Spina Bifida Health Care Transition Toolkit Acknowledgements

This toolkit is a joint collaborative project of:

American Academy of Pediatrics 
345 Park Boulevard, Itasca, IL 60143

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30329

Got Transition® 
5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 440, Washington, DC 20015 

Spina Bifida Association
1600 Wilson Blvd, Suite 800, Arlington, VA 22209

Expert Group

Thank you to the multidisciplinary expert group members who led the development of this toolkit:

• Cecily L. Betz, PhD, RN, FAAN; University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine
• Robin M. Bowman, MD, FAANS; Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine
• Luciano Dias, MD, FAAP, FAAOS; Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Northwestern University
• Ellen J. Fremion, MD, FACP, FAAP; Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine
• Samuel Garcia, LMSW; Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine
• Grayson N. Holmbeck, PhD; Loyola University Chicago
• Mitul Kapadia, MD, MSc, FAAP, FAAPMR; University of California, San Francisco
• Margaret McManus, MHS; The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health/Got Transition
• Vickie J. Mitchell, EdD; Sam Houston State University
• Rosana Morales, LCSW; Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine
• Michelle Mravec Arthur, BSN, RN; Indiana University, School of Nursing; individual living with spina bifida
• Joseph O’Neil, MD, MPH; Indiana University, School of Medicine
• Danielle K. Powell, MD, MSPH, FAAPMR; The University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Kathryn A. Smith, RN, MN, MS, DrPH; University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine
• Judy Thibadeau, RN, MN; Spina Bifida Association
• Patience H. White, MD, MA, FACP, FAAP; The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health/Got Transition
• Hadley M. Wood, MD, FACS; Cleveland Clinic, Lerner College of Medicine; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Reviewers

Thank you to the individuals who reviewed the toolkit for their suggestions and insight:

• Shannon Bevans, MSW; Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children; individual living with spina bifida
• Timothy J. Brei, MD, FAAP; Seattle Children’s Hospital; individual living with spina bifida
• Jonathan Castillo, MD, MPH; Texas Children’s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine
• Melanie Dragovits, Certified teacher; mother of a teenager living with spina bifida
• Michael Green, DO, FAAPMR; University of Utah/Primary Children’s Hospital
• Catharine Riley, PhD, MPH; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Robert Rinaldi, MD, FAAPMR; University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center
• Kira Watson, MD, MPH; University of Utah

American Academy of Pediatrics Staff

• Nkemdilim Chineme, MPH
• Sandra George, MPH
• Jamie Jones, MPH

Funding Acknowledgement

This toolkit was developed through the support of cooperative agreement #5NU38OT000282 between the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.

Suggested Citation: American Academy of Pediatrics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Got Transition®, Spina Bifida Association. Spina Bifida Health Care Transition Toolkit. 1st ed. Itasca, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2025.