| MN IAFN Board of Directors 2018 |
President
Amy Schmitz
Amy Schmitz RN, BSN, PHN
Amy has worked for the Allina Forensic Nursing Program for 6 years and HCMC SARS program, 4 years. She currently holds a permanent position with the Allina Forensic Program as the Lead Nurse for the program. Most of her background is worked in Emergency Nursing for 9 years, ICU for 1 year at Allina Health. Amy’s goals for 2018 is to grow her skills within the Forensic Nursing Field and make every effort to form a relationship with Forensic Nurses in the State of Minnesota to work together to make the care we provide our patients the best it can be!
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President Elect
Alisha Blazevic
Alisha Blazevic, RN, SANE-A
Alisha believes every person presenting for care after a sexual assault deserves the expertise and compassion of seeing a SANE. She has practiced SANE nursing for over ten years and is currently the Lead SANE for PAVSA, the Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault in Duluth. Alisha holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and has worked as a Registered Nurse for 16 years. She is excited to continue the growth of SANE knowledge and practice not only in the Duluth region but throughout Minnesota.
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Immediate Past President
Ellen Johnson
Ellen Johnson RN is a certified SANE-A, CEN, CPEN nurse. She has been with the Regions Hospital SANE Program since it began in 2002, and it’s Supervisor since 2005. She has been an ER nurse since 1976, and has worked at Regions for 30 years. Ellen is very interested in providing education for SANEs as well as our community partners and the public.
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Secretary/Treasurer
Barb Kern-Pieh
I have an alphabet soup following my name on my professional signature! I received my B.S. degree in Family Life and Health, followed by RN, Then MSN as a CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife). I practiced in Women’s health and Midwifery for many years. During that time I have been honored to be a teacher to many of the SANE’s in training – on the art and science of speculum use. In 2004 I began to provide direct care as a SANE. In 2010 I became the Clinical Care Supervisor of the Sexual Assault Program at HCMC. In 2015 I retired so that I could expand my clinical practice into Advanced Forensic Nursing with the Allina Program, and I work with the Child Advocacy Center -“CornerHouse”. CornerHouse is the Multidisciplinary agency providing services to children, adolescents, and developmentally disabled adults, who may have been victims or witness to violence. I also continue to be a provider at a local adolescent clinic and Minnesota now credentials us as “Advanced Practice Registered Nurse” – APRN. I was the first Treasurer for MNIAFN, and am pleased to join the leadership team again as Secretary-Treasurer. Welcome to the alphabet! Barbara Kern-Pieh
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Education Director
Linda Walther
Linda has been a SANE at the Hennepin SARS program since 2007 and in 2015 started working with the Regions SANE program as well. She is both SANE-A and SANE-P certified. Linda currently has a grant funded position with MNCASA as the Lead SANE consultant for the Medical Forensic Exam Access Project, where she has additional opportunities to reach out to nurses and hospitals throughout the state and improve their care of sexual assault victims.
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