Jenna Essakow, MD

Jenna
Essakow
MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Critical Care Medicine
Delivery Address
Doctors' Office Tower
2200 Children's Way
Room / Suite
5121
Nashville
Tennessee
37232
jenna.essakow@vumc.org

Medical Education; Simulation; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Quality Improvement

M.D.
Sackler School of Medicine
Residency
Pediatrics - Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Fellowships
Pediatric Critical Care Medicine - University of California, San Francisco
Pediatric Simulation - University of California, San Francisco

Jessica Parsons, MSN, NNP-BC

Jessica
Parsons
MSN, NNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Outreach Medicine
Delivery Address
2141 Blakemore Ave
Nashville
Tennessee
37212-3505
jessica.parsons@vumc.org

B.S.N.
Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN
M.S.N.
University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

Jennifer Jones, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC

Jennifer
Jones
MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Emergency Medicine
Delivery Address
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt
2200 Children's Way
Room / Suite
1025
Nashville
Tennessee
37232-9001
jennifer.b.jones@vumc.org

B.S.N.
University of Colorado Denver
M.S.N.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Primary Care - University of Alabama at Birmingham

Carolyn von Lunen, MSN, APRN, CPNP-AC

Carolyn
von Lunen
MSN, APRN, CPNP-AC
Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Hospital Medicine
Delivery Address
Doctors' Office Tower
2200 Children's Way
Room / Suite
11th Floor
Nashville
Tennessee
37232-9000
carolyn.riley@vumc.org

Specialty
Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Inpatient Pediatric Medicine
B.S.N.
University of Tennessee Knoxville, 2011
M.S.N.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in Acute Care - University of Alabama Birmingham, 2022

Annette Alexandrea, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

Annette
Alexandrea
MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Hospital Medicine
Delivery Address
Doctors' Office Tower
2200 Children's Way
Room / Suite
11th Floor
Nashville
Tennessee
37232-9000
annette.m.alexandrea@vumc.org

Specialty
Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Inpatient Pediatric Medicine
B.S.N.
Hartwick College, 2008
M.S.N.
Tennessee State University, 2018
Postgraduate Training
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in Acute Care - University of South Alabama, 2023

Kacie Denton, MD, MPH

Kacie
Denton
MD, MPH
2nd Year Fellow
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition

Dr. Kacie Denton served as chief Pediatrics resident at East Tennessee State University. She also earned her MD degree and a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Community Health at ETSU. Her undergraduate education included a double major with highest honors from Carson-Newman University: BA in biology, BS in biochemistry, and a minor in religion.

In 2019, Dr. Denton was honored with the National Rural Health Association Student Achievement Award, presented to one student annually for excellent in research and advocacy. She is highly dedicated to volunteer service, including substantial advocacy and fundraising with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and her dogs, photography, traveling, and reading mystery novels.

Delivery Address
Doctors' Office Tower
2200 Children's Way
Room / Suite
10233
Nashville
Tennessee
37232-9175

Chief Resident: East Tennessee State University (Johnson City, TN)
Master of Public Health: East Tennessee State University (Johnson City, TN)
Medical School: East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine (Johnson City, TN)
Undergraduate: Carson-Newman University (Jefferson City, TN)

Melissa Castro Rivadeneira, MD

Melissa
Castro
Rivadeneira
MD
2nd Year Fellow
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition

Dr. Melissa Castro Rivadeneira was born in Quito, Ecuador. She earned her MD from Universidad Científica del Sur Facultad de Medicina Humana in Lima, Peru, and she continued to grow her academic career during residency at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, FL.

Between medical school and residency, Dr. Castro served for nearly two years as a research fellow in the Division of Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at Duke University. She enjoys being active in a variety of ways, including playing on a women's soccer team and training for a half-marathon. Dr. Castro also enjoys playing the piano, guitar, cooking, and hiking.

Delivery Address
Doctors' Office Tower
2200 Children's Way
Room / Suite
10233
Nashville
Tennessee
37232-9175

Residency: Nicklaus Children's Hospital (Miami, FL)
Medical School: Universidad Científica del Sur Facultad de Medicina Humana (Lima, Peru)

Anne Marsala, MD

Anne
Marsala
MD
Instructor in Clinical Pediatrics
Outreach Medicine
Delivery Address
2141 Blakemore Ave
Nashville
Tennessee
37212-3505
anne.marsala@vumc.org

Newborn hospital medicine, breastfeeding medicine, pediatric hospital medicine

M.D.
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA
Residency
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Ryan M. Dahlhauser, MS, CGC

Ryan
M.
Dahlhauser
MS, CGC
Genetic Counselor
Genetics
Delivery Address
Medical Center North
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Room / Suite
DD-2205
Nashville
Tennessee
37232-2579
ryan.dahlhauser@vumc.org

Congenital Heart Defects, Pediatric Cardiology and Cancer, Multiple Congenital Anomalies

M.S.
Genetic Counseling - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 2023