Pediatric News
Updates from the Department of Pediatrics - 2023 Vol. 3
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The Department of Pediatrics Celebrates Women's History Month
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In celebration of Women's History Month in March, we recognize the educational, scientific, clinical and administrative achievements of the women in the Department of Pediatrics who comprise 64% of our total staff and 57% of our faculty. We are grateful to the dynamic women leaders across our department, including our chair, Kari Simonsen, MD, MBA, for their positive impact on children’s health and for inspiring future generations.
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Dr. Geetanjali Rathore Named
Exceptional Woman in Medicine
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Congratulations Geetanjali Rathore, MD, associate professor, Division of Neurology, who was recently named as one of Castle Connolly's Exceptional Women in Medicine. She was chosen for having contributed to the advancement of healthcare through clinical care, research, community service, education and/or leadership. Castle Connolly recognizes women annually based on peer nominations and acknowledgement of outstanding accomplishments and dedication to the field of medicine.
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Residents listed above in alphabetical order left to right, top row to bottom row
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Welcome Department of Pediatrics Residency Program Class of 2026
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Christian Clodfelder – Rocky Vista College of Osteopathic Medicine (Row 1)
Lauren Glasner – Western University Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (Row 1)
Carlos Izarra Boscan – Universidad del Zulia Facultad de Medicina (Row 1)
Erin McCartney – Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Row 2)
Hunter Meyers – Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine (Row 2)
Chandler Morton – Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Row 2)
Mason Rohr – A.T. Still University of Health Sciences - Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (Row 3)
Jonah Scheffler – University of Nebraska College of Medicine (Row 3)
Farhath Sulthana – University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine (Row 3)
Mark Westbroek – Indiana University School of Medicine (Row 4)
Nathan Whitley – University of Central Florida College of Medicine (Row 4)
Abby Wolfe – University of Nebraska College of Medicine (Row 4)
Madison Wolfe – University of Nebraska College of Medicine (Row 5)
Nicole Wozny – University of Nebraska College of Medicine (Row 5)
Kaitlynn Zitek – Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine (Row 5)
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Residents listed above in alphabetical order left to right, top row to bottom row
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Welcome Meds-Peds Residency Program
Class of 2027
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Christopher Dethlefs – University of Nebraska College of Medicine (Row 1)
Jake Fowler – University of Nebraska College of Medicine (Row 1)
Elena Roberts – University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville (Row 2)
Marilee Schaner – University of Washington School of Medicine (Row 2)
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Dr. Jesse Barondeau Prepares
Pediatric Learners for Unique Qualities
of Adolescent Care
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Adolescence is a complicated time in a child's life that presents equally complex challenges to pediatricians. Jesse Barondeau, MD, is the only fellowship-trained adolescent medicine physician in Nebraska, the Dakotas, western Iowa and parts of Wyoming and Montana. As the chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine, he encounters patients with a wide range of health concerns not commonly found in younger patients.
"Adolescence is a gray zone for many kids as they become mature enough to develop adult type health challenges or engage in risky behaviors, such as substance abuse and sexual activity. Yet, they have similar autonomy in seeking care as small children,” Dr. Barondeau explains. Adults with similar health problems can easily receive confidential treatment and therapy, but many legal and logistical barriers prevent teenagers from getting help for these situations. These complicating factors may lead to missed diagnoses or opportunities to provide services that can address and prevent significant health factors with immediate or lifelong consequences."
Dr. Barondeau provides vital training to pediatric learners to prepare them with the skills to work with adolescents and help them overcome some their obstacles to care.
Because of the complexity of the adolescent patient population, aspects of care that are generally straightforward with younger patients can become complicated. For example, taking the history or evaluating the health of a patient sometimes becomes a challenge when patients are fearful or embarrassed to discuss their needs. Dr. Barondeau believes that it is crucial that pediatrics learners become experienced and comfortable talking to adolescent patients about challenging topics to deliver the best care. When working with adolescent patients, learners gain experience with patients with developmental, mental health, educational or reproductive health issues, as well as chronic health situations that can worsen during adolescence.
Adolescent medicine is a growing area of pediatrics that has a long-term impact on the patient and the community. There is increased attention on the pressures on teenagers, including social media, peers and popular culture. Dr. Barondeau believes that helping children successfully navigate those challenges not only prevents short-term setbacks but also increases the odds of lifelong physical and mental health. He adds, “Having a better ability to specifically address and help with adolescent issues can have a tremendous impact on the wellbeing of the overall community, as healthier adolescents will soon become healthier adults and leaders. Working to reduce anxiety, depression, substance abuse, unwanted pregnancies, etc., not only impacts the individual but larger society as well.”
Dr. Barondeau notes that learners can find aspects of adolescent care intimidating, such as treating teens with oppositional or conduct disorders, reproductive health concerns or severe depression or anxiety. Care can also be difficult when there is significant disagreement or discord within the family or between the teen and parents. However, he finds that learners appreciatie gaining the exposure to adolescents with more complicated or uncomfortable concerns and to experience the reward and satisfaction of helping children during a particularly vulnerable, but exciting, stage of their lives.
In the future, Dr. Barondeau plans to expand the reach of his care and teaching through telemedicine access to schools and more rural areas of Nebraska. He is also working on partnering with other specialties at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center to provide adolescent healthcare for patients with chronic conditions, such as congenital heart disease, to help patients navigate unique secondary health problems that develop during adolescence. Such issues are often disregarded to focus on the underlying health condition. Lastly, Dr. Barondeau plans to work with learners on better treatment or evaluation pathways to care for teens who develop challenging and vague, but quite common, concerns such as light headedness, dizziness and fatigue.
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Congratulations Pediatric Residents Drs. Andrew Nguyen and Paul Witt
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Congratulations to Andrew Nguyen, DO, pediatrics resident. Dr. Nguyen was named UNMC College of Medicine Resident of the Month, March 2023. Dr. Nguyen was profiled by UNMC here. Great job Dr. Nguyen!
Congratulations to Paul Witt, MD, who was named Department of Pediatrics Resident of the Month. Dr. Witt's nomination reads, “Paul did an incredible job navigating a number of difficult patient situations this month and always kept a smile on his face while doing it. He took the extra time to keep families in the loop and make sure that issues were resolved. Through it all, he kept an infectious positive attitude that made life easier for the whole team.” Great job Dr. Witt!
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Kym Abraham and Miranda Downing Receive
Silver "U" Awards for March
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Kym Abraham, BSN, RN, Pediatric Research Office research nurse coordinator, was nominated by Ryan Forman, MBA, CHRI finance and business manager. Her nomination reads,
“Earlier this month, UNMC’s Child Health Research Institute held its inaugural Scientific Conference. This was a two-day event with activities occurring at UNMC, Children’s Hospital & Medical Center and UNO’s Scott Conference Center. Leading up to and during the event, Kym demonstrated a number of ITEACH values and worked above and beyond expectations in ensuring this event was successful. Kym is overall an outstanding leader within CHRI and this was a very important event to showcase the work of the institute to our members, advisors and our scientific community. She put forth tremendous effort to ensure things ran smoothly and we put forth a high-quality event.”
Miranda Downing, graduate medical educational programs coordinator III, was nominated by Cindy Colpitts, education administrator, pediatrics residency program. Her nomination reads,
"Miranda has served as the fellowship coordinator for five different fellowship for the past 3 1/2 years. She has been instrumental in a few of the new fellowships receiving accreditation from the ACGME by helping with their program application and gathering important reports needed. She is always looking for ways to improve the evaluation process and utilize all the resources available. Miranda excels at working within a team and communicating with her fellowship directors and fellows. She is such a great part of the education team. The fellowships would be lost without her leadership and support."
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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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DEI Update:
Upcoming Events
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Special Guest Lecturer - Dr. Arthur R. James
Why don't we have Equity?
9-10:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 11,
Hubbard Center, LL3 Conference Room
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The Department of Pediatrics Antiracism Commitee and Child Health Research Institute is proud to welcome Arthur (Art) R. James, MD, FACOG, at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 11, in the LL3 conference room in the Hubbard Center for Children at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center for his presentation, "Why don't we have equity?" This event will also be available through Zoom. Register here.
Dr. James is an obstetrician, gynecologist and pediatrician who has been involved in the care of underserved populations for the entirety of his medical career. He has been the medical director of two different Neighborhood Health Centers, medical director of Bronson Methodist Hospital’s Women’s Care Clinic, and founding/medical director of Borgess Medical Center’s Women’s Health office. In each of these efforts, he has been instrumental in expanding services to indigent patients, patients using drugs, HIV positive pregnant patents and to teens.
Dr. James has received numerous local and national awards for his advocacy to achieve equity in birth outcomes. He is also a frequent national speaker on infant mortality, especially regarding the national racial disparity in birth outcomes.
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Save the Date: May 19
Department of Pediatrics Antiracism Committee
2023 DEI Conference - Indigenous Health
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The Department of Pediatrics invites you to its third annual DEI Conference on May 19. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend. Event details and attendance information to come.
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Book Selected for Children's
April DEI Book Club
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The next book club event hosted by Children's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Culture & Inclusion team is coming in April. April’s book discussion will cover Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho. Three discussion meetings will take place via WebEx on Monday, April 24 at 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 25 at 8:30 a.m., and Tuesday, April 25 at 3 p.m. Rather than breaking it into segments this time, we will discuss the book in its entirety (218 pages) during each meeting.
Please RSVP for one of the sessions here. Additionally, Children's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Culture & Inclusion team are providing 10 complimentary paperback copies of the book to the first 10 individuals requesting a copy by emailing Katie Kodad, Culture & Inclusion program manager. Please do not request a copy if you don’t plan to attend book club.
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Community Engagement Update:
March Madness Community Partner Drive
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Save the Date
Pediatric Cancer Research Symposium
Tuesday , August , 2023
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Save the Date
CHRI Annual Scientific Conference
Friday, Nov. 3, 2023
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This month we feature Nicole Haley, MSW, Pediatric Research Office clinical study coordinator, and Alex Tran-Gowen, BSN-RN, Pediatric Research Office research nurse coordinator.
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Meet Nicole Haley
What brought you to your given specialty/role?
I was always drawn to helping professions, but my definition of helping people has remained broad and flexible in order to have the greatest impact over the years. My undergraduate degree is in Community Health with a concentration in Health Education & Promotion. This program helped solidify my passion for connecting others with resources and advocating for social change. With the hopes of going into hospital social work, I graduated with my Master of Social Work degree in May of 2020, which was a really rough time to be job searching. At the time, I was working as an assistant resident director for student housing in Chicago, and because college students were still living on campus and in need of support, I decided to pursue a full-time professional position in the same field. Through a regional job search, I fell in love with UNO.
After two years in my role at UNO, I was ready to get back into the medical realm and started job searching for my next way to support others and particularly to be a part of advances at a systemic level. I heard about an available position with the Pediatric Research Office and felt that my skill set would transfer beautifully. I have now been with the PRO for a bit over eight months; I regularly find meaning and joy in patient interactions here as well as the new set of clinical research knowledge my colleagues are helping me foster.
What’s your favorite place in the world?
I love the beach along Lake Michigan. I grew up near the lake in Illinois, and when I was a grad student in Chicago, going to the beach was a great (and free) way to relax. Lots of good memories are tied to the lake for me, and the scale of it has a way of reminding you how large the world is and what a small piece in it we all are.
What are you a fan of or very interested in?
I am a fan of hiking/walking trails. I highly recommend the app AllTrails if you have not already given it a try. Sometimes you may end up getting lost when it says there is a trail and there is actually a ditch (oops), but that adds to the fun and adventure of it all! If you have any trail recommendations in South Dakota or Kansas, I would love to hear from you!
Is there any book, music or TV series or movie that you admire and would recommend to others?
I am very into the “Bones” book series by Kathy Reichs. If you don’t know the book series, you may have seen the TV adaptation showcasing the protagonist, a forensic anthropologist who is nicknamed “Bones”. Although the books are far-fetched, the anatomical language is on-point. So, for someone who comes from a medical background, it is much easier to read than some of its counterparts. My dad introduced the series to me before he passed away so it holds a very special place in my heart.
What was the most important lesson taught to you during your training?
In my social work program, a professor told me that regardless of the circumstances, social workers should work under the assumption that everyone is trying their best with what they have. I think that has helped me, particularly through the beginning phases of the pandemic, to see the effort from others even when they are not making the choices I would hope or would think are in their best interest.
This lesson has also helped remind me what is within my role versus what is the patient’s/family’s responsibility to pursue (or not pursue). It is often my job to give people options, information and resources to support them in choosing their own path. Respecting the people involved and what they feel is the right option for them is a vital part of maintaining ethical practices for social work and all forms of research, so this is something I try to maintain in my work every day.
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Meet Alexandra Tran-Gowen
What brought you to your given specialty/role?
I was previously an OR nurse at Nebraska Medicine looking for a change in nursing specialty. My husband worked with a clinical research nurse manager in the anesthesiology department at UNMC and introduced me to her. She spoke to me about this role, thought I was a good fit, and encouraged me to apply. That's how I ended up in the Child Health Research Institute as a Research Nurse Coordinator.
What’s your favorite place in the world?
Anywhere outdoors where I can listen to music, think and admire nature, whether it be the mountains of Colorado or the beaches of Mexico.
What are you a fan of or very interested in?
I love reading and would love to be an author one day.
Is there any book, music or TV series or movie that you admire and would recommend to others?
I would recommend the incredible fantasy novel, The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
What was the most important lesson taught to you during your training?
Empathy is paramount in all that you do to serve your patients.
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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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