Speakers
Lee Chung, MD
Dr. Lee Chung is a board-certified vascular neurologist and director of the University of Utah Telestroke Program. His clinical work focuses on telehealth to improve neurologic care access in remote areas, and he also serves as the president of the Utah Chapter of the American Heart Association and chair of the Utah Stroke Task Force.
Penny Clifton, MSN, RN, CNRN, SCRN
Penny Clifton, MSN, RN, CNRN, SCRN, has been a registered nurse since 1981. She has been the stroke coordinator for Intermountain Health St. Vincent Regional Hospital, a Joint Commission Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Center, and a member of the Montana Stroke Workgroup for the past 14 years. She has served on both the Clinical and EMS Subcommittees for the Mission LifeLine: Stroke Montana program over the last 4 years and was instrumental in the development of the Stroke Recognition Program for rural facilities administered by the CV Division of the MT DPHHS. An avid educator, she has been providing nurse and EMS education in hospitals, ambulance companies, fire departments and conferences throughout Eastern MT.
Jeanine James, PT, DPT, CSRS
Hi, I’m Jeanine! I grew up in upstate New York and earned my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Ithaca College. Over the past 15 years, I’ve gained diverse experience as a Physical Therapist. My career path has included inpatient neurological rehab in the Seattle area, outpatient vestibular rehab, and for the past eight years, acute care. I’m currently proud to work at St. Patrick Hospital where I’m passionate about treating patients affected by strokes.
I received my Stroke Rehabilitation Specialist (CSRS) credential over 11 years ago. I’ve been dedicated to advancing stroke care ever since. Working with patients with neurological injuries, especially stroke survivors, is incredibly rewarding. I’m continuously challenged to learn, grow, and make a meaningful impact on patients’ lives.
Edward Jauch, MD, MS, MBA, FAHA
Dr. Jauch serves as the Chair of the Department of Program Evaluation and Research at the University of North Carolina Health Sciences at Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC). Before joining UNCHS-MAHEC, Dr. Jauch served as Chief of System Research and the Director of the Mission Research Institute in Asheville, NC, and the National Medical Director for Neurosciences Research for the HCA Healthcare Research Institute in Nashville, TN.
Before becoming a physician, Dr. Jauch completed a bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Dayton and a Master's in Mechanical Engineering (bioengineering) at Cornell University, after which he joined the faculty in the Departments of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Kansas and the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Jauch completed medical school and an emergency medicine residency at the University of Cincinnati, subsequently joining the faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Team in 1997. Dr. Jauch was recruited to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in 2008 to help develop the Emergency Medicine Residency Program, assist in the creation of the MUSC Comprehensive Stroke Center and Telemedicine Program, and eventually serve as Professor and Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, Professor, Department of Neurology, and faculty in the College of Graduate Studies at the MUSC, and adjunct Professor of Bioengineering, Clemson University. Dr. Jauch received a Master’s of Business Administration at the University of North Carolina - Wilmington with an emphasis on data analytics.
Dr. Jauch is very active in numerous national organizations, including serving as past Chair of the Stroke Council for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and past President of the Southeast AHA Board of Directors. At state levels, Dr. Jauch served on the Ohio Stroke Task Force, as chair of the South Carolina Department of Health’s Stroke Advisory Committee, and currently serves on the North Carolina Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force Stroke Advisory Committee and as a consultant to the NC Department of Health and Human Services Coverdell National Acute Stroke program. Collectively, Dr. Jauch’s research and advocacy efforts have focused on improving access to and the quality of overall stroke care for all patients.
Kate McKay
Kate McKay is a dedicated medical SLP at Providence Saint Patrick Hospital in Missoula MT, specializing in complex swallowing disorders and neurological rehabilitation.
Kate was born and raised in Missoula, MT and is a proud 5th generation Montanan.
She earned BA in Philosophy and a BA in Spanish Language as a Presidential Leadership Scholar, at the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ in 2003. Kate spent one academic year studying abroad at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela in Galicia Spain. After graduation Kate moved back to Spain to complete a TEFL program and worked as an English teacher in Barcelona. Thinking she had found her career path in Spanish Language translation, Kate was accepted to NYU to pursue a PhD in Spanish Interpretation. However, her dreams of returning to Montana seemed illusory and unlikely. Kate then deferred her admission to NYU for one year to gain practical work experience as a Spanish translator in a Seattle area hospital.
One day, while working in the hospital, she walked past a promotional poster celebrating Better Speech and Hearing Month (May) and that would change everything moving forward. Within two months Kate returned home to Missoula and enrolled in the CSD Communicative Sciences and Disorders Program at The Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ and achieved an MS in Speech Language Pathology in 2012. She began working at Saint Patrick Hospital after graduation.
Kate is now a Senior therapist at SPH, with a passion for diagnosing and treating swallowing disorders. She loves her role as a part of an interdisciplinary therapy team, providing tailored, evidence based interventions that promote independence and quality of life. Kate looks forward to continuing to grow her clinical skills and enjoying life in Montana.
Bethany McNeil, OTD, OTR/L, CSRS
Bethany McNeil, OTD, OTR/L, CSRS is a senior acute care occupational therapist at Missoula’s Providence St. Patrick Hospital, along with providing OT service to Polson’s Providence St. Joseph’s critical access hospital. Her specialty areas of practice include stroke rehabilitation as a certified stroke rehabilitation specialist by the National Stroke Association, and neurological vision loss and abnormalities. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology with a minor in Human Development from Washington State University, followed by her Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Pacific University. Previous experience includes working in the Neuro-ICU and Neurology units at Oregon Health & Science University. Additional passions include global outreach work as a clinical educator, providing trainings to rehabilitation hospitals and clinics in various cities all over China. In her free time, she enjoys exploring all of the wonders her home state of Montana has to offer, climbing mountains, floating rivers, and spending time with her family and dog, Rigby at Flathead Lake.
Lisa Pabst, MD
Lisa Pabst, MD is a pediatric vascular neurologist and the director of the Pediatric Stroke Program at Primary Children’s Hospital and the University of Utah. She completed her child neurology residency and pediatric stroke fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University. In her clinical role, she is a member of the pediatric neuroICU team, leads an outpatient pediatric stroke clinic, and provides coverage for pediatric telestroke and urgent teleneurology services. Her research interests focus on the implementation of pediatric telestroke and the management of both genetic and acquired vasculopathies.
Tom Price, RN, BSN
Tom Price is the Director of Critical Care at Bitterroot Health. With nearly four years of experience at Bitterroot Health, Tom is deeply committed to providing top-notch healthcare in his community. Tom’s journey to Montana was fueled by a passion for mountain biking and a desire to be close to family. Prior to joining Bitterroot Health, Tom served as the Emergency Room Director at Alaska Regional and gained valuable experience in the Burn Trauma ICU at the University of Utah. Both in Alaska and in Montana, Tom as worked alongside dedicated professionals to standardize stroke care protocols, emphasizing the same urgency as with trauma cases. This commitment has led to tangible improvements, notably reducing our door-to-needle and door-to-transport times, ultimately enhancing outcomes for those served.
Christina Richards, MD
Christi Richards is a hospitalist at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. She got her start as a representative on the hospital’s stroke committee shortly after joining the hospitalist group in 2018, which made her an easy target to be named the hospital’s interim stroke director there starting in 2022. This position has forced her to do a lot of extra reading on stroke-related topics, which is just as well since she is very interested in education. She also works part-time for the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana overseeing many of its hospital-based rotations and its evidence-based medicine curriculum. She had no particular knowledge about stroke in obstetric patients prior to having her arm twisted into giving this talk other than a too-close-for-comfort personal brush with it, but has learned a lot about it in the interim and is looking forward to sharing it with you.
Susan Sularz, BSN, CCRN
Susan Sularz is a critical care and rapid response (STAT RN) with over 17 years of experience at Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, MT. A member of the Stroke Task Force and credentialed in Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS), she is an advocate working to advance stroke care and to provide quality and evidence-based care to the patients she cares for. Susan had the privilege to go to the International Stroke Conference in New Orleans in 2022, where upon returning, she worked with the Stroke Task Force to create education and a new triage tool for Posterior Circulation Stroke recognition.
Susan is also a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and a certified critical care RN. She is passionate about her role as a rapid response nurse, working to support high quality care and improvement in patient outcomes by providing clinical expertise and support to all clinical areas in the hospital. Knowledgeable and skilled as a resuscitation specialist, she enjoys working under high stress and high acuity situations. She holds additional certifications in ACLS, PALS, NRP, TNCC, ENPC, and NIHSS. In her spare time, she can be found having fun with her two boys, lifting weights, enjoying the outdoors, reading, and finding new challenges to pursue.
Steve Schmid, BS, FP-C, CMTE
Steve Schmid is a Business Area Manager and Critical Care Flight Paramedic for Life Flight Network. He has spent over 25 years operating in various roles of Fire/EMS to include: volunteer organizations, professional/paid, and spent 10 of those in the air medical industry. Steve has performed emergency medical services duties in urban, suburban, and rural areas of the country. Some of his passions include educating EMS providers (new and experienced), and helping develop solutions for long-standing problems to better rural healthcare. After serving 4 years in United States Marine Corps he joined a paid/professional fire department, graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Healthcare Management from George Washington University, and is currently working on his MBA at the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥. Steve has sat on many healthcare / EMS committees and worked with many different agencies throughout his career in efforts to collaboratively improve EMS and healthcare delivery. In his off time he enjoys recreating in the mountains with his wife and two kids.
Aaron Shoskes, DO
Aaron Shoskes is a Vascular Neurologist and Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Utah. He completed his residency in Neurology at Cleveland Clinic, followed by a fellowship in Vascular Neurology at the University of Miami. In additional to his clinical work, he is the current NIH StrokeNet Fellow at the University of Utah. His areas of research include stroke in young adult patients, stroke in patients requiring mechanical circulatory support, and mechanisms of stroke in patients with cancer.
Ben Watters, MD
Dr. Ben Watters is an emergency physician at Bitterroot Health Daly Hospital in Hamilton.
Raised in Whitefish, he is glad to once again call Montana home. He previously served as
Chief of Staff at Bitterroot Health, where he has worked since 2012. In his free time, Dr.
Watters enjoys hiking, exploring the intersections of philosophy, science, & religion, and
spending time with his wife and four children.