Our Leadership Team

Christopher Gessner

President and Chief Executive Officer

Lisa Aurilio, MSN, MBA

Chief Operating Officer

Bigham, Michael MD, pediatric intensivist

Michael Bigham, MD

Chief Quality Officer; Pediatric Intensivist

Shelly Brown, MAOL, CFRE

Chief Development Officer and Executive Director of the Foundation

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

Grayem, Kristene MSN, CNS, PPCNP-BC, RN-BC

Kristene Grayem, MSN, APRN-CNP

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

Joy Kosiewicz

Interim Chief Legal Officer

Rhonda Larimore

Chief Human Resources Officer

Shawn Lyden, JD

Chief Strategy Officer

Robert McGregor, MD

Chief Medical Officer

Rashid, Harun vice president and chief information officer

Harun Rashid

Vice President, Information Services; Chief Information Officer

Bernett Williams, MPA

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

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

Grace Wakulchik Endowed Chair for Nursing; Chief of Hospital Based Services; Chief Nursing 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; Interim Director, Akron Children's Health Collaborative; Pediatric Anesthesiologist

Cohen, Bruce H., MD, pediatric neurologist

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

Jennifer Dwyer, MD, FAAP

Chief of Primary Care; Pediatrician

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

Kerwyn Jones, MD

Medical Staff President; Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon; Sports Medicine Physician; Department Quality Officer

John Lane, MD, FACC

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

Shefali Mahesh, MD

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

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

Marya Strand, MD, MS

Chair, Department of Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine; Thomas R. & Mary Lynn Crowley Endowed Chair in Neonatology and Maternal Fetal Medicine; Neonatologist-Perinatologist; Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist