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.

Marty Carlton, RN, BS, joined TeleTracking in 2003 as a consultant to hospital administrators on the design of technologically integrated and streamlined patient throughput processes. Prior to that, she was patient placement manager at Providence Hospital of Southfield, MI. She also served as system administrator for the patient throughput solutions which she had initiated. She has nearly 25 years of combined nursing, administrative, and information system experience.

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 MS, RN, CCRN, FACHE, has more than 30 years of clinical and management experience and expertise in the areas of critical care and emergency department nursing 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.