ASPHP Executive Officers
PRESIDENT, ASPHP
Jay Hamilton
Jay is a registered nurse with an emergency room, intensive care unit, and trauma experience. As a part of the industry, he has more than five years of dedicated safe patient handling and mobility experience. This experience includes product education (lifts, friction-reducing devices, air-assist devices), program creation, research-creation, direct management, and presenting responsibilities.
He currently holds a masters in healthcare leadership, an active registered nurse license, and is certified as a professional in patient safety, wound specialist, and safe patient handling associate.
He has been a member of the ASPHP for the past three years and is an active participant on the Education Committee.
VICE PRESIDENT, ASPHP
Mark Van Leuven
I am graduate of SUNY Upstate Medical Center at Syracuse, ’95. I have worked in acute care for most of my career with the most recent experience being the past 15 years. During that time, I was heavily involved in early mobility in the ICU and in safe patient handling, serving as a co-chair of a program that I helped to develop at Samaritan Hospital in Troy, NY. Since 2018, I have served as a safe patient handling consultant with Craigmile Health Solutions, primarily throughout New York State. We provide education, training, policy development, on site facility risk assessments, and general support to safe patient handling programs throughout the state. Coming from a background where I was taught to lift with good body mechanics, I am tremendously dedicated to the movement of safe patient handling and the amazing benefits it provides. I have had my CSHPC certification since 2018.
PAST PRESIDENT, ASPHP
Neal Wiggermann, Ph.D.
Neal Wiggermann is a research scientist in R&D at Baxter. For ten years he has managed a biomechanics laboratory with research focused on ergonomics and SPHM in healthcare. He has published over two dozen peer reviewed articles and is a senior editor of the journal Ergonomics in Design. In 2019 he received the Bernice Owen Award for research in SPHM, and in 2022 he joined the board of ASPHP. Neal received his PhD from the department of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan.
SECRETARY / TREASURER, ASPHP
Susan Gallagher, PhD, MSN, MA, RN, CBN, HCRM, CSPHP
Susan Gallagher, is a trained wound ostomy continence nurse, certified bariatric nurse, health care risk manager and certified safe patient handling professional. She has certificates in Six Sigma-Health Care and Six Sigma LEAN. Susan holds a masters degree in nursing, a masters degree in religion and social ethics, and a PhD in policy ethics. She is a recognized expert in safety and outcomes with emphasis on bariatrics, skin/wound care, safe patient handling and mobility, and loss control. She lectures internationally and has authored over 200 articles, books or book chapters. Her professional objective is to assist organizations capture quality and sustainability through customer sensitive initiatives, supported by quantitative performance improvement outcomes.
ASPHP Board Members
Jessica Bratcher
I am very passionate in my role as a Regional SPH & Mobility Coordinator. I thrive on helping and assisting patients, in addition to the caregivers. I have been with Mercy Health System for 13 years and all 13 years have been direct patient care, in addition to education with caregivers and patients. I am a mom of 2 beautiful children (15 & 5) and married to my best friend. I love to go to concerts, conferences, and I have a very bubbly personality and am not afraid to speak up when needed!
Timothy Buchanan, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CSPHP
Tim Buchanan is a Master’s Level prepared Registered Nurse with over 30 years of patient care experience and is a retired USAF critical care and flight/CCAT nurse and former paramedic. Tim moved from his previous roles as a Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Facility Coordinator and Adjunct Nurse Faculty into his current role as a Patient Safety Officer for the Veterans Affairs Health Care System where he is works to promote Patient Safety and still oversees the SPHM program for all of FL and southern GA. Tim has a passion for education and has served as an adjunct nurse clinical faculty for the past ten years, has presented at numerous SPHM conferences, and recently served as collaborating author for SPHM chapters in a Nursing Fundamentals text. Tim collaborates with a diverse multidisciplinary team of patient safety and SPHM professionals to deliver care to over three million veterans. Tim maintains an interest in clinical excellence and emergency evacuation and continues to consult as a SPHM and Patient Safety professional.
Kellie Clapper
Kellie Clapper, OTR/L is a Rehabilitation Services Manager at Nebraska Medicine, with 27 years of experience in inpatient acute care. She holds a Bachelor of Science is Occupational Therapy from Creighton University and has worked across both post-acute and acute care settings since 1994. Kellie’s primary expertise is in safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM), where she leads initiatives to improve patient and healthcare worker safety. She has been instrumental in developing mobility aides to enhance patient mobility in medical-surgical units and has contributed to quality improvement efforts focused on reducing fall risks. Kellie’s work in SPHM and patient safety has had a significant impact on both patient outcomes and employee well-being. She is committed to advancing healthcare practices that promote safety, mobility, and the overall quality of care.
Dennis Markle
Dennis Markle is a passionate advocate and experienced professional in the field of Safe Patient Handling (SPH). With over a decade of expertise in clinical consulting and direct sales, Dennis has collaborated on policies, training, and product development to advance workplace safety and early mobility practices across healthcare settings.
Currently a Senior Clinical Consultant at Guldmann, Dennis leads sales efforts along the U.S. East Coast, facilitates SPH education, and contributes to policy development for enhanced patient transfer solutions. His career began with hands-on experience as a Lift Team Technician at Geisinger Medical Center, where he played a pivotal role in developing SPH programs, training staff, and promoting bariatric care best practices.
A career-ending back injury in 2011 solidified Dennis’s commitment to SPH, fueling his mission to prevent similar injuries among caregivers. Drawing on personal and professional insights, he has become a dedicated leader, educator, and collaborator in this vital field.
Dennis holds certifications in SPH and continues to engage with national and regional conferences to share his knowledge and learn from others. His unwavering dedication to improving caregiver safety and patient outcomes makes him a respected figure in the SPH community.
Nancy McGann, PT, CSPHP, CPPS
Nancy McGann, PT, CSPHP, CPPS, currently serves as the Enterprise Manager of Safe Mobility for Intermountain Health, where she has worked for the past 18 years. In her current role, Nancy leads initiatives in patient fall prevention, safe patient handling, and patient mobility programming across Intermountain Health’s expansive network, which includes 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, and several post-acute care centers. Before assuming her present role, Nancy was the System Manager of Caregiver Safety and System Manager of Ergonomics and Safe Patient Handling and Mobility at SCL Health, now part of Intermountain Health. Her career spans over 35 years as a therapist and ergonomic consultant in both industrial and healthcare settings. Nancy is serving her 6th year on the board of directors of the Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals and is involved in many boards and committees that support safe mobility. Her expertise and dedication have led her to publish and speak nationally over the past 15 years. Her unwavering passion lies in safeguarding both caregivers and patients while promoting mobility to ensure the highest quality of care.
Loretta J. Miller PT, DPT, CEAS, CSPHP
Lori has been a licensed physical therapist for 29 years and was a Neurologic Certified Specialist for 20 years. She is the Safe Patient Handling Coordinator at Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, NY. In March 2022, she published an article in the International Journal of Safe Patient Handling and Mobility entitled, “Transforming Safety at the Bedside with Safe Patient Handling Practice.” Recently, she became certified as a Safe Patient Handling Professional and has been a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist for 6 years. She was a presenter at the NYS Safe Patient Handling Conference in 2017 and 2018. In 2018, she received the Safe Patient Handling Award of Excellence from the NYS Zero Lift Task Force. Loretta has developed a network of Safety Champions at ECMC and is an integral leader in workplace safety initiatives including reducing workplace violence through trauma informed care.
Lori Severson
Lori Severson is a seasoned safety professional with over 25 years of experience in occupational safety, specializing in the healthcare industry. As a national safety consultant for Lockton, Lori offers expert guidance to healthcare employers, focusing on creating safer environments for both staff and patients. Recognized as a subject-matter expert in safe patient and resident handling and movement, Lori has significantly contributed to advancing healthcare safety standards. She is certified in Healthcare Environmental Management from ECRI and is known for her extensive contributions to the healthcare safety body of knowledge, helping shape best practices and safety protocols across the industry.
Tiffany Thao-Houane
Tiffany Thao-Houane is the Safe Patient Handling & Mobility Educator at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is an occupational therapist experienced in oncology acute care, including in the ICU and on the inpatient rehabilitation unit. She is currently working towards her Master of Health Administration degree. In her current role, she creates and leads safe patient handling and mobility training programs and resources for staff across the institution. She is actively involved in committees for fall prevention and pressure injury prevention. She has presented locally and nationally on oncology rehabilitation, ICU early mobility, and safe patient handling and mobility.
Jimbo Varnum
Jimbo Varnum is a Certified Safe Patient Handling Associate (CSPHA) who lives in Augusta, GA with his wife and six-year-old son. He graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 2006 with a BS in Respiratory Therapy and in 2021 with Master’s in Business Administration from Brenau University.
Through the years, he has practiced as a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) with certifications in Neonatal Pediatric Specialist and Adult Critical Care Specialist. He is currently Chief Clinical Officer at USME. He continues to serve on a number of boards supporting respiratory health worldwide. Jimbo Varnum is currently active in ASPHP as evidenced by poster submissions (2025 ASPHP National Conference [4 submissions]) and he co-presented the October 2024 ASPHP webinar.
Alleen Wilson
Alleen Wilson is a risk control professional with 25 years of experience. Her areas of responsibility include conducting SPHM risk assessments and managing risk control services for a portfolio of accounts. She markets risk control services, provides technical advice and account information to underwriting and business development for risk assessment and analysis, and coordinates the provision of risk control services on assigned accounts.
Alleen earned a Certified Authority on Workers’ Compensation (CAWC), is a registered Loss Control Consultant in the State of Texas and an approved Field Safety Representative in the State of Arkansas. Alleen is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) and American Society for Health Care Risk Management (ASHRM).
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Bob Williamson
Bob is a Medical Science Liaison, Safe Patient Handling and Mobility at Baxter, Inc. He has extensive experience and knowledge of occupational health, patient safety, enterprise risk management, high reliability and performance improvement. He has served in progressive leadership roles with Ascension Health and HCA Healthcare. In these roles, he has developed and led system-based initiatives that reduced caregiver injuries associated with manually lifting and moving of patients. Additionally, he has facilitated the deployment and adoption of patient fall and pressure injury reduction initiatives associated with immobility. Bob is a founding Board member and the past President of the Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals. He was the recipient of the Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Advocacy Award in 2017.
Outgoing Board Members
Edward Hall, MS, CSP, CSPHP
Edward “Ed” Hall to Keck Medicine of USC where he serve as the senior executive administrator for Integrated Risk Management. A nationally-recognized leader with over 25 years of diverse risk and insurance management experience, Ed brings tremendous knowledge and skill to the position. Ed is responsible for designing and executing the Integrated Risk Management department’s business strategy, and will evaluate and monitor our medical enterprise’s operational risk. Ed has oversite of the identification of risk management trends across various entities, and is directly responsible for the data management required to build an integrated picture of organizational-wide risk. Ed provides subject matter expertise support across Keck Medicine to establish safety best practices, and align Risk Management and Risk Financing strategies with the organization’s mission, values, and goals.
Prior to joining Keck Medicine, Ed served as an officer and executive director for strategic risk management at Stanford University Medical Center. There, he leveraged evidence-based solutions for a variety of patient and employee safety initiatives. His experience included various oversite functions for the Medical Center’s risk finance, clinical risk, claims, safety, and workers’ compensation program covering over 190 locations in multiple states. Also, Ed co-founded Stanford Medical Center’s risk management for profit division known as The Risk Authority, and served as the chairman for the Medical Center’s Executive Safety Committee, resulting in over $20 million in savings on workers’ compensation efforts. Ed holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Risk and Safety Management and a Master of Science degree in Loss Prevention and Safety from Eastern Kentucky University. Ed was a founding member and Past President of ASPHP.
Nicole Hopewell, PT, MS, CSPHP
Nicole Hopewell is a Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Clinical Consultant with Baxter. She is a licensed physical therapist, certified Safe Patient Handling Professional and Caritas Coach®. In a career that spans over 3 decades, she has experience in healthcare leadership, education, and direct patient care in a variety of clinical settings, including acute care, outpatient rehab and women’s health. She has spoken nationally on topics related to healthcare safety and safe mobility. In addition, Nicole has established a reputation for collaboration and partnership to drive change and improve patient and caregiver safety. Nicole completed her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from New York University and her Master of Science in Health Services Administration from Regis University. She resides in Boulder County, Colorado.
Tricia Jaworski, OTR/L, CSPHP
An Occupational Therapist by background, Tricia has worked at Advocate Health for over 25 years. Advocate Health is the 3rd largest not-for-profit integrated healthcare system in the United States. Tricia currently is the Midwest System Safe Patient Handling & Mobility (SPHM) Program Manager overseeing programs in IL and WI. Tricia is certified as an Occupational Therapist through NBCOT and is a Certified Safe Patient Handling Professional (CSPHP). Tricia serves on the Alumni Association Board for the School of Health Professions at Concordia University Wisconsin. Tricia is currently serving her second term on the ASPHP board of Directors. As a member of ASPHP, Tricia is active on the education committee and co-chairs the marketing committee. Tricia is a co-chair of the IL, MN, and WI SPHM Network, offering SPHM educational opportunities, conferences, networking, and support for those involved in SPHM across the states of IL, MN, and WI.
Member At Large
Rhonda Turner, MSN- LD, CSPHA
Rhonda has been in healthcare for 36 years in various roles. She acquired her BSN in 2014 and her MSN-Leadership in 2018. She currently works as a RN Operations Support Specialist. Her primary role includes supporting onboarding, education, quality metrics, strategic initiatives, through partnering with leadership and the bedside staff. In addition, she leads a large healthcare system for fall prevention, SPHM, and early mobility by identifying methods to increase awareness and how a focused program can positively impact patient outcomes while reducing injuries to the patients and frontline staff. Rhonda is a national and international speaker since 2015, a published author, has been a board member of ASPHP since 2019 moving into her second term. She is also in progress of acquiring her DNP. Her mantra is “Empowering others to lead the future”.
Association Advisor
Kent W. Wilson, CIE, CSPHP
Kent Wilson has been involved with safety and health promotion for over 30 years. He has performed ergonomic and safety evaluations for over a hundred healthcare facilities around the world and assisted them with the writing and implementation of their Safe Patient Handling policies and programs. He is a Certified Industrial Ergonomist (CIE) and a Certified Safe Patient Handling Professional (CSPHP). Mr. Wilson takes an active role in the development of regulatory standards and has been a member of several American National Standards Institute (ANSI) committees. He has testified before the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) in ergonomics for the development of national standards and helped write the position statement for the American Industrial Hygiene Association on patient handling to Congress. He co-authored the whitepaper for the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals (ASPHP) titled, “Advancing the Science and Technology of Progressive Mobility”. Mr. Wilson is a past Chair of the Ergonomics Standing Committee for the National Safety Council and a founding member and Past President of the Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals. Mr. Wilson is also a frequent invited speaker for national conferences on Patient Handling management and the Bariatric patient. He is the recipient of the 2019 Safe Patient Handling Advocacy Award from the ASPHP and participates on multiple committees for this association related to certification.
Association Advisor
Guy Fragala, Ph.D., PE, CSP, CSPHP
Dr. Fragala is a thought leader for the integration of patient and caregiver safety related technologies into the process of healthcare delivery. He has many years of experience as a well-respected healthcare professional and faculty member working in major academic medical institutions and important American industries. Most of his professional career was spent at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He has actively assisted some of the largest providers of medical equipment in the world, such as Stryker, Hill Rom, Arjo, Joerns and Midmark. with effectively bringing their technology solutions to market and establishing these solutions as industry standards. He is recognized as a founder of the Safe Patient Handling and Mobility movement in the United States. He has been sought out as an advisor for government agencies, professional organizations, accreditation bodies and large healthcare operations. He has lectured throughout the world and is considered an international expert in the application of ergonomics to the healthcare setting. Currently he helps and supports professional organizations, medical technology providers and healthcare facilities with their development and operational efforts. He has been a recipient of the National Advocacy Award for Improved Caregiver Safety and was presented the Bernice Owen Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Research Award. He has authored over 100 publications and his book entitled, Ergonomics: How to Contain On-the-Job Injuries in Healthcare, published by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, has influenced much of the work today related to healthcare ergonomics and safe patient handling and mobility programs.
Colin J. Brigham, BS, MS, CSPHP-Retired, FAIHA
Colin has been an occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) professional for 52 years. For his first 10 years he provided services to a Fortune 300 manufacturing company with 52 plants in 14 states and 6 counties, visiting most of them. For the remaining 42 years he was in consulting, providing services to all types of clients, including healthcare. This included all the different environments of care, including acute, long-term, outpatient, rehabilitation, EMT. and home care. He provides and/or managed the provision of services to over 200 healthcare locations. He was a founder and 2nd President of the ASPHP. He was a contributor to the ANA SPHM Interprofessional Standards, both the first and second editions, and was awarded the 2015 ASPHP SPHM Advocacy award. As a member of the AIHA, he was the project lead and one of 3 primary authors in the joint AIHA/ASPHP/ANA white paper entitled Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM): A Process to Protect Health Care Providers and Recipients. Upon retirement in 2022, he let his CIH, CSP, CPE and CPEA certifications lapse.
