For as long as Elena Rossi, MD, medical director for special projects, can remember, she has had a vision to guide her. Growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, she recalled sitting beside her older brother’s, Danny, hospital bed while he received blood transfusions to treat anemia. It sparked a desire to go into medicine and help […]
John and Karen Mayer make legacy gift of life insurance to support Akron Children’s NICU
There’s a particular feeling that John and Karen Mayer get every time they visit Akron Children’s. “When we come for a meeting or take a tour, we watch families with their kids,” said John, who’s a member of the hospital’s board of directors. “To think about how the hospital makes such a large impact on […]
Dr. Marya Strand aspires to make a far-reaching impact on care for mom and baby
Marya Strand, MD, MS, has joined Akron Children’s as chair of the newly-formed department of Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine, which brings together the departments of Neonatology and Maternal Fetal Medicine. She is also the Thomas R. and Mary Lynn Crowley Endowed Chair in Neonatology and Maternal Fetal Medicine, which was made possible by a $5 […]
New leadership for Neonatology and Maternal Fetal Medicine
Marya Strand, MD, MS, formerly chief medical officer of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis and a practicing neonatologist, joined Akron Children’s on July 31, as chair of the newly formed department of Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine. She is also the Thomas R. and Mary Lynn Crowley Endowed Chair in Neonatology and […]
Families donate to Akron Children’s NICU and Palliative Care to honor and remember their babies
When Nate Evins learned his co-worker’s baby boy had passed away 11 days after birth, he felt a lot of sympathy. He and his wife had also experienced the loss of their baby, who lived 28 days after she was born. He asked his wife if she was willing to talk to his colleague, Brittany […]
Jenna Berryhill feels right at home as Akron Children’s newest nurse practitioner
Jenna Berryhill credits her very first patient to turning her interest to ENT. While a NICU nurse by day and nurse practitioner student by night, she served as the primary nurse to Richie, an inpatient with a tracheostomy. She cared for him from infancy until he was discharged 13 months later, while building a deep […]












