Naples & Everglades National Park Escape Encore Symposium 2025

William Howie, DNP, CRNA

Dr. Howie has an extensive background in nursing and nurse anesthesia. Dr. Howie holds Master of Science degrees in both Emergency Health Care Administration and Nurse Anesthesia and completed his doctorate degree in 2010 from The John's Hopkins University. Since 1995, he has been a CRNA at the University of Maryland Medical Center/Shock Trauma Center UMMC, in Baltimore, MD. Duties at the Trauma Center include the provision of anesthetic services to victims of acute trauma. Secondary duties performed by Howie include the provision of monthly educational lectures to newly assigned SRNAs and to function as a member of the Anesthesia Departments Quality Assurance Committee. Most recently, he has assumed a part-time position as a faculty member in the DNP Program, Nurse Anesthesia Track at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing.

In addition to his practice as a nurse anesthetist, Dr. Howie is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Academy of Health Sciences for the U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Dr. Howie also holds academic positions at the University of MD, School of Nursing. He has retired from the military as Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve after 25 years of service. He was called to active-duty multiple times throughout his reserve career.

Dr. Howie has published numerous articles in a variety of peer-reviewed journals.

Logan MacLean, DNP, CRNA

Dr. Logan MacLean is a CRNA in the Penn Medicine Health System as well as a clinical educator at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania where he received his nursing degree from the School of Nursing as well as a business degree from the Wharton School, focusing on Health Care Management and Policy as well as Finance.

Dr. MacLean worked at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania in the Pediatric ICU prior to returning to Penn for his anesthesia training. During his career, he has focused on both research and business, publishing on topics including the nursing workforce shortage, managerial concerns during ICU floor mergers, and CRNA efficacy as well as working with the Wharton school performing pro-bono consulting for non-profit healthcare companies.

Patricia McMullen, Ph.D., JD, CRNP, FAANP, FAAN

Website: https://nursing.catholic.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty-profiles/mcmullen-patricia/index.html

Dean Emerita & Ordinary Professor, Conway School of Nursing The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC

Dr. McMullen practices as an educator, women’s health nurse practitioner, and as an attorney. She holds BSN and MS degrees from the University of Maryland School of Nursing and then went on to complete a Juris Doctor at the University of Baltimore School of Law and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in nursing at The Catholic University of America. Dr. McMullen has held faculty positions at several universities and has worked clinically at Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Baltimore City Health Department, and in private practice. She has been selected as a Distinguished Practitioner by the American Academies of Practice, a Fellow of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. she has presented numerous workshops on legal issues in nurse practitioner practice. She is also the author of a number of research and practice-based articles and texts.

Dr. McMullen has held prior faculty positions at both the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Graduate School of Nursing and the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She has worked clinically at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Baltimore City Health Department, and Anne Arundel Medical Center. Over the course of her career, she has combined her interests in nursing and the law by authoring a variety of book chapters and articles dealing with legal issues in nursing. A member of the Maryland Bar Association, she has served on both plaintiff and defense malpractice cases.

During off-hours, Patricia McMullen enjoys tennis, biking, and family time.

Mark Talon, DNP, MSN, CRNA

Dr. Mark Talon is a graduate of the University of Texas Nurse Anesthetist program and an alumnus of the inaugural class for Doctorate in Nursing Practice at Texas Christian University in 2009. He is a clinical coordinator for Shriners Hospital, Texas Christian University Nurse Anesthetist program. Past, Director of the Texas Board of Nurse Anesthetist. Nominated to the AANA Resolutions Committee 08/2016 to 08/2017 and currently serving on the AANA Bylaws Committee.

As the Chief Nurse Anesthetist for Shriners Burn Hospital for Children in Galveston he is actively involved in the peri-anesthetic and ICU care of critically ill pediatric patients resulting from burns, trauma and other related disorders. Mark is also actively involved in critical care research involving the resuscitation, monitoring, and ventilation of critical and unstable patients. He has the privilege of being published in journals such as Anesthesia and Analgesia, Journal of Burns, and as a coauthor in the textbook of Total Burn Care.

Kimberly Westra, CRNA, DNP, MSN, APRN, MBAc

Kimberly Westra CRNA, MS, DNP, is a certified registered nurse anesthetist with 21 years of experience and a faculty member of the University of Pennsylvania. She began her career in Baltimore, Maryland with experience as a critical care nurse at Johns Hopkins University. Kimberly is the Chief Nurse Anesthetist at Tidal Health Regional Medical Center in Maryland. Kimberly is the clinical site coordinator at Tidal Health, Johns Hopkins Nurse Anesthesia, University of Maryland Nurse Anesthesia, and Old Dominion University.

Dr. Westra is a doctoral graduate of Chatham University and is an MBA candidate in Healthcare Finance and Administration at Patten University. She is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau honor society at Chatham and serves in the mentoring program for advanced practice nurses.

Mrs. Westra’s extensive clinical experience includes her role as an RNFA, CNOR, and CPAN. She specializes in difficult airway program development within healthcare networks. Dr. Westra is a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania Nurse Anesthesia Program. Kimberly teaches both didactic and hands-on simulation labs to the interdisciplinary team.

Westra is a dynamic and energetic speaker who engages audiences with lively discussions on numerous topics such as CPC Exam Review, Cardiac Anesthesia, Pediatrics, and a variety of anesthesia core concepts. Kimberly speaks locally and nationally on anesthesia clinical topics and healthcare business management.