Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Pediatric hematology / oncology; palliative and hospice care; pain and symptom management in children with life-threatening chronic illnesses; end of life care

Biography

Suzanne Black began her career as a staff nurse in adult oncology and later in a medical / surgical adult Intensive Care Unit / ICU setting before receiving her Master of Science in nursing from Yale University as a family nurse practitioner.

In 1990, Suzanne joined Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in the Hematology / Oncology Division as a nurse practitioner.

Suzanne remained with Hematology / Oncology until 2003, when she joined the Department of Anesthesia, fulfilling the role of family nurse practitioner in the Same Day Surgery setting.

Suzanne also served as a family nurse practitioner for the Division of Pain Management, participating in the clinical care of patients with acute and chronic pain.

In January of 2006, Suzanne transitioned her role in the Division of Pain Management to help develop and fill the position of family nurse practitioner for the Pediatric Palliative and Comfort Care Team / PACT at Cincinnati Children's.

BSN: Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 1980.

MSN: Family Nurse Practitioner, Yale University School of Nursing, New Haven, CT, 1988.

Certification: Certified Family Nurse Practitioner; Certificate to Prescribe and Certificate of Authority through the Ohio Board of Nursing; Credentialed Allied Health Professional through the Medical Staff Office at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Pediatric Advanced Life Support certified through the American Heart Association.

DonnaMaria E. Cortezzo, MD Attending Neonatologist, Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology 513-803-4232 donnamaria.cortezzo@cchmc.org

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DonnaMaria E. Cortezzo, MD

Attending Neonatologist, Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology

Attending Palliative Care, Pain Management
Member, Perinatal Institute
Member, Palliative Care

Academic Affiliations

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

UC Department of Anesthesiology

Phone 513-803-4232

Email donnamaria.cortezzo@cchmc.org

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Clinical & Research Interests

Clinical

Neonatology; perinatal palliative care; neonatal palliative care; neonatal pain management; congenital anomalies

Research

Neonatal pain management; neonatal palliative care; perinatal palliative care

Biography

DonnaMaria Cortezzo, MD, is a neonatologist and pediatric palliative care provider. She has a specific interest in the assessment and management of pain and sedation in the neonatal period. She also has a specialized interest in neonatal/perinatal palliative care. This has led her work with multiple divisions within the hospital to improve the experience of and care provided to families with a pregnancy complicated by a life-limiting diagnosis.

Dr. Cortezzo is a practicing neonatologist who attends at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center NICU and St. Elizabeth’s NICU. She is also part of the Fetal Care Center and consults on women who present to the center for evaluation. She is also a pediatric palliative care provider at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and a provider for Starshine, the hospital’s home hospice and palliative care program.

MD: University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, 2008.

Residency: Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, 2011.

Fellowship: Neonatology, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, 2014.

Fellowship: Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 2015.

Certifications: Pediatrics, 2011; Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, 2016; Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2015.

Publications

View PubMed Publications

Cortezzo DE, Carter B. Avery’s Disease of the Newborn. In Palliative Care (10th edition). Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA. 2016.

Cortezzo DE, Sanders MR, Brownell E, Moss K. End-of-Life Care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Experiences of Staff and Parents. Am J Perinatol. 2015 Jul;32(8):713-24.

Cortezzo, DE, Sanders, MR, Brownell, E, Moss K. Neonatologists’ Perspectives of Palliative and End-of-Life Care Neonatal Intensive Care Units. J Perinatol. 2013 Sept;33(9):731-5.

Black EP, Wei J, Atluri S, Cortezzo DE, Koziol-Dube K, Hoover DG, Setlow P. Analysis of factors influencing the rate of germination of spores of Bacillus subtilis by very high pressure. J Appl Microbiol. 2007 Jan;102(1):65-76.

Atluri S, Ragkousi K, Cortezzo DE, Setlow P. Cooperativity between different nutrient receptors in germination of spores of Bacillus subtilis and reduction of this cooperativity by alterations in the GerB receptor. J Bacteriol. 2006 Jan;188(1):28-36.

Black EP, Koziol-Dube K, Guan D, Wei J, Setlow B, Cortezzo DE, Hoover DG, Setlow P. Factors influencing germination of Bacillus subtilis spores via activation of nutrient receptors by high pressure. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005 Oct;71(10):5879-87.

Cortezzo DE, Setlow P. Analysis of factors that influence the sensitivity of spores of Bacillus subtilis to DNA damaging chemicals. J Appl Microbiol. 2005 Mar;98(3):606-17.

Cortezzo DE, Koziol-Dube K, Setlow B, Setlow P. Treatment with oxidizing agents damages the inner membrane of spores of Bacillus subtilis and sensitizes spores to subsequent stress. J Appl Microbiol. 2004 Oct;97(4):838-52.

Jacobs ME, Cortezzo DE, Klobutcher LA. Assessing the effectiveness of coding and non-coding regions in antisense ribosome inhibition of gene expression in Tetrahymena. J Eukaryot Microbiol. 2004 Sep-Oct;51(5):536-41.

Cortezzo DE, Setlow B, Setlow P. Analysis of the action of compounds that inhibit the germination of spores of Bacillus species. J Appl Microbiol. 2004 Apr;96(4):725-41.

Hilary A. Flint, DO, MEd Pediatrician, Palliative Medicine Specialist, Department of Anesthesia 513-636-5479 hilary.flint@cchmc.org

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Hilary A. Flint, DO, MEd

Pediatrician, Palliative Medicine Specialist, Department of Anesthesia

Academic Affiliation

Assistant Professor

Phone 513-636-5479

Email hilary.flint@cchmc.org

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Palliative medicine; end of life care; care of children with complex medical needs; pain management; director of the Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Program.

Biography

Hilary Flint, DO, MEd, is a board-certified pediatrician who specializes in palliative medicine, pain and symptom management as well as care for medically fragile children. Originally from Mississippi, Dr. Flint completed a pediatric residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center-Blair Batson Children’s Hospital. After developing an interest in pediatric palliative medicine, Dr. Flint pursued a fellowship in hospice and palliative medicine at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Dr. Flint moved to Cincinnati after completing her fellowship and joined the Pediatric Palliative and Comfort Care Team (PACT) at Cincinnati Children’s where she focuses on enhancing the quality of life for children with life-threatening conditions. In keeping with her interest in caring for children with medically complex disease, Dr. Flint also joined the Center for Infants and Children with Special Needs, now the Complex Care Center, where she practices family-centered, comprehensive care.

Dr. Flint is passionate about caring for children who are suffering from complex or life-threatening conditions. She, along with an interdisciplinary team, accomplishes this by assessing and treating the unique physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of patients and families under her care.

DO: Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, 2006.

Residency: University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2009.

Fellowship: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 2010.

Certification: Pediatrics, 2009; Board-eligible-Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2010.

Lori Herbst, MD Attending Physician, Division of Hospital Medicine 513-803-4829 lori.herbst@cchmc.org

Drea Houchen Social Worker, Pediatric Palliative and Comfort Care Team (PACT) 513-636-5479 andrea.houchen@cchmc.org

Lori Ann McKenna, MSN, APRN, CPNP Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Department of Anesthesia 513-636-7768 lori.mckenna@cchmc.org

Mark Meyer, MD Medical Director, Pediatric Palliative and Comfort Care Team 513-636-4408 mark.meyer@cchmc.org

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Mark Meyer, MD

Medical Director, Pediatric Palliative and Comfort Care Team

Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesia

Academic Affiliation

Associate Professor

Phone 513-636-4408

Fax 513-636-2920

Email mark.meyer@cchmc.org

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Clinical & Research Interests

Clinical

Palliative medicine; end of life care; anesthesiology; pain management

Research

Anesthesia; pain management

Biography

Mark Meyer, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist who completed his residency at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio.

Dr. Meyer joined the Department of Anesthesia in 2003 following his Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Dr. Meyer is a staff anesthesiologist, as well as an attending physician in the Division of Pain Management, caring for patients with acute pain. In addition, Dr. Meyer is an attending physician for StarShine Hospice, the pediatric hospice at Cincinnati Children's.

In 2006, Dr. Meyer received his board certification from the American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. He has been an integral part of the development and implementation of the Pediatric Palliative and Comfort Care Team / PACT at Cincinnati Children's.

Dr. Meyer is the PACT consulting physician, partnering with families in order to offer a range of comprehensive, family-centered care for children with chronic, complex or life-threatening conditions.

MD: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 1998.

Residency: Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, 2002.

Fellowship: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 2003.

Certification: Anesthesiology, 2004; Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2006.

Krista Nee, MD 513-636-5479 krista.nee@cchmc.org

Kelly Porter, MSN, APRN, CNP Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Palliative and Comfort Care Team (PACT) 513-803-7160 kelly.porter@cchmc.org

Rachel Thienprayoon, MD, MSCS Medical Director, StarShine Hospice 513-827-7954 rachel.thienprayoon@cchmc.org

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Rachel Thienprayoon, MD, MSCS

Medical Director, StarShine Hospice

Attending Physician, Palliative Care Team

Attending Physician, Hemangioma and Vascular Malformation Program

Academic Affiliation

Assistant Professor

UC Department of Pediatrics

Phone 513-827-7954

Email rachel.thienprayoon@cchmc.org

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Pediatric oncology; pediatric hospice and palliative medicine

Biography

Dr. Thienprayoon was a St. Baldrick's Fellows Grant recipient from 2011 to 2013. She was an ASH Clinical Research Training Institute participant in 2012. In 2014 she was part of the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence Quality Scholars Program.

BS: Chemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 2003.

MD: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, 2007.

Residency: General Pediatrics, Children's Medical Center Dallas, Dallas, TX, 2010.

Fellowship: Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX, 2013.

Fellowship: Pediatric Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 2014.

Board certification: General Pediatrics, 2012; Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2014; Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, 2015.

Publications

View PubMed Publications

Norbert J. Weidner, MD Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesia 513-636-4408 norbert.weidner@cchmc.org

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Norbert J. Weidner, MD

Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesia

Academic Affiliation

Associate Professor

Phone 513-636-4408

Fax 513-636-2920

Email norbert.weidner@cchmc.org

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Pediatric palliative care; pediatric anesthesia

Biography

Norbert J. Weidner, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician as well as a board-certified anesthesiologist. Following training in pediatrics Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, as well as Dayton Children's Hospital, he pursued a fellowship in pediatric anesthesia/critical care/regional anesthesia in Melbourne, Australia, for one year.

Upon completion of his fellowship in 1988, Dr. Weidner joined the Department of Anesthesia at Cincinnati Children's. In addition to his staff duties as an anesthesiologist, Dr. Weidner was an attending staff in the pediatric intensive care unit for approximately two years.

To incorporate the fellowship training he received in Australia, Dr. Weidner began the pain management group at Cincinnati Children's. He has participated in the pain management group both in the care of acute postoperative pain as well as chronic pain management.

In 2004, Dr. Weidner received board certification with the American Board for Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Dr. Weidner has been affiliated with the hospice service at Cincinnati Children's since its inception and currently serves as StarShine Hospice's medical director.

Dr. Weidner is passionate about partnering with families to offer a range of comprehensive, family-centered care to children with chronic, complex or life-threatening conditions. His vision to address the needs of this patient population resulted in the development of the Pediatric Palliative and Comfort Care Team (PACT) here at Cincinnati Children's. Dr. Weidner serves as the director of this consulting service.

MD: Temple Medical School, Philadelphia, PA, 1975.

Residency: Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 1975-77; Pediatrics, Dayton Children's Hospital, Dayton, OH 1981-82; Anesthesia, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 1985-87.

Fellowship: Pediatric Anesthesia, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, 1988.

Certification: American Board of Anesthesiology, 1983; American Board of Pediatrics, 1989; Diplomat, American Board Medical Acupuncture, 2001; Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 2004.

Publications