Children's National Medical Center Leadership

Mark Levitt Batshaw (born 19 September 1945) is a Canadian-born physician, medical researcher and academic administrator. He is a professor in the department of pediatrics and an associate dean at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences and is the physician-in-chief and chief academic officer at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He is known for his research into urea cycle disorders and gene therapy, and is the author of the classic textbook "Children with Disabilities".

Accomplished and dynamic professional with over 15 years of successful strategic implementation, cultivating organizational development and philanthropic growth for educational and health nonprofits.



Creative collaborator fostering strategic connections amongst internal and external

stakeholders

Depth of experience raising resources and developing volunteer leadership to meet Institutional

growth strategies

Successfully adept in managing and prioritizing multiple priorities for executive leadership

Seasoned event and logistic specialist

Brian Stone, MD, MBA is a Chief, Division of Pediatric Outreach at Children's National Hospital; NICU Medical Director at Virginia Hospital Center; and Neonatologist at Children's National Hospital and is based in Washington, District of Columbia. He has worked as Chief of Pediatrics at Virginia Hospital Center, Pediatric Resident at Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Neonatology Fellow at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Brian attended Farmers Educational & Cooperative Union of America between 1995 and 1999, Albany Medical College between 1999 and 2002, and The George Washington University School of Business between 2010 and 2013.

Experienced leader with an accelerated history of working in the hospital & health care industry. Utility player with proven success in operations, finance and human resources.

Darryl Varnado is Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Children's National Hospital. He joined Children’s National in 2012 and focuses on leading the workforce at Children’s National through leadership and talent development, and taking the institution to new heights in human resources processes.

He has extensive human resources experience in national and international roles with organizations including U.S. Airways®, Coca-Cola®, Coors Brewing Company and the Nature Conservancy® .

Darryl also served as Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at the University of Colorado Hospital, where he led the human resources department to national recognition by supporting and developing a highly accomplished workforce and developing programs that advance quality outcomes for patients.

David Wessel, M.D., is Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Hospital and Specialty Services, and the Ikaria Distinguished Professor of Critical Care Medicine at Children's National Hospital. He is also professor of anesthesiology, critical care medicine and pediatrics at the George Washington University.

Dr. Wessel is internationally known for his pioneering work in caring for infants with heart disease. An experienced scientist and clinical researcher with more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Wessel has designed and executed seminal studies in cardiac critical care and pulmonary hypertension; developed new therapies for perioperative care of the newborn with congenital heart disease and novel treatments of pulmonary hypertension; and studied neurologic outcomes relevant to perioperative care of newborns with congenital heart disease. He is a principal investigator and member of the steering committee for the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.

Educated and trained in medicine at Oxford, Yale and Harvard, Dr. Wessel joined Children’s National in July 2007. Prior to this appointment he was professor of pediatrics (anesthesia) at Harvard Medical School and Senior Associate in Cardiology and Anesthesia at Boston Children’s Hospital. He is board-certified in anesthesiology, pediatrics, pediatric cardiology and pediatric critical care medicine.

Dr. Wessel was the founding president of the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society, an international society which honored him with its 2004 award for contributions to improving children’s heart health. He received numerous honors for scholarship at the universities he attended, earned teaching awards as part of his faculty duties and has delivered named lectures, including keynote opening addresses at European and United States professional meetings.

In February 2010, Dr. Wessel was honored as the John J. Downes Lecturer in Pediatric Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine at “Cardiology 2010” in Orlando, Florida. He has been listed as one of the “Best Doctors in America” continuously since the inception of the ranking. In 2018, he was named to the Becker's Healthcare list of "100 Hospital & Health System CMOs to Know."

• Visionary executive skilled in orchestrating strategic planning and operations, resulting in fiscal excellence for major organizations in the health care industry. Builds teams of top performers capable of delivering results in fast-paced, dynamic environments.• Substantial experience partnering with clinical and non-clinical leaders to maximize value and create sustainable change. Establishes goals, executes plans and maintains strong communications with leadership across all phases. • Offers a demonstrated record of results in complex business environments. Skilled in financial analysis, operations management, relationship building, project management, with experience in both business and philanthropic organizations.• Visualizes broad situations and executes focused strategies through exceptional leadership, with a command of the details necessary to ensure the successful resolution of complex issues. • Superior ability to organize and lead multidisciplinary groups, surface key findings, drive recommendations and produce measurable results.Core Skills and Competencies:Executive Leadership Board RelationsBusiness DevelopmentMarketing StrategyPhilanthropyHospital OperationsForecasting and Budgeting Strategic Planning & Execution Exemplary CommunicatorCareer Achievements:• Defined the vision and strategic direction of the CHLA Foundation, representing the Foundation in engagements with the community, Board members and donors. Worked with colleagues to build case statements and funding proposals to advance clinical and research priorities, resulting in $100M annually in philanthropic revenue. Worked extensively with members of the Hollywood entertainment community and skilled in working with high-net worth individuals.• Served as Executive Director of a landmark joint venture between two premier pediatric academic medical centers. The joint venture was to establish a network of aligned providers dedicated to pediatric population health management.• At Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, oversaw strategic planning, marketing/communications, development and government affairs. Served as spokesperson for the largest health care merger at the time between CHP and UPMC. Served on the design team and set funding priorities for the new $600 million campus relocation.

Mark Levitt Batshaw (born 19 September 1945) is a Canadian-born physician, medical researcher and academic administrator. He is a professor in the department of pediatrics and an associate dean at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences and is the physician-in-chief and chief academic officer at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He is known for his research into urea cycle disorders and gene therapy, and is the author of the classic textbook "Children with Disabilities".