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Ms. Jerri Scarzella is a graduate of the American University School of Nursing in Washington, D.C. Ms. Scarzella has celebrated almost 40 years at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she has served as a leader in a number of capacities (Head Nurse in the Emergency Department, Interventional Radiology Nurse, Risk Management Coordinator and Director of Customer Relations). Currently, she is the Policies and Procedures Coordinator for Holy Cross, working with every department to ensure that policies meet regulatory and other requirements. Ms. Scarzella has also held the role of Customer Service Educator for the hospital and was recently inducted into the hospital’s Legacy Society. She has served as the President of both the Potomac Chapter and the National Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy and speaks on a variety of topics both nationally and internationally. Ms. Scarzella has worked locally in a consultative capacity with the Washington, D.C., public school system as an educator for principals and teachers, and with the Department of Homeland Security. She has been asked to be a reviewer of books and television programs from a customer service perspective, and has been the keynote speaker for various nursing and other professional graduating classes.

Ms. Scarzella has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work in Patient Advocacy, including, but not limited to, Healthcare Council of the National Capital Area Award for Leadership in Patient Representation, American Hospital Association Certificate of Recognition Award for Volunteerism and Leadership, Columbia Union College Department of Nursing Service Award (five consecutive years), numerous awards for volunteer participation on various work groups of the Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy of the AHA and the coveted Ruth Ravich Award, which is presented to advocates who have a public identity that raises awareness about the rights of people seeking health care, and who have provided outstanding service to a community of people seeking health care, furthering the public image of the health care consumer advocacy role.

Ms. Scarzella was a contributor and team member of the AHA Task Force on the Patient’s Bill of Rights revision (revised title: “The Patient Care Partnership”) and a participant on the AHA’s Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development “Foundation for Trust: Truth in Advertising for Hospitals” Task Force. She was also a reviewer and contributor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Evidence Report/Technology Assessment “Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Section.”

Ms. Scarzella was asked to provide pre-telecast feedback (from a patient/patient advocate perspective) to the three-hour television broadcast “Critical Condition” with Hedrick Smith — a program exploring America’s health care system.

In her capacity as HealthWell Foundation’s Vice Chair and Treasurer of the Board, Ms. Scarzella has provided the community at large with information about the foundation by her participation in conferences and interviews for print and other media.