Our Team
Administration
Lisa A. Falcón, MSN, RN, TCRN, NE-BC
Trauma Program Manager
Lisa earned her undergraduate nursing degree from Seton Hall University and her Master’s in Nursing from Monmouth University. Ms. Falcon started her nursing career in 1993 in surgical critical care. Six years later, she came to RWJUH as a staff nurse in the Surgical ICU Core and has since served as a clinical nurse educator & nursing director. Lisa currently holds the position of Director of Trauma & Injury Prevention & Trauma Program Manager for the Level I Adult Trauma Center. Lisa is certified by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) as a Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN), and by American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a Nurse Executive (NE-BC). Lisa is a Trauma Nursing Core Curriculum Course (TNCC) instructor. She has served on a variety of national committees with the American Association of Acute & Critical Care Nurses (AACN), with the most recent being a member of the Board of Directors for AACN Certification Corporation. Lisa lectures on trauma, critical care, and leadership locally, nationally, and internationally.
Irene Sudah, BSN, RN, CNOR
Pediatric Trauma Program Manager
Ms. Sudah is a graduate of Charles E. Gregory School of Nursing. She received her undergraduate degree at Chamberlain University and is currently continuing her quest for her Masters in Nursing also at Chamberlain University.
Irene began her nursing career with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital 1987. She has dedicated herself to the surgical service for 30 years as staff, Charge Nurse of Neurosurgery Service Line and culminating as Educator for the Operating Room from 2007-2017.
Tim Murphy, MSN, RN, ACNP-BC, CEN, TCRN, FAEN
Trauma Performance Improvement Coordinator
Tim Murphy holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Alfred University, College of Nursing and Health Care; a Master’s of Nursing from the University of Texas at El Paso, College of Nursing and Allied Health; and a post-Master’s Certificate as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner from Allegheny University of the Health Sciences School of Nursing. He served 6 years active duty in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and was honorably discharged with the rank of captain.
A member of the trauma team at RWJUH since 1999, Tim is board-certified as both an acute care nurse practitioner and an emergency and trauma nurse. His professional and community service includes lectures and publications on subjects ranging from trauma assessment to injury prevention programs.
Tim is a Past-President of the New Jersey State Council of the Emergency Nurses Association. He is a past national nursing representative to the National Child Passenger Safety Board and currently serves on the New Jersey EMS Advisory Council and State Trauma Systems Advisory Committee. He was inducted as a Fellow of the Academy of Emergency Nurses in 2017.
Catherine “Catie” Filippelli, BSN, RN, CEN, TCRN
Trauma Education Coordinator
Catie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from the University of Montana and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Seton Hall University. She is a Certified Emergency Nurse and Trauma Certified Registered Nurse.
Ms. Filippelli started her nursing career in 1997 and transitioned to emergency nursing in 2000. She served as an Assistant Manager and Manager of another Emergency Department before returning to RWJUH in 2016 for her current role.
Catie is an instructor and course director for the Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC). She is an active member of the Emergency Nurses Association and chairs the NJ ENA Ad Hoc Committee on EMS. Ms. Filippelli is also a member of the Society of Trauma Nurses and Sigma Theta Tau, the National Honor Society of Nursing.
Advanced Practice Nurses
Susann A. Krane, RN, MSN, APN, CCRN
Advanced Practice Nurse
Susann Krane has spent over 20 years on the RWJUH nursing team, serving in clinical and administrative roles. Susann was one of the first Advance Practice Nurses to practice exclusive hospital based medicine in our institution. In 2009, Susann returned to her first love, critical care as the advance practice nurse in the trauma and neurological intensive care units, managing the treatment of critically ill patients. She is also responsible for the education of fellow nurses and surgical resident staff. Susann frequently serves as a clinical preceptor to advance practice nursing students.
Multiple certified, Susann is a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and of Sigma Theta Tau, the honor society of nursing.
Susann earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Rutgers College of Nursing, and a Master’s of Science in Nursing as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner at Monmouth University.
Lauren Stout, MSN, RN, APN-C, FCCS
Trauma Nurse Practitioner
Lauren earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Seton Hall University and a Master of Science in Nursing at UMDNJ-School of Nursing.
She has experience as a house nurse practitioner and Neuro Special Care. As a trauma nurse practitioner, Lauren works closely with patients on both the trauma and emergency general surgery services. She serves as a preceptor for student advanced-practice nurses.
Ms. Stout is a member of the Member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the New Jersey Nurses Association, and Sigma Theta Tau, the national honor society of nursing.
Dana Lopes, RN, MSN, ACNP-BC, CCRN
Trauma Nurse Practitioner
Dana Lopes has worked as a Nurse Practitioner since 2009 after graduating with her Masters of Science in Nursing from the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program at Indiana University. Dana was a Trauma Nurse Practitioner at Indiana University Health for 2 years prior to relocating to New Jersey. Initially working for the Hospitalist and Cardiothoracic Surgery Teams at RWJUH, Dana transitioned to the Trauma Team in 2012. As a Trauma Nurse Practitioner, Dana works closely with the Trauma Team to facilitate patient care, assist with admissions, provide daily care to our patients, respond to emergencies, and communicate with all members of the health care team.
Prior to joining the RWJUH Trauma Team, Dana was a registered nurse in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Indiana University Health. During that time, she earned her Critical Care Registered Nurse certification. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2004 from Purdue University where she received the Nursing Excellence award. Her professional memberships include the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau International, and Society of Critical Care Medicine. She has also served as a clinical preceptor to advanced practice nursing students and has done guest lecturing for nursing schools and nurse certification courses.
Lisa Ventola, MSN, RN, APN, AGACNP-BC
Trauma Nurse Practitioner
Lisa earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Seton Hall University; Associate of Science in Nursing from Muhlenberg Nursing School; a Master of Science in Nursing, Adult Nurse Practitioner from Farleigh Dickinson University; and Adult/Gerontology/Acute Care Nurse Practitioner from the University of Pennsylvania.
She has experience as an internal medicine nurse practitioner and Rapid Response Team. Prior to joining the trauma team in 2013, she has worked as critical care and emergency staff nurse. In addition, she has experience as a home infusion nurse specialist.
Sophia Costa, MSN, RN, AGACNP-BC, CCRN
Nurse Practitioner
Sophia earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at The University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Science in Nursing from Rutgers University. She is certified as an Adult and Geriatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner.
Sophia has been with the trauma team since 2016. While working as a critical care charge/staff nurse she implemented and the DAISY award program. She serves as a preceptor for student advanced-practice nurses.
Ms. Costa is a member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses.
Trauma Social Worker
Stephanie A. Kropf, MSW, LSW
Trauma Social Worker
Stephanie Kropf graduated from the Masters of Social Work program at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in 2007 and has been a field supervisor for social work students since 2009. In 2011, she became a Certified Brain Injury Specialist. She has also obtained certifications from Rutgers in Trauma Response and Crisis Intervention and Case Management.
Stephanie began her career at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in 2008 working with a Geriatric and Medical/Surgical population and later that year she transferred to Neurosciences, where she remained until July of 2011 when she joined the Level One Trauma Center.
In 2015, Ms. Kropf lead the initial effort in New Jersey to train former trauma survivors to be peer mentors through the Trauma Survivors Network of the American Trauma Society at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
Trauma Registrars
Arlene Avila, BSN, RN, CSTR
Trauma Registry Nurse
Arlene Avila has served as a Trauma Registry Nurse since 2006 and has experience in diverse nursing specialties including medical, surgical, orthopedic, oncologic, radiation oncologic, and infertility.
She is a Certified Specialist in trauma registry and was instrumental in the creation and establishment of the New Jersey Collector Trauma Registry. She led the N.J. Trauma Council for three years.
Arlene graduated from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. She subsequently earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Seton Hall University and completed a program in information technology at Devry University of Technology.
Kim Lowery, BSN, RN, CSTR
Trauma Registry Nurse
Kim Lowery re-joined the RWJUH nursing team in 2003 and recently spent a year as interim director of the postpartum, newborn nursery and GYN clinic. As head nurse in perinatal services, she provided direct care to postpartum mothers and their newborns, while coordinating patient care services.
Her certifications include maternal newborn nursing and neonatal resuscitation. Her experience includes nursing in private practice and hospital settings, and care for both low- and high-risk pregnancies. She earned her BS at the College of Nursing at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
Chris Granit
Trauma Registry Nurse
Chris Granit has been a Registered Nurse at RWJUH since 1986 when she began her career on the Adolescent Unit. She has held the positions of Pediatric Specialty Clinic Nurse Coordinator, Adolescent Unit Case Manager and was the Pediatric Orthopedic and Scoliosis Program Nurse Coordinator for 15 years. In November of 2011, she joined the trauma team as a Trauma Registry Nurse.
Chris obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Trenton State College, now known as The College of New Jersey. Chris is ANCC certified in Pediatric Nursing. Chris has also presented extensively on all levels in the care and treatment of the scoliosis patient.
Elizabeth “Liz” Harte, BSN, RN, CSTR, CAISS
Trauma Registry Nurse
Liz Harte brings 30 years of nursing experience to the job of Trauma Registrar, with 15 years in Performance Improvement in both community and acute care settings. She has extensive experience with hospital data abstraction and management for outside agencies such as CMS, American Heart Association and The National Registry of CPR. She came to RWJUH in 2008 as a Performance Improvement Coordinator and joined the Trauma Department in May of 2011.
A trained Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Liz has been chosen to share her expertise with other departments as a charter member of the RWJUH Lean PI Core Team. She has facilitated multiple PI Projects since 2009, including extensive work with the OR and CCL.
Liz earned her BSN in Nursing from Georgetown University in 1982.
Injury Prevention
Diana J. Starace
Injury Prevention Coordinator
Safe Kids Middlesex County, Coordinator
Diana is certified by the Nat’l Highway Traffic Safety Administration as a Child Passenger Safety Instructor and is a member of both the NJ Child Passenger Safety and NJ Teen Driver Safety Coalitions. She serves as co-chair of both the Executive Board of the Middlesex County Coalition for Healthy Communities and the NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking (NJCAHT) Health Care Committee. She is active on Underage Drinking and Prescription Drug Task Forces within Middlesex County, and is the Chair of the Dunellen Municipal Alliance.
Diana has presented at a variety of state and national conferences and is called upon to lecture on a range of safety topics in schools, corporate, and non-profit settings. She is an honors graduate of Barry College, Miami Shores, Florida, with post graduate studies in Public Health Administration at Florida International University.
Babajide “Jay” Okesola
Safety Ambassador Program Coordinator
Babajide “Jay” Okesola is the Safety Ambassador Program Coordinator for the level 1 Trauma Center at RWJUH. The Safety Ambassador Program links Middlesex County high school students with elementary school children to provide education in the areas of injury prevention and safety. The program offers approximately 200 safety presentations each year and continues to grow with its social media debut and consistent partnerships with new schools.
Jay graduated from Rutgers University in 2016 with a B.S. in Public Health and a certificate of Health Administration from the Edward J. Bloustein School. Jay has recruited two new high schools to the Safety Ambassador Program and has continued to be the host of the annual Safety Summit since he joined RWJ in 2017.
