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Board of Directors 

Message from Jason Biermann, Chair, Board of Directors 

The Northwest Healthcare Response Network (Network) stands as a vital and trusted convener at a time when healthcare systems, communities and economies face more frequent and complex threats. Washington faces many hazards – both seen and unseen – including severe weather and flooding, wildfires, technology attacks, earthquakes, and public health crises.  Each of these has the potential of causing far-reaching supply chain disruptions.  For Washingtonians, it is not a matter of if a disaster will impact them, it’s when.

As a Board Member and long-time emergency management practitioner, I have seen firsthand how the Network brings together our state’s public and private partners to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies that affect the health and safety of our communities and our economies.  The Network’s team collaborates before, during, and after disasters strike, providing a platform for efficiency, action, situational awareness, and shared solutions. They deliver both experience and expertise to deal with resource shortages and surge events, providing leadership to ensure that healthcare organizations do not face these challenges alone.  Their proven strategies strengthen coordination among hospitals, public health agencies, long-term care facilities, EMS, and emergency management.

The Board of Directors supports the Network’s critical mission: Protect health, preserve services, and promote resilience. Each member of our team – including Chief Executive Officer, Onora Lien, to her leadership team and the wonderful staff – are “Always On” in their statewide efforts to improve our ability to respond to a crisis.  On behalf of the Board, I’m proud to support an organization that leads a stronger, more connected, and more prepared healthcare system across Washington State. 

Officers:

Chair:

Jason Biermann

Adjunct Faculty, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Former Director of Emergency Management, Snohomish County

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Vice-Chair:

Tim Lynch, PharmD, MS, FABC, FASHP, FWSPA

Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, MultiCare Health System 

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Secretary:

Tom Miller, MD

Interim Chief Medical Officer, Overlake Hospital Medical Center and Clinics 

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Treasurer:

Jessica Granger

Director, Financial Planning and Operations, EvergreenHealth

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Ex Officio:

Onora Lien

Chief Executive Officer, NWHRN

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Mike Andrews

Executive Director, Edmonds Landing Assisted Living
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Kurt Hardin

Retired EMS, Public Health & Emergency Management Executive
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Jessica Jeavons, JD, MA

Director of Policy and Planning, Public Health- Seattle and King County

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Patrick Keenan

Independent Management Consultant
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Joey Rodrigues

Executive Director, Olympic Ambulance and WA Market Executive Director, Metro West Family of Companies
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Atousa Salehi, MD, MBA, FACEP

Healthcare and Public Health Executive

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Erin Wooley, MSN, RN

Chief Clinical Officer, Klickitat Valley Health

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David Selander, MD, MBA

Executive Medical Director, Swedish Acute Care & Medical Director, Providence Staffing, Transfer and Operations Center

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About the work of the Board

The Northwest Healthcare Response Network is guided by an independent Board of Directors committed to advancing our mission to strengthen healthcare preparedness and response across Washington state. Our Board plays a vital role in shaping our organization’s direction and ensuring our work has meaningful impact across the communities we serve.

Board members are selected for their leadership, expertise, and shared commitment to public health, different than board selection models considering employer or financial contributions. Directors serve in their individual capacity and bring diverse experience from both healthcare and non-healthcare sectors. There are no designated seats for specific industries; instead, we prioritize individuals who can offer insight, support strategic partnerships, and help us navigate an evolving landscape.

In their role, Board members help define our mission, vision, and long-term goals. They provide governance oversight, develop policies that guide operations, and ensure the organization is meeting its legal and ethical obligations. The Board is also responsible for fiduciary oversight, including approving the budget, monitoring financial performance, and supporting fundraising efforts that sustain our work.

Beyond strategy and finance, Board members help ensure the effectiveness of our programs, advocate on behalf of the organization, and strengthen public and private relationships to extend our reach. They help us identify and manage risks, offer leadership during times of crisis, and provide guidance and evaluation for the Executive Director. Through this collaborative and mission-driven leadership, the Board helps ensure the Network remains a trusted, responsive, and forward-looking force for health and safety across Washington.

Jason Biermann

Jason Biermann, MA serves as an adjunct professor in the University of Alaska Fairbanks Homeland Security and Emergency Management program teaching courses focused on strengthening community resilience. He is also an instructor with FEMA’s Emergency Management Professionals Program, facilitating the National Emergency Management Executive and Advanced Academies. Biermann previously served as Senior Policy Advisor on Resilience to Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers and as Director of Emergency Management for Snohomish County, leading responses to major disasters including the 2014 SR-530 mudslide, the 2015 Okanogan Complex Fire, and the initial U.S. COVID-19 outbreak. A retired Command Sergeant Major, he is pursuing a Ph.D. and holds a master’s in security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security and is an IAEM Certified Emergency Manager.

Tim Lynch, PharmD, MS, FABC, FASHP, FWSPA

Tim Lynch serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for MultiCare Health System. MultiCare’s expansive footprint includes 13 hospitals (including adult, behavioral health and pediatric), 300 primary, specialty and urgent care clinics, and more than 20,000 plus team members throughout Washington. Tim oversees a broad portfolio of clinical and support services across the system, including inpatient pharmacy, retail pharmacy, infusion services, laboratory, off campus emergency departments, dialysis, diabetes services, imaging services, respiratory services, information technology, enterprise applications, supply channel and several joint venture relationships. He has a deep, operational view of how complex health systems function under pressure. Tim has served in multiple local and national leadership roles including the Washington State Pharmacy Association, Washington State Pharmacy Commission and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

Tom Miller, MD

Tom Miller, MD is the Interim Chief Medical Officer at Overlake Medical Center. He was previously Medical Director of Quality and Safety starting in 2015. He began his career at Overlake in 1982, practicing emergency medicine until retiring from clinical practice in 2020. He has served as Chair of Overlake’s Peer Review Committee, Hospital Quality Improvement Committee, Ethics Committee, and was Chief of Staff from 2012 through 2014. He is a board member of the Washington Physicians Health Program and Northwest Healthcare Response Network. Tom has lived in the Seattle area since 1977, when he started his residency in internal medicine at the University of Washington. He is board certified in internal medicine and emergency medicine.

Jessica Granger

Jessica is a senior finance leader at EvergreenHealth, where she currently serves as Director of Financial Planning and Operations. In this role, she oversees system-wide financial planning, capital budgeting, and decision support, including management of a $900M annual operating budget and long-range financial forecasting. Her work includes leading a $102M long-term general obligation debt offering and partnering closely with executive leadership and the Board on strategic financial decisions. She’s had progressively senior roles for over a decade with EvergreenHealth, previously serving as Director of Financial Reporting and Controller with responsibility for accounting operations, audits, acquisitions, and financial compliance. Earlier in her career, Granger held progressive audit leadership roles at KPMG over a six-year tenure.

Onora Lien

Onora Lien is CEO of Northwest Healthcare Response Network (the Network) leading its work as a nationally recognized public-private partnership that unites healthcare, public health, emergency management, and community partners through disruption, ensuring a more resilient health ecosystem across Washington State. She has 25 years of experience spanning public health, emergency management, health security and nonprofit leadership, as she stewards a nationally recognized organization that unites healthcare, public health, emergency management, and community partners to build more resilient communities and economies across Washington State. She serves as a strategic advisor and technical expert to regional and national initiatives shaping the future of healthcare system preparedness, disaster resilience, and population health.

Mike Andrews

Mike Andrews, MBA, serves as Executive Director of Edmonds Landing Retirement Community, bringing more than 20 years of executive leadership in emergency medical services and healthcare operations. He previously served as Regional Director for American Medical Response in Western Washington and held senior leadership roles with Rural/Metro Ambulance across the Pacific Northwest region, overseeing multi-state P&L management, strategic planning, budgeting, and operational excellence. A Certified Ambulance Service Manager (ASM) and Paramedic, Mike also completed Seattle University’s Executive Leadership Program. He is recognized for team building, labor relations expertise, and cross-sector collaboration with fire, hospital, and EMS partners, earning honors including the Red Cross Medical Hero Award and the Rural/Metro President’s Award for Leadership.

Kurt Hardin

Kurt Hardin is the former Director of Emergency Services and Director of Public Health for Thurston County. Now retired, Hardin’s tenure includes over 20 years with the State of Washington Emergency Management, working in disaster response and recovery. His leadership roles include serving for a decade as the Governor’s Authorized Representative and State Coordinating Officer for disaster recovery. His comprehensive training includes completion of his Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) course and subsequent certification as an EMS First Responder. Hardin was appointed to serve in an elite national group of 100 individuals appointed as Army Reserve Ambassadors and currently serves as a member of the Thurston County Salary Commission. He is an advocate that Emergency Services plays a critical role in the county and across the state, supporting strong, effective programs using evidence based and data driven information to establish a vision and make decisions that provide results.

Jessica Jeavons, JD, MA

Jessica Jeavons, MA, JD, is the Director of Policy and Strategy at Public Health – Seattle & King County. She leads development of a unified, equity-centered policy infrastructure and strategic priorities. Her tenure includes serving as the COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Lead at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, guiding equitable vaccine rollout strategy and advising senior leadership. Within the same department, she served as Director of Mental Health Policy and Planning. A public health policy and advocacy leader, Jessica brings deep expertise in health equity, legislative strategy, and systems-level public health transformation.

Patrick Keenan

Patrick Keenan is an accomplished consulting executive with more than 20 years of experience leading complex business and technology transformations. He brings a strong track record of driving operational and digital change, guiding organizations through large-scale transformation initiatives, and delivering measurable results for clients. Keenan is a trusted advisor and mentor, developing diverse, high-performing teams and cultivating the next generation of leaders. Passionate about advancing cross-sector collaboration to build more resilient communities, his industry experience spans healthcare and life sciences, where he has held strategic leadership roles focused on innovation, performance, and growth.

Joseph “Joey” Rodriguez

Joseph “Joey” Rodrigues is Executive Director of Olympic Ambulance, with leadership experience in both EMS and mobile healthcare services. As executive director, he provides strategic leadership to a diverse portfolio of emergency, critical care, and mobile health services — with a strong focus on system access, sustainability, and equity. Beyond his direct role with Olympic Ambulance, Joey serves in several key statewide leadership roles, including Vice Chair of the Washington State EMS & Trauma System Steering Committee. His work is dedicated to advancing innovative care and transportation models that reduce system strain in urban areas, expand access for rural and remote communities, and bring care directly to patients.

Atousa Salehi, MD, MBA, FACEP

Atousa Salehi, MD is a physician executive with experience leading large-scale public health and healthcare systems across clinical, digital, and governmental settings. She most recently served as Chief Science Officer at the Washington State Department of Health (WA-DOH), overseeing disease control, environmental public health, and statewide One Health programs, with responsibility for scientific strategy, data governance, and system resilience across a $675M portfolio. Her tenure includes selection as the inaugural Chief of Global and One Health at WA-DOH, advancing policy and partnerships at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health. A board-certified emergency physician, Dr. Salehi brings over two decades of frontline clinical experience to health system preparedness and response.

Erin Wooley, MSN, RN

Erin Wooley, RN, MSN, CENP, RHCNOC, serves the Goldendale and broader Klickitat community as Chief Clinical Officer at Klickitat Valley Health (KVH). The KVH campus includes Klickitat Valley Hospital – a critical access hospital, KVH Family Medicine, and Hospice and Palliative Care. Wooley leads clinical operations, quality, and strategic initiatives. She has nearly two decades of nursing experience, with over 10 years in advancing leadership roles across both large tertiary care systems and rural critical access hospitals. Much of her career has been dedicated to serving rural communities and strengthening access to safe, high-quality care. Erin brings a practical, patient-centered approach to leadership grounded in frontline experience and a deep commitment to rural healthcare.

David Selander, MD, MBA

David Selander, MD, MBA, currently serves in dual roles for Providence Swedish as their Executive Medical Director of Acute Care and Emergency Medicine, and Medical Director of the Staffing, Transfer, and Operations Center. Dr. Selander is an emergency physician by training. His tenure includes almost 16 years with Providence Swedish, which began with his working in their Cherry Hill Emergency Department. Through his career, his leadership positions include Medical Director of the Cherry Hill and First Hill Emergency Departments and Chief of Emergency Medicine. Heralding from Oregon, David’s career has been fostered from experiences in multiple communities including medical school at the University of Rochester, in NY, and residency at Cook County Hospital, in Chicago. He completed his MBA at Seattle University.