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Jacinta Cooper, M.D., Ph.D., Third Year Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow, won first place in the Clinical Case Competition of the Section on Pediatric Trainees (SOPT) of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) at the AAP National Conference last weekend in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Cooper's wining case was titled "Paroxysmal Complete Heart Block In A Child With A Structurally Normal Heart." The SOPT has held the Clinical Case Competition since 2003. More than 300 abstracts were submitted and the top 30 authors were invited to present. First place is awarded to the best medical student, resident and fellow case. 

Congratulations to Dr. Cooper for this honor!

We are pleased to announce that the UAB Cleft and Craniofacial Center at Children’s of Alabama has received the national distinction of being approved by the Commission on Approval of Teams by the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association.

Our center was approved as both a recognized Cleft Center and as a recognized Craniofacial center and remains the only such center in the state of Alabama.

A 5 year accreditation beginning January 2019, this confirms that our center exemplifies the standards set forth by the national governing body.

Pictured: Cassi Smola, M.D., member of the Cleft and Craniofacial Center 

Congratulations to Shannon Ross, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Disease, on being elected to the American Pediatric Society! Membership in the American Pediatric Society is reserved for individuals who are child health leaders, teachers, scholars, policymakers and/or clinicians who make important contributions to pediatrics. Dr. Ross's membership will begin on January 1, 2019. 

A weekly photo round up of events, people and groups in the Department.

Sixty women have been selected to join the inaugural class of Upward, Alabama’s premier early career leadership development program. Among these is Allison Black, M.D., Neonatology. 

Momentum created the new Upward program to target early-career women. The program leverages Momentum’s expertise and alumnae network to develop the next generation of talented leadership.Upward is delivered in half-day sessions over a nine-month period from January to October. Program sessions are interactive, classroom-style and facilitated by training professionals and Momentum alumnae. In between sessions, participants will complete assignments, meet with their co-mentoring group, and enjoy networking opportunities with experienced senior leaders.

More information. 

Ambika Ashraf, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology, has been invited to join the American Board of Pediarics Subboard of Pediatric Endocrinology for a six-year term beginning January 1, 2019. The subboard is responsible for developing the initial certifying, MOC, MOCA-Peds and SITE examinations, ensuring each exam is comprehensive, fair, reliable and valid. 

PEDIATRICS WELCOMES TWO NEW FACULTY MEMBERS IN OCTOBER 2018
 
The UAB Department of Pediatrics welcomes two new faculty members during the month of October. Please join us in making them feel at home! 

Katie Grisanti, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
Kimberlly Stringer, M.D., MPH, Associate Professor in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Katie Grisanti, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, earned her medical degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington, Kentucky. Dr. Grisanti completed her combined internal medicine/pediatric residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and allergy and immunology fellowship at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. 

Kimberlly Stringer, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Professor in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, earned her medical degree from the University of Tennessee in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Stringer completed her pediatric residency at Texas Tech Health Science Center in Lubbock, Texas and developmental-behavioral pediatrics fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition, she also completed a Master of Public Health at UAB. Prior to joining the department, Dr. Stringer worked at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.  Her research/clinical interests include improving patient assess to developmental-behavioral pediatric services including telehealth services, implementation of developmental screening in childcare centers, using practice transformation to improve developmental and behavioral screenings in primary care practices and studying developmental outcomes in children with congenital heart disease.

New Endowed Chairs
Ralph Froshin, Jr. Chair
Susan Nabers Haskell Chair 
Virginia Walker Jones Chair
Philippe W. Lathrop Chair 
L. Gwaltney McCollum, Jr. Chair 
Benjamin Russell Chair

New Chair Holders
Tamera Coyne-Beasley, M.D.- Derrol Dawkins, M.D., Chair in Adolescent Medicine
Jennifer Dollar, M.D.- Susan Nabers Haskell Chair in Pediatric Anesthesiology
Skip Gilbert, M.D.- L. Gwaltney McCollum, Jr. Chair in Pediatric Orthopaedics
Laura McGuinn, M.D.- Thomas H. Lowder Chair in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Nancy Tofil, M.D.- Ann Dial McMillan Chair in Pediatric Critical Care
Terry Wall, M.D.- John W. Benton Chair in General Pediatrics 

Children’s of Alabama (COA) provides generous and meaningful support to the pediatric enterprise in many ways. In particular, with the creation of six new chairs this year, COA now supports 26 endowed chairs for the pediatric enterprise. These chairs honor long serving members of the Board of Trustees (23) or physicians (3) who have served the pediatric enterprise. They are a wonderful way to honor the legacies of these important people. In addition, they provide support for faculty and are key differentiators in recruiting and retaining faculty in the Department of Pediatrics and other departments at COA. Congratulations to the longstanding board members and the new chair holders!

Congratulations to the Department of Pediatrics and Hussein Abdullatif, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology, on their Argus Awards! Dr. Abdullatif was the winner of the Caduceus Club Award for Excellence in Clinical Education on the Birmingham Campus. The Department of Pediatrics won the Caduceus Club Award for Best Clinical Department on the Birmingham Campus. Pediatrics also won for Best Clinical Department: Tuscaloosa Campus. The winners were announced at a reception honoring recipients and nominees on Friday, September 7 at the UAB Alumni House. 

The Argus Awards were created in 1996 to give medical students a chance to honor their mentors, professors, courses and course directors for outstanding service to medical education. Faculty member are nominated by course evaluations and winners are voted on by students. 

Click here for full list of winners

Congratulations to Namasivayam Ambalavanan, M.D., Neonatology, Tina Simpson, M.D., Adolescent Medicine, Michael Stalvey, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology and Susan Walley, M.D., Pediatric Hospital Medicine, on being accepted into the UAB Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA). The HLA is a collaboration between the Collat School of Business and the School of Medicine. The program offers training opportunities and develops leadership skills essential to academic healthcare. 24 members were accepted into the academy for the 2018-2019 class and represent a well-balanced and diverse group. The program will begin in October 2018 and conclude in May 2019. 

Congratulations to our faculty being promoted effective October 1, 2018! 

Faculty Promotions
Allison Black, M.D., Neonatology - Associate Professor
Santiago Borasino, M.D., Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care - Professor
Drew Davis, M.D., Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine - Professor
Candice Dye, M.D., Academic General Pediatrics - Associate Professor
Ana Xavier, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology - Associate Professor
Wynton Hoover, M.D., Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine - Professor
Matthew Kutny, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology - Associate Professor
Lauren Nassetta, M.D., Pediatric Hospital Medicine - Associate Professor
Christopher Pruitt, M.D., Pediatric Emergency Medicine - Associate Professor
Mary Lauren Scott, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology - Associate Professor
Michael Seifert, M.D., Pediatric Nephrology - Associate Professor
Janaina Nogueria, M.D., Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition - Associate Professor
Isabel Virella-Lowell, M.D., Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine - Professor
Susan Walley, M.D., Pediatric Hospital Medicine - Professor
Marjorie White, M.D., Pediatric Emergency Medicine - Professor

Friday, October 26 | 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Birmingham Botanical Gardens Auditorium 

The Leadership Education in MCH Nutrition presents the Motivational Interviewing Workshop. The goals of the workshop include introducing the basic skills of Motivational Interviewing as well as new concepts for the evidence-based practice. More information can be found here. 

Register here

Please contact Julia Burke with any question.

The UAB Department of Pediatrics welcomes eleven new faculty members during the month of August. Please join us in making them feel at home! 

Nitin Arora, M.D., Assistant Professor in Neonatology
Ahmed Asfari, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care
Jamie Aye, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Teresa Cornelius, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Madhura Hallman, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Critical Care
Angela King, M.D., Instructor in Academic General Pediatrics
Han Phan, M.D., Associate Professor in Pediatric Neurology
Claudette Poole, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Infectious Disease
Emily Smitherman, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Rheumatology
Christine Stoops, D.O., Assistant Professor in Neonatology
Scott Turner, DNP, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology

Nitin Arora, M.D., Assistant Professor in Neonatology, earned his medical degree from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Medical College in Bangalore, India. Dr. Arora completed his pediatric residency at West Virignia University Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia and neonatal/perinatal fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center/Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In addition, he received a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2008.

Ahmed Asfari, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care, earned his medical degree from University of Aleppo Faculty of Medicine in Aleppo, Syria. Dr. Asfari completed his pediatric residency at University of Kansas School of Medicine in Wichita, Kansas where he was also a chief resident. He completed his pediatric critical care fellowship at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science in Little Rock, Arkansas and an advanced cardiovascular critical care fellowship at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, Florida. His research/clinical interests include: mechanical circulatory support/ clinical and translational research.

Jamie Aye, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hematology Oncology, earned her medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine. Dr. Aye completed her pediatric residency at the University of South Carolina/Palmetto Health Richland and her pediatric hematology oncology fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research/clinical interests focus on improving the outcomes of patients with solid tumors.

Teresa Cornelius, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, earned her medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Cornelius completed her combined medicine/pediatric residency at UAB. In addition, she received a Master of Public Health from UAB.

Madhura Hallman, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Critical Care, earned her medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Hallman completed her pediatric residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and her pediatric critical care fellowship at the University of Tennessee in Memphis, Tennessee. Her research/clinical interests include: long-term functional and neuropsychological outcomes in PICU survivors, ICU follow-up models, mentorship of residents and fellows, and health disparities in critical care.

Angela King, M.D., Instructor in Academic General Pediatrics, earned her medical degree from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, Alabama. Dr. King completed her pediatric residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research/clinical interests include: asthma, childhood obesity and nutrition.

Han Phan, M.D., Associate Professor in Pediatric Neurology, earned her medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Phan completed her intern year at Tulane University and her child neurology residency and sleep medicine fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Phan previously served as an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology at UAB and an Assistant Professor at Emory University in Neurology. Her research/clinical interests include: neuromuscular and sleep disorders.

Claudette Poole, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Infectious Disease, earned her medical degree from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Dr. Poole completed pediatric residency at Schneider Children’s Hospital in Manhasset, New York and completed a pediatric infectious disease fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has worked as a general pediatrician in the community as well as a hospitalist. Prior to fellowship training at UAB, she held an academic position as Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Hofstra School of Medicine in New York with her clinical position as an academic hospitalist at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New York. Her research/clinical interests include: respiratory viral infections in vulnerable patient populations, the role of molecular diagnostics and antivirals. In addition to her clinical role in the division of infectious diseases she will participate in infection prevention both at Childrens' as well as in the RNICU of the Women and Infant's Hospital of UAB.

Emily Smitherman, M.D., Assistant Professor in Pediatric Rheumatology, earned her medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Smitherman completed her pediatric residency at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina and her pediatric rheumatology fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. In addition, she received a Master’s of Science in Clinical & Translational Research from University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her research/clinical interests include: optimizing healthcare delivery for children with chronic rheumatic disease, impact of health system interventions on patient outcomes.

Christine Stoops, D.O., M.P.H., Assistant Professor in Neonatology, earned her medical degree from University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Stoops completed her pediatric residency and neonatology fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research/clinical interests include: acute kidney injury risk factors & sequalae in the neonatal population.

Scott Turner, DNP, Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology, earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Turner completed his Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Turner previously served as an Assistant Professor in Pediatric Neurology at the University of Colorado in Aurora, Colorado. His research/clinical interests include: pediatric headache, Tourette syndrome, population health, and quality improvement.

The second Pediatric Residency Reunion was a great success!  Over 185 guests attended the reunion with 34 classes being represented. Thank you to all who attended and to everyone who worked hard to make the reunion such a great event! 

Click here for photos from the reunion

Lynn Zinkan, Chrystal Rutledge, Amber Cole, Nancy Tofil, Carrie Norwood and Brittany Cameron attend Boiling n' Bragging On August 18. This event, hosted by the Rotary Club, benefits Critical Care Transport at Children's of Alabama.

Photo credit: COA Photographers

Drs. Robert Russell, Santiago Borasino, Daniel Young, Yung Lau and Tony Fargason at the retirement party for Dr. Young on August 16. 

Photo credit: COA Photographers

Hannah Gardner, Meghan Hofto and Vinetra King at the Ice Cream Social for faculty on August 23.

The Department of Pediatrics and four Pediatrics faculty have been nominated for multiple 2018 Argus Awards. Created in 1996, the Argus Awards give medical students the chance to honor their mentors, professors, courses and course directors for outstanding service to medical education. Faculty members are nominated by course evaluations, and students vote to select award winners in each category.

Winners will be announced at the Argus Awards Ceremony on Friday, September 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the Alumni House. 

Congratulations to all nominees!

Pre-Clinical Awards
Best MS2 Organ Module-Endocrine Systems: Hussein Adbullatif, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology
Best Educator-Cardiovascular: Robb Romp, M.D., Pediatric Cardiology
Best Educator-Pulmonary: William Sasser, M.D., Pediatric Critical Care
Best Educator-Endocrine Systems: Hussein Abdullatif, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology 

Clinical Awards
Caduceus Club Award for Best Clinical Department on the Birmingham Campus:Pediatrics
Caduceus Club Award for Excellence in Clinical Education on the Birmingham Campus: Hussein Abdullatif, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology and Jason Hartig, M.D., Academic General Pediatrics

Click here for full list of nominees

Justin Schwartz, M.D., Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, will join the Innovation's Academy's "Train the Trainer" program. This program is a unique, inter-professional approach to analyze and develop solutions for current challenges in healthcare delivery. The program hopes that participants will return to their respective units armed with new knowledge and a thorough understanding of the process of innovating at UAB Medicine. A key goal of this Academy is the creation of a cohort of innovation coaches dispersed throughout our organization.

Bham Black Pride held their inaugural banquet on Friday, August 17, where Tina Simpson,. M.D., Adolescent Medicine, was named the first recipient of the “Dr. Tina Simpson Invisible Warrior Award.” The award, named in her honor, recognizes Dr. Simpson as the longest serving African American physician caring for children, adolescents and young adults with HIV in the Birmingham area. In the future, this award will recognize those who have made contributions to advance equality and create strong connections in the lives of LGBTQ Alabamians.

Congratulations Dr. Simpson!

The Pediatric Resident Wellness Committee was awarded a GME Works for Well-being Grant for their proposal "Wellness Through Fitness: A Fitness and Nutritional Program for Residents and Fellows.”

The grant will be used to fund weekly fitness classes available to all pediatric residents (and fellows if availability is not an issue) with a certified trainer and nutritionist and will also provide a volunteer study group with body assessments (BMI, body fat percentage, etc) and assess progress over a 10 week span of exercise. The goal of the program is to empower residents to seek activities for physical fitness and wellness during their education!

In February 2018, the UAB GME Office announced GME Works for Well-Being, a call for proposals to increase efforts within UAB GME to support innovated ideas and programs to improve physician well-being and foster a sense of meaning in work.

Team members for the proposal include Malena Gutierrez, M.D., Pediatrics PGY-3, Alicia Webb, M.D., Pediatrics PGY-3, Spandana Induru, M.D., Pediatrics PGY-3 and faculty mentor Michael Stalvey, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology.