The President and Founder of XcellenceFirst, Inc. (XFI), a consulting firm focusing on Nursing Workforce Management, Organizational Development, Strategy, and Operational Improvements. A nurse for over 30 years, Ms. Hammel enjoyed working in Critical Care, Public Health, and Informatics. Ms. Hammel’s long career in consulting involved traversing the United States and Canada, working on various tactical and strategic projects in all types of healthcare environments. In addition to her consulting work, she works for Jefferson University, teaching Population Health Nursing, Informatics, Lean, Project Management, Healthcare Quality & Safety Tools and Methods, and Change Management. She has presented locally and at national events and has authored, co-authored, and been cited in several industry publications. Denise holds a BSN from Thomas Jefferson University, MSN from LaSalle University, and a master’s certificate in Lean/Six Sigma from Villanova University. She is currently working on her doctorate in Organizational Leadership, expected to complete her work this year.