Global Services Team

Gerard Martin, M.D., smiles with a young girl patient sitting on an exam table.

The Global Services Division has welcomed thousands of patients from around the world seeking remote second opinions or medical care in the United States.

Our goal is to deliver a positive experience from the child’s first contact to the time they return home. The Global Services Division features a multilingual team experienced in providing world-class services to international patients and families. Our team is comprised of the following members:

  • Medical director. The Global Services medical director oversees all aspects of medical care for our international patients. The Medical Director works closely with other members of the Global Services team to coordinate care with the primary medical team, referring physicians, and patients and families to ensure the best possible care at Children’s National.
  • Nurse practitioners. Our nurse practitioners are vital members of the international patient care team, serving as your child’s primary care providers. In collaboration with our specialists, a nurse practitioner oversees all aspects of your child’s treatment to provide comprehensive and continuous medical care throughout their treatment, as well as during the transition back to your home country.
  • Nurse navigators. The Global Services nurse navigators are experienced nurses who oversee the coordination of your child’s medical care – decreasing anxiety, increasing your child’s satisfaction and improving communication among members of your child’s care team. A nurse navigator is instrumental in partnering with the patient care coordinators to streamline your child’s care from the hospital setting to your home.
  • Patient care coordinators. The Global Services patient care coordinators are multilingual staff members who work directly with patients and families on all services needed prior to arrival, during treatment and upon discharge. Our coordinators work closely with our clinical team to facilitate all aspects of your child’s care. This includes coordinating hospital admissions, outpatient appointments and procedures, as well as facilitating communication with your child’s sponsor. Patient care coordinators are certified to provide interpretation services for our patients and families. He or she will serve as your personal guide to the hospital and will work closely with you to ensure that your child and family receive the best possible service and care at Children’s National.
  • Medical interpreters. The Global Services medical interpreters provide medical interpretation and translation of complex medical information to patients who speak a foreign language. They ensure the complete understanding of medical information between doctors, nurses, medical staff and patients. They translate a wide range of medical information that includes medical conditions, treatment options, follow-up appointment details, billing and insurance. Our medical interpreters are the communication link between a doctor and patient, and they strive to provide a positive and relaxed experience, so patients feel comfortable disclosing sensitive information about their medical conditions.
  • Finance coordinators. The Global Services financial coordinators are responsible for managing the daily financial operations of the Global Services Division. Their scope starts at the patient registration process through billing and collections, and they regularly prepare financial reports to the department. They are responsible for creating detailed cost estimates, patient registration, direct interaction with foreign payers, international insurances and embassies.

    The Global Services Division offers one main point of contact for international patients to navigate their journey at Children’s National. Our team understands the challenges of traveling abroad for medical care and we work diligently in coordinating all the clinical and logistical aspects of the visit, making sure that each patient’s cultural, linguistic and religious needs are met.

Meet Our Team

Leadership

  • Soraia Angiuoli, MHA

    Soraia AngiuoliExecutive Director, Global Services
    Languages:
    English and Portuguese

    Soraia Angiuoli, MHA, joined Children's National Hospital in October 2020 as the executive director of Global Services. Soraia came to Children’s National from Johns Hopkins Medicine International as an accomplished tri-lingual health care leader with an extensive background in international business and strategic planning operations.

    As executive director, Soraia oversees the execution of the vision for growth for Global Services as well as the business and operational management of the department. She focuses on integrating international processes across the hospital enterprise and works with physician leaders to continuously improve key processes and approaches related to the international patient journey. 

  • Karen Smith, M.D., M.Ed.

    Karen SmithMedical Director, Global Services
    Languages:
    English

    Karen Smith, M.D., M.Ed., is the medical director of Global Services and School Telehealth at Children’s National Hospital. Dr. Smith is an associate professor of pediatrics at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and she is board certified in pediatrics and pediatric hospital medicine.

    Her career began as an army nurse at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. This experience inspired her to attend medical school at The George Washington University School of Medicine. After graduation she completed her pediatric residency at Children’s National Hospital and was recruited to be one of the founding members of their Hospital Medicine division. She is a Master Teacher and obtained her master’s in education from The George Washington University where she was awarded the Nadler Leadership Award. Throughout her career she has held several leadership positions, including chief medical officer at The HSC Pediatric Center; chair of the District of Columbia Children with Special Healthcare Needs Advisory Board; and chief of Hospital Medicine and president of the medical staff at Children’s National Hospital. In honor of her contributions to hospital medicine she was awarded the 2020 Excellence Award in Clinical Leadership by the Society of Hospital Medicine.

  • Gerard Martin, M.D., F.A.A.P., F.A.C.C., F.A.H.A.

    Gerard Martin, Medical DirectorCardiac Ambassador to Global Services
    Languages spoken: English

    Gerard Martin, M.D., F.A.A.P., F.A.C.C., F.A.H.A., is a cardiologist and Cardiac Ambassador to Global Services at Children's National. He has been in practice at Children’s National since 1986. Dr. Martin was promoted to Professor of Pediatrics with Tenure at George Washington University School of Medicine in 1995 and served as the Chief of Cardiology from 1997 to 2009 and Senior Vice President for the Center for Heart, Lung and Kidney Disease from 1999 to 2015. He founded the Children’s National Heart Institute in 2004, and was named the C. Richard Beyda Professor of Cardiology in 2007.

    Dr. Martin was educated at Syracuse University and the State University of New York, Upstate School of Medicine. After a residency at Brown University and the Rhode Island Hospital, he received his training in pediatric cardiology at the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of California, San Francisco. He has published over 140 peer reviewed manuscripts, book chapters and invited publications and has presented abstracts at over 125 meetings. Dr. Martin is an invited lecturer who has traveled to over 200 meetings, hospitals and universities within the U.S., as well as around the world.

    Additionally, Dr. Martin is an advocate for congenital heart disease efforts nationally and internationally. He played integral roles in the development of CCHD Screening and the Sub-Board of Adult Congenital Heart Disease in the U.S. Dr. Martin has also served as a volunteer on medical missions to developing countries, and as a consultant within the U.S., South America, Asia and the Middle East.

    Dr. Martin is board-certified in pediatric cardiology, a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Cardiology, and a member of the Society for Pediatric Research and the American Board of Pediatrics. He has served or is currently serving on the Sub-Board of Pediatric Cardiology, American Board of Pediatrics; the Chairman of the Section Adult Congenital and Pediatric Cardiology, American College of Cardiology; a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine, Sub-Board of Adult Congenital Heart Disease; and the Board of Trustees, American College of Cardiology.

     

Global Services Team

  • Clinical Care

    Kathleen CumminsKathleen Cummins, CPNP
    Nurse Practitioner
    Languages spoken: English

     

    Unique DilworthUnique Dilworth, BSN, RN, CCRN
    Nurse Navigator
    Languages spoken:
    English

     

    Megan GenettMeghan Genett, BSN, RN
    Nurse Navigator
    Languages spoken: 
    English

  • Care Coordination

    Diva Nunez-TalaveraDiva Nunez-Talavera
    Lead Patient Care Coordinator
    Languages spoken:
    Spanish and English

     

    Lamiah Salem SaidelyLamiah Saidely
    Patient Care Coordinator II
    Languages spoken:
    Arabic, English and German 

     

    Noora SaudNoora Saud
    Patient Care Coordinator II
    Languages spoken:
     Arabic and English

     

    Nazik BusharaNazik Bushara
    Patient Care Coordinator II
    Languages spoken: English, Arabic and Greek

     

     

    Abdelhafid El Amrani El IdrissiAbdelhafid El Amrani El Idrissi
    Patient Care Coordinator II
    Languages spoken: English, Arabic and French

     

    Leila Joehar
    Patient Care Coordinator II
    Languages spoken: English, Arabic and Russian

    Ilham Heingle DokongIlham Heingle Dokong
    Patient Care Coordinator II
    Languages spoken: English, Arabic and Somali

  • Interpreters

    Nagham Ibrahim
    Sr. Interpreter/Translator
    Languages spoken: Arabic and English

    Leila MohammedLeila Mohammed
    Sr. Interpreter/Translator
    Languages spoken:
    English, Arabic, Amharic and Tigrinya

    Ghada Rihani
    Sr. Medical Interpreter

    Languages spoken: English and Arabic

  • Patient Financial Services

    Ashraf AbdelhalemAshraf Abdelhalem
    Senior Financial Coordinator 
    Languages spoken: Arabic and English 
     

    Aysar MohmoodAysar Mahmood
    Senior Financial Coordinator
    Languages spoken:
     Arabic and English