Meet Our Intestinal Rehabilitation Therapy Team

Dr. Drew Rideout is surgical director of the intestinal rehabilitation program in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. He specializes in minimally invasive surgery in newborns, children and adolescents. He joined the pediatric surgery program at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in 2013. Dr. Rideout also travels to Latin America and Africa to support surgical programs. He leads the pediatric surgery service at Tampa General Hospital.

Dr. Shakeel specializes in neonatology with the Johns Hopkins All Children's Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She joined the medical staff in 1999. She has a clinical focus on nutritional care for neonates to improve clinical outcomes in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and improving clinical outcomes in infants with short bowel syndrome at risk of intestinal failure. She is chair of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Care Under Intestinal Rehabilitation Excellence (CUIRE) intestinal rehabilitation program. She also has a clinical focus on Patient Safety & Quality and is a quality lead for the hospital’s Maternal Fetal & Neonatal Institute.

Dr. Wilsey specializes in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition in the Department of Medicine. He became chief of the medical staff in January 2020. He is vice chair of the Division of Gastroenterology. Dr. Wilsey is an assistant professor of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics. He is a core faculty member of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Pediatric Residency Training Program and serves as faculty and research mentor for pediatric resident physicians.

Carolyn Kelly, M.S., A.P.R.N., is a neonatal nurse practitioner and clinical leader with the Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute. She joined the hospital in 1996. She is the Intestinal Rehabilitation program coordinator and a member of the hospital’s Neonatal Nutrition Committee. She is also an active member of the Florida Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners and, at the national level, is a member of the Academy of Neonatal Nurses. She earned a bachelor of nursing degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland and a master of science in the neonatal nurse practitioner program at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.

Melanie Newkirk is a registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in pediatric nutrition at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She is manager of Clinical Nutrition, Lactation and the Milk Depot. Melanie received a Bachelor of Health Science in Clinical and Community Dietetics from the University of Florida and a master's in Dietetics from Kansas State University. She is pursuing a Doctorate of Clinical Nutrition from Rutgers School of Health Related Professions. Her clinical interests include nutrition of very low birth weight infants and childhood obesity.

Lacey Baker is a registered dietitian in the Intestinal Rehabilitation Therapy program at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She joined the hospital staff in 2018. In her role, Baker provides medical nutritional therapy for patients with intestinal failure in both an inpatient and outpatient setting. She also works as a dietitian in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s neonatal intensive care unit. Before joining our hospital, Baker worked as a dietitian in the Glycogen Storage Disease program at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital. She was also a clinical nutrition specialist in the Bariatric Center at Tampa General Hospital. Baker earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Dietetics from the University of Arkansas, followed by a master’s degree in Human Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Alabama.

Cynthia Bozarth is a speech-language pathologist team leader at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She received her bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from the University of Florida. Cynthia then completed her master’s in speech-language pathology from the University of South Florida. Her clinical interests include dysphagia, neonatal intensive care unit and modified barium swallow studies.

Julie Blanshan Brett is a speech-language pathologist in the Intestinal Rehabilitation Therapy program at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She joined the hospital staff in 1998. Blanshan Brett earned her Bachelor of Science in psychology with a minor in vocational rehabilitation and post baccalaureate studies in communication sciences and disorders from the University of North Dakota. She earned a Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of South Dakota with additional experience in swallowing disorders and stroke rehabilitation. Blanshan Brett has more than 25 years of experience working with pediatric patients. She is also a certified lactation consultant.

Jennifer Johnson is a speech-language pathologist in the Intestinal Rehabilitation Therapy program at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She joined the hospital staff in 1999. Johnson earned her Bachelor of Arts and her Master of Science from the University of South Florida.

Michelle Fortney is a RN Specialty Coordinator in the Intestinal Rehabilitation Therapy Clinic at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She joined the hospital staff in 2019. Previously, Fortney worked as a charge nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Medical Center of Trinity in Trinity, Florida. She also worked as a charge nurse at George Washington University Hospital NICU in Washington, D.C., and Carolina Health System NICU in Charlotte, N.C. Fortney earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Tennessee Wesleyan University in Athens, Tennessee, followed by a Masters of Health Administration from George Washington University.