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Presenters

Alphabetical by Last Name

Sofia Aragon, JD, BSN, RN, FAAN; WA Center for Nursing; Tukwila, Washington

Sofia Aragon is the Executive Director of the Washington Center for Nursing In 1975, Sofia immigrated to Seattle with her parents; her mother a Philippine educated nurse recruited to practice in the US. Her desire to be a stronger patient advocate led her to pursue a law degree and to engage in health policy. Her previous experience includes governmental affairs for the WA State Nurses Association, advocating for health reform, nursing education funding, and workplace safety. Today she is also an affiliate instructor for the UW School of Nursing and a Pro Bono Supervisor with the Seattle University Law School. She served on the Burien City Council from 2020-2024 and served as the city’s mayor. Sofia earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Washington a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Seattle University, and a Juris Doctor from Loyola University — Chicago School of Law.

Melanie L. Balestra, NP, Esq; BalwstraWebb; California

Melanie graduated from Duke University with a BSN, obtained an MN from UCLA, and graduated from Gonzaga Law School. She is admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court. Melanie practices law in Arizona and California and works as a Nurse Practitioner specializing in pediatrics. She is a past President of American College of Nurse Practitioners, California Association of Nurse Practitioners, and The American Association of Nurse Practitioners. Melanie writes a quarterly column called The Connection for the California Association for Nurse Practitioners.

Edith Brous, BSN, MS, MPH, JD, RN, FAAN; Edith Brous, Esq. PC; East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

Ms. Brous is a Nurse Attorney in private practice concentrating in professional licensure representation and nursing advocacy. She has practiced in major litigation law firms representing nurses at all levels of practice, physicians, other health care professionals, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. Edie is admitted to practice before the bars of the state courts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the Southern and Eastern Districts of the New York Federal Courts and the United States Supreme Court. She is a member of many bar associations and nursing organizations, was the 2011 president of The American Association of Nurse Attorneys and is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. She has been part time faculty at Columbia University, and has held adjunct faculty positions at several universities teaching legal aspects of nursing. Ms. Brous has lectured and published extensively on legal issues for nurses.

Kathryn Busby, BSFS, JD; Phoenix, Arizona

Cassie Edgar, BS, MS, JD, CLP; McKee, Voorhees & Sease PLC; Des Moines, Iowa

Cassie Edgar, BS, MS, JD, CLP is a partner at McKee, Voorhees  &  Sease, guiding healthcare innovators through intricate patent, licensing, and regulatory landscapes. Before law, Cassie pursued a BSN at The  Ohio  State  University, pivoting in her final year to earn a molecular genetics degree; setting the basis for her first career as a scientist. Cassie has represented nurses, startups, and pharmaceutical companies, turning bench side breakthroughs into bedside benefits. She also serves as an independent board member for Cytotheryx and Ponte Biosciences, ventures developing liver disease therapies. Cassie is especially honored to serve within TAANA, reconnecting with her original academic calling and allowing her to champion the nursing profession from a legal and policy vantage point. At the TAANA conference, Cassie will share practical strategies nurse attorneys can use to safeguard innovations and advance patient care.

Jennifer Flynn, BA, CPHRM; Nurses Service Organization (NSO); Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

Jennifer Flynn, CPHRM, is Vice President of Risk Management for Nurses Service Organization in the Healthcare Division of Aon’s Affinity Insurance Services, Inc. Specializing in risk management and having worked in the healthcare insurance business for over 24 years, Jennifer is dedicated to educating nurses and health care professionals on professional liability risks and offers strategies to mitigate those risks by supporting patient safety principles and developing quality management programs. In addition to being a frequent national speaker on healthcare risk and liability, Jennifer is also a published author on various risk management topics. Jennifer is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management and is a licensed Property & Casualty agent. She earned a BA in Psychology from Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

Gary Guest, DDS; UT Health San Antonio; San Antonio, Texas

Dr. Guest provides leadership for integration of computer technology for academic and clinical programs. He formerly served as the Associate Dean for Patient Care. This office is responsible for all patient care activities, including oversight for clinic policies and procedures; management of the facilities in which patient care is provided. Dr. Guest currently serves as the School of Dentistry CIO and oversees the enterprise Clinic Information Systems including the school’s Electronic Dental Record and PACS. He is the lead for the School of Dentistry’s implementation of EPIC, the unified Patient Record System for all health components at UT Health. He is Subcommittee Chair for the American Dental Association's Standards Committee for Dental Informatics and a member of the newly formed ADA Standards Consensus Bodies that includes Workgroups for Knowledge Management and Augmented Intelligence.

Kathleen Hessler, Attorney, Registered Nurse; Kathleen A. Hessler LLC; Albuquerque, New Mexico

Kathleen A. Hessler is an attorney and registered nurse with certifications in healthcare ethics and compliance. She is actively working at being retired from law and nursing, transitioning to yet another career in writing. In her free time, she enjoys golfing, hiking and traveling. She tutors kindergarteners in reading. Ms. Hessler is a frequent speaker at state and national healthcare and legal conferences. She wrote the chapter titled “Health Care Law” for the nursing text book, Concepts for Nursing Practice, which was published in 2020 (updated in 2024). She won an award for the Chapter in the 2021 New Mexico Press Women’s contest. She has won other writing awards for her stories, which have been published in anthologies. Ms. Hessler is finalizing a book which documents her poignant journey as she navigated life during her mother’s early onset Alzheimer’s disease—and while practicing law representing the long-term care industry.

Kelli Lam, BSN, RN, CCRN, JD; Lam Legal & Clinical Solutions; Palm Springs, California

Kelli Lam, BSN, RN, CCRN, JD is a critical care nurse and legal consultant with over a decade of ICU experience and a Juris Doctor degree focused on health law, compliance, and regulatory risk. She is the founder of Lam Legal & Clinical Solutions, where she provides legal nurse consulting, policy development, and risk mitigation services to healthcare institutions and law firms. Kelli has served as a Law Clerk II for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office and is the author of an article published in San Diego Lawyer magazine (2022). Her current work focuses on addressing the intersection of clinical practice and legal accountability in high-risk healthcare settings. She is a member of The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA). Kelli is passionate about protecting patients by supporting nurses and healthcare facilities through education, advocacy, and systems-level change.

Marc Meyer, RN, MS, JD; Law Office of Marc Meyer PLLC; Montgomery, Texas

Marc received a BS in Biology from Cornell in 1986. In 1989, Marc graduated with a MS in biochemistry from Texas A&M University. In July, 1990, Marc joined the City of Houston Fire Department as a paramedic and firefighter and he has been with the Houston Fire Department and recently retired a Captain/Paramedic with the City of Houston Fire Department after twenty years. Marc graduated with an AS in nursing from Regents College (now Excelsior College). He is licensed as a Registered Nurse and has been employed as a nurse with the St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and the Methodist Hospital System in the Emergency Department, Neurological ICU and Medical-Surgical floor settings. In 2009, he graduated from the South Texas College of Law and is licensed as an attorney by the State Bar of Texas. Marc is involved in the American Bar Association, Health Law Section and Young Lawyer Division; The American Association of Nurse Attorneys; the Woodlands Bar Association; the Montgomery County Bar Association and the Houston Bar Association. Marc holds leadership positions in the American Bar Association as the liaison from the Young Lawyers Division to the Health Law Section; in the Texas chapter of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys as a member of the Board of Directors.

Evita Morin, LMSW; Rise Recovery; San Antonio, Texas

Evita is the CEO of Rise Recovery, a leading nonprofit based in San Antonio dedicated to helping individuals and families overcome substance use challenges. She is also a healthcare provider in recovery. Under her leadership, Rise Recovery has expanded its reach, offering free recovery services, early intervention programs and founding the region's only recovery high school. With a career spanning civic service, housing, education, and behavioral health, Evita is a frequent speaker and advocate on the science of addiction, recovery pathways, and stigma reduction, and she has been featured in community forums and media addressing the fentanyl crisis and substance use. Her compassionate, evidence-based approach makes her a trusted voice in the field and a champion for those affected by substance use disorders.

Karen Nathan, Nurse Attorney; Gordon & Rees; Chicago, Illinois

Nurse Attorney with over 30 years of experience successfully defending health care professionals in medical malpractice litigation as well as before the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Jeffrey Stewart, Trial lawyer in both personal injury and commercial cases for five decades; Seikaly & Zeman, PC; Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

I have been a practicing trial lawyer since 1974, In both state and federal court. I am admitted to the United States Supreme Court, and have argued cases in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth circuit, the Michigan Supreme Court the Ohio Supreme Court and intermediate appellate courts in both Ohio and Michigan.

Susan Wagener, BSN, JD; HeplerBroom, LLC; Chicago, Illinois

Susan Wagener, an attorney of counsel in HeplerBroom’s Chicago office, focuses her practice on the defense of health care professional licensure cases, medical malpractice, nursing home litigation, and general healthcare law matters. In addition to her active trial practice, she regularly presents and publishes on topics related to malpractice risk management and the defense of disciplinary matters. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of The American Association of Nurse Attorneys. Wagener earned her J.D. from Marquette University Law School. She also holds a B.S. in Nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to becoming an attorney, she was a registered nurse, specializing in orthopedic and medical-surgical nursing care. She is licensed to practice in Illinois and Wisconsin and is admitted to the bars of the United States Supreme Court, the Illinois Supreme Court, and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Nick Webb, DNP, Esq; BalwstraWebb; California

Nick is a California licensed attorney and nurse who began his healthcare career as an active duty medic in the United States Air Force. He became an LVN and RN, earning his ASN, BSN, MSN, and DNP degrees while working full-time as a nurse. Nick has significant nursing and legal experience, having worked as a staff nurse, travel nurse, house supervisor, assistant nurse manager, nursing unit manager, director, chief nursing officer, regional director of patient acuity, regional managing director (where he oversaw the largest civilian electronic medical record in the United States), and national executive director for nursing technology. Nick is also on the graduate (doctoral) nursing faculty at the University of San Francisco and the University of California, San Francisco. He is passionate about adolescent mental health, and has served as General Counsel for Seneca Family of Agencies and serves on the board of directors for Koinonia Homes for Teens and the board of directors of The American Association of Nurse Attorneys.

Time Mountain Time Zone	Saturday, October 11
8 - 9am	Session 11. Loper Bright, Jarkesy, and Corner Post, Oh My! Marc Meyer, RN, MS, JD; Law Office of Marc Meyer PLLC; Montgomery, Texas Description: In the past 40 years, Administrative Law has been dominated by the Chevron doctrine, which held that the judiciary necessarily needed to defer to executive agencies on questions of ambiguous statutory language. After chipping away at the granite edifice of Chevron deference, in 2023 the Supreme Court issued a trio of decisions that upended deference to administrative agencies of the executive branch. Now we have had another year of the Supreme Court addressing the role of deference to executive branch agencies in their interpretation of their statutory authority. Where is the Supreme Court in addressing the regulatory state? What has the new administration done with regards to how it views regulatory actions and the control of administrative agencies by the executive branch. And where does the Supreme Court see its place in that process. We also have 50 separate sovereigns that have varying degrees of Chevron deference built into their constitutions and statutes. Where are the states going, and will that affect how nursing regulation is accomplished in the future? Learner Objectives: Describe the background of federal administrative law and development of Chevron deference.  Analyze how the Supreme Court controlled administrative agencies of the executive branch between Chevron and Loper Bright.  Describe how the Loper Bright, Jar.
9:15 - 10:15am	Session 12. Interpreter Services in the Clinical Setting: Risks and Best Practices Edith Brous, BSN, MS, MPH, JD, RN, FAAN; Edith Brous, Esq. PC; East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania Description: The use of ad hoc interpreters has caused catastrophic harm to patients. This session will present case examples of such cases and discuss the regulatory standards for preventing such harm. Learner Objectives: Differentiate “translation” from “interpretation. Identify the linguistic regulatory requirements for health care organizations.  Describe the clinical dangers in using ad hoc interpreters.
10:30 - 11:30am	Session 13. Prohibits Non-Physicians—Even those with Earned Doctoral Degrees—from using the Title "Doctor" in Clinical Settings Nick Webb, RN, DNP, ESQ; BalestraWebb Law; California  Melanie Balestra, NP, Esq; BalestraWebb Law; California Description: In Palmer v. Bonta, a groundbreaking federal case currently pending in the Central District of California, plaintiffs challenge California Business and Professions Code § 2054, which prohibits non-physicians—even those with earned doctoral degrees—from using the title “Doctor” in clinical settings. This restriction criminalizes truthful speech and undermines the professional standing of highly trained nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other doctoral-level clinicians. As authors of the Amicus Curiae brief submitted on behalf of The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA), we will present the constitutional, policy, and professional implications of this statute. With support from TAANA members across the country, our brief argued that § 2054 imposes an impermissible content-based restriction on speech, violates economic liberty, and erects unfair barriers to interprofessional collaboration. The presentation will walk attendees through the key legal arguments—rooted in the First Amendment, the commercial speech doctrine, and public policy—and examine how similar laws are evolving in states like Oregon, Minnesota, Georgia, and Texas. This case serves as a critical example of TAANA’s legal advocacy in action and a call to defend the rights and recognition of non-physician healthcare professionals nationwide.