As CEO ~ President of CONCEPTS OF CARE, Debra Townsend is thrilled to share with you the CONCEPTS CONSORTIUM, an alliance of stellar professional speakers! The CONCEPTS CONSORTIUM is a diverse group of talented presenters, representing nearly every specialty within nursing & leadership. They are the “best of the best” and have been personally selected because of their expert knowledge base and dynamic method of speaking. Each presenter offers a unique style, captivating presence, and are experts within their field. As independent consultants, their expertise ranges from motivational and professional development to topics focusing on state-of-the-art clinical, leadership, and wellness issues. In addition, spirituality and psychodynamics involving patients, families and care takers are featured topics by CONCEPTS CONSORTIUM presenters.

We have the potential to orchestrate an entire SYMPOSIUM or INSTITUTE to meet the needs of your organization or professional group. Our team strives to make coordination seamless. We hope that you will discover a distinctive difference in our speakers! Allow us to SERVE you and turn an ordinary seminar into a CELEBRATION!

Our Mission Is To . . .

  • CELEBRATE Your Staff, affirm their VALUE and touch their HEARTS.
  • HONOR Your Organization by positively effecting recruitment and retention.
  • EDUCATE Your Clinicians with the nation’s most respected mentors.
  • COST EFFECTIVELY bring INSTITUTES, One or Two-day SYMPOSIA or CELEBRATIONS of CARE to your organization!


The Concepts Consortium

DEBRA TOWNSEND, RN / CEO ~ President
Keynote, Leadership & Professional Development, Psychosocial, Clinical Excellence,
Care For The Caregiver

JEFF DOUCETTE, RN, MS, CEN, CHE, CNAA
Keynote, Professional Development, Leadership, Management and Clinical

MICHAEL BRATTON, RN, MA
Evidence-based Leadership, Patient-Centered Care Delivery Systems, Retention and Recruitment,
Healthy Work Environments

MELISSA A. FITZPATRICK, RN, MSN, FAAN
Leadership/Professional Development, Organizational Assessment, The "EXECUTIVE TOOL BOX”,
Visionary Promise, Hope & Inspiration, JCAHO Orchestration

ELLEN McDOWELL, RN, MSA
Organizational Development/Professional Development, Leadership and Management,
Stress, Wellness and Health

GLORIA HILLER, RN, MN, ARNP
Cardiovascular, Advance Practice, Courses of Study in Pharmacology/EKG/Dysrhythmia Analysis

LYNELLE N.B. PIERCE, RN, MS, CCRN
Trauma, Pulmonary, General Critical Care, Courses of Study in Advanced Clinical Concepts

CATHLEEN OPPERMAN, RN, MS, CPN
Pediatrics, Competencies, Courses of Study in Pediatric Assessment

CHRISTINE KESSLER, RN, MN, CS, ANP
Keynote, Endocrine, Motivational, Cardiovascular, Body-Mind-Spirit, Spirituality

DIANA REISER, RN, MSN
Neonatal, Shared Governance, Leadership/Professional Development

RITA HAXTON, RN, MSN
Organizational Development/Professional Development, Leadership and Management,
Clinical Pathways/Multidisciplinary Teams

CYNDA HYLTON RUSHTON, DNSC, RN, FAAN
Heath Care Ethics, Palliative Care, Pediatrics, Grief & Bereavement, Caregiver Grief

BARBARA GILL MacARTHUR, RN, MN, FAAN
Leadership, Professional Development, Clinical, Cardiovascular, Political & Certification Advocate

SHAY EHLER, RN, BSN, CNOR, RNFA, FSP
Leadership, Employees/Partners/Information Age, Communications/Conflict Management,
Surgical Services, Energy/Balance/Creativity/Money

JULIE MILLER, RN, BSN, CCRN
Clinical Excellence, Critical Care, Trauma, EKG, Animal Assisted Therapy, Courses of Study in Lab Values,
Pharmacology

BARBARA MINTZER
Keynote, Vision, Organizational Excellence, Business Savvy


One phone call to our office has the potential to fill your symposium with quality speakers.
It would be our pleasure to orchestrate an EDUCATIONAL CELEBRATION for your organization!