Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR - Rebecca Patton has extensive inpatient and outpatient experience and has been responsible for the start up, and ongoing operations of ambulatory medical centers, and of an inpatient acute and a skilled nursing facility. Patton is the President of the American Nurses Association. Currently she is the Director of Perioperative Services for EMH Regional Healthcare
System in Elyria, Ohio.

Suzanne Begeny, PhD, RN - is currently the Director of Government Affairs at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), lecturer at the University of Michigan, School of Nursing, and adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico, School of Nursing. Prior to this, she held policy positions at the state and federal level. In addition, she has taught undergraduate and graduate nursing students at the University of Michigan and held numerous research positions. Suzanne’s areas of research interest include healthcare policy, political advocacy, innovation and change, nursing teamwork, and the image of the nurse. Dr. Begeny previously worked as a psychiatric nurse.

Lori A. Melichar, PhD, MA - is a labor economist and senior program officer at Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. As part of the Foundation’s focus on ensuring that the nation has a diverse, well-trained leadership and workforce in health and health care, Melichar manages three programs to develop human capital: Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative, RWJF Investigators in Health Policy, and RWJF Health Policy Scholars. She also is engaged in the Foundation’s efforts to advance the science of quality improvement (QI) research and evaluation, and to produce information that is useful to employers and providers considering investing in quality improvement training.