National Council

Dean and Professor, College of Nursing and Health Professions, Valparaiso University Valparaiso, Indiana

Karen Allen is the Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Valparaiso University. Allen holds a Ph.D. in nursing sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a master’s in nursing administration and a bachelor’s in nursing from Andrews University. She has also been inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Allen served as chair of the nursing department at Andrews University for 17 years. She has been an avid researcher throughout her career, especially in the areas of addiction and mental health nursing. She was principal researcher/evaluator for “A National Cross-Site Evaluation Study on the Effectiveness of Pregnant and Post-Partum Women and Children’s Substance Abuse Treatment Programs.” Additionally, she assessed the design and function of evaluation programs implemented in federally funded women and children’s substance abuse/treatment centers. She is the recipient of numerous awards throughout her career, including the Andrews University Siegfried H. Horn Excellence in Research and Creative Scholarship Lifetime Achievement Award, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Center for Substance Abuse Treatment Innovator Award for Women’s Substance Abuse Treatment, and the Michigan Nurses Association Carol E. Franck Nursing Leadership Award. Allen has conducted numerous professional presentations related to substance abuse/addictions, and has many publications, including books and articles, in this area as well. She has been a national consultant for years, and served in numerous leadership positions throughout her career – including Member of the National Advisory Council for the United States Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and Member of the Adventist Health Systems Corporate Board of Directors.

Principal · Insight Strategies, LLC

Robert Beyer is a Co-Owner and Principal with Insight Strategies, LLC, a company he and his partner established in 2004. Insight Strategies serves primarily healthcare clients within the US and internationally, with a focus on facilitation of clinical process improvement, organizational development/design and high level strategy development. Bob has over 30 years’ experience in healthcare, including 13 years in clinical services and 17 years as a hospital/system CEO. His leadership experiences as a CEO span a range of settings, from rural hospitals to multi-institutional, regional systems.

He has served on the Boards of the Michigan Hospital Association, the Indiana Health and Hospital Association (as Chair), and the Southeast Michigan Hospital Council (as Chair).

Bob received his B.A. degree with a major in biology from Valparaiso University in 1973 and an M.S. in Business Administration from Indiana University in 1976. He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. His wife, Beverly (Groppe) is a 1973 VU alumna.

Staff Development Instructor · The Chester County Hospital

Kristine Boettcher is a registered nurse who serves as the staff development instructor for The Chester County Hospital in West Chester, Pa. She received her B.S.N. degree from Valparaiso University and her M.S. degree from the University of Minnesota. She is certified in neonatal intensive care nursing and, in May 2008, received her certification in nursing education. Boettcher is interested in medical missions and has participated in mission trips to India and Sri Lanka.

President and CEO · The Brooks Group LLC

An accomplished healthcare executive with a unique blend of leadership experience in for-profit companies, academic administration, and nursing operations, Beth A. Brooks PHD, RN, FACHE, serves on four journal editorial boards, two journal review panels, and a number of advisory boards. She is an internationally recognized expert in quality of nursing work life, having designed a questionnaire that has been used in 33 countries and translated into 9 languages.

Dr. Brooks is widely sought out to turn around struggling organizations including hospitals, academic programs, and professional associations. As the past President of Resurrection University, it tripled in size yielding consecutive robust positive operating margins while maintaining excellent employee and student outcomes.

Beth has served on an expert panel for The Healthcare Leadership Alliance to identify contemporary healthcare executive competencies. While on the advisory board for Malcolm X College (City Colleges of Chicago), she participated in the design of the new virtual hospital. She was also a member of the Education Advisory Committee for the Catholic Health Association.

Dr. Brooks has received numerous honors, awards and appointments, including the Graduate Teaching Award 2005, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago.

Physician · South Bend Clinic

Robert Clausen graduated from Valparaiso University in 1969 in the premedical program with a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry. Following completion of his medical education at Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, South India, he pursued further study in Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. After moving to South Bend, Indiana, he founded the Allergy & Clinical Immunology Department at the South Bend Clinic. For more than thirty years, he provided much of the primary and specialty outpatient care for people with immune dysregulation, including individuals infected and affected with HIV disease in North Central Indiana. In addition to medical practice, he was a member of the faculty at the University of Notre Dame in the Department of Biological Sciences and at the Indiana University School of Medicine – South Bend.

After retirement from clinical practice, Dr. Clausen focused his attention in the non-profit realm. This includes such organizations as the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, AIDS Ministries/AIDS Assist of North Indiana, and the local NPR station. He has also previously served on the President’s Advisory Council of Valparaiso University. A vocal and instrumental musician, he serves his community of faith at Christ the King Lutheran Church in a number of capacities. He is happiest with his daughter in Cleveland, his family of origin in Germany, and his adopted home in India.

Health Strategist – Booz Allen Hamilton

Daniella Herdman is a dedicated population health strategist, serving as a healthcare consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton. Ms. Herdman supports the firm’s work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on alternative payment models. Her background includes work in public health conducting disease surveillance and outbreak investigation. Additionally, in support of one of the nation’s earliest and largest Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) models, Ms. Herdman provided support to more than 250 physicians and C-suite/senior healthcare executives on transforming their medical practices into value-based care models.

Ms. Herdman graduated from Valparaiso in 2005, with a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry. After graduating, she served in the Lutheran Volunteer Corps with Healthcare for the Homeless. That experience fueled her desire to pursue a master’s degree in Public Health from The George Washington University. Daniella lives in New Market, MD with her husband, Phil, and two children, Anelise and Camden.

President · Butterfly Effects, LLC

Jill brings over 30 years of healthcare experience to the National Council with a focus on community health, including nearly 25 years of Hospice and Home Health leadership in over 35 states. After serving in the Chief Compliance Officer role and as VP of Operations for a large national hospice provider for over ten years, Jill expanded her executive experience in 2014 serving as President of a national home and center-based ABA therapy operation for children on the Autism Spectrum. Jill recently purchased her ‘retirement home’ in Vero Beach, Florida, where she hopes to spend more time in addition to continuing an active role in public policy making and the integration of community-based health services to realize the benefits of population health management.

Pediatric Surgeon · Captain, Medical Corps, United States Navy

Dr. Kapfer earned her B.S. from Valparaiso University in 1991 and her M.D. from Yale University in 1995. Following a surgical internship at Naval Medical Center San Diego, she trained and served as a Naval Flight Surgeon in Manama, Bahrain, and Okinawa, Japan. Dr. Kapfer returned to complete her General Surgery Residency in 2003. She proceeded into Pediatric Surgery, completing a research fellowship at Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, NY, and a clinical fellowship at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, MO. Since 2006, Dr. Kapfer has managed a robust academic practice at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, VA. She serves as Division Chief for Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery and has held several leadership positions related to patient safety and humanitarian assistance. Dr. Kapfer is dual board certified in General and Pediatric Surgery. She is Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Washington, DC. She is a fellow in the American College of Surgeons and a specialty fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Physician · Private Practice, Internal Medicine

Jonathan Miller M.D. received his BS at Valparaiso University in 1971. He obtained his M.D. at the University of Virginia in 1975 and did his clinical training at The New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center. He subsequently was a Robert Wood Johnson Fellow in clinical epidemiology and healthcare delivery at the University of Rochester. He served as assistant professor and primary care director at the University of Virginia for two years before entering practice in Norfolk, Virginia. He was clinical assistant professor in Internal Medicine at the Eastern Virginia Medical School and served on numerous hospital and healthcare delivery committees. He is a member of Alpha Pi scholastic fraternity (Valparaiso) and of Alpha Omega Alpha scholastic fraternity (University of Virginia).

Leslie Paul earned her B.S. in nursing from Valparaiso University in 1977, where she was a member of the Kappa Psi Omega sorority. She was a staff nurse at Green Hospital Scripps Clinic for 13 years, serving in various positions including clinical nurse instructor. Paul was instrumental in partnering with the dean of Valpo’s previously titled College of Nursing, to create the Virtual Learning Center. Leslie serves as a member of the Board of Directors for two non-profit organizations, The Lutheran Deaconess Association of Valparaiso, Indiana, and the Community Christian Service Agency of San Diego, California.

Co-founder and Executive Vice President · EPI-Q, Inc.

Alicia C. Shillington earned her B.S.N. degree from Valparaiso University in 1985, her M.P.H. and Ph.D. in public health sciences from the University of Illinois in 1990, and 2003, respectively. She is co-founder and executive vice president of EPI-Q Inc., a scientific agency that provides research and communication services to healthcare providers and life science organizations to optimize health outcomes. Her research areas of focus have included oncology, metabolic disease, asthma, cardiology, psychiatry and infectious disease, including HIV-AIDS. Her articles have appeared in several peer-reviewed publications, and her work has been presented at both national and international meetings. Before joining EPI-Q, Alicia assisted in developing the epidemiology and quality improvement functions within Advocate Healthcare, a leading integrated healthcare delivery system in Illinois.

Lung Transplant Nurse Practitioner· University of Chicago Medical Center

Penny Viater practices as a Lung Transplant Nurse Practitioner at the University of Chicago Medical Center. She has served in various roles in transplant since 1997 including Kidney Transplant Nurse Coordinator, Research Nurse Coordinator, Procurement Nurse for Heart and Lung Transplant and Organ Recovery Coordinator. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1992 from Valparaiso University, and in 2005 earned her MSN, Adult Nurse Practitioner from Loyola University Neihoff School of Nursing. She is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and has presented on a number of topics regarding transplant care, Cystic Fibrosis, smoking cessation, education and related issues. She also serves on the adjunct faculty at Loyola University, Resurrection, University of Illinois and Governors State University. Penny and her husband, Mike, are proud parents of Tawny, Andrew, Joshua, and Elizabeth.

Chief Executive Officer • HealthLinc, Inc.

Beth Wrobel has been the CEO at HealthLinc, Inc., since 2002, a state-designated community health center serving the needs of underinsured or uninsured patients in Northern Indiana. She is responsible for all the paid and volunteer staff, program plans, and operating budgets. Beth earned her mechanical engineering degree at Valpo, a healthcare executive certificate from UCLA in 2007, and was a Lugar Series Graduate in 2010. She has been a Rotarian since 2002 and previously served as president. Beth is currently on the Indiana University Northwest Medical School Advisory Board, State of Indiana Graduate Medical Education Board, the Indiana Primary Healthcare Association Board, and the Indiana Cancer Consortium. Beth is a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church.