Kayla Boyd is a Patient Safety Risk Manager with 5 years of industry experience. She holds a master’s degree of Science in Healthcare Transformation from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Palm Beach Atlantic University. Kayla has worked as a Registered Nurse for 9 years with a variety of backgrounds including Hematology/Oncology, Pre-op/PACU, Emergency Department, Med-Surg, Long-Term Care, and Director of Quality, Risk Management, and Infection Control at a critical access hospital. Kayla is also a member of the American Society of Health Care Risk Management (ASHRM) and a Director at Large for the Colorado Healthcare Associated Risk Managers (CHARM). Additionally, Kayla is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM) and holds certification in Just Culture.

Dr. Brian Dwinnell is a graduate of Dartmouth Medical School and completed his internship, residency, and chief residency in internal medicine at the University of Colorado. He is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine where he has been a faculty member since 1995. He has been a clinician-educator his entire career and currently serves as the Associate Dean of Student Life, overseeing student affairs and admissions for the School of Medicine. He previously served as the Director of Medical Education at Presbyterian St. Luke’s (PSL) where he also held the role of medical staff president and started the first professionalism committee at PSL. His medical educational interests have been in professionalism, professional development and physician-patient communication.

Sarah Early, PsyD has served since 2002 as the Executive Director of the Colorado Physician Health (CPHP), the peer assistance program for physicians and physician assistants in Colorado. CPHP is a non-profit, independent peer assistance organization for physicians and physician assistants. The mission of CPHP is to promote the health and well-being of physicians and physician assistants through evaluation, treatment referral, support, education and research. Dr. Early is responsible for administration and management of corporate and program operations. Dr. Early is a member of the American Psychological Association and Federation of State Physician Health Programs. She serves as a Board Director for the Society of Psychologists in Leadership. Dr. Early is originally from Rochester, New York. Her doctorate was received from Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky. Currently, Dr. Early and her husband, Bryan, live in Brighton, Colorado. In her spare time, she enjoys participating in competitive swimming, skiing, hiking and travel.

Dr. Earnest is a distinguished internist and Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, with more than 30 years of experience in the medical field. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and currently serves as a Professor and Division Head of General Internal Medicine. Dr. Earnest earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and completed his Ph.D. at the University of Colorado. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and an active member of the Society of General Internal Medicine. Throughout his career, Dr. Earnest has been recognized for his excellence in both clinical care and education. His recognitions include being named a Top Doctor by 5280 magazine, receiving the prestigious Thomas Jefferson Award from the University of Colorado, and earning the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Division of Internal Medicine. He is also a proud member of the Academy of Medical Educators.

Matt Groves joined Copic in 2023 as General Counsel and Compliance Officer after more than 27 years in private practice, which included many years of working with Copic on various issues. His background includes a broad range of legal expertise in the areas of business growth, contracts, risk, tax strategy, succession, development, employment, and regulatory issues, including significant experience representing physicians, practice groups, and health care systems. His practice included extensive federal and state litigation and trials in multiple states and foreign countries. Matt received his Bachelor of Arts from Boston College and obtained his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University of Chicago.

Dr. Scott Humphreys received his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma. He went on to train in General Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital where he served as Chief Resident. He came to Denver to train in Forensic Psychiatry through the University of Colorado Denver. In addition to his work at Colorado Physician Health Program (CPHP), Dr. Humphreys is Senior Medical Director of Behavioral Health for Colorado Access. For almost 10 years he was an inpatient and consult liaison psychiatrist for the HealthOne system. He also has a small general and forensic outpatient practice. Dr. Humphreys is board certified in General Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, and Addiction Medicine. He is a member of the Colorado Medical Society, American Medical Society, Colorado Psychiatric Society, American Society of Addiction Medicine, American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, and is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Humphreys has given talks locally and nationally on a variety of topics in physician health including: forensic considerations in physician health programs, physician stress and burnout, disruptive behavior, medical marijuana, physician boundaries, opiate prescribing, physician satisfaction with their experience in physician health programs, and autism in physicians.

Michelle Lucero isn’t just a speaker – she’s an experience. A fearless storyteller and leadership Firestarter, Michelle pushes audiences to ditch fear, break barriers, and live and lead, full tilt. She’s led teams through high-stakes challenges, danced in flash mobs, swam with sharks, jumped out of planes, and driven NASCARs – all while crushing it in C-Suites, courtrooms and communities. Fear? Never heard of him! After 12 years in Children’s Hospital Colorado’s C-Suite (and still reigning Chief Flashmob Officer), Michelle now coaches executives, serves as an independent corporate board member, and delivers keynotes across all industries – all fueled by a mission to lift others higher. With a career that spans leadership in healthcare, telecom, government, manufacturing, and global nonprofit work, Michelle brings real-world grit, humor, and unstoppable energy to every stage. When Michelle speaks, you don’t just listen – you wake up and chase bigger dreams.

Dean McConnell is currently deputy general counsel at Copic, and prior to this, he was a shareholder in the law firm of Kennedy Childs, practicing in the area of health law, insurance and business counseling. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Denver. His private practice primarily involved representation and counseling of health care providers and entities on a wide variety of legal issues including employment and other contracts and policies; regulatory, HIPAA, and antitrust compliance; professional review, privileging and credentialing issues; billing problems including fraud and abuse issues; and a variety of other health care business issues. Mr. McConnell also has extensive experience representing health, dental, and disability insurance carriers, as well as general and professional liability carriers, involving coverage and benefits disputes, ERISA and bad faith risk management and litigation, employment law, and health care reform. Mr. McConnell serves on the Board of Directors and as the Medical Malpractice Committee Liaison for the Colorado Defense Lawyers Association, on the Board of Directors and Legal Advisory Board for the Colorado Civil Justice League, and on the Board of Directors for Project Angel Heart.

Joan Porcaro’s extensive leadership experience includes roles such as System Director of Risk Management and Patient Relations at large health systems, where she oversaw risk identification, risk mitigation, risk education, patient relations, claims management, and workforce training. Joan joined Willis Towers Watson (WTW) in February of 2022 and has over 30 years of experience as a risk management professional. She is a highly accomplished healthcare risk management leader recognized for expertise in healthcare risk management, patient safety and regulatory compliance across diverse healthcare environments. As Senior Vice President at WTW, she drives risk management initiatives, develops risk mitigation programs, and delivers consulting services to clients that help organizations manage and reduce clinical risk while enhancing patient safety. Joan is based in the Pacific Northwest and serves clients nationwide. She is a registered nurse and holds a master’s degree in management. She is a Certified Professional Risk Manager (CPHRM) through the American Hospital Association and a Fellow of the American Society of Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM). She has also served ASHRM in various voluntary roles, including membership of national board committees and board positions for state ASHRM chapters. She is a former chair of the ASHRM Forum Task Force, where she led the team responsible for acquiring, writing, and editing Forum submissions and is a newly appointed faculty member for ASHRM.

Jeremy Story is a veteran crisis-communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience guiding organizations through high-stakes and high-visibility challenges. As a Partner at GFM | CenterTable, he leads the firm’s Crisis & Issues Management practice, advising clients across healthcare, energy, technology, education, transportation and many other sectors. Jeremy specializes in guiding executive teams through sensitive and rapidly evolving issues, including public safety incidents, operational disruptions, regulatory investigations, reputational threats, data breaches and high-profile organizational controversies. He is known for his calm, pragmatic approach and his ability to align communications, legal counsel and operational decision-making in moments when clarity and coordination matter most. Jeremy holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism from Baylor University and conducted his graduate studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. Based in Denver, he is a frequent advisor, trainer and speaker on emerging issues in crisis preparedness, reputational resilience and strategic communications.

Dr. Warchol is an Assistant Professor and a Staff Physician for the Department of Emergency Medicine at University of Nebraska Medicine. Passionate about advocating for physicians and patients, she has been involved in organized medicine since she completed medical school and residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Warchol also completed her Fellowship and Master of Public Health through George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She currently serves on the Nebraska Medical Association’s Board of Directors and is active in the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Heather Westermeyer is a Patient Safety Risk Manager with over 19 years of industry experience. She holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Phoenix, Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from Metropolitan State College, and an Associate Degree in Nursing. Heather is also a member of the American Society of Health Care Risk Management (ASHRM) and Director At Large for the Colorado Healthcare Associated Risk Managers (CHARM) and has CPHRM, LEAN Six Sigma and Just Culture certification.

Dr. Whitling is a practicing Emergency Physician in Boulder, Colorado. He has served as the Chief Medical Informatics Officer at Boulder Community Health since 2014. Originally from Miami, Florida, he trained at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and completed residency at Denver Health. He is passionate about many things, including EHR usability, his family and the outdoors.

Dr. Zacharias was named Chief Medical Officer in 2024 and oversees Copic’s Patient Safety and Risk Management department. Prior to Copic, Dr. Zacharias held key leadership roles, including Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Director of Patient Safety at Boulder Medical Center, Board Chair of Boulder Valley Care Network Clinically Integrated Network and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He has led patient safety and risk management efforts for over 20 years for several organizations, including large, multi-specialty groups, a state-wide consortium of medical groups, and community health systems. Dr. Zacharias is board-certified, earned his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and completed his internal medicine residency at University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He is also the author of The Mediterranean Diet: A Clinician’s Guide for Patient Care and the host of Copic’s podcast, Within Normal Limits.