2022 Annual Conference Speaker ProfilesListed in Agenda order
Valerie Henry, BS, Business Development Manager, ASCs Valerie Henry is currently a Business Development Manager for Ambulatory Care Services at The Joint Commission. In this role, she identifies, develops and converts new customer opportunities for ambulatory care accreditation and optional certifications (Primary Care Medical Home, Orthopedic Certification).
Deborah Edelman, MPH
Ms. Edelman is the Director of CMS & State Compliance for the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). She served in a number of roles in her nearly ten years with the organization, including Manager of Accreditation Operations. Currently, Ms. Edelman uses her regulatory and operational expertise to oversee AAAHC’s Medicare Deemed Status Program and state recognition agreements. She ensures AAAHC’s continued compliance with program and regulatory requirements. Ms. Edelman received a bachelor’s degree in Neurobiology and Behavior from Cornell University and a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan.
Michael Orseno
Throughout his 23-year career in healthcare revenue cycle management, Michael Orseno has constantly worked to transform the medical facility business office with advanced automation, measurement, and staffing best- practices. As
Elodia Flores, BSN Elodia has been in the healthcare industry for twenty-eight years with the last nineteen years in the ASC industry. She began her career as a circulating nurse in the OR with experience in orthopedics, spine, neuro, general, ENT, vascular, pain management, eyes, plastic and GYN. She went on to develop a new ASC and became the administrator, Business Office Manager, and Director of Nursing simultaneously for seven years. She has filled Administrator roles at other ASCs, has worked as an Outpatient Consultant for five years, has developed another new ASC and has performed CMS and AAAHC mock surveys. During these nineteen years, she has been credentialing healthcare providers in Texas who are accredited through JCAHO, AAAHC, AAAASF, and Medicare certified. She is the founder and President of R&E Credentialing Healthcare Providers. She offers credentialing services nationwide and is currently assisting ASCs in New York, Connecticut, California, and Texas. Additionally, she has mentored 2 RNs as new Administrators who have successfully obtained their Certified Administrator Surgery
Nathaniel Mickish Nate Mickish is the Vice President of Strategic Sourcing at Texas Health Resources and the President of OnHand, a joint-venture between Texas Health and Premier, Inc. In his role, Nate leads the sourcing team at Texas Health responsible for all contracting, procurement and category management of supplies and equipment which covers over $1B in annual spend. Nate also oversees the growth of OnHand which is focused on providing supply chain services primarily to non-acute sites of Richard Bays, JD MBA RN LNCC  Mr. Bays has served in numerous capacities in the healthcare industry ranging from clinical services and operations, healthcare bill & policy analysis, medical-legal consulting for healthcare attorney groups and oversight of accreditation, licensure and regulatory compliance programs.
William Prentice
Bill Prentice is the chief executive officer of the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) and the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association Foundation (ASCAF). ASCA is the national organization representing the interests of more than 6,000 ambulatory surgery centers in the US, and provides advocacy, education, benchmarking and staff training for its many members. Eric Woomer
Eric Woomer is a governmental affairs consultant and lobbyist with extensive senior leadership experience advising legislators at the state and national level, as well as Fortune 100 companies. He is well-regarded for his ability to research, analyze and synthesize issues quickly to design innovative but pragmatic public policy. Described as “a steady hand in Capitol circles,” Woomer has served as Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to three Texas state senators, both Republicans and Democrats, representing areas as widely diverse as the Texas Panhandle and the Houston Ship Channel. Additionally, Woomer served as Press Secretary for legendary U.S. Congressman J.J. “Jake” Pickle and as a policy advisor to the senior U.S. Senator from Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison. Born in Malawi, Africa, while his parents served in the Peace Corps, Woomer holds a Masters of Public Affairs from the University of Texas’ Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs, where he also received the LBJ Award for Academic Excellence, presented annually by former First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson to the school’s top graduates. A 1988 National Merit Scholar, Woomer received a B.A. from the University of Texas in 1993.
Elodia Flores, BSN Elodia has been in the healthcare industry for twenty-eight years with the last nineteen years in the ASC industry. She began her career as a circulating nurse in the OR with experience in orthopedics, spine, neuro, general, ENT, vascular, pain management, eyes, plastic and GYN. She went on to develop a new ASC and became the administrator, Business Office Manager, and Director of Nursing simultaneously for seven years. She has filled Administrator roles at other ASCs, has worked as an Outpatient Consultant for five years, has developed another new ASC and has performed CMS and AAAHC mock surveys. During these nineteen years, she has been credentialing healthcare providers in Texas who are accredited through JCAHO, AAAHC, AAAASF, and Medicare certified. She is the founder and President of R&E Credentialing Healthcare Providers. She offers credentialing services nationwide and is currently assisting ASCs in New York, Connecticut, California, and Texas. Additionally, she has mentored 2 RNs as new Administrators who have successfully obtained their Certified Administrator Surgery Center (CASC) and is currently mentoring her 3 rd RN as a new Administrator and Director of Nursing of an ASC in Texas.
Dallas Freyer, R.N., C.A.S.C.
A graduate of Del Mar College Registered Nursing program, Freyer also serves on the Texas ASC Society Programs & Education committee and is a board member on the TASCS PAC. Michael OrsenoAcuet Revenue Cycle Management
Throughout his 23-year career in healthcare revenue cycle management, Michael Orseno has constantly worked to transform the medical facility business office with advanced automation, measurement, and staffing best- practices. As
Susan Cheek, C.P.A., C.H.C.C., C.A.S.C.
Susan Cheek has served as the administrator of the Dallas Endoscopy Center and IV Anesthesia Services since 2006. Cheek is a certified public accountant, certified healthcare compliance consultant and certified surgery center administrator .
Cheryl Garmon, DNP, RN, CASC
Akshay Tavkar, MBA, CMPE, CASC
Akshay Tavkar is the Director of the largest licensed non-hospital free-standing ASC in Texas. He recently completed a multimillion dollar renovation project in an ASC that performs nearly 25,000 procedures a year. Through the course of this expansion and remodel reaching 38,000 square feet, he and his team managed zero downtime for surgery and increased case volume and patient satisfaction scores.
Kayla Schneeweiss-Keene, RN, BSN, CASC Kayla Schneeweiss-Keene is the Ambulatory Surgery Center Administrator for both of Mann Cataract Surgery Center facilities located in Humble, Tx and Houston, Tx. She is currently building three new surgery centers in Houston, Tx, Sugar Land, Tx, and Austin, Tx with the help of Reliant Medical Services consulting company.
Laura Schneider, RN, CGRN, CASC, Sr. Director, Clinical Services Digestive Health Centers Allen & Plano
Chris Kralik is a Registered Nurse with over 15 years of healthcare experience. He has worked in a variety of roles during this time in both the hospital and ASC settings. He has been a Certified Gastroenterology RN since 2018.
Christy Anderson, RN, CNOR, CASC, CAIPSCA 
Christy Anderson has been working in the healthcare industry for more than twenty five years. The vast majority of her experience is in the perioperative environment. After working as a nurse assistant for four years, she received her RN from Jefferson School of Nursing, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in 1996. In 1998 she was recruited to work in the OR at Zale Lipshy University Hospital in Dallas, TX. She quickly moved into a service coordinator role and progressive management positions which took her experience to the ASC setting. It was as an ASC manager where she found her niche. Since 2004 she has steadily promoted and held positions, in the ASC environment, from Specialty Coordinator, Manager, Director of Perioperative Services and Regional Director of Surgical Services. She is currently employed by Surgical Care Affiliates and supports approximately 35 facilities across the US as a Group Clinical Director. Christy currently holds a CASC, CNOR and CAIP certification, is a AAAHC surveyor, has participated in a consulting role for AHRQ, and is an active member of AORN. Her background and experience in the ambulatory environment offer experience and responsibilities in center Ernie Rodgers Ernie Rodgers has worked with ImageFIRST Healthcare Laundry for over 11 years. ImageFIRST is the largest national linen provider specializing in the medical market. They provide laundry services to health systems, hospitals, and outpatient facilities in all major U.S. markets. As leaders in infection prevention, ImageFIRST is also the owner and operator of most HLACaccredited facilities in the nation. Their comprehensive linen rental and laundry programs include quality products, efficient inventory management, and infection prevention that exceed standards. Ernie has had a variety of responsibilities
Karen Kolendra, RN, MSN, CPHQ, Associate Director, Department of Standards Interpretation
Karen Kolendra is an Associate Director in the Department of Standards Interpretation (SIG) at The Joint Commission. In this role, she provides interpretation of standards for hospital and ambulatory accreditation programs; provides guidance to organizations and surveyors; and collaborates with hospital staff, practitioners, and leadership in identifying opportunities to improve. Ms. Kolendra also consults in the development and revision of standards and survey processes, and assists in maintaining the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) database. Prior to joining The Joint Commission, Ms. Kolendra served as a Clinical Quality Leader at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva, Illinois. With a strong interest in patient safety and quality, she also served as a Patient Safety Liaison at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois. As a nurse leader there, Ms. Kolendra was responsible for ensuring that all patients in the Interventional Labs department received safe, effective care and that patient satisfaction goals were met. Her clinical nursing experience was focused on pre-procedure preparation, intra-procedure monitoring and post-procedure recovery of patients undergoing interventional radiology, cardiology and electrophysiology procedures. Ms. Kolendra is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) demonstrating expertise and professionalism in quality and patient safety. She is also a Certified Yellow Belt and supports The Joint Commission’s activities associated with establishing and sustaining a Robust Process Improvement® (RPI®) culture. As a Certified Yellow Belt, she is trained in the foundational concepts and tools of problem-solving and makes improvements to better meet customer expectations and organization objectives. Ms. Kolendra received a Master of Science in Nursing Education degree from Western Governor’s University, Salt Lake City, Utah; a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Lewis University, Romeoville, Illinois; and a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science and Sport Studies from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. She also has a strong interest in alternative health care and graduated from the Swedish Institute of Massage Therapy in New York, NY. Deborah Edelman, MPH
Ms. Edelman is the Director of CMS & State Compliance for the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). She served in a number of roles in her nearly ten years with the organization, including Manager of Accreditation Operations. Currently, Ms. Edelman uses her regulatory and operational expertise to oversee AAAHC’s Medicare Deemed Status Program and state recognition agreements. She ensures AAAHC’s continued compliance with program and regulatory requirements. Ms. Edelman received a bachelor’s degree in Neurobiology and Behavior from Cornell University and a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan.
Taryn Nasr Taryn Nasr is a director in the Business Valuation & Transaction Advisory division at VMG Health and is based in the Dallas office. Her focus is providing financial, valuation, and transaction advisory services for businesses within the healthcare services industry. She has particular expertise in valuations relating to ambulatory surgery centers, surgical hospitals, Matt Austin, PhD
Dallas Freyer, R.N., C.A.S.C.
A graduate of Del Mar College Registered Nursing program, Freyer also serves on the Texas ASC Society Programs & Education committee and is a board member on the TASCS PAC.
Cheryl Garmon, DNP, RN, CASC
Kayla Schneeweiss-Keene, RN, BSN, CASC Kayla Schneeweiss-Keene is the Ambulatory Surgery Center Administrator for both of Mann Cataract Surgery Center facilities located in Humble, Tx and Houston, Tx. She is currently building three new surgery centers in Houston, Tx, Sugar Land, Tx, and Austin, Tx with the help of Reliant Medical Services consulting company.
Dr. Maggie Jeffries is a private practice anesthesiologist in Houston, Texas. She received her anesthesia training at Johns Hopkins University, during which she served as a resident member of the American Society of Anesthesiology and the ACGME Resident Review Committee that reviews and certifies residency programs. Following graduation, she became an assistant professor at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where she specialized in pediatrics and neuroanesthesia. During that time, she was an active contributor to diverse areas of research, including cerebral oximetry, post-dural puncture headache, infectious disease, and liver failure. She is a published author in several national journals, including Regional Anesthesia, Journal of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, The Neurologist, and Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, The Neurologist, Liver Transplantation and Surgery, and Anesthesiology News. In private practice since 2010, Dr. Jeffries has extensive experience in anesthesia for ambulatory and office-based surgery. A partner in Avanti Anesthesia, she is active in all aspects of medical care including medical director, medication and equipment ordering, electronic documentation and quality improvement.
Amy Jones, Pharm.D., BCSCP Jones Premier Pharmacy Consulting 
Amy Jones is a graduate of University of Texas College of Pharmacy and has over 17 years of experience as a pharmacist and 25 years experience in healthcare. She manages pharmacy in a large acute care hospital, ambulatory surgery centers, free standing emergency centers, and micro hospitals. Her board certification in sterile compounding preparations provides a background for intravenous preparation and administration, hazardous compounds management, and regulatory compliance. Her background includes community pharmacy practice, immunizations, clinical research management, home infusion,
Christopher M. Dembny R.Ph. Chris Dembny R.Ph. is the president and founder of Dembny Pharmacy Consultants LLC. This company provides consultant pharmacy services to free-standing ambulatory surgery centers and free-standing emergency rooms. The company currently provides consulting services to about 160 surgery centers and 60 ERs.
Cyndi Krause, RN, BSN, CASC Cyndi Krause is a Senior Consultant for BSM's Progressive Surgical Solutions division, which specializes in the development and management of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). Ms. Krause has consulted with Progressive since 2020, working with scores of ASC clients across the country. She has consulted on licensure, Medicare certification, and accreditation, staff
Maura Cash, RN, BSN, CASC Maura Cash, RN, BSN, CASC, is currently the VP of Clinical Strategies at HST Pathways. Before joining HST, Maura was an OR Manager for 8 years and has 40+ years of nursing experience. Maura has extensive experience helping ASCs implement EHRs and is passionate about clinically designed healthcare software and ASC clinical trends.
Texas House Member Rep. Sam Harless Representative Sam Harless has been a resident of Northwest Harris County since 1976. He was a 1981 Spring High School graduate and went to Lone Star College before attending Sam Houston State University. Sam started working at the age of 14 mowing lawns and later became a successful small business owner. Today, he and his wife Patricia own Fred Fincher Motors, a second-generation independent automobile dealership. Sam actively gives back to his community by supporting The Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts, Northwest Assistance Ministries, The Centrum Arts League, Klein Educational Foundation, and Cy-Fair ISD Educational Foundation. Sam touts the Fallen Warrior Memorial and Fallen Warrior Art Gallery as jewels of the community and a strong tribute to our fallen heroes. As a strong law enforcement supporter he has served for many years on the Harris County Constable's Precinct 4 Training Advisory Board as well as the Harris County Sheriff Training Advisory Board, where he assists with community input on law enforcement training.
Alexis Alvarado Alexis Alvarado is the Founder and Owner of Alvarado Life Safety Consulting for Ambulatory Surgical Care, based out of DFW. Her company specializes in the development, implementation, and monitoring of the Environmental Management
Commissioner Aaron Demerson Aaron Demerson currently serves as the Commissioner Representing Employers for the Texas Workforce Commission. Governor Greg Abbott appointed him to the three-member Commission on August 20, 2019 and reappointed him in February 2021. He was confirmed by the Texas Senate on April 28, 2021. In his role, Commissioner Demerson serves as an advocate for over 620,000 Texas employers and over 3 million small businesses. Commissioner Demerson’s team is devoted to serving as a key resource for all Texas employers. His office provides a variety of tools including employment law conferences, and an employer hotline to help businesses grow and thrive in Texas. Demerson is also devoted to supporting the workforce, economic development, and education efforts that help ensure the skilled workforce that Texas employers demand. Demerson was also appointed Chair of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Cultural Affairs by Governor Abbott in November 2019. This advisory council is charged with raising public awareness of major issues affecting the state due to the rapid growth of the state’s Hispanic population and other issues resulting from changes in demographics. Prior to his appointment, Commissioner Demerson was the Director of the Office of Employer Initiatives at the Texas Workforce Commission. Demerson has been and continues to be involved in numerous social and civic organizations including the Board for the Austin Lyric Opera, the Austin Area Urban League, the Capitol Credit Union Nominating Committee, membership in Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity, the Texas Economic Development Council, and 100 Black Men of Austin to name a few. Commissioner Demerson has a BBA in Finance from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. He also received a general banking diploma from the American Institute of Banking, is a ‘91-‘92 graduate of Leadership Austin, and recently had the distinct pleasure of completing the Army War College Commandants National Security Program for civilians. Susan Dixon, SPHR, Employer Service Manager, Gulf Coast Workforce Board Susan Dixon is the Employer Service Manager for the Gulf Coast Workforce Board-Workforce Solutions and has been with the organization for the past seven years and with the workforce system for twenty-one years. Susan’s focus has been and continues to be, helping employers solve workforce-related business problems and building talent pipelines for the next generation of the workforce. By working together with industry leaders of all sizes to create solutions, Susan can form a partnership that can assist a company in being more competitive in the ever-changing worldwide economy.
Prady Mahale, Program Specialist, Office of Outreach & Employers Initiatives
Elsa Ramos, Legal Counsel, Office of the Commissioner Representing Employers
Betty Russo, Regional Representative, Economic Development & Tourism Office
Maggie Jeffries, MD
Dr. Maggie Jeffries is a private practice anesthesiologist in Houston, Texas. She received her anesthesia training at Johns Hopkins University, during which she served as a resident member of the American Society of Anesthesiology and the ACGME Resident Review Committee that reviews and certifies residency programs. Following graduation, she became an assistant professor at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where she specialized in pediatrics and neuroanesthesia. During that time, she was an active contributor to diverse areas of research, including cerebral oximetry, post-dural puncture headache, infectious disease, and liver failure. She is a published author in several national journals, including Regional Anesthesia, Journal of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia, The Neurologist, and Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, The Neurologist, Liver Transplantation and Surgery, and Anesthesiology News. In private practice since 2010, Dr. Jeffries has extensive experience in anesthesia for ambulatory and office-based surgery. A partner in Avanti Anesthesia, she is active in all aspects of medical care including medical director, medication and equipment ordering, electronic documentation and quality improvement. Eric Shepard, MD 
Dr. Eric Shepard is the Director of Anesthesia at the Frederick Surgical Center in Maryland and the Director of Outpatient Regional Anesthesia in Maryland for the North American Partners in Anesthesia (NAPA). Prior to joining NAPA in 2017 Dr. Shepard worked in academic anesthesia for twenty-three years, the last seventeen as a faculty member at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Shepard specializes in both Critical Care Medicine and Regional Anesthesia. While at the University of Maryland Dr. Shepard helped develop the Division of Regional Anesthesia and the subspecialty fellowship in Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management. Dr. Shepard has spent much of the last decade developing protocols for opiate sparing orthopedic surgery. Dr. Shepard continues to teach courses in Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Management and lectures across the country on opioid sparing anesthesia. Dr. Shepard received his medical degree from the Cornell University Medical College and completed his residency in anesthesia and fellowship in critical care medicine at the University Hospitals of Cleveland, Case Western University School of Medicine. Max Osbun Max is the Executive Director of Market Access with over 20 years of experience in the industry. Currently leading the team at Pacira who is the leading provider of non-opioid pain management solutions that is dedicated to advancing and
Brent Depperschmidt Brent Depperschmidt is Director of Joint Ventures Operations at Premier currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer of OnHand, a joint venture between Texas Health Resources and Premier formed in 2019. Additionally, Mr. Depperschmidt serves on the Board of Directors for BloodBuy, a biological software and services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Markus Wilcox, Manager, Independent Dispute Resolution
Markus Wilcox is the IDR team manager at the Texas Department of Insurance. His team educates health plans, health care providers, mediators, and arbitrators on the program; administers the IDR portal; and provides customer service. |
Dallas Freyer has served as the Administrator of Corpus Christi Outpatient Surgery since 2004 and also serves as the Administrator of Surgicare of Corpus Christi. Freyer is a registered nurse and certified surgery center 
Dr. Matt Austin is an associate professor of 
Natalie Gonzalez is the Regional Program Specialist for the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and Golden Crescent regions with the Employer Engagement & Community Outreach team, under the Outreach & Employer Initiatives Division for TWC. The EECO team is directly responsible for the Skills Development Fund (SDF), Self Sufficiency Fund (SSF), High Demand Job Training (HDJT) and Texas Industry Partnership (TIP). The primary goal for these grants is to connect businesses and our partners (community colleges, workforce boards, and TEEX) to provide the needed training for Texans to stimulate the Texas economy. Natalie has been with TWC since October of 2021. She has worked in the chemical and Industrial business as well as higher education with a background in Human Resources, Grants Oversight, and Recruiting. She holds these values to heart: positivity, inclusion, and diversity. Natalie resides in Clear Lake with her daughter Nichole and son Nikolas. 
Prady Mahale is a 12-year veteran of Texas Workforce Commission and he works as a Program Specialist at the Office of Outreach & Employer Initiatives department. Before coming to TWC, he spent 28 years in IT sector and held many roles as a developer, project manager as well as relationship manager for many big clients. In his current role at the Texas Workforce Commission, Prady has worked with businesses and community colleges in the Dallas/Metroplex, North Central, Gulf Coast, Deep East, North and North East Texas territories in developing over 120 Skills Development Fund (SDF) projects totaling over 55 Million Dollars of Skills Development Funds that has helped improving the skills of all levels of employees.
Betty Russo is the Regional Representative for the 49-county Gulf Coast/East Texas Region within the Economic Development and Tourism Office of the Governor’s Office. She has served in this role for over seven years. In her role she works to market Texas and the region as one of the best places to do business and works to support local economic development allies with projects and opportunities. 
