Franz Henryk Vergara, PhD, DNP, MAS, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, CCM, ONC, FAAN, is the Senior Director of Nursing Operations and Patient Care Services at MedStar Harbor Hospital, where he oversees Emergency Services, Perioperative Services, Behavioral Health, and Women & Infants Services. He has more than 23 years of nursing experience and over 18 years in progressive leadership and executive roles across acute care and healthcare operations. Dr. Vergara earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, his Master of Applied Science in Population Health Management from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, and both his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees from Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing. His professional interests include nursing operations, healthcare quality, patient experience, workforce engagement, telehealth innovation, and nursing research infrastructure development. He has presented research internationally and nationally on telehealth, orthopaedics, case management, patient outcomes, and nursing leadership innovation. Dr. Vergara is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) and remains actively engaged in national nursing leadership and research initiatives, including the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL).