Adam Rademacher

(HE/HIM/HIS)

Adam Rademacher is the Director of Operations for AMN Healthcare Language Services, where he leads teams and oversees operations in the healthcare technology and language services industry. As a Director, Adam's leadership extends to Project Management, Implementation, Supply Chain Management, and Field Services teams. With over two decades of experience, Adam is a skilled leader, internationally certified Project Manager, and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Adam's journey in healthcare began in 2002 as a Freelance Sign Language Interpreter, specializing in serving the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing communities. Additionally, Adam is a Certified ADA Coordinator through the ADA Coordinator Training Certification Program (ACTCP).

ASHLEY R. WALKER, PHARMD

(SHE/HER/HERS)

Dr. Ashley Walker is a pharmacist, entrepreneur, and an advocate. Dr. Walker holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Xavier University of Louisiana and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology from Rochester Institute of Technology. She has been a pharmacist for 7 years and recently transitioned into full time entrepreneurship. Through her business, Med Max Consulting, LLC., Dr. Walker advocates for members of the deaf and hard of hearing community, as well as offers medication counseling services to help this unique community maximize and optimize their medication therapy.

Carla Fogaren, RN

(SHE/HER/HERS)

Carla has served as the System Director of Diversity Initiatives, Interpreter Services and ADA/504 and Section 1557 Coordinator for a large health care system with forty-two hospitals and 46,000 employees in eleven states. Carla is known nationally as a pioneer in the field of medical interpreting as well as a national consultant on language access, health disparities, disabilities, and regulatory requirements for hospitals. She had created and implemented bilingual clinical staff language assessment to comply with Section 1557. Carla has performed over sixty gap analysis for hospitals and clinics to assess compliance with Joint Commission, DNV, ADA and other federal and state requirements. She is currently the Vice-President of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCHIC).

CAROLINE K. KOO, MS

(SHE/HER/HERS)

Caroline K. Koo is an Adjunct Professor in the Student Development and a Registration Liaison at Austin Community College, Austin, Texas for 12 years. She also taught Deaf students in Early Childhood to Adult Learners for 10 years. She is currently a doctoral student in Deaf Studies Deaf Education at Lamar University with interests in language deprivation, mental health, and intersectionality. She has a lifelong passion for educating, presenting, and training on post-secondary opportunities. Moreover, she enjoys advising on navigation with accessibility, diversity, inclusion, and equity. Healthcare for Deaf patients is her latest area of deep interest.

CHRISTOPHER MORELAND, MD, MPH, FACP, FHM

(HE/HIM/HIS)

Dr. Chris Moreland is an academic internal medicine physician and associate residency director at Dell Medical School at UT Austin. As a clinician educator and administrator, and as President of Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses (AMPHL), he supports and mentors current and future healthcare professionals, and has been highly engaged in interpreter education. His publications and presentations address health disparities, workforce diversity, and the education of interpreters as healthcare specialists.

Corey Axelrod, MBA

(HE/HIM/HIS)

Corey Axelrod, MBA, is fourth generation Deaf, a passionate social justice advocate and social entrepreneur. As founder and CEO of 2axend, he helps organizations deliver user-centric experiences for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Corey currently serves as a member of the ASTM International F43.06 Subcommittee on Captioning Standards. Previously, he served as a member of the Northwest Community Hospital’s Patient and Family Advisory Council and as a three-term president of the Illinois Association of the Deaf. He also served as a member of the Village of Arlington Heights’ Commission for Citizens with Disabilities, Illinois School for the Deaf Advisory Council and Chicago Hearing Society Advisory Council.

Jackie Beckerman, MPH

(SHE/HER/HERS)

Jackie Beckerman MPH, Chief Patient Experience Officer and Senior Director of the ICARE Commitment at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), has worked passionately over the last 15 years to improve the healthcare experience for ALL patients and families, as well as for providers, care teams and all employees. Jackie was the architect of the ICARE values and ultimately the Patient Experience Initiative at Strong Memorial Hospital and URMC. She has been instrumental in developing a multi-faceted, interprofessional approach to patient and family-centered care and involvement. Recognizing the need to provide every patient a voice, Jackie implemented a Deaf Patient and Family Advisory Council in 2018, which has proven to be essential in helping URMC improve the care and experience provided to their Deaf and Hard of Hearing Patients.

Juana Poareo

(SHE/HER/HERS)

Juana Poareo is the founder of Being Access-able, an accessibility resource hub for brands and entrepreneurs interested in making their digital presence accessible to people with disabilities. Juana also writes about accessibility and senior living.

Karen Schaefer

(SHE/HER/HERS)

Karen Schaefer serves as Director of Volunteer Services for Advocate Health and as part of the Department of Patient Experience she also co-leads system-wide Patient Family Advisory Councils (PFACs), including the Deaf/Hard of Hearing PFAC. In her PFAC co-lead role, Karen serves as a liaison between the patient council and hospital/clinic operations to ensure the patient guidance and feedback is shaping the operational improvement work and she initiates service change and improvement based on learnings from the various councils. In her volunteer director role, Karen develops and directs the strategic development, planning and implementation of volunteer services to align with patient experience for the system including hospitals, clinics and other community-based programs. She also designs and implements new volunteer roles that allow us to support patient healing and reduce fear and anxiety for our patients and support the care team.

Kristi L. Kirschner, MD

(SHE/HER/HERS)

Kristi L. Kirschner, MD is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Medical Education (DME), with secondary appointments in the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation and Academic Internal Medicine (in the University of Illinois College of Medicine), and also in the Department of Disability and Human Development UIC. She is the director of undergraduate education for DME, and the subtheme leader for Health Humanities and Ethics for the University of Illinois College of Medicine, where she also works to incorporate curriculum on disability concepts. As background, she is a physician specializing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with particular interest in the needs of patients with complex neurological disabilities, including adults with spina bifida, neuromuscular diseases and cerebral palsy.

Malvina Gregory

(she/ella/ela)

Malvina has more than two decades of experience in cross-cultural work and language access. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and the Boston University Medical and Legal Interpretation programs, and worked for many years as a Spanish freelance medical and legal interpreter, and later in Portuguese as well. She currently serves as the leader of MaineHealth’s Interpreter & Cross-Cultural Services team. She began as the Manager of Interpreter Services at MaineHealth’s lead hospital Maine Medical Center in 2019. As the pandemic highlighted language access disparities she worked to grow their programs to achieve statewide reach, becoming Director in 2021. Previously to her role at MaineHealth, she directed Catholic Charities Maine’s Interpreter Services program. A long-time advocate for immigrants’ rights, she wrote one book and translated another about Latinx immigrant experience and is currently the board President of Presente! Maine. In September 2023, she received the Special Commendation Award from the State of Maine Commission for Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened, an award given to an individual, agency or business whose activities in and with the Deaf Community deserves recognition.

Morgan Underwood, MS

(SHE/HER/HERS)

Morgan Underwood is the Manager for ASL Interpreter Services for Patient Care at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) in Rochester, NY. URMC is home to one of America’s largest ASL/Deaf interpreter programs specializing in healthcare as well as an active Deaf Patient and Family Advisory Council. Morgan is an American Sign Language interpreter with over 15 years of professional experience in various settings. She earned BS (American Sign Language- English Interpretation) and MS (Communication Media Technologies) degrees from Rochester Institute of Technology. She enjoys partnering with other language professionals and healthcare systems to develop strategies and best practices for excellence in healthcare interpreting and improved patient experience for the Deaf community.

Rosemary Ford, MBA, OTC, NHICS-A/Licensed

Rosemary Ford, MBA, OTC, NHICS-A/Licensed is the System Director of Interpreter Services for Covenant Health, Inc. (CHI), a regional Catholic health delivery network consisting of three acute care and thirteen post-acute care organizations throughout New England. She is a nationally certified Oral Transliterator and a New Hampshire advanced-screened/licensed American Sign Language interpreter. During her 12+ years as System Director at CHI, Rosemary has spearheaded the development of its Interpreter Services Department and has created a robust standardized program utilizing certified/qualified on-site interpreters, telephone and video remote interpreters, as well as professional translation services. Rosemary also sits on the executive board of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care and previously served as the NH Registry of Interpreters President and as a representative on the NH State Licensure Board of Interpreters.

SHANNON SHIVER, MSW, LCSW

(SHE/HER/HERS)

Shannon Shiver is a licensed clinical social worker with over ten years of experience working with a diverse range of clients in a variety of clinical practice and community settings. She has gained a wealth of experience in multidisciplinary roles, where she has acted as a counselor, educator, and overall advocate of the Deaf community. As a strong endorser of community-based intervention and outreach efforts, Shannon has an appreciation for the many real-world factors that take place outside of the therapy office, and thus impact the success of advocacy service. As a clinician, she aspires to provide her clients with tools that are realistic and can be practically-applied to the surroundings they face.

SHAWN M. NORRIS, RID: ED K-12, NIC, CoreCHI

(HE/HIM/HIS)

Shawn Norris holds multiple key positions including the President of the Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (FRID) and the Coordinator of Interpreting Services at UF Health St. Johns in St. Augustine, Florida. With a background enriched by his Deaf parents, Shawn is an active advocate in the Deaf community. He’s spent over a decade in the interpreting field, mentoring emerging interpreters and initiating a local agency to enhance language accessibility in Jacksonville. Currently, he's developing an online community for interpreters and translators. He also serves as a Commissioner for the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) and a member of the SAFE-AI task force. Outside his profession, he values family time, reading, and football.

SHAZIA SIDDIQI, MD, MPH

(SHE/HER/HERS)

Dr. Shazia Siddiqi is a Staff Scientist at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, NY. Dr. Siddiqi earned a Bachelor’s in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley, a Master’s in Public Health from Dartmouth College, and a Doctor of Medicine degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine. Dr. Siddiqi has long worked closely with historically excluded populations, exploring how social determinants affect health outcomes aiming at Deaf health equity, disability justice, and reproductive justice. Her goals are to ensure that Deaf people who have historically been excluded from research data are now forefront and visible in research and apply these research findings to effect policy change at local, state, national, and international levels. Outside of her work, Dr. Siddiqi serves as the president of the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses.