Speakers

Yosef D. Dlugacz, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President, Chief of Clinical Quality, Education and Research - Krasnoff Quality Management Institute, a division of North Shore-LIJ Health System

Yosef D. Dlugacz, Ph.D., is the Senior Vice President and Chief of Clinical Quality, Education and Research of the Krasnoff Quality Management Institute of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System. The goal of the Institute is to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge learned in the academic setting and the realities of applying quality management methods in today's health care environment. With decades of experience dealing with process variables and educating professionals and the community about the importance of integrating quality methods into the delivery of care to improve health outcomes, Dr. Dlugacz's research focuses on developing models for improved patient safety and clinical outcomes. Dr. Dlugacz collaborates with other professionals and organizations to be at the forefront of the national agenda in improving health care services.

Dr. Dlugacz has been invited to consult with various health care organizations and his established methodologies have been praised nationally and internationally. He is Adjunct Research Professor at New York University, a Visiting Professor to Beijing University's MBA Program. He is also a guest lecturer at the University of Padova, in Padova, Italy; Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil; and, Helsingborg Hospital and Uppsala University in Sweden. He serves as faculty for Joint Commission Resources and has appeared in numerous national audio and video teleconferences promoting quality and safety.

Dr. Dlugacz has published widely in health care and quality management journals on a variety of clinical care and quality topics. His book, The Quality Handbook for Health Care Organizations: A Manager's Guide to Tools and Programs (2004), has been praised as a valuable text for new quality professionals. His book, Measuring Health Care: Using Quality Data for Operational, Practical and Clinical Improvement (2006), helps to educate professionals about the relationship between quality care and financial success. He was recently honored with an invitation to write the foreword for the Joint Commission Resources publication, Getting the Board on Board: What Your Board Needs To Know About Quality and Patient Safety (2007). He is working on a new book, Value Based Health Care: Linking Finance and Quality, which will be published in 2009.

Gary R. Ulicny, Ph.D.

President and Chief Executive Officer - Shepherd Center Inc., Atlanta, Georgia

Dr. Ulicny has been involved in medical administration for over 20 years. Since 1994, he has served as the President and CEO of Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia, a 120-bed hospital that specializes in the treatment of persons with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, and other neuromuscular disorders.

During Dr. Ulicny's tenure, Shepherd Center has for seven years been ranked in US News & World Report as one of the best rehabilitation hospitals in the nation, been presented with the Edward Loveland Award for Distinguished Contributions in Healthcare by the American College of Physicians, selected as the Hospital of The Year by the Georgia Alliance of Hospitals, and named one of Atlanta's Best Employers by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and Atlanta magazine. In addition, Shepherd Center has enjoyed model systems designation, both for spinal cord and brain injuries by the National Institute on Disability, Rehabilitation and Research.

In the past, Dr. Ulicny has served as the Administrative Director of Rehabilitation Services for The WakeMed Hospital System in Raleigh, North Carolina. In addition, he also served as the Regional Vice President for Learning Services Corporation.

He received his Ph.D. in behavioral psychology from the University of Kansas in 1986. He is published extensively in the area of rehabilitation and has held adjunct appointments in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and in the Department of Human Development at the University of Kansas.

Dr. Ulicny is a member of numerous professional organizations, served on the national board of the Head Injury Foundation and currently serves on the board of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. He is active in the Atlanta community with the Boy Scouts of America and serves on the board of DisabilityLink. Dr. Ulicny and his wife Jane have two teenage sons.

Robert Burney, MD

Medical Services - US State Department

Dr. Burney is a board certified anesthesiologist and started his career with university anesthesia departments in VA, NC, and MA. His private sector experience includes work in community hospitals and managing ambulatory surgery centers. He has been a member of ASQ since 1991 and has written papers and book chapters on quality in healthcare. Dr. Burney has served as an examiner for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and worked five years as a surveyor for the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Currently, he is Director of Quality Improvement for the Office of Medical Services, U.S. Department of State where he is directing their journey to ISO registration.

Mike Milvain

President and Chief Executive Officer - Healthcare Quality Solutions, Inc.

Since 1993 Mike has served as a senior officer of healthcare information technology businesses including HQS and a predecessor company. He has been the President of Health Systems Solutions, Inc. (HSLN.OB) since its formation in 2002. HSLN is the 100% owner of HQS. Over the past thirty years Mike has gained a wide variety of management experience in the information technology industry. He was the Chief Operating Officer of LPA, Inc., a subsidiary of NYNEX Corporation and a supplier of on-line transaction processing software for electronic payment services. Prior, Mike was Vice President of Marketing at Systeme Corporation, an innovator in branch automation products for retail banks. From 1988 until 1997 Mike served as a consultant to the Chairman of the Board of BancTec, Inc., a global manufacturer of banking equipment and software solutions. Prior positions were with G. K. Baum Leasing, Marsh & McLennan Companies, Waddell & Reed and IBM.