Our Leadership Team

Christopher Gessner

President and Chief Executive Officer

Lisa Aurilio, MSN, MBA

Chief Operating Officer

Jennifer Baccon, MD, PhD, MHCM

Chair, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Medical Director of Value Analysis in Supply Chain

Tarun Bhalla, MD, MBA, FAAP

Chair, Anesthesia & Pain Medicine; Pediatric Anesthesiologist

Michael Bigham, MD

Chief Quality Officer; Pediatric Intensivist

Shelly Brown, MAOL, CFRE

Executive Director, Akron Children's Hospital Foundation; Vice President, Development

Bruce H. Cohen, MD, FAAN

Chair, NeuroDevelopmental Science Center; Philip H. Maynard Chair in NeuroDevelopmental Science Fund; Chairman, American Academy of Neurology Advocacy Committee; Pediatric Neurologist

Anthea Daniels

Chief Legal Officer

Jennifer Dwyer, MD, FAAP

Chief of Primary Care; Pediatrician

Gordon Edwards

Chief Financial Officer

Michael Forbes, MD, FAAP, FCCM

Chief Academic Officer; William H. and Rebecca D. Considine Endowed Chair for Pediatric Research; Head, Rebecca D Considine Research Institute; Immediate Past President, Medical Staff; Pediatric Critical Care Specialist

Jessica Foster, MD, MPH, FAAP

Director, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics; The Venner Family Endowed Chair in Autism; Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrician

Sarah Elizabeth Friebert, MD

Director, Pediatric Palliative Care; Pediatric Palliative Care Physician; Sarah Elizabeth Friebert, M.D. Leadership Chair in Pediatric Palliative Care

Kristene Grayem, MSN, APRN-CNP

Chief Population Health Officer; Executive Director, Akron Children’s Health Collaborative

Richard Hertle, MD, FAAO, FACS, FAAP

Director, Pediatric Ophthalmology; Dr. Boomer and Jill Burnstine Endowed Chair in Pediatric Ophthalmology; Pediatric Ophthalmologist

Jeffrey Hord, MD

Director, Division of Hematology-Oncology; Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist; LOPen Charities and Mawaka Family Chair in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology; Vice President, American Society of Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology 2023-2024

Anjay Khandelwal, MD, FACS, FICS

Director, Paul and Carol David Foundation Burn Institute; Acute/Reconstructive Burn Surgeon; Surgical Critical Care; Director, Pediatric and Adult Cosmetic & Reconstructive Laser Program; The Marci M. Matthews Endowed Chair for Excellence in Burn Care

Steven Kuerbitz, MD

Director, Divisional Research, Shannon E. Wilkes Targeted Therapy Program; The Jeffrey A. Barbour Chair for Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Research and Healing; Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist

John Lane, MD, FACC

Director, Pediatric Cardiology and Adult Congenital Heart Service; Pediatric Cardiologist; Sunrise Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Rhonda Larimore

Chief Human Resources Officer

Shawn Lyden, JD

Chief Strategy Officer

Shefali Mahesh, MD

Medical Staff President; Dr. Noah Miller Endowed Chair in Pediatric Medicine; Pediatric Nephrologist

Robert McGregor, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Harun Rashid

Chief Information Officer

Todd Ritzman, MD, FAAOS, FAOA

Chair, Department of Orthopedics; Director, Spine Center; Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon

Michael Rubin, MD

Chair, Department of Pediatric Radiology;
Pediatric Radiologist

Sarah Rush, MD

Vice President, Informatics; Chief Medical Information Officer; Pediatric Neuro-Oncologist; Marci M. Matthews Endowed Chair in Telehealth

Vivek Veluchamy, MD

The James F. and Marguerite A. Pearson Endowed Chair in NeuroDevelopmental Sciences for Rare Diseases; Pediatric Neurologist

Bernett Williams, MPA

Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer; Vice President for Community Initiatives

Katherine Wolfe, DO, FACOG

Chair, Maternal-Fetal Medicine; Director, Diabetes and Pregnancy Program; Maternal-Fetal Specialist

Mark Wulkan, MD, FACS, FAAP

Chair, Department of Surgery; Bruce F. Rothmann, M.D. Endowed Chair in Pediatric Surgery; Pediatric Surgeon

Christine Young, MSN, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, DNP

Grace Wakulchik Endowed Chair for Nursing; Chief of Hospital Based Services; Chief Nursing Officer