2014 Board Nominees for
Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics &
Minnesota Academy of Pediatrics Foundation
MNAAP/MAPF President-Elect Nominee:
Andrew Kiragu, MD, FAAP Dr. Andrew Kiragu has served on the MNAAP Board for two terms. He
is the assistant chief of pediatrics and PICU medical director at Hennepin County Medical Center
(HCMC). He is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. He
completed his undergraduate studies at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, and
subsequently graduated from Howard University in Washington D.C. with an MD degree in 1994.
Dr. Kiragu served his residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Minnesota
followed by a fellowship in pediatric critical care at the University of Minnesota, where he was a
Walter Ramsey Endowment Fellow. During his fellowship and as a staff physician, he has received multiple awards
in recognition of his commitment to resident and medical student education. During his fellowship, Dr. Kiragu was
awarded a Vikings Foundation Grant to study the inflammatory effects of cardiopulmonary bypass. He is the coprimary investigator for a grant from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation that established an "Injury-Free
Coalition for Kids" site at HCMC, with a goal of studying and promoting injury prevention in the Twin Cities. Dr.
Kiragu is board-certified in pediatrics and pediatric critical care.
MNAAP/MAPF Secretary Treasurer Nominee:
R. Hampton Rich, MD, FAAP Dr. Hampton Rich recently retired as a pediatric specialist with
Pediatric Surgical Associates. He brings over 30 years of experience in pediatric surgery. He also
monitored finances for his clinic. His past work included outpatient surgery and inpatient
abdominal surgery, and as one of the area leaders in cleft lip and cleft palate repair. He also has
great interest in other birth anomalies, and has been instrumental in helping Children’s Hospitals
and Clinics of Minnesota set policies to determine the best ways to treat newborn babies with
abdominal wall defects and other congenital abnormalities. Dr. Rich graduated from Dartmouth
College, and received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He completed his
residency in general surgery at the University of Minnesota, and served as a fellow in pediatric surgery and cleft
surgery at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada.
MNAAP/MAPF Members at Large Nominees:
Deborah A. DeMarais, MD, MS, FAAP Dr. DeMarais is a vice-president with Fairview Health
Services and is the physician lead responsible for the system-wide development and growth of
the Mother and Children’s Service Line. Previously, she served as president/CEO for an
independent physician-owned multi-specialty clinic (CPMG). She was chief of pediatrics in the
U.S. Air Force while in Texas. Dr. DeMarais currently provides pediatric services at the Fairview
Clinic-Andover. She completed medical school and pediatric residency at the University of
Minnesota. She has an MS in Nutritional Science and worked as a clinical dietitian at the VA
Hospital in Minneapolis before medical school. Dr. DeMarais is married with two adult children.
Her interests include gourmet cooking and traveling.
Joseph P. Neglia , MD, MPH, FAAP Dr. Joseph P. Neglia is the Ruben-Bentson Chair and head of
the department of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. He holds the rank of professor and
remains clinically active in the division of pediatric hematology/oncology. Dr. Neglia completed
medical school at Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda, California and his
pediatric internship, residency, and chief residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston,
Texas before coming to the U of M in 1984 to pursue a fellowship in Pediatric
Hematology/Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation. During fellowship, he received an
MPH in Epidemiology. Following completion of fellowship, Dr. Neglia was hired in 1987 as an Instructor in the
Department of Pediatrics at the U of M. He received promotions to assistant professor in 1988, associate professor
in 1992, and professor in 2002. He has a joint appointment in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health
in the School of Public Health. He currently serves as the voting body chair of the Children's Oncology Group and a
member of the steering committee of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. He and his wife, Sarah, have two
grown sons and reside in Shoreview.
Deborah Lee Smith-Wright, MD, FAAP Dr. Deborah Lee Smith-Wright is the chief of pediatrics at
Shriners Hospitals for Children® in the Twin Cities and an adjunct associate professor of pediatrics
at the University of Minnesota. Previously she spent more than 10 years as a pediatric intensive
care attending at the University of Minnesota, 10 years as a pediatric emergency room attending
at St. Paul Children's Hospital, and several years in private practice. She received her bachelor’s
degree in chemistry from Grinnell College in Iowa and her medical degree at the University of
Kansas. Dr. Smith-Wright completed her residency and pediatric critical care fellowship at the
University of Minnesota. She is active on a number of local and national boards and committees.
Trish Scherrer, MD, FAAP Dr. Scherrer is a pediatric hospitalist and critical care medicine
physician with CentraCare Health System in St. Cloud. She received her medical degree from the
Medical College of Virginia and completed her pediatrics residency at the University of Wisconsin
Children's Hospital in Madison. After practicing as a general pediatrician in Madison for several
years, she completed a fellowship in pediatric critical care medicine at UW-Madison. She holds
adjunct faculty status with the department of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. Dr.
Scherrer is board certified in general pediatrics and in pediatric critical care medicine. In addition
to pediatric hospital medicine and intensive care, Dr. Scherrer has a particular interest in
pediatric procedural sedation. She is the president of the Society for Pediatric Sedation, and is actively involved in
the development of quality and safety metrics and web and simulation-based educational programs for pediatric
sedation.
Michael Partington, MD, FAAP Dr. Partington is pediatric neurosurgeon and medical director of
spina bifida services at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare. In his practice, he focuses on
patients with brachial plexus injuries, hydrocephalus, congenital quadriplegia (cerebral palsy),
seizure disorders and spina bifida. Prior to joining Gillette in 1998, Partington graduated from
the University of Minnesota Medical School, then served a residency in general surgery and
neurosurgery at Mayo Graduate School. He held a research fellowship and a clinical fellowship in
pediatric neurosurgery at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago and has also practiced at The
Children’s Hospital in Denver. Dr. Partington is a member of the Congress of Neurological
Surgeons, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the American Society of Pediatric
Neurosurgeons.