Pediatric News
Updates from the Department of Pediatrics - 2022 Vol. 3
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In This Issue
New Residency Classes Dr. Anderson Berry and Dr. Coulter Chair Appointments Dr. Flores Wins Research Award
Celebrations Division Infographics: Sports Medicine and Palliative Care
Five Questions: Salaheddin Elrokhsi, MD and Eyad K. Najdawi, MD Executive Certificate in Business Leadership Anniversaries Winter Supply Drive Thank You Notes
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Pediatrics Residency Programs Welcome Newest Classes of Residents
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The Pediatrics Residency Training Program enjoyed a very successful Match Day on Friday, March 18, welcoming 15 members of the Pediatrics Residency Class of 2025 and four members of the Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Class of 2026. Co-program directors Nate Goodrich, MD, and Lisa Sieczkowski, MD, expressed their excitement about the incoming classes:
"We are thrilled to share the names of the incoming pediatrics residents who recently matched into our program. We have a large cohort of UNMC and Creighton soon-to-be graduates joining us. This speaks to the positive experiences that the residents and faculty create for our local medical students, and we cannot thank you enough for your inclusion, teaching and mentorship. We are excited about each and every name on the list and can’t wait for you to meet the new crew in a few short months. Heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in the recruitment process as well. We could not do this without the help of our excellent faculty, coordinators, chiefs and residents and are so appreciative."
Allison Ashford, MD, director of the Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency Program, adds, "Our incoming four for Internal Medicine-Pediatrics are simply delightful and eager to start July 1. We appreciate the help that everyone in the department has provided us during this recruitment season and cannot wait to show off the people and facilities that make this department amazing.”
Congratulations to all those who made the day such a success and to all the new residents!
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New Chair Appointments for
Drs. Ann Anderson Berry and Don Coulter Announced
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Two Department of Pediatrics faculty recently received chair appointments. Ann Anderson Berry, MD, PhD, chief of Neonatology, was named Dr. John and Patti Sparks Chair of Pediatric Research, and Don Coulter, MD, professor of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology was given the role of Edna Ittner Chair of Pediatric Oncology. Congratulations to Dr. Anderson Berry and Dr. Coulter on their well-earned positions!
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GI Fellow Dr. Alvaro Flores Wins Research Award at the Annual North American Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Meeting
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On Dec. 18, Alvaro Flores, MD, a fellow in the Gastroenterology Fellowship program, received top honors for his research project at the annual North American Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) meeting. NASPGHAN is the leading academic society for pediatric gastroenterology in North America. His entry was chosen as Poster of Distinction among 683 posters shared during the meeting.
Dr. Flores' poster was based on the findings of his current fellowship research, which is a retrospective study in children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is the most common cause of liver disease in children and is becoming the leading cause of transplantation in adults. NAFLD is strongly associated with obesity and the main modalities of treatment are lifestyle modifications and weight loss. We know that a decrease of 10 U/L in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in children is associated with resolution of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, there is limited data in children on the association of body mass index (BMI) decline and ALT.
Dr. Flores’ study showed that a BMI decline of up to 2.5% is associated with a decrease in ALT of up to 10 U/L after being diagnosed with NAFLD with his current NASPGHAN guidelines (p =0.01). Dr. Flores also found that for every 1% increase in BMI at 6 months, the increase in ALT will be 2.9. (p=0.0014) and 1.7 at 12 months (p=0.016). He believes these results could help providers and patients establish objective goals for BMI percent loss to improve NAFLD in children.
Dr. Flores is strategizing the best way to publish his finding. He intends to move forward with a prospective study looking at ways to improve BMI percent loss in the population being managed by the Weight and Wellness program at Children’s.
Dr. Flores is the primary investigator in his research project, and Chinenye Dike, MD, assistant professor, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, and Ruben Quiros, MD, professor, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, are his mentors. Dr. Flores explains the impact Dr. Dike and Quiros had on his study, saying, “They provided outstanding guidance and support to my study.” Dr. Flores also credits Elizabeth Lyden, statistician from the UNMC College of Public Health, for being very helpful and providing statistical support for his study.
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Our Successes:
Department Celebrations
The Department of Pediatrics shares accomplishments, publications and appointments.
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Sports Medicine was established in 2013. Below are some of the highlights of the Sports Medicine program, primarily focusing on the last five years. In 2018, Natalie Ronshaugen, MD, assistant professor, joined Kody Moffatt, MD, professor, as a sports medicine physician. She brought new services of diagnostic and interventional musculoskeletal ultrasound for less invasive treatments for pediatric patients.
In 2021, Sports Medicine became its own division, and Dr. Moffatt was named Division Chief. This is in part due to the outstanding work of the entire Sports Medicine team (physicians, athletic trainers, nurses, orthopaedic technicians, CNAs, surgery schedulers, etc.) and their efforts to provide exceptional patient care. The Sports Medicine program recognized the need to involve other disciplines in order to augment and provide supportive care for a complete and comprehensive approach to injury management and treatment. This led to collaborations with Behavioral Health, Cardiology, Optometry, Speech and Language Pathology and Sports Physical Therapy. These partnerships are designed to enhance the patient experience and provide immediate and efficient care. Creating a program with national prominence has been a constant strategic priority.
To that end, Drs. Moffatt and Ronshaugen combined have more than 70 presentations on the national, regional and state level, 17 publications and over 50 lectures just in the past five years. They are active leaders in many professional societies and are considered experts in their field.
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The Hand in Hand Pediatric Palliative Care team at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center has the state’s only practicing fellowship-trained pediatric palliative care physician in Patrick Lloyd, DO, assistant professor, Division of Pediatric Palliative Care. Our team provides comprehensive support for children and families experiencing potentially life-limiting medical conditions.
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Testimonials:
“We will never forget your care, concern and compassion for our precious [child] while he was here with us. Thank you for your kindness.” - Parent
“Thank you so much for all the love and support you showed us. You are an amazing team that helped make our lives at Children’s so much better. You helped us ask better questions, helped us feel supported and heard. I hope you know how incredible and appreciated every single one of you are! Thank you for helping us make the toughest decision & do what’s best for [our child].” - Parent
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The Child Health Research Institute (CHRI) invites you to attend our flagship event, the Child Health Research Institute Conference on Nov. 3 and 4. The CHRI Conference will feature:
- Opportunities to meet and connect with child health investigators from a variety of disciplines and institutions
- Presentations on significant advancements in child health from members of CHRI’s National Scientific Advisory Board and highlighted CHRI members
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Breakout sessions dedicated to our Areas of Emphasis: Pediatric Cancer; Heart Diseases; Lifespan Diseases; Global Health; Genetics Development, Exposures and Injuries; and Health Services, Policy and Population Health.
- Juried abstract and poster competition
Please reserve these dates on your calendar. More information is to come. See you then!
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This month we feature Salaheddin Elrokhsi, MD, assistant professor, Division of Endocrinology, and Eyad K. Najdawi, MD, assistant professor, Division of Pediatric Cardiology.
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Eyad K. Najdawi, MD
What brought you to your given specialty/role?
Healthcare is my call. I am a social human being with passion to be involved in the community at many levels, and in pediatrics I found a community that matches my passion both in the health care workers and the patients and their parents.
Taking care of children through their parents requires special social skills and a unique approach; both were very appealing to me.
What’s your favorite place in the world? This could be your back patio or a small town outside of the U.S. Whatever is your favorite.
I come from the Middle East and have a passion for history. My wish list is to visit all the major historic sites. Unfortunately, I must wait until the political environment of some areas is more favorable to tourism. In the meantime, I am interested in visiting all the national parks in the United States.
What are you a fan of or very interested in?
I follow basketball closely, both professional and college, but my interest is classic cars. I am an immature car collector with reasonable mechanic skills.
Is there any medicine-based book, music or TV series or movie that you admire and would recommend to others?
I am interested in the history of old civilizations and the history of the origin of religions, with focus on the Near East (Middle East), representing the cradle of civilizations.
What was the most important lesson taught to you during your career training?
The most valuable lesson is “listen to the parents”, even though sometimes we feel that the story we are being told does not match our medical knowledge.
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Executive Certificate in Business Leadership for Health Professionals Available through UNO
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The Executive Certificate in Business Leadership for Health Professionals offers individuals working in a variety of health care settings and roles insight into the business principles that drive results that matter.
Executive-level business and leadership principles are taught by faculty experts from the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Business Administration.
These principles are then amplified through the experiences of guest speakers from across the country who are working in and with health care organizations. They are leading academic researchers and experts with real-world health care experience.
Each session incorporates engagement activities, discussions and results-driven exercises that focus on developing a business edge for healthcare professionals.
Program Benefits
- Introduction of business principles from a wide array of fields including strategy, leadership, data management, finance, quality control and collaboration.
- Discussion of principles in the context of healthcare through examples, case studies and experience.
- Application of principles to real-life scenarios through activities and results-driven exercises
What Questions Will Be Addressed?
- How do I think more strategically about myself and my organization and how does that impact my career path?
- How can I work with change in the organization?
- How do external challenges or opportunities influence how my organization does business?
- What is my role in improving data quality and management in the organization?
- How are healthcare projects and programs evaluated financially?
- What does it take to lead in healthcare?
Who Should Enroll
Individuals working in the healthcare industry who are currently in leadership positions or have the potential for leadership.
Health care industry includes:
- Hospitals
- Physician's offices
- Dentist offices
- Nursing or residential facilities
- Home health care
- Health practitioners' offices (physical therapists, chiropractors, optometrists, psychologists and occupational therapists)
- Outpatient care centers
- Ambulatory services
- Medical and diagnostic laboratories
- Education
For more information and to register, click here.
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Staff Milestones:
Recent Service Anniversaries
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Congratulations to those celebrating recent work anniversaries. We wish you all the best for continued success!
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NorthStar and Completely KIDS Thank Pediatric Department for Winter Clothing Drive Donations
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Click on this link to read the thank you notes sent from NorthStar for the monetary and clothing donations given to the organization during our winter drive. Read the thank you note from Completely KIDS here.
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University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics
982155 Nebraska Medicine
Omaha, NE 68198-2155
402-955-3933
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