Dr. Leticia Acevedo, EdD, MSN, RN,CCRN is a distinguished nursing professional originally from El Salvador and academic leader with a rich background in critical care, nursing education, and organizational leadership.

Originally earning her Associate Degree in Nursing from Nash Community College, Dr. Acevedo continued her education with a BSN from Chamberlain University and an MSN in Nursing Education from Grand Canyon University. She began teaching in hospital settings in 2016, contributing to curriculum development and research initiatives early in her academic journey.

With a passion for clinical excellence, she holds CCRN certification from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and is a certified Basic Life Support (BLS) instructor. Her clinical expertise spans critical care units and step‑down units, where she honed her skills and deepened her commitment to patient care.

In 2019, Dr. Acevedo received a prestigious Nurse Excellence Award recognizing her outstanding contributions to nursing education, community outreach, and education development.

Driven to influence healthcare systems at a strategic level, she earned her Doctor of Education (EdD) in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration from Grand Canyon University. During her doctoral studies, she taught in both clinical and academic settings and furthered her education by beginning work toward a second doctorate in general psychology, focusing on cognition and instruction.

Her dedication extends beyond the classroom: she has participated in medical mission trips to Central America, providing much-needed care and health education in underserved communities.

She joined the faculty at Barton College of Nursing and ECPI as an Assistant Professor of Nursing, where she brings her extensive clinical, leadership, and teaching experience to bear in preparing the next generation of nurses.

Claudia Villalobos, RN, CPC has over 25 years experience in the healthcare setting in various roles. Originally from El Salvador, she began her healthcare career in 2000 in Los Angeles as a Certified Professional Coder focusing in billing and compliance regulations for primary care & surgical specialties. She relocated to North Carolina in 2005 and continued in this role until 2011.

She attended the Presbyterian School of Nursing at Queens University and earned her Associate Degree in Nursing in December 2011, with a special distinction in Nursing Excellence.

Her clinical career began in Med-Surg endocrinology in early 2012 at Presbyterian Medical Center (now known as Novant Health Medical Center). Three months after starting this role, her unit closed and she was assigned a floating role throughout the various Med-Surg specialties. This proved to be a tremendous challenge in her early nursing career but always persevering, she pushed through until a permanent role was offered in the surgical recovery unit. She continued caring for post-surgical patients until the spring of 2014, when she transitioned to the Med-Surg critical care unit at Novant Health Medical Center.

While she enjoyed the fast-paced and challenging work in the critical care setting, a rare opportunity came when she was invited to join the Revenue Integrity team as a Clinical Reimbursement Specialist. The role, created by the newly formed Revenue Integrity team at Novant Health Medical Center, was born out of the adoption of the Epic EMR system; her prior skills in billing compliance coupled with clinical knowledge proved to be an asset to the organization.

In the spring of 2016, she accepted a role with the Chargemaster Revenue Management team at Atrium Health (now known as Advocate Health Atrium) where she has risen to the position of Senior Revenue Management Specialist RN. She earned her Bachelor of Technical Management in Healthcare in 2018 from DeVry University, maintains an active certification as a Certified Professional Coder, and an active certification in Epic Resolute Hospital Billing Charging.

Juliana Baca Roman, BSN, RN, CV-BC is a passionate and accomplished nursing professional originally from Brazil. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Adelphi University in 2015 and began her career in the fast-paced environment of the Emergency Department at Mount Sinai South Nassau, where she completed a competitive ED Residency Program. She continued her work in emergency nursing until the fall of 2020.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Juliana transitioned to Interventional Radiology and later relocated to North Carolina, joining the team at UNC Chapel Hill. There, she steadily climbed the clinical ladder from Clinical Nurse II to Clinical Nurse IV, a role equivalent to Assistant Nurse Manager. Her leadership and dedication have made her a key figure within her organization.

In addition to her clinical responsibilities, Juliana is deeply involved in professional development and shared governance. She currently chairs the Professional Development Council, co-chairs the DAISY Award Committee, and serves as the Imaging’s Magnet Champion for 2024, playing a vital role in promoting nursing excellence and recognition across the organization.

Committed to advancing her leadership in healthcare, Juliana returned to school in the spring of 2025 to pursue a dual Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree at East Carolina University.

Claudia Kitchin, MSN, RN, CRRN is a dedicated nursing educator and clinician serving as a Clinical Instructor in the Baccalaureate Nursing Program at ECU’s College of Nursing. She is originally from Mexico. She holds a Bachelor’s in Nursing from Kaplan University and a Master’s in Nursing Education from UNCW, and began her nursing journey as an LPN at Riverside Health Careers—where she was also a registered Nurse.

Claudia is certified in BLS, ACLS, and rehabilitation nursing (CRRN), and maintains active licensure enabling her to provide high-quality care across clinical settings. She demonstrates impactful leadership in statewide nursing initiatives.

Deeply committed to global health, Claudia co-led a student travel experience to Guatemala, engaging future nurses in culturally immersive clinical care and community outreach.

She also represents ECU on the College’s Global Health Committee (2024–2026), contributing actively to curriculum development and international programming.