Biography

When the most critically ill children come to Children’s Health℠, they become the focus of a distinguished and expert care team. The nexus of that team is Dr. Jessica Moreland, director of the Division of Pediatric Critical Care. “One of the things that inspires me each day is being part of a medical team, all from different backgrounds, who bring their collective knowledge to bear for the good of each individual child we care for,” she says.

Another source of inspiration for Dr. Moreland is the children entrusted to her team’s care. “What drew me to critical care was the resilience of children and the spirit and energy they have to survive the most complex diseases or injuries,” she adds.

Dr. Moreland leads a team of critical care providers who have international experience in treating life-threatening medical and surgical conditions in newborns through teens. The department includes the largest pediatric transplant services department in Texas, where specialists perform more transplants on patients under the age of 5 than any other hospital in the state.

A distinctive competency of the department is a focus on the child and the child’s family. “By providing family-centered care, we hope that we are responsive to each individual’s needs, as well as those of the child’s family. Family involvement is an important part of attaining the best outcomes for the pediatric patient,” she says.

Dr. Moreland is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics. She earned her medical degree from Vanderbilt University, where she also completed her residency in pediatrics and fellowship in pediatric critical care. She is a professor of pediatrics and microbiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she holds the Thomas Fariss Marsh, Jr. Chair in Pediatrics. Her research interest is in white blood cells and how they are involved in inflammation. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Critical Care Medicine and Society for Pediatric Research, among others.

Outside of her practice, she and her husband are thoroughly involved in the range of activities in which their four children participate. “On weekends when I am not at work, I am a soccer mom,” she adds.

Biography