Committees & Taskforces 

APHON is a volunteer-driven organization led by many wonderful and talented members that lend their expertise to the association.

All APHON committee positions are currently filled. Please watch for a future call for volunteers where we will share what talents and skills are needed. At that time, if you’re interested in volunteering, please fill out our Willingness to Serve form.

Need a volunteer verification letter for your employer? Fill out the Volunteer Verification Letter Request.

Advocacy

Serves as a vehicle for establishing and carrying out policy priorities identified in the APHON Health Policy Agenda.

Chair: Emily Padgett, BSN RN CPN CPHON^®
Vice Chair: Joan O’Hanlon Curry, DNP RN CPNP-PC CPON® NEA-BC FAAN FAPHON
Committee Members:

• Kim Arnold, DNP, APRN, CPNP, CPHON^®
• Susie Burke, RN MA CPNP CPHON^®
• Joan O’Hanlon Curry, DNP MS RN CPNP-PC NEA-BC CPON^® FAAN
• Jami Gattuso, MSN RN CPON^® FAPHON
• Laura Koke,  BSN RN CPN CPHON^®
• Jordan Nixon, DNP APRN CPNP
• Beth A Siever, CPNP CPON MSN RN
• Stacy Whiteside, APRN MS CPNP-AC/PC CPON^®
• Karen Wohlgezogen, BSN CPHON^®
  Board Liaison: Amy Newman, PhD CPNP-BC CPHON^®

Annual Conference Program Planning

Plans and implements the annual conference each year.

Chair: Deborah S. Echtenkamp, MSN RN CPON^® FAPHON
Past Chair: Kathy Perko, MS CHPPN CPNP CPON®
Paper and Poster Co-Chair: Kitty Montgomery, PhD RN CNS CPHON^®
Committee Members:

• Kristin M. Belderson, DNP MS RN CPON^®
• Misty Evans DNP APRN CPNP-AC BMTCN®
• Alexandra Giralt Hughes, DNP APRN ACCNS-P CPHON^®
• Marika Highberger, MSN APRN BMTCN^® CPNP-PC
• LeighAnna Hutchinson, DNP APRN FNP-C
• Allyson Jones, RN CPN CPHON^®
• Denise Mills, MN NP CPHON^®
• Stacy Whiteside, APRN CPON^®
  Board Liaison: Amy Haskamp MSN RN PCNS-BC CPON^® CHPPN

Chemotherapy/Biotherapy Provider Program

Ensures compliance with educational design criteria for APHON educational programs and policies and procedures for the Pediatric Chemotherapy and Biotherapy Provider Program.

Chair: Terri L. Boyce, DNP APRN CPNP-AC CPHON^® BMTCN^®  
Past Chair: Anne Marie Sterk, MSN RN CPON^®  
Committee Members:

• Kristin M. Belderson, DNP MS RN NEA-BC NPD-BC CPON^®
• Karen Kestenbaum, DNP APN CPHON®
• Christina Knox Conley, MSN,RN, APRN, CPON^®
• Shannon Koty, MSN-NL, RN, CPN, CPHON®, NPD-BC
• Maritza Salazar-Abshire, MED MSN RN CPON^®
• Michelle Tolley, BSN RN CPHON^®
  Board Liaison: Mary Newman, MSN RN CPON^®

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force

The DEI Task Force supports the vision of APHON being a diverse and inclusive professional community that values and serves the distinct experiences and needs of members and their patients and families.

Chair: Janice Nuuhiwa, MSN RN NPD-BC CPHON^®
Committee Members:

• Sara Davis, RN 
• Ijeoma Julie Eche, PhD BMTCN^® CPON^® FNP-C
• Dennis K Gonzales, BS RN CPON^® BMTCN
• Heather Hightower
  Board Liaison: Dyane Bunnell, DNP, APRN, AOCNS®, CPON®, NPD-BC 

Education Provider Unit

Ensures compliance with ANCC-COA Educational Design Criteria for APHON educational programs, awards continuing education credit to eligible participants completing APHON educational programs, provides expertise, advice, and consultation on ANCC-COA criteria to APHON committees and task forces developing educational programs with continuing education credit.

Chair: Kristin M. Belderson, DNP MS RN CPON^®
Committee Members:

• Terri L Boyce, DNP APRN CPHON^® CPNP-AC BMTCN
• Deborah S. Echtenkamp, MSN RN CPON^® FAPHON
• Beth Fisher, DNP APRN CPNP-AC/PC CPON^® CHPPN
  Board Liaison: Amy Haskamp MSN RN PCNS-BC CPON^® CHPPN

Evidence-Based Practice/Research

Supports the development of Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines and supports research activities within the membership optimizing outcomes for children, adolescents, and young adults with cancer and blood disorders.

Chair: Micah Skeens, PhD PNP RN
Vice Chair: Casey Hooke, PHD PCNS-BC APRN FAPHON FAAN
Committee Members:

• Lei Cheng
• Misty Evans DNP APRN CPNP-AC BMTCN®
• Marika Highberger, MSN RN CPNP
• Gwendolyn Kimball, DNP RN CPHON^®
• Caroline F. Morrison, Ph.D RN CNL
  Board Liaison: Ijeoma Eche PhD MPH APN/NCS NPD-BC BMTCN^® CPHON^® FNP-C

Global Outreach

Oversees organizational international outreach and global presence.

Chair: Colleen M Nixon, MSN RN CPHON^®
Immediate Past Chair: Linda Abramovitz, MSN RN BMTCN^®
Committee Members:

• Heidi Abendroth, MSN CPNP CPHON^®
• Mariana Durañona
• Jessica Graef, MSN MA CPHON^®
• Rachael Kunkel, RN CPHON^®
• Richard John Ramos, PNP MS RN CNS CPON^®
• Maritza Salazar-Abshire, MED MSN RN CPON^®
• Paola Viveros Lamas, RN
  Board Liaison: Sharon Bergeron, BSN RN CPON^®

Global Outreach — Sub-committee Members
Participants in a subcommittee only.

• Shirley Behm, MSN RN FNP CPHON^®
• Holly Caldwell, RN
• Julia M. Challinor, PhD RN
• Joan O’Hanlon Curry, DNP MS RN CPNP-PC NEA-BC CPON^® FAAN
• Lauri Linder, PhD APRN CPON^® FAAN FAPHON
• Lizza Lopez, RN
• Kasey Rangan, MSN CPNP CPHON^®
• Lorena Segovia Weber, RN

Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nursing (JOPHON)

Oversees the overall content and quality of the Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses and the overall coordination of manuscripts and content.

Editor: Kristin A. Stegenga, PhD RN CPON^®
Assistant Editors: Suzanne Ameringer, PhD RN & Casey Hooke, PhD CNS APRN CPON^®

Editorial Board Members:

• Laura Clarke-Steffen, PhD RN
• Deborah B. Crom, PhD RN CPNP
• Elizabeth A. Duffy, DNP RN CPNP
• Faith Gibson, PhD RGN ONC^®
• Joan E. Haase, PhD RN
• Pamela S. Hinds, PhD RN FAAN
• Kimberly Pike-Grimm, PhD RN CNS
• Lauri Linder, PhD APRN CPON^®
• Catherine Fiona MacPherson, PhD RN CPON^®
• Belinda N. Mandrell, PhD RN PNP
• Ida M. (KI) Moore, DNS RN FAAN
• Audrey E. Nelson, PhD RN
• Amy Newman, PhD CPNP-BC CPHON^®
• Deborah Tomlinson, MS RSCN RGN Dip Cancer Nursing
• Janice Withycombe, PhD RN MN, CCRP
• Roberta L. Woodgate, PhD RN
  Board Liaisons: Amy Newman, PhD CPNP-BC CPHON^® & Ijeoma Eche PhD BMTCN^® CPON^® FNP-C

ACE Center Committee

Oversees the development of content and management and ongoing maintenance of the APHON Continuing Education (ACE) Center. 

Chair: Beth Fisher, DNP CPNP-AC/PC APRN CPON^® CHPPN
Vice Chair: Liz Sniderman, MSN NP CPNP-AC CPHON^®
Committee Members:

• Kathleen Ackerman, CNS RN
• Kristin M. Belderson, DNP MS RN CPON^® 
• Karen Kestenbaum, RN
• Emily Padgett, BSN RN CPN CPHON^®
• Ryan Profetto MSN-ED RN CPHON^® BMTCN
• Jonna Rodriguez
• Amanda Smith
  Board Liaison: Danielle Gunter

Leadership Development Committee

Oversees the selection of eligible candidates for the annual election of the board of directors and develops a leadership pipeline for future APHON leaders.

Chair: Janice Nuuhiwa, MSN RN APN/CNS NPD-BC CPHON^®
Committee Members:

• Christina Baggott, PhD RN CPON^® PPCNP-BC
• Misty Evans DNP APRN CPNP-AC BMTCN®
• Kelly Laschinger, MSN CPNP
• Kathleen Montgomery PhD RN CNS CPHON^®
• Micah Skeens, PhD PNP RN
• Laurel Reiss, MSN CPNP-PC CPHON^® RN CNP
  

Local Chapter Committee

Enhances communication between chapters and the APHON Board of Directors and coordinates overall chapter activities.

Chair: Kari Wheeler, DNP APRN CPNP-AC BMTCN® CPHON® CPN
Past Chair: Erin Friedman, BSN RN CPHON^®
Committee Members:

• Amber Bills, MSN RN CPN CPHON^®
• Cecelia A. Gladbach, BSN CPON^® BMTCN^®
• Holly Remington Kubaney, MSN PNP-BC CPHON^® 
• Abigail Slaven, RN CPHON^®
• Tonya Ureda, MS RN FNP-BC
• Melody Ann Watral, BS BSN MSN RN CPNP-PC CPON^®
• Stacy Wolf, RN CPNP-AC CPON^®
  Board Liaison: Mindy Bibart, DNP RN NEA-BC CPPS CBBSS CPHON^®

Professional Development

The APHON Professional Development Committee provides ongoing professional development resources, tools, and learning opportunities for APHON members to advance their careers in the field of pediatric hematology/oncology nursing.

Chair: Breanne Roche DNP RN APRN CPNP-PC CPHON^®
Past Chair: Meredith Foxx, MBA MSN RN PCNS-BC APRN CPON^® PPCNP-BC
Committee Members:

• Kim Arnold DNP APRN CPNP CPHON
• Terri L. Boyce, DNP APRN CPNP-AC CPHON^® BMTCN^®  
• Teresa M. Conte, PhD MSN CRNP
• Allison McNeil, BSN RN CPHON^®
• Kathleen Ruccione, PHD MPH RN CPON^® FAPHON FAAN
• Melody A Watral, MSN RN CPNP CPNP-PC CPON^® 
  Board Liaison: Mary Newman, MSN RN CPON^® 

Steering Council

Facilitates the APHON strategic plan in the areas of education, clinical practice, and research. The Steering Council serves as a vehicle for soliciting and presenting initial ideas for projects from APHON members.

Chair: Mylynda Livingston, BSN RN CPON^®
Vice Chair: Suzanne Smolik, MSN RN CPNP CPON^®

Committee Members:

• Cecelia A. Gladbach, BSN RN CPON^® BMTCN^®
• Kelsey Liburd, DNP, CPNP-AC CPHON^® CPN, BSN
• Robin Pitts, MN RN FNP-C CPHON^®
• Rosa Rivera, RN
• Tonya Ureda, MS RN FNP-NC NE-BC
• Kari Wheeler, DNP APRN CPNP-AC BMTCN^® CPHON^® CPN
  Board Liaison: Sharon Bergeron, BSN RN CPON^®