of Nurses, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. In collaboration with Dr. Julie Barroso from the Medical University of South Carolina, Dr. Relf has tested the efficacy of an internalized stigma reduction intervention among women living with HIV in the United States. He is now collaborating with partners in Rwanda (University of Rwanda) and Tanzania (Muhimbili University of Health and Applied Sciences) to adapt the intervention to the culture and context in these two countries.

Dr. Relf’s work examining the intersection of intimate partner violence and HIV risk behaviors among men who have sex with men received international press attention. As a co-investigator on a President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funded project to build nursing capacity in the context of HIV and AIDS in Southern Africa, Dr. Relf, in collaboration with colleagues from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe, published the Essential Nursing Competencies related to HIV and AIDS endorsed by the International Council of Nurses, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. In collaboration with Dr. Julie Barroso from the Medical University of South Carolina, Dr. Relf has tested the efficacy of an internalized stigma reduction intervention among women living with HIV in the United States. He is now collaborating with partners in Rwanda (University of Rwanda) and Tanzania (Muhimbili University of Health and Applied Sciences) to adapt the intervention to the culture and context in these two countries.

Dr. Relf is an Advanced HIV/AIDS Certified Registered Nurse (AACRN) and certified nurse educator (CNE). Prior to joining the School of Nursing in 2008, Dr. Relf was a tenured faculty member and Chair of the Department of Nursing at Georgetown University and the Associate Medical Administrator/Director of Nursing and Clinical Support Services at Whitman-Walker Clinic. He earned his BS with a major in nursing from South Dakota University, his MS in nursing administration in healthcare services from Georgetown University and his PhD in nursing from Johns Hopkins University. He has been a visiting professor at Queen University Belfast (Northern Ireland), the University of Zululand (South Africa) and Fudan University (China). In September 2023, he was appointed a Consulting Professor at the Fudan University School of Nursing (Shanghai, PRC). He is a 2019 Fellow of the NLN’s Academy of Nursing Education and a 2008 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

Jason A. Carter is the Chief Operating Officer and interim President for Duke Regional Hospital and joined the team in November, 2023. Jason has more than 15 years of senior management experience working for healthcare organizations across North Carolina and the Southeast.

Prior to joining Duke Regional, Jason served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the University of Maryland Medical System where he managed clinical and non-clinical operations of the medical center and its ambulatory operations.

Jason received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Appalachian State University, and his master's degree in Business Administration from Winston-Salem State University. He was born and raised in North Carolina.

Lisa M. Goodlett, CPA, MBA, FACHE, is the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer for Duke University Health System (DUHS). Goodlett joined DUHS in the spring of 2024. In this role, Goodlett is a thought leader in designing and funding various growth and partnership opportunities, while working in concert with the DUHS senior executive team to enhance fiscal stewardship in meaningful and applicable ways. Goodlett is ultimately responsible for the overall financial integrity of DUHS – a highly complex, integrated system of care.

Prior to joining Duke, Goodlett served as the System Chief Financial Officer for the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), an integrated health system with over 750 care locations and 16 hospitals throughout South Carolina. MUSC grew from $2.4B to over $5.7B during her seven-year tenure.

Goodlett holds an accounting degree from Clemson University in conjunction with a master’s degree in business administration from the University of South Carolina and is a certified public accountant. Goodlett has served as a Baldrige Performance Excellence Examiner through the Department of Commerce.

David Gallagher, MD, SFHM, is the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Duke University Hospital, bringing more than 25 years of extensive experience in physician leadership roles. As CMO, he plays a pivotal role within Duke University Hospital's senior leadership team, actively contributing to the institution's strategic direction and objectives.

Before assuming the role of CMO at Duke University Hospital, Gallagher served as the Chief of Duke Hospital Medicine Programs and Associate CMO. He received his MD degree from George Washington University, followed by the completion of internal medicine residency at the University of California San Francisco. He joined Duke in 2006, after previously holding leadership positions in Hospital Medicine at Sutter Health in Sacramento, CA.

Gallagher is a Professor of Medicine at Duke University, with a career focus on the Clinician Leader - Administrator track, emphasizing clinical practice advancement. Gallagher's scholarly work encompasses a range of topics, including hospital readmissions reduction, venous thromboembolism risk assessment, physical activity promotion for hospitalized elderly patients, and enhancement of hospital workflow processes.

Gallagher remains actively involved in clinical practice as a hospitalist, fulfilling his role as an attending physician for Duke Hospital General Medicine Teaching Services, where he provides patient care. He is board-certified with the American Board of Internal Medicine and has earned recognition as a Senior Fellow in Hospital Medicine (SFHM) through the Society of Hospital Medicine.

Sheryl Thompson, MBA, CPA, serves as Vice President of Clinical Care Finance for Duke University Health System (DUHS) and Divisional Chief Financial Officer for Duke University Hospital (DUH). In this role, Thompson’s responsibilities include a wide range of activities supporting the hospital entities within DUHS, including monthly financial reporting, budget, capital, business planning & implementation, revenue management, and support of clinical laboratories finance.

Thompson also works in collaboration with the clinical departments of the School of Medicine on evolving funds flow, and on routine operating budgets and transactions with the Faculty Practice Plan - with a focus area of contracting for physician services and collaboration on business development.

Prior to joining Duke, Thompson served as the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Memorial Hermann Health System – Katy & Cypress Hospitals in Katy and Cypress, Texas.

Thompson received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin and her MBA from North Carolina State University.

Thompson is originally from Houston, Texas and currently resides in Durham, NC with her husband and their son.

Chantal Howard, MSN, RN, CEN, NEA-BC serves as the Chief Nursing and Patient Care Officer (CNPCO) for Duke University Hospital and a registered nurse with over 30 years of experience.

In this role, Howard provides leadership, management, and fiscal responsibility for patient care services to achieve excellent patient care and enhance quality. Howard is also responsible for nursing practice across the continuum of care within the hospital and outpatient/ambulatory care services - delivering oversight and direction while establishing and maintaining a system for developing, reviewing, approving and disseminating standards for clinical practice.

Prior to her current role, Howard has served in multiple nursing leadership positions, including Vice President of Nursing, Director of Emergency Services, Director of Nursing for Cardiovascular Services, and Emergency Department Nurse Manager.

Howard holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing and is currently enrolled in the Duke University School of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. Howard also holds two professional board certifications as an advanced nurse executive and emergency nursing.

Howard is active in the community and a member of several professional organizations including: the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Association for Nursing Leadership (AONL), the North Carolina Organization of Nurse Leaders (NCONL), the Emergency Nursing Association (ENA), and the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN).

Howard currently serves on the board as President-elect for the North Carolina Organization of Nurse Leaders, is a board member of the Wake County EMS Research Board, and is a member of the Wake County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team. Howard partnered with INTERACT, the domestic violence agency in Wake County, and Durham Crisis Center in Durham County to implement the lethality assessment program, which screens victims of domestic violence who are at high risk of being killed. She implemented one of Brooklyn, New York’s first Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner Programs and has presented on both a state and national level on disaster management, stroke management, and nursing leadership.

Jonathan Bae, MD, CPPS serves as the Chief Quality Officer for Duke University Hospital, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Patient Safety and Clinical Quality for Duke University Health System and Associate Professor of Medicine for Duke University School of Medicine. Bae leads several health system quality programs including safety, survival improvement, and publicly reported reputation programs — as well as leading strategic planning efforts for quality of the clinical enterprise.

As Chief Quality Officer for Duke University Hospital, Bae is responsible for the overall clinical direction, leadership, and operational management of quality and safety programs. Bae's key areas of focus are reducing inpatient mortality, enhancing patient safety, hospital-based performance improvement, and improving workforce well-being.

Prior to his current role, Bae has served in several key roles in quality improvement and patient safety including, Medical Director for Mortality and Quality Review, Associate Medical Director for Quality for Hospital Medicine, and Chief Medical Resident for the Medicine Residency Program. 

Bae received his B.S. from Duke University and his MD from the Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University. He completed his Medicine and Pediatrics training at Duke University Medical Center. 

Bae is originally from Ellicott City, Maryland and currently lives with his wife and his two sons in Cary, NC.

Gregory Pauly, MHA is Group President of Acute Care Services for Duke University Health System, President of Duke University Hospital and Vice Dean of Clinical and Academic Integration for Duke University School of Medicine. In these roles, Pauly will provide oversight of the strategic direction, fiscal management, and program development for all acute care services across Duke University Health System, Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital campuses. As Vice Dean, Pauly will collaborate closely with clinical chairs, vice deans, IT leaders and other leaders in the School of Medicine and Duke University Health System to further strengthen the clinical and academic missions.

Prior to these roles, Pauly served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations for Mass General Brigham Health System and Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the Massachusetts General Physicans Organization (MGPO). During Pauly’s more than 20-year career at Mass General, Pauly developed multiple system-wide service lines, launched the capacity management program and led extensive work to reduce barriers to discharge and length of stay. Pauly was also instrumental in enhancing the integration with system physicians through new employment and compensation models as well as developing new plans for provider growth.

Pauly is an accomplished health care executive with proven experience in hospital operations, ambulatory practice management, strategic business planning, and clinical program development. With his vast experience in the operations and administration of a large academic medical center and ambulatory care network, Pauly brings a wealth of knowledge and visionary leadership.

Michael J. Pencina, PhD, is Duke Health's Chief Data Scientist and serves as Vice Dean for Data Science, Director of Duke AI Health and Professor of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics at the Duke University School of Medicine. Pencina's work bridges the fields of data science, health care, and AI, and builds upon Duke’s national leadership in trustworthy AI.

Pencina partners with key leaders to develop data science strategies for Duke Health that span and connect academic research and clinical care. As Vice Dean for Data Science, he develops and implements quantitative science strategies to support the School of Medicine’s missions in education and training, laboratory and clinical science, and data science.

Pencina co-founded and co-chairs Duke Health's Algorithm-Based Clinical Decision Support (ABCDS) Oversight Committee and serves as co-director of Duke’s Collaborative to Advance Clinical Health Equity (CACHE). He spearheads Duke’s role as a founding partner of the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) whose mission is to increase trustworthiness of AI by developing guidelines to drive high-quality health care through the adoption of credible, fair, and transparent health AI systems.

Pencina is an internationally recognized authority in the evaluation of AI tools and algorithms. Guideline groups rely on his work to advance best practices for the application of algorithms in clinical medicine. He is actively involved in the design, conduct, and analysis of clinical studies with a focus on novel and efficient designs and applications of machine learning for medical decision support. He interacts frequently with investigators from academic and industry institutions as well as regulatory officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Widely noted as an expert on risk prediction models, Dr. Pencina has authored or co-authored 400 peer-reviewed publications that have been cited over 111,000 times. Thomson Reuters/Clarivate Analytics has recognized him as a “highly cited researcher” in clinical medicine from 2014-2021 and social sciences from 2014-2022. He serves as deputy editor for statistics at JAMA-Cardiology and associate editor for Statistics in Medicine.

Pencina joined the Duke University faculty in 2013, and served as director of biostatistics for the Duke Clinical Research Institute until 2018. Previously, he was an associate professor in the Department of Biostatistics at Boston University and the Framingham Heart Study, and director of statistical consulting at the Harvard Clinical Research Institute. He received his PhD in Mathematics and Statistics from Boston University in 2003 and holds master’s degrees from the University of Warsaw in actuarial mathematics and business culture.

Thomas Owens, MD, is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Duke University Health System. With more than two decades of experience at Duke Health, Dr. Owens serves as the principal senior leader overseeing health system operations, working with enterprise leaders across Duke Health to deliver outstanding clinical outcomes and remarkable patient experience across Duke’s network and the full continuum of care, from the hospital to ambulatory settings to care in homes and the community.

In his previous role as Senior Vice President, Dr. Owens managed DUHS-employed physicians, Duke Primary Care, Duke HomeCare and Hospice, Graduate Medical Education, population health management programs, and payer value-based contracts through Duke Connected Care. As President of Duke University Hospital, our academic medical center was consistently ranked as North Carolina’s No. 1 hospital for quality. In 2021, he and his DUH team opened the 350-bed, Duke Central Tower. 

In 2020, Dr. Owens played a critical role in leading DUHS’s COVID response, collaborating with state government officials, operational leaders and frontline team members to care for our community, patients, and team during the pandemic. In partnership with colleagues in the Private Diagnostic Clinic, community practices and the Duke University School of Medicine, Dr. Owens served as DUHS’s lead executive in planning the Duke Health Integrated Practice, projected to open July 1, 2023.

Previous roles at DUHS and DUH include Chief Clinical Officer and Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President, Chief of Duke Hospital Medicine Programs, Co-Director of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency programs, and more.

Dr. Owens received his M.D. with honors from the University at Buffalo School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. He completed his Internal Medicine and Pediatrics training at Duke University Medical Center.

Catherine Liao, MSPH is the vice president for Government Relations for Duke Health. She is responsible for leading and overseeing a comprehensive federal and state government relations program that aims to strengthen Duke Health’s identity and reputation on biomedical research, education, training and service.

Prior to joining Duke, she worked on Capitol Hill for six years managing health, education, labor and housing appropriations issues for a senior member of Congress. She also worked at the North Carolina Institute of Medicine reviewing federal health reform legislation and making recommendations for implementation at the state level. She also completed an administrative fellowship and served in the office of the chief of staff at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Liao was selected to participate in Leadership North Carolina Class XXVI, which aims to inform, develop and engage committed leaders across the Tar Heel State. She is also one of 18 fellows in the Class of 2019 of the Carol Emmott Fellowship, a national program that develops and empowers female leaders to leave a mark on health care.

Liao holds a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master of science in public health from the Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Barbara Griffith, MD, began her tenure as President of Duke Raleigh Hospital, a Campus of Duke University Hospital in October 2021. Prior to joining Duke Raleigh, Griffith served as President and CEO of Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, La.

Griffith’s healthcare experience includes 20 years of clinical practice and more than 15 years in a variety of leadership roles that have spanned hospital leadership, operations, physician practice management, clinical affairs and board governance.

Griffith served as chief medical officer for Duke Regional Hospital in Durham, N.C., for seven years. In her role, she led business development and strategy for clinical programs while focusing on excellence in patient care quality and safety.

Earlier in her career, Griffith served as president and CFO of Durham Emergency Physicians, the medical practice that staffed Duke Regional Hospital’s Emergency Department. As an active leader within Duke Regional’s medical staff of more than 1,000 providers, she served as medical staff president. Her emergency medicine background brings a broad understanding of all aspects of healthcare, particularly the needs of patients and families in today’s healthcare environment.

Board Certified in emergency medicine, Griffith obtained her medical degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She trained in emergency medicine at Christiana Care in Newark, Del. Her business training includes healthcare executive education at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians and American College of Healthcare Executives.

Christy M. Gudaitis, JD, serves as Deputy General Counsel for Health Affairs for Duke University and Health System Counsel for Duke University Health System. She has practiced health care law for more than 35 years and has been a member of the Office of Counsel for Duke University and Duke University Health System since 1999. Gudaitis joined Duke as Duke Health expanded to include Duke Regional Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital, and she has provided legal counsel in the transactions and financings that have expanded the reach and breadth of Duke Health on its Durham campus and beyond since that time. Gudaitis’ legal expertise includes health care regulations, corporate governance, contracts, acquisition and affiliation transactions, compliance and financing. 

Prior to joining Duke, Gudaitis worked in the legal department of Atrium (formerly Carolinas HealthCare System), which operates a multi-hospital system that includes Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC. Before joining Atrium, Gudaitis was a partner in the law firm of Smith Helms Mulliss & Moore (now McGuire Woods) and specialized in health care, business transactions and corporate law.

Gudaitis has served on boards of numerous non-profit corporations and bar committees. Gudaitis currently serves on the Eno River Association Board of Directors and as its Secretary. She is a Deacon at First Presbyterian Church in Durham, serving on the Personnel Committee. Gudaitis served for almost 20 years as an exam preparer and grader for the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners. She has also served on the Board and as Chair of the Health Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association.

Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Gudaitis earned her law degree and undergraduate degree (Public Policy Studies with a Healthcare concentration and History) from Duke University. She is married to Jim Gudaitis and has two grown children.

Craig T. Albanese, MD, MBA, is chief executive officer of Duke University Health System (DUHS) – the state’s fourth-largest employer and one of the nation’s top academic medical centers. Albanese joined DUHS as executive vice president and chief operating officer in January 2022 and was named chief executive officer in February 2023.

A respected surgeon scientist and clinical investigator, Albanese is also a seasoned health care administrator. His more than 25 years of health care management experience includes serving as group senior vice president and system chief medical officer of the NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) enterprise.

Prior to NYP, he held senior leadership roles at Stanford University and Stanford Health Care, including vice president of quality and performance improvement at Stanford Children’s Health and serving as the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Director of Pediatric Surgical Services at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. In the Stanford University School of Medicine, he was a professor of Surgery, Pediatrics, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, and chief of the Division of Pediatric General Surgery.

Albanese received his medical degree from SUNY Health Science Center. He holds an MBA from the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University. He has published more than 160 peer-reviewed articles. He is also the lead author of Advanced Lean in Healthcare, a performance improvement book providing practical information about how “organizations can move from stabilizing discrete work processes to get to continuously improving and linking the entire system – all within an empathetic healing environment.”

Mary Martin is the Chief Operating Officer for Duke University Hospital. In her role as COO, she and her senior leadership team oversee Duke University Hospital, a 1000+ bed (adult and pediatric), quaternary care, Level 1 trauma and academic medical center with more than 15,000 employees.

Throughout her career, Mary has been known for leading teams in project efficiencies, capacity management, and process improvement including Lean implementation. In her role as interim president, Mary leads the hospital’s senior leadership team in key priorities such as employee engagement and retention, utilization and efficiencies, reduction of workplace violence, and clinical quality and safety.

As COO, Mary has served as incident commander of Duke University Hospital’s COVID response, maintained services with zero layoffs during the pandemic and activated a new patient tower a year ahead of schedule. Mary also led teams to implement the CARE Hub, a world-class patient flow and transfer center to facilitate movement of patients between the three Duke hospitals and from outside hospitals.

Before coming to Duke in 2019, Mary held increasing leadership positions in University Hospital, a 600-bed hospital within Michigan Medicine/University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, Mich. She served as Associate Hospital Director for major clinical services and operational areas that include: Surgical Services, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Psychiatry; Operations and Clinical Services. Mary previously served as director of Lean Performance Improvement and a member of the Mayor’s Cabinet for the City of Detroit, and in senior leadership roles with Detroit Medical Center.

Mary completed her undergraduate degree with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, with a related area of study in French, from James Madison College at Michigan State University. She earned a Master of Public Administration from Rackham Graduate School at The University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Jevon Peterson is the Chief Operating Officer for Duke Raleigh Hospital, a Campus of Duke University Hospital and has served the hospital for six years in various leadership roles, spanning facilities and hospital operations. Most recently, he served as Assistant Vice President, Hospital Operations. He has led large-scale projects such as the development and construction of the hospital’s new South Pavilion. Jevon brings a wealth of experience to the team and a unique insight into how Duke Raleigh can grow in Wake County. A community leader, Jevon also serves as vice chair of Raleigh Midtown Alliance.

Terry McDonnell, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC is the Chief Nursing Executive and Senior Vice President at Duke University Health System, Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs at the Duke University School of Nursing, and Watts College of Nursing, Board Chair. In her leadership role, she collaborates with Chief Nursing Officers and system leaders to foster a culture of belonging and purpose among frontline clinical teams, ensuring that patients and their families receive exceptional, patient-centered care. She continues to work as a Gastrointestinal Oncology Nurse Practitioner at Duke Cancer Institute.

Previously, McDonnell served as Vice President of Clinical Operations and Chief Nursing Officer at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, where she oversaw clinical operations and professional staff, enhancing the delivery of high-quality, patient-focused services. Her leadership and management skills were instrumental in the success of the center's operations. An acute care-certified nurse practitioner, she specializes in gastrointestinal cancers and is a Clinical Associate of Medicine at the University of Washington. McDonnell has also contributed as a clinical preceptor at Harvard Medical School and the MGH Institute of Health Professions.

Recognized for her empowering leadership style, McDonnell excels in developing high-performing teams through collaboration and engagement. Her commitment to compassionate care has earned her several accolades, including the National Pancreas Foundation Compassionate Caregiver Award.

McDonnell holds undergraduate degrees in English and Economics from Boston College, a Master’s in Acute Care Nursing, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Administration from the MGH Institute of Health Professions.

Kristin Merritt, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, CCRN-K, is Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) of Duke Regional Hospital and a registered nurse with over 28 years of experience.

Prior to assuming her role as CNO, she was Associate Chief Nursing Officer (ACNO) in Neurosciences for Duke University Health System and was responsible for neuroscience nursing practice and clinical and administrative operations across the health system. Merritt also served as the Duke Raleigh Hospital ICU and Neuroscience Stepdown Nurse Manager from 2012 to 2016 and as Neuroscience Service Line Director from 2016 to 2018. Before joining the Duke team, Merritt worked in over 29 hospitals throughout the United States as a staff nurse, travel nurse, and nursing leadership position.

Merritt holds a Doctorate in Nursing Practice in Leadership from East Carolina University. She graduated from The Healthcare Management Academy GE Chief Nurse Officer Fellowship in 2021. She also graduated from the 2012 Nurse Manager Fellowship program at the American Organization of Nurse Leaders (AONL). In addition, Merritt holds two professional board certifications in nurse executive advanced and critical care nursing.

She is a member of the following professional organizations: American Nurses Association (ANA), AONL, American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), AACN – Greater Raleigh Area Chapter, and North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA).

Merritt is active in the community. She serves as a clinical assistant professor for East Carolina University Department of Advanced Nursing Practice and Education and a member of the East Carolina University Doctorate in Nursing Practice Advisory Board. She has been a member of the AONL Membership Committee for the last three years, a member of the Wake Early College Health and Sciences Advisory Board, a reviewer for the American Nursing Credential Center (ANCC) Magnet Conference and an expert reviewer for AACN Circle of Excellence, Chapters, and Evidence-Based Practice, and for the North Carolina Great 100 Nurses Selections committee.

Colleen Shannon is the Vice President of Compliance and Administration at Duke University Health System (DUHS). She is responsible for implementing and overseeing the Health System’s compliance and privacy programs and facilitating the DUHS enterprise risk management process. Shannon also coordinates activities with the Duke Health Integrated Practice (DHIP) and School of Medicine leadership to advance our collaboration and prioritize services. Shannon reports to the DUHS Compliance/Audit Committee of the Board of Directors and Health Affairs Chancellor and DUHS President and CEO. Shannon co-chairs the DUHS Privacy and Security Steering Committee and administers various facilities’ compliance committees. 

Shannon joined DUHS in July 2007 and has 26 years of health care regulatory experience. Prior to joining DUHS, Shannon was the Chief Compliance and Privacy Officer for OhioHealth, an integrated multi-hospital health system in Columbus, Ohio. Shannon served as a Regulatory and Licensing Attorney for Cole Managed Vision, a 50 state vision benefit administrator, developing its privacy program at the inception of HIPAA privacy regulations. She also served in multiple positions within The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, including staff counsel, Chief Operating Officer of Lakewood Hospital and Chief Integration Officer, Western Region, Cleveland Clinic. 

Shannon is a graduate of the University of Virginia Law School. Shannon served as Chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Compliance Officers’ Forum (COF) and established the AAMC COF, Privacy Committee. Shannon serves as a member of American Association Hospital, Chief Compliance Officer Forum and is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association and Association of American Medical Colleges Compliance Officers’ Forum.

Darcel F. Walker is a seasoned marketing and communications professional with a proven track record in strategic leadership and cross-functional communication. With extensive experience in healthcare marketing, Darcel has led initiatives that enhance brand visibility, optimize media strategies, and drive organizational growth.

In previous roles at CaroMont Health, Darcel managed multimillion-dollar budgets, led brand campaigns, and executed integrated marketing strategies. Her experience includes oversight of digital platforms, corporate communications, and media production, with a strong focus on maximizing brand impact and supporting organizational priorities. Additionally, Darcel has contributed to academic institutions as an adjunct instructor and held leadership roles in community service organizations, including the Junior League of Gaston County and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated.

Darcel holds a Master of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. She is Accredited in Public Relations (APR) by the Public Relations Society of America. In her free time, Darcel enjoys traveling and is learning to play golf.