2024 Stroke Care Network Summit

Rabia Buridi, MD

Vascular Neurologist
Norton Healthcare
Louisville, Kentucky

Hello, my name is Rabia Buridi. I am a neurologist at Norton Neurosciences Institute in Louisville, KY. My subspecialty is in Vascular/Stroke Neurology.  I grew up in Louisville, KY and moved to Dublin, Ireland to do my medical schooling at Trinity College in Dublin. After graduation, I did my Neurology Residency at Dartmouth in New Hampshire and then I completed a Stroke Fellowship at Rush University in Chicago, Illinois. I see both stroke and general neurology patients inpatient and have a dedicated stroke clinic where I see complex vascular neurology cases. My passion lies in patient education and empowerment. I love all aspects of stroke care from initial acute management to following their progress through rehabilitation in an outpatient setting. 

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Margie Campbell, RN, BSN

Stroke Program Coordinator
UK HealthCare
Lexington, Kentucky

Margie Campbell, RN, BSN obtained her nursing degrees from Marshall University and Excelsior College. She started her career at UK HealthCare in 1985 on the Neuroscience Floor where she moved to the Neuroscience ICU shortly after. She is currently the Stroke Program Coordinator at UK HealthCare.

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Linda Conyers, MSN, RN

Accreditation Specialist-Quality Department
Clark Regional Medical Center
Winchester, Kentucky

Linda Conyers, MSN, RN, graduated from Morehead State University with a Bachelors degree in Nursing. She then obtained her Masters of Science in Nursing degree from Kaplan University with a concentration in Nurse Administrator. Throughout a twenty-plus year nursing career, she has experience in Critical Care Nursing, Nursing Management, Nursing Informatics and currently Quality/Accreditation Specialist at Clark Regional Medical Center. The role of Accreditation Specialist includes being the Stroke and Chest Pain Coordinator. She received the Directors’ Choice Award at Clark Regional Medical Center in 2023 and plans to continue to strive to improve stroke care.

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Melissa Cosby, BSN, RN

Case Manager for Neurosciences/Stroke
UK HealthCare
Lexington, Kentucky

Melissa has been a nurse for 28 years with experience in a variety of areas including Case Management, ED, ICU, behavioral health/psych, home health care, PACU, and pain management. Melissa has been in her current role as an RN CM with UK Neurosciences/Stroke for about 4 and a half years and serves on the Stroke PI committee.

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Jessica Douglas, RN, BSN, CCRN, SCRN

Neuro Clinical Coordinator,
Stroke Program Coordinator
Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital
Somerset, Kentucky

Jessica is the Neuro Clinical Coordinator/Stroke Program Coordinator at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital, a Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center, in Somerset, KY. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Morehead State University. Her certifications include Stroke Certified Registered Nurse (SCRN), as well as, Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN). Within the last year, Jessica developed a seven-session preparatory course to assist nurses in obtaining SCRN certification and was co-author to a poster that accepted and displayed at the International Stroke Conference regarding the facility's work toward decreasing door-to-needles times for acute ischemic stroke patients. Additionally, Jessica is a member of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN), American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), and an officer for the Lake Cumberland Area Chapter of the AACN.

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Larry Goldstein, MD, FAAN, FANA, FAHA

Ruth L. Works Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology
Associate Dean for Clinical Research, College of Medicine
Co-Director, Kentucky Neuroscience Institute
Co-Director, UK Neuroscience Research Priority Area
Interim Director, UK-Norton Stroke Care Network
Lexington, Kentucky

Dr. Goldstein is the Ruth L. Works Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology, Associate Dean for Clinical Research, College of Medicine, Co-Director of the Kentucky Neuroscience Institute, Co-Director of the UK Neuroscience Research Priority Area, and Interim Director of the UK-Norton Healthcare Stroke Care Network at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Goldstein focuses his clinical, research, and service activities on stroke and related disorders. He has published over 330 peer review journal articles, 51 chapters, 136 editorials, position papers and letters, and 820 professional reports. He has served in multiple leadership positions for the American Academy of Neurology, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, and the Association of University Professors of Neurology, including each organization's national board of directors. He has also served on review panels for the NIH, the FDA, and other organizations. Dr. Goldstein has received multiple awards for his teaching, research, and service contributions, including the Chairman’s Award from the American Heart Association, the AHA National Volunteer Advocate of the Year Award, the William Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke, and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest civilian honor, for his service to the state related to improving stroke care. He currently is the contact Principal Investigator for the Kentucky CDC Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program award.

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Scott Helle

Rural Project Manager
Kentucky Office of Rural Health
UK Center of Excellence in Rural Health
Lexington, Kentucky

Scott Helle is a Rural Project Manager in the Kentucky Office of Rural Health, where he focuses on maintaining and fostering relationships with Kentucky’s rural EMS services.  He is a Certified Ambulance Coder, a Certified Ambulance Compliance Officer and has maintained being a Certified Kentucky EMT.  He has more than 29 years’ experience working in the pre-hospital EMS field in rural communities that include rural volunteer EMS services to higher call volume rural EMS services that includes interfaculty transports.  He is also a committee member for the KBEMS Mobile Integrated Healthcare and Community Paramedicine (MIH/CP) Subcommittee. 

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Rachel Jenkins, MSN, RN, SCRN, ASC-BC, CPHQ

Neuroscience Service Line Director
Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Harlan, Kentucky

Rachel received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Kentucky College of Nursing and later completed a Master's of Science in Nursing from King University, Bristol, TN.
Over her career in nursing, Rachel has worked in several roles including neuro critical care, emergency department, quality improvement, nurse educator and stroke coordinator.
She has been with Appalachian Regional Healthcare for over two decades, first at Harlan ARH leading emergency services and transitioning to stroke program coordinator, the true passion in her career.
Her leadership of the stroke program led to the ARH system's first acute stroke ready hospital certification in 2017. Rachel now serves as Neuroscience Service Line Director for the system, creating a successful hybrid model of on-site and teleneurology services for the 14 acute care hospitals and 90+ clinics. This also includes leadership of the system's stroke programs comprised of two primary stroke centers and nine acute stroke ready hospitals.

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Shirley Kron, BSN, BSW, RN, COHN-S

Director Outreach and Engagement
RETAIN KY
Human Development Institute

Director of Outreach and Engagement at the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute and serves as the healthcare lead for RETAIN KY developing and expanding healthcare partnerships across the Commonwealth. Prior to her role at HDI, Shirley served as the Regional Director for Occupational and Corporate Health at CHI responsible for the KentuckyOne Workplace Care program for over 20 years and certified as an Occupational health nurse (COHN-S). She managed the Occupational Physician services (OPS) practice which provided occupational medicine services for over 800 employers and their employees in the Louisville market.   She was also responsible for management of onsite physicians at the Kentucky Ford Plant (KTP), Louisville Assembly Plant (LAP) and GE Haier. She has over 40 years of experience in nursing, including occupational, rehabilitation and care management

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Jeanette Lanoire, PT, DPT, NCS

Physical Therapist
Cressman Neurological Rehabilitation
Louisville, Kentucky

Jeanette (“J.”) Lanoire is a board certified Neurological Clinical Specialist by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. J. obtained her Clinical Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY. J. is currently working at Cressman Neurological Rehabilitation of Norton Healthcare since 2018. J. actively leads and assists in community-based health and wellness programs revolving around the neurological community including a weekly Parkinson Drums Alive! class, stroke prevention courses, HD exercise group, and assisting with Parkinson Wellness Retreats. She is currently an adjunct faculty member for Bellarmine University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program and serves as a mentor within the Norton and Bellarmine University Neurological Physical Therapy Residency program. J. has dedicated her clinical practice to providing a wellness approach to the treatment and management of neurological conditions. She has 3 peer-reviewed presentations.

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Karen Laufenburg, BSN, RN, MA

Stroke Program Coordinator
Norton Hospital/Norton Audubon Hospital
Louisville, Kentucky

Karen began her nursing career in 1999 at Frankfort Regional Medical Center (FRMC) upon graduating from Midway College with an Associate in Nursing. She continued with Midway College and graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing while continuing to build her nursing career at FRMC. In 2007, she graduated from Webster University with a Master of Arts in Leadership and Management.

Prior to joining Norton Healthcare in October 2023, Karen was a Clinical Coordinator in the Quality Department at FRMC specializing as the Stroke Program Coordinator, Chest Pain Data Abstractor, Quality Specialist for the Cath/PCI program, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Clinical Reviewer for the Bariatric Program, and Coordinator for the Core Measure initiatives as per CMS guidelines.

Within Norton Healthcare, Karen is the Stroke Program Coordinator for Norton Downton and Norton Audubon Hospitals, and will be celebrating her one year anniversary with Norton Healthcare in July 2024.

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Jessica Lee, MD, FAAN, FANA, FAHA

Director, UK HealthCare Comprehensive Stroke Program
Departmental Quality and Safety Program Officer
Professor and Vice Chair for Quality
Department of Neurology
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Lexington, Kentucky

Dr. Lee received her Doctorate of Medicine from University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 2000. She completed a residency in neurology at Madigan Army Medical Center in 2004, and remained on faculty there on active duty in the US Army until July 2007. She completed a fellowship in Vascular Neurology in 2008 at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX and remained on faculty there until 2012. She served in various roles during this time, including Medical Director for inpatient neurology services. She joined the faculty of University of Kentucky’s Department of Neurology in August 2012, where she is now Professor and Vice Chair for Quality in the Department of Neurology and the Medical Director for the UK HealthCare Comprehensive Stroke Program. Nationally, she has served on the Patient Safety Subcommittee for the American Academy of Neurology, as the vice- chair and later chair of the Women’s Issues in Neurology Section for the AAN. She has received local and national awards for excellence in teaching.

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April Mullins, BSN, RN

Stroke Coordinator / Clinical Nurse Manager
Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Whitesburg, Kentucky

With a passion for helping stroke patients, April joined Whitesburg ARH in 2018 as an LPN. After earning her RN in 2020, April brought her compassionate care to the stroke unit/ICU as a critical care float nurse. Now as stroke coordinator since June 2022, she draws on her experience and education to make a difference for stroke patients every day. April is currently working towards becoming a stroke-certified nurse to further her expertise in this critical field.

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Kevin O'Connor, MD

Medical Director, Frankfort Regional Medical Center Primary Stroke Center
Frankfort, Kentucky
Assistant Professor, University of Kentucky Department of Neurology
Lexington, Kentucky

Before medicine, Kevin O'Connor pursued European history at Penn State University and the University of Southern Mississippi. He then attended Indiana University School of Medicine and subsequently completed his neurology residency and vascular neurology fellowship at the University of Kentucky. Afterward, he joined UK as an Assistant Professor of Neurology. In addition to his involvement with several ongoing clinical trials in stroke care at UK, he works to improve pediatric stroke care in the region. He is also the Stroke Medical Director of the Primary Stroke Center at Frankfort Regional Medical Center.

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Casey Okong'o, MSN, RN, CNRN, SCRN

Nurse Educator
Stroke Care Network
Louisville, Kentucky

Even from a young age, Casey has had a heart for helping others. Born in Kentucky, raised in West Virginia and eventually transplanting to Indiana, Casey worked in various capacities with mentally challenged adults for 14 years. Having a desire to understand healthcare in a deeper way, she decided to go on to become a registered nurse. She attended Ivy Tech Community College and obtained her ASN and began immediately working as an RN on a stroke unit. Eventually she went on to get her BSN and even her MSN along the way. She loved the work she did on the stroke unit and decided she wanted to become a stroke certified RN – so she did. Casey has always believed that you can truly do anything you desire if you work hard and believe you can do it. As the first person in her family to receive any college degree, she was determined to take this desire for learning to others and educate as many people as possible about stroke and risk reduction. Casey is passionate about people, passionate about caring, and passionate about educating others. It is her hope that anyone who wants to learn more and further their education in order to be better providers for the patients they serve will be able to do just that!

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John Perricone, M.S.Ed

Mr. Perricone was a Health Educator and Psychology teacher in the Maine-Endwell School District in upstate N.Y. for 31 years. His love and passion for teaching have made him the recipient of local, state, and national “Excellence in Teaching” awards. He is a best-selling author and a nationally and internationally sought keynote speaker.

He has been lauded across the country for his work in inviting his audiences to reflect upon their personal philosophies of life and the role that that philosophy plays in shaping their work ethic and the profundity of their life’s calling.

After fifty years of training, Mr. Perricone has received his 7th-degree blackbelt -- the highest rank that his teacher, world-renowned karate master Hidy Ochiai (Hy-dee O-chee-I) has ever awarded in his fifty-eight of teaching.

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Ashley Roshangah, BSN, RN

Quality Outcomes Analyst
Norton Healthcare
Louisville, Kentucky

Ashley Roshangah is a dedicated Stroke Data Analyst with a strong background as a Registered Nurse. Ashley has provided quality care to diverse populations across various hospital systems. Having developed comprehensive experience in her years of nursing, she has demonstrated exceptional skill in patient care across various organizations. Ashley's commitment to delivering accurate and transparent data underscores her belief in driving best practices to improve patient outcomes.

As a travel nurse, she actively sought to expand her knowledge of innovative, evidence-based practices, sharing her expertise across different healthcare organizations. Early within her career, her role as a Clinical Outcomes Nurse involved in-depth analysis of patient charts to optimize care delivery, while collaborating closely with medical staff and hospital executives to ensure the adoption of leading practices. Furthermore, Ashley's involvement with the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN) reflects her ongoing dedication to professional development.

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Tiffany Scott, BSN, RN

Stroke Clinical Program Specialist
Owensboro Health Regional Hospital
Owensboro, Kentucky

I'm Tiffany, a passionate clinical stroke specialist with a deep commitment to enhancing patient care and outcomes. With years of experience in emergency medicine, I've developed a strong understanding of the critical needs and challenges faced by stroke patients.

My journey into stroke care began in the fast-paced environment of the emergency room, where I witnessed firsthand the impact of timely intervention and specialized treatment. This experience fueled my desire to improve protocols and processes, ultimately leading me to specialize in stroke management.

I thrive on the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of patients and their families. I invite you to explore my professional journey and commitment to exceptional patient care. Together, let's continue to advance stroke management and ensure every patient receives the best possible treatment.

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Jessica Sumner, DNP, APRN, ACNS-BC, CEN

Director of Clinical Effectiveness and Stroke Care
Norton Healthcare
Louisville, Kentucky

Jessica is the Director Clinical Effectiveness and Stroke Care at Norton Healthcare. Jessica has over 25 years of experience in nursing. She obtained her diploma in nursing in 1995 from Lancaster General School of Nursing and her BSN in 2007 from Indiana Wesleyan University. In 2003, she obtained her MSN from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis and achieved board certification as a clinical nurse specialist. She obtained her DNP in 2019 from Bellarmine University. Prior to being a CNS, she worked as a staff nurse and Clinical Educator in the Emergency Department and is a Certified Emergency Nurse. Jessica is passionate about providing excellent stroke care and has been involved with stroke systems of care for the past 10 years. In her current role, she oversees the stroke program at Norton Healthcare.

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Danielle Wilkins, BSN, RN

Stroke Program Coordinator
Georgetown Community Hospital
Georgetown, Kentucky

Danielle is currently serving as the Stroke Program Coordinator at Georgetown Community Hospital. With 19 years of nursing experience across various fields such as cardiac, critical care step-down, and emergency medicine, she now is working to enhance stroke patient care in Central Kentucky. Her primary focus lies in elevating the standards of stroke care available to the community in the Scott County area.

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Shelly Zielke, BSN, RN

Quality Specialist
Stroke Care Network
UK HealthCare
Lexington, Kentucky

Shelly Zielke has been a registered nurse with the University of Kentucky Medical Center since 2006. She is a graduate of the University of Louisville School of Nursing. Shelly has 10 years of experience working in the neurology and neurosurgery fields as a bedside nurse. In addition, she has served as the Chair of the SCOPE (Stroke Community Outreach Program and Education) Committee, has been a clinical instructor for Morehead State University, and a case manager at UK Healthcare. Shelly is now working as the Stroke Care Network Quality Specialist to contribute to the overall mission of the network helping improve stroke care throughout Kentucky and beyond.

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