Associate Highlight Archives - Nemours Blog

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Associate Highlight

Donate Life Month: Jamaica Pediatric Living Related Donor Liver Transplant Program

Growing up in rural Jamaica, Dr. Judith A. Jones was inspired by the idea of helping others. In a community where the only female healthcare professionals she saw were nurses, her older brother’s encouragement sparked the realization that she, too, could become a doctor. “It reinforces for me to this day how a casual comment can change the trajectory of a child’s life, making things possible that were not previously dreamt of,” says Dr. Jones. “My big brother told me I could be a doctor, and so I did, because it was the way in which I believed I could help people. As a young girl, I had an overwhelming sense that I should help people when I grew up. My parents were incredibly hard-working and were professionals despite coming from humble beginnings. Their example and encouragement also led me to pursue medicine as my life’s work.” Her career led […]

Child Life Month: Julia and the Tiny Tots Program

Amid the beeping machines of the hospital, there exists a beacon of hope and joy in the form of our dedicated Child Life department. Julia Greco has been a Child Life specialist at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware for the past two years. With her warm smile and gentle demeanor, Julia has made it her mission to ensure that even the youngest patients find comfort and happiness during their stay.  “It is so important to us that our patients don’t miss out on childhood experiences,” says Julia. “The child life department at Nemours Children’s Health is dedicated to providing patients and families free services and activities to make their lives as normal as possible despite their situation.” Julia received a bachelor’s degree in human development & family studies from Penn State and furthered her education in child life studies at Missouri State. She was drawn to this career path because of how special and unique […]

Doctors’ Day Spotlight: Mary Bailey Mehta, MD

Dr. Mary Mehta’s journey into the medical profession was inspired by her upbringing on a farm. When she was young, her initial aspirations leaned towards veterinary medicine. However, her focus shifted during high school, leading her towards a career in pediatric medicine ever since. Dr. Mehta has been dedicated to serving the needs of children throughout the Panhandle for 18 years. In 2004, she moved to Pensacola as a pediatric cardiologist for Nemours Children’s Health, where she was named Chief Medical Officer in 2008. “I wanted to move to a community that could offer a more balanced life for my family,” says Dr. Mehta. What drew her particularly to Nemours was its unwavering dedication to pediatric care. “It was important to me to be in a system that is completely focused on children. I’ve been in hospitals where you’re fighting for the resources you need to provide the best possible […]

Doctors’ Day Spotlight: Sarah R. Gibson, MD

Nemours Children’s Health takes pride in spotlighting the remarkable individuals who go beyond their roles as physicians. Dr. Sarah R. Gibson, a Pediatric Sports Medicine Physician in the Department of Orthopedics at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida exemplifies this dedication not only through her expertise but also through her hobbies outside of medicine. Dr. Gibson’s journey to becoming a physician was shaped by a blend of passions and interests. “I always had an interest in medicine,” says Dr. Gibson, “Particularly human health and physiology, but I had a lot of other varied interests as well. I enjoyed playing sports and I also had an interest in sports journalism. Prior to medical school, I would spend my winters taking premed classes and my summers dabbling in sports journalism. I was on the Kentucky Derby staff, helping run the media center during Derby week, helping ABC Sports and NBC Sports with coverage of […]

Doctors’ Day Spotlight: Darren Michael Klawinski, MD

Nemours Children’s Health is proud to spotlight the diverse passions and remarkable journeys of our esteemed physicians. Among them is Dr. Darren Klawinski, a Pediatric Neuro-Oncologist based at Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville. Dr. Klawinski’s path to medicine was deeply personal. From a young age, his grandfather’s encouragement planted the seed of becoming a surgeon. However, fate had its own plans when, at 12 years old, Darren was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a form of brain cancer. Enduring surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy shaped his perspective, igniting a passion to provide hope and healing to others facing similar challenges. After completing his pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship with Nemours in Jacksonville, Dr. Klawinski found himself drawn back to the institution. “I loved my time there and loved living in Jacksonville,” he says. Following additional training in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, the opportunity to return to Nemours presented itself, a […]

Doctors’ Day Spotlight: R. Lawrence Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP

Nemours Children’s takes pride in spotlighting the remarkable individuals who go beyond their roles as physicians. R. Lawrence Moss, MD, FACS, FAAP, is president and CEO of Nemours. In addition to leading Nemours and advocating to redefine children’s health, Dr. Moss is an avid outdoorsman who loves the personal challenge of extreme sports. A pediatric surgeon of more than 25 years, Dr. Moss joined Nemours in 2018. On his office wall is a large frame full of thank you cards from families. Photos of four infants at the top of this catch his eye. “Those four babies are kids that I put on ECMO in the very early days of ECMO,” says Dr. Moss. “In each case, the family was told by the referring hospital that their newborn was going to die unless we tried a last-ditch, Hail Mary therapy called ECMO. All of those babies lived. They have all […]

Child Life Month: Laurel’s Associate Highlight

Laurel’s path to a career in Child Life began during her childhood. At just 3 years old, she experienced the passing of her younger brother due to SIDS, setting the foundation for her comprehension of grief. “I think that experience planted an empathy seed within me,” says Laurel. “It’s really special how I am able to use my experiences to support families here at Nemours Children’s. I’m able to understand grief within a family dynamic, including the sibling perspective, and share my insights, along with my training, into its effects on daily life and a family’s ability to cope.” In fifth grade, Laurel encountered child life firsthand during a hospitalization for a urethral reimplantation. From preparation for surgery to post-operative support, she found peace in the playroom activities and therapeutic interventions facilitated by her Certified Child Life Specialists. It was during these years that she discovered the importance of psychosocial […]

National Women Physicians Day: Dr. Stephanie Pearce

In celebration of National Women Physicians Day, Nemours Children’s Health highlights Dr. Stephanie Pearce, the Director of Sports Medicine in Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine at Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville. Dr. Pearce’s decision to pursue a career in sports orthopedic surgery stemmed from her love for the musculoskeletal system, her enjoyment of working with her hands, and her passion for helping athletes achieve peak performance. For her, sports medicine combines these elements in a way that doesn’t feel like work – it’s a labor of love. Joining Nemours Children’s was a serendipitous journey for Dr. Pearce. Her good friend, Dr. Anna Rambo, informed her of the Director of Sports Medicine opening at Nemours. The opportunity to lead and grow a sports program, contribute to sports research, collaborate with close friends, and return to her home state of Florida made it an offer too good to resist. Working with her team […]

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