The Board of Directors has 11 members: a physician appointed by the Governor who serves as Board chair; six other members appointed by the Governor to fill seats designated for specific professional occupations; and four members appointed by the General Assembly.
John B. Bulger, DO, MBA, Chair
Gary A. Merica, RPh, Secretary/Treasurer
John B. Bulger, DO, MBA, is the chief quality officer at Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pennsylvania. In this role he leads Geisinger's Division of Quality and Safety and is responsible for leading and disseminating Geisinger Quality. Dr. Bulger founded Geisinger Medical Center's hospitalist model in 1999 and lead the program's development to include six hospitals and over 60 physicians. Dr. Bulger serves on the Society of Hospital Medicine's (SHM) Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety. He also serves as the chair of the American Osteopathic Association's Program and Trainee Review Council. Dr. Bulger is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine and Regional Assistant Dean at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Associate Professor of Medicine at Temple University School of Medicine. Dr. Bulger is a senior fellow of the SHM and a fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Internists, the American College of Physicians and the Association of Osteopathic Directors and Medical Educators. He is a lifelong resident of Pennsylvania. He received his BS at Juniata College, his medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and MBA from Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA. Dr. Bulger was appointed to the Board by the Governor to fill the vacant position designated to be held by a physician: Residence: Danville (Montour County)
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Joan Garzarelli, RN, MSN, is the Director of Quality Management for LifeCare Hospitals of Pittsburgh. She has worked as a quality improvement professional and nurse administrator in Pennsylvania hospitals throughout her career, including regional quality director for Community Health Systems, overseeing quality and resource management in hospitals in eastern Pennsylvania and as director of Clinical Effectiveness and Quality Services at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. In these roles, Garzarelli has been responsible for patient safety, clinical effectiveness, infection control, quality improvement and regulatory compliance. She received her BSN and MSN in Nursing Administration from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. She was appointed to the Board by the Governor to fill the position designated for a nurse. Residence: Irwin (Westmoreland County)
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Daniel J. Glunk, MD, practices internal medicine in Williamsport, PA. He splits his professional time between active practice and as Susquehanna Health System's Chief of Quality Officer. Dr. Glunk chairs Susquehanna Health's Continuing Medical Education Committee and CQI Committee of the Medical Staff as well as serves as the system's Continuing Medical Education Director. In 1991 he won Teacher of the Year Award from his hospital. He has participated in many media interviews. Dr. Glunk served as chair on the board of the Pennsylvania Medical Society from 2003-2006 and then president from 2008-09. He is accredited with designing the Pennsylvania Medical Society's medical history card. Dr. Glunk earned a bachelor's degree from Wilkes University, PA and medical degree from Hahnemann University, PA. His residency was completed at University of Pittsburgh where he was chief resident at Shadyside Hospital. Dr. Glunk was appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate of Pennsylvania. Residence: Williamsport (Lycoming County)
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Terry Hyman, Esq., is a partner with Schmidt Kramer PC in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He is one of a limited number of lawyers in central Pennsylvania who is certified as a Civil Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. His work is concentrated on medical issues. Hyman was designated as a "2009 Super Lawyer" as Medical Malpractice Attorney by Law and Politics Magazine, an honor awarded to only the top five percent of attorneys statewide. He has also served as the Vice Chairman of the medical malpractice section of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice for seven years. He was appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Residence: (Cumberland County)
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Lorina Marshall-Blake, is Vice President of Government Relations for Independence Blue Cross, where she works closely with city, state and federal legislatures, regulatory bodies and other agencies. Previously Vice President for Government Relations and Urban Affairs at Philadelphia Gas Works, she has more than 23 years of experience in corporate management, public relations and communications. A board member of numerous civic, community and philanthropic organizations, Marshall-Blake received a BA from Antioch College and an MA in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania. An associate minister at Vine Memorial Baptist Church, she is presently studying for a master's in divinity degree at Eastern Baptist Seminary. Marshall-Blake was appointed to the Board by the Governor to fill the position designated for a non-health care worker. Marshall-Blake was elected to serve as the Board Vice Chairman. Residence: Philadelphia (Philadelphia County)
Gary A. Merica, RPh, is Quality Manager for Pharmacy Services and Medication Safety Coordinator at York Hospital. He has been involved in numerous presentations and committees on matters related to medication safety, and received the York Health System Navigator Award (1998) and their Quality Forum Award for "Reduction of Medication Errors" (2000). A graduate of the University of Maryland (BS in Pharmacy), Merica is a member of the Pennsylvania and American Societies of Health System Pharmacists. He was appointed to the Board by the Governor to fill the position designated for a pharmacist. Residence: Red Lion (York County)
Sant Ram, MD, is a specialized pediatrician with 35 years experience and two office locations in Erie, PA. He has received the Patient's Choice Award and Compassionate Doctor Recognition. He received his medical degree from the All-India Institute of Medical Science/Ansari Nagar. Dr. Ram was appointed by the Governor to fill the position held by a healthcare worker. Residence: Erie (Erie County)
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Cliff Rieders, Esq., is a partner in the Williamsport firm of Rieders, Travis, Humphrey, Harris, Waters & Waffenschmidt, where he has demonstrated a strong interest in healthcare, particularly patient safety. He is the author of Medical Malpractice in Pennsylvania: Law and Forms and numerous articles on healthcare issues. Rieders has devoted much of the past 20 years to analyzing medical malpractice insurance and other healthcare and patient safety issues, and has frequently worked closely with the General Assembly and health industry stakeholders in proposing and drafting legislation. A past president of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and the first president of Citizens for Consumer Justice, the state's largest umbrella consumer organization, Rieders is a frequent speaker and lecturer on the subject of patient safety, healthcare issues and medical malpractice. He received a BA from New York University and his JD from Georgetown University School of Law. He was appointed to the Board by the Minority Leader of the Senate. Residence: Williamsport (Lycoming County)
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Stanton Smullens, MD, is the Chief Medical Officer of Jefferson Health System, where he is responsible for coordinating and monitoring a consistently high quality and safe clinical agenda across the system. He is Chairman of the Jefferson Health System Quality Council and represents the medical leadership at the senior staff. Dr. Smullens received his undergraduate education at Harvard College and earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical School where he was a member of AOA. He is a clinical professor of surgery at Jefferson Medical College, has published widely in the peer-reviewed medical literature, and is a member of many local, national, and international medical societies. He has been President of the Jefferson Alumni Association and has received the Leon A. Peris Memorial Award. He has testified before the U.S. Congress on issues relating to patient safety, and serves on the Board of Advisors of the Health Law Institute of the Widener School of Law. He was appointed to the Board by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Residence: Philadelphia (Philadelphia County)