Engaging Health Professionals and Strengthening Smoking Cessation Interventions: Success Stories from Family Physicians, Respiratory Therapists and Psychiatric Nurses

Dr. Saccocio received her Doctor of Medicine, with honors for Special Achievement, from the University of Florida (Gainesville), and her Executive Master of Health Administration from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill). She completed her Family Medicine residency at the University of Miami (Florida) before opening her own private family practice in Florida. She continues to serve patients as a family medicine physician at the Greenville Free Medical Clinic in Greenville, SC.

Dr. Saccocio has served in numerous clinical leadership roles. She joins Bon Secours St. Francis after serving as chief medical officer at Danville Regional Medical Center in Danville, Va., a 250-bed community hospital. She has a consistent history of leading award-winning programs and improving patient care and safety levels. Under Dr. Saccocio’s leadership, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System earned the distinguished honor by Truven Health Analytics as one of the 100 Top Hospitals Award Winners in 2015 for achieving lower mortality rates, fewer complications, shorter patient stays, and reduced readmission rates.

Becker’s Hospital Review recognized Dr. Saccocio as one of the top 100 Hospital and Health System CMOs to Know for 2016. Her extensive civic and community involvement includes serving on the Modern HealthcareWomen Advisory Board; South Carolina Hospital Association’s Quality Advisory Council as Board Chair; Women’s Leadership Institute and Diversity Leadership Institute at Furman University; Livewell Greenville’s Healthcare Advisory Council; Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina; Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Upstate Board; and the Wellness Committee of Bells Crossing
Elementary School.

Dr. Shawna Strickland is a Registered Respiratory Therapist and Certified Asthma Educator. Her clinical focus was neonatal and pediatric intensive care and high-risk transport. She transitioned to higher education after over a decade in clinical care. She was on faculty at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and the University of Missouri, where she served as Clinical Associate Professor and the Director of the Respiratory Therapy Program with teaching interests in neonatal-pediatric care, research, asthma education, and health care ethics. In 2007, she was selected for the Difficult Dialogues fellowship at the University of Missouri. Dr. Strickland became a member of the University of Missouri Clinical Ethics Committee in 2006 and joined the Center for Health Ethics in 2010 as a clinical ethics consultant, where she continues to serve as a Center Scholar. Dr. Strickland joined the American Association for Respiratory Care, the national organization for respiratory therapists, as the Associate Executive Director of Education in 2013. In this role, she develops, implements, and evaluates continuing education for respiratory care practitioners; is the managing editor of the Respiratory Care Education Annual; and manages special grants and projects with industry sponsors. She earned her undergraduate degrees from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and her Master's of Education (Adult and Higher Education) and Doctorate of Philosophy in Education (Educational Leadership and Policy Study) from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She also currently serves as adjunct faculty at Rush University, teaching doctoral courses in educational leadership in the College of Health Sciences.

Carol Essenmacher DNP has been a nurse for over 33 years and currently works at a VA Medical Center in Battle Creek, Michigan. In addition to her academic preparation, she completed training through the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center as a Tobacco Treatment Specialist. Her primary role at her facility is providing tobacco and nicotine dependence treatment for patients and staff. Her passion is translating the latest tobacco and nicotine treatment evidence into nursing and clinical practice.

Dr. Daryl Sharp currently serves as Director of Care Management for Accountable Health Partners where she oversees care management for a clinically integrated network of physicians and hospitals in Upstate New York. She also is Professor of Clinical Nursing and holds a secondary appointment in the Center for Community Health at the University of Rochester Medical Center. A clinical specialist in psychiatric/mental health nursing for more than 35 years, Daryl specializes in tobacco dependence treatment for those living with psychiatric disorders as well as behavioral health integration in primary care. She served as Chair for the American Psychiatric Nurses Association Tobacco Dependence Council from 2008 through 2014.