About CNA

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Susan Basile, NNP-BC

Susan Basile completed her Neonatal Nurse Practitioner training at Georgetown University Hospital in 1992. Following an internship at Children’s National Medical Center, she has since worked full-time as a Nurse Practitioner in the NICU at Holy Cross Hospital. Susan lives in Westminster Maryland with her husband and crazy dog Enzo. She is the thrilled grandmother of Ryan, born to her son Terry and his wife, Katja. In her spare time, she enjoys golfing, hiking, yoga and cooking. She is grateful for the support the Ryan Donald Basile Fund for Families in Need, named in memory of her son, has provided to underserved NICU families since 2021.

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Colleen Calpin, DNP, NNP-BC

Colleen earned her undergraduate degree from James Madison University. She then went on to earn her Bachelor’s in Nursing from George Washington University, and a Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Prior to coming to Holy Cross, Colleen worked primarily in Washington, DC. In her spare time Colleen enjoys traveling, books, performing arts, and walking around DC with her family.

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Alanna Dessouky, NNP-BC

Alanna Dessouky is a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner from Cleveland, Ohio. She earned her undergraduate degree from Ohio University before relocating to Washington, DC, where she obtained her nursing degree from Marymount University. Alanna later earned her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Connecticut. She started her career as a bedside neonatal nurse before transitioning to her current role as a neonatal nurse practitioner.

Now based in DC, Alanna enjoys life with her husband, two kids, and their dog. An avid Cleveland sports fan, she also loves gardening, traveling, and spending time with those closest to her.

Neonatologist

Zaneta Forson-Dare, MBBS

Zaneta Forson-Dare completed medical school with an intercalated Bachelor of Science (Honours) in International Health at University College London (UCL), United Kingdom. After working in the National Health System (NHS) for a few years, she moved across the pond to New Haven, Connecticut to complete her Pediatrics residency, followed by her Neonatal-Perinatal fellowship at Yale University. She lives in Montgomery County with her husband and two children. She maintains her love of Global Health through her involvement in international teaching conferences in West Africa. In her spare time, she loves being a part of and volunteering in her local church, cooking, travelling and doing home design projects.

Neonatologist

Chrys Gaitatzes, MD/PhD

NICU Medical Director, Holy Cross Hospital

Dr. Gaitatzes attended Purdue University (W. Lafayette, IN) as an undergraduate, and Boston University School of Medicine (Boston, MA) where she received her medical degree and a Ph.D. in Molecular Pharmacology. She continued on for Pediatric Residency Training at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx, NY where she was also a Chief Resident. She completed her Neonatology Fellowship at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and their two children. In her free time she enjoys traveling the world with her family and friends.

Neonatologist

Sonal Goenka, MD

Dr. Goenka attended Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA) for her undergraduate degree and stayed to continue her medical degree at Drexel College of Medicine. She continued on for her Pediatric Residency training at Cohen’s Children Medical Center in Queens, NY. She completed her Neonatology Fellowship at New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. In her free time she enjoys reading, going on hikes and traveling with her family and friends.

Neonatologist

Leah Harburg, MD

Dr. Harburg grew up locally in Potomac, MD. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), and her medical degree at New York Medical College. She moved back home to complete her pediatric residency and NICU fellowship at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC. Dr. Harburg currently lives in Bethesda, MD and loves to read, anything from thrillers to romance to fantasy, and to spend time with her family and friends, preferably at the pool or the beach.

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Margaret L. Hull, MSN, NNP-BC

Growing up in a military family, Lilly Hull moved frequently, ultimately settling in Virginia where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Virginia. She then served as a nurse in the United States Navy including two deployments, one to the Middle East and one to southeast Asia on a hospital ship. After switching from Active Duty to Reserve service, Lilly continued to work in the NICU at several DC area hospitals. She earned her Masters of Science degree in Nursing from Duke University and began working with Community Neonatal Associates. When she is not chasing after her four young children, Lilly enjoys reading, biking and spending time with her friends.

Pediatric Hospitalist

Simran Kalra, MD

Dr. Kalra received her bachelor’s degree from University of Maryland Baltimore County and medical degree from New York Medical College. She completed her pediatric residency at VCU. She has grown up and currently lives in Montgomery County. She enjoys bike riding and salsa dancing.

Neonatologist

Sharon C. Kiernan, MD

Dr Kiernan received her undergraduate degree from Williams College and her medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia at VCU where she was elected to AOA. She completed her pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and her neonatal-perinatal fellowship at Georgetown University Medical Center. Dr. Kiernan lives in Northern Virginia with her husband. Her favorite activities include visiting her grandchildren, reading novels, photography, and walking the beaches on Cape Cod.

Neonatologist

Jessica McAdoo, MD

Dr. McAdoo graduated from North Carolina A&T State University with a Biology degree. She received her medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Staying in her home state of NC, she completed her residency in Pediatrics and fellowship in Neonatology at Duke University Medical Center. Dr. McAdoo thinks a trip along the Amalfi Coast should be on everyone’s bucket list.

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Alison Newman, MSN, NNP-BC, CRNP

Alison grew up in a suburb outside of Chicago. She earned her undergraduate nursing degree from Vanderbilt University and her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania. She has been a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner at Holy Cross Hospital for more than 30 years. She is married and is the mother of two adult sons. Alison enjoys travel, entertaining friends and working in her garden.

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Marie Owens, NNP-BC

Marie-Helene Owens, NNP-BC grew up as the daughter of a US Diplomat, spending the majority of her childhood in Africa as well as South America before moving to Maryland. She received her Doctorate of Nursing Practice with a specialty in the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner track from the University of Maryland – Baltimore campus. Prior to and throughout her studies, she worked as a bedside nurse in Holy Cross Silver Spring’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, in addition to those of George Washington University Hospital, Children’s National Medical Center and Reston Hospital Center. She completed her clinical hours in NICUs across the DMV area. In her free time, she enjoys trying new restaurants with her husband and two small children.

Neonatologist

Matthew Picard, MD, MPH

Dr. Picard received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, medical degree from Stanford University and Masters of Public Health degree from the George Washington University. He trained in Pediatrics and Neonatology at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. His professional interests include infant nutrition and non-invasive respiratory support. He lives in Montgomery County and loves travel and long distance running & cycling while managing to root for both the Nationals and Red Sox (as long as they never meet each other in a World Series).

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Susannah Reed-McCullough, MSN, NNP-BC

Susie grew up in Prince George’s County, MD. She was actually born at Holy Cross Hospital! Some years later, she received her BSN from University of Maryland School of Nursing. She worked as a bedside nurse in the NICU at Holy Cross Hospital for nine years before returning to school for her MSN at East Carolina University. After graduating, she joined CNA as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. When she isn’t working, she enjoys cooking, baking, and running. She lives in the area with her two daughters, dog, and cats.

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Laura Rogers, MSN, NNP-BC

Laura Rogers obtained her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Delaware and her master’s degree from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Prior to joining Community Neonatal Associates as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner she worked in the NICU at Children’s National Medical Center as a nurse. She lives with her husband and two children. When she isn’t caring for her toddler and baby she enjoys running and cooking.

Neonatologist

John Rouhani, MD, MBA

CNA President
NICU Medical Director, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital

Dr. Rouhani attended West Virginia University as an undergraduate and obtained his medical degree from the American University of the Caribbean. He completed residency training in Pediatrics and a fellowship in Neonatology at East Carolina University. He later earned a Master of Business Administration degree with a focus on health care from Eliizabethtown College. He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and three children. In his spare time he enjoys playing squash, riding his bike, and spending time with his family.

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Deborah Ryan, BSN, MS, NNP-BC

Debbie Ryan graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1993 and from University of Maryland at Baltimore with a Master of Science in Nursing-Neonatal Nurse Practitioner in 1998. She has been with Community Neonatal Associates since 2001. The privilege of working with babies and families has made for a very challenging but wonderfully rewarding career.

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Reema Sbitany, MSN, NNP-BC

Reema Sbitany is a native of Washington DC and grew up in Montgomery County. She graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1998 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing and received a Master’s of Science in Nursing as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004. She practiced as a registered nurse for 6 years prior to starting her career as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner in 2004. Prior to starting at Holy Cross in 2009, some of the notable hospitals where she practiced were the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital at the University of California San Francisco. She enjoys golfing and spending time with family and friends.

Neonatologist

Stephanie Sheppard, MD

Dr. Sheppard is a midwesterner at heart and completed her undergraduate degree at University of Michigan, followed by medical school at the Ohio State University (yes- it’s possible, and she’s still a Michigan fan- Go Blue!). She moved to the east coast for pediatric residency at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC, and after a year of working with CNA as a hospitalist, she went on to then do her fellowship at Georgetown. She found her way back to CNA after fellowship, and thinks she’ll stay a while In her spare time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, and doing just about anything with her husband and two young children.

Neonatologist

Ashley Sherwood, MD, MMCI, MBA

A native of beautiful Athens, Georgia, Dr. Sherwood earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University and her medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia. She completed her Pediatric training at the Boston Combined Residency Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and Boston Medical Center. She returned to her alma mater for her fellowship in Neonatal Perinatal Medicine, as well as a Master of Management degree in Clinical Informatics at the Fuqua School of Business. She recently earned her Master of Business Administration at The George Washington University. Dr. Sherwood is passionate about optimizing the long-term pulmonary outcomes of her patients, as well as mentoring early career physicians. Dr. Sherwood lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two children. When she is not attempting to develop her yoga practice, she enjoys skiing, hiking, and baking.

Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Mary Smith, NNP-BC

Mary Smith has taken care of NICU infants since graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Maryland. She started her career in the NICU at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC and graduated from the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program at Georgetown University. Mary returned to the NICU at Children’s National Medical Center until 1993 when she joined the Holy Cross Hospital NICU. Mary enjoys traveling with her husband visiting their four grown children and resides in Highland, Md.

Administrative Assistant

Rebecca McClenny, RN

Rebecca is a retired Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP) with over 30 years of experience, having worked in multiple local Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). She currently works at Community Neonatal Associates (CNA) as an administrative assistant. Her responsibilities include tracking the number of deliveries attended by CNA at Maryland’s busiest hospital for deliveries and monitoring the number of babies in the NICU at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland. CNA also manages the NICU at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, where Rebecca keeps track of the deliveries, and the number of babies in the Newborn Nursery (NBN) and the NICU. She oversees billing accuracy for all the babies and collaborates with an outside billing provider to ensure billing and insurance information is accurate. Additionally, she assists physicians with data collection projects when needed. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, daughter’s foster children, her dog, crafting, and baking.

Office Manager

Nicole Gignac

Nicole has been with CNA since March 2015. She lives in Crofton, MD with her boyfriend and their son, Kameron. In her free time, Nicole enjoys traveling, treasures taking trips to the family beach house, and loves spending time with her family and friends.

Jennifer Berg, NNP-BC

Jennifer Berg attended D’Youville College in Buffalo, NY where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. She obtained her nurse practitioner degree at Georgetown University. She has worked in Neonatal Intensive Care Units caring for fragile newborns since the beginning of her nursing career. She has lived in Montgomery County, Maryland for most of her life and currently resides in Germantown, MD. She likes to buy and collect yarn and once in a while knits.

Cynthia Federline, NNP-BC

Cindi received her BSN from the University of Maryland in 1983 and entered immediately into the NICU as a bedside nurse. In 1995, she earned her master’s degree as an NNP from the University of Maryland. In 1996 she began working as an NNP in a level 3+ NICU. She joined CNA in December 2022. She is married and lives with her husband, son, rescue dog and 2 rescue cats in Carroll County, MD where she has resided for 38 years. She has four grown children. She loves all animals. In her spare time she enjoys cooking, being outside, time in her pool, the beach and spending time with her family.

Janel Hino, MD

Janel Hino, MD is a founding member of CNA and has been at Holy Cross Hospital since 1998. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia and has a masters degree in chemistry from American University. Dr. Hino was a chemist for several years before obtaining her MD from Eastern Virginia Medical School. She competed both her pediatric residency and neonatology fellowship at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC. Dr. Hino is committed to global medicine in developing countries and has traveled to Haiti and Uganda to promote current neonatology practices. She is married with two children and enjoys hiking, gardening and traveling.

Beverly Walker, NNP-BC

Beverly Walker, NNP-BC has been a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner for 25 years. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Nursing and attended the Georgetown University Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program. She lives in Bowie with her daughter Gaby and their rescue mini poodle Fifi. In her free times she loves to travel, read, work on her garden and express her artistic talents in adult coloring books.