About Kelli Kelley
FOUNDER AND CEO
Hand to Hold
Kelli D. Kelley founded Hand to Hold in 2010.
She is dedicated to raising awareness about the high incidence of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder among NICU parents and advocating for hospital and community-based programs to ensure better outcomes for babies and families.
Kelli serves as Vice President of the board of directors for the National Coalition for Infant Health, as a parent expert for the AAP TECaN Advocacy Campaign of NICU family mental health, and is a founding member of the NICU Parent Network.
Videos
Podcasts
Kelli serves as host of Hand to Hold’s podcast series NICU Now, NICU Heroes, and NICU Love & Loss
Mrs. Kelley’s delivery is emotive, moving and passionate. The audience is drawn in. She interacts with the audience and guides them as they consider their own roles and interactions with mothers and challenged infants. Her presentations are both instructive and entertaining.
– Bradley P. Fuhrman, MD / Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics
TOPICS
Perinatal Mental Health (PPD, PTSD, ASD, etc)
Family-Centered Care: Aspects That Were Missing
How to Foster Positive Relationships with NICU Doctors and Nurses
Peer to Peer Support
Improving Communication in the NICU
PREVIOUS SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
National Association of Neonatal Nurses 34th Annual Educational Conference, Anaheim, CA. “How to Communicate and Support Parents More Effectively in the NICU”
20th Annual NICU Leadership Forum. “The Importance of Family-Friendly Support in the NICU”
13th Annual Neonatal Nursing Symposium at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Keynote Speaker
National Coalition of Infant Health’s Infant Health Policy Summit. “PPD & PTSD: Impact Of The NICU On Parents, Families, And Staff”
National Association of Neonatal Nurses 32nd Annual Educational Conference, Palm Springs, CA. “Developmental Diaper Care in the NICU.”
National Association of Neonatal Nurses 31st Annual Educational Conference, Dallas, TX, Keynote Speaker
St. David’s Woman’s Center of Austin Presenter. “Developing Practice Strategies to Maximize Maternal & Fetal Outcomes”
National Association for Neonatal Therapists. “A Professional’s Guide to the NICU Parent”
Texas Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners, Ft. Worth, Texas. “The Emotional Impact of a NICU Stay: Promoting Positive Coping and Parenting Skills Among NICU Families”
NICU Leadership Forum, Scottsdale, Arizona.
“Meeting the Needs of NICU Families to Ensure Best Outcomes for NICU Babies and Those that Love Them.”
Pediatric Grand Rounds, El Paso Children’s Hospital/Tech University Health Sciences Center. “A Parent’s Perspective: The Emotional Impact of Preterm Birth”
Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care, Family Involvement Team Webinar. “The Emotional Impact of a NICU Stay: Promoting Positive Coping and Parenting Skills Among NICU Families.”
Texas Pediatric Society Annual Meeting, Ft. Worth, TX. “Meeting the Needs of NICU Families to Ensure Best Outcomes for NICU Babies and Those that Love Them.”