Neonatology

Meet Your Team

Seattle Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Our NICU care team has special training working with critically ill newborns and their families. We will work with you to make decisions and treatment plans for your baby.

The care team in Seattle Children’s NICU includes:

Neonatologists (doctors specializing in newborn care)
Neonatal nurse practitioners and physician assistants
Nurses
Respiratory therapists
Pharmacists
Dietitians
Physical and occupational therapists
Social workers
Lactation Services

The NICU team works closely with Seattle Children's pediatric surgeons, cardiac intensivists, cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, neurosurgeons, otolaryngologists, neurologists, pulmonologists, nephrologists, geneticists and other specialists to provide coordinated care for newborns with complex problems. Learn more about the different roles on your child's healthcare team.

Leadership

Taylor Lee Sawyer, DO, MBA, MEd

Division Head, Neonatology
Zeenia Cyrus Billimoria, MD

Medical Director, Seattle Children's NICU
Sarah J Handley, MD

Associate Medical Director, Seattle Children's NICU; Co-Director, Seattle Children’s BPD Program; ECMO Director, Seattle Children’s NICU
Mihai Puia-Dumitrescu, MD, MPH

Associate Medical Director, Seattle Children’s NICU; Co-Director, Seattle Children’s CDH Program; Director of Clinical Research, Division of Neonatology
Tarisai Zivira, MBA, MSN, RN, NEA-BC

NICU Director
Christina Marieke Long, DO

Medical Director, Valley Medical Center NICU
Toby Linda Cohen, MD

Associate Medical Director, Valley Medical Center NICU
Kirtikumar Natvarlal Upadhyay, MD

Medical Director, Division Quality and Safety; Medical Director, University of Washington Medical Center NICU
Sarah Elizabeth Kolnik, MD, MBA

Associate Medical Director, University of Washington Medical Center NICU
Robin G LaGrandeur, MD

Associate Medical Director, Virginia Mason-Franciscan Health NICU
Michael D Neufeld, MD, MPH

Medical Director, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett NICU
Elizabeth Noelle Jacobson, MD

Director of Quality, Neonatology Regional Network Site Sponsor, Children's Hospitals Neonatal Consortium
Karen Kelly, MN, RN, clinical nurse specialist
Melissa Corinne Koll, ARNP
April Lynn Morris, ARNP

APP Director
Karen Cunningham, NICU clinical practice manager
Erin Peters, NICU clinical practice manager
Rachel Amie Umoren, MD, MS

Associate Division Head, Research
Megan Mariner Gray, MD

Associate Division Head, Education
Kendell Riley German, MD

Associate Fellowship Director

Team

Jump to Role:

Neonatologists in Seattle Children’s NICU

Our Neonatologists at Affiliate Hospitals’ NICUs

We provide care for sick newborns in the NICUs at the University of Washington, Providence Regional Medical Center, Virginia Mason - Franciscan Health, St. Anne’s Medical Center and UW Medicine/Valley Medical Center. These include:

Critical Care Transport

Our Critical Care Transport program partners with Airlift Northwest to provide the specialized care needed to safely transport critically ill infants by ground or air. We transport more than 600 newborn patients each year. A NICU nurse and a respiratory therapist always ride along with the newborn on critical care transports. This team is in frequent contact with a neonatologist throughout the transport process to ensure the highest quality of patient care. The leaders of the Critical Care Transport program who specialize in transporting newborns and infants are:

Chris Baker, nurse manager, Critical Care Transport Services
Zeenia Cyrus Billimoria, MD

Leaders in improving patient care and outcomes

Our faculty hold national leadership and research roles that strengthen our patient care and outcomes. Both of these leaders work with the HEAL trial and other clinical research on improving brain development in premature babies.

Sandra E Juul, MD, PhD

Neonatal Advance Practice Providers (APP)

Seattle Children’s Neonatal APPs partner with neonatologists to provide excellent care across the greater Seattle region. APPs include advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNP) and physician assistants (PAs) who have specialty training for complex care of newborns. Neonatal APPs are present in the Seattle Children’s NICU, along with all the affiliated NICUs. Neonatal APPs are able to diagnosis, treat, and provide medications, while also providing support to families during critical moments.