Summit Speaker | |
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 | Heidelise Als, PhD Heidelise Als, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Senior Associate in Psychiatry, and Director of Neurobehavioral Infant and Child Studies, Boston Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston Massachusetts, and Research Associate in Newborn Medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Als is a clinician and researcher, who is concerned with the neurodevelopment of fullterm, high risk and preterm newborns, as well as the effect of environment and care and the parents’ role on brain development. Her goal is to improve the future for all newborns and especially those born early and/or with special challenges requiring intensive medical care. Dr. Als is the originator of the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) and the director of the first NICU based program dedicated to training and implementing this approach, established in 1982, the National NIDCAP Training Center, based at Boston Children’s Hospital and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She is the founder of the NIDCAP Federation International (NFI), a charitable organization with the mission to assure NIDCAP care for all newborns and families world-wide. Her research has documented significant improvement in the health and neurodevelopment of preterm infants, who receive NIDCAP care compared to those, cared for in traditional ways. Her work has changed the training and education of staff as well as the design of and care delivered in NICUs in the US and globally. (See also www.nidcap.org). |
| Disclosure statement: Dr. Heidelise Als has no relevant financial disclosures. Non-Financial Disclosures: Dr. Heidelise Als is a volunteer member of Board of Directors of the non-profit NIDCAP Federation International (NFI) and a Senior NIDCAP and APIB Master Trainer. Conflict of Interest: There is no conflict of interest for anyone with the ability to control content for this activity. | |
Summit Moderators | |
 | Sue Ludwig, OTR/L, CNT Sue Ludwig, OTR/L, CNT, is passionate about improving quality of life for infants who begin their journey in the NICU and the therapists who serve them. As NANT President and Founder she uses her unique blend of clinical expertise, innovation, and leadership skills to support the advancement of this specialized field on a global level. She received the Laura Edmunds Lectureship Award from UMass Memorial Medical Center and was awarded the Individual Contribution to Maternal & Child Health by the National Perinatal Association. She is a member of and media expert in neonatal therapy for the American Occupational Therapy Association. Sue is a sought after speaker, consultant, writer and educator. She is driven to improve the culture of healthcare, armed with decades of experience speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves. Sue lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and two grown children. |
 | Dr. Jenene Craig, PhD, MBA, OTR/L, CNT Dr. Craig lives in metro Atlanta, GA., is an Associate Professor and the Department Chair of Brenau University’s School of Occupational Therapy Norcross Day program. She has been practicing for 36 years as a neonatal therapist. She began her career practicing in both adult acute care and pediatrics and has been specialized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with premature infants since 1985. She was privileged to receive her NIDCAP training under the tutelage of Dr. Heidelise Als in Boston, MA. For many years, Jenene served as CEO of ‘Family Infant Connections’, a NICU consulting practice. Jenene currently serves as the Director of Education for the National Association of Neonatal Therapists and was the inaugural Co-Chair of the Neonatal Therapists National Certification Board (NTNCB). In addition to consulting with several local NICUs, Jenene works PRN at a regional Level III NICU and is currently on the Board of Directors for the National Perinatal Association. She serves as a national speaker for the care of premature infants and families embattled in the stressful environment of the NICU. Jenene’s personal passion is to support multidisciplinary work in the NICU with a focus on parent-infant outcomes. Jenene was born in Rapid City, South Dakota but claims metro-Atlanta, Georgia as home. Her first passion is as wife and mother of six children. In her free time, Jenene is an active member of the Metro Jazz Club Band where she plays alto saxophone and the principal oboist for a few orchestras. |
