Maria E. Franco, MD, pediatric pulmonologist at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, has been elected president of the hospital’s Medical Executive Committee (MEC) for a three-year term. The MEC serves as the governing body of the hospital’s 800-member medical staff.
Elected vice president for a three-year term is Ziad Khatib, MD, a pediatric hematologist/oncologist on the hospital’s medical staff since 1993.
Dr. Franco has been in private practice based at Nicklaus Children’s main campus since 1998. She is board certified in both pediatric pulmonology and general pediatrics. She received her medical degree from Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Bogota and completed her residency at Crozer Chester Medical Center in Philadelphia and her fellowship in pulmonology at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia.
Dr. Khatib has been in private practice with offices at the hospital since 1993. He received his medical degree from American University of Beirut, Lebanon and completed his residency in Pediatrics at Jackson Memorial Hospital and a fellowship in hematology-oncology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Joining the MEC for three-year terms are Julie Kantor, MD, a pediatrician; and Christopher F. Tirotta, MD, Chief of Anesthesiology at Nicklaus Children’s.
Nicklaus Children’s also recognizes the following outgoing MEC members whose terms conclude on Dec. 31, 2019:
- Pablo Marcelo Laufer, MD – Outgoing President of the Medical Staff
- Anselmo Cepero- Akselrad, MD – Outgoing Vice-President of the Medical Staff
- Jose Rosa-Olivares, MD – Outgoing MEC Member