Team
PROFESSIONAL TEAM
Jane Ruppenkamp
President and Founder
Ms. Ruppenkamp has over twenty years' experience in the medical education industry. Prior to forming CME Peer Review, she spent nearly equal parts of her career in the healthcare system environment on the not-for-profit side and in medical education companies on the for-profit side of the business. In addition to directing and managing continuing medical education (CME) and continuing pharmacy education (CPE) programs of varying sizes at local and national levels, she achieved first-time ACCME accreditations as well as reaccreditations. She has adapted and developed compliance programs consistent with the 2003 Office of Inspector (OIG) General guidance, written policy, developed and implemented regulatory training initiatives and has served as a regulatory resource on independent education issues for to senior management of CE providers and pharmaceutical companies.
Ms. Ruppenkamp served as an ACCME site surveyor for four years, was a three-year member of Board of Directors of the National Association for Medical Education Companies (NAMEC) and is a long-time member of the Alliance for CME. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Management from National Louis University. She is an active speaker on continuing education and conflict of interest issues and is published author in the field.
Test TITLE PLEASE REMOVE As a former CE Director and as an ACCME surveyor, I know first-hand what it takes to develop and manage an effective peer review process. This service provides an efficient solution for providers and commercial supporters burdened by the inherent COI challenges, staff hours and overhead associated with internal content review and monitoring programs. We offer objectivity, transparency and standardization that only a third party can provide
- Jane Ruppenkamp
Sandra T. Weaver, MS
Vice President, Strategic Alliances
Ms. Weaver has over 20 years of training & development experience, with the past 11 years specifically in the area of CME compliance, accreditation and program development. She entered the Continuing Medical Education field in 2001 as the Vice President for CME Program Development for OptumHealth Education (formerly DLN). Her responsibilities have included overseeing accreditation processes of the ACCME, ACPE, ANCC, AANP, APA, and the Joint Commission. Past positions have included working at Duke University Medical Center in the Department of Behavioral Psychiatry and holding the position of Regional Director of Training and Performance Improvement for Northwestern Human Services, a multi-state mental health provider.
Her experience also includes involvement in the MECCA provider section of the Alliance for CME, acting as the Communications Director for 2 consecutive terms and serving in the role of MECCA provider section planning committee member. Additional experience includes serving as a member of a task force for the Alliance for CME Best Practices; a committee assisting in the development of a web-based training tool for CME professionals. Ms. Weaver is also an active member in the National Association for Medical Education Companies (NAMEC), currently holding the position of Past President of the Board.
Ms. Weaver holds an undergraduate degree in education and a Master's degree in psychology. In addition, Ms. Weaver holds a Six Sigma Greenbelt Certification. By relying on this proven methodology for analyzing and solving process and quality concerns, she has a proven track record in establishing efficient processes within all aspects of CME.
Sheryl L. Smith, MSW
Vice President, Network Development
ADD BIO
Carol A. Ewan
Account Director
Carol Ewan has been involved in the medical education industry for over eleven years. Prior to joining CME Peer Review, she was the Continuing Education Administration Manager for a medical education company where she managed the day-to-day operations of the accreditation department including management of the content review process with internal project staff and external medical auditors. She was also responsible for working collaboratively with regulatory bodies (i.e. ANCC, AAPA, AANP, and AOA) as well as the company's many educational partners. As the CE Administration Manager she was integrally involved in obtaining first time CME accreditation and was responsible for maintaining ACPE accreditation.
Ms. Ewan has worked in many facets of the healthcare industry, past positions include experience in regulatory, managed cared, nursing home admissions/marketing and durable medical equipment. She earned a Bachelor's of Science/Business Administration in Health Care Administration from Robert Morris University.
CLINICAL TEAM
Samuel M. Jones, MD, FAAFP
Medical Director
Dr. Jones is a board-certified Family Physician who has practiced the full spectrum of Family Medicine for over 29 years and has been involved in medical education for over 26 years. In the field of Graduate Medical Education, Dr. Jones has taught Family Medicine residents and medical students since 1985 and has been Program Director for the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine - Fairfax Family Medicine Residency Program in Fairfax, Virginia since 1990. Also at the local level, he is Vice Chair of the Department of Family Medicine at Inova Fairfax Hospital and Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children. Based on his contributions to the field of medical education, Dr. Jones was promoted to the level of Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, VCU School of Medicine - Inova Campus.
On the national level, Dr. Jones currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Board of Family Medicine. He has also served as President of the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors, the organization that represents more than 470 Family Medicine program directors nationwide. Dr. Jones was also asked to serve as co-chair of the steering committee for the Preparing the Personal Physician for Practice (P4) Initiative. This developmental initiative will test innovations in Family Medicine graduate medical education which will potentially lead to substantial restructuring of the organization and content of training suitable for preparing graduating family physicians to be outstanding personal physicians, working in new models of practice.
Dr. Jones has been involved with Continuing Medical Education activities since 1990, serving in various positions over that time. As the CME Coordinator for the Department of Family Medicine at Inova Fairfax Hospital, Dr. Jones conducted needs assessments, selected topics for the monthly departmental programs and insured the quality of the presentations. Dr. Jones also worked closely with an accredited medical education and communication company for over six years. As the medical editorial consultant, he evaluated the content of CME activities for balance, commercial bias, scientific rigor and scientific balance. As medical director, he participated in the development and implementation of the organization's strategic plan, assessed activities for their compliance with ACCME guidelines and participated in the evaluation of the continuous quality improvement program.
Dr. Jones maintains an active clinical practice at Fairfax Family Practice Center where he practices the full spectrum of Family Medicine in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. He's been recognized as one of the Top Doctors in the Washington area, being selected by his peers for listing in the Washingtonian Magazine since 1993. After receiving his medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in 1979, Dr. Jones completed his Family Medicine residency at Madigan Army Medical Center. He became a Diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine in 1982 and has maintained certification since that time. Dr. Jones is also a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine.
This is a critical time in the evolution of Continuing Medical Education, with the rapid introduction of new technologies and treatment modalities which have a major influence on clinical practice. More than ever, physicians must depend on the information they receive to be evidence-based, relevant to clinical practice and free of commercial bias. The independent third-party review provided by CME Peer Review validates the educational integrity of CE content and insures relevance to providing quality patient care.
- SAMUEL M. JONES, M.D.
Karen M. Overstreet, EdD, RPh, FACME
Pharmacy Director
After starting her career as a community pharmacist, Dr. Overstreet entered the medical communications field as a drug information analyst and medical writer for the American Society of Health-system Pharmacists. She then joined a communications company and has worked for the last 19 years in medical education in positions with increasing levels of responsibility.
Dr. Overstreet is active in many professional organizations including the Alliance for Continuing Medical Education, for which she served for more than 3 years as editor-in-chief of the monthly newsletter Almanac, was leader of the Medical Education/Communication Company Alliance provider section, and served 2 terms on the Board of Directors. She is a founding member and a Past President of the National Association of Medical Education Companies, as well as Past President of the National Commission of Certification of CME Professionals. A frequent presenter for organizations including the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association and the American Medical Writers Association, she has authored numerous publications in the professional literature, including a column in Medical Meetings magazine. She has won numerous awards for research, collaboration, innovation, and service to the CME community; most recently she received the Leadership award from the Alliance for CME.
Dr. Overstreet earned a BS degree in pharmacy from the University of North Carolina, an MS degree in drug information and communication from Long Island University (where she also completed a 2-year research fellowship in the International Drug Information Center), and an EdD degree in adult education from Temple University. She is a board-certified Editor in the Life Sciences and a Fellow of the Alliance for CME. She is recognized by NAAMECC as an Exemplary CME Professional and was among the first cohort to receive certification as a CME Professional.
I'm impressed with the quality and completeness of the work of our reviewers and auditors. This independent, rigorous process will mitigate risk for providers and supporters alike and help ensure that educational content is evidence-based, accurate, relevant, and balanced-just what we all strive for in CME.
- KAREN M. OVERSTREET, EDD, RPH
Maureen McLaughlin, PhD, RN
Nurse Director
Dr. McLaughlin is Director of Nursing Research at Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, D.C. where she facilitates nursing research studies. Her health care experience (which spans over 30 years), includes leadership roles in clinical practice, education, administration, and research. Dr. McLaughlin has been the recipient of grant awards, is published in several peer reviewed journals, and has conducted presentations at regional, state, and national conferences. Her education credentials include: a PhD in Nursing from George Mason University; a Master's of Science degree in Organizational Effectiveness from Marymount University, Arlington, VA.; a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Arts from St. Joseph's College, Maine; and a nursing diploma from St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. McLaughlin is passionate about helping nurses to overcome their fears of research and co-edited a book entitled, "Real Stories of Nursing Research: A Quest for Magnet".