Fielding Faculty Lead Opening Session at NANT 2025 Conference

Program Director Jenene Craig, Ph.D.

Fielding Graduate University’s Dr. Jenene Craig, Program Director of the Infant and Early Childhood Development (IECD) program, and Associate Professor Dr. Carolyn Ibrahim, delivered the opening conference presentation at the 2025 National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT) Conference, which brought together 656 attendees from across the country and worldwide. .

Dr. Craig and Dr. Ibrahim opened NANT 2025 with a dynamic and practical session titled “Thriving Together – Building the Optimal Neonatal Therapy Team for Your Unit.” Their presentation focused on equipping neonatal therapy teams with strategies to optimize staffing models, integrate interdisciplinary competencies, and advocate for the resources needed to deliver best-in-class care to NICU patients and families.

Key objectives of their session included:

• Identifying hospital resources necessary to create unit-based tracking systems for staff utilization in NICUs.

• Demonstrating how NANT competencies, staffing algorithms, and discipline-specific skills intersect to support high-quality care.

• Providing actionable strategies for advocating for additional Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) to strengthen neonatal therapy teams.

Through a mix of case studies, algorithm applications, and real-world examples, Dr. Craig and Dr. Ibrahim highlighted innovative staffing models that move beyond traditional consultant-based approaches toward integrated, collaborative care frameworks. Their focus emphasized how neonatal therapists, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language therapists, can maximize patient outcomes while fostering interdisciplinary team cohesion.

Dr. Carolyn Ibrahim

The session provided attendees with valuable tools, including a detailed staffing algorithm, productivity metrics, and guidance on aligning neonatal therapy services with hospital priorities, patient demographics, and developmental care objectives.

Fielding Graduate University is honored to have such outstanding faculty leading meaningful conversations in neonatal care and professional practice. Congratulations to Dr. Craig and Dr. Ibrahim for a strong and inspiring start to NANT 2025!

For more about the conference and learn about next year’s conference, visit the NANT 2025 Early Notification page.