Helen Haskell, MA

Chair, World Patients Alliance, Patient Safety and Quality Council

Since the medical error death of her young son Lewis in 2000, Helen Haskell has devoted herself to healthcare safety and quality advocacy in a variety of fields including diagnostic error reduction, disclosure of errors and adverse events, rapid response, and infection prevention, among others. In her home state of South Carolina, she was the architect of the Lewis Blackman Patient Safety Act, which required, for the first time, that healthcare providers be clearly identified and that patients be provided with an emergency response system in hospitals. She was closely involved in the passage and implementation of the South Carolina Hospital Infection Disclosure Act and served for many years on its advisory committee. ​Helen is president of the nonprofit patient organization Mothers Against Medical Error and serves on boards and committees for a number of national and international organizations. She is author and co-author of numerous articles and patient educational materials on patient safety and quality, including a recent co-edited textbook of case studies from the patient perspective. Her son’s story has been featured in several educational programs and videos including Transparent Health’s Lewis Blackman Story, shown in hospitals and medical and nursing schools across the country. Helen holds a BA in Classical Studies from Duke University and a Master of Arts in Anthropology from Rice University.

Margaret Pfeffier, MSN, NE-BC, CCRN

Vice President of Patient Care Services and Interim Chief Nursing Officer, Mount Sinai South Nassau

Margaret Pfeiffer, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CCRN, serves as the Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Mount Sinai South Nassau. In this role, she provides strategic and operational leadership for nursing practice and patient care services across the organization. She is responsible for advancing nursing excellence, enhancing clinical quality and patient safety, fostering workforce engagement and professional development, and overseeing the daily operations of Patient Care Services. Margaret leads more than 800 registered nurses, ensuring the delivery of exceptional, evidence-based, patient-centered care through the planning, organization, evaluation, and direction of nursing services and other designated hospital departments. With more than 25 years of progressive clinical, managerial, and executive leadership experience, Margaret has dedicated her career to building high-performing teams, developing future nurse leaders, and driving transformational changes that improve patient outcomes and operational performance. Her leadership philosophy is grounded in collaboration, accountability, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to delivering safe, compassionate, and high-quality care. Margaret earned her Master of Science in Nursing and is board certified as a Nurse Executive by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and as a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). She is an active member of the American Nurses Association (ANA), the New York Organization for Nursing Leadership (NYONL), and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). As Chief Nursing Officer, Margaret is committed to advancing the nursing profession, cultivating a culture of excellence, and ensuring that patients and families remain at the center of every decision.

Rick Evans

Strategic Advisor, NY Presbyterian Hospital; Former Chief Experience Officer at Massachusetts General Hospital

Rick Evans is a nationally recognized pioneer, thought leader and expert in the field of patient and consumer experience in healthcare, having served in facility and system leadership roles for nearly 30 years. Most recently, Rick served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Experience Officer for NewYork-Presbyterian. In this role, he oversaw NYP’s ongoing strategy to improve and enhance the patient and family experience across NYP’s continuum of care and its eleven facilities in and around New York City. Rick also led enterprise-wide efforts – collaborating with leaders from the Columbia and Weill Cornell Physician Organizations - to improve access and the customer experience across an extensive network of over 700 ambulatory sites. In June 2026, Rick transitioned from a full-time role to a strategic advisor role at NYP. Through his career, Rick also served as the first Chief Experience Officer appointed at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts General Physicians Organization in Boston, MA and also led patient experience and operations roles in healthcare systems in Delaware and New Jersey. Rick is a member of the American Nurse Credentialing Center’s Magnet Commission, serving as the Commission’s Public Member. He serves as an Executive Advisor for The Beryl Institute where he leads the work of the national Patient Experience Policy Forum. He is also the current Chair of the New York State Patient Experience Officers Network, sponsored by the Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS). Rick is a Visiting Lecturer at the Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell and has also offered lectures at both the Chan School of Public Health at Harvard and the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia. He is also a regular featured presenter at national and internation conferences and is a regular columnist and podcast host on patient and consumer experience issues with Becker’s Healthcare. Rick holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Wadhams Hall Seminary College in Ogdensburg, NY and a Masters degree in theology from Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, NY.

Col. Steven Coffee (Ret.), MA, EMCQSL

Retired, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force

Colonel (retired), Steven Coffee is a distinguished leader whose impact spans military service, healthcare advocacy, and academia. Colonel Coffee is the former military deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for human resources policy affecting over 700,000 military and civilian personnel in the Air and Space Forces. He holds an undergraduate degree in political science from Morehouse College and has earned many advanced degrees and certificates, including a Master's degrees in Legislative Affairs from George Washington University, Clinical Quality, Safety, and Leadership from Georgetown University, and the Joint and Combined Warfighting School at the National Defense University, as well as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion certification from Cornell University, highlighting his dedication to creating equitable and inclusive environments. Col. Coffee is a founding member of Patients for Patient Safety US, the CEO and president of Head-2-Heart-Connections LLC. In addition to service on multiple boards of directors and advisory boards focused on developing policy and healthcare research initiatives including the American Board of Internal Medicine, Governance Board for Internal Medicine, and ABIM Fairness Review Board. An international speaker, best-selling children’s book author of "Baby Steven’s Gift of Life" and educator, Col. Coffee continues to inspire cultural change, emphasizing the importance of the patient-provider partnership to deliver safe care.