Advanced Practice Leaders
“Buffy is the Sr. Quality and Patient Advisor for Vanderbilt University Medical Center Department of Anesthesia. A 1989 graduate from the University of Tennessee- Knoxville, Buffy received a Bachelor of Science of Nursing degree and joined Vanderbilt as a staff RN in the Emergency Department in early 1990. Following a brief hiatus while completing her Masters Degree with a focus in Anesthesia, Buffy returned to Vanderbilt in 1996 as a staff Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). During her tenure with Vanderbilt, Buffy has served in many leadership roles initially as the Lead CRNA- Pediatric & Adult Cardiothoracic Division from 2000-2010, then as the Assistant Chief CRNA from 2010-2014. Prior to her current position, Buffy also served as the Interim-Chief CRNA. In 2014, she completed her Doctorate of Nursing Practice, in which her capstone project focused on patient quality and safety. Married, with a beautiful puppy, Buffy is very active in the community and has participated on more than fifteen pediatric surgical mission trips.” |
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“Angela Wilson-Liverman, is the Co-Director of the Generalist OBGYN Division, Director of Advanced Practice Providers and an Associate Professor of OBGYN, School of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She has been a Certified Nurse-Midwife since 1999 and at Vanderbilt since 2007. Prior to that she worked at a freestanding birth center and private practice in Stuart, Florida. She did her midwifery training at Vanderbilt School of Nursing and her Doctorate in Health Sciences at Nova Southeastern University. Her research interests include midwives in residency education, midwife-led obstetric triage units, redefining normal labor progress and active labor, and billing for services when working with residents and students. She is responsible over 80 Advanced Practice Providers at 100 Oaks Center for Women’s Health, Cool Springs, Brentwood, Smyrna, Mt. Juliet, Pleasant View/Tennova, Lebanon/VWCH, Columbia/Lawrenceburg, and Franklin Women’s Center in addition to L&D and the Maternal Special Care Unit at VUH.” |
“Russell Kunic, MSN, FNP-BC, NE-BC, is the Associate Nursing Officer of Vanderbilt Urology and the Vanderbilt Preoperative Evaluation Center, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He received an undergraduate biology degree at John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio. He received his professional nursing and Masters of Science in Nursing degree at The Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He has been a Family Nurse Practitioner since 2001. Russ joined Vanderbilt in 2003 and has spent the majority of his career in preoperative medicine and in urology, with a formal focus on leadership and operations since 2006. He has a variety of responsibilities at Vanderbilt outside of his ANO role, and also enjoys mentoring staff and fellow APPs and helping others with career development. When Russ is at not work, he enjoys exploring the outdoors with his family and cheering on his hometown Pittsburgh sports teams.” |
“Dr. Sparks is a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who joined the faculty in 2017. From Vanderbilt University, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (2014), Master of Science in Nursing (2016), and Doctor of Nursing Practice (2020). She is the Clinical Director of the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital’s Psychiatric Assessment Service (PAS), providing care for emergent behavioral health needs. She is also the Director of Psychiatry Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), dedicating time to recruitment, training, and engagement of the Psychiatry APPs throughout Vanderbilt Health. Clinical Interests: Emergency psychiatry, Suicide risk assessment and prevention, LGBTQI+ mental healthcare ” |
“Amber received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Belmont University. She began her career as a registered nurse in the Cardiac Progressive Care Unit and then as a registered nurse in the CVICU, both at VUMC. In 2015, Amber completed her Master of Science in Nursing from Western Kentucky University and began her advanced practice career in Transplant Clinical Services, providing clinical care for heart transplant patients. Amber became the Heart Transplant Advanced Practice team lead in 2019. She has accepted the Director of Advanced Practice, Ambulatory position for the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute. In this role, Amber will oversee the ambulatory advanced practice providers both on the main campus and the region for VHVI. ” |
“I began my professional career in the printing and publishing industry in 1991. During this time, I worked as a Corporate Technical Director for an international printing company, where I oversaw many large-scale projects and technology changes. I returned to school in 2004, became an Acute Care NP through VUSN’s bridge program. My first NP role was with our Heart Transplant program. I enjoyed learning to take care of these complex patients, and developing the clinical team as the program grew from 12 transplants per year, to now over 174 transplants annually (the largest in the world!) I was the Lead APN for several years, and in 2017 transitioned to a Manager role, after completing a Master’s of Management in Health Care, and now am the Director of Thoracic Transplant and Organ Recovery. In this role, I support the outpatient heart and lung transplant clinical teams, and organ recovery teams. I co-chaired the Ambulatory Workforce Committee for 2 years, have been a member of the Advanced Practice Professional Development Committee, participated as a mentor in the LEAP program, have been involved in numerous operational initiatives with the Transplant Center and VUMC, and am active in the broader transplant community. I have also served as a consultant to several transplant centers around the country, helping them to identify best practices, establish regulatory compliance, and helping them to evaluate the best structures for their programs.” |
“Amanda Dickert received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Western Kentucky University in 2002. She then worked as a staff nurse and Charge Nurse in the Trauma Intensive Care Unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). She obtained a Master of Science degree from Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia (MTSA) and began practicing as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in 2008. She worked in the Adult OR at VUMC specializing in Neuroanesthesia from 2008 until 2013. At that time, she transitioned to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. She joined the division as Lead Pediatric CRNA and led that team until 2018. At that time, she transitioned to the role of Associate Chief CRNA for all anesthesia CRNA divisions. She obtained her Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice Degree from MTSA in 2020. She also received the credentials of Nurse Executive Advanced – Board Certified in 2020. She obtained her Master of Management in Health Care from Vanderbilt University in 2024. She is currently serving in the role of Chief CRNA, Director of Anesthesiology Advanced Practice for VUMC. She holds a faculty appointment as Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology.” |
“Deborah Payne is an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner who graduated from the University of Alabama in Birmingham in 1996 with a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on Cardiovascular Care. She has worked as an NP in General and Interventional Cardiology for the entirety of her career and has been a Cardiology NP at Vanderbilt since 2007. In 2019, she became the Director of Advanced Practice for Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute which is one of the largest APP groups at VUMC. Deborah has maintained a clinical practice in General Cardiology that she very much enjoys.” |
“Shelley Atkinson is the Director for the Critical Care and Acute Care APP Surgical Segment of VUH. She joined Vanderbilt Heath as a Registered Nurse in 1991. Shelley completed her master’s degree from the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and subsequently joined the trauma service as a trauma nurse practitioner in 1998. In 2019, Shelley graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing with her Doctor of Nursing Practice. Her doctoral project focused on improving communication during rounds by using a standardized rounding process with inclusion of the RN. The initiative successfully minimized interruptions and improved the efficiency within a trauma APP team. Shelley is committed to APPs successfully providing reliable, safe, and efficient patient care.” |
“Jane is the Director of Advanced Practice for Vanderbilt University Medical Center Department of Medicine. Jane has been a nurse since 1989. She started her career as an ICU nurse at Morehead Memorial Hospital in Eden, NC. She became a charge nurse, then nursing supervisor while pursuing her Master’s degree at Old Dominion University. After graduating as an FNP in 1997, Jane joined the faculty at Vanderbilt’s School of Nursing and started a primary care practice. Jane has been a primary care provider at Vanderbilt since then, caring for a panel of over 3,000 patients, and also completed her DNP at Vanderbilt in 2010. She transitioned from full-time clinician to her leadership role in the Department of Medicine in 2013. Jane’s area of professional interest and scholarly work is in preventative care and community health. With a passion for clinical teaching, she has also been honored with awards over the years which include Rockingham County’s Meritorious Service Award in Nursing, North Carolina’s Nursing Excellence Award, AOA Teaching Award ( VUMC ), Top Scoring Outpatient Clinic Awards in 2006 and 2010 by PRC, Clinical Care Leader Award by Vanderbilt’s School of Medicine Shade Tree Clinic, and the prestigious Tennessee Nurse Practitioner of the Year Award in 2012 by AANP.” |
“Melissa Davis is currently the Interim Clinical Practice Director for the School of Nursing faculty practice at West End Women's Health Center and Vanderbilt Midwives at Melrose. She practices as a Midwife at the clinics as well as Vanderbilt Medical Center. She also works as a family nurse practitioner at the Vanderbilt Walk-In Clinics in Williamson County. She is a clinical instructor and teaches in the Master's level Nurse-Midwifery and Family-Nurse Practitioner Specialties with Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. Her current clinical interests include vaginal birth after cesarean, chorioamnionitis infection rates, obesity, and newborn care. Melissa completed her MSN at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and her Doctor of Nursing Practice at Samford University in Birmingham, AL.” |
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“Meet Lori” |
“Jennifer Mitchell, MSN, APRN, is the Director of Vanderbilt Health OnCall at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in 2005 and has worked as an Oncology Nurse, Hematology and Stem Call Nurse Practitioner and Oncology Nurse Practitioner. Jennifer has since expanded her portfolio having worked the past few years as an Access Leader for VICC, Project Manager for Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Innovation Integration Center and more recently, as a Health Operations Systems Consultant for VUMC Operations Systems Engineering department. Her work with clinical systems, informatics, systems and process improvement and HITECH/Meaningful Use has further complemented her work in nursing. Jennifer's team received the 2014 Healthcare Informatics Innovator Award and she was the recipient of the 2008 Nurse Excellence Award by the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society. She has served as president for the Oncology Nursing Society for two years and served as a board member for over five years. Jennifer was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau and an active member of American Nurses Association, the Oncology Nursing Society and Junior League of Nashville. When Jennifer is at work she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughters on Kentucky Lake in Waverly, Tennessee.” |
“Jill Kinch, MMHC, MSN, APN, CPNP-AC/PC, NE-BC serves as the Assistant Director for Ambulatory, Acute Care and Perioperative Services at the Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt. Jill is a board-certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in both primary and acute care and has practiced in the tertiary care setting for more than 14 years. Jill is also board certified as a Nurse Executive. Her role includes directing family-centered and developmentally-focused patient care. She has focused on individualized coordination of care for children with an emphasis on creating safe, efficient and caring protocols for children undergoing anesthesia and sedation. She was named Advanced Practice Nurse of the Year in 2012 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Jill founded the Tennessee Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) in 2012 and was appointed President of the Tennessee Nurses Association (TNA) in 2013. Her work with TNA focuses on improving health care outcomes for Tennessee citizens. This includes advocating to improve access to preventive health care resources. In 2014 she was awarded The Nurse of Distinction for her clinical and community service, by the TN Hospital Association. Additionally, in 2014 she graduated from the Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management with a Masters in Management in Health Care. Jill is a published author and her work can be found in the Journal of Anesthesia and Clinical Research (2015) and her work is recognized by the American Society of Anesthesiologists and is featured on the Perioperative Surgical Home website.” |
“Michelle Terrell, MSN, APN, CPNP-AC/PC is the Assistant Director of advanced practice for Pediatric Acute and Critical Care at the Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt. She leads advanced practice nurses (APNs) in the acute and critical care setting, coordinating delivery of high quality, safe and efficient care. Michelle is a board-certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in both primary and acute care and has practiced in the pediatric critical care setting for more than 13 years as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Leadership and advanced practice program development has been the focus of her career. Mentoring and growing new nurse practitioners is the heart of her work. Michelle served as the Tennessee Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) President from July 2012-July 2013. She serves as a member of the APN Committee of the Tennessee Nurses Association. She received the 2015 VUMC APN of the Year Award and the Innovative Practice in Nursing Award in 2005. Michelles research includes validating a tool for diagnosing children greater than 5 years old with delirium in the critical setting and recently in validating a delirium diagnosis tool for preschool age children. She also serves on the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Quality team, collaborating to improve quality of care in the PCICU. She has served as the VUMC Advanced Practice Standards Committee Chair since 2009. Focusing on standardizing Advance Practice Protocols to meet regulatory guidelines, to be evidenced based and to be in conjunction with privileges of the nurse practitioner.” |
“Dr. Heather Jackson serves as the administrative director of advanced practice for the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. In her clinical practice, she cares for patients in the Supportive Oncology and Palliative Care clinic. She is also an Associate Professor of Nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing as well as the Vanderbilt School of Medicine. As a nursing scientist, Dr. Jackson has advanced the use of acupuncture for the treatment of pain and opioid dependence and published on qualitative improvement initiatives within advanced practice teams across the healthcare enterprise.” |
“Meet Heather” |
“Meet Caroline” |
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“Meet Jodi” |
