Phyllis Arn Zimmer, MN, FNP, FAANP, FAAN
President and Chair of the Board of Directors

Phyllis is a Family Nurse Practitioner who is also the Founder/President of the Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation (NPHF), and a faculty member at the University of Washington School of Nursing.  She is past president of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties and the American College of Nurse Practitioners, and was a Primary Care Policy Fellow for the US Public Health Service.  She has done a TED Talk, spoken for the Women Leaders Forum of the United Nations, and presented to the World Health Organization. She has provided significant leadership in the Nurse Practitioners profession at state, national, and international levels. She is the recipient of a number of honors, including the Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Educator award, the Sharp Cutting Edge Award, and the Loretta C. Ford Lifetime Achievement Award. She is passionate about the Nurse Practitioner role, and committed to advancing healthcare using a nursing model of care.
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Email:  info@americasnurses.com

David L. Knowlton, MA
Vice President and Director, Board of Directors  

Dave is a leader in healthcare issues in New Jersey and nationally. He was a founding member and the President and CEO of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, an independent organization promoting healthcare quality, safety, accountability, and cost-containment.  Prior, he formed the Payers Coalition of New Jersey, a non-profit representing business and labor organizations that provide healthcare. Dave served as the Chairman of The Leapfrog Group, a national organization promoting healthcare safety and quality and was instrumental in designing and implementing a single letter grade reflecting hospital safety (the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Score) nationwide.  In government, he served as the New Jersey Deputy and Acting Commissioner of Health and led Governor Christie’s transition team on healthcare.  He has served as a member of the National Quality Forum’s (NQF) Steering Committee.  David serves on numerous boards including the Healthwell Foundation (Vice Chairman & Compliance Officer), Integrity Health, Partners in Care (outside director) and Cannabis Education & Research Institute (Chairman) as well as serving as the non-nurse co-lead of New Jereset's Leadership Team on the Future of Nursing...
 
Email: info@americasnurses.com
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Jeffrey A. Warren, MPA 
Chief Marketing Officer and Director, Board of Directors

Jeff has more than 35 years of healthcare leadership experience including government, hospital administration, philanthropy, consulting and the pharmaceutical industry. He was the first Executive secretary at the NJ Hospital Rate Setting  Commission.  He served as VP & EVP of development for a Hospital and Hospital system in NJ and a Sr. Director at Pfizer Health Solutions.   Jeff is a principal with JR Market Strategies, a healthcare consulting firm that focuses on strategic business development for early stage ventures and is an advisor to two health related technology companies.  He has significant expertise in building public-private partnerships.  He has served on the board of the Health Enhancement Research Organization and the American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations, and was a National Program Director for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a Senior Advisor to the National Pharmaceutical Council.
 
 Email: info@americasnurses.com

Robert D. Moroni, CPA, MHSA, MBA 
Chief Financial Officer and Director, Board of Directors

Rob is the Senior Executive of Human Resources for Greenberg Traurig an international law firm with 4000 employees.  Rob has over 20 years of experience in healthcare, with specialized expertise in employer-related health plans which began when Rob held a senior leadership role at General Motors Corporation where he was responsible for all strategic and operational administration activities in support of over 150 health care plans for more than 1.1 million lives.  In addition to being responsible for an annual budget of more than $5 billion, he also served as legal plan fiduciary, risk manager and HIPAA privacy officer.  Mr. Moroni has had a strong presence in federal legislative and regulatory affairs and has worked on Medicare Part D and Health Care Savings Account legislation,and has testified before the United States Energy and Commerce/Health Subcommittee on prescription drugs efficacy . Mr. Moroni served on the board of directors and executive committee of The Leapfrog Group, which initiates breakthroughs in health care safety, quality and affordability.  Rob is currently an Adjunct Faculty to the Masters of Science in Healthcare Decision Analysis program at the University of Southern California and a frequent lecturer at Rutgers University.  Mr. Moroni, a Certified Public Accountant, has a Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA) from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, an MBA from the University of Detroit.
 
Email: info@americasnurses.com

Wendy L, Wright
DNP, ANP-BC, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, FNAP
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Wendy is certified as both an Adult Nurse Practitioner and a Family Nurse Practitioner and holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. She is the owner of two award-winning nurse practitioner family practices in New Hampshire (Wright & Associates Family Healthcare), recognized for their high-quality care and nursing model of care delivery. Her family practices have received the Top Providers in Souhegan Valley New Hampshire 2018 and 2020, Top 20 Fastest Growing Family Business, and Top 20 Women-Owned Business in New Hampshire awards. She is the founder of the NH Chamber of Entrepreneurial Nurse Practitioners, an organization designed to assist nurse practitioners with full practice authority and business issues. In addition to her clinical practice, Wendy is the owner of Partners in Healthcare Education, a medical education company. She regularly presents clinical education at nurse practitioner conferences and has been a sought-after speaker at over 4,000 conferences in 47 states. She is the Past President of NPACE. Currently she serves as a Senior Lecturer for Fitzgerald Health Education Associates and is the nurse practitioner representative to the State of New Hampshire Immunization Advisory Board. Wendy has been a medical media spokesperson for numerous companies and has appeared on radio, television, and in print magazines. She is frequently consulted by malpractice attorneys in the areas of clinical practice standards, and nurse practitioner scope of practice. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the AANP New Hampshire State Excellence Award (1999), NH Nurse Practitioner of the Year (2009), Top 5 Women in New Hampshire Business Award (2014), Top 10 NPs in America (2018), W. David LaFevers Lectureship Award (2019), Top Family Practice Provider in  Souhegan Valley (2020), and the NHNPA Advocate of the Year (2021). In recognition of her many contributions to Nursing and healthcare, she was inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners; a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, and a Fellow in the National Academies of Practice.
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 Email: info@americasnurses.com

Patricia Kappas-Larson, DNP, MPH, APRN-BC, FAAN
Member, Leadership Team

Pat has worked nationally and internationally to galvanize public and private support for nurse-driven models of care and to strengthen the voice of nursing in key policy discussions. Her innovative work in practice and systems transformation has had an extraordinary impact on the health of people living with chronic conditions and generating substantial savings to the health care system. She has been a catalyst for public and private partnerships that continue to improve access, quality of life for thousands of people, promote nurse practitioners practicing at the highest level of their education and ability and in the development of nurse driven primary care practices. An experienced health care consultant with proven strategic leadership, Dr. Kappas-Larson is known for executing sustainable initiatives that focus on design and delivery of innovative care models in diversified settings. She has developed nurse -led practices, Medicare and Medicaid programs, and care management services. During her career, she was a key contributor and leader at United Healthcare, developing and guiding the Evercare/Optum care delivery programs and expanding the populations they served and increasing their availability across the United States and in the UK. A graduate of Augustana University in South Dakota and the University of Minnesota, she has served on a number of boards, and continues to actively engage in public policy.
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 Email: info@americasnurses.com

Vincent Sperandeo DNP, FNP-BC, ENP-BC
Member, Leadership Team

Vincent spent the majority of his healthcare career working in Emergency Medicine as the Chief Nurse Practitioner.  In addition to clinical responsibility, he was Chair of the Bioterrorism Department and a member of the State Bioterrorism Preparedness Division for New York State hospitals. As a nurse entrepreneur, he opened urgent care centers on Long Island. He is a past adjunct professor at Georgetown University and is presently serving as clinical faculty at Drexel University.  In addition to serving on the leadership team of America’s Nurses, he holds a board position with Generation Nurse Practitioners.  Vincent opened and is President/CEO of Fusion Healthcare, a primary care practice located in Long Island, New York. Vincent received his Bachelor’s degree in both Psychology and Nursing from Stony Brook University, a Master’s in Nursing from Molloy College, and Doctorate from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.  He is Board Certified both as a Family Nurse Practitioner and Emergency Nurse Practitioner.
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Email: info@americasnurses.com

Jennifer L. Gillooly
Administrative Director

Jen began her career in Medical Insurance and privately held health centers 30 years ago.  She has over 25 years experience in  Provider Affairs and Health Care Marketing. She served as a Regional Administrator for Horizon BCBSNJ, working closely with the President and overseeing a team of 15+ marketing staff and project managers that educated and recruited in NJ, and negotiated contracts and managed risk arrangements. She has worked as a consultant for various healthcare related projects over the years on both the payer and provider sides of the business.  Additionally, Jen established a property management company, which she still maintains, operates and oversees all aspects of the business. She serves as a co-chair for the HFMA Payer Provider Collaboration Committee and is the first Payer member of the HFMA Revenue Integrity forum.  In addition, she has training as a CRCR (Certified Revenue Cycle Representative). She has served on multiple community and charity boards, and continues working with the community on locally based projects and events.
 
Contact:  jgillooly@americasnurses.com