Leadership and Advisory Committee

WELI Leadership

Nina Deutsch, MD
Co-Chair
Dr. Nina Deutsch is Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Director of Cardiac Anesthesiology at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC. She also serves as Vice-Chief of Academic Affairs for the Division of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine. She has been successful in both clinical and education-based research throughout her career. In addition to this, she greatly enjoys working with and mentoring junior faculty in both research and educational projects, and she has implemented a faculty development program within her division. Nationally, Dr. Deutsch is the current President Elect of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia. Involved with WELI since its inception as Co-Chair, she has watched WELI grow into a thriving community for women in pediatric anesthesiology and is dedicated to expanding its resources and endeavors in the future. She is married to her husband Andrew and has two children, Alex and Olivia.

Jamie M. Schwartz, MD
Co-Chair
Dr. McElrath Schwartz is Co-Chair of WELI and an Assistant Professor in the Johns Hopkins Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine. Her clinical practice includes both pediatric critical care and anesthesia, with emphasis on patients with cardiac disease. She is a program builder who values people and teamwork. In her role as Division Chief of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine and Director of the Pediatric Critical Care Unit, she works with a large team of faculty and staff to develop and maintain the system required to care for children with critical illness. She was recently named Co-Director of the Blalock Taussig Thomas Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center at Johns Hopkins where she oversees an interdepartmental system that cares for children with cardiac disease from birth to adulthood. To succeed in these roles, she utilizes an approach that intentionally brings leadership and business principles into the clinical arena. She has benefitted from the trailblazing of great women leaders before her and formal mentorship and business coaching. WELI has provided an avenue for Dr. Schwartz to share her excitement about women’s leadership through program building, coaching, networking and shared growth. WELI also gives her tools to that she uses in her other job, parenting her two children, Taryn, age 14 and Max, age 11.

Jennifer K. Lee, MD
Founder
Dr. Lee is the Founder of WELI and a Professor in the Johns Hopkins Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care medicine, Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology. She is a clinician-scientist who believes mentoring is one of the most important parts of her job. Jenny has had tremendous mentors and coaches in her life, and she hopes that she can similarly help others. Her research is focused on improving neuroprotection after neonatal and pediatric hypoxic brain injury. She conducts translational research on cerebrovascular blood pressure autoregulation, the effects of hypothermia and rewarming, cell death mechanisms, proteostasis, and white matter injury in clinical and laboratory studies. Her research has been funded by the NIH and several foundations, including the American Heart Association, International Anesthesia Research Society, and the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research. Jenny is married to an attorney, and they have two sons.

WELI Advisory Committee

Lynnie Correll, MD
Lynnie Correll is a pediatric anesthesiologist currently practicing at the Golisano Children’s Hospital of the University of Rochester in upstate NY. She completed her MD/PhD at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and her Pediatrics and Anesthesiology residencies at the University of Rochester. She has completed a Pediatric Anesthesiology fellowship at the University of Rochester and a fellowship in Integrative Medicine through the Academy of Integrative Health in Medicine in La Jolla, California.

Lynnie is passionate about caring for children during all phases of the perioperative journey, and for improving the experiences of pediatric patients and their loved ones during this challenging time using mind-body modalities and programs.

Lynnie has been a member of WELI since its inception, and has been the beneficiary of mentorship, sponsorship and friendship from several phenomenal WELI mentors and she is incredibly excited to join the WELI board and work with more fabulous SPA members.

Laura K. Diaz-Berenstain, MD
I have been a pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist since 1989, initially in private practice, followed by academic practice at Texas Children’s Hospital and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. I am currently a member of the Division of Cardiac Anesthesiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and I have just experienced two of the most exciting years of my career! After years of teaching trainees and colleagues how to care for patients with congenital heart disease I thought…Why not write a book about cardiac care OUTSIDE the cardiac OR? No one has done that. And so, as the year ends, I am watching that dream come to life as the chapters flow in and I happily edit. With luck by the end of 2020 there will be a book to hold in my hands: Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia: A Practical Approach. In addition to practicing pediatric cardiac anesthesia, my other major interests are physician wellness and resiliency, and mentoring, particularly for women. Having the opportunity to be part of the Advisory Committee member for the Women’s Empowerment Leadership Initiative (WELI) and watching this amazing endeavor come to life has been invigorating, exciting and a privilege. I have enjoyed learning to add coaching skills to my mentoring. Since I firmly believe that we can benefit from coaching/mentoring at all stages of our career, I jumped at the chance to be both a WELI advisor and protégé this year. My WELI advisor was instrumental in helping me to define my goals and strategize my plan for the year, with the result that I was promoted to Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology in September. We have decided that the first year was such a success that we will continue in a mentor-advisor/protégé relationship for the coming year as well.
Having taught Mind-Body Seminars and created a Wellness Curriculum for our pediatric anesthesia fellows this year I look forward to taking a leadership role in our department in the coming year as we continue to expand our efforts to promote wellness and resiliency. WELI has already provided me with terrific networking opportunities to learn more about wellness initiatives at other institutions, and my next challenge to look forward to will be creating and sustaining a program for our department and institution.

Debra Faulk, MD
I am an associate professor of pediatric anesthesiology and have practiced at Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO) since 2007. My favorite things to do in the operating room are liver transplants and port removals as I see in one the beginning, and in the other the end of two incredible journeys for our patients and families. But, from the beginning, I also wanted to learn about what happens outside the four walls of the operating room.

In 2010, I was elected to the CHCO medical board and in 2016, I was elected to serve as president of the medical staff-a 6-year term that I will finish in 2022. During this time, I have also had the honor of leading sedation as the medical director and chair of the hospital sedation committee, acting as chair of Credentials Committee and the Medical Executive Committee, and sitting on the Hospital’s Board of Directors. I am blessed to work alongside outstanding anesthesia partners, and also contribute to valuable work in our institution with colleagues outside of our specialty. I am equally blessed with a loving and supportive family that has allowed me to pursue my interests and passions. (They are, by far, my greatest life achievement!).

It is my hope to help advance the amazing programs and resources WELI brings to women in anesthesia.

John Fiadjoe, MD
Dr. Fiadjoe is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology & Critical Care at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. He is dedicated to advancing patient care by investing in and developing clinical, research and education teams, mentoring and coaching individuals to be their best possible selves and encouraging and facilitating collaboration and cooperation across diverse institutions to help advance pediatric care.
Dr. Fiadjoe’s leadership values include life-long learning, empathy, and grit. His favorite quote is by the author Simon Sinek “What good is having a belly if there is no fire in it. Wake up, drink your passion, light a match and get to work”

Randall P. Flick, MD, MPH, FAAP
Randall Flick, M.D., M.P.H., is a consultant in the Department of Anesthesiology with a joint appointment in the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. Dr. Flick is Medical Director of the Mayo Clinic Children’s Center and in his role oversees all pediatric activity across the Mayo Clinic Enterprise reporting directly to both the Mayo Clinic Dean for Practice and the CEO. He holds the academic rank of Professor of Anesthesiology and Professor of Pediatrics. Dr. Flick received the R.N. diploma from St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing and the B.A. degree in biology from Moorhead State University. He earned the M.D. degree from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine (AOA) and the M.P.H. degree from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. He is holds board certification in four specialities including pediatrics and pediatric critical care (ABP) as well as anesthesiology and pediatric anesthesiology (ABA). He is past president the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Board of Directors and for the United States Food and Drug Administration,served as Chair of the Advisory Committee on Anesthetics and Analgesic Drug Products and as a member of the Pediatric Advisory Committee. His research interests include outcomes in pediatric anesthesia, neurodevelopment effect of anesthetic exposure. Dr. Flick has an extensive track record of mentorship. Serving as coach and mentor to many anesthesia residents, fellows and junior faculty at Mayo Clinic. In addition he for many years has mentored young members of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia and young anesthesiologists from around the world including Colombia, South Korea and China. Dr. Flick and his wife Loree have three sons Bryant (Sara), Garrett (Tori), Grant (Emily) and a grandson (Owen).

Anita Honkanen, MD
Dr. Anita Honkanen has been at Stanford University since 2003, after spending time in research at the MGH, followed by 4 years in private practice in Florida. As the Chief of Pediatric Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at Stanford for 13 years, she became committed to developing the careers of her division faculty, mentoring several junior faculty members, fellows, medical and undergraduate students. She has also been a member of Stanford School of Medicine’s Peer Supporter network for several years, now known as Physician Resource Network, providing one-on-one support to fellow physicians with a variety of concerns. She has been coaching for WELI since the fall of 2018, and serves on the WELI Advisory Committee. Her other interests include work for the AAP, on the Section for Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, MOCA simulation training, physician-centered creative writing, music, weight lifting, and biking. She is widowed and the mother of five adult daughters (and two small dogs – adopted!).

Scott Markowitz, MD
Scott Markowitz, MD, is a pediatric anesthesiologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado and an associate professor of anesthesiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Markowitz has dedicated his academic time extensively to faculty development, working as the director of faculty development in his department, and as an executive leadership advisor, a leadership consultant for teams, and faculty in the Leadership for Innovative Team Science (LITeS) program on the medical campus of the University of Colorado. Dr. Markowitz represents the University of Colorado School of Medicine in the Council of Faculty and Academic Societies (CFAS) of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). He also collaborates on faculty development and faculty diversity projects with the Dean’s Office in Faculty Affairs. Dr. Markowitz earned his coaching credential from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University because of the growing evidence of benefit from and desire for coaching among healthcare faculty. Dr. Markowitz is also a Gallup-trained Cliftonstrengths Coach and is certified in assessments relevant to leadership development for faculty in healthcare.

Viviane Nasr, MD, MPH, FASA
Dr. Viviane Nasr is a Senior Associate in Cardiac Anesthesia at Boston Children’s Hospital and an Associate Professor of Anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School. She graduated from medical school at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. She then completed an anesthesia residency at the American University of Beirut and Tufts Medical Center in Boston, a pediatric anesthesia fellowship at Children’s National Medical Center and a pediatric cardiac anesthesiology fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Her work is mostly related to patients with congenital heart disease and the risk assessment of pediatric cardiac patients undergoing noncardiac procedures. She has written more than 90 publications, textbook chapters and a handbook on pediatric cardiac anesthesia. She is the Director of Faculty Development at the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Nasr led the effort to establish Milestones for the Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia Fellowship and subsequently led the effort to achieve ACGME accreditation status for the Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia Fellowship.

In addition to her active academic career, she is the Secretary Treasurer of the Congenital Cardiac. Anesthesia Society (CCAS) and a member of the CCAS Executive Committee.

Larry Schwartz, MD
Dr. Larry Schwartz, MD received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and completed residency and fellowship training in Pediatrics, Anesthesiology, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, and Pediatric Anesthesiology. He has served as medical director of the cardiothoracic ICU at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and as the Director of Education at both NCH and Children’s Hospital Colorado. He currently practices as a pediatric congenital cardiac anesthesiologist in Colorado, where he continues to serve at the Program Director for the 2nd Year Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia Fellowship. His clinical and academic interests lay in pediatric cardiac anesthesia and critical care, education, and professional development of trainees and young faculty. Dr Schwartz serves on the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Board of Directors, and sees WELI as a valuable tool to both assist women in pediatric anesthesiology advance their careers, and also improve the culture within medicine regarding gender equity. This will lead to a more successful and innovative field, and ultimately improve care for children.

Chinwe Unegbu, MD
Chinwe Unegbu is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Anesthesiology, Pain, and Perioperative Medicine at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC. Her clinical practice is overwhelmingly centered on caring for children with congenital heart disease both for cardiac and noncardiac surgical procedures. She also has an adjunct appointment as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

She completed her undergraduate education at Cornell University and did her medical school training at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. She remained at Johns Hopkins Hospital for her residency training in anesthesiology as well as her fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology and advanced fellowship in pediatric cardiovascular anesthesiology.

After being on staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital for several years, she moved over to Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC and has remained on staff there as a congenital cardiac anesthesiologist. At Children’s National Hospital, she plays a critical role in the perioperative coordination of care for children with congenital heart disease undergoing non cardiac surgical procedures.

She has published institutional data demonstrating the positive impact that this care coordination has had on perioperative outcomes in this unique patient population. Her research interests have been primarily focused on the perioperative outcomes of children with pulmonary hypertension presenting for non-cardiac surgical procedures. Children with pulmonary hypertension pose significant perioperative challenges to the anesthesiologist so risk stratification and mitigation have been of particular interest to her.

In addition to her research interests, she thrives in the clinical setting and enjoys working closely with medical students, residents, and fellows. She currently serves on the CCAS Education Initiatives Committee as a question writer and has been a coach in the CCAS coaching mentoring initiative for advanced congenital cardiac anesthesia fellows.

She has also benefited tremendously from coaching and is an advisee in the SPA Women’s Empowerment and Leadership Initiative (WELI). She is married with three boys is a very active parent and highly involved in her local PTA and District level parent leadership. Her children are her greatest source of joy and represent her greatest accomplishment.

Julie Williamson, MD
I trained in general pediatrics at the University of Maryland, followed by anesthesiology residency and pediatric anesthesiology and critical care fellowships at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. I was a formal mentor to medical students at the Stanford School of Medicine, and have served as the Anesthesiology Program Director at Emory since 2016. The highlight of the position is helping my residents and fellows construct their own goals and career pathways and mentoring them to achieve what they have designed. I enjoy the clinical practice of both anesthesiology and critical care, especially trauma resuscitation and complex airway management. My husband Dan and I have a teenaged son and a tweenaged daughter.

Samuel Yanofsky, MD
Samuel D. Yanofsky serves as Director of Education and Faculty Development in the Department of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). He is a graduate of McGill University, Montréal, Québec (Baccalaureate of Science in Physiology) and St. Louis University Medical School. He completed his residency in Anesthesiology at University of Connecticut Health Center followed by a two-year fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In 2004, Dr. Yanofsky received a Master of Science in Education from the USC Rossier School of Education. He is the Faculty Development Director for Department of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine. His areas of research interests are in assessment and evaluation related to ACGME milestones for Graduate Medical Education as a national collaborative project with the ACGME milestones unit. He teaches leadership and organizational change within the Master of Academic Medicine program at USC Keck School of Medicine. On a national level, he serves as a member of the board of directors of SEA and is a member of the education committee for SEA and SPA. Furthermore, within the SPA organization, he serves on the executive education and ACCME committee. In the past, he has served as President of the PAPDA leading in the development of the first national goals and objectives for all six ACGME competencies for pediatric anesthesiology trainees. In addition, he assisted as a member of the working group for the first design of the ACGME Pediatric Anesthesiology Milestones that were released in July 2015. Finally, he has mentored in establishing and is a member of the new physician well-being SIG. Dr. Yanofsky has provided numerous educational workshops and presentations for his anesthesia colleagues including sessions for SEA, Society of Pediatric Anesthesiology and ACGME including topics on teaching the ACGME competencies, career development and well-being for the academic anesthesiologist.