Who We Are
At Region V for Kids, we believe every child deserves the best care, especially in times of crisis. That’s why we aim to train healthcare professionals, support families, and coordinate with hospitals and caregivers at local, state, regional, and tribal levels. Our expertise expands the disaster cycle, allowing us to establish a safety net that protects kids when it matters most.
Since 2019, we’ve made a BIG difference for nearly 12 million children across the Great Lakes Region (Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin). Our nine partner hospitals—packed with 3,115 pediatric beds—handle 630,000 emergency visits every year, proving we’re a powerhouse in pediatric care.
Our mission? To find, create, and share the best ways to prepare for and respond to disasters—connecting prehospital, hospital, and community teams into one unstoppable care system.
The best part? We make an impact for just 15 cents per child per year—because protecting kids should be effective and efficient!
Together, we’re building a future where every child gets the care they need, no matter what.
Our Mission
The mission of Region V for Kids is to build on existing foundations in pediatric clinical care and emergency response by enhancing coordination mechanisms and incorporating relevant capabilities at the local, state and regional levels.
The overall goal of the Region V for Kids is to harness and develop best-practices around pediatric disaster preparedness and response to be shared with other children’s and non-children’s hospitals and affiliated entities in the region.
The consortium brings together private and public entities (regional healthcare coalitions, emergency medical services, public health and emergency managers) as well as representatives from national organizations (American Academy of Pediatrics, Emergency Nurses Association, American College of Emergency Physicians) to provide a multi-pronged approach to address gaps within the care of children across the disaster cycle spectrum of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery for nearly 12 million children. Each entity in Region V for Kids provides unique local and state level expertise (telemedicine, evidence based clinical guidelines, simulation education, drill scenario expertise and special care units) and have integrated leadership roles within their RHCs.
Our Team
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Deanna Dahl Grove, MD
University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s
Principle Investigator
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Charles G. Macias, MD
University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s
Principle Investigator
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Julie Bulson, DNP
Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
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Cullen Clark, MD
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
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Matthew Denenberg, MD
Corewell Health Helen Devos Children’s Hospital
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Nita Gupta, MD
Children’s Minnesota
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Steve Krug, MD
Lurie Children’s Hospital
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Roxanna LeFort, MD
Riley Children’s Hospital
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Marie Lozon, MD
C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital/University of Michigan
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Maureen (Mo) Luetje, DO
Children’s Wisconsin
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Ron Ruffing, MD
Disaster Consultant
