I follow all pediatric patients who need a heart transplant or who have had a heart transplant. I see patients both in the hospital and in the Pediatric Heart Transplant Clinic. 
The biggest opportunity associated with my current role is the ability to follow patients throughout their pediatric life. Continuity of care is very important to me, and I love that my current role allows me to follow patients from their infant stage all the way through college graduation, at which time we transition them to the Adult Transplant Team. Following children through all the huge milestones of their childhood and young adult lives after they've had a heart transplant is so rewarding and a constant reminder that the day-to-day work my team does is life-changing for all of our patients. Our team gives them that opportunity to go and live life to the fullest, which is so impactful. The biggest challenge associated with my job is managing patients while awaiting transplantation, as that is the most high-risk time during their transplant course. Children who are sick enough to need a heart transplant are incredibly fragile and keeping them well enough to be able to get to transplant can be difficult and taxing some days, but always worth it. 
I recently was first author on a research project for the first time and had the abstract accepted for an oral presentation at the 2023 International Society of Heart and Lung Transplant Conference. Given that I am passionate about research, especially in furthering the field of pediatric heart transplantation, this is a huge accomplishment for me. I also recently received the Annual 2023 Excellence Award from Pediatric Heart Transplant Society for my contributions towards our field within the past year. One of the goals I had when I got this job was to become involved with research and knowledge dissemination at the national level, and I take pride in this award which recognizes my accomplishments in doing so.
I am a wife and mother of an almost-two-year-old daughter, a 6 year-old golden retriever, and have a baby boy on the way. My family is my world and I love spending my evenings and weekends with them; we love being outdoors and going on family hikes. I am a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Kentucky, and thus an avid Kentucky sports fan. My hobbies include cooking and gardening, both of which I enjoy spending my free time doing.