$3.5 million to help IU School of Medicine study brain disorders

The judges

Kerry Erickson, Acting Editor, The Times of Northwest Indiana

Kerry Erickson is the acting editor of the Times of Northwest Indiana.

Erickson holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Eastern Illinois University and served as an associate feature editor and overnight editor at The Times.

She has lived and worked for over 20 years in Northwest Indiana, a place she is proud to call home.

Marie D. Forszt, Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Community Foundation of Northwest Indiana, Community Healthcare System

Marie D. Forszt, MPA, RHIA is vice president of marketing and corporate communications for the Community Foundation of Northwest Indiana, parent company of Community Healthcare System. She received her Bachelor of Science in Health Records Administration from Indiana University School of Medicine and her Masters of Public Administration from Indiana University.

Forszt began his professional career at the community hospital and has 32 years of healthcare management experience in areas such as health information, service line development, operational management, satisfaction of Patients, Cardiovascular Research and Marketing and Community Relations. As vice president of marketing and corporate communications for the Community Foundation of Northwest Indiana, she oversees marketing, patient experience, health information management, and the Center for Visual and Performing Arts.

Forszt is a member of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD). She also sits on the board of the Community Cancer Research Foundation. Marie lives in Munster with her husband, Tony, and her two sons.

Julie Kerns, BSN, MS-Health Informatics, Assistant Vice President, Patient Care Services, Methodist Hospitals

Julie Kerns has worked in Methodist hospitals for over 20 years. Her Methodist career began as a staff nurse. She has held several positions within the organization, including Employee Health Supervisor, Clinical Nurse Manager, Oncology Nurse Navigator, Director of Nursing Quality and Regulatory Compliance, and most recently, Assistant Vice President. patient care services at the Southlake Campus.

Kerns holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Valparaiso University and a Master of Science in Health Informatics from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Marsha King, Dean of the University of St. Francis, Crown Point Campus; associate professor, University of Saint-François

Marsha King, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, CNE, received her associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in nursing from Purdue University Northwestern and her doctorate in nursing practice in systems leadership from Rush University in Chicago. She also holds a master’s degree in business administration. Certified as an Advanced Executive Nurse and Certified Nurse Educator, King has extensive experience in leadership positions in clinical, administrative and academic settings as well as 21 years of experience as a chief nursing officer.

A member of the Indiana State Board of Nursing and president for four years, King received the Sagamore of the Wabash Award, the 2016 Northwest Indiana Influential Women in Education, and most recently the 2017 Athena Award, for Women’s Leadership and Mentorship. She is a member of the Go Red for Women leadership team and a board member of the Lake County American Heart Association. She also sits on the advisory board of the regional center for health education. She also lectures on a variety of topics locally, regionally and nationally.

Jennifer Philbin, Dean of Nursing, Ivy Tech Community College

Jennifer Philbin, MSN, RN, received her bachelor’s degree from Lewis University in 1996 and her master’s degree from Southern University in 2009. She has worked in academia for over 15 years in LPN and nursing programs. registered nurse in Illinois and Indiana. In her current role as Dean of Ivy Tech’s School of Nursing, Philbin oversaw the LPN, RN, and LPN to RN educational streams for Ivy Tech’s Lake County campus for four years.

Philbin has also worked in several areas of nursing, medicine/surgery, palliative care, home health, and organ procurement. However, her passion remains in the community college to provide quality nursing education to the region. She is also an ambassador for the National League for Nursing, a nursing education organization.

Nurses: The Heart of Health Care is produced by the special sections and marketing teams of The Times of Northwest Indiana.