2005 AIM Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas - May 11, 2005

Biographical Sketches of Presenters and Meeting Participants

Nancy Achin Audesse

Nancy Achin Audesse, Executive Director of the Board of Registration in Medicine, has been a tireless advocate for patients' rights in Massachusetts and throughout the country.

As a teenager, she overcame a battle with Hodgkin's Disease, a lymphatic cancer, to graduate from Harvard University. After a successful business career, Nancy Achin Audesse turned to public service. She worked to meet the needs of inner-city children as the Executive Director of the Lowell Girls Club and was active in numerous civic and cultural activities in her hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts.

This sense of public service led her to run, successfully, for the Massachusetts State Senate in 1990. As a Senator, she responded to many health care issues affecting the people of Massachusetts. She sponsored or co-sponsored legislation to improve the quality of mammography services in Massachusetts, to fund the state Breast Cancer Initiative, and to require insurance coverage for certain categories of cancer treatments.

She has also been active in citizen lobbying efforts to improve health care on the federal level. The Senator's legislative career was cut short when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and was too ill to seek re-election.

As a private citizen, Nancy Achin Audesse used her knowledge of the legislative initiatives and passion for public service to mobilize community groups and individuals to become involved in changes in health care policy and funding.

Despite a recurrence of her breast cancer, Nancy Achin Audesse accepted the challenge of developing breast cancer Education & Outreach programs for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health while undergoing rigorous cancer treatment. At the same time, she was the statewide Crusade Chair for the American Cancer Society and chaired its "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer" walk to awareness and funds for breast cancer research.

She has spoken to hundreds of community groups throughout the country on the importance of patient empowerment and has contributed to many publications on health care issues. In 1994, she was honored by Turner Broadcasting Systems as one of five outstanding women in America for her contributions to women's health.

She was also the first recipient of the Sullivan Award [her name was formerly Nancy Achin Sullivan], named in her honor by the Massachusetts Society of Clinical Oncologists, which recognizes the contributions of non-physicians in the fight against cancer.

In 1996, she led the successful effort to implement the Board of Registration in Medicine's Physicians Profiles program, a first-in-the-nation effort to give patients more information about their health care providers.

Nancy Achin Audesse dedicates her work on behalf of patients to two courageous women; her beloved aunt, Elaine Pyne, and Nancy's younger sister, Elizabeth Achin. They died within three days of each other in 1996 after long battles with cancer.

Randall R. Bovbjerg, J.D.
Principal Research Associate, Health Policy Center
The Urban Institute, Washington, DC

Randall R. Bovbjerg, J.D., (pronounced Bo' berg), is principal research associate at the Health Policy Center of the Urban Institute and an expert in medical injury, malpractice and reform policy issues. The Urban Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan policy research and educational organization established to examine the social, economic and governance problems facing the nation.

Bovbjerg has 30 years of experience in health policy. He makes frequent presentations to public and private policymakers and has authored articles for more than 100 publications, including chapter six of the 1999 Institute of Medicine report, To Err is Human. Before joining the Urban Institute, he was an insurance regulator in Massachusetts.

Bovbjerg is a member of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization's Tort Resolution and Injury Prevention Roundtable. He has also served on the D.C. Health Care Reform Commission, has been an editor for Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, a peer reviewer, and has taught courses for Duke University in Durham, N.C., Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Bovbjerg received his law degree from Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., and his bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Chicago.

LARRY BUENING, JD

LARRY BUENING, JD, served as AIM’s Central Region Representative for four years from April 2000 through October 2004.  He received his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University and was in the private practice of law for more than eight years following graduation from Washburn University School of Law.  He has been employed by the Kansas Board for more than 20 years and served as Disciplinary Counsel and General Counsel prior to being named Executive Director in 1991.  He has served as the Chairman of the Topeka, Kansas Bar Association Naturalization Committee and as member of the Executive Committee.  He has been a member of the FSMB Task Force on Americans with Disabilities Act, the Program Committee and the License Portability Group-West.  He was a member of the USMLE Test Accommodations Committee and currently serves as a member of the Score Validity Committee. 

TONY CLARK, JD

Drennan A. "Tony" Clark is the Executive Secretary and Special Counsel for the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners.  He received his Batchelors degree in Political Science and his J.D. from the University of San Francisco.  On graduation from Law School, he served a 1 year clerkship at the Nevada Supreme Court.  He then entered private practice with the Reno law firm of Guild, Guild & Cunningham as an associate.  He later became a partner in the firm, which became Guild, Hagen & Clark, and later Guild, Hagen & Clark, Ltd.  After 21 years in private practice, he was appointed Adjutant General and Commander of the Nevada National Guard.  He served as Adjutant General for just over 14 years, retiring 20 January 2021 as a Major General.  On January 22, 2021 he joined the Nevada Attorney General's Office as Solicitor General.  He left the Nevada Attorney General's Office on June 30, 2020 to join

 the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners
 
He was elected and served as President of the Washoe County Bar Association, was elected to and served two terms on the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Nevada, was appointed to a three year term on Nevada's Board of Parole Commissioners, and three years on the Governing Board of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, a bi-state agency which was charged with controlling growth and the environment at Lake Tahoe.  He was appointed by the Nevada State Bar's Board of Governors to the Nevada Commission on Judicial Discipline where he served for 9 years.
 
He also has received a Professional Certificate in Public Management from the University of Nevada, Reno, and is a graduate of the Air Force's Air Command and Staff College, Air War College, and the National Defense University's  Industrial College of the Armed Forces, a graduate level military course..

Nancy L. Davis, PhD

Director, Division of Continuing Medical Education, American Academy of Family Physicians, Leawood, Kansas 

Dr. Davis joined AAFP in June 2001 after serving for ten years as Director of Postgraduate Education at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita.

Responsibilities include oversight of AAFP’s CME Accreditation system; Home Study program; production of Academy-sponsored CME activities; and annual scientific assembly.  She is Chair of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies CME Directors’ Group; Immediate Past President of the Society for Academic CME; and serves on the CME Advisory committee of the Alliance for CME.  

Dr. Davis earned a PhD in Adult and Continuing Education at Kansas State University in 1998.  Previous experience as a practicing physician assistant and a master’s degree in health care administration have enriched her professional experience in CME.  An experienced educator and researcher, she has taught graduate students, presented at numerous faculty development and CME activities and published in peer reviewed journals, including the Journal for Continuing Education in the Health Professions and Teaching and Learning in Medicine.

LARRY D. DIXON

Senator Dixon, born in Nowata, Oklahoma, on August 31, 1942, is Executive Director of the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners. He is serving his sixth term in the Senate after serving one term in the House of Representatives. Senator Dixon received his B.S. degree in 1968 and his M.A. degree in History from Washington State University. He and Mrs. Dixon, the former Gaynell Kimbrough of Piedmont, are the parents of two daughters: Katherine and Elizabeth. Senator Dixon is a Methodist, a Republican, a member of the Montgomery Lions Club, and the National Administrators in Medicine. He enjoys golf and horses.

Lucy C. Gee 

Lucy received her bachelor’s and master’s degree from Florida State University.  Her graduate degree is in Urban and Regional Planning with a specialty in health planning.  She has worked with the Department of Health for 11 years and is the Chief of the Bureau of Health Care Practitioner Regulation in the Division of Medical Quality Assurance.  The Bureau administers the 22 regulatory boards and 6 regulatory councils that license and discipline licensed health care practitioners.  

During the 2004 hurricane season she was responsible for coordinating the external health care practitioner volunteer efforts as the State of Florida responded to Hurricanes Bonnie, Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne.  She was appointed to act as Incident Commander for the Department of Health for the Hurricane Jeanne response and recovery efforts and in that role saw first-hand how critical it is even in times of dire emergency to never lose sight of the public’s right to safe and quality health care services. 

LaSharn Lockett Hughes, MBA

Executive Director, Georgia Composite State Board of Medical Examiners 

In July 2003 Ms. Hughes was appointed Executive Director of the Composite Board that regulates physicians, physician’s assistants, respiratory care professionals, perfusionists, acupuncturists, and auricular detoxification specialists.  The Board licenses over 33,000 health care professionals.  Ms. Hughes was former executive director of the Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, the Board of Speech Language Pathologist, the Board of Nursing Home Administrators, the Psychology Board, and the Board of Athletic Trainers.   

Ms. Hughes is a graduate of Brenau University, Gainesville, Georgia, where she received her MBA.  Ms. Hughes is also a certified middle school educator.  She is married with three children and resides in Powder Springs, Georgia.

Lyle R. Kelsey 

Lyle Kelsey is the Executive Director of the Oklahoma State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision. The Oklahoma Medical Board regulates approximately 8,000 medical doctors and an additional 8,000 licensees in 9 related health professions. Prior to his current position, he was Associate Director of the Oklahoma State Medical Association for a total of 18 years. Mr. Kelsey obtained a masters degree in business from University of Central Oklahoma and earned the designation as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) in 1992 and as a Certified Medical Board Executive (CMBE) in 2002. He serves on the Editorial Committee of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), as the central region representative of Administrators In Medicine (AIM) and is a member of the African Christian Hospital Board of Trustees.

He and his wife Carol, a realtor, have been married for 37 years and have one daughter, Crystal who is currently in graduate school.

Nancy Kerr, RN, M.A. Ed

Nancy Kerr, RN, M.A. Ed., has been with the Idaho Board of Medicine for 12 years serving as the Executive Director for the past 6 years. Prior to coming to the Idaho Board of Medicine Nancy served in the Air Force for 22 years and is a retired USAF Nurse Corps officer.  

Nancy has undergraduate degrees in nursing from Midwestern State University and education from Wayland Baptist University in Texas. She obtained her Master of Arts in Education, specialty in Curriculum and Instruction, from Chapman University in California. 

Besides various positions with the Air Force she has held Affiliate/Adjunct Faculty positions at the University of South Dakota in Nursing, Park College (Missouri) in Human Biology and has taught various science, technology and psychology courses at junior/technical colleges.  

She has been married for 33 years to husband, Barry and has two children and two grandchildren.

Pamela King

Pamela King is currently the Board Director for the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine.  She has work off and on for both Florida medical boards for the past  9  years.  Pam received her Bachelors of Science degree and Certified Public Managers designation from Florida State University.  Prior to her public service career Pam honed her management skills in private industry.

BRUCE MCINTYRE, JD

Bruce McIntyre has been with the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline since 1991 serving as its General Counsel and Acting Chief Administrative Officer. His legal expertise is in the areas of medical regulation of Physicians, Physician Assistants, Chiropractic Physicians, and the Healing Art of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.  Additionally, he advises the Director of Health on Legal and Legislative Issues, serves as a Hearing Officer for Board of Pharmacy, Board of Nursing, Certificate of Need and other Department of Health divisions. He is a member of the Administrators in Medicine Board of Directors for the Eastern Region and has served on various committees for the Federation of State Medical Boards. He is active in civic and professional associations having served on the Jamestown, Rhode Island, Town Council and is a current member of the Rhode Island Bar Association House of Delegates. He chairs the Fee Arbitration Committee and the Ralph P. Semonoff Award Committee for professionalism at the Rhode Island Bar Association. He is also a member of the Bar of the United States District Court for the First Circuit and of the Supreme Court of the United States of America.

Larry G. McPherson, Jr.

          Executive Director, Florida Board of Medicine - 2002-present

Oversee and coordinate all board functions, including initial licensure, license renewals, physician discipline and rulemaking             

Senior Board Counsel, Agency for Health Care Administration - 1999 – 2002

Oversee and coordinate case settlement process and present disciplinary cases to the Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine; liaison between AHCA, the Department of Health, Board members and Board staff; prepare statistical reports; represent the Agency on matters involving administrative rules and policy; respond to regulatory inquiries; analyze proposed legislation; attend legislative committee meetings; develop and present seminars on medical-legal issues            

Chief Medical Attorney, Agency for Health Care Administration - 1991 – 1999

Litigation Attorney, Department of Business and Professional Regulation - 1988-1991 

            Master of Laws (LL.M.), 1987

            Judge Advocate General School of the Army, Charlottesville, Virginia

 

            Juris Doctor (J.D.), Cum Laude, 1979

            Western New England School of Law, Springfield, Massachusetts

 

            Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), 1969

            Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 

            US Army, Judge Advocate General - 1979-1988

  Assignments included Chief of Criminal Law Division, Chief of Legal Assistance Division, Trial Counsel and Defense Counsel

ROLF P. SLETTEN, JD

Rolf Sletten has served as the Executive Secretary of the North Dakota Board of Medical Examiners since 1983, making him one of the longest serving execs in the U.S. Rolf is currently the vice president of AIM, chairman of the Federation’s Licensure Portability Group-West, and the president of VeriDoc Inc. He is an avid wreck diver and a wanna-be marine archeologist. In an earlier life he was a trial lawyer, a municipal court judge, and a wretchedly unsuccessful rodeo cowboy. He and his wife, Michelle, have three children.

Robin B. Sloane 

 

Robin Sloane has served as the executive director of the 2,700 member Tarrant County Medical Society in Fort Worth, TX for twelve years.  Prior to that, she served as executive director of the county medical society in El Paso, TX for 11 years.  She has a master of science degree in hospital administration from Trinity University and has also earned the certified association executive (CAE) designation. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth and serves as the treasurer of Alliance for Children, an organization that serves children who are involved in the court system due to abuse.  She is married to Robert Sloane and has two stepdaughters.

Mark R. Smith

Mark has been the WFAA-TV investigative producer since 2000.

He and Reporter Brett Shipp have teamed up to win two of broadcast journalism's most prestigious honors: the duPont-Columbia University Silver Baton and Peabody Award.

Mark produced a more than 20-part series, State of Denial, which revealed that Texas regulators often ignored possible fraud and questionable practices by workers' compensation insurance carriers. As a result, thousands of legitimately injured workers - denied benefits and adequate medical care - have lost their cars, homes, families, and even taken their lives. Columbia University awarded the series with a Silver Baton in 2004.

In 2002, Mark and Brett were honored with a du-Pont-Columbia University Silver Baton and Peabody Award for the series, Fake Drugs, Real Lives. The series detailed how paid confidential informants planted billiard chalk to contrive drug cases against dozens of innocent Mexican immigrants. The more than 40-part series led to the dismissal of drug charges against more than 70 defendants. Three informants have pled to the fraud and four police officers have been criminally charged and await trial.

Mark has produced a number of other investigative stories, including a recent series about a paid informant who participated in up to five murders while his federal handlers turned a "blind eye" to his actions.

Prior to joining WFAA-TV, Mark was a print reporter for 15 years. He worked in the Austin and Washington, D.C., bureaus of The San Antonio Express-News. He also worked as an investigative reporter for The Houston Chronicle.

Mark has undergraduate degrees in biology and political science from the University of Washington. He has a Master's in international affairs with a specialty in international journalism from Columbia University.

He lives in Dallas with wife, Christy and six-year-old daughter Miranda.

Charles E. Willis, MBA

 

Charles E. Willis, MBA, directs AMA PRA Standards and Policy Liaison Activities for the Division of Continuing Physician Professional Development.  Charles has been with the AMA for 17 years; most of them involved in some facet of medical education. He managed technical services for the Library, moved to undergraduate medical education issues in Medical Student Services and most recently worked with GME/residency issues as director for International Medical Graduate Services. Charles received his undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and his MBA from Loyola University of Chicago.

 

END OF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH SECTION