ASPHP Executive Officers
PRESIDENT, 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.
VICE 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.
PAST PRESIDENT, ASPHP
Asha Roy, OTD, OTR/L, MBA, MAS PS HQ, CSPHP, CWcHP, CEAS II, AOEAS
Director, Workforce Safety, Northwell Health
Asha is an Occupational Therapist by trade with an extensive background in injury prevention and absence management. She has a doctorate in OT with a specialization in Administration and Practice Management that has allowed her to successfully navigate the organizational barriers associated with change management initiatives in large organizations. Asha has worked on safe patient handling program development in 20+ hospitals and two sub-acute rehabilitation & skilled nursing facilities with over 6,600 hospital and long-term care beds in New York. She works closely with the risk management division to analyze each injury towards identifying opportunities and vulnerabilities. Using her analytical skills and working with the finance team, her team successfully developed a plan to procure the required equipment for all sites while using the large size of Northwell Health System as leverage to negotiate pricing with various equipment vendors. Her engagement efforts have led to successful statewide education events (conferences and webinars) to promote current evidence-based safe patient handling and mobility practices. She is a Board Member for the Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals and an active member of the Education Committee.
SECRETARY / TREASURER, ASPHP
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”.
ASPHP Board Members
Margaret Arnold, PT, CEES, CSPHP
Margaret Arnold has over 20 years’ experience as a PT, and is owner of Inspire Outcomes LLC, a safe patient handling / early mobility consulting company. Certified in Ergonomic Evaluation and a Safe Patient Handling Professional, Margaret managed a SPHM program for over eight years, where WMSDs were reduced by 95%. She has taught SPHM to university DPT programs and national rehabilitation hospitals, integrating evidence-based practice with SPHM for rehabilitation. She has spoken extensively at national and international conferences on SPHM and early mobility. Margaret developed the earlymobility.com website, has done a TED talk on SPHM and early mobility, and has published in this area. Margaret is currently working on rehabilitation outcomes research for patients with stroke with SPHM.
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.
Kirsten Berdahl, PT, MEd, CSPHA
Kirsten Berdahl has been a Physical Therapist in Arizona for over 30 years. After 11 years of full-time work in a variety of healthcare settings, she became full-time faculty in the then new Physical Therapist Assistant Program at GateWay Community College. After more than 2 decades of teaching she developed a strong passion for integrating Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Education into the curriculum of GateWay’s many nursing and allied health programs. With a vacant classroom and a little grant money she developed the SaPHE (Safe Patient Handling Education) program. After two years the program was expanded to include a new, fully-equipped, 2000 sq. ft. lab at GateWay’s 18th St. facility where she worked as full-time manager. In July of 2020 she received her Certification in Safe Patient Handling (CSPHA). Ms. Berdahl is now semi-retired but continues to teach and develop SPHM programs. Prior to be elected to the board she was a member of the Curriculum Task force (ASPHP) and contributed to the Education Committee’s White Paper on SPHM in Higher Ed.
Lynda Enos, RN, BSN, MS, COHN-S. CPE
Lynda Enos is a certified occupational health nurse and certified professional ergonomist with over 30 years of work and consulting experience in industrial and health care ergonomics.
Work experience includes consultation in safe patient handling and mobility.
(SPHM) and ergonomics for over 40 hospital systems, clinics, assisted living facilities, and home health services. She developed, facilitated, and evaluated SPHM programs for up to 6 years per facility.
Lynda is the SPHM clinical consultant for a Level 1 trauma hospital in Oregon where she assists to manage a comprehensive SPH program and provide clinical problem solving at the bedside to help staff address patient mobility challenges.
She has been a contributing author for several ergonomics, safe patient handling and mobility and workplace violence guidelines and standards including the American Nurses Association (ANA) Interprofessional Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Standards 2013 and 2021.
Lynda was also an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) representative member of the committee that developed ISO standard
10535:2021 Hoists for the transfer of disabled persons – Requirements and test methods.
She is recipient of the 2017 Advocacy Award for Safe Patient Handling awarded by the Tampa VA Research and Education Foundation and the Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals.
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.
Jay Hamilton-Roque
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.
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 Aurora Health for 25 years. Advocate Aurora Health is the 12th largest not-for-profit integrated healthcare system in the United States. Tricia currently is a 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. 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 WI SPHM Network, offering SPHM educational opportunities, conferences, networking, and support for those involved in SPHM across the state of WI.
Nancy McGann, PT, CSPHP, CPPS
Nancy McGann has worked as a physical therapist and ergonomic consultant in industry and healthcare for 33 years. For the past 15 years, she has worked for SCL Health (now Intermountain Healthcare / Peaks Region) in ergonomics and SPHM. She is currently the Regional Manager of Caregiver Safety in the Quality and Safety Department which includes eight hospitals and hundreds of ambulatory centers. Prior to her current role, she was the System Manager for Ergonomics and SPHM for 5 years. She has spoken extensively in the areas of ergonomics and SPHM on state and national levels and has several peer reviewed publications. Prior to working for SCL Health based in Colorado, she worked for a critical access hospital in Idaho, and for Braintree Rehab and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She is passionate about patient safety through safe mobility and has certifications in both patient handling and patient safety. Her passion is to prevent harm by creating an environment that promotes safe mobilization throughout the continuum of care.
Susan Salsbury, BS, OTR/L CDMS, CSPHP
Susan Lennon Salsbury BS, OTR/L, CDMS, CSPHP is a 1980 graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Allied Medical Professions. She is a licensed Occupational Therapist, a Certified Disability Management Specialist and a Certified Safe Patient Handling Professional.
She has over 40 years’ experience in clinical and employer-based environments and has developed and implemented occupational rehabilitation programs in both settings. Susan has presented programs locally, statewide, and nationally on Transitional Work, Ergonomics, and Safe Patient Handling to health professional groups.
Susan is published in peer-reviewed publications, including the American Journal of Safe Patient Handling and Movement, The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing and Critical Care Nurse Q. She was a contributing author to the ANA Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Interprofessional National Standards Across the Care Continuum second edition 2021.
She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association, the Ohio Occupational Therapy Association, and the Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals. She is a Board member for the Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals, co-chairing the Education Committee. She was awarded the Advocacy Award for Safe Patient Handling at the 2018 National Safe Patient Handling Conference.
Yeu-Li Yeung, MS, OT/L, CPE, CSPHP
Yeu-Li Yeung has almost 20 years of experience in healthcare ergonomics. As the Patient Care Ergonomics Coordinator at Duke University & Duke Health, she has implemented the SPHM program at Duke University Hospital and expanded the program to ambulatory clinics and other areas.
Her responsibilities include conducting assessments, identifying solutions, as well as developing and providing training for SPHM and other areas in the health system to enhance safety and quality for both patients and employees. Yeu-Li teaches SPHM at the School of Nursing and the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program at Duke University. She has presented on SPHM and other healthcare ergonomic topics at national conferences and has published in peer-reviewed journals on SPHM topics. Yeu-Li is an occupational therapist, a certified professional ergonomist, and a certified safe patient handling professional.
Outgoing Board Member
Robert Masterman, MSPT, CSPHC
Rob is currently the Co-Chair of the Governance Committee. He has over 17 years of experience as a PT in acute and rehabilitation settings. He has assisted with the development of SPHM education used in affiliation with the University of Rochester Medical Center. He is currently a level III physical therapist, the SPHM Coordinator, and Co-Chair of the Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Team at Highland Hospital. Rob is a Certified Safe Patient Handling Clinician and has co-authored articles published in the International Journal of SPHM. Past speaking engagements include presentations at Highland Hospital’s Acute Caring for Elders Day and Clinical Grand Rounds, numerous ASPHP webinar presentations and the SPHM Summit panel on Challenging Patients. He was a co-presenter at ASPHP’s 2020 national educational event and co-presenter for an international webinar. Rob is also involved in education at St. John Fisher College as a guest lecturer on SPHM for the Wegman’s School of Nursing.
Outgoing Member At Large
Justin Mierke
Justin Mierke is the North America Director of Marketing for Guldmann Inc. He got his start in SPHM in 2007 as a Product Specialist introducing the benefits of ceiling lift technology in acute and long-term care sectors. With a strong entrepreneurial skillset, he took on the role as Country Manager for Guldmann’s expansion into Canada as the very first Canadian employee and created the foundation for how it operates to this day. In 2017, based in Boston, Massachusetts, Justin took on a new role as Marketing and Communications Manager. This led to further growth and to his current position as Director, which is more aligned with his passion: Design. He is responsible for designing, planning, development, and implementation of all the Guldmann Inc. and Stepless USA marketing strategies, marketing communications, and public relations activities. Since 2019, Justin has been a member of the Marketing Committee for the ASPHP.
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.
