Betty Ferrell, RN, PhD, MA, CHPN, FAAN, FPCN has been in nursing for 46 years and has focused her clinical expertise and research in pain management, quality of life, and palliative care. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and she has over 500 publications in peer-reviewed journals and texts. She is Principal Investigator of the “End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC)” project. She directs several other funded projects related to palliative care in cancer centers and QOL issues. Dr. Ferrell was Co-Chairperson of the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care. Dr. Ferrell completed a Masters degree in Theology, Ethics and Culture from Claremont Graduate University in 2007. She has authored 12 books including the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Nursing (5th Edition, 2019) published by Oxford University Press. She is co-author of the text, The Nature of Suffering and the Goals of Nursing published by Oxford University Press (2nd Ed, 2023) and Making Health Care Whole: Integrating Spirituality into Patient Care (Templeton Press, 2010). In 2013 Dr. Ferrell was named one of the 30 Visionaries in the field by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. In 2019 she was elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine. In 2021 Dr. Ferrell received the Oncology Nursing Society Lifetime Achievement Award and she was inducted as a “Living Legend” by the American Academy of Nursing.

• Visit speaker's website

Speaker: Claire Chindalah PharmD BCPS is the Clinical Coordinator and PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Director for PIH Whittier Hospital. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of the Pacific and completed her PGY1 Pharmacy Residency at PIH Whittier Hospital. She is Board Certified in Pharmacotherapy. In her role as the Clinical Coordinator, she collaborates with physicians and nurses to advance patient care. One of the initiatives that Claire has contributed to here at PIH Whittier Hospital is the (Medication Assisted Treatment) MAT protocol with buprenorphine.

Michele Rice currently serves as the Patient Engagement Lead at the U.S. Pain Foundation, as well as a volunteer co-facilitator for three peer-to-peer chronic pain support groups a month via Zoom. She is from Northern CA and has lived with intractable chronic pain for 23 1/2 years. A graduate from Cal State East Bay (formerly Cal State Hayward), she was an elementary school teacher and a pharmacy technician until a slip and fall at work led to the development of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), formerly known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSDS), a debilitating neurological disorder. She also lives with several comorbid conditions, including fibromyalgia and migraine, among others. Michele first became active in the pain community as a speaker on the graduate panel for a functional restoration program in Los Gatos, CA. and as a local support group leader for those living with CRPS. After being featured in the 2015 issue of the Invisible Project, an online and print magazine highlighting the experiences of people living with pain, she attended the U.S. Pain Foundation’s Advocacy Summit. There she began to develop new hopes and dreams as she felt she had found her new purpose in life- to advocate for others living with chronic pain. She became a passionate volunteer with the organization and was awarded Ambassador of the Year in 2017. She has written for the Invisible Project as well as several blogs for US Pain and for Migraine Awareness Month. She has also spoken at city council meetings all over the Bay Area, participated in the 2023 Headache on the Hill, and most recently spoke at Vertex Pharmaceutical Company in San Diego, CA. Michele will share how CRPS changed her life, her journey through dozens of treatments, invasive procedures and medications, the difficulty in being diagnosed with a rare and invisible condition, and experiences with care providers.

• LinkedIn

Jacqueline M. Ruddy, LCSW is the Palliative Social Work for Optum Supportive Care Clinic in Long Beach, CA. Jacque earned her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Civic and Community Engagement Minor at the University of California, Irvine. Prior to her position at Optum, she worked as a Hospice Social Worker with patients in Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange Counties. Jacque is committed to continuing her education and training. In 2020, she completed her training to become a 200-hour registered yoga teacher with an additional 55-hour certification in yoga for cancer recovery. In addition to teaching yoga classes for the public, she has worked for UCI the past two years offering a weekly Employee Health and Wellness class for the staff at UCI Medical Center. In 2011, Jacque was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. During this time, she began to explore complimentary alternative and holistic treatments to manage pain, anxiety, and sleeplessness. These pursuits directed her to an education in mindfulness, meditation, and yoga, including training in Complimentary Alternative Medicine in China. Jacque’s business, Jacque Ruddy Holistic Health & Wellness, developed organically as a result of her personal experience as a two-time breast cancer survivor and a passion to provide support for others faced with overwhelming life challenges. Her ongoing guest speaker and educator talks regarding breast health, cancer, and early detection grew to include mindfulness and resilience over adversity. Today, in addition to her practice with Optum, Jacque provides private, semi-private, and small group sessions with the focus on lifestyle changes that are related to her client’s health and well-being, with the whole person taken into consideration.

• LinkedIn