Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Physician
Contact this Expert Witness
- Company: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Phone: (615) 241-0746
- Cell: (615) 241-0746
Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness
General Specialties:
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine and Pediatric HospitalistKeywords/Search Terms:
Pediatrics, Pediatric Hospitalist, Pediatric Critical Care, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Cardiac Care, Congenital Heart Disease, Pediatric Sedation, ECMO, Cardiac Arrest, Respiratory Failure, Resuscitation, Post-Operative Care, Clinical Informatics, Opioid Management, Ventricular Assist Device (VAD), Heart TransplantEducation:
MD, Thomas Jefferson University; BS, The Pennsylvania State UniversityYears in Practice:
30Additional Information
Dr. Barbara-Jo Achuff is a dual board-certified physician in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine and Clinical Informatics with over 25 years of clinical experience in high-acuity medical environments. She currently serves as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Biomedical Informatics at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Her distinguished career includes tenure at three of the nation's top-tier pediatric institutions: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Texas Children’s Hospital, and Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Dr. Achuff completed an advanced fellowship in Cardiac Intensive Care and specializes in the management of complex congenital heart disease, post-operative cardiac care, and mechanical circulatory support, including ECMO. She is a recognized leader in medication safety and sedation stewardship, having served as a leader on Sedation Oversight Committees for over a decade and published NIH-funded research on opioid weaning and analgesia protocols. Uniquely qualified in Clinical Informatics and certified as an Epic Systems Physician Builder, Dr. Achuff possesses distinct expertise in electronic health record (EHR) utilization, clinical decision support, and visual analytics for quality improvement. This combination of clinical and technical expertise allows her to provide authoritative assessments regarding hospital systems, data management, and standard of care compliance. Areas of Expertise: Pediatric Critical Care: Sepsis, Shock, Respiratory Failure, and Multi-Organ Failure Cardiac Intensive Care: Congenital Heart Disease, Post-Operative Management (Norwood Procedure), and Heart Failure Medication Safety: Sedation Stewardship, Opioid Withdrawal/Weaning, and Adverse Drug Events Clinical Informatics: EHR auditing, Hospital Protocols, and Clinical Decision Support systems Resuscitation: Cardiac Arrest management and Epinephrine administration protocols Dr. Achuff is an accomplished educator and researcher who has presented internationally on ICU data analytics and patient outcomes.