Our Team

Our core team is comprised of specialists with a wide variety of backgrounds, skills and areas of focus.

This diversity allows us to evaluate and treat the patient as a whole, even for those with the most complex of medical conditions.

Aerodigestive Program Coordinators

Casey Fontenot, BSN, RN

Phone: 832-822-2376 (AERO)

Debra Lovell, BSN, RN

Phone: Phone: 832-822-2376 (AERO)

Pediatric Otolaryngology

Elton M. Lambert, MD

Special Interests: Salivary Gland Pathology Congenital and Acquired Head and Neck Masses Drooling, Swallowing and Aspiration Airway Disorders Applications of Ultrasonography in Pediatric Otolaryngology Undergraduate, Graduate and Continuing Medical Education in Pediatric Otolaryngology.… read more

Phone: 832-822-3250 (Main) | 281-469-4688 (CyFair)

Joshua R. Bedwell, MD, FACS

Dr. Bedwell’s clinical interests include pediatric airway disorders, masses and tumors of the head and neck, salivary gland disorders, and improving care for patients living with a tracheostomy. He is active in clinical and translational research,and collaborates with colleagues at home and around… read more

Phone: 832-822-3250 (Main) | 832-277-1420 (West) | 713-839-0164 (Bellaire)

Deepak Mehta, MD

It's a privilege a parent lets me take care of their most precious asset--their child. It's my duty to provide them the best of care. My clinical interests are complex airway surgery, pediatric swallowing disorders and head and neck masses,along with general otolaryngology. My research interest… read more

Phone: 832-822-3250 (Main)

Julina Ongkasuwan, MD, FAAP, FACS

Dr. Ongkasuwan is the Director of the Pediatric Voice Clinic at Texas Children’s Hospital. She is dual fellowship trained in both Pediatric Otolaryngology and Laryngology (care of professional voice). When she joined the faculty in 2011, she founded the Texas Children’s Hospital Aerodigestive… read more

Phone: 832-822-3250

Pediatric Pulmonology

Shailendra Das, DO

Dr. Das serves as director of the Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia center at Texas Children's Hospital, in collaboration with physicians from other specialties. PCD is a rare lung disease that causes recurrent lung and sinus infections. He also cares for patients with complex airway disorders,… read more

Phone: 832-822-3300 (Main) | 281-494-7010 (Sugar Land)

Ruth A. McConnell, MPH, MSN, APRN, CPNP, AE-C

I love being able to improve the lives of my patients and families, working together as a team to reach their personal health goals. Major focus areas include asthma and aerodigestive disorders.

Phone: 832-822-3300 (Main) | 281469-4688 (CyFair)

Pediatric Gastroenterology

Eric H. Chiou, MD

Dr. Chiou is a pediatric gastroenterologist with a clinical focus on Neurogastroenterology and Functional GI Disorders. The current focus of Dr. Chiou’s research is on disorders of esophageal motility in children, including conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Despite the… read more

Phone: 832-822-3131

Bruno Pedro Chumpitazi, MD, MPH

During my training in pediatrics and pediatric gastroenterology it became apparent that the areas of childhood functional gastrointestinal disorders and childhood motility disorders were both clinically and scientifically underserved. I was struck by how common these disorders (such as chronic… read more

Phone: 832-822-3131

Priya Raj, MD, MS

My patient care philosophy focuses on a personalized “patient-and family-centered” approach. My goal is not just to provide medical management but to also empower my patients and their parents with the education required to incorporate themselves in the decision making and healing process. As a… read more

Phone: 832-822-3131 (Main) | 832-227-1440 (West)

Speech Language Pathology

Natalie M. Kovtun, MS, CCC-SLP

Natalie M. Kovtun is a senior bilingual speech-language pathologist at Texas Children’s Hospital. She has had the opportunity to provide pediatric and adult speech pathology services in Spanish and English in a variety of settings that include: schools, acute, inpatient and outpatient care at… read more

Phone: 832-822-3280

Lauren Schrenk, MA, CCC-SLP, CLC

Lauren believes in a family centered treatment approach and works especially hard to establish an open line of communication with caregivers, explain individualized plans of care, and review treatment goals on a consistent basis. Empowering parents and caregivers by building their confidence to… read more