Program Leadership and Overview

Our Program Leadership Team

Meghan Howell, MD - Program Director

Born and raised in by mountains of East Tennessee, Dr. Howell came to Tulane in 2005, following completion of her undergraduate work at the University of Tennessee. Having completed her Master's Degree, Medical Degree and General Pediatrics residency training (including a chief resident year) at Tulane, she has two decades of experience learning from and serving the greater New Orleans area.  Fueled by a passion for early childhood and complex care, she opened and now directs the NICU Graduate Clinic, leading a multidisciplinary team focused on early intervention in our highest-risk infants with four clinic sites across southeast Louisiana.  Additionally, she has a growing research program, including serving as a site PI for two NIH-funded clinical trials in opioid-exposed infants and site PI for the IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network. Outside of work, she can be found cheering on her three children (all native New Orleanians!) or snuggling with her rescue dogs.  When able, she and her husband enjoy quiet evenings focused on food, whether it is trying a new restaurant or cooking a new dish!  She welcomes recommendations for new recipes, podcasts, or horror/mystery/fantasy novels.

Cristi Halk, MD - Associate Program Director, Clinical Competency & Evaluation

David Swetland, MD - Associate Program Director, Didactics & Curriculum

Dr. Swetland is a New Orleans native and has been here for most of his life, including Tulane University for his undergraduate education. He completed residency training at Manning Family Children’s and completed his fellowship training in Pediatric Pulmonology at Cincinnati Children's. He returned to New Orleans to take care of a large variety of patients, including those with cystic fibrosis, those requiring mechanical ventilation, and those with aerodigestive concerns. Outside of work, he enjoys taking part in all that City Park has to offer, including the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Besthoff Sculpture Garden, and plenty of outdoor space to relax.

Liz Watkins, MD - Associate Program Director, Continuity Clinics

Liz Watkins is an actual local! She left for pediatric residency at Arkansas Children's Hospital, then moved to Atlanta and Seattle before returning home in 2023 to continue her medical career in the same city she's always loved. In fact, she now works in the very same building where her childhood pediatrician once practiced, which feels like a beautiful full-circle moment in her life. Throughout er medical career, she's always had a passion for teaching, and now, she's proud to work with our residents and medical students in the Academic Clinic, helping them develop into compassionate, knowledgeable pediatricians.

She also loves fostering a sense of community among our residency program, often helping host get-togethers and offering a rest stop for the Mardi Gras parades. And yes, she's a proud dancing mermaid in the Sirens of New Orleans dance krewe during our many parades and celebrations throughout the year! The energy and joy of the city inspire her, and she tries to bring that same enthusiasm into her work, both with her patients and with the residents she mentors. When she's not dancing or teaching, she hang out with her 2 children, her dog Waldo, and her husband Ben, "Mr. Dr. Watkins."

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Aylisse Grossenbacher-McGlamery - Chief Resident (2026-2027)

Patient Base

Our patients come from all over the Gulf South, including Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, with a range of pathology and representing remarkably different cultural contexts.  Due to key factors including geography, culture, and climate, we see things here that you might not see anywhere else, in addition to the bread-and-butter diagnoses that comprise a pediatrician's typical daily work.

The families we serve come from environments spanning inner-city urban to rural parishes across Louisiana, offering formidable training in both breadth of pathology but also unique challenges of underserved care in rural and urban settings. Because of our community-based focus with a regional referral site as our primary clinical learning environment, we train residents who are well prepared for a variety of situations. Our residents go into everything from underserved primary care to highly innovative subspecialties - speaking to the rigor and depth of our approach to residency training.

Faculty

Our faculty members work in every pediatric subspecialty, and are nationally renowned in their fields of practice. Our subspecialists provide innovative care and discover new treatment strategies through research.  Without a significant number of fellows, our residents work directly with these leaders.  

In addition to the traditional subspecialties, our general pediatricians demonstrate a working knowledge of collaborative and complex care.  Dr. Meghan Howell opened and now runs our multidisciplinary NICU Graduate Clinic.  Dr. Mary Rossi treats the growing number of children impacted by obesity and diabetes.  Dr. Patrice Evers brings high-quality care to youth impacted by the criminal justice system.

Residents

Lastly, but importantly, the people you train beside make a difference!  Our team is composed of residents from many different backgrounds who are motivated by the same core values.  We seek future pediatricians driven to improve the wellbeing of children -  whether driven by advocacy, scholarship & research, or innovative clinical care. Our residency culture is focused on fostering an enriching and supportive community where the next generation of pediatric leaders can refine their skills.

• Categorical Pediatrics (3 year program)
  • 8 interns per year
• Pediatrician-Scientist, Pediatrics (4 year program)
  • 1 intern per year
  • 18 months protected research time during PGY2 through PGY4 years
• Internal Medicine/Pediatrics (4 year program)
  • 6 interns per year
• Triple-Board (Pediatrics, General Psychiatry, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)
  • 2 interns per year

Benefits