Health Professions Day

Health Professions Day Co-Chairs:

CPHS Health Professions Day 2026 Schedule

Taylor Wyss

Taylor Wyss graduated from Drake University in 2023 with a BS in Clinical and Applied Health Sciences and a MS in Health Informatics and Analytics. She has been working at Delta Dental of Iowa since 2022 in their government programs department. She is the lead on all data and reporting for Medicaid and Medicare businesses.

Dr. Hijinio Carreon

Hijinio Carreon,  serves as the Chief Clinical Officer for MercyOne. Dr. Carreon began his career with MercyOne in the 1990s as a patient care technician and EMT before becoming an Emergency Medicine physician at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. Throughout his tenure, he has held several key leadership roles, including Chief Medical Officer at MercyOne Newton Medical Center, Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical Director of Emergency Medicine at MercyOne Des Moines/ West Des Moines, and Medical Director of MercyOne Air Transport Service.

Dr. Carreon continues to actively practice at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. He also contributes to statewide and regional medical leadership through roles with the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Polk County Dispatch system.

His contributions have earned numerous distinctions, including recognition as a Certified Physician Executive in 2021, acknowledgment for healthcare leadership at the Principal Charity Classic in 2021, and designation as one of Becker’s “Top CMOs to Know.”

Dr. Carreon’s educational path is grounded in Iowa, having graduated from Drake University, earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Des Moines University, and completed an Executive MBA at the University of Iowa.

His board service reflects his commitment to civic leadership and community engagement, including roles with the MercyOne Medical Center Board, Proteus Inc., the Community Board at Bankers Trust, and the Governance Board of Des Moines University.

Katie Pauley

Katie Pauley is a Pharmacy Manager at Unitypoint Home Infusion Pharmacy 

I graduated from Drake in 2012 and then I completed a PGY-1 residency at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. She worked at KU Medical Center for a year on the peds/maternity floors before coming back to Des Moines to work at UnityPoint at Home. She worked at UnityPoint at Home as a student while I was at Drake.

Jenna Christensen

Jenna Christensen, OTD, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist employed by Heartland Area Education Agency, where she provides services to children in school and early intervention settings. She earned her undergraduate degree from Drake University in 2020 and subsequently graduated with her Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) in 2023, also from Drake University. Jenna is dedicated to ensuring students have full access to and are able to participate in their education, and she collaborates with various professionals to facilitate student success

Beth Posey

Beth Posey, ABSN, RN, is a recent 2025 Drake University alumni from the nursing program that was initiated in 2024, and also has a degree in clinical and applied sciences. Beth currently works as a pediatric ICU nurse at Blank Children's Hospital.

Link to form for submitting panelist questions 

Breakout Session Schedule:

Breakout Session Bios and Summaries:

Sarah Moss is a certified athletic trainer with Select Physical Therapy and contracted to Bondurant-Farrar High School for the past nine years. She has experience working alongside physicians, therapists and other healthcare professionals in sports medicine settings. Her masters work includes emphasis with exercise and rehabilitation, as well as sports psychology, and she continues to focus on bridging communication gaps to improve patient outcomes. She enjoys helping students understand how collaborative care functions in real-world practice.

Sarah's presentation, "More than Sidelines: Athletic Trainer's Role in Interprofessional Care," highlights the athletic trainer’s role as a central connector within interprofessional healthcare teams, emphasizing daily patient contact and real-time communication. It explores how athletic trainers collaborate with other healthcare professionals to improve patient-centered outcomes. Through real-world examples, the session demonstrates how effective interprofessional collaboration enhances care coordination, safety, and return-to-activity decision-making.

Hannah Crocker is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and has been a registered nurse since 2018. Her experience spans diverse areas including med-surg, cardiac telemetry, cardiac surgery, general surgery, clinical coordination, urgent care, and private practice. Currently, she serves as the clinical instructor in the nursing department, where she helps to support and guide future nurses.

Hannah's presentation, "My Path to Becoming a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner," explores the career path to becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner and highlights other specialization options available to nurses or other healthcare professionals. Sarah will share her personal journey of becoming a nurse practitioner to provide real-world insight into the process, as well as discuss how Drake University supports students in achieving their nursing career goals through education and resources.

Kelly Shea graduated from Drake University in 2009 and has worked at UnityPoint Health Des Moines for over 16 years, where she has covered the pediatric unit for 15 of those years. Kelly is the inpatient pediatric hematology/oncology pharmacist at Blank Children's Hospital, while also serving the general pediatric population, the NICU, and the PICU.

Kelly's presentation is titled "A Day in the Life of a Pediatric Pharmacist: An Overview of Pediatric Pharmacy."

Ben Williamson is a 2019 graduate of the Drake College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS). He holds a Master of Public Health degree from Des Moines University and remains involved with CPHS and with research efforts in the Des Moines metro. Ben currently works as a Team Leader, Business Analytics at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Des Moines.

Ben's presentation, "The Role of Pharmacy Data in Interprofessional Care," is focused on the pharmacy industry and how it generates enormous amounts of data, and how this important information is then used to inform decisions that promote health. In interprofessional care settings, analytics can connect clinical insights, operational metrics, and population health perspectives. This presentation highlights how using pharmacy data can drive decisions and more effective collaboration across disciplines.

Andrea Hoyt is the Compliance Program Manager for the Bureau of Cannabis Regulation with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. She’s a proud 3 time Drake alum, with degrees in pharmacy, law, and public administration. When she’s not working, she can be found with a book and her golden retriever, Dug.

In Andrea's presentation, "Cannabis in Clinical Practice: Pharmacology, Uses, and Iowa Regulations," we'll discuss what healthcare providers need to know about cannabis in Iowa. From pharmacology to relevant medical conditions, we'll learn what medical cannabis is and how it's used. We'll also converse about consumable hemp (aka OTC cannabis) and its purposes.

Dr. Katherine Scott, DNP, CPNP-PC is the Program Director and an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Drake University with nearly two decades of experience dedicated to pediatric care. A Des Moines native, she has spent 19 years at Blank Children’s Hospital, beginning her career as a patient-care technician then a registered nurse in the Pediatric Emergency Department and on the Lifeflight Pediatric Transport Team. After completing her graduate education at the University of Iowa, she continued with Blank as a pediatric nurse practitioner, serving both the Regional Child Protection Center and the inpatient pediatric hospitalist team. Dr. Scott also brings experience in pediatric mental health medication management through Cascade Clinical Connections, reflecting her commitment to caring for the whole child and family. Deeply invested in community health, trauma-informed care, and education, she is passionate about preparing the next generation of nurses for safe, compassionate practice. Outside of work, she is the proud parent of two teenagers—long-suffering “test patients” for nursing students since childhood—and the devoted owner of three very large dogs who keep life interesting at home.

Dr. Scott's presentation is, "If Nursing Disappeared for 30 Minutes, what would happen to patient care?" Join Dr. Scott for a fast-paced, hands-on experience where students from across health disciplines step into a real-time clinical scenario to experience the impacts of nursing in healthcare. You’ll feel the difference immediately. This interactive session goes beyond lectures to reveal how nursing drives patient safety, clinical judgment, and team effectiveness across healthcare settings. No preparation is required, all health sciences students are welcome!

Dr. Lynn Kassel is an Associate Professor of Clinical Practice at Drake University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, and she holds an Acute Care Pharmacist position with the MercyOne West Des Moines hospital in West Des Moines, Iowa. She is a graduate of Drake and has completed two years of residency training, with a specialty in Critical Care Pharmacy. 

Dr. Kassel's presentation is titled "QPR Training." QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer — the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to help. After this 1-hour training, you will become a QPR Gatekeeper, and more aware of the ways to intervene when someone is having a mental health emergency.