Kathleen McGrow DNP, MS, RN, PMP, FHIMSS, FAAN - Keynote Speaker

Dr. Kathleen McGrow serves as the Global Chief Nursing Innovation Officer at Microsoft. She provides guidance on digital transformation issues, including workforce challenges, consumer and patient engagement, and cognitive computing for a learning health system.

Dr. McGrow holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. With experience in trauma critical care and IT, she specializes in the intersection of clinical care and technology. Her work includes publications on AI in healthcare, such as “Foundation Models, Generative AI, and Large Language Models: Essentials for Nursing” and “Implications of Artificial Intelligence for Nurse Managers.” Dr. McGrow’s latest publication is the book “Empowering Nurses with Technology: A Practical Guide to Nurse Informatics,” released in January 2025.

She co-chairs the HIMSS Nursing Innovation Advisory Committee and serves as an adjunct clinical instructor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing.

Carolyn Harmon Still, PhD, MSN, MSM, APRN, AGPCNP-BC, FAAN

Dr. Carolyn Harmon Still is an Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Research at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). She also holds the Kate Hanna Harvey Professor of Community Health Nursing Endowed Chair. She is an Adult/Geriatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner in the Cleveland Brain Health and Memory Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland.

She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Florida A & M University and completed her PhD and Business degrees at CWRU. As a clinician and nurse scientist, Dr. Still’s research expertise includes clinical hypertension trials in older populations, psychosocial assessment and management of chronic diseases in older adults, and recruitment and retention of minorities in clinical trials. She has conducted research for over 23 years, with extensive experience in managing Coordinating Centers and conducting quality assurance monitoring for multi-site clinical trials, as well as leading and conducting multidisciplinary clinical trials. Dr. Still served as a Co-Investigator and program director for the NIH-sponsored Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT). This work resulted in a significant advancement in the knowledge base for treating hypertension to lower blood pressure targets, including in older adult populations.

As an adult-geriatric nurse practitioner, Dr. Still’s clinical experience has informed her research program and enabled her to identify significant practice issues. Her evolving research, centered on behavioral change to reduce cardiovascular risk factors, has received multiple intramural/extramural funding, amassing $20 million. Dr. Still has made outstanding and sustained contributions to advanced practice nursing, research, and education, resulting in several prestigious awards from research societies, NIH, and the American Heart Association. In 2021, Dr. Still’s work was recognized nationally and internationally, and she was inducted as a Fellow into the American Academy of Nursing.

Kimberly Souffront, PhD, RN, FNP-BC, FAHA, FAAN

Dr. Souffront is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Health Equity Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS). She is also Associate Director of the Center for Nursing Research & Innovation for the Mount Sinai Health System.

With over 20 years of experience as an emergency Nurse Practitioner, Dr. Souffront has garnered national recognition for her research addressing healthcare inequities related to asymptomatic hypertension in the emergency department. Her work—leveraging blood biomarkers, bioinformatics, and telehealth—highlights the ubiquitous nature of subclinical heart disease in emergency patients with asymptomatic hypertension.

Equally committed to building research capacity, Dr. Souffront is Principal Investigator and Director of three funded programs—including the NIH-funded Translational Research and Implementation Science (TRAIN) program, the American Heart Association funded Learning in Virtual Environments (LIVE) program, and the Gordon Moore Foundation funded Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research (iCORE) program—to build research capacity across nursing and interdisciplinary fields, from undergraduate to doctoral levels.

Dr. Souffront co-founded and is Editor-in-Chief of Practical Implementation of Nursing Science, a journal dedicated to highlighting innovations driven by clinical nurses. In 2021, she was recognized as one of the top ten nurse scientists in the country by the Betty Irene and Gordon Moore Foundation as a leader and innovator. Dr. Souffront is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Nursing, and the American Heart Association. She completed her training at Northeastern University, Pace University, and New York University (NYU), and two postdoctoral fellowships – one at NYU and the other at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she continues to inspire the next generation of clinician-scientists.

Martina Raquel Gallagher, PhD, PMHNP-BC, MSN, RN

Dr. Martina Raquel Gallagher is a Professor and Chair of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Texas Medical Branch School of Nursing in Galveston, Texas. A dedicated educator, psychiatric–mental health nurse practitioner, and nurse scientist, she brings more than 30 years of nursing experience spanning emergency, interventional radiology, case management, and psychiatric care. Before joining UTMB, she held multiple leadership roles at the Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston, including Director of Global Health, Honors Program Coordinator, and Interim Assistant Director of Education and Research at the Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center. Her teaching experience includes community health, psychiatric nursing, adult health, and nursing research. Her innovative teaching approaches, such as using Argentine tango to teach leadership and followership skills to interprofessional health students, have earned her recognition, including the Southern Nursing Excellence Award for Teaching.

Dr. Gallagher’s scholarship reflects a sustained commitment to improving health and advancing nursing science. Her early research, supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research, focused on addressing obesity among Latino women and children in community settings. More recently, her work explores trauma-informed care education, the integration of artificial intelligence in nursing education, and strategies to support patients undergoing psychiatric medication deprescribing. She served as a member of the PCORI Advisory Panel on Addressing Disparities and the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Telemental Health Task Force. She has authored and presented more than 100 scholarly works collectively. Known for her authenticity, empathy, and creativity, Dr. Gallagher is a champion for integrating evidence into nursing education and clinical practice to improve health outcomes at both community and global levels.

Lacey L. Allemand, MSN, MBA, RN, CPAN, HACP

Lacey Allemand is an accomplished bedside nursing leader with over a decade of experience in post-anesthesia care. She holds dual master’s degrees in Nursing Administration and Business Administration and is certified as a Post Anesthesia Nurse and Healthcare Accreditation Professional.

Currently serving as a staff nurse and perioperative clinical mentor in the PACU at Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital, Lacey is recognized for her leadership, innovation, and mentorship. She has spearheaded numerous evidence-based practice and quality improvement projects, presented at national symposiums, and serves as a preceptor for graduate nursing students.

Her contributions have earned her multiple awards, including the 2023 ASPAN Above & Beyond Service Recognition Award and Nurse Innovator of the Year at Houston Methodist The Woodlands. Lacey is passionate about advancing perioperative nursing practice, improving patient experiences, and mentoring the next generation of nurses.

Jennifer A. Rose, MSML, BSN, RN, CNOR, CV-BC

Jennifer A. Rose is a graduate of Prairie View A&M University, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Western Governors University, where she earned her Master of Science in Management and Leadership. She has presented posters at the AORN Conference and Expo in 2012, 2015, 2019, 2023 and 2025. Jennifer continues to write passionately about perioperative normothermia, advocating for institutions to adopt strategies to maintain patient normothermia throughout the perioperative continuum. She is also a strong partner with perianesthsia nurses to advocate for cross training initiatives to better support patient safety and comfort with hospital discharge after surgery.

Currently, Jennifer serves as a staff nurse and perioperative clinical mentor. She balances her project and quality improvement responsibilities with hands-on experience as a scrub nurse in open heart, vascular, and endovascular surgical procedures. Throughout her career, she has held various leadership positions and currently serves as the President for AORN North Harris Montgomery Chapter 4410. Jennifer finds fulfillment in mentoring future perioperative nurses and surgical technologists.

Adrienne Joseph, MSN, RN, CCRN, MNN

Adrienne Joseph is a nurse with nearly 20 years of experience and serves as the Critical Care Professional Practice Leader (Nurse Educator) at Houston Methodist Willowbrook. In this role, she leads initiatives to advance nursing practice, education, and patient outcomes. She is deeply passionate about simulation-based learning, quality improvement, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. Adrienne has been an integral part of the Code STEMI project, working with her colleagues to strengthen rapid response, enhance team readiness, and improve patient safety in cardiovascular emergencies.

Yu Wang, DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC, AGNP-BC, CCRN

Dr. Yu Wang is a board-certified Adult-Gerontology Acute and Primary Care Nurse Practitioner with advanced clinical expertise in neurology, inpatient rehabilitation, and hospital medicine. She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from UTMB and currently serves in the post-acute units at Houston Methodist Hospital.

Dr. Wang leads multidisciplinary initiatives aimed at improving patient outcomes through evidence-based practice and quality improvement. Her dedication to clinical excellence and research has earned her multiple honors, including the 2022 Outstanding Nurse Researcher Award."

Their recent publication, Enhancing Sepsis Care Through Improved First Dose Antibiotic Turnaround Time, was recognized at Houston Methodist’s Clinical Inquiry Day and is being presented at today’s Nursing Reignited Symposium, highlighting her ongoing contributions to advancing nursing practice.

Ryan Obremski, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CRRN

Ryan Obremski has been an RN for ten years but has worked in the medical industry for 16 years, starting his medical career as a phlebotomist, medical assistant, LPN, and RN.  Ryan began his RN career at Houston Methodist as a new graduate nurse in the inpatient rehab unit, where he's been the last 10 years, currently operating as nurse manager for the floor.  Ryan loves working with his staff and the patients to provide the best care possible and is involved with multiple projects on the unit each year.  He enjoys reading, pickleball, traveling, spending time with his dog, National Parks, hiking outdoors, is an amateur photographer, and games of all types.

Laura Connelly, MSN, RN, CNL

Laura Connelly has been with Houston Methodist for 14 years. 13 of which were at Houston Methodist WIllowbrook in the ICU. Currently, she is a member of the Houston Methodist The Woodlands Heart Failure Readmission Prevention team. She is a doctoral candidate at the University of Houston College of Curriculum and Instruction in Healthcare. She earned her Master of Science degree in Nursing at Texas Women's University. She has maintained certifications in  Nursing Professional Development and as a Clinical Nurse Leader. She has been an active participant in performance improvement and research endeavors throughout her nursing career. 

The activity's Nurse Planner has determined that no one who has the ability to control the content of this CNE activity - planning committee members and presenters/authors/content reviewers - has a conflict of interest. Please send any questions to [email protected]