Neonatology Online Course(s) & Continuing Education

Jeanette Mesite Frem, MHS, IBCLC, RLC, CCE is an experienced childbirth educator, IBCLC-lactation consultant and retired birth doula. She started her career working with families while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa in the early 90s. She loved that work so much she went on to receive a public health masters degree from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, focusing her studies on nutrition for maternal and child health. Her two children were breastfed for more than 2 years each and Jeanette has experience pumping at work for both children and has supported more than a thousand families with feeding and pumping over the last 20 years.

Jeanette provides prenatal childbirth and breastfeeding classes at her office in Northborough, Massachusetts, as well as providing virtual and office feeding consultations. She also enjoys leading workshops for perinatal health professionals and mentoring those who work with families. If you have questions, feel free to email [email protected].

Dr. Jacqueline Hoffman has over 37 years in the field of neonatal health care. She completed her Masters in Perinatal/Neonatal Health at the State University of StonyBrook and her DNP at the University of Alabama, Birmingham. She was previously the NNP Track Coordinator and Clinical Faculty at UAB and the University of Florida. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Rush University in Chicago in the DNP-NNP track. She has a clinical practice with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and is the lead NNP at PeaceHealth Southwest in Vancouver, Washington. She precepts medical (family and pediatric residents) and NNP students in her clinical practice. She was part of the original Council for the National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (NANNP), is a Member-At-Large for the Florida Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (FANNP), and is a member of the Academy of Neonatal Nurses, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Perinatal Section, American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), and member of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nursing (AWHONN). She has authored several book chapters in textbooks targeted for the NNP. She is a nationally known speaker as well as has presented several poster presentations on Case Studies.

Dr. Narvey began his training in Pediatrics at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg where he completed a year of further training in Neonatology. This was followed by two years of Neonatal fellowship at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Afterwards he began his career as a Neonatologist in the same city and over the 6 years he spent there, his career included both clinical and administrative duties including 4 years as the Fellowship Program Director and two years as the Medical Director for a level II unit. In late 2010 he accepted a position in Winnipeg to become the Section Head of Neonatology and continues to hold this post. In 2016 he took on the additional role of Medical Director of the Child Health Transport Team. In 2015 he became a member of the Canadian Pediatric Society’s Fetus and Newborn Committee and in 2019 took over as Chair of the same. His interests predominantly lie in the use of non-invasive technology to minimize painful procedures during an infants stay in the NICU. He is active on social media and has a passion for fundraising and is an active board member of the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.

Dr Nandiran Ratnavel has been a Consultant Neonatologist at The Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust for 16 years. He is Director of The London Neonatal Transfer Service and Joint Clinical Lead for North East and Central London Neonatal Services. He serves as joint implementation lead for In Utero Transfer Services in London and has recently taken up a position as Neonatal Clinical Lead for the London Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme. Finally he has a role as clinical reviewer for the Independent Maternity Services Oversight Panel for the Welsh Government.

Leslie Parker has a dual position at the College of Nursing and the College of Medicine at the University of Florida where she is a professor. She has been a neonatal nurse practitioner since 1990 and continues to practice as a neonatal nurse practitioner in the NICU at UF Health. She was the tract coordinator of the neonatal nurse practitioner program from 1992-2011. She has been involved in human milk research for nearly two decades and focuses on improving milk production in mothers of critically ill and premature infants. She is funded by the National Institutes of Health for her team’s work regarding neonatal nutrition including the risk of feeding tube contamination, risks and benefits of gastric residual evaluation and optimizing consumption of breast milk for preterm infants.

After raising three children as a stay-at-home mother, Dr. Phillips received a Masters degree in Developmental Psychology, became NIDCAP certified as an Infant Developmental Specialist, and then attended medical school at University of California, Davis, graduating in 2004. She completed her pediatric residency and neonatology fellowship at Loma Linda University Children's Hospital in Loma Linda, CA and is currently an attending neonatologist in the NICU at the same hospital as well as Co-Medical Director of Newborn Nursery at Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta. Dr. Phillips is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and is a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. She is the immediate past president of the National Perinatal Association. Her primary areas of interest are mother-infant attachment, breastfeeding education and support, and Family-Centered Neuroprotective Care of premature infants in the NICU.

Dr. Jennifer Barnes is the Neonatal Intensive Care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, NC. She has over 10 years of experience within the field. Dr. Barnes received her bachelor’s degree at Virginia Tech and her Doctor of Pharmacy at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia. She completed her pharmacy practice residency at Alamance Regional Medical Center- Cone Health. Dr. Barnes is board certified in pediatric pharmacotherapy. She is also an active member of the Pediatric Pharmacy Association (PPA) and is currently serving as the neonatology committee chair. Dr. Barnes serves as a clinical assistant professor for pharmacy advanced practice rotations for University of North Carolina, University of South Carolina, Wingate University and High Point University. Her current research areas of interest include the role of diuretics in bronchopulmonary dysplasia treatment and antibiotic stewardship for late-onset sepsis amongst other topics.

Ramya Kumar is an ASHA certified Speech Language Pathologist specializing in infant and pediatric feeding disorders while practicing in a Level 3 NICU and outpatient settings in Phoenix, AZ. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Swallowing & Swallowing Disorders, Certified Neonatal Therapist, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Neonatal Touch & Massage Certified Therapist & has completed the Trauma Informed Professional Certificate. Ramya is an internationally sought out speaker & clinical mentor on the topic of neuroprotective care in the NICU, Pediatric Feeding Disorders and Tethered Oral Tissues. Ramya is passionate about helping families create mealtime success through a whole-body lens. More recently, Ramya has been serving as a NICU Developmental Coordinator championing changes in unit culture, system-wide policy development and supporting transition of NICU families to community based programs. She has also co-founded Arizona NICU Follow-Up Specialists, a community resource supporting NICU grads and their families as they transition from hospital to home.

Chesney Willis, MHS, CCC-SLP, IBCLC is a certified speech language pathologist and lactation consultant from the University of Missouri Women’s and Children’s hospital. She earned her master of health sciences degree from the University of Missouri in 2008 and obtained her IBCLC in 2017. Chesney has over 13 years of experience working across outpatient rehabilitation, home-health, inpatient care for pediatrics and neonates in level II and III NICU settings. Clinical expertise includes evaluation and treatment of disordered swallowing and feeding in special neonate populations. Experience includes the development and dissemination of education for best feeding practices for late preterm and preterm infants to families and inter-disciplinary health care providers. She is passionate about supporting mother-baby breastfeeding dyads with special feeding considerations from hospitalization through the transition to home.

Dr. Narvey began his training in Pediatrics at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg where he completed a year of further training in Neonatology. This was followed by two years of Neonatal fellowship at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Afterwards he began his career as a Neonatologist in the same city and over the 6 years he spent there, his career included both clinical and administrative duties including 4 years as the Fellowship Program Director and two years as the Medical Director for a level II unit. In late 2010 he accepted a position in Winnipeg to become the Section Head of Neonatology and continues to hold this post. In 2016 he took on the additional role of Medical Director of the Child Health Transport Team. In 2015 he became a member of the Canadian Pediatric Society’s Fetus and Newborn Committee and in 2019 took over as Chair of the same. His interests predominantly lie in the use of non-invasive technology to minimize painful procedures during an infants stay in the NICU. He is active on social media and has a passion for fundraising and is an active board member of the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.