The Team
Our team members are committed to developing a profession around patient safety and quality improvement in healthcare through education, research, and advocacy on the conditions that promote safe clinical practices and prevent harm to patients. Please note that GHQF is a completely volunteer effort, and that we operate with no foreign or domestic funding.
Core Members
Peter F. Martelli, PhD, MSPH
Peter F. Martelli is Associate Professor of Healthcare Administration in the Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University. His research focuses on system safety and reliability. He holds a PhD from the University of California - Berkeley and was a Fulbright Scholar to Georgia from 2021-23.
Eka Rukhadze, MD, PhD
Eka Rukhadze is co-Head of the Department of Professional Development at Georgian American University, and Head of Quality and Patient Safety Department at Curatio Clinic in Tbilisi. She holds a PhD from David Tvildiani Medical University.
Nino Butskhrikidze, MD
Nino Butskhrikidze is Quality Management Specialist at New Hospitals Ltd. and co-Head of the Department of Professional Development at Georgian American University. In 2008, she led Tbilisi Central University Hospital in the first Georgian effort to formalize quality improvement. She is a co-founder of the Georgian Emergency Medicine Physicians Association.
Eka Cherkezishvili, MD, MPH
Eka Cherkezishvili is BMJ Georgia Implementation Lead and an Invited Lecturer in the Department of Public Health and Health Care Administration at the University of Georgia.
Lela Sturua, MD
Lela Sturua is a consultant and trainer in healthcare quality improvement and patient safety. She is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Healthcare Quality Improvement professional and is ISQua double-certified in External Evaluation Surveying and patient centered care. Lela is an Invited Lecturer at Tbilisi State University and Tbilisi Medical Academy on the subject of healthcare quality improvement and patient safety..
Giorgi Gabisonia, MD
George Gabisonia is Vice President for Educational Programs at Georgian American University.
Natalia Kalandarishvili, MD
Natalia Kalandarishvili is Chief Quality Officer at American Hospital Tbilisi.
Eka Paatashvili, MD, MPA
Eka Paatashvili is Senior Program Officer at the Sabin Vaccine Institute and an Assistant Professor in the School of Medicine at Ilia State University. From 2000-2012, she worked in health policy at the Georgia Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs.
Sophio Beridze, MD
Sophio Beridze is head of the MD program and Professor at Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, and the Rector of Avicenna–Batumi Medical University. As a transplant hepatologist, she was a member of the team that performed the first-ever liver transplantation in Georgia.
Tyler J. Towers, PhD, MHA
Tyler J. Towers is a Professor of Practice with adjunct faculty appointments at the University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA) and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC). He has over twenty years of professional experience working as a healthcare administrator in the United States Navy, holding various leadership positions in organizations across the United States and in Japan. He earned his PhD at the Pennsylvania State University and completed a Fulbright Specialist Project in Georgia in June 2024.
Current and Former Student Members
Shagorika Dé, MD, MHA
Shagorika Dé is a highly motivated and accomplished healthcare professional with a passion for improving patient care and operational efficiency within the healthcare industry. Dé received her M.D in Armenia and recently graduated with a M.H.A specializing in Operations Management from Suffolk University, Boston, she brings a wealth of academic knowledge and practical experience. She possesses a unique blend of clinical expertise and business acumen. Throughout her career she has demonstrated exceptional leadership coupled with extensive experience in hospital and clinical settings, with her deep understanding of socio-economic and socio-cultural nuances related to healthcare she is passionate about improving patient safety standards and process optimization. Dé is deeply committed to professional development and is actively involved in various healthcare organizations. She is well equipped to drive operational excellence and contribute significantly to the long-term success of healthcare both nationally and globally.
Victoria Dobrzycki, MBA
Victoria Dobrzycki is an ambitious healthcare professional who is driven by her passion for healthcare administration and management. With a background in marketing, research, consulting, and process and quality improvement, Victoria is committed to making impactful changes within the healthcare sector. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a major in Health Management and Policy and a minor in Psychology. She recently graduated with her Master of Business Administration from Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School in Boston. Victoria continues to leverage her expertise with hopes of advancing the healthcare industry through the implementation of innovative, sustainable, and equitable strategies.
Sara Euceda Argueta, MHA
Sara Bio
Nicholas Greco, MBA, MS
After graduating from a dual Master's in Biotechnology Program and MBA with a concentration in healthcare management, Nicholas will work to develop mechanisms of coordination in complex healthcare ecosystems, and build an understanding of critical health-related social needs at the community level.
Indra Ponnuswamy, PhD, MS
Indra Bio
Jade Krost, MHA
Jade Bio
Jiaye Shen
Jiaye Bio
Kevin Fischetto
Kevin Bio