Debbie Pritts, R.N., LNCC - President
Linda Wiater, R.N. - President-Elect
Debbie Henceroth, R.N., C.P.H.Q. - Past President
Brenda Gittings, R.N., LNCC - Secretary
Phyllis S. Kaiser R.N. - Treasurer
Tammy Haines, RN, BSN, CCRN - Director-at-Large
Linda Hatcher, R.N., LNCC - Director-at-Large

BOARD MEMBER BIOGRAPHIES

Debbie Henceroth, R.N., C.P.H.Q .is currently Director of Risk Management/ Performance Improvement at Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling, WV where she has been employed for 34 years. Background includes experience in Critical Care, Nursing Management, IV Home Infusion, Performance Improvement, and most recently as Risk Manager for the past 9 years. She is an experienced staff educator in a variety of risk management/patient safety topics. She has 9 years experience as a legal nurse consultant in the areas of risk management, malpractice defense, and as an expert witness. Debbie achieved certification as a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality in 1997. Debbie is a founding member of the West Virginia Upper Ohio Valley Chapter of the AALNC where she has served as secretary, Director at Large and is currently on the Board of Directors as Past President.

Debbie Pritts, R.N., LNCC is a Registered Nurse with over 20 years of clinical experience in Oncology, Med-Surg, Endoscopy, Ambulatory/Outpatient Care, Orthopedics, Ophthalmic Laser, Home Health and Utulization Review. Debbie is licensed in WV, OH, Pa. and has been certified in BLS (Basic Life Support), ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and Chemotherapy Administration. She attained her initial certification as a Legal Nurse Consultant through the Medical Legal Consulting Institute's NACLNC in 2001 and has an independent consulting practice, Medical Legal Analysis, since. Debbie achieved the Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC) credential in November, 2005 after successfully passing the national certification exam.
Debbie is presently employed full time in-house at the firm of Wexler Wallace LLP in Chicago, IL. She has experience in Product Liability, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury and Workers Compensation. Debbie is a member of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants and the West Virginia Upper Ohio Valley Chapter of the AALNC, where she served as a Member of the Board of Directors for 2005, past Treasurer for 2006 - 2007, President -Elect in 2008 and and presently serves as the chpater's President. Debbie is also Chair of the Website Committee.  Additionally she is a founding member of the WV Bar Association, Legal Nurse Consultant Section.

Linda Hatcher, R.N., LNCC , has been an RN since 1981. Linda was clinically active for eighteen years with extensive experience in intensive care, peri-operative, PACU and radiology (interventional) nursing. She has been employed as a legal nurse consultant since 1999 and currently employed by Burns, White & Hickton, LLC in Wheeling, WV.  She is a founding member of the West Virginia Upper Ohio Valley Chapter and has served on its Board of Directors. She was a past Treasurer a Past-President and presently serves on the Board of Directors. Linda is also the Membership Committee Chair and Chapter Historian. Linda is also a member of the West Virginia Bar Association, LNC Section.

Phyllis S. Kaiser R.N. - Treasurer
Phyllis worked for over 20 years in ICU, E.R. and supervisor at Southeast Ohio Regional Medical Center, Cambridge, Ohio, Barnesville Hospital, Banesville, Ohio and Mount Carmel Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She was responsible for developing and implementing all phases of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Barnesville Hospital.
Phyliss worked as an independent Legal Nurse Consultant from 2000-2005 working with plaintiff attorneys in areas of medical malpractice and personal injury. She previously worked as a Nurse Paralegal for Thorpe Reed and Armstrong from 2005-2007 and currently is employed as a Nurse Paralegal for Dinsmore & Shohl, LLC, in Wheeling, WV working with attorneys in defense of insurance companies and their insureds in areas of medical malpractice, toxic tort, Workers' Coompensation and product liability. In addition, Phyllis is maintains a position as part-time adjunct faculty in the LPN nursing program at Belmont Technical College, St. Clairsville, Ohio since 2004.  Phyllis serves as the Treasurer for the WV Upper Ohio Valley Chapter of the AALNC for 2008 and 2009 and is also on the website committee.

Brenda Gittings, R.N., LNCC graduated from the Ohio Valley General Hospital School of Nursing in 1976. She was clinically active for nineteen years working in Intensive Care, Office Nursing, Home Health and Hemodialysis. Brenda has been a legal nurse consultant with the law firm of Bachmann, Hess, Bachmann & Garden, PLLC in Wheeling, WV since 1990. Brenda has experience in defense/plaintiff medical malpractice, defense/plaintiff personal injury and defense/plaintiff product liability. Brenda achieved the Legal Nurse Consultant Certified (LNCC) in April 2005 after successfully passing the national certification examination. Brenda is a founding member of the West Virginia Upper Ohio Valley Chapter of the AALNC and has served on its Board of Directors.    Brenda is Past-President, past Treasurer and Director-at-Large of the local chapter and presently serves as Secretary. 

Linda Wiater, R.N.received her RN in 1971 from the Ohio Valley General Hospital School of Nursing, Wheeling, WV . She was a clinical nurse for 25 years and has been a legal nurse consultant for 17 years. Linda is currently an independent legal nurse consultant. Linda is a founding member of the West Virginia Upper Ohio Valley Chapter of AALNC and served as its first President. She has served on the Board of Directors since the chapter's inception and her current position is Director-at-Large. Additionally, she Co-Chairs the Education Committee and is Co-Chair of the Fall Conference. Prior to her presidency of the West Virginia Upper Ohio Valley Chapter, Linda was President of the Pittsburgh Chapter of AALNC and served on its Board of Directors from 1998-2001. She is also founding member the West Virginia Bar Association LNC Section and served on its Board of Directors as first Secretary.

Tammy Haines, RN, BSN, CCRN, Legal Nurse Consulant
Tammy is the full time nurse at Ogg, Cordes, Murphy & Ignelzi, LLP in Pittsburgh, PA.   As a member of the plaintiff, medical malpractice team, Tammy acts as a liaison with attorneys, physicians and clients; obtains, reviews and analyzes documents; summarizes medical literature; provides a medical record chronology; and prepares reports based on the combination of the medical records, standards of care and the damage/causation assessment. Tammy brings with her 22 years of critical care nursing experience, with a special interest in trauma.  She was also responsible for coordinating pharmaceutical drug clinical trials at a large teaching hospital. She has maintained her CCRN certification for 18 years, keeping an up-to-date and advanced critical care knowledge base.  She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Wheeling Jesuit University.  Tammy is a member of both the WV UOV Chapter AALNC and the Pittsburgh Chapter of AALNC, serving as a Director at Large for the WV Chapter.