SIDM Staff
As the CEO of SIDM, Dr. Ward-Robinson is passionate about improving health outcomes for all by achieving excellence in diagnosis. A transformational leader known for engaging diverse interests and stakeholders to produce systemic solutions to human development challenges, she has more than 20 years of executive leadership within academic, multilateral, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations. Her expertise includes strategic planning, operations management, brand positioning, fund development, and delivering mission-linked outcomes. Before joining SIDM as its CEO in 2021, she served as a senior advisor to the Dean of the College and Arts and Sciences at Georgia State University, and as co-director of the Center for Studies on Africa and its Diaspora.
Dr. Ward-Robinson is a frequently invited speaker to national and international audiences. She has been recognized with a Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Houston at Clear Lake for her work in minority health.
Dr. Ward-Robinson successfully led initiatives in the United States, the Caribbean, Asia, Latin America, and Africa, from which peer-reviewed publications and related policy products have resulted.
Recently appointed as vice-chair of the Caribbean Philanthropic Alliance, Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, and the Smithsonian Science Education Center, Dr. Ward- Robinson has served on various boards, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s National Drinking Water Council, the Institute of Medicine Roundtable, the Alliance for Water Efficiency, and the Illinois Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, among others.
Dr. Ward-Robinson holds a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has completed numerous executive and leadership training programs from leading institutions that include the Center for Creative Leadership and the Northwestern Kellogg School of Nonprofit Management.
Shelia Buchanan
Deputy Director/Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Shelia Buchanan
As deputy director and chief operating officer, Shelia Buchanan plans, directs, and oversees SIDM’s day-to-day operations with strategic oversight for the office of the CEO, general administration, human resources and people management, information technology, conferences/event planning, and legal matters.
Shelia has nearly 20 years of experience working in the nonprofit environment, primarily in operations management and delivering national and international scientific conferences. She has served as the senior director of people and operations for Mission: Hope, associate vice president of operations for Uniting for Health Innovation (formerly PAHO Foundation), and held director roles for the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, and the Alzheimer’s Association. Shelia is active in various community service organizations, holds a bachelor’s degree in business management, and has professional certifications in nonprofit management and project management.
Gerard M. Castro, PhD, MPH, PMP
Director of Quality Improvement
Gerard M. Castro, PhD, MPH, PMP
Prior to joining SIDM, he was the Project Director for Patient Safety Initiatives in the Office of Patient Safety at the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. His professional efforts are focused on improving patient safety through defining and applying evidence-based strategies in health care.
Dr. Castro was the Principal Investigator for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT project “Investigations of Health IT-related Deaths, Serious Injuries or Unsafe Conditions.” He was a member of the AAMI Foundation Board of Directors, as well as the NQF Common Formats and HIT Patient Safety and Expert Panels.
Peggye Dilworth-Anderson, PhD
Head of Patient Strategies
Peggye Dilworth-Anderson, PhD
Peggye Dilworth-Anderson, PhD is a professor in the department of Health Policy & Management at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She has served in numerous leadership roles, which include president of the Gerontological Society of America. Her research, primarily on Alzheimer’s disease, bridges with community engagement activities/interventions that empower patients and families in seeking diagnoses for chronic diseases, accompanying care, and needed support.
Dr. Dilworth-Anderson is the recipient of numerous awards that include the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2022 Bengt Winblad Lifetime Achievement Award in Alzheimer's Research and the 2010 recipient of the Ronald & Nancy Reagan Alzheimer’s Research Award for her research contributions on Alzheimer’s disease in medically underserved populations.
She received her undergraduate degree in sociology from Tuskegee Institute and master’s and doctorate degrees in sociology from Northwestern University with post-doctoral training in aging research from the Midwest Council of Social Research in Aging.
Aubrie McKernan
Research and Programs Manager
Aubrie McKernan
Aubrie McKernan has worked in the healthcare and graduate medical education industry for over 10 years and currently serves as research and programs manager at SIDM. She received her undergraduate degree in Health Science Professional Development and Advanced Patient Care from Grand Canyon University and is currently in the process of finishing her MBA at Creighton University's Heider College of Business. She is passionate about advancing and improving education around diagnostic errors. Aubrie enjoys spending time with her family, dogs, and hiking outside of the office.
Pratima Persaud
Director of Development
Pratima Persaud
Pratima is a seasoned fundraising professional with over 15 years of experience. She has worked with large not-for-profit health organizations, including the American Diabetes Association, Planned Parenthood, the American Heart Association, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Pratima served as the Florida Market Director while at the American Diabetes Association. She provided strategic leadership, creating and executing fundraising strategies to raise revenue from corporations and major gifts donors. Pratima has worked in many capacities, including development, marketing, community, and public relations.
Pratima earned her Master of Science in Healthcare Administration with a minor in Strategic Leadership from Valparaiso University in Indiana. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Management from The University of South Florida in Tampa (Go BULLS). She also received a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace certificate from The University of South Florida.
Aimee Schroeder
Vice President of Finance
Aimee Schroeder
Aimee came to SIDM with more than 20 years of finance, corporate administration, and accounting experience, working within or consulting for small and large for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining SIDM, Aimee served eight years as a financial consultant and manager of accounting solutions, providing strategic financial analysis and support to executive directors and CEOs. Before becoming a financial consultant, Aimee served in multiple positions with progressive responsibilities for more than 10 years at CNA Financial Corp, one of the largest US commercial property and casualty insurance companies. Aimee started her career in public accounting, auditing clients in the sectors of financial investment service, public utility, and municipal government. Aimee completed her Bachelor of Accounting at Loyola University Chicago and is a certified public accountant in the state of Illinois. When not at work, Aimee keeps busy with her family in New Lenox, Illinois.
Jeremiah Smith
Education and Programs Specialist
Jeremiah Smith
Jeremiah Smith received his BS in Music Management from the University of Evansville in southern Indiana. He has made a career in nonprofit administration with both big and small organizations alike including Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the Chicago Chamber Musicians. Prior to his position as Program Assistant with SIDM, Jeremiah served as Development Associate for Friends of the Chicago River working to increase individual memberships and supporting the organization’s yearly gala.
Barbara White
Chief Financial Officer
Barbara White
Barbara White is the Chief Financial Officer at Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine where her responsibilities include assisting the Chief Executive Officer to leverage the organization’s strategic plan, lead and oversee financial and accounting activities, and develop financial and analytical objectives. Prior to joining SIDM, she drew on her 35+ years of experience in accounting, finance consulting, and auditing with public and private organizations, and provided financial management; consulting, grants management, accounting, auditing, strategic planning, and tax preparation services to small and mid-sized clients. Known for her honesty and transparency, her niche is the non-profit sector, supporting and facilitating the needs of CEOs and Boards. Barbara is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of Illinois. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, she migrated to the United States in the 1970s and currently resides in Georgia where she enjoys trying new restaurants and different cuisines, reading, cooking, hiking, exercising, watching old movies, and perfecting her backhand when time allows.
Ronald Wyatt, MD, MHA
Chief Science and Medical Officer.
Ronald Wyatt, MD, MHA
Dr. Ronald Wyatt serves as SIDM's Chief Science and Medical Officer. Former roles include Vice-President and Patient Safety Officer at MCIC Vermont and Chief Quality and Patient Safety Officer at Cook County Health, one of the largest public health systems in the United States. Dr. Wyatt is nationally recognized in the United States as an expert in patient safety and was named several times by Becker’s as one of the “Top 50 Patient Safety Experts” in the U.S. In 2010, Ron was appointed as Director of the Patient Safety Analysis Center in the U.S. Department of Defense, now the Defense Health Agency. Dr. Wyatt was the first Patient SafetyOfficer at the Joint Commission and in that role contributed to National Patient Safety Goals, Sentinel Event Alerts, and developed the “Quick Safety” publication.
Dr. Wyatt is a member of the ACGME Clinical Learning Environment Review Committee (CLER). Ron currently serves as co-chair of the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Equity Advisory Group. He presents nationally and internationally on leadership, safety culture, safety event analysis, human factors in healthcare, patient experience, and health equity. He also serves on several boards, including the IHI Certified Professional in Patient Safety and, formally, the Society to Prevent Diagnosis in Medicine.
Dr. Wyatt is a credentialed course instructor in the School of Health Professions at the University of Alabama Birmingham. Dr. Wyatt is a graduate of the University of Alabama Birmingham School of Medicine and holds an executive master’s in health administration degree from the University of Alabama Birmingham. He was a 2009-2010 Merck Fellow at IHI.
Consultants
Leslie Tucker
Senior Policy Advisor
Leslie Tucker
Leslie Tucker is an independent health policy consultant with three decades of experience serving the nation's leading public, private, academic, and philanthropic organizations working to improve health care. From 2009-2016 she was vice president of policy for the American Board of Internal Medicine and ABIM Foundation, where she worked to advance medical professionalism as a force for improving quality, and has been closely involved with the Choosing Wisely© Campaign since its inception. Prior to ABIM/F, she became senior program officer in The Pew Charitable Trusts HHS program after serving as director of the Washington office for a large and successful Pew-funded public health infrastructure funding initiative. At the state level, Leslie led strategic planning, policy, and outreach at the Rhode Island Department of Human Services during welfare reform and SCHIP expansions. She provided government relations and rural practice support for the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), served as a senior legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson (R-WY), and as a health policy analyst to the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Aging.
Susan Carr
Newsletter Editor
Susan Carr
Susan Carr has been writing and producing ImproveDx, SIDM’s bimonthly newsletter, since January 2013. She works on publications for a number of other clients, all of which are involved in health care. She currently curates a blog at EngagingPatients.org and has been producing a newsletter and journal for the Association of Educators in Imaging and Radiologic Sciences for the past 12 years. Susan was the founding editor of Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare in 2004, and continues to write and edit articles for organizations, such as SIDM, that focus on safety and quality improvement. She lives and works outside of Boston, in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. When not working on publications or her very old house, you’re likely to find Susan folk dancing or enjoying the company of friends and family.