HJNO May/Jun 2022

Mary “Toni” Flowers, PhD, DHL, MBA, CCDP, CDM, SEIC Chief Diversity & Social Responsibility Officer LCMC Health Mary “Toni” Flowers, PhD, is honored to serve as the inaugural chief diversity and social responsibility officer at LCMC Health. She is a registered nurse, medical anthropologist, adjunct professor, and guest lecturer. She was identified as one of “50 great African American leaders in healthcare to know” by Becker’s Hospital Review in 2018 and one of 68 in 2019. Flowers has provided training and development to hospitals and health systems nationally for over a decade. She is recognized as a leader on topics including diversity strategy, customer experience, health equity, cultural competency, and more. She is a passionate servant-leader who is committed to equity and social justice. Julie Kaplow, PhD, ABPP Executive Director of the Trauma and Grief Center Children’s Hospital New Orleans Julie Kaplow, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, board certified in clinical child and adolescent psychology. Kaplow serves as executive director of the Trauma and Grief Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans (CHNOLA) and The Hackett Center for Mental Health in Houston. She also serves as professor of psychiatry at Tulane University School of Medicine and as executive vice president of trauma and grief programs and policy at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. In these roles, she oversees the development and evaluation of novel treatments for traumatized and bereaved youth and disseminates trauma- and bereavement-informed “best practices” to community providers nationwide. Sonia Malhotra, MD, MS, FAAP Founder & Director for Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care University Medical Center Sonia Malhotra, MD, is a board-certified doctor specializing in palliative medicine for adults and kids and is the founder and director of University Medical Center’s Palliative Medicine & Supportive Care Services. Malhotra has established a robust inpatient palliative medicine service, outpatient clinic, and inpatient hospice program at the hospital. Malhotra completed an internal medicine and pediatrics residency at Tulane, spent a year as chief resident in pediatrics at Tulane, and completed a fellowship in adult and pediatric palliative medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. She received a master’s in medical education at the University of Pittsburgh and has a keen interest in innovative curricula for teaching primary palliative medicine skills. She is a part of various UMC committees, including bioethics, and serves as chairperson of the Analgesia Stewardship Committee. She researches palliative medicine access and has been awarded several regional and national awards in palliative medicine, including the AAHPM Emerging Leader Award. Melissa Pennebaker, FNP Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner Touro Melissa Pennebaker, palliative care nurse practitioner at Touro, works with patients and their loved ones explaining diagnoses and next steps in their care process, including end-of-life planning. Her processes and level of care have set the standards for palliative care for COVID-19 patients. Her work during the pandemic brought attention to the important role of palliative care and led to the development of grief support resources for families affected by COVID-19. She works with physicians, pastoral care providers, and social workers to provide education, resources, and support to critically ill patients and their loved ones.