Executive Committee & Board DRAFT 2026 - American Academy of Pediatrics, Colorado Chapter

A male nurse high fives a young patient in a wheelchair

The American Academy of Pediatrics – Colorado Chapter is governed by volunteer officers, a board of directors, and advisors.

“AAP Colorado helps me engage outside of and beyond my daily clinical practice. Being involved with AAP-CO also helps me connect with other pediatricians and child advocates across the state. By being an AAP-CO member, you can help support our efforts in making Colorado a great place for kids with the opportunity to be as involved as your time and interests allow.”

Stacy Parra, MD, FAAP, Immediate Past President, Centennial

Executive Committee


	David Higgins, MD, MPH, FAAP – Chapter President 2026-2028 Dr. Higgins is a general pediatrician, public health and preventive medicine specialist, and pediatric health services researcher at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado. Dr. Higgins has experience in private practice, academic medicine, health services research, public health advising and child health advocacy. He enjoys exploring the Colorado outdoors with his wife and two children and coaching youth soccer.
	Autumn Orser, MD,FAAP – Chapter Vice President 2026-2028 Dr. Orser is a pediatrician at Peak Vista Community Health Centers in Colorado Springs. An innovative physician executive, she has extensive experience in value-based care, quality improvement, integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health, and team-based care. Autumn and her husband have two children and enjoy scuba diving, hobby farming and traveling in their free time.
	Kaitlin Whelan, MD, FAAP – Secretary 2026-2028 Dr. Whelan is a primary care pediatrician at the Child Health Clinic, with previous experience in private practice at Peak Pediatrics. Her interests include social determinants of health, preventive care and access to mental health care. Active in AAP-CO and AAP nationally since residency, she has testified at the State Capitol, spoken to the media and educated residents on the AAP and advocacy. She’s served as co-chair of Youth Mental Health Action Day and is an AAP-CO Mental Health champion. In her free time, Kaitlin enjoys traveling, hiking, snowboarding and listening to audiobooks.
	Rusha Lev, MD, FAAP – Treasurer 2026-2028 Dr. Lev is a pediatrician at Denver Health, where she has worked in outpatient pediatrics for 15 years. She completed medical school at the University of Colorado and pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital Oakland. Her particular interests include Health at Every Size (HAES) and early childhood policy and advocacy. She is a member of the AAP Councils on School Health and Community Pediatrics and the Section on Obesity. Dr. Lev also serves as an Early Childhood Champion for the Chapter.
	Stacy Parra, MD, FAAP – Immediate Past President 2026-2028 Dr. Parra is a general pediatrician at Pediatrics 5280 in Centennial/Castle Rock. She focuses on preventive medicine, immunization and early childhood intervention. Stacy has served on the Legislation and Policy and Membership Committees, testified at the State Capitol, acted as a media spokesperson and participated in the Colorado Medical Society Committee on Legislation. She enjoys hiking, cooking, reading and spending time with her husband and dog.

Board


	Deborah Archer, MD, FAAP 2026-2030 Dr. Archer is a former NHSC scholar who has dedicated her career to working with minority and underserved populations. She founded the Community Health Advocacy Program at Brown University Alpert School of Medicine. She completed her internship at Howard University Hospital and residency at Inova Fairfax in Virginia. She has been active in local leadership with CCHN Health Care Advocate Program and RIHEL’s Advanced Leadership Training Program, and previously served on the AAP Colorado Board.
	Zoe Bouchelle, MD, MSHP, FAAP 2024-2028 Dr. Bouchelle is a pediatric hospitalist and researcher at Denver Health and a faculty scholar at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s PolicyLab. She focuses on research and advocacy to address child poverty and improve social supports. She co-founded and co-leads the AAP Special Interest Group on Social Determinants of Health, is a member of the Johns Hopkins Guaranteed Income and Health Consortium and a co-investigator in the Center for Guaranteed Income Research at the University of Pennsylvania. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, paddleboarding and spending time with her son.
	Anne Frank, MD, FAAP 2024-2028 Dr. Frank is a med/peds outpatient physician at Denver Health, practicing pediatrician at Eastside Pediatrics and assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Anne is active in medical education at the undergraduate and graduate level, working as a director of the Denver Health Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship and as co-director of the Clinical Pillar for CU School of medicine. She is also interested in advocacy, focusing on foster care, substance use disorders, gun violence prevention and pediatric behavioral health. She enjoys camping, running and skiing with her family.
	Becca Hadeed, DO, MPH, FAAP 2024-2028 Dr. Hadeed is a pediatric hospitalist at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children and Rose Medical Center, with previous experience as an outpatient pediatrician. She has a passion for serving underserved pediatric populations in the Denver metro area. With a strong background in research, pediatric immigrant health and international public health, Becca has worked in several countries, including China, Guatemala, Malawi, Peru, Argentina and Zimbabwe. She enjoys outdoor activities with her family and friends, and her husband who is also a pediatrician.
	Martin A. Koyle MD, MSc, MMgmt, MBA(cert.), FAAP, FACS, FRCSC, FRCS (Eng.), FAAP 2024-2028 Dr. Koyle served as Chief of Pediatric Urology at Children’s Colorado for almost 20 years and was a Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at the CU School of Medicine. He continues to be active in the AAP mentorship program, pediatric urology and national advocacy for increased pediatric surgical subspecialty representation. He focuses on education, quality improvement, patient safety, physician wellness and health care policy.
	Laura Luzietti, MD, MBA, FAAP 2026-2030 Dr. Luzietti is a pediatrician and the Executive Director of Every Child Pediatrics, a non-profit safety net clinic serving over 30,000 children across Colorado regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame, her medical degree from Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine, completed residency and chief residency in pediatrics at Loyola University Medical Center, and earned an MBA in Healthcare Administration from the University of Colorado Denver.
	Brianna Morgan, MD, MPH, FAAP 2024-2028 Dr. Morgan is a primary care pediatrician at Every Child Pediatrics in Thornton. She is active in the AAP-CO Legislation and Policy Committee and has attended multiple AAP Advocacy Conferences in Washington, D.C. She’s interested in advancing immigrant health, access to care and health justice. Brianna enjoys skiing, snowboarding, traveling and outdoor activities with her dog.
	Michelle Shiﬀman, MD, FAAP 2024-2028 Dr. Shiffman is a bilingual pediatrician at Denver Health with interests in early literacy and school readiness, child development, immunization policy, resident education and gender affirming care. She serves on the AAP-CO Legislation and Policy Committee, is the Medical Director for Reach Out and Read Colorado and has worked with Immunize Colorado and CDPHE to advocate for vaccine education in both English and Spanish. Michelle enjoys traveling, skiing and spending time with her family.
	Amanda Stanton, DO, FAAP 2024-2028 Dr. Stanton is a pediatrician and sports medicine physician who works in both the clinic and hospital settings in southwest Colorado. Amanda focuses on treating hip dysplasia and adolescent scoliosis and aims to improve access to this type of health care in rural Colorado. She has a passion for health equity and improving accessibility for all children. She enjoys outdoor sports and exploring the San Juan Mountains with her family.
	Meg Tomcho, MD, MPH, FAAP 2026-2030 Dr. Tomcho is a general pediatrician and Medical Director of STRIDE’s Del Mar, Hampden & Chambers, and SBHC sites. She is originally from Cleveland, OH and completed residency at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. She fulfilled a National Health Service Corps Scholarship in rural Montrose, Colorado and practiced there for nearly 10 years. She then moved to Denver Health where she practiced for 15 years and was active in medical education and PCMH practice transformational projects. She serves on a number of community boards and has worked on HCPF Advisory boards.
	Michael Thwing, MD 2024-2028 Dr. Thwing is a pediatrician with Pediatric Partners of the Southwest in Durango. He previously worked in Denmark for three years and Vermont for eight years. Michael is interested in pediatric psychiatry, antibiotic stewardship and complex patient care. He enjoys hiking, skiing and traveling with his family.

Staff


	Executive Director Ellen Brilliant – Ellen currently serves as the Executive Director for the American Academy of Pediatrics, Colorado Chapter, a position she has held since 2016. Her roots run deep in Colorado’s nonprofit communities, having served as a government relations executive, campaign manager, lobbyist, media spokesperson, door knocker, sign waver, and many “other duties as assigned”. Ellen has been an advocate by profession for nearly 30 years, and by passion since she could talk.
	Special Projects Coordinator Leisha Andersen, MD, MPH, FAAP – Leisha Andersen worked as a primary care pediatrician in St. Louis, MO and Colorado Springs, CO before redirecting her professional focus toward large-scale, preventative issues affecting pediatric health. As a Quality Improvement and Subject Matter Expert for multiple healthcare and non-profit organizations including the Colorado Chapter of the AAP, she strives to produce an upstream-level impact on the lives of children and families Leisha joined AAP Colorado in 2019.

Executive Director
Ellen Brilliant – Ellen currently serves as the Executive Director for the American Academy of Pediatrics, Colorado Chapter, a position she has held since 2016. Her roots run deep in Colorado’s nonprofit communities, having served as a government relations executive, campaign manager, lobbyist, media spokesperson, door knocker, sign waver, and many “other duties as assigned”. Ellen has been an advocate by profession for nearly 30 years, and by passion since she could talk.

Special Projects Coordinator
Leisha Andersen, MD, MPH, FAAP – Leisha Andersen worked as a primary care pediatrician in St. Louis, MO and Colorado Springs, CO before redirecting her professional focus toward large-scale, preventative issues affecting pediatric health. As a Quality Improvement and Subject Matter Expert for multiple healthcare and non-profit organizations including the Colorado Chapter of the AAP, she strives to produce an upstream-level impact on the lives of children and families Leisha joined AAP Colorado in 2019.

Become a Member

Membership opportunities are available to pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, pediatric surgical specialists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and pediatric dentists. American Academy of Pediatrics – Colorado Chapter (AAP-CO) provides an array of benefits and services to keep you up-to-date and informed and is the only organization that supports you through all four phases of maintenance of certification. As a member, you can be a voice for children and pediatrics.

Join AAP Colorado