Melissa Buck, MD, serves as a neonatologist with MidAtlantic Neonatology Associates, Atlantic Health System. Dr. Buck has expertise in neonatal and perinatal palliative care and completed her pediatric residency with a chief residency at Goryeb Children’s Hospital. Dr. Buck provides compassionate and comprehensive end-of-life care to infants with life-limiting conditions through the Hersh Fetal Diagnostic and Treatment Center before birth and at Morristown Medical Center for infants after birth. In addition, she facilitates collaborative care, shared decision-making and open communication between families of critically ill pediatric patients and their medical team.

Tara Gleeson, DNP, APN, is the clinical manager of the Child Development and Autism Center at Goryeb Children’s Hospital and a board-certified nurse practitioner specializing in neurodevelopmental pediatrics. For more than 25 years, Dr. Gleeson has worked with children at Morristown Medical Center who have developmental and behavioral concerns with a focus on early recognition and treatment of autism spectrum disorder, ADHD and learning disabilities. Dr. Gleeson was recently published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities. A clinical instructor for Rutgers University, Dr. Gleeson is a member of the Atlantic Health Institutional Research Board.

Tara Helfrich, CCLS, CEIM, CPST, is a certified Child Life Specialist and the Child Life Program supervisor for Atlantic Health System. Tara has 18 years of experience working as a Child Life clinician and leader. Prior to joining the Atlantic Health System’s Child Life team in 2022, Tara worked within an inpatient rehabilitation setting. Tara’s passions include child life and creative arts program excellence and growth and advocating for patient and family centered care. She hopes to continue to grow the Atlantic Health System Child Life team consistent with innovative and best practices, with a focus on integrated child health delivery and excellence in pediatric care.

John E. Tis, MD, is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Goryeb Children’s Hospital and is one of the few fellowship-trained pediatric orthopedic surgeons who is also board-certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery in Sports Medicine. He is an expert in performing arthroscopic surgical procedures on ankles, hips, shoulders, elbows and knees, including ACL reconstructions. After earning his medical degree from the Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr. Tis completed an orthopedic surgery residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a research fellowship at Johns Hopkins University and a pediatric orthopedic surgery and scoliosis fellowship at Rady Children’s Hospital. Dr. Tis also served for 23 years in the active duty and reserve military including four wartime deployments where he treated high-energy war wounds and limb defects. He served as chief of Orthopedics at Ibn Sina Hospital (“Baghdad ER”) during Operation Iraqi Freedom.