Richard Curtis RN, MS, HACP
Executive Director & CEO
Rick Curtis is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer for CIHQ. Rick is nationally recognized as an expert on accreditation standards and the certification survey process. Prior to forming CIHQ, Rick was the Corporate Director of Licensing & Accreditation for one of the largest health systems in the United States.

Rick's clinical background is in critical care nursing with a focus in cardiovascular service lines. He has held both clinical and executive management level positions in Quality, Risk, Education, Infection Control, and Regulatory Compliance.

Rick is nationally certified in healthcare accreditation, and serves as the Chair of the Board of Examiners for the Healthcare Accreditation Certification Program (HACP). Rick received his Nursing Degree from the University of Hawaii and has a Master of Science Degree in Health Services Administration. Rick is a resident of Round Rock, TX.

Traci Burgkwist, BA, RCP, HACP
Director of Survey Operations
Traci Burgkwist is the Director of Survey Operations for CIHQ. Traci has more than 15 years experience in hospital survey preparation.

Traci's past positions include Chief Quality Officer for a multi-hospital community based health system where she was responsible for accreditation and regulatory compliance. Prior to joining CIHQ, Traci served as the Executive Director of Quality for a large regional medical center, providing executive management oversight in the areas of quality, risk, medical staff credentialing, and patient relations.

Traci received her degree in education from Pima in Tucson Arizona. She is nationally certified in healthcare accreditation, and serves on the Board of Examiners for the Healthcare Accreditation Certification Program. Traci is a resident of McKinney, Texas.

Debra Benson, MA
Program Administrator
Debbie Benson is the Program Administrator for CIHQ. Debbie oversees both front and back office operations for the organization, and administers the Healthcare Accreditation Certification Program (HACP) for regulatory professionals.

Prior to joining CIHQ, Debbie was the executive assistant to the senior management team of a multi-million dollar company.

Debbie received her bachelor degree in business science and her master's degree in organizational behavior from National University.

Debbie is a resident of Santa Maria, CA

Allen Lowe
Director of Information Services
Allen Lowe is the Director of Information Services for CIHQ. Allen is responsible for the overall provision of CIHQ’ web-based services and database management systems.

Allen has over 15 years of progressive experience in information technology. Prior to joining CIHQ, Allen worked as the network site administrator for a national company located in northern CA.

Allen received his degree in information technology from Ohlone College, and is proficient in Linux-based systems and server database construction and maintenance.

Allen is a resident of Tracy, CA

Ben Thurston CHFM, PE
Senior Facilities Specialist
Ben Thurston is the Senior Facilities Specialist for CIHQ. Ben is responsible for the review and interpretation of life safety code and facility management issues.

From 1982 to 2007, he served as a regional manager of facility operations and provided technical support services for a variety of hospitals.

Ben is Registered Professional Engineer in Hawaii and California, a Certified Energy Auditor in the state of California, a Senior Member of the American Society for Healthcare Engineering, and a Certified Healthcare Facility Manager. He is an active member of both the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and the National Fire Protection Association.

Ben resides in San Diego, CA.