Congratulations to the 2017-2018 Co-Chief Residents!
We are excited to announce that Drs. Bry Lewis, Spencer Poore, and Michelle Udine will serve as our Pediatric Co-Chief Residents for the 2017-2018 academic year.
UAB’s Undiagnosed Diseases Program gives answers where there were none
Stephanie and Christopher Smith have been on a long, difficult and often frustrating journey to find answers for the mysterious health issues of their children. It started 24 years ago when their third child, Gage, was born. Gage, his younger brother Aiden and then sister Mandalynn, now 13, all developed mysterious symptoms that mystified doctors. All had severe inflammation of their joints, and delayed intellectual development. But no one knew why.
Through luck, or fate, or divine providence, the family ended up in Boaz, Alabama. The children became patients of Children’s of Alabama and pediatric rheumatologist Robb Lowe, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics.Their timing was fortunate, because UAB had just created the Undiagnosed Diseases Program, a multidisciplinary effort aimed at unraveling the most perplexing medical cases that have defied diagnosis.
Click here for the full article
Through luck, or fate, or divine providence, the family ended up in Boaz, Alabama. The children became patients of Children’s of Alabama and pediatric rheumatologist Robb Lowe, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics.Their timing was fortunate, because UAB had just created the Undiagnosed Diseases Program, a multidisciplinary effort aimed at unraveling the most perplexing medical cases that have defied diagnosis.
Click here for the full article
Dr. Dimmitt Serves as President Elect of the Medical Executive Committee
Congratulations to Reed Dimmitt, M.D., Pediatric Gastroenterology, on his term as President Elect of the Medical Executive committee and Children's Medical staff. His two-year term began Jan. 1, 2016 through Dec. 31, 2017. Beginning Jan. 1, 2018, Dr. Dimmitt will serve as President of the Medical Staff and chair of the Medical Executive committee. Congratulations to Dr. Dimmitt!
Dr. Rutledge Receives Teaching Innovation and Development Grant
Chrystal Rutledge, M.D., Pediatric Critical Care, has been awarded a UAB Center for Teaching and Learning grant for her project, "High Repetition Team-based Simulation to Improve Resident Pediatric Resuscitation Skills," in the amount of $5,000. Congratulations!
Suzanne Gray Takes Role of Medical Student Clerkship Coordinator
The Department of Pediatrics would like to extend a warm welcome to Suzanne Gray, our newly appointed Pediatric Clerkship Coordinator. Suzanne has years of experience in corporate event coordination and communications. She will work alongside Drs. Latif, Berger and Sasser to organize schedules, activities, and evaluations of UASOM students rotating in the Department. She will also assist with coordination of international medical student rotations. Please join us in welcoming her to the team!
Children's of Alabama Selected as the January 2016 SPS Hospital of the Month
Children's Hospitals' Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS), a national network of children’s hospitals committed to the highest safety and quality standards, selected Children's of Alabama as the January 2016 Hospital of the Month. To see the patient safety achievements SPS is recognizing Children's for, click here.
Children's of Alabama Publishes Inside Pediatrics
Please take a moment to read the 2015 fall/winter issue of Inside Pediatrics, which highlights the excellent care provided by Children's of Alabama and the UAB Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery.
Among the highlights are Dr. Askenazi's novel approach to dialysis in babies, the opening of the Gait and Motion Analysis Lab, Dr. Blount's treatment of epilepsy, the Undiagnosed Diseases Program, and more.
If you have not received your printed issue, click here for a link to the electronic, flipping book version of the fall edition of Inside Pediatrics. Please feel free to share this link with any colleagues around the country. https://user-8msctv.cld.bz/Inside-Peds/Inside-Pediatrics-Winter-151
Among the highlights are Dr. Askenazi's novel approach to dialysis in babies, the opening of the Gait and Motion Analysis Lab, Dr. Blount's treatment of epilepsy, the Undiagnosed Diseases Program, and more.
If you have not received your printed issue, click here for a link to the electronic, flipping book version of the fall edition of Inside Pediatrics. Please feel free to share this link with any colleagues around the country. https://user-8msctv.cld.bz/Inside-Peds/Inside-Pediatrics-Winter-151
Dr. Wall Receives Board Certification in Clinical Informatics
Congratulations to Terry Wall, M.D., General Pediatrics, for successfully completing the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) certifying exam. Dr. Wall is now certified as a specialist in Clinical Informatics.
For more information on certification and the history of the subspecialty, clickhere.
For more information on certification and the history of the subspecialty, clickhere.
Pediatric Faculty Accepted into 2016 CCTS CTS Training Program
Congratulations to Jennifer Guimbellot, M.D., Pediatric Pulmonology, Justin Schwartz, M.D., Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, and Lauren Shipman, M.D., Pediatric Rheumatology fellow, on being accepted into the 2016 CCTS Clinical and Translational Science (CTS) Program. The CTS Training Program, as part of the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) places UAB in an elite group of academic institutions that conduct broad-based clinical and translational research and provide educational programs for individuals starting in this type of research. The program is a six-month certificate program that includes approximately 50 hours of didactic instruction and interactive experience.
Children's and Department of Pediatrics Represented at Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society Meeting
Ten members of our Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) team were in Houston, TX representing Children's of Alabama and UAB at the 11th annual meeting of the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Society on Dec. 9-11. The international conference allows our team to present quality improvement initiatives, research and clinical innovations to other ICU teams from around the globe. The group included five nurses, one nurse practitioner and four physicians.
See the details about the presentations below.
See the details about the presentations below.
Hundreds of UAB physicians Named to Prestigious 2015-16 Best Doctors in America List
The 2015 list recognizes 391 UAB physicians, the most in Alabama, in 38 specialties listed who are among the top 5 percent of clinicians in the United States, as voted by their peers. For a link to the UAB press release, click here.
To view the complete database of UAB physicians on the Best Doctors list, click here.
To view the complete database of UAB physicians on the Best Doctors list, click here.
Dr. Bhatia Elected to APS Membership & COG Executive Committee Member At-Large
Congratulations to Smita Bhatia, M.D., M.P.H., on her election to membership in the American Pediatric Society (APS). Dr. Bhatia and other new members will be honored during the 2016 PAS meeting in Baltimore, MD, in May 2016.
The mission of the American Pediatric Society is to advance academic pediatrics. This is accomplished through promoting pediatric research and scholarship, serving as a strong and effective advocate for academic pediatrics, recognizing and honoring achievement, and cultivating excellence, diversity, and equity in the field of pediatrics through advocacy, scholarship, education and leadership development. Congratulations to Dr. Bhatia on this distinctive honor!
Additional congratulations are in order for Dr. Bhatia, as she was recently elected to the position of Children's Oncology Group (COG) Executive Committee Member At-Large representing the Hematology/Oncology Discipline for a term of three years.
The mission of the American Pediatric Society is to advance academic pediatrics. This is accomplished through promoting pediatric research and scholarship, serving as a strong and effective advocate for academic pediatrics, recognizing and honoring achievement, and cultivating excellence, diversity, and equity in the field of pediatrics through advocacy, scholarship, education and leadership development. Congratulations to Dr. Bhatia on this distinctive honor!
Additional congratulations are in order for Dr. Bhatia, as she was recently elected to the position of Children's Oncology Group (COG) Executive Committee Member At-Large representing the Hematology/Oncology Discipline for a term of three years.
Kulture City Selected as the Top Nonprofit in Alabama by Tom's of Maine
Tom’s of Maine rewards 52 nonprofits across the country with more than $1 million in funding through their 50 States for Good community giving program. Each nonprofit will receive $20,000 to advance important community projects such as helping families find affordable housing, providing assistance to those affected by autism and developing sustainable gardens in urban areas. Department of Pediatrics faculty,Michele Kong, M.D., and her husband Julian Maha, M.D., recognized gaps in service for children with autism and their families and cofounded Kulture City, a nonprofit organization specializing in providing direct assistance to children with special needs and their families. Kulture City has directly impacted more than 13,000 families through scholarships, art and music camps, and educational curriculums. For more information about Kulture City, visit the website.
For a list of winners from each state click here.
For a list of winners from each state click here.
Dr. Hartig Selected as the Top Recipient of the 2015 RIME Faculty Development Award
Jason Hartig, M.D., med-peds residency director, was selected as the top recipient of the 2015 Research and Innovations in Medical Education (RIME) Faculty Development UASOM Award; a program funded by an HSF-GEF grant. The main purpose of the RIME award is to promote teaching skills in medical education, foster curriculum innovation and showcase scholarship and research findings in medical education for the 21st century.
Happy Holidays from UAB Pediatrics and Children's of Alabama
On behalf of the Department of Pediatrics and Children’s of Alabama, Happy Holidays. Thanks for all you have done this past year, all that you are doing now and all that you will do in the next year for the children of Alabama.
A UAB/Children's of Alabama/Cincinnati Children's Study Find Genetic Risk for Fatal Inflammatory Disorder Linked to Viral Infection
A group of people with fatal H1N1 flu died after their viral infections triggered a deadly hyperinflammatory disorder in susceptible individuals with gene mutations linked to the overactive immune response, according to a study in The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Randy Cron, M.D., Ph.D., pediatric rheumatology, is a senior investigator on this study.
Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the University of Alabama Birmingham and Children’s of Alabama led the study, published online Nov. 23. They suggest people with other types of infections and identical gene mutations also may be prone to the disorder, known as reactive HLH (rHLH), or hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.
To continue reading the article on UAB News, click here.
Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the University of Alabama Birmingham and Children’s of Alabama led the study, published online Nov. 23. They suggest people with other types of infections and identical gene mutations also may be prone to the disorder, known as reactive HLH (rHLH), or hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.
To continue reading the article on UAB News, click here.
Dr. Stoll and Pediatric Spondyloarthritics Clinic Featued in Birmingham Medical News Blog
Click here to view the blog post from Matthew Stoll, M.D., Ph.D., MSCS, pediatric rheumatology, which discusses the Pediatric Spondyloarthritis Clinic at Children's of Alabama.
Just Keep Smiling Foundation Honors Dr. Colvin
Edward Colvin, M.D., pediatric cardiology, was recently honored at the Just Keep Smiling annual dinner and live auction. Dr. Colvin played a key role, particularly at the beginning stages of the organization, and his contributions were essential in jump starting this impactful organization, which has made the trauma of having a sick child easier for many families in our community.
Just Keep Smiling is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Just Keep Smiling is a local organization that exists to help support families with seriously ill children. Over the 10 years, they have disbursed more than $450,000 in monetary support and helped over 2000 families.
Click here to visit the Just Keep Smiling website and find out more about their mission.
Just Keep Smiling is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Just Keep Smiling is a local organization that exists to help support families with seriously ill children. Over the 10 years, they have disbursed more than $450,000 in monetary support and helped over 2000 families.
Click here to visit the Just Keep Smiling website and find out more about their mission.
SSPR/AAP Announces Travel Award Recipients
The Southern Society of Pediatric Research (SSPR)/Academic Pediatric Association (APA) announced the 2015 Trainee Travel Award Recipients. Among the winners: Shae A. Duerring, M.D., pediatric emergency medicine fellow, and Aaron Yee, M.D., neonatology fellow. The Trainee Travel Award program aims to encourage meeting attendance by students, house officers, and fellows
SSPR Announces Clinical Science Young Investigator Award
The Southern Society for Pediatric Research (SSPR) selected Charitharth 'Vivek' Lal, M.D., neonatology, as one of three finalist for the SSPR Clinical Science Young Investigator Award.
For more information about the Young Investigator Award, click here.
For more information about the Young Investigator Award, click here.