Pediatric News
Updates from the Department of Pediatrics - 2023 Vol. 10
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Pictured from left to right: Ann Anderson Berry, MD, PhD, medical director, NPQIC; Chelsey Kennedy, DNP, project coordinator, NPQIC; Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, PhD, Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine; Kara Foster, project coordinator, NPQIC and Sydnie Carraher, DNP, program administrator, NPQIC.
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Maternal Health Crisis Addressed
at NPQIC Conference
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Earlier this month, over 100 clinicians and nursing leaders from across Nebraska met at the Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (NPQIC) Conference on the UNO campus. Policymakers, educators and public health officials were also in attendance for important interdisciplinary conversations around the current maternal health crisis in the United States.
Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, PhD, Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, delivered the keynote speech on “Black Women & Maternal Health Inequities: Addressing the Role of Racism." Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the founder and director of the Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice and the director of the Maternal Outcomes of Translational Health Equity Research (MOTHER) lab.
Additional presenters at the conference spoke on topics related to the urgent maternal health crisis, including substance use and chronic conditions in pregnancy, trauma-informed care and severe maternal morbidity reviews."
“Our goal was to provide attendees with tangible skills and valuable resources to care for mothers and babies in Nebraska,” said Sydnie Carraher, DNP, NPQIC’s program administrator. “From the feedback we received, I think we were really successful.”
Jessica Ehule, Birth Justice program manager, I Be Black Girl, addressed the effort necessary to end the maternal health crisis and inequities, saying, "It is no one singular person's fault that we are where we are today, but it is our collective responsibility to fix it."
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Children's Nebraska Debuts New Brand Identity, Updated Templates Available |
Earlier this month, culminating a celebration of its 75th anniversary, Children's Nebraska (formerly Children's Hospital & Medical Center) debuted its new brand identity.
"Children’s Nebraska expands the definition of who we are as an organization—beyond a hospital and medical center—better reflecting the full scope of our mission: To improve the life of every child through exceptional care, advocacy, research and education," said Chanda Chacón, MPH, FACHE, Children's president and CEO. "It is also a more distinct and geographically descriptive identity, which is important as we continue to elevate our national reputation and expand our reach."
Click here to access Word and PowerPoint templates with Children's and UNMC's branding that reflects Children's new logo and name. When the department receives additional templates as they are created, they will be posted in the folder linked above.
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Webinars Available to Get Information
about New Health Care Providers
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Webinars are available from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE) and EmpiRx Health to help members of the department choose medical, dental and pharmacy plans.Webinars are 60 minutes long with a question and answer session at the end. A webinar recording will be shared at a later date. Open enrollment starts Oct. 30. Click on the links below to sign up for a Webinar. |
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Letter from the Chair:
Kari Simonsen, MD, MBA
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I am pleased to share with you this month's newsletter which includes events, happenings, and accomplishments in the Department of Pediatrics. First up, congratulations to Dr. Ann Anderson-Berry and the entire NPQIC team on their successful conference held recently on the UNO campus, with >100 attendees engaged in efforts improving the care quality for pregnancy and newborn outcomes in the state.
Our community engagement committee and department faculty, trainees, and staff have also been busy with recent events at Completely KIDS and NorthStar. There is an upcoming event planned for Girls, Inc. in November, so if you are interested to find out more, please connect and join the group at one or both of these evening events. These outreach events help local youth and families connect with physicians and other healthcare professionals in informal community settings, encourage youth to consider healthcare careers and help build trusting relationships with our local communities.
Our educational programs continue their recruitment efforts this month with a busy interview season underway, thanks to all who are contributing to the residency and fellowship recruitment processes. In addition, two pediatric house officers were named House Officers of the Month! Congratulations to Dr. Blackham and Dr. Witt!
We are looking forward to the CHRI scientific conference coming in early November where research accomplishments from across the department and other CHRI-affiliates will be presented. This is a fantastic event to highlight key investigators, build potential new collaborations in research and network with colleagues who are interested in developing and growing their research presence. I hope you'll plan to join the event on Nov 3.
There have also been some administrative division updates of note this month. The genetics division has shifted their primary alignment to the Department of Pediatrics, from MMI, and we welcome Dr. Lois Starr as division chief and the division physician faculty.
Also, in the division of academic general pediatrics, Dr. Arwa Nasir has announced that she will step down as division chief and will expand her efforts in education through the development of a new behavioral health in primary care fellowship program. Dr. Tina Scott-Mordhorst and I will share co-interim chief responsibilities for general academic pediatrics for now. I want to thank Dr. Nasir for her leadership of the division and look forward to Dr. Nasir's continued success in this new endeavor!
Thanks again for everything you do to support our patients and families, our trainees and one another.
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Community Engagement Events: |
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Volunteers Needed for
Community Engagement Event
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On Nov. 8 and 13, 3:30-7 p.m., volunteers are needed both evenings to support presenters from CHRI and the Department of Pediatrics at Girls Inc.'s Health Sciences Career Day. You do not need to commit to the full four-hour time or for both days. We welcome volunteers for the time and days that you are available.
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Drs. Dele Davies and Debra Tomek
Named to 50 over 50 List
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Congratulations to Department of Pediatrics faculty members Dele Davies, MD, professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, and senior vice chancellor, academic affairs, and Debra Tomek, MD, associate professor, Division of General Pediatrics, who were selected by The Bloc for their Nebraska 50 over 50 list. According to its website, The Bloc is an organization with the mission, "to enhance the lives of the youth and seniors in Omaha & Lincoln," and the 50 over 50 list is compiled to, "celebrate and honor Nebraskans age 50 plus that have and or are still accomplishing great things in Nebraska." Drs. Davies and Tomek were among 50 people selected, including former Omaha mayor Hal Daub, current U.S. senator and former governor, Pete Rickets and former Nebraska football coach and U.S. congressman, Tom Osborne. |
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Two Residents Selected as House Officers of the Month |
Congratulations to Sterling Blackham, DO - HO III and Paul Witt, MD - HO II for being named House Officers of the Month. The following are quotes from their respective nomination forms:
“Dr. Blackham did a great job as Silver team supervisor last week when I was on the inpatient service. He followed up on labs, meds and supported the interns well.”
“Dr. Blackham always kept the vibes low key and not stressful. Great teacher and always going above and beyond for others.”
“Dr. Witt is an exceptional team member whoe goes out of his way to collaborate effectively. We all hope he sticks around!”
“Dr. Witt is always pleasant and prompt with responding to patient needs and nurse requests! We appreciate you!”
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It's Flu Shot Season:
Here What You Need to Know
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It's flu season again! All UNMC employees are expected to record their flu vaccination status – whether they have received the vaccine or have provided a reason for declining being vaccinated.
Dually-employed and contingent workers of UNMC and Children’s Hospital & Medical Center are required to report their flu vaccine status to UNMC and Children's by Nov. 30.
Flu Vaccine through UNMC (UNMC Employees)
If you work in a clinical area that has staff to administer the vaccine, it is recommended that you get a flu shot in your clinical area. If you do not work in a clinical area, use the flu clinic schedule link to find a time and location that works for you. No scheduling is required, and appointments will be on a walk-in basis. (Please bring your UNMC ID Badge.).
Flu Vaccine through Children's (Dually-Employed and Contingent Workers)
Consistent with last year, all clinical staff will receive their flu vaccine within their clinical departments (unless received during their annual compliance review or requested otherwise). For all other team members, including contingent workers, many vaccine options are available. See Children's vaccination schedule [files.constantcontact.com].
Both institutions allow you to receive the flu vaccine from your primary care provider or through your local pharmacy.
Required Reporting to UNMC (All UNMC Employees)
Sign into Health Tracking System with your UNMC NetID (without @unmc.edu) to enter your flu vaccine status information (date/location or declination). You will need to wait at least one day after receiving the shot to enter the information. You can also add information about COVID-19 immunizations and boosters, if relevant.
*If you get your flu vaccine at a UNMC/Nebraska Medicine clinic, you will fill out information on the influenza database prior to receiving the shot.
Children’s Reporting
As a reminder, flu vaccines are required annually for all Children’s employees, contingent workers and volunteers. You can send an email to employeehealth@childrensomaha.org. Include in the email subject line your full name and birth date. Attach a scanned copy or picture of your vaccination report that includes your full name, date of birth, and date vaccination received or you can physically drop off a copy at Children's Employee Health office.
COVID-19 Boosters
COVID-19 Boosters are not mandatory at this time. The Nebraska Medicine team is working to determine how to make boosters available to those who wish to get it them with their flu vaccine.
Tuberculosis Annual Symptom Review for UNMC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) no longer recommend routine annual tuberculosis skin testing for health care personnel. However, all health care providers do need to complete an annual symptom review form in the Health Tracking System, which will be available Oct. 1.
Email Jackie Ostronic if you have questions, concerns or a problem accessing the Health Tracking System.
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The CHRI Seminar Series will host a special event on Oct. 27. Kenneth Bayles, PhD, vice chancellor of research, UNMC, and Karen Gould, PhD, professor and vice chair for faculty development, will present on, "Our New Environment Related to Mentoring Research Trainees: What Faculty Need to Know." They will discuss new NIH policies and how these policies are driving changes in the mentoring landscape. We will also discuss steps UNMC is taking to help faculty adapt to this new environment. A meeting invitation will be sent to CHRI members in the future. If you would like to attend, but are not a CHRI member, please email chri@unmc.edu.
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This month we feature Brooke Seaton, educational program coordinator III and
residency program coordinator III.
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What brought you to your given specialty/role?
I actually just kind of got lucky and fell into the role that I’m in now. I was initially working at Creighton in a research role while working on a master’s degree when the opportunity to move over to UNMC opened up. I was then offered a role coordinating a small fellowship program. After a few years, I was able to move over to the Pediatrics Residency Program and then to add the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship program on top of that.
What’s your favorite place in the world?
On a mountain in Colorado! I grew up spending time in Colorado over the winter and now get such joy watching my own children grow to love spending time on the mountains.
What are you a fan of or very interested in?
I love Nebraska volleyball!
Is there any book, music or TV series or movie that you admire and would recommend to others?
I always recommend the book the book Many Lives, Many Masters to anyone suffering from the loss of a loved one. Don’t lean too hard into the particulars in the book if it’s not for you, but it is a comforting reminder that those we love are always with us and how we hold on to those important relationships forever in many different forms.
What was the most important lesson taught to you during your career training?
Personal connections and relationships are so important. If we can connect and understand each other, working together becomes easy!
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CHRI and Department of Pediatrics Volunteers Lend a Hand at Completely KIDS |
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Members of the Department of Pediatrics and the Child Health Research Institute (CHRI) donated their time and talents to Completely KIDS this past summer. As part of the The Completely KIDS Summer Program volunteers taught children on seven Saturday morning on aspects of health and/or science. Topics included, "'So You Want to Be a Surgeon?!?' - Minimally Invasive Surgery Skills development"; "'How are you feeling today?' - learn about our feelings and emotions"; and "Jumping into Medicine - medical school and the journey to becoming a doctor".
Outside of the Summer Program, a group of volunteers assisted Completely KIDS by preparing boxed breakfasts for children to eat during the weekends.
The Community Engagement Committee thanks everyone who stepped forward to support Completely KIDS and their mission to ensure that their families have access to the knowledge and skills necessary to break the cycle of poverty. Summer Program volunteers were Grant Aden, Dr. Emmanuel Eugenio, Anna Kosmach, Dr. Ling Li, Dr. Kari Neemann, Dr. Gwenn Skar, Valarie Warner and Amy Rezac-Elgohary and the Asthma Affinity Group, which includes Dr. Casey Burg, Aislinn Rookwood, Mitzi Cardona Ed.D. The food packaging volunteers are listed beneath the photo below.
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Food packaging crew: Amy Rezac-Elgohary, Jackie Ostronic, Cindy Colpitts,
Valarie Warner, Shamaere Ashby and Lindsey Becker.
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NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRP) Application is Open |
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NIH is now accepting applications to the Extramural Loan Repayment Program (LR)! Awardees can receive up to $100,000 of qualified educational debt repayment with a two-year award.
Visit the LRP website, check out our overview video and visit the webpage to learn more about eligibility requirements, application dates and benefits of receiving an LRP award. The deadline to submit an Extramural LRP application this year is on November 16, 2023.
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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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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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