Spine COAP is a program of the Foundation for Health Care Quality (FHCQ).  FHCQ provides the corporate structure to support Spine COAP’s operating needs, e.g., the responsibility to enter into contracts for data management/security services and the provision of technical and administrative support.  FHCQ also provides the requisite stewardship over data and ensures confidentiality.  The FHCQ Board of Trustees is ultimately responsible for the Spine COAP Program.  The FHCQ Board of Trustees delegates control to the Spine COAP Management Committee over the rules of operation and program activities.  The general powers of the Management Committee include policy-making and operational oversight.

Nicholas J. Kassebaum, MD

Surgical COAP & Spine COAP Medical Director

Dr. Nicholas J. Kassebaum is known to many in anesthesiology and health care data; he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine and also Adjunct Associate Professor of Health Metrics Sciences and Global Health at the University of Washington where he leads a research team at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. He completed undergraduate studies at Macalester College, medical school at Vanderbilt University, and came to Seattle where he completed an anesthesiology residency at the University of Washington School of Medicine and a pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Seattle Children’s Hospital. He practices anesthesia clinically at Harborview Medical Center as part of a dedicated group of perioperative professionals.

Jean-Christophe A. Leveque, MD, FACS

Spine COAP Management Committee Chair

Dr. JC Leveque is a neurosurgeon at Virginia Mason Medical Center, part of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. Dr. Leveque specializes in complex spinal surgery, pituitary tumors, peripheral nerve surgery and minimally invasive spine surgery. He currently serves as the Head of Neurosurgery at Virginia Mason Medical Center, and has served in the past on numerous regional and national committees focusing on the treatment of patients with primarily spine-related neurological disorders. He has an extensive publication history and has active research interests in the treatment of lumbar spine disorders, understanding risk as it relates to surgical decision-making, and developing newer minimally invasive surgical techniques.

Vickie Kolios-Morris, MSHSA CPHQ

Senior Program Director, SCOAP & Spine COAP

Vickie is currently the Senior Program Director for the Foundation for Health Care Quality, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a trusted, independent, third party resource to all participants in the health care community – including patients, providers, payers, employers, government agencies, and public health professionals.  She is responsible for the Surgical Care and Outcomes Assessment Program (Surgical COAP) and the Spine Care Outcomes Assessment Program (Spine COAP), programs that specifically deal with variability, outcomes and quality in surgical services for varied procedures.  Vickie holds a Master of Science in Health Services Administration and obtained her Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) credential in 2007.  She has been active in varied quality entities—WSAHQ, NAHQ and OrAHQ; Vickie is particularly excited to serve as the Oregon Association for Healthcare Quality’s President through 2024.  When not working or volunteering professionally, Vickie enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and reading.