Missouri PQC Fall Focus

Adam Kohlrus, B.A., M.S., CPHQ, CPPS, is an experienced healthcare consultant and Chief Health Strategist with Do Tank. He has worked for more than a decade with hospitals on issues such as readmissions, hospital acquired conditions, patient safety, population health and health equity. In leading state and federally funded quality improvement grants for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, Adam has experienced the impact design thinking inputs can have in traditional healthcare settings.  He received his B.A. in Social Psychology at Loyola University with a minor in Peace Studies and a Master’s of Science in Health Sciences with a concentration in Public Health at Western Illinois University. Adam also served in the Peace Corps as a Community Health volunteer in both Swaziland, Africa and Guyana, South America before working at Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, DC. Through his work abroad and domestically, Adam has demonstrated proficiencies in quality improvement, community development, project management, curriculum development, and data analytics.

Shantha Burt, B.A., is a Business Development Consultant at Do Tank with a background in health equity. She received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University where she studied global health, psychology and data science. Shantha is passionate about implementing Do Tank’s human centered design process in the health care space. She is an advocate of elevating unheard voices and different perspectives when designing health initiatives. She also has a passion for storytelling and aims to integrate both qualitative and quantitative storytelling into the health care space.

Sara Pierce, B.S., is the Project Director for Bootheel Babies and Families, a board member of Delta Population Health Institute Regional Advisory Board and a consultant for the IHOPE Foundation, Inc. She has been involved in public health and maternal/child health since 2019, as a HUB-partner and Project Director across the state. Sara has coordinated data collection and analysis efforts incorporating perspectives of health care providers and clients to improve state planning for maternal and child health. She utilized her experience in this area to become the Bootheel Babies and Families HUB-partner for Scott County and then BBF’s Project Director, working to help communities take an active role in designing and implementing interventions to reduce infant mortality in the region.

Barb Gleason, RN, MSN, CHW, is the Project Director for the Bootheel Perinatal Network. For more than 20 years, she worked as a nurse home visitor and supervisor for the Nurse-Family Partnership, where she found that the words on her childhood report card indeed came to life. She was often identified as the child who talked too much and was a social butterfly. These traits have served her well over the years and make her job as a collaborator more fun than work. Her passion for helping connect people to resources comes from her experience as a teen mom navigating the world of health and social service care.

Barb is the Executive Board President for Bootheel Babies and Families and Secretary on the board for the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence. Additionally, Barb is a member of the MO PQC/LAN, the Pregnancy Associated Mortality Review Board, the OASH/HRSA: Communities Improving Maternal Health Alliance Advisory board, and the VFW Axillary in the role of Trustee.

Barb is the mother of two sons, both veterans, and the grandmother of four. In addition to her passion for connecting people, she is the alpha of her rescue pack, which includes three dogs and four cats. As a Gold Star mom, she actively works with organizations focused on suicide awareness/prevention and veteran suicide, including Stop Soldier Suicide, Mission #22, Southeast Missouri Suicide Prevention, Inc., and the Til Valhalla Project.

Bernadette Hill, MSN, RN, is the Director of Women’s Health Services at Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital. Bernadette grew up in Festus, Mo. She graduated nursing school in 1984 and started working in Labor & Delivery in 1987. During her career, she has worked at small community hospitals, large teaching facilities and, for a short time, at the local WIC office.

Her professional accomplishments include being chosen as Employee of the Month in 1987, completing her MSN in Nursing Informatics and becoming a safe sleep ambassador for Ste. Genevieve. In her downtime, Bernadette enjoys playing with her two fur baby dogs, and spoiling her five grandchildren.

Connie Judd-Sullivan, BSN, RN, C-EFM, started her nursing career in Pediatrics and NICU. She dedicated the first 25 years of her career in Labor & Delivery. She has served as the Clinical Nurse Coordinator of Obstetrics for the last five years. Her main nursing passions evolve around education and bereavement. Connie spearheaded the creation of a multi-disciplinary bereavement team for her facility.

In February 2024, Connie was given the opportunity to build the Maternity Navigator role at Western Missouri Medical Center in Warrensburg, Mo. Connie also serves on the WMMC team that participates in the MO AIM quality improvement initiative, Care for Pregnant and Postpartum People with Substance Use Disorder.

Alexis Carlock joined the team at Western Missouri Medical Center two years ago as the Community Case Worker with an emphasis on outpatient services. Alexis has worked with inpatient and outpatient behavioral health systems, including Mosaic Life Care Institute and Compass Health Network.

She works closely with the Maternity Navigator to ensure excellent care for expectant mothers and their families. Her focus is to provide a listening ear and support from the beginning of pregnancy through the postpartum period. Alexis dedicates the majority of her time to connecting patients with local resources, including insurance applications, housing, food, transportation, mental health and/or substance use support, and necessary infant care items.

Alexis also serves on the WMMC team that participates in the MO AIM quality improvement initiative, Care for Pregnant and Postpartum People with Substance Use Disorder.