Our Background

About Us

PA Safe Sleep is an award-winning, evidence-based hospital initiative dedicated to promoting safe sleep practices for infants across Pennsylvania. Our mission is to empower hospitals and healthcare providers with the tools they need to create safer sleep environments for every baby, right from birth.

Through a ready-to-implement quality improvement package, hospitals gain access to:

A customizable Safe Sleep Nursing Policy Template
Subject Matter Expert training modules
Interactive staff education resources
Patient education materials in multiple formats
Data collection tools to track impact

All materials are aligned with the latest guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics—and are completely free to access on our website.

Our Background

Who we are
Developed by a multi-disciplinary team of maternal-infant health experts from:

Penn Medicine

Grant Lead

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Maternity Care Coalition

Community Partner

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Pennsylvania State

Funder

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Our Background

National recognition, awards & pUBLICATIONS

🌟 AMCHP Best Practice - The PA Safe Sleep program is nationally recognized as a Best Practice by the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) and is featured in the MCH Innovations Database → View Our AMCHP Recognition

🏆 Commissioner’s Award for Research & Innovation – First Place At the 2024 American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) National Magnet Conference in New Orleans, our team received First Prize in the Research and Innovation category. We proudly delivered a podium presentation to over 300 attendees and presented a scholarly poster highlighting our statewide efforts, including groundbreaking work to eliminate routine neonatal hat use.

📝 Key Publications

Moon, R.Y., Carlin, R.F., & Hand, I. (2022). Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: 2022 AAP Safe Sleep Guidelines.
Moon, R.Y., Carlin, R.F., & Hand, I. (2022). Evidence Base for 2022 Safe Sleep Recommendations.
Stringer, M., Ohnishi, B.R., Ferrarello, D., et al. (2022). Statewide Infant Safe Sleep Program & Nurse SMEs.
Stringer, M., Ohnishi, B.R., Ferrarello, D., et al. (2020). Eliminating Hats for Safe Sleep in Neonatal Intensive Care.
Decker, C.M., Dunlevey, E., Nguyen, L., et al. (2025). Hospital-Based Initiative for Infant Safe Sleep.
Lazzeri, J., Giordano, N.A., Christ, L., et al. (2023). Hats Off: No Thermoregulation Benefits for Full-Term Newborns.
Stringer M, Lazzeri J, Giordano NA, Polomano RC, Quigley E, Ohnishi B.R., et al. (2025).
An Evidence-Based Safe Sleep Program Is Associated With Less Infant Sleep-Related Deaths.

Meet the Team

Project Director

Marilyn Stringer,

PhD, WHNP, FAAN

is a Professor of Women’s Health, Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Professor of Women’s Health Nursing in Obstetrics & Gynecology (Secondary), University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Stringer is a consultant in the Women’s Health Department at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where she provides leadership to numerous research projects and evidenced based practice projects. She is known globally for her expertise in the promotion of healthy pregnancies and newborns. Dr. Stringer has a distinguished and sustained record of funding as a Principal Investigator and subsequent dissemination of research through publications and presentations. Between July 2016-June 2026, Dr. Stringer and her team have been awarded $4.35 M by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to develop, disseminated and evaluate the Philadelphia Safe Sleep Awareness For Every Well Newborn (S.A.F.E.) Program whose goal is to prevent Sudden Unexpected Infants Deaths throughout Pennsylvania. Dr. Stringer is widely published in peer reviewed journal publications, book chapters, and evidenced based practice guidelines.

Executive Director

Jessica Lazzeri,

DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE

is the Clinical Director for the Women’s Health and Neonatal Service line at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), with leadership oversight of the inpatient OB/GYN units, the Intensive Care Nursery, and the Childbirth Education and Lactation Departments. With over 20 years of nursing and health care leadership experience, Dr. Lazzeri is passionate about building and promoting the nursing workforce to care for women and infants in the Philadelphia community. Under her leadership, HUP attained Baby Friendly Hospital designation and re-designation, Beacon Gold and Silver awards for the Intensive Care Nursery and Labor and Delivery respectively, and multiple quality and safety awards in the service line. Dr. Lazzeri received both her Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her Doctoral Degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She is an active member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nursing, the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, and the Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders, where she also serves as Co-Chair on the Legislative Committee. She is board certified as an Advanced Nurse Executive and a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Nursing Senior Project Leader

Elizabeth "Betsie" Quigley, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE

is the Clinical Director for Women’s Health at Pennsylvania Hospital. In this role, she oversees the clinical operations of a 5,200 birth delivery service including Labor and Delivery, Perinatal Triage, the Mother Baby Unit, the Intensive Care Nursey, and an outpatient lactation and family education service. Elizabeth has a passion for quality improvement and has had success implementing improvement efforts focused on diverse topics including but not limited to: inpatient fall prevention, breast milk safety, management of escalating behavior in the inpatient setting, and patient throughput. Elizabeth also assisted Pennsylvania Hospital to achieve Magnet designation, Baby Friendly USA designation and the Joint Commission Perinatal Care Certification. She is a board certified Nurse Executive and has completed the American Organization of Nursing Leadership’s Nurse Manager Fellowship Program.

Project Coordinator

Bonnie Renner Ohnishi,

BSN, RNC-MNN

is the Program Coordinator for the PA Safe Sleep program, a joint venture between Penn Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and community partner, Maternity Care Coalition. This evidence-based program to reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death is funded, in part, by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and enrollment includes birthing and pediatric hospitals across Pennsylvania. As a Penn Medicine Registered Nurse, Bonnie has been caring for women and infants in Philadelphia for over 25 years. Her experience includes clinical nursing on the Maternal Newborn units at both Pennsylvania Hospital and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania as well as ambulatory care nursing with Obstetric and Gynecologic patients. Bonnie is also a member of the Nursing Regulatory Team at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Bonnie earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania and is a member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN).

Nurse Expert & Educator

Rosemary Polomano,

PhD, RN, FAAN

is Professor of Pain Practice at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. She holds a secondary appointment as Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and is a Senior Nurse Scientist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on the impact of pain prevention and treatment strategies on short- and long-term pain outcomes with adult post-surgical patients, military service members and veterans, and cancer patients. Dr. Polomano has co-authored numerous interprofessional and nursing evidence-based guidelines and consensus reports to advance pain care and nursing practice. This includes membership on the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine expert committee on Framing Opioid Prescribing Guidelines for Acute Pain: Developing the Evidence that culminated in a 2020 national Report. She has published over 130 peer reviewed journal articles (including publications related to Mother/Baby practices) and over 35 book chapters in nursing and medical textbooks. She received her BSN and MSN from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD from the University of Maryland School of Nursing. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Hahnemann University in laboratory pain research.

Nurse Expert & Educator

Raquel Centrone,

BSN, RNIII-CBC

is a highly experienced registered nurse with 19 years of expertise in neonatal and perinatal care. A certified breastfeeding counselor and Level III RN, she has spent 17 years at Penn Medicine and 2 years at King Edward’s Hospital in Bermuda. Currently, she works in Pennsylvania Hospital’s Women’s Health Float Pool, covering Labor & Delivery, Postpartum, and the Intensive Care Nursery (ICN) based on staffing needs. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Life Science from Penn State University and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Drexel University. Mrs. Centrone a STABLE course educator for ICN and a trainer for Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP) and Basic Life Support (BLS) for Women’s Health Division staff at several Penn Medicine locations.

Passionate about education and family support, she co-teaches the virtual PA Safe Sleep class, providing NICU-specific training. As a former full-time ICN nurse, she served as a charge nurse, practice council co-chair, preceptor, and patient educator. She taught classes in Infant CPR and Choking, as well as Infant Massage to parents with babies in the ICN

Physician Senior Project Leader

Lori Christ,

is the Medical Director of the Intensive Care Nursery at HUP, an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and a member of the Division of Neonatology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and she completed a residency in General Pediatrics and a fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She is also a graduate of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Improvement Advisor program. In addition to her current administrative role, Dr. Christ oversees quality and patient safety initiatives for well and critically ill newborns at HUP. Current and past initiatives include: Supporting Premature Infant Nutrition, Reducing Intraventricular Hemorrhage in the Intensive Care Nursery, and implementation of an Early Onset Neonatal Sepsis Risk Calculator at HUP which have been recognized locally at Penn Medicine and disseminated through national presentations and peer-review publications. Dr. Christ also mentors neonatal-perinatal medicine fellows with an interest in quality improvement, health care innovation, mixed methods research design, and implementation science. She is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

CEO of Maternity Care Coalition (MMC)

Marianne Fray

is the CEO of Maternity Care Coalition. Throughout her 30+ year career, Marianne has inspired diverse teams to do more together than they could alone. As the daughter of immigrant missionaries from Jamaica, Marianne grew up at a Rescue Mission in North Philadelphia. The Mission served the homeless in North Philadelphia, and it was here that Marianne’s commitment to service was born. Marianne attended The Shipley School, Temple University, Bryn Mawr College and St. Joseph’s University. She held increasingly responsible positions in Sales, Marketing and Operations in the Publishing, Telecommunications, Consulting, Project Management and Healthcare industries. Marianne also earned multiple Sales Awards and professional credentials in Project Management and Association Executive Management. Marianne established two successful cross-company industry communities that continue to drive business innovation in the project management and life sciences industries. Marianne also advised Fortune 100 companies on their Diversity and Inclusion practices. She is a Founding Member of a 501 c6 nonprofit organization called Women of Color in the Pharmaceutical Industry (WOCIP). Marianne is an active member of her local church, and serves on board committees for a summer camp program and her neighborhood association. Marianne has 3 adult sons and resides in South Jersey with her husband. She and her husband enjoy traveling the world.

Marketing & Communications Manager

Ashely Lake

attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City where she majored in Advertising & Marketing Communications. After a brief stint in the fashion industry, Ashley’s minor in Ethics & Sustainability led her to the non-profit sector, working for the Fresh Air Fund as the Communications Assistant. From there she went on to work as the Publicist at Housing Works, overseeing the organization’s marketing and public relations, and then on to enCourage Kids Foundation as the Special Events & Stewardship Manager. While there, she worked to to strengthen relationships between donors and their support of the organization. After serving as a consultant for Maternity Care Coalition (MCC) in early 2020, Ashley is happy to now be the Marketing & Communications Manager at MCC, and working with the PA Safe Sleep team!

Marketing, Communications &

Pr Coordinator

Angeline Logan

After graduating from George Washington University with a Criminal Justice and Philosophy degree, her marketing experience at Audible led her to the Knowles Teacher Initiative. While there, she worked as a Marketing Associate, raising awareness about the fellowship program. After leaving Knowles, Angeline began working with the Maternity CareCoalition in 2023, assisting with campaigns and initiatives. She is excited to be a part of the PA Safe Sleep team!

freelance graphic designer

Lauren Phillips

A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC, she holds a degree in Communication Design and Fabric Styling and has also earned certifications in User Experience Design and Human-Computer Interaction. Her career has been driven by a passion for user experience and interface design, spanning both federal and commercial sectors, where she creates intuitive digital experiences for mission-driven users. The emphasis of her work goes beyond pixels and layouts; she is passionate about designing with purpose, whether in the context of graphic design, branding, or web development. Her approach is rooted in storytelling,

About Us

Who we are Developed by a multi-disciplinary team of maternal-infant health experts from:

National recognition, awards & pUBLICATIONS

Meet the Team

Who we are
Developed by a multi-disciplinary team of maternal-infant health experts from: