Allison Zanno, MD

Attending Neonatologist, Maine Neonatology Associates

Clinical Faculty

Research Interests

  • Simulation and telesimulation in neonatal resuscitation
  • Programs to reduce rural outcome disparities for newborns
  • Using technology advances to improve neonatal resuscitation

Dr. Allison Zanno’s research program focuses on reducing disparities in neonatal outcomes for infants born in rural and low-resource settings by improving the quality of care delivered during the critical moments surrounding birth. Her work centers on strengthening systems of care in rural community hospitals through innovative education and telehealth, with an emphasis on neonatal resuscitation and its impact on survival and long-term neurodevelopment.

A major pillar of Dr. Zanno’s research is the development and evaluation of simulation-based and telesimulation training programs to enhance neonatal resuscitation skills, teamwork, and adherence to evidence-based guidelines. Through initiatives such as the Maine Ongoing Outreach Simulation Education (MOOSE) program, her team provides longitudinal telesimulation training to interprofessional rural teams, enabling clinicians to practice critical skills with real-time expert debriefing. This work has demonstrated improvements in team confidence, performance, and guideline adherence, while also identifying latent safety threats and system-level barriers in rural hospitals.

In parallel, Dr. Zanno explores the integration of emerging technologies, including mixed-reality neonatal simulators, to improve access, scalability, and sustainability of resuscitation training in geographically isolated settings. She also advances delivery room data collection and quality improvement through participation in national collaboratives such as the American Academy of Pediatrics’ DRIVE Network and the SUGAR trial, which studies supraglottic airway use in neonatal resuscitation. Most recently, Dr. Zanno and team launched NeoView, a program dedicated to delivery room video review. Collectively, her research aims to translate educational and technological innovation into measurable improvements in neonatal care processes and outcomes, with models adaptable to rural regions nationwide.

Craig AK, Cutler A, Kerecman J, Melendi M, Seften LM, Ryzewski M, Zanno A, O’Reilly D. Association of low hospital birth volume and adverse short-term outcomes for neonates treated with therapeutic hypothermia in rural states. J Perinatol. 2025 Dec;45(12):1729-1734. doi: 10.1038/s41372-025-02352-8. Epub 2025 Jul 6. PMID: 40617961.

 Seften LM, Cutler A, Kerecman J, Boomer A, Craig A, Mallory L, Zanno A, Melendi M. Statewide Needs Assessment of Neonatal Readiness at Delivery Hospitals in Maine. Hosp Pediatr. 2025 Nov 1;15(11):942-950. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2025-008384. PMID: 41115677.

Martens S, Melendi M, Zanno A, Cutler A, Seften LM, Soghikian S, Palnitkar T, Mallory L, Strout TD. Psychometric Evaluation of the Modified Neonatal Resuscitation Program Adherence Assessment Tool When Utilized for In Situ Simulation and Telesimulation Scenarios. Am J Perinatol. 2025 Oct 30. doi: 10.1055/a-2722-7228. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41086869.

Ferguson MA, Chipman M, Cutler A, Griswold MA, Mallory L, Melendi M, Seften LM, Zanno A, Zubrow M, Ottolini M. A Mixed Methods Pilot Study of Neonatal Resuscitation Team Training for Rural Providers Using HoloBaby, a Mixed Reality Prototype Simulator. Simul Healthc. 2025 Jul 31. doi: 10.1097/SIH.0000000000000874. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40762560.

Craig A, Cutler A, Kerecman J, Melendi M, Seften LM, Ryzewski M, Zanno A, Barkhuff W, O’Reilly D. Association of Low Hospital Birth Volume and Adverse Short-Term Outcomes for Neonates Treated with Therapeutic Hypothermia in Rural States. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2024 Dec 18:rs.3.rs-5404622. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5404622/v1. Update in: J Perinatol. 2025 Dec;45(12):1729-1734. doi: 10.1038/s41372-025-02352-8. PMID: 39764120; PMCID: PMC11702793.

Holmes J, Chipman M, Gray B, Pollick T, Piro S, Seften L, Craig A, Zanno A, Melendi M, Mallory L. Simulation-Based Clinical System Testing of Neonatal Resuscitation Readiness Across a Rural Health System Identifies Common Latent Safety Threats. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2025 Mar;51(3):199-210. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2024.11.009. Epub 2024 Nov 28. PMID: 39799068; PMCID: PMC11867831.

Melendi M, Zanno AE, Holmes JA, Chipman M, Cutler A, Stoddard H, Seften LM, Gilbert A, Ottolini M, Craig A, Mallory LA. Development and Evaluation of a Rural Longitudinal Neonatal Resuscitation Program Telesimulation Program (MOOSE: Maine Ongoing Outreach Simulation Education). Am J Perinatol. 2025 Apr;42(6):796-805. doi: 10.1055/a-2421-8486. Epub 2024 Sep 26. PMID: 39326455; PMCID: PMC11983237.

Zanno A, Holmes J, Ferguson M, Melendi M. Innovative Technology to Improve Simulation Access for Rural Clinicians. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2025 Feb;72(1):133-150. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2024.07.023. Epub 2024 Aug 26. PMID: 39603722.

Zanno A, Melendi M, Cutler A, Stone B, Chipman M, Holmes J, Craig A. Simulation-Based Outreach Program Improves Rural Hospitals’ Team Confidence in Neonatal Resuscitation. Cureus. 2022 Sep 1;14(9):e28670. doi: 10.7759/cureus.28670. PMID: 36196287; PMCID: PMC9525099.