Mark Swartz, MBA, MT(ASCP) is the Project Manager at pSMILE. He has over 30 years of experience in the Clinical Laboratory with an emphasis in Chemistry. He began his career at pSMILE in 2007 as an International QA/QC Coordinator and moved into a Senior Coordinator position with a focus on Information Technology and programming in 2017. Mark took over as Project Manager in March of 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Mark is a graduate of Michigan State University where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology. He earned his Master's in Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University. He is ASCP registered as a Medical Technologist. Mark has also taken several courses in web and database design and development in HTML, JavaScript and SQL.
Before coming to pSMILE, Mark was Quality Control Lead Technologist for the Core Chemistry Laboratory in Johns Hopkins Hospital. Prior to that Mark worked in the Chemistry Laboratory at Johns Hopkins Hospital and as a generalist in many other areas of the laboratory in large clinical laboratories in Dearborn, Michigan and Orlando, Florida.
Mark has developed Microsoft Excel tools for evaluation of method validation data as well as the Oversight Master List SQL database and internet interface where pSMILE stores contact, Action Plan and EQA order information for the laboratories with which it collaborates. Mark has also been a lead writer at pSMILE and has been responsible for writing deliverable reports as well as assisting with the 2019 Request for Proposal. He has given several presentations on method validation and parallel testing at regional network conferences and during international site visits. Mark enjoys problem solving and always learning something new.
Amy Rada, BS, MLS (ASCP) CM is a Sr. International QA/QC Coordinator at pSMILE. She joined pSMILE in October of 2017. Prior to working at SMILE, Amy worked as a general medical technologist concentrating in Flow Cytometry at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center.
Amy received a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Laboratory Science from Salisbury University. She went on to receive a Master Certificate in Immunodiagnostics/ Flow Cytometry from Michigan State University. Amy is also certified as a Medical Laboratory Scientist by the American Society of Clinical Pathology.
In addition to her duties as a Sr. QA/QC Coordinator, Amy leads and trains new International QA/QC Coordinators. She is an active member of several internal committees including QA, AutoSMILE, Validation, DPS and SOP Management. Amy is also responsible for our collaborative efforts with the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and SmartSpot Quality.
Anne Leach, BS, MT(ASCP) is a Senior International QA/QC Coordinator at pSMILE. She has over 30 years of experience in the Clinical Laboratory with the majority of those years in Chemistry. She began her career at pSMILE in 2007 as an International QA/QC Coordinator and became the manager of the project from 2017-2019. Anne stepped down to a part-time position as a Senior Coordinator following her relocation to North Carolina. Anne is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology, as well as a Certificate in Management Development from the JHU Carey Business School. She is ASCP registered as a Medical Technologist.
Anne’s experience prior to working at pSMILE includes 11 years at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida. She also worked as the QA officer of the Viral Markers Laboratory at the regional testing center of United Blood Services, Blood Systems Laboratories. She has also worked as a generalist at several other metropolitan hospital labs and a large physician office lab.
Anne’s areas of interest at pSMILE have included the development of extensive tools for method validation and work on the AutoSMILE and Oversight Masterlist database projects. Her coursework in the Johns Hopkins University Masters in Education for Health Professions (MEHP) program allowed her to help with the development of a formal curriculum for the internal training of pSMILE coordinators. Anne is also the chair of the Quality Assurance committee and was instrumental in the project that led to pSMILE’s ISO 9001:2015 certification in 2020. Anne also enjoys technical writing and has been a lead writer on the two most recent pSMILE Requests for Proposal as well as pSMILE publications.
Mandana Godard, MBA, MS, MT (ASCP) is a Sr. International QA/QC Coordinator at pSMILE. Prior to joining pSMILE in September 2009, Mandana worked as a lead Medical Technologist in the departments of Hematology and Blood Bank at Quest Diagnostics Inc. for over 10 years.
Mandana completed her Master's in Business Administration with a concentration in management and a Master's Degree in Biotechnology, both from Johns Hopkins University.
Mandana leads the pSMILE internal committee that has oversight of internal SOPs as well as the committee that organizes pSMILE's presence at regional conferences. She is also oversees pSMILE's collaboration with the EQA provider One World Accuracy. Mandana also leads and is an active member of several other committees. Her involvement with Histology and Cytology protocols lead her to co-author the American Journal of Clinical Pathology article, Improving diagnostic capability for HPV disease internationally within the NIH-NIAID-Division of AIDS Clinical Trial Networks. Mandana is leading the project to align SMILE's internal SOPs in compliance with ISO 9001:2015 accreditation. She also enjoys giving presentations and manual cell differential training during site visits.
Christina Sullivan, BS, MLS (ASCP) CM recently joined the pSMILE team as a International QA/QC Coordinator in March 2024. Prior to working at pSMILE, Christina worked at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center as a generalist Medical Technologist for 7 years, then as a Lead Technologist concentrating in Hematology for two years.
Christina received a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Laboratory Science from Stevenson University.
Christina is currently working through her coordinator training at pSMILE, and is interested in learning more about the Resources, SOP, and Publications committees. Christina looks forward to contributing to the team through the knowledge, experience, and expertise in hematology.
Felix Ortiz is a Medical Technologist (MT, ASCP) with over 26 years of experience. He attended the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and a Certificate in Medical Technology. He earned two Masters Degrees, one in Public Health and the other in Adult Learning from Trident University. Felix worked as a laboratory manager for the Department of Pathology in numerous Military Medical Centers in the United States and overseas, ensuring compliance, budget, resources, and coordinating laboratory operations throughout the hospital and satellite organizations.
He is part of the AutoSMILE, Validation and DPS committees and supports pSMILE as a liaison for the College of Pathology (CAP) partnership.
Kelly L. Feehely MS, MT (ASCP) is an International QA/QC Coordinator at pSMILE. She joined pSMILE in April 2020. Prior to coming to pSMILE she worked as a generalist at the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center for over 18 years.
Kelly has been a medical technologist for over 28 years and received her B.S. in Medical Technology from the University of Delaware. She went on to work at Johns Hopkins Hospital core laboratory upon graduation and then later at the Greenspring Station satellite laboratory. At the University of Maryland's St. Joseph Medical Center, she worked in Coagulation, Hematology, Chemistry, and in Point of Care as an assistant coordinator. Kelly was a primary trainer for new employees in the lab and had previously worked on the hospital's Risk Management Team. Kelly has also received her M.S. in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University Maryland and is a Clinical Professional Counselor in the State of Maryland where she continues to maintain a small practice.
Kelly is an active member of the Diversity, Symposium, AutoSMILE, Resources and Validation Committees. She is also the liaison for the EQA provider UKNEQAS and is part of the Internal Training team, assisting with training new pSMILE staff. Kelly has enjoyed being able to travel to the different pSMILE laboratories and values the time working with the management and staff across the globe.
Kristin Murphy, MS, MLS (ASCP)CM joined pSMILE in 2022 as an International QA/QC Coordinator. She completed her undergraduate degree at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and attended the Medical Laboratory Scientist program at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. Kristin was certified as an ASCP Medical Laboratory Scientist in 2013. She then went on to obtain her Masters of Science in Control of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2022.
Prior to joining pSMILE, Kristin worked in the hematology, chemistry, blood bank, and microbiology departments at the laboratories of large hospital systems in Philadelphia and Seattle. She then worked as a laboratory consultant at a malaria research facility in Kampala, Uganda where she coordinated laboratory operations for several research studies. Here, she contributed to several publications focusing on malaria in Ugandan population.
At pSMILE, Kristin is the lead of the SOP Committee, point person for the Document Control system, and co-writer of the Triannual Reports. She is an active member of the Resources, Publications, Validation, and Training Committees, and founder of the Journal Club. She enjoys working closely with laboratories across multiple countries, and providing training during site assistance visits.
Matt Schwartz, BS, M(ASCP)CM joined pSMILE as an International QA/QC Coordinator in early 2022. He attended the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in molecular biology. While attending UMBC, he worked at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) as a microbiology laboratory assistant, which is where his interest in microbiology began. Matt went on to attend University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), acquiring an ASCP certificate in Clinical Microbiology. In the future, he hopes to continue his education and pursue a master’s degree in Health Science with a focus on epidemiology and bioinformatics.
Matt is an expert in the field of Clinical Microbiology and specializes in processing, cultivation, and susceptibility testing of mycobacteria, including tuberculosis. Prior to joining pSMILE, Matt worked as a clinical microbiologist in hospital laboratories at GBMC, Johns Hopkins Bayview, and, most recently, Johns Hopkins Hospital as a Lead Clinical Scientist of the clinical BSL-3 laboratory for a combined experience of 16 years. While working in clinical laboratories, Matt has published several research papers ranging in topics from drug resistant mycobacteria to COVID-19 variant epidemiology.
Currently, Matt is the primary contact for pSMILE’s collaborative efforts with the tuberculosis EQA providers INSTAND and IQLS. He is also an active member of several internal pSMILE committees including AutoSMILE, Continuing Education, Publications, and Validation.
Palak Patel, MBA, MLS (ASCP)cm recently started working as the International QA/QC Coordinator at pSMILE in August 2024.
Palak holds a Bachelor of Medical and Research Technology from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
After completing her bachelor's degree, Palak gained experience in a core laboratory at ChristianaCare Health System in Delaware. She then transitioned to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she served as a Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist specializing in Hematology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Palak contributed to the National Institutes of Health, Infectious Disease lab, offering support to the Clinical Center through her work in COVID-19 serological and molecular testing. Before joining pSMILE, Palak held a position as a Technical Laboratory Specialist at Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center, overseeing the Point-of-Care testing department.
Palak brings 16 years of clinical laboratory experience to pSMILE. Currently, she is undergoing coordinator training and is eager to apply her extensive knowledge and expertise to benefit the team.
Bre’Shey Jones is an Administrative Coordinator at pSMILE. She has been with pSMILE project since November of 2018. Prior to pSMILE, Bre’Shey worked as a Customer Service Representative for Johns Hopkins Healthcare, and a medical record/intake coordinator for a mental health agency.
At pSMILE, Bre’Shey provides a broad range of administrative support to faculty and staff working for pSMILE project. She coordinates and implements standard office services such as purchasing and processing payment requests, records control, and coordinating departmental meetings and training sessions. Her roles also include data entry, monitoring and triaging pSMILE proxy emails, managing and troubleshooting EQA downloading system in collaboration with the pSMILE IT Team.
As an active member of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Committee, Bre’Shey creates and revises SMILE internal SOPs, appendices and resources, including SOPs for using SAP systems and other administrative processes. She is also a member of the Marketing Committee which works to standardize the outward appearance of all pSMILE reports and deliverables.
Edward Millender is a Budget Analyst at pSMILE. He has been with the pSMILE project since October 2021. Edward is a graduate of Robert Morris University where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a major in Accounting.
Edward has more than twenty years of accounting, finance, and budget experience with major medical institutions and universities. This includes JHU School of Public Health and JHU Center for Physics and Astronomy.
At pSMILE, Edward is the primary point of contact and liaison between the SMILE Project Manager, the Pathology Department financial oversight, vendors, Purchasing and Accounts Payable. He is responsible for operational business accounting of the finance and budget processing of expenses, financial reports and financial audit documentation for the SMILE contract.
Greta attended the University of Craiova, Romania, graduating with a Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
She was the webmaster for the Department of Urology at Johns Hopkins for more than 20 years, and developed several web related projects for other departments as well.
Greta joined pSMILE as a Programmer Analyst in February 2022, where she is looking forward to working with a great team.
Roderick Julius has been a Programmer Analyst for the Johns Hopkins Hospital System for the past thirteen years. He was hired as a member of the Pathology Informatics Department where he worked jointly for Pathology Data Systems (PDS) and the JHU-SMILE project from its inception in 2005. Until 2017, the majority of his time at Hopkins was as a shared resource between the two groups where his main area of focus was web development and database development and administration.
While working for PDS Rod collaborated with Hopkins programmers and lab staff to develop multiple web sites. This included the Continuous Quality Improvement Proficiency Testing site, the Faculty and Resident Catalog site, the Johns Hopkins Off-Campus Lab Location site, the first web-based Server Inventory for PDS as well as other web projects. Aside from the web, Rod worked as a member of their Tier one help desk rotation where he fielded department wide requests for assistance. He was also part of a team of analysts that worked on a multi-year project that extracted years of blood product data from five different institutional databases and migrated it into one central repository.
As a member of the JHU-SOM team working on the SMILE project Rod has developed and maintained psmile.org from its initial launch in 2005 until today. During this time, he has been an integral part of all three website redesigns as well as responsible for all other aspects of the site including updating versions of the database, creating and maintaining database maintenance plans, writing code that meets industry standards, increasing efficiency by automating manual processes and expanding its overall scalability.
