Danika Meyer, MSN, RN-BC, CPN has worked as a pediatric nurse for over 6 years at Cook Children’s Medical Center, is certified as a Nursing Professional Development Specialist, and has worked in the Department of Organizational and Professional Development at Cook Children’s since 2014 as a clinical nurse educator for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. She is a first-time mom, graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, wife to Kyle, and dog-mom to a chocolate lab named Oliver. Her greatest joy is watching her fellow nurses grow to represent the values of Cook Children’s.

Tara Haraldson joined Cook Children's in 2009 as a registered nurse in the emergency department. She completed her bachelor's degree at TCU in 2007, where she competed in swimming all four years. After several years of working as a nurse in adult and pediatric care, Tara attended UTA and obtained her masters as a primary care pediatric nurse practitioner. She joined Cook Children's Willow Park upon graduation in 2013. She is a three time recipient of the Clinical Excellence in Pediatrics Award from UTA and is currently a member of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.

Tara enjoys building relationships with families and takes special interest in the promotion of breastfeeding and nutrition for all ages. She also likes caring for athletes and helping them stay in top condition.

Tara and her husband, Sam, live in Fort Worth where he works as an emergency room physician. They have four kids. In her free time, she enjoys running, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Diane Arnaout is a pediatrician at Cook Children's Pediatrics Fort Worth - Forest Park. ​She  was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She attended college at Texas A&M University and medical school at the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio. She did her pediatric internship and residency at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital and M.D. Anderson at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, TX where she served as a leader on the medical education committees. She is a board-certified pediatrician.

After working in Houston for a year, she and her husband decided it was important to be near family, and happily returned home to DFW. She has practiced in the Fort Worth area since 2011. She loves photography, is a certified yoga teacher, and enjoys writing. Her online educational articles have been featured across the globe and she is active on Facebook and Instagram. She has two small kids, whom she credits as being her toughest (and best) teachers. She loves being a pediatrician and the best part of her job is helping parents learn all about their childrens’ health daily, both in-person and online.

Dr. Arnaout is also an active contributor to Cook Children's Checkup blog. Her most recent articles can be found here.

For over two decades, Eric H. Hubli, M.D., has been nationally and internationally recognized for his work as a craniofacial and cleft surgeon. He has written and published extensively and has a career full of milestones that includes his work as a pioneer in the field.

Education: A native Northeasterner, Dr. Hubli's initial educational experiences began in the Boston area. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston ​College where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. degree in Biology. As an added honor, he was inducted into three academic honor societies, Phi Beta Kappa, the Order of the Cross and Crown, and Alpha Sigma Nu. He then attended Tufts University School of Medicine where he received his Doctorate in Medicine and then furthered his education at Harvard University where he received a Masters in Healthcare Management.

Training:  Dr. Hubli received his general surgery training at Baystate Medical Center. During this portion of his career, he received accolades for his clinical teaching abilities and was given the opportunity to train at the Beth Israel Hospital, a Harvard teaching affiliat​e. He soon reinvigorated his Boston connections by accepting a plastic surgery training position at the internationally acclaimed Lahey Clinic. The Lahey program was unique in that it operated under a dual university affiliation. A portion of the program was affiliated with Harvard University and a portion was affiliated with Boston University. Due to this, Dr. Hubli was given the chance to hone his skills at the The Lahey Clinic, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston University and Boston City Hospitals. It was during his time at Boston Children's that Dr. Hubli uncovered his medical calling, the fields of craniofacial, cleft and pediatric plastic surgery.

Pursuing his dream, Dr. Hubli moved to Texas where he secured a training position at the International Craniofacial Institute, one of the premiere craniofacial and cleft fellowships in the world. His success during his year of training led to a full time faculty position at the Institute and a partnership with the center's founder, Dr. Kenneth E. Salyer. As a surgical lead at one of the busiest craniofacial and cleft centers in the world, Dr. Hubli was able to encounter and manage an unparalleled variety of cases. The challenges encountered help him to develop a unique insight regarding the holistic management of craniofacial/cleft patients and their families.

Career Milestones: Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, 1996. Recertified 2006 and 2016

Hospital Appointments: Medical Director of Craniofacial and Cleft Services Cook Children's Medical Center, Chief of Pediatric Surgery and Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Medical City Dallas Hospital

Senior Baldrige Examiner: Evaluates U.S. Companies/Healthcare Systems for N.I.S.T. using the Baldrige criteria. The program works to identify benchmark organizations which will be recognized by the President of The United States of America.

The Smile Train: Dr. Hubli has the honor of being elected a member of the The Smile Train Medical Advisory Board, a veritable who's who of cleft surgeons from around the world. An elected position, the Advisory Board members help to set an international standard in cleft care as the Smile Train program works to empower in-country surgeons to care for their own cleft patients. Dr. Hubli personally helped to develop the one of a kind quality assurance system serves as the backbone of the Smile Train safety program. As part of the project Dr. Hubli has personally reviewed over 100,000 cleft cases from every corner of the world.

Author/Videographer: Multiple peer review journal articles and Book Chapters on Craniofacial and Cleft Care. Developed, wrote, produced, award winning videos on the topics of Mandibular Distraction and Bilateral Cleft Lip Repair.

Pioneer: Helped to develop one of the first multi-planar devices for mandibular distraction. Devised 2 unique methods of craniosynostosis repair.

Awards and Recognition: Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Fellow of the International College of Surgeons, Award of Merit - Pierre Fouchard Society (Brazilian Section), Guest Expert - The Oprah Winfrey S​how

Memberships: American Society of Plastic Surgery, International Society of Craniofacial Surgery, American Society of Craniofacial Surgery.

The Practice at Cook Children's: As the Medical Director of Craniofacial and Cleft Surgery, Dr. Hubli's practice is unique in that it focuses exclusively on children with reconstructive, craniofacial and cleft issues. Understanding that kids are not “little adults” and that pediatric issues involve not just the patient but the entire family Dr. Hubli has tailored his practice to meet the broad set of issues that this holistic approach requires."

As medical director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory, I would like to introduce myself and some of the services that we provide. I have three outstanding partners that work with me to perform heart catheterizations on children and young adults of all ages. We continue to strive to stay at the forefront of our field and bring in the latest technology. On the arrhythmia front we are employing a new three dimensional mapping system that we use to aid in ablation procedures to treat abnormal heart rhythms. Recently my colleagues have initiated a program to place heart valves in patients through a vein in their leg, thus avoiding open heart surgery in certain situations. Overall we strive to provide the best possible environment and care for our patients and their family as we know how stressful an illness can be.

Aside from medical experience and expertise, I bring compassion to every case. You have to demonstrate to a child that you care, they sense that. Children have to know that you mean what you say. Most people who know me, know I work as hard as I possibly can. You have to be there for your patients and your partners. It's a good thing.

On a personal note, I am the youngest of four, and the son of a pediatrician, I always wanted to follow in my father's footsteps. I am a native of Louisiana. My medical school training was at Louisiana State University and I also performed my pediatric training there. The instant I did my pediatric rotation, "I was sold." I then moved to Nashville where I completed my cardiology and arrhythmia training at Vanderbilt University.

I will admit most of my patients tell me that I don’t sound like I am from Louisiana. My father is from Ohio and was in the military being transferred to Barksdale Air Force base in Louisiana. I believe he neutralized my accent quite a bit, but I still love Louisiana cuisine and LSU football!

My family and I moved to Fort Worth in 2007 and we have loved living here ever since. We enjoy the "small town" feel and the friendly nature. We can often be found visiting the zoo, botanical gardens or the Trinity trails for outdoor activities. I look forward to staying in the area and continuing to strive to provide you with the best possible medical care in the metroplex.

Kim Mangham, M.D., is a pediatrician at Keller Parkway. She earned her medical degree at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. She completed the pediatric residency program at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. Her interests include breastfeeding education as well as disease and injury prevention. Dr. Mangham is board-certified in pediatrics. 

Dr. Kaci Osenga joined the Palliative Care team at Cook Children's Medical Center in October 2016. She has been practicing hospice and palliative medicine for over 10 years. She completed medical school and pediatric residency at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Following pediatric residency, she completed a fellowship in pediatric hematology and oncology. It was during this time that she affirmed her passion and calling to attend to the suffering and quality of life for children and their families living with serious illness. Following hematology/oncology fellowship, she became board certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She is currently board certified in Pediatrics as well as Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Dr. Osenga shares her life with her husband and daughter. As a family they enjoy time together doing outdoor activities with their black lab. Dr. Osenga also finds contentment through reading, meditation, music and paddle boarding.

Justin "Doc Smitty" Smith, M.D., is a pediatrician and the Medical Advisor for Digital Health for Cook Children's in Fort Worth, Texas. He has an active community on both Facebook and Twitter as @TheDocSmitty and writes weekly for Cook Children's checkupnewsroom.com. His interest in communications started when he realized that his parents were relying more on the internet for medical information. He believes that strategic use of social media and technology by pediatricians to connect with families can deepen their relationship and provide a new level of convenience for both of their busy lifestyles. Dr. Smith’s innovative pediatric clinic, a pediatric clinic “designed by you,” is set to open in Trophy Club in 2017.

Dr. Smith is an experienced keynote speaker for a variety of topics including pediatric/parenting topics, healthcare social media and physician leadership. If you are interested in having Dr. Smith present to your conference or meeting, please contact him at thedocsmitty@cookchildrens.org.

For one year in college, Warren Marks, M.D., took a year off from science and medicine to pursue another passion of his – architecture.

Today, Dr. Marks looks back at that time as “an interesting diversion,” but it really helps explain who the man really is. After all, he’s built one of the nation’s most highly successful comprehensive clinical centers for pediatric movement disorders.

Dr. Marks, who is one of the first two Endowed Chairs at Cook Children’s, has molded a program where Cook Children’s deep brain stimulation serves as the centerpiece.

Most recently, Dr. Marks has seen the end of years of work with the addition of Cook Children’s Motion Lab, which sees children, teens and young adults who have a variety of complex movement disorders, including cerebral palsy, dystonia and traumatic brain and spine injuries.

He just keeps on adding to a legacy where he has brought together the most advanced technology with a kid-friendly atmosphere.

Holly Erwin, LVN, IBCLC, is a mom of three boys and has worked as a pediatric nurse for over 12 years within the Cook Children's Health Care System. When not working, she spends her time running to and from sports for her boys, being outside with her family and dreaming of traveling with her husband of 11 years. For now, she settles for their bi-annual date-night!

Through her own children and the thousands of moms that she has helped over the years, Holly found a special interest in infants and breastfeeding. In 2015, she became internationally board certified as a lactation consultant and now works as an IBCLC virtually through the Cook Children's telemedicine department

Allison Jackson, PA-C, is a mother to a freshman in college and a 4 year old that keeps her on her toes. She has been a PA with Cook Children’s for 10 years this March and recently transitioned to an administrative role as the Assistant Director of Advanced Practice. When not working, Allison enjoys watching her toddler play T-ball and her freshman play tennis.

Becky Clem, MA, CCC-SLP, LSLS Cert. AVT, Education Coordinator Rehab Services, is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Listening-Spoken Language Specialist with AVT certification. Having worked in the Cook Children’s Rehab Services Department for 27 years, she is passionate about working with babies and young children with cochlear implants, mentoring/coaching, family centered care and health literacy. Currently she serves on the coordinating committee for SIG 9 on Hearing and Hearing Disorders in Childhood for the American Speech and Hearing Association. Previously she served on the AG Bell Certification Council. As a member of the Global Foundation for Children with Hearing Loss she mentors in the summer teacher-training program in Vietnam. Her publications appear in the ASHA Perspectives, Volta Review, Pediatric Audiology Case Studies (Flexer and Madell, 2010) and Auditory-Verbal Therapy (Estabrooks, 2016). She presents at state, national, and international conferences. When not working, Becky adores reading, cooking, yoga, TCU football, and most of all time with her husband Keith, their two adult daughters, and one-year old granddaughter.

Beau is a third generation Texan, Soldier, and SMU Mustang. He has been in healthcare more than a decade, and leading organizations and teams for 15 years. Beau is currently responsible for about half of the Physician network, including the CCPN Virtual Health program, Genetics, H/O, Neurosciences, Psychiatry, Dermatology, Clinical operations team, regional clinics, urgent care centers and mutli-specialty sites, as well as nearly 20 primary care offices. Prior to working at Cook Children’s, Beau worked at Kaiser Permanente in the Oregon and SW Washington markets for nearly a decade. In his time there, he led teams across family medicine, internal medicine, urgent care, and finished his tenure leading the region’s pediatrics program.

Beau is also a proud US Army Veteran, having served six years including a deployment to Afghanistan as the Executive Officer of the 915^th Forward Surgical Team. With this experience, Beau helped found, and now serves as Chair of the Cook Children’s Veterans Group.

Beau is married to his beautiful wife, Cecilia, and they have four children who keep them busy. They are active in their community through Make-A-Wish, the VFW, the Knights of Columbus, and their church.

Dr. Joel Steelman is an endocrinologist at Cook Children's. Dr. Steelman grew up a military brat, on the move every three to four years, to a new home, in a different state. Nevertheless, his family roots remained in Texas, where he finished high school and developed a love for writing, working on the school newspaper and yearbook. He attended Texas A&M University both for his undergraduate and medical degrees.

During his second year of medical school, Dr. Steelman realized he had a passion for caring for children. He joined the U.S. Air Force while in medical school, and spent the next seven years as a general pediatrician, providing healthcare for the youngsters of military personnel. While serving at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Dr. Steelman made the difficult decision to leave the military to pursue training in endocrinology--a highly specialized field with only 1,000 practicing endocrinologists in the U.S. today. His work with diabetic children, as well as encouragement from endocrine mentors, sparked this life-altering decision.

He trained in endocrinology at the University of Colorado Children’s Hospital in Denver, where the magnificent setting turned Dr. Steelman into a lifelong outdoor sport enthusiast, with a strong desire to lead a healthy life. On his rare days off, he could be found skiing, mountain biking and trail running. He loves to go back to the Rockies as often as possible, and just a few years ago, he ran the Pike’s Peak ascent half marathon. He continues to run for exercise regularly.

During his tenure in Colorado, where he met his future wife, Dr. Steelman trained at the internationally renowned Barbara Davis Diabetes Center, one of the world’s largest and most esteemed diabetes medical facilities for adults and children, specializing in type 1 diabetes research. Along the way, he discovered another strong research interest in the area of bone disorders, and Dr. Steelman began to treat children with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease-- a rare, crippling malady. After completing his training, Dr. Steelman left the West to enter academic medicine at Vanderbilt Children’s hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Over the next seven years he focused on research projects and medical education.

The birth of his daughter, in 2005, and the desire to be closer to family, brought Dr. Steelman back home to Texas, and to Cook Children’s. Today, he provides endocrine care for children living in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area, as well as Denton and West Texas. He expanded his practice, after arriving at Cook Children’s, to include the care of childhood cancer survivors, collaborating with the neuro-oncology program and Life After Cancer programs.

As a self-described ‘techie,’ Dr. Steelman has a keen interest in the wise use of technology to improve medical care. Since 2001, he has helped implement electronic medical recordkeeping in two endocrine practices. He still loves to write, and he is a regular contributor to the Physician Perspective page on the Cook Children’s website.