Pediatric Simulation Center Team
Nancy M. Tofil, MD, MEd, Medical Director
Dr. Tofil is a professor of pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care. She obtained her medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and her masters of education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Tofil is the division director of pediatric critical care working in the pediatric intensive care unit and with the deep sedation service. Besides directing the simulation center, Dr. Tofil is the Senior Associate Program Director for the Pediatric Residency Training Program and the Ann Dial McMillan Endowed Chair in Critical Care Medicine.
Chrystal Rutledge, MD, Co-Medical Director
Dr. Rutledge is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Critical Care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine. Her clinical time is spent taking care of critically ill children in the pediatric intensive care unit at Children's of Alabama. She is also medical director of Children’s of Alabama Critical Care Transport Team. Her non-clinical time is devoted to simulation education. She is the associate medical director of the Pediatric Simulation Center at Children's of Alabama as well as the program director for the Children's of Alabama Community Healthcare Education Simulation (COACHES) Program.
Nicholas Rockwell, MD, Associate Co-Director
Dr. Rockwell is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Critical Care, at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. He spends his clinical time caring for critically ill children in the pediatric intensive care unit at Children’s of Alabama. In addition to serving as the Associate Co-Medical Director of the simulation center, Dr. Rockwell is the Director of the Keep Educating Yourself (KEY) Program, a simulation education initiative for healthcare workers in the pediatric intensive care unit. He has a particular interest in medical student education and serves as Co-Director for the Preparation for Residency program for 4th-year medical students.
Jordan Newman, MD, Associate Co-Director
Dr. Newman is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Critical Care, at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine. He dedicates his clinical time to caring for critically ill children in the pediatric intensive care unit at Children’s of Alabama. In addition to his role as Associate Co-Director of the simulation center, he serves as the Associate Program Director for the Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship and as Assistant Director of PICU ECMO. His research focuses on using simulation to enhance bedside care, reduce harm, and improve patient outcomes. His simulation interests center on teamwork and communication, extracorporeal technologies such as ECMO and CRRT, as well as procedural simulation.
Lauren Robinson, MD, Assistant Director
Dr. Robinson is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine. Her clinical time is spent caring for acutely ill and injured children in the emergency department at Children’s of Alabama. Her non-clinical time is focused on simulation-based education and pediatric readiness. She is a faculty member in the Pediatric Simulation Center and the associate director of the Children’s of Alabama Community Healthcare Education Simulation (COACHES) Program, where she works to expand pediatric emergency preparedness to outpatient settings and schools across the state.
Stacy L. Gaither, MSN, RN, Director of Research
Stacy Gaither began her role as Director of Research for the Pediatric Simulation Center in February 2016. She also serves as a Program Coordinator for the Children’s of Alabama Community Healthcare Education Simulation (COACHES) Program. She has been a nurse for over 30 years, and prior to transitioning into her research role, she served as a charge nurse in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Children’s of Alabama. She also has many years of operating room experience. Stacy is actively involved in simulation-based research and is a member of both the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and the International Pediatric Simulation Society.
Brittany Cameron, MSN, RN, Nurse Educator
Brittany Cameron has been a nurse educator at the Simulation Center at Children’s of Alabama since 2017. She brings 12 years of nursing experience, with a background in adult health and pediatric cardiology, which provides a diverse perspective for teaching in the simulation center. Brittany has completed several simulation courses through the UAB and has contributed to creating scenarios for the Children’s of Alabama Simulation Center. She remains actively involved in simulation-based research and is a member of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.
Sara Dade Ewert, MSN, CRNP, Nurse Educator
Sara Ewert has been a nurse since October 2005. Her first nursing position was in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center. She earned her Masters of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt University in 2010 and began practicing as an Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in the PICU at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Sara then moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where she worked as an AC-PNP in the CVICU from 2017 to 2021. She served as an auditor for the Corporate Compliance Department for about a year before transitioning to the Pediatric Simulation Center as an Advanced Nurse Educator in April 2022.
Autumn Layton, MSN, RN, Nurse Educator
Autumn Layton, began her role as an Advanced Nurse Educator in the Pediatric Simulation Center at Children’s of Alabama in March 2023. She started her nursing career in 2018 and has experience in pediatric critical care and pediatric outpatient care. She has completed the Center for Medical Simulation’s Healthcare Simulation Essentials: Design and Debriefing course. She has presented at national and international conferences and co-authored multiple simulation manuscripts while working in the simulation center. Autumn is a member of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare and the International Pediatric Simulation Society and remains actively involved in simulation-based research.
Carrie Norwood, MSHI, BSN, RN, CPN, Advanced Nurse Educator
Carrie Norwood has been with the Pediatric Simulation Center since 2016. She is a double graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she earned her nursing degree and a Master’s in Health Informatics. Carrie completed the Center for Medical Simulation’s Comprehensive Simulation Instructor Course. A pediatric nurse since 2005, her previous experience includes 10 years in a pediatric step-down unit and 2 years in inpatient documentation review.
Kandi Wise, BSN, RN, CPN Nurse Educator
Kandi Wise has been a nurse educator with the Pediatric Simulation Center since 2015 and has over 20 years of experience in pediatric critical and acute care nursing. She designed and facilitates the "First Five Minutes of a Code" course. Kandi has completed the Center for Medical Simulation's advanced facilitator course, as well as other simulation training at UAB. An active presenter at local and regional conferences, she has co-authored multiple simulation-related articles and remains engaged in simulation-based research. In addition to her role as a simulation educator, she serves as an evening shift acute care nurse educator and is a member of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.
Andrea Benz, Office Associate
Andrea Benz is the Office Associate for the Pediatric Simulation Center. Originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky, she attended Western Kentucky University where she majored in English. In her role, Andrea manages scheduling for simulation courses, supports communication with learners and faculty, and helps coordinate day-to-day operations of the center. She plays a key role in ensuring the center runs efficiently and that simulation experiences are well-organized and learner-focused.
Adjunct Faculty
David Askenazi, MD, Pediatric Nephrology
Sarah Bingham, MD, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
John Bridges, MD, Rheumatology
Jim Brittain, RRT, Pediatric Pulmonary
Parker Bruno, RN, Cardiac Care Unit
Harley Carlisle, RN, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Amy CaJacob, MD, Allergy & Immunology
Kayla Clary, RD, Nutrition Services
Christina Cochran, MD, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Carl Coghill, MD, Neonatology
Mary B. Cooper, RN, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Karoline Cole, RN, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Caroline Densmore, MD, Academic General Pediatrics
Brenda Denson, Pharm-D, Children’s of Alabama Pharmacy
Andrew Donahue, MD, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Candice Dye, MD, Academic General Pediatrics
Jennifer Eldredge, MD, Anesthesia
Christy Foster, MD, Endocrinology
Anna Graves, RN, Pediatric Pulmonary
Leigh Hardy, RD, Nutrition Services
Camden Hebson, MD, Pediatric Cardiology
Sheila Herron, RRT, Pediatric Pulmonary
Haley Hall, RN, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
Elizabeth Hiltz, MD, Pediatric Anesthesiology
Jaycelyn Holland, MD, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Kara Huls, MD, Child Abuse Pediatrics
Daryl Ingram, RN, Pediatric Nephrology
DeeAnne Jackson, MD, Academic General Pediatrics
Nicole Jones, MD, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Andrea Kane, MD, Neonatology
Kristin Linscott, MD, PhD, Medical Genetics
Leen Matalka, MD, Pediatric Endocrinology
Martha McBride, RN, ECMO
Mandy Morris, RN, Special Care Unit
Sarah Novara, MD, Pediatric Neurology
Faith Pursifull, RRT, Respiratory Care Services
Lauren Robinson, MD, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Will Sasser, MD, Pediatric Critical Care
Paul Scalici, MD, Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Vicki Shinick, RN, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Erinn Schmidt, MD, Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Mary Lauren Scott, MD, Pediatric Endocrinology
Kara Short, CRNP, Pediatric Nephrology
Donna Slayton, RN, Pediatric Pulmonary
Cassi Smola, MD, Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Julie Stone, RN, Pediatric Pulmonary
Carmen Tong, MD, Pediatric Urology
Karlene Walker, MD, Developmental Pediatrics
Stephenie Wallace, MD, Adolescent Medicine
Andrew Watson, MD, Pediatric Hospital Medicine and Complex Care
Marjorie Lee White, MD, Pediatric Emergency Medicine
Lindy Winter, MD, Neonatology
