Vice President, Organizational Initiatives, Nicklaus Children’s Health System
Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Specialists (NCPS) Chief, Section of Neonatology

Saima Aftab MD, FAAP,  serves as Vice President of Organizational Initiatives for Nicklaus Children’s Health System. In this role, Dr. Aftab is vital to the planning and development of programs aligned to the strategic and tactical vision for the hospital. In her role Dr Aftab leads business development initiatives, identifies new growth areas and assesses strategic partnerships and market opportunities to move the organization forward.

 In addition, Dr. Aftab provides leadership to the hospital’s Global Health initiative, Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Virtual Care telehealth service, and the Physician Liaison team, the outreach group that works closely with community physicians. Dr Aftab is also a practicing neonatologist and the Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Specialists (NCPS) chief of the Section of Neonatology.

Since joining Nicklaus Children’s Health System in 2017, Dr. Aftab has served in varying capacities, including as vice president of Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Specialists (NCPS), the health system’s physician group practice, as well as medical director of the Fetal Care Center. Prior to joining Nicklaus Children’s Health System, Dr. Aftab served as director of education in the Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine and assistant director of the STRATUS Center for medical simulation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. She has held academic appointments at Harvard Medical School, Tufts University School of Medicine and the University Of Pennsylvania Perelman School Of Medicine. She has healthcare consulting experience and is also the founder of the ENRICH early literacy program.

Dr. Aftab earned her medical degree from King Edward Medical University in Lahore, Pakistan. She then pursued a residency in pediatrics, as well as a fellowship in neonatal perinatal medicine, at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Her clinical and research interests are focused on delivery room resuscitation and incorporating high-fidelity simulation in practice to ensure the highest quality of care in code situations and her leadership interest focus on healthcare innovation and the role of behavioral simulation in leadership development and crisis management.

Dr. Aftab is board certified in both general pediatrics and neonatology. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals, she has presented at national and international conferences and is frequently sought out as a subject-matter expert by the media.