2023 MDAC Virtual Leadership Summit

Katie Boston-Leary, PhD, MBA, MHA, RN, NEA-BC, is the director of nursing programs at the American Nurses Association, overseeing the Nursing Practice and Work Environment Division and Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation. She is also the co-lead for Project Firstline, a multi-million-dollar grant collaborative with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for training on infection prevention and control. She is also the co-chair for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the Healthcare Leaders Network Delaware Valley, an American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) affiliate. She helped redesign the Nurse Leadership Institute at UMSON with an embedded coaching program. Boston-Leary is an adjunct faculty member UMSON and at the School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. She is a board member on St. John’s University Health Programs and an editorial advisory board member with Web/MD Medscape and ACHE. She serves as staff on the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing and is also part of the National Academy of Science and Medicine’s National Plan to Address Clinician Well-Being supported by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Boston-Leary’s past experience as a chief nursing officer, senior vice president, and executive has led organizations to achieving exemplary awards and distinctions in nursing excellence, patient experience, and quality care.

M. Joy Drass, MD, is executive vice president and chief operating officer for MedStar Health, with executive oversight of 10 hospitals, Integrated Operations, Nursing, and Operational Support. She also has executive responsibility for MedStar Ambulatory Services, MedStar Health Home Care, MedStar National Rehabilitation Network, and MedStar Medical Group, the system’s physician enterprise activities.

Previously, Drass served as executive vice president of operations for the Washington region with responsibility for systemwide human resources and nursing functions and focused on regional program development operations among the Washington, D.C., market-based entities for MedStar Health. She provided strategic oversight and management for MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, and MedStar Washington Hospital Center.

Before her systemwide roles, Drass served as president of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital for nine years and was responsible for its overall strategic and operational direction, including the hospital’s clinical enterprise and faculty practice. She joined MedStar Georgetown with a significant amount of operational and management experience, having served as vice president for professional services and associate medical director at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. As part of this position, Drass played a crucial role in navigating the Georgetown/MedStar Health merger.

An alumna of Georgetown University Medical School, Drass received her medical degree and remained in the Washington, D.C., area to complete her residency and critical care fellowship programs. She worked for 13 years as an intensivist in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and the MedSTAR Trauma Unit at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and held a variety of clinical leadership roles at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. In addition to her medical credentials, Drass received a master’s in business administration from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business.

Drass has served as chair of the District of Columbia Hospital Association Board of Directors and numerous other national and Washington, D.C.-based task forces and committees. She speaks and writes on health care topics and regularly participates in conferences.

Kimberly Ford, BS, serves as the assistant grant administrator for the NSP II. She brings experience in grants from working on a congressional grant that improved nursing programs at Maryland’s community colleges by providing simulation equipment and also administered scholarships at the Maryland Higher Education Commission, including the Maryland Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), a federal grant program that aims to increase college attendance and the success of low-income students. Ford has extensive budget and research experience from her legislative work at the Maryland Association of Community Colleges and the Maryland Independent College and University Association. She recently wrote the script and performed in a video that encourages nurses to further their nursing education by attending an institution within Maryland. She received her Bachelor of Science in Management of Non-profit Organizations with a concentration in Government from the University of Maryland.

Sherry B. Perkins, PhD, RN, FAAN, NEA-BC, is president of Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center (LHAAMC), Luminis Health McNew Family Medical Center, and Luminis Health Pathways. LHAAMC is one of the busiest hospitals in Maryland, with exemplary performance in behavioral health, cancer, emergency, obstetrics, orthopedic, and surgical specialties. Perkins served as LHAAMC chief nursing officer and chief operating officer from 2006 - 16 and led the system to top decile results and Magnet recognition.

As president, Perkins oversees the achievement of high-quality, high-efficiency care and high patient, family, and team engagement at LHAAMC. Since February 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, leadership has included executive accountability for the Hospital Incident Command Structure.

Perkins serves as an adjunct faculty member at UMSON and on the board of directors for United Way of Central Maryland, the Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce, and Mount St. Mary’s School of Health Advisory Board. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Significant leadership assignments have included chair of the Maryland Hospital Association (MHA) Quality Committee and roles on the board of the MHA and of the Maryland Patient Safety Center. Career contributions include national leadership in patient- and family-centered care and standardized nurse residencies. She served as president of the Maryland Organization of Nurse Leaders and chief executive of the Maryland Nurse Residency Collaborative, the nation’s first statewide nurse residency collaborative. Most recently, she served on the National Nurse Staffing Think Tank and now serves as co-chair of the National Nurse Staffing Task Force.

As a frequent writer and presenter, Perkins has contributed to more than 120 publications. She has been honored with the YWCA Tribute to Women and Industry and the Maryland Nurses Association Outstanding Leadership Award and has been named an Influential Marylander by The Daily Record.

Perkins holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Baylor University, a Master of Science from Texas Woman’s University, and a PhD from the University of Kansas. She is also a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Fellows Program in Management for Nurse Executives.

Cheryl Peterson, MSN, RN, is the vice president for nursing programs at the American Nurses Association (ANA). In this role, she is responsible for guiding ANA’s Department of Nursing Practice and Work Environment, the Center for Ethics and Human Rights, the Healthy Nurse Healthy Nation initiative, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Minority Fellowship Program. Each of these areas contribute to advancing ANA’s significant strategic nursing practice efforts designed to meet the association’s vision of a healthy world through the power of nursing. Since coming to ANA in 1990, Peterson has developed significant expertise in addressing myriad nursing and health issues through the application of practice and policy strategies and strategic advocacy efforts.

Laura Schenk, DNP, RN, CNE, is the new grant administrator for Nurse Support Program (NSP) II. While she worked as an academic progression coordinator and assistant professor of nursing at Harford Community College, she served as a coordinator and then an NSP II project director on two separate competitive grants. These collaborative grants included working to meet nursing workforce needs with Towson University and the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health by increasing the number and credentials of registered nurses who are committed to working in Maryland hospitals, as well as an Academic Progression in Nursing Initiative with Cecil College to address the completion of BSN and MSN degrees. Along with receiving her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing from Stevenson University, Schenk graduated with a Doctor of Nursing Practice with a concentration in Leadership from Salisbury University. She is a registered nurse with a clinical background in orthopedic/medical-surgical nursing and community health. She is also a certified nurse educator with eight years of teaching experience in classroom, clinical, and simulation/lab settings.

Laura Herrera Scott, MD, MPH, is a health care leader with expertise across decades in integrating a value-based care philosophy with clinical and population health strategies. She is a visionary leader in the health space, spearheading the creation of progressive programs that optimize patient outcomes, improve the quality of care, and advance health equity. Most recently, Scott served as executive vice president of population health at Summit Health and as vice president of clinical strategy and product at Anthem. She also brings Maryland Department of Health experience; she last served in the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from 2011 - 15 as deputy secretary of public health services. Scott is a veteran of the United States Army Reserves, serving from 1998 -2008 as a major in the Medical Corps. She earned a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and a Doctor of Medicine from SUNY Health Science Center in Brooklyn, New York. She currently lives in Towson, Maryland with her husband and two children.

Christie Simon-Waterman, DNP, RN, FNP-BC, PMHNP, WCC, DWC, is the 2021 - 23 president of the Maryland Nurses Association (MNA). She is a psychiatric and family practitioner, a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, a Jonas Scholar recipient, a fellow of the UMSON Nurse Leadership Institute, and an advocate for the advancement of quality health care for all. She exhibited innovative utilization of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, which she continues to utilize for addiction and behavioral health issues. She is employed at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she continues to mentor aspiring nursing and nurse practitioner students. She previously represented Maryland as the registered nurse representative at the American Nurses Advocacy Institute 2011 - 12 and was awarded the Outstanding Volunteer Service Award for Baltimore County Public Schools in 2014. Among her many accomplishments are the 2020 outstanding Advance Practice Clinical Nurse Award and the 2013 MNA Outstanding Leadership Award from the MNA. She received the Leadership Award during her Master Program from Coppin State in 2010. Her contributions to the nursing profession include publications with DNP Scholarly Projects, The Journal of Nurse Practitioners, and The Maryland Nurse News and Journal. Simon-Waterman’s service to advocacy for health care policies and nursing issues in her community and in her profession embody the leadership qualities needed to rally us through this challenging time in health care.

Kevin Sowers, MSN, RN, FAAN, is president of the Johns Hopkins Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine. As the second person in Johns Hopkins history to hold these dual roles, he oversees the health system’s six hospitals, located in Maryland; Washington, D.C.; and Florida. He sets strategies that align with the organization’s tripartite mission: to deliver outstanding care, train the next generation of leaders, and advance research and discovery.

He also serves as chair of Johns Hopkins Community Physicians, which has more than 40 primary and specialty care outpatient sites throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C.

Sowers came to Johns Hopkins Medicine after 32 years with Duke University Health System. He spent the last eight years at Duke as president and CEO of Duke University Hospital. He joined Duke Hospital in 1985 as a staff nurse in oncology and held several faculty and nursing leadership positions. His numerous senior leadership posts across Duke Health System included serving as chief operating officer for Duke Hospital and as interim CEO for Duke Regional Hospital.

During his time at Duke, Sowers oversaw the consolidation of clinical lab services and emergency and trauma services and managed care and patient care services. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Capital University School of Nursing and his Master of Science degree from Duke University School of Nursing. He is an American Academy of Nursing fellow and has collaborated on numerous research efforts and has served as a consultant internationally. He serves as an instructor for the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.

Sowers has published extensively and speaks nationally and abroad on issues such as leadership, organizational change, mentorship, and cancer care.

The Maryland Daily Record recently recognized him as one of the top power players in health care, and in 2020, he was recognized by the Columbia School of Business with the prestigious Deming Cup Award, which honors business leaders for outstanding merit in operations and for fostering a culture of continuous improvement within their organizations.

Mohan Suntha, MD, MBA, is the president and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), a nationally recognized academic health system that employees 28,000 people across Maryland at more than 150 locations, including a network of academic, community, and specialty hospitals.

In 1991, he joined the University of Maryland School of Medicine, training as a resident in the Department of Radiation Oncology and eventually joining the faculty in 1995. He became a tenured professor and the inaugural Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Endowed Professor of Radiation Oncology in 2008 and continues to maintain his faculty and clinical appointments. Throughout his career, Suntha has also served in numerous roles with UMMS, including as vice president for system program development from 2009 - 12, president and CEO of St. Joseph Medical Center from 2012 - 16, and president and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical Center, 2016 - 20.

Suntha is a member of the American College of Radiation Oncology and the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. He received his MD degree from Jefferson Medical College, his Master of Business of Administration from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and his Bachelor of Arts from Brown University.