| Keynote Speaker: Dr. Kristy Eaton
Dr. Kristy Eaton is the inaugural director of the Purdue University College of Engineering’s Community, Assistance and Resources for Engineering Students (CARES) Hub, where she is charged with the task of creating a multi-tiered system of services and supports to enhance and sustain the well-being and mental health of Purdue’s 17,000 engineering students. Prior to coming to Purdue, Dr. Eaton spent 20 years in urban public education with Indianapolis Public Schools. Dr. Eaton then spent five years as the assistant director of the Indiana School Mental Health Initiative at Indiana University-Bloomington, where she trained and consulted with K-12 school districts across Indiana to develop an integrated framework of tiered social emotional, well-being, and mental health services and supports to create the conditions for learning for all students. During her time at IU, Dr. Eaton also served as a research continuity lead for the Irsay Institute for Sociomedical Research and as an elected voting member of the IU Faculty Council.
Dr. Eaton holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, a Master of Science in social work, and a doctoral degree in education. She is a past Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholar Fellow, as well as a licensed clinical social worker, Question Persuade Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention trainer, and an Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) interface master trainer. Her ACEs training was conducted by Dr. Robert Anda, co-investigator of the original ACEs study.
Dr. Eaton has 30 years of experience working in the field of mental health and education. She has worked as an outpatient therapist, school-based therapist, school social worker, school district administrator, and university faculty member. She is passionate about mental health and well-being for all, including the elimination of mental health stigma through education and training. Other practice specialties include suicide prevention in educational settings and educator mindset, regulation, and well-being. She has provided consultation and professional development at the local, state, regional, and national levels. Contact Dr. Eaton at kmeaton@purdue.edu.
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| Katrina Lesher, MD
As director of CHKD's physical medicine and rehabilitation program, Dr. Katrina Lesher leads a team striving to improve the function and quality of life for all of CHKD's patients and their families.
Whether it is increasing function and independence for a child with special needs or improving the ability of a caregiver to provide care for their child, Dr. Lesher's team works with each family's individual needs to create a multidisciplinary treatment plan tailored to their unique situation.
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| Jackie Cotton, MD
Dr. Jacqueline Cotton received her medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and completed pediatric residency at Boston City Hospital. After a 30-year career in community pediatrics, she serves on the faculty of the Virginia Mental Health Access Program (VMAP) and REACH Institute, instructing clinicians about mental health assessment and treatment of children, teens, and young adults. Dr. Cotton has served the Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics as co-chair of the mental health committee and member of the school health committee. She was recently honored to represent Virginia as a finalist for the national Phoenix Award of the American Academy of Pediatrics for her work in teaching mental health to clinicians and school nurses, co-writing a training program and toolkit about mental health for school nurses, and co-leading as state ambassador for Virginia for the AAP Suicide Prevention Program.
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| Leah Rowland, MD, FAAP
Dr. Leah Rowland completed medical school and pediatric residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and has worked as a pediatrician at Pediatric Specialists, a Children's Medical Group practice, for 17 years. She serves as co-chair of the School Health Committee in the Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, where she enjoys working with school nurses, health departments, universities, state agencies, and grassroots advocates to support the well-being of families and children. Current projects include the School Nurse's Mental Health Toolkit, training for school nurses to support mental health needs, outlining medical exemptions for cellphone use, and gathering data on chronic absenteeism with George Mason University. In addition, she serves as vice president of Trusted Care Foundation, which connects pre-med students with volunteer opportunities; she is an assistant professor at EVMS, part of the Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Science at ODU, mentoring pediatric residents; and she serves on the board of the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth. Her favorite job is parenting her three teenagers, who make sure to remind her that she always has a lot more to learn.
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| Angela Duff Hogan, MD
Dr. Angela Hogan is professor of pediatrics at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA, works in the allergy, asthma, and immunology department at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, and is a senior partner of Children’s Specialty Group. She graduated from the University of Louisville Medical School and completed her pediatric residency there at Kosair Children’s Hospital. She completed a fellowship in allergy and immunology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, a fellowship in clinical and laboratory immunology at Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia, and a 4-year post-doctorate study in immunology.
Dr. Hogan is a fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. She is chair of the ACAAI Asthma Committee, and an AAP NCE planning group member representing Allergy and Pulmonology for the National Meeting. She was the recipient of the American Academy of Pediatrics 2023 Jerome Glaser Distinguished Service Award. She has been a Hampton Roads/Coastal Virginia Magazine “Top Doc” from 2004 to 2024.
Dr. Hogan is passionate about community education in asthma and food allergies. She has more than 70 National Invited presentations for AAP Practical Pediatrics courses, ACAAI Meetings, NCE AAP meetings, and Allergy and Asthma Network. She is medical director and co-founder of Food Allergy Support Group of the Tidewater 2005-2020 and medical director of Coastal Virginia Food Allergy Support Group since 2021.
Her most treasured time is with her three amazing children and dog Oliver. Currently, she is learning to play the bagpipes — poorly.
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| Patrick Alwine, MSW
A Virginia Beach native, Patrick Alwine is a graduate of East Carolina University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in family and community services and master’s degree in social work. Following a few years of teaching preschool, he returned to Hampton Roads, where he now works as a medical social worker at CHKD. Patrick currently works in the endocrinology department, working with patients with diabetes and their families by providing support, resources, and advocating for any needs that may impact care.
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| Christine Bethea, MA, BS, QMHP-T
Christine Bethea obtained a master’s degree in human services counseling: crisis and trauma response and is a former safety-care instructor. Her experience within CHKD’s inpatient mental health program includes being a mental health coach and a training coordinator. She currently works as a mental health coordinator for outpatient clinics. Christine has also worked with domestic violence survivors and their children. Through life experience and training, Christine works to help empower individuals to respond to crisis behavior and helps foster a therapeutic rapport with families to create a safe environment for everyone.
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| Kyzwana Caves, MD, MPH, FAAP
Dr. Kyzwana Caves is a double board-certified adolescent medicine specialist and pediatrician whose practice focuses on patients ages 12-21. She is currently practicing with CHKD in Hampton Roads, VA. Her special interests include health equity, reproductive justice, menstrual disorders, STI prevention and treatment, and LGBTQ healthcare.
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| Janelle A Fox, MD, MS, FACS
Dr. Janelle Fox is a board-certified pediatric urologist who began her career in the U.S. Navy and has since worked at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, where she is the chief of pediatric urology. Her clinical focuses are minimally invasive surgical treatment of urologic conditions and complex kidney stone and transplant care. She has research interests in applying quality improvement methods to improve outcomes of urologic disease, with an active project to expedite the treatment of testicular torsion for male children in Hampton Roads.
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| Netta Haynes, RN and Nikkie Solorzano, RN
Netta Haynes and Nikkie Solorzano serve as the sickle cell nurse coordinators in the comprehensive sickle cell program at CHKD, bringing a wealth of expertise in sickle cell disease and its current management. They have approximately 18 years of combined experience in hematology/oncology and have excelled in inpatient and outpatient nursing roles.
In their current roles, Netta oversees newborn screening and ensures the seamless integration of new infants into the clinic. Nikkie coordinates referrals for bone marrow transplantation and gene therapy to specialized centers. Together, they provide comprehensive patient education, support home disease management, and advocate diligently for the diverse needs of their patients and families.
Sickle cell educational handouts:
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| Ryan Williams, MD
Dr. Ryan Williams grew up in the Chicago suburbs and is a proud Midwesterner who has always had a passion for both children's care and neuroscience. His interest in child development spurred him to study not only the complexities of atypical development but also the intricacies of normal child development. Dr. Williams is a pediatric neurologist at CHKD and holds a master's degree in Mind, Brain and Education from Harvard's Graduate School of Education.
Dr. Williams has a special interest in pediatric headaches but enjoys treating all types of neurological disorders. He is an advocate for considering the entirety of a child's health as part of treatment. As such, he feels strongly that other pediatric specialists – child psychologists, psychiatrists, physical and occupational therapists – have a role to play in helping children with neurological issues. He also believes in the importance of engaging a child's family in the treatment decision process.
Dr. Williams also holds a special interest in medical education, believing strongly in the importance of educating medical students and residents in the approach to neurology.
In his spare time, he enjoys exercising, artistic activities, traveling, and fine dining... and appreciates the milder winters in the Hampton Roads area.
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