Christiana Care Health System is one of the largest health care providers in the mid-Atlantic, serving all of Delaware and parts of PA, MD and NJ.

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A Randomized Trial of Loading Vancomycin in the Emergency Department

Adherence to the 2009 consensus guidelines for vancomycin dosing and monitoring practices: a cross‐sectional survey of US hospitals

Prescribing habits of vancomycin in the emergency department: are we dosing appropriately?

Effects of targeting higher vancomycin trough levels on clinical outcomes and costs in a matched patient cohort

Emergency Department Evaluation of Chest Pain Using Exercise Stress Echocardiography

Neil Jasani is ChristianaCare’s Chief Clinical Officer. Dr. Jasani provides oversight for both iLEAD (Institute for Learning, Leadership and Development) and Human Resources and continues to lead Medical Affairs. Ensuring close collaboration between learning and human resource functions enhances ChristianaCare’s ability to grow and nurture the organization's workforce.

Dr. Jasani has an extensive background in graduate medical education, having served as the program director for Emergency Medicine from 2007-2013 and as associate program director from 1992 to 2007.

Human Resources

Graduate and Undergraduate Medical Education

Learning

Organizational Development

Downloadable Photos of Dr. Neil Jasani

ChristianaCare announces vaccine mandate

Delaware's Largest Private Employer Increasing Minimum Wage to $15 Per Hour

From entry-level to executive, today’s jobs demand digital literacy

Delaware medical school pipeline at risk

Christiana Care, Westside Family Healthcare form unique residency partnership

Neil Jasani

nurse-scientist-susan-smith-birkhoff-makes-two-research-firsts-in-delaware

Innovative researcher named to leadership role in DE-INBRE and recognized for mentoring

Chief Clinical Officer

Program Director of Technology Research & Education

Enterprise Chief Scientific Officer

Susan Smith Birkhoff, Ph.D., RN, is making nursing history in the First State through the Delaware IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE). She is the first nurse scientist to be named an INBRE site principal investigator and she is the first nurse to receive the Seema S. Sonnad Mentor of the Year Award from INBRE’s Junior Investigator Network.

INBRE is a collaborative network of Delaware academic, health care and research institutions, composed of ChristianaCare, Delaware State University, Delaware Technical Community College Nemours Children’s Health and University of Delaware.

First nurse scientist to lead INBRE site  As the INBRE site principal investigator at ChristianaCare, Smith Birkhoff will expand on the research network’s success at a large academic health center. In collaboration with the INBRE partners and the program manager, Kellie Patterson, BSN, RN, CCRP, she will leverage centers of excellence across ChristianaCare to host an exceptional student program, increase the health system's contributions to the pilot program pool and grow the visibility of INBRE across the enterprise.

“Susan brings a terrific combination of skills to this role,” said Omar Khan, M.D., MHS, FAAFP, chief scientific officer for ChristianaCare and institutional representative on the INBRE steering committee.

“She is a mentor, scientist and teacher, and her experience with INBRE and the state’s other premier research programs will ensure that we deliver the highest value for the Delaware community.”

Smith Birkhoff leads and supports interprofessional research education, systemwide technology evaluation, and grantsmanship. She spearheads a diverse research program, encompassing areas such as robotics in health care, virtual reality in medicine and burnout in the nursing workforce.

As program director of Technology Research & Education at ChristianaCare, she collaborates across the health system’s academic research enterprise to achieve both clinician- and patient-oriented research outcomes.

“Susan is a wonderful colleague and she is a true researcher-educator,” said Neil Jasani, M.D., MBA, FACEP, chief academic officer for ChristianaCare. “She is a great fit for the work of Delaware INBRE as we advance ChristianaCare’s contribution to this essential research network.”

She co-leads an innovative program to study the one of the first deployments of increasingly autonomous robots in a U.S. health care setting and directs the first Nursing Research Fellowship in Robotics and Innovation, housed at ChristianaCare.

First nurse named Mentor of the Year  Smith Birkhoff received the 2025 Seema S. Sonnad Mentor of the Year Award from INBRE’s Junior Investigator Network, nominated for her exceptional mentorship by ChristianaCare colleagues whom she mentored. Her nominators were: Kaci Rainey, MSN, RN, CEN, TCRN, an evidence-based practice specialist at ChristianaCare, and Briana Abernathy, BSN, RN, CEN, a nurse in utilization management at ChristianaCare and an inaugral nurse fellow in the Nursing Research Fellowship in Robotics and Innovation.

“They say that if you are not at the table, you are on the menu. We are profoundly grateful that Dr. Smith Birkhoff selflessly provided us with a seat at the table and an overflowing feast of knowledge,” said Abernathy in presenting the award.

“This knowledge has quenched our thirst for change and fueled our hunger for research and innovation, setting the stage for the rest of our careers.”


Nurse Scientist Susan Smith Birkhoff Makes Two Research ‘Firsts’ in Delaware

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Recognition affirms ChristianaCare’s deep commitment to inclusion and diversity  ChristianaCare has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Companies with Inclusive Benefits by Mogul, a diversity recruitment platform that partners with the world’s fastest-growing companies to attract and advance top diverse talent.

ChristianaCare was recognized for both its “diverse hiring practices” and “progressive workplace resources.”

“At ChristianaCare, we embrace diversity and show respect to everyone, and we reinforce these behaviors through purposeful actions that enable all our caregivers to serve our neighbors with love and excellence,” said Neil Jasani, M.D., MBA, FACEP, chief people officer at ChristianaCare. “By offering a wide array of inclusive benefits, we more fully support our caregivers in their commitment to being exceptional today and even better tomorrow.”

The honor by Mogul is the latest recognition for ChristianaCare’s commitment to inclusion and diversity.

 
ChristianaCare, Delaware’s largest private employer, has committed to being an anti-racism organization and works to ensure that this commitment is reflected through the organization’s policies, programs and practices. (Read more about ChristianaCare’s anti-racism commitment here.)

ChristianaCare President and CEO Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, has signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge. This pledge outlines a specific set of actions the signatory CEOs will take to cultivate a trusting environment where all ideas are welcomed and employees are empowered to have discussions about diversity and inclusion. More than 3,100 of ChristianaCare’s caregivers also have signed the pledge.

ChristianaCare’s inclusion and diversity efforts feature 11 employee resource groups, which connect caregivers who have a common identity or bond with one another. Formed by employees across all demographics – including disability, race, military status, national origin and gender identity – these voluntary, grassroots groups work to improve inclusion and diversity at ChristianaCare. More than 1,350 caregivers participate.

ChristianaCare has developed LeadershipDNA, a leadership development program that is specifically targeted to underrepresented caregivers early in their careers.
ChristianaCare’s deep commitment to inclusion and diversity also includes:

Providing $500,000 in scholarships to 10 high school students in Delaware who plan to pursue degrees in health care. Supporting Project Search, which is a nationally recognized program dedicated to providing education and training to young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  Participation in Project Hope, a partnership with external agencies that provides support to individuals who were involved with the criminal justice system. This program creates pathways to meaningful and sustainable employment within ChristianaCare. Participation in Project Veteran through career fairs that target veterans. Elimination of bias in hiring through biannual education for all hiring managers, along with leader demographic scorecards to support building a diverse workforce. Parental leave of 12 weeks for the bonding, care and wellbeing of a newborn, adopted children or foster care children. This policy applies to both birthing and non-birthing caregivers. Behavioral health services for employees that include access to professionals who specialize in mental health care and substance use disorder. A work life employee assistance program that provides free and confidential resources designed specifically for caregivers and their families. Coverage in employee health plans for gender affirmation surgery, which consists of medical and surgical treatments that change primary sex characteristics for individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Autism spectrum disorders benefits – such as diagnostic assessment and treatment – to the children of caregivers who are under 21 years of age.  “Our commitment to inclusion and diversity touches all areas of our organization – including our benefits packages,” said Natalie Torres, director of Inclusion & Diversity at ChristianaCare. “We know that when we offer an inclusive benefits package that anticipates the needs of our caregivers, they can better support their families and provide better care to our community.”



ChristianaCare Named one of Mogul’s Top 100 Companies with Inclusive Benefits

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ChristianaCare also ranks as No. 2 overall health care employer nationwide for diversity and inclusion, No. 40 overall   For the second consecutive year, Forbes magazine has ranked ChristianaCare as one of the best employers for diversity and inclusion in the United States in its list of Best Employers for Diversity 2022.

ChristianaCare ranked as the No. 2 employer for diversity and inclusion in the health care industry and the No. 40 employer in the nation overall.

“Through purposeful actions, we commit to valuing diversity and fostering an environment for inclusion as we support all caregivers and serve all our neighbors with love and excellence, in our actions and in our words,” said Neil Jasani, M.D., MBA, FACEP, chief people officer at ChristianaCare. “We know when we support our caregivers and they can be their authentic selves, they will be exceptional today and even better tomorrow.”

ChristianaCare, Delaware’s largest private employer, has committed to being an anti-racism organization and works to ensure that commitment is reflected through the organization’s policies, programs, and practices. (Read more about ChristianaCare’s anti-racism commitment here.)

All employees of ChristianaCare are referred to as caregivers, whether they provide direct patient care or support that care indirectly.

ChristianaCare’s inclusion efforts include 10 employee resource groups, which connect caregivers who have a common interest or bond with one another. Formed by employees across all demographics – such as disability, gender, race, military status, national origin, sexual orientation, etc. – these voluntary grassroots groups work to improve inclusion and diversity at ChristianaCare. More than 1,100 caregivers at ChristianaCare participate in employee resource groups.

 ChristianaCare also has developed LeadershipDNA, a leadership development program that is specifically targeted to underrepresented, diverse populations early in their leadership journey within the organization and is designed to foster professional and career development. 

ChristianaCare President and CEO Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, has signed the CEO Act!on for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge, which outlines a specific set of actions the signatory CEOs will take to cultivate a trusting environment where all ideas are welcomed, and employees feel comfortable and empowered to have discussions about diversity and inclusion. More than 1,600 of ChristianaCare’s caregivers have also signed the pledge. 

“This recognition shows that we are making progress in our commitment to invest in our caregivers and to make all who join us feel included,” said Pamela Ridgeway, chief diversity officer and vice president of talent at ChristianaCare. “Taking care of people is what we do, and our ability to help people achieve optimal health is tied directly to how successful we are at embracing diversity and creating an inclusive environment for our caregivers.”

 Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity were identified from an independent survey of more than 60,000 U.S. employees working for companies employing at least 1,000 people in their U.S. operations. 

Respondents were asked to rate their organizations on criteria such as age, disability, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation equality, as well as general diversity. More than 10,000 companies were reviewed and approximately 2,000 were given a diversity score that is derived from employee surveys and publicly available information.

The final list ranks the 500 employers that not only received the most recommendations, but also have the most diverse boards and executive leadership, and the most proactive diversity and inclusion initiatives. 



Forbes Ranks ChristianaCare as one of the Best Employers for Diversity and Inclusion in the United States for Second Consecutive Year

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