ATLANTA (July 30, 2020) – Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has named Brenda Poindexter, MD, the new System Medical Director of Neonatology, effective July 13, 2020. Dr. Poindexter will also serve as Division Chief of Neonatology at the Emory University Department of Pediatrics, as well as a Marcus Professor. She replaces Dave Carlton, MD, who retired after more than a decade in the role.
“We are honored that Dr. Poindexter has joined us as System Medical Director of Neonatology,” said Lucky Jain, MD, Chief Academic Officer at Children’s and Executive Director of the Emory + Children’s Pediatric Institute. “As a nationally recognized specialist in neonatal nutrition, we know that her expertise and leadership will only continue to elevate this outstanding division and team. We’re excited to see how she continues building on the legacy of former chief Dr.Carlton.”
Before joining Children’s, Dr. Poindexter served as Director of Clinical and Translational Research at the Perinatal Institute and Professor of Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s. In addition to her clinical duties, she served as a principal investigator for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD Neonatal Research Network for 15 years, and has devoted her career to conducting both observational and interventional trials in newborn infants. Her primary research interests relate to the role of early nutrition on growth and developmental outcomes in premature infants.
“I am thrilled to join the neonatology division at Children’s,” said Dr. Poindexter. “I look forward to leading an incredible team. The exciting research, innovative technologies and high-quality care available here at Children’s, combined with a mission-oriented dedication to excellence, will continue to set us apart for years to come.”
Dr. Poindexter completed her pediatrics residency at Cincinnati Children’s. She completed her fellowship training in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Indiana University, where she also earned a master’s degree in Clinical Research.
Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best hospitals for pediatric neonatology, the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) at Children's combine advanced technology and highly trained healthcare professionals to care for our tiniest patients in a specialized environment. With approximately 1,000 neonatal admissions annually, our NICUs provide comprehensive care for critically ill newborns and premature infants in a specialized environment with 84 Level IV NICU beds. In 2019, Children's performed 842 neonatal surgeries.