Linda Warner is employed by The University of Vermont Children's Hospital
Mary Havens is a Senior Communication Specialist at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Melissa Mock is a Project Senior Specialist at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Beth Williams is employed by Dayton Children’s Hospital.
Kelsey Thome is a Project Specialist at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Chris Keck is a Senior Specialist at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Julie Massie is a Senior Quality Improvement Specialist at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Kate Harrow is a Project Manager at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Mary Bauer is a Quality Improvement Specialist at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Sydney Bogardus is a Project Specialist at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Kim Shelly is employed by Riley Hospital for Children.
Christy Lewis is a Quality Improvement Specialist at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Emily Chesnut is a Project Manager in the Biomedical Informatics Divison of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Melanie Miner is a Senior Data Analyst at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Catherine Fazio is a Program Coordinator at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Lauren McClain is a Project Specialist at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Toni Duganiero is an Analyst II at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Rachel Staley is a Project Specialist at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Tania Moon, a parent of an adolescent diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 9, lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband and two sons. She volunteers her time as head of the Parent Working Group of ImproveCareNow and as a parent partner at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where she has worked to create a successful IBD mentoring program. She is also very active in the IBD community and helped establish Empowered by Kids. Tania and her family raise awareness about IBD and encourage patients and parents to share their stories and become advocates in their own care; they also raise funds that support research for a cure. Tania and her family have traveled to Washington, D.C. twice to meet with legislators as advocates for IBD. Tania currently works for a pharmaceutical company helping people with Type 2 Diabetes.
Kirk W. Walters is Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of People’s United Bank and is a member of its Board of Directors. Prior to joining People’s United, Walters held a series of senior executive positions at the following institutions: Santander Holdings, USA, Inc. (the parent company of Sovereign Bank); Chittenden Corporation, Northeast Federal Corporation; CalFed, Inc.; and Atlantic Richfield Corp (ARCO). Walters is a CPA and began his career as an auditor and Coopers & Lybrand in Los Angeles, CA and earned his undergraduate degree in Accounting from the University of Southern California.
Walters is a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight, a national program that provides transportation for patients (particularly children) requiring care that is not available locally to them. He is also a volunteer pilot for Pilots N Paws, a national organization that arranges rescue flights with the mission of “saving the lives of innocent animals.” He and his wife Loretta are the founders of Lacey’s Fund, which provides medical care for retired police dogs in Vermont. Kirk is also an Eagle Scout and has served in various capacities in the Boy Scouts of America organization. Kirk and Loretta have a son and a daughter, both in college.
Peter Margolis, MD, PhD is the Co-Director of the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Margolis’ work encompasses the application and study of quality improvement methods in a broad range of areas including primary and sub-specialty care, communities and public health settings to improve the health outcomes of children, families and communities. In 2006, he joined Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to create a new center focused on Health Care Quality. Dr. Margolis has worked extensively with the certifying Boards and Specialty Societies to assist them in designing programs that will enable physicians to meet new Maintenance of Certification requirements focused on systems thinking and performance in practice. He is principle investigator of an NIH Roadmap transformative research grant on redesigning systems for chronic illness care, as well as grants from the Agency For Healthcare Research and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute aimed at developing learning health systems and transforming the infrastructure for research in the US. He currently serves as the Chair of the PCORNet Steering Committee.
Howard Baron, MD is a pediatric gastroenterologist in private practice in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he has lived since 1993. Dr. Baron completed his undergraduate medical school, pediatric residency and chief residency at the University of Minnesota, and fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology at UCLA. Dr. Baron holds a faculty appointment as associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Nevada, School of Medicine and adjunct clinical faculty at Touro University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Henderson, Nevada. He has held many positions on the medical executive committee at Sunrise Hospital and Sunrise Children’s Hospital, including currently member-at-large, and is past-president of the Clark County Medical Society. In addition to being the practice manager for his three-physician group, Dr. Baron has extensive fundraising experience for non-profit organizations. He is author or co-author of over 30 published manuscripts and textbook chapters, and has been a Principal Investigator in several clinical trials.
John A. Barnard, MD, is chief of Pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, president of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s and holds the Ann I. Wolfe Endowed Chair in Pediatric Research Leadership. He is chair of the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, where he is a professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. He is also a practicing gastroenterologist in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Nationwide Children's. An accomplished physician-scientist, he has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, reviews and book chapters and garnered NIH support for more than 2 decades.
As president of The Research Institute, Dr. Barnard is responsible for strategic direction, administration, recruiting, resource allocation and infrastructure design in support of all research activities at Nationwide Children's. The Research Institute is one of the fastest growing pediatric research institutions in the United States and has consistently ranked among the top ten free- standing children’s hospitals based on National Institutes of Health funding. In 2015, The Research Institute received more than $90 million in external awards.
As chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Ohio State, he offers counsel, mentorship and oversight for clinical and academic activities of the more than 500 full-time faculty members. He also oversees the education of more than 300 medical students, pediatric residents and fellows training at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Barnard received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi and was an intern and resident at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where he also completed a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition. He was a faculty member at Vanderbilt for 11 years, including 5 years as Director of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology. He has been named among the Best Doctors in America for the past decade and has served as a past president of the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN). He is currently a member of Ohio’s Third Frontier Commission, chair of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association Research Collaborative Task Force, past-resident of the NASPGHAN Foundation, and chair of the American Board of Pediatrics Subboard on Pediatric Gastroenterology.
After graduating from Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Dr. Cohen completed pediatric residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and then spent 3 years in the Public Health Service before going to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as a fellow in Gastroenterology in 1983. He joined the faculty there in 1986 and subsequently served as Fellowship Director, Division Director in Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and Vice Chair of Pediatrics for Clinical Affairs. In 2014, he was appointed Chair of Pediatrics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Physician in Chief of Children’s of Alabama. He has held a number of professional leadership positions, including President of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) and chair of the Section of Growth, Development and Nutrition of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Section on Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and of the Executive Committee of the Alabama Chapter of the AAP. He chairs the US News and World Report Working Group on GI and GI Surgery and is on the Education and New Chairs Committees of the Association of Medical School Department Chairs (AMSPDC). His research focused on E. coli diarrhea and vaccines for diarrheal disease and he led the first NIH Digestive Disease Research Center awarded to study pediatric digestive diseases. He also led an NIH supported T32 Fellowship Training Program in Pediatric Gastroenterology and has mentored over 47 individuals who are now established faculty members throughout the United States and abroad. He is a member of the Association of American Physicians, the American Pediatric Society and he received the 2013 Shwachman Award from NASPGHAN. Mitch is married to Morissa Ladinsky, MD, and has three adult children and two step children.
Missy Ketchum is a parent of a son diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 16. Missy has more than 20 years of experience in development and marketing for non-profit organizations. She is the Director of Institutional Advancement for Episcopal School of Jacksonville (FL) and manages a team dedicated to fund-raising, alumni relations, special events, data, communications and marketing. She has presented at regional and national conferences on fund-raising and technology. As a freelance writer, she has published articles in local, regional, and national media. Missy has served on the boards of several local charitable organizations. She has B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from Vanderbilt University and the University of North Florida.
Catalina is a Robertson Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who will be graduated in May of 2019 with a BA in Political Science and minors in Chemistry and Medicine, Literature and Culture. She has had Crohn’s Disease since the age of 10, is the current Co-Chair of the Patient Advisory Council of ImproveCareNow, and has served on the Research Committee as well as on other study teams within the network. She is interested in the patient-physician relationship as well as culturally-driven care and health policy. Catalina hopes to attend medical school beginning in August of 2020, and combine her background in politics with experiences as a physician and a patient to champion for more well-rounded care and health care reform for pediatric populations.
Melissa Mock is a Senior Specialist at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
New Hampshire Hospital for Children
Levine Children's Hospital
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters
Levine Children’s Hospital
Julie Massie is a Senior Quality Improvement Specialist at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Children's Hospital of Atlanta
Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center
University of Michigan - C.S. Mott Children's Hospital
Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
Lauren McClain is a Project Specialist at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, St. Louis University
Nanhua Zhang is an Associate Professor in the Division of Biostatistics & Epidemilogy at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Peter Margolis, MD, PhD is the Co-Director of the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Margolis’ work encompasses the application and study of quality improvement methods in a broad range of areas including primary and sub-specialty care, communities and public health settings to improve the health outcomes of children, families and communities. In 2006, he joined Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to create a new center focused on Health Care Quality. Peter has worked extensively with the certifying Boards and Specialty Societies to assist them in designing programs that will enable physicians to meet new Maintenance of Certification requirements focused on systems thinking and performance in practice. He is principle investigator of an NIH Roadmap transformative research grant on redesigning systems for chronic illness care, as well as grants from the Agency For Healthcare Research and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute aimed at developing learning health systems and transforming the infrastructure for research in the US. He currently serves as the Chair of the PCORNet Steering Committee.
Shehzad Saeed, MD, FAAP, AGAF completed his medical school education at Dow Medical College in Pakistan. He then completed his pediatric residency at the University of Chicago and his fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition at The Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts University, Boston. He has served in various leadership roles like fellowship director, division and clinical director previously. He currently serves as Associate Chief Medical Officer of Dayton Children’s, the Chief Medical Officer of their Clinically Integrated Network, and as the Physician Lead for Patient and Family Experience. Dr. Saeed’s focus is improving the care and quality of life of children with IBD, ensuring that they grow up to reach their full potential. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters. Shehzad also enjoys traveling, reading, and volunteering with fellow medical school alumni, professional organizations, and community partners.
Before taking the Executive Director position, Kristin Howe, CD, MHA was a Program Director at the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center where she was dedicated to advancing the quality and experience of healthcare through optimization of innovative care models. Dr. Howe believes that strong relationships between patients, providers and executive and clinical leadership will drive meaningful change in healthcare.
Prior to joining Cincinnati Children’s, she helped to launch China Primary Care Ltd. (CPC) in Shanghai, China. During her time with CPC, she led the build out of company operations and established relationships with major medical centers across the US in support of their international medical travel business. While in China, Kristin was also appointed as a special advisor for international affairs at Jiao Tong University where she helped to develop international collegiate collaborations and joint course programming.
Kristin began her career in rehabilitative medicine where she practiced as Chiropractor and an acupuncturist. Kristin holds a Doctorate in Chiropractic from New York Chiropractic College and a master’s in Healthcare Administration from the University of Southern California. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and two children, Hazel and Atticus.
Contact the Parent Working Group
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