The Avanti Team

The Division of Patient Flow Services draws upon nearly two decades of thought-leadership and best practices in the patient flow management field. Lisa Romano, RN, MSN, brings nearly 20 years of clinical nursing and hospital administrative experience to her role as Director. She formerly was Administrator, Patient Logistics at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, a position she helped design to improve patient flow.

All bring client-side experience as early adopters and problem-solvers. Each has a history of successfully combining process re-design with automation technology. That means they bring with them the ability to empathize with the client or prospect and understand the subtle and not-so-subtle conflicts and hurdles which must be overcome. And, because no two hospitals are exactly alike, each understands the need for custom solutions. Collectively, their breadth of experience creates an ideal resource for designing unique blueprints and working with our implementation experts to produce consistently repeatable results.

Lisa Romano, RN, MSN, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, serves as Avanti’s Managing Director of Patient Flow Services. She brings nearly 20 years of clinical nursing and hospital administrative experience and most recently was administrator of patient logistics at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. She has published extensively on the subject of patient throughput and is a frequent speaker on the subject at professional conferences.

Joy Avery, RN, MSN, CEN, brings nearly 22 years of clinical nursing and healthcare leadership experience to Avanti Patient Flow Services. She most recently served as the Director of Specialized Clinical Services responsible for The Transfer Center and patient flow areas, as well as the Bariatric Program and Nursing Leadership activities, from North Mississippi Medical Center, Tupelo, MS, a 2006 winner of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.   Her specialty over the past 10 years has been program development in which she planned, developed, implemented and led the organization’s Trauma Program, Transfer Center, Rapid Admit Unit, and Bariatric Program. During her tenure, she served as the Chief Flight Nurse/Trauma Program Manager and has clinical experience in flight nursing, emergency nursing, dialysis, medical-surgical nursing, and has served as a trauma center surveyor for the State of Mississippi.

Michele (Micki) Lerch, RN, CCRN, FACHE, has 34 years of clinical and management experience and expertise in the areas of critical care, emergency departments, observation medicine, term care and rehab, as well as healthcare executive management. Recently awarded the prestigious FACHE credential by the American College of Healthcare Executives, Micki also holds an RN, BS, and Master’s Degree in Health Services Administration. Her most recent clinical position was as a Transfer Center nurse where she coordinated the transfer of acutely-ill critical care patients. She has also recently served as an off-shift Nursing Supervisor providing clinical and administrative oversight for a Level I trauma center. Other positions Micki has held include Director of Emergency & Critical Care Services, Operations Coordinator for Emergency Physicians Medical Group (EPMG, PC), and as an owner/independent practitioner of a chronic disease management company. Micki specializes in consultation around transfer center program development and change management at an executive level.

Donna Butz, RN, MS, has 32 years of clinical nursing and healthcare leadership experience to bring to the Avanti Patient Flow Consulting Team. Donna most recently held the position of Transfer Center Coordinator where she facilitated the transfer of acutely ill patients for a Level 1 Trauma Center. Additionally, she was responsible for triage and placement of all adult and pediatric critical care patients within a three hospital system. Prior positions include Director of Nursing of a 680 bed long term care facility with two sites that required consolidation of nursing services, policies, and procedures. Donna also served as a Director of Clinical Services, and Vice President Patient Care Services at two acute care facilities responsible for all aspects of patient care services including the development of a cardiothoracic service line. She has also been a member of an executive steering team that led her organization through a merger with a tertiary care facility. Her clinical experience is in the areas of Med/Surg, Step Down Telemetry, OR nursing, OR management and has been a Legal Nurse Consultant (with an OR emphasis).

Mark Sanders, RN, BSN, brings to Avanti his experience with building and leading an award-winning Patient Transport and Logistics Department, as well as a Patient Placement and Transfer Center Department at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Washington. He has developed and implemented patient flow solutions for numerous hospitals throughout the Pacific Northwest, including Alaska. He is nationally recognized as a "subject matter expert" in the field of patient flow and transport management and tracking solutions. A decorated Air Force veteran, Mark also served as a flight nurse and has clinical expertise in the areas of emergency room and critical care nursing.