I wanted to become a doctor for as long as I can remember. I think I first said it when I was 3 years old. In medical school, pediatrics just felt right, and my favorite rotation was emergency medicine. I loved the pace, the diversity and the fact that patients came in with a variety of immediate concerns that I got to diagnose and address. Pediatric emergency medicine is perfect for people like me, who enjoy working with several irons in the fire.
My first love is and always has been clinical care. I love taking care of patients. As an emergency medicine doctor, I provide care to patients and their families when they need it most. I try to determine exactly what brings people to the emergency department (ED), and then I address their specific concerns. I love being able to diagnose and treat patients, and sometimes I even get to save a life. Every time I am in the emergency department, I learn something new, even though I’ve been a doctor for more than 25 years. That keeps me humble.
Though I most enjoy caring for patients, I also work in advocacy, education and research related to pediatric emergency medicine. My research, education, and advocacy work focus on injury prevention. Injuries are the No. 1 killer of children age 1 year and older, and most injuries are preventable. I provide community-based interventions and education addressing poison prevention as well as child safety in automobiles, at home and on the playground. I also study concussions, falls and disparities in injuries.
I am honored to have received several awards. In 2018, the Injury Free Coalition for Kids, a national injury prevention organization, named me Principal Investigator of the Year. In 2012, I received the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Community Advocacy Award for my work to prevent childhood injuries.
In my free time, I love to travel. A few favorite and out-of-the-way places I’ve visited include Krakow, Poland; Nagano, Japan; Papua New Guinea; and Tikehau, French Polynesia. Locally, my family and I have walked all 78 miles of trails in the Hamilton County Parks.
BA: Biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 1988.
MD: University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas, 1992.
Residency: Pediatrics, Children's Medical Center of Dallas, Dallas, Texas, 1995.
Fellowship: Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 1998.
Certification: Pediatrics, 1995; Pediatric Emergency Medicine, 1998.
MS: Epidemiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 1998.
Pediatric emergency medicine
Injury Prevention, Emergency Medicine
Comprehensive Children's Injury Center; Injury Free Coalition for Kids
Emergency Medicine
Pediatric firearm injuries and socioeconomic vulnerability before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2025; 88:84-90.
Emergency Medical Services and Police Utilization for Pediatric Mental and Behavioral Health Concerns Within a Large Hospital System. Pediatric Emergency Care. 2025; 41:104-108.
Prehospital Restraint Use in Pediatric Patients With Mental and Behavioral Health Emergencies. Pediatric Emergency Care. 2025; 41:30-36.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Patterns of Fractures Presenting to Pediatric Emergency Departments. Pediatric Emergency Care. 2025; 41:17-23.
Impact of cable lock distribution on firearm securement after emergent mental health evaluation: a randomized controlled trial. Injury Epidemiology. 2024; 11:63.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric dog bite injuries. Injury Epidemiology. 2024; 11:55.
Emergency Department Pediatric Mental and Behavioral Health Patients Transported by Emergency Medical Services and Police: Trends and Interventions. Academic Pediatrics. 2024; 24:1001-1009.
Pediatric Injury Trends in Rhode Island During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Rhode Island medical journal (2013). 2024; 107:23-28.
A renewed focus on pediatric injury prevention. Pediatric Research. 2024; 95:7-8.
A multicenter evaluation of pediatric emergency department injury visits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Injury Epidemiology. 2023; 10:66.
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