Ruth Carrico PhD DNP APRN FNP-C CIC FSHEA FNAP FAAN is a senior consultant with Carrico & Ramirez, PLLC focused on infectious diseases, infection prevention and control, and vaccinology. She is also a Professor and Family Nurse Practitioner, gratis faculty, with the University of Louisville School Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases. Dr. Carrico has received training specific for healthcare epidemiology at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in conjunction with the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).

David Marx is President of The Just Culture Company, a subsidiary of ECRI, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to building a safer, equitable healthcare system for all. David has a BS in Mechanical Systems Engineering (1985) and Juris Doctor in Law (1997). David’s principal focus is on helping healthcare organizations develop values-supportive practices and culture. David began his career as a Boeing aircraft design engineer. In his final years at Boeing, David organized a human factors and safety group. In his work at Boeing, David won the International Federation of Airworthiness’s Whittle Safety Award for his development of a human error investigation process used by airlines around the world. In 1997, David launched a research and consulting practice focused on the management of human error through the integration of systems engineering, human factors, and the law. David served as an advisor to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Human Factors Research Program and to the NASA Space Shuttle Program. David was the principal consultant to NASA in development of their major mishap investigation process, and he led an outside team to benchmark space shuttle processing quality. David has developed risk modeling methods, including an approach called sociotechnical probabilistic risk assessment (ST-PRA), which has been used to model risk in aviation, space, rail, and healthcare. In the healthcare sector, David’s ST-PRA process has been used to model and mitigate risks from wrong site surgery to medication errors. In the area of safety culture, David authored the document, “Patient Safety and the ‘Just Culture’: A Primer for Healthcare Executives,” for the National Institutes of Health. Widely seen as the father of “Just Culture,” David and his firm serve as a resource for organizations who strive to create accountable learning cultures. David has authored two books, the latter being Dave’s Subs: A Novel Story About Workplace Accountability, released in November 2015. David’s first book, Whack-a-Mole: The Price We Pay For Expecting Perfection, was released in September 2009.

David Fowler is the founder and president of Personal Safety Training Incorporated (PSTI) and the creator of the nationally recognized AVADE® (Awareness, Vigilance, Avoidance, Defense, Escape) Workplace Violence Prevention training programs, which have become the nation’s leading approach to workplace violence prevention. A published author and subject matter expert, David has written several influential books, including Be Safe Not Sorry, Violence in the Workplace I, II & III, To Serve and Protect, Survive an Active Shooter, The PLAN, and Street Smarts. With over three decades of experience, David leads PSTI in delivering seminars, consulting, and expert witness services across North America. His training programs have reached hundreds of thousands of individuals and hundreds of organizations across healthcare, behavioral health, education, transportation, law enforcement, gaming, and military sectors. Under David’s leadership, PSTI remains committed to its mission: to provide training and education aimed at preventing and reducing the risk of violence toward individuals in the workplace. The vision driving this work is to help organizations build a culture of safety—where workplace violence is not viewed as an unavoidable part of the job. David’s programs focus on preventing conflict, violence, and aggression through clear communication and de-escalation techniques that empower individuals to recognize and address potential threats early—before they escalate. Known for his dynamic and motivational presentation style, David integrates a deep understanding of personal safety, martial science, and the philosophy of peace. As a certified master instructor in multiple nationally recognized programs, he offers both foundational and instructor-level certifications designed to create safer work, school, and home environments. David is an active member of several leading professional organizations. He is a member of the International Association of Healthcare Safety & Security (IAHSS) and presented at their 2004 International Seminar. He is also a member of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), having presented at numerous regional and local seminars. Additionally, he is a member of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA) and has presented at multiple international seminars hosted by the organization. David has presented at countless seminars, conferences, meetings, and special events, reaching and educating hundreds of thousands of professional individuals across a wide range of industries.