Description of Clinical Expertise

I am the Director of Clinical Practice Guidelines and Pathway Development for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. My expertise lies in developing consensus among the varying units based on evidence and expert based opinion. I work with the Division to create clinical pathways that help guide practice throughout the CHOP Network. I manage multiple groups in the development, presentation and implementation of consensus topics using the modified Delphi Method. I work with divergent groups and have brought together multidisciplinary teams. Most recently, I have led work in completing the Neonatal Abstinence Pathway, the first in the country to develop a pathway approach to the Eat, Sleep, Console method of treatment for neonatal abstinence. I am finalizing our nutritional approach to the very preterm neonate, which included a group of neonatologists, dietitians, lactation specialist, neonatal nurse practitioners and fellows across all 18 hospitals in our Division; this group of more than 35 participants has created a unified approach including a massive rebuilding of our feeding advance. I am also working with our Division Chair, Medical Director of Endocrinology and Pathways team to revamp our approach to Newborn Hypoglycemia, developing a pathway which should fall in line with potential new AAP Guidelines. I continue to work to unify people from all the different units in the Division of Neonatology. These endeavors are in line with consistency of practice, an important driver of my clinical and academic career.

Description of Research Expertise

Along with CHOP Main, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Hospital, I am the site Primary Investigator for the Neonatal Research Network part of the Eunice Kennedy National Child Health and Human Development. In this position, I supervise two research coordinators in running multiple randomized clinical trials in our unit. These endeavors have included the Darbepoetin Trial, MocHA Trial, the PDA trial, Cycled Phototherapy Trial and the BIB Trial..