Pediatrics Flyer
The official newsletter of the Department of Pediatrics
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Jonathan Constance, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology
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When did you join the Department of Pediatrics? September 2012
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What's your favorite part of your job? The environment – This is a space that brings people together with a common goal to push scientific boundaries for the purpose of improving lives. The experiences shared here, some tough and more fun, have forged lifelong friendships locally and scattered across the globe. When visiting other places (pre-covid) for scientific conferences or the like, I always return with a renewed sense of how unique our institution is. Not to mention we are nestled right into the Wasatch mountains. This is a great place for my research (job) and recreation.
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Do you collect anything? While I don’t consider myself a ‘collector,’ I have a hard time letting go of books. Growing up in a family run bookstore probably had something to do with my interest.
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What are your hobbies and/or talents? My hobbies are messing around with bikes and forcing my kids to go on rides with me. I thought I knew something about bikes, then I met our own Dr. Scott Collingwood. I still enjoy messing around with bikes, now I just ask Scott first.
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What is your favorite motto or quote? Gutta cavat lapidem. After I had a grant rejected, a mentor sent me this quote. It was a wonderful gift.
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What's your favorite band, musical artist, or music genre? Currently, I am in a ‘Bach’ phase supplemented with Ennio Morricone, with heavy emphasis on any cello works. This is apt to change at any moment.
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What's your favorite book or movie? A recent favorite is Sapiens by Yuval Harari. Perennial favorites are A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens and Cat’s Cradle by Vonnegut.
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What are you currently reading, watching, or listening to? On the nightstand are Laszlo-Barabasi’s The Formula, Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis, and Half-Earth by E.O. Wilson. Lately, I’ve been watching, and re-watching, Kung Fu Panda and the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
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What three words or phrases would you use to describe yourself? My impulse was to ask my wife what she thought, but perhaps that is cheating. I’d say: optimist, omnivore, observant. These are from my scrabble list.
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Who or what inspires you? Kids – I have three. They never fail to surprise me with the way they see the world.
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What is your favorite way to decompress after work? Preparing and eating dinner as a family, sometimes with a board game (and a glass of wine).
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If you could snap your fingers and become an expert in one thing, what would it be? Fluency in the romance languages. I’ve been so tempted with the idea of taking on restoration of one of those sun-drenched ramshackle homes nestled into a small village overlooking the Mediterranean. However, not knowing enough French once got me kicked out of a restaurant in Chamonix.
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What is something you learned recently? Those child bike trailers can flip over when zig-zagging. Who knew? Don’t worry, I was unhurt.
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If you could share a meal with any three well-known individuals, who would they be? Cormac McCarthy, Edward O. Wilson, Stephen Colbert
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What do you consider your superpower? I can consistently achieve ‘al dente’ when cooking pasta.
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What are your guilty pleasures? Oreos
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What’s something you saw recently that made you smile? Oreos
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What's the most daring thing you've ever done? A friend and I went to ski the Aiguille du Midi. On our way up in the cable car, someone noticed we were not bringing rope, ice axe, crampons, etc. (in case we fell into a crevasse) and they said, “That’s very daring!” Thank god we chickened out.
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What is something that might surprise us about you? At one of our summer ‘Clin Pharm’ picnics, I invented a game that is poised to become a world-wide phenomenon. Ask Dr. Kate Job about it sometime.
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Sylvie Fadrhonc, PA
Physician Assistant
Pediatric Rheumatology
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When did you join the Department of Pediatrics? September 2013
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What's your favorite part of your job? I enjoy helping patients and their families learn to navigate chronic disease in childhood and thrive!
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What are your hobbies and/or talents? I love to ski and mountain bike! I also enjoy camping with my family and spending time in the mountains and desert.
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What's your favorite band, musical artist, or music genre? I love bluegrass!
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What are you currently reading, watching, or listening to? Reading - Michelle Obama’s Becoming and Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s In My Own Words, Watching - all things Disney, Pixar and princess with my two little girls, and Listening to - NPR, Piano Guys, Bluegrass, Folk.
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Who or what inspires you? My daughters, age 2 and 4 and a quest to provide love, laughter, hope, adventure and confidence to them every day.
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What is your favorite way to decompress after work? Playing outside in the sunshine with my family and dog, with a beverage in tow and music playing!
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If you could snap your fingers and become an expert in one thing, what would it be? Parenting
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What is something you learned recently? Butterflies can taste with their feet.
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If you could share a meal with any three well-known individuals, who would they be? Anthony Fauci, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and Nelson Mandela
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What do you consider your superpower? Performing wheelies in the snow with a 2 yr old and 4 yr old on my lap and while holding a dog leash.
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What are your guilty pleasures? Breyer’s mint chocolate chip ice cream
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What’s something you saw recently that made you smile? My patient (who is blind, has juvenile arthritis, and cerebral palsy) composed a piano piece for me and sent me a video of him performing it.
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What's the most daring thing you've ever done? Parenting
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What is something that might surprise us about you? I speak Dutch!
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Welcome to the Team!
To see the new faculty and staff who joined us in March, click here.
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Russell Banks - Transitioned from Biostatistician II to Biostatistician III with Critical Care.
Jennifer Rigby - Now serves as Manager for the Research Education Office staff in addition to her existing role as Division Manager for Pediatric Emergency Medicine.
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For a pdf version of Dr. Colquitt's announcement, click here. |
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Earth Day 2021
In recognition of the theme for Earth Day 2021, "Restoring Our Earth," the Eccles 4th Floor breakroom disposable supplies will be unavailable from Monday, April 19–Friday, April 23. This includes all disposable utensils, hot and cold cups, and plates. Please bring a reusable mug, water bottle, plates and utensils to use at Eccles during that week.
For all department employees, submit your "mugshot" (a photo of yourself using a reusable mug or water bottle) to pedwellness@hsc.utah.edu by Thursday, April 22 for a chance to win some reusable U Health swag! Click here for an informational flyer.
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.
Medical Home Portal Survey - Please Participate!
The Medical Home Portal is an online program by the Division of General Pediatrics with information for families, physicians, and other caregiving professionals about children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Please help us better understand who uses, or doesn’t use, the Medical Home Portal by completing a 3-question survey. If the survey link doesn’t work, copy and paste the URL below into your browser. Thank you! utah.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1Sou3AIpklJHRfU
Support Group for ICU Caregivers
A bi-monthly support group has been instituted to help all ICU caregivers, regardless of role, deal with the emotional burden of patient death. The goals of the support group sessions are to:
- Get tips from professionals on how to deal with grief and stress.
- Acknowledge the things that are difficult and wonderful about our job.
- Learn from each other.
- Give support to others and receive support.
Support sessions will take place on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month via ZOOM at 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to accommodate both the day and night shifts. For more information, contact Erin Fuchs or Claudia Delgado. Click here for an informational flyer. |
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Well Home Office Certification
Congratulations to our team members in the department who participated in the Well Home Office Certification initiative by the Office of Wellness and Integrative Health. To certify, participants had to complete 15 action items and submit two photos of their healthy work-from-home space.
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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. |
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DIVISION & ENTERPRISE UPDATES |
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Pediatric Education Enterprise Updates
Welcome to our new Pediatric Residency Intern Class of 2021-2022. The Education Office would like to give a huge shoutout to all of the faculty, trainees, and staff that made our recruitment season a success. THANK YOU!!!
For a printable version of the intern composite, click here.
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In honor of April's Child Abuse Prevention Month, Safe & Healthy Families' Kris Campbell spoke to ABC4 News about child abuse in Utah and what to do if you suspect child abuse. View the video or read the article here.
Kathleen Campbell, one of our pediatric residents and lead investigator on this study, discusses the changes made in our pediatric clinics that increased autism screening rates. Read the article here.
In a paper published last month, Heather Keenan, Amy Clark, and Richard Holubkov, from Pediatric Critical Care, and their colleagues examine how traumatic brain injury influences the developmental trajectory of executive functions in children injured in different developmental periods. View the press release here or read the original paper here.
Several members of the Division of Critical Care - Rachel Richards, Bradley Barney, Nina Pacchia, and Larry Cook - along with colleagues from other institutions participated in a cohort study to analyze posttraumatic headache phenotype and prognosis. View the press release here or read the full article here. |
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New Research Studies for Pediatric Emergency Medicine
BEEPER (Bedside Exclusion of Pulmonary Embolism without Radiation) is an international study to develop tools that accurately identify children at higher risk of pulmonary embolism. This will help us not miss children who have pulmonary embolisms, and reduce unnecessary imaging and radiation in low-risk children. Jade Mulvey will be the lead research coordinator for this study.
HEADACHE (HEADache Assessment of Children for Emergent Intracranial Anomalies) is a national study to develop tools that accurately identify which children with headaches should have head imaging such as CT or MRI to find emergent intracranial abnormalities such as tumors or bleeding. This will help us better identify children with headache who have dangerous problems that need treatment and to reduce unnecessary imaging and radiation in children at low risk. Jessica Jung will be the lead research coordinator for this study.
When a medical error occurs, every provider needs to know how to share this information with patients and families. Timely and clear disclosure builds trust and reduces the risk of litigation. Jared Henricksen (Pediatric Critical Care) and colleagues provide a practical strategy to guide these conversations in this article. Download the quick guide to disclosing medical errors here.
Keeping learners engaged during a talk or presentation is a challenge almost all educators have encountered. With the transition to more virtual learning over the past year, capturing learners' attention can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. In this article, Cheryl Yang, one of our fellows in Pediatric Emergency Medicine, discusses different types of active learning techniques and how to incorporate them into teaching sessions.
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Diversity & Inclusion
From the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine
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Always Stay Curious - A Personal Narrative
By Melody Baugh, Administrative Assistant
I grew up in a small rural town of less than 800 persons. Our town was fairly homogenous. My mother grew up in that same small town. She hadn't traveled or experienced much outside of our small valley, but she was always encouraging me to "be curious, ask questions, value differences." As a child I took that to heart. I wanted to know how things worked, asked endless questions and -- to my mother’s chagrin -- I talked to everyone.
The value of her advice really came into play when I moved to Japan for a year. It was hard being thrust into an environment where I didn't speak the language and couldn't understand so much about the work and social traditions. Sometimes I longed for the familiarity of the U.S. and a box of Pop Tarts, but I remembered my mother's advice and I kept reaching out, asking questions, and trying to understand why Japan and its people "were who they were." I found the experience transformative. I was lucky to form some dear friendships and considered my two years singing there a success. Yet more importantly, I learned to love the Japanese people, to understand more of their culture, and to respect their ways and traditions.
These skills were even more valuable when I moved to a place full of diversity, New York City. There I made friends from all over the globe. I also saw up close the tragedies of economic disparity. In NYC, the richest of the rich share the same sidewalks with the poor. It can be heartbreaking at times to see. It made me wonder if I had grown up somewhere different like the Bronx or Manhattan as opposed to my small town, how would I be different? Would I still hold my mother's advice to be steadfast?
Yes – “be curious, ask questions, value differences.” And I learned some things along the way too:
- Empathy and compassion will always go a long way.
- Opening our eyes with genuine curiosity and desire to understand can create an environment for real acknowledgement and the possibility of change.
- "The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention." ~Kahlil Gibran
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Resources for Diversity & Inclusion |
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Book Recommendation
Our Diversity & Inclusion top book recommendation was brought to our attention by Sydney Ryan, MD – Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Thank you, Sydney!!!
Based on his study of the fields of behavioral science and cognitive neuroscience, Robbins explores unconscious bias in many of its forms, including: availability bias, confirmation bias, anchoring bias and others. With his signature humor, these weighty but important topics are addressed with great insight, care and humility. The result is an unpretentious guide for individuals and organizations that will help break down defenses and shine a helpful light on human behavior in a world filled with differences.
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Podcast Recommendation
Brené Brown, in her podcast Dare to Lead, has two conversations with her friend, colleague, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion expert, Aiko Bethea:
In this first episode, Brené and Aiko discuss empathy, accountability, and the power of listening and believing. They also dissect the differences between transactional leadership and transformational leadership, and why courage is a prerequisite to lasting, meaningful change.
In Part Two of Brené’s conversation with Aiko, they take the foundations from their first conversation and build upon them with strategic and sustainable action items that can create non-reactive, intentional, accountable, and transformational change. It’s a masterclass in the power of integration and the importance of a learning mindset.
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Zoom Background Recommendation
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Leadership Inclusivity Training Opportunity
The Relational Leadership Initiative is a 3-month cohort based learning collaborative open to U Health faculty, practitioners, staff, and trainees of all levels interested in leadership roles. A multidisciplinary, multi-generational training model with foundations in enhancing teamwork, communities, and relationships serves as the course foundation.
Listen as Dr. Katie Gradick (Pediatric Palliative Care) shares her experience with the Relational Leadership Initiative (RLI) in this video.
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Additional Recommended Reading |
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Everyone needs health care at some point in their lives. But for a person who is transgender, gender diverse, or part of the LGBTQ+ community (or both), navigating the health care experience can be fraught with challenges because of their outward expression and internal sense of gender. To create safer, more affirming spaces, we asked patients themselves for their guidance.
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This remarkable book describes surgeon Lori Arviso Alvord's struggles to bring modern medicine to the Navajo reservation in Gallup, New Mexico—and to bring the values of her people to a medical care system in danger of losing its heart
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A beautiful and inclusive story that encourages children to find the beauty in their own lives and share it with the world.
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Set in the poorest areas of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the book follows eight families struggling to pay rent to their landlords during the financial crisis of 2007–2008. It highlights the issues of extreme poverty, affordable housing, and economic exploitation in the United States.
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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.
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This Month's Recognition
Andy Pavia, Angelo Giardino & the Thriving in Pediatrics Team
Recognized for Safety
The Post-Vaccine COVID Town Hall was super informative and helpful! Thanks to Dr. Pavia and Dr. Giardino for answering questions and to the Thriving in Pediatrics team for planning it.
Liz Brown & Tiffany Dubbelman - Critical Care
Recognized for Excellence
Liz Brown & Tiffany Dubbelman presented at the most recent Administrative Lunch & Learn on PCards & FMS Processes. Their expertise and knowledge was showcased in fine detail by providing facts, recommendations and tips/tricks for utilizing FMS & PCards. Switching from UMS to FMS during a pandemic has proven to be somewhat challenging and both Liz and Tiffany gave everyone confidence with utilizing FMS & PCards in the future. They are great resources for questions that may arise and we are very lucky to have them in Peds!
Breeanna Degarmo - Hematology/Oncology
Recognized for People Centered
Breeanna is a pleasure to work with! She is kindly helping me with several tasks that I am unable to do because I am working from home. Breeanna is quick to respond and so willing to help!
Ashley Sacharny - Administration
Recognized for People Centered
Ashley Sacharny implemented and leads a wellness check-in at our weekly team meeting. Each week, she comes prepared with a question for each person in the group to answer as we are giving our work updates. This has sparked some fun conversations and helped us learn about each other, which has been especially nice while we aren't seeing each other in-person. I look forward to the question each week and have enjoyed getting to know our team better. Thanks, Ashley!
Kairisti Schut - Genetics
Recognized for Making a Difference
Kairisti is amazing. Whenever I ask for her help she is always willing to provide assistance &/or guidance. She recently went above and beyond to help a new program coordinator to complete an important task. Thank you, Kairisti!
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DEPARTMENT CHAIR'S SUGGESTION BOX |
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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.
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