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Meet the Team

The UH Rainbow Division of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, consistently ranked by US News and World Report, features a team of board-certified and fellowship-trained pediatricorthopedic surgeons who diagnose and treat every level of musculoskeletal conditions in babies and children including the most complex traumatic injury, to issues of the spine, limb deformity, sports medicine and neuromuscular disorders. Our team is available 24/7 to consult on care for your patients’ elective and emergency surgical needs. Contact our nurses by calling the division office with clinical questions or concerns.

Michael Glotzbecker, MD

Michael Glotzbecker, MD

Chief, Pediatric Orthopaedics
Associate Professor of Orthopaedics
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Special interests: Management of early onset scoliosis, Kyphosis, Neuromuscular disease, pediatric trauma, scoliosis and spinal deformity, Spondyloisthesis

Dr. Glotzbecker joined the UH Rainbow team as Division Chief in September 2020 after being in practice in Boston for the previous 10 years. He received his undergraduate degree at Duke University and completed medical school at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. His residency training was completed at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program and he completed his fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. He is active in international study groups including the Pediatric Spine Study Group where he previously served as chair and the Harms Study Group. He is past chair of the Quality and Safety committee of the Scoliosis Research Society and chair of the Spine Quality & Safety Value committee for POSNA. Additionally, he is participating in the MBA program at Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. His wife, Brett, is Chief Medical Officer of the UH Academic Market. His twins love to swim and dance.  His family can be found skiing together in western New York most winter weekends (when neither Dr. Glotzbecker is on call).

Email Dr. Glotzbecker

Allison Gilmore, MD 

Allison Gilmore, MD

Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s 

Special interests: ACL tears, adolescent knee injuries, arthroscopic surgery, cartilage injuries, fractures, Little league elbow, Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), pediatric sports medicine

Associate Professor of Orthopaedics
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Dr. Allison Gilmore, a life-long Clevelander, obtained her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Exercise Science at Ohio State University and Cleveland State University. She obtained her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in orthopaedic surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Cleveland and subsequent fellowship in Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and has been a practicing pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Rainbow since graduation. Dr. Gilmore lives in Shaker Heights with her husband Michael, an attorney, and son Bailey. In her spare time she enjoys running and weight lifting.

Email Dr. Gilmore

Christine Hardesty, MD 

Christine Hardesty, MD

Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s
Associate Program Director of the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency

Associate Professor of Orthopaedics
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Special interests: Cerebral palsy, deformity correction, intrathecal baclofen, muscular dystrophy, neuromuscular disorders, sports injuries, scoliosis and spinal deformity, spasticity, spina bifida

Dr. Chris Hardesty was raised near Sacramento, California and obtained her undergraduate degree in Biology and Math at Hendrix College. She attended medical school and completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She completed a fellowship in Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery at UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital and a secondary fellowship in Neuromuscular Orthopaedic Surgery at A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children. She is the leader of the Graduates Research Interest Group of the Pediatric Spine Study Group, chair elect of the Education Resource Committee of the Scoliosis Research Society, on the Board of Directors of the Spasticity Treatment and Research Society, and the board president of Youth Challenge in Cleveland.  In her spare time, she is an Orangetheory addict, bakes a lot, and sometimes flies airplanes. She and her husband, Dustin, have 2 boys, Jack and Henry.

Email Dr. Hardesty

Raymond Liu, MD

Raymond Liu, MD

Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s

Victor M. Goldberg Professor of Orthopaedics
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Special interests: Hip deformity, limb deformity & limb lengthening

Dr. Raymond Liu was raised in San Dimas, California, and obtained his degree in bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego. After medical school at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, he completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). He returned to San Diego for his pediatric orthopaedic surgery fellowship, followed by a mini-fellowship at the Paley Advanced Limb Lengthening Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is the Victor M. Goldberg Professor of Orthopaedics, with a specialization in complex hip and limb deformity. He is a Past President of the Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society and Deputy Editor for Hip and Lower Extremity, Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics.  His wife Caryn trained in Internal Medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and they have a daughter Emily.

Email Dr. Liu

Justin Mistovich, MD 

Justin Mistovich, MD

Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s

Associate Professor of Orthopaedics
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Special interests: Arthroscopic surgery, athletic ankle, knee, shoulder, wrist and elbow injuries, cartilage preservation, instability repair,meniscus repair, osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), fractures, orthopedic trauma
scoliosis and spine disorders, shoulder dislocation, thoracic insufficiency syndrome, vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR)

A northeast Ohio native, Dr. Justin Mistovichgrew up in Youngstown. He completed an orthopaedic residency at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, followed by fellowship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He was also selected for a Traveling Fellowship by the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America. His research and clinical interests include arthroscopy, chondral preservation, and the care of the growing athlete, scoliosis, and the optimal management of pediatric and adolescent fractures. He currently serves as a Director of the Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine Society. Dr. Mistovich and his wife Keili, a pediatrician, live in Cleveland Heights with Madeleine, their 10-year-old daughter, and Frank, their Vizsla.

Email Dr. Mistovich

Jochen Son-Hnig, MD 

Jochen Son-Hing, MD

Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s

Associate Professor of Orthopaedics
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Special interests: Scoliosis, Spinal deformity repair

Dr. Jochen (Joe) Son-Hing was raised in Vancouver, Canada and obtained his undergraduate degree in Biology at McGill University in Montréal. He then returned to his hometown for medical school and a subsequent residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of British Columbia. He pursued a fellowship in Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery at UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital (under the direction of Dr. George Thompson) and was then a Visiting Scholar in spine surgery at Washington University in St. Louis (under the direction of Dr. Lawrence Lenke). He is skilled in the evaluation of the full-spectrum of general pediatric orthopaedic conditions and has a special interest in pediatric spine deformity (such as scoliosis) and the care of acute fractures and their long-term sequelae. His wife is a Registered Nurse and native Northeast Ohioan. They have 3 children.

Email Dr. Son-Hnig

Meet the Pediatric Orthopaedic Nursing Team

Emily Canitia, MSN, APRN, CPNP 

Emily Canitia, MSN, APRN, CPNP

Special Interests: Pediatric fractures, intoeing/outtoeing, external fixation, limb lengthening and deformity

Emily is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner that has been with pediatric orthopaedics for seven years. She partners primarily with Dr. Raymond Liu but also sees patients independently. She sees patients with general orthopaedic injuries and fractures, assists with our pediatric limb deformity and lengthening patients as well as hip deformity patients, and helps manage and coordinate care for our patients with external fixation devices. Emily and her husband have 3 young and busy children.  In her spare time, she enjoys running.

Michelle Calabretta, MSN, APRN, CPNP 

Michelle Calabretta, MSN, APRN, CPNP

Special Interests: Pediatric fractures, acute injuries, sports medicine

Michelle is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner who has been with our department for seven years. She sees patients independently and specializes in fracture care, acute injuries, and sports medicine injuries. She also partners primarily with Dr. Allison Gilmore and helps to coordinate care for our sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery patients. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two young children, and miniature dachshund.

Michelle Janas, MSN, RN, CPN 

Michelle Janas MSN, RN, CPN

Special Interests: Scoliosis, neuromuscular deformities, general orthopaedics

Michelle is one of our advanced clinical nurse specialists and has been with our department for seven years. She specializes in scoliosis, cerebral palsy, and tone management. She primarily partners with Dr. Christina Hardesty.  She helps to manage and coordinate idiopathic, congenital, and neuromuscular spinal deformity patients, intrathecal baclofen pump management, as well as general orthopaedics. Outside of work she likes to spend time with her family, hiking, and baking.

Michelle Moran, RN 

Michelle Moran, BSN, RN, CPN

Special Interests: Scoliosis, spine disorders, general pediatric orthopaedics

Michelle has been a nurse at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital for more than 27 years. She worked on the surgical trauma floor for 14 years before joining the pediatric orthopaedics team. Michelle primarily partners with Dr. Jochen Son-Hing and Dr. R. Justin Mistovich. She enjoys working as an advanced clinical nurse coordinating care while providing support and education to families. Michelle and her husband have 3 college age sons and she enjoys playing pickleball.

Nicole Sharp, CNP 

Nicole (Nikki) Sharp, MSN, APRN, CPNP

Special Interests: Scoliosis, spine disorders, general pediatric orthopaedics

Nikki has been at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital for over 16 years. She worked as a bedside nurse on the medical-surgical floor, then became a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in 2013  with the Pediatric Comprehensive Care team prior to joining our department. She brings her vast knowledge of complex pediatric medical care to her role in pediatric orthopaedics.  She cares for patients with spinal deformities as well as general pediatric fractures and other orthopaedic issues. She partners primarily with Dr. Michael Glotzbecker, but also sees patients independently. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and her golden doodle.

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