Pediatric News
Updates from the Department of Pediatrics - 2022 Vol. 9
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Report Your Flu Vaccine Status
Flu Vaccination Process and Reporting
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.
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 below 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). You can also get your COVID-19 booster while getting your shot. Before arriving, fill out the influenza and/or COVID-19 booster questionnaire on the Health Tracking System. People must show their UNMC ID badge to receive vaccination.
See here for more information and the UNMC flu shot clinic schedule.
Required Reporting to UNMC (All UNMC Employees)
This Guide will assist you in the process of reporting your vaccine status with UNMC. Sign into the Reporting Site 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 immunizations and boosters to the Health Tracker, 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.
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.
Employees may also receive the flu vaccine from their primary care provider or through their local pharmacy. (Please note, new this year, you can get the flu vaccine at any pharmacy at no cost if you have Children’s health insurance.) If you receive the flu vaccine elsewhere, please provide documentation of the vaccine to Employee Health. As a reminder, flu vaccines are required annually for all Children’s employees, contingent workers and volunteers, and vaccine documentation must be received by Nov. 30. Please refer to Policy HR221 with any questions.
Required Reporting to Children’s Hospital & Medical Center (All Dually-Employed and Contingent Workers)
There are two options for reporting to Children's Employee Health if you do not get your flu shot from Children's:
- 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
2. Physically drop off a copy of your vaccination report at Children's Employee Health office.
COVID-19 Boosters
COVID-19 Boosters are not mandatory at this time. However, as mentioned above, it is possible to receive your COVID-19 booster with your flu shot through UNMC.
Tuberculosis Annual Symptom Review for UNMC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) no longer recommend routine annual skin testing for health care personnel. However, all health care providers do need to complete an annual symptom review form. This form is located within the online health tracking system and can be filled out when you log in to complete your influenza questionnaire or document your influenza or COVID-19 vaccination status.
Email Jackie Ostronic if you have questions, concerns or a problem accessing the Health Tracker Database.
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Department of Pediatrics Chair Update:
Kari Simonsen, MD, MBA
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Fall Vaccines Q and A
It's time for vaccine boosters so instead of a typical newsletter update, I thought I would share a few tips and answer a few questions about recommended vaccines:
Can I get my COVID-19 booster and flu vaccine at the same time?
Yes, it's OK to receive both a flu and a COVID-19 shot on the same day.
Who should get a COVID booster shot?
Adults are recommended to get a bivalent (two strains) booster if it's been at least two months from your previous COVID-19 vaccination, whether the last vaccine was a primary series or a previous booster. People who previously got a second booster are also recommended to get a bivalent booster if it's been more than two months since their last dose. Bivalent boosters are also currently recommended for children 12 and older.
What if I recently had COVID-19?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that you may consider holding off on a booster for three months if you recently had COVID-19 infection because re-infection is less likely in the weeks just following COVID-19 illness. Your personal risk of severe COVID-19, the level of circulating infection in the community and the risk of severe illness in your close contacts and family members might be reasons to proceed with vaccination sooner. The soonest you should be vaccinated after COVID-19 infection is once your illness has resolved and your isolation time has ended.
What about "mixing" vaccine types?
It's not recommended to mix vaccine manufacturers during your primary series (two initial doses), but for a booster dose, it's okay to get whichever vaccine is available to you. It's not necessary to stick with a particular manufacturer's vaccine over time.
What side effects should I watch for?
In adults, the most commonly reported vaccine side effects are pain, redness and swelling at the injection site. There are also possible side effects including fatigue, headache, fever, chills, muscle pain and nausea to watch for. These reactions should slowly improve within a few hours to a few days. It’s okay to take a fever or pain reducing medicine if you need it to help with symptoms.
If you still have more questions, click here for the latest CDC guidelines.
Thanks for also taking the time to document your flu and COVID boosters in the Children's and UNMC vaccine tracking systems so that each entity is informed of your status. Happy Fall!
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Division Chiefs Honored at Children's Inaugural Endowed Chair Investiture Ceremony
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Multiple Department of Pediatrics' division chiefs were honored at Children’s inaugural Endowed Chair Investiture Ceremony on Sept. 21. It is an honor and great responsibility to hold an endowed position. Endowed chairs enable Children’s to enhance patient care through education and research, creating a healthier community for the patient families served now and well into the future.
Honorees were -
Division of Hematology/Oncology chief, Jill C. Beck, MD - Children’s Endowed Chair in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Division of Infectious Diseases chief, Shirley F. Delair, MD - Children’s Endowed Chair of Pediatric Infectious Disease
Division of Cardiology chief, Jeffrey W. Delaney, MD - Theodore F. Hubbard, M.D., Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cardiology
Additional endowed chairs were bestowed upon the following:
Maegen J. Wallace, MD – Dr. Paul & Bernadette Esposito Endowed Chair for Children’s Bone Disorders
Arnett Klugh, III, MD – Children’s Endowed Chair in Pediatric Neurosurgery
Paul J. Rychwalski, MD – Dr. John and Irene Graether Endowed Chair in Pediatric Ophthalmology
Jorge A. Galvez, MD, MBI – Jane Kugler, MD, and Douglas Vonderfecht, MD, Family Professorship of Pediatric Anesthesiology
Mohanad Shukry, MD, Carol Lydiatt, MD, and Dan Lydiatt, MD, Professorship of Pediatric Anesthesiology
Congratulations to all the honorees!
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Dr. Don Coulter Reflects on the
CHRI Pediatric Cancer Research
Symposium's Past, Present and Future
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The Child Health Research (CHRI) Institute held its fifth annual Pediatric Cancer Research Symposium on Aug. 31. The event offered important updates from the Pediatric Cancer Research Group and presentations from researchers representing the wide range of pediatric cancer science.
Nearly 100 people registered for the event — showing how the symposium has grown over its five years.
Don Coulter, MD, professor in the UNMC Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and director of the Pediatric Cancer Research Group, discussed his recollections of the research group’s formation and the symposium.
Before being incorporated into the Child Health Research Institute in 2018, the research group was started in 2014 due to the collective efforts of families affected by pediatric cancer, philanthropic groups, state legislative representatives and key cancer physicians and scientists. They all believed that Nebraska, which continually ranks in the top 10 among U.S. states for diagnoses of pediatric cancer and childhood brain tumors, should be doing more to fund pediatric cancer research.
Among the cancer researchers lobbying for a greater commitment were Ken Cowan, MD, PhD, director and physician-in-chief of the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, John Sparks, MD, retired professor of pediatrics and original Child Health Research Institute executive director, and Dr. Coulter.
As a result of these efforts, the Nebraska Legislature passed a bill providing $1.8 million — a number symbolically chosen to match the number of residents in the state — to establish an infrastructure to empower research into pediatric cancer.
Dr. Coulter said the early planners realized they would need a method to showcase to stakeholders how they were using the funding, which later would be included annually into the state budget.
“One of the truly unique aspects of the PCRG is that from the outset, we were beholden not only to the state government that was funding us but also to the patient families and philanthropic groups that were key to our formation as an entity,” he said.
The Pediatric Cancer Research Symposium premiered in 2018 as an event where all interested parties could learn, connect and collaborate.
“We realized early on that our event had a wide-audience with varied interests and priorities,” Dr. Coulter said. “It was important to provide agenda elements that could be understood and appreciated by non-scientists. Yet the researchers in our audience also were eager to share and learn from one another through presentations that might be difficult for a layperson to follow.”
As a result, throughout its five-year history, the symposium has included a variety of themes and formats. The 2019 symposium emphasized giving voice to the concerns and questions of the non-scientific community.
“I feel like we do a really good job of using the symposium to keep us accountable to our stakeholders,” Dr. Coulter said. “My wish list for future symposiums would be to add more time where our audiences can talk to one another.
“This is great for our researchers who use stories from patient families to fuel them through the long, tedious, trying aspects of research,” he added.
Dr. Coulter said he could never have imagined the growth of the symposium over five years.
“I can’t help but be gratified by our having over 50 members now and having successfully funded so much research, some of which is impacting the lives of pediatric cancer patients already,” he said.
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Community Engagement News:
Volunteers Needed for NorthStar Foundation Family Night - Wednesday, Oct. 26, 5-7 p.m.
The NorthStar Foundation Family Night is an opportunity for families to learn about what services are available for kids.
We need 8-10 volunteers to staff the event and assist with activities sponsored by the department to introduce kids to the fun of science and share health information. We would love to have two providers among the volunteers to answer specific medical questions that attendees might have.
This is a great opportunity to strengthen the relationship between our Department and the NorthStar Foundation Community. Please consider helping out.
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Educator's Track Inaugural Meeting a Success
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The Department of Pediatrics hosted the inaugural meeting of its Educator’s Track on September 29th. The Educator's Track is designed to support faculty who have in interest in education through a combination of formal mentorship and programing.
"We were thrilled with the turnout for our first Educator's Track event! Our initial meeting was focused on getting to know our educational leaders and other educators in the Department and on outlining the goals of the group," said Nathan Gollehon, MD, Associate Professor, Division of Neonatology and Department of Pediatrics Education Vice Chair.
The next meeting will be held on Dec. 15 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Children's. Additional details, including topic and room assignment, will be shared in the near future. All faculty are invited to attend the next meeting, even if they were not able to make it to the first meeting. Dinner will be provided. Faculty with questions about the group are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Gollehon.
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The Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics has expanded. In the past five years, we have nearly doubled the number of faculty physicians and Advance Practice Providers (APPs). We have expanded coverage in more clinical areas and have broadened our education, academic, research and scholarly activities. We provide a growing range of administrative leadership at Children’s, Children’s Specialty Physicians, UNMC and our partner hospital, Nebraska Medicine. Our faculty provide critical care services to the Cardiac Care Unit at Children’s and to the Pediatric Intensive Care Units at Children’s and Nebraska Medicine. We collaborate with all medical and surgical specialties to provide the highest quality care while keeping patients and their families at the center of our focus.
We have grown our clinical services with the introduction of telemedicine services through Bryan Health in Lincoln and are in discussions with other community partners to provide additional consultative care. We will soon provide sedation services outside of the operating room.
Our educational mission has reached a new level with the inception of our fellowship program in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine in July 2022. We continue to be actively involved in resident, medical student, APP and nursing education. Our goal is to be the premier educational division in the Department.
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The Pediatric Gastroenterology Division is one of the largest groups in the Department of Pediatrics, and our division helps Children's Hospital & Medical Center be regularly ranked as one of U.S. News and World Report's best children's hospitals in Gastroenterology & GI Surgery.
Our faculty treat a variety of common and complex gastrointestinal and liver issues in pediatric patients. By focusing on diagnosis and treatment, the Division plays an active role in teaching the next generations of pediatricians. The Division has a close-knit work environment that is supported by our highly trained nurse practitioners, skilled nurses, dietitians, social workers and office support. We have several outreach clinics including Lincoln, Spring Ridge and Sioux City, Iowa, with locations soon to open in South Dakota.
We are dedicated to mirroring the improvement of our patients with the educational and research development of our fellows and providers. We bring pride and expectation to our program and the patients. Our goal is not only to treat patients’ immediate needs, but to also give them a sense of hope for their health going forward.
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DEI This Month:
Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022
11:30 a.m. – 1: p.m.
(Business casual attire)
CHI Health Center, South Ballroom
455 North 10th Street
Omaha, NE 68102
Hispanic Heritage Month: Lunch and Learn
Thursday, Oct. 13, Children’s will host a Lunch & Learn: So, what’s the big deal? at noon in the Hubbard LL3 Conference Room A&B. This will be a series event to highlight various topics from cultural appropriation to different experiences of Hispanic/Latinx community members. We hope attendees will engage in discussion and learn from one another. Attendees are encouraged to pose questions during the event, but can also submit beforehand (via the RSVP).
Event RSVP: You may need to use your Children's email address to log in.
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Register now: Annual UCSF Health Equity & Anti-Racism Research (HEAR) Symposium (formerly HDRS)
Join us in learning about health disparities, health equity, and anti-racism research and work from across the Bay Area and the world at this year's annual HEAR symposium. This will be the 15 symposium and the first year under the new name.
The purpose behind HEAR is to inspire future collaborations and research direction by showcasing the breadth and depth of disparities research. The symposium aims to build community among disparities researchers across disciplines and across units, schools and campus sites.
The symposium will be held virtually Oct. 13 and 14, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on both days. To register:
We encourage and invite all to register for both days in advance.
Please also help spread the word with your communities.
Sincerely,
Office of Diversity & Outreach
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2022 Nebraska Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative Fall Summit
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Wednesday, Nov. 9
7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Younes Conference Center South
416 W. Talmadge Street, Kearney, NE 68845
The opportunity to reduce perinatal mortality and morbidity exists in Nebraska, however, the systems in place are not always effective. There are times when obstetric care does not ensure pregnant women receive the risk-appropriate care that is specific to their health needs. Having an effective health care team can improve breastfeeding practices, management of perinatal mental health disorders, diagnosis of maternal early warning signs and optimization of care. Perinatal stakeholders from across the state will meet in person to learn how to implement evidence-based practices and improve perinatal outcomes.
Topics
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Impact on Maternal and Infant Health
- Current Issues in Medical Malpractice
- Prematurity Panel / Tobacco Cessation
- The Role of Frontline Medical Providers in the Treatment of Perinatal Mental Health Disorders
- The Role of the Perinatal Care Team in Managing Maternal Mental Health
- Hypertension / Modified Early Warning Score
- Illicit and Prescription Drug Use and the Impact on Breastfeeding Practices
- Overview of Culturally-Matched Doula Support and How To Incorporate Alternative Birth Workers Into the Care Team
Click here for more information.
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This month we feature Eleanor Gradidge, MD, assistant professor, Division of Critical Care, and Miranda Floen, MD, PhD, associate professor, Division of Nephrology.
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Meet Dr. Eleanor Gradidge
What brought you to your given specialty/role?
I am a Pediatric Intensivist, so I see children at their absolute worst. Even then, kids are incredibly resilient. I love helping them through an illness, so they can get back to playing and enjoying life.
What’s your favorite place in the world?
Easy. Grand Teton National Park. It's absolutely stunning.
What are you a fan of or very interested in?
Growing up in Dallas, we are required to support the Cowboys. However, I have never really attached to a college team - new Huskers fans, maybe? I'm also a fan of my husband's cooking. He makes a top-notch gumbo!
Is there any book, music or TV series or movie that you admire and would recommend to others?
I particularly like books that help us understand the patient's perspective, such as Brain on Fire, which is a must read for medical professionals. Outside of medicine, Brene Brown is one of my favorite authors. She has a great way of breaking down complex emotions through story and stimulates introspection.
What was the most important lesson taught to you during your medical training?
Take care of the whole patient, not just the disease or the organ system. In medicine, we can get caught up with fixing and curing, but sometimes that comes at a cost to the patient or their family. This arises quite often in the pediatric ICU. The hardest lesson I had to learn was that not everyone could or needed to undergo medical treatment. Getting caught up in the flurry of saving a life, we may find that we are no longer doing things tor someone, rather than doing things for someone. When that happens, the best support we can provide is comfort.
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Meet Dr. Floen
What brought you to your given specialty/role?
I fell in love with nephrology during a medical school rotation where I was able to see a wide range of pathology related to renal disease and function. I have loved all things kidney since that time.
What’s your favorite place in the world?
My favorite place is my kitchen on the weekend making baked goods or cooking a homemade meal.
What are you a fan of or very interested in?
I have recently become quite interested in the world of gems and minerals with my son. We collect any rock sample, and polish it or just keep it to look at. We also enjoy breaking open geodes.
Is there any book, music or TV series or movie that you admire and would recommend to others?
I enjoy following cooking/baking shows and would recommend the YouTube series produced by the Babish Culinary Universe for a wide variety of serious cooking/baking recipes and some outrageous remakes of television/movie foods.
What was the most important lesson taught to you during your medical training?
Take time to listen to your families and take interest in more than just their medical history. Learn about their child’s interests and things their family loves to do together.
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Our Successes:
Department Celebrations
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Please click on the link below to see achievements by Department of Pediatrics faculty and staff, including awards, certificates, publications, grants and more.
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Best Practices:
Student Shadowing Experience
There has been an uptick in the number of students requesting shadowing experiences at Children's Hospital & Medical Center. We would love to connect as many students as possible with these opportunities, but currently students are entering the system through a number of pathways, which makes it difficult for the Children's Education Office to keep up. If you are approached by a UNMC Medical student for a shadowing experience, please have the student reach out directly to UNMC Student Coordinator, Dani Wilson-Baxter at dwilsonb@unmc.edu, rather than contacting Russ Buzalko, PhD, Children's director of Medical Education. Dani will help ensure that this process runs smoothly and that all of the required steps are completed prior to the student's information making it over to Children's.
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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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2022 Omaha Walk for 1 in 100:
Adult Congenital Heart Disease Walk
Saturday, October 22
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When: Oct. 22, 2022
Where: Aksarben Village - Stinson Park - 2232 S 64th St, Omaha, NE 68106
Time: Check-in at 8 a.m. Opening ceremonies at 9 a.m.
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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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