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By: Sara Davies Published Date: May 11 Traveling with children can be stressful, but preparation can significantly improve the situation, according to Candice Dye, M.D., General Pediatrics. 

“First and foremost, be safe and think safe,” said Dye, assistant director of the UAB Department of Pediatrics Residency Program. “Plan ahead for the needs of your infant. Think ahead for how you will keep your infant safe. Go ahead and enjoy traveling with your child.”

Read the UAB News story. 
Watch the segment on WBRC Fox 6

By: Sara Davies Published Date: May 11 Regions Bank recently announced efforts to make its 1,500 branches autism friendly. Justin Schwartz, M.D., Developmental Pediatrics, worked with Regions Bank in this effort. In addition this story features KultureCity, and its focus on accessibility for those with autism.

Listen to the story on WBHM.

By: Sara Davies Published Date: May 05 The Department of Pediatrics elects members to the Appointment, Promotion and Tenure Committee (APTC). This year, 118 faculty participated in the vote for a new faculty representative on our APTC. Smita Bhatia, M.D., MPH, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Professor/Director, Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship and Vice Chair for Outcomes in the Department of Pediatrics was elected by a vote of the faculty.  Ambika Ashraf, M.D., Professor in the Division of Endocrinology, was appointed to the Committee. Each will serve a three-year term. Many thanks to Drs. Michele Nichols and Randy Cron, for their long-standing commitment to the success of the faculty. Michele and Randy are completing their terms of appointment and will rotate off the committee. 

By: Sara Davies Published Date: May 05 Mitchell Cohen, M.D., Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition, has been elected to serve as a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition Executive Committee. His 3-year term will begin on November 1, 2017.  Dr. Cohen was also appointed to the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs (AMSPDC) Education Committee and New Chairs Program Committee, each for a two-year term, effective April 2017.

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 28 Join us in welcoming Erik Westin, Ph.D., to the Department of Pediatrics!

Erik Westin, Ph.D., Instructor, in Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, earned his Ph.D. in genetics from the University of Iowa. Dr. Westin recently completed his postdoctoral fellowship in biochemistry and molecular genetics at UAB. His clinical and research interests include studying the mechanisms related to blood and bone marrow failure disorders such as Dyskeratosis Congenita and Diamond Blackfan anemia in addition to research that utilizes CRISPR to correct underlying genetic mutations in patients’ cells.

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 28 Chang L. Wu, M.D., Pediatric Hospital Medicine, has been selected for the Academic Pediatric Association (APA) Region VIII Co-Chair position. He will be officially recognized at the national APA meeting at the upcoming Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) conference in San Francisco, CA.
 
He wishes to express his sincerest gratitude for all the support he received during the election.

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 28 The ImproveCareNow quality improvement leadership team has invited Children’s of Alabama to join the Trailblazers Learning Lab. This selected group of teams includes those who have several years of experience in ImproveCareNow, in addition to impressive results in process and outcome measures.  Responsibilities will include testing innovations ahead of the spread across the network and teaching and mentoring other groups within the network. Our division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition ImproveCareNow team's focus is on quality care and improvement efforts for our pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease patients and to participate in research through ImproveCareNow. 

For more information on ImproveCareNow, click here.

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 21 Children’s and the UAB Department of Pediatrics announce the opening of the new Child Health Research Unit (CHRU) on the third floor of Dearth Tower at Children’s. The CHRU is a partnership between Children’s, the UAB Department of Pediatrics and the UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) to meet the growing needs of pediatric researchers. The expanded unit will reduce barriers for Children’s and UAB researchers to conduct rigorous clinical and translational research in childhood diseases.

“The CHRU is a crucial tool that enables pediatric investigators to improve our understanding of childhood diseases and bring new therapies to children. I am proud of the role that Children’s of Alabama plays in child health in this state, the region and beyond,” said Mitchell B. Cohen, M.D., Chair, UAB Department of Pediatrics and Physician-In-Chief, Children’s of Alabama.

The facility has more than 2,500 square feet of space and includes a reception area, triage room, six exam rooms, office and conference space, workspace with monitors, a lab with centrifuge and freezer, and a storage room for equipment.

The CHRU will host an open house on Friday, May 12 from 1 - 3 p.m. to celebrate the opening of the unit. For more information on the CHRU, visit www.uab.edu/chru. 

Read the story at Childrensal.org

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 21 As a young nurse floating among assignments at Children’s Hospital of Orange County in Southern California in the mid 1980s, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing Associate Professor Wendy Landier, PhD, RN, often found herself working the pediatric oncology unit when others wouldn’t.

The more Landier worked there and saw the interactions among the nurses, their young patients and the families, the more she grew to love it. 

Continue reading the story highlighting Wendy Landier, Ph.D., RN, Pediatric Hematology & Oncology, on the UAB School of Nursing website. Photos courtesy of UAB School of Nursing.

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 14 Child abuse is a serious and prevalent public health problem throughout the United States including Alabama. In 2015, there were 21,722 reports made to the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) involving 30,647 children1. After investigation, 8,466 children were determined to be child abuse victims. With an overall population of just over 4.8 million and 1.1 million children under 18, this amounted to nearly 3% of Alabama’s children being involved in investigations and 1% determined to be victims of child abuse for that year. Child abuse is divided into four categories: physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, & psychological (emotional) abuse. The health consequences for abused children are substantial, including short term risks such as physical injuries (fractures, bruising, lacerations, abdominal injury, head trauma), sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, mental health problems (anxiety, fear, depression), and death. In 2015, there were 1,670 deaths due to child abuse in the US, 13 of those deaths occurred in Alabama. The long-term consequences of child abuse in adults include significant increases in substance abuse, depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and premature mortality. The financial cost to society is substantial, estimated at $2.3 billion annually (2013 dollars) in Alabama alone2. 
 
Every April, the Children's Bureau of the US Department of Health & Human Services observes National Child Abuse Prevention Month “to raise public awareness of child abuse and neglect, recommit efforts and resources aimed at protecting children and strengthening families, and promote community involvement through activities that support the cause.” Children’s of Alabama and the CHIPS Center stay busy all month in an effort to increase awareness of this common and serious public health problem affecting all aspects of society, but most especially, our children. Some of the many activities planned for the month include: awareness in the hospital, handing out posters to local school systems, participating in Child Fun Day, and cosponsoring the International Association of Forensic Nurses-Alabama Chapter annual conference. For more information on National Child Abuse Prevention Month, visit the National Child Abuse Prevention Month website.

Michael A. Taylor, M.D.
Click here for references. 

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 14 Attending the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in San Francisco? You're invited to join Children's of Alabama and UAB Department of Pediatrics on Saturday, May 6 at 6 p.m. in the Hilton San Francisco, Union Square. Mark your calendars and invite your friends! 

Download the invitation.

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 14 Maaike Everts, Ph.D., Pediatric Infectious Disease has been named as the recipient of the International Society for Antiviral Research William Prusoff Young Investigator Lecture Award. This award is given to outstanding young scientists who have demonstrated dedication and excellence in the field of antiviral research and future potential for contribution to the field and the society. Dr. Everts will receive the award at the upcoming 30th International Conference on Antiviral Research (ICAR) in Atlanta, GA in May. 

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 14 The UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) recently acknowledged Department of Pediatrics (DOP) members who participated in the CCTS Panels Done Quickly (PDQ)/ Nascent Panel Project (NPP) team this past year. 

PDQs and NPPs provide investigators across the UAB Campus and throughout the CCTS Partner Network with expert feedback during a critical window of grant development - within 6 weeks of an application deadline. Reviewing proposals at this stage requires an agile, highly focused response that is only possible with the involvement of accomplished scientists. Those who participated from the Pediatrics include: Drs. Namasivayam Ambalavanan, Randy Cron, Maaike Everts, Tom Harris, Ken McCormick, and Matthew Stoll.

Thank you for your participation! 

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 14 Children’s of Alabama and the UAB Pediatrics Residency Program will host the 11th annual Spring Scramble 5K on Saturday, April 22. The 5K begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Levite Jewish Community Center, followed by a Fun Run at 6:30 p.m.
 
The registration fee is $20 for UAB and Children’s employees; $25 for the general public and free for children under 12 with an adult entry. The registration fee covers a 5K T-shirt and goodie bag. To register, visit www.springscramble.org.

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 14 Rachael Tindell, M.D., second year fellow in Neonatology, was recently selected for the PAS Travel Awards Program for Young Investigator's. The award supports travel to the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA, on May 6 - 9. Her work is establishing the importance of adequate selenium content for activation of antioxidant responses by thioredoxin reductase inhibitors in pulmonary epithelia. For information on this award, click  here.

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 07 The Benevolent Fund, has supported our community and UAB employees in need for 32 years. UAB employees are able to give by continuous payroll deduction, one-time payroll deduction, check donation, or stock/dividend transfer. Your gift can be designated to as many as three programs from over 130 partnering non-profits.See the list of new nonprofits added this year. Undesignated funds support the Employee Emergency Assistance Program and United Way of Central Alabama Agency Grants. 

This year the overall campaign goal is to raise $2.1 million. The 2017 School of Medicine goal is to raise $500,000. Help us reach our goal by giving where you live, work and play. 

The UAB 2017 Benevolent Fund Medicine campaign runs through April 30. Sara Davies is the Department Representative. Please contact her with questions. 

Give today!

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 07 David Galloway, M.D., Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition,  and Megan V. Yanik,  M.D., Pediatric Nephrology Fellow, recently completed the Clinical Investigator Training Program (CITP). The CITP is designed to be a hands-on didactic and pragmatic training and education program to prepare young investigators in the conduct and implementation of human subject research. The general outline of the program was not only to review the key topics of designing, preparing, conducting and overseeing a clinical trial, but also navigating UAB’s regulatory and research support infrastructure.

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 07 March was Brain Injury Awareness Month and the UAB Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) celebrated by setting up an information booth in the lobby of Children’s Harbor. Each year more than 3.5 million children and adults sustain an acquired brain injury, and brain injury continues to be the leading cause of acquired disability in childhood. The UAB Division of PRM provides services for children and adolescents with a wide variety of acquired brain injuries due to sports related concussion, trauma, stroke, brain tumor, and infection, among others, and acquired brain injury is the most common diagnosis for patients receiving intensive inpatient rehabilitation at Children’s of Alabama.
 
Pictured right: Janet Ezekiel, Children's of Alabama Sunshine School, and Angela Hamby, Nurse Clinician, Children's of Alabama and UAB Division of Pediatric Rehab Medicine

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 07 Brian Sims, M.D., Ph.D., Neonatology, recently received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the UAB Department of Biology. Dr. Sims will be honored at the UAB Alumni House at a special Spring Awards Presentation Luncheon on April 24. 

By: Sara Davies Published Date: Apr 07 David E. Dixon, a long-time member of the Children’s of Alabama Board of Trustees, has been honored for his service with the establishment of an endowed chair in his name.
 
Dixon began his volunteer leadership service at Children’s in 1998, serving on the Board’s Research and Education Committee, Executive Committee and as an officer of the Alabama Children’s Hospital Foundation. He has contributed to the community through his commitment to numerous philanthropic boards, especially his family’s foundation, the Dixon Foundation. The Dixon Foundation has a strong partnership with the UAB Department of Pediatrics, including its support of the Dixon Fellowship Training program.
 
Reed Allen Dimmitt, M.D., is the first holder of the David E. Dixon Endowed Chair in Pediatric Gastroenterology. Dr. Dimmitt is a professor in the UAB Department of Pediatrics, the director of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, and the medical director of Children’s Intensive Feeding Program. In addition, Dr. Dimmitt will serve as the president of the Children’s of Alabama medical staff and chair of the medical executive committee beginning in January 2018. Dimmitt’s research includes mucosal immunology, the role of intestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis of injury, and the causes of intestinal failure associated liver disease.

Read the story on Childrensal.org.