Intestinal Support Service Team

		Jane P. Balint, MD – Dr. Balint  leads the Intestinal Support Service and is Medical Director of the Nutrition Support Service and Clinical Nutrition at Nationwide Children's Hospital. She is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Her clinical interest is in the care of children with short bowel syndrome and other forms of intestinal failure. She has had extensive experience in this area, spanning more than 30 years.
		Molly Dienhart, MD - Dr. Dienhart is an attending physician in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University for her medical education and residency and completed her fellowship in gastroenterology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Her clinical interests include caring for children with short bowel syndrome and other forms of intestinal failure and she is part of the Nationwide Children's Intestinal Support Service.

Sandra Jacobs, RN, CPNP is the nurse practitioner for the intestinal support service.  She has over 20 years experience as a pediatric nurse.  Together with Dr. Balint and Dr Dienhart, she provides care for children both in the hospital and as outpatients.

Patti Kegley, RN is the Nurse Coordinator of the Intestinal Support Service. She has been a nurse at Nationwide Children's Hospital for 25 years with most of those years working with GI and Surgery patients requiring parenteral and/or enteral nutrition.  Patti  coordinates all aspects of care for those followed by the Intestinal Support Service. She helps families prepare for their initial discharge and then trouble shoots problems both in clinic and over the telephone. She is an expert in line care and resolving line problems. She works on strategies to minimize complications of parenteral nutrition.

Lia Headings, RN has been a nurse at Nationwide Children's Hospital for 30 years, working in GI for the last 15 years.  Children with chronic GI problems have always held a special place in her heart and so since it was started, she has been the GI nurse responsible for the intestinal support service.

Brenda Ruth, RN, CWON is a Pediatric Wound/Ostomy Nurse at Nationwide Children's Hospital. She has 29 years of experience working with Pediatric Critical Care patients and then in Wound/Ostomy Care.  She is specially trained in wound, ostomy care, skin care, and tube care.  The Wound/Ostomy Team serves as resource in these areas and educate patients and families in ostomy, wound and tube care.

Jackie Cronau, RN, CWIOCN,  is a Pediatric Wound/Ostomy Nurse Clinician at Natonwide  Childrens's Hospital with over 29 years of experience, mostly working with pediatric surgery patients with complex problems. She is specially trained in wound care, skin care, ostomy care, and tube care. Together Jackie, Brenda, and Onnalisa help to educate families and troubleshoot and care for issues within these areas.

Onnalisa Nash, RN, WOCN is a Pediatric Wound Ostomy Nurse Clinician at Nationwide Children's Hospital with over 7 years experience with a background in the neonatal population. She is specially trained in wound, skin, ostomy, and tube care. Together Onnalisa, Brenda, and Jackie help educate families, troubleshoot, and care for issues in these areas.

Morgan Dunn, RN, BSN, CPON, is one of the Nutrition Support Nurse Clinicians. She has been a nurse for over 8 years with over half of that working with pediatric patients with central venous catheters requiring home infusions and parenteral nutrition. Morgan helps to organize and coordinate home care, trouble shoot line and pump problems, and provide teaching for line care in the hospital and at home.

Mary K Sharrett, MS, RD, LD, CNSD provides nutritional guidance for all children on TPN once they have left the newborn nursery (NICU, C4).  She is a certified nutrition support dietitian who has worked at Nationwide Children's Hospital for over 25 years.

Karen Rachuba, RD, LD provides nutritional guidance and education for children once they have transitioned from TPN to tube feeding and/or eating by mouth. She follows GI patients both in clinic and when they are admitted to the hospital. She has been at Nationwide Children's Hospital since 2007.

Steve Plogsted, PharmD, BCNSP has been involved with pediatric nutrition since 1980 and has been the pharmacologist of Nationwide Children's Hospital Nutrition Support team since 1992.  He has been an active member in both state and national nutrition organizations and holds faculty appointments at two colleges of pharmacy.

Lynn Gutches, MSW is a Masters trained and Independent Level Licensed social worker, who has 20 years experience with the GI division assisting with support and resources for patients and their families.

Mindy Johnson is the administrative assistant for the Intestinal Support Service. She has 15 years experience in working with GI patients and their families. She coordinates referrals and scheduling. She manages communication both internally and externally and is the friendly and capable voice when you call.

Pediatric Surgeons – Because the causes of short bowel syndrome often present as surgical emergencies, all of our surgeons are adept at caring for these infants, children, and adolescents.  The rest of the team works cooperatively with all of the pediatric surgeons in caring for children who require intestinal support including:

Interventional Radiologists – Children with short bowel syndrome and other diseases followed by the Intestinal Support Service often require the special knowledge and skills of an interventional radiologist. This may be for placement of a central line, gastrostomy tube or jejunostomy tube or a more complex diagnostic or therapeutic procedure. We are fortunate at Nationwide Children's Hospital to have an exceptional group of interventional radiologists including: