Pediatrics Flyer

The official newsletter of the Department of Pediatrics
May 2021 | Issue 21
SPOTLIGHT
While we often think of MDs when we hear the word "faculty," the Department of Pediatrics has several non-MD faculty members who are crucial in helping us fulfill our missions. In this issue, we'll get to know two of these faculty members, Sean Cunningham and Ron Reeder.
Ron Reeder, PhD
Assistant Professor
Pediatric Critical Care
I’m from the thriving metropolis of Kuna, Idaho, but I’ve loved living in Utah since I came here for college. I love running, especially trail running, and I’m a proud short-shorts-wearing member of the Salt Lake City Track Club [photo removed by the Censorship Committee]. I earned a BS in elementary education from BYU in 2006 and a PhD in Math from Utah in 2011. When I came to the Department of Pediatrics in 2013, Angie Webster and Rich Holubkov introduced me to the Data Coordinating Center and mentored me in my role as a biostatistician on several clinical studies for the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network (CPCCRN) and the Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network (HCRN).

In 2016, I worked with Michael Rollins [UU Pediatric Surgery] and pediatric surgeons at other major colorectal centers to create the Pediatric Colorectal and Pelvic Learning Consortium (PCPLC). I’m the PI for the Data Coordinating Center and serve on the Executive and Steering Committees for the multicenter consortium. Since inception in 2016, we’ve established a detailed patient registry with more than 2000 enrolled subjects and we’ve added a study to collect patient- and parent-reported outcomes to supplement the extensive surgical and clinical data.

Also in 2016, I took the role of PI for the Data Coordinating Center of a new multicenter trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a bundled intervention comprised of physiologic-focused just-in-time resuscitation training and debriefing to usual care. Working with pediatric resuscitation experts, Bobby Sutton and Bob Berg [both at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia], we designed and implemented the first ever hybrid between a parallel cluster randomized trial and a stepped-wedge trial in order to maximize statistical power and make the trial feasible with the resources we had. As PI for the Data Coordinating Center, I oversee the project management, data management, and biostatistical support for the trial, which finished enrollment in March. I learned as a 15-year-old, whose summer job description was basically to carry lumber 10 hours per day, that the people you work with make all the difference. That lesson has been reinforced repeatedly as I’ve had the opportunity to work with talented and fun people in my team. Throughout the 4.5-year enrollment period, we’ve carefully planned out dozens of secondary manuscripts based on the rich database that the trial was producing, which includes Utstein-style clinical data as well as continuous measurement of blood pressures, compression mechanics, and ventilation parameters. We’re now starting to see that work pay off as we’re able to complete the analyses for a new manuscript nearly every week.

With the explicit intention of continuing the collaborations that I have enjoyed so much, Jessica Alvey [UU Pediatric Critical Care] and I have begun working with Bobby Sutton and others at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to analyze data from the massive Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation database. Our first aim is to determine whether using real-time blood pressure to guide resuscitation is associated with better outcomes.
Russ Banks [UU Pediatric Critical Care] and I are also starting a collaboration to perform secondary analysis of the publicly available data from the Life After Pediatric Sepsis Evaluation (LAPSE) study. LAPSE was a CPCCRN study that Russ and I both worked on. With R03 funding just secured, we’ll have two years to further analyze this dataset and to extend our previous collaborations with Jerry Zimmerman [University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital], an expert in pediatric sepsis, and Kathy Meert [Central Michigan University/Children’s Hospital of Michigan], who is just too amazing to put into words.
Sean Cunningham, PhD
Assistant Professor
General Pediatrics
Dr. Cunningham attended Michigan State University (Go Green!, Go White!) for his undergraduate in Psychology before moving on and earning dual graduate degrees in Clinical and Educational Psychology, completing his doctoral degree at the University of Utah. His career trajectory has focused on the assessment of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions at risk for behavioral and cognitive sequelae. Upon his initial hire into the Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Cunningham established the psychology program for the University Developmental Assessment Clinics (UDAC), serving as Psychology Director. The UDAC is now one of the largest interdisciplinary outpatient clinics in the Intermountain West, responsible for assessing children with neurodevelopmental conditions.
Dr. Cunningham enjoys assisting in the educational, research and clinical missions of the Department of Pediatrics. He is a preceptor for pediatric residents during their Behavioral & Developmental Rotation and for students involved in the Utah Regional Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (URLEND) program. Additionally, Dr. Cunningham is engaged in translational research with the Pediatric Heart Network (PHN), Neonatal Research Network (NRN), and National Heart, and Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) via the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Some examples of Dr. Cunningham’s work housed within the Department of Pediatrics include being co-investigator on multiple local and multi-site studies, some of which explore and improve potential healthcare discrepancies for children on the autism spectrum, examine the genetic influences on neurodevelopmental conditions, and a project working to offer advanced guidance for anxiety screening to providers seeing children with a congenital heart disease.
Dr. Cunningham has not only settled into a satisfying career in the Department of Pediatrics, but also into a home in Utah after vagabonding the globe during breaks in his schooling (did someone say cinque terre?). His wife and two children, Colin (6 years) and Ian (4 years), have found a great "backyard playground" in Utah. Dr. Cunningham and his family enjoy all things outdoors – skiing, camping, paddling, hiking, riding bikes, and getting to southern Utah for some off-road fun. At least once a year, Dr. Cunningham goes 'terra incognita," one of his favorite things to do. Taking a solo and minimalist approach, he simply assembles a backpack, map and compass (analog, of course) to explore somewhere (he thinks) no one has been before, just be with the silence, nature, and stars.

Dr. Cunningham cannot perform his work alone and is indebted to many mentors, faculty, and staff at the University of Utah School of Medicine, wishing he could list them all; some of which include his Co-Division Chiefs Drs. Karen Buchi and Justin Alvey, Medical Directors Drs. Sarah Winter and Paul Carbone, Clinical Director, Laurie Lesher, as well as research mentors Drs. Tom Miller, Kristi Glotzbach, and Nelangi Pinto. Dr. Cunningham appreciates all those who have helped children in the Intermountain West, especially his interdisciplinary team and support staff, which without the efforts of, he could not live out his calling of helping children and families who visit the University of Utah Department of Pediatrics.
GREETINGS
Welcome to the Team!
To see the new faculty and staff who joined us in April, click here.
NEW RESPONSIBILITIES
Kanira Acosta- Transitioned from Clinical Enterprise to South Main Clinic as Medical Assistant I

Brandi Johnson - Transitioned from Division Manager of GI and Endo to Financial Management Analyst with Administration

Jennifer Nelson - Transitioned from Customer Advocate Specialist to Pediatric Specialty Scheduling Supervisor with Clinical Enterprise
NEW FACULTY PROFILE
For a pdf version of Dr. Binka's announcement, click here.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Nurses Week: May 6-12
Thank you to all our nurses! We couldn't do it without you!

For a pdf version of our Nurses Week poster, click here.
Self Compassion for BIPOC: Healing in Community Retreat
This experiential retreat offered by the Resiliency Center, Wellness & Integrative Health, and University Counseling Center is a space for employees who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) to befriend ourselves and one another, to reflect on the disparate impact of COVID-19 and the national reckoning with racism, through the exploration of what self-compassion is and isn't.
Date: Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Time: 8:30am-12pm
Location: Zoom
Cost: Free for employees


WellU Wellness Program Reminder
The deadline to complete WellU requirements to participate in the WellU Program for the 2021/2022 Plan Year is June 30, 2021. The WellU Wellness Program provides a discount on the cost of enrollment in the University’s Employee Health Care Plan of up to $40 per month. Access the WellU Tracker to view the status of your participation in the WellU Wellness Program. Click here for additional information detailing the WellU Wellness Program.
For details on Master of Education in Health Professions courses, faculty instructors, and how to apply, click here.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
New Benning Presidential Endowed Chair Holder
One of our outstanding faculty researchers, Martin Tristani-Firouzi, MD, has been named holder of a prestigious H.A. and Edna Benning Presidential Endowed Chair. As a professor of pediatrics and practicing physician, Tri aims to understand the genomic determinants of cardiovascular disease in order to improve treatments and patient outcomes. By assembling multi-disciplinary research teams with expertise in cutting-edge bioinformatics, genomics, and population health, his research groups are making headway on tough problems, including congenital heart disease and sudden cardiac death in the young. His research has been cited nearly 10,000 times since 2010, demonstrating its great impact. In addition to carrying out internationally renowned investigations, Tristani-Firouzi is a dedicated mentor to trainees from the Latinx community both in his own lab and in institutional training programs.
Staff Council Scholarship Awardee
Ashley Sacharny, Pediatrics Administration, was awarded a 2021 Staff Council Scholarship. The scholarship is intended to encourage and support continual professional development of university staff. Ashley plans to use her award to take an organizational training and development course in order to enhance her role as Staff Professional Development Coordinator for the department.
Well Home Office Certification
Another round of team members have earned their Well Home Office Certification. To certify, participants had to complete 15 action items and submit two photos of their healthy work-from-home space.

For more information on how to turn your home office into a well office, or how to get your team's space on campus Well Office Certified, click here.
DIVISION & ENTERPRISE UPDATES
Pediatric Genetics Update

Welcome to our new Metabolic Dietitian, Cara Pausche, RD, CD! Cara is joining our team after recently moving to Utah from St. Louis, Missouri where she worked as a dietitian in the Washington University Metabolic Clinic. We are very excited to have her join our team! 
Pediatric Emergency Medicine Updates

We want to welcome Lydia Riley as the newest member of the administrative team for Pediatric Emergency Medicine. She will be starting with us May 10, 2021. Lydia has over ten years at the University of Utah and comes from a diverse background, making her a wonderful addition to our team. She is familiar with many from our Pediatric group from her years at the Williams building as well as her time with Real Estate Administration.

In June 2021, we will be losing Jade Mulvey as one of our Researchers. She has been an amazing member of our team both professionally and as a friend. She is taking the summer off before embarking to medical school here at the University of Utah. We want to send her off with a heartfelt “Congratulations!” We wish her all the best in her new endeavor and hope to see her around Pediatrics during her years in med school. Best of luck!
SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY
3i / U2M2 Program Planning Grant
Anne Blaschke, MD, PhD (Pediatric Infectious Diseases), Hillary Crandall, MD, PhD (Pediatric Critical Care), Con Yost, MD (Neonatology), and colleagues received a Program Planning Grant from U Health's Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Disease Initiative (3i) in conjunction with the University of Utah Molecular Medicine (U2M2) program for their collaborative research project Defining Novel Bacterial and Host Regulators of Pediatric Sepsis. Read more here.


New Article on Treating Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Anupam Verma, MD, Luke Maese, DO, and Maria Carter-Febres, MD (Fellow) from the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology have recently published their article Clinical Utility of Pegaspargase in Children, Adolescents and Young Adult Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Review. Read the article here.
WELLNESS
Spreading Positivity
From Pam Commons, Division of Pediatric Behavioral Health
Face each day with a smile, laughter and stay inspired!
 
We all have the ability to be that person who inspires others! We can be the inspirational-emotional leader by unlocking our inspirational potential and finding an opportunity to show our know-how in spreading positivity. In these stressful times, we all need a reason to smile. We need to take a break from the global negativity and bring a little ray of positivity and happiness. We all know with the world in lockdown and dealing with a global pandemic, among other things, the news is far from inspirational.
 
As humans, we have the tendency to have negative thinking. We reflect more on bad experiences than positive ones. We have to work a little harder to train our brains to conquer the negative thoughts. It is impossible to stop negative thoughts, but you can acknowledge the negative thoughts, own your worries. Make sure you treat yourself like a friend. Think what advice you would give your friend who was down on themselves, then apply that advice to you. Challenge your negative thoughts. The goal is to get you from a negative mindset to a more positive one. Remember, negative thinking happens to all of us. We need to recognize it and we need to challenge ourselves to defy that thinking. There are days that no matter how much you tell yourself to remain positive, it is just impossible. Try and alter any negative thoughts, be aware of what your thoughts are. Give yourself a chance to try. You need to be more mindful and be in tune with your head. Be aware of each thought that enters your head and allow yourself to filter out the bad ones. Change your mindset! Change your thought process! For those times that you absolutely cannot do this, have a friend, a co-worker, a sibling call you out on it to change your thought process. Have that person give you the 'kick' you need! Remember, happiness comes from within. We need to learn how to tame our negative thoughts and approach each with optimism. It’s a very common feeling to feel beaten and scared by any type of bad or scary news – COVID, public safety, politics, or even natural disasters. We all need to discover tactics to remain engaged and think outside the box! There is a light at the end of the tunnel for all of us. These problems will not last forever, even though it may feel that way right now!
 
We tend to forgot how great we are at overcoming difficulties in our lives. Think about the times you faced a stressful situation or something that made you sick with worry. You survived. Reflecting on how far you have come and all that you have managed to deal with in your life can be the wake-up call you need to remind yourself that you are strong enough to cope and to jumpstart those positive thoughts again. Rewrite your story! Writing in a personal journal can lead to a boost in your overall happiness and well-being. It allows you to express your emotions. This can lead to behavioral changes and improve your happiness.
 
We need to become a leader in spreading positivity and inspiration. We have abilities we can learn, develop, and create to expand our effect on others. Positivity during any crisis is personal; our source of inspiration is closely connected to our beliefs, values, and personality. Inspirational and motivational leadership is a mindset and skill. Ignite inspiration and motivation in another person’s heart and mind. Move a friend, move a co-worker, just move people to take action! We need to take back a sense of power in a powerless situation, and this will help us connect with others. Make sure you practice optimism. Believe it or not, you can find your inner ray of sunshine. Our challenges can be difficult, but it is a chance to rethink your goals and find what truly makes you happy. Thinking positive thoughts and surrounding yourself with positive people really does help. Optimism can be infectious! When you are unable to see the sunshine, try to be the sunshine!”
 
Let’s all be that sunshine!
Recommended Reading
How to Practice Three Good Things
Mindfulness educators from the Resiliency Center guide us through a quick and simple prescription for reducing burnout and increasing wellbeing by remembering positive experiences. We can train our brain to see and savor the good even during difficult times. This exercise can also be beneficial for use in teams.
HELLO! MY NAME IS...
Lisa Abegglen, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

  1. When did you join the Department of Pediatrics? 2016
  2. What's your favorite part of your job? I love science. Much of my work focuses on comparative oncology. The goal is to identify animals that develop less cancer than predicted and identify what super power they evolved to defend against cancer, then translate those discoveries into more effective treatments for people with cancer. It’s really fun and exciting to look to nature to discover how certain species developed mechanisms of cancer prevention through evolution.
  3. Do you collect anything? When I travel, I often pick up a wooden or painted elephant. I’m a big fan of elephants. They are amazing animals for many reasons, and they have the cancer defense super power.
  4. What are your hobbies and/or talents? I love to travel and learn about other cultures. I also enjoy watching my kids play soccer and baseball. 
  5. What's your favorite band, musical artist, or music genre? Classic rock and southern rock
  6. What's your favorite book or movie? The Gene and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks are my favorite books.
  7. What are you currently reading, watching, or listening to? I’m currently reading An Elephant in my Kitchen.
  8. Who or what inspires you? Children and families dealing with a cancer diagnosis. Their strength, resilience, and hope are an inspiration. They inspire and motivate me to try to move science forward faster to improve cancer outcomes.
  9. If you could snap your fingers and become an expert in one thing, what would it be? Bioinformatics. Genomic analysis is an important part of cancer research that I’m unable to do on my own. My expertise is in cell biology, and I currently rely on collaborators for genomic analysis.
  10. What is something you learned recently? That aye-aye’s are endangered lemurs with a specialized middle finger.
  11. What do you consider your superpower? Problem solving
  12. What are your guilty pleasures? Dark chocolate
  13. What's the most daring thing you've ever done? Skydiving
Jerri Burr
Executive Director, Trial Innovation Center (TIC)
Pediatric Critical Care

  1. When did you join the Department of Pediatrics? 1999, although I worked for the Department 2 years prior to that as a contracted employee from Primary Children’s Hospital.
  2. What's your favorite part of your job? Working in a clinical trials laboratory to improve clinical trials science and coming up with ideas to make research better. 
  3. Do you collect anything? Coca Cola memorabilia. Many years ago, I visited the Coca Cola museum in Atlanta, Georgia, the world headquarters for Coke. I have always loved the vintage look and feel of all things Coca Cola. Over the years, I have collected cool Coke stuff. My basement family/movie room is decorated with lots of vintage Coca Cola collector items.
  4. What are your hobbies and/or talents? I love to do home improvement projects as a hobby. As far as talents, I have played the piano since I was 5 years old and love music. I studied music on a scholarship at age 14 in Chicago for a summer. I’m the organist for my church and play piano solos from time to time. I’m currently teaching my grandchildren piano lessons.
  5. What's your favorite band, musical artist, or music genre? Easy listening jazz! I played electric piano in my high school jazz band. I was born in the wrong era…I love the old Nat King Cole music.
  6. What's your favorite book or movie? Love to watch movies and have many favorites! Have watched The Sound of Music dozens of times!
  7. What are you currently reading, watching, or listening to? Season 2 of The Chosen
  8. Who or what inspires you? True stories about people who have overcome obstacles to survive and be successful.
  9. What is your favorite way to decompress after work? Spending time with family or watching a good movie.
  10. If you could snap your fingers and become an expert in one thing, what would it be? Singing…I’ve always loved the voice of Karen Carpenter and wish I could sing like that!
  11. What is something you learned recently? I’ve been on Zoom calls for a year now and recently learned some tips and tricks when presenting from my colleagues at Duke. Can’t believe it took a year to learn how to share sound while presenting video clips and that my audio is much more clear if coming from my webcam rather than my laptop…who knew!
  12. If you could share a meal with any three well-known individuals, who would they be? Any one of a number of famous women who changed history: Harriet Tubman (Tubman, herself an escaped slave, helped hundreds of slaves escape the South by means of the Underground Railroad), Clara Barton (Civil War nurse and founder of the American Red Cross), Helen Keller (author, activist, and the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree). All these women inspire me.
  13. What do you consider your superpower? If I could have a super power, it would be to fly since I always want to get from point A to point B faster. Conventional traveling slows me down!
  14. What is your guilty pleasure? Crumbl chocolate chip cookies
  15. What’s something you saw recently that made you smile? My youngest grandson Hudson staring into the face of a statue at Thanksgiving Point. 
  16. What's the most daring thing you've ever done? Zip lined from Zambia to Zimbabwe over the crocodile infested Zambezi River.
  17. What is something that might surprise us about you? I lived on a navy ship, the Mercy, for several weeks in the Philippines, providing pediatric pre and post op nursing care on a Medical Humanitarian Mission. Also, spent several weeks in Africa with a different NGO teaching Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) and providing humanitarian healthcare to people in the very most rural parts of Zimbabwe. Click here to see photos!
Recognize Someone for a Job Well Done!
The department has an online tool you can use to show appreciation for other members of Pediatrics and recognize them for exemplifying the PROMISE behavior standards: People Centered, Respect, Ownership, Making a Difference, Innovation, Safety, and Excellence.

Recognitions will be published in an upcoming issue of the newsletter. Please note: if a submitter's name is not given, we will not publish the comment. However, the submitter's name will remain anonymous in the newsletter.
 
The link to the recognition form can be found on the department intranet home page, or click the box below.
This Month's Recognition

Sharon Marron - Critical Care
Recognized for Making a Difference
Sharon's attention to detail is amazing! She recently worked on an itinerary for a candidate that was very complex and she made everything seamless. The candidate felt comfortable while visiting and it was all due to the hard work of Sharon! 

DEPARTMENT CHAIR'S SUGGESTION BOX
Dr. Giardino wants to hear from you!
If you have any ideas or concerns you'd like to share with Dr. Giardino, please submit your comments to his suggestion box. The link can be found on the department intranet home page in the "Contact Us" tile, or send a suggestion now by clicking box below.
Suggestion Box Updates
Comment Received: "I love the new empathic communication training created by the TiP Team! They did an awesome job of ensuring the content is relevant and easy to understand. The reflection questions are a great addition to self-paced modules. I appreciate how hard the TIP Team has worked to create this specifically for our department."

If you didn't receive the link to the 3-module course focused on developing and using empathy in the workplace, the course can be found here: Empathy in the Workplace. While this is not a mandatory training, participation is strongly encouraged.