Dan Heath is the #1 New York Times bestselling author (or co-author) of five beloved business books: Switch, Made to Stick, Decisive, The Power of Moments, and Upstream.  His books have been translated into 33 languages and have sold over 4 million copies worldwide. His writing honors include: One of the best nonfiction books of the year, according to Amazon. One of the best audiobooks of the year, according to Apple. And the OWL award for Best Business Book of the Year. Dan hosts a podcast called: “What It’s Like to Be.” In every episode, he interviews someone from a different profession: a mystery novelist, a couples therapist, a rancher, and more. It landed on Apple’s ranking of the Top 50 Society & Culture podcasts. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from the University of Texas at Austin.  He lives now in Durham, North Carolina. 

Patricia McGaffigan MS, RN, CPPS is President, Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety, and Senior Advisor, Safety at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement where she serves as senior sponsor of the IHI’s Lucian Leape Institute, co-chair of the National Steering Committee for Patient Safety, and key liaison to IHI’s strategic relationships and initiatives for nursing and advancing a thriving workforce. She is the former COO and SVP of Safety at the National Patient Safety Foundation, graduate of the AHA-NPSF Patient Safety Leadership Fellowship Program and IHI Fellow, and nationally recognized speaker. Patricia serves on numerous national committees, taskforces, and technical expert panels, including the AHRQ Survey of Patient Safety Culture Technical Expert Panel, and the Joint Commission’s Journal on Quality and Patient Safety Editorial Advisory Board and Sentinel Event Alert Advisory Committee. Patricia is Commissioner, ANCC Pathway to Excellence, board member of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors, the Foundation to Advance Nursing in Massachusetts, and the I-PASS Institute, and a member of Planetree’s Person-Centered Certification Committee. She is the recipient of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Lifetime Member Award, the 2023 University of North Texas Health Science Center’s Mary E. Luibel Distinguished Service Award and was named to the 2024 and 2023 Becker’s Review List of Patient Safety Experts to Know. Patricia received her BS in Nursing from Boston College and her MS in Nursing from Boston University.

Kelly Randall VP, Patient Safety & Compliance, Ascension. Kelly earned her PhD in Health Services Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In her research, she studied the impact of high reliability practices on patient safety outcomes in pediatric hospitals. Kelly earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Auburn University and her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Alabama. Kelly is a Licensed Master’s Social Worker and a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality. Kelly has extensive training as a Six Sigma Blackbelt and in Lean Six Sigma Healthcare.

Beverly Malone President and CEO, National League for Nursing, has led the National League for Nursing since 2007. She received her BSN and PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Cincinnati and her M.S. in Adult Psychiatric Nursing from Rutgers University. She contributed to the groundbreaking IOM report, "The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health," and served on the Minority Health Federal Advisory Committee. With over 20 honorary degrees and numerous accolades, Dr Malone’s distinguished career has blended policy, education, administration, and clinical practice – including the position of federal deputy assistant secretary for health under President Bill Clinton.  Dr. Malone serves as vice chair at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Board of Directors, co-leads the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Health Professional Education and Communication Working Group, and serves on NAM’s Steering Committee. She is a member of ecoAmerica’s Leadership Circle Executive Committee. 

Charleen Tachibana Senior Vice President and Chief Quality, Safety and Patient Experience Officer, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, has served in executive positions including Hospital Administrator, Chief Nursing Officer, and most recently SVP and Chief Quality, Safety, and Patient Experience Officer for Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. Virginia Mason earned recognition for its innovative approach to quality and safety by adopting a management methodology to identify and eliminate waste while improving quality and safety. For two decades her work has included the study and application of the Toyota Production System to healthcare processes. She has taught and consulted internationally on this topic. Charleen earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Pacific Lutheran University, a Master of Nursing from the University of Washington and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Vanderbilt University. She is a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellow and a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

Hardeep Singh Chief, Health Policy, Quality and Informatics Program, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, is Professor of Medicine at the Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety (IQuESt) at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. He leads research on diagnostic error reduction and health IT safety, influencing national and international initiatives by organizations like the National Academies, CDC, and WHO. A Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics, he co-developed the ONC SAFER Guides, required by CMS for safe EHR use. He has won numerous awards, including the 2021 Eisenberg Award for Lifetime Achievement, for his contributions to patient safety and diagnostic excellence.

Craig Umscheid Director, Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, is an internist and clinical epidemiologist who serves as the Director of the Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (CQuIPS) at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CQuIPS is one of three research centers at AHRQ, includes divisions of patient safety, patient safety organizations, healthcare associated infections, healthcare data and analytics, and quality improvement and measurement, and supports the safety and quality of healthcare through research, practice improvement, and data analysis and measurement. Prior to AHRQ, Dr. Umscheid was Chief Quality and Innovation Officer at the University of Chicago. He began his career at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was the inaugural Vice Chair of Quality and Safety for the Department of Medicine, and co-founder and Director of Penn's Center for Evidence-based Practice. His career has been dedicated to disseminating and implementing research evidence into clinical practice to support patient care quality and safety. His work has been supported by AHRQ, PCORI, CDC and NIH, and described in over 125 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Umscheid volunteers as a hospitalist at Georgetown, where he is an Adjunct Professor.

Angela Ghiorso MSN, RN, CPPS, CPHQ, CCM, Director of Quality & Patient Safety, Sutter Valley Medical Foundation, is a Clinical Director of Ambulatory Quality and Patient Safety for Sutter Health in California. She has 17 years of diverse experience as a registered nurse in acute, ambulatory and home health settings, and has spent the last 8 years specializing in quality and patient safety. Angela currently serves on a national quality measure review committee, national patient safety workgroups, and was an IHI Fellow in 2024. Her credentials, including a Master of Science in Nursing, and certifications in Patient Safety (CPPS), Case Management (CCM) and Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), underscore her commitment to ensuring safe and high-quality care delivery for all patients.

Chris Longhurst MD, MS, is the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Chief Digital Officer (CDO) at UC San Diego Health. This unique dual and complementary role provides leadership to medical staff, ensuring that standards and protocols are in place to provide the highest quality of care to patients, and positions digital transformation as a key tool in these efforts. As the executive Director for the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Center for Health Innovation, Dr. Longhurst also has responsibility for the artificial intelligence (AI) portfolio across the health system, managed through the development and hire of the inaugural Chief AI Officer for UC San Diego Health.

Within the UC San Diego School of Medicine, Dr. Longhurst serves as an Associate Dean to help align education and research missions within the clinical environment and lead the journey to become a highly reliable, learning health system. As a faculty member in the Departments of Biomedical Informatics and Pediatrics, Dr. Longhurst also maintains an active clinical practice as a newborn hospitalist and vigorously pursues scholarship in care quality, patient safety, and informatics, especially healthcare AI.

Raj Srivastava, MD, MPH, is the Chief Clinical Programs Officer at Intermountain Health, where he oversees nine system-wide Clinical Programs which align clinical providers from across the enterprise to deliver evidence-based best practice in the areas of acute and ambulatory medical specialties, behavioral health, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, neurosciences, oncology, primary and preventive care, surgical specialties and digestive health, and women’s and neonatal health. Additionally, Dr. Srivastava is a Professor of Research and oversees Intermountain’s Healthcare Delivery Institute (HDI), a center for education, implementation science, and applied health services research. The HDI has accountability for the spread of clinical evidence-based practices across the integrated healthcare delivery system. Dr. Srivastava is a tenured Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine and is a practicing hospitalist at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City.

Kedar Mate, MD, is President and Chief Executive Officer at IHI, President of the IHI Lucian Leape Institute, and a member of the faculty at Weill Cornell Medical College. His scholarly work has focused on health system design, health care quality, strategies for achieving large-scale change, and approaches to improving value. Previously Dr. Mate worked at Partners In Health, the World Health Organization, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and served as IHI’s Chief Innovation and Education Officer. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and white papers and has received multiple honors, including serving as a Soros Fellow, Fulbright Specialist, Zetema Panelist, and an Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellow. Dr. Mate graduated from Brown University with a degree in American History and from Harvard Medical School with a medical degree. You can follow him on Twitter @KedarMate.

Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, FRCP, KBE, is President Emeritus and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) an organization he co-founded and led as President and CEO for 19 years. He is one of the nation’s leading authorities on health care quality and improvement. In July 2010, President Obama appointed Dr. Berwick to the position of Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which he held until December 2011. A pediatrician by background, Dr. Berwick has served as Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Health Care Policy at the Harvard Medical School, Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard School of Public Health, and as a member of the staffs of Boston’s Children’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He has also served as vice chair of the US Preventive Services Task Force, the first “Independent Member” of the Board of Trustees of the American Hospital Association, and chair of the National Advisory Council of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. He is an elected member of the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM, formerly the Institute of Medicine, or IOM). Dr. Berwick served two terms on the IOM’s governing Council, was a member of the IOM’s Global Health Board, and currently chairs the NAM Board on Health Care Services. He served on President Clinton’s Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Healthcare Industry. His numerous awards include the 2007 William B. Graham Prize for Health Services Research, the 2006 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award, and the 2007 Heinz Award for Public Policy. In 2005, he was appointed Honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the highest honor in the UK for non-UK citizens. He is the author or co-author of more than 200 scientific articles and six books. He also currently serves as Lecturer in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is perhaps the most recognized and influential figure in public health and policy in modern time. With a career bookended by the HIV/AIDs and COVID-19 pandemics, Dr. Fauci’s impact spanned 7 presidents, covered 50 years of public service, and touched billions of lives. Dr. Fauci has served the country with a relentless pursuit of discovery and innovation. Serving as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for 38 years and being a public servant for more than 50 years, Dr. Fauci oversaw an extensive research portfolio devoted to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of infectious and immune-mediated diseases. As the key advisor to 7 Presidents and their administrations, Dr. Fauci lead medical and public health preparedness and treatments against emerging infectious disease threats, including HIV/AIDS, pandemic influenza, Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19.

Throughout his career, Dr. Fauci faced his research and his critics with an unwavering devotion to the science, and a deep concern and empathy for those suffering from disease, and a human-centered pragmatism that ultimately led to extraordinary results. Dr. Fauci’s memoir, On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service (out June 18, 2024), chronicles his fascinating life story from his childhood in Brooklyn to his unrivaled 50-year career as one of the most influential figures in public health. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Dr. Fauci was at the forefront of HIV/AIDS research efforts and is recognized for his pivotal contributions to our current understanding of the disease and the development of preventative therapies and medications. During President George W. Bush’s administration, Dr. Fauci became one of the principal architects of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which helped save more than 25 million lives throughout the developing world. Awarded by President George W. Bush both the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest Presidential honor bestowed to a civilian and the National Medal of Science, the highest presidential honor bestowed to American scientists and engineers, Dr. Fauci’s trust in the science approach above political party agendas was a driving force during his illustrious career. His unwavering dedication to doing what’s best for the public fueled support for his scientific and medical contributions across political party lines. Dr. Fauci has been awarded numerous additional awards for his scientific and global health accomplishments, including the Mary Woodard Lasker Award for Public Service, the Prince Mahidol Award from Thailand, the Robert Koch Gold Medal from Germany, and the Gairdner Global Health Award from Canada. Dr. Fauci is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Science, the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and many other professional societies. He has been awarded 58 honorary doctoral degrees from U.S. and global universities, and has authored, coauthored, and edited more than 1,400 scientific publications, including major textbooks about internal medicine, infectious diseases, and autoimmune diseases. Following his retirement from the NIAID, Dr. Fauci joined Georgetown University as a Distinguished University Professor in the School of Medicine. He also holds an appointment with the university’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

Tembi Locke is a writer, entrepreneur, and thought leader in creativity and resilience. She is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, screenwriter, and TV producer with a passion for connecting with her audience both on the page and on the screen. In partnership with Hello Sunshine, Locke served as co-creator and executive producer for the adaptation of her memoir, "From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home," for Netflix. The series, “From Scratch,” became an instant global hit, spending weeks on Netflix’s Top Ten List in over thirty countries around the world and earning six NAACP Image Award nominations and the prestigious Los Angeles Film Italy award. Her aforementioned memoir was also a Reese’s Book Club pick and an instant bestseller. "From Scratch," published in 2019, begins with how Locke met her husband, a Sicilian chef, on a street in Florence during a study abroad program, and follows their cross-cultural love story over the next two decades. Although it was love at first sight for Locke and her husband, Saro, his family did not approve of him marrying a Black American woman. Reconciliation with his Sicilian family begins just as Saro is diagnosed with a rare cancer and Locke becomes his primary caregiver during his final years. The bestselling memoir also chronicles the three summers that Locke and her daughter spend in Sicily following Saro’s death as they begin to piece their lives together again. Finding solace in her mother-in-law’s presence and nourishment at her abundant table, Locke is able to reflect on her and Saro’s incredible romance and forge a new relationship with his family. In addition to her accomplishments as a writer and producer, Locke is an accomplished actor with over sixty film and television credits. She most recently held a recurring role on Netflix’s hit show, “Never Have I Ever.” Offscreen, she is a nationally recognized speaker, delivering keynotes on resilience, loss, creativity, and the power of storytelling. Her TEDx talk has been viewed by individuals and nonprofits around the world. She launched her podcast, “Lifted,” which features dynamic women sharing their stories of what and who have lifted their lives. Through her work, Locke aims to inspire people to embrace resilience, love, and the power of community.

Dr. Thomas Lee is an internist who practices at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and the Chief Medical Officer to Press Ganey, Inc. Prior to joining Press Ganey in 2013, Dr. Lee was Network President for Partners Healthcare System, the integrated delivery system founded by Brigham and Women’s and Massachusetts General Hospitals. Dr. Lee has performed research leading to more than 300 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and five books, most recently Healthcare’s Path Forward (2023).  He became a Professor at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health in 2004. He is Editor-in-Chief of NEJM Catalyst and a member of the Editorial Board of The New England Journal of Medicine, the Board of Directors of Geisinger Health System, the Board of Directors of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the Board of Directors of Health Leads, and the Panel of Health Advisors of the Congressional Budget Office. He received is BA from Harvard College (1975) and his MD from Cornell University Medical College (1979), and then trained in internal medicine and then cardiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He received a MSc in Epidemiology from Harvard School of Public Health in 1987.