2026 AHVAP Certification Center Board of Directors &

Executive Team

Chairperson:

Karen Niven, MS, BSN, RN, CVAHP^TM, FACHDM, FNAP, FAHVAP

As Premier’s Senior Director, Clinical Value Analysis leads and facilitates the Value Analysis Committee and the clinical process within the Performance Groups and Premier’s committed programs. As a clinical expert she uses her understanding and medical expertise to analyze current and future market technology trends while prioritizing customer needs. In addition Karen’s responsibilities also include assisting the clinical work groups for all Performance Groups as well as working with members and suppliers to identify and develop strategies to introduce new technology and improve product utilization.

Prior to joining Premier, Karen has more than 33 years of nursing experience in the Perianesthesia and Surgical Services.  Her management duties included capital equipment acquisitions, total joint implant management, physician preference product ordering, daily oversight of the Department of Anesthesia, and responsibility for over 50 OR’s 12 Endoscopy procedure rooms and all Pre-op and Post-op departments.  Karen holds multiple credentials from the AHVAP Certification Center including the Infection Control Specialist, Supply Chain Disruption Specialist, Medical Device Safety Specialist, TeamSTEPPS Value Analysis Specialist, CMS Team Model, Human Factors in Healthcare Value Analysis, Healthcare Value Analysis AI Specialist, Medical Products Instructions for Use Specialist, Advanced Certificate in Medical Device Safety and Risk Management Certificate, and Infection Control Specialist micro-credentials. Karen serves as the lead faculty member for the AHVAP Certification Center Supply Chain Disruption micro-credential. She is a graduate of the AHVAP Executive Leaders Fellowship Program. Karen has served as the President of an international nursing professional credentialing Board of Directors. Karen holds the prestigious Fellow of AHVAP (FAHVAP) designation.

Treasurer:


Joanna Williams, MSN, RN, CPHQ, ACM-RN, CCM, CPPS, CVAHP^TM, LSSGB, FACHDM, FAHVAP

Joanna Williams is an accomplished healthcare change agent, clinician, and value analysis professional with experience in advancing evidence-based practice, operational excellence, and clinical quality across complex healthcare systems. With over 15 years of progressive leadership in clinical operations, quality improvement, and value analysis, she has dedicated her career to optimizing patient outcomes through strategic product evaluation, care standardization, and multidisciplinary collaboration. Currently serving as the System Manager for Clinical Value Analysis at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Joanna leads system-wide initiatives focused on product standardization, clinical utilization optimization, and total cost of ownership reduction - all while protecting the integrity of clinical outcomes. Her previous leadership roles at Optum, Kindred at Home Hospice, and multiple quality and case management departments have equipped her with deep expertise in sepsis recognition, perioperative quality, healthcare quality, and care variation reduction. Joanna holds the Certified Value Analysis Healthcare Professional (CVAHP) credential, among numerous specialty micro-credentials in infection control, supply chain disruption, and medical device safety. She is also a graduate of the AHVAP Executive Leaders Fellowship Program, and holds national board certifications in case management, healthcare quality, and patient safety. She holds the prestigious Fellow of AHVAP (FAHVAP) designation.

Secretary:



Kristine Steely, BS, CVAHP^TM

Kristine Steely is Vice President of Global Sales at UltraViolet Devices, Inc. (UVDI), where she leads the company's worldwide commercial strategy for advanced UV disinfection technologies serving healthcare, indoor air quality, and infection prevention markets. Promoted to her current role in 2023, she oversees UVDI's medical sales organization across the United States and international distributor network. Kristine represents the perspective of the Industry Partner in the AHVAP Certification Center certificant population group. 

A Certified Value Analysis Healthcare Professional (CVAHP), Kristine brings deep expertise in healthcare value analysis and contributes to advancing credentialing standards in the field through her work with the AHVAP Certification Center. Her career includes prior leadership experience in medical device sales, where she built a reputation as a results-driven manager known for developing high-performing teams, mentoring sales talent, and leading with integrity.

Based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, Kristine combines clinical-market insight with a collaborative leadership style focused on delivering measurable value to healthcare partners and patients. Kristine holds multiple micro-credentials from the AHVAP Certification Center including the Healthcare Value Analysis AI Specialist, Infection Control Specialist, and Medical Device Safety Specialist micro-credentials. 

Director At Large:

Janet McMehan, BSN, RN, CVAHP^TM

Janet is a board-certified Clinical Value Analysis professional with a strong foundation in caring for critically ill patients across adult, pediatric, and neonatal populations. She has over thirty years of professional experience as a clinical nursing professional and leader. Her work is driven by a patient- and family-first mindset, and she is passionate about building strong relationships with subject matter experts, industry partners, and healthcare leaders to ensure safe and effective care. Currently, she leads cross-collaborative teams to address critical challenges in patient care delivery. Her goal is to shape the future of healthcare through value analysis creating sustainable, evidence-based solutions that protect not only patients today, but also families and the generations to come. In addition, Janet holds multiple micro-credentials from the AHVAP Certification Center including the Healthcare Value Analysis AI Specialist, Medical Device Safety Value Analysis Specialist, and Incident Command Value Analysis Specialist micro-credentials. Janet is also a graduate of the AHVAP Executive Leaders Fellowship Program. 
 
Director at Large: 

Rhonda Reeder, RN, BSN, MBA, MHA, CMTE, CFRN, CEN, EMT‑P

Rhonda Reeder, BSN, MBA, MHA, RN, CEN, CFRN, CMTE, EMT-P, is a leading expert in critical care transport, recognized for her contributions as a speaker and author. She earned her BSN from East Carolina University and an MBA/MHA from Pfeiffer University. Rhonda served as an item writer for the Certified Flight Registered Nurse Exam through the Board of Certification for Emergency Nurses. She received the Distinguished CFRN Award in 2006 from the Air and Surface Nurses Association and was named one of the Great 100 Nurses in NC in 2001. In 2019, she was honored as Site Surveyor of the Year by the Commission on Accreditation for Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS). Rhonda has extensive experience in neonatal, pediatric, and adult critical care transport along with executive nursing leadership. Rhonda holds multiple AHVAP Certification Center micro-credentials including the Core and Advanced Professional Presentation Skills, CMS Team Model, Healthcare Value Analysis AI Specialist, and Incident Command Healthcare Value Analysis Specialist Micro-Credentials. In addition, she is a graduate of the AHVAP Executive Leaders Fellowship Program. 

Director At Large: 

Allyson Easterling, BSN, RN, CVAHP^TM

Allyson Easterling brings more than a decade of bedside and educator experience to her work in healthcare. She began her career in critical care as an ICU staff nurse before moving into the perianesthesia setting, where she cared for surgical patients in the PACU. From 2008 to 2011, she served as a Perioperative Nurse Educator at Novant Health/Presbyterian Hospital, designing orientation programs, building competency frameworks, and mentoring nurses across pre-op, intra-op, and post-op areas. She went on to lead clinical teams as Assistant Nurse Manager of the PSS, ACU, and PACU units at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, from 2011 to 2017.

That educator's mindset has carried through every stage of her career. Allyson is known for translating complex surgical workflows into clear, practical training, championing evidence-based practice at the bedside, and giving new and experienced nurses the confidence to deliver safe perianesthesia care. Her combination of ICU and PACU clinical expertise with formal teaching experience makes her a trusted resource for both frontline staff and clinical leaders.

Since 2017, Allyson has been with a national Group Purchasing Organization, where she serves on the Clinical Nursing Services team as a Product Manager. In this role, she brings the voice of the bedside nurse into product strategy, partnering with health systems to advance clinical quality, workflow efficiency, and the nursing experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of South Carolina. Allyson is a current member of the AHVAP Executive Leaders Fellowship 2026 Cohort program. 

Director at Large:

Andy Preising, MSOL, CVHAP^TM, CMRP, FAHVAP

Andrew Preising is the Value Analysis Coordinator at TriHealth in Cincinnati, where he leads the Perioperative, Cath Lab/Specials, and Patient Care value analysis teams. He joined TriHealth in 2019 as a Contract Coordinator in Supply Chain after a 14-year career in healthcare sales and distribution with Becton Dickinson, Johnson & Johnson, Owens & Minor, and Medline. That industry-side experience shapes a value analysis practice grounded in evidence-based decision-making, financial discipline, and close partnership with the clinicians at the bedside.

Since taking on the Coordinator role, Andrew has built a program that is clinically focused, data-driven, and collaborative across clinical and non-clinical stakeholders. In fiscal year 2025, his teams delivered more than $800,000 in savings through product and vendor standardization work. He represents Supply Chain on several multidisciplinary committees at TriHealth, including the Nurse Practice Council, Nursing Education (NCST), CLABSI and CAUTI prevention, Wound Care, and the Education Council, and has played a central role in revitalizing the system's Patient Care Value Analysis team.

Andy is a board certified Healthcare Value Analysis Professional. Andy holds multiple micro-credentials from the AHVAP Certification Center including the Incident Command Healthcare Value Analysis Specialist, the Healthcare Value Analysis AI Specialist, and the Medical Products Instructions for Use Specialist micro-credentials. He is committed to growing the field of healthcare value analysis and giving back to the community that helped shape his career. Andy holds the distinguished Fellow of AHVAP (FAHVAP) designation. 

Public Member: 

Kyle Atkins, EdS, NRP, FACHDM

Kyle P. Atkins, Ed.S., FACHDM, is an educator, healthcare strategist, and technology executive with experience spanning healthcare, education, artificial intelligence, and organizational leadership. His work focuses on helping organizations improve decision-making, strengthen systems, and responsibly integrate emerging technologies into practice. Kyle is a nationally board certified paramedic and specialist in prehospital emergency medicine. 

Kyle currently serves as Senior EMS Curriculum Specialist at Pocket Prep, where he leads initiatives involving educational strategy, learner analytics, and certification preparation. He is also the Founder and CEO/CTO of Veritas Technology Solutions, where he develops technology solutions and AI-enabled tools designed to support complex challenges across healthcare, public safety, and education.

A Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Data Managers (FACHDM), Kyle has contributed to educational initiatives, technology development, and professional leadership efforts focused on innovation and responsible implementation. He frequently speaks on topics related to leadership, artificial intelligence, ethics, and the future of technology, with an emphasis on practical approaches that enhance human expertise and improve outcomes. Kyle serves as the lead faculty member of the AHVAP Certification Center Healthcare Value Analysis Specialist Micro-credential program and is Co-Faculty for the Incident Command Specialist Micro-credential program. Kyle holds both the Healthcare Value Analysis Specialist and Incident Command Specialist Micro-credentials from the AHVAP Certification Center.

Ex-Officio-Chief Certification Officer:

Dr. J. Hudson Garrett Jr., Ph.D., MSN, MPH, MBA, FNP-BC, IP-BC, PLNC, VA-BC, BC-MSLcert™, MSL-BC, CPHRM, CPPS, CPHQ, CVAHP^TM ,CMRP, CPXP, CDIPC, CIC, LTC-CIP, ICE-CCP, FACDONA, FAAPM, FNAP, FACHE, FSHEA, FIDSA, FAHVAP

Dr. Garrett holds the prestigious Institute of Credentialing Excellence Certified Credentialing Professional designation and is a graduate of the Credentialing Professional Certificate Program. Dr. Garrett is an active member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence.