Pediatric Critical Care
The Division of Critical Care at Lurie Children’s treats children in the Lefkofsky Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). We provide top-quality care using the most recent advancements in equipment and techniques, with specialized attention to pulmonary issues, critical care and other specialty needs.
Watch the video below to learn how the specialists in the Lefkofsky PICU come together as a team to save the lives of the most critically-ill children.
Approach
We believe in family-centered care, which means we involve the whole family in a patient’s treatment plan. From bringing family members into care plan meetings, to providing support and distraction to a patient’s siblings, we do our best to help fit our care within your lifestyle.
The PICU provides advanced care to children of all ages and with a vast range of serious conditions. The latest interventions and treatments are available in the PICU, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), specialty ventilation techniques and transplant services. We also work closely with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Regenstein Cardiac Care Unit (CCU).
The division offers a fellowship program providing comprehensive training to pediatricians in the scientific and clinical practice of pediatric critical care medicine. Learn more about our fellowship program.
Nationally-Ranked Care
Lurie Children’s continues to be the #1 children's hospital in Illinois and is ranked in 11 specialties by U.S. News & World Report.
Conditions We Treat
We treat a wide range of serious medical and surgical conditions, such as:
Pediatric Critical Care Specialists
Our multidisciplinary team is specially trained to treat infants and children. In addition to board-certified doctors, the team includes specialists and subspecialists, including:
- Specifically trained nurses
- Respiratory therapists
- Child life specialists
- Speech therapists
- Occupational therapists
- Physical therapists
- Social workers
- Chaplains
Rajit K. Basu, MD, MS, FCCM
Division Head, Critical Care Medicine; Posy and John Krehbiel Professorship in Critical Care Medicine
M. Ikram Akhtar, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Colleen M. Badke, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Matthew Barhight, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Amanda C. Becker, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Michael V. Certo, MD, MA, MM
Attending Physician, Palliative Care; Program Director, Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship Pediatric Track
Bria M. Coates, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care; Crown Family Research Scholar in Developmental Biology
Conrad L. Epting, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Michael A. Evans, MD, FASA
Attending Physician, Cardiac Anesthesiology; Associate Program Director, Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesiology Fellowship
Alexandra Feldman, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Samantha D. Friedman, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Rachel E. Gahagen, DO
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Anjali Garg, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Denise M. Goodman, MD, MS
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Emanuel Grant, MD
Attending Physician, Hospital-Based Medicine
Catherine A. Humikowski, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Sarah L. Kane, DNP, CPNP-AC/PC, APRN
Advanced Practice Provider, Cardiology; Cardiac Care Unit
Steven Lestrud, MD
Medical Director, Respiratory Care; Attending Physician, Critical Care and Pulmonary Medicine
Marcelo R. Malakooti, MD, MBA, CPE
Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Hospital Operations and Medical Innovation; Medical Director of Lefkofsky Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU); Crown Family Professorship in Pediatrics
Candace N. Mannarino, MD, MS
Medical Director, ECMO; Associate Program Director, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship; Attending Physician, Cardiology and Critical Care
Leslie A. Mataya, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Kelly N. Michelson, MD, MPH
Attending Physician, Critical Care. Director, Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities; Julia and David Uihlein Professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Robert E. Newmyer, MD, MBA
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Erin D. Paquette, MD, JD, MBe
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Mary Pilarz, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Andrew Prigge, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Caroline Rodeman, MS, APRN, CPNP-AC
Advanced Practice Provider Team Lead, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit; Advanced Practice Provider, Inpatient Cardiology
Matthew Rowland, MD
Medical Director, Liver Transplantation Anesthesia; Attending Physician, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine; Assistant Medical Director, Vascular Access Team; Co-Medical Director, Rapid Difficult Airway Management
L. Nelson Sanchez-Pinto, MD, MBI, FAMIA
Attending Physician, Critical Care; Warren and Eloise Batts Research Scholar
Vytautas Sapiega, MD
Pediatric Intensivist, PICU at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Central DuPage Hospital
Craig M. Smith, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Brianna Sommer, MS, RDN, LDN
Registered Dietitian
Eric L. Wald, MD, MSCI
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Derek S. Wheeler, MD, MMM, MBA
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Adrian D. Zurca, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Eleanor E. Ward Anselmo, APRN-NP
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Lauren Baker Rhem, APRN-NP, CPNP-AC, CCRN
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Adam Clay, APRN-NP, PNP
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Laura Crisanti, APRN, NP
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Jacqueline S. Elegant , APRN-NP, RN, MSN, CPNP-AC
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Caroline Finn, APRN-NP
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Stephanie A. Gierman, APRN-NP, PNP-AC
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Emily Goldhar, APRN-NP, PNP
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Maggie B. Heraty, APRN-NP
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Caroline Hodgson, APRN-NP, RN, DNP, CPNP-AC
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Mary Kelling, APRN-NP, PNP-AC
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Margaret Maloof, APRN-NP, DNP, MSN
Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Mariah Moffis, MSN, APRN, CPNP-AC/PC, CCRN
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Briseyda Morales, MS, BSE, APRN-NP, CPNP-AC
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Kate Morrow, APRN-NP, CPNP-AC
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Nina Ogrizovich, APRN-NP
Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Sailja Patel, APRN-NP, MSN
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Brittney L. Pfister, APRN-NP, CPNP-AC, CCRN
Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Erica E. Prendergast, MS, APRN, CPNP
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Elizabeth M. Protacio, APRN-NP, CPNP-AC
Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Amelia Rountree, APRN-NP
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Lauren R. Sorce, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC/PC, FCCM, FAAN
Nurse Scientist, Department of Nursing; Senior Scientist, Division of Pediatric Critical Care; Pediatric Critical Care Nurse Practitioner, Division of Pediatric Critical Care
Margaret Stefanowski, APRN-NP, DNP
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care
Caitlin M. Stone, APRN-NP, CPNP-AC, CCRN
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Cardiology
Jaime R. Braverman, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Valerie E. Kalinowski, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Joanna R. Kuppy, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Stephanie Lam, DO
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Ancy S. Mohan, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Pallavi P. Patwari, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Paul N. Severin, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Joanna C. Tylka, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care
Marylouise K. Wilkerson, MD
Attending Physician, Critical Care Medicine
Elizabeth A. Bello, MD
Pediatric Intensivist, PICU at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Central DuPage Hospital
Critical Care Research
Our research includes all aspects of delivery of care to critically ill children, including treatment, prevention and understanding of diseases on the most basic biological level. The lessons we learn from our research are directly incorporated into medical practice, keeping Critical Care physicians at Lurie Children’s on the cutting edge of science, wellness, technology and healthcare.
Our Location
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
225 E. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60611
312.227.4000
Critical Care News & Stories
Chicago's Top Doctors for Kids 2025
Several of Lurie Children's providers were recognized in Chicago Magazine Castle-Connolly Top Doctors 2025 list.
What to Do If a Child Hits Their Head
Most minor head bumps and bruises won’t cause serious harm, but it is important to watch for signs of more serious injury if your child hits their head.
Precision Medicine for Sepsis in Children Within Reach
Pursuing a precision medicine approach for pediatric sepsis, researchers used artificial intelligence to analyze a large set of clinical data and find a distinct group of patients who might respond better to targeted treatments.
New Criteria for Sepsis in Children Based on Organ Dysfunction
Clinician-scientists from Lurie Children’s were among a diverse, international group of experts tasked by the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) with developing and validating new data-based criteria for sepsis in children.
Nose Swabs May Distinguish Babies with RSV Needing Longer Intensive Care
First Ever in Pediatrics: World Experts Set Agenda to Improve Care of Acute Kidney Injury in Kids
Philanthropy
Your support is vital in helping us continue to make a difference in the lives of patients and families. Lurie Children's relies on philanthropic funding to enhance its programs, services and research for children. To learn more, please e-mail the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Foundation at foundation@luriechildrens.org or call 312.227.7500.