2024 Oklahoma Newborn Screening Symposium

I have been a registered nurse for over 20 years with experience in many different areas of nursing. My primary career has been centered on the health of infants and children. In 2008 I joined the Oklahoma NBS Program as the nurse coordinator. I was in this role for 3 years, until my family moved to another state. During my time away from NBS I worked in a variety of capacities. My experience includes supervising a team of 14 nurses working remotely and ensuring that team key performance indicators are met. I have also worked with the OSDH Immunization Program to re-write the School Administrators’ Guide and created processes and protocols for a variety of other programs. I was fortunate enough to realize my passion is NBS and was able to return to the Oklahoma NBS Program as the Program Manager in 2018. January 2023, I started supervising the Newborn Hearing Screening Program. I currently Co-chair a national Long-Term Follow-Up Workgroup through the Newborn Screening Technical Assistance and Evaluation Program (NewSTEPS) at the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). As well as participate in the NewSTEPs Higher-Tier Testing Workgroup.  

Stevie Sullivan, AuD., serves as the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Coordinator for the Oklahoma State Department of Health. She attended the University of Central Oklahoma and graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Speech Language Pathology. Then received her Doctorate of Audiology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

Before returning to Oklahoma, Dr. Sullivan was employed at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center and at Children’s Memorial Hermann. While there she managed the Children’s Memorial Hermann newborn hearing screening program, which was one of the largest birthing hospitals in the metro. Dr. Sullivan also served as a pediatric audiologist in the outpatient clinic walking families through diagnosis, amplification, and treatment.

As a native Oklahoman, Stevie is passionate about ensuring all Oklahoma infants have access to quality newborn screenings, diagnostic testing, family support, and early intervention. Outside her professional practice, she enjoys traveling with her husband, playing with their dogs, and hosting family.

Brooke Patrick is one of the Newborn Screening Consultants for the Blood Spot section of the Newborn Screening Program. Before joining the Newborn Screening team, she worked as a bedside nurse in a Level 4 NICU for 4 ½ years where she was involved in the hands-on screening for CCHD and Newborn Disorders via the blood spot screening.  Brooke is committed to helping Oklahoma babies get screened and receive access to care through the program.  

I have been a registered nurse for over 35 years, practicing in a variety of settings in 6 different states in the US. Pediatrics was my first and frequent focus, and it makes sense that I have landed in the field of Newborn Screening for this stage of my career. I joined the State of Oklahoma Newborn Screening team in November of 2021 with a voracious appetite to learn. As I became proficient in the nurse follow up role, I desired to expand my sphere of influence. As NBS Educator, I have the unique opportunity to affect the future for our Oklahoma babies and their families. It has been stimulating and rewarding to immerse myself in the world of Newborn Screening as I seek to provide education to the community at large as well as to our professional partners in a variety of settings.  

Mark Birchell is the NBS Lab Quality Improvement Coordinator. He started his career in newborn screening in 2010 as a lab scientist. In 13 years of performing daily tests, he has experience with all of the assays and test platforms used in the NBS lab. Before moving into his current role early in 2024 , Mark was the Endocrine Section Supervisor overseeing testing for Biotinidase Deficiency, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, Cystic Fibrosis, Galactosemia, SCID, and SMA. Mark looks forward to implementing testing for two new disorders in the coming years as well as continuing to make improvements in current lab processes and quality to improve Newborn Screening in Oklahoma to better the lives of newborns and their families.

Robbie Massingill has been a registered nurse for the past 10 years. She is currently the Newborn Screening Blood Spot Assistant Supervisor at the Oklahoma State Department of Health. She oversees the short-term follow-up staff and has helped create the long-term follow-up program for children diagnosed through newborn screening. She is passionate about maternal and child health, especially how to improve the lives of newborns.

Robbie is currently completing her Master of Public Health with a focus in Biostatistics at The University of Oklahoma Health Science center. In her free time, Robbie enjoys reading and spending time with her family.  

Marianna Raia is the Associate Director of Programs at Expecting Health. Marianna brings over 15 years of experience in the genetics, healthcare, and biotechnology industries. As a genetic counselor, she has dedicated her career to bringing forth awareness of genetic knowledge, family advocacy, and community education. Driven by the mission to increase access to genetic services, she has helped innovate and deliver new models of patient care through patient-centered education and telehealth services. Marianna is committed to helping patients, providers, and the public understand how genetic information can empower you to make decisions about your health and the health of your family. Mrs. Raia earned her Master of Genetic Counseling from the University of Texas at Houston Health Science Center.  

Jonathan Meyer is a board-certified Pediatric Endocrinologist at OUHSC. He attended Valparaiso University and graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Biology and Chemistry. He received his MD from UTMB in Galveston and did his residency in pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio. He did his endocrine fellowship at OUHSC and is now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics.

Dr. Meyer enjoys all aspects of endocrinology, but his primary clinical and research interests are in congenital hypothyroidism (CH), differences of sex development (DSD), and congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). He leads the well-recognized Succeed (DSD) clinic at OUHSC. He is heavily involved in fellow, resident, and medical student training within the section and will assume the role of fellowship program director next year. Last but not least, he is the Oklahoma endocrine director of newborn screening, which includes both CH and CAH.  

Jenn Dannelley is the Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Program Coordinator and the clinical pharmacist for the Cystic Fibrosis Care Center at OU Health.  She has been a member of the team for over seven years.  Before this current role, she had experience in retail pharmacy, pharmacy management, charitable pharmacy, and international missions.  She graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy in Tulsa in 2010.  She returned to the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 2015 to complete a pharmacy residency.  She also serves as a guest lecturer for pharmacy students and a preceptor for pharmacy residents at OU.  Outside of her professional practice, Jenn has been married to Jay for the past 12+ years and is a mother to Callum (8) and Dharani (11.)  She is passionate about serving in her church and caring for children from hard beginnings.  She enjoys cooking, hosting, camping, hiking, and travel.  Professional interests include improving equity in newborn screening, the effects of CFTR modulators on mental health, and reducing treatment burden for people living with CF.  

Chelsea Zimmerman- Clinical Biochemical genetics laboratory director at OU Health since 2020.  Before becoming the lab director at OU Health, I did my PhD and fellowship training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  I am active in the society of inherited metabolic disorders organization.  In my free time, I love to play outside with my kids.   

Debbie Earley has been an Oklahoma licensed audiologist for 39 years, with a primary focus in pediatric audiology for 25 years. She is the Program Manager of the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s Pediatric Audiology Program. She manages 10 county health department audiology clinics, Ok County and Tulsa County SoonerStart audiology clinics, and JD McCarty Center for Children with Developmental Disabilities. She is passionate about public health and ensuring Oklahoma children and their families have access to quality audiology services no matter where they live in our state.

She is an adjunct Audiology faculty at OUHSC and USAO. She has been President of the Oklahoma Speech Language and Hearing Association (OSHA), the Chair of Oklahoma’s Board of Examiners for Speech Language Pathology and Audiology (OBESPA), and Oklahoma’s representative for the American Speech Language and Hearing Association’s Audiology Advisory Council. In 2017, she received OSHA’s prestigious Honors of the Association Award.