As a pediatric anesthesiologist, I help children and young adults manage pain. I direct the Pain Management Center at Cincinnati Children’s.

An after-hours lecture about pain management in children was instrumental to my career choice. I attended that talk during my third year in medical school. I thought it was the most fascinating thing I had ever heard. That was in 1989 when the specialty was just three years old.

Cincinnati Children’s provides one of the largest pediatric pain research programs in the world. We look at everything from how pain is created and transmitted in the nervous system, to how our rehabilitation program restores kids to functional lives. We see pain as part of a collection of problems and that treatment needs to address pain from many different angles.

My approach to care is all about communication, education and listening. How I interact with patients and families comes down to forming relationships. Medical conversations are human conversations. Too many times, that's forgotten in a system that has become more technologically focused and less interpersonal.

I am immensely proud of the teams I work with. We are like a family. The care we deliver is an extension of the caring, supportive and friendly atmosphere that characterizes the relationships among the staff.

I’m honored that the Pain Management Center was the first pediatric pain program in the country to receive the Clinical Center of Excellence Award from the American Pain Society in 2007. Many of my staff are among Cincinnati Magazine's "Top Doctors," and nominated for several patient care awards. I am happy to receive awards, but more delighted when my team does.

I spend my free time on multiple activities. Many of my patients follow my sock collection, even asking during a visit which socks I am wearing.

Since my children are grown up, my hobbies are reborn. I am an avid photographer. My photos decorate our department, and I donate some to raise money for charity. Music is important to me; I play several instruments and write and record music.

I don't just ask my patients to get fit; I try to model good fitness. I love cycling and will sometimes see staff and patients on the local bike trails. I always wear a helmet when I ride.