Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC
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Our Leadership

Children's National Medical Center Executive Management and Key Staff
Edwin K. Zechman, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer Edwin K. Zechman, Jr.
President and Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Zechman joined the Executive Management Staff of Children's in 1994. He previously served as president and chief executive officer of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, executive director of the Children's Hospital of Alabama and executive director of the Children's Hospital of New Orleans. Mr. Zechman is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Hospital Association (AHA), as well as chairman of National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI). 

Roberta Alessi, FACHE, Vice President, Operations Roberta Alessi, FACHE
Vice President, Operations

Ms. Alessi has responsibility and oversight of the Project Management Office, Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Security, Health Information Management, and Materials Management. She has a BS from Rochester Institute for Technology and a MHA from George Washington University. Ms. Alessi has worked at Children’s National for more than 25 years.
Mark Batshaw, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer Mark Batshaw, MD
Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer, Children’s National Medical Center; Director, Children’s Research Institute; Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University 

Dr. Batshaw trained as a developmental pediatrician and has spent more than 30 years treating children with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. Dr. Batshaw is a renowned researcher who has received nearly $100 million in grants and is author of the world’s most comprehensive book about developmental disabilities.

Jacqueline Bowens, Executive Vice President and Chief, Government and External Affairs Officer Jacqueline Bowens
Executive Vice President and Chief Government and External Affairs Officer 

Ms. Bowens is responsible for the strategic direction of Legislative and External Affairs, Public Affairs, Advocacy and Community Affairs, Community Partnerships, and Volunteer and Consumer Support Services. She was recognized as the 2004 Alumnus of the Year by the University of Southern California Black Alumni Association. Ms. Bowens is a member of the Board of Directors of the District of Columbia Hospital Association. She also is a graduate of Leadership Greater Washington and is a former president of Women in Government Relations. 
Jody Burdell, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jody Burdell
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Ms. Burdell runs the day-to-day operations of the institution, including Strategic Planning and Development, Information Technology, Facilities, Operations and Compliance, and Human Resources. She joined Children’s in 1994, and previously served as vice president of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.


Max Coppes, MD, PhD, MBA, Senior Vice President, Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders Max Coppes, MD, PhD, MBA 
Senior Vice President, Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders 

Dr. Coppes joined Children’s from the University of Calgary, where he was the first to hold the $6 million endowed Kids Cancer Care Foundation Chair in Pediatric Oncology. He was the director of the Children’s Cancer Program at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary, Canada. Dr. Coppes is an internationally recognized expert in Wilms tumors, the most common form of childhood kidney cancer. He has published more than 120 manuscripts, is a member of several editorial boards and sits on numerous national and international committees. The  Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders  plays an active role in childhood cancer research, education and advocacy.

 Denice Cora-Bramble, MD, MBA, FAAP, Senior Vice President, The Diana L. and Stephen A. Goldberg Center for Community Pediatric Health Denice Cora-Bramble, MD, MBA, FAAP
Senior Vice President, The Diana L. and Stephen A. Goldberg Center for Community Pediatric Health 

Dr. Cora-Bramble manages the center that is the largest provider of pediatric primary care in the District of Columbia, with more than 70,000 visits per year. As a bilingual, board-certified pediatrician, Dr. Cora-Bramble has developed and implemented national and local programs that increase access to healthcare services for underserved populations. Her areas of expertise include cultural competency, health disparities, community-based education, and leadership development. She has received multiple awards from organizations such as the American Public Health Association, George Washington University, District of Columbia Public Schools, and the Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association.

Mary Anne Hilliard, Esq., Chief Risk Counsel Mary Anne Hilliard, Esq.
Chief Risk Counsel

Ms. Hilliard manages Children’s risk management, claims, litigation, and insurance. She previously practiced law in Washington, DC, as an in-house hospital attorney specializing in professional malpractice defense and general healthcare law. Prior to entering the practice of law, Ms. Hilliard worked as a pediatric nurse and nurse educator. She is extensively published and lectures widely at hospitals, universities and associations on litigation, patient safety and claims management.
Peter Holbrook, MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Peter Holbrook, MD
Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer 

Dr. Holbrook has served as Children’s Chief Medical Officer for more than 12 years. Dr. Holbrook initiated a pediatric critical care fellowship training program, one of the first focused specifically on pediatricians as trainees. He also organized the pediatric section of the Society of Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Holbrook is recognized nationally for his work in developing critical care medicine, as well as administrative and ethical issues in caring for critically ill children. He is editor of the Textbook of Pediatric Critical Care and co-author of the Textbook of Critical Care Medicine. He has been author and co-author of a number of scientific publications and book chapters, as well as the recipient of several distinguished awards.

Pam King Sams, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Children’s Hospital Foundation
Pam King Sams
Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Children’s Hospital Foundation

Ms. Sams is responsible for managing the $500 million “Transforming Children’s Health” campaign, which will fund Children’s National’s strategic initiatives during the next five years. Ms. Sams serves as an ex-officio member of the Children’s Hospital Foundation Board. Pam is certified as a fundraising executive through the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) and has served as a board member for the AHP Foundation.


Miriam Markowitz, Corporate Vice President, Strategic Planning and Business Development Miriam Markowitz
Corporate Vice President, Strategic Planning and Business Development

Ms. Markowitz leads the corporate strategic planning process, identifies regional and national program and partnership opportunities, and manages the negotiation and planning efforts of these developments.  She manages the facility master planning and space planning needs for the corporation, the International Services Program, and oversees the regulatory management of the Certificate of Need process. Additionally, Ms. Markowitz has administrative responsibility for ambulatory services for Children's National.
Gerard Martin, MD Gerard Martin, MD
Senior Vice President, Center for Heart, Lung and Kidney Disease; Co-Director, Children’s National Heart Institute; Professor of Pediatrics, George Washington University 

Dr. Martin is a nationally recognized expert in pediatric cardiology. He has volunteered on medical missions to numerous third-world countries. Dr. Martin is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Cardiology, and he also serves on the American Board of Pediatrics sub-board in pediatric cardiology. Dr. Martin is an associate editor for Pediatric Cardiology, and has more than 60 publications in the field of pediatric cardiology. He is an invited speaker nationally and internationally.
Douglas Myers, MBA, CPA, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Douglas Myers, MBA, CPA
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Myers brings a wealth of experience to Children's with more than 20 years as a CFO in hospitals and health systems, working with a mixture of for-profit and not-for-profit, adult, and pediatric organizations. He previously worked at Children's Hospital and Research Center Oakland where he has served for four years as their CFO.
Kurt Newman, MD, Senior Vice President, The Joseph E. Robert, Jr. Center for Surgical Care
Kurt Newman, MD
Senior Vice President, The Joseph E. Robert, Jr. Center for Surgical Care; Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics, George Washington University 

Dr. Newman has been a surgeon at Children's since 1984. He is an expert in clinical resource management and serves as a consultant to several children's hospitals in conjunction with the Child Health Corporation of America. Dr. Newman is the author or co-author of more than 60 publications. He is a member of the Board of Commissioners of the Joint Commission and the Board of Governors of the American Pediatric Surgery Association. Dr. Newman also is chairman of the Surgery Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

 Roger Packer, MD, Senior Vice President, Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine Roger Packer, MD 
Senior Vice President, Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine; Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, George Washington University 

Dr. Packer is a leader in the care of children with brain tumors and led the Brain Tumor Strategy Group of the Children’s Cancer Group, the largest organization caring for children with cancer in the United States. Approximately one in every ten children in the United States with a brain tumor will be evaluated by Dr. Packer through Children’s brain tumor program. Dr. Packer developed the standard approaches for children in the United States and throughout the world for medulloblastoma and low-grade astrocytomas, the most common benign brain tumor for children. He has authored or co-authored more than 500 scientific publications, including books on the management of childhood brain tumors and other aspects of pediatric neurology.

Nellie Robinson, RN, MS, Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing and Patient Care Services Officer, Patient Services Nellie Robinson, RN, MS
Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing and Patient Care Services Officer, Patient Services

Ms. Robinson is responsible for Nursing Services, Quality Improvement, Case Management, Utilization Management, Social Work, Child Life, Food and Nutrition Services, and Occupational Health. She served as a member of the American Hospital Association (AHA) Board of Trustees, and also served on a national taskforce on Quality and Patient Safety. She has authored numerous articles on nursing leadership, and authored a book chapter in Redesigning Nursing Care Delivery:Transforming Our Future. Ms. Robinson has received numerous distinguished honors and awards for her work in nursing and health care.

Carole Schor, PhD, Corporate Vice President, Human Resources Carole Schor, PhD
Corporate Vice President, Human Resources

Ms. Schor has been a Vice President of Human Resources in healthcare for more than 20 years. She has a PhD in Measurement and Statistics from The Catholic University of America, as well as an Executive Masters in Administration from the University of Maryland. Carole has held that position with Anne Arundel Medical Center, Parkview Health System, Franciscan Health System, and Healthlink.
Barbara Scott, MSN, Vice President, Children's School Services, School Health Nursing Progam Barbara Scott, MSN
Vice President, Children's School Services, School Health Nursing Program

Ms. Scott provides leadership and strategic direction for the School Health Nursing Program for the District of Columbia and is dedicated to providing high quality, effective and efficient school health services to students enrolled in the District of Columbia Public and Public Charter Schools. Ms. Scott joined Children’s School Services in 1998 and has thirty years of nursing management experience. Ms. Scott has received various honors and awards for her leadership in nursing and healthcare.

Raymond Sczudlo, Esq., Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer


Raymond Sczudlo, Esq.
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer

Mr. Sczudlo joined Children’s in July 2001 as vice president and chief legal officer responsible for all aspects of the organization’s legal affairs. Mr. Sczudlo was previously senior vice president and general counsel of EYECAST Corporation, and a partner in the international law firm of Weil, Gotshal and Manges LLP. He also was an adjunct professor at the George Washington University Law Center, where he taught banking and finance. He previously served as chairman of the Children’s Foundation Board and chairman of the Board of Safe Kids Worldwide.
David Sparks, CPA, Vice President, Finance David Sparks, CPA
Vice President, Finance

Mr. Sparks joined Children’s National from his long-standing career in financial operations at healthcare facilities including Providence Hospital, MedStar Health, and Washington Hospital Center. In his role of Vice President of Finance, Sparks oversees financial operations at Children’s National Medical Center.
Mitchell Stoller, President and Chief Executive Officer, Safe Kids Worldwide

Mitchell Stoller
President and Chief Executive Officer, Safe Kids Worldwide

Mr. Stoller, a veteran nonprofit executive with 27 years of association management experience, joined Safe Kids Worldwide in 2008 as President and Chief Executive Officer. He previously served as president of the Marrow Foundation, the fundraising arm of the National Marrow Donor Program.
 Mendel Tuchman, MD, Chief Research Officer, Children’s Research Institute Mendel Tuchman, MD
Chief Research Officer, Children’s Research Institute; Professor of Pediatrics, George Washington University 

Dr. Tuchman holds the Mary Elizabeth McGehee Joyce Chair in Genetics Research at Children's. He conducts translational research in biochemistry and molecular biology of nitrogen metabolism and inborn errors of metabolism. His work is supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and he has published 140 peer-reviewed articles. 
David Wessel, MD, Senior Vice President, Center for Hospital-Based Specialties
David Wessel, MD 
Senior Vice President, Center for Hospital-Based Specialties 

Dr. Wessel is internationally known for his pioneering work in caring for infants with heart disease. Dr. Wessel previously was a professor of pediatrics (anesthesia) at the Harvard Medical School. He was chief of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Boston Children’s for many years and previously served as president of the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society.



Joseph Wright, MD, MPH Joseph Wright, MD, MPH 
Senior Vice President, Child Health Advocacy Institute; Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Pediatrics; Professor of Emergency Medicine and Health Policy, George Washington University Schools of Medicine and Public Health 

Dr. Wright provides strategic leadership for the organization’s advocacy mission, public policy positions and community partnership initiatives. He has served as attending faculty in the Division of Emergency Medicine at Children’s since 1993, and recently served the institution as executive director of the Center for Hospital-Based Specialties. Dr. Wright has devoted much of his academic energy to addressing the concerns of the underserved. He has been recognized for his efforts as a winner of the Shining Star award from the Los Angeles-based Starlight Foundation, and is an elected member of Delta Omega, the national public health honor society.
F. Robert Yates, Jr., FACHE, FACMPE F. Robert Yates, Jr., FACHE, FACMPE
Vice President, Children's Pediatricians & Associates (CP&A)

Mr. Yates joined Children's National in 1996, and has more than 37 years in healthcare management. Mr. Yates planned and executed the start-up and growth of CP&A which is a large pediatric physician organization with multiple locations throughout the Washington Metropolitan region, and more than 118,000 patients. He has a MBA; and is a Fellow and board certified of both the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE). He served as an ACHE elected official and Regent for the District of Columbia, and is on the board of National Capital Healthcare Executives (NCHE).
 


   
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