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Meet our faculty

Vinod Havalad

Vinod Havalad, MD

Program Director, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship
Director, Pediatric Simulation Program
Faculty member since 2012

Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Residency: Pediatrics: Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY
Fellowship: Pediatric Critical Care Medicine: Columbia University, New York, NY

Board Certification: Pediatrics, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Clinical Interests:

  • Pediatric procedural sedation
  • Simulation

Research and Quality Improvement Interests:

  • Medical education
  • Pediatric procedural sedation

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Joanne Claveria

Joanne Claveria, MD

Associate Program Director, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship
Faculty member since 2013

Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Residency: Pediatrics: Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Fellowship: Pediatric Critical Care Medicine: Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI

Board Certification: Pediatrics, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Clinical Interests:

  • Pediatric sepsis and septic shock
  • Congenital heart disease and pediatric cardiac critical care medicine
  • Pediatric respiratory failure
  • Medical education

Research and Quality Improvement Interests:

  • Adherence to pediatric sepsis guidelines

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Maureen Quaid

Maureen Quaid, MD

Medical Director, Pediatric Critical Care Unit
Director, Transport/Outreach Program
Faculty member since 1994

Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Residency: Pediatrics (Chief Resident 1990-1991): Advocate Children's Hospital - Park Ridge, Park Ridge, IL
Fellowship: Pediatric Critical Care Medicine: Advocate Children's Hospital - Park Ridge, Park Ridge, IL

Board Certification: Pediatrics, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Clinical Interests:

  • Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)
  • Intensive-care management of pediatric trauma

Research and Quality Improvement Interests:

  • Simulation education in pediatrics
  • Quality improvement and error reduction in pediatric critical care

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Deanna Behrens

Deanna Behrens, MD

Faculty member since 2014

Medical School: University of Illinois
Residency: University of Miami/Jackson Memorial
Fellowship: Washinton University - St. Louis

Board Certification: Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Pediatric Critical Care

Clinical Interests:

      • Sepsis
      • Asthma

Research and Quality Improvement Interests:

      • Resident education, fellow education, asthma and anesthesia protocol

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Amanda Ellis-Pelletier

Amanda Ellis-Pelletier, DO

Faculty member since 2018

Medical School: Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Downers Grove, IL 
Residency: Pediatrics: University of Chicago, Comer's Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL
Fellowship: Pediatric Critical Care Medicine: University of Chicago, Comer's Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL
Fellowship: Pediatric Ethics Concentration: MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, University of Chicago, Comer's Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL

Board Certification: Pediatrics, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Clinical Interests:

  • Medical Ethics
  • Pediatric Decision Making

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Ganesan

Rani Ganesan, MD

Faculty member since 2018

Medical School: Finch University / Rosalind Franklin University
Residency: Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, IL
Fellowship: Pediatric Critical Care Medicine: Children’s Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL
Fellowship: Pediatric Ethics Concentration: MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics, University of Chicago, Comer's Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL

Board Certification: Pediatrics, Hospice/Palliative Medicine, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Clinical Interests:

  • Pediatric and Neonatal ECMO
  • Traumatic brain injury and neuro critical care
  • Advanced care decision making
  • End of life decision making

Research and Quality Improvement Interests:

  • Team communication
  • Interdisciplinary team approach to patient care

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Varsha Gharpure

Varsha Gharpure, MD

Faculty member since 2009

Medical School: Seth G.S. Medical College, Mumbai, India
Residency: Pediatrics: Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI
Fellowship: Pediatric Critical Care Medicine: Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI
Fellowship: Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Medicine: Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

Board Certification: Pediatrics, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Clinical Interests:

  • Pediatric cardiac critical care medicine
  • Pediatric respiratory pathophysiology

Research and Quality Improvement Interests:

  • Probiotics in hospitalized patients
  • Effect of centhaquin on resuscitation from endotoxic shock
  • Role of tenecteplase in thrombolysis in children
  • Prevention of catheter-associate urinary-tract infections

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Nekaiay Kay Jacobs

Nekaiya "Kay" Jacobs, MD

Faculty member since 2018

Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Residency: Pediatrics: Southern Illinois University, Springfield, IL
Fellowship: Pediatric Critical Care Medicine: University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Board Certification: Pediatrics, Board Eligible: Pediatric Critical Care

Clinical Interests:

  • Internal Medicine
  • Palliative Care

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Nadia Khan

Nadia Khan, MD

Faculty member since 2018

Medical School: Rosalind Franklin University/The Chicago Medical School, North Chicago, IL
Residency: Pediatrics: University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL
Fellowship: Pediatric Critical Care Medicine: University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL

Board Certification: Pediatrics, Pediatric Critical Care

Clinical Interests:

  • Pediatric Trauma

Research and Quality Improvement Interests:

  • Pediatric Vascular access and rapid response

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Dianan Mitchell

Diana Mitchell, MD

Faculty member since 2020 at ALGH

Medical School: Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Residency: University of Chicago Hospitals
Fellowship: University of Chicago Hospitals
Board Certification: Pediatrics, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Interests:

  • Medical education and curriculum development
  • Simulation-based learning

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Saeed

Fasiha Saeed, MD

Faculty member since 2017

Medical School: Army Medical College, Pakistan
Residency: University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Fellowship: Pediatric Critical Care Medicine: Advocate Children’s Hospital – Park Ridge, IL

Board Certification: Pediatrics, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Clinical Interests:

  • Pediatric Sepsis
  • Pediatric Trauma

Research and Quality Improvement Interests:

  • Intubation safety
  • Pediatric Sepsis
  • Transfusion safety

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