Kevin A. Rudd Jr. serves as the Director of Clinical Operations for the Department of Neurosurgery at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia. In this leadership role, he oversees operational strategy and administrative management for one of the region’s leading academic neurosurgery programs, supporting physicians and multidisciplinary teams delivering highly specialized neurological care. Kevin has been part of Jefferson Health’s Neurosurgery leadership team for several years, supporting the continued growth and operational excellence of the department.

Jefferson’s neuroscience program is nationally recognized for treating complex neurological conditions including brain tumors, neurovascular disease, stroke, minimally invasive spine disorders, skull-base surgery, and advanced endovascular neurosurgery. Kevin’s leadership focuses on strengthening operational efficiency, improving patient access, optimizing clinical workflows, and ensuring seamless coordination across clinical, surgical, and administrative teams. 

Kevin's Areas of Focus

• Clinical operations leadership for a large academic neurosurgery practice
• Surgical coordination and patient access optimization
• Multidisciplinary care integration across neuroscience programs
• Operational workflow development and performance improvement
• Strategic support for neurosurgical service line growth

Here are the top conversations from last quarter in the List Serv.  You can read the full threads by visiting:

Member’s Home Page → My Profile → My Features → E-Lists → NERVES Listserv.

Help us welcome our new members to NERVES! The Regional Directors representing the Southeast, Northeast, Northwest, West, South and North/Midwest regions would like to personally welcome you to our great professional organization. We are excited you have decided to join us and look forward to getting to know you!

Southeast

• Jeff Nguyen, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
  
• Dana Sosh, Neurosurgical Consultants, LLP, Owensboro, KY 
• Kasie Wood, NMMC Neuroscience Institute, Tupelo, MS
• Jessica Zeller, UAB Medicine, Birmingham, AL 
• Allison Wakeland, NeuroSpinal Associates, Bradenton, FL
• Anne Whaley, Neuroscience Service Line, Hoover, AL
• Brian Tamburro, AdventHealth Medical Group West, Wesley Chapel, FL
• Shanna Clark, Norton Healthcare, Louisville, KY 
• Gregory Lee Neal, Appalachian Orthopedics & Neurosurgery, Kingsport, TN
  
  

Northeast

• Jonathan Bellotte, UPMC Hamot Neurosurgery and Neurosintervention, Erie, PA 
• Maximillian DeFilippis, Hartford HealthCare Medical Group - Neurosurgery, Bristol, CT
• Susan Shirk, Argires Marotti Neurosurgical Associates of Lancaster, Lancaster, PA
• Melissa Kardonsky, MGB Neurosurgery, Boston, MA 
  
• Elise Atkinson, Mass General Brigham Neurosurgery, Boston, MA 
  
  

Northwest

• Barri Stiber, Legacy Health, Portland, OR
  
  

West

• Adam Hebb, Colorado Permanente Medical Group, Dilon, CO
• Joshua Beckman, NeurosurgeryOne, Denver, CO
  
  

South

• Joanne Martin, UTHealth Houston Neurosciences, Department of Neurosurgery, Houston, TX
• Jennifer Seals, Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, Leander, TX
• Elizabeth Ifeoma Nwojo, Macaulay E Nwojo MD PLLC DBA Midessa Neurosurgery & Complex Spine, Odessa, TX
• April Ramirez, University of Oklahoma - Neurosciences, Oklahoma City, OK 
• Emily Tally, University of Oklahoma Neurosurgery, Oklahoma City, OK
• Dawn Van Nice, Neurosurgery and Spine Specialist, Neurocritical Care, Fort Worth, TX
  
  

North/Midwest

• Natalie Cassidy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
• Hannah Beth Horwood, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
• Candice Wright-Lawson, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL
• Brandon Henry Darrington, University of Nebraska Medical Center / Nebraska Medicine, Omaha, NE
• Dawn Garbarz, University Neurosurgical Associates PC/Michigan Head & Spine Institute, Novi, MI
• Evlien Khamis, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago, IL
• Misty Michelle Kirby-Nolan, Indiana University Health, Indianapolis, IN
• EmmaMarie Pierce, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Neurovascular care is the backbone of every high-performing neuroscience service line. RapidAI strengthens that foundation with deep clinical AI designed to improve clinical, operational, and financial outcomes across the neurovascular pathway.

Our enterprise platform brings care teams together with real-time intelligence that tells a complete clinical story—from first imaging to surgical decision-making. With unmatched speed and compatibility across all imaging formats, RapidAI supports confident, timely decisions that improve door-to-treatment times, increase appropriate case capture, identify surgical eligibility earlier, and reduce unnecessary transfers. The result is a more aligned, efficient neurovascular program that elevates performance across the entire service line.

My name is Joshua Beckman, and I am a board-certified neurosurgeon at NeurosurgeryOne in Denver, Colorado. I joined NeurosurgeryOne in 2021 after completing my military service at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX where I served as Vice Chair of Neurosurgery and Director of Spine Surgery and Spinal Oncology. I am incredibly honored to have served my country and to have cared for some of the bravest men and women I have ever known. At NeurosurgeryOne, I specialize in the full spectrum of spinal procedures, treating conditions ranging from degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis to complex spinal deformities and tumors. Most recently, I was honored to be named a 2025 “Top Doctor” by 5280 Magazine, a recognition that reflects our commitment to excellence in patient care.

One aspect that makes my practice unique is my passion for both motion-preserving/minimally invasive procedures and complex spinal deformity surgery. These two ends of the surgical spectrum could not be more different, and I joke with my team that scheduling swings from “microsurgery mode” to “all-hands-on-deck” every week.  This dichotomy was born out of necessity during my military service, where preserving motion and function was critical for pilots and soldiers to continue their careers. But we also needed to treat complex acute trauma to maintain readiness skills and degenerative deformity conditions for the retired military population. Being able to perform both types of procedures at a high level allows me to tailor care to each individual patient rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all solution.

Dear NERVES Friends, 

As we begin 2026, I am filled with a sense of optimism and gratitude for the strength, resilience, and collegiality of our NERVES community.

A 1-Year Follow-Up Study Published in the Peer-Reviewed Journal Stroke Validates Effectiveness of Paired Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy for Improved Upper Limb Function

MicroTransponder®, Inc., a commercial-stage medical technology company and developer of the breakthrough Vivistim® Paired VNS™ System for chronic stroke recovery, announced the publication of new findings in the peer reviewed medical journal Stroke validating the beneficial long-term outcomes of Paired VNS™ Therapy. The findings demonstrate that stroke survivors treated with paired vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for upper extremity deficits post-stroke had improvements in impairment, activity, participation and quality of life for at least one year after completing therapy.

Dear NERVES Members,

As we move through the heart of 2025, I want to take a moment to reflect on the exciting momentum building within our organization and share a few key highlights.

Help us welcome our new members to NERVES! The Regional Directors representing the Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, and North/Midwest regions would like to personally welcome you to our great professional organization. We are excited you have decided to join us and look forward to getting to know you!

Southwest

• Chris Shoup, Methodist Moody Brain and Spine, Dallas, TX
• Tammy Williams, MHA, Banner Health, Glendale, AZ

Southeast

• Brandy Carrichi, MBA, UAB Department of Neurosurgery, Birmingham, AL
• Jenna Conklin, RN, Birmingham Neurosurgery & Spine, Birmingham, AL
• Michelle Justice, CPC, Neurosurgical and Spine Institute of Savannah, Savannah, GA
• Jeffrey Snoots, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute WVU, Martinsburg, WV

Northeast

• Ernest Barthelemy, MD, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY
• Dustin Bump, MHA, Hartford HealthCare, West Hartford, CT
• Jennifer Doran, MBA, Hartford HealthCare Neurosurgery, Wethersfield, CT
• Alex Eusebio, MBA, Northwell Health, Woodcliff Lake, NJ
• Jeanmarie Falco, MBA, New Jersey Brain and Spine, Paramus, NJ
• Peter Guzzo, MS, MBA, New York-Presbyterian Pediatric Neurosurgery Program, New York, NY
• Anthony LaVecchia, Mount Sinai Hospital (Neurosurgery), New York, NY
• Kiersten Rezende, IGEA Brain and Spine, Union, NJ
• Lindsey Smith, RN, MSN, Community Medical Center, Toms River, NJ
• Rob Smith, NSPC Brain and Spine Surgery, Rockville Centre, NY

North/Midwest

• Martha Brazelton, MS, Goodman Campbell Brain & Spine, Terre Haute, IN
• Stephanie Ewing, Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, Carmel, IN
• Kiffon Keigher, RN, MSN, Neuroscience SL Advisory Director, Chicago, IL
• Maggie Schachta, MPA, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
• Tarrien Sumerall, MBA, University of Missouri Health Care - Neurosurgery, Columbia, MO

By Brent Patterson, CPA, Semmes Murphy, Survey Committee Chair

The Survey Committee is happy to announce that both the 2025 NERVES Socio-Economic Survey and 2025 SNIS Socio-Economic Survey (hosted by NERVES) opened and questionnaires were released for submission on Tuesday, July 15th. We will again be offering $1,000 to two lucky participants who submit to the NERVES survey by the August 31st deadline.

The Committee explored a web-hosted submission and reporting platform for the NERVES Survey that we hoped to launch in 2025. However, the Committee discovered in the beginning of the implementation phase that the functionality that was available when we started our due diligence that would’ve allowed us to capture and report on important data points like sub-specialty neurosurgery data was being sunset and would not be available to us for 2025 and beyond. Without sufficient time to pivot to an alternate solution, the Committee decided to maintain our current format for one more year to allow ample time to explore solutions that would be an upgrade in terms of functionality but also allow NERVES to continue to develop a survey that meets the needs of NERVES and the neurosurgery community.

We look forward to rolling out a web-hosted platform for the 2026 NERVES Socio-Economic Survey.

By Nicola Hawkinson, DNP, RN, RNFA, CPC,
CEO of SpineSearch

Introduction
Summer recruitment presents unique challenges—vacation schedules, slower response times, and increased competition for top talent. Despite the seasonal slowdown, it's crucial to stay proactive to maintain hiring momentum and prepare for the busy fall season.

Get to know Flora Gallegos of Sierra Neurosurgery Group. Flora joined NERVES in 2017 and is a member in Southwest region.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Including my time as the Chief Executive Officer of Sierra Neurosurgery Group, I've spent over 20 years in executive healthcare positions. My career has been dedicated to fostering patient focused operations, strategic growth, and operational excellence within the medical field, with a particular focus on neurosurgery, pain management, and sports medicine.

At RapidAI, we empower neurosurgery programs with AI-driven clinical decision support to enhance patient assessment, streamline workflows, and strengthen financial performance. Our real-time, actionable insights help teams make faster, more informed decisions, optimizing both care and operations.

My name is Steve LeMoine, and I am the Vice President for Infirmary Health's Cardiovascular and Neuroscience service lines. I joined the health system in October 2020 and joined NERVES shortly after my arrival at Infirmary Health. I have the opportunity to partner with Dr. Ankit Gulati, my dyad physician leader, and an outstanding team among Infirmary for the growth, strategy and quality improvement of the service line. Our model focuses on neurovascular (stroke), neuro/ortho spine, neuro tumor and a variety of other patient care areas (today), with a vision of expanding our areas of focus every year!

Prior to joining Infirmary Health, I had the opportunity to work in many exciting roles that engaged the community, patients and hospital team members. These roles were both operational and strategic, at a local hospital level, physician practice and healthy system level.

Our Neuroscience Center of Excellence is comprised of many clinical teams from the hospital and private setting. We work in a collaborative manner to bring the highest quality of care to our region and support our Vision to be the FIRST CHOICE for healthcare in the Region. Our service line engages specialists from Neurology, Neurosurgery, Interventional Radiology, Critical Care, Physical Medicine and Rehab, Ortho/Spine and Neuro/Spine surgery, just to mention a few.

By Kristi Wright, MBA, CPCU, AIC—Senior Vice President, Claims, Curi Insurance

Recently, Dr. Gita Pensa, creator of the popular podcast, “Doctors and Litigation: The ‘L’ Word,” delivered an impactful keynote to our Curi Insurance team. This gathering was a key opportunity for our team to connect, learn, and reaffirm our commitment to supporting physicians and clinicians in medicine, business, and life. Dr. Pensa's talk at our event on the stress of litigation resonated deeply with us, highlighting a crucial point: a lack of understanding about the litigation process can intensify this stress for the impacted physician or clinician.

The NERVES Nominating Committee would like to submit the following ballot of nominees for your consideration and support. Final voting by the membership will take place during our Annual Business meeting set for Thursday, April 24, 2025, at the Seaport Hotel in Boston.

2025-2026 Board Nominees

Help us welcome our new members to NERVES! The Regional Directors representing the Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, and North/Midwest regions would like to personally welcome you to our great professional organization. We are excited you have decided to join us and look forward to getting to know you!

Southwest

• Patrick Browning, MD, Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
• Kathryn Gray, Spine Institute of Louisiana, LLC, Shreveport, LA
• Bobbi Sue Miller, University of Texas at Austin, Dell Medical School, Department of Neurosurgery, Austin, TX
• Claudia Rasnake, Center for Neurosciences, Tucson, AZ
• Emily Tu, Methodist Moody Brain and Spine Institute, Dallas, TX

Southeast

• Blue Anderson, Florence Neurosurgery and Spine at McLeod Health, Florence, SC
• Samantha Schmitt, USA Neurosurgery, Semmes, AL

Northeast

• Shannon Ciprut, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY
• Ashley Friend, Dept of Neurosurgery - Mt. Sinai Hospital, Brooklyn, NY
• Adriana Harris, New Jersey Pediatric Neuroscience Institute, Morristown, NJ
• Allyson Moffo, UConn Health: Neurosurgery, Farmington, CT
• Brian Spector, Penn State Health - Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA

North/Midwest

• Melinda Akins, Pediatric Neurosurgery Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH
• Stacie Church, MD, West ONE, Omaha, NE
• Ben Cobin, WashU Medicine Department of Neurosurgery, St. Louis, MO
• Chris Greenman, Vail Summit Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery, Grand Junction, CO
• Ross Schultz, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
• Carla Shaw, Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, Franklin, WI

Dear NERVES Members,

Now that we are a few months into 2025, I am filled with enthusiasm for what lies ahead for our organization. This year promises to be full of initiatives and collaborations that will propel us forward and deepen our professional connections.

2024 Partner article courtesy of Avant-garde Health

Hospital profit margins have been under significant pressure in recent years. In 2023, the median operating margin for U.S. hospitals was 0.3%, with approximately half of hospitals reporting negative margins. This financial strain underscores the necessity for hospitals to implement effective cost-reduction strategies, particularly in high-expenditure areas like spine procedures.

By Nicola Hawkinson, DNP, RN, RNFA, CPC
Article provided courtesy of SpineSearch

In the world of neurosurgery, the role of the practice administrator is critical. The administrator is the glue that binds the practice together, managing staff and resources and often serving as a bridge between clinical and operational excellence. Yet, with great responsibility comes the risk of burnout—a condition that can impact not only individual well-being but also the efficiency of the entire practice. It’s not surprising that burnout is a risk.

The following strategies help neurosurgery administrators stay focused, energized, and practical while fostering a culture promoting sustainability and success.