Our team

The most important members of your care team are you – the parent – and the caregivers. As a parent, you know your child's needs better than anyone. Your role on the care team is to share information about your child, ask questions and actively learn about the care your child needs.

The trach team members listed below will work with you and the caregivers during your hospital stay and after you go home.

Pulmonologists

A pulmonologist (specializes in care of the lungs) is the doctor directing the medical care once your child goes home. The pulmonologist works closely with other team members and your primary care doctor or pediatrician to assure that your child receives ongoing care.

The pulmonologist will see your child each time you return to Tracheostomy clinic and will determine the plan for your child's future care.

• Jennifer K. Henningfeld, Trach/Vent Medical Director
• Louella B. Amos, MD
• Hari Bandla, MD
• Lauren Castner, DO
• Lynn D'Andrea, MD
• Sara Dawson, MD
• Julie E. Noe, MD
• Daiva E. Parakininkas, MD
• Juan P. Ruiz, MD

ENT (ear, nose, and throat) providers

The ENT doctor (specializes in the care of the airway) is the doctor who performed the surgery to insert your child's tracheostomy.

The ENT doctor works closely with the pulmonologist and the members of the trach team as your child prepares to go home.
The ENT doctor or nurse practitioner will see you as you return to the Tracheostomy clinic to monitor your child's airway and tracheostomy, as well as determine the ongoing plan for your child's future care.

• David J. Beste, MD
• Robert H Chun, MD
• Valerie A. Flanary, MD
• Michael Gorelik, MD
• Kristina L. Keppel, APNP
• Timothy J. Martin, MD
• Michael E. McCormick, MD
• Thomas C. Robey, MD
• Cecille G. Sulman, MD
• Sophie Shay, MD
• Michelle L. Trampe, APNP

Care managers: Clinical nurse specialist (CNS)/nurse clinician (NC)

A clinical nurse specialist (CNS) is a Master's prepared advanced practice nurse whose function is to improve outcomes in patient care. The CNS is a clinical practice expert, an educator, a researcher and a consultant who influences the three spheres of practice: patient care, nursing, and systems.

A nurse clinician is a registered nurse who specializes in managing the care of the child with a trach. The CNS and NC coordinate your teaching prior to initial discharge and monitor your child's plan of care.

Each time you and your child visit the Tracheostomy Home Ventilator Program, the CNS or NC will meet with you to review your plan of care and answer any questions you may have.

The CNS and NC work closely with the other team members to help manage your child's care and support you in transitioning your family and your child from hospital to home.

• Cecilia Lang, APNP program coordinator
• Cindy Griffith, RN

Registered nurse

Your child will be cared for by Registered Nurses in our intensive care units and throughout the hospital who will help provide direct patient care and teaching to you and your child.

Nurses are also involved in your child's care in the outpatient setting in both our Pulmonary and ENT clinics. They will assist you and your child with questions or concerns that arise after you are home through our phone triage nurse call line. These nurses will also visit with you and your child in our outpatient clinic visits and help update your child's history and plan of care.

Trach/vent respiratory care practitioner (RCP) or respiratory therapist (RT)

A trach/vent RCP works with your family as the contact between the Durable Medical Equipoment (DME) provider or home care company and the hospital.

The RCP completes all your equipment teaching, including home suction machine, oxygen set up, humidification system and ventilator.

When you return to the Tracheostomy Clinic, the RCP will meet with you to review your equipment, make adjustments, initiate trials and answer questions.

• Grace Flanagan, RRT
• Holly Jacobson, RRT
• Lisa Molkentine, RRT

Social worker

A social worker is specially trained to provide support, advocacy and to assist patients and families by linking you to community resources.

• Cindy Dunst, MSW
• Robin Kostroski, MSW
• Amanda Schlosser, MSW

Inpatient case manager

Each hospital inpatient unit has an inpatient case manager, or discharge planner, who works with your family to help find home nursing care (private duty nursing, or PDN), and any equipment and supplies that are not managed by the RCP. 

Speech/language pathologist

The speech and language pathologist works with your child to monitor safe and efficient swallowing and facilitate speech and language skills as your child learns to eat and communicate with the trach tube. 

Dietitian

Dietitians make sure your child gets the nutrition and vitamins they need. They help you monitor your child's nutrition and growth as your child grows and re quires more food and calories.