Meet our Presenters

   Lauren is a Certified Child Life Specialist with 4 years of experience working in various units throughout CHLA, including the Emergency Department (ED), dialysis, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and as a house float. Lauren now works as the primary specialist on the med-surg unit, providing support to patients and families followed by neurosurgery, plastic surgery, orthopedics, and trauma.

  Brittany is a Certified Child Life Specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Brittany has been a Certified Child Life Specialist for 11 years and began her work in the outpatient clinic in January 2020. She also has experience in the Emergency Department, Procedure Room, Pre-Op, General Pediatrics, and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Brittany enjoys providing procedural preparation and support to pediatric patients to help aid in their coping. She is a mom to 5 and ½ -year-old twins! 

Mandy has spent most of her career working with children, specifically working in communities with underserved populations. She has worked in education and now works as a Program Coordinator for Literally Healing at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Literally Healing provides both Recreational titles and Therapeutic titles. Mandy oversees the day-to-day functions of the Therapeutic Library, which is a specially curated and thoroughly reviewed collection of books. These resources are available to CHLA clinicians and are utilized and gifted to patient families during interventions. Literally Healing has a long history of collaborating with various groups and individuals both hospital wide and externally. They have participated in various research studies and projects that include partnerships with Child Life Specialists, Palliative Care, Nursing, Social Work and so on. Mandy is very passionate about literacy, education, and working with children and continues to expand and grow the impact she has not only with CHLA staff but with patients and families. 

  Blanca is a Child Life Specialist at Kaiser Permanente Oakland. She graduated from UC Davis with her bachelor’s in biological sciences. She completed her practicum at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and her internship at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Blanca anticipates earning her master’s in child life from Eastern Washington University this year.

  Eliana is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Eliana has been a medical social worker for a little over 3 years and began her work in the pediatric outpatient clinics in January 2022. Prior to outpatient, she worked inpatient as a float social worker covering all adult and pediatric units throughout the entire main hospital. Eliana appreciates being able to connect with pediatric patients and their family and social systems as they navigate the complexities associated with lifelong medical conditions. Eliana enjoys spending quality time with her two nieces aged 6 and 1-week-old! 

  Shani s a Certified Child Life Specialist serving the Sacramento region in private practice. She offers in-home visits, phone/virtual consultations, caregiver workshops, and support to community programs, hospice agencies, and schools. Shani's expertise has been working with families coping with a terminal diagnosis, end-of-life support, and grief. 

  Grace has been a certified child life specialist since 2013, establishing a child life program at a community hospital with expanding pediatric and burn services. Grace meets the needs of children and families throughout the hospital, provides education and resources to staff, students, and volunteers, and wears many more hats

 Hillary  is a Child Life Specialist in the Diagnostic Imaging Department at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, Oakland. In addition to providing direct patient care, she relishes opportunities to build and support new programs that promote coping and emotional safety.