General Session Information

Thursday, July 19, 2012, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Pre-Conference Workshop:

Speaker Biographical Statement:

Aris Eliades, PhD, RN, CNS, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Akron, a Master's Degree in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University, and a PhD in Nursing from Boston College, where she was a university fellow. Her experience as an assistant professor includes teaching a range of undergraduate, graduate and doctoral nursing programs. Dr. Eliades has extensive clinical experience in pediatric and neonatal critical, acute and home care settings and has presented nationally and internationally on a variety of nursing topics. As director of Nursing Education and Research, she has been instrumental in building the nursing research program at Akron Children's over the past decade. The Society of Pediatric Nurses awarded Dr. Eliades the "Excellence in Nursing Research Award." She also received the Delta Omega Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International "Lillian DeYoung Research Award," and has been recognized among the "Distinguished Alumni" of the University of Akron College of Nursing. As associate director of the Rebecca D. Considine Research Institute at Akron Children's Hospital, Dr. Eliades assists in developing and executing the research institute's strategic plan. A published author and reviewer, she mentors nurse investigators in writing successful study proposals, grant applications, abstracts and manuscripts.

Thursday, July 19, 2012, 5:45 pm – 7:00 pm
Opening General Session:

Speaker Biographical Statements:

Ashley Waddell, MS, RN, CNOR, is a Staff Development Specialist at Children's Hospital Boston. Ms. Waddell is involved in health care policy in several ways, both at the hospital and at the state level. At Children's Hospital Boston she co-chairs the Legislative Action Interest Group, a forum made up of direct care nurses, nurse leaders, and government relations representatives that meets monthly to discuss and develop strategies regarding federal and state legislation related to pediatric health care. Ms. Waddell also represents pediatric clinical practice on the Nursing Leadership group for the Massachusetts Action Coalition, which is working toward advancing the recommendations laid out in The Future of Nursing: A Campaign for Action, the report released in 2010 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute of Medicine. She is also an active member on the Government Affairs Committee for the Organization for Nurse Leaders for Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Beyond her work in health care policy, Ms. Waddell contributes to educational programs and maintenance of the policy infrastructure within the Department of Patient Care Services at Children's Hospital Boston.

Amy Judge DeLong, BA, has been the Manager of Federal Government Relations at Children's Hospital Boston (CHB) since February 2009. Ms. DeLong works with hospital executives to determine the impact of federal policies on CHB, its patients, and the academic medical community. She develops and leads advocacy efforts on an agenda that includes issues related to pediatric quality of care, access, medical research, and academic medicine. Previously, she spent more than 8 years working in Washington, DC. Ms. DeLong holds a BA in Political Science from American University in Washington, DC.

Friday, July 20, 2012, 8:15 am – 9:45 am
General Session

Speaker Biographical Statement:

Eileen Sporing, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, is Senior Vice President for Patient Care Operations and the Chief Nursing Officer at Children's Hospital Boston (CHB). She has been a member of CHB's executive management since 1989. She holds a BS degree in Nursing from Trenton State College (New Jersey) and an MS degree in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania. She was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Nursing in 2010.

Ms. Sporing holds broad responsibility for many clinical disciplines at CHB, including pharmacy, social work, radiology, and clinical labs. She is, with the Chief Information Officer, the executive sponsor for the implementation of the hospital's electronic record. Additionally, Ms. Sporing is the current president of the board of trustees of Boston Medflight, as well as a member of both the Massachusetts Organization of Nurse Executives and the American Organization of Nurse Executives, along with other national nursing organizations. She has been a Visiting Scholar at Boston College School of Nursing since 1994 and has been awarded the honor of Distinguished Lecturer by Sigma Theta Tau International.

Saturday, July 21, 2012 , 9:00 am - 10:15 am
General Session

Speaker Biographical Statement:

Aris Eliades, PhD, RN, CNS, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Akron, a Master's Degree in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University, and a PhD in Nursing from Boston College, where she was a university fellow. Her experience as an assistant professor includes teaching a range of undergraduate, graduate and doctoral nursing programs. Dr. Eliades has extensive clinical experience in pediatric and neonatal critical, acute and home care settings and has presented nationally and internationally on a variety of nursing topics. As director of Nursing Education and Research, she has been instrumental in building the nursing research program at Akron Children's over the past decade. The Society of Pediatric Nurses awarded Dr. Eliades the "Excellence in Nursing Research Award." She also received the Delta Omega Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International "Lillian DeYoung Research Award," and has been recognized among the "Distinguished Alumni" of the University of Akron College of Nursing. As associate director of the Rebecca D. Considine Research Institute at Akron Children's Hospital, Dr. Eliades assists in developing and executing the research institute's strategic plan. A published author and reviewer, she mentors nurse investigators in writing successful study proposals, grant applications, abstracts and manuscripts.