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Dr. Stephen Bauch grew up in Nassau Bay, Texas and graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry. He received his M.D. from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 1998. He then completed his pediatric residency at LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center in 2001. After working in the LeBonheur emergency room for 2 years, he joined Memphis Children’s Clinic in 2003. Dr. Bauch is board certified in General Pediatrics. He has been honored to receive the Community Pediatric Teaching Award by the residents at LeBonheur on several occasions. He and his wife Ashley have 4 children and are kept very busy.
Dr. Bauch practices at the Bartlett office.
Dr. Anna-Maria DaCosta was born in New Jersey. She attended the University of Pennsylvania where she completed both a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s in special education. She attended the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and received her M.D. in 1984. Dr. DaCosta completed her pediatric residency at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. She then continued her training with special needs children completing a fellowship in Developmental Pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where she worked for 18 years as a general pediatrician and a specialist in developmental pediatrics. Dr. DaCosta has a special interest in working with children with autism, attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder, and deafness. She also enjoys working with children of international adoption. She has studied American Sign Language and is proficient in this language. Dr. DaCosta relocated to Memphis in 2012 and joined Memphis Children’s Clinic. She is married to Dr. John Kim Choi, a pediatric hematopathologist at St. Jude’s Hospital. They have three daughters, two dogs, and two cats. Dr. DaCosta enjoys being with her family, reading, and swimming. She and her daughters do volunteer work with abandoned animals.
Dr. DaCosta works at the Kirby/Hickory Hill and Bartlett offices.
Dr. Laila Kassees was born in Palestine. She graduated from Johannes Gutenberg University in Gutenberg, Germany from which she received her M.D. She then traveled to the United States to take an internship position at University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center where she completed her residency. She completed her fellowship in rheumatology and child development at UTHSC. She eventually decided that general pediatrics was a good fit for her and has been practicing for over 45 years. Dr. Kassees enjoys gardening, reading, walking, and being outdoors. She has 2 children, 2 grandchildren, and a cat. Dr. Kassees is also trilingual and speaks Arabic and German in addition to English.
Dr. Kassees has retired and will no longer be seeing patients.
Dr. Joanne Levine earned her M.D. from New York Medical College and completed her pediatric residency at Thomas Jefferson University and duPont Hospital for Children. Dr. Levine has additional training in evaluating autism in children. She is board certified in General Pediatrics. She joined Memphis Children’s Clinic in 2009. She is married and has 3 children.
Dr. Levine practices at the Kirby/Hickory Hill and Bartlett offices.
Dr. Stacey Murray graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1990 with a B.A. in Biology. She received her M.D. from the University Of Mississippi Medical Center in 1994, where she received the Blair Boston Award for Excellence in Pediatrics. Dr. Murray began her pediatric residency at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Women in Orlando, Florida and completed her pediatric training at LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center. Dr. Murray is board certified in General Pediatrics. She joined Memphis Children’s Clinic in 1997. She is married to Billy, and they have five children.
Dr. Murray practices at both Bartlett offices.
Dr. Ken Robertson Dr. Ken Robertson has lived in Memphis since 1985. He went to undergraduate school at Lee University in Cleveland, TN and to medical school at The University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis, TN and did his pediatrics residency at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. He began with Memphis Children’s Clinic in 1993. In 2000, he completed his MBA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In 2006, he transitioned to LeBonheur Children’s Hospital full time ultimately working as the Chief Medical Officer for LeBonheur Pediatrics until August of 2016 when his love for taking care of kids drove him back to rejoin Memphis Children’s Clinic full time. He is board certified in General Pediatrics and still maintains roles with the state including serving on the Board for Licensing Healthcare Facilities for Governor Haslam and working with the Tennessee American Academy of Pediatrics on quality initiatives being implemented throughout the state. He has been married to Carla Church Robertson since 1990 and is the proud father of 2 girls and 1 son.
Dr. Robertson works at the Bartlett office.
Dr. Cindy Sands graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Illinois and worked as a Biomedical Engineer until entering medical school at the University of Tennessee. She completed her pediatric residency at LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center and joined Memphis Children’s Clinic in 2004. Dr. Sands is board certified in General Pediatrics. She and her husband Steve have two children, Lilly and Weston.
Dr. Sands practices at the Bartlett and Germantown office.
Dr. Stephen Stancil graduated from the University of Memphis and received his M.D. from ETSU Quillen College of Medicine. He completed his pediatric residency at LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center and joined Memphis Children’s Clinic in 2008. He is board certified in General Pediatrics. Dr. Stancil enjoys spending time travelling with his wife, Jessica, and their two children.
Dr. Stancil practices at both Bartlett offices.
Dr. Jeffrey Thompson received his M.D. from Creighton University in 1999. He completed his pediatric residency at LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center in 2002 and then joined Memphis Children’s Clinic. He is board certified in General Pediatrics. He is married to Dr. Dawn Scott, another pediatrician, and they have two children.
Dr. Thompson works at the Bartlett office.
Dr. Donnyel Thornton is a native Memphian. She received her undergraduate degree from the College of Wooster in Wooster, OH and her M.D. from the University of Tennessee in Memphis, TN. Dr. Thornton completed her pediatric internship through the University of Tennessee at LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center. After completion of internship, she was called to active duty in the United States Navy. Dr. Thornton spent four years as a general medical officer stationed at Cherry Point and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. She returned to Memphis after fulfilling her military obligations and completed her pediatric residency. She joined Memphis Children’s Clinic in July 2012. Dr. Thornton is board certified in General Pediatrics.
Dr. Thornton works at the Bartlett and Kirby/Hickory Hill offices.
Dr. Joi Wilson-Townsend is a native Memphian. She received her BS in Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University and Masters in Public Health from The University of Southern California, prior to entering medical school at the University of TN Health Science Center. She completed her residency at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Dr. Wilson-Townsend is board certified in General Pediatrics and has been with Memphis Children’s Clinic since 2015. She is married to Aristeve, and in their spare time they enjoy traveling, reading, studying history, and watching the Grizzlies.
Dr. Wilson-Townsend practices at the Bartlett and Germantown offices.