ABOUT ACTION

Our Team

Our team knows when it’s time to take action.

Our hearts are in ACTION.

We have grown exponentially since our start in 2017— our global healthcare network is comprised of patients, families, clinicians, researchers and industry representatives. Our multi-disciplinary leadership team and members work together to guide ACTION’s initiatives to improve outcomes for patients.

Founders

Angela Lorts, MD, MBA
Angela Lorts, MD, MBA
Co-Executive Director
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
David Rosenthal, MD
David Rosenthal, MD
Co-Executive Director
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford
Lauren Smyth, MHA
Lauren Smyth, MHA
Director, Operations​
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
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Inspiring ACTION

After a heartbreaking experience, Liam and his family inspired providers across the country to rethink how they communicate and learn from one another. Now, with the ACTION collaborative, every patient has access to a healthcare community working together to provide the best care throughout their heart health journey.

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Executive Leadership

Neha Bansal, MD
Neha Bansal, MD
Media & Outreach Advisor
Mount Sinai Kravis
Children's Heart Center
Melissa Cousino, PhD
Psychology Advisor
C. S. Mott
Children’s Hospital
Katrina_Fields_BSN
Katrina Fields, BSN
VAD Coordinator Advisor
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
David Morales, MD
David Morales, MD
Surgical Advisor
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Jenna Murray, NP
Jenna Murray, NP
APP Advisor
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford
Matthew O'Connor, MD
Matthew O’Connor, MD
Academic Advisor
Children’s Hospital
of Philadelphia
David Peng, MD
David Peng, MD
Innovation Advisor
C. S. Mott
Children’s Hospital
Tanya Perry, DO
Tanya Perry, DO
ICU Advisor
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Joseph_Spinner_MD
Joseph Spinner, MD
Heart Failure Advisor
Texas Children's
Hospital
Christina VanderPlyum, MD
Christina VanderPluym, MD
Cardiology Advisor
Boston Children’s
Hospital
Chet Villa, MD
Chet Villa, MD
Muscular Dystrophy Advisor
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Executive Adjunct Leadership

Scott Auerbach, MD
Scott Auerbach, MD
Pediatric Heart Transplant Society
Katy Fraser, Abbott
Katy Fraser
Abbott
Kirstie Keller, PhD, Additional Ventures
Kirstie Keller, PhD
Additional Ventures
Robert Kroslowitz, Berlin Heart
Bob Kroslowitz
Berlin Heart, Inc.
Melissa McQueen
Transplant Families
Sara Paquali, Cardiac Networks United
Sara Pasquali, MD, MHS
Cardiac Networks United
Joseph Rossano, MD, MS
Joesph Rossano, MD, MS
Pedimacs
Farhan Zafar, MD
Farhan Zafar, MD
Data Consultant

Data Adjudication & Visualization Leadership

Scott Auerbach, MD
Scott Auerbach, MD
Children’s Hospital
Colorado
Kwiatkowski_David
David Kwiatkowski, MD
Lucile Packard Children’s
Hospital Stanford​
Robert Niebler, MD
Robert Niebler, MD​
Children’s
Wisconsin

Disease or Treatment Specific Leadership

Heart Failure
Ryan Butts, MD
Children’s Health
Dallas
Kathleen Simpson, MD
Children's Hospital
Colorado
Joseph_Spinner_MD
Joseph Spinner, MD
Texas Children’s
Hospital
Congenital Heart Disease
Ari_Cedars_MD
Ari Cedars, MD
Johns Hopkins
Children's Center
Kurt Schumacher, MD
C. S. Mott
Children’s Hospital
Kathleen Simpson, MD
Children's Hospital
Colorado
Ventricular Assist Devices
Jennifer Conway, MD
Stollery Children’s
Hospital
Angela Lorts, MD, MBA
Angie Lorts, MD, MBA
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Christina VanderPlyum, MD
Christina VanderPluym, MD
Boston Children’s
Hospital
Muscular Dystrophy
Linda Cripe, MD
Nationwide
Children’s
Deipanjan Nandi, MD
Deipanjan Nandi, MD
Nationwide
Children’s
Chet Villa, MD
Chet Villa, MD
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Preparing for Transplant
Neha Bansal, MD
Neha Bansal, MD
Mount Sinai Kravis
Children's Heart Center
seth_hollander_md
Seth Hollander, MD
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford
Aamir Jeewa, MD
SickKids/
The Hospital for Sick Children

Core Initiative Leaders

  • Betsy Blume, MD, Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Melissa Cousino, PhD, C.S. Mott Children’s
  • Lindsay May, MD, Primary Children’s
  • Kevin Hall, MD, Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital
  • Dave Peng, MD, C.S. Mott Children’s
  • Jennifer Conway, MD, Stollery Children’s
  • Dave Peng, MD, C.S. Mott Children’s
  • Kathleen Simpson, MD, Children’s Hospital Colorado
  • Katrina Fields, BSN, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
  • Jodie Lantz, MSN, Children’s Health Dallas
  • Tanya Perry, DO, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
  • Anna Joong, MD, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
  • Joseph Spinner, MD, Texas Children’s Hospital

Task Force & Committee Leaders (not listed above)

  • Christopher Almond, MD, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
  • Shahnawaz Amdani, MD, Cleveland Clinic Children’s
  • Sharon Chen, MD, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford
  • Lara Danziger-Isakov, MD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
  • John Dykes, MD, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford
  • Barbara Elias, BSN, Texas Children’s
  • Jesse Esch, MD, Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Brian Feingold, MD, Children’s of Pittsburgh
  • Josh Friedland-Little, MD, Seattle Children’s
  • Robert Gajarski, MD, Nationwide Children’s
  • Kristen George, NP, Sick Kids/The Hospital for Sick Children
  • Nancy Ghanayem, MD, Advocate Children’s Hospital
  • Aamir Jeewa, MD, Sick Kids/The Hospital for Sick Children
  • Michael Khoury, MD, Stollery Children’s Hospital
  • Steven Kindel, MD, Children’s Wisconsin
  • Mary Mehegan, RN, St. Louis Children’s
  • Michelle Ploutz, MD, Primary Children’s
  • Marc Richmond, MD, Columbia Morgan Stanley
  • Arash Salavitabar, MD, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
  • David Sutcliffe, MD, Children’s Mercy Kansas City
  • Hari Tunuguntla, MD, Texas Children’s
  • Kae Watanabe, MD, Texas Children’s
  • Samuel Wittekind, MD, Seattle Children’s Hospital
  • Steven Zangwill, MD, Phoenix Children’s

Operations & Data Coordinating Center

Located within the Heart Institute at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

  • Anaam Alzubi, Data Analyst
  • Nikita D’Souza, Program Management
  • Toni Duganiero, Data Management
  • Katie Flaspohler, Coordinator
  • Harish Gureddygari, Developer II
  • Benjamin Kroslowitz, Sr. Data Analyst
  • Christina Larkins, Program Management
  • Kacie Serrato, Designer, Swash & Dot Design
  • Muhammad Shezad, MHSA, Staff Scientist

Key Stakeholders

  • Sonya Bhavsar  Abiomed
  • Eric Chen  Abbott
  • Katy Fraser  Abbott
  • Robert Kormos  Abbott
  • Kirstie Keller, PhD  Additional Ventures
  • Bob Kroslowitz  Berlin Heart, Inc.
  • Melissa McQueen,  Parent Advisor
  • Leslie Sweet  Medtronic
  • Elizabeth Oei  SynCardia

Our Sites

To contact an ACTION site or member, please email us and let us know who you would like to connect with.

  1. Advocate Children’s Hospital
  2. American Family Children’s Hospital
  3. Arkansas Children’s Hospital
  4. Boston Children’s Hospital
  5. Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center
  6. Children’s Health Dallas
  7. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
  8. Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
  9. Children’s Hospital Colorado
  10. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
  11. Children’s Hospital of Michigan
  12. Children’s Hospital of New Orleans
  13. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
  14. Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
  15. Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU
  16. Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
  17. Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital
  18. Children’s Mercy Kansas City
  19. Children’s Minnesota
  20. Children’s Nebraska
  21. Children’s National Medical Center
  22. Children’s of Alabama
  23. Children’s of Mississippi
  24. CHU Sainte-Justine
  25. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
  26. Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital
  27. Cohen Children’s Medical Center
  28. C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital
  29. Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas
  30. Duke Children’s Hospital
  31. Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone
  32. Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
  33. Holtz Children’s Hospital/Jackson Memorial
  34. Inova L. J. Murphy Children’s Hospital
  35. Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital
  36. Johns Hopkins Children’s Center
  37. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
  38. Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
  39. Levine Children’s Hospital
  40. Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital
  41. Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital
  42. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
  43. Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital
  44. Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York Presbyterian
  45. Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Heart Center
  46. MUSC Children’s Health
  47. Nationwide Children’s Hospital
  48. Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware
  49. Norton Children’s Hospital
  50. Ochsner Hospital for Children
  51. Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Heart Center
  52. Phoenix Children’s Hospital
  53. Primary Children’s Hospital
  54. Rady Children’s Hospital
  55. Riley Hospital for Children
  56. Seattle Children’s Hospital
  57. Sick Kids – The Hospital for Sick Children
  58. St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children
  59. St. Louis Children’s Hospital
  60. Stollery Children’s Hospital
  61. Texas Children’s Hospital
  62. UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital
  63. UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital
  64. UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital
  65. University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital
  66. University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
  67. UVA Children’s
  68. Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital

  1. Australia The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne

  2. United Kingdom Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

  3. Malaysia National Heart Institute (Institut Jantung Negara, Kuala Lumpur)

  4. Vancouver, British Columbia British Columbia Children’s Hospital

  5. São Paulo, Brazil Heart Institute (InCor) University of São Paulo Medical School

  6. Rome, Italy Bambino Gesù Children Hospital

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