Hospital Leadership
Gregory J. Argyros, MD, MACP, FCCP
President
Gregory J. Argyros, MD, MACP, FCCP, was appointed president of MedStar Washington Hospital Center effective July 1, 2018.
He joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center in 2012, and most recently has been senior vice president, Medical Affairs, and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Argyros provided overall clinical leadership and oversight at the Hospital Center, with key responsibilities of quality of care, medical education and research.
Dr. Argyros spent 25 years in the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army, most recently serving as Chief of Medicine at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Director of Education, Training and Research for the National Capital Region. In these roles, Dr. Argyros had the responsibility of merging Walter Reed with the National Naval Medical Center.
Dr. Argyros graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He completed an Internal Medicine Residency at Walter Reed, and was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. Dr. Argyros completed a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Walter Reed.
Dr. Argyros is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine, and is a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians. Dr. Argyros was named a Master of the American College of Physicians (ACP), an honor given only to those physicians who “demonstrate personal character, positions of honor, contributions toward furthering the purposes of the ACP, eminence in practice or in medical research, or other attainments in science or in the art of medicine.”
Saira Aslam, MD, MHA, FACC, FACHE
Senior Vice President
Chief Operating Officer
Saira Aslam, MD, MHA, FACC, FACHE, is MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s senior vice president and chief operating officer.
Dr. Aslam, a cardiologist, has a robust healthcare operations background. Before joining the Hospital Center, she was chief of staff and chief operating officer for the National Capital Region Market in the Defense Health Agency. She also served as the chief of staff and chief operating officer at both Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the largest academic medical center in the Military Health System, and at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, the largest community hospital in the Military Health System.
She began her military career in 1994 at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, where she earned her medical degree in 1998. Commissioned as a Navy Lieutenant that same year, she completed her Internal Medicine internship and residency training at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego.
Dr. Aslam is board certified in Nuclear Cardiology, Adult Echocardiography, and Coronary CT Angiography. Among her many recognitions, she has earned a Joint Service Commendation Medal, a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and two Army Achievement Medals.
Jeffrey Dubin, MD, MBA
Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs & Chief Medical Officer
Jeffrey S. Dubin, MD, MBA, serves as Sr. Vice President, Medical Affairs, and Chief Medical Officer for MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Dr. Dubin is responsible for clinical leadership and oversight, along with quality of care, medical education, and research. Dr. Dubin also serves as a Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center.
Dr. Dubin has a long and impressive background of clinical and administrative service in Emergency Medicine, at both the Hospital Center and within MedStar Health In addition to serving as chair of the Emergency Medicine department since 2015, Dr. Dubin was also medical director for MedStar Health Urgent Care in MedStar Ambulatory Services. He was vice chair of MedStar Washington Hospital Center Emergency Medicine, medical director for the department, and has been an emergency medicine physician at the Hospital Center, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and Children’s National Health System.
Dr. Dubin received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School. He completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Chicago Hospitals. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine.
Ariam Yitbarek, DNP, MHA, RN, NEA-BC
Senior Vice President
Chief Nursing Officer
Ariam Yitbarek, DNP, MHA, RN, NEA-BC, is senior vice president and chief nursing officer. She has more than two decades of experience at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, having joined as a staff nurse in 1998.
She served as a clinical manager, nursing director, and senior nursing director before joining the hospital’s senior leadership team in 2019 as vice president of Nursing Operations.
After a brief period as vice president and chief nursing officer at MedStar Southern Maryland, Yitbarek returned to the Hospital Center in 2023 as senior vice president and chief nursing officer.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Maryland, a Master of Science in Health Systems Management from George Mason University, and a doctorate in Executive Nursing Leadership from The George Washington University.
William Gayne
Chief Financial Officer
Bill Gayne is Chief Financial Officer at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Health Research Institute. Working with the corporate MedStar finance team, Bill is responsible for developing and maintaining a strategic financial plan, annual operating and capital budgets, providing financial analysis of new programs, financial reporting and analyses, and patient revenue activities.
Previously, Bill served as Chief Financial Officer for a large academic medical center. His responsibilities included all accounting and auditing activities, capital and operating budgets, long-range financial planning, reimbursements, cash management, accounts payable, payroll, decision support, benchmarking, and cost accounting.
He has also provided consulting and audit services to various healthcare organizations. Bill is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from the College of William and Mary.
Mangla S. Gulati, MD, FACP, SFHM
Vice President and Chief Quality and Safety Officer
Mangla S. Gulati, MD, FACP, SFHM, serves as vice president and chief quality and safety officer at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. In her role, Dr. Gulati leads the hospital’s quality and safety programs and practices. She also oversees regulatory compliance, patient relations, infection prevention policies and procedures; and serves as a champion for clinical excellence initiatives, performance improvement, and outcomes.
With more than 20 years of experience in quality systems and processes and as a clinician educator, Dr. Gulati’s career has advanced from hospitalist to physician advisor to administrative leadership.
Most recently, she served as Associate Chief Medical Officer, Chief Quality Officer, and Vice President of Patient Safety and Clinical Effectiveness at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, MD, where she also held academic appointments including faculty associate in the Department of Organizational Systems and Adult Health, and associate professor of Medicine, both at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Dr. Gulati brings to her position a demonstrated commitment to patient safety. Among her many achievements, she is a graduate of the Chief Quality Officer Professional and Patient Safety Executive Development Programs at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and of the Health Information Technology Clinical Track program at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
A native of London, England, Dr. Gulati received her medical degree from Dayanand Medical School in India and completed her residency in internal medicine at our sister hospital: MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Gulati has held national leadership positions, chairing the Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Committee of the Society of Hospital Medicine and serving as the Governor of the Maryland Chapter of the American College of Physicians.
Annamarie G. DeCarlo
Assistant Vice President and Chief Communications Officer
Communications & Public Affairs
Annamarie G. DeCarlo is the chief communications officer and assistant vice president, Communications & Public Affairs. She first joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center in 2001 in the Public Affairs & Marketing department, overseeing physician communications for six years.
As manager of corporate communications at Anne Arundel Medical Center for five years, she oversaw all communications related to the building of a new hospital tower and four parking garages. She returned to MedStar Washington in 2011 as director of internal communications and transitioned to the assistant vice president position in 2021.
DeCarlo is a native Washingtonian. She is a graduate of the Academy of Notre Dame in Northwest D.C. and earned her bachelor’s degree in government and politics, and journalism, from the University of Maryland in College Park. Her pre-healthcare communications career includes 10 years as a newspaper reporter in Washington and San Diego, California, and five years in higher education media relations and public affairs at The Catholic University of America and Trinity D.C. University.
She holds accreditation from the International Association of Business Communicators.
Paul Hagens
Vice President,
Human Resources
Paul A. Hagens, Jr. is vice president, Human Resources, responsible for compensation and benefits, employee and labor relations, and recruitment services.
His recent appointment, in early 2018, follows his earlier tenure at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, when he was director of Employee and Labor Relations from 2007 to 2013. During that time he was involved in all facets of the collective bargaining process, including union negotiations, grievances, arbitrations, disciplinary process, developing and implementing hospital policies, and providing consultation on personnel matters to all levels of management.
Hagens served as the vice president of Human Resources at Doctors Community Hospital in Lanham, MD, from 2013 to 2018. He oversaw all human resources functions, as well as employee health, security, guest services, telecommunications, and central transport.
He has demonstrated success throughout his career and believes that being a servant leader is the key to building engaged, collaborative teams focused on delivering exceptional patient first health care.
Hagens has more than 20 years of human resources experience, with more than half in healthcare leadership roles. He holds a degree in Finance from Towson University and will complete his MBA in 2019.
Mike Kelly
Vice President
Perioperative Services & Procedural Services
Mike Kelly is vice president, Perioperative Services & Procedural Services, and works in concert with Perioperative Services Medical Director Stan Chia, MD, to assure world-class, safe, and compassionate care for all surgical and procedural patients at the Hospital Center.
Prior to coming to the Hospital Center, Mike was vice president, Surgical Strategy and Development, at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas. Before his position at Sunrise, Mike was director of Perioperative Services at Houston Methodist Hospital. Other positions he has held include network surgical services business manager at Seton Healthcare Family in Austin, Texas, and administrator of Radiation Oncology at the University of Texas Health Science Center.
Mike received his undergraduate degree at St. Mary’s University, and a Master of Science in Health Care Administration degree from Trinity University, both in San Antonio. He is a certified Six Sigma Greenbelt.
Kenyetta Keys, MBA
Vice President
Operations
Kenyetta Keys, MBA, is the vice president of operations for MedStar Washington Hospital Center. An accomplished healthcare executive with 20 years of progressive leadership experience in hospitals, Mrs. Keys previously held the position as assistant vice president of support services. She is responsible for providing management oversight to support consistent, customer-driven, results-oriented, and high performance operations, supply chain functions and patient support services for the hospital. She holds a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in contracts and acquisitions.
Prior to joining MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Mrs. Keys served as senior director of supply chain and support services at Doctors Community Hospital for 9 years. She served as the President of the local Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM) Chapter, the Mid-Atlantic Society of Healthcare Materials Management (MASHMM) for the 2018 and 2019 terms. She is currently serving on the board of the Healthcare Council of the National Capital Area (HCNCA) and on the educational advisory board of Health Connect Partners.
Previously, she served as Supply Sargent for the United States Army Reserves for eight years. Kenyetta enjoys traveling, reading, watching, and attending sporting events. She has one daughter and 6 grandchildren. Kenyetta lives in Prince Georges County, MD with her family.
Alice Parrish
Vice President
Hospital Support, Information Services
Alice Parrish is currently vice president, Hospital Support, Information Services at MedStar Health. In this role, Alice is responsible for customer relationship management at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, MedStar Harbor Hospital, MedStar Montgomery Medical Center, MedStar National Rehabilitation Network, MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital and MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Alice also serves as the facility IS lead for MGUH and MWHC.
Alice plays an integral role in championing application rationalization at MedStar. She and her team work to streamline the current application portfolio with the goal of improving efficiency, reducing complexity in our IT environment and realizing reductions in infrastructure and operational costs.
With a total of over 20 years experience in Information Systems, Personnel Management and Nursing, Alice is a veteran of information services in healthcare. Alice joined the MGUH staff in 1995 as a clinical analyst, and joined the MedStar team in 2001 as an IS application manager. In 2006, she began her tenure as a customer service AVP. In 2015, she stepped in to serve as interim IS support VP and AVP for MWHC in addition to managing MGUH and the Aria Oncology Team. As a nurse and IT professional, Alice has brought a unique perspective to her approach at providing guidance and counsel for both customers and IS staff.
Ira Rabin, MD
Vice President,
Medical Operations
Clinical Resource Management
Ira Y. Rabin, MD, is vice president, Medical Operations and Clinical Resource Management at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Dr. Rabin is responsible for the timely and appropriate clinical care for all patients in the hospital, through a focus on physician excellence and serving as a liaison between the clinical teams and other hospital departments for all aspects of resource utilization and performance improvement.
Dr. Rabin serves as the point of contact for regulatory issues, orders certification and physician credentialing. He leads the collection and analysis of all hospital metrics, including readmission statistics. Dr. Rabin is also involved in the clinical teaching for residents and students on the Medicine team.
Previously, Dr. Rabin served as physician advisor, where his focus was on leading physician rounding, facilitating communication for all hospital ancillary services, educating and advising medical teams on the discharge process and collaborating with skilled nursing facilities.
Dr. Rabin received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, and is a member of the American College of Physicians.
Jani North Saale, MSN, BA, RN, NEA-BC
Vice President
Nursing Operations
Jani North Saale, MSN, BA, RN, NEA-BC, is MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s vice president of Nursing Operations.
She joined MWHC in 2003 as an ICU nurse, after earning her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Subsequent leadership positions include nursing director in the NeuroIntensive Care Unit and the Stroke Medical Nursing Unit. She then served as senior nursing director overseeing critical care and trauma inpatient beds, the Emergency Department, and MedSTAR.
In addition to her time at the bedside and leading teams, Jani has played integral leadership roles in dozens of committees, including restraints, medication safety, collaborate governance, workplace violence prevention, and handoff steering committee. She also is one of the Hospital Center’s three leads on the Equity, Inclusion & Diversity Council. Operationally, she was Interdisciplinary Model of Care (IMOC) coordinator and served on the Labor-Management Council that successfully negotiated two labor contracts with National Nurses United.
During her tenure Jani has earned her Master of Science in Nursing and is expected to complete her Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2025.
Keith T. Shiner, J.D.
Hospital Counsel
Keith Shiner is senior hospital counsel for MedStar Health, with primary responsibility for all legal matters for MedStar Washington Hospital Center, including regulatory, contracts, governance, medical staff, patient care, and employment. He also has primary legal responsibility for MedStar Health Research Institute. At the system level, he provides legal guidance for the Physician Leadership Council; Chief Nursing Officer Council; drug diversion prevention; and quality and safety matters.
Shiner is no stranger to the system. For 10 years he was lead counsel at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center and MedStar Harbor Hospital. He has been a health care lawyer since beginning his practice in 1997. Before joining MedStar Health in 2013, he was senior counsel for Medical Staff and Patient Care with The Johns Hopkins Health System, and in private practice with regional and international law firms in Virginia.
Physician leadership
David Moore, MD
President
Medical and Dental Staff
Rafael Convit, MD
Vice President
Medical and Dental Staff
Patricia Davidson, MD
Secretary
Medical and Dental Staff
Marc E. Boisvert, MD
Treasurer
Medical and Dental Staff
Pamela Randolph-Jackson, MD
Assistant Secretary/Treasurer
Medical and Dental Staff
Steven D. Abramowitz, MD
Vascular Surgery
Ravi Agarwal, DDS
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Tamika Auguste, MD
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Edward F. Aulisi, MD
Neurosurgery
Stanley H. Chia, MD
Otolaryngology and Medical Director
Perioperative Services
Patricia C. Tsang, MD, MBA
Pathology
Christopher Gallagher, MD, FACP
Cancer Services
Robert Golden, MD
Orthopaedic Surgery
Peter C. Hill, MD
Chief Medical Information Officer
Caron Hong, MD
Anesthesiology
Jonathan J. Hwang, MD
Urology
James S. Jelinek, MD, FACR
Radiology
Mark Lin, MD
Neurology
Jay Lustbader, MD
Ophthalmology
Susie O'Mara, MD
Emergency Medicine
Seife Yohannes, MD
Critical Care Medicine
Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, MD
Psychiatry
Jack Sava, MD, FACS
Surgery
Stuart F. Seides, MD, FACP, FACC, FSCAI
Physician Executive Director
MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute
John Sherner, MD
Medicine
Allen Taylor, MD, FACC, FAHA
Cardiology
Advanced practice leadership
Amanda Beirne, MSN, ACNP-BC
Director, Advanced Practice Providers, MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute
Amanda Beirne is the director of Advanced Practice Providers (APP) at MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute. Amanda graduated cum laude in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University and in 2009 from the University of Virginia with a Master of Science in Nursing, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.
Before joining One Team in 2012, Amanda was a registered nurse and clinical coordinator in the Coronary Intensive Care Unit at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, and an acute care nurse practitioner in Internal Medicine – Division of Cardiology - at the University of Virginia Health System.
At the MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute (MHVI), Amanda joined the Electrophysiology Service Line as an acute care nurse practitioner. In this role, she managed patients in an inpatient setting with defibrillators/pacemakers, arrhythmias, and conduction system diseases. Three years later, she was promoted to chief nurse practitioner. In this role, Amanda provided direct supervision of APPs at various locations including MedStar Washington Hospital Center, both inpatient and outpatient, and at regional sites at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and MedStar’s Northern Virginia practices.
In 2018, Amanda was named to her current position of director, where day to day, among other tasks, her energies are focused on patient care, providing education, administrative guidance, and oversight to all the MHVI departments.
Furthermore, Amanda has co-authored papers and presented on cardiac-related topics nationally.
Allison Glubiak, MS, CNM
Director, Advanced Practice Providers, Women’s and Infants’ Services
Allison Glubiak, CNM, is the director of advanced practice providers (APPs) for the Women’s and Infants’ Service Line at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Allison graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Virginia, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and a Master of Science in Midwifery from Columbia University.
She began her career as a certified nurse midwife at the Community Health Network and Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Queens, New York, and later at the Kaiser Permanente Redwood City Medical Center in Redwood City, California.
Allison joined MedStar Washington in 2018. After three years, she was named APP Co-Lead overseeing the supervision of 13 midwives. In her role, Allison assisted with individual reviews, leading staffing meetings, scheduling, coordinating students, and orienting new team members. Named to her current role in March 2023, Allison supervises the team of midwives, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who practice throughout Women’s and Infants at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
Proficient in Medical Spanish, Allison is a member of the American College of Nurse Midwives and the Washington, D.C. Affiliate of the American College of Nurse Midwives.
Maria Leber, PA-C
Director, Advanced Practice Providers, Surgical Services
Maria Leber is the director of the Surgical Services advanced practice provider team at MedStar Washington. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Stony Brook University Health Science Center in New York and a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Russell Sage College, also in New York, in 2004 and 2001 respectively.
Maria was onboarded at the hospital in 2005 as a physician assistant in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. After seven years, she was promoted to chief. With more than 17 years of progressive acute care experience, she was named to her current role five years ago.
With a passion for advocacy and professional development, she has direct report responsibilities for 40 advanced practice providers across 15 departmental sections. In this role, she is also responsible for the recruitment, retention, and professional mentorship of her team members, while leading regulatory compliance and performance management programs.
In 2021, Maria was named to the MedStar Center for Wellbeing Leadership team. Along with her colleagues from across the system, Maria has initiated and developed programs focused on advanced practice provider well-being including the expansion of a healthcare culture where providers are advocated for and celebrated.
In her free time, Maria enjoys spending time with her husband, Dennis, two sons Chase and Mason, and her sweet dog, a vizsla, named Rosie.
Kristen Nelson, MS, MBA, ACNP-BC
Chair, Advanced Practice Provider Leadership Committee
Director, Advanced Practice Providers, Critical Care
Kristen Nelson is the chair of the Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Leadership Committee and director of the APPs for Critical Care at MedStar Washington. Kristen received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Delaware, her Master of Science in Nursing with an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner focus from Georgetown University, and her Master in Business Administration from the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School.
Before joining One Team, Kristen was a nurse in a labor and delivery and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and a nurse practitioner in Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Inova Alexandria Hospital. Since onboarding in 2003, Kristen has held lead, chief, and director positions in the Department of Critical Care. In her current role as director, she provides operational support and strategic direction for nurse practitioners and physician assistants who practice in Trauma, Neurosurgery, Heart and Vascular Surgery, and General Surgery intensive care units.
In addition to her clinical role in the ICU, Kristen is responsible for optimizing scheduling and staffing plans, implementing quality improvement projects, developing onboarding and education programs, improving documentation and billing, and ensuring the maintenance of regulatory requirements for the critical care APP team.
In 2019, Kristen was named chair of the Advanced Practice Provider Leadership Committee by MedStar Washington president Gregory A. Argyros, MD. As chair, she collaborates with other APP leaders to promote an environment of interdisciplinary collegiality and support between APPs and other healthcare disciplines. Her role also includes active participation on several hospital committees including the Compliance Committee, Clinical Quality Improvement and Safety Council, Credentialling and Peer Review Committee, and the Bylaws Committee. Additionally, Kristen serves as a co-lead for the MRSA Reduction Committee and is a member of the Sepsis, Hand Hygiene, Multidisciplinary Peer Review, VTE Prevention, Wellness Champions, Policy and Procedure Steering, and Critical Care Governance Committees. She has been a community member of the MedStar Washington Board of Directors since 2020.
Kristen is a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Amanda Rivera, MSN, CRNA
Director, Advanced Practice Providers, Anesthesiology
Amanda Rivera is the director of advanced practice providers for Anesthesiology at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. Amanda graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from James Madison University, and a Master of Science in Nursing from Duke University.
Amanda began her career in nursing in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at George Washington University Hospital, and in July 2011, she joined MedStar Washington’s Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) where she cared for basic to complex surgical patients in post-anesthesia.
After graduating in 2015 from Duke University, Amanda joined the hospital’s main operating /ambulatory operating rooms as a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). In this role, she administers routine and emergent anesthesia in general surgery, orthopedics, vascular, plastics, trauma, obstetrics, thoracic, neurosurgery, ophthalmic, podiatry, and electrophysiology, among others. She orientates new staff and also acts as a preceptor to Georgetown CRNA students.
In 2020, she was promoted to chief anesthetist where she manages more than 50 CRNAs and certified anesthesiologist assistants (CAA). Amanda provides pre-anesthetic assessment and education, anesthesia induction, maintenance, emergent, and post-anesthesia care in collaboration with her unit and surgical staff.
Amanda is the coordinator of the CRNA Continuing Education Committee and a member of the Anesthesia Practice Committee. She is certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and Basic Life Support, and is a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.
Sarah Rose Sabo, MSN, ACNP-BC
Director, Advanced Practice Providers, Department of Medicine
Regional director, Advanced Practice Providers, Hospital Medicine, D.C. Southern Region
Sarah Rose Sabo is the director of advanced practice providers (APPs) for the Department of Medicine at MedStar Washington, and the regional APP director for Hospital Medicine, D.C. Southern Region.
After graduating in 2005 from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Sarah began her career at Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems, first in the Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and later in the Emergency department (ED). During her five years at this level-one trauma center, Sarah provided skilled comprehensive care to diverse populations of critically ill surgical patients and traumatically injured patients. In the ED, she was responsible for physical assessments to identify and manage life-sustaining functions in unstable patients and treated acute and chronically ill adults.
After a short stint in the ICU at Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center in Virginia, she joined MedStar Washington in 2010. That same year, she graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing with a Master of Science in Nursing, Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. As director, Sarah manages more than 65 advanced practice providers in 13 specialty areas. She serves as an advocate to ensure her team is practicing at the top of their licenses and is an expert on compliance, competency, regulatory and policy issues, and scope of practice.
In her role as regional APP director for Hospital Medicine, D.C. Southern Region, Sarah oversees the Hospital Medicine advanced practice providers at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, and MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center.
Sarah sits on the MedStar Health APP Council; MedStar Health APP Council subcommittee; MedStar Washington APP Leadership Committee; VTE Committee; MedStar Health Hospital Medicine Clinical Practice Committee; Handoff Steering Committee; and MRSA Prevention Committee. She is also the safety officer for her department.
Sarah is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the Society of Hospital Medicine.
Senior nursing leadership
Sara Groff, MSN, CMSRN, RN-BC
Senior Nursing Director, Surgical and Oncology Services
Sara Groff, MSN, CMSRN, RN-BC, is the Senior Nursing Director for Oncology and Surgical Services. Her responsibilities include oversight over nursing operations and clinical practice of all inpatient surgical and oncology specialty nursing units, IV therapy, and partnering with our dialysis services team.
Groff has been with MedStar Washington Hospital Center for more than nine years, serving as a frontline clinical nurse, unit-based leader in Medical-Surgical nursing, and, most recently, as the Nursing Professional Practice Program Specialist in Nursing Professional Development. In that role, Groff identified opportunities for ongoing leader and staff development and for enhancing the nurse practice environment. Groff led the Hospital Center to becoming the first acute care hospital in Washington, D.C., to achieve the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Pathway to Excellence® designation in 2017. In addition, she served as the collaborative governance facilitator for the Professional Development Council and is a member of the healthcare equality task force.
Groff earned her MSN in Innovative Nursing Practice in 2018 from Drexel University in Philadelphia. She is a member of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses, the Mennonite Health Fellowship, and the Association for Nursing Professional Development. Sara received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing with a focus in conflict studies from Goshen College in 2009.
Cassandra Lawrence, MSN, RN,
Senior Nursing Director, Perioperative Services
Cassandra Lawrence, MSN, RN, serves as Senior Nursing Director, Perioperative Services.
Cassandra Lawrence, MSN, RN has worked in Perioperative Services at MedStar Washington Hospital Center since 2003, and was appointed Senior Nursing Director for Perioperative Services in 2020. Her 17 years in Perioperative Services included nursing director of the Admissions Testing Center and Same Day Surgery Unit and director of the Third Floor Operating Rooms. She has served on MedStar Health Nursing committees and councils and was in the inaugural class of MedStar Health’s Nursing Leadership Development Program. Prior to working for MedStar Health, Lawrence worked at the Columbia Hospital for Women in Washington, D.C.,
Lawrence received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Howard University and her Master’s in Nursing Administration from George Mason University. She is a member of the American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN).
Yelena V. Tuerk, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, CNRN
Senior Nursing Director, Women’s & Infants’ Services and Ambulatory Care
Yelena V. Tuerk, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, CNRN serves as Senior Nursing Director, Women’s & Infants’ Services and Ambulatory Care.
Janice North Saale, MSN, RN
Senior Nursing Director, Critical Care and Neurosciences
Janice’s nursing expertise includes critical care nursing and leadership. She has served as a critical care educator and manager, inaugurating the clinical care facilitator role for the ICUs at the Hospital Center before moving into her current role.
Janice North Saale, MSN, RN, is senior nursing director, Critical Care, Neurosciences, and Emergency Services at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She is responsible for resource and capacity management in the Department of Nursing and oversees nursing supervisor and nurse responder teams.
Nursing is a second career for Saale, who first earned a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from Drake University. She spent several years in hospital and corporate communications and public affairs roles before earning a BSN from the University of Maryland in 2002.
Saale came to the Hospital Center in 2003. Her nursing expertise includes critical care nursing and leadership. She has served as a critical care educator and manager, inaugurating the clinical care facilitator role for the ICUs at the Hospital Center. She was appointed nursing director of the neurological ICU and Stroke Center in 2010 and moved into the Senior Director role in 2015.
Saale earned an MSN from Loyola University in New Orleans in 2014, with a focus on healthcare systems management.
Rachel Watkins, MBA, BSN, RN, PCCN
Senior Nursing Director, Medical and Behavioral Health Services
Rachel Watkins, MBA, BSN, RN, PCCN, is the senior nursing director, Medical and Behavioral Health Services, at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She is responsible for overseeing the operational and clinical performance of the Medical and Behavioral Health division, which includes seven medical units and four surgical units. She also has oversight for dialysis services and behavioral health.
Watkins began her nursing career in the MedStar Washington Emergency Department, where she piloted a program that cross-trained emergency nurses for working in the Level 1 Trauma Center. She also worked as a critical care nurse and as a forensic nurse examiner, collecting forensic medical evidence and serving as an expert witness in court. She moved into nursing leadership at MedStar Washington in 2015, serving on several units including as the interim nursing director for Medical Behavioral unit 2C, before becoming the nursing director of medical unit 4C, which was the only dedicated COVID-19 unit throughout the pandemic.
Watkins has developed and published research on strategies for nurse retention and engagement. She won Washingtonian magazine’s Excellence in Nursing Award in 2021 and the Nurses’ Choice Exceptional Nurse Leader Award in 2018. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the District of Columbia Forensic Nurse Examiners, where she chairs the committee on diversity, equality and inclusion. Watkins holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Villanova University and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus. She completed the MedStar Health Nurse Leader Development Program in 2020.
Additional information
Pathway to Excellence Designation®
Pathway to Excellence® honors hospitals which have a work environment where nurses’ contributions are valued, professional development is supported, and nurses are integral to decision-making. MedStar Washington Hospital Center is the first acute care hospital in the nation’s capital to achieve the prestigious designation.