Linda Ackerman
DNP, RN
Linda’s passion is to provide a healing community for healthcare professionals through healing circles. She has been a nurse for 43 years primarily as a nurse leader in inpatient hospital settings. Linda is a Caritas Coach and a HeartMath trainer. Following the Covid pandemic, Linda became involved in Healing Circles Global in 2020. She cohosts healing circles for healthcare leaders and for caregivers of family members with cancer. In 2023 Linda joined the HCHC Professional Services as a training facility member.
M. Leslie Carveth
MN, RN
Leslie has been dedicated to improving healthcare through her career as a nurse leader clinically and administratively in the military, healthcare organizations, non-profits, and in healthcare consulting. She is an integrative nurse coach and has been active at Harmony Hill Cancer Retreat Center and then Healing Circles Global since 2011. Leslie has been on the board of the Healing Circles Healthcare Team since 2018. She is currently the program director of the Healing Circles Healthcare Professional Services.
Catherine J. Dodd
PhD, FAAN
For 30+ years, Catherine has worked in health policy and administration advocating for nursing and healthcare at the state level, in Clinton’s administration and in San Francisco where she launched a well-being program for county employees. In 2014 the Commonweal Cancer Help Program focused Catherine on healing herself and healthcare. She’s on the Commonweal Board, and she’s active in many nursing and health-related organizations. Catherine has been part of Healing Circles Healthcare leadership since 2018, and now Professional Services; and hosts a weekly HCG circle for People Living with Cancer.
Lindsay Espejel
DNP, RN
Lindsay is passionate about whole systems healing. She has been a part of the Healing Circles Healthcare Leadership team since 2018, studied the transformative power of healing circles as a part of her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in Integrative Health and Healing and is now the Co-Director of Healing Circles Global. Lindsay is dedicated to transforming healthcare organizations in stress to places that generate well-being from the inside out.
Erica Hooper
DNP, RN
Erica has a personal mission to help others reach their greatest potential and healthiest selves. She brings years of nursing across her various specialty areas and leadership positions. Erica has been teaching nursing at the University of San Francisco (USF) since 2005, and is currently working at Kaiser Permanente as a Program Director with the Scholars Academy. Erica joined Healing Circles Global in 2020, and became training faculty with the HCHC Professional Services in 2022.
Pat McClendon
DNP, RN
Pat’s professional missions are supporting nurses through healing circles and supporting individuals and families realize their choices in a natural death as an EOL doula. Pat is a former nurse leader in healthcare organizations, from the bedside to executive roles for over 40 years, and currently lives in Temecula, CA. Publications available: pat-mcclendon.com. Pat joined Healing Circles Global Healthcare in 2021, and became faculty with the Healing Circle Healthcare Professional Services in 2022.
Meghan McGraw
MEd, RN, NCC
Meghan is interested in creating communal spaces for connection, self-discovery, and healing. She is a holistic nurse, counselor, and end-of-life doula. Meghan has worked in a diverse array of healthcare and academic settings throughout her 19-year nursing career, from direct patient care to research support, and everything in between. Meghan joined Healing Circles Global in 2020 and co-hosts caregiving and end-of-life circles. She has served on the Healing Circles Healthcare leadership team since 2021.
Ruth Roberts Smith
MN, RN
Ruth has championed holistic wellness and healthcare transformation throughout her career as a clinical nurse, HeartMath trainer, Caritas Coach and Clinical Practice Consultant in a diverse range of acute care modalities, and leading large-scale initiatives across a large scale network of medical centers. Ruth joined Healing Circles Global in 2021, currently hosts circles for caregivers and healthcare, and became part of training faculty with the HCHC Professional Services.
Patti Wolfrom
MAOM, RN (ret), LAc,
Patti is dedicated to service and self-discovery in healing. She is a certified integrative nurse coach, licensed acupuncturist, yoga instructor and retreat leader. Patti has worked in healthcare for more than four decades, half of which in oncology and hospice. She began her healing circle practice at Harmony Hill Cancer Retreat Center, then joined Healing Circles Global in 2011. She has provided leadership on the HC Healthcare team since 2018, and training with the HCHC Professional Services since 2022.
Healing Circles Healthcare Contributors
Susan M. Cooley
PhD, RN
Susan has long worked to bring the power of nursing and embracing the healer’s art to the nursing/healthcare community. She is a nurse practitioner, healthcare consultant, faculty member and entrepreneur. Susan became aware of the Cancer Help Program at Commonweal when undergoing colon cancer treatment. Her interest in practices to improve nurse and caregiver resilience led Susan to actively participate in Healing Circles Houston. In 2016 Susan told her story in a TEDx talk “The Other Side of the Stethoscope.” She has been a board member of the Healing Circles Healthcare Team since 2018.
Sara Horton-Deutsch
PhD, RN, PMHCNS, FAAN, ANEF
Sara’s unique passion is to build spaces (homes, hospitals, communities) that are creative, healthy, and bounded. Sara has worked in academic and practice settings for 35 years as an advanced practice psychiatric mental health nurse, teacher/ practitioner, consultant, program director, Caring Science endowed chair, author and currently serves as director of the University of San Francisco/ Kaiser Permanente Partnership. Sara has been part of the leadership council at Healing Circles Global and Healthcare since 2020.
Charlie Pieterick
MS, RN, ANP-BC
Charlie Pieterick has been a nurse practitioner for 35 years in a variety of clinical settings in the US and Africa. These include primary and urgent care, subacute care and rehabilitation, oncology, and palliative care. Throughout his career, Charlie has incorporated touch, body-mind awareness, and meditation in his nursing practice. He was invited into the Healing Circles community by a fellow nurse practitioner in 2018 just as he was retiring. Charlie has been a leading Healing Circles Global host and guardian training since.
Leslie Heron
RN, MH, APRN, FNP-BC, NC-BC
Leslie Heron brings her clinical nurse coaching experience in family practice, hospitals, home health and hospice to individuals, community, and professional groups in classrooms, retreat settings, and at national and international educational conferences. As a co-founder of Nursing Leadership for Healing Circles (NLHC), Leslie is committed to sharing the techniques of Healing Circles with healthcare professionals. Leslie co-owns The Green Labyrinth, a retreat center nestled in the foothills of Mount Baker in northwest Washington State.
Jackie Levin
MS, RN, BC-NC, AHN-BC
Jackie Levin has more than 30 years of experience in healthcare. She is the executive director of Leading Edge Nursing, a published author, public speaker, and consultant focusing on transforming healthcare organizations and workplace cultures. Jackie joined the Healing Circles Global community in local centers prior to the Covid 19 epidemic, and in 2020 she assisted Healing Circle Global achieve international reach in bringing healing circle training online. Jackie contributed to the development of Healing Circle Healthcare Leadership plan in 2022.
Ann Webster
RN, HWNC-BC
Ann is a holistic nurse and integrative nurse coach with experience in the field of addiction and substance abuse with the intention to influence lifestyle choices to heal illness and chronic diseases. She joined the Healing Circles Global community in local centers prior to the Covid 19 epidemic, and in 2020 Ann assisted Healing Circle Global achieve international reach in bringing healing circle training online. Ann contributed to the development of Healing Circle Healthcare Leadership plan in 2022.