from Ohio roots to hospital heights

Dayton Children’s celebrates graduate of hospital medicine fellowship

At Dayton Children’s, every staff milestone matters! Dr. Samantha Neumeier is taking the next big step in her Dayton Children’s career, graduating from our pediatric hospital medicine fellowship. Congratulations, Dr. Neumeier!

Ohio roots, big dreams

Born and raised in Troy, Ohio, Dr. Neumeier has deep roots in the Miami Valley. When she wasn’t waterskiing, playing euchre or cheering on the Ohio State Buckeyes, Dr. Neumeier was studying at Northeast Ohio Medical University to fulfill her dream of becoming a pediatrician.

“I have always loved working with kids and their families. Being able to interact with them when they are sick as well as when they are recovering is such a rewarding experience,” said Dr. Neumeier.

In 2019, she matched with Dayton Children’s for her pediatric residency, where she explored all aspects of pediatrics, including outpatient care, inpatient care, research and quality improvement. Upon graduation, she was well prepared for a career in pediatrics or the pursuit of a subspecialty fellowship.

For Dr. Neumeier, becoming an expert in hospital care mattered.

“I enjoyed being involved in transitions of care,” she explained. “I knew hospital medicine would offer me the opportunity to be present for patients and their families during a challenging time of life. I love being able to explain what is going on with their child, next steps and help them be prepared to go home when they are ready.”

a perfect match

Only 50% of doctors who want a fellowship in pediatric hospital medicine get into one of 74 United States programs – it’s a coin toss chance. For Dr. Neumeier, it was perfect timing.

Dayton Children’s noticed the gap in available programs and launched a pediatric hospital medicine fellowship in 2022. She matched and became one of our first-ever fellows.

“The people at Dayton Children’s make it such a unique and special place,” said Dr. Neumeier. “All over the hospital, I have found that we have such empathetic coworkers who go above and beyond for their patients and each other.”

During her fellowship, Dr. Neumeier researched “problem list utilization,” a quick reference guide that lists a patient’s most important health problems, helping clinicians make decisions about treatment. Her success in quality improvement led Dayton Children’s to establish a policy around using such lists.

new beginnings with familiar roots

After graduating this summer, Dr. Neumeier will continue her career at Dayton Children’s as a hospitalist and physician advisor, helping the next generation of doctors for tomorrow’s patients – right where she began her journey.

“My biggest advice is to ‘say yes’ to opportunities to challenge yourself and learn,” she said. “You never know what interests and skills you may uncover in the process!”

Congratulations Dr. Neumeier!

last reviewedJuly 17, 2024

let your career take flight at Dayton Children’s!

Dayton Children’s careers offer rewarding opportunities in health care, support services and more, all with one mission: going above and beyond. Learn more about career opportunities at Dayton Children’s and the hospital’s commitment to employee growth here.

careers

care that goes above and beyond

Because every child deserves care that goes above and beyond, Dayton Children’s provides compassionate, expert care for kids of all ages. Find a provider, schedule an appointment, or learn more about conditions we treat today.

find a provider

schedule appointment

conditions we treat

A smiling young girl in a pink top sits in a bright clinic space, representing a happy patient at Dayton Children’s.

pediatrics is where Peter is meant to be

At Dayton Children’s, we are proud to have dedicated nurses that go above and beyond every day to help our patients. To celebrate National Certified Nurses Day, we spoke with Peter Inzitari about his experience as a nurse at Dayton Children’s.

Peter worked as an EMT for 10 years, a career he pursued because he wanted the chance to give back to his community by helping those around him. On January 30, Peter made a career change and joined the Dayton Children’s nursing staff as a registered nurse (RN).

“I always found that pediatrics was where I was meant to be,” said Peter. “I am, by nature, silly. I love cheesy jokes. I felt that the simplistic way children saw the world always made my day brighter.”

Peter chose to become a nurse, because it allowed him to help more people in a positive way. As an EMT, he was helping one person at a time. As a nurse, he could help change the lives of many children at once.

Peter Inzitari, a nurse at Dayton Children's, poses in his scrubs

Peter’s motivation to help others comes from his own experience with a medical condition. When he was 18, Peter was diagnosed with Keratoconus, a rare cornea condition that doctors said would eventually leave him blind. A clinical trial and surgery saved Peter’s vision, but to him, the most important part was how his experience impacted his outlook on life.

“In a blink of an eye my life changed,” he said. “Kids at Dayton Children’s go through this feeling every single day. I can’t always relate to what they are going through, but I can relate to the feeling of having a life altering illness.”

Peter aims to remind each of his patients that they are not defined by their illnesses. He always wants the children he works with to continue being silly and having fun, even during the hardest moments.

Whether it is joking with the kids, complimenting their stuffed animal companions or giving them the medical attention they need, Peter is there to help!

“It’s not the medicine that makes a difference, it’s the nurses who go the extra mile to make sure our patients are as happy and healthy as they possibly can be,” Peter said. “I feel Dayton Children’s does a phenomenal job of that.”

last reviewedMarch 20, 2023

let your career take flight at Dayton Children’s!

careers

care that goes above and beyond

find a provider

schedule appointment

conditions we treat

spotlight on respiratory therapist, Lacie Shepherd

In honor of national respiratory therapy week, we sat down with Lacie Shepherd to learn more about her job. She joins Dayton Children’s 65-member respiratory therapy team!

what is your role?
I am one of the day shift supervisors. I started at Dayton Children’s as a student 18 years ago (2004). I have never worked anywhere else as a respiratory therapist.

why respiratory therapy?
When I was in school, I wasn’t quite sure where my career would take me. I really liked many areas of Kettering Hospital. I thought about going back for nursing so I could work for Care Flight. We didn’t have any pediatric rotations our first semester of school. The very first time I came to Dayton Children’s for clinicals, I loved it and knew that is where I wanted to work.

Lacie Shepherd, a respiratory therapist at Dayton Children's, poses for a photo with a fellow team member

why Dayton Children’s?
Working with kids seemed rewarding and even fun at times. I liked that I would be able to work in different areas of the hospital and could do different things. Another big draw to being a respiratory therapist at Dayton Children’s was being able to be on the transport team! I started as a student and have been there ever since. I have worked in general pediatrics, the PICU, emergency department, pediatric transport, NICU and neonatal transport over the years and now I am a supervisor.

what do you love about your role?
I love the variety of not doing the same thing every single day! It isn’t always easy working with kids, but for the most part it has been enjoyable and rewarding. Over the past 18 years things have changed a lot. For example, we now cover more areas including our south emergency department and Shriner’s burn unit.

Even though we are dealing with sick and sometimes dying patients we try to do things to make their stay fun. I enjoy being able to bring a smile or laugh to these kids and their families during difficult times. Seeing the families being thankful and knowing that I have done everything I can to help someone breathe easier keeps me motivated. I work with a great team of respiratory therapists and knowing that we are in it together is helpful during difficult times.

what do people not know about your role?
Most non-medical people don’t know there is a difference and call us nurses all the time. Many people within the hospital think RT’s suction trachs and give breathing treatments, which are both true, but there is a lot more to the job!

There are so many things we do. We get calls from all over the hospital to come assess patients, set up equipment, troubleshoot equipment, help transport patients on respiratory support to other units like surgery or medical imaging. We also respond to pivotal response treatments (PRTs) and codes, manage ventilators, suction, provide breathing treatments and go to other hospitals with the transport team.

We also provide 24/7 coverage to Shriner’s and our south ED, and provide coverage to medical imaging, pulmonary lab and sleep lab. Physicians and residents will come to us for advice when coming up with a treatment plan for patients or helping with procedures.

Lastly, we do outreach throughout the community and in schools.

Special thanks to Lacie for sharing why her job and role is so amazing!

last reviewedNovember 9, 2022

let your career take flight at Dayton Children’s!

careers

care that goes above and beyond

find a provider

schedule appointment

conditions we treat

no matter where, Pam just wanted to be in nursing care

From the windy city to the gem city, no matter where, Pam just wanted to be in nursing care!

After Pam Bucaro’s husband was offered a job with the City of Dayton, relocating six hours south east from their Chicago home came with one condition – that there was a children’s hospital nearby.

Nine minutes down the road sat Dayton Children’s Hospital. Pam walked through the hospital doors and thirty-three years later, she’s never walked out. Prior to her current role as a clinical nurse specialist in emergency services, Pam worked in Dayton Children’s PICU, almost home unit, home care and the emergency department.

“The patients and their families, the front line staff and our excellent leadership team, both in the emergency department and throughout the hospital, are what inspire me to continue to go above and beyond,” said Pam.

Other above and beyond motivators happen when we least expect them. One of these random moments, those that remind staff why they fell in love with pediatric health care, happened to Pam early in her career. She manually ventilated a baby that stopped breathing. Her efforts allowed the baby to return home.

“The attending on-call that night told me that I saved that patient’s life,” said Pam. “That was really meaningful.”

In 2013, Pam was nominated and named the Emergency Nurses Association’s Clinical Nurse Specialist of the Year. The award recognizes a clinical nurse specialist who makes significant contributions to nursing practice and the professional development of others.

“I love my job because I am part of a team that works tirelessly to deliver the most up-to-date, high quality, evidence-based care to our patients,” said Pam.

“I enjoy problem solving, developing processes for care delivery and educating the clinical staff, ” she said.

These talents have shined house wide.

Pam Bucaro, Dayton Children's employee, poses for a photo

Pam helped develop our outreach nurse program. Debuting in 2007, the program designates nurses to provide post-discharge follow up to families after discharge from one of our emergency services locations. In 2021, she co-founded Dayton Children’s first comprehensive staff support program, flight support and was named as the program’s official coordinator.

“I am privileged to work closely with the outreach nurses, trauma nurse leaders, family support team and staff support colleagues,” said Pam. “My colleagues provide continuous motivation, support, leadership and assistance with so many projects and clinical initiatives.”

Thank you, Pam, for 33 years of service to Dayton Children’s!

last reviewedMarch 16, 2022

let your career take flight at Dayton Children’s!

careers

care that goes above and beyond

find a provider

schedule appointment

conditions we treat

one decision paved Kyle’s 17-year long career at Dayton Children’s

Have you ever thought about how every choice and split-second decision has led you to where you are today? Every day for the last 17 years, Kyle Frysinger, emergency department assistant nurse manager, has walked through the hospital doors thankful that these life moments brought him to Dayton Children’s.

Kyle originally went to school for his EMT-B to become an emergency medical technician. During his studies, he was assigned to complete clinical time at Dayton Children’s emergency department. This is where he fell in love with pediatrics, dropped out of the EMT program, applied for a PCA position and changed his degree to nursing – and he’s never looked back.

“It was one of the best decisions I have ever made,” said Kyle.

Kyle says that he’s motivated by our mission and vision – working so that every child receives the highest level of care to restore an optimal level of health. In fact, one of his very first patients continues to be a reminder of this.

Kyle Frysinger poses with his family for a photo

What first appeared to be a minor illness, progressed into a 33-day long hospital admission in the PICU, where Kyle and the patient developed a close bond. Today, the patient sports #33 on his jersey, playing division II college basketball.

“The patient truly is a miracle child,” shared Kyle. “I am honored I was able to care for them.”

Since this patient, a lot has happened in 17 years (including Kyle having four children of his own!) At Dayton Children’s, Kyle’s watched new buildings grow from the ground up and a new name placed on the exterior. Despite these differences and growths, Kyle says our internal family-like atmosphere has never wavered.

“When I pass someone in the hallway, there is always the friendly ‘hello’ or ‘how are you doing,'” said Kyle. “The culture at Dayton Children’s has always been this way and I’m glad it hasn’t changed as we’ve grown.”

Thank you, Kyle, for 17 years of above and beyond service!

last reviewedMarch 2, 2022

let your career take flight at Dayton Children’s!

careers

care that goes above and beyond

find a provider

schedule appointment

conditions we treat

parental leave allows Ben to bond with his daughter

We understand that every employee is a part of two families – the one surrounding them inside our hospital walls and the one they go home to at the end of the day. The people you go home to are just as important as those you greet at the beginning.

Dayton Children’s Hospital realizes the importance of family and taking care of your own children – so that you can continue taking care of our region’s. We offer six weeks of paid parental leave for eligible full-time and part-time employees.

When Ben Heil, PICU nurse, found out his wife was expecting their first baby, he looked into this benefit.

“I learned about the parental leave from my coworkers who have all had babies. It was surprisingly easy,” described Ben.

“The Dayton Children’s benefits are really great, especially compared to some of my friends who work elsewhere. They barely received any leave when their children were born.”

He was able to take six weeks paid parental leave, plus an additional four under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Having an extra sent of hands for middle of the night feeding and diaper changes was something Ben says his wife was especially appreciative of.

“I spent the time on leave bonding with my daughter,” Ben said. “I wouldn’t trade those first ten weeks for anything. It was amazing to be there for my family.”

After taking care of his daughter and entering his fifth year at Dayton Children’s, Ben is back in the PICU to take care of our region’s children.

Because we care, Dayton Children’s is a leader when it comes to the benefits we provide our staff. Learn more about our employee benefits here.

Ben Heil poses for a photo with his wife and daughter

last reviewedNovember 16, 2021

let your career take flight at Dayton Children’s!

careers

care that goes above and beyond

find a provider

schedule appointment

conditions we treat