Faculty & Staff
Mike Smith, MD, MBA, CPE, FACEP, FAAEM, FACHE
Director
Dr. Smith trained in Cleveland, Ohio, where he was born and raised, graduating from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, then completing emergency medicine residency at MetroHealth Medical Center/Cleveland Clinic. He spent ten years as a faculty member there developing curricula for medical students and helping to found a simulation center.
He was recruited to Ochsner in 2015 to help develop the Ochsner Simulation Center. Dr. Smith has spoken and written widely about simulation up to the international level and is a past president of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Simulation Academy and the Ohio Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He is a Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of Queensland-Ochsner Clinical School.
He completed a MBA and Certified Physician Executive program while in Ohio, and is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American Academy of Emergency Physicians, and the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is married with twin daughters.
Marisa Harness
Simulation Specialist
Marisa has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg and has certifications from the United States Army as an EMT-B, qualifications through the Army Leadership Development School and is a Combat Medic.
Marisa joined us from Florida State University – College of Medicine where she held the position of Program Manager of Standardized Patients with the responsibility of coordinating all functions associated with the implementation of the standardized/simulated patient program and interdisciplinary course instruction. She has also fulfilled the role of Clinical Program Coordinator at Florida State University- College of Medicine for the School of Physician Assistant Practice.
Marisa has an extensive background and experience as a patient advocate, clinical medic, case manager, and health education supervisor. She is married with three children.
Christie Domangue
Simulation Specialist
Christie has over 7 years of clinical experience. She is well acquainted with Emergency Medicine holding certifications with the National Registry of Emergency Medicine Technicians and worked in EMS at West Jefferson Medical Center where she was a Field Training Officer and a Preceptor for new students. She also holds multi-level certifications in Incident Command System, which is a standardized approach to the command, control, and coordination of emergency response. The role of Simulation Specialist combines her passions for education, planning, organization, and healthcare.
Christie currently resides in Old Gretna and is an alumna of Mount Carmel Academy and Spring Hill College, where she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.
Outside of the office, she enjoys binge watching Golden Girls and Friends and she’s currently trying her hand at photography and cooking.
Misty Jenkins
Director – Advance Practice Providers, Medical Education
Misty Jenkins joined Ochsner in 2013 as an acute care nurse practitioner following her training at Duke University. She practices as an APP in Pulmonary Critical Care Medicine. Misty has clinical experience with critical care procedures, rapid response and resuscitation, and clinical simulation. She worked collaboratively to develop the Critical Care APP Fellowship Program in 2021-2022 and is the program director for our APP Fellowships in partnership with our departments. Misty joined the Division of Academics as Director – Advance Practice Providers Medical Education in 2022. In this role, she supports pre-graduate, graduate, and post-graduate work for APRNs and PAs across our organization. Misty is married and has two children.
Stimulation Teaching Advisory Committee (STAC)
Committee Chair
Dr. Michael D. Smith - Simulation Center Medical Director
Committee Members
Dr. Jonathan Babin, GME – Surgery Program Director – Surgery
Dr. Jessica Gorham – Surgery
Dr. Richard Guthrie – Quality and Patient Safety
Dr. Brigid McCue, Section Head OBGYN Hospitalist – OB/GYN
Dr. Jairo Santanilla, Director Medical ICU – Pulmonary /Critical Care
Dr. Terrance Truxillo, Associate VPMA Anesthesiology – Anesthesiology
Dr. Melissa Matte, Anesthesiology Medical Education – Anesthesiology
Dr. Veronica Gillispie, UGME –OBGYN Clerkship Director – OB/GYN
Dr. Charles Kantrow, UGME - Pediatrics Clerkship Director – Pediatrics
Dr. Barry Starr, Section Head Pediatrics, Hospitalist – Pediatrics
Dr. Caley McIntyre, GME – Internal Medicine Residency Program – Internal Medicine
Dr. Katherine Baumgarten, Medical Director Infection Control – Infectious Disease
Dr. Melissa Montgomery – Urology
Dr. Emily Lynch, GME- Pediatric Medicine Residency Program – Pediatrics
Dr. Diego Lara – Pediatric Cardiology
Dr. Surma Jain, Pulmonary/Critical Care Medical Education/ Team Stepps – Pulmonary/Critical Care
Dr. Joyce Varghese – Pediatric ICU
Dr. Juan Carlos Velez, Nephrology Interim Chair – Nephrology
Dr. Megan Maraynes, Medical Director/Section Head Pediatric Emergency Department – Pediatric Emergency Department
Dr. Sam Langberg – Emergency Medicine
Emilie Davis, PA - AVP - APPs
Fiona Winterbottom, Clinical Nurse Specialist – Pulmonary Critical Care
Jacqueline Wilson, Director of Respiratory Therapy – Respiratory
Nicole Lacoste, Pharmacy Education Coordinator – Pharmacy
Kristin Tschirn, Director of CME – Continuing Medical Education
Jennifer Carter, Lead Perfusionist – ECMO
Ann Lockhart, System Director of Nursing Professional Development – Nursing Practice
Dr. Denise Hancock – Nursing Practice
Stuart Redfearn – Nursing Practice
Annie Bruce – Nursing Practice
Shannon West – Nursing Practice
Sarah Owens – Nursing Practice
Maira Harris – Nursing Practice
Jennie Miele Seal – Nursing Practice
Diana Sierra – Nursing Practice
Louise Saladino, Director of Nursing, Jeff Highway – Patient Experience and Relations
Olivia Sweetnam, System AVP of Quality – Quality, Improvement, and Patient Safety
Claire Campbell – Quality, Improvement, and Patient Safety
Stacey Porter, Clerkship Program Coordinator
Carl Tholen, AVP – Education Operations
Marisa Harness, Simulation Center Specialist – Simulation
Christie Domangue, Simulation Center Specialist