Pain Management Team
Giovanni Cucchiaro, MD
Dr. Cucchiaro is the director of Pain Services in the Department of Anesthesia at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He joined the hospital staff in 2018. Dr. Cucchiaro’s expertise includes pediatric anesthesia, pain management and palliative care. His clinical research interests include the safety of short and long term use of opioids, addiction prevention and use of complementary intervention to assist children with acute and chronic pain. After earning his medical degree from the University of Milan in Milan, Italy, Dr. Cucchiaro completed an internship at Wilson Memorial Regional Medical Center in Johnson City, New York. Dr. Cucchiaro completed a residency in general surgery at the University of Milan and an anesthesia residency at Health Science Center SUNY in Syracuse, New York. He then completed a pediatric anesthesia fellowship at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Cucchiaro also holds a masters in international public policy and management from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
Richard Elliott, MD
Dr. Elliott specializes in pediatric anesthesiology, acute and chronic pain management, regional anesthesia and is a medical acupuncturist at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He joined the hospital staff in 2013. He also is associate program director of the Johns Hopkins All Children's Pediatric Anesthesia fellowship program. Dr. Elliott earned his medical degree at Northeast Ohio Medical University. He completed his residency in anesthesiology and fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He earned a post-master’s certificate in evidence-based teaching in the health professions from the Johns Hopkins University School of Education as well as a Master of Science in Jurisprudence in Health and Hospital Law from Seton Hall University School of Law. His medical acupuncture training was undertaken at the Helms Medical Institute. He is board-certified in anesthesiology, pediatric anesthesiology and medical acupuncture. He is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Allison Fernandez, MD
PEDIATRIC ANESTHESIOLOGY, PAIN MANAGEMENT
Dr. Fernandez specializes in pediatric anesthesiologist and is the founder of the pediatric pain service at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She joined the hospital staff in 2012. Dr. Fernandez earned her medical degree from SUNY Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York. She completed an internal medicine internship at North Shore University Hospital in New York and an anesthesiology residency at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. She also completed a pediatric anesthesia fellowship and advanced training in pediatric cardiac anesthesia at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Fernandez holds a M.B.A. with a concentration in health care management from Boston University Graduate School of Management.
Jibin Samuel, MD
Dr. Samuel is a pediatric anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He joined the hospital in 2015 and previously practiced at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami for 5 years. His clinical focus is pediatric anesthesiology and a multimodal approach to pediatric acute and chronic pain. This includes, but is not limited to, alternative therapies for pain management, pain medication weaning and management, nerve blocks/regional anesthesia, and patient-controlled analgesia.
William Frye, PhD
PSYCHOLOGY
Dr. Frye is a pediatric psychologist in the Chronic Pain Clinic at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He specializes in non-pharmacological treatment for patients with acute and chronic pain conditions and provides skill-based interventions for simultaneous psychosocial concerns. He joined the hospital staff in 2018. Dr. Frye earned his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Auburn University. He completed a pre-doctoral internship in pediatric psychology at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics and a postdoctoral fellowship in chronic pain at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Frye’s research interests include pain coping and catastrophizing and parental impact on youth outcomes. He is Board Certified in Biofeedback (BCB) by The Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback.
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Heather Neefe, DPT
Dr. Neefe is a pediatric physical therapist in the Chronic Pain Clinic. She is a Certified Strength and Condition Specialist (CSCS) and a Certified Kinesiotaping Practitioner (CKTP). Dr. Neefe joined the hospital staff in 2011 as one of the first members of the Sports Rehab staff for physical therapy. She earned her doctoral degree in physical therapy from the University of South Florida.
Melissa Schorpion, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS
PHYSICAL THERAPIST
Dr. Schorpion is a pediatric physical therapist in the Chronic Pain Clinic. She is Board Certified in Orthopedics (OCS) as well as Board Certified in Sports (SCS) by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Dr. Schorpion joined the hospital staff in 2014. She earned her doctoral degree in physical therapy from the University of Florida.
Raymundo Jacinto, PA-C
Born and raised in Reno Nevada, Raymundo Gamboa Jacinto started his Physician Assistant career at Penn Medicine providing chronic pain management for adults after completing his schooling at Pace University in New York City. He is now enjoying the Florida sun while providing pediatric acute and chronic pain management at JHACH. He established a virtual reality program for kids during hospital admissions and is co-chair of the JHACH Multi-Disciplinary Pain Management Committee. He has been practicing meditation for over a decade, and when not calculating morphine equivalent doses, you can find Ray playing on his bassoon.
Kym Householder, RN, LAc
Is our chronic pain coordinator and acupuncturist. She moved to St. Petersburg in 2008 to work at All Children's Hospital in the operating room. After she became an acupuncturist she joined the Chronic Pain Management Team and developed the outpatient acupuncture program. Kym earned her nursing degree at the College of Central Florida in Ocala. Later she obtained her BSN. She graduated from East West College of Natural Medicine with a Masters Degree in Oriental Medicine and she earned her Doctorate of Acupuncture at Pacific College of Health Sciences.
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