Rona S. Cushman, NNP

Heather Ryle is a distinguished healthcare professional with extensive neonatal care expertise and a strong leadership and clinical management background. With over two decades of experience at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, she served as a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, offering comprehensive care to critically ill neonates. Heather's educational journey includes earning a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Bellarmine University, a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Cincinnati, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing. Her dedication to advancing neonatal care is evident in her involvement in research, quality improvement projects, and her leadership in various initiatives to improve the quality of care in the NICU. Heather's interests extend to human milk banking, lactation support for mothers of hospitalized infants, health outcomes for infants with gastroschisis, and global health initiatives for high-risk infant populations. Her achievements include various poster presentations, publications, and involvement in quality improvement initiatives at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, showcasing her commitment to advancing neonatal care. Ryle's vast expertise, leadership, and dedication to neonatal nursing contribute significantly to the field.

Maria Rodriguez-Santos is an NCC board certified neonatal nurse practitioner providing care for infants at Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. She is a member of National Association of Neonatal Nurses and Nurse Practitioners (NANN/ NANNP). Ms. Rodriguez-Santos attended college at The Ohio State University, receiving an undergraduate degree of a Bachelor’s of Science is in Human Nutrition. She then entered a graduate program for nursing, completing her Masters of Science in nursing in 2016. Ms. Rodriguez-Santos comes with 9 years of experience from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She worked as a bedside RN in a level 4 NICU for 5 years before transitioning into the advanced provider role. At the bedside, she gained immeasurable experience with surgical patients from birth to 2 years of age. As an APN, she worked in a busy level 3 delivery facility averaging 6000-8000 deliveries a year with a busy maternal-fetal medicine service. Ms. Rodriguez-Santos served on many committees in her previous position at NCH. She is an NRP instructor, was a mock code instructor, precepted NNP students, and taught a lecture to NNP students at OSU. Her passion project was leading the small baby committee and working with a multidisciplinary team to create a protocol for edge of viability infants to improve outcomes. Ms. Rodriguez-Santos’ interests include precepting new nurse practitioners, edge of viability/small baby population, and neonatal ethics.